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Waiting in Line
简体
Waiting in Line
排队等候

Learn English with this daily life English lesson

Date: Jun 14 2013

Themes: Time

Grammar: You're vs. Your

Intro

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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.

排队等候是生活的一部分。我们在杂货店、高速公路口、卫生间和电影院前忍受着排队的煎熬。排队等候的情况如此司空见惯,以至于我们在不需要排队时会感到惊讶和无比开心。有时一整天没排队,你就会觉得像中了彩票一样。

我们有别的选择吗?如果不排队,生活可能会有些小混乱。
在杂货店里,人们可能推搡着到柜台付款。
气愤的司机可能在争抢下和别人撞车。只为了避免排队而弄成这样,值得吗?

在本节以排队等候为话题的英语课上,梅森和大家分享了他对这类事情的强烈感触。

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Mason

Amanda

Amanda

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

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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?

 

Comments

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Khenifra

Khenifra

Germany

I hate also waiting in line but in general we can avoid it if we can plan better our todos. But in same cases waiting in line it’s unvoidable and in this case we can use so called “double time” in that way that I can parallely read a book or surf in internet via smartphone, etc. ...

04:57 AM Jun 15 2013 |

suri94

suri94

China

i can not tolerate somebody cuts in line

03:53 AM Jun 15 2013 |

KelvinPhillbert

China

actually i am not the person who want to waiting for long, but you know, in China, it is impossible coz so many ppl here especially in the big city, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Beijing for example, lots of the ppl come these places for working to get a high pay, and more opportunity to get a good job. and this is the reason why i do not like these places. you have to wait bus, metro, train especailly when it is the holiday, very very crowed, i think you will be scared for this kind of scene, coz you can just see the the head and black hair.

03:14 AM Jun 15 2013 |

1 person likes this

reemy83

reemy83

Saudi Arabia

personally, I don’t like the chaotic in life it’s so annoying whin waiting so long time in queue and someone cut the line took your turn that is terrible. I really do not know why some people like being messy in their life and annoying others.

12:55 AM Jun 15 2013 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

I wish I could have  back the time that i have lost  waiting in line ,chiefly, at the cross roads  waiting for the green signal  to cross the avenue. Maybe Mason is a little bit dramatic  but i understand him ” what a waste of time as if we didn´t have anything to do” than standing idle  on the street watching the cars speeding up or lining up at the supermarket” . i am not exaggerating , if I sum up the  lost and unproductive time waiting in line ,and from  some magical power I were given back the lost time , that would amount to several years more in my life. I don´t like cutting in line and  If I see anybody doing so  I keep quiet , but internally my blood  boils.   lol

12:13 AM Jun 15 2013 |

PSVRoger

PSVRoger

Peru

amm i’ve got VISA, no line never :)

12:03 AM Jun 15 2013 |

Irene Forever

Ukraine

I don’t know a person who likes waiting in line. I don’t like it either as I’m an impatient one if I desire something to do or to have. Still it’s very important to me to get exactly what I wish, and I force myself to be patient so as not to do any unthoughtful things. I love the best in my life, not perfect as I believe there’s nothing perfect but nature, but something very nice or somebody very good so as not to feel sorrow for my impatience after all.

04:33 PM Jun 14 2013 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

Yes, can wait the whole life just let’s make sure not to miss our turn.


And one of the positive things abotu waiting is to be positive about. Just wait patiently.


03:21 PM Jun 14 2013 |

mulderT

mulderT

China

I hate waiting in lines ,but line is everywhere in our life ,so we must endure it 

03:15 PM Jun 14 2013 |

shaerwan

shaerwan

Syrian Arab Republic

i dont like waiting in lines so much


but i respect that a lot cause it regulates our life


i feel angry when sombody cuts in line

01:00 PM Jun 14 2013 |

ghost.w0506

Germany

waiting in line


is polite, because I hate it, when ppl interupt the line


and have in their mind, it s allowed to cut the line.

11:29 AM Jun 14 2013 |

dreadslayer

Turkey

even if it’s worth to wait long,i feel same what Mason feels about this impatience.i’m really get sick of waiting loong queue.For instance our university’s refectory has very long queue and in order to not wait so long i go there 10 mins earlier than it opens.


if i mention about cutting in line.everybody makes angry about those regardless people.i’ve faced such kind of tough situtation recently.i went to pay my bills.there was a man who was waiting at the end of queue and he came to the begining of the line and he said ’’ i’m in hurry pls give me your line’’ afterwards people who were waiting in the line .they were yelling to him everybody is in hurry in here go to end of the line .so no-one wants to wait in the line if there wasnt such a policy,then it’d have been so chaotic.

08:39 AM Jun 14 2013 |

MESS

MESS

Turkey

Like Mason, I also avoid places that have lines but I cannot avoid it in some situations. Instead of cutting in line, I wait for my turn to come patiently. I talk to my friend – if I have one in line, plan things in my mind, ruminate about things that need planning, call one of my friends to chat or look around. But waiting in line is a good opportunity for me to call a friend with whom I have not talked in a while. :)


I never cut in line and I never let anyone cut in line. I warn people politely to wait just as other people do if they intend to cut in line. If waiting is the rule, everybody has to wait patiently no matter how frustrating it is.

07:48 AM Jun 14 2013 |

modaher

modaher

Iraq

Yes wait hard and you need patience and endurance in order to improve the feelings of others.

07:05 AM Jun 14 2013 |

nourelyakine

Algeria

It’s really worrying thing.

07:03 AM Jun 14 2013 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

I agree with LiJie that cutting in line, especially while you’re driving—everyone is one lane waiting to gor through gridlock and all of a sudden a car is rushing by and cutting in without any rules and then another car and another car. You try to not let them go, but they’re pushing you. I don’t like it. And right! To live in a situation without rules is no fun at all. What’s the worth of it? When I’m in line in a grocery store, I just pick a magazine and read about the celebrity divorces (it’s always the front page topic) and other horror stories.


But one line I like is a line to sales. It’s when you’re all agitated and excited, chatting with others and sharing anticipating moments and then within half an hour, you’re in. and the fun starts. No kidding – 80% off. It’s worth to spend some time for it!

12:10 AM Jun 14 2013 |

LiJie

LiJie

China

I’m afraid waitting in line is the last thing I want to do. Just because i hate queuing up so much, cutting in line without suitable reasons make me irrated. But there are excues for cutting in line, for example women with pregnancy,  old people, kids, urgent things and suff like that. we must give those people priority.


it’s no doubt that queuing wast us much of time ,  though we need this rule. if everyone strive to be the first to get into a bus ,or for tickes of flim,  the strongest always win, meanwhile, women, kids, older people always get nothing. no one want to live in the situation wthout any rules.


how can we pass the time during queuing up? palying games, chatting with those who stand behind or front us , listening music … what else can we do ?       

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