ESL Podcast 232 – Business Bookkeeping

GLOSSARY

on the side – extra; in addition to one’s regular job

*Janice works as a science teacher at the high school, but she offers private

classes for younger students on the side to make extra money.

accounting – the study or job of keeping correct records of money spent and

received by a business or organization

*Kareem is detail-oriented and he’s very good at math. Has he considered a

career in accounting?

bookkeeping – keeping correct records of money that a business or

organization spends or receives

*Shelly and her husband run a small business together. She is responsible for

marketing and sales, and he is responsible for bookkeeping.

cash flow – having enough cash for a business to pay its bills

*The company had a problem with cash flow last month, and the owners had to

request a bank loan to pay their employees.

ledger – the book or computer file in which a business or organization records

money that it spends and receives

*Years ago, ledgers were written by hand, but today, they are usually

computerized.

debit – money that is spent by a business or organization; money that should be

subtracted or taken away; payments

*These records don’t look right. Did you remember to record the debit after we

made that big product purchase?

credit – money that a business or organization receives; money that should be

added

*She was happy to see that there were more credits than debits in her account

last month.

break-even point – the point where a business’s revenues (money received) are

equal to its total expenses (money spent)

*When the business finally reached its break-even point, the owners had a party

to celebrate their success.

asset – something that has value or is worth money and is owned by a business,

organization, or person

*Miyung doesn’t have very much money in the bank, but he does have other

assets: a big house, an expensive car, and a new boat.

liability – money that a business, organization, or person owes to someone else

*The bills that a company needs to pay should be listed as liabilities on its

financial statements.

administrative expense – cost of operating a business, such as telephone bills,

secretary salaries, and paper for the printers and copiers

*Every time we hire a secretary, our administrative expenses go up. Are you

sure you need another assistant?

budget – a plan for how a business, organization, or person will spend money

*When the price of gasoline increased, the bus company had to make changes

to its budget.

accounts payable – money that a company owes; bills that a company has not

yet paid

*Bills are sent to the accounts payable department, where employees enter the

information into a computer and print a check for payment.

balance sheet – a document that shows how much money and other assets

(things that are worth money) a company has and how much money it has paid

over a period of time

*Before investing in a company, it is always a good idea to study the balance

sheet to learn more about its financial position.

expense – money that is spent or will need to be spent in the future; cost

*College students’ expenses include tuition, books, housing, and food.

receipt – a piece of paper that is received when one pays for something; proof

showing that a person has paid money for something

*The landlord says that I still need to pay him $100 for last month’s rent, but this

receipt shows that I already paid the rent in full.

to audit – to look carefully at a business’s financial records to determine if they

are correct

*When the company was audited last year, the auditors discovered that the

accountant had been stealing money.

IRS – Internal Revenue Service; the agency that collects taxes in the U.S.

*If you are honest about your finances and pay your taxes regularly, you don’t

have any reason to be afraid of the IRS.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Why is Magdalena talking to Rolando about accounting?

a) Magdalena is starting a new business and wants some advice.

b) Magdalena is being audited by the IRS and needs his help.

c) Magdalena wants to hire Rolando as her accountant.

Magdalena’s current accounting system is:

a) Horrible, because she isn’t keeping track of the right information.

b) Okay, but it could be improved if she kept better track of her receipts.

c) Perfect, so she doesn’t need to change anything.

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

on the side

The phrase “on the side,” in this podcast, means something that is in addition to

one’s regular job: “Gisele works in a bakery during the day, and sells cakes to

her friends on the side.” The phrase “on the side” can also refer to a food that is

ordered and served separately: “Waiter, I’d like a salad, but please put the

dressing on the side.” To “side with someone” is to support someone in an

argument: “The judge sided with the mother and said that the child should live

with her.” Finally, to have something “on one’s side” means to have an

advantage: “The politician has a lot of money on his side, so he may get elected

senator even though he isn’t very popular.”

to audit

In this podcast, the verb “to audit” means to review a business’s financial records

to see whether they are correct: “We audited the company for two weeks and we

didn’t find any problems.” The verb “to audit” can also mean to attend a

university course without taking the exams or receiving a grade: “He wanted to

learn about Southeast Asian history, but he knew that he wouldn’t have very

much time to study, so he chose to audit the course.” As a noun, an “audit” is the

examination of a company’s financial statements, and it is usually presented in

an “audit report.” For example, “During the audit, the employees had to work

more than 12 hours per day.”

CULTURE NOTE

In the United States, each person is responsible for paying his or her own taxes.

When people begin working for a company, they complete a “W-4 form,” a

federal (national) government document that asks for personal information. The

W-4 determines how much money the company should “withhold” or not pay to

the employee so that that money can be paid to the government for taxes.

These “withholdings” are “deducted” (subtracted) from the employee’s “wages”

(the money that an employee earns). The company collects these “withholdings”

throughout the year and sends the money to the state and federal governments.

In early January each year, employers mail a W-2 form to their employees.

These forms show how much money was withheld during the year. People use

these W-2 forms to “file” or fill out and submit their tax forms by April 15 each

year. If the total amount of taxes is more than the amount of the “employee

withholdings,” that person needs to write a check to the U.S. government to pay

for what they still owe. If the total amount of taxes is less than the amount that

was withheld, then the U.S. government owes that person a “tax refund” and

sends a check to the individual in late spring.

If tax forms are filled out incorrectly or if they are submitted late, there are large

“fines” or money that must be paid to the government as punishment. The IRS

audits individual tax filings to look for these kinds of errors, so it is important for

individuals to keep their receipts and other tax-related documents in case the IRS

has questions or finds a problem.

Many people are able to file their own taxes, but sometimes the forms are very

complicated if, for example, an individual owns his or her own business or has

many “foreign investments” (money in businesses in other countries). In these

cases, individuals sometimes hire accountants to file their taxes for them.

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

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to number 232: Business

Bookkeeping.

This is episode 232. I'm your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in

beautiful Los Angeles, California.

Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com and download the Learning Guide

for this episode.

In today's episode, we're going to talk about doing bookkeeping at a business.

Let's get started.

[start of story]

I have a day job, but I recently started a small business on the side. I didn’t know

anything about accounting and my friend, Roland, said that he would give me

some advice.

Roland: So, the reason that you need to do your bookkeeping is so you can

manage your cash flow. Even if you have a lot of orders, you may still have

problems paying your bills.

Magdalena: I see what you mean. Is this the kind of ledger I should be keeping?

Roland: Yes, definitely. You want to list your debits on this side and your credits

on this side. This will help you figure out important things like your break-even

point, your assets and liabilities, your administrative expenses, and whether

you’re staying within your budget.

Magdalena: I wish I had an accounts payable department to help me with all

this. I don’t even know how to create a balance sheet.

Roland: It’s not that hard if you use the right accounting program. The first thing

to do is to keep track of your expenses. How do you do that now?

Magdalena: Oh, I have a system. I keep all my receipts in this bag.

Roland: Oh. Well, it’s good that you’re keeping your receipts but you’ll have to

keep better track of them. What would you do if you were audited by the IRS?

Magdalena: Don’t even mention the IRS! I’ve got enough problems without

worrying about them!

[end of story]

This podcast is all about business vocabulary related to accounting. The title of

the podcast is “Business Bookkeeping.” Bookkeeping is keeping correct records

of the money that you spend and receive. Usually, this is something that a

company or an organization does.

The story begins by Magdalena saying that she has “a day job.” A day job is

your regular job that you work at from nine in the morning 'til five in the afternoon,

for example. She also has “a small business on the side.” When we say we are

operating or running a business on the side, we mean that it is extra, it's an

addition to your regular job. There are some other meanings of this expression,

on the side, take a look at the Learning Guide for those additional definitions.

Magdalena continues by saying that she “didn't know anything about accounting

and” her “friend, Roland, said he would give” her “some advice.” Accounting is

the job of keeping correct records of the money you spend; it's very similar to

bookkeeping. When we talk about bookkeeping, usually we're talking about a

person who keeps the books or the records for a company, but may not

necessarily be an accountant. An accountant is someone who has a college

degree and perhaps has a special certification - a special kind of training to do

taxes and that sort of thing. So, accounting is usually something a little more

complicated than bookkeeping, but they're often used interchangeably as well -

that is, one for the other

Roland begins by saying that “the reason that you need to do your bookkeeping

is so you can manage your cash flow.” Cash flow, “flow,” means having enough

money to run your business - to pay your bills. You may, for example, have to

pay a lot of bills at the beginning of the month but most of your money doesn't

come until the end of the month, so you have to plan to make sure that when the

new month begins, you still have enough money to pay. This is part of cash flow.

Roland says, “Even if you have a lot of orders, you may still have problems

paying your bills.” A lot of orders means a lot of things that people want to buy

from you. But, if they don't pay you right away - they don't pay you immediately -

then you need to have extra money to pay your bills.

Magdalena says, “I see what you mean. Is this the kind of ledger I should be

keeping?” A ledger, “ledger,” is a book or, nowadays, a computer program

where a business or an organization puts down the money - records the money

that it spends and it receives. So, a ledger is a tool that you use in bookkeeping

and accounting. It's a list of the things that you have spent your money on and

that you have received money for.

Roland says that it is the kind of ledger that she needs. He says you'll, “want to

list your debits on this side and your credits on” the other side. A debit, “debit,” is

money that you spend - money that goes out. Credit, “credit,” in accounting, is

money that you receive - money that comes in to the company.

Roland goes on to say that, “This will help you figure out important things like

your break-even point.” Your break, “break,” (hyphen) even, “even,” point is

when you are getting more money in than you are spending. There's more

money coming in - what we would call revenue - than there is going out - what

we would call expenses. After you get to that point, you start to make money; it's

very simple!

Your assets and liabilities are also things that you can keep track of, or make

sure that you have a list of in a ledger. Assets, “assets,” are things they have

value - things that are worth money - things that your business owns, such as a

building or certain materials you use to make your product. Liabilities, “liabilities,”

are the things that you have to pay someone else. They're things that you owe to

someone else, “owe,” meaning you have a loan, for example, and you need to

pay the loan; that would be a liability.

Roland says Magdalena can also keep track of her “administrative expenses.”

We know expenses is money that you spend - money that the company uses to

pay its bills - to buy things. Administrative is related to the cost of operating your

business - your telephone bill, your electricity bill and so forth.

Roland finally says this will also help you know if you are “staying within your

budget.” A budget, “budget,” is a plan for how you are going to be spending your

money, in this case. To stay within your budget is an expression that means not

to spend more than you had planned to spend.

Magdalena says that she wished she “had an accounts payable department to

help” her “with all this.” Accounts payable, “payable,” is the money that a

company owes someone else. In most big companies, there's an accounts

payable department, and these are the people who pay the bills of the company.

The opposite would be accounts receivable, and accounts receivable are the

people that take the money in - keep track of the money that the company gets

from its customers.

She also says that she doesn't “know how to create a balance sheet.” A balance

sheet, “balance,” sheet, “sheet,” is a document that tells you how much money -

how much you have in assets - things that are worth money, and how much

money you have paid - how much you owe other people. This is a balance

sheet. Usually you can see if a company is in good financial condition - in good

financial shape - by looking at its balance sheet - a list of all of the things the

company gets in and all the things that the company spends. A balance sheet is

like a short summary of the company's financial situation.

Magdalena says she has a system to keep track of her expenses. Remember,

expenses is money that you pay someone for the things that your company uses.

Magdalena's system is to keep all of her receipts in a bag. Receipts, “receipts,”

are pieces paper that show that you have paid something to someone. So, when

you go to the store and you buy a new shirt, the store will give you a receipt

saying here's how much you spent. It's very important for businesses to keep

their receipts because the government may want to know if they have proof -

evidence - that they paid these expenses.

That's why Roland says that she needs to prepare in case she is “audited by the

IRS.” The IRS stands for the Internal Revenue Service, and it's the department

in the government that takes care of all of the taxes. To audit someone, “audit,”

is to look very carefully at the money that they have spent to make sure that it is

correct. The government wants to make sure that you have not claimed more

expenses than you really had. To claim expenses, “claim,” is to say to the

government - to the IRS - “Well, we spent this much money, and we can prove

that with some receipts.” If you can't prove it with receipts, and the IRS decides

to look at your financial records, and they think that you are cheating the

government - you're not paying enough taxes - well, you don't want to be in that

situation because you may end up going to jail!

Magdalena ends the dialogue by saying, “Don’t even mention the IRS” - don't talk

about the IRS. I have “enough problems without worrying about them!”

Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a native rate of speech.

[start of story]

I have a day job, but recently started a small business on the side. I didn’t know

anything about accounting and my friend, Roland, said that he would give me

some advice.

Roland: So, the reason you need to do your bookkeeping is so you can manage

your cash flow. Even if you have a lot of orders, you may still have problems

paying your bills.

Magdalena: I see what you mean. Is this the kind of ledger I should be keeping?

Roland: Yes, definitely. You want to list your debits on this side and your credits

on this side. This will help you figure out important things like your break-even

point, your assets and liabilities, your administrative expenses, and whether

you’re staying within your budget.

Magdalena: I wish I had an accounts payable department to help me with all

this. I don’t even know how to create a balance sheet.

Roland: It’s not that hard if you use the right accounting program. The first thing

to do is to keep track of your expenses. How do you do that now?

Magdalena: Oh, I have a system. I keep all my receipts in this bag.

Roland: Oh. Well, it’s good that you’re keeping your receipts but you’ll have to

keep better track of them. What would you do if you were audited by the IRS?

Magdalena: Don’t even mention the IRS! I’ve got enough problems without

worrying about them!

[end of story]

The script for today's podcast was written by Dr. Lucy Tse.

If you have a question or comment about ESL Podcast, you can send us an

email at eslpod@eslpod.com.

From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan. Thanks for listening. We'll see

you next time on ESL Podcast.

is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,

View Details

ESL Podcast 231 – The Supermarket Checkout

GLOSSARY

cashier – a store employee who takes the money for things that a customer buys

and provides a receipt

*The cashier said he couldn’t help me with the clothes I wanted to buy because

he works only in the shoe department.

lane – a narrow (small and long) area in a grocery store where shoppers stand in

a line to wait for a cashier to help them make their purchases

*I wanted to use the express lane at the grocery store, but in that lane, people

can pay only with cash and I needed to use a credit card.

15 items or less – a restriction at express (fast) checkout lanes at a grocery

store, meaning that only people buying 15 or fewer items may use that lane

*Mindy became very angry when she saw that the woman in front of her had at

least 20 items in her basket, even though the sign clearly said, “15 items or less.”

coupon – a small piece of paper usually cut from an advertisement or a

newspaper that gives a shopper a lower price on a particular item

*Brice found a coupon for $0.35 off his favorite brand of shampoo in the

magazine.

belt – a wide band of rubber (soft plastic) that moves along the counter at a

checkout lane to move groceries from the end where the shopper is taking items

from their cart to the other end where the cashier is checking prices

*Please don’t let your child play with the belt! His fingers might get caught

underneath it and I don’t want him to get hurt.

cart – a large basket with wheels and a handle that is pushed through a store by

a shopper, who fills it with the items that he or she wants to purchase

*Every time I go to the grocery store, I get a cart that has broken wheels!

per pound – for each pound (one pound is approximately 2.2 kilograms)

*In the early summer, strawberries are very inexpensive, but in the winter, they

can cost up to $5 per pound!

price check – an employee in a store asking or finding out the price of

something for a customer

*I thought the TV was on sale, but the cashier’s computer showed that it cost

more than $500, so I asked her to do a price check to make sure.

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (200 7). Posting of

club card – a membership card that gives shoppers lower prices on many items

*With a club card, my favorite ice cream is only $1.50 this week.

to swipe – to quickly move one’s card through an electronic machine that gets

information from the card about the cards’ owners and their accounts

*I swiped my credit card four times, but the machine couldn’t read it, so the

cashier had to type in the account number by hand.

debit – a type of card that deducts money directly from a person’s checking

account; to take money out of an account

*He tried paying for his purchase with his debit card, but the computer told the

cashier that he didn’t have enough money in his account.

credit – a type of card that connects to a credit card account and allows a person

to buy something now and pay for it later

*When I got my first credit card, my father warned me that if I don’t pay the entire

credit card bill every month, I’d have to pay a lot of interest.

cash back – money in cash (dollars and coins) that one receives at the end of a

debit-card transaction by adding that amount to the total amount of the purchase

*Going to the bank to get cash is inconvenient, so we usually ask for cash back

at the grocery store instead.

Paper or plastic? – a phrase used by grocery store cashiers or baggers to ask

shoppers if they would prefer to have their purchases placed in paper or plastic

bags

When the cashier asked, “Paper or plastic?”* Sharon pointed to the cloth bags

that she had brought from home and asked them to put her items in those

instead.

tabloid – a newspaper with scandalous (shocking) stories about unusual events

or famous people, usually which cannot or should not be believed

*Reading the tabloids is a waste of time. Why don’t you read about world news

instead?

Do you need any help out? – a phrase used by grocery store cashiers to ask

shoppers if they want someone to help them carry their purchases to their car

The cashier asked me if I needed any help out, but I said “no”* because I only

had one small bag of groceries.

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (200 7). Posting of

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Why does the cashier ask Yong “Paper or plastic?”

a) He wants to know whether Yong wants a paper bag or a plastic bag.

b) He wants to know whether Yong will pay with cash or with a credit card.

c) He wants to know whether Yong wants a paper receipt or a plastic receipt.

How much money is deducted from Yong’s account?

a) $47.52 (the total price of the groceries).

b) $7.52 (the total price of the groceries minus a $40 gift).

c) $87.52 (the total price of the groceries plus $40 in cash).

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

lane

The word “lane,” in this podcast, means a narrow (small and long) section in a

grocery store where shoppers form a line to wait for a cashier to help them make

their purchases: “The grocery store was busy yesterday evening and there were

at least five people waiting in each lane.” A “lane” can also be a small road,

usually in the countryside: “He lives is the lane behind that big farm.” On a

larger road, a “lane” is marked by white or yellow lines and is used to keep cars

in a straight line: “In the U.S., the slow lane is on the right and the passing lane

is on the left.” A “lane” is also a marked section in a swimming pool or on a

racetrack used to keep competitors out of each other’s way: “Which lane is your

brother running in?”

belt

In this podcast, the word “belt” means a wide band of rubber (soft plastic) that

moves in a circle over a table to carry items from one end of a table to another:

“The luggage belts at the airport were broken, so the poor employees had to

carry all the suitcases by hand.” A “belt” is also a narrow strip of leather, cloth, or

metal worn around one’s waist to keep your pants on: “If you’re going to wear a

black suit, you should wear a black belt, not a brown one.” As a verb, “to belt” is

used informally to mean to hit something or someone very hard. For example,

“The baseball player belted the ball and it flew over the fence.” “To belt” can also

be used informally to mean to sing very loudly: “At the college football game, the

fans from our school belted out our school song when one of the players scored

a touchdown to win the game.”

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (200 7). Posting of

CULTURE NOTE

In the United States, large grocery stores sell many thousands of products and it

can sometimes be difficult to find what you’re looking for. For this reason, large

stores are divided into several departments so that shoppers can know where to

find certain items.

For example, a “meat department” sells chicken, pork, and beef, and the

employees will usually cut meats to whatever size or shape the customer

requests. A “seafood department” sells fresh fish and the employees give

shoppers advice about how best to cook different types of fish. A “frozen foods

department” is usually a store “aisle” (row) of refrigerators to keep foods cold. It

offers frozen meats, frozen microwaveable meals, frozen fruits and vegetables,

frozen juices, ice cream, and more.

A “produce department” is full of fresh fruits and vegetables. A “bakery

department” sells breads, cookies, and cakes. Many bakery departments will

create specially decorated cakes for customers’ birthdays, weddings, or holiday

celebrations.

Some stores have an “ethnic foods department” where shoppers can find

unusual food items that are associated with a particular culture, such as Mexican,

Thai, or Chinese foods. Other stores have an “organic foods department” where

shoppers can find “organic” foods that are grown without chemicals.

Some larger stores even have “flower departments” where shoppers can

purchase “bouquets” (arrangements) of fresh flowers. Many expensive stores

have a “wine department” that is filled with many types of wines, and expensive

grocery stores often pay a wine expert to help customers choose their wines.

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

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (200 7). Posting of

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to number 231: The

Supermarket Checkout.

This is episode 231. I'm your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in

beautiful Los Angeles, California.

Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com and download the Learning Guide

for this episode. This is an eight to ten page document that contains all of the

vocabulary, definitions, cultural notes, additional vocabulary we don't talk about

on the podcast, as well as a complete transcript of this episode.

Our episode is called “The Supermarket Checkout.” Let's go!

[start of story]

I went to the supermarket to do my weekly shopping. The cashiers at this market

are usually pretty friendly, but this one must have been having a hard day.

Cashier: Excuse me, sir, this lane is for 15 items or less. It looks like you have

more than that.

Yong: No, actually I have exactly 15. I have some coupons, too.

Cashier: Just put those down on the belt and push the cart through, please.

Yong: Okay. Can you tell me how much these potatoes are per pound?

Cashier: I’ll have to do a price check. Do you have a club card?

Yong: Yes, here it is.

Cashier: Swipe it through the machine, sir. Your total is $47.52. Debit or credit?

Yong: Debit. Could I get cash back?

Cashier: [sigh] How much do you want?

Yong: I’d like $40.

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (200 7). Posting of

Cashier: Paper or plastic?

Yong: Paper, please.

Cashier: Are these tabloids yours, too?

Yong: Uh, yes, those magazines are mine.

Cashier: Do you need any help out?

Yong: No, I’m fine. Thanks.

[end of story]

We take a trip to the grocery store - the store where you buy food, sometimes

called a supermarket, and we are at the checkout stand - the place where you

pay. To check out, at a grocery store, means to pay for the food that you are

buying.

Our dialogue begins with Yong saying, “I went to the supermarket to do my

weekly shopping. The cashiers at this market are usually pretty friendly.” A

cashier, “cashier,” is the employee - the person who works for the store who

takes your money. You can recognize the word cash, “cash” - which means

money - in this word.

The cashier apparently was “having a hard day,” or a difficult day. She begins by

saying to Yong - the customer - “Excuse me, sir, this lane is for 15 items or less.

It looks like you have more than that.” At American grocery stores, there's

usually one or two checkout stands - places for you to pay - for those that have

ten things or less, or perhaps 15 things or less. So, if you're just buying a bottle

of Coca-Cola and a pizza, you can go to the, what is sometimes called the

express, “express,” the express lane. A lane, “lane,” in this case, is just the line -

the place where you are standing waiting for the cashier to take your money.

This cashier is telling the person in the dialogue that they have more than

items and they can't be in the express lane. Yong says, “No, actually I have

exactly 15,” actually meaning in fact I have exactly 15, not 16, not 14. He also

says, “I have some coupons, too.” A coupon, “coupon,” is a small piece of paper,

usually from a newspaper or advertisement, that gives you a lower price.

Sometimes it will be a dollar less or five percent less on one particular food item.

This, of course, encourages you to buy that type of food.

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (200 7). Posting of

The cashier says, “Just put those down on the belt and push the cart through,

please.” She's not very happy. She's telling Yong to put those down, meaning

put his items - items is just another word for thing - put those things down on the

belt, “belt.” The belt here is a wide piece of rubber or soft plastic that moves in a

circle to take the groceries from one end of a checkout stand to the other. So, it's

like an automatic method of moving the food closer to the cashier so he or she

can get the price from it.

This word, belt, has other meanings in English as well. If you look at today's

Learning Guide, we talk about so additional meanings of the words belt as well

as the word lane, which we just finished explaining.

The cashier tells Yong to “push the cart,” “cart,” “through.” A cart is like a large

basket on wheels. It's what you put your food in, in a grocery store - in a

supermarket - and you push it towards the front - towards the checkout stands,

and you take the food out of it and you put it on this belt that takes the food to the

cashier.

Yong says, “Okay. Can you tell me how much these potatoes are per pound?”

Per pound just means for each pound. We, in the United States, use pounds as

the way of measuring weight. The cashier then tells Yong, “I’ll have to do a price

check.” A price check, “check,” is when the employee has to ask someone else

to get the actual price of something for a customer. This happens sometimes in

supermarkets, and that's what the cashier is doing here.

She then asks if Yong has “a club card,” “club,” card, “card.” This is like a

membership card that some grocery stores have. In order to shop at the store,

you have to have a membership - you have to pay a membership, and usually

that gives you lower prices. There are other stores that give you a card, and if

you use the card, you get a discount. You don't have to pay for the card, but you

do get a lower price on some of your food.

After the cashier asks Yong for his club card, Yong says, “here it is,” something

you might say when you are giving something to someone else. He could also

say, “here you go.” The cashier tells him to “Swipe it through the machine.” The

verb to swipe, “swipe,” in this case means to take your credit card and put it

through, very quickly, through a little machine that reads your information so that

the store can charge your credit card for the amount. The verb swipe can also

mean to steal, especially if you're talking about something small, like “I'm going to

swipe a pencil from my wife's desk” - I'm going to steal it. I'm sure she's okay

with that, though!

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (200 7). Posting of

The cashier then asks Yong, “Debit or credit?” These are two different ways of

paying for something. A credit card is when the bank lends you money for

days or for a longer period of time until you pay them back; that's a credit card. A

debit card, “debit,” is one where you have the money taken out of your bank

account right away, so there's no loan involved. That is also a popular way of

paying for things at stores.

Yong says that he has a debit card, and asked if he could “get cash back?” One

of the advantages of using a debit card, which takes money directly from your

bank, is you can actually ask the cashier in most grocery stores to give you some

additional money from your account, just like they were a bank or an automatic

teller machine - the machine you get money for automatically when you put in the

card.

Of course, this is more work for the cashier, so she says, “How much do you

want,” not very nice. And he says, “I’d like 40 dollars.” The cashier then asks

him, “Paper or plastic?” What the cashier is asking here is whether Yong wants

paper bags to put the food in or plastic bags. Most grocery stores give you the

choice of which kind you want. Unlike in some countries, most Americans don't

bring a bag with them to put the food in; they have the store give them the bag.

Yong asks for paper, and the cashier says, “Are these tabloids yours, too?” A

tabloid, “tabloid,” is a kind of newspaper or magazine, usually one that has very

shocking or unusual stories. Many of these are about famous people - celebrities

and they like to print or have lots of stories in them about Britney Spears and

her baby or Angelina Jolie. Other famous Hollywood stars are often in these

tabloids because people will buy the paper. They're very low quality type of

newspaper. The most famous one in the United States would be “The National

Inquirer.” To inquire means to ask about. So, “The National Inquirer” is a tabloid

that you would find, and they usually have these by the checkout stands in the

grocery stores.

Yong says yes, these “magazines are mine,” and the cashier finally says, “Do

you need any help out,” meaning do you need someone to help you take your

food - your groceries - to your car. Notice that the cashier doesn't say, “Do you

need any help,” she says, “Do you need any help out,” and that's a particular type

of verb that we would use in this situation when you're at a store - a grocery store

and the cashier is asking if you need help to take the food to your car. Yong

says, “No, I’m fine. Thanks.”

Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a native rate of speech.

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (200 7). Posting of

[start of story]

I went to the supermarket to do my weekly shopping. The cashiers at this market

are usually pretty friendly, but this one must have been having a hard day.

Cashier: Excuse me, sir, this lane is for 15 items or less. It looks like you have

more than that.

Yong: No, actually I have exactly 15. I have some coupons, too.

Cashier: Just put those down on the belt and push the cart through, please.

Yong: Okay. Can you tell me how much these potatoes are per pound?

Cashier: I’ll have to do a price check. Do you have a club card?

Yong: Yes, here it is.

Cashier: Swipe it through the machine, sir. Your total is $47.52. Debit or credit?

Yong: Debit. Could I get cash back?

Cashier: [sigh] How much do you want?

Yong: I’d like $40.

Cashier: Paper or plastic?

Yong: Paper, please.

Cashier: Are these tabloids yours, too?

Yong: Uh, yes, those magazines are mine.

Cashier: Do you need any help out?

Yong: No, I’m fine. Thanks.

[end of story]

The script for today's podcast was written by Dr. Lucy Tse.

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (200 7). Posting of

That's all we have time for. From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.

Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time on ESL Podcast.

is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (200 7). Posting of

View Details

ESL Podcast 233 – Asking for a Date

GLOSSARY

to admit – to say that something is true even if one doesn’t want to; to confess

*Last week, one of the football player on the championship team admitted that

he had used illegal drugs to build stronger muscles.

player – a man who dates a lot of women, often at the same time

*Those guys are such players! They hang out in bars nearly every weekend

trying to get women’s phone numbers.

attractive – pretty; nice-looking

*Renee is very attractive. She has long beautiful black hair and green eyes.

to break up with (someone) – to end a romantic relationship with someone

*Clint wants to break up with his girlfriend, but he doesn’t know how to do it

without hurting her feelings.

geez – an expression used to express surprise or confusion

*Geez, are you still working? It’s almost midnight!

to go for a drink – to go to a bar or restaurant to drink an alcoholic beverage,

such as beer or wine

*After the concert, they went for a drink at that expensive new restaurant near

the concert hall.

Do you mind if I join you? – May I accompany you? Would it bother (annoy)

you if I joined you in what you’re doing?

*I heard that you’re going to the movies tonight. Do you mind if I join you?

to try (one’s) luck – to do something, knowing that it may not work; to try to do

something, hoping that it will be successful, but not being sure of it

*The company wanted to hire someone with 10 years of experience and I only

had three, but I decided to try my luck and apply for the job anyway.

to depend on (something/someone) – to be controlled or determined by

something or someone else

*We’d like to buy a new car, but that depends on whether we’re able to save

enough money.

to go for – to choose; to select

*If I had to choose between a vacation in Asia or Europe, I’d probably go for

Asia, because I’ve always wanted to visit India.

I’d like to get to know you better – I want to learn more about you; I want to

know you better; I’d like to become your friend (or maybe a boyfriend or

girlfriend)

*Pierre said he’d like to get to know me better, so we’re having dinner together

this Friday.

here’s my number – here’s my phone number; an expression used when giving

someone one’s phone number written down on a piece of paper

*A beautiful woman walked up to Alberto at the party and said, “Here’s my

number. Call me.” He was so happy that he couldn’t stop smiling for hours.

charm – the power to attract other people and make them feel comfortable

*Marjorie has such wonderful charm. Everyone loves spending time with her.

flattery – the use of words that other people want to hear, even if they aren’t

true; saying things to make other people feel good about themselves, so that one

can get what one wants from them

*Mike always uses flattery when his wife is angry. He thinks that if he says that

he likes her hair or dress, she’ll stop being mad at him.

irresistible – impossible to deny; impossible to say no to

*Carina is on a diet, but she never loses weight because chocolate cake is

irresistible for her.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Why does Liam ask Debra to go on a date?

a) He feels bad that she broke up with her boyfriend.

b) He thinks she is attractive and wants to spend time with her.

c) He needs someone to go to the art show with him.

Liam tells Monica that he “just moved to this area” because:

a) He wants to ask for directions to the grocery store.

b) He wants to know where the good restaurants are.

c) He wants to give her directions to his house.

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

player

The word “player,” in this podcast, means a man who dates a lot of women, often

at the same time. For example, “If I had known he was a player, I never would

have agreed to go on a date with him.” A “player” is also a person who plays a

sport or a game: “Basketball players are usually very tall.” A “player” can also be

someone who plays a musical instrument: “The piano player knew all of our

favorite songs.” A “player” is also a business or a person who is a leader in

business or politics: “Microsoft is a key player in the computer industry.” Finally,

a “player” is an electronic machine that plays music or video, such as a record

player or a DVD player: “He bought a new CD player for his car after the old one

was stolen.”

to go for

In this podcast, the phrasal verb “to go for” means to select something or to

choose something: “I’m so thirsty! I could really go for a large glass of water.”

“To go for it” means to try to be successful at something, usually something that

may be difficult: “People have always told me that I’m too short to be a

professional dancer, but my teacher convinced me to go for it.” Another similar

phrasal verb “to go into (something)” means to join an organization, especially if

it’s related to one’s career: “He went into the army when he was 18 years old,

and now he’s a captain.” The phrasal verb “to go on about (something)” means

to talk about something for a long time, usually while complaining or boring the

listener: “Denzel was so boring at the party! He just went on and on about his job

and he didn’t let anyone else talk.”

CULTURE NOTE

It’s very common to go on “dates” or informal meetings to try to find a romantic

partner. However, for many people, it’s difficult to meet people to ask for a date,

either because they are too busy or because they feel uncomfortable talking to

strangers. Because of this, some companies and organizations offer “dating

services” to help busy or shy people find dates.

“Speed dating” is popular, especially in large cities. In speed dating, many

“single” (unmarried people) are in a large room for one hour, often during their

lunch break. The room has many small tables, each with two chairs. Normally,

the women remain seated and the men move to a new table every five minutes.

Each “pair” (two people) talks for five minutes and, if the man and woman like

each other, they exchange phone numbers. Then the men move to the next

table. Speed dating allows single people to meet many people in a short amount

of time.

There are also many volunteer organizations that organize projects for unmarried

people to do together. Projects could include cleaning up a park, painting a

school, or playing with sick children. The participants feel good about what

they’re doing, and at the same time, they meet other unmarried people who have

similar interests. Similarly, churches have “singles groups” where unmarried

people study the Bible together or other religious topics while learning about

each other.

Some people dislike using these kinds of dating services and they prefer to have

their friends help them find a date. Friends may arrange a “blind date” for them.

This is when two people who don’t know each other meet, usually in a public

place, such as a restaurant or a cafe. These dates can be “awkward” and the

man or woman may feel uncomfortable, but sometimes they help people find

their “true love” or the person with whom they want to spend the rest of their life.

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

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to number 233: Asking for a

Date.

This is episode 233. I'm your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in

beautiful Los Angeles, California.

Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com. You can find there a complete

Learning Guide for this episode. This is a ten page - eight to ten page guide that

includes all of the vocabulary words, definitions, sample sentences for each of

the vocabulary words we talk about, cultural notes, additional information about

some words we don't talk about on the podcast and a complete transcript of this

episode.

Our episode is called “Asking for a Date.” Let's go!

[start of story]

I admit it. I’m a player. I work in an office where there are a lot of attractive

women. Take Debra, for example. I heard that she just broke up with her

boyfriend last week so I decided to ask her out.

Liam: Hi, Debra. How’s it going?

Debra: Okay, I guess. How about you?

Liam: I’m doing okay. You know, I’m going to an art show this Saturday. Would

you like to come with me?

Debra: Geez, I’m pretty busy this weekend.

Liam: That’s too bad. How about going for a drink after work today?

Debra: Well, I don’t know...

Liam: Come on. It’ll be fun and we can try that new place down the street.

Debra: I guess that’ll be okay, but just a drink, right?

Liam: That’s all and I promise I won’t even try to buy you dinner.

Debra: [laughs] Okay, then. I’ll see you after work.

I ask women out wherever I see them, even ones I’ve never met before. At a

restaurant, if I see a woman eating by herself, I usually say: “I just hate eating

alone. Do you mind if I join you?” The other day, I saw a woman at the grocery

store and tried my luck.

Liam: Hi.

Monica: Hi.

Liam: I’ve just moved to this area and was wondering if you could recommend a

good restaurant around here.

Monica: That depends on what kind of food you like. There’s a good Italian

restaurant on Elm Street, or there’s a good Thai place on Lyndon Avenue.

Liam: Which one do you prefer?

Monica: I like them both, but I’d probably go for the Italian place.

Liam: In that case, would you like to join me for dinner sometime?

Monica: I’m not sure. I don’t even know you.

Liam: You’re right, but you seem really nice and I’d like to get to know you

better. What do you say?

Monica: Well, maybe. Here’s my number. Call me and we’ll talk about it.

Liam: I’ll do that. I’m looking forward to talking with you again.

It’s as easy as that. I don’t try to be a player. All it takes is a little charm and a

little flattery, and women will find you irresistible.

[end of story]

Our dialogue in this episode is all about dating, and we have a man, Liam and

two different women, Debra and Monica. We watch Liam try to get dates with

these different women.

Liam begins by saying, “I admit it. I’m a player.” To admit, “admit,” something

means to say something is true even if you don't want to say it. It's like

confessing something. Well, what Liam is confessing here is that he's “a player.”

Player, “player,” is an informal expression or informal word that means a man

who dates a lot of women, usually at the same time, often without the other

women knowing that you are dating more than one woman. So, Liam says he's

“a player,” just like me!

He says, “I work in an office where there are a lot of attractive women.”

Attractive, “attractive,” means pretty or good looking. He says, “Take Debra, for

example,” meaning let's start talking about Debra as an example. He says, “I

heard that she just broke up with her boyfriend.” To break up with someone

means to end a romantic relationship - to stop a romantic relationship. This

happens here in Hollywood, here in Los Angeles, all the time among celebrities

and stars. So, to break up with someone means to end your relationship.

Liam then starts talking to Debra, he says, “Hi, Debra. How’s it going?” She

says, “Okay.” What about you - “How about you?” Liam says he's “doing okay.”

He says he's “going to an art show” on Saturday. An art show would be a show

looking at pictures or paintings. Of course, Liam is trying to impress Debra -

make Debra think that he is a very cultured person.

He asks Debra if she would like to come with him, and Debra says, “Geez, I’m

pretty busy this weekend.” This is what the women always used to tell me when I

asked them out on a date! The expression geez, “geez,” is one we use to

express surprise, or perhaps confusion. Well, Debra is perhaps a little surprised

and she says that she's “busy this weekend.”

Then Liam, who, of course as a player, tries to get women to date him, goes on

to say, “That’s too bad. How about going for a drink after work today?” To go for

a drink means to go have an alcoholic beverage or a soda, maybe a beer, with

someone in a bar. And Debra says, “Well, I don’t know,” and Liam starts to try to

convince her; he says, “Oh, come on. It’ll be fun and we can try that new place

down the street.”

Debra finally says, “I guess that’ll be okay, but just a drink, right,” meaning they're

just going to have a drink, more or less as friends, nothing serious.

Liam, lying of course, says, “That’s all and I promise I won’t even try to buy you

dinner.” To buy someone dinner - for a man to buy a woman dinner is usually a

sign that he wants to date that woman.

Liam goes on to talk about how asks women out - he asks them to go on a date

with him. To ask someone out is to ask them to go on a date. He says he asks

them out whenever he sees them, even ones he's “never met before.” He then

goes on to say that when he's at a restaurant and he sees “a woman eating by

herself,” he'll say to her, “Do you mind if I join you,” meaning is it okay that I sit

down with you - will it bother you?

He says, “The other day,” meaning in a recent day - recently, “I saw a woman at

the grocery store and I tried my luck.” To try your luck at something is to do

something even if you know it may not be successful - even if you know it may

not work. To try your luck - you hope you are successful.

Liam, of course, begins by simply saying, “Hi” to this woman. The woman,

Monica, says, “Hi,” and then he, again, probably lying - probably not telling the

truth - says, “ I’ve just moved to this area” - I've just moved to this part of the city -

“and was wondering if you could recommend a good restaurant around here.” Of

course, what Liam is doing here, as all men know, is trying to start a conversation

and trying to find an excuse to talk to this woman.

Monica says, “That depends on what kind of food you like.” The expression that

depends on, means that is determined by or that would be influenced by

someone or something else. So, she's saying here, well, there may be good

restaurants, but it depends on the restaurant - the kind of restaurant that you like.

She then says, “There’s a good Italian restaurant,” and there's also “a good Thai

place.” Thai, “Thai,” refers to Thailand - the country - and Thai food is very

popular in many large cities, like Los Angeles

Liam says, “Which one do you prefer?” Which one do you like? And Monica

says, “I like them both, but I’d probably go for the Italian place.” To go for, here,

means to choose or to select. It also has other meanings, this expression, to go

for. If you look at the Learning Guide, you will see some additional meanings for

this expression, but here it means to select.

Liam, says, “In that case, would you like to join me for dinner sometime?” Liam

is what we would call very smooth. To be smooth, “smooth,” if you're a man

means that you have a certain talent about getting women to go on dates with

you, or to say the right thing so they will go on a date with you.

Monica says, “I’m not sure. I don’t even know you.” Remember, they're at a

grocery store. Liam says, “You’re right, but you seem really nice and I’d like to

get to know you better,” meaning I'd like to find out more about you. “What do

you say?” What do you say here means what do you think - what is your

decision? Monica says, “Well, maybe. Here’s my number. Call me and we’ll talk

about it.” Here’s my number means here is my telephone number.

Liam says, “I’ll do that. I’m looking forward to talking to you again.” He ends the

story by saying that “It’s as easy as that,” meaning it's very simple; you just have

to do what he did. He says he doesn't “try to be a player. All it takes,” he says -

all that is necessary - all that you need - “All it takes is a little charm and a little

flattery, and the women will find you irresistible.”

A little charm, “charm,” means the power to attract other people - to make them

feel comfortable. If we say about a person, “He's very charming,” we mean that

other people like him - he has a good way of relating to other people - talking to

other people. Flattery, “flattery,” are words that you use - things that you say to

someone else to compliment them - to make them feel good about themselves.

What Liam is saying here is that if you have a little charm, and if you can give

women some flattery, they “will find you irresistible.” To be irresistible means that

it is impossible for them to say no - for someone to deny. If a person is

irresistible, you mean that the women will have to say yes because they can't say

no.

Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a native rate of speech.

[start of story]

I admit it. I’m a player. I work in an office where there are a lot of attractive

women. Take Debra, for example. I heard that she just broke up with her

boyfriend last week so I decided to ask her out.

Liam: Hi, Debra. How’s it going?

Debra: Okay, I guess. How about you?

Liam: I’m doing okay. You know, I’m going to an art show this Saturday. Would

you like to come with me?

Debra: Geez, I’m pretty busy this weekend.

Liam: That’s too bad. How about going for a drink after work today?

Debra: Well, I don’t know...

Liam: Come on. It’ll be fun and we can try that new place down the street.

Debra: I guess that’ll be okay, but just a drink, right?

Liam: That’s all and I promise I won’t even try to buy you dinner.

Debra: [laughs] Okay, then. I’ll see you after work.

I ask women out wherever I see them, even ones I’ve never met before. At a

restaurant, if I see a woman eating by herself, I usually say: “I just hate eating

alone. Do you mind if I join you?” The other day, I saw a woman at the grocery

store and tried my luck.

Liam: Hi.

Monica: Hi.

Liam: I’ve just moved to this area and was wondering if you could recommend a

good restaurant around here.

Monica: That depends on what kind of food you like. There’s a good Italian

restaurant on Elm Street, and there’s a good Thai place on Lyndon Avenue.

Liam: Which one do you prefer?

Monica: I like them both, but I’d probably go for the Italian place.

Liam: In that case, would you like to join me for dinner sometime?

Monica: I’m not sure. I don’t even know you.

Liam: You’re right, but you seem really nice and I’d like to get to know you

better. What do you say?

Monica: Well, maybe. Here’s my number. Call me and we’ll talk about it.

Liam: I’ll do that. I’m looking forward to talking with you again.

It’s as easy as that. I don’t even try to be a player. All it takes is a little charm

and a little flattery, and women will find you irresistible.

[end of story]

The script for today's dialogue was written by Dr. Lucy Tse.

That's all we have time for. From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.

Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time on ESL Podcast.

is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,

View Details

ESL Podcast 230 – A New Year’s Cruise

GLOSSARY

New Year’s Eve – the holiday celebrated on December 31; the night before the

New Year (January 1)

*Normally their children go to bed early, but on New Year’s Eve they’re allowed

to stay up until midnight.

harbor – an area of ocean water near the land that has strong walls to protect

boats from bad weather

*The storm destroyed the boats that were on the ocean, but the boats in the

harbor weren’t damaged at all.

cruise – a relaxing journey on the ocean, usually for a vacation

*After they were married, they went on a two-week cruise in the Caribbean.

fireworks – small objects that explode in the sky with a loud noise, producing

bright lights in many colors, usually used for celebrations

*Many American towns and cities use fireworks to celebrate the country’s

Independence Day on the fourth of July.

marina – a harbor (an area of ocean water near the land that has strong walls to

protect boats) that is built especially for small boats, often with wooden walkways

over the water to get access to the boats.

*Pedro and his uncle often fish in the marina where the fish are used to small

boats coming and going.

to board – to get on a ship, airplane, bus, train, or another large vehicle for many

people

*Melissa was a little bit nervous as she boarded a plane for the first time.

this was no... – this was not a...

*He took a long time getting dressed, because he knew that this was no ordinary

day.

boat – a vehicle that floats and moves on the water and carries people or cargo

(good and products)

*During the summer, they take their boat to the lake every weekend.

upper / lower – located above (upper) or below (lower) something else

*Unlike the lower floors, the upper floors of this office building have wonderful

views of the city.

deck – a floor or level of a ship or bus

*Some busses in London have two decks. Tourists like to sit on the top deck so

that they can see the city.

crew – the staff or workers on a boat or ship

*Did all members of the crew return to the ship by 5 p.m.?

on board – on or inside a boat, ship, airplane, train, or bus

*Move aside, please, so everyone can get on board.

life jackets – vests (jackets with no arms) that people wear so that they will float

if they fall into the water, usually filled with air or other material

*These boats are supposed to have enough life jackets for everyone on board.

captain – the highest-ranking (most important and powerful) member of the

crew; the person who leads, runs, or manages everything on a boat or ship

*It looks like a bad storm is coming! Does the captain seem worried about it?

passenger – a person or guest traveling on a boat, ship, airplane, train, or bus

*Their boat is small and can only hold seven passengers.

seasick – a bad feeling in one’s stomach and dizziness caused by being on

moving water, usually when one is on a boat or ship

*Andrea gets seasick very easily, so she always has to take a pill before she

steps onto a boat.

Coast Guard – a part of the U.S. military that protects the people and land along

the country’s coasts (where water and land meet)

*Our boat’s motor stopped working while we were a mile from land, so we had to

wait for the Coast Guard to come help us.

on shore – on land; off of a boat or ship

*Do you know what time we’ll be able to go on shore?

to walk the plank – to walk down a long, flat piece of wood that goes out from a

ship over the water; in stories, pirates (thieves in ships who steal from other ships

and boats) made people walk down the long, flat piece of wood to their death

*In many movies about pirates, a beautiful young woman is forced to walk the

plank, but someone always saves her before she falls into the water.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Why did the friends decide to take a harbor cruise on New Year’s Eve?

a) Because they didn’t get invited to any parties.

b) Because it’s how they celebrate the holiday every year.

c) Because they wanted to try something new.

The cruise was:

a) On the ocean near the city.

b) On a lake near the city.

c) On a river that runs through the city.

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

cruise

The word “cruise,” in this podcast, means a relaxing journey in a luxurious or

fancy boat: “He asked her to marry him while they were on a romantic harbor

cruise.” As a verb, “to cruise” can mean to take a cruise: “They saw a lot of

monkeys while they were cruising down the Amazon River.” The verb “to cruise”

can be used informally to mean to move in a car at a constant speed: “They were

cruising at 85 miles per hour when they were stopped by a police officer for

speeding.” Many cars have “cruise control,” which is a small button near the

steering wheel that the driver can turn on to have the car maintain a constant

speed without the driver having to constantly step on the gas or brake pedals.

board

In this podcast, the verb “to board” means to get onto a boat, ship, airplane, train,

or bus: “When he boarded the bus, he was disappointed to see that there weren’t

any empty seats.” To be “on board” means to be on a boat, ship, airplane, train,

or bus: “They had planned to be on board the 7:00 train, but there weren’t any

seats.” As a noun, a “board” is a long, flat piece of wood that is used to build

floors, fences, walls, and other things: “He bought some wooden boards to build

a doghouse.” “Boards” are also used for equipment used in some sports, such

as snowboarding or surfing: “Surfing can be dangerous if the board hits you on

the head.” A “board” is also a group of people who lead an organization: “This

month, the board of directors is deciding whether it will sell the company.”

CULTURE NOTE

In the United States, many people enjoy owning a boat and using it with their

families on the weekends, boating on the country’s lakes, rivers, and “coastal

waters” (the ocean water near land). However, owning a boat is a big

responsibility and there are many boating laws in the U.S. The laws are different

in each state, but they have many things in common.

Many boating laws are related to safety. Most states have laws requiring that life

jackets or specific safety equipment be carried on the boat. There are also laws

about using lights at night and “minimizing” (keeping low) noise. In addition,

there are laws that “prohibit” (not allow) people from driving a boat if they are

“drunk” or drank too much alcohol.

The owners of boats with “motors” (a machine that moves a vehicle) and large

boats without motors usually need to register their boats with the state

government. This usually requires presenting identification, proof that you own

the boat, and an “annual fee” (a payment of money made every year).

Often the boat “operators” (the people who drive a boat) must have a boating

“license,” a document that permits them to drive a boat. Whether someone

needs a license depends on the type of the boat and the speed of the boat. The

laws and the requirements to get a license “vary” or are different by state, but

they all require that a person pass a test about boat laws. Getting a license also

may require taking a class about boat safety.

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

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to number 230: A New Year’s

Cruise.

This is episode 230. I'm your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in

beautiful Los Angeles, California. Today we have a special New Year's edition of

ESL Podcast. Our topic today is going to be talking about “A New Year’s

Cruise.”

Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com. There you can download the

Learning Guide for this episode that contains all of the vocabulary, sample

sentences, additional vocabulary and a complete transcript of this podcast. Now

let's get started.

[start of story]

My friends and I decided to do something a little different this year. Instead of

going to a crowded club or throwing a party on New Year’s Eve, we decided to

take a harbor cruise instead. The cruise would be four hours long, and it

included dinner, music, dancing, and a great view of the fireworks.

On that day, we drove to the marina and we were among the first to board the

ship. This was no little boat. It was a large ship with an upper and a lower deck.

The crew helped us get on board and showed us where the life jackets were in

case of an emergency. Even the captain came out to welcome the passengers.

We had a great time. I didn’t get seasick as I’d feared, and we didn’t have to call

out the Coast Guard, either. We had so much fun, we didn’t want to go back on

shore. Finally, the captain joked that if we didn’t leave, he’d make us walk the

plank!

[end of story]

Today, we learned what Lucy and her friends did on New Year's Eve; they went

on a New Year's Cruise. A cruise, “cruise,” is usually a relaxing trip that you take

on an ocean, usually for a vacation. Here in Los Angeles, you can take a cruise

down to Mexico - down to the Baja region of Mexico. You can also take a cruise

to Hawaii, which will take you a couple of days, and you go on a very large ship.

Well, this is a cruise not of Hawaii or down to Mexico; this was just a short cruise

that Lucy and her friends went on. I, apparently, was not invited, which is a little

sad!

Lucy says that her friends and she “decided to do something a little different this

year. Instead of going,” she says, “to a crowded club or throwing a party on New

Year’s Eve,” they “decided to take a harbor cruise instead.” Normally on New

Year’s Eve, which is the evening before New Year’s - the evening of December

31st - they go to a club, which would be a dance club - a place to dance to music

or they throw a party. Notice the expression to throw, “throw,” a party, means to

put on a party - to have a party at your house or your apartment. But instead of

doing those things, they “decided to take a harbor cruise.”

The harbor, “harbor,” is an area in the ocean that is next to the land. Usually it

has walls that are built to protect the boats and the ships. So, it's the place

where you can think of the boats and ships parking; it's sort of a parking lot on

the water for ships and boats.

The harbor cruise then was a cruise on a boat around the harbor - around the

other boats. Usually those are short cruises; in this case, I believe it was “four

hours long.” The cruise “included dinner, music, dancing, and a great view of the

fireworks.” The fireworks, “fireworks,” (always plural) are little things that you

shoot up into the air and they explode and you see a light. Fireworks are very

common for many celebrations - big celebrations: the Fourth of July - and in

some cities, there are fireworks on New Year's Eve. In Los Angeles, there are

places that have fireworks on New Year's Eve.

Lucy says that on the day of New Year's Eve, they “drove to the marina and were

among the first to board the ship.” The marina, “marina,” is a harbor that is built

especially for smaller boats, and usually there are walkways - sort of wooden

sidewalks - to walk out and get on the boat. We have a very large marina here in

Los Angeles called Marina del Rey - the Marina of the King - and the marina has

fireworks, where they have fireworks out over the ocean or near the ocean.

Lucy says that she and her friends were “the first to board the ship.” To board,

“board,” means to get on a ship or an airplane. You can also board a train or a

bus. Anything that carries a lot of people, we say that you board. So, if you're at

the airport and they say, “The flight will be boarding in ten minutes,” that means

that people will be getting on the plane in ten minutes. So, don't go and buy

some coffee, you may miss your flight - you may not get on the plane in time!

Lucy and her friends boarded the ship. She says, “This was no little boat.” “This

was no” is another way of saying this was not a little boat. This is a somewhat

difficult expression, “this was no.” It's used before an object - a noun - in a

sentence without any articles - without any indefinite articles, like “a” or “and” or

definite articles, like “the.” You can say, “This was no little boat,” meaning this

was not a little boat. But, if you use the word “a” or “the,” you would have to say,

“not.” “This was no little boat,” “This was not a little boat,” notice the difference.

A boat, “boat,” is something that floats on the water. It stays on top of the water

and you can get into it and you can move across the water. If it's a very large

boat, we often call that a ship, “ship.” So, Lucy says in the story here that “This

was no little boat. It was a large ship with an upper and a lower deck.” The

deck, “deck,” of a ship is the level - think of it as the floor of the ship, so there

could be more than one level - more than one floor. We also use that term if you

are talking about a bus. If the bus is what we would call a double decker that

means it has two decks. These are, or were, popular in London; I'm not sure if

they still are. If you go to London, you can probably find a double decker bus - a

bus with two decks. The top deck is called the upper deck, and the bottom is

called the lower deck.

Well, this is a large ship. “The crew helped” Lucy and her friends “get on board.”

The crew, “crew,” are the people who work on the boat - the staff of the boat or

the ship. To help someone get on board means to get inside the boat, or a plane

or a train. So, they helped them “get on board” - they helped them board would

be the same meaning - “and showed us where the life jackets were.”

When you go on a ship, they usually have - in fact, they have to have, according

to most state laws, some sort of life jacket. A life jacket is usually just a vest, not

an actual jacket; it is like a jacket with no sleeves for the arms, and it floats. So,

in case the boat has a problem and you have to go out into the water, even if you

can't swim, if you have a life jacket you can still survive - you can still float on top

of the water. So, they showed Lucy and her friends the life jackets in case there

was an emergency.

“Even the captain came out to welcome the passengers.” The captain, “captain,”

is the person who is in charge of - who is the head of the ship; we call that

person the captain. So, “the captain came out,” meaning he went outside and

greeted - said hello to the people who were getting on the boat; we would call

those people the passengers. A passenger, “passenger,” is anyone who travels

on a boat or a ship, an airplane, a train, a bus - any of those things, you can call

the people passengers.

You can even talk about a passenger in a car. We often use the term “the

passenger side,” which in an American car would be on the right side of the car.

In a car in Great Britain, it would be on the left side.

Lucy said she and her friends “had a great time.” They “didn't get seasick.” To

get seasick, “seasick,” means to get sick because of the motion of the water.

The words sea, “sea,” is another word for an ocean - it's like an ocean. So,

seasick is getting sick, usually to your stomach. You may even get a little dizzy if

you are on the water.

Lucy jokes that they “didn’t have to call out the Coast Guard, either.” The Coast,

“Coast,” Guard, “Guard,” is part of the United States military. They are the

people who protect the coasts of the United States, which are the part where the

country is next to an ocean; that would be the coast. Here in Los Angeles, we're

on the West Coast; New York City is on the East Coast.

So, the Coast Guard was not called, meaning they didn't have any emergencies.

She said that she and her friends “had so much fun, we didn’t want to go back on

shore.” To go on shore, “shore,” means to leave the boat and go back on land.

“Finally,” Lucy says, “the captain joked that if” they “didn't leave” the ship, “he’d

make” them “walk the plank!” The expression to walk the plank is an old one that

you sometimes see in movies about pirates - thieves - people who steal from

other ships and boats. A plank, “plank,” is a long piece of wood. In the old days,

especially in the movies, if you were somehow caught by the pirates - the thieves

you might be forced to walk out on a long piece of wood and, of course, jump

off - you would have to die in the ocean. So, the expression here by the captain

is a joke, saying well, if you don't leave, I'll make you walk the plank, just like the

pirates did.

If you've seen the famous movie, “Pirates of the Caribbean,” we call it in English,

with that really ugly actor - what's his name? Johnny Depp, I think he calls

himself - then you know what I'm talking about. I'm just kidding, of course!

Now let's listen to the story, this time at a native rate of speech.