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Coffee Shops

Coffee Shops

Date: Nov 21 2008

Themes: Food, Hobbies

Grammar: Present Progressive Tense

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.

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

Mason

Mason

Beren

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.

 

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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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alez1986

China

Yes,there are some chains in China now,like Starbucks,Shangdao(I've never notice what's its English name.)...and few independent shops.

I was always drinking coffee,but i'm not now,maybe tea is more suitable and healthier for me.

09:56 AM Nov 22 2008 |

xiao.yigang@delta.com.cn

China

i really like chat with friend when enjoying the delicious coffee, may be one day with you.

05:47 AM Nov 22 2008 |

samiabenarab

France

My parents drink coffee many times a day but in small doses. Few days ago my dad drunk coffee at 9 pm and he couldn't sleep the whol night in spit of the fact that he's a coffee lover. My manager drinks too much coffee too, she told me the first thing she does once she wake up is to make coffee. She verry often take others coffee cups!, she can't resist to coffee!

06:37 PM Nov 21 2008 |

MarcosPT

Portugal

i used to work in an independent coffee shop, it was fun but sometimes weird clients with weird tastes appear and we have to deal with them the best way we could and always being polite, sometime thats hard. i dont have the habit of going out to have a coffee, i dont need it. but i think its a good habit and promote sociability.

 

06:17 PM Nov 21 2008 |

nad1a

nad1a

Greece

can’t do without coffee; adore coffee shops

04:43 PM Nov 21 2008 |

BereNice

BereNice

Mexico

i like coffe shops but i dont like the caffeine 'cause make me feel so hyper

04:07 PM Nov 21 2008 |

Juliny

Juliny

Russian Federation

I’m all for having coffee in a good company:))

03:39 PM Nov 21 2008 |

Totto

Totto

Sudan

I like to go to coffee shops just to hang out with friends

and have a good time.  But I am not addicted to it. I

rarely drink coffee for the caffiene is a very addictive

substance.  some people love to be hyper all the time

 by drinking coffee too much.  For example, my Economy

 teacher drinks it in the morning, noon, and after noon.

  That is too much cafeine doses.  He drinks it while teaching. 

 I dont want to be like that.

03:14 PM Nov 21 2008 |

kaira_harry

Yemen

02:23 PM Nov 21 2008 |

samiabenarab

France

I don't like black coffee, I seldom have it, just when I have exams and wanna keep awake to study, I hate its taste i find it bitter it makes me shivering at every sip!. I like white coffee, it's good and energitik baverage.

01:40 PM Nov 21 2008 |

samiabenarab

France

Hi maysing,

Personnaly I can't chill out or relaxe after taking coffee or even white coffee, it just makes me feel energik at once!, I like taking NESCAFE with milk or Maxwell House with toblerone, it's so tasty with its special aroma and amazingly miaaaam, it's my special moment!

01:36 PM Nov 21 2008 |

samiabenarab

France

coffee shops aren't that popular in my country "algeria", simple cafeterias are more dominating here but only for men, women don't hang at coffee shops, if they do so, it will be a kind of an unusual behaviour. So, I just have my white coffee at home everytime I feel like to do it. But up to me, sometimes it's cool to go to coffee shops with friends, we can have conversations there, we can meet persons we know and we can have fun there too.

01:29 PM Nov 21 2008 |

jinning

jinning

China

some of my friends have coffee to keep them out of sleeping when they want to stay up,but i seldom have it.

11:21 AM Nov 21 2008 |

danyarg

danyarg

Argentina

Coffee shops and bars in my town(Buenos Aires) are very common and many of them are typical. When two friends meet the most probable thing is that they go to drink a coffee, and bars are places also chosen by students. Someone called Buenos Aires "ciudad de bares"(bar town) and I guess it's right!

10:48 AM Nov 21 2008 |

luan_ton

Viet Nam

Wink i like drink coffe shop in lastweek. But as we know coffe also good for our health, so i think we should drink coffe more and more. especialy coffe hepl girls keep nice skin.that is the trust. have a nice day

 

 

08:41 AM Nov 21 2008 |

naresh7

naresh7

India

HI every body

 

 

I enjoy drinking Coffee with friends

08:36 AM Nov 21 2008 |

usually323828

Taiwan

hi.everybody.

i don't have much time to have a coffee  and enjoy it in the shop.

i alway  get coffee from the convenient store.

and the most coffee that i like is Latte coffee.there are lot of milk in it. i love milk. it will make it more smooth.

 

06:57 AM Nov 21 2008 |

Dekler

Dekler

Kazakhstan

I seldom spend my time in coffee shop,
but when I'm  there it make me more sober than before
smell and taste of coffee does it)

06:11 AM Nov 21 2008 |

amjad123

Pakistan

 

 Yes i loved to have coffee  daily early in the

morning. but usualy have it in office and occasioanlt

 got to coffe shop to get my coeaffin fix. In here

Pakistan local manufactured coffee is so nice and shops are too small and when I spare time to spend tha i hang out to coffee shop.and have a great pleasure local coffee. A some people  are hang out there for discuss matters and  some are meet friend and some are being spend some  pare with  pleasure  a cup of coffee.

 Have a nice day

 

 

 

 

05:29 AM Nov 21 2008 |

maysing

maysing

Malaysia

Yes i love to go to coffee shop and to get my caffeine fix.

In Malaysia, the local coffee shop is called "KOPITIAM". The coffee is local taste coffee and it is totally different from western coffee.

I am still love to drink locally coffee because the coffee is very aroma and smooth. Basically, i will go to Kopitiam four time a week.

 Yet, I only go there to get my caffeine fix and no others things. In my country the coffee shop also is a trend for the youngest and old peoples to hang out there. The famous place for us to go there to internet(WIFI), chilling out with buddy, eating and drinking coffee. 

 I am Coffee person. No coffee. No energy.  I hope i can own a coffee shop in future.

Bye Have a nIce day.

03:32 AM Nov 21 2008 |

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