English, baby!

Limitless

Second Conditional

Date: Apr 20 2011

Themes: Health

Grammar: Second Conditional

Go Super!

Intro

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

Go Super to Listen

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

Go Super to Listen

People will go pretty far to improve themselves, whether it’s getting plastic surgery to make themselves more attractive or pushing their bodies in order to lose weight. If a short cut exists , they’ll usually take it. And if there are possible side effects, they’ll usually risk it.

In the new movie Limitless, an ordinary guy discovers a pill that turns him into a genius. But when the pill begins to damage his health, he has to decide whether to keep taking it despite the risks, or return to his former life as an Average Joe.

Find out how far Marni and Mason would go to be geniuses.

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.

Mason

Marni

Mason: You know, I’ve been a big fan of Bradley Cooper.

Marni: Oh yeah.

Mason: So I went and saw Limitless, his new flick.

Marni: OK. Tell me about it.

Mason: It was alright. This was the one where he’s like this writer, just kind of a normal guy, and he gets this special drug that unlocks all the power of his brain. And he becomes a super genius and translates that to tremendous success.

Marni: Well doesn’t it start out like he has writer’s block, so you’re so frustrated, right? That’s the premise. And then he’s offered this pill to help him.

Mason: Right, the magic pill. Which of course only he can get. I mean the whole thing falls apart if, like, everybody could have this pill.

Marni: Right.

Mason: And that’s kind of where my mind went. It’s like, if there was the technology that anyone could take that would, you know, put you at an entirely new level of function, would you do it? And what would that mean for society, right, what would the side effects be?

Marni: I think it’s kind of an interesting concept, you know? How far would you go to be a genius…

Mason: I mean, it seems like we’ve taken a step there, right, with the internet. Basically all knowledge is essentially at your fingertips. So we’re certainly not there yet, but it seems like someone should be able to figure that out.

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Second Conditional" from this lesson

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3

Go Super to Ask Ebaby! teachers your questions!

The iTEP^® test

Sponsored by

Schedule an iTEP^® test and take the official English Practice Test.
Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen

Mason saw the new movie Limitless starring Bradley Cooper. Cooper plays a writer who is suffering from writers block, until someone offers a pill that unlocks all the power of his brain. Suddenly he has all the ideas, success, money, and women he could ever want.

Marni thinks the idea behind Limitless is interesting. She wonders if she would take a pill to become a genius, no matter what the side effects might be. Mason thinks something like that might actually happen one day.

If you could take a pill to make you smarter, would you do it?

Comments

1 through 20 of 27
Next >
1 2

TAMER0988

Iraq

Hello ,

Actually everybody here don’t know howmany years , months , days & hours he live , may be I die after some minutes .

So , without any hesitation I’ll take it …

shikhah

Saudi Arabia

Hello
How is everyone
Beginner and I want to learn English from Wayne never

Madline

Jordan

yaaaaaaaaaa I’ll surely do it because sometomes the mind get closed while we have an exam in this case we have to take it :) and we have to take into conceration the effect side if it will harm me I will not do it ….but I ‘ll surely try it at least one time ;)

blue_bear

Taiwan

It looks like a good movie. I think I will enjoy watching it.

koxa

Ukraine

I would do that because I would find any resolution to any problem that could be side effect of a pill…possibilities of human brain at this momment are not developed as it's full power so I would take a risk to increase it.

maybass

Brazil

really,I would not because I prefer to get things on my own way.

sassie

Philippines

_{* naah naah naah.. if that contains dangerous contents or side effects..! >.<}

it's really futile..

Yes you'll become smart but for how many days? months? and years?do you think it will last??

what's the meaning of being genius if it is also the reason of destroying my body, brain and any other body system (=.=)..

so I'll be contented on what i have because God made me this way ..

(｡ ^ ‿ ^｡)~♥ teheee

Bojana

Serbia and Montenegro

I think I would take the pill, but just once…. On the other hand, there may be some side effects, like being an addict from the pill, and taking it very often…. :)

alissia88

Germany

I'll probably take this pill once, just to try on myself what means to be a genius and to be able to know and to do everything!! Of course, it's important to keep this situation undercontrol even if we know that so much power can be dangerous!!

friendlyguy

Algeria

No, I wouldn't take that pill, I worry too much about medications side effects. besides it's unfair to be a genuis through magic or medication. Success is about honesty, dedication, hard work and believing in oneself, that's what we should teach to the future generations.

jerry bourne

China

i don't want to be a genius at all! you know,it's really boring that you know everything!

Lalela

Italy

I think as linguis that real success should be obtained through work.

It would be amazing if we could use all the powers of the brain but I think it's just a question of time, it's a process that goes with the evolution and maybe one day everyone would be a super genius!

So in the end I wouldn't take the pill.

anahid goddess

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

If it was safe then I do it.

linguis

El Salvador

I feel that this is going to increase dreamers, avoiding some take first step to real success, through real work

javier armando

Peru

if there were really grave side effects wich would only destroy myself, then I´d really think about it before taking it. cos life is one.

anyway I cant wait for this movie to be released here in my country to check the side effects and the special powers!

Vina Novalina

Indonesia

I have to make sure about the side effects first, whether it's high or average or low dangerous hehhe but yeahh as i know instant things followed with side affects soon or later.Life is about choice so we have to pick the better one.

julito

Argentina

As far as i know ,there are in comparission few people that deserved to be called geniuses, most people are "average" ,many are intelligent, others super intelligent . Forget about a pill , that will never happen .

kukuka

Ukraine

Of course, I would do it without any hesitatiion…

Serendipity

Hong Kong

i thought it was a great movie, i saw it three times. Storyline was very attractive, it made me realize if i want everything, u have to become smarter and need to fight for it. it was just spectacular in every way. of course i would take it~

but what if something like that might actually happen one day, like Mason mentioned. i cant imagine everyone becomes smarter… is it bad or not? dangerous or something?