Summary 简介
Anna tries to plan to see a movie with a friend. But they are both very busy. Will they find a time to get together? What will they do?
Anna计划跟朋友一起去看电影，但是她们俩人都很忙。她们能找到找到时间一起去吗？他们会如何做呢？
Speaking 口语
English has two ways to show something is happening at a future time. To form the simple future, use will and then the simple form of the verb. You can use will to express a desire to do something. The second form of the simple future is be going to. Use "be + going to" when you already have a plan to do something.
英文表达未来即将发生的事情有两种方式。一种是 will 加动词原形，表示想要做某事。另外一种是 "be + going to" 表示已经计划好了做某事。
Pronunciation 发音
There are also two shortened forms of future verbs. In casual conversation, most Americans will change going to to gonna. English speakers often change we will to we’ll. Another shortened form in this lesson is want to shortened to wanna.
大多数美国人讲话时会用 gonna 代替 going to. 英语里经常把 we will 简化成 we'll. Want to 也经常被简化为 wanna.
Conversation 对话
Anna: This city is very interesting, I really like my job, and I have some good friends! Speaking of friends … I see one now! Marsha! Hi!
Marsha: Hi, Anna. What’s going on?
Anna: Not much. How about you?
Marsha: Busy as usual. Hey, do you wanna see a movie with me?
Anna: Sure! I never have time to see a movie. When?
Marsha: Are you busy this Thursday at 6pm?
Anna: Let’s see …. I’m busy. I am going to tap dance with my friends Thursday night.
Marsha: Tap dancing? That sounds fun!
Anna: I’m still learning. But it is fun!
Anna: Are you busy on Friday night?
Marsha: Yes. Friday nights are when I visit my parents.
Anna: What do you and your family do together?
Marsha: We always eat dinner together and sometimes we play board games.
Anna: Playing board games is fun, too! The word game Scrabble is my favorite.
Marsha: I like Connect Four!
Anna: I’m not busy Monday night. Are you?
Marsha: I am busy on Monday night. I’m going to jog in the park with my friend. Do you jog?
Anna: Oh! I always jog. Well, sometimes I jog. Okay, I never jog. But I will try because it is good for you.
Marsha: I always feel great after I jog.
Marsha: How about on Wednesday night?
Anna: Wednesday night I am not busy. Oh, no, wait. This Wednesday night I will be busy.
Marsha: What are you doing?
Anna: I’m going to teach children how to play the ukulele.
Anna: Now, children, play “C.” Good. I like your “C.”
Marsha: The world does need more ukulele players.
Anna: Marsha, it looks like we’ll never have time to see a movie.
Anna: Wait a minute. Are you busy now?
Marsha: It’s Saturday afternoon. This is always when I do my errands.
Anna: Okay, but the new Star Wars movie is gonna start in 30 minutes.
Marsha: I’ll do my errands on Sunday. Let’s go!
Anna: Most days of the week, people are really busy. But it’s important to find time to be with your friends!
Anna: Until next time!
* Connect Four is a two-player connection game using colored discs.
Writing 写作
What do you like to do with your friends? Is it easy or difficult to find time to be with your friends? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Tell us two or three things you do with friends using words like always, usually and sometimes. You can also download the Activity Sheet and practice writing about your schedule.
你跟朋友在一起喜欢做些什么？找时间跟朋友聚聚很容易还是很困难？评论或是发邮件给我们，告诉我们你经常跟朋友做的两三件事情，用上 always, usually, sometimes 这些词。下载练习页，写下自己的日程安排。
Learning Strategy 学习技巧
Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective.
The learning strategy for this lesson is Evaluate. When we evaluate our own language learning, we think of how well we are learning, remembering and practicing the language.
本课的学习技巧是评估。评估自己的语言学习进度，要看看我们在学习，记忆和练习时的表现如何。
We evaluate after doing many things. For example, in the video for this lesson, Anna and Marsha talk about jogging. Anna evaluates her plan to jog: "I will try because it is good for you." Then, Marsha evaluates her feelings after jogging. "I always feel great after I jog." You can evaluate any time you stop to think about your learning (that is, monitor, the strategy in Lesson 16). Ask yourself: "Am I listening often to English? Am I practicing English every day? How can I learn more?" Evaluating helps learners to understand what is working well and make new plans for learning well.
How do you evaluate your own learning? Write to us in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.
Quiz 测试
Quiz - Lesson 17: Are You Free on Friday?
Start the Quiz to find out
______________________________________________________________
New Words 新词汇
Note: You can listen to the definitions of these words in the Speaking Practice Video.
注：在口语练习视频中，可以听单词的解释。
always - adv. at all times; on every occasion; in a way that does not change
always - 副词，总是
board games - a game (such as chess) that is played by moving pieces on a special board
board games - 棋盘游戏，图版游戏
important - adj. having serious meaning or worth
important - 形容词，重要的
jog - v. to run slowly especially for exercise
jog - 动词，慢跑
movie - n. a recording of moving images that tells a story and that people watch on a screen or television
movie - 名词，电影
night - n. the time of darkness between one day and the next
night - 名词，夜晚
play - v. to do activities for fun or enjoyment
play - 动词，玩
Scrabble - trademark. a board game in which players use lettered tiles to create words in a crossword fashion.
Scrabble - 品牌，一种拼字游戏
sing - v. to use your voice to make musical sounds in the form of a song or tune
sing - 动词，唱
sometimes - adv. at certain times; occasionally
sometimes - 副词，有时
Star Wars - n. an epic film series chronicling the rise, fall, and redemption of Anakin Skywalker
Star Wars - 名词，星球大战
start - v. to do the first part of something : to begin doing something
start - 动词，开始
tap dance - n. a kind of dance in which you wear special shoes with metal plates on the heels and toes and make tapping sounds with your feet
tap dance - 名词，踢踏舞
teaching - v. to cause or help (someone) to learn about a subject by giving lessons
teaching - 动词，教
ukulele - n. a musical instrument that is like a small guitar with four strings
ukulele - 名词，尤克里里琴
week - n. a period of seven days - in the U.S., a week is usually considered to start on Sunday and end on Saturday, while in the U.K. a week is usually considered to start on Monday and end on Sunday.
week - 名词，星期
will - modal verb. used to say that something is expected to happen in the future
will - 情态动词，将
Days of the Week: 一周七天
In the U.S., the week starts on Sunday and ends on Saturday.
Sunday / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / Saturday
在美国，星期天是一周的开始，星期六是一周的结束。
______________________________________________________________
Free Materials 免费学习辅助材料
Download the VOA Learning English Word Book for a dictionary of the words we use on this website.
Each Let's Learn English lesson has an Activity Sheet for extra practice on your own or in the classroom. In this lesson, you can use it to practice talking about activities and schedules.
For Teachers 教师资源
See the Lesson Plan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions.
Grammar focus: Simple Future tense with will and going to.
Topics: Talking about schedules and leisure time activities
Learning Strategy: Evaluate
Speaking & Pronunciation Focus: Future verb forms; shortened forms of future verbs and invitations.
______________________________________________________________
Now it's your turn. Send us an email or write to us in the Comments section below or on our Facebook page to let us know what you think of this lesson.
