#0775 – Making Repairs on the Outside of a House, - Ang, mater, ESL Podcast McQuillan Jeff mp3+PDF
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 775 – Making Repairs on the Outside of a
House
GLOSSARY
watch out
– be careful; a phrase used to warn someone of danger
* Watch out! That driver is talking on his cell phone and he isn’t paying attention.
to trip over
– for one’s foot to hit something while walking and cause one to fall
down
* The ground is uneven, so look down to make sure you don’t trip over these
rocks.
crack
– a narrow, long opening in a wall, a piece of concrete, a piece of wood, or
any other type of smooth, solid surface
* Do you think Mom will notice the crack in the teapot?
driveway
– the area driven on by cars and covered with rocks, cement, or
asphalt, connecting a road and one’s house, often leading into a garage
* How long did it take you to shovel the snow off the driveway?
fixed
– repaired; corrected; for something that is broken to be made functional or
operational again
* We wanted to get the TV fixed, but it’s cheaper to just buy a new one.
hazard
– something that could cause damage, injury, or death; something
dangerous
* Living in this apartment, where there are so many plumbing and heating
problems, can be a health hazard.
first things first
– a phrase used to mean that someone needs to decide what is
important and less important, and do the most important things first before
worrying about less-important things
* This kitchen is so dirty! First things first, let’s take out the garbage and start to
wash the dishes. We can worry about sweeping and mopping later.
front steps
– the stairs between the outdoors and the front door of a home
* Each Halloween, they decorate pumpkins and put them on their front steps for
the neighbors to see.
fence
– a wooden or metal wall around a yard or other area with grass, usually
used to keep people or animals on one side, but sometimes just for decoration
* Anita put up a tall fence to try to keep the deer from getting into her garden.
1
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2012). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 775 – Making Repairs on the Outside of a
House
to lean
– to rest against something at an angle, not standing straight up and
down
* Why are you leaning against the wall? Are you feeling tired or dizzy?
gate
– a small door in a fence that opens and closes to let people in and out
* They’re really good friends with their neighbors, so they added a gate to the
fence between their property so that their kids can play together more easily.
porch light
– an outdoor light that provides light in the area immediately outside
one’s front door, especially where one has a chair or bench
* They leave the porch light on all night, because they think it makes the
neighborhood safer.
out
– used to describe a light fixture that no longer produces light; used to
describe something that has stopped working or has been used up
* The oven light is out, so I can’t check on the pie without opening the oven door.
bulb
– the round piece of glass with a metal piece on the bottom that screws into
a light fixture and produces light
* I’m not sure if the lamp is broken or it just needs a new light bulb.
electrical
– related to electricity; related to the power used to operate many
household appliances, such as computers, coffee makers, toasters, hair dryers,
and stereos
* The house burned down because there was a problem with the electrical wiring.
disrepair
– a state of disorder with things that have not been maintained or taken
care of and are falling apart or broken
* When they bought the house, it was in disrepair, but after working on it for a
year, it is now in very good condition.
to put off
– to delay doing something until later, especially when one should
have done it sooner
* If you keep putting off that studying, you’re going to fail the test.
2
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2012). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 775 – Making Repairs on the Outside of a
House
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. What happened to Conrad in the driveway?
a) He almost cracked his tooth.
b) He almost broke his leg.
c) He almost fell down.
2. Why is the home’s exterior in such disrepair?
a) Because they just bought the house.
b) Because they had a wild party.
c) Because they’ve been procrastinating.
______________
WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
crack
The word “crack,” in this podcast, means a narrow, long opening in a wall, a
piece of concrete, a piece of wood, or any other type of smooth, solid surface:
“After the earthquake, they noticed several cracks in the walls of their old home.”
The word “crack” can also mean a joke, especially if it was rude: “Making cracks
like that is never appropriate in the workplace.” The phrase “to take a crack at
(something)” means to try to do something that is difficult when one doesn’t know
whether one will be successful: “I’ve never changed the printer ink before, but I’ll
take a crack at it.” Finally, the phrase “at the crack of dawn” means very early in
the morning: “Their baby started crying at the crack of dawn.”
fence
In this podcast, the word “fence” means a wooden or metal wall around a yard or
other area with grass, usually used to keep people or animals on one side, but
sometimes just for decoration: “The dog barks loudly, but don’t be scared,
because he can’t get past the fence.” The phrase “to sit on the fence” means to
be undecided and not be able to form an opinion or make a decision: “Many
voters are still sitting on the fence, unable to decide which candidate they want to
vote for.” Finally, the phrase “to mend fences” means to fix a relationship and
become friendly again after an argument: “Over time, the two brothers were able
to mend fences and behave like a family again.”
3
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2012). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 775 – Making Repairs on the Outside of a
House
CULTURE NOTE
Maintenance of a Home’s Exterior
In U.S. cities, most “single-family residences” (homes built for one family to live
in, not an apartment building) are built next to a road and separated from that
road by a “lawn” (an area with grass and other plants) and a “sidewalk” (a paved
area where people can walk and where cars are not allowed to drive). The
“homeowner” (the person who owns the home) or “renter” (the person who pays
money each month to live somewhere) is responsible for maintaining the home’s
“exterior” (outside parts, like walls, windows, and doors) and “walkways” (paths
from the sidewalk to the house).
City “ordinances” (laws; rules) determine who is responsible for maintaining the
sidewalk in front of the house. In many cases, the homeowners are responsible
for it. If a tree “root” (the part of a plant that is underground and not seen) grows
and pushes up the sidewalk so that it cracks and becomes a problem for walkers,
the homeowner needs to pay to have it fixed. “Otherwise” (if that doesn’t
happen), a “passerby” (someone who is walking past the home) might trip, get
“hurt” (injured), and “sue” (go to court and ask for money) the homeowner for
“negligence” (not taking care of something as one should). In other cases, the
city maintains the sidewalks.
The city or the “utility” (a company that provides water, electricity, natural gas, or
similar services) is usually responsible for maintaining “power lines” (cables that
carry electricity) and “poles” (tall pieces of wood that hold up power lines) along
the street. However, the homeowner and/or the utility are usually responsible for
maintaining the power lines that “lead” (go) from the main power lines to the
home.
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – c
4
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2012). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 775 – Making Repairs on the Outside of a
House
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 775: Making
Repairs on the Outside of a House.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 775. I’m your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Eslpod.com, that’s our website. Go there, become a member, support this
podcast.
This episode is called “Making Repairs on the Outside of a House.” Let’s get
started.
[start of dialogue]
Maggie: Watch out! Are you okay?
Conrad: I’m fine, but I almost tripped over that crack in the driveway. We’ve got
to get that fixed.
Maggie: I know it’s a hazard, but first things first. We should fix those broken
front steps, don’t you think?
Conrad: I see what you mean.
Maggie: And we have to repair that part of the fence that’s falling down. See? If
it leans any more, we won’t be able to open the gate.
Conrad: Oh, I didn’t realize the fence was falling down. Yes, you’re right, we
should take care of those things first.
Maggie: And the porch light is out. I’m not sure if we just need to replace the
bulb, or if it’s an electrical issue.
Conrad: I didn’t realize the outside of our house was in such disrepair. I’ve been
traveling too much for work.
Maggie: I admit I’ve been putting off the repairs, too.
Conrad: All right, I know what we’ll be doing this weekend – all weekend!
5
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2012). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]