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00:09
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Sen: Hello and welcome to our podcast, English Trips. I’m Sen, and I’ll give you expert guidance on how to make the most of these episodes as a language learning tool.
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00:29
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Today we’re going to take a trip to Michigan, in the Midwest of the United States. 
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00:33
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00:37
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Are you learning English at the moment? Then this podcast is perfect for you. In each episode, we’ll take a virtual trip to a different part of the English-speaking world, where you’ll hear a real story from a real person… in English, of course! 
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00:51
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Each episode focuses on a specific part of the language, such as a grammar topic. But don’t worry, this isn’t a grammar podcast. The main thing is that our stories are fun and interesting, and they also get you more comfortable with understanding the language! 
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01:06
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And did you know that you can read along while you listen using our dynamic transcript? You’ll find the link in our show notes. Here’s a tip just for you: the first time you listen to the episode, follow along with the transcript. This will help you understand more of the story, and identify any difficult words or expressions. Then, listen a second, or even third time without the transcript, and see how much more you understand! 
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01:36
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Today we’re going to focus on the forms “there is”, “there are”, “there was” and “there were”. We use these forms to say that something exists – “there is/there are” when talking about the present, and “there was/there were” when talking about the past. Try to listen for them in the episode! There are a lot, but don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find them! 
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02:05
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So, let’s pack up and head to Michigan, where Natalie will tell us about her experience joining a sorority at university. And don’t forget to bring your cowboy boots and hats, because we’re also going to a barn dance! Yeehaw! 
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02:30
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Natalie: I started going to the University of Michigan, very close to Detroit, in 2013. I was really excited about one thing: finding my sisters. No, not my real sisters, but my sorority sisters. 
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02:47
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At most American universities, there is a fraternity and sorority system. Fraternities and sororities are clubs for students. They focus on social activities and charity work. 
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03:01
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In fraternities, men and women can join, but only women can join sororities. When you join a sorority, you become “sisters” with the other members. 
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03:16
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After the first month of university, I found a sorority that I really liked. All of the women there were so friendly. Their charity focused on teaching adults to read, something that is very important to me. I was so happy when they asked me to join! 
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03:35
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Being in a sorority is also about fun: there are dinners, parties and… special events. One of my favorite special events was the yearly barn dance. Every fall, we rented a barn in the countryside and had a party inside. 
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03:53
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Red Barn in Spring
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03:57
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We also invited some guys from fraternities to be our dates. There was a lot of country music and, of course, dancing. 
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04:05
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via GIPHY

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04:14
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The barn dance always happens around Halloween, so there was also a scary hayride. 
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04:19
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Water day hayride 2 (8230070975)
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04:24
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You sit in a wagon full of hay, and a tractor pulls you through a dark forest or field, where there are people in scary costumes. 
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04:36
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One year, we went on the hayride during the barn dance. It was me, my sorority sister Keely, our dates, Will and Joe, and some other friends. We started in the field next to the barn, and soon we were in the forest. There were lights in the forest, and they moved through the trees. 
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04:56
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There were also lots of scary sounds.
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05:06
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We heard a loud scream from the darkness, and we all jumped and held each other. We were so scared! After we calmed down a bit, Keely turned to me and asked, “Where is Will?!”. He was gone! 
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05:26
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There was no sign of Will. Now we were scared again. We tried to tell the driver, but he didn’t hear us because the tractor was too loud. 
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05:38
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Did a ghost or devil take him? Did he fall off the wagon? Did he… DIE? We wanted to look for him, but we also wanted to stay alive. So we stayed in the wagon. 
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05:57
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We finally came back to the party, but Will still wasn’t there. We jumped off the wagon, and ran to the barn. On the way, something jumped out of the shadows. 
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06:19
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We almost had heart attacks! Then we heard laughing. It was Will! He had played a joke on us. When we heard the scream earlier, he jumped off the wagon, ran back to the barn, and waited in the shadows to scare us. 
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06:41
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At first, I was really angry with him, but then I started laughing too. We went back to the party, and spent the rest of the night dancing to country music. 
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06:52
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Alt:

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06:59
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In the end, I’m so happy I had the chance to be in a sorority during university. Even though there were some scary moments, I found my sisters (and one or two brothers) for life! 
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07:09
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Alt:

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07:14
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I was part of an amazing group of women, I made a lot of friends, I worked for positive social change, and had fun at the same time. 
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07:24
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Sen: Ok, so, Will didn’t die on the scary hayride, he was just playing a joke. Natalie was angry with him at first, but in the end, she thought it was pretty funny too. It sounds like Natalie had a really great experience in her sorority. She made a lot of great friends, and some pretty cool memories as well. 
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07:45
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That brings us to the end of today’s episode, listeners! As usual, if you want a bit more practice with today’s language topic, check out our beginner courses or the grammar section in the Babbel app! 
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07:56
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Finally, we’d love to hear what you think of the podcast. You can write us an email at podcasting@babbel.com, or simply leave a comment in your podcast app and we’ll see it. Thanks for listening, and see you next time for another exciting story in English. 
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End
Natalie tells us what it’s like to join a sorority at the University of Michigan. Becoming a member of a sorority or fraternity is an important part of college life for many students in the US. Natalie shares her story about a wild party with a spooky twist! This monolingual story is great for intermediate learners. Or, if you're a beginner, first listen to the bilingual podcast in your native language and then listen to this one. It’ll give you an extra challenge to boost your English to the next level. We'd love to get your feedback, suggestions or learn about your own language learning journey. Email podcasting@babbel.com