Smoking Ban

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

• scene
• jeopardize
• reek
• perks

• secondhand smoke
• lighting up
• lung cancer
• ban

• go hand in hand
• heavy smoker

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

It’s been proven that secondhand smoke is almost as likely to cause health problems as lighting up yourself. People started to notice that waitresses and bartenders who work in a smoky environment for a long period of time were developing lung cancer, even if they didn’t smoke.

In order to protect the employees of businesses where you’re allowed to smoke, each state in the United States is slowly passing a ban on smoking in public places. In Washington it’s already illegal to smoke in a bar or restaurant and by 2009 it will be illegal to do so in Portland as well.

While nobody wants to give their bartender lung cancer, a lot of people are opposed to the smoking ban. They think it’s crazy. “No smoking in bars?” they say. “What’s next, no drinking?”

Watch Devan and Beren argue about the smoking ban.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Beren

Devan

Mason

Beren:  So…what do you think about the smoking ban?

Devan:  I think it’s awesome.

Beren:  That’s what everybody says. I think it’s okay. I’m not a heavy, heavy smoker. I usually only smoke if I’m out already and that’s good though because then if you’re trying to quit smoking, you know, you’ll be less inclined to go outside.

Devan:  I know the smokers are complaining, saying the bar scene is their scene, it’s their place to smoke inside, but when you don’t smoke and everyone you know hangs out at bars…And my health is constantly being jeopardized so that you guys can smoke, I don’t think that’s right. Plus, it sucks, I always reek of cigarettes. My clothes smell. My hair smells, and I don’t even smoke and that’s supposed to be the perk of not smoking. That and not having your health be in jeopardy, and both of those things are at risk when people can smoke inside. So I think it’s great.

Beren:  Eh, it’s alright. I don’t know. It could go either way. Even if I was not a smoker, smelling like smoke for a little bit is a small price to pay for a good evening. It’s rock ‘n’ roll.

Devan:  Why don’t you go stand outside.

Beren:  Cigarettes and liquor go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other.

Devan:  You can drink and then you can go outside.

Beren:  Like 30 feet away from any entrance. I don’t know.

Mason:  You guys should fight.

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Lesson MP3

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