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Watching TV
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Watching TV
看电视

Learn the Past Progressive Tense

Date: Sep 14 2012

Themes: Tech

Grammar: Past Progressive Tense

Intro

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

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

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Watching TV used to be a lot simpler. You had a limited number of channels to watch, and you could only see your favorite programs at certain times. People with cable had a few more choices than those without it, and for an extra cost you could get special channels like HBO. But you still had to follow someone else’s schedule when it came to seeing your favorite shows.

These days, you can watch almost anything you want, at any time you want. Better still, you might not even have to pay for it. From subscription services like Netflix and Hulu, to countless free downloads, the internet has made watching TV a lot easier and faster. Find out how Amy and Jason’s TV watching habits have changed.

过去,看电视是件简单的事情。那时,频道数量有限,只能在特定的时间看到喜爱的节目。有线电视用户可以看到的频道比普通用户更多,额外付费之后,还可以观看诸如 HBO 的特殊频道。但你仍然需要根据收视时间表,观看喜爱的节目。

而现在,你几乎可以在任何时间观看想看的任何节目。更好的一点是,你甚至可能不用付费。从诸如 Netflix 和 Hulu 的订阅服务,到无限免费下载,互联网使得看电视更加简单便捷。看看艾米和詹森看电视的习惯是如何变化的。

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.

Jason

Jason

Amy

Amy

Jason:  I recently cancelled cable.

Amy:  Wow, good for you. How did you do it?

Jason:  Well there’s just so many other ways to watch TV.

Amy:  That’s true.

Jason:  I’ve got a Netflix account, and then there’s all other kinds of places to stream now.

Amy:  That’s true. I sometimes feel, though…like I have a Netflix account too, and I like to stream movies that way, but they don’t always have things available instantly. And when I get the taste for something, you know, when I’m in the mood to watch something, I kind of want to be able to watch it right away. And I guess that’s sort of the problem with traditional TV, is like, you watch one episode of a show and then you have to wait a whole week to watch another one, whereas I would so much rather just binge and watch the whole series in a couple sittings.

Jason:  Yeah, that was sort of the problem. With cable, I found that I watched things but I wasn’t necessarily watching what I wanted to watch. I was just watching what was there.

Amy:  Right. What about sports though? Are you able to see all the sports that you want?

Jason:  Yeah, I’ll turn the cable back on for basketball season.

Amy:  Oh, smart.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Jason used to pay for cable TV. But there are so many other ways to watch TV now, he’s decided to cancel his cable. He streams shows instantly thanks to his Netflix account, and when he can’t find what he wants on Netflix, he can usually find it elsewhere on the internet.

Amy also has Netflix, but sometimes she wants to watch something instantly that Netflix does not have. Being able to watch her favorite shows and movies instantly online has made her a more impatient TV viewer. She and Jason agree that it’s hard to wait a whole week to watch a new episode of a TV show. They’d rather watch the whole series online in a few viewings.

One thing that’s harder to watch online is sports. Jason says that once basketball season starts, he will turn his cable back on.

How do you watch TV? Do you like to stream shows and movies online?

 

Comments

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Nabilo

Nabilo

Germany

Generally I don’t watch TV a lot, but as amy said when I’m in the mood to watch anything like movies or shows I also like watch them as Amy right now and I can not wait until cable TV streams them anytime. So I agree with jason and amy as they subscribed to Netfix and I would do it too.  However I also would keep my cable TV in order to watch sport especially football in a live streaming and get the latest news.

02:21 PM Oct 04 2012 |

wannicho

wannicho

China

i do , i kind of grow up with TV , being the only child in my family don’t always have a company , and that left me a lot of time to spend with myself . i’d say cartoons and anime played a big role in my childhood and teenage years. then after my family brought me my first laptop , i start to watch english-speaking shows online , as i live in china , internet makes it possible for me to watch american shows and movies , so i love both , if u want me to pick my favorite between the two , i’d say tv series , apart from it helps more for english-learning , it often offers more  than movie to help me understand every characters of the tv which makes me feel more connected to them …

10:59 AM Sep 24 2012 |

La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

I’m not a big fan of TV, but I just watch it when I’m so free that I don’t find anything to do, or perhaps I mean so bored.. Mostly it’s rare to find anything intresting on TV, but it’s good if I get a good movie…


Of course streaming shows on the internet is a lot better… Once I have something to see at definite time, I just get it from the internet and watch it. That’s much better and easier… 

01:35 PM Sep 20 2012 |

1 person likes this

Nina_Smith

Nina_Smith

Australia

we have a big TV


but i don’t have enough time for watching TV,i’m very busy.

09:37 AM Sep 19 2012 |

Monaya

Monaya

Saudi Arabia

For me , I love watching Tv, but now cuz we find  the internet i wathc all movies and series in it its easier and faster not waiting another day to watch episode Cool

05:20 AM Sep 19 2012 |

fathisheikh

Yemen

unfortunatelly both Tv cable and internet  is not available in our country the internet is limited and expensive so that I brefer watching free air Tv shows …...........

08:53 PM Sep 17 2012 |

raisacorrea

Brazil

when I lived with my parents we had cable, but furtunally I never liked to wath tv, so when I started to live alone i didn’t pay for a cable tv. And til today I don’t use it.


I just watch tv to see the news, and sometimes soupopera. I like to see movies, too but I prefer see them in cinema.


It’s rarelly I stream on line.

06:47 PM Sep 17 2012 |

1 person likes this

karsana

karsanaSuper Member!

Indonesia

I think watching television can improve your knowladge, but it can make you lazy too

11:48 AM Sep 17 2012 |

lotussy

lotussy

China

I think it costs too much time,I prefer not.


We can spend more time at books and the nature.


, maybe make friends.




03:29 PM Sep 16 2012 |

koxa

koxa

Ukraine

I canceled watching TV in 2008 when the speed of Internet connection became much faster. Stream programms and movies are the best choice that net could propose people like me, when you have limitted free time and special preferrences to viewing videos.   

02:24 PM Sep 16 2012 |

oumag

oumag

Morocco

I personally do not watch TV


I prefer the internet


read watch movies to see what is happening in the worldLaughing

01:03 PM Sep 16 2012 |

winyi214

winyi214

China

now,since we have a computer,most of people like to use it to replace TV,but i still like to watch TV,it’s good for eyesightLaughing

05:16 AM Sep 16 2012 |

yesterday199541

China

Laughing

04:02 AM Sep 16 2012 |

ta-tchan

ta-tchan

Oman

i love watching tv Specially korea channel Kiss

03:36 AM Sep 16 2012 |

ritaemad

Iraq

I love yo wach stream shows but i cancled the cable too because i spend alot of time outside and when i get home i am not in the mood to watch ,so i got a netflix account too that is good choice for me and cheaper but the only thing that i can’t wait to watch it korean tv series i spend alot of time in the internet to watch it but the eposides are shown once in a weekFrown

03:30 AM Sep 16 2012 |

Orchestra

Orchestra

Russian Federation

Since the Net has been developing rapidly, traditional TV mast have been loosing its popularity, however I  can’t  say it is really going on. I guess, major of people don’t want to deal with kinda streaming, because it’s a bit complicated to them in comparison with pushing several buttons on a remote controler.


As for me, I’m not keen on streaming (in meaning of direct watching it live in the Net), because it often would be of a terrible quality in accordance with my Internet access speed. So, I usually prefer downloading some movies or reels in high quality (let it take a longer time) and watching them convinient way afterwards from the hard drive.

07:41 PM Sep 15 2012 |

victoriousvini

India

I love TV . Especially when i am back from work..tired…messed up. TV is a great source of amusement and starts with just a click ;) .But on weekends i do like to stream some of my favourite videos ..selective ones. So i can say they both do own their own places very well in our lives…. :)

03:46 PM Sep 15 2012 |

1 person likes this

SANG891

SANG891

Hong Kong

o


 

03:00 PM Sep 15 2012 |

doa'a

doa'a

Yemen

i used o like watching TV. but not anymore, its becam so boring to watch it coz, alot of  channels has apeard but alot of good programs has disapeard, so everything bcame so boring….....

02:45 PM Sep 15 2012 |

tumbili

Germany

Of course I also like watching TV, when good films are shown. I like it best not to watch films alone, but with my family or with friends. In my opinion this makes more fun together than alone. Because of this I also don’t stream shows and movies online very often.

09:07 AM Sep 15 2012 |

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