داستان کوتاه

Banana Plantation – 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 words and phrases that you will hear me use in today’s story. So let’s start.

First is a “plantation.” So a plantation is just an area where there are a lot of trees and these trees are usually used for some sort of business, okay? Let me give you an example. Mary picked bananas from a banana plantation. Okay, what I’m saying is Mary picked bananas from an area where there were a lot of banana trees that were used for some sort of business probably. Okay? She picked bananas from a banana plantation.

Okay, so next is to be “loaded,” to be loaded. So if you are loaded it means that you are rich, okay? It means that you have a lot of money. Here’s an example for you. After John was a stockbroker for four years, he was loaded. After John was a stockbroker for four years, he was rich. He had a lot of money.

Okay, so next is a “spendthrift.” So a spendthrift is a person who spends a lot of money in an irresponsible way. And irresponsible is the opposite of responsible, okay? So the person spends a lot of money but they do not spend it in a responsible way. They spend that money in an irresponsible way.

Let me give you another example with John the stockbroker. John the stockbroker was rich when he was 25 years old, but when he was 30 years old he had no money because he was a spendthrift. Okay, so when John the stockbroker was 25 years old, he was rich. But when he was 30 years old, he did not have any money because he spent a lot of money irresponsibly. He was a spendthrift.

Okay, next is “bummed out,” to be bummed out. And this is one that’s very popular in America. If a person tells you that they are bummed out it means that person is sad or upset. And I know that when Kristin’s cat died, she was bummed out. And this is actually a true example. When Kristin’s cat died, she was very sad. She was upset, okay? She was bummed out.

Okay, I have one more for you. This one is to see “eye to eye.” So if you see eye to eye with another person, it means that you agree with that person on something, okay? Here’s an example that will help you understand this one better. My father and I did not see eye to eye on how much money to tip at the restaurant. My father and I did not agree on how much money to tip at the restaurant. We did not see eye to eye on it.

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 answer that question quickly. Just tell me the first answer that you think of, okay? And don’t worry about making a mistake. You are 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 then when you listen to it. And when you answer these 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 monkey and his name was George and George lived in Cambodia. And George’s father owned a banana plantation and he sold bananas to every monkey in Cambodia, so George’s father was loaded.

Okay, time for some questions. Was George a monkey or a bird?

A monkey, George was a monkey. He wasn’t a bird.

Who was a monkey?

George was, George was a monkey.

And did George live in Thailand?

No, no, George didn’t live in Thailand.

Where did George live?

Cambodia, George lived in Cambodia.

And tell me this. Did George own a banana plantation?

No, no, George didn’t own a banana plantation.

Who owned a banana plantation?

George’s father did, George’s father owned a banana plantation.

And tell me this. What kind of plantation did George’s father own?

A banana plantation, he owned a banana plantation.

So did George’s father own an area of land where a lot of banana trees were growing?

Yes, yes, he owned a banana plantation and a plantation is an area of land where a lot of trees are growing, okay? So he owned a banana plantation so that means there are a lot of banana trees growing there. He owned a banana plantation.

Okay, so tell me this. Did George’s father sell bananas to every monkey in Cambodia?

Yes, yes, he did, he sold bananas to every monkey in Cambodia.

Who sold bananas to every monkey in Cambodia?

George’s father did, George’s father sold bananas to every monkey in Cambodia.

So tell me this. What did George’s father sell to every monkey in Cambodia?

Bananas, he sold bananas to every monkey in Cambodia.

And did George’s father sell bananas to every monkey in Cambodia or Thailand?

Cambodia, he sold bananas to every monkey in Cambodia.

So tell me this. Was George loaded?

No, no, George wasn’t loaded.

Who was loaded?

George’s father was, George’s father was loaded.

And was George’s father rich or was he poor?

He was rich, George’s father was loaded so that means his father was rich. He was loaded so he was rich.

Well, when George was 16 years old, his father gave him $344,000. And unfortunately George spent the money quickly. He spent the money quickly because he was a spendthrift. And after George spent all of his money, he asked his father for more money. But George’s father cut George off.

Okay, time for some more questions. Did George’s father give George $344,000 when he was 16 years old?

Yes, yes, he did, he gave George $344,000 when he was 16 years old.

Who gave George $344,000?

George’s father did, George’s father gave George $344,000.

Tell me this. When did George’s father give George $344,000?

When George was 16 years old, he gave him $344,000 when George was 16 years old.

So did George’s father give Kristin or George $344,000?

George, he gave George $344,000. He did not give Kristin $344,000.

So did George spend the money quickly or slowly?

Quickly, he spent the money quickly.

Who spent the money quickly?

George did, George spent the money quickly.

And what did George do quickly?

He spent the money, George spent the money quickly.

So after George spent all of his money, did he ask his father for more money?

Yes, yes, he did, after George spent all of his money he asked his father for more money.

Who asked his father for more money?

George did, George asked his father for more money.

And tell me this. When did George ask his father for more money?

After he spent all of his money, George asked his father for more money after he spent all of his money.

And did George ask his father for more bananas or money?

Money, he asked his father for more money. He didn’t ask his father for more bananas.

So tell me this. Did George’s father cut George off?

Yes, yes, he did, he cut George off.

Who cut George off?

George’s father did, George’s father cut George off.

And did George’s father cut Kristin or George off?

George, he cut George off.

So did George’s father stop giving financial support to George? Did he stop giving money to George?

He did, yes, he cut George off so that means he stopped giving financial support to George. Or you could even think of it as he stopped giving money to George. He cut George off.

Well, George did not have any money so he got a job. George got a job working for his father.

George picked bananas for his father. And he was the only monkey who picked bananas for his father. But there were 98 elephants who also picked bananas for George’s father. And unfortunately, George’s father did not treat the elephants well. No, he did not. George’s father whipped the elephants while they picked bananas. He whipped the elephants because he wanted them to work faster. Oh, the poor elephants.

Okay, time for some more questions. Who had no money?

George did, George had no money.

So did George get a job?

He did, yes, George got a job.

And tell me this. Did George pick bananas for his father?

Yes, yes, he did, he picked bananas for his father.

Who picked bananas for his father?

George did, George picked bananas for his father.

Tell me this. Who did George pick bananas for?

His father, of course, George picked bananas for his father.

And did George pick oranges or bananas for his father?

Bananas, he picked bananas for his father. He did not pick oranges for his father.

So did George eat bananas for his father?

No, no, he didn’t eat bananas for his father, he picked bananas for his father.

So tell me this now. How many elephants picked bananas for George’s father?

98, 98 elephants picked bananas for George’s father.

And did George’s father treat the elephants well?

No, no, he did not treat them well.

Who didn’t treat the elephants well?

George’s father didn’t, George’s father didn’t treat the elephants well.

So tell me this. Did George’s father whip the elephants while they picked bananas?

Yes, yes, he did, George’s father whipped the elephants while they picked bananas.

Who whipped the elephants?

George’s father did, unfortunately, George’s father whipped the elephants.

Tell me this. When did he whip them?

While the elephants picked bananas, George’s father whipped the elephants while the elephants picked the bananas.

So why did he do it? Why did George’s father whip the elephants?

Well, he whipped the elephants because he wanted the elephants to work faster.

Well, George was bummed out when his father whipped the elephants. So he asked his father to stop whipping them. But unfortunately, George and his father did not see eye to eye on how to treat the elephants and the next day George’s father whipped the elephants again. So George quit. George quit his job picking bananas for his father.

Okay, time for some more questions. Who was bummed out?

George was, George was bummed out.

And when was George bummed out? Was George bummed out when his father whipped the elephants?

Yes, yes, he was, George was bummed out when his father whipped the elephants.

So did George ask his father to stop whipping the elephants?

He did, yes, George asked his father to stop whipping the elephants.

And who asked his father to stop whipping the elephants?

George, George asked his father to stop whipping the elephants.

And tell me this. What did George ask his father to stop doing?

Well, he asked his father to stop whipping the elephants. George asked his father to stop whipping the elephants.

So did George and his father see eye to eye on how to treat the elephants?

No, no, they did not see eye to eye on how to treat the elephants.

Who didn’t see eye to eye?

George and his father, George and his father did not see eye to eye.

And what didn’t George and his father see eye to eye on?

How to treat the elephants, George and his father did not see eye to eye on how to treat the elephants.

So tell me this. Did George and his father agree on how to treat the elephants?

No, no, they did not agree. George and his father did not see eye to eye on how to treat the elephants so that means they did not agree on it, okay? They did not see eye to eye on it.

So tell me this. Did George’s father whip the elephants the next day?

Yes, yes, he did, he whipped the elephants again the next day.

Who whipped the elephants again?

George’s father did, George’s father whipped the elephants again.

And when did he whip them again?

The next day, George’s father whipped the elephants again the next day.

So tell me this. Did George quit his job?

He did, yes, George quit his job.

Who quit his job?

George did, George quit his job.

And what did George quit?

His job, George quit his job. He quit his job picking bananas for his father.

Well, after George quit his job, the elephants baked George a banana cake to thank him. And George did not have a place to live so the elephants asked George to live with them. And George said yes so George lived with the elephants. But when George’s father learned that George was living with the elephants, he tried to give George money to buy a house to live in. But George refused to take the money from his father. He refused to take the money from his father because his father had not stopped whipping the elephants.

Okay, time for some more questions. Did the elephants bake George a banana cake after he quit his job?

Yes, they did, they baked George a banana cake after he quit his job.

Who baked George a banana cake?

The elephants did, the elephants baked George a banana cake.

And when did they bake George a banana cake?

After George quit his job, the elephants baked George a banana cake after George quit his job.

So tell me this. Did the elephants bake George a loaf of bread?

No, no, they did not bake him a loaf of bread.

What did the elephants bake for George?

A banana cake, they baked a banana cake for George.

And tell me this. What kind of cake did they bake for George?

A banana cake, of course, the elephants baked George a banana cake.

So did the elephants ask George to live with them?

Yes, yes, the elephants asked George to live with them.

So tell me this. Who did George live with?

The elephants, George lived with the elephants.

So did George’s father try to give George money to buy a house to live in?

Yes, yes, he did, he tried to give George money to buy a house to live in.

Who tried to give George money?

George’s father did, George’s father tried to give George money.

And did George’s father try to give money to Kristin or George?

George, he tried to give money to George to buy a house to live in.

So did George refuse to take the money from his father?

Yes, he did, George refused to take the money from his father.

Who refused to take the money from his father?

George did, of course, George refused to take the money from his father.

And what did George refuse to take from his father?

The money, George refused to take the money from his father.

Okay, but why? Why did George refuse to take the money from his father?

Because his father had not stopped whipping the elephants.

Tell me this. Who had not stopped whipping the elephants?

George’s father, George’s father had not stopped whipping the elephants so that’s why George refused to take the money from him.

Well, I have something sad to tell you. George’s father died. Yes, one year later, George’s father died. So then George became the new owner of the banana plantation. And after George became owner of the banana plantation, he set all of the elephants free and for the rest of their lives, he gave the elephants all of the bananas they ever wanted.

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Okay, well that’s the end of our story and I hope you enjoyed this story 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 anyone who you know. And if you really do not have someone to tell the story to, please just tell the story to yourself. But don’t just think about the story in your mind. I want you to actually practice speaking. So I want you to say the story out loud, even if you just tell the story to yourself. And I’d like you to listen to this lesson every day for at least seven days so you can learn the material deeply.

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