2011年ESL之就医和人际交往 13 Starting a New School Year（打印版）

2011年ESL之就医和人际交往 13 Starting a New School Year（在线收听）

13 Starting a New School Year

GLOSSARY

supplies – things that are needed for a particular purpose, especially for use inan office or school

* Victor is ordering some pens, binders, nametags, and other office supplies.

backpack – a cloth or leather bag worn on one’s back while hanging from twostraps, one over each shoulder, usually with many zippered pockets

* Whenever you go on a hike, be sure your backpack contains water, food, aflashlight, warm clothes, and a whistle.

to pack (someone) a lunch – to put food in a small bag for another person sothat he or she can eat lunch away from home without needing to buy food in arestaurant

* Sean tries to reduce the family’s expenses by packing his wife a lunch eachmorning before she goes to work.

loner – a quiet person who spends a lot of time alone and does not have friends

* As a child, Ilesa was always a loner, preferring to spend her time reading booksrather than being around other children her age.

popular – very well liked by many people

* Movies often show that the head cheerleader and the quarterback on thefootball team are the most popular kids in high school. Is that really true?

to feel left out – to feel that one does not belong in a group, although one wouldlike to; to perceive that one is not truly accepted by another group of people andis not welcome to do what they do

* Desiree felt left out at the party. Everyone else was talking, laugh, and having agreat time while she just sat on the couch and sipped her drink.

to kick off – to start something, especially with a lot of enthusiasm

* The festival kicks off with a big show with a lot of local celebrities.

school year – the academic year, usually from early September to early June.

* Trent wakes up early every day during the school year, but during summervacation, he prefers to sleep in until noon.

strict – following the rules and insisting that other people follow the rules;inflexible

* Alexey’s parents are very strict and they never let him stay out past 10:00 p.m.

to weigh a ton – to be very heavy

* These boxes weigh a ton! Can you please help me move them?

locker – one of many tall metal cupboards that stand next to each other and areattached to the wall at many high schools, with individual doors that can belocked, used to store books, jackets, bags, and other items

* In our high school, the school principal randomly checks students’ lockers fordrugs and alcohol.

seating plan – a map showing which seats are for which people; a drawing thatassigns individuals to specific seats

* Are you going to create a seating plan for your wedding reception, or will you letpeople sit wherever they want to?

classroom – a room where a teacher presents information and students learn

* In elementary school, we were in just one classroom all day. Now that we’reolder, we move to different classrooms for different subjects.

homework – school assignments; tasks that students must complete in theevening outside of their regular class time

* I have so much homework! I have to write two essays, solve 20 mathproblems, summarize six chapters, and read this short story by the end of theweek.

to fuss – to worry about many things that do not seem important to other people;to treat something as being more important than it actually is

* Melanie spent hours fussing in front of the mirror while getting ready for herdate.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Why is Paul’s mom fussing?

a) Because she thinks he’ll get lost on the way to school.

b) Because she thinks he won’t understand what the teachers say.

c) Because she thinks he won’t have any friends.

2. What did Paul’s mom put in his backpack?

a) Books.

b) Supplies.

c) Food.

______________

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

popular

The word “popular,” in this podcast, means very well liked by many people:

“Which smart phone is the most popular, and why?” Or, “Who is the mostpopular girl in school?” The word “popular” can also refer to something manypeople do: “The government changed its policy according to the popular opinionof voters.” The word “popular” also refers to things that are related to ordinarypeople: “Popular literature tends to be considered less sophisticated than theclassics.” Or, “The English Café episodes can give you insight into Americanpopular culture.” Finally, the phrase “popular belief” refers to something thatmany people believe: “According to popular belief, eating carrots can improveyour eyesight.” Sometimes this is shortened to “pop”: “This radio stationspecializes in pop music.”

to kick off

In this podcast, the phrase “to kick off” means to start something, especially witha lot of enthusiasm: “Let’s kick off summer vacation by taking a trip to the beach!”

The phrase “to kick (someone) off (something)” means to take someone off ateam or out of a group: “The cyclist was kicked off the team for using steroidsand other drugs.” The phrase “to kick up (one’s) heels” means to have a greattime and enjoy oneself: “After a long week at work, Wendy was ready to kick upher heels and have fun with her friends.” Finally, the phrase “to kick the bucket”

is used in humorous ways to mean to die: “What do you want to do in life beforeyou kick the bucket?”

CULTURE NOTE

Events to Start a New School YearAmerican schools “hold” (organize and arrange) many special events to kick offthe new school year. They hope to “motivate” (give someone energy andenthusiasm) students and teachers for the year “to come” (ahead; in the future).

Many schools have an “open house” at the end of the summer. This is anopportunity for new students and their families to “tour” (see all parts ofsomething) the school, meet “faculty” (teachers) and “staff” (administrators andexecutives), and get answers to their questions. During an open house,“incoming” (starting for the first time) students might be sent to their newclassroom to meet with their new teacher and learn what to expect during theyear. Sometimes new students can “register” (sign up) during the open houseand pay any fees for “extra-curricular” (outside of the school) activities, such asparticipation in sports, music, or drama.

Once the school year has begun, many schools have one or more “pep rallies.”

Pep rallies often happen in a gym or “auditorium” (a room with a stage, designedfor performances) that is large enough for all the students to sit on “bleachers”

(long wooden or metal benches with lower rows in the front and higher rows inthe back). Often the band plays, “cheerleaders” (people, usually girls, who wearuniforms, repeat phrases, and dance, especially during sports games) “cheer”

(shout phrases to make people feel energetic and excited), and the principal orother individuals give short speeches to try to increase the energy andenthusiasm of all the students and faculty and staff members. Pep rallies areoften held for sports teams at other times of the year, too, to build studentinterest and support for those team

______________

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

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 717: Starting aNew School Year.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 717. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Our website is eslpod.com. Go there to download a Learning Guide for thisepisode and for all of our current episodes that will help you improve your Englishfaster than ever.

This episode is a dialogue between a mother and her son, Paul. They’re talkingabout things that a young student would need when they begin their school year.

Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Mom: It’s your first day at a new school. I’m worried about you.

Paul: Mom, I’ll be fine.

Mom: Do you have all of your books and supplies in your backpack? Oh andI’ve packed you a lunch already.

Paul: You didn’t have to do that, Mom. I was going to buy lunch at school.

Mom: Now you won’t have to. I hope you make some new friends. It’s no funbeing a loner. It’s not that you have to be popular. I just don’t want you to feelleft out.

Paul: I’ll be fine, Mom. I’d better go, or I’ll be late.

Mom: Do you think the school will do something special to kick off the newschool year? I hope your teachers aren’t too strict. Oh, your backpack weights aton! But you can leave most of your books in your locker, right?

Paul: They don’t have lockers at my new school, but I’ll be fine.

Mom: I hope the teachers don’t already have seating plans. I know you like tosit near the back of the classroom. And I hope you won’t have too muchhomework on the first day…Paul: Mom, stop fussing. Everything will be fine.

Mom: You’re my baby and I’m worried about you.

Paul: Mom, I’m not starting kindergarten. I’m starting college, remember?

[end of dialogue]

Mom begins by saying to Paul, “It’s your first day at a new school. I’m worriedabout you.” Paul says, “Mom, I’ll be fine.” I’ll be okay; don’t worry about me.

Mom says, “Do you have all of your books and supplies in your backpack?” Theword “supplies” means all of the things that you need for a particular purpose, fora specific thing that you are going to do, especially in school or in an office.

Office supplies would include pens, paper, notebooks, uh…paperclips, that sortof thing – things you use in an office. School supplies would be things thatstudents typically use in school, often things that you use up, or consume, so thatyou need to get more in the future. A “backpack” (one word) is a usually cloth orleather bag that you wear on your back; it has something so that you can put iton both of your shoulders. It’s common in many schools for children – students –to have backpacks to carry their books and supplies from class to class. It wasn’tvery common when I was in school, maybe because we didn’t study very muchso we didn’t have very many books! I’m not sure. But I didn’t have a backpackin high school; I did have a backpack in college, and at the university it’s verycommon to see backpacks. In many high schools you have a place where youkeep your books that’s called a “locker” (locker); it’s a little space for eachstudent. I’m not sure if schools still have lockers; I think many of them do, but it’ssomething you would find in a high school. At the university, you would have tohave a backpack, or if you were in elementary or grade school as a youngerstudent. It’s interesting, backpacks are considered for children in somecountries, but in the United States you will find them mostly at the university.

Mom continues by saying, “Oh and I’ve packed you a lunch already.” “To pack(someone) a lunch” means usually to put some food – a sandwich, an apple,perhaps a candy bar – into a small bag so they can take it with them. You mightpack a lunch if you are going on a trip in your car and don’t want to stop to eat.

Packing a lunch is common for people going to work who don’t want to spendmoney buying food at a restaurant.

Paul, I guess, has a lot of money because he says, “You didn’t have to do that,Mom. I was going to buy lunch at school.” Mom says, “Now you won’t have to. Ihope you make some new friends.” Remember, it’s a new school for Paul. Shesays, “It’s no fun being a loner.” A “loner” (loner) is a person who is very quiet,who doesn’t have a lot of friends, who sits by him or herself. That would be aloner. “It’s not that you have to be popular,” Mom says, “I just don’t want you tofeel left out.” “To be popular” means to be liked by many other people. “Popular”

has some other meanings as well; take a look at our Learning Guide for those.

“To feel left out” means to feel that or think that you don’t belong to any group,that people are not accepting you, that they did not invite you to do somethingwith them. Paul says, “I’ll be fine, Mom. I’d better go, or I’ll be late.” I should go,he’s saying, because if I don’t I will be late.

Mom says, “Do you think the school will do something special to kick off the newschool year?” “To kick off” is a phrasal verb that here means to start something,especially with a lot of enthusiasm. “We’re going to kick off our celebration bysinging and dancing.” We’re going to begin it; we’re going to start it. “Kick” has anumber of different meanings; take a look at our Learning Guide for someadditional ones. The “school year” is sometimes called the “academic year.” Inmost American schools it begins in late August-early September and ends in Mayor June, depending on the school. Mom continues, “I hope your teachers aren’ttoo strict.” “To be strict” (strict) means to follow all of the rules and make surethat you follow all of the rules, that you obey the rules. So, a strict teacher wouldbe someone, for example, who doesn’t allow anyone to talk in class, and if theydo they would be punished. Of course, the teacher can talk and the teacher canask students to answer questions. But, a strict teacher would follow the rulesand be very serious about them and punish people who don’t follow the rules.

So, Mom is asking or hoping that the teachers that Paul has won’t be too strict.

She says, “Oh, your backpack weights a ton!” A “ton” (ton) is a unit ofmeasurement equal to 2,000 pounds. But the expression “to weigh a ton” meansthat something is very heavy, that it weighs a lot. It doesn’t actually weigh a ton,but it’s very heavy. Mom says, “But you can leave most of your books in yourlocker, right?” I mentioned earlier that in American high schools many of themhave lockers (lockers). These are basically little storage places that each studenthas; they’re given one were they can put their books and lunch and othersupplies. In most schools, you need to lock your locker; you need to bring or tobuy a lock; the school usually doesn’t give you a lock. You have to get oneyourself, with a key or a combination lock. Lockers are popular in high schools,in some junior high schools, and elementary schools. If you’ve watched almostany movie about American high schools, you will know what lockers are.

Students often spend time at them in between their classes talking. It’s popular in many schools to put pictures inside of your locker; girls often put pictures ofattractive actors and singers, that sort of thing. I don’t think I ever put a picture ofanyone in my locker. I did remember having a calendar in my last year of school,where I would at the end of each day cross off – put an “X” on the calendar forthat day, counting the number of days left of school. You can tell I really lovedmy high school!

Anyway, Paul says that his new school doesn’t have lockers. Mom says, “I hopethe teachers don’t already have seating plans.” A “seating plan” is when ateacher decides where each student will sit. Sometimes teachers will putstudents in alphabetical order, so if your last name begins with “A” you sit in thefront and if your last name begins with “Z” you sit in the back. Other teachersmake seating plans based on other criteria – other reasons. I used to have aseating plan. I would let students sit where they wanted to – this is when I was ahigh school teacher many years ago, 20 years ago – and then after the first day Iwould write their names down, where they were, and that’s where they had tostay unless they caused problems, in which case I would move them to adifferent seat. That’s a seating plan, and it’s very popular in high schools andelementary schools.

Mom says, “I know you like to sit near the back of the classroom.” The“classroom” is the room where the students sit and the teacher stands in frontand gives the lesson. I, personally, always liked to sit in the back of theclassroom. Mom says, “And I hope you won’t have too much homework on thefirst day.” “Homework” are things that students have to do outside of school fortheir class; we might call them “school assignments.”

Paul then says, “Mom, stop fussing.” This is a good word. “To fuss” (fuss)means to worry about many things that other people don’t think are veryimportant. You’re worrying about small things, things that aren’t important, butyou are acting as if they were important; this is to fuss. It’s a criticism to saysomeone is fussing, and Paul is criticizing his mother by saying “stop fussing.”

“Everything will be fine,” he says. Mom says, “You’re my baby and I’m worriedabout you.” Paul says, “Mom, I’m not starting kindergarten.” “Kindergarten” isschool for young children, usually five years old. In many places you go tokindergarten first. It’s not required, but many schools offer a kindergartenprogram for five-year-olds, and then when you’re six years old you begin firstgrade – the first grade of elementary school. Before kindergarten there is what’scalled “preschool.” When I was a child, I think I went to preschool for a half a dayfor at least a few months. It was not at a regular school; it was at a publicbuilding – a park actually. And then, kindergarten was also half-day; that is, Ididn’t go the whole day, I went in the morning and then came home in the afternoon. That’s when I was five years old. Anyway, as interesting as my lifemay be, let’s finish up the story here. Paul says, “I’m not starting kindergarten.

I’m starting college, remember?” And that, of course, is the joke. Mom istreating Paul as if he were a young child, when in fact his new school is theuniversity.

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