English, baby!

简体

Perfect Strangers

Learn English with this friendship English lessons

Date: Jun 04 2013

Themes: Soap Opera

Grammar: Future in the Past

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

You and your best friend have known each other since you were kids, but one day you get in a huge fight. Unfortunately, you both have plans to be at the same party that night. You decide that the best way to deal with the situation is to pretend that you don’t know your friend as well as you do. In fact, you’re going to pretend you don’t know your friend at all. You’ll pretend that you’re perfect strangers.

Perfect, used in this way, means one-hundred percent. It means all one way, and none of the other way. If you are acting like someone is a perfect stranger, you are not acting as if she might be a little familiar, or as if you might know her a bit, but not very well. You’re so mad that you are acting as if she is completely, perfectly unfamiliar to you. A perfect stranger.

Jeff and Greta just had an intense experience together, but now some people think they’re acting strangely toward each other. Find out more in this friendship 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.

Lily: So, you were actually trapped under a rock?

Jeff: Yeah. It was so crazy! I was pretty brave, actually. You know… no food, no water.

Lily: Were you afraid you were going to have to saw off your arm, like that guy in that movie?

Jeff: Well, no, I didn’t have a saw. I’m sure I would’ve figured out how to do that if that’s what it came down to.

Lily: And then Greta came and saved you? That’s pretty impressive.

Jeff: It was great that she came, but really it wasn’t that heavy of a rock. I’m sure I could have worked my way around it, regardless.

Mason: Hey. Did anything weird happen when you saved Jeff the other day?

Greta: Weird? No. I pushed a rock off of him and saved his life. That’s all.

Mason: Sounds like it would be kind of a bonding experience. But you guys have been acting like perfect strangers today. Have you even said hi to him?

Greta: No, no. We’re fine. We’re great. It’s all perfect. I think he’s exhausted from his ordeal.

Mason: OK.

Lily: So, you and Greta must be really close if she’s the one you called to save you.

Jeff: Yeah. We’re friends, but I don’t know…

Lily: What?

Jeff: It’s just weird to have your friend save your life. In a way, it would’ve been perfect if a stranger had saved me. That way things could be normal between Greta and I.

Lily: Is there something between you and Greta?

Jeff: Greta? No. No! Did I tell you that your hair looks really amazing today?

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Future in the Past" 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

Lily’s asking Jeff about the details of his accident. It seems as if Jeff might be exaggerating how hard it was, in order to impress Lily with his bravery. While they’re talking, Greta comes in and looks through papers on Jeff’s desk, but the two of them don’t speak at all.

Mason thinks that’s strange. He asks Greta why, after she and Jeff just had this bonding experience, she’s acting as if the two of them are perfect strangers. Greta insists that nothing is weird between them.

Lily seems to think that something weird is up, too. She tries to ask Jeff more about it, but all he’ll say is that having a friend save him was complicated. When Lily asks Jeff if there’s something between he and Greta, she means something romantic. Jeff immediately denies it, and gives Lily a compliment instead.

Why do you think Jeff and Greta are ignoring each other? Have you and a friend ever treated each other like perfect strangers?

Comments

timchang

Germany

Because Jeff is so embarrassed by the fact that a girl saved his life. She simply pushed the rock off him. What does that say about Jeff? A wuss, sissypants, and a few choice names. I have a suggestion for Jeff. Just armwrestle Greta, and prove his might to his friends once for all. Kind like what Al Bundy does in “Marrid with Children” where he has his friend to pick on Peggy in a bar, so he can come to the rescue and whip his friend to prove his manhood. As fate would have it, Peggy knocked his friend out cold before he has the chance.

uwi

Indonesia

I think Jeff is an arrogant person and Greta has a high prestige person to give greeting at the first

Maggielin

China

I’m agree with NIJAR. Mybe, to be a perfect strangers to your best friend is the best way to deal with the situation like Jeff’s ordeal .

shaerwan

Syrian Arab Republic

i dont know why but it is so weird

Nicte ha

Mexico

I think Jeff is an ungrateful person

julito

Argentina

I have a hunch that Greta`s indifference towards Jeff ,is related to his ambiguous behaviour after she saved him from the perilous situation he had gotten into.Am I wrong if I think that Greta was expecting that Jeff would have wanted to kiss her friend and rescuer.?

Nijar

Egypt

Thanks Doe DAMAVAND,you can say I’m a cocktail of the nature, my mom and dad experience, my teachers nectar and for sure my friends spicies:-)

DAMAVAND

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Excellent Nijar! you’re more than your age in everything :P

Nijar

Egypt

Oo when I saw the theme profile I remembered a song which says: when someone loves, it immediately appears in his/her eyes!!

We are in a double situations here; perfect strangers between friends, and perfect strangers between lovers.

Let me start with the second one which is more suitable for here; I checked the photo many and guess what I saw this before yeah I did in the real, in a movie or whatever and every second I be affirmative that lovers can’t act like a perfect strangers okay it’s complicated maybe that Jeff and Greta pretend busy with something and avoid eye contact but heart and heart- in our hearts we can’t deny love and if we did as if we laugh at ourselves and deceive it-there’s no fight here the only one is between the person him/herself and his/her heart as if we judge an innocent and send him to the prison, far or soon he will escape:-). Give your heart a room, don’t force him-you’ll be the loser if you do-love the love and you will be loved, treat it well and listen from it, you will feel the happiness. Start with my mom and dad, end with my cousin who is engaged now I do really love to hear from them, I have a friend who loves at the age 8 and the story be completed till now, and once I read that kids can feel it in ages under that!!

On the other hand act strangers between friends yeah it might happen ,nevertheless our nature play a role here; you may act it well but in your deep self still there’s something wrong, you are right, I’m right or both of us are wrong it’s still something wrong here. You try as you can to mute or even shut down this voice whatever reason you find ,it still weird, he/she was my friend okay treated me with a bad way yeah but but there’s something wrong. It’s not easy to act perfect strangers specially in your deeps, maybe I’m exaggerated but that what I feel:)

dreadslayer

Turkey

i think they had done something before :)). and they’re hiding something from their other friends.i like being perfect stranger.if somebody is being rude or careless to me i’d be double careless that person :)life goes on dont be perfect stranger .be perfect friend all the time

ola33

Japan

I’d come and ask, “Hello, how’re you feeling today?” Need more help?:) In any case I’d strike the conversation even though it would be some awkward atmosphere of love in the air, I’d throw some jokes. But to behave like strangers, what it might solve – nothing. Enjoy every minute, take a step, make a compliment and go to the movies ;)

3emma3

Iraq

I agree with Ya Nina that the best way to resolve any problem with your close friend is to identify the problem and try to work around it. Many people have problems with their best friends but that does not make them enimies. I think it is so harsh to act like perfect stranger with a close friend.

Ya Nina

Kazakhstan

I suppose that Jeff and Greta are ignoring each other because they like each other, but no one of them don’t want to admit that. In such situations the best way is to pretend that nothing happened between them and deal with each other as perfect strangers.

I know as it has to be. When I had quarreled with my close friend we pretended that we were the perfect strangers and didn’t meet whenever. Truly, it was many years ago when we studied at school. We were the small silly girls that were sure that such behavior was a right way in those situations. Nowadays I’m sure that the best way when you and your close person have misunderstanding is to clear up all details of your offences and disagreements and the worst way is to pretend the perfect strangers. I believe that we have to care and be pitiful to our close persons and don’t waste time for the ridiculous quarrels. `