ESL之日常生活 06 Getting Older

 

 

06 Getting Older

GLOSSARY

to lose (one’s) train of thought – to forget what one is saying, sometimes in themiddle of a sentence or idea* The director lost her train of thought in the middle of her presentation and hadto start over.

senior moment – a moment of forgetfulness; when one forgets something, as older people may do* If your grandma has a senior moment once a week, it’s probably not a problem,but if she starts forgetting things all the time, it’s a good idea for her to see adoctor.

welcome to the club – a phrase used to show someone that one has had thesame experience that he or she was just describing; a phrase used aftersomeone describes an experience that one has had* Bernard was talking about how difficult it is to take care of his children and Isaid, “Welcome to the club!” because I have three kids myself.

over-the-hill – too old to do something well; very old * Luisa’s daughter told her that she was over the hill and shouldn’t be drivinganymore, and Luisa told her daughter to mind her own business.

geezer – a rude word for an old man* I gave Ron a dirty look when he called that man a geezer to his face.

middle-aged – not young or old; not too young nor too old* The newspaper had a story about middle-aged men who want to change theirlives completely by buying an expensive car or dating younger women.

to age – to become older* Leticia hadn’t seen her parents in one year, so she was surprised by how muchthey had aged when she visited them last week.

absent-minded – forgetful; often forgetting things* Camilo is so absent-minded that his wife has to remind him to take his keys with him every morning.

senile – not thinking clearly because one is getting older; unable to rememberthings* When I become senile, I don’t want to move to a nursing home.  I want to stay in my own house with a nurse to take care of me.

to not be able to stand (something) – to not tolerate something; to strongly notlike something; to strongly dislike something* Karen can’t stand to be near people who are smoking.  It makes her cough.

to be treated – to have someone act a certain way around oneself; to havesomeone behave toward oneself in a particular way.

* Even though he’s 26 years old, he’s treated like a little child by his parents.

ageism – discrimination against old people; unfair treatment of people becausethey are old* Because of ageism, it is sometimes very difficult for people older than 60 to finda job.

gray hair – hair that has become white, silver, or gray with age* Many women think that gray hair makes them look old, but many men think itmakes them look dignified.

not all there – not thinking clearly; senile; a little bit crazy* We went to visit Wendy in the hospital, but she’s still not all there after theoperation and she didn’t recognize us.

sharp – intelligent; able to think quickly and clearly* The new vice president is very sharp and she does her job very well.

you’ve got a point – a phrase used to show that one understands whatsomeone else has said; a phrase used to show that one agrees with whatsomeone else has said* When Janet told her husband that she was worried about how much televisionthe family was watching, he said, “You’ve got a point,” and they began only watching one hour each day.

productive – doing a lot; producing something; working well, quickly, andefficiently; useful and worthwhile* Sean had a very productive afternoon: he finished a project for work, cleanedhis house, cooked dinner, called his brother, and answered three emails.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1.  Why does Yann say that they’re over the hill?

a)  Because they have walked past a hill.

b)  Because that’s the name of their club.

c)  Because they are old.

2.  When Angelica says that she is sharp, what does she mean?

a)  She means that her nose is pointed.

b)  She means that she thinks very clearly.

c)  She means that Yann has a sharp point.

______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to be treatedThe phrase “to be treated,” in this podcast, means to have someone act a certainway around oneself, or to have someone behave toward oneself in a particularway: “Many teenagers say that they want to be treated more like adults.”  Or,“Maggie decided not to go to that university because she wasn’t treated very wellwhen she visited the campus.”  The phrase “to be treated” can also mean toreceive medicine or medical care when someone is sick or injured: “Claudia has to go to the doctor’s office every week because she’s being treated for diabetes.” The phrase “to be treated to (something)” means to have someone else pay forsomething that one eats or drinks: “Did you know that Cynthia was treated todinner at the nicest restaurant in town by her aunt?”

sharpIn this podcast, the word “sharp” means intelligent, or able to think quickly andclearly: “Frank is really sharp, and he’s always able to think of funny things to say in any situation.”  The word “sharp” also means having a strong point or edge:

“Do you have any sharper knives?  This one is too dull to cut through the meat.” If someone has a “sharp face,” it means that he or she has a pointed nose andchin.  If someone has a “sharp tongue,” it means that he or she says very criticalthings or speaks very unpleasantly.  The word “sharp” can also mean a very quick and significant change: “Did you know that there was a sharp fall in thestock market last week?”  Or, “There was a sharp increase in crime in New York last year.”

CULTURE NOTEIn the United States, there is a very large “nonprofit organization” (anorganization that does not try to make money) called the AARP, or the AmericanAssociation of Retired Persons.  AARP is a “membership organization” for peoplewho are at least 50 years old.  When someone wants to be a “member” (activeparticipant) of AARP, he or she pays $12.50 each year and receives many“benefits” (advantages).

The “mission,” or reason for existing, of the AARP is “to enhance quality of life forall as we age.”  AARP “enhances” or improves the quality of life for its membersby providing information and classes.  Topics include healthy living, finances, “tax preparation” (filling out papers when it’s time to pay money to the government),how to live with one’s “retirement funds” (the money that people save during theirlives to use after they stop working), and how to use new technology.

AARP is also a powerful “advocate” for retired people.  An “advocate” is a personor organization that tries to make sure that certain types of public “policies” orlaws are passed, or that tries to stop some policies from being made.  Forexample, when the U.S. government tries to change the laws about how much itwill pay for older people’s medical costs, AARP advocates for laws that requirethe government to pay for as much of the medical expenses as possible.

AARP also offers many “volunteer opportunities” for people to work in thecommunity without getting paid.  Many older people like to help in schools andother community organizations, so AARP helps them find organizations that needtheir help.

______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers:  1 – c; 2 – b

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 263: Getting Older.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 263.  I'm your host, Dr.

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

Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com and take a look at all of the newfeatures we have on the website.  You can also download a Learning Guide forthis episode that contains all of the vocabulary, definitions, cultural notes,additional explanations, and a complete transcript of this episode.

In this episode, we're going to listen to a dialogue between two people, talkingabout what it is like to get older—something I think about everyday!  Let's getstarted.

[start of story]

Angelica:  Oh sorry, what was I saying?  I lost my train of thought.

Yann:  You were telling me about the book you’re reading. Angelica:  Oh, yeah.  I must have had one of those senior moments. Yann:  Welcome to the club.  That’s what happens when you’re over-the-hill likewe are.

Angelica:  We’re not over the hill!  You may be an old geezer, but I still like tothink of myself as middle-aged.  Isn’t 70 the new 60?

Yann:  That’s what they say, but I don’t mind aging.  I may be a little absentminded now and then, but I’m not senile.  What I can’t stand is being treated like Iam.  The other day, I sat at a table at a restaurant for 20 minutes while thewaitress ignored me.  She waited on all of the tables around me first, and whenshe finally came to take my order, she didn’t even apologize. Angelica:  Ageism is everywhere.  What I hate is to be talked to like I’m a child. Some people think that if you’ve got gray hair, you’re not all there.  I’m as sharpas ever. Yann:  I know, but do you know what we’re doing?

Angelica:  What?

Yann:  We’re griping.  That’s what old people are supposed to do all the time,right?

Angelica:  You’ve got a point there.  Let’s go do something more productivebefore anyone notices! [end of story]

Our dialogue begins with Angelica saying to her friend Yann, “Oh sorry, what was I saying?  I lost my train of thought.”  Angelica can't remember what she was talking about.  To forget what you are saying is to “lose your train (train) ofthought.”  This is when you are talking to someone and sometimes in the middleof a sentence or an idea that you are expressing, you forget what you are saying. This happens to me…what was I saying?  Oh, this happens to me all of the time.

Yann says, “You were telling me about the book you’re reading.”  Yann is tellingAngelica—reminding her what they were talking about.  Angelica says, “Oh,yeah.  I must have had one of those senior moments.”  To have a “senior (senior)moment” means to forget something.  When you forget something, as sometimes people who are getting older do, we call that a “senior moment.”  The word“senior” is used in the United States to refer to those who are older.  Usually over65 years old you would be called a “senior,” sometimes a “senior citizen” is used. A “citizen” is someone who is part of a certain country, so “senior citizen” or“senior” are both used to describe someone who is older.

Yann says to Angelica, “Welcome to the club.”  The expression “welcome to theclub” is used to show someone that you have had the same experience that they are describing, usually a negative experience, but not always.  For example, youare talking to someone about how difficult it is to raise children—to have children,and the other person says, “Welcome to the club,” meaning I have those sameproblems; I understand what you're saying.

Yann says that having a senior moment or losing your train of thought is “whathappens when you are over the hill” (hill).  To be “over the hill' means to be tooold to do something well, or, simply, to be very old.  We also use the expression“over the hill” to mean on the other side of a hill.  A “hill” is like a small mountainor a mound, so to be “over the hill” means to be on the other side of the hill.  Theexpression is related to this meaning about being too old, if you think of life as ahill that goes up in the beginning, and then you reach the top, and then you start going down.  Being “over the hill” means you are starting to go down—you're atthe last part of your life, or the last stage of your life.  That's being “over the hill.”

Angelica says, “We’re not over the hill!”  She then jokes with Yann by saying,“You may be an old geezer, but I still like to think of myself as middle-aged.”  Tobe a “geezer” (geezer) is a informal word to refer to an old man, but it's a rude orinsulting, word.  Not a nice thing to say, to describe an old man as a “geezer.” So, Angelica says that Yann may be a “geezer,” she's saying, “You may be ageezer, but I like to think of myself as middle-aged.”  “Middle-aged” means you'renot too young, you're not too old. She then says, “Isn’t 70 the new 60?”  When you have a change in fashion, inclothing for example, one year everybody wears black, and black is the mostpopular color—I'm speaking mostly about women's clothing—and the next yeareveryone's wearing yellow, and you say, “Oh well, yellow is the new black,”

meaning it's replaced black; we no longer wear black, we wear yellow.  In this expression “Isn’t 70 the new 60,” Angelica is saying that people used to think thatbeing 60 was old, but now being 70 is old, and being 60 is not old.

Yann says, “That’s what they say,” that's what people say, “but I don’t mindaging.”  To “age” (age) as a verb means to get older.  Yann says, “I may be alittle absent-minded now and then, but I’m not senile.”  To be “absent (absent) –minded” (minded) means to be forgetful; to often forget things.  There's anexpression “the absent minded professor,” because professors are so involved intheir own thinking that they forget to do normal things—”the absent-mindedprofessor.”

Yann is saying that he's “a little absent-minded” because he's getting older andhe forgets things, but he is “not senile” (senile).  To be “senile” means not to think clearly or to be unable to remember something because you are getting old.  It's usually considered a serious case, or a serious condition of someone who is oldwho forgets many things.

Yann says, “What I can’t stand is being treated like I am” senile.  The verb to“stand” (stand) here means to able to tolerate something; it's okay.  So, theopposite, “not be ale to stand” something, means that you cannot toleratesomething; you cannot—we would also the expression—”put up with”

something—you really don't like something.  To strongly not like something is“not to be able to stand” something. So, Yann doesn't “like being treated like he is” senile.  To be “treated” (treated)means to have someone act in a certain way toward you; to have someone behave toward you in a certain way.  “I don't want to be treated like a child”

means don't talk to me—don't act like I am a child.  To be “treated” has a coupleof meanings in English; take a look at the Learning Guide today for moreinformation.

Yann then gives an example of how he was treated like he was senile.  He said,“The other day,” meaning recently, last week for example, “I sat at a table at arestaurant for 20 minutes” and “the waitress ignored me.”

Angelica says, “Ageism is everywhere.”  “Ageism” (ageism) is discriminationagainst old people or unfair treatment of old people because they are old.  And,ageism is against the law in some countries, including in the United States, forsome jobs.  If you do not hire someone because they are a certain age, youmight be accused of “ageism.”

Angelica says, “Some people think that if you have gray hair, you’re not all there.” To “have gray hair” means to have hair that is white or silver in color becauseyou are getting older.  So, when you get older, you often get gray hair; it's whatwe call your hair when it gets white.  “Gray” is spelled g-r-a-y; it can also bespelled g-r-e-y, which is more common in British English.

The expression that “you are not all there” means that you're not thinkingclearly—that you are senile, or even that you're a little crazy.  Someone says toyou, “That man over there is not all there,” they mean they have some mentalproblem or they're not thinking correctly.

Angelica says that she is “as sharp as ever.”  “Sharp” (sharp) means intelligent;to be able to think very quickly and clearly.  Angelica is saying that even thoughshe has gray hair and she is old, she's still “sharp”—she's still smart.

Yann then says, “you know what we are doing?”  And Angelica says, “What?' And Yann says, “We’re griping.”  To “gripe” (gripe) means to complain; to say what is wrong with something.  “That’s what old people are supposed to do allthe time, right,” meaning that's old people normally do.  And, Yann and Angelicaare talking about how they are not old, but now they are doing what old peopledo, that's what people say, is to complain about things.

Angelica says, “You’ve got a point there.”  To say someone “has a point” (point)means that you understand what someone said, or you agree with whatsomeone else has said.  So, Angelica is saying I agree, “You've got a point there. Let’s go do something more productive before anyone notices!”  To do something “productive” (productive) means to work very well; efficiently; to do a lot to makesomething to be useful—all of these are part of being productive.

Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time  at a native rate of speech.

[start of story]

Angelica:  Oh sorry, what was I saying?  I lost my train of thought.

Yann:  You were telling me about the book you’re reading. Angelica:  Oh, yeah.  I must have had one of those senior moments. Yann:  Welcome to the club.  That’s what happens when you’re over-the-hill likewe are.

Angelica:  We’re not over the hill!  You may be an old geezer, but I still like tothink of myself as middle-aged.  Isn’t 70 the new 60?

Yann:  That’s what they say, but I don’t mind aging.  I may be a little absentminded now and then, but I’m not senile.  What I can’t stand is being treated like Iam.  The other day, I sat at a table at a restaurant for 20 minutes while thewaitress ignored me.  She waited on all of the tables around me first, and whenshe finally came to take my order, she didn’t even apologize. Angelica:  Ageism is everywhere.  What I hate is to be talked to like I’m a child. Some people think that if you’ve got gray hair, you’re not all there.  I’m as sharpas ever. Yann:  I know, but do you know what we’re doing?

Angelica:  What?

Yann:  We’re griping.  That’s what old people are supposed to do all the time,right?

Angelica:  You’ve got a point there.  Let’s go do something more productivebefore anyone notices! [end of story]

The script for today's podcast was written by…by…oh!  Dr. Lucy Tse.  

From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.  Thanks for listening.  We'll seeyou next time on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan.  This podcast is copyright 2007.