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##Underdog – 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’m going to start today’s lesson by telling you about some of the words and phrases that you will hear me use in the story today, so let’s start.

Okay, first is to “have a big head.” So if you have a big head it means that you think you’re superior to other people. You think you’re better than other people, okay? Here’s an example for you. After Martha won the beauty contest, she had a big head. Okay, so what I’m saying is after Martha won the beauty contest, she thought she was better than everyone else. In this case we would probably say she thought she was more beautiful than everyone else, okay? She had a big head.

Okay, next is an “underdog.” So an underdog is just a group or a person who is not expected to succeed, okay? This one’s an easy one. But here’s an example to help you understand it a little better. Jennifer was an underdog in the tennis tournament because she was only 10 years old and all of the other women in the tournament were at least 18 years old. Okay, she was an underdog in the tennis tournament. So what I’m saying is she was not expected to win the tennis tournament. She was an underdog.

Okay, so next is to “rub someone’s nose in it.” So if you rub someone’s nose in it, it means that you remind someone repeatedly of their failure, okay? Of something they failed at or maybe many of the failures that they had, okay? You rub their nose in it. You remind that person repeatedly of their failure or failures. Here’s an example to help you understand this one. I think this will help a lot. My friend Rich went to Las Vegas and I told him not to go to any of the casinos because he had a gambling problem.

But he went to the casinos anyway and he lost $100,000 and when he told me that he had lost the money, he was very sad. He was even crying, so I didn’t rub his nose in it, okay? So what I’m saying is when Rich told me that he had lost the money, he was really upset so I didn’t rub his nose in it. I didn’t repeatedly remind him of the fact that he lost the money, of his failures, okay?

I didn’t rub his nose in it.

That’s not really a true story. That’s just an example I made up.

Let’s continue, okay? Next is to “leave a bad taste in your mouth.” So if something leaves a bad taste in your mouth it means that you have an unpleasant or a painful memory about it, okay? It leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It means there is an uncomfortable or unpleasant or even a painful memory about it.

Here’s an example for you. Whenever Chad thought about the country of Argentina, it left a bad taste in his mouth because his father had been killed in Argentina. Okay, so what I’m saying is whenever Chad thought about Argentina, it was painful for him, okay? It caused a painful memory or an uncomfortable memory because his father had been killed in Argentina so it left a bad taste in his mouth. It was an uncomfortable or painful memory for him.

Okay, so I have one more for you. This one is to “have a chip on your shoulder.” So if you have a chip on your shoulder, it means that you’re bothered by something that happened in the past or you’re angry about something. And a lot of the times you hear this idiom used, it’s when a person is upset about something but they use it as motivation, okay? They use it to their advantage. And, y’know, it’s not every time that a person uses this idiom that they use it for motivation, but a lot of the time. Here’s an example, I think it’ll help you to understand what I mean when I say people use it as motivation. When Brad finished playing basketball in college, he wanted to play for the Los Angeles Lakers but the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t want Brad to play for their team. So every time that Brad played against the Los Angeles Lakers after that, he played with a chip on his shoulder. Okay, so what I’m saying is every time Brad played against the Los Angeles Lakers he was a little bothered or a little angry about what had happened to him in the past, the fact that the Lakers didn’t want him to play on the team so he used it as motivation, okay? He played with a chip on his shoulder. He played a little angry or he played with a little bit of a bother on his mind because of what had happened to him, okay? He played with a chip on his shoulder.

Okay, so now I’m going to tell you a story but I’m also going to ask you a lot of questions as I tell you the story. So when I ask you a question, I want you to just answer that question quickly.

Just tell me the first thing that you think of, okay? And don’t worry about making a mistake.

You’re going to listen to this lesson many times so if you make a mistake this time when you listen to this lesson, there’s a good chance you will not make the same mistake the next time you listen to it, okay? And when you answer the questions, I want you to speak loudly and confidently. Okay, well it’s time for our story then. So let’s begin.

There was a man and his name was Big Nate. Yes, his name was Big Nate because he was a very big man. Big Nate was eight feet tall and he weighed 309 pound.

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

There was a man, there wasn’t a chicken. There was a man.

And what was the man’s name? Was his name Frederic?

No, no, his name wasn’t Frederic.

What was the man’s name?

Big Nate, yes, his name was Big Nate.

And was Big Nate a large man or was he a small man?

Oh, he was a large man, he was not a small man. His name was Big Nate so that means he was big. He was large.

And tell me this. How tall was Big Nate?

He was eight feet tall, yes, Big Nate was eight feet tall.

Who was eight feet tall? Was Frederic or Big Nate eight feet tall?

Big Nate was, Big Nate was eight feet tall.

And tell me this. How much did Big Nate weigh?

309 pounds, Big Nate weighed 309 pounds.

So did Big Nate weigh more than 307 pounds?

He did, yes, Big Nate weighed 309 pounds so that means he weighed more than 307 pounds.

Well, let me tell you more about Big Nate. Big Nate was a basketball player and he played for the Houston Rockets, that was the name of the team he played on, the Houston Rockets. And Big Nate was a very good basketball player. He was a great basketball player. In fact, he was the best basketball player in America. But Big Nate didn’t tell people he was just the best basketball player in America. He told people that he was the best basketball player in the world. He did this because he had a big head.

Okay, time for some more questions. Was Big Nate a basketball player?

He was, yes, Big Nate was a basketball player.

Who was a basketball player? Was Frederic a basketball player or was Big Nate a basketball player?

Big Nate was, Big Nate was a basketball player.

And what sport did Big Nate play?

Basketball, right? Big Nate was a basketball player so he played basketball.

So tell me this. For what team did Big Nate play basketball? Did he play for the Los Angeles Lakers or the Houston Rockets?

The Houston Rockets, Big Nate played basketball for the Houston Rockets.

Who played basketball for the Houston Rockets?

Big Nate did, Big Nate played basketball for the Houston Rockets.

And was Big Nate the best basketball player in America?

Yes, yes, he was, he was the best basketball player in America.

Who was the best basketball player in America?

Big Nate was, Big Nate was the best basketball player in America.

And tell me this. Was Big Nate the best basketball player in America or was he the best basketball player in the world?

Oh, he was the best basketball player in America. He was not necessarily the best basketball player in the world but he told everybody he was the best basketball player in the world.

Who told everyone he was the best basketball player in the world? Frederic or Big Nate?

Big Nate did, Big Nate told everyone he was the best basketball player in the world.

Okay, but why? Why did Big Nate tell everyone he was the best basketball player in the world?

Was it because Big Nate had a big head?

He did, yes, that’s why, Big Nate had a big head.

Who had a big head?

Big Nate did, Big Nate had a big head.

So did Big Nate think that he was a better basketball player than anyone else? Did he think that he was the best basketball player?

Yes, yes, he did, Big Nate had a big head so that means he thought he was better than everyone else.

So in this case since he was a basketball player it probably means he thought he was the best basketball player. He was a better basketball player than anyone else because he had a big head.

Well, I’ve told you about Big Nate so let me tell you a little bit more about the team he played for, the Houston Rockets. One year the Houston Rockets played the Los Angeles Lakers in the championship game, yes. And the Los Angeles Lakers had an excellent team. In fact, there were 14 players on the team and 7 of them were great basketball players. Now, in comparison, the Houston Rockets also had 14 players on the team but only 1 of their players was a great basketball player. Of course, that was Big Nate. So the Houston Rockets were the underdog in the championship game but even though they were the underdog, Big Nate guaranteed a victory for his team. He told people that he guaranteed his team would win the championship game.

Okay, time for some more questions. What team did the Houston Rockets play in the championship game?

The Los Angeles Lakers, they played the Los Angeles Lakers in the championship game.

And how many players did the Los Angeles Lakers have on their team? Did they have 7 players on their team or did they have 14 players on their team?

14, yeah, they had 14 players on their team.

And how many of those players were great basketball players?

7, 7 of the players on their team were great basketball players.

And how about the Houston Rockets? How many great players did they have? Did they have 7 great players?

No, no, the Houston Rockets did not have 7 great players.

How many great players did they have?

Just 1, yeah, they had just 1 great player.

Who was the great player on the Houston Rockets?

Big Nate was, they had 1 great player and that was Big Nate.

So tell me this. Were the Los Angeles Lakers the underdog in the championship game?

No, no, the Los Angeles Lakers were not the underdog.

Who was the underdog?

The Houston Rockets, the Houston Rockets were the underdog in the championship game.

So tell me this then. Did Big Nate guarantee a victory for his team in the championship game?

He did, yes, he guaranteed a victory for his team.

Who guaranteed a victory?

Big Nate did, Big Nate guaranteed a victory for his team.

So tell me this. Did Big Nate tell everybody that his team was going to win the championship game?

Yes, yes, he did, he told everybody he guaranteed that his team was going to win the championship game. He guaranteed a victory for them.

Well, as you know, the Houston Rockets played the Los Angeles Lakers in the championship game that year and Big Nate guaranteed a victory. But unfortunately, he was wrong. Because the Houston Rockets lost the championship game to the Los Angeles Lakers. And the game wasn’t even close, no, no. The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets by 57 points so the game was not close at all. And after the game, the Los Angeles Lakers players remembered that Big Nate had guaranteed a victory for his team. So after the Houston Rockets lost, the players on the Los Angeles Lakers rubbed Big Nate’s nose in it.

Okay, so tell me this. What team did the Los Angeles Lakers play in the championship game?

The Houston Rockets, they played the Houston Rockets.

And did the Houston Rockets win the game?

No, no, the Houston Rockets did not win the game. They lost the game.

Tell me this. By how many points did the Los Angeles Lakers win the game?

By 57 points, the Los Angeles Lakers won the championship game by 57 points. It wasn’t even close.

So tell me this. After the Houston Rockets lost the game, did the players on the Los Angeles Lakers rub Big Nate’s nose in it?

Yes, yes, they did, they rubbed Big Nate’s nose in it after the Houston Rockets had lost the game.

Okay, tell me this. Who rubbed Big Nate’s nose in it?

The players on the Los Angeles Lakers did, they rubbed Big Nate’s nose in it.

And when did they rub Big Nate’s nose in it? Did they rub Big Nate’s nose in it after his team had lost the game or before his team had lost the game?

After, yeah, the rubbed Big Nate’s notes in it after his team had lost the game.

So tell me this. Did the players on the Los Angeles Lakers repeatedly remind Big Nate that his team had lost?

Yes, yes, they did, they rubbed Big Nate’s nose in it so that means they repeatedly reminded him that his team had lost, okay? They didn’t just remind him one time, they did it many times. They rubbed his nose in it.

Well, after the championship game, Big Nate was upset. Yes, he was upset because his team had lost the championship and the game left a bad taste in Big Nate’s mouth. So one week after the championship game, Big Nate met with his teammates. He met with them in New York. And Big Underdog – Mini-Story Lesson

Nate told his teammates that they had to win a championship the next year. He told them that there was no other option and all of his teammates agreed with him.

Okay, time for some more questions. Was Big Nate upset after the championship game?

Yes, he was, yes, Big Nate was upset after the championship game.

Who was upset? Was Frederic upset or was Big Nate upset?

Big Nate was, Big Nate was upset.

And when was Big Nate upset?

After the championship game, after the championship game Big Nate was upset.

Okay, tell me this. Why was Big Nate upset?

Well, Big Nate was upset because his team had lost the championship game.

Whose team had lost the championship game?

Big Nate’s, Big Nate’s team had lost the championship game.

So tell me this. Did the game leave a bad taste in Big Nate’s mouth?

Yes, yes, it did, the game, the championship game that is, left a bad taste in Big Nate’s mouth.

What left a bad taste in Big Nate’s mouth?

The championship game, the championship game left a bad taste in Big Nate’s mouth.

So did Big Nate have a painful memory of the championship game? Was it painful for him to remember it?

Yes, yes, it left a bad taste in his mouth so that means it was painful for him to remember it. He had a painful or an uncomfortable memory of it. It left a bad taste in his mouth.

So tell me this. One week after the championship game, did Big Nate meet with his teammates in New York?

He did, yes, Big Nate met with his teammates in New York one week after the championship game.

Who met with his teammates in New York?

Big Nate did, Big Nate met with his teammates in New York.

And tell me this. Where did he meet with his teammates? Did he meet with them in Houston or New York?

New York, Big Nate met with his teammates in New York.

And tell me this. Who did Big Nate meet with? Did he meet with members of the Los Angeles Lakers or members of the Houston Rockets?

He met with members of the Houston Rockets. He met with his teammates and he was on the Houston Rockets so that means he met with members of the Houston Rockets or people who were on the basketball team the Houston Rockets. He met with his teammates, okay? Members of the team.

So tell me this. Did Big Nate tell his teammates that they had to win the championship the next year?

Yes, he did, Big Nate told his teammates that they had to win the championship the next year.

Who told his teammates they had to win the championship the next year?

Big Nate did, Big Nate told his teammates they had to win the championship the next year.

So tell me this. What did Big Nate tell his teammates that they had to do?

He told them that they had to win the championship. He told them, excuse me, that they had to win the championship the next year.

Well, at the start of the next year, the Houston Rockets lost the first 11 games that they played.

And when Big Nate said that his team was still going to win the championship, people laughed at him. And I’ll tell you one thing, Big Nate did not like it when people laughed at him so from that Underdog – Mini-Story Lesson moment on he played with a chip on his shoulder. But this was actually a good thing because after he started to play with a chip on his shoulder, his team won 33 consecutive games, yeah.

Okay, time for some more questions. Did the Houston Rockets lose the first 11 games they played the next year?

They did, yes, the team lost the first 11 games they played the next year.

What team lost the first 11 games they played the following year, the next year, I mean?

The Houston Rockets did, the Houston Rockets lost the first 11 games they played the next year.

And how many games did the Houston Rockets lose?

11, yeah, they lost 11 games.

So did Big Nate tell everybody that his team was going to win the championship still?

Yes, yes, he did, Big Nate told everybody that his team was still going to win the championship.

And did anybody laugh at Big Nate?

Yes, yes, the people laughed at Big Nate when he said that they were still going to win a championship.

Who did the people laugh at?

Big Nate, they laughed at Big Nate.

So tell me this now. After the people laughed at Big Nate, did he play with a chip on his shoulder?

Yes, yes, he did, after the people laughed at him, he played with a chip on his shoulder.

So tell me this. Who played with a chip on his shoulder?

Big Nate did, Big Nate played with a chip on his shoulder.

So did Big Nate play when he was angry? Was he angry because people had laughed at him and did he use that as motivation when he played?

Yes, yes, Big Nate played with a chip on his shoulder so that means he was angry when he played. He was angry because people had laughed at him, okay? When a person has a chip on their shoulder it means that they’re angry or bothered by something that happened to them in the past. And a lot of the times it means the person used it as motivation. So Big Nate played with a chip on his shoulder. When he played he remembered what had happened and was a little bothered by it so he used it as motivation.

So tell me this. How many games did the Houston Rockets win after Big Nate started to play with a chip on his shoulder?

33 games, the Houston Rockets won 33 games after Big Nate started to play with a chip on his shoulder.

And when did they win 33 games? After what?

After Big Nate started to play with a chip on his shoulder, that’s when they won 33 games.

Well, I have some more information for you about the Houston Rockets. Later that year, the Houston Rockets played the Los Angeles Lakers in the championship game. It was the second year in a row that they played in the championship game but this time the result was different because the Houston Rockets won. The Houston Rockets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the championship game. And after they won the championship, no one ever laughed at Big Nate ever again.

Okay, well that’s the end of our story and I hope you enjoyed it because now I want you to tell the story. I want you to tell the story to someone who you know. It can really be anybody who you know. And I want you to listen to this lesson every day for at least seven days. I want you to learn the material deeply, okay? That’s why I say at least seven days.

If after seven days you don’t feel like you know the material deeply, then please listen longer, okay?

Listen to it for more than seven days. This is one of the cases where more is better because you’ll learn the material even deeper.

Alright, well that’s all for this mini-story lesson. I’ll see you next time.