[6:13] Real-Life English Unit 16: Learn Everyday Phrases for TV Shows and Cable TV

Learning English isn't just about mastering grammar and vocabulary; it's more about using it naturally in real-life scenarios. However, textbook sentences can often sound too formal and far from how people actually speak in daily life. To speak authentic, natural English, it's essential to engage with real-life dialogues. In this article, we select frequently used English expressions across various daily situations such as social interactions, work, and travel, helping you move away from 'textbook English' and learn the phrases real people use. Here's the content for this unit of 'Real-Life English Unit 16: Television'. Keep practicing, and your English will feel more alive and natural! Part One: Expressions 1. What's wrong with the regular television stations? (一般的电视台有什么问题？) 2. There’re educational stations too. (也有教育电视台嘛。) 3. Everybody has cable. (家家都有有线电视。) 4. I'll talk to your father about it. (我跟你父亲商量商量。) 5. We’re never going to get to the end of this one. (我们永远也看不到结局。) 6. You want something to drink? (想喝一点什么吗？) 7. Hurry, the movie is coming back on. (快一点，电影马上又要上演了。) 8. What’s on TV tonight? (今天有什么电视节目？) 9. Dark Angel is a good show. (《末世黑天使》这电视剧不错。) 10. There’s a football game on too. (也有足球比赛。) Part Two: Dialogues 1. Cable TV A: Mom, can we get cable TV or a satellite dish? B: It costs money, dear. What’s wrong with the regular television stations? A: The shows are dull and there are too many advertisements. B: Well, you already watch too much TV instead of doing your homework anyway. A: There’re educational stations too. I could learn while I watched TV. B: Well, that’s true, but you’d probably only watch cartoons and action movies. A: No I wouldn’t... Can’t we get cable? Everybody has cable. B: Well, if everybody jumped off a bridge, would you jump too? A: Mom!!!! Please. All my friends have had it for years. B: Get new friends. A: Why are you always so mean? B: Because you’d end up spoiled rotten if I wasn’t. A: I could help pay for it. B: Let’s see how your grades are this semester, and maybe I’ll talk to your father about it. A: O.K. Thanks, Mom! 2. Advertisements A: Ugh. Another advertisement. They’ve added two hours of advertisements to a two-hour movie. B: Yeah. We’re never going to get to the end of this one. A: Why are we watching it anyway? B: Well, it does have a lot of girls in it. A: True. True. B: Do you think Bruce Willis just drank a Coke for his health? A: Really? Did Coke pay him for that? B: Of course. A: You want something to drink? B: Yeah, got a Coke? A: Sure. B: Hurry, the movie is coming back on. 3. TV Series A: What’s on TV tonight? B: Not much, that new reality-TV show, Ally McBeal, oooo, Dark Angel. A: Wait a second. I want to watch Ally McBeal. B: Oh, come on. That’s such a girl’s show. A: No, it’s not. It’s just funny. B: Yeah, if you’re a girl. A: Well, you just want to watch Dark Angel because of the hot girl. B: That’s not true. Dark Angel is a good show. A: Its story is just an excuse to get the girl dressed up in different tight outfits. B: O.K., O.K. Let’s forget it. There’s a football game on too. A: No way. I’m watching Ally McBeal. Go to John’s to watch the game. Part Three: Substitution Drills 1. A: What’s (wrong/the matter/the problem) with the regular television stations? B: The shows are boring. 2. A: There’re (educational/news/sports) stations too. B: That’s true. 3. A: Everybody has (cable/garage/a car). B: Well, if everybody jumped off a bridge, would you jump too? 4. A: I’ll talk to your (father/mother/teacher) about it. B: O.K. Thanks. 5. A: We’re never going to (get to the end of this one/finish this movie/see the result). B: That’s right. 6. A: (You want/Do you want/Would you like) something to drink? B: Sure. Thanks. 7. A: (Hurry/Quick/Hurry up)! The movie is coming back on. B: I’m coming. 8. A: What’s on (TV/television/the tube) tonight? B: Nothing much. 9. A: Dark Angel is a (good show/great program/a wonderful television series). B: No, it isn’t. / Yes, it is. 10. A: There’s a football game on (too/also/as well). B: Go watch it at John’s. Part Four: Monologue Carl’s Note Americans watch a lot of television. Many people, especially doctors and teachers, think they watch too much. There are at least seven to ten free channels in every city, and cable TV offers up to a hundred stations for around $40 a month. Cable TV stations will often only show one thing: movies, news, sports, entertainment news, financial news, there are even stations that show nothing but cooking shows. If you get a satellite TV, you can get 300-500 TV stations. If you have time, you can watch every college and professional basketball game in the country. The effect on children of this much television is especially troubling. Teachers complain that students neglect their homework and do not read for pleasure anymore, and doctors note that children who watch too much TV are often not physically fit. Part Five: Vocabulary --television 电视，电视广播 --educational 教育的 --cable 缆；索；钢索 --satellite dish碟形卫星信号接受器 --news 新闻；消息；报导 --channel 频道，波段 --complain 抱怨，发牢骚，诉说 --neglect 忽视，忽略