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Wallets

Learn English with this wallets English lesson

Date: Jul 31 2013

Themes: Fashion

Grammar: Adverbs

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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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You arrive at the box office, excited to buy tickets to see your favorite band. But when you reach into your pocket or purse, your wallet is missing. What happened? Did you leave it at home? Were you robbed by a pickpocket? It holds your money, your I.D., your credit cards and your favorite photos. You feel lost without it.

Wallets are the one thing most people remember to bring when walking out the door. Without it, you probably can’t buy food, ride the bus, or drive a car. It would be pretty hard to prove who you are, too. It’s amazing how much information and power is tucked into such a small accessory.

Jeff and Mason discuss their favorite way to carry money in this English lesson about wallets.

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.

Mason

Jeff

Mason: Jeff, I might be in the market for a new wallet.

Jeff: You know what? I have a hard time spending money on a new wallet. I’ve considered it several times over the last few years and I can’t bring myself to do it, which is why my wallet looks really messed up.

Mason: So, you’re absolutely not the kind of guy who wants a wallet as a fashion statement?

Jeff: I like well-designed things, but…

Mason: But you don’t want to have multiple wallets.

Jeff: No.

Mason: Like, this is my black tie wallet.

Jeff: No. I don’t care what other people think.

Mason: This is my rock ‘n’ roll wallet.

Jeff: I just know what I like.

Mason: Yet you haven’t taken it to the point of just having loose change and bills sitting in your pocket, kind of crumpled up.

Jeff: I have a system, but I try to keep it as minimal as possible.

Mason: What sort of things do you need to keep in your wallet? How many credit cards do you need? Do you need business cards and stuff? Does having a bigger wallet make you a target for a pickpocket or something? It’s certainly not an easy decision.

Jeff: I try to keep it minimal. That’s rule number one. And as far as pickpockets go, I just wear tight pants.

Mason: That’s the secret?

Jeff: Yeah.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

Go Super to Listen

Mason and Jeff are talking about how they carry their money. Mason is thinking about buying a new wallet but he wants it to be just right. He’s trying to decide if it should be a fashion statement, if he needs more than one, and what he wants to keep inside it. It’s a big decision that he’s thinking through carefully.

Jeff, on the other hand, is all about simple wallets. He doesn’t care if it’s fashionable and he knows exactly what he likes. Jeff is so particular that he has thought about getting a new wallet for several years, but it hasn’t happened yet. It doesn’t sound like Jeff’s as serious as Mason is about shopping for a new one.

Wallets come in all shapes and sizes. How important is it that your wallet looks good? Do you want people to notice your wallet, or do you just use one to carry your money and I.D.? Have you ever lost your wallet?

Comments

ogadam

Togo

It such a nightmare not having seen your wallet when ready to pay your shopping. Two months ago i saw myself ashamed at the cashing at walmart only because i’ve lost my wallet. As result, i could not pay what i came for. I got even sick for hours until i realise that my wallet has been removed from my pocket by my wife. The day before she used my credit card for an online payment and did not return the wallet back to its place. wallet are useful but are they safe enough given the amount of personal information tucked into it?

Mr. Learner

Peru

I don’t care about having a wallet as a fasion statement. All I care about is just a wallet that can hold my money and my cards. That’s it. :)

sforostianaia

Ukraine

There was time when I didn’t want to have a wallet at all. It happened so that pickpockets had cut my handbags 3 times and had stolen my nice wallets within one month. It was so frustrating! I haven’t had wallets for more than ten years! But some time ago I took part in a seminar of positive thinking and the instructor spoke much about money, and wallets and special rituals to attract money into your life. You think it’s stupid? I thought it was stupid, but I wanted to check. I started to think of buying a new fashionable wallet. The instructor told that a wallet should be a good home for my money and it would like to always return to its home. So I went to the shop and chose the most gorgeous red leather wallet that I really fancied. It’s still with me. And you know what? It’s NEVER empty no matter how good (or bad) my business goes. Now I believe that a wallet is a really important thing for my financial well-being. I hope my experience will be helpful to the learner of English. Good luck to you and your money!!!

jef_maiko

Brazil

I like carrying wallet in my back pocket pants. Inside my wallet I just take a credit card, my driver licence and the document of my car. That’s it.

s11211s

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I prefer not to carry wallet, becouse pickpockets know pepole usually hold their mony on wallet, so if you have wallet you tell pickpockets don’t need to choose your money, they can rob your money, I.D. without more suffering or thinking!

ola33

Japan

Once I lost my wallet in Canada. It was in the park. There were people there. Not many but some grandmas, couples, children. When I came back, not hoping to see my possession again, to my surprise, the wallet was still there! Oh, my God, I cried, this is the country I want to live in! It was 10 years ago, and still there’re cases from time to time to make somebody’s day by returning the wallet with substantial sum of money. Isn’t it something?

I like wallets, nice ones, fashionable ones, from designers ones, made of leather and with money. Don’t get me wrong, i’m not greedy :), but that’s what the wallets for - to keep real money in there. It’s just convinient and secure, to have some petty cash of course if you’re not in a pickpocket country.

kk1994499

Iraq

befor one week when i was in india i lost my wallet duringmy shopping but with good chance big lady found it so when i came back to same rout i saw this lady called me to give me the wallet thih is true storry ithanked the lady very much without my wallet i can not do any thing thank to my god

Drmahsa1995

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

the shape of my wallet is important for me cuz im going to take it with my hands..on the other hand im not going to make others to notice my wallet….i always put half of my money in wallet that can better for me cuz sometimes i leave my wallet in super markets or where ever i go…..

Jasonlongo

Congo, Democratic Republic Of The

I’m not used to bringing wallets with me when I go out !

Hessam

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Thank you. I liked the lesson

whipiry

South Korea

nothing could be fashionable in some people who wants to show their emotion, thoughts, and sort of dream. one of them could be a wallet , tatoo , clothes, a ring on a face , whatever.

a fashionable person can have so many things to show himself or herself to others…..

not just one thing …several wallets , shoes, ties…it could be a fashion statement.

personally.. i don’t like a long , a little bigger wallet which can cause a pickpocket to get it .

a folded one l like….but sometimes,,,i should tuck bill into my wallet…which can crumble up in a pocket.

it’s not an etiquette for money…

I M P E R I V M

United States

wallets are a thing of the past

ManojKrTudu

India

It’s nice to read your article that defines the term wallet. However, could you please distinguish between a purse and a wallet?

zurvani

United Arab Emirates

i have not been through this and no one till now pickpocket me . instead of stealing me i always forget my keys, phone, wallet somewhere.

drallon

China

In our ages, we must be catch tele-phone,wallet and keys when we get out of our house.Wallet is so indispensible that we cannot miss it. It holds our money,credit card,I.D. and photos. I am also as same as that.

But there are also some problems that wallet bring to me. As there are so many thing in wallet, our wallets became thicker and thicker and then became inconvenient to put it in our pocket,espencially when we wear jeans. It is quitly a problem to us who like going out with light packs.