2008年ESL之日常生活 15 Giving Warnings and Cautions

 

 

15 Giving Warnings and Cautions

GLOSSARY

to move out – to leave the place where one has been living and begin living in anew place, especially when one leaves one’s parents’ home* Many Americans move out on their own when they are 18 years old.

cramped – crowded; without very much space to move around* Their little economy car began to get more and more cramped as their family grew.

watch out for (something) – a warning to let people know that there is a dangerand they need to be careful* Watch out for the cars when you cross the street!  They drive too quickly here.

to trip – to accidentally hit one’s foot against something so that one almost falls down* Carolina didn’t see the step there and she tripped over it.

do not cross – a warning printed on yellow ribbons, put in places where the police do not want people to go to the other side of those yellow ribbons* After the murder, the apartment’s front door was covered with Do Not Cross tape because no one but the police was allowed to enter.

cupboard – a large wooden box with a door that is hung on a kitchen orbathroom wall to hold things* In which cupboard do you keep the flour and sugar?

be careful – a warning to let people know that there is a danger and they need tobe cautious when doing or not doing something* Be careful when you open that can of soda because it was moving around a lotin the car and it might explode.

short on (something) – lacking; without enough of something; without as muchof something as one needs* The hikers were short on water, so they decided to limit themselves to onesmall bottle every two hours.

to watch (one’s) step – to be aware of where one is walking and where oneputs one’s feet, usually because there is something dangerous about the areawhere one is walking* Watch your step!  There are a lot of dogs around here and I don’t want you toget your new shoes dirty.

to pay attention – to notice something; to be attentive to something; to be awareof something* Do you pay attention to the international news, or just the local news?

watch your head – a warning to let people know that there is a danger and they need to be careful or else they might hit their head on something* Watch your head!  The ceilings are very low here and tall people sometimes hittheir head on them.

heads up – a warning; telling someone about something before it happens* Didn’t anyone give you the heads up about how difficult it can be to work forBeatrix?

look out – a warning to let people know that there is a danger and they need tobe careful* Look out!  That dog bites people who get too close to it.

dangerous – unsafe; causing physical harm* It is dangerous to drive long distances without enough sleep.

alert – aware of what is happening around oneself* He thinks that drinking coffee every morning makes him more alert at the office.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1.  Why do some of the roommates keep their clothes in the kitchen?

a)  Because there aren’t enough closets in the house.

b)  Because all the cupboards are in the kitchen.

c)  Because the kitchen has the best closets.

2.  Why is Brett’s Mom worried about the apartment?

a)  Because it is too big for six people.

b)  Because it is not in good condition.

c)  Because it is short on closet space.

______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

crampedThe word “cramped,” in this podcast, means crowded, without very much spaceto move around: “The office became very cramped when the company hiredthree new employees and didn’t have empty space for them to work in.”  Whenwe talk about writing, “cramped” means a style of handwriting that is difficult toread because it is too small or the letters are too close together: “His writing is socramped that no one can read it.”  A “cramp” can also be a painful problem inpart of one’s body when a muscle gets very tight and won’t relax: “After wearinghigh-heeled shoes all day, she had horrible cramps in her feet and couldn’t walk for 10 minutes after taking them off.”  Finally, the phrase “to cramp (someone’s)style” means to interfere with someone’s life so that he or she cannot do what heor she would like to do: “George doesn’t want to live with his parents becausethey cramp his style.”

to tripIn this podcast, the verb “to trip” means to accidentally hit one’s foot againstsomething so that one almost falls down: “Teo’s toys were all over the floor andvisitors were tripping on them.”  As a noun, a “trip” is usually a visit or a period oftime spent traveling: “Did you enjoy your trip to Venice Beach?”  A “trip” can alsobe the experience that one has when using illegal drugs: “They’re addicted to thetrip that they get from taking heroin.”  The phrase “to be on an ego trip” meansthat one thinks that he or she is better than other people: “After her song was played on the radio, she went on an ego trip and started thinking that she was the best singer in the world.”

CULTURE NOTEThe United States Department of Homeland Security is a part of the U.S.

government that was created to protect Americans.  It has made an “advisory system” (a way to warn people about dangers) for the country.  The advisory system is “color-coded,” meaning that each “threat level” (the strength of thewarning) has a different color.  There are five colors in the advisory system.

The lowest threat level is green, which means low risk.  Homeland Securityrecommends that Americans have a family “emergency plan” (an idea of what afamily will do if there is danger), but when the advisory system is green, there areno “pressing” (important) threats.

The next threat level is blue, which means “guarded” (moderate; medium) risk.

When the advisory system is blue, Homeland Security recommends thatAmericans get their “disaster supplies” (the things that one will need if there is danger) ready and report any “suspicious behavior” (actions that seem wrong ordangerous).

The yellow threat level means “elevated” (higher) risk.  At this level, HomelandSecurity wants Americans to begin using different “routes” (ways of goingsomewhere) to go between home, school, and work.  That way, if one route is closed they can still get home.

An orange threat level means high risk.  Homeland Security wants Americans tobe extremely careful when there is an orange threat level.  At this threat level,there may be more “delays” (things taking longer than they should) at airports and train stations because security is higher.

Finally, the last threat level is red, which means “severe” (extremely strong) risk.

This threat level is used when there is a very dangerous problem.  Americans aresupposed to watch TV and listen to the radio for instructions and be ready to“evacuate” (leave) their homes if necessary.

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

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 401: GivingWarnings and Cautions.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 401.  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.  You can go there to download a Learning Guide, an8 to 10 page guide we provide for all our current episodes.  It contains all of thevocabulary, definitions, sample sentences, additional definitions not discussed onthe audio episode, cultural notes, comprehension checks, and a completetranscript of every word we say on this episode so you can follow along as well.

This episode is called “Giving Warnings and Cautions.”  It is a dialogue betweenBrett and his mom.  They’re going to be talking about Brett’s new apartment, andsome problems in the apartment.  Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Brett:  Hi, Mom.  Come in.  Welcome to my new place.  My roommates aren’there right now or I’d introduce you.

Mom:  Hi, dear.  This is…uh…nice. Brett:  It is, isn’t it?  I know you were a little worried about me moving out and intoa house with five roommates.  But as you can see, this is a nice place.  Let megive you a tour.

Mom:  Oh, okay.  Isn’t it a little cramped in the house with six people?

Brett:  No way!  Come on.  I’ll show you the rest of the house.  Let’s go this way to the kitchen.  Watch out for that hole in the floor.  I don’t want you to trip.  Anddon’t worry about the “Do Not Cross – Police Line” tape.  It’s just a joke.

Mom:  This is the kitchen?  Why are all of your dishes on the floor?  What do youkeep in your cupboards?

Brett:  Be careful opening them!  We’re short on closet space so some of theguys keep their clothes and shoes in them.  You never know what you’ll find if you open one.  We just have to watch our step when we walk around the kitchen. Come on, I’ll show you the bathroom.

Mom:  You only have one bathroom for six people?

Brett:  We’re guys so we don’t really need more than one bathroom.  I just haveto pay attention to when people take showers if I want enough hot water for my own shower.  Watch your head!

Mom:  Too late for the heads up!  Something just fell on my head. Brett:  Oh, it’s nothing.  It’s just a little problem with the ceiling. Mom:  Look out!  I think the ceiling is falling down!  This place is dangerous!

Brett:  It’s nothing.  Don’t worry.  As long as we stay alert, this is a great place tolive.

[end of dialogue]

Our dialogue begins with Brett saying, “Hi, Mom.  Come in.”  His mother probably knocked on the door and he opened the door and said, “Come in” – come intomy place.  He says, “Welcome to my new place.  My roommates aren’t here rightnow or I’d introduce them.”  He means “if my roommates were here, I wouldintroduce you to them, but they’re not.”

Mom says, “Hi, dear.  This is…uh…nice.”  You can tell Mom doesn’t really likeBrett’s new place.  Brett says, however not understanding that, “It is, isn’t it?”  Hethinks it’s nice!  “I know you were a little worried about me moving out and into ahouse with five roommates,” he says.  To “move out” means to leave the placewhere you are living and begin living in a new place.  So, if you are living in anapartment and you move out, you take all of your things and you put them in adifferent apartment or house.  So, Brett has moved out from where ever he was living before to this new house with five “roommates,” people who live with you.

Brett says, “Let me give you a tour” – Mom, let me show you the house.  Momsays, “Oh, okay.  Isn’t it a little cramped in the house with six people?” “Cramped” (cramped) means crowded, without very much space to movearound.  The word “cramp” has a couple of different meanings in English; take alook at our Learning Guide for some additional explanations.

Brett disagrees with his mother’s question; his mother is saying it’s too small, it’s too crowded; it’s too cramped in the house.  Brett says, “No way!” meaning not atall, absolutely not.  Then he says, “Come on.  I’ll show you the rest of the house. Let’s go this way to the kitchen.”  Then he says, “Watch out for that hole in thefloor.”  If somebody says “watch out for” something, that’s a warning to let peopleknow they may be in danger or there may be something they need to be carefulabout.  A parent may tell their child, “Watch out for the cars when you cross thestreet” – when you walk across the street, be looking and be careful so that youdon’t get hurt. Brett says to his mom, “Watch out for that hole in the floor.”  That, of course, is our first indication that Brett’s house is not very nice.  He says to her, “I don’twant you to trip.”  As a verb, in this case, “to trip” means to accidentally hit yourfoot against something so that you fall down or almost fall down.  “Trip” has acouple of different meanings, also, in English; take a look at our Learning Guidefor some more information on that.

Brett continues, “And don’t worry about the ‘Do Not Cross – Police Line’ tape. It’s a joke.”  When there’s a crime, when someone does something illegal, andthe police come to where the crime took place – we would call it “the scene of thecrime” – they usually have an investigation, and they put a long piece of thinplastic that says “Do Not Cross.”  It’s telling people they cannot come into this area.  For example, if there’s a murder and they find a body, they would putpolice tape, this long, thin piece of plastic that says “Do Not Cross” – do notcome in.  There’s a popular television show on American television called CSI:

Crime Scene Investigation, so you may have seen these “Do Not Cross – PoliceLine” tapes. Brett says, “It’s just a joke.”  Mom says, “This is the kitchen?  Why are all yourdishes on the floor?  What do you keep in your cupboards?”  So, Mom walks intothe kitchen and sees dishes on the floor, not in the cupboards.  The “cupboards”

are large wooden boxes that have doors on them, where you can put your dishes inside of or where you can put pans inside of.  We call those the “cupboards”

(cupboards – one word).

Brett says, “Be careful opening them!”  He’s warning his mother to take carewhen she opens the door of the cupboard; that’s what “be careful” means.  Brettsays, “We’re short on closet space so some of the guys keep their clothes andshoes in them.”  To be “short on” something means to be without something, tobe lacking something that you need.  So, some of the boys who live with Brettare putting their clothing where the dishes would go in the kitchen, because they are “short on closet space.”  A “closet” is a place in your bedroom where younormally put your clothes. Brett says, “You never know what you’ll find if you open one (if you open one ofthe cupboards).  We just have to watch our step when we walk around thekitchen.”  To “watch your step” means to be aware of where you are walking –where you are putting your feet – usually because there’s something dangerous there.  So if someone spills some water on the floor, you may say, “Watch yourstep” – be careful as you walk through here because there’s water on the floor.

Brett then says, “Come on, I’ll show you the bathroom.”  Mom says, “You only have one bathroom for six people?”  Brett says, “We’re guys (we’re men) so wedon’t really need more than one bathroom.  I just have to pay attention to whenpeople take showers if I want enough hot water for my own shower.”  To “pay attention” means to notice something, to be aware of something.  It’s alsosomething you would say to someone when you want them to be aware.  Ateacher may say to her student, “Pay attention when I am talking to you.”  Inother words you need to listen carefully, in that case.  This is something I couldnever do in school; the teachers were always saying, “Pay attention McQuillan!”

Brett says, “Watch your head!”  This, again, is another warning that you wouldgive someone.  We talked about “watch your step” when you have to be carefulwhere you are walking; now Brett says, “Watch your head,” meaning look aboveto make sure you’re not going to hit your head on something.  Mom says, “Toolate for the heads up!  Something just fell on my head.”  A “heads up” means awarning, when you tell someone about something that’s going to happen thatthey may need to be careful of or pay attention to.  Someone may say to you, “Iwant to give you the heads up (or a heads up) the new project the manager is asking us to work on tomorrow.”  They’re giving you a warning; they’re telling yousomething you need to know so you’re prepared. Brett says, “Oh, it’s nothing,” meaning what fell on his mother’s head was notanything important.  “It’s just a little problem with the ceiling,” he says.  The“ceiling” is the top of the room.  So Brett is saying, “Well, things are falling fromthe ceiling, but it’s not a big problem.”  His mother then says, “Look out!  I think the ceiling is falling down!  This place is dangerous!”  “Look out” is another way ofwarning people; we use this when something bad is about happen and theperson needs to protect themselves – to get out of the way.  For example, if oneof your neighbor children – some of the children who live next to you are hittinggolf balls and these golf balls are hitting the side of your house, and they mighteven hit you, the child may say, “Look out!” or, “Look out for that ball!” meaningyou have to be careful that you don’t get hit.  Of course, if this happens to you, then you take all of the balls and you throw them back at the children – well,that’s what I do!

Mom says, “This place is dangerous” – this place is unsafe, not safe.  Brett says,“It’s nothing.  Don’t worry,” meaning it’s not a problem.  “As long as we stay alert,this is a great place to live.”  To be “alert” means to be aware of what is happening around you, to be paying attention.  Of course, there are a lot ofproblems with the house, so if you are not alert you could get hurt.

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

[start of dialogue]

Brett:  Hi, Mom.  Come in.  Welcome to my new place.  My roommates aren’there right now or I’d introduce you.

Mom:  Hi, dear.  This is…uh…nice. Brett:  It is, isn’t it?  I know you were a little worried about me moving out and intoa house with five roommates.  But as you can see, this is a nice place.  Let megive you a tour.

Mom:  Oh, okay.  Isn’t it a little cramped in the house with six people?

Brett:  No way!  Come on.  I’ll show you the rest of the house.  Let’s go this way to the kitchen.  Watch out for that hole in the floor.  I don’t want you to trip.  Anddon’t worry about the “Do Not Cross – Police Line” tape.  It’s just a joke.

Mom:  This is the kitchen?  Why are all of your dishes on the floor?  What do youkeep in your cupboards?

Brett:  Be careful opening them!  We’re short on closet space so some of theguys keep their clothes and shoes in them.  You never know what you’ll find ifyou open one.  We just have to watch our step when we walk around the kitchen. Come on, I’ll show you the bathroom.

Mom:  You only have one bathroom for six people?

Brett:  We’re guys so we don’t really need more than one bathroom.  I just haveto pay attention to when people take showers if I want enough hot water for my own shower.  Watch your head!

Mom:  Too late for the heads up!  Something just fell on my head. Brett:  Oh, it’s nothing.  It’s just a little problem with the ceiling. Mom:  Look out!  I think the ceiling is falling down!  This place is dangerous!

Brett:  It’s nothing.  Don’t worry.  As long as we stay alert, this is a great place tolive.

[end of dialogue]

The script for this episode was written by someone who is never short on goodideas for scripts, Dr. Lucy Tse. From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan.  Thank you for listening.  Comeback and listen to us 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 2008.