ESL之日常生活 16 Being Under Stress

15 Being Under Stress

GLOSSARY 1

to act up – for a part of one’s body to not work correctly or to feel pain; forsomething to be wrong with a part of one’s body* Bill’s knee started acting 2 up, so he had to stop playing soccer before the matchended.

stress – the feeling of being worried, nervous, and anxious because one is undera lot of pressure or has a lot of responsibilities and things to do in a short periodof time* The doctor told me that people who have a lot of stress in their lives are morelikely to have heart attacks.

to cope – to be able to manage a difficult situation; to be able to succeed whenthings are very difficult* Lynn copes with her husband’s death by meeting with other people who havealso lost their husbands or wives.

pressure – things that one needs to do, but are difficult and make one feelworried, nervous, and anxious* Jacqueline is under a lot of pressure to finish the report by tomorrow afternoon.

worn out – very tired; exhausted 3* Lupe was worn out after skiing all day.

to lose sleep – to not be able to sleep, usually because one is worried aboutsomething* Dominique is losing sleep because he’s worried about his parents’ divorce.

no wonder – not surprising; not unexpected* It’s no wonder that he has problems with his teeth, since he eats candy anddrinks soda 4 all day long.

demands – things that one must do; things that other people make one do* Having a dog places a lot of demands on the owner to feed it, take walks with it,and play with it.

dog-eat-dog – very competitive 5 and aggressive* Financial analysts 6 on Wall Street work in a dog-eat-dog industry whereeveryone wants to be the best at their job.

nerves – feelings of being anxious, worried, and stressed* How do actors control their nerves before a performance?

shot – worn out; tired; no longer working correctly* This car’s tires are shot.  We need to buy new tires as soon as possible.

to work something out – to be able to find a solution for something; to find away to be able to do something* At 3:00 tomorrow, Harvey is supposed to attend a meeting at work and go to his son’s baseball game, but hopefully he’ll be able to work something out so that hecan do both things.

to take (one) up on (something) – to accept someone’s offer; to agree to dowhat someone has suggested* Timotei was surprised when Carol agreed to take him up on his offer to pay forher dinner.

breather – break; rest; a short period of time when one doesn’t have to dosomething* We’ve been working on this project for hours.  Let’s take a breather and thenmeet again at 4:30.

If it doesn’t kill you, it’ll make you stronger. – a phrase meaning that things that are difficult teach people to be better, as long as they aren’t too difficult* Rebecca was complaining about how difficult her chemistry class was, but herfather said, “If it doesn’t kill you, it’ll make you stronger.”

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1.  Why is Jason losing sleep?

a)  Because he’s taking too many pills.

b)  Because the dogs are eating each other.

c)  Because he’s under too much stress.

2.  What does Jason mean when he says, “I could really use a breather”?

a)  He needs pills that will help him breathe.

b)  He needs to take some time to rest.

c)  He wants to buy a breather for his stress.

______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

stressThe word “stress,” in this podcast, means the feeling of being worried, nervous,and anxious because one is under a lot of pressure: “Emergency-room doctors have very high-stress jobs.”  The word can also be used as a verb: “Don’t stress so much – it’s only a test.”  “Stress” can also mean emphasis, or something thatone wants to draw other people’s attention to: “His family puts a lot of stress onthe importance of education.”  The verb “to stress” can have this same meeting:

“The guide stressed the importance of coming back to the tour bus on time.” When talking about pronunciation, a word’s “stress” is on the syllable 7 that shouldbe pronounced most strongly: “In the word ‘happiness,’ the stress should be onthe first syllable, ‘hap’.”

shotIn this podcast, the word “shot” means worn out, tired, or no longer workingcorrectly: “After 20 years of playing football, Jaime’s knees were shot and heneeded surgery to walk without pain.”  The word “shot” is also the past tense ofthe verb “to shoot,” which means to fire a gun: “Claude shot his gun, but missedthe bird.”  At a bar, a “shot” is a small amount of alcohol, usually served in asmall “shot glass”: “Please give me a shot of your best whisky.”  The word “shot”

can also mean an attempt or try: “I know it’s difficult, but just give it your bestshot.”  In sports, a “shot” is a player’s attempt to move the ball and score a point:

“The basketball player made a three-point shot.”

CULTURE NOTEMany Americans have high-stress jobs, but they have many ways to cope withthat stress.  Some people simply eat or sleep, but these may not be the best“coping mechanisms 8” (ways to respond to something, like stress), because they can be unhealthy.  Some other coping mechanisms include “exercise,” “yoga,”

and “meditation.”

Many people believe that “exercising” (moving one’s body quickly) is a good way to reduce stress.  These people often go the gym after work, participate on sportteams, or go “jogging” (running slowly and for a long distance).  Doctors believethat the brain releases chemicals during exercise that help to “counter” (work against) the negative effects of stress.

Other people prefer to cope with stress by doing “yoga”.  “Yoga” is a “Hindu”

(Indian) practice that teaches people to control their mind and body through slow,thoughtful movements.  In most cities, there are many yoga classes whereinstructors teach participants to relax their bodies and minds, reducing stress intheir lives.

Finally, some Americans cope with stress through “meditation,” or quiet periods of time when they try to “empty their minds” and stop thinking about the things that are stressful in their life.  To meditate 9, people go to a quiet place to avoid“distractions” (things that make one think about other things), often sitting “crosslegged” (sitting on the floor with one’s legs folded and crossed in front of oneself)and with their hands on their “thighs” (upper legs).  Some people meditate whilelistening to relaxing music or nature sounds, like “bird calls” (the sounds thatbirds make) or ocean waves.

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

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 319: Being UnderStress.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 10 319.  I’m your host, Dr.

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

Visit our website at eslpod.com.  We have some new features on our website,new courses in our ESL Podcast Store, and a new blog that you can follow every day to learn even more English.

In this episode, we’re going to have a dialogue between two people, one ofwhom is having problems because he is under stress.  Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Wei:  What’s wrong?  You look like you’re in pain.

Jason:  My stomach is acting up again.

Wei:  It’s all of this stress.  I don’t know how anyone can cope with the pressuresyou’re under.

Jason:  It’s nothing.  I’ll just take a pill for my stomach.

Wei:  That won’t solve the problem.  Look at you.  You look worn out.  Are youlosing sleep, too?

Jason:  I have had trouble sleeping.

Wei:  It’s no wonder.  At home, you have the demands of raising two kids on yourown, and at work, you’re in a dog-eat-dog environment everyday.

Jason:  I have to admit that my nerves are shot, but what can I do? Wei:  Maybe we can work something out.  To start, how about if I watch your kids for a few hours this weekend so you can get some rest?

Jason:  I couldn’t ask you to do that.  You have to take care of your own kids.

Wei:  So, what’s two more? Jason:  If you really don’t mind, I’ll take you up on that.  I could really use abreather. Wei:  It’s set, then.  Here, take one of these pills.  If it doesn’t kill you, it’ll makeyou stronger.

Jason:  Thanks!

[end of dialogue]

Our dialogue begins with Wei saying to Jason, “What’s wrong?  You look likeyou’re in pain” – you look like you’re having some painful experience.  Jasonsays, “My stomach is acting up again.”  When we say something is “acting up,”

we mean it’s not working correctly.  In this case, his stomach is causing him pain. You can also use the verb “to act up” when we are talking about a machine: “My car is acting up again.”  If a person is “acting up,” especially a young child, wemean that that child is causing problems – yelling 11, fighting, screaming, et cetera. So, to “act up” has those different meanings.

Jason says, “My stomach is acting up” – it’s causing me pain.  Wei says, “It’s allof this stress.”  “Stress” is the feeling of being worried, nervous, and anxious,usually because you have a lot of responsibilities or things that you have to do –a lot of pressure.  Wei says, “I don’t know how anyone can cope with thepressures you’re under.”  To “cope” (cope) means to be able to manage a difficultsituation, to be able to succeed when things are very difficult.  Wei says, “I don’tknow how anyone can cope with the pressures you’re under.”  “Pressure,” in this case, means things that you need to do, but that are difficult and make you feelworried, nervous, and anxious.  “I’m under a lot of pressure” is the expression wewould use – I have a lot of things that people want me to do and that I have todo.

Jason says, “It’s nothing (meaning I don’t have that many problems).  I’ll just takea pill for my stomach” – a pill that has medicine that will help my stomach.  Weisays, “That won’t solve the problem (that won’t end the problem).  Look at you. You look worn out.”  When someone says “look at you,” they’re saying there’s something wrong with you; you need to realize something that you are notrealizing yet.  “You look worn out,” Wei says.  To be “worn (worn) out” is whenyou are very tired, when you’re exhausted.  “I was playing with my five-year-oldnephew, and now I’m worn out” – I’m very tired; he has a lot of energy, and I, as you know, am an old man...or, getting older!

Wei says, “Are you losing sleep, too?”  To “lose sleep” means to not be able tosleep at night, usually because you are under a lot of stress – under a lot ofpressure.  There’s an expression, “I’m not going to lose any sleep over it,” whichmeans I’m not going to worry about it; it’s not going to bother me.  Here, Wei is asking, “Are you losing sleep?”

Jason says, “I have had trouble sleeping.”  Wei says, “It’s no wonder.”  When wesay something is “no wonder,” we mean it’s not surprising; it’s not unexpected. She says, “At home, you have the demands of raising two kids on your own.” The “demands” are the things that Jason has to do.  He has many things inraising his two kids on his own, meaning there’s no mother or wife at home; he is the only one who is helping 12 the children grow up.  She continues, “at work, you’rein a dog-eat-dog environment everyday.”  The expression “dog-eat-dog” means very competitive – very aggressive.  Someone says, “This is a dog-eat-dogbusiness,” they mean it’s a very difficult business; there’s a lot of competition; alot of people trying to do better than the other people.

Jason says, “I have to admit that my nerves are shot, but what can I do?”  Your“nerves,” here, are your feelings of being anxious, worried, and stressed.  Wehave another expression “to get on someone’s nerves.”  It means to make themfeel anxious or worried – to bother them.  Jason says his “nerves are shot.” When we say something is “shot,” we mean it’s worn out; it’s tired; it doesn’t work anymore correctly.  “Shot” has a couple of different meanings in English; take alook at our Learning Guide for some additional explanations.

Wei says, “Maybe we can work something out.”  To “work something out” is anexpression that means to be able to find a solution for a problem – to find a way to be able to do something.  Wei says, “To start, how about if I watch your kids for a few hours this weekend so you can get some rest?”  Wei is offering to goover and take care of Jason’s two children, so Jason can have some time to restand not worry about taking care of the children.

Jason says, “I couldn’t ask you to do that,” meaning no, it’s not right for me to ask you to do that.  He says, “You have to take care of your own kids.”  Wei haschildren that she has to take care of.  Wei says, “So, what’s two more?” meaninghaving two more children will not be a problem for me.

Jason replies, “If you really don’t mind (if it’s really not a problem), I’ll take you upon that.”  To “take someone up on something” means to accept someone’s offer,to agree to do what someone else has suggested to you.  Usually it’s whensomeone is offering to help you.  Jason says, “I could use a breather.”  A“breather” (breather) is a break; a rest; a short period of time when you don’t have to do anything.  If you’re working very hard with someone, you might say,“Let’s take a breather” – let’s take a break; let’s stop working for a short time sowe can rest.

Wei says, “It’s set, then,” meaning okay, we’ve agreed.  “Here,” she says, “takeone of these pills” – for Jason’s stomach, we can guess.  She says, “If it doesn’tkill you, it’ll make you stronger.”  This is sort of a funny expression: “if it doesn’tkill you, it’ll make you stronger” – it will make you stronger.  It means that things that are difficult often help people be better, as long as they’re not too difficult. Jason says, “Thanks!”

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

[start of dialogue]

Wei:  What’s wrong?  You look like you’re in pain.

Jason:  My stomach is acting up again.

Wei:  It’s all of this stress.  I don’t know how anyone can cope with the pressuresyou’re under.

Jason:  It’s nothing.  I’ll just take a pill for my stomach.

Wei:  That won’t solve the problem.  Look at you.  You look worn out.  Are youlosing sleep, too?

Jason:  I have had trouble sleeping.

Wei:  It’s no wonder.  At home, you have the demands of raising two kids on yourown, and at work, you’re in a dog-eat-dog environment everyday.

Jason:  I have to admit that my nerves are shot, but what can I do? Wei:  Maybe we can work something out.  To start, how about if I watch your kids for a few hours this weekend so you can get some rest?

Jason:  I couldn’t ask you to do that.  You have to take care of your own kids.

Wei:  So, what’s two more?  

Jason:  If you really don’t mind, I’ll take you up on that.  I could really use abreather. Wei:  It’s set, then.  Here, take one of these pills.  If it doesn’t kill you, it’ll makeyou stronger.

Jason:  Thanks!

[end of dialogue]

The script for this episode was written by 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.