1.6. Unit Six. Conversation “ Why doesn’t the curtain rise?..”

Phase A. Conversation

(An orchestra tuning up in the background)

Arthur and Deborah are at the opera. There’s a woman sitting in front of them. She’s wearing a very big hat. Listen.

Deborah: Why doesn’t the curtain rise?

Arthur: I think it’s going to rise in a few seconds. I mean, the opera is going to begin soon.

Deborah: Well, I hope we’re going to see it.

Arthur: What do you mean? I don’t understand.

Deborah: I can’t see anything at all at the moment! So I hope that woman’s going to take off her hat!

Arthur: You mean (in a low voice) the woman in front of us?

Deborah: Yes. Ask her!

Arthur: Er...(clearing his throat) excuse me, madam. Um... madam! Excuse me.

Woman: Yes?

Arthur: Um... are you going to take off your hat?

Woman: My hat?

Arthur: Yes.

Woman: Oh... of course. I’m so sorry. Excuse me.

Arthur: That’s all right. Thank you. (In a confidential whisper to Deborah) Phew! I know that woman.

Deborah: Do you?

Arthur: Well, I know her husband at least. He’s a very important customer. I often see him.

Deborah: Oh? Are you going to see him tomorrow?

Arthur: Why, yes, I am. Why?

Deborah: Well, tell him to buy his wife a new hat!

Phase B. Pronunciation.

Listen carefully to the two pronunciations of “is” in the phrase “is going to”. Listen! Here it comes after the word “the opera”.

Deborah: The opera – The opera’s – The opera’s going to begin soon.

Now repeat!

Deborah: The opera // The opera’s // The opera’s going // The opera’s going to begin soon. //

Now listen to the second pronunciation of “is”. Here, it comes after the word “It”.Listen!

Arthur: It – It’s – It’s going to begin – It’s going to begin in a few seconds.

Now repeat.

Arthur: It // It’s // It’s going to begin // It’s going to begin // It’s going to begin in a few seconds. //

Now compare them. Repeat again.

Deborah: The opera’s //

Arthur: It’s //

Once more!

Deborah: The opera’s //

Arthur: It’s //

Deborah: The opera’s going to begin soon. //

Arthur: It’s going to begin in a few seconds. //

Phase C. Repetition.

And now... Repeat Arthur’s part in the conversation... Arthur’s part.

Arthur: I think it’s going to rise in a few seconds. // I mean, the opera is going to begin soon. //

Deborah: Well, I hope we’re going to see it.

Arthur: What do you mean? // I don’t understand. //

Deborah: I can’t see anything at all at the moment! So I hope that woman’s going to take off her hat!

Arthur: You mean the woman in front of us? //

Deborah: Yes. Ask her!

Arthur: Um... excuse me, madam. // Um... madam! // Excuse me. //

Woman: Yes?

Arthur: Um... are you going to take off your hat? //

Woman: My hat?

Arthur: Yes. //

Woman: Oh... of course. I’m so sorry. Excuse me.

Arthur: That’s all right. // Thank you. // Phew! I know that woman. //

Deborah: Do you?

Arthur: Well, I know her husband at least. // He’s a very important customer. // I often see him. //

Deborah: Oh? Are you going to see him tomorrow?

Arthur: Why, yes, I am. // Why? //

Deborah: Well, tell him to buy his wife a new hat!

Phase D. Fluency Practice.

DRILL 1

Now let’s practise the two different pronunciations of “is” before “going to”. Listen.

Deborah: The opera’s going to begin soon.

The opera’s going to begin soon.

Deborah: it

It’s going to begin soon.

Deborah: the film

The film’s going to begin soon.

Deborah: end

The film’s going to end soon.

Now you do it. Are you ready?

The film’s going to end soon.

Deborah: the lesson

The lesson’s going to end soon.

Deborah: it

It’s going to end soon.

Deborah: the music

The music‘s going to end soon.

Deborah: the teacher

The teacher‘s going to start soon.

DRILL 2

Now let’s practise the weak pronunciation of the word “are”. Notice what Deborah says here. Repeat it.

Deborah: We’re // we’re // we’re going to see it. //

Now listen to what I do.

Deborah: We’re going to see it.

We’re going to see it.

Deborah: they

They’re going to see it.

Deborah: do it

They’re going to do it.

Now you do it.

Deborah: We’re going to see it.

Deborah: they

They’re going to see it.

Deborah: do it

They’re going to do it.

Deborah: listen to it

They’re going to listen to it.

Deborah: you

You’re going to listen to it.

Deborah: hear it

You’re going to hear it.

Deborah: like it

You’re going to like it.

DRILL 3

Listen to this. You hear it at the beginning of the conversation.

Deborah: Why doesn’t the curtain rise?

Arthur: I think it’s going to rise in a few seconds.

Now repeat Arthur’s sentence. Notice the intonation.

Arthur: going to rise // it’s going to rise // in a few seconds // It’s going to rise in a few seconds // I think // I think it’s going to rise in a few seconds. //

Now make more sentences like that. For example, listen.

Deborah: Those people in front are still standing. Why don’t they sit down?

Arthur: I think they’re going to sit down in a few seconds.

Repeat.

Arthur: going to sit down // they’re // they’re to sit down // I think they’re going to sit down // in a few seconds // I think they’re going to sit down in a few seconds. //

Now you do it. Make more sentences like that.

One.

Deborah: Those people in front are still talking. Why don’t they stop?

Arthur: I think they’re going to stop in a few seconds.

Two.

Deborah: There’s a man in front of us and he’s standing. Why doesn’t he sit down?

Arthur: I think he’s going to sit down in a few seconds.

Three.

Deborah: Some people are still outside. Why don’t they come in?

Arthur: I think they’re going to come in in a few seconds.

Four.

Deborah: The doors are still open. Why don’t they close them?

Arthur: I think they’re going to close them in a few seconds.

Five.

Deborah: Why doesn’t the music start?

Arthur: I think it’s going to start in a few seconds.

DRILL 4

Do you also remember this? Listen to Arthur’s question.

Deborah: I hope that woman’s going to take off her hat! Ask her!

Arthur: Um... excuse me. Are you going to take off your hat?

Repeat that... and notice how he begins the question!

Arthur: Um... excuse me. // Are you going to take off your hat? //

Now make more questions like that. For instance:

Deborah: I hope those men are going to close the doors. Ask them!

Arthur: Um... excuse me. Are you going to lose the doors?

Now you do it. You are Arthur.

One.

Deborah: I hope that men are going to close the doors. Ask them!

Arthur: Um... excuse me. Are you going to close the doors?

Two.

Deborah: I hope those people in front of us are going to sit down. Ask them!

Arthur: Um... excuse me. Are you going to sit down?

Three.

Deborah: I hope those children are going to keep quiet. Ask them!

Arthur: Um... excuse me. Are you going to keep quiet?

Four.

Deborah: I hope they’re going to sit still! Ask them!

Arthur: Um... excuse me. Are you going to sit still?

Five.

Deborah: I mean... sometimes children play about and make noise... so I hope they’re going to listen to the music. Ask them!

Arthur: Um... excuse me. Are you going to listen to the music?

Six.

Deborah: I mean... I hope they’re going to be quiet. Ask them.

Arthur: Um... excuse me. Are you going to be quiet?

DRILL 5

Arthur is talking about the husband of the woman with the big hat.

Repeat what Deborah says... what Deborah says!

Arthur: He’s a very important customer. I often see him.

Deborah: Oh? Are you going to see him tomorrow? //

Now ask more questions like that. For example, listen. Arthur is still talking about the woman’s husband.

Arthur: He often phones me.

Deborah: Oh? Is he going to phone you tomorrow?

Now you do it. Ask Arthur questions like that about tomorrow.

One.

Arthur: He often phones me.

Deborah: Oh? Is he going to phone you tomorrow?

Two.

Arthur: I often talk to him.

Deborah: Oh? Are you going to talk to him tomorrow?

Three.

Arthur: We often meet.

Deborah: Oh? Are you going to meet tomorrow?

Four.

Arthur: We often have lunch.

Deborah: Oh? Are you going to have lunch tomorrow?

Five.

Arthur: His wife often comes.

Deborah: Oh? Is she going to come tomorrow?

Six.

Arthur: And that hat... she often wears it!

Deborah: Oh? Is she going to wear it tomorrow?

And that is the end of this unit. Thank you.