2015-10-22 Core: love and death and stories

Greg Malivuk
[email protected]
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk
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Homework: read the article on page 39 and do parts 2, 3, and 4 on page 38
part 2
1 He went to the sea when a storm was coming. He tried swimming but it was difficult, and then it was also difficult to return to shore.
2 He has learned his lesson. He now thanks the sea every day the surface is calm, and he asks for forgiveness every time he dives and sees no fish.
(If he sees no fish, it’s probably our fault, from noise, pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction, global warming, etc., so he asks for forgiveness for all people.)
part 3
1 two (more or less)
2 afraid
3 stop
4 It was difficult for me
5 stop swimming (“let go” more generally means “give up”)
6 quickly
part 4
1 first: He decided to go swimming despite the storm. As a consequence, he was hit by waves and swallowed a lot of sand and salt water.
  second: He decided to turn back and call it a day. As a consequence, he was caught in the surf zone (where waves are breaking and rolling and pulling in every direction).
  third: He decided to let go and give up the fight. As a consequence, the next waves brought him to shore.
2 He describes it as a person (specifically a woman) whom he loves and feels thankful to.
3 (We already talked about the last sentence.)
4 (your opinions)
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part 5 - reading between the lines - Do you think these statements are true or false (with a partner)?
1 F - It’s usually fine (“I used to swim [there] every day”). (But it was dangerous on that stormy day.)
2 T - “It was crazy, but I did it.” “In a moment of Catalan bravado” (he liked to take risks, but maybe not now)
3 T - “feeling lucky to be alive”
4 F - “Every time I think about it, my heart races and my guts jump to my throat.”
5 T - the whole last paragraph
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bravado = false or foolish bravery
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“get” has many different meanings, but they can be divided into three main cagegories
get = become: get cold, get hot, get sick, get paid, get married, get divorced, get old
get = arrive: get home, get to school, get to the hospital, get back (get to school, arrive at school)
get = obtain/receive: get breakfast, get a gift, get mail, get money
(It describes a change with “be” or “have”. - before you got sick, you weren’t sick; before you got home, you weren’t home; before you got money, you didn’t have money)

part 6 - use an expression with “get” to rewrite the sentences
1 I got into the pool. / I got in the pool.
2 The weather didn’t get better. (“The weather got worse,” is a little bit different.)
3 I couldn’t get to the shore.
4 I wasn’t getting (any) closer to the land.
5 We get so much from nature.
6 I’d gotten out of that dangerous situation.

into / onto / out of / off of - to emphasize that there is movement involved
I get into the car. I sit in the car. The cat jumped onto the table. The cat sat on the table.

You have to go toward Alewife to get to Harvard.
homeward = toward home
northward = toward the north

You are in a situation, so you can get out of a situation.
You are on a bus, so you can get off a bus.
You are near the police, so you can get away from the police.
(“get away from” also suggests that the thing can chase you)
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BREAK
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p. 40 part 1 - discuss these questions in groups of 3
What kind of bird is in the picture? (African Gray Parrot)
part 2 - which words do you think are used in the story about the parrot? What is the other story about?
part 3 - listen and check. Which story do you think is true? Why?
part 4 - listen again and check which expressions are used in the stories

“Our house was a zoo.” - this is exaggeration
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Sudden things are surprising and happen quickly (“suddenly” and “all of a sudden”).
“Immediately” can describe a reaction. “It started raining so I immediately closed the window.”
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Pronunciation of “was” and “were” in conversation:
We can still hear the ‘w’, but the vowel gets reduced

Someone was doing the dishes.
They were lying in the sink.
We were looking after it.
I was going around.
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How’s it going? (= How is it going?)
(How’s it going, How are you, How are things, How are you doing, How do you do - the same)

What’s up? (= What is happening?)
(What’s up, What’s happening, What’s going on, What are you up to - the same)
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(Pronouncing these expressions differently can change the meaning a lot, from casual conversation to serious questions.)
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What are some problems that an underwater city could have? (oxygen, food, transportation, waste and garbage, leaks, broken windows, drinking water, light, heat)
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Homework: think of some possible solutions to these and other problems that an underwater city would have. (They can be realistic engineering solutions, or something more creative like there will be mermaids that also live in your city.)