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Hitchhiking In Europe Mini-Story Lesson

Hello and welcome to the mini-story lesson for the conversation “Hitchhiking In Europe.” Let’s get started with the story now.

Teddy the turtle used to go out with Rhonda the rabbit. But then Rhonda started dating Bennie the bear. Teddy was very upset. So he decided on a whim to drive his car across America.

Teddy has an old pink car. After driving for four days, the car stopped working. He did not know what to do. So he decided to try hitching.

After one hour, Tom Cruise picked him up. He asked Teddy where he was headed to. Teddy said that he was just going with the flow. Tom Cruise was driving to his house in Los Angeles.

Teddy told him that he was totally broke.

Then Tom Cruise said, “You can live with me, but you have to clean my pool every day.” Teddy was ecstatic. He had no idea he would end up at Tom Cruise’s house.

When he got to Los Angles, Teddy found a new girlfriend so he is no longer upset about Rhonda.

Okay, so that’s the end of our story. Now I will go back and read the story again. This time I will ask questions as I read it. As always, you can answer the questions out loud. If you do not have enough time, then please pause your player and press play again when you have had enough time and, of course, if you do not feel like answering the questions out loud and just sitting there and listening instead, well that’s okay, too.

Okay, let’s begin.

Teddy the turtle used to go out with Rhonda the rabbit.

Did Teddy the turtle use to go out with Rhonda the rabbit?

Yes, he did. Teddy the turtle used to go out with Rhonda the rabbit.

What did Teddy the turtle use to do?

Go out with Rhonda the rabbit. He used to go out with Rhonda the rabbit.

Did Teddy use to go out with Rhonda or go to the grocery store?

He used to go out with Rhonda. He didn’t use to go to the grocery store.

Did Teddy use to date Rhonda?

Yes, yes, he did. He used to go out with Rhonda which is the same thing as saying he used to date Rhonda.

To go out with means to date.

Is Teddy still going out with Rhonda?

No, he is not still going out with Rhonda. He used to, meaning he no longer goes out with Rhonda but he did in the past.

Is Teddy still dating Rhonda?

No, he is not. He used to go out with Rhonda which means he used to date Rhonda which means he is no longer dating Rhonda.

Who used to go out with Rhonda? Did Teddy or Tommy use to go out with Rhonda?

Teddy, Teddy used to go out with Rhonda.

Did Teddy or Tommy use to date Rhonda?

Teddy did. Teddy used to date Rhonda, or Teddy used to go out with Rhonda.

Who did Teddy use to go out with? Did he use to go out with Sara or Rhonda?

Rhonda, he used to go out with Rhonda.

Did he use to date Rhonda?

Yes, he did. He used to go out with Rhonda, which is the same as saying he used to date Rhonda.

What type of animal is Teddy? Is he a rabbit or a turtle?

A turtle, Teddy is a turtle.

What type of animal is Rhonda? Is she a rabbit or a turtle?

She is a rabbit. Rhonda is a rabbit.

Is Teddy a rabbit?

No, Teddy is not a rabbit.

Is Rhonda a rabbit?

Yes, she is. Rhonda is a rabbit, Rhonda the rabbit.

Does Teddy the turtle still date Rhonda the rabbit?

No, he doesn’t. He used to date Rhonda the rabbit, or he used to go out with Rhonda the rabbit, that means he no longer dates Rhonda.

But then Rhonda started dating Bennie the bear.

Did Rhonda start dating Bennie the bear?

Yes, she did. Rhonda started dating Bennie the bear.

What did Rhonda do?

Well, she started dating Bennie the bear.

Did she start a fire or start dating Bennie the bear?

She started dating Bennie the bear.

Who started dating Bennie the bear? Did Teddy or Rhonda start dating Bennie the bear?

Rhonda did. Rhonda started dating Bennie the bear.

Who did Rhonda start dating? Did she start dating Teddy?

No, she didn’t start dating Teddy. She is no longer dating Teddy.

Did she start dating Bennie?

Yes, yes, she did. She started dating Bennie.

Did Rhonda start going out with Bennie?

Yes, she did. She started dating Bennie which is the same as saying she started going out with Bennie.

What type of animal is Bennie? Is he a bear or a turtle?

A bear, Bennie is a bear, Bennie the bear.

Is Bennie a bear?

Yes, he is. Bennie is a bear, Bennie the bear.

Did Rhonda start dating Bennie the bear?

Yes, she did. Rhonda started dating Bennie the bear.

Why doesn’t Teddy date Rhonda anymore?

Well, it’s because she started dating Bennie the bear.

Teddy was very upset.

Was Teddy very upset?

Yes, he was. Teddy was very upset.

Was Teddy happy?

No, he was not happy.

Was Teddy just a little upset?

No, he was not just a little upset. He was very upset.

Who was very upset? Was Bennie very upset?

No, Bennie wasn’t very upset.

Was Rhonda very upset?

No, Rhonda wasn’t very upset.

Was Teddy really upset?

Yes, Teddy was very upset. Teddy was really upset.

So he decided on a whim to drive his car across America.

Did he decide on a whim to drive his car across America?

Yes, he did. That’s what he decided. He decided on a whim to drive his car across America.

What did he decide on a whim?

To drive across America, he decided on a whim to drive across America.

Did he decide to drive his car or ride his motorcycle?

Drive his car, he decided on a whim to drive his car.

What did he decide to do on a whim?

Drive his car across America.

Did he decide to do it on a whim?

Yes, he did. He decided to do it on a whim.

Did he decide to do it without a lot of thought?

Yes, yes, he did. He decided on a whim which means he decided to do it without a lot of thought. On a whim means to do something without a lot of thought.

Did he decide to drive across America without a lot of thought?

Yes, he did. He decided on a whim to drive across America which means he decided to drive across America without a lot of thought, without much planning, without thinking about it too much.

Who decided to drive across America? Did Bennie or Teddy decide to drive across America?

Teddy did. Teddy decided to drive across America. He decided on a whim.

Where did he decide to drive? Did he decide to drive across Canada or America?

America, he decided to drive his car across America.

Did Teddy think about it a lot or did he do it without much thought?

Well, he did it without much thought because he did it on a whim.

Did Teddy decide on a whim to drive across America?

Yes, he did. He decided on a whim to drive across America, or he decided without giving it too much thought to drive across America.

Teddy has an old pink car.

Does Teddy have an old pink car?

Yes, he does. Teddy has an old pink car.

What does Teddy have? Does he have a boat or a car?

A car, Teddy has a car.

What color is his car? Is it purple or pink?

It’s pink. Teddy has a pink car.

Does Teddy have a new car?

No, he doesn’t have a new car.

Does Teddy have an old car?

Yes, he does. Teddy has an old car.

Does Teddy have a new pink car?

No, he doesn’t have a new pink car.

Does Teddy have an old pink car?

Yes, he does. Teddy has an old pink car.

After driving for four days, the car stopped working.

Did the car stop working?

Yes, it did. The car stopped working.

How long did he drive before the car stopped working? Did he drive four days or four weeks?

Four days, the car stopped working after driving for four days.

Did the car stop working after driving for two days?

No, it wasn’t two days. It was four days.

What stopped working? Did Teddy or the car stop working?

The car, the car stopped working.

Was Teddy able to drive the car after driving for four days?

No, no, he wasn’t. He was not able to drive the car because the car stopped working.

He did not know what to do.

Did he know what to do?

No, he did not know what to do.

Why didn’t he know what to do?

Well, he didn’t know what to do because his car had broken down so he probably did not have a ride anywhere.

Who did not know what to do? Did Teddy not know what to do?

That’s correct, Teddy did not know what to do.

Did Teddy know what to do?

No, he did not. He did not know what to do. His car broke down and now he needed a ride.

So he decided to try hitching.

Did he decide to try hitching?

Yes, he did. He decided to try hitching.

What did he decide to do?

To try hitching, he decided to try hitching.

Did he decide to try hitching or try to fix his car?

To try hitching, he decided to try hitching.

Did he decide to try to get a ride in a car with someone he did not know?

Yes, yes, that’s what hitching is.

Did he decide to try to hitchhike?

Yes, he did. Hitching is short for hitchhiking and hitchhiking is to try to get a ride in a car with someone that you do not know, so he decided to try hitching, he decided to try hitchhiking, he decided to try to find a ride in a car with someone he did not know. They are all the same thing.

Who decided to try hitching? Did Rhonda decide to try hitching?

No, it wasn’t Rhonda.

Did Teddy decide to try hitching?

Yes, he did. Teddy, Teddy decided to try hitching.

Did Teddy decide to try to get a ride in a car with someone he did not know?

Yes, he did. That’s what hitchhiking is and that’s also what hitching is. To try to get a ride in a car with someone you do not know.

After one hour, Tom Cruise picked him up.

Did Tom Cruise pick him up after one hour?

Yes, Tom Cruise picked him up after one hour.

What happened after one hour? Did Tom Cruise pick him up?

Yes, he did. Tom Cruise picked him up.

Did Tom Cruise give him a ride in his car?

Yes, he did. He picked him up. He gave him a ride in his car. When you say you picked someone up, that means you gave them a ride in your car.

Who picked him up? Did Rhonda pick him up?

No, it wasn’t Rhonda.

Did Tom Cruise pick him up?

Yes, he did. Tom Cruise picked him up.

How long was it before Tom Cruise picked him up? Was it one hour or one day?

One hour, it was after one hour.

Who did Tom Cruise pick up? Did he pick up Teddy?

Yes, he did. He picked up Teddy.

Did Tom Cruise give Teddy a ride in his car?

Yes, Tom Cruise picked Teddy up which means he gave Teddy a ride in his car.

He asked Teddy where he was headed to.

Did he ask Teddy where he was headed to?

Yes, he did. He asked Teddy where he was headed to.

What did he do?

He asked Teddy where he was headed to, that’s what he did.

Did he ask Teddy where he was going to?

Yes, yes, he did. He asked him where he was headed to which is the same thing as asking where he was going to.

Did he ask Teddy where he was headed to or what time it was?

Where he was headed to, he asked him where he was headed to. He didn’t ask him what time it was.

Who asked Teddy where he was headed to? Did Tom Cruise or Will Smith ask Teddy where he was headed to?

Tom Cruise did.

Did Tom Cruise ask Teddy where he was going to?

Yes, he did. He asked Teddy where he was headed to which is the same thing as asking him where he was going to. Headed to means going to.

What did he ask Teddy? Did he ask him where he was headed to or ask him for a cigarette?

He asked him where he was headed to.

Did he ask him where he was going to?

Yes, yes, he did. He asked him where he was headed to which is the same thing as asking him where he was going to.

Teddy said that he was just going with the flow.

Did Teddy say he was going with the flow?

Yes, he did. Teddy said he was just going with the flow.

What did Teddy do? Did he say he was just going with the flow or did he ask Tom Cruise for 100 dollars?

He said he was just going with the flow.

Who said he was just going with the flow? Did Teddy or Tom Cruise say he was just going with the flow?

Teddy did. Teddy said he was just going with the flow.

Did Teddy say that he did not do any planning?

Yes, yes, he did. He said he was just going with the flow, which is the same as saying he did not do any planning. When you say going with the flow, you mean that you did not do any planning.

What did Teddy say? Did he say that he was hungry or that he was going with the flow?

He said that he was going with the flow.

Did he say that he did not do any planning?

Yes, he did. He said he was going with the flow, which means he said he did not do any planning. Going with the flow means not doing any planning.

Did he say that he did not have a plan about where he was going?

Well, yes, that’s true. He said he was going with the flow when Tom Cruise asked him where he was headed to, so what he was saying was that he did not have a plan about where he was going.

Tom Cruise was driving to his house in Los Angeles.

Was Tom Cruise driving to his house in Los Angeles?

Yes, he was, that’s where he was driving. He was driving to his house in Los Angeles.

What was Tom Cruise doing? Was he washing his car or driving to his house in Los Angeles?

Driving to his house in Los Angeles, he was driving to his house in Los Angeles.

Who was driving to his house in Los Angeles? Was Tom Cruise or Will Smith?

Tom Cruise was, Tom Cruise was driving to his house in Los Angeles.

Where was Tom Cruise driving? Was he driving to New York?

No, he wasn’t driving to New York.

Was he driving to Los Angeles?

Yes, he was, he was driving to Los Angeles.

Where was he driving to in Los Angeles? Was he driving to the library in Los Angeles?

No, he wasn’t driving to the library.

Was he driving to his house in Los Angeles?

Yes, that’s correct. He was driving to his house in Los Angeles.

Does Tom Cruise have a house in Los Angeles?

Yes, he does. He was driving to his house in Los Angeles so that means he must have a house in Los Angeles.

Teddy told him that he was totally broke.

Did Teddy tell him that he was totally broke?

Yes, he did. He told him that he was totally broke.

What did Teddy tell him? Did he tell him that he was sick or that he was totally broke?

He told him that he was totally broke.

Did he tell him that he had a lot of money?

No, he did not tell him that he had a lot of money.

Did he tell him that he had no money?

Yes, yes, that’s correct. He told him that he was totally broke, which is the same as saying he had no money.

Totally broke means having no money.

Who told him that he was totally broke? Did Will Smith or Teddy tell him that he was totally broke?

Teddy did, Teddy told him that he was totally broke.

Did Teddy tell him that he had no money?

Yes, he did. He told him that he was totally broke which is the same as saying he had no money. Totally broke means to have no money.

Who did Teddy tell that he was totally broke? Did he tell his mother?

No, he didn’t tell his mother.

Did he tell Tom Cruise?

Yes, that’s who he told. He told Tom Cruise.

Did he tell Tom Cruise that he had no money?

Yes, he did. He told him that he was totally broke which is the same thing as saying he had no money.

Then Tom Cruise said, “You can live with me, but you have to clean my pool every day.” Who said that Teddy can live with him? Did Tom Cruise say it?

Yes, he did. Tom Cruise said, “You can live with me.” Can Teddy live with Tom Cruise?

Yes, yes, he can. He can live with Tom Cruise but he has to clean the pool every day.

What does Teddy have to do? Does he have to drive Tom Cruise’s car or clean his pool?

Clean his pool, he has to clean his pool.

What does Teddy have to clean? Does he have to clean Tom Cruise’s house or Tom Cruise’s pool?

His pool, he has to clean Tom Cruise’s pool.

Does Tom Cruise have a pool?

Yes, he does. He has a pool; we know this because he said that Teddy would have to clean his pool.

How often does Teddy have to clean the pool? Does he have to clean it only on Mondays?

No, not just on Mondays.

Does he have to clean it every day?

Yes, he does. He has to clean it every day if he wants to live with Tom Cruise.

Teddy was ecstatic.

Was Teddy ecstatic?

Yes, he was. Teddy was ecstatic.

Was Teddy sad?

No, he wasn’t sad.

Was Teddy just a little happy?

No, he wasn’t just a little happy, he was ecstatic. That means he was really happy.

Was Teddy very happy?

Yes, he was ecstatic. He was very happy, he was really happy.

Who was ecstatic? Was Tom Cruise ecstatic?

No, not Tom Cruise.

Was Teddy ecstatic?

Yes, he was. Teddy was ecstatic.

Was Teddy very happy?

Yes, he was. He was ecstatic. Ecstatic is very happy.

He had no idea he would end up at Tom Cruise’s house.

Did he think that he would end up at Tom Cruise’s house?

No, he didn’t. He had no idea which means that he did not think that he would end up at Tom Cruise’s house.

Did he think that he would go to Tom Cruise’s house at the end?

No, no, he didn’t. He had no idea.

Who had no idea he would end up at Tom Cruise’s house? Teddy or Bennie?

Teddy, Teddy had no idea he would end up at Tom Cruise’s house.

Where did Teddy have no idea he would end up? At Tom Cruise’s house or at his mother’s house?

At Tom Cruise’s house, he had no idea he would end up at Tom Cruise’s house.

Did he have no idea that he would go to Tom Cruise’s house last?

Yes, that’s correct. He had no idea he would end up at Tom Cruise’s house which is the same thing as saying he had no idea he would go to Tom Cruise’s house last. To end up means to go to a place last.

When he got to Los Angles, Teddy found a new girlfriend Did Teddy find a new girlfriend when he got to Los Angeles?

Yes, he did. Teddy found a new girlfriend when he got to Los Angeles.

What did Teddy do when he got to Los Angeles? Did he find a new girlfriend or take a shower?

He found a new girlfriend. He found a new girlfriend when he got to Los Angeles.

Who found a new girlfriend? Did Teddy or Tom Cruise find a new girlfriend?

Teddy did. Teddy found a new girlfriend.

When did Teddy find a new girlfriend? Did he find a new girlfriend after dinner or when he got to Los Angeles?

When he got to Los Angeles, Teddy found a new girlfriend when he got to Los Angeles.

Did Teddy find an old girlfriend when he got to Los Angeles?

No, he didn’t find an old girlfriend, he found a new girlfriend.

Where did Teddy find a new girlfriend? Did he find a new girlfriend in New York or Los Angeles?

In Los Angeles, he found a new girlfriend when he got to Los Angeles.

so he is no longer upset about Rhonda.

Is he still upset about Rhonda?

No, he is not. He is no longer upset about Rhonda.

Who is not upset about Rhonda? Tom Cruise or Teddy?

Teddy, Teddy is not upset about Rhonda.

Was Teddy ever upset about Rhonda?

Yes, he was. He was upset about Rhonda but he is no longer upset about Rhonda which means he’s not upset about Rhonda right now but that he was at one point in time upset about Rhonda.

Is Teddy upset about Rhonda?

No, he is not. He is no longer upset about Rhonda.

Okay, so that’s the end of our story which means that we are at the end of the mini-story lesson for the conversation “Hitchhiking In Europe.” Now please tell this story by yourself. Remember you do not need to memorize every word in the story but you should use the idioms and the vocabulary words that we discussed.

Here are the idioms and vocabulary words that we discussed: “Go out with,” “on a whim,” “hitchhiking,” “picked him up,” “headed to,” “going with the flow,” “totally broke,” “ecstatic,” and “end up.” Okay, good luck telling the story and I’ll see you next time.