VOA Level 2 - Lesson 25 : Only Human

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-level-2-lesson-25/4322773.html

Summary

Lightning Bolt Lady goes looking for her superpowers. But will she ever find them? And will she ever help...anyone?

Conversation

ANNOUNCER: When last we saw Anna, she had made a new friend. And they had been talking about superheroes for a while when suddenly Anna became Lightning Bolt Lady!

ANNOUNCER: She tried to find her superpowers. But it did not go well.

ANNOUNCER: She can’t fly, become invisible or create a force field. And she really cannot walk through walls. Ouch, Lightning Bolt Lady.

ANNOUNCER: She had been walking into that wall for about 15 minutes when she had a great idea.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: I just had a great idea!

ANNOUNCER: I can’t wait to hear this one! But first, let’s talk about grammar.

ANNOUNCER: Professor Bot is on vacation this week. I’m the announcer. So, I’m going to tell you about the past perfect continuous.

ANNOUNCER: We use this verb tense to show that an action started in the past and continued to another time or action in the past.

ANNOUNCER: For example, I said, “She had been walking into that wall for about 15 minutes when she had a great idea.”

ANNOUNCER: Had been walking is the past perfect continuous of the verb walk. It’s had been plus the -ing form of the verb.

ANNOUNCER: You’ll hear me use this verb tense a few more times today.

ANNOUNCER: Now, what am I forgetting? Oh right! Lightning Bolt Lady’s great idea.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: If I want to know my superpowers, I’ll need to learn about lightning!

ANNOUNCER: So, she read many books about lightning.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Wow. A lightning strike usually lasts less than a second.

(She tells this to a person and he slowly moves away.)

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Lightning is really fast and I like speed walking. So, maybe one of my superpowers is super-speed walking! (to stranger) Bye!

(She begins to super-speed walk.)

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Check! Super-speed walking is definitely one of my superpowers.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Lightning has millions of volts of electricity. Amazing!

(She puts her hand up and lightning bolts shoot from her fingers.)

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Wow! I can charge a lot of batteries with this superpower!

ANNOUNCER: She had been looking for hours for someone to help when she found her chance.

WOMAN: Hello? Hello? I’m sorry. I’m going to have to call you back. My phone is dying.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Excuse me, I can charge your phone.

WOMAN: Really? Thanks!

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: I’m Lightning Bolt Lady!

(She takes the woman's phone and shoots it with a lightning bolt. But it turns into ashes. Then, she gives the woman lots of money and smiles and says goodbye.)

ANNOUNCER: She had been practicing her superpowers all day. Suddenly, she heard a terrible sound – a child’s disappointment.

ANNOUNCER: These children tried to light a fire for over an hour. But then, they gave up.

PARENT: Hey kids, that wood will never burn. It’is too wet.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Small humans, what is wrong?

CHILD: Stranger danger!

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: I’m Lightning Bolt Lady!

YOUNG MAN: Oh no. It’s you.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: (to YOUNG MAN:) We meet again. And guess what: I found my superpowers.

CHILD: Well, we need a fire to toast the marshmallows to make S’mores.

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: I can help.

YOUNG MAN: We don’t need a super-speed walker but thanks!

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Super-speed walking is just one of my superpowers. I can also do this!

(She tries to use her lightning bolts but it doesn't go well.)

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Sorry! Let me do it again.

(She lights the fire with her lightning bolts.)

CHILDREN: Thanks, Lightning Bolt Lady!

YOUNG MAN: Lightning Bolt Lady

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: You’re welcome. But you don’t have enough firewood. Using my super-speed walking, I will get more.

(She super-speed walks around to get firewood.)

PARENT: Lightning Bolt Lady, come back! A lightning storm is coming!

LIGHTNING BOLT LADY: Not a chance! There’s not a cloud in the …

CHILD: Lightning Bolt Lady, are you okay?

CHILD: Where's your super-suit?

ANNA: Oh no! I've lost my superpowers!

YOUNG MAN: It's starting to rain. Do you want to go inside and eat some S’mores?

ANNA: You read my mind.

ANNA: You know, I thought mind reading would be one of my superpowers. But it wasn’t.

CHILD: That’d be a cool superpower. But I’d rather be able to talk to animals.

CHILD: That would be a cool superpower.