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The Big 1-8

Date: Aug 03 2007

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.

The last few years of your teens and the first few years of your twenties are so important. Everyone does a lot of growing up in those years, and depending on what country you live in, you come into different rights along the way.

Like most places, turning 18 in the United States is a big deal. Kevin’s Nephew is about to turn 18. Listen to him tell Marni about it.

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.

Kevin

Marni

Kevin: So my nephew is just about to turn 18.

Marni: Oh, God. Do you remember turning 18?

Kevin: I do, it was really exciting.

Marni: It was really exciting! It felt like this momentous event. I was thinking about this actually because I was just recently in Argentina and that’s the legal drinking age, you know, 18.

Kevin: Like in most countries.

Marni: In most countries. Not in the US. In the US it means getting vote, which is a great thing, but, you know, the drinking age is 21 here.

Kevin: You can go to war. you can go to some casinos, like where I grew up I went gambling for the first time, which was kind of fun, I lost a bunch of money. It was very exciting, but it was kind of disappointing that you couldn’t drink a beer. Well we were anyway…

Marni: That happens. It’s sort of this mile marker and depending where you are in school a lot of times it’s the end of your senior year so it just feels like this turning point, I think.

Kevin: And then we kind of get ready to leave. Like, I left for college, moved out of my parents house, lived in a dorm, lived in a different state.

Marni: A lot of transition.

Kevin: It was great. Very exciting.

Marni: It is very exciting. Well, tell your cousin? Nephew?

Kevin: Nephew.

Marni: ..nephew, “Happy birthday.”

Kevin: I will.

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Discussion

Kevin’s nephew is about to turn 18, so Marni asks him if he remembers turning 18. He says it was a really exciting time and Marni agrees. She was just thinking about what it means to turn 18 because she was in Argentina where you can drink when you’re 18. In the US, you have to be 21 to drink alcohol.

But there are a lot of other things you can do when you’re 18 in the US. Kevin and Marni mention that you can vote, gamble and fight in wars. You can also get married or go to a strip club.

What rights do people get when they turn 18 in your country?

Comments

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hudengkui

China

uh,i am chinese,in our country,people is going to regard you as a adult,when you turn 18 or more.and then ,your words ,your dressings,your minds and so on is about to be given the respects and the realization despite they are the same as the last,because you have turned a adult!!

Carole Li

China

It reminds me of the time of my 18.What did I do then? I was preparing for an momentous exam in order to enter in the university and expecting the campus life.

hanli1206

China

Hello,I'm glad to see you.

tdmsilvino

Brazil

I don't know if it happened to all of you, but when I was 12 years old I was wondering when will my big 18 arrive? why does it take that longer? When we're teenagers we're anxious and want to turn 18 as soon as possible. Here in Brazil when you turns 18 you can get married, have a driver licence, go to every kind of party. When I turned 18 I had to go to the army and "swear the flag", meaning that I declared to be faithful to my country in front of our country's flag. Therefore, don't forget, when you turn 18 you have rights and duties… with great power comes great responsabilities… children are happy and still don't know. I would like to hear from you too. See ya!