Hibiscus Teach · Vids · Black Mirror

Would You Give Me Five Stars?

Question reputation systems and make a clear complaint without escalating the conflict.

B2 · Adults60 minutes with a tutor

Created by Denis M., British English teacher.

Content note: Adult dystopian drama: humiliation, rating-based exclusion and strong language. Analyse a fictional system rather than asking learners to rate one another.

Warm-up: Would you behave differently if every everyday interaction could change a public score attached to your name?

Learn the words, watch, then answer the quiz. Practise the phrases and speaking prompts. On your own, replay only what you need; with a tutor, develop each response together.

Vocabulary helps you discuss the scene; not every entry is spoken in the clip.

Improving the numbers

Lacie asks a consultant how to improve her personal rating.

First watch: Whose approval seems to matter most?

New vocabulary

approval: A favourable opinion or acceptance.Constantly seeking approval can make simple choices exhausting.
status: A person’s social position or importance.The invitation seemed to depend more on status than friendship.
boost a rating: Increase a score or public evaluation.The company offered better support to boost its rating.
genuine: Real and sincere, rather than performed for an effect.It is difficult to know whether the compliment is genuine.

Original source ↗

Watch and check · 6 questions

All six questions refer to this clip. Choose one answer per question.

About the clip: listening1. What rating does the consultant say Lacie could reach?

A. 4.5B. 2.0C. 5.0 immediately

About the clip: listening2. Without a major setback, how long does he estimate that might take?

A. About a week.B. About 18 months.C. More than ten years.

About the clip: listening3. Why does Lacie ask for a boost?

A. She wants to reach the goal much sooner.B. She has decided to abandon her score.C. She wants to rate the consultant.

About the clip: listening4. How does he describe most people in her social circles?

A. High fours throughout.B. People with no ratings.C. Mostly mid- to low-range.

About the clip: listening5. Who has already given Lacie many reciprocal five-star ratings?

A. Service-industry workers.B. Only her closest relatives.C. People at an airport.

About the clip: listening6. Whose upvotes does he advise her to seek for a faster boost?

A. Only people she already knows well.B. Highly rated people he calls high fours.C. People who refuse to use ratings.

Answer key and explanations

A. 4.5 He says a 4.5 rating is achievable.
B. About 18 months. He estimates about 18 months.
A. She wants to reach the goal much sooner. Lacie says she needs more in the short term.
C. Mostly mid- to low-range. He describes most of her contacts as mid- to low-range.
A. Service-industry workers. He points to reciprocal five stars from service-industry workers.
B. Highly rated people he calls high fours. He recommends upvotes from highly rated people, the high fours.

Useful phrases

Original phrases to practise, not programme quotations.

How much of that behaviour is genuine, and how much is about approval?
Question the motive behind a social performance.

A high rating tells us something, but it does not tell us everything.
Recognise the limits of a metric.

Speaking · 3 prompts

Develop your answer with a reason or example. On your own, answer aloud before opening a model.

What does the consultant’s advice encourage Lacie to notice about other people?

One possible answer

It encourages her to notice their usefulness to her rating. That may make her overlook qualities that are harder to measure, such as whether she actually enjoys their company.
Name one useful purpose and one serious limitation of a review system. Keep your example about a service, not a classmate.

One possible answer

Reviews can reveal repeated problems with delivery. However, a score may not explain whether the complaint was relevant or fair. I would read a few detailed accounts rather than rely only on the average.
Design three rules for a fictional service-review system. One person proposes them; the other tests how they could be misused. Agree on a revision.

One possible answer

A: Only actual customers may review a service, and the business can reply. B: What prevents rewards for positive reviews? A: Good point. We should also prohibit undisclosed incentives and provide a way to report them.

A complaint becomes a crisis

At the airport, Lacie tries to continue a journey after a disruption.

First watch: What makes solving the practical problem increasingly difficult?

New vocabulary

eligible: Meeting the conditions required for something.Your ticket may be eligible for a change.
threshold: A level that must be reached for something to happen.Her score was below the threshold for the discount.
escalate: Become more serious or intense.The disagreement escalated when both people stopped listening.
resolve: Find an answer or acceptable end to a problem.I would like to resolve this without blaming the person at the desk.

Original source ↗

Watch and check · 6 questions

Choose one answer per question. The last two questions practise original language.

About the clip: listening1. What initial travel problem does Lacie face?

A. She has arrived at the wrong country’s border.B. Her flight has been cancelled.C. She has decided not to travel after all.

About the clip: listening2. What prevents her from taking the alternative offered through the rating-based system?

A. She refuses to give any destination.B. The agent says the airline has stopped using ratings.C. Her rating is below the required level.

About the clip: listening3. What happens as Lacie becomes more upset?

A. Security becomes involved.B. The agent immediately removes every restriction.C. All the other customers leave the rating system permanently.

About the clip: listening4. How does the intervention affect her situation?

A. It guarantees her a better rating for the next year.B. It imposes a further rating penalty.C. It removes her need to book any transport.

Original language practice (not a quote)5. Which opening is most likely to keep a complaint focused?

A. You are personally responsible for everything that has gone wrong.B. Change the rule immediately or I will keep shouting.C. I understand there is a restriction. What alternatives are available?

Original language practice (not a quote)6. Which sentence uses “eligible” correctly?

A. I may be eligible for a refund under this ticket’s conditions.B. I am eligible the airline to give me a refund.C. I eligible for a refund yesterday.

Answer key and explanations

B. Her flight has been cancelled. The cancellation creates the need to find another way to travel.
C. Her rating is below the required level. Eligibility is tied to a score she does not currently meet.
A. Security becomes involved. The service conversation escalates into a security intervention.
B. It imposes a further rating penalty. The confrontation has consequences beyond the original flight problem.
C. I understand there is a restriction. What alternatives are available? It acknowledges the stated problem and asks for actionable options.
A. I may be eligible for a refund under this ticket’s conditions. Eligible describes meeting the relevant conditions.

Useful phrases

Original phrases to practise, not programme quotations.

Could you explain which condition I do not meet?
Clarify an eligibility decision.

What is the best available alternative within the rules?
Move a complaint towards a practical solution.

Speaking · 3 prompts

Develop your answer with a reason or example. On your own, answer aloud before opening a model.

Which parts of the problem come from the system, and which come from the way the conversation develops?

One possible answer

The rating threshold is a system rule. The confrontation then creates additional consequences. A calmer conversation would not necessarily remove an unfair rule, but it might preserve more room to discuss alternatives.
Should a customer-service employee have discretion to make exceptions? Give one benefit and one risk.

One possible answer

Discretion could help in unusual circumstances. However, unexplained exceptions might favour the most demanding customers. Clear criteria and a review process could make flexibility more consistent.
Role-play the airport conversation again, without personal ratings: a flight is cancelled and your ticket has restrictions. Ask for clarification, explain your priority and agree a next step.

One possible answer

Customer: I need to arrive by tomorrow morning. Could you explain which changes my ticket allows? Agent: There is a later flight with a connection. Customer: What is the best available alternative within the rules? Let us compare arrival times before I decide.

Finish by improving your response to speaking prompt 3 in Clip B. Use one phrase from the lesson.

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