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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
06 Working in a Laboratory
lab – laboratory; a place where scientists and engineers work, conductingexperiments and tests* Students have to wear protective eyeglasses whenever they go into the lab.
colleague – co-worker; a person whom one works with, usually in the samebusiness or organization* How often do you eat lunch with your colleagues?
daycare – a type of business that provides childcare services for young childrenduring the day while their parents are at work* Ania plans to send her son to daycare once he’s four months old so that shecan go back to work.
research – the process of learning new information by studying phenomena andtesting new ideas* They’re conducting research to learn about the effects of a high-sodium diet.
toddler – a one-, two-, or three-year-old child; a young child who is learning howto walk* How many words do most toddlers know?
microscope – a device used to see things that cannot normally be seenbecause they are too small, often used for biological research* Today we’re going to use a microscope to look at the cells in human hair.
beaker – a glass cup with small marks for measuring, used in chemistry andother sciences to measure and pour liquids* Please pour 100 ml of ethanol into the beaker and heat it to 85 degrees.
test tube – a small glass container that is shaped like a tube that is rounded atone end and open on the other end, used to measure, store, and pour smallamounts of liquid* The doctor put her blood sample into three small test tubes and sent them awayfor testing.
reach – the area around oneself in which one can touch something by extendingone’s arm, hand, and fingers* Please put the breakable objects on the highest shelf, out of the children’sreach.
to tip over – to knock something over; to hit something, usually accidentally, andmake it fall over* When Piet accidentally hit the table, he tipped over the vase, but fortunately itdidn’t break.
Petri dish – a small, very short, round glass or plastic dish with a lid, used byscientists for research* The bacteria will grow more quickly if you put the Petri dish in a warm, damplocation.
experiment – a scientific test to see what will happen under certain conditions,or to test whether one’s hypothesis (idea) is correct* In our physics class, we conducted an experiment to measure the force ofgravity.
chemical – a liquid or gas used in chemistry or produced through a chemicalreaction* Some women want to buy all-natural makeup that is made without anychemicals.
to collect – to gather; to get something, usually by taking it from many differentplaces* Hal collects small rocks of all types from every country he visits.
data – information; facts; quantitative or qualitative information, often gatheredthrough an experiment, that hasn’t yet been processed or analyzed* According to the data we’ve collected, our customers prefer colored camerasover black or grey cameras.
to empty – to remove the contents of a bag or container so that nothing is leftinside it* Khaled emptied all his jacket pockets, but he still couldn’t find his keys.
solution – a liquid that is a mixture of two or more substances* Arthur made a solution of sugar and water to feed to the hummingbirds.
lab coat – a long, usually white jacket worn by scientists who work withdangerous chemicals in a laboratory, worn to protect their skin and clothing* Troy accidentally spilled acid all over his lab coat, but fortunately it didn’t hurthis skin.
silly goose – an informal name for a person, usually a child, who has donesomething silly, slightly foolish, and unexpected, making one laugh* Brook is always doing funny things like wearing huge hats or painting butterflieson her cheeks. She’s such a silly goose!
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COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. Which of these would not be used to hold a solution?
a) A microscope.
b) A beaker.
c) A test tube.
2. What does Tony believe his son is doing?
a) Trying to help Gale with her research.
b) Trying to make a mess.
c) Trying to find a way to have fun.
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WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
to tip over
The phrase “to tip over,” in this podcast, means to knock something over or toaccidentally hit something, making it fall over: “Be careful! If that candle tipsover, it could start a fire.” The phrase “to tip (something) up” means to putsomething in a leaning position so that one end is higher than the other: “WhenSheila got a nosebleed, the nurse told her to tip her head up and hold a tissueunder her nose.” The phrase “to tip (someone) off” means to give someonesecret information, especially about a crime: “Thank goodness someone tippedoff the police about the terrorists’ plans.” Finally, the phrase “to tip the scales” isused to talk about someone or something weighing a particular amount: “Ingridwas horrified to see that she was tipping the scales at 200 pounds.”
to collect
In this podcast, the verb “to collect” means to gather something or to getsomething, usually by taking it from many different places: “Rocio enjoyscollecting stamps, but she doesn’t have very many valuable ones.” The phrase“to collect (one’s) thoughts” means to try to calm down and think logically: “JoseLuis was very angry, but he took a breath and tried to collect his thoughts beforespeaking.” Finally, when talking about money, “to collect” means to ask for andreceive the money that one is owed: “The landlord came to the door to collect last month’s rent.” The verb “to collect” can also mean to request money for aparticular cause: “Each December, employees from the Salvation Army stand infront of stores to collect money for low-income families and homeless people.”
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CULTURE NOTE
Many scientific researchers are “engaged” (involved) in “animal testing,” or theprocess of conducting experiments and other tests in ways that affect animals.
They argue that their work is necessary and that many of the tests that they“perform” (conduct; do) on animals could not be performed on humans, eitherbecause of “ethical” (related to what is right and wrong) reasons, or because itwould be too “time-consuming” (requiring too much time).
For example, scientists might want to test whether a drug is an “effective” (able todo something well) “cure” (solution; something that fixes an illness) for cancer.
They might want to test the drug by giving it to people with cancer, but this wouldbe unethical, because the untested drug might “do more harm than good” (bemore damaging than beneficial). Also, because humans cannot “reproduce”
(have children) until they are at least in their “teens” (13-19 years old), thescientists would have to wait a long time to find out whether the drug had harmfuleffects on the next “generation” (a group of people born at the same time). Bytesting the drug on animals with a shorter “life cycle” (the number of yearsneeded to reproduce), the scientists can find answers more quickly.
However, many people think that animal testing is “cruel” (mean; not nice) andunethical. They think that animals have “rights” (abilities to do or have things)and that humans should not be able to “harm” (hurt, damage) them. Animaltesting is especially “controversial” (with strong opinions for and againstsomething) when the animals are killed in the experiments, often so that they canbe examined “internally” (on the inside). It is not unusual to hear about“protestors” (people who are against something) who enter laboratories to “free”
(let loose) the animals.
______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – a
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 564: Working in aLaboratory.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 564. I’m your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.
Our website is eslpod.com. Go there to download a Learning Guide for thisepisode to help you improve your English even faster. You can also take a lookat our other ESL courses on the website.
This episode is called “Working in a Laboratory.” It’s a dialogue between Tonyand Gale using vocabulary you would find in a scientific laboratory. Let’s getstarted.
[start of dialogue]
I was working in the lab, as usual, when my colleague brought his three-year-oldson into work.
…Tony: Hi, Gale. This is my son, Philippe. There was a problem with his daycaretoday, so he’ll be spending the day here with me. I’ll teach him all about doingresearch.
Gale: I’m not sure this is a good place for a toddler. Should he be playing withthe microscope like that?
Tony: Oh, he’ll be fine. I’ll just keep the beakers and test tubes out of his reachand he’ll be all right.
Gale: Whoa, he almost tipped over that tray of Petri dishes. I’m using those forthe experiment I’m running, and there are some pretty dangerous chemicals inthem.
Tony: Good thing you saw him before he could do any real damage. I think hejust wants to help, right? You just want to collect some data for Gale, right?
Gale: Don’t look now but he’s emptying those solutions into the pockets of yourlab coat.
Tony: Oh, you silly goose! You’re just trying to make work more fun andinteresting for us, aren’t you?
[end of dialogue]
The title of this dialogue is “Working in a Laboratory,” the word is spelled(laboratory); most people pronounce it “lab-ratory,” as if there were no “o” in themiddle. You will hear some people say “laboratory.” There is also a differentpronunciation that you can definitely hear the “o” in: “la-bo-ratory,” but that’s not avery common one, at least an American English. A laboratory is a place wherescientists and others do experiments. Most Americans who have gone throughhigh school, at least many of them, have taken chemistry classes, and chemistryclasses in an American high school are usually held – they usually take place ina laboratory, or least a room that has things you would find in a laboratory to doexperiments with.
This story begins with the woman, Gale, saying that she was working in the lab –“lab” is just a short form for a laboratory – as usual, when my colleague broughthis three-year-old son into work. Your “colleague” is your coworker, a personwith whom you work, usually at the same business or organization but notalways.
Tony, her colleague, says, “Hi, Gale. This is my son, Philippe. There was aproblem with his daycare today, so he’ll be spending the day here with me.”
“Daycare” (daycare – one word) is a type of business that takes care of youngchildren for parents who need to work; they have to put their childrensomewhere. This is more common when the woman, especially, has to work –the mother, but it could be for either the mother or the father. If there are twoparents in the family and they are both working, the children who are too youngto go to school, under six years old for example, would need to be placedtypically in some sort of daycare, literally care during the day, during the timethey are working.
Poor Tony had a problem with his daycare, and so he decided instead of stayinghome with his son, he brought him into work. Tony says he’s going to teach hisson all about doing research. “Research” is the process of learning newinformation. In a laboratory it would involve doing experiments, typically. Galesays, “I’m not sure this is a good place for a toddler.” Normally, laboratories have dangerous chemicals or dangerous things for young children. So Gale says, “I’mnot sure (meaning I think) this is a good place for a toddler.” Notice although shesays, “I’m not sure,” that’s just a polite way of saying this is my opinion. A“toddler” is a one-, two-, or three-year-old child, usually a child who is learning towalk; we call them a toddler (toddler).
Gale says, “Should he be playing with the microscope like that?” A “microscope” is a device used to see things that are very, very small, that you can’t normallysee just with your eyes. It’s often used in biological research, but also othertypes of research. Tony says, “Oh, he’ll be fine.” He doesn’t think it’s a problemthat his young son is playing with this microscope. He says, “I’ll just keep thebeakers and test tubes out of his reach and he’ll be all right.” A “beaker” (beaker)is a glass cup that has small markings in it for measuring. It’s used especially inchemistry, when you are pouring or putting liquids into something smaller; thebeaker has the liquid material inside of it. A “test tube” (two words) is a smallglass container; it is round, like a tube. Usually, it is rounded at one end, so it’sopen at one end and it’s closed at the other, and you pour things into it,chemicals for example, when you are doing your experiments. When I was inhigh school, our chemistry teacher was called “Beaker” by the students. Well, wedidn’t say that to her, we said it to each other sort of as a joke.
Tony says that he’s going to keep the beakers and test tubes out of his son’sreach. “Reach” here would be the area around you that you can touch by puttingout your hand. “Out of reach” means that it is too far away from you. So, if I’msitting at one end of a table and the newspaper is four feet away, it is out ofreach; I cannot reach it, I cannot touch it. Of course, I could just get up and walkover and get it, but I’m too lazy!
Tony says that he’ll be all right – he’ll be okay, his son. Gale says, “Whoa, healmost tipped over that tray of Petri dishes.” “Whoa,” spelled (whoa), is anexpression that we use when something is falling, or something is about to gowrong, or something is surprising. Gale says that Philippe, the young toddler,almost tipped over something. “To tip over (something)” or “to tip (something)over” is a phrasal verb that means to knock something over; to hit something,usually accidentally, and make it fall over. For example: “I hit the glass of milkaccidentally, I tipped it over and all the milk came out of it.” Actually, that used tohappen to me all the time when I was a child. My mother was very careful aboutgiving me too much milk because I would always tip over the glass – by mistake,of course! On farms in Minnesota, where there are animals, the high schoolstudents like to tip over cows that are sleeping – completely different idea!
Gale says that Philippe almost tipped over a tray – a group of, in this case, Petridishes. A “Petri dish” is a small, very short, round glass or plastic dish that has atop on it that scientists use for certain kinds of research. Gale says that “I’musing those (those Petri dishes) for an experiment I’m running (I’m doing), andthere are some pretty dangerous chemicals in them.” An “experiment” is ascientific test of something to see whether you are right about your ideas. Galeis “running,” conducting or doing, an experiment, and there are some dangerouschemicals involved. A “chemical” is a liquid or a gas used in chemistry for someexperimental reason, or for some other reason; chemicals are used in manydifferent things.
Tony says, “Good thing you saw him before he could do any real damage,”
meaning it is fortunate – it is lucky you saw him and stopped him from doing any“damage,” any harm. “I think he just wants to help, right?” He then talks to hisson and says, “You just want to collect some data for Gale, right?” “To collect”
means to gather, to get something, some information, or physical thing togetherin one place. “Collect” has a couple of different meanings in English, as does theword “tip” that we talked about earlier. Take a look at the Learning Guide forboth of these words, and some additional explanations of them.
Gale is collecting “data” (data), which is information, facts. Technically, the word“data” is plural; the singular is “datum,” but most people use “data” nowadays forboth singular and plural. Gale says, “Don’t look now but he’s emptying thosesolutions into the pockets of your lab coat.” “Don’t look now” means you shouldlook; “don’t look now” means there is something surprising that is going on – thatis happening. In this case, the young Philippe is emptying solutions into thepockets of his father’s lab coat. “To empty” means to remove the contents ofsomething so there is nothing left inside. When you come home from your trip,you empty your luggage; you empty your suitcase, you take everything out of it.
A “solution” is a chemical term, usually it’s a liquid that is a mixture of twodifferent other liquids. A “lab coat” is a special piece of clothing, usually white,that is worn by scientists who are working in a laboratory, like the one in ourdialogue.
Tony says, “Oh, you silly goose!” again talking to his young son. The expression“silly goose” is something you would say to a young child who has donesomething funny that has made you laugh. A “goose” is, you probably know, akind of animal, it’s a bird; but “silly goose” is a term we use with children to saythey’ve done something funny, not something dangerous. Tony obviouslydoesn’t understand how dangerous it is for his son in the laboratory. He says,“You’re just trying to make work more fun and interesting for us, aren’t you?” He thinks that Philippe is funny. Gale thinks the young Philippe is dangerous, or atleast should not be in the laboratory. This is what happens sometimes when youtake your children to work.
Now let’s listen to the dialogue at a normal speed.
[start of dialogue]
I was working in the lab, as usual, when my colleague brought his three-year-oldson into work.
…Tony: Hi, Gale. This is my son, Philippe. There was a problem with his daycaretoday, so he’ll be spending the day here with me. I’ll teach him all about doingresearch.
Gale: I’m not sure this is a good place for a toddler. Should he be playing withthe microscope like that?
Tony: Oh, he’ll be fine. I’ll just keep the beakers and test tubes out of his reachand he’ll be all right.
Gale: Whoa, he almost tipped over that tray of Petri dishes. I’m using those forthe experiment I’m running, and there are some pretty dangerous chemicals inthem.
Tony: Good thing you saw him before he could do any real damage. I think hejust wants to help, right? You just want to collect some data for Gale, right?
Gale: Don’t look now but he’s emptying those solutions into the pockets of yourlab coat.
Tony: Oh, you silly goose! You’re just trying to make work more fun andinteresting for us, aren’t you?
[end of dialogue]
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