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Catch Some Zs
Catch Some Zs English, baby! Video Lesson

Learn English meaning of ‘catch some Zs’

Date: May 23 2017

Themes: Music, Soap Opera, Travel

Grammar: First Conditional

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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

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What makes you sleepy? Most of us love to nap in warm sunshine, relax with a cup of tea, or fall asleep listening to our favorite lyrics. And almost everyone gets tired when they stay awake for too long. A big homework assignment might keep you up all night. Nerves might keep you awake. Or it’s possible that you might have a long drive and need to stay on the freeway all night. All of these things make a person tired!

When you’re feeling super sleepy, it’s time to catch some Zs. To catch some Zs is to sleep. This American English expression began in comics. Artists wanted to show the sound of a person sleeping in their drawings. They used “Z-Z-Z-Z-Z” to show when a person was sleeping and snoring. Because of this, people started talking about catching Zs when they wanted to sleep.

Kelsey really needs to catch some Zs. Find out if she can stay awake long enough to talk to Dominique in today’s soap opera.

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.

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

Dominique

Dominique

Kelsey

Kelsey

Dominique:  Hey, Kelsey!

Kelsey:  Hey!

Dominique:  How are you feeling? Excited?

Kelsey:  Tired.

Dominique:  Well, we have a bit of a drive, so maybe, you can catch up on some Zs while I drive.

Kelsey:  That’d be great. I couldn’t sleep at all last night.

Dominique:  Nerves?

Kelsey:  Yeah, I just kept thinking about this afternoon. What if I forget something? Lyrics? Chords? What if people laugh? Or worse, no one shows up? Is that worse? What’s worse?

Dominique:  OK. Why don’t you put your seat back and relax, Kelsey. We have to pick everyone else up. We’ll soon be on the freeway, and you’ll be able to sleep.

Kelsey:  OK. Sounds good.

Dominique:  OK, here we go! You’ve got everything? Kelsey? Kelsey!

Kelsey:  Are we there?

Dominique:  No, we haven’t left.

Kelsey:  Oh.

Dominique:  I wanted to double-check and make sure that you have everything you need.

Kelsey:  I do. Thank you, Dominique.

Dominique:  OK. Here we go!

Kelsey:  Wait!!! My guitar!!!

Dominique:  She really does need to catch some Zs.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Dominique is picking Kelsey up so they can go on a road trip. They will pick everyone up and then go to Kelsey’s big show. But Kelsey is very tired. Nerves kept her awake all night. She was thinking too much about her show and worrying about all the details. She might forget the words to her songs, or she might forget how to play her guitar.

Kelsey’s biggest fear is that no one will show up. Dominique tries to calm her down. She says that Kelsey can take a nap in the car. Kelsey thinks that sounds great, and in two seconds, she is already catching some Zs. Dominique has to wake her up to double-check that she has everything. Kelsey says that she’s ready, but she almost forgets to bring her guitar.

When did you need to catch some Zs? Did you ever do something strange because you were very tired?

 

Comments

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Mimi Sato

Brazil

Sometimes when I’m very tired I can fall asleep while talking to someone… That’s awkward…

09:53 PM Jun 04 2017 |

Mimi Sato

Brazil

Everytime I have to speak in public I can’t sleep well the night before the event. Or when i have to participate in a workshop and there will be strangers, I get really nervous and this makes me to be awake all night. When the day comes i might feel a tired, but not sleepy. I think it’s because the adrenalin. But when i finish my duties it is certain that fatigue is coming up and this is when i have to catch some zs.

09:39 PM Jun 04 2017 |

allenzhaojl

China

I need to catch some Zs and I am really tired now, bye!

01:29 PM May 25 2017 |

1 person likes this

FenoaSuper Member!

Argentina

Sawing logs, huh? Getting/ forty winks. Good job, English baby. I enjoyed the lesson. 

12:19 AM May 23 2017 |

1 person likes this

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