You are learning past perfect: you will read the scene it happens in, learn 10 words and phrases, take apart the pattern behind them (past perfect (had + past participle)), hear them in a conversation, rehearse them, and finish by saying one thing out loud to be graded.
Le Bernardin, Midtown Manhattan, Friday evening
I had heard about Le Bernardin for years. Every food critic had praised it. Every friend who had eaten there had told me the same thing: 'You have to go.' So when my partner got a promotion, I finally made a reservation — three weeks in advance.
By the time we arrived, the dining room had already filled up. The sommelier had prepared a wine pairing for the tasting menu. I had never experienced that level of attention before. Every detail had been considered: the lighting, the table spacing, the silence between courses.
The first course was a barely-touched tuna, seared for seconds. I had expected something heavier, but the lightness surprised me. By the third course — a poached lobster — I had completely forgotten about the outside world. The chef had created something beyond food.
When we left, my partner said, 'I had no idea dinner could feel like that.' Neither had I. Le Bernardin had changed what I thought fine dining meant.