English, baby!

Small Town

Date: Aug 12 2003

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Intro

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

diversity

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

Hi Friends!
There are over 280 million people in the U.S. Many of them live in big cities, like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, but the majority live in smaller towns. Small towns have a much different vibe than big cities, and the people that live there are quite different than big city dwellers.
Beth recently spent some time in a small town. Listen to her conversation with John to hear what her experience was like.

Dialog

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

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

Beth

John

Beth: John, do you ever sometimes wonder when you leave the city and go to a small town, how different it is? And, does it ever make you laugh that it’s just, like, you’re almost in another world.

John: You mean, like how small the buildings are, or more like the people?

Beth: Definitely the people and their mentality, and kinda the way they dress, like the fashion, and just the overall, the culture in small towns is different, you know what I mean?

John: Oh, yeah. I grew up in a kinda small town, and, you know, Portland isn’t that big, but it’s a lot bigger than a lot a little cities around here.

Beth: That’s true. Well, last weekend I was in a restaurant in a small town and, uh, I was blown away by how different people are, and, I don’t know, it was just kinda funny. Like, I saw this woman who was wearing a T-shirt that said, “I Fear No Beer.”

John: Oh my gosh. What, what was she doing? She was in the restaurant with you?

Beth: Yeah. She was there eating breakfast, and I was just laughing hysterically at the T-shirt because, maybe in a city something like that would blend in, or I don’t know. It was just kinda, like, it made me laugh, you know?

John: There’s definitely a different mentality of people in small towns, and, you know, there’s definitely a difference in styles. I mean, neither one is better, but there’s a big difference.

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Discussion

I live in a small town, and I can tell you, it’s definitely different than a big city! I work in Portland, which has about a million residents, but I live in a tiny place called Washougal, Washington. Less than 9,000 live in Washougal, and most of them are nothing like my friends in Portland. It’s hard to describe the difference, but believe me, there is something peculiar about them.
One of the great things about living in the U.S. is the diversity of the population. Hopefully you’ll get the chance to experience it for yourself someday.
Have a great week!
Tanis