Collecting football stickers

BBC Learning¹ English
6 Minute English
Football Stickers
NB: This is not a word for word transcript².
Kate: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Kate and joining me today is Rosie!
Rosie: Hello Kate.
Kate: Hi Rosie. Today we're going to talk about collections（收集） and collecting things.
Collecting is when you put together a group of objects all of the same type - stamp
collecting for example…. autographs（亲笔签名） or anything really. Do you collect anything
Rosie?
Rosie: answers
Kate: Well, the World Cup is still in full swing for a few days more and something
which has become very popular internationally is collecting football stickers. Can
you explain what stickers are Rosie?
Rosie: Sure, well stickers are small pieces of paper with a picture or writing on one side
and glue on the other. They can be made to stay permanently³ on a surface or 'stick'
to something – hence⁴ the name 'stickers'.
Kate: Right – well, football stickers have pictures of all the players printed on them and
they are sold with an album or book full of spaces to place the stickers into. This
year there are around 630 stickers of different players to collect.
Rosie: That's a lot. Imagine if you kept getting the same sticker….
Kate: I know – that must be annoying. But before we go any further, we're going to start
with a question. In which year did the first official Panini World Cup sticker book
appear on the market?
a: 1970
b: 1980
c: 1990
Rosie: answers
Kate: We'll check your answer at the end of the programme. Next, we're going to
hear from a sticker book collector and UK Journalist, John Crace. Let's start by
finding⁵ a bit more about his collection of sticker books… what is the oldest item in
his collection?
John Crace
I have every World Cup sticker book from 1974 onwards…
Rosie: Wow – so he said he has every single World Cup sticker book since1974 –
quite impressive⁶!
Kate: Let's listen to that extract⁷ again and what he goes on to say afterwards. You're
going to hear three more expressions: like gold dust, set you back and a grand.
Can you explain what these mean please?
Roise: Yes, like gold dust is an expression we use to describe something that is very
difficult to get, because a lot of people want it. Set you back is another way of
talking about cost. If something sets you back – it costs you a certain amount.
And a grand is an informal term for ?1000.
Kate: Let's listen to the whole extract again. What does he say about the value of his
sticker book collection?
John Crace
I have every World Cup sticker book from 1974 onwards – which is about as good as it gets. The
1970 one in Mexico is like gold dust. A complete sticker book will set you back over a grand.
Rosie So he said that book from 1970 is like gold dust and will set you back or cost you
over a thousand pounds!
Kate Yes, obviously⁸ it's much in demand then. Let's listen again. What do you think
about this Rosie – grown men collecting football stickers…. Surely this is a hobby
for younger people – children even!
Rosie: answers
Kate: Let's find out what the appeal is. In the next extract you're going to hear the
expression let you down. This means to disappoint or not live up to your
expectations. Let's listen.
John Crace
I mean, unlike the football, won't actually let you down. It starts 2 months beforehand⁹ and
there's a sense of enjoyment¹⁰ in collecting.
Kate: So, he said that unlike football in real life, the stickers wont¹¹' let you down as in
when your team loses. He mentioned the sense of enjoyment in collecting, which
mean a feeling of happiness when doing something.
In the next extract listen out for what he says about the appeal of collecting
football stickers as an adult?
John Crace
And also as an adult person, you have a chance of completing the collection because it’s
something you can afford to do that you couldn’t do as a child.
Rosie Ah – so a lot of it is down to the fact that as an adult you can afford to do it. As a
child, it's an expensive thing to be doing. Now he's a grown up with his own
money – he's returning to the hobby. A little bit strange really!
Kate: Yes, I think you have to be a little bit obsessive（着迷的） to collect every single sticker but I
can see the appeal. We're nearly out of time so let's find out the answer to my
question earlier. I asked you in which year did the first World Cup sticker book
appear on the market?
a: 1970
b: 1980
c: 1990
Rosie and I said…
Kate: Well that's all we time for today, but do join us again next time for another 6
Minute English. Good bye.
Rosie: Goodbye.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)
 

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

4 hence   

adv.因此，所以；从此，今后

参考例句：

• It's handmade and hence expensive.这是手工做的，因此很贵。
• It is very late; hence you must go to bed.时间已经很晚了，因此你必须睡觉去。

5 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

6 impressive   

adj.给人深刻印象的，感人的

参考例句：

• This cinema is so impressive that we can't help crying.这影片如此感人以至我们禁不住流下泪来。
• The suit made him look especially impressive.他穿上这套衣服真精神。

7 extract   

vt.取出，提取，获得，摘录；n.摘录，提出物

参考例句：

• The article was a choice extract from her writings.这篇文章是从她的著作中摘录出来的精粹。
• We can extract oil from olive.我们可以从橄榄中榨油。

8 obviously   

adv.显然；明白地

参考例句：

• Obviously they were putting him to a severe test.显然他们是在给他以严峻的考验。
• Obviously he was lying.显然他是在撒谎。

9 beforehand   

adj.事先，预先，提前地，超前地

参考例句：

• If I'd known this beforehand,I would not have gone back.早知如此，我就不回去了。
• They proposed to make arrangement beforehand.他们提议事先做好安排。

10 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

11 wont   

adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯

参考例句：

• He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
• It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。