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The Superficial

The Superficial English, baby! Video Lesson

Date: Jan 31 2007

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Celebrity news is big business. Everyone wants to know the latest on Brangelina in Africa, or Lindsay Lohan in rehab, or whatever movie star has gotten busted for drunk driving.

Various TV shows and magazines specialize in Hollywood gossip. Another easy way to get the latest news is on the Internet.

Listen to Mason tell Amanda about a new gossip website he’s discovered.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Mason

Amanda

Amanda

Mason:  Amanda, I know, like, every once in a while when we’re sitting here talking, like, you kinda jump on some of the gossipier topics.

Amanda:  I’m a pop culture queen.

Mason:  Yeah, pop culture stuff, right? So, like, where do you get your information?

Amanda:  The Internet.

Mason:  Wha… like, what sites do you visit?

Amanda:  Um, actually just MSN News and you go to Entertainment and it takes you straight there.

Mason:  Really?

Amanda:  Yeah.

Mason:  There’s…

Amanda:  Or E!.

Mason:  OK. E!’s gonna be closer. I just found this new one and it’s called thesuperficial.com.

Amanda:  OK.

Mason:  And it’s like, kinda the best of the best gossip stuff. Um, you know, a lot of Britney Spears, lot of Paris Hilton.

Amanda:  I love the URL.

Mason:  Yeah.

Amanda:  But you know what? Even typing that in would make me a little embarrassed…

Mason:  Would it?

Amanda:  ... that I was going there. Because of what it’s called.

Mason:  I love the self, the self-knowledge…

Amanda:  All right.

Mason:  ... of it, you know. But, uh, it’s kinda mean too. Like, you definitely know whoever’s doing it has his pet peeves or his issues and it’s just…

Amanda:  So is it a blog format or no?

Mason:  Uh, what do you mean, like… ?

Amanda:  Can you comment?

Mason:  I think there can be comments, but that’s not, like, really the…

Amanda:  That’s not…

Mason:  ... it’s mostly just some place that you go to get the juice.

Amanda:  OK. All right. I’ll check it out.

Mason:  Do it.

Amanda:  Thank you.

 

Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

When Mason says gossipier he is making up a word. He means the more gossip-related topics of discussion.

Amanda admits that she does like to keep up on celebrity news. She keeps up to date on the Internet.

Mason likes The Superficial because of its somewhat mean-spirited humor. He also likes the fact that the site doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. It is superficial. So it calls itself superficial.

Do you follow celebrity gossip?

Where do you get your information?

 

Comments

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Leaf

China

Cool

05:34 AM Jul 27 2007 |

Josh K

Josh K

Guatemala

wow…... what world crazy that…... are you agree?

05:17 PM May 09 2007 |

Lidia_partner

Brazil

This site “the superficial” is kinda addictive. It’s not all about the gossips but the pictures are, uh, curious. Some are weird because we’re not used to see celebrities looking like that

07:44 PM Apr 08 2007 |

Elainebrazil

United States

cool topic

04:28 PM Jan 31 2007 |

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