2009年ESL之就医和人际交往15 Guarding One’s Privacy（打印版）

2009年ESL之就医和人际交往15 Guarding One’s Privacy（在线收听）

15 Guarding One’s Privacy

GLOSSARY

drawn – closed, used when talking about curtains or drapes

* They always sleep with the curtains drawn.

privacy – the ability to be alone and keep one’s personal information and actions

secret, so that other people do not know about oneself or one’s activities

* She goes into her room and closes the door whenever she wants a few minutes

of privacy.

peeping Tom – a person who looks through windows to watch women when

they undress

* I heard a noise at the window and thought it was a cat, but when I went looked

outside, I found a peeping Tom!

to peek – to quickly look at something, especially if it is difficult to see or if one is

not supposed to see it

* The little boy carefully opened the wrapping paper so he could peek at the

present, even though his birthday wouldn’t be for another three days.

voluntarily – willingly; meaning or wanting to do something; with aspecific

intention or desire

* Why would you voluntarily offer to clean the bathrooms?That’s my least

favorite thing to do.

to invade (one’s) privacy – to learn something about another person or his or

her activities, especially when that person would like to keep those things secret

* Is it an invasion of my daughter’s privacy if I go into her bedroom and look

through her closet and drawers when she isn’t home?

anonymity – used to describe a situation where other people do not know who

one is or what one is doing

* Clarke hates the anonymity of moving to a new city, so he’s working hard to

meet people and make friends.

to be on guard – to be alert; to be very careful or cautious, especially to prevent

something from happening

* Xena has dangerous allergic reactions, so she’s always onguard against bees.

need-to-know basis – a phrase used to describe a situation where people are

given only the information that they absolutely must have, and no additional

unnecessary information is shared

* The United States government lets people view classified data only on a needto-know basis.

paranoid – too worried, believing that other people want to hurt oneself, or that

other people are looking for oneself

* The mental hospital is full of paranoid patients whothink other people are trying

to kill them.

to be out to (do something) – to be trying to do something

* All of the players are out to win the most importantgame of the year.

to get (someone) – to attack, hurt, or kill someone

* The young men are creating a plan to get the othergang’s leader.

to disclose – to share secret or private information

* Interviewers should never ask job candidates to disclose their marital status.

seclusion – living alone, without seeing or speaking to other people; keeping

oneself alone, away from other people

* They spent their vacation far away in the mountains, seeking seclusion where

they knew there wouldn’t be other people.

hermit – a person who lives alone and doesn’t speak to anyone else

* One of her uncles is a hermit who lives in a house in the mountains and hasn’t

spoken to anyone in more than eight years.

rest assured – a phrase used to tell another person not to worry, or that there is

no problem and everything is under control

* Rest assured, we have enough money in the bank to pay our bills for months,

even if we both lose our jobs.

to breathe a word – to say something, especially to share a secret

* Our boss told us not to breathe a word of anything discussed at the meeting.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What does Mina mean by saying that she has to be “on guard” all the time?

a) She has to be very careful about what she says and does.

b) She has to hire a security guard for safety.

c) She has to keep her apartment locked all day long.

2. Why does Dan ask Mina if she’s living as a hermit?

a) Because she is living without other people.

b) Because she is living with too many pets.

c) Because she is living with paranoia.

______________

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

drawn

The word “drawn,” in this podcast, is used to talk aboutcurtains or drapes that

are closed: “On hot summer days, they keep the curtains drawn so that their

house doesn’t get too warm.” When talking about a person’s appearance,

someone who is “drawn” has a light-colored thin face, possibly because he or

she is sick, worried, or very tired: “Quinton looked drawn after spending all night

in the hospital with his sick wife.” Something that is “drawn-out” is taking too

long, or taking more time than one had hoped: “That movie was too drawn-out! It

was more than three hours long, but they could easily have told the same story in

just 90 minutes.” Finally, the word “drawn” is the pastparticiple of the verb “to

draw”: “Everyone admired the pretty pictures that the children had drawn.”

to be on guard

In this podcast, the phrase “to be on guard” means to be alert or to be very

careful, especially to prevent something from happening: “This street is

dangerous, so be on guard and look out for cars that aredriving too fast.” The

phrase “to catch/throw (someone) off guard” means to surprise someone, or to

ask someone to do or say something when he or she is not prepared: “The

teacher’s question caught the student off guard.” The phrase “to be on guard”

means to be on duty, or to be working to protect someoneor a group of people:

“Who was on guard at the prison that night?” Finally,the phrase “to be under

guard” means to be watched by a group of people so thatone cannot run away:

“The criminal was under guard as he walked to the courtroom.”

CULTURE NOTE

Americans normally need to show “acceptable” (meeting certain minimum

requirements for approval) forms of “personal identification” (written proof of who

one is) to request government services or documents. The United States doesn’t

have a national “ID” (identification) card like many other countries do, so instead

government agencies accept combinations of other documents.

For example, to apply for a “replacement” (a copy that one can use when the

original is lost, stolen, or damaged) “social security card” (a small piece of paper

with one’s personal tax number), Americans can present different combinations

of documents. A “birth certificate” (a piece of paper stating when and where one

was born, and one’s parents’ names) and a “passport” (a document used for

international travel) can be used as personal identification and proof of

citizenship. A “driver’s license” (a small card that shows one has permission to

drive) can also be used for identification.

When one needs to show “proof of residence” (documents showing where one

lives), sometimes a driver’s license is “sufficient” (enough). At other times,

Americans need to “present” (show) a “lease” (a legal agreement allowing one to

live in an apartment or house) or a “utility bill” (a bill for gas, electricity, or water)

with one’s name and current address.

Sometimes agencies require “original” (not copied) documents. Other agencies

will accept “certified copies” (copies that have been marked by an agency to

show that they are “valid” (real) copies).

______________

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

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 507: Guarding

One’s Privacy.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 507. I’m your host, Dr.

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

beautiful Los Angeles, California.

Our website is eslpod.com. Go there to download a Learning Guide for this

episode. It contains all of the vocabulary, definitions, sample sentences,

additional definitions, comprehension questions, culturalnotes, and a complete

transcript of this episode, of everything we say.

This episode is called “Guarding One’s Privacy.” It’s a dialogue between Dan

and Mina talking about people who want to keep theirpersonal information

private or secret. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

I went to visit my old friend, Mina, whom I hadn’t seen in several years. It was

one of the strangest afternoons of my life!

Dan: Hi, Mina, it’s really good to see you.

Mina: Dan, come in. Hurry!

Dan: Uh, okay. Why do you have four locks on your door, and why are all of the

curtains drawn?

Mina: I like my privacy. And anyway, I think there’s a peeping Tom around this

apartment building and I don’t want him to get a peek into my apartment.

Dan: Oh, okay. I noticed that your name isn’t on your mailbox. I wasn’t sure I

had the right apartment number.

Mina: Do you think I would voluntarily give people thatinformation? They are

constantly trying to invade my privacy. All I want is anonymity, but I have to be

on guard all of the time. These days, I only give out personal information on a

need-to-know basis.

Dan: No offense, but isn’t that a little paranoid? You act as though everybody is

out to get you.

Mina: Aren’t they? Haven’t you noticed? We constantly have to disclose our

most personal information on forms and to anyone who comes to our door. If I

didn’t know you were coming today, I wouldn’t have opened my door at all.

Dan: You mean you live here in seclusion, like a hermit?

Mina: Of course not! I have plenty of friends. Come and meet them all.

Dan: Wow, you must have 10 birds and 20 cats!

Mina: Yes, that’s right. But, rest assured, none of them will breathe a word of

what you say here today!

[end of dialogue]

Our story begins with Dan saying that he went to visit his old friend, Mina, whom

he hadn’t seen in several years. “It was one of the strangest afternoons of my

life!” he says.

Dan says, “Hi, Mina, it’s really good to see you.” Mina says, “Dan, come in.

Hurry!” Dan is obviously at Mina’s house, he knocks on her door [sound of

knocking], and she tells him to hurry up and come in. Dan says, “Uh, okay. Why

do you have four locks on your door, and why are all of the curtains drawn?” A

“lock” is something that you use to prevent other people from opening a door;

Mina has four locks on her door. She also has her curtains drawn. “Curtains”

are pieces of fabric that cover a window so you can’t see inside. “To be drawn”

means, in this case, to be closed. We use this word in talking about curtains,

sometimes we use the word “drapes.” Curtains or drapes are drawn when they

are closed. “Drawn,” however, has a couple of differentmeanings in English, so

be sure to look at the Learning Guide for this episode for some additional

explanation of that.

Mina says, “I like my privacy.” “Privacy” is the ability to be alone, to keep your

personal information secret so that other people don’tknow about you or what

you are doing. Privacy has become very important, especially on the Internet.

Mina says, “I think there’s a peeping Tom around this apartment building and I

don’t want him to get a peek into my apartment.” Theexpression “a peeping

Tom” refers to a person – a man, typically – who is looking through the windows

trying to watch women, especially when women are taking their clothes off. It’s,

obviously, a very negative expression to use about someone; infact, you could

probably get arrested by the police for being a peepingTom. I’m not sure why

the name Tom is used; I’m glad it isn’t a peeping Jeff!Well, Mina says that she

wants to make sure that this peeping doesn’t get a “peek” (peek) into her

apartment. “To peek at (something)” means to look quickly at something,

especially if it is difficult to see or if you’re not supposed to see it. So, “taking a

peek” means taking a quick look.

Dan says, “Oh, okay. I noticed that your name isn’t on yourmailbox,” the small

box where the mail carrier (the person from the, usually, government agency that

delivers mail to your house) puts your mail; the mailbox is the place where the

mail is put. Mina, however, does not have her name on her mailbox; Dan says, “I

wasn’t sure I had the right apartment number.” Mina says, “Do you think I would

voluntarily give people that information?” “Voluntarily” means willingly, when you

want to do something. She’s saying “I would not voluntarily (of my own free will)

give people my information,” such as her name. She says, “They are constantly

trying to invade my privacy.” They – we’re not sure who they are – are trying to

invade her privacy. “To invade (someone’s) privacy” is to learn something about

another person that they want to be secret, that they don’t want to tell you. If

someone sends you a personal letter and your friend opens the letter and reads

it without telling you or without you giving them permission, that would be an

“invasion of privacy,” he would be invading your privacy. “Invasion” is the noun

from the verb “to invade.” Normally, this verb “to invade” refers to an army going

into another country. The ancient Roman army invaded Greece back in the

second century B.C., I believe.

Well, Mina doesn’t want anyone to invade her privacy, shesays, “All I want is

anonymity, but I have to be on guard all the time.” “Anonymity” is to be

anonymous; that is, to be in a situation where no one knows who you are or what

you are doing. “Anonymity” is a noun coming from the idea of “anonymous,”

which is unknown, so nobody knows about you. She says, however, that she

has to be on guard all the time. “To be on guard” is an expression meaning to be

very careful or cautious, to prevent something from happening; to be alert, this

means to be on guard. “Guard” has a couple of different meanings in English

however, so take a look at that Learning Guide for some more explanations.

She says, “These days, I only give out personal information on a need-to-know

basis.” The expression “need-to-know basis” is used to describe a situation

where people are only given information that they absolutely must have, and only

that very necessary information is shared or given to them. It’s an expression

you would probably hear in the government or in the military, talking about

secrets that the military has or that a country has. It’s not normally used in daily

conversation, but of course, Mina, here, is what we wouldcall a little bit

“paranoid.” She’s very worried that other people are going to hurt her or that

other people are trying to follow her. To be paranoid is considered a negative

description; it’s to be too worried, to be worried without any good reason.

In fact, Dan says, “No offense (meaning I don’t want tohurt you by saying this, by

insulting you), but isn’t that a little paranoid?” Dan says, “You act as though

everyone is out to get you.” “To be out to get (someone)” means to be trying to

do something to somebody, usually something bad. If yousay your boss is out

to get you, you’re saying your boss is trying to hurt you or harm you in some way.

There are actually two expressions here: “To be out to do (something)” means to

try to do something; “to get (someone)” means to attack,hurt, or perhaps even

kill someone. So to say someone “is out to get you” means that someone is

trying to harm you.

Mina says, “Aren’t they? Haven’t you noticed? We constantly have to disclose

our most personal information on forms and to anyone who comes to our door. If

I didn’t know you were coming today, I wouldn’t have opened my door at all.” “To

disclose” means to share or to give some secret or private information to

someone else. So, Mina thinks that everyone is trying to invade her privacy by

asking her for all this personal information.

Dan then says to Mina, “You mean you live here in seclusion, like a hermit?” “To

be in seclusion” means to be alone, without talking to other people or seeing

other people. A “hermit” is a person who lives alone and doesn’t speak to

anyone else. This was originally a religious idea amongthe early Christians.

They were men who would go out into the desert by themselves, and live by

themselves, and spend the whole day praying. That was tobe a hermit, to be

alone. Women, also, sometimes were hermits, and thereare, even today,

people who are hermits for religious purposes. But Dan, here, is talking about

Mina being by herself, and so he’s using the term “hermit” almost as an insult.

Mina says, “Of course not (of course I don’t live like a hermit)! I have plenty of

friends. Come and meet them all.” Dan says, “Wow, you must have 10 birds

and 20 cats!” Her friends are animals. Mina says, “Yes,that’s right. But, rest

assured, none of them will breathe a word of what you say here today!” The

phrase “rest assured” means don’t worry; there is no problem, there is no reason

to worry. She says none of these animals will breathe a word of what you say.

“To breathe a word” is an expression that means to say something, especially to

tell someone something that is personal, private, or secret. Of course, the

animals won’t breathe a word; in fact, they can’t talk, so it’s a pretty safe

environment. Obviously, Mina needs some help!

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.