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Perfect Strangers
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Perfect Strangers English, baby! Video Lesson
完完全全的陌生人

Learn English with this friendship English lessons

Date: Jun 04 2013

Themes: Soap Opera

Grammar: Future in the Past

Intro

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

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You and your best friend have known each other since you were kids, but one day you get in a huge fight. Unfortunately, you both have plans to be at the same party that night. You decide that the best way to deal with the situation is to pretend that you don’t know your friend as well as you do. In fact, you’re going to pretend you don’t know your friend at all. You’ll pretend that you’re perfect strangers.

Perfect, used in this way, means one-hundred percent. It means all one way, and none of the other way. If you are acting like someone is a perfect stranger, you are not acting as if she might be a little familiar, or as if you might know her a bit, but not very well. You’re so mad that you are acting as if she is completely, perfectly unfamiliar to you. A perfect stranger.

Jeff and Greta just had an intense experience together, but now some people think they’re acting strangely toward each other. Find out more in this friendship English lesson.

你和你最好的朋友从小就认识,但有一天,你们大吵了一架。不巧那天晚上你们都计划参加同一个聚会。你觉得处理这种情况最好的办法就是,尽管对这个朋友很了解,也要假装对她知之甚少。实际上,你打算装作根本不认识她。你要把她当成完完全全的陌生人。

在这种情况下使用“完完全全”(Perfect),意思是百分之百。它意味着只有一种情况,不存在其他可能。如果你把某人当成完完全全的陌生人,你的行为就不会表现出对她有点熟悉或稍稍了解,但没有深交的样子。你非常生气,以至于装作完全不认识她,把她当成是一个完完全全的陌生人。

杰夫和格里塔刚刚经历了一场激烈的争执,现在有人觉得他们都在装作不认识对方。在本节以友谊为话题的英语课上学习更多。

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Dialog

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

Lily

Lily

Jeff

Jeff

Mason

Mason

Greta

Greta

Lily:  So, you were actually trapped under a rock?

Jeff:  Yeah. It was so crazy! I was pretty brave, actually. You know… no food, no water.

Lily:  Were you afraid you were going to have to saw off your arm, like that guy in that movie?

Jeff:  Well, no, I didn’t have a saw. I’m sure I would’ve figured out how to do that if that’s what it came down to.

Lily:  And then Greta came and saved you? That’s pretty impressive.

Jeff:  It was great that she came, but really it wasn’t that heavy of a rock. I’m sure I could have worked my way around it, regardless.

Mason:  Hey. Did anything weird happen when you saved Jeff the other day?

Greta:  Weird? No. I pushed a rock off of him and saved his life. That’s all.

Mason:  Sounds like it would be kind of a bonding experience. But you guys have been acting like perfect strangers today. Have you even said hi to him?

Greta:  No, no. We’re fine. We’re great. It’s all perfect. I think he’s exhausted from his ordeal.

Mason:  OK.

Lily:  So, you and Greta must be really close if she’s the one you called to save you.

Jeff:  Yeah. We’re friends, but I don’t know…

Lily:  What?

Jeff:  It’s just weird to have your friend save your life. In a way, it would’ve been perfect if a stranger had saved me. That way things could be normal between Greta and I.

Lily:  Is there something between you and Greta?

Jeff:  Greta? No. No! Did I tell you that your hair looks really amazing today?

 

Grammar Point

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Lily’s asking Jeff about the details of his accident. It seems as if Jeff might be exaggerating how hard it was, in order to impress Lily with his bravery. While they’re talking, Greta comes in and looks through papers on Jeff’s desk, but the two of them don’t speak at all.

Mason thinks that’s strange. He asks Greta why, after she and Jeff just had this bonding experience, she’s acting as if the two of them are perfect strangers. Greta insists that nothing is weird between them.

Lily seems to think that something weird is up, too. She tries to ask Jeff more about it, but all he’ll say is that having a friend save him was complicated. When Lily asks Jeff if there’s something between he and Greta, she means something romantic. Jeff immediately denies it, and gives Lily a compliment instead.

Why do you think Jeff and Greta are ignoring each other? Have you and a friend ever treated each other like perfect strangers?

 

Comments

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timchang

Germany

Because Jeff is so embarrassed by the fact that a girl saved his life.  She simply pushed the rock off him.  What does that say about Jeff?  A wuss, sissypants, and a few choice names.  I have a suggestion for Jeff.  Just armwrestle Greta, and prove his might to his friends once for all.  Kind like what Al Bundy does in “Marrid with Children” where he has his friend to pick on Peggy in a bar, so he can come to the rescue and whip his friend to prove his manhood.  As fate would have it, Peggy knocked his friend out cold before he has the chance.    

04:45 PM Sep 15 2013 |

uwi

uwi

Indonesia

I think Jeff is an arrogant person and Greta has a high prestige person to give greeting at the first

12:33 AM Jul 31 2013 |

Maggielin

Maggielin

China

I’m agree with NIJAR. Mybe, to be a perfect strangers to your best friend is  the best way to deal with the situation like Jeff’s ordeal .

03:21 AM Jul 26 2013 |

shaerwan

shaerwan

Syrian Arab Republic

i dont know why but it is so weird

06:43 PM Jun 07 2013 |

Nicte ha

Nicte ha

Mexico

I think Jeff is an ungrateful person

04:07 PM Jun 05 2013 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

I have a hunch that Greta`s  indifference towards Jeff ,is related to his   ambiguous  behaviour  after she  saved him from  the perilous situation he had gotten into.Am I wrong if I think that Greta  was expecting  that Jeff  would have  wanted to kiss her friend and rescuer.? 

11:54 PM Jun 04 2013 |

1 person likes this

Nijar

Nijar

Egypt

Thanks Doe DAMAVAND,you can say I’m a cocktail of the nature, my mom and dad experience, my teachers nectar and for sure my friends spicies:-)

11:11 PM Jun 04 2013 |

DAMAVAND

DAMAVAND

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Excellent Nijar! you’re more than your age in everything :P

09:43 PM Jun 04 2013 |

Nijar

Nijar

Egypt

Oo when I saw the theme profile I remembered a song which says: when someone loves, it immediately appears in his/her eyes!!


We are in a double situations here; perfect strangers between friends, and perfect strangers between lovers.


Let me start with the second one which is more suitable for here; I checked the photo many and guess what I saw this before yeah I did in the real, in a movie or whatever and every second I be affirmative that lovers can’t act like a perfect strangers okay it’s complicated maybe that Jeff and Greta pretend busy with something and avoid eye contact but heart and heart- in our hearts we can’t deny love and if we did as if we laugh at ourselves and deceive it-there’s no fight here the only one is between the person him/herself and his/her heart as if we judge an innocent and send him to the prison, far or soon he will escape:-). Give your heart a room, don’t force him-you’ll be the loser if you do-love the love and you will be loved, treat it well and listen from it, you will feel the happiness. Start with my mom and dad, end with my cousin who is engaged now I do really love to hear from them, I have a friend who loves at the age 8 and the story be completed till now, and once I read that kids can feel it in ages under that!!


On the other hand act strangers between friends yeah it might happen ,nevertheless our nature play a role here; you may act it well but in your deep self still there’s something wrong, you are right, I’m right or both of us are wrong it’s still something wrong here. You try as you can to mute or even shut down this voice whatever reason you find ,it still weird, he/she was my friend okay treated me with a bad way yeah but but there’s something wrong. It’s not easy to act perfect strangers specially in your deeps, maybe I’m exaggerated but that what I feel:)

09:36 PM Jun 04 2013 |

dreadslayer

Turkey

i think they had done something before :)). and they’re hiding something from their other friends.i like being perfect stranger.if somebody is being rude or careless to me i’d be double careless that person :)life goes on dont be perfect stranger .be perfect friend all the time

06:34 PM Jun 04 2013 |

1 person likes this

ola33

ola33

Japan

I’d come and ask, “Hello, how’re you feeling today?” Need more help?:) In any case I’d strike the conversation even though it would be some awkward atmosphere of love in the air, I’d throw some jokes. But to behave like strangers, what it might solve – nothing. Enjoy every minute, take a step, make a compliment and go to the movies ;)

05:31 PM Jun 04 2013 |

1 person likes this

3emma3

3emma3

Iraq

I agree with Ya Nina that the best way to resolve any problem with your close friend  is to identify the problem and try to work around it. Many  people have problems with their best friends but that does not make them enimies. I think it is so  harsh to act like  perfect stranger with a close friend. 

11:15 AM Jun 04 2013 |

Ya Nina

Kazakhstan

I suppose that Jeff and Greta are ignoring each other because they like each other, but no one of them don’t want to admit that. In such situations the best way is to pretend that nothing happened between them and deal with each other as perfect strangers.


I know as it has to be. When I had quarreled with my close friend we pretended that we were the perfect strangers and didn’t meet whenever. Truly, it was many years ago when we studied at school. We were the small silly girls that were sure that such behavior was a right way in those situations. Nowadays I’m sure that the best way when you and your close person have misunderstanding is to clear up all details of your offences and disagreements and the worst way is to pretend the perfect strangers. I believe that we have to care and be pitiful to our close persons and don’t waste time for the ridiculous quarrels. `

10:36 AM Jun 04 2013 |

2 people like this

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