Spiders
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Katia | Jeff |
Katia: Centipedes. It's my only problem.
Todd: Really! Centipedes. Why? Because they look scary?
Katia: No, I just... all the hundred legs that they have. It's a little bit scary. Snakes are OK. Spiders is OK.
Todd: Oh, really, you don't mind snakes?
Katia: Mm-hm.
Todd: See I think snakes are much freakier.
Fred: Yeah, I think snakes can be pretty freaky as well, but I think centipedes are scary because of the fact that if they bite you, then it becomes dangerous.
Katia: And you never know where they are, and they're small. You don't know where is the front, where is the back, and all the legs "sch-sch-sch-sch".
Todd: I know. I know. Yeah, there're kind of... actually, I have to hang my clothes on a hanger because it's... If I hang them on a hanger, the light goes through the clothes, and I can see if they're in there or not.
Katia: Ooh!
Todd: Well, because this place is by the woods so, yeah, there's more I think.
Fred: OK, cockroaches. I used to be really afraid of cockroaches. I thought they were the most disgusting little insects, but living here, they're just everywhere, that you kind of get used to them and sure, no problem anymore. I don't feel so uncomfortable around them.
Todd: Wow!
Katia: Nature is smart. There's always a reason why cockroaches exist, why spiders exist.
Todd: That's true.
Fred: Oh, thats a good point. Spiders in your house will take care of the cockroaches, but the cockroaches will take care of the smaller spiders, or the smaller little pieces of food that might be on your floor or little things.
Katia: There you go.
Fred: It's the chain. It's the food chain.
Todd: So you're saying you don't have to vacuum basically.
Katia: No, you just...
Todd: Cockroaches take care of it for you.
Fred: Is that what I'm saying?
you guys
I can tell you guys about a spider.
We use the term 'you guys' when we are speaking to 2 or more people. It's very informal. Notice the following:
- Hey you guys, what's up?
- Where are you guys going?
spray it
We decided to spray it.
'Spray' is the liquid that comes out or a can or bottle in a mist of very small drops. This example refers to a can of insecticide. Notice the following:
- I always spray my plants with water.
- Dad spray painted my bike for me. It looks great!
It came back to life
The spider came back to life.
When we think a plant or animal has died, but then it begins to grow or move again, we say 'it came back to life'. Notice the following:
- After a little water, it came back to life.
- The monster came back to life and attacked the ship.
my shadow
The spider ran to my shadow.
A 'shadow' is the dark shape we see when someone or something is between the light and another surface. Notice the following:
- I stood in the cool shadow of the building.
- His long shadow followed him down the hot, sunny beach.
sense fear
They sense fear and they're smart.
To 'sense fear' is to feel when someone or something is afraid of us. Notice the following:
- I can sense fear when she speaks English in class.
- Animals sense fear in humans.
Vocabulary Quiz
shadow • sense fear
