2010年ESL之日常生活 14 Shopping for Warm-Weather Clothes

14 Shopping for Warm-Weather Clothes

GLOSSARY 1

outfit 2 – all the pieces of clothing worn at one time; pieces of clothing that areworn together

* Which outfit would be better for the interview: a skirt and blouse, or pants with anice sweater?

tank top – a shirt with no sleeves; a shirt with a small piece of fabric 3 over eachshoulder and no fabric covering the arms

* Rachelle doesn’t like to wear tank tops because her arms are too thin.

miniskirt – a very short skirt that ends high above the knee

* Miniskirts were very popular in the 1960s, but today, knee-length skirts aremore common.

mannequin – a statue that is the shape and size of a human body, most oftenused in stores to display clothing that is for sale

* The dress looked great on the mannequin, but when I tried it on, it just wasn’tthe same.

to make a fool of (oneself) – to do or say something that makes other peoplelaugh at oneself; to do or say something that is foolish or embarrassing

* Hillary made a fool of herself when she got drunk and started singing at theoffice Christmas party.

revealing – showing or displaying things that are normally hidden

* Why do actresses choose to wear such revealing dresses when they attendaward ceremonies?

that’s where (one is) wrong – a phrase used to emphasize that what someonejust said is incorrect

* I agreed with most of his speech, but toward the end he started saying that weneed more military spending, and that’s where he’s wrong.

bikini – a two-piece woman’s swimsuit that leaves the stomach and backexposed, much like a bra and underwear

* Edna refuses to wear a bikini, because she doesn’t like to show that much ofher body to strangers.

one-piece – a woman’s swimsuit that has only one piece, covering all of thestomach area

* Fast swimmers prefer to wear a one-piece, because they stay in place betterthan bikinis do.

cut-offs – very casual shorts created by cutting the legs off an old pair of pants

* When Crystal discovered there were holes in the knees of her favorite jeans,she got out her scissors and made them into cut-offs.

flip-flops – very casual shoes that are totally flat on the bottom and have a thin,v-shaped piece of cloth or plastic that connects to the bottom on each side of thefoot and between the big toe and the second toe

* As he walked, his flip-flops make a loud sound each time they hit the bottom ofhis foot.

figure – the shape of one’s body, especially referring to a woman’s curves

* Ximena has never been pleased with her figure, always wishing she hadsmaller hips 4.

Hawaiian shirt – a large, shapeless shirt covered with large flowers and otherdesigns in very bright colors, usually worn by men

* During the week, Kyle wears conservative colors, but on the weekends heprefers to wear big, bright Hawaiian shirts.

board-shorts – very long, baggy 5 (roomy; shapeless) shorts worn by men as aswimsuit, especially for riding a surfboard

* Do most men wear board-shorts or swim trunks on the beach?

to see some skin – to be able to see skin that is normally covered by clothing,because a person is wearing sexier clothing than usual

* Do you think an actress is more likely to get an acting 6 job if she lets the directorsee some skin during her audition 7?

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Which type of swimsuit is most revealing?

a) A bikini.

b) A one-piece.

c) Board-shorts.

2. What does Spencer mean when he says, “I want to see some skin”?

a) He’s going to get her some revealing clothing.

b) He’s going to buy her the most expensive outfit available.

c) He’s not going to wear a shirt.

______________

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

skirt

The phrase “miniskirt,” in this podcast, means a very short skirt that ends highabove the knee: “Her miniskirt was so short that everyone could see herunderwear when she walked.” A “pencil skirt” is a long, very straight skirt: “Shecouldn’t take very big steps, because she was wearing a narrow pencil skirt.”

The phrase “to skirt around (something)” means to avoid giving a direct answeror to avoid talking about a particular subject, usually because it is uncomfortableor embarrassing: “The reporter criticized the spokesperson for skirting theanswer to her question.” Or, “Cooper’s speech skirted around all the importantissues and didn’t really provide any new information.” Finally, the word“outskirts 8” refers to the parts of a town or city that are very far from the center:

“Housing prices fall as you move toward the outskirts of town.”

figure

In this podcast, the word “figure” means the shape of one’s body, especiallyreferring to a woman’s curves: “If I want to keep my good figure, I need toexercise and be careful about what I eat.” The phrase “to watch (one’s) figure”

means to try not to gain weight: “Do you exercise to watch your figure, or to havebetter health?” A “father figure” is a person who acts like one’s father, eventhough he is not related: “Her father left the family when she was just a baby, buther uncle became a father figure as she was growing up.” Finally, “figureskating” is a sport where people dance or move beautifully on the ice whilewearing ice skates: “Figure skating is her favorite Olympic sport.”

CULTURE NOTE

Most American “public” (owned by the government, not by a private business)schools do not make students wear “uniforms” (a type and color of clothing wornby all people in a group). However, most schools do have “dress codes,” or rulesabout what students can and cannot wear while they are at school.

Many dress codes were created to “prevent” (not let something happen) studentsfrom dressing 9 too “provocatively” (in sexually exciting ways) or from dressing inways that “distract” (take away the attention of) other students from their studies.

Other dress codes were created to prevent students from wearing clothingassociated with membership in a “gang” (a group of young people who areviolent and participate in illegal activities).

Dress codes for female students might “specify 10” (say in detail) that skirts be atleast a minimum length. They might also “prohibit” (not allow) tank tops. A dresscode could say that “bra straps” (the elastic 11 part of a bra that goes over awoman’s shoulder) must not be seen. Some dress codes also limit the amountand type of jewelry 12 and makeup 13 that can be worn.

Dress codes for male students might specify that “baggy” (very large andshapeless) pants are not allowed, or at least not if they “reveal” (allow to beseen) the boy’s underwear. The dress code might also prohibit T-shirts that have“foul language” (bad, impolite words) or inappropriate “images” (pictures, photos,drawings).

Some people argue that dress codes “inhibit” (limit) students’ self-expression.

Other people argue that dress codes are necessary to create a safe, “inviting”

(welcoming) learning environment.

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

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT 14

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 599: Shopping forWarm-Weather Clothes.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 599. 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. Download this episode’s Learning Guide, an 8- to10-page guide that contains the complete transcript, as well as the vocabulary,definitions, sample sentences, cultural notes, comprehension questions, andmore. All of that is found in the Learning Guide that we have for all of our currentepisodes.

This episode is a dialogue between Spencer and Lauren. We’ll find Spencer andLauren using a lot of vocabulary that would be related to hot or warm weather,things that you might wear in the summertime for example. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Spencer: I would love to see you in this outfit: a tank top and a miniskirt.

Lauren: No way! I wouldn’t look anything like that mannequin. I’m too shy andI’d make a fool of myself wearing such revealing clothes.

Spencer: That’s where you’re wrong. You would look great on the beach in thatoutfit with a bikini underneath 15.

Lauren: I haven’t worn a bikini in years. I always wear a one-piece now. In fact,I’d feel more comfortable in a T-shirt, cut-offs, and flip-flops.

Spencer: Why would you want to hide that figure? If you want to do that, whydon’t you just wear this Hawaiian shirt and these board-shorts. Then no one willknow you’re a woman!

Lauren: Don’t get mad. Okay, you can pick out an outfit for me and I promise towear it for you. Okay?

Spencer: Fine, but I’m warning you: I want to see some skin!

[end of dialogue]

We start off our dialogue immediately not liking 16 Spencer. Spencer says to hisgirlfriend or wife, Lauren, “I would love to see you in this outfit: a tank top and aminiskirt.” An “outfit” here means all the pieces of clothing that you wear at onetime. You may have a shirt, you may have pants on, you may have a tie; thatwould be your outfit. “Outfit” has some other meanings as well, but here it meansthe clothing that you wear together. What Spencer wants Lauren to wear is atank top and a miniskirt. A “tank top” is a shirt that doesn’t have any sleeves; itdoesn’t have anything covering the arms. A “miniskirt” is a very short skirt, a skirtthat ends high above the knees. You see, of course, Spencer is really onlyinterested in one thing here, and he’s certainly not interested very much in theway his girlfriend might think.

Lauren says, “No way (meaning absolutely not)! I wouldn’t look anything like thatmannequin.” A “mannequin” (mannequin) is basically a statue of a human being,either a man or a woman, that is used in stores to show clothing. So, you go tothe story and they have these mannequins that have clothes on so you can seewhat the clothes look like, rather than having an actual person there, althoughsome stores perhaps do that as well, but a mannequin is the more common way.

What Lauren is saying is that she isn’t going to look the same as this mannequinif she wore the tank top and miniskirt. She says, “I’m too shy and I’d make a foolof myself wearing such revealing clothes.” “To be shy” means that you are a littleafraid of doing things or you don’t like other people to be looking at you or findingout about you. She says that she’d make a fool of herself wearing such revealingclothes. “To make a fool of yourself” is to do something or to say something thatother people would laugh at; people would make fun of you. “Revealing” meansshowing things that are normally not shown. In this case the parts of the body ofLauren that you could see if she wore this clothing.

So clearly Lauren is not happy; she doesn’t want to wear that kind of clothing.

Spencer says, “That’s where you’re wrong.” The expression “that’s where you(or someone) is wrong” means that what the person just said is incorrect. It’ssort of a way of emphasizing that the other person disagrees with you. He says,“You would look great on the beach in that outfit with a bikini underneath.” A“bikini” is a woman’s swimsuit that has two pieces. One goes on the bottom, andthe other goes on the top, and you don’t have anything in between the two.

Lauren says, “I haven’t worn a bikini in years. I always wear a one-piece now.”

“One-piece” is a woman’s swimsuit that is not separated. In other words, the suitstarts at the shoulders and goes down to the legs. It’s one piece, there’s no break like there is with a bikini. That is, you can’t see the woman’s stomach orher back in a one-piece swimsuit. Lauren says, “In fact, I’d feel more comfortablein a T-shirt, cut-offs, and flip-flops.” “Cut-offs,” “cut- (offs),” are very casual shortsthat are usually created by taking an old pair of pants, such as an old pair ofjeans – of Levi’s, and cutting the legs so that you have shorts instead of pants.

“Flip-flops” are very casual shoes; you often find people wearing them at thebeach. They have a bottom, but they don’t have hardly anything on the top.

They just have a V-shaped piece of plastic or cloth that keeps your foot on theshoe. That’s a flip-flop. “Flip-flop” can also mean to change your position onsomething, especially if you are a politician. But that meaning is very different;here it is a kind of casual, informal shoe.

Spencer says, “Why would you want to hide that figure?” Notice how Spencer isnot really listening to Lauren. “Figure,” here, means the shape of your body,especially a woman’s body. “Figure” has other meanings in English, and thosecan be found in the Learning Guide. So, Spencer doesn’t understand whyLauren wants to hide her figure – hide her body from other people looking at it.

He says, “If you want to do that, why don’t you just wear this Hawaiian shirt andthese board-shorts. Then no one will know you’re a woman!” A “Hawaiian shirt” is a large shirt covered with flowers, very bright colors, that is usually worn by aman. “Board-shorts” – “board (hyphen) shorts” are very long shorts – we wouldsay they are “baggy,” they’re very roomy, they have a lot of room in them – thatare, again, typically worn by men often as a swimsuit, especially for riding a“surfboard,” which is a long board that you can stand on out in the ocean and tryto ride on top of the water.

Spencer, of course, is upset that Lauren won’t do what he wants her to do, sohe’s making fun of her. He’s saying, well, why don’t you just wear this big shirt –this Hawaiian shirt and these board-shorts that are both for men, then no one willknow you’re a woman. Lauren, stupidly, says, “Don’t get mad. Okay, you canpick out an outfit for me and I promise to wear it for you. Okay?” So basicallyafter Spencer makes fun of Lauren and pressures her – tries to make her wearthis clothing that she doesn’t want to wear, she turns around and says, “Oh,okay, I’ll do it.” So we learn that Lauren is basically a weak, pathetic woman whowill do whatever her boyfriend tells her to do. Not a very nice couple, this Laurenand Spencer!

Spencer ends by saying, “Fine, but I’m warning you: I want to see some skin!”

“To see some skin” means to be able to see skin on your body that is normallycovered by clothing, usually because someone is wearing clothing they think issexier and shows more of their body. And, Spencer, of course, is a creep! A “creep” is usually a man who we find easy to hate because of his behavior,especially towards women.

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

[start of dialogue]

Spencer: I would love to see you in this outfit: a tank top and a miniskirt.

Lauren: No way! I wouldn’t look anything like that mannequin. I’m too shy andI’d make a fool of myself wearing such revealing clothes.

Spencer: That’s where you’re wrong. You would look great on the beach in thatoutfit with a bikini underneath.

Lauren: I haven’t worn a bikini in years. I always wear a one-piece now. In fact,I’d feel more comfortable in a T-shirt, cut-offs, and flip-flops.

Spencer: Why would you want to hide that figure? If you want to do that, whydon’t you just wear this Hawaiian shirt and these board-shorts. Then no one willknow you’re a woman!

Lauren: Don’t get mad. Okay, you can pick out an outfit for me and I promise towear it for you. Okay?

Spencer: Fine, but I’m warning you: I want to see some skin!

[end of dialogue]

The script for this episode was written by someone who would never make a foolof herself, 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 2010 by the Center for EducationalDevelopment.