رابطه کورکورانه (داستان کوتاه)

Blind Date – Mini-Story Lesson

Hi, I’m Joe Weiss and I’m one of the teachers and directors of Learn Real English and I’d like to welcome you to this mini-story lesson. Okay, I want to start today’s lesson by telling you about some of the idioms that you will hear me use in today’s story. So let’s start.

First is to be “light on your feet.” So if you are light on your feet it means that you move easily and quickly and that you look graceful when you are moving, okay? And this is an idiom that’s often used to describe a dancer, okay, because dancers usually are graceful when they move. So let me give you an example to help you understand this one. Mary is light on her feet so she is an excellent dancer. Mary is light on her feet so she is an excellent dancer. So what I’m saying is Mary moves gracefully. She moves easily and quickly and she looks graceful when she moves so she is an excellent dancer.

Okay, so next is “wine and dine.” So if you wine and dine someone it means you treat that person to an expensive meal and it usually means an expensive dinner, okay? But it can really mean any meal, I guess. So when Kristin and I have our anniversary each year I always wine and dine her, okay? And this is true. When Kristin and I have our anniversary each year I always treat her to an expensive dinner.

Okay, so next is to “have two left feet.” So if you have two left feet it means that you’re clumsy, alright? It actually is the opposite almost of being light on your feet. So here’s an example. Fred was never a good dancer because he has always had two left feet. Okay, so what I’m saying is Fred was never a good dancer because he has always been clumsy. He has always had two left feet.

Okay, so next is “blind date.” So a blind date is a date with two people who have never met each other before, okay? So here’s an example. Harry usually dates people who he has met before but last week he went on a blind date. Okay, so what I’m saying is Harry usually dates people who he has met before but last week he went on a date with someone who he had never met before.

Okay, so I have one more for you before we start with our story and this one is “to be like two peas in a pod” or you can even leave out the two and you could just say like peas in a pod, to be like peas in a pod. Either way, to be like two peas in a pod or to be like peas in a pod means that two people are very similar, okay? They are very much alike. If that’s the case then you say that they are like two peas in a pod. So let me give you an example. Troy and John are twins and some people are unable to tell which one is which because they’re like two peas in a pod. Troy and John are twins and some people are unable to tell which one is which, or who is who, I should say, because they are very much alike. They are very similar. They are like two peas in a pod.

Okay, so now I’m going to tell you a story but I’m going to ask you a lot of question as I tell you the story. So when I ask you a question I want you to answer that question quickly, okay? Just tell me the first

answer that you think of in your mind. And don’t worry about making a mistake. You know you’re going to listen to this lesson many times. So you may make a mistake this time when you listen to this lesson but you probably will not make the same mistake the next time. And when you answer these questions I want you to speak loudly and confidently. Okay, so it’s time for our story. Let’s begin.

There was a woman and her name was Mary and Mary wanted to find a boyfriend. Mary wanted to find a boyfriend who shared the same interests as her. For example, Mary loved fine food and she also loved dancing. In fact, Mary was light on her feet so she was an excellent dancer. So Mary wanted to find a boyfriend who also loved fine food and dancing.

Okay, time for some questions. Was there a woman or was there a man?

There was a woman, of course, there was not a man.

And what was the woman’s name?

Mary, her name was Mary.

And tell me this. Did Mary want to find a boyfriend?

Yes, yes, she did, Mary wanted to find a boyfriend.

Who wanted to find a boyfriend?

Mary did, Mary wanted to find a boyfriend.

And what did Mary want to do?

She wanted to find a boyfriend, Mary wanted to find a boyfriend.

So tell me this. Did Mary want to find a girlfriend or a boyfriend?

A boyfriend, Mary wanted to find a boyfriend. She did not want to find a girlfriend.

So did Mary want to find a boyfriend who shared the same interests as her or who shared the same house as her?

The same interests as her, she wanted to find a boyfriend who shared the same interests as her.

So did Mary love fine food?

She did, yes, Mary loved fine food.

And what kind of food did Mary love?

Fine food, Mary loved fine food.

So tell me this. Did Mary love very high quality food or did she love low quality food?

High quality food, Mary loved fine food so that means she loved high quality food. She did not love low quality food.

Did Mary love dancing?

She did, yes, Mary loved dancing.

And tell me this now. Who was light on her feet? Was Mary or Kristin light on her feet?

Mary was, Mary was light on feet.

So was Mary a good dancer or was she a good singer?

She was a good dancer, Mary was a good dancer because she was light on her feet.

So tell me this. Was Mary quick and easy when she moved? Did she have a lot of grace when she moved?

Yes, yes, she did, she was light on her feet so that means she moved quickly and easily and that she looked graceful when she moved. She was light on her feet.

So did Mary want to find a boyfriend who also loved fine food and dancing?

Yes, yes, she did, Mary wanted to find a boyfriend who also loved fine food and dancing, just like her.

Well, one day Mary went on a date with a football player and his name was Carl and Carl was rich and he was good-looking. And Carl told Mary that he wanted to wine and dine her on their date. So Mary was excited for a date with Carl. But Carl did not wine and dine Mary, no. Carl took Mary to McDonald’s for dinner. And Carl made Mary pay for dinner so Mary did not want a second date with Carl, definitely not.

Okay, time for some more questions. Did Mary go on a date with a football player?

She did, yes, Mary went on a date with a football player.

Who went on a date with a football player?

Mary did, Mary went on a date with a football player.

And tell me this. What did Mary do with the football player? Did she play football?

No, no, Mary didn’t play football with the football player.

What did Mary do with the football player?

She went on a date, yes, Mary went on a date with the football player.

And did Mary go on a date with a basketball player or a football player?

A football player, Mary went on a date with a football player.

What was his name?

Carl, yes, his name was Carl.

And tell me this. Was Carl ugly or was he good-looking?

Oh, he was good-looking, yes, he was good-looking.

Who was good-looking?

Carl was, Carl was good-looking.

And was Carl poor?

No, no, Carl was not poor. Carl was rich.

So tell me this now. Did Carl tell Mary that he wanted to wine and dine her on their date?

Yes, yes, he did, he told Mary he wanted to wine and dine her on their date.

Who told Mary he wanted to wine and dine her?

Carl did, Carl told Mary he wanted to wine and dine her.

And who did Carl tell he wanted to wine and dine?

Mary, yes, he told Mary he wanted to wine and dine her.

Okay, but when did Carl tell Mary he wanted to wine and dine her?

On their date, yes, Carl told Mary he wanted to wine and dine her on their date.

So did Carl tell Mary that he wanted to treat her to an expensive dinner on their date?

Yes, yes, he did, Carl told Mary he wanted to wine and dine her on their date so that means he told Mary that he wanted to treat her to an expensive dinner on their date. He wanted to wine and dine her.

So tell me this. Where did Carl take Mary for dinner?

McDonald’s, yes, he took Mary to McDonald’s.

Who took Mary to McDonald’s?

Carl did, Carl took Mary to McDonald’s.

And did Carl take his mother to McDonald’s?

No, no, Carl didn’t take his mother to McDonald’s.

Who did he take to McDonald’s?

Mary, Carl took Mary to McDonald’s.

So tell me this. Did Carl pay for dinner?

No, Carl did not pay for dinner.

Who paid for dinner?

Mary did, Mary paid for dinner.

And did Mary pay for lunch or dinner?

Dinner, yes, Mary paid for dinner.

So tell me this now. Did Carl wine and dine Mary on their date?

No, no, Carl definitely did not wine and dine Mary on their date. He did not treat her to an expensive dinner.

So how many dates did Carl have with Mary?

Just one, he only had that one date where he took her to McDonald’s. He did not have another date with her.

Well, Mary still wanted to find a boyfriend who shared the same interests as her. So about a week later she went out with Bill and Bill was a chef at an expensive restaurant. So Bill also loved fine food. And Bill and Mary went to a club on their date so Mary was happy about that because Mary loved dancing. But unfortunately there was a problem. Yes, there was a problem. Bill had two left feet so he stepped on Mary’s toes when he danced with her. So Mary did not go on a second date with Bill either.

Okay, time for some more questions. Did Mary go on a date with Bill?

She did, yes, she went on a date with Bill.

Who went on a date with Bill?

Mary did, Mary went on a date with Bill.

And did Mary go on a date with AJ or Bill?

Bill, she went on a date with Bill. Mary did not go on a date with AJ.

And tell me this. Was Bill a chef at an expensive restaurant?

He was, yes, Bill was a chef at an expensive restaurant.

Who was a chef at an expensive restaurant? Was Mary a chef at an expensive restaurant?

No, no, Mary was not a chef at an expensive restaurant.

Who was a chef at an expensive restaurant?

Bill was, Bill was a chef at an expensive restaurant.

And where was Bill a chef?

At an expensive restaurant, he was a chef at an expensive restaurant.

Okay, but what kind of restaurant was Bill a chef at?

An expensive one, Bill was a chef at an expensive restaurant.

So tell me this. Where did Bill and Mary go on their date?

To a club, yes, they went to a club.

Who went to a club?

Bill and Mary did, Bill and Mary went to a club.

And when did they go to a club?

On their date, Bill and Mary went to a club on their date.

So tell me this. Who had two left feet? Did Mary have two left feet?

No, no, Mary didn’t have two left feet.

Who had two left feet?

Bill did, Bill had two left feet.

So was Bill clumsy?

Yes, yes, he was, Bill had two left feet so that means Bill was clumsy.

So tell me this. Was Bill light on his feet or was Mary light on her feet?

Oh, Mary was light on her feet. Bill was not light on his feet. Bill had two left feet but Mary moved easily and quickly and she was graceful when she moved so Mary was light on her feet.

So tell me this. Did Mary go on a second date with Bill?

No, no, Mary did not go on a second date with Bill.

Well, the day after Mary had her date with Bill she stayed at home. She stayed at home because her feet hurt. And while she was at home her friend Rebecca visited her and Rebecca wanted to arrange a blind date for Mary. Well, Mary had never been on a blind date but she agreed to do it. So Rebecca arranged a blind date between Mary and her friend named Gino.

Okay, time for some more questions. Did Mary stay at home the day after her date with Bill?

Yes, yes, she did, she stayed at home the day after her date with Bill.

Who stayed at home? Did Bill stay at home?

No, no, Bill didn’t stay at home.

Who stayed at home?

Mary did, Mary stayed at home.

And when did Mary stay at home?

The day after her date with Bill, she stayed at home the day after her date with Bill.

Okay, but why? Why did Mary stay at home?

Well, Mary stayed at home because her feet were hurting her and her feet hurt her because Bill stepped on her toes when they danced the day before.

Well, tell me this now. Who visited Mary?

Rebecca did, Mary’s friend Rebecca visited Mary.

And who did Rebecca visit?

Mary, yes, she visited Mary.

Did Rebecca want to arrange a blind date for Mary?

She did, yes, she wanted to arrange a blind date for Mary.

Who wanted to arrange a blind date for Mary?

Rebecca did, Rebecca wanted to arrange a blind date for Mary.

And who did Rebecca want to arrange a blind date for?

Mary, she wanted to arrange a blind date for Mary.

So now tell me this. Did Rebecca want to arrange a date for Mary with a person who Mary had never met before?

Yes, yes, she wanted to arrange a blind date for Mary so that means she wanted to arrange a date for Mary with a person who Mary had never met before. She wanted to arrange a blind date for her.

So had Mary ever been on a blind date?

No, no, Mary had never been on a blind date.

Who had never been on a blind date?

Mary, Mary had never been on a blind date.

And how many blind dates had Mary ever been on?

Zero, she had never been on a blind date so that means zero blind dates for Mary. She had never been on a blind date.

So had Mary ever been on a date with a person who she had never met?

No, no, Mary had never been on a blind date so that means Mary had never been on a date with a person who she had never met before the date.

So tell me this. Did Rebecca arrange a blind date between Mary and her friend Gino?

Yes, yes, she did, she arranged a blind date between Mary and her friend Gino.

And who did Mary, excuse me, who did Rebecca arrange a blind date between?

Mary and her friend Gino, yes, she arranged a blind date between Mary and her friend Gino.

Well, the next day Mary and Gino went on a blind date and they were like two peas in a pod. They were both from New York and neither one of them had been on a blind date before. And Gino was a dance instructor so he also loved dancing, just like Mary. And on their date Gino wined and dined Mary at an Italian restaurant so Gino also loved fine food, just like Mary. So Mary and Gino both loved fine food and dancing.

Okay, time for some more questions. Did Mary and Gino go on a blind date?

Yes, yes, they did, they went on a blind date.

Who went on a blind date?

Mary and Gino, Mary and Gino went on a blind date.

And did Mary and Gino go on a date when they never had met each other before?

Yes, yes, they went on a blind date so that means they went on a date but they had never met before. They went on a blind date.

So who were like two peas in a pod?

Mary and Gino were, Mary and Gino were like two peas in a pod.

So were Mary and Gino very similar?

Yes, yes, they were, they were like two peas in a pod so that means they were very similar. They were a lot alike.

Tell me this. Where was Gino from?

New York, Gino was from New York.

And how about Mary? Where was Mary from?

Mary was also from New York, both Gino and Mary were from New York.

And had either Gino or Mary ever been on a blind date before?

No, no, neither one of them had ever been on a blind date before.

So was Gino a dance instructor?

Yes, yes, he was, Gino was a dance instructor.

Who was a dance instructor?

Gino was, Gino was a dance instructor.

And what kind of instructor was Gino? Was he a cooking instructor?

No, no, Gino was not a cooking instructor.

What kind of instructor was Gino?

A dance instructor, Gino was a dance instructor.

So did both Gino and Mary love dancing?

Yes, yes, they did, they both loved dancing.

Okay, so tell me this now. On their date did Gino wine and dine Mary at an Italian restaurant?

He did, yes, Gino wined and dined Mary at an Italian restaurant on their date.

Who wined and dined Mary? Did Carl wine and dine Mary?

No, no, Carl definitely did not wine and dine Mary.

Who wined and dined Mary?

Gino did, Gino wined and dined Mary.

And tell me this. Did Gino wine and dine Kristin or Mary?

Mary, Gino wined and dined Mary.

Where did Gino wine and dine Mary?

At an Italian restaurant, yes, Gino wined and dined Mary at an Italian restaurant.

And did Gino treat Mary to an expensive dinner on their date?

Yes, yes, he did, Gino wined and dined Mary so that means he treated Mary to an expensive dinner on their date. He wined and dined her on their date so he treated her to an expensive dinner on their date.

So tell me this. Did Gino also love fine food?

Yes, yes, he did, Gino also loved fine food so both Gino and Mary loved fine food and dancing.

Well, after Gino and Mary finished dinner at the Italian restaurant, they went dancing and Gino was light on his feet so Mary loved dancing with Gino. After Gino took Mary home that night, Mary smiled because she had finally found a boyfriend who shared the same interests as her.

Okay, well, that brings us to the end of this story and I hope you enjoyed this story because now it’s your turn to tell the story. I want you to tell this story to someone who you know. It can be anyone who you know. And when you tell the story I want you to use all of the idioms that I taught you at the beginning of this lesson, okay? And I also would like you to listen to this lesson every day for at least seven days.

Alright, well, that’s the end of this mini-story lesson then. I’ll see you next time.