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Pickles And Ice Cream – 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’d like to start today’s lesson by telling you about some of the words and phrases that you’re going to hear me use in today’s story, so let’s start there.

Okay, first is “to have a sweet tooth,” to have a sweet tooth. So if you have a sweet tooth it means that you like to eat foods that are sweet or foods that are sugary, foods like cake and ice cream and candy, okay? Alright, so let me use this in an example for you. John ate two candy bars every day because he had a sweet tooth. Okay, so what I’m saying is John ate two candy bars every day because he liked to eat sweet foods. He liked to eat foods that were sweet or foods that had a lot of sugar. Okay, let’s move on.

Next is “to be pregnant,” to be pregnant. So if someone is pregnant it means that person is going to have a child soon, going to have a baby soon, okay? So obviously only a female, a woman can be pregnant.

A man cannot be pregnant obviously. Alright, so let me give you an example with this one. Mary gained 10 pounds because she was pregnant. Okay, so what I’m trying to say here is Mary gained 10 pounds because she was going to have a baby soon. She was pregnant.

Okay, next is “to have a craving for something” or you could even say “to crave something,” okay? They mean the same thing but if you have a craving for something it means that you really want some of that thing. It means that you desire to have some of that thing, okay? Alright, let me give you an example with to crave something to have a craving. Mary had a craving for pizza whenever she heard someone speak Italian, okay? So what I’m saying is Mary wanted some pizza whenever she heard someone speak Italian.

Okay, so next is “to be out of something,” to be out of something. So if you are out of something it means that you do not have anymore of it. It means that you used to have some of it but you do not have anymore of it, okay? So here’s an example. I wanted to make a sandwich today but I was out of bread.

Okay, so what I’m saying here is I wanted to make a sandwich today but I did not have any bread. Okay, so let’s move on to the next one.

Next is “to give birth,” to give birth. So if someone gives birth it means that that person has a baby, okay?

So this is another one where only a female or a woman can give birth, okay? A man cannot give birth.

So let’s have an example for this one then. Mary gave birth at a hospital in Texas. Okay, so what I’m trying to say is Mary had a baby at a hospital in Texas.

Okay, so I have one more for you and this is an idiom that I really like. It’s “to be a stone’s throw away,” to be a stone’s throw away. So if something is just a stone’s throw away it means that it’s not far away.

Okay, it means that it’s close or it’s nearby. So let me give you an example of this one to help you understand it. When I was a boy my grandparents lived just a stone’s throw away from where I lived, okay? So what I’m trying to say is when I was a boy my grandparents lived very close to where I lived.

They did not live far away from where I lived.

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, okay? Just say the first answer that you think about and don’t worry about making a mistake.

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 next time, okay? Mistakes are okay when you learn from them. And when you answer these questions I want you to speak loudly and confidently.

Okay, so it’s time to start our story so let’s begin.

There was a woman and her name was Donna. And Donna had a sweet tooth, yes, she did.

Donna had a sweet tooth and Donna’s favorite food was ice cream. That was her favorite food.

But I have something more important to tell you about Donna. Donna was pregnant. Yes, she was. Donna was pregnant. And after Donna got pregnant she wanted to eat pickles with her ice cream. In fact, when Donna was pregnant she ate pickles and ice cream every day.

Okay, time for some questions. Who had a sweet tooth? Did AJ have a sweet tooth?

No, no, AJ didn’t have a sweet tooth.

Who had a sweet tooth?

Donna, Donna had a sweet tooth.

And did Donna like to eat foods that were salty or foods that were sweet?

Oh, foods that were sweet, of course, right? Donna had a sweet tooth so that means she liked foods that were sweet. She had a sweet tooth.

Okay, but tell me this. What was Donna’s favorite food?

Ice cream, Donna’s favorite food was ice cream. She loved ice cream.

Tell me this then. Who was pregnant? Was Kristin pregnant or was Donna pregnant?

Donna, Donna was pregnant. Kristin was not pregnant.

So was Donna going to have a baby soon?

Yes, yes, she was, she was pregnant and if someone’s pregnant that means that person is going to have a baby soon. So Donna was pregnant. She was going to have a baby soon.

So did Donna eat pickles and ice cream every day when she was pregnant?

Yes, yes, she did, she ate pickles and ice cream every day when she was pregnant.

Who ate pickles and ice cream every day when she was pregnant?

Donna did, Donna ate pickles and ice cream every day when she was pregnant.

And did Donna eat broccoli and ice cream every day when she was pregnant?

No, no, Donna didn’t eat broccoli and ice cream every day when she was pregnant.

What did Donna eat every day when she was pregnant?

Pickles and ice cream, Donna ate pickles and ice cream every day when she was pregnant.

Okay, but tell me this. When did Donna eat pickles and ice cream every day?

When she was pregnant, right? She ate pickles and ice cream every day when she was pregnant.

So did Donna eat pickles and ice cream only on Tuesdays when she was pregnant?

No, no, Donna didn’t eat pickles and ice cream only on Tuesdays when she was pregnant.

How often did Donna eat pickles and ice cream when she was pregnant?

Every day, yes, Donna ate pickles and ice cream every day when she was pregnant.

Well, one day Donna had a craving for pickles and ice cream and she had pickles but she did not have any ice cream. She ran out of ice cream. So Donna decided to go to the store to buy some ice cream. And Donna didn’t have a car. She did not own a car. So Donna took a taxi to the store. And the taxi driver’s name was Henry. And Henry was a very nice man and he drove Donna to the store. But unfortunately Donna was unable to buy ice cream at the store. Yes, Donna was unable to buy ice cream at the store because the store was out of ice cream. So Donna still did not have any ice cream to eat with her pickles.

Okay, time for some more questions. Who had a craving for pickles and ice cream?

Donna did, Donna had a craving for pickles and ice cream.

And what did Donna have a craving for?

Pickles and ice cream, Donna had a craving for pickles and ice cream.

Did Donna have a craving for broccoli and ice cream?

No, no, Donna did not have a craving for broccoli and ice cream. She had a craving for pickles and ice cream.

So did Donna really want pickles and ice cream?

Yes, yes, she did, she had a craving for pickles and ice cream and when a person has a craving for something it means that they really want that thing. It means that they desire to have some of that thing.

So Donna had a craving for pickles and ice cream. That means that she really wanted some pickles and ice cream.

So tell me this. What was Donna out of? Was she out of pickles or ice cream?

Ice cream, Donna was out of ice cream.

Was Donna out of pickles?

No, no, Donna was not out of pickles. She was out of ice cream.

So did Donna have any ice cream?

No, no, Donna was out of ice cream so that means she did not have any ice cream. She used to have some ice cream but at that time she did not have any ice cream. She was out of ice cream.

So did Donna decide to go to the store to buy some ice cream?

Yes, yes, she did, she decided to go to the store to buy some ice cream.

Tell me this. Who decided to go to the store to buy some ice cream?

Donna, Donna decided to go to the store to buy some ice cream.

And what did Donna decide to do?

Well, she decided to go to the store to buy some ice cream.

Did Donna decide to go to the store to buy some clothes?

No, no, Donna didn’t decide to go to the store to buy some clothes.

What did Donna want to buy at the store?

Ice cream, Donna wanted to go to the store because she wanted to buy ice cream, not clothes.

So did Donna drive her car to the store?

No, no, Donna did not drive her car to the store.

Why not? Why didn’t Donna drive her car to the store?

Well, Donna did not own a car. That’s why she didn’t drive her car to the store. She didn’t own a car.

So tell me this. How did Donna get to the store? Did she walk to the store?

No, Donna did not walk to the store.

How did Donna get to the store?

She took a taxi, Donna took a taxi to the store.

And what was the taxi driver’s name?

Henry, his name was Henry.

So where did Henry drive Donna to? Did he drive Donna to the library?

No, no, Henry did not drive Donna to the library.

Where did Henry drive Donna to?

The store, yes, Henry drove Donna to the store.

So was Donna able to buy ice cream at the store?

No, no, Donna was unable to buy ice cream at the store.

Who was unable to buy ice cream at the store?

Donna, Donna was unable to buy ice cream at the store.

And what was Donna unable to do?

She was unable to buy ice cream at the store.

Okay, but why? Why was Donna unable to buy ice cream at the store?

Well, she was unable to buy ice cream at the store because the store was out of ice cream.

Okay, one last question before we continue with the story. Was the store out of ice cream or pickles?

Ice cream, the store was out of ice cream. So Donna still did not have any ice cream to eat with her pickles.

Well, I want to tell you something about Donna’s family. Donna had a brother and his name was John. And John also loved ice cream. Yes, it’s true. Both Donna and John loved ice cream.

Well, Donna still had a craving for pickles and ice cream and she still needed some ice cream. So Donna decided to go to John’s house to get some ice cream. So she told Henry to drive her there.

And that’s what Henry did. Henry drove Donna to John’s house. But unfortunately Donna was unable to get ice cream at her brother John’s house. Yes, she was unable to get ice cream at John’s house because John wasn’t at home. So Donna still did not have any ice cream to eat with her pickles.

Okay, time for some more questions. Did Donna have a brother or a sister?

A brother, yes, she had a brother.

And what was her brother’s name? Was her brother’s name Henry?

No, no, Donna’s brother’s name was not Henry.

What was Donna’s brother’s name?

John, yes, her brother’s name was John.

So did John love ice cream?

Yes, yes, he did, John loved ice cream and so did Donna.

How about Henry? Did Henry love ice cream?

No, no, Henry did not love ice cream. John loved ice cream and Donna loved ice cream.

So did Donna decide to go to John’s house to get some ice cream?

Yes, yes, she did, she decided to go to John’s house to get some ice cream.

But tell me this, whose house did Donna decide to go to?

John’s house, yeah, she decided to go to John’s house.

Okay, but why? Why did Donna decide to go to John’s house?

To get ice cream, Donna decided to go to John’s house to get ice cream.

So did Henry drive Donna to church or to John’s house?

Oh, he drove her to John’s house. Henry drove Donna to John’s house. He did not drive Donna to church.

So was Donna able to get ice cream at John’s house?

No, no, Donna was unable to get ice cream at John’s house?

Why not? Why wasn’t Donna able to get ice cream at John’s house? Was it because John was out of ice cream?

No, no, John was not out of ice cream.

Why was Donna unable to get ice cream at John’s house then?

John was not at home, yes. She was unable to get ice cream at John’s house because John was not at home. So Donna still did not have any ice cream to eat with her pickles. Poor Donna.

Well, Donna still had a desire to eat pickles and ice cream. She still had a craving for pickles and ice cream. So she decided to go to an ice cream shop and she told Henry to drive her there. But as Henry was driving to the ice cream shop, something unexpected happened. Yes, something unexpected happened. Donna started to give birth in the taxi. She did, yes. Donna started to give birth in Henry’s taxi.

Okay, time for some more questions. Did Donna still have a craving for pickles and ice cream?

Yes, yes, she did, she still had a craving for pickles and ice cream.

Who had a craving for pickles and ice cream? Did Henry have a craving for pickles and ice cream?

No, no, not Henry.

Who had a craving for pickles and ice cream?

Donna did, Donna had a craving for pickles and ice cream.

So did Donna decide to go to a bakery or an ice cream shop?

An ice cream shop, she decided to go to an ice cream shop.

Tell me this. Did Donna decide to go to a bakery?

No, no, Donna did not decide to go to a bakery. She decided to go to an ice cream shop, of course.

So tell me this. Who started to give birth in the taxi? Did Kristin start to give birth in the taxi?

No, no, Kristin did not start to give birth in the taxi.

Who started to give birth in the taxi?

Donna, Donna started to give birth in the taxi.

And tell me this. Where did Donna start to give birth?

In the taxi, yes, she started to give birth in Henry’s taxi.

So did Donna start to have a baby in the taxi?

Yes, yes, she did, she started to give birth in the taxi. So that means she started to have a baby in the taxi. If a person starts to give birth it means that person starts to have a baby, okay?

Well, when Donna started to give birth in the taxi, Henry didn’t know what to do. But then Henry remembered that there was a hospital just a stone’s throw away from them. So Henry drove Donna to the hospital and he drove very fast. And Donna arrived at the hospital before she gave birth. Yeah, she arrived at the hospital before she gave birth. And then she went into the hospital and just five minutes after that she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. And you know what she named the boy? Henry! Donna named her baby boy Henry. She named her boy after Henry the taxi driver.

Okay, time for some more questions. When Donna started to give birth in the taxi, was there a hospital just a stone’s throw away from them?

Yes, yes, there was, there was a hospital just a stone’s throw away.

What was just a stone’s throw away?

A hospital, there was a hospital just a stone’s throw away.

So was the hospital far away from them?

No, no, the hospital was just a stone’s throw away so that means that the hospital was close. It was nearby. It was not far away.

So tell me this. Where did Henry drive Donna to? Did he drive Donna to the ice cream shop or the hospital?

The hospital, Henry drove Donna to the hospital.

And tell me this. Who drove Donna to the hospital? Did John drive Donna to the hospital?

No, no, John did not drive Donna to the hospital.

Who drove Donna to the hospital?

Henry did, Henry the taxi drive drove Donna to the hospital.

So where did Donna give birth? Did she give birth in the taxi or in the hospital?

In the hospital, Donna gave birth in the hospital.

So did Donna have a baby in the hospital?

Yes, yes, she did, Donna gave birth in the hospital so that means she had a baby in the hospital.

Alright, but tell me this. Did Donna have a baby boy or a baby girl?

A baby boy, Donna had a baby boy. She gave birth to a baby boy. You could say she gave birth or you could say she had a baby boy. They mean the same thing.

Okay, so what did Donna name the baby boy?

Henry, she named her boy Henry after Henry the taxi driver.

Well, the day after Donna gave birth, Henry the tax driver visited Donna in the hospital. And he brought her a present and it was a present that he knew she would love, pickles and ice cream.

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Okay, well that’s the end of our story and I hope that 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 if you really don’t know someone to tell the story to, just say the story out loud, okay? You can even look in the mirror so you’re pretending that you’re telling the story to someone.

And I want you to listen to this lesson every day for at least seven days. And I’m sure after those seven days you will be able to tell the story even better than I can. Okay, that’s all for this mini-story lesson. I’ll see you next time.