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Coffee Shops

Date: Nov 21 2008

Themes: Food, Hobbies

Grammar: Present Progressive Tense

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Intro

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

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

It’s easier to get out of bed in the morning when you know there’s a fresh cup of coffee waiting for you and friendly people to meet at the coffee shop. Big chains like Starbucks offer convenience, but small, independent coffee shops have something else: personality.

For some, local coffee shops are more than just a place to grab a quick caffeine fix. They’re more like a second home, a comfortable place to spend hours studying, working, or talking with friends. Listen to Beren and Mason discuss coffee shops.

Dialog

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

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

Mason

Beren

Mason: You know what I miss the most now that I am a 9 to 5-er?

Beren: What? What’s that?

Mason: Getting to hang out at coffee shops all the time.

Beren: Ooh, yeah. Did you used to do that a lot?

Mason: Yeah, I mean when I was in my crazy swinging freelance days, I had my couple favorite shops and that was just where I’d go get all my work done. And you kind of become part of a scene there, you know. You get to know the baristas and the regulars. It’s awesome.

Beren: Yeah. I get coffee. I need my caffeine fix and everything in the morning. But I don’t know, ever since I worked at a coffee shop I just have not been able to like hang out there. Just because I feel too bad for the people behind the counter.

Mason: What kind of place did you work at? Was it like an independent shop?

Beren: Um, it started out as like a locally owned independent coffee shop. Then it kind of got slowly taken over by a big corporation.

Mason: Really? That doesn’t happen all that often.

Beren: No, not too often. But, yeah, I don’t know. It’s just…Once you work in a coffee shop, you’re drinking so much coffee all the time, you get totally wired. You can’t handle…anything. Simple conversation. That’s why people that work at coffee shops are so jittery and angry. They’re just like, “Ahhh!” It’s all the caffeine.

Mason: Okay. I’m going decaf.

Grammar Point

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Discussion

Mason recently started working a 9 to 5 job so he can’t spend all his time at coffee shops any more. He misses being a regular at his favorite coffee shop and belonging to a local scene.

Beren used to be a barista at an independent coffee shop that got bought out by a large chain. Beren’s experience working at a coffee shop has turned her against them. She says all baristas are wired and angry from drinking too much caffeine and dealing with difficult customers.

Are coffee shops popular in your country? Do you like going to coffee shops to get your caffeine fix or hang out with friends?

Comments

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Alexandre Borges

Brazil

Actually, I prefer beer or caipirinha than coffee ;D

pkornsi

Thailand

Here in Thailand, the most of the coffee shops are in the gas station. So it seem like the coffee shop here is a rested place for the driver.

zekezhou

China

I have not gone to coffee shop yet.

nghiemhoa

Viet Nam

i don't drink coffee so much.its the fisrt time i was heard that coffee help the girls to keep the skin.are you joking?

zeus2006

Turkey

Actually I can not understand people who as soon as possible woke up they drink coffee while they are hungry!!!So dangerous

zeus2006

Turkey

Hi,
Fourth line,Beren’s sentence: ’’Ohhh Yeah. Did you used to do that a lot? ’’
Who will tell me whether this grammer is correct or not? If there is a mistake, tell us please!!! :)

bluese

Turkey

wonderful

atl37

Turkey

i want to study english. but i am a soldier in Turkey (Siirt). i vanna a coffee. i havent it :(

osadek2003

Yemen

I love going to the cafe shop and meeting new people.

But the coffee that my mother make is better than any cafe that I ever drink in any cafe shop.

I cafe shop for one thing is when you stay with your friend and have a talk with joke and gossip about other friend.

best wish

gaoquanli

China

yeah. of course . i knew a beautiful gril who is a server of coffee shop. so i can get some coffee .but i do not like drinking it. i think tast it a litter bitter.

gaoquanli

China

yeah. of course . i knew a beautiful gril who is a server of coffee shop. so i can get some coffee .but i do not like drinking it. i think tast it a litter bitter.

krrapm

India

i'm a lover of coffee. it gives me freshness and some good energy to do my work in the work. i'm always drink tea and sometimes coffee . in india tea is famous esp tamilnadu we prepare tea with milk and it's tasty and delicious.i rush to tea shops in the evening to complete my days well.

krrapm

India

i'm a lover of coffee. it gives me freshness and some good energy to do my work in the work.

i'm always drink tea and sometimes coffee . in india tea is famous esp tamilnadu we prepare tea with milk and it's tasty and delicious.i rush to tea shops in the evening to complete my days well.

krrapm

India

i'm a lover of coffee. it gives me freshness and some good energy to do my work in the work.

i'm always drink tea and sometimes coffee . in india tea is famous esp tamilnadu we prepare tea with milk and it's tasty and delicious.i rush to tea shops in the evening to complete my days well.

kathy888@yeah.net

China

An unforgetable experience

I seldom drink coffee. But I do like black coffee with the original bitter. Unfortunately I over drunk coffee some day. I felt that i was going to through out. My heart palpitated faster that usual and my hands was shaking heavily .causing by the caffeine,i thought. after eating a lot of food, i felt much better. It's awesome . I am not used to the caffeine . Anyway the sweet smell and taste is so attractive that i can't be tempted.

stylelans

China

hello everyone ,what a pity!I like coffee,but I don`t have time to go there!maybe ,it`s too silent there.It can bring me a kind of sadness.you must think I am a person who is without taste .I really can`t think HOW can I stay there that long.

swallow_

Ukraine

As a rule, all my familiars drink coffee in order to become cheerful and to overcome a sleepiness. But when I drink coffee I feel only a great rush of laziness, instead of mobilize myself I relax and don’t want to do anything…

xweameg

China

I'd like to hang out to the coffee shop when I was in Korea, alone or with some close friends. There are many wonderful coffee shops in Korea, they a probably the one of the quite a few things I like in Korea!