Read the dialogue “We shouldn´t have stayed up last night!” and then do the activities that follow.
We shouldn’t have stayed up last night!
Neil: Hey Dave, wake up! We’re late.
Dave: Ahhh… (sleepy voice…) Has the alarm clock gone off yet?
Neil: No and it never will. I forgot to set it last night.
Dave: Oh Gosh! What time is it?
Neil: A quarter past eight. Come on, hurry up!
Dave: Gee, we screwed up big time pal! We’re really late! We’ll never make it on time to meet the guys. Let’s phone them and tell them to go ahead. We’ll catch up with them later.
Neil: We’ll do that on the way to Pete’s house. We still need to pick him up, remember?
Dave: Gosh, I still feel so tired. We shouldn’t have stayed up last night. That comedy show sucked anyway!
Neil: We don’t have time to cry over spilt milk now Dave! Just get up quick now. You’ll feel a lot better once you wash your face.
Sound of cell phone ringing
Neil: I bet it’s Pete. (answering cell phone) Hello?
Pete: Hi, Neil? Where are you guys?
Neil: Hey Pete! We’re on our way to your place, we should be there in a few minutes.
Pete: What happened? Did you guys have any problem?
Neil: We’ll explain it to you later. We’ll see you in a little while! Bye. (turns off cell phone…)
Dave: All right Neil, I’m up! I guess shaving and a shower are out!
Neil: Stop whining Dave, you’ll have plenty of time for shaving and a shower later. Let’s just get changed and get out of here. It’s a good thing we put all the fishing gear in the pick-up truck yesterday. We’d be in trouble if we still had to do it now.
Dave: Well, I guess it’s not all that bad, right?
Neil: Not if you hurry! (…) OK, I’m all set. How about you?
Dave: Oh Gosh! I guess I just need another minute…
Dialogue comprehension – Check if the sentences below are true or false:
- Neil and Dave slept through the alarm clock. True __ False __
- According to Dave the comedy show they watched last night was really good. True __ False __
- Neil phones Pete to tell him they are late. True __ False __
- Dave has plenty of time to shave and shower. True __ False __
- Neil, Dave and some other friends are most likely going on a fishing trip. True __ False __
Language check – Find words in the dialogue that mean the same as:
a- Stop complaining: _________________________________
b- Act or move quickly: ____________________________________
c- Spoil or deal with something badly: ______________________
d- We’ll reach them later: ______________________________
e- We shouldn’t have gone to bed later than usual last night: _________________
f- We don’t have time to remain upset about something that has happened and can’t be changed: ___________
g- Close friend: __________________________
h- I’m ready: ____________________________________
i- Has the alarm clock sounded/rung?: __________________
j- Collect him esp. by car: _______________________
k- That comedy show was very bad: _______________
Conversation
- Do you usually need an alarm clock to wake up in the morning? Have you ever forgotten to set it the night before?
- How long does it usually take you to get ready to leave in the morning?
- Have you ever missed an important appointment because you overslept?
Language practice – Choose the alternative that best explains the meaning of the words in bold in the sentences below:
- What’s done is done. It’s no use being upset about something that can’t be changed.
a- crying over spilt milk b- crying around spilt milk c- crying over milk d- crying around milk
- My alarm clock didn’t ring and I missed my plane.
a- turn on b- go off c- turn up d- sound out
- That software company dealt with the situation very badly when they gave such an important project to an inexperienced manager.
a- screwed up great time b- screwed out big time c- screwed up huge time d- screwed up big time
- I shouldn’t have gone to bed later than usual last night. I feel very sleepy this morning!
a- stayed out b- stood up c- stayed up d- stood out
- The sci-fi movie we watched last night was very bad.
a- sacked b- sucked c- sunk d- swank
- Stop complaining and get your job done!
a- lying b- crying c- trying d- whining
José Roberto A. Igreja is the author and co-author of several ELT books, including:
LET´S TALK ABOUT IT! – The Ultimate ELT Conversation Book
600 Phrasal Verbs (with Jonathan T. Hogan)
English for Job Interviews (with Robert C. Young)
Inglês de Rua – American Slang (with Robert C. Young)
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