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It's in the Cards

It's in the Cards

Date: Oct 23 2007

Themes: Hobbies, Pop Culture

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.

It’s late at night and you’re walking down a city street. You see a woman wearing a scarf sitting at a table with some candles and a deck of cards. “Would you like to see your future?” she asks.

Humans have always wanted to know the future, and you’re no different. You may not read tea leaves or consult the stars like your ancestors, but you look for signs in coincidences and dreams like everyone else. So you sit down, pay a small fee and the reader draws…gasp! The death card.

Don’t panic. Let Marni explain.

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.

Marni

Marni

Beren

Beren

Marni:  So have you ever had a tarot reading?

Beren:  I haven’t, but I’m totally interested. I’d like to know what’s in my future. What’s in the cards. Have you had one?

Marni:  I’ve only had one and it was, I have to say, it was at a very transitional phase in my life, and it was very telling.

Beren:  Really?

Marni:  Yeah! There was a lot of things…and I actually kind of took notes, and I look back on them and she was pretty accurate.

Beren:  Whoa.

Marni:  With some of the things. Some of the things at the time I thought were far-fetched. But it’s very interesting because a lot of the cards…You know, you draw the death card and it seems like “Oh my God.” It doesn’t mean you’re going to die, but it means like significant changes. It’s fascinating, just the history behind the cards themselves.

Beren:  How long have they been in use?

Marni:  I don’t even know. It’s been around forever. It’s just one of those sort of mysterious dark arts.

Beren:  Like a Harry Potter-type dark art? One of my friends is really into getting cards read. They seem pretty accurate. I’m totally interested.

Marni:  I’d love to know how to read them because that’s a whole pseudoscience in and of itself.

Beren:  Yeah, a total skill probably. You could make some money!

 

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Discussion

Though she hasn’t had a tarot reading, Beren would like to have one since she has a desire to know the future. Marni has only had one tarot reading, but it was very accurate.

She took notes during the reading and looking back, a lot of the predictions came true. Some of them didn’t, but overall, the reading was a success.

The cards have been around for a long time and their meanings are somewhat mysterious. For instance, the death card rarely signifies death. It usually represents a big change.

Marni and Beren agree it would be cool to learn how to read tarot cards. It could even be a business.

Have you ever had a tarot reading? Do you want to know your future?

 

Comments

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sergito3005

Costa Rica

i do not believe in that because it is something card reader people use to deceive naive people

01:10 AM Oct 24 2007 |

manner914

South Korea

Wow, very interesting!!
I want to read tarot card!!

10:35 PM Oct 23 2007 |

daeudmusa

Saudi Arabia

I think tarot reading is losting time it is better for some one do hard to achieve his goals in the life.

08:14 PM Oct 23 2007 |

ALEX_DO

Russian Federation

But a tarot reading has a long history…I think every event in life connect with other event.
If I say 12PM you know it’s late.
If i say the X card may be you’ll think it’s …

07:14 PM Oct 23 2007 |

Nuna

Azerbaijan

I guess that we should find our ways ourselves even we feel empty or disappointed of something and need to know the end of some situation and etc.

but i think the fortune teller can change your life with her prognostic words. you might to hear some good news and etc but she could you horiible things and you will be upset.

I want you to tell some story that i heard. it is about the doctor who mixed up the diagnosis and said to healthy person that he had a diseases and soon would be died. it was horrible because this man really believed that he is ill and soon lose his waigth and did not want to speak with someone and died of depression.

It was just wrong diagnosis, just a few wrong words that became cause of death.

I belive that thoughts can change your future. you can achive any aims with your positive thoughts. and before you wish something,please think, do you really need it:)

Just be careful, since the thoughts become things:)))

07:11 PM Oct 23 2007 |

JOSEFRANCISCO

Colombia

It's a mystery about that no one who can prove that is real but no one can prove that is a bullshit, all this is support around of the believes anyone can have, bye.

Regards JOSE FRANCISCO

05:08 PM Oct 23 2007 |

lyes25

Algeria

hi, i don’t believe these things, i never do that and i’ll never do it.
tks

04:35 PM Oct 23 2007 |

kookoo

kookoo

China

I don't believe in tarot reading. If it is telling, why not the readers read their future first? Anyway, I don't think it's something bad too. People need to find ways to make a living or have fun. I believe it would be fun to have the tarot reading at night with some friends in a dark house~ woooo…be careful…you've got a death card…hahaha!!

04:30 PM Oct 23 2007 |

Stefany Liz

Peru

I haven't had a tarot reading. I think it's fasciniting and mysterious. Although cause me somewhat fear!!!  

02:54 PM Oct 23 2007 |

tien-sung

Taiwan

i never have tarot reading before, because it is not so popular in our country.

actually ,i think many people here like to go to temple ,especially in chinese new year.

every body wants to know his future in coming year,they always ask if they can make more money?,they ask the fortune teller in front of the temple ,can have a chance to fall in love with some guy ? can they pass the exam?even including asking :could they have a baby in their life ?

tell the truth, i dont belive tarot reading and something like that,but i agree ,sometimes somebody could get inspiration from it, the fortune tellers often

encourage the people who are suffering difficult sitution

 that is my viewpoint thank you all

            tein-sung from taipei 

02:31 PM Oct 23 2007 |

psnforever

psnforever

China

in any case ,one should believe in himself,never lose his heart

01:17 PM Oct 23 2007 |

psnforever

psnforever

China

in any case ,one should believe in himself,never lose his heart

01:17 PM Oct 23 2007 |

liufengha

liufengha

China

yeah.i can't agree more with you.

12:36 PM Oct 23 2007 |

Cathy Zou

Cathy Zou

China

I don't believe tarot reading. I think no one can tell you what your future is except yourself. No gains without pains. We can get what we want  through our hard working. It's our future.

12:24 PM Oct 23 2007 |

tottiahmed

tottiahmed

Qatar

I don't think it's a good idea to know your future as it can hide for you some horrible things.. so it's better to live a normal life, otherwise, you will be scared waiting for this horrible thing.

thanks for the great lesson

11:50 AM Oct 23 2007 |

Katrisa

Hungary

Two month ago I had have a tarot reading. I didnt think that it was absolutely true. In my opinion we get signs from the sky, what is the way where we should go. Cards are unintentional. And everything is explainable which is in this, I don't believe it…

11:42 AM Oct 23 2007 |

Alexander02

Russian Federation

I don't want to know my future. There must always be some unexpected turns and events in your live. I also don't believe in fortune tellers. Maybe there are some real specialists in that dark art but i think that most of them are false.

08:46 AM Oct 23 2007 |

christineqian

Germany

i think one wonderful thing of our lives is to encounter unpredicted events from time to time. it's not interesting to know everything about the future.

but i can understand that a lot of young person are so eager to know their future wives or husbands. haha

06:16 AM Oct 23 2007 |

Sabu

Sabu

India

Yes i agree with you. But they have some skills to do this.

They cannot simply predict the future, but they will collect some information from you somehow and explain it in a better way. Even they can tell your past.

I believe in psychic tests but i never agree with tarot reading.

05:53 AM Oct 23 2007 |

smart2022

smart2022

Saudi Arabia

mmm.. in my humble opinion, tarot reading is a far-fetched. i can't believe dark arts… they are crook… they just think of making money …

Smart Boy

05:07 AM Oct 23 2007 |

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