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Marni's Dilemma

Marni's Dilemma English, baby! Video Lesson

Date: May 13 2008

Themes: Romance, Soap Opera

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.

In any online relationship, there’s a very critical step: When are you going to meet face to face? You have to decide if you’re ready and then you have to pick a safe and neutral location for the first meeting.

Zeus and Kinski picked a public street, but Marni’s online boyfriend wants to meet somewhere a little more high profile. Watch her talk about it with Beren.

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.

Log in to Listen

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

Marni

Marni

Beren

Beren

Marni:  I have a dilemma.

Beren:  Uh oh.

Marni:  I’m, well you know about my online…

Beren:  Uh-huh. Online romance…

Marni:  So, he recently emailed me and said he wants to meet.

Beren:  OK. What’s wrong with that? You want to meet him, right?

Marni:  I do, but he wants to meet in Vegas.

Beren:  In Las Vegas?

Marni:  In Las Vegas, Nevada. That’s not just casual…I can’t just, you know…if it doesn’t work out...

Beren:  No no no. I mean, is he going to buy your plane ticket? Is he gonna pay for the hotel? Buffet tickets? Like…

Marni:  We haven’t worked out all the details, but he has offered to pay for the plane ticket.

Beren:  Are you gonna bring a friend?

Marni:  Um, I don’t know, should I?

Beren:  Yeah, definitely. Like, I’ll go with you…

Marni:  Do you want to go?

Beren:  Yeah. I’ll totally go to Vegas! Is he bringing a friend though?

Marni:  I don’t know.

Beren:  Because this is a strange situation. You show up with me and he shows up by himself…I don’t want to be the third wheel. I also don’t want to be witness to a murder…

Marni:  I don’t want that either. But I think that is something to think about. I mean, is it safe to go by myself to Vegas and meet this guy that I only…I feel like we have this connection and I trust him, but…

Beren:  We should do a background check.

Marni:  Really?

Beren:  Yeah.

Marni:  It seems like…

Beren:  No no no. I think we can find one of those websites that’s like $50 and you find everything like credit history, rental history, everything. We should do it.

Marni:  OK. Alright.

Beren:  Do you know his last name?

Marni:  I do, yeah.

Beren:  Have you Googled him yet?

Marni:  I have Googled him and nothing, you know…

Beren:  Nothing strange.

Marni:  Yeah, nothing. No red flags.

Beren:  Alright.

Marni:  OK.

 

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

Marni’s boyfriend wants to meet her for the first time. This is good news! Except for that her boyfriend lives in another city, so they’ll have to fly to meet one another. And if they’re already taking a trip, why not go to Vegas?

Well, because that would be a little scary.

Marni feels like she knows and trusts her boyfriend, but how can she know for sure if she’s never met him? Beren offers to come to Vegas with her, but then they think of a better idea. Why not get a background check?

What do you think Marni should do? Have you ever met someone online and then met up later in person? Was it scary?

 

Comments

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maggiewangdandan

China

  It is so easy to solve the problem,for a real man,her boyfriend should be with her . frankly speaking,it is dangerous to do that ,and from their words ,i believe marni don't get acknowledge with her boyfriends…

09:57 AM May 13 2008 |

alogigi

alogigi

United States

u cant trust so easy  online people, pple play around and tell lies but there are some good pple there too ..I dunno  better safe than sorry .. I think Marni needs to take some friends to Vegas and have fun  lol.. be careful Marni u never know

09:08 AM May 13 2008 |

jasmine1025

China

I think nothing is more important than safety.

08:41 AM May 13 2008 |

lgmia

lgmia

China

   hey,guy,i had ever met my online friend for some times.i think they are good experiences for me

as you had already thought,first of all you must for sure about your safety,and then we could have a nice trip~~

06:50 AM May 13 2008 |

williamzch

williamzch

China

yes, I aggree with Jose Luis.

05:56 AM May 13 2008 |

richard yao

China

Making friends through internet is not a bad thing. The key point is that whether the intention of you is right. Some people just want to talk with and share some interesting things with others, some people want to cheat others for money or something else. So, identifying people's intention through long time communion is very important.

05:34 AM May 13 2008 |

rusminah

rusminah

Malaysia

hmmmm you figured it out Jose. Cool

05:28 AM May 13 2008 |

Jose luis

Jose luis

Dominican Republic

It's very easy to solve this dilemma, the boyfriend  must travel to your country and you first meet him with your friend Beren, so after you really sure about him, them you can go anywere with him.

05:19 AM May 13 2008 |

rusminah

rusminah

Malaysia

I do things by following my instinct, rather for situation like Marni's. When my instinct tickle that something isn't quite right then i won't do it but usually something strange driving me to do it even i already being alarmed and when its happen i regret itCry at the end of the day. 

05:11 AM May 13 2008 |

ali.a

ali.a

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I think you do not have to meet your online friend but you khow him/her well.any way, be careful.

04:23 AM May 13 2008 |

wanglong123

China

It's obvious that Marni hasn't put her trust in that guy,anyway it's necessary to meet person at first time.

04:15 AM May 13 2008 |

fjoan

fjoan

China

There's no sense to meet the online boyfriend, as marni didn't confirm if he was trusted.

And if I met my online friend,I wouldn't care for all the feeBe frank with you,I think it's a very romantic to meet the online boyfriendTongue out

Dreaming nowWinkMy darling~

03:29 AM May 13 2008 |

Đồng Xuân Công

Viet Nam

Oh, how to meet a friend made online, specially he/she is opposite sex. To trust friendship online required a long time talking/chatting together by phone/net, you have a confidence in that one. Note that all most who is online to make friend with a bad purpose or only joking/for funs. you need to get the confirmation from your online friend before coming to face to face. I have some online friend, making by chatting online, but only for fun and exchange together that how to impove English or introduce some webs in English, too. Never with a purpose looking a friend as a lover.

02:57 AM May 13 2008 |

Viqi-w

Viqi-w

China

Oh~ interesting!

How happiness the lovers to meet each other!

Good Luck!!

Wink

02:14 AM May 13 2008 |

Bob Ishida

Bob Ishida

Japan

Hey!

Where is the main story?  What's going on with Mason and Amanda? Come on!

 BTW: I googled me and found myself. It's natural.Wink

01:26 AM May 13 2008 |

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