Listening Practices with Videos

1.Isaiah

Verb List

1. Take after: resemble somebody: to look or behave like somebody else, especially within the same family

2. Cut it out: stop something annoying: to stop doing something that is annoying somebody

3. Break into: enter building forcibly: to enter a building or place forcibly and usually illegally

4. Run over: knock somebody down with vehicle: to hit somebody or something with a vehicle while driving it

5. Cut off: isolate somebody or something: to separate a person, group, or place from usual communication or contact.

                   

Read The Story From Here

Since he was a boy, Isaiah was very strong willed. They say he took after his mother in this trait. He loved daydreaming and he used to indulge himself so much that his mother got angry. She lectured him, but he just told her to cut it out. One day, a man broke into their house. Isaiah scared the man away, but as the man ran away, he was run over by a truck. Isaiah saw it and felt very bad. Since then he has cut himself off from the rest of the world and now he daydreams more than ever before.

Questions

1. Who does he take after?
2. How does he take after that person?
3. What does he indulge in?
4. When he was lectured what did he say? (nagged, scolded)
5. What happened at his house one day?
6. What did he do?
7. What did he see?
8. How did he feel then?

2.Bruce

Verb list

1. depend on: rely on somebody or something: to have complete confidence in somebody or something
2. deal with: have business dealings with somebody: to do business with somebody or an organization
3. belong to: be linked to somebody or something: to be linked to a particular person, group, place, or time by a relationship such as birth, affection, or membership
4. tend to: to be generally inclined or likely to react or behave in a particular way, or be in the habit of doing something

Read The Story From Here

Bruce always wants to be successful, and works very hard. He always tries new businesses and recently he tried to open a store that deals in health food. He doesn’t want to depend on anyone so he won't join a union. Besides, he doesn't like dealing with unions. His friends think he won't join the union because doesn't want to belong to a group. He tends to try too hard to be independent. One day he might hurt himself.

Questions

1. What does Bruce want?

2. What kind of store did he open?

3. What doesn’t Bruce want?

4. What do his friends think?

3.Dangerous Woman

Verb list

1. Put up with: tolerate somebody or accept somebody calmly

2. Make fun of: if you make fun of somebody or somethin, youlaugh at them tease them or make jokes about them in a way that causes them to seem ridiculous

3. Break down: to become upset emotionally or cause somebody to become upset emotionally. 

4. Blow up: destroy somethin or kill somebody by causing an explosion, or be destroyed in this way. 

5. Burn down: to catch fire and burn until almost nothing remains, or burn something such as a building in order to destroy it.

Read The Story From Here

Alice is a dangerous woman. In high school, people used to make fun of her because she had unusual spiritual ideas. They had never heard of such nonsense. After putting up with their jokes for years, she finally broke down. She threatened to blow up the city hall and burn down the school. Now she is just drifting from town to town looking for someone who shares her unusual ideas. She is often lonely.