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.
Giving someone a present is a great way to show you care. Some say that giving gifts is more rewarding than receiving them. If you’re looking for a gift for someone who has a good sense of humor, a gag gift can be especially fun.
A gag gift isn’t useful, but it is often meaningful in a funny way. Giving someone a funny gift can be a great way to tease them. For instance, if your boss is mean, you could give him candy to make him sweeter.
Gag gifts can also help you remember something funny that happened. If you saw a terrible concert with a friend, you could give her that band’s CD and laugh about how terrible it was. She probably won’t listen to the CD often, but she’ll certainly laugh hard when she unwraps it and every time she sees it around her house.
Jason is thinking of giving someone a gag gift. Find out if Vanessa thinks it’s a good idea or not.
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.
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Jason: My dad’s turning 60, and I think I’m going to get him a gag gift.
Vanessa: A gag gift? You mean, like, a joke?
Jason: Totally.
Vanessa: Will it be an inside joke between the two of you?
Jason: Nope. It will be a very clear joke for everyone. You know, he’s turning 60. He can walk just fine, but I think I’m going to get him a walker.
Vanessa: That sounds really insulting, actually.
Jason: Why?
Vanessa: Do you really think he’s going to think that’s funny? I mean, don’t you think that will go over kind of poorly?
Jason: Um, I think it’s pretty clear. I think he’ll get it. You know, he’s getting on in years...
Vanessa: Well I don’t know, maybe you think it’s funny, but it sounds sort of mean.
Jason: Yeah, he did think it was mean when I got him some roller skates after he broke his leg when I went to visit him in the hospital.
Vanessa: You’re terrible!
Jason: And hilarious!
Grammar Point
Go Super to learn "Simple Future Tense" from this lesson
Quizzes
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Discussion
Jason says that his dad is about to have his 60th birthday and that he is thinking of getting him a gag gift. Vanessa asks if the gag will be an inside joke between Jason and his dad, but Jason says no. The joke will be one anyone can understand. Even though his dad can walk without a problem, Jason is thinking of giving him a walker as a birthday gift, implying that he is very very old.
Vanessa thinks this is a bad idea. She worries that the gift will seem more mean than funny. Jason reflects that his last gag gift, giving his dad roller skates after he broke his leg, was not a success.
Do you like gag gifts? Have you ever given or received one? Was it funny?
Comments
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