Anna: Happy New Year! Some people, at the start of a new year, make a resolution -- a promise to yourself to be better. I thought about my resolution carefully. I want to be an actor on the stage! Today I will audition for a show called "The Woods Are Alive!" Wish me luck!
Director: Next! What is your name?
Anna: My name is Anna Matteo.
Director: Are you ready to audition?
Anna: (warms up voice) Yes.
Director: Great. Let's begin on page 1. Here is the story. You are lost in the woods. You are searching desperately for a way out. Suddenly, you hear something.
Director: Now, say your line.
Anna: 'What was that? Hello. Is someone there?'
Director: Anna, you are speaking too softly. Can you speak more loudly and a little more, um, seriously?
Anna: Yes, of course I can. 'What was that? Hello. Is someone there?' Is that loud enough?
Director: Yes, that is loud enough. Let's turn to page 25. In this scene, you are moving slowly and quietly through the woods.
Director: Anna. Anna! You are walking quickly and loudly. Walk slowly and quietly.
Anna: I'm walking slowly and quietly. I am walking…
Director: Anna. Anna. You don't need to say "slowly" and "quietly." Alright, let's try the last scene. Turn to page 48. I say my line first, then you say your line.
Director: 'You will never get out of these woods alive! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!'
Anna: 'Yes, I will.'
Director: Okay, Anna, you said that line -- you said that line reallylate. You need to say it earlier.
Anna: Sorry. Sorry. Let me try again.
Director: 'You will never …'
Anna: 'Yes, I will.'
Director: '… get out of the woods alive.'
Anna: I was tooearly, wasn't I?
Director: Yes. Yes, you were.
Anna: Director, how am I doing?
Director: You know, Anna. I think that I have the perfect part for you.
Director: The costume is in the back. Please go try it on.
Anna: Awesome! (Anna returns as a tree.)
Director: Oh, Anna, that fits you perfectly!
Anna: I'm a tree. I'm a tree in … "The Woods Are Alive!" Yes!
Anna: My new year is starting awesomely! Excuse me, Director! I have a great idea for my tree. Oh, wait! Until next time!
Writing 写作
In this lesson, Anna tries something new. What new activity do you want to try in 2017? Why do you want to do it? Write to us by email or in the Comments section.
Learning Strategies are the thoughts and actions that help make learning easier or more effective.
The learning strategy for this lesson is self-evaluate. Whenwe speak English or try to do something new, it helps to self-evaluate, or check how well we are doing it.
本课的学习技巧是自我评估。
In this lesson, when Anna asks the director of the play, "How am I doing?" she wants to learn how well she is acting. The director tells her that she said her line too late. Later, Anna notices a problem: "I was tooearly, wasn’t I?' She is self-evaluating. This strategy can help to make her a better actor.
Do you ever self-evaluate when you speak English? Write to us about it in the Comments section or send us an email. Teachers, see the Lesson Plan for more details on teaching this strategy.
audition - n. a short performance to show the talents of someone (such as an actor or a musician) who is being considered for a role in a play or a position in an orchestra
audition - 名词，试演，选秀
desperately - adv. in a way that is very sad and or upset manner because of having little or no hope
desperately - 副词，绝望地
director - n. a person who directs a play or a movie
director - 名词，导演
enough - adj. equal to what is needed
enough - 形容词，足够的
line - n. a row of words, letters, numbers, or symbols written across a page
line - 名词，一行（字，数字或符号）
loudly - adv. in a manner that makes or causes a lot of noise
loudly - 副词，大声地
page - n. one side of a sheet of paper
page - 名词，页
quickly - adv. at a fast speed; rapidly
quickly - 副词，迅速地
quietly - adv. in a manner that makes little noise
quietly - 副词，安静地
resolution - n. a promise to yourself that you will make a serious effort to do something that you should do
resolution - 名词，决心
scene - n. a division of an act in a play during which the action takes place in a single place without a break in time
scene - 名词，一个场景
script - n. the written form of a play, movie, or television show
script - 名词，剧本
softly - adv. in a quiet voice or manner
softly - 副词，轻声地
stage - n. a raised platform in a theater or auditorium where the performers stand
stage - 名词，舞台
suddenly - adv. very quickly in usually an unexpected way
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 acting out and guessing everyday activities.
For Teachers
教师资源
Lesson Plan - Lesson 40: How Am I Doing?
See theLessonPlan for this lesson for ideas and more teaching resources. Send us an email if you have comments on this course or questions.
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.
