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High Maintenance
High Maintenance English, baby! Video Lesson

Learn English meaning of ‘high maintenance’

Date: Apr 02 2019

Themes: Soap Opera, Travel

Grammar: Present Perfect Tense

Intro

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

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

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You and a friend have decided to backpack through the Alps. You are very excited about seeing some of the most beautiful mountains in the world. You are the type of person who could sleep almost anywhere. Cheap hostels? No problem. A tent in the woods? Absolutely. You like to drift from place to place without any agenda, and don’t need very many things to be comfortable.

Your friend, however, wants to check into expensive hotels. He would never be able to sleep in a cheap hostel! He needs to have ice in all his drinks and apply sunscreen every hour. You might say that your friend is very high maintenance. When someone is high maintenance, this means that they need a lot of attention, and a lot things, to be comfortable. Your high maintenance friend is probably a lot of fun at fancy restaurants, but hiking through the woods might not be his thing.

Dominique and Kelsey are at the river. One of them admits to being pretty high maintenance. Which one do you think it is? Watch and find out!

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

Dialog

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

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

Dominique

Dominique

Kelsey

Kelsey

Andy_H

Andy_H

Dominique:  Where would you go if you had two weeks?

Kelsey:  Like anywhere?

Dominique:  Anywhere.

Kelsey:  Ugh… I don’t know! Right now, Nashville.

Dominique:  Nashville?! Really?

Kelsey:  Yeah! It’d be fun! All the music there… super inspiring. Or maybe, backpack around Europe.

Dominique:  Eww. Really? Backpack?

Kelsey:  Yeah! Wouldn’t it be fun? No real plan, just drift from city to city, stay in hostels, meet people, absorb everything.

Dominique:  I’d be into Europe, but I’ll be honest, I am way too high maintenance to go backpack. I’d want to pack for an occasional fancy dinner, casual times, beach times, museum times, travel days… Tell me you’re here.

Andy_H:  Well, almost. Actually, I haven’t left, yet.

Dominique:  What? Here, you talk to him.

Kelsey:  Where are you?

Andy_H:  Still at home. I got the cooler, but I wanted to check in and see if you wanted me to grab anything to put in it.

Kelsey:  ICE, Andy!

Andy_H:  Oh, yeah. Snacks? Drinks?

Kelsey:  We have those, we just need the cooler and ice.

Andy_H:  Cool! Will do! I just need to put on some sunscreen and then grab a towel and, maybe, extra clothes to change into afterwards, and then I’ll be right out the door!

Kelsey:  Speaking of high maintenance.

Dominique:  Just put some on when you get out here.

Andy_H:  You’re supposed to put it on 20 minutes before exposure to the sun.

Kelsey:  Andy, get in the car, and get out here!

Andy_H:  OK, it’s just that, in my dream last night, I forgot to put on sunscreen, and it was a really big deal because I…

Kelsey:  Andy! Later! Put! Body! In! Car!

Andy_H:  OK. OK. OK!

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Dominique and Kelsey are lounging by the river. Dominique asks Kelsey, if she could go anywhere for two weeks, where would she go. Kelsey says Nashville or backpack around Europe. Dominique thinks backpacking around Europe sounds icky. She’s way too high maintenance to stay in hostels.

Dominique’s phone rings, and it’s Andy. He still hasn’t left. Dominique is annoyed and hands the phone to Kelsey. Andy needs to know what he should put in the cooler. Kelsey tells him to get some ice, then get out to the river. Andy says he’ll be on his way as soon as he gets the ice, puts on sunscreen, grabs an extra towel, and packs a change of clothes. Talk about high maintenance!

Are you high maintenance? What everyday comforts do you think you could live without?

 

Comments

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Belosnejka

Russian Federation

new vocabulary is always a good idea)

06:08 AM Apr 29 2019 |

bora_78

bora_78Super Member!

Turkey

I am not high maintenance person that’s why I can stay anywhere where is clean enviorment.Pitching tent is among the my most love  hobbies.

07:21 PM Apr 01 2019 |

1 person likes this

ml2000

ml2000Super Member!

Canada

I don’t like the screaming of that guy at the end of the recording. It sounds so noisy and nasty. 

03:27 PM Apr 01 2019 |

1 person likes this

Abdullah_Super Member!

Germany

I am pretty high maintenance when planning to travel on short visit with my family to nearby waterfall. 

09:57 AM Apr 14 2018 |

1 person likes this

allenzhaojl

China

I am not a high maintenace, I can go everywhere with all equipments, but the thing just need to be tidy and clean.

01:50 PM Nov 06 2017 |

1 person likes this

pogoda2

pogoda2

Russian Federation

All people may be high maintenance person but not all have many money  for it.

09:22 AM Oct 27 2017 |

1 person likes this

DanielBorges

Portugal


I think with the years people tend to be more high maintenance! I loved in the past to backpack and visit different countries and places, drift from a place to another, but today i prefer more comfortable hotels, places to rest and take sunbaths! I think however i could live without TV or Mobile phone!!

01:15 PM Oct 17 2017 |

meyban

meyban

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Actually I,m not a high maintenance guy. I can live with out sun creen or any fancy food.I can sleep in hostel and I can drink my soda with out ice, It,s not cool for long journy but I can handle it 


05:56 AM Oct 17 2017 |

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