This story is about rock climbing.
Listen as Preeti talks about her climbing experience:
I'm here today for this rock climbing.
I haven't ever climbed a fence but I'm ready for this adventure, seriously.
My God!
She said, "I haven't ever climbed a fence."
This is the same as saying, "I have never climbed a fence."
Not ever means the same as never.
Now listen for what the instructor has to show them:
Hi.
All right guys, let's head around this way and I'll show you the ropes.
All right then.
Let's start.
"I'll show you the ropes."
Even though he does actually have ropes to show them, this is not exactly what he means.
To show someone the ropes is to explain how to do something.
It goes through the red loop.
Now we've never had one of these things fail for us.
Ok
"We've never had one of these fail."
But it could happen this afternoon.
He could also have said, "We haven't ever had one of these fail'.
Now listen for another use of 'ever':
There are rock climbing gyms a lot in India as well but not in my city where I live.
So it's my first ever experience.
Her first ever experience.
Here, 'ever' is just used for emphasis.
So let's have a look at Preeti's first ever experience of rock climbing:
Ok and.
You'll feel it drop loose, that's lovely.
Drop your arms, then slide.
Ok.
Pull up with both hands.
I thought it must be like a piece of cake but it wasn't initially.
She thought it would be a piece of cake.
Something that is a piece of cake is easy to do.
So is it a piece of cake?
It was hard, seriously it was hard.
Good, that's it.
I was freaking out initially.
I wasn't listening to anyone.
Mummy!
I wasn't concentrating.
I thought it's a difficult job, next to impossible.
It wasn't a piece of cake,
it was next to impossible, which means very difficult.
Now what was she doing initially, or at first?
I was freaking out initially.
She was freaking out.
Here, to freak out is to lose your nerve and get scared.
Listen again:
I was freaking out initially.
I wasn't listening to anyone.
Mummy!
I wasn't concentrating.
Let's see what happens when she does listen and concentrate:
That's it.
Oh God!
Moving now.
Yeah, Pat and Maya they really helped me a lot.
I was asking now and then everything from them, you know, what next,
what do you think where I can go now, you know,
where my hands should go, where my feet should go and they were like,
'Oh, you can do it, put your feet like there and what if you can do', like that.
They were there with me.
I gave my credit to them seriously.
Wow!
Yeee!
Well done.
She was asking for advice now and then.
Now and then or now and again means occasionally or sometimes, but not all of the time.
Now listen for how Preeti responds to the question, "Ready to come down?"
Ready to come down?
I think so.
You think so?
'I think so' - usually you say 'I think so' if you are not completely sure.
That's why the instructor queries what she says.
Listen again: I think so.
You think so?
That's good.
Keep the rope straight down until after we've made sure she's let go.
Yep.
Yeee.
And I'm there.
Touchdown.
Yes!
Well done.
Thanks to you.
Oh, oh God, it was, it was so much fun.
I went all the way up.
Yeah!
Yes, I did it!
That was fantastic.
That was really fantastic.
Yeah!