2010年ESL之日常生活 19 Buying Bathroom Supplies

19 Buying Bathroom Supplies

GLOSSARY 1

supply – something that is needed for a particular purpose or to do a particularactivity

* Each fall, families buy school supplies like pencils, pens, and paper for theirchildren.

towel – a large, soft piece of fabric 2 that absorbs a lot of water, used for dryingone’s hands, body, dishes, and more

* Sandra uses two towels after a shower: one for her body and one for her hair.

bathmat – a large, soft piece of fabric that absorbs water and is placed on thefloor of the bathroom to protect the floor from any water that falls from thebathtub or shower

* Most bathmats have a little bit of rubber on the bottom so that they don’t movearound when people walk on them.

bathroom scale – a device 3 placed on the bathroom floor that people stand on tofind out how much they weigh

* This morning he stepped on the bathroom scale and was surprised to see thathe had gained 10 pounds, so he’s going to start eating less and exercising more.

rubber gloves – a piece of clothing made of plastic, worn over one’s hands witha separate area for each finger, used to keep one’s hands dry while washingdishes or cleaning

* Jin-soo wore rubber gloves while washing the dishes, because she wanted toprotect her hands.

disinfectant – a cleaning product, usually a liquid, that kills bacteria, used tomake surfaces cleaner and safer

* Be sure to use a disinfectant to clean cutting boards after you work with rawchicken or pork.

bowl cleaner – a cleaning product used to clean the inside of a toilet, where thewater is

* If your toilet bowl is stained 4, try using a bowl cleaner with bleach 5.

plunger – a tool with a long wooden handle and a round piece of rubber at oneend, used to push against drains 6 in toilets and sinks to clear blockages 7

* Do you have a plunger I can use? I think someone used too much toilet paperand now the toilet isn’t working.

soap dish – a small piece of metal, plastic, or ceramic 8 that holds a bar of soapnext to a sink so that the sink or bathroom counter don’t become covered in soap

* They bought a beautiful soap dish that matches the colors they used todecorate their bathroom.

toothbrush holder 9 – a metal, plastic, or ceramic stand with several holes in thetop and a toothbrush can be placed in each hole, used to keep toothbrushesclean and dry

* Five people use this bathroom, so we need a toothbrush holder with room for atleast five toothbrushes.

trashcan – a small bucket that is used to hold garbage, usually placed on thefloor or under a sink

* If we use all of the toothpaste, we are supposed to put the tube in the trashcaninstead of leaving it on the counter.

to go overboard – to do too much of something; to take something to anextreme

* Marsha has always enjoyed gardening, but last year she went overboard,planting enough fruits and vegetables to feed an army!

toilet paper – very soft paper sold in a long roll that breaks into small squares,used to clean and dry the area between one’s legs after using the toilet

* The softest, strongest toilet paper is usually the most expensive.

Kleenex – facial tissues 10; a brand name for very soft, square pieces of paper thatare used to blow one’s nose or to dry the skin around one’s eyes when crying

* Lorraine always holds a box of Kleenex when she watches sad movies,because she knows they’ll make her cry.

to live on (one’s) own – to live independently, without one’s parents; to live byoneself, without relatives or roommates

* Edwin moved out of his parents’ home when he was 18, but he hasn’t ever livedon his own, because he has always had roommates.

(number)-month supply – with enough of something to last a certain number ofmonths

* We got a great price on a 12-month supply of rice!

to go through – to use all of something so that nothing is left and one needsmore

* How did you go through such a big box of cookies in just one day?

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COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Which of these things would not be placed on the floor?

a) A bathmat.

b) A soap dish.

c) A trashcan.

2. Which of these things would you not expect to see when entering abathroom?

a) Towels.

b) Rubber gloves.

c) A plunger.

______________

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to live on (one’s) ownThe phrase “to live on (one’s) own,” in this podcast, means to live independentlyor alone, without relatives or roommates: “Andrea thought she would enjoy livingon her own, but she actually became very lonely.” The phrase “to live onborrowed time” means to live longer than expected, especially when one hasbeen sick: “The doctors said he would die within three months, but now, almost10 years later, he is still living on borrowed time.” The phrase “to live it up”

means to do things one enjoys very much, especially if they are expensive:

“Grayson works 11 very hard and saves his money so that in retirement 12 he cantravel and live it up.” Finally, the phrase “to live from hand to mouth” means tohave just enough money to cover one’s basic expenses, but nothing else: “Eversince Ward 13 took a lower-paying job, they have been living from hand to mouth.”

to go throughIn this podcast, the phrase “to go through” means to use all of something so thatnothing is left and one needs more: “They go through a bag of coffee beans every two weeks.” The phrase “to go through” is also used to talk about having adifficult experience: “I’m sorry you had to go through that alone. It must havebeen really difficult.” If a deal “goes through,” it means that all the parties havereached an agreement: “The only way this deal will go through is if they lowertheir price.” The phrase “to go through” can also mean to review or analyzesomething in detail: “This contract can be confusing, so let’s go through thedetails together.” Another meaning of “to go through” is to rehearse or practicesomething: “Let’s go through Act II, Scene 4 one more time.”

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CULTURE NOTE

Many Americans want their “master bathroom” (the bathroom in a home that isnext to the largest bedroom) to be “luxurious” (very nice and expensive). Manynew homes have very large master bathrooms with many “amenities” (specialfeatures for comfort).

It is not uncommon 14 for a master bathroom to have a “double vanity 15.” This meansthat the bathroom counter is longer than normal and has two sinks, so that twopeople can brush their teeth or “get ready” (brush hair, put on makeup 16, etc.) atthe same time, without getting in each other’s way.

Many master bathrooms also have “Jacuzzi” (with hot water that moves strongly,almost giving a massage 17) bathtubs or special showers with multiple“showerheads” (the piece of metal that water comes out of). Some of theseshowerheads have different “settings” (controls) that, for example, can make thewater come out in a “steady” (unchanging) “stream” (flow of water) or in a“pulsing” (turning on and off rhythmically) massage.

The most expensive bathrooms have “marble” (stone that is polished to be verysmooth, with swirling 19 colors) tubs 18 and “granite” (a very hard, polished rock)countertops. They might also have “radiant heat floors” that heat the floor frombelow, so the owners’ feet don’t get cold when walking over “tile” (made frommany small ceramic pieces) floors. Some fancy 20 bathrooms even have “towelwarmers” that heat up the towels so that they don’t feel cold against one’s bodyafter taking a shower or bath.

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

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT 21

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 617: BuyingBathroom Supplies.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 22 617. 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 probably know that, but did you know that youcan download a Learning 23 Guide for this episode? You did? Oh, all right!

Well, this episode is a dialogue between Tim and Jan about buying things thatyou would need in your bathroom. We all need bathrooms, and there are thingsyou need to buy for them. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Jan: We’re almost done. We just need to get some bathroom supplies forKimberly.

Tim: Okay, here are some towels, a bathmat and a bathroom scale. Don’t forgetthe cleaning supplies. She’ll need some rubber gloves, disinfectant, bowlcleaner, and a plunger.

Jan: All right. We have all that. Where are you going?

Tim: She’ll need a soap dish and a toothbrush holder. She’ll need a trashcan,too.

Jan: Okay, I think we’re all done. Kimberly is moving into an apartment withcollege roommates, not starting her own bathroom supply store. Let’s not gooverboard.

Tim: I just need to get a couple more things.

Jan: What?

Tim: I’m buying her 10 packages of toilet paper and 20 boxes of Kleenex. She’llbe living on her own for the first time and she’ll need all that.

Jan: Ten packages of toilet paper and 20 boxes of Kleenex?! She can shop forherself, you know. You don’t need to buy her a six-month supply.

Tim: Clearly you don’t know college students. They’ll go through that in a week!

[end of dialogue]

Jan begins our dialogue by saying, “We’re almost done,” meaning we’re almostfinished; we’ve almost completed our job – our task. “We just need to get somebathroom supplies for Kimberly.” “Supply” (supply) is something that you need todo a particular activity or for a particular purpose. So if you are going to climb amountain, you would probably need certain supplies such as food, water, clothing– I hope!

Well, these supplies that Jan and Tim are buying are for Kimberly’s bathroom.

Kimberly is, I guess, their daughter. Tim says, “Okay, here are some towels, abathmat and a bathroom scale.” A “towel” is a large piece of fabric, somethingthat absorbs water and you use it to dry yourself or to dry something else. Mosttowels are made of what we would call cloth; you could also have towels made ofpaper – paper towels, but for the bathroom you probably aren’t going to usepaper towels. A “bathmat” (bathmat – one word) is something you put on theground in front of your shower or your bathtub, which is where you wash yourself.

The bathmat helps prevent the floor from getting wet from the water that would,of course, come off of you if you took a shower or a bath. A “bathroom scale”

(scale) is something you put on the floor, you stand on it, and it tells you howmuch you weigh – that is, how many pounds or how many kilos. I personally liketo weigh myself in kilos because it’s always a smaller number than pounds!

Tim says, “Don’t forget the cleaning supplies,” the things you would need to cleana bathroom. He says that Kimberly will need some rubber gloves, disinfectant,bowl cleaner, and a plunger. “Gloves” are things you put on your hands thatcover your fingers and your hand. “Rubber gloves” are gloves made either froma plant or artificially 24, we would say synthetically 25. Rubber is what you usually seeon tires; tires are made of rubber – tires for your car. Well, this is rubber glovesto keep your hands dry. The other things that Tim thinks they need to buyinclude disinfectant. “Disinfectant” (disinfectant) is typically a liquid cleaningproduct, something that will kill bacteria – will kill things that might harm you. Todisinfect something is to remove the bacteria – the germs 26 (germs) that might beon that surface, things that could make you sick. A bowl cleaner is alsorecommended by Tim. The “bowl” here refers to the toilet bowl, so a “bowlcleaner” is cleaner that will clean the inside of a toilet. Finally, he recommends a plunger, which is not a cleaning supply. A “plunger” (plunger) is something thathas a long, typically wooden stick, and at the end of the stick is a round piece ofrubber, and you use this if you have a toilet that is not flushing 27 – that is, the wateris not taking away what’s inside the toilet bowl. You use a plunger to createpressure to push what is preventing the water from leaving the toilet bowl out intothe pipes, which take the water from the toilet bowl down into your city’s sewersystem. A “sewer” (sewer) is a system of pipes that take dirty water away fromyour house.

So, that’s what a plunger is, and Tim thinks that Kimberly needs one. Jan says,“All right. We have all that. Where are you going?” Tim says, “She’ll need asoap dish and a toothbrush holder.” You can buy soap for your bathroom that isa liquid. You can also buy a solid form of soap, what we would call a bar (bar) ofsoap, but you need a place to put the bar of soap so that it doesn’t slide around –it doesn’t move around. That little container is called a “soap dish.” “Dish” likeyou use for food, but this is one for soap. A “toothbrush” is what you use to cleanyour teeth; “tooth” is the singular 28 of “teeth.” A “toothbrush holder” is a place toput your toothbrush. Usually it’s something that has holes in it that you can put atoothbrush in so that it will hold it – a toothbrush holder. Tim also says that she’llneed a trashcan. “Trash” (trash) is another word for garbage, things that you arethrowing away that you don’t want anymore. A “trashcan” is where you put thatgarbage – those things.

Jan says, “Okay, I think we’re all done (we’re all finished). Kimberly is movinginto an apartment with college roommates,” people that she went to college with;her “roommates” are sharing the apartment. “She’s not starting her ownbathroom supply store,” Jan says. She’s joking; she thinks Tim is buying toomany things. She says, “Let’s not go overboard.” The expression “to gooverboard” (overboard – one word) means to do too much of something, to go toan extreme about something, to do too much.

Tim says, “I just need to get a couple more things (I just need to get two or three,maybe four things).” Jan says, “What?” Tim says, “I’m buying her 10 packagesof toilet paper and 20 boxes of Kleenex.” “Toilet paper” is soft paper that you usewhen you are going to the bathroom, when you are using the toilet – I think youknow how that works! “Kleenex” (Kleenex) is technically 29 a type of what we wouldotherwise call tissues or facial tissues, but this particular company’s product hasbecome so popular that people just call facial tissues Kleenex even if it isn’tmade by that company. It’s what you use, for example, if you are going to blowyour nose, or if you need to wipe your eyes after you’ve been crying, then youwould want to have some Kleenex. Notice we typically say “boxes of Kleenex.”

We sometimes refer to the toilet paper as “rolls of toilet paper” because the paperis wrapped around in a circle.

Tim says that Kimberly will be living on her own for the first time and she’ll needall that – all of those things. “To live on your own” means to live outside of yourfamily’s house, to live by yourself without any relatives. It can also mean withoutany roommates, although that isn’t what Tim means here.

Jan says, “Ten packages of toilet paper and 20 boxes of Kleenex?! She canshop for herself, you know (she can buy things for herself).” She says, “Youdon’t need to buy her a six-month supply.” That is, enough toilet paper for sixmonths. Tim says, “Clearly you don’t know college students. They’ll go throughthat in a week!” So it seems that Kim is still in college; I said before she wasliving with people she went – past tense – to college with. But I guess she’s stillin college because Tim says that Jan doesn’t know college students. Shedoesn’t have experience – information about them. Tim says, “They’ll go throughthat in a week!” “To go through (something)” is a two-word phrasal verb meaningto use all of something so that there is nothing left. If you work in an office andyou have to print out a lot of letters and reports, you will go through a lot of paper– you will use up a lot of paper. “Go through” has some other meanings inEnglish, and those can be found in the Learning Guide.

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

[start of dialogue]

Jan: We’re almost done. We just need to get some bathroom supplies forKimberly.

Tim: Okay, here are some towels, a bathmat and a bathroom scale. Don’t forgetthe cleaning supplies. She’ll need some rubber gloves, disinfectant, bowlcleaner, and a plunger.

Jan: All right. We have all that. Where are you going?

Tim: She’ll need a soap dish and a toothbrush holder. She’ll need a trashcan,too.

Jan: Okay, I think we’re all done. Kimberly is moving into an apartment withcollege roommates, not starting her own bathroom supply store. Let’s not gooverboard.

Tim: I just need to get a couple more things.

Jan: What?

Tim: I’m buying her 10 packages of toilet paper and 20 boxes of Kleenex. She’llbe living on her own for the first time and she’ll need all that.

Jan: Ten packages of toilet paper and 20 boxes of Kleenex?! She can shop forherself, you know. You don’t need to buy her a six-month supply.

Tim: Clearly you don’t know college students. They’ll go through that in a week!

[end of dialogue]

We try to make sure our scripts 30 don’t go overboard with too much vocabulary,and that’s thanks to our wonderful scriptwriter 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, copyright 31 2010 by the Center for EducationalDevelopment.