Pick Me English as a Second Language Podcast (With Transcripts)

#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,

#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

#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 bo

#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’t

#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 com

#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 p

#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 paten

#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:

#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 livi

#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”*

#ESL Podcast 223 – A Mistake in the Hotel Bill##GLOSSARY**bill –** a list of costs that need to be paid*Why hasn’t the waiter brought us our bill yet? We finished eating twentyminutes ago.**stay –** the amount of time spent somewhere; a visit*I enjoyed my weekend stay with my good friends in San Diego.**incidentals –** extra costs not included in the basic cost of the hotel room*If she had known how expensive the incidentals were, she wouldn’t haveordered room service.**pay-per-view movie –** a movie that can be seen on television at any time, eitherat home or in a hotel*Watching pay-per-view movies is better than going to a movie theater. Theyaren’t very expensive, and you can see them whenever you want.**spa services –** health or beauty treatments*Aunt Juanita owns a beauty salon that offers spa services, such as manicuresand massages.**to be positive –** to have no doubt; to be certain; to be confident that one iscorrect*Are you positive that this is the way to the museum? If not, I think we shouldstop and ask for directions.**supervisor –** boss; manager; an employee who is responsible for the work ofother employees*Peter has to work all weekend, because his supervisor said that the report mustbe finished by Monday morning.**on duty –** working; at work*The security guards aren’t allowed to make personal phone calls while they’reon duty.**to resolve –** to find a solution; to find an answer; to correct an error*The two brothers couldn’t resolve their disagreement, so they asked theirmother for advice.**in error –** mistakenly; incorrectly; wrongly*The man was in error when he said that his neighbor’s daughter threw the ballthat broke his window. It was someone else.**to be switched –** to be exchanged with something else; to be mistaken forsomething else*Would you please switch seats with me? I am too short to see the stage fromhere.**to check in –** to register; to sign in; to report one’s arrival*When you arrive at the conference, be sure to check in to get a program.**lobby –** an entrance area; the first room seen when entering a building*When you enter the lobby, turn right to get to the swimming pool.**to have a plane to catch –** to need to go to the airport for a flight; to have anairplane ticket for a flight that is leaving soon*She has a plane to catch in three hours and she still hasn’t packed. She needsto hurry!**general manager –** an employee who has the main responsibility for a businessor organization*The company needs to hire a general manager for its new office. Can yourecommend anyone?##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why is May in a hurry?a) She has an appointment for spa services.b) She needs to go to the airport.c) She wants to check in to the hotel.2. The hotel clerk:a) Agrees with May that the bill is incorrect.b) Believes that the bill is correct.c) Is going to ask the general manager about the bill.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?stayThe word *“stay,”* in this podcast, refers to the amount of time spent somewhere:*“After a three-night stay in Moscow, we took the train to Saint Petersburg.”* As averb, *“to stay”* means to live somewhere as a guest or visitor: “Which hotel didyou stay in while you were visiting Barcelona?” *“To stay”* can also mean tocontinue to be in one place: “Carmen has a fever so she is going to stay in bedall day.” Or, “We had planned to be at their house for only a few minutes but wedecided to stay there for dinner.” The phrase *“to stay out of something”* means tonot become involved in something: *“Please try to stay out of trouble.”* *“Stay!”* isa command that people often use with their pets, especially dogs, when theydon’t want them to move.lobbyIn this podcast, the word *“lobby”* means an entrance area or the first room yousee when entering a building: “The lobby of our office building has a lot of plantsand some very nice furniture.” *“Lobby”* can also mean a group that tries toinfluence politicians about a law: “The tobacco lobby fights against laws thatwould create non-smoking areas in restaurants and bars.” A person who worksfor a lobby is called a *“lobbyist”*: “To be successful, a lobbyist needs to be a goodspeaker and be well informed about current events.” As a verb, *“to lobby”* meansto try to influence a politician about a law: “Environmental groups are lobbying forthe creation of more national parks.” Or, “The teachers’ association is lobbyingagainst the proposal to close the high school.”##CULTURE NOTEIn the United States, there are more than 45,000 hotels and more than 4.4 millionhotel rooms. When people travel, they can choose to stay in many differenttypes of hotels: big, small, modern, traditional, fancy, simple, expensive, orinexpensive.A *“hotel rating system”* can help travelers find the type of hotel that they arelooking for. A *“rating”* is a score that something gets according to its quality or itsperformance. Unfortunately, there is no nationally accepted rating system.However, many travel websites and travel organizations have created thei

#ESL Podcast 222 – Alternative Medicine##GLOSSARY**to be prescribed –** to have something, usually medicine, recommended inwriting by a doctor to treat pain or an illness*The doctor told her that she should never take medicine that was prescribed forsomeone else.**lasting –** permanent; continuing for a long time*Living in another country has a lasting impact. It often makes people morerespectful of cultural differences and more interested in world news.**alternative medicine –** ways to treating pain or illnesses that are not taught inmost western medical schools or considered standard in a community*The doctors said her illness could not be treated, but with alternative medicineshe got better.**to swear by –** to believe in; to rely on; to trust in*Manuel swears by carrots as the key to a long life because his grandfather eatsthem every day and he is 103 years old.**acupuncture –** a treatment for pain by placing needles in the skin on certainparts of the body*Kim would never use acupuncture because she’s afraid of needles.**therapy –** a set of exercises or treatments designed to reduce pain or treat aninjury*After I broke my leg, the doctor said I would need two months of therapy to beable to walk normally again.**skeptical –** doubtful; not believing; questioning*Why are you so skeptical about being able to pass the test? You’ve studied forweeks and I think you’re going to do very well.**New Age –** related to a movement about religion or spirituality that believes in aholistic (both mental and physical) way to treat pain and illness*Their friend writes New Age music that sounds like it’s from another planet.**homeopathic –** a system of medicine that uses small amounts of something totreat an illness, believing that large amounts of it will cause harm*Homeopathic doctors believe that small amounts of medicine can havepowerful effects on our health.**herbal supplements –** medicines or vitamins that are made from plants*My aunt drinks teas as herbal supplements during the winter so that shedoesn’t get sick.**all natural –** without artificial ingredients; without man-made chemicals*His message at the talk was that If you’re worried about getting cancer, youshould eat all natural foods because other foods have too many chemicals inthem.**to be injured –** to be hurt; to have a damaged body part, like a broken bone*The driver was injured in the car accident when he hit his head on the windowand the glass cut his face.**complementary –** something that is added to something else to make itcomplete; putting things together that make each part even better*We chose to send our son to that school because its classes arecomplementary to what we teach him at home.**medication –** a drug; something taken to treat an illness*She is taking two medications: one is for her throat pain and the other one is tohelp her stop coughing.**to undergo clinical trials –** to participate in laboratory studies that use people tostudy a new drug*The new drug treats bone problems in mice, but it needs to undergo clinicaltrials before doctors will know whether it works in humans.**unorthodox –** non-traditional; unusual; not generally accepted*At first, her unorthodox ideas about the project shocked her co-workers buteventually, they all agreed with her.**what does (one) have to lose? –** it can’t hurt and it might help*He should apply for the job. What does he have to lose? If they say no, he’llstill have his old job, but if they say yes, he’ll have more interesting work.##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why is the man in the story considering alternative medicine?a) Because he doesn’t trust traditional doctors.b) Because his family recommends it.c) Because he hopes it will treat his back pain.2. The man’s friend, Amelia:a) Believes that alternative medicine can be helpful.b) Is a medical doctor.c) Tried alternative medicine once and was very unhappy with the results.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?lastingThe word *“lasting,”* in this podcast means being permanent or continuing for along time: “When Jana´s uncle died in a car accident, it made a lastingimpression on him, and now he never drives at night.” As a verb, *“to last”* meansto continue or to be enough: “The batteries in the radio lasted all night but thebatteries in the flashlight only lasted for two hours.” Or, “The party was fun whileit lasted but cleaning up afterwards was too much work.” As an adjective, *“last”*means the final one: “He is worried because he waited until the last minute to dohis homework.” Or, “Who ate the last piece of bread without telling me that weneed to buy more?” *“Last”* can also mean the previous, such as: “Last year wewent on vacation in Hawaii, but this year we’ll probably go to Florida.”swearIn this podcast, the phrase *“to swear by”* means to believe in something or totrust in something: *“I swear by dancing as the best way to lose weight.”* The verb*“to swear”* also means to make a serious promise: “He swore that he would nevergo to the dangerous pa

#ESL Podcast 221 – Long-distance Relationships##GLOSSARY**bicoastal –** in two different places near the ocean, usually very far from eachother on the opposite sides of a large area of land*Major magazines like Time and Newsweek have bicoastal offices, usually inNew York and California.**long-distance relationship –** two people in a romantic relationship or datingwhile living far away from each other*One of the downsides to a long-distance relationship is the expensive phonebill.**to get out of –** to leave; to no longer be a part of something; to end*I’ve been a member of this club for five years, but I need to get out of it becauseit’s taking too much of my time.**out of sight, out of mind –** a phrase that means if someone doesn’t see you,then they aren’t thinking about you*I write down everything I have to do in my calendar. If I don’t, I’ll never getanything done since it’s always out of sight, out of mind with me.**it’s not that –** this is not the reason; it’s not because of this*I know that he didn’t eat anything at dinner, but it’s not that he didn’t like therestaurant. He just wasn’t hungry.**temptation –** something that makes you want to do something, usuallysomething wrong or harmful*People who are on diets try to avoid temptations like chocolate and potatochips.**to be committed –** to be devoted; to feel loyal to someone or something*Rachel shows how committed she is to her work by staying late to finish herprojects on time.**vibe –** (slang) good or bad feelings given off by a person or thing; theatmosphere of a place*Leshon didn’t think he did a bad job painting the wall but he got a strong vibethat his girlfriend wasn’t too happy with it.**misunderstanding –** not understanding something correctly; when two or morepeople have different feelings or beliefs about something*To avoid any misunderstandings, the teacher told his students that he wouldwrite all assignments on the board.**to hurt (someone’s) feelings –** to make someone feel bad or sad; to insultsomeone; to cause someone else to have negative emotions*Not wanting to hurt her feelings, he said he liked the cake she had baked eventhough it tasted like sand.**to grow apart –** for two or more people to become not as close as they used tobe; to stop being as friendly or as familiar*Only two months after Kendra left for her new job in Europe, she started tonotice that she and Hassan were growing apart.**in common –** having interest in the same things; being similar in beliefs,interests, or behavior*The only thing they had in common was that neither of them liked the movieTitanic.**to call it quits –** to give up; to quit; to end something*After 20 minutes of trying to program the new DVD player, Hide called it quits.**to have it out with (someone) –** to let a person know of the things that’sbothering you; to argue with someone*Earlier that day, Catherine decided to have it out with her secretary by tellinghim she’s not happy with the work he’s been doing.**to deal with it –** to be okay with something; to handle a difficult situation*It’s been a year since her husband died but she was still having problemsdealing with his death.**to know where (one) stands –** to know what someone else is feeling orthinking about a topic or issue; to know someone else’s opinion or belief*My professor said to me, “Your paper is very good. It clearly shows where youstand on the issue.”##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Where did Enrique meet Diana?a) Floridab) New York Cityc) California2. In this story, Enrique tells Emily that:a) He wants to break up with Dianab) He thinks that Diana is working too muchc) He and Diana are not as close as they used to be.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?got out ofThe phrase *“to get out of,”* in this podcast, means to no longer be a part ofsomething: “I got out of the project because I didn’t agree with the team leader’sdecisions.” This phrase also means to avoid doing something: “He got out ofdoing the dishes by volunteering to cook dinner that night.” Or, “How can I getout of going shopping all day with my wife?” This can also mean to leave or toexit a place, such as a room: “She got out of the crowded room right after shegreeted the party’s hosts.” Or, “The audience was sure that the box was emptybut the magician’s assistant got out of it as though she had been there the entiretime.”to be committedIn this podcast, the verb *“to be committed”* means to be devoted or dedicated tosomething or someone: “She was committed to helping out her sister in any wayshe can.” This can also be used to mean that someone is obligated to dosomething: “Since Leslie invited him to the party, Leonard felt committed to goand to bring a gift.” Or, “The governor said that he was committed to spendingmore money on the poor and the sick in the state.” The verb to commit is alsoused for doing wrong or bad things, such as a crime: “She told the police thatshe had committed no crime but no one believed her.” Or, “It’s not clear whethersomeone killed him or h

#ESL Podcast 220 – Giving Opinions in a Meeting##GLOSSARY**feedback –** thoughts and opinions given in reaction to an idea or thing*The presenter asked them to complete the evaluation forms so that he coulduse their feedback to improve his future presentations.**to get something across –** to make an idea understandable or acceptable*I think I have found a great solution to the problem, but my boss never listens tome. How can I get my idea across to him?**colleague –** co-worker; people who work together*Are your colleagues complaining about the president’s decision to change thecompany’s vacation policy?**to give someone a hard time –** to make things difficult for someone*Please don’t give him a hard time about not doing his homework last night. Hismother is sick.**in (one’s) opinion –** according to what one believes*In my opinion, running is more fun than swimming. What do you think?**perspective –** a way of thinking about something; one’s view of somethingbased on a belief or opinion*To understand his perspective on the war, we need to remember that he livedin that country for three years.**to really feel –** to strongly believe*The governor wants to build a new courthouse, but the mayor really feels thatthe city needs a new hospital first.**to tend to think that... –** to usually or normally believe something; to have anatural feeling toward something*My sister tends to think that eating at home is best, but when she doesn’t havetime to cook, she eats in restaurants.**the way (one) sees it –** in one’s opinion; according to one’s beliefs*José thinks that opening a new office is a wonderful idea, but the way I see it,we aren’t ready to expand yet.**to scratch the surface –** to deal with only a small part of a topic or problem; tobe at the beginning of a long task*Even though people have walked on the moon, we have only scratched thesurface of space exploration.**to get inside (one’s) head –** to understand what someone else is thinking*The reporter will need to ask more difficult questions if she wants to get insidethe criminal’s head.**if you ask me –** in my opinion; according to my beliefs*I know that you believe that we should hire Jack, but if you ask me, I don’t thinkhe would be a good employee here.**to sink –** to put time, money, or other resources into a project*Why are you sinking so much time into this project? It isn’t that important.**that’s precisely (one’s) point –** exactly; that’s what one is trying to say*When Mom asked Dad to schedule a hearing exam, she had to repeat herselfthree times! That’s precisely her point: he needs to have a get his hearingchecked.**to be sure that –** to believe that; to be certain; to have no doubt*She is sure that it will be sunny this weekend, so she is planning a trip to thebeach.**one step ahead –** being better informed; being better prepared; being moreready*He pays for a tutor so that he can be one step ahead of the rest of the students.**to side with –** to agree with*Most people are siding with Sela, because her opinion is the most logical one.##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why does Marcelo want the company to do more market research?a) Because customers aren’t purchasing the company’s product.b) Because the company needs to understand its customers better.c) Because other companies are doing more market research.2. Ellen believes that:a) The company already has enough information about its customers.b) Other companies have done more research.c) It is too early for the company to make any decisions.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?to tendIn this podcast, the verb *“to tend”* means to usually or normally do something orbelieve something. For example, “My favorite class in high school was bandclass, so I tend to think that all high schools should have music programs.” Or,*“My sister tends to be much more comfortable with strangers than I am.”* Moreoften, however, *“to tend”* means to take care or look after someone or something:“While she tended her dying grandmother at the hospital, her husband wastending their grocery store.” Or, ¨He worked in the fields all day, tending thesheep and goats.”pointThe word *“point,”* in this podcast, refers to the final or most important purpose ofsomething: *“That’s precisely my point.”* Or, “I don’t see the point in continuing toargue about this.” *“Point”* can also be used to refer to a small mark, such as aperiod at the end of a sentence, or the tip of an object, such as the sharp end ofa pencil. Points are also used when keeping score during a game or on anexam: *“He scored ten points during last night’s basketball game.”* Or, “Herparents are very proud of her because she earned 97 points on the exam.”When used as a verb, *“to point”* means to extend a finger and gesture toward anobject far away: “I couldn’t find the stars he was talking about until he pointed tothem.”##CULTURE NOTEAn *“employee grievance”* is a complaint about something at work. Employeegrievances are usually about *“compensation”* (payments received

#ESL Podcast 219 – Giving Compliments##GLOSSARY**to ask (someone) over –** to invite someone to your home or to the place whereyou are*Benjy asked Julia over to his place to see the changes he made to his house.**to be more than friends –** to date; to be romantically involved*She told Christopher that they couldn’t be more than friends because shealready had a boyfriend.**compliment –** praise; a nice thing said about a person or a thing that is meant tomake the other person feel good*Oscar gave Angelica a compliment about her new hairstyle and she had a smileon her face for the rest of the day.**to make it –** to come; to arrive; to attend*Now that the meeting has moved to Tuesday, I’m not sure the other departmentheads can make it.**to look great on (someone) –** to make someone look good*I wasn’t so sure about that tie when I bought it for my father, but it looks greaton him.**What a fantastic… –** This is a very good…*What a fantastic idea! Let’s call the others to see if they want to join us.**This is a really nice… –** You have a very nice…; This is a good...*This is a really nice car. Can I take it for a test drive?**to decorate –** to add details such as paint, furniture, or decorations to a place tomake it look nice*Will you be able to come over early to help us decorate the house for thesurprise party?**That's nice of (someone) to say. –** Thank you for saying that.; a polite responseto a compliment*He told me that he had never worked with anyone as hard working as I am, andI told him that that was nice of him to say.**cool –** excellent; very nice*We saw a really cool exhibit of modern art at the Los Angeles County Museumof Art.**you know –** an expression used to get someone’s attention, often to a differenttopic; an expression used to emphasis what you are about to say*You know, this is the first time your dog hasn't barked at me when I walked inthe door.**to drink up –** to finish your drink*The bartender said, *“Drink up, everybody. The bar closes in 20 minutes.”***any minute –** very soon; can occur anytime*I know you’re in pain but don't try to move. The doctor should be here anyminute.**cheers –** an expression said before taking a drink; often used after making atoast (a speech in honor of someone)*Congratulations to Elena and Ethan, and may they have a long and happy lifetogether. Cheers!##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why is Sebastian saying nice things to Nia?a) They had a fight and he wants to be her friend again.b) He wants to be her boyfriend.c) He says nice things all the time to everyone he meets.2. How does Nia feel about the compliments?a) She thinks that Sebastian must be drunk.b) She doesn’t want compliments.c) She is confused and doesn’t know why she is getting so many compliments.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?complimentThe word *“compliment”* in this podcast means something nice you say tosomeone to make them feel good or to be kind: “It’s easy to compliment Lisabecause she has a great sense of style.” This word is part of two phrases thatare commonly used: *“to pay (one’s) compliments”* and “to return thecompliment.” *“To pay (one’s) compliments”* means to give someone a formalgreeting: *“The Queen pays her compliments to the people of the village.”* “Toreturn the compliment” means to say or do something similar to what the otherperson has said or done to you: “Jade decided to return Cornelius’ complimentby buying one of his paintings after he bought one of her drawings.”you knowIn this podcast, the phrase *“you know”* is used to bring attention to a differenttopic: *“You know, I don't think the food is supposed to be green.”* Peoplesometimes use *“you know”* to refer to something that they don't want to talk aboutor that they assume the other person probably already knows: “I was walking mydog in the park, and just when we were about to leave, he, you know, on thegrass and I had to clean it up.” Or, “I wanted to come to dinner with you but itwas so late when I left work and I was so tired so, you know...” At the beginningof a question, *“you know”* is usually short for *“Do you know…?”* For example,*“You know that guy's name?”*##CULTURE NOTEWhen flirting or dating someone in the U.S., it is important to use compliments toshow your interest and to make the other person feel comfortable about spendingtime with you. Compliments can make the other person feel like you are payingattention to them, but don’t *“overdo it”* or try to do too much. You don’t want to*“come off”* or appear *“desperate”* or like someone who needs or wants somethingvery, very badly.If you are on a first date, it’s a good idea to find two or three things that you reallylike about the other person. Don’t just *“blurt it out”* (say it aloud quickly andwithout thinking). Instead, save them for later in the date or *“space them out”*(put some time between each one) so that you’ll sound more *“sincere”* or areshowing your true feelings.Here are some acceptable compliments on a date.- *“You look really nice tonight.”*

#ESL Podcast 218 – Getting a Driver’s License##GLOSSARY**driver's manual –** a handbook of rules and laws that tells drivers what they canand cannot do while driving on public roads*All of the answers to questions on written driver’s test can be found in a driver’smanual.**traffic laws –** rules made by the government about what drivers can and cannotdo while driving on public roads*Not following traffic laws is a sure way to get a ticket from the police.**with flying colors –** easily; without difficulty*Having studied all week, she passed the test with flying colors.**to miss –** to be incorrect; to make an error; to be wrong, usually on a test*How many questions did you miss on the final exam?**vision test –** a test taken when applying for a driver’s license to check how wella person can see*There is little chance that she’ll pass the vision test if she doesn’t wear herglasses.**road test –** a test taken when applying for a driver’s license where drivers drivewith the examiner in the car to make sure that the person can drive properly andfollow the rules*She had no problems getting her driver’s license after getting a perfect score onthe road test.**driver’s ed –** short for driver’s education; this is a class available in many highschools that teaches students to drive and about the rules for driving*Driver’s ed seems to be the only class that teenagers don’t mind taking.**behind the wheel –** driving a car; being in control of a car*Truck drivers spend most of their day behind the wheel.**to signal –** to let someone or something know what you’re going to do; to getsomeone’s attention*When our plane crash-landed on an island, we tried to build a fire to signal forhelp.**to yield –** to make way for someone or something; to allow someone else to gobefore you*When people are rushing home after work, many of them forget to yield to thepeople trying to cross the street.**pedestrian –** any person walking on a sidewalk, street, or road*Since pedestrians are harder to see at night, it’s a good idea to wear bright-colored clothes if you plan to walk home.**to screw up –** to make a mistake*Every time I try to help my wife in the kitchen, I screw it up and ruin our meal.**parallel parking –** parking a car next to the sidewalk in between two cars, withone in front and one in back*Parallel parking is not easy, and even good drivers try to avoid it if they can.**intersection –** where two roads from different directions meet and form a cross*Drivers have to worry about other cars and pedestrians at all intersections.**appointment –** a specific date and time for a meeting*She called to tell me that she’s running late for our lunchtime appointment.**DMV –** short for the Department of Motor Vehicles; a place where drivers getpermission to drive and also where they let the state know what cars they aredriving*Instead of waiting in line at the DMV, I decided to fill out the forms and sendthem in to their office instead.**walk-in –** to go into a business or an office without an appointment where youusually need an appointment to be served*I missed my appointment and tried to see my hair stylist as a walk-in.##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why is Henry worried about taking the DMV road test?a) He gets nervous behind the wheel.b) He doesn’t yield to pedestrians.c) He forgets to wear his glasses.2. Jane tells Henry not to worry about the tests because:a) The DMV is usually not too busy on Tuesdays.b) He’s very good at parallel parking.c) He can miss a few of the questions and still pass.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?to missThe verb *“to miss,”* in this podcast, means to be wrong, usually on a test: “If hedoesn’t miss the last question then he will get a perfect score.” But this word, asa verb, has other meanings. It can also mean to not recognize or see something:*“I told him exactly where the keys were, but he still missed them.”* *“To miss”* canmean to not attend or participate in something that is worthwhile: “Try not tomiss the concert tonight. Who knows when they’ll perform here again!” “Tomiss” can mean to feel a sense of loss, usually when someone goes away: “It’snormal for parents to miss their kids when they leave home for college.” Theword *“miss”* can also be used as a noun. *“Miss”* can be used as a formal title foran unmarried girl or woman: “Before Mrs. Sanders got married, she was knownas Miss Jones.” However, these days, most people use the title *“Ms.”* for bothmarried and unmarried women.to yieldIn this podcast, the word *“yield”* means to make way for someone or something:“Many car accidents could be avoided if drivers learned to yield and not alwaysinsist on going first.” The word also means to produce something or to causesomething to happen: “She is hoping that hard work in the garden will yield a niceselection of vegetables in the spring.” It is also a term used in finance thatmeans to earn or make money: “Stocks are a good investment because theyusually yields more money than bonds.” Or, “Sales went u

#ESL Podcast 217 – Lost and Found##GLOSSARY**Lost and Found –** a place that holds lost items for people until they come to findthem*I left my glasses at the theater last night, and I’m hoping someone turned themin to the Lost and Found.**to claim –** to say an item belongs to you*Everyone is waiting to see who will claim the $20 million lottery prize!**claim form –** a form that someone completes to say that an item that was foundbelongs to him or her*Before we can allow you to take this bicycle, you’ll need to fill out a claim form.**luggage –** suitcases or bags that people take on a trip*My sister always has a lot of luggage when she travels because she can’t makeup her mind about what to bring.**claim receipt/ticket –** a small ticket that passengers receive when their luggageis stored so they can claim it again at the end of the trip*The security officers at the airport were checking each person’s luggage andclaim receipt before they were allowed to leave the baggage claim area.**to turn (something) in –** to give to someone else, usually something thatdoesn’t belong to you; to submit*He wasn’t sure if he would get to his professor’s office in time to turn in his finalassignment.**key chain –** a small metal ring for holding keys; can come in many shapes orwith special decorations*I’d better put my new apartment key on my key chain before I lose it.**distinctive –** easy to notice; special; unique*This artist has a very distinctive style and should get a lot of attention at theshow next month.**to prove ownership –** to prove or give evidence that you own something*Erin’s car was stolen but the police found it. At the police station, she had toprove ownership before she was allowed to drive it home.**plain –** without decorations or design; simple*Some people like to t-shirts with different designs but I like mine to be plain.**to identify –** to recognize; to see if something fits a certain description or issomething or someone you know*She was sure that she could identify the dog that bit her if she ever saw himagain.**unclaimed –** not claimed; not taken; without an owner*In the 10 years that our organization has given out this award, we have neverbefore had a prize go unclaimed.**to dispose of –** to throw something away, usually in the garbage; to destroy*Would you please dispose of that food in the refrigerator? It’s turning green!**finders, keepers –** a saying that means that the person who found somethinggets to keep it, even if it doesn’t belong to them, usually used by children*The little boy picked up the jump rope off the ground and said to the girl whodropped it, *“Finders, keepers!”***to turn up –** to be found; to be discovered*Don't worry about your ring. I'm sure it’ll turn up soon.**never mind –** forget what I just said; don’t worry about what I said before*Are you sleeping? Never mind. That was a stupid question.##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why does Lucas call the airport Lost and Found?a) He wants to apply for a job.b) He lost his luggage.c) He lost his keys.2. Why is Lucas going to the Lost and Found?a) He is having problems communicating with the person on the telephone.b) He wants to see if his luggage is there.c) He wants to invite the airport employee to lunch for being so helpful.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?to turn upThe phrase *“to turn up,”* in this podcast, means for something to be found: “I’msure your cell phone will turn up when they clean up after the party.” This phrasecan also be used to mean to arrive: “We weren’t sure if Sarah would make it tothe performance but she turned up right before it started.” Or, “I told him that ifhe didn’t turn up to his own birthday lunch, I would never forgive him.” “To turnup” can also mean to increase something, such as the volume or speed: “Turnup the volume on the radio so we can hear the results of the game.” Or, “You’llneed to turn up the speed on the mixer if you want all of the ingredients to mixwell.”to turn (something) inIn this podcast, the phrase *“to turned (something) in”* means to give something tosomeone, usually something that is found but that doesn’t belong to that person:*“My sister turned in the money she found under the seat in the bus.”* “To turn(someone) in” can also mean to give information, usually about someone whohas done something bad: “When I saw the man who robbed the store, Iimmediately went to the police to turn him in.” Or, “I know that it was Rob whodamaged the car but I don’t know if I should turn him in.” The verb *“to turn into”*can also be used for driving, when someone enters a place or when they turnfrom going in one direction to suddenly going in another: “The car was drivingnorth when he turned into the parking lot.”##CULTURE NOTELost and Founds are usually found in large, public areas with a lot of people,such as airports or museums. But there are also websites that can work as Lostand Founds online. Craigslist.com is an American-based website with pages fordifferent cities and countries in the

#ESL Podcast 216 – Outsourcing Operations##GLOSSARY**overhead –** the money a company spends to run its business*Moving to a bigger office building will mean an increase in the company’soverhead for upcoming years.**to outsource –** to have company business done by people outside of thecompany; to pay someone else to do part of the company’s work*Many companies outsource for services that they need only once in a while.**pros and cons –** reasons for and against something; the positive and negativereasons for something; the advantages and disadvantages; the good and the badparts of something*She sat down with her parents and made a list of the pros and cons of going toan out-of-state college.**in principle –** in general, but not necessary all the time or in all cases*She followed the recipe exactly, so in principle, the cake should taste good.**downside –** the bad parts of something; the negative aspects of something; thedisadvantages*The downside of the job promotion is working more hours.**in house –** in the building; within the company*She used to work part-time for that publishing company, but now that they editits books in house, she has to find other work.**non-core operations –** the services within a company that are not as importantto the main business*When a company decides to downsize, non-core operations are usually the firstof many departments to let people go.**IT –** short for *“information technology”*; a department or part of the company thathandles computers and technology-related problems*Lisa was told to make an appointment with IT so she can learn about the newprograms that they’ve just installed on her computer.**accounting –** the department or group of people at a company that keeps trackof how much the company spends its money and how much money it receives*June is a busy month for government accounting departments since it’s usuallythe end of the official year.**call center –** a place where people answer or make phone calls for companies*Many U.S. airline companies forward customer calls to call centers in othercountries.**call volume –** number of calls; the number of calls during a specific time period*This month’s increased call volume proves that it was a good idea to advertisein major newspapers.**to micro-manage –** to tell someone what to do step-by-step; to supervise worktoo closely and not to let employees make their own decisions*The new hires wouldn’t have to be micro-managed if they showed up on timeand did what they were supposed to do.**oversight –** supervision; overseeing someone or some work to make sure it isdone properly and on time*Hopefully, having Beatrice working at the downtown office will give her moreoversight of the Showland project.**quality control –** rules and levels of standard in a company to make sure thatsomething is as good as it should be*If a product doesn’t meet quality control standards, it is never sold.**offshore –** company business done in foreign countries; overseas*It’s not unusual for American companies these days to have offshoreoperations.**to think along the same lines –** to be thinking of the same thing or of doing thesame thing; to agree with someone else’s thinking*Laura and I were thinking along the same lines and agreed to paint the livingroom walls blue.**staff –** a group of workers*For Martha’s birthday, the staff put money together and bought her a nicesweater.##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Which part of the company is Bonnie and Jean-Luc not thinking ofoutsourcing?a) The call centerb) Accountingc) IT2. What does Jean-Luc think of Bonnie’s suggestion to outsource some of thecompany’s operations?a) He disagrees with her.b) He thinks it’s a good idea.c) He doesn’t think the staff will like the idea.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?overheadThe word *“overhead”* in this podcast means the money used to operate abusiness: “If we don’t reduce our overhead, we’ll need to fire at leastemployees.” The word *“overhead”* can also be used as an adjective to meansomething that is above your head: “This room is too dark. We need to installsome overhead lights so visitors can see the displays better.” Or, “While I wassitting on the beach, a really big bird flew overhead and made a lot of noise.” Inan airplane, the storage space where passengers put their bags above theirseats are called the *“overhead compartment”*: “I was the last passenger to geton the plane and there was no more room in the overhead compartment for mybriefcase.”staffIn this podcast, the word *“staff”* is used as a noun to mean a group of workers:*“The staff’s positive attitude made it a pleasant place to work.”* The same wordcan also be used as a verb, *“to staff,”* which means to supply or hire people towork on something or for someone: “Make sure to staff the event with at leasteight waiters and five busboys.” *“Staff”* can also be used as a noun to mean along stick that is usually as tall as or taller than the person carrying it: “In thestory, the old man who lived on the

#ESL Podcast 215 – Getting a Men's Haircut##GLOSSARY**barbershop –** a place where men get their hair cut*I'm taking my brother to the barbershop tomorrow to get his hair cut beforeschool starts on Monday.**hair salon –** a place where men and women get their hair cut*When I was little, I didn’t like going to the hair salon with my mother because itsmelled of chemicals and hair spray.**curly –** not straight; wavy; hair that curls*He has curly hair and has to keep it short or it’ll look messy.**Afro –** a thick hairstyle with very tight curls sticking out all around the head;bushy hairstyle with curly hair*I’m tired of wearing my hair straight. I’m letting it grow out naturally into an Afro.**buzz cut –** a haircut given with a razor or a machine normally used for men'sshaving to leave the hair very, very short*When my brother went into the military, they gave him a buzz cut.**dreadlocks –** a hairstyle in which all the hair is braided into long, thin braids*Dreadlocks take a long time to create, but don’t require a lot of care afterwards.**sides –** the right and left sides of the head; the area around the ears*Did you see the drummer for that band? He has blue hair in the middle andpink hair on the sides!**bangs –** the part of the hair that covers part of one's forehead*This kind of dog has long bangs that covers his eyes and makes it hard for himto see.**an inch off the collar –** to cut hair so that it stops an inch above the shirt collar*The school has a very strict dress code and requires that all male students cuttheir hair at least an inch off the collar.**above the ears –** the area around the top of the ears*Oh no! The barber cut the two sides above the ears to different lengths, andthe left side definitely looks shorter than the right.**sideburns –** strips of hair grown by men on each side of the face in front of theears*Long sideburns were a popular style back in the 70’s.**part –** the line where the two sides of hair are separated on someone's head*My cousin wears his part on the left to cover a scar on the right side of hisforehead.**trim –** cutting off a little hair*I told the hair stylist that I wanted a trim, but he cut off three inches of my hair!**to shave –** to use a razor or a men's shaving device to take off all the hair*I'm afraid of shaving without an electric razor because I might cut myself.**bald –** having no hair*Benjamin likes being bald because he doesn't have to worry about drying hishair after he swims.**Mohawk –** a hairstyle with most of the hair shaved, except for a line along themiddle of the head*When my brother walked in to the house with a Mohawk, my mother almost hada heart attack.##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. What did Shinobu want to do to his hair?a) He wanted to make his hair curly.b) He wanted a trim.c) He wanted to add sideburns.2. Why did Shinobu leave the hair salon before getting his hair cut?a) He had something else to do.b) He wanted to find a barbershop.c) He was worried the hair stylist would do strange things to his hair.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?partThe word *“part,”* in this podcast, means the line where the two sides of hair areseparated on someone's head: *“My boyfriend parts his hair down the middle.”**“Part”* is also often used as a noun to describe a section of something larger: “Ithought the kids would eat the entire cake but they only ate a small part to it.” Ifwe make the word plural – *“parts”* – it can be used to mean the different sectionsof a car or a machine: “This car will never run if we can’t find the right parts forthe engine.” Or, “Can you go to the store to see if you can find the right part to fixthis refrigerator?” *“Part”* can also be used as a verb to mean to separate fromsomeone: “In the movie, it was so sad when the young lovers had to part andleave each other forever.” Or, “The children cried when they had to part fromtheir grandparents after a their summer visit.”bangsIn this podcast, the word *“bangs”* means the part of the hair that covers part ofthe forehead: *“Her bangs are so long that they cover her eyes.”* The word*“bang”* can also be used to describe a loud sudden noise: “The gunshot nextdoor sounded like a very loud bang.” Or, “He walked into the door carrying thenew chair and let it fall to the ground with a bang.” *“Bang”* can also be an action.It can mean to hit something unexpectedly or hard: “I banged into the table, sonow my knee hurts.” Or, “When no one answered the door, he banged on itangrily for a few minutes before walking away.”##CULTURE NOTEThe word *“metrosexual”* has been used a lot in the past ten years to describemen who spend a lot of time and money on the way they look and on their*“lifestyle”* or the way they live. Metrosexuals are usually men who live in *“urban”*areas or cities. When people hear this word, they usually think of men who payas much attention to their appearance and the way they dress as many womendo. In fact, metrosexuals use some of the same beauty services traditionallyused by

#ESL Podcast 214 – A Jealous Girlfriend##GLOSSARY**to hang out –** to spend free time with others*Mary wanted to go to the movies with Josh, but he was already hanging outwith Kim that afternoon.**jealous –** wanting something or someone that belongs to another person*After getting a short haircut, Lisa couldn't help but be jealous of other womenwith long hair.**to avoid –** to stay away from someone or something; to stop oneself from doingsomething*Kelly knew that Michael was avoiding her when he didn’t go to class for twodays.**green-eyed monster –** jealousy; the feeling of wanting something or someonethat belongs to another person*It’s hard to avoid the green-eyed monster when you have a girlfriend who is afamous model.**to be up front –** to be honest; to be direct when speaking*Wanting to be up front with the boss, Jake told him that he was looking foranother job and would be leaving the company soon.**possessive –** wanting very badly to control things or other people; wanting verymuch to keep what one has to oneself*She was possessive about her baby the first three months after it was born andwould not let anyone near him.**to flip out –** (slang) to go crazy; to suddenly be out of control*Coming home after a long day at work, my mother flips out if the house is amess.**to trust –** to have faith or confidence in something or someone*Even after the mistakes she’s made, I still trust her to get the job done correctlyand on time.**insecure –** not have confidence in oneself*He’s insecure about his skinny body and always wears clothes that are too bigfor him.**to stop (something) in its tracks –** to stop something right away, usually beforeit becomes a problem or a bigger problem*Unless we stop this in its tracks, the bad news about our company will be in allthe newspapers by the end of the week.**to make up –** to have good feelings again after a fight; to say sorry after adisagreement*Jen was trying to make up with Britney, but Britney was still mad and wouldn’ttalk to her on the phone.**the root of the matter –** the source or main reason, usually of an issue orproblem*The root of the matter is that she's lazy, and that's why she was taken off thisproject.**whatever it takes –** doing everything possible to make something happen or tocomplete a task*Whatever it takes, I’m going to save up enough money to go to Europe thissummer.**under control –** in a normal state or condition*She got the noisy kids under control when she offered to buy them ice cream.**to jeopardize –** to risk; to put in danger*Getting fired from his job would jeopardize his plans to buy a house next year.##COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. Why has Dominick been avoiding Sarya?a) They had a fight.b) He doesn't like Sarya.c) His girlfriend gets jealous when he hangs out with other people.2. Sarya thinks Leslie gets jealous because:a) Dominick doesn't invite her when he goes out with his friends.b) She is insecure about herself.c) Dominick has been calling Sarya too much.##WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?to trustThe verb *“to trust”* in this podcast means to have faith or confidence in a personor thing: “I proved to her that she can trust me to take care of her cat while she'son vacation.” *“Trust”* can also mean to hope for something, with confidence: “Itrust that you will be home on time.” Or, “We trust that this will be the last timethat you’ll miss a deadline.” When this word is used as a noun, it is a legal termfor property owned by one person or group being held and run by another personor group: “Before Dana’s uncle died, he arranged to put his money into a trustthat is managed by the bank and that pays out money every year to Dana andher sisters.”to make upIn this podcast, the verb *“to make up”* means to say or be sorry for somethingand to get along with someone again: “My sister and I fight often, but we usuallymake up right afterwards.” The phrase also means to do something good forsomeone after having done something wrong or bad to them: “To make up forusing the car without asking, her son made dinner for the whole family.” Or, “Idon’t know how I’ll ever make up for letting you down.” *“Makeup,”* as one word,is a noun that means cosmetics, usually worn by women, such as lipstick andeye shadow: *“For Halloween, she wore dark makeup to look scary.”* Or, “Don’tyou think that she’s too young to wear all of that makeup?”##CULTURE NOTEIn the U.S., personal problems are often used as topics on T.V. shows. Showslike The Jerry Springer Show, The Montel Williams Show, and Maury are talkshows that *“air”* or are shown during the day and that have people telling privateand sometimes secret things about their lives. There is usually a large audiencethat then gets to offer comments, both good and bad, and some advice. Guestsof these shows usually talk about problems like *“cheating”* or unfaithful husbandsand wives or boyfriends and girlfriends; out of control sons and daughters; ordrug and alcohol problems in the family. These shows focus not so mu