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Prom

Prom

Date: May 29 2009

Themes: Party, School

Grammar: Simple Past Tense

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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The biggest day in many American high school students’ lives isn’t graduation. It’s prom. Prom is a formal dance held at the end of senior year, when students get dressed up, rent limousines, and dance the night away at a special venue. When the dance ends, they usually attend after-parties, which is often where the real fun begins.

But prom can also be stressful. First of all, you have to find a date, which can be quite challenging for some. Then, if you’re a girl, you have to get the perfect dress. Many girls also buy new shoes and jewelry, and get their hair and makeup done at a fancy salon. Guys have to rent a tuxedo, buy their date a corsage, and pay for the tickets, the limousine, and dinner before the prom. That’s a lot of money to spend for one night of awkward slow dancing.

Prom season is happening right now. Listen to Ella and Devan share their memories of prom.

Dialog

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

Devan

Devan

Ella

Ella

Devan:  Did you go to your prom?

Ella:  I did. It was really fun and now it’s coming around that time again where prom…Everyone’s getting their gowns and tuxes. It’s kind of exciting.

Devan:  So you’re big on prom. Do you think that it’s an important ritual?

Ella:  Well, I wouldn’t say it’s an important ritual. I just like to get dressed up. I think that’s one of the biggest reasons I started going to proms. I went to my friends’ proms, and they came to mine, so…Just an excuse to dress up.

Devan:  So did you…you got a nice fancy gown, and did you have a corsage and everything?

Ella:  Yeah, did the corsage, got the makeup done, had the hair done. All that stuff.

Devan:  Did your date wear a tux?

Ella:  Yes. Yes he did. All that good stuff.

Devan:  Were you voted prom queen?

Ella:  I was not!

Devan:  I actually didn’t even go to my prom.

Ella:  Oh my god!

Devan:  Um, well, I wasn’t into the whole prom thing when I was in high school. I was kind of a rebel, so…

Ella:  Nice. Cool.

Devan:  We went to the bowling alley instead.

 

Grammar Point

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Ella liked prom so much in high school that she not only went to her own prom, but also attended her friends’ proms. She loved getting dressed up and having her hair and makeup done. It sounds like she didn’t have any trouble finding a date.

Devan, on the other hand, didn’t go to her prom. She and her friends didn’t have much school spirit. They were rebels who thought prom was lame. On prom night, instead of following the crowd by going to the dance like all their classmates, they went to the bowling alley.

Do you have prom in your country? Do you think it would be fun to go to prom, or would you be a rebel like Devan and skip prom?

 

Comments

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dollarwang

dollarwang

China

my english is so poor that i want to improve it.

12:49 PM Jul 17 2009 |

elok

Armenia

yes, i have.yes i went to my prom, i was wearing a nice dress, and i had my make up and hair done. i think that it is very interesting and funny thing to go to one`s prom, especially to yours

12:15 PM Jul 17 2009 |

the prince 5

Yemen

good luck

04:02 PM Jul 16 2009 |

rgomezb2

Mexico

Hi Friends

My name is Rafael and I am from Mexico, I remember that I had a prom when I graduate and this was very nice.

Best Regards.

 

01:03 AM Jul 16 2009 |

fyoozh

Canada

hi all

03:14 PM Jul 14 2009 |

massod

massod

United Kingdom

hi and good luck everyoneKiss

02:00 PM Jul 14 2009 |

gsum31

gsum31

Mongolia

hi all freind

12:07 PM Jul 14 2009 |

gsum31

gsum31

Mongolia

hi . I .m very bad speak english  please me

11:51 AM Jul 14 2009 |

green greener

United Arab Emirates

Actually, we don't have prom in my country, instead, we do a small party either just between my classmates when we invited our teachers to celebrate with us or we do it in cooperation with other classes of the same academic level as us. I big on attending this kind of ritual; I like to assemble with my friends, I feel happy. Sometimes, when I was a student, my school did a party by the end of each academic year in school auditorium, they did a variety of events like lectures, competitions, shows, distributing gifts to those with excellent degrees, many exciting stuff held at that time. On that day, it is allowable to wear any dress as we like, some students give gifts to their teachers.  

05:47 AM Jul 14 2009 |

Grikjang

India

Prom

04:48 AM Jul 14 2009 |

merari

Dominican Republic

hello name is merari jimenez I live in republic dominican.

I HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IS GRADUATION.

I have 21 year old.. I want learn english very much

I like english, student,dance

I wish all in is life

take care

07:26 PM Jul 13 2009 |

ainfusium23

South Korea

we don't have prom. but we usually held a festival.

on festival day, we become an actor, singer, cook etc.

it is fun i think, but we don't have to get dressed up.

 

04:58 PM Jul 13 2009 |

ainfusium23

South Korea

we don't have prom. but we usually held a festival.

on festival day, we become an actor, singer, cook etc.

it is fun i think, but we don't have to get dressed up.

 

04:58 PM Jul 13 2009 |

Kevin Huang

China

Prom is not popular in my country. I was rebel while young.

07:22 AM Jul 13 2009 |

alqahtani

Austria

how can i download mp3?

 

04:09 AM Jul 13 2009 |

omgnotagain01

Philippines

everyone has to go their prom.

 

06:08 AM Jul 12 2009 |

Diss

Kazakhstan

Prom is great thing of course. It's need for memories of school years. I think everyone have to go their proms.

11:50 AM Jul 11 2009 |

Angélica Ramírez

Colombia

I didn´t write my e-mail, I'm sorry this is angelicatifa@hotmail.com ..... and my opinion about prom is that this is an event very fabulous, in my country we celebrated this festivity but in different form that americans…..

04:11 PM Jul 10 2009 |

Angélica Ramírez

Colombia

Hello, mY name is Stephani, I am from Colombia and I want to learn english very fine….please, if somebody know to talk perfect english,..talk me..please…bye…

have a nice day..Laughing 

04:07 PM Jul 10 2009 |

shahiid2010@hotmail.com

Somalia

hello

12:26 PM Jul 10 2009 |

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