#0584 – Calling in Sick to Work, - Ang, mater, ESL Podcast McQuillan Jeff mp3+PDF
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English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 584 – Calling in Sick to Work
GLOSSARY
fed up
– very frustrated with something; very tired of doing something and not
wanting to do it anymore
* I’m fed up with hearing you two argue all the time! Why can’t you just be
friends?
to call in sick
– to call one’s supervisor or boss and let him or her know that one
is ill, so one will stay home and not work that day
* Helena called in sick this morning, so Jack is going to go to the meeting for her.
peppered with questions
– asked many questions; needing to answer many
questions that are asked quickly or in a short period of time
* The spokesperson was peppered with questions from reporters at the press
conference.
to come in
– to go to a particular place where one is expected, especially to go
to work
* I normally come into the office at 8:15, but yesterday I was late because I
overslept.
to not feel well
– to feel sick; to have a cold or flu; to be ill
* After eating an entire box of cookies, Joerg wasn’t feeling well.
to come down with (something)
– to catch a cold; to become sick
* Ever since Petra started going to daycare, she seems to come down with
something every week!
to throw up
– to vomit; for the contents of one’s stomach to come up and exit
one’s mouth, usually when one is very sick or when one has had too much to eat
or drink
* Ines is worried that a ride on the roller coaster will make her throw up.
food poisoning
– a stomach problem where one vomits and/or has diarrhea
because one has eaten something that had bacteria and/or wasn’t cooked
properly
* Have you ever gotten food poisoning from eating undercooked chicken?
24-hour bug
– an illness that lasts only one day and is not very serious
* Yesterday, I had a runny nose and a cough, but today, I feel much better so I
guess it was just a 24-hour bug.
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ESL Podcast 584 – Calling in Sick to Work
to take a day off from work
– to not come into work one day, usually because
one is sick or has something else to do
* Each December, Ingot takes a day off from work to shop for Christmas presents
and bake Christmas cookies.
death in the family
– when one’s relative passes away; when someone in one’s
family dies
* Randy isn’t in the office today because there was a death in the family. He
should be back tomorrow.
funeral
– the ceremony that happens after someone dies and before the body is
buried, usually to share memories of the dead person and to say goodbye
* Is it important to wear black clothing to a funeral?
in a row
– consecutive; one after another, without any breaks or gaps
* We’ve had 40 sunny days in a row. What a fantastic spring!
miraculous recovery
– a very fast, surprising, and unexpected return to health
after one has been sick or injured, often used sarcastically when one does not
really believe that someone has been sick or injured
* Jimmy was complaining that his stomach hurt and he wouldn’t be able to go to
school, but when his father reminded him that it was a Saturday, he had a
miraculous recovery and ran outside to play.
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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 584 – Calling in Sick to Work
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. What does Peter mean when he says, “I think I’ve come down with
something”?
a) He feels depressed.
b) He’s getting sick.
c) He didn’t finish his work.
2. According to Peter, why didn’t he come into work two weeks ago?
a) Because someone tried to poison him.
b) Because he was learning how to cook poison.
c) Because he ate something that made him sick.
______________
WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
to come down with (something)
The phrase “to come down with (something),” in this podcast, means to catch a
cold or to become sick: “You’ll come down with something if you don’t wash your
hands before you eat.” The phrase “to come up with (something)” means to have
an idea or answer, and especially to find a solution for a problem: “I’m sure we
can come up with a solution if we work together.” The phrase “to come up with
(something)” also means to find enough money to buy or do something: “How are
we going to come up with the $2,000 we need to fix the car?” The phrase “to be
coming up” means to happen soon: “Isn’t your birthday coming up next month?”
Finally, the phrase “to come to a decision” means to agree on what should be
done next: “They’ve been arguing for hours and still haven’t come to a decision.”
row
In this podcast, the phrase “in a row” means consecutive or one after another,
without any breaks or gaps: “We’ve spent the last seven Thanksgivings in a row
with your parents. This year, let’s spend Thanksgiving with my parents.”
Normally a “row” is a group of things that are in a line next to each other: “The
suburbs are full of boring rows of identical houses.” A “row” is also a group of
seats placed next to each other in a theater: “It hurts my neck to watch a movie
while sitting in the front row at the theater.” As a verb, “to row” means to make a
boat move over the water by using oars (long pieces of wood with a flat end in
the water): “Valery’s arms were really tired after rowing the canoe for hours.”
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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 584 – Calling in Sick to Work
CULTURE NOTE
Many American workers are “entitled to” (allowed to have) sick “leave” (absence
from work for a short period of time), also known as medical leave, thanks to the
“Accrued” (accumulating or building up over time) Sick and Safe Leave “Act”
(law), which was “enacted” (made into law) in 2008. Most workers can “earn”
(receive in exchange for working) between three and seven days of paid sick
leave per year, depending on how large a company or organization they work for.
Sick leave is primarily “intended” (meant for) to be used when one is sick and
needs time to “recover” (get better). Sick leave is also intended to protect other
employees from their “contagious” (able to share a disease with other people) co-
workers. However, employees can use sick leave for several other purposes.
American workers can “request” (ask for) sick leave when they need to “care for”
(take care of) sick family members. For example, if a worker’s child is too sick to
go to school, he or she may need to stay at home with the child that day. Sick
leave can also be used when one needs time away from work to go to a doctor’s
office or receive medical “treatment” (care).
Some companies are very “laidback” (relaxed) and “grant” (allow; give) medical
leave for their employees without asking for an explanation. They might even
allow employees to take medical leave when they feel “stressed out” (very
anxious and worried) and need time “away from the office” (not at work). Other
companies are “stricter” (having more rules to follow) and require their
employees to “present” (show) a “note” (written letter) from their doctor stating
that they were too sick to go to work on a particular day or for a particular period
of time.
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – b; 2 – c
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English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 584 – Calling in Sick to Work
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 584: Calling in Sick
to Work.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 584. I’m your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Go to our website at eslpod.com to download a Learning Guide for this episode,
it will help you improve your English even faster.
This episode is called “Calling in Sick to Work.” It’s a dialogue between Peter
and Magda about what happens when someone decides they are too sick to go
to work. Let’s get started.
[start of dialogue]
I was fed up with work and wanted the day off. I decided to call in sick. I wasn’t
prepared, though, to be peppered with questions.
Peter: Hello, this is Peter. Is this Magda?
Magda: Yes. This is Magda.
Peter: Hi, Magda. I won’t be coming in today. I’m not feeling well. I think I’ve
come down with something.
Magda: Hmm, what seems to be the problem?
Peter: The problem? Oh…I’ve been up all night throwing up and I feel terrible.
Magda: Didn’t you have something like this two weeks ago when you called in
sick?
Peter: Two weeks ago? No, I had food poisoning two weeks ago.
Magda: And what about a month ago when you called in sick?
Peter: That was a 24-hour bug.
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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2010). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
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