Learning English

Do you know the difference between reality and fantasy?
We asked you this question: what phrase do we use if someone has been living in a fool's paradise and they are suddenly made to accept reality again. 

The answer is: to come back to earth (with a bump.) Do you think poor Janet will come back to earth with a bump?

To do

We learnt in this episode that when someone is living in a fool's paradise they are not realistic about their situation. Here are some more useful expressions to talk about people who are unrealistic and also people who are realistic!

Decide which of these phrases decribe someone / something who IS realistic and which of these phrases describe someone / something who ISN'T realistic.

Then try the quiz to find out if you are correct. 

Do the activity

To do

Now try the quiz to find out if you are correct. Don't forget to read the feedback to learn more about the meaning of the words.

Well done if you chose the correct meaning for all the phrases - which of the phrases describe you or your friends?

Over to you

We'd like you to tell us about how realistic you think you are. Have you ever lived in a fool's paradise? Or have you had a pipe dream or done some wishfulthinking in the past? What happened to bring you back down to earth?  

Email your story to us at [email protected]. Make sure you write a fool's paradise in the subject line and in your email too. Try to use some of the other phrases from this lesson too. Unfortunately we can't give individual feedback, but we do read every email, and we’ll publish our favourites here or on our social media sites.

If you enjoyed learning about Romeo and Juliet in this episode of Shakespeare Speaks, make sure you watch Wild-goose chase to learn more about this play and to meet Romeo again.

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Ia Tabagari, Georgia

Advertisements  ?   Promises ?   Elections ? …    All  that glistens  is  not gold , you  know. They  are  all  which  make  you  want  to  get  them  as  soon  as  possible  . Just   imagine   how  delicious  , how wonderful ,  how  dead-drop   gorgeous   they   will  be !

    And  have  I  ever  lived  in  a  fool’s  paradise ? I can  name  the terrible  situation  in which the  people  are after  elections - when  they  realize  that  what  they  had  was  nothing  but  a  pipe dream !  To be honest, I  was  a  wishful  thinker  like  them  and  have  already  experienced  coming  back  to  earth with a  bump. After  that,  I   learn  from  my  mistake  that  if  you  want  a  thing  done  well , do  it yourself   . So  that  you  must   have  feet  on  the  ground.

     Fact  is  that  there  are  so  many  wishful  thinkers  and  level-headed  people  around  the world  . This  is  why  opinions  differ .

     On  the  other  hand ,sometimes  I  choose  to  have my  head  in the clouds. For example, listening  to  music  when I  feel emotionally  high and  just  it  gives  me  much  energy. But  after  a  while,  I’m  down-to-earth –at  my  best  and  I ‘m  able  to  fulfill  all  my dreams  as  soon  as possible .So  sometimes  living  in a  dream  world  is  useful,  is  not  it ?

Bernard Kamau

Some years ago
I hadn't had need of  practising English language.
Until later when i wanted to read a copy of my country constitution
When i found its vocabulary was very hard for me to understand.
Then i realised i had been living in a fool,s paradise.
And i decided to start practising English since then.
After some years now i have back down to earth.
I'm able to revise it several times.

Jean Marie Petit

I have always my head in the clouds and I like that!  

May I apply Shakespeare's quotations to this comical British TV series taking place in WWII and realised in the 70 and 80s?

"I think you're wandering into the realms of fantasy, Jones." used to say by Captain Mainwaring in many episodes of Dad's Army to that funny lance-corporal Jones. So it seems that Jones was a wishful thinker but no! In the team, as a butcher in charge of a shop,  he was certainly down-to-earth. This level-headed man told endless, funny but realistic tales about his time in the old army, he had actually his feet on the ground. The pompous Captain M. whose decisions were often pipe dreams lived in a fool's paradise believing he could manage his bunch of realistic men. He often came back to earth with a bump but too sure of himself he did not realise or hide the truth in a way which was really comic.

Simon

Today I learned some words that express reality and fantasy, from BBC learning English.

Many years before, I came from Japan for working. I was a wishful thinker, I felt I could change the world, but few months ago, I found I had lived in a fool’s paradise.

At that time, I believed I had no big miss, everybody around me who can’t catch up with the times.

Now the reality brings me back down to earth. I know I had a pipe dream, at that time. People couldn’t follow with others easily, weather people say out their opinion or not. Not only need to try one’s best, but also to feel the people’s feeling, that have chance to realize the dream.

Pati, Brazil

I lived in a  fool's paradise sixteen years ago, when I belived I could be a marketing  member in a big pharmaceutical company. when I saw a movie which denunciated this kind of industry only focus in a financial increase, and not in healthy lifes, I woke up ..it was a dream. Nowadays, with my feet on the ground, I believe and  I'm engaging in the organic food cause, the real safe and way to be healthy and economical life.

Didier, Cameroon

Since I was born,I have been living in a fool's paradise for years. I used to live with a father figure because my father left my mother and I started living with him at the age of 11. Everything was OK to me until I realized I had my head in the clouds. In fact I used to think that my father figure cared much for me but I was completely wrong. The only thing that matters to him is his own interest. Finally I came back to reality and decided to live my own way.

Juan Carlos, Colombia

I lived in a fool's paradise many times. The last time was when, I fell  in love with a young woman. sometimes I thought that our relationship was going to work, but that idea was a pipe dream, because, She didn't  have the same feeling for me. Anyway I learned many things after that, now I have a new girlfriend, She has the same age as me and She is very pretty too, but our relationship is  a relationship with down-to-earth, because although We have little differences and discussions about us fortunately they have been not problem to continue our relationship. I could say that  we are not living in a dream world but it is better for us.

Tomoki, Japan

I usually live in a fool's paradise, and I often come back to earth with a bump.

For example, I always that I can do anything well, but I sometimes fail to do them. Then I feel humiliation because I notice that I had my head in the clouds.

However, it is still better than to worry about anything too much.

End of session

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