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Lesson 4
by Paolo Rossetti

Topic  :  Movie Script
Grammar:  Phrasal Verbs
Level  :  Intermediate

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Vocabulary

*When Harry met Sally*

[Movie starts, an elderly couple remember: young Harry and Sally are in
the car, Sally's in the driver's seat]
(Harry spits grapes out of window, but window is shut)

Harry:  I'll roll down the window. Why don't you tell me the story of
        your life.
Sally:  Story of my life?
Harry:  We've got eighteen hours to kill before we hit New York.
Sally:  The story of my life isn't even going to get us out of Chicago -
        I mean nothing's happened to me yet.  That's why I'm going to
        New York.
Harry:  So something can happen to you?
Sally:  Yes.
Harry:  Like what?
Sally:  I can go into journalism school to become a reporter.
Harry:  So you can write about things that happen to other people.
Sally:  That's one way to look at it.
Harry:  Suppose nothing happens to you.  Suppose you lived out your
        whole life and nothing happens, you never meet anybody, you
        never become anything, and finally you die in one of those New
        York deaths which nobody notices for two weeks until the smell
        drifts into the hallway.
Sally:  Amanda mentioned you had a dark side.
Harry:  That's what drew her to me.

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EXERCISE 4.1 - Vocabulary

Please match the words on the left with the meanings on the right.

1. to roll down                 a. (idiom) to visit someplace
2. the story of your life       b. (idiom) to leave someplace
3. time to kill                 c. to lower something by turning it
4. to hit a place               d. to occur, like an event
5. to get out of a place        e. to imagine; to pretend it's true
6. to happen                    f. to observe
7. like what?                   g. (idiom) to attract
8. to look at something         h. give me an example
9. to suppose                   i. the evil part of something
10. to notice                   j. (idiom) to pass a boring time
11. a dark side                 k. (idiom) to have an opinion
12. to draw someone             l. life experience

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EXERCISE 4.2 - Grammar

Movie scenes sometimes contain very rapid dialogue exchanges which are
very difficult to understand. One of the reasons for this difficulty is
the use of many Idiomatic Expressions in natural, relaxed speech.

Phrasal Verbs are common forms that have idiomatic meanings which are
very hard to guess.

Phrasal Verbs are a combination of Verb + Preposition, for example:

VERBS           PREPOSITIONS

get             on, off
come            around, about
turn            back, over
see             through, along
look            out, in
go              away, forward

So, the Verb 'look' means 'to see something' but when we combine it with
some Prepositions, the meanings change:

look out        - be careful
look into       - investigate
look over       - review
look forward to - anticipate

Unfortunately, there are no rules for us to follow that can help us
guess the meanings - we have to memorize their meanings :)

Please fill in the blanks with one of these Phrasal Verbs, you might
have to change them to suit the verb tense (past, future, etc.):

   fill out, put out, cut down, break down, speak up

1. Could you please ....... your cigarette before entering the theatre?
2. I can't hear you very well, please ..........
3. He was late because his car ......... on the way to work.
4. The Export Department needs you to .......... this form immediately.
5. Because of the drop in sales, we must find ways to ....... on
   expenses

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EXERCISE 4.3 - Reading Comprehension

Please read the text and choose the correct answers.

1.  What is the relationship between Harry and Sally?
    (friendly, argumentative, happy)

2.  Who is driving the car? (a friend, Harry, Sally)

3.  What is their point of departure?    (Chicago, New York, Paris)

4.  What is the topic of conversation?
    (their plans for the future, their past experiences, their
     friendship)

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Answers          Go to ---> Online English Content   
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