Views #829 | Low-Intermediate 4

House Party

Tini was an exchange student in the U.S. She talks about high school parties.

Script
Vocab
Quiz



Tini	Todd

Todd: Hello, Tini.

Tini: Hello.

Todd: Now, Tini, can you please mention all the countries you've been in in the world where you were a student?

Tini: Well, until now I've studied in Hong Kong for around six years, and America for a year and in Japan for more than three years, actually.

Todd: That's incredible. Did you also study in Vietnam, your country?

Tini: Oh, of course. Yes, since I'm Vietnamese.

Todd: OK, and you were in high school in America?

Tini: Yes. My senior year in high school.

Todd: Oh, great. And you're a university student now in Japan?

Tini: Yes, sir.

Todd: OK, and you also studied in high school in Vietnam?

Tini: Yes, sir.

Todd: OK. And what about in Hong Kong? What grades were you a student?

Tini: I studied from grade two to grade six.

Todd: OK. Now that makes you kind of an expert on young people around the world and what they like to do for fun.

Tini: Well, to some extent.

Todd: OK. So what do friends like to do for fun in high school in America?

Tini: Well, of course, you know teenagers, we all like to have parties, and one very interesting thing about parties in America is like they like to do it at their own house, especially when their parents are out.

Todd: Yes. Actually, I'm American. I remember well.

Tini: Uh-huh. Well, like, like when your parents are out on a business trip or on a vacation to some other states or to some other countries and then, you know, you will be baby-sitting your house for a couple of days, and that is actually a really opportunity to have some parties.

Todd: Right. Right. Actually, I remember there's a lot of peer pressure actually, so if your parents are away you feel like you have to have a party.

Tini: Exactly. Exactly. Like, "Hey, I heard that your parents are away. Why not this, huh?

Todd: Right. So does that happen in other countries, like in Vietnam or in Japan?

Tini: Oh, absolutely no.

Todd: No!

Tini: I don't think so. Like to my own experience, I don't think so.

Todd: Oh, why not?

Tini: Well, first of all, parents are always home. That is the number one rule, and you actually, you can't, you know stay, we have like curfew times for... especially for students in Vietnam, for example you have to be back home at ten thirty. And period.

Todd: That's pretty early.

Tini: Well, yes, you know people are pretty conservative.

Todd: But kids don't have curfews in America?

Tini: I... Yes, I do think so, but you know, um.. they are pretty more flexible.

Learn vocabulary from the lesson!

to some extent

To some extent she is an expert.

'To some extent' is similar in meaning to 'a small degree'. Notice the following:

He is to some extent responsible.
My parents to some extent, don't trust me.

baby-sitting your house

You will be baby-sitting your house.

Usually 'baby-sit' means to take care of kids or something valuable for someone. When you are a teenager, you baby-sit your house while your parents are away. This is a way that many teenagers make money. Notice the following:

I get to baby-sit the house for the weekend.
She spent the whole party baby-sitting her house.

peer pressure

There's a lot of peer pressure.

We feel 'peer pressure' when we think we must be the same as other people our age if we want them to like us. Peer pressure makes us do things because other people our age are doing them. Notice the following: