داستان کوتاه

Airplane Pilot - Mini-Story Lesson

Hi everybody. I’m Joe Weiss, one of the directors of Learn Real English and I would like to welcome you today to the mini-story lesson for the Advanced Conversation Club. I hope that you’re all having a great day today and I hope you’re feeling really energetic. I know that I’m feeling really energetic. Now the best state of mind to be in when you listen to these lessons is to be really energetic. If you’re tired right now, what I want you to do is get up and stretch around a little bit, y’know? Like maybe even like run a little bit, y’know? Get yourself feeling really energized because your brain works a lot better when you’re feeling energized so you will learn the materials much better.

Okay, so, before we start with our story, I would like to tell you about the words and phrases that you will hear in this story that you may or may not be familiar with. So let’s start there.

First is “airplane pilot”. Now this one is very easy. An airplane pilot is just a person who flies an airplane, very simple, very simple.

Next, I have a great idiom for you, and that idiom is “to pig out”. Now if you pig out, that means that you eat a lot of food very, very fast. So once again, it’s an idiom, and that idiom is to pig out.

Okay, next I have a word for you and it’s kind of like a casual word, I guess, and that word is “leftovers”.

Now, the word leftovers refers to an unused portion of something but we usually use it when we’re talking about a meal. So when you’re talking about a meal, the leftovers refer to the food that you prepared for the meal but that you were not able to eat at the meal. So it is the uneaten food that remains at the end of your meal. Let me give you an example. If I go to a restaurant and I order, say, a pizza and a salad, but I’m not able to eat all of the pizza and I’m not able to eat all the salad, the pizza and the salad that I was unable to eat, that is what we call the leftovers from the meal.

Okay, next I have another idiom for you, and that idiom is to “shed some pounds”. Now what that means is just to lose some weight. And you can actually put a number in place of some, like you could say shed 22 pounds. And if you say I’m going to shed 22 pounds, that just means that you’re going to lose 22 pounds, very simple, huh?

So, next I have, it’s a vocabulary word and it’s a very easy one, and I think you might already know it, it’s the word “seafood”. Now seafood just refers to food that came from the sea or the ocean. So, for example, fish is considered seafood, and shrimp or prawns, those are considered seafood. Crabs, crabs are considered seafood. So each of these is just a type of seafood, simple, huh?

Okay, next I have another vocabulary word for you, and that vocabulary word is “famished”. Now if you’re famished, that means that you are really, really hungry. So, there’s another easy one, famished just means to be very hungry.

Okay, next is, it’s kind of a casual word, I guess, it’s the word “full”. So if you say, wow I’m full, that just means that you have eaten enough food, that you’re no longer hungry.

Okay and I have one more for you, and it’s an idiom, it’s a word, and that word is “ace”. So if you ace something that means that you did very well at that thing. So in the story you will hear me that a person aced their exam. So that just means that they did very well on their exam, very simple, very simple for you.

Okay, so now I’m finished telling you about the words and idioms, it’s time for our story. And as with every story I will tell you the story but I also will ask you questions about the story. I will ask you a lot of questions about the story. And your job is to answer the questions. But I don’t want you to just answer the questions. I want you to answer he questions loudly. I want the people next door to you to hear you.

And I want you to be confident. And most importantly I want you to answer these questions very quickly.

Now don’t be worried if you make a mistake. That’s okay. But answer quickly, confidently and loudly.

Okay, it’s time for our story. Are you ready? Okay, I’m ready.

There was a bear and his name was Bob. Now Bob had always wanted to be an airplane pilot but he had been unable to go to school to learn how to be an airplane pilot. He had been unable to go to school because he had never had enough money to pay for school.

Okay, so, now time for some questions. Was there a bear or was there a boy?

A bear, of course, there was a bear.

And what was the bear’s name?

Bob, the bear’s name was Bob.

Now, tell me this, had Bob wanted to be a fireman?

No, no Bob had not wanted to be a fireman.

Had Bob wanted to be an airplane pilot?

Yes, yes he had. Bob had wanted to be an airplane pilot.

So tell me, who had wanted to be an airplane pilot?

Well, Bob. Bob had wanted to be an airplane pilot.

And had Bob wanted to fly airplanes?

Yes, yes he had. He had wanted to be an airplane pilot which is the same thing as saying he had wanted to fly airplanes.

Okay, so who had been unable to go to school?

Bob. Bob had been unable to go to school.

And had Bob been able to go to school?

No, no he had not been able. He had been unable to go to school.

Okay, one last question before we continue with the story. Why had Bob been unable to go to school?

Well, he had never had enough money to pay for school. That’s why he had been unable to go to school.

Well, Bob loved food and anytime Bob ate, he pigged out. And after each meal that Bob ate, there were never any leftovers.

Okay, so who loved food?

Bob. Bob loved food, of course.

And tell me this, did Bob love books or food?

Food, Bob loved food. We know that.

Okay, so tell me this, who pigged out when they ate?

Bob. Bob pigged out.

Did Bob pig out when he ate?

Yes, yes he did. Bob pigged out while he ate.

So now, tell me this, when Bob ate did he eat just a little bit of food very slowly or did he eat a lot of food very fast?

Oh, he ate a lot of food very fast. He pigged out which means that he ate a lot of food very fast.

Okay, so tell me this, after Bob ate a meal were there ever any leftovers?

No, no there were never any leftovers after Bob ate a meal.

Okay, so one more question, how much food remained uneaten after Bob had eaten a meal?

None, we’ve said that there were no leftovers so there was no food that remained uneaten after he had eaten a meal.

Well, Bob had gained a lot of weight because he always pigged out. He had gained 311 pounds.

Well, Bob’s mother had become worried because Bob had gained so much weight. So she had asked Bob to shed some pounds. But Bob refused.

Okay, so who had gained weight?

Bob. Bob had gained weight.

And had Bob’s mother gained weight?

No, no Bob’s mother had not gained weight.

Had Bob gained weight?

Yes, yes Bob had gained weight.

So tell me this now, how much weight had Bob gained?

311 pounds, Bob had gained 311 pounds.

Had Bob gained more than 211 pounds?

Yes, yes he had. He had gained 311 pounds and, as we all know, 311 is more than 211.

Okay, so who had asked Bob to shed some pounds?

His mother, his mother had asked him to shed some pounds.

Had Bob asked his mother to shed some pounds?

No, no Bob had not asked his mother to shed some pounds.

Had Bob’s mother asked Bob to shed some pounds?

Yes, yes Bob’s mother had asked Bob to shed some pounds.

Okay, so tell me this, had Bob’s mother asked Bob to lose some weight?

Yes, yes, of course she did. She had asked him to shed some pounds which is the same thing as asking him to shed some weight.

So, one more question, had Bob agreed to shed some weight?

No, he had not agreed to shed some weight nor had he agreed to shed some pounds. He had refused, actually. If I say shed some weight, that’s the same thing as saying shed some pounds. So he had refused to do it.

Well, Bob had always loved seafood. And Bob had a brother named Charlie. And Charlie, too, had always loved seafood. Now Bob’s mother, she had never loved seafood. But she had always liked chicken. Actually she had always loved chicken.

Okay, so what was Bob’s brother’s name?

Charlie, it was Charlie, of course.

And who had a brother named Bob?

Charlie. Charlie did. Charlie had a brother named Bob.

And was Bob Charlie’s brother?

Yes, yes Bob was Charlie’s brother. Or you could say Charlie was Bob’s brother.

Okay, so who had loved seafood, Bob or Bob’s mother?

Bob. Bob had always loved seafood.

Had Charlie always loved seafood?

Yes, yes Charlie also had always loved seafood.

Now tell me this, who had always loved chicken?

Well, Bob’s mother. Bob’s mother had always loved chicken.

And had Bob’s mother ever loved seafood?

No, no Bob’s mother had never loved seafood.

Well, one day a long time ago Bob and Charlie had gone to a seafood restaurant. And they had arrived at the restaurant at 5:07 p.m. And the name of the restaurant was The Delicious Fish.

Okay, so tell me this, who had gone to the restaurant?

Bob and Charlie, of course. Bob and Charlie had gone to the restaurant.

Had Bob’s mother gone to the restaurant?

No, no Bob’s mother had not gone to the restaurant but Bob and Charlie had.

So, had Bob and Charlie gone to a hamburger restaurant or a seafood restaurant?

A seafood restaurant, they had gone to a seafood restaurant.

And was the name…excuse me, let’s start with the time actually. At what time had they arrived at the restaurant?

5:07 p.m., they had arrived at the restaurant at 5:07 p.m.

Had they arrived at the restaurant at 5:07 p.m. or 5:07 a.m.?

5:07 p.m., they had arrived at the restaurant at 5:07 p.m.

So had they arrived at the restaurant before 6:07 p.m.?

Yes, yes they had. They had arrived at 5:07 p.m. and 5:07 p.m. is before 6:07 p.m.

Okay, so had Bob and Charlie gone to a restaurant named McDonald’s?

No, no they had not.

What was the name of the restaurant where they had gone?

The Delicious Fish, remember? The name of the restaurant was The Delicious Fish.

Well, when Bob got to the restaurant he was famished. He was so hungry that he ate all of the food in the restaurant. But he still wasn’t full. So then he ate the plates that were on the table.

Okay, so tell me this, who was famished?

Bob. Bob was famished.

Was Charlie famished?

No, no Charlie was not famished.

Now, tell this also, was Bob very, very hungry?

Yes, yes he was. He was famished which means that he was very, very hungry.

Okay, so who had eaten all of the food in the restaurant, Bob or Charlie?

Bob. Bob had eaten all the food in the restaurant, of course.

Had Bob eaten all of the food in the restaurant?

Yes, yes he had. He had eaten all of the food in the restaurant.

Okay, so tell me this, were there any leftovers after Bob had eaten the food?

No, no there were no leftovers. He had eaten all of the food which means there were no leftovers.

Well, after Bob had finished eating, was he full?

No, no Bob was not full.

Tell me this though, had Bob had enough food to eat?

No, no Bob was not full, so he had not had enough food to eat.

And what had Bob eaten after he had eaten all of the food?

The plates, he had eaten the plates on the table. Can you believe that?

Okay, so I have one question for your more. Do you think that Bob had pigged out at the restaurant?

Yes, yes he certainly had. I think he had pigged out.

Well, I have some more information for you. That night at the restaurant, Bob had met Barack Obama. And Barack Obama had told Bob that he wanted him to be his airplane pilot. And Barack Obama had given Bob $5,678. He had given him the money so Bob could pay for school and then he could learn how to be an airplane pilot.

Okay, so who had Bob met?

Barack Obama, Bob had met Barack Obama.

Had Charlie met Barack Obama?

No, no Charlie had not met Barack Obama.

Had Bob met Charlie or Barack Obama?

Barack Obama, Bob had met Barack Obama.

So had Bob met Barack Obama at the restaurant or at the library?

Oh, at the restaurant, of course. He had met him at the restaurant.

Had Bob met Barack Obama at McDonald’s or at The Delicious Fish?

At The Delicious Fish, that was the name of the restaurant, of course.

Okay, so who did Barack Obama want to be his airplane pilot, Charlie or Bob?

Bob. Barack Obama wanted Bob to be his airplane pilot.

Did Barack Obama want Bob to be his cook or his airplane pilot?

His airplane pilot, he didn’t want him to be his cook.

Okay, so who had given money to Bob?

Barack Obama, Barack Obama had given money to Bob.

And had Charlie given money to Bob?

No, Charlie had not given money to Bob. Barack Obama had given money to Bob.

So, tell me this, how much money had Barack Obama given to Bob?

$5,678, that’s how much money.

Had Barack Obama given Bob more than $6,000?

No, no he had given him $5,678, and that is less than $6,000.

Okay, so tell me this one more thing. I have one more question for you before we continue our story.

Why had Barack Obama given Bob the money?

Well, he had given him the money so he could pay for school.

Well, Bob was very happy because he had finally had enough money to pay for school. So the next day Bob went to an airplane pilot school. And once he had arrived at the school he had tried to get into the airplane. But he had been unable to get into the door to the airplane. You see, he had gained so much weight that he was too fat to fit in the airplane. So his teacher at the school told him that he had to lose 321 pounds before he could be an airplane pilot.

Okay, so who had gone to school, Bob or Barack Obama?

Bob. Bob, of course, Bob had gone to school.

Had Bob gone to the library or to school?

To school, he had gone to school.

And tell me this, had Bob gone to cooking school or airplane pilot school?

Airplane pilot school, of course, he had gone to airplane pilot school.

Okay, so who had tried to get in the airplane, Bob or Charlie?

Bob. Bob had tried to get in the airplane.

And had Bob been able to fit in the door to the airplane?

No, no he had been unable to fit in the door.

Okay, so tell me, why had Bob been unable to fit in the door?

Well, he had gained so much weight that he did not fit in the airplane. That’s why.

Okay, so who had told Bob to lose weight, Barack Obama or the teacher?

The teacher, the teacher had told Bob he had to lose some weight.

Had the teacher told Bob he had to shed some pounds?

Yes, yes he had told Bob that he needed to lose some weight which is the same thing as saying that he had to shed some pounds, remember.

So how much weight had the teacher told Bob that he had to lose?

321 pounds, he had told him that he had to lose 321 pounds. That’s a lot of weight.

Well, Bob was very upset, as you can imagine. He had wanted to go to school and he had finally had enough money to go to school. But he had been unable to get in the airplane. So he changed his diet. After that time he only ate 3 small meals a day. And he never pigged out.

Okay, so who had changed their diet, Bob or Barack Obama?

Well, Bob, of course. Bob had changed his diet.

And how many meals had Bob eaten a day?

3, he only ate 3 meals each day.

And did he eat really big meals or just small, small, tiny meals?

Small meals, he only ate 3 small meals a day.

Okay, so tell me this, after he had changed his diet did he ever pig out?

No, no he never pigged out anymore.

Well, after only 3 months, Bob had lost 323 pounds. And he had aced his airplane pilot exam.

Okay, so who had lost 323 pounds, Bob or Charlie?

Bob. Bob had lost 323 pounds.

And how much time had it taken Bob to lose the weight?

3 months, it had taken him only 3 months.

Okay, now who had aced the airplane pilot exam?

Bob. Bob had aced the airplane pilot exam.

What had Bob aced again?

The airplane pilot exam, of course.

Okay, so tell me this, had Bob done really well on his airplane pilot exam?

Yes, yes he had. He had aced the exam which is the same thing as saying he had done very well on the exam.

Well, after he had aced his airplane pilot exam, Bob had become an airplane pilot. And then he flew Barack Obama all over the world.

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And that’s the end of our story. But now, guess what. I think you know what’s coming. It’s time for you to tell the story. I want you to tell the story to a friend or a family member. And if you do not have someone to tell the story to, then just tell the story yourself. But be sure that you speak very loudly and very confidently. And do not be afraid to make a mistake. Never be afraid to make a mistake. Mistakes are okay. But I want you to try and tell this story. And I also want you to listen to this lesson every day for 14 days. And you know what, I think at the end of 14 days you will tell the story better than I can even.

Okay, that’s the end of our mini-story lesson for today. I hope that you enjoyed it. I’ll see you later.