2008年ESL之日常生活 13 Trash and Recycling

 

 

13 Trash and Recycling

GLOSSARY

garbage can – a large container used to collect and store one’s garbage (trash),or the things that one wants to throw away* Please put the dirty paper napkins into the garbage can and then wash thedishes.

to recycle – to save one’s used plastic, glass, paper, metal, and other items sothat they can be given to a company that will use them to make new items,instead of throwing them away* We can recycle plastic containers, but not the lids.

recyclables – things that can no longer be used, but can be destroyed and madeinto new things, such as plastic, glass, paper, and metal* What percentage of your garbage is actually recyclables?

bin – a large plastic container used to collect and store things, especially recyclables* Please put glass into the green bin and plastic into the blue bin.

trash – garbage; waste; things that can no longer be used and need to be thrownaway* After the party, they collected four large bags of trash.

dump – a large outdoor area that is used to store all the garbage made bypeople in a certain area* Very poor people often go to the dump to look for things that other people havethrown away, but that they might want to use.

container – an object used to hold and/or store smaller things, especially foodand drinks* Bercal has a rectangular, plastic container that he uses to bring sandwiches towork for his lunch.

biodegradable – able to be changed into smaller pieces that do not hurt thenatural environment through a combination of sunlight, air, and bacteria* Things like apple skin and eggshells are biodegradable, but plastic bags arenot.

to blow (something) out of proportion – to make a problem seem bigger thanit really is* When Gerald lost his keys, he blew it out of proportion, acting as if he wouldnever be able to get into his house again, when all he really needed to do was call his wife and ask to use her keys.

environment – the natural world; the part of the world that is not made by people* What do you think is a bigger problem for the environment: air pollution or waterpollution?

to use up – to use all of something; to use so much of something that there is nothing left* They used up all their money buying the new house, and now they barely haveenough money for food!

natural resources – things that people use from the natural world, like oil, gas,minerals, and trees* Russia has many natural resources, especially trees and oil.

ecologist – environmentalist; a person who cares about the natural world anddoes things to protect it; a scientist who does research about the natural world* He is a leading ecologist who studies gorillas in Africa.

to conserve – to use as little of something as possible; to use very little ofsomething so that it can be saved for the future or for other people* We can conserve gas by driving more slowly.

energy-efficient – using little energy; using less energy than normal* An energy-efficient refrigerator costs more than a regular refrigerator, but it alsomeans having lower electricity bills while you use it.

recycling center – a place where one can take one’s recyclables so that theyare later picked up by a recycling company and made into new things* They go to the recycling center every two weeks to get rid of their used glass,plastic, and paper.

thermostat – a tool used to control the temperature in a building or home*  Do you set your thermostat at 68o or 70o?

to put (one’s) money where (one’s) mouth is – to do what one is saying thatother people should do; to make one’s actions consistent with one’s words

* Our doctor is always telling us to exercise more, but now she’s putting hermoney where her mouth is, running five days each week.

______________COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1.  Which of these might be recyclable?

a)  Food containers.

b)  Energy-efficient bulbs.

c)  Thermostat.

2.  Which of these is an example of conserving energy?

a)  Separating out your recyclables.

b)  Turning down your thermostat.

c)  Putting your money where your mouth is.

______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

dumpThe word “dump,” in this podcast, means a large outdoor area that is used tostore all the garbage made by people in a certain area: “If a dump is too close toa lake or river, it makes the water very dirty.”  A “dump” is also an apartment orhome that is old and in very poor condition: “What a dump!  I can’t believe youlive here. Why don’t you get a nicer apartment?” The phrase “to feel down in thedumps” means to be depressed, or to feel sad or disappointed: “He was down inthe dumps for weeks after his dog died.”  As a verb, “to dump (someone)” canmean to end a romantic relationship: “Why did you decide to dump yourgirlfriend?”

to use upIn this podcast, the phrase “to use up” means to use all of something so thatnothing is left: “If you use up all the milk, please tell me so that I’ll know I need tobuy more at the grocery story.”  The verb “to use” means to do something withsomething, especially a tool: “Do you know how to use this software program?”

Or, “Use a can opener instead of a knife the next time you want to open a can ofsoup.”  Finally, the phrase “to use (someone)” means to treat someone unfairly toget what one wants: “Shelly was using a man who was 20 years older than shewas, dating him to get his money, but telling him that she loved him.”

CULTURE NOTEMost Americans who live in “urban areas” (areas in or near a city) participate in“curbside recycling programs,” where they put their recyclables in containers infront of their house once or twice a week and special trucks come to pick themup and take them to recycling centers.  Americans who live in areas that do nothave curbside recycling programs need to take their recyclables to recyclingcenters.  There are also many other ways to recycle in the United States.

For example, when Americans have the oil changed in their cars, there areusually programs to recycle the used oil.  Similarly, when Americans buy a newcomputer, they often take the old one to a recycling center that recycles some ofthe computer parts.  Americans can also recycle old cell phones and other types of technology.

Of course, it is better to “reuse” (use again) things as many times as possiblebefore they are recycled or thrown away.  Websites like www.freecycle.org helppeople get rid of their old things by finding people who want them and can usethem, instead of having them be sent to “landfills” (dumps).

As recycling has become more popular, many artists have started using trash intheir artwork.  For example, famous shoe designers have put old “ticket stubs”

(the part of a ticket that a person is allowed to keep) and “receipts” (small pieces of paper showing that one has paid for something) inside their shoes.  Some“sculptors” (people who design three-dimensional objects for art) use garbageinstead of new “materials” (things used to make something).  And many childrenare encouraged to make art projects out of things that would otherwise be thrownaway.

______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers:  1 – a; 2 – b

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 393: Trash andRecycling.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 393.  I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Visit our website at eslpod.com.  You can download a Learning Guide for this episode that contains all of the vocabulary, definitions, sample sentences,additional explanations, cultural notes, comprehension questions, and acomplete transcript of everything we say on this episode.

This episode is called “Trash and Recycling.”  It has become popular in many countries, including the United States, to try to reuse certain things – to recyclecertain things – to help protect the environment.  We’ll listen to a dialoguebetween Rajid and Nicole talking about recycling.  Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Rajid:  What are you doing?

Nicole:  I’m putting my garbage into the garbage can.  Why?

Rajid:  Don’t you recycle?  You’re supposed to separate out your recyclables andput them in a separate bin. Nicole:  I know, I know, but who has the time?  I don’t have that much trashanyway. Rajid:  Oh, yeah?  The dump is full of food containers that aren’t biodegradablefrom people who didn’t have the time.

Nicole:  Come on.  Don’t blow things out of proportion.  It’s not like I’m going tosave the environment all by myself.

Rajid:  No, you’re not, but if everybody thinks the same way you do, we’re goingto use up all of our natural resources.

Nicole:  When did you turn into an ecologist?  I don’t see you conserving energy. You have your lights on all night.  I can see them through your window.  

Rajid:  I use energy-efficient bulbs.  Besides, I take my recyclables to therecycling center, I have energy-efficient appliances, and I turn down mythermostat.

Nicole:  I’m just saying that you’re not doing everything you can to save theenvironment.  Okay, okay.  Put your money where your mouth is and help meseparate out my recyclables.

Rajid:  Me?  You want me to help you sort through your garbage?

Nicole:  Since you’re the expert, I need you to show me how.

[end of dialogue]

Rajid asks Nicole, “What are you doing?”  Nicole says, “I’m putting my garbageinto the garbage can.  Why?”  The “garbage can” is that thing that we use to holdwaste, to keep things that we don’t want that we want to throw out.  But, we havea garbage can usually inside of the house; you put things inside a bag, then youtake the bag and you put it outside to get rid of it. Nicole says, “Why?”  Rajid says, “Don’t you recycle?” meaning don’t you takeyour used plastic, glass, paper, and other things that can be used again. Recycling is something that is popular in most Americans cities.  Here in Los Angeles, for example, we have different containers for newspapers, plastic, andglass; we have a separate container for trash that is not recyclable – that youcan’t use again, like you can paper.  Then we have a third container for leaves and grass.  The city then comes by once a week and it picks up the trash, and itpicks up the recycling material.  It then brings it to someone who then takes thatand “recycles” it – who tries to reuse it.

Rajid says, “You’re supposed to separate out your recyclables and put them in aseparate bin.”  “Recyclables” are, of course, things that you can recycle, things that can be made into new things.  A “bin” (bin) is a large plastic container usedto store things in.  We often use this word in talking about the container you usefor recycling.

Nicole says, “I know, I know, but who has the time?”  She’s saying she doesn’thave time to separate her trash into recyclables and non-recyclables.  She says,“I don’t have that much trash (that much garbage) anyway.”  Rajid says, “Oh,yeah?”  We use this expression “Oh yeah?” meaning I think you’re wrong.  It’s away of disagreeing with someone.  Rajid says, “The dump is full of food containers that aren’t biodegradable from people who didn’t have the time.”  The“dump” (dump) is a large usually outdoor area that the city or companies use toput the garbage in to get rid of the trash and the garbage.  Sometimes it’s calledthe “garbage dump.”  “Dump” has a couple of different meanings; take a look atthe Learning Guide for some additional meanings of that word.

Rajid is saying that the garbage dump is full of “food containers,” which arethings that you use to store or put other things, in this case, food.  “Foodcontainers that aren’t biodegradable from people who didn’t have the time,” hesays.  “Biodegradable” means that it is able to change into smaller pieces thatwill not damage, or hurt, the natural environment.  Something that is biodegradable will eventually to be part of the environment again.  Somethingthat is not biodegradable will be there 100 or 1,000 or 2,000 years.  So Rajid,here, is clearly complaining to Nicole that she is not doing what she should bedoing.

Nicole says, “Come on,” which could mean a couple of things.  “Come on” is something you may say to someone who you are trying to get to move or toleave in a hurry.  A mother might say to her son, “Come on, we’re late for school. You have to run to get into the car.”  But here, Nicole is saying “come on” tomean that she doesn’t believe what Rajid is saying, or she disagrees with whathe’s saying.

Nicole says, “Don’t blow things out of proportion.”  To “blow something out ofproportion” means to make a problem seem bigger than it really is.  Nicole says,“It’s not like I’m going to save the environment all by myself.”  The “environment”

is a general term for the natural world, everything that is not made by humans. That’s the general use of that term.  She’s saying, “It’s not like I’m going to savethe environment,” meaning I’m not going to save the environment all by myself.

Rajid says, “No, you’re not, but if everybody thinks the same way you do, we’regoing to use up all of our natural resources.”  To “use up” is a two-word phrasalverb meaning to use all of something – to use everything of something.  Thereare couple of different meanings of this verb; take a look at our Learning Guidefor some additional explanations.  Rajid is afraid that we are going to use up our“natural resources.”  These are things that people use from the environment,such as oil, gas, the wood from trees, minerals – all of these are naturalresources.  Usually we describe the things that we need for energy or things thatwe use in our society as natural resources.

Nicole says, “When did you turn into an ecologist?”  An “ecologist” (ecologist) is aperson who cares about, and perhaps studies, the natural world – the environment.  It could be a scientist or it could just be someone who is concernedabout the environment.  Another word we might use for that sort of person is an“environmentalist.”  So, an ecologist could be a scientist or, more generally,someone who cares about the environment and protecting the environment.

Nicole says to Rajid, “I don’t see you conserving energy.”  To “conserve” means to use as little of something as possible, to use very little so that you will havemore in the future.  You can conserve energy by not using a lot of electricity byturning your lights off, by not driving as much, and so forth.  Nicole says to Rajid,“You have your lights on all night.  I can see them through your window.” Obviously, Nicole and Rajid live close to each other.

Rajid says, however, “I use energy-efficient bulbs,” or light bulbs.  “Energyefficient” means the light bulbs don’t use very much energy.  A “light bulb” is thething you put in a lamp so that it gives off light when you plug it in – when youconnect it to electricity.  Rajid says, “Besides, I take my recyclables to therecycling center, I have energy-efficient appliances, and I turn down mythermostat.”  A “recycling center” is a place where you can take things, usually larger things or things that the city doesn’t pick up, to have them recycled. Sometimes recycling centers will give you money if, for example, you bring in alot of bottles or plastic bottles that can be recycled.  Here in Los Angeles, it’s very common in almost every part of the city to see people, often people who don’thave a lot of money – people who are poor, go around and try to find recyclables. They’ll even look in the recycling bins of other people to try to take out the plastic,or the recycling material – the bottles – in order to bring them to a recyclingcenter and get a little money for them.  Rajid also says he turns down his thermostat.  Your “thermostat” is a tool that’s used to control the temperature in abuilding – how hot or how warm it is in your home or in your office.  To “turndown” the thermostat means to lower the temperature of the thermostat so thatyou don’t use as much energy.

Nicole says, “I’m just saying that you’re not doing everything you can to save theenvironment.”  Then she says, “Okay, okay.  Put your money where your mouthis and help me separate out my recyclables.”  The expression “to put your moneywhere your mouth is” means to do what you are telling other people to do; tomake your own actions consistent with, or agreeing with, your words – to do whatyou are telling others to do.  Nicole is saying, well, help me now; separate my recyclables.

Rajid says, “Me?  You want me to help you sort through your garbage?”  Nicolethen says jokingly, “Since you’re the expert, I need you to show me how.”

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Rajid:  What are you doing?

Nicole:  I’m putting my garbage into the garbage can.  Why?

Rajid:  Don’t you recycle?  You’re supposed to separate out your recyclables andput them in a separate bin. Nicole:  I know, I know, but who has the time?  I don’t have that much trashanyway. Rajid:  Oh, yeah?  The dump is full of food containers that aren’t biodegradablefrom people who didn’t have the time.

Nicole:  Come on.  Don’t blow things out of proportion.  It’s not like I’m going tosave the environment all by myself.

Rajid:  No, you’re not, but if everybody thinks the same way you do, we’re goingto use up all of our natural resources.

Nicole:  When did you turn into an ecologist?  I don’t see you conserving energy. You have your lights on all night.  I can see them through your window. Rajid:  I use energy-efficient bulbs.  Besides, I take my recyclables to therecycling center, I have energy-efficient appliances, and I turn down mythermostat.

Nicole:  I’m just saying that you’re not doing everything you can to save theenvironment.  Okay, okay.  Put your money where your mouth is and help meseparate out my recyclables.

Rajid:  Me?  You want me to help you sort through your garbage?

Nicole:  Since you’re the expert, I need you to show me how.

[end of dialogue]

The script for this episode was written by Dr. Lucy Tse, who never recycles herscripts!  

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan.  Thanks for listening.  Comeback and listen to us 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 2008.