Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
Wanderlust
简体
Wanderlust
《漫游》

How to Use the Unreal Past Tense

Date: Feb 07 2012

Themes: Travel

Grammar: The Unreal Past

Intro

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

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

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

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

There’s an expression in English, “the rat race,” that describes what life is like for many people who live in big cities and spend all their time trying to get ahead. They exhaust themselves by working too hard and running in circles in order to get more money and power. It’s a stressful way to live, but many people feel it’s the only way.

The new movie Wanderlust is about a couple who are caught in the rat race, living in New York City and working important jobs, until one of them gets fired. Then they both decide to leave the city and try to find a different, better way to live. Hear Amy and Mason talk about the movie, and their own desire for a different way of life.

英文中有个词句叫“老鼠赛跑”,指那些居住在大城市,分分秒秒都在努力提升自我的人的生活。他们工作过于辛苦,把自己累得精疲力竭,为了赚取更多的金钱和权力忙的团团转却没有结果。这样的生活方式充斥着压力,但是许多人觉得这是唯一的方式。
新电影《漫游》讲述的是一对身处激烈竞争的夫妇,他们生活在纽约,从事重要的工作,直到他们中的一个人被炒了鱿鱼。于是他们决定离开纽约,去寻觅另一种不同的、更好的生活方式。听听艾米和梅森评论这部电影以及他们自己向往的不同生活方式。

Dialog

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

Log in to Listen

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

Amy

Amy

Mason

Mason

Amy:  I normally do not like Jennifer Aniston, but she is in a new movie called Wanderlust with Paul Rudd.

Mason:  Oh really, I haven’t heard about it.

Amy:  I have to say, it was pretty good.

Mason:  What’s it about?

Amy:  Well, she and Paul Rudd are this couple living this kind of fast paced lifestyle in Manhattan. He loses his job, and so they decide to kind of start over and figure out a different way to live. You know, get out of the rat race, hit the road, drop out. And they end up living on this hippie commune.

Mason:  So did you get thinking about any sort of changes in what you think is most important? Like would you ever leave it all behind and go do something totally different?

Amy:  Well, I think like most people probably, I always have that fantasy going on somewhere in the back of my mind, like, “What if I just could be a farmer and live on the land, you know, and not have to worry about having a regular job and all that?” What about you?

Mason:  Yeah, it’s funny. I went to a wedding this summer that was out on this farm. And it was more like an artist commune farm, maybe like this movie. The people who own it, they don’t really do any farming, they just have concerts there and events and weddings. It was so nice and so super chill, and I was like, “Wow, this is a thing that some people do for their life.”

Amy:  Right.

Mason:  Maybe that would be OK.

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "The Unreal Past" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Amy tells Mason about the new movie, Wanderlust. In the film, Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd play a Manhattan couple who leave the rat race behind and start a new life on a commune. Amy said she enjoyed the movie, even though she doesn’t usually like Jennifer Aniston.

Mason asks if the movie made Amy want to drop out and change her life, too. Amy says that she often thinks about how nice it might be to live a simple life in the country instead of living in the city and having a regular job.

Do you feel like you are caught in the rat race? Do you ever wish you could have a simpler way of life?

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

 julito

julito

Argentina

Snoopy, I can understand them. people 10 years ago  after the sermon  put in the basket 1 dollar ,10 years later  ,as is  there was  no inflation still offer 1 dollar.lol

06:40 PM Feb 07 2012 |

1 person likes this

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

I received a duty call, friends.


I have to go. I enjoyed the long conversation we had.


Have a ball :))))))


Best regards

06:39 PM Feb 07 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Julito, this joke is irrelevent to today’s churches, but it still get it.


Some church don’t even accept bills anymore.


“use the ATM kiosk  if you don’t carry a checkbook with you, thank you”

06:36 PM Feb 07 2012 |

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

Julito, I amazed of your resourcefulness. WEll done!!! I’m proud of you! Now you know how rich I am :)))))))))))))

06:36 PM Feb 07 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

there is a funny joke. 1 dollar bill .50 dollars bill and  100 dollars bill  met up and started  talking about  its experiences in the world. the 100 dollar said that  had been in Montecarlo, Paris ,Belarus , in the pocket of a Baron. The 50 dollar said that had been in Las Vegas, Italy, Argentina ,when it came the turn to the 1 dollar bill said: as usual “from church to church”   no fancy at all.

06:33 PM Feb 07 2012 |

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

I have never read such romantic scenario to my adress!!! I have lost any words…. sorry… 


The shark will inseal the bottle sooner that you will get it.


I will sent you a white post dove with the handkerchief in its beak. But there is a possibility that the white post dove will freeze over at the end  of its journey

06:33 PM Feb 07 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Kotlesya… I don’t need money , stamp a kiss on a handkerchief , seal it in bottle  leave it at sea maybe one day it will be washed off by a wave to my feet , then I’ll gently unseal the bottle and dab the lipstick stain onto my cheek…then I’ll feel you near


:)

06:26 PM Feb 07 2012 |

1 person likes this

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

Julito, I’m rich like a “church mouse”

06:24 PM Feb 07 2012 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

Snoopy , don´t be so picky  and take things to the extreme. lol 

06:22 PM Feb 07 2012 |

1 person likes this

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Ever wonder why I don’t accept any friend requests….

06:20 PM Feb 07 2012 |

1 person likes this

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

Ok. Agreed I will send you 10 millions of USD through the WEstern Union tomorrow

06:20 PM Feb 07 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Yes Lesya,   some of them are ridiculous,  if you help me to invest 10 million of  dollars I will give you a cut of 1.5 million of dollars. how generous!   

06:19 PM Feb 07 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

boots, coats, trendy high heels, all the things I can’t afford


:)


Lesya, use your words wisely… we know we’ll get banned, but let’s not rush it..

06:18 PM Feb 07 2012 |

1 person likes this

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

What can be better than chatrooms??? I can’t imagine my life without them 

06:18 PM Feb 07 2012 |

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

not only boots :)))))))))))

06:17 PM Feb 07 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

trash mail,  haha! there’s always a guy trying to sell furry boots on here..


honoured member..mmm, I always wondered why Julito’s comment always have a blue carpet rolled out for them…and the “sun of May” emoticon beside his nick…


mmm it all makes sense to me now


:), can you ask them to unban me in the chatrooms, please?

06:16 PM Feb 07 2012 |

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

Do you mean long posts from Africa?? Yes, they are very annoying! I must admit the administration of eBaby try to ban it. 

06:15 PM Feb 07 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

LESYA  . please dont´t send me to the front. i am already bugging them with my complaints about  the trash mail that we receive .   The staff told me that they try hard to keep them out   from  english.baby  but it is not so easy.   

06:12 PM Feb 07 2012 |

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

Yes, my friend from England tought me that phrase and I like it ;)

06:12 PM Feb 07 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Top brass, I’m going to call my boss that, thanks for the term…

06:11 PM Feb 07 2012 |

Likes (27):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast