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Engramme's Weekend with TV #14: Breaking Bad (Listening B2) |
Have you watched "Breaking Bad"? Do you have family or friends who are fans? Do you know what the story is?
Breaking Bad is the story of a mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher, Walter White, who thinks his life can't get much worse. His salary
barely makes ends meet and their teenage son is suffering from cerebral palsy.
But things get worse when Walter learns that he has terminal cancer. Realizing that his illness probably will ruin his family financially, Walter decides to earn as much money as he can in the time he has left by turning an old RV into a meth lab1.
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Watch, Listen & Enjoy |
In this scene - one of the most famous in the series - Walter, the chemistry teacher turned drug dealer, reveals to his wife Skyler who he truly is and how dangerous his job is.
Watch the Scene: What does Walter's wife, Skyler, ask him to do? Why doesn't he comply?
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Let's Learn |
Similar to scenes we have seen from other series, this scene and dialog also contain many useful collocations and idiomatic expressions that we are going to look at today. Also, pay attention to the use of if-sentences, especially conditional type 2, in this conversation.
Listen Again: Find out what the missing words are in the following transcript (collocations and other frequently co-occurring words have also been highlighted)
(mouse over the colored words/expressions to see their meaning)
Skyler: We
go to the police.
Walter: Oh, no. I don't want to hear about the police.
Skyler: I do not say that _______. I know what it could
do to this family. But if it's the only real choice we have-- If it's either
that-- or you’re getting shot when you open your front door—
Walter: I don't want to hear about the police.
Skyler: You're not some ________ criminal, Walt. You're
in over your head. That's what we tell them. That's the truth.
Walter: That is not the truth.
Skyler: Of course it is. A schoolteacher, cancer, ________ for
money?
Walter: Okay, we're done here.
Skyler: Roped into working for-- ______ to even quit?
You told me that yourself, Walt. Jesus, what was I thinking? Walt, please. Let's
both of us stop trying to _______ this whole thing and admit you're
in danger.
Walter: Who are you talking to right now? Who is it you think
you see? Do you know how much I ______ a year? I mean, even if I told
you, you wouldn't believe it. Do you know what would happen if I suddenly
decided to stop going into work? A business big enough that it could be
listed on the NASDAQ goes _______, disappears. It ceases to exist
without me. No. You clearly don't know who you're talking to, so let me
_____ you ___. I am not in danger, Skyler. I am the danger. A
guy opens his door and gets shot, and you think that of me? No. I am the one
who knocks!
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(see answers in the first comment below)
Have a Wonderful Weekend! If you missed any of our previous posts, click here to access them all.
Practice the Vocabulary from this lesson at this link.
Here's a print-friendly copy of this lesson for Fellow Teachers to use in the classroom.
Answers to the listening gap-fill activity:
ReplyDeletelightly – hardened – desperate – Unable – justify – make - belly-up – clue (sb) in