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Take the High Road

Learn English with this choices English lesson

Date: May 14 2013

Grammar: Simple Past Tense

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Intro

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

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Sometimes it can be so hard to do the right thing. Even if you are a good person, sometimes someone else’s behavior makes you want to act badly. For example, let’s say you get into an argument with a friend. During the fight, your friend brings up a secret that you told her in confidence, and makes you feel bad about it. Do you bring up a secret you know about your friend, too, or do you take the high road and tell her that you’re not going to stoop to her level?

Taking the high road means doing the right thing even when it’s difficult. It means acting kind even when someone is being mean to you. It means remembering your core values even when someone provokes you to forget them. Taking the high road means that you are acting according to your morals and beliefs, no matter what.

Greta is confused about a decision she has to make. Should she take the high road? Find out what happens in this choices English lesson.

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.

Amanda

Mason

Greta

Amanda: So what did Jeff say?

Mason: Is he OK?

Greta: Yeah, he’s OK. I guess the good news is that the fall didn’t crush any bones or any vital organs or anything. He’s just trapped.

Amanda: Well, we told him skydiving was a bad idea!

Greta: You know, it wasn’t actually the skydiving. He said he jumped out of the plane just fine and that it was an amazing experience. And he landed at the top of the mountain, and then he was supposed to hike down and get a ride out, and then he fell.

Mason: Oh, I love hiking on that mountain. Do you know what trail was he on, was it the middle road?

Greta: No, I think he said it was the high road.

Mason: Yeah, that one’s dangerous.

Amanda: OK, so then what does he want with you?

Greta: Well, he said that once he got his bearings and he realized that he was under this rock and trapped he knew he needed to call somebody to get him out, and he thought of me.

Amanda: Huh. So, kinda sounds like Jeff’s putting the moves on you?

Mason: Uh, no. Actually, Jeff has a crush on Lily.

Amanda: Mason! Ssh.

Greta: No, no, it’s OK. That’s actually why I was confused. I mean, I know he’s had his eye on the teenager, and then he calls me to come and rescue him. I don’t know what to do.

Amanda: Well, he’s being rude. Maybe you should just leave him.

Mason: Amanda!

Amanda: Yeah, just leave him.

Mason: No, Amanda! It’s Jeff! We like Jeff!

Amanda: Yeah, we love Jeff, but it’s still rude. I don’t know. Maybe you should just take the high road and go help him.

Greta: I know. I know. I just, you know, taking the high road, it’s never really been my strongest point. But it’s the right thing to do.

Amanda: Yeah, it’ll be alright, it is the right thing to do. I don’t know, should we check out a map and see what roads you should take to get out there?

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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At the end of last season, Jeff had a skydiving accident, and he called Greta. Now, Greta has just gotten off the phone with him. He’s OK. He fell when he was hiking down the mountain, and now he’s trapped under a rock. Mason likes hiking on that road, but knows it’s dangerous.

Everyone’s a little surprised that Jeff called Greta when he got his bearings, especially because they think he had a crush on Lily. Greta’s not sure if she should go rescue him. She doesn’t know the motivation behind his call.

Mason and Amanda think that Greta needs to do the right thing. Even though Jeff may be acting strange, Greta should take the high road and go rescue him. They look at a map to figure out how she can find him.

Can you think of a time when you had trouble deciding whether to do the right thing? Did you end up taking the high road?