The Mansion
Vocabulary
| scene | mistress (2) | following (2) |
| word | mansion | housekeeper |
| still (2) | pay raise | have a word with you |
| raise | complete | get/got/gotten |
| deserve | according to | out of the question |
| iron (2) | starter (2) | think/thought/thought (2) |
| besides | feel/felt/felt | do-does/did/done |
| fair (4) | fair enough | doesn’t matter |
| entitle | warrant (3) | good/better/the best |
| fine | excellent | say/said/said |
| way (2) | way better | pay/paid/paid |
| meal | pay-day | make a difference |
| attend | excuse me | makes no difference |
| have to | strongly | for starters (2) |
| exactly | cook (2) | tell/told/told |
| win/won/won |
Transcript
The following scene takes place in the mansion of Mr. and Mrs. Burlington.
Rosetta, Housekeeper: Mrs. Burlington, may I have a word with you?
Mrs. Burlington, Mistress of the House: Certainly, Rosetta.
Rosetta: Mrs. Burlington, I’ve come to ask you for a pay raise.
Mrs. Burlington: Well, you’re not getting one; that’s completely out of the question.
Rosetta: But Mrs. Burlington, I do deserve a pay raise.
Mrs. Burlington: No, you don’t.
Rosetta: Yes, I do.
Mrs. Burlington: Oh? Why do you think you should get a raise? What have you done to deserve one?
Rosetta: Well, for starters, I iron the clothes very well.
Mrs. Burlington: That doesn’t matter. And besides, I can iron better than you.
Rosetta: But Mr. Burlington says that I iron his clothes better than you.
Mrs. Burlington: Fair enough, but that doesn’t warrant a pay raise.
Rosetta: Alright. I’m also an excellent cook. And you really enjoy my meals, and always complement me.
Mrs. Burlington: Yes, Rosetta, you are indeed a fine cook. But, I can still cook way better than you.
Rosetta: No, not according to Mr. Burlington: he says that my meals are much better than yours.
Mrs. Burlington: That makes no difference. The answer is still NO. Now Rosetta, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got things to attend to. And so do you.
Rosetta: Mrs. Burlington . . . You really should give me a pay raise.
Mrs. Burlington: Alright, Rosetta: if you feel so strongly about getting a pay raise, tell me EXACTLY why you feel you’re entitled to one.
Rosetta: Okay. It’s because I AM a far better LOVER than you!
Mrs. Burlington: WHAT?!? Did Clifford tell you that as well?!?
Rosetta: Nooo. Mr. Burlington didn’t — Mario {the gardener} did.
Mrs. Burlington: ??????. . . .!!!!!!! . . .
Okay, okay, okay, Rosetta . . . you win.
Questions
Housekeeper. This story was about two friends. True or false? Who were the two main characters of the story?
Maid, Domestic Helper. Were they having a gossip? Did Rosetta want to chat and gossip with Mrs. Burlington?
Babysitter. Mrs. Burlington immediately agreed to give Rosetta a pay raise. Is this right or wrong?
Cook. What was the first reason Rosetta gave? Why did she feel that deserved a pay increase?
Butler. Did Mrs. Burlington agree with Rosetta?
Cleaner. What was Rosetta’s second argument or reason for a pay raise? How did Mrs. Burlington respond?
Gardener. What happened in the end?
Maintenance Man. Do you understand the punchline?
Electrician. My friends and I tell lots of jokes. I know lots of different jokes. Yes or no?
Plumber. Do you have some favorite jokes? What are they?
Carpenter. Are there popular comedians in your country? Who are some popular comedians?
Interior Designer. What will happen in the future?
Interior Decorator. People should tell each other funny stories instead of gloom and doom. Do you agree?
