LESSON FIVE
Steven and Jake are jogging.Let's listen to their conversation.
Listen carefully for the past form of I can.
A few months ago,I could jog without any problem.
How long ago?A few months or a few years?
When I was in college,I used to be on the track team.
I could run a mile in five minutes.Oh,come on.I bet you couldn't.Oh,Yes,I could.
whey I was in college.I could swim ten miles.
Steven,what happened to you?
OK.Answer this question.What's the past form I can swim ten miles.
I could swim ten miles.Now listen and repeat.
could I could jog I could jog without any problem
a few months ago a few moonths ago,I could jog without any problem.
a few moonths ago,I could jog without any problem.
You hear...Can you still jog every day?And you say...
No.I can't.But a few months ago.I could jog without any problem.
You hear...Can you still swim ten miles?And you say...
No.I can't.But a few months ago.I could swim ten miles without any problem.
Ready?Let's begin.Can you still jog every day?
No.I can't.But a few months ago.I could jog without any problem.
Can you still swim ten miles?No.I can't.
But a few months ago.I could swim ten miles without any problem.
Can you still kick a football fifty yards?No,I can't.
But a few months ago.I could kick a football fifty yards without any problem.
Can you still sleep nine hours a night?No.I can't
But a few months ago.I could sleep nine hours a night without any problem.
Well.can you still stay up all night and not be tired the next day?NO.I can't.
But a few months ago.I could stay up all a night and not be tired the next day without any problem.
Can you still eat six cheeseburgers for lunch?NO.I can't.
But a few months ago.I could eat six cheeseburgers for lunch without any problem.
Can you still relax with your friends every Saturday night?No.I can't,
But a few months ago.I could relax with my friends every Saturday night without any problem.
Well,there are many things we could do in the past that we can't do anymore;
ride a bus for a nickel;see a movie for a dime,for example.
But there are also many things we can do now that we couldn't do in the past:
fly from New York to London in a few hours;
telephone Tokyo in a few minutes.for example.
Anne and Steven are talking about things they can do now that they couldn't do in the past.
Let's listen to the conversation.
I don't know.Anne.We're both exhausted from being up all night with the baby.
I take naps at work.I'm in terrible shape.
I used to run a mile in five minutes;now I can't run a mile at all.
We used to go out dacing every Saturday night.Remember?
We can't do that anymore.What can I tell you?
The party's over.We're old.Anne.We're old.Oh,come on.Steven.Really!
You make it sound like we're ready for rocking Chairs.I don't feel that old.
So you can't run a mile in five seconds...Five minutes.Oh,excuse me.Five minutes
...So what?So we don't go dancing anymore.
You were a terrible dancer,anyway.I was?
You couldn't stay in step.Anyway.listen,Steven,
there are lots of things we can do now that we couldn't do then.
Name one.Well,we couldn't take little Peter to the Nature Center,could we?
No,We couldn't.He wasn't born yet.We couldn't take videos in the past.
videos of him smiling at the animals the way we did last Saturday.
We couldn't watch our son change from a baby into a child...
OK.OK.Enough!Enough!Maybe if I run every day...
Now listen and repeat.couldn't we couldn't we couldn't take
we couldn't take videos in the past.
We couldn't take videos in the past.You hear...
Instead of taking photographs today we take videos.
And you say...We couldn't take videos in the past.You hear...
I stay in step now when I go dancing.
And you say...You couldn't take videos in the past.OK?Here we go.
Instead of talking photographs,today we take videos.
We couldn't take videos in the past.
I stay in step now when I go dancing.You couldn't stay in step in the past.
Fifty years ago,the only way to get from America to Europe was by boat.
It took five days.Today.we can travel to Europe in a few hours.
We couldn't travel to Europe in a few hours in the past.
A hundred years ago when Mario in Italy wanted to talk to Silvia in Argentina.
he wrote her a letter.Today,we can telephone from Italy to Argentina.
We couldn't telephone from Italy to Argentina in the past.
It used to be when we wanted to see a movie,we had to go to a theater.
Now we watch novies on TV.We couldn't watch movies on TV in the past.
Jake and Mike are exercising at the gym.
They are talking about Steven.Listen to the conversation.
Listen closely for the word that follows in.
Poor Steven,He's really not in shape anymore.
Since the arrival of the new baby.he hasnt' been sleeping well.
He used to jog every day.I haven't seen him jog since...
well,you know,it was so long ago.I can't remember when.
He used to be in great shape.He used to jog evry day before lunch.
I konw,I know.Now he takes a nap during his lunch break.
Well.that's no way to stay in shape.
He needs to exercise,eat right.get his eight hours of sleep every night.
In the conversation between Mike and Jake,what is the word that follows in?
Shape.The word is shape or great shape.Now listen and repaet
not in shape He's really not in shape anymore.
He's really not in shape anymore.in great shape
He used to be in great shape He used to be in great shape
To be in shape means"to be in good bhysical condition."
To be in shape,it's important to eat right.sleep right and exercise.
Listen to some people describe what they do for exercise.
Then decide if they are in shape or not in shape.
My name's George.I don't really worry much about staying in shape.
I'm too busy at my job to think about joining exercise programs and aerobics classes.
I make a living by playing professional football.
That's my job.And that takes up all my time.
Do you think George is probably in shape,or is he probably not in shape?
He's probably in shape.The name's Thomas.Am I in shape?
You bet I'm in shape.I eat only things that taste good.
I get plenty of sleep.between nine and ten hours a night.
And then I get a lot of exercise reading magazines and playing cards.
How about Thomas?Probably in shape.or probably not in shape?
He's probably not in shape.Whew...Boy,I am not in shape.I'm Blanca.
You know,fifteen years ago I could run ten miles and not be tired.
Now I run seven miles,and I'm exhausted.
I used to swim five miles every day.now I swim only three.I think I'm getting old.
Is Blanca probably in shape,or is she probably not in shape?
She's probably in shape.That's all for now.End of Lesson Five.