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American Idol

American Idol English, baby! Video Lesson

Date: May 14 2007

Themes: Music, Pop Culture

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.

Have you ever lost a competition and felt really sad about it? Before you cry next time you come in second, think about the reality TV show American Idol. Singers compete in front of cruel judges for fame. But Amanda has noticed something about American Idol. So far, the second-place winners have been the most successful after the competition ends.

Listen to her tell Marni about her discovery.

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.

Log in to Listen

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

Amanda

Amanda

Marni

Marni

Amanda:  Don’t you find it interesting and so very cool that the second-place winner of American Idol for the last four or five seasons is the one that ends up blowing up and has a huge fan base? And the winner? Nobody knows. You can’t even remember or name who the winner was.

Marni:  That’s true, because there was that guy, the Clay Aiken guy, and there was the other guy who…he actually won, right?

Amanda:  He actually won. Ruben.

Marni:  Ruben!

Amanda:  Sold maybe one album. Maybe. To his mother. That’s it.

Marni:  Oh, that is interesting.

Amanda:  It’s weird. It’s as if…if you win you’re jinxed. So you don’t want to win. You want to take second place, and then you’re huge. Katherine McPhee? Just released her CD. Second place.

Marni:  She was the last cycle?

Amanda:  Yes. Taylor Hicks won. Who cares about him? He’s in some car commercial and that’s about it,

Marni:  Okay! Yeah. Well, there was the first season where Kelly Clarkson won, and she was big, right…

Amanda:  And that’s the exception to the entire six years.

Marni:  Six years, huh?

Amanda:  I was thinking about trying out in Seattle next year. Do you wanna come with?

Marni:  Absolutely not. I think it would be so humiliating and those people are so mean.

Amanda:  You are such a fair-weather friend.

Marni:  I am.

 

Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

Amanda says that the second-place winner of American Idol is always the most successful. She says that no one can even remember the first-place winner’s name. Indeed, Marni can only recall the name of a second-place winner. Amanda reminds Amanda of a man named Ruben who won the contest. She jokes that he only sold one album and that it was to his mother.

It’s almost as though the person who comes in first is cursed…except for Kelly Clarkson. She was the winner of the first season and she continues to be successful.

Amanda might try out for American Idol next year, but Marni thinks that the judges are too mean.

Has a competition that you didn’t win ever worked out well for you? Have you ever watched American Idol? Who’s your favorite singer from the show?

 

Comments

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ichiosa

Japan

Hi!

Do you want to know about American Idol?

11:32 AM May 14 2007 |

peacockblue

China

There are so many TV shows coping this American Idol in my country ,China,"Super Girl ",maybe you have heared about it,appeals especially to young people.

There are several problems with it's judges,many fans are disappointed about it now.For instance,many days ago,two judgers disagreed with each other,then one of them absent.

Whatever,these Shows supplied entire dreaming young people with a direct showing stage.It is enough.Smile 

10:18 AM May 14 2007 |

Ro

Mexico

Sometimes it's so funny but also when the judges wanted, they are so cruel

09:46 AM May 14 2007 |

Ro

Mexico

Sometimes American Idol is so funny Smile but also when the judges wanted, they are really cruel Frown

09:43 AM May 14 2007 |

ongar

China

i know the program.but i think it is a funny program.

09:01 AM May 14 2007 |

somaliland

somaliland

Somalia

I understand it is kind of encouragement toward the second place winner of the competition.But do not remember a name of who the winner was, it is something unusual in human understanding

05:37 AM May 14 2007 |

somaliland

somaliland

Somalia

 

 i know some American idol, but i don't understand why the second place of competition become most successfull and famous in America.

05:31 AM May 14 2007 |

ichiosa

Japan

Hello!

I don't know how popular American Idole is.

Is it famous TV program?

If it is, I wanna watch the TV program.

 

04:00 AM May 14 2007 |

lemon_fish

lemon_fish

Singapore

HEY GUYS!~~DO U LIKE MUSIC SO MUCH???PLEASE CONTRACT ME!

02:22 AM May 14 2007 |

applemotion

China

very cool.i mean this lesson

12:39 AM May 14 2007 |

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