ESL之日常生活 03 At the Bakery（在线收听）

03 At the Bakery

GLOSSARY

to make up (one’s) mind – to decide; to make a decision; to choose; to select* He can’t make up his mind about going to the party.  He wants to go, but healso needs to study for the test.

dessert – a sweet food eaten after lunch or dinner* I ate so much for dinner that I couldn’t eat any of the dessert, even though thechocolate cake looked very good.

case – a large box with glass windows that stores use to show customers thethings that are for sale* Could you please take those two watches out of the case so that I can look atthem more closely?

cookie – a sweet, round, flat dessert made from flour, sugar, milk, and eggs,often with small pieces of fruit, nuts, or chocolate* Grandma makes delicious peanut butter cookies whenever we visit her.

brownie – a small square or rectangular piece of dessert that is like a heavy chocolate cake, made with flour, sugar, and a lot of butter, eggs, and chocolate* Kevin loves brownies, but he can’t eat those.  They have nuts in them and he’s allergic to nuts of any kind.

cake – a large dessert made from flour, sugar, milk, and eggs, that is oftendecorated and is cut into pieces for eating* They spent more than $300 on their wedding cake, but it was very beautifully decorated.

muffin – a small, round sweet cake for one person, often with fruit or nuts, with asmaller bottom section and bigger top section* Aunt Winnie made us banana muffins for breakfast.  They were delicious!

How many people does it serve? – How many people can eat from this dessert?  How many portions (servings) does this have?

* This cake is pretty, but small.  How many people does it serve?  I need enoughfor at least ten people at our dinner party.

layer – a horizontal, round piece of cake that is put on top of other pieces tomake a tall cake* This is a two-layer cake, with strawberries and cream between the layers.

to slice – to cut a cake or bread to make pieces for each person to eat* Please slice only a small piece for me.  I’m on a diet!

frosting – a sweet, thick, colored mixture of sugar, milk, butter, and coloring thatis used to decorate a cake* She used green frosting to make her son’s birthday cake look like a frogbecause frogs are his favorite animals.

sprinkles – small, crunchy, colored pieces of sugar that are used to decorate acake or ice cream* Kimberly ordered an ice cream cone with lots of red sprinkles.

scones – a small, dry cake usually made with dry fruit, often eaten for breakfastwith butter or jam* Every morning Jay buys a cup of coffee and a strawberry scone before he goes to work.

baker’s dozen – 13 of something (a regular dozen is 12 of something)* I asked for four dozen cookies, but they were baker’s dozens, so I actually got52 cookies instead of 48!

biscotti – a very dry, long, sweet cookie, usually made with nuts and/or driedfruit, often eaten with coffee or tea* This biscotti is difficult to eat because it’s very hard and dry, but if you dip it incoffee, it becomes soft and delicious.

if you don’t mind – a polite expression meaning “if it doesn’t bother (annoy)you” or “if it isn’t too difficult”

* When you go to the store this afternoon, please buy some orange juice for me,if you don’t mind.

overload – too much of something* Many people say that the Internet has brought us “information overload,”

meaning that we have access to too much information.

sugar – sweet white or brown crystals that are used in cooking or put in hotdrinks* How many teaspoons of sugar do you put in your coffee each morning?

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1.  How many cookies does Leticia buy?

a)  10b)  12c)  132.  How many people should eat the layer cake?

a)  1 person: a cake is small and made for one personb)  3 people: each one will eat one layer of the cakec)  8-10 people: it depends on how big the pieces are______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

caseThe word “case,” in this podcast, means a large box with glass windows thatstores use to show customers the things that are for sale: “The restaurant puts allits salads in the case, so that customers can see them and choose which onethey want to order.”  A “case” is also a small container that closes: “At night,Steve puts his eyeglasses inside their case, so that no one sits on themaccidentally.”  A “case” is also a lawsuit or a situation that is decided in a legalcourt: “This newspaper article is written about the case of the man who robbedthe bank last month.”  A “case” can also mean a situation: “Normally I don’t likevegetables, but in this case, the dish smells great and I’m going to try some.”

sprinkleIn this podcast, the word “sprinkles” means small, crunchy, colored pieces ofsugar that are used to decorate a cake or ice cream: “On this cake, they usedblue sprinkles for the sky and green sprinkles for the grass.”  The word “sprinkle”

also means a little bit of rain: “This morning there was a quick sprinkle, but nowthe sky is sunny again.”  As a verb, “to sprinkle” means to rain lightly: “It’s only sprinkling now, but it might start raining later, so be sure to bring an umbrella.” The verb “to sprinkle” also means to throw or drop small pieces of something ordrops of a liquid onto something else: “The priest sprinkled holy water on thebaby’s head.”  Or, “Aunt Barb always sprinkles lemon juice over her fruit salad.”

CULTURE NOTEIn the United States, many schools and community organizations organize“fundraisers” or events that help them “earn” (get) money for their programs andprojects.  Two popular fundraisers include “bake sales” and “crafts fairs.”

In a “bake sale,” people “bake” (cook in an oven) their favorite breads, cookies,brownies, pies, and cakes at home.  They put them in small packages and they bring them to the school or organization that is having the bake sale.  Sometimes each baker has his or her own table where they sell what they have made, butother times all the food is put in one place and one person helps to sell it.  Themoney is “donated” (given) to the school or community organization.  Bake sales are very popular during the holidays in November and December, because many people like to buy the traditional holiday cookies for their families.  These homebaked desserts are usually fresher (and taste better!) than the ones that are soldin stores.

A “crafts fair” is like a bake sale, but instead of selling food that people havebaked, they sell their “crafts.”  A “craft” is something that someone makes withhis or her hands.  Common crafts include holiday decorations, jewelry, andpainted plates and cups.  All the money that is earned during a crafts fair is donated to the school or community organization.  Like bake sales, crafts fairs are very popular during the holidays, because people like to buy these small gifts for their family and friends.

The “success” (ability to do well) of bake sales and crafts fairs depends on howmany people come to the event, so schools and community organizations spenda lot of time and energy trying to let people know about their fundraisers.

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

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 241: At the Bakery.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 241.  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 download the Learning Guidefor this episode, as well as take look at our new ESL Podcast Store. This episode is called “At the Bakery.”  A bakery is a place can buy bread andother kinds of desserts, such as cake.  I'm hungry already!  Let's get started.

[start of story]

Clerk:  Hi, can I help you?

Leticia:  Hi.  I’m trying to make up my mind about which kind of dessert to get. Everything in the case looks delicious.

Clerk:  Thanks.  As you can see, we have a lot of different types of cookies,brownies, cakes, and muffins over here.

Leticia:  Ooh, that cake looks wonderful.  How many people does it serve?

Clerk:  This one?  It has three layers, and it serves between eight and ten people,depending on how you slice it.  If you like chocolate, you may like this one overhere with the frosting and sprinkles.

Leticia:  Oh, that looks good, too.  Hmm.  It’s so hard to decide.  Why don’t I takethe layer cake, and I’d like a dozen of these cookies, too. Clerk:  Our cookies, muffins, and scones always come in baker’s dozens.  Can Iget you anything else?

Leticia:  I think I’d like a bag of those biscotti, too. Clerk:  Sure, no problem.  Would you like the cookies and biscotti in the samebox as the cake?  Leticia:  No.  Please put them in separate boxes, if you don’t mind.

Clerk:  Not at all.  Here you are.

Leticia:  Thanks.  We’ll be having an overload of sugar for the next few days!   [end of story]

Our dialogue today is between the person that works at the bakery - the clerk -and Leticia.

The clerk begins by saying, “Hi,” how can “I help you,” or he actually says, “can Ihelp you” - they both mean the same.  Leticia says, “Hi.  I’m trying to make up my mind about which kind of dessert to get.”  To make up your mind it means todecide - to choose - to make a decision.  A dessert, “dessert,” is a sweet foodthat you eat after lunch or dinner.  It is my favorite part of the meal, just like thekids!

Leticia says that “Everything in the case looks delicious.”  When we talk about acase in a store, “case,” we mean a large box that has glass windows, and insideof the box are things that are for sale that the customers can look at and select. In a bakery, the actual cakes and cookies - what we would call the baked goods,“goods” - are inside of the case so you can point and tell the clerk which one youwant.

The clerk explains that they have “different types of cookies, brownies, cakes,and muffins.”  These are all things that you would find in a bakery - they're allkinds of dessert.  Cookies, you probably know, are sweet, round, flat things usually made from flour, sugar, milk and eggs.  Sometimes they have chocolateor nuts in them. Brownies, “brownies,” are small, square desserts.  It is like a very heavy chocolate cake, also made with flour, sugar, eggs, a lot of butter and somechocolate.  I love brownies!

Cakes are round - usually, they could be square - desserts that are made fromflour, sugar, eggs.  They often have something on top of them - decoration -someone's name, for example.  If you were going to a birthday party, they wouldhave a birthday cake, usually with the person's name on top.

A muffin, “muffin,” is a small, round piece of cake, but it is cooked individually. The top of the muffin is bigger than the bottom of muffin, and it usually has somesort of nuts or fruit inside.

The clerk says that they have lots of different types of these desserts.  Leticiasays, “Ooh, that cake looks wonderful.  How many people does it serve?”  Whenwe ask how much something serves - how many people its serves - we meanhow many people can eat from this dessert - how many portions or sections - wewould use the term servings, as a noun - does it have.  So, how many peopledoes it serve means can I give this to five people, to ten people, to 20 people.  Ifit's a very big cake, maybe it will serve 40 people - that means 40 people wouldbe able to get a piece of this cake.

The clerk says that the cake that Leticia wants “has three layers.”  A layer,“layer,” is a horizontal, round piece of cake that is put on top of another cake. So, some cakes have different layers; you have a piece of cake on the bottom,and often you'll put in something in the middle - what we call frosting, “frosting,”

which is a sweet, thick mixture of sugar, milk, butter and some coloring.  That's alayer cake.  So, you could have a three-layer cake, meaning there are threelayers of cake and in between the layers there's probably some frosting.

The clerk says that the cake will serve “between eight and ten people, dependingon how you slice it.”  To slice, “slice,” as a verb, means to cut.  So, it depends onhow small of a piece you cut for each person, or how large of a piece you cut foreach person.  The words slice can also be a noun.  You can say, “Give me aslice of cake” means give me a piece of cake.

The clerk tells Leticia that if she likes chocolate, she might want to try a differentcake “with frosting and sprinkles.”  We know what frosting is.  Sprinkles,“sprinkles,” are small pieces of colored sugar, very hard usually.  We mightdescribe them as being crunchy, “crunchy,” meaning when you put them in themouth and you bite on them with your teeth, they'll make a little noise - they'rehard.  The word sprinkle has different meanings in English; take a look at theLearning Guide for additional explanations of that word, as well as the word case,which we used earlier in the dialogue.

Leticia says that the chocolate cake looks good as well - it “looks good, too” - andthat it was very difficult for her to decide.  She then tells the clerk “Why don’t Itake the layer cake,” meaning I will buy the layer cake.  It's sort of an unusualexpression grammatically, but it's pretty common.  Why don't I order this - why don't I take or order or purchase or buy the layer cake - you really mean I will buy or I will take that thing - you're not asking a question.

Leticia says, “I’d like a dozen of these cookies, too” - I'd like to buy them - I'd likea dozen of these cookies.

The clerk says that the “cookies, muffins, and scones always come in a baker’s dozens.”  A scone, “scone,” is a small, dry cake - dessert - that you usually eatfor breakfast with some butter or some other type of topping.  Scones are very popular at some of the bakeries and coffee shops - or places where you can buy coffee.  A baker's dozen means 13.  Normally, a dozen is 12, but when we say abaker's dozen, we mean 13 so you get an extra one.

Leticia says that she'd also “like a bag of those biscotti.”  Biscotti, “biscotti,” - atleast that's how we pronounce it in English - is a very dry, long, sweet cookie,usually with some nuts or other fruit that you often eat with coffee or when youare drinking tea.

The clerk then asks Leticia if she would like her “cookies and biscotti in thesame” bag, or “the same box as the cake.”  This is a not particularly intelligentquestion; obviously you don't want the cake to mix up with the cookies and thebiscotti.  But, the clerk is not too smart so he asks the question, and Leticia says,“No.  Please put them in separate boxes, if you don’t mind.”

That expression, if you don't mind, “mind,” means if it doesn't bother you - if it's okay - if it isn't too difficult.  It's a polite expression when you are askingsomething from someone.  For example, you could be at the dinner table, andyou would say, “Could you pass me the salt, if you don't mind.”  You can alsosay, “If you don't mind, will you pass me the salt.”

The clerk gives the box to Leticia, says, “Here you are.”  She says, “Thanks. We’ll be having an overload of sugar for the next few days!”  Sugar is a sweet,white or brown crystal that you are probably familiar with.  An overload,“overload,” is when you have too much of something.  You can never have toomuch cake, in my opinion!

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

[start of story]

Clerk:  Hi, can I help you?

Leticia:  Hi.  I’m trying to make up my mind about which kind of dessert to get. Everything in the case looks delicious.

Clerk:  Thanks.  As you can see, we have a lot of different types of cookies,brownies, cakes, and muffins over here.

Leticia:  Ooh, that cake looks wonderful.  How many people does it serve?

Clerk:  This one?  It has three layers, and it serves between eight and ten people,depending on how you slice it.  If you like chocolate, you may like this one overhere with the frosting and sprinkles.

Leticia:  Oh, that looks good, too.  Hmm.  It’s so hard to decide.  Why don’t I takethe layer cake, and I’d like a dozen of these cookies, too. Clerk:  Our cookies, muffins, and scones always come in baker’s dozens.  Can Iget you anything else?

Leticia:  I think I’d like a bag of those biscotti, too. Clerk:  Sure, no problem.  Would you like the cookies and biscotti in the samebox as the cake?  Leticia:  No.  Please put them in separate boxes, if you don’t mind.

Clerk:  Not at all.  Here you are.

Leticia:  Thanks.  We’ll be having an overload of sugar for the next few days!   [end of story]

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

If you have a comment, question or suggestion about this podcast, you can emailus at [email protected].

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 was written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse, hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan.  This podcast is copyright 2007, by the Centerfor Educational Development.