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Sugar Man - Mini-story

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 the idioms that you will hear me use in today’s story. So let’s begin there.

Okay, first is “to have a crush on someone.” So if you have a crush on someone, it means that you really like that person. But I don’t mean that you like the person as a friend, I mean that you like them more than a friend.

For example, you like them as a boyfriend or a girlfriend, okay? So let me show you how this is used in a sentence. When I was 12 years old, I had a crush on a girl named Mary. Okay, so what I’m saying is when I was 12 years old, I really liked a girl named Mary.

Okay, so next is “to wear your heart on your sleeve.” So if you wear your heart on your sleeve, it means that you allow people to know how you are feeling, okay? It means that you are unable to hide your emotions.

So let me give you an example of this one. When Mary met John, she knew that John was in love with her because John always wore his heart on his sleeve.

Okay, so what I’m saying is when Mary met John, she knew that John was in love with her because John always allowed people to know how he was feeling. He was unable to hide his emotions.

Okay, so next is “pigheaded,” “to be pigheaded.” So if you are pigheaded it means that you’re stubborn. It means that you’re unwilling to change, okay?

So here’s an example. After the scientist told the man about global warming, after he told him all the facts about global warming, the man still did not think that global warming existed because he was pigheaded.

Okay, so what I’m saying is after the scientist told the man all the facts about global warming, he still did not believe that global warming existed because he was stubborn, because he was unwilling to change.

Okay, so I have another one for you and this one is “to pull the plug on something.” So if you pull the plug on something it means that you end it. You stop it from happening anymore, okay?

So let me give you an example. John had a party and it was very loud so the police came and they pulled the plug on the party. Okay, so what I’m saying is John had a party and it was very loud. So the police came and they ended the party, they stopped it, okay? They pulled the plug on it.

Okay, so I have one more for you and this is one that you might already be familiar with. It is “to ask someone out.” Okay, so if you ask someone out it means that you ask that person to go on a date with you. Pretty simple.

So when I first met Kristin, I asked her out, okay? When I first met Kristin, I asked her to go on a date.

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 say the first answer that you think of.

Now don’t worry about making mistakes. 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 the next time you listen to it.

And when you answer these questions, I want you to speak loudly and confidently, okay? So I think it’s time to start our story then. Let’s start.

There was a shark and his name was Peter. And there was a dolphin and her name was Elizabeth. And Peter and Elizabeth lived in the same ocean. They both lived in the Atlantic Ocean. And they knew each other. They knew each other because they attended the same swimming school.

Okay, time for some questions.

What was the name of the shark?

Peter. Peter was his name.

And was Peter a dolphin or a shark?

He was a shark, of course. Peter was a shark.

Okay, so tell me this then. Who was a dolphin?

Elizabeth was. Elizabeth was a dolphin.

And did Peter and Elizabeth live in the same ocean?

They did, yes. They lived in the same ocean.

Who lived in the same ocean? Did Kristin and AJ live in the same ocean?

No, no, Kristin and AJ did not live in the same ocean.

Who lived in the same ocean?

Peter and Elizabeth. Peter and Elizabeth lived in the same ocean.

Okay, which ocean did they live in? Did they live in the Indian Ocean?

No, no, they didn’t live in the Indian Ocean.

Which ocean did they live in?

The Atlantic Ocean, yes. They lived in the Atlantic Ocean.

And did Peter and Elizabeth know each other or were they strangers?

Oh, they knew each other, yes. They knew each other.

Did Peter and Elizabeth go to the same swimming school?

Yes, yes, they did. They went to the same swimming school or you could say they attended the same swimming school.

And what kind of school did they attend? Did they attend a cooking school?

No, no, they didn’t attend a cooking school.

What kind of school did they attend?

A swimming school. They attended a swimming school.

Well, Peter had a crush on Elizabeth. And I have something else to tell you. Peter always wore his heart on his sleeve so Peter told Elizabeth that he wanted to date her because he had a crush on her.

But unfortunately, Elizabeth was unable to date Peter. Yes, she was unable to date Peter because she was already dating someone else. She was dating Larry and Larry was a whale.

Okay, time for some more questions.

Did Peter have a crush on Elizabeth?

Yes, yes, he did. He had a crush on Elizabeth.

Who had a crush on Elizabeth?

Peter did. Peter had a crush on Elizabeth.

And did Peter have a crush on Kristin or Elizabeth?

Elizabeth, yeah. He did not have a crush on Kristin. Peter had a crush on Elizabeth.

Okay, so tell me this then. Who always wore his heart on his sleeve? Did AJ always wear his heart on his sleeve?

No, not AJ.

Who always wore his heart on his sleeve?

Peter did. Peter always wore his heart on his sleeve.

So did Peter always allow people to know how he was feeling?

Yes, yes, he did. He always wore his heart on his sleeve. So that means he always allowed people to know how he was feeling or you can even say he was unable to hide his emotions. He always wore his heart on his sleeve.

So did Peter tell Elizabeth that he wanted to date her because he had a crush on her?

Yes, yes, he did. Peter told Elizabeth he wanted to date her because he had a crush on her.

Who wanted to date Elizabeth?

Peter, of course. Peter wanted to date Elizabeth.

And did Peter want to date Kristin?

No, no, Peter didn’t want to date Kristin.

Who did Peter want to date?

Elizabeth, right?

He wanted to date Elizabeth.

Okay, but why? Why did Peter want to date Elizabeth?

Well, he wanted to date Elizabeth because he had a crush on her.

So tell me this. Did Peter want to date Elizabeth because he really liked her?

Yes, yes, he did. He wanted to date Elizabeth because he had a crush on her so that means he wanted to date Elizabeth because he really liked her. He had a crush on her and really liked her.

Okay, so was Elizabeth able to date Peter?

No, no, she was unable to date Peter.

Why was Elizabeth unable to date Peter?

Well, it was because she was dating someone else, remember? She was already dating someone else.

Who was Elizabeth dating?

Larry. She was dating someone named Larry.

And was Larry a shark or a whale?

Oh, he was a whale, Larry the whale. Elizabeth was dating Larry the whale.

Well, one day Elizabeth and Larry went to a movie together. But unfortunately, Larry got liquored up before he went to the movie. Yes, he got liquored up and then he was rude to Elizabeth during the movie.

Let me tell you what he did. He ate all of the popcorn without allowing Elizabeth to eat any of it. And he spilled his orange juice on Elizabeth.

And then Larry tried to kiss Elizabeth seven times after she told him that she did not want to kiss him. He was very rude.

Okay, time for some more questions.

Did Larry and Elizabeth go to a movie together?

Yes, yes, they did. They went to a movie together.

Who went to a movie together?

Larry and Elizabeth. Larry and Elizabeth went to a movie together.

And tell me this. Did Larry and Elizabeth go to the library together?

No, no, they didn’t go to the library together.

Where did Larry and Elizabeth go together?

A movie, yeah. They went to a movie together.

So did Larry and Elizabeth go to a movie together or separately?

Together, yeah. They went to a movie together.

And who got liquored up before he went to the movie?

Larry did. Larry got liquored up before he went to the movie.

Did AJ get liquored up before he went to the movie?

No, no, AJ did not get liquored up before he went to the movie, Larry did.

So tell me this. Did Larry get drunk before he went to the movie? Did he drink a lot of alcohol before he went to the movie?

Yes, yes, he did. He got liquored up before he went to the movie so that means he got drunk or he drank a lot of alcohol before he went to the movie. Yeah, he got liquored up.

So was Larry rude to Elizabeth at the movie?

He was, yes. He was rude to Elizabeth.

And who was Larry rude to? Was he rude to his mother?

No, no, Larry was not rude to his mother.

Who was Larry rude to?

Elizabeth, yes. He was rude to Elizabeth.

And where was Larry rude to Elizabeth?

At the movie, yeah. He was rude to Elizabeth at the movie.

So tell me this. Did Larry eat all of the popcorn?

He did, yes. He ate all of the popcorn.

Who ate all of the popcorn?

Larry did. Larry ate all of the popcorn.

And what did Larry eat all of?

The popcorn, yes. He ate all of the popcorn.

Did Larry eat all of the pizza?

No, no, he didn’t eat all of the pizza. He ate all of the popcorn.

So tell me this. Did Elizabeth eat any of the popcorn?

No, no, Elizabeth did not eat any of the popcorn. Larry ate all of it. He ate all of the popcorn.

So okay, tell me this now. Did Larry spill orange juice on Elizabeth?

Yes, yes, he did. He spilled orange juice on Elizabeth.

Did AJ or Larry spill orange juice on Elizabeth?

Larry did. Larry spilled orange juice on Elizabeth.

And did Larry spill water on Elizabeth?

No, no, he didn’t spill water on Elizabeth.

What did Larry spill on Elizabeth?

Orange juice. He spilled orange juice on her.

Okay, so tell me this. Did Larry try to kiss Elizabeth seven times after she told him she did not want to kiss him?

Yes, yes, he did. He tried to kiss her seven times after she told him she did not want to kiss him.

Okay, so who did Larry try to kiss? Did he try to kiss Kristin?

No, no, he didn’t try to kiss Kristin.

Who did Larry try to kiss?

Elizabeth. He tried to kiss Elizabeth.

And how many times did he try to kiss Elizabeth?

Seven times. He tried to kiss Elizabeth seven times.

Tell me this now. Did Larry try to kiss Elizabeth less than ten times?

Yes, yes, he did. He tried to kiss her seven times and that’s less than ten times so yes, he tried to kiss her less than ten times.

Okay, but when did he do it? When did Larry try to kiss Elizabeth seven times?

After she told him she did not want to kiss him, that’s when he tried to do it.

Okay, but who told Larry she didn’t want to kiss him?

Elizabeth did. Elizabeth told Larry she did not want to kiss him.

And what didn’t Elizabeth want to do?

She didn’t want to kiss Larry.

Well, the next day Elizabeth called Larry and she wanted Larry to apologize to her for being rude at the movie. But Larry didn’t think he was rude at the movie. So then Elizabeth demanded that Larry apologize to her. But Larry was pigheaded so he refused to apologize to her.

So guess what Elizabeth did? She pulled the plug on their relationship, yes, she did. Elizabeth pulled the plug on her relationship with Larry.

Okay, time for some more questions. Who did Elizabeth call? Did she call Kristin?

No, no, she didn’t call Kristin.

Who did Elizabeth call?

Larry, yes. She called Larry.

And did Elizabeth want Larry to apologize to her?

Yes, yes, she did. She wanted Larry to apologize to her.

And what did Elizabeth want Larry to do? Did she want Larry to cook dinner for her?

No, no, she didn’t want Larry to cook dinner for her.

What did Elizabeth want Larry to do?

Apologize. She wanted Larry to apologize to her.

Okay, but why? Why did she want Larry to apologize to her?

Because he was rude to her at the movie. She wanted Larry to apologize to her because Larry was rude to her at the movie.

So did Larry refuse to apologize to Elizabeth?

Yes, yes, he did. He refused to apologize to Elizabeth.

Who refused to apologize to Elizabeth?

Larry. Larry refused to apologize to Elizabeth.

And what did Larry refuse to do?

Apologize. He refused to apologize to Elizabeth.

Okay, but why? Why did Larry refuse to apologize to Elizabeth? Was it because he was pigheaded?

Yes, yes, it was because he was pigheaded.

Who was pigheaded? Was AJ pigheaded?

No, no, AJ was not pigheaded.

Who was pigheaded?

Larry was. Larry was pigheaded.

So tell me this. Was Larry stubborn? Was he unwilling to change?

Yes, yes, he was. He was pigheaded so that means he was stubborn or you could even say he was unwilling to change. He was pigheaded.

Okay, so did Elizabeth pull the plug on her relationship with Larry?

Yes, yes, she did. She pulled the plug on her relationship with Larry.

Who pulled the plug on her relationship with Larry?

Elizabeth. Elizabeth pulled the plug on her relationship with Larry.

And what did Elizabeth pull the plug on?

Her relationship with Larry. She pulled the plug on her relationship with Larry.

So did Elizabeth end her relationship with Larry?

Yes, yes, she did. She pulled the plug on it so that means she ended it. If you pull the plug on something that means you end it. So she pulled the plug on her relationship with Larry. She ended the relationship with Larry.

Well, the next day Elizabeth saw Peter at school and she told him that she had pulled the plug on her relationship with Larry. And I have something else to tell you about Elizabeth. At that time, she had a crush on Peter. Yes, she did. Elizabeth had a crush on Peter because he always wore his heart on his sleeve.

So guess what she did? She asked Peter out. And Peter happily said yes. He happily said yes because he still had a crush on Elizabeth.

Okay, time for some more questions. Who did Elizabeth see at school? Did she see Larry at school?

No, no, she didn’t see Larry at school.

Who did Elizabeth see at school?

Peter, yeah. She saw Peter at school.

And where did Elizabeth see Peter? Did she see him at the library or at school?

At school. She saw him at school. She did not see him at the library.

Okay, so tell me this now. Who had a crush on Peter? Did Kristin have a crush on Peter?

No, not Kristin.

Who had a crush on Peter?

Elizabeth did. Elizabeth had a crush on Peter.

So did Elizabeth really like Peter?

Yes, yes, she did. She had a crush on Peter so that means she really liked him. She had a crush on him.

Okay, but why did she have a crush on him?

Well, she had a crush on him because he always wore his heart on his sleeve.

So did Elizabeth have a crush on Peter because he always allowed people to know how he was feeling because he was unable to hide his emotions?

Yes, yes, she had a crush on him because he always wore his heart on his sleeve so that means she had a crush on him because he always allowed people to know how he was feeling or you could say he was unable to hide his emotions. He wore his heart on his sleeve.

So tell me this. Did Elizabeth ask Peter out?

Yes, yes, she did. She asked Peter out.

Who asked Peter out?

Elizabeth did. Elizabeth asked Peter out.

And did Elizabeth ask Peter to go on a date with her?

Yes, yes, she did. She asked Peter out so that means she asked Peter to go on a date with her.

When you ask someone out it means you ask them to go on a date with you.

So what did Peter say when Elizabeth asked him out?

He said yes. He happily said yes.

So did Peter still have a crush on Elizabeth?

Yes, he did. He still had a crush on Elizabeth.

So one more question before we continue. Did Peter still really like Elizabeth?

Yes, he still had a crush on her so that means he still really liked her.

Well, after Peter and Elizabeth dated for one year, they got married in the Pacific Ocean. And then they adopted two baby seals. And after that they lived happily together in the Atlantic Ocean.

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 really be anyone who you know.

And if you really don’t have someone to tell the story to, please just tell the story to yourself. But don’t just think about it in your mind, I want you to say the story out loud, okay? And I want you to listen to this lesson every day for at least seven days.

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