#0311 – A Mid-life Crisis, - Ang, mater, ESL Podcast McQuillan Jeff mp3+PDF

#0311 – A Mid-life Crisis

#0311 – A Mid-life Crisis, - Ang, mater, ESL Podcast McQuillan Jeff mp3+PDF

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 311 – A Mid-Life Crisis
GLOSSARY
mid-life crisis –
a period in a man’s life when he becomes unhappy that he is
growing older and does strange things to try to feel younger
* When Brett went through his mid-life crisis, he bought a red Ferrari and tried to
date women who were half his age.
to trade in –
to exchange one thing (especially a car) for another thing
* Mindy traded in her old car for a $3,500 credit against the more expensive one
that she wanted to buy.
sports car –
a small car with a powerful engine that moves very quickly
* We went to the car show last weekend and saw some new sports cars to be
released next year.
gym equipment –
machines that one can use for exercise, either for
aerobic/cardiovascular activities or for lifting weights
* Jake’s favorite piece of gym equipment is the treadmill because it lets him see
how quickly he is running.
sign –
something that shows what may happen in the future; an indication; a
signal
* There was a big storm during the wedding, and some of the people saw it as a
sign that the marriage will have bad luck in the future.
to trigger –
to start something; to make something happen; to instigate
something
* Many wars are triggered by small misunderstandings.
to be passed over for (something) –
to not receive something (especially a
promotion) that one expected, because it was given to someone who is less
deserving
* Walter became very angry when he was passed over for the president’s
position and it was given to someone who had worked at the company for only
six months.
altogether –
entirely; completely
* Thalia became so worried about the bad news on TV everyday that she
decided to stop watching the news altogether.
1
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2007). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 311 – A Mid-Life Crisis
to reflect on (something) –
to think about something in a lot of detail; to think
about something very carefully
* Gregory spends a lot of time reflecting on the meaning of his life.
to regret –
to feel sad that one did or didn’t do something in the past; to feel sad
about something that one did or didn’t do earlier in one’s life
* I regret that I didn’t tell my grandfather I loved him more often before he died.
washed up –
used; no longer useful or strong; no longer successful; without
potential for future success
* Many professional models feel that they are washed up by the time they’re 30
years old, and they have to start another career.
fed up –
tired, frustrated, unhappy, and bored with a situation
* Vance is fed up with everyone asking him when he’s going to finish writing his
book.
to beat around the bush –
to be indirect; to delay or hesitate; to not say
something directly
* Zoila felt uncomfortable asking Ulysses to pay back the money, so she started
beating around the bush by first asking him about his family and his health.
if you must know –
if you insist; a phrase used to show that one does not really
want to say something, but will do so because the other person really wants to
hear it
* I don’t normally talk about this, but if you must know, Theo and I are having
problems in our marriage.
divorce –
the legal end of a marriage
* Do you know what percentage of U.S. marriages end in divorce?
you never know –
a phrase used to mean that anything is possible, or anything
can happen
* Jessie always buys a lottery ticket because even though it’s unlikely that he’ll
win, you never know.
2
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2007). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 311 – A Mid-Life Crisis
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. Which of these is
not
part of Bella’s husband’s mid-life crisis?
a) He bought a new car.
b) He wants to quit his job.
c) He’s starting a rock band.
2. What does it mean for Russell’s brother to feel washed up and fed up?
a) He was bathing and eating too much.
b) He was tired and frustrated with his life.
c) He was ready to get a divorce.
______________
WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
to be passed over
The phrase “to be passed over,” in this podcast, means to
not receive something
(especially a promotion) that one expected, because it is given to someone who
is less deserving: “Randy decided to quit his job after he was passed over for the
Sales Manager position.” The phrase “to pass away” is a polite way of saying “to
die”: “His grandma passed away in 1994.” The phrase “to pass (something)
down” means to give something to one’s children, grandchildren, or other young
people so that they will continue to know or do something after one has died:
“Gilda passed down her secret family recipes to her grandchildren.” Finally, the
phrase “to pass (something) out” means to distribute something, or to have many
things and to give one to each person: “The teacher asked the children to close
their books, and then he passed out the tests.”
reflect
In this podcast, the verb “to reflect on (something)” means to think about
something very carefully: “Beti took away her son’s toys and told him to reflect on
what he had done and why it was bad.” The verb “to reflect” also means for a
surface to show the image of something that is placed in front of it: “The mirror
reflects light from the window and makes the room seem bigger.” Or, “The
mountains are reflected in the water in the lake.” The verb “to reflect” can also
mean for a surface to send back light, heat, or noise: “When the girls laughed
loudly in the canyon, their voices were reflected back from the rock walls.”
Finally, the verb “to reflect” can mean to show one’s opinion or thoughts: “Leslie
didn’t like the movie, and her displeasure was reflected in the expression on her
face.”
3
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2007). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 311 – A Mid-Life Crisis
CULTURE NOTE
A “camp” is an experience where one stays in another place for a period of time,
often outdoors. Many people participate in “summer camps” when they are
children. Today, however, there are many types of “fantasy camps” that are
“aimed at” (created for) adults. A “fantasy camp” is an opportunity to pretend that
one is something one is not for a short period of time.
Many popular fantasy camps are related to sports. For example, at a basketball
fantasy camp, people can play basketball with famous “NBA” (National
Basketball Association) players and learn how to play better.
Music-related fantasy camps are also very popular. Many people regret that they
didn’t “pursue” (try to get) a career in music. When they are older, sometimes
they go to a “rock ‘n roll fantasy camp,” where they can play rock ‘n roll music
with famous rock ‘n roll musicians. The camps usually “culminate” (end in an
important way) with a rock ‘n roll concert for the campers’ families and friends.
There are “jazz fantasy camps” and “country music fantasy camps,” too.
Some people want to participate in more active fantasy camps. They can go to a
fantasy camp to learn to ride a “bull” (a large, male cow), fly an airplane, or be a
“bodyguard” (a person who protects the president or other rich and important
people). There are even “poker fantasy camps” where people can learn to play
“poker” (a card game where players bet money on winning) from professionals
and try to improve their skills.
The idea behind all of these fantasy camps is that campers can pretend to be
someone else for a short period of time before returning to their regular lives.
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – b
4
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2007). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 311 – A Mid-Life Crisis
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 311: A Mid-life
Crisis.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 311. I’m your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Visit our website at eslpod.com and take a look at our ESL Podcast Store that
has some exciting new business and personal English courses for you. You can
also download a Learning Guide for this episode to help you learn English even
faster.
This episode is called “A Mid-life Crisis.” It’s a dialogue between a wife and a
friend talking about the woman’s husband and how he is going through
something we call a “mid-life crisis.” Let’s get started.
[start of dialogue]
Bella: I think my husband is going through a mid-life crisis.
Russell: What makes you think that?
Bella: He just traded in his car for a very expensive sports car, and he’s filling
the house with gym equipment.
Russell: Uh oh, that’s a bad sign. Do you know what may have triggered this?
Bella: I’m not sure, but he was passed over for a promotion at work a couple of
months ago, and his new boss is 15 years younger than he is.
Russell: That would do it.
Bella: What really worries me is that he’s been talking about quitting his job
altogether and becoming a full-time writer. He always wanted to become a
successful writer.
Russell: That’s sounds familiar. When my brother went through a mid-life crisis,
he spent a lot of time reflecting on his life and regretting giving up music to get a
full-time job. He saw himself as being washed up and he was fed up with
everything.
5
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2007). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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