Views #394 | Intermediate 4

Video Games

Joel talks about a technology most kids love.
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Joel
Joel

I can't remember what this toy was called but I had this very interesting, basically it was, like a robot car you could program in how forward you wanted it to go and then, when it would stop and after it would stopped, if it was going to make a right turn or a left turn, and you could also make it go backwards or in diagonal, and it was very fun. You could set it up in your house or outside and try to program in directions so that it would follow a path, so you could try to make it go from the living room and take a left into the kitchen and stop just before it ran into your mom, and back up before she kicked it and yelled at you, or make it turn around in circles. I think it also had some sounds you could make, but it's very interesting to think back that, that kind of technology existed, you know, in the late 80's, early 1980's, too. Of course, everybody's favorite when I was a kid anyway, even today, are video games, not only home video games but the arcade style games. I was a, I was a good kid but I can remember of the few times that I got in trouble with my dad was because I ended up at a arcade, and I was playing video games for so long and I didn't call home and ended up coming home very late and that was very upsetting to my parents and they were worried about me. Also, it seemed like the kids in school that were most popular were the kids who had video games at their houses. I didn't have a video game at my house so I always had to find friends and go over to their house to play.

Learn vocabulary from the lesson!

diagonal

You could also make it go backwards or in diagonal.

A 'diagonal' is the direction a line takes when it goes from one corner to another. If you have a line going right to left and a line going top to bottom a diagonal line would connect the ends of these two lines to form a triangle.

Notice the following:

  1. The footpath follows a diagonal across the field.
  2. The shirt has lots of diagonal lines.

yell

Stop just before it ran into your mom, and back up before she kicked it and yelled at you.

When you 'yell' it means that you shout at the top of your voice.

Notice the following:

  1. Please do not yell at me.
  2. I can hear you, you don't have to yell.

arcade style

Not only home video games but the arcade style games.

An 'arcade style' game is a computer game that you find in a public arcade, which is a place to go and play video games. Arcade style games are played on a big machine and you play standing up. Pac-Man is an example of a traditional arcade style game.

Notice the following:

  1. I like to play arcade style games.
  2. Those arcade style games are collectors items now.

get in trouble

I got in trouble with my dad because I ended up at an arcade.

When you 'get in trouble' it means that you have done something that you shouldn't have done and that you will be shouted at or be punished.

Notice the following:

  1. I do not want to get in trouble.
  2. If you take those without asking you will get in trouble.

go over to

I always had to find friends and go over to their house to play.

'To go over to' means to go to to another place.

Notice the following:

1. I would love to go over to your house for dinner.
2. Would you go over to Spain for your holiday?

Vocabulary Quiz

diagonal • yelling • arcade style
trouble • go over to
  1. I lost my voice because I was all day at the football game.
  2. He lied to his parents because he didn't want to get in .
  3. When I was young I had to ask permission to a friend's house after school.
  4. He has a lot of games in his family room as decoration.
  5. You have to find the words in this puzzle. The are across, up and down or .
Answer the following questions about the interview.

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