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Spring

Learn the Present Progressive Tense

Date: Mar 30 2012

Themes: Time, Weather

Grammar: Present Progressive Tense

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Intro

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Go Super to Listen

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

Go Super to Listen

Spring brings warmer weather, longer days, and new blossoms. It’s a time of rebirth and fresh starts. On that first warm, sunny day of spring, it’s almost impossible not to feel upbeat and excited about what’s to come.

But spring isn’t all sunshine and tulips. Many people suffer from allergies during the spring. Sudden showers can catch you off guard and make you feel like it’s still the winter. That’s why some people, including Amy, don’t like the spring. But maybe Marni can convince her to change her mind.

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

Amy

Marni: Amy, I’m getting pretty excited because spring is in the air.

Amy: But that just means allergies, spring showers. I’m not excited about the spring.

Marni: Really? Wow, I mean, I guess if you have allergies, I can understand. But all the blossoms blooming, and flowers starting to come up, and it’s getting a little warmer, and staying lighter later.

Amy: I do like all of that. But to me, the spring is always kind of a tease, because you have days that are warm and that feel like summer, and then you slip back into winter, and it’s such a letdown.

Marni: It’s rebirth, it’s growth. It’s inspiring to me.

Amy: Do you do spring cleaning?

Marni: I do do spring cleaning. I love that annual purge, where you get rid of a bunch of stuff.

Amy: Well, I hate cleaning. I guess that’s another reason why I don’t like the spring.

Marni: I can understand that as well. But I’m pretty excited that spring’s in the air. Who knows, maybe this spring will be amazing and it’ll change your mind.

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Discussion

Go Super to Listen

Marni is excited about the spring. She loves seeing flowers bloom and experiencing the warmer, longer days in spring. She also enjoys spring cleaning. She likes to get rid of things she doesn’t need and have a fresh start.

Amy disagrees. She doesn’t like the spring because she experiences a lot of allergies at springtime. She also dislikes all the rain in spring. She thinks it is a frustrating season, because warm, sunny days are often followed by cold, wet ones.

Do you like the spring? What is your favorite time of year?

Comments

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FUN777

Egypt

Of course i like spring, it’s colorful and inspiring season to me maybe because i hate the winter with all it’s rain and cold actually the winter weather doesn’t suit me at all, that’s why i like spring and summer so much they feel me optimistic, energetic, and excited to go out all the time.

Crizsearch

Indonesia

I’m glad to hear that AUL , remember in some parts of this world there are many people are suffering and couldn’t feel fresh air we are having, couldn’t feel joy and see the beauty of life. Probably the world that we call heaven is hell for them :’( , Oh God…. Share our happiness with them!!

PhilologistAUL

Azerbaijan

Heather, dear, thanks a lot for the explanation, I thought you’re describing my physical state, I have the same problems with my eyes and sinuses.

Well, I see that lots of you love spring and love the rebirth it brings to our lives. Then let’s enjoy the season:) I’ll try to overcome all the health problems I have in spring and join your joy:)

farid1390

Afghanistan

I love the season of Spring.

kingownz

Afghanistan

I enjoy all the seasons

yzhongqian

China

I dont like spring. it makes me drowsy.

I don’t like spring. it makes me drowsy.

Oudomkhmer

Cambodia

Spring is beautiful . i like the weather and flowers.

polito89

Panama

the spring is beautiful season cause i can see varieties of flowers.

I LIKE!! THIS IT!!

cheer manal

Morocco

people actually welcome spring with broad grin. in spring life is more lively than in other seasons,people can go out anytime and enjoy the nice weather and the beautiful exotic nature sceneries,it´s a confortable season not too warm but also not too cold. as for me i don´t have a favourite season each one has got its own charm.. although i´m allergic i can adapt to all seasons

Ahshan

China

spring is nice for me

Doryp

Hungary

I was born in Spring

TranceSoul

Poland

I love spring. It makes me alive. Crizsearch I completely agree with You – the fresh wind, the sun and the smile on every face, what could be better?!! :)

ha ha, julito in Poland spring begins in march but it doesn’t matters because I’m happy that we have it after all :)

But..my favorite time of year is definitely SUMMER!

tutorheather

United States

For those of you who are experiencing incredible amounts of unrest and struggle in your countries, please know you have so many people thinking about you, worrying about you, and praying for you.

Try to keep love in your heart and know there is life beyond your current circumstances. I truly ache for you all, and hope that you can find some peaceful moments and beauty in small things.

Humans are remarkable in their ability to adapt and overcome. When I consider the extreme strife and struggle so many are enduring, yet still see so many here working on their English, I am moved beyond measure.

I have more admiration for you than you can begin to understand.

Much love,

Heather

tutorheather

United States

AUL-

In regard to:

nothing feels worse than pounding sinus pressure!

My sinuses get blocked due to allergies, and the resulting feeling is a pounding, achy pressure behind my eyes and nose.

Does that help?

(Sinuses refer to the area behind the nose – the nasal cavity.)

tutorheather

United States

So many wonderful comments here about rebirth and renewal!

Thank you all for reminding me the purpose of spring; unfortunately, the pollen wreaks havoc on my sinuses, so I have a LOT of headaches. I am on the computer all day, every day, and headaches truly impede my ability to work comfortably.

I grew up in a lakeside house, and seasonal changes were easily observable. The way the lake rippled, the color of the water, the way the sunlight fell across the water, the swaying or stillness of the trees…all of those details were wonderful for a child to observe.

We had a huge window that overlooked the lake, and the first snowfall was always so exciting. The blue water turned white, and soon became a solid sheet of ice. We went icefishing, ice skating and snowmobiling. I had the great fortune to witness the beauty of nature up close.

Like most families, we had a lot of other problems, but winter was often a cozy time. I always took comfort in the turning of the leaves; they seemed to transform from soft and green to crispy and orange overnight. When the leaves fell off the trees, the earth looked like a giant patchwork quilt, and I knew winter was just around the corner…

Anyhow, I will stop waxing poetically, but I have so enjoyed all of your stories about your cultural traditions. This is why Ebaby is such a great place to be.

Thanks to the wonderful souls who offer us this site.

Heather

feifei21

China

I do like spring. In China, Spring Festival is the most important festival to most Chinese. Besides this, I do like spring. In spring , the weather is so warm so nice. Beautiful scenery makes me so easy to find and know the truth of life. Let the spring sunlight shines your guys faces. What a hopeful season!

Jasmin k

Turkey

Spring is coming again. There is a difference in others this season. very nice, but more beautiful than all the seasons spring. people are happy with us showing natural phenomena. I see this as the spring season of happiness :) I hope it always remains . . .

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Amazing all those comments! a bouquet of Spring’s most elegant flowers : )

Uniquely beautiful like all seasons

There’s a summer camp atmosphere here today, everyone is smiling. Your comments like a wintergreen scent filled me with a very aromatic energy that I couldn’t help but to fall in love. I literally had to spring to my feet and applaud all of you. ; )

Summer is very hot. Winter can be too cold. Spring brings allergies .Fall or autumn, so pretty that it takes two words to define it. I have Asthma and fall is the only period of the year in which I can breathe the crispiest. However there’s no denying the beauty of spring. I think trees are prettier in fall, but Flowers are prettier in spring.

P.S. I detected a spring in Marni’s speech, very melodious ; )