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Pick Me English as a Second Language Podcast (With Transcripts)
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ESL Podcast 232 – Business Bookkeeping
Jun 13, 202000:17:12Tap to summarize#ESL Podcast 232 – Business Bookkeeping##GLOSSARY**on the side –** extra; in addition to one’s regular job*Janice works as a science teacher at the high school, but she offers privateclasses for younger students on the side to make extra money.**accounting –** the study or job of keeping correct records of money spent andreceived by a business or organization*Kareem is detail-oriented and he’s very good at math. Has he considered acareer in accounting?**bookkeeping –** keeping correct records of money that a business ororganization spends or receives*Shelly and her husband run a small business together. She is responsible formarketing and sales, and he is responsible for bookkeeping.**cash flow –** having enough cash for a business to pay its bills*The company had a problem with cash flow last month, and the owners had torequest a bank loan to pay their employees.**ledger –** the book or computer file in which a business or organization recordsmoney that it spends and receives*Years ago, ledgers were written by hand, but today, they are usuallycomputerized.**debit –** money that is spent by a business or organization; money that should besubtracted or taken away; payments*These records don’t look right. Did you remember to record the debit after wemade that big product purchase?**credit –** money that a business or organization receives; money that should beadded*She was happy to see that there were more credits than debits in her accountlast month.**break-even point –** the point where a business’s revenues (money received) areequal to its total expenses (money spent)*When the business finally reached its break-even point, the owners had a partyto celebrate their success.**asset –** something that has value or is worth money and is owned by a business,organization, or person*Miyung doesn’t have very much money in the bank, but he does have otherassets: a big house, an expensive car, and a new boat.**liability –** money that a business, organization, or person owes to someone else*The bills that a company needs to pay should be listed as liabilities on itsfinancial statements.**administrative expense –** cost of operating a business, such as telephone bills,secretary salaries, and paper for the printers and copiers*Every time we hire a secretary, our administrative expenses go up. Are yousure you need another assistant?**budget –** a plan for how a business, organization, or person will spend money*When the price of gasoline increased, the bus company had to make changesto its budget.**accounts payable –** money that a company owes; bills that a company has notyet paid*Bills are sent to the accounts payable department, where employees enter theinformation into a computer and print a check for payment.**balance sheet –** a document that shows how much money and other assets(things that are worth money) a company has and how much money it has paidover a period of time*Before investing in a company, it is always a good idea to study the balancesheet to learn more about its financial position.**expense –** money that is spent or will need to be spent in the future; cost*College students’ expenses include tuition, books, housing, and food.**receipt –** a piece of paper that is received when one pays for something; proofshowing that a person has paid money for something*The landlord says that I still need to pay him $100 for last month’s rent, but thisreceipt shows that I already paid the rent in full.**to audit –** to look carefully at a business’s financial records to determine if theyare correct*When the company was audited last year, the auditors discovered that theaccountant had been stealing money.**IRS –** Internal Revenue Service; the agency that collects taxes in the U.S.*If you are honest about your finances and pay your taxes regularly, you don’thave any reason to be afraid of the IRS.##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why is Magdalena talking to Rolando about accounting?a) Magdalena is starting a new business and wants some advice.b) Magdalena is being audited by the IRS and needs his help.c) Magdalena wants to hire Rolando as her accountant.2. Magdalena’s current accounting system is:a) Horrible, because she isn’t keeping track of the right information.b) Okay, but it could be improved if she kept better track of her receipts.c) Perfect, so she doesn’t need to change anything.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?on the sideThe phrase *“on the side,”* in this podcast, means something that is in addition toone’s regular job: “Gisele works in a bakery during the day, and sells cakes toher friends on the side.” The phrase *“on the side”* can also refer to a food that isordered and served separately: “Waiter, I’d like a salad, but please put thedressing on the side.” To *“side with someone”* is to support someone in anargument: “The judge sided with the mother and said that the child should livewith her.” Finally, to have something *“on one’s side”* means to have anadvantage: “The politician has a lot of money on his side, so he may get electedsenator even though he isn’t very popular.”to auditIn this podcast, the verb *“to audit”* means to review a business’s financial recordsto see whether they are correct: “We audited the company for two weeks and wedidn’t find any problems.” The verb *“to audit”* can also mean to attend auniversity course without taking the exams or receiving a grade: “He wanted tolearn about Southeast Asian history, but he knew that he wouldn’t have verymuch time to study, so he chose to audit the course.” As a noun, an *“audit”* is theexamination of a company’s financial statements, and it is usually presented inan *“audit report.”* For example, “During the audit, the employees had to workmore than 12 hours per day.”##CULTURE NOTEIn the United States, each person is responsible for paying his or her own taxes.When people begin working for a company, they complete a *“W-4 form,”* afederal (national) government document that asks for personal information. TheW-4 determines how much money the company should *“withhold”* or not pay tothe employee so that that money can be paid to the government for taxes.These *“withholdings”* are *“deducted”* (subtracted) from the employee’s *“wages”*(the money that an employee earns). The company collects these *“withholdings”*throughout the year and sends the money to the state and federal governments.In early January each year, employers mail a W-2 form to their employees.These forms show how much money was withheld during the year. People usethese W-2 forms to *“file”* or fill out and submit their tax forms by April 15 eachyear. If the total amount of taxes is more than the amount of the “employeewithholdings,” that person needs to write a check to the U.S. government to payfor what they still owe. If the total amount of taxes is less than the amount thatwas withheld, then the U.S. government owes that person a *“tax refund”* andsends a check to the individual in late spring.If tax forms are filled out incorrectly or if they are submitted late, there are large*“fines”* or money that must be paid to the government as punishment. The IRSaudits individual tax filings to look for these kinds of errors, so it is important forindividuals to keep their receipts and other tax-related documents in case the IRShas questions or finds a problem.Many people are able to file their own taxes, but sometimes the forms are verycomplicated if, for example, an individual owns his or her own business or hasmany *“foreign investments”* (money in businesses in other countries). In thesecases, individuals sometimes hire accountants to file their taxes for them.Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – b##COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to number 232: BusinessBookkeeping.This is episode 232. I'm your host, Dr.Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com and download the Learning Guidefor this episode.In today's episode, we're going to talk about doing bookkeeping at a business.Let's get started.[start of story]I ...
Transcribe →ESL Podcast 231 – The Supermarket Checkout
Jun 13, 202000:15:46Tap to summarize#ESL Podcast 231 – The Supermarket Checkout##GLOSSARY**cashier –** a store employee who takes the money for things that a customer buysand provides a receipt*The cashier said he couldn’t help me with the clothes I wanted to buy becausehe works only in the shoe department.**lane –** a narrow (small and long) area in a grocery store where shoppers stand ina line to wait for a cashier to help them make their purchases*I wanted to use the express lane at the grocery store, but in that lane, peoplecan pay only with cash and I needed to use a credit card.**15 items or less –** a restriction at express (fast) checkout lanes at a grocerystore, meaning that only people buying 15 or fewer items may use that lane*Mindy became very angry when she saw that the woman in front of her had atleast 20 items in her basket, even though the sign clearly said, *“15 items or less.”***coupon –** a small piece of paper usually cut from an advertisement or anewspaper that gives a shopper a lower price on a particular item*Brice found a coupon for $0.35 off his favorite brand of shampoo in themagazine.**belt –** a wide band of rubber (soft plastic) that moves along the counter at acheckout lane to move groceries from the end where the shopper is taking itemsfrom their cart to the other end where the cashier is checking prices*Please don’t let your child play with the belt! His fingers might get caughtunderneath it and I don’t want him to get hurt.**cart –** a large basket with wheels and a handle that is pushed through a store bya shopper, who fills it with the items that he or she wants to purchase*Every time I go to the grocery store, I get a cart that has broken wheels!**per pound –** for each pound (one pound is approximately 2.2 kilograms)*In the early summer, strawberries are very inexpensive, but in the winter, theycan cost up to $5 per pound!**price check –** an employee in a store asking or finding out the price ofsomething for a customer*I thought the TV was on sale, but the cashier’s computer showed that it costmore than $500, so I asked her to do a price check to make sure.These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (200 7). Posting of**club card –** a membership card that gives shoppers lower prices on many items*With a club card, my favorite ice cream is only $1.50 this week.**to swipe –** to quickly move one’s card through an electronic machine that getsinformation from the card about the cards’ owners and their accounts*I swiped my credit card four times, but the machine couldn’t read it, so thecashier had to type in the account number by hand.**debit –** a type of card that deducts money directly from a person’s checkingaccount; to take money out of an account*He tried paying for his purchase with his debit card, but the computer told thecashier that he didn’t have enough money in his account.**credit –** a type of card that connects to a credit card account and allows a personto buy something now and pay for it later*When I got my first credit card, my father warned me that if I don’t pay the entirecredit card bill every month, I’d have to pay a lot of interest.**cash back –** money in cash (dollars and coins) that one receives at the end of adebit-card transaction by adding that amount to the total amount of the purchase*Going to the bank to get cash is inconvenient, so we usually ask for cash backat the grocery store instead.**Paper or plastic? –** a phrase used by grocery store cashiers or baggers to askshoppers if they would prefer to have their purchases placed in paper or plasticbags*When the cashier asked, *“Paper or plastic?”* Sharon pointed to the cloth bagsthat she had brought from home and asked them to put her items in thoseinstead.**tabloid –** a newspaper with scandalous (shocking) stories about unusual eventsor famous people, usually which cannot or should not be believed*Reading the tabloids is a waste of time. Why don’t you read about world newsinstead?**Do you need any help out? –** a phrase used by grocery store cashiers to askshoppers if they want someone to help them carry their purchases to their car*The cashier asked me if I needed any help out, but I said *“no”* because I onlyhad one small bag of groceries.These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (200 7). Posting of##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why does the cashier ask Yong *“Paper or plastic?”*a) He wants to know whether Yong wants a paper bag or a plastic bag.b) He wants to know whether Yong will pay with cash or with a credit card.c) He wants to know whether Yong wants a paper receipt or a plastic receipt.2. How much money is deducted from Yong’s account?a) $47.52 (the total price of the groceries).b) $7.52 (the total price of the groceries minus a $40 gift).c) $87.52 (the total price of the groceries plus $40 in cash).##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?laneThe word *“lane,”* in this podcast, means a narrow (small and long) section in agrocery store where shoppers form a line to wait for a cashier to help them maketheir purchases: “The grocery store was busy yesterday evening and there wereat least five people waiting in each lane.” A *“lane”* can also be a small road,usually in the countryside: *“He lives is the lane behind that big farm.”* On alarger road, a *“lane”* is marked by white or yellow lines and is used to keep carsin a straight line: “In the U.S., the slow lane is on the right and the passing laneis on the left.” A *“lane”* is also a marked section in a swimming pool or on aracetrack used to keep competitors out of each other’s way: “Which lane is yourbrother running in?”beltIn this podcast, the word *“belt”* means a wide band of rubber (soft plastic) thatmoves in a circle over a table to carry items from one end of a table to another:“The luggage belts at the airport were broken, so the poor employees had tocarry all the suitcases by hand.” A *“belt”* is also a narrow strip of leather, cloth, ormetal worn around one’s waist to keep your pants on: “If you’re going to wear ablack suit, you should wear a black belt, not a brown one.” As a verb, *“to belt”* isused informally to mean to hit something or someone very hard. For example,*“The baseball player belted the ball and it flew over the fence.”* *“To belt”* can alsobe used informally to mean to sing very loudly: “At the college football game, thefans from our school belted out our school song when one of the players scoreda touchdown to win the game.”These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (200 7). Posting of##CULTURE NOTEIn the United States, large grocery stores sell many thousands of products and itcan sometimes be difficult to find what you’re looking for. For this reason, largestores are divided into several departments so that shoppers can know where tofind certain items.For example, a *“meat department”* sells chicken, pork, and beef, and theemployees will usually cut meats to whatever size or shape the customerrequests. A *“seafood department”* sells fresh fish and the employees giveshoppers advice about how best to cook different types of fish. A “frozen foodsdepartment” is usually a store *“aisle”* (row) of refrigerators to keep foods cold. Itoffers frozen meats, frozen microwaveable meals, frozen fruits and vegetables,frozen juices, ice cream, and more.A *“produce department”* is full of fresh fruits and vegetables. A “bakerydepartment” sells breads, cookies, and cakes. Many bakery departments willcreate specially decorated cakes for customers’ birthdays, weddings, or holidaycelebrations.Some stores have an *“ethnic foods department”* where shoppers can findunusual food items that are associated with a particular culture, such as Mexican,Thai, or Chinese foods. Other stores have an *“organic foods department”* whereshoppers can find *“organic”* foods that are grown without chemicals.Some larger stores even have *“flower departments”* where shoppers canpurchase *“bouquets”* (arrangements) of fresh flowers. Many expensive storeshave a *“wine department”* that is filled with many types of wines, and expensivegrocery stores often pay a wine expert to help customers choose their wines.Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – cThese materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (200 7)...
Transcribe →ESL Podcast 233 – Asking for a Date
Jun 13, 202000:18:17Tap to summarize#ESL Podcast 233 – Asking for a Date##GLOSSARY**to admit –** to say that something is true even if one doesn’t want to; to confess*Last week, one of the football player on the championship team admitted thathe had used illegal drugs to build stronger muscles.**player –** a man who dates a lot of women, often at the same time*Those guys are such players! They hang out in bars nearly every weekendtrying to get women’s phone numbers.**attractive –** pretty; nice-looking*Renee is very attractive. She has long beautiful black hair and green eyes.**to break up with (someone) –** to end a romantic relationship with someone*Clint wants to break up with his girlfriend, but he doesn’t know how to do itwithout hurting her feelings.**geez –** an expression used to express surprise or confusion*Geez, are you still working? It’s almost midnight!**to go for a drink –** to go to a bar or restaurant to drink an alcoholic beverage,such as beer or wine*After the concert, they went for a drink at that expensive new restaurant nearthe concert hall.**Do you mind if I join you? –** May I accompany you? Would it bother (annoy)you if I joined you in what you’re doing?*I heard that you’re going to the movies tonight. Do you mind if I join you?**to try (one’s) luck –** to do something, knowing that it may not work; to try to dosomething, hoping that it will be successful, but not being sure of it*The company wanted to hire someone with 10 years of experience and I onlyhad three, but I decided to try my luck and apply for the job anyway.**to depend on (something/someone) –** to be controlled or determined bysomething or someone else*We’d like to buy a new car, but that depends on whether we’re able to saveenough money.**to go for –** to choose; to select*If I had to choose between a vacation in Asia or Europe, I’d probably go forAsia, because I’ve always wanted to visit India.**I’d like to get to know you better –** I want to learn more about you; I want toknow you better; I’d like to become your friend (or maybe a boyfriend orgirlfriend)*Pierre said he’d like to get to know me better, so we’re having dinner togetherthis Friday.**here’s my number –** here’s my phone number; an expression used when givingsomeone one’s phone number written down on a piece of paper*A beautiful woman walked up to Alberto at the party and said, “Here’s mynumber. Call me.” He was so happy that he couldn’t stop smiling for hours.**charm –** the power to attract other people and make them feel comfortable*Marjorie has such wonderful charm. Everyone loves spending time with her.**flattery –** the use of words that other people want to hear, even if they aren’ttrue; saying things to make other people feel good about themselves, so that onecan get what one wants from them*Mike always uses flattery when his wife is angry. He thinks that if he says thathe likes her hair or dress, she’ll stop being mad at him.**irresistible –** impossible to deny; impossible to say no to*Carina is on a diet, but she never loses weight because chocolate cake isirresistible for her.##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why does Liam ask Debra to go on a date?a) He feels bad that she broke up with her boyfriend.b) He thinks she is attractive and wants to spend time with her.c) He needs someone to go to the art show with him.2. Liam tells Monica that he *“just moved to this area”* because:a) He wants to ask for directions to the grocery store.b) He wants to know where the good restaurants are.c) He wants to give her directions to his house.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?playerThe word *“player,”* in this podcast, means a man who dates a lot of women, oftenat the same time. For example, “If I had known he was a player, I never wouldhave agreed to go on a date with him.” A *“player”* is also a person who plays asport or a game: *“Basketball players are usually very tall.”* A *“player”* can also besomeone who plays a musical instrument: “The piano player knew all of ourfavorite songs.” A *“player”* is also a business or a person who is a leader inbusiness or politics: *“Microsoft is a key player in the computer industry.”* Finally,a *“player”* is an electronic machine that plays music or video, such as a recordplayer or a DVD player: “He bought a new CD player for his car after the old onewas stolen.”to go forIn this podcast, the phrasal verb *“to go for”* means to select something or tochoose something: *“I’m so thirsty! I could really go for a large glass of water.”**“To go for it”* means to try to be successful at something, usually something thatmay be difficult: “People have always told me that I’m too short to be aprofessional dancer, but my teacher convinced me to go for it.” Another similarphrasal verb *“to go into (something)”* means to join an organization, especially ifit’s related to one’s career: “He went into the army when he was 18 years old,and now he’s a captain.” The phrasal verb *“to go on about (something)”* meansto talk about something for a long time, usually while complaining or boring thelistener: “Denzel was so boring at the party! He just went on and on about his joband he didn’t let anyone else talk.”##CULTURE NOTEIt’s very common to go on *“dates”* or informal meetings to try to find a romanticpartner. However, for many people, it’s difficult to meet people to ask for a date,either because they are too busy or because they feel uncomfortable talking tostrangers. Because of this, some companies and organizations offer “datingservices” to help busy or shy people find dates.*“Speed dating”* is popular, especially in large cities. In speed dating, many*“single”* (unmarried people) are in a large room for one hour, often during theirlunch break. The room has many small tables, each with two chairs. Normally,the women remain seated and the men move to a new table every five minutes.Each *“pair”* (two people) talks for five minutes and, if the man and woman likeeach other, they exchange phone numbers. Then the men move to the nexttable. Speed dating allows single people to meet many people in a short amountof time.There are also many volunteer organizations that organize projects for unmarriedpeople to do together. Projects could include cleaning up a park, painting aschool, or playing with sick children. The participants feel good about whatthey’re doing, and at the same time, they meet other unmarried people who havesimilar interests. Similarly, churches have *“singles groups”* where unmarriedpeople study the Bible together or other religious topics while learning abouteach other.Some people dislike using these kinds of dating services and they prefer to havetheir friends help them find a date. Friends may arrange a *“blind date”* for them.This is when two people who don’t know each other meet, usually in a publicplace, such as a restaurant or a cafe. These dates can be *“awkward”* and theman or woman may feel uncomfortable, but sometimes they help people findtheir *“true love”* or the person with whom they want to spend the rest of their life.Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – b; 2 – c##COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to number 233: Asking for aDate.This is episode 233. I'm your host, Dr.Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com. You can find there a completeLearning Guide for this episode. This is a ten page - eight to ten page guide thatincludes all of the vocabulary words, definitions, sample sentences for each ofthe vocabulary words we talk about, cultural notes, additional information aboutsome words we don't talk about on the podcast and a complete transcript of thisepisode.Our episode is called *“Asking for a Date.”* Let's go![start of story]I admit it. I’m a player. I work in an office where there are a lot of attractivewomen. Take Debra, for example. I heard that she just broke up with herboyfriend last week so I decided to ask her out.Liam: Hi, Debra. How’s it going?Debra: Okay, I guess. How about you?Liam: I’m doing okay. You know, I’m going to an art show this Saturday. Wouldyou like to come with me?Debra: Geez, I’m pretty...
Transcribe →ESL Podcast 230 – A New Year’s Cruise
Jun 13, 202000:17:40Tap to summarize#ESL Podcast 230 – A New Year’s Cruise##GLOSSARY**New Year’s Eve –** the holiday celebrated on December 31; the night before theNew Year (January 1)*Normally their children go to bed early, but on New Year’s Eve they’re allowedto stay up until midnight.**harbor –** an area of ocean water near the land that has strong walls to protectboats from bad weather*The storm destroyed the boats that were on the ocean, but the boats in theharbor weren’t damaged at all.**cruise –** a relaxing journey on the ocean, usually for a vacation*After they were married, they went on a two-week cruise in the Caribbean.**fireworks –** small objects that explode in the sky with a loud noise, producingbright lights in many colors, usually used for celebrations*Many American towns and cities use fireworks to celebrate the country’sIndependence Day on the fourth of July.**marina –** a harbor (an area of ocean water near the land that has strong walls toprotect boats) that is built especially for small boats, often with wooden walkwaysover the water to get access to the boats.*Pedro and his uncle often fish in the marina where the fish are used to smallboats coming and going.**to board –** to get on a ship, airplane, bus, train, or another large vehicle for manypeople*Melissa was a little bit nervous as she boarded a plane for the first time.**this was no... –** this was not a...*He took a long time getting dressed, because he knew that this was no ordinaryday.**boat –** a vehicle that floats and moves on the water and carries people or cargo(good and products)*During the summer, they take their boat to the lake every weekend.**upper / lower –** located above (upper) or below (lower) something else*Unlike the lower floors, the upper floors of this office building have wonderfulviews of the city.**deck –** a floor or level of a ship or bus*Some busses in London have two decks. Tourists like to sit on the top deck sothat they can see the city.**crew –** the staff or workers on a boat or ship*Did all members of the crew return to the ship by 5 p.m.?**on board –** on or inside a boat, ship, airplane, train, or bus*Move aside, please, so everyone can get on board.**life jackets –** vests (jackets with no arms) that people wear so that they will floatif they fall into the water, usually filled with air or other material*These boats are supposed to have enough life jackets for everyone on board.**captain –** the highest-ranking (most important and powerful) member of thecrew; the person who leads, runs, or manages everything on a boat or ship*It looks like a bad storm is coming! Does the captain seem worried about it?**passenger –** a person or guest traveling on a boat, ship, airplane, train, or bus*Their boat is small and can only hold seven passengers.**seasick –** a bad feeling in one’s stomach and dizziness caused by being onmoving water, usually when one is on a boat or ship*Andrea gets seasick very easily, so she always has to take a pill before shesteps onto a boat.**Coast Guard –** a part of the U.S. military that protects the people and land alongthe country’s coasts (where water and land meet)*Our boat’s motor stopped working while we were a mile from land, so we had towait for the Coast Guard to come help us.**on shore –** on land; off of a boat or ship*Do you know what time we’ll be able to go on shore?**to walk the plank –** to walk down a long, flat piece of wood that goes out from aship over the water; in stories, pirates (thieves in ships who steal from other shipsand boats) made people walk down the long, flat piece of wood to their death*In many movies about pirates, a beautiful young woman is forced to walk theplank, but someone always saves her before she falls into the water.##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why did the friends decide to take a harbor cruise on New Year’s Eve?a) Because they didn’t get invited to any parties.b) Because it’s how they celebrate the holiday every year.c) Because they wanted to try something new.2. The cruise was:a) On the ocean near the city.b) On a lake near the city.c) On a river that runs through the city.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?cruiseThe word *“cruise,”* in this podcast, means a relaxing journey in a luxurious orfancy boat: “He asked her to marry him while they were on a romantic harborcruise.” As a verb, *“to cruise”* can mean to take a cruise: “They saw a lot ofmonkeys while they were cruising down the Amazon River.” The verb *“to cruise”*can be used informally to mean to move in a car at a constant speed: “They werecruising at 85 miles per hour when they were stopped by a police officer forspeeding.” Many cars have *“cruise control,”* which is a small button near thesteering wheel that the driver can turn on to have the car maintain a constantspeed without the driver having to constantly step on the gas or brake pedals.boardIn this podcast, the verb *“to board”* means to get onto a boat, ship, airplane, train,or bus: “When he boarded the bus, he was disappointed to see that there weren’tany empty seats.” To be *“on board”* means to be on a boat, ship, airplane, train,or bus: “They had planned to be on board the 7:00 train, but there weren’t anyseats.” As a noun, a *“board”* is a long, flat piece of wood that is used to buildfloors, fences, walls, and other things: “He bought some wooden boards to builda doghouse.” *“Boards”* are also used for equipment used in some sports, suchas snowboarding or surfing: “Surfing can be dangerous if the board hits you onthe head.” A *“board”* is also a group of people who lead an organization: “Thismonth, the board of directors is deciding whether it will sell the company.”##CULTURE NOTEIn the United States, many people enjoy owning a boat and using it with theirfamilies on the weekends, boating on the country’s lakes, rivers, and “coastalwaters” (the ocean water near land). However, owning a boat is a bigresponsibility and there are many boating laws in the U.S. The laws are differentin each state, but they have many things in common.Many boating laws are related to safety. Most states have laws requiring that lifejackets or specific safety equipment be carried on the boat. There are also lawsabout using lights at night and *“minimizing”* (keeping low) noise. In addition,there are laws that *“prohibit”* (not allow) people from driving a boat if they are*“drunk”* or drank too much alcohol.The owners of boats with *“motors”* (a machine that moves a vehicle) and largeboats without motors usually need to register their boats with the stategovernment. This usually requires presenting identification, proof that you ownthe boat, and an *“annual fee”* (a payment of money made every year).Often the boat *“operators”* (the people who drive a boat) must have a boating*“license,”* a document that permits them to drive a boat. Whether someoneneeds a license depends on the type of the boat and the speed of the boat. Thelaws and the requirements to get a license *“vary”* or are different by state, butthey all require that a person pass a test about boat laws. Getting a license alsomay require taking a class about boat safety.Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – a##COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to number 230: A New Year’sCruise.This is episode 230. I'm your host, Dr.Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California. Today we have a special New Year's edition ofESL Podcast. Our topic today is going to be talking about “A New Year’sCruise.”Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com. There you can download theLearning Guide for this episode that contains all of the vocabulary, samplesentences, additional vocabulary and a complete transcript of this podcast. Nowlet's get started.[start of story]My friends and I decided to do something a little different this year. Instead ofgoing to a crowded club or throwing a party on New Year’s Eve, we decided totake a harbor cruise instead. The cruise would be four hours long, and itincluded dinner, music, dancing, and a great view of the fireworks.On that day, we...
Transcribe →ESL Podcast 229 – Irritating Co-Workers
Jun 13, 202000:15:31Tap to summarize#ESL Podcast 229 – Irritating Co-Workers##GLOSSARY**to get on (someone’s) nerves –** to annoy someone; to irritate someone*I love my sister, but we really get on each other’s nerves sometimes.**cut that out! –** a rude (not polite) expression meaning *“Stop that!”* or “Stop doingwhat you’re doing!”*Can you please cut that out? I can’t talk on the phone while you’re making somuch noise!**to drive (someone) crazy –** to annoy someone; to irritate someone*Josephina’s mother always comes into her room without knocking and it drivesher crazy.**to slurp –** to make a loud noise while drinking a beverage*I really hope that the kids will remember not to slurp their soup at dinner tonight.**you’ve got to be kidding me –** you must be joking; I can’t believe what I’mhearing; you can’t be serious*You were never allowed to watch TV when you were growing up? You’ve gotto be kidding me!**to shoot the breeze –** to have a relaxed conversation about things that aren’timportant*Aleksay doesn’t really like fishing, but he does like spending time on the boat,just shooting the breeze with his friends.**to not be able to stand (something) –** to not be able to tolerate something; tobe frustrated and tired of something*I can’t stand the way my girlfriend is always trying to tell me what to do with myfree time.**no skin off my nose –** something that does not matter to someone because itdoes not affect him or her; it doesn’t matter to me*Jacqueline can sit in the front seat if she wants to. It’s no skin off my nose.**pent-up –** built up over time; an emotion that has been growing stronger overtime but has not been let out*He didn’t cry when his father died, but at the funeral, he cried for hours with allof his pent-up feelings of anger and sadness over his death.**close quarters –** cramped or crowded space; a room with little space for thepeople in it*In college, I lived with three other guys in a small apartment. Those closequarters made it hard to have any privacy.**to let off steam –** to do or say something that lets someone get rid of negativeemotions that have been growing over time*I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier. I was just letting off steam from my frustrationat work, but it really had nothing to do with you.**to keep (something) up –** to continue to do something*You played really well in the basketball game yesterday! If you keep it up, you’llbe the next team captain.**to forgive and forget –** to stop fighting, apologize, and behave as if a fight hadnever happened; to reconcile and be friends again*The brothers had a huge fight five years ago and stopped talking to each other,but last week, they finally decided to forgive and forget.**truce –** an agreement to stop fighting*Jill has been fighting with her roommate all week. Her roommate wants to calla truce, but Jill isn’t interested. She’s still too angry.**considerate –** thoughtful of another person’s feelings; careful not to hurtsomeone else’s feelings*Manuel is the most considerate person I know. He always thinks before hespeaks, and he never says anything that would hurt someone else’s feelings.##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why is Isabel irritated by Pete’s friend Deepak?a) Because he interrupts her phone calls.b) Because he leaves the window open and lets in the breeze.c) Because he comes to the office to talk too often.2. Pete is upset with Isabel because:a) She is too noisy.b) She took his pencil.c) She uses his phone.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?close quartersThe phrase *“close quarters,”* in this podcast, means a cramped or crowdedspace, or a room with little space for the people in it: “The soldiers live in veryclose quarters.” A *“quarter”* can also refer to one-fourth (1/4) of something: “Therecipe says that we should use a quarter of a cup of sugar and three-quarters ofa cup of flour.” A *“quarter”* is also one-fourth (1/4) of an academic year at somecolleges and universities: “Even though she received all A’s in the fall quarter,she almost failed in the winter and spring quarters because of family problems.”A *“quarter”* is also a 25-cent coin: *“This public telephone accepts only quarters.”*Finally, a *“quarter”* can refer to a part of town: “The French Quarter of NewOrleans was destroyed by the flood last year.”to keep it upIn this podcast, the phrase *“to keep it up”* means to continue to do something:*“Michael is eating too much. If he keeps it up, he’ll weigh 300 pounds soon.”*The phrase *“to keep it real”* is an informal expression that means to not be fakeor superficial, or to not pretend to be something that one is not: “Dominiquealways keeps it real. No matter what kind of people she’s with, she neverchanges how she acts.” The phrase *“to keep it down”* means to be quieter or tostop making a noise: “Okay kids, keep it down in your room or you’ll have to stopplaying that game.” The phrase *“to keep (something) under wraps”* means to nottalk about something or to keep something a secret: “We need to keep thisproject under wraps, because if our competitors hear about, they will try to copyus.”##CULTURE NOTEMany companies and organizations try to improve relationships among theiremployees by forming sports leagues at work. A *“league”* is a group of sportsteams that play games against each other to determine which team is the best.Playing on a work-based sports team is a good way to make friends with your co-workers, and is also a good way to meet people who work for other companies inyour industry or field.Common work-based sports leagues are for: *“softball,”* a game that is similar tobaseball, but that uses a larger ball; *“volleyball,”* which uses a large white ballthat the players hit back and forth over a net; or *“bowling,”* a game where playersroll a large heavy ball to knock down *“pins”* (pieces shaped like bottles).Most of the teams are *“co-ed,”* meaning that men and women play together, butsometimes there are separate teams for men and women. Sometimescompanies and organizations buy *“uniforms”* (special clothing that is the same forall players on a team) for their employees. People who play in sports leaguesoften bring their athletic clothing to work and change clothes at the end of theday. They leave the office together to go to the game. Family members oftencome to watch the games and sometimes they play, too.Work-based sports leagues are mostly interested in having a good time and don’tcare very much whether they win or lose. But other sports leagues are extremelycompetitive and the teams welcome only good athletes. This is especially truefor work-based sports leagues that have prizes for the winners.Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – a##COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to number 229: Irritating Co-workers.This is episode 229. I'm your host, Dr.Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.Be sure to visit our website at eslpod.com, and download the Learning Guide forthis episode.On this podcast, we are going to talk about people you work with that maysometimes irritate or bother you. Let's get started.[start of story]Since our office reorganization, I’ve been sharing an office with Isabel. We’vebeen getting on each other’s nerves.Pete: Hey, Isabel, can you cut that out?Isabel: Cut what out? I’m not doing anything.Pete: You’re tapping your pencil on your desk. It’s driving me crazy.Isabel: Okay, I will if you’ll stop slurping your coffee.Pete: I don’t slurp my coffee. And plus, how can you hear it when you’reshouting into your phone all the time?Isabel: You’ve got to be kidding me! You’re complaining about me talking on thephone when your friend Deepak stops by ten times a day to shoot the breeze? Ican’t stand that guy.Pete: It’s no skin off my nose if you don’t like Deepak. Look, we have a lot ofpent-up anger from working in these close quarters, and it’s probably okay to letoff steam once in a while. But, it’s probably not a good idea to keep it up. I’mwilling to forgive and forget if you are.Isabel: Fine. Let’s call a truce. I’ll try t...
Transcribe →ESL Podcast 228 – A Christmas Feast
Jun 13, 202000:18:11Tap to summarize#ESL Podcast 228 – A Christmas Feast##GLOSSARY**the more, the merrier –** the more people there are, the more fun something willbe*Lydia asked if she could bring her cousins to the party, and I said, “Of course!The more, the merrier!”**thrilled –** delighted; very happy*Magdalene was thrilled to learn that she had been accepted at BoondocksUniversity.**fruitcake –** a traditional Christmas cake that contains small pieces of dried fruit*Ashley doesn’t like raisins, so he always picks them out of the fruitcake.**to sit down to (a meal) –** to take a seat at the table and begin to eat a meal*We had just sat down to dinner when the telephone rang, but we didn’t answerit because we didn’t want the food to get cold.**feast –** a very large meal, usually for many people*The wedding feast was delicious, with enough meat, breads, desserts, anddrinks for 300 people.**to go overboard –** to be too enthusiastic about something; to do somethingbeyond what one should; to do too much*Alberto just started a new exercise program, but he’s going overboard andexercising at least two hours a day.**roast –** a large piece of uncut beef or pork cooked in an oven*Grandma Chin has a delicious recipe for a pork roast with an apple-buttersauce.**ham –** pork; the meat from the top part of a pig’s leg*He always has a ham-and-cheese sandwich for lunch.**stuffing –** a mixture of chopped bread, herbs, vegetables, and fruits put inside ofa turkey, duck, or chicken, and cooked in an oven*Their family makes a stuffing with apples and carrots. It sounds strange, but it’svery tasty.**yam –** a vegetable that is orange-colored that is a root of a plant, similar to asweet potato*Do you think we should make some baked yams for dinner?**mashed potatoes –** potatoes that have been cooked and then pressed until theyare smooth, usually mixed with butter and milk, and served with gravy (a darkbrown sauce)*If you eat too much of the mashed potatoes, you won’t have room for turkey.**cranberry sauce –** a dessert that looks like jelly made from cranberries (a typeof sour, red berry) and sugar, usually served with turkey for holiday meals*Could you please pass the cranberry sauce to this end of the table?**eggnog –** a holiday drink made from alcohol, eggs, milk, and spices*Would you like a glass of eggnog or do you prefer soda?**to save room for (something) –** to stop eating before one is full, so that one willbe able to eat something else later*I’m glad you like the salad, but please don’t eat too much of it. Save room forthe pasta!**pumpkin pie –** a dessert baked in an oven, made with soft, sweet pumpkin in themiddle and crust (harder edge) on the bottom and sides*Nancy served us huge slices of pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top.**gingerbread house –** a dessert made of cookies flavored with ginger, puttogether in the shape of a house and decorated with candies*The girls tried to make a gingerbread house, but it kept falling down, so theydecided to just eat the gingerbread by itself.**to carve the bird –** to cut an oven-cooked turkey, chicken, or duck into smallpieces for each person to eat*Their grandfather always lets the children help him carve the bird for theThanksgiving dinner.**to do the honors –** to perform a ceremony or ritual; to do an important thing*We need a close friend to give a speech at our wedding reception. Would youdo the honors?##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why did the family invite Adriano and his family over for Christmas?a) The family thought that dinner would be more fun with more people.b) The family made too much food and needs help eating it all.c) The family needed someone to bring a dessert.2. Lucy asks Adriano to:a) Pour the drinks.b) Cut the turkey.c) Bring a fruitcake.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?to go overboardThe phrase *“to go overboard,”* in this podcast, means to be too enthusiasticabout something or to do too much of something: “We know the food at schoolisn’t very good, but don’t go overboard while you’re home for the holidays.” Or,“Cynthia went completely overboard when her granddaughter was born, buyingfar too many presents for the baby.” The phrase *“to fall overboard”* or “to jumpoverboard” can mean to fall or jump over the side of a boat or a ship into thewater, usually accidentally. For example, “The child was playing too close to theedge of the boat, and he accidentally fell overboard into the cold water.” On aboat or ship, one should shout, *“Man overboard!”* to make other people awarethat someone has fallen into the water.to do the honorsIn this podcast, the phrase *“to do the honors”* means to perform a ceremony orritual. or to take on an important responsibility: “Maria couldn’t cut her birthdaycake because her arm was broken, so her mother did the honors.” To graduate*“with honors”* means to graduate with very good grades, as one of the beststudents: “Adam received a lot of job offers because he graduated with honorsfrom a very good university.” The word *“honor”* means something that one isvery proud of: *“It was an honor to be asked to speak at the conference.”* *“Honor”*can mean great admiration or respect when it is used in phrases such as “theguest of honor” or *“the seat of honor”*: “When will the guest of honor, Dr. Gopal,be arriving for dinner?” Judges are sometimes called *“Your Honor.”*##CULTURE NOTEChristmas *“carols”* are traditional Christmas songs. Some songs are religious,but others are about Santa Claus and presents, and others are about the joyful orhappy feeling around Christmas. In some cities and towns, small groups ofpeople go *“Christmas caroling,”* singing carols at hospitals, at nursing homes forthe elderly (or older people), or on neighborhood streets. Often people invite thecarolers inside their homes to eat Christmas cookies and drink hot chocolate orhot *“apple cider”* (hot apple juice mixed with sugar, cinnamon, and other spices).At Christmastime, it is common to see a large, decorated tree in the middle ofmany American towns. These trees are often decorated with lights, coloredballs, dolls, or images of animals. A man dressed as Santa Claus often sits infront of the tree. Young children sit on his *“lap”* (the space on the upper part ofone’s legs when one sits down) and tell him what they would like to receive forChristmas. Then Santa Claus tells them to be good and gives them a “candycane” (a red-and-white, hard candy in the shape of a *“cane”* or walking stick).Other, smaller trees are often placed inside office buildings and shopping malls.These *“giving trees”* have special paper decorations. One side of the decorationhas a holiday drawing and the other side has the name and age of a poor child,with that child’s *“wish”* or something that the child wants. People take an*“ornament”* (decoration), buy the gift that the child wants, and then *“wrap”* it(cover it in colored paper). They place the present under the tree and thepresents are given to poor children on Christmas day. Other people choose to*“adopt”* an entire family, providing gifts and holiday food for a poor family thatdoesn’t have enough money to celebrate the holiday.Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – b##COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to number 228: A ChristmasFeast.Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!This is number 228. I'm your host, Dr.Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from beautiful Los Angeles, California. I want tothank Santa Claus for coming on our program today and wishing us all a MerryChristmas and Happy Holidays to everyone on this Christmas holiday edition ofESL Podcast.Remember to visit our website and give yourself a Christmas/Chanukah holidaygift by becoming a member of ESL Podcast. If you do that, your present will be aLearning Guide for each episode of this podcast that includes all of thevocabulary, definitions, cultural notes, additional definitions that we don't talkabout on the podcast, as well as a complete transcript of each episode.Our topic today is called *“A Christmas Feast.”* Let's get started.[start of story]This year, our family decided that the more the merrier and invited Adriano andhis family to have Chris...
Transcribe →ESL Podcast 227 – Describing Symptoms to a Doctor
Jun 13, 202000:17:21Tap to summarize#ESL Podcast 227 – Describing Symptoms to a Doctor##GLOSSARY**stomachache –** a pain in the stomach*Jenny has a stomachache because she ate too much junk food this afternoon.**to come and go –** to appear and disappear; to arrive and leave*Ella is tired because she was coming and going all day yesterday, between herhouse, her work, the school, and store.**heartburn –** a burning pain in the chest, usually caused by something you ate*Whenever Dad eats pizza, he gets a bad case of heartburn.**bloated –** uncomfortably full of food, gas, or water*I drank too much soda with lunch and now I feel bloated.**nauseous –** sick to one’s stomach; a feeling that one wants to vomit or throw up*Standing on the roof of a tall building and looking down makes me feelnauseous.**to press –** to gently push; to push down*The little boy pressed all of the buttons in the elevator so we had to stop onevery floor.**headache –** a pain in the head*Jeremiah says that his neighbors play their music too loudly and that’s why healways has a headache.**fatigued –** very tired*After working 12 hours at the hospital, the doctor was very fatigued and sheneeded some rest.**stuffy nose –** the feeling that something is in one’s nose which makes it difficultto breathe*Grandpa always has a stuffy nose when he visits their house. Maybe he’sallergic to their cats.**cough –** the noise caused when air is forced through one’s throat, especiallywhen one is sick*I would have enjoyed the opera, but it was difficult to hear the singers becausethe man sitting behind me had a bad cough.** sore throat –** a burning pain in one’s throat*My mother taught me that whenever I have a sore throat, I should drink a lot oforange juice and hot tea with lemon.**earache –** a pain in the ear*If a bad earache isn’t treated, the infection can cause a loss of hearing.**stiff –** difficult to move*My body is so stiff today because I went running yesterday for the first time insix months.**to lose feeling –** not to be able to feel anything; to have no feeling in a part ofone’s body*Karen slept on her right arm, and when she woke up, she realized that she hadlost feeling in her hand.**symptom –** a problem with one’s body that shows that someone isn’t healthy*The symptoms of the flu include fever, body aches, and tiredness.**in-laws –** the parents of one’s husband or wife*Ever since my parents died, my in-laws have treated me like their own son.**to admit (someone) –** to send someone to a clinic or hospital for special care,usually overnight*When the doctor couldn’t identify the cause of Carly’s symptoms, he admittedher to the hospital for more tests.##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why is Nick visiting the doctor?a) He feels very sick and has an unusual combination of symptoms.b) He thinks he broke his leg because it is stiff and he has trouble walking.c) He wants the doctor to send him to the hospital so he won’t need to go home.2. Dr. van Eyck believes that:a) Nick isn’t really sick, but he is having trouble at home.b) Nick should take medicine and rest in bed for three days.c) Nick’s symptoms are very dangerous and he should go to the hospitalimmediately.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?to pressThe verb *“to press,”* in this podcast, means to gently push: “She pressed a bag ofice against her forehead, hoping that it would make her headache go away.” Theverb *“to press”* can also mean to try to persuade or convince someone else. Forexample, “The salesperson is pressing the young family to buy the mostexpensive car, even though they don’t need it.” Another meaning of *“to press”* isto make something flat: “She pressed the flowers between the pages of a heavybook.” As a noun, *“the press”* refers to newspapers and magazines or the peoplewho work for newspapers and magazines. For example, “Americans believe infreedom of the press, which means that the government should not control whatis written in newspapers and magazines.”to lose feelingIn this podcast, the phrase *“to lose feeling”* means to not be able to feel anything:“After the car accident, he lost all feeling in both of his legs and now he can’twalk.” Many idioms use the verb *“to lose.”* For example, *“to lose it”* is aninformal expression that means to be out of control and unable to stop oneselffrom laughing or crying: “When she heard that she had won the lottery, shecompletely lost it and began screaming, laughing, and crying at the same time.”The phrase *“to lose oneself”* means to become very interested in something sothat nothing else is important: “Whenever he plays video games on the computer,he completely loses himself and he doesn’t hear his mother calling his name.”##CULTURE NOTECompanies that create new medicines must spend a lot of money on researchand development. These companies want to know that they will receive moneyfor these medicines once they are ready to be sold to *“consumers”* (buyers). Forthis reason, the United States allows these companies to *“patent”* (legally protect)their medicines.This patent system guarantees that for a certain period of time no other companyis allowed to sell the same medicine. All of the money from sales of the medicineduring this time is kept by the original company. This patent system is good forthe companies that create medicines because it lets them earn back the moneythey spent on research. It also gives them an *“incentive”* or a good reason tocontinue researching and developing new medicines. However, it makesmedicine extremely expensive for consumers in the United States.For this reason, many Americans cannot afford to buy the medicines that theyneed. Fortunately, there are some ways to avoid paying high prices. Somepeople buy only *“generic”* (not name brand) medicines, which are much cheaperthan branded medicines, but contain the same medicine. Other people pay for*“prescription drug”* (medicine recommended by a doctor) insurance, which paysfor a certain percentage of the cost of their medicines.A popular way to avoid paying high prices for medicine is to buy medicines fromother countries. For example, most medicines are much less expensive inCanada than in the United States, so some Americans choose to go on vacationin Canada to buy medicines to bring home or buy them online. Many doctorsand politicians are concerned about the safety of buying medicines in othercountries where quality may not be as high, but until the price of medicines goesdown, many Americans will continue to buy their medicines from other countries.Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – a##COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to number 227: DescribingSymptoms to a Doctor.This is number 227. I'm your host, Dr.Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com and download a copy of theLearning Guide for this podcast.The topic for today's podcast is *“Describing Symptoms to a Doctor.”* Let's getstarted.[start of story]Dr. van Eyck: Good morning, I’m Dr. van Eyck. I understand that you’re notfeeling well.Nico: That’s right, doctor. I’ve had a stomachache for three days. The paincomes and goes, but I also have heartburn and I am feeling bloated all the time.Dr. van Eyck: Well, let’s take a look. Have you felt nauseous? Does it hurtwhen I press here?Nico: Oh yes, that hurts, and I feel nauseous all the time. But, doctor, that’s notall. I’ve also had bad headaches in the past week and I feel fatigued all the time.Dr. van Eyck: Have you had a stuffy nose, a cough, a sore throat, or anearache?Nico: Yes, I’ve had all of those.Dr. van Eyck: You have? All of them?Nico: And, there’s more. I’ve been feeling pains in my leg. Sometimes it feelsstiff and sometimes I lose feeling in it. I’m having a lot of trouble walking.Dr. van Eyck: I have to say that you have an unusual combination of symptoms.Have there been any significant changes in your life in the past few days?Nico: Well, my in-laws are visiting from out of town. Do you thi...
Transcribe →ESL Podcast 226 – Holiday Decorating
Jun 13, 202000:19:47Tap to summarize#ESL Podcast 226 – Holiday Decorating##GLOSSARY**to decorate –** to make something more attractive by putting objects on it*The students are going to decorate the high school gym so that it looks like adance club for their dance on Friday night.**to go all out –** to put all of one’s energy and effort into doing something*She went all out during the race and finished in first place.**Christmas tree –** a pine tree (or a plastic tree) that people decorate and place intheir homes to celebrate Christmas*Please put all of the presents from your grandparents under the Christmas tree.**ornament –** a small object used for decoration, usually with a string for hangingon the branches of a Christmas tree*My favorite Christmas tree ornament is the blue glass ball that my daughtergave me three years ago.**tinsel –** narrow, thin strips of shiny material used for decoration*The children were supposed to put the tinsel on the Christmas tree, but theyhad more fun putting it in each other’s hair.**wreath –** a circle of flowers and leaves hung on a door or wall for decoration*Everyone who visits their house admires the beautiful Christmas wreathhanging on their front door.**mistletoe –** a plant with green leaves and white berries that is used asdecoration during the Christmas holiday*I’m hanging mistletoe above the doors because tradition says that if a man anda woman stand under the mistletoe, they have to kiss each other.**chimney –** a brick or rock structure that carries smoke from a fireplace, throughthe roof and outside of a house*When we lit the fire, the room started to fill with smoke because we hadforgotten to open the chimney.**stocking –** a very large, colorful sock that is hung near the chimney and filledwith presents the night before Christmas*Last year, Josiah made a giant stocking because he thought he would get morepresents that way.**holiday cards –** a piece of paper folded in half, with a picture on the front and amessage inside, sent to friends and family to wish them happy holidays*This year we are sending a photograph of the children inside our holiday cards,so that our family and friends can see how much they’ve grown since last year.**lawn ornaments –** statues and other objects placed on the grass in front of ahouse as decoration*Look at the lawn ornaments across the street! That family must be very excitedabout the holidays.**snowman –** snow shaped in the form of a person*Myung and Oscar made a snowman with cookies for eyes and a carrot for anose.**reindeer –** a large animal that looks like a deer with long antlers (horns that looklike tree branches) on its head that lives in the snow*According to Christmas stories and songs, Santa Claus uses flying reindeer tohelp him go from house to house, delivering Christmas presents.**Santa Claus –** an imaginary fat, jolly (cheerful) man with a white beard and redclothing who delivers Christmas presents to good boys and girls*Many children behave very well in December because their parents tell themthat Santa Claus will bring them presents only if they are good.**outdoor lights –** lines of multi-colored, white, or blue lights that are placed alongthe roofs, doors, and windows of houses as Christmas decorations*Some neighborhoods are famous for their outdoor lights at Christmas, andmany people drive by to see their decorations.**to string –** to hang decorations in a line*When we learned that Katie was pregnant, we celebrated by stringing pink andblue decorations all around the living room.**it’s no wonder that –** it isn’t surprising that*It’s no wonder that you passed the exam. You have been studying every nightfor almost two months!##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why is the family decorating the house?a) Because the house hasn’t been decorated for many years.b) Because this is how the family celebrates the holidays.c) Because Santa Claus visits only decorated houses.2. Where does the family put its holiday decorations?a) Only inside the house.b) Only outside of the house.c) Both inside and outside of the house.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?to decorateThe verb *“to decorate,”* in this podcast, means to make something moreattractive by putting objects on it. For example, “For their wedding, theydecorated the room with white, yellow, and gold fabric.” The verb *“to decorate”*can also mean to be placed on something to make it look more attractive:*“Paintings of kings and queens decorated the walls of the old castle.”* “Todecorate” can also mean to give someone a medal or another honor: “Thesoldier was decorated for his bravery in the battle.” A *“decorator”* is someonewhose job is to decorate homes: “We want to hire an interior decorator todecorate our dining room because we don’t think we can do a good job withoutprofessional help.”stockingsIn this podcast, the word *“stockings”* means very large, colorful socks that arehung near the chimney and filled with presents the night before Christmas. In apopular poem, *“The Night Before Christmas,”* the author wrote: “Stockings werehung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) soonwould be there.” The word *“stockings”* can also refer to a thin piece of clothingthat a woman wears over her feet and legs, such as nylons or tights. Forexample, “Do you think black or skin-colored stockings would look better with thisdress?” As a verb, *“to stock”* means to have a supply of goods to sell: “We needto stock more of those notebooks because they are selling very quickly.”##CULTURE NOTEIn the United States, many families celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Day bystringing outdoor lights around their houses. Although many non-Christianfamilies also do this, people of other religions may not. These strings of lightscan be all one color, or a mixture of red, blue, green, and yellow. The lights areusually strung along the roof, around doors and windows, and sometimes aroundtrees in the *“front lawn”* (the grass-covered area in front of a home). Sometimespeople use lawn ornaments that have lights, too. Popular lawn ornamentsinclude Santa Claus, reindeer, snowmen, and stars. Other people prefer todisplay Christian lawn ornaments that relate to a *“nativity scene”* or a sceneshowing the birth of Jesus in the Christian religion, and includes the baby Jesusand his parents, Mary and Joseph.Some families compete with their neighbors to have the biggest or most beautiful*“lawn displays”* or the group of objects they place in front of their homes for otherpeople to see. For this reason, the best lawn displays are often found near oneanother and some neighborhoods become well known for their lawn displays.Often local newspapers provide lists of these neighborhoods so that people candrive through those neighborhoods at night to enjoy the lawn displays.Some cities and towns organize larger displays during the weeks beforeChristmas. During the day, they have holiday parades. At night, they often have*“light shows”* (moving, colorful lights decorating the lawn ornaments). The peoplewho come to these displays usually buy holiday food, such as Christmas cookiesand peppermint candy, and drinks, such as hot chocolate and *“apple cider”* (hotapple juice with cinnamon and other flavors). The money that cities earn fromthese sales is usually used for social projects.Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – b; 2 – c##COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to number 226: HolidayDecorating.This is episode 226. I'm your host, Dr.Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com. You can find there the LearningGuide for this episode, which contains all of the vocabulary words, definitions,sample sentences, additional cultural notes, explanations of words we that don'ttalk about on the podcast and a complete transcript of this episode.This podcast is about *“Holiday Decorating.”* Let's get started.[start of story]Now that the holidays are here, it’s time to decorate the house. Every year, wealways go all out. We buy a Christmas tree and the kids decorate it withornaments that we’ve bought and made over the years, and with silver and gold<...
Transcribe →ESL Podcast 225 – Feeling Homesick
Jun 13, 202000:15:46Tap to summarize#ESL Podcast 225 – Feeling Homesick##GLOSSARY**long face –** an expression of sadness on someone’s face; the look on a person’sface when they are unhappy*He had such a long face when he got home from work that we immediatelyknew something was wrong.**homesick –** sad to be away from family, friends, and home; missing or longing tobe home*Whenever Alexander looks at pictures of his family, he becomes homesick.**adjustment –** adaptation; change to fit into a new environment or place*It was hard for Sheila’s daughter to make the adjustment to going to daycaremost of the day when Sheila went back to work full-time.**to cope –** to manage or to deal with a difficult situation*She isn’t coping very well with her mother’s death. I wish I knew how to helpher.**to afford –** to be able to pay for something; to have enough money for something*I would like to buy a new computer, but I can’t afford it right now.**to long for (something) –** to strongly want something; to have a strong wish forsomething*They have been studying very hard for final exams, and now that the exams areover, they’re longing for summer vacation.**comforts of home –** things found in the home that make life more pleasant;things that make you feel comfortable and happy at home*After two weeks of hiking in the mountains, we were ready to enjoy the comfortsof home: a hot bath, good food, and a soft bed.**lonely –** sad to not be with other people; sad to be by oneself*He feels very lonely when his wife has to travel for work.**to be depressed –** to be sad, sometimes without an explanation*When people are depressed, they often stay in bed all day.**nostalgic –** sad when remembering a past time or a place far away that is part ofa happy memory*I felt nostalgic when I thought about how my brother and I used to play togetherwhen we were children.**to see through rose-colored glasses –** to see something as being better than itreally is; to see only the good and not the bad*Ever since they got married, they’re always so happy and optimistic! They’reseeing the world through rose-colored glasses.**idyllic –** perfect; without problems; peaceful and beautiful*We had an idyllic vacation in the Caribbean. The beaches were beautiful andquiet, and we were able to forget about all of our problems.**to be bummed out –** to be disappointed, depressed, or sad*Zachary was bummed out when he heard that he didn’t get the job in Peru.**on (one’s) own –** without other people; by oneself*Do you live on your own or do you have a roommate?**misery loves company –** a saying that means that sad people like to be aroundother sad people*Julie and Zelda spend a lot of time together crying about their ex-boyfriends. Iguess misery loves company.**to be up for (something) –** to be willing to participate; to be willing to dosomething*Do you think you’ll be up for a movie tonight after work?##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why does Luis feel homesick?a) Being in his home makes him feel sick.b) He doesn’t like any kind of holiday.c) He misses being with his family.2. What does Annie suggest to help Luis feel better?a) To see things through rose-colored glasses.b) To have a party with other friends.c) To buy airfare to go back home.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?adjustmentThe word *“adjustment,”* in this podcast, means an adaptation or change to fit intoa new environment. For example, “Going to college was a major adjustment forme because I had never lived away from home before.” As a verb, *“to adjust”*can mean to adapt to a new situation: “It was difficult for him to adjust to his newjob.” An *“adjustment”* also means a small change to make something better:*“This chair needs a few adjustments to make it more comfortable.”* When usedas a verb, *“to adjust”* can mean to change something to make it work better. Forexample, *“I need to adjust my watch because it’s five minutes fast.”* Or, “Couldyou please adjust the volume on the TV so that it isn’t so loud?”to be up for (something)In this podcast, the phrase *“to be up for (something)”* means to be willing to dosomething: *“I’m up for some ice cream. Would anyone like to join me?”* Thephrase *“to be up to (something)”* has the same meaning: “If you’re up to it, let’sgo running at 5:30 tomorrow morning.” The phrase *“to be up to (someone)”*means that that person is responsible or will make the decision. For example,*“It’s up to me to make sure that the children are ready for school each morning.”*Or, *“It’s up to him to decide whether we’ll work on this project.”* The phrase “tobe up against (something)” means to face problems: “She was up against manyproblems, but her good attitude kept her from giving up.”##CULTURE NOTEMany U.S. citizens *“live abroad”* (live in other countries). Some live abroad forwork or school, and others live abroad because they want to learn about anotherlanguage or culture. Living in a foreign country is an exciting adventure, butalmost everyone feels homesick during some part of the experience.When Americans living abroad feel homesick, they often wish that they could eat*“comfort foods”* like their parents used to make for them when they were children.Common comfort foods are hot soups, tuna *“casseroles”* (baked noodles withvegetables and cheese), chocolate-chip cookies, and apple pie. The taste ofcomfort foods can help these people remember their homes and happymemories of their families.Americans living abroad often meet with other *“expats,”* (short for *“expatriates”*;people who are living away from their home country). Expats are different from*“immigrants”* because expats are only in the country temporarily, whileimmigrants usually commit to stay in the new country long term and adjust to lifepermanently.Expats sometimes get together to *“recreate”* (create again) the comforts of home.In most capital cities there are clubs for the Americans who live there. Theseclubs often organize special events, such as *“bake sales”* or sales of home-baked bread and desserts that are similar to what they would eat in the U.S.These clubs also help people celebrate American holidays together. Forexample, many Americans living abroad celebrate the Thanksgiving holidaytogether in late November. This helps them feel less homesick even though theyare far away from their families.Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – b##COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to number 225: FeelingHomesick.This is episode 225. I'm your host, Dr.Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com and download the Learning Guidefor this podcast.Today's podcast is called *“Feeling Homesick.”* Let's get started.[start of story]Annie: Why the long face?Luis: I don’t know. I guess I’m feeling a little homesick.Annie: I thought you got over that. I know the adjustment was hard when youfirst got here, but I thought you were coping pretty well.Luis: I was. It’s just that the holidays are coming up and I won’t be able to gohome because I can’t afford the airfare. I’m just longing for some of the comfortsof home, like my mom’s cooking and being around my family.Annie: Yeah, it can get pretty lonely over the holidays. When I first got here, I’dget depressed and nostalgic for anything that reminded me of home. But, youknow, I think I was just seeing things through rose-colored glasses.Luis: What do you mean?Annie: Well, things back home weren’t really that idyllic, but from this distance,all I could think of was the good stuff and none of the bad.Luis: I see what you mean, but I’m still bummed out.Annie: I have an idea. Why don’t we put on our own little holiday celebration?We can have it at my place and we can invite all of our friends who are on theirown this time of year. We’ll each do something that’ll remind us of home. Whatdo you say? Misery loves company, as they say.Luis: You know, I could really go for that. You don’t mind all of the trouble...
Transcribe →ESL Podcast 224 – Holiday Promotions
Jun 13, 202000:16:28Tap to summarize#ESL Podcast 224 – Holiday Promotions##GLOSSARY**to come up with (something) –** to think of something, usually a new idea or asolution to a problem*How did you come up with that idea? I’ve never heard anything like it before.**holiday promotion –** activities to increase sales during the holiday season,usually in November and December*The store’s holiday promotions are incredible! They sell everything at 30% offof its regular price.**inroad –** progress; advancement*Japanese car companies rapidly made inroads into the U.S. automobileindustry.**gift-buying market –** the economic market of people (group of buyers) who buypresents*Was there an increase in the gift-buying market during February for Valentine’sDay?**retail sales –** sales of small number of products to individual buyers (not to otherbusinesses)*Because it was extremely hot last August, retail sales of air conditionersincreased significantly that summer.**sales cycle –** the same time of year when there are very high or low sales*Most types of products have predictable sales cycles. For example, sales ofschool supplies and children’s clothing are highest right before the school yearbegins.**innovative –** new and creative; original*Everyone admires her innovative ideas for making this a better team this year.**brick-and-mortar store –** a business that serves customers in a real store, notthrough a website*My mother likes to see and touch what she’s buying, so she prefers shopping atbrick-and-mortar stores.**computer savvy –** knowledgeable about computers*Today, children are often more computer savvy than their parents are.**more likely than ever –** more likely now than anytime before; more probablethan before*Harold’s boss yelled at him yesterday in front of all of the other employees, andnow it’s more likely than ever that he’ll quit his job.**to capitalize on –** to take advantage of, to profit from*The team capitalized on its early lead and won the game by more thanpoints.**to slash prices –** to greatly reduce prices, usually during a sale*When one company slashes prices, many competing companies feel pressuredto do the same because they fear losing their customers.**inventory –** a complete list of what is in a place, such as the products a storehas available for sale*We are closing our store for two days to do an inventory of what we have in thestore.**stock –** the number of products that a store has available for sale*I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t have that product in stock, but I think our downtownstore does.**gimmick –** an unusual or clever trick to encourage people to buy something*His sales gimmicks were so annoying that most people left the store withoutbuying anything.**to jump-start –** to start quickly*He jump-started his career in business by getting a graduate degree when hewas very young.**to count on (someone) –** to rely on someone; to depend on someone*I can’t attend the meeting so I’m counting on you to tell me what was discussed.##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. How does this company plan to enter the gift-buying market?a) By opening a brick-and-mortar store.b) By thinking of creative ideas for holiday promotion.c) By slashing prices.2. This company’s customers:a) Like to buy products online.b) Like to buy products from companies that use sales gimmicks.c) Like to buy products at brick-and-mortar stores.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?promotionThe word *“promotion,”* in this podcast, means the things a business does toincrease sales: “The new store is offering a great promotion this month: ifcustomers buy two sweaters, a third sweater is free.” *“Promotion”* can also referto activities that encourage people to support an idea or belief: “The Center forthe Promotion of Peace works to prevent wars in Asian countries.” As a verb, “topromote” means to help sell a product: “Authors often promote their books bysigning them in a public place, like a bookstore.” The verb *“to promote”* can alsomean to help something happen: “Supporting private businesses is one way thatgovernments can promote economic growth.” Another meaning of *“promotion”* isa move to a better job: “She received a promotion to vice-president of salesbecause of her excellent work on the sales team.”stockIn this podcast, the word *“stock”* means the amount of products that a store hasavailable to sell: “We need to order more AA batteries because we’re out ofstock.” Or, *“Are any of the blue dishes still in stock, or have we sold them all?”* A*“stock”* can also be a share in a company, making you one of the owners: “I wishI had bought stock in that company ten years ago.” A *“stock”* is also a liquid usedto make soups: “My mother makes an excellent vegetable stock by boilingcarrots, onions, and potatoes in water for two hours.” As a verb, *“to stock up”*means to buy a large quantity of something to use later: “We stocked up on somuch toilet paper when it was on sale that we won’t need to buy anymore thisyear.”##CULTURE NOTEStores in the United States often offer *“sales”* to attract customers. Sales areshort periods of time when the prices of certain of products are reduced orlowered. There are many different types of sales.Some sales offer low prices for specific categories of products. For example, a*“white sale”* offers lower prices for *“household goods”* such as towels, dishes,sheets, blankets, and small kitchen electronics, such as a coffee maker. “Back-to-school sales” happen in late August, before the academic year begins inSeptember. During a back-to-school sale, school supplies (such as paper,notebooks, pens, and pencils), children’s clothing, and backpacks cost less thanusual.Other sales, such as Memorial Day sales and Labor Day sales, are related tospecific U.S. holidays. The most famous of these sales is the “day-after-Thanksgiving sale,” which happens in late November on Friday after theThanksgiving holiday. This day is also called *“Black Friday,”* because the phrase*“in the black”* means to make money (*“in the red”* means to lose money). This isthe biggest shopping day of the year and many people stand in lines in front ofstores for hours so that they can be the first ones to enter the store when itopens. Prices on certain items are extremely low, and some stores offer freegifts to the first 100 customers who enter the store that day.An *“early-bird sale”* offers low prices to shoppers who arrive at the store early inthe morning, sometimes as early as 6:00 a.m. Recently some businesses,especially *“car dealerships”* (stores selling cars), offer *“employee-pricing sales.”*These sales offer the general public the same *“discounted”* (lower) prices that arenormally offered only to the store’s employees.Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – b; 2 – a##COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to number 224: HolidayPromotions.This is episode 224. I'm your host, Dr.Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California. How are you today?In this podcast, we are going to talk about buying things, or actually, sellingthings for the holiday season. Remember, this episode will also have a LearningGuide on our website. The Learning Guides include all of the vocabulary,definitions, sample sentences, additional definitions that we don't talk about onthe podcast, cultural notes and a free trip to Los Angeles. Well okay, not a freetrip to Los Angeles, but everything else is on the Learning Guide! You can findthose that at eslpod.com. Now let's get started.[start of story]My boss asked me to come up with some holiday promotion ideas so that we canmake inroads into the gift-buying market. For us to stay competitive, ourcompany has to increase retail sales for this important sales cycle. My boss isexpecting some innovative ideas from me.Since we’re an online business and not a brick-and-mortar store, we can’t justput signs in the window or do other types of traditional advertising. Lucky for us,though, consumers are increasingly computer savvy and are more likely thanever to buy online. That’s something we want to capitalize on....
Transcribe →