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Not Born Yesterday

Learn English in this experienced English lesson

Date: Jan 13 2015

Themes: How To, Soap Opera

Grammar: Comparing Quality

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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

How old would you be if you were born yesterday? Well, one day old. If you were a day old, you would not be able to speak, walk, or even eat by yourself. You would know almost nothing, except the voices and scent of your parents. You would need them to help you do everything and go everywhere.

When a person says that she was not born yesterday, she’s pointing out that she understands a lot. She doesn’t need your help or for you to explain things to her. She has life experience, and she knows what she’s doing. She definitely knows far more than a one day old baby!

Why is Lily telling Rafael that she wasn’t born yesterday? Learn more by reading today’s English lesson about being experienced.

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.

Rafael

Lily

Rafael: Lily, I need to get an ID.

Lily: What do you mean?

Rafael: I mean, I need an ID. An identification card.

Lily: Rafa, I know what ID stands for. I wasn’t born yesterday. But why do

you need one? And why are you telling me?

Rafael: I was hoping you’d help me. It’s my first time getting one.

Lily: Brian needs his first passport. You need to get your first ID. You guys don’t really get out much, do you?

Rafael: I don’t drive, so I don’t need a driver’s license, but it’s important to have an official ID.

Lily: That’s true. You do need your ID to do a lot of things, like get on a plane, or open a bank account...

Rafael: See an R-rated movie.

Lily: Right. So, you need an ID. Just go to the DMV.

Rafael: I thought the DMV was just for car stuff.

Lily: It’s mostly for car stuff, but you can get your ID there, too.

Rafael: What do I need to bring with me?

Lily: Anything proving who you are, where you live, and that you’re a US citizen.

Rafael: That’s not too bad.

Lily: Yeah.

Rafael: Do they cost money?

Lily: Yeah. I’m not sure how much, though. But an ID isn’t as expensive as a driver’s license.

Rafael: Cool. Do you want to come with me? It’ll be fun.

Lily: Rafa, I wasn’t born yesterday. I know that the only reason that you want me to come with you is because it’s going to be really boring and you want someone to be there with you.

Rafael: Please?

Lily: Fine. Come on.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Discussion

Go Super to Listen

Rafael doesn’t have an ID, but he wants one. He asks Lily for help. Lily is surprised to hear that Rafael doesn’t have an ID, since she recently helped Brian get a passport. It seems strange to Lily that neither of her friends have such common things.

Lily tells Rafael that he can get his ID at the DMV. He’ll need to bring official documents to prove that he lives in the US, as well as some money to pay for it. Rafael asks her to go with him to the DMV, promising that it will be fun. Even though Lily knows that it will actually be boring, she agrees to join him.

Is Lily a good friend to Rafael? Are there tasks in your life that make you feel like you were born yesterday?

Comments

eduardosouto

Brazil

Well, she seems to be! No there isn’t any task that makes me feel like I was born yesterday!

ElizaHaley

Bahamas

Lesson sixty seven for the right and fundamental. The pertinent nature of the professional resume writers online for all right and motivated for the lesson of the English for all accentuated and pivotal in all terms.

samarali

Saudi Arabia

She is awesometo Rafael,she always help him,in some part of art i feel i was born yesterday because i don’t know about them at all.

http://goo.gl/iAJsRz

sasagaga

Mexico

Of course, there are many tasks the make me feel like I born yesterday. Learning it is part of the daily living and I do not know everything. Right now I just got my CNA licenses and I feel like I born yesterday in the area of medicine :(

Helberth10

Brazil

Sometimes some people close tell us about something difficult to do, so try to convince that it is very fan. But We thinked, this guy think that I born yesterday. KKK

mahbubeh92

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

when i say i was’nt born yesterday i mean i have some experiences on a specific matter so eople can count on me and rely on me.like when i talk about academic education in Iran and so on..:)

albasel1975

Germany

Mahtab: very awesom

Mahtab.bp

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Dear friend Ahmad!

All members have written how they are smart and no one can fool them but Im saying something opposite!

Kids trust and believe everything or everyone around!

Sometimes we act like kids too!

We completely trust others and believe what they tell us or show us!

Just it! :-)

Temulen

Mongolia

I figured out this phrase ’ I wasnt born yesterday’ is almost same to ’ Im not a child’. it is correct or wrong?

albasel1975

Germany

Dear friend Mahtab… I am sure you used the expression in a figurative way.. could you please clear it up?...

interesting comment

S&W

China

@Julito
That robber’s behavior is disgusting.In order to get your cell phone by making use of people’s willing to help

Mahtab.bp

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Sometimes I believe and trust people that makes me feel like I was born yesterday! :-\

julito

Argentina

It happened to me . I had just bought a new cell phone ,a very good and kind of expensive one . i was walking on the street carrying my brand-new acquisition in one of my shirt`s pockets , it was then that a guy came up and told me, not in a kind manner, to lend him my phone because he needed to call his wife . What this guy was thinking , that i was born yesterday ? Did he see me so vulnerable and clueless that i could be easily robbed ?

I said no and no . he insulted me and wanted to fight . That day i saved my phone. I wasn`t born yesterday, actually i have a lot of mileage on the road.

lostpoem

Turkey

# they were two kids , 5 years old..they were walking in a street .

- hey, Alice, let’s go to my room now..ı will show you my stamp collection .then we can play doctor-nurse game.then …..

- what a stupid boy !!! do you think, I was born yesterday #

albasel1975

Germany

The comment of you, ScienceBoy reminds me of a situation… once, when I was 18, I took my Mom’s car and something horrible happened!! My father noticed what had happened to the car..when he asked me about it.. I gave a very naive excuse. My father smiled and said, ” You’d better think of a better excuse about the dent in the car. Your mother wasn’t born yesterday, you know! You can’t expect her to believe that !