ESL Podcast 1i6j1v

All good things must come to an end, including some service contracts. Learn how to cancel one in this episode. Slow dialog: 1:28 Explanations: 4:00 Fast dialog: 17:27 Diana: You’ve reached customer service for Bully Services. How may I help you today? Phillip: I’d like to cancel my service. Diana: Why do you want to cancel? Phillip: I’m switching to another company with cheaper services. I’m no longer under contract so there should be no early-termination penalties. Diana: Let’s take a look at your . I’m sure we can make you an offer so you won’t want to discontinue service. Phillip: I’ve made up my mind. I just want to cancel. Diana: As a customer service rep, it’s my job to find a way to retain you as a valued customer. Please bear with me, sir. Phillip: Really, I’m not interested in any offers you can make. No high-pressure tactics are going to work with me, so please just cancel my service. Diana: Please, sir, be reasonable. I’m trying to work with you so you won’t miss out on our great deals. If you sign a new two-year contract or set up auto-pay, I can offer you… Phillip: I’m not interested. I want to cancel – now! Diana: Just let me tell you about these three plans that are available to you at a lower price. I know that deep down you don’t really want to cancel your service. Phillip: I do want to cancel my service and I want to do it right now! Diana: Sir, please! You’re being a little pushy. Phillip: I’m being a little pushy?! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: American Movies – American Graffiti; American Presidents – Franklin Pierce; magazine versus journal; straw man argument and cognitive dissonance; several and actually Words: graffiti to graduate drag race to be based on tagline profitable soundtrack to resign to nominate deadlock to fail magazine journal straw man cognitive dissonance several actually

Topics: Famous Americans – Mary Baker Eddy; The Kennedy Space Center; what for? versus for what?; possibility versus opportunity; iron and iron law Words: to found religion injury to cure to criticize to promote aeronautics space shuttle mission to explore what for? for what? possibility opportunity iron iron law

We take you for a ride in this episode about light rail transit. Slow dialog: 1:27 Explanations: 3:03 Fast dialog: 14:59 Jean: Look out! Gordon: Don’t worry. That’s just a light rail train. The new light rail system shares the road with street traffic. Jean: Phew! For a second there I thought we were going to collide with it. Gordon: Didn’t you see the operator seated at the front of the train? She watches out for other drivers. Jean: I didn’t know they have operators. I thought they were automatic. Gordon: No, they’re not like some forms of rapid transit. Jean: I see now that they ride on tracks and are powered by overhead electric lines. Gordon: That’s right. Jean: I’d like to give light rail a try. Gordon: Really? Well, there’s no time like the present. I’ll take you to the nearest stop. There’s the platform over there. Jean: But I thought you agreed to give me a ride into the city. Gordon: And deprive you of a new travel experience? Never! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: American Movies – Laurel and Hardy Films; The New York Public Library; to proofread versus to copyedit; no longer versus anymore; wild card Words: comedy to star to direct sound effects to make a mess to sympathize public research institution manuscript resident to proofread to copyedit no longer anymore wild card

Does this dialogue make me look fat? Find out in this episode. Slow dialog: 1:45 Explanations: 3:10 Fast dialog: 18:42 Vera: How do these pants look on me? Wang: Uh, aren’t they a little too tight? They look like they’re cutting off circulation in your legs. Vera: They’re a little snug, but they show off my curves, don’t they? Wang: I suggest going up a size. Something a little less form fitting would be a lot more comfortable. Vera: I’m not going for comfort. I’m going for style. Wang: Here, try these pants. They’re looser and offer more room. Vera: These don’t show my shape at all. They’re not in the least flattering. Wang: But you can move in them without busting a seam. Vera: You’re missing the point. I want to look good in these pants no matter what. Wang: Spoken like a true slave to fashion! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: American Presidents – James Buchanan; The Board Game “Monopoly”; here/there you go; expendable versus expandable; the devil’s/Devil’s own Words: legislature to disband tension complication monopoly property rent to be bankrupt patent royalty invention landlord expendable expandable the devil’s/Devil’s own

Safety is important at work, and not just because a government inspector might visit your job site. Learn more in this episode. Slow dialog: 1:42 Explanations: 3:38 Fast dialog: 18:38 Kathy Lee: You won’t find any problems in your inspection of our factory. Rashed: I’m glad to hear that. Where do these stairs lead? Kathy Lee: It’s just a level for storage. You don’t need to see that. Rashed: I need to inspect every part of this factory. Please step aside. Kathy Lee: If you insist. Rashed: You have people working on this floor and it’s not structurally sound, and certainly not intended for heavy manufacturing. This attic was never meant for industrial use. Kathy Lee: It’s only temporary… Rashed: There are no fire escapes, fire extinguishers, or emergency exits. Kathy Lee: Well, I… Rashed: None of the workers are wearing protective clothing and I see signs of child labor. Kathy Lee: No, no, no, I wouldn’t hire anyone underage. Rashed: I am ordering an immediate shutdown of this factory due to flagrant violations of building code and labor laws. Kathy Lee: But you can’t do that! We have orders to fill. Rashed: Not when this building is in danger of imminent collapse. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

It’s no longer necessary to go to a university campus to get a college degree. Find out if that option is right for you in this episode. Slow dialog: 1:30 Explanations: 4:06 Fast dialog: 18:52 Carlos: So where are you planning on attending college? Torrie: I’ve picked Harford University. Carlos: The only Harford University I’ve heard of is a degree mill. Torrie: I’m sure it’s not the same one. The Harford University I’m attending is accredited, at least I’m pretty sure it is. The best part of going to Harford is I’ll never have to attend classes on campus. I can do all of my coursework online. Carlos: You want to attend an online university? There are some legitimate ones that offer good distance education, but many have low issions standards and don’t provide a very good education. Torrie: Not Harford. It’s a good degree-granting institution and they even give you credit for relevant life experience. I won’t need to take very many courses to graduate. Carlos: That sounds pretty fishy to me. Torrie: Don’t worry. My transcript and degree will be indistinguishable from those from a traditional university, without nearly as much work. Carlos: That should tell you something. How is their job placement rate? Torrie: I’m not sure, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be as competitive as any other college graduate. Carlos: If you say so. What are you doing right now? Torrie: I’m playing a video game stealing cars. At Harford, that’s considered relevant life experience. Cool, huh? Carlos: Yeah, cool. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

According to your mother-in-law, your life would be so much better if you’d just listen to your mother-in-law. Find out why in this episode. Slow dialog: 1:39 Explanations: 4:07 Fast dialog: 20:05 Marc: Who was that? Carla: It was your mother – again. She wanted to give me another piece of unsolicited advice about housekeeping. She’s called five times this week already. Marc: She’s just trying to be helpful. Carla: I wish she’d do it without being so critical. I feel like she enjoys finding fault with everything I do. Marc: She’s a little overeager to help, that’s all. Don’t think of it as her interfering. Think of it as her giving you . She isn’t like your mother. Carla: What do you mean? Marc: What do I mean?! She’s constantly giving me advice on how to be a better husband. Carla: Well, we just got married and she wants our marriage to be the best it can be. Marc: I know, but your mother has a really sharp tongue and she doesn’t hold back. She butts in whenever I’m trying to do something to tell me how to do it better. Carla: Just like your mother, she’s only trying to help. Marc: With her constant sarcastic comments? Carla: That’s just her sense of humor. She doesn’t mean anything by it. She likes you. Marc: She has a strange way of showing it. Carla: All of this talk about mothers-in-law is getting our blood up. At this rate, we won’t be able to follow the best piece of marriage advice we’ve received so far. Marc: Which was? Carla: Don’t go to bed angry. Marc: Who’s angry? Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Soccer in the United States; Famous Americans – Robert Frost; to suck versus to lick; to leave (someone) to his/her own devices; to cross someone and talking-to Words: standard association to govern tournament confusion to bid elegy to publish collection New England rural blood clot to suck to lick to leave (someone) to his/her own devices to cross (someone) talking-to

Topics: Ask an American – Journalism and Technology; liberal arts; second to (the) last; I am hearing you Words: journalist to vet fluid multimedia marketing distribution arm panorama tornado to rip (something) out to stitch to raise new question to manipulate reality liberal arts second to (the) last I am hearing you

Let’s not talk about the topic of today’s episode right now. So, how’s your day going? Slow dialog: 1:25 Explanations: 4:00 Fast dialog: 18:29 Lila: Why aren’t you dating? I have so many friends who would love to go out with you. George: Let’s change the subject. Talking about my love life isn’t very interesting. Lila: But really, you’re not getting any younger and… George: Moving on! Have you seen any good movies lately? Lila: Listen, all of your friends are settling down and you don’t want to go through life alone and lonely… George: That reminds me, didn’t you say that you were going to get another dog so that Rover isn’t lonely when you’re not home? Lila: Forget about my dog. You Rachel, don’t you? She just broke up with her boyfriend and she’d be perfect for you. George: Speaking of Rachel, how is her mother? Wasn’t she in the hospital? Lila: If Rachel isn’t your type, how about Amina? She has great legs and I know you’re a leg man. George: And now for something completely different…How is your diet coming along? Have you lost any weight yet? Lila: I don’t really want to talk about my weight. George: But I think you’re having trouble shedding those pounds, right? I have lots of suggestions on what you can do. Lila: Anyway, as I said before, I don’t really want to talk about my diet… George: You need to cut out sweets if you want to lose weight. Are you eating too many sweets? Lila: That’s none of your business! George: My sentiments exactly! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Famous Americans – W.C. Fields; The Video Game Pong; trim, quarter- round, and carpenter; to condemn and conscious; transliteration Words: stage name solo to boast signature demanding humor contract to mutter hand controller patent to be based on trim carpenter to condemn conscious transliteration

Make sure you chck for misteaks before your ready to publich something. Learn howe in this epasode. Slow dialog: 1:23 Explanations: 2:52 Fast dialog: 13:52 Russell: Hey, LeeAnn, you were an English major, right? LeeAnn: Yes. Russell: Could you proofread this for me? LeeAnn: I don’t know. Do you want me to proof it for content or for structure? Russell: For everything. LeeAnn: So you’re asking me to fact check all of the facts and figures and to parse each line to find any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Russell: That’s right. I used the spell check on it, but some typos may have slipped through. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were riddled with other errors, too. LeeAnn: Right. What about the formatting? Russell: Check that, too. You can edit out the errors as you go along. LeeAnn: You want me to proofread and edit it? Russell: Sure, if you don’t mind. LeeAnn: You do realize that this is a 400-page document, right? Russell: Is there a problem? Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

If you have trouble understanding another language – and who doesn’t? – then listen to this episode to learn how to talk about it. Slow dialog: Explanations: Fast dialog: Carol: Send another memo to the Gibberese office. I think we have our wires crossed again. Art: Don’t you think it would be better to call the office and speak to someone there? You might be able to get to the bottom of the misunderstanding more quickly. Carol: I don’t speak Gibberish and we don’t have anyone bilingual in the office to act as an interpreter. Art: Which means there’s no one who could translate our correspondence into Gibberish to make things easier. Carol: That’s right. And plus, leaving a paper trail is better. Art: You mean in case we have to cover our asses. Carol: I wouldn’t put it like that, but breakdowns in communication are inevitable and it’s always helpful to be able to trace their source. Art: Right. Okay, I’ll draft a memo and it by you before I send it, okay? Carol: Sounds good. Art: What I don’t understand is why we don’t simply hire people for this office who are fluent in Gibberish. Carol: Do you know anyone who speaks Gibberish? Art: Plenty! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Famous Americans – Henry Gaylord Wilshire; The Flatiron Building; regime versus regimen; to laugh versus laughter; to unveil versus to reveal; to light up Words: political activist socialism scar profit cheap lifestyle ardent billboard argument folly landmark trendy regime regimen laugh laughter to unveil to reveal to light up

Are vaccines for your children dangerous or necessary? Learn more in this episode. Slow dialog: 1:26 Explanations: 3:46 Fast dialog: 17:44 Jonas: Hi, Jenny. Are you getting your kids ready for school, too? Jenny: Yes, as you can see, we’re buying lots of school supplies. Jonas: Did you get the school letter reminding parents to submit proof of immunization before the first day of school? I know that your youngest is starting school this year. Jenny: Yes, she is, but I’m thinking of getting an exemption. I’m not sure vaccines are safe and I don’t want to take a chance with her health. Jonas: The immunizations required by the school are standard – measles, mumps, chicken pox, polio – all vaccines your other children have had. Jenny: But when I looked at the list, there were a few I didn’t recognize – diphtheria, hepatitis, and rubella. Who knows what our kids are getting! Jonas: The ones you mentioned are standard, too. Don’t you the outbreak of whooping cough last year? If our kids had been immunized, they wouldn’t have gotten sick. Jenny: I’ve read somewhere that vaccines might be dangerous. I just don’t want to jeopardize their future. Jonas: That’s precisely what you’d be doing if you opted out of immunizations. Jenny: Why’s that? Jonas: Because your children won’t be getting an education. The school is barring any children who don’t get immunized from attending school. Jenny: I call that irresponsible! Jonas: That’s exactly the word that came to my mind. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Movies – Die Hard; American Authors – Emma Lazarus; in front of versus ahead of versus before; as if versus as though versus as for; to take stock Words: to be separated to give (something) another try to freshen up hostage safe cowboy to be descend from to be well received to dedicate to persecute to huddle to yearn in front of ahead of before as if as though as for to take stock

Topics: Movies – Die Hard; American Authors – Emma Lazarus; in front of versus ahead of versus before; as if versus as though versus as for; to take stock Words: to be separated to give (something) another try to freshen up hostage safe cowboy to be descend from to be well received to dedicate to persecute to huddle to yearn in front of ahead of before as if as though as for to take stock