Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
Spring
简体
Spring
春天

Learn the Present Progressive Tense

Date: Mar 30 2012

Themes: Time, Weather

Grammar: Present Progressive Tense

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

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

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Spring brings warmer weather, longer days, and new blossoms. It’s a time of rebirth and fresh starts. On that first warm, sunny day of spring, it’s almost impossible not to feel upbeat and excited about what’s to come.

But spring isn’t all sunshine and tulips. Many people suffer from allergies during the spring. Sudden showers can catch you off guard and make you feel like it’s still the winter. That’s why some people, including Amy, don’t like the spring. But maybe Marni can convince her to change her mind.

春天到了,天气转暖、白天变长,花朵也重新绽放。它是万物复苏的时节,也是一个全新的开始。在第一个温暖明媚的春日里,每个人几乎都会对未来感到乐观和喜悦。
但是,春天并不全是灿烂的阳光和娇艳的郁金香。很多人会在春天饱受过敏症的困扰。突如其来的阵雨会让你措手不及,让你感觉仍在冬天的笼罩之下。这就是包括艾米在内的一些人不喜欢春天的原因。但也许玛尼会说服她改变想法。

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

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

Marni

Marni

Amy

Amy

Marni:  Amy, I’m getting pretty excited because spring is in the air.

Amy:  But that just means allergies, spring showers. I’m not excited about the spring.

Marni:  Really? Wow, I mean, I guess if you have allergies, I can understand. But all the blossoms blooming, and flowers starting to come up, and it’s getting a little warmer, and staying lighter later.

Amy:  I do like all of that. But to me, the spring is always kind of a tease, because you have days that are warm and that feel like summer, and then you slip back into winter, and it’s such a letdown.

Marni:  It’s rebirth, it’s growth. It’s inspiring to me.

Amy:  Do you do spring cleaning?

Marni:  I do do spring cleaning. I love that annual purge, where you get rid of a bunch of stuff.

Amy:  Well, I hate cleaning. I guess that’s another reason why I don’t like the spring.

Marni:  I can understand that as well. But I’m pretty excited that spring’s in the air. Who knows, maybe this spring will be amazing and it’ll change your mind.

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Present Progressive Tense" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Marni is excited about the spring. She loves seeing flowers bloom and experiencing the warmer, longer days in spring. She also enjoys spring cleaning. She likes to get rid of things she doesn’t need and have a fresh start.

Amy disagrees. She doesn’t like the spring because she experiences a lot of allergies at springtime. She also dislikes all the rain in spring. She thinks it is a frustrating season, because warm, sunny days are often followed by cold, wet ones.

Do you like the spring? What is your favorite time of year?

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

Crizsearch

Crizsearch

Indonesia

The whole world seems to rejoicing this season. Happy spring guys, hope it’ll be new bright start for all of you. I send my best wishes for everyone. Aul and Mnalf who doesn’t like spring lol, just enjoy every blowing fresh wind on to your face. Enjoy every moment :D

 julito

julito

Argentina

Anja, true,  even some people :)))))


AUL, in my country we celebrate new year  in our houses .  Have all of you a wonderful spring , we are in autumn now, so far so good.   :))))) 

11:37 AM Mar 30 2012 |

1 person likes this

KTL

India

oh, this type of word or scene, feel me sad bcoz in city i never enjoyed spring season, wish i could be in villageEmbarassed

11:27 AM Mar 30 2012 |

1 person likes this

PhilologistAUL

Azerbaijan

Julito it has always had an appeal to me that people in latin American countries welcome New Year on the beaches:)

11:26 AM Mar 30 2012 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

In my country on the 21th of september students  celebrate spring with  parties and merriment, they usually go out to the parks  and have picnicks  there . I know that spring is coming because I can hear at 5 ´oclock in the morning the thrush singing    ( zorzal, in spanish) his melodious chirping is  music from heaven. Each season has its charms but spring takes  the cake , spring is the rejuvination of life ,winter is good to stay inside  but also is a drag, summer is hot and humid  and I don´t feel comfortable all sweaty. I definitely prefer spring. 

PhilologistAUL

Azerbaijan

mnal, dear, enjoy your favorite season and picnin:)


ola , I wish I lived in the northest point of Canada:) and will be able to get rid of my allergies at once:)

11:06 AM Mar 30 2012 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

 


The spring has skipped us this year. All of sudden, summer! I came from vacation on Caribbean and in Canada it was warmer!!! All trees are blossoming. No slashes, no snow, not puddles – all gone as though didn’t exist at all. And actually it didn’t this year. We were blessed having a mild winter. And I love spring cleaning. You get rid of many things piled during the year, it’s like your mind is getting clear too. And spring is the symbol of beginning to me. The beginning with a good ending.


Crizsearch

Crizsearch

Indonesia

Unfortunately there’s no spring in my country but I would say now the weather seems like spring time you guys talk about. There are spring showers after those rain cats and dogs in December to March. This time we start breathing fresh air because it’s quite windy, cooling, and really bright new start. Farmers are getting ready to plant new seeds, green beans, peanuts, rice, etc. It’s quite calm and green, Those blooming flowers and little creatures definitely catch off guard. Awesome and fascinating. Whoops…... Spring cleaning, totally new for me :))

10:46 AM Mar 30 2012 |

goodmahsa

goodmahsa

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

spring is undoubtedly the most beautiful season ,I guess if Amy heads to nature and sees the beauties she may change her mind.as it is mentioned before by Mahtab , in Iran and many other countries in middle east the new year always goes along with spring and the rebirth of nature ,excitement among people for new year,spring cleaning that all people should have , buying new clothes and costumes for themselves and gifts for their familly members ,setting the special traditional table called HAFT SeeN which means the seven S’s and all other things we do in this festival remind us a turning point which every single person can have in their own life in any walks of life. No matter what mistakes you have done,as long as you are alive you can start from scratch .we have an idiom which says “whenever you hook the fish,it is fresh and new”which its English equivalent is “It is never too late to mend”.this is the lesson which Spring can give us by its fresh starts.


I love spring but love most,winter because of its calmness and  mellowness which overwhelms me in an unknown  nostalgia for my childhood.

Lussko

Lussko

Slovakia

Spring is finally closing a winter door and opening a summer door for a loooong time. Yes, I like a spring so much. Firs barbacue, first outgoing, first something-doing outside.

09:52 AM Mar 30 2012 |

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” ~ Anne Bradstreet 


I love all seasons of  year, but there is always the one I love most of all. It is spring of course especially May.


The fresh foliage, new blossoms, the magic scent of my favourite flower of the spring Lilac…….


My praise to the spring is endless. :)


Lilac reminds me my childhood. We used to run to the lilac bush in hope to find the rare little flower with additional petals to think the wish then. What a happy and careless  time it was for all of us!


English, baby has chosen the right picture for this nice lesson. I’m looking at these tender Tulips now and dream to be right now in my remote small garden  to greet my own Tulips that have only showed their first sign of life and growth to the sun.


Fortunately I have never had any sorts of allergies. I know exactly what it is and I sure if I had a pollinosis it would never prevent me to love spring.


 I’m quite excited about spring and there is nothing that can change my mind backward.


As for the spring cleaning. We usually do it during the week before the Easter. But it does not mean  we did no cleaning in other seasons of year. :)))) Try to believe, we were not swimming  in the dust, garbage and dirty clothes until the springtime will come. :))))


English, baby members all are very tidy and they all know that to keep the daily cleanness is the main rule we all have to follow.  ;)


Oh! Nearly forgot to mention about the great singer of the spring Nightingale. I just love to be outside while it sings under the moonlight. We can hear the songs of the Nightingale only when we are in the countryside. They don’t sing in the cities….. they seems do not like them :(

Irene Forever

Ukraine

Spring is the most beautiful and warm season in the year in Ukraine.


I can’t wait for light green leaves bursting out all over the place. The view makes me excited. At this time I adore walking in the woods, and I also love spring rains. They are warm and they give such a bliss to all greenness that became thirsty.


I love to open my face to the sunshine and feel  sunny kisses on my lips. I think the sun is a real lover. It can be both so tender and so cruel.


Every mere thing makes me amazed: a tiny flower that peeps out from  the ground, a sweet butterfly that flaps its wings giving me a pleasure by looking at its flitter. I can’t help listening to the endless songs of birds. They wake me up so early in the morning, but I forgive them their “ignorance”,  and looking at them my heart is singing, ” Spring has come!”





08:23 AM Mar 30 2012 |

MasamiN

MasamiNSuper Member!

Japan

Spring has come in Tokyo.
I am happy to see cherry blossom again this year.



 


 


I wish that I am in here next spring.

08:11 AM Mar 30 2012 |

Orchestra

Orchestra

Russian Federation

Buttafly:


=))) Hugely inspiring comment! You would make a great poetess unless you are the one now)


Yep, I’ve seen such gorgeous pictures of spring views,  lively streams of melted snow, blooming flowers, twittering birds and so on. But in fact, as I see it,  most of them are greatly exaggarated. At least, these views are not even a bit as picturesque as it’s usually said where I live. On the contrary,  the nature hasn’t decided yet to wake up and there are very few plants outdoors. Can’t see any blossoms, trees are still mostly leafless. Instead of that, it’s slippery, wet, grey and glooming as well as cold (as I feel it still wearing winter anorak). So, that’s why I don’t find it such a romantic season. But summer does make a great difference! As you said, blossoms, odours, mowed grass – all is turning up. So, the numbers of party-poopers have grown=)


P.S. What a neatfreak did invent such a silly thing like “spring cleaning”? Never heard of it before. As being an untidiest person ever, I’d rather clean up when I feel it’s necessary (so, almost never=) )

08:02 AM Mar 30 2012 |

Mahtab.bp

Mahtab.bp

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Spring in my country is coincided with New Year and holiday!


Then we love spring!


I like spring cleaning because when I’m cleaning my house I feel I’m clear all my bad or painful memories in my mind too.Then spring means rebirth to me!


But about allergic problems!!! My father has allergies in the spring and fall, and thats really hard to him and to us! :(


Weather catched us off guard with a lot of snow and raining this year (today is rainy too)!But we had sunny days too.


Overall, I love spring! :)

PhilologistAUL

Azerbaijan

Dear Heather, I’m happy that at last i’ve found someone sharing my views on seasons;) I hate the feeling of oversleepiness. I think the best places for us to live are London or Oslo:)


BTW, what does this sentence mean: nothing feels worse than pounding sinus pressure!

07:01 AM Mar 30 2012 |

tutorheatherSuper Member!

United States

Hi all!


Well, I guess I am a bit of a party-pooper; I have never liked spring.


Yes, like Philo, I struggle with allergies, but I also loathe the feeling of ever-increasing heat. As the days pass, I grow more and more aware that the truly hot and humid days are just around the corner, especially since Global Warming has become such an issue.


Fortunately, I live near the shore, so I do get a nice breeze, though it barely brings any relief in July and August.  We had snow yesterday, but just last week we had two hot summer-like days back to back! It was so nice to see the fluffy snow falling from the sky yesterday, but it melts so quickly this time of year. Alas, it’s probably the last snow I will see for many, many months.


For those who suffer from allergies, don’t you hate that heavy-headed feeling? When you’re already tired from work, nothing feels worse than pounding sinus pressure!


I’m with Philo; I am a certified winterwoman.I would live in year-round cold if possible. I adore rain and snow.


By the way, I noticed that this sentence in the dialogue bears a word that might be challenging for some:


“I love that annual purge, where you get rid of a bunch of stuff.”


For those unfamiliar with the word, purge is a noun or a verb that means to cleanse, purify, get rid of, etc.


Anyhow, for those who enjoy it  – happy spring!


For me – AAAccchoooooo! Sniffle!


Heather

Behnazz

Behnazz

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I personally like and enjoy spring as it also marks the Persian New Year, mentioning the long holidays and of course the family gatherings. ;)

06:14 AM Mar 30 2012 |

PhilologistAUL

Azerbaijan

Like Amy, i don’t like spring at all. I have sun and dust allergy, I don’t like spring cleaning, it’s getting hotter day by day and I feel so lazy:( I was born in January on a cooold and snowy day, I’m a winterwoman:) I’d like to live in a country where winter lasts longer.

06:12 AM Mar 30 2012 |

millazhang

millazhang

China

I like spring because i born in this season .meanwhile i like the smell of the new grasses!

03:08 AM Mar 30 2012 |

1 person likes this

Likes (51):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast