2011年ESL之商务英语 23 Following One’s Dream

23 Following One’s Dream

GLOSSARY 1

to quit – to stop working in a particular job; to announce that one will notcontinue to work in a position or organization

*If Jens’ boss won’t give him a raise, he’s going to quit.

to be meant for – to be intended for; to have specific expectations for oneself

* Quentin felt like he was meant for a career in engineering because he’s alwayswanted to know how things worked.

pathetic – not deserving respect or interest; very weak, uninteresting, orunhelpful

* That is a pathetic attempt to make others feel sorry for you so that you don’thave to do your work!

to pass (one) by – to proceed without involving oneself, especially when itseems like time is passing very quickly and one is missing opportunities

* Naori is taking a lot of classes in the evening, because she’s worried thatpromotions will pass her by at work.

to sacrifice – to give something up; to decide not to do or have somethingbecause it will result in some benefit in the future; to accept a temporarydisadvantage because one expects to receive some advantage later as a result

* They’re sacrificing a lot right now to pay off their mortgage early, but they’relooking forward to being debt-free.

security – stability; the feeling of safety and predictability, especially related tohaving enough money and housing

* Liam said that being a software developer may not be very exciting, but itprovides a lot of security.

to make a difference – to make a valuable contribution in the world; to changesociety in a positive way

* Ilya joined the Peace Corps 2 to try to make a difference.

to do big things – to do something that is important and impressive

* Olga dreams of doing big things when she grows up, such as being a civil rightsactivist.

to have an impact – to do something that is important, produces many changes,and is noticed by many people

* It’s amazing how much the Internet has had an impact on our daily life in thepast 20 years.

admirable – something that one respects and looks up to; something that isvalued

* Patrice’s honesty is admirable, but I wish she wouldn’t share her opinions soopenly.

guts 4 – bravery; courage; willingness to do something that is difficult, dangerous,or risky 5

* It took a lot of guts for you to tell the truth about what happened. Thank you.

to aspire 6 – to try to do something that is difficult, ambitious, and important

* Dmitry aspires 7 to become a millionaire by the time he is 30.

to follow (one’s) dream – to do what one wants to do; to do what is mostimportant; to achieve one’s goals and ambitions

* Yvonne is determined 8 to follow her dream of becoming an astronaut, so she’sstudying physics and astronomy.

destined 9 – intended to have or be in the future; meant to be

* Everyone could tell Wei was destined for greatness, even as a child.

vocation 10 – calling; what one believes one should do, especially as a career

* I think Ingrid missed her true vocation. She should have been a composer.

to follow (one’s) heart – to do what one believes is right, correct, and good,especially if other people disagree

* Missy knows she’ll never make much money as a teacher, but she wants tofollow her heart.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What does Cassandra want to do?

a) She wants to travel to many different places.

b) She wants to tell her boss she hates her job.

c) She wants to do something that is meaningful.

2. What does Cassandra mean when she says, “I want to follow my dream”?

a) She wants to do what she believes is most important.

b) She wants to understand what her dreams mean.

c) She wants to sleep more so that she can dream more.

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WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to pass (one) by

The phrase “to pass (one) by,” in this podcast, means to proceed withoutinvolving oneself, especially when it seems like time is passing very quickly andone is missing opportunities: “Don’t let this opportunity pass you by!” The phrase“to pass away” or “to pass on” means to die: “Did you hear that Carole passedaway?” The phrase “to pass down” means to teach something to someone whois younger than oneself: “These stories have been passed down for generations.”

Finally, the phrase “to pass (something) up” means to not take advantage of anopportunity to do something: “They’re selling the car at a great price, but we justdon’t have enough money to buy it right now, so we’re going to pass it up.”

guts

In this podcast, the word “guts” means bravery, courage, or a willingness to dosomething that is difficult, dangerous, or risky: “Sheryl has a lot of guts if sheintends to tell her boss that she thinks he’s wrong.” The phrase “a gut 3 feeling”

refers to an instinct, or to a belief one has without knowing the reason for it: “Tienhad a gut feeling the project would fail, but he couldn’t explain why.” The word“guts” refers to the organs inside a person’s or animal’s body, especially whenused as part of the phrase “blood and guts”: “I hate watching violent movies withblood and guts.” Finally, the phrase “to spill (one’s) guts” means to tell a secret:

“Whenever Blake has too much to drink, he spills his guts.”

CULTURE NOTE

The Survivalism MovementThe “survivalism movement” refers to people and groups that are preparing forfuture “disruptions” (interruptions; problems) in “society” (how people areorganized to live together). Some “survivalists” are worried about “naturaldisasters” (events like earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes) or “pandemics”

(diseases affecting many people). Other survivalists are worried about the“collapse” (fall and destruction) of political or economic systems. “Regardless”

(no matter) of their specific concerns, survivalists try to “gather” (collect) thethings they will need in order to “survive” (continue to live; not die) any “disaster”

(a serious, dangerous situation).

The survivalism movement “has been around” (has existed) since the 1970s, butit experienced a “resurgence” (increased interest, growth, and participation) inthe 2000s after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. onSeptember 11th, 2001. The economic crisis and fears related to “swine flu” (adisease many people thought would cause many deaths in 2009) have also“prompted” (initiated; made someone do something) people to prepare fordisaster in recent years.

Many books and websites have been published, advising people on how theycan prepare for survival. These books contains lists of the things people willneed to have, such as food, clothing, and medicine, as well as “skills” (the abilityto do certain things) they should try to “develop” (learn and improve).

Some survivalists try to build a “hidden” (secretive; not seen) “retreat” (a placewhere one can go for isolation 11, away from other people). Other survivalistsbelong to organizations of people who are planning to work together and helpone another during the “impending” (happening soon) disaster.

______________

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – a

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT 12

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 736: FollowingOne’s Dream.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 736. I’m your host, Dr.

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

Go to our website at eslpod.com and download a Learning Guide for this episodeto help you improve your English even faster. You can also join us on Facebookat Facebook.com/eslpod, and you can follow us on Twitter at ESLPod.

This episode is a dialogue between Cassandra and Lazlo. It’s going to be talkingabout following your dream – your goal for the future. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Cassandra: I’ve had it! I’m quitting and I’m not coming back. I was meant forgreater things than working in this pathetic place. Life is passing me by.

Lazlo: You can’t quit. You need the money and you have responsibilities,remember?

Cassandra: I’ve sacrificed enough for security. I want to make a difference. Iwant to do big things. I want to have an impact on the world.

Lazlo: That’s very admirable. Most people want to make a difference in theworld, but don’t have the guts to try.

Cassandra: You are so right! But I’m going to make it happen. I aspire to dogreat things and I won’t rest until I do. I want to follow my dream.

Lazlo: What is your dream?

Cassandra: Um, well, I’m not quite sure what I’m destined to do yet, but as soonas I figure out my true vocation, I’m following my heart.

Lazlo: That’s great. Until then, lunch break is over. Could we get back to work?

[end of dialogue]

Our dialogue begins with Cassandra saying, “I’ve had it!” When you say, “I’vehad it” you mean I have had enough; it’s an expression of frustration 13. You don’twant to continue doing what you’re doing or experiencing what you’reexperiencing anymore. Cassandra says, “I’m quitting (I’m leaving my job) andI’m not coming back. I was meant for greater things than working in this patheticplace.” When you say that you are “meant for” something you mean you areintended for something, or you have specific expectations for yourself aboutsomething. I feel I was meant for podcasting; this is what my life has beenpreparing me to do. Well, probably not, but that’s the idea. “Pathetic” (pathetic)means it’s very uninteresting, it doesn’t deserve any respect. Someone says,“Oh, that was a pathetic attempt to make me laugh” meaning it was a very weak,uninteresting, not a good attempt. So this is a pathetic place, Cassandra says,“Life is passing me by.” “To pass (someone) by” means to go on without you,especially we say this when time is passing very quickly and you feel as thoughyou are missing opportunities in life. “Life is passing me by,” I’m getting older butI’m not experiencing anything better.

Lazlo says, “You can’t quit. You need the money and you have responsibilities,remember?” Cassandra says, “I’ve sacrificed enough for security.” “To sacrifice”

as a verb means to give something up, to decide not to do something becauseyou think there is some greater good – there is some greater benefit in the future.

Sometimes you have to sacrifice your appetite for food in order to lose weight;you have to give something up. Or, people make sacrifices; they sacrifice so thattheir children can have a better life. The parents work more hours or work harderso that their children can go to a better school. That would be an example of asacrifice.

Cassandra says that she has sacrificed enough for security. “Security” heremeans a feeling of safety, of stability, that you have money and a house or aplace to live. She says, “I want to make a difference.” “To make a difference”

means to change the world in some positive way, to change what is happeningaround you in some positive way. There was a song back in the 1980s you mayremember called “We Are the World.” I think it was Michael Jackson who wrotethe song; he was trying to make a difference in the world. You remember: “Weare the world / We are the children / We are the ones who make a brighter day /So let’s start giving / So let’s start giving.” Never liked that song, really?

Anyway, Cassandra says that she wants to make a difference – hopefully notsinging “We Are the World!” She says, “I want to do big things (I want to dosomething that is important). I want to have an impact on the world.” “To havean impact” (impact) is to have an affect on the world, to do something thatchanges some other activity or some other people. Nowadays, people use the word “impact” as a verb. I don’t like this use; I don’t use it myself, but it’s becomeacceptable to say that I am going to impact something. Personally, I hate thatuse of the word, but it is becoming common.

Cassandra wants to have an impact. That’s okay, “impact” as a noun there, asit’s supposed to be. Lazlo says, “That’s very admirable.” When you saysomething is “admirable” you mean that you respect it, you value it. “Admirable”

comes from the verb “to admire” (admire). When you admire something yourespect it, you think it’s good; you may want to be like it. Lazlo says, “Mostpeople want to make a difference in the world, but don’t have the guts to try.”

The word “guts” (guts) here means courage, bravery, willing to do something thatis difficult or even dangerous. There are other meanings of the word “gut.” Takea look at our Learning Guide to find those.

Cassandra says, “You are so right!” She’s saying to Lazlo that she agrees withhim. “But,” she says, “I’m going to make it happen. I aspire to do great thingsand I won’t rest until I do (until I do great things).” “To aspire” (aspire) means totry to do something that is difficult but important. “He aspires to be in theOlympics.” It’s not easy; it’s a very difficult goal, but he wants to do it – heaspires to do that. Cassandra says she aspires to do great things and she won’trest, meaning she’ll continue working until she does something great. She says,“I want to follow my dream.” This expression, “to follow your dream,” means tofollow your goal, to do what you want to do. To do what you’ve always thoughtyou should do, that’s to follow your dream.

Lazlo says, “What is your dream?” Good question. Cassandra says, “Um, well,I’m not quite sure (I’m not very sure) what I’m destined to do yet.” “To bedestined (destined) to (something)” means to be intended to be in the future or tohave in the future. It can simply mean the purpose of something: “This man isdestined to be a great leader.” It’s almost as though that is the way that nature orGod or fate has made this person. They will eventually become great – they aredestined to be great. We have another word, “destination,” that’s the placewhere you are going. You can see they are sort of related ideas. Your goal,your object, your destination; they’re related to this idea of being destined orintended for something.

Cassandra says she’s not sure what she’s destined to do yet, but as soon shefigures out her true vocation, she will follow her heart. A “vocation” (vocation) iswhat you believe that you should do – what career, what job you should do, butit’s a little more than just a job. We have another word, which is related to themeaning of “vocation,” which is “calling.” “What is your calling?” It often relatesto some deeper, sometimes even spiritual purpose or religious purpose. We talk about vocations 14 to the priesthood – to the ministry 15 in the Christian 16 churches.

That’s the idea; it’s a deeper sense of what you should be doing.

Cassandra says she doesn’t know what her true vocation is, but when she findsout – when she figures it out – she’s following her heart. “To follow your heart”

means to do what you believe is right, to do what you think is good or correct. Itcan also be used, as I think it is here, to mean the same as to follow your dream.

Lazlo says, “That’s great. Until then (until you figure it out), lunch break is over.”

“Lunch break” is the time in the middle of the day, usually at noon – at 12 p.m. inmost places in the U.S., where you stop and eat a meal, your lunch. Lazlo says,“lunch break is over. Could we get back to work?” So, Cassandra has all theseideas and all these dreams, but she’s not really sure what she wants to do.

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

[start of dialogue]

Cassandra: I’ve had it! I’m quitting and I’m not coming back. I was meant forgreater things than working in this pathetic place. Life is passing me by.

Lazlo: You can’t quit. You need the money and you have responsibilities,remember?

Cassandra: I’ve sacrificed enough for security. I want to make a difference. Iwant to do big things. I want to have an impact on the world.

Lazlo: That’s very admirable. Most people want to make a difference in theworld, but don’t have the guts to try.

Cassandra: You are so right! But I’m going to make it happen. I aspire to dogreat things and I won’t rest until I do. I want to follow my dream.

Lazlo: What is your dream?

Cassandra: Um, well, I’m not quite sure what I’m destined to do yet, but as soonas I figure out my true vocation, I’m following my heart.

Lazlo: That’s great. Until then, lunch break is over. Could we get back to work?

[end of dialogue]

I think Dr. Lucy Tse was meant for writing scripts, because she does such anadmirable job. Thank you, Lucy.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Comeback and listen to us again here on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan, copyright 2011 by the Center for EducationalDevelopment.