“Upper-Intermediate Speaking III” has 10 exercises — the first 3 are free
Guest mode saves nothing. Two ways to open the rest: subscribe, or book a lesson — Jane's students get every exercise in the course (practise 点火锅, book a class, and all of Beginner Speaking 1 opens; whether you take more classes is up to you). Anything unclear, ask her in class. Teachers who buy the courseware open it for a whole class with a class code.
The Almost-Relationship — 感情中的暧昧时光
感情中的暧昧时光
Fifteen words for the stage before the relationship, 本质上 for the truth of it, and 到……的程度 for exactly how far.
Related video — watch this stretch before class
Ears first, or eyes first?
The whole dialogue is recorded below. Listen once and answer with the text folded away; open it when you want to check.
Text folded away — open it after you listen
Hear the whole dialogue
Natural speed. Bow's long turn is the heart of it — listen twice.
After the dialogue听完回答
No pressure — just making it stick.
Answer from the whole passage, heard or read
Jane 为什么凌晨发了个 emo 的朋友圈？
Jane wèi shén me líng chén fā le gè emo de péng you quān
Why the late-night post?
Answer from the whole passage, heard or read
如果直接说，Bow 提醒她注意什么？
rú guǒ zhí jiē shuō Bow tí xǐng tā zhù yì shén me
If she brings it up, what does Bow warn?
Answer from the whole passage, heard or read
找朋友去试探他，Bow 怎么说？
zhǎo péng you qù shì tàn tā Bow zěn me shuō
What about getting a friend to test him?
Answer from the whole passage, heard or read
Bow 觉得男生不确定关系，本质上是因为什么？
Bow jué de nán shēng bú què dìng guān xi běn zhì shàng shì yīn wèi shén me
What does Bow think it really means?
Answer from the whole passage, heard or read
Bow 最后怎么安慰她？
Bow zuì hòu zěn me ān wèi tā
How does Bow finish?
Word check — the new words, back at you生词复习
No pressure — just making it stick.
约会时体贴的小行为会增加我对他的____。
yuē huì shí tǐ tiē de xiǎo xíng wéi huì zēng jiā wǒ duì tā de ____。
Thoughtful little gestures on a date make me like him more.
看到他的第一眼我就____了。
kàn dào tā de dì yī yǎn wǒ jiù ____ liǎo。
The moment I saw him my heart skipped.
开玩笑要把握好____，别让人不舒服。
kāi wán xiào yào bǎ wò hǎo ____，bié ràng rén bù shū fu。
Know how far a joke can go — don't make people uncomfortable.
欺骗是我在恋爱里不能触碰的____。
qī piàn shì wǒ zài liàn ài lǐ bù néng chù pèng de ____。
Deceit is the line I won't have crossed in a relationship.
两个人先____：只暧昧，不恋爱。
liǎng gè rén xiān ____：zhī ài mèi，bú liàn ài。
First agree between you: ambiguity yes, relationship no.
Memory hook
本质上 and 有发言权 — the essence, and the right to speak
Memory hook
到……的程度 — to the point where
本质上, 发言权 and 程度 — fill, build, say语言点练习
No pressure — just making it stick.
很多人存钱，____是因为对生活缺乏安全感。
hěn duō rén cún qián，____ shì yīn wèi duì shēng huó quē fá ān quán gǎn。
Underneath, most saving is about insecurity.
Consumerism is essentially compensation for being unhappy.
Tap the tiles in order — it checks itself when the sentence is complete. Tap a placed tile to take it back.
Your sentence
Your turn — say it
间隔年本质上是一种逃离。
A gap year is essentially an escape.
这个东西到底好不好，用过的人最____。
zhè ge dōng xi dào dǐ hǎo bu hǎo，yòng guò de rén zuì ____。
Whether it's any good — the people who've used it have the most right to say.
Jane 的暧昧——用词语库填空
Tap a word to fill the next gap; tap a filled sentence to clear it. Every word is used once.
Word bank
0/5我的汉语还没有好____可以自由和当地人交流的程度。
wǒ de hàn yǔ hái méi yǒu hǎo ____ kě yǐ zì yóu hé dāng dì rén jiāo liú de chéng dù。
My Chinese isn't yet good enough to chat freely with locals.
That fish is so good I'd drive three hours just to eat it.
Tap the tiles in order — it checks itself when the sentence is complete. Tap a placed tile to take it back.
Your sentence
Your turn — say it
我们这些旁人哪有什么发言权。
What say do we bystanders have?
See it, say it看图配词
No pressure — just making it stick.
看图配词：心动、试探、底线、官宣
Tap a picture, then choose its word. Match all the cards to finish.
Sincerity is the ultimate move.
Tap the tiles in order — it checks itself when the sentence is complete. Tap a placed tile to take it back.
Your sentence
Ears only听力反应
No pressure — just making it stick.
How would you answer?
Your turn — say it
千万不要试探人性，如果他发现了，会让他心里挺不舒服的。
Never test human nature — if he finds out, it'll really hurt him.
What is Jane afraid of?
Your turn — say it
你很好的，不要害怕，就算离开他，也会有很多人喜欢。
You're great — don't be afraid. Even without him, plenty of people will love you.
Before you go课后回顾
- Role-play ①: Jane's dilemma — should she bring the ambiguity into the open? Be Jane and Bow.
- Role-play ②: discuss the 养鱼 phenomenon — keeping several people on the hook.
- One sentence each: 本质上, 有发言权, 到……的程度 — about love.
- Give a friend in an almost-relationship five pieces of advice, using at least six of today's words.