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Get in the Van

Get in the Van

Date: Jan 14 2008

Themes: Music

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.

Even when musicians become successful enough to quit their day jobs, a lot of times they still have to work eight hours a day…driving. When a band first becomes popular enough to play out of town, they usually tour in a van that they drive themselves.

Since up and coming rock bands don’t usually have lots of money, the vans they drive frequently break down. Beren is a drummer and she recently went on tour in a van. Listen to her and Mason talk about it.

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

Beren

Beren

Mason:  This friend of mine is starting a tour with his band and he’s kicking it off here and they’re gonna drive around, like down to California…

Beren:  Oh cool, cool.

Mason:  And then back up through Idaho and Seattle and stuff.

Beren:  Rad. What are they going in, do you know?

Mason:  Uh, they’ve got this big, junky van that they just throw all their stuff in and hope that it’s gonna get to the next city.

Beren:  Yeah, definitely. Do they have, like, a little bunk bed in the back?

Mason:  No! I think they either put up tents or get a junky motel room.

Beren:  Really? That’s pretty luxurious. I just got back from a tour in a van…

Mason:  Really?

Beren:  ...I did. And the only people who had seat belts were the driver and the passenger up front.

Mason:  Yeah…

Beren:  And everybody else was in recliners in the back, like a bench.

Mason:  Recliners? Like lounge chairs?

Beren:  Yeah, like La-Z Boys.

Mason:  In the back of the van? How big was this van?

Beren:  It’s pretty big, but size wasn’t the issue. For me it was safety. There were a few times that the chairs are tipping over and you don’t know what’s gonna happen. It’s dangerous. And that’s how bands do it in vans, typically. It was fun though. Are your friends going to Southern California?

Mason:  Yeah. They do it a lot. They’re just like, “Hey, man, we got three days off. Let’s have a tour.”

Beren:  That’s pretty cool.

Mason:  They do it all the time. It’s so weird. I don’t know how they get the gigs but…

Beren:  Wow. It’s going to be expensive too. Vans are super expensive. Gas, they guzzle gas.

Mason:  Do they?

Beren:  Yeah.

 

Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

Mason mentions that some friends of his are going to go on a short tour down to California and then back up through Idaho and Washington. He says they’re taking a van and sleeping in tents or cheap motel rooms.

Beren says that cheap motel rooms sounds pretty good to her. She just got back from a tour where the van had recliners in the back instead of proper seats. She said it was kind of scary.

Mason’s friends go on little tours whenever they can. Mason’s not sure how they do it and neither is Beren. Vans use a lot of gas and gas is expensive.

To some people, touring in a van sounds like a dream come true, but to others it sounds terrible. Would you like to be in a band that tours in a van?

 

Comments

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leechunnen

Taiwan

Some vans are very luxurious, some vans are not, choosing a junky van to start your business is very normal if you don't have a lot of money at the beginning, and maybe one day you will have a good memory on the van when you take a look back.

01:06 PM Jan 14 2008 |

Peter22

Peter22

Hungary

must be a unfogetable adventure to make through kinda’ tour. I think in that case the convinience isn t matter-the matter is drink a lot have fun and be free.

12:36 PM Jan 14 2008 |

GavinZheng

GavinZheng

China

I'd prefer travel on my bike! Also awesome huh?

12:11 PM Jan 14 2008 |

HappyBaby

HappyBaby

China

It sounds good!I like it very much

12:01 PM Jan 14 2008 |

colinjiao

colinjiao

China

The lesson was enjoyable!And I think it is exceting!

11:28 AM Jan 14 2008 |

yhf86

yhf86

China

it is fun . but i think it is not fit for me!

10:46 AM Jan 14 2008 |

gokuh

gokuh

India

Why you asked quiz no3? I found it is not related to the chatpter.

08:21 AM Jan 14 2008 |

fawaz-sama

fawaz-sama

Saudi Arabia

hi you just press the link,then press play.

i hope you can enjoy this lesson.

07:31 AM Jan 14 2008 |

mango sorbet

Malaysia

its fun to travel in van!

06:02 AM Jan 14 2008 |

kaushalyats

Sri Lanka

I love to tours in a van to long distances with my friends because what ever experience we get will add nice memories for me and nice to recall when i feel monotony.

05:33 AM Jan 14 2008 |

kaushalyats

Sri Lanka

I love to tours in a van to long distances with my friends because what ever experience we get will add nice memories for me and nice to recall when i feel monotony.

05:33 AM Jan 14 2008 |

Alhan

Alhan

Pakistan

Why not the recliners have seat belts?... They should also be provided safety.

04:24 AM Jan 14 2008 |

toprise

Canada

How could I play the lesson? Nothing happened when I clicked the link. What kind of software do I need to install in my computer before I can enjoy the lesson?
Thanks!
Alex

03:07 AM Jan 14 2008 |

lovely_flower54

Pakistan

why shoud he scary from recliner.it,s not horrible.i could not under stand it.

01:23 AM Jan 14 2008 |

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