Chatting about a series

Chatting about a series

Listen to two friends chatting about a television series to practise and improve your listening skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.

Preparation

Transcript

Man: So, did you see the final episode last night?

Woman: Of course! As if I would miss that!

Man: And?

Woman: It was by far the best episode, definitely.

Man: Yeah, totally. The dragon at the end and all the special effects in that final scene were amazing.

Woman: I loved that part! But I still don't think this series was as good as the others.

Man: Really? But you said you wouldn't want to miss it?

Woman: I know, but still … it's a lot more predictable than it used to be.

Man: But that's because the story has been told so well that all the characters are reaching their destiny now.

Woman: I don't know … before, anyone could die at any time so it was exciting! But, this series, no key characters died and we all knew they wouldn't. When Jaime fell in the water after the dragon attacked him, we knew he would make it somehow. And … oh, surprise, Bronn jumps in and saves him.

Man: They did kill some characters in this series, though. What was that one's name …?

Woman: Exactly, see! You can't even remember who died!

Man: Hmm. The only thing I didn't like about this series was that it was shorter than the others. Seven episodes instead of ten. Maybe they spent all their money on that dragon!

Woman: Right! I don't understand why they did it, as all the fans would happily watch ten episodes.

Man: I reckon that now they're not using the story in the books any more, they don't have as many ideas.

Woman: That would explain why they're not being as brave with the story too. It's more like a Hollywood film than a TV show now.

Man: So, is Tyrion still your favourite character?

Woman: You know … surprisingly, I think my favourite might be Cersei.

Man: What?!

Woman: She's so interesting! All the awful things she's done and the way she's just aiming for revenge, even though it won't make her happy. She still surprises us because we're expecting her to have a happy ending where she sees her mistakes and becomes a good person. But she never does, no matter what it costs her. She's unpredictable because we just can't believe anyone would be like her.

Man: I guess. You don't have to like a character for them to be your favourite!

Discussion

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Language level

Average: 3.8 (184 votes)
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Submitted by Isabel.Alvarez on Sat, 16/11/2024 - 06:47

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What series do you think this chat is about? What's your favorite TV show and why?
I think this chat is about Game of Thrones, because they talk about dragons, battles, and characters like Jaime and Cersei.  And my favorite TV show is Friends, because it’s very funny, and the characters feel like real friends.

Submitted by Paukzen on Wed, 13/11/2024 - 09:38

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I haven't seen this TV series but I think they are talking about Games of Throne (because of the dragon)

My favorite TV series is True Detective, I saw it many years ago so I don't remember the story precisely but I remember the atmosphere, the characters and the music. 

Then I like that every year there is a new story and therefore it is not too long (only 7 or eight episodes for season).

Submitted by alyatriantika_ on Tue, 08/10/2024 - 12:47

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Hello, my name is Alya Tri Antika. I'm from Indonesia. I would like to participate in the discussion.

What series do you think this chat is about? What's your favourite TV show and why?

I think it's natural to make changes in a long series, especially when the story is nearing its end and the writer is no longer following the original material like the book. Sometimes it makes the story feel less surprising, but on the other hand, maybe it's time for some characters to finish their stories. I agree that elements of suspense and surprise are important to keep the audience interested. But at the same time, there are also viewers who are happy to see their favourite characters reach their "destiny", albeit perhaps a little more predictably.

I think the Game of Thrones series is very interesting to watch, but so far I'm more of a Sherlock Holmes fan. I loved the show because of Sherlock HolmesHolmes highly intellectual character and his ability to solve complex cases. His instincts are very strong and he is confident in his abilities. The plot of the series is also well structured, which keeps you guessing until the very end. If you're a beginner, I'd recommend Brooklyn 99 as a must-watch sitcom series because the plot is not as heavy. If you're a teenager, I'd recommend Victorious as a must-watch. 

Submitted by Muhammad Naufa… on Tue, 08/10/2024 - 07:16

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Hi my name is Muhammad Naufal Akbar, I am one of the English language education students from Tanjungpura University Indonesia, Pontianak. I think the material you present is very good and suitable for me as a student, the use of simple forms such as past tense and present tense dominates the conversation, which is appropriate for level B1. This makes it easy for me to follow the flow of the conversation without feeling overwhelmed by overly complicated constructions. Then the theme is also very relate to daily conversation which makes it easier for me to use the vocabulary to be applied in my life.

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Submitted by zino on Fri, 27/09/2024 - 09:54

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What series do you think this chat is about? What's your favorite TV show and why?

  • Actually, I don't know what series this chat is about. My favorite TV show is "Let's Talk in English" because I learn a lot of English from this show.

Submitted by atanof on Sun, 25/08/2024 - 21:55

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I don't watch series of that genre, so i don't have any idea what they are talking about. In other hand, if i wanna choose a favourite TV show, certainly, i would say that is ''The mentalist'', its a good serie with a lot of cases that surround tracks that possibily allow to the key character find the killer of his family. 

Submitted by Abdelrahmannnnnnn on Sat, 03/08/2024 - 20:38

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It's very obvious they are talking about " Game of thrones " . and " HOUSE M.D " Fits me a lot .

 

Submitted by Olena999 on Tue, 25/06/2024 - 10:20

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I reckon they are charting about "Games of Thrones" series, I didn't watch them although. I like some detective series, and the most some that looks like based on real life stories, with complex characters, etc.

Submitted by Toan3002 on Wed, 05/06/2024 - 09:56

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What series do you think this chat is about? What's your favorite TV show and why?

I do not know this series. My favorite TV show is 'The IELTS Face-off' on national television. Because I can broaden a variety of social knowledge as well as it helps me improve my ability of listening English.

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Submitted by HenryStickmin789 on Mon, 27/05/2024 - 03:20

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  1. The series that they are talking about is "Game of Thrones".
  2. My favorite TV show is "Follow the Trails" from Vietnam, It's a detective series.