Marathon World Record
Two friends discuss a new world record.
Garth: “Did you hear? There’s a new marathon world record.”
Sherwin: “No way.”
Garth: “Yes way, this guy from Kenya ran the Chicago marathon yesterday in two hours and thirty-five seconds.”
Sherwin: “That’s hard to believe. Why are the fastest runners in the world always from Kenya?”
Garth: “They’re not, first of all. Second, they have special shoes.”
Sherwin: “Seriously? Can I buy a pair?”
Garth: “No, we can’t, it’s only for them. It’s a prototype from Nike.”
Sherwin: “That’s not fair.”
Garth: “I know, but what can you do?”
Sherwin: “Not a lot.”
Garth: “You can say that again.”
VOCABULARY WITH IDIOMS
Yes way is used as a confirmative, denoting the non-impossibility or existence of something somebody said “no way” to. See online Urban Dictionary.
First of all is a phrase used to indicate the most significant thing or component of something. See online Idioms Dictionary.
You can say that again is an informal way to express strong agreement with someone. See online Idioms Dictionary.
INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED DIALOGUE
New Idioms are “Go easy” and “Give out.” The English grammar focuses on Past Participles.
Peter: “If I were you, I would go easy on the long-distance running.”
Karsten: “Why is that?”
Peter: “Because round about forty or fifty, your knees will start to give out.”
Karsten: “You’re not inspired by these marathon runners, then? Your response is fear?”
Peter: “I’m not a long-distance runner, so inspiration isn’t in the cards for me anyway. I’m just saying you should be careful.”
Karsten: “You realize I’m only nineteen?”
Peter: “Well, you have to look ahead.”
Karsten: “Maybe I shouldn’t live because someday I will die?”
Peter: “I’m not saying that.”
Karsten: “Do you know Jack London? Here is a quote from him: ‘I would rather be ashes than dust.’ “
Peter: “Point taken.”
VOCABULARY WITH IDIOMS
Go easy means to act with prudence or caution. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Round about is chiefly a British idiom and means approximately or roughly. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Give out means to become depleted, suddenly fail or collapse. See online Idioms Dictionary.
In the cards means very likely or certain to happen, occur, or take place; in the future. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Look ahead means to think about the future, to cast one’s gaze forward. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Point taken is a response to someone indicating that their idea, suggestion, or course of reasoning is understandable, and one is willing to accept, consider, or acknowledge it. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Full quote from Jack London: “I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”
ENGLISH GRAMMAR
Suggested Topic for Comments: Past Participles
“You’re not inspired by these long-distance runners, then?” Past participles function as either adjectives or passive verbs. Usually, as in this case with “by + noun phrase,” we have an obvious construction with a passive verb. An example of a past participle functioning as an adjective is the following: “The doorknob was broken.” However, even in this instance the clause could be passive: “The doorknob was broken by gangsters.”
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