Objective Proficiency p 24. Frog. Extra Listening

Imagine this:

A hungry frog hiding in a pond. His eyes just above the surface of the water. Above the pond – sitting on the end of a twig – a tasty-looking dragonfly.


pond: a small area of still water. Sp. estanque.
 
twig: a small very thin branch that grows out of a larger branch on a bush or tree.

dragonfly: an insect with a long thin body, often brightly coloured, and two pairs of large transparent wings. Dragonflies are often seen over water. 

 
Can you draw that?





Sample drawing:

So there you are: a hungry frog hiding in a pond. His eyes just above the surface of the water. Above the pond – sitting on the end of a twig – a tasty-looking dragonfly.

What do you think happens next?

 

Sample answers:

As quickly as he can
Like a bat out of hell
At lightning/ breakneck speed
At full pelt/ tilt/ throttle
Predator leaps at (jumps at) prey
He opens his mouth widely
His mouth is wide open
He sticks out his tongue
He stretches out his arms

 

But oh, what terrible timing:

Something happens just in the nick of time. Guess what!

in the nick of time: at the very last moment; just in time before something bad happens. E.g. They escaped from the smoke-filled house just in the nick of time.



Sample answer:


At that exact moment
The dragonfly remembers something important that she has to do
And she flies away

 
Can you suggest what she has to do and where she goes?

Sample answer:



She has to run an errand in another neck of the woods

errand: /ˈerənd/ a job that you do for somebody that involves going somewhere to take a message, to buy something, deliver goods, etc. E.g. He often runs errands for his grandmother. Her boss sent her on an errand into town.

neck of the woods (informal) a particular place or area. E.g. He's from your neck of the woods (= the area where you live). What are you doing in this neck of the woods? 

Unfortunately for the frog, there is something that he doesn't know.

Guess what the frog doesn't know!
 




Answer: 


The incident was caught on camera, uploaded onto YouTube and has been viewed over a million times. To see the video, click here.  

Can you describe what it is that the frog does not know?

Sample answer:

Unbeknown to the frog the dragonfly had already scarpered /ˈskɑːpəd/

unbeknown to somebody (also unbeknownst) without the person mentioned knowing. E.g. Unbeknown to her they had organized a surprise party.

scarper: to run away; to leave. E.g. The police arrived, so we scarpered.


What do you think happens next?

Sample answer:

The frog falls back to the pond
And lands in the water with a splash



And he thinks to himself:

Can you predict what his inner voice says when he realizes he has not eaten the dragonfly?


 
Sample answer:
 
"Oh my days! Cringey! I'm glad that no one saw that. It would have been quite embarrassing. I would have cringed with embarrassment. It has been a cringeworthy experience indeed. I bet I have blushed. I am feeling mortified. This dragonfly has made a monkey out of me. I have blotted my copybook. I don't think I will ever be able to live it down.

oh my days used to emphasize what you are saying when you are surprised, shocked or annoyed. E.g. Oh my days! Is that true? 

cringey: embarrassing or making you feel uncomfortable.

cringe: to feel very embarrassed and uncomfortable about something. E.g. I cringe when I think of the poems I wrote then. She felt herself cringe with embarrassment at the memory. The very idea made him cringe inside.

cringeworthy: (also cringe-making) making you feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. It was a cringeworthy performance from start to finish.

blush: to become red in the face because you are embarrassed or ashamed. E.g. to blush with embarrassment/ shame. She blushed furiously at the memory of the conversation. He looked away, blushing.

flush: (of a person or their face) to become red, especially because you are embarrassed, angry or hot. E.g. She flushed with anger. Sam felt her cheeks flush red. flush something A rosy blush flushed her cheeks. 

go red: to become bright red or pink, especially because you are angry, embarrassed or ashamed. E.g. He stammered something and went very red in the face. (British English) She went red as a beetroot. 

mortify: to make somebody feel very ashamed or embarrassed. E.g. She was mortified to realize he had heard every word she said. I was mortified when I realized I had forgotten our lunch date.

make a monkey (out) of somebody: to make somebody seem stupid.

blot your copybook to do something to spoil the opinion that other people have of you.

live something down to be able to make people forget about something embarrassing you have done. E.g. She felt so stupid. She'd never be able to live it down.