Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
There are people who will do anything to make someone else happy. Maybe you’re one of them. Do you take the garbage out for your grandmother? Will you stay late at work with your boss? Do you clean the bathroom before anyone asks? If yes, you might just be a wonderful person. Or you could be trying to earn brownie points.
There are many reasons why people try to earn brownie points. Often they just want a person to like them, like a boss or teacher or parent. Sometimes they’re trying to get the attention of someone they find interesting or cute. And some people work to earn brownie points because they believe that doing so will get them something that they want.
Gary thinks he can earn brownie points with women by learning a new skill. What is it? Find out in today’s English lesson!
3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Gary: I want to learn how to cook.
Brian: Like what?
Gary: Anything. I can boil water, of course. I can pour myself a bowl of cereal. But I can’t truly cook.
Brian: Why the sudden interest?
Gary: Now that my girlfriend and I are broken up...
Brian: The girlfriend none of us met?
Gary: Yes. Now that we’ve broken up, I want to start dating again. And I think that knowing how to cook can earn brownie points with women.
Brian: This is true. But what do you want to learn?
Gary: I want to know when to stop cooking something. The food I make is always mushy.
Brian: I can relate.
Gary: I want to know which spices to use. I feel like I’m always seasoning my food badly.
Brian: That is important.
Gary: I want to be able to look in my kitchen cupboard and say, “I know what I can make.”
Brian: That will take some time, but you can definitely get there.
Gary: Do you have time in your schedule to take a cooking class? You want to earn brownie points with the ladies, too, don’t you?
Brian: Always. But I’ll see. Between our website and the science class I’m taking at the university, I’m pretty busy. But it could be fun.
Gary: Totally. We’re bachelors, Brian. We need to stick together.
Brian: All right, all right. We’ll do it.
Gary: Awesome. Thanks for the ride.
Grammar Point
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Discussion
Gary wants to take a cooking class. He can do basic things in the kitchen, like heating up water, but he wants to learn more. Gary thinks that having good cooking skills will make women like him. He also wants to be able to cook better meals for himself.
Brian understands Gary’s interest in learning how to be a better cook. He’s busy with work and school, though, and doesn’t think he has time to join Gary for another class. In the end, the two decide to take the class together. Gary’s friendship is clearly very important to Brian.
Do you think that cooking skills are important? What will you do to earn brownie points with someone?
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