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07 Finding a Book at a Bookstore
non-fiction – a type of writing about things that are true and are not imaginary* Most textbooks used in college and university classes are non-fiction.
hardback – a book with a hard cover that does not bend easily* This hardback costs almost $40, so I’m going to wait until the cheaperpaperback copy is available.
paperback2 – a book with a flexible paper cover that bends easily* Paperbacks3 are lightweight and easy to pack, but they get damaged easily ifyou’re not careful.
new release – a book that has recently become available for sale* This book is one of our most popular new releases. Our store received 100copies yesterday, but today, we have only two copies left.
fiction – a type of writing about things that are imaginary and are not true* What kind of fiction do you like to read? Mysteries, science fiction, orromances?
title – the name of a publication, such as a book, magazine, or article* The title of Lucy’s favorite book is "I, Claudius."author – the person who wrote a book* One of my father’s favorite authors is Leo Tolstoy.
ISBN – International Standard Book Number – a number assigned to each book that is published that no other book has* The ISBN for this book is 978-0325000633.
out-of-print – no longer being published; not in print anymore* You won’t be able to find that out-of-print book in a normal bookstore, but youmight be able to buy it online or in a used bookstore.
to look (something) up – to search for something in a directory or a referencebook, such as a dictionary or phone book* If you have a phone book, you can look phone numbers up by the person’s lastname.
bestseller – a very popular book that is bought by many people* The "Harry4 Potter" books are bestsellers in many countries.
still in print – still being printed by the publishers; still being made or published* That book was very popular in the 1800s and it is still in print today.
to publish – to produce or make a book, newspaper, or magazine and sell it tothe public* Chuck has written three books, but none of them have been published yet.
used – secondhand; already bought once and is now available for sale again* Davida likes to buy used books because they’re less expensive than new books and they’re usually in good condition.
to give (something) a try – to do something to see if it will work; to try to dosomething; to try something to see if it is pleasing* Mrs. Fritz suggested that I get a new pair of glasses so I can see better. I’ll giveit a try, but I don’t think it will help.
biography – the story of someone’s life, written by another person* This biography of Linus Pauling is fascinating. Have you read it?
reference – related to looking for information; a book that has information aboutspecific topic(s)* The library’s reference section includes dictionaries, encyclopedias5, collegeguides, and telephone books.
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1. What information does Adrian have about the book he is looking for?
a) The title.
b) The author’s name.
c) The ISBN.
2. According to the clerk, what types of books can be found at used bookstores?
a) Bestsellers.
b) Out-of-print books.
c) Books that are still in print.
______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
titleThe word “title,” in this podcast, means the name of a book: “When Gabriella was a child, the title of her favorite book was, ‘The Giant Jam Sandwich’.” The word“title” can also mean the word in front of a person’s name, such as “Dr.” as in “Dr.
McQuillan,” “Mr.” (for a single or married man), and “Ms.” (for a single or marriedwoman): “Ms. Banderi, have you seen Dr. Nobu?” A “title” can also be the nameof a person’s job, such as “vice president of sales” or “associate professor ofchemistry”: “Please introduce yourselves to the rest of the group by telling us your name and your job title.” The word “title” can also mean the ownership ofsomething: “The Gamarras have held the title to that land for generations.”
referenceIn this podcast, the word “reference” means something that is related to lookingfor information: “She couldn’t find any reference materials about deep sea fishingat the local library, so this weekend she’ll go to the larger university library.” A“reference” is also a person who can provide a recommendation based on one’s qualifications: “To apply to that school, you must list at least three references who are familiar with your professional experience.” In an academic article orbook, a “list of references” is a list of the other books and articles whereinformation was found and that was used to write the article or book: “Ourteacher reminded us to include a list of references at the end of our report.” Finally, a “reference” can mean something that mentions something else: “Eventhough Tony has breathing problems, he almost never makes reference to his illness.”
CULTURE NOTEBooks can generally be “categorized” (grouped) into two different groups: fictionand non-fiction. Within those groups there are many “genres7” or types of writing. Here is a list of some popular genres and brief explanations of the types of books that you’ll find within each genre6.
FICTIONChildren's stories Imaginative and entertaining stories written foryoung children Detective fiction/Mysteries Stories where the readers don’t find out who dida murder or another crime until the end of thebookFantasy Stories about magic, talking animals, andcharacters that have never existedHistorical fiction Stories based on real people from the past, butthe things they say and do are not realHumor Funny, comical stories or jokesLiterature Stories that are recognized as important worksPoetry Stories written in short sentences thatsometimes rhyme Romance Stories about falling in love or being in loveScience fiction Stories about what may happen in the future,based on changes in science and technologyNON-FICTIONCooking Recipes and information about how to cookHistory Information about important events and peoplefrom the pastHome improvement Information about how to make one’s homebigger, better, and/or more beautifulReligion Information about world religions and faithSelf-help Information about how one can improve one’slife, such as by reducing stress, making friends,or learning to do better in one’s jobTravel writing True stories about people’s adventures traveling to other countries and living in othercultures______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – b
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 257: Finding aBook at a Bookstore.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 257. I'm your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California. If you visit our website at eslpod.com, you can download a Learning Guide to this episode that contains all of the vocabulary, the definitions, additional samplesentences of the words we use, additional explanations of the words we use,cultural notes, and a complete transcript8 of this episode. We also have a ESLPodcast Store that has some additional premium9 courses that you may beinterested in.
Our dialogue today is about a customer going into a store, talking to one of theemployees at the store, and asking him where certain kinds of books are. He's ina bookstore, of course! Let's get started.
[start of story]
Clerk: Can I help you find something?
Adrian: Yes. Can you tell me where the non-fiction books are?
Clerk: Are you looking for hardbacks or paperbacks?
Adrian: I’m not sure. I think hardbacks.
Clerk: Well, the non-fiction new releases are at the front of the store. The nonfiction section is behind the fiction shelves on your right. The hardbacks are onthe top shelves and the paperbacks on the bottom ones. Is there a specific bookI can help you find?
Adrian: I’m looking for an old book and I’m not sure of the title. It’s somethinglike, “The Literary Crisis.”
Clerk: Do you know the name of the author? Adrian: No, I don’t. I saw it mentioned online and I actually wrote down theISBN, but I can’t find it now.
Clerk: Well, if it’s an old book, it may be out-of-print, but let me look it up in oursystem. If it was a bestseller at one time, there’s a chance that it’s still in print. Let me check…Okay, here it is. It was published in 1982, and unfortunately, it is out-of-print. You may want to try a used bookstore, like Bookwoman’s down thestreet. Adrian: Thanks, I’ll give them a try. I’m also looking for a biography. Can youtell me where they are? Clerk: Sure. The biographies are behind the reference section over there. Letme know if you need any more help.
Adrian: Thanks. I appreciate it.
[end of story]
Our dialogue begins with the clerk, the person who works at the bookstore,asking Adrian, the customer, “Can I help you find something?” And Adrian says,“Yes. Can you tell me where the non-fiction books are?” Notice that he uses theexpression “Can you tell me” instead of just saying, “Where are the nonfictionbooks.” Can you tell me, or could you tell me, are considered more polite - anicer way to ask a question.
Non-fiction books are books about things that are true. The opposite of nonfiction is fiction, “fiction.” Fiction books are imaginary - they're invented - they'renot real. Non-fiction are books about things that are real.
The clerk asks Adrian, “Are you looking for hardbacks or paperbacks?” Thereare two kinds of books that you can get. A hardback, “hardback,” book is a book that has a hard cover, one that does not bend easily, so it is straight and itdoesn't bend; that would be a hardback or a hardback book. A paperback,“paperback,” is a book that has flexible paper on the cover. So, the cover of thebook - the outside of the book - is made of a soft, flexible paper; it isn't hard.
Adrian answers the question by saying, “I’m not sure” - I'm not sure if I amlooking for hardbacks or paperbacks. Notice we can use those words as bothadjectives and nouns. So, I can say, “I'm looking for a paperback,” or “I'mlooking for a paperback book,” it means the same thing.
The clerk then says, “Well, the non-fiction new releases are” in “the front of thestore.” New releases, “releases,” are books that have recently been published -they became available very recently, in the last month or maybe two months.
Bookstores usually put new releases in the front of the store because those arethe ones that people are probably most interested in buying.
“The non-fiction section,” the clerk goes on, “is behind the fiction shelves on yourright.” We've already explained what fiction books are. “The hardbacks are onthe top shelves and the paperbacks on the bottom ones.” The shelves,“shelves,” are the, usually, pieces of wood that you put the books on to hold thebooks.
The clerk then asks, “Is there a specific book I can help you find?” Adrian says,“I’m looking for an old book and I’m not sure of the title.” The title, “title,” is thename of a book or a magazine or an article. There are several differentmeanings to that word, title; take a look at our Learning Guide for today for somemore information.
Adrian says, “It’s something like 'The Literary Crisis.'“ The clerk then asks, “Doyou know the name of the author?” The author, “author,” is the person whowrote the book.
Adrian says, “No. I saw it mentioned online” - on the Internet - “and I wrote downthe ISBN, but I can’t find it now.” ISBN (all in capital letters) stands for, ormeans, International Standard Book Number. This is a number that is given abook when it is published. It is, what we would call, a unique number, meaning itis only for that book - no other book has that same number. This is a numberthat bookstores and libraries use to identify, and locate, and order books.
The clerk says, “Well, if it’s an old book, it may be out-of-print.” The expressionout-of-print, “print,” means that the company that published the book is notmaking any new copies of the book; it isn't in print any more. The opposite ofout-of-print is in print; that means the company is still making the book and youcan still buy it in a bookstore. But when it is out-of-print, that means the company is not printing any more of those books - not making any more of those books.
The clerk says, “let me look it up in our system.” To looks something up means to search for something, usually in a computer, a reference book - a book thatgives you information about things. You're trying to find something, usually a factor, in this case, a piece of information about the book, on their computer.
“If it was a bestseller at one time,” the clerk says, “there’s a chance that it’s still inprint.” A bestseller, “bestseller,” you may know, means a very popular book. “Harry Potter” is a best-selling book - a bestseller - in many countries. The“Harry Potter books, they have been translated into many languages. Those books are “still in print,” meaning the company that makes the book is still makingand printing new copies.
The clerk says that she found the book in their computer system. She tells Adrian that the book “was published in 1982.” When we say a book is published,coming from the verb to publish, “publish,” we mean that it was made orproduced, and then sold to other people - to the public, we would say, to thepeople who would want to buy the book. So, a book being published means thatthe company makes copies, they send them to bookstores, and people can buy them.
Well, the book Adrian is looking for “was published in 1982,” and it's “out-of-print.” The clerk suggests that Adrian “try a used bookstore.” Used, “used,” means old. We often use the expression secondhand, meaning someone has already boughtthe book new, and now they are selling that book to someone else; that would bea used book. You can have a used furniture store, or a used musical instrumentstore; anything that you could sell again that isn't new would be called used. Aused car is a car that is not new that someone else is selling after they bought itnew.
Adrian says, “Thanks,” to the clerk. He says, “I’ll give them a try.” To givesomething a try means to do something to see if it will work - to try to dosomething - to do something and see if you like it; that's to give something a try. You can say, “I'm going to give this restaurant a try” - I'm going to go there, it's my first time and I hope that I will like it - I'm going to give it a try.
Adrian then says that he's “looking for a biography,” a book about the life of aperson. “Can you tell me where they are?” The clerk says that “The biographies are behind the reference section.” The reference, “reference,” section are placeswhere they have books such as dictionaries or encyclopedias. This would be aplace where you sell books that have lots of different kinds of information aboutspecific topics. In a library, they have a reference section where they have dictionaries,encyclopedias, telephone books and, often, books that you can't take out of thelibrary; you must use them in the library. Those are sometimes called referencebooks. Reference has a couple of different meanings; once again, take a look atour Learning Guide for this episode for additional explanations.
Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal rate of speech.
[start of story]
Clerk: Can I help you find something?
Adrian: Yes. Can you tell me where the non-fiction books are?
Clerk: Are you looking for hardbacks or paperbacks?
Adrian: I’m not sure. I think hardbacks.
Clerk: Well, the non-fiction new releases are at the front of the store. The nonfiction section is behind the fiction shelves on your right. The hardbacks are onthe top shelves and the paperbacks on the bottom ones. Is there a specific bookI can help you find?
Adrian: I’m looking for an old book and I’m not sure of the title. It’s somethinglike, “The Literary Crisis.”
Clerk: Do you know the name of the author? Adrian: No, I don’t. I saw it mentioned online and I actually wrote down theISBN, but I can’t find it now. Clerk: Well, if it’s an old book, it may be out-of-print, but let me look it up in oursystem. If it was a bestseller at one time, there’s a chance that it’s still in print. Let me check…Okay, here it is. It was published in 1982, and unfortunately, it is out-of-print. You may want to try a used bookstore, like Bookwoman’s down thestreet. Adrian: Thanks, I’ll give them a try. I’m also looking for a biography. Can youtell me where they are? Clerk: Sure. The biographies are behind the reference section over there. Letme know if you need any more help.
Adrian: Thanks. I appreciate it.
[end of story]
The script for today's podcast was written by Dr. Lucy Tse.
If you have a question or comment, you can email us. Our email address is [email protected].
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan. Thanks for listening. We'll seeyou next time on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan. This podcast is copyright 2007.
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glossary
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| n.注释词表；术语汇编 | |
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paperback
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paperbacks
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| n.平装本，平装书( paperback的名词复数 ) | |
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harry
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encyclopedias
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| n.百科全书， （某一学科的）专科全书( encyclopedia的名词复数 ) | |
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genre
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genres
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| （文学、艺术等的）类型，体裁，风格( genre的名词复数 ) | |
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transcript
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| n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书 | |
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premium
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| n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的 | |
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