Views #539 | Low Intermediate 4

Sleeping

Akane talks about how she can sleep anywhere.
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Ruth: Now Akane!

Akane: Yeah.

Ruth: I've noticed that you fall asleep everywhere.

Akane: Oh, you've noticed. Oh, no, it's actually a problem that I have.

Ruth: Really?

Akane: Yeah, I do get sleepy.

Ruth: Well, it's just that whenever we come back from work, or we go to work, you always fall asleep on the bus.

Akane: I do. I'm so tired in the mornings.

Ruth: So, you're tired in the mornings (Mm-hm) so don't you sleep at night?

Akane: I do. I actually do go to bed quite early but I hate waking up really early
so I think it's the early mornings that really get to me.

Ruth: So do you think lots of people in your family do this, because you know,
you really do seem to sleep far more than anybody I've ever met.

Akane: Actually, yeah, my father does say that he falls asleep at work.

Ruth: No!

Akane: Yeah.And my mom falls asleep at work as well when there's not costumers.

Ruth: Oh, you're joking.

Akane: Yeah. Yeah. So it runs in the family.

Ruth: So have you ever done that? Have you ever fallen asleep at work?

Akane: Actually, well, I don't fall asleep when I'm teaching, cause its such a busy job (Yeah) but when I was working in an office, when I was doing medical research, it was such a boring job that I did used to fall asleep in front of the computer sometimes. It's really embarrassing.

Ruth: So have you ever had an embarrassing moment when you've fallen asleep?

Akane: Actually, yes. One time we went to watch the symphony orchestra
and it was beautiful music and I was enjoying myself but I just fell asleep in between.

Ruth: Oh, no, Akane.

Akane: Yeah.

Ruth: So how many hours sleep do you normally get Akane?

Akane: Well, I try to get at least nine. Of course that's not always possible,
so I'd say on average about eight and a half hours.

Ruth: Eight and a half.

Akane: Yeah.

Ruth: Well, I suppose if you add that to the five hours a day that you sleep that's quite a lot.

Akane: If you put it that way.

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

get to me

I think it's the early mornings that really get to me.

If something 'gets to you,' it bothers you or you don't like it.  Notice the following:

  1. The sound of her voice just gets to me after a while.
  2. Doesn't it get to you that you never get a vacation?

runs in the family

So it runs in the family.

When something 'runs in the family,' it's a common trait or action among the members of that family.  For example, curly hair.  Notice the following:

  1. Heart disease runs in the family.
  2. I see that good looks don't run in your family.

research

I was working in an office, when I was doing medical research.

You 'research' something to collect and record information about it.  Notice the following:

  1. I was at the library doing research for my biology report.
  2. Did she research the best hotel to stay at in Rome?

boring

It was such a boring job that I did used to fall asleep in front of the computer sometimes.

If a person or a situation is 'boring,' you are not excited or interested and probably don't want to be there.  Notice the following:

  1. I always thought science was boring until I had him for a teacher.
  2. That is a really boring movie.

symphony

One time we went to watch the symphony orchestra.

A 'symphony' is a musical composition or piece that is performed by instruments in an orchestra, which are instruments like the flute and cello.  Notice the following:

  1. Do you enjoy going to the symphony?
  2. The symphony music in the in the background made the movie more suspenseful. 

Vocabulary Quiz

gets to me • family • research
boring • symphony
  1. Tonight we will be going to dinner and the .
  2. Being tall just kind of runs in the .
  3. This music really to me after a while.
  4. I can't watch this movie anymore. It's too .
  5. Our teacher wants us to do on the building of the Panama Canal.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

 

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