Lesson 30: Rolling on the River

A H
Summary

Anna plans to have a dinner party. She needs to buy seafood, so she goes to the waterfront. She gets a surprise at the fish market.

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Conversation



Anna: Hello! Washington, D.C. sits on the Potomac River. This river is important to the history and culture of the city. Today, I am at an outdoor seafood market near the Potomac River. Some say it is the oldest outdoor seafood market in the United States! I am here to buy seafood. Let’s see what they have!
Anna: Excuse me. Can you help me?
Pete: Sure! What do you need?
Anna: Pete!
Pete: Anna!
Anna: What are you doing here?
Pete: I work here. You know, it’s not easy to be a writer.
Anna: Yeah, I heard that. Sorry.
Pete: But this job is great. I work outside by the river. And I can eat all the free seafood I want!
Anna: That is great, Pete. In fact, I am here to buy some seafood for my dinner party.
Pete: You came to the right place. They have the freshest seafood in town. How much money can you spend?
Anna: I can only spend $50.
Pete: Okay. What do you want?
Anna: First, I want to buy some shrimp.
Pete: Sure thing. Follow me. How much shrimp do you want?
Anna: How much do I need for five people?
Pete: (yells to co-worker) Give her a pound of shrimp!
Anna: Ok, now I want to buy some crabs.
Pete: The crabs here are delicious! They are the best because they come from the nearby Chesapeake Bay! Walk this way.
Pete: How many crabs do you want?
Anna: I want a dozen crabs.
Pete: You should get the larger crabs. They have the most meat.
Anna: Then I want a dozen large crabs, please!
Pete: Is that everything you need?
Anna: Let’s see … I have shrimp and crabs. And a friend is bringing a salad and many ears of corn-on-the-cob.
Pete: Is that all the seafood that you need?
Anna: Yes.
Pete: That’ll be $49.95. Cash or credit?
Anna: Credit, please.
Pete: Anna, you love to eat seafood. Did you grow up on the water?
Anna: No, I didn’t. But I love the water. And I love being on the water.
Pete: You know how to sail?
Anna: Well … this afternoon I am going on a boat.
Pete: You are full of surprises. What kind of boat? Is it a motorboat or a sailboat?
Anna: It’s a special boat, Pete. Well, thanks for your help. See you later!
Pete: See you, Anna! Wow, Anna’s a sailor! Who knew?
Anna: Yes, rivers are important to the history and culture of Washington, D.C. And now I am part of this city’s interesting waterfront culture. Until next time!



New Words

best - adj. better than all others in quality or value
Chesapeake Bay- n. an inlet of the Atlantic, in Maryland and Virginia. It is 200 miles (or 320 km) long; and from 4–40 miles (or 6–64 km) wide.
corn-on-the-cob - n. corn when cooked and eaten straight from the cob - the part of corn that the kernels grow on; an ear of corn.
crab - n. a sea animal that has a hard shell, eight legs, and two large claws
credit - n. money that a bank or business will allow a person to use and then pay back in the future
dozen - n. a group of 12 people or things
ear - n. the part of a corn plant on which the seeds grow
freshest - adj. the most fresh
many - adj. used to refer to a large number of things or people
much - adj. large in amount or extent
larger - adj. greater in size or amount
market - n. a place where products are bought and sold
money - n. something (such as coins or bills) used as a way to pay for goods and services and to pay people for their work
most - adj. almost all or the majority of
motorboat - n. a boat with a motor
oldest - adj. having the highest age of a group
Potomac River - proper noun. a river flowing from West Virginia to the Chesapeake Bay. It flows between Maryland and Virginia.
pound - n. a unit of weight that is equal to 16 ounces or about a half of a kilogram
river - n. a large natural flow of water that crosses an area of land and goes into an ocean or a lake
sail - v. to travel on water in a ship or boat
sail - n. large piece of strong cloth that is connected to a ship or boat and that is used to catch the wind that moves the ship or boat through the water
sailboat - n. a boat that has a sail
sailor - n. a person who works on a boat or ship as part of the crew
salad - n. a mixture of raw green vegetables, such as different types of lettuce, usually combined with other raw vegetables
seafood - n. fish and shellfish that live in the ocean and are used for food
some - adj. refers to an unspecified amount or number
spend - v. to use money to pay for something
water - n. an area of water such as a lake, river, or ocean
waterfront - n. the land or the part of a town next to the water of an ocean, river or lake.

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