Imagine you are a teacher and you have students in your classroom who get bored easily, make snap judgements (sudden decisions without thinking about it), lose their temper (get angry) easily, and who like things to be disorganized (not organized or neat). If you are that teacher, you might be feeling sorry for yourself (pitying yourself) because these students are troublemakers (people who often create problems), right?

The conventional wisdom (something believed by most people) and past research tells us that people who seek (look for; try to find) novelty (the new and unusual) all the time in people, things, and experiences have personalities (personal traits or characteristics) that will lead to trouble. People who seek novelty all the time are said to be more prone to (likely to be/have) attention deficit disorder (behavior problems, especially in children, who are not able to focus, who act without thinking, and who seem to have too much energy), compulsive spending and gambling (spending money or playing games of chance for money without being able to stop), alcoholism (addicted to drinking alcohol), drug abuse (addicted to illegal drugs), and criminal behavior.

Recent research reported in the New York Times suggests that there is an upside (positive or good aspect) to novelty-seeking.  If novelty-seeking personality traits (characteristics) are combined with curiosity (wanting to know about things) and persistence (not quitting; not giving up), novelty-seekers can do great things that benefit the entire society.  They may be adventurous (willing to take risks) in finding solutions to difficult problems and survive (continue to live) because they can make decisions quickly and think in new and unusual ways when they are in difficult situations.

Do you like novelty or are you more comfortable with the tried and true (things proven to be acceptable or good)? There is a quiz here to tell you if you are a novelty-seeker or not.

I took the quiz and my score was 38.  To find out what that score means, take the quiz yourself. What’s your score?

~ Lucy

Photo Credit: Hometrampoline from Wikipedia

I grew up in a big family, as many of you already know, so it is perhaps not unusual that one of the expressions I remember hearing my mother often say was, “It’s like Grand Central Station in here!” If you’re wondering what the connection is between trains and my family, let me explain.

Located in New York City, Grand Central Station – technically known as Grand Central Terminal – is the largest train station in the world, if by “largest” we mean the number of platforms (places where you get on and off the train) it has. It is, therefore, one of the busiest places in the very busy city of New York, with people coming and going (arriving and leaving) all day and all night. When you have a lot of people in one room or area, especially when they are moving about, we say that the place is “like Grand Central Station” – meaning, it’s crowded and very busy.

It wasn’t until I was an adult and had a chance to travel to Grand Central Terminal that I realized just how busy it was, and I learned a little of its history.  Grand Central was built in 1913, on the same spot as two previous railroad stations in Manhattan, the “downtown” area of New York City. It is a fine example of the Beaux-Arts style of architecture.  Inside the terminal, which has appeared in many movies and television shows, you will find the Grand Concourse, the main “room” of the terminal, with four large clocks over the information booth (area for getting information) in the center. This is a common meeting place for New Yorkers and tourists alike (both), since it is so easy to find inside the building.  There is also a large American flag that has hung in the terminal since September 11, 2001, which you cannot fail to see (can see clearly).

The terminal spurred (increased; quickened) development in the surrounding (nearby) neighborhood during the early part of the 20th century, with such buildings as the Chrysler Building. Today you will find restaurants, bars, and stores in the building.  For many years, the studios (places where audio and video recording is done) of one of the three largest television networks in the U.S., CBS, were located in the terminal as well.

Below the terminal, there are a few “secret” places.  One is a special platform, #61, which was used only once, by President Franklin Roosevelt, when he stayed at the nearby Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Also below the terminal is the power station that provides electricity to the building. During World Word II, Adolf Hitler sent spies to try to blow up (destroy) the terminal in order to disrupt (interfere with; interrupt) the movement of soldiers through the city, but the spies were caught (arrested) before they could do any damage.

According to one travel magazine, Grand Central Terminal is the sixth most-visited tourist site int the world, with more than 21 million visitors each year. You should definitely try to visit it if you go to New York City. Both the inside and outside of the building are truly (really) impressive to see, and of course, it is a great place to people watch (look at people walking by). It’s so busy, in fact, it’s like a McQuillan family reunion (gathering; party with all the family members) in there!

~Jeff

Photo credit: Grand Central’s Grand Concourse, Wikipedia CC

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………

ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 776 – Getting Praise and Recognition

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “praise” and “in the dust.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Employee Recognition.”
“Many American employers have special “employee recognition” or “employee appreciation” programs in which they try to recognize their best employees for their contributions to the company…”
- READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON WEDNESDAY

English Cafe 339
Topics: American Presidents: Herbert Hoover; knock-knock jokes; awful versus terrible versus terrific; initials in nicknames; that ship has sailed

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about “The Hoover Vacuum Company.”
“A few American companies produce products that have become “synonymous” (very closely associated with) with the name of the company that made it.  For example, in the U.S., the small soft pieces of thin paper…” - READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 777 – Supplies for Outdoor Recreation

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “bug” and “spared.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Outdoor Recreational Activities.”
“Americans enjoy many types of outdoor recreation activities in addition to the hiking and camping described in today’s episode. “Backpacking” refers to…” - READ MORE in the Learning Guide

According to Kim Tingley, a freelance (self-employed) writer, Danali National Park, in Alaska in the U.S., “should be a haven (safe place) for natural sound.” But apparently it isn’t.

The park is made up of “enormous (very large) stretches (areas) of wild country” that cover 9,942 square miles (24,585 square kilometers) and includes 20,320 foot high (6,194 meters) Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain in North America. Only “one dead-end (no way out at the end) and mostly unpaved (no smooth, hard surface) road penetrates (enters) the park.” But in spite of its size (even though it’s large), it’s not as quiet as you might think.

Since scientists began recording and monitoring (listening to see how it changes) sound in Denali in 2006, there have been only 36 complete days without the sound of some kind of man-made (made by humans) sound. Airplanes are the most common. On one day, a single (one) monitoring station recorded the sounds of 78 different airplanes. Other stations have recorded as many as one man-made sound every 17 minutes.

Tingley writes that “humans have … altered (changed) the acoustics (sound) of the entire globe (world).” And many of the changes are permanent (will last forever). Scientists have learned enough about the effects of man-made noise (unexpected, unwanted sound) to know that it is affecting the lives of many animals, just like climate change and urbanization (growth of cities) have done.

Noise is not a new problem. In a very old legend (traditional story), according to Tingley, the gods complained that they couldn’t sleep because of human noise. The Roman writer Juvenal complained about the same thing in 200 A.D. In the 1200s, some cities began to make laws to try to control noise, and in 1972, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared (stated officially) that noise is a pollutant (makes the environment dangerous).

Scientists have begun to create soundscapes – sound pictures made up of recorded animal and nature sounds, like wind and running (moving) water, as well as man-made sounds. They will use the soundscapes to try to identify healthy and unhealthy areas. Tingley’s article describes their attempts to do this in Denali. It includes some of the natural sounds scientists have recorded there.

Scientists hope to find and protect areas where it’s possible to hear and enjoy natural sounds. They hope that future visitors to these areas will have the same experience a fourth-grader did on a field trip to the National Wildlife Refuge (a safe place for wild animals) in Northern Virginia last year. When he got home he wrote: “the best thing about this place is that it has such nice noises that you don’t feel alone when you are alone.”

One of my favorite winter memories is driving up to a trail (rough path in the forest) near the railroad tunnel (a passage cut into a mountain) under Rollins Pass, high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado in the U.S. When we got there, we’d clip into (attach) our cross-country (Nordic) skis, put on a small backpack with sandwiches, snacks, and hot chocolate, and make our way up the side of the mountain. The only sounds we heard were the hissing (sound like “ssssss”) of the skis and our own heavy breathing as we worked our way up the trail. Around noon we’d stop at a small mountain meadow, take off our skis, and sit down on the sunny side of an old deserted cabin. As we ate our sandwiches and drank our hot chocolate, the only sounds we heard when we weren’t talking were the wind whispering (speaking softly) in the trees and the quiet bubbling (sound of water on small rocks) of a small stream as it fell down the side of the mountain. I wonder if it’s still that quiet there today. I hope so.

~ Warren Ediger – creator of Successful English, where you’ll find clear explanations and practical suggestions for better English.

Photo of Mt. McKinley courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

The expression to share and share alike is something you say when you want to remind someone (often a child) that it is good to give some of the things you have to others. When one child in a group of children has a lot of candy, he might be told by his mother or father to “share and share alike,” meaning that he should give some of the candy to his friends.

Sharing is good for adults, too, of course. The verb to share used to be used mostly with physical things (like candy), but in the past few decades (decade = 10 years), it has been used for people who give others information, usually about themselves, as in (such as the example) “I’d like to share with you what I did on my four-week vacation in Boise.” Sometimes we don’t really want to hear about other people’s lives, and so we’ll say (jokingly), “Thanks for sharing!” This usually means “I didn’t actually want to hear that – please stop!”

The Internet now uses share to mean tell other people about a website. You can share by emailing or using one of the many social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. And did you know that you can “share” ESL Podcast on these sites, too? We’ve had a Twitter account for almost six years (before anyone ever heard of Twitter!), and you can follow us there. To follow normally means to go behind someone or to do what they are doing. On Twitter, it means that you will receive our tweets (short, 140 character messages) on your Twitter account. Just look for @eslpod. (I also talked about Twitter lingo (vocabulary) here.)

More recently, we’ve added a Facebook fan page for ESL Podcast here. The verbs used for Facebook are to like and to friend. Facebook has pages for companies, websites, and groups that fans can “like.”  To like is similar to following someone on Twitter – you get that page’s messages on your Facebook page. If you have a personal account, you can also “friend” people, meaning you can see their pages and will also get their updates (messages they put on their own pages). (I have a personal page here where you can friend me, although I don’t use that page very much.)

So, now you can share ESL Podcast by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook. Share and share alike!

~Jeff

P.S. Please don’t search for or request to follow @JeffMcQuillan on Twitter – the account I have with that name is not used for ESL Podcast-related messages. Instead, follow @eslpod.

Photo credit: Viola and Mina Share Food, Wikipedia CC

 

 

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………

ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 774 – Describing Height and Build

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “pounds” and “short.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Ideal Body Weight.”
“Many people know they are overweight or “obese” (extremely overweight), but they don’t know how much weight they need to lose to reach their “ideal body weight,” or the number of pounds…” – READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 338
Topics: Famous Americans – Ansel Adams; Ben & Jerry’s; to find out versus to figure out versus to seek; “too” constructions; dummy versus idiot

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about the “Ice Cream Sundae.”
“Americans love ice cream and several ice cream desserts have a long tradition in the United States. Perhaps the most popular and common one, “aside from” (except) the ice cream cone, is the ice cream sundae…” - READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 775 – Making Repairs on the Outside of a House

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “crack” and “fence.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Maintenance of a Home’s Exterior.”
“City “ordinances” (laws; rules) determine who is responsible for maintaining the sidewalk in front of the house. In many cases, the homeowners are responsible…” - READ MORE in the Learning Guide

Murphy’s law is not really a law or a scientific theory. It is an old adage (saying) that says:  “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”  It’s not clear who came up with (started using) the term Murphy’s law.  Some people claim that it was an engineer (a person whose job is to design and build machines and other things), while others say it was a scientist.

Regardless of who came up with Murphy’s law, Americans mention it all the time.  Here’s is a typical exchange (conversation):

A:  “I can’t believe it!  This is the third time this month the tire on my bicycle has gone flat (with no air in it).”
B:  “Murphy’s law.  I’d walk from now on, if I were you.”

People don’t usually say, “It’s Murphy’s law” or “Murphy’s law is at work here.”  They often simply say “Murphy’s law” and the other person knows what they mean: if something hasn’t gone wrong, then at sometime in the future it will.  It’s inevitable (it will happen and it cannot be changed).

Although the original Murphy’s law is simple — “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong” — people have come up with variation (different forms) of this saying, often to be funny.  Here are few:

- If anything simply (absolutely) cannot go wrong, it will anyway.

- The chance of the bread falling with the buttered side down is directly proportional to the cost of the carpet.
“directly proportional” – exactly related to the amount or size of something else.  The opposite is “inversely proportional” so that when one thing goes up, something else will go down by that same amount.

- The buddy system is essential to your survival; it gives the enemy somebody else to shoot at.
“buddy system” – often used at school, in which a person chooses or is assigned (given) a partner, and the two people do school tasks together and take care of each other

- Technology is dominated by those who manage what they do not understand.
“dominated” – with the most control or influence over something

- Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he’ll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he’ll have to touch it to be sure.

Do you talk about Murphy’s Law in other languages?  Have you heard any interesting or funny variations?

~ Lucy

Image Credit: Euclid in The School of Athens by Raphael.  From Wikipedia

QUESTION:
Vahid from Iran asks: “I have a German friend. When she wants to ask about time instead of saying “What time is it?” she says “What late is it?” I want to know if this is correct or not.

ANSWER:
The most common expression for asking the time is “What time is it?”, followed by “What’s the time?” You can also say, “How late is it?” although you would not use it to ask the time in general, but in situations where you’ve been doing something for a long time, or where you have to be somewhere else at a set time and you are concerned about being late.  (We would not say “What late is it?”)  For example:

A: “We’ve spent six hours on this report.”
B: “How late is it?”

A: “The party to release Jeff’s new CD is at 8:00.”
B: “How late is it? I need plenty of time to get ready for the party.”

In response, you can give the exact time, or use one of these common terms: “about/ish,” “almost,” and “just past.”

For instance, if it is 6:27, you could say:

- “It is 6:27 (six twenty-seven).”
- “It is exactly 6:27.” (if you want to emphasize the precise time)
- “It is about 6:30 (six thirty).” or “It is 6:30-ish.” (if you don’t need to be precise.  In British English and in old-fashioned speech/writings, you may hear “half past six,” but that is not commonly used in American English today.)
- “It is nearly/almost 6:30.”
- “It is just past 6:25.”

We also talked about telling time in ESL Podcast 378, in case you’re interested.  Thanks to Vahid for the question and I hope that helps.

~ Lucy

P.S. *When we use the expression “a question of,” we mean “an issue related to” or “will be decided by.”  For example:
- “Whether I can take a vacation to Asia this summer is a question of money.”
- “We’re not sure who will get the new job.  It’s a question of who has the best leadership skills.”

Get the most out of the time you spend improving your English. Get the Learning Guide!

We designed the Learning Guide to help you learn English better and faster. Get more vocabulary, language explanations, sample sentences, comprehension questions, cultural notes, and more.

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………

ON MONDAY
ESL Podcast 772 – Types of People at Work

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “lay of the land” and “to get in (someone’s) way.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “The Office.”
“Some popular American television shows are “adaptations” (slightly changed versions) of British TV shows. One of these is The Office, which is a…” - READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON WEDNESDAY
English Cafe 337
Topics: Famous Authors – Stan and Jan Berenstain and the Berenstain Bears; getting married; to stand for versus to refer to (as); the past simple and the present perfect tenses; especially

In the Learning Guide:  Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear).
In “What Insiders Know,” you will read about “Marriage Vows.”
“In the U.S., many wedding ceremonies use some “version” (similar to, but not exactly) of the traditional Christian “marriage vow” (the words of love and promise said between the two people getting married).  The traditional vow is usually something like this…” - READ MORE in the Learning Guide
…

ON FRIDAY
ESL Podcast 773 – Dealing With Debt

In the Learning Guide: Get a full transcript (written version of every word you hear), vocabulary list and sample sentences, and comprehension questions.
In “What Else Does it Mean,” learn the other meanings of “behind” and “charge.”
In the “Culture Note,” learn about “Debt Consolidation.”
“Many Americans “live beyond their means” (spend more money than they make; have an expensive lifestyle they cannot pay for) by using credit cards and loans…” - READ MORE in the Learning Guide

People who are blind (can’t see) because they see less, often see more. That may sound like a contradiction (both statements can’t be true), but I believe it’s often true. I’d like to illustrate (show) what I mean with a story about a blind woman, a tall building, and a letter. When you get to the end, I think you’ll understand. And I think you’ll agree.

The woman is Helen Keller, who lived from 1880 until 1968. When she was 19 months old, Keller became very sick and, as a result, became both blind and deaf (couldn’t hear). Her blindness and deafness made it impossible for Keller to communicate with other people and left her isolated (alone). The Miracle Worker, a popular movie and play (story performed by actors in a theater), tells the dramatic (exciting) story of how her teacher, Anne Sullivan, helped her break out of (escape from) her isolation to become a world famous speaker and author.

The building is the Empire State Building, perhaps the best-known building in New York City. This 102-story (floor or level) skyscraper (very tall building) was completed in 1931. For 40 years it was the tallest building in the world. It’s a landmark (easily seen and recognized), popular tourist destination (place to visit), and cultural icon - it’s easily recognized and represents New York and the U.S. to many people around the world. The Statue of Liberty is another cultural icon in New York City.

In 1932, a doctor, Dr. John Finley, saw a picture of Helen Keller standing at the top of the Empire State Building. He was struck by (it seemed unusual) the thought of a blind person visiting the top of the building, so he wrote her and asked what she “saw” from there. Keller answered his question in a letter that illustrates (shows) what I wrote earlier – even though she couldn’t see what we see from the top of the Empire State Building, she saw more.

She wrote that it was a thrilling experience to be “whizzed (taken quickly) in a ‘lift‘ (elevator) a quarter of a mile heavenward (up, toward heaven) and to see New York spread out like a marvelous tapestry (a picture made up of many different parts) beneath us.” She didn’t think about the building itself. She said she thought about the “passionate (showing strong feelings) skill (ability)” and “fearless idealism (dreams and beliefs)” that created the building. In her mind she saw so many skilled workers that they couldn’t be counted and heard the noisy sounds of construction. She thought about the many “frail (not strong)” human hands that worked together to lift the tall building to its “dominating (taller than other buildings) height.”

Keller called the completed building “a victory of imagination.” The Empire State Building, she wrote, gives people courage (be brave in a difficult situation) and helps them dream about even greater accomplishments. As she stood at the top, she says she felt as if she were standing among the sun and the stars. “The solar system (our sun and its planets) circled above my head!” she wrote. “Why, I thought, the sun and the stars are suburbs (an area around the center of a city) of New York, and I never knew it! … All sense (feeling) of depression and hard times vanished (disappeared).”

Truly (certainly), Helen Keller saw more, even though she saw less. You can find her complete letter at the Letters of Note web site.

~ Warren Ediger – creator of Successful English, a web site where you’ll find clear explanations and practical suggestions for better English.

P.S. If you want to hear more about Helen Keller, listen to English Cafe 189.

Photo of the Empire State Building courtesy of the Wikipedia Commons.