"I had another bad dream," she told her fiance. "It was about you again. You and your ex-girlfriend were kissing. I yelled at you to stop it. You looked right at me, and then you laughed at me! She laughed, too.
Then you both went back to kissing. I tried not to watch, but when I covered my eyes, something pulled my hands away. I tried to leave, but my feet were glued to the ground. Finally, I woke up.
Of course, it was very difficult to get back to sleep."I had to drive home from Las Vegas this morning. It's a wonder I didn't crash 50 times. Instead of seeing traffic in front of me, all I saw was you and her. I can't take any more dreams like this.
We're going to have to break up. We can be friends, but just friends. That way, I won't be jealous anymore, and I won't have these bad dreams anymore." "Why didn't you call me up and tell me about your dream?" he asked. "They say that the more you talk about bad dreams, the sooner you'll stop having them." She disagreed.
She thought that the only solution was to break up and be just friends. She loved him, but these dreams had become so frequent that she was actually afraid to go to sleep. She was losing weight and having stomachaches from the stress. He didn't know what to do.
He wanted her to have pleasant dreams. He wanted her to have a life without stress. He wanted her to be his wife. This was it, she repeated; if she had just one more bad dream, they were through. He squeezed her hand, but said nothing.
Vocabulary Words: The Bad Dream (Expanded)
| No. | Word | Definition | Example Sentence (from text) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | fiance | A man engaged to be married. | "I had another bad dream," she told her fiance. |
| 02 | ex-girlfriend | A former female romantic partner. | You and your ex-girlfriend were kissing. |
| 03 | yelled | To shout loudly, often in anger or distress. | I yelled at you to stop it. |
| 04 | covered | Placed something over or in front of (something else). | When I covered my eyes, something pulled my hands away. |
| 05 | glued | Stuck firmly, as if with adhesive. | My feet were glued to the ground. |
| 06 | difficult | Needing much effort or skill; hard. | Of course, it was very difficult to get back to sleep. |
| 07 | crash | To hit something solid while moving, often an accident. | It's a wonder I didn't crash 50 times. |
| 08 | traffic | Vehicles moving on a road or highway. | Instead of seeing traffic in front of me, all I saw was you and her. |
| 09 | jealous | Distressed by rivalry or unfaithfulness. | That way, I won't be jealous anymore. |
| 10 | break up | To end a romantic relationship. | We're going to have to break up. |
| 11 | solution | A means of solving a problem. | She thought that the only solution was to break up. |
| 12 | frequent | Occurring or done many times at short intervals. | These dreams had become so frequent. |
| 13 | afraid | Feeling fear or anxiety; frightened. | She was actually afraid to go to sleep. |
| 14 | stress | Mental or emotional strain from demanding circumstances. | She was losing weight and having stomachaches from the stress. |
| 15 | squeezed | Firmly pressed or gripped (used here for her hand). | He squeezed her hand, but said nothing. |
| 16 | dream | A series of thoughts, images, and emotions occurring during sleep. | "I had another bad dream," she told her fiance. |
| 17 | laughed | Made the sounds and movements of amusement. | You looked right at me, and then you laughed at me! |
| 18 | wonder | A surprising and difficult-to-believe event or situation. | It's a wonder I didn't crash 50 times. |
| 19 | disagreed | Held a different opinion. | She disagreed. She thought that the only solution was to break up. |
| 20 | ultimatum | A final demand whose rejection results in a break-up (Implied). | This was it, she **repeated**; if she had just one more bad dream, they were **through**. |
Comprehension Questions: The Bad Dream (Expanded)
| No. | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | What did the woman tell her fiancé she had just experienced? | She had **another bad dream**. |
| 02 | Who were the two people in the central scene of her dream? | Her fiancé and his **ex-girlfriend**. |
| 03 | What intimate action were the two people performing in the dream? | They were **kissing**. |
| 04 | How did she react when she saw them kissing? | She **yelled** at them to stop. |
| 05 | What did her fiancé do when he looked at her in the dream? | He **laughed** at her. |
| 06 | What immediate action did the two people take after laughing? | They **went back to kissing**. |
| 07 | What paranormal event happened when she tried to cover her eyes? | **Something pulled her hands away**. |
| 08 | Why couldn't she physically leave the dream scene? | Her feet were **glued to the ground**. |
| 09 | What word did she use to describe the difficulty of returning to sleep? | It was very **difficult**. |
| 10 | From where did she have to drive home that morning? | She had to drive home from **Las Vegas**. |
| 11 | What was she seeing instead of road traffic? | She saw visions of **her fiancé and his ex-girlfriend**. |
| 12 | What was her ultimate plan to stop being jealous? | To **break up** and be **just friends**. |
| 13 | What did the fiancé suggest was the way to stop having bad dreams? | He said that the more you **talk about** bad dreams, the sooner they'll stop. |
| 14 | What word indicates she disagreed with her fiancé's advice? | She **disagreed**. |
| 15 | What was the main reason she felt she had to break up? | The dreams had become so **frequent** and stressful. |
| 16 | What physical signs of **stress** was she displaying? | She was **losing weight** and having **stomachaches**. |
| 17 | What feeling was making her afraid to go to sleep? | The **stress** and the fear of having another bad dream. |
| 18 | What future relationship status did the fiancé desire for them? | He wanted her to be his **wife**. |
| 19 | What was the precise ultimatum the woman gave him regarding the dreams? | If she had **just one more bad dream**, they were **through**. |
| 20 | What was the fiancé's non-verbal response to her ultimatum? | He **squeezed her hand** but said nothing. |