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Warm Heart – 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 today’s story, so let’s start.

Okay, first is “insomnia.” So if you have insomnia, it means that you are unable to sleep. Let me give you an example. Mark had insomnia on Monday night so he was very tired at work on Tuesday. Mark was unable to sleep on Monday night so he was very tired at work on Tuesday.

Okay, next is to “crank up” something. So if you crank up something, or you can even say if you crank something up, it means that you increase it, okay? You increase the strength of it. Let me give you an example so you’ll better understand this one. Mark loved loud music so every time he got in his car he cranked up the volume of his stereo. Mark loved loud music so every time he tot in a car he increased the volume of his stereo. He cranked up the volume. He increased the volume.

Okay, next is to be “fed up.” So if you are fed up it means that you are annoyed with something, okay?

And it usually means it’s something that’s been bothering you for a period of time, not just one time. Let me give you an example. Paul was 9 years old and his mother told him that she was fed up with him because his room was always a mess. Okay, so what I’m saying is Paul was 9 years old and his mother told him that she was annoyed with him because his room was always a mess. She was fed up with him.

She was annoyed with him.

Okay, next is to “have the hots” for someone. So if you have the hots for someone it just means that you’re very attracted to that person. So here’s an example. John had the hots for Maureen so he was nervous anytime he talked to her. John was very attracted to Maureen so he was very nervous anytime he talked to her.

Okay, I have one more for you. This one is a really popular one, it’s to be “head over heels in love.” So if you are head over heels in love, it means that you are strongly in love. You are really in love, okay?

Here’s an example with that one. Dennis was head over heels in love with Rosanne so he asked her to marry him. Dennis was really in love with Rosanne so he asked her to marry him.

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 that story. So when I ask you a question, I want you to answer that question quickly. 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 you listen to it then. And when you answer these questions I want to speak loudly and confidently. Okay, well it’s time for our story then. Let’s begin.

There was a woman and her name was Beth. And Beth was 31 years old and she lived in New York. And unfortunately, Beth was always cold. She was always cold. Even when it was very hot, Beth was cold.

Okay, time for some questions. Who was 31 years old? Was AJ 31 years old?

No, no, AJ was not 31 years old.

Who was 31 years old?

Beth was, Beth was 31 years old.

And how old was Beth?

31 years old, Beth was 31 years old.

So was Beth older than 30 years old or was she younger than 30 years old?

She was older than 30 years old, she was not younger than 30 years old because she was 31 years old.

So tell me this. Where did Beth live? Did she live in Spain?

No, no, Beth didn’t live in Spain.

Where did Beth live?

New York, Beth lived in New York.

And who lived in New York? Beth or Kristin?

Beth did, Beth lived in New York.

So was Beth always cold or was she always warm?

Oh, she was always cold, Beth was always cold.

And tell me this. Who was always cold?

Beth was, Beth was always cold. Even when it was very hot, Beth was cold.

Well, unfortunately, Beth had insomnia. Yes, it’s true. Beth had insomnia because she was cold when she went to sleep. So Beth purchased 21 brown blankets and then she cranked up the heat in her house and she put the blankets on her bed. And when she went to sleep, unfortunately, she was still cold. Yes, Beth was still cold when she went to sleep.

Okay, time for some more questions. Who had insomnia?

Beth did, Beth had insomnia.

So was Beth able to sleep?

No, no, Beth was unable to sleep. She had insomnia so that means she was unable to sleep.

Okay, but why did she have insomnia?

Well, she had insomnia because she was cold when she went to sleep.

Who was cold when she went to sleep?

Beth was, Beth was cold when she went to sleep.

So did Beth purchase 21 brown blankets?

Yes, she did, yes, she purchased 21 brown blankets.

And did Kristin purchase 21 brown blankets?

No, not Kristin.

Who purchased 21 brown blankets?

Beth did, Beth purchased 21 brown blankets.

And did Beth purchase blankets or pillows?

Blankets, she purchased blankets.

And how many blankets did she purchase?

21, yeah, Beth purchased 21 blankets.

And what color were the blankets? Were they yellow?

No, no, they weren’t yellow.

What color were the blankets?

Brown, they were brown blankets.

So tell me this. Did Beth put the blankets on her bed?

Yes, she did, yes, Beth put the blankets on her bed.

And what did Beth put on her bed? Did she put pillows on her bed?

No, no, she didn’t put pillows on her bed.

What did Beth put on her bed?

Blankets, she put blankets on her bed.

And tell me this. Where did Beth put the blankets?

On her bed, yes, she put the blankets on her bed.

So did Beth crank up the heat in her house?

Yes, she did, yes, Beth cranked up the heat in her house.

And tell me this. What did Beth crank up?

The heat, she cranked up the heat in her house.

Did Beth crank up the heat in her car or in her house?

Oh, in her house, she cranked up the heat in her house. She did not crank up the heat in her car.

Okay, so tell me this. Did Beth increase the heat in her house?

Yes, yes, she did, she cranked up the heat in her house so that means she increased the heat in her house or you could say she made the heat stronger. She cranked it up.

So when Beth went to sleep, was she cold?

Yes, yes, when Beth went to sleep she was still cold, unfortunately, Beth was still cold.

Well, Beth was fed up with being cold. She wanted to go to a place that was hot. So she purchased a plane ticket to Ghana and then she flew to Ghana. And Beth’s friend Jane flew to Ghana with her. And when they arrived in Ghana it was very hot. It was 110 degrees when they arrived in Ghana, 110 degrees Fahrenheit, that is, which is about 44 degrees Celsius, so it was very hot there. And after they arrived in Ghana, Jane was sweating. She was sweating because it was very hot in Ghana. But Beth wasn’t sweating. No, in fact, Beth had to wear a jacket because she was cold. Beth was still cold even though it was very hot in Ghana.

Okay, time for some more questions. Who was fed up with being cold?

Beth was, Beth was fed up with being cold.

Was Jane fed up with being cold?

No, no, Jane was not fed up with being cold, only Beth was.

And tell me this. What was Beth fed up with?

Being cold, she was fed up with being cold.

So was Beth annoyed with being cold?

Yes, yes, she was, she was fed up with being cold so that means she was annoyed with it. If you’re fed up with something it means that you’re annoyed with that thing. Okay, so she was fed up with being cold.

She was annoyed with being cold.

So did Beth want to go to a place where it was hot or a place where it was cold?

A place where it was hot, Beth wanted to go to a place where it was hot.

Who wanted to go to a place where it was hot?

Beth did, Beth wanted to go to a place where it was hot.

So did Beth purchase a plane ticket to Ghana?

Yes, yes, she did, Beth purchased a plane ticket to Ghana.

Now tell me this. Who purchased a plane ticket to Ghana?

Beth did, Beth purchased a plane ticket to Ghana.

And did Beth purchase a plane ticket to Georgia or Ghana?

Ghana, she purchased a plane ticket to Ghana. She did not purchase a plane ticket to Georgia.

And tell me this. What kind of ticket did Beth purchase? Did she purchase a bus ticket?

No, no, she didn’t purchase a bus ticket.

What kind of ticket did Beth purchase?

A plane ticket, she purchased a plane ticket to Ghana.

So did Beth fly to Ghana?

She did, yes, Beth flew to Ghana.

And where did Beth fly to?

Ghana, Beth flew to Ghana.

So tell me this. Did Beth swim to Ghana?

No, no, Beth didn’t swim to Ghana.

How did Beth get to Ghana?

She flew there, she flew there in a plane, of course, but she flew there. She flew to Ghana.

So did Beth’s friend Jane fly to Ghana with Beth?

Yes, yes, she did, she flew to Ghana with Beth.

Who flew to Ghana with Beth?

Jane did, her friend Jane flew to Ghana with her.

So when they arrived in Ghana was it 110 degrees Fahrenheit there?

Yes, yes, it was, it was 110 degrees Fahrenheit there when they arrived in Ghana.

What was the temperature when they arrived in Ghana? Tell me that.

110 degrees, it was 110 degrees Fahrenheit when they arrived in Ghana.

And when was it 110 degrees Fahrenheit?

When they arrived in Ghana, it was 110 degrees Fahrenheit when they arrived in Ghana.

So after they arrived in Ghana, was Jane sweating?

Yes, yes, she was, Jane was sweating after they arrived in Ghana.

When was Jane sweating?

After they arrived in Ghana, Jane was sweating after they arrived in Ghana.

So tell me this. Was Beth sweating?

No, no, Beth was not sweating. Beth was not sweating at all.

So who had to wear a jacket because she was cold?

Beth did, Beth had to wear a jacket because she was cold.

And tell me this. What did Beth have to wear? Did Beth have to wear a hat?

No, no, Beth didn’t have to wear a hat. Beth had to wear a jacket. She had to wear a jacket.

And tell me this. Why did Beth have to wear a jacket?

Well, she had to wear a jacket because she was cold. Even though it was very hot in Ghana, Beth was still cold.

Well, Beth didn’t want to stay in Ghana because she was cold. And Jane didn’t want to stay in Ghana because it was very hot in Ghana. So they flew back to New York. Yes, they flew back to New York and on the flight to New York, Beth met a man and his name was Mark. And Mark had the hots for Beth so he asked Beth to go on a date with him. And Beth said yes, Beth agreed to go on a date with Mark.

Okay, time for some more questions. Did Beth want to stay in Ghana?

No, no, Beth did not want to stay in Ghana.

Okay, why not? Why didn’t she want to stay in Ghana?

Because she was cold, Beth did not want to stay in Ghana because she was cold.

How about Jane? Was Jane cold?

No, Jane was not cold.

So did Jane want to stay in Ghana?

No, no, Jane did not want to stay in Ghana either. Jane did not want to stay in Ghana because it was very hot there. It was very hot in Ghana so Jane did not want to stay in Ghana.

Okay, so did Beth and Jane fly back to New York?

Yes, yes, they did, they flew back to New York.

Who flew back to New York?

Beth and Jane, Beth and Jane flew back to New York.

And tell me this. Where did Beth and Jane fly back to?

New York, they flew back to New York.

And did Beth and Jane swim to New York?

No, they didn’t swim back to New York.

How did they get to New York?

They flew there, they flew back to New York.

So tell me this. Did Beth meet a man named Mark on the flight to New York?

Yes, yes, she did, Beth met a man named Mark on the flight to New York.

Who met a man named Mark?

Beth did, Beth met a man named Mark.

And who did Beth meet?

Mark, she met a man named Mark.

Okay, but tell me this. Where did Beth meet Mark?

On the flight to New York, Beth met Mark on the flight to New York.

So now tell me this. Did Mark have the hots for Beth?

Yes, yes, he did, he had the hots for Beth.

Who had the hots for Beth? Did AJ have the hots for Beth?

No, no, AJ didn’t have the hots for Beth.

Who had the hots for Beth?

Mark did, Mark had the hots for Beth.

And tell me this. Did Mark have the hots for Beth or Jane?

Beth, he had the hots for Beth.

So was Mark really attracted to Beth?

Yes, yes, he was, he had the hots for Beth so that means he was really attracted to her. If you have the hots for someone it means that you’re really attracted to that person.

So did Mark ask Beth to go on a date with him?

He did, yes, Mark asked Beth to go on a date with him.

Who asked Beth to go on a date with him?

Mark did, Mark asked Beth to go on a date with him.

And did Mark ask Jane to go on a date with him?

No, no, he didn’t ask Jane to go on a date with him. He asked Beth to go on a date with him.

So tell me this. Did Beth agree to go on a date with Mark?

Yes, yes, she did, she agreed to go on a date with Mark.

And what did Beth agree to do?

She agreed to go on a date with Mark.

Well, one day after Beth arrived in New York, she went on a date with Mark. And before the end of the date, Beth was head over heels in love with Mark. Yes, it’s true. She was head over heels in love with Mark. And it was the first time she had ever been in love. And after she got home that night she turned off the heat in her house and she took the blankets off of her bed. And when she went to sleep that night she wasn’t cold at all. In fact, she was actually warm. Beth was warm when she went to sleep that night.

Okay, time for some more questions. Did Beth go on a date with Mark one day after she arrived in New York?

Yes, yes, she did, she went on a date with Mark one day after she arrived in New York.

Who went on a date with Mark?

Beth did, Beth went on a date with Mark.

And tell me this. When did Beth go on a date with Mark?

One day after she arrived in New York, she went on a date with Mark one day after she arrived in New York.

And what did Beth do one day after she arrived in New York?

She went on a date with Mark, she went on a date with Mark one day after she arrived in New York.

So tell me this now. Was Beth head over heels in love with Mark?

Yes, yes, she was, she was head over heels in love with Mark.

Who was head over heels in love with Mark?

Beth was, Beth was head over heels in love with Mark.

And who was Beth head over heels in love with? Was she head over heels in love with AJ or Mark?

Mark, she was head over heels in love with Mark.

So tell me this now. Was Beth really in love with Mark?

Yes, yes, she was, she was head over heels in love with Mark so that means she was really in love with Mark. If you are head over heels in love with someone that means you’re really in love with that person.

You’re strongly in love with that person.

Okay, so tell me this. After Beth got home that night did she turn off the heat in her house?

Yes, yes, she did, she turned off the heat in her house after she got home that night.

Who turned off the heat in her house?

Beth did, Beth turned off the heat in her house.

And did Beth turn off the heat in her car or in her house?

In her house, Beth turned off the heat in her house.

So now tell me this. Did Beth take the blankets off of her bed?

Yes, yes, she did, she took the blankets off of her bed.

And what did Beth take off of her bed? Did she take the pillows off of her bed?

No, no, Beth didn’t take the pillows off of her bed.

What did Beth take off of her bed?

The blankets, she took the blankets off of her bed.

And what did Beth take the blankets off of?

Her bed, she took the blankets off of her bed.

So tell me this. When Beth went to sleep that night, was she cold or was she warm?

She was warm, Beth was warm when she went to sleep that night.

Well, I have some more information for you about Beth. After Beth’s first date with Mark she was never cold again. Yes, it’s true, because after that date Beth remained in love with Mark for the rest of her life so she was never cold because her heart always kept her warm.

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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 the story to someone who you know. It can be anyone who you know. And when you tell the story please speak loudly and confidently. And be sure to use all the words and phrases that I taught you at the beginning of this lesson.

And I would like you to listen to this lesson every day for at least 7 days because I want you to learn the material deeply and the only way for that to happen is through repetition. So please listen to this lesson every day for at least 7 days.

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