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Date: Aug 14 2009

Themes: Tech

Grammar: Adverbs

Intro

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

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Thanks to websites like Facebook and Twitter, keeping a secret isn’t as easy as it used to be. The minute you get dumped or start dating someone new, for example, status updates on Facebook let the whole world know. And Twitter can keep perfect strangers informed of your every move. These days, information travels incredibly fast.

The comedian Dave Chappelle recently came to Marni’s town. He wanted to put on a secret, free show in the middle of the night, so he shared the news with just a few lucky people. Listen to Marni tell Dale why Chappelle’s big secret didn’t remain a secret for long.

Dialog

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

Marni

Marni

Dale

Dale

Marni:  So, last night I went and saw Dave Chappelle.

Dale:  I didn’t know he was in town.

Marni:  Well, what happened is, somebody found out he was in town and literally within social networking sites and just texting from one person to the next, close to 5,000 people descended on…into downtown to see him.

Dale:  What did he do?

Marni:  Well, about an hour after he was supposedly supposed to go on, he came out onto the stage that was set up in the middle of town, and he had a very tiny, tiny speaker with him. And he talked, and barely anyone could hear him.

Dale:  There was no advertising?

Marni:  No advertising.

Dale:  No TV, no radio?

Marni:  Nothing.

Dale:  So how did this actually transpire?

Marni:  You could say word of mouth, but it was all just via texting and just…people sending each other information on Twitter and on Facebook. Things like that. People just got the word out.

Dale:  I am just amazed that let’s say a year ago, maybe not more than two years ago, that sort of information or way of communicating never existed.

Marni:  It never would have happened.

Dale:  And now, everything you do it’s just play with your thumbs, and…

Marni:  It’s instantaneous.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Marni went out in the middle of the night to see Dave Chappelle give a free, secret performance. Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only one who showed up. Thousands of people heard about Chappelle’s plan via Twitter, texting, and Facebook. There were so many people that when the comedian showed up, most of the audience couldn’t hear him.

Dale is surprised that so many people heard about the performance even though there were no ads for it on TV or the radio. He agrees that news travels a lot faster now than it used to. It’s much easier to communicate instantaneously than it was before texting and social networking sites became popular.

Do you think that texting and social networking sites have improved our lives? Do you agree that it’s harder to keep a secret than it used to be?

 

Comments

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GIULLIANA

GIULLIANA

Peru

nowadays, it is impossible keep a secret because everybody had a profile in facebook or twiter, and we are used to update our phrases about our lifes, you can´t stop to share some information about your life with others it is like an adiction…

12:05 AM Apr 02 2012 |

vik32

vik32

India

yes it has improved our lives a lot now we can share the news or wat r we upto thn it use d to be…nd yes it is getting harder to keep a secret now 

07:11 AM Mar 30 2011 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

I really liked ebaby site,moreover ‘cause there aren’t so many brazilian,as in Orkut :P hahaha

08:13 PM Aug 20 2009 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

What I can say…for instance,I had a profile on orkut and I say,it is a cool place to meet people,old friends and even far relatives…This is a positive side…Now the negative side is everyone know about your life! This is good or not,because there are "good people and bad people" ;) So,since I found out ebaby site I really like it,because it is a discrete site and here people have an goal to lean something usuful,kind english ;)

08:07 PM Aug 20 2009 |

max1983

max1983

Germany

I can agree with the opinion that the information isn't easy to keep in secret nowadays. I thing a lot of people are used to it.That regarding me I don't have a lot to keep it in secret, that's way I won't make a drama of it.

 

07:03 PM Aug 20 2009 |

Jiggy

Jiggy

Peru

yeah I believe that you can post news about you, friends or family and a lot of people can see it…. for example birthdays, weddings, etc and this way can participe about their comments.

04:07 AM Aug 19 2009 |

ILONKA

ILONKA

Russian Federation

Social networking websites heip us to keep in touch with our friends from other countries. Fof example I was on Malta and met a lot of people from different countries and now I can speak with them, see their fotos and so on….I like social networking websites.

05:51 PM Aug 17 2009 |

abrilli

abrilli

Chile

i feel weird because just i have facebook but not twitter.

I know that almost everybody is using it but i dont even use facebook…im good with social networking, nad is good to be communicate with people from other countries, but just that.

01:17 PM Aug 17 2009 |

abrilli

abrilli

Chile

i feel weird because just i have facebook but not twitter.

I know that lamost everybody is using it but i dont even use facebook…im good with social networking, nad is good to be communicate with people from other countries, but just that.

01:17 PM Aug 17 2009 |

fary74

Taiwan

 The social networking sites maybe can help us to know friend who is in foreign country quickly but I don't like to use it.  I don't like other people know myself clearly because I think give private news to strangers is a weird action. 

05:55 AM Aug 17 2009 |

fiydoon

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i enjoyed this lesson . it is very useful for me.

thank you .

06:49 PM Aug 16 2009 |

spike_dsl

spike_dsl

Philippines

Thanks to these new technologies and programs. Providing information to billions of people is just a click of a mouse.

02:02 PM Aug 16 2009 |

marwouta

marwouta

Tunisia

it's true that these social networks made it easier to get in touch.

but obviously it causes most of the times problems in keeping a private thing from being spread.and this annoyes mostly celebrities. that's really heard

01:01 PM Aug 16 2009 |

saloma

saloma

Egypt

yes i think its hard to keep a secret its really hard

 

12:36 PM Aug 16 2009 |

dream4ever

dream4ever

United States

I don't agree nor disagree to the idea of how social network is good.

However, if I had the knowledge I'd most definitely build one myself. 

Why? Simple. Take a look at the creator of Facebook. See how that guy makes millions from just attracting total strangers to chat with each other on his site. He's either a Genius or just plain lucky.  Frown

08:34 AM Aug 16 2009 |

sofree

sofree

China

Yes, definitely the social network improved our lives. It makes everything faster and faster, when we need it.

 

I don't agree it's harder to keep a secret. If you put your status on Facebook, that means you want people know your news. You can't blame Facebook. If you really want to keep your secret, why you update? So you put your status on Facebook, and hope no one can see it, Uh?

 

If you want to keep a secret, if you want to disappear, you always can find ways. 

05:37 AM Aug 16 2009 |

uuvkk

uuvkk

China

Of course.!

 

03:07 AM Aug 16 2009 |

uuvkk

uuvkk

China

Yeah,I think so.

 

03:06 AM Aug 16 2009 |

swallow_

swallow_

Ukraine

I hate Internet, because it’s a chief of our time. It has effect like drag, moreover if smth hold you here, for example pen pals. A virtual reality is super dangerous thing.

08:38 PM Aug 15 2009 |

andrespretty2

Colombia

I think that the social networking sites have improved our lives, because you keep in contac with all of friends and you can know when are the importan dates, but also this could be bad when the offenders use it for threatening people.

08:18 PM Aug 15 2009 |

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