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.
Waiting in line is just part of life. We endure lines at the grocery store, on the freeway, for the bathroom, and at the movie theater. Lines are so common that we’re surprised and elated when there is none. Sometimes a day without waiting in line can feel like you’ve won the lottery.
What’s the alternative? Without lines, life might be a little chaotic. Paying for groceries could end in pushing and shoving. Angry drivers might crash their cars. Is it worth all of that just to avoid queuing up?
Mason shares his strong feelings on the subject in this English lesson about waiting in line.
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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Mason: You know, I’ve reached that age that I start avoiding places that I know have lines because I just don’t have the patience for it anymore.
Amanda: What is it that annoys you about lines?
Mason: Mostly I feel the sense of my impending death, and every minute that I waste, standing there doing nothing, is just wasted time.
Amanda: I’m pretty sure you just turned 32.
Mason: I know. OK, so maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit.
Amanda: A little dramatic.
Mason: But seriously, I’ve got a smart phone, so I can sit there and look at the internet…
Amanda: Don’t you think that sometimes there are things in life that are worth the wait? A great movie, a great show?
Mason: There are certainly some things, but I don’t know that I would count a movie or a good breakfast among them. What’s your policy on cutting in line?
Amanda: There are only perhaps two or three excuses for cutting in line. What’s your policy?
Mason: I feel like I’m willing to let no more than two people do the “Hey! You’re my buddy, and you’re already in line!” That’s cool. Two people doesn’t really screw up the line equation, but more than that and I’m starting to get out of sync.
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Discussion
Mason and Amanda have different feelings about waiting in line. Mason is not very patient and feels like he’s wasting valuable time if he has to wait long. Amanda believes that some things are interesting or important enough to wait for.
The two do agree on one thing: cutting in line is not cool. Everyone needs to join the line at the end. Once in a while it’s OK to cut, but that shouldn’t happen very often. We have rules for a reason!
How do you feel about waiting in line? Is it frustrating for you? What do you feel when somebody cuts in line?
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