2010年ESL之旅行交通购物 15 Preparing to Travel_在线英语听力室

(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

15 Preparing to Travel

GLOSSARY

psyched – an informal word for being very excited about something; ready andeager to do something; mentally prepared for something that one is lookingforward to

* All the actors are psyched about opening night.

to hold (one’s) mail – to not have one’s mail delivered for a specified period oftime, instead having the post office collect it and deliver it all at once when onereturns

* Please hold my mail for two weeks and begin delivering it again on Monday the27th.

to suspend – to temporarily stop doing or having something, with plans to haveit start again in the future

* All of their baseball games have been suspended until the weather gets better.

automatically – without one’s involvement; without needing to do anything tomake something happen

* This software program includes a calendar that automatically sends me anemail a few days before my friends’ birthdays, so that I don’t forget to call them.

utility – a service that is provided to the public, usually paid for each month

* When they moved into a new home, they had to set up new accounts with allthe utilities, including natural gas, electricity, and water providers.

to cut off – to stop providing a service, usually because the customer hasstopped paying for it; to stop supporting someone financially

* Our telephone service was cut off because we forgot to pay the bill threemonths in a row.

to accrue – to have something add up over time; for something to increase orbecome larger or more numerous over time

* Normally interest accrues from the date of the purchase, but the furniture storeis offering a special deal where interest doesn’t accrue for the first six months.

to have got (something) covered – to have something under control; to havealready fixed a problem or a potential problem; to have a solution

* The roof started leaking, but don’t worry. I’ve got it covered. The roofingcompany is fixing it right now.

to water – to pour water onto plants, especially indoor plants, to keep them alive

* If you water a cactus plant too much, it will die.

name it – an informal phrase used to show that one is willing to do whateveranother person wants or needs

* - There’s one thing I really want for my birthday….

* - Name it and I’ll get it for you – as long as it doesn’t cost more than $20.

to board – to pay for an animal to stay at a business or with another person for aperiod of time when one is unable to be with it

* How much does it cost to board your horses on the farm each month?

kennel – a place of business where many dogs, cats, and other small pets arecared for while their owners are away

* Our kennel takes really good care of pets, making sure that they eat well andget to play outside for at least three hours each day.

to look after (someone) – to take care of someone; to keep someone safe andout of trouble

* Could you please look after my daughter for a few hours after school today? Ineed to work late.

to pitch in – to help someone do something; to assist someone with something,doing a small part of a larger task

* If we all pitch in and work together, it shouldn’t take more than a few hours toclean the garage.

sucker – a person who can be tricked or fooled easily; a gullible person

* Otello is such a sucker! He believes everything he hears.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Why did Ignacio call the newspaper office?

a) To have his newspaper delivered to a different address while he’s traveling.

b) To cancel his newspaper subscription.

c) To make sure newspapers won’t be delivered while he’s away.

2. What does Ignacio mean when he says, “I’ve got it covered”?

a) Everything is under control.

b) He has all his bills in a binder with a special cover.

c) He has enough money to pay the bills.

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WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to suspend

The verb “to suspend,” in this podcast, means to temporarily stop doing or havingsomething, with plans to have it start again in the future: “Marlys suspends herlawn service each winter, asking the gardeners to come back and start cuttingthe grass again each spring.” Or, “Peace talks will be suspended until thebombing stops.” The phrase “to suspend (someone)” means to make someoneleave school or a job for a short period of time, usually as a punishment forbreaking the rules: “Can a student be suspended for hitting another student?”

Or, “The police officer has been suspended until the detectives can finish theirinvestigation of his involvement in the shooting.” Finally, “to suspend(something)” means to hang something up: “That heavy chandelier is suspendedfrom such a thin, weak chain! I’m surprised it hasn’t fallen down.”

to water

In this podcast, the verb “to water” means to pour water onto plants, especiallyindoor plants, to keep them alive: “Do you water your garden by hand, or do youhave sprinklers?” The phrase “to water (something) down” means to makesomething weaker or less powerful: “The bar tries to cut expenses by wateringdown its drinks.” Or, “He tried to water down his criticism so he won’t hurt herfeelings.” The phrase “to make (one’s) mouth water” means to make one feelhungry and eager to eat, usually because something smells very good: “Thesmell of your cooking always makes my mouth water.” Finally, the phrase “tomake (one’s) eyes water” means to make someone begin to cry: “The dangerousgas made the children’s eyes water and we immediately sent the students to thehospital.”

CULTURE NOTE

Americans often travel for “pleasure” (vacation) or “business” (work), leaving theirhome “vacant” (empty; without people staying in a place) for days, weeks, oreven months “at a time” (at once). Fortunately, many services are available tohelp these people “maintain” (keep in good condition) their home and protecttheir “valuables” (the things someone owns that are worth money) while they aregone.

Holding the mail and suspending newspaper delivery is a good idea, becauseotherwise the mail and newspapers would be sitting on the “front porch” (the areain front of one’s front door), making it “obvious” (easy to understand or perceive)that no one is home. People can also suspend their utility services, cable, andphone services if they don’t want to pay for services that they won’t be using foran “extended” (long) period of time.

Sometimes people choose to ask their neighbors or friends “to keep an eye on”

(to look after; to care for) their home “in their absence” (while they are gone).

People with pets might need to hire a “dog-walker” who can take their dog onwalks each day. Sometimes people choose to have a “house-sitter” live in theirhome while they are “away” (gone; not at home).

Other people choose to leave their home vacant, but install an “alarm system” ora “security system” that will “alert” (send information to) the police if there is an“unauthorized entry” (someone going into the home without permission). Peoplecan also “install” (put into use) “automatic timers” so that their lights turn on andoff automatically, making it seem as if someone is home. They do this as a wayto “deter” (prevent someone from doing something) “thieves” (people who stealthings).

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Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – a

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 610: Preparing toTravel.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 610. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California. Blue skies, 72 degrees, another beautiful dayin L.A.

If you can’t visit us here in Los Angeles, visit our website at eslpod.com. You candownload the Learning Guide for this episode that includes additionalinformation, including a complete transcript of this episode to help you improveyour English even faster.

This episode is called “Preparing to Travel.” It’s a dialogue between Shannonand Ignacio using a lot of vocabulary that you would need before you go on atrip. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Shannon: It looks like you’re ready for your trip. You must be psyched.

Ignacio: Yeah, I am. I’m almost ready. I’ve gone to the post office and filled outa form so they’ll hold my mail while I’m gone.

Shannon: I could pick up your mail for you.

Ignacio: Thanks, but it’ll just be easier this way. I’ve also called the newspaperoffice to have my newspaper delivery suspended. Tomorrow I’ll arrange for mybank to automatically pay my bills so I won’t have my utilities cut off or accrueany late fees.

Shannon: I could pay your bills for you. I don’t mind.

Ignacio: It’s nice of you to offer, but I’ve got it covered. This morning, I took myplants over to my neighbor’s house. He agreed to water them for me while I’mgone.

Shannon: I could have come over and watered your plants. That wouldn’t havebeen a problem at all.

Ignacio: Thanks for being willing to do that. As always, you’re so helpful.

Shannon: Oh, I try my best…Ignacio: I was wondering if I could ask just one favor from you.

Shannon: Of course you can. Just name it!

Ignacio: You know my dog, Rex…Shannon: Oh, no…Ignacio: I could board him at a kennel, but he’s had bad luck at kennels. Couldyou look after him while I’m gone?

Shannon: No way!

Ignacio: Why?

Shannon: Why don’t you ask the people who worked at those kennels whereRex has been? I’m willing to pitch in, but I’m no sucker!

[end of dialogue]

Shannon begins the dialogue by saying, “It looks like you’re ready for your trip.

You must be psyched.” “To be psyched” (psyched) means to be very excitedabout something. It’s a very informal expression; it means you are mentallyprepared for something, something that you want to do, that you are lookingforward to do.

Ignacio says, “Yeah, I am. I’m almost ready (I’m nearly ready, not quite). I’vegone to the post office and filled out a form (a piece of paper) so they’ll hold mymail while I’m gone.” “To hold the mail,” or “hold your mail” means not to haveyour mail delivered to your house for a specific period of time. In other words,the post office, the local building where the mail is taken care of, they will keepyour mail at the post office while you are on vacation. The reason people do thisis because they don’t want all this mail coming to their house and people wouldrealize they weren’t there and therefore they might try to steal something. So, it’svery common for people to hold their mail when they go on a long vacation, let’ssay a week or more. That’s what Ignacio is doing.

Shannon says, “I could pick up your mail for you (I could drive to your houseevery day or every other day – every second day, and get it for you).” Ignaciosays, “Thanks, but it’ll just be easier this way. I’ve also called the newspaperoffice to have my newspaper delivery suspended.” “To suspend (something)”

means to temporarily – for a short time – stop doing something. You plan ondoing it again in the future, but for right now you don’t want it done. In this case,Ignacio is suspending his newspaper delivery, where they come every morningand bring a newspaper to your house. I have my newspaper delivered everymorning. Well, Ignacio, because he’s going to be gone, doesn’t want a bunch ofnewspapers sitting outside his house, which is, again, something that if you werea thief – if you were someone who likes to rob or steal things from houses, youwould see that and think the person is not at home and you can break into theirhouse. It’s the same idea as we mentioned about the mail. “Suspend” has acouple of different meanings in English; you can find those in this episode’sLearning Guide.

Ignacio says, “Tomorrow I’ll arrange for my bank (I will call my bank and tellthem) to automatically pay my bills so I won’t have my utilities cut off or accrueany late fees.” So, Ignacio is calling his bank and telling them to automaticallypay his bills. Many banks now, on their websites, allow you to pay your billselectronically. And, you can even have it done automatically, so you don’t evenhave to go into the website, they will automatically pay the bill for you, and that’swhat Ignacio wants. He’s especially concerned about his utilities. A “utility”

(utility) is a service that is provided by typically the government to you. We arereferring to your water, your gas, your electricity; these are all things that thegovernment – the local government takes care of, but of course, you have to payfor it. Collectively – that is, as a group – we call these utilities. If you are rentingan apartment sometimes it will include utilities, meaning it would be part of yourrent, you don’t have to pay extra. Sometimes it doesn’t. Ignacio is concernedthat they will cut off his utilities. “To cut off” is a two-word phrasal verb meaningto stop providing a service, usually because you haven’t paid for it. So if youdon’t pay your phone bill, the phone company will cut off your service; you will nolonger be able to use it. He’s also concerned about accruing late fees. “Toaccrue” (accrue) means to have something add up over time, for something toincrease or become larger. Usually we use this verb when we are talking aboutsomething financial – something related to money. If you don’t pay your utilities,the utility company may charge you an extra fee – an extra amount of money forbeing late. That’s what a late fee is. Ignacio doesn’t want to have a bunch oflate fees he has to pay, so that’s why he wants his bills paid automatically.

Shannon, again, offers to help. She says, “I could pay your bills for you. I don’tmind,” meaning it’s no problem for me. Ignacio says, “It’s nice of you to offer, butI’ve got it covered.” “To have something covered,” or “to have got somethingcovered” is an informal way of saying that you have already fixed the problem oryou have taken care of the problem; you have everything under control, we mightalso say. Ignacio says, “This morning, I took my plants over to my neighbor’shouse,” his flowers perhaps. Ignacio says the neighbor agreed to water them forme while I’m gone. “To water,” here, means to give the plants water so that theydon’t die. This is the problem I think I have; when I get a plant I forget to water itand it dies. I don’t know why the plant doesn’t ask me for the water – tell me it’sthirsty. I just don’t understand!

Anyway, back to the episode. Shannon says, “I could have come over andwatered your plants (I could have come over if you had asked me)…” This iswhat we call a conditional clause. “That wouldn’t have been a problem at all.”

Again, there’s an idea of if you do something then I would do something else.

But Shannon, of course, was not asked by Ignacio, and that’s why she’s usingthe conditional form.

Ignacio says, “Thanks for being willing to do that. As always, you’re so helpful.”

Shannon says, “Oh, I try my best (I do my best)…” Ignacio then says, “I waswondering if I could ask just one favor from you (ask you to do one thing).”

Shannon says, “Of course you can. Just name it!” When someone says, “nameit” they mean you are willing to do whatever the other person wants or needs. It’san informal phrase; it’s saying I will do whatever you want me to do.

Ignacio says, “You know my dog, Rex…” Rex is the name of the dog. Shannonsays, “Oh, no…” Ignacio says, “I could board him at a kennel, but he’s had badluck at kennels.” A “kennel” is a place where you can leave your dog or your cator other small pets while you are traveling. It’s like a hotel for animals. “Toboard” means, in this case, to pay for the animal to be at the kennel. Ignaciosays, “Could you look after him while I’m gone?” “To look after (someone)”

means to take care of someone, to keep someone safe or out of trouble: “Mymother is sick, I need to go to her house to look after her.”

Shannon, however, says, “No way!” meaning absolutely not, I will not look afteryour dog. Ignacio says, “Why?” Shannon says, “Why don’t you ask the peoplewho worked at those kennels where Rex has been?” In other words, if Rex hada problem at the kennel it’s probably because he’s not a good dog. Shannonsays, “I’m willing to pitch in, but I’m no sucker!” “To pitch (pitch) in” is a two-wordphrasal verb meaning to help someone do something, to assist with something, typically doing a small part of a larger project or job. If you have a big project atwork the boss may ask everyone to pitch in – every one to help, or he may useanother phrasal verb: “to help out.”

Shannon says she is willing to pitch in, but she’s no sucker – she’s not a sucker(sucker). A “sucker” is a person who is easily fooled, who is easily tricked. Wemight also say a “gullible” person. In Shakespeare’s play Othello, Othello wassort of a sucker. He was someone who believed everything that he was told.

Well, this expression is very informal, but it means same thing: someone whobelieves what he or she is told and is easily fooled. The word is sometimes usedas an insult: “See you later sucker!” You shouldn’t say that typically, however,it’s kind of a mean thing and someone might decide to put their fist into your faceif you say that!

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