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School Spirit
School Spirit

Learn English with this school spirit English lesson

Date: Oct 31 2018

Themes: School, Sports

Grammar: Simple Past Tense

Intro

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“Mustang spirit. Let us hear it!” You’ve seen the cheerleaders on TV or at football games. Lining up on the grass in front of the bleachers, they raise their arms, shout loudly, and root for their team. If the fans are lucky, the school mascot will come out, too. It’s always funny to see a large bear or eagle running around the field.

Meanwhile, the jocks on the varsity team are probably getting ready to play. They have a lot of school pride and want to win the game.

Sometimes, these athletes and cheerleaders have a hard time forgetting high school. Years later, perhaps at a class reunion, they are still talking about “the good old days.” They don’t know those days are long gone.

Find out what Amanda and Marni think about school spirit in this English lesson about high school.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Amanda

Amanda

Marni

Marni

Amanda:  I am so excited to go to my reunion. I just want to see all my fellow cheerleaders and the mascot.

Marni:  Oh, god.

Amanda:  Bah humbug! What is the problem?

Marni:  So you’re one of those people that had a lot of school spirit pride in the Mustangs or the Cavaliers, whatever you were.

Amanda:  Absolutely. I was the lead cheerleader. Varsity. I dated a jock. It was all about green and white and school pride. I got to cheer and do the splits.

Marni:  Give it up, girl. Those times are gone. That ship has sailed!

Amanda:  Do you not appreciate rooting for your own school?

Marni:  That school did not root for me, so I did not root for it. I hated my high school days! They were awful. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.

Amanda:  So I’ll see you at the reunion?

Marni:  Absolutely not!

Amanda:  Or maybe under the bleachers.

Marni:  Maybe. That’s where I go.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Amanda has a lot of school spirit. She was a cheerleader in high school and is excited to see old friends at her upcoming class reunion.

Marni, however, hated high school. She thinks people like Amanda are silly and should forget about the past. In fact, Marni tells Amanda she will not go to the party. Instead, she jokes that she’ll hide under the bleachers.

Do you have school spirit? Do you know people who can only talk about the past? Are high school reunions a good idea?

 

Comments

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eduardosoutoSuper Member!

Brazil

I used to have school spirit but that ship has already sailed!


I enjoyed every single moment of it, and it’s over so, it’s time to move on and remember that life never stops <3

11:13 AM Jun 22 2017 |

1 person likes this

Nadya_Hope

Nadya_Hope

Russian Federation

We had not a neither school spirit nor varsity nor cheerleaders. I think this is only in other countries, like in the USA.


I did not like my school. The atmosphere was not so good. There was not fine relationship between classmates so the atmosphere was cold.


I think all people talk about the past. Just one talks much. the other talks less.


high school reunion is a good idea if you had a friends at school and good relationship with them.


I would not like to know about my classmates anything. Although I had a lot of friends but in spite of I would not go to the school reunion! no way!

04:59 AM Nov 11 2013 |

MaryMoscow

MaryMoscow

Russian Federation

I believe that reunions are really good idea for only those people, who was succeed in high school and had many friends. They can remember great moments together, remember old jokes or difficulties. It’s a good pastime! 

04:44 PM Nov 10 2013 |

dilek23

dilek23

Turkey

Oh I reckon such kind of reunion is a great idea. it is gonna give you a chance to be able to see your friends again. I wouldn’t say ” no” at all If I had an opportunity like that right now. Imagine how amazing it would be to meet up with your high school friends again, some of whom possibly got married or climbed up the career ledders gradually or both…who knows? oh anyway, it goes without saying that the idea of reunion is definitely number-one!!!

04:17 PM Nov 10 2013 |

Flyaway

Flyaway

South Africa

I used to have school spirit back then during those uniform days but not now. The thing is I completed my tudies (Btech) when I was 26 years and at that time I couldn’t handle going to a class everyday, i wanted to go to an office instead.
Yes. I have a friend of mine who was also a classmate. He like talking about school days, the fun, experiences, and challenges we had that made us think we won’t make it but we did.
I think high school reunion is a good idea – because one would be able to see how old classmates have progressed in life, how education changed their lifes and the young ones will be able to get motivation from that to keep on hitting the pad.

08:28 PM Nov 09 2013 |

1 person likes this

tumbili

Germany

I think that school reunions are a good idea. I still remember my time at primary school. At the moment I am going to grammar school, so I left primary school about 6 years ago. I had some friends at primary school, but after I left the school, I’ve never seen them. I would like to know how their lives continued. It’s so strange . For four years I meet them five times a week and now I never meet them. This is why I think that school reunions are a good idea. Of course there are many ways to stay in contact today. You can phone your friends, write letters or e-mails or contact each other on facebook. But all this is different from meeting a person. However, reunions shouldn’t be to often, because when you already know about the lives of your friends, some people start to tell the same old stories at every reunion and then it might be boring.


At my school we don’t have cheerleaders. I think this is only in other countries, like in the USA. And we also don’t have so much school spirit. We go to school, to be taught, to meet friends, but many of us are quite happy when the lessons are over. I think the people in the USA have much more pride than the Germans. I once took part in an exchange programme and went to an american High school for some days. There I noticed that Americans are very proud of their country. In every classroom there were flags and also at the home of my exchange partner. In Germany we have neither flags at home nor at school. We aren’t so proud of our country and also not of our schools. I think it is okay to be proud of your country, but it shouldn’t be to much. In my opinion it is not good if a people thinks they are the best one.

10:24 AM Nov 09 2013 |

clutchmann

clutchmann

Hungary

I did not like my high school. The atmosphere was not so good. There was not fine relationship between classmates so the atmosphere was cold and strained.

09:26 PM Nov 08 2013 |

tilwayne

tilwayne

Morocco

My high school wasn’t that big to have a sophisticated cheerleading or school spirit or whatever, but we did have some kind of cheering where students would sit in the bench and root for the teams, there weren’t many yes, but there was still a great setting and experience to live. 


Just wanted to point also that the feeling of belonging is one of the greatest needs of the human being, and the school spirit definitely pertains to that. So, Marni should just spare us the complaints. 

09:10 PM Nov 08 2013 |

ttsuka

ttsuka

Japan


We have had a couple of high school reunions in my high school.  It seems there are core people who are always active to organize the reunion and eager to invite everyone to attend.  I consider them people with high school spirit.  I unfortunately could not go either of the two occasions.  I wanted to go because I wanted to see my old friends, not because of my need to rekindle the school spirit.  I don’t think I have specific pride in my school, nor do I particularly miss my school days.   Probably current status matters, such as job and private life, as much as how happy they were during the school to people’s decision as to whether to attend school reunions or not. 

06:59 PM Nov 08 2013 |

hattomi

hattomi

Yemen

In Yemen , we don’t have all that activates that other countries have ,I mean in school, all what we have here is to sit in our places for 5 hours daily listening to our teachers and that’s it . here is no reunion , no happy memories , all what we remember about school here is the sticks of our teachers. I say “oh the stick of the mathematics teacher was made of Copper , wow it was a amazing charming stick ” and than i tell my high school’s friend ” wow I LOVED THAT STICK you know ” I loved that stick cuz you know I really want to remember something about my school days and when you need to remember something you have to love it SO I loved that stick cuz there was nothing to love about schools here….... Haytham khalid.

02:48 PM Nov 08 2013 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

I don´t think that  people should forget about the past, also i believe that we should not live in the past . What if Amanda  is  thrilled  that she has to attend a school reunion ,should Marni  throw   a bucket of cold water  on her enthusiasm  because of this.? I don´t think so. What will see and hear in a school reunion :school`s sweethearts, old  stories , pranks that they did at each other , how they have  continue with their lifes after graduation: careers, marriages, kids,a lot to talk about. I know of people that only talk about the past , some stories are  interesting  ,funny ,etc, but when you have to hear the same  story  in each  family reunion  it lets you  think how can i get out of here  and go somewhere else …..  


 

10:56 AM Nov 08 2013 |

princessanika

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

we don’t have like this here! before the race no one dance! i know in U.S when football want start some girls come and dance and after that game start! in many sports, in some countries it’s a rule, maybe,i think it is! but in Iran NO!


NEVER DANCE!

09:49 AM Nov 08 2013 |

kenlin16

kenlin16

Taiwan

I think I have the school spirit but it’s only for primary school. I have the better time and more fun when I was in primary school than in junior high. And that’s why I only talk about primary school things. I think people prefer talking about good experience and memory to bad one.

06:00 AM Nov 08 2013 |

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