John: Hi Liz, are you still playing with that thing?
Liz: Oh yes, hi John. I'm still getting used to my new iPhone. I'm getting to know the apps really well.
John: I can see that. I was standing next to you for 5 minutes before you looked up.
Liz: Oh gosh, sorry! It's just so fascinating. I actually missed the bus yesterday because I wasn't paying attention.
John: Well, at least you weren't waiting to catch a plane!
Liz: Ha! Yes! It's absorbing a lot of my time at the moment. But, once I get used to it, I'm sure I'll be back to normal.
John: Sure, it takes a while to get used to new technology. How are you liking the bigger bill?
Liz: Not much. But I suppose you get what you pay for. Why do they make cell phone bills so complicated: data, minutes, plans, taxes, surcharges? It's more confusing than my Science teacher!
John: I know. I just pay the bill, and hope that they're being honest.
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In the United States, young men and women are allowed to start driving lessons when they are fifteen. They apply for an 'Initial Permit', take lessons, and have the opportunity to drive the family car. They have to be accompanied by a parent or guardian(1) who is over 21 and who has a proper(2) driver's license. After a year of good driving, on their sixteenth birthday, they can get their driver's license. None of this meant anything to me until my oldest son, Hudson, asked me if he could apply for his initial permit. "What!" I said to myself. "This is crazy! He's only fifteen! His brain isn't fully developed yet!" When I had calmed down, I realised that everybody starts young over here. And, the best way to keep my son safe, is to allow him to get proper training, and lots of experience. So, even though(3) I would like to say "No", I haven't. I am actually the one who sits next to him when he is driving around. Thankfully, he is very careful. It's nerve wracking(4), however, as a parent, to sit there in the passenger seat, and have no control at all. I'm definitely more nervous than he is in that situation. I have to control my breathing, bite my tongue(5), and try not to slam my foot onto my imaginary brake. As he is enouraged by his driving instructors to drive everywhere, in the morning, he drives his three siblings to school, and then goes on(6) to the High School. So, first thing in the morning, I find myself sitting in the passenger seat in my pyjamas, heart racing, wild eyed like a trapped cat, just hoping for it all to be over soon. I smile, of course, and say things like, "That was a really good corner, Hudson. You used the brakes really well." By the time I get home, though, I look like I've seen a ghost. So I destress with some Yoga, and a long shower.
1. 'Guardian' is a person who looks after someone, even though he is not a parent.
a. Tell your parents or guardians about the school meeting tonight.
b. Their aunt became their guardian.
2. 'Proper' is often used in English to mean, the 'actual', 'real', 'authentic'. It is also, occasionally, used as 'neat', or 'fully prepared.'
a. The little boy has a toy computer, but his older brother has a proper one.
b. He has become a proper baker, with his own business and delivery van.
3. 'Even though' is worth practicing:
a. Even though it's raining, we should go for a walk.
b. Even though it's late, you should do your homework.
c. Even though they didn't want to, they stayed behind after school.
d. She decided to quit her job, even though she had been offered a raise.
e. We went by train, even though by car would have been quicker.
4. 'Nerve wracking' is a common expression that expresses extreme stress.
a. I can't go on roller coasters anymore; it's too nerve wracking.
b. All the noise and demands of running a preschool can be nerve wracking.
5. 'To bite your tongue' means to deliberately keep quiet in order to not say the wrong thing and cause a problem.
a. He was going to say that she looked fat in her new dress, but he bit his tongue.
b. Please bite your tongue instead of arguing.
6. '...goes on' here is used instead of 'continues driving to'. Using the verb 'to go' + on is a quicker and more informal way than repeating the original verb.
a. We'll drive to the park first, and then go on to the shopping mall.
b. They skied to the valley, and went on to the hotel.
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As I look at the calendar, I realise that I have about five weeks left, five weeks before the snow 'flies'(1). There are lots of things to do before the beautiful, white blanket of snow covers our town. I'm a gardener, a self-proclaimed (2)addict. But that's not a bad thing. As I sit here typing, looking out at the back garden, or 'yard' as they say here, I see a transformation slowly evolving. There is a long, raised bed(3) of soil, two trees, and one, two, three bushes. Soon, I hope, that amount will be multiplied by four. So what is my goal? It's a mini-forest that will have a seating area in the middle, accessed only by two windy(4) paths. It will also hide the neighbor's ugly white barn that looks over my garden. To take on a project like this, you have to have a vision. And my vision has helped me to continue working hard. When the soil or 'dirt' was delivered, I thought, "Gosh, that's a lot of soil. Will I really be able to transport all of it from the front garden to the back garden?" The thought was intimidating. My children helped me a little bit, but I think they did that just to keep me happy(5). They had their own agenda. They took possession of this mountain of soft soil, like it was powdered gold. Before I knew it(6), they were digging tunnels, building rooves, and having battles right in the 'dirt pile'. In fact, my son Cass, who had just celebrated his birthday, suggested that next year I buy him his own dirt pile for a birthday present. My! How life has changed! When I was young, I played in dirt all the time, and drove my mother crazy. Now, in our ultra-clean, ultra-scheduled society, children are requesting dirt piles as presents. They are abandoning their computers and iPads, and waiting for Santa to pour three cubic feet of soil down the chimney. I applaud their connection with the soil. It's magnificent stuff, the foundation of nature's architecture.
1. 'Before the snow flies' is a phrase used here in the U.S which really means 'when the snow comes'.
a. I must get the bulbs planted before the snow flies.
b. After the snow flies we will build a snowman.
2. 'Self-proclaimed' is when a person calls himself or herself something.
a. Michael Jackson was the self-proclaimed 'Kind of Pop'.
b. She is a self-proclaimed authority on fashion.
3. 'A raised bed' is an area of soil that has been built up. It can be used for flowers, vegetables, or trees. However, planting beds do not have to be raised.
a. The raised bed will help to hide the neighbor's barn.
b. There is a bed of roses around the corner.
4. 'Windy' note the spelling. With a sharp 'i', as in 'ink', it describes weather that has a lot of wind. With a longer, softer 'i', as in 'hi', it describes a curvy line or path.
a. Hold on to your hats! It's a windy day today.
b. To get to the abandoned house, you must follow a windy path that goes through the forest.
5. 'To keep someone happy' means to appease them, usually for a purpose.
a. Walk your dog and feed him everyday. That will keep him happy, and stop him from misbehaving.
b. Big speeches with lots of promises often keep the voters happy.
6. 'Before I knew it' is a great phrase that communicates something quickly happening, taking you by surprise.
a. The carpet cleaner arrived while I was cooking, and, before I knew it, he had finished the carpet and left.
b. Dark clouds gathered while we walked, and before we knew it, we were in the middle of a storm.
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John: What have you got there?
Liz: Oh, it's a new cell phone.
John: Nice. Is it a smart phone?
Liz: Yep. I decided that it was about time for me to get one.
John: What kind is it?
Liz: An iPhone 4S; it's quite basic really. There are newer models, but this is all I need.
John: Well, you've got internet access and a camera. I think those are so useful.
Liz: And don't forget the apps. They really make life easier. My favorite is Google Maps. It's free, and there is a pleasant voice that tells me exactly where to go and when. I never get lost!
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