ESL Podcast - Previous Episodes

Slow dialogue: 1:24 Explanations: 3:22 Fast dialogue: 15:04 Danica: Calm down! Stop throwing things! Have you gone berserk? Neil: Calm down?! Calm down?! You don’t know what just happened. Danica: I’ve never seen you lose your temper like this before. Take a deep breath and tell me what happened. Neil: Okay, you know that I like Samantha, right? Well, I told Malik last week. I just found out today that he’s dating her. Danica: Malik? But he’s your best friend. He wouldn’t do that. Neil: Do you think I’d be having a fit if I weren’t absolutely certain? Danica: How can you be so sure? Did he tell you? Neil: He didn’t have to. I saw him with Samantha together after work. He had his arm around her! I was ready to go off the deep end when I saw the two of them together. Danica: How do you know he wasn’t sweet-talking her for you? He could have been putting in a good word for you, you know. Neil: That’s bull! That guy is a traitor and I despise him. And I’m such a schmuck for trusting him. Danica: Well, I still think you may have gotten the wrong idea. Are you going to talk to him about it? Neil: You bet I am, just as soon as I stop foaming at the mouth. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:34 Explanations: 3:43 Fast dialogue: 15:24 Rajid: What are you doing? Nicole: I’m putting my garbage into the garbage can. Why? Rajid: Don’t you recycle? You’re supposed to separate out your recyclables and put them in a separate bin. Nicole: I know, I know, but who has the time? I don’t have that much trash anyway. Rajid: Oh, yeah? The dump is full of food containers that aren’t biodegradable from people who didn’t have the time. Nicole: Come on. Don’t blow things out of proportion. It’s not like I’m going to save the environment all by myself. Rajid: No, you’re not, but if everybody thinks the same way you do, we’re going to use up all of our natural resources. Nicole: When did you turn into an ecologist? I don’t see you conserving energy. You have your lights on all night. I can see them through your window. Rajid: I use energy-efficient bulbs. Besides, I take my recyclables to the recycling center, I have energy-efficient appliances, and I turn down my thermostat. Nicole: I’m just saying that you’re not doing everything you can to save the environment. Okay, okay. Put your money where your mouth is and help me separate out my recyclables. Rajid: Me? You want me to help you sort through your garbage? Nicole: Since you’re the expert, I need you to show me how. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Ask an American: Drive-in Theaters to wind someone up, you don’t say, how about you versus what about you Words: to wedge talkative to block someone’s view to be in the comfort of sprawling cranky to disrupt passion family fare second-rate tinny concession stand fattening risqué to wind someone up You don’t say!

Slow dialogue: 1:08 Explanations: 2:54 Fast dialogue: 12:31 Vicky: Did I imagine it or did you just give Gavin the cold shoulder? Gerard: You didn’t imagine it. I’m not too happy with him. Vicky: Why? What did he do? Gerard: He’s two-faced, that’s why. Last week, he told me he was going to put in a good word for me with the manager for a promotion. Vicky: So that sounds like a nice thing to do. Gerard: I thought so, too. But as it turns out, I heard from Elanda that he was bad-mouthing me behind my back. Vicky: Are you sure? Gerard: I’m sure. He told Elanda that he thought I had gone pretty far in the company for someone who had dropped out of college. That’s a backhanded compliment, if I’ve ever heard one. Vicky: That sounds pretty nasty. At least the manager wasn’t around. Gerard: She wasn’t, but who’s to say what he told her behind my back? Vicky: You know, the manager is pretty sharp and nothing gets by her. I’m sure she’ll put two and two together and realize that Gavin isn’t trustworthy. Gerard: I hope so. With friends like him, who needs enemies! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:08 Explanations: 2:46 Fast dialogue: 14:27 Delia: Oh, my feet hurt! We must have walked for four hours straight today. I have blisters on my heels and bruises on my toes. Where are my band-aids? Yoshi: Yeah, your feet look bad. I told you not to wear new shoes on vacation, but you wouldn’t listen. Delia: Oh, yeah? Look at you! I told you to put on sunscreen, and did you? Your face and neck are sunburned. Your skin is going to be red and peeling tomorrow. Yoshi: I’ll be fine. If it weren’t for my stomachache, I’d be ready to walk another four hours. Delia: I told you not to eat food from street vendors. Yoshi: My stomach is just feeling a little irritated and I have a little diarrhea. It’s nothing serious. Delia: You probably have salmonella or food poisoning. Yoshi: No, I don’t! Don’t be ridiculous. Here are some band-aids. Now leave me in peace. Delia: Fine. I’ll let you suffer in silence. I won’t say another word. Yoshi: Will miracles never cease? Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Famous Americans: Annie Leibovitz; home shopping cable channels and celebrity product lines; come versus go; via versus through Words: portrait the arts big break to be named chief celebrity channel cable host product line affiliated with name recognition via through

Slow dialogue: 1:23 Explanations: 3:32 Fast dialogue: 15:33 Tony: Who did you invite over for dinner Saturday? Carmela: I invited Keith, Sung, Stephanie, and Luis. Tony: You didn’t! Carmela: I did. Why? Tony: You’re going to have a hard time cooking for them. Keith is a vegan and only eats food that’s organic. Sung is lactose intolerant and his doctor put him on a low-salt diet. Carmela: Really? I didn’t know. How do you know so much about their diets? Tony: I went on a trip with them and I’ll never do it again. We could never agree on a restaurant. Carmela: What about Stephanie and Luis? Tony: Stephanie is a health nut, and doesn’t eat anything with saturated fat, added sugar, or artificial flavors. She also doesn’t eat red meat. And Luis, he can only eat gluten-free kosher foods. Carmela: This is a disaster. How am I going to cook for all four of them? Tony: Beats me. Maybe you can turn it into a potluck. At least each of your guests will have one dish they can eat. Carmela: I can’t invite my friends over for dinner and then tell them to bring their own food! Tony: Well, you wanted a solution and beggars can’t be choosers. Carmela: You’re right. Desperate times call for desperate measures! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:27 Explanations: 3:02 Fast dialogue: 14:26 Walt: What’s the matter with you? Irene: I have a bad cold. Walt: Why didn’t you stay home from work? You’re probably contagious! Irene: I had no choice. I have an important presentation this afternoon and I can’t play hooky. Walt: You can’t give a presentation in your condition. Your nose is running, your eyes are red and puffy, your voice is hoarse, and you look like you’re running a fever. Irene: Gee, thanks. I know I look terrible, but I’ll get through it. I’m taking a nasal decongestant, I’m using eye drops, and I’m taking cough medicine and sucking on throat lozenges. I should be better by the time of the presentation. Ahchoo! Walt: Oh, geez! You just sneezed all over me. You’ve contaminated me for sure! Irene: Sorry. Where’s the Kleenex? I need to blow my nose. Walt: I’m out of here! You’re a walking germ machine. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Advanced Placement courses and tests; Legos/Legoland and Hot Wheels; might versus maybe; judgment call; no-brainer Words: placement college-level subject area to gear up financial aid college credit interlocking kit theme park replicate track to collect maybe might judgment call no-brainer

Slow dialogue: 1:31 Explanations: 3:00 Fast dialogue: 14:13 Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for coming to today’s seminar. We’re going to talk about how to invest your money and how to maximize those holdings. First, we’ll talk about market trends and where to find the best opportunities right now. Getting in on the ground floor and getting the highest appreciation is what we all want. A good investor also knows when to divest, and we’ll talk about how to read the warning signs. Many of you have money in savings, but you want a better rate of return, and you’re willing to speculate a little to get it. We’ll discuss how to diversify your portfolio to minimize risk while maximizing your return. Are you ready to make some money? Let’s get started! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:23 Explanations: 3:07 Fast dialogue: 13:22 Kathy: Thanks for inviting me to see your team. Who’s your best player? Brad: That would be Sarah. She’s a natural. No one comes close to her speed and dexterity. She has good instincts and a flair for getting out of difficult situations. Kathy: She sounds promising. Anyone else I should be keeping an eye on? Brad: Mollie is a good player, too. In terms of scoring points, she can almost do it in her sleep. She’s also very good at being a leader to the other players, and she has a knack for getting along with even the most difficult teammates. Kathy: As you know, we recruit only first-rate players for the national team, and this year, we hope to be head and shoulders above any of the other teams. The days of making do with mediocre players are over. Brad: I understand that. We have a game this Saturday. Why don’t you come out and judge for yourself? I think you’ll be impressed with the talent you see. Kathy: I’m sure I will. I’ll be here on Saturday ready to be dazzled. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Advanced Placement courses and tests; Legos/Legoland and Hot Wheels; might versus maybe; judgment call; no-brainer Words: live cast celebrity sketch news anchor current events big break controversial shock jock offend fine on the air state of the art

Slow dialogue: 1:21 Explanations: 2:58 Fast dialogue: 15:56 Xavier: Look out! Put your foot on the brake! Brandy: I am braking. Xavier: No, your foot is on the gas pedal! Brandy: Oh. There’s the brake. Xavier: You just took 10 years off my life. I was sure you were going to hit the median or the railing. I didn’t know what I was getting into when I agreed to teach you how to drive. Brandy: Relax. I’m really getting the hang of this. Shifting gears isn’t as hard as I thought it would be, it’s cool to parallel park, and driving in reverse is fun! Xavier: Would you please keep your hands on the steering wheel, instead of playing with the radio? Keep your eyes on the speedometer and stop using the rearview mirror to look at yourself. Brandy: And you stop working yourself into a tizzy. I’m a fine driver. Xavier: I don’t think those people you’re about to hit would agree with you. Brandy: If they don’t like the way I drive, they should get off the sidewalk! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Slow dialogue: 1:06 Explanations: 2:50 Fast dialogue: 12:38 Jae: Hi, are you done with this weight machine? Sally: Yeah, I am. I was just trying it out. I think I must be doing something wrong. My muscles are aching already. Jae: Maybe I can help. I’ve been working out on these machines for a few months, so I’m pretty used to them. Sally: I just joined the gym this week. I usually do a cardio workout on a treadmill or stationary bike, and I’ve used free weights at home before. But now it makes sense to do my strength-training here. Jae: Have you thought about getting a personal trainer? When I joined, I signed up for a trainer for a few sessions and she helped me set up a good regimen. Sally: That’s a good idea. Jae: If you want help with those machines, though, I’m usually here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Sally: Thanks, I’ll definitely look out for you. I’m Sally. Jae: I’m Jae. Nice to meet you. Sally: You, too. I think I’ve sweated enough today. I’m off to the locker room. Jae: Yeah, me too. See ya! Sally: Bye! Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Topics: Harley Davidson; Famous Americans: Jesse Jackson; because versus since, yikes, speaking of which Words: loyal logo engine reputation pejorative mid-life crisis reverend civil rights activist segregated march shadow senator because since yikes speaking of which