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Views #1288 | Intermediate (B1)

Chore Bores

Josh and Todd talk about simple daily chores they hate to do and why they dislike them.

Todd: Okay. So Josh, in another interview we were talking about foods that we don’t like, now let’s talk about activities or things we don’t like to do.

Josh: Okay.

Todd: Like for example, washing dishes, ironing clothes, mowing the lawn, things like that.

Josh: Alright.

Todd: Is there ... are there any other activities you really dislike doing?

Josh: Well, you mentioned washing dishes, I don’t like that one.

Todd: Oh, really?

Josh: I'd much rather mow the lawn than wash dishes.

Todd: So what's it about washing dishes that you don’t like?

Josh: I guess, it’s just the idea of touching dirty plates that everyone ate off of and then they sat at the sink for a couple of hours and it grosses me out. So I’ll do it but it’s not something I enjoy.

Todd: Yeah. That’s interesting because I’m actually ... like I don’t like cooking. I hate to cook but I don’t mind doing the cleanup.

Josh: Really?

Todd: Yeah.

Josh: You see, I love cooking.

Todd: Oh, you do?

Josh: I cook all the time.

Todd: Really?

Josh: Yeah.

Todd: It’s like so messy and time consuming.

Josh: And I guess I treat it more as an art than anything and then I just work on it. And then when it’s done, I like when people are like, “Oh, it’s so good." And I’m like, “Thank you.”

Todd: That’s true. That's true. That’s a good point. I guess for me I don’t like cooking because it’s the opposite of cleaning and like everything's getting progressively dirtier and dirtier. Of course when you clean, everything is getting progressively cleaner and cleaner.

Josh: That’s ... that's very true.

Todd: I kind of like that.

Josh: Yeah, cooking makes a mess.

Todd: So are there any other household chores you don’t like to do, like dusting, there's dusting.

Josh: I can’t stand dusting. I was actually going to say that one.

Todd: Oh, really?

Josh: Because it just gets my allergies going so badly.

Todd: Ah, right.

Josh: And so that’s a pain. And you know dust seems like of where it just builds and builds and builds, and it's like...

Josh: Absolutely, you could do it every day and still need to do it the next day.

Todd: Yeah. And like you can ... like my house is really bad, like it builds up and you know, you almost don’t want to look on the top ledges or anything.

Josh: Yeah.

Todd: That’s definitely my motto, just don’t look at anything above eye level and then it does...

Josh: Right. You don't have to worry about it.

Todd: Right. And it does like ... it’s the one thing where it's probably not healthy for you, right? Because you can be breathing it in.

Josh: Yeah, that’s true.

Todd: Yeah.

Josh: Actually, I read somewhere that dust is actually 98% dead skin that just drifts off you.

Todd: Is that true?

Josh: Yeah.

Todd: That’s disgusting, isn’t it? And we breathe that in, it’s all floating in the air all the time.

Josh: Oh my gosh.

Todd: And if you leave your windows open, it’s you're whole neighborhood. Well there’s a lot of dead people in this house I tell you that. What about outdoor stuff, you know you’ve got pulling weeds, mowing the lawn, watering the grass, taking out the trash, any outdoor stuff?

Josh: Well, I actually like mowing the lawn. It’s a good workout, you know, especially if you have an old fashioned push lawn mower.

Todd: Yeah, oh yeah.

Josh: So you get a good workout and push it around and the grass looks a lot better. And then weeding is a pain because you've got to get down on the ground and get in the mud and pull it all out and like buckets, and it’s never done like dusting, yeah.

Todd: And weeds like come back, right?

Josh: Yeah, exactly. Every day, there’s a new one.

Todd: Right, And the position that you have to be in to pull the weeds, it’s so uncomfortable.

Josh:Exactly. Yeah, like crouch down and yeah.

Todd: Yeah, I hear you.

Josh: It’s hot and it’s horrible.

Todd: Yeah, there’s always jobs you hate to do.

Josh: Yeah.

Answer these questions about the interview.
Audio Lessons about Phrases and Vocabulary

sit in the sink

notesThen they sat at the sink for a couple of hours

To sit in the sink is when something is in the sink. Notice the following:

  1. The glasses sat in the sink for three days before I washed them.
  2. The potatoes are just sitting in the sink, waiting for someone to cook them.

gross --- out

notes it grosses me out.

To gross out is to feel very uncomfortable about something. Notice the following:

  1. Seeing blood really grosses her out.
  2. I get grossed out when when I look in the trash.

progressively

notesEverything's getting progressively dirtier and dirtier.

Progressively is increasing over time. Notice the following:

  1. He got progressively better at speaking English.
  2. I became progressivley sleepier as it got late.

my motto

notesThat’s definitely my motto.

My motto is a personal way of thinking. Notice the following:

  1. My motto is never be late.
  2. Always help those in need is my motto.

crouch down

notesIt hurts to crouch down.

To crouch down means to bend your knees to lower your body. Notice the following:

  1. She crouched down to pick up a coin.
  2. I crouched down behind the bushes to hide from my friends.

Vocabulary Quiz

sit • gross • progressively
motto • crouch
  1. I had to down to get my keys.
  2. Our is, 'One for All and All for One'.
  3. Raw fish tends to me out.
  4. You can the dishes in the sink.
  5. He is getting better.

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Hello, and welcome to elllo. My name is Todd Beuckens. I've been an ESL teacher for 25 years. I created elllo to provide teachers and students free audio lessons and learning materials not usually found in commercial textbooks.
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