ESL商务英语: ESL Podcast 256 – Looking for Ideas

ESL Podcast 256 – Looking for Ideas

GLOSSARY

to jot down ﾨC to quickly write down something; to note something quickly* Let me jot down your phone number before you leave, so I can call you nextweek.

to draw a blank ﾨC to not be able to think of a good idea or the answer tosomething* Xiaofeng drew a blank on the test question about World War I, even though hehad studied all night.

block ﾨC an inability to think of something; not being able to think of something* Whenever this writer gets a block, she reads some new books to get ideas.

to step away from (something) ﾨC to stop what one is doing and to work onsomething else for a short period of time before returning to the first task* Evelyn got so frustrated with the project that she had to step away from it anddidnﾡﾯt work on it again until the next day.

fresh perspective ﾨC a new and creative way of looking at things* Everyone likes to work with Igor because he always brings a fresh perspectiveto the team.

empty-handed ﾨC without anything; unprepared* Normally Maude brings a dessert when she visits friends, but last night, shedidnﾡﾯt have enough time to cook, so she went to the party empty-handed.

to show (someone) up ﾨC to do something better than someone else; to makesomeone else look bad by doing something better* Jill was very happy that she got 95% on the test, but her roommate showed herup again by getting 100%.

to walk on water ﾨC to be perfect or excellent; to do everything well* Randolph makes delicious cookies, cakes, and breads.  It seems like he walks on water in the kitchen!

to work (oneself) up ﾨC to become agitated and worried about something; tothink about something so much that one becomes very nervous about it* Sam worked himself up for days before the presentation, and when it was timeto actually do the presentation, he was so nervous that he could hardly speak.

wound up ﾨC tense; nervous; anxious; stressed out* If you get wound up from work and school, it might help to talk about it with yourfriends.

in a fog ﾨC confused; unclear; blurry* The medicine will make you feel like youﾡﾯre in a fog for a few hours after takingit.

to do the trick ﾨC to do what something is supposed to do; to work; to besuccessful* If you canﾡﾯt fall asleep at night, sometimes drinking a glass of warm milk will dothe trick.

to be after (oneﾡﾯs) job ﾨC to want someone elseﾡﾯs job; to try to get anotherpersonﾡﾯs job* I think Bert is after my job.  Heﾡﾯs always telling my boss that he could do my work better and faster than I can.

(one) wouldnﾡﾯt touch (something) with a 10-foot pole ﾨC doesnﾡﾯt want to beinvolved with something at all; doesnﾡﾯt want to have anything to do withsomething; wants to stay as far away from something as possible* Lynn hates the taste of peas.  She wouldnﾡﾯt touch them with a 10-foot pole!

pressure ﾨC the stressful feeling of having to do something* Elliot is under a lot of pressure to pass his medical exams next week.

lowly ﾨC not very important; not to have a very high position in an organization* Many people think that secretaries are lowly employees, but without them, mostmanagers wouldnﾡﾯt be able to do their jobs.

to give (someone) a hard time ﾨC to make jokes and tease someone; to makethings difficult for someone; to make fun of someone* Her brother gave her a hard time about her driving skills when she accidentally hit a tree in the parking lot.

(oneﾡﾯs) days here are numbered ﾨC one will not be here for very much longer;one will lose his or her job soon* Josh has the feeling that his days here are numbered, because the new bossdoesnﾡﾯt seem to like him very much.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1.  What is Ling doing when Sam asks her what is the matter?

a)  She is drawing blanks on a piece of paper.

b)  She is trying to write down good ideas.

c)  She is taking a break.

2.  Why does Sam suggest going for a walk?

a)  Because it will help Ling think of new ideas.

b)  Because they need to walk to the meeting.

c)  Because Sam needs to learn to walk on water.

______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

blockThe word ﾡﾰblock,ﾡﾱ in this podcast, means an inability to think of something:

ﾡﾰSometimes exercise can help to clear your mental block.ﾡﾱ  A ﾡﾰblockﾡﾱ is also agroup of buildings that are in a square that is surrounded by streets on all foursides: ﾡﾰOur apartment building is on a block with a small grocery store and amovie theater.ﾡﾱ  A ﾡﾰblockﾡﾱ can also be a cube of any type of material: ﾡﾰThe childwas using plastic blocks to build a house.ﾡﾱ  Or, ﾡﾰThe small pieces of ice froze intoone large block.ﾡﾱ  As a verb, ﾡﾰto blockﾡﾱ means to stop something from movingthrough something else: ﾡﾰThe accident blocked traffic for miles.ﾡﾱ  Or, ﾡﾰPutting toomuch toilet paper down the toilet can sometimes block the pipes.ﾡﾱ

to show (someone) upIn this podcast, the phrase ﾡﾰto show (someone) upﾡﾱ means to do somethingbetter than someone else or to make someone else look bad by doing somethingbetter: ﾡﾰCourtney just bought a small apartment, but her brother showed her upby buying a very large four-bedroom house.ﾡﾱ  A similar phrase, ﾡﾰto show up,ﾡﾱ

means to attend or to come to an event: ﾡﾰWhat time did Francis finally show up atthe party?ﾡﾱ  The phrase ﾡﾰto show (someone) the doorﾡﾱ means to ask someone toleave a place: ﾡﾰThe restaurant owner had to show the couple to the door becausethey were fighting very loudly and disturbing the other customers.ﾡﾱ  Finally, thephrase ﾡﾰto show (something) offﾡﾱ means to show people something that one is proud of: ﾡﾰIvana likes to show off her wealth by wearing expensive clothes andlots of jewelry.ﾡﾱ

CULTURE NOTEﾡﾰWriterﾡﾯs blockﾡﾱ happens whenever someone needs to write something but has difficulty deciding what to write.  Many people stare at a ﾡﾰblank pageﾡﾱ or a pagewith nothing on it for hours, trying to decide how to begin.  In the United States,teachers and professional writers have many ﾡﾰsuggestionsﾡﾱ or recommendations for helping people ﾡﾰget overﾡﾱ writerﾡﾯs block, or to find a way around the problem. Here are a few of those suggestions.

Many teachers and professional writers suggest thinking about what needs to bewritten and organizing oneﾡﾯs ideas before beginning to write.  Another goodsuggestion is to avoid ﾡﾰperfectionismﾡﾱ or the need to write everything perfectly thefirst time. Good writing requires many ﾡﾰrevisions,ﾡﾱ meaning that the text that is written down first is almost always changed later.  Also, many people havedifficulty writing the first sentence, but it isnﾡﾯt necessary to begin at the beginning. Try starting somewhere in the middle and finish the ﾡﾰintroduction,ﾡﾱ or first part,last.

Changing the physical ﾡﾰsurroundingsﾡﾱ or environment might also help.  Try moving your desk to where there are fewer ﾡﾰdistractionsﾡﾱ or things that take youaway from your writing.  Turn off the phone and music, or turn on music if thathelps you write.  Also, going outside for a walk may help you concentrate better.

If you still have writerﾡﾯs block, try reading some of your favorite writings or books for ﾡﾰinspirationﾡﾱ (ideas) for your own writing.  Some people think itﾡﾯs easier tospeak than to write, so they might get over their writerﾡﾯs block by ﾡﾰrecordingﾡﾱ theirown voice while talking about the topic.  Later, they can listen to themselves andwrite down the main ideas.

______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers:  1 ﾨC b; 2 ﾨC a COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 256: Looking forIdeas.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 256.  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 for more information about this podcast and for a Learning Guide to this episode.

Our topic today is called ﾡﾰLooking for Ideas.ﾡﾱ  It is a conversation between twopeople, Sam and Ling, who are talking about new ideas for their company.  Let's get started.

[start of story]

Ling:  Ugh!  Sam:  Whatﾡﾯs the matter?

Ling:  Iﾡﾯm trying to jot down some ideas for the meeting tomorrow but Iﾡﾯm drawinga blank. Sam:  When Iﾡﾯve got a block, I usually step away from it for a while and comeback to it later.  Then I can look at it with a fresh perspective. Ling:  I donﾡﾯt have time to take a break.  I need to come up with something quick or Iﾡﾯll have to go into that meeting empty-handed.  I canﾡﾯt let Danielle show me upagain.  At the last meeting, all of the department heads loved her ideas andtheyﾡﾯre starting to think she walks on water. Sam:  Well, I donﾡﾯt think it helps to sit around worrying about it.  Nothing willcome to you if you work yourself up too much. Ling:  Youﾡﾯre right.  Iﾡﾯm too wound up to think straight.  Itﾡﾯs like my brain is in afog. Sam:  Come on.  Weﾡﾯll go take a quick walk.  Iﾡﾯm sure thatﾡﾯll do the trick.  If itdoesnﾡﾯt, Iﾡﾯll help you work on your resume.

Ling:  Gee, thanks.  Iﾡﾯve known all along that youﾡﾯre after my job. Sam:  Me?  After your job?  I wouldnﾡﾯt touch your job with a 10-foot pole.  Icouldnﾡﾯt take the pressure.  I prefer being a lowly employee and giving you a hardtime everyday.

Ling:  Thanks a lot.  Between you and Danielle, my days here are numbered. Sam:  Come on.  Letﾡﾯs go before you get even more depressed!

[end of story]

Our dialogue begins with Ling making a sound that indicates that she is havingproblems.  Sam says, ﾡﾰWhatﾡﾯs the matter,ﾡﾱ meaning what is the problem.  Lingsays that she's ﾡﾰtrying to jot down some ideas for the meeting tomorrow butﾡﾱ

she's ﾡﾰdrawing a blank.ﾡﾱ  To jot, ﾡﾰjot,ﾡﾱ down something means to write somethingdown quickly.  Usually it is a note - a small message to yourself or to someoneelse.  So, to write something down quickly or to note something quickly is to jotsomething down.  Someone may call you and give you their telephone number;you would jot it down - you would write it down quickly as they were telling you.

To draw a blank, ﾡﾰblank,ﾡﾱ means not to be able to think of a good idea or ananswer to something.  Someone says, ﾡﾰWhat is the capital of the state of Texas,ﾡﾱ

and you can say, ﾡﾰOh, I'm drawing a blank; I can't think of it.ﾡﾱ  Ling is drawing ablank for the meeting that she has tomorrow; she needs to come up with - tocreate - some new ideas.

Sam says that when he has a block, he usually steps away from the project for awhile and comes back to it later.  A block, ﾡﾰblock,ﾡﾱ means that you are unable tothink of something - you're not able to think of something.  Someone may say, ﾡﾰIhave a block; I can't think of the name of that singer I heard on the radio.ﾡﾱ  Block has a couple of meanings in English; take a look at the Learning Guide for moreinformation.

The expression to step away from something means to stop what you are doingand to work on something else for a short period of time, and then go back againand work on it.  So, if you're having a problem with something, sometimes it is best to stop working on the problem, go away, and then return and try working onit again.  That's to step away from something.

So, Sam says when he has a block - when he can't think of some new ideas - hesteps away from project.  ﾡﾰThen,ﾡﾱ he says, ﾡﾰI can look at it with a fresh perspective.ﾡﾱ  A fresh, ﾡﾰfresh,ﾡﾱ perspective, ﾡﾰperspective,ﾡﾱ is a new or creativeway of looking at something.  The word fresh is one we use, for example, forvegetables.  You say, ﾡﾰThe vegetables are fresh,ﾡﾱ meaning they're not old - theopposite of being old, they're fresh - they're new.  So, a fresh perspective is like anew way of looking at something.

Ling says that she doesn't have time to take a break.  She needs to come up with- or create - something quickly, if she doesn't, she'll have to go to her meetingempty-handed.  The expression empty, ﾡﾰempty-,ﾡﾱ handed, ﾡﾰhanded,ﾡﾱ means unprepared - without having anything.  You may go to someone's party, and yourfriend says to you, ﾡﾰWell, don't go empty-handed,ﾡﾱ meaning you should bringsomething for other people to eat or drink at the party.

Ling says that she can't let - or allow - Danielle, a woman that she works with,show her up again, so she says, ﾡﾰI canﾡﾯt let Danielle show me up again.ﾡﾱ  Toshow someone up means to do something better than someone else, it usually means to make the other person look bad by doing something better than them. It's typically a negative thing to say about a person - ﾡﾰHe's trying to show me upﾡﾱ -he's trying to a better job so that I look bad.

Ling says, ﾡﾰAt the last meeting, all of the department heads lovedﾡﾱ Danielle's ﾡﾰideas and theyﾡﾯre starting to think she walks on water.ﾡﾱ  So at the last meeting,all the people who were the bosses of the department - we would call them thedepartment heads; a head of something can be the boss or leader of something -they loved Danielle's ideas and they think that she walks on water.  Theexpression to walk on water means to be perfect - to be very good - to doeverything perfectly. The expression actually comes from a story in the Christian Bible, where Jesus,the leader of the Christian religion, walks on water during a storm when he is outwith his fellow believers.  And so, the idea of walking on water means to dosomething that is a miracle, ﾡﾰmiracle.ﾡﾱ  A miracle is something that is extraordinary - that should not happen but does happen.  Usually, the idea is thatit is because God has created this miracle.  So, that is the expression to walk onwater; it's used in English to mean to be perfect.

Sam says that he doesn't think it will help Ling to sit around and worry about it. ﾡﾰNothing will come to you,ﾡﾱ meaning you won't think of anything, ﾡﾰif you work yourself up too much.ﾡﾱ  To work yourself up means to become very worried oranxious about something - to think about something so much that you becomevery nervous about it.  ﾡﾰDon't work yourself upﾡﾱ - don't think about it so much sothat you get nervous or anxious.

Ling says to Sam, ﾡﾰYouﾡﾯre right.  Iﾡﾯm too wound up to think straight.ﾡﾱ  Theexpression to be wound, ﾡﾰwound,ﾡﾱ up means to be nervous - to be anxious - to bestressed out, we would say.  To be very stressed about something, that is beingwound up. She says, ﾡﾰItﾡﾯs like my brain is in a fog.ﾡﾱ  Fog, ﾡﾰfog,ﾡﾱ is something we have here alot in Los Angeles, where the clouds come down to the ground and it's difficult tosee in front of you - that's a fog.  The expression to be in a fog means to beconfused - to be unclear - you can't think straight - you can't see the problemcorrectly.

Sam says, ﾡﾰCome on.  Weﾡﾯll go take a quick walk.  Iﾡﾯm sure thatﾡﾯll do the trick.ﾡﾱ To do the trick, ﾡﾰtrick,ﾡﾱ means to do what something is supposed to do - to work -to be successful.  ﾡﾰIf we go for a walk, that will do the trickﾡﾱ - that will help you inyour problem. ﾡﾰIf it doesnﾡﾯt,ﾡﾱ he says, ﾡﾰIﾡﾯll help you work on your resume.ﾡﾱ  This is a joke, ofcourse.  Your resume is a list of your experience that you use for an interviewwhen you need to get a new job.  So he's joking, saying that if Ling doesn't comeup with some good ideas, she will lose her job and will need to look for anotherone.

Ling says, ﾡﾰGee, thanks,ﾡﾱ but she's not serious, she's making a joke herself.  Shesays that she has ﾡﾰknown all along,ﾡﾱ meaning for a long time, that Sam was afterher job.  To be after someone's job means to want someone else's job - to try toget another person's job.

Sam says, ﾡﾰMe?  After your job?ﾡﾱ  He's surprised that Ling says this.  He's jokingtoo, of course.  He says, ﾡﾰI wouldnﾡﾯt touch your job with a 10-foot pole,ﾡﾱ ﾡﾰpole.ﾡﾱ This is a expression that means I don't want to be involved with that at all - I don'twant to have anything to do with that.  We use the expression ﾡﾰI wouldn't touchthis with a 10-foot pole.ﾡﾱ  A pole, ﾡﾰpole,ﾡﾱ is like a long, round piece of wood ormetal.  We are saying here that I don't want to be close to this problem - I don'twant to be close to this thing.

So, Sam doesn't want Ling's job.  He says that he could not ﾡﾰtake the pressure,ﾡﾱ

ﾡﾰpressure.ﾡﾱ  Pressure means the very stressful feeling of having to do something- you're anxious or nervous because you have to do all this work.  We often usethe expression to be under pressure; it's a similar idea where you feel like youhave lots of things you have to do and it is very stressful.

Sam says that he prefers ﾡﾰbeing a lowly employee and givingﾡﾱ Ling ﾡﾰa hard timeeveryday.ﾡﾱ  Lowly, ﾡﾰlowly,ﾡﾱ means not very important - not in a high position but ina low position in the company.

To give someone a hard time means to make jokes about someone - to makethings difficult for someone by making fun of them - by telling jokes about them. That's to give someone a hard time.

Ling says, ﾡﾰThanks a lot,ﾡﾱ again she's trying to be funny here.  ﾡﾰBetween you andDanielle,ﾡﾱ she says, ﾡﾰmy days here are numbered.ﾡﾱ  The expression to haveone's days numbered means that you will not be here very long - that you aregoing to lose your job soon.  ﾡﾰHis days are numberedﾡﾱ means he will probably befired - lose his job soon.  My days are numbered here at ESL Podcast, I think!

Now let's listen to the dialogue at a normal rate of speech.

[start of story]

Ling:  Ugh!  Sam:  Whatﾡﾯs the matter?

Ling:  Iﾡﾯm trying to jot down some ideas for the meeting tomorrow but Iﾡﾯm drawinga blank. Sam:  When Iﾡﾯve got a block, I usually step away from it for a while and comeback to it later.  Then I can look at it with a fresh perspective. Ling:  I donﾡﾯt have time to take a break.  I need to come up with something quick or Iﾡﾯll have to go into that meeting empty-handed.  I canﾡﾯt let Danielle show me upagain.  At the last meeting, all of the department heads loved her ideas andtheyﾡﾯre starting to think she walks on water. Sam:  Well, I donﾡﾯt think it helps to sit around worrying about it.  Nothing willcome to you if you work yourself up too much. Ling:  Youﾡﾯre right.  Iﾡﾯm too wound up to think straight.  Itﾡﾯs like my brain is in afog. Sam:  Come on.  Weﾡﾯll go take a quick walk.  Iﾡﾯm sure thatﾡﾯll do the trick.  If itdoesnﾡﾯt, Iﾡﾯll help you work on your resume.

Ling:  Gee, thanks.  Iﾡﾯve known all along that youﾡﾯre after my job. Sam:  Me?  After your job?  I wouldnﾡﾯt touch your job with a 10-foot pole.  Icouldnﾡﾯt take the pressure.  I prefer being a lowly employee and giving you a hardtime everyday.

Ling:  Thanks a lot.  Between you and Danielle, my days here are numbered. Sam:  Come on.  Letﾡﾯs go before you get even more depressed!

[end of story]

The script today podcast 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.