Pre-Listening Exercise

If you are a child, where do you want your mother or father to take you on their day off
(e.g., amusement park, zoo, swimming pool, a park, etc.)?

Idioms
“soft-hearted” = gentle, kind
“He might not seem very understanding, but you’ll see he’s soft-hearted once you get to
know him.”

“run in the family” = physical or personality traits that are similar

“All their kids are very athletic; it seems to run in the family.”

Listening Exercise
Listen to the recording and answer the questions.

The young girl wants to go to _______.

to the swimming pool
to the movies
to the park

Who is going with them?

the girl's mother
the girl's best friend
the girl's older brother

What time does the activity start?

2:30 p.m.
2:15 p.m.
2:45 p.m.

What does the girl want to do later?

She wants to walk to the ice cream store
She wants to go down to the beach.
She wants to swim at the park.

What does the father want to do at the end of the day?

watch a fireworks display
go to a restaurant
play a board game
 Vocabulary Practice
Try this activity to practice the vocabulary from the conversation:

 Gap-fill Exercise

Girl: Dad, I'm ………………… [?] today. I want to go to a movie?

Dad: A movie today? Well, I don't know. Here. Let me ………………… [?] at the newspaper. Okay.
Ah, here's a movie that ………………… [?] in the afternoon at 2:45. Well, should we take mommy
with ………………… [?]?
Girl: Yeah.
Dad: Okay, we have to wait for mommy because she's at a ………………… [?] right now.
Girl: Okay.
Dad: Alright. And what should we do ………………… [?] we see the movie?
Girl: Go on a walk.
Dad: Well, where would you like to go on a ………………… [?]? Would you like to go down to the
beach or through the ………………… [?]?
Girl: To the beach.
Dad: To the beach. Well, that sounds great. And then maybe we can go out to …………………
[?] tonight. Does that sound okay?
Girl: Yeah.

Listening Exercise
Listen to the recording and read along with the conversation. Review the key vocabulary and the
sample sentences.

Girl: Dad, I’m bored today. I want to go to a movie?

Dad: A movie today? Well, I don’t know. Here. Let me look at the newspaper. Okay. Ah,
here’s a movie that starts in the afternoon at 2:45. Well, should we take mommy with
us?
Girl: Yeah.
Dad: Okay, we have to wait for mommy because she’s at a meeting right now.
Girl: Okay.
Dad: Alright. And what should we do after we see the movie?
Girl: Go on a walk.
Dad: Well, where would you like to go on a walk? Would you like to go down to the
beach or through the park?
Girl: To the beach.
Dad: To the beach. Well, that sounds great. And then maybe we can go out to eat
tonight. Does that sound okay?
Girl: Yeah.
 Vocabulary and Sample Sentences
 yeah (adverb): informal for yes; also yep 
– May I use your pen. 
Yeah, sure.
 mommy (noun): an informal word for mother usually used by children; also mom. 
– Mommy. May I watch TV?

Post-Listening Exercise
Family entertainment can be a way to improve family relationships. Share your thoughts
and experiences on the following topics with a partner:

 What things did you do together with your family when you were growing up?
 Do you still do any of these things today?

Online Investigation
Families sometimes visit an amusement park like Disneyland or something smaller for
fun. Choose a country or place you want to visit and answer these questions using the
Internet:

 What is the name of the amusement park?

 Where is it located?
 What are the hours?
 How much does a ticket cost to get in?
 Are there any discounts for children or seniors?
 What are the main attractions of the park?