English, baby!

Spill the Beans

Date: Mar 23 2010

Themes: Soap Opera, Work

Grammar: First Conditional

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Intro

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

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

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Sometimes when you know a secret, you forget it’s a secret. That’s when you get into trouble and without thinking, you spill the beans.

Last week on As the World Learns, Ella discovered that if Devan’s company doesn’t win its lawsuit against Marni’s company, it will close. Of course, Ella immediately told her friends, who all work for Devan’s company…all except for Marni.

See how quickly Beren forgets what’s supposed to be a secret when she and Marni meet up at a bar. They haven’t talked since Beren got back from her road trip and was kidnapped along with her friends.

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.

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

Marni

Beren

Marni: So, the new job is great, but let’s talk about the kidnapping. What happened?

Beren: I don’t…Like…Well, we went on this, like, bonding experience at the bowling alley. I don’t know if you heard about this. It was weird.

Marni: No.

Beren: Devan is out of her mind, clearly. So, she wanted us to go to bowl tobond. I don’t know. I don’t get it. It was fun. People were having fun…

Marni: Sure.

Beren: ...a few drinks. She kind of paid for half of them, whatever. But it’s just weird that she would want us to go on a group bonding experience when the company is going under. Wait!

Marni: Really?

Beren: I wasn’t supposed to say that. Shh. No, no. That’s not what I meant. That’s not what I…I mean, it’s a bowling term. But, yeah, Devan is an incredible bowler somehow. I have no idea when she finds the time. But anyway, she bowled a three hundred or whatever the high score is, beat some league champion, and the next thing we know, kidnapped, all of us.

Marni: So, the company is going under. Tell me more about that.

Beren: I don’t know.

Marni: Oh, come on. We’re friends here.

Beren: Yeah, yeah. We’re friends. We’re friends.

Marni: So, tell me. What happened?

Beren: The company is going under if she doesn’t win the lawsuit against you.

Marni: Really?

Beren: It’s true.

Marni: Interesting.

Beren: I know.

Marni: Huh. Seems I have the upper hand here.

Beren: You do.

Grammar Point

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Discussion

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When Beren got back from her road trip, she, like most of her friends, went to work for Devan’s company. She tells Marni about how Devan took the company out to go bowling, and adds that she thinks it’s a little strange to be bowling when your company is about to go out of business.

Whoops. Marni wasn’t supposed to know that. Beren tries to cover by saying that she was just talking about bowling, but Marni doesn’t believe her. Since Beren spilled the beans, she figures she might as well tell Marni everything, especially since Marni is suddenly more interested in the state of Devan’s company than Beren’s story about being kidnapped. She goes on to explain that if Devan doesn’t win the lawsuit against Marni’s company, she will go out of business. Now Marni has an advantage over Devan.

Have you ever spilled the beans and accidentally told a secret you weren’t supposed to?

Comments

icyman

China

when you work, something you don’t say, you know, but just you know, don’t tell another on forever. that is rules. you should obey it.

EstebanM

Colombia

Everybody, someday, among friends and drinks, spill the beans. That's why, if you don't want your secrets reaveal, don't mention! Control your mouth. Maybe it'll be your salvation.

Marcelolic

Brazil

Yeah…Once My friend's mom was watching a movie on TV I spilled the beans when I told to her about the end of the movie! putz! hahaha Finally I told her about the end of the movie taking her the pleasure of surprise hihihi :P

arlice

China

it's so……

oalkathiri

United Arab Emirates

the spill the beans are not good, it makes enmity between the friends. i suggest to be clever to do this.

nice topic, i really like it, specially the sentence 'spill the beans'

Greeny綠

China

luckily,i have never spilled the beans if they are supposed to be a secrct.

and i will my best to do much better

narin23

Armenia

thanks for lesson. i usually try not to spill the beans, but sometimes…

fario

Algeria

i am here for learn english thank you

nousa ben ayed

Tunisia

MINER

China

if i spill the beans,many people will can`t belive me ,i think.especially my close friends

humanity16

Indonesia

Yeah, we need someone who able to save our problem. Spilled the beans, whatever…...it's like of issue.

rosendo

Mexico

is commun spill the beans , may be neither bcs u are distracted or u are fliying.

s id

Saudi Arabia

i don`t think that i have ever spilled the beans specially close friend .

s id

Saudi Arabia

i don`t like to tell some one that i`m not supposed to say . specially close friend secret . Beren had to keep in secret it

sheer.D

China

well,it's really embarrassing when you tell someone what you are not supposed to say,and obviously it would be already late for you to take back. so think twice before you open the mouth, and of course, dont get too excited when having a talk, or you might spill the beans~