Actual English 7 - Middle and High School

Reference: http://home.ebse.co.kr/actualenglish/

Actual English

https://my.pcloud.com/publink/show?code=XZ354x7ZLVthCR9e0yYEr0JKFy7TeV97d44V

 

W: Peter I heard you were such a partier in your middle school and high school years.

M: I want to know where you got this information from. I did like to *indulge in a little bit of social activity, throughout my middle and high school years. That’s called secondary school in the UK, actually. But I did study as well. I was a good student, but on the weekends I liked to *let my hair down for sure. Rachel, you seem like you would have been a little bit of a *goody two-shoes. Like, a straight A student.

W: I was. During my teenage years, I was studious but, I was able to *balance my friends and fun life with also my school life. So I was pretty good at just finding a middle ground between the two.

M: Sure, balance is key.

W: Exactly, and I wasn’t this *straightedged, stereotypical Asian student. I wasn’t. I really liked to play sports and I really liked to spend time with my friends and study at the same time because I knew grades were important.

M: Sure. Definitely with Asian parents, you get that *drummed into you. Right, the grades are important. But I’m curious, do you still keep in touch with people that you went to middle school with?

W: I do, because my town is so small, my best friend since elementary school lives right next door to me. So even though I don’t get to see her for long periods of times, when I do see her it seems like we just pick up from where we left off. So, it’s really nice.

M: That is fantastic.

W: Did you have a *rebellion stage in middle and high school? During *puberty?

M: Yeah, not to anyone else, but I feel sorry to my parents like I was very horrible to them at times because I was angry. But I want to forget about that, and about high school and those exams for university. They were so stressful.

W: So glad it’s over.

 

 

 

• to indulge in something to do something habitually; take pleasure in doing something I indulge in water sports on the weekends.
• to let one’s hair down (to relax and enjoy yourself without worrying about what other’s will think) I think people should be able to let their hair down every once in a while.
• goody two-shoes (goody-goody) She may look like a goody two-shoes, but the truth is, she never gets caught for doing anything bad. (a person who always does the “right” thing and never does anything that they’re not supposed to do… and acts perfect in every way possible.)
• balance A and B / balance A with B (to do a and b equally) I try to balance work and play. middle ground (a position of compromise; something that two people or groups that are arguing can agree about) I finally reached a middle ground on the issue.
• straightedge (a commitment never to drink, smoke or do drugs / ruler) I was a straightedge in school and I stayed away from anyone who was a bad influence. drum something into someone (drum into someone’s head – to teach someone something intensely) Stop trying to drum what you think is right into me.
• rebellion / rebellious stage (a stage in puberty in which students are uncontrollable) rebel [ri-bel] rebel [reb-uhl] (a person who resists control; misbehave; act up)

 

 

Actual Story

https://my.pcloud.com/publink/show?code=XZN54x7ZEzwOKXIYDwYFhI4UT8Hna8F99RM7

(Actual Interview Question: What were you like in your teens?)

 

When I was a teenager, I was having a really hard time. Like other teenagers, I was going through puberty. So, I started to think about my future and my career and my life as a whole. And I had to think about going to school because… it’s not because I didn’t like to study really hard, but because I didn’t really know the concept of studying really hard to be successful. Because I didn’t really like (the fact that) my parents control myself, and also (were) always on my back to study. So I started to talk back. And it wasn’t really a great picture. And when I look back on my childhood, and also my teenage hood, I regret a lot, regret a lot of things. I should’ve studied harder and should’ve made a lot of friends, because I was the one who sat back in classroom and didn’t focus on studying in class. And I was a bad student. So if I could go back, I would study harder and made good friends.

Like other teenagers, I was going through puberty… So I started to talk back. I caused a lot of problems for my parents when I was going through puberty. When I look back on my childhood, and my teenage hood, I regret a lot of things. I should’ve studied harder and should’ve made a lot of friends. I should’ve listened to my parents. I shouldn’t have hung out with the bad crowd. So if I could go back, I would study harder and made good friends. So if I could turn back time, I would study harder and made good friends.