空中英語教室Studio Classroom 2013字幕

空中英語教室Studio Classroom 2013字幕

如果要用正規表示法搜尋的話可以下載這個Chrome的extension，Chrome Regex Search。

例如想要搜尋would be Ving這個句型，就使用這個extension搜尋would be \S*ing，其中\S表示空格以外的任意字元，*表示任意長度。

如果你是用手機無法使用Chrome的外掛，可以使用下面的JavaScript指令，點下去即可執行並搜尋（支援正規表示），這個指令會將滿足搜尋條件的字串前面加上[mark]，然後你就可以用你的瀏覽器本身內建的搜尋功能，搜尋[mark]這個字串，就可以找到需要的句子。

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  • 2013.01.01 值得持續的新年新計畫RESOLUTIONS WORTH KEEPING-What New Year's resolutions do doctors suggest you make?
  • 2013.01.01
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  • 2013.01.03 你所不知道的雪SNOW-Cool facts about snow
  • 2013.01.04 寓教於樂的BrainPOPBRAINPOP-Making education fun
  • 2013.01.05
  • 2013.01.07 一月密碼JANUARY-Shakespeare wrote in The Winter's Tale "that blast of January would blow you through and through"
  • 2013.01.08 是時候了IT'S ABOUT TIME-Who doesn't need a little extra time?
  • 2013.01.09
  • 2013.01.10
  • 2013.01.11 穿出你最好的一面！LOOK YOUR BEST!-Try these ideas to help you look better in your clothes
  • 2013.01.12
  • 2013.01.14 籃球術語一把罩BASKETBALL TERMS-Learn the language you need to be the best you can be
  • 2013.01.15
  • 2013.01.16 上一門文化課A LESSON IN CULTURE-I found a foreign land in my home country
  • 2013.01.17
  • 2013.01.18 創業面面觀GETTING STARTED-Things to think about before starting your own business
  • 2013.01.19
  • 2013.01.21 奧地利之旅A TASTE OF AUSTRIA-Austria offers mountain fun for everyone
  • 2013.01.22
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  • 2013.01.24 利用科技吸睛的商店STORES ATTRACT SHOPPERS WITH TECHNOLOGY-In-store displays are becoming quite an attraction!
  • 2013.01.25 當你發現被朋友出賣的時候，該怎麼辦?BETRAYED!-What should you do when a friend betrays you?
  • 2013.01.26 當你發現被朋友出賣的時候，該怎麼辦？
  • 2013.01.28 U-KISS：征服世界樂壇！U-KISS: CONQUERING THE WORLD MUSIC SCENE!-These K-pop stars have a global audience in mind
  • 2013.01.29 U-KISS:征服世界樂壇!
  • 2013.01.30 美國白頭鷹THE AMERICAN BALD EAGLE-America's national symbol draws crowds
  • 2013.01.31
  • 2013.02.01 事業的穩健基礎A STRONG FOUNDATION-Successful businesses are built to grow
  • 2013.02.02
  • 2013.02.04 低價旅遊TRAVELING ON A SHOESTRING-Tips to spend less on your trips
  • 2013.02.05 動物園有什麼新鮮事?WHAT'S NEW AT THE ZOO?-Many zoos offer much more than just a quick look at animal life
  • 2013.02.06
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  • 2013.02.08 華盛頓特區歡慶農曆新年LUNAR NEW YEAR IN WASHINGTON, D.C.-A celebration of traditions
  • 2013.02.09
  • 2013.02.11 大發明家瑪格麗特‧E‧奈特MARGARET E. KNIGHT-Meet a woman whose ingenuity still affects our lives today
  • 2013.02.12
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  • 2013.02.14 二月的節日FEBRUARY-The shortest month of the year has a lot to offer
  • 2013.02.15 天底下真有白吃的午餐?FREE LUNCH?-Does buying one drink earn you a day of free Wi-Fi and air conditioning?
  • 2013.02.16
  • 2013.02.18 海豹的聲音密碼SCIENTISTS HOPE TO PROTECT SEALS BY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SOUND-Breaking the code of seal communication
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  • 2013.02.21 極速賽車代托納五百THE DAYTONA 500-Get ready for one of America's biggest racing
  • 2013.02.22 練習打包PACKING IN PRACTICE-Sometimes a well-packed bag takes a little practice!
  • 2013.02.23
  • 2013.02.25 面試官想聽到的問題WHAT QUESTIONS DO EMPLOYERS WANT TO HEAR IN AN INTERVIEW?-What you ask or don't ask may affect your future
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  • 2013.02.28 能增進比賽表現的比賽GAMES TO IMPROVE YOUR GAME-Improve your basketball skills while having fun
  • 2013.03.01 摩天輪為什麼叫Ferris Wheel?WHOSE NAME?-People give their names to all kinds of things
  • 2013.03.02
  • 2013.03.04 慢活桑給巴爾ZANZIBAR-Adventures in Africa
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  • 2013.03.07 來如雄獅去似羔羊的月份MARCH-"March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb"
  • 2013.03.08 企業籌措資金之道FINANCING YOUR BUSINESS-Finding the money you need to keep your business running
  • 2013.03.09
  • 2013.03.11 能量食物解碼EAT FOR ENERGY-What kinds of food can you eat to increase your energy?
  • 2013.03.12
  • 2013.03.13 德語何其難DIFFICULTIES IN GERMAN-My successes - and failures - at studying German abroad
  • 2013.03.14
  • 2013.03.15 一個人坐SITTING ALONE-How should you treat an unpopular student?
  • 2013.03.16
  • 2013.03.18 奧運籃球金牌選手之路MAYA MOORE - REACHING FOR THE HEIGHTS-This amazing young basketball player is taking the game and her life to a new level
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  • 2013.03.21 令人歎為觀止的橋AMAZING BRIDGES-Bringing cultures and people closer together
  • 2013.03.22
  • 2013.03.23 剽竊：常見的過犯PLAGIARISM: A COMMON CRIME-Are you an idea thief?
  • 2013.03.25 默劇的藝術THE ART OF MIME-In this art form, actions speak louder than words
  • 2013.03.26
  • 2013.03.27 小心長簡訊脖！THE DOWNSIDE OF STAYING CONNECTED-The habit of looking down at your smartphone or tablet could be hurting you
  • 2013.03.28
  • 2013.03.29 效法墨魚的變色服LESSONS FROM THE CUTTLEFISH-Inspirations from the sea for clothes that change colors
  • 2013.03.30
  • 2013.04.01 四月大解密APRIL-April showers bring May flowers
  • 2013.04.02 人生的棒球場MORE THAN A GAME-Life is like baseball
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  • 2013.04.05 「鶯」雄投手陳偉殷ORIOLES PITCHER CHEN WEI-YIN-Durable is Chen's middle name
  • 2013.04.06
  • 2013.04.08 遠離家園的家園HOME AWAY FROM HOME-New experiences are waiting for everyone
  • 2013.04.09
  • 2013.04.10 食物的相關發明FOOD INVENTIONS-The stories behind the kitchen inventions we couldn't do without
  • 2013.04.11
  • 2013.04.12 選擇職業的訣竅HOW DO YOU CHOOSE A CAREER?-There are many considerations when deciding on a career
  • 2013.04.13
  • 2013.04.15 把數學變得更可口!MATHALICIOUS!-Getting students interested in math by asking better questions
  • 2013.04.16 旅遊嚐鮮A TASTE FOR TRAVEL-You can watch your health and still eat like a local
  • 2013.04.17
  • 2013.04.18 履歷表該寫什麼？SHOULD I PUT THIS ON MY RESUME?-Tips for what is important when you apply for a job
  • 2013.04.19
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  • 2013.04.22 科摩多巨蜥KOMODO DRAGONS-Meet the world's largest living lizard
  • 2013.04.23 出走峇里島BEYOND BALI-Explore the land of Komodo dragons
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  • 2013.04.26 卓越奔騰THE GREATEST RACES-Races around the world push runners to their limits
  • 2013.04.27
  • 2013.04.29 地點決定一切LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION-Choosing the right location can be the most important decision a business makes
  • 2013.04.30
  • 2013.05.01 五月孟菲斯MEMPHIS IN MAY-This Tennessee festival will delight your senses
  • 2013.05.02
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  • 2013.05.04 五月喜洋洋THE MERRY MONTH OF MAY-Celebrate more than Mother's Day this month
  • 2013.05.06 旅行該用現金、支票或信用卡?CASH, CHECK OR CREDIT CARD?-A backpacker's advice on carrying money in Europe
  • 2013.05.07
  • 2013.05.08 蝙蝠俠的徒弟羅賓JUST A REGULARJOE-Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes fame look easy
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  • 2013.05.11 媽媽值多少?WHAT'S A MOTHER WORTH?-Do you ever think about all the jobs your mother does?
  • 2013.05.13 智慧不在手機裡HOW NOT TO USE A SMARTPHONE-Technology should help you, not hurt you
  • 2013.05.14
  • 2013.05.15 認識小小生物「跳蟲」SPRINGTAILS-These tiny animals are one of nature's greatest success stories!
  • 2013.05.16 「想要」不等於「需要」WANTS AND NEEDS-Knowing the difference between wants and needs can save your company
  • 2013.05.17
  • 2013.05.18 正確的跑步方式RUNNING RIGHT-Running is great exercise - if you do it right
  • 2013.05.20 街角的新面孔NEW KID ON THE BLOCK-Life in an American junior high school
  • 2013.05.21
  • 2013.05.22 3D印刷：自己來就行!3-D PRINTING: NO FACTORY REQUIRED!-This magical technology turns 3-D designs into 3-D objects
  • 2013.05.23
  • 2013.05.24 網路貼文不可不知TO POST OR NOT TO POST-How much do you share online?
  • 2013.05.25
  • 2013.05.27 女性著褲裝的有趣歷史THE HISTORY OF WOMEN'S TROUSERS-Women and pants have had an interesting history
  • 2013.05.28
  • 2013.05.29 走進咖啡屋COFFEE HOUSES-Coffee houses then and now
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  • 2013.06.01 六月天JUNE-"And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days." - James Russell Lowell
  • 2013.06.03 一起看電影去吧！LET'S GO TO THE MOVIES!-Summer movies are the most highly anticipated of the year
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  • 2013.06.06 汽車電影院DRIVE-INS-Eighty years ago the drive-in theater was born
  • 2013.06.07 小心有蛇SNAKEBITES-Watch out for poisonous snakes!
  • 2013.06.08
  • 2013.06.10 來野餐囉!PICNIC TIME!-Celebrate summer by eating outside
  • 2013.06.11
  • 2013.06.12 全球掀起划龍舟熱DRAGON BOATING CONQUERS THE WORLD-People all over the world enjoy the sport of dragon boating
  • 2013.06.13 DIY行銷DIY MARKETING-Doing your own marketing may not be as hard as you think
  • 2013.06.14
  • 2013.06.15 度假有益身心健康VACATIONS ARE GOOD FOR YOU-Taking a break may be the most important thing you do this summer
  • 2013.06.17 我學會韓文的好玩方式HOW I LEARNED TO READ AND WRITE KOREAN-My adventures in South Korea began with an important language lesson
  • 2013.06.18
  • 2013.06.19 夏日時光！WHAT TIME IS IT? SUMMERTIME!-Grab your sunglasses, and let's go!
  • 2013.06.20
  • 2013.06.21 蒙福之子樂團MUMFORD & SONS-Meet the Gentlemen of the Road
  • 2013.06.22
  • 2013.06.24 節食的起起伏伏THE UPS AND DOWNS OF DIETS-What should you do when you want to lose weight?
  • 2013.06.25
  • 2013.06.26 血型：救命的發現BLOOD TYPES: A LIFE-SAVING DISCOVERY-How one scientist changed the way the world saw blood - and won a Nobel Prize
  • 2013.06.27 丘克：南太平洋的歷史寶藏CHUUK: THE SOUTH PACIFIC'S HISTORIC TREASURE-This Micronesian state is an adventure - on land and under water!
  • 2013.06.28
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  • 2013.07.01 炎熱的七月!JULY IS HOT, HOT, HOT!- Start this month with some hot July facts
  • 2013.07.02 探索南韓EXPLORING SOUTH KOREA-Getting to know South Korea - with a little help from my friends
  • 2013.07.03
  • 2013.07.04 基督徒救世會頌揚生命CHRISTIAN SALVATION SERVICE CELEBRATES LIFE-Remembering 30 years of service while looking to the future
  • 2013.07.05
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  • 2013.07.08 手寫文字是否有必要?HANDWRITING: NECESSARY OR NOT?-Is the pen mightier than the keys?
  • 2013.07.09
  • 2013.07.10 美夢成真的女星凱莉‧墨里根CAREY MULLIGAN-This beautiful, young actress never stops reaching for her goals
  • 2013.07.11
  • 2013.07.12 心智的奧秘MYSTERIES OF THE MIND-Scientists are still trying to discover the secrets behind human minds
  • 2013.07.13
  • 2013.07.15 享受荷蘭之美ENJOY THE NETHERLANDS-Take an exciting tour full of beautiful sights and European history
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  • 2013.07.18 高球英語辭彙SWING INTO GOLF IDIOMS-Golf has introduced some interesting phrases into English
  • 2013.07.19
  • 2013.07.20 甲蟲瓶子BEETLE BOTTLES-One little bug might be the start of a big change
  • 2013.07.22 在美國讀社區大學?WHY COMMUNITY COLLEGE?-Do you have to star t at a four-year university?
  • 2013.07.23
  • 2013.07.24 雇用新員工?NEW EMPLOYEES?-Hiring new employees isn't as easy as it seems
  • 2013.07.25
  • 2013.07.26 健康飲食很省錢HEALTHY EATING ON A BUDGET-You can care for your body and your bank account at the same time
  • 2013.07.27
  • 2013.07.29 海中巨人：鯨WHALES: THE GIANTS OF THE SEA-Discover more about the world's biggest mammals
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  • 2013.08.01 搭熱氣球遊花蓮HUALIEN FROM A HOT AIR BALLOON-You've never seen Hualien this way before!
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  • 2013.08.05 有目標的冒險旅程ADVENTURES FOR A CAUSE-These trips are exciting and charitable but not for the faint of heart
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  • 2013.08.08 火車大劫案THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY-50 years ago to the day …
  • 2013.08.09
  • 2013.08.10 八月之樂AUGUST-"If the first week of August be unusually warm, the winter will be snowy and long."
  • 2013.08.12 開學BACK TO SCHOOL-Summer vacation is coming to an end
  • 2013.08.13
  • 2013.08.14 特殊貨幣的興起DOLLARS, EUROS AND FUNNY HATS: THE RISE OF UNUSUAL CURRENCIES-Money has more forms than you think
  • 2013.08.15
  • 2013.08.16 買紀念品有訣竅TIPS FOR SOUVENIR SHOPPING-Avoid collecting vacation junk with these helpful tips
  • 2013.08.17
  • 2013.08.19 收容大象孤兒HOW TO RAISE AN ELEPHANT-The Jumbo Foundation aims to help large orphaned animals
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  • 2013.08.22 神奇繪圖筆畫出3D實物DRAWINGS COME TO LIFE WITH 3DOODLER-Turning doodles into 3-D objects
  • 2013.08.23 旅遊麻煩事TRAVEL TROUBLES-Should you try to plan your trip yourself or take a tour?
  • 2013.08.24
  • 2013.08.26 管理難搞員工MANAGING DIFFICULT WORKERS-Dealing with difficult workers can be … difficult
  • 2013.08.27
  • 2013.08.28 天才童星葵雯贊妮．華莉絲QUVENZHANE WALLIS-Happy 10th birthday to this rising young star
  • 2013.08.29
  • 2013.08.30 藍牙時尚BLUETOOTH FASHION-Technology is getting a new look
  • 2013.08.31
  • 2013.09.02 魔戒作者托爾金THE TALE OF TOLKIEN-Learn the story behind the stories of Middle Earth
  • 2013.09.03
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  • 2013.09.05 尼泊爾生活筆記LIFE IN NEPAL: PART 1-I jumped at the opportunity to visit this interesting country
  • 2013.09.06
  • 2013.09.07 吃爆米花囉!POPCORN TIME!-Fall is the season for popcorn-centered activities and festivals
  • 2013.09.09 九月大解密SEPTEMBER-"By all these lovely tokens September days are here With summer's best of weather And autumn's best of cheer." Helen Hunt Jackson
  • 2013.09.10 在學校該不該使用手機?CELLPHONES IN SCHOOL-Does having access to cellphones at school help or hurt students?
  • 2013.09.11
  • 2013.09.12 優美的班夫和路易絲湖BEAUTIFUL BANFF AND LAKE LOUISE-Enjoy some of the finest nature has to offer in Banff National Park
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  • 2013.09.16 待辦事項清單的心理學THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TO-DO LISTS-Here's why to-do lists work … or don't work
  • 2013.09.17
  • 2013.09.18 《鄉間小路帶我回家》COUNTRY ROADS, TAKE ME HOME-"Almost Heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River"
  • 2013.09.19
  • 2013.09.20 城市的速度THE SPEED OF CITIES-A city's pace of life reveals a lot about its size, success and culture
  • 2013.09.21
  • 2013.09.23 接電話啊!ANSWER THAT TELEPHONE!-How to say what you need to say on the telephone
  • 2013.09.24
  • 2013.09.25 鉛筆的歷史淵源THE HISTORY OF PENCILS-A truly international writing instrument
  • 2013.09.26
  • 2013.09.27 客服難題CUSTOMER TROUBLES-Negotiating skills are an important part of customer service
  • 2013.09.28
  • 2013.09.30 運動好處多THE BENEFITS OF SPORTS-Seven good reasons to start playing your favorite sport today!
  • 2013.10.01 讓大腦更聰明MAKE YOUR BRAIN SMARTER-Tips for developing an exercise plan for your brain
  • 2013.10.02
  • 2013.10.03 十月精彩可期OCTOBER-The tenth month of the year has a lot to offer
  • 2013.10.04 基倫‧威廉森：藝術界最年輕的新星KIERON WILLIAMSON: THE ART WORLD'S YOUNGEST STAR-This talented, young boy is being compared to some of the world's best-known artists
  • 2013.10.05
  • 2013.10.07 朝金氏世界紀錄邁進REACHING FOR RECORDS-What drives people to set and break world records?
  • 2013.10.08
  • 2013.10.09 公司太賺錢?TOO MUCH MONEY?-What should a business do with all its profits?
  • 2013.10.10
  • 2013.10.11 好玩的發明FIVE FUNNY INVENTIONS-Not all inventions are very useful
  • 2013.10.12
  • 2013.10.14 哈薩克-充滿驚奇的國度KAZAKHSTAN - THE LAND OF WONDERS-Adventure is waiting for you in this central Asian country
  • 2013.10.15
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  • 2013.10.17 搶手的電腦程式設計技能COMPUTER PROGRAMMING SKILLS IN DEMAND-Learn to write code
  • 2013.10.18 尼泊爾生活記LIFE IN NEPAL: PART 2-This South Asian country proved to be a world away
  • 2013.10.19
  • 2013.10.21 翹課行不行?SKIPPING SCHOOL-Is it ever OK to skip school?
  • 2013.10.22
  • 2013.10.23 購衣革命NEW WAYS TO SHOP FOR CLOTHES-Some retailers are creating new in-store experiences
  • 2013.10.24
  • 2013.10.25 老運動新玩法MAKING OLD SPORTS NEW-New ways to play your favorite games
  • 2013.10.26
  • 2013.10.28 墨西哥的吹口哨人THE WHISTLERS OF MEXICO-For the Chinantec people, whistling is a language
  • 2013.10.29
  • 2013.10.30 馬里蘭州秋季節慶FALL FESTIVALS IN MARYLAND-Fun in the fall
  • 2013.10.31
  • 2013.11.01 尼泊爾生活記LIFE IN NEPAL: PART 3-My challenges continued in Kathmandu
  • 2013.11.02
  • 2013.11.04 感恩的十一月NOVEMBER-There is a lot to celebrate in November!
  • 2013.11.05 充滿前景的創新發明：谷歌眼鏡GOOGLE GLASS IS A PROMISING INNOVATION-Putting the Internet right before your eyes
  • 2013.11.06
  • 2013.11.07 新加坡十大樂事TEN FUN THINGS TO DO IN SINGAPORE-This country may be small, but its possibilities are endless
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  • 2013.11.11 當員工向老闆說再見SAYING GOODBYE-Losing employees can be tough
  • 2013.11.12
  • 2013.11.13 培養好習慣GOOD HABITS TO HAVE-Sixteen habits to live by
  • 2013.11.14
  • 2013.11.15 梅‧惠特曼MAE WHITMAN-You know her, but you may not know her name
  • 2013.11.16
  • 2013.11.18 該在店裡買，還是上網買?CONSUMER CONFLICTS-Is shopping online better than buying things in a store?
  • 2013.11.19
  • 2013.11.20 說出你的感謝GIVE THANKS-The fourth Thursday in November welcomes the holiday season
  • 2013.11.21
  • 2013.11.22 電腦也可以做公益CHARITY ENGINE-Your computer can solve scientific puzzles and raise money for charity
  • 2013.11.23
  • 2013.11.25 英文諺語中的金玉良言PEARLS OF WISDOM IN PROVERBS-Do too many cooks really spoil the broth?
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  • 2013.11.28 感恩的好處THE BENEFITS OF BEING THANKFUL-Discover how a thankful spirit benefits you and others
  • 2013.11.29 貨幣的演變MONEY DOWN THROUGH THE AGES-Money has changed a lot over the centuries
  • 2013.11.30
  • 2013.12.02 12=30+1天的幸福DECEMBER-The last month of the year is filled with joy and celebration
  • 2013.12.03 星光電影院應援團HOLIDAY MOVIES FOR EVERYONE-Holiday films really bring in the crowds
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  • 2013.12.06 報告老師：有人作弊TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL-Should you keep cheating a secret or tell a teacher?
  • 2013.12.07
  • 2013.12.09 馬德里必修學分THINGS TO DO IN MADRID-From art to entertainment, the Spanish capital has something for everyone
  • 2013.12.10
  • 2013.12.11 笑活療癒法HAPPY FACTS-These fun facts are sure to make you smile
  • 2013.12.12 上山下海飛輪樂ALL ABOUT BIKES-Grab your bike and hit the road!
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  • 2013.12.16 帶來祝福的密碼：19191919-Their motto - To save, to save
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  • 2013.12.19 你喜歡tall的咖啡嗎？(上)COFFEE CULTURE-Learn the language you need to order coffee你喜歡tall的咖啡嗎？(下)
  • 2013.12.20 到夏威夷長住PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE-Plan for all the possibilities
  • 2013.12.21
  • 2013.12.23 迪士尼樂園美夢成真之旅WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE-Christmas at Disney World
  • 2013.12.24
  • 2013.12.25 聖誕歌曲教唱 What Child Is This?WHAT CHILD IS THIS?-The answer is in this favorite Christmas song
  • 2013.12.26 金曲天籟歐開合唱團O-KAI-This group captures Taiwan's native spirit in an unexpected way
  • 2013.12.27
  • 2013.12.28
  • 2013.12.30 正向思考力 vs 喬治主義MOVING FORWARD-I chase my dreams east, to Taipei
  • 2013.12.31

2013.01.01.A

Auld lang syne, my dear. For auld lang syne. 
We'll drink a cup of kindness yet for auld lang syne. 
Happy New Year! 
Yes, it is the beginning of a new year. 
And with a new year comes new beginnings. 
You can see some new teachers right here at Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
My name is Carolyn. 
And my name is Nathanael. 
And today we're talking about Resolutions Worth Keeping. 
At the beginning of New Year's, people like to make resolutions. 
And a resolution is something like a goal, something that you resolve to do. 
You want to make some changes, some resolutions for the new year. 
We see a question right here: 
What New Year's resolutions do doctors suggest you make? 
Nathanael, what does this question say about our lesson? 
Well, I think if doctors are making these suggestions, they must be health-related. 
A lot of resolutions are about our own personal health. 
That's right. 
Many people like to make these kinds of resolutions. 
Carolyn, what's a popular New Year's resolution? 
Well, I think a popular New Year's resolution that a lot of people like to make is to lose weight. 
All right. That is a very popular resolution. 
We're going to learn a lot about resolutions doctors are suggesting that we make. 
Let's get started with our first reading for today. 
(Music). 
Resolutions Worth Keeping. 
What New Year's resolutions do doctors suggest you make? 
The start of a new year brings hope - hope for better health, more happiness and greater success. 
New Year's resolutions are a great way to pursue those things by eliminating bad habits and creating good ones. 
But which resolutions should you choose? 
According to a survey of doctors, here are some good ideas: 
Get moving. 
Exercise is one of the most popular New Year's resolutions - and one of the healthiest. 
Exercise helps prevent disease, improves memory, relieves stress and helps you live longer. 
(Music). 
Well, right at the beginning we see in the title "Resolutions Worth Keeping." And right there is our first key word of the New Year. 
It is: resolution. 
A "resolution" is a goal that you have, maybe a change that you want to make especially at the beginning of a new year. 
You could also use the word resolve, R-E-S-O-L-V-E. You "resolve" to do something. 
Well, Nathanael, what is another popular resolution that people make at the New Year? 
Well, this is one that we're actually going to talk about in just a moment. 
But a lot of people think, "I should exercise a little bit more." And maybe these doctors from this article might suggest the same thing to us today. 
I think they are. 
They're suggesting exercise to get moving. 
A resolution that I like, that I heard once is that my brother wanted to start writing an e-mail every day to somebody, 
to get in touch with somebody every day, to maintain contact with people. 
And I think that's a good idea too. 
Well, what resolutions are you going to make this year? 
As we can see, the start of a new year brings hope. 
Carolyn, hope for what? 
Hope for better health, more happiness and greater success. 
So the New Year sounds like a really great time. 
That's right. 
It's a good time to make these resolutions. 
Of course, we all want better health, happiness and greater success. 
We continue on to read: New Year's resolutions are a great way to pursue those things by eliminating bad habits and creating some new ones. 
Well, we see this word here. 
eliminate. 
When you "eliminate" something, you get rid of it. 
You throw it away. 
What kinds of things can you eliminate, Carolyn? 
Well, when I want to eliminate something bad, maybe I'll eliminate watching TV for six hours a day. 
Cut it down to one hour - it would be much better. 
OK. Uh, I hope you weren't really watching six hours of TV every day. 
I know she wasn't. 
But if you do have that bad habit of watching TV too much, maybe you need to eliminate some of that TV watching. 
Just cut it down. 
What other things can you eliminate, Nathanael? 
I think sometimes when players cheat at games, they would be eliminated, especially if it's a very important game or sport like in the Olympics. 
That's right. 
You're eliminated from a race. 
Some reality TV shows also have competitions where there are a lot of people at first, and one by one they are eliminated as people are voted off the show. 
They are eliminated. 
I think I have to go home and eliminate some things for my refrigerator. 
Anyway, you need to eliminate bad habits and create some good ones. 
Well, what are examples of good habits that we should have? 
Carolyn, what's an example of a good habit? 
Well, a good habit would be to eat more fruit and vegetables so that we can have healthier lives. 
OK. Eat more fruit and vegetables. 
Um, I also think of, well, brushing your teeth is a good daily habit to have. 
Of course, that's not a resolution. 
I mean, I think you should be brushing your teeth anyway. 
But what's a good new habit that you can create for this year? 
Which resolution should you choose? 
Well, in our text, according to a survey of doctors, here are some good ideas. 
And what is the first one, Nathanael? 
The first one is to get moving. 
Like we mentioned before, our article says that exercise is one of the most popular New Year's resolutions - and one of the healthiest. 
Everyone needs to get some good exercise. 
That's right. 
I think we all know exercise is important. 
And what kinds of exercise are there? 
Well, I can think of basketball. 
That's a popular sport, and it is good exercise. 
What other kinds of exercise are there? 
Well, I really like to go hiking or jogging and just be out in nature. 
That's right. 
That's a great form of exercise. 
Nathanael, what's your favorite form of exercise? 
Well, what I mostly do is jogging as well. 
If you find a good place to jog, you can even get to a point where you really look forward to going every day even if at first, it's not that exciting or enjoyable. 
That's true. 
At first, sometimes exercise is not enjoyable. 
But keep going. Don't give up. 
It can become more enjoyable. 
Our article says exercise helps prevent disease, improves memory and relieves stress and helps you live longer. 
So these are very important things. 
We want to prevent disease. 
What kinds of diseases are out there? 
Well, lots of people get colds every year. 
Nathanael, what's one way that you can prevent the common cold? 
That's one thing a lot of people talk about. 
And we don't really know the great way to keep from getting a cold, but some people say drink some hot tea with honey. 
I don't know if it really works, but that idea's been out there a long time. 
And hot tea with honey does taste great. 
What else could you do to prevent a disease like this? 
Well, you could eat plenty of vitamin C. 
Your body uses vitamin C to stay healthy and boost your immune system, so. 
Fruits and vegetables have lots of vitamin C. 
That's right. 
So what can you do to prevent diseases? 
Well, of course you could exercise. 
Exercise prevents diseases. 
It improves memory. 
And it definitely relieves stress. 
It makes stress easier to handle. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue by enjoying a review skit. 
It's the start of a new year. 
Yes. And you know what that means. 
More parties, more food, more fun! 
No. New hope - hope for health, happiness and success. 
Yes, that too. 
So you can pursue those hopes by New Year's resolutions. 
Yeah, I guess so. 
Following resolutions helps eliminate bad habits and helps create new ones. 
So I'm writing resolutions that are worth keeping. 
Oh. What do you have so far? 
Get moving. 
That's a popular one. 
And a healthy one; through moderate exercise, walking, swimming and biking, it will keep you healthy. 
Wow, that much? 
Yeah. Plus taking the stairs, not the elevator. 
Oh, my! That won't be easy. 
What else do you have? 
Sleep. 
Sleep seven hours every night. 
That's a waste of time. 
No, it's not. 
Sleep is good for you. 
It reduces blood pressure, stress, and it strengthens your immune system. 
Well, if you say so. 
And doctors say so too! 
Exercise and sleep are important. 
Yeah. Well, good luck keeping your New Year's resolutions. 
It won't be easy. 
Oh, I'm not writing these for me. 
I'm writing them for you! 
Good luck. 
What? 
Oh, no! 
(Music). 
Well, that was a really great little skit about New Year's resolutions. 
Now let's go see what Michelle has for us in the Language Lab. 
Hey, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
Happy New Year! I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.01.B

We're discussing New Year's resolutions today, Resolutions Worth Keeping. 
And some doctors do suggest getting exercise, get moving. 
We want to eliminate bad habits from our lives and create some good ones. 
Well, let's continue to see what else doctors suggest in the next part of our reading. 
(Music). 
Resolutions Worth Keeping. 
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week. 
Plan regular times for activities like walking, swimming, biking or playing sports. 
And don't hesitate to make small changes - even taking the stairs instead of the elevator makes a huge difference. 
Sleep at least seven hours each night. 
Sleep isn't a waste of time; it lowers blood pressure, reduces stress and strengthens your immune system. 
And lack of sleep increases your risk of memory problems, headaches, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. 
Well, those are some big problems that were listed at the end of our reading for today. 
But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are on our side. 
They recommend 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week. 
Moderate exercise. 
What kind of exercise is that? 
Well, "moderate" exercise is not doing too much and also not doing too little, finding a good balance. 
"Exercising in moderation" is another way that we would say this. 
Carolyn, what other things should we do in moderation? 
Well, that's a really great phrase. 
Also, it means to not do too much or too little of something but just enough. 
And my grandmother said to do everything in moderation, including drinking coffee. 
She drank one cup of coffee each morning and lived to be 104 years old. 
Wow! She lived to be 104 drinking one cup of coffee every day? 
I want that kind of coffee. 
Friends, you can do things in moderation - not too much, not too little. 
Maybe you like to play video games. 
Maybe you play video games for many hours every day. 
You know it's not good for you. 
You could do it in moderation. 
Video games aren't bad. 
Computer games aren't bad. 
Actually, they could be good for you, just do it in moderation. 
M-O-D-E-R-A-T-I-O-N, in moderation. 
And doctors suggest we should have moderate exercise five days a week. 
We continue: Plan regular times for activities like walking, swimming, biking or playing sports. 
Sports like what? 
Well, we mentioned basketball before. 
What's another sport that you could play, Nathanael? 
Well, I think one that's popular in Asia is badminton. 
You see a lot of people outside playing badminton. 
And it's a nice game. 
It doesn't always have to be too energetic, but it's a good way to get a little bit of exercise. 
I think it is too. 
And team sports can be a fun way to get exercise. 
You're not alone; you're doing it with other people. 
Let's continue. 
We find: Don't hesitate to make small changes. 
Don't hesitate. 
That means don't stop and pause to think about it. 
You should just go ahead and do it. 
Make small changes - even taking the stairs instead of the elevator makes a huge difference. 
And we see that phrase, make a difference. 
If something is "making a difference," that means your life will be different after you do it. 
What could make a difference in your life? 
Carolyn, what makes a difference? 
Well, I think that smiling can really make a difference in the way people think about you. 
If you smile a lot, then people will feel comfortable and feel good around you. 
And they'll smile, too. 
I think so too, Carolyn. 
Smiling is contagious. 
Attitudes can be contagious. 
Nathanael, what else makes a difference? 
I think what you believe in makes a big difference about how you live your life and your attitude towards other people. 
What do you believe in? 
Think about that, and it will change your life. 
That's right. 
It does make a difference. 
And we see another word here, huge. 
Taking the stairs instead of the elevator can make a "huge" difference in the way that you feel at the end of the day. 
Well, I think we're going to spend some time with Steve and Ken right now in something new called the Information Cloud. 
Let's go join them. 
Hey, guys. 
Hey. 
Hi, teachers. 
Hello, teachers. 
Our lesson today mentions taking the stairs instead of the elevator. 
Now I know what an elevator is. 
But there's another device called an escalator. 
How are they different? 
Well, Ken, both "elevate" and "escalate" mean to move upward. 
So they have that in common. 
But an escalator is a moving staircase. 
You'll often see escalators in department stores and metro stations. 
So an escalator is open-air whereas an elevator is enclosed? 
That's right. 
Now there's another device that looks like an escalator, but instead of moving up and down, it moves flat along the ground. 
Do you know what that's called? 
Yes. It's called a moving sidewalk or moving walkway. 
You often see moving sidewalks in airports. 
If you have a lot of heavy luggage and a far distance to walk, then those moving sidewalks could save you a lot of energy. 
Or if you're in a hurry to get to a gate, you can use it to accelerate your pace. 
So is the moving sidewalk a recent invention, Steve? 
Well, actually Ken, the first moving sidewalks were introduced at Chicago's 1893 Columbian Exposition, where they transported over 31,000 passengers per hour. 
1893? Wow! That's over a century old. 
Yep. It's almost as old as the elevator. 
The first electric elevator was built in 1880. 
Interesting. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Yes, friends, remember the difference between elevators, escalators and things like moving sidewalks. 
Well, let's continue. 
We see our next tip is sleep at least seven hours each night. 
The sentence begins with "Sleep isn't a waste of time." But Nathanael, why would we need to say that sleep isn't a waste of time? 
I think sometimes people think that sleeping doesn't let you get some things done. 
You can't get work done when you're sleeping, but it does give you a lot of energy for the next day when you need to do your work again. 
So it's not a waste of time. 
Of course it's not a waste of time. 
It lowers blood pressure, reduces stress and strengthens your immune system. 
Well, right here we see this word "reduce." And you saw another word earlier in today's lesson - relieve. 
Well, how are these words different? 
You can reduce something by making it less. 
Relieving something makes it easier to handle. 
So you reduce blood pressure or lower your blood pressure. 
And you relieve something like stress. 
You can relieve stress. 
And we see a key word here as well. 
We see the word "strengthen." Carolyn, can you tell us about this word "strengthen"? 
Sure. 
The word "strengthen" means to make something stronger, more powerful. 
So if you strengthen your immune system, then you make your body stronger, and you're better able to fight disease. 
That's right. 
And you should strengthen things by sleeping, by exercising. 
You can strengthen your muscles by going to the gym. 
Let's continue on. 
We find a lack of sleep increases your risk of memory problems, headaches, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. 
These are horrible problems I hope that none of you have. 
But we want to try to stay away from these things and avoid them. 
But let's not avoid learning more about how we can improve our health every day. 
We can learn something else right now with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Let's get back to teachers. 
Well, today we've discussed two different ways that you can make New Year's resolutions for your health. 
You could get moving and have moderate exercise. 
Or you could get more sleep to strengthen your immune system. 
Nathanael, which do you think would be more likely for you to do? 
Well, you know, there are some busy weeks where it seems like it would be difficult to get a half an hour of exercise every day. 
But usually, I think 30 minutes can be found every day to give to exercise. 
Oh, great. 
So you would go for moderate exercise in your schedule. 
What about you, Gabe? 
Would you go for exercise or sleep? 
Well, the thing is I want sleep more, but I think it's probably more possible for me to fit in 30 minutes of exercise every day. 
And that actually might help me to sleep better. 
Well, I would certainly like to get some more sleep to make my immune system stronger. 
So I would probably go to bed a little bit earlier each night. 
What about you? 
Which one would you like to choose? 
Well, we also have a few more suggestions that doctors have for New Year's resolutions. 
And we hope that you will join us again on Studio Classroom to learnmore about those. Goodbye.

2013.01.02.A

Hello, hello, hello. 
And welcome to Studio Classroom. 
I am your teacher Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're continuing a lesson called Resolutions Worth Keeping. 
Last night, or this New Year, did you make any resolutions? 
And are you keeping them? 
Well, yesterday we talked about a couple of resolutions doctors are suggesting that we make. 
Nathanael, what was the first thing they suggested? 
The first tip yesterday was to get moving. 
And if you remember, get moving refers to exercise - 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week. 
Moderate exercise, not too much, not too little. 
That's right. 
And also remember to drink that one cup of coffee every day in moderation just like Carolyn's grandmother did to live to be 104. 
Carolyn, what was the second tip that doctors gave us? 
Well, they also suggested that we sleep at least seven hours each night to help strengthen our immune system. 
All right. So we have some good tips so far, and we've got more for you today. 
Let's get started with our first reading. 
(Music). 
Resolutions Worth Keeping. 
Watch your numbers. 
According to the World Health Organization's 2008 report, 29.5 percent of men and 25.6 percent of women in mainland China had high blood pressure. 
However, most of them didn't know it. 
Not knowing your blood pressure and cholesterol levels can be destructive to your health. 
That's because both of these numbers have been linked to dangerous medical conditions. 
Visit your doctor regularly to check on them, and ask whether you should monitor them at home as well. 
Eat more whole grains. 
Replace refined carbohydrates like white rice and pasta with whole grains like whole-wheat pasta, brown rice and whole-grain bread. 
This will lessen your risk of disease, improve your digestion and help control your weight. 
Well, the first tip that we see here is watch your numbers. 
And we see an organization here. 
Carolyn, if I said "WHO," would you know what I'm talking about? 
I would know exactly what you were talking about. 
You are referring to the World Health Organization, the WHO. 
So sometimes we can take a long name of an organization and make it short by just saying the first letter of each word. 
That's right. 
The World Health Organization, many people just say: WHO. 
So according to the World Health Organization's 2008 report, 
29.5 percent of men and 25.6 percent of women in mainland China had high blood pressure. 
And we see these numbers in percentages: 29.5 and 25.6. 
Nathanael, is there another way that we can talk about the amount of something? 
Well, that is over a quarter of China. 
A quarter of China would be 25 percent. 
Both of these numbers are over 25 percent. 
So that's over a quarter. 
That's right. 
That's another way to say it: a quarter of something, or a fourth. 
29.5 percent, 25.6. 
That's a little bit over a quarter. 
So there are different ways to talks... to talk about the amounts of numbers or things in English. 
Continuing on: However, most of them didn't know it. 
So most of these people didn't know it. 
Not knowing your blood pressure and cholesterol levels can be destructive to your health. 
Well, let's talk about that Word Bank word there. 
It is "destructive." This means that it is not good for you. 
It will destroy something inside of you. 
It is destructive. 
What else can be destructive, Carolyn? 
Well, destructive means to destroy. 
So I think of maybe an earthquake strikes, and it destroys buildings. 
It can be very destructive. 
That's right. 
Earthquakes are destructive. 
They have been very destructive in history. 
What other things can be destructive? 
Well, a bad attitude can be destructive to your relationships. 
If you don't treat other people well, you're not going to have a good relationship with them. 
That's a great point. 
A bad attitude could be destructive. 
I think of people's words - our words can be destructive. 
They can tear other people down. 
It doesn't feel good when people say destructive things to you. 
We should try to stay... to say costructive things. 
C-O-N-S-T-R-U-C-T-I-V-E, constructive; not destructive. 
So of course, some things can be destructive to our health as well like a high blood pressure and a cholesterol level that's not good. 
And in your magazine, you can actually find out more details about that. 
So open your magazine and read that side column about blood pressure and cholesterol. 
Well, continuing on. 
This is because both of these numbers have been linked to dangerous medical conditions. 
So visit your doctor regularly to check on them and ask whether you should monitor them at home as well. 
I see that word "monitor." Nathanael, can you tell us a little bit about this word? 
Yeah. "Monitor" here means to check up on something, to keep a careful eye on it to watch it closely. 
So these numbers are things that we need to watch. 
If they go up, we should probably make sure that we're doing something to change those numbers and let them go down. 
That's right. 
So monitor them; check on them. 
You also use this word to talk about your computer screen - it's your monitor. 
So this word communicates something that you can see and check on. 
Well, Carolyn, what is our next tip for today? 
Our next tip is to eat more whole grains, which I think sounds like a great idea. 
It says replace refined carbohydrates like white rice and pasta with whole grains. 
And that is a really great idea because these refined carbohydrates really aren't good for us. 
I agree, although I do think that I probably eat a lot of refined carbohydrates a little more than I should. 
Maybe I should replace some with whole grains like whole-wheat pasta, brown rice and whole-grain bread. 
Carolyn, do you eat foods like this? 
I try to eat as many whole grains as possible, like whole-grain bread, brown rice. 
Those are very good things for your diet. 
I think so too. 
Well, we find out that this will lessen your risk of disease. 
You see that word there "lessen." And it's kind of easy to remember what it means. 
It means to make something less, not more but less. 
It sounds like the word "lesson" - like an English lesson. 
We're having an English lesson right now. 
But it's spelled a little differently, L-E-S-S-E-N. 
What other things could you lessen, Nathanael? 
You know, sometimes I go shopping for clothes, and I buy a pair of pants that I really like. 
But they're a little long. 
So I'll have their length lessened so that they will fit me well. 
OK. So yeah, make it a little bit shorter. 
Well, other things could be lessened. 
You could lessen the amount of time that you spend online. 
You could lessen the amount of time that you do something that maybe you should spend less time doing. 
So lessen the amount of something. 
Well, let's continue. 
You can lessen your risk of disease, improve your digestion and help control your weight. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something new in the Info Cloud with Steve and Ken. 
Hey, guys. 
Hey! 
Hi. 
Our lesson today says we should eat more whole grains so we can control our weight. 
Steve, I'm just wondering, what other things can we control besides weight? 
Well, we can control lots of things. 
If you're the captain of a ship, for example, you can control your ship and crew. 
Now Ken, I know you're a father, so I'm sure you have some experience trying to control your son. 
Believe me, I have. 
But what about something that isn't physical, are there any that we can control? 
Sure. 
If you have a bad temper, you should control your temper. 
If you like to gossip, maybe you should control your tongue. 
Control my tongue? 
Doesn't that mean control what I eat? 
Not here, it doesn't. 
When you control your tongue, you watch what you say. 
You don't say bad things to hurt others. 
I see. 
So, to review, we can control something physical like the ship or a child. 
We can also control something that isn't physical like our temper. 
Right. But what's most important is we should control ourselves. 
If you have self-control, you don't need anyone to control you. 
That's a good point. 
(Chinese). 
Well, thank you, Steve and Ken. 
Yes, that's very important advice. 
Self-control is very important to have. 
But let's get some English advice from Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hey! 
Hi, Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.02.B

Well, we're back in Studio Classroom. 
And we've been talking about some more tips for health-related resolutions. 
First one we talked about today was to watch your numbers. 
What numbers were those? 
Your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers. 
Make sure those are under control. 
But it's also important to eat more whole grains and less refined carbohydrates. 
Well, we have one more tip yet to come. 
Let's look at the second reading for today. 
(Music). 
Resolutions Worth Keeping. 
Spend time with family and friends. 
Having close relationships with your loved ones isn't just an enjoyable experience. 
It also means you'll be less likely to suffer from colds, depression and problems related to aging. 
Work quality time with your family into your schedule, like any other appointment. 
Eat dinner together, play games and have real, sincere conversations. 
Healthy relationships will make you healthier - body and soul. 
(Music). 
Our last tip is spend time with family and friends. 
This is a great tip to end the day with. 
I love this tip. 
It begins: Having close relationships with your loved ones isn't just an enjoyable experience. 
I see a phrase there: "loved ones." Nathanael, what are your loved ones? 
Not "what" are my loved ones but "who" are my loved ones. 
Of course, they are the people that... that I love. 
People in my family and close friends I would refer to as my loved ones. 
All right. Those are your loved ones. 
Well, when you think about your loved ones, who do you think about? 
Do you think about some family members? 
Which friends do you think about when you think about your loved ones? 
Use that phrase in English sometime. 
Let's continue. 
It also means you'll be less likely to suffer from colds, depression and problems related to aging. 
So it's important to spend time with your loved ones, especially if you want to avoid problems like this one here - depression. 
If you have "depression," that means you are sad but not just for a short time. 
Some people have depression for a long time. 
How else can you use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, if you aren't feeling very happy, you might say that "Oh, I'm really depressed today." I'm really sad. 
And I don't feel very good. 
I don't really want to spend time with people. 
But it's very important to spend time with your family and friends, your loved ones, so that you don't suffer from depression. 
That's right. 
Nathanael, can you think of any other ways to avoid problems like depression? 
Well, I think that actually things like exercise that we've already talked about can help you in that way too. 
When you feel depressed, you just don't feel like doing much. 
But if you go out and spend some energy on some exercise or maybe doing some things with friends, in this case, that will help you get out of depression. 
That's right. You can get out of depression. 
We hope you don't sink into depression. 
Often we hear that phrase, "to sink into depression." That means you're going down into depression. 
So don't sink into depression. 
Make sure you're spending time with people that you love, exercising, doing things like this. 
Let's continue. 
Work quality time with your family into your schedule, like any other appointment. 
I like that. 
And that's a good word to know, appointment. 
You make an appointment. 
That means you set a time apart to do something. 
How can you use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, you might need to go to see a doctor, and you should make a doctor appointment. 
Maybe you need to get glasses, so you should make an appointment with your eye doctor. 
OK. So you can go to the doctor, make a doctor's appointment. 
You can make a dentist's appointment. 
Um, how is this word "appointment" different from a date, Nathanael? 
Yeah. They are different things. 
When you go on a date, you're not making an appointment. 
Nope. 
We would not call a date an appointment. 
An appointment maybe is to get some more information or to get something done, not to get to know someone like you are in a date. 
That's right. 
So an appointment seems a little more official. 
A date should be more casual. 
I think of romance when I think of a date. 
I don't think of romance at all when I think of an appointment. 
Well, friends, we do have more to learn right now with Liz at the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We've been talking about resolutions that are worth keeping. 
We see this sentence: Work quality time with your family into your schedule. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the sentence pattern: to work A into B. 
It means to make or find time in B for A. 
In the case of today's sentence, we're talking about making sure that in your schedule, there's time to be with your family. 
We normally use this sentence pattern when there is a busy schedule, and we want to find time to do something extra. 
For example: The doctor is busy in the morning, but he can work you into his afternoon schedule. 
Or: The magician's performance was worked into the program at the last minute. 
That's all the time we have for today. 
Remember to keep practicing your English. 
And even if you're busy, try the word ten minutes of practice time into your busy schedule. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Goodbye. 
Thanks, Liz. 
And speaking of needing to work something into your schedule, I remember a time when I was so busy that I had to make an appointment with my sister, 
and work her into my schedule because she had some of my mail, and I was just too easy to get it from her. 
Have you ever had something like that happened to you, Gabe? 
Well, not that I can remember. 
But I do think that is quite a unique thing to do because usually you think of your sister or brother as somebody that you don't have to make an appointment for, 
but it seems like you were really busy at this time. 
It was really, really a very busy time in my life. 
And I'm glad that I was able to work time with my loved ones into my schedule. 
It's a very important thing to do. 
That's right. 
So there's different things that you could work into your schedule. 
Maybe you don't think you have time for exercise now. 
But you might be able to work it into your schedule like Nathanael was talking about before. 
Well, let's continue. 
Eat dinner together, play games and have real, sincere conversations. 
Nathanael, do you like to have sincere conversations? 
I love to have sincere conversations. 
It's one of my favorite things to do. 
When you're sincere, you're being meaningful, and what you say is honest. 
What you say is true about yourself. 
That's a sincere conversation. 
Well, I appreciate sincere conversations as well. 
And I also like this tip - to play games. 
Actually this makes me think of Jeremy Lin. 
Many people look up to Jeremy Lin as a wonderful basketball player. 
Actually when he was younger, his dad would spend time with him, he would play basketball with him. 
And I think that made a huge difference in his life, in his basketball skills and the way that he saw himself. 
His own dad would spend time doing what he loved. 
I think that's what makes a difference. 
So play games, have meaningful conversations. 
And our last sentence here is: Healthy relationships will make you healthier - body and soul. 
Carolyn, what does that mean "body and soul"? 
Well, "body and soul" means it's not just good for your physical body, but it's also good for your soul - what is inside you, the thing that makes you you. 
And you just feel really good and much better about yourself. 
It's true. 
These things can make us healthier, body and soul. 
Well, let's continue right now. 
We have more to learn with Michelle at the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to teachers. 
That's the end of our first article for this year. 
And I think it's been kind of inspiring. 
Carolyn, do you think that you're going to have any resolutions this year? 
Yes! In fact, I really want to read more. 
I think that I really need to read the Bible every day, and that will help to strengthen my spiritual life. 
Well, that is a good resolution to have. 
You can be better healthier, body and soul, for sure. 
When I think of a resolution for this year, I know I need to get more exercise. 
I know I need to get more sleep. 
I think I'm going to resolve to exercise four days a week this year. 
And uh, I also resolve to keep my resolution... I hope. 
Nathanael, what about you? 
What kind of resolutions will you make this year? 
Well, one thing that I really enjoy doing is writing, but sometimes I just don't find the time to do it. 
So maybe I'll try to write a certain amount every week. 
Whether it's one project or another, I'll try to do that every week. 
Well, we hope this lesson has been inspiring for you too. 
What resolution are you going to make in this New Year? 
Well, we'll see you next time on Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye.

2013.01.03.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
Thank you for joining us for today. 
Our lesson is about Snow. 
Now many of us have seen snow. 
Maybe you haven't ever seen snow in your life, but you're going to learn a little bit about it today. 
Well, different memories come to my mind when I think of snow. 
I think of growing up. 
Well, I didn't grow up around snow, but I got to see it sometimes. 
And when I did, we would make little snowmen. 
Nathanael, what did you do in the snow? 
Well, I do remember when I was little, I got to play in the snow some. 
And one of my favorite things to do was to go sledding. 
You slide down the hill on a board, and that's called sledding. 
Carolyn, what about you? 
What kinds of things did you do in the snow? 
Did you grow up around snow every winter? 
Well, West Virginia does get snow sometimes in the winter. 
And it can be so much fun because sometimes you'll have snow days. 
And you don't have to go to school because there's so much snow. 
And then you get to go outside and build snowman and play. 
It's a lot of fun. 
It is a lot of fun. 
It can be fun to play in the snow. 
Well, our author has written a very good article today. 
Let's get right into our first reading. 
Snow. 
Cool facts about snow. 
What is 15 inches wide, eight inches thick and made of billions of water molecules? 
If you guessed the world's largest snowflake, you are right! 
Most snowflakes are very small and are less than half an inch wide. 
However, a snowstorm in Fort Keogh, Montana, on January 28, 1887, produced this record 15-inch snowflake. 
While some parts of the world never see snow, the white stuff permanently coffers about 10 percent of the earth's surface. 
For snow to fall, the temperature must stay very cold. 
Snow forms when the water inside the cloud freezes. 
(Music). 
We're talking about cool facts about snow. 
The first sentence here is: What is 15 inches wide, eight inches thick and made of billions of water molecules? 
I like that question. 
It kind of reminds me of a riddle that I learned when I was younger. 
"What is," a lot of riddles start with these two words. 
What is something and something else and something else. 
Like this: 
If I asked you guys, "What is black and white and red all over?" what would you say, Nathanael? 
I would say an angry zebra. 
OK, an angry "zeba..." zebra. Good. 
Definitely black and white and red all over because he's angry. 
What about you Carolyn? 
What would you say? 
I would say a newspaper that someone has written on in red pen. 
Ah, a newspaper someone has written on in red pen. 
Or even if you've just read the newspaper, it's "read" all over. 
Or what about an... an embarrassed penguin? 
A blushing penguin could be black and white and red all over. 
So you have this question: What is black and white and red all over? 
Think of some other English riddles that begin with this question. 
Well, it's kind of a riddle or kind of a question here at the beginning. 
The question is: What is 15 inches wide, eight inches thick and made of billions of water molecules? 
We're going to talk about that word right there. 
It is "billion." That is a very large number. 
It is a "1"... a "1" with how many zeros behind it, Nathanael? 
That's a "1" with nine zeros behind it, quite a few zeros. 
It's 1,000,000,000. 
1,000,000,000 is a billion. 
Well, how else could you use this word "billion"? 
As you can see here, it has an S, "billions" of water molecules. 
That means we don't know how many billion, but there are many billions of water molecules. 
I also think of a billionaire, B-I-L-L-I-O-N-A-I-R-E. 
And Carolyn, what is a billionaire? 
Well, a billionaire is someone who has a billion dollars, or at least a billion. 
Maybe he has two billion dollars; or she has three billion dollars. 
That would make them both billionaires. 
Billionaires. 
Well, maybe one day we can be billionaires. 
Or, I know at least we have billions of water molecules inside of our bodies. 
That should count for something. 
Well, Carolyn how else would you use this word "billion"? 
Well, the world also has billions of people in it. 
There are over six billion people in the world. 
Yes, there are billions of people on the planet. 
Well, back to our question. 
What is 15 inches wide, eight inches thick and made of billions of water molecules, Nathanael? 
Actually, the next sentence is the answer to this riddle. 
If you guessed the world's largest snowflake, you are right! 
The answer is the world's largest snowflake. 
And that is a huge snowflake! 
Most snowflakes are very small and are less than half an inch wide. 
But where was this enormous, huge, big snowflakes found, Carolyn? 
Well, we see that this giant snowflake, however, a snowstorm in Fort Keogh, Montana, on January 28, 1887, produced this record 15-inch snowflake. 
So in Montana in the United States, they had a big snowstorm; and there was a record-sized snowflake. 
A "record" snowflake. 
And we see this word "record." Usually I see it as a verb, to record something. 
You are writing it down, or you're remembering somehow. 
This is a record-sized snowflake. 
And where might you find some records in the world, Carolyn? 
Well, you might look in the Guinness Book of World Records. 
It's a large book filled with all sorts of records, everything from sky diving to food and snowflakes. 
Nathanael, do you kow of any world record holders? 
Yes, actually I do. 
Just a couple months ago, Felix Baumgartner had the quickest, the most fast free fall, or fall, ever for a human being. 
He jumped with a parachute and dived 24.5 miles to the earth. 
That is pretty incredible. 
That is quite a record. 
Well, as you can see, there are many different records in the world. 
It's the most of something. 
And people recorded it in this book - The Guinness Book of World Records. 
Well, this 15-inch snowflake, that seems kind of scary. 
Would you like to have been there when it fell down from the sky? 
I think it would have been very, very scary because a 15-inch snowflake is about as big as my board. 
Right. 
You... you'd be afraid of it may be falling on your head. 
And you know, you don't know how heavy it is. 
Maybe it could have killed you, who knows? 
Anyways, it's a 15-inch snowflake, which is a big snowflake. 
Continuing on. 
While some parts of the world never see snow, the white stuff permanently covers about 10 percent of the earth's surface. 
We see another word there from the Word Bank - permanently. 
Nathanael, what does this word mean? 
Well, if something is "permanent," it will not change. 
It's this way, and it will stay that way. 
It will stay that way permanently. 
I think of maybe living in a place for a long time. 
I live here permanently. 
I go to other places for vacation, but I live here permanently. 
Well, continuing on. 
For snow to fall, the temperature must stay very cold. 
So the temperature is permanently very cold. 
We see this word here, "temperature." It's also from the Word Bank. 
And that is how hot or cold something is. 
How could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, you want to make sure the temperature in your fridge, or your refrigerator, stays pretty cold so that your food doesn't go bad. 
You're right about that. 
You want to make sure the temperature is just right. 
If the temperature rises, it gets hotter. 
If the temperature drops or falls, it gets colder. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn something with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
So we're talking about Snow in today's article. 
And here's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
For snow to fall, the temperature must stay very cold. 
Another way to say this is: The temperature must stay very cold for snow to fall. 
However, the writer wants to put the attention on snow. 
So it appears at the beginning of the sentence. 
Notice the pattern in today's sentence, there are two parts. 
Part A: For something to happen. 
And Part B: Something else must happen. 
Basically, A cannot happen unless there is B. 
Here are some examples. 
For Mary to make her special cake, there must be something important to celebrate. 
Or: For the package to not be late, you must mail it before tomorrow. 
That's all the time we have for today. 
Keep up the good work. 
Remember, for your English to improve, you must practice regularly. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Bye-bye. 
Thanks for that, Liz. 
Well, did you ever wonder where snow actually comes from? 
The next sentence of the article tells us. 
Snow forms, or snow is made, when the water inside the cloud freezes. 
Snow comes from clouds in freezing temperatures. 
All right. 
Let's go to the Language Lab, and see what Michelle has to say to us today. 
Hi, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
(Music). 
(Chinese).

2013.01.03.B

We've been talking about Snow today. 
Of course, you already learned that there was a record 15-inch snowflake that fell in Montana over a century ago. 
And of course, snowflakes are formed in the clouds at freezing temperatures. 
Well, we have more to learn. 
So let's get started with our second reading for today. 
Snow. 
Snowflakes are groups of ice crystals that fall from a cloud. 
Many people believe that every snowflake is unique. 
However, scientists have discovered two snowflakes that look exactly the same. 
In addition, snow is not really white - it's clear! 
Different factors in the environment can also make the snow look blue, green, yellow or even pink! 
With all of the different colors and designs, snow really is a work of art! 
Well, snowflakes certainly do sound beautiful with all the different colors they can be. 
Now if we look at the beginning of our reading, we see that snowflakes are groups of ice crystals that fall from a cloud. 
So snow falls down from a cloud in crystal form. 
And many people believe every snowflake is unique. 
And "unique" means that something is very special, and there is nothing else like it. 
But, oh, Nathanael, in the next sentence, what do scientists say about snowflakes? 
Well, scientists have discovered two snowflakes that look exactly the same. 
Two... we usually think of snowflakes as being all different, all being unique. 
But in this case, it sounds like actually there's a snowflake that is just like another. 
Oh, man. 
A snowflake that is just like another? 
So we are going to have to start thinking about snowflakes in a different way. 
We used to be able to compare humans with snowflakes. 
Everyone is unique. 
Now we know that snowflakes aren't all unique. 
Well, we continue. 
In addition, snow is not really white - it's clear! 
And we see those words there, "in addition;" in addition to something. 
You could also say "also" or "moreover." There's different words to use there - in addition. 
I could say I've got lots of homework tonight. 
I've got science homework. 
In addition, I've got math homework, English homework. 
I have lots of homework. 
How else could you use this phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, I could say that my sister really likes to play tennis. 
In addition, she likes to play basketball. 
So she like many different kinds of sports. 
In addition, she likes to play basketball. 
Well, what about you, Nathaniel? 
In addition. 
Oh. I had a long day yesterday. 
I worked 12 hours; and then I had to help my friend move to a different house. 
In addition, you had to help your friend move to a different house. 
Well, how would you use this phrase, "in addition"? 
Try it today. 
We find that snow is not actually white, it's clear. 
It's kind of surprising. 
Nathanael, what color do you think of when you think of snow? 
Well, I almost always think of white. 
Sometimes I see dirty snow that's brown or gray or black, but almost always white. 
Right. So do I. 
I think we usually think of snow as being white. 
But why is it clear, Carolyn? 
Well, in the article we see that different factors in the environment can also make the snow look blue, green, yellow or even pink! 
So different factors or different things that happen in the environment around the snow can make it change colors. 
But usually, there isn't anything to change the color. 
And it just looks white when all of those crystals come together. 
That's true, that beautiful white. 
Well, we continue on. 
With all of the different colors and designs, snow really is a work of art! 
I like those words there from the Word Bank: work of art. 
A work of art - that's kind of a cool expression to talk about something that is beautiful or well-designed, a work of art. 
What comes to your mind when you think of this phrase, a work of art, Nathanael? 
Well, this is kind of an interesting phrase. 
It says "work." And I think of maybe a writer who has written many different works. 
Sometimes we can say that. 
They're all works of art. 
Hmm, they're all works of art. 
I've been to Yosemite National Park a couple of times. 
I always love talking about Yosemite. 
I think the... the landscape there, the mountains, the rocks, everything there is a work of art. 
Because I believe someone created it so it's a work of art. 
Carolyn, what about you? 
How do you use this phrase? 
Well, I also think about creation when I hear this phrase. 
And I think of people being a work of art because each person is beautiful and unique. 
They are their own individual work of art. 
And of course as we can see, snowflakes truly are a work of art. 
And so was this article, quite a work of art. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Here we go. 
Hey, guys. 
Hey. 
Hi. 
So snowflakes, what do you think of them, Steve? 
I think they're beautiful and very unique, like our lesson says. 
But Ken, let's talk about another kind of snowflake. 
You know, a person might be called a snowflake sometimes. 
Oh, yeah, as in: Leslie thinks she's a unique snowflake, but she is just like everybody else. 
That's right. 
That's an informal usage of snowflake, which refers to someone who thinks they're unique, but they're actually quite ordinary. 
And we often say it with a sarcastic tone of voice. 
Now there's another word, "flake," but that has a different meaning, doesn't it? 
That does have a different meaning. 
A flake is an unreliable person. 
If someone agrees to do something but never follows through, then you might call that person a flake. 
So if Mary says she's going to be a volunteer at the charity this weekend, and she never shows up, then Mary would be... 
A real flake. 
Or a flaky person. 
Yes. "Flaky" is the adjective form of flake. 
So anyone who is unreliable, careless or lazy, you can describe that person as flaky. 
In other words, someone who doesn't keep their word. 
They might tell you that they'll meet you somewhere and show up an hour late! 
Or maybe they don't show up at all. 
But Ken, we need to remind the students that these are all informal expressions, and we should avoid using them in formal situations. 
Good reminder! 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, it's true. 
There are many different kinds of flakes. 
I really enjoyed learning about flaky people. 
Do you ever use those words, Nathanael, a flaky person? 
Uh, I don't say "flaky person" very often, but you know what I do say. 
I have corn flakes almost every day for breakfast. 
That's another use of that word "flake." Yes. There is a cereal called corn flakes. 
I personally like frosted corn flakes a little better. 
Do you like corn flakes? 
I do like corn flakes. 
And usually I have corn flakes with maybe some fruit or some nuts. 
And it's quite tasty! 
All right. Well, there's lots of different kinds of flakes out there. 
Right now it's time for us to join someone who is not a flake. 
Her name is Michelle, in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And back to you, teachers. 
We've learned a couple of cool facts about snow today. 
And I just wanted to point your attention to the fact that there are more things you can learn about snow in your magazine. 
There are some snow words that you could know. 
Carolyn also mentioned one earlier. 
At the very beginning of our lesson, you said something about snow days. 
What are snow days? 
Oh. A snow day is when there's so much snow on the ground that it's too dangerous to drive, so they have to cancel school, and you can stay home. 
And many times they also cancel work. 
So everyone gets to stay at home together and enjoy some time with your family, and maybe play out in the snow, build a snowman, something like that. 
Well, it seems like snow days can actually be a little bit of fun. 
I would probably sit home and watch a movie and drink some hot chocolate on a snow day. 
Well, today we also talked about the fact that no two snowflakes are alike, 
except that some scientists have discovered there are two snowflakes at least that are alike. 
Nathanael, how is this different from humans? 
Well, every person is different. 
Every person is unique. 
And if someone tells you you're just the same as everyone else, don't believe them. 
Everyone is special. 
That doesn't make them the same. 
That's right. 
So people used to be able to compare snowflakes to people, but now we can't. 
People indeed are all unique. 
Well, thank you for joining us today in our lesson about Snow. 
And we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
Bye-bye.

2013.01.04.A

Hey everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
Hi. I'm Carolyn. 
Hello. I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad that you could join us for today for our lesson called BrainPOP. 
Now you see that word "pop" here. 
Many things go pop. 
When I think of the word "pop," I think of popcorn. 
It's a great thing to eat. 
What do you think of, Carolyn, when you think of the word "pop"? 
Well, popcorn is a really good snack, Gabe. 
But when I think of "pop," I think of a balloon, and someone coming along and popping it. 
Oh. That's good. 
OK. Nathanael, what about you? 
What comes to your mind when you think of the word "pop"? 
you know, I think of soda pop. 
Sometimes we call Coke or Sprite, something like that, we call that pop. 
That's right. 
And friends, if you are learning something new, if you just learned something new, sometimes your brain goes... pop! 
We're talking about this educational program online BrainPOP.com. 
Let's get started with our first reading for today. 
(Music). 
BrainPOP. 
Making education fun. 
Pediatrician Avraham Kadar faced the challenge of explaining complex medical concepts to children he was treating. 
But, in 1999, he found a solution, and teachers have been reaping the benefits ever since. 
Kadar created BrainPOP, an educational program consisting of brief animated videos in which a man named Tim and his robot friend Moby discuss various subjects. 
The videos fall into seven categories: engineering and technology, science, social studies, English, math, health, and arts and music. 
They cover over 500 topics, from historical figures to recent inventions, fostering interest in the subjects through humor and illustrations. 
BrainPOP's materials also include quizzes, activities, answers to questions and extra information about each topic. 
(Music). 
Well, BrainPOP does sound very interesting. 
And as we can see, it was started by a man named Avraham Kadar, a pediatrician Avraham Kadar. 
Now a pediatrician is a children's doctor. 
Carolyn, do you know of any pediatricians? 
Actually, Gabe, I do know a pediatrician very well because my mom works for a pediatrician. 
You mom works for a pediatrician? 
Yes. 
So then your mom gets to see children all the time. 
Yeah. Everyday they come into the office and she helps them sign in to see the doctor. 
Well, that sounds like kind of a fun job. 
I think your mom maybe has a similar heart as Avraham Kardar. 
He wants to see children grow and improve. 
And it says here that he faced the challenge of explaining complex medical concepts to the children that he was treating. 
Now when you "face a challenge," that means something difficult is about to happen, and you maybe don't want to do it but you go ahead and try. 
You face the challenge. 
Nathanael, have you ever faced a challenge? 
Yeah. I grew up in Asia, and when I went back to studying in university in the United States, I faced a challenge going back there didn't feel like home. 
It was a big challenge. 
All right. That would be a big challenge. 
Well, continuing on we find that in 1999, Avraham Kadar found a solution, and teachers have been reaping the benefits ever since. 
We see this Word Bank word - reap. 
And this makes me think of like a... a field that you can harvest. 
A field with maybe wheats or other grains, and you "reap" these things. 
Usually the things are good, you can reap the benefits. 
What else can you reap, Carolyn? 
Well, we think about reaping consequences in a more negative idea. 
And that means that you get punished for something that you do. 
OK. That's right. 
So you talk about reaping benefits, reaping consequences. 
How else can you use this word, Nathanael? 
Well, like you mentioned, we could say something like the farmers were reaping their rice for the season, something like that. 
OK. So there're different things that you can reap in life. 
And there's a common phrase: you reap what you sow. 
That means be careful what you decide to do because you will either have benefits or consequences from what you did. 
You reap what you sow. 
Well, Kadar created BrainPOP, an educational program consisting of brief animated videos. 
We see this phrase "consist of..." You can use this phrase in different ways. 
Um, when I'm baking cookies, which I rarely do, that consists of using flour and eggs and other things. 
It consists of those things. 
How else can you use this phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, consist, I think of my room consists of a bed and a desk and a chair. 
OK. It consists of these different things. 
Well, let's continue right now. 
It says this educational program consists of brief animated videos in which a man named Tim and his robot friend Moby discuss various objects. 
I want to get to know Tim and Moby. 
Let's watch a video about BrainPOP right now. 
Hello, everybody. 
I'm Tim, this is my pal Moby, and we're here to tell you all about BrainPOP. 
BrainPOP features hundreds of animated movies, interactive quizzes, and activities for grades 3 and up. 
Our resources are used in schools, at home, or on the go! 
Teachers like us because we cover tons of subjects from across their curriculums. 
(Background Noise). 
Well, not to brag or anything, but we're used in thousands of schools worldwide and we get millions of visits from kids each month. 
We've even won a bunch of educational awards and been proven effective in a science-based research study! 
Yeah, but don't let your head get too big. 
Moby and I have been around since 1999, when BrainPOP was founded. 
And the family's grown quite a bit since then! 
Well, Moby, I don't think you should let your head get too big, but I do think you have something to be proud of there at BrainPOP. 
Well, continuing on we see the videos fall into seven categories. 
That is an interesting phrase. 
If something "falls into" a category, um, does this mean that these videos are actually falling, Nathanael? 
No, no. They're not falling, but they do fit into different types or categories, which are listed right here. 
All right. 
There are many different categories. 
And one of them is engineering. 
We have technology, science, social studies, English, math, health, and arts and music. 
OK. Wow! That is a lot. 
And they cover over 500 topics from historical figures to recent inventions. 
Well, we see that word "historical." And I think Ken and Steve want to talk about that a little bit more. 
Let's go and join them in the Info Cloud. 
Hi, teachers. 
Ken, can you name a historical figure? 
A historical figure... hmm, how about Abraham Lincoln? 
Good one. 
Now I'll name one too. 
My great grandfather. 
Your great grandfather? 
What famous thing did he accomplish? 
Well, nothing that I know of, but he is unmistakably a historical figure. That, I'm sure of. 
OK. I can see where you're going with this one. 
A historical figure is someone who existed in the past. 
It doesn't really matter if the person is important or not. 
We might speak of a minor historical character that few people know of. 
Exactly. 
"Historical" also refers to anything concerned with history or the study of the past. 
You can write a historical novel today. 
It wouldn't be very old when it's published. 
But since it's concerned with history, we call it a historical novel. 
Why don't we look at another word - historic. 
How are "historic" and "historical" different? 
Hmm, good question. 
"Historic" refers to what is important in history. 
For example, we talk about Neil Armstrong's historic trip to the moon. 
"Historic" is also used for what is famous or interesting because of its association with persons or events in history. 
For example, the White House is a historic house. 
So historic and historical have distinct meanings? 
Strictly speaking, yes. 
But these words are often used interchangeably. 
For example, we may speak of historic times or historical times. 
Good point. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
Well, now you know the difference between historical and historic. 
Back to the lesson: These videos cover 500 topics fostering interest in the subjects through humor and illustrations. 
We see that Word Bank word there - to "foster" something means to help it to grow or develop. 
What kinds of things can you foster, Carolyn? 
Well, you know, Gabe, I really like animals. 
So when I think of foster, I think of fostering an animal that doesn't have a home. 
OK. So you can foster an animal that doesn't have a home. 
If you're fostering an animal, does that mean you plan to keep it forever? 
No. You keep it for a short amount of time until someone else is willing to adopt it. 
That's right. 
Well, what else can you foster, Nathanael? 
I think a teacher fosters growth in the classroom so that their students can get more knowledge from the class. 
All right. Well, you can use this word "foster" in different ways. 
I want to take a listen to what Liz at the Grammar Gym has to say. 
Hi there, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We've been talking about BrainPOP and how they cover over 500 topics, 
from historical figures to recent inventions, fostering interest in the subjects through humor and illustrations. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
There are two parts to this sentence. 
Part one: They cover over 500 topics from historical figures to recent inventions. 
And this leads to part two: ... fostering interest in the subjects through humor and illustrations. 
You can use this pattern when you have a situation, and this makes another situation happen. 
Just remember, the verb in part two has an "-ING" ending. 
For example, instead of saying, "The bus had a flat tire. This made everyone late to work." you can change this to: 
The bus had a flat tire making everyone late to work. 
Or: There was a big accident downtown. This created a traffic jam. 
This becomes: There was a big accident downtown, creating a traffic jam. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
Bye-bye. 
Thanks, Liz. 
Well, moving on in our magazine. 
BrainPOP's materials also include quizzes, activities, answers to questions and extra information about each topic. 
Nathanael, have you had a chance to check out BrainPOP? 
Yeah. I went there last night. 
I'm a big Shakespeare fan; and they had a video on William Shakespeare, so I did everything on that list about him. 
Well, I don't like taking quizzes. 
Um, is this quiz about Shakespeare interesting? 
You should try the BrainPOP quizzes. 
They're actually pretty fun. 
Wait, a fun quiz? 
We should check out BrainPOP. 
Well, I think that Michelle is waiting for us in the Language Lab right now. 
Let's go and listen to what she has to say. 
Hi, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.04.B

Hi, and welcome back. 
Today we've been talking about this really great educational website called BrainPOP - to give your brain a little pop with information. 
And it has over 500 different topics that you can learn new things about. 
Well, let's continue on with our second reading for today and learn some more about this really great site. 
(Music). 
BrainPOP. 
BrainPOP can be used in the classroom or at home through the Internet, and it is now accessible everywhere through its apps for mobile devices. 
BrainPOP also provides resources for different groups: 
BrainPOP Jr. for younger students, BrainPOP Espanol for Spanish speakers and BrainPOP ESL for those learning English. 
Almost 20 percent of American schools have embraced BrainPOP, and its popularity is growing worldwide. 
Its website, apps and products have won multiple awards from magazines, websites and other organizations. 
Well, as we see, BrainPOP can be used in the classroom or at home through the Internet, 
and it is now accessible everywhere through its apps for mobile devices. 
We see that Word Bank word "accessible" right there. 
If something is accessible, that means you can get it easily. 
Well, Nathanael, how else can we use this word "accessible"? 
I think of books that are written for children but that adults also enjoy, and we could call those children's books accessible for adults also. 
All right. So that's a kind of different meaning or way to use this word "accessible." You can use that word in different ways. 
How else can you use the word "accessible," Carolyn? 
Well, usually I think of something being handicap accessible, which means someone who is in a wheelchair can easily use, say, an elevator. 
OK, so handicap accessible, something that is accessible or easily used for people who are handicap. 
I also think of maybe a room and the front door is not accessible, but you can get in through the back door. 
It is accessible through the back door. 
There are different ways you can use this word accessible. 
So these things are accessible everywhere through its apps for mobile devices. 
When I think of an app, I think of Angry Birds, or a fun game like that that I can play on my iPod. 
What kinds of things do you guys think of? 
Well, my... probably my most useful app is my Chinese dictionary app. 
Mmhm. That sounds pretty useful. 
What other kinds of apps are there? 
I think of Google maps. 
They can show you where you're going or where you can go in your nearby area. 
OK. So there's lots of different kinds of apps. 
I'm sure if you have a smartphone, there's plenty of apps on it. 
Well, continuing on. 
BrainPOP also provides resources for different groups: 
BrainPOP Jr. for younger students, BrainPOP Espanol for Spanish speakers and BrainPOP ESL for those who are learning English. 
Carolyn, do you know anything about BrainPOP ESL or BrainPOP Espanol? 
Well, I don't know much about BrainPOP Espanol, but ESL, I did check out that site. 
And it's very fun. 
Really? 
Yeah. I did the Level Two English. 
So not too hard, not too easy, but you can play a lot of really fun games and help Moby achieve different goals. 
Interesting. 
You can help this nice, friendly robot to achieve some of his goals. 
Well, you can check out many different things at BrainPOP. 
It is useful for many different kinds of uh, learners, different language learners as well, as you can see. 
Also, almost 20 percent of American schools have embraced BrainPOP. 
Wait a minute. 
Almost 20 percent. 
That is a pretty big amount of schools that has really embraced BrainPOP. 
And we see that this key word "embrace" is something that schools are doing. 
When you embrace something, that means you... you hold onto it, you like it a lot and you are allowing it to change you. 
How else can you use that word "embrace," Nathanael? 
Well, you could even say that two people embraced. 
It just means that they gave each other a hug. 
OK. So two people embrace. 
Um, I think of like maybe embracing change, embracing something that's not easy to embrace. 
Often change is not easy to embrace, but we need to learn how to embrace things like change. 
Or... or maybe to embrace our own weaknesses. 
Right? What else can you embrace? 
Well, I think of embracing yourself. 
So accepting yourself for who you are and understanding that you are you. 
OK. You are you, so embrace yourself. 
So of course, you can embrace positive things and negative things. 
They can also be good in some ways. 
Now we can embrace BrainPOP like many schools are doing. 
And its popularity is growing worldwide. 
So how is its popularity growing worldwide, Carolyn? 
Well, it sounds like people are using it all over the world, so it's not just in one area. 
That's right. So lots of different learners, lots of different people from different cultures are embracing and learning from BrainPOP. 
Its website, apps and products have won multiple awards from magazines, websites and other organizations. 
Well, it sounds like BrainPOP is pretty successful. 
I think Michelle has something else she wants to share with us right now. 
Let's go to the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
And back to you, teachers. 
Well, we found out a lot about BrainPOP today. 
Pediatrician Avraham Kadar has created a great website, and it's a great tool for many people around the world. 
And it's very educational as an award-winning tool, many people have used it. 
And it makes me think, it makes me wonder, what other things in technology, what other technological advances have been used to educate ourselves? 
Carolyn, what other things have you used to educate yourself? 
Well, when I travel in the morning going to work, I really like to listen to educational podcasts on my MP3 player. 
OK. So what kinds of things do you listen to on your podcasts? 
Well, right now my favorite podcast is Stuff You Should Know. 
And they cover a very large amount of topics. 
Interesting. 
Well, what about you, Nathanael? 
How do you use technology to educate yourself? 
You know, I've been reading books on my Kindle. 
And on the Kindle, you can see the meaning of any word in the book on the very same screen. 
So I always try to find out what every word means that I don't understand yet. 
Well, there are so many different forms of technology. 
I personally like to watch YouTube videos to learn new dance moves... sometimes. 
Well, we've learned a lot about BrainPOP today. 
And we have more to learn tomorrow, so we will see you then. 
(Music).

2013.01.05.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
I'm your teacher Gabe. 
Hi. I'm Carolyn. 
Good to see you again. 
I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad you could be here. 
We're continuing to learn about BrainPOP. 
Yesterday we learned about a man named Avraham Kadar. 
And he created this genius website that really has helped a lot of people to learn about many different things - BrainPOP. 
And it makes me think about interesting classes that I have had. 
Different teachers in the past have found ways to make class interesting. 
Carolyn, what's one interesting class that you have taken? 
Well, I really like literature classes. 
And probably my most interesting one was called Appalachian Literature, 
which dealt with a lot of the literature written by people from the area known as Appalachia. 
Wow! That sounds really interesting. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
Have you taken any interesting classes? 
Well, I've had some really interesting literature classes too, Carolyn. 
But I also took a class about movies. 
It was called Introduction to Film. 
And I really liked it. 
Well, I think that we've all had some interesting classes. 
And BrainPOP has a way of making everything interesting. 
Let's learn more about BrainPOP right now. 
(Music). 
BrainPOP. 
Why BrainPOP? 
The reason for BrainPOP's popularity among teachers is simple: It works. 
A 2009 study conducted by SEG Research compared students who used BrainPOP to those who didn't. 
The BrainPOP users experienced more improvement in vocabulary, reading comprehension, language skills and science than the other students. 
And the benefits of BrainPOP are not limited to native English speakers. 
One award-winning Canadian school with students from many linguistic backgrounds makes BrainPOP available to all its teachers. 
(Music). 
Hey, everyone. 
Well, of course our lesson starts out with a question: Why BrainPOP? 
I think what they want to know is why is BrainPOP so popular. 
Carolyn, why is BrainPOP so popular? 
Very simple. 
It works. 
It is very simple - It works. 
And we see those two words: it works. 
If something works, that means you know that you've tried it and you don't need to spend too much more time on it because it's a good idea, it works. 
How else might you use that word, something "works" or it "worked"? 
One thing that sometimes we do say is we look at someone and see what they're wearing and say: 
Oh. That really works. 
It looks good together. 
Your shirt matches your pants... something like that. 
The outfit works. 
OK. The outfit works. 
How else can you use this word? 
Well, a lot of times my friends will suggest: Oh. Well, why don't we go eat dinner here? 
And I will say: Oh. That works. 
"That works." So that idea works. 
There's different ways you can use this word. 
Play with this word works. 
So the reason that BrainPOP is so popular is because - all together now - It works. 
And a 2009 study conducted by SEG research compared students who used BrainPOP with those who didn't. 
And we see this Word Bank word: conducted. 
If you "conduct" something, that means you are organizing it, you are leading it. 
You are the... the main leader in doing something. 
You are conducting it. 
How else can you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, I like to play music and sing. 
And so usually you have someone who conducts the music for you. 
OK. So you can conduct an orchestra or a choir. 
What else could you conduct? 
Maybe a university would conduct some research on some kind of subject. 
A university conducted some research on nuclear energy. 
All right. 
They conducted research. 
Maybe they conducted a survey. 
And as we can see, SEG research conducted some kind of study about BrainPOP. 
And it compared students who used BrainPOP with those who didn't. 
The BrainPOP users experienced more improvement in vocabulary, reading comprehension, language skills and science than the other students. 
Wow! That's not a little improvement. 
That is a big difference. 
And we see that Word Bank word: comprehension. 
That means a thorough understanding of something. 
So how else might you be able to use this word? 
Well, a lot of times when we're learning something, we think of our listening comprehension and whether or not we understand what people are saying to us. 
Yes, yes. Of course I understand that. 
I did comprehend that. 
Thank you for testing my listening comprehension. 
Did you get that? 
So you can test reading comprehension, listening comprehension. 
This word makes me think of another word - comprehensive. 
Nathanael, how are these words different, comprehension and comprehensive? 
The meanings are pretty different. 
"Comprehensive" is about a lot of things or about all of the things of a certain topic. 
"Comprehension" this means to understand. 
So be careful how you use the two words. 
OK. They are different words, even though they are similar. 
So people who used BrainPOP can find out that they actually did better in vocabulary, 
reading comprehension, language skills and science than other students. 
And the benefits of BrainPOP are not limited to native English speakers. 
We can see those words - something is "not limited to" something else. 
That means that you can use it in different ways. 
It's not just for one certain group of people. 
Uh, you can say something like this class is for kids but it's not limited to kids; everybody is welcome. 
Absolutely. 
Or if you're going to a restaurant, there might be certain meals on the menu that you could say: 
These meals are limited to children. 
But everything is available to everyone. 
So it's not just limited to children. 
And we could also say that where we work is not limited only to regular employees but also possibly interns that are just there for a short time. 
Great. 
Or maybe in your math class, your teacher says you are not limited to using a pencil to solve your problems. 
You can use a calculator as well. 
So practice using those words, "not limited to" something. 
Right now I think Steve and Ken are waiting for us at the Info Cloud. 
Let's say Hi to them. 
Hey, guys. 
Hi. 
Hey, Steve. 
You're a native English speaker, aren't you? 
I sure am, Ken. 
I grew up speaking English, so that makes me a native English speaker. 
How about you? 
Are you a native English speaker, Ken? 
No. I'm a native Chinese speaker. 
I grew up speaking Chinese. 
And that's my mother tongue. 
Now when you say "mother tongue," you don't mean the language spoken by your mother, right? 
Ah, good question, Steve. 
One's mother tongue doesn't necessarily mean that it is the language of one's mother. 
The word "mother" can mean origin as in mother country or motherland. 
So your mother tongue is the language you learned as a child at home from your parents. 
It is also called your first language or native language. 
So you learned English as a second language. 
That's right. 
I was an ESL student when I moved to America as a child. 
OK. So let's go back to the word "native." I'm a native English speaker. 
I'm also native to America. 
Anyone born in America is native to America. 
Now does that make you a Native American then? 
No, it doesn't. 
A Native American is an American Indian. 
Native Americans are now a minority people in the United States. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
Well, the benefits of BrainPOP are not limited to native English speakers. 
One award-winning Canadian school with students from many linguistic backgrounds makes BrainPOP available to all its teachers. 
It sounds like a pretty cool idea. 
Well, Nathanael, can you tell us a little bit about that word "linguistic"? 
Yeah. Linguistic has to do with language. 
Language, so this is language backgrounds, people with different language backgrounds. 
However, we also say the word "linguistics." What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, linguistic and linguistics - with an S on the end - are a little bit different. 
Linguistics is the study of language. 
OK. So the study of a language whereas linguistic, without the S, is an adjective that has to do with... with language in general. 
So if you are studying about different languages or the sounds of different languages, how they're used, that is linguistics, right? 
Right. Absolutely. So you are studying the field of linguistics. 
And you learn about people with different linguistic backgrounds, probably. 
Interesting. That's right. 
So we're talking about linguistic backgrounds. 
You can use that word "background" in different ways too. 
Of course, what you see behind me is the background. 
But what's another way you could use that word "background," Nathanael? 
We have different kinds of backgrounds too, our language background and our cultural background. 
All right. 
So you can talk about someone's cultural background, linguistic background, maybe your musical backgrounds. 
Lots of different backgrounds to talk about. 
Well, Michelle is waiting for us in the Language Lab, so let's go and say Hi to her right now. 
Hey, Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.05.B

We're back here at Studio Classroom. 
And we have been talking about BrainPOP. 
Yesterday we talked about BrainPOP, what it is. 
And I'm sure you know that it's an online educational service with many videos. 
But today we're talking about why we should use BrainPOP. 
And the first thing that we said was what? 
That it worked! 
It worked. 
Studies show that it works for students, and not only native English speakers but other language speakers as well. 
Let's read more today and go into the second reading. 
(Music). 
BrainPOP. 
They find it helpful because it integrates pictures into its presentations instead of relying solely on language. 
Similarly, a school in the U.S. for students with learning disabilities has found BrainPOP very effective at keeping students engaged and encouraging them to participate. 
Teachers said that BrainPOP's quick pace and humor helps students ignore distractions and continue to focus. 
The kids love the character Moby, a robot that cannot speak but communicates with facial expressions and beeps. 
Teachers think this may be because the students can relate to the robot's limitations. 
For more than 10 years, BrainPOP's fun, clear and educational materials have helped students learn - and enjoy it. 
(Music). 
Well, before the break we found that an award-winning Canadian school is making BrainPOP available to all of its teachers. 
They find it helpful because it integrates pictures into its presentations instead of relying solely on language. 
You see those words. 
When you "rely solely on" something, that means you only use that thing. 
It's the most important thing. 
You don't use anything else. 
You rely solely on something. 
How else can you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
I think about doing group projects, and you should not rely solely on your partner. 
When you're working on a group project, you have to do some of the work yourself too. 
That's true. 
And of course, if you're the one doing most of the work, it's important that they're not relying solely on you. 
How else do you use this phrase? 
Well, you could also say that to wake up in the morning, I rely solely on my alarm clock, or I rely solely on my mom to call me and wake me up. 
Nice. So there's different ways to wake up in the morning. 
Maybe you shouldn't rely solely on one thing. 
You can also switch those words around: to solely rely on something. 
It means the same thing, solely rely on something or rely solely on something. 
And of course, if you are learning something in class, maybe it's not good to solely rely on a textbook or on language, but you can use something like BrainPOP. 
Similarly, a school in the U.S. for students with learning disabilities has found BrainPOP very effective at keeping students engaged and encouraging them to participate. 
Well, many different people are benefiting from BrainPOP, this award-winning Canadian school and a school in the U.S. for kids with learning disabilities. 
What's a learning disability, Nathanael? 
Well, there are several different things that are considered learning disabilities. 
It's something that keeps students from learning as well as other students. 
But they'll all problems that students can overcome. 
One that I think of is ADHD where students have problems paying attention to what is said in class. 
All right. 
ADHD is an example. 
Maybe dyslexia, where you sometimes confuse words or get them mixed up when you're reading. 
Um, actually yeah, BrainPOP keeps students engaged. 
So I can imagine that really helps students with ADHD. 
It keeps them engaged. 
And if you have... if you are a teacher and you want students to participate, 
sometimes you know, it's not that easy to get students to participate, to really want to join in. 
Have you ever had an experience like that where it's difficult to get people to participate? 
Sure, all the time really. 
Like if you want to have an activity, and people aren't very excited about it, it can be a little difficult to convince them to join you. 
Right. It can. 
That could be quite a challenge to face. 
You want people to participate in something that you are leading. 
And of course, BrainPOP is helping people to do that. 
Students are engaged, and they're encouraged to participate. 
Well, we have another video to watch right now about BrainPOP. 
I think it's starring our friends Tim and Moby. 
Alright, Moby, where do you want to go? 
(Background Noise). 
OK, science! 
Here are BrainPOP's science units, but you can also browse through all of our individual science topics at once. 
Let's see... How about Dinosaurs? 
This is a topic page, where you'll find a movie and its related features... 
(Background Noise). 
Keep your shirt on, I am getting to the movie already. 
To watch the movie, you can just click on it. 
Or, you can use the "full-screen" button, which is neat! 
This is especially helpful if you're watching BrainPOP with a whole class, like on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector. 
Yup, you can also turn on closed captioning, and read along! 
While you're watching a movie, you can pause at any time to start a discussion or just have the class jot down some notes. 
By the way, you don't need to download or install anything to use BrainPOP. 
As long as you have the free Flash Player installed in your computer - and you probably already do - it'll play automatically! 
(Background Noise). 
Right. Every movie has a quiz that goes with it. 
You can take the quiz before the movie, to see what everyone knows already, or afterward, to see waht everyone's learned. 
Well, that was a cool little video. 
You can learn a lot with Tim and Moby at BrainPOP. 
And teachers said that BrainPOP's quick pace and humor help students ignore distractions and continue to focus. 
Well, "distractions," that is one of our big words today, a Word Bank word. 
A distraction, something that takes your attention away from where it needs to be. 
How else can you use that word, Nathanael? 
Distractions... well, I think Carolyn seemed a little distracted during that last little bit that you said. 
What were you thinking about, Carolyn? 
Really, Carolyn? 
Well, sorry. I was... I was just thinking about what I was going to do when I got home today. 
Hmm? What? What did you say? 
I am sorry. I was a little bit distracted with a text message on my phone. 
Did you say something important? 
Oh, no. No, not at all. No. 
Don't worry about it, Gabe. 
It's fine. 
Well, we seem to be very distracted today, you and I. 
Nathanael, are you distracted by anything? 
No. I am very focused. 
Ah, good! 
The opposite of being distracted - very focused. 
Of course, you want people to focus when you are teaching; and BrainPOP can help with that. 
If there are a lot of distractions, you want to get rid of them. 
So the kids love the character Moby. 
You just saw Moby, a robot that can not speak but communicates with facial expressions and beeps. 
Facial expressions... what kinds of facial expressions are there, Nathanael? 
Well, sometimes you have an expression when you can't think of something or when you're a little confused... maybe that's an example? 
That's good. 
You just looked confused. 
What's another example of a facial expression? 
Well, I like to smile because smiling means that you're very happy. 
And if you're not happy, you might frown. 
Hmm, or become really angry. 
Well, there are so many different facial expressions. 
And people think that this may be because the students can relate to the robot's limitations. 
For more than 10 years, BrainPOP's fun, clear and educational materials have helped students learn - and not only learn, but also enjoy it. 
Well, we're going to enjoy some time with Michelle right now. 
(Chinese). 
Back to you, teachers. 
For the past two days, we've been learning about BrainPOP, a wonderful educational website that really makes learning fun, 
and can help us not be so distracted during class. 
Did you ever have a really fun class, Nathanael? 
I did have an interesting English class in high school. 
My teacher always wanted us to sit in a circle together so everyone could see all the other students and the teacher. 
And we would discuss the material that way. 
Wow! That sounds like a really great way to make learning even more fun. 
What about you, Gabe? 
Sometimes my teachers would have us do role play. 
That means we would act like different characters; and that would help us to learn the subject even better. 
And of course, I like acting, so. 
That was a lot of fun. 
Um, what are some ways that you made interesting... or made learning fun? 
Well, I think that when I'm learning Chinese, it's really fun for me to take on a new activity and learn it in Chinese, so. 
I really liked to learn Tai-Chi in... completely in Chinese. 
OK. So now you know all the terms that you need to know for Tai-Chi? 
Right. 
That's great. 
Well, that's a great way to learn a new language. 
Anybody who's learning English out there with Studio Classroom, of course you can try the same thing. 
Practice using English terms for your favorite activities. 
Well, we've learned a lot about BrainPOP, and it has been fun. 
And we hope to see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.01.07.A

Hey, hey, hey. 
Welcome the Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Teacher Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad you could join us for today. 
Our lesson is called January. 
Yes, of course, we're in the month of January. 
We see something here at the very beginning. 
If you open your magazine, there is a sentence. 
Shakespeare wrote in The Winter's Tale "that blast of January would blow you through and through." Well, I like Shakespeare. 
And I know that my friends here like Shakespeare. 
What is Shakespeare known for, Nathanael? 
Well, of course, Shakespearean is known for writing plays. 
He has a lot of great plays; some of them are very sad, but some of them are quite funny too. 
They are. 
I can think of Romeo and Juliet; most people know about Romeo and Juliet. 
What comes to mind when you think of Shakespeare, Carolyn? 
Well, I also think of Hamlet is another great play that he wrote, but also kind of sad one. 
It's a pretty sad one. 
He wrote plays. 
He wrote some poetry, lots of different things. 
Well, we have this quote from him, it's about January. 
And today's lesson is all about January, special things in January. 
So without any further ado, let's get into the reading for today. 
(Music). 
January. 
Shakespeare wrote in The Winter's Tale "that blast of January would blow you through and through". 
J - Japanese New Year, Shogatsu, is celebrated from January 1 to 3. 
During Japan's most important holiday, businesses close and families gather together. 
A - American National Pie Day is celebrated on January 23! 
Around since the ancient Egyptians, pies evolved over the centuries into the dessert Americans eat today. 
In fact, pies have become so American that the expression "as American as apple pie" can be widely heard. 
N - The northern hemisphere experiences its coldest time of year. 
Ice and snow cover the land in many places, and blizzards turn the air white. 
Many animals sleep day and night, hibernating until spring. 
In contrast, the southern hemisphere experiences its warmest time. 
Well, we see here in our lesson something called an acrostic. 
You can see that the letters of the word "January" are the beginning of sentences. 
So "J" is Japanese New Year. 
"A" is American National Pie. 
"N" - the northern hemisphere. 
These letters make up an acrostic. 
This is kind of a literary device or a tool that people can use to help you remember something. 
And just for fun, I came up with an acrostic for Carolyn's name. 
Are you ready, Carolyn? 
I am ready. 
I really want to know what you came up with for my name. 
OK. So Carolyn's name is spelled C-A-R-O-L-Y-N. 
Here is my acrostic. OK. 
Caring, 
Awesome, 
Really Octopus-Loving, 
Yes, I'm cool, 
Now. 
How did... how did you like that, Carolyn? 
That... that was a pretty interesting acrostic, Gabe. 
And actually, I have one for you too. 
Oh, cool! 
Yes! OK. So here... here's your name, Gabe. 
Gabe is spelled G-A-B-E. 
So his is... 
Gentleman, 
Agreeable, 
Blessed, 
and Energetic. 
Oh. That's so sweet. 
That was really nice, Carolyn. 
I like your acrostic. 
And um, I hope you like that I put "Octopus-Loving" in there because I know you like animals. 
I do! And actually, I really like octopus, so. 
That's very appropriate. 
Awesome! Cool! 
Awesome caring, awesome Carolyn. 
Excellent. 
And of course, Nathanael, we can come up with an acrostic for you as well. 
What do you think? 
I think my name is maybe a little bit long for an acrostic right now. 
That's OK. 
We'll think of one. 
So "January," you can use this word to make an acrostic. 
We found out Japanese New Year, Shogatsu, is celebrated from January 1 through 3. 
And during Japan's most important holiday, businesses close and families get together. 
Now Nathanael, do you know anything about Shogatsu? 
I really don't know much about this holiday. 
I've only been to Japan's airports. 
I'd never really been in the country, so I don't know anything about their New Year. 
OK. So they have a pretty unique New Year. 
Actually, I don't know much about it either. 
Carolyn, have you been to Japan to celebrate Shogatsu? 
Well, I have been to Japan, but it was in the summer. 
So I missed Japanese New Year at the beginning of January. 
But it sounds like a really great holiday to celebrate in Japan. 
Well, I say we find some time at New Year's to go to Japan and celebrate Shogatsu. 
That way, we can know more about this. 
Well, we have another letter here. 
What is the next letter here, Nathanael? 
Well, of course, it is "A," the second letter of January. 
And what the line says is: American National Pie Day is celebrated on January 23. 
OK. January 23, American National... wait. 
American National Pie? 
Well, that sounds great, and it sounds delicious. 
We find: Around since the ancient Egyptians, pies evolved over the centuries into the dessert Americans eat today. 
Well, I want to talk about that word "evolve." When I think about the word "evolve," sometimes I think about evolution, 
which is the science that teaches that we came from other creatures like monkeys and things like that. 
But how does this word "evolve" differ from the word "evolution," Carolyn? 
Well, here "evolve" means to change from one thing to another over a slow process. 
And "evolution" is more the science of how to evolve. 
And here we're talking about pie, not animals. 
That's right. 
So it is a little bit different. 
And we see, of course, you can use this word "evolve" in different ways. 
Um, a pie can evolve - so it used to look one way but now it's made in a different way. 
Um, I think of computers. 
Computers have evolved since they were first invented. 
The Apple computer used to look a lot different before then it does now. 
It has evolved. 
What else evolves? 
Of course, we do think about the times changing. 
The times can evolve and history being very different for each part of time in history that we have experienced. 
OK, so things evolve. 
And we continue on. 
In fact, pies have become so American that the expression "as American as apple pie" can be widely heard. 
I think right now it's time for us to enjoy some time with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
Hey, guys. 
Hi, teachers. 
Ken, what do you think of when you hear the word "America"? 
America... Hmm, I think of baseball. 
I know you're a big fan of Major League Baseball. 
And baseball is indeed a symbol of American culture. 
In fact, if you'd like to describe something that's typically American, you can say that it is as American as baseball. 
Or as American as apple pie! 
Hmm, apple pie. 
Yes, apple pie is American. 
It's also a very popular phrase - as American as apple pie. 
Even though apple pies come from Europe, and the pies aren't as popular in America as they once were, 
but apple pie is probably the earliest symbol of American culture. 
This phrase comes into existence in the 1920s and 30s, and really took off in the early 40s during World War II. 
Of course, there are many other things that represent American culture. 
Hot dog is one. 
And Chevrolet, which is an American automaker. 
Yes! The Chevrolet Corvette is one of my favorite cars. 
And you can't get any more American than that. 
You know, Ken, that car makes me proud to be an American. 
I bet it does. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, Steve and Ken. 
I love those guys. OK. 
The third letter of January is "N," which stands for the northern hemisphere experiences its coldest time of year. 
OK. Here's a word: hemisphere. 
We need to talk about this word "hemisphere." Northern hemisphere, there're also southern hemispheres, western, eastern. 
Carolyn, what exactly does this "hemisphere" mean? 
Well, hemisphere, the first part of the word is "hemi." "Hemi-" means half. 
And "sphere" means part of a circle like a circular object, like a ball. 
So "hemisphere" means half of a sphere or half of a 3-D circle. 
OK. So this, of course, is talking about the top half of the world. 
And going on in this letter we see: Ice and snow cover the land in many places in the northern hemisphere, and blizzards turn the air white. 
Gabe, have you ever seen a blizzard before? 
Uh, not really, I've never been in a blizzard. 
That seems kind of scary. 
It's a snowstorm. 
I haven't been in a blizzard yet... maybe one day. 
We find out something else about the northern hemisphere. 
Many animals sleep day and night, hibernating until spring. 
We see another key word here: hibernate. 
Some animals hibernate. 
And what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Hibernate means that you sleep for a... a long period of time, so. 
Some animals that hibernate are bears. 
And they sleep for up to six months in the winter. 
OK. So animals like bears can hibernate. 
But can humans hibernate, Nathanael? 
I don't think so. 
Usually we just sleep a few hours at a time, though I think I've had some roommates who seem like they hibernate. 
They're always sleeping. 
Yes. Some people seem like they are hibernating. 
We find: In contrast, the southern hemisphere experiences its warmest time. 
And there's that phrase: in contrast. 
That means you're comparing one thing to another. 
You could use this sentence like this: 
Yesterday's weather was great. 
In contrast, today it's really rainy. 
How else could you use this phrase? 
Well, I could say that my hair is blonde, and my eyes are blue. 
In contrast, my sister's hair is brown and her eyes are green. 
All right, in contrast. 
Well, right now it's time for us to spend some time with Michelle. 
I think she's waiting for us in the Language Lab. 
Let's all say Hello to Michelle. 
Hello, Michelle! 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.07.B

We've been using "January" in an acrostic in today's lesson. 
Let's continue to see what the letters U, A, R, Y stand for. 
(Music). 
January. 
U - The undying love of a mother is symbolized by the pink carnation. 
Also known as dianthus and pinks, carnations of all colors claim the honor of being January's flower. 
A - Australia Day on January 26 marks the British First Fleet's landing at Sydney Cove in 1788. 
R - Roman ruler Pompilius added January and February to the calendar in about 700 B.C., making it 12 months long. 
Y - Yellow and red are just two colors of the garnet - January's birth gemstone! 
The word "garnet" comes from pomergranate in Latin because scientists said the crystals resembled pomegranate seeds. 
And there you have it - JANUARY in a nutshell! 
Well, let's look at that letter "U." The undying love of a mother is symbolized by the pink carnation. 
Undying love. 
I like that phrase, undying love. 
You could also say undying affection. 
And underlying, that just means it never stops, it never ceases, it never dies. 
It's true, a mother's love never dies. 
Thanks, Mom. 
OK, continuing on. 
Also known as dianthus and pinks, carnations of all colors claim the honor of being January's flower. 
So what is January's flower? 
That's right, a carnation. 
Carolyn, can you tell us about the letter A? 
Well, "A" is for Australia Day, and January 26 marks when the British First Fleet first landed at Sydney Cove in 1788. 
Now Nathanael, what can you tell me about this British First Fleet? 
Yeah. The British First Fleet was when Britain, or England, took ships to Australia for the first time, and people started to live in Australia. 
So the British First Fleet were these first ships that went to Australia. 
Let's move on to the next letter, R. 
This letter stands for the Roman ruler - two R's there - Pompilius, a very fun name. 
And he added January and February to the calendar in about 700 B.C., a very long time ago, making it 12 months long. 
Can you imagine a year with only ten months, Gabe? 
I can't imagine a year with only ten months. 
I'm only used to living with 12 months every year! 
But I guess that's what they were used to. 
Now I don't know much about Pompilius, but I know that he was the second king of Rome. 
And he contributed a lot, of course, to society and things that we use today, including the calendar. 
Well, let's move on. 
The last letter, Y. 
Yellow and red are just two colors of the garnet - January's birth gemstone. 
We see a Word Bank word there: gemstone. 
Carolyn, can you tell us about gemstones? 
Well, a gemstone is a precious stone that can be used for jewelry or different things. 
And each month has its own gemstone. 
Mmhm. Each month has its own gemstone. 
Uh, I also see the word "gem" here in this compound word. 
"Gem" can also just be used to talk about jewelry. 
There is a precious gem or gemstone. 
I was born in the month of July. 
I think my gemstone is ruby. 
Do either of you know your birth stones or gemstones? 
Yeah... don't... don't ask me. 
Let... let's continue on with uh... with this article. 
The word "garnet" comes from pomegranate in Latin because scientists said the crystals resembled pomegranate seeds. 
Maybe you've had pomegranate before. 
Their seeds are red, and the meat of the fruit is around the seeds. 
Is that right? 
That is right. 
And a garnet is quite similar in size and shape to a pomegranate seed. 
Hmm, so they're pretty small. 
Well, it seems like a nice gymstone. 
If you're born in January, now you know how to talk about your favorite gemstone, or your month's gemstone. 
And there you have it - JANUARY in a nutshell! 
Those three words: in a nutshell, some of our Word Bank words. 
It's kind of an idiom. 
And you can see a picture in our magazine of a finger pointing down at a nutshell and January. 
Usually when we say something "in a nutshell," that just means we're talking about it briefly. 
There's so much more we could say about it, but there it is in a nutshell. 
Right now we need to spend some time with Liz at the Grammar Gym. 
Hi, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
The writer of today's article ends with this sentence: 
And there you have it - JANUARY in a nutshell. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Notice the phrase at the beginning of the sentence, and there you have it. 
This phrase is an expression that native speakers use to mean: That's it, or that's all that can be said about something. 
So "there you have it" is an informal way to tell people that they now have all the necessary information about something. 
In other words, as a speaker, you're done talking. 
This expression is most often used in informal situations, especially at the end of a speech, 
or when you want to give a conclusion or ending to a discussion. 
For example, if you're finishing up a speech, you can say: 
And there you have it - the five reasons why we should protect the environment. 
Or, if you're trying to promote something: And there you have it - why everyone should own this new product. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
Bye-bye. 
Well, there you have it. 
Thanks, Liz, for that. 
And now let's go see what Michelle has for us today in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to teachers. 
Well, we've learned just a little bit about January, January in a nutshell. 
Gabe, do you know anything else about the month of January? 
Oh, man, do I know anything else about January? 
Um, not... yes, I do. 
Yes, I do. 
This is very important, especially in my family, because my brother Luke was born in January - January 29. 
So Happy Early Birthday, Luke. 
That's what I know about January. 
Um, Nathanael, what can you tell us about January? 
Well, if you remember, Pompilius, the Roman ruler, started January in the calendar. 
And he named January after a Roman god of gates and discovery - Janus, or Janus. 
So yeah, that's where January - the name - came from. 
Interesting. 
Well, a lot of this stuff came from things from a long time ago. 
Well, there you have it - January in a nutshell. 
Remember to use that phrase sometime today. 
And I think that's all the time we have. 
We will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
See you later. 
(Music).

2013.01.08.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
I'm your teacher Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
It's about time Studio Classroom started, right? 
Well, that's the name of today's lesson: It's About Time. 
It's about time. 
Well, I think that we have a little story today, or the beginning of a story. 
For these next couple of lessons, we're going to be joining a professor throughout his story. 
And the story is all about what, Carolyn? 
What is the story all about? 
It's all about time. 
As we can see in the title of today's article - it's all about time. 
How do you like to spend your time, Nathanael? 
Oh. Well, there are different things I'd like to do. 
I like reading, I like running a little bit, and I like watching some movies. 
But it's always nice to have good conversations with friends also. 
That is a great way to spend time. 
Well, how do you spend your time? 
We hope that you are spending your time right now watching Studio Classroom, and that you continue to spend time with us throughout the lesson. 
We have a good story for you. 
Right now let's get started with the story. 
(Music). 
It's About Time. 
Who doesn't need a little extra time? 
The professor always tried so hard. 
No question about that. 
He had tons of brilliant ideas - but they never worked. 
Time after time, he would dream up an amazing idea that was sure to change the world - and then it didn't. 
"The professor is going to change the world?" people joked. 
"He couldn't change a light bulb. 
He couldn't even change the channel on the TV!" The professor ignored all the jokes people made. 
He wasn't about to give up. 
He knew that he was just ahead of his time. 
Well, it sounds like the professor might be having a little bit of trouble finding time. 
And we see right here in the title of our article - It's about time. 
And when we say "It's about time," what do we mean, Nathanael? 
Well, "it's about time" is kind of a funny phrase. 
You might just think, OK well, they're talking about time... about time. 
But actually, you use that phrase when something finally happens. 
Maybe Gabe came in to teach late, and I said: It's about time you got here, Gabe. 
Well, yeah. It's about time I arrived. 
Sorry, guys. 
It's about time I arrived. 
It's true. Yeah. 
If you're waiting for something, maybe something finally happens, it's about time it happens. 
It's about time you showed up. 
Well, how else can you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, you might say: It's about time dinner arrived! I'm starving. Let's eat some pizza. 
I think that's a great way to use this phrase. 
Next time you are waiting for something, you're hungry, and dinner comes, you can say: It's about time. 
Well, actually you need to be careful with that phrase because maybe sometimes it does seem a little rude. 
It's about time dinner came. 
It makes you seem impatient. 
But sometimes you can say: It's about time. 
Well, we see a question here: Who doesn't need a little extra time? 
What kind of a question is that? 
I mean, we all know the answer to this question. 
We all need some extra time. 
That's called a rhetorical question. 
And sometimes you ask these questions you know the answer. 
But it's a good way to ask a question to get people thinking about something. 
And the first sentence in our lesson is: The professor always tried so hard. 
No question about that. 
No question about something. 
How else could you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
What does that mean, no question about that? 
Well, there's no question that Studio Classroom can help you with your English. 
Why even ask? 
Of course, it can help you with your English. 
All right, great. 
There's no question about that. 
You shouldn't even ask the question, you know the answer. 
You could say: I'm going to be late. 
There's no question about that. 
We're busy! There's no question about that. 
Don't ask me if we're busy. 
How else could you use that phrase? 
Use it in English today. 
He had tons of brilliant ideas - but they never worked. 
Well, the professor seems like a pretty smart guy. 
He had tons of brilliant ideas. 
And we have something we need to learn in the Information Cloud right know with Steve and Ken. 
Hello, gentlemen. 
Hi, teachers. 
Hello, teachers. 
So Ken, how was your weekend? 
Oh. It was great. 
I had tons of fun hiking in the mountains with my family. 
Now when you said "tons of fun," you were not talking about how much the fun weighed, right? 
No, Steve. 
I meant I had a lot of fun. 
The word "ton" is an informal word that means a lot of something. 
But Steve, I was wondering, how is "ton" spelled? 
Hmm, good question. 
There are actually two spellings of the word "ton" - T-O-N, and T-O-N-N-E. 
Both are pronounced ton. 
So what's the difference between the two spellings? 
When you talk about how much something weighs, ton, spelled T-O-N, is used mainly in the United States whereas tonne, T-O-N-N-E, is used outside of the U.S. 
Do they weigh the same? 
No, Ken. They don't. 
A ton, T-O-N, equals 2,000 pounds. 
T-O-N-N-E, on the other hand, is a metric ton; and that equals 1,000 kilograms. 
But Ken, I wouldn't worry too much about the spelling. 
Unless you want to specify something is weighed in metric tons, you can always use ton, T-O-N, for everything. 
Got it. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Yes, the word "ton" does have different spellings. 
And different places in the world use it differently. 
Well, we continue with our story. 
Time after time, he - the professor - would dream up an amazing idea that was sure to change the world. 
And we see this phrase here, time after time, also "time" words from our Word Bank. 
"Time after time," that just means again and again. 
You do something one time, two times, three times, again and again, something happens. 
How could you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, I think of time after time, I am so busy with my homework. 
Or, you could also say the composer writes such beautiful music time after time. 
Time after time. 
Nathanael, what happens to you time after time? 
Time after time, I tell myself that I'm so lucky to be loving you. 
I tell myself that all the time. 
All the time. 
Time after time. 
Well, I'm going to have to ask you some questions more often, Nathanael. 
I like to hear you uh, give response in a song form more often. 
Time after time, Nathanael would sing a song while he was teaching. 
I also have a... another way to use this. 
Time after time, I failed my driving test. 
It's true; but I finally passed the tenth time. 
Uh, time after time. 
Well, the professor, time after time, he would dream up an amazing idea that was sure to change the world. 
We see another phrase there: was sure to change the world - is sure to, or was sure to, are sure to do something. 
How could you use this phrase? 
Well, this time it's sure to work. 
It failed before. 
It failed the time before that, but this time it is sure to work. 
That means we know it will work. 
You could also say this joke is very funny, and it is sure to make you smile. 
Oh, I like that. 
It's sure to make you smile. 
Nathanael, how else do you use that phrase? 
Well, I think it's freezing in here. 
Turning on the fan is sure to make it too cold. 
All right. 
Turning on the fan or turning on the air conditioner is sure to make it too cold. 
Well, we continue. 
He was sure it would change the world - and then it didn't. 
And people would say things like "The professor is going to change the world?" they joked. 
They said "He couldn't change a light bulb. 
He couldn't even change the channel on TV." The professor ignored all of the jokes that people made. 
Well, I kind of like these jokes. 
He was going to change the world that something big. 
But then how are these jokes different, Nathanael? 
Well, these jokes are kind of different. 
We see here that said the professor is going to change the world. 
Of course, they are making fun of him with these things. 
So it's not... not so good. 
No, it's not. 
And of course, he can't change the world. 
He can't even change little things in this house. 
Well, we continue: The professor ignored all the jokes that people made. 
He wasn't about to give up. 
And I like this phrase here: not about to do something. 
If you're not about to do something, that means there's no question in your mind. 
You're not even going to think about doing something. 
How could you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, Gabe, I'm not about to give you my last chocolate chip cookie. 
What! You're not about to? 
Sorry. No, no. 
Well, I'm not about to stop asking you to give me your last chocolate chip cookie. 
The professor wasn't about to give up. 
He knew that he was just ahead of his time. 
And we see these Word Bank words: ahead of someone's time. 
Nathanael, what does that mean if you're ahead of your time? 
Well, if you're ahead of your time, you're doing something that seems like it comes from the future, or is maybe very unique for your time. 
All right. 
You're ahead of your time. 
There are many creative people in the past that were ahead of their time. 
Like Shakespeare, I think of. 
I think many people think the Beatles were also ahead of their time, creating things that we would find out about... or create more about later. 
Well, we have more to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Let's go see her. 
Hey, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.08.B

Well, so far we've learned that the professor, time after time, has tried to change the world but hasn't quite been successful yet. 
And most people make fun of him because of that. 
But there's much more to the professor's story. 
Let's go into the second reading to find out what else he will do and what his next big experiment will be. 
(Music). 
It's About Time. 
One day, after teaching his classes at the university, the professor had some time on his hands. 
He decided to stop at a coffee shop and think. 
And think he did. 
He thought so hard that steam came out of his ears. 
Then, in the blink of an eye, an idea hit him. 
It didn't hurt much, but he did rub his head a little. 
"Of course!" he exclaimed. 
"A time machine!" He realized it was an idea that had come at the right time. 
Well, it sounds like the professor is having a time coming up with his ideas. 
And we see at the beginning of this reading: 
One day, after teaching his classes at the university, the professor had some time on his hands. 
Now here we see a key word phrase from our Word Bank: time on his hands, or to have time on your hands. 
Does that mean that you're holding time in your hands, Gabe? 
Um, no... That doesn't mean you're holding time in your hands. 
It means you have extra time. 
You have time to spare. 
Maybe you have some free time. 
You've got some time on your hands. 
It's a cool idiom to know. 
Oh, OK. I see. 
So it doesn't actually mean you hold time, you just have extra time. 
So here the professor was able to think with a little extra time. 
Nathanael, what do you do if you have some time on your hands? 
Well, I thought that meant I wear a watch. 
But uh... I guess that um, if a student is taking a test and finishes early, he'll have a lot of time on his hands while he waits for the others to finish. 
Hey, that's a pretty good example. 
Exactly. You have time on your hands. 
You're not exactly sure what to do with yourself. 
I think usually we use this phrase when we really don't have many other things to do or we're not sure what to do. 
If we have a lot of things to do, then of course we don't really have time on our hands. 
We're spending it doing other things. 
But I think of someone may be taking their clothes to the laundromat and washing their clothes, they have about an hour on their hands. 
They have time on their hands where they can just maybe sit and read a book and wait for the laundry to get finished. 
Well, time on his hands. 
And we found out the professor decided to stop at a coffee shop and think. 
And think he did. 
I like that phrase. 
And think he did. 
This is just kind of a phrase that you can use when you're writing in English or telling a story - and think he did, or and think she did. 
Or when you're talking about some verb that someone is doing, and you can use that verb. 
How else can you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, if someone is in a race, they want to run very fast. 
So you could say: She wanted to win, and she needed to run. And run she did. 
And run she did. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
How else could you use that phrase? 
Well, we usually use this phrase for emphasis, I think, maybe more than anything. 
And I think this professor can be used again in this situation: And try he did. 
Try he did. 
He tried to do this, he tried to do that, tried to do all of these things to make a big difference in the world. 
And try he did. 
Even if it didn't always work, he tried really hard. 
That's right. 
He tried really hard. 
Maybe you are a writer, and you want to write more. 
Well, write you did. 
Or you're talking about someone who wants to do something more, and that they did. 
Well, he thought so hard that steam came out of his ears. 
Um, is that true, Nathanael? 
Does steam come out of his ears? 
Well, it's never happened to me before, but I guess it just means that his mind was working really hard. 
His mind was working so hard. 
And actually I've seen some cartoons where someone is so angry or thinking so hard that looks like steam is coming out of their ears. 
It's kind of fun. 
Well, how do we continue the story, Carolyn? 
It says: Then, in the blink of an eye, an idea hit him. 
And we see another Word Bank phrase there: in the blink of an eye. 
And if you blink your eye, it's very quick. 
So it means he thought very quickly and came up with an idea. 
Can you do something in the blink of an eye, Gabe? 
Can I do something in the blink of an eye? 
I'm not that fast. 
But yes, sometimes I... I'll say I'll be there in the blink of an eye. 
That means I'll be there as soon as I can. 
Nathanael, what can you do in the blink of an eye? 
Well, I'm not that fast either. 
But you know, the other day I was looking at a beautiful bird, and I wanted to show a friend. 
And I told him to turn the head, and it was already gone. 
It disappeared in the blink of an eye. 
Oh, man. Those birds are so quick. 
The blink of an eye, an idea hit the professor. 
It didn't hurt much. 
Ah, this is funny. 
Our author is being funny. 
An idea can hit you. 
Of course it doesn't hurt because it's abstract, an idea. 
But the professor he did rub his head a little. 
"Of course!" he exclaimed. 
"A time machine!" He realized it was an idea that had come at the right time. 
And I think we're out of time for right now. 
We need to do and enjoy a review skit. 
Hello, professor. 
What are you doing at the coffee shop? 
I had some time on my hands, so I came here to think. 
Oh? What are you thinking about? 
I'm dreaming up a new invention, one that will change the world. 
Professor, can you really change the world? 
You can't even change a light bulb. 
That... that's a joke. 
I'm going to ignore it. 
I'm not about to give up. 
Professor, you say that time and time again, but so far your amazing ideas haven't changed anything. 
That's just because I'm ahead of my time. 
So what's your invention idea this time? 
Well, I have an... no idea. 
Ouch, ouch! 
Are you OK? 
What happened? 
It suddenly hit me. 
What? What hit you? 
An amazing idea. 
It came in in the blink of an eye. 
I'll... I'll invent a time machine. 
Professor, that's not a new idea. 
People have been talking about time travel for years and years. 
Yes, but not just any old time machine. 
My invention will also create time. 
Ah... A machine that creates time? 
Yes! I've got to hurry. 
I'm running out of time. 
(Music). 
That was a great review skit. 
And I think it's about time we go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And if you have some time on your hands, don't forget to review our key words today. 
Well, we've been talking about the professor. 
We've been learning about his story. 
He wanted to come up with an idea that was unique and creative, something that would change the world. 
And he came up with an idea to create a time machine. 
This is the end of our story for today, but we do have more next time. 
Some stories are like that. 
They are to be continued, and you just wonder what will happen next. 
Nathanael, what do you think will happen next with this professor? 
Well, the professor is not the first one to try to make a time machine. 
We've heard about this idea before. 
And I hope he can do it, but he doesn't have a really good track record. 
He doesn't... he hasn't always been successful in the past. 
It's true. 
Time after time, he has been shut down by other people. 
They just liked to joke around about him. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
What do you think will happen next time with the professor? 
Well, it... he might be a little bit ahead of his time. 
Making a time machine is not an easy thing to do. 
I don't think so either. 
Well, we'll see what happens next time. 
But for now, thank you for joining us this time here on Studio Classroom. 
We'll see you next time again. Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.01.09.A

Hello, everyone. 
And welcome to Studio Classroom. 
I'm your teacher Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And I'm glad you could join us again for today. 
We have another lesson about time. 
We're continuing a story about a professor. 
And yesterday we found out that this professor settled on an idea. 
He wanted to create a time machine. 
And with a time machine, you can travel through time. 
Um, Nathanael, have you ever traveled through time? 
Um... ah, no. Gabe, that's... that's a stupid question. 
I'm sorry. 
No one's traveled through time. 
That was kind of a silly question. 
I'm... I'm sorry about that. 
I guess nobody has ever traveled through time. 
Well, Gabe, actually I... I feel like I've traveled through time because when I flew from Japan to the United States, it seemed like I traveled through time. 
I was on the plane for over 12 hours, but when I landed in New York, it was the same time I left. 
Whoa! Hey, yeah, sometimes when you're flying on an airplane, it seems like you're traveling through time. 
I like that. 
Well, right now we're going to continue the story about our professor who wants to travel through time. 
Here we go. 
(Music). 
It's About Time. 
The professor's dream wasn't just any old time machine. 
His invention not only would allow people to go back in time or forward in time but also would create time. 
"Everyone always complains about running out of time," he thought. 
"Why not make a machine that can create more time when you need it? 
Or stretch time and make it last longer? 
Or save time like putting it in a bank? (With interest!)" He knew he had no time to lose. 
He was eager to create his world-changing invention. 
Well, I hope it will be a world-changing invention. 
We see at the beginning here, the very first sentence: 
The professor's dream wasn't just any old time machine. 
It wasn't just any old time machine. 
It was something to be special. 
We see that phrase: not just any old something. 
If it's not just any old, that's a good way to say it's unique. 
It should be special. 
It's not like the other ones. 
It's not just any old time machine. 
How else could you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, you might say this car isn't just any old car. 
It belonged to my dad. 
And he spent a lot of time making this into a great car. 
I like that. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
Not just any old what? 
Well, this isn't just any old tie. It's my favorite tie. 
Oh. Well, if it's your favorite, then of course it's not just any old tie. 
I think of Doris Brougham. 
She's not just any old English teacher. 
She founded Studio Classroom! 
She's a very special and unique person. 
Not just any old something. 
You are absolutely right, Gabe. 
And we see in our reading why the professor had a time machine that wasn't just any old time machine. 
His invention not only would allow people to go back in time or forward in time, but it would also create time. 
"Everyone always complains about running out of time," he thought. 
And it's true. 
It... we do complain a lot about running out of time or not having enough time. 
And we see this key word... Word Bank phrase here: to run out of time. 
Nathanael, what is run out of time? 
Do you... do you have to run to catch it? 
No. You don't literally have to run to catch up with time. 
It just means the time is passing, you need more time to get something done. 
If you're running out of time, you need more time. 
You need more time. 
We ran out of time. 
Or, we have no more time. 
We're running out of time right now. 
We're not running out of time really, friends. 
We have to talk about this story, and we have time. 
But the professor thought he was running out of time. 
We continue. 
"Why not make a machine that can create more time when you need it? 
Or stretch time and make it last longer? 
Or save time like putting it in a bank? (With interest!)" Wait. Is... this a joke, Nathanael? 
What's going on here? 
Well, "interest" has a couple of different meanings. 
Of course, if you're interested in something, you might really like it, or you think it's something good to think about. 
But "interest" here means when a small percentage is added to, like, your money in the bank. 
So maybe we can add a little extra time if we put it in the bank. 
That's very interesting and very creative. 
I like the idea. 
I just don't know if it's possible. 
Can you create time? 
Can you put time in a bank, and then get interest later so you have more time? 
Well, we continue. 
The professor knew he had no time to lose. 
I love this phrase: no time to lose. 
It's also from the Word Bank. 
And if you have no time to lose, what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it kind of makes me think that you can lose time like you forget where you put it. 
But actually, it just means that you want to get something done as fast as possible because you don't have a lot of time or a lot of extra time to spare. 
That's right. I have a family with seven people... well, not me, but I have four siblings, and our family has seven people. 
And um, a lot of times my parents would say this: We have no time to lose. 
Let's get going. 
We need to go. 
It takes us a long time to do some things, but we have no time to lose. 
Have you ever used that phrase, Nathanael? 
Sure. The other day I was going to go to a movie with some friends. 
I said the movie is about to start. 
There's no time to lose. 
We need to get there now! 
We've got no time to lose. 
We need to get going. 
Well, the professor also thought he had no time to lose. 
You don't want to lose any time. 
We continue: He was eager to create his world-changing invention. 
He was going to invent a creation or something that would change the world, a world-changing invention. 
Let's go now to see what Liz has for us in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We've been reading a story about a professor and his dream of making a time machine. 
We read: He was eager to create his world-changing invention. 
Notice the phrase: world-changing invention. 
"World-changing" describes invention. 
What kind of an invention is it? 
It's an invention that changes the world. 
But that just sounds wordier compared to "world-changing invention." So let's practice a bit. 
Think of an object that does something. 
For example, in many fairy tales, we read about dragons that breathe fire. 
So we can say: 
There are fire-breathing dragons. 
If you need an idea to help you get or grab money quickly, then you need a money-grabbing idea. 
And nowadays, we want solutions that help us save more energy. 
So we want energy-saving solutions. 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine, you'll find more examples there. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, friends, we are not out of time. 
Actually, we may need to stretch time a little bit. 
And we see that word here in today's lesson. 
The professor thought that maybe he could "stretch" time and make it last longer. 
Stretch to make something longer. 
Carolyn, how do you use that word "stretch"? 
Well, usually when I think of stretch, I think of: Oh, I'm so tired. I need to stretch. 
Or maybe I'm going to do some exercise, so I should stretch my muscles before I exercise. 
All right. 
Usually that's what I think about too. 
If I'm going to exercise, I'm going running, I need to stretch my arm muscles. 
I need to stretch especially my leg muscles if I'm going to do that kind of exercise. 
But how else can you use that word "stretch," Nathanael? 
Well, like here, you can stretch time, which doesn't mean that you grab time and try to pull it, make it longer, you just try to use that time more. 
You try to do more within that space of time. 
You can also stretch a dollar. 
You have one dollar to spend, and you want to spend it so you can buy more things with it and not just one thing. 
That would be stretching a dollar. 
All right. 
Stretching a dollar. I like that example. 
You can try to use your money wisely so that you can actually buy more valuable things with it. 
You stretch a dollar. 
And the professor is talking about stretching time. 
I don't think it's possible to actually stretch time to make a second longer than another second. 
But you can use this word to talk about filling up your time with good things. 
Well, right now it's time for us to spend our time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
I think she is waiting for us. 
Uh, let's not keep her waiting. 
OK. Hi, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.09.B

Well, this professor has an interesting idea. 
He wants to make a time machine. 
Now usually in a time machine, you think that you can go back in time to the past, or maybe forward in time to the future. 
But the professor wants to do more than that. 
He wants to actually make more time so that we won't run out of time. 
Make more time. 
Make it last longer. 
Well, there's no time to lose. 
We need to see what's going to happen with the professor in the next reading. 
(Music). 
It's About Time. 
His wife, Mildred, wasn't so sure about the professor's great idea. 
"It'll never work," she doubted. 
"You can't make time." The professor disagreed. 
"Time is money," he explained. 
"If you can make money and save money, why can't you do the same with time?" Mildred complained, 
"The only thing you're doing with time is wasting it. 
I still think you're crazy, but only time will tell." She knew that the professor was determined to try out his idea, so she decided to keep quiet for the time being. 
Well, someone new is introduced to the story - the professor's wife. 
And she has a name. 
The professor doesn't have a name. 
Um, but what is his wife's name, Carolyn? 
Well, his wife's name is Mildred. 
And his wife Mildred wasn't so sure about the professor's great idea. 
So she's really not sure about what he's going to do. 
She says: "It'll never work," she doubted. 
Oh. And doubt, so she really didn't believe he was going to succeed. Did she, Nathanael? 
No. If you doubt something, you definitely think that may not work. 
And I think I might feel the same way as Mildred if my friend was going to try to make a time machine. 
That's right. 
I think I would too. 
Nobody's ever made a time machine before. 
I don't know if it's possible. 
We see another phrase here. 
She wasn't sure... she wasn't so sure about the professor's idea. 
You know if someone's doubting something if they say "I'm not sure." But there are some other phrases too that can show that you doubt. 
What are some other phrases you might use? 
I am not certain that there is another way... Oh. 
I'm... "I'm not certain." That's another way to say that I doubt it. 
Well, let's continue with the article. 
Mildred said, "You can't make time." The professor disagreed. 
"Time is money," he explained. 
"If you can make money, you must be able to make time," right? 
Let's talk about this phrase: time is money. 
It's in our Word Bank. 
Now why would we say that time is money, Gabe? 
Well, we know that money is a valuable thing. 
Time is also a really valuable thing. 
And lots of people like to spend their time making money. 
And you can lose money if you're not careful with your time, so I guess time is money. 
How else would you use that phrase? 
Well, you could say that time is money. 
But a lot of times I really don't agree with this phrase because time is something that you don't have a lot of. 
Time is limitted. 
Money... money is something that we can make more of, although it might not be as valuable then. 
Interesting. 
So you're saying that time is more valuable than money? 
Exactly, because what we do with our time can make a big difference whereas money, there's always plenty of money. 
It's true. 
I think that I would agree with you there are many more valuable things in life than money. 
Many people say time is money. 
If you like to make money, then time is money. 
But of course, time is a lot more than money. 
There are more important things to life. 
Well, we continue. 
He says if you can make money and save money, why can't you do the same with time? 
So he is using this logic, if time is really money, and you can do this with money, then you can also do the same with time. 
But what does Mildred say, Carolyn? 
She complains about something. 
Yes. Mildred complained: The only thing you're doing with time is wasting it. 
I still think you're crazy, but only time will tell. 
Oh, and here we see another Word Bank phrase: only time will tell. 
So what is Mildred saying about her husband, Gabe? 
Well, she's saying that he doesn't have a really good idea. 
Again, she doubts. 
She's not sure about his idea. 
But only time will tell. 
We can only tell over time. 
So maybe now he's crazy. 
But maybe in the future, he will be right. 
And he can tell everybody else: Hey, I was right! 
But only time will tell. 
How else could you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, only time will tell if this book will be popular. 
Time tells us a lot of things, actually. 
Things change over time, sometimes in ways that we don't expect. 
Only time can tell. 
That's right. 
Only time will tell. 
Right now there's a new idea or a new book, a new movie, only time will tell if it will be something great or something terrible. 
Well, I also saw a phrase there that I like. 
She says: I still think you're crazy. 
You could use that phrase: I think you're crazy. 
If you think someone has an idea that isn't that great, or someone is doing something they shouldn't do - I think you're crazy! 
But of course, only say it to your friends and only if you really do love them because I guess these words... I don't know. 
Is "crazy" a positive thing, Nathanael? 
Well, no. Crazy isn't really a good thing. 
You don't want to tell someone that they don't think right, or that they're not thinking the right way unless you know them pretty well, like you said, Gabe. 
Yeah. And this is the professor's wife. 
She does love him, good, old Mildred. 
She's not just any old wife. 
Continuing on. 
She knew that the professor was determined to try out his idea, so she decided to keep quiet for the time being. 
We see these words "for the time being" in the Word Bank. 
And what do they mean, Carolyn? 
Well, "for the time being" just means for now. 
For this time right now, she's going to keep quiet. 
And "keep quiet" just means that she's not going to complain for the time being, at this time. 
All right, for the time being. 
I could say something like: I'll be right back. 
Wait here for the time being. 
I'll be back soon. 
How else could you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, I could say I can't stay long, but I can talk for now. 
Well, it looks like it is time to visit Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
Let's hop over there right now. 
Hi, guys. 
Hey. 
Hi. 
OK. Let's talk about what a professor is since the main character in our story today is a professor. 
OK. But isn't a professor simply a teacher at a university? 
Well, it really depends where you're talking about. 
In the U.S., You can call most of your university teachers "professor." But in England, 
a professor is a university teacher who has attained a chair position or the highest rank in the faculty. 
Good distinction. 
Speaking of rank, I know in the U.S., there are different levels of professorship. 
Can you briefly introduce them? 
Sure. 
In order to become a professor, you need to complete a Ph. D. program and find work at a university where you'd start out as an assistant professor. 
And after six to eight years, you can then apply for a promotion and become an associate professor. 
And after some more years of teaching, doing research and publishing, you can apply to become a full professor, 
which is the highest level of professorship at an American university. 
And a full professor gets something called tenure, which is a permanent job contract. 
That's right. 
A tenured professor cannot be laid off. 
It's like having a guarantee to have a job for the rest of one's life. 
But in order to get tenure, one has to put in many years of hard work. 
Not an easy road! 
(Chinese). 
Well, thanks, Ken and Steve. 
They always have such good information in the Information Cloud. 
Now let's join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And that's it for today's Language Lab. 
Thanks, Michelle. 
Well, this article has gotten us thinking: If we could time travel, what would be a cool place to visit? 
I really think that I might go to 1800s England. 
My favorite writer was writing at that time - Charles Dickens. 
And I would like to see what his world looked like. 
How about you, Carolyn? 
Well, you're going back into the past. 
And I really think I'd like to time travel to the future because I would love to see all of the new inventions that we haven't come up with yet. 
Well, I think that I would actually travel way into the past. 
I like reading some stories in the Bible, and I would like to see what it was like when the people of Israel were just exiting, or leaving, the land of Egypt. 
I think that was a pretty exciting and interesting time, so I think I would travel all the way back then. 
Oh, those all sound like great times to visit. 
And now we are just about out of time for today, and so we have to say goodbye to all of you at home. 
But we hope that you will come back and finish the story with us tomorrow. 
Goodbye.

2013.01.10.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're on the third day of this story about this professor who created, or wants to create, a time machine. 
Well, we've been talking a lot about time. 
You have learned a lot of idioms these last couple of days. 
And we have some more idioms in this lesson today. 
Now this lesson is very unique, and that most of our idioms today are actually puns. 
Nathanael, can you tell us a little bit more about puns? 
Yeah. "Pun" is a kind of expression where you use a word that might have a double meaning to be funny. 
So you might see a couple of examples of this in today's section of the article. 
That's right. 
There are lots of idioms today. 
We hope that you can learn all of them, and maybe even find time to practice them, put them into your English conversations with people. 
Right now it's time for us to get started with our first reading of the continuation of the story. 
(Music). 
It's About Time. 
Out in his workshop, the professor drew lots of plans for his new time machine. 
He soon lost track of time. 
He created models and used clocks and timers of every shape and size. 
He attempted every method he could think of. 
He tried reading books backward as a way to turn back the clock. 
He looked at a calendar under a lamp through his telescope - to see light years into the future. 
Well, I hope you laughed a little during that reading because there are a lot of jokes in this section of the article. 
Let's go back to the beginning. 
Out in his workshop, the professor drew lots of plans for his new time machine. 
We just say quickly that a workshop is a shop where you work. 
Of course, it's not necessarily a shop like a store, but a room that you might have outside of your house, 
or a room inside your house where you particularly do work. 
A lot of different people might have a workshop. 
Also remember that this professor is building a time machine that not only can go back and forward in time, 
but also he's trying to create time with this time machine. 
Continuing: He soon lost track of time. 
All right. This is the first idiom in our Word Bank today, "lost track of time." And it's a good one. 
Carolyn, what does this idiom mean? 
Well, "lose track of time" is very similar to one we talked about yesterday - no time to lose. 
So you want to do something quickly. 
But here, lost track of time, if you lose track of something, you forget about it. 
So you're so busy doing something that you forget what time it is. 
Actually, I have to use this idiom, or this phrase, often. 
I'll say something like "I'm sorry I'm late. I lost track of time." But actually, I usually think of people doing something fun when they lose track of time. 
Maybe you're so into something, you're enjoying something so much that you lose track of time. 
Nathanael, you have mentioned that you enjoy having sincere conversations with people. 
Do you ever lose track of time? 
It's easy to lose track of time when you're having a good conversation. 
You just find more points to discuss with a good friend, and the conversation could go on even for hours. 
All right. Let's continue with the article. 
He created models and used clocks and timers of every shape and size. 
This is actually another idiom that we sometimes use - every shape and size. 
Should we always take this literally, Gabe? 
No, not literally, not always. 
But we can use this phrase "every shape and size" just to talk about there are many sizes, many shapes, many kinds of something. 
So, my aunt... yes, she does, my aunt has many shoes. 
She has shoes of every shape and size. 
Well, we can use this phrase in other ways. 
How else can you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, if you go to the zoo, you might see animals that are every shape and size, lots of different kinds of animals that are big and small. 
That's right. 
Every shape and size. 
How can you use that phrase? 
What is every shape and size in your life? 
Well, we continue on in the article. 
The professor attempted every method he could think of. 
And a method is just a way - every way that he could think of. 
He tried reading books backward as a way to turn back the clock. 
And right here you can see our first joke of the day. 
The author is using an idiom, and he's talking about it literally. 
The idiom here from the Word Bank is "to turn back the clock." And what does that mean, Nathanael? 
Well, "to turn back the clock" means you want to go back in time. 
You'd like to try to do something again. 
I'd like to turn back the clock and try again but it's too late, I can't. 
Of course, here, they take it literally. 
And what does this joke really do, Carolyn? 
Well, he's trying to take a clock and maybe take the hands and make them move the opposite direction, 
by reading this book backward hoping that somehow he can reverse time. 
But it doesn't really work that way. 
Of course it doesn't really work. 
Many of us wish we could turn back the clock in our lives and do something again. 
We would do it better. 
Maybe something happened in a relationship was ruined. 
You wish you could turn back the clock. 
Maybe you got a bad grade in your class because you didn't study hard enough. 
You wish you could turn back the clock. 
That's how you use this phrase. 
We continue on. 
The professor looked at a calendar under a lamp through his telescope. 
Nathanael, why did he do this? 
Well, he wanted to see light years into the future. 
Or we might read this: He wanted to see light years into the future. 
This is another joke because light years is a measure of distance, especially in space. 
It's a very long distance. 
But again, we're taking it literally here as a joke. 
Can you explain this joke quickly? 
Well, he's taking a lamp that he's looking at it through a telescope. 
You can use a telescope to look at things very far away. 
And so usually you use a telescope to look at the stars, something out in space. 
He's looking at a calendar under a lamp through his telescope, hoping that he can somehow see light years into the future. 
The joke is with the years and the calendar. 
This is a pretty funny article. 
He wants to see light years into the future. 
Well, we're going to enjoy some time with Steve and Ken right now. 
They have something for us in the Information Cloud. 
Hello, guys! 
Hey, guys. 
Hello, teachers. 
Hello, teachers. 
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel in a time machine, and where would you go if you could travel in a time machine? 
You know, I would go to the 1950s because that was a time of prosperity and growth in America, and it had lots of interesting fashions and music. 
What about you, Steve? 
I would visit the distant future, like the year 2525, and check out all the new inventions that men created. 
Steve, what about this time machine? 
When did people begin having this idea of time travel? 
Good question. 
The English science fiction writer H.G. Wells wrote a story called The Time Machine in 1895. 
It became so popular that it was later adapted into two movies of the same name as well as two TV series. 
It also inspired a large number of comic books about time travel. 
So the term "time machine" was created by H.G. Wells? 
That's right. 
Time machine is a vehicle that allows operators to travel through time. 
Do you remember the movie Back to the Future? 
I sure do. 
The time machine in that movie was a DeLorean. 
That's right. 
DeLorean was the name of an actual sports car designed by John DeLorean, an American engineer. 
The car was introduced in the early 1980s. 
You know, come to think of it, I would go back to the 1980s if I had a time machine. 
I'd like to see if I can drive a DeLorean. 
That would be sweet. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, we have learned a couple of idioms having to do with "time" so far today. 
We've talked about "losing track of time." You don't want to lose track of time. 
If you have something important to do, go do it. 
Try not to lose track of time. 
Also, turn back the clock. 
You wish you could turn back the clock and do something again. 
But I think we've been doing pretty good today on time. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hello, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.10.B

Well, the professor certainly has had some interesting ideas about his time machine and trying to turn back the clock, or turn back time. 
We see that he tried to read books backward or look at a calendar through a telescope under a lamp to see light years into the future. 
I'm very curious to know whether or not he is successful in building this time machine. 
So let's continue with the next part of the story for today. 
(Music). 
It's About Time. 
Then he remembered the saying that time flies, so he threw his watch out of the window to see if it was true. 
He applied for a loan at the bank - he had heard about people living on borrowed time. 
Sadly, the banker wouldn't give him the time of day. 
Finally, he made an amazing discovery - a way to save time and give him lots of extra time. 
"I've got it, Mildred!" he exclaimed. 
"If I give up on my time machine project, I'll have plenty of time for other things!" His wife smiled, "Well, it's about time!". 
Yes, it's about time. 
I agree with Mildred. 
Well, we see here the first sentence of this part. 
We're continuing the story. 
Then he, the professor, remembered the saying that time flies, so he threw his watch out of the window to see if it was true. 
All right. 
Well, before we talk about that joke, we're going to talk about those two words: time flies. 
This just means that time sometimes seems like it is going very, very quickly. 
How do you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, we have a saying that we say a lot as well: Time flies when you're having fun. 
We kind of talked about this before when we lost track of time. 
I sometimes think that time flies when I'm having a good conversation, I'm having fun or doing something interesting, sometimes working very hard. 
In all these cases, time flies. 
That's right. 
Time flies. 
I usually think about time and I... the older I get, it seems like time really does fly. 
But it's true, time flies when you're having fun. 
You don't even want to stop what you're doing. 
It seems like it's over too quickly. 
Well, Carolyn, this is a joke here. 
Why is it a joke? 
What's the joke here? 
Well, it is a joke because he took his watch and threw it out the window. 
So he made his watch fly. 
And since we use watches to tell time, he tried to make time fly. 
But I don't think it quite works that way. 
No, I don't think so either. 
I think perhaps his watch broke. 
And I hope he used a cheap watch because I don't think he can use that watch again. 
Time doesn't fly that way, dear professor. 
Continuing on in our story. 
He applied for a loan at the bank - he had heard about people living on borrowed time. 
All right. We see another idiom there from the Word Bank. 
Nathanael, what does that mean, to live on borrowed time? 
Well, if you're living on borrowed time, you're probably doing something past the time you usually would be about to do it. 
Or sometime... something is existing past the time that it's expected to. 
I might say... I might ask you if you have line on your phone. 
And some people might say that line is living on borrowed time. 
It's not going to be around much longer. 
Interesting; living on borrowed time. 
Well, this is another joke in our lesson. 
He heard that people were living on borrowed time, and so what did he do? 
He applied for a loan at the bank. 
Do you get it? A loan, you need to borrow a loan. 
You borrow time, maybe. 
Is that funny? 
Well, you know, you do try to borrow money from the bank. 
And so he's trying to borrow time from the bank - to get a loan of time. 
Exactly. 
Well, we're going to continue the story. 
Sadly, the banker wouldn't give him the time of day. 
All right. 
This is our last idiom of this lesson: to not give someone the time of day. 
And this just means that you don't think someone is worth your time. 
You don't want to invest no conversation with them. 
You don't want to spend time on something. 
You don't give it the time of day. 
Do you guys ever use this phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, you can use this phrase. 
"To not give someone the time of day" means that maybe you really don't want to talk to someone, you want to ignore them, so. 
My sister was so mad at me. 
"She wouldn't even give me the time of day" means she wouldn't say anything to me, not even tell me what time it was. 
Actually, maybe that makes me think: 
Sometimes if someone doesn't want to give you the time of day, maybe you want to share something, 
you wanted to explain yourself, but she didn't even want to hear it. 
She wouldn't give you the time of day. 
And sometimes that happens. 
You don't want to give something or someone the time of day. 
It's not usually a nice feeling if someone just ignores you. 
So be careful when you do this, when you don't give someone the time of day. 
Well, has that ever happened for you, Nathanael? 
Do you not give someone the time of day? 
Well, I don't like it when people ignore me, so I try to give people the time of day. 
But sometimes we also say that we don't give certain ideas the time of day. 
I don't think about that. 
I don't give that the time of day. 
It's another good way to use that phrase. 
What is the continuing sentence in this article? 
Well, it says: Finally, he made an amazing discovery - a way to save time and give him lots of extra time. 
Now if you make a discovery, that means that you find something new. 
What kind of discoveries can you make, Gabe? 
Well, this phrase just makes me think of my friend Steve, actually, Steve from the Information Cloud. 
For a long time he thought that a lot of his ancestors were from France, that he had French roots. 
And then he made a discovery. 
Recently, actually, he made the discovery that actually a lot of them are from Belgium. 
So he has more Belgian roots than French. 
That's an interesting discovery to make about yourself. 
That is a very interesting discovery to make. 
Hmm. I wonder what other discoveries you can make in your own lives? 
Well, let's see what discovery the professor made. 
He said, "I've got it, Mildred!" he exclaimed. 
"If I give up on my time machine project, I'll have plenty of time for other things." Oh. 
So here he's decided he's not going to work on the time machine anymore. 
And his wife smiled: Well, it's about time! 
It is about time. 
It's about time. 
I like when he said too. 
He said: I've got it! 
And if you come up with a new idea, and you think it's really going to work, you can say: I've got it. 
Well, it's about time he discovered that he shouldn't waste all that time creating a time machine. 
Friends, we've had a great time with you talking about all these time idioms and learning about this story. 
It's a fun story. 
Right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
Hello, professor. 
I see you're working hard on your time machine. 
Oh, yes. I'm drawing up plans and creating clocks and timers. 
And you're reading a lot of books. 
That's right. 
I'm reading them backwards. 
Why backwards? 
I thought it might turn back the clock. 
But it hasn't. 
OK. 
Why do you have this calendar under a light? 
I want to see light years into the future. 
I threw my watch out of the window. 
You did? Why? 
I wanted to see time fly. 
Did it work? 
No, and now my watch doesn't work either. 
Well, what else have you tried? 
Well, I applied for a loan and the bank. 
OK, why? 
So I could live on borrowed time. 
So what happened? 
The bankers wouldn't give me the time of day. 
I guess my wife is right. 
Right about what? 
She thinks I'm wasting my time. 
Is she right? 
Time will tell. 
Ouch! Ouch! 
Are you OK? What happened? 
An idea just hit me! 
Oh. 
That's it! I'm quitting this project. 
You're giving up on the time machine? 
Yes! If I quit this project, I'll have plenty of time for other things. 
Ugh. Well, it's about time. 
(Music). 
Well, I hope you enjoyed that skit. 
And I'm sure you're going to enjoy what Michelle has to say at the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to the teachers. 
Well, I've had a lot of fun learning about these time idioms over the last couple of days. 
Actually, this author, Billy Haselton, he works at Studio Classroom, or for Studio Classroom. 
But I never met him. 
He worked here in Taipei before I came, so he was before my time here at Studio Classroom. 
Well, Carolyn, I think we're running out of time. 
Really? 
Yeah. 
Because this lesson has just gone by in the blink of an eye. 
It's... it's just... it's like time has flown out the window. 
That's right, because time flies when you are having fun. 
Well, I do like to give you the time of day because I think what you have to say is important. 
And time after time we're here, and we get to learn great fun things here on Studio Classroom. 
It's true. 
And there's so much to talk about that we have no time on our hands to do anything... 
Guys, guys. 
Why are you saying "time" all the time? 
Well, Nathanael, you just said "time" twice in that sentence. 
What are you talking about? 
But we don't have the time for this. 
Well, we do have the time for this. 
Nathanael, we're having the time of our lives here! 
OK, sorry. We will see you next time on Studio Classroom. 
Next time. 
Next time. 
Bye. 
(Music).

2013.01.11.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're here looking our best for you here at Studio Classroom. 
It is uh... let's see, it's... it's the weekend. 
It's Friday. 
Hey, Carolyn, what are you going to do this weekend? 
Well, Gabe, I was thinking about going shopping and getting some new clothes. 
But you know, I don't know is like going shopping because I can't find things that I like to wear. 
So I'm really not sure what to do. 
Well, don't you worry because our lesson today is called Look Your Best, 
and it includes several tips about what you can do to buy clothes that would make you personally look better. 
So let's get into this week's first reading on Look Your Best. 
(Music). 
Look Your Best. 
Try these ideas to help you look better in your clothes. 
"Does this make me look fat?" We've all heard this question before and have probably asked it ourselves. 
But why are we so concerned about the clothes we wear? 
The answer is simple. 
We want to look our best, so we worry that our clothes don't flatter our bodies. 
There is good news, though! 
By wearing the right clothing, you can hide those less-than-perfect trouble spots. 
(Music). 
Well, wearing the clothes certainly can help us to look our best. 
And we see at the beginning: You can try these ideas to help you look better in your clothes. 
If we start at the first line of the reading, it opens with a question: Does this make me look fat? 
Well, this is a pretty common question. 
What other questions do people ask you, Gabe? 
Oh. What other questions do they ask me? 
They might say something like: How's my hair? 
Does this shirt look good on me? 
But like you said, this is a common question, "Does this make me look fat?" Are there any other questions that people ask like this, Nathanael? 
Well, I guess they could ask: Is this noticeable? 
Maybe there is a little mark on their face that showed up at some point. 
Is this noticeable? 
Can people see this? 
That's right. 
These are all common questions. 
Our author just gives us one question. 
It's a very common one at that - Does this make me look fat? 
Yeah. And as the reading continues: We've all heard this question before and have probably asked it ourselves. 
But why are we so concerned about the clothes we wear? 
Well, that is a good question. 
Why are we concerned? 
And we see this first key word here: concerned. 
And it means to be worried about something or to be thinking about something a lot. 
Nathanael, are you concerned about your clothes making you look good? 
Well, I do want to look my best. 
I don't always think about it a lot, but there are times where I definitely pay attention and am concerned about my clothes. 
Uh, very good. 
Well, what are some other things you could be concerned about, Gabe? 
Well, when I think about this word, I usually think of people that I might be concerned about or concerned for. 
I notice you haven't been eating a lot lately, I'm concerned for you. 
Are you OK? 
I'm concerned about you. 
Or I haven't seen him in days! 
Where is he? 
I'm concerned about him. 
So you can be concerned about a lot of different things. 
You can also be concerned about the grades you're getting in your English class. 
That's something you should pay attention to and work hard at. 
That's right. 
Well, you can be concerned about your grades. 
You could be concerned about other people. 
Or just like our article says: We're so concerned about the clothes we wear. 
Well, we want to spend some time now in the Information Cloud. 
I think Ken and Steve have something to share with us there. 
Hey, guys. 
Hi. 
Hi. 
Hi. 
Our lesson today tells us we're all concerned about the clothes we wear. 
Steve, why don't we review this very simple word, clothes. 
OK. 
Friends, remember, we cannot say I'm wearing five clothes today. 
We should say, rather, I'm wearing five items, or articles, of clothing today. 
So Steve, how are clothes and clothing different? 
"Clothes" is countable, and "clothing" is uncountable. 
That's right. 
So we should say there are many clothes. 
And for "clothing," we should use "much." You're wearing too much clothing. 
Hmm. Also, "clothes" is always used in the plural form, like scissors and pants. 
But we should never put a number in front of it. 
That's why we don't say five clothes, say five items of clothing. 
Hmm. Here's another way to avoid using a number - just use "a lot of." You don't need to bring a lot of clothes. 
Right. Or just bring some light clothing. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
It is good to know the difference between clothes and clothing, how to use these words. 
Well, before the Info Cloud, we had a question: Why are we so concerned about the clothes we wear? 
Continuing we read: The answer is simple. 
The answer is simple. 
But what does that mean, Nathanael? 
Well, you might think of simple meaning easy, but that's not always true. 
Simple can also mean not complicated. 
You could have a simple meal of just some rice, a few vegetables and some kind of meat. 
That's simple, not complicated. 
That's a simple meal. 
And there is a difference between easy and simple. 
Something could be simple, meaning it's easy to understand but hard to do. 
It could be not easy to do, but it's simple. 
You know how to do it. 
Well, some things are simple but not always easy. 
But here, the answer is simple. 
Why are we so concerned about the clothes we wear, Carolyn? 
Well, it is a simple answer. 
We want to look our best, so we worry that our clothes don't flatter our bodies. 
And this is very true. 
And we see this word: flatter. 
What... what is "flatter," Gabe? 
Well, that's a very good question. 
"Flatter" is a great word, actually. 
I think of telling something nice to somebody, saying something good or doing something to make someone else feel really good about themselves. 
They feel really special about themselves. 
Carolyn, how would you use that word "flatter"? 
Oh. Well, that was a really great explanation of the word "flatter," Gabe. 
And I see today, Nathanael's shirt just... it really flatters his eyes. 
That's good, Carolyn. 
I see you're... you're um, flattering us. 
Just... just a little bit, but I am being sincere. 
I'm... I'm saying what is true. 
You really do look nice in that shirt, Nathanael. 
Well, thank you. 
Sometimes when we use the word "flatter," we might think that someone is not always telling the truth. 
I might say your comments do flatter me, but do you really mean that? 
Sometimes they may be telling the truth, but other times maybe not. 
That's right. 
And sometimes you see another use or form of this word, flattery, F-L-A-T-T-E-R-Y. 
That's the noun. 
And "flattery" could just be telling other people things to make them feel really good about themselves. 
It's not necessarily sincere. 
Sometimes, though, sincerity can take the form of flattery. 
You can say good things about other people that are true. 
Well, we continue. 
There is good news. 
There is good news, though. 
Good news! Did... Oh, I love reading good news in the newspaper. 
Does the newspaper have good news about how we can look our best? 
Um... no, no. Carolyn, that's not what I mean here, not in the newspaper. 
Oh. OK, so... so maybe you saw it on TV. 
They had some great news about looking our best. 
Oh, no, Carolyn. 
I think I... I think I know what you're thinking about. 
No. You're thinking about the news on TV or in the newspaper. 
That's a different kind of news than we're talking about here. 
In the article says... it says there is good news. 
That means I have something good I want to share with you. 
But it's different from the news in the newspaper. 
Oh, OK. I see. 
And the good news is that by wearing the right clothing, you can hide those less-than-perfect trouble spots. 
That's right. 
You can hide those less-than-perfect trouble spots. 
There is good news. 
And we have some more good news for your right now. 
We're going to spend some time with Liz in the Garmmar Gym. 
That's great news! 
That is really good news. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we read: ... you can hide those less-than-perfect trouble spots. 
Our Grammar Tip focus is on the phrase: less than perfect. 
This phrase describes trouble spots. 
So why does the writer mention this phrase? 
When we're talking about people's trouble spots, it's a topic that people are sensitive about. 
So we need to be extra careful. 
Instead of saying "not so good", "less than perfect" sounds more polite. 
The two mean about the same, but "less than perfect" just makes the listener feel more comfortable. 
So next time when you're talking about a sensitive topic and how it's not so good, try using the phrase: less than perfect. 
You can use "less than" plus an adjective to describe other things that are not so good. 
For example: 
A less-than-ideal design. 
Or: A less-than-stellar performance. 
Or: A less-than-helpful suggestion. 
One more reminder, if the phrase appears after the noun is describing, then you don't need to add hyphens in between the words. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
And I'll see you again next time. Bye-bye. 
Well, Liz is always so helpful at explaining grammar in the Grammar Gym. 
But let's now go to the Language Lab for some more help from Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.11.B

Look your best! 
That's right. 
We're talking about ways you can look your best with the clothes that you have. 
Many people are concerned about the clothes they wear. 
They worry that the clothes don't flatter their bodies. 
We all have trouble spots. 
Nobody is perfect. 
Right now we're going to take a look at some of these problem areas that people have in our second reading of today. 
(Music). 
Look Your Best. 
Problem areas. 
Short Legs. 
Few people have long legs like a model, but short legs can appear longer. 
Create an unbroken line by matching your hose to your shoes. 
Wear black shoes with black hose. 
By matching them both to the bottom of your dress, you'll create an extra long line. 
High heels and pointed-toed shoes also make legs look longer. 
"Muffin top". 
Fat around the middle can spill over your pants, causing a "muffin top." Avoid this by staying away from pants that are too tight or too low. 
Instead, choose pants that fit above your hips and close to your waist. 
Well, we have some problem areas here. 
But wait a minute. 
Before the break, there was a sentence there that used some words: trouble spots. 
Here we see this title is "Problem areas." Problem areas and trouble spots? 
Carolyn, can you help us out? 
What is the difference between a trouble spot and a problem area? 
Well, they are a little bit different. 
When I think of a problem area, an area is usually a large space. 
Yeah, big. 
So a big area. 
And a trouble spot, a spot is very small, just a little spot. 
So a trouble spot is a small place that is trouble, a problem. 
And a problem area is a large problem. 
OK. Well, can you give us an example of maybe how to use "problem area" versus "trouble spot"? 
Well, when you're learning English, maybe you have a problem area. 
Maybe you have problems with learning English grammar; it's very complicated. 
But perhaps you have just a little problem with one structure. 
And that would be a trouble spot. 
OK, excellent. OK. 
So a problem area is general whereas a trouble spot is smaller. 
But we can't say a trouble area or a problem spot. 
Usually we hear these phrases like "trouble spot" and "problem area." Now today we're talking about some problem areas. 
The first one is short legs. 
Few people have long legs like a model - and it's true - but short legs can appear longer. 
Nathanael, how can short legs appear longer? 
Short legs can appear longer by creating an unbroken line by matching your hose to your... to your shoes. 
Your hose...? Carolyn, I... what, your hose? 
Well, don't worry about this too much, Nathanael, because women usually wear hose, not men. 
So you don't have to worry either, Gabe. Yes. 
OK. 
Take a deep breath. 
Nathanael, we don't have to worry about wearing hose. 
That's a good thing. 
Yeah. 
"Hose" are something that women usually wear when they wear a dress or a skirt. 
And it helps their legs to look a little bit nicer. 
All right. Well, I've heard another word, um, stocking, S-T-O-C-K-I-N-G. 
Can you tell us the difference between hose and stockings? 
Well, stockings and hose are pretty much the same thing now. 
But stockings used to mean very long socks. 
And now hose and stockings are socks, or very thin socks, that women wear that come all the way up their legs. 
All right. 
Well, I see something very interesting about this word "hose." Uh, create an unbroken line by matching your hose. 
Why doesn't it say your "hoses"? 
Does that word never have an S? 
No. So "hose" is both singular and plural. 
All right. So "hose" is always H-O-S-E, even as the plural form. 
Well, you can match your hose to your shoes. 
I like that word "match." What else should you match, or try to match, when you are putting your clothes on? 
I usually think of matching my belt with my shoes, actually. 
I think the color of your belt should be the same as the color of your shoes. 
But what other things can you match? 
Well, a lot of women like to match their bag with their shoes... (OK.) as part of their wardrobe. 
OK, matching your bag with your shoes. 
Nathanael, is there anything that you try to keep in mind when you're dressing? 
Do you try to match something with something else? 
No. I really don't care about matching that much. 
I just kind of put on whatever I want. 
Nice. Well, that's good because you don't have to worry about wearing hose. 
Women have to worry about making sure their hose match their shoes. 
Well, this is all very interesting. 
Um, but I don't really understand this. 
Carolyn, can you help us understand this? 
Well, we see in the reading: 
If you wear black shoes with black hose, by matching both of them to the bottom of your dress, you'll create an extra long line. 
So if you have black shoes and black hose, you make a long line down your legs. 
And it helps to make your legs look longer. 
All right. 
So this is all in efforts to make your legs look longer. 
For those who have short legs, try to match your... match your hose with your shoes. 
And also try to match your shoes to your dress as well. 
That way you can create that extra long line that you are looking for. 
Well, we continue. 
High heels and pointed-toed shoes also make legs look longer. 
High heels, what are those? 
Well, high heels are shoes that have a long heel. 
So they make you a little bit higher and also help to make your legs look longer. 
Now Nathanael, what else can high heels help women do? 
Play soccer. They can help women play soccer? 
They make you... 
No. 
No, no, no. 
Taller? 
Taller, yes! 
So high heels can also help women be taller because sometimes you feel a little bit short. 
So high heels are very good at making your legs longer and making yourself taller. 
All right. Well, we see one more problem area here today. 
It is the muffin top. 
As we continue: 
Fat around the middle can spill over your pants, causing a muffin top. 
Now we see that word there: spill. 
That means... I usually think of water coming out of a cup onto the floor or table. 
You did it accidentally. 
It's a spill. 
You spill something. 
But this could just mean it's coming out from its boundaries. 
So the fat can spill over the top of your pants, causing a muffin top. 
Well, how else can we use that word "spill"? 
You know, it can also be used as a noun. 
Someone needs to clean up the spill, this mess. 
You can use it that way as well. 
All right. 
You clean up that mess. 
I think if oil spills too. 
Sometimes oil spills into the ocean, causing a lot of damage to the environment. 
Well, let's continue. 
Avoid this by staying away from pants that are too tight or too low. 
Instead, choose pants that fit above your hips and close to your waist. 
Well, these have all been very good tips. 
Now let's continue with Michelle at the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to teachers. 
Well, we've talked about different ways that you can look your best with the clothes that you have. 
You don't need to be concerned anymore about your clothes making you look good because they can flatter your body. 
We've talked about a couple of problem areas too, and we will have more to learn next time. 
And Carolyn, I think that you are ready now to go shopping this weekend, aren't you? 
Well, these tips were pretty helpful, but I'd really like to learn a little bit more about how I can look my best. 
Hey, that's great. 
Well, you will be here next time, of course. 
We have more to learn, everybody, next time here atStudio Classroom. We'll see you then.

2013.01.12.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
I'm Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you are looking good. 
We're talking about "Looking Your Best" still today. 
Now I wonder if you have ever had any comments if people ever told you something nice about the way that you look. 
I'm sure that there are some things, some flattering things that people have said. 
I wonder, Nathanael, has anybody ever told you something nice about your outward appearance, how you look? 
Well, a lot of people comment on my eyelashes. 
They're really long, and a lot of people noticed that. 
Nice. 
Well, that... that's not a bad thing. 
It's actually a pretty nice thing. It's pretty unique. 
Well, what about you, Carolyn? 
What kinds of things have people said? 
Well, recently I got my hair cut. 
And a lot of people have been giving me compliments on how nice it looks. 
Well, it does look nice. 
Well, thank you. 
You're welcome. 
Some people tell me that when I wear green, it brings out my eyes. 
These are just little things that people notice. 
And it's good. 
If you notice something nice about how someone looks, you should pay that person a compliment. 
Right now it's time for us to get into the reading, the first reading for today. 
Let's do it now. 
Look Your Best. 
Too thin. 
Clothes made from thick material add weight to a thin frame. 
Wear clothes that fit well, or you will appear even thinner. 
Bright colors also make your body look fuller. 
A big tummy. 
Choose tops in a material that doesn't stick to you and isn't too tight. 
Two-piece sets and loose-fitting, low-waisted dresses disguise a large tummy. 
Large bottom. 
Stay away from tops that are too short and have large designs. 
Hip-length tops and flared pants move the eyes away from the hips. 
(Music). 
We're continuing to talk about problem areas today. 
The first problem area is too thin. 
And we see here: Clothes made from thick material add weight to a thin frame. 
So if you're worried about looking too thin, you can wear clothes that are made from a thick material, or a thicker material. 
But we also see an important Word Bank word here - it is the word: frame. 
And a "frame" is the outside of something, kind of like the outer shape of something. 
Where else do you use this word "frame" or how else can you use this word? 
Well, when I hear the word "frame," I think of maybe a bed frame that is outside of your bed or your mattress, and it helps to support your mattress. 
OK, so the bed frame. 
Of course, that keeps your mattress within its boundaries. 
How else can you use that word "frame," Nathanael? 
Well, I'm wearing contacts right now, but I often wear glasses. 
And when you buy glasses, you will choose frames. 
And they'll put lenses inside the frames. 
That's the outside part of the glasses; and the lens is the inside part. 
All right, so kind of the same meaning here - the outer shape of something. 
I think of a picture frame. 
Maybe you have different pictures in your house, and you like to put them into picture frames. 
There are many different nice frames you could use. 
And of course, when you're talking about your body, you can talk about a big frame or a small frame. 
"A thin frame" is what we're talking about here in this paragraph. 
Well, I think we have more to learn with Steve and Ken. 
Let's go to the Info Cloud. 
Hey, guys. 
Hi, guys. 
Hi, teachers. 
Hey, guys. 
Steve, we know there are many words in English that mean the same thing, or they have very similar meanings. 
But no matter how similar they are, words often have different connotations. 
Right. Connotation just means what is suggested or implied. 
Words often have either a negative or a positive connotation. 
I was just looking at the words "thin" and "skinny." Now they both mean the same thing, don't they? 
Yes, they do. 
Thin and skinny have the same meaning. 
They both refer to the condition of not having too much flesh, but their connotations are different. 
If you want to compliment someone on their body shape, which would you use, Ken? 
Thin, because it has a slightly more positive connotation than skinny, which can mean bony or very thin. 
True. However, I think it would be OK to use "skinny" to describe children. 
It's just that when you use it to describe adults, it has a slightly negative meaning. 
By the way, Ken, I think you're looking thin these days. 
Oh, thanks for the compliment. 
I've been working out. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, we found that if you want to make your frame look a little bigger, and if you're kind of thin, then you should wear clothes that have thicker material. 
Wear clothes that fit well, as we continue, or you will appear even thinner. 
Bright colors also make your body look fuller. 
And that word "fuller" is just another way to say bigger. 
If you are too thin or too skinny, you might want to make your body look fuller. 
Well, Nathanael, what is our next problem area addressed here? 
The next problem area is a big tummy. 
You should choose tops in a material that doesn't stick to you and isn't too tight. 
"Tops" here is, of course, just a word for shirt, what you wear on top. 
Following it says: Two-piece sets and loose-fitting, low-waisted dresses disguise a large tummy. 
Now here, "disguise" is a key word. 
Let's look at that. 
"Disguise" is a verb here; and it means to cover or hide. 
But there are some other ways to use this word as well. 
Carolyn, what do you think of when you hear "disguise"? 
Well, when I hear the word "disguise," I think of someone who is trying to be a little bit sneaky. 
And maybe they're wearing some strange clothes so that people won't recognize them. 
That's right. 
I think of maybe a costume party or people wearing masks, they're wearing a disguise. 
If you don't want people to recognize something, then you disguise yourself. 
I also think of the phrase - a blessing in disguise. 
Sometimes we use this to talk about bad things that go on in our lives, but in the end it has good results. 
Something good happens to us, we call that a blessing in disguise. 
Yeah. "A blessing in disguise" is a great phrase. 
Now if you're not familiar with the word "tummy," it's just a cute way of saying "stomach." OK. 
Let's move on to the next point. 
What is that one, Carolyn? 
Well, our next tip says to stay away from tops that are too short and have large designs. 
Now if you stay away from something, then you want to avoid it. 
You don't want to go near it. 
So if you stay away from tops that have large designs or are too short, then you shouldn't wear those types of shirts. 
Gabe, can you think of anything that you would stay away from? 
Ooh, that I would stay away from? 
Uh, well... Yeah, you can use this to talk about like places too. 
You could talk about people. 
I try to stay away from people that are negative, actually. 
I don't want that to influence my attitude too much. 
I want to be a positive influence, so I hope they don't stay away from me. 
Really, we should be a positive influence on each other, but I do try to stay away from things that will affect my attitude. 
Oh. Well, that's something very good to stay away from. 
Now as we continue, if someone has a large bottom, they should also think about hip-length tops and flared pants, 
which can help move the eyes away from the hips. 
Now flared pants? 
I... I'm not sure what flared pants are, Nathanael? 
Well, flared pants are pants that get wide at the bottom. 
Actually, there's another name for these. 
In some cases, they're called bell-bottoms. 
Oh, yeah. 
Just like a bell is shaped wider at the bottom, the pants, which are also called bottoms, are wider at the bottom, bell-bottoms. 
That's right. 
And sometimes that can help to move the eyes away from the hips. 
And I would say that bell-bottoms are a kind of flared pants, although that makes me think of the 70s or, you know, a couple of decades ago. 
But actually, flared pants are coming back in style. 
That's true. 
They are very fashionable right now and can help you look your best. 
Now let's go see what Michelle has for us in the Language Lab. 
Hey, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.12.B

Well, in this article Look Your Best, we've been talking about a lot of different tips of clothes that you can buy to flatter your own personal body. 
We've talked about a lot of different things, and maybe some of them have been helpful to you. 
But we still actually have several more to discuss. 
So let's move on to our second reading for this article today. 
Look Your Best. 
Thick thighs. 
Avoid perfectly straight pants, which put the focus on your hips and thighs. 
Instead, choose flared pants, which lenghthen the leg and make the thighs look slimmer. 
Big arms. 
Choose three-quarter-length sleeves that stop below the elbow, the thinnest part of the arm. 
Wide ankles. 
Never wear shoes that fasten at the ankle. 
They make your legs look shorter and your ankles and legs look wider. 
No one has a perfect body. 
But you can make yours look great with these simple clothing tricks. 
(Music). 
We're talking about Looking Our Best. 
And the first problem area we see here after the break is thick thighs. 
Now our lesson says avoid perfectly straight pants, which put the focus on your hips and thighs. 
All right. So you want to avoid these things. 
Earlier today in our lesson, we used a phrase: stay away from. 
This means the same thing - to avoid something, to stay away from something. 
We also heard the phrase: to move the eyes away from the hips. 
And here we just read: which put the focus on your hips and thighs. 
So if your eyes are somewhere, another way to say that is that you're focusing on that thing. 
So if you want to make your thighs look less thick, what should you do, Carolyn? 
Well, you want to make the eyes move away from them. 
So instead, choose flared pants, which lengthen the leg and make the thighs look slimmer. 
And here we see a great word "lengthen." And that's our next Word Bank word today. 
Lengthen. 
If you lengthen something, then you make it longer. 
You make the length greater. 
Do you ever lengthen your pants, Gabe? 
Um, I haven't had to lengthen my pants. 
I've bought pants before there were too long, I had to shorten, S-H-O-R-T-E-N. 
That's the opposite of lengthen. 
I had to shorten my pants. 
Um, but I do like to use this word lengthen in other ways. 
I think of maybe vacations that are too short, and I would like to lengthen my vacation time. 
Well, how else can you use that word, Nathanael? 
Similarly, if you don't have time to finish discussing what you need to say in a meeting, you could lengthen the time of your meeting. 
Make sure that you have enough time, that time is long enough to talk about everything that you need to discuss. 
That's right. 
And Nathannael, you studied film, I think. 
Did you ever have to lengthen movies or make them longer? 
I did. 
Actually, sometimes in editing, you would actually have to lengthen one clip and make it into slow motion. 
So the... just one little bit takes up more time and things actually end up looking like they move much more slowly. 
Very interesting. 
So there are different things that you could lengthen. 
And as we see in our article, you need to lengthen the leg and make the thighs look slimmer. 
Well, what is our next problem area here, Nathanael? 
The next problem area is big arms. 
If you have big arms, you should choose three-quarter-length sleeves that stop below the elbow, the thinnest part of the arm. 
Now I can make a guess at to what three-quarter-length sleeves are, but I'm not really sure. 
So Carolyn, what are three-quarter-length sleeves? 
Well, it's exactly the way it sounds, Nathanael. 
Three-quarter-length means it goes three quarters of the way down your arm. 
So today I'm wearing half-length sleeves. 
And three-quarter-length sleeves would be about here between my elbow and my wrist. 
Three-quarter-length sleeves. 
Well, usually I wear shirts that are neither full-length sleeves or short sleeved. 
But I do have a couple of T-shirts that are three-quarter-length. 
They are kind of fun to wear. 
That's a different style. 
Well, Carolyn, what is our last problem area here today? 
Our last problem area for today is wide ankles. 
Never wear shoes that fasten at the ankle. 
And your ankle is that area just above your foot. 
Now if you fasten something... "fasten" is another Word Bank word. 
What sort of things can you fasten, Gabe? 
Well, the first thing I think about is a seat belt. 
If you get into a car, you're driving somewhere, you need to fasten your seat belt. 
Whether you're driving or not, if you're in a car, you should fasten your seat belt. 
Not just so you don't get pulled over by the police, but because it is the safe thing to do. 
Fasten your seat belt. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
How do you use that word, fasten? 
Well, you can fasten your seat belt, and you can fasten your shoes. 
But I thought of something a little different. 
Kids fasten to my friend because he makes learning so fun. 
Of course kids don't buckle like shoes or click like a seat belt, but they might grab onto someone because they like them so much. 
They fasten to him. 
Right. So "fasten" just means to connect. 
And if you fasten your shoes at the ankle, they can make your legs look shorter and your ankles and legs look wider. 
So this is not really something that you should do. 
Make sure you don't get shoes that fasten at your ankle. 
Well, no one has a perfect body. 
As we see here in our last paragraph, no one is perfect, and no one has a perfect body. 
But you can make yours look great with these simple clothing tricks. 
We've been talking about Looking Our Best. 
And there are many different problem areas that are mentioned here. 
But you can use different tricks to make your body look good, different clothing tricks. 
Usually I see this word "trick" and I think of magic. 
I think of a magic trick. 
But here what does this word mean, Carolyn? 
Well, here it's just a tip or some sort of extra skill that you can use to make yourself look better. 
I also think of Halloween and going door to door and saying: Trick or treat. 
So you might try to trick someone into doing something for you. 
That's right. 
It's something that maybe most people don't think about but it's a way that you can do something to look extra special. 
Try these clothing tricks next time you go out. 
Well, right now it's time for us to go and enjoy a little review skit. 
So Barbie, how do I look? 
Well, hmm... 
I want to look my best. 
I want clothes that flatter me. 
Good idea. 
If you wear the right clothes, you can hide those trouble spots. 
What trouble spots? 
Your short legs, for example. 
My legs are too short? 
Yes! Wear black hose with black shoes to create an extra long line. 
And make my short legs look longer? 
Yes. And here is how to hide your muffin top. 
Muffin top? 
That fat around the middle that spills over your pants. 
I have a muffin top? 
Yes. Stay away from tight, low-fitting pants. 
Well, how can I avoid looking too thin? 
You don't have that problem. 
Let's talk about your big tummy. 
I have a big tummy? 
Yes. Two-piece dresses will help disguise that, loose-fitting and low-waisted. 
Is my tummy really that big? 
Well, your bottom is bigger. 
Stay away from short tops. 
Wear flared pants that will also help hide your thick thighs. 
I have thick thighs too? 
And wide ankles. 
So don't wear shoes that fasten at the ankle. 
Short legs, muffin top. 
Fat tummy. 
Big bottom. 
Thick thighs and wide ankles... Ah... 
Hey, come back. 
You didn't thank me. 
(Music). 
Well, that was a great review skit. 
And we certainly do want to look our best. 
Now let's see what Michelle has waiting for us in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to teachers. 
Well, we've talked a lot about how you can use your clothes, the clothes that you already have, to look your best. 
And we've covered 8 different problem areas with lots of little trouble spots over the last few days. 
It just makes me think we've talked a lot about the outside, but what about the inside? 
What do you think about this, Nathanael? 
Well, outer beauty, someone can be beautiful on the outside, but maybe it's actually more important that you're beautiful on the inside, 
that you have a beautiful heart, that you are honest, that you treat other people well. 
I think maybe these things are more valuable. 
But Carolyn, do you think that outer beauty might have some kind of value? 
Well, I think that outer beauty can help you to feel more confident with yourself, and that can also help to make you more beautiful inside. 
If you feel comfortable with the way you appear on the outside, then you can also have a beautiful inside. 
All right. 
Well, what do you think? 
We've been talking about inner beauty and outer beauty. 
Of course, there are many things that we can pay attention to and learn from from today's lesson and yesterday's lesson. 
Well, friends, we will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
Good-bye. 
Good-bye. 
(Music).

2013.01.14.A

Hey, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you're joining us for an exciting lesson about Basketball Terms. 
I know many of you like to play basketball. 
And now you're going to learn how to use the terms that you need when you are playing with other people who speak English. 
Basketball terms. 
Well, since it is such a popular sport, I wonder, Carolyn, were you ever on a basketball team? 
Did you ever play basketball? 
I was not on a basketball team, but I did play basketball because my dad used to be a basketball coach. 
Yes, indeed. 
Now Nathanael, what about you? 
Were you ever on a basketball team? 
I was on a basketball team in junior high. 
But most of my experience about basketball comes from my operating the scoreboard for basketball during high school. 
I had to control the board that showed the score and fouls and other things. 
So I had to learn a lot of the rules then. 
All right. Thank you, Nathanael. 
Nathanael just used some of the terms you might need to know when you're playing basketball with other people in English. 
I, too, like basketball, but I'm not very good. 
I enjoy playing just for fun. 
Well, let's get started with our first reading of the day. 
Basketball Terms. 
Learn the language you need to be the best you can be. 
Every sport, including basketball, has its own special words and terms. 
Knowing these terms will help you understand the sport better. 
If you are playing the game, they will also help you cooperate with other players. 
The basketball court. 
Basketball courts are divided in half by a midcourt line. 
In the middle of this line is the center circle where the game begins with a jump ball. 
We're just starting to learn about the basketball court with these basketball terms. 
Now I use that word "term." A term is a certain kind of word that you need to use or need to know when you are doing something. 
Something specific; you need to know those terms. 
And we see a sentence here at the very beginning. 
It says: Learn the language you need to be the best you can be. 
Learn the language you need to be the best you can be. 
I love that phrase there - be the best you can be. 
And I think it's so important I think you should also remember this too: be the best you can be. 
When would you use this phrase, or when might you repeat this phrase to someone, Carolyn? 
Well, if you want to encourage someone because you want them to do great things you might tell them, "be the best you can be," means do your very best. 
Try your hardest, and you will succeed. 
All right. Be the best you can be. 
Has anybody ever told that to you, Nathanael? 
Oh, sure. 
I think my parents were very encouraging, always told me to do the best I could in whatever I tried to do; be the best I can be. 
And the best will be the best that I can do, the best that I can give. 
So if someone says you have to do better, it's OK. 
You're already doing your best. 
I think that's a great reminder. 
Be the best you can be but no pressure because you need to be you. 
Be the best you that you can be. 
Well, we need to learn the language to be the best if we want to improve at basketball. 
But language? I mean, what kind of language are we talking about here, Nathanael? 
Like Korean or Japanese language? 
Oh, no, no. We're not talking about a different language. 
We're still going to speak English. 
But language here would just refer to the different vocabulary that you need to know about basketball. 
That's right, the language you need to know for basketball. 
As we can see: Every sport, including basketball, has its own special words and terms. 
So you see that word "term" again. 
Knowing these terms will help you understand the sport better. 
So if you are playing the game, they will also help you cooperate with other players. 
And we need to know how to cooperate with other people. 
This is one of our Word Bank words, to cooperate. 
I see two words here: co- and operate. 
When you operate, that means you are working on something. 
So "co-," that means together with something. 
So two or more people are cooperating about something. 
How can you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, if you cooperate with someone, then you work together. 
So it's really important to have cooperation with your classmates or your co-workers. 
All right. You can cooperate with your classmates or co-workers. 
Carolyn used a good word, the noun form, cooperation, C-O-O-P-E-R-A-T-I-O-N, cooperation. 
Um, how else can you cooperate with something or someone, Nathanael? 
Well, sometimes I try to remember my lines but my brain doesn't cooperate. 
My brain is no working with me, and I just can't remember what I'm supposed to say. 
All right. I like the way you use that word. 
Your mind, or your brain doesn't cooperate with you. 
You could say this thing it doesn't work for me right now. 
It's not cooperating with me. 
When I was a small child, my mother would often tell me that I needed to cooperate with her. 
That means I needed to obey her and listen to her. 
And I knew that if I didn't cooperate with her, I might be punished later, so. 
You need to cooperate with different people in your life. 
And if you're on a basketball team, or a sports team, of course you should learn to cooperate with each other. 
Well, what is our first sentence here, Carolyn? 
What are we learning about first here with our Basketball Terms lesson? 
Well, the first section we have here is the basketball court. 
And the basketball court is the main area where you play basketball. 
It's just the name of the place. 
And it says: Basketball courts are divided in half by a midcourt line. 
So there is a line that runs right down the middle of the basketball court; midcourt, middle of the court. 
All right. That's an easy way to remember it, the midcourt line. 
Remember that, basketball fans, the midcourt line on the basketball court. 
Now it's divided by this midcourt line. 
What does that mean, Nathanael, divided? 
Well, if something is divided, it's cut or separated into different parts. 
So the court is separated into two halves by the midcourt line. 
All right. Yes, it is. 
Continuing: In the middle of this line is the center circle where the game begins with a jump ball. 
OK. So we see those words: the center circle. 
If you look at a basketball court, there is like a circle in the middle where the midcourt line is. 
That's called the center circle. 
Nathanael, what is a jump ball? 
A jump ball is what happens at the very beginning of a basketball game where the referee throws up the ball, 
and one player from either team comes up to the ball and tries to hit the ball into the direction of their team so that they can have first possession. 
All right. Whoever catches the ball first gets the ball or possesses the ball first. 
All right. Now it's time for us to learn something different with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
So we're talking about basketball in today's article. 
And we read: In the middle of this line is the center circle... 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
It just means the center circle is in the middle of this line. 
But why does the writer write like this? 
This is called an inverted sentence, and is often used to describe things. 
The writer is describing the basketball court, and mentions the midcourt line in the previous sentence. 
The writer continues on with what is mentioned and introduces the center circle next. 
So when you're describing a big area, and you're going from one part of it to another, it's OK to use inverted sentences. 
For example: There was once a very old castle. 
In the middle of the castle is a magical fountain. 
Or: Walk into the museum and you'll see a big statue. At the bottom of the statue is a famous quote. 
That's it for today, friends. 
Be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more examples. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym saying goodbye. 
Thanks, Liz. 
Now let's what Michelle has waiting for us over in the Language Lab. 
Hey, Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.14.B

So far we've learned just a few terms from this Basketball Terms lesson. 
And there's more to come. 
But let's review what we know already. 
The midcourt line divides the basketball court into two halves. 
And what is in the middle of the midcourt line? 
The center circle. 
What happens in the center circle the very beginning of a game? 
A jump ball, where possession is decided when two players from either team try to hit the ball towards their team. 
What else can we learn from this lesson? 
Let's find out now in the second reading. 
Basketball Terms. 
Each end of the court has a basket and a three-point line. 
When players throw the ball into the basket from behind that line, they score three points. 
If they shoot the ball from anywhere in front of the line, they score two points. 
The area under each basket is called the key. 
Since the key is sometimes painted a different color, it is also called the paint. 
At the "top" of each key is the free-throw line. 
Players stand behind this line when shooting free throws or foul shots if there has been a penalty. 
We're continuing to find out about the basketball court. 
We see each end of the court has a basket and a three-point line. 
Of course, this is basketball, so you know the basket is your goal. 
That's what you should be shooting your basketball into. 
And this is a three-point line. 
There's a big, curved line that's called the three-point line. 
What happens here, Nathanael? 
Well, the three-point line is a large curve around the basket. 
And if we continue to read in the article, it will describe what it does in the game. 
When players throw the ball into the basket from behind that line, they score three points. 
And if they shoot the ball from anywhere in front of the line, they score two points. 
OK. There are two different phrases here: throw the ball, and shoot the ball. 
If you shoot the ball, you are definitely going to throw it towards the basket. 
You throw it towards the basket, of course, you're taking a shot. 
But if you throw the ball, you could be shooting, or you could be passing to another player. 
So shoot is more specific than throw. 
We're going to talk about a different area of the court now in the next part of the article. 
What does it say, Carolyn? 
It says the area under each basket is called the key. 
Since the key is sometimes painted a different color, it is also called the paint. 
Well, it's very interesting that they call it a key. 
I thought a key was something you use to open a door. 
Yeah. Actually, what helps me remember it is because it kind of has a shape like a keyhole, like an old-fashioned keyhole. 
You kind of have that shape there. 
That's why I think it's called the key. 
Or that's... that's what helps me remember what it is called. 
But what about you, Nathanael? 
Yes, that is true. 
The shape is like a keyhole. 
But it's also called the paint, kind of a fun name for it, because it's painted a different color. 
Continuing in the article says: At the top of each key is the free-throw line. 
Now Gabe, what is the use of the free-throw line? 
Good question. 
Players stand behind this line when shooting free-throws or foul shots if there has been a penalty. 
And Carolyn, what is the difference between a free-throw and a foul shot? 
Well, a free-throw is when you get two shots behind this line and you can get one point for each basket you make. 
A foul shot, you only get one chance to make one point. 
And as soon as you finish shooting your basket, the ball goes immediately back into play, and the other team tries to score points again. 
All right. 
Thank you for telling us the difference between those two kinds of shots. 
Now you see that word "foul." You might hear that word often when you're playing basketball. 
That means there has been a penalty. 
Someone did something wrong or that they should not have done, that is a penalty. 
That's also one of our Word Bank words. 
So a "penalty" in a sport game is when you do something wrong, something against the rules of that game. 
Where else might you use that word "penalty," Nathanael? 
Well, a penalty can also be a kind of fine. 
If you do something wrong, according to the law, your penalty, your punishment might be some money that you have to pay - a fine. 
That's right. 
That's actually how I usually think about the word "penalty." I know of a school that teaches English, and they're very good at what they do. 
They have a very unique penalty. 
For every word that you say in Chinese, you have to give a certain amount of money. 
So you don't want to pay that penalty, so you try to speak as much English as possible. 
And I think that people that go to that school, actually, their English improves quite quickly when they practice their English. 
Well, how else might you use that word "penalty," Carolyn? 
Well, it's interesting that you said "pay" a penalty because that's a really common phrase that we use. 
When we say that you have to have some sort of punishment you're going to pay for it with a penalty. 
So maybe you have to work harder or you have to do something again, and you have to pay the penalty for your mistakes. 
That is right. 
Well, remember that word "penalty." It's very closely related to the word "foul" in a basketball game. 
Earlier in this lesson, there's a word there I want to talk about. 
It is the word "top." At the top of each key is the free-throw line. 
And you see that word has these marks around it - the "top." Those are in quotations. 
Those are quotation marks. 
Nathanael, what does that mean? 
Well, the top of the key is not like the highest part of the key exactly, but think about one end of the basketball court. 
So the top of the key is farther from the end. 
The top is far from the end. 
So you shoot from the top of the key, the farthest point from the basket. 
Thank you very much. 
And sometimes in English in writing, you might write something like that. 
You have quotations around something for an idea that you want to communicate. 
Even if it's not really saying that it's the top, it's not really the top like higher than something else, but it communicates that idea. 
So you use quotation marks. 
Right now it's time for us to join Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
Hello, guys. 
Hi, guys. 
Hi, teachers. 
Friends, when we talk about places where sports are played, we need to know the right terms for these places. 
Ken, give us an example. 
OK. Uh, our lesson today mentions the basketball court. 
So "court" is one. 
That's right. 
Besides basketball, other sports such as tennis, badminton, volleyball, squash and racquetball all play in a court. 
Have you noticed that most of the sports you mentioned use either a net or a racket? 
That's right. 
That is one special feature of court sports. 
They often involve a net, like in basketball, or a racket, like in racquet ball. 
Or both, like in tennis. 
Hmm, good one. 
Now moving on to a much larger playing ground, we have field. 
A field, as the name suggests, is outdoors and is always big. 
Sports that use a field include baseball, football and soccer. 
And rugby! Let's not forget that one even though it's not very popular in the U.S. 
And cricket. 
That's even less popular than rugby in the U.S. 
And both are played on a field. 
Steve, what about something that's even larger than a field? 
What do we call that? 
Hmm... Oh, you must be thinking of a stadium. 
A professional sport like Major League Baseball and NFL Football are played in stadiums. 
And professional basketball is usually played in an arena. 
Arenas are often very large and have seating for several thousand fans. 
But unlike stadiums, they're usually covered by a roof. 
Good point, Ken. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, right now, friends, it's time for us to go and enjoy some time with Michelle. 
She is waiting for us in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to teachers. 
Well, friends, we've talked a lot about basketball today. 
You've learned some different basketball terms that you can use and put into practice for the next time you are playing basketball. 
So let's review some of these terms. 
There's a long, curved line around each basket, and that is called what? 
That's right - the three-point line. 
And inside the three-point line is an area called the key under the basket. 
The key is also sometimes called the paint because it can be painted a different color. 
Another line you will see on a basketball court is right in the middle dividing the court into two. 
And that is called the midcourt line. 
And in the middle of the midcourt line is the center circle. 
The center circle is pretty important because that's where the game begins with a jump ball. 
Well, hang on, Carolyn. 
Hang on to the ball because you're going to give us a jump ball in a minute. 
But first, we need to say goodbye to our dear friends here. 
Come back next time to come enjoy another lesson about basketball terms at Studio Classroom.See you next time.

2013.01.15.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
I am your teacher Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
We're on our second day of a lesson called Basketball Terms. 
If you're a basketball fan, which I'm sure many of you are, then you want to know what terms you need to use when you are playing basketball. 
And sometimes you can use these terms when you're playing with other English speakers. 
It's good to know these things. 
Yesterday we talked about different terms that have to do with the basketball court. 
Today we're going to be talking about more of the terms you will use when you are playing basketball. 
Now basketball is many people's favorite sport. 
It's not my favorite team sport. 
Mine is ultimate frisbee. 
That's a wonderful team sport. 
Carolyn, what's your favorite team sport? 
Well, my favorite sport to watch, not to play, is American football. 
I really like to watch the college teams play football. 
Excellent. What about you, Nathanael? 
What's your favorite sport? 
Well, basketball is great to watch, but hockey is really fun to play even though I didn't get a chance to a lot. 
All right, hockey, American football, ultimate frisbee. 
Basketball, of course, is probably one of the most popular sports. 
Let's get right into our second day. 
We're going to be getting into the reading "Getting the ball." Let's start right there. 
Basketball Terms. 
Getting the ball. 
When the other team has the ball, your team wants to stop them from scoring. 
You can do this in several different ways. 
In man-to-man defense, each player on your team has someone from the other team to defend. 
In a zone defense, each person on your team defends one area of the floor. 
OK. We're talking about getting the ball here. 
Right at the very beginning, the first sentence is: When the other team has the ball, your team wants to stop them from scoring. 
That means they want to prevent the other team from scoring. 
And you can say the sentence in different ways. 
And I think Ken and Steve have some more information about that. 
Let's go and join them in the Information Cloud. 
Hey, guys. 
Hi, guys. 
Hi. 
Steve, let's talk about grammar today. 
Have you ever stopped someone doing something? 
Ah, wait a second, Ken. 
Don't you mean to say: Have you ever stopped someone from doing something? 
See? You found the mistake. 
I left out the preposition "from" on purpose. 
I wanted to try it because that's what the British do. 
They often leave out the preposition "from". 
Yes, Ken. I've noticed that too. 
The British often say "You can't stop me going," instead of: You can't stop me from going. 
Another similar usage is with the word: prevent. 
So the British might say, "To prevent her falling, I grabbed her hand"? 
Yes, instead of: to prevent her from falling. 
So this is one of the differences between American English and British English. 
That's right. 
It's not a matter of right or wrong; it's just two different styles. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, Ken and Steve. 
Well, let's go back to our first sentence to review a little bit. 
"When the other team has the ball," this is what we call possession. 
When another team has the ball, or when a team has the ball, it's called "possession." They possess the ball. 
And teams are always fighting for possession. 
Your team wants to stop them from scoring and get the ball back for themselves. 
You can do this in several different ways. 
The first one is in man-to-man defense. 
Let's talk about this key word "defense" first. 
Gabe, what does "defense" mean? 
Well, usually if you're on defense, you are defending your basket. 
You don't want the other team to score in that basket. That is the defense. 
You're trying to make the other team go away and go... and you want to take it back to the other side of the court. 
You are in defense. 
I also think of defense maybe when you're having an argument with someone, you want to defend your point. 
And we see this a lot of times in debates. 
Some schools have debate clubs. 
And you have to defend your position and your opinion. 
I like that use of it, actually. 
That's what I usually think of when I think of a defense. 
You need to defend your position. 
So we see this word "defense" as a noun, and later in the sentence as a verb - to defend your position, to defend something. 
And if you're in an argument, and you think that you're right, you think that the other person should listen to you, 
maybe they're attacking you about something, you can say: 
"In my defense," and then share why you think you're right. 
Say "In my defense," and then share why you think you're right. 
Great! And it is important to defend what you say. 
Now in the article, we see "man-to-man" defense. 
And I've just had a really great idea, guys. 
Why don't we show everyone what man-to-man defense looks like. 
So, yeah. OK, stand up. Yep. 
You too, Nathanael. 
Let's stand up here for everyone. 
And a man-to-man defense, each player on your team has someone from the other team to defend or guard against. 
So let's see if we can get a basketball in here. 
Basketball? 
Yeah. 
Thank you. 
Great! OK, so. 
I'll be defense. 
OK, great. 
So a man-to-man defense, he will be guarding against me. 
Right. 
OK, like this. 
And he follows me around, and he's always there with me. 
And yes! That is man-to-man defense. 
Good work. 
Nice job. 
Great. OK. Now you can sit down. 
Now, OK. 
Continuing with the article: 
In a zone defense, each person on your team defends one area of the floor. 
You guys want to... you want to try that one? Yeah? 
Zone defense? 
Again? 
Yeah, sure! Let's... let's try zone defense this time. 
OK, zone defense. 
So, my zone... 
So your zone can be just here on the floor. 
Yeah, right there. That's... that's your zone. 
OK. That's his area. 
He's still on defense, right? 
Right. 
OK. And since he's on defense, that it his zone. 
That's right. 
So I can go anywhere, and he's not going to follow me around. 
And I can go straight to the basket and shoot. 
And score some points for my team. 
That's is how zone defense works! 
Oh, yeah! 
That might work, except there are usually other players in the other zones, and then they would also be defending that area. 
Yeah, well, it was pretty fun playing with you just now, Nathanael. 
Yeah, it was. 
Thanks, guys. OK. 
OK. So that's how it works - man-to-man defense and zone defense. 
Well, that is defense. 
We have more to talk about a little later about something called offense. 
But earlier on in our paragraph we saw a sentence: 
You can do this in several ways, or several different ways. 
I like that phrase right there - doing something in several different ways. 
If you know a skill, maybe you can do it in several different ways. 
I like to play drums. 
Sometimes I play along with other people. 
I can play in several different ways. 
How else could you use this phrase? 
Nathanael, how could you use this phrase in several different ways? 
Sure. Yeah. You can draw in several different ways. 
You could use a pencil. 
You could use charcoal, which is kind of a different material that some people use to draw. 
You could also use pens, pen and ink, that you dip into ink. 
Those are all possibilities of different ways, several different ways to draw. 
All right. 
Well, that's great. 
There are several different ways to draw, or to do art. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
How would you use that phrase in several different ways? 
Well, you know, there are several different ways you can write in English. 
You can write in very formal, advanced English, or you can write in very simple and easy-to-understand English. 
All right. 
That's great, several different ways. 
And of course, as you can see, there are several different ways to use this phrase, several different ways. 
You can defend your basket in several different ways. 
What is one way, Nathanael? 
One way is man-on-man defense where one player guards against another. 
All right, man-to-man defense. 
And the other one is? 
Zone defense. 
And zone is just an area, which makes me think perhaps we should go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
I think that's a good idea. 
Hello, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.15.B

Well, we've been talking a lot about basketball terms here at Studio Classroom. 
Yesterday we talked about terms to describe a basketball court, what it looks like. 
And before the break, we were talking about terms you use when you are on defense when you're playing basketball. 
So there's man-to-man defense and zone defense. 
Right now we're going to talk about the offense. 
So let's get started with the second reading. 
Basketball Terms. 
Scoring points. 
One of the easiest offensive plays is the give-and-go. 
In a give-and-go, you pass the ball to a teammate. 
Then that teammate passes the ball back to you so you can score. 
If you want to be like Jeremy Lin, you need to master the pick-and-roll. 
In a pick-and-roll, a teammate picks or screens you from a defender. 
This lets you get away from the defender and score a basket. 
Communication is important for any team. 
Try using these basketball terms the next time you play. 
So the title of this section is Scoring points. 
And if you are going to score points, then you need to be on the offensive, not the defense but on the offense. 
And one of the easiest offensive plays is the give-and-go. 
We have a lot we want to talk about right there. 
The first, of course, is that Word Bank word: offensive. 
If you're on the offensive, that means you have the basketball, and you're trying to get down to score or shoot a basket. 
You're on the offensive. 
It's almost like you're attacking the other team to get to their basket. 
You're on the offense. 
I've also seen this word used a different way, Gabe. 
When you are driving, you could be driving as an offensive driver or a defensive driver. 
And if you drive on the offense, then you are pretty aggressive in your driving, and you know exactly where you want to go. 
OK, so you could be offensive driver. 
Of course, most people try to encourage you to be a defensive driver. 
That's a little safer. 
But how else can you use this word "offensive," Nathanael? 
Well, in different cultures, you sometimes have to be careful what you do. 
Something more normal for you might be offensive to people in another country. 
That is a great example. 
It's true. 
You don't want to offend people. 
So the offensive here, offensive is an adjective. 
But you can offend, O-F-F-E-N-D, that's the verb. 
Don't want to offend people. 
Say something that will hurt them or injure them. 
That is offending them. 
So don't try to offend people. 
But in a basketball game or any sports game, actually it's quite normal to be on the offensive because it's competition, and you want to win. 
Well, we see another word here. 
It is the word "play." It's an offensive play. 
Usually I think of this word as a verb. 
I'm going to play basketball; or I'm going to play soccer or badminton. 
Nathanael, why is it here as a noun? 
What does this mean? 
Well, an offensive play is a play that you play in the offensive. 
So it's something... it's a play that you're doing, a strategy that your team has in order to score a basket. 
There can be defensive plays, defensive strategies as well. 
All right. 
And Carolyn, you mentioned that your favorite sport to watch is American football. 
Are there also plays in American football? 
They sure do. 
American football has a lot of different kinds of plays. 
And usually when they have a break, or a timeout, they all get together and discuss what play they're going to do next. 
All right. 
So different sports can use plays. 
That's kind a plan, or as Nathanael said, a strategy, that you have when you are going to play that sport. 
So one of the offensive plays in basketball is called the give-and-go. 
It's kind of easy to remember because really it's just a back-and-forth action. 
You pass the basketball... well, we can read it here in the article. 
In a give-and-go, you pass the ball to your teammate. 
Then that teammate passes the ball back to you so that you can score. 
But why the give-and-go? 
Nathanael, why do the give-and-go? 
Well, it allows you to do two things. 
First, the offense can distract the defense with this play; also, it gives the offense time to prepare to score the ball. 
All right. So there are some good reasons for the give-and-go. 
We continue: If you want to be like Jeremy Lin - and I think many basketball players would like to be like Jeremy Lin - you need to master the pick-and-roll. 
In a pick-and-roll, a teammate picks or screens you from a defender. 
OK. It's not that easy to remember the pick-and-roll unless you see it. 
So maybe you can go online and type in "pick-and-roll" to see what that looks like. 
It's a very good move. 
And this lets you get away from the defender and score a basket. 
Now we did use a word in that definition of pick-and-roll: you need to "master" the pick-and-roll. 
I like that word. 
Nathanael, can you talk about this word for a little bit, "master"? 
Sure. Usually we think of "master" as a noun. 
Obey your master. 
But here it's a verb. 
When you master something, you know how to do it very well after long practice. 
So you can practice the pick-and-roll and master it, able to do it every time. 
Able to do it every time, you can master that. 
Carolyn, what can you master? 
How can you use this word? 
Well, if you are trying to learn a language like you are probably trying to learn English, you can master it. 
It means that you have no problems communicating with other people in English. 
All right. And I know many of you have a goal to master English. 
And if you're playing basketball, if you want to, then you might want to master the pick-and-roll, give-and-go and other plays like that. 
Well, our final paragraph says communication is important for any team. 
And that is so true. 
Communication is important for any team. 
Not just a sports team, but even your team of teachers right here at Studio Classroom. 
Carolyn, Nathanael and I need to communicate with each other and everybody else at Studio Classroom. 
It's very important for the show to be what it is. 
It's important for any team. 
What team are you on, or working with? 
Communication is key. 
It is important. 
And we see that try... you can try using these basketball terms the next time that you play basketball. 
Well, I want to watch a little review skit right now. 
Let's listen in. 
(Music). 
Let's play basketball. 
Uh... basketball is too confusing. 
Confusing? 
Yes. The floor has too many lines. 
The floor is called the basketball court. 
And the lines are important. 
There's a midcourt line. 
It's down in the middle. 
Why is there a circle? 
The center circle is where the game begins with a jump ball. 
OK. 
What about the lines around the basket? 
There's the three-point line. 
Make a basket from behind that line and score three points. 
And what about the lines under the basket? 
That area is called the key. 
The key? 
Yes. At the "top" of the key is the free-throw line. 
What happens there? 
You stand behind that line when you take foul shots. 
When there's a penalty? 
That's right. 
Now, what happens when the other team has the ball? 
You move out of the way. 
No. You stop them with defense, man-to-man or zone defense. 
Defense? 
And what happens when your team gets the ball? 
You... hit a homerun! 
No. You do the give-and-go or the pick-and-roll, and score a basket. 
Oh. Hooray! Basketball sounds like fun. 
It is! So let's play. 
Fun, but confusing. 
I mean, give-and-go? Pick-and-roll? 
Strange. 
That was a great review skit. 
Now let's take some time to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And back to you, teachers. 
There's been a lot of information in this article, but it's not long enough to cover everything. 
Not every term in basketball is here. 
So let's talk about a few just before we go for today. 
A lay-up. 
A lay-up is when you dribble up to the basket and take a few steps jumping up to the basket to score ball. 
Another one is a slam dunk where you jump quite far all the way up to the basket and dunk it in the hoop. 
Carolyn, what other words or terms can you think of? 
Well, when I think of basketball, I usually don't say "basketball." I shorten it, so it's B-ball. 
And that's usually what my friends and I say: Oh. Well, let's watch a B-ball game. 
Well, we learned about defense today. 
And actually, if your teammates are doing pretty well on the defense, you could say "Good D." It's a short way of saying it. 
Good defense, or good D, you guys. 
That's great. 
There's all kinds of terms you can learn. 
Get out there and learn some more. 
But that's it for us today here at Studio Classroom. 
Time to say goodbye. 
And we'll see you next time. 
Goodbye. 
And see younext time!

2013.01.16.A

Hello, hello, hello. 
And welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we are glad that you could join us here today. 
Our friend Joe, who also works here at Studio Classroom, wrote A Lesson in Culture. 
Now she found a foreign land in her home country. 
Carolyn, have you ever been to a foreign country? 
I have been to a foreign country, Gabe. 
In fact, I've been to about six different foreign countries. 
But one that I went to recently was Indonesia. 
And it has so many beautiful landscapes. 
Interesting. 
I would like to visit Indonesia. 
I've never been there. 
Nathanael, have you ever visited a foreign country? 
What was unique about that place? 
I have visited Singapore, which is a very unique place because it's a country that really is mostly a city. 
And it's one of the nicest cities I have ever been to. 
I've been there too. 
I really like it. 
I also went to Romania. 
It was a very laid-back country. 
Well, we're going to find out about Joe's experiences, A Lesson in Culture. 
Let's get started with our first reading for today. 
(Music). 
A Lesson in Culture. 
I found a foreign land in my home country. 
I've had many opportunities to experience living in a foreign culture, but my first experience came in an unexpected place - my own country. 
When I was 20, I got an internship in New York City. 
It was my first time to live outside of my home state of Texas. 
With my move north came culture shock. 
I grew up in a big city in Texas. 
But it was no comparison to the tightly packed boroughs of New York with their 8 million residents. 
(Music). 
I found a foreign land in my home country. 
That's what Joe wrote. 
She did not go to a foreign country as we found out. 
She found a foreign land, a strange place or a strange culture. 
Sometimes the word "foreign" can mean strange. 
How else can you use the word "foreign," Nathanael? 
I think of maybe hearing about a foreign idea. 
Something new to you that you've never heard of; it's foreign to me. 
It's foreign to me. 
It's unfamiliar. 
What is foreign to you, Carolyn? 
Well, there are a lot of foreign foods that I've tried eating such as (Chinese). 
Ooh, yes. That is foreign food to lots of people. 
I've gotten used to it over the years, but it was very foreign to me at first. 
And the smell was foreign too. 
Well, Joe writes: I've had many opportunities to experience living in a foreign culture, but my first experience came in an unexpected place. 
And where was this unexpected place, Nathanael? 
"In my home country," she says. 
Even in her own country, she found a place that was foreign to her. 
That's right. 
This is very unexpected for us too. 
When we expect to hear about going to another country, she is just talking about going to another place in her own country. 
She says, "When I was 20, I got an internship in New York City." An internship. 
Now this is one of our Word Bank words. 
If you are an intern somewhere, you're working somewhere but you're not a full-time worker, are you, Carolyn? 
No. Usually you're there for a shorter period of time, maybe just for a summer; or it could be for about a year. 
And sometimes you don't get paid for the work you do. 
OK. So that's very unique about an internship. 
You don't necessarily get paid money for working as an intern. 
Well, how can you use this word, "internship"? 
Maybe you know someone who is an intern somewhere, you can say: How is your internship going? 
What's your internship experience like? 
I had an internship last summer at a church in the United States. 
And actually, I did get paid. So maybe I got lucky. 
Well, it sounds like your internship experience was a little better than some people's experiences. 
So do you have any friends who are interns? 
You can ask them these kinds of questions. 
Tell them to talk about their internships. 
Maybe you are an intern, too. 
Well, Joe continues. 
It was my first time to live outside of my home state of Texas. 
So Texas is a little bit different from New York. 
Have you guys been to either of these places? 
Well, I've been to New York about three times, and it's very different from my hometown. 
It is very different from your hometown, which is where? 
Uh... it is from rural Western Virginia. 
OK, rural West Virginia. 
That is a little bit different from New York, I'm assuming. 
And Texas is, too, from Joe's experience in New York. 
She says with my move north came culture shock. 
I think many of us know what "culture shock" feels like. 
This is also one of our Word Bank words. 
And culture shock is just what you feel when you experience a different culture. 
It's not pleasant. 
How can you use this word, "culture shock," Nathanael? 
When you go to another country, you might have culture shock when you try the new kinds of foods that you're not really used to. 
That's right. 
You could experience culture shock in that way. 
Sometimes if you live in a foreign country for a long time, you experience reverse culture shock going back to your home country. 
That's reverse, R-E-V-E-R-S-E, culture shock. 
Well, Joe grew up in a big city in Texas. 
And I think right now it's time for us to enjoy some time with Ken and Steve at the Information Cloud. 
Hi, teachers. 
Steve, since we're talking about city living, let's review some words that can help us describe exactly what kind of community we live in. 
OK. Let's start in the countryside. 
For that area, we use the word "rural." People from rural areas might live in a small village. 
And they probably have a job connected to something like farming or fishing. 
And if you're heading from a rural area toward a city, you'll come to the suburbs. 
A suburb has a lot more people than the country, but not as many as a city. 
It's in between. 
That's right. 
And the adjective of suburb is suburban. 
People who live in the suburbs often commute every day to a nearby city or urban area for work. 
Speaking of urban, Steve, what is an urban revolution? 
Well, that's what's happening right now. 
We are living in what is called an urban revolution. 
For the past 30 years, millions of people around the world have been moving from rural areas to urban areas. 
So rural areas are shrinking, and urban areas are growing? 
Big time. 
Some urban areas have grown so big they have a special name now - megacity. 
Megacities are cities that have a population of at least 10 million people. 
Of the 27 megacities in the world, 15 are in Asia. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
It's good to know everything between rural and megacity. 
Well, Joe continues on. 
She says: It was no comparison to the tightly packed boroughs of New York with their 8 million residents. 
So her home in Texas was no comparison for that. 
No comparison to something, or no comparison for something. 
That means that you can't even compare it. 
There's no use in even wasting your time comparing something. 
They're just totally different. 
How else can you use this phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, we were talking about some food and culture earlier. 
And if you have American pizza and Italian pizza, there's really no comparison because they're very different. 
They're very different. 
Well, Nathanael, how would you use this phrase: no comparison for something? 
There is no comparison between the traffic in the city and the traffic in the country. 
Well, that is true because the traffic in the city is definitely much worse than the traffic in the country. 
I would say I love to play drums, but I'm no comparison to my favorite drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. 
He's amazing! 
I love to play, but I am no comparison. 
Try to use that phrase today: no comparison to something else. 
She says that this big city in Texas is no comparison to the tightly packed boroughs of New York. 
Tightly packed... I think of like a pack of sardines or something. 
What else could be tightly packed? 
Well, if you're getting on to a crowded bus, the people would be tightly packed. 
Yeah. That does sound like something that would be tightly packed. 
So New York City is definitely very different from where she is from. 
She says there are 8 million residents there. 
That's different from her hometown. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hello, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.16.B

Well, we're reading about Joe's experience in New York City, a foreign land in her own home country. 
You probably remember that she is from a big city in Texas. 
But she went to New York City for what? 
An internship. 
And she went there and found a different world even though it was in her home country. 
Let's continue to see what other experiences she had there. 
(Music). 
A Lesson in Culture. 
My new home was in Times Square, a hub constantly filled with traffic, noise, people and lights. 
I was used to life at a relaxed pace; New York moved fast. 
The saying is true - this city never sleeps. 
I had to adjust. 
My first reaction was fear. 
Fear I would fail at my new internship in the 54-story office building. 
Fear of getting lost on the subway. 
Fear that the locals wouldn't have patience for my frequent moments of confusion. 
My anxieties ranged from reasonable to ridiculous. 
But I faced my fears and kept trying. 
Well, it is important to face your fears and keep trying. 
Joe, at the beginning of this section, she says her new home was in Times Square. 
And how did she describe Times Square, Carolyn? 
She says it is a hub constantly filled with traffic, noise, people and lights. 
So it sounds like a very busy place. 
That's right. 
When I hear the word "hub," I do think of a busy place. 
A hub is kind of a place that might be crowded, um, or there's lots going on. 
That's kind of what we mean when we use the word hub. 
And this hub was constantly filled with traffic, noise, people and lights. 
We see that key word there "constantly." That means it's always happening. 
There's always something going on. 
How else could you use this word "constantly," Nathanael? 
I could say that when I was in college, I was constantly worried about getting my homework done. 
Oh, my word. I know how you feel. 
I'm sure many of you know how that feels too. 
You're constantly worried about getting your work done. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
How do you use this word. 
Well, I feel like I'm constantly needing to wash dishes. 
Man, constantly needing to wash dishes. 
Does that mean you're constantly eating? 
No, no. It means that dishes seem to magically appear in my sink. 
And when I get home, they need to be washed. 
It's true. 
Sometimes that's how it feels. 
There's always dishes in the sink. 
Well, sometimes I feel like I am constantly on the go, or constantly on the move. 
And Joe felt like life was constantly filled with traffic, noise and people, and just... the hub was crazy. 
She says she was used to life at a relaxed pace; but New York moved fast. 
The saying is true. 
And what is that saying, Nathanael? 
We call New York the city that doesn't sleep, or that never sleeps. 
It's constantly awake and moving up and going. 
That's great. 
It is up and going, the city that never sleeps. 
Remember that about New York. 
You'll find that it is true. 
And you may have to adjust, just like Joe did. 
She says her first reaction was fear. 
Fear that I would fail at my new internship in the 54-story office building. 
Fear of getting lost on the subway. 
I think we should take a look at this word "fear." Liz has something to share with us in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Our Grammar Tip focus can be found in these three sentences. 
Fear I would fail at my new internship in the 54-story office building. 
Fear of getting lost on the subway. 
Fear that the locals wouldn't have patience for my frequent moments of confusion. 
Notice how these sentences all begin with the word "fear." Normally when we write, 
we don't repeat certain words again and again because it can make our writing sound boring. 
However, in today's article, the writer is explaining her fears. 
She's afraid of failing, she's afraid of getting lost, and she's afraid that people wouldn't be patient with her. 
This style of writing is often found in formal situations and is usually used to show emphasis on one subject, 
especially when it's about feelings or emotions. 
For example: 
This past month has been really crazy for Jan and she is tired. 
Tired of all the work she has to do. 
Tired of taking care of the bills at home. 
Tired of being yelled at by everybody. 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine, you'll find more examples there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym saying goodbye. 
Thank you so much, Liz. 
Well, in this last paragraph, Joe is talking mainly about her fears. 
Again, she has a fear of failing at her internship, a fear of getting lost on the subway, 
a fear that the locals wouldn't have patience for her frequent moments of confusion. 
OK. These are different kinds of fear. 
And she talks here about moments of confusion. 
We see this phrase - a moment of something. 
So it's not always happening. 
But there are moments of confusion. 
And how else can you use this phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, you could have a moment of fear where you just are afraid for a short period of time. 
That's right, a moment of fear. 
Um, Nathanael, do you ever get moments of nervousness about anything? 
I tell you what, when I was in high school, I controlled the board for basketball games that showed the score and all that information. 
And it was a lot of pressure to do that job. 
I got very nervous before doing a game. 
Well, so it sounds like you probably had many, many moments of fear and anxiety, right? 
I would say so. 
Well, Joe had moments of confusion. 
And "confusion" is one of our key words today. 
If you are confused, you experience confusion. 
You're not sure about something. 
Maybe you heard one thing, but in reality it's another way. 
So how have you experienced confusion? 
Carolyn, have you ever experienced confusion about something? 
I feel confused a lot, Gabe, especially living in a foreign country. 
I had frequent moments of confusion when I don't understand what people are trying to tell me. 
OK. Yeah, so you might be confused or experience confusion because of linguistic reasons. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
Do you ever feel confused or experience confusion? 
I only like to do one thing at a time. 
So when I feel like there's a lot of stuff going on, a lot of different things happening, I could get confused. 
Right. Yeah. You might experience confusion then. 
Sometimes a friend might tell me one thing but then they do another thing, and then I experience confusion. 
I'm a bit confused. 
And we find that Joe also had moments of confusion. 
Her anxiety ranged from reasonable to ridiculous. 
If it ranges, that means there's a lot of space in between. 
It ranged from ridiculous to reasonable... or reasonable to ridiculous. 
But she faced her fears and kept trying. 
And that's the important thing - to face your fears. 
All right. Now it's time for us to learn a little bit more with Michelle. 
(Chinese). 
And here you go, teachers. 
Well, it looks like Joe had a lot of different fears that she needed to face between her internship and getting lost on the subway, 
or what the locals would think of her and whether or not they would have patience. 
It sounds like she had a lot to deal with. 
Have either of you faced any fears? 
Yes, I have. I... am still not a huge fan of public speaking but I've had to face that fear many times. 
And so I've gotten used to it a little more over the years. 
OK, great. 
So you were able to face your fears just like Joe. 
Well, I tried to, and I still try to face my fears. 
Sometimes I still do have fears at... with public speaking. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
Have you had to face any fears? 
Well, I talked about my experience controlling the board for basketball games during high school. 
It was something I got nervous doing, but I did decide that I had to do it. 
It was my responsibility. 
So even if it was uncomfortable, I continued to do that job. 
Well, it's really great that you were willing to try to face your fears. 
And after reading what Joe wrote in her article today, we see that facing your fears is pretty important when you are going to experience a new culture in your own home country. 
So I hope that you will join us again and we will continue learning more about what Joe experienced. 
(Music).

2013.01.17.A

Hey... welcome to Studio Classroom. 
I'm your teacher Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you are joining us for day two of our Lesson in Culture. 
That's right. 
Studio Classroom's Joe Wuertz had an interesting time in New York City. 
She went from her city in Texas to New York City. 
And it was quite a different culture for her even though it was within the same country. 
Hey, Carolyn, how long have you been in Taipei? 
Well, I've been here about two years now. 
So you've been here two years. 
How are you feeling? 
Do you feel adjusted? 
Or how long did it take you to feel adjusted here? 
Well, you know, it took a little while to kind of get past the culture shock because the United States and Taipei are pretty different. 
They've very different food and language. 
But I feel like now I'm very comfortable here in Taipei. 
Well, it's good. 
It's good to get to a place where you can feel comfortable where you are. 
Well, some people learn how to adjust quickly; some, it takes longer. 
Let's continue learning about Joe's experience in New York City with our first reading of today. 
(Music). 
A Lesson in Culture. 
I learned quickly never to assume a New Yorker speaks English and to be respectful of lifestyles that were new to me. 
New York is home to people of all walks of life, from all corners of the world. 
My co-workers were Polish, Colombian, Puerto Rican, Greek and Armenian, to name a few. 
I ran errands to a shop where all the male employees were Orthodox Jews and wore their hair in traditional curls. 
I spent hours wandering Canal Street in Chinatown - the closest I'd ever been to an Asian country. 
Right at the beginning, Joe says I learned quickly never to assume a New Yorker speaks English and to be respectful of lifestyles that were new to me. 
We see that Word Bank word there, respectful. 
It's very important to be respectful to other people and of other cultures. 
How else can you talk about this word "respectful," Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times when I think of being respectful, I think of being respectful to people who are older than us, so being respectful to your elders. 
OK, being respectful to your elders. 
Who else are you respectful to, Nathanael? 
I'm assuming that you are respectful to people. 
Yes, I do try to be respectful to people, especially my parents, also teachers, or maybe my boss. 
All of these are people that I should probably show some respect to. 
All right. 
Well, of course I think all of us know and are taught that it's important to be respectful to everybody. 
And if you go and visit a new country or a different place, then you need to try to research, 
or maybe figure out how can you be respectful to that new place, and new lifestyles Joe talks about. 
Well, friends, we did see a word there in that sentence "assume." I learned quickly never to assume something. 
Right now Steve and Ken have something that they want to share with us in the Information Cloud. 
Hey, guys. 
Hi, teachers. 
Steve, the writer of today's article mentions that she should never assume a New Yorker speaks English. 
Why don't we review the difference between assume and presume. 
OK. 
The words "assume" and "presume" are so close in meaning that even native English speakers sometimes get confused about when to use which word. 
I can see why there would be a problem. 
Both "assume" and "presume" mean to believe something is true. 
Correct. So let's dissect this a little. 
When you assume something, you believe it to be true without any proof. 
In other words, you make a decision based on a wild guess. 
OK. So as an example, I might say: I assume you knew that person because you were both from the same school. 
Great. 
Now in contrast, "presume" is a belief based not on a wild guess but on an educated guess. 
For example, we presume people with a ring on their left ring finger are married. 
Yes, there's still a chance we might be wrong, but we came to that conclusion based on some evidence. 
So presume if you must, but try not to assume. 
That's right. 
Growing up we're taught never to assume, so. 
Before you make a judgment about something or someone, get as much information and as many facts as you can. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, moving on with our lesson, Joe writes: New York is home to people of all walks of life. 
All walks of life. 
We see that phrase, walk of life. 
That means a lifestyle or a different background. 
Different people have different walks of life. 
Do you know lots of people from different walks of life, Carolyn? 
Well, going to college, I met people from all over the country and all around the world. 
And they have very different walks of life. 
OK, so different walks of life, people that you meet at university. 
Do you know people from different walks of life, Nathanael? 
Yeah. I mean, I grew up in an international community. 
So my high school had a lot of different people from a lot of different countries. 
All right. And I think I've experienced, or I know people from different walks of life as well, 
different lifestyles and backgrounds, people from all corners of the world. 
Um... excuse me. 
Does the world... does the Earth have corners, Nathanael? 
Well, technically, no. 
But just like we say the term "the end of the world," the world doesn't exactly have an end to its shape either. 
We just mean the very different places of the world. 
"All over the world" is what we really mean. 
All right. So this is a good phrase to know - all over the world. 
You could say "all corners of the world." Moving on. 
Joe says: My co-workers were Polish, Colombian, Puerto Rican, Greek and Armenian, to name a few. 
Well, that really does sound like people from all walks of life. 
And we see this phrase "to name a few" right there. 
It's a good way to uh, to talk about a series of things you want to say, and you could list many things, 
but of course it's not everything, so then you end with "to name a few." Could you give us an example of this, Carolyn? 
Well, growing up, I had a lot of different kinds of pets. 
I had dogs, cats, birds, just to name a few. 
Just to name a few. 
That means she probably had 20 or 30 other kinds of pets. 
That was just to name a few. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
How do you use this phrase? 
Of course, there's a lot of different examples you could use. 
I could list my shoes and say: Of all the different shoes I have, I have some hiking boots, some tennis shoes and some sandals, just to name a few. 
Just to name a few. 
I have a lot of movies that I really like. 
Some of my favorites are It's a Beautiful Life and Forrest Gump, Lord of the Rings, just to name a few. 
Of course, there are many that I like. 
So now you know how to use that phrase. 
Use it sometime today. 
Joe says just to name a few. 
And she says: I ran errands to a shop where all the male employees were Orthodox Jews. 
Here we see that key word: errand. 
An errand is something that you do, is something that you need to do or get done. 
What's an example of an errand that you might run? 
I would say going to the store, maybe to buy some milk or some other things that your family needs, just a little job that you need to get done. 
That's right. 
And you usually use the word "run" with errand. 
You can do some errands, but you can also run these errands. 
I need to go run a few errands right now. 
So she would run these errands and meet some different people from different walks of life. 
They wore their hair in traditional curls. 
These Orthodox Jews wore their hair in traditional curls. 
We see that key word right there too. 
A "curl" is something that some people have. 
My hair does not have curls. 
Nathanael, does your hair have curls? 
Yes, I do have curly hair. 
Orthodox Jews actually have long curls right here on the side of their face that hang down that looks kind of unusual. 
That's right. It's very unique. 
And I think, Carolyn, you do have curls, right? 
I do have curly hair, but today it's not too curly. 
And now that my hair is short, you can't really tell. 
Great. And as you can see, we use the word "curls" - the noun - and "curly" - the adjective - in kind of the same way. 
I have curly hair, or I have curls in my hair. 
Joe continues and says: I spent hours wandering Canal Street in Chinatown - the closest I'd ever been to an Asian country. 
Which is kind of funny because it's not really that close to an Asian country, it just resembles an Asian city maybe. 
Right. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn something with Michelle at the Language Lab. 
Hey, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.17.B

Well, we're continuing the story that Joe had experienced in New York City. 
And we found out that she met different people from different walks of life. 
It's been a very interesting time so far. 
We have a little bit more to learn, so let's get started with the second part of our reading for today. 
(Music). 
A Lesson in Culture. 
By the end of my internship, I was a little older, a little wiser and sick of big city life. 
I hated the skyscrapers, tourists and the high price I had to pay for a cheeseburger and fries. 
But I had grown, too. 
I was quicker, smarter and more independent. 
I knew I would miss that feeling of having the world right at my doorstep. 
But it was good preparation for the life of travel I'd soon begin. 
Joe says: By the end of my internship, I was a little older, a little wiser and sick of big city life. 
She was sick of big city life. 
Carolyn, does that mean that she was like really sick and in a hospital and ill because of big city life? 
Well, it will be really terrible if she had to go to the hospital because of big city life. 
Yeah. 
But here, being sick of something just means that you're really tired of it, and you don't want to do it anymore. 
OK. So maybe you've experienced something for a long time, you've been doing something for a long time, 
you don't want to do it anymore, you can say: I'm sick of it! 
I'm sick of all this homework. 
I hate all of this homework. 
How else can you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Sometimes I do feel like I'm sick of rice and noodles. 
When I'm living here in Asia, I feel like sometimes that's the only thing to choose. 
But sometimes there are other things that I can find, so it's OK. 
It is OK. 
Well, of course, if you have the same meal every day, you will probably get sick of it. 
What else can you get sick of? 
Well, I hope you never say "I'm sick of Studio Classroom." That's right. 
Nobody should ever be sick of Studio Classroom. 
It's wonderful. 
Well, continuing on. 
Joe says: I hated the skyscrapers, tourists and the high price I had to pay... Wait a minute. 
Joe, here at Studio Classroom, hated tourists? 
A teacher here hates people? 
What does she mean by this? 
No... She doesn't mean that she "hates" people. 
She just means that, again, she's tired of having to deal with them, to have to meet them every day. 
It can get a little bit annoying. 
OK. It can. And yes, it's true. 
Sometimes you can use this word "hate" to just emphasize a certain feeling you have. 
Maybe you don't really, really hate something because that is a very strong emotion. 
But in writing or speaking, you can still use this word - Ah, I hate that. 
How else could you use this, Nathanael? 
You know, sometimes I have to say I see a person in the movie, it's an actor I don't really like. 
I might even say: Man, I hate that guy. 
Of course, I don't have anything wrong with the person. 
I just think they're annoying to watch. 
OK. So you don't really hate somebody or something, but you can use this word to emphasize the feelings you have. 
Well, Joe continues. 
She says that she did not like the skyscrapers and tourists. 
She hated them, or the high price that she had to pay for a cheeseburger and fries. 
But she had grown, too. 
And how did she grow, Carolyn? 
She was quicker, smarter and more independent. 
And she knew that she would miss the feeling of having the world right at her doorstep. 
Having the world right at my doorstep. 
"Doorstep" is one of our Word Bank words today. 
It's a really simple word to remember. 
I mean, in the front of your house or apartment, there might be a doorstep that's right in front of your door. 
Um, but we see this phrase: something at my doorstep, or having the world at my doorstep. 
Carolyn, what does that mean? 
Well, it means that you feel like you can do anything or go anywhere just by walking out of your house. 
That's right. It's right there. 
Nathanael, do you think that you feel this way when you're in New York? 
Well, because there are so many different people from different places and so many places to go and things to do, 
you might feel like the world is at your doorstep when in this big city. 
That's right. 
The world is at your doorstep. 
And this word "doorstep" is a special kind of word that's called a compound word. 
Maybe we can talk about that - compound words. 
We saw some other ones in this lesson: skyscraper, cheeseburger, doorstep. 
There are words that actually combine two words like "door" and "step." So Nathanael, what are some other examples of compound words? 
You know, we actually talked about one other compound word in today's article: lifestyle, adding "life" and "style" together to form its own word. 
That's right, lifestyle, doorstep. 
Carolyn, what's another compound word? 
Well, another one in this article is Chinatown. 
So it's like a town in China, Chinatown. 
That's right. 
Well, there's many different examples of compound words. 
I can think of a few like butterfly, eyelash, popcorn. 
I love popcorn. 
What are some other compound words? 
Write them down. 
Joe says: It was good preparation for the life of travel I'd soon begin. 
And she works here at Studio Classroom. 
She has been traveling a lot. 
Right now it's time for us to look at a little skit. 
Let's enjoy that now. 
Don't you just love New York City! 
Actually, I feel like I'm living in a foreign culture. 
I'm not surprised. 
New York is home to people of all walks of life, from all corners of the world. 
Yeah. Things are so different here that when I move from Texas, I had culture shock. 
Whoa, in your own country. 
How unexpected. 
Yeah. There's constant traffic and noise and people and lights. 
I'm used to a relaxed pace. 
New York moves so fast. 
Yeah. And the city never sleeps. 
So what are you doing here? 
I had an internship. 
I ran errands for a shop. 
What about your free time? 
Well, I spent hours wandering Canal Street in Chinatown. 
Oh! So you like visiting Asian countries? 
Actually, Chinatown is the closest I've been. 
So how do you feel about your experience in New York? 
I'm a little older and wiser now. 
I'm quicker and smarter and more independent. 
Ooh. That's good. 
But I'm sick of city life. 
I'm tired of the skyscrapers, the tourists and the high prices. 
Oh. So you're ready to move on. 
Yes. I'll miss having the world at my doorstep. 
But now I'm ready for a life of travel. 
Goodbye, New York City. 
(Music). 
That skit was great. 
Now let's go and see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
Let's get back to the teachers. 
Thank you, Michelle. 
Of course, we've talked about people with many different walks of life today. 
I want to ask you, Carolyn. 
Did you experience anything culturally as you've traveled in your life? 
Well, you know, I spent some time in Japan when I was in high school, and one instance does come to mind. 
I bought a soda there called the Dr. Pepper. 
And it was one of my favorite drinks in the United States. 
But when I purchased it in Japan, everyone was very confused because apparently, they think it's a drink for boys, and girls don't really like the taste there. 
So, that was a really... a big cultural shock for me. 
Wow. That is a unique cultural difference. 
I know a lot of girls in America who like Dr. Pepper. 
Mmhm. 
Well, that's it for us today. 
Please come back and join us on Studio Classroom. 
Bye-bye. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.01.18.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we are getting started with our lesson called Getting Started. 
OK. As you can see here, there is a sentence that says: Things to think about before starting your own business. 
So we will enjoy a conversation between Uncle Bob and Ben in today's lesson. 
And they're talking about starting a business. 
So my question for you is: What is the first step for starting a business? 
Carolyn? 
Well, you might want to make sure that you have enough money to start a business because starting a new business can be very expensive. 
All right. What about you, Nathanael? 
What's the first step? 
Well, I think it's important to know what your community might need or want. 
Find that desire that your community has, and then you can start a business to provide that. 
All right. You need the funds, you need to know what the needs are. 
And I think you need to have the passion to do something. 
You need to be passionate about something. 
Well, let's see what our lesson teaches us in our first reading for today. 
Getting Started. 
Things to think about before starting your own business. 
Ben and Sandy Johnson have been talking about starting a business. 
But before they take the plunge, Ben decides to talk to his mentor, Uncle Bob. 
Hey, Ben, how are things going? 
Pretty well, Uncle Bob. 
Sandy and I are talking about starting a business. 
What do you think? 
I think that's great! 
Starting a business is one of the most challenging and worthwhile things I've ever done. 
What kind of business are you interested in starting? 
Well, I've been thinking about setting up a little company that makes smartphone apps. 
But we're not sure. 
I really don't know anything about starting a business. 
It sounds like a business plan would be very advantageous for you. 
All right. 
Well, before the conversation between Uncle Bob and Ben started, we see a little paragraph, something at the very beginning: 
Ben and Sandy Johnson have been talking about starting a business. 
So this couple, husband and wife, Ben and Sandy are talking about starting a business. 
But before they take the plunge, Ben decides to talk to his mentor, Uncle Bob. 
We see a little phrase there: to take the plunge. 
And we could talk about this, but I want to give Steve and Ken a chance to share about this phrase: take the plunge. 
Let's go to the Information Cloud right now. 
Hey, guys. 
Hey. 
Hi, teachers. 
Hello, teachers. 
To help us understand the idiom "take the plunge" a little better, I want you all to close your eyes, 
extend your arms and picture yourself at the edge of a cliff with the ocean below you. OK? 
Are we going to jump off the cliff and go into the water? 
Yes, Ken, but not just yet. 
The cliff is pretty high, making the jump a bit risky. 
So think long and hard before you make that jump. 
Because once I jump, I can't go back? 
Exactly. 
OK, Ken. You can open your eyes and put your arms down. 
So that's taking the plunge. 
That's right. 
That's one of the main things that characterizes this idiom. 
When you take the plunge, you decided to make an important, difficult and often risky decision. 
Like starting a business, getting married or running for political office. 
Perfect! Three big decisions that should be carefully thought through and through. 
And as you said, Ken, once you decide to go for it, there's no going back just like jumping off a cliff into the ocean. 
So before taking the plunge into something, it might be a good time to practice another idiom: look before you leap. 
Good idiom. Look before you leap. 
That means to think carefully about what you're about to do before you do it. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys, for taking the plunge and sharing with us about that phrase. 
Now getting started with our conversation between Uncle Bob and Ben. 
Let's see, Nathanael... you can start this one. 
Hey, Ben, how are things going? 
Wait, wait. 
I love that. "How are things going?" I like your voice too, Nathanael. 
"How are things going" is a good phrase to know. 
There are many different ways to greet somebody. 
What's another way that you could greet somebody, Carolyn? 
Uh, you might say: Hey, what have you been up to lately? 
All right. 
What have you been up to lately? 
What's another way you could greet someone, Nathanael? 
Sometimes we just say: 'Sup? 
"'Sup?" All right. You would read that "apostrohpe S-U-P." And that's short for "what's up." What's up? 
And that makes me think, "what's up" and "how are you" are slightly different, aren't they? 
Do you know the difference between those two things, Nathanael? 
Well, if you are asking someone how they are, you want to get a personal answer. 
But "What's up?" is like saying: What do you have going on? 
What have you been doing lately? 
They are kind of different questions. 
They're a little bit different. 
Your response to someone when they say "what's up?" can be what you have been doing or what you are doing right now. 
Your response to "how are you?" or "how are things going?" can be how you are doing. 
Oh, I'm pretty well. 
I'm OK. 
Well, let's continue with this conversation. 
You were Uncle Bob, so Carolyn then. 
All right. 
Pretty well, Uncle Bob. 
Sandy and I are talking about starting a business. 
What do you think? 
Well, I think that's great. 
Starting a business is one of the most challenging and worthwhile things I've ever done. 
Yes, excellent, good. 
It is a worthwhile thing to talk about this word from the Word Bank - It is: worthwhile. 
And if something is worthwhile, that means it's worth doing; it's worth spending the time to do. 
Sometimes you use the word "while" to mean time. 
So you can also say it's worth my while to do something. 
How else would you use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, I would say that it's very worthwhile to exercise because it helps your body to stay healthy. 
So exercising is very worthwhile. 
All right. It's worthwhile to exercise. 
What's worthwhile for you, Nathanael? 
Well, I also think it's worthwhile to do some reading every day, especially if you can learn something from what you're reading. 
It's always good to have a learning attitude. 
All right. A learning attitude, do something that is a little bit challenging. 
But that will help you grow. 
Maybe you spend uh, time on a vacation. 
It was a worthwhile trip, a worthwhile time away. 
You needed it. 
Well, I think we should continue this worthwhile conversation. 
Where were we? I think... uh, Uncle Bob. 
What kind of business are you interested in starting? 
Well, I've been thinking about setting up a little company that makes smartphone apps. 
Ooh, I like that. 
Let me interrupt you for a minute. 
You said something I think is very nice - a smartphone. 
Now this is a compound word. 
And what is a smartphone? 
Well, you probably know, or maybe even have a smartphone. 
It's not just a regular phone. 
What is different about a smartphone, Nathanael? 
Well, with a smartphone, you can do a lot more things than just call people. 
Of course, you can download apps like we see in this sentence. 
And they can do all sorts of things. 
You can usually get on the Internet with a smartphone. 
And there are a lot of other options as well. 
That's right. 
A smartphone. 
OK. Well, let's continue this wonderful conversation. 
Right, well. 
But we're not sure. 
I really don't know anything about starting a business. 
It sounds like a business plan would be very advantageous to you. 
OK. Stop right there. 
I'm going to cut you off because there's an important word we need to talk about. 
It's another Word Bank word. 
Yes, it's a long word. 
It is: advantageous. 
Advantageous. And this just means something that is to your benefit or to your advantage. 
You see that word "advantage" in there - advantageous. 
Well, Carolyn, how could you use this word advantageous? 
Well, earlier I mentioned that it was worthwhile to exercise. 
But exercising can also be very advantageous to your health, which means that it provides some sort of benefit to your health. 
All right, advantageous to your health. 
Nathanael, what about you? 
How else can you use that word "advantageous"? 
Well, I think when you visit a new city, it's always very advantageous to have a map with you so you don't get lost. 
You know where you're going. 
A map is an advantage. 
It could be an advantage. 
It could be advantageous to do some research about a place before you go and visit that place. 
That way you feel like you know it a little better. 
Well, it would be very advantageous for us to spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
She is waiting for us right now. 
Hey, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.18.B

Well, we've been enjoying a conversation between Ben and Uncle Bob. 
Ben and his wife Sandy want to start a businesses. 
And Ben needs to know something more. 
Ben needs some advice, some tips, from his Uncle Bob, his mentor, Uncle Bob. 
And he has some good tips. 
We're going to continue to find out what else they are talking about in the next part of our conversation. 
Here we go. 
(Music). 
Getting Started. 
But I have a business plan. 
I just told you - I'm going to make apps! 
No, no, Ben. 
That's a business idea. 
A business plan is very different. 
How is a business plan different from a business idea? 
Well, a business plan is a written document that lays out a lot of specific information about your business. 
You mean like a description of one's products? 
It includes that, but there's more to it. 
A business plan should be a strategic outline of what you are going to do, why and how you are going to do it. 
(Music). 
Uncle Bob and Ben are having a pretty good conversation so far. 
Well, let's continue our talk about this lesson. 
Nathanael, can you pick it up? 
Oh... All right, I'm Ben now. OK. 
But I have a business plan. 
I just told you - I am going to make apps. 
No, no, no, Ben. 
That's a business idea. 
A business plan is very different. 
I want to join! I'm going to join, OK? 
Oh, OK. 
I'll be Ben. I'll be Ben. 
How is a business plan different from a business idea? 
OK. We have an interesting structure here that we want to talk about. 
How is a business plan different from a business idea? 
How is something different from something else? 
We use this very often. 
It's a very good phrase to know. 
What is an example of this, Carolyn? 
Well, you might say: How is a pen different from a pencil? 
Because they're kind of similar, you use both of them to write down what you want to say. 
So you can say: Oh, how is a pen different from a pencil? 
You could also say: How is a dog different from a cat? 
They're both animals, but what makes them different? 
All right. 
You could also say something like: How is an orange different from a tangerine? 
Sometimes it looks the same on the outside. 
Really, it's the inside that counts. 
How is an orange different from a tangerine? 
Sometimes people ask: How is a typhoon different from a hurricane? 
Well, they are a little bit different. But how? 
You can ask this question. 
How is something different from someone else? 
Well, hey, I think we should continue the conversation... Uh, Nathanael! 
Well, I'm Uncle Bob again. Right... 
Well, a business plan is a written document that lays out a lot of specific information about your business. 
And here we have the word "document," a written document, to be exact. 
And "document" is one of our Word Bank words. 
So let's take a look at that. 
Now when I think of a document, I think of a piece of paper. 
So Gabe, how is a paper different from a document? 
Well, a piece of paper is just a piece of paper. 
A document could have something more official written on it. 
You wouldn't say just writing down your thoughts is a document, but maybe something a little more official, 
a little more important that you could use an interaction with somebody else. 
Maybe someone else might see this document. 
So there are different kinds of documents. 
Some documents you should keep very safe. 
Some documents are about your identity. 
Some documents you need when you are working with the government. 
So you might have different kinds of documents. 
So uh... well, let's continue this... this conversation. 
Uncle Bob is... Actually, we have another word we want to talk about in that sentence. 
Uncle Bob said a business plan is a written document that lays out a lot of specific information. 
So what does it mean to "lay out" something, Nathanael? 
To lay out. 
Well, if you lay out something, you give some of the details about it. 
You discuss it, and maybe give it some structure and organization. 
I think I can say that this conversation lays out some ideas of how to start a business. 
That's true. 
It lays out some ideas of how to start a business. 
And this word "specific." He says lays out a lot of specific information about your business. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
What is specific? 
Well, if you really want to get specific about it, you need to be detailed in your answers. 
So if you say "Please be more specific," that means that you need to give more details, more examples, and be very clear in what you mean. 
So where is Little Johnny? 
Well, I saw him in the mall. 
Can you please be more specific? 
OK. He was in the store. 
Can you please be more specific? 
OK. He was checking out the shirts in this store. 
Be detailed or specific, narrowing down. 
Well, Nathanael just played Uncle Bob, so then, Carolyn, I think it's your turn to be Ben. 
Oh, OK. I get to be Ben. 
You mean like a description of one's products? 
It includes that, but there's more to it. 
A business plan should be a strategic outline of what you are going to do, why and how you are going to do it. 
All right. 
We have another Word Bank word here, a key word that we need to talk about - strategic. 
"Strategic" is a great word to use. Strategic. 
If something is strategic, it is well thought out. 
It's a plan that we need to use that should be efficient. 
Can either of you come up with a sentence using this word "strategic"? 
Well, I think of a strategy, so a plan. 
And when you play the game of chess, you need to be very strategic so that you can beat your opponent. 
Oh, man. Carolyn, I was just thinking about the game of chess. 
Apparently we both like the game of chess. 
Maybe we both like strategies. 
We both like trying to be strategic. 
It's true when you're playing some games, you need to have some strategic moves that will help you have the advantage. 
It can be advantageous for you to have strategic moves during the game of chess, and other games like that. 
Well, so far have we learned much about starting a business. 
Have you thought about having a business idea or coming up with a business plan? 
These are all things that you should think about before starting a business. 
And right now, we're going to talk about these things in a review skit. 
Hi, Uncle Bob. 
Hello. Who are you? 
I'm Ben. 
I'm your nephew. 
Oh, yes. 
Sandy and I are talking about starting a business. 
Who's Sandy? 
Sandy... is my wife. 
Oh, yes. 
So what do you think, Uncle Bob? 
I think Sandy is nice. 
No. I mean, what do you think about starting a business? 
Oh... Well, starting a business can be challenging. 
Oh. 
But worthwhile. 
Oh! 
Well, how about a company that makes smartphone apps? 
That's smart. 
But I don't know anything about starting a company. 
First, you need a business plan. 
That's advantageous. 
Well, my business plan is to make smartphone apps. 
That's your idea. 
It's not a plan. 
Well, what's the difference? 
A plan is a written document. 
It lays out specific information. 
Oh, like a description of products? 
There's more to it than that. 
You need strategic outline. 
Oh. 
Write down what you will do and why. 
Oh. 
Then write down how you will do it. 
Oh! Making a business plan won't be easy. 
Well, maybe you can create an app for that. 
(Music). 
That was such a great little review skit. 
Now let's go see what Michelle has waiting for us in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And that's it for today's Language Lab. 
Well, in our conversation today Uncle Bob gave some great advice to Ben about having a business plan or a written plan for starting his business. 
Now this makes me wonder what other things might benefit from having a written plan. 
Nathanael, can you think of anything that would benefit from a written plan? 
Well, I think that any good teacher knows that they should have a lesson plan for every day that they teach. 
They should always know the subject they're teaching, 
and maybe what order they're going to teach that in so that their students can learn the best way possible. 
A lesson plan is a key to an efficient classroom. 
Well, I think of maybe a long vacation with a significant amount of time. 
You don't want to waste your time on vacation unless you just want to relax. 
Maybe you want to see some different places, some different sites. 
You can have a written plan for what you will do and when. 
I also think of people going on a date for the first time. 
You might be a little nervous. 
Gentlemen, you might want to write out a written plan for what you will do. 
Or not... but that's just an idea. 
Carolyn, what else could benefit from a written plan? 
Well, you could also make a plan for your life. 
Maybe what do you want to do when you graduate? 
What do you want to do outside of your work? 
Do you have any goals or things that you want to achieve? 
Lots of things can benefit from a written plan. 
And we're listening to a conversation between Ben and Uncle Bob. 
We have more for you tomorrow right here at Studio Classroom. We'llsee you then.

2013.01.19.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're getting started with our lesson called "Getting Started" again. 
Yes. We're continuing this conversation between Ben and his uncle Bob. 
You see, Ben and Sandy want to start a business, and Ben is asking Uncle Bob for advice, or some tips. 
Uncle Bob suggested having a written plan. 
Well, my question for you is: How important is planning to you? 
Nathanael, what do you think? 
How important is planning? 
Well, this makes me think of putting on plays. 
Some people like to go out on the stage and come up with things off the top of their head. 
Just while they're there, they'll do something new. 
But sometimes I think things should be more planned out so everyone knows what is going to happen; no one will get confused. 
All right. 
That's a great example. 
Carolyn, what else can benefit from a plan? 
Or how important is planning? 
Well, I really like to make sure I have a plan when I travel because I want to use my time the very best way. 
All right. 
Well, there's lots of different ways that planning can be important in our lives. 
Let's think about that as we enjoy today's conversation between Ben and Uncle Bob. 
(Music). 
Getting Started. 
I guess making a business plan would help me think through all of those details. 
I'm more worried about the financial aspects of starting a business, though. 
It can take a long time to make a business profitable. 
How will I keep the lights on? 
Your business plan should help you with that in a couple of ways. 
First it should predict what your operational costs will be and how many sales you need to make your company profitable. 
That would be a good indicator of how viable my business idea is. 
Well, it is a good idea to make sure your business is going to make money before you start. 
Now at the beginning, we have Ben talking to his uncle Bob. 
Now Nathanael, would you mind reading Ben for now? 
Sure! I'll read Ben. 
I guess making a business plan would help me think through all of those details. 
I'm more... 
Oh, now see, we have "think through." If you think something through, then you really want to take some time to think about it. 
Now Gabe, how... how would you use "think through"? 
Hmm, good question, think through... 
You know, sometimes we have conflicts in our relationships with people. 
Something they said makes us angry. 
And we want to say something to them right away. 
But it's important to think through what you're going to say. 
You don't want to continue the argument or the quarrel or the fight. 
I think sometimes it's good to think through, and even write out what you're planning on saying to that person before you go and confront the person. 
Think through these things. 
Otherwise, you might say something you regret. 
So you do want to try to think things through. 
And you should ask yourself: Well, did I think this through? 
Is it a good idea? 
Oh, sorry about that, Nathanael. 
Please, continue, Ben. 
I'm more worried about the financial aspects of starting a business, though. 
Wait... Good. That was very good, Nathanael. 
I mean, Ben. 
We have a key word to talk about here from the World Bank. 
It is the word "aspect." An aspect of something is like the part or the angle. 
Many things have many parts or different angles you can view from. 
So we're talking about the financial aspect of starting a business. 
There could be other aspects of starting a business, but we're talking about the financial aspect. 
How else can you use that word "aspect," Carolyn? 
Well, if you are starting a business, you also might want to think about the aspect of time. 
How much time are you going to have to spend to start your business, and how many hours are you going to be open each day? 
So time could be another aspect when having a business. 
All right. That's one aspect. 
What's another aspect we might talk about? 
Well, if you're starting a business, you should probably pay attention to the aspect of the economy. 
How is the country doing financially with their money? 
How are sales? 
These are all important aspects to think through. 
Let's continue with this line. 
It can take a long time to make a business profitable. 
Oh. Now Nathanael, that's a really great word, profitable. 
And it is important for your business to be profitable because that means that it will make money. 
What else can be profitable, Gabe? 
Profitable, profitable... Well, of course, you can make money, you can make more money. 
You sell one thing, and you're making money. 
OK. You buy something, you sell it for more. 
You're making a profit. 
OK. That's profitable. 
I think of maybe emotional things that's profitable too. 
You invest time into a friend, and that could be profitable for your relationship. 
You spend time with somebody, and then your friendship is even better. 
That is profitable for your friendship. 
Oh, great. OK. 
Well, let's finish what Ben has to say. Yeah. 
Finally! 
How will I keep the lights on? 
Wait... We need to talk about that phrase there - to keep the lights on. 
This is a good phrase to know, when you "keep the lights on." It's an idiom. 
That means you have enough to make sure the electricity is running, to make sure that your business is going well, and that it will not end. 
You're keeping the lights on. 
It's easy to remember because if you have money, then you can pay the electricity bill, and your lights can stay on. 
So keep the lights on with your business. 
Guys, can I continue? 
Can I be Uncle Bob? 
Sure. Go right ahead. 
OK. Uncle Bob. Here we go. 
Your business plan should help you with that in a couple of ways. 
First it should predict what your operational costs will be and how many sales you need to make your company profitable. 
OK. Now it's my turn to interrupt a second. 
"Operational cost" is a very good phrase. 
And we just did want to explain it really quickly. 
An operational cost is how much money it takes to operate something, an operational cost. 
Of course, that's something that you're going to need to think about if you're running a business. 
Now Carolyn, would you like to be Ben this time? 
I think she should. 
Can I be Ben? 
OK. Oh, great. 
That would be a good inidcator of how viable my business idea is. 
Excellent! Excellent, Carolyn... uh, Ben. 
I think right now we need to talk about that Word Bank word. 
It is "viable." What is viable? 
Well, if something is viable, it's practical, and you know that it's able to work in the right conditions. 
So if everything is going smoothly, then maybe your company idea is a viable idea. 
Well, Nathanael, what else could be viable in life? 
Well, there's lots of things that are necessary in life. 
And a lot of things that are viable as well, things that we should consider doing. 
It's a viable consideration to explore other countries outside of your own. 
It may be viable for you financially or maybe not. 
You might need to save some money, and then it would be viable. 
That's a good point. 
Maybe it's a great idea, but you don't have enough money. 
It's not a viable option right now. 
But it could be a viable option in the future. 
So how viable is Ben's business idea? 
Well, we'll see. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
So let's go there now. 
Hey, guys. 
Hey. 
Hi, teachers. 
Hello, teachers. 
Today we continue to talk about what to consider before starting a business or setting up a company. 
But Steve, I just have a simple question. 
Which pronoun should we use when we refer to a business or company, it or they? 
You know, it's hard to believe, 
but there's a small debate raging among English grammarians over which pronouns we should use when we refer to collective nouns like businesses, companies and organizations. 
Now in the media, we see it both ways. 
For example, we might read Microsoft said they are ready to hire 100 computer programmers. 
And then the alternative: Microsoft said it is ready to hire 100 computer programmers. 
It's a very small change: one pronoun is plural while the other is singular. 
But it makes a big difference. 
Now in the first example, using the plural pronoun "they" seems to present the company with a more personal human face. 
A good public relation's move, I would say. 
Exactly. 
Of course, companies, businesses and organizations are made up of many people. 
But these things are collective nouns. 
Each one should be referred to as a single impersonal identity. 
So we should use the singular - it? 
That's what I think, Ken. 
But friends, I must warn you, not everyone agrees on this grammar point, like the British. 
Nevertheless, unless there is a persuasive reason not to, keep collective nouns like "company" singular. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, Ken and Steve, for explaining that little difference between "they" and "it" when talking about companies. 
Now let's see what Michelle has waiting for us in the Langauge Lab. 
Hey, Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.19.B

We're enjoying a lively conversation between Ben and his uncle Bob. 
Uncle Bob has some good advice for Ben about starting a business. 
Of course, there are different aspects to starting a business. 
Some things might be profitable. 
Some things might not be so profitable. 
The important thing is to keep the lights on in your business. 
Some things are viable to do; other things might not be. 
Well, we're going to continue this conversation right now. 
Getting Started. 
Right. 
The other thing is that you will need a business plan if you are going to attract investors, get business loans or even government grants. 
All right, but how do I go about writing a business plan? 
There are plenty of online resources to help you. 
Most libraries also have books that walk you through the steps of writing a plan. 
So if I write a business plan, what do you think the outlook for my business will be? 
A good business plan will answer that question far better than I can, Ben. 
Let's get some more coffee. 
That sounds good. 
Well, Uncle Bob and Ben are done with their conversation, but we aren't. 
Let me continue as Uncle Bob, charming old Uncle Bob. 
Right. 
The other thing is that you will need a business plan if you are going to attract investors, get... 
Wait... Nathanael. 
Uncle Bob, excuse me, charming Uncle Bob. 
I would like to talk a little bit about that word: investor. 
I think it's important because there are some other words related to it that are important to know if you are starting a business, 
or if you're interested in something like this. 
You see the word "investor." And that is someone who invests into your company. 
Maybe they give you some money. 
They invest into the company. 
Now there's another word here, an investment. 
Carolyn, what's an investment? 
Well, an investor would make an investment into the company. 
So an investment is the actual money that they are putting into the company to encourage business growth. 
That's right. 
So we have "investors," here from the lesson. 
And of course, the verb is "invest." You want to invest in something. 
You can invest into a relationship too. 
You invest your time and your energy. 
And the other word here is "investment." Investor, invest and investment. 
Well, I'll let you get back to your line, Uncle Bob. 
Thank you. 
... to attract investors, get business loans or even government grants. 
Oh. Now here we have a key word in our Word Bank: grants. 
And here a government grant is special money that the government has set aside for people to apply for. 
You can apply for a grant from the government. 
And this means that the government will give you money to help you with a certain project. 
Now Gabe, can you think of any times that you might want to apply for a grant? 
Oh, yes, I can. 
Actually, when I was at university, I wanted to apply for a grant from the government for my education at the university. 
I was in California at the time. 
It's called the Cal Grant. 
Sometimes the government gives a big sum of money for grants for people who want to attend university. 
That was the Cal Grant. 
But there are many different kinds of grants. 
Right. 
So it's not just for people who want to start a business. 
It can also be for education, for improving highways or even some sort of fine arts project like renewing the beauty in your community by planting flowers. 
There are grants for just about anything. 
That's right. 
They're a certain amount of money that you have for a specific purpose like these things. 
Well, Nathanael, how else would you use that word, "grant"? 
Well, "grant" can actually also be used as a verb. 
We've been talking about it as a noun. 
But if you grant something, you give it to someone. 
It's a connected word, "grant" as a noun and "grant" as a verb. 
A grant, as a noun, is something you receive. 
But to grant something means to give it. 
Let me grant you a few dollars. 
That's something you could say, even if it is not too common. 
Excellent. 
Well, who is going to continue as Ben? 
Oh, I'll do that. I'll do that. 
Thank you. 
All right. 
But how do I go about writing a business plan? 
OK. Thank you, Ben. 
That was very charming as well. 
Right now it's time for us to go and enjoy some time with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
(Music). 
Hi there, friends. 
I hope you're doing well today. 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
We see this question asked in today's article. 
... how do I go about writing a business plan? 
Our grammar focus is on the idiom - to go about. 
It means to start something. 
So the question we see in today's article is basically a question about how to start writing a business plan. 
This idiom is often used in informal situations. 
If you don't know how to collect information for a report, you can ask: 
How do I go about getting information for this report? 
Or, if you don't know how to apply for a certain job, you can ask: 
How do I go about applying for this position? 
So next time when you don't know how to do something and you need help getting started, give this idiom a try: 
How do I go about plus verb with I-N-G. 
And you can find more examples in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym signing off. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, we are going to go on listening about what Uncle Bob has to say. 
Now who would like to be Uncle Bob this time? 
Oh, I... 
No. I love Uncle Bob. I love Uncle Bob. I'll do it. 
Right. 
OK. 
There are plenty of online resources to help you. 
Most libraries also have books that walk you through the steps of writing a plan. 
Wait, wait, wait. OK, good. 
That was very nice, Nathanael. 
I wanted to talk here about some words in that sentence. 
"Walk you through"- most libraries also have books that walk you through the steps of writing a plan. 
We see those words, "walk you through" something or to walk someone through. 
What does that mean, Carolyn, if someone walks you through something? 
Well, if they walk you through, that means that they explain it to you in detail. 
So maybe you're having trouble understanding what you're supposed to do and you might ask: 
Well, could you please just walk me through it so I can understand a little bit better? 
I like that. 
You can walk someone through something that you already know about. 
Maybe they're just learning, you can walk them through the steps of doing that. 
So we'll continue as Ben. 
I think that I should be Ben, right? 
Um, yeah. 
Well, I... I'll be Ben if that's OK. 
I like being Ben too. 
All right. 
Right. 
So if a business... if I write a business plan, what do you think the outlook for my business will be? 
Um, excuse me, Nathanael. 
We need to talk about that key word there from the Word Bank. 
It is "outlook." An outlook is your perspective on something or what the future might look like. 
It's your expectation for the future, the outlook. 
So you could have a financial outlook. 
That means what you expect the finances will be. 
How else can you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, you could also have a weather outlook. 
And it's what you think the weather might be doing today, tomorrow, next week. 
What is the outlook for the weather? 
That's right. 
And you can also have an outlook on life, your perspective on life. 
Well, we have a couple more lines in this dialogue between Uncle Bob and Ben. 
A good business plan will answer that question far better than I can, Ben. 
Let's get some more coffee. 
That sounds good. 
Uh... right. 
That sounds great. 
That sounded wonderful, Nathanael. 
Excellent. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to teachers. 
Thanks, Michelle. 
Well, we've learned a lot from Uncle Bob today about what we should do when we're trying to start a business. 
And writing a business plan does sound really important. 
Gabe, have you ever written a business plan? 
Actually, I'm writing a business plan right now. 
I want to know what you guys think about this. 
Here's my business plan. 
Wake up very early in the morning. 
Go to the store and buy a big roll of duct tape. 
You know that big, thick grey tape that you can tape across someone's mouth, and then when you pull it off, it really hurts? 
Yes. Buy some duct tape. 
Go to Nathanael and tape it across Nathanael's mouth in an X so that he cannot speak and say everyone's lines when we're trying to teach! 
Then I can say everything I need to say and go home and rest in peace. 
What do you guys think about that? 
Gabe, I'm not so sure that that's a business plan. 
What, you don't think so? 
No. It... it sounds more like you're trying to prevent Nathanael from teaching. 
I mean, he was just reading the lines. 
Yeah, but I said... 
I don't think Nathanael is really that bad of a guy. 
No, he's not that bad of a guy. 
He's quite charming, isn't he? 
I think this is a good business plan for my duct tape business for other people who can identify with my problem. 
I think it sounds good, too. 
So wonderful, wonderful voice you have for Uncle Bob and for Ben. 
All right, friends. 
We had a lot of fun here today at Studio Classroom talking about businesses and starting businesses. 
I hope you learned something new. 
And we'll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom.Goodbye.

2013.01.21.A

Hello, hello, hello and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we are going to enjoy learning about Austria in these next couple of lessons. 
Now I just have a quick question for you, Carolyn. 
If you could travel anywhere in Europe, where would you go? 
Wow! I've never been to Europe, so there are a lot of places I really want to go. 
But I think I want to go to Ireland the most because that's where a lot of my family is from. 
Interesting. 
That sounds like a cool place. 
I've never been there. 
Um, Nathanael, where would you like to visit in Europe? 
Actually, if I could choose any place in the whole world to go, I would actually also go to Ireland. 
My family is also from that area. 
But if I were to choose some others, I think Italy is another one that I'd really like to visit. 
Gabe, have you been to Europe before? 
I have been to Europe, but I've been to Eastern Europe, Romania and Greece. 
I have never been to Western Europe. 
I would actually like to visit England and France and some other places there. 
Anyway, I think our author is going to try to sell us on Austria. 
Maybe give us a taste of Austria. 
Maybe make us want to travel there for ourselves. 
Let's get started with our first reading for today. 
(Music). 
A taste of Austria. 
Austria offers mountain fun for everyone. 
Tiny, landlocked Austria may not be big, but packed within its borders lie wonderful sights and experiences. 
Picturesque villages dot the slopes of the famous Alps. 
Exquisite palaces, fine castles and fortresses invite visitors to wander through them and imagine days long past. 
Spending time in Vienna, Austria's elegant capital, is a pleasure. 
Magnificent Saint Stephen's Cathedral rises up grandly in the heart of the city. 
Step through the large doors and admire the beautiful interior. 
Then climb the 343 steps of the south tower for a bird's eye view of the city. 
A Taste of Austria. 
Right in our title we see a phrase that I want to talk about: a taste of something. 
And this is a good phrase to know. 
If you want to get a little experience of something, maybe you don't know the whole thing, 
but you are getting just a little experience, that is a taste, a taste of something. 
How else could you use this phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, when I feel a little homesick, sometimes I really just need a taste of home. 
So maybe I'll make something that my mom used to make for me. 
OK, you can have a taste of home. 
Could you use this in another way, Nathanael, a taste of something? 
I was thinking that one lesson of Studio Classroom can give you a taste of English. 
Ooh, good. 
Yes, of course. Studio Classroom can give you a taste of English. 
I think of a taste of heaven. 
Maybe something really awesome here that can make you feel great. 
It's a taste of heaven. 
Well, we're going to get a taste of Austria these next three days. 
That's a big taste of Austria. 
We find here in the first sentence. 
Tiny, landlocked Austria may not be big, but packed within its borders lie wonderful sights and experiences. 
We see that word "landlocked." What does that mean, Carolyn, if some place is landlocked? 
Well, if a place is landlocked, it means that it's not next to any water or an ocean. 
So my home state is landlocked because West Virginia is not on the coast. 
No, it's not, nor is Colorado. 
That's a landlocked state. 
Different places in the world are landlocked. 
Of course, if it's close to a lake or an ocean, especially a big lake, then we would not say those are landlocked. 
But what else is landlocked? 
Look at your globe and see if you can talk about other landlocked areas. 
We're finding out about Austria and we see picturesque villages dot the slopes of the famous Alps. 
Right there is one of our Word Bank words: picturesque. 
This means it's worthy of a picture or it just looks like a wonderful picture could be taken there. 
Nathanael, what comes to your mind when you think of a picturesque place? 
I think a lot of cards that you might give your friends on their birthday or for a wedding anniversary. 
A lot of them have maybe a picture of the sea or beautiful city landscape. 
They're very picturesque-looking. 
They're picturesque. 
I think of places like Yosemite National Park or the Grand Canyon or Taroko Gorge. 
That's a very picturesque place. 
What's your favorite picturesque place, Carolyn? 
Well, my favorite picturesque place is actually just a few hours away from Taipei. 
And it's right along the coast, and you look out over the ocean and it's just beautiful. 
It is beautiful. 
It is picturesque. 
Well, continuing on. 
Exquisite palaces, fine castles and fortresses invite visitors to wander through them and imagine days long past. 
We use another key word here. 
It's a big word: exquisite. 
And this means beautifully made or designed. 
What do you think of when you think of something exquisite? 
I usually think of something that is very well-crafted. 
So maybe a beautiful glass vase that has very exquisite paintings on it. 
OK, yeah. 
And those are usually pretty expensive too. 
What comes to your mind, Nathanael? 
Sometimes I think of an exquisite taste. 
You get a chance to eat something kind of unusual. 
And it's a new flavor, and you think it's really great. 
It tastes exquisite. 
Exquisite. Well, continuing on. 
We're talking about imagining days long past. 
We see this phrase here "long past" or "days long past." This just means we're talking about a time... a long time ago. 
Days a long time ago; days long past. 
You could also use the word "year." Years long past. 
You can talk about things that happened a long time ago. 
Well, I think we should continue on. 
What is our next paragraph, Nathanael? 
Our next paragraph starts by saying: Spending time in Vienna, Austria's elegant capital, is a pleasure. 
That's an interesting word there, elegant, as well. 
How would you describe that word, Carolyn? 
Well, "elegant" makes me think of something that's very fine, perhaps very classy. 
And usually I think of a woman dressing very elegantly, so she looks very beautiful. 
OK, very beautiful, fine, classy, elegant. 
Magnificent Saint Stephen's Cathedral rises up grandly in the heart of the city. 
Step through the large doors and admire the beautiful interior, or the inside. 
Then climb the 343 steps of the south tower for a bird's eye view of the city. 
We see that phrase "bird's eye view." And it's pretty easy to understand. 
What does this mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that you can see as far as a bird can see, so. 
You must be up really high if it's 343 stairs. 
That's right. 
You get a bird's eye view of the city. 
Well, right now it's time for us to do something a little different. 
We're going to go to the Info Cloud. 
Steve and Ken want to share with us about how you can use different words that mean the same thing, and where you should go to find those words. 
Let's go and join Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
Hey, guys. 
Hey, there. 
Hi. 
Hey, Ken, I wonder if you noticed, the author of our lesson today just used a handful of adjectives to describe the sights and experiences of Austria. 
I sure did. 
These adjectives include some of the Word Bank words. 
I saw words like wonderful, exquisite, picturesque, elegant, magnificent and beautiful. 
Right. 
Each word is related. 
They're synonyms, but they give the reader just a little different feeling about Austria. 
Now I bring this up as a reminder, especially to those of you who are interested in improving your English writing skills - the importance of using a thesaurus. 
Good reminder. 
A thesaurus is a collection of words arranged according to meaning. 
Yes. A thesaurus can help build your vocabulary. 
It can help you say exactly what you want to say, and it can make your writing more interesting to your readers. 
Because when you communicate, you don't want to keep using the same words over and over. 
That's boring. 
Yes. 
But be careful, friends. 
Since no two words have exactly the same meaning, no two words are perfectly interchangeable. 
So what I'm saying is people who use a thesaurus just to make themselves sound smarter end up sounding not so smart. 
So readers will always know when you're not using your own voice. 
(Chinese). 
Steve and Ken, thank you again. 
All right. 
Now we're going to run over to the Language Lab. 
Let's go to the Language Lab to see what Michelle has for us today. 
Hey, Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.21.B

Well, we've gotten a little bit of a taste of Austria so far with the picturesque villages and the exquisite palaces and fine castles and many other things that we have yet to learn. 
Let's continue learning right now. 
(Music). 
A Taste of Austria. 
No one can visit Vienna without stopping in at the Hofburg Palace. 
This imposing palace was the winter residence of the Habsburg rulers until 1918. 
Today it's home to the Spanish Riding School and its dancing white horses, the Vienna Boys' Choir and the Austrian president's office. 
Visit the Imperial Apartments for a taste of a very royal lifestyle. 
Then make time to amble around Schonbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the imperial family. 
After that, take a break from royal life and visit a Vienna coffeehouse to enjoy some great coffee and delicious pastry. 
I think stopping for some coffee and a pastry sounds like a wonderful idea. 
Now if we continue on with reading the lesson now, it says: 
No one can visit Vienna without stopping in at the Hofburg Palalce. 
This imposing palace was the winter residence of the Habsburg rulers until 1918. 
And here we see a key word: imposing. 
What can you think of when you think of imposing, Gabe? 
Well, something imposing is like impressive, especially in size. 
Something that maybe if you look up and you see it, and you can't ignore it. 
It's just... it's imposing and it's really kind of cool to look at. 
Some buildings are imposing. 
When I went to visit Greece, I was in a train. 
And the mountains beside the train were just imposing. 
I mean, they were just like way up there. 
It was incredible. 
So I think of like mountains or really tall buildings. 
Right. So if something is imposing, then it's very large and kind of takes over an area. 
Well, now this imposing palace is home to the Spanish Riding School and its dancing white horses, the Vienna Boys' Choir and the Austrian president's office. 
So it sounds like they've made pretty good use of this very large imposing palace. 
That's right. 
The Hofburg Palace now has many uses. 
And I've heard of some of those things. 
I know the Vienna Boys' Choir is a very, very top-notch boys' choir. 
Actually, I think everyone around the world has heard of the Vienna Boys' Choir. 
They travel many different places. 
I did not know that the Austrian president also lived in the Hofburg Palace. 
I should go and check this place out. 
It sounds like a very interesting place to visit. 
And also, the dancing white horses for the Spanish Riding School are quite beautiful and wonderful to watch. 
Moving on to the next sentence we see: 
Visit the Imperial Apartments for a taste of a very royal lifestyle. 
Now this word "imperial" is kind of an interesting word. 
Nathanael, what do you think of when you think of imperial? 
I think what we should think of when we hear this word is emperor. 
When you hear "imperial," like Imperial Apartments, you should think that these apartments belong to the emperor. 
It's probably where he lived, which is why there is a taste of a royal lifestyle there. 
Oh. Well, that... that makes a lot of sense then. 
Very nice. Well, moving on. 
Then make time to amble around Schonbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the imperial family. 
Now here we have a key word: amble. 
And it means to kind of walk around without really having any direction or specific place you want to go. 
Gabe, do you like to amble around Taipei? 
Carolyn, I should amble more often. 
Usually I'm rushing from one place to another. 
But it would be nice to amble, just to walk leisurely from one place to another. 
I think of a lake or something like that, away from the city, I think of walking around a lake or something out in nature when I think of ambling. 
And if you're visiting someplace new like these places in Austria, you want to take your time. 
Maybe you want to just amble from one place to another. 
Don't rush at all. 
Well, do you ever amble, Nathanael? 
I think a good place to amble is in the museum. 
There's lots of different things to see. 
And you can just go slowly from one thing to the other and take your time. 
Ambling is always a good thing to do in a museum. 
That's right. And we see here a phrase: make time to amble. 
So that's kind of a good phrase to know too: if you "make time" for something, or if you "make time" to do something. 
That means maybe it's not in your schedule originally, but you can make time to do it. 
Maybe some of you need to make more time for something in your life. 
What can you maybe make some more time for, Carolyn? 
What do you need to make time for? 
Well, I'd really like to make more time for studying another language. 
I think learning languages is a lot of fun, but I really don't have as much time as I'd like. 
Yeah, I feel the same way. 
I can always make more time for something. 
What do you need to make more time for, Nathanael? 
I think it's good to make sure that you have time to make time for rest. 
You need a certain amount of sleep every night, and you don't want to be running around all day. 
Always make sure that there's a little "down" time scheduled in your day. 
OK. So if you visit Austria, make time to amble around Schonbrunn Palace. 
We move on. 
After that, take a break from royal life and visit a Vienna coffeehouse to enjoy some great coffee and a delicious pastry. 
Would you two like to enjoy a delicious pastry with me? 
You know, that sounds like a really great idea, Gabe, but right now I really want to watch a review skit. 
Oh. Well, bring them. 
Let's take a break from teaching and watch a review skit. 
The travel brochure is right. 
Austria is wonderful! 
Yes. Austria may not be big, but packed within its borders lie wonderful sights and experiences. 
It's true. 
We've seen picturesque villages that dot the slopes of the famous Alps. 
And we've wandered through exquisite palaces and fortresses imagining days long past. 
Saint Stephen's Cathedral is magnificent. 
I especially like climbing the south tower. 
You get a bird's eye view of the city. 
Yes. Oh, I'm glad we stopped at the Hofburg Palace. Imposing, isn't it? 
Oh, yes. It was the winter residence of the rulers until 1918. 
But today it's home to the Spanish Riding School. 
Remember those white horses? 
It's also home to the Vienna Boys' Choir. 
(Music). 
And don't forget the president. 
His office is there too. 
Hmm. What did you think about the Imperial Apartments? 
A taste of royal lifestyle. 
I'm so glad we took time to amble around the palace. 
And now let's take a break from royal life. 
Yeah. I'm ready to enjoy delicious pastry. 
And some good coffee. 
Yeah. The brochure is right. 
Austria is wonderful. 
(Music). 
I just love those review skits. 
And now for something completely different - Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Here we go. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And that's it for today's Language Lab. 
We've talked about two great places that you can visit in Austria this week: the Hofburg Palace and Saint Stephen's Cathedral. 
They both sound great, but which would you two most like to visit? 
Well, I think that the cathedral sounds really nice. 
But the Hofburg Palace has so much going on with the horses and the Vienna Boys' Choir and even the president's office. 
I think it sounds like a really great place to visit. 
I'm with you, Carolyn. 
I think I'd rather visit the Hofburg Palace. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
Would you also prefer the Hofburg Palace? 
Actually, I think I'll be going alone to the cathedral. 
If you go to the cathedral at the right time, you might hear some great music if you go during a service. 
And I'd love to see that bird's eye view of the city from 343 steps up into the air in the south tower. 
How about you? 
Where would you like to go? 
Well, you can think about that. 
And we'll talk about Austria more next time on our next lesson at Studio Classroom. 
Until then, bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.01.22.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
I am your teacher Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And thank you for joining us today, our second day of this "Taste of Austria" lesson. 
Now my question for you is what comes to your mind when you think of Austria? 
And you cannot answer with one of the things we learned about yesterday. 
OK? 
Carolyn, what comes to your mind when you think about Austria? 
When I think of Austria, I think of beautiful mountains, and maybe some yodeling. 
OK, cool. 
Mountains, yodeling. 
We'll learn about yodeling, I think, in tomorrow's lesson. 
Nathanael, what comes to your mind when you think of Austria? 
I think of Arnold Schwarzenegger. 
OK. 
Probably one of the most famous Austrians today. 
Great, OK. Arnold Schwarzenegger. 
I think most of us know who that is. 
I think of The Sound of Music, which is a wonderful movie. 
And we're going to learn a little bit about it here in today's lesson. 
Well, what comes to your mind when you think of Austria? 
Let's pay attention as we listen to the first reading for today. 
A Taste of Austria. 
The music of Mozart and the melodies of The Sound of Music pervade the charming city of Salzburg. 
Its well-preserved old town is alive with splendid gardens, Baroque churches and a medieval castle. 
Visit Mozart's birthplace, which is filled with all manner of music, portraits and old keyboard instruments and violins. 
The creative genius spent most of the first 20 years of his life in Salzburg. 
High above the city looms the Hohensalzburg Fortress. 
If you hike up to it, you'll be rewarded with an amazing view. 
Getting right into it, the first sentence here: 
The music of Mozart and the melodies of The Sound of Music pervade the charming city of Salzburg. 
And of course, that movie is a wonderful movie, The Sound of Music. 
And we see that these melodies pervade this charming city. 
"Pervade" is one of our Word Bank words. 
We want to talk about it here. 
This means that it is spread throughout something. 
If something pervades something, it is spread throughout. 
Um, Carolyn, how can you use this word, pervade? 
Well, since we're talking about Austria, I think of a field of flowers, and the flowers pervade the valley. 
So the valley is filled with flowers. 
Do you think of the Edelweiss flower when you think of flowers in Austria? 
I do think of Edelweiss, which is a wonderful song from The Sound of Music. 
Yes, it is. It's a very famous song. 
Sometimes people think that is the Austrian national anthem, but it is not. 
Well, Nathanael, what comes to your mind when you think of pervade? 
Well, speaking of music, fans pervaded the concert hall when their favorite band came to play in their town. 
Oh, very good; so fans pervaded this place. 
They're spread throughout. 
I think of a scent like: The perfume pervaded the room. 
Everyone could smell it. 
And so you can use this word in different ways. 
Well, of course, if you go to this place, you might hear the melodies of The Sound of Music. 
Its well-preserved old town is alive with splendid gardens. 
I think our author is kind of playing with The Sound of Music theme here. 
If you remember that first opening song: 
"The hills are alive with the sound of music," so, alive with splendid gardens, Baroque churches and a medieval castle. 
"Medieval" is an important word that describes the Middle Ages from around 476 to 1453, so A.D. 476 to almost the 1500s. 
Um, medieval. 
So what comes to your mind when you think of medieval things? 
Well, here in the article they mention castles. 
And that's certainly one of the things I think of when I think of medieval. 
I also think of knights and kings and all of the adventures they went on. 
What are some other things you think of, Nathanael? 
Well, another name for the medieval times is the Dark Ages because there were a lot of sicknesses going around at that time, and also a lot of wars. 
It wasn't really a nice time to live. 
So that's another thing I think of. 
All right. 
So medieval times, the Dark Ages, which led to things like science where people can figure out how to live healthier lives. 
But the "Medieval Times," actually, that's the name of a great restaurant, entertainment arena that I like to go to in the United States. 
Medieval Times, you should check it out too sometime. 
Continuing on. 
Visit Mozart's birthplace, which is filled with all manner of music, portraits and old keyboard instruments and the violins. 
That sounds really cool. 
You can see all manner of these things. 
That's not a mistake. 
There is no S behind "manner." All manner of something. 
That means all kinds of something. 
How else can you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, we could say that there are all manner of fish in the sea. 
And those fish are all manner of colors - lots of different fish in lots of different colors. 
Absolutely. 
And if you go into an electronics store, they would have all manner of electronics: 
computers, cell phones, keyboards, tablets, all manner of different things. 
All manner of different things. 
In a library, there are all manner of books. 
So here in this place you can go to visit Mozart's birthplace, 
which is filled with all manner of music and portraits and old keyboards, instruments, violins, different things. 
The creative genius spent most of the first 20 years of his life in Salzburg. 
He was indeed a creative genius. 
I love this phrase. 
He was a creative genius. 
He... thought of many things. 
"He was ahead of his time," as we would also say. 
And who else can you think of that is a creative genius? 
I think of Leonardo da Vinci. 
Great. 
And the absolutely amazing paintings that he's done. 
OK. What about you? 
Maybe a more recent person would be Steve Jobs, had a lot of new gadgets, new technology that he helped produce through Apple. 
OK. I think of Rachmaninoff. 
He was my favorite composer. 
I also think of Nathanael, Carolyn and Gabe. 
They are creative geniuses. 
Well, at least we're creative. 
Yeah. We'll go with that, creative. 
Yeah, OK. We're... creative. OK, so. 
Mozart was indeed a creative genius. 
We continue on in our article. 
High above the city looms the Hohensalzburg Fortress. 
Here is another key word - to loom. 
It makes me think of yesterday's word - imposing. 
Now something is looming above, that means it is... it's high above. 
It's big; it's grand. 
It's maybe even a little bit scary. 
How could you use this word, Carolyn? 
When I think of something that looms, I think of maybe a large thunderstorm coming over the mountains, and it is looming over a town. 
That's great. 
So looming, I think of clouds too, actually. 
The clouds are looming up above. 
If you hike up to this place, you'll be rewarded with an amazing view. 
And I love to be rewarded with something. 
If you keep studying your English, you'll be rewarded with great results. 
You'll be able to speak more fluently, get better grades. 
You'll be rewarded with these things. 
Right now it's time for us to reward ourselves with a review skit. 
Next, we go to Salzburg. 
What does the brochure say about Salzburg? 
Music. 
The music of Mozart and melodies of The Sound of Music pervade the charming city of Salzburg. 
A well-preserved old town alive with splendid gardens. 
It's beautiful. 
Yeah. And it has a medieval castle too, and Baroque churches. 
Baroque churches? 
Why don't they fix them? 
Baroque is a style. 
Look! We can visit Mozart's birthplace. 
Oh. There's an old museum with keyboard instruments and violins. 
High above the city lies a fortress. 
It looks like a difficult climb. 
Yeah, but we'll be rewarded with a great view. 
Oh. What about The Sound of Music tour? 
I want to go on that. 
We can see the mansion and... oh, the church where the wedding was, and of course, the stretch of those famous hills. 
The hills are alive with the sound of music. La... 
Can't wait! 
I can't wait either to hear Salzburg's beautiful music. 
Yeah. You know, they host more than 2,000 concerts annually. 
Look, just east of Salzburg is Austria's lake district. 
Wow! The loveliness takes my breath away. 
We can swim in the clean, clear lake and take a train up the mountain for spectacular views. 
Well, come on! Let's go. 
Wait! Let's finish our coffee and pastry first. 
Good idea. 
(Music). 
Oh, yeah. Those skits are always, always really clever. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Drumroll, please. 
Hi, Michelle. 
Excellent! Hi, Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Music).

2013.01.22.B

Well, we now know that Austria is home to several very famous things. 
One of those is the famous composer Mozart, who you will definitely hear if you visited Austria. 
But also The Sound of Music, a very popular musical is also based there. 
And we're going to hear a little bit more about the Sound of Music now in the second reading. 
A Taste of Austria. 
The Sound of Music fans will enjoy the Sound of Music tour, 
which includes visits to the mansion and wedding church as well as a beautiful stretch of those famous hills. 
Be sure to hear some of Salzburg's beautiful music for yourself. 
The city hosts more than 2,000 classical performances annually in its churches and palaces. 
Just east of Salzburg lies Austria's lake district. 
The loveliness of the area will take your breath away. 
Visit the tiny village of St. Wolfgang. 
Swim in the clean, clear lake water. 
Then take the Schafbergbahn, a steam-powered cogwheel train, up the nearby mountain for spectacular views over the lakes below. 
All about The Sound of Music here. 
I am a fan of The Sound of Music. 
The first sentence here is: 
The Sound of Music fans will enjoy the Sound of Music tour, 
which includes visits to the mansion and wedding church as well as a beautiful stretch of those famous hills. 
And yes, I am a The Sound of Music fan. 
Carolyn, Nathanael, do you like The Sound of Music? 
I love The Sound of Music. 
And actually, it's my mom's favorite movie. 
Mine too. 
Really! 
No way! Yeah! Well, our moms share the same favorite movie, everybody. 
Nathanael, does your mom like The Sound of Music? 
I think she does. 
I don't know if it's her favorite, but she does like it. 
And all of its songs are actually really famous, a lot of people know them. 
That's right. The Sound of Music. 
The hills are alive... 
We can't sing too much here at Studio Classroom, but I'm sure you know that song. 
These famous hills. 
And of course, the wedding church. 
I... these images just come to mind. 
I would love to visit this place. 
Well, let's continue. 
Be sure to hear some of Salzburg's music for yourself. 
I want to talk about that sentence pattern a little bit: hear something for yourself, or do something for yourself. 
Maybe you have read about something or seen something in a movie, but you want to do it for yourself. 
If you go to Austria, you can do that. 
Well, what else can you do for yourself, Carolyn? 
Well, if you are very interested in something, then I would recommend that you see it for yourself. 
So, if perhaps you haven't been to Austria, you should see it for yourself, just to know how beautiful it is. 
Yes, I would love to see these places for myself. 
Nathanael, how else can you use these words? 
Sometimes I think I might say something like: 
These are my cookies. Buy some for yourself. 
You can't have any. 
Nice! Buy some for yourself. 
Get some for yourself. 
If you ever come to visit Taipei, you've heard of (Chinese), but have you tried it? 
Well, you should try some for yourself. 
Of course, if you are learning English here at Studio Classroom, maybe you have already tried (Chinese) and you love it. 
And you want to tell someone else to "Taste it for yourself!" Well, let's continue. 
The city hosts more than 2,000 classical performances annually in its churches and palaces. 
Maybe most of you know that word "annually." What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if something is done annually, then it is done every year. 
My hometown has an annual train festival. 
Oh, it does? So there's a train festival every year? 
Yes, every October there is a train festival in my hometown. 
All right. 
Well, you can go and check that out annually if you want. 
Let's continue. 
Just east of Salzburg lies Austria's lake district. 
This does sound lovely. 
The loveliness of the area will take your breath away. 
We want to talk about that phrase there because it takes my breath away. 
If something takes your breath away, does it mean that you cannot breathe anymore, Nathanael? 
Well, you might feel like that for a second, I guess. 
But usually it just means that it really surprises you. 
Maybe it's nothing you've ever seen before, and it's just really great. 
It is really great, it will take your breath away. 
I want to hear a little more about this phrase with Ken and Steve. 
So let's go and visit the Info Cloud right now. 
Hey, guys. 
Hello. 
Hi, teachers. 
Hey, guys. 
Steve, we know that sometimes language comes literally and sometimes it comes figuratively. 
In today's lesson, the author says the loveliness of the area will take your breath away. 
Now is this literal or figurative? 
Well, if it were literal, then it would mean visitors to Austria's lake district can expect to have difficulty breathing. 
On the other hand, if it were figurative, it would mean the area is so beautiful, it overwhelms and surprises visitors. 
And since "literal" means taking words in their natural meaning, 
and "figurative" means taking words to represent something else, I'm going to say the idiom is figurative. 
I agree. 
Using literal and figurative language is a great way to create interest in speech and writing. 
Unfortunately, today "literally" is often wrongly used as a synonym for "actually" and "really." Moreover, because of overuse, the word is losing its meaning. 
Can you give us an example? 
Sure. 
I was recently reading about a basketball player in the newspaper. 
And the report said the player was so good that he could literally do anything he wanted on the court. 
Really? Anything? 
I highly doubt that. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, let's continue. 
You can visit the tiny village of St. Wolfgang. 
Swim in the clean, clear lake water. 
Then take the Schafbergbahn, a steam-powered cogwheel train, up the nearby mountain for spectacular views over the lakes below. 
OK. That sentence was a mouthful, but we want to talk about that Word Bank word: spectacular. 
This is something that you must see. 
Spec, that usually refers to the eyes, something that you need to see to experience, a spectacular view. 
How else can you use that word, Nathanael? 
I've seen a lot of fireworks that are spectacular; a spectacular fireworks show. 
A spectacular fireworks show. 
What have you seen that is spectacular? 
Well, I've seen a lot of stage productions or plays that were just spectacular and got standing ovations. 
Yes, I would use spectacular to describe an awesome show. 
Well, let's continue right now learning something with Michelle at the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to teachers. 
Well, today we've learned a lot about Austria's classical performances and their beautiful lakeside views. 
So Nathanael, if you could only do one because you had a short amount of time, which would you choose? 
To see a classical performance or enjoy the spectacular lakeside views? 
That's a hard choice, but I think I would choose to look at the scenery to go by that lake. 
It sounds beautiful. 
I was thinking the same thing. 
I was thinking I would choose the scenery at the lake not because I don't like classical performances, 
but because maybe I can hear the music somewhere else, but I can't always go see that lake. 
What about you Carolyn? 
Which would you choose? 
Well, I think the three of us should go on a picnic together on the... at the lake. 
Sounds great? 
That is a great idea, not anytime soon, though. 
We have to go right now, friends, but we do want you to come back tomorrow for our next lesson, A Taste of Austria. 
We'll see you then. 
(Music).

2013.01.23.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you are joining us for day three of our lesson A Taste of Austria. 
So we've been talking a lot, or learning a lot about Austria, this beautiful country of Austria, 
and especially the things near the mountains, the mountainous areas of Austria. 
What kinds of things have we talked about, Nathanael? 
One place that we've gone to is Saint Stephen's Cathedral in the very center of Vienna with its high tower. 
Also, we've talked about the Hofburg Palace which had dancing horses and the Vienna Boys' Choir as well as other things that we can do. 
And yesterday we learned that Austria is the home of Mozart; and it's also where The Sound of Music takes place. 
And there're so many beautiful and spectacular views from their lakeside mountains. 
There certainly are. 
And we have more to learn about Austria today, so let's get started with our first reading here - A Taste of Austria. 
A Taste of Austria. 
Head west to Innsbruck, the world famous ski resort. 
In winter, you can ski to your heart's content since Innsbruck is surrounded by more than 100 mountain lifts leading to marvelous ski runs. 
In spring and summer, the area is a haven for hikers who come to enjoy the Alps' varied landscape. 
This could be anything from a leisurely walk through meadows to a heart-pumping trek up rocky slopes. 
Visit the Alpenzoo to get a look at animals like wildcats, owls and elk that make their homes in the Alps. 
If your trip falls between April and October, enjoy some local folk fun with an evening of slap dancing and yodeling at one of Innsbruck's hotels. 
Um... OK. 
Guys! Wow... stop. Stop. Stop. 
We're slap dancing, Carolyn. 
I think that's not quite what they meant when they said slap dancing. 
That kind of looked a little bit like a children's game. 
Well, children's games are fun. 
Isn't that right? 
They are. 
Very fun. 
They are. 
Well, let's... but let's move on to the lesson for today. 
OK. 
So, we see in our first line here: 
Head west to Innsbruck, the world famous ski resort. 
In winter, you can ski to your heart's content since Innsbruck is surrounded by more than 100 mountain lifts leading to marvelous ski runs. 
Oh. It sounds like Innsbruck is a really great place to go. 
And we see this phrase: to your heart's content. 
Now this means that you do something you enjoy as much as you want. 
Now Gabe, is there something that you would like to do to your heart's content? 
Actually, yes, Carolyn. 
I was just trying to slap dance to my heart's content with Nathanael, but I couldn't do it to my heart's content because someone told us to stop. 
Yeah. 
Oh. Well, I'm sorry about that, but I really wanted to learn more about Austria because I still have so much that I want to know to my heart's content. 
I want to learn to my heart's content. 
Now Nathanael, is there anything you want to learn to your heart's content or do? 
Maybe if you visited someone's home and they were cooking a meal for you, they might say: 
We have lots of food. Eat to your heart's content. 
That's right. Eat to your heart's content. 
I love it when people tell me to do that. 
I also like to play drums, so I like to drum to my heart's content or play to my heart's content. 
Well, moving on. 
In the spring and summer, the area is a haven for hikers who come to enjoy the Alps' varied landscape. 
It's a haven. 
This is... this makes me think of kind of a safe place, a relaxing place, a comfortable place, a place away from busy life and people or things that bother you. 
It's a haven. 
So my question is for you: 
What is a haven for you, or where would be a haven for you? 
Nathanael, where is a haven for you? 
Well, sometimes when I just need to get away from all the people around the city, sometimes I just like to go home. 
Go to my room, and that's my little haven. 
That's your little haven. I like that. 
It's my little haven. 
It's a safe haven. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
What's your little haven? 
Well, my little haven is nature. 
I like to go for a nice, long walk or a hike up in the mountains and just enjoy nature. 
And then you can hike to your heart's content? 
Exactly! 
Exactly. 
So you can find a haven in different places. 
What is a haven for you? 
Well, we see here that hikers can come to enjoy the Alps' varied landscape. 
When we see this word "varied," that means there are lots of different things going on. 
It's not just one kind of landscape. 
There is a variety. 
There's different forms of this word. 
Varied, the adjective. 
Variety, the noun, V-A-R-I-E-T-Y. 
There's a variety of landscapes here. 
Well, I want to learn a little bit more in the Info Cloud with Steve and Ken. 
So let's go there now. 
Hello, gentlemen. 
Hey, guys. 
Hi. 
Ken, as I'm sure you're aware there are many great places right around where we live to go hiking. 
Yes. I've been on quite a few of the mountain trails. 
They afford some amazing views. 
It's interesting sometimes while I'm in the mountains, I find myself walking on a stone or concrete path that someone made to make walking easier or safer. 
It's nice, but if too much of the path is manmade, I don't feel like I'm really hiking. 
I know what you mean. 
It's more like a strenuous walk. 
Right. 
Now because the word "hiking" includes so many different forms of walking, 
we can accept calling a walk up a manmade stone stairway in the mountains a hike. 
However, we cannot accept calling it mountain climbing. 
Good point. 
Mountain climbing, which is an even more strenuous and dangerous activity than hiking, requires experience, athletic ability and technical knowledge. 
Right. 
When I hear "mountain climbing," I think of mountaineers who are professional mountain climbers. 
And at the very least, I think mountain climbing needs to involve getting on all fours to get up the mountain. 
If not, then you're just hiking. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
So we just learned about the Alps' varied landscape. Continuing on. 
This could be anything from a leisurely walk through meadows to a heart-pumping trek of rocky slopes. 
Oh, leisurely. 
Yeah. 
That word makes me think of something that... we learned it recently. 
Maybe a couple of days ago, there was a very similar word. 
The word you're thinking of is "amble." Amble. 
Because when you amble somewhere, that means you are walking leisurely, right? 
Oh! Yep, you are right. 
So you could also say that you amble through the meadows. 
Excellent. 
You can amble through these meadows. 
You are taking a leisurely walk, or you can take a heart-pumping trek up rocky slopes. 
Well, let's take a look at that Word Bank word: trek. 
A trek is like a journey somewhere. 
You're trekking from one place to another. 
What does this word make you think of, Carolyn? 
Well, when I think of trek, I think of Star Trek, which was a great movie and series. 
And they take a journey through the stars, so it's a star trek. 
That's right, a star trek. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
How do you trek? 
Yeah. There was one time I took a trek down the East Coast of America with a couple of my college friends. 
OK, a trek somewhere. 
This word can be a noun as you see here in the article. 
It can also be a verb. 
We were trekking up the mountain. 
Um, and this is a journey. 
You can't trek from one side of the room to the other side of the room. 
It needs to be a little longer than that, or farther than that. 
Well, continuing on. 
Visit the Alpenzoo to get a nice look at animals like wildcats, owls and elk that make their homes in the Alps. 
So you can see things and animals like elk. 
That's very special. 
And if your trip falls between April and October, enjoy some local folk fun with an evening of slap dancing and yodeling at one of Innsbruck's hotels. 
We see that word: folk. 
How is this word "folk" different from "folks," with an S, Carolyn? 
Well, "folk" mostly refers to cultural things, and "folks" means people, so. 
You can say: Oh. Those folks over there, they're pretty nice. 
Those folks over there. 
I think "folk" is an adjective, like folk fun. 
What else do you think of, Nathanael? 
When I hear "folks," I also think of another way of saying "my parents." Oh, those are my folks. 
Let me introduce you to them. 
That's my mom and dad, my folks. 
That's right. 
That is a popular slang for "parents." My folks. 
How are your folks doing? 
How your parents doing? 
Well, you can enjoy some folk fun with an evening of slap dancing and yodeling. 
And right now, before we start to yodel, which sounds like fun, we are going to go enjoy some time in the Language Lab with Michelle. 
Hello, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.23.B

Well, today we've been talking about Austria and how you can ski to your heart's content, 
or enjoy a trek of a beautiful mountain, or the haven for animals at the Alpenzoo. 
You could also enjoy a great slap dancing performance or some yodeling. 
(Yodeling). 
That... that is some beautiful yodeling, you guys. 
Thank you. 
It's... it's absolutely stunning. 
And now I would love to go to the next part of today's reading. 
(Music). 
A Taste of Austria. 
If driving up a spiral mountain highway captures your imagination, you'll find such a road near the village of Hall. 
When you reach the top, take a 20-minute hike to Walderalm, a group of dairy farms where cows graze in meadows in the clouds. 
Enjoy soup, sandwiches and very fresh milk as you gaze at the valley spread out below you. 
Austria's history and hospitality can be enjoyed in a few days, a week or a lifetime. 
If driving up a spiral mountain highway captures your imagination, you'll find such a road near the village of Hall. 
Well, that sentence has many things we want to talk about here. 
The first one is that Word Bank word: spiral. 
Spiral is kind of a shape. 
It's like a circle that goes down to something... wider to smaller, or going up from wide to small, a spiral. 
Um, but you can use this word in different ways. 
Right, Nathanael? 
Yes, you can. 
It's not only a shape, it's also kind of a motion. 
I spiraled down the slide. 
Like if you see a kid going down the slide, he might spiral down the slide depending on the slide shape. 
That's right. 
Some slides are shaped like a spiral. 
I also think of a tornado or a hurricane. 
Those storms are spiral-shaped storms. 
And um... yeah, I like what Nathanael said, you can use this word as a verb - spiraling down. 
Some people talk about spiraling down into depression. 
If you keep thinking about negative things, then your thoughts might make you spiral down into depression. 
So stop that! 
Instead, think about things that capture your imagination in a good way. 
We see this phrase, capture your imagination or capture one's imagination. 
That means something happened or you see something that makes you imagine, and just... it makes your brain go wild. 
You just start to think about that thing. 
Carolyn, what captures your imagination? 
Well, something I haven't done is go scuba diving. 
So it really captures my imagination. 
All of the things that I would see if I were to dive to the bottom of the ocean. 
Yes. Scuba diving is wonderful. 
It's a very picturesque experience, actually. 
Nathanael, what captures your imagination? 
Well, I always love a great story. 
Whether it's in a book or in a song or in a movie, a great story always captures my imagination. 
And I think about it for a while even after it's over. 
Me too. 
I think of songs. 
Some songs capture my imagination. 
Maybe they paint a picture in my mind. 
They capture my imagination. 
A really good book can do that too. 
Well, we are going to go right now to the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we read: 
If driving up a spiral mountain highway captures your imagination, you'll find such a road near the village of Hall. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the word "such." It's a simple and often more formal way of saying "this" or "this kind of." So another way of saying today's sentence is: 
If driving up a spiral mountain highway captures your imagination, you'll find this kind of a road near the village of Hall. 
But that does sound rather wordy, right? 
So next time, friends, when you want to talk about how an object is a kind of something, you can try using "such" instead. 
For example: 
We need a secretary who can speak Spanish and Russian, but where can we find such a person? 
Or: You want a part-time job with a full-time pay? There is no such job! 
If you check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine, you'll find more examples there. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym saying goodbye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
So maybe the idea of driving up a spiral mountain does capture your imagination. 
When you reach the top, take a 20-minute hike to Walderalm, a group of dairy farms were cows graze in meadows in the clouds. 
Wait, in the clouds? 
So these cows are in the clouds, Carolyn? 
Well, they aren't actually on the clouds. 
But the mountain is above the cloud line, so if you are up at this place, then you look down and the clouds are below you, or right at your level. 
So it looks like the cows are in the clouds. 
In the clouds, I like that. 
Nathanael, have you ever experienced being in a place like this, in the clouds? 
Yeah, I have. 
I've been hiking up a mountain myself. 
And I can watch myself go through the clouds at a certain level. 
And once you get to the top, it is amazingly beautiful. 
It is so cool. 
I hope you have a chance to experience this for yourself. 
Let's continue. 
Enjoy soup, sandwiches and very fresh milk as you gaze at the valley spread out below you. 
As you gaze. 
Um, we just saw another word "graze." Cows grazing in meadows. 
It's... looks almost like this word "gaze." Nathanael, how are they different? 
Yeah. They're actually quite different. 
Cows graze when they eat grass. 
But we gaze when we look deeply or look at something for some... maybe sometimes a long time. 
Carolyn, have you ever gazed deeply into someone's eyes? 
Well, I have gazed deeply into my dog's eyes. 
Oh, that's cute. OK. 
Um, now can a human... I'm going back to the word "graze" here, can a human graze somewhere, Nathanael? 
Well, actually we do use that sometimes. 
Like if you're at a party and there's a table of food, you might go and get some food, and then leave. 
You finish it, you go back, and you get some more. 
Sometimes we call that grazing. 
OK, but usually that is just slang. 
Usually only animals graze like in a field somewhere. 
And of course, you can gaze deeply into someone's eyes. 
Or at... at the next sentence. 
Austria's history and hospitality can be enjoyed in a few days, a week or a lifetime. 
All right. 
Let's look at that word: hospitality. 
Carolyn, can you tell us about this word "hospitality"? 
Well, if something has hospitality, or is hospitable, that means that it's very easy and "we'll take care of you." It's very hospitable environment. 
Or maybe you go to a bed-and-breakfast, and the people there have a lot of hospitality, and give you plenty of food to eat. 
All right. 
Carolyn just used another word, the adjective "hospitable," H-O-S-P-I-T-A-B-L-E. 
If you experience hospitality somewhere, where people are very welcoming, very nice, very warm, you can call them hospitable people. 
It's not "hospital." Hospitable people. 
We all love hospitable people. 
Well, right now it's time for us to go and enjoy some more time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to the teachers. 
Thank you, Michelle. 
Well, I just thought of another phrase that you might hear a hospital person say: Make yourself at home. 
Friends, we have learned a lot about Austria these last three days. 
What interested you most about Austria, Carolyn? 
Well, I really like what we just talked about in the small village of Walderalm up in the clouds. 
I love hiking and I love good scenery. 
So I think I'd really like to have lunch up there with the cows. 
That sounds awesome! 
What about you, Nathanael? 
I think I would really love to explore some of these old castles that have been around a long time. 
I'm sure they will be very interesting. 
Hmm. I would personally like to go and visit St. Wolfgang to see that beautiful view of the lake. 
And I don't like doing touristy things, but I would like to visit everything about The Sound of Music. 
Well, friends, what would you do? 
What is your most favorite thing about this lesson? 
Talk about that in English. And we'll see you next time righthere on Studio Classroom.

2013.01.24.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad you could join as for today. 
Our lesson is called Stores Attract Shoppers with Technology. 
That's right. 
When you go shopping, different things attract different people. 
Different kinds of advertising will attract different people. 
So my question for you is: What kind of advertising works on you? 
Nathanael, what usually works on you? 
You know, I always like the commercials where real people are experiencing something for the first time, and we can see their true reaction. 
I always think that's really interesting. 
Cool. Well, Carolyn, what kind of advertising works on you? 
I like ads that have special little phrases or sayings that are very clever and kind of make you think: Oh. How can this product work for me? 
Interesting. So people might do it. 
You might hear something clever. 
My sister and her friends were talking about the stakes. 
The stakes were high for this election in the United States. 
And they kept using that word "stake," so they have felt like going to get some "steak" one night. 
So different things can make you want to buy something. 
And today we're going to learn how stores are attracting shoppers with technology. 
Let's get right into our first reading for today. 
Stores Attract Shoppers with Technology. 
In-store displays are becoming quite an attraction! 
Some store owners think shopping should be more fun and convenient. 
That's why they're introducing high-tech displays in their stores. 
Wall of virtual shoes. 
Some Adidas stores now feature adiVERSE - the Virtual Footwear Wall. 
The wall is actually a huge touch-screen panel with 3-D images of Adidas shoes. 
Shoppers can select from nearly 8,000 pairs of Adidas shoes. 
That's more than any store can hold! 
Well, our title is Stores Attract Shoppers with Technology. 
Stores are using technology to attract people. 
And "attract" is a very important word we want to talk about. 
It's one of the words from the Word Bank. 
And if something attracts you, that means you are interested in it. 
You want to know more about it. 
Maybe you're curious about it. 
Advertisements often attract people, or at least they're meant to attract people. 
But how else can you use that word, Carolyn, attract? 
When I hear "attract," I think of attracting attention. 
So maybe you see your friend across the street, and you wave to them to attract their attention, to let you know that you want to say Hello. 
That's right. You can attract someone's attention. 
How do you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, I think toy stores often use bright colors so that they can attract children. 
Children see those colors and are like: Wow! I want to go there! And it attracts them. 
Sometimes advertising companies will use red to attract people to food, and blue to attract people to some other things. 
There's many different ways that people use advertising to attract people to buy something. 
So we're talking about these different attractions. 
The sentence is: In-store displays are becoming quite an attraction. 
So that's another form of this word "attract" - attraction. 
It's quite an attraction. 
Our first sentence here is: 
Some store owners think shopping should be more fun and convenient. 
So that's why they're doing what, Carolyn? 
That's why they're introducing high-tech displays in their stores. 
And we see this word "high-tech." It's one of our key words today. 
And it means advanced technology or electronics. 
So something that is very technical, high-tech. 
Gabe, what are some high-tech gadgets that we use? 
Oh, high-tech gadgets. 
Well, I think of the evolution of the cell phone. 
I mean, phones used to be, well, not high-tech. 
And right now you can do so many different things with your cell phone. 
It used to be you could just talk on the phone. 
Now you can download so many apps. 
You can take pictures, videos, even you can do a lots of thing... lots of things with your cell phones. 
They are high-tech. 
That's very true. 
Cell phones have become very high-tech machines. 
Now Nathanael, what do you think of when you hear the word "high-tech"? 
Well, I do think of high-tech companies, high-tech designs. 
But I also think of my high-tech friends that are always saving up money to get the next new gadget. 
Even people can be high-tech if they know a lot about technology and are always learning about how it changes. 
Right on! So people can be high-tech as well. 
Well, what about you? 
Are you high-tech? 
Do you know a lot about technology and how it works? 
I'm not such a high-tech person, but I do enjoy high-tech things like cell phones and cameras. 
Well, continuing on. 
Let's move on to the Wall of virtual shoes. 
We see a word there, "virtual." Uh, virtual just means something that is not really there right in front of you, but you can kind of experience it in a different way. 
Sometimes we call that virtual reality. 
There are little games or rooms you can go in that are virtual reality. 
Now how else could you use that word "virtual," Nathanael? 
I actually think of a little bit different kind of usage here. 
I could say they just met, but they're virtually friends already. 
They did just meet, so they can't really say that they know each other that well. 
But they seem to get along so well, they're virtually friends. 
They're basically already friends. 
All right. So you can see here that the idea of virtual is that it... it's not necessarily real, but it appears to be real. 
There's a wall of shoes. 
They're not really there. 
They're virtual shoes. 
We read: Some Adidas stores now feature adiVERSE - the Virtual Footwear Wall. 
The wall is actually a huge touch-screen panel with 3-D images of Adidas shoes. 
Well, let's talk about that Word Bank word. 
The word is: panel. 
And I think of something flat when I think of a panel. 
It's a touch-screen panel. 
Some TVs have, uh, panels. 
What else is panel used for? 
How else can you use that word? 
Well, when I think of a panel, I usually think of something that's on the wall that maybe you press. 
And if there's a panel on your wall, maybe it leads to a secret passage behind the bookcase. 
Ooh, interesting. 
Very mysterious, Carolyn. 
Well, what else do you think of when you think of the word "panel," Nathanael? 
Well, I think we should say that usually panels are rectangular in shape. 
There's another kind of technology that's a panel, a solar panel, which absorbs energy from the sun. 
A lot of times you see them maybe outdoors or on top of a house. 
All right, a solar panel. 
And we're talking here about a touch-screen panel with 3-D images of Adidas shoes. 
So touch-screen; lots of things are touch-screen now. 
That basically just means you can touch the screen and operate it from there. 
You don't have to press other buttons, just touch the screen. 
Well, continuing on. 
Shoppers can select from nearly 8,000 pairs of Adidas shoes. 
"Nearly 8,000." I want to hear more about this phrase with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Hello, guys. 
Hey. 
Hi, teachers. 
Steve, our lesson today talks about this virtual footwear wall which can display nearly 8,000 pairs of shoes. 
Imagine that. 
That's a lot of shoes. 
Now notice, everyone, how the author doesn't mention the exact number of shoes. 
Instead, we're given what is called a round number. 
A round number usually ends with one or more zeroes. 
That's why we see them in multiples of 10, 100, 1,000 and so on. 
So why use round numbers? 
Well, maybe the exact number is unknown or the exact number is constantly changing. 
But the best reason to use them, for me, is ease of reading. 
Exact numbers create clutter and slow the reader down. 
Honestly, I don't care if there are 7,981 pairs or 8,233 pairs. 
Of course, if you're writing about something that absolutely requires an exact number, give it to us. 
But most of the time, just give us a round number. 
Right. 
Now if you round a number, don't forget to let the reader know by using words like "almost" or "about." In today's lesson, 
we see the word "nearly," which tells us the number was rounded up to 8,000. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
Well, before the Info Cloud, we read: Shoppers can select from nearly 8,000 pairs of Adidas shoes. 
Here we see: That's more than any store can hold. 
That's more than any store can hold. 
Liz wants to talk about this sentence right now in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We read in today's article: 
That's more than any story can hold. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
The writer is talking about the 8,000 pairs of shoes that shoppers can choose from. 
But instead of saying "That's a lot of shoes," the writer says: There are no stores out there that can hold 8,000 pairs of shoes. 
Notice the sentence pattern: 
That's more than any (noun) can or could (verb). 
It's an expressive way to say how there is so much of something, there's so much that something can't hold it. 
Or there's so much that someone can't deal with it. 
For example, if you know someone who has an enormous amount of clothes, you can say: 
She has more clothes than any girl could wear in her lifetime. 
Or if there is a really terrible job that no one wants to do: 
It's no wonder nobody wants that job - long hours, low pay with risk of diseases - that's more than any person can handle. 
And that's it for today. 
Thanks again for joining me here. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
Bye-bye. 
It's always fun to visit the Grammar Gym and do a little workout there. 
Well, let's go over to the Language Lab now and see what Michelle is doing. 
Hey, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.24.B

Well, if you've been reading and learning with us, you know that we're talking about a new business trend, 
which is to incorporate more technology in stores, to make stores more fun and convenient. 
The first case study, or example that we've talked about today is adiVERSE: 
Adidas store that has a virtual wall of shoes with more than 8,000 pairs to choose from. 
But there are more examples in the second reading. 
Let's go there now. 
Stores Attract Shoppers with Technology. 
Interactive makeup area. 
Macy's has added Beauty Spot, an interactive station, to a few of its department stores. 
By touching the screen, shoppers can learn about every makeup brand in the store. 
After choosing items, shoppers print out their orders and buy them. 
Grocery store robots. 
Shoppers who visit the real, - Future Store in Tonisvorst, Germany, can meet Ally and Roger. 
Both robots, called "Innovation Guides," have cameras for eyes and can roll around the store. 
They explain the store's technology to shoppers and guide them around the store. 
With high-tech attractions like these, stores will keep shoppers coming back for more. 
We found out here about Macy's interactive makeup area. 
And we see a word there, interactive. 
If you are interactive, that means you are communicating two ways or three ways. 
Carolyn, how could you use that word "interactive"? 
Well, when I think of the word "interactive," I don't necessarily think of interacting with people. 
Sometimes I think of interacting with objects. 
And there's this really great science center in the United States called Discovery Zone, where you can interact with different science projects. 
It's very, very cool. 
Well, that does seem pretty cool. 
You can interact with these different projects, interacting with different things. 
Of course, when I do think of interacting, I think of interacting with people like we do here at Studio Classroom, 
and like you do in your classrooms or at your jobs. 
Interacting; interactive. 
And we have an interactive makeup area. 
"Makeup" is one of our Word Bank words, makeup. 
Now makeup is something that you can use to make yourself look different. 
Where do you usually apply makeup, Carolyn? 
Well, usually you would put makeup on your face. 
So a lot of girls like to put on makeup before they go out. 
I'm wearing some eye makeup right now to make my eyes look very bright. 
All right. 
Well, you're not the only one here wearing makeup. 
Here on Studio Classroom, because we're on TV, Nathanael and I also like to wear makeup, or at least we wear makeup. 
But Nathanael and I are also actors. 
Nathanael, do you wear makeup anywhere else? 
Yes. Yes. When I act on stage, I do wear makeup as well. 
But it is kind of different. 
It might look a little more strange when you saw me up close in stage makeup. 
That's true. 
TV makeup and stage makeup should be a little bit different. 
Well, speaking of makeup, we have a wonderful makeup artist who helps us put on makeup every day. 
He applies the makeup for us. 
That's how you use this word, you "apply" makeup. 
Well, we continue. 
Macy's has added Beauty Spot, an interactive station, to a few of its department stores. 
And just by touching the screen, shoppers can learn about every makeup brand in the store. 
After choosing items, shoppers print out their orders and buy them. 
Now how does that sound to you, Carolyn? 
Would you like to do that? 
I think I would love to go to Macy's and try out this new interactive way to shop for makeup, 
because it would really help to have all of that information available while I'm in the store looking at the product. 
I agree. 
I can think of other brands or other things I would like to experience the same kind of interactive station with. 
I love music. 
I would like to just have a touch-screen TV and be able to listen to any music out there. 
It doesn't have to be in the store, but I can order it after listening to that music. 
Nathanael, if you had a touch-screen TV like this, what would you shop for? 
Well, you know actually, what this reminded me of in the United States is a Redbox. 
You can't do this at home. 
But Redbox is in the United States. 
You go to them. 
They're outside of stores. 
And you can use a touch-screen to look through all the movies inside this machine and choose which one you want to rent. 
It's also an interactive shopping machine. 
All right. 
Well, we see a lot of different interactive machines out there. 
There's a lot of high-tech technology. 
High-tech technology... ? Yes. 
Well, continuing on. 
What is the next thing we see here? 
Nathanael, what's this, grocery store robots? 
Yes, grocery store robots. It sounds a little interesting, right? 
It says shoppers who visit the real, - Future Store in Tonisvorst, Germany, can meet Ally and Roger. 
Ally and Roger, I think, are these grocery store robots. 
But first let's talk about grocery stores. 
That's a key word for today. 
Carolyn, what is a grocery store? 
Well, a grocery store is a store that you buy groceries at. 
And here, "grocery" means food items. 
So you can go to a grocer or a grocery store to buy food. 
All right. So you go to a grocery store to buy food. 
I think of running errands at grocery stores. 
If you have a list of things you need to buy like milk and cheese and lots of other stuff, you might run an errand at a grocery store. 
Well, both robots, called "Innovation Guides," have cameras for eyes and can roll around the store. 
We see that word "innovation." I want to say that it's different from the word "invention." Innovation is kind of a new idea or a creative idea. 
An invention is the thing that someone creates that has never been created before. 
So innovation and invention. 
Well, these robots Roger and Ally do seem kind of interesting. 
We find out they have cameras for eyes. 
So they don't have real eyes, they have cameras there, and can roll around the store. 
They explain the store's technology to shoppers and guide them around the store. 
Nathanael, how does our author finish this lesson? 
The last sentence says: With high-tech attractions like these, stores will keep shoppers coming back for more. 
Well, that's the end of the article, but let's now go back to the Language Lab to see Michelle. 
(Chinese). 
And back to you, teachers. 
These stores are making great use of technology. 
But I wonder, what would you do if a robot came up to you in a store, Carolyn? 
Well, that's certainly not something I would expect to have happened in a store, so I would be very surprised. 
Well, yeah. If I saw a robot who had cameras for eyes, I would feel like I was being watched by someone I didn't know. 
I don't know how I'd feel about that. 
But this is very interesting. 
There's a lot of high-tech stuff going on out there, and stores are using these things to attract shoppers. 
Well, friends, we hope that you come back for more next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
Bye. 
(Music).

2013.01.25.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
My name is Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And today we are looking at "Betrayed!" Yes. 
The name of our lesson is Betrayed. 
We're going to listen in on a conversation between two girls these next couple of days as they talk about this topic: 
when you feel betrayed, or when a friend betrays you. 
Now has that ever happened to you, Carolyn? 
What do you do if someone tells a secret to someone else? 
Well, unfortunately, I have been betrayed. 
And it really hurts when someone tells your secrets when they aren't supposed to. 
So when that happened, I asked my friend why they decided to tell someone else my secret. 
And did it go OK after that? 
Did you communicate well, and... and did she respond well? 
Yes. Actually, it was just a simple misunderstanding. 
All right. A lot of times it is just a simple misunderstanding. 
Well, I'm looking forward to seeing what Kelly and Sara are going to talk about in our lesson today. 
Let's go and enjoy the first reading right now. 
(Music). 
Betrayed! 
What should you do when a friend betrays you? 
You look miserable, Kelly. 
What's wrong? 
I told Veronica a secret, and she told it to everyone in school. 
Now all my classmates are talking about it and me! 
That's awful. 
One time last year, I told my friend a secret, and she posted it on Facebook for everyone to see. 
What did you do about it? 
I knew a couple of secrets about her, so I started spreading them around our class. 
I'm sure you know something about Veronica that you could use to get revenge. 
Well, at the very beginning in your magazine, you can read that sentence: 
Sara comes home to find her sister Kelly looking very upset. 
And that's a good sentence pattern to know: to find something or someone looking... and then you can use an adjective. 
You could say: I came home to find my dog looking very sad. 
How else can you use this phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, I came home and found my cat sleeping in my bed. 
OK. You can find someone doing something else. 
They don't have to be looking like something. 
I found my cat sleeping in my bed. 
Nathanael, how else can you use this phrase? 
You could say that I came home to find my house in a mess. 
I haven't cleaned it in a month. 
OK. You find your house looking like something. 
It's in a certain state. 
I found my dog looking sad. 
She found her cat sleeping in her bed. 
He found his house in a mess. 
And Sara comes home to find her sister Kelly looking very upset. 
Uh, this is a dialogue between two sisters, Sara and Kelly. 
So how about I will say Sara's lines, and Nathanael, you say Kelly's lines, OK? 
Sure, sure. 
All right. Here we go. 
You look miserable, Kelly. 
What's wrong? 
Oh, wait! We have a word here. 
We have "miserable." A key word. 
So let's look at "miserable" first. 
If you are miserable, Gabe, how do you feel? 
Oh, not very good. 
Yeah. If you're miserable, you feel terrible. 
It's not a good feeling at all. 
And if you look miserable, that means, well, you look terrible. 
Maybe something happened. 
So that's maybe what Sara is wondering what is wrong. 
Well, how else can you use that word "miserable," Nathanael? 
Hmm. Charlie Brown's Christmas tree looked miserable because it didn't have many leaves. 
Excellent! OK. so. 
Something could look miserable as well. 
I could also say: Ah, I had a miserable time today. 
So you could use it to describe somebody, how they look, or something, or even talking about your time. 
We had a miserable time. 
But are you having a miserable time? 
Of course not! 
You're having a wonderful time here on Studio Classroom. 
I think we should continue. 
I think it is... Kelly's turn. 
And I am Kelly. 
I told Veronica a secret, and she told it to everyone in school. 
Everyone? In school? 
Yes. 
Now all my classmates are talking about it and me. 
That's awful. 
Awful. 
One time... Yeah, awful, Carolyn. 
Yeah. "Awful," that's a really great word, Gabe... Sara. 
Um, "awful" just means something is really terrible or horrible. 
And if someone's spreading your secrets around, that's... that's a pretty awful thing to do. 
That is a pretty awful thing to do. 
And yes, it's true. 
Thank you for interrupting me, Carolyn. 
"Awful" is a good word to know. 
It's kind of like that word "miserable." She also used the words - horrible and terrible. 
Can you think of other words that kind of have a similar meaning? 
"Awful," there are so many words that you could use when you're writing to describe this kind of feeling. 
That is true. 
Sometimes you might say that some kind of food is awful. 
This bread is awful. 
It's too dry. 
Oh, well, sorry for interrupting you two. 
Please, go back to your conversation. 
Of course. 
That's awful. 
One time last year, I told my friend a secret, and she posted it on Facebook for everyone to see. 
What did you do about it? 
Well, I knew a couple of secrets about her, so I started spreading them around our class. 
Wait. Wait... You were spreading something? Spreading rumors. 
I thought... I thought spreading was like you put your butter on some toast, and you spread it. 
Well, yeah. There's that too, Carolyn. 
But you can spread something like rumors or spread things about other people behind their backs too. 
Oh. OK. I see. 
Well... sorry. Go ahead. 
Right. It's not very good to spread things about other people. 
But you can spread uh... you could spread rumors. 
You can also spread news. 
If there's something that happened, you can spread news to other people. 
You could also spread joy and happiness as well. 
It doesn't have to be something bad. 
And news can be good or bad too. 
That is right, Nathanael. 
Spread good things to other people. 
Don't spread bad things behind their backs. 
Anyway, shall I continue? 
Please, please. 
OK. 
Spreading, spreading... Oh! 
I started spreading them around our class... our class. 
I'm sure you know something about Veronica that you could use to get revenge. 
Oh, revenge. 
Here is a key word in the dialogue today - revenge. 
What... what exactly is revenge, Gabe? 
Well, this is not really something that we should be doing often, getting revenge. 
Actually, you shouldn't get revenge on people. 
If someone does something bad to you, you really want to do something bad to them or say something bad about them, to do something that makes them feel bad. 
That is getting revenge. 
Oh. But it's a little bit different from avenge. 
If you avenge someone, then you get revenge for someone else. 
That's a good point. 
So that's kind of like helping people but in a very bad way. 
Right, it can be. 
Actually, Carolyn mentioned a good thing. 
"Revenge" is a noun. 
You can get revenge. 
Or you can avenge, A-V-E-N-G-E. 
That's a verb. 
You can avenge someone. 
That means you help someone get revenge. 
And you can do this for someone else, or you can avenge yourself as well. 
But Nathanael, is avenging always bad? 
Not necessarily. 
Sometimes someone does need avenging. 
Something has been done, and justice needs to be done as well. 
Great. 
So avenging can be good if there is true, real justice to be done. 
But um, Sara is not talking about vengeance in a good way or revenge in a good way. 
It's kind of a negative thing in this conversation. 
Well, right now it's time for us to go and enjoy something positive - a review skit. 
What are you doing? 
I'm getting revenge. 
What do you mean? 
I told Larry a big secret. 
You didn't! 
I did. 
I told Larry not to tell anyone. 
And? 
And Larry told everyone! 
He didn't! 
He did! And now I'm getting revenge. 
I'm posting all of Larry's secrets on Facebook. 
Revenge is not a good idea. 
I know. 
It's a great idea! 
His secrets will spread all over the Internet. 
Do you really want to do that? 
Yes. I am telling all his secrets. 
Don't stoop to his level. 
You should be nice to him. 
He betrayed me. 
So why should I be nice? 
It's the right thing to do. 
Besides, getting revenge can backfire. 
Backfire? 
Yes! Your mutual friends might get mad at you. 
They may think you're a gossip. 
Revenge is never the answer. 
I guess you're right. 
Hey, look what Larry posted about you on Facebook. 
But he's spreading all my secrets. 
Now what? 
Revenge! 
Well, I always love those skits. 
Anyway, right now it's time for us to continue by going to the Language Lab. 
Let's go and see what Michelle has for us there. 
Hey, Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.25.B

In this month's POINT OF VIEW article, two sisters are talking. 
And one of them had a friend who spread some secrets about her to other people. 
Well, let's continue listening to Kelly and Sara's conversation. 
(Music). 
Betrayed! 
Yeah, I do know some of Veronica's secrets, but if I tell them, I'll be just like her. 
I don't know if I want to stoop to her level. 
But she has been a terrible friend. 
Do you really want to keep being nice to her? 
Well, it is the right thing to do. 
Besides, if I remember right, your plan to get revenge backfired. 
Well, yes, a lot of our mutual friends did get mad at me, and I developed a reputation for gossiping. 
See? 
That's why I don't know if trying to get revenge will help. 
Well, Sara and Kelly have continued to discuss revenge as something that Kelly might be able to do to Veronica. 
So let's continue to read this. 
Get ready, Sis. 
All right. 
Yeah, I do know some of Veronica's secrets, but if I tell them, I'll be just like her. 
I don't know if I want to stoop to her level. 
Oh, stoop. 
We have another key word. Hang on, hang on. 
We've got another key word "stoop," and it's this phrase: to stoop to someone's level. 
And if you stoop to someone's level, that means that you do the same thing as them. 
And it's usually pretty bad because if you stoop, you go lower. 
So you go down to a lower level. 
Actually, Nathanael, can you show us what stoop looks like? 
Yeah. 
I would love to stoop. 
Stooping goes something like this. 
Just lower yourself a little bit. 
You might think that I'm squatting. 
But actually, Gabe, could you show us what squatting actually looks like? 
Me? 
Yeah, so we can tell the difference. 
OK, squatting. Uh, right. 
This is stooping. 
This is squatting. 
You see that he's lower. 
Yeah, it's a lot lower, and it's a little more uncomfortable. 
I don't really like squatting. 
S-Q-U-A-T. Yeah, that's... that's right. 
I'm squatting right now. 
Um, Carolyn, would you rather stoop or squat? 
Well, I think I'll just sit. 
Right. 
It's a good idea. 
Yeah. I think I will too. 
Yeah, maybe you guys should sit down. 
Excellent. 
Well, now that we know what stooping is, and you can stoop to someone's level. 
That means you are taking your standards a little lower. 
You're not being as good as you should. 
You're going down to someone else's level. 
It's not a good thing. 
Well, um, shall we continue, Kelly? 
I think so. 
All right, excellent. 
But she has been a terrible friend. 
Do you really want to keep being nice to her? 
Well, it is the right thing to do. 
Oh, the right thing to do. 
So here, that just means that it's something that you should do. 
So you should be nice to her, not mean and try to get revenge. 
Gabe, can you think of something else that might be the right thing to do? 
Um, yes. 
Many times you can use this phrase: it's the right thing to do. 
Like for instance, if you are walking and you see somebody else drop their money, but they don't know it. 
Then you can go and pick up that money, and give it back to that person. 
That is the right thing to do. 
Of course you can pick up the money and put it in your pocket, but that's not the right thing to do. 
So there is... there are different instances where you can use this phrase, the right thing to do. 
Well, it's the right thing for us to go and enjoy some time with Steve and Ken right now in the Info Cloud. 
Hey, guys. 
Hi. 
Hi, teachers. 
There's that little four-letter word again: well. 
"Well" is not a noun. 
It's not a verb, adverb, adjective or pronoun. 
It's not even an article. 
So, what is it? 
"Well," it's a particle. 
Particles are used to facilitate communication. 
They're kind of language oil that keeps conversations moving along. 
Nice. 
Now there are different categories of particles like interjections, like "Wow!" and conjunctions like "although." Those are two examples. 
But today's word "well" falls into the third particle category - sentence connectors. 
Right. 
Sentence connectors do just what they say: They make a connection from the previous sentence to the next sentence. 
They also indicate the speaker's attitude or mood to what's just been said or to what is likely to follow. 
Other examples of sentence connectors include "so," "yet" and "still." Now, 
because particles like "well" don't have a precise definition of their own, they are often overlooked. 
But they really do add meaning to what's being said. 
So the more you pay attention to them, the richer your experience with English will be. 
(Chinese). 
Well, thank you, Ken and Steve. 
That was the right thing to teach. 
Anyway, back to Kelly. 
Besides, if I remember right... 
Wait... Sara, you were saying my line. 
Oh, no! OK. You go ahead and say Kelly's line. 
It's your turn. 
OK. Go ahead. 
Besides, if I remember right, your plan to get revenge backfired. 
Oh! 
It backfired. 
Backfired. 
I remember a time when my plan backfired, and I was trying to do something nice. 
I was trying to help my sister. 
I really wanted to surprise her by painting her room pink because she loves pink. 
But I bought the wrong color paint. 
And it was purple. 
And she hates purple! 
So my plan really backfired. 
Oh, shoot. OK. 
Well, now you know what it means to backfire. 
If your plan backfires, you want to do one thing, but then it ends up hurting you instead. 
It backfires. 
Well, now is it my turn, Nathanael? 
I think so. 
OK, good. 
Well, yes, a lot of our mutual friends did get mad at me... 
Oh, mutual. 
"Mutual" is another key word. 
Sorry, sorry. We have to stop. 
Mutual. 
So "mutual" means that you share the same thing. 
And here they have the same friends. 
Can you think of something else that might be mutual, Nathanael? 
Sometimes the feeling is mutual. 
We feel the same way about something, we would say: Our feelings are mutual. 
That's right. 
The feeling is mutual. 
Or we have some mutual friends. 
Well, I'm going to continue now. 
Yes, a lot of our mutual friends did get mad at me, and I developed a reputation for gossiping. 
Oh. That's not a good reputation to have. 
And "reputation" is also an important word. 
So if you have a reputation for something, then you are known for something. 
And you were known for gossiping! 
Yes, it's true. 
A reputation for something, you can use this to talk about people. 
A reputation for... 
Well, my boss has a reputation for giving. 
She's a generous person. 
Carolyn, you have a reputation today for interrupting us in our conversation. 
Well, it would seem that I have developed that reputation. 
All right. Well, let's continue. 
Nathanael. 
Certainly. 
See? 
That's why I don't know if trying to get revenge will help. 
Excellent. 
I don't know if trying to get revenge will help. 
Maybe it's not a good idea. 
Well, I think it is a good idea for us to go and enjoy Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to teachers. 
Thanks again, Michelle. 
Well, we've talked about Sara and Kelly and their ideas about revenge and betrayal. 
But Gabe, I wonder, have you ever been betrayed by a friend? 
Have I ever been betrayed? 
Um, probably. 
I can't really remember being betrayed, but I can remember saying things about other people, and I think they felt betrayed. 
I didn't really mean to. 
I thought I was just expressing my anger about something to somebody else, but that's not always a good idea. 
I think I need to be careful about who I talked to other people about and what I'm saying about them, 
because sometimes you can end up giving other people an impression about someone they don't even know. 
I think maybe that happens to a lot of us. 
So we need to be careful with our words. 
But Carolyn, have you ever been betrayed? 
I don't want to talk about it. 
But I do want to talk about what happens to Kelly and Sara in our next lesson. 
So until then, we'll see you next time.

2013.01.26.A

Well, hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
Um, Nathanael, where is Carolyn? 
Well, I... she... she was getting ready but uh... she's not here. 
She's usually not late. 
I know. She's usually a very punctual person. 
Really, she is. 
You know what, yesterday she kept interrupting us. 
She did keep interrupting us yesterday. 
She kept doing that. 
She was... she was all... she was so... 
It was a bit unusual. 
Yeah, I thought so. 
Hey, guys. 
Oh. 
Carolyn! 
Hey! What are you guys talking about? 
Uh, well, nothing. 
We're just glad you're here. 
We're glad you're here. 
Oh, great! Well, are you ready to start? 
Yes. Now we can introduce ourselves. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I am Nathanael. 
And you are here today. 
We're continuing a lesson called Betrayed. 
Yesterday we enjoyed hearing a conversation between two sisters - Kelly and Sara. 
What were they talking about? 
Well, one sister thought that her sister should take revenge on one of her friends. 
We're going to continue listening to this conversation. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
Betrayed! 
Well, you have to do something. 
Otherwise, Veronica will keep taking advantage of you and telling your secrets. 
I don't know if I would say she's taking advantage of me. 
She probably just forgot that I told her to keep it secret. 
That seems very unlikely. 
This is not the first time you've come home upset that Veronica betrayed your trust. 
Yeah, maybe you're right, but I don't want to confront her. 
It might hurt our friendship. 
Well, it sounds like Kelly is having a really hard time. 
So are you guys going to do the role-playing again? Are you Sara? 
Yes, I'm Sara. 
OK. Who are you going to be? 
I'm still Kelly. 
OK. 
OK, good. Let me start. OK. 
Well... 
Well, you have to do something. 
Otherwise, Veronica will keep taking advantage of you and telling your secrets. 
Oh. 
Huh? 
Taking advantage. 
That's a key word. 
So let's take a minute and look at this phrase: taking advantage of somebody. 
So here it sounds like Veronica is taking advantage of Kelly's friendship, which is not a very nice thing to do. 
No, it's not. 
Can you think of another way that you might take advantage of something that's a little more positive? 
Oh. Well, yeah. Actually, usually I think of this at a negative way. 
But I guess you're right, it can be positive too. 
If you take advantage of something, that could be positive. 
You can take advantage of something that you have. 
That means you put it to good use. 
I have a car and a bike. 
I should take advantage of these things that I have. 
I don't want to just let my car sit there. 
I should drive my car. 
And I should ride my bike. 
I'm putting these things to good use. 
I'm taking advantage of them. 
So that's the positive way that you can use this phrase. 
Absolutely. 
That's a very good thing that you should take advantage of. 
So Nathanael, can you think of any other things that you could take advantage of? 
Yes. I'd take advantage of my extra time to get a short nap. 
Oh. So you like to take a rest when you have a little extra time. 
And you take advantage of it. That's great. 
I think that's a good idea to take advantage of the... the free time that you have to relax, do something different. 
Um, so those are the positive ways that you can use this phrase, but how is it different from the negative, Carolyn? 
Well, here we see that they're taking advantage of someone being their friend. 
So rather than helping someone, you might be hurting them, taking advantage of a situation. 
That's right. 
So you can take advantage of something, that's a good thing. 
But if you talk about taking advantage of somebody, that's almost always a negative thing. 
You don't want to be taken advantage of. 
And so that's what Sara says. 
Veronica will keep taking advantage of you and telling your secrets if you don't say something or do something. 
Well, Nathanael, I think it's time for you to continue as Kelly. 
I don't know if I would say she's taking advantage of me. 
She probably just forgot that I told her to keep it secret. 
That seems very unlikely. This... 
Oh, unlikely. 
So it probably isn't true? 
Is that what you mean? 
Yes. 
It seems unlikely, probably not. 
That's what "unlikely" means. 
If something is unlikely, it means it probably is not true. 
It probably won't happen. 
So how else can you use this word? 
Well, it's unlikely that it will rain today. 
The weather forecast said it was going to be good weather. 
How else could you use this word? 
It's very unlikely that it would snow in July. 
That is extremely unlikely, very unlikely. 
So yes, Sara says it seems very unlikely because this is not the first time you've come home upset that Veronica betrayed your trust. 
Oh, betrayed your trust. 
Now here we have another key word, guys. 
We have to... to take a moment and look at this. 
Betray someone's trust, or betray one's trust is not a very good thing to do. 
And it's very similar in meaning to just saying: betray. 
OK, yeah, the words betray and betray someone's trust. 
Well, how are they different? 
Our lesson is called "Betrayed!" And that's an adjective. 
I feel betrayed. 
To betray is a verb. 
And then we see here another phrase: betray someone's trust. 
Well, how are these things different, Carolyn? 
Well, they're not too different. 
But if you say "betray one's trust," then you really want to point out that this person has really hurt you because you trusted them with something, 
and then they did something they shouldn't have. 
Yeah. I like that. 
Sometimes maybe someone tells you: Oh, I won't do this. 
And then they go and do it. 
Then that is betraying your trust. 
But if they didn't say "I won't do this," if they hurt you, you still feel betrayed, but maybe it's not betraying your trust. 
Maybe it doesn't feel as bad as if they said I won't do it. 
This is very true. 
Well, I really want to find out what happens next. 
Will you guys keep going? 
Of course. Kelly? 
Certainly. 
Yeah, maybe you're right, but I don't want to confront her. 
It might hurt our friendship. 
Oh. We have another key word. 
Thanks, Nathanael, for bring up "confront," so. 
Here if you confront someone, then you approach them and talk to them about a problem. 
Have you ever confronted anyone, Nathanael? 
Yes, there have been times when I've confronted people. 
I directed some plays when I was in college. 
So sometimes when they weren't doing something right, even if I thought that maybe they wouldn't like what I was going to say, 
I would have to confront them and say: I need you to do this differently. 
Oh. Well, it's very important till there's a problem, then you should confront them. 
What do you think, Gabe? 
Oh, no. 
Oh, no. I don't like confronting people. 
I mean, I know I need to sometimes, but it's not easy to confront people because I don't like pointing out that they did something wrong. 
I would like to think that it's easy for people to confront me. 
I want people to tell me if I did something wrong, but I know that's not always the case. 
Some people don't like confronting me too. 
But I think confronting is something we should all learn how to do. 
Well, maybe they just don't want to hurt your friendship. 
Mmhm. It's true. 
Sometimes you just don't want to hurt a friendship. 
Well, with that, I think it's time for us to do something a little different. 
Let's go and hang out with Michelle. 
She is in the Language... Lab waiting for us. 
Let's go and find out what she has to say. 
Hey there, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
Hi. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.26.B

Today we've been listening to a conversation between two sisters - Sara and Kelly. 
Kelly is having some problems with her friend Veronica, who might be taking advantage of her. 
But Kelly is really worried and doesn't want to confront her about the problem. 
But her sister Sara thinks that she should because it's a real problem. 
So let's continue listening to their conversation and see what they decide to do. 
(Music). 
Betrayed! 
So what kind of friendship is that? 
I know you don't like conflict, but you should still talk to her. 
You need to discourage her from doing this kind of thing in the future. 
Talking to her might help, but it also might make her really mad. 
Why should she get mad? 
She's the one who's out of line. 
She needs to know you're upset. 
Not to mention, she owes you an apology! 
Thanks for the advice. 
I need to think a little bit more about how to handle this. 
So, what was the secret anyway? 
Ha! I'm not telling you. 
Kelly is not even going to share that secret with her own sister. 
Well, too many people know the secret as it is. 
Friends, there are many things we can learn from this conversation, many good English points. 
Let me begin with Sara's lines. 
So what kind of friendship is that? 
I know you don't like conflict, but you should still talk to her. 
Whoa, conflict. 
Yes? 
You mean... you mean she might get into a fight? 
Well, yeah, fight. 
No... We don't want to have a fight. 
Conflicts can be very difficult to get through because you really don't want to fight your friends. 
But "conflict" can have a couple of other meanings too. 
Nathanael, can you think of another way to use "conflict"? 
Yes. I think we often use the word "conflict" when we're talking about our schedules. 
Oh, I can't do that. I have a time conflict. 
I've already scheduled something at two o'clock so I can not meet with you then. 
Oh. So it doesn't have to mean a fight. 
It can just mean something isn't going to work because they can't work together. 
That's right. 
So it could be things don't work together. 
But of course, often we use this to talk about some kind of fight. 
And a fight doesn't have to be with your arms physically fighting. 
It could be an argument. 
Or if you confront somebody, that could be seen as a conflict too because the other person might not necessarily like that you brought the subject up. 
It could be a conflict. 
Um, well, thank you for interrupting again, Carolyn, to teach us that word. 
Sure. 
And shall I continue? 
Oh, absolutely. I really want to hear the two of you talk. Yes. 
Excellent. Excellent. 
Where was I? 
I know you don't like conflict, but you should still talk to her. 
You need to discourage her from doing this kind of thing in the future. 
Oh, discourage. That's a key word here. 
Yes, it is. 
So if you want to discourage something from happening, it means that you want to convince someone not to do it anymore. 
Can you think of anything that you might discourage someone from doing, Gabe? 
Hmm... Yes, I can, actually. 
I have some friends who like to smoke, and I discourage them from smoking. 
I have some friends who like to drink too much, I discourage them from drinking. 
And I think there's just bad behaviors come to mind when I think about discouraging people. 
You want to discourage bad behaviors. 
Yeah. Those can be very bad for your health, so. 
It's good that you're discouraging your friends and trying to encourage them to do better things for their lives. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
I was thinking of using this word in a little bit different way. 
The basketball team was discouraged after losing their first game. 
"Discouraged" here is an adjective, not a verb like the other examples. 
But it's another good way to use this word. 
That's right, discouraged. 
Do you feel discouraged? 
I hope not. 
I hope you feel encouraged. 
Well, Carolyn also used this word "encourage" as a noun. 
You can discourage someone from doing something, or encourage someone to do something. 
Actually, I often hear about kids telling jokes that are a little inappropriate. 
Sometimes I want to laugh. 
But if I laugh, that encourages them to keep telling those kinds of jokes. 
So be careful when you laugh at people because it might encourage them to keep doing something not so good. 
You want to discourage them from doing these kinds of things. 
Well, I think we should continue our conversation. 
Kelly, what's your next line? 
Talking to her might help, but it also might make her really mad. 
Why should she get mad? 
Wait. Why should she get mad? 
If you have your magazine open, you know this word "she" looks a little different. 
It's in italics. 
It is italicised. 
I think Ken and Steve have something they want to share about that in the Information Cloud. 
So let's go and join them right now. 
Hey, guys. 
Hi. 
Italics, that fancy font that makes letters leans slightly to the right was first used by an Italian printer in 1501. 
Now 500 years later, should we still use them? 
Well, our computer can italicize words quite easily now, so we should use italics. 
We should use them when we're writing the name of a book. 
"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" should be italicized. 
Also, when we're writing the name of a big vehicle like the Titanic. 
Now when else should we use italics, Ken? 
Italics are also used to create emphasis in writing, which brings more clarity and meaning to the text. 
In today's lesson, Sara says: Why should she get mad? 
The author wants us to be sure the word "she" is read with emphasis. 
Doing so brings extra meaning to the word, meaning that's not explained in the dialogue. 
It helps us to understand Sara's thinking, which is Veronica has no right to be angry. 
In fact, if anyone should be mad, it should be Kelly. 
Because of the italicized word, we get the feeling that Sara is getting a little mad herself. 
See? More meaning just because one little word is italicized. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, let me continue as Sara. 
She's the one who was out of line. She... 
Ooh, out of line. 
So here we've got this great key word phrase: out of line. 
It means that she's not really doing what he's supposed to be doing. 
Nathanael, do you know anyone who's ever been out of line? 
I did think a... of a sentence about using this term. 
The soldier was out of line when he disobeyed orders. 
He did not do what he was supposed to do, so he was out of line. 
Oh. So it doesn't mean that they're actually standing out of line. 
It means they're doing something they really shouldn't. 
OK. Well, go... go right ahead. 
Continue on. 
OK, I will. 
She's the one who's out of line. 
She needs to know you are upset. 
Not to mention, she owes you an apology. 
Oh, apology. There's another key word, so. 
She needs to apologize or say that she's sorry for what she did if she owes someone an apology. 
And this phrase, to owe an apology, Gabe, have you ever felt like you owed someone an apology? 
Oh, often. 
I often do things that I will owe an apology for. 
I have to say I'm sorry. 
I apologize; I owe you an apology. 
Sometimes I will write an apology letter. 
It's not fun owing people an apology. 
Well, I'm not sorry about this. 
We need to go and spend some time at the Grammar Gym. 
Here we go. 
How are you doing today, friends? 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's lesson, we find Sara and Kelly talking about Veronica. 
Sara says to Kelly that Veronica needs to know that Kelly is upset. 
Then she says: Not to mention, she owes you an apology. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: not to mention. 
It is another way to say: in addition to or plus. 
We use this phrase when we are talking about something and we want to give more information. 
For example: 
Roger didn't want to go running because he was lazy. Not to mention, it's raining too. 
Or: Let's not have seafood for dinner; it's expensive. Not to mention, some of us are allergic to seafood. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
And that's all the time we have for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thanks, Liz. 
And thanks for the advice, Sara. 
I need to think a little bit more about how to handle this. 
So, what was the secret anyway? 
Ha! I'm not telling you. 
I don't want to know. 
Nice job, Kelly. 
And you too, Sara. 
I really thought you were like my sister. 
It was great. 
Like sister, like sister, and teachers here at Studio Classroom. 
Friends, right now it's time for us to continue with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to teachers. 
Well, after listening to what Kelly and Sara had to say about betrayal and friendship, 
I'm kind of wondering, guys, what were you talking about earlier? 
Earlier? At the beginning of today's lesson? 
Yeah, I... I walked in and heard something about interrupting. 
You guys weren't talking about me, were you? 
Yeah, actually, we were. 
Yeah, we were. 
Uh, we were mentioning that you kept interrupting us last lesson... and this lesson. 
Uh, but actually it is a good thing. 
Yeah, we're really glad that you interrupted us because if you didn't interrupt us, we couldn't have taught all of the key words that we did. 
Oh, OK. So you weren't like saying anything bad about me. 
Oh, no. We hope you didn't feel betrayed. 
No... We hope that... that we... we still have your trust. 
Um, no, we were sharing good things about you. 
OK. 
Yeah. It's good to share good things about other people. 
You guys, great job today. 
And friends, you're doing a great job too. 
We'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
Bye-bye.

2013.01.28.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad you could join us for an interesting article today about U-KISS: Conquering the World Music Scene! 
Yes, U-KISS. They are K-pop stars. 
And I wonder if you know any songs from U-KISS. 
You probably do. 
I think Nathanael does too. 
What's a song by U-KISS, Nathanael? 
Oh, yeah, I got this. 
They're the ones that go: Sorry, sorry... 
No... That's not U-KISS. 
They have: Nobody, nobody but you. 
No... Nathanael, Carolyn, no. You're thinking of Super Junior, and you're thinking of Wonder Girls. 
Those are different K-pop stars. 
Um, I think we need to educate ourselves on U-KISS today. 
Friends, let's get started with that first reading here all about U-KISS: Conquering the World Music Scene. 
U-KISS: Conquering the World Music Scene! 
These K-pop stars have a global audience in mind. 
Amidst the many successful Korean boy bands, U-KISS is rising to the top - at home and abroad. 
U-KISS stands for "Ubiquitous Korean International idol Super Star," a fitting name for this world-famous group. 
They were created by NH Media and got their start in 2008. 
A little bit pop, dance and R & B, U-KISS' sound is modern and catchy. 
Their first single was "Not Young," an unusual title for a group in their late-teens and early 20s. 
But age wasn't a problem for the members of U-KISS; in 2009 their single "Man Man Ha Ni" spurred them on to success. 
They've been famous ever since. 
We're talking about U-KISS today, conquering the world music scene. 
Right away in our title, we see an important word from the Word Bank. 
It is the word: conquer. 
What do you think of when you think of the word "conquer," Carolyn? 
Well, I think of winning something or overcoming a challenge. 
And actually, I think of going hiking on some difficult mountain like Mount Everest and being able to conquer the mountain. 
Hey, that's a great way to use that word. 
You conquer that mountain. 
You conquer that challenge. 
You conquer that thing. 
Well, how else can you use that word "conquer"? 
It means "win." How do you use that word, Nathanael? 
I think of two countries fighting together. 
And in a battle where no one wins, no country is conquered either. 
No country is conquered when nobody wins. 
I think of the phrase "love conquers all." Yes, I know, it's very romantic. 
But it's true. 
We all hope it's true. 
Love will conquer over evil. 
Love conquers all. 
Well, we're talking about U-KISS today, and they are conquering the world music scene. 
That means they have become very successful. 
We see: Amidst the many successful Korean boy bands, U-KISS is rising to the top - at home and abroad. 
That word is kind of strange there, but it's also a Word Bank word: amidst. 
This means in the middle of something. 
Carolyn, how do you use that word "amidst"? 
Well, I think of a beautiful field of flowers and perhaps there is a deer amidst the flowers. 
Ooh, a deer admits the flowers. Excellent! 
Nathanael, what's your sentence with "amidst"? 
Amidst the countries I've been to, I think Malaysia was the most relaxing. 
Ah, amidst these countries. 
Well, amidst all the fans, there was one screaming boy! 
Amidst different things. 
It's kind of like the word "among," in the middle of. 
So amidst the many successful Korean boy bands, U-KISS is rising to the top. 
Rising to the top. 
I kind of like that imagery. 
I think of a... I think of oil and water, actually. 
When you mix them together, the oil always rises to the top. 
But what else can rise to the top, Nathanael? 
Sometimes we might say that the best students rise to the top of the class. 
Maybe they get the most notice. 
And sometimes the teachers take notice of them more than others. 
OK. How else can you use that phrase, something rises to the top? 
Well, I think perhaps if someone overcoming a challenge, you can rise to the challenge, or rise to the top when you overcome a difficulty. 
I like that. 
That makes me think of the phrase: rise above it. 
Rise above the challenges and difficulties, rise to the top. 
U-KISS is rising to the top at home and abroad. 
Of course, when you're abroad, it means you're not at home. 
You're away somewhere. 
You might be overseas. 
Some people talk about studying abroad. 
They're studying away from home. 
Continuing on. 
"U-KISS" stands for something very interesting. 
Carolyn, what does their name mean? 
U-KISS stands for "Ubiquitous Korea International idol Super Star." And that is quite a mouthful. 
I'm very glad that they shortened it just down to U-KISS. 
I am too, U-KISS. 
But Nathanael, tell us about that word: ubiquitous. 
Yes. Ubiquitous is a very interesting word. 
We don't always use it a lot. 
But it means if something is ubiquitous, it is everywhere, very popular perhaps. 
You see it in all kinds of places. 
I think of convenience stores here in Taipei, they are ubiquitous. 
They are everywhere. 
And ubiquitous, I guess this group U-KISS wants everybody to know that they too want to be everywhere. 
They want to be known everywhere as super stars. 
This is a fitting name for this world-famous group. 
What does that mean, Carolyn, to be fitting? 
What does that mean? 
It is a fitting name means that it is an appropriate name, a good name that they should have because they are everywhere. 
They are ubiquitous. 
That's right. 
So it is a fitting name. 
I think of clothes that fit just right. 
They are fitting. 
This is a fitting title for this group. 
We continue. 
They were created by NH Media and got their start in 2008. 
Now NH Media, I... what is NH Media? 
Do you know anything about NH Media? 
I sure don't know anything about NH Media, but it is a group that led this group called U-KISS get their start. 
Yeah, you know, I actually don't know much about NH Media either because when I went and looked them up on the web, I couldn't find any official website. 
There wasn't much talking about them. 
But this is the group that got U-KISS together. 
A little bit pop, dance and R & B, U-KISS' sound is modern and catchy. 
You see those words "R & B." I know some of you like to listen to R & B music. 
What's an example of an R & B group? 
I think of um... I think of R. Kelly. 
He is a singer that sings R & B. 
I also kind of think of Beyonce as being an R & B pop singer. 
All right. 
So there's different R & B groups or singers. 
And actually, a lot of the R & B music that I know of is quite catchy. 
Nathanael, tell us about that word: catchy. 
Catchy. If something is catchy, it's like it's easy to catch. 
If something is catchy, maybe a song, you hear it and like: Oh, yeah, I really like that sound. 
And they can easily get stuck in your head, and you'll start singing it too. 
That's right, kind of like U-KISS' first song. 
Their single was "Not Young," an unusual title for a group in their late-teens and early 20s. 
Yes, that is quite young. 
But age wasn't a problem for the members of U-KISS; in 2009 their single "Man Man Ha Ni" spurred them on to success. 
We need to talk about these words: to spur on. 
If you are spurred on, that means something is pushing you from behind. 
You're spurred on. 
And this group was spurred on to success. 
How else can you use these words? 
Well, you can also spur someone on by encouraging them and spur them on to greater heights. 
All right, spur someone on to greater heights. 
Well, they came up with this song "Man Man Ha Ni," which translates "Am I that easy?" all about a girl who is pretending to like a boy. 
He's not quite sure. 
Man man ha ni? 
Am I that easy? 
Well, this spurred them on to success and they've been famous ever since. 
Well, now let's go enjoy some time with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Hey, guys. 
Hi, guys. 
Hi. 
So everyone, what is a boy band? 
It's a professional group of handsome, stylish young male singers and dancers. 
Boy band members normally don't write their own music, nor do they play musical instruments on stage or on their recordings. 
So all they have to do is know how to sing and dance? 
That's right, and look good doing it. 
Boy bands have been around for a long time. 
The first boy band is said to have emerged in the 1950s, although they didn't use the term "boy band" back then. 
They were just called male vocal groups. 
The use of the word "boy band" came in the late 1980s. 
Some boy bands may form naturally on their own, but most of them are created by talent managers who carefully control their image and their sound. 
Why are they formed? 
To make money. 
You said it, Ken. 
The most successful boy bands in history are the Backstreet Boys, The Jackson Five and New Kids on the Block. 
Combined, they have sold over 300 million records. 
So how are American boy bands doing these days? 
They aren't as popular as they once were. 
But in Southeast Asia, groups like Super Junior, Arashi and U-KISS seem to be picking up where the others left off. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
We always learn a lot with Steve and Ken. 
And we also learn a lot with Michelle. 
I think she is waiting for us right now in the Language Lab. 
Let's go there now. 
Hey, Michelle. 
Hi. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.28.B

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad you could join us for an interesting article today about U-KISS: Conquering the World Music Scene! 
Yes, U-KISS, they are K-pop stars. 
And I wonder if you know any songs from U-KISS. 
You probably do. 
I think Nathanael does too. 
What's a song by U-KISS, Nathanael? 
Oh, yeah. I... I got this. 
They're the ones that go: Sorry, sorry... 
No... That's not U-KISS. 
They have: Nobody, nobody but you... 
No... Nathanael, Carolyn, no. 
You're thinking of Super Junior, and you're thinking of Wonder Girls. 
Those are different K-pop stars. 
Um, I think we need to educate ourselves on U-KISS today. 
Friends, let's get started with that first reading here all about U-KISS: Conquering the World Music Scene. 
U-KISS: Conquering the World Music Scene! 
An international start. 
From the beginning, U-KISS was created for an international audience. 
Although the seven members are all Korean, U-KISS was a joint project between Korean and Japanese media groups. 
And the members have a skill most other K-pop bands don't possess: They're multilingual. 
Several of them have lived and studied overseas. 
Among them, they can speak Korean, English, Japanese and Mandarin, thus winning them a wide audience in Asia. 
Well, if U-KISS wants to be ubiquitous, they had better be "international" too - another word that's in their name. 
This next section starts by saying "An international start." The first sentence says: 
From the beginning, U-KISS was created for an international audience. 
There's an interesting structure to this sentence. 
It starts with "from the beginning." But if you look at the sentence, you could say it in a different order. 
You could say "from the beginning" at the end: 
U-KISS was created for an international audience from the beginning. 
But sometimes we can change the structure around and it's still OK. 
Carolyn, do you have another example like this? 
Certainly. 
I have been interested in animals from the beginning. 
So since I first started learning about animals, I've always been interested. 
Or Alice is a great teacher. 
From the beginning, she always wanted to be a teacher. 
Or she always wanted to be a teacher from the beginning. 
You can make your own sentence using those words. 
Let's continue. 
Although the seven members are all Korean, U-KISS was a joint project between Korea and Japanese media groups. 
All right. So they were a joint project. 
Nathanael, what is a joint project? 
I usually think of a joint as where two things meet, maybe like two bones. 
In this case, the Korean and Japanese media groups met, and they made this joint project which was this band called U-KISS. 
All right. 
This was originally a joint project. 
And the members have a skill that most other K-pop bands don't possess. 
What is the skill that most other K-pop bands don't possess, Carolyn? 
They are multilingual. 
Yes. 
And we see this would "possess." So that means that they have something. 
And here they have a skill that other bands don't always have. 
All right. 
When I think of the word "possess," I think of my possessions, what I have, P-O-S-S-E-S-S-I-O-N. 
Those are my possessions, the things that I own. 
So I possess those things. 
But as you can see in this article, you can use "possess" to talk about something abstract like a skill. 
How else can you use the word "possess"? 
Well, I could say that U-KISS surely has talent, definitely has talent, but do they possess much confidence? 
I think they must because they're already so popular. 
I think so too, and so that we see that the skill that they possess is that they are multilingual. 
We see those words "M-U-L-T-I" in this word "multilingual." This just means many. 
So among all of them or between all of them, they can speak many languages. 
But you can use those letters "M-U-L-T-I" to prefix many words, right? 
Absolutely. 
You could say something is multicolored, meaning it has many different colors. 
I like to wear multicolored shirts. 
Interesting. 
Nathanael, how do you use this... these letters? 
Well, someone can also be multitalented. 
They have several different abilities, and they can share them all with other people. 
All right, multicolored, multitalented. 
I think of people who can do lots of things at the same time, which I can't, but they are called multitaskers. 
They can multitask, do many things at the same time. 
You're right. 
Being able to multitask is certainly a good skill to have. 
Now I'd like to take a closer look at the sentence and see what Liz has for us in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We've been talking about U-KISS. 
And we read: ... the numbers have a skill most other K-pop bands don't possess: they're multilingual. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the two dots that come after the word "possess." That is a colon sign. 
The colon sign is used for different reasons. 
In today's sentence, the writer puts a colon sign there to show that more information is about to be given. 
The members have a skill most other K-pop bands don't possess. 
What is the skill? 
They're multilingual. 
So when you're writing and you want to introduce extra information to further explain something, you can use the colon sign. 
Here are some examples. 
There is a reason why John doesn't want to go into the pool: He can't swim. 
Or Trent and Ashley made the announcement yesterday: They're finally getting married. 
And that's it for today. 
Be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym, saying goodbye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, we know that U-KISS is multilingual. 
Continuing on. 
Several of them have lived and studied overseas. 
Among them they can speak Korean, English, Japanese and Mandarin, thus winning them a wide audience in Asia. 
Well, it seems like they were created for this band. 
Right now it's time for us to continue by learning something else with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to the teachers. 
We've been learning all about U-KISS today. 
And we found out something interesting here. 
A very special skill that they all possess is that they're multilingual. 
So that makes me wonder, if you are multilingual, how has knowing another language helped you? 
Nathanael, how have you benefited from knowing another language? 
Well, I think today in this world, there are so many different people and so many different languages that are coming together, 
so many different countries have a lot of different kinds of people in them. 
It's very important to know another language in order to communicate well with the people around you. 
I think that's a great point. 
You need to be able to communicate well in today's world. 
Well, Carolyn, how has knowing another language helped you? 
Well, after moving to Asia, it's really been nice being able to speak Chinese because I have made so many great friends here. 
All right. 
Of course, you want to be able to make friends with the people of the country that you are in. 
I think knowing another language has helped me because I know when people are saying something good or something bad about me behind my back. 
There are many reasons to want to get to know another language. 
And we know that you are here at Studio Classroom every day because you want to improve your English. 
You're doing a great job. 
Right now it's time for us to say goodbye. 
But we will see you next time right here at StudioClassroom. Bye-bye.

2013.01.29.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad you could join us for our second day talking about U-KISS: Conquering the World Music Scene! 
Yes, we've already learned a lot about these guys. 
And they have gained international fame. 
Their music is catching on everywhere. 
It is very catchy. 
But that just reminds me of a lot of other music that has started to catch on around the world. 
What's another example of some songs or artists that have caught on around the world? 
Well, I can think of one that's pretty popular right now; and it goes: So call me maybe. 
Oh, yeah. 
Right. Carly Rae Jepsen. 
Call Me Maybe. That's a great song, and lots of people all over the world know it. 
What's another example, Nathanael? 
Well, another singer that's very popular in many countries is Adele. 
She's been popular for a few years now and has a lot of hit songs. 
That's right. 
And of course, somebody else is Justin Bieber. 
Baby, baby, baby, oh. 
His songs have caught on everywhere too. 
We've got lots of things to talk about today with U-KISS who is also going global now. 
Let's get started with our first reading for today. 
U-KISS: Conquering the World Music Scene! 
Going global. 
International fans are important to U-KISS as the group has demonstrated throughout its career. 
In 2011 the members spent three months in Japan preparing for the release of their album Neverland to Japanese audiences. 
They worked on choreography that Japanese fans could identify with. 
They also learned Japanese so they could sing and rap in their audience's native language. 
In 2012 their Japan tour attracted 25,000 fans. 
The group has also toured in the Philippines, and two members were featured in a TV drama in Thailand. 
Well, in yesterday's lesson we found out that they were created for an international setting, or audience. 
And today our title of this section is called Going global. 
They are going across the globe. 
What does that phrase mean, going global, Nathanael? 
"Going global" just means that they want to reach an audience that's not only in their own country but across the globe. 
Of course, the globe is the world, all the world. 
They want an international audience. 
That's right. 
Sometimes you can use this word "global" to talk about the world. 
We usually... or we see that word "globe" in the word "global," which is not the whole world, it's just a little model of the world. 
But when we use this word as an adjective, it is talking about the real world. 
They are going global. 
We start by seeing: 
International fans are important to U-KISS as the group has demonstrated throughout its career. 
They have demonstrated this. 
How do you demonstrate something, Carolyn? 
Well, if you demonstrate something, then you give a demo, you give a real-life example. 
And here it looks like they have real experience and have shown that they do have an international audience. 
That's right. 
And they have an international fan base. 
We find out: In 2011 the members spent three months in Japan preparing for the release of their album Neverland to Japanese audiences. 
Have either of you uh, heard anything from this album Neverland? 
I haven't, but it sounds like a very fairy tale type album. 
Neverland makes me think of Peter Pan. 
Yeah, it kind of makes me think of Peter Pan too. 
So if uh... it should be an interesting album. 
And we continue to see that they worked on choreography that Japanese fans could identify with. 
We see that word there. 
It's from the Word Bank: choreography. 
Nathanael, can you tell me a little bit about choreography? 
Well, choreography here, I think, refers to dance, dance choreography. 
You have to have the same movements when you dance so that you're dancing together. 
And sometimes we would say "in sync," dancing together and having dancing choreography. 
I like that, in sync, S-Y-N-C, dancing together. 
It's very important for a group of especially this many people to be able to dance together well. 
The best dancers can do everything almost exactly the same. 
So they should have good choreography. 
That takes a good choreographer, the person who is leading these dances or teaching the dance moves. 
So we see this other phrase here: to identify with. 
Carolyn, what does that mean when you identify with something? 
Well, if you identify with something, then you understand it or you feel like you're on the same page, the same level as something, so. 
You might say: Oh. Well, you know, we have a lot in common. 
I can really identify with you. 
All right. 
You can identify with somebody. 
Maybe someone is having a bad day. 
Something horrible happened, and the same thing happened to you. 
And so you can say: Well, I understand. 
I can identify with you. 
I know where you're coming from. 
Can you use this phrase in another way, Nathanael? 
Sure. 
Since I grew up in Asia, I feel like I identify with the Asian culture. 
So whenever I meet someone else, maybe even in America, that's Asian, I immediately want to go and talk to them. 
All right. So you can identify with people even if they are not from the same place that you are or if they don't look the same as you. 
Everyone has different backgrounds, but you can identify with people from almost everywhere on something. 
We continue. 
They also learned Japanese so they could sing and rap in their audience's native language. 
And we see a key word right here in this sentence. 
It is "rap." Rap is a kind of music. 
But really, the people who are rapping don't usually sing a melody. 
Usually they're speaking the words. 
And usually I think they're speaking them pretty quickly or to a certain rhythm. 
Do either of you listen to rap music much? 
Well, I don't listen to a whole lot of rap, but I have a lot of friends who are very fond of it. 
All right. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
Well, yeah. Rap is very popular. 
I'm not a big fan, but I do admire rappers because I don't think that it's very easy to do. 
No, it isn't. 
But it seems like U-KISS is tackling this challenge of also incorporating rap into their music. 
Well, we continue. 
In 2012 their Japan tour attracted 25,000 fans. 
That is a big fan base in Japan. 
The group has also toured in the Philippines, and two members were featured in a TV drama in Thailand. 
Well, it seems like they're making their way all over Asia anyway. 
I think right now we have to spend some time with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
They want to share something important with us about Korean pop music. 
Hi, teachers. 
Hey, guys. 
Back in the early 1960s, the United States experienced something called the British invasion. 
it was a time when a wave of British pop music bands dominated the American music scene. 
Because of their success, these British pop idols had great influence in the fashions and social norms of American teenagers. 
Well, something similar is happening today. 
This time, though, the cultural invasion isn't coming from England. 
It's coming from South Korea. 
And for the last 20 years or so, it's been slowly spreading across East Asia and beyond. 
Do you know what it's called? 
It is called hallyu, which literally means Korean wave. 
And don't think hallyu is just another fad with a short shelf life; it's not. 
It is still spreading. 
With its music, clothing fashions, video games, movies and TV dramas, the Korean pop culture wave just keeps getting bigger and bigger. 
If you want proof, look no further than the phenomenal success of the K-pop boy band U-KISS. 
Their multilingual members give them an international appeal that has given hallyu even more force and energy. 
So friends, keep an eye on the Korean culture wave, or you, too, might get swept away. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, Ken and Steve. 
The Korean wave is definitely very interesting. 
Now let's go to the Language Lab and see what Michelle has for us today. 
Hey, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.29.B

We've been talking about U-KISS. 
They are going global, and they are a group that a lot of people can identify with. 
From their choreography to their raps, to traveling all over to many different countries and singing and rapping in those different languages, 
they are certainly a group that has gained a lot of fame. 
Well, we're going to continue with our second reading for today. 
U-KISS: Conquering the World Music Scene! 
In 2012 U-KISS became the first K-pop group to hold a fan meeting in Cambodia. 
They began the day by making a surprise visit to a school on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. 
There they played with the kids and passed out baseball equipment. 
Then they held a meeting for their Cambodian fans. 
Five thousand people showed up, including the prime minister of Cambodia and his family! 
U-KISS will continue to tour and perform internationally as their fame grows. 
Korea may be their home, but they sing for a worldwide audience. 
Well, with this article, we're going back to just last year. 
In 2012 U-KISS became the first K-pop group to hold a fan meeting in Cambodia. 
To hold a fan meeting. 
Can you really hold a fan meeting in your hand? 
Well, "to hold a meeting" is one of our phrases for today. 
What does that mean, to hold a meeting, Carolyn? 
Well, you don't actually hold it in your hand. 
It just means that you have a meeting or you have an event. 
Sometimes I think of: Oh. Well, it will be really nice to hold a party. 
We can have a party after work. 
Well, I think that's a great idea. 
You can hold a meeting, hold an event. 
And I like Carolyn's idea to hold a party sometime after work. 
If you've been working hard all day, you deserve a party. 
You should hold a party. 
And it seems like U-KISS has held a fan meeting in Cambodia. 
That's really cool. 
Yes. And the article continues to talk about the fan meeting. 
It says in the article: 
They began the day by making a surprise visit to a school on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. 
On the outskirts of Phnom Penh. 
This seems like a really great thing for them to do. 
But what are outskirts? 
It's another key word for today. 
The outskirts of Phnom Penh, a town or a city. 
Gabe, what does "outskirts" mean? 
"Outskirts" is not the center. 
It's kind of more toward the outside. 
I think of a city is like the county, or maybe even further, the outskirts, the rural part of that place. 
So not the city, but the outskirts of a place. 
How else could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, if you don't live in a city, and you live in a more countryside area, you could say that I live in the outskirts of New York City. 
So you don't actually live in New York, but you live in the surrounding area. 
That's right, the outskirts of a place. 
And usually we see this word with an S. 
Well, we did see another word in this sentence: surprise. 
And you know that word, but it has many different usages. 
They made a surprise visit to a school. 
So that way, it's an adjective - a surprise visit. 
Of course, a surprise can also be a noun. 
It can also be a verb. 
We surprised our friend with a party. 
We surprised her by holding a party for her. 
Was it a surprise party? 
And it was a surprise party. 
So I think that U-KISS also likes to make surprises for people or do special things for people. 
I kind of like that about this band, this international band. 
Well, we continue. 
There they played with the kids and passed out baseball equipment. 
And I think that's very important: Not just to go up and perform a concert on stage where you can't really interact with people, 
but to actually get down and play with people and spend time with them. 
I think that is really meaningful. 
Yes. It sounds like they had a really great time with their fans in Cambodia by giving them some baseball equipment, 
some bats and gloves and maybe some baseballs so that they could have a really great game together. 
That's right. 
And then they held a meeting for their Cambodian fans. 
We read that 5,000 people showed up, including the prime minister of Cambodia and his family! 
And right there we see some of our words we want to talk about today: to show up somewhere. 
When you show up somewhere, maybe it's not expected, people didn't expect you, but you could show up. 
Or it just means you arrive somewhere. 
Nathanael, how could you use this phrase "show up"? 
Gabe hasn't showed up in class for a month. 
I hope he's OK. 
Nice. Very, very nice. 
Way to use that phrase in a great way. 
You can show up. 
Of course uh, if you go to class, you want to go to class and show up on time. 
How else can you use this phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, if you have an appointment with someone, you want to make sure that you show up so that you aren't late or make the person wait for you for a long time. 
It's true. 
Don't make people wait. 
You need to show up on time or show up when you said that you would. 
Of course, sometimes it could be a surprise. 
You could do a party and not expect to see somebody. 
Then you tell your friends later: Hey. Guess who showed up at the party? 
Our friend Bob. 
He showed up. 
We didn't think he would come, but he showed up. 
Well, we continue that U-KISS will continue to tour and perform internationally as their fame grows. 
I think you all know this word. 
It's one of our Word Bank words. 
If someone is famous, then they have fame. 
How can you use this word, Nathanael? 
Well, the most popular actors have a lot of fame. 
Everyone knows their name and probably likes them a lot too. 
It's true. 
Lots of actors have a lot of fame. 
They are famous. 
Do you know anybody who has a lot of fame, Carolyn? 
Well, I think I might be sitting next to one who has quite a lot of fame. 
His... his name is Gabe. 
Do any of you know Gabe? 
I... I don't know. 
I don't know how much fame this Gabe you speak of has. 
But as you can see, people who are famous have a lot of fame. 
And of course, we know that Korea may be their home, but they sing for a worldwide audience. 
I would like to see a review skit right now about U-KISS. Let's do that. 
Hi, Betty. 
Shh, not now. 
I'm reading my newest music magazine. 
So who is conquering the world music scene this time? 
K-pop! It is so cool. 
K-pop? What's that? 
Korean pop music. 
I'm reading about the successful Korean boy band that's rising to the top: U-KISS. 
You kiss? 
Yes, U-KISS, Ubiquitous Korean International idol Super Star. 
Wow! What a name. 
Wow! What a band. 
They're famous at home and abroad. 
They're very international. 
Aren't they Korean? 
Yes. The seven members are Korean, but the band was created for an international audience. 
How is U-KISS different than other K-pop bands? 
They have a skill that other bands don't possess. 
They are multilingual. 
Multilingual? 
Yes, members speak Korean, English, Japanese and Mandarin. 
So they attract fans from around the world. 
Yeah. They worked for months on choreography and rap that Japanese fans could identify with. 
International fans must be important to them. 
Yes, they are. 
U-KISS has toured the Philippines, and two of their members were on TV in Thailand. 
They even have fans in Cambodia. 
Sounds like their fame is growing. 
Yeah. Korea is their home, but the world is their audience. 
What else can you tell me? 
Uh... buy your own magazine. 
That's what else I can tell you. Ha. 
Got to love those skits. 
And you got to love Michelle over in the Language Lab. 
Let's see what she has to say for us right now. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And back to you, teachers. 
Thanks, Michelle. 
Well, I've had a lot of fun reading and learning more about U-KISS, this great international Korean band. 
What was your favorite thing about U-KISS, Gabe? 
Well, from what we've talked about, what we've learned, um, I have listened to their music actually, I really like the fact that they are multilingual, 
that they're using their different languages as a talent, as a platform to identify with their different audiences. 
I like that. 
Nathanael, what about you? 
What do you like about these guys? 
Well, I thought it was really cool that they gave some of their fans a chance to see them that usually maybe don't get the opportunity. 
They went to the outskirts of Phnom Penh where maybe people would not have usually been able to go and see a concert of theirs. 
It's true. 
Carolyn, what did you like about U-KISS? 
Well, I also liked that they went to see their fans in Cambodia. 
And I really appreciate the way that they are very generous in giving baseball equipment and really interacting with their fans. 
It's true. 
Well, friends, what about you? 
What do you like about U-KISS? 
Now you've learned a little bit more about them and their background. 
We will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you later. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.01.30.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And today you are joining us for our last lesson here in January: The American Bald Eagles. 
Well, America is known for a lot of things. 
What comes to your mind when you think of America? 
Carolyn, what comes to your mind? 
Well, the first thing I think of is the American flag with its 50 stars representing the 50 states. 
All right. 
That's great. 
Well, what comes to your mind, Nathanael? 
For me, personally, I just think about my college days. 
They weren't that long ago. 
But I didn't live in the United States for a long time, and then I moved back for college. 
Well, for some reason, what comes to my mind is the national parks. 
I think of Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. 
Of course, something different might come to your mind. 
What comes to your mind when you think of America? 
We're going to be talking about America's bald eagles, the American bald eagle, which is the national symbol, the national bird of America. 
Right now let's get started with our first reading for today. 
(Music). 
The American Bald Eagle. 
America's national symbol draws crowds. 
On a cold winter morning, I boarded a bus in Tennessee's Reelfoot Lake State Park. 
Thousands of tourists visit the park each year because of its unique beauty and interesting history. 
The lake was formed in 1812 when a very strong earthquake struck. 
Because official records weren't kept then, no one knows exactly how strong it was. 
But two things are certain. 
The landscape was changed completely, and Reelfoot's 18,000-acre lake was formed. 
Well, right at the beginning under our title, we see "America's national symbol draws crowds." Yes. 
Probably the most famous national symbol in America is the bald eagle... well, one of the most famous national symbols, 
although I think there are a couple other famous national symbols. 
Carolyn, what's another national symbol? 
Well, as we mentioned before, the flag is a national symbol. 
And each nation has their own flag that represents them. 
OK. 
What's another national symbol that you might think of when you think of America? 
There is one that's on some of the American money - the Liberty Bell. 
This bell is well-known now. 
And I think it does make us think of freedom with "Let Freedom Ring" these words. 
And speaking of liberty, I think of the Statue of Liberty. 
That's another American national symbol. 
Of course, today we are talking about the national bird, the bald eagle. 
And this draws crowds. 
OK. When you draw a crowd, that means you do something to attract people to something. 
You draw a crowd. 
Nathanael, how could you use this phrase? 
Yeah. If I wanted to attract a lot of attention, I guess one of the easiest things I could do is yell like that! 
OK. Yes, you can draw a crowd by yelling. 
If Studio Classroom was playing at a store somewhere, I'm sure everyone walking by on the street is now watching Studio Classroom. 
Hi, everybody. 
So um, that's how Nathanael draws a crowd. 
Carolyn, how do you draw a crowd? 
Well, if I wanted to draw a crowd, I would just take a pen and some paper and I would start to draw lots of people on my paper. 
Yes. OK. 
You are literally drawing a crowd on a piece of paper. 
Very clever, Carolyn. 
Very good. 
English is so fun. 
That's how you draw a crowd. 
Of course, this means you attract a crowd, not use a pen and draw lots of people. 
But very good. Very good. OK. 
So the national symbol the bald eagle will draw crowds. 
"On a cold winter morning..." I like the way this starts. 
It's kind of like a good story. 
On a cold winter morning, I boarded a bus in Tennessee's Reelfoot Lake State Park. 
All right. There are many state parks, many national parks. 
What's another example of a national park in America? 
Well, you can go to Yosemite National Park and see geysers, which are very cool to watch. 
Well, yes. 
Actually, you could go to Yellowstone National Park and see some geysers. 
Where else could you go? 
What's another national park? 
Well, I lived in Tennessee for a while. 
And besides Reelfoot, another very famous one is the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which has beautiful scenery. 
Right on! OK. 
So there are national parks, like in all of the United States; and we're talking about Tennessee's state park. 
All right. 
The state park is called Reelfoot Lake State Park. 
Now thousands of tourists visit the park each year because of its unique beauty and interesting history. 
Thousands of tourists. 
All right. Let's take a look at that Word Bank word: tourist. 
A tourist is someone who visits a place because they want to go sightseeing. 
They want to find out more about it. 
It's famous. 
They are there; they are touring as tourists. 
Um, well, where could you see tourists, Carolyn? 
Well, you can see tourists almost anywhere, in New York City, Washington D.C., 
or many state parks and national parks throughout the United States or the world. 
And have you ever been a tourist in a crowd of other tourists? 
Well, I was often a tourist when I was traveling in Japan. 
All right. 
So you were a tourist in Japan. 
And if you're visiting somewhere new, you are a tourist probably. 
You might go to live somewhere, but you could also be a tourist and just get to know the area a little bit. 
Nathanael, was there a time that you were a tourist somewhere? 
I have been to a few different places as a tourist. 
I've been to Thailand, which was a great vacation. 
We saw some great shows. 
I was a tourist at elephant and crocodile shows in Thailand. 
Well, you can do many things as a tourist. 
I think of tourist attractions or tourist traps when I think of this word. 
Nathanael, what is a tourist trap? 
A tourist trap is like a city that is made specifically for a tourist. 
It just gives them a lot of options for different shows, games, activities that they can do there. 
And so a lot of people like to avoid tourist traps. 
Well, let's move on. 
We find out the lake was formed in 1812 when a very strong earthquake struck. 
We see that word "struck," or "stike." And now we're talking about natural disasters that strike. 
So what else could strike an area? 
Well, a hurricane could strike an area. 
And that can be very distructive. 
But I don't always just think of a natural disaster. 
I also think of maybe you strike a bell and make it ring. 
OK. You can strike a bell with your hand or with a stick. 
But here in the article, we are talking about a natural disaster, an earthquake, that struck. 
Well, because official records weren't kept then, no one knows exactly how strong it was. 
But two things are certain. 
The landscape was changed completely, and Reelfoot's 18,000-acre lake was formed. 
That was a mouthful. 
But we see another word there: landscape. 
Nathanael, can you tell us about this word? 
Yeah. When you think about landscape, think about where you are. 
Is the landscape a mountain? Is it a valley? 
Or is it a flat field like a plain? 
All of these are different kinds of landscapes. 
That's right. 
There are other kinds of landscapes too. 
I think of deserts or plateaus. 
Uh, what are other kinds of landscapes? 
Well, you could have a snowy landscape, or a flowery landscape. 
All right. 
Or Nathanael just mentioned mountains too. 
We have valleys. 
There is lots of different kinds of landscapes. 
I'm sure you can name some other ones. 
Try to do that in English. 
Right now it's time for us to go on to the Information Cloud to see what Steve and Ken have for us there. 
Hello, gentlemen. 
Hello. 
Hi, teachers. 
Steve, let's talk about national symbols since our lesson today focuses on America's national symbol - the bald eagle. 
Sure. 
National symbols play a very important role in the life of a nation. 
Representing common values, goals and history, they unite a country like few things can. 
Take flags, for example. 
They've been used during wartime for thousands of years. 
But it wasn't until the late 1700s that countries started flying these national symbols in peacetime on a daily basis. 
Other national symbols aren't as official or formal, but they are powerful nonetheless. 
The simple maple leaf, for example, has been the longtime favorite emblem of Canada. 
National symbols can be large, inanimate, manmade objects too. 
Like China's Great Wall, Egypt's pyramids and the Statue of Liberty in the U.S., all strong symbols that stir up deep sentiments. 
And some national symbols are shared among countries, like animals. 
Did you know there are over a dozen countries that have made the lion part of their national identity? 
Hmm, I didn't know that. 
Well, other national symbols include coat of arms, specific flowers, fruits, trees, gemstones and natural geographic features like mountains and rivers. 
And let's not forget the national anthem - the audio version of national symbols. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, Carolyn, what time is it right now? 
Well, I think it's time to go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Let's do that together. 
Hello, Michelle. 
Hi. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.30.B

So far with this article, we've heard about Reelfoot State Park in Tennessee, 
a beautiful park that was changed a lot when an earthquake struck and changed the landscape. 
So you might think it's strange, we haven't talked about eagles or America's national symbol. 
But just wait. 
Let's get into the second reading and I think then you'll understand. 
(Music). 
The American Bald Eagle. 
Winter's guest of honor. 
On this day, though, everyone arrived to see something other than the lake - the bald eagles. 
During the winter, hundreds of eagles fly south to Reelfoot Lake from the northern U.S. and Canada. 
They're searching for water where they can get their daily supply of fish. 
Eagles eat one half to one pound of food a day, and fish is their favorite. 
Most of the visiting eagles will fly north again when spring arrives. 
But for a few short months, tourists flock here to see America's national bird. 
Winter's guests of honor. 
Right away we see some important words there in that little subheading: guest of honor. 
What is a guest of honor, Carolyn? 
Well, it's someone that you invite to join you for an event, and you want to celebrate them, you want to honor them. 
And a lot of times I think of maybe you invite someone over for dinner maybe for their birthday. 
And they are the guest of honor. 
The guest of honor. 
Nathanael, you're a gentleman, a fine man. 
Have you ever been a guest of honor somewhere? 
Ooh, have I ever been a guest of honor? 
I don't remember ever being called that before, though I have been a guest before. 
All right. 
Well, maybe you were the guest of honor, and you didn't know it. 
Sometimes you can feel special as a guest somewhere. 
Maybe they don't say you're the guest of honor. 
But it is still nice to be invited at different places. 
Maybe you have invited somebody to your house, and they are the guest of honor. 
Our author refers to the American bald eagle as the guest of honor here at this lake. 
And we can see that she is continuing her story now. 
She kind of took a break from the storytelling mode to talk about the lake. 
But she says here: On this day, though, everyone arrived to see something other than the lake - the bald eagles. 
During the winter, hundreds of eagles fly south to Reelfoot Lake from the northern U.S. and Canada. 
So is that what birds normally do, Nathanael? 
Do they fly south? 
Yeah. I think that most birds do fly south for the winter. 
It's warmer there, so they don't have to survive through the cold up in the north. 
All right, so they fly south for the winter. 
And of course, they go back up north for the other parts of the year. 
They're searching for water where they can get their daily supply of fish. 
Their daily supply of something. 
When I think about a daily supply, I think, well, you can only get so much for one day, a daily supply. 
Now what other kinds of supplies could you get, Carolyn? 
You can get a daily supplier or something else. 
Well, if you want to go camping, you should get some camping supplies so that you have plenty of food and water to drink while you're out in the woods. 
All right, camping supplies. 
Are there any other kinds of supplies, Nathanael? 
What else could you get? 
I think a lot of offices need paper supplies. 
They need a lot of paper so they can print things, they can take notes. 
And even maybe have some Post-It notes to write a few notes down for themselves on. 
All right, office supplies, camping supplies. 
What kinds of supplies do you use in your life? 
The American bald eagle will go down to get their daily supply of fish at this lake. 
Eagles eat one half to one pound of food a day, and fish is their favorite. 
Well, that's no surprise. 
I mean, fish is pretty delicious. 
Wouldn't you say, Nathanael? 
I do really like fish. 
It is a great meal and usually pretty healthy. 
It is pretty healthy, but I don't think that eagles eat fish the same way we do. 
We love to cook our fish in a delicious way. 
But they don't need to cook their fish, of course. 
Anyway, most of the visiting eagles will fly north again when spring arrives. 
So again, they fly south for the winter, north in spring. 
But for a few short months, tourists flock here to see America's national bird. 
I like the way our author writes here. 
She says the tourists will flock to see the national bird. 
And she also uses one of our Word Bank words: to flock. 
What does this mean, Carolyn? 
Well, here "flock" means to come in a large group. 
And usually when I hear the word "flock," I think of birds, a flock of birds, which means a large group of birds that are all going to the same place. 
And here the tourists are flocking to see a great bird, the bald eagle. 
That's right. 
Now you just used this word as a noun, a flock of birds. 
Of course, here in the article, it is a verb. 
But what is special about the way our author uses this word, Nathanael? 
Well, we would think that she would use this word "flock" about birds, but she uses it about tourists, about people, which sometimes we do as well. 
Exactly. 
If there's a large group of people going somewhere, maybe we would say they're flocking somewhere. 
They're traveling with a purpose to a certain place. 
English is kind of fun like that. 
You can use words meant for animals to talk about people, or vice versa. 
You could use words meant for people to talk about animals too. 
You just have to be careful. 
Know what you're talking about. 
It can be very creative. 
Right now it's time for a little video. 
Actually, I'm quite interested to see this. 
Let's watch this video. 
(Music). 
Well, that was a spectacular video about bald eagles. 
They are truly beautiful birds. 
Now let's see what Michelle has for us in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And teachers. 
We spent all this time talking about bald eagles, but we wondered if you have actually seen a bald eagle. 
I don't remember ever seeing one. 
But Carolyn, have you ever seen a bald eagle? 
I have seen a bald eagle, actually, several times. 
The first time I saw one was at the U.S. capital in Washington D.C. at the zoo. 
But I've also seen them in the wild because they frequently come to West Virginia. 
That is so cool. 
I would love to see one in the wild. 
I, too, have seen one at a zoo. 
There was a couple of bald eagles, a pair of bald eagles. 
One was actually limp; it could not fly. 
It was kind of sad. 
But I was glad I got to see a bald eagle. 
Have you seen a bald eagle, Nathanael? 
Like I said, I just really don't remember having seen one, but maybe sometime and I'm just forgotten. 
Sometime. 
Sometime you will see a bald eagle. 
Well, friends, you can learn more about bald eagles here in your magazine. 
And actually, there are some fun facts about bald eagles. 
And of course, we have more to learn next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
We'll see you then. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.01.31.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're continuing to learn about "The American Bald Eagle" today. 
Our lesson starts out with a question "Did you know?" That means we're going to be finding out different facts about the bald eagle, 
which makes me wonder about different animals. 
And I think Carolyn actually knows a lot about different animals. 
I'm going to ask her about an animal and see what she knows. 
Carolyn, what can you tell me about an ostrich? 
An ostrich? Ooh. 
Well, they live in Australia. 
OK. 
And that's the only place that they are native to. 
They're also very tall birds with long necks; and they can run very fast. 
That is so cool. 
Nathanael, do you have another animal to ask her about? 
Hmm... How about a cheetah? 
Oh. Cheetas are very large cats that live in Africa. 
And they can run up to 70 miles per hour. 
Oh, my goodness. 
OK. I think Carolyn knows a lot about different animals. 
Maybe we can ask her every animal fact we need to know. 
Today we are going to learn more about eagles with our lesson. 
Did you know? 
What do you know already? 
You will learn a lot more today. 
Let's get started with our first reading. 
The American Bald Eagle. 
Did you know? 
The bald eagle is one of America's largest birds of prey and has keen vision, spotting objects a mile away. 
The birds mate for life and usually return to the same nest every year. 
Their nests, some of the world's largest, are often cone-shaped. 
In the spring, the female will lay one to three eggs. 
Then she and her male take turns warming the eggs and guarding the nest. 
Did you know? 
The bald eagle is one of America's largest birds of prey and has keen vision, spotting objects a mile away. 
Carolyn, can you tell us a little bit about birds of prey? 
Yes. So birds of prey refers to a specific type of bird that's found all over the world. 
But in the United States, we have eagles, hawks and falcons are all different kinds of birds of prey. 
All right. 
Actually, this reminds me of a story of bird of prey is a bird that will eat meat for sure and it usually finds smaller creatures, 
or maybe creatures even the same size and they... they hunt them and kill them. 
And once... actually, my parents had a cat, and they were watching this cat outside. 
And they noticed the cat was looking up on top of the fence. 
The cat saw a hawk, and the hawk also saw the cat. 
And so my parents really, they rushed outside, and they went and grabbed the cat because they knew that the hawk would go and try to get that cat. 
So that hawk was a bird of prey. 
The cat was saved from the bird of prey. 
What's another bird of prey? 
You guys uh... 
I think owls, right? 
Owls are also birds of prey because they hunt, but they hunt at night and usually eat mice. 
All right. OK. 
There are many different kinds of birds of prey. 
Um, what else is unique about the eagle, Nathanael? 
What do we find out here? 
Well, eagles also have keen vision. 
That's what we see there in the article. 
Now what does that mean, keen vision? 
Well, "keen" is much like sensitive or also exact. 
But this other word "vision" is a key word for today. 
Let's look at that word: vision. 
It simply means the ability to see or your ability to see. 
So keen vision is very sharp, very exact and sensitive vision, which allows an eagle to spot or see things, even very small things, from a mile away. 
All right. 
So an eagle has keen vision, very sharp vision, much better than we do, actually, I think. 
They can spot things for a mile way. 
I don't know of anybody else who can spot maybe a mouse a mile away. 
Um, but the opposite of maybe keen vision is blurred vision, B-L-U-R-R-E-D, or blurry, B-L-U-R-R-Y, blurry vision. 
And if you have blurry vision, you probably need contacts or you wear glasses. 
Your vision is a little bit blurred without glasses or contacts. 
So you can have keen vision, really sharp vision, or blurry vision. 
And a question you might ask a friend is: How is your vision? 
Or if you're wearing glasses, what... what is your vision like? 
There's usually a degree. 
How is your vision? 
So an eagle will have keen vision spotting objects a mile away. 
And we find out that these birds mate for life and usually return to the same nest every year. 
Carolyn what does it mean to mate for life? 
Well, if you mate for life, that means that the eagles pair up for the rest of their lives. 
So one male eagle and one female eagle form a family, and they are together for the rest of their lives. 
And many other animals mate for life. 
Of course, humans also should find a mate - a husband or wife, but we don't say the phrase "mate for life." We just call that being faithful. 
Animals mate for life, or some animals mate for life. 
Humans should be faithful to their spouses. 
Now the birds usually mate for life and return to the same nest every year. 
And we find out more about their nests. 
Their nests, some of the world's largest, are often cone-shaped. 
Cone-shaped. 
Um, Carolyn, what do you think of when you think about this key word "cone"? 
Well, the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word "cone" is ice cream cone because when you get some ice cream and it's not in a cup, 
you have it on a cone, and you can eat it with your hands. 
Hmm, ice cream cone. 
Is there everything else that is cone-shaped? 
You know, sometimes when they're working on the street, they'll put up cones to warn you that they're working in this area. 
That's right. 
And those are called traffic cones. 
They're usually orange or kind of red. 
Traffic cones, ice cream cones. 
What else has a cone shape? 
Think about that. 
Talk about it in English. 
Let's continue on. 
In the spring, the female will lay one to three eggs. 
Then she and her male take turns warming the eggs and guarding the nest. 
So they warm the eggs, and then they guard the nest. 
What does that mean to guard something, Carolyn? 
Well, if you guard something, then you want to protect it and make sure that nothing bad happens. 
So usually I think of a soldier standing guard to make sure no one attacks. 
Well, Nathanael, is there anything else that we might guard? 
Sometimes we would say that we need to guard our hearts to make sure that bad things don't get inside of us. 
All right. That's good advice, actually. 
Guard your hearts. 
Make sure you're being careful about what you think about and where you go. 
Guard your heart just like an eagle guards its nest. 
Hmm. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
Here we go. 
Hello, guys. 
Hey. 
Hi. 
OK. We're going to quickly look at some bald eagle fun facts. 
The bald eagle is, in fact, not bald. 
It actually has short, white feathers on its head. 
Incidentally, bald eagles have feathers on their legs too to protect them while they hunt. 
Speaking of hunting, it's not uncommon for adult eagles to swoop down and use their talents to catch animals that weigh as much as the birds themselves, 
and then carry them back to their nest for a family feast. 
A 6-kilogram eagle flying away with a 6-kilogram fish, that's amazing! 
Ken, that would be like me catching a 90-kilogram pig and then carrying it home with my feet. 
I know. That would be a great day for you, Steve. 
You know, bald eagles aren't just master hunters, they're master builders too. 
That's right. 
Eagle couples have been known to spend years working on the same nest, continuously adding twigs, moss, grass, feathers and branches. 
Sometimes the nest becomes so heavy the tree branches break and the nest comes crashing down, forcing the pair to start building all over again. 
So they persevere. 
That's another positive trait. 
Little wonder the bald eagle is an American symbol. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
Those were some fun eagle facts. 
Well, right now it's time for us to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hello, Michelle. 
Hi, Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.01.31.B

Well, we have some more to discuss about bald eagles, but let's think about what we've already learned. 
We know that they're birds of prey that catch other animals for their food. 
They have keen vision, able to see things from a mile away; and they also mate for life. 
They find one male or one female and stay with them for their entire life to reproduce other eagles. 
Let's see what else we find out in the second reading of today's lesson. 
(Music). 
The American Bald Eagle. 
It is believed that at one time there were half a million eagles in North America. 
By 1963, though, their numbers had dropped to 417 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states. 
There were many causes, but the major reason was the use of the pesticide DDT. 
In 1972 the U.S. forbade the pesticide, and bald eagles now number around 9,800 nesting pairs. 
While bald eagles are no longer endangered, there are still laws that provide protection for them. 
People everywhere hope this proud bird will fly free in the skies for many years to come. 
I certainly hope that the bald eagle will be around for many more years to come. 
And we see at the beginning of this reading: 
It is believed that at one time there were half a million eagles in North America. 
Now that sentence right there makes me think Liz has something waiting for us in the Grammar Gym. 
Let's go check it out. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
And here's today's Grammar Tip sentence. 
It is believed that at one time there were half a million eagles in North America. 
Notice how the sentence starts out with "it is believed that..." When we are reporting something, we need to make sure our facts are correct. 
But what if you're not 100 percent certain? 
In the case of today's sentence, there were half a million eagles in North America. 
But did someone really go and count every single eagle in the United States? 
No. 
But half a million seems like a reasonable number that many people can accept. 
So the writer begins with: it is believed that. 
So when you're giving information about something and you're not too certain about your facts, you can begin with this phrase, it is believed. 
For example: 
It is believed that this bakery was the first one to sell this special kind of cake. 
Or: It is believed that the hero in the story came from this town. 
If you want to see more example sentences, you'll find them in the Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym, saying goodbye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, we do see that there were, at one point, half a million bald eagles in North America. 
But then comes the sad fact. 
By 1963 their numbers had dropped to 417 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states. 
So if you do the math, 417 nesting pairs, that means there are almost 1,000 male and female put together. 
And that's... that's more than 500 times less than there were at maybe one time in history. 
That's really sad to me, guys. 
Yeah. That is very sad and very scary that so many eagles could disappear so quickly. 
That's right. 
Many eagle pairs and eagles are disappearing. 
Now there are around 417 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states... or in 1963 there were. 
I hope there are more now. 
Well, we see another phrase there: the lower 48 states. 
Nathanael, what is that? 
Yeah. It's kind of a strange phrase, but it refers to all of the states except Alaska, which is apart from the rest of them, 
as well as Hawaii, which is apart from the rest of the 48 that are all together on the continent. 
And therefore they're called the lower 48 states. 
All right, the lower 48 states, or sometimes maybe even the continental... um, states. 
We'd think of Alaska and Hawaii as outside, so. 
Of course, there are 50 states in the United States. 
But remember this, when you're talking about the ones on the continent, you can say the lower 48. 
There were many causes, but the major reason was the use of the pesticide DDT. 
Um, Nathanael, what is pesticide? 
A pesticide is usually a chemical that you use on plants most often so they will grow well and are not attacked by bugs and that sort of thing. 
DDT is a specific pesticide. 
Yeah, it's one of the more well-known pesticides. 
And of course, as a lot of chemicals do, this pesticide has side effects, unfortunately, especially for the eagles. 
Um, but thankfully, in 1972 the U.S. forbade the pesticide, and bald eagles now number around 9,800 nesting pairs. 
Well, that is a big improvement. 
I'm glad to hear that they forbade this pesticide. 
That key word "forbade." When you forbid something, F-O-R-B-I-D, that means you put a law against it. 
You forbid it from happening. 
Well, how else can you use that word? 
Well, you don't always have to have a law that forbids something. 
You can also forbid something for a shorter amount of time. 
Say, you haven't been doing your homework, and your parents forbid you from playing computer games until you finish it. 
Oh, man. I hope your parents didn't forbid you from doing that. 
I hope you've been doing your homework. 
How else could you use this word? 
I could say that I forbade myself from drinking anything with caffeine at night because I don't sleep well if I do. 
OK. You can forbid yourself from doing something. 
I forbade myself. 
There's a famous place in China called the Forbidden City. 
My friend and I went there once, but we got there just after the doors closed. 
So the Forbidden City was really forbidden to us, unfortunately. 
I will visit again one day. 
Well, while bald eagles are no longer endangered, there are still laws that provide protection for them. 
We see this word "endangered." This makes me think of endangered species. 
Carolyn, what are endangered species? 
Well, endangered species are animals throughout the world that there aren't very many of. 
So maybe the bald eagles when there were only 417 nesting pairs of them, they would be endangered because they might be extinct soon, 
which means there will be no more eagles left in the United States. 
OK. Carolyn just said a word "extinct." If something is extinct, E-X-T-I-N-C-T, that means there are no more. 
We don't want it to get to that point. 
They are endangered species... or they're no longer endangered species, but there are still laws that provide protection for them. 
And this is a good word for us to know: protection. 
If there is protection, that means you are safe. 
How can you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, bodyguards give celebrities protection. 
That's true. 
Celebrities are famous. 
And they need someone to be there in case something bad happens. 
All right. 
So there is protection for these celebrities. 
You can have protection "for" somebody or there might be protection "from" somebody. 
The bodyguards are providing protection from other people or from crazy fans. 
All right, protection for somebody, protection from other people. 
Well, people everywhere hope this proud bird will fly free in the skies for many years to come. 
And we three are included in those people everywhere. 
We hope you are too. 
Let's protect the endangered species. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning with Michelle. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And back to the teachers. 
Well, we've been learning a lot about these birds of prey, the American bald eagle. 
And of course, we think it's very important to protect them because there aren't that many left out there. 
So what other ways can we protect the environment, Carolyn? 
Well, one way that you can protect the environment is to eat less meat. 
And actually, this sounds a little strange. 
But if you eat less meat, then they have to produce less crops to feed those animals. 
And it really helps to save a lot of water and other natural resources. 
All right. 
So that's one you could protect the environment, maybe save some endangered species. 
Nathanael, what can you think of, ways to protect the environment? 
I think one good way that we can all help protect the environment is making sure that our trash is put in the right place. 
Sometimes trash out in the wild can endanger animals. 
Hmm, that's very true. 
Pick up your litter and throw it away in the right place. 
Well, friends we've learned a lot this week and this month. 
And we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom.Goodbye.

2013.02.01.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
I'm your teacher Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And today we are talking about something very important here on the first day of February: A Strong Foundation. 
It's good to have a strong foundation in lots of areas of life. 
When I think of the word "foundation," I think of something that you need at the bottom, the root. 
It's very important. 
You need to have this if you're going to get started with something. 
Our lesson is about BUSINESS START-UPS. 
Ben is talking to his uncle Bob, and Uncle Bob has a lot of good advice for him, for his start-up. 
Now Carolyn, what other kinds of start-ups can you think of? 
Well, when I think of a start-up, I think of a business that is just starting. 
So it's a very new business that needs to grow. 
And usually we think of things that are online. 
What are some examples of online start-up businesses, Nathanael? 
Well, one of the most famous business start-ups, I think, is Google. 
Everyone uses it now; but it was at one time a business start-up. 
All right. 
Of course, there are many examples of ways that businesses got started, business start-ups. 
Now we're going to enjoy a conversation between Ben and his uncle Bob right now. 
A Strong Foundation. 
Successful businesses are built to grow. 
Hey, Uncle Bob. 
Hi, Ben. 
How's the new business coming along? 
Well, we've finished the business plan, but honestly, I have no idea how we're going to make it a reality. 
There are so many things to do. 
I don't know how I'll ever get them all done. 
You don't have to do it all yourself, Ben. 
But if I don't, who will? 
It is your company and your responsibility to ensure all the work gets done, but that doesn't mean you have to accomplish everything yourself. 
The reality is that if you want your business to grow, you must hand over responsibility to other people at some point. 
Well, right under our title today, we see a sentence: Successful businesses are built to grow. 
Now if you remember from last month, we had a lesson where Ben and his uncle Bob were talking. 
Uncle Bob has a lot of good advice for Ben. 
Ben and his wife Sandy are discovering that starting a business is not easy. 
Fortunately, Uncle Bob is there to help. 
Well, let's get started with this conversation. 
We have lots to talk about. 
Nathanael, would you like to do the honors of being Ben? 
Uh, sure. I'll be Ben. 
Ben says first: Hey, Uncle Bob. 
Hi, Ben. 
How's the business coming along? 
Uh... well, uh, Aunt... Uncle... Ben. 
Uh, the business is going all right. 
We've finished the business plan, but honestly, I have no idea how we're going to make it a reality. 
Wait, wait. Wait a minute. 
Hold on a second. 
You said something very interesting there, Ben. 
We've finished the business plan. 
Well, what is a business plan? 
We talked a little bit about that last month, a business plan versus a business idea. 
And this is what you want to sell, maybe who you want to buy, what kind of competition you might have. 
You have to think about all these things when you take into consideration, your business plan. 
Ben continues to say: Honestly, I have no idea how we're going to make it a reality. 
And I like this phrase: to make something a reality. 
That means it's maybe just an idea, but you are actually going to make it practical. 
You're going to make it come to life. 
Nathanael, how else could you use that phrase, "to make something a reality"? 
Well, I would really like to build a house, but I don't have the money to make it a reality. 
It's something I would like to do, but I just don't have enough to do it right now. 
Interesting. So you need some resources in order to make a reality of some things. 
What other kinds of things can you make a reality out of? 
Well, you could make a reality out of a movie idea. 
Or maybe you have an idea for an invention, and you want to make it a reality so that people can actually use your invention. 
OK. So what are you thinking about? 
What is your idea? 
How will you make it a reality? 
Especially if you're interested in business or starting up a business, how can you make that a reality? 
Think about that today. 
Maybe you have lots of dreams. 
Try to make those dreams a reality. 
Well uh, Ben, would you like to continue? 
Sure, I'll continue. 
There are so many things to do. 
I don't know how I'll ever get them all done. 
You don't have to do it all yourself, Ben. 
Well, wait a minute. Hold on. 
He doesn't have to do all... all by himself? 
What does that mean? 
Does he need some help there? 
Well, he could get some help, maybe hire some employees or... I'm sure that Uncle Bob has some other suggestions for his nephew Ben here. 
Ah, you're right. You're right. 
I say we continue with this conversation. 
OK, I'll read the next line. 
But if I don't, who will? 
It is your company and your responsibility to ensure all the work gets done, but that doesn't mean you have to accomplish everything yourself. 
OK. Hold on a second, Uncle Bob. 
I want to interrupt you just for a moment. 
Thank you, Uncle Bob. 
The... the prettiest Uncle Bob ever, really. 
Um, we have a word we want to talk about here. 
It is from the Word Bank: ensure. 
Uncle Bob says your company and your possibility to ensure all the work gets done. 
If you ensure something, that means you make sure that it will get done. 
It's kind of easy to remember. 
It's sure to happen. 
It's certain to happen. 
You ensure that it happens. 
So how else could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, you could ensure that a law gets passed. 
If you want to improve your community, you might work with your government to ensure that something new is put into place. 
All right, ensuring that something is put into place. 
I can ensure quality with this product. 
I can ensure that it's not going to break down. 
This word is kind of like the word "assure." I can assure you that this is a good product. 
I can ensure quality. 
Well, Nathanael, how else could you use that word? 
Well, you could say something like this strategy will ensure the success of your business. 
Every business is looking for a way to succeed. 
That's right. 
So as this strategy or this plan will ensure success, there's no way it will fail. 
It ensures success. 
Uh, let's see, where were we, Uncle Bob or Ben? 
Uncle Bob. 
Right, Uncle Bob, of course. 
Uncle Bob says: The reality is that if you want your business to grow, you must hand over your responsibility to other people at some point. 
Ah, wait. Wait a minute. 
I like what you just said there, Uncle Bob. 
You just said "hand over," some other words from our Word Bank. 
Now he says, "You must hand over responsibility to other people." Hand over. 
That means that you give up your control over something. 
You hand something over, hand responsibility over to somebody else. 
But you can hand over other things like if I see someone driving my car, I don't like the way he's driving, I might say: Hey, hand over those keys. 
That means give those keys back to me. 
But Nathanael, how else could you use these words? 
Well, I thought of a common expression that we use in English: hand over the reins. 
Now the reins are the ropes that you use to control a horse. 
But we say "hand over the reins" to mean... "hand over the reins" as in giving control to someone else. 
It's time to hand over the reins. 
It's time for someone else to be in control. 
That's right. 
I think no matter how you cut it, you use this phrase, these words, to talk about handing control over to somebody else in some way. 
Well, now it's time for us to hand over the time to Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And then we're going to take a break. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese)

2013.02.01.B

Well, Ben is talking to his Uncle Bob about starting up a business. 
He's a little bit worried about starting a business because he's a little afraid of doing everything by himself. 
But his uncle has some encouraging words for him: 
Actually, you can give up some of the control to other people. 
Hand over some responsibilities to other people. 
Together you can accomplish what you need to accomplish to start this business. 
Let's continue this conversation between Ben and his uncle Bob. 
A Strong Foundation. 
Are you saying I should hire employees? 
Not exactly. 
I'm saying that as you build your business, you need to build an organization and its processes of operation. 
How do I do that? 
Well, there are many different aspects to a business, like supply, production, sales and accounting. 
That's exactly my problem! 
If you were just self-employed, it would be your job to do all of those things. 
As the head of an organization, your business, your job is ultimately to find ways to get things done - but not do all the work yourself. 
(Music). 
Well, the second half of this conversation begins with Ben saying: Are you saying I should hire employees? 
Uncle Bob had told him that he had to hand over the responsibility, and Ben was trying to figure out what he meant. 
And now we want to look at this word "employees" with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
In our lesson today, Ben asked whether he should hire employees. 
Steve, let's take a look at this word, employee. 
An employee is someone who is employed. 
That's right, Ken. 
When we add the suffix "-ee" to some verbs, we get words that refer to people who are that passive recipients of the action of the verb. 
For example, an examinee is someone who receives or takes an exam. 
A trainee is someone who receives training. 
So, an employee is someone who is being employed. 
And the person who does the employing is the employer. 
The suffix "-er" refers to the person giving an action. 
That's right. 
The suffixes "-er" and "-or" indicate the person initiating an action. 
So an employer employs an employee. 
A trainer trains a trainee. 
And an interviewer is the person conducting an interview. 
When you have an interview, the interviewer is the person asking the questions; and the interviewee is the one who has to answer the questions. 
Of course, we can't use this construction with all verbs. 
For example, you cannot say a murderer murders a murderee. 
You can only use this construction with certain verbs. 
That's a good point. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
Well, Ben had just asked his Uncle Bob if he should hire employees. 
Now Uncle Bob's response is: Not exactly. 
I'm saying that as you build your business, you need to build an organization and its processes of operation. 
And Ben then says: How do I do that? 
Well, there are many different aspects to a business, like supply, production, sales and accounting. 
Wait... Hold on, you guys. Hold on. 
That was very good. 
That was a great conversation. 
I think we need to talk about some different things from Uncle Bob's line here. 
He says there are many different aspects to a business. 
That right. 
And we see this word "aspect" right here in this sentence. 
An aspect of something is like an angle of something or a side to something. 
There are many different aspects to a business. 
Of course, many things have different aspects to them. 
I mean, relationships have lots of different aspects to them too. 
What other things might have lots of different aspects, Nathanael? 
I'm just thinking... thinking of something like running a store. 
There's a lot of aspects to running a store, like taking care of your employees and making sure that you have all the supplies that you need. 
All right, so different aspects to running a store. 
Carolyn, what else has many different aspects you need to think about? 
Well, choosing your career could have many different aspects. 
You need to think about what kind of career do I want to pursue. 
And then maybe what skills do I need in order to have a career in that field. 
All right. 
Well, that sounds pretty similar to what Ben is trying to do. 
Maybe he wants to have a career with this new business he's doing. 
He needs to think of the different aspects, aspects like supply, (what you have), the production, (how you're doing it), the sales and the accounting. 
And we see a key word here from the Word Bank: the word accounting. 
Now this is something that you need to be trained to do to be able to work well with numbers. 
Some people also call it bookkeeping. 
It's making sure that everything is recorded well, all the finances are recorded for a company. 
Have you ever thought about doing accounting, or do you know anybody who's doing accounting? 
Is it an easy job? 
It seems like a very difficult job. 
But one of my best friends did study accounting in college, and she has a very successful career in it. 
Mmhm. 
I think it's not for me. 
Nathanael, is accounting for you? 
I mean, is that something that appeals to you? 
I've never been very interested in accounting, but I think it is important to keep track of your money. 
I've noticed that most families have an accountant, usually the mother or the father. 
That's right. 
Well, someone is usually better at it than somebody else. 
So friends, we're learning a lot from Ben and Uncle Bob. 
And I think we have a little bit more here. 
Uh, Ben, it's your turn, right? 
Yes, it is. 
Ben says: That's exactly my problem! 
If you were just self-employed, it would be your job to do all those things. 
Wait... Uncle Bob, I... I like that. 
That was very nice. 
That was very nice. 
Uncle Bob, what does it mean to be self-employed? 
Well, if you're self-employed... well, Uncle Bob... sorry. 
If you are self-employed, that means that you run your own business. 
You are your own boss. 
All right. 
And so Uncle Bob is... you were just saying to Ben that if he was self-employed, then he would have to worry about all those things. 
But thankfully, he won't have to worry about all of these things. 
Uncle Bob, please continue. 
Oh, thank you. Yes. 
As the head of an organization, your business, your job is ultimately to find ways to get those things done - but not to do all the work yourself. 
Excellent. Excellent job! 
Well, before we continue with the review skit, we do want to talk about this word from the Word Bank. 
It is "ultimately." Ultimately. That means at the most. 
So the most important thing is that Ben will have to make sure these things get done. 
Ultimately, it's his responsibility. 
But of course, he can have help along the way. 
Nathanael, or Ben, how else could you use this key word? 
Well, you could say that a business may do well at first, but ultimately, I think it will fail. 
They just don't have enough resources to continue. 
All right. 
Ultimately, it might fail. 
I think about when I was growing up, sometimes uh, we would have to decide about where we would want to go for dinner or vacation or something. 
Ultimately, the decision was up to Dad, most of the time. 
He made the final decision. 
Ultimately, it was up to him. 
So there's different ways to use this word. 
Carolyn, how do you use that word "ultimately"? 
Well, here I think Ben is wanting to start a business. 
So ultimately, maybe he would want to finish his degree and then start the business. 
All right. 
Ultimately, he needs to finish his degree. 
Well, friends, Uncle Bob is helping Ben. 
And he is encouraging him not to do everything by himself. 
That can be a big task. 
And that can be pretty hard and scary to think about. 
It's good to have help from other people. 
Right now it's time for us to continue with a review skit. 
And then we'll go to see Michelle. 
(Music). 
Well, hey, Ben. 
How's the new business plan coming along? 
Well, I've finished my business plan. 
Hey, that's great. 
No, it's not. 
Look at this list. 
There are so many things to do. 
How will I ever get these things done? 
Hey, don't worry. 
You don't have to do it all yourself. 
I don't? 
No, no, no. 
But it's my company, so it's my responsibility, right? 
Well, yes and no. 
You need to ensure all the work gets done. 
But that doesn't mean you have to accomplish everything by yourself. 
But if I don't do it, who will? 
Hand it over to others. 
Right. But who? 
Should I hire employees? 
Well, there are different ways. 
Think about the aspects of your business. 
There are supply and production and sales and accounting and... 
Uh oh. That is a lot! 
Yeah, that's my problem. 
It's your job to ultimately find ways to get those things done. 
But I can't do everything. 
Hey, don't worry. 
I'll tell you how to hand over responsibility. 
Can I hand it over to you? 
Well... No. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
OK, let's get back to the teachers. 
Well, we spent most of the day enjoying a conversation between Ben and his uncle Bob. 
And Uncle Bob was encouraging Ben to maybe find other people to help him. 
If you have employees, there's a special word for that called "delegating." You delegate responsibilities to other people. 
So my question for you is, especially if you're an employer: Is it easy to delegate your responsibilities to other people? 
Carolyn, I know you don't have your own business. 
But do you find it easy or difficult to delegate tasks to other people? 
I usually find it very difficult to delegate task to other people because I feel responsible for the entire project. 
And I really want to make sure that everything gets done. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
Well, I don't think it's too hard if you feel that you're clearly in a leadership role. 
But if not, it can be very difficult to give other people a job if it doesn't seem like you have the right to. 
Well, I think that's about all the time that we have for today. 
And we want to say goodbye and see you again next time at Studio Classroom.Goodbye.

2013.02.02.A

Hey, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad you could join us for today's lesson. 
It's good that you are joining Studio Classroom to learn English because Studio Classroom is a good foundation. 
And our lesson today is called A Strong Foundation. 
Yes, of course, it's important to have a strong foundation in lots of areas of life. 
We've been enjoying a conversation between Ben and his uncle Bob. 
And his uncle Bob is giving him advice about how he can have a good foundation, or a strong foundation, in his business. 
But Nathanael, what other things might need a good foundation in life? 
Well, sometimes you need a more literal foundation like for building a house or any other kind of building. 
You want to make sure that the ground is solid before you start building there. 
That's right. 
You need a foundation before you build. 
Carolyn, what else uses a foundation? 
Well, I think that life needs a foundation. 
And I found that for my life the best foundation is the Bible. 
That is a good foundation. 
It's a solid, strong book. 
Well, friends, lots of things use foundations. 
What kinds of foundations can you think of? 
Talk about those in English. 
Right now we're going to enjoy learning more with Ben and his uncle Bob. 
A Strong Foundation. 
So I don't need to do everything myself; I just need to make sure everything gets done? 
Exactly. 
That could mean hiring employees, but it might also mean getting an accountant to help keep the books. 
Then again, it could mean finding partner companies to outsource certain tasks to. 
How do I do that? 
I would start by checking out government programs that help small businesses. 
You should also look at any business incubators in your area. 
What's a business incubator? 
It's a business or non-profit organization that fosters the development of new companies. 
Generally, a business incubator provides things like consulting, office space, 
administrative assistance and financing to help new companies until they can operate on their own. 
Well, as we start our reading for today, we see that Ben is talking to his uncle Bob. 
Now Gabe, would you like to be Ben today? 
Sure. I love... I love Ben. OK, here I go. 
So I don't need to do everything myself; I just need to make sure everything gets done? 
I'll be Uncle Bob for today. 
Exactly. 
That could mean hiring employees, but it might also mean getting an accountant to help keep the books. 
Oh. And here we see this phrase: keep the books. 
Now if you keep the books, here they're talking about an accountant, you can hire an accountant to help you keep the books. 
What does "keep the books" mean, Gabe? 
Well, it kind of is the job that an accountant does. 
It's accounting. 
It's keeping records of business transactions. 
You're keeping the books for your boss or for your company, making sure that everything, all the finances are in order and everything is accounted for. 
They don't lose the details of anything. 
You are keeping the books. 
So it means that you have the accounting books and you keep them organized, right? 
Mmhm. 
Sure. 
All right. Well... sorry, Nathanael. 
Please continue as Uncle Bob. 
Then again, it could mean finding partner companies to outsource certain tasks to. 
And "outsource" is another one of our key words here. 
Now if you outsource something, you're going to put it away from you, out away from you. 
Now what is outsource, Nathanael? 
Well, if you outsource a job, you're going to send that to maybe even another company, sometimes a different country. 
Um, oftentimes in America, you outsource jobs to other places in Asia where people would do the work for you and send whatever you need back. 
That's right. 
So lots of different companies like to do that. 
It's one way to cut cost, or to save money in different areas. 
You can outsource to other companies. 
So that is what Uncle Bob is suggesting - finding partner companies to outsource certain tasks to. 
So you see this word "partner." Usually I think of it like another person. 
Actually, I have two teaching partners with me, Uncle Bob and Carolyn... I mean, Nathanael and Carolyn are my teaching partners. 
We're all partners. 
But um, it's not just limited to people. 
How else can you use that word "partner"? 
Well, we see here it's a partner company. 
So you can have a partnership with another organization, and you can work together to achieve your common goals. 
All right, so partner companies, people you're working together with. 
Well, um, shall I continue? 
Ben... let's see. Here I go. 
How do I do that? 
I would start by checking out government programs that help small businesses. 
You should also look at any business incubators in your area. 
Now Uncle Ben... what's a business incubator? 
Um, Carolyn, I was just going to ask that as Ben. 
That's Uncle Bob. 
Oh... sorry, sorry... oh, apologies, yeah. 
OK. Here I go. 
Here's the line. 
What's a business incubator, Uncle Bob? 
Well, it's a business or a non-profit organization that fosters the development of new companies. 
Interesting. 
Fostering the development of new companies? 
Wait a minute! I see a word there: non-profit organization. 
What does this mean, Carolyn, a non-profit organization? 
Well, a non-profit organization is an organization or company that is not trying to make a profit. 
And actually, I think that Ken and Steve have some more information about that topic in the Information Cloud. 
When you run a business, profit is usually the goal. 
But let's shift our focus for a minute and talk about non-profit organizations. 
Good idea, Steve. 
As the name suggests, a non-profit organization is not after profit, but rather, it is for educational or charitable reasons. 
Any money earned must be used to help achieve its goals instead of going into the pockets of its owner or shareholders. 
Now another feature of a non-profit organization is that it does not have to pay taxes. 
A good example of a non-profit organization is the Red Cross. 
Now Ken, you mentioned the word "charitable" just now. 
How does that figure into non-profit organizations? 
Well, charities, or charitable organizations, are also non-profit. 
They're formed for charitable purposes such as helping the poor, advancing education, science or a certain religion. 
Now that's the countable usage. 
And as an uncountable noun, "charity" refers to being generous and being in the habit of giving. 
We have a saying in English: Charity begins at home. 
Which means that you should be generous to your family before helping others. 
That's right. 
"Charity begins at home" is a good reminder that we should show love to those closest to us, and then to others. 
For example, Susan spends hours cooking food for the poor but often forgets about her own family. 
She should remember that charity begins at home. 
Good point. 
(Chinese). 
Well, thank you for that extra information, gentlemen. 
And now Uncle Bob continues his explanation of what a business incubator is. 
Generally, a business incubator provides things like consulting, office space, 
administrative assistance and financing to help new companies until they can operate on their own. 
Oh. Well, it sounds like a business incubator could be very helpful if you're trying to start a new business. 
Now I see where they're consulting. 
If you have a problem in your business, you might want to consult another company to help you solve your problems. 
Can you think of a time when you might want to hire someone for consulting, Gabe? 
Well, hiring someone for consulting. 
If you want to maybe start using new equipment, you might need to ask advice. 
You want to consult with someone about what is most... or what is worth buying. 
What kind of equipment is worth buying? 
I think of Uncle Bob when I think of consulting. 
I mean, Ben is talking to his uncle Bob, and Uncle Bob is giving him advice. 
In a sense, that is consulting. 
He's asking for advice. 
What is the best thing to do? 
So consulting. 
Where else might you use this word, Nathanael? 
Well, consulting actually kind of has another form like counselor or counsel. 
And you often hear about people called "counselors" that give other people help usually maybe with personal problems. 
And we also see Uncle Bob mentioned "administrative." And that is one of our key words today. 
Administrative assistance. 
Now what is administrative, Gabe? 
Oh, man. 
Administration or administrative things. 
That means you are... you are in control, and you are making all the shots. 
You're calling all of the shots. 
You're saying how it is going to happen. 
You're at the top making all of the decisions. 
That's the administrative part of a company. 
I also see this word sometimes when I'm trying to make a change on my computer at the office. 
And I can't make the change, and it says I don't have administrative rights. 
That means someone in the IT department needs to make the change for me because they have the administrative rights. 
They have the right to make those decisions. 
I also get that message on my computer too, Gabe. 
And with that, I think it's time to go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.02.B

Well, today we've been listening to Uncle Bob and Ben having their conversation about starting a business. 
And it seems like Uncle Bob is giving his nephew some very good advice on how to hire more people and work with other companies. 
Perhaps he can hire someone to keep the books for him. 
Or hire a business incubator to help him grow his business, help him grow his company. 
Now let's continue with today's conversation and see what else they have to discuss. 
A Strong Foundation. 
That sounds fantastic! 
For many companies it is. 
Be careful though. 
Some programs charge fees, and incubator firms often seek equity in the companies they help. 
So if I take a firm's help, it will own part of my company? 
That's the idea. 
It invests in your company in hopes that your success will turn a profit for them as well. 
I guess there is no free lunch. 
Except at my house. 
Let's get something to eat. 
That sounds great. 
Ben and Uncle Bob are talking about this new business. 
Uncle Bob earlier talked about having a business incubator that could help your business start, or to foster as it develops. 
He's sharing all of these different benefits. 
And so Ben has a response. 
Let me be Ben. 
That sounds fantastic! 
For many companies it is. 
Be careful though. 
Some programs charge fees, and incubator firms often seek equity in the companies they help. 
Thank you, Uncle Bob. 
Now here we see this key word: equity. 
And when I see the word "equity," I think of something being equal. 
But that's not really what it means here. 
They're not talking about companies being equal. 
What does equity mean, Gabe? 
Well, equity just means that if I help you, then I'm going to get a little bit of what you make. 
So if a big company is helping a smaller company, then whatever the smaller company makes, the larger company will get some of that profit. 
They get a share. 
It's kind of like they own a little bit of that company that they're helping. 
Now Nathanael, you had a pretty good example of equity. 
What... what was that? 
Yes. I think the most common way to get equity in a company is to buy stocks. 
You can receive stocks like Gabe was talking about from company to company, but an individual can also purchase them themselves. 
All right. 
So some incubator firms often seek equity in companies that they help. 
Well, I see this word "firm" here. 
That's just another name for organization or company. 
It's kind of got that meaning of "strong" too. 
It's an anchor, so it helps other companies. 
Um... and so there's this firm, an incubator firm or an incubator organization. 
You can say either one. 
Who is Ben? 
Am I Ben? 
You are Ben. 
Excellent! I'm Ben. 
OK, let's continue. 
So if I take a firm's help, it will own part of my company? 
That's the idea. 
"That's the idea." Hey. That's a good phrase. 
I like that phrase a lot. 
And we're going to spend a little more time learning about this phrase with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
That's the idea. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
So Uncle Bob has been giving Ben tips on how to get the help he needs. 
And he says to Ben: That's the idea. 
And that's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
It's actually an informal way of telling someone that he or she has understood something correctly. 
In the case of today's article, Uncle "Ben" is saying that "Bob" has the right idea of how incubator firms could own part of a company. 
So if you're in a conversation with someone else and you want to say he or she has gotten the point, then you can use this phrase. 
For example, you can use this phrase to confirm plans, like: 
So if we follow the plan, we'll first hike up the mountain and then eat much there. 
Yes, that's the idea. 
Or: By participating in the charitable event, sponsors could also get free publicity, right? 
That's the idea. 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine, you'll find more example sentences there. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Uncle Bob has just told Ben that business incubator firms can own part of the company that they are going to help. 
And he explains by saying this: 
It invests in your company in hopes that your success will turn a profit for them as well. 
Well, thank you, Uncle Bob. 
There are some really great phrases in that sentence you just said such as: in hopes that. 
Now "in hopes that" is a great phrase that I want to look at right now. 
And it means that you are hoping for a certain outcome. 
It's a very specific and directed hope. 
What is something that you might hope that will happen, Gabe? 
Well, I think a lot of workers, employees, they want to get a raise, they want to get a promotion. 
What can you do in hopes to get a promotion? 
Like uh... like this: I dressed up very nicely in hopes that my boss would notice and give me a raise. 
That's how I use that phrase, in hopes that. 
I do something in hopes that something will happen. 
Nathanael, how else could you use that phrase? 
Well, you might say that you invest in a company in hopes that its stock or its value will increase. 
You want to make more money by buying into this company, and so you hope that the value will increase. 
That's right. 
And you also had another great phrase in there: turn a profit. 
And if you turn a profit, that means that you make money. 
So he's hoping that the company will be able to make some money and they will all be able to benefit. 
Well, I guess that's how it works with business incubators or incubator firms. 
Um, let's see how Ben feels about this. 
Ben's next line is: 
I guess there is no free lunch. 
Now "free lunch" here is one of our key words. 
And it has a very interesting meaning. 
It's not actually talking about food necessarily. 
What... what is a free lunch, Nathanael? 
Well, it's almost the same as saying that nothing comes free, not just food, not just a meal. 
But if you want something done, you probably will have to pay something for it. 
Right. So even if it's not at a cost to you, someone will have to eventually pay for it. 
It's a very specific economic concept; and it's a great phrase here. 
Yeah, I think it's a great idiom. 
There's no free lunch. 
Nothing comes for free. 
Well, Uncle Bob, do you have anything else you want to share with me? 
Well actually, there is a free lunch... at my house! 
Except at my house. 
Let's get something to eat. 
Well, that sounds great. 
Well, I like this conversation between Bob... or Uncle Bob and Ben. 
I think that Uncle Bob had a lot of good advice. 
Don't you, Carolyn? 
Yes. I think that Uncle Bob is great for consulting, and that Ben has a very good mentor for his business plan. 
Now why don't we take some time to go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
OK, let's get back to our teachers. 
Well, now that we've gotten some great advice from Uncle Bob about starting our own business, what kind of business might you want to start, Nathanael? 
Well, you know I would love to start a production company that makes movies. 
But if I was going to do that, I would probably need some money for equipment and software in order to produce those films. 
That's very true, so you might need to talk to a business incubator or get someone to invest in your company. 
Now Gabe, what kind of business might you want to start? 
Well, Carolyn, I love food, and I love drums. 
And I thought it'll be a great idea to have a drum-themed restaurant where every once in a while while people are eating, 
a group of drummers comes out and does this routine for maybe five to seven minutes. 
Of course, I would need to get some good chefs and some good drummer friends to help me out. 
That's very true. 
You do want to make sure that you have some talented drummers and chefs so that people can enjoy that type of experience. 
Well, that's it for today. 
And I hope that you will join us again next time here on Studio Classroom.Goodbye.

2013.02.04.A

Hey, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
We're very glad that you could join us today. 
We're talking about Traveling on a Shoestring. 
Of course, right there in that title, you see a key word. 
And we'll talk about that later. 
That's an interesting idiom that's worth learning. 
Now we're talking about traveling today, traveling with a good budget. 
That means keeping your costs down while traveling. 
So my question for you is: How do you keep your costs down while you travel? 
Carolyn, how do you keep your costs down? 
Well, there're several things that I usually do. 
I like to look online at different websites and compare prices between them, 
and maybe call a travel agent or two and see if they have a better deal than what I saw online. 
Interesting. 
That is a good way to cut costs or keep your costs down, not to spend too much. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
Well, when I go on trips, or at least one time when I went on a trip, we kept cost down by not eating. 
Interesting. 
You kept cost down by not eating. 
Well, that's one way to keep your cost down but your stomach hungry. 
Well, there are different ways to keep cost down when you travel. 
What is best for you? 
We're going to learn a lot about this today: Traveling on a Shoestring. 
Let's get started. 
(Music). 
Traveling on a Shoestring. 
Tips to spend less on your trips. 
These days when you go on vacation, you spend most of your money just getting to your destination! 
Travel is expensive, but don't stay home due to a small budget! 
Here are some ways you can cut costs and still enjoy a trip: 
Travel during off-season if possible. 
Flights and hotels are significantly cheaper when tourism is low. 
Choose a hotel that's a little farther from popular attractions. 
If you are staying several days, check out prices on hostels or vacation homes - both can end up being cheaper than a hotel in the long run. 
We're learning some good tips about how to travel on a shoestring. 
Traveling on a shoestring. 
Well, I'm wearing shoes, and they have strings. 
Um, Carolyn, is that what we're talking about here when we're saying "traveling on a shoestring"? 
This is from our Word Bank, this... this phrase "on a shoestring." Carolyn, what does this mean? 
Well, it doesn't mean that you are on a shoestring, Gabe. 
It means that you have a very small budget, maybe a thin budget like a shoestring. 
And you want to keep your cost as low or as small as possible. 
All right. 
That's a great way to explain it. 
Think about it like having money or a budget that is very thin, just like your shoestrings. 
Nathanael, how else can you use that phrase, "on a shoestring"? 
Well, not only can you travel on a shoestring, sometimes you might have to live on a shoestring. 
I have to live on a shoestring until I find a better job. 
OK. I got to live on a shoestring until I find a better job, or until I get my first paycheck. 
I don't have money yet. 
I have to live on a shoestring. 
There are different ways to use this phrase. 
Try it out today, of course, in English. 
Well, we see that first sentence there: Tips to spend less on your trips. 
We're learning about these tips to help you with your trips. 
It's kind of fun; those words rhyme. 
Nathanael, how does this article begin? 
These days when you go on vacation, you spend most of your money just getting to your destination! 
It's true. 
OK, so these days you spend most of your money just getting to your destination. 
What does "these days" mean? 
Well, "these days" is modern times, recently. 
You could say these days the weather is quite cold. 
It just means around this time. 
All right, around this time, these days. 
And of course, these days when you go on vacation, you spend most of your money just getting to your destination. 
It can be quite expensive. 
Nathanael, what is your destination? 
Well, your destination is where you're planning to go, the last place that you will arrive. 
You might travel from point A to point B; point B, the last point that you go to is your destination. 
All right, where you are ending up. 
Well, we continue. 
Travel is expensive, but don't stay home due to a small budget! 
It's true. 
Here are some ways you can cut costs and still enjoy a trip. 
Well, Carolyn, what is our first tip here? 
Our first tip is to travel during off-season if possible. 
And "off-season" is a More Information word in this article. 
And it just means not during the on-season, the most popular season. 
Maybe summer is the most popular season to go to the beach. 
So if you go during the off-season, you would go in the winter or the spring when there aren't as many people there. 
Now Nathanael, how does our article continue? 
Flights and hotels are significantly cheaper when tourism is low. 
OK. There's a great key word here: significantly. 
It's an adverb. 
How would you define "significantly," Gabe? 
Well, if something is significant, that means it makes a big difference. 
So if the price is about the same, maybe one is just a little bit cheaper, we wouldn't say it's significantly cheaper. 
However, if the price is very different, you would say it's significantly cheaper. 
If you are traveling somewhere, you want to go and stay somewhere that might be significantly cheaper. 
Maybe you could choose a hotel that is significantly better or significantly more comfortable than another hotel. 
Maybe you could say we had a meal, but that meal was significantly more expensive than we would normally eat. 
Carolyn, how else would you use that word? 
Well, it is significantly faster to take a direct flight to your destination. 
So it's much faster if you don't have to change planes. 
That's right. 
So significantly faster. That means it's lot, there's a big difference there. 
Well, we continue. 
You should... you should try to find flights and hotels that are significantly cheaper when tourism is low or during the low season. 
Not the peak season, but the low season. 
Our next tip is: Choose a hotel that's a little farther from popular attractions. 
Nathanael, an attraction, what is that? 
Well, an attraction, I guess, is just something that would attract you. 
But it's usually a place that you can go that you would have a lot of interest in. 
You could call that an attraction. 
All right, and a popular attraction. 
Another name for that is a tourist trap. 
It's a place where lots of people are attracted to going. 
They want to go there. 
So if you're staying several days, check out prices on the hostels or vacation homes. 
Wait. That word "hostel," it kind of looks like the word "hotel," but there's another letter added there - the letter S, hostel, H-O-S-T-E-L. 
And Carolyn, how is this different from a hotel? 
Well, when you think of a hotel, you think of your own room, your own bathroom, you have your own bed. 
And in a hostel, it's much cheaper. 
There are many beds in one room; and you probably share a bathroom with a few other people. 
So the costs are much lower, but you don't have as much privacy. 
Hmm. Well, have either of you stayed in hostels before? 
I have. 
And I think it's... it can save money. 
Have you stayed in a hostel before? 
I have stayed in a hostel, and I've really enjoyed it. 
It was a great way to save money on my trip so that I had more money to do other things. 
All right. 
Well, you can save money if you stay in a hostel. 
And we find that both of these things can end up being cheaper than a hotel in the long run. 
We see that phrase "in the long run" here. 
That means that maybe... if it's just for a short time, it won't make a difference. 
But in the long run, over a long period of time, it does make a difference. 
How else could you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, if you're taking a hiking vacation, you might say: Well, it's a long hike, but it's worth it in the long run. 
There's a beautiful waterfall at the end. 
I agree. 
A lot of times it is worth it to get to your final destination. 
Maybe you are a student. 
Actually, you probably might be a student if you're studying Studio Classroom. 
If you work hard now, it will pay off in the long run. 
Life will be easier in the future in the long run. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.04.B

Hopefully, you're finding these travel tips helpful. 
We've already discussed a couple of them. 
Let's review those very quickly. 
The first one is that if you can, you should travel during the off-season when things are not as busy. 
Prices might be cheaper during that time. 
Second is to choose a hotel or stay farther away from the popular area. 
That might be cheaper as well. 
Let's see what other tips there are in the second reading. 
(Music). 
Traveling on a Shoestring. 
Look for deals on metro or subway passes for your destination. 
A day pass will pay for itself if you use mass transportation instead of taking cabs. 
Plan your meals and eat like a local. 
Don't waste money at expensive hotel restaurants or fast-food chains. 
Depending on where you stay, it may be cheaper to buy your own groceries. 
Check online for special rates - if you're a student, a senior citizen, or traveling with children, you could qualify for discounts! 
A little research could save you a lot of money. 
Whether you're backpacking alone or going on a family vacation, your trip doesn't have to break the bank. 
The key is to plan ahead and track what you spend. 
Then put the money you save toward your next trip! 
Well, these all sound like wonderful tips for traveling on a shoestring. 
Our first one here after the break is: Look for deals on metro or subway passes for your destination. 
Look for these kinds of things. 
You want to look for deals because a day pass will pay for itself if you use mass transportation instead of taking cabs. 
Carolyn, what is a day pass? 
Well, a day pass is something that you buy to use the public transportation for one day. 
You don't have to charge your card or add money to it. 
You pay one single rate one time. 
And then you can use it as much as you want during that day. 
And I actually bought a day pass when I went to Hong Kong, and it saved me a lot of money. 
So you would think it's worth it to get a day pass, especially if you go to a place like Hong Kong? 
Absolutely. 
I think it's very worth it, especially if you want to visit a lot of different places in a short amount of time. 
All right. If you know you will be traveling a lot within a city, you might want to get a day pass on that city's metro. 
Well, we find out it will pay for itself. 
That's one of our Word Bank phrases here: to pay for itself. 
That means it's really worth the cost because if you did not do that, you will be paying a lot more. 
So something pays for itself. 
How would you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, I also thought about a city pass. 
When you go to a big city, you can buy a city pass that allows you to go to several big areas or destinations. 
And it covers the costs for all of those places. 
A good city pass will pay for itself quickly. 
All right, so these things can pay for themselves when you are traveling. 
I also thought about maybe purchasing something expensive that will help you in the long run. 
Like if you are trying to get a good job, if you buy a really nice suit or a really good interview suit, then that will pay for itself. 
It might cost a lot at first, but people might be impressed. 
It will pay for itself in the long run. 
So if you are traveling, then maybe you want to consider getting a day pass for the city you are visiting. 
What is our next tip here, Carolyn? 
We continue with: Plan your meals and eat like a local. 
What's a local, Nathanael? 
Well, a "local" here is a kind of person. 
It's a person that lives locally. 
So eat like someone that knows what they're doing would eat. 
Oh, OK. Well, so you should eat like someone who is from that area. 
And it continues: 
Don't waste money at expensive hotel restaurants or fast-food chains, and those can be quite expensive. 
Gabe, how do we continue? 
Well, depending on where you stay, it may be cheaper to buy your own groceries. 
Well, that could possibly be cheaper. 
I've never really bought my own groceries when I was staying in another city. 
Have either of you bought your own groceries when you're staying overseas or traveling somewhere? 
Well, while I was in Hong Kong, and I had my day pass, I went to a fruit market because Hong Kong has a great selection of fruit. 
And I bought several different kinds while I was there to eat during my trip. 
Well, that reminds me of another thing. 
If you are visiting somewhere different, try to check out the different kinds of food that is there. 
It might be worth your time and with your money. 
Well, we continue. 
Check online for special rates. 
OK. I want to take a look at that word "rate" here. 
This word kind of reminds me of the word "price." But how are these words different, Nathanael? 
Well, they are often pretty similar. 
But "rate" is really price per unit of something. 
Now the unit could be if you're talking about a hotel, maybe a day or a week. 
But you might also talk about the rate of silver or the rate of corn in the stock market. 
How much is it costing at this moment? 
That would also be considered a rate. 
OK. That is the rate. 
Or you may also hear the phrase, "the going rate." Someone might ask: What's the going rate for staying in this country at this time? 
As you can see, a rate might depend on the time when you go, the rate. 
Of course, the rate is also a kind of price, but it's used a little bit differently. 
Now we continue. 
If you're a student, a senior citizen, or traveling with children, you could qualify for discounts. 
I see that word "qualify" there. 
That's from our Word Bank. 
And when you qualify for something, what does that mean, Carolyn? 
It means that you meet certain criteria or certain standards so that you can get a discount in this case. 
But there are many things that you can qualify for. 
Perhaps you come from a certain area or you have a certain background, you can qualify for special scholarships to go to college. 
What are other things you can qualify for, Nathanael? 
Well, you should be qualified for your job. 
You might say: I applied for this job, but I'm not really sure if I'm qualified. 
That means you don't know if you have the right education, right kind of education or knowledge for the job. 
All right. 
There are different things you could qualify for. 
I think of qualifying for a race, or qualifying for a speech contest. 
Are you good enough? 
Right now it's time for us to join two gentlemen who are good enough for the Information Cloud. 
Let's go there now. 
Isn't it good to get a discount? 
How can you get a discount? 
Well, if you're a student or a senior citizen, you will likely be able to get one. 
Now Ken, I know many in our audience are students, but let's talk about seniors. 
And by that, I mean senior citizen. 
Ah, yes. 
Instead of calling people old, it's better to refer to elderly folks as senior citizens. 
Yes, it's more polite. 
A senior citizen is anyone who is over the age of 65. 
Some businesses offer senior citizens a senior citizen discount. 
So if you are senior citizen, you might be able to get movie tickets or train tickets at a cheaper price. 
That's right. 
You'll also find the term "senior citizen" in legal documents and in legislation. 
So it's found in both common speech and in official documents. 
Now earlier you used the word: senior. 
Right. "Senior" is short for senior citizen and is often used in less formal contexts. 
Thanks, Steve. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guy. 
And we see: A little research could save you a lot of money. 
Now this sentence brings us to Liz over in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Here is today's Grammar Tip sentence: 
A little research could save you a lot of money. 
Our focus is on the sentence pattern: A little [something] could save you a lot of [something else]. 
This is a great sentence pattern to use when you want to tell people they don't have to do too much of something to get a lot of something else. 
In today's sentence, the writer knows that most readers want to save money, so she gives this advice: Just do a little research. 
Doing a little research could save people a lot of money. 
However, notice how there is no verb. 
It's just a phrase, a little research. 
So think of something that isn't much but having it or doing it can make a huge difference. 
For example: 
A smile could save you a lot of time and energy when you need to ask for a favor. 
Or: A quick phone call to confirm your flight could save you a lot of headaches at the airport. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym, saying goodbye. 
To finish this article: 
Whether you're backpacking alone or going on a family vacation, your trip doesn't have to break the bank or spend up all of your money. 
Gabe, what's the next sentence say? 
Well, we find out the key is to plan ahead and track what you spend. 
Make sure you're keeping track of what you spend. 
Write it down. 
And then put the money you save toward your next trip. 
That's a good way to think about traveling on a shoestring. 
Think about the fact that you will travel again in the future, you want to save for your next trip. 
Right now let's continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers. 
Well, Joe has given us some great suggestions about how to save money. 
But how have you two saved money on trips before, Carolyn? 
Well, I usually try to spend as little as possible on transportation and hotel so that I have more money to enjoy the places I visit and eat a lot of good food. 
Well, I would say that I usually go through a travel agent to try to get the cheapest prices for traveling. 
That's how I travel on a shoestring, in this case. 
OK, friends. 
So get out and go on a trip somewhere. 
We'll see you next time onStudio Classroom. Bye-bye.

2013.02.05.A

Hey, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
I am your teacher Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
We're glad you could join us here today. 
We have a lesson called "What's New at the Zoo?" What's new at the zoo? 
Well, I'm sure many of you like to go to zoos. 
There's lots that you can do at a zoo. 
Of course, you can look at lots of different kinds of animals. 
But here's my question for you: 
What do you like most about going to a zoo? 
Nathanael, what do you like most about zoos? 
Well, there's a lot to like about zoos, but I actually like that you can take a nice, long walk, even a hike at a good zoo. 
There's a good path that you can follow at a zoo and get some exercise that way. 
All right. Carolyn, what about you? 
What do you like about zoos? 
I really like to read the little information cards that they have in front of each animal exhibit so that I can learn something new about each animal. 
Well, I think that's really interesting too. 
There is something new to learn every time everywhere you go. 
I like the smells at zoos. 
Well, not really. 
I do like the animals but not necessarily the smells at zoos. 
We have a lot to learn and lots of different zoos we're going to talk about over the next couple of days. 
So pay attention, we're going to learn something new. 
Here we go. 
(Music). 
What's New at the Zoo? 
Many zoos offer much more than just a quick look at animal life. 
Where can you peer at a giraffe or marvel at an elephant without taking a trip to Africa? 
At a zoo, of course. 
Zoos give people a chance to get up close to animals from every continent in the world. 
But zoos that offer more than just a chance to see animals are worth seeking out. 
Singapore Zoo. 
At Singapore Zoo, enjoy breakfast while a family of orangutans sits nearby enjoying theirs. 
A zookeeper tells the breakfast crowd about each member of the family. 
Well, we're starting to learn about that Singapore Zoo, but let's go back to the very beginning. 
Even in our title, we see a good question here: 
What's new at the zoo? 
What's new? 
you can actually greet someone with this question. 
What's new with you? 
That means how are you doing. 
What's going on in your life? 
What's new? 
Well, we see this first sentence: 
Many zoos offer much more than just a quick look at animal life. 
And right there there's a word that I would like to talk about, an extra word here. 
It is the word "offer." And you see it used in one way in our article. 
But there are different ways to use this word. 
Carolyn, what's another way you could use this word "offer"? 
Well, I could ask you, Gabe, can I offer you a drink? 
I would appreciate that. 
You can offer me a drink. 
I would take that drink gladly. 
Nathanael, could I offer you a ride home this afternoon? 
Oh, that's OK, Gabe. But thanks for offering. 
No problem. 
Well, how else could you use that word "offer"? 
Actually, you can also use the word "offer" as a noun, something like: Does the zoo have a discount offer for groups? 
It works as a noun as well. 
All right. 
It works as a noun or a verb. 
And as you can see here, it's used like this: 
Many zoos offer much more than just a quick look at animal life. 
You can do more things than just take a look at animals and see what's going on. 
Well, we have some special zoos. 
Our first question is: Where can you peer at a giraffe or marvel at an elephant without taking a trip to Africa? 
Where can you do these things? 
Carolyn, where can you do these things? 
At a zoo, of course. 
But in that sentence, that very first one, we saw a key word; the word: peer. 
Now when I think of the word "peer," I think of maybe someone who is equal to me. 
But here it's being used as a verb. 
Now what does the verb "peer" mean, Nathanael? 
Yeah. It's like you're catching a sight of something. 
Sometimes maybe something is hard to see, but you catch a little sight of something; in this case, an animal. 
That's right. 
You're peering through something. 
You're peering maybe over a wall or into... through the glass to see these animals. 
Sometimes you can peer into a cage. 
Maybe if there is a really high wall and you want to see what is on the other side of that wall, you can stand up on your tiptoes and peer over the wall. 
I like to go to the edge of cliffs and peer down to see what is down there. 
So it's another way to see sea, actually. 
You can peer at different animals when you take a trip to a zoo or of course if you go to Africa. 
But not everybody has a chance to go to Africa, you can go to a zoo to see lots of different kinds of animals. 
So Carolyn, how does our article continue? 
Well, it says zoos give people a chance to get up close to animals from every continent in the world. 
So there's a wide variety of animals that you can see at the zoo. 
That's right. There are. 
But zoos that offer more than just a chance to see animals are worth seeking out. 
There are a lot of special zoos around the world, pretty famous zoos for different reasons, and they are worth seeking out. 
Well, we have some words we want to look at here, some extra words: seek out. 
It says that these zoos are worth seeking out. 
Nathanael, can you tell us about these words? 
Well, "seek out" basically means to look for. 
You can seek a person out or you can seek something out. 
That's right. 
Actually, sometimes I do like to seek people out. 
If I need advice about something, I might seek my mentor out. 
I might ask him for advice about things that can help me in my life. 
I would seek him out. 
Carolyn, how else could you use these words? 
Well, yes, you could use it if you wanted to seek out a person. 
I wanted to seek him out after class because I needed to ask him a question. 
Or maybe you go to the store to buy something very specific, so you want to seek it out. 
All right. So you could seek people out; you could seek something out. 
Obviously you could seek these zoos out. 
They are very interesting zoos, and they are worth seeking out. 
They're worth something. 
That means it's valuable. 
Time is valuable, of course. 
You can use your time to go and visit these zoos. 
The first one is the Singapore Zoo. 
Nathanael, what do we know about the Singapore Zoo? 
Well, the article says: 
At Singapore Zoo, enjoy breakfast while a family of orangutans sit nearby enjoying theirs. 
Enjoy your breakfast along with a family of orangutans really close by. 
That sounds like a lot of fun. 
Would you guys like to eat breakfast with animals at a zoo? 
I think that would be a very fun experience to be able to interact with the animals so closely. 
I do too. 
Nathanael, how does that sound to you? 
It sounds like it would be a little exciting, maybe too exciting, for me. 
Right. Well, it does sound kind of interesting. 
This is a cool experience that you might have at the Singapore Zoo. 
Our article continues: A zookeeper tells the breakfast crowd about each member of the family. 
Well, let's take a look at that Word Bank word there. 
It is: zookeeper. 
Zookeeper is someone who works at the zoo. 
He knows a lot about different kinds of animals. 
And he can tell you different things; he feeds the animals. 
Carolyn, what else can you tell us about a zookeeper? 
Well, a zookeeper is someone who works at the zoo and takes care of the animals. 
And actually, I wanted to be a zookeeper until I was about 16. 
I had studied all sorts of facts about animals and was very interested in working in a zoo. 
No way! You wanted to be a zookeeper? 
I sure did. 
Wow! 
Nathanael, would you ever consider being a zookeeper working at a zoo? 
Well, it wasn't something that I really thought about. 
But I do know that if you want to be a zookeeper, you should probably get a degree. 
You should study biology, zoology, or get a veterinarian degree - veterinarian as in an animal doctor. 
That is great advice. 
Friends, you can seek Nathanael out for advice about what degrees to get for going to work at the zoo. 
Well, you can be a zookeeper, you can do different things at a zoo. 
It can be pretty exciting. 
Right now it's time for us to spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.05.B

What's new at the zoo? 
Well, of course, if you want to peer at different animals from around the world, you can go and visit a zoo. 
And we are learning about one specific zoo, the Singapore Zoo. 
We've already talked a little bit about being able to spend time eating breakfast close to a family of orangutans while the zookeeper tells you about these animals. 
We're going to continue learning with our second reading right now. 
(Music). 
What's New at the Zoo? 
Or join the Wild Discoverer tour for an in-depth look at some of the animal residents. 
Learn how the zoo cares for its insects or reptiles, or watch the feeding of the baboons. 
Night Safari. 
Next door lies Night Safari, which offers a glimpse of what nocturnal animals do during their "day." Take the tram to East Lodge. 
Then walk the Leopard Trail to see a collection of animals from the giant flying squirrel to the Asian otter. 
You can also gaze at the amazing leopards and elusive clouded leopard through the windows of their enclosed habitat. 
We're talking about that Singapore Zoo first. 
We have our first sentence here: 
Join the Wild Discoverer tour for an in-depth look at some of the animal residents. 
An in-depth look at something. 
Nathanael, what's an in-depth look? 
Well, an in-depth look is a deep look or a detailed look at something. 
So we're going to look in-depth at the Singapore Zoo in this article. 
All right. 
And we see at the end of that sentence: the animal residents. 
Uh, Carolyn, I usually think of residents as people. 
I mean, I'm a resident here in this city. 
What other ways can you talk about a resident? 
Well, here we see it as an animal resident, which just means something that lives in a particular place. 
So here the animals are residents at the Singapore Zoo. 
That's right. 
They're residents at this zoo. 
Of course, you can talk about yourself as being a resident. 
What country are you a resident in? 
Where do you reside? 
That means where do you live. 
Where are you a resident? 
Well, we continue. 
Learn how the zoo cares for its insects or reptiles, or watch the feeding of the baboons. 
Well, this sounds really interesting. 
Uh, which one of these things would you rather do, Nathanael? 
Learn how the zoo cares for its insects or watch feeding of baboons? 
Well, the feeding sounds very interesting. 
I think I would be going to see that. 
You'd be going to see the feeding of the baboons. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Does this thing about reptiles interest you? 
Actually, it does. 
I'm very interested in reptiles and learning more about lizards and snakes and maybe larger reptiles like crocodiles. 
All right. 
Well, this all sounds pretty interesting to me. 
There're so many different things you can do at a zoo. 
But have you ever wondered how to refer to these animals, these groups of animals? 
We talked about orangutans before, a family of orangutans. 
And now we're watching the feeding of the baboons. 
Let's go and join Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud to learn a little bit more about how to talk about these animals. 
Since we're talking about a zoo today, let's talk about different words that describe groups of animals. 
OK. One that comes to mind is herd. 
We can call a group of cows a herd of cows. 
Yes, you can say a herd of cattle, elephants, giraffes, horses and pigs. 
Here's another one: pack. 
You can talk about a pack of dogs or a pack of wolves or even a pack of rats. 
Can you think of another one? 
Sure. A group of fish that swim together is a school of fish. 
Good. 
And here's another common one: flock. 
And we usually use it with birds and sheep. 
And people! Have you ever seen a flock of tourists? 
Yes, I have. 
And I usually flee when I see a flock of tourists. 
Now Ken, all the ones we've mentioned so far are pretty common. 
Why don't we talk about some that are less widely known. 
OK. I know for a group of lions, we can use the word: pride. 
Yes. A pride of lions is a group of lions. 
Maybe it's because lions are very proud. 
How about this one - a congress of baboons. 
Are you talking about the government? 
Well, some people might like to use "baboons" to describe people working in the U.S. Congress, but no. 
We only use "congress" with baboons. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, Steve and Ken. 
They are quite a congress of gentlemen... I mean, a nice couple of gentlemen. 
We're continuing now with the Night Safari. 
We find: Next door lies Night Safari, which offers a glimpse of what nocturnal animals do during their "day." Well, let's talk about that word here. 
It is the key word "glimpse." A glimpse of something is a sight of something. 
Maybe it's not a long sight. 
Maybe you can only watch something for a short amount of time. 
You catch a glimpse of something. 
How else might you use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times my friend will ask me: Oh, have you seen this movie? 
And I'll say: Oh, well, I've only caught a glimpse of it while it was on TV. 
I haven't seen the whole thing. 
All right, just a glimpse of that movie. 
I know that feeling. 
I didn't see the whole thing, I just caught a glimpse. 
Nathanael, how do you use that word? 
Well, you can say... caught a glimpse, catch a glimpse, also get or got a glimpse. 
I went to the zoo and wanted to see the bears, but I only got a glimpse. 
I only saw them for a very short time. 
And I actually... I know how that feels too because I've been to a zoo, it's actually a wild animal park in San Diego. 
And everyone wants to see the lions, but we only got a glimpse of the lions because, of course, they love to sleep and they were sleeping. 
You can barely see them. 
I got a little glimpse. 
Well, we see another word here. 
Carolyn, I would like you to talk about this, the word nocturnal. 
Yes. So "nocturnal" means that you are active at night. 
And there are a lot of animals that are only active during the nighttime. 
So they are considered to be nocturnal, which is why the Night Safari is such a great idea. 
It is a very interesting idea. 
This is a great place at the Singapore Zoo. 
Well, let's continue learning something now with Liz at the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We've been talking about zoos in today's article. 
And the writer mentions: ... a glimpse of what nocturnal animals do during their "day." Notice how the word "day" gets quotation marks around it. 
Those marks are there to show that "day" is being used in a special way. 
In the case of today's sentence, the writer is having some fun with the word talking about what a normal day is like for an animal that comes out at night. 
So when you're writing and you want to play around with some words, you can add quotation marks to your words. 
For example: 
How could Mr. Goodman not be "good" to anybody? 
Or: Elaine has so many pairs of shoes; I'm sure she really "needs" another pair. 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine, you'll find more example sentences there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Bye-bye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
It is good to know how to use those quotation marks in different ways. 
Well, let's continue with our article. 
You can take the tram to East Lodge. 
What is a tram, Nathanael? 
A tram is usually some kind of train. 
It could be a subway train or it could be above ground also. 
All right, so kind of train. 
Sometimes they even call just "buses" at zoos a tram, something that takes you from one place to another. 
But usually it is a kind of train on rails. 
Well, our article continues. 
Then walk the Leopard Trail to see a collection of animals from the giant flying squirrel to the Asian otter. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of that sentence. 
You can walk the Leopard Trail. 
That's kind of an interesting usage of that word "walk." I... I would usually say walk on the Leopard Trail. 
But you can also just say "walk the Leopard Trail." That's a special trail at the Night Safari. 
It's just called the Leopard Trail. 
We continue that you can see a collection of animals from the giant flying squirrel to the Asian otter. 
Carolyn, do you like either of these animals, the flying squirrel or the otter? 
I do! I like both of those animals, especially the flying squirrel because it has extra pieces of skin on its body that allows it to glide from one tree to the next. 
So it looks like it's flying. 
It does. 
It's very interesting. 
I've been to this part of the Night Safari before. 
And it was my favorite part actually because I'm just waiting there looking around for this flying squirrel. 
I don't know where it is. 
All of a sudden, this thing goes gliding by me, just like a huge sheet of paper that lands on a tree. 
It was incredible. 
It was the flying squirrel. 
Well, we continue. 
You can also gaze at the amazing leopards and elusive clouded leopard through the windows of their enclosed habitat. 
Well, we see that Word Bank word there. 
It is "enclosed." This means that it is closed off to the outside. 
How else might you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, sometimes we talk about something being enclosed in a letter. 
Maybe some information is enclosed in this letter, and you should not lose it. 
All right. It's enclosed. 
Usually the idea is that things from the outside should not be able to get in. 
And if it's on the inside, you shouldn't let it out either. 
Well, let's continue learning with something... uh, in the Language Lab with Michelle. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers. 
Well, we've had a lot of fun talking about the Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari today. 
I've been to the Night Safari, but I think Carolyn and Nathanael have as well. 
Nathanael, what was your favorite part of the Night Safari? 
Well, I just thought that it was a very unique atmosphere. 
I'd never been to a zoo in the dark at night before, and I thought it was really interesting to ride the bus through the zoo in that way. 
All right. What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, I actually... I took the Leopard Trail and I walked through the Night Safari, 
which was a great experience because you were very close to all of these nocturnal animals that you probably wouldn't see awake during daytime hours at a regular zoo. 
Well, this is zoo, and the Night Safari is pretty cool. 
If you have a chance to, it is worth seeking out. We're going to learn about other zoos tomorrow. But for now it's time for us to saygoodbye. See you later. Goodbye!

2013.02.06.A

Hey, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
I am Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
Thank you for joining us for day two of our lesson "What's New at the Zoo." Well, 
yesterday you learned about what's new at a zoo, the Singapore Zoo. 
Of course, there is a Night Safari there as well. 
We're going to learn about two more zoos today. 
And this just makes me ask, I know many of you have been to zoos before: What is your favorite zoo? 
Nathanael, what's your favorite zoo? 
Well, I really enjoyed the Disney park called Animal Kingdom. 
They have many animals that you can see, but they also have some rides and shows that you can go to as well. 
Carolyn, what about you? 
What's your favorite zoo so far? 
Well, so far I've been to quite a few, but my favorite is the Taipei Zoo because you can get very close to the animals in their enclosures. 
Right on. 
Well, my favorite zoo so far was when I went to in... way higher, near way high in China. 
And it was quite interesting because it was on the mountain but also right next to the sea. 
And so there were animals of all kinds there, really kind of in their natural habitat where they would naturally be anywhere. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning with our first reading for the day. 
What's New at the Zoo? 
The Philadelphia Zoo. 
The Philadelphia Zoo, America's first zoo, has attempted to recreate the traveling that animals do in the wild. 
The Treetop Trail, a 700-foot, elevated passageway allows monkeys to "wander" outside their enclosure. 
The Great Ape Trail, also above park visitors' heads, allows the orangutans to see over large areas of the park. 
The trails provide engaging experiences for the animals and allow people to observe the animals in new ways. 
Additional trails are planned. 
Children 1 to 11 can have a memorable birthday party at the zoo featuring a fun and educational presentation. 
Well, we've finished listening about the Philadelphia zoo, and it soulds like a very interesting zoo to go to. 
In the first sentence we see: 
The Philadelphia Zoo, America's first zoo, has attempted to recreate the traveling that animals do in the wild. 
And we see a More Information word there: recreate. 
If you recreate something, then you make it again. 
Nathanael, how can you use the word "recreate"? 
Well, here we're talking about recreation of the kind of traveling that animals can do in the wild. 
But of course, zoos also try to recreate an animal's natural environment no matter what area of the world they're from. 
That's right. 
Now is there another way you can use the word "recreate," Gabe? 
Well, yes, there... there is. 
Actually, um, I did a lot of acting while I was in university. 
And on stage, sometimes you have great moments. 
And I try to recreate those moments. 
I want that moment to happen again in the next show. 
Of course, you can never predict. 
You never know what is going to be like. 
It's hard to truly recreate a moment. 
That's right. 
So you can recreate something that you've done before or you can try to recreate a habitat. 
Here we have a trail that animals are used to traveling in the wild. 
And we continue with: The Treetop Trail, a 700-foot elevated passageway, allows monkeys to "wander" outside their enclosure. 
So we have a key word here in this sentence. 
And it is "elevated." If something is elevated, that means it is raised. 
It is above where you would normally be. 
What is something that can be elevated, Gabe? 
Well, here in this lesson we're talking about an elevated passageway that's kind of like a high walkway or trail. 
Um, usually it's kind of like a bridge actually among the trees, an elevated passageway. 
I would say an elevated walkway. 
Butt what's something else that could be elevated, Nathanael? 
Well, you could also say that your expectations were elevated. 
Maybe you weren't really looking... looking forward to going to this small zoo. 
And then you looked at the map and saw everything that was there, and your expectations rose. 
They were elevated. 
Yes. So you can have your expectations elevated, or you can have something elevated above you. 
Now at the end of that sentence, there's a word "enclosure," which reminds me of a word we had yesterday in our key words. 
It was "enclosed." So an enclosure means where you put something. 
It is enclosed inside an enclosure. 
Where might you find an enclosure, Gabe? 
Well, as you can see at the zoos, you could find enclosures. 
These enclosures have different animals inside. 
These animals are enclosed inside their enclosures. 
So that's where you could see an enclosure at the zoo. 
But I also see another word here in the sentence, and I know that Liz talked about these kinds of words yesterday in the Grammar Gym. 
You see that word in quotations. 
The word "wander" is in quotations. 
All right. So now you know how to use those words. 
I think you'll see it another time in our lesson about the zoos, so keep your eyes open for that. 
Yes. So if we continue on with our article, Nathanael, what is the next sentence? 
The Great Ape Trail, also above park visitors' heads, allows the orangutans to see over large areas of the park. 
So this also must be an elevated area. 
Yes, it does sound like it's elevated. 
And we see that the trails provide engaging experiences for the animals and allow people to observe the animals in new ways. 
Now there's a word in that sentence that I'd like to talk about as an extra word: engaging. 
If you engage something, then you are very active. 
How is another way you can use the word "engaging," Nathanael? 
Well, engaging is something that's interesting, something that gets your attention. 
And I think there is something very engaging about seeing an animal in the wild. 
It's always very interesting to watch them there. 
I think so too. 
You can see an engaging uh... or you can have an engaging conversation as well about these animals in the wild. 
So different things can be engaging. 
It's just something that attracts you or interests you. 
It holds your interest. 
It is engaging. 
And of course, we know that learning with Studio Classroom is an engaging activity for you every day. 
That's right. 
And if you want to say a movie is engagning, you can also use it that way. 
A movie is very interesting and keeps your attention. 
It is engaging. 
Well, continuing on. 
We see that additional trails are planned. 
And children 1 to 11 can have a memorable birthday party at the zoo featuring a fun and educational presentation. 
Now we see the word "presentation" at the end of that sentence. 
And that is a key word for today. 
Gabe, what is a presentation? 
Well, a presentation it could be a kind of show. 
It's something that someone presents to you. 
They have planned it, they have prepared it. 
And it could be just one person or lots of people that put on a special program. 
It's a presentation. 
Studio Classroom is a kind of presentation, actually. 
What other kinds of presentations are there, Nathanael? 
Well, you often have to give a presentation in class. 
Maybe your class takes a visit to the zoo. 
And once you go back to class, at some point, you may have to give a presentation for others to listen to. 
That's right. 
So you need to present some information in your presentation, give a little bit of extra information. 
Well, now I think it's time for us to take a little break and see what Michelle has to present to us today in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.06.B

Today we've been learning about what is new at the Philadelphia Zoo. 
And it seems like they've got a lot of great exhibits there. 
You can see animals wandering around in an elevated platform above your head. 
You can also have a great birthday party for those who are aged 1 to 11. 
There are also large areas of the park filled with orangutans. 
Well, let's continue on with the rest of today's reading and learn something about the Bronx Zoo. 
What's New at the Zoo? 
The Bronx Zoo. 
The Bronx Zoo in New York City houses 6,000 animals and works to save wildlife and wild places. 
Those who want to sleep with zebras have a chance at this zoo. 
Special overnight safaris allow families to camp out on the zoo grounds and meet some amazing animal guests. 
The Congo Gorilla Forest allows visitors a look into the heart of Africa. 
Watch more than 20 lowland gorillas romp among the trees. 
Wouldn't it be quite interesting to be able to see all those gorillas romping around the Bronx Zoo? 
Now Nathanael, where is the Bronx Zoo? 
Well, the Bronx Zoo is in New York City just north of it just as the sentence says: 
The Bronx Zoo in New York City houses 6,000 animals and works to save wildlife and wild places. 
So it sounds like a pretty good zoo. 
And it's in New York, so it must be very popular. 
Now there's a word in that sentence. 
"Houses" instead of "houses." Gabe, can you tell me why we would say "houses" instead of "houses"? 
Well, that is a good question. 
You can hear a little bit of a difference, right? 
Usually you use this word as a noun. 
I live in a house, H-O-U-S-E. 
Here it's spelled the same, but that first "S" is a little bit different. 
It sounds like a Z. 
For some words, when you change them into a verb, that "S" will turn into a "Z" sound. 
So it becomes "houses." As you can see, this Bronx Zoo in New York City houses 6,000 animals. 
So it's not "houses;" it's "houses" 6,000 animals. 
That's right. 
And we see that it works to save wildlife and wild places. 
So it sounds like it's doing a very good job to really help animals. 
Well, continuing on. 
Gabe, would you please read the next sentence? 
Of course. 
Those who want to sleep with zebras have a chance at this zoo. 
Um, well, I've never really thought about that before. 
Nathanael, have you ever thought about sleeping with zebras? 
No, I don't think about sleeping with animals in general, actually. 
But at this zoo we see that special overnight safaris allow families to camp out on the zoo grounds and meet some amazing animal guests. 
Well, that does sound like a lot of fun. 
And we see in this sentence a key word: overnight. 
Now if you do something overnight, then it happens during the nighttime, over the nighttime, overnight. 
Nathanael, according to this article, what can you do overnight? 
Well, there are uh... you can go to a afari overnight, where you can meet many kinds of animal guests, amazing animal guests even. 
That's right. 
So you can do that overnight. 
What is something else that you can do overnight, Gabe? 
Well, you can use this word as an adverb as well. 
You can stay overnight at your friend's house or stay overnight somewhere that you don't usually do. 
So to stay overnight. 
So you can stay overnight somewhere or you can go to an overnight safari or something like this, something that keeps you up all night. 
That's right. 
And we see that this overnight safari allows families to camp out on the zoo grounds. 
And if you camp out, it sounds like you're going camping. 
Is that what they're doing, Gabe? 
Actually, that's a good question. 
Usually I use that phrase "camping out" or camping somewhere that's kind of far away from home, 
maybe in the mountains, and you're staying overnight with a tent. 
I don't know if they have tents here at this zoo. 
Maybe it's just regular rooms that you could stay in or maybe you're just really sleeping outside on the ground, but you're camping out. 
That's just a way to say that you're not inside your house. 
You're camping out somewhere different. 
That's right. 
And now I think that Ken and Steve have a little more information for us in the Information Cloud. 
We learn in our lesson today that you can camp out on the zoo grounds at the Bronx Zoo. 
Let's look at this word "grounds" more closely, Steve. 
OK. Well, we all know that the ground is the surface on the earth that we walk on. 
However, "grounds," when used in the plural, refers to the land that surrounds a building or buildings on a certain piece of property like school grounds. 
Or it could be land that is designated for a special purpose like fairgrounds or burial grounds. 
So the zoo grounds is the land in and around the buildings and cages of a zoo. 
Now there's another usage of "grounds," with an S, that refers to the bases or reason for some action that you want to take. 
Yes. A person may resign from his job on the grounds of ill health. 
And that means the reason for his resignation is because of ill health. 
And this usage is plural also. 
You know, Steve, I have another usage of "grounds" that I know you'll appreciate - coffee grounds. 
Ah, yes, that's right. 
Coffee grounds are the sediment found at the bottom of the pot after you brew a pot of coffee. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Yes, you can camp out on the zoo grounds at this zoo. 
Also, we continue: The Congo Gorilla Forest allows visitors a look into the heart of Africa. 
So this forest allows people a look into the heart of Africa. 
But wait a minute. 
There's a phrase there I want to take a look at: into the heart of something. 
Carolyn, when you're at the Bronx Zoo, are you really visiting Africa? 
No, you're not. 
But you're getting to experience and see a lot of the animals that live in Africa, so it's almost like being there. 
And here we see the heart of something. 
The "heart" just means the center of Africa, so it's like you're really there. 
That's right, the heart of something. 
Usually I think of this phrase to use when you're talking about a big place like the Amazon. 
We're going into the heart of the Amazon. 
That means we're going to experience what's really there in the Amazon. 
How else can you use this phrase, Nathanael? 
A common expression is "the heart of the matter." The most important part of a question or a problem, the real issue, is the heart of the matter. 
All right. So there are different ways you can use this phrase: into the heart of something, or the heart of something. 
Well, let's continue. 
Our last sentence here is: 
Watch more than 20 lowland gorillas romp among the trees. 
We see a Word Bank word there. 
It's kind of fun word to use: romp. 
Carolyn, can you tell us about this word? 
Well, the word "romp" makes me think of something that is moving very quickly but it's not moving very smoothly, kind of back and forth. 
And it's having a lot of fun while it's doing this. 
So a lot of times I might think that puppies when they're playing and running at the same time will be romping through the yard. 
All right. 
So little puppies might romp through the yard. 
Do people romp? 
Well, I guess... I guess maybe we can romp if we're not running smoothly, we're not walking smoothly. 
We're just having a fun time, we might romp as well. 
But usually I think of animals when I use this word. 
How else might you use that word, Nathanael? 
This is another word that can be used as a noun. 
People can definitely have a romp even if they don't romp, like: 
It was a romp to watch the zookeeper feed the lion. 
It was a lot of fun. 
Had a good time doing it. 
It was a romp. 
All right. 
It was a romp. 
So you can use this word in that way too. 
Remember that, friends. 
Romp could be a verb or a noun. 
Well, you see that these gorillas romp among the trees. 
And we're going to do something completely different now. 
We're going to enjoy a review skit, and then spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Good morning, Mr. Zookeeper. 
Ginger, where can you peer at a giraffe? 
Ho-ho... Africa. 
Where can you marvel at an elephant? 
Ho-ho, in Africa. 
Where can you do those things without going to Africa? 
Oh, at the zoo! 
Yes. Zoos give people a chance to get up close to animals. 
And it gives animals a chance to get up close to people. 
That's right, Ginger. 
But some zoos offer even more. 
Oh! And like what? 
Well, in Singapore, you can eat breakfast with orangutan. 
Oh, breakfast with people! I like that! 
People can get to know me more. 
That's right. 
And get an in-depth look at other animal residents. 
Yeah. What else is new at the zoo? 
How about a night safari? 
Get a glimpse of nocturnal animals at night. 
Ooh. 
You can also walk the Leopard Trail. 
What would I see? 
Flying squirrels, Asian otters and leopards, of course. 
Sounds scary. 
Don't worry. 
They're in an enclosed habitat. 
Good. 
So let's go see what's new at the zoo. 
Can I finish my breakfast first? 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our program. 
Today we've talked about two great zoos where you can interact and have a lot of fun with many different animals from different places. 
And it makes me wonder: What animal experiences have you had? 
Have you ever had a great memory with an animal? 
Nathanael, do you have a memorable animal experience? 
Well, I do remember one time when I was living in a dorm during high school, there were some baby birds, 
actually quite large baby birds that had started to live on our back balcony. 
And we had to get them taken away so they would be safe. 
It was kind of an interesting process to watch. 
That would be an interesting process. 
And it could also being very noisy. 
What about you, Gabe? 
Well, my parents have a picture of me eating their dog's food when I was like five years old. 
And that's quite a memorable picture if you ask me. 
Oh. So you ate some dog's food. 
And there are certainly many memorable animal experiences. 
And I hope that you have one as well. And we will see you next timehere on Studio Classroom. Goodbye.

2013.02.07.A

Hello everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
Thank you for joining us today - day three of our lesson What's New at the Zoo. 
Carolyn, what did we learn about the first day here talking about What's New at the Zoo? 
Well, first we learned some information about the Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari that is next to it. 
At the Singapore Zoo, you can have breakfast with orangutans. 
Or you can go to the Night Safari in the evening after it gets dark and see nocturnal animals wandering around. 
It truly is a cool experience. 
It's worth seeking out. 
Nathanael, what did we learn about the Philadelphia Zoo? 
At the Philadelphia Zoo, which is America's first zoo, there are elevated passageways that different kinds of animals travel in. 
You can also have a birthday at the Philadelphia Zoo. 
And we found out that in New York at the Bronx Zoo, you have a chance to stay overnight, sleeping with the zebras among other things. 
Well, we have two more zoos to learn about today, so let's get started with our first reading. 
(Music). 
What's New at the Zoo? 
The Taronga Zoo. 
The Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, offers special animal encounters. 
Visitors can see a koala up close, feed a giraffe or hold a reptile. 
For those who want to learn what it's like to work at a zoo, Taronga offers a "Keeper for A Day" program for anyone over 18 years old. 
Participants help prepare food, clean exhibits and learn about animal care. 
Hello, mate. 
Well, we're learning all about the Taronga Zoo. 
And yes, it is in Sydney, Australia. 
Let's read the first sentence there together. 
The Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, offers special animal encounters. 
We see a Word Bank word right away there. 
An "encounter" is when you come into contact with something or someone. 
You experience something, perhaps for the first time. 
Nathanael, how might you use this word? 
Well, just like "experience" can be a noun or a verb, so can "encounter." Have you ever encountered a wild animal in their natural environment? 
Well, I would like to learn some more about these special animal encounters at the Taronga Zoo by watching a video. 
Just 12 minutes from the city by ferry, Taronga Zoo is an amazing day out, and is home to over 3,000 charismatic animals. 
Taronga offers personal encounters with both Australian and exotic wildlife. 
Enjoy 20 free keeper talks and shows, close and personal guided tours and incredible views of the Sydney harbor, making it a great day out for everyone. 
Learn about the zoo's role in conservation through protecting endangered species, 
increasing people's understanding of wildlife and inspiring community actions. 
Capture a lasting memory of your visit with a professionally-taken photo of an up close experience getting close to a koala or feeding a giraffe overlooking the harbor. 
See for yourself why Taronga is regarded as the most stunning and beautiful zoo in the world. 
Well, it does sound like quite an interesting place to visit. 
Getting back to our lesson, friends, we read: 
Visitors can see a koala up close, feed a giraffe or hold a reptile. 
Very interesting. 
Which one of those three things would you prefer to do? 
Would you prefer to see a koala up close, feed a giraffe or hold a reptile? Carolyn? 
Well, I would prefer to feed a giraffe because giraffes are very tall and have very long necks, 
and being able to feed one, I think, would be a very interesting experience. 
I think so too. 
Nathanael, would you like to hold a reptile? 
I'm not interested in holding a reptile. 
Let's move on. 
For those who want to learn what it's like to work at a zoo, Taronga offers a "Keeper for A Day" program for anyone over 18 years old. 
All right. 
So there's a Keeper for A Day program for anyone over 18 years old. 
And of course, you could probably see many animals up close in this kind of program. 
We see a phrase there in the sentence... or in the previous sentence: up close. 
Now if something is up close, if you're doing something up close, that means that you're pretty close to it. 
It's not far away. 
You're right there. 
You're having an up close encounter. 
How else might you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, even at a zoo, it is often difficult to see a large animal up close. 
If you're too close to a large animal, it could be dangerous. 
That could be quite dangerous. 
But there are some things that you can do up close at a zoo. 
Actually, if there is a glass enclosure or a cage, then you can get quite close. 
You can be up close to even dangerous animals as long as there's that wall or cage separating you. 
Well, we do have something to learn with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
Let's go there now. 
Our lesson mentions a Keeper for A Day program. 
And since we're talking about zoos, this would, of course, be a zookeeper. 
Right. 
There are different keepers in English. 
Besides zookeeper, there's also bookkeeper, housekeeper, goalkeeper, peacekeeper among others. 
And there's also the phrase "my brother's keeper," which is a reference to the story of Cain and Abel in the Bible. 
Cain and Abel were the sons of Adam and Eve. 
Cain committed the first murder in human history. 
After Cain killed Abel, God questioned him about his brother; and Cain's response was... 
"Am I my brother's keeper?" And that has become one of the most famous lines in the Bible. 
So being "my brother's keeper" means being responsible for the welfare of one's brother and our fellow men. 
That's one meaning, right. 
But if you say in the negative, "I'm not my brother's keeper," then you're saying you're not your brother's babysitter or parent. 
Because he is old enough to take care of himself. 
Yes. That's the idea. 
So on the one hand, we should try to be our brother's keeper and help our fellow humans. 
However, if you think your brother is old and mature enough to take care of himself, you could say: I'm not my brother's keeper. 
Hmm, very interesting. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Yes, there are many different kinds of keepers. 
Of course, at the Taronga Zoo, you can be keeper for a day if you are over 18 years old. 
Well, we continue with our lesson. 
Participants help prepare food, clean exhibits and learn about animal care. 
We see a More Information... or not More Information, we see a Word Bank word there. 
It is the word "participant." A participant is someone who participates in something, who takes part in something. 
How could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, if you are in a contest, and perhaps it's a speech contest, all of the participants would need to prepare for their speech. 
So everyone who is in the contest is a participant. 
All right. They're participating, so they are participants. 
How do you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, I was just wondering what kind of participants apply to be in this Keeper for A Day program. 
We know that you have to be over 18. 
I just wonder what kind of people usually do it. 
What kinds of people usually do it? 
That's an interesting question. 
Maybe there are some other conditions that you can find out about online or see who is usually participating in this kind of thing. 
I also think of participating in a project. 
You're a participant in some kind of project. 
You're taking part in that project. 
Well, you could go to this zoo and help clean exhibits. 
Cleaning exhibits... 
Carolyn, what's an exhibit? 
Well, the exhibit here just means the animal's enclosure. 
We learned the word "enclosure" before. 
And it's where the animal lives, so. 
You're going to be cleaning up after the animals that you are learning about. 
All right. 
And of course, you get to learn how to take care of these animals. 
Animal care. As you can see, the word "care" can also be a noun. 
We usually use it as a verb. 
I care about you. 
Please care for my plants while I'm gone. 
But here we're talking about animal care. 
Well, I did see a word earlier in this lesson today, the word "reptile." And I just wanted to talk a little bit more about that. 
You know this word, but there are many kinds of reptiles. 
What's one reptile that you usually think about, Nathanael? 
Well, the first one that I usually think of is a snake. 
Not that I like snakes, just when I hear "reptile," I usually think about snakes. 
I think you're right. I think many people think about snakes. 
And like you, most people don't like snakes. 
But there are many other kinds of reptiles, like crocodiles is one kind of reptile. 
What's another kind of a reptile, Carolyn? 
Well, there're also lizards. 
And lizards are kind of like a small crocodile or a snake with legs. 
So they're very unique. 
Interesting. 
Yes. Many cold-blooded animals are reptiles. 
Well, we're going to continue learning something new with Michelle right now in the Language Lab. 
And then we'll take a break. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.07.B

We've been talking about the Taronga Zoo today, the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia. 
There are two special things that you can do at this zoo. 
You can take part in a special animal encounter where you get up close to animals, 
or you can apply to be in the Keeper for A Day program and see what a zookeeper does for a day. 
But we're also going to learn about one other zoo today in the second reading. 
(Music). 
What's New at the Zoo? 
The San Diego Zoo. 
At Southern California's San Diego Zoo, animals dwell in natural-looking areas. 
Wildlife photography lovers can take a class to learn the secrets of photographing animals. 
The zoo's backstage pass program offers people opportunities to meet a cheetah or feed a rhino. 
Zookeepers also teach people how to talk to the animals so they will talk back! 
Before the zoo opens, people can join Sunrise Surprise Strolls to get the latest updates on the animals and special happenings. 
Who knows what those may be! 
Don't miss the chance to visit one of these zoos and enjoy wildlife in a new way! 
Well, we're learning all about the San Diego Zoo here. 
And I just have to say I love San Diego. 
The weather is awesome. 
If you have a chance to visit, go. 
And while you're there, visit the San Diego Zoo. 
We see the first sentence here says: 
At Southern California's San Diego Zoo, animals dwell in natural-looking areas. 
And it's true, they dwell in these natural-looking areas. 
We see a word there from the Word Bank. 
It is "dwell." And when you dwell somewhere, that means you are living there for a while. 
Carolyn, how might you use that word "dwell"? 
Well, here we see that they dwell in natural-looking areas. 
So that means that they live in an environment that is very similar to what they would do in the wild, where they would live in the wild. 
You might say that a bear dwells in a cave or in the woods, in a cave. 
I like that example. 
A bear might dwell in a cave somewhere. 
How else could you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, you could also say that animals... some animals make their own dwellings. 
That's making a noun out of the word "dwell." A dwelling is just a place that you can live in. 
Some animals, like birds, make their own dwellings - a nest. 
All right. 
And nest is a kind of dwelling. 
It's the place where they live. 
And as Nathanael just said, dwelling is a verb, you add "-ING" to this word to make it... or a noun, sorry. 
It becomes a noun, D-W-E-L-L-I-N-G, the animal's dwelling. 
So we find here that animals dwell in natural-looking areas. 
Wildlife photography lovers can take a class to learn the secrets of photographing animals. 
Well, would you like to do that, Carolyn, to take pictures of animals at this zoo? 
Well, I'm not very good at photography, but I would love to learn how to take good pictures of animals, 
especially in a zoo where they have natural-looking enclosures. 
I think it sounds like a great idea. 
It's a great program that they have at this zoo that you can learn something like this. 
Well, Carolyn, how does our article continue? 
It says: The zoo's backstage pass program offers people opportunities to meet a cheetah or feed a rhino. 
That sounds like a very exciting opportunity, but you need a backstage pass. 
And that's something I would like to look at now is "backstage." What is a backstage pass, Nathanael? 
Well, when I hear "backstate," of course, I think of a stage. 
And if you're on stage, you can look off of the stage to the backstage area where the audience cannot see you behind the curtain. 
That's the backstage area; or sometimes we might say: behind the scenes. 
That's right. 
Now Gabe, have you ever been backstage or had a backstage pass to a performance? 
Well, I've been backstage, but that's because I was in the show. 
I don't remember any backstage passes that I had. 
That's a special privilege that some people in the audience get to go backstage and maybe meet some of the performers. 
It sounds like a really cool opportunity. 
I've never had that chance. 
Have you, Carolyn? 
I have. I had a great time going backstage at a performance of Noah's Ark. 
It was a live stage play. 
And there were animals backstage that were used in the performance. 
So I got to see them. 
Well, that's really cool. 
You had a backstage pass. 
Well, friends, you could get a backstage pass that allows you to have an opportunity to meet a cheetah or feed a rhino. 
Rhino, that's a short name for rhinoceros. 
Some animals have nicknames like this. 
You can just shorten it to something like rhino. 
Well, Nathanael, how does our article continue? 
The next sentence says: 
Zookeepers also teach people how to talk to the animals so they will talk back! 
Sounds interesting. 
It does sound interesting. 
The animals might talk back. 
Some animals that talk are parrots. 
They like to talk. 
Well, we continue. 
Before the zoo opens, people can join Sunrise Surprise Strolls to get the latest updates on the animals and special happenings. 
We see a Word Bank word there. 
The word is "update." And an update is what is going on now. 
It's the news about anything that is new. 
So how could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, Gabe, have you seen the weather update for tomorrow? 
I think it might be very cold. 
Oh, yeah, that's the whether update. 
I guess it was going to be a little warm, but the update is that it might be a little bit cold. 
How else could you use that word? 
Well, you can also use it in an adjective form. 
Keeping animal exhibits updated is probably pretty expensive. 
It does sound pretty expensive. 
Well, friends, right now it's time for us to continue learning about "happenings." You see that word there. 
You can see "special happenings." This is an actual word we want to talk about. 
A "happening" here is a noun. 
Usually you talk about something happening as a verb; here it is a noun. 
You can talk about something special. 
It's a special happening. 
Right now it's time for us to go and enjoy some time with a review skit. 
Mr. Zookeeper, what else is new at the zoo? 
The Philadelphia Zoo has the Treetop Trail. 
Ooh, what's that? 
It's an elevated passageway that allows monkeys to wander outside their enclosure. 
I like that. 
And there's the Great Ape Trail. 
You can see all over the park. 
That's great for apes. 
The Bronx Zoo has something new too. 
Well, tell me about it. 
Special overnight safaris allow families to camp out on the zoo grounds. 
Ooh, I want to camp out with the zebras. 
You can also watch gorillas romp among the trees. 
I love to romp. 
The Taronga Zoo in Sydney offers special encounters with koalas, giraffes and reptiles. 
Koalas are adorable. 
Yeah. And you can be a Keeper for A Day. 
Oh. What's that? 
Yes. Participants can clean exhibits. 
Clean exhibits? Eww! 
No, thank you. 
There's always the San Diego Zoo. 
You can meet a cheetah. 
Hey, I don't like cheaters. 
Cheetahs are big cats. 
And you can feed a rhino and take pictures. 
Oh. 
And talk to the animals. 
Hooray! Let's go. 
But please pass the bananas first. 
(Music). 
Well, before that skit we talked about interesting happenings. 
And who knows what those may be. 
We end with one sentence: Don't miss the chance to visit one of these zoos and enjoy wildlife in a new way. 
Yes, if you have a chance, visit one of these zoos. 
Right now it's time for us to go and visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our program. 
Well, of all these opportunities at the zoos, "Keeper for A Day" sounds interesting. 
What would you like to care for as Keeper for A Day, Carolyn? 
Well, I would probably care for the large cats, a lion or the tiger exhibit. 
What about you, Gabe? 
I like kangaroos. 
Maybe I'd like to be kangaroo keeper for a day. 
Well, friends, thank you for joining us for these three lessons about what's new at these different zoos. 
We'll see you next time right here at StudioClassroom. Goodbye.

2013.02.08.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
We're very glad that you could join us here for today. 
We're going to be talking about the Lunar New Year celebrations. 
That's right. 
We know many people love to celebrate Lunar New Year. 
And we're going to be talking about Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C. for the next couple of days. 
But I do wonder how you celebrate the Lunar New Year. 
Nathanael, what do you do to celebrate Lunar New Year? 
Well, usually my family would end up going to the beach. 
We did that most years, but we didn't always have a lot of traditions other than that. 
That sounds like a wonderful thing, going to the beach, just taking a break, getting a little vacation. 
Carolyn, how do you celebrate the Lunar New Year, or do you celebrate Lunar New Year? 
Well, you know, I hadn't really heard of the Lunar New Year until I moved to Asia because I'm from a very small town in the United States, 
and we don't have a lot of outside cultures there. 
But now that I'm here, I really like to celebrate by having a big meal with my friends. 
Well, that can be a lot of fun. 
I always remember going out with my brother shooting off fireworks and firecrackers. 
It's always a lot of fun during the Lunar New Year week. 
Well, we're going to learn about Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C. over the next couple of days. 
So open up your magazine and let's get started with our first reading for today. 
Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C. 
A celebration of traditions. 
Gongs and drums, dragon dances and kung fu demonstrations. 
You could imagine you were somewhere in Asia celebrating the Lunar New Year. 
But, this is Washington, D.C., the United States capital. 
A Chinese New Year's parade and festival take place here every year. 
People must work and go to school, so this holiday could be neglected. 
But in D.C., a large number of Chinese keep the holiday traditions alive. 
The parade in Chinatown is the most memorable part. 
Different groups from the Chinese community participate in a variety of activities - martial arts, ribbon dances, traditional drums and tai chi. 
Hundreds of tourists flock to view this parade. 
Lanterns and red envelopes are given away. 
We're learning all about Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C., the capital of America, the United States. 
And right here in the title we see one of our Word Bank words. 
It is "lunar." Now lunar is anything that has to do with the moon. 
Nathanael, how else could you use that word "lunar"? 
Well, the Lunar New Year is based on the lunar calendar, a calendar based on the moon when it is full and when it is not. 
That's right. 
So it's based off the lunar calendar. 
There are different kinds of calendars. 
But how else could you use that word "lunar," Carolyn? 
What does that make you think of? 
Well, when I think of lunar, I do think of the moon. 
And I also think of Asian culture because a lot of their holidays revolve around the lunar calendar like Nathanael said. 
That's right. 
And so that's why we celebrate the Lunar New Year. 
Of course, another name for the Lunar New Year celebration is Chinese New Year. 
There are different names for this holiday. 
And it is a celebration of traditions. 
Of course, there are many traditions because these cultures go back for many centuries. 
Well, we're going to get started with our first sentence here. 
Nathanael, what does it say? 
Gongs and drums, dragon dances and kung fu demonstrations. 
All of these things are things that take place during Lunar New Year in many places. 
That's right. 
All of these things and of course, probably lots more, you can see in Washington, D.C. as well. 
Well, we do see a Word Bank word there. 
It is: demonstration. 
A demonstration is just a show of some kind. 
To demonstrate or show the history of something, to represent something. 
A demonstration. 
Carolyn, how would you use that word? 
Well, I really like to cook. 
So I like to watch cooking demonstrations and learn new cooking techniques. 
All right. 
I also like to watch demonstrations to show me how to do different kinds of things. 
When I was in high school, my teacher made me do a demonstration speech. 
That means I had to give a speech demonstrating how to do something. 
I demonstrated how to stretch before a run. 
How else could you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, you might also be familiar with the word "demo," which is just a short form of this word demonstrations, like computer demo. 
Maybe it gives you a small part of a program just so you can see what it's like, a computer demo. 
And I think that's kind of what the idea is here. 
We're looking at kung fu demonstrations. 
So maybe not a full-on kung fu contest but maybe just a demonstration to let people see what it is like. 
Well, we continue. 
You could imagine you were somewhere in Asia celebrating the Lunar New Year. 
You could imagine this. 
But Carolyn, how does this article continue? 
But, this is Washington, D.C., the United States capital. 
So it's not in Asia; it is in the United States of America. 
And I think that Ken and Steve have a little more information for us on that word "capital" in the Information Cloud. 
What is the capital of the United States? 
We all know it's Washington, D.C. 
Now Steve, let me ask you this. 
Where is the "Capitol" in Washington, D.C.? 
Nice try, Ken. 
The Capitol in Washington, D.C., is on Capitol Hill. 
The Capitol, spelled capital "C"- A-P-I-T-O-L, is the building in which the U.S. Congress meets. 
Right. 
The big building in Washington with a big dome on the top is called the Capitol. 
Now I'm glad you mentioned the dome, Ken, because that can help us remember the different spellings. 
Just think of the "O" in the word "Capitol" as a dome, like the dome of the U.S. Capitol. 
Ah, good one, Steve. 
Now let's take a look at the other capital, spelled C-A-P-I-T-A-L. 
It can mean a town or a city that is the official seat of government. 
So Washington, D.C., is the capital of the U.S. 
What's another capital, Steve? 
Well, I think of Albany as the capital of New York state. 
That's right. 
It's not New York City. 
Now "capital" can also refer to a city that is the center of a specific activity or industry. 
For example, New York is the financial capital of the world. 
And Paris, yes, the fashion capital of the world. 
Good example there. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
There is a bit of difference between those two words. 
Now continuing with our article today. 
A Chinese New Year's parade and festival take place here every year. 
So in Washington, D.C., there is a festival for Chinese New Year every year. 
Gabe, would you like to continue our article? 
Of course. 
We find that people must work and go to school, so this holiday could be neglected. 
That's right. 
The city Washington, D.C., is not in an Asian country somewhere where people celebrate for a whole week, so this holiday could be neglected. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word. 
It is: neglected. 
Nathanael, can you tell us about this work? 
Well, if you neglect something, you don't give it the attention that you should. 
If you go to Washington, D.C., I think you should not neglect the Lincoln Memorial. 
I thought it was the most memorable part of my trip to Washington, D.C. 
That's a great point. 
There are so many things to see in the capital of America. 
Don't neglect to see the Lincoln Memorial. 
Well, how else might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, it doesn't always have to be when you want to go see something. 
You might neglect doing something that you ought to do. 
Maybe you need to clean your room, but you've neglected cleaning for two weeks, and now it's quite messy. 
It's quite messy. 
Don't neglect to clean your room. 
Don't neglect to turn off the light when you go out. 
Sometimes you might say "I felt neglected." It's like people almost forgot about you. 
You feel neglected sometimes. 
Well, we're not going to neglect the rest of our article today. We continue: 
But in D.C., a large number of Chinese keep the holiday traditions alive. 
They keep these traditions alive. 
And I want to talk about those words: to keep something alive. 
These are extra words. 
If you keep something alive, what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that you don't let it die. 
But here it's a little bit more figurative. 
It's not something that is actually living. 
It's an idea or a tradition, a part of culture that you don't want to forget. 
All right. 
So how else could you use that phrase? 
Well, I was thinking of an example of maybe Chinese people in America. 
If they have children that have never been to China or any other country in Asia that their parents are from, 
it might be hard for them to keep their cultural background alive. 
I think that's a great point. 
Sometimes it can be hard. 
It can be easy to neglect your cultural background instead of keeping it alive. 
And continuing with the article we see: 
The parade in Chinatown is the most memorable part. 
Different groups from the Chinese community participate in a variety of activities. 
Nathanael, what kinds of activities do they participate in? 
Well, there's a list right here in the article: martial arts, ribbon dances, traditional drums and tai chi. 
That's a lot of interesting things to see. 
Yes, it sounds like it. 
And there are lots of different groups of people who participate in these activities. 
Now we see that hundreds of tourists flock to view this parade. 
Have you ever gone to see a parade, Gabe? 
Oh, I've seen parades before. 
I haven't seen the one in Washington, D.C., at the Lunar New Year. 
But I do enjoy watching parades, different people marching down the street. 
There's lots of music. 
Of course, at Disneyland there is the Electric Parade at night. 
That's always a lot of fun. 
And there are different kinds of parades too. 
Well, we see that lanterns and red envelopes are given away during the Lunar New Year celebrations. 
This sounds like a wonderful time. 
It's also a wonderful thing that Michelle is here to help explain a couple of things in today's Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.08.B

We're learning and talking all about the Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C. 
Of course, many people celebrate the Lunar New Year all around the world, but it's very special in Washington, D.C. 
You can see kung fu demonstrations and other kinds of martial arts going on. 
You can also do different things. 
You can watch the parade that is happening. 
And of course, people there that are living in the city try to keep their Chinese traditions alive. 
They don't want to neglect their culture and background. 
So that is why they celebrate the Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C. 
Let's learn a little bit more in our second reading for today. 
Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C. 
The mall is also impressive during this time. 
For two weeks, the mall lobby is decorated with spring-festival couplets and red lanterns. 
Different kinds of entertainment go on every day - Chinese and Cantonese music performances, 
acrobatics, Chinese calligraphy and traditional dances. 
All are the essence of Chinese culture. 
Parents take their children shopping and let them enjoy this exhibition of a great culture. 
So here the article makes another suggestion of a place that you could visit during the Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C. 
The mall is also impressive during this time. 
What does it say about the mall in the next sentence, Carolyn? 
It says for two weeks, the mall lobby is decorated with spring-festival couplets and red lanterns. 
So the mall is very festive during this time of year. 
And at the beginning of that sentence, we see a key word: lobby. 
Now the lobby is just a large open area. 
Where might you find a lobby, Nathanael? 
I often think about a lobby in a hotel. 
That's a common place to find a lobby. 
That's right. 
There are many places that have lobbies. 
And in the mall lobby during Chinese New Year, you can see lanterns. 
Gabe, do you have a lantern there? 
Why... why, yes, I do, Carolyn. 
I did bring a lantern. 
This is an example of a lantern you might see at this mall in Washington, D.C. 
Of course, I made this red lantern all by myself. 
Um... 
Well, no. Maybe I didn't. 
But that would be pretty impressive if I did. 
I do like red lanterns like this. 
And you might be able to see these in the lobby, the busy lobby there at the mall during the Lunar New Year. 
Yes, so they have large, red, round lanterns there. 
They also have something called a spring-festival couplet. 
Nathanael, what is a spring-festival couplet? 
Well, a couplet is usually just two lines of poetry; most likely they rhyme and have a similar rhythm to them. 
Of course, these would be in Chinese and are about the spring, most likely, being spring-festival couplets. 
I also see a picture behind you, Nathanael, of these spring couplets. 
These different couplets, they're pieces of paper with these Chinese writings on them. 
They usually come in pairs. 
That's what they call them a couplet. 
Well, we continue. 
Different kinds of entertainment go on every day - Chinese and Cantonese music performances, 
acrobatics, Chinese calligraphy and traditional dances. 
Wow, this seems very fun. 
I'm not sure which one I'd like to see most, which one of these things - the acrobatics, the Chinese calligraphy, music performances, traditional dances? 
What would you guys like to see? Carolyn? 
Well, it would be very, very difficult to choose. 
There are so many! 
I think I would have to try to go to all of them. 
All of them. Go check them all out. 
Nathanael, would you like to go see the acrobatics? 
Yes. The acrobatics do sound interesting. 
It'd be people flying around on ropes and doing interesting things with each other, having to be very flexible. 
I'm sure it'd be a very interesting show. 
I think this whole thing sounds interesting. 
There are probably many more things you could see but there's not enough space in our lesson to write everything down. 
We continue. 
How does the article continue, Nathanael? 
All are the essence of Chinese culture. 
The essence of Chinese culture, what do you think that means, Carolyn? 
Well, essence just means that it's a very important part of something, perhaps the most important part of something. 
And these are all parts of Chinese culture. 
They are all the essence of Chinese culture. 
The essence of Chinese culture, the part of something. 
I also think about maybe the... the essence of Christmas. 
What's the real meaning of Christmas at that time of year? 
Well, our article continues. 
Parents take their children shopping and let them enjoy this exhibition of a great culture. 
We see our last Word Bank word there of the day: exhibition. 
That's kind of a show of some kind. 
You're exhibiting something. 
It's an exhibition. 
So where might you use that word, Nathanael? 
I often think of an exhibition at a museum. 
Sometimes exhibitions travel around, and museums will have a special exhibition while they are there. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
When do you use that word? 
Well, I know that we do have many exhibitions traveling around here in Asia. 
And one of them, very recently, was the flower exhibition, we also called the Flower Expo. 
And it was wonderful to attend. 
There were hundreds and thousands of flowers. 
And it was just beautiful to see the exhibition of flowers that they had there. 
Now Nathanael, what kind of exhibitions have you been to? 
Well, I've been to a few different exhibitions like the human body exhibition in the museum; and it's very, very interesting. 
All right. 
Now we're going to move on to a review skit, after which, we'll go to see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Wow! Look! Gongs and drums, dragon dances and kung fu demonstrations. 
Welcome to the capital of the United States. 
Oh, it's different than I thought. 
Yes. It's just like celebrating the Lunar New Year in Asia. 
There are parades and festivals. 
It happens every year. 
But don't people have to work and go to school? 
True. It would be easy to neglect this holiday, but a large number of Chinese keep it alive. 
Yes, it looks very alive. 
The parade in Chinatown is the most memorable part. 
I love parades. 
What else is there? 
There are a variety of activities. 
Martial arts, ribbon dancing, traditional drums and tai chi. 
It looks like there are a lot of tourists here. 
Yes, hundreds flock here. 
Do you like Chinese lanterns? 
Well, yeah. 
Red envelopes? 
Sure. 
Here. Take these. We're giving them away. 
The mall decorations are impressive. 
And there are music performances and even acrobatics. 
Oh, this is so exciting. 
I'll be right back. 
Where are you going? 
To get the kids! 
They're going to love it. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And back to our program. 
Well, we're learning all about Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C. 
And I would like to know what your favorite part about this lesson has been so far. 
What interests you most about Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C.? Nathanael? 
Well, we kind of had two options. 
You could go to the parade or you could go to the mall. 
I think I would definitely choose the parade. 
I enjoy watching parades; and it sounds like there's so much to see at this one. 
Well, the parade does sound like a lot of fun to attend, but I would like to go to the mall because I love to see different kinds of performances. 
And it sounds like there are a lot of cultural performances, Cantonese and Chinese, and they sound very fun. 
Well, there's certainly a lot to experience at this celebration. 
I would like to see the traditional drums myself and maybe get a free lantern or red envelope, hopefully if it has some money inside. 
And I think we're going to learn a little bit about food in the next lesson about Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C. 
I'm looking forward to that. 
We'll see you next time right here at StudioClassroom. Goodbye.

2013.02.09.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
We're glad you could join us for our second day talking about Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C. 
Of course, I know a lot of people are getting excited about celebrating Chinese New Year or the Lunar New Year. 
But I do wonder if you know the difference, 
or if you can at least express some of the differences between Chinese New Year and the New Year on January 1 in English. 
Nathanael, what are some of the differences? 
Well, one small difference is that the American New Year is always on January 1, 
but Chinese New Year is a little bit later and is not always on the same day because it's based on the moon's cycles. 
That's right. 
Well, Carolyn what's another difference between the Lunar New Year and January 1? 
Well, I think both holidays have a lot of food involved. 
And today we're going to talk about some of the food we eat on Chinese New Year. 
But for the rest of the world that celebrates on January 1, a lot of times we will eat boiled cabbage or black-eyed peas. 
Well, those sound delicious. 
I am looking forward to learning about the food that you can eat during Chinese New Year or the Lunar New Year. 
And of course, one other big difference is one celebration is for one day while the other is at least a week - the Lunar New Year. 
Let's get started with our first reading for today. 
Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C. 
Students at Saturday morning Chinese schools celebrate Lunar New Year a different way. 
Not every child enjoys learning Chinese because it is more difficult than English. 
But Chinese parents still encourage them to learn the language and culture. 
To celebrate, the students do Chinese calligraphy and paper cuttings of "spring" or "fortune." The feast on New Year's Eve is very important. 
People crowd Asian supermarkets for weeks before the celebration. 
Especially popular are traditional foods like sticky rice cake, fish, oranges and dumplings. 
Chinese restaurants provide takeout service, or people can reserve a table and eat there. 
Well, it sounds like there's a lot of delicious food to eat during the Chinese New Year. 
Now if we start at the beginning of our reading today, it says: 
Students at Saturday morning Chinese schools celebrate Lunar New Year a different way. 
Wait. There are Saturday morning Chinese schools, Nathanael? 
Well, I guess so. 
Apparently in Washington, D.C., there are some students that go to Saturday morning school. 
Interesting. 
The next sentence says: 
Not every child enjoys learning Chinese because it is more difficult than English. 
That's an interesting statement. 
What do you think about that, Gabe? 
Well, I don't know. 
Uh, Chinese is more difficult than English? 
I don't know how everybody feels about this statement. 
I think that Chinese is more difficult than English but that's because English is my mother tongue. 
I'm not sure about how other people feel. 
How do you feel about this, Carolyn? 
Well, I think that both languages are very challenging, very difficult to learn. 
And perhaps here what they mean is that in the United States, 
it is very difficult to learn Chinese because everyone around you is probably speaking English. 
I think you're right about that. 
So to these people, to these kids growing up in the United States, Chinese would be more difficult than English. 
There are lots of difficult languages to learn, Finnish, French, Japanese, Arabic. 
But maybe in the States, when you're comparing Chinese and English, Chinese is more difficult. 
Well, how do we continue, Carolyn? 
Well, it says: But Chinese parents still encourage them to learn the language and culture. 
So they still want them to be able to speak Chinese, perhaps read and write in Chinese and be able to understand their Chinese culture. 
All right. Well, we're going to take a look at the Information Cloud right now. 
Steve and Ken have something interesting for us there. 
Ken, I've always wanted to ask you a question. 
Were you born in the United States? 
No, I was born in Taiwan. 
Oh, so you're not an ABC. 
No, I'm not an American-born Chinese, but a lot of people think that I am. 
Why don't we clarify for them what an ABC really is. 
OK. An ABC, like you said, Ken, is short for American-born Chinese. 
In other words, it's a person of Chinese descent who was born in America. 
So in your case, since you were not born in the United States, you can not be an ABC even though you were raised in the United States. 
That's right, Steve. 
I immigrated with my family to the United States when I was little. 
Also, you were brought up in the U.S. 
And when you first went to America, you were an immigrant. 
Well, that's a common term we use to refer to someone who comes from their home country to live in a different country. 
In fact, some of my ancestors moved from Europe to America a few centuries ago. 
They were Irish and Hungarian immigrants. 
And that's why America has a nickname - melting pot. 
But that's another lesson. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
So ABC stands for American-born Chinese. 
But what would you call yourself, Gabe? 
What would I call myself? 
On, no. 
Well, I was born in America but grew up in Taiwan. 
So I guess you could call me a... a ABGUT. 
American-born grew up in Taiwan, yeah, ABGUT. 
It's not as nice sounding as ABC. 
OK. 
Well, the first sentence is, in this part of the reading: 
To celebrate, the students do Chinese calligraphy and paper cuttings of "spring" or "fortune." Now I think that Carolyn has something to show us today that's kind of special. 
What is this, Carolyn? 
Well, I have done a paper cutting. 
It was not the word "spring" or "fortune," but it's a paper cutting of two dragons. 
And it's very cute on red paper. 
Now when I think of paper cuttings in the U.S., though, I don't think of Chinese paper cuttings. 
I think of a snowflake that we do on white paper. 
It's very nice. 
Well, that is very nice, Carolyn. 
You have some nice paper cuttings there, a small, little dragon on red and a big snowflake. 
You're very artistic, Carolyn. 
Well, thank you, Gabe. 
Now at the end of that sentence we see a key word - the word "fortune." Now Nathanael, can you tell us a little bit more about this word "fortune"? 
Well, fortune could be something like good luck. 
That's one way to understand the word, though there are different meanings. 
I was thinking of a sentence, something like: 
You were in good fortune to come to Washington, D.C., during the Lunar New Year. 
That is one way you can use the word "fortune." Gabe, what do you think of when you hear the word "fortune"? 
Well, you might be in good fortune if you get a nice fortune cookie at a Chinese restaurant in Washington, D.C. 
You can open up this fortune cookie and read your fortune or the good thing that it says about what your future might be. 
There are different ways you could use that word fortune. 
That's right. 
I also think of having a lot of money. 
You can make a fortune. 
You can have lots and lots of money. 
Well, continuing on we see: The feast on New Year's Eve is very important. 
People crowd Asian supermarkets for weeks before the celebration. 
So it sounds like they take a very long time to prepare for this if they're in the supermarkets for weeks, Nathanael. 
That's right. 
Not only have they been shopping for a long time for weeks, there's also a lot of people shopping. 
"Crowd," we see in the sentence, is a key word in our Word Bank today. 
Crowd. 
There's different ways to use this word. 
How would you use it, Gabe? 
Well, I might say it is very crowded outside. 
That's the adjective form. 
It's very crowded. 
I also might tell someone: Don't crowd the sidewalk; or a group of people: Please don't crowd this area. 
That means don't spend so much time here where nobody else can go by. 
Don't crowd the area. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, sometimes busses are very crowded. 
There are lots of people on them, and you have to crowd onto the bus. 
So you add more people onto a bus that is already full. 
OK. So "crowded" is an adjective. 
"Crowd" can be a verb, but it can also be a noun. 
When I was in New York City during New Year's time a couple years ago, I wanted to see the ball drop. 
But the crowd was too big, and we went back to our hotel instead. 
All right. 
Let's read the next sentence. 
What is it, Gabe? 
Well, especially popular are traditional foods like sticky rice cake, fish, oranges and dumplings. 
Mmhm... That sounds delicious. 
Of course, people would be crowding the Asian supermarkets to get foods like this: sticky rice cake. 
What is that, Carolyn? 
Have you ever had sticky rice cake? 
I have had a sticky rice cake, and it's quite good. 
And it's just the way it sounds - it's cake-shaped almost, and it's made of a very sticky kind of rice. 
And it can have many different things in it. 
It's very delicious. 
All right. It sounds good. 
Right now it's time for us to join Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we read: 
People crowd Asian supermarkets for weeks before the celebration. 
Especially popular are traditional foods like sticky rice cake, fish, oranges and dumplings. 
Notice the pattern of the second sentence. 
The writer just means traditional foods like sticky rice cake, fish, oranges and dumplings are especially popular. 
However, to let readers immediately pay attention to what is popular, the writer puts the sentence in inverted order. 
And that's why "especially" is at the beginning of the sentence. 
So when you're writing about a situation and you want to bring attention to a specific detail, try using "especially" at the beginning of the sentence. 
And make sure you switch the sentence into inverted order. 
For example: 
This snack shop is famous for its desserts. 
Especially delicious are the pies. 
Or: There are many trails in this national park. 
Especially beautiful is the trail to the waterfall. 
If you want to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
This is Liz saying goodbye from the Grammar Gym. 
See you. 
Thank you, Liz. 
You did an especially good job. 
We're going to continue right now. 
Our last sentence here is: 
Chinese restaurants provide takeout service, or people can reserve a table and eat there. 
Well, we see some words there from the Word Bank - takeout. 
Takeout. 
That means you're taking some food to go. 
So when would you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, maybe you're in a hurry and you don't have time to sit down and eat at a restaurant, you can get it to go. 
You can get takeout. 
Let's get takeout tonight. 
Let's get takeout tonight. 
We're going to take out as we go to our break. 
Right now it's time to go to visit Michelle in the Language Lab, and then we'll take a break. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.09.B

So far today we've learned that students in the United States who are from Chinese families still celebrate the Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C., 
and even go to Saturday school to learn Chinese. 
We... we've also seen that the feast on Lunar New Year is very important. 
And there are many different kinds of delicious foods that people shop for weeks in order to prepare for the holiday. 
Well, let's continue with our reading for today and find out some more things about Lunar New Year. 
Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C. 
After the feast, parents put money in red envelopes and give them to their children. 
The custom of staying up late doesn't apply here because work and school are waiting the next morning. 
Children are in bed. 
No loud firecrackers. 
No phone calls of "Gong Xi Fa Tsai." This is Lunar New Year in D.C. 
The best part is celebrating with family. 
Happy New Year everyone! 
We're all having fun learning about the New Year celebration in D.C. 
We start here: After the feast, parents put money in red envelopes and give them to their children. 
Now why would they do that, parents put money in red envelopes? 
I guess that's some kind of tradition. 
Nathanael, did you ever get red envelopes growing up? 
Well, yes, I did get red envelopes. 
I didn't actually ever get them from my parents, but friends of ours would sometimes give us kids some red envelopes during the Chinese New Year. 
I actually had the same experience. 
Friends of my parents, especially, would give me and my siblings red envelopes with a little bit of money inside. 
Some of my friends also got red envelopes with a lot of money, and they always told me: 
Oh, don't worry, I can't spend it. 
I have to save it for university later in life. 
Well, what do you do with your red envelope money? 
Carolyn, how does our article continue? 
It says: The custom of staying up late doesn't apply here because work and school are waiting the next morning. 
So it sounds like usually you would stay up very late on Chinese New Year. 
But this does not apply in Washington, D.C. 
And we see a word here "apply." And that's an extra word that we want to talk about today. 
Nathanael, how would you use the word "apply"? 
Well, to describe this situation, you might say if you're in Asia, you probably get to celebrate the Chinese New Year during a vacation. 
But that does not apply in Washington, D.C.; it's in America. 
It's in a different country with a different New Year. 
And I think there are different sets of rules in different countries too. 
Maybe you're somewhere, and you have to follow certain rule. 
But you go to another country, and that rule doesn't apply. 
You don't have to follow that rule. 
It doesn't apply there. 
So that's how you use that word. 
But I also see another phrase here - the custom of staying up late. 
When do you stay up late? 
That means you stay up past the normal time that you go to bed. 
Nathanael, when do you stay up late? 
Well, I stay up late on the weekends quite often when I don't have to get up for work the next morning. 
That's a common time for me to stay up late. 
All right. What about you, Carolyn? 
When might you stay up late? 
Well, I feel like I'm up late almost every night. 
At least I'm up later than I would like to be. 
All right. 
Well, I think I stay up late as well. 
Sometimes if I have a lot of work to do, I might stay up late. 
Or I'm chatting with my friends, I like doing that too. 
So you might stay up late certain times. 
Of course, as we learned last month with our New Year's resolutions, we need to be getting sleep as well. 
So don't stay up late too often. 
Well, Carolyn, how does our article continue? 
It says: Children are in bed. 
No loud firecrackers. 
No phone calls of "Gong Xi Fa Tsai." Oh. 
So it sounds like these are traditions that are very common when you celebrate Chinese New Year. 
But what happens, Nathanael? 
Well, a lot of these things don't happen in Washington, D.C. 
And we saw a word there in these few short sentences: firecracker. 
"Firecrackers" is a key word for today. 
We want to talk about that. 
Firecrackers are common in the Chinese New Year. 
And you might see them... in the American New Year too. 
But I think that maybe they're more common on a different holiday, Gabe, in America? 
That's right. He's talking about the Fourth of July, July 4, America's Independence Day. 
That's when you would normally see the most fireworks in the United States, especially in a place like Washington, D.C. 
I think you'd see lots of fireworks there. 
Actually, I've been using the word "fireworks." You see fireworks, which go up into the sky and make a bright light. 
And it's really pretty. 
That's a kind of fireworks. 
But we're talking about firecrackers here in this article. 
And it's a little bit different. 
Firecrackers make a lot of noise, but they don't necessarily give a display of beautiful lights. 
Fireworks and firecrackers. 
You can also say that someone is a firecracker. 
That means she's very active, or he's very energetic. 
That person is a firecracker. 
But how else would you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, I do like to have firecrackers during the Fourth of July celebration. 
But you don't want to play with fireworks too much because they can be a little bit dangerous. 
It's true. 
I have witnessed some accidents with people playing with firecrackers and fireworks. 
Well, we continue. 
This is Lunar New Year in D.C. 
The best part is celebrating with family. 
Of course that's the best part of any holiday. 
Wouldn't you agree, Nathanael? 
Oh, yes, that you always have some extra time to spend with people that you love on holidays. 
Continuing in the article it says: 
Happy New Year everyone! 
Even this article is a kind of celebration of the New Year. 
All right. 
And now it's getting close to time to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Let's see what she has to tell us today. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our program. 
The past two days we've been learning about Lunar New Year in Washington, D.C., and how they celebrate it there. 
And we have mentioned something called a red envelope. 
Now I happen to have a red envelope right here that I made for Chinese Lunar New Year. 
And uh, this... this is for you, Nathanael. 
Oh, Carolyn, you didn't have to do that. 
You made this yourself? 
I did, and it was... it was very fun to make, actually. 
Well, it's beautiful! 
Really, you are too kind. 
Well, that sounds wonderful, but Carolyn, what about mine? 
I mean, (Chinese). 
Gabe, don't worry. 
I made one for you too. 
You did! 
Carolyn, thank you so much! 
Oh... Carolyn, thank you very much indeed. 
And you know you said Gong Xi Fa Tsai, and that reminds me of a song. 
(Music).

2013.02.11.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad you could join us for today. 
Our lesson is about a woman called Margaret E. Knight. 
We'll be learning all about her over the next couple of days. 
She was a very influential woman. 
We're going to be learning about a woman whose ingenuity still affects our lives today. 
When I think of influential women, I think about my mom. 
But of course, you don't know my mom. 
I know my mom. 
She's not a famous historical person. 
But what about famous historical people who affected society? 
Nathanael, can you think of any other famous influential women? 
Well, of course. There have been a lot of them. 
But I'm pretty interested in acting, so I thought of Katharine Hepburn who was maybe one of movie's most famous actresses, 
and I think the only actor, male or female, to ever win four Oscars. 
All right. Yeah, she was pretty influential in the filming industry and acting industry. 
Carolyn, who do you think of when you think of influential women? 
I think of Eleanor Roosevelt, who was married to a U.S. president. 
And she ended up working for the United Nations and trying to promote human rights around the world. 
That's right. 
She was very influential. 
And you guys, I'm sure you guys are also thinking about someone else who's very influential in our lives. 
Our boss Doris Brougham is a very influential woman. 
Of course, she's not historical. 
She's still around. 
She's wonderful. 
She's influencing many lives today through her English teaching and through Studio Classroom. 
Well, let's get started with our first reading for today. 
(Music). 
Margaret E. Knight. 
Meet a woman whose ingenuity still affects our lives today. 
No one could have predicted that a baby girl born on February 14, 1838, in the cold northern state of Maine would revolutionize the world. 
Yet, that is what Margaret Knight did. 
She was not wealthy, received little education and lived at a time when women were not expected to accomplish much. 
Nevertheless, Knight's intelligence, effort and persistence enabled her to invent many devices with great significance for her own time and for our lives today. 
(Music). 
All right. So we're learning all about Margaret E. Knight today. 
As you can see right here at the very beginning: 
Meet a woman whose ingenuity still affects our lives today. 
And right away you see that word from the Word Bank. 
It is: ingenuity. 
Ingenuity. Carolyn, what does this word mean? 
Well, if someone has ingenuity, it means that they're able to think of a lot of really good new ideas. 
So, Nathanael, can you think of an example? 
Oh, I think that most people that are inventors are people of ingenuity because they can think about how to fix something maybe in a new way. 
That's right. 
They can think of how to fix something in a new way. 
Maybe it's combining creativity with effectiveness, and applying it to real life and really changing the world that you live in. 
Do you have ingenuity? 
It makes me think of the word "ingenious." If you think of someone who is a genius, they are ingenious. 
They are really creative. 
And they can come up with things that can help other people really quickly. 
Creativity; ingenuity. 
Well, Margaret E. Knight was a person of ingenuity. 
What do we find out about her here, Carolyn? 
Well, we see that she still affects our lives today, 
and that no one could have predicted that a baby girl born on February 14, 1838, in the cold northern state of Maine would revolutionize the world. 
And here we have another key word: revolutionize. 
Now Gabe, what is revolutionize? 
Well, if you revolutionize something, it's not an easy task. 
I don't think any one person can really revolutionize something. 
But if you revolutionize something, that means you are making it new. 
You are changing something, hopefully, for the better. 
This makes me think of things like the American Revolution or the French Revolution where societies and cultures were changed for the better. 
A revolution, a complete change. 
How else can you revolutionize something, Nathanael? 
Well, one simple idea can revolution a lot of different kinds of things. 
One simple idea, maybe in the case of Margaret Knight, could revolutionize an industry. 
All right, so she revolutionized an industry or different industries. 
And we see here that no one could have predicted that a baby girl born on February 14 in 1838, that was a long time "a girl," and it was... 
A long time a girl? 
I met her long time ago. 
And it was a time when girls were not as highly esteemed as they are now. 
So no one could have predicted. 
That's why it starts out like this. 
You can't predict that a girl would have made such a big difference in the world. 
Yet, we continue, that is what Margaret Knight did. 
It says that she was not wealthy. 
She received little education and lived at a time when women were not expected to accomplish much. 
So they were not expected to accomplish much. 
They were not very well-educated. 
What else do we know about women at this time, Nathanael? 
Well, they just really did not have a lot of privileges. 
At this time they did not even have the right to vote. 
That would actually come much later. 
All right. So they didn't have the right to vote. 
They couldn't accomplish much, or people didn't think that they could accomplish much. 
Of course, Margaret E. Knight would prove a lot of people wrong. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something interesting with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
What would you do if you had a little money saved up? 
Steve, what would you do? 
I would buy a little house near the ocean. 
Ken, since you asked me what I'd do with a little money, why don't we talk about the difference between "a little" money and "little" money. 
OK, Steve. 
If I have a little money saved up, I'm happy with how much money I have. 
But if I say I have little money saved, I'm saying I barely have any money. 
And I'm not happy with how much money I have. 
Notice the difference, friends. 
It's in the attitude. 
In fact, little money and a little money could even be exactly the same amount of money. 
The difference is "little" has a negative connotation, and "a little" has a much more positive connotation. 
While we're on the subject, why don't we also talk about the difference between few and a few. 
Which is very similar. 
If you say "I met a few people at the party," it's positive. 
It implies you are happy about the number of people you met. 
But if you say "I met few people at the party," it's negative. 
It implies you would like to have met more people. 
Thanks for clarifying that, Steve. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Yes, remember the difference between a little and little. 
As we just learned, Margaret E. Knight received little education and lived at a time women were not expected to accomplish much. 
Nathanael, how does our article continue? 
Well, the next sentence says: 
Nevertheless, Knight's intelligence, effort and persistence enabled her to invent many devices with great significance for her own time and for our lives today. 
That's right. 
And we see this word at the beginning of that sentence: nevertheless. 
I think this is a good word to talk about because it's kind of a joining word. 
It joins two ideas. 
It kind of means even so or despite these things. 
So despite her little education and the idea that women couldn't accomplish much, she still did something. 
Nevertheless. 
Carolyn, how do you use that word "nevertheless"? 
Well, if you want to think of an example for "nevertheless," maybe you really don't want to do a project, but you have to do it. 
So despite the fact that I don't want to do this project, nevertheless, I have to. 
All right. Nevertheless, I had to. 
It was... it was a rainy day and my best friend couldn't join me. 
Nevertheless, I enjoyed my time at the beach. 
So there's things that maybe make you upset, but nevertheless, you still want to enjoy your time. 
Well, nevertheless, Knight's intelligence, effort and persistence enabled her to invent many devices with great significance. 
And we see another key word here from the Word Bank. 
It is that word "persistence." If you have persistence, that means you don't give up. 
Maybe you try one time, two times, three times, many times, and you persist. 
You keep going. 
You don't give up. 
She had persistence. 
Nathanael, how else could you use that word "persistence"? 
Well, if you ask something with persistence, you may eventually get what you're asking for. 
In most cases, people will give you what you want if you don't leave them alone. 
All right. 
That's a good example. 
Do you ask with persistence? 
Do you really want to know something, or maybe you just give up after a while? 
If you give up, that's not persisting. 
You don't have persistence in something. 
Of course, it is good to have persistence when you want to accomplish something important. 
Persist. Don't give up. 
Well, you're doing a great job today. 
Thanks for persisting with us. 
And now it's time to learn something different in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.11.B

Well, today we're learning about an individual named Margaret E. Knight who you may have heard of before. 
She was very influential in the Industrial Revolution in the United States. 
She worked on some very difficult things especially when it came to factories and textile mills. 
And we're going to learn some more about her. 
But for some time she was underestimated. 
People did not expect much from her. 
But we're going to see that she did some very incredible things in the next reading. 
(Music). 
Margaret E. Knight. 
Knight lived during a time when factories were springing up all over the United States and manufacturing was booming. 
Her father died when she was 10 years old, so she, like many young women of her day, began working in a textile mill. 
When she was 12, Knight witnessed an accident in which a component of one of the machines flew off, seriously injuring a worker. 
Horrified, she determined to devise a way to prevent such accidents in the future. 
Knight designed a safety feature that would stop the machines if something got caught in them. 
The device soon became common in textile mills and is still used in some factories to this day. 
(Music). 
All right. 
Right here at the beginning we see: 
Knight lived during a time when factories were springing up all over the United States and manufacturing was booming. 
All right. We see a key word there, or it's a word that I want to talk about anyway. 
It's the word "boom." If something booms, usually that makes me think of a loud noise like thunder or someone's voice. 
But Carolyn, it's used differently here in the article. 
What does this mean? 
Well, here it means something like successful. 
So the industries were very successful. 
"Manufacturing was booming" means that it was increasing very, very quickly and probably with great force. 
All right, so it was booming. 
Well, Nathanael, how else could you use that word "booming"? 
How do you use that word in today's English? 
You know, I think a common expression that we often say is business is booming. 
It just means that your business is doing very well. 
You're selling a lot of things. 
You have a lot of customers. 
Business is booming. 
Business is booming. 
That is a very common phrase. 
Remember that! 
Right now it's time for us to learn something special and different with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We made in today's article, "... factories where spring up all over the United States..." That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: spring up. 
It means to appear and usually in a very quick way. 
So today's sentence just means factories were appearing all over the United States within a short period of time. 
Let's have a look at some more examples. 
When the park was open to the public, hotels and motels began to spring up nearby. 
Or: Shops and restaurants were springing up along the beach as the place became more popular. 
So friends, give this phrase a try. 
And if you have the copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
That's all the time we have for today. 
This is Liz, saying goodbye, from the Grammar Gym. See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
As we were saying, businesses were booming... or manufacturing was booming and factories were springing up all over the United States. 
We find out that Knight's father died when she was 10 years old, so she, like many young women of her day, began working in a textile mill. 
And when we see that sentence: someone's day, working in someone's day. 
Uh, that just means her time or her era, her generation, the time period that she was living; her day. 
And we see something else here. 
She was working in a textile mill. 
Nathanael, can you tell us a little bit about this? 
Well, think of a textile mill as a factory where maybe something like clothes are made, not only clothes, maybe towels or blankets or something like that. 
Those are all made of different textiles. 
Now the first textile mill is... it has its home in Lowell, Massachusetts. 
That was the first textile mill in the world. 
That was the first textile mill in the world. 
So probably many people were working there and many more textile mills sprung up. 
Just like businesses and factories were springing up, textile mills were springing up as well. 
And she was working in a textile mill. 
Well, Carolyn, how does our article continue? 
It says: When she was 12, Knight witnessed an accident in which a component of one of the machines flew off, seriously injuring a worker. 
So we see here that a component flew off of the machine. 
Now "component" is a very good word, a key word here that we can talk about. 
What is a component, Gabe? 
Well, it's a part. It's just a fancy word for "part." Of course, you can have a component to a machine. 
There are many different components to a machine. 
Something that you can use, you combine many things to make something bigger. 
So you have a component of something. 
So a component fell off of this machine, or flew off of this machine, causing a worker to become seriously injured. 
Wow! That sounds like a really dangerous job to me. 
But what else can use components? 
Nathanael, how else do you use that word "component"? 
Well, a component can basically just mean a piece or a part of anything. 
You could even refer to a person as a component of a larger group if you wanted to. 
All right, so a person. 
I'm a component of this company. 
Well, you could also use it to talk about something that you're learning, like an idea. 
Learning new keywords, vocabulary is a component to learning a new language. 
It's just one part of learning a new language. 
Of course, you have to learn the grammar, sentence structure, other things like that. 
These are all different components to learning a language. 
Well, we continue. 
Horrified, she determined to devise a way to prevent such accidents in the future. 
And I see that word there at the beginning: horrified. 
You can use different emotions to... to create adjectives like this word: "Horrified," she did something. 
She felt horrible. 
Horrified. It was a terrible experience. 
It was like horror. 
What other words might you be able to use in this way? 
You can create an adjective to create emotions. 
Well, one that's similar to "horrified" would be terrified. 
So you have terror and you are very afraid; so you are terrified. 
And maybe you are terrified to work in a textile mill. 
I think it sounds like a very dangerous job. 
All right, terrified, horrified. 
Well, we find out that she determined to devise a way to prevent these things. 
And there's a word here in this sentence I want to talk about. 
It is the word "devise." You saw another word like it earlier in the lesson: device. 
One is a verb, devise, with an S; the other is a noun, with a C. 
Nathanael, how are these words different, devise and device? 
Well, you can devise a device. 
You might say that it takes a talented mind to devise the features of a factory machine. 
Each of these devices is a new development in the machinery. 
All right, so there are the different ways to use these words. 
You can devise something. 
If you have a talented mind, you devise a plan. 
Maybe you come up with a strategy for something. 
You can devise many things. 
And of course, Knight devised a way to prevent such accidents in the future, such accidents like this serious injury. 
Well, Carolyn, how does this article continue? 
Well, we go on to see that Knight designed a safety feature that would stop the machines if something got caught in them. 
And the device soon became common in textile mills and is still used in some factories to this day. 
Well, it's pretty incredible the influence that Margaret Knight had on our society today, in textile mills, in the industries and lots of factories. 
And of course, we see that she created, or designed a safety feature. 
A safety feature. 
Well, that's just something that maybe a component that she created to help stop machines when something went wrong. 
That's a safety feature. 
Many different things might have safety features. 
What else might have a safety feature in it, Nathanael? 
Actually, one thing that I think about that they don't have too much of in Asia, but in the United States we have many lawn mowers. 
And if you're pushing a lawn mower, you want to get one with a safety feature. 
You can have a bad accident with a lawn mower. 
But if your lawn mower has a safety feature, it will stop before it hurts or causes any damage. 
All right. 
That's a good example. 
Of course, there are many other things that might have safety features. 
What else has a safety feature, something that you might use today? 
Talk about that. 
Think about that. 
Talk about it in English. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to the teachers. 
Well, the three of us were talking about how amazing Margaret Knight actually is. 
When she was 12, she started to do some pretty interesting and impressive things. 
What were you all doing at 12? Carolyn? 
Well, when I was 12, I wasn't really working. 
I was focusing on school and acting in plays, but I did have one job - I was a pet sitter. 
So when my neighbors went out of town, I would take care of their pets. 
All right. You were a pet sitter. 
You mentioned acting. 
You were in plays. 
I was actually doing a little bit of acting in plays too at school. 
But I wasn't inventing things or creating new things. 
I wasn't ingenious like Margaret E. Knight. 
I was just concerned with hanging out with my friends and trying to get my homework done. 
And what were you doing at 12 years old? 
Well, we hope that you're interested in Margaret Knight because the next two days' lessons are also about her. 
And we hope that we see you tomorrow at Studio Classroom.Goodbye.

2013.02.12.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad you could join us for day two of our lesson about Margaret E. Knight. 
She, of course, is a very influential person who revolutionized a lot of the way that we do things in today's world. 
Well, she was an inventor. 
She invented some things. 
Yesterday we learned that she invented a device, or she devised a device that would help stop machines when something went wrong. 
She invented lots of other things. 
And that just makes me wonder what kinds of things that you want to invent. 
Or maybe you did invent something, but maybe you wanted to invest something when you were a child? 
Nathanael, can you think of anything that you wanted to invent or did you have any ideas about things? 
Well, you know, I played with LEGOs a lot when I was a kid, the little blocks that you could build buildings out of. 
And I really liked building traps or moving walls and that type of thing. 
Oh, that's cool. 
Carolyn, did you want to invent anything when you were a child? 
Well, I had a great idea for this wonderful invention that would allow me to get the remote control for the TV from across the room. 
But I didn't know how to invent it. 
That is a wonderful idea for an invention. 
Well, friends, we hope you do have your remote controls. 
But don't change the channel. 
Stick with us here at Studio Classroom. 
We're going to get started in our reading for today. 
(Music). 
Margaret E. Knight. 
Although factories were eager to adopt her first invention, Knight did not receive much in the way of compensation for her effort. 
Because of her youth and her family's lack of education, Knight was unable to patent her safety device to earn a profit from selling it. 
But Knight did patent many of her later inventions, including one of her most enduring creations - a machine for producing flat-bottomed paper bags. 
In Knight's day, paper bags were shaped like envelopes, which made them difficult to fill. 
While working at a paper bag factory, Knight conceived of bags with flat, rectangular bottoms that would be stronger and more practical. 
(Music). 
Getting started at the beginning, we read this sentence: 
Although factories were eager to adopt her first invention, Knight did not receive much in the way of compensation for her effort. 
Well, we see this word "adopt" here. 
Factories were eager to adopt something. 
Usually I think of adopting little children when I see this word "adopt." Nathanael, what does this word here mean in the article? 
Well, here, of course, they're taking on something new. 
It doesn't have to be a child. 
It can be an idea or a new strategy, in this case. 
That's right. 
So it's a new idea, a new strategy. 
Adopting something, making it your own. 
And they were eager to adopt her first invention. 
But what happened? 
Knight did not receive much in the way of compensation. 
Knight did not receive much in the way of compensation for her effort. 
So "in the way of." That means that she did not get compensated for her effort. 
There was not much in the way of compensation. 
How else can you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, when you think of something being "in the way of," you might think that something is in front of it or blocking it, but that's not what it means here. 
It means something similar to. 
So maybe there wasn't much in the way of food at the birthday party, so I was very hungry. 
All right, not much in the way of food at the birthday party. 
You might walk into a store, you want to buy something. 
And the person there would say: Well, we don't have much in the way of coffee. 
We don't have much in the way of chocolate. 
What else do you want to buy? 
We don't have much in the way of... 
How else can you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, you could say that she didn't have much in the way of experience, but she was a quick learner. 
All right. 
That's another excellent way to use it: not much in the way of experience. 
So you can use it to talk about ideas, things, tangible things, or even things like compensation. 
And we're talking about compensation right now. 
This is from the Word Bank: compensation for something. 
So you did something, maybe you paid something you... you expended a bit of your money or your energy, and what is your compensation? 
Well, that's what you get back for what you gave - compensation. 
How do you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, I like to get compensation for my work. 
And that could be in the form of money or maybe some cake, Nathanael. 
Oh, cake! You like cake, do you? 
Well, another way to use this word in the United States, we talk about workmen's compensation. 
If you get injured, you may be able to receive workmen's compensation - some extra money because of your injury. 
All right. So that is workmen's compensation. 
Um, I like the idea of getting compensated with money, or I like Carolyn was saying, with cake. 
Maybe if I do something for you, you can take me out to coffee. 
That's what you can do in the way of compensation for me. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something different with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Let's talk about two words today that seem to have the same meaning but are, in fact, different. 
They are: eager and anxious. 
Although "anxious" has been used as a synonym for "eager" since the 18th century, 
we should use "anxious" only when we're worried or feel uneasy about an anticipated event. 
For example, you can be anxious about an upcoming exam. 
But you probably shouldn't tell your friends that you're "anxious" to see them this weekend. 
Instead, I should say I'm "eager" to see my friends this weekend. 
That's right. 
It's not that it's wrong. 
But it runs the risk of confusion because "anxious" is related to the word anxiety. 
And "anxiety" is definitely a negative-sounding word. 
It is. 
Anxious and eager both mean looking forward to something, but they have different connotations. 
"Eager" suggests enthusiasm about something. 
If you are really looking forward to some warm weather, for example, you're eager for it. 
And that's a positive connotation. 
Anxious, on the other hand, has the negative connotation. 
It implies a worry about something. 
So, if your son doesn't come home on time, you won't feel eager, you'll feel anxious. 
Ah, yes. That would make me very anxious. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, I'm not anxious, but I am eager to continue with our next sentence. 
Because of her youth and her family's lack of education, Knight was unable to patent her safety device to earn a profit from selling it. 
All right. 
So maybe her family didn't know enough about the law, what they could do to help her earn... or get this patent, 
because, of course, she invented something, and she wanted to earn a profit from it. 
She wanted to get some money for that. 
Well, how does our article continue, Carolyn? 
It says: But Knight did patent many of her later inventions, 
including one of her most enduring creations - a machine for producing flat-bottomed paper bags. 
Now Nathanael, have you ever used a flat-bottomed paper bag? 
Well, yes, I have. 
They're very common in the United States at grocery stores. 
If you buy things, you often put them in brown paper bags with a flat bottom. 
I love flat-bottomed paper bags. Yeah. 
You can either get like a plastic bag, or sometimes they give you that paper sack or paper bag that has a flat bottom. 
I guess before this, they were kind of like envelopes. 
Well, as we continue, we see: In Knight's day, paper bags were shaped like envelopes, which made them difficult to fill. 
We see a phrase there: in Knight's day, or in someone's day. 
What does this mean, Carolyn? 
Are we talking about the day that she invented something? 
No. We're talking about the general time when she was alive. 
So her day means her lifetime. 
And so an example you could use is in my great-grandmother's day, cars were a new invention. 
Well, I guess they would be. 
Yeah, cars were a new invention in her day. 
How else could you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, I was thinking that in our day, women have it maybe a little bit better than they did at the time of Margaret E. Knight. 
Well, I think so too. 
I would agree with that. 
In our day, it is a lot easier for a woman than it was from Margaret E. Knight. 
I was thinking about my grandfather. 
In my grandfather's day, lots of... lots more people lived on farms. 
I remember they... 
He told me a story about how they made ice cream out of hail falling from the sky along with milk from cows that they had on the farm, 
something that I could not do now, or in our day. 
Well, we continue. 
While working at a paper bag factory, Knight conceived of bags with flat, rectangular bottoms that would be stronger and more practical. 
And we see that Word Bank word there. 
It is the word "conceive." Carolyn, can you tell us about this word? 
Well, if you conceive of an idea or a concept, then you think of it. 
It comes to your mind and you make it alive. 
So what is something that you could conceive, Nathanael? 
I think that artists often conceive what they're going to draw, what they're going to paint or make before they actually create it. 
So they conceive of it, they have the idea in their mind first. 
That's right. 
I was thinking about maybe song writers or actors too. 
They conceive of how they want something played out. 
If you're writing a song or creating something new, you conceive of it first, and then you draw it or you create it. 
Well, she conceived of some pretty good ideas, and she created these flat-bottomed paper bags. 
They're stronger and more practical. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.12.B

Well, we are learning about Margaret E. Knight, and many factories liked her inventions. 
But she was not able to get her inventions patented the way that she wanted to. 
We do see that she created something very useful - a flat-bottomed paper bag. 
And we're going to learn a little bit more about this in the second reading of our lesson today. 
Margaret E. Knight. 
Then she endeavored to invent a machine that would manufacture them, and she succeeded. 
Knight's one machine could perform the work of 30 people, cutting, folding and gluing the bags together. 
Knight worked for months to perfect her masterpiece, but when she applied for a patent, one was already on file! 
A man named Charles Annan had seen an early prototype of Knight's idea and had attempted to patent the machine as his own. 
(Music). 
Well, we did learn before the break that she was going to invent these flat-bottomed paper bags. 
We see here: 
Then she endeavored to invent a machine that would manufacture them, and she succeeded. 
Well, I see a good word right there. 
It's from the Word Bank. 
And it's the word "endeavor." When you endeavor to do something, that means you have an idea and you want to carry it out. 
Maybe it's an idea that's a little more challenging, it's not an easy thing to do, but you want to try and do it. 
You endeavor to do something. 
How could you use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, it's a very brave endeavor to try to open a business in another country. 
That is not an easy thing to do, so it's quite a challenging endeavor. 
All right. 
That's a challenging endeavor. 
So as you can see, you can use this word as a noun as well. 
It's a challenging endeavor. 
You can endeavor to do something. 
Nathanael, how else can you use that word? 
Well, yeah, I was also thinking of it as a noun. 
It was a difficult endeavor, but nothing could stop her. 
She was determined to do it even if it was hard. 
All right. 
It was a difficult endeavor. 
And nothing was going to stop Knight as well. 
She endeavored to create something that would help... she was going to manufacture these bags, and then she succeeded. 
She didn't just endeavor to do something. 
That means you have the idea to do something, you want to do something. 
It doesn't always mean you will succeed. 
But we find out that Knight did succeed. 
Knight's one machine could form the work... or perform the work of 30 people, cutting, folding and gluing the bags together. 
It could perform the work of 30 people. 
Carolyn, what does that phrase mean? 
Well, if it can do the work of 30 people, that means that 30 people would have been needed to cut, fold and glue the paper bags together, 
but now her one machine could do all of that work. 
So those 30 people don't have to do the paper bag making anymore. 
All right, so 30 people. 
You could also use this phrase to talk about things like animals. 
A car might have 50 horsepower, a 50 horsepower engine. 
That means it can perform the work of 50 horses, 50 horsepower engine. 
So you can use this phrase in different ways. 
Well, Nathanael, how does our article continue? 
It continues by saying: Knight worked for months to perfect her masterpiece. 
Perfect her masterpiece. 
But what is a masterpiece? 
It's kind of a strange word. 
Yeah, it is a kind of a strange word. 
A masterpiece, it's... it's like you are a master at something, you are really good at something, and then this is like your... your work of art. 
You perfect your masterpiece. 
Something that you had a great idea about, you endeavored to do it, and you were successful. 
So Knight worked for months to perfect her masterpiece. 
Nathanael, what does it mean to perfect something? 
Well, perfecting something is like making it perfect. 
Going on in the sentence, we see that but when she applied for a patent, one was already on file! 
That's strange. 
And "on file" now is a word that we're going... a phrase that we're going to look at for today. 
On file, what does this phrase mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if something is on file, that means it's already been recorded. 
There's already a file for this idea. 
That's right. Something is on file. 
Maybe your co-worker is looking for something, you need to research something. 
Well, they already have something on file for you to look at. 
That is really helpful. 
So it can be really helpful if something is on file. 
But in this case, Nathanael, was it helpful that this kind of an invention or patent was already on file? 
No, not at all. 
It was not helpful to Margaret E. Knight. 
She was going to submit it, to put it in a file, but it was already there. 
So we know that something must be wrong in this situation. 
Well, now friends, it is time to go to a review skit. 
Let's see what they're doing over there. 
Margaret, how are you going? 
Very well, Charles. 
I'm working on another invention. 
You are revolutionizing the world. 
No one could have predicted that. 
True. 
I'm not wealthy, and I received little education. 
And women today aren't expected to accomplish much. 
True, but I have intelligence and persistence. 
Yes. And that has enabled you to invent many devices with great significance. 
You are so right. 
What was your first invention, Margaret? 
I designed a safety feature to prevent accidents. 
It became common in textile mills. 
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to patent it. 
So you didn't receive compensation for your effort. 
No. But now I have a new invention, a most enduring creation. 
Really? What is it this time? 
Take a look, Charles. 
Oh, my! It's... it's uh... 
It's a paper bag, with a flat, rectangular bottom. 
It's stronger... and more practical. 
It's... it's a masterpiece. 
But cutting, folding and gluing them will take a lot of effort. 
That's why I invented a machine to do those things. 
Oh. 
It performs the work of 30 people. 
Your invention is worth a fortune. 
Yes. 
Did you apply for a patent yet? 
Not yet. 
I'm still working on the prototype. 
May I see it? 
Well, certainly, Charles. 
Why not. 
Yes, why not. 
(Music). 
I just love those review skits. 
Well, back to that sentence earlier. 
We see that she applied for a patent, but one was already on file. 
Now we want to talk about that word "patent" because you saw it in today's lesson as a noun and a verb, a patent. 
Nathanael, what is a patent? 
A patent is something that you can apply for that gives you rights to something that you have created - often some kind of an invention. 
All right, an invention. 
Well, Carolyn, how is the word "patent" different from the verb "patent"? 
Well, you can patent something. 
So that means that you apply for a patent. 
And the patent is an actual document that says that this invention is yours, you have the rights to it. 
And if something is patented, then you will have to pay if you want to use it. 
All right. 
Well, remember that. 
If you invent something, make sure to get it patented. 
Don't let someone else steal your idea. 
The same thing if you write a song or do something creative like that, it's not called a patent. 
That's called a copyright. 
But it's the same idea. 
Well, we continue in our lesson. 
A man named Charles Annan has seen an early prototype of Knight's idea and had attempted to patent the machine as his own. 
Not a good idea. 
It looks like he was trying to steal her idea. 
Well, let's continue right now with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And back to the program. 
Well, Margaret E. Knight was a very wonderful inventor. 
She invented lots of different things, but unfortunately, some of her ideas were stolen by other people. 
Or at least one that we found out about today was stolen by a man named Charles Annan. 
Now that just makes me think. 
She's not the only one that has had her ideas stolen, right, Carolyn? 
I mean, does this happen to other people? 
It does happen to other people; and it's still a very common problem in business today. 
A lot of businesses will hire people to try to find out what other companies are doing so that they can do it first. 
Well, that's true. 
How else might someone steal your idea, Nathanael? 
Well, where I see this happening a lot is sometimes in movies and books, people claim that their ideas are being used somewhere else. 
They had a book long time before, and now someone's made a movie of it without crediting them; maybe something like that. 
That's right. 
Well, friends, a stolen idea is a bad idea. 
Right now it's time for us to say goodbye. But we'll see you next time right here onStudio Classroom. Goodbye.

2013.02.13.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad you could join us for day three of our lesson about Margaret E. Knight. 
She is known as the queen of paper bags for her most notable invention - the paper bag with the flat bottom, or the flat-bottomed paper bag. 
Well, we have learned a lot about Margaret over the last couple of days. 
What's another thing that she has invented? 
Nathanael, what's something else that Margaret invented? 
Well, the first thing that we discussed that she developed was a safety feature for machines in the textile mill that she worked in. 
She went to make sure people were safe. 
All right. 
This is a safety feature that some industries, some factories still use today with their machines. 
Um, Carolyn, did things always go smoothly for Margaret Knight? 
They did not. 
She had some trouble with one of her inventions that we're going to talk about. 
Someone else tried to patent her idea before she did, so she did face some troubles. 
That's right. 
Someone else tried to steal her idea and claim it as his own. 
Well, we're going to continue learning more about this case. 
Let's do that right now. 
Margaret E. Knight. 
Knight insisted that the patent should be hers and ended up taking Annan to court. 
During the case, Annan argued that a woman would not be able to invent such a complex and innovative machine. 
But Knight provided evidence proving that the device rightfully belonged to her and received the patent in 1871. 
Knight then founded the Eastern Paper Bag Company, a business that would utilize her new machines. 
But invention remained her primary work, and Knight didn't limit her ideas to a single industry. 
(Music). 
Well, yesterday we found out that this man Charles Annan had seen a prototype of Knight's invention and tried to patent it as his own. 
So that brings us to today's case. 
At the beginning: Knight insisted that the patent should be hers and ended up taking Annan to court. 
What does this mean, Nathanael, when you take someone to court? 
Well, it does not mean that Margaret literally took him by the hand into a courtroom, 
but it did mean that she had a problem and wanted to have it solved in the courtroom. 
So he was... she was making him answer to this problem. 
All right, that's right. 
She took him to court. 
And you can see this phrase here: to take someone to court. 
If you take someone to court, that means there's a problem, someone did something against you. 
Or maybe they're taking you to court; you did something against them. 
And you want to have the right thing happen. 
You want to have everything happen in a court of law so that everybody knows you were right or you were wrong, or they were right or they were wrong. 
You take someone to court. 
Carolyn, have you ever taken anyone to court? 
I have not taken anyone to court. 
But it is important to be careful that if something happens, you don't want to go to court because it can be a very expensive process. 
It can be an expensive process. 
It can be a messy process. 
Lots of... it's just something you want to try to avoid. 
Don't take someone to court unless you really, really have to. 
Of course, some things do need to be taken to court. 
If you want to have good or real justice take place, you take someone to court. 
Well, she took Annan to court. 
It says she ended up doing this. 
That means she was thinking about it, and then she ended up taking him to court. 
Well, Nathanael, how does our article continue? 
Article continues by saying: During the case, Annan argued that a woman would not be able to invent such a complex and innovative machine. 
Wow! That sounds like quite a statement from a guy. 
I mean, today, I can't imagine anybody trying to say that. 
Would they get away with it, Carolyn? 
No. Today they would not get away with it because women are capable of having these complex and innovative ideas. 
And we see this key word here: innovative. 
Now what is innovative, Gabe? 
Well, if you are innovative, that means you are creative, you think of new things, new ideas. 
Maybe you want to create something new like an invention. 
You are innovative. 
Um, Nathanael, how else can you use that word "innovative"? 
Well, I was just thinking that it's important to have innovative people in the world so that we can progress and develop. 
If people aren't thinking of new ways to do things, we might just get stuck where we are. 
That's right. 
But I think that over history, people have always been inventing new things. 
There's... there have always been innovative people in every generation, which is why the world is where we are now. 
People come up with innovative ideas, innovative designs, all these different things. 
Well, we continue. 
But Knight provided evidence proving that the device rightfully belonged to her and received the patent in 1871. 
Well, way to go, Margaret E. Knight! 
She proved something rightfully belonged to her. 
There's this word there in that sentence: rightfully. 
If something rightfully belongs to you, what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that you have a right to it, so. 
This is supposed to be yours, not someone else's. 
You have a right to it because you invented it. 
That's right. So something can be rightfully yours. 
Maybe you talk about land. 
Who does this land belong to? 
Well, it could... rightfully belong to a group of people. 
It's rightfully theirs. 
I want it, but it rightfully belongs to you. 
How else could you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, from this story, I was thinking that Margaret E. Knight rightfully challenged Charles Annan for credit of the paper bag-making machine. 
I think so too. 
I think it's good that she did challenge him on this. 
Um, of course she didn't have to. 
But she was smart, and she took him up... she took him to court. 
She challenged him on this, and it was her right to do that. 
Well, we continue on that Knight then founded the Eastern Paper Bag Company, a business that would utilize her new machines. 
Utilize. 
This is one of our Word Bank words. 
It really just means to put something into use, to utilize something. 
So what kinds of things can you utilize, Carolyn? 
Well, you can utilize your personal talents. 
So if you are very good at something, if you're very smart or skilled in a certain area, you should utilize those talents and make the most of them. 
I was going to say the same thing. 
Utilize your skills. 
Utilize your talents to the best of your ability. 
What other things can you utilize? 
Well, I think that many different industries or businesses could have utilized some of Margaret E. Knight's ideas. 
It seemed like she had a lot of ideas, and they could've applied to many different areas. 
I think so too. 
I think a lot of industries now, factories, different places utilize her ideas still. 
But we see: But invention remained her primary work, and Knight didn't limit her ideas to a single industry. 
So we're talking about the Eastern Paper Bag Company. 
She's most famous for inventing this flat-bottomed paper bag. 
And she did not just stick to that single industry, did she? 
No. She continued to expand her ideas to other areas. 
And now I think would be a great time to go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.13.B

Well, so far today we've learned about Margaret E. Knight and her innovative invention for her paper bag machine, 
and how someone else, Charles Annan, had to be taken to court because he tried to steal her ideas. 
We've also seen that she didn't limit herself to a single industry. 
Now today we're going to continue to learn more about all of the great things Margaret E. Knight was able to accomplish. 
(Music). 
Margaret E. Knight. 
In her lifetime, Knight received at least 27 patents, and some sources claim she invented over eighty devices. 
These include several machines designed to help with shoe manufacturing, a numbering machine, 
a clasp, a skirt protector and several improvements to her paper bag machine. 
She continued inventing things into her sixties, even patenting some designs for rotary engines. 
Knight died in 1914, and on her death one newspaper described her as a "woman Edison." At a time when women's intelligence was often underestimated, 
this mechanical genius proved that women too could develop innovative ideas that would shape the future of manufacturing. 
(Music). 
Well, we found out: In her lifetime, Knight received at least 27 patents, and some sources claim she invented over eighty devices. 
What does that mean, Carolyn, some sources claim she invented over eighty devices? 
Are people not sure? 
It means that maybe we aren't really sure how many devices she actually created. 
Some people say she created over 80, and other people say she created fewer. 
But we know that she did have a lot of inventions. 
That's right. 
She... she created many things. 
And some people claim one thing, some people claim another thing. 
Well, this... this word "claim" can be used in different ways too. 
You can claim that this is yours. 
Or you can claim that something happened in history. 
How else can you use that word "claim," Nathanael? 
Well, it makes me think of people in history claiming land for their country. 
They go to a new area, maybe like an explorer, and claim this land for the throne of their king or queen. 
All right. 
So you can claim different things. 
You say it is yours, or you state that something actually happened. 
Well, some sources say that she claimed... or that she invented over eighty devices. 
And these include several machines designed to help with shoe manufacturing, 
a numbering machine, a clasp, a skirt protector and several improvements to her paper bag machine. 
Wow! It sounds like she invented a lot of things. 
Among these things we see a Word Bank word. 
It's something that she invented - it's a clasp. 
Um, and a clasp is something that you use to... to hold something together. 
Maybe it can come together at two ends, and it pinches. 
That's a kind of a clasp. 
Um, how might you use claps... That word is kind of fun to say: clasp. 
How would you use clasps? 
Well, the word "clasp" makes me think of bringing two things together. 
And maybe you have a clasp on your shoe. 
Your shoe comes together at two points, and you have to connect it. 
All right. So that might be a clasp on your shoe. 
I was thinking about this word: What kind of clasp did she invent? 
Actually, she invented a robe clasp. 
It's called a robe clasp. 
And I saw a picture online. 
It's actually kind of like a seat belt. 
It clasps to your clothes so that you stay in, well, they didn't have cars back then, 
but they would have horse and buggy, and people would stay inside safely, they used a clasp. 
But where else might you see a clasp, Nathanael? 
I think many necklaces require a clasp to be worn. 
They had to be connected in the back so that someone can wear them. 
That's right. 
The necklace will connect with a clasp. 
Many of you have necklaces. 
Of course, they have clasps. 
Well, Carolyn, how does our article continue? 
It continues by saying she continued inventing things into her sixties, even patenting some designs for rotary engines. 
Now here she's getting very, very diversed in her inventions making a rotary engine. 
Now this is a More Information word in our article. 
Nathanael, what is a rotary engine? 
Well, of course, it is a specific kind of engine where the engine is actually in the center of a machine that spins, 
and energy goes from the engine into these compartments, these areas that are spinning around this center engine. 
Right. 
And so these are engines that were used in some of the first automobiles, some of the first cars, and then later also used in airplanes. 
All right. 
So she invented a rotary engine or some patenting designs for a rotary engine. 
Um, it says here also she invented things into her sixties. 
We see that phrase "into her sixties." You can use that phrase to talk about maybe someone going into a certain decade like into his fifties or into her seventies. 
For instance, my... um, my friend was running into his eighties. 
He loved running; and he'll continue to run every day into his eighties. 
He's a very healthy person. 
Well, Nathanael, how do we continue this article? 
Well, it continues with some bad news. 
Knight died in 1914, and on her death one newspaper described her as a "woman Edison." That... that's not so bad. 
That's not so bad at all, no. 
It ends with good news. 
Of course, the bad news is she died. 
But that happens to everybody. 
The good news is that she is described as a "woman Edison." And if you know anything about Edison, he was a very famous inventor. 
He was known for inventing many different kinds of things. 
Well, on that note, we're going to spend some time in the Information Cloud with Steve and Ken. 
Our article today is about Margaret Knight. 
If you've never heard of her before, I'm sure the description "a woman Edison" gave you an idea of who she was. 
Edison is, of course, Thomas Edison, the great American inventor of the 19th century. 
Now this usage of reference of a well-known person is called an allusion. 
Notice it's not illusion but allusion. 
Allusions help the reader better understand someone or something a writer is trying to describe. 
As another example, I might say Peter was no Einstein but he worked hard enough to pass the test. 
So you made an allusion to Albert Einstein to convey the idea of extreme intelligence or genius. 
Right. As another example, 
I might advise my sister not to go out with someone who has the reputation of being a Casanova because the guy might leave her after a few dates. 
And if you don't know, Casanova was a famous Italian adventurer who romanced many women during his travels. 
He might be charming, but he would not be the ideal boyfriend. 
No, he wouldn't. 
You can also use an allusion with a thing or an event. 
The Battle of Waterloo was when Napoleon was forced to step down from the throne. 
Nowadays, we often use the word "Waterloo" to refer to a decisive, crushing defeat. 
Right. A political candidate might meet his Waterloo at an election. 
And that would mean a total defeat. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
Now in the last sentence of our article for today, we see: 
At a time when women's intelligence was often underestimated, 
this mechanical genius proved that women too could develop innovative ideas that would shape the future of manufacturing. 
And we see here a key word for today: underestimated. 
Now if you underestimate something, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that means you don't value it like you should. 
You might underestimate someone else; or they underestimate you. 
You could say: Don't underestimate me; or I'm sorry I underestimated you. 
How else could you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, I think that we should never underestimate people by looking at their appearance. 
It's not a good thing to do. 
Right now we want to see a review skit, after which we will go to the Language Lab. 
Charles! This patent is mine! 
It was my idea. 
No, it wasn't. It's mine. 
No. it's my invention. 
Impossible! A woman could never invent such a complex and innovative machine. 
I have evidence to prove that it rightfully belongs to me. 
Oh, yes. Then take me to court. 
I will take you to court, and I'll get the patent. 
It was my idea. 
Oh, Margaret... you are so persistent. 
And that will enable me to revolutionize the world. 
Oh, you can't revolutionize the world with paper bags! 
Well, paper bags are my primary work, but I'm not limited to paper bags. 
So you plan to invent other things? 
Yes. I plan to get plenty of patents and shape the future of manufacturing. 
Don't be silly, Margaret. 
You're a... a woman. 
Don't underestimate my intelligence. 
Who knows. 
I could be the next Thomas Edison. 
A woman Edison? 
A woman could never be a mechanical genius like Thomas Edison. 
We'll see about that, won't we? 
Margaret! 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers. 
Well, over the past three days, we've learned a lot about Margaret E. Knight and some of the amazing inventions that she was able to come up with. 
Now it makes me think that there must be other people who were also underestimated but went on to do great things. 
Now Nathanael, can you think of anyone who was underestimated but then went on to prove people wrong? 
Well, you know, I did think of the author J. K. Rowling. 
She was going through a hard time in her life, not very easy to provide for her family or for herself even. 
But she started writing a book on a napkin, and that book was called Harry Potter. 
And now everybody knows that book. 
A lot of people have read it. 
Even though she was underestimated, she did go on to write best-selling books. 
And I hope that you are not underestimated and that you don't underestimate others. 
Now we'll see you next time here on Studio Classroom.Goodbye.

2013.02.14.A

Hey, hey, hey, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you are here joining us for our lesson about February. 
Yes, we have a lot to learn about this month - the month of February. 
Well, when you think about this month, when you think about February, what comes to mind? 
Nathanael, what do you think about when you think about February? 
Well, I first think that it's pretty cold. 
It's a pretty cold month, February. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
What do you think about when you think of February? 
I also think of cold and snow. 
Lots of snow and snow days. 
No school. 
Oh, that sounds wonderful. 
Snow days. 
Well, of course you want to stay careful during snow days or any kind of storm. 
What do you think of when you think about the month February? 
I do think about Valentine's Day. 
It is February 14, and it's something that we're going to talk about in today's lesson. 
We'll learn about that and much more. 
So let's get started with our first reading for the day. 
(Music). 
February. 
The shortest month of the year has a lot to offer. 
In the West, February brings Valentine's Day to mind. 
Indeed, Americans alone exchange over 150 million Valentine's cards annually. 
In addition, over 58 million pounds of chocolate candy are sold around this celebration of love. 
Maybe that is why February is National Chocolate Lover's Month in the U.S.! 
In the East, people think of Lunar New Year, which often occurs in February. 
Most return home to celebrate this important holiday with their families. 
The shortest month of the year has a lot to offer. 
Yes, February is the shortest month of the year with usually just 28 days. 
Now the first sentence of this article says, "In the West, February brings Valentine's Day to mind." Now, is that true for you two? 
Gabe, you mentioned that you thought of Valentine's Day. 
What do you think of when you hear Valentine's Day, Carolyn? 
Well, when I hear Valentine's Day, I think of chocolates and roses and maybe going out to dinner, something very romantic. 
But also maybe just giving a Valentine's Day card to my friends. 
Sure. Yes. 
All of those things are part of Valentine's Day. 
And now I think that Liz has something to tell us in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi, there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We read in today's article "...February brings Valentine's Day to mind." That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: brings to mind. 
It means makes people think of. 
So today's sentence just means February makes people think of Valentine's Day. 
This phrase is most often used in formal situations. 
For example: 
To many Americans, talking about Chinese food brings fortune cookies to mind. 
Or: 
The mentioning of Paris brings the Eiffel Tower to mind. 
So when talking about something automatically makes people think of something else, then you can use this phrase. 
And if you look at today's Grammar Tip section, you'll find more example sentences there. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, we continue with our article. 
Indeed, Americans alone exchange over 150 million Valentine's cards annually. 
Indeed they do! 
And indeed, we want to talk about this word. 
It's an extra word. 
indeed. 
It kind of means "for sure," or "in fact," or "it's true." Indeed. 
But how else could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, I indeed do know how to use this word. 
Yes, you do. 
I might say, well, I do indeed like chocolates. 
You don't have to put "indeed" at the beginning of the sentence, so you can also go in the middle. 
Hmm, that's a good way to put it. 
You can put it in the middle. 
I do indeed like this chocolate. 
Nathanael, how do you use this word: indeed? 
And not only can it be at the beginning or the middle, it can also be at the end. 
February is a cold month, indeed. 
It's very cold. 
It's used for emphasis there. 
February is a cold month, indeed. 
I also hear this word just used alone. 
If you just want to agree with somebody, they say something and you agree, you could say, "Indeed.". 
But usually I hear British people saying this word more than Americans or other English speakers. 
Indeed. 
It does make me think of people from England for some reason. 
Well, let's continue. 
We do have a Word Bank word right here in this sentence. 
It is... 
annually. 
annually. 
This is an adverb that talks about something that happens every year. 
Of course, there is a February 14 every year. 
People celebrate this annually. 
How do you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, every spring my mom works in her garden. 
So she works in her garden annually. 
It's a yearly event. 
All right. 
She does that annually. 
Do you do anything annually, Nathanael? 
Well, I guess there are a lot of things that I do annually. 
Uh, my family likes to go to the beach at least annually - sometimes more than once during a year. 
All right. 
So there's different things that you could annually. 
You could have like an annual vacation that Nathanael was just talking about. 
Or you could maybe celebrate something like a holiday annually. 
So you can use that word as an adjective as well. 
A-N-N-U-A-L is the adjective. 
You do something annually. 
It is an annual activity. 
We continue: 
In addition, over 58 million pounds of chocolate candy are sold around the celebration of love. 
Those are some big numbers, you guys. 
We have 150 million Valentine's cards annually and also 58 million pounds of chocolate candy. 
Um, which one would you prefer getting, a card or chocolate, Carolyn? 
Well, the card would last longer and might mean a little bit more, but chocolate is pretty delicious. 
Yeah. 
What about... What about you, Nathanael? 
You're a big fan of chocolate? 
Well, chocolate is more meaningful to me than cards, too, I think. 
Unless the cards are really well-written, maybe. 
Nice. 
OK. So what do you like to do? 
How do you celebrate Valentine's Day? 
Do you write a card to contribute to the 150 million other cards that are out there? 
Or do you like to buy people chocolate or something else? 
Well, we continue: 
Maybe that is why February is National Chocolate Lover's Month in the U.S.! 
It's National Chocolate Lover's Month. 
That means there are probably a lot of chocoholics out there. 
Let's spend some time with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud right now. 
February is National Chocolate Lover's Month in the United States. 
And friends, if you're a real chocolate lover, we have a word for you: 
chocaholic. 
That's right. 
Chocaholic is one of the number of recent words formed by analogy with "alcoholic," which refers to a person addicted to alcohol. 
Since "alcoholic" became an English word, it has been chopped up, 
and the suffix "-aholic" is now added to other words to refer to people with various kinds of addiction. 
Now addiction may be too strong a word here. 
But if you're someone who just can't get enough chocolate, well, you're a chocaholic. 
So unlike alcoholic, which is serious, chocaholic is more of a fun word we can use to describe someone who craves chocolate a lot. 
What's another word with this suffix, Steve? 
OK. I'll give you two, Ken. 
Workaholics - those are people who are unable or unwilling to stop working. 
And for some reason, workaholics happen to be mostly men. 
And then there are shopaholics. 
Those are people who are really into shopping. 
One phrase that comes to mind when I think of shopaholics is "shop till you drop.". 
And I assume shopaholics are mostly women? 
I'd say you assume correctly, Ken. 
(Chinese). 
Continuing in the article, the next sentence says, "In the East, people think of Lunar New Year, which often occurs in February." Now that's true. 
In the East, mostly it's where Lunar New Year is celebrated. 
But Carolyn, isn't this celebrated in the United States as well? 
Yes, there are a lot of big cities in the United States who also have Lunar New Year's celebrations, 
because they have large populations of people from other countries that celebrate Lunar New Year. 
And of course it's also called Chinese New Year or something like that. 
And it says often this celebration occurs in February. 
That's because sometimes it does happen towards the end of January as well. 
I guess it all depends on where the moon is in the sky, how full it is at that time of year. 
The next sentence says, "Most return home to celebrate this important holiday with their families.". 
I wonder if that means they might actually even go to a different country to celebrate this holiday at times. 
Yeah, I think so. I mean it says they return home to celebrate with their families. 
So home could mean anything. 
Actually, what do you think of when you think of the word "home," Carolyn? 
Well, here in Asia, I think, well, my home is my apartment. 
But if I were to return home for a holiday, I would probably go back to the United States to my parents' house and celebrate with my family. 
All right. 
I... uh, this... this word "home" actually brings up different ideas in my mind, having grown up and moved around a lot growing up. 
Um, so I don't think of home as necessarily one place, 
but usually I do think of it as where my family is or where my family spent most of my life. 
Nathanael, what do you think of when you think of "home"? 
Well, I feel like that the longer I live, the harder it is to actually choose a place to call home. 
But I do connect home more with people than with a certain place. 
I feel home when I'm with a certain group, not necessarily being in a certain country or a certain town. 
Well, moving on, I think it is time to see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.14.B

So far we've learned of three different kinds of holidays that occur within February. 
The first, of course, is Valentine's Day, probably the most popular and well-known. 
The second is National Chocolate Lover's Month which maybe a lot of people don't know about. 
And last there was Lunar New Year, which of course is popular in the East but is celebrated around the world, also. 
Let's continue to learn about what happens in February with the second reading of this article. 
February. 
While Groundhog Day, February 2, would not count as an important holiday, people enjoy the fun. 
A groundhog or other furry creature predicts the coming of spring on this day. 
If it sees its shadow, people can expect six more weeks of winter! 
If it doesn't see its shadow, an early spring will come. 
February's flower is the violet, which represents faithfulness and humility. 
The amethyst, February's birthstone, represents sincerity. 
Every four years there is a February 29, but February still remains the shortest month. 
School children learn this through an English rhyme: 
30 days hath September, 
April, June and November; all the rest have 31 excepting February alone, 
which has 28 days clear and 29 in each Leap Year. 
We're learning some interesting facts about February here. 
The first one is about Groundhog Day. 
Let's read that first sentence together. 
While Groundhog Day, February 2, would not count as an important holiday, people enjoy the fun. 
That's right. It's not a huge holiday. 
But what can we learn about Groundhog Day, Carolyn? 
Well, it says a groundhog or other furry creature predicts the coming of spring on this day. 
So a groundhog is kind of like a giant squirrel that lives in the ground. 
It's a member of the squirrel family. 
But we see in this sentence a key word from our Word Bank, "predicts." And if you predict something, then you think it will happen in the future. 
Gabe, what can you predict? 
What can I predict? 
Well, I cannot predict the future, I can tell you that. 
It's hard... it's hard to predict the future. 
I know some people will try to say that they can predict the future. 
Sometimes I like to predict what someone might say about something. 
The more that Nathanael, Carolyn and I work together, we can kind of predict who will speak next and what we might say. 
For instance, I predict that Nathanael will talk next. 
Nathanael, how do you use this word: predict? 
Oh, what a good prediction, Gabe! 
Well, I think that every day on the news someone predicts what the next day's weather will be like. 
All right, so this is someone that predicts the... the weather. 
That's the weather forecast. 
Well, we're learning about this groundhog, this furry creature related to the squirrel. 
Yes. 
And we continue: 
If it sees its shadow, people can expect six more weeks of winter! 
But what if it doesn't see its shadow, Nathanael? 
Well, if it doesn't see its shadow, an early spring will come. 
So this is the way that it predicts what the weather will be like, or what the season will be like following Groundhog's Day. 
All right. 
So we see a word there. 
It's a very important word for Groundhog Day. 
It is the word "shadow" right from our Word Bank. 
Your shadow is, uh, well, it's that dark spot around you when the light from the sun is on the other side. 
There are shadows all over the place. 
If you just look around where there's no light, there's probably a shadow from an object. 
How do you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, you could say, "I can't see my shadow! There's no light," if you're in a dark room. 
Or if there is light shining on a wall, you could make a shadow puppet with your hand. 
All right, a shadow puppet. Yeah, that sounds fun. 
Um, this makes me think of another word: shade. 
Nathanael, can you talk about the difference between shadow and shade? 
Yes. Well, we talked about shadow being kind of a dark area where there isn't light. 
But a shade can be a different form of the color. 
Maybe there's a darker blue and a lighter blue. 
Those would be called different shades of blue. 
Different shades of blue. 
So you've got shadows and shade. 
Of course, you might also rest in the shade of a tree, the... the tree's shadow. 
It's a bigger shade, and it usually means, uh, something cool. 
It's a little cooler than the rest outside. 
Well, we're learning about Groundhog Day. 
But we're also learning about February's flower, which is the violet. 
Our article continues: 
The violet represents faithfulness and humility. 
Humility is also from our Word Bank. 
Carolyn, can you talk about this word, please? 
Well, if you have humility, it means that you are humble. 
You don't brag about things that you can do. 
You are very humble. 
You're very humble. 
No, no, no, you are, Carolyn. 
You're very humble. 
Oh, oh, well, thank you. 
I guess I have a lot of humility. 
Well, don't brag about it. 
Whoa, whoa, whoa! 
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Yeah, keep the humility. 
No, it's true. 
We sometimes joke about, uh, if someone has humility, they can... 
they can say everything but they can't say, "I'm a humble person," because that would mean they don't have humility. 
However, humility is a good thing to have. 
It's good to have faithfulness and humility. 
Well, Nathanael, how does our article continue? 
It continues by saying the amethyst, February's birthstone, represents sincerity. 
Now, if you have sincerity or if you are sincere, it means you're caring, you're honest; you mean what you say, you do what you think is important. 
Those are both parts of sincerity. 
But this amethyst, this birthstone, I just found out that Carolyn is actually wearing the amethyst today. 
Yes. 
The amethyst is a small purple-colored quartz of stone. 
And I have one on my necklace here today. 
Well, it's very nice. 
It's a nice-looking amethyst necklace, Carolyn. 
Looks like Carolyn is a person of sincerity and faithfulness and humility. 
Well, let's continue. 
Carolyn, actually, would you like to continue our article for us? 
Sure. It says: Every four years there is a February 29, but February still remains the shortest month. 
Yes. 
So despite the fact that February gets an extra day, it is still the shortest. 
It still remains... 
And let's look at that phrase: still remains the something. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, if something remains something, that means even after everything else is considered, it's still this way. 
For instance, I might say, "People come and go, but you remain my constant friend." You're still my constant friend. 
Is there another way you could use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, there are other words connected to "remain." We might say "remainder." The remainder is what's left over. 
That's another form of this word. It's a noun. 
All right. 
And February still remains the shortest month. 
Well, friends, we have a rhyme here. 
School children learn this through an English rhyme. 
And let's read this all together, OK? 
Here we go. 
30 days hath September, 
April, June and November; all the rest have 31 excepting February alone, 
which has 28 days clear and 29 in each Leap Year. 
All right. That has some old English. 
The word "hath" really means "has." And I think you can figure out the rest of what this poem means. 
Right now it's time for us to enjoy some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. (Music). 
OK. (Chinese). 
And let's get back to our program. 
Though we've talked about a lot of holidays already, there are actually some other very important holidays in February for the United States. 
What is one of those, Carolyn? 
Well, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday is in February, so the month is remembered as Black History Month. 
And also on the third Monday of every February we celebrate Presidents' Day, so in this month that falls on February 20. 
Those are some holidays that you might celebrate in the United States. 
Yes, those are very important historical holidays for February. 
Well, we hope that you enjoy February and have some holidays of your own. 
We want to say goodbye and see you next time on Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye! 
Goodbye! 
(Music).

2013.02.15.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
I'm your teacher Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you are here for a free lunch. 
Well, no, not really. 
But our lesson's called "Free Lunch?" We're going to enjoy a conversation between two friends Matt and Blaine today. 
One of them is in a place, a public space, and they are doing their work. 
They bought something there, but they're sitting there for a long time doing their work. 
Well, this makes me wonder: Do you ever work in public spaces? 
Nathanael, do you ever do this? 
I have to say I know that a lot of people like to do it, but I usually just prefer to go home and do my work. 
I feel like it's less distracting. 
All right, so it could be less distracting. 
Carolyn, do you ever bring you work to public spaces? 
I do. 
Sometimes if I'm studying, I really like to just sit in a coffee or a tea shop for a long time and enjoy a cup of tea, a cup of coffee and do my work. 
I'm with you. 
Sometimes I like that background noise a little bit, maybe ordering a drink, memorizing my lines for something, doing my homework. 
It can be a little bit helpful, or at least a little different. 
What about you? 
Do you ever bring your work to public spaces? 
We're going to start with our first reading of this conversation for today. 
Free Lunch? 
Does buying one drink earn you a day of free Wi-Fi and air conditioning? 
It is lunchtime, and Blaine is looking for a seat in a fast food restaurant. 
Suddenly, he sees his classmate Matt. 
Hey, Matt! What are you doing here? 
Oh, hi, Blaine. 
I'm just doing some work and writing my blog. 
Do you mind if I join you? 
There aren't any other tables available. 
Sure. 
Be careful you don't get hooked on my charger cable though. 
Thanks. 
So do you study here often? 
Yeah, I'm here most days. 
It's a great way to save money on air conditioning, and the restaurant has free Wi-Fi. 
Well, those are two handsome guys Blaine and Matt. 
At the beginning of our article for today, we see this sentence, a question: 
Does buying one drink earn you a day of free Wi-Fi and air conditioning? 
I see that word "earn" there. 
We're going to talk about that a little bit. 
Of course, when you have a job, you are earning money. 
But it's used a little different in this sentence here. 
I could also say I earned a day of free Wi-Fi and air conditioning just by buying one drink. 
But how else could you use this word "earn," Carolyn? 
Well, here we see "you earn a day," but here "the one drink earns you a day." Oh. 
Well, it's a very different structure. 
"Earn" can go in front of the subject of the sentence. 
That's right. 
Well, Nathanael, can you give us another example of how to use this word? 
Sure. 
If you do extra work in class, it may earn you extra points as well. 
Extra credit, earn you extra credit. 
All right. So you could earn something, or something earns you something else. 
Well, let's continue. 
We're going to talk about Blaine and Matt. 
It is lunchtime, and Blaine is looking for a seat in a fast-food restaurant. 
Suddenly, he sees his classmate Matt. 
Well, does either of you want to be... Let's see, Nathanael, would you like to be Blaine? 
Sure. Yeah, I'll... I'll be Blaine. 
I think Carolyn should probably be Matt. 
Gabe, I don't think you really fit either of these parts. I'm sorry. 
Oh, really? 
OK, fine. 
You guys... you guys could be Blaine and Matt today. 
OK. 
Blaine's first line says: 
Hey, Matt, what are you doing here? 
Oh, hi, Blaine. 
I'm just doing some work and writing my blog. 
Oh. Do you mind if I join you? 
Wait... Do you mind? Do you mind if I interrupt you, Blaine? Nathanael? Yes? 
Do you mind? 
Uh, I think this is a good phrase to know - Do you mind if something? 
You're asking if someone minds, if it's OK if you do something. 
Do you mind if I do this? 
Do you mind if I join you? 
This is asking is it OK that I join you. 
So if I say "do you mind," and it is OK, what should your answer be, Carolyn? 
You could say "Sure!" or "No problem!" Sit right here. 
All right. 
Do you mind? 
No, of course I don't mind. 
Well, let's see, who's continuing? 
Blaine. 
There aren't any other tables available. 
Sure. 
Be careful you don't get hooked on my charger cable though. 
Excellent! Excellent work, Blaine and Matt so far. 
We have the key word "hooked" right here in Matt's line. 
If you are hooked on something, that means it catches you. 
So Blaine got hooked on Matt's charger cable. 
That means his leg tripped over the charger cable. 
How else could you use that word "hook," Nathanael? 
Well, I guess it's easy to get hooked on a tree or a plant if you're hiking through a thick forest. 
That's something you can get hooked on. 
You could get hooked out in nature. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
How do you use that word? 
Well, sometimes when I'm getting ready in the morning and I'm in a hurry, my coat might get hooked on the doorknob when I'm leaving. 
And it slows me down. 
Well, that happens to me too. 
Sometimes we just get hooked on things by accident. 
Well, Blaine got hooked on this charger cable. 
What is a charger cable, Nathanael? 
A charger cable is a kind of core that you plug into some kind of device, electronic tool, and it gives it extra charge or power. 
You might do this to your cellphone. 
Is there something else that you might charge, Carolyn? 
Sure. I often charge my MP3 player and my computer because I want to be able to use them. 
And if they don't have any power, they won't work very well. 
And I also have a tablet. I charge my tablet. 
Of course, you need to do that if you're going to have energy or power to use those things. 
Well, let's continue this conversation. Blaine? 
Thanks. 
So do you study here often? 
Yeah, I'm here most days. 
It's a great way to save money on air conditioning, and the restaurant has free Wi-Fi. 
Excellent! Excellent! 
I'm enjoying this conversation between Blaine and Matt. 
And I liked Matt's last line there: I'm here most days. 
"Most days," what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that he's there almost every day, most days of the week. 
So he goes there pretty often. 
All right. 
This is his habit. 
He's always there; or he's there most days. 
But he continues: It's a great way to save money on air conditioning, and the restaurant has free Wi-Fi. 
A great way to do something. 
I like that phrase. 
What is a great way to do something for you? 
You could say exercising is a great way to lose weight. 
How else could you use that sentence pattern, Nathanael? 
Well, a great way to spend some extra time is to read a good book. 
Not only could you learn something, usually it's pretty fun to follow a story in a book. 
All right. 
That's a great way to spend your time. 
And it gets your imagination going as well. 
Carolyn, how do you use that phrase - it's a great way to do something? 
Well, you could say turning off the lights when you leave the room is a great way to save energy and a great way to save money. 
I think you're thinking along the same lines as Matt here. 
He wants to save energy and money by not using his air conditioning at home. 
This is a great way to do that. 
Well, I also think about learning English. 
Studying with Studio Classroom is a great way to improve your English. 
Of course, I would say something like that. 
I agree completely. 
Well, right now it's a great way... or one great thing to do is to spend some time with Michelle. 
That is also a great way to improve your English. 
Here we go. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.15.B

Does buying one drink earn you a day of free Wi-Fi and air conditioning in a public space like a restaurant? 
Well, we're enjoying a conversation between Blaine and his friend Matt. 
Of course, Matt is already working. 
He's doing some work at a restaurant. 
And Blaine comes into this place. 
They're talking. 
We're going to continue to see what their conversation is like right now in our second part of our reading for today. 
Free Lunch? 
Aren't you eating anything? 
I had a drink earlier this morning. 
I'll probably eat something later. 
No offense, but it's pretty busy in here. 
Don't you feel guilty about taking up space for nothing? 
Not really. 
It's not like I NEVER buy anything here. 
I'm a loyal customer, and I eat here all the time. 
Yeah, but you're not a customer now. 
You are occupying space that paying customers need. 
Anyone is welcome to come and share my table. 
You did. 
And besides, this is a fast food restaurant. 
Seating is first come, first served, and people who don't get seats do have other choices. 
They can get their food to go. 
Interesting conversation these two gentlemen are having. 
Well, Nathanael, shall we continue? 
Are you still Blaine? 
Yeah, I'm still Blaine. 
Aren't you eating anything? 
I had a drink earlier this morning. 
I'll probably eat something later. 
Uh, no offense, but it's pretty busy in here. 
Don't you feel... 
Excuse me, no offense. 
No offense, Nathanael, but I need to interrupt you here. 
We need to talk about these words from the Word Bank: no offense. 
Now you might say these words at the beginning of a sentence to your friend if you are worried about offending that person. 
If you're worried that they might take it the wrong way or have hurt feelings about something, you might say: No offense. 
That way, they know to be prepared for what's coming next. 
So how else can you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, I might say: No offense, Nathanael, but you probably shouldn't eat that second slice of cake. 
Uh oh. 
Uh oh. And what would you say? 
What would you say? 
Uh... you're probably right, Carolyn. 
You can have it. 
Thank you. Thank you. 
I will uh, eat that piece of cake for you. 
Nice. 
Well, how else could you use that phrase, Nathanael, "no offense"? 
Well, you could say: No offense, Carolyn, but your hair looks great today. 
Hey! 
Oh, wait, wait. 
Wait a minute. 
It's not quite right. 
No, no. 
What...? But yeah, exactly. 
But sometimes I hear people say that, Nathanael. 
I'm glad you brought that up. 
Because sometimes people say this phrase, but it doesn't really fit. 
Usually you want to say this phrase if what is following sounds kind of negative. 
But do you know anybody who uses this phrase in another way, Nathanael? 
Well, sometimes people do use it in the wrong way like that. 
But usually someone might say something like: No offense, but that's really not very fair. 
No offense. 
Well, no offense, but your shirt doesn't really look good on you. 
Maybe it's not your style. 
So it doesn't have to be really bad, but you can use this phrase in that way. 
No offense, but... 
As Blaine says here: 
No offense, but it's pretty busy in here. 
And he continues. 
Don't you feel guilty about taking up space for nothing? 
No offense, I need to interrupt you guys again because we want to talk about that phrase. 
It's an extra phrase I want to talk about here: take up space. 
When you take up space, that means you are sitting somewhere and nobody else or nothing else can use that space. 
So how would you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, if I were in the library and I wanted to study, and there were no tables left and there was one person with all of their things just spread out, 
I might say: You know, you're really taking up a lot of space. 
Can you move over so I can sit down too? 
Yeah. I agree. Sometimes that happens. 
Maybe someone has their stuff and it's in your car. 
You could say: You know what, you're taking up space in my car. 
Can you please take this out? 
How else could you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, another situation where you might hear that phrase is when you're traveling with your family in a car. 
Maybe the mom tells her son or her daughter that you're taking too much space. 
There are other people who need to sit next to you. 
All right. You're taking up too much space. 
Try to use that phrase in English today. 
Of course, I hope that nobody is really taking up too much space around you. 
Well, shall we continue this conversation, Matt? 
Certainly. 
Not really. 
It's not like I NEVER buy anything here. 
I'm a loyal customer, and I eat here all the time. 
Yeah, but you're not a customer now. 
You are occupying space that paying customers need. 
Yes, yes! What a wonderful word I just heard. 
Sorry to interrupt. 
We saw the word there "occupy." It's from our Word Bank. 
And it actually is quite similar to the phrase "take up space." When you occupy, I usually think of a room actually, you're occupying a room. 
That means you are using the room. 
But how else could you use that word, Nathanael? 
Oh, sorry. Did you aske me a question? 
My mind was occupied. 
Oh. Oh, oh, very good. 
Your mind was occupied. 
We also might say someone is preoccupied with something. 
That means they're thinking about something else, like Nathanael, preoccupied. 
You just add the letters "P-R-E" to this word. 
How else do you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, if I wanted to sit down next to someone, I might say, "Is this seat occupied?" meaning is someone else sitting here or is it OK if I sit down. 
And I might say: Seat's taken. 
That means I'm waiting for someone else. 
Someone is going to come and sit here. 
Or you could say: No. Of course, it's free. You can sit here if you want. 
So that is how you use the word "occupy." And Matt... or Blaine said: You are occupying space that paying customers need. 
It's true. 
Paying customers do need to sit somewhere. 
Well, what does Matt say next? 
He continues: Anyone is welcome to come and share my table. 
You did. 
And besides, this is a fast-food restaurant. 
Seating is first come, first served, and people who don't get seats do have other choices. 
And I like that phrase: first come, first served. 
That's straight from our Word Bank today, friends. 
First come, first served. 
You might hear this when you want to order something, you want to get there first so that you get served first. 
You get the best because you got there early. 
Let's spend some time with Steve and Ken right now in the Information Cloud. 
They are going to talk about some other phrases that are similar to this meaning: first come, first served. 
In today's lesson, we see the saying "first come, first served," which means no favoritism will be shown. 
People will be served strictly by the order that they arrive, so get there early. 
It's similar to the popular idiom: The early bird gets the worm, which reminds us to get up early for the best chance of success. 
Ken, I also like another more colloquial English saying: You snooze, you lose, meaning if you delay, someone else will grab the opportunity. 
Steve, it seems like every language has sayings that remind people not to be lazy to get it done early. 
Right. No matter where you go, getting it done early is important. 
The Germans have their own idiom which translates into: Morning time has gold in its mouth. 
The Italians have the proverb: He who sleeps doesn't catch any fish. 
And the Swedish say the same thing but in a slightly different way: First to the mill get to grind first. 
And in Chinese, you might hear: The quick of foot will be the first to ascend. 
Hmm. So how do you say that in Chinese? 
(Chinese). 
Oh, (Chinese). 
You got it. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
And we see Matt finishes by saying, "They can get their food to go," so. 
They can take it with them. 
They don't have to eat at the restaurant. 
Now let's take some time to watch a review skit and then join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hey, what are you doing here? 
I'm doing my work and I'm writing my blog. 
How about you? 
Well, I'm looking for a seat. 
May I join you? 
Uh... well, sure. 
Welcome to my office. 
Your office? 
Well, OK, it's not exactly my office. 
But I do spend a lot of time here. 
Really? 
How much time? 
I'm here almost every day. 
I come early and I leave late. 
Well, I don't think that's a good idea. 
I think it's a great idea! 
When I work here, I save money. 
It's free air conditioning and free Wi-Fi! Nice, huh? 
Nice for you. 
Yeah. 
But what about other customers? 
Paying customers! 
Hey, I'm a paying customer too. 
I ordered a drink earlier, and I might get a snack later on. 
Well no offense, but this place is busy, and you're occupying a whole table. 
That's OK. 
I'll share my table. 
Anyone is welcome to come and join me. 
Yes, but... 
Besides, it's first come, first served. 
And I was here first. 
Well, OK. 
I'll just eat my lunch and go. 
Great. 
Um, can you please hurry? 
You're kind of in my way. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers. 
Well, this conversation between Blaine and Matt is getting pretty heated, actually. 
I'm looking forward to tomorrow's lesson continuing this conversation. 
But I wonder who you'll agree more with right now, Matt or Blaine? 
Nathanael, how do you feel about this? 
Well, I actually agree with Matt more. 
If you buy something, I think you can stay for a while. 
Just maybe be responsible if more people come and it gets busy. 
Interesting. All right. 
If you buy something, you have a right. 
You could stay for a while. 
How do you feel about this, Carolyn? 
Well, I think about the same as Nathanael. 
If you pay for a service, then you should be able to use it. 
But if it starts to get really crowded, then I would go somewhere else so that someone else could sit down. 
Yeah. 
I just know the feeling of walking into a restaurant and knowing that all the spaces are taken, every seat is occupied. 
And if I want to get something, I have to take it to go. 
So I kind of understand how Blaine feels here. 
Well, friends, we're going to continue this lesson next time. 
Please do come back and join us here at StudioClassroom. See you later!

2013.02.16.A

Well, hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you're joining us for our second day of this lesson called "Free Lunch?" We're enjoying a conversation between Matt and his friend Blaine. 
And it's getting very interesting. 
This conversation is getting very heated, 
because Blaine doesn't think that Matt should be in this restaurant just using free Wi-Fi and air conditioning if he has only bought one drink. 
Well, we're going to continue this conversation today. 
But I wonder about you. 
Would you be like Blaine? 
Are you brave enough to maybe confront your friend about this issue? 
If you don't think he's doing the right thing, would you talk to him about it? 
Nathanael, what about you? 
Well, in this case, I really don't think it's that big of a deal, so I personally would not. 
And I agree more with Matt anyway. 
Hmm. Well, what about you, Carolyn? 
Would you confront Matt? 
Well, if I was a very good friend of his, then I might sit down with him and say, "You know, you might want to think about leaving and coming back later.". 
All right. 
Well, we're going to continue this conversation between Blaine and Matt right now. 
Enjoy. 
Free Lunch? 
I still feel like you're mooching off the restaurant. 
If they don't want people to stay awhile in the restaurant, why do they offer free Wi-Fi? 
Well, it's for paying customers. 
Duh! 
That's what I'm saying. 
I am a paying customer - I bought a drink. 
I'm also a regular. 
It's not like I'm trying to get a free lunch! 
But you only bought one drink, and you finished it a long time ago! 
Are you saying you would be more comfortable with me sitting here if I had a pile of trash stacked around me on the table? 
Very interesting. 
Very heated argument we're having right now between Blaine and Matt. 
Well, I would like to see Nathanael and Carolyn continue this argument. 
Blaine. 
I still feel like you're mooching off the restaurant. 
Wait! Wait, wait, wait! Hold on a second. 
I... I want to interrupt here because there is a good word I want to talk about from our Word Bank. 
The word: mooch. 
Now if you mooch off a restaurant or off a person, that means you are taking advantage of something that they have. 
You mooch off of them. 
How could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, you might say: 
My sister is always mooching money off of me. 
She's always asking me for money, and I give it to her because she's my sister and I love her. 
Aww. So you should always give things to people that you love... maybe. 
But it's true. 
It's true, sometimes people like to mooch off of you, or maybe you mooch off of other people. 
Nathanael, how else do you use that word? 
Well, if my sister was asking me for money, I would just say, "Don't be such a mooch." You can also call a person a mooch. 
It just means that they're always asking for something for free. 
All right, so you can see that word as a noun as well. 
Well, of course it's not good to mooch off of other people. 
But sometimes if you don't have any money, you might need to borrow some money. 
Just try to pay it back. 
Carolyn lent me some money yesterday. 
I wasn't mooching. I... I need to pay her back. 
Well, let's continue this conversation. 
Matt. 
Yes. 
If they don't want people to stay awhile in the restaurant, why do they offer free Wi-Fi? 
Well, it's for paying customers. 
That's what I'm saying. 
I am a paying customer. 
I bought a drink. 
I'm also a regular. 
Wait! Wait! 
You are a regular? 
I like that word. 
It's an extra word we want to talk about. 
a regular. 
I usually think of something that is common or something you usually do, you regularly do. 
But here it's talking about a person being a regular. 
That means they usually or they often go to a certain place, especially a restaurant. 
They are a regular there. 
How else could you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, I could say that I'm a regular at the movie theater. 
I go there quite often or I go there regularly. 
All right. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Are you a regular anywhere? 
Well, I am a regular at the tea shop near my apartment. 
I go there almost every day. 
And I don't usually have to tell them what I want to order. 
They know right away what I want. 
If they know exactly what you want. 
Actually, if you are a regular at a restaurant, you might be able to use this phrase: 
I'll have the usual. 
I'll have the usual. 
That means I'll have what I usually order. 
Don't say, "I'll have the regular." You are a regular. 
You can say, "I'll have the usual," or "I'll order the usual." They know what you want. 
You'll have the usual. 
Well, Matt, it is your line, right? 
How does Matt continue? 
Yes. He says, "It's not like I'm trying to get a free lunch!". 
Wait! 
But... 
Wait, wait, wait! Hold on a second. 
Well... 
Uh... Nathanael, um... didn't we learn this phrase "free lunch" before? 
Oh, well, yes, we did. 
Sometimes you might say free lunch just meaning that you're trying to get anything for free. 
Or if you say there's... there's no free lunch, it means nothing comes free. 
But here we're actually talking about a real meal, a real lunch. 
Exactly! 
Well, I'm sorry for interrupting you, Nathanael. 
Blaine, please continue. 
Thank you. 
But you only bought one drink, and you finished it a long time ago! 
Excellent! Excellent! 
I do enjoy interrupting these conversations. 
We have to interrupt because Steve and Ken want something... want some time with us in the Information Cloud. 
So let's go enjoy this right now. 
Have you ever gone to a fast food restaurant or cafe, ordered your food only to walk into a dining room full of people with no empty seats? 
I certainly have. 
I often see people in fast food restaurants buy a minimal amount of food or beverage and nurse it for hours. 
And we have a word for that. 
loitering. 
Loitering with a friend, your laptop or a good book can be a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. 
But if you're a recently arrived customer looking for a place to sit, loiterers are a source of frustration. 
You know, Steve, there's an online poll that confirms this. 
It asked: Should coffee shops limit customers' table time based on how much money they spend? 
65 percent of people responded "Yes". 
And that's not surprising. 
But for restaurant owners, it's a tough balancing act. 
On one hand, they want customers to feel welcomed and relaxed. 
On the other, loiterers tend not to spend much money, and he might even drive paying customers away. 
And that's bad for business. 
In this situation, I think the responsibility falls on the customer to be courteous and considerate. 
I agree, Ken. 
After a meal, if you've been sitting awhile and you see others waiting to sit down, don't loiter. 
Be courteous and get up and offer them your table. 
(Chinese). 
It is important to make sure you aren't loitering somewhere. 
Now, Matt continues: 
Are you saying you would be more comfortable with me sitting here if I had a pile of trash stacked around me on the table? 
Excellent! Excellent! 
I love where this conversation is going. 
It's actually turning into a little bit of an argument. 
I like the first thing that Matt said just now. 
Are you saying you would be more comfortable with something? 
Are you saying...? 
This just means "Do you mean...?" What else do you mean? 
Maybe it means something else. 
Maybe Blaine means that he would be more comfortable with Matt sitting there if there was a pile of trash stacked around him on the table. 
Here we have a word from the Word Bank. 
It is stack. 
If you stack something up, that means you are creating a pile, or maybe you are creating a lot of things around you. 
You are stacking something up. 
How could you use that word, Nathanael? 
It's also a noun. 
A stack of dishes. 
A stack of cups or a stack of plates. 
There'll probably be a stack of cups if Matt or Blaine were there for a long time and bought a lot of drinks. 
That's right. 
There will be a stack of these things. 
How do you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, you can use it as a noun or a verb. 
You could say, "Please place the book on top of this stack." Or, "Please stack the books in a neat pile.". 
Oh, I like that. 
Stack the books in a neat pile or there is a stack of books. 
These things are all stacked up. 
You could also say something is stacked up. 
That means there is a big pile. 
Sometimes stacks are organized, but I don't think that's what Matt means here. 
This stack of things is kind of a mess. 
So you can use it in different ways. 
Well, we're going to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. 
I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.16.B

Well, it seems that Matt and Blaine are not getting along right now. 
Blaine is upset because Matt seems to be mooching off of the restaurant's free Wi-Fi service. 
Matt thinks that he should be able to sit there because he's a paying customer and should be able to use the services the restaurant offers, 
even if he doesn't have a pile of trash stacked around him. 
Well, let's see how this conversation ends with our second reading for today. 
Free Lunch? 
I just don't think the purchase of one drink entitles you to hours of free Wi-Fi, seating and air conditioning. 
If you think about it, though, the restaurant is already paying for Wi-Fi and air conditioning whether people are here or not. 
Frankly, using this table is more environmentally friendly than sitting at home running my air conditioner just for myself. 
That's all well and good, but you are still inconveniencing other people when the restaurant is packed. 
As far as I'm concerned, if my sitting here were a problem, the restaurant wouldn't offer services to bring me here. 
Well, I'm going to eat and get out so someone else can have my seat. 
Well, I wouldn't want to be sitting at that table right now. 
Friends, let's continue learning from this conversation between Matt and Blaine. 
Nathanael. 
I just don't think the purchase of one drink entitles you to hours of free Wi-Fi, seating and air conditioning. 
I love it! 
I love it! 
This is a great arguing point, a great sentence structure. 
I just don't think this entitles you to something. 
Let's talk about that Word Bank word: entitle. 
If you are entitled to something, that means you have a right to it. 
You have a right to do something. 
How else could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, if you stay at a hotel, you are entitled to use the hotel's services. 
Mmhm. 
Maybe you are entitled to a free breakfast or use of their gym. 
Good. 
So you can be entitled to these things when you are traveling or staying somewhere special. 
How do you use that word: entitle? 
Well, I think everyone is entitled to a little bit of respect. 
Everyone deserves to be treated well at least at first. 
Well, that's your opinion, Nathanael. 
Everyone's entitled to their own opinion. 
I actually agree with Nathanael. 
Everyone is entitled to a bit of respect. 
But you also might hear that phrase: 
You're entitled to your own opinion. 
Everyone has a right to think what they want. 
You are entitled to your own opinion. 
What do you think about this conversation between Matt and Blaine? 
Who do you agree with? 
Well, let's continue. 
Matt. 
All right. 
If you think about it, though, the restaurant is already paying for Wi-Fi and air conditioning whether people are here or not. 
Frankly, using this table is more environmentally friendly than sitting at home running my air conditioner just for myself. 
Excellent! Excellent! 
This is a great argument. 
And we see a word there at the beginning of that sentence: 
frankly. 
frankly. 
What does that mean? 
Carolyn, can you tell us more about that word? 
Well, "frankly" just means "honestly" or "truthfully." So in all honesty or honestly, using this table is better, 
because I would be spending a lot of money and wasting a lot of electricity if I were using my air conditioner at home. 
All right, in all honesty or frankly. 
Sometimes you use that word "frankly" when you want to share an opinion that might be hard for other people to hear. 
"Frankly," and then you share something. 
Well, we see another key word here. 
environmentally. 
This is from our Word Bank. 
And if something is environmentally, that means you're talking about something about the environment. 
So how would you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, I think that recycling is now environmentally necessary. 
It's something that we should do, that we need to do to help the environment. 
All right. 
And how do you use that word? 
Are you environmentally friendly, Carolyn? 
Well, I try to be environmentally friendly and recycle things when I can't. 
But you might also have a factory that is or is not environmentally friendly in how they store their products or process what they make. 
All right. 
And usually I do hear that word with the word friendly. 
It's like a pair of words: environmentally friendly. 
The opposite is environmentally destructive. 
You don't want to do things that are environmentally destructive or bad for the environment. 
Well, I think Blaine is going to continue. 
Let's see what he has to say. 
That's all well and good, but you are still inconveniencing other people when the restaurant is packed. 
Wait. Wait, hold on a second. 
Blaine, um... inconvenience. 
I thought that convenience was a noun. 
What does this word "inconvenience" mean? 
Well, as a verb, it means that you're causing inconvenience. 
You're inconveniencing someone. 
You're doing something that's making it hard or something hard for someone else - inconveniencing someone. 
All right. 
Does that ever happen to you, Carolyn? 
Do you ever feel inconvenienced? 
Well, sometimes I do feel inconvenienced. 
Maybe I have a lot of dishes in the sink that aren't mine. 
But I want to make food. 
So I need to wash them. 
And it's an inconvenience for me to have to wash someone else's dishes. 
All right, yeah, it could be an inconvenience. 
So you can see this can be used as a verb or a noun. 
Now something special about this word is that you don't usually use the word convenience as a noun, 
but you can use the negative... er... a verb. Sorry. 
You can use the negative as a verb. 
You're inconveniencing me. 
Please don't inconvenience me. 
Well, we're going to continue learning something with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In our Point of View article today, we find this statement: 
That's all well and good. 
And that's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
It means that you agree with what is being said, but you still have a different opinion about the subject. 
Oftentimes it's quite common for language learners to not know how to show this agreement because they're afraid of being disrespectful. 
And if you find yourself feeling this way, then today's Grammar Tip sentence is a good one to remember. 
So what do you do when you find yourself in a situation where you disagree with someone? 
Well, first of all, be respectful enough to hear what that person is saying. 
Then point out the things that you agree with and then you say, "That's all well and good." And then you share your opinion. 
Now even if you disagree with someone, it's important to let the other person know what you think is reasonable. 
Then you don't have to worry about being disrespectful. 
And if you turn to today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine, you'll find some example sentences there. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, I am interested to see how the rest of this conversation plays out. 
So, Matt, it's all yours. 
Thank you. 
As far as I'm concerned, if my sitting here were a problem, the restaurant wouldn't offer services to bring me here. 
Excellent! Excellent! 
Sorry, Blaine, before your last line, I want to talk about this phrase: 
as far as I'm concerned. 
These are extra words we want to talk about today. 
as far as I'm concerned. 
That means "from my angle," or "if it were up to me," and then you finish your thought. 
as far as I'm concerned. 
Nathanael, how do you use this phrase? 
Well, I could say that as far as I'm concerned, I think Matt has the better argument. 
His reasons are better in this case, as far as I'm concerned. 
As far as I'm concerned, I think Matt has the better argument. 
Carolyn, how do you use that phrase: as far as I'm concerned? 
Well, as far as I'm concerned, I've spent money at this restaurant, so I should be able to sit here. 
It's my opinion. 
Right. 
It's my opinion. 
As far as I'm concerned. 
Well, what does Blaine have to say about this? 
Well, I'm going to eat and get out so someone else can have my seat. 
Nice. 
Maybe I should just let there be a pause. 
I think there was a pause between Matt and Blaine. 
It was a little bit uncomfortable at that table. 
I think we could all sense that. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
And back to our program. 
Well, I think that Matt and Blaine both have some fairly good points talking about whether or not they should be able to stay in a restaurant for a long time without buying anything for a while. 
And it makes me wonder: 
Who should be able to use a restaurant's services? 
Nathanael, what do you think? 
Well, I think that anyone that has bought something from the restaurant, food or drink, can stay there for a while. 
And I think it also is important whether it's crowded or not. 
Of course anyone can stay for a while. 
But maybe if you've been there maybe for an hour and it starts to get crowded, you should think about giving your seat to someone else. 
I think that's probably true and what I would do. 
What about you, Gabe? 
Well, it's true, sometimes there are a lot of people at a restaurant and you want them to kind of leave. 
I think that you should be considerate and maybe look around you and see who maybe needs a seat, 
and think about how long you are staying there taking up space. 
I also think about other services at restrooms... uh... not restrooms. Restaurants. 
But I said "restroom" because sometimes when you just really need to go to the bathroom, you might just walk into a restaurant, 
and they might allow you to go even though you don't buy anything. 
I think that's fine too. 
I see. 
Well, we all have some different opinions on what you can do in a restaurant. 
And we hope that you will take these into consideration the next time you are studying at a restaurant just reading Studio Classroom. 
And we will see you here next time. Bye-bye.

2013.02.18.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
I'm glad you could join us for today. 
We are going to be talking about something very special here: 
Scientists Hope to Protect Seals by Understanding Their Sound. 
It's true. 
Scientists hope to protect many things in the environment and nature, especially some animals. 
We're going to be talking about the elephant seal today. 
And we're going to try to understand their sound. 
Scientists are hoping this. 
Now there are other things in nature that they're also trying to protect. 
Can you think of anything, Nathanael, that scientists are trying to protect? 
Well, a lot of people are talking about changes in the climate. 
Maybe it's getting warmer in general, and we need to try to do things so that this will not cause problems for us later. 
Some people believe this. 
That's right. 
Global warming is a problem. 
What else might scientists be concerned about, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of people are concerned about the rainforest being cut down and used for growing other crops or raising animals. 
And it's a real concern if we don't have the rainforest anymore. 
It's true. 
There are many concerns out there. 
We're going to be talking about one of them today. 
Let's get started with our first reading of the day. 
(Music). 
Scientists Hope to Protect Seals by Understanding Their Sound. 
Breaking the code of seal communication. 
Scientists learning the snorty language of northern elephant seals are hoping to understand how the giant mammals use vocalizations to prevent costly flights and structure their colonies, 
and how we can keep the expanding population safe. 
Armed with microphones, researchers from UC Santa Cruz's Institute of Marine Sciences have spent hundreds of hours on the brush-filled, 
windy dunes and beaches of Ano Nuevo State Park, tracking more than 160 elephant seals and collecting some of their grumbly grunts and growls. 
(Music). 
Breaking the code of seal communication. 
Well, that sounds like a very interested... interesting topic just from the deck itself. 
I think this is going to really interest you as we learn more about it. 
Gabe, can you read the first sentence? 
I saw how long it was, and I just don't think that I have the strength to read it. 
It's a very long sentence. 
Let's see if I can do it in one breath. 
Scientists learning the snorty language of northern elephant seals are hoping to understand how the giant mammals use vocalizations to prevent costly flights and structure their colonies, 
and how we can keep the expanding population safe. 
How is that, Nathanael? 
I think you did quite well. 
Excellent. 
Quite well, really. 
Looking at the sentence, I think we need to take it part by part. 
At first we see: Scientists learning the snorty language of northern elephant seals. 
Snorty language. 
How can a language be snorty, Carolyn? 
Well, I think of "snorty" as being through your nose. 
Something that snorts makes it sound through its nose usually. 
And elephant seals have that name for a reason. 
They have very large noses, similar to an elephant. 
They're not quite as long. 
So you said "snorty." So kind of like maybe how a pig might oink like... 
Is that kind of a snorty sound? 
I... I didn't want to do that, but it helps to understand what a snort sounds like. 
Is that kind of a snort, Nathanael? 
I think that is a kind of snort. 
And there are various animals that do make this kind of sound. 
Moving on in the article: ... northern elephant seals are hoping to understand how the giant mammals use vocalizations. 
"Vocalizations" is a very good word that we're going to talk about today because it's a key word in our Word Bank. 
Vocalizations. 
I don't think that this is a word that we say very often in conversation, but we might use it when we we're writing. 
What does this word mean, Carolyn? 
Well, a vocalization is a sound that you make with your voice, with your vocal chords. 
We all have vocal chords, and apparently, elephant seals do as well. 
And they can make sounds, vocalizations. 
And it's used to describe this sound. 
That's right. So you talk about voices in action, a vocalization. 
I also see another word there. 
A verb in that word is vocalize, V-O-C-A-L-I-Z-E. 
When you're vocalizing, like I am now, you're using your voice to communicate or to just make a noise. 
You're vocalizing. 
And of course, if you are a vocalist or a singer, then you vocalize often. 
That's right. OK. 
Vocalizations to prevent costly flights - flights that might cause a lot of damage. 
And structure their colonies - organize the places and all the animals that they live with. 
How does the sentence end? 
Is there anything important to talk about there, Carolyn? 
Well, it says: And how we can keep the expanding population safe. 
So scientists want to find ways that we can help these elephant seals to stay safe. 
I think so too. 
We want them to stay safe. 
And we figure out that there are things here that could be costly for them. 
We talk about preventing costly fights. 
Usually when I think of "costly," I think of something that costs a lot of money. 
But here, in a costly fight, actually that could be talking about lives. 
It could be costing lives. 
It could be a dangerous fight. 
Well, right now we're going to go and enjoy some time with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
There are lots of reasons why elephant seal is an appropriate name. 
The first and most obvious reason is because elephant seals are enormous. 
They sure are. 
Male seals can weigh as much as 2,000 kilos, which is almost as heavy as a female Asian elephant. 
Secondly, the name fits because of the seal's nose, which resembles an elephant's trunk. 
And thirdly, elephants and elephant seals are both good swimmers. 
Right. 
Elephant seals can stay underwater for a long time, and they can dive deep. 
Seals normally go down between 300 and 500 meters in search of a meal. 
And this brings us to our next and least obvious similarity: both elephants an elephant seals have whiskers. 
That's right, whiskers. 
While they're in the deep, dark waters, elephant seals will use their eyes to some extent. 
But scientists believe it's the seal's whiskers that really help them see underwater. 
They rely on the sensitive whiskers to detect movement, the location, the shape and even the texture of their prey. 
It's how they find and catch their favorite foods like squid, eels, small sharks and rays. 
Pretty amazing. 
(Chinese). 
It's true. There are many similarities between elephants and elephant seals. 
Well, we continue our article. 
Armed with microphones, researchers from UC Santa Cruz's Institute of Marine Sciences have spent hundreds of hours on the brush-filled, 
windy dunes and beaches of Ano Nuevo State Park. 
OK. Before we finish that sentence, I want to take a look at that first word, actually. 
I see that word "armed." Armed with microphones. 
Carolyn, what do you usually think of when you see this word "arm"? 
Well, usually we think of "armed" as carrying a weapon. 
If you are armed, it means that you have some sort of weapon and can defend yourself or attack someone, which is a little bit scary. 
But here they are not armed with guns, they are armed with microphones. 
Nathanael, what else could you arm yourself with? 
Well, of course, you could arm yourself with any kind of weapon, a knife, a gun, anything like that. 
But sometimes you could say that you arm yourself with something that you have for a specific purpose. 
They're armed with their microphones to do the experiment and do the study that they're trying to do. 
All right. 
And these scientists are environmentally friendly. 
They are armed with microphones, not armed with weapons. 
Well, let's take a look at that Word Bank word. 
It is: dune. 
What is a dune, Carolyn? 
Well, a dune is a big pile of sand that has been shaped by the wind. 
So usually sand is kind of laying flat. 
And here the wind has blown the sand into a large pile, almost like a mountain of sand. 
All right, kind of like a mountain of sand. 
And if you're in a desert or a sandy area, you might see a lot of sand dunes. 
What could you use to get around on the sand dunes, Nathanael? 
Well, we do sometimes talk about going on sand dunes with a dune buggy, just like a small vehicle that you can ride on the sand with. 
All right. Well, let's continue. 
We have this other key word we want to talk about, this last part of the sentence: 
... tracking more than 160 elephant seals and collecting some of their grumbly grunts and growls. 
We see that word. 
It is: grumbly. 
This makes me think of my stomach. 
When I am hungry, it makes a noise. 
(Background Noise). 
It's kind of a grumbly noise. 
But how else could you use that... that word, Nathanael? 
Well, I think it's kind of mixing two words together. 
Really, it's kind of a grunt and a rumble at the same time. 
Or I growl and I rumble at the same time, making this noise in your stomach, or maybe that an animal makes. 
All right. 
Well, how else or when else would you hear this word used, Carolyn? 
Well, if someone isn't very happy, you might say that they're a little bit grumbly because they keep grumbling and saying things very low, 
and it's difficult to understand them. 
That's a very good point. 
Sometimes we use the word grumble to mean complain. 
And if someone is complaining, the they are a grumbly person. 
Right now it's time for us to continue by learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.18.B

Well, there are some scientists that are working on a very interesting project in this article. 
They have microphones, and they are recording the grumbly noises that elephant seals make. 
They think that these noises are used to stop fights from happening. 
And they're going to try to understand what other meaning there might be behind these sounds that the animals make. 
There's a lot more to be learned in the second part of today's reading. 
(Music). 
Scientists Hope to Protect Seals by Understanding Their Sound. 
"These are fascinating animals, and they use sounds for really important parts of their lives," said Brandon Southall, 
a marine scientist and UC Santa Cruz research associate who studies elephant seal communication. 
Like showing who's boss. 
Scientists think males use vocal calls to prevent fighting - much like smack-talk between two guys in a bar - since seals vocalize before coming to blows. 
Often, challenges are settled by the calls alone. 
"It's striking how rare physical fights are," said Colleen Reichmuth, research director at UCSC's Pinniped Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory. 
But when two males the size of a Ford Explorer fight, it's bloody and violent. 
Do try to stay away from bloody and violent fights. 
Well, friends, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
These are fascinating animals, and they use sounds for really important parts of their lives. 
They're fascinating. 
Carolyn, can you tell us about this word? 
Well, if something is fascinating, then it is very interesting. 
"You are fascinated by it" means that you are very interested in learning more about it. 
All right. 
I like that you just used the word "fascinated." It's an adjective to describe you, if you are interested in something. 
And of course, we know that because you are fascinated with English, you like to study with Studio Classroom every day. 
It is very fascinating. 
Well, let's continue. 
Who said this sentence? 
Well, Brandon Southall... or Southall, a marine scientist and UC Santa Cruz research associate who studies elephant seal communication. 
So he's an expert with elephant seals, especially with their communication styles. 
Nathanael, how does this article continue? 
Well, they start to describe what these sounds are for again. 
And it says first "Like showing who's boss." That's an interesting... interesting term, showing who's boss. 
How could these sounds show someone who's boss, and what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, this is an interesting phrase that we want to take a look at. 
Show someone who's boss. 
And if you are the boss, that means that you're in charge. 
So if you show someone who's the boss, then you are letting them know who is in charge. 
And it sounds like the elephant seals communicate to let each other know: 
This elephant seal is the leader of the elephant seals. 
That's right. 
Maybe they make these grumbly noises. 
Everyone has a different noise, and it shows who's boss. 
They want to establish their territory. 
You might also say: I'll show you who's boss. 
That means I'm going to show you that I'm in charge. 
But how else might you show someone who's boss, Nathanael? 
Well, you know, I think we actually sometimes also say this at sports events. 
When we're watching some sports, we might yell to our team: Show them who's boss! 
Beat them! 
You know, do a good job, that type of thing. 
All right. 
Moving along in the article, the next sentence says: 
Scientists think males use vocal calls to prevent fighting - much like smack-talk between two guys in a bar. 
Interesting, smack-talk. 
What is smack-talk, Gabe? 
Smack-talk. 
Well, I'm not going to demonstrate it now because it's not very nice. 
We're not going to do smack-talk here on Studio Classroom because sometimes it involves words that you shouldn't be saying. 
It's insulting one another; smack talk, talking back and forth. 
You're insulting one another, maybe even insulting people that the other person cares about. 
And you are trying to establish the territory or show who's boss in an argument. 
Maybe you might get into a fight, and you start with smack-talk. 
Carolyn, do you ever do smack-talk? 
Uh, no, Gabe, I don't. 
Good. 
I try to avoid getting into arguments with people and do not use smack-talk. 
Excellent. All right. 
Yeah, try to stay away from the smack-talk as much as possible. 
But we continue: ... since seals vocalize before coming to blows. 
OK. So there might be smack-talk before coming to blows. 
Let's talk about these extra words: to come to blows. 
Nathanael, what does that mean? 
Well, think of blows here not as like blowing, but actually punching someone is also called a blow. 
That can be called a blow anyway. 
So if you're coming to blows, it's almost like you're starting to get so mad that you might actually hit someone. 
You're coming to blows. 
Very good. 
You might have a physical fight or a brawl; you're coming to blows. 
So of course, smack-talk and coming to blows are things that we want to stay away from in life. 
But we're learning that elephant seals might experience these kinds of things in their relationships. 
Well, we continue. 
Often challenges are settled by the calls alone. 
Well, that's good. 
So Carolyn, does that mean that they actually come to blows? 
Yes. This is great news because it means that they don't actually fight. 
And here in the article we see: It's striking how rare physical fights are, said Colleen Reichmuth, 
research director at UCSC's Pinniped Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory. 
Now Colleen Reichmuth is a research director at Pinniped Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory. 
That's a very long name. 
And we see a key word there in her title: cognition. 
Now Nathanael, can you explain "cognition" for us? 
Well, cognition is the mental process of knowing. 
It has several different steps that we can't talk about now. 
But just think about knowing and thinking when you hear the word - cognition. 
That's right. 
My sister actually studied cognitive science when she was at university. 
C-O-G-N-I-T-I-V-E, cognitive science. 
So it was all about this mental process of knowing. 
Cognitive science is a form, of course, of cognition. 
They might have studied some similar things, actually. 
Right. 
So it is about being aware and understanding what is around you. 
If you are cognitive, then you know what is going on around you. 
Well, right now it's time for us to know, or get to know what Liz is going to say in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
We read in today's article. 
It's striking how rare physical fights are... 
And that's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the word "striking." Normally we use that word to mean hitting, like: Strike while the iron is hot. 
But in today's sentence, it means very noticeable. 
If something is very noticeable, then we say it is striking. 
For example, you may have a situation that is very strange like: 
The tourist found it striking that all the public bathrooms were so clean. 
We can also use "striking" to describe someone who catches everyone's attention. 
If a very lovely girl walks into a room and everyone notices her immediately, we can say: 
She is very striking. 
So friends, give this word a try. 
Think of something or a situation that is either very strange or noticeable, and practice using this word. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Today's reading ends with the sentence: 
But when two males the size of a Ford Explorer fight, it's bloody and violent. 
Now a Ford Explorer is, of course, a kind of car, a Ford car and it's a large SUV. 
So of course, if two of those were fighting, it would not have a good result. 
Well, let's go now to the Language Lab and see Michelle there. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our program. 
Well, elephant seals are not the only animals that are territorial. 
There are other ones that take care of their territory as well. 
What is an example of that, Carolyn? 
Well, I know another animal that fights is a giraffe. 
And two male giraffes will hit each other with their necks. 
And it's very interesting and very scary to watch two giraffes fight. 
What other animals can you think of, Gabe? 
Well, I think of hippos. 
They look nice, but they can actually be quite violent creatures. 
Well, friends, thank you for joining us this time. 
We'll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye.

2013.02.19.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you're joining us for day two of our lesson about how Scientists Hope to Protect Seals by Understanding Their Sound. 
Of course, seals are not the only animals that have unique sounds. 
Actually, Nathanael, Carolyn and I are each thinking of a different kind of animal. 
And we're going to make their animal calls, or their sounds right now, OK? 
So, here we go. 
Are you guys ready? 
Yes. 
Ready. 
Here we go. 
Three, two, one. 
(Background Noise). 
Yes? Carolyn? 
What? 
What was that? 
Was that a rooster? 
Oh, that's a pretty good guess. 
I was going to say (Background Noise). 
Excellent. 
Sounds like a rooster, right? 
Yeah, it sounds like a rooster. 
Good job. Good job. 
Thank you. 
Well, Nathanael, what is your animal sound? 
Well, I'll let them guess. 
But mine sounds like this... (Background Noise). 
Jacob! Jacob from Twilight. 
I mean, a wolf. 
OK. 
Yes, a wolf. 
And Gabe, your sound would be? 
Well, mine is a moose call. 
Here we go. 
Here, moose! 
They love it. 
They get it every time. 
They always come whenever I say "Here, moose!" Right now it's time for us to get started with our first reading of the day. 
Here we go. 
(Music). 
Scientists Hope to Protect Seals by Understanding Their Sound. 
Once hunted to near-extinction, the northern elephant seals have rebounded. 
Now, scientists are concerned about the potential human impact on the growing population, 
and they hope that understanding the seals' communication and organization will help protect the bulbous-nosed cutie-pies. 
"The more we can learn, the more we can predict how they'll respond to these types of encroachments and better protect them," said Caroline Casey, 
the project's field research coordinator. 
Well, we find out something scary about elephant seals here at first, but things did improve. 
Once hunted to near-extinction, the northern elephant seals have rebounded. 
"Near-extended" means that at one time there were almost no elephant seals left, but now they have rebounded. 
And "rebounded" is a key word for today, so we want to look at this. 
Gabe, what does "rebounded" mean in this case? 
Well, if something rebounds, it's like it recovers from something bad. 
So of course, they were near extinction, almost none left, but now there are lots more. 
Their... their species has rebounded. 
They have recovered from that. 
So you can use this word in other ways, though, Carolyn. 
How would you use that word? 
Well, you can use it to mean recover. 
And when I think of recover, I think of an illness. 
So you can rebound from an illness if you've been in the hospital for a while. 
And then you get better, you have rebounded. 
I also think of last month's article about the American bald eagle. 
At one time they were near extinct in America as well, but it seems like they have also rebounded. 
Those are great examples. 
Now let's continue in the article. 
Now, scientists are concerned about the potential human impact on the growing population. 
What does that mean, human impact on the growing population? 
Well, if the human impact just means that the impact that humans are having, and on the environment that the seals live in, so. 
Humans have some sort of impact, or they affect how the seals live. 
That's right. 
They have an influence, and often a negative influence. 
I think sometimes we forget the impact that we have on the environment. 
Maybe one person doing something careless isn't so bad, 
but so many people can have a big human impact on things like elephant seals and other things in the environment. 
OK. Finishing out the sentence it says: 
And they hope that understanding the seals' communication and organization will help protect the bulbous-nosed cutie-pies. 
Interesting words there at the end: bulbous-nosed. 
That's a More Information word today. 
If something is bulbous, it is shaped like a bulb or a ball. 
What type of thing could be bulbous, do you think, Gabe? 
Would kind of thing could be bulbous? 
Well, I think of a light bulb. 
I think maybe this word comes from that word "bulb." And of course, a light bulb is kind of shaped like that. 
If you see a light bulb that you can use in your house, it is shaped like this. 
Maybe this, um, elephant seal also has a nose that looks kind of like that. 
But what else could be bulbous shaped, Carolyn? 
Well, I really like to work in the garden and plant flowers. 
And there are many types of flowers that have bulbs instead of seeds. 
So instead of planting a seed in the ground, you have a large bulb, something that's very round, 
and probably already has some leaves on it to plant into the ground. 
OK. 
Now you have an idea of what bulbous might look like if it's used to describe something. 
And then you see this word: cutie-pies. 
It sounds strange and looks strange, but really it's a name that we say for someone that is cute. 
If you meet someone's child for the first time, you might say: Oh, they're a cutie-pie. 
There are a lot of other names like this that Steve and Ken, I think, are going to discuss in the Information Cloud. 
How you address a person says a lot about how well you know that person. 
OK. Let's begin with talking to strangers, especially if they're older strangers. 
You'll address them in a formal way which might include a title like Mr., for man, or Ma'am, for a woman. 
Hmm. As your relationship with a person develops, you might learn he or she has a nickname. 
Sometimes the nickname comes from the shortened form of the person's proper name. 
For example, a man named Robert might choose to be called by the more informal name "Bobby" by his friends and family. 
Sometimes a nickname comes from a person's character or habit. 
For example, a man who is left-handed might have the nickname: Lefty. 
OK. The next level in names is the pet name. 
Pet names are intimate, affectionate names you call someone you have a very close relationship with. 
Lots of people use pet names, though couples are probably the people who use them the most. 
The most common pet names in English are "darling, sweetheart and sugar." People get creative, though, 
and invent new ones all the time like cutie-pie, suggy wuggy and mookie-pookie bear. 
Yes, you can be creative and make your loved ones happy. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, Mr. Steve and Mr. Ken. 
Well, we continue. 
The more we can learn, the more we can predict how they'll respond to these types of encroachments and better protect them. 
I like this sentence. 
We have a couple of things to learn here. 
The more we can learn, the more we can predict. 
We want to talk about these extra words: the more something, the more something else. 
This is a great sentence pattern you can use. 
How might you use this, Carolyn? 
Well, the more time we spend at the zoo, the more animals we can see. 
Excellent. Nathanael? 
Well, the more I study it, the more interesting it becomes to me. 
Excellent. 
And the more... let's see, the more seals fight, the more irritated they become. 
You can see there are many different ways to use this phrase. 
Try it in the English today. 
We also have a Word Bank word there. 
So let's talk about that. 
It is an encroachment. 
An encroachment is when someone comes up onto your territory or tries in some way to show that they are in charge. 
You were in charge at first, and then they're slowly becoming in charge. 
They are encroaching. 
It's an encroachment. 
Carolyn, how would you use that word? 
Well, the sea levels are starting to encroach on the beaches. 
I like that. 
So the sea levels are rising, and the beaches are becoming smaller. 
They are being encroached upon. 
All right. 
Nathanael, what does this word make you think of? 
Well, I was thinking with this article, you could say the scientists should be careful of encroaching on the seals' territory. 
And if you notice, both Carolyn and I said "on" after encroaching. 
Encroaching on or encroach on. 
It's important to use that phrase that way. 
All right, so encroaching on someone's territory. 
And of course, earlier we talked about the human impact on these seals. 
Humans are encroaching upon these seals' territory. 
And Nathanael said something very important. 
Even these scientists want to be careful about encroaching upon these seals. 
Well, it's time for us right now to continue. 
Who said this? 
Caroline Casey, the project's field research coordinator. 
And now it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.19.B

Well, we're talking about these bulbous-nosed cutie-pies, the elephant seals. 
And we know that so far, they used to be close to extinction, but now they have rebounded. 
But scientists are still trying to figure out how we can know that we don't have a human impact, a bad human impact on these elephant seals. 
They're trying to figure out how we can stop encroaching on their territory. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn in the next part of our reading for today. 
(Music). 
Scientists Hope to Protect Seals by Understanding Their Sound. 
And as winter ends it might seem quiet during a visit to Ano Nuevo because most of the seals have left this favored breeding ground. 
Make no mistake, though, they are among the loudest animals on land. 
Their calls can be as loud as a jackhammer, with frequencies low enough to vibrate the sand around them. 
To understand what all the fuss is about, Southall has been recording their rumblings from 3 feet away. 
"It's kind of crazy to think you're so close to 4,000-pound males while they're trying to fight," he said. 
"You can feel it resonating in your chest and sinus cavities." The team found that each male has a unique call. 
Well, it sounds like they can be quite loud. 
But if we see the first sentence of this section, it says: 
And as winter ends It might seem quiet during a visit to Ano Nuevo because most of the seals have left this favored breeding ground. 
So there aren't very many seals there even though this is one of their favorite places to go because it's winter, and they go somewhere else. 
Now Nathanael, how does the next sentence begin? 
Make no mistake, though, they are among the loudest animals on land. 
Wow, loudest animals on land. 
"Make no mistake," though, this is a very interesting phrase. 
Make no mistake. 
You might often say it at the beginning of a sentence; and we do want to look at it today. 
How would you use that phrase, Gabe? 
Well, if you have to leave, but you want to let people know you might come back, you could say: 
Make no mistake, I'll be coming back so you all better behave. 
Make no mistake, I'll be back. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, you could say: Make no mistake, English is not an easy language to learn, but if you practice, it is possible. 
And make no mistake, elephant seals may look cute, but they could be quite dangerous. 
All right, moving on in the article it says next: 
Their calls can be as loud as a jackhammer, with frequencies low enough to vibrate the sand around them. 
Wow! I would like to see that. 
But a jackhammer, I think most of us have probably seen a jackhammar. 
What do they use them for, Carolyn? 
Well, jackhammers are usually used for road construction. 
And I frequently hear jackhammers... hmm, all the time, actually, because there's always construction near my apartment, 
and they're always doing road work with their jackhammers. 
Oh, man, I hate jackhammers. 
Yeah, they're very loud. 
If you're working with a jackhammer, of course, you need to protect your ears. 
You need to put ear plugs in your years as the other construction workers around you should as well. 
So a jackhammer is a very loud thing. 
And I guess elephant seals can sound as loud as jackhammers. 
Yes, and that is very, very loud. 
You can even feel the sound, apparently. 
Next the article says: To understand what all the fuss is about, Southall has been recording their rumblings from 3 feet away. 
OK. We had an interesting phrase at the beginning of the sentence: what the fuss is about. 
We want to look at that as an extra phrase today: What's all the fuss about? 
How could you use this, Carolyn? 
Well, if you're a little bit confused about why people are so excited about something, you might say: Uh, what's all the fuss about? 
Or you could say, "What's all the fuss about? Why are you guys fighting?" What's all the fuss about? 
That's right. 
Or what's the fuss about Twilight? 
It doesn't seem that great to me. 
Oh, man. 
Or there's a big crowd outside your office, and you don't know why, and you say: What is all the fuss about out there? 
It's a very useful phrase. 
But this sentence also has another word that we need to look at today: rumblings. 
"Rumblings" is a key word today, Word Bank word: rumblings. 
And it refers to a kind of sound or noise. 
How would you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, this word kind of looks like it could be a verb, but it's actually a noun, a rumbling. 
So this kind of reminds me of the word "grumbling" actually because it's the kind of noise that a jackhammer might make - a rumble. 
But I also think about earthquakes because when there's an earthquake, you might also sense or feel or hear some rumbling from the earth. 
But how would you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, when I think of rumbling, I think of something that is shaking. 
So the ground could be rumbling during an earthquake. 
But it could also be a loud sound like thunder, makes a very loud rumbling sound during a storm. 
Sometimes I think we also use this word in a different way. 
You might say something like: I hear rumblings of a new project that we're starting. 
You're not actually hearing a sound, but maybe you're hearing people talk a little bit about something new that's happening. 
And you might say: I hear rumblings of something like that. 
OK. Continuing in the article it says: 
"It's kind of crazy to think you're so close to 4,000-pound males while trying to fight," he said. 
How would you feel being that close to 4,000-pound elephant seals, Gabe? 
Oh, man, I don't know. 
I mean, I think it would be really cool to be that close to these huge animals, but I know as well it would be really dangerous, or it would seem dangerous. 
I know they're not fighting me, but it still seems like it might be kind of scary. 
OK. He actually gives us a little bit of an idea of what this would feel like. 
What does he say next, Carolyn? 
He says you can feel it resonating in your chest and sinus cavities. 
And if something is resonating, it's kind of vibrating. 
It's inside you here in your chest and sinus cavities. 
And "cavity" is another key word from the Word Bank that we need to talk about. 
What is a cavity, Gabe? 
Well, a cavity is a kind of hole. 
And usually you use this word to talk about... when you go to the dentist and he tells you you have a cavity. 
If you hear it just like that, then you know it's talking about inside your tooth. 
That's not a good thing. 
You need to get your cavity filled. 
But how else can you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, in this case it's talking about open areas inside your body. 
You have your sinus cavities up here around your nose inside your head. 
But it's a kind of open area or hole, like a hole in your tooth is a cavity, as Gabe said. 
Now I think it is time to go see a review skit, and we hope that you enjoy it. 
What are you doing here on these windy dunes? 
I'm learning a snorty language of northern elephant seals. 
Uh, you're learning the language of the seals? 
That's right. 
I'm collecting grumbling grunts and growls. 
Why are you studying elephant seal communication? 
These fascinating animals use sounds to show who's boss. 
When two males fight, it's bloody and violent. 
Can understanding their language help prevent fights? 
I hope so. 
I want to help protect these bulbous-nosed cutie-pies. 
Cutie-pies? 
Yes. They're adorable. 
Whatever. Oh... 
The earth is moving! 
What is that? 
Shh! It's the call of the elephant seal. 
It makes the sand vibrate. 
I could feel it resonating in my chest and sinus cavities. 
Yes. It's a unique sound, isn't it? 
Yes, like a loud jackhammer. 
They are the loudest animals on land. 
And elephant seals weigh 4,000 pounds. 
So what do you think? 
Uh, I think it's kind of crazy that you would get so close, especially when they're ready to fight. 
I think it's exciting. 
I love these elephant seals. 
They're such cutie-pies. 
Come on, let's listen. 
No! Let's get out of here. 
I love those review skits. 
Well, in the last sentence of our article today we see: The team found that each male has a unique call. 
And now let's go visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers. 
We've been learning a lot about elephant seals and maybe how we can protect them. 
Well, I do wonder: When have you felt sound? 
We talk about feeling sound because you're so close to one of these elephant seals fighting. 
But when have you ever felt found? Nathanael? 
Well, my grandparents go to a big church, and my grandfather always says: 
After church that I think something is wrong when I can feel my inside shaking when I listen to the music at church. 
That's pretty funny. 
That's a great observation about some music at churches. 
Well, Carolyn, when have you felt sound? 
Well, I have felt it when music was too loud. 
But I've also felt it at a sporting event. 
I went to a football game with thousands of people, and everyone was cheering and stomping their feet. 
And you could feel the energy, and it was very, very exciting. 
Sometimes it can be exciting to feel that kind of energy. 
I also think of concerts if the speakers are blaring very loud. 
You can especially hear the bass, and you can feel that sound. 
Well, right now it's time for us to say goodbye. 
But we'll see you next time right here on StudioClassroom. Goodbye.

2013.02.20.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we have been learning for the past couple of days about how scientists are hoping to protect elephant seals by the research that they are doing. 
We talked about a lot over the last couple of days. 
And there are some fascinating things that we have learned. 
Nathanael, what is one fascinating thing that you will remember? 
One of the most interesting things to me was how loud these elephant seals are. 
They are as loud as a jackhammer and one of the loudest animals on land. 
You can even feel the sound of their call if you're standing close enough to them. 
Yeah, that's true. 
Well, Carolyn, what's something interesting that you will remember? 
Well, their size. 
Not only are they very loud and make low rumbling sounds, but they are also extremely large, the size of a Ford Explorer, 4,000 pounds. 
That's a very, very large animal. 
That's right. It could be scary to get up really close to one of these creatures. 
Well, it's also important to remember that humans do make a difference. 
The human impact on these elephant seals hasn't always been great in the past. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn. 
Let's get started with our first reading for today. 
(Music). 
Scientists Hope to Protect Seals by Understanding Their Sound. 
"Caroline knows these individuals so well she can recognize them from the other side of the dunes," Reichmuth said of Casey. 
One male, "3C," produces a measured series of clanging pulses. 
Another's call has the rhythm of a galloping horse. 
Other males sound like chainsaws, flamenco dancers or shuffling a deck of cards. 
Some, like "3C," begin and end their calls with a special touch - "a snorty flourish," according to Reichmuth. 
This season, scientists used a speaker to broadcast recorded elephant seal calls to specific males on the beach. 
One seal, when hearing the recording, turned around and sped away. 
Another charged the speaker. 
"We've had a few speakers run over," Reichmuth said. 
Well, in today's article, we see that: 
"Caroline knows these individuals so well she can recognize them from the other side of the dunes," Reichmuth said of Casey. 
And we're talking about Caroline Casey, the project's field research coordinator. 
And you see her name, and you might think it's the same as mine. 
But I am Carolyn, and she is Caroline, a little bit different. 
Well, those are good things to tell apart. 
Well, friends, we do see something else you want to tell apart. 
It seems like Caroline can tell these seals apart. 
It says that she can recognize them from the other side of the dunes. 
When you recognize one thing from another, that means you can tell them apart. 
You know which sound is coming from which elephant seal. 
So it seems like Caroline Casey is pretty cool. 
She's an expert in this area. 
Well, Nathanael, how do we continue? 
The next sentence says: One male, "3C," produces a measured series of clanging pulses. 
So one of the elephant seals is called "3C" by these scientists, and he makes these clanging pulses. 
I think of clanging like maybe from cymbals, that instrument made of metal that you crash together. 
And "pulses" is something that becomes loud quickly and gets soft quickly again, coming back and forth again and again. 
And I think of whales when I think of these kinds of pulses. 
It seems like a lot of sea creatures can make these kind of sounds that send pulses. 
And they can recognize and communicate in that way. 
I also think about communicating SOS. 
That's a kind of pulse that you communicate that you need help, S-O-S. 
Three long, three short, and free long, I think it is? 
Is that how? 
Yes, I think that's right. 
And we see that this is not the only kind of call that they have. 
In the article it says another's call has the rhythm of a galloping horse. 
Well, this is very different from a clanging pulse if we are talking about a horse. 
And we have a key word: galloping. 
Now Nathanael, we were talking earlier. 
Can you explain this word "gallop"? 
Yeah. This idea is actually kind of interesting. 
The gallop is the fastest speed of a horse. 
And when a horse is running at a gallop, or when a horse is galloping, all four of its feet will lift off of the ground as it runs. 
That's right. 
And it makes kind of a sound or rhythm like this. 
Like either two or in threes, that's kind of the sound of a gallop. 
So if you're talking about a horse, it might be galloping away. 
You could say the horse is galloping away. 
It's the fastest a horse can run. 
Well, how do we continue? 
Other males sound like chainsaws, (ooh, chainsaws) flamenco dancers or shuffling a deck of cards. 
Wow! Those are very unique and very different sounds. 
Can you tell us a little bit about this, Nathanael? 
Well, these are very unique sounds. 
One elephant seal sounding like a chainsaw, which you know, is kind of a very loud whirring sound when you use it. 
And other sounding like a flamenco dancer - a flamenco is a kind of dance. 
Do you have any way to describe this dance, Carolyn? 
Well, a flamenco dance is usually very fast. 
And the woman who dances wears a kind of shoe that makes a clicking noise. 
So it's kind of like a Spanish tap dance, but it's very, very quick and very clacky. 
And it's kind of fun to learn a little bit about the history of flamenco. 
In general, the flamenco dancing is very interesting. 
We also hear or see this shuffling a deck of cards. 
If you've ever played cards, then you know what that sound is like. 
Well, Nathanael, how does this article continue? 
Well, it looks like we talk about "3C" again. 
Some, like "3C," begin and end their calls with a special touch - "a snorty flourish," according to Reichmuth. 
There's a few things to talk about here. 
We want to talk about the use of the word "touch" first. 
That's an extra word, extra kind of phrase for today that we want to talk about. 
There's some different ways to use this phrase. 
If you're making some kind of food, you might add a touch of salt, a little bit of salt. 
But are there other different ways to use this, Carolyn? 
Yes. You could also say you want to add a special touch to what you're making, so you make it a little bit more personal. 
Maybe instead of adding a little touch of salt, you add a personal touch by writing someone's name on top of the cake. 
Well, that's true. 
Or you can talk about it like if you're a musician, and you have a solo. 
It's not just any old solo, you add your own special touch to make it unique. 
So you can use this phrase to talk about many different things. 
Well, we continue and we see a word there from the Word Bank. 
It is: flourish. 
Usually when I think of this word "flourish," I think of something that is spreading, like flowers are flourishing. 
They're alive, and there's a lot of life and energy. 
It's flourishing. 
But here we see this word "flourish." And what does this mean, Nathanael? 
Well, I think of a flourish as being something kind of unique and dramatic that might be added to something. 
I often think of artistic flourish. 
Maybe in a painting there's a little flourish, something that looks very interesting that only this artist does. 
All right. 
So where else would you use a flourish? 
Well, earlier you mentioned a solo that an artist might have. 
And you could add your own special touch, a special flourish into your solo. 
That's right. 
Well, friends, we continue with this article. 
This season, scientists used a speaker to broadcast recorded elephant seal calls to specific males on the beach. 
One seal, when hearing the recording, turned around and sped away. 
But what did another seal do, Nathanael? 
Another charged the speaker. 
If you charge something, you run at it very quickly. 
So he thought it was another seal, and he ran towards it and charged it over. 
That's right. 
Well, we see this word "charge." It's an extra word we want to talk about. 
If you charge something, like Nathanael said, you run at it very quickly. 
I think of the animal rhino, or a rhinoceros that gets very angry. 
Or a bull would charge at you if it is very angry. 
Well, Carolyn, what is our last sentence here? 
Our last sentence says: 
"We've had a few speakers run over," Reichmuth said. 
So it sounds like when they hear these sounds, some of the seals charged the speakers and run over them. 
Oh, so their speakers might be broken. 
Well, now let's take some time to go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.20.B

In our reading today we've been learning about elephant seals and the sounds that they make. 
They have many unique and different sounds. 
Some of them sound like chainsaws, flamenco dancers, a galloping horse or even shuffling a deck of cards. 
We've also learned that scientists have recorded some of these sounds and played them back to the elephant seals. 
And their reactions have been very different. 
Some of them have even charged at the speakers and run them over. 
Well, we're going to learn some more about elephant seals in the rest of our reading for today. 
Scientists Hope to Protect Seals by Understanding Their Sound. 
The different responses indicate that the calls are important, and the next step is figuring out what's encoded in the grunty orations. 
"There's no one thing about the sound that allows you to know whether it's a big male, or a dominant male," Reichmuth said. 
When the seals return next winter, scientists will be there once more. 
"It's kind of addicting," Reichmuth said. 
"Sometimes the people migrate back as well.". 
Well, it is exciting to see what they are learning about these calls and how they are important. 
Let's look at the first sentence here. 
The different responses indicate that the calls are important, and the next step is figuring out what's encoded in the grunty orations. 
All right. 
First we have a word here to look at. 
It's a key word for today, the word "encoded." Encoded. 
You hear another word in this word "code," and it has something to do with the meaning. 
Gabe, what does this word mean and how would you use it? 
Well, a code is something that you create that only you know or maybe only a few people can figure out. 
It's a kind of code. 
So you "encode" something, that means you are creating the code. 
Well, I also think of decoding something. 
If you figure out what a code is, that's called "decoding," D-E-C-O-D-E. 
Carolyn, how do you use these words? 
Well, if I'm writing an e-mail, and I don't want anyone else to read it except the person that I'm sending it to, 
I might encode my e-mail so that no one else knows what it says. 
Interesting. 
Do you do that often? 
No, not very often. 
That seems like it might be fun to decode on of Carolyn's e-mails. 
I'm just kidding, I... I won't do that. 
If you encode something, there is a reason for that. 
You don't want people to see. 
Isn't that right, Nathanael? 
Yes, that's right. 
And I thought of another group that also communicates by encoded messages: the military. 
They often do that. 
OK. There's another word we want to look at here today: oration. 
It's a More Information word. 
And it basically is something like a speech. 
So you could think about some of these calls of the elephant seals make as speeches, grunt speeches or "grunty orations," as it says. 
Is there another case where we could use this word "oration," Carolyn? 
Well, if you do want to give a speech, you might say: Oh, well, that is a wonderful oration. 
You did a wonderful job explaining that topic. 
And you could also say "vocalizations" was a word that we have learned previously from this article. 
And it just means to make sounds, to speak; and they have a very grunty speech. 
That's right, a grunty oration. 
You see that word "grunty." Actually, I don't know if that's an actual word. 
"Grunt" is a word. 
But oftentimes in English, you can just add a "Y." It's kind of slang if you want to make a word an adjective. 
A "grunty" oration, that's an adjective. 
Well, Nathanael, how does the article continue? 
Well, we have a quotation next. 
"There's no one thing about the sound that allows you to know whether it's a big male or a dominant male," Reichmuth said. 
So what's the difference between a big male and a dominant male? 
Or are these kind of the same thing? 
I think maybe in our article, it's kind of meaning the same thing. 
Is that right, Carolyn? 
Well, a big male would mean a large male, so one of the larger of the elephant seals. 
But a dominant male would be the male that is in charge. 
So it's hard to tell just from listening to their calls whether they are very large seals or if they are actually dominant - They are the boss. 
And sometimes they are in charge. 
They are... the big ones are the boss, like Carolyn said. 
They are the dominant ones. 
Well, we continue. 
When the seals return next winter, scientists will be there once more. 
"It's kind of addicting," Reichmuth said. 
Interesting. 
It's addicting. 
Let's take a look at that word from the Word Bank. 
If something is "addicting," that means it interests you, and you can't get enough of it. 
You want more. 
You're addicted to it. 
Nathanael, how could you use that word? 
Well, some television shows you could consider addicting or addictive. 
If the story is really interesting and you just really want to know what happens next, you could say: I find the show addicting. 
It's quite an addicting show. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
How do you use that word? 
That's right. 
Well, you can use it to talk about good things being addictive. 
But sometimes there are bad things, like smoking is an addictive habit so you want to avoid it. 
Usually if something is addicting, you shouldn't be doing it. 
Right. But sometimes, as we can see here from this lesson, it can be a good thing. 
It can be something that just really interests you. 
Like a great TV show or a book, it's addicting. 
And "humans might go and visit these elephant seals again," as we see here... or we will see later. 
But right now we need to continue by watching a review skit. Enjoy. 
Listen! That's 3C. 
He sounds like clanging pulses. 
He does? 
Yes. 
Oh. And that's Max. 
He sounds like a galloping horse. 
They both sound the same to me. 
Not to me. 
I know all their calls. 
I can recognize all the elephant seals from far away. 
Really? How? 
It's easy. 
Jack sounds like a chainsaw. 
Angus sounds like a flamenco dancer. 
And Simon makes the sound of shuffling cards. 
That's amazing. 
Yeah. This season we used a speaker to broadcast elephant seal calls. 
So how did the elephant seals respond? 
Some ran away, and some charged the speaker. 
Goodbye, speakers. 
Right. 
The different responses indicate that the calls are really important. 
So what's the next step? 
The next step is to figure out what's encoded in those grunty orations. 
That might take a while. 
Yes. That's why I come back year after year. 
It's kind of addicting. 
So the scientists migrate here just like the seals. 
Well, at least we don't communicate just like the seals. 
(Background Noise). 
True. 
The word "migration" is a term we use to describe the long distance journey wild animals make on an annual basis. 
So why do migrations happen? 
It's usually because of a change in season, availability of food or for mating reasons. 
Every major animal group has migrants. 
We're all familiar with the migration of birds, fish, butterflies and turtles. 
And maybe the most famous of all migrations - the great Serengeti migration of East Africa - which includes countless wildebeest and zebra. 
Well, the migration of the northern elephant seal is somewhat famous too. 
That's because it's the only mammal in the world that makes, not one, but two migrations each year. 
It is amazing. 
After breeding on the beaches of California and Mexico, the seals swim thousands of kilometers to feed in the northern Pacific Ocean. 
Later, they swim back to the beaches to molt, or shed their skin. 
That's one round-trip. 
After they're done with that, they swim to the same feeding area again. 
When they get nice and fat, they swim back to the beaches in the south for the next breeding season. 
And that's the second round-trip. 
In total, northern elephant seals swim about 33,000 kilometers each season. 
Now that's what I call migration. 
(Chinese). 
Well, watching those review skits can be a bit addicting. 
I do enjoy them so much. 
And we have one more sentence left in our article today. 
It says: Sometimes the people migrate back as well. 
So people migrate? 
Nathanael, what does this mean? 
Well, usually we don't thing about people migrating. 
But since they are coming back to a place just like animals come back to specific places, it can be used here also. 
OK. It's time to see what Steve and Ken think about this idea of migration in the Info Cloud. 
And after that, we're going to visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And back to our program. 
For the past three days, we have learned a lot about elephant seals and their vocalizations or orations that they use to call to each other. 
This makes me think of humans each having their own unique sounds. 
Gabe, what is one unique sound that humans have? 
Well, everybody has a different sound of a sneeze. 
So someone might have a really big sneeze, someone else might have a really little sneeze. 
Everyone is unique. 
Nathanael, what other unique sounds do humans have? 
Well, it is funny to listen to all these kinds of sneezes. 
And a laugh is also something that is different from each person, very unique. 
That's right. 
So we all have our own unique laugh, our own unique sneeze. 
These are unique sounds to each person. 
We also have unique voices, though we can try to imitate each other. 
Well, think about your own unique sound and how you recognize each other by those sounds. 
And we will see you here next time on Studio Classroom.Goodbye.

2013.02.21.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And get ready, start your engines because it is time for the Daytona 500. 
Yes, this is a very popular sport in America. 
It's a big car race. 
Now this makes me think about lots of kinds of races. 
Well, what other races have you seen? 
What kinds of races do you like to watch? 
Nathanael, what kinds of races do you like to watch? 
Well, of course, there are a lot of different kinds of races, but one that I like to watch quite a bit is called Wipeout. 
It's a show in America. 
And it's just kind of a funny obstacle course where people have to do strange things as quickly as they can. 
That sounds fun, an obstacle course. 
Carolyn, what kinds of races do you like? 
Well, a race that I experienced last year is called velodrome. 
And it's a very exciting type of bicycle race where the bicycles they use have no breaks. 
Wow! That actually sounds really dangerous. 
I enjoy watching different kinds of races. 
I would like to watch a rat race. 
Yes, watching little mice race each other, that might be kind of fun. 
But right now we're going to talk about something a lot bigger than rat races, the Daytona 500. 
Let's get started. 
(Music). 
The Daytona 500. 
Get ready for one of America's biggest racing events. 
On this day in 1948, William France and his friends officially formed NASCAR, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. 
Over 200,000 fans will gather this coming Sunday in Daytona Beach, Florida, to watch the 55th Daytona 500, NASCAR's biggest racing event. 
Visitors will hear roaring engines, smell smoking tires and witness high-speed crashes. 
Top drivers compete in this 500-mile-long race, reaching speeds of nearly 200 miles per hour. 
Get ready for one of America's biggest racing events. 
I like the phrase there, "get ready for something." Nathanael and Carolyn, I'm sure there are lots of things in life to get ready for. 
I usually have to get ready for a test. 
If I have a test coming up, I have to get ready for that test by studying. 
What other things can you get ready for, Carolyn? 
Well, I have to get ready for work every day. 
So you know, I have to wake up and brush my teeth and get dressed. 
And that's getting ready for my day. 
Getting ready for your day. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
What kinds of things do you like to get ready for, to prepare well for? 
Well, I always make sure to get ready for my run. 
I don't want to go out and run without stretching. 
So I'm, of course, wearing the right clothes and having my iPod. 
All of those things make for a good run. 
That sounds like a good run. 
You got to get ready for these things. 
And this is our first sentence here: 
Get ready for one of America's biggest racing events because it is coming up very soon. 
So get ready. 
Are you prepared? 
Good. 
Of course, I know you're prepared to study with this article today. 
You have your magazine open, you are ready and prepared. 
On this day in 1948, Williams France and his friends officially formed NASCAR, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. 
That is a mouthful. 
OK. Let's take that one little bit at a time. 
National Association. 
What is "national," Carolyn? 
Well, if something is national, then it is recognized by the nation, the whole country. 
So this was not just a local group. 
This was a national country-wide recognized race. 
All right, so the National Association or a group of people, the cooperation for Stock Car Auto Racing. 
Nathanael, can you tell me a little bit about stock cars? 
Well, a stock car is a car that a company produces, normally. 
Now today the cars used in NASCAR are designed for racing. 
And this is, of course, auto racing, automobile racing, NASCAR. 
NASCAR. So of course, NASCAR, for short. 
That's how most people remember it. 
And right now we're going to learn a little bit about the history of NASCAR. 
Steve and Ken are waiting for us in the Information Cloud. 
Stock car racing. 
One of America's most popular spectator sports was born in the 1920s, during a peculiar time in American history known as Prohibition. 
So what was prohibited? 
Well, during Prohibition, it was prohibited or illegal to make, sell or transport alcohol. 
But with most things illegal, if there's money to be made, there will be people willing to break the law to make it. 
And so people were paid large amounts of money to transport homemade whiskey. 
According to one source, one 120 gallon whiskey delivery could make a driver $200, which was a huge sum of money back then. 
Naturally, the law-breaking drivers needed cars that would go faster than the police cars chasing them. 
So they took to delivering their liquor in small, fast cars modified for high speeds and good handling. 
After Prohibition ended in 1933, drivers still wanted to evade the law which wanted to tax the alcohol. 
The fearless drivers loved the thrill of speeding around so much... 
... that in the 1940s, they began racing their modified cars against each other for fun and profit. 
And that's how NASCAR was born. 
(Chinese). 
Steve and Ken, thank you so much. 
That is indeed very interesting information about the history of NASCAR. 
As you could see, there's these words "stock car" in this title for NASCAR. 
Um, Carolyn, can you tell me a little bit about the difference maybe between the way stock cars were and the way they are now? 
Well, when NASCAR originally started, you had to drive a stock car. 
If there were any changes made to your vehicle, then you would be disqualified from the race. 
Now today's NASCARs are made specifically for racing. 
And they can go pretty fast as we will find out in our article. 
That's right. OK. 
So now you can use cars that are made for racing, not just any old stock car that is unchanged. 
Well, we continue in our lesson: Over 200,000 fans will gather this coming Sunday in Daytona Beach. 
I like that phrase, "this coming something." Nathanael, what does that mean, this coming Sunday? 
If we say "this coming Sunday," we mean the Sunday that is coming up next. 
When we say "this Sunday" in English, we also mean the same thing - the Sunday that is coming next. 
If you say "next Sunday," it might be the Sunday after the one that is coming next. 
All right. 
So if it's Saturday, you're talking about this Sunday that is tomorrow. 
Or if it's Wednesday, you're talking about this coming Sunday. 
It's in the future. 
You could say "this last Sunday" for the Sunday in the past, the last Sunday. 
Well, continuing with our lesson: The coming Sunday in Daytona Beach, Florida, people will watch the 55th Daytona 500 NASCAR's biggest racing event. 
Carolyn, what do we find out about this? 
Well, visitors will hear roaring engines, smell smoking tires and witness high-speed crashes. 
So it sounds like a very exciting race to attend. 
It does! And we see this word, it's an exciting word from our Word Bank. 
It is: witness. 
If you witness something, that means you see it, you experience it. 
And usually you could just use the word "see." Oh, I saw an event. 
But with the word "witness," it's kind of like it's a rare event. 
It's not usual; you can witness something. 
What kinds of things might you witness, Nathanael? 
Well, I might say that I witnessed to the fact that he crossed the finish line first. 
Uh, "witness" can also be a noun. 
I am a witness of this fact. 
But you can also say "I can witness to the fact that," as a verb. 
That's right. 
You can witness to something. 
Well, let's continue. 
Top drivers compete in this 500-mile-long race, reaching speeds of nearly 200 miles per hour. 
That is super fast. 
Carolyn, I'm sure you can drive. 
Have you ever driven over 200 miles per hour? 
I have certainly not be driven over 200 miles per hour. 
And right now I think it's time to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.21.B

Today we're talking about NASCAR, National Association Stock Car Auto Racing, 
which maybe you have not heard before but it's very popular in the United States. 
And one of its most famous races is the Daytona 500, a 500-mile race for cars in Daytona, Florida. 
Let's learn more about this race in this reading. 
The Daytona 500. 
A Close Finish. 
In 1959, in the first Daytona 500 three cars were neck and neck as they flew past the checkered flag. 
Since race officials didn't have their own camera, they asked reporters for photos to determine the winner. 
The photos showed that Lee Petty had won the race by a few feet! 
He was declared the winner three days after the race. 
Ever since, cameras have been installed at the finish line. 
Gaining Popularity. 
The race was first broadcast on national TV in 1979, giving many Americans their first exposure to stock car racing. 
Thousands of new fans quickly became hooked on this fast, loud and dangerous sport. 
The 55th Daytona 500 is about to start. 
Drivers and fans alike are eager to hear the race's famous starting line: "Gentlemen, start your engines!". 
Well, we start here with an interesting story about the first Daytona 500. 
In 1959, in the first Daytona 500 three cars were neck and neck as they flew past the checkered flag. 
Carolyn, I didn't know cars had necks. 
Well, I don't think they do. 
Here it's just a phrase, "neck and neck." And it is one of our key word phrases here. 
And it doesn't mean that the cars have necks. 
It means that they were very close together, not close in distance but racing along the track, you couldn't tell who was in front. 
Now what are some other times that you might use this phrase, "neck and neck," Nathanael? 
Well, if you were talking about a race, you could probably say something like: 
They were neck and neck for the whole race until the last lap when one of them slowed down. 
All right. 
So you could talk about physical races where people are racing against each other or rats. 
Of course I've never seen a rat race, but they could be neck and neck as well. 
Or you can also talk about competition between maybe some companies. 
Some companies are neck and neck like... but you never know who's going to win. 
You might be neck and neck in that way as well. 
But if you wanted to know what a checkered flag looked like, it's something like this. 
This pattern is called checkered. 
So this is a checkered flag. 
Oh, yes. 
And that flag that Nathanael is holding is something that we use here in the studio at Studio Classroom to let us know when to start our lesson. 
But Carolyn, when do you use the checkered flag in a Daytona 500 race, at the beginning or at the end? 
Well, for racing, you see the checkered flag at the end of the race. 
And it is used to show that the race is over and someone has crossed the finish line. 
The race is over. 
With the checkered flag, you can know that. 
Well, let's continue with our article. 
Since race officials didn't have their own camera, they asked reporters for photos to determine the winner. 
I was talking with Carolyn about this earlier. 
Is there a special term for this at the end of a race when there's a camera? 
Well, because they needed pictures, they needed photos, it can be called a photo finish because finish, the end of a race, 
and you need pictures to see who won because everyone is too close. 
They were neck and neck. 
It was a photo finish. 
A photo finish. 
Well, Nathanael, what did these photos show? 
They showed that Lee Petty had won the race by a few feet. 
That is a very close race, definitely a photo finish. 
Definitely a photo finish, and you couldn't tell that especially with the speeds at these cars were racing at. 
He won by only a few feet. 
He was declared the winner three days after the race. 
That's a good phrase that you might need to know, for a race, someone is declared the winner. 
That means everyone now knows this person is the winner. 
Well, Carolyn, how does our article continue? 
It says: Ever since, cameras have been installed at the finish line. 
So that would be very helpful. 
They don't have to ask reporters to please give them photos. 
They now have their own cameras at the finish line to take these pictures. 
That's right. 
Well, we see these words "ever since" at the beginning there. 
Let's take a look at those. 
They're extra words I want to talk about: ever since. 
That means an event happened and it changed something for the future - so "ever since" cameras have been installed at the finish line. 
I could also say I've loved that restaurant ever since you took me there the first time. 
Well, we see here in this sentence: Ever since cameras have been installed at the finish line... 
Carolyn, can you tell us about that Word Bank word, "installed"? 
Yes. So here we have "installed." And that means to put something in place. 
Maybe you want to install a new sink in your kitchen because you have a leak. 
What's another way you can use the word "install," Nathanael? 
Well, you could say that your car has been installed with a new engine since we're talking about car racing. 
Let's go on with our article. 
"Gaining Popularity" is the next heading. 
And after that it says: 
The race was first broadcast on national TV in 1979, giving many Americans their first exposure to stock car racing. 
And I think Liz has something to say about that sentence in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We've been talking about the Daytona 500 and how the first broadcast was in 1979, giving many Americans their first exposure to stock car racing. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the phrase "first exposure to." It is a more formal way to say: first time to experience. 
So today's sentence just means that broadcast in 1979 gave many Americans their first opportunity to experience stock car racing. 
Let's have a look at some more example sentences. 
Sarah's concert last night was her first exposure to performing in public. 
Or: Jason's first exposure to cross-cultural communication was when he went on a study-abroad program. 
Friends, if you have a copy of this month's magazine, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more examples. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, continuing we find: Thousands of new fans quickly became hooked on this fast, loud and dangerous sport. 
Well, let's take a look at that Word Bank word. 
It is "hooked." What are you hooked on? 
If something hooks you, that mean it grabs your attention. 
Maybe you become addicted. 
People become addicted to this fast, loud and dangerous sport. 
What kinds of things do people become hooked on, Carolyn? 
Well, you could be hooked on a type of music. 
Maybe you hear a popular song on the radio and you are hooked, you can't stop listening to it. 
Nathanael, what are you hooked to? 
Well, there are some TV shows I'm pretty hooked on to. 
I really want to know what's going to happen next. 
All right. 
Well, I would love to get hooked on something like surfing. 
I think it's a great sport. 
It's a lot of fun to go to the beach anyway. 
It'll be fun to get hooked on that sport. 
We continue. 
The 55th Daytona 500 is about to start. 
Drivers and fans alike are eager to hear the race's famous starting line: Gentlemen, start your engines! 
And we see this word here in that sentence "alike." Now you see this that it says drivers and fans alike. 
That means they're making a similarity between drivers and fans. 
How else could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, you could say that men and women alike enjoy watching NASCAR. 
Now let's take some time to zoom over to the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers. 
Well, NASCAR is a popular sport in America. 
But Gabe, do you think that it takes much skill to drive a race car? 
Are you serious? 
Yeah! I think it takes a lot of skill to drive a car that fast. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
I think that race car driving, you need to be in good shape and you need to know how to handle your vehicle properly so that you don't get into a wreck. 
It takes a lot of skill. 
Now we thank you for joining us here on Studio Classroom and learning about NASCAR racing today. 
And we hope to see you next time. 
Bye-bye. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.02.22.A

Hey, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad that you could join us for today's very interesting article called Packing in Practice. 
If you are a traveler, if you're someone who has to pack often because you are traveling, maybe this lesson will be useful for you. 
Well, what is your experience in packing anyway? 
Nathanael, can you tell me a little bit about your experience with packing? 
Well, if you've ever had to pack for a flight, for a trip with an airplane, you know that you have to pay attention to how much your bags weigh. 
And sometimes it's difficult to keep them below the weight necessary. 
It's true. 
Sometimes I pack a lot in my luggage, and then I have to take some out at the airport and put it in my carry-on bag to take on the plane. 
It can be kind of troublesome. 
Carolyn, what's your experience with packing? 
Well, I had to do a lot of packing when I went to college because I was moving into a dorm room. 
And we patched the car pretty full, so there wasn't much room left for the rest of us to get in the car. 
That's pretty funny. 
The car was full with everyone's things. 
Well, it seems like we've had a lot of experience in packing. 
Friends, I don't know what kinds of experiences you've had, but maybe it would be good to learn something with Packing in Practice. 
Let's get started with our first reading for today. 
Packing in Practice. 
Sometimes a well-packed bag takes a little practice! 
I was nearly in tears as I dragged my three pieces of luggage through the deep snow. 
I was cold, tired and embarrassed. 
My two classmates had a backpack and one piece of luggage each. 
I felt judged for bringing more. 
I was in Freiburg, Germany, hiking along cobblestone streets on my way to the university. 
This was the last part of a very long journey from the U.S. 
Well, we're enjoying Jo's story about her journeys. 
But let's go back to the title for today, Packing in Practice. 
There are couple words I want to talk about there, some extra words; the words "in practice." Now if you want to get better at something, then you can use these words. 
You could talk about that thing or putting it into practice. 
For instance, I like to play drums. 
I want to get better. 
I can put my drumming into practice. 
How else can you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, I've been doing a lot of cooking and trying out new recipes. 
And now I want to put those recipes in practice and let my friends try them too. 
Well, I would love to put my eating into practice after you put your cooking into practice. 
Nathanael, what kinds of things do you put into practice? 
Well, there are all kinds of travel tips, but it's hard to put them all into practice. 
Sometimes you just have to choose a few to try and see if they help your travel experience. 
All right. 
So there are different things that you could put in practice. 
We're going to learn about packing in practice. 
And we see: Sometimes a well-packed bag takes a little practice. 
So far we've seen that word "practice" as a noun, which is good. 
You know that you can use it as a noun and a verb. 
Well, Nathanael, how does the article begin? 
The first sentence says: 
I was nearly in tears as I dragged my three pieces of luggage through the deep snow. 
I was cold, tired and embarrassed. 
Well, I think there is a word here in the first sentence "luggage." Luggage. 
This is a key word. 
What exactly is luggage, Carolyn? 
Well, luggage, or a suitcase, is what you take with you when you travel. 
It's your bags that are filled with your things, your clothes, maybe your toothbrush. 
What are some things that you usually pack in your luggage? 
Well, like you mentioned, clothes. 
Of course you got to have your underwear, you got to have a couple of changes of pants and shirts, your toothbrush. 
I also like to pack a couple of good books. 
In traveling you might have a lot of time to sit and read. 
Or of course if you have your iPad, you can play some games on that too, do something like that. 
Those are the kind of things I like to put in my luggage. 
Friends, it's very important to remember this word never has an "S," even if it's plural. 
It's not "luggages." It's always "luggage." I packed my luggage. 
I had many pieces of luggage. 
Well, friends, we're going to continue. 
Actually, in the first sentence, I like the first phrase: I was nearly in tears. 
Carolyn, can you talk about that phrase? 
Yes. She was "in tears" with her three pieces of luggage does not mean that she was inside a tear. 
It means that she was almost crying. 
She was nearly in tears. 
Nearly in tears. 
And why would she be in tears? 
Because she is lugging her three pieces of luggage through the deep snow. 
She was cold, tired and embarrassed. 
And we continue to find out her two classmates had a backpack and one piece of luggage each. 
Let's talk about that Word Bank word there. 
It is "backpack." Nathanael, what is a backpack? 
Well, it's a kind of bag that you wear on your back. 
You might see people take them to school. 
That's where they're commonly seen. 
All right. Yeah, that's right. 
Students would wear backpacks on their shoulders, on their back. 
Um, but also, people who travel might wear, or use different kinds of backpacks. 
They're usually a little bigger than normal. 
And we call those people backpackers, actually. 
You just add the E-R on the end of that word "backpack" to talk about someone who uses those big backpacks to travel from place to place. 
Well, right now we're going to continue by learning something interesting with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
Here we go. 
To successfully pack light, you need to change your thinking. 
Instead of saying to yourself "how much luggage can I carry?" you should say: How little can I get away with? 
I agree. 
The days of going on a trip, lugging two or three huge suitcases behind us are, well, behind us. 
One medium-sized suitcase or smaller and a carry-on backpack is now the new normal. 
It is. 
And it doesn't matter if you're gone for a week, a month or a year. 
Reducing your load before you hit the road is the smart way to go. 
Why? 
Because packing light will save you frustration. 
It will give you more flexibility and extra mobility. 
And here's another reason, everyone. 
I just read in the newspaper that at least one airline will begin charging travelers US$100 for every checked-in suitcase. 
So packing light will save you big money too. 
So it doesn't matter if you're a student, a parent with young kids or a high-powered executive with personal assistants who carry your luggage, 
packing light makes everybody's travels simpler, smoother and more enjoyable. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. And it is important to pack light. 
And if you pack light, you might use a backpack. 
You might even go backpacking with your backpack. 
We were talking about that word earlier. 
And it can also be used as a verb - to go backpacking. 
And you probably only have one bag when you do that. 
Well, it seems like Jo did not only have one bag here in her story. 
She had three pieces of luggage. 
Her two classmates had a backpack and one piece of luggage each. 
And so we continue by finding out that Jo felt judged for bringing more. 
Does that feel good to feel judged, Nathanael? 
How does that feel like? 
Well, no, I don't think it ever feels very good to be judged. 
Her friends must have thought that she wasn't thinking very well when she packed... so many things. 
And maybe they even told her that though here it just says that she felt judged even if they didn't say so. 
Yeah, she felt judged. 
Well, my question for you is: have you ever felt judged in your life? 
Maybe you can talk about that in English. 
You felt like someone was kind of thinking about you in a negative way. 
You felt judged about something. 
Think about that and talk about it in English. 
Well, we're going to continue with Jo's story. 
I was in Freiburg, Germany, hiking along cobblestone streets on my way to the university. 
She was in Germany, and she was hiking on what kind of streets, Carolyn? 
Cobblestone streets. 
And a cobblestone is a very round stone that they used to make streets a long time ago. 
So they are laid along the ground. 
And they're not very easy to walk on because they are not flat. 
They are round. 
Right on. 
So they're round stones that the roads used to be made of. 
Um, have you ever visited a street that was made of cobblestone? 
Nathanael, do you like these kinds of streets? 
Well, it is true. 
They're not very even, so they're not the easiest to travel on. 
But actually, they look very nice. 
They look very unique. 
So I do kind of like them. 
Yeah. They can kind of add a unique flavor to a certain city or certain part of town to have a place that has a cobblestone road. 
Well, we continue. 
This was the last part of a very long journey from the U.S. 
So far we know that Jo has traveled from the U.S. to Freiburg, Germany, in her story. 
We're going to learn more later. 
But for now, let's go join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.22.B

Well, we're joining Jo today in her story about putting packing into practice. 
And of course, we found that it wasn't easy for her traveling with some friends through Europe from the United States to Freiburg, Germany. 
She realized that she had packed way too much and that it was not easy to lug three pieces of luggage through the snow. 
Maybe it would've been better just to have a backpack. 
We're going to continue this very interesting story right now. 
Packing in Practice. 
After landing first in Zurich, Switzerland, we made our way north to Germany. 
I carried my things up and down stairs, on and off trains. 
I squeezed myself onto crowded streetcars and elevators. 
We were staying at the University of Freiburg for just a semester. 
But I suspected that I'd packed enough for a year. 
I'd barely arrived, and already I was wondering how I'd get my things home. 
When at last I got to my apartment, I frowned at my luggage. 
This was not going to happen again. 
Of course Jo and her friends had a very long journey from the U.S. to Germany, but they also stopped in some other places. 
We learned here that she stopped in Switzerland. 
Our first sentence is: After landing first in Zurich, Switzerland, we made our way north to Germany. 
We made our way north to Germany. 
I like this phrase here: to make your way somewhere. 
How can you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times when I'm traveling, I want to make my way through the crowds of tourists. 
Because I want to get to where I want to go very quickly, so I need to make my way through the crowds. 
All right. It kind of has that idea of there might be an obstacle or a challenge, it's not easy. 
You make your way. 
That means you have to kind of think about a unique way to get through. 
How would you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
I was thinking that maybe if you're on a tour, a tour guide might tell you to make your way into the next room, moving everybody along the tour. 
All right. Make your way into the next room. 
There are many ways to use this phrase. 
I hope you get a chance to do that today. 
We're going to continue with our article. 
Nathanael, what did she say next? 
Next she says: I carried my things up and down stairs, on and off trains. 
I definitely think that this would not have been easy with three pieces of luggage. 
No, I don't think so either. 
She should have just packed one backpack. 
She says that she squeezed herself onto crowded streetcars and elevators. 
Well, we see some interesting words there. 
Let's talk about that Word Bank word. 
It is: squeeze. 
And when you squeeze something, that means you're making it into a smaller shape than it should be. 
So what kinds of things can you squeeze, Carolyn? 
Well, you might try to squeeze a piece of fruit to get the juice out. 
Maybe you want some lemon juice or some orange juice. 
But I also think of when I'm packing, I try to squeeze as much into my luggage as possible. 
That's a good point. 
Speaking of packing, you try to squeeze as much as you can as possible. 
How do you use that word? 
Well, she... Joanna talked about squeezing herself in somewhere. 
Sometimes one thing that we say is "let me squeeze in here." Let me get through. 
Or sometimes even let me... let me say something really quickly. 
We say: Let me squeeze in here. 
Good. So you can use this word "squeeze" as kind of a slang for interrupting something. 
Excuse me. Let me squeeze in here with my thought. 
Well, we continue. 
We found out that she did squeeze into crowded streetcars and elevators. 
And she says: We were staying at the University of Freiburg for just a semester. 
What else does she say here, Carolyn? 
She says: But I suspected that I packed enough for a year. 
So only one semester, that's just a few months, but she had a lot of things with her. 
And in this sentence we see a key word: suspected. 
Now Gabe, can you tell me what "suspect" means? 
Well, when you suspect something, that means you're not really sure but you have a guess about something. 
She knew that she was only going to be there for a semester, but she maybe guessed that she packed too much. 
I suspected I packed for a year. 
How else do you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, I could say that I suspect airplane tickets are very expensive right now. 
I haven't checked, but I... I would guess that they're pretty expensive. 
All right. 
I also think about maybe the weather. 
It's getting kind of cloudy. 
I suspect it will rain, not sure. 
Right. So you can suspect something. 
Well, Nathanael, how does Jo continue with her story? 
She says: I'd barely arrived, and already I was wondering how I'd get my things home. 
She has all this stuff. 
How is she going to get it back home, let alone how she going to get to the university? 
That's right. 
How would she want to get these things home? 
I'm sure that you might understand how Jo feels right now. 
Maybe if you have packed too much at one time, you know what this is like. 
Well, she says: When at last I got to my apartment, I frowned at my luggage. 
Let's talk about that Word Bank word. 
It's not a sad word, but your mouth does go down when you "frown" because it's the opposite of a smile. 
It's a frown. 
How else can you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, you might frown if you don't get a very good grade on your test or if you don't do well in something you were trying to do. 
Maybe you look at your test paper and frown. 
Oh, too sad, disappointed. 
I understand, I understand completely because I've had those kinds of tests before. 
How do you use that word, Nathanael, "frown"? 
Well, this is another one where you have to remember that "frown" can be both a noun and a verb. 
You can frown, or you can have a frown on your face. 
It's not unusual to see a lot of frowns while you're traveling in an airport. 
Mmhm, yeah, because lots of people don't like to travel so you might see lots of frowns. 
Well, it is common for very happy and chippered people to use a phrase; they say: turn that frown upside down. 
So if you're feeling sad and you're frowning, you might hear one of your happier friends say: Turn that frown upside down. 
That means smile. 
Turn your frown upside down. 
Well, we hope you're not frowning right now, you're smiling because we have a review skit we want to enjoy. 
Let's do that now. 
(Background Noise). 
Come on! 
This is the last part of our journey. 
Yeah, a very long, long journey. 
Stop crying. 
What's wrong? 
I'm tired, and I'm cold, and I'm kind of embarrassed. 
You should be embarrassed. 
Look how much stuff you brought! 
Hey, why are you saying that? 
I feel like you're judging me. 
I am judging you. 
You brought too much stuff. 
You have three suitcases. 
Well... 
Do you like dragging three pieces of luggage through snow? 
No, I don't. 
And do you like carrying them up and down the stairs? 
No, I don't. 
And on and off trains? 
No. 
And is it easy squeezing them into crowded streetcars and elevators? 
No, it's not. 
Then why did you bring so much stuff? 
I just wanted to be sure I have enough things. 
I'll be staying for a semester. 
I suspect you have enough for a year, or two, or three! 
Oh, you're right. 
And how will you get all these things home? 
I don't know. 
I was already wondering that myself. 
Well, come on. 
Don't just stand there frowning and crying at your luggage. 
OK, I'm coming. 
But listen to me, luggage. 
This is not going to happen again. 
Next time you're staying home! 
Well, we know that Jo has had a really bad experience with her luggage so far. 
And the last sentence of today's reading says: This was not going to happen again. 
The next time that she packs, she will not take so many things with her. 
And now it's time to go to the Language Lab with Michelle. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers. 
Well, I've enjoyed reading the first part of Jo's traveling story here. 
And I'm sure you have too. 
Maybe you've had a similar experience. 
Actually, Carolyn, have you had a similar experience to Jo's? 
Well, I have. 
I went to China for six weeks during the summer. 
And I probably only needed one suitcase, maybe just a backpack. 
But I took two large pieces of luggage with me, and it was just too much. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
Yeah. When I was moving to Asia, I actually stopped in another city in the United States to visit a friend at his wedding. 
And I had a lot of luggage, and I had to take a bus and leave the airport and do a lot of things to get there and it was not easy or fun. 
Well, it doesn't sound like you packed a little enough. 
And I've had similar experiences too, actually, even in just short journeys to visit my parents. 
They only live two hours away. 
But sometimes I'll pack a lot even in my backpack. 
It's too heavy. 
I think I'm going to read a book or do some homework or something, I never even touch that stuff. 
So sometimes I even pack too much in one backpack. 
Well, talk about your experiences in English, and we'll see you next time to continue this story right hereat Studio Classroom. Goodbye.

2013.02.23.A

Hey, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you are joining us for our second day of Jo's story: Packing in Practice. 
Yes, she learned the hard way not to pack too many things. 
Well, this just makes me think. 
I mean, everyone has a process to packing. 
What kinds of things do you like to pack first? 
Carolyn, what do you pack first when you're packing? 
Well, I try to think what is the largest thing I'm going to take with me, and I put that in first so that all of the smaller things can be placed around it. 
OK. That's great. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
What do you like to pack first? 
I usually think first about what is what I need the most. 
So I usually pack clothes first. 
Of course, there are different kinds of clothes, but I usually pack that first. 
All right. 
This is great, you guys. 
I'm writing these things down because I also need to have better... packing habits. 
Um, so pack the heavy things and the things that I need. 
Excellent! I have lots to learn from my friends and, of course, from Jo. 
Let's continue learning about her story: Packing in Practice. 
Packing in Practice. 
Confession time: I pack a lot of stuff when I travel. 
My goal is to take the minimum, but that rarely works out. 
Something in my mind cries, "Jo! You will need more jeans and shirts! 
Bring all the DVDs and books you own in case you get bored! 
Pack some knitting needles because you like to knit sometimes! 
Better pack a chess set so you can play with the new friends you make!" The packing goes downhill from there. 
Well, it sounds like Jo is having an interesting time packing, and she starts off with: 
Confession time: I pack a lot of stuff when I travel. 
And the very first word of the sentence "confession" is a More Information word in our article. 
And if you confess something, it means that you tell the truth. 
So she feels like there is something that she needs to tell you. 
And it's "she packs too much." Nathanael, how did she continue in this article? 
Well, the next sentence is: 
My goal is to take the minimum, but that rarely works out. 
And first here we have a Word Bank word called minimum. 
Here "minimum" is a noun, but it can also be an adjective. 
And it means the least amount. 
How could we use this word, Gabe? 
Well, I usually think about maybe a worker or an employee who gets the minimum wage. 
That's the lowest amount that that company or the country should give an employee. 
The minimum wage, W-A-G-E, the amount that they get paid. 
Um, but I also think about maybe like a minimum charge. 
If you want to get into certain restaurants or show, then there might be a minimum charge. 
That's the least amount that you need to pay if you want to go in. 
That's right. 
And a lot of times when I think of minimum, I also think of the word: maximum. 
And "maximum" means the greatest or the most of something. 
Minimum, we say it was the least or smallest amount. 
And many times you might think of the maximum speed limit. 
It's the fastest that you are allowed to drive on the road, and you should not go faster than the maximum. 
That's right. 
Minimum and maximum are opposites. 
And maximum is another great word to know. 
Well, there's another phrase we want to look at here at the end of this sentence: works out or to work out. 
It rarely works out. 
"It doesn't turn out well" is what we're talking about here. 
How would we use that phrase, Gabe? 
Well, you could say something like: I was dating someone but it didn't work out. 
So it's something I wanted to do but it didn't succeed in the end. 
It didn't work out. 
Sometimes the phrase "work out" can mean succeed in something. 
How would you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, you might say that your plans didn't work out, or that everything worked out in the end. 
It was all OK. 
Everything worked out. 
Yeah. Those are great examples of that phrase. 
Let's move on in the article. 
The next sentence is: 
Something in my mind cries: Jo, you will need more jeans and shirts! 
Have you... either of you ever felt this way when you're packing that you need more clothes, more of something? 
Well actually, yeah. 
Maybe I'll pack something and then realize that I... I do need some more of these things. 
I have to keep using the same pair of pants over and over again. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
A lot of times when I'm packing, I'll think: Oh, but what if... what if I have to go to a place that has this kind of weather? 
I should probably pack a little bit more and then a little bit more. 
And I end up packing too much sometimes. 
These are all things that we need, but sometimes we want to take things that are just fun. 
Let's look at the next sentence. 
Bring all the DVDs and books you own in case you get bored. 
We'd like to take something that we can use for the spare time that we have. 
And that takes up space in our packing as well. 
What else did she pack, Gabe? 
Well, she also said: Pack some knitting needles because you like to knit sometimes. 
So she has this hobby knitting that we want to talk about from the Word Bank. 
It is the word "knitting." Do you like to knit? 
You're kind of using two long things are called "needles" that kind of look like long chopsticks, actually. 
And you use those to create something like a sweater or a blanket. 
You can knit something. 
Carolyn, do you like knitting, or have you ever knitted something? 
Well, my knitting is not very good. 
I can't really knit very much, but my roommates in college were very good at knitting. 
And they could knit small dolls and little figures of animals. 
It was quite impressive. 
It is pretty impressive when you meet someone who can knit or maybe if they knit something for you. 
Well, what is the last thing that Jo says here? She says: 
Better pack a chess set so you can play with the new friends you make. 
Nathanael, that seems kind of ridiculous to me. 
Yeah. A chess set is something very big to be packing in a suitcase. 
I guess if you're going to spend a few months in a place, you want something to do in the stuff that you pack. 
But a chess set? I don't know, that seems like something big. 
Mmhm. It seems really big. 
But you know what, this makes me think of actually now everyone has iPads and Androids and things like that. 
You can do so many things just on your little tablet that you couldn't do before. 
Maybe you had to pack a chess set before, but now you can just take your... your tablet and use that to play games. 
Well, let's continue learning something with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
We read in today's article: 
Better pack a chess set so you can play with the new friends you make. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the word at the beginning of the sentence: better. 
It's a sure and informal way of saying: you had better. 
Now we normally use "we had better" when we want to seriously encourage someone to do something. 
But when we're in an informal situation, we can just shorten it to "better." And in the case of today's sentence, 
the writer is talking to herself, telling herself to pack a chess set. 
OK, let's look at some examples. 
Better bring an umbrella because it might rain! 
Or: Better have some extra cash in case you want to buy something at a convenience store. 
And friends, if you'd like to see some more example sentences, you can check out today's Grammar Tip section for more examples. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
Better listen to Liz. 
She knows what she's talking about. 
Well, the last part of this reading says: The packing goes downhill from there. 
Now you know that if you're walking to the top of a hill, you could say you're walking uphill. 
And if you're going to the bottom of a hill, you're walking downhill. 
So what does this mean, the packing was going downhill from there? 
Carolyn, please explain this. 
Well, it doesn't mean that her packing was going down a hill. 
She was not packing on a hill. 
It means that she was not succeeding in packing things that she should be packing. 
She was packing too much. 
You might say: 
I was trying to start a new diet, but I had a cookie and then a piece of cake, and then a box of chocolates, and it just went downhill from there. 
It went downhill from there. 
Or earlier I was talking about dating somebody. 
I had a conversation and I started to share my true feelings about the girl, and the conversation went downhill from there. 
She got anxious and awkward and nervous. 
It went downhill from there. 
Of course, things can go downhill, but sometimes they do get better. 
You could say I was traveling and my trip was going downhill; but then on my second flight there was an empty seat next to me. 
I had a little extra room. 
So things weren't so bad anymore. 
Things weren't going downhill anymore. 
Well, now it is time to see Michelle in the Language Lab for something that she wants to teach us today. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.23.B

In our article today, Jo confesses that she packs too much. 
Even though she tries to only bring the minimum with her when she travels, 
she seems to end up always packing a chess set, more jeans and more shirts, DVDs in case she gets bored. 
And it doesn't work out the way she plans. 
Her packing just starts to go downhill. 
Well, let's continue and see what happens to Jo in the rest of the article. 
Packing in Practice. 
They say practice makes perfect, and I've had a lot of practice since Germany. 
That trip - my first abroad - was a difficult but valuable lesson. 
When I'm packing for a trip now, I remember how I felt then. 
I assume all my bags will be my responsibility. 
If I want to take something, am I willing to carry it everywhere? 
Usually the extras aren't worth the effort. 
There's nothing like stairs and crowded spaces to set your packing priorities straight! 
It sounds like Jo has learned her lesson in packing with all of the practice she has had now. 
And at the beginning she says: 
They say practice makes perfect, and I've had a lot of practice since Germany. 
Now at the very beginning of that sentence it says "they say." They say. 
What... what do they say, Gabe? 
Well, they say practice makes perfect. 
And who is "they"? 
Who are we talking about? 
Well, this is just a way to say that lots of people say something; they say. 
They say practice makes perfect. 
And it's true. 
Lots of people say that. 
That's why you've heard this phrase before, practice makes perfect. 
If you're practicing something, it's going to become even better. 
That's why you're listening to Studio Classroom every day because practice makes perfect. 
Is that right? 
That is right. 
So if you practice your English, it will get better and better. 
And hopefully it will become perfect if you practice it enough. 
Now Nathanael, what's something else that you can practice? 
Well, I like acting a lot, and you need to practice or rehearse for a play. 
The more that you practice, hopefully the better everything will become. 
I don't know if it will get absolutely perfect, but practice is very worthwhile, very valuable. 
All right. So practice makes perfect. 
Another word that Nathanael used was "rehearse." There are different words for practice. 
But let's continue with our article. 
Jo says, "That trip - my first abroad - was a difficult but valuable lesson." It was a valuable lesson. 
She says, "When I'm packing for a trip now, I remember how I felt then." And then what did she say, Carolyn? 
She says, "I assume all my bags will be my responsibility." Oh. 
Well, she assumes, so she thinks that all of her bags will be her responsibility. 
And "responsibility" is one of our key words today. 
If you are responsible, what does that mean, Nathanael? 
Well, if you're responsible, you know something should be under your control or at least that you should take care of it. 
So she knows that whatever she packs, she's going to have to take care of, she's going to have to move from place to place. 
Right. So she has that responsibility for her luggage. 
What is something else that you might have a responsibility to, Gabe? 
Hmm, a responsibility to... 
Well, in my family, of course, I am the firstborn son, so I have a responsibility to make sure that my parents are OK. 
Well, that is, of course, what some cultures feel. 
I have a responsibility to be a good son and to be a good brother to my siblings. 
That's a responsibility that I have. 
What's a responsibility that you have? 
Of course, you might have a different responsibility at work than you do in your family or at home or with your friends. 
And as Carolyn and Nathanael just said, they used the word as an adjective, to be responsible for something. 
Well, Carolyn, what does Jo say next? 
She says: If I want to take something, am I willing to carry it everywhere? 
So she's questioning herself: 
Do I really need this item? Do I really need knitting needles? Do I really need a chess set? 
Do I want to take it everywhere with me? 
Well, it's a good question to ask when you are packing. 
And now let's join Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
I've never met a seasoned traveler who said "With every trip I make, I try to take more and more stuff." No, it's just the opposite. 
They learn to pack less stuff. 
Because they know less luggage means fewer headaches and a happier travel experience. 
So Steve, how do you pack light? 
Well, first, Ken, I put everything I want to take on my trip and I lay it out on my bed. 
Next I put half of it back. 
Good idea. 
And don't worry about not bringing something you think you'll need later on. 
Even if you're overseas, chances are you'll be able to buy it or borrow it. 
OK. The next time you're packing for a trip and you're still not sure whether or not you've got too much stuff, try this: 
Lift your luggage over your head and hold it there for 10 seconds. 
If you can't do it, you're over-packed. 
Or try carrying your luggage around the block five times without breaking a sweat. 
If you can't do it without sweating, you're over-packed. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
Maybe you can use some of those suggestions the next time you're packing. 
Well, the first sentence of the last part of this article says: Usually the extras aren't worth the effort. 
The "extras," maybe she's talking about the extra luggage that she would like to take along or the extra things she would like to pack. 
What is the next sentence, Gabe? 
Well, she continues: There's nothing like stairs and crowded spaces to set your packing priorities straight! 
It's true. 
These things will help to remind you that maybe you want to start packing lighter. 
There's nothing like stairs and crowded spaces to set your packing priorities straight. 
And I like that phrase: there's nothing like something to something else. 
You can use it like this: 
There's nothing like moderate exercise to feel healthy. 
How else could you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
There is nothing like a 24-hour trip to make you feel tired. 
I know I always feel tired after I travel halfway around the world. 
I agree. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
How do you use that phrase? 
Well, there's nothing like cold weather to make me want a cup of hot chocolate. 
Oh, my goodness! 
I wrote something similar. 
I said there's nothing like hot chocolate to warm you up in the winter. 
It's so true. 
And it is getting cold outside. 
It's still cold outside. 
So maybe you want to grab a cup of hot chocolate as we talk about this next word. 
It is the word "priorities" from our More Information. 
A priority. 
Carolyn, what's your priority? 
Well, a priority is something that is very important, and probably the most important thing. 
So if you set your priorities straight, it means you put the important where it should be. 
I like that. 
Nathanael, are you good at setting your priorities straight? 
Well, sometimes I am, but it's easy to put the wrong thing first or think that something is more important than it should be. 
We also often talk about what the first priority is. 
You might say that once we land, our first priority is to pick up our luggage. 
That's usually the first thing, the most important thing to do after you've reached a destination. 
All right. Good, I like that. 
When you're traveling, make a list of priorities, the things that you need to do, and try to do those things in order. 
What is your top priority? 
You can also say "first priority." That's at the top of the list. 
So again, as Jo says, there's nothing like stairs and crowded spaces to set your packing priorities straight. 
Well, it seems like she has learned a lot in her packing experiences. 
We've learned a lot enjoying her lesson, her story here. 
And we have more to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Here we go. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers. 
In our article today, we've heard a lot from Jo and the experience that she has had with her packing adventures, 
and the lessons that she has learned to just pack the minimum and don't take your knitting needles and your DVDs with you around the world. 
And it makes me wonder with the experience that we've had packing, are you good at packing? 
Nathanael, do you think you are good at packing your luggage? 
Well, I do think that I've had a lot of practice packing, and I think that I can fit things into a suitcase very well. 
But sometimes it is difficult to choose what's most important to pack. 
That's very true. 
Sometimes it's very hard to decide what I want to take and what I want to leave behind. 
And many times I'm trying to stick smaller things into many different pockets in my suitcases, just trying to make it fit. 
Gabe, do you think you're very good at packing? 
Well, I have had a lot of practice over the years as you guys have. 
And so I've maybe not mastered the art of packing, but I've gotten a little better. 
And I can't say that I'm 100 percent proud of the way that I pack every time. 
Almost all of the time I always pack a little too much. 
Something that I think I'm going to need or use, but I just don't use it. 
Well, that sounds like a very difficult thing to solve. 
And that is all we have for today on Studio Classroom.We hope to see you next time. Goodbye.

2013.02.25.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
We're glad that you could join us for today. 
This is a very interesting article for anybody who is interested in finding a different job or maybe going and applying to work somewhere. 
The name of our article is: What questions do employers want to hear in an interview? 
Well, this just makes me wonder, before you even start reading this lesson, what do you do to prepare for an interview? 
What kinds of things come to your mind, Nathanael? 
Well, actually one simple thing that you should do is think about what you're going to wear. 
Part of what you wear makes an impression on the employer that you're going to interview with. 
All right. That's right. 
Be careful that you're wearing something that might impress the person interviewing you. 
Well, Carolyn, how do you prepare for a job interview? 
Well, I like to do a little research and see what the company does. 
Go online and see if they have a website and learn as much as I can about the company. 
All right. 
There are many things you could do to prepare for a job interview. 
We're going to learn some amazing and very helpful tips... these next few days. 
So please open up your magazine and pay attention as we get started with our first reading of the day. 
(Music). 
What Questions Do Employers Want to Hear in an Interview? 
What you ask or don't ask may affect your future. 
Once you've received the call from an employer inviting you in for an interview, the real preparation begins. 
Prior to an interview, candidates should research the company so they can not only answer questions, 
but have questions ready to ask the hiring manager as well. 
The interview is where the job candidate and employer get to know each other. 
Think of it like dating. 
While a job interview is in a professional setting and the outcomes are different, the intentions are the same. 
(Music). 
While most of our articles at Studio Classroom are written by people here, this one is written by someone else. 
And we have a little information about him at the beginning of the article. 
Justin Thompson is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. 
"Buzz" is an interesting word. 
How would you describe this word, Carolyn? 
Well, when I think of the word "buzz," I think of a sound like what a bee would make or a buzzer that tells you what time it is or a time you need to stop. 
But that's not really but it means here, is it, Gabe? 
No, it's not. 
"Buzz" is kind of another word for something that is happening, something that is interesting to talk about now. 
Something that many people are interested in, you might ask: What's the buzz? 
What are people talking about? 
So here he has a blog called The Work Buzz. 
It's something that maybe a lot of workers might be interested in checking out. 
And there is some more information about him following. 
He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. 
There's a lot of things to talk about there. 
I think this word "trend..." "Trend" is a good word to know. 
Gabe, what does that mean? 
Well again, it's similar to the word "buzz" in that a trend is something that many people are interested in. 
A trend is something that many people have caught on to. 
Maybe a lot of people are doing something similar. 
Maybe there's a trend in fashion or style. 
Many people are wearing the similar kind of clothing. 
That's a kind of trend. 
Are there other kinds of trends, Carolyn? 
Well, sure. 
There can be a popular trend in movies. 
Many movies follow certain trends, what is popular now. 
They have very similar themes in movies. 
That's right. 
Also, we have a deck today that says What you ask or don't ask may affect your future. 
So you know that this article is going to be about questions that you'd ask in an interview. 
Carolyn, what is our first sentence of this article? 
Well, it starts with: Once you've received the call from an employer inviting you in for an interview, the real preparation begins. 
Now this is a great phrase: the real something begins. 
And we want to talk about that today - "the real preparation begins." Gabe, what does this phrase mean? 
Well, this means that maybe... especially if you're going in for an interview, maybe they have looked at your resume already, and that's the beginning work. 
That's the basic work. 
But then, of course, you have to prepare for a real interview. 
So the real preparation begins. 
You might also use this sentence pattern in another way. 
You could say the real journey begins tomorrow. 
We've been getting ready for this trip. 
The real journey begins later. 
Well, Nathanael, how else would you use that phrase? 
Well, I was also thinking about job interviews. 
When you apply online, you've started to kind of go through a test and see whether you can actually take this job or not. 
But the real test begins when you actually go in for the interview. 
You've already done some work, but you're going to do more. 
The more important part is still coming. 
The real test begins later. 
That's right. 
And so the article continues by saying: 
Prior to an interview, candidates should research the company so they can not only answer questions, 
but have questions ready to ask the hiring manager as well. 
And at the beginning of the sentence we see a key word from our Word Bank: prior. 
Now if something is prior, that means it is before. 
So before you do something, you should do this. 
Nathanael, how else can you use the word "prior"? 
Well, if you're going in for your first job interview, you might say: I have never had a job interview prior to this. 
That's another form, or structure, to use this word "prior," prior to this. 
That's right. 
Now Gabe, how can you use the word "prior"? 
Well, you could use it to talk about other areas of life too. 
For instance, I often like to read a book prior to watching the same movie. 
When I saw "The Lord of the Rings," I had read the books prior to watching the movies. 
I'm glad I did that. 
I'm glad I did that first. 
Well, as you can see, we've been using this word "prior" along with the word "to." Usually they go together. 
Prior to doing something, you do something else. 
That's right. 
The next sentence in this article is, "The interview is where the job candidate and employer get to know each other. 
Think of it like dating." That's a really interesting idea. 
I've never thought about a job interview as a date. 
Have you, Carolyn? 
No. This is something very new to me as well. 
But I think that we can learn a little bit more about how it might be like dating from Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We've been talking about job interviews in our CAREERS article. 
And we see this sentence, "Think of it like dating." That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the sentence pattern: Think of it like [something]. 
Although this is a very easy sentence pattern, it's a great one to use when you're trying to explain something difficult or complicated. 
In the case of today's sentence, the writer uses "dating" as a way to explain how the interviewer and the applicant meet to exchange information, 
and to find out if it's going to be a good match or not; and this is like being on a date. 
For example: Receiving a shot can be scary; think of it like getting a mosquito bite. 
Or: Cleaning your room can seem boring; think of it like playing a game. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Well, thank you, Liz. 
Continuing in the article, it says: 
While a job interview is in a professional setting and the outcomes are different, the intentions are the same. 
Now there's a few important words here. 
First we want to talk about professional setting. 
What does that make you think of, Gabe, a professional setting? 
Well, I think of an office or a workplace, uh, somewhere that is very professional. 
It's not casual. 
You would be dressed differently in an office than you would be somewhere else. 
Casually hanging out with your friends, that is not a professional setting that I usually think of. 
What do you think of when you think of a professional setting, Carolyn? 
Well, yes. A professional setting would be very formal. 
You probably have to wear long dress pants and maybe a suit jacket in a very professional office setting. 
And so it is a little bit different because uh, we said "think of it like dating" before. 
So it's similar to dating, but as the article says is this is a professional setting and the outcomes are different from dating. 
So of course, there are differences between dating and going for an interview. 
But they can also be the same - The intentions are the same. 
But we do see a word there from the Word Bank. 
It is: outcome. 
Let's take a look at that together. 
The outcome of something is the result. 
So how might you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, you know, I actually thought of it this way. 
You should always have hope for a positive outcome. 
Hope that there's going to be a good result at the end. 
Hope for a positive outcome. 
Do you have hopes for a positive outcome, Carolyn? 
Well, the outcome is a little bit uncertain right now, so I'm not sure what will happen in the end. 
OK. The outcome could be uncertain, but we have hope for positive outcomes. 
Maybe you are taking a test, what will the outcome be? 
What are the results? 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.25.B

Well, I think we have a very practical and helpful article that we're starting to discuss today. 
And it's about what kind of questions you should ask in a job interview that might help you get the job. 
But we've talked about a job interview as being like a date, which is interesting, but also that it would be in a professional setting. 
So both of those things apply here. 
Let's see what else we can find out and learn about job interview questions in the second part of today's reading. 
(Music). 
What Questions Do Employers Want to Hear in an Interview? 
You've exchanged information because you think there might be a connection, 
and now you're ready for your "first date." As much as you want to make a good first impression, the employer needs to make a good impression, too. 
Just like a first date, you don't want one person to dominate the conversation and ask all the questions. 
It should be a balanced dialogue, and you should ask questions that get to the heart of the matter. 
Who is this employer, and why should I work for this company? 
(Music). 
Well, again we hear that our article compares this job interview to a date. 
So this first sentence says: 
You've exchanged information because you think there might be a connection, just like a date, and now you're ready for your "first date." Of course, 
there are differences, but it is kind of like that first date. 
You're not sure what's going to happen, but you are there to talk about your intentions. 
Carolyn, how do we continue our article? 
It says: As much as you want to make a good first impression, the employer needs to make a good impression, too. 
So both people need to make good impressions. 
And at the beginning of this sentence, we see a phrase: as much as you want to. 
So as much as you what to do something. 
Can you explain this phrase a little bit, Gabe? 
Well, yeah. 
As much as you want to do something, something else might also need to happen or something could get in the way. 
For example, you could say as much as you want to save money, shopping is just too tempting. 
You keep spending money even as much as you want to save on the inside. 
How else could you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, I think we often say something like: As much as I'd like to go or as much as I want to go, I just don't have time tonight. 
I would really like to join you but I can't. 
All right. 
There's different ways to use that phrase, as much as you'd like to do something. 
How would you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, you could also use it a little bit differently. 
You could say you can't eat as much as you want to. 
So there it's a little bit of a different meaning. 
It means you can do something as much as you like, not that you want to do something and can't. 
All right. 
Or you could say as much as you want to eat, you know you should be going on a diet, or you should be losing weight. 
So there's ways to use this phrase. 
And as we go back to the article: As much as you want to make a good first impression, because you do in an interview, 
the employer needs to make a good impression, too. 
Both people, both sides need to be making a good first impression, or a good impression. 
Well, Nathanael, how do we continue this article? 
Just like a first date, you don't want one person to dominate the conversation and ask all the questions. 
Yeah. That sounds familiar to me. 
But I think that there is an important word in this sentence: dominate. 
Dominate, it's a key word today. 
This word "dominate," what exactly does this mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if you dominate something, then you have complete control. 
And so if you dominate a conversation, it means no one else can talk. 
So it's very rude to dominate a conversation. 
How else can you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, yeah. You can dominate a conversation. 
I also think about maybe playing games or joining a contest. 
If you are dominating, that means you are the clear winner, or you're clearly winning the game. 
Maybe someone else will win later, but it seems like you might win. 
You are dominating that game, dominating the contest. 
Or as we see here, you might dominate a conversation. 
That's right. 
I was also thinking that some bosses dominate their office but others make you feel like an equal. 
OK. Moving on. The next sentence says: 
It should be a balanced dialogue, and you should ask questions that get to the heart of the matter. 
And that's another great phrase: the heart of the matter. 
I think that's another key word for today. 
How do we use that phrase, Gabe? 
Well, the heart of a matter, you're talking about what's really the important issue - the heart of the matter. 
I think of maybe some people arguing about something. 
Two people arguing about something, and maybe they get into a fight. 
And the things they're talking about really aren't the important issue. 
Maybe insecurity, one person's insecurity is the heart of the matter. 
They really need to be talking about something deeper. 
You get to talking about something deeper to talk about the heart of the matter. 
But how else could you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Right. Well, you want to talk about the main point and get to the real issue at hand, the heart of the matter. 
We've also used this phrase before, "the heart of something," just means to get to the center or the most important point. 
That's right. 
You want to get to the most important point. 
How do you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
How do you get to the heart of a matter? 
Well, on this subject I was thinking, the questions that you ask in an interview are very important, 
but I think the heart of the matter is whether you have the ability to do the job. 
That's the most important thing. 
All right. 
That's probably the most important thing that the company is wanting to find out. 
Does this person have the ability? 
Do you have the ability to do this job? 
That is the heart of the matter. 
Well, we saw another phrase here in that sentence. 
We talked about balanced dialogue. 
And I think of acrobatics or... or people who are doing sports and need to have balance. 
What is a balanced dialogue, Carolyn? 
Well, if you have a balanced dialogue, that means that each person in the conversation has about the same amount of time to speak, 
and they're making points that are on the same level. 
So if you have a balanced dialogue in an interview, your interviewer will ask a question, 
and then the person who is being interviewed can also ask a question. 
Both people get to speak the same amount of time. 
That's right. 
No one person dominates the conversation. 
Well, our article ends today with the sentence: Who is this employor, and why should I work for this company? 
So the employer wants to get to the heart of the matter. 
What is your ability? 
Are you qualified? 
But you also have something you want to talk about: 
Who is this employer? 
Why should I work for this company? 
These are things that you should research or know, have an idea about before you go in for a job interview. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Here we go. 
Most job interviewers agree when they ask, "So, do you have any questions for me?" the very worst possible answer you could give them is: 
No. I don't have any questions. 
So you have to ask something, but you can't just ask anything because just as there are good questions to ask, there are also bad questions to ask. 
Right. 
One study says that the number one complaint interviewers have with job candidates is they don't know enough about the company or the position they're interviewing for. 
So questions like "What does your company do?" and "Who is your competition?" are big no-nos because they show a lack of research. 
And usually the answers to these questions can be found on the Internet just a click away. 
And if you're poorly prepared, the interviewer may feel that you are not really interested in the job. 
So, research the company. 
By visiting the company's home page and reading any press releases, 
you'll get a better sense of the company and set yourself up for a more interesting and successful conversation with your interviewer. 
(Chinese). 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our program. 
If you're like me, you're thinking back to when you've had job interviews as you read this article and learn more about it. 
What was your first interview like, Gabe? 
My first interview? 
I was thinking about, it wasn't actually an interview. 
I was trying to apply to work at a restaurant as a waiter. 
And for some reason, they couldn't hire me. 
But the employer there, the boss, thought that I was brave for coming out, and so he treated me to one of their best desserts. 
And I'll always remember that because he was trying to encourage me to continue this process of looking for a job and applying for a job. 
That's what I think of when I think of my first interview experience. 
But what about you, Carolyn? 
Well, my first interview actually was not really in a professional setting. 
It was with a friend of my parents. 
So it was very relaxed, very informal. 
And we just sat and talked for a little bit, and then I had a job. 
So it was a very easy interview. 
OK. Well, I think a lot of people have very unique experiences in job interviews. 
How about you? 
What was yours like? 
Well, maybe we can talk about that more next time. 
But for now we need to say goodbye. See you next time on StudioClassroom.

2013.02.26.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
I'm your teacher Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad you could join us for our second day of this lesson: What Do Employers Want to Hear in an Interview? 
What questions should you be prepared to ask? 
You need to ask the right questions. 
Well, today we're going to look at some different tips, some different questions you might ask in an interview. 
Sometimes a question you ask could open up a whole new conversation. 
Nathanael, has that ever happened for you? 
Well, yeah. 
When you ask a question, who knows what may happen and at the most unexpected times. 
I asked a very normal question to a friend not too long ago. 
And they, all of the sudden, were kind of shy, and they didn't want to answer my question because of something that had recently happened. 
I didn't know about it. 
So it was OK for me to ask, but they just didn't want to answer. 
Interesting. 
So that could happen in a personal setting, too. 
Carolyn, has this ever happened for you in a job setting? 
It has. 
I've made a mistake of asking a question to a manager, "Oh. Well, how is that project going?" And the project isn't finished. 
So I get extra work and make sure it gets done. 
Oh, no, because you showed interest in the project, he let you do some of the project. 
Well, better be careful with the questions that you ask. 
But we're going to learn how to ask the right questions today. 
So let's get started with the first reading for today. 
(Music). 
What Questions Do Employers Want to Hear in an Interview? 
The right questions to ask. 
Alan Guinn, managing director and CEO of The Guinn Consultancy Group, works with employers every day. 
He recommends that recruiters listen for these 10 questions from job applicants to see if they've done their homework and truly want the position: 
1. What are some of the ways your company encourages teamwork? 
2. We all know how important job satisfaction is to everyone. 
Is the company committed to promotion from within? 
3. I love your published mission and values. 
How are these reflected in day-to-day life at the company? 
Can you share some examples? 
(Music). 
We've heard three very good questions so far - how to ask the right questions in a job interview. 
We begin by reading: Alan Guinn, managing director and CEO of The Guinn Consultancy Group, works with employers every day. 
That is wonderful. 
We see a key word there. 
It is "consultancy." It's kind of a big word, yes. 
But Carolyn, can you talk about this word for us? 
Well, if you go to a consultancy group, then you are consulting them for help. 
You are asking them for help. 
And a consultancy group would provide advice or assist you in whatever problems you might be having. 
All right. 
A consultancy group might do this. 
So who would go to a consultancy group, Nathanael? 
Well, somebody that needs some kind of help. 
You can go to different consultancies for different kinds of advice. 
You might go to one for money advice, financial advice. 
That would be a financial consultancy group. 
All right. 
And you could also maybe call it a consultancy organization or there's a consultancy firm. 
Different companies have different names, ways they refer to these groups. 
A consultancy group; consult people there. 
Well, we continue. 
He recommends that recruiters listen for these 10 questions from job applicants to see if they've done their homework and truly want the position. 
OK. That's great. 
Before we get into those questions, we have some things to talk about there. 
One of them is that word "applicant." It's also from the Word Bank. 
An applicant is someone who applies for something. 
So where might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, you can be a job applicant. 
If you apply for a job, you want to get an interview, you need to apply and become an applicant. 
All right. 
Or I maybe think of someone applying to a university or college. 
They're an applicant at that school. 
Uh, where else might you see that word, Nathanael? 
Well, I guess you could also apply to different kinds of public programs. 
Those you can also be an applicant for, applicant for a public program. 
All right. 
Or maybe a grant, a government grant you're applying for that grant. 
You need some help. 
You're applying for it; you are an applicant. 
Well, we see some other words here. 
He recommends that recruiters listen for these 10 questions. 
So a recruiter is someone that is looking for people to work at the company, a recruiter. 
But I think you can also have other kinds of recruiters. Right, Nathanael? 
Yeah. You could have an Army recruiter, people who are looking for people to be in the military. 
That's another possibility. 
All right. 
And we continue here. 
We see another phrase in this sentence: to see if they've done their homework. 
We want to talk about these extra words. 
Of course, I think of students when I think of doing homework. 
But Carolyn, it's not just students who do their homework, right? 
That's right. No. If you want to do your homework, 
here it means you need to do some research and find some background information on the company you are applying to work for. 
So if you do your homework here, it does not mean doing your schoolwork, a little different. 
It is a little bit different. 
Nathanael, before coming to work at Studio Classroom, what kind of homework did you do? 
Well, I wanted to see what different kinds of things Studio Classroom did, what kind of jobs would people have there. 
I need to do a little homework before I came for the interview or before I had my interview on the phone. 
You might also do your homework before making a big purchase as well. 
That's very good point. 
Actually, if you're considering buying something, especially something expensive, do your homework. 
Compare prices between products or between brands. 
You want to do your homework. 
Basically as you just heard, it just means doing your research. 
Well, we have something more to learn with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
So how can you have more success in landing a job? 
Surveys have gone out to ask professional job recruiters what they wished job seekers knew. 
And one of the things at the top of their list was unprofessional communication, especially with resumes and e-mail. 
You know, it's amazing that it still needs to be mentioned, but double check spelling and grammar. 
And if your e-mail address is something like winniethepooh@gmail.com, 
it would be a real good idea to create a new, more professional address using some variation of your real name. 
Right. So recruiters know who you are when you send them an e-mail. 
Social media sites also fall into this category. 
And so, again, keep your profiles on Facebook and LinkedIn up-to-date, professional and truthful. 
Another thing hiring managers want to tell job seekers is only apply for positions you are qualified for. 
That's a good reminder. 
One report shows that 85 percent of job applicants aren't qualified for the positions they're applying for. 
This means a large chunk of recruiters time is wasted on sifting through applications that would just end up in the garbage can. 
Not the way to make a good impression or land a job. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
Well, we see our first piece of advice for today starts: 
What are some of the ways your company encourages teamwork? 
And the last word there "teamwork" is a key word from our Word Bank today. 
Teamwork; so you work on a team, you work together. 
Nathanael, do you like teamwork? 
Oh, yeah, of course. 
Teamwork is a great thing to have. 
I hope we have some teamwork. 
And most jobs, I think, require some teamwork skills. 
This is very true. 
Have you ever worked on a team, Gabe? 
Well, yes, Carolyn, I'm working on a team right now. 
And actually, guys, I think we have great teamwork. 
It's true. 
We do prepare a lot. 
We do our homework before coming to present a good show and a good lesson for everybody here at Studio Classroom. 
I think we have good teamwork, don't you, Carolyn? 
I agree with you, Gabe. 
I think we do have some very good teamwork here. 
And it's important for your employer to encourage teamwork. 
Now Nathanael, what is our second point? 
The second question is: 
We all know how important job satisfaction is to everyone. 
Is the company committed to promotion from within? 
That's an interesting question to ask someone in an interview. 
That's right. 
Is the company committed to promotion from within? 
So promotion from within. 
You've got "promotion." That's the idea of growth. 
Of course, you could also have the promotion in a sense of getting a raise, but a promotion like developing and growing from within. 
Well, we see this third question here. 
I love your published mission and values. 
How are these reflected in day-to-day life at the company? 
Can you share some examples? 
I think that's pretty important to have some values and missions that are actually reflected. 
Nathanael, what does that mean? 
Well, you want... of course they're going to have some kind of goals that they want to achieve in their company. 
That's what you might ask this question, to find out what those goals are. 
Now it's time to see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.26.B

So far we've learned from Alan Guinn of the Guinn Consultancy Group some important questions that you might want to ask the employer of the company you might work for. 
You might be an applicant trying to get a job somewhere. 
There are some important questions that you should ask. 
We've already talked about three important questions. 
Now we're going to continue learning some more questions that you could ask. 
So pay attention, especially if you might be looking for a job soon. 
(Music). 
What Questions Do Employers Want to Hear in an Interview? 
4. If your son, daughter or a friend were looking for a job, would you recommend working for this company? Why? 
5. What do you think distinguishes this company from its competitors, both from a public and employee perspective? 
6. How often do you speak with your C-level officers? 
When you do, what do they normally ask you? 
Do they ask for your opinion? 
7. How does the company demonstrate a sense of pride in its employees? 
(Music). 
Again, some excellent questions. 
Question number four is: 
If your son, daughter or a friend were looking for a job, would you recommend working for this company, and why? 
Nathanael, why might this be a smart question to ask? 
Well, it's an interesting question. 
You're asking them to be very truthful. 
And hopefully, they would tell you the truth when answering this question. 
But it would ask for a reason of why this is a good place to work. 
What's their opinion? 
That's right. 
You know if someone is recommending that their loved ones work for the company, then it's probably a good place. 
Well, Carolyn, what is the next question we have here, the next good, important interview question? 
Yes. Question five asks: What do you think distinguishes this company from its competitors, both from a public and employee perspective? 
This is a very complex question and has some very difficult words in it. 
And two of those words are actually key words for today from our Word Bank. 
The first one is "distinguish." To distinguish something, what does that mean, Nathanael? 
Well, if you're distinguishing something, you're kind of trying to figure something out and you're often comparing two things. 
Dis... distinguishing between two things, I think. 
Right. So you want to show the difference between another company, right? 
Gabe, how might you use this word "distinguish"? 
Well, you could ask what distinguishes you from the others? 
I mean I've met many people like you, what distinguishes you from the others? 
You can also use this word kind of as an adjective to talk about someone who is distinguished. 
And that just means that they are unique, maybe a little bit different in a good way. 
They're very distinguished. 
Nathanael, how else might you use that word? 
Well, if you're going in for a job interview, you want to try to distinguish whether the company's employee policies are suitable for you, 
distinguish whether they are good or bad for you personally. 
That's right. 
And now we have a second key word in that same sentence: competitors. 
And a competitor is someone that you compete with. 
There is a competition. 
Gabe, do you have a competitor? 
Do I have a competitor? 
Unless... unless you guys are my competitors, unless you're competing with me, I don't think I have any competitors. 
No... We're on the same team. 
That's right. 
We have teamwork; we are not competitors. 
We do not compete against one another. 
What is another way you could use this word, Nathanael? 
Well, you wouldn't exactly want to say "enemy," but it is someone who's trying to do the same thing or produce the same thing. 
So you do have to kind of work against them in some ways. 
So if a company is a competitor, then it's a company that produces or has the same goals as another company. 
They're in the same market. 
So why wouldn't you got one to work for their competitor? 
Well, now we have a little more time to watch a review skit. 
Hi. I'm Ron Smith. 
I'm here for the job interview. 
Oh, yes. 
Hello, Ron. I'm Miss Jones. 
Thank you for coming. 
You are welcome. 
I'm looking forward to this interview. 
Great! Well, let's get started. 
Oh, wait. I almost forgot. 
I brought you flowers. 
You brought me flowers? 
But this is a job interview! 
Well, yes. But in some ways, it's kind of like a first date. 
A first date? 
I don't think so. 
Well, we've exchanged information, and I think there might be a connection. 
A connection? 
Yes, so I brought flowers. 
I want to make a good impression. 
Well, yes, I guess that's a good idea. 
As an employer, you need to make a good impression, too. 
Oh. Right. 
Well anyway, let's begin the interview. 
I have a lot of questions for you. 
Let's see. 
Excuse me. But you don't plan to dominate the conversation, do you? 
Well, yes. 
I'm the one giving the interview. 
This should be a balanced dialogue. 
I have some questions, too. 
You have questions? 
Yes. 
Let's get to the heart of the matter. 
What are you talking about? 
Well, who are you? 
Why should I work at this company? 
Well... uh, let me explain. 
I'm listening. 
Uh... 
(Music). 
All right. 
Well, question number six is: How often do you speak with your C-level officers? 
OK. That's an interesting term, C-level officers. 
Carolyn, what does the "C" stand for, and what does that term mean? 
Well, the "C" in C-level officers means someone who is at the top of the corporate ladder, someone who is in charge of a very important part of the company. 
Earlier we saw Alan Guinn is the CEO of a consultancy group. 
That means he is a C-level officer. 
All right. 
So you might see different titles like CEOs, COO, CFO, they're all C-level, corporate-level officers. 
Continue in this question, what does it say next, Gabe? 
Well, it says you need to talk to your... or how often do you speak with your C-level officers, 
and when you do, what do they normally ask you and do they ask for your opinion? 
This is a good question to ask because you want to make sure that the company you want to work for has good communication. 
You want to make sure that people are willing to talk to other people at the company. 
Often a C-level officer, or maybe not often but sometimes, maybe a C-level officer is at the top, 
and so they don't want to spend time talking to other people. 
Maybe they think it's a waste of time. 
Of course, that is very important to make sure that it's not a waste of time that people can talk freely and communicate with each other at a company. 
Well, Carolyn, what is our next point, our next question here? 
Well, for today, it is our last one, question number seven. 
How does the company demonstrate a sense of pride in its employees? 
And here we see a very interesting phrase: sense of pride. 
And that's something that we want to talk about today as an extra word: sense of something. 
Gabe, can you explain what a sense of something would be? 
That's right. 
Maybe it's kind of like the feeling that you get. 
So a sense of pride among employees is like the feeling. 
You can kind of feel it when you walk into a room or maybe when you're doing a project together or something, you can have a sense of pride. 
Nathanael, how else might you use that word? 
Well, I think one of the most common ways that we use this phrase is to say a sense of humor. 
What is their sense of humor like? 
What do they feel is very funny? 
That's right. 
Now I want to get a sense of this lesson a little bit better and to see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers. 
We've heard some great questions so far, questions that you could ask if you are going in for a job interview. 
I personally like question number one, which says: 
What are some of the ways your company encourages teamwork? 
I feel like that could have listed a lot of different kinds of answers, maybe some very interesting ones. 
Nathanael, what question did you like the best? 
Well, I think number three is really good, asking about the mission and values of a company day-to-day, 
and what kind of examples there are of how the company has achieved those things. 
It's really good. 
That's right. 
Well, I really like question number five. 
What do you think distinguishes this company from its competitors? 
So why is this company different, and why should I work here? 
These are all excellent questions. 
Think about what you want to take into your next job interview, or perhaps your first job interview. 
That can be exciting. 
These are great questions to ask. 
We have more to learn about tomorrow here at Studio Classroom. See youlater.

2013.02.27.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad that you could join us, especially if you might be going in for a job interview soon. 
This is day three of our lesson: What Questions Do Employers Want to Hear in an Interview? 
So please open up your magazines. 
But first we'd like to review what we've learned the last couple of days. 
What did we talk about the first day here, Carolyn? 
Well, the first day we learned that before you go into an interview, prior to an interview, 
you need to do a little bit of research because you need to know what you want to ask your employer. 
And it's a little bit like a date. 
You need to keep the dialogue balanced. 
That's right. It is a little bit like a date, different but kind of similar. 
What did we talk about the second day, Nathanael? 
Well, the second day we talked about Alan Guinn who is a CEO of a consultancy that gives advice to businesses. 
And he talked about seven different questions that are good to ask in an interview. 
Go back in your magazine and look and see what those were. 
And do keep your magazine open because we're going to continue finding out what the remaining three questions are today. 
We have lots more to learn, so let's get started with our first reading of the day. 
(Music). 
What Questions Do Employers Want to Hear in an Interview? 
8. Are there paid, ongoing learning opportunities offered at my level of job responsibility? 
What obligations do I have if I elect to take advantage of them? 
9. What does the company expect in the way of personal and professional growth for a person hired into this position? 
10. Does the company value a difference in work and personal time, or does it blur the responsibilities between the two? 
Think about your goals first. 
Don't feel obligated to walk into the interview with a set number of questions, but these give you an idea of the right questions to ask. 
(Music). 
Well, those are some very good questions to ask. 
And the first one here we have is question number eight. 
Are there paid, ongoing learning opportunities offered at my level of job responsibility? 
Now in that sentence we see a key word from our Word Bank: ongoing. 
If something is ongoing, that means it is continuing. 
Nathanael, how can you use this word "ongoing"? 
Well, there's a lot of different examples where you could use this word. 
You might say ongoing project, ongoing search, ongoing research, all of these things could be continuing. 
They could be going on even now. 
That's very true. 
Gabe, how else can you use the word "ongoing"? 
Well, I like how Nathanael was so positive. 
I was thinking about ongoing problems. 
Sometimes within a company or organization or even a friendship, there is an ongoing problem, something that just seems to not ever be resolved. 
Those are ongoing problems. 
But back to the positive, of course, some companies offer classes. 
Maybe there are ongoing classes that you could take to help improve in your work. 
Right. So here the question is wanting to know about ongoing learning opportunities, so ways that you can continue your education. 
They also ask a second question. 
What obligations do I have if I elect to take advantage of them? 
Now this is a great sentence with a More Information word "obligations." It means that you are required to do something. 
But Gabe, can you tell us a little bit more about this sentence? 
Yeah. What obligations? What are people expecting me to do? 
If I do choose to take part in these opportunities, what does the company expect me to do? 
And we use the word "elect" right here. 
I said the word "choose." The article says "elect." What obligations do I have if I elect to take advantage of them? 
That kind of means the same thing as the word "choose." Well, what about "take advantage of"? 
What does that mean, Nathanael? 
Well, simply, I think that you could say that it basically means to use something. 
It's there, so you take it to use for yourself, for your own benefit or your own advantage. 
All right. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn. 
Let's go to question number nine. 
What does the company expect in the way of personal and professional growth for a person hired into this position? 
I think this is a great question to ask because it kind of shows that you might be up for a challenge. 
It tells your interviewer you might be interested in growing as a person. 
You might be up for a challenge. 
Well, what else can we find out from this lesson, Carolyn? 
Well, question number ten, the last question here: 
Does the company value a difference in work and personal time, or does it blur the responsibilities between the two? 
And here we have another key word, the word "blur." And what is "blur," Nathanael? 
Well, a blur is something that's unclear. 
We could also say "blurry." That's an adjective. 
It means something is not clear. 
You can't see what it is. 
Sometimes a common expression that we use is "It's all a blur." I really don't know what happened. 
Maybe I don't remember very well. 
Right. So two things blend together, and you can't really tell which one is which. 
And here they're talking about work and personal time. 
So if the two of those blur together, then there really isn't much difference between those two times. 
How else might you use the word "blur," Gabe? 
Well, I was just thinking. 
Sometimes I do blur my roles between my work role and my... the role I have... or the way that I am in my personal time outside of work. 
I am a teacher. 
I like defining things. 
Sometimes I will research and... and teach different things, of course. 
And sometimes I take that attitude or that way of talking into my relationships with friends, and they're just like: 
Gabe, you don't have to explain things for us. 
You're not teaching us right now. 
Let's just have a normal conversation. 
So sometimes I blur the roles between my work and my personal life. 
Well, we do have to be careful not to blur things too much. 
But now let's take some time to see what Steve and Ken have for us in the Information Cloud. 
Turnover indicates how long employees stay at a company. 
If a company has a high turnover rate, that means employees leave soon after they are hired. 
Maybe they leave because there are no growth opportunities or because of conflict with management. 
A high turnover rate might also indicate unsafe or unhealthy work conditions. 
A high turnover rate also creates a loss of productivity, expenses with new-hired training, problems with customer retention and low morale. 
Added together, these things can cost the company more than the annual salary of the employee who left. 
So it's in the company's best interest to keep its turnover rate low. 
So how low is low? 
Well, Forbes magazine says that a turnover rate of 15 percent or lower is considered normal. 
Meaning a company with 100 people can lose 15 employees within a year without raising any kind of alarm. 
Fifteen percent is not unhealthy. 
But a turnover rate higher than that might be indicative of deep-seeded problems within the company. 
So in your next job interview, you might want to consider asking about the company's turnover rate. 
That's good advice. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks for the suggestion, guys. 
You can make that question number eleven. 
What is the turnover rate at your company? 
Well, continuing in this lesson we see that there's a heading that says: Think about your goals first. 
And that's a great piece of advice. 
And here's a familiar word in the next sentence: 
Don't feel obligated to walk into the interview with a set number of questions, but these give you an idea of the right questions to ask. 
I think that is some very good advice. 
That's right. 
You don't want to feel burdened to have to remember all of these questions. 
There are 10 questions. 
If you include the Info Cloud question, there's 11 questions. 
Don't feel that you have to remember all of these things and ask the right thing to sound intelligent. 
We all want to sound intelligent, but we have some more advice here that we want to talk about after the break. 
So be sure you come back. 
Right now we're going to go and join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
We will see you very soon. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.27.B

Well, today we've discussed a few more questions that you might consider when going in for a job interview. 
You could ask, "Are there paid, ongoing learning opportunities for me?" or, 
"what does the company expect in the way of personal or professional growth?" are two of the questions we've covered. 
We have a few more points of advice to go over today. 
So let's see what those are in our next reading for today. 
(Music). 
What Questions Do Employers Want to Hear in an Interview? 
Also think of the questions in terms of your career and personal goals. 
If you're moving into a role with more responsibility, how will that affect what questions you ask? 
If you're starting a family soon, what do you want to know about the company's commitment to work/life balance? 
Thoughtful planning and preparation for an interview will not only help you feel more confident but will also leave a great impression on the person interviewing you. 
(Music). 
Friends, we have learned some excellent advice these last couple of days; and I like this last paragraph here. 
Let's get started, shall we? 
Also thinking of the questions in terms of your career and personal goals. 
So you want to think about these questions also in connection with your career or your own personal goals. 
Let's take a look at those words from the Word Bank: in terms of something. 
That means in relation to something or in connection with something. 
So Nathanael, how might you use that phrase, "in terms of"? 
Well, if you're talking about a job that you're applying for, they might ask you in terms of your talents, what do you have to offer in this position? 
What can you do specifically that you're talented and that you can do to help us in this job? 
That's an excellent question for an employer to ask. 
Well, Carolyn, how else might you use this phrase? 
Well, in terms of having a successful interview, you might want to follow some of the advice that we've covered in this article. 
All right. 
That's right. 
In terms of having a successful interview, you should follow some of this advice. 
I also think about students who are confused about what major they should choose. 
Well, choose... or think of a major in terms of what you desire to do, what you are passionate about. 
Then maybe you can have a clear idea of what your career might be and your personal goals, too. 
Well, we continue. 
If you're moving into a role with more responsibility, how will that affect what questions you ask. 
OK. This is good. 
Why would our article say this, Carolyn? 
Why this question? 
Well, if you're going to start a new role of responsibility, you might not have as much time as you used to. 
And it might be difficult for you to have a lot of extra responsibilities at work. 
And you also might want to ask a few different questions to see how much free time you will have. 
Exactly. And we see an example of one of these kinds of questions here. 
Nathanael, what does it say next? 
The next question in the article it says: 
If you're starting a family soon, what do you want to know about the company's commitment to work/life balance? 
And this is kind of like Question 10, I think, in the article earlier. 
How do you have that balance between your work and your life at home? 
It's a very important question. 
That's right. 
We see here the phrase: work/life balance. 
We want to talk about that, those extra words, because we think it's important to mention not to blur your work life and your personal life. 
I know some people who don't know the difference, or maybe they do blur their work life and their personal life. 
And so it's hard for them and their families as well. 
Do you guys know anybody like this, maybe you've met some people like that? 
Carolyn? 
I have met people like that. 
But personally, I try to avoid blurring my work and my life. 
I like to have friends at work, which I spend time with us outside of work as well. 
But I also have other friends that I don't work with. 
And we enjoy going to the movies and having dinner as well together. 
Excellent. 
Well, what can you tell us about work/life balance, Nathanael? 
Well, personally, because I am single, I don't find it as difficult to deal with this issue. 
But I do know that if you had a family, it might be much more difficult. 
But for me, I do feel the same way. 
There are some things that you want to keep in work, and some things you might want to keep out of work. 
It doesn't mean they can't ever cross, but you do want some kind of balance, some kind of division. 
Mmhm. And I think the key point here is Nathanael is single. 
I mean, it's import to have a work/life balance. 
Well, friends, we're going to continue with our next sentence here. 
Thoughtful planning and preparation for an interview will not only help you feel more confident but will also leave a great impression on the person interviewing you. 
Well, we see an important word there. 
It is "thoughtful." It's a very thoughtful word. 
If you do something thoughtful, that means it shows that you care, you considered something. 
How else might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, it was very thoughtful of you to ask me that question, Gabe. 
No problem. 
I know. 
It's a very thoughtful question. 
It shows that I care. 
You could say something like: 
You got me flowers! How thoughtful of you! 
But how else do you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, a thoughtful question doesn't just have to be about caring for someone. 
A thoughtful question mihgt just show that you have thought a lot about this issue, 
and you're wondering some things that you want answers to that maybe you have not quite understood yet. 
All right. 
So there are different ways that you can think of thoughtful questions, different times when it might be important to put some thought into these things. 
Well, we see a last phrase here we want to talk about: leaving an impression on somebody. 
We have these extra words. 
"To leave an impression on someone" means to let them know or let them think something about you. 
You want to leave them thinking a certain way about you. 
So how could you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
I actually thought of the phrase "to leave a lasting impression." We talked about a business interview... or a job interview being like a date. 
And maybe in the context of a date, you wonder: Did this person make a lasting impression on me? 
A lasting impression, of course, do you think about this person after leaving them? 
All right. 
That's very important. 
You want to leave a lasting impression on people. 
You want to know that you made a difference in their life. 
How else could you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, we talked about making a good impression like on a first date on our first day of this article. 
But we also want to make sure that you leave an impression on the person that is good because you could leave a bad impression that also leaves them thinking about you. 
And that's not something you want. 
It's true. 
You might also leave a negative impression. 
So leave a lasting impression that is not negative, a lasting good impression. 
Right now it's time for us to continue enjoying a review skit. 
And then we'll go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
So let's start our interview. 
Did you do your homework? 
Homework? 
Yes. Job applicants that truly want this job will ask certain questions. 
As a matter of fact, I do have a list of questions. 
Good. Let's see if you ask the questions I'm listening for. 
Number one. 
How do you encourage teamwork? 
I am a cheerleader. 
Go, team, go. 
Go! Go! 
OK. 
Number two: Does the company hire from within? 
Yes. We give the top jobs to our own workers. 
Number three: How is your mission reflected day to day? 
It's printed on our calendars. 
Number four: Would you recommend this job to your children? 
I already did. 
My whole family works here. 
Number five: What distinguishes this company from its competitors? 
Oh, that's easy. 
We're much better. 
Number six: Do you speak to employees? 
What do they normally ask? 
Well, the employees always have the same question: Hi, how are you today? 
Oh. 
Number seven... 
Oh, let me guess. 
Do we demonstrate pride in our employees? 
Yes, we do. 
OK. 
Do we provide ongoing learning opportunities? 
Yes, we do. 
OK. 
Do we expect personal and professional growth? 
Yes, we do! 
You have the right answers to all my questions. 
Great! 
So, do I get the job? 
No. Sorry, we're not hiring. 
Well, bad answer. 
I'm going to take my flowers. 
(Music). 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers. 
Well, we have certainly received a lot of great advice from our article the past three days. 
And I just wonder how could you apply these pieces of advice, or these questions, to other areas in your life, not just for a job interview. 
Gabe, how else could you use this advice? 
Well, I think about maybe if you're interested in studying abroad, and you know someone who has done that, you could ask: 
Well, would you ever recommend this to, say, your personal family members, your... your brothers or sisters, anybody else who you care about? 
Would you recommend me doing this, too? 
So I think it could be applied into other areas of life. 
Yeah. That's a very good way to use this advice. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
Well, I think many of you probably already have jobs, but I think that you could look at these questions and think about your current job that you already have. 
How would you answer these questions for the job that you have now? 
Think about what... what ways you could improve your position. 
That's right. 
And you could also use it if you are applying to colleges. 
Many times you need to interview for scholarships. 
Well, I hope that you do find this advice useful, and that you will come back and see us next time here onStudio Classroom. Bye-bye.

2013.02.28.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
We're glad you could join us for the last day of February here. 
We're talking about Games to Improve Your Game. 
Of course, in our lesson we will be talking about the game of basketball, improving your basketball skills. 
But this does make me wonder about how sometimes you can change the rules to certain games to make it a little different or interesting. 
Do you ever do this, Nathanael? 
Well, there is the game football that you can change in a few ways. 
One way is to play flag football, which instead of kind of fighting and knocking people over, you just take the flag that is attached to their waist off of them. 
All right. 
That changes the game a little bit. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Do you ever change the rules to a game? 
Well, when my brother and sisters and I would all play card games, 
we would frequently change the rules to anything we were playing so that we could win. 
Nice. Of course, that is the ultimate goal - to win. 
Sometimes when my family would play Monopoly, we would also change the rules a little bit to make it a little more fun and interesting. 
Well, we're going to see how you can improve your basketball skills while having fun. 
Let's get started with the first reading for today. 
(Music). 
Games to Improve Your Game. 
Improve your basketball skills while having fun. 
If you're serious about improving your basketball skills, you probably practice your shooting and ball handling daily. 
But improving your skills doesn't have to be all work and no play. 
You can also get some practice by simply playing these straightforward games. 
H-O-R-S-E. 
An old classic, this game continues to help people improve their shooting accuracy and versatility. 
Players take turns trying to make the first basket using a lay-up, bank shot or hook shot. 
When one player makes a basket, all other players must do so in exactly the same way, or they get penalized with a letter (first H, then O, etc.). 
When players have missed five shots (gaining an entire HORSE), they are eliminated - the last man standing wins. 
Today's deck says: Improve your basketball skills while having fun. 
We talked about games in which you changed the rules. 
And these are games that are using a basketball but not with the same rules as basketball. 
OK. So the first sentence says: 
If you're serious about improving your basketball skills, you probably practice your shooting and ball handling daily. 
OK, we want to talk about this term "ball handling." That's an extra phrase for today, ball handling. 
How would you describe that term, Gabe? 
Well, ball handling... if you are handling the ball, that means you are in control of the ball. 
So you might know how to dribble it, you might know how to do things between your legs and different things like that. 
That is ball handling. 
But how else could you use that phrase, or what does that make you think about? 
Well, it's the kind of skill that you have when you're playing basketball, your ball handling skills. 
You could also say "your game." In the title of our article today, it said Games to Improve Your Game. 
And your game is your basketball skill, so your ability to handle the ball. 
Yes, ball handling is how well you use the ball. 
And when you say "your game" as we're using it in the title, it's referring to your basketball skills. 
OK. The next sentence says: 
But improving your skills doesn't have to be all work and no play. 
"All work and no play" is a kind of phrase. 
It's from a kind of a rhyme that says "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy..." I'm not actually sure where that's from. 
Do you use that very often, Gabe? 
Not really. I don't really use this phrase. 
I know what it means, all work and no play. 
That means you're spending so much time just kind of being serious about what you're doing that it almost seems like it's not fun anymore. 
Of course, basketball should be a fun game. 
It was created to be a fun sport, so it should not be all work and no play. 
That's right. 
You want to make sure that you are having fun when you play basketball even when you are practicing and trying to improve your game. 
And the next sentence says: 
You can also get some practice by simply playing these straightforward games. 
OK. "Straightforward" is an important word for today's article. 
We're going to talk about it because it's a key word. 
If something is straightforward, I think it is not complicated. 
Is there another way to explain that word, Carolyn? 
Well, straightforward is something that's very clear, very obvious. 
We also had another word in one of our previous articles, "frank," frankly. 
So if something is frank, it is straightforward. 
It is very clear. 
That's right. 
I also think about straightforward rules or directions or instructions. 
Some games can have very complicated rules. 
It's not easy to learn. 
But other games have rules that are very straightforward. 
They're very easy to learn. 
Or maybe you are cooking something, and the recipe is very straightforward. 
Well, how does this article continue, Nathanael? 
Well, next the article talks about the first example game, HORSE, or H-O-R-S-E. 
This game is an old classic. 
This game continues to help people improve their shooting accuracy and versatility. 
I think a lot of people know of this game in the United States, this game called HORSE. 
And it is good for these reasons. 
One of these words is "versatility." And we want to take a look at that word today because it's a key word - versatility. 
That's a noun. 
There's also the adjective: versatile. 
Could you use either of these words in a sentence, Carolyn? 
Well, if you are versatile, then you are good at many different things. 
I think about duct tape being very useful. 
It is a very versatile, or versatile object. 
It has a great versatility. 
You can use it to fix a lot of things. 
That's true. 
I also think about a lot of tablet computers now. 
You can use those to do a lot of things. 
Those are very versatile. 
They have a lot of versatility. 
Yes. 
So you'll hear this adjective, versatile or versatile, pronounced either way. 
Maybe versatile is a little more common. 
OK. Let's look at the next sentence. 
Players take turns trying to make the first basket using a lay-up, bank shot or a hook shot. 
These are all different kinds of shots used in basketball. 
Would you describe a lay-up, please, Gabe? 
Well, lay-up is when you are dribbling the ball and you go right up to the board with your hand so that you knock the ball from the board into the basket. 
Or you can knock it right from your hand into the basket. 
So that's a lay-up. 
But I want to talk about other words from this sentence here. 
We have some extra words: to take turns. 
When you take turns, that means one person is doing something, and then it's another person's turn. 
So how could you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, this phrase, to take turns, often does happen in a game. 
But sometimes when you're eating dinner as a family, you need to take turns at dipping out of a certain dish. 
If you try to do it all at once, there could be a mess. 
I think so, too. 
Maybe you need to say: It's my turn! OK, now it's your turn. 
And Carolyn, it's your turn. 
How do you use this phrase? 
Oh. Well, when you are talking with someone, you can take turns in a conversation. 
If everyone is talking at the same time, it's very difficult to understand what they're saying. 
So you should take turns in a conversation. 
Well, we continue with our article. 
When one player makes a basket, all other players must do so in exactly the same way, or they get penalized with a letter. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word: penalize. 
Ooh, not good, but very common in sports. 
A penalty or when you get penalized, that means you get kind of punished. 
Or something bad happens to you so you can't do something, or you get points scored against you. 
How do you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, if you are penalized, then you are punished. 
And if you break the rules, you may receive a penalty from the referee. 
And in this game, you are penalized with a letter. 
"First you get an H, and then an O, etc." as it says at the end of that sentence. 
OK. Now we want to go to the Grammar Gym and see what Liz wants to tell us today. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this sentence: "... all other plays must do so in exactly the same way or are penalized with a letter (first H, then O, etc.). 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the word at the end of the sentence. 
You see it's spelled "e-t-c." And it's pronounced etcetera. 
Whenever you see "etc.," etcetera, it means and the rest. 
We use "etc." whenever there is a list of things to mention but it takes too much time to mention everything on the list. 
Now in the case of today's sentence, the writer is explaining how players get penalized with a letter. 
But instead of spelling out the whole word HORSE, H-O-R-S-E, 
the writer just mentions H and O, and then adds "etc." to avoid spelling the rest of the word out. 
So next time when you have to list something and you don't want to mention everything on the list, just write "etc." etcetera. 
And don't forget to check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine for more example sentences. 
This is Liz at the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thanks, Liz. 
Well, we see in our last sentence here. 
When players have missed five shots (gaining an entire HORSE), they are eliminated - the last man standing wins. 
So the last person left in the game is the winner. 
Now why don't we take some time to go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.02.28.B

If you want to improve your basketball skills, you don't have to do it alone. 
You can play some fun games with some other people. 
That is the point of today's article. 
And it also lists some example games that you can play with others. 
The first is a popular game called HORSE, where one person makes a shot in a certain way and the others have to copy them. 
If they do not make the shot, they get one of the letters inside the word HORSE. 
But there's another game that we have left to talk about called 21. 
Let's hear about that now. 
(Music). 
Games to Improve Your Game. 
21 - The Game. 
The game of 21 is essentially a game of half-court basketball. 
But instead of having teams, each player is competing against all the others. 
The first player to score 21 points wins. 
This game is a great way to practice aggressive offense because other players outnumber the player holding the ball. 
Whether on the court, in a park or in the street, these games are a lot of fun. 
But more than that, they'll help you improve your skills. 
These fun games can help to improve your skills. 
Of course, here we're talking about "21." That's the name of this game. 
We start: The game of 21 is essentially a game of half-court basketball. 
Now before we continue talking about this, I want to talk about that word "essentially." It's an extra word we want to talk about today. 
And if you're talking about how essential something is, that means it is important. 
But when you say "essentially," that means "basically," or the main things about this game. 
How could you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, you could say that teamwork is essentially most important skill in the game of basketball. 
There are many things that you need to know how to do when you play basketball, but to work as a team is very important. 
It's essential. 
Well, Carolyn, how do you use that word? 
Well, today we're essentially talking about different ways that you can play the game of basketball, 
not just by the regular rules that we think about when we think of basketball but we could also say: at the heart of. 
It was a phrase that we learned earlier this month. 
And it can also be used for the meaning of essentially. 
All right. 
Well, we see here essentially 21 is a game of half-court basketball; so you don't use the full court. 
We continue: But instead of having teams, each player is competing against all the others. 
That is a little bit different. 
"Every man for himself," we would also say. 
Nathanael, how does the article continue? 
Well, there's a simple sentence here. 
The first player to score 21 points wins. 
So everyone is scoring for themselves, and the first person to get 21 is the winner. 
Yes. So this game sounds fairly simple because you only need 21 points to win. 
But we see that this game is a great way to practice aggressive offense because other players outnumber the player holding the ball. 
Now if you have aggressive offense, that means that you are actively trying to score. 
It is every man for himself, as Gabe said earlier. 
You are not on a team. 
Now we also see a key word in this sentence: outnumber. 
Now what does "outnumber" mean, Nathanael? 
Well, if your team is outnumbered, it means you have fewer players than the other team. 
Being outnumbered is a big disadvantage in team sports. 
That's right. You might say: 
Oh, no. We are outnumbered. 
We can't win because we are outnumbered. 
Or at least it's quite a challenge if you are outnumbered by the other team. 
So as you can see, this can also be used as an adjective. 
We are outnumbered. 
But also I think you can see here that at Studio Classroom, there are two guys, Nathanael and myself, and Carolyn. 
Carolyn, do you feel outnumbered? 
Well, sometimes I feel a little outnumbered. 
But since I am a woman, I am just fine being here myself. 
Excellent! Excellent! 
And of course, we are a team, so it's all about teamwork as we were talking about earlier. 
So you can use that word "outnumber." Try that today. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
If you're out and about in the park, and you happen to see some people playing basketball, chances are they're playing a pick up game. 
Pick up basketball, otherwise known as street ball, are games that happens spontaneously. 
Opposing players and even teammates may or may not know one another. 
Right. 
One person or a group might just suddenly show up courtside and express a desire to play. 
So who's going to be the referee? 
Well, street ball has no referees, so the games can be a little disorganized and rough. 
For example, players call their own fouls. 
Also, street ball has a looser set of rules set by the players themselves. 
For example, the players might agree to play with the "make it, take it" rule. 
What does that mean, Steve? 
Well, it means if your team makes a basket, your team gets possession of the ball, not the other team, which is normally what happens. 
Right. 
Street ball is becoming more organized and popularized through sports channels' programs and traveling exhibitions. 
Many famous NBA players got their start playing street ball. 
All stars such as Vince Carter, Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant are just three of many. 
And Jeremy Lin played some street ball after he turned pro when he visited Taiwan last year. 
I remember that. 
Some lucky Taipei youths left the court that night a different person. 
(Chinese). 
So have you ever played a pick up game or some street ball? 
Well, the next sentence says: 
Whether on the court, in a park or in the street, these games are a lot of fun. 
Now we should say that if you're going to play these games, you do need a hoop. 
So if the street does not have a hoop, you may not be able to play these games there. 
What does the next sentence say, Gabe? 
Well, it says but more than that, they'll help you improve your skills. 
OK. So more than just being a lot of fun, they will help you improve your skills. 
More than that. 
You could use this kind of sentence or phrase in another way. 
You could talk about music. 
Maybe if you want to learn English, you think English songs are fun. 
They're fun to listen to, and you can learn a lot from music. 
But more than that, they'll help you improve your English skills as well. 
More than that. 
How do you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, when you're talking about basketball, you might say: 
Well, basketball is very fun; more than that, it can improve your skills. 
But it also does even more than that. 
It helps you create teamwork, and you get along better with your friends. 
Great. 
So "more than that." That's a great phrase to know. 
Well, we have more to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Here we go. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our program. 
HORSE and 21 are great games to get you started, but actually there are many other games that you can play to improve your basketball skills. 
What is one other game, Gabe? 
Well, one other game that I love to play is knockout. 
Actually, you use two basketballs to play knockout. 
And you usually need at least a few people to play this game. 
A long line of people stand up at the free throw line, and each take turns trying to make a basket. 
If you shoot after the person in front of you and you make it before he does, then that person is out of the game. 
And of course, again, the last man standing wins this game. 
What's another good basketball game, Carolyn? 
Well, that one sounds very exciting. 
Another one that I've played is very similar to HORSE. It's called PIG, P-I-G. 
And this game goes much faster than HORSE because you only have three letters before you are out. 
Well, these are other great games that you can try on the basketball court next time you are there. 
And why don't you try that before coming back next time to Studio Classroom because right now we are out of time. 
But wewill see you later. Goodbye.

2013.03.01.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I am Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And who are you? 
Today we're talking about a lesson "Whose Name?" Many things in today's world are named after people. 
Well, we're going to be learning about some of these things, but first I'm going to ask you: 
Who are you named after, if anybody, and what does your name mean? 
Carolyn, would you like to begin? 
Well, sure. 
My name is a German name, and it means noble, womanly and something like spiritual thinking. 
And I was named after my grandmother. 
Well, I'm sure your grandmother was a womanly, noble, spiritual thinker herself. 
Nathanael, what about you? 
Who were you named after, or what does your name mean? 
Well, I was named after a person in the Bible. 
So my name is Hebrew for "gift of God". 
All right. 
I was also named after someone in the Bible - an angel Gabriel, who told Mary she would give birth to a son Jesus. 
And Gabriel means one who stands in the presence of God. 
Or actually, another meaning I read was "God is my hero;" and He is my hero. 
Let's get started with today's first reading - Whose Name? 
(Music). 
Whose Name? 
People give their names to all kinds of things. 
Some people can never be forgotten. 
That's because their names become common words. 
As many as 50,000 words in the English language get their meaning from people's names. 
Some are real people; others are characters in books or stories. 
Often a new dish is given the name of its inventor. 
The sandwich gets its name from the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu (1718-1792). 
John Montagu is the first person that we're talking about today in this article about people that give their names to all kinds of things. 
I think you're going to find it interesting. 
Carolyn, would you please read the first sentence of this article? 
Certainly. 
It says: Some people can never be forgotten. 
And there are a lot of people that we remember in history. 
Gabe, can you think of someone who is never forgotten? 
Someone who is never forgotten? 
Well, of course, many people have influenced our societies today. 
People like politicians and, of course, celebrities that will never be forgotten. 
I think the Beatles are a music group, a band that will never be forgotten. 
Nathanael, who's someone else that will never be forgotten? 
Well, of course many people in history will never be forgotten. 
And I think of Abraham Lincoln, maybe one of the most famous and well-known presidents of the United States. 
I don't think that he will ever be forgotten. 
And that's because their names become common words, words that we hear all the time. 
There are lots of examples of this. 
And that's what today's article is about - these kinds of examples. 
Now how many words like this are there, Gabe? 
Well, we read that as many as 50,000 words in the English language get their meaning from people's names. 
That is a lot of words that we're using that really just came from somebody who may be invented something, 
or some things were named after these people, as many as 50,000 words. 
That's quite a lot. 
And we see in the article that some of these people are real people, but others are characters in books or stories. 
So not all of these words in English are from real people's names. 
That's true. 
Some of these could come from characters, fictional people that we find in books or maybe even movies, that make a big impact on culture. 
OK, continuing in the article it says: 
Often a new dish is given the name of its inventor. 
So a kind of food, a new kind of dish could be named after the person that first made it. 
So the person that first made it, we could call that an inventor, right, Carolyn? 
That's right. 
And we see that "inventor" is one of our key words for today. 
So we'll talk about that a little bit. 
And an inventor is someone who invents something. 
They make it for the very first time. 
Now there are lots and lots of inventors out there. 
Gabe, can you give us an example? 
Well, one famous inventor that does come to mind is Thomas Edison. 
Um, he's known for inventing many things. 
And I think someone we learned about last month as well, someone who invented the paper bag. 
Do either of you remember what her name was? 
Well, I do think that her name was Margaret E. Knight. 
And she made many other things, too. 
She was a very impressive inventor. 
I think that she made parts of factory machines as well. 
What kinds of things might you make if you were an inventor, Carolyn? 
Well, you can make all sorts of things. 
And I would like to make something that is useful, something that people will use all the time. 
And I think Margaret E. Knight and Thomas Edison both made very useful inventions. 
That's right. 
Well, I know a... I have a cousin, actually, 
who had the idea of inventing something that would help students not to lose face in class if ever they wanted to show that they didn't understand something. 
He would invent something that you could show the teacher if you didn't understand but nobody else would know. 
He was very sensitive. 
So of course, an inventor is someone who invents new things, makes new things that are usually very useful for people. 
But remember, if you want to invent something or you have an idea, remember to get a patent. 
You don't want someone else to steal your idea. 
OK. So an inventor could make a new machine or device. 
Or maybe they come up with a new process of doing something, a new way of doing something; or even something like a game might have an inventor. 
OK, continuing in the article the next sentence says: 
The sandwich gets its name from the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu, who lived from 1718 to 1792. 
If you see years like that in brackets, that means the lifetime of that person. 
OK. So John Montagu made the sandwich. 
How would you like to be known for making a sandwich, Carolyn? 
Well, lots of people do enjoy eating sandwiches, so that probably be a very good thing to be named after. 
Everyone will certainly remember you. 
It's true, so many people do enjoy eating sandwiches. 
We find out that John Montagu was an earl. 
And this is a member of the nobility, um, someone who maybe would take care of an area when the king was away. 
I'm not exactly sure what John Montagu's responsibilities were, but he had lots of responsibilities. 
And of course, one thing he left us with was sandwiches. 
That's right. 
And that's probably what he is most well-known for. 
OK. It's time to go over to the Language Lab and talk to Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.01.B

In our lesson called "Whose Name?" today, we're learning about different things that were named after different people. 
Already we've talked about the Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu who lived a couple of centuries ago. 
And he invented something interesting. 
Or he didn't invent something, but we're going to find out what was named after him in this next part of our reading for today. 
We're going to find all about the sandwich and how it got its name. 
(Music). 
Whose Name? 
He spent long hours working or gambling and didn't wish to stop for a meal. 
He had his servants put meat between two slices of bread to eat while he worked. 
His friends began to ask for similar snacks, and the name "sandwich" came into common use. 
Granny Smith apples are named for Maria Ann Smith, a grandmother. 
Born into a farm family in 1799, Maria married Thomas Smith at 19. 
They were persuaded by the British government to move to Australia. 
On their farm near Sydney, they grew apple trees. 
Their special variety of tart apple became known as a Granny Smith. 
So John Montagu spent long hours working or gambling and didn't wish to stop for a meal. 
He was working and gambling so much, or maybe he was so busy doing those things that he didn't want to stop. 
And that was the beginning of the sandwich. 
But we do have an important word that we want to look at in this sentence. 
This word is "gambling." Gambling, this is a noun. 
But Gabe, what is gambling? 
Well, gambling is when you use your money or something like that is very valuable and you take a risk. 
You're not sure if you're going to make more or maybe you will lose some. 
And of course, many games involve gambling. 
Carolyn, how else might you see this word "gambling"? 
Well, you can also say "gamble." He likes to gamble or she likes to gamble. 
Or "don't gamble with your life" means don't take chances that could put you in danger, so. 
You should always wear your seat belt when you are in a car because you don't want to take a chance when you are in an accident. 
Don't gamble with your life. 
Yes. And another phrase that we say sometimes is, "It's a gamble." It's kind of risky. 
Should we try to go see that movie? 
It's starting in 15 minutes. 
It's a gamble. 
I don't know if we're going to make it in time. 
Sometimes we use that phrase. 
And now we want to go over to the Grammar Gym to see what Liz has to tell us today. 
HI, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
And here's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
He spent long hours working or gambling and didn't wish to stop for a meal. 
Our focus today is on the sentence pattern. 
[Someone] spends long hours [doing something] and didn't wish to stop for a [something else]. 
Now this is a great sentence pattern to use when you want to talk about how somebody is busy with an activity and doesn't want to stop to do something else. 
For example: 
The artist has spent hours working on his painting and doesn't wish to stop for a break. 
Or: Tom spent long hours writing his paper and didn't wish to stop for a snack. 
Now it's your turn. 
Can you think of an activity that someone spends a long time on, and it's an activity that he or she would rather not stop for anything else. 
If you have this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym, saying goodbye. 
Thank you very much, Liz. 
I'm sure you spent long hours preparing that little lesson for us. 
OK, let's move on in the article. 
Gabe, what does the next sentence say? 
Well, we're finding out about John Montagu here. 
He did not want to stop working or gambling, and so he had his servants put meat between two slices of bread to eat while he worked. 
Well, this is a very creative way to maybe invent a new kind of food. 
He didn't want to stop, and so he had his servants help him by putting meat between two slices of bread. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word there. 
It's the word "slice." And a slice of something is a small sliver of a piece, a small piece of something. 
Carolyn, what kinds of things might use slice? 
Well, you might have a slice of meat on your slice of bread to make your sandwich. 
You might also have a slice of cheese in that sandwich. 
And you can have something that's a little bit bigger. 
Those are usually very thin slices. 
But you could also have a slice of pie for dessert. 
OK. All right. 
There are different things that you could slice. 
Usually the word "slice" is kind of smaller. 
It implies cutting something into smaller pieces than just cut. 
You can cut a piece of paper. 
It's not a slice of paper. 
But you can have a slice of pie, you can have a slice of cheese, a slice of meat. 
How else could you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, you could also slice a cake. 
But I want to remind you that you can also slice the cake. 
"Slice" can also be a verb in when you're coming something into pieces. 
Slice the cake or a slice of cake. OK. 
The next sentence now says: 
His friends began to ask for similar snacks, and the name "sandwich" came into common use. 
So we have this phrase "came into," came into something. 
How can we use this phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, in the article we see that it came into common use, which means that people started or began to use it a lot, commonly. 
But you can also use it in many other ways. 
You can say that something came into view. 
As we went around the corner, the house came into view. 
So we were able to see the house. 
All right. 
And you can also say something comes into existence or something comes into being. 
If something wasn't around before, but it comes into existence, now we see it. 
Now it is here, we can use it. 
You could also say something came into play. 
It wasn't being used before, but now it is being used. 
We're using it. 
We're playing with it. 
Now it's coming into play. 
It has a role; something comes into play. 
Or as we see in today's lesson, something comes into common use like the word "sandwich." Well, 
I can see and understand why sandwiches are for busy people. 
If you don't have time to go to a restaurant and order a nice meal, you might want to just get a sandwich. 
OK. Those are a lot of good examples of this phrase. 
Now the next sentence in this article says: 
Granny Smith apples are named for Maria Ann Smith, a grandmother. 
So we're moving on to a new example of a food named after a person. 
Granny Smith apples. 
OK. What does the next sentence say, Carolyn? 
It says: Born into a farm family in 1799, Maria married Thomas Smith at 19. 
So she was only 19 years old when she married Thomas Smith. 
Now I think that Ken and Steve had a... have a little more information for us over in the Information Cloud. 
Hi, friends. 
What kind of family were you born into? 
If you live in the country, maybe you were born into a farm family. 
Or if your parents like music, maybe you were born into a musical family. 
Notice the preposition - it should be "into," not "in". 
That's right, Ken. 
The preposition "in" describes the location. 
You were born in a hospital, in a house, or maybe even in a taxi. 
Oh, I hope not. 
Now "in" can also describe a condition. 
Jonathan was born in poverty. 
But if you want to describe the kind of family you were in when you came to this world, then you should say born into. 
Now Ken, there is an interesting expression that describes people who were born into rich families. 
I'm sure you're familiar with the expression. 
Do you mean people who were born with a silver spoon in their mouth? 
That's right. 
Notice it's not a gold spoon but a silver spoon because traditionally, silver spoons were given at birth to children in wealthy families. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, Steve and Ken. 
Again, you always give us some good information in the Info Cloud. 
OK. The next sentence in the article says: 
They were persuaded by the British government to move to Australia. 
So we're talking, of course, about Maria Ann Smith and Thomas Smith. 
They were persuaded to go to Australia. 
"Persuaded," this is a word we're going to talk about today. 
It's a Word Bank word, this word "persuaded." What exactly does this mean, Gabe? 
Well, this means you talk someone into doing something or to agreeing with you about something. 
For instance, I could say the vendor persuaded me to buy a bag of apples for a price. 
I didn't want to buy them at first, but she persuaded me to buy these apples. 
Carolyn, how could you use that word? 
That's right. 
Well, "persuade," you can also use to help someone make a good decision or a bad decision. 
Or if you think that they shouldn't do something, you can persuade them not to do it. 
So perhaps my mom persuaded me to not to go to the movies and instead stay home and do my homework. 
And we see that on their farm near Sydney, they grew apple trees. 
Their special variety, or kind, of tart apple became known as a Granny Smith. 
These are very well-known apples today. 
And once again, it is time to see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's hear what our teachers have to say. 
Well, it seems fun to have a kind of food named after you. 
So Gabe, do you know of any foods like this named after someone you know? 
Well, yeah. Actually Steve from the Information Cloud has a fried rice named after him. 
Usually it's made just vegetarian, but he likes to add meat. 
And when he tells them to make it with ham or bacon, then they call it Steve fried rice. 
So next time you see him, you can say: Hey, how's that Steve fried rice? 
What are you, Carolyn? 
Well, I think Steve fried rice sounds very interesting. 
But I would probably keep it vegetarian with berries and other fruits and wrap them all together and make kind of a sandwich but a little different. 
And it would be The Carolyn. 
Nice. 
That sounds very good. OK. 
So maybe you should have the Carolyn or Steve fried rice for dinner tonight. 
And we'll see you next time on Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.03.02.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And thank you for joining us today, the second day of our lesson: Whose Name. 
Many things today are named after lots of people. 
As many as 50,000 words in the English language come from different people's names. 
Nathanael, what was one thing we learned about yesterday? 
Well, we learned that John Montagu wanted something convenient to eat while working or gambling. 
And that was a sandwich, which had never been made before. 
He was the Earl of Sandwich, so it was named after him. 
What was the other thing that we talked about, Carolyn? 
Well, we also learned about Granny Smith apples, which were named after Maria Ann Smith. 
And she was persuaded by the British government to move to Australia. 
And she and her husband had an apple tree farm there. 
That's right. 
And this special variety of tart apple became known as the Granny Smith apple. 
Well, we're going to learn about a lot more things today, many other things that were named after people. 
Let's get started with our first reading of the day. 
Whose Name? 
The 14th-century Dutch fisherman Willem Beukelz began to pickle fish. 
His method of preserving fish spread, but British traders didn't pronounce his name correctly. 
Soon "pickles" became popular in many countries. 
The Chinese dish kung pao chicken was created in Sichuan province by Ding Baozhen. 
He served the spicy dish when he was governor of the province from 1876 to 1886. 
After Ding died, people named the dish for him. 
Well, we're learning about some different tasty foods here. 
So far we've talked about the pickle and (Chinese), where these things got their names. 
We start out by finding the 14th-century Dutch fisherman Willem Beukelz began to pickle fish. 
So even before we found out about the pickle, we're already using this word in the sentence: He began to pickle fish. 
Well, this guy Willem Beukelz, he's Dutch. 
That means he's from Holland. 
Now what else can we find out about him, Carolyn? 
Well, we see that his method of preserving fish spread, but British traders didn't pronounce his name correctly. 
And in this sentence we see the word "preserve." And if you pickle something, then you make it last longer. 
You want to preserve it so you can eat it later. 
How else might you use this word, Nathanael? 
Well, with some foods we call them "preserves," like strawberry preserves. 
It's kind of like a jam or jelly. 
But sometimes we use that kind of word to describe that kind of food, preserves. 
That's right. 
And this also kind of reminds me of another word "conserve." C-O-N-S-E-R-V-E. 
You would to conserve your energy. 
All of these words kind of have a similar meaning - to save something, to make it great for later. 
To preserve something like food, you are making it good or to last longer so that you can enjoy it later. 
Well, we find out that soon "pickles" became popular in many countries. 
Um... OK. So do you agree, Carolyn? 
Does his name kind of sound like "pickle"? 
Well, his name is Beukelz. 
And if you are from another country, the British, they weren't quite sure how to pronounce his name. 
And it might have sounded a little bit like "pickles" to them. 
All right. I guess it could be easily confused. 
Well, Nathanael, what else do we find out about? 
What other thing has someone who named a dish after him? 
The Chinese dish kung po chicken, or (Chinese), was created in Sichuan province by Ding Baozhen. 
OK. So this is a Chinese dish that is named after a historical person. 
It's interesting. 
That's right. 
We're finding out about lots of different things; and something is (Chinese). 
I really enjoy (Chinese). 
Do you like (Chinese), Carolyn? 
Well, you know, I really like it but I don't eat anymore because it has chicken in it. 
Oh, it's really too bad! 
But it is a delicious dish. 
And we see in the article that he served the spicy dish when he was governor of the province from 1876 to 1886. 
So he was the governor for ten years. 
And "governor" is one of our Word Bank words today, so let's take a look at that. 
Nathanael, can you tell us about "governor"? 
Well, usually when I hear the word "governor," I think of American politics, 
in which a governor is kind of like the political leader of his state, like the governor of Illinois or of Florida. 
But of course, you could say that the American president governs the whole country, kind of take that word out of "governor," make "govern" as a verb. 
And I also see the word "governor" actually in this dish (Chinese). 
I think (Chinese) kind of has that meaning, too. 
He was a governor, and so this dish is named after him. 
There are, like Nathanael said, different governors of different states in America. 
This also makes me think of another word "mayor." You may have heard this word before, too. 
A mayor is a leader for a smaller part or the local part of a state, like a city. 
A city would have a mayor; but the state has a governor. 
Well, we continue on. 
After Ding died, people named the dish for him. 
So after he was gone, this dish was named after him. 
Well, this makes me think of that phrase: named for somebody. 
The dish was named for him. 
You could also say it's named after him. 
There are a couple of different ways to say that. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.02.B

In today's lesson so far we've learned about two dishes that are named after people. 
The first one is named after Willem Beukelz. 
And it is called the "pickle." And pickling is just a way of preserving something so that it will last longer. 
The second one we learned about is (Chinese). 
And it is named after a governor from Sichuan province in China. 
Well, we have a few more things to learn about today, so let's see what else has been named after people. 
Whose Name? 
More than just foods take people's names. 
Many enjoy riding on a Ferris wheel, named for engineer George W. G. Ferris. 
He designed the first one for Chicago's World Columbian Exposition in 1893. 
Many places measure temperature in Celsius. 
Anders Celsius was a Swedish scientist. 
He invented a thermometer where water's boiling point was 0 degrees and its freezing point 100 degrees. 
After his death in 1744, the scale was changed to its present form. 
Scientific laws, diseases, sports terms and places around the world use people's names. 
You can't escape them; they're everywhere! 
Well, we learned about some very interesting things here: the Celsius thermometer and, of course, the Ferris wheel. 
Let's take a look at that first sentence there. 
More than just foods take people's names. 
Yes. 
Many enjoy riding on a Ferris wheel, named for engineer George W. G. Ferris. 
All right. 
He has a long name, and he has a very important word in his name, something that we all enjoy. 
And of course, he was an engineer. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word: engineer. 
An engineer is someone who knows how to operate something. 
He works on something, or maybe he creates it so that it operates well. 
What kinds of engineers are there, Nathanael? 
Well, there are many kinds of engineers. 
There are civil engineers that might work on roads or bridges; or there are chemical engineers that, of course, work with chemicals. 
That's right. 
Yeah. And there are also electrical engineers that deal with electricity and appliances. 
But engineer could also be someone who is in charge of driving a train. 
They can also be called an engineer. 
That's right. 
That's because a train or has a train engine, he is the engineer. 
He operates the train. 
Well, this man George Ferris, he created something called the Ferris wheel. 
And of course, I think many of us have ridden in Ferris wheels. 
Carolyn, do you like Ferris wheels? 
Or have you ever ridden in an interesting Ferris wheel? 
Well, I do like Ferris wheels because they give you a great opportunity to see a very long way away. 
You can see very far if you are sitting at the top of a Ferris wheel. 
And I usually try to ride at least one Ferris wheel if I go to an amusement park. 
That's right. That's right. 
A lot of amusement parks do have Ferris wheels. 
Or you might also say they are fairs. 
A fair might have a Ferris wheel. 
Nathanael, do you like Ferris wheels? 
I do enjoy Ferris wheels. 
They're not my favorite kind of ride. 
They're not the most exciting ride. 
I like roller coasters. 
But they are good for seeing the view, like Carolyn said. 
Right. The views from Ferris wheels are great. 
So unless you are afraid of heights, do go out and enjoy a Ferris wheel. 
Well, we continue learning about George Ferris. 
He designed the first Ferris wheel for Chicago's World Columbian Exposition in 1893. 
He designed the original Ferris wheel. 
Well, Carolyn, can you please tell us a little bit about the World Columbian Exposition? 
Well, it is a very long name. 
And I was a little confused when I first saw "Columbian." I thought maybe it was talking about the country in South America. 
But actually they're talking about Christopher Columbus. 
And they wanted to have a big world's fair to celebrate the 400th anniversary from when Columbus first landed in America. 
All right. 
Well, there is the history to this World Colombian Exposition. 
It does celebrate a very important date. 
Nathanael, how does our article continue? 
Well, we're going to talk about another example of something named after someone that we're familiar with. 
Many places measure temperature in Celsius. 
I think America uses Fahrenheit, but many other countries use Celsius. 
It's true. 
And Celsius is named after Anders Celsius who was a Swedish scientist. 
And Carolyn, what else can we find out about Anders Celsius? 
Well, we see that he invented a thermometer where water's boiling point was 0 degrees and its freezing point 100 degrees. 
Now this is also a little bit confusing because that's no longer true. 
What happened, Gabe? 
Well, the scale was reversed. 
Of course, now we see a Celsius thermometer where the boiling point is 100 degrees and the freezing point is 0 degrees. 
But he created kind of a scale with the opposite. 
So he is very important for today for when we measure our heat, how hot or cold something is. 
But how else does this article continue, Nathanael? 
The next sentence actually talks about this change. 
It says after his death in 1744, the scale was changed to its present form as we talked about now: 
100 degrees is the boiling point and 0 degrees is the freezing point in the Celsius thermometer. 
That's right. 
That is the present form, the way it is now. 
Well, we continue. 
Scientific laws, diseases, sports terms and places around the world use people's names. 
It's true. 
Let's talk about that word from the Word Bank. 
It is: scientific. 
This is an adjective that describes anything that has to do with science. 
So how could you use that word, Carolyn? 
What comes to mind? 
Well, I usually think of scientific research. 
It seems like they're always trying to research perhaps a new medicine, and they need to do a scientific study. 
Mmhm, so scientific research. 
Nathanael, do you ever use that word "scientific"? 
Yes. Sometimes we do use that word. 
You might say something like a scientific process. 
The way that you do something is scientific, in that maybe you're trying to find out something about it or you're doing it in a very detailed, measured way. 
That's right, also known as the scientific method. 
People who want to know how things work, they use the scientific method to observe things over and over again. 
Well, we continue that you can't escape these things; they're everywhere! 
You can't escape them. 
Let's take a look at those words: can't escape. 
If you can't escape something, that means you're stuck with it. 
How else could you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
That's right. 
You can't avoid it or get away from it. 
And I think that many times you can't escape seeing people taking pictures of their food in restaurants. 
That is so funny. 
It's something very common. 
Yes. You can't escape that. 
How do you use that phrase? 
Well, sometimes we may not be able to escape some kind of feeling. 
We can't escape this feeling of sadness sometimes. 
We just always feel sad for several days. 
Well, we do hope that if you are feeling sad or depressed, then you can escape that feeling somehow. 
We're going to continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud about that phrase: they're everywhere. 
And then we'll enjoy a review skit, and learn something later with Michelle. 
Hi, friends. 
How do you describe something that is everywhere? 
If you go to a big city, you might find taxis everywhere. 
How you describe that? 
Well, there's a big word in English that describes just that. 
And it's "ubiquitous." And that is spelled U-B-I-Q-U-I-T-O-U-S. 
So I might say taxis are ubiquitous in Taipei. 
You'll find them everywhere except when you need one. 
Now there's another big word that has a similar meaning. 
And that's omnipresent, O-M-N-I-P-R-E-S-E-N-T. 
So now you must be asking what's the difference between ubiquitous and omnipresent. 
Well, ubiquitous is something that you might find everywhere like taxis in big cities. 
Omnipresent, however, is something that's present in all places at all times. 
Here's another way to look at it. 
Omnipresent describes one thing everywhere like air is everywhere all the time, it's omnipresent. 
And if you believe in God, you would say He is omnipresent. 
One God in all places all the time, He is omnipresent. 
Ubiquitous, on the other hand, is many things all the same everywhere, like cell phones. 
Yes. You see cell phones everywhere you go. 
But they're not the same cell phones, so they're not omnipresent, they're ubiquitous. 
(Chinese). 
Some people's names have become common words. 
Yeah, as many as 50,000 of them. 
Like sandwich, for example. 
It was named after the Earl of Sandwich. 
Yeah. He had no time for meals, so his servants put meat between pieces of bread. 
And the sandwich was born... and eaten. 
Oh. Granny Smith apples are named after a grandmother Maria Anne Smith. 
Maria and her husband moved to a farm in Australia. 
They grew apple trees on their farm. 
And the tart apples became known as Granny Smith apples. 
Hmm, they're delicious. 
And the 14th-century Dutch man Mr. Beu...k... 
Pickles? 
Beukelz? 
How do you say that name? 
Anyway, he had a special method of preserving fish. 
Because the British traders had trouble saying his name like we did, that method is called pickle. 
And what about kung pao chicken? 
Did you know that spicy dish was named after the Chinese governor Ding Baozhen? 
Wow! 
Well, I know it now. 
Another word from a name is the Ferris wheel. 
It was invented by an engineer George W. G. Ferris. 
He designed the first Ferris wheel for the Chicago Fair. 
Yeah! Oh, and there's also Anders Celsius. 
He was the Swedish scientist that invented the Celsius thermometer. 
Yeah. There are so many common words from people's names, 50,000 of them! 
Yeah. We could go on and on and on and on and on, but we won't. 
We're out of time. 
Yeah. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers. 
We've talked all about things that are named after different people. 
Nathanael, what is something else that is named for someone? 
Well, I thought of the Shakespearean sonnet. 
It's a specific kind of form of poetry named after, of course, William Shakespeare. 
All right. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Do you use any words named after people? 
I do. 
One that I think a lot of people use now is Bluetooth. 
And Bluetooth was actually named after King Harald Bluetooth of Denmark. 
And the inventors of the Bluetooth device decided it was a good name because King Harald of Denmark united Scandinavia, 
and they wanted to unite your computer with other electronics. 
Interesting. 
That's where we get the Bluetooth. 
And of course if you have a teddy bear, that was named after Theodore Roosevelt who went out hunting and refused to shoot a bear. 
You have a teddy bear. 
Well, there're so many things that are named after different people. 
What are some other ones? 
Talk about them in English. 
And we'll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.03.04.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you are joining us for a trip to Zanzibar. 
Well, we're not really going to Zanzibar, but we're going to learn all about Zanzibar through the experience of Ian Ludwig. 
He got a chance to travel to Zanzibar. 
And it just makes me wonder where in Africa have you been. 
We'll find out that Zanzibar is a part of Africa. 
Nathanael, have you ever traveled to Africa, or are you interested in going? 
I would like to go, but I haven't even been close to Africa. 
I would like to see the country Botswana. 
I know a few people who live there in the past. 
And it sounds like there are a lot of interesting stories that have happened there. 
Botswana. What about you, Carolyn? 
Where would you like to travel in Africa? 
Well, one of my professors in college was from Ghana. 
And he would often talk about growing up there and what it was like to live in his hometown. 
And I would really like to visit Ghana and see it for myself. 
All right. So we have Botswana, Ghana. 
I personally would love to visit Egypt. 
I know many people go there. 
Lots of tourists like to travel to Egypt, but I would still like to see those pyramids for myself. 
Well, we have lots to learn these next couple of days all about Zanzibar. 
Let's get started with the first reading for today. 
(Music). 
Zanzibar. 
Adventures in Africa. 
Off the coast of Tanzania lies the exotic island of Zanzibar. 
This amazing place is home to beautiful old houses, leafy forests and white sandy beaches. 
Some friends and I had the adventure of a lifetime there last year. 
We took a two-hour ferry ride from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to Stone Town. 
After scouting around for a hotel, we chose a simple one with clean rooms and a rooftop restaurant. 
Then we hired a guide and headed to Zanzibar's famous spice farms. 
Cloves, peppers, cinnamon and ginger are just a few of the spices that grow there. 
It sounds like Ian and his friends are having quite an adventure. 
And we see in our first sentence here, they tell us a little bit about Tanzania. 
Off the coast of Tanzania lies the exotic island of Zanzibar. 
And if something is exotic, it is unusual or different. 
So this island is very different from what they have seen before. 
Now Nathanael, how does it continue? 
The next sentence says: 
This amazing place is home to beautiful old houses, leafy forests and white sandy beaches. 
It sounds like a very lovely place to visit. 
It does sound like a lovely place to visit. 
And we've a great phrase in that sentence: home to. 
If something is home to something, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that means if you go to this place, you can find these different things there. 
It's home to those things. 
So Zanzibar is home to beautiful old houses, leafy forests and white sandy beaches. 
I live in Taipei. 
I might say that Taipei is home to friendly people, night markets and, of course, Taipei 101. 
These things are found in Taipei. 
How could you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, I think another thing that you could say is China is home to the world's largest national population, home to the largest population. 
That's right. 
And you could also say that your hometown is home to many different things. 
What is unique about your hometown? 
What is it home to other than yourself? 
Well, we continue on in our article and see that some friends and I had the adventure of a lifetime there last year. 
So they had the adventure of a lifetime. 
This is another phrase that we want to look at here: of a lifetime. 
If something is of a lifetime, then it is very special, maybe once in a lifetime, a very unique adventure or experience. 
Gabe, how might you use this phrase? 
Well, I also think about different experiences. 
Maybe if there's something that you will only experience once or not very often, 
you could say "of a lifetime." I had a vacation of a lifetime last year when I visited that country. 
It was the time of my life. 
I had a vacation of a lifetime. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
How could you use that phrase? 
Well, I think some people are also looking for the love of a lifetime or maybe the experience, the mystery of a lifetime. 
There's a big question that they haven't figured out the answer to, the mystery of a lifetime. 
That's right. 
You also might have the opportunity of a lifetime. 
So take this chance. 
Try something new. 
It could change your life. 
Well, continuing on to the next paragraph: 
We took a two-hour ferry ride from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to Stone Town. 
So they took a ferry ride from Dar es Salaam to Stone Town. 
So these are two different cities, and they had to ride on a ferry. 
And "ferry" is one of our Word Bank words today. 
Let's take a look at that. 
What does "ferry" mean, Gabe? 
Well, it's a kind of boat. 
It's a boat or ship that travels from one place to another. 
It's for the purpose of transporting people or things from one place to another. 
And when I think of ferries, I don't think of ships that travel for an extremely long time. 
Maybe if you're on a cruise, that might travel for days or weeks. 
But a ferry really just goes from one place to another, usually I think, in a relatively short amount of time. 
Right. Well, we see that this one was two hours. 
So that's kind of a long ferry ride. 
Nathanael, have you ever ridden on a ferry? 
I have ridden on several different ferries, but most of them, kind of like Gabe said, really only lasted for a few minutes. 
Right, yes. I've been on a ferry. 
I went from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon. 
And it's a very, very short ferry ride, maybe ten minutes. 
So quite close. 
Well, we see: After scouting around for a hotel, we chose a simple one with clean rooms and a rooftop restaurant. 
Well, it certainly sounds like a very interesting hotel. 
And to find it, they had to scout around. 
And "scout" is another one of our words today from our Word Bank. 
Nathanael, what can you tell us about this word "scout"? 
Well, if you are scouting, I think you're kind of exploring. 
You're looking around a new area, usually looking for a specific kind of information. 
You might be scouting to map an area. 
That's one possibility. 
That's true. 
Gabe, how else might you use this word? 
Well, I think about scouting out an area. 
You can scout around for something. 
You can also scout out. 
You can see what is available. 
And I'm surprised, I don't know all the details, but it sounds like they didn't do their homework beforehand. 
They didn't settle on a hotel before. 
They waited until they got to Zanzibar, and then they scouted around for a hotel. 
That is definitely an adventurous way to do something. 
That's right, because they might not have been able to find one. 
So you have to be careful if you wait until you get to a destination and try to scout for a hotel. 
They might all be full. 
Well, we have a video that we can enjoy right now and show us a little bit about Zanzibar. 
(Music). 
That was a great little video. 
And in our article we see they say: 
Then we hired a guide and headed to Zanzibar's famous spice farms. 
So something Zanzibar is very well known for is their spice farm. 
Uh, Nathanael, can you tell us a little bit about this Word Bank word "spice"? 
Yes. We need to talk about this word "spice" because it is in our Word Bank today. 
It's a key word. 
The spice is a kind of ingredient that you'll put in food. 
And it's usually in a powder form and gives your food extra flavor. 
You can also use the word "spice" as a verb. 
Spice your food. 
"Put spice on your food" is what it means. 
That's right. 
It adds a lot of flavor. 
Do you ever spice your food, Gabe? 
Oh, I certainly do. 
I think it's good to add extra flavors to your food... sometimes. 
Sometimes it is good enough as it is, but it is nice to also spice up my food. 
Well, we find out about some spices here. 
Cloves, peppers, cinnamon and ginger are just a few of the spices that grow there on Zanzibar's spice farms. 
We have more to learn about later. 
But for now, let's go and enjoy some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.04.B

If you looked at a map of Africa and looked on the east side, you would find a country called Tanzania. 
And just a little ways into the ocean you would find an island called Zanzibar. 
And that is what we're talking about today. 
Ian Ludwig wrote this article, and he took a trip to Zanzibar. 
How did he get there? 
He took a boat, a two-hour ferry ride to get there. 
He looked for a hotel, scouted for a hotel, and then went to a spice farm. 
And that's where the story is right now. 
Let's see how it continues. 
(Music). 
Zanzibar. 
Tourism and spices are the island's biggest industries. 
Many spices are tropical and grow on trees and vines. 
It was like walking through a forest. 
At each new plant, our guide pulled off a small bit of the spice. 
We smelled it and guessed which one it was. 
Then he told us about the spice. 
I bought some saffron and vanilla. 
After the tour, we picked out some crab and fish at the seafood market for the cooks to prepare. 
Then we went to bed fat and happy. 
(Music). 
It sounds like Ian and his friends are really enjoying their trip to Zanzibar and all of the flavors they are getting to enjoy. 
Well, we see in this first sentence: 
Tourism and spices are the island's biggest industries. 
So the things that are most important to Zanzibar's economy are tourism and spices. 
Well, this first word "tourism" is also from our Word Bank today. 
Gabe, can you tell us a little bit about this word? 
Well, if you are a tourist, then you're traveling into another country. 
You're not traveling to stay there. 
You're traveling for pleasure, just for fun. 
So this is all about tourism. 
And tourism is very important to the economy in Zanzibar. 
That means the government thinks that it's very important. 
Tourism is very important there. 
That's right. 
Uh, do you enjoy tourism, Nathanael? 
Oh, of course I enjoy tourism. 
I like going on vacation to a new place. 
There are many different kinds of tourism. 
I like exploring new cities, but it's also fun to find exciting things to do. 
That's right. 
And tourism is usually very popular in the summer. 
Many people like to travel then and become tourists while they enjoy tourism in different countries. 
Well, we continue and see: 
Many spices are tropical and grow on trees and vines. 
So they are on a spice farm, and they are looking at all of these different spices in this tropical place. 
It was like walking through a forest. 
Now Gabe, why do they say it was like walking through a forest? 
Well, maybe because it wasn't actually a forest. 
We're talking about the spice farms. 
When I think of a farm, I don't think of trees all around me. 
But this spice farm was very interesting. 
You might say it was exotic. 
It was a little bit different. 
And maybe the trees were so big and there were so many of them, it really felt like they were walking through an actual forest. 
That's right. 
Well, how do we continue, Nathanael? 
At each new plant, our guide pulled off a small bit of the spice. 
We smelled it and guessed which one it was. 
Now I think that might be kind of difficult. 
Do you think that you would be good at that, Carolyn? 
Well, if it was maybe the cinnamon or the cloves, I could probably guess what it was. 
But there are a lot of exotic spices that I'm sure growing there, and I have no idea what they would be. 
Gabe, do you think this would be a fun activity? 
This would be a fun activity. 
Um, I, like you, would maybe be able to pick out the cinnamon and probably vanilla. 
We're going to learn about vanilla in a minute. 
But there are so many different spices. 
It would be a fun activity to do. 
This is a very clever way of interacting with tourists there in Zanzibar. 
Yes. So we see that after they guessed, the guide would tell them. 
So then he told us about the spice. 
He would let them know which one it was, and tell them a little bit of information about it. 
And we see that our writer Ian says he bought some saffron and vanilla. 
Now do you like saffron, Nathanael? 
Well, I don't know if I've tried saffron before. 
I'm not very familiar with that spics. 
But vanilla, I think most of us are pretty familiar with that one. 
The next sentence says: After the tour, we picked out some crab and fish at the seafood market for the cooks to prepare. 
Now there is a phrase here that we want to talk about today: picked out. 
It's in our Word Bank. 
You probably are familiar with the word "pick," to pick something. 
But maybe you don't know this usage: to pick something out; pick out. 
Gabe, how would you use this? 
Well, I think about maybe choosing something. 
Um, you can choose between different things. 
Maybe you have a lot of clothes in your closet and you are picking out the ones that you will wear tomorrow. 
Or you could go to the store and say I'm going to pick out what I like here. 
However, usually I use this phrase to talk about things. 
Still, if I'm talking about people, I would just say "pick." I pick you to be on my team. 
But Carolyn, how else could you use this phrase "pick out"? 
Well, picking out is something you do when you want to choose something. 
Maybe you are going shopping and you need to pick out a new dress or a new pair of shoes. 
You should choose the ones you like. 
Pick out which ones you like. 
Nathanael, how else might you use this phrase? 
Well, when you are on vacation, you might have to pick out a few things to do. 
You won't have time to do everything that seems interesting. 
And now we're going to learn something interesting from Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
Hi, friends. 
What do you call a person who knows how to cook? 
And please, please, don't say "cooker" unless that person has an electrical cord plugged into him. 
Very funny, Steve, but you are right. 
I hear many students say their mothers are good "cookers." No. 
If your mother can make lots of tasty dishes, your mother is a good cook. 
That's right. 
"Cook" is both a verb and a noun. 
The verb refers to the act of making food; and the noun refers to the person who makes the food. 
Steve, what about someone who cooks very slowly? 
Can I call that person a slow cooker? 
Ah, you're even funnier than me, Ken. 
No. A slow cooker is an electrical cooking appliance, also known as a crock pot. 
Good. I'm glad we got that cleared up. 
Now there's another word that describes someone who can cook, and that is a chef. 
Steve, how is a chef different from a cook? 
Well, anyone who prepares food is a cook. 
But a chef is a professional cook who is in charge of a kitchen. 
And why this word is pronounced "shef" and not "chef"? 
That's because the word "chef" came from the French language. 
Hence, the pronunciation chef. 
That's right. 
"Chef" in French means chief. 
So a chef is literally the chief of the kitchen. 
So if you think you're a good cook, work hard and maybe one day you'll become the chef at a nice restaurant. 
(Chinese). 
And we end our article today with a sentence that says "Then we went to bed fat and happy." So it sounds like they had a really great day. 
They were very full and very happy. 
Well, let's go and see what Michelle has for us in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our teachers are doing. 
Today we went on an adventure with Ian and his friends to a spice farm in Zanzibar. 
And this got me thinking about all of the spices that I love to use like cinnamon and nut meg. 
And I wonder, do you have a favorite spice, Nathanael? 
Well, there're probably a few different ones that I could choose, but I do like mustard a lot. 
I think it's a good thing to use on certain sandwiches and maybe other things as well. 
Mmm, that is a good one to use to add a little more flavor to your sandwich. 
What kind of spices do you like, Gabe? 
Well, Carolyn, I like my food nice and hot and spicy, so I like peppers in my food. 
Sometimes there are different kinds of peppers, and I like it if it is a little bit extra spicy. 
So yeah, that's one of my favorite spices. 
Oh. So you like very spicy, hot spices. 
And I like things that are a little less spicy, more flavorful. 
Well, we're glad that you were able to join us today. 
And we hope that you'll come back again tomorrow to learn some more about Zanzibar. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.03.05.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you are joining us for day two of our lesson about Zanzibar. 
We're enjoying Ian Ludwig's experiences in Zanzibar. 
And today we're going to find out a little bit about his time on the beach at Zanzibar, 
which just makes me wonder about your favorite activity to do on the beach. 
Nathanael, what's something that you like to do when you go to a beach? 
Well, I love to bodyboard. 
I wish that I could surf, but because I can't, I bodyboard, which is kind of like surfing though you're laying down. 
All right. 
Bodyboarding is a lot of fun. 
Carolyn, what's something that you like to do when you visit the beach? 
Well, I really love to play in the sand and build sand castles with my family. 
So a lot of vacations we would go to the beach together and build very large sand castles. 
Well, I would be interested in seeing one of those sand castles. 
I'm not very good at making sand castles. 
I also am not a very good surfer, although I did start learning recently. 
And I think I'm going to do that more and more. 
It is a lot of fun. 
It's great fun to visit the beach. 
There are many things you can do there. 
We're going to learn more about Ian's time on the beaches of Zanzibar right now. 
(Music). 
Zanzibar. 
The next day we went to a beach on a small island nearby. 
We snorkeled, played Frisbee and ate fresh seafood on the beach! 
The third day we decided to go and stayed at a beach called Paje. 
Our hotel was right on the beach, and the floors in our rooms were the sand! 
We swam, read and danced to African music. 
The warm, shallow water makes kite surfing very popular there. 
(Music). 
Well, we see here that the next day we went to a beach on a small island nearby. 
So although Zanzibar is an island, it has other small islands around it. 
And they went to a beach on one of those islands. 
And what did they do there, Carolyn? 
We see that we snorkeled, played Frisbee and ate fresh seafood on the beach. 
So it sounds like they had a really great time at this beach. 
And there's a key word in that sentence: snorkel. 
If you snorkel, where are you, Gabe? 
Oh, you're in the water enjoying looking at the fishes and everything down below. 
Um, when you snorkel, you're on the surface of the water. 
You're using things to help you breathe on the surface of the water. 
So you're not going down into the water. 
Nathanael, if you do go down into the water, what does that call? 
Well, if you are going underwater, that would be scuba diving. 
But snorkeling is different. 
That's important to know. 
And it's very fun to snorkel if you know a good place to do it. 
It's a good thing to try if you haven't. 
They also mentioned that that played Frisbee, which maybe you've heard of. 
It's kind of a round disk that you can throw to each other. 
And if you play Frisbee, actually the first thing I think of is ultimate Frisbee. 
Maybe they played this game. 
You have two teams; and it's kind of using the rules of football. 
You have a goal on each end, but you use a Frisbee instead of a ball. 
Ultimate Frisbee is a great game to play on a beach or anywhere. 
OK. 
Continuing in the article we see that the third day we decided to go and stay at a beach called Paje. 
OK. A particular beach was called Paje. 
And this is where they stayed because we also see that our hotel was right on the beach, and the floors in our rooms were the sand. 
It's very interesting. 
The floors of the room were actually the sand, probably the sand right on the beach. 
And that's what we want to talk about this phrase called "right on." It's a bonus phrase we want to talk about today. 
"Right on the beach" kind of means directly on the beach, it was right there. 
What are ways that we could use this, Carolyn? 
Well, if you say something is right on something else, then you are trying to emphasize or show very clearly that that is the location. 
Maybe I can't find my books. 
I don't know where they are. 
And then I see they were right on my desk the whole time. 
So they were there, on my desk. 
How else might you use this phrase, Gabe? 
Well, you can use that word "right" with other prepositions as well. 
Maybe you're looking for your books. 
They're not right on your desk. 
They're right under your desk, or they're right next to your desk. 
So you can use that word "right" to talk about the exact location of something. 
And of course, they stayed right on the beach, and the floors of their hotel rooms were the sand. 
That sounds really interesting. 
It actually sounds like quite an exotic experience, not something that I would experience every day. 
No. It is kind of unusual, not something that you would see every day. 
And we're going to talk about the usage of "sand." Or at least Steve and Ken are going to tell us about how to use "sand" or "sands" when we speak. 
Let's see what they have to say to us today. 
Let's talk about a very simple word today, "sand," you know, the stuff that you find at a beach. 
Steve, what should we remind our students of when they want to use this word? 
Well, they should remember that most of the time, the word "sand" is uncountable. 
That's right. 
Sand is uncountable. 
That means you don't add an "S" at the end of it. 
There is a lot of sand at the beach. 
If you want to count sand, you can use the word "grain." I think there's a grain of sand in my eye. 
Hmm. There's only one instance that I can think of that we use "sand" as a countable noun. 
And that is in the phrase: the sands of time. 
Ah, yes, the sands of time are running out. 
If you've ever seen how sand flows in an hourglass, you'll appreciate this saying, which means time is getting short, and you should do what you need to do now. 
Carpe diem. 
Yes, nice one, Ken. 
"Carpe diem" is a Latin phrase that means seize the day. 
If time is running out, we should grab hold of the present before it's too late. 
(Chinese). 
That is very helpful to know how to use "sand" versus "sands." Thank you, Steve and Ken. 
And now we see some other things that Ian did with his friends at the beach. 
We swam, read and danced to African music. 
It sounds like a lot of fun to be doing that on the beach. 
Have you ever danced to music on the beach, Carolyn? 
I have not, but it sounds very interesting, and especially with African music because that is a little bit exotic to me. 
What about you, Gabe? 
Well, I have actually danced to music on the beach. 
There was a beach in Boracay in the Philippines. 
And it was a lot of fun. 
There was music playing, so some of my friends and I just started to dance. 
And of course, you can do many things to music. 
Like you can see, we swam and read, there was music playing in the background. 
So you can use that phrase, that kind of pattern. 
We did this to music, or we did that to the rhythm. 
We danced to the rhythm. 
We read, we swam and we danced to the music. 
Great. OK. The next sentence now says: 
The warm, shallow water makes kite surfing very popular there. 
OK. We want to talk about a word in this sentence because it is a key word today, the word "shallow." Shallow. 
Basically, it means not deep. 
Water can, of course, be very shallow, and sometimes is not very deep. 
What are other ways that we could use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, if it hasn't rained for a while, you could say that the river is very shallow. 
There isn't very much water in it, and you can probably just walk across. 
It's very shallow water. 
How else might you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, the words "shallow" and "deep" can be used to talk about literal things here, or you can use these words in other ways. 
Maybe you're having a very deep conversation with somebody. 
Or if you just met somebody, you might have kind of a shallow conversation at first. 
Maybe it's not too deep yet. 
You're having a shallow conversation. 
Oh, that's a great usage as well. 
Sometimes we might also talk about shallow breathing. 
You can't breathe very well, and you're not breathing very deeply. 
You're just taking a little breath. 
That would be called "shallow breathing." OK. 
This sentence also mentioned kite surfing, which I have never done before. 
Have either of you been kite surfing? 
Or do you know much about kite surfing? 
Oh, I've never been kite surfing, but I've seen people do it. 
It looks really cool. 
And uh, you know, they make it look really easy, but I don't think it's that easy. 
Carolyn, have you ever done kite surfing? 
I have not, but it does look like a lot of fun. 
And I think it would be great to try although I have a feeling I will probably fall down many times and get very wet. 
Well, that's what happens at first when you're learning something. 
Kite surfing can also be called kiteboarding. 
Are you into kite surfing or kiteboarding? 
OK. Maybe you should give it a try. 
But right now we're going to see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.05.B

We're joining Ian Ludwig and his experiences in the exotic place of Zanzibar. 
And of course, earlier today we were talking about his times on the beach. 
They went to a couple of different beaches. 
They snorkeled, they played Frisbee. 
They enjoyed some seafood. 
They swam, they read and they danced to African music. 
They're having a lot of fun so far. 
Let's continue and find out what the second part of our reading is for today. 
(Music). 
Zanzibar. 
Very early on the morning of the fifth day, we journeyed to the island's southern tip. 
There we met a fisherman, who, when he saw us, said, "Are you ready to swim with dolphins?" Dolphins! 
He told us the dolphins came every morning to eat and play. 
So we rode out and waited in the boat until we saw a dolphin fin. 
The fisherman drove the boat near the dolphins and urged us to jump in. 
So we did! 
The dolphins were shy, but we could hear them talking to each other. 
Eventually they swam closer. 
One came so close I could have touched it! 
(Music). 
Well, they're doing some very exciting things on this vacation. 
We're going talk about them now. 
The first sentence of this part of the article says: 
Very early on the morning of the fifth day, we journeyed to the island's southern tip. 
OK. So they're going to a particular part of the island to do something new, do something new there. 
Let's see. 
What... what do they say first about what they're going to do there, Carolyn? 
Well, we see: There we met a fisherman, who, when he saw us, said: Are you ready to swim with dolphins? 
So that's a bit of a long sentence with a lot of commas just trying to explain the situation to you. 
But are you ready to swim with dolphins? 
Now Gabe, have you ever swum with dolphins? 
No, I've not swum with dolphins. 
I've seen dolphins play up close before in the ocean, but I would love to get the chance to swim with dolphins. 
And Ian says, "Dolphins!" He's excited about this, too, "dolphins" with an exclamation mark. 
If you're excited about something, maybe you could just write that one word and put an exclamation mark behind it. 
"Dolphins!" That does sound exciting. 
That's right. 
He says that for emphasis. 
It's his response to what the fisherman said. 
And then he continues, "He told us the dolphins came every morning to eat and play." So the fisherman sees them a lot. 
Continuing on, what does it say, Carolyn? 
It says: So we rode out and waited in the boat until we saw a dolphin fin. 
so it wasn't immediate, not right away that they were able to see the dolphins. 
They had to wait a little bit until they saw the dolphin's fin. 
That's the part that sticks up out of the water on the dolphin's back. 
So what happened next, Gabe? 
Well, yes, they saw the dolphin fin. 
The fisherman drove the boat near the dolphins. 
And I want just to talk about that word "fin" for a minute. 
If you see a fin in the water, it's not necessarily a good thing. 
When I usually think of a fin, I think of shark fin because sharks also have that thing on their backs sticking up. 
And maybe you've seen some movies where there's a shark fin along the top of the water, and it's coming towards the person. 
That's kind of scary. 
Nathanael, would you rather see a dolphin fin or a shark fin? 
Well, depending where I was, I might choose one or the other. 
It might be interesting to see a shark fin at a zoo or a place like that. 
But if I was in the water, I definitely would want to see a dolphin fin. OK. 
So this sentence: The fishermen drove the boat near the dolphins and urged us to jump in. 
Urged us to jump in. 
What does it mean to urge someone to do something? 
Well, we're going to talk about this word "urged" because that is a Word Bank word today. 
To urge someone to do something, what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if you urge someone to do something, then you tell them to do something, you really want them to do it. 
And you might urge your friend to continue. 
Don't give up. 
If they're in a race, you can cheer them on and urge them to finish the race. 
How else might you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, maybe someone is sick, and they're not taking their medicine like they should, you could urge your friend to take their medicine. 
It's something that they need to do. 
I urge you to sleep and to rest well. 
Drink plenty of water. 
You must do these things. 
Actually, if someone starts a sentence with "you must do something," you can also say that person is urging you to do something. 
OK, great examples. 
And now there's also another phrase right after "urged" that we want to talk about: jump in. 
Urged us to jump in. 
That's a bonus phrase for us today that we want to look at. 
"Jump in" can be taken literally, as in this case when they're actually jumping into the water. 
But we can also use it in a more general way, can't we? 
Yes. So if you jump into something, then maybe you weren't expecting to do it or you didn't really prepare for it. 
And here I think it could be either meaning because they didn't know they were going to swim with dolphins. 
So they jumped into this experience. 
That's right. 
How else can you use this, Gabe? 
Well, I do think about Ian and his friends. 
It seems like they just jumped into the culture there at Zanzibar. 
They jumped into this adventure. 
They didn't maybe know much about it before, but they just jumped in and got going. 
Yes, you just get started. 
When you jump in, sometimes we just say to another person, "Just jump in." It may seem scary now. 
But once you get started, it will be fine. 
So what did they do? 
Well, the article says: So we did. 
They jumped in. 
And now we get to enjoy another video about Zanzibar today. 
Let's take a look. 
(Music). 
Well, it's good to be actually able to see what they were doing there in Zanzibar. 
It's pretty fun. 
OK. The next sentence of the article says: 
The dolphins were shy, but we could hear them talking to each other. 
That's... that's an interesting idea. 
I think you might have heard these kind of squeaking noises of dolphins talking to each other before. 
Would you please continue, Gabe? 
Of course. 
Eventually they swam closer. 
The dolphins seemed shy at first, but over time they swam closer. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word: eventually. 
This means it will happen sometime in the future. 
Eventually this will happen. 
Carolyn, how could you use that word? 
Well, I need to get some groceries, but I don't really have a lot of time. 
Eventually I will go to the store and buy them. 
All right. 
Eventually I'll go to the store. 
Some people say I don't want to get married now, but eventually I will get married. 
Sometime in the future I will be married. 
How might you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, eventually I would like to visit Europe. 
I've never been there before, but I will eventually. 
The last sentence of this section says: 
One came so close I could have touched it. 
To be that close to a dolphin that you could almost touch it, that's a cool experience. 
And now let's go to talk to Michelle one more time in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
Now I'll get the time back to our teachers. 
Well, today we saw that Ian and his friends interacted with some dolphins. 
So we're going to talk a little bit about some exotic animals that we have played with or interacted with in some way. 
I know that I've fed some bananas to elephants before in Thailand. 
And they would bow to me when I fed them. 
What have you done, Carolyn, with animals like this? 
Well, I don't know if it's a very exotic animal for everyone, but West Virginia has a lot of deer. 
So growing up, it was very easy if you were walking through the woods to come across a baby deer. 
And they're very shy. 
But many times you could feed them or even pet them. 
Well, one exotic animal that I got to hold actually was a koala. 
When I was filming for Let's Talk in English a couple of years ago, I held a koala. 
And it's true what they say koalas are often sleeping. 
They just seem like a very sleepy creature. 
OK. Well, we have more to talk about regarding Zanzibar tomorrow. 
So please come back. 
There's more experiences that Ian had. 
We'll see you next time on Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.03.06.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you are joining us for day three of our lesson learning about Ian Ludwig's experiences in Zanzibar. 
Of course, Zanzibar is off the coast of Tanzania. 
It's an exotic little island there with lots to do. 
What is one thing that Ian got to experience, Nathanael? 
Well, first they experienced a ferry ride. 
They had to ride on a boat for two hours to get to this island called Zanzibar. 
And after that, they went to a spice farm where their guide told them a lot about the many different spices that are grown there. 
All right. 
So he got to experience a spice farm. 
What's something else that he got to do in Zanzibar? 
Well, the second day of our article, we saw that he got to swim with dolphins. 
He met a fisherman who told them that they could swim with dolphins if they went out into the water. 
And it sounds like they had quite a good time. 
That's right. It seems like they're having quite a good time. 
We have more to learn. 
Ian has something else he wants to share with us in today's part of his story. 
I think it's a little more cultural. 
So let's get started with the first reading of the day. 
(Music). 
Zanzibar. 
We returned to Stone Town, and my friends left. 
I stayed longer to explore Stone Town's big old houses. 
Hundreds of years ago, the city had been a huge trading port for slaves and ivory. 
All shipments going east to the Indian Ocean stopped in Stone Town. 
At that time, the city was rich, and wealthy people built big houses with beautiful doors. 
But then it became illegal to trade slaves and ivory. 
(Music). 
So we're learning all about Stone Town here. 
Let's get started with that first sentence. 
Ian says: We returned to Stone Town, and my friends left. 
Stone Town is, of course, where they first arrived in Zanzibar. 
Well, how do we continue, Carolyn? 
Well, Ian says: I stayed longer to explore Stone Town's big old houses. 
So his friends left, but Ian wanted to stay a little bit longer to do some exploring. 
Will this be something that interests you, Nathanael? 
Actually, this is probably one of the things that I'm most interested in that Ian has talked about. 
I love beaches, but I've been to many of them many times. 
Stone Town sounds very interesting. 
It's a little bit different, a little more unique. 
There's only one Stone Town like the one in Zanzibar. 
So of course it would be a good experience. 
Well, Ian continues. 
Hundreds of years ago, the city had been a huge trading port for slaves and ivory. 
Well, let's talk about some of those words there. 
The first one we want to talk about is "slave." This is from our Word Bank. 
A slave is someone who works for someone else. 
But unlike a servant, maybe the slave did not get paid, and maybe they had to work whether they wanted to or not. 
How might you see that word, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times when we're learning about history, we also see information about slaves and slavery. 
The United States had a very big war called the Civil War. 
And part of the reason for that was slavery. 
How else might you see this word used, Nathanael? 
Well, we don't really use it necessarily a lot, but sometimes we might say kind of in fun to a friend, 
"I'm not your slave, you can't tell me what to do," something like that. 
All right. 
So there's different ways to use this word. 
Of course, most of us have a negative picture of the word "slavery," or slaves, when we think about history. 
Most people don't agree that slaves... or slavery is a good thing. 
Well, let's continue with the next word from the Word Bank: ivory. 
Ivory is a very valuable piece of... well, actually it comes from an elephant. 
Elephant tusks are made of ivory, or we call that ivory. 
And where might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, pianos used to be made of ivory. 
The keys used to be made of elephant ivory, or sometimes we think of walrus ivory, which is another animal that has long tusks. 
And that is not used anymore because as we see in the article later, it will become illegal. 
That's right. 
Actually that makes me think of a phrase when people say: I'm tickling the ivories, 
that slang for playing the piano because the keys used to be made of ivory. 
Well, how else could you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, I think maybe one of the only other ways that we use it might just be to talk about its color, kind of white but not exactly white. 
We might say that something is ivory-colored. 
All right. 
Well, we find out that Stone Town did use to be a trading port for slaves and ivory. 
All shipments going east to the Indian Ocean stopped in Stone Town. 
So this is a very crucial, a very important place. 
How do we continue, Carolyn? 
We see: At that time, the city was rich, and wealthy people built big houses with beautiful doors. 
So it sounds like there was a lot of money coming in through the trading of slaves and ivory. 
But then it became illegal to trade slaves and ivory. 
So it sounds like there's a little bit of a change in the economy of this town. 
What do you think, Nathanael? 
Well, I think that these things would have been very valuable. 
You can make a lot of money selling slaves and ivory. 
But thankfully, both of these things are illegal now. 
Now they make their money selling spices and with tourism, if you remember from earlier in the article. 
And now it is time to go see Michelle one more time in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.06.B

Today we've been learning about Stone Town and some of its very interesting history. 
We found out that it used to be a trading port for slaves and ivory, but now those things are illegal. 
So it is no longer done. 
Well, there's a lot more to learn about Stone Town and its rich history in the next part of our article today. 
Let's get started. 
(Music). 
Zanzibar. 
Stone Town is a magical place for picture taking. 
Old doors with ornate designs still mark the entryways to all of the houses. 
The narrow streets are filled with shops selling paintings, jewelry, spices, etc. 
I also visited a museum in Stone Town that used to be the royal palace. 
I learned how Zanzibar had been influenced by the Kingdom of Oman until the 1960s. 
That is why the people look like they are from North Africa. 
Zanzibar - a magical place with friendly people, good food, and fun activities. 
I'm very glad that I went! 
(Music). 
Talking all about Stone Town here, and the first sentence says: 
Stone Town is a magical place for picture taking. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word. 
It is "magical." If something is magical, that means it seems like it could be done by magic. 
It seems unnatural. 
It seems really unique. 
It is magical. 
Of course, it gives you a wonderful feeling. 
Carolyn, how might you use that word? 
Well, if you have a really wonderful experience, maybe you go out with your friends, and it's just a wonderful night. 
You can't believe that it happened, you could say that night was magical. 
A magical night, or a magical time. 
How would you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, you know the last hour or so before sunset, 
some people call the magic hour because it looks magical the way that the light shines on everything as the sun is going down. 
That's right. 
Or maybe I think of cartoons or movies that are done with special effects, I might say it's a magical film. 
It left us which that kind of magical feeling. 
Well, we have a phrase in that sentence there: a magical place for something. 
Stone Town is a magical place for picture taking. 
You can use an adjective and talk about something else. 
It's a wonderful place for a picnic. 
If you're looking for a place to have a picnic, that's a wonderful place for a picnic. 
How could you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, a simple example is that Zanzibar seems like a great place for a vacation. 
There are all kinds of adjectives that you could use in this phrase. 
What's another one, Carolyn? 
Well, my hometown is the perfect place to go hiking. 
If you enjoy hiking, it is the perfect place for it. 
All right, the perfect place for hiking. 
Of course, Stone Town is a magical place for picture taking. 
And I think we have a little video we're going to enjoy right now. 
(Music). 
Well, very interesting. 
Anyway, continuing with the story. 
We find out more about Stone Town. 
Old doors with ornate designs still mark the entryways to all of the houses. 
Let's talk about some words from that sentence here. 
We have one that is "ornate." Old doors with ornate designs. 
Carolyn, what does this word mean, "ornate"? 
Well, if something is ornate, it means that there is a lot of detail and it has a very beautiful decoration. 
So you might have an ornate carving, a wooden carving that you can hang, or an ornate carving on your bed. 
Many people in the U.S. have carved wooden beds that are very ornate. 
OK, ornate carving, ornate design. 
Nathanael, this kind of makes me think of another word, a noun form that maybe you might put on your Christmas tree, what is that called? 
Yes. I think you're talking about ornaments. 
You would put ornaments on a tree. 
And yes, you do hear that word there. 
Ornate and ornament, they are connected in that way. 
All right. So you might have an ornate ornament. 
Well anyway, continuing, we do have another word here in this sentence. 
It is from our Word Bank: entryway. 
And if you put... if you split that word up, you might actually be able to figure this word out. 
When you enter somewhere, that is the entry. 
And then the way, that's the path or the method. 
So an entryway is how you get in, and maybe how you get out as well. 
Carolyn, where might you use this word? 
Well, an entryway is another word for a door or an entrance. 
And you really shouldn't block the entryway because people need to get through. 
How else might you use this word, Nathanael? 
I know sometimes when I go on my lunch break, I'm looking for a place to go to lunch, I think: Oh, this play sounds good. 
But then I see that the entryway is very crowded. 
And I decide I'm not going to go to that restaurant today. 
All right. 
Those are very good ways to use this word. 
I also do think of entryways that maybe have a lot of people crowding around. 
Do not block the entryway, as Carolyn said. 
Well, we have something else to learn here with Liz today in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
How are you today? 
My name is Liz, and thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
Now in today's article we read: Old doors with ornate desings still mark the entryways to all of the houses. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the verb, mark. 
Normally when we use "mark" as a verb, we're talking about putting a spot or line on something. 
For example, I marked my paper cup with an X. 
But in the case of today's sentence, "mark" means to characterize. 
So today's sentence just means these old doors have these ornate designs that make them very noticeable. 
Using "mark" like this is most often in formal situations. 
For example: A huge painting marks the wall in the lobby of the museum. 
Or: An old fountain marks the center of the village square. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym, saying goodbye. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, we continue. 
The narrow streets are filled with shops selling paintings, jewelry, spices, etc. 
There are many things that people are selling in these streets. 
I've been to places like this before and bought some paintings. 
Do you ever buy things like this, Carolyn? 
Well, sometimes when I travel, I like to get something that's very unique to the place I visit, maybe some handmade jewelry or a painting. 
I've bought several things like that in the past. 
All right. 
Well, I think that Steve and Ken have a little bit they want to share about that word "jewelry" in the Information Cloud. 
Our lesson today mentions that in Stone Town, you'll find narrow streets filled with shops selling paintings, jewelry, spices and other things. 
Now Ken, let's talk about "jewelry" today because I think it's easy to confuse jewelry with jewels. 
Good idea, Steve. 
OK. Jewelry is something like a necklace, a ring, an earring or a bracelet. 
It's often made of silver or gold and has jewels or gems on it. 
So a jewel, like you said, Ken, is a gem or a precious stone like a diamond, a ruby or an emerald. 
They are very costly. 
A jewel can also be a semi-precious stone like an amethyst, which is purple, or an opal which is cream-colored. 
These are also expensive, but not as costly as the precious stones you mentioned. 
So to distinguish the two, we can say a piece of jewelry may have a jewel on it. 
That's a good way to remember it. 
And when gold or silver has a jewel or several jewels on it, we call that the setting. 
So an engagement ring often has a diamond on it. 
The way the diamond is placed on the ring is called the setting. 
And we wear jewelry like we wear clothes. 
Right. 
That's the word you can use when you want to put on jewelry. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, continuing on with Ian's story, he says: 
I also visited a museum in Stone Town that used to be the royal palace. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word there. 
It is: palace. 
And this is usually where royalty lives, a palace. 
Nathanael, how else might you use that word? 
Well, it is important to know that the people that live in the palace probably are the leaders of a country or at least an area. 
If you know people that live in a very big house, you probably would not call it a palace, you might call it a mansion, M-A-N-S-I-O-N. 
All right. 
That's good to know the difference between a palace and a mansion. 
But Carolyn, how else would you use that word "palace"? 
Well, many times when I think of the word "palace," I think of fairy tales or stories that I read where they talk about beautiful palaces or castles that the king or queen lives in. 
Well, that's what I think of too what I think of palaces. 
And it would be really cool to visit Stone Town and visit this museum because it's a museum that everyone can go and visit. 
But it used to be a royal palace. 
We continue. 
I learned how Zanzibar had been influenced by the Kingdom of Oman until the 1960s. 
The Kingdom of Oman. 
Did either you know about the Kingdom of Oman? 
Well, I don't know a lot about Oman, but there is another country in Africa called Oman. 
So we know that some people from Oman did live in Zanzibar. 
And other people were also in control of Zanzibar at other times like the British and the German. 
All right. 
Well, if you do want to find out about more about how the Kingdom of Oman influences Zanzibar, you could look online for that information. 
But we're going to continue Ian's story. 
He says that is why the people look like they are from North Africa because they were influenced from the outside. 
Well, Carolyn, how does our story continue? 
It says: Zanzibar - a magical place with friendly people, good food and fun activities. 
So it sounds like a really great place to go. 
And we see Ian says: I am very glad that I went! 
So we are also very glad that you went, Ian. 
And now we would like to spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
Well, we've had a fun time learning all about Ian's experiences in Zanzibar. 
Of course, we learned a little bit about the fun activities you can do there as well as the history. 
And this makes me wonder, which of the activities or which of the things about Zanzibar did you enjoy the most? 
Which one would you be interested in doing? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I would really like to go to one of the spice farms in Zanzibar because I really like to bake and cook and try out new spices. 
My uncle brought back delicious vanilla from Mexico, and I would like to get some fresh spices of my own. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
Well, I would love to give kite surfing a try. 
But because I think I could do that other places as well, I would definitely like to see historical Stone Town. 
All right. 
It does sound very magical. 
I also think it would be magical to swim with dolphins. 
Not every beach offers that activity. 
Well, thank you for joining us for this wonderful lesson about Zanzibar. 
Of course we have more to learn at Studio Classroom next time. 
We'll see you then. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.03.07.A

Welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
We want to thank you for joining us today. 
We're going to be talking all about March today because after all, we are in the month of March. 
Well, there are many things to celebrate in March. 
But what is one thing that comes to your mind when you think of March? 
Nathanael? 
Well, when I hear the word "March," I think of green. 
And I guess that's because of St. Patrick's Day. 
It's an Irish holiday that is celebrated in March. 
All right. You think of green St. Patrick's Day. 
OK. Carolyn, what do you think of when you think of March? 
Well, sometimes I think of green, but March usually has a lot of snow in it in my hometown. 
And later in the month, it becomes green because the grass starts to grow, the snow goes away, and spring comes. 
So spring, you think of spring when you think of March. 
I actually think of the verb "to march" when I think of this word. 
When you're walking in a certain way, maybe with some other people also walking that way, you are marching down the street. 
Well, we're not going to be talking about that march today. 
We're learning about the month of March and what makes it special. 
Let's get started with our first reading of the day. 
(Music). 
March. 
March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. 
Happy World Book Day! 
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, students again celebrate the first Thursday of March as World Book Day. 
On this day, students receive special coupons for free or discounted books from some bookstores. 
The United States celebrated the National Education Associations' Read Across America Day on March 1 this year - the day before Dr. Seuss' birthday. 
March is not just a month that celebrates the joy of reading, however. 
In the U.S., March is celebrated as Women's History Month and American Red Cross Month. 
In addition, on the first Wednesday of March, mathematics - World Maths Day - is celebrated. 
For math enthusiasts, the mathematical constant Pi, 3.14159, also has a special day on March 14. 
(Music). 
There are a lot of special days in March. 
And when our skit started here at the top we see: 
March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. 
This is a phrase that a lot of people know because of the weather in March. 
And that's something we will talk about later in this article, lion and lamb weather. 
But let's get started with the actual article. 
Happy World Book Day! 
Today is World Book Day. 
But it is not celebrated everywhere. 
Nathanael, where is World Book Day celebrated? 
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, students again celebrate the first Thursday of March as World Book Day. 
So maybe this isn't an American holiday, maybe not an Asian holiday. 
But especially in places like Europe, certain countries, it is a holiday that is celebrated. 
That's right. 
And they celebrate World Book Day by doing what, Gabe? 
Well, on this day, students receive special coupons for free or discounted books from some bookstores. 
I personally have never celebrated World Book Day before, but I do like free things like coupons. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word: coupon. 
Some people also pronounce this word "coupon." I think either way is fine. 
And a coupon is maybe a little slip of paper that tells you you can get a discount on something. 
But of course, nowadays you don't necessarily have to have a piece of paper for a coupon. 
You might have an online coupon as well. 
Where else might you use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, I know a lot of people like to save money by clipping coupons. 
Maybe you get something in the mail or in your newspaper. 
A lot of Sunday newspapers have coupons, and you cut them out, clip them. 
And then you can take them to the store and save a little bit of money. 
How else can you use this word, Nathanael? 
Well, there are a few different kinds of coupons like discount coupons, but there might also be "buy one, get one free" coupons. 
That's a pretty common kind of coupon. 
That's right. 
Well, there are many different kinds of coupons. 
Do you use coupons? 
Continuing in the article, we see that the United States also celebrated something. 
They celebrated the National Education Associations' Read Across America Day on March 1 this year - the day before Dr. Seuss' birthday. 
That was a very long sentence with a lot of information. 
But the United States also celebrates reading. 
They celebrated Read Across America Day on March 1. 
Gabe, have you ever celebrated this holiday? 
You know, I have not celebrated Read Across America Day. 
Even though I enjoy reading, I haven't quite celebrated this day yet. 
There are so many days to celebrate throughout the year, I don't even know half of them. 
But I am excited about that other piece of information there, that Dr. Seuss' birthday is March 2. 
It's also in March, and I love Dr. Seuss. 
You guys, what do you think of when you think of Dr. Seuss? 
Are there any books that come to mind? 
Well, my favorite Dr. Seuss book is The Lorax. 
Not too long ago, there was a movie made of it. 
But he has lots of great books, for kids especially. 
That's right. 
I think one of his most popular is "The Cat in the Hat," is a very popular one as well as Green Eggs and Ham. 
Well, I think that Steve and Ken have a little more information for us in the Info Cloud. 
Hi, friends. 
If I ask you "what day is it today?" how should you respond? 
You should say Thursday. 
Notice, everyone, Ken did not ask: What's the date today? 
That's right. 
The day and the date are different. 
The day is the day of the week, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc. 
The date is the particular day in a particular month. 
So, what's the date today, Steve? 
Today's date is the seventh of March, or March 7. 
Notice, in English, we can say dates either before the month or after the month. 
Also notice Steve did not say March seven, but March seventh. 
"Seventh" is what we call an ordinal number. 
An ordinal number refers to a certain position in a sequence of numbers. 
So the number one position is first, the number two position is second, the number three position is third and so on. 
In writing, we can abbreviate ordinal numbers by writing the actual number and adding two letters to it. 
For example, the number "2" plus the letters "N-D" for second. 
Or the number "3" plus the letters R and D for third; or the number "1" plus "S-T" for first. 
For all other ordinal numbers, just add "T-H," very simple. 
Well today, seeing as it's the seventh, we would simply write the number "7" followed by the letters T-H. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
That is important to know. 
Well, we've been talking a little bit about reading and the month of March. 
And in the next paragraph we see March is not just a month that celebrates the joy of reading, however. 
What else is celebrated in March, Nathanael? 
Well, in the U.S., March is celebrated as Women's History Month and American Red Cross Month. 
OK. The first of those holidays is pretty clear, Women's History Month. 
But the Red Cross Month, you may not be familiar with that... with what that is. 
Carolyn, can you tell us a little bit about that? 
Well, the Red Cross takes a lot of blood donations. 
I know they like to help other people and they take in blood donations. 
And I, myself, have been a blood donor for the Red Cross. 
Have you ever done that, Gabe? 
I hate the thought of blood. 
But yes, I have donated blood before to the Red Cross. 
I sure hope it helped them because I don't like thinking about it too much. 
OK. Well, then we won't make you think about it. 
We'll see what else is celebrated in March. 
In addition, on the first Wednesday of March, mathematics - World Maths Day - is celebrated. 
So not just reading or history or even the Red Cross, but also math is celebrated on World Maths Day. 
And we see an "S" on the word "math" there. 
And that is because it is a worldwide holiday, and the international spelling for "math" is with an S. 
It is "maths." But in the U.S., it would just be World Math Day, with no S. 
Continuing, Nathanael, how does it...? 
For math enthusiasts, the mathematical constant Pi, 3.14159, also has a special day on March 14. 
I think the idea there is that March is the third month, so you have "3," and "14," it's also the beginning of Pi. 
That's an interesting holiday to have, I think. 
Yes, I think so, too. 
And we see it is for math enthusiasts. 
And let's talk about that Word Bank word there: enthusiast. 
If you are an enthusiast, then you are very excited about something. 
Gabe, are you an enthusiast for anything? 
Of course, Carolyn. 
I'm a Studio Classroom enthusiast. 
I'm enthusiastic about Studio Classroom. 
This word also makes me think of a movie, Star Wars. 
I know many people love that movie Star Wars. 
And they will go to conventions and parades and big events dressed up like Star Wars characters because they are Star Wars enthusiasts. 
That's right. 
Are you an enthusiast for anything, Nathanael? 
Well, speaking of movies, I'm a movie enthusiast, an acting enthusiast, a drama enthusiast. 
I like all of those kinds of things. 
Maybe Michelle will tell us what kind of enthusiast she is in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.07.B

Well, if you've been here with us at Studio Classroom today, you've been learning about all kinds of holidays that are celebrated in March. 
I did not know there could be so many things that were celebrated in one month. 
It seems like every day is a new holiday. 
We have World Book Day, Read Across America Day. 
March is Women's History Month and is the American Red Cross Month. 
And World Maths Day is also celebrated. 
Lots of things to celebrate. 
Let's see what else we can find out about March next. 
(Music). 
March. 
March's gemstone, aquamarine, reminds people to stay calm while its flower, the daffodil, symbolizes friendship and happy homes. 
For those living in the northern hemisphere, March can have very dynamic weather changes. 
This is due to the shift between seasons. 
"Lion" weather often begins the month with cold temperatures and wind. 
By the end, "lamb" - or mild - spring weather has arrived. 
This is the time that animals begin to wake up from their winter slumber and look for food. 
(Music). 
March is an interesting month. 
And we learn a little bit more about the month. 
We see: March's gemstone, aquamarine, reminds people to stay calm while its flower, the daffodil, symbolizes friendship and happy homes. 
Well, these sound like two really great things to be reminded of in the... month of March because it can be a little bit cold, and we want to think about our happy homes. 
Gabe, what can you tell us about this? 
Well, about happy homes, I think it's important to have happy homes. 
Wherever you are living, whoever you are living with or with your family, you want to have a happy home. 
What does that mean? 
What does it take to have a happy home? 
I think you need good communication. 
And maybe if someone is getting really anxious and angry all the time, just give them something made with aquamarine. 
It will remind them to calm down and relax. 
That's right. 
Or give them a daffodil for friendship. 
Well, continuing on, we see: 
For those living in the northern hemisphere, March can have very dynamic weather changes. 
And we see a key word here, the word "dynamic." Nathanael, what does dynamic mean? 
It's a great word. 
It can mean changing or constantly changing. 
Also, having a lot of ideas can also be part of dynamic, wanting to do different things. 
So there are different ways that you could use this word. 
That's right. 
Uh, Gabe, can you give us an example of dynamic? 
Yeah. Well, it's used here as an adjective. 
Um, I kind of think of it as a noun often, though. 
Especially when I'm thinking about music, I talk about the dynamics of music. 
How loud or soft music is, how fast or slow the music is. 
Those are all different dynamics that take place within a piece of music. 
That's right. 
And you can also have a very dynamic personality. 
Maybe you are friendly when you need to be friendly, helpful when you need to be helpful, 
and then a little more quiet and respectful when someone else is in charge. 
You can have a very dynamic personality. 
Well, I think Liz has a little more to share with us in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammer Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Now in today's article we see this sentence: 
For those living in the northern hemisphere, March can have very dynamic weather changes. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Notice how the sentence begins with the phrase: for those living. 
It's a short way of saying "for the people who are living..." When we're describing a situation involving a certain group of people, 
we can begin with this phrase: For those + verb-ing. 
For example: 
For those waiting to get back on the plane, the delay seemed like an eternity. 
Or: For those choosing to walk instead of riding the cable car, the trail is a great way to experience nature. 
So give this phrase a try. 
Think of a certain situation that involves a certain group of people and start out with this phrase: For those + verb-ing. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym, saying goodbye. 
See you next time. 
Thanks, Liz. 
For those of us learning English, your Grammar Tips are always helpful. 
Well, we're talking about the weather in March. 
And we see that the dynamic change, this is due to the shift between seasons. 
And we have a few things we want to talk about in the sentence. 
The first one is a phrase: due to, due to something. 
Nathanael, can you explain this phrase for us? 
Well, when we say "due to," we mean because of. 
I might say that due to coming weather, I am planning to stay inside. 
It's not very safe to be outside during this weather. 
That's right. 
How else might you use this, Gabe? 
Well, maybe I think of a student. 
Maybe a student has bad grades due to their poor study habits. 
Bad grades because of poor study habits. 
Of course, you want to have good grades due to good study habits. 
Well, due to our schedule, we are going to continue on and look at this other key word that is in the sentence. 
We see the word "shift." If you shift between things, then there is a change. 
How can you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, I see that you can use this as a noun or a verb. 
We're talking about a shift in the weather, a shift between seasons. 
That's the noun. 
Of course, you can shift something, you move it around a little bit. 
I need to shift my desk because I need more space here. 
Well, you can use it as a noun or a verb. 
How do you use this word, Nathanael? 
I was also thinking of using it as a verb like a plane that shifts when it's flying through a storm has the sharp... movements that we could call a shift. 
That is true. 
Well, for those of you learning English, depending on who you're talking to, you might need to shift languages. 
If you're speaking to someone in Chinese, and you meet someone who speaks English, you can shift to English. 
Well, how do we continue in our article, Gabe? 
Well, we read here: 
"Lion" weather often begins the month with cold temperatures and wind. 
But by the end, "lamb" - or mild - spring weather has arrived. 
So that's... that's here to explain the deck in our lesson here today: March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. 
And the article also ends with a little bit about animals. 
This is the time that animals begin to wake up from their winter slumber and look for food. 
Well, now it's time to spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers. 
We've been learning a lot of interesting things about March and the different things that are celebrated during this month. 
But I wonder, what is your favorite celebration in the month of March? 
Nathanael? 
Well, I'm not very familiar with the celebrations in this article, but I have celebrated St. Patrick's Day that I mentioned before. 
It's just kind of a fun little holiday. 
St. Patrick's Day is a lot of fun. 
And there is definitely a lot of green going on during that holiday. 
What do you like to celebrate in March, Gabe? 
Well, I think sometimes Easter is celebrated in late March. 
I love celebrating Easter. 
It's a very important holiday with a good message as well. 
Easter is a wonderful holiday and a wonderful time to spend with your family and celebrate. 
Well, we are very glad that you joined us here on Studio Classroom for this article on March. 
And we hope to see you again tomorrow right here on Studio Classroom. 
Bye-bye. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.03.08.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
It's going to be a good and informative lesson about Financing Your Business. 
Of course, we have already gotten to know Ben and his Uncle Bob over the last couple of months. 
Ben and his wife wants to... want to start a business. 
And so they're asking Uncle Bob for advice. 
He's going to be talking about financing the business today. 
Well, I just wonder what kinds of things you need to make payments on in your life. 
Nathanael, do you need to make payments? 
Are there any kind of bills? 
Well, when I was in college, I had to make regular payments for my tuition. 
Not for loans, though many people will also pay monthly for loans, but just for tuition. 
All right, so tuition payments. 
That's very important if you are going to study at a university. 
Carolyn, what kind of payments do you need to make? 
Well, when I was in the U.S., I needed to make car payments because I had a car and I needed to drive to work. 
But now I don't have a car anymore, so I don't have to make those payments. 
That's nice. 
There are pros and cons to having a car. 
Well, of course, if you have a credit card, then you need to make payments on that. 
Don't forget about that. 
Well, friends, it's time for us to get started with the first reading of the day - Financing Your Business. 
Financing Your Business. 
Finding the money you need to keep your business running. 
As Ben and Sandy Johnson continue setting up their new company, Uncle Bob offers them some valuable advice about financing. 
Hey, Ben, how's the business coming along? 
Well, Uncle Bob, we followed your advice and signed up for a small business program through our local community development association. 
The crucial challenge now is financing. 
Obviously, we will fund the company with our savings, but I'm worried that we've underestimated costs and could run out of money. 
That is a very important issue for small businesses to deal with. 
After all, undercapitalization is one of the major reasons that small businesses often fail. 
Well, today we're discussing a BUSINESS article. 
And you see in the deck "Finding the money you need to keep your business running" is the topic of this BUSINESS article. 
And it gives us a set up, the situation of today's article, which is a dialogue in the next sentence. 
Would you read that, please, Carolyn? 
Certainly. It says: 
As Ben and Sandy Johnson continue setting up their new company, Uncle Bob offers them some valuable advice about financing. 
So that is what we will be discussing today. 
And I think what we have a little more information on this "advice" in the Information Cloud. 
In our lesson today, Uncle Bob continues to give Ben some valuable advice about financing. 
So why don't we take a look at this word "advice." It is uncountable. 
So even though Uncle Bob is giving Ben several suggestions, we wouldn't say "advices". 
Right. 
We should never add an "S" at the end of "advice." However, the word "suggestion" is countable. 
So we could say Uncle Bob offers Ben lots of helpful "suggestions," plural. 
One difference between countable and uncountable nouns is that where countable nouns show the quantity of something, 
uncountable nouns are more about the concept of something. 
A related word is "information," which is uncountable. 
We don't say "informations." So how do you count it? 
Well, you can use the word: piece. 
OK. Ken, let me give you a piece of advice. 
I think you would be more handsome if you let your hair grow longer. 
Thanks for the suggestions, Steve. 
Of course. 
Well, some words you'll just have to remember that they are uncountable, like aircraft. 
Right. 
There are all 100 airplanes. 
But if you want to use "aircraft," it's 100 aircraft, no S. 
Here's another piece of advice, friends. 
Keep reading and speaking English, and you'll be able to use uncountable nouns correctly. 
(Chinese). 
If you've been watching Studio Classroom for the past couple months, you're probably getting to know Uncle Bob and Ben. 
And for today we're going to have Gabe play Uncle Bob. 
And Carolyn, you'll be Ben. 
Does that sound good? 
OK. That's great. 
OK. Uncle Bob, you have the first line. 
All right. 
Hey, Ben, how's the business coming along? 
OK. I guess today Uncle Bob is from New York. 
But we do want to look at this first line that he spoke. 
He used a phrase: coming along. 
How is it coming along? 
How's the business coming along? 
What exactly does that mean, Carolyn? 
What's he asking? 
Well, he's asking how things are doing. 
What's... what's going on? 
Is it going well? 
And there are many different ways that you can use this. 
You could say how's the project coming along if you're working on a project at school or at work. 
Is it going OK? 
Do you need help? 
How's it coming along? 
How else can you use this, Gabe? 
Well, yeah. You'd use this phrase to talk about different processes. 
If you're in the process of doing something, you ask how's something coming along. 
So maybe your friend is looking for a job, and you could say: How's the job search coming along? 
Did you find anything that you like? 
How is that coming along? 
Or how is your homework coming along? 
Are you finished yet? 
Nathanael, how would you use that phrase? 
Well, sometimes we just say it's coming along. 
It means it's kind of in process. 
It's not finished yet, but it's coming along. 
It's another way that we use that phrase. 
OK. Let's continue in this dialogue with Ben. 
Oh. Yes, me. OK. 
Well, Uncle Bob, we followed your advice and signed up for a small business program through our local community development association. 
That's a really long title, local community development association. 
So just something to help them with the business. 
OK. 
The crucial challenge now is financing. 
OK. Thank you so much. 
Ben, you've brought up a very interesting word that we want to talk about today because it is a Word Bank word, this word "crucial." Crucial. 
Let's talk about that word "crucial." It means partially very important. 
But how could you use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, you might say that this decision is crucial. 
I have to decide if I want to go to this school or go to another school. 
It's very crucial for my future. 
How else can you use this, Gabe? 
Well, yeah. It could be crucial for your future. 
It determines what your future will look like. 
Um, I also think that communication is crucial for relationships. 
If you want to have healthy relationships with your friends, your family, you need to have communication. 
Good communication is crucial. 
Nathanael, how do you use that word? 
Next time that you're giving an English speech, just remember that timing is crucial. 
When you're communicating, when you're acting or when you're giving a speech, any of those things, timing is crucial. 
OK. Hopefully you understand this word "crucial." Ben, let's continue. 
Oh, yes. Thank you. Well. 
Obviously, we will fund the company with our savings, but I'm worried that we've underestimated costs and could run out of money. 
That is a very important issue for small businesses to deal with. 
After all, undercapitalization is one of the major reasons that small businesses often fail. 
OK. 
Thank you, Uncle Bob. 
You're welcome. 
You brought up a very complicated and long word "undercapitalization." I think we need to talk about that a little bit. 
Earlier Ben said that he was worried that they've underestimated costs, 
that they maybe guessed a little lower how much things would cost, and they could run out of money. 
And that's kind of what undercapitalization means. 
Can you explain a little bit more, Gabe? 
That's right. 
This 8-syllable word, undercapitalization, say that 10 times fast. 
This means kind of the opposite of a profit, actually. 
If you undercapitalize, that means not only do you not make money, but you're actually losing a little bit of money, undercapitalization. 
That's right. 
So if you don't have enough money to run, then you are undercapitalized. 
And it's very bad if a businesse is undercapitalized because then it has to close. 
Right, Nathanael? 
That is true. 
Not only businesses can be undercapitalized, but a government could also possibly be undercapitalized. 
And that is not a good thing for your country if that is true. 
You want to make sure that you have enough money to operate well. 
OK. Now let's talk to Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.08.B

Well, Uncle Bob is giving Ben some very crucial advice about how to finance his business. 
Of course, something that you want to be careful about if you are starting a business is undercapitalization, 
that long word we saw there in the first part. 
You want to make sure that you are making a profit not losing money. 
Well, Ben is learning some very important things. 
Uncle Bob has good advice for him. 
Let's continue with the second part of our reading for today. 
Financing Your Business. 
I know. 
We're looking into small business loans, but the interest rates seem really high. 
How did you pay for your hardware stores when you first started? 
To be honest, I actually didn't start our first store. 
Instead, your Aunt June and I used our savings to buy into an existing business. 
Later, we bought out our business partner and then expanded the business. 
So you didn't arrange outside financing? 
Not at first. 
Like you said, lenders often charge a premium for small business loans because they are so risky. 
We were worried that the cost of servicing a loan would actually hurt the business. 
I hadn't thought of that. 
Well, I think it's a good thing that Ben can talk to his Uncle Bob about advice for business. 
And in this section, Ben has the first line. 
Oh, yes, so. 
I know. 
We're looking into small business loans, but the interest rates seem really high. 
OK, got to stop you there, Ben, because you know what, 
we need to go talk to Liz in the Grammar Gym right now and see what she has to tell us about this sentence. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We find this statement in today's lesson: 
"We're looking into small business loans..." And that's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the phrase: to look into. 
It's an idiom that means to investigate. 
So in today's article, Ben is telling Uncle Bob that he and Sandy are learning more about small business loans. 
So, if you want to talk about finding out more and getting more information about something, you can try using this idiom. 
For example: 
The mayor promised the widow that he would personally look into the case of her missing child. 
Or: The boss is busy and has asked his secretary to look into this matter. 
If you want to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your Studio Classroom magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
Well, thank you for looking into that grammar for us, Liz. 
It's very helpful. 
What are some other ways that we could use this phrase "looking into," Carolyn? 
Well, you might be looking into buying a house or a new car. 
You need to do some research and decide what kind of car you really want to buy, and then where the best place to find that car would be. 
So you need to look into a lot of different things when buying a new car. 
How else can you use that, Gabe? 
Uh, well, maybe you're considering studying something further. 
You graduated university. 
And now you're looking into different master's programs so that you can continue studying what you like to study. 
You can look into these different universities or look into these different programs. 
How would you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, you can look into a purchase, like Carolyn said, or you could look into a possibility. 
You might look into a certain topic for a research paper, too. 
I'm going to look into George Washington because I need to write a profile article about him. 
A lot of different ways you can use that phrase. 
OK, Ben, it still your turn to talk. 
OK, continuing. 
How did you pay for your hardware stores when you first started? 
To be honest, I didn't actually start the first store. 
Instead, your Aunt June and I used our savings to buy into an existing business. 
OK. Thank you, Uncle Bob. 
I have to stop you there for just a second because we need to talk about a phrase so that we can understand what you just said. 
Uh, Carolyn, can you help explain what he's talking about? 
What exactly did he do? 
Well, he says that he bought into an existing business. 
And "to buy into" is a phrase that we want to talk about today. 
If you buy into something, then you spend money so that you have partial ownership. 
You own part of the business. 
So originally it was someone else's business, but he bought into it, and now he partially owns it. 
So he can be one of the bosses of this company. 
Gabe, how else can you use this phrase? 
That's right. 
Well, and the way you used it is kind of like you own a share. 
Maybe you bought some stocks in a company so you own part of it. 
But yeah, like you said, there's other ways to use this phrase. 
You can buy into someone's idea. 
That means you agree with them. 
You think it's a good idea. 
You think that it's solid that it could actually work, so you buy into it. 
Yeah... I'll... I'll buy into that. 
Nathanael, how else could you use that phrase? 
And sometimes we do say "I'll buy that." I believe it, or I accept it. 
You might also buy into a business strategy, a new way of doing business. 
OK. I think there's a little bit more that Uncle Bob has to say. 
Of course. 
Later, we bought out our business partner and then expanded the business. 
Very good, OK. 
There's another phrase here that we need to talk about. 
It's kind of similar to "buy into." This one, instead, is "to buy out." Or here, bought out. 
Let's look at this phrase: bought out. 
Uncle Bob says: We bought out our business partner. 
What does it mean to buy out a business partner, Gabe? 
Well, this comes from the noun a "buyout," which means that you own the greatest share in a company. 
That means basically you are the... the biggest or the best owner of that company. 
You bought out the company. 
How else could you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, some companies try to buy out the competition. 
So they try to purchase the competition's companies so that there are fewer competitors. 
Maybe a cell phone company purchases another cell phone company. 
They have bought them out. 
OK. And also within one company, of course, there might be many different people with shares the own part of the company. 
So if you own the large majority, you could say that you're "buying out" if you buy a lot more and have the large majority. 
Or you could also use that phrase if you finally end up owning the entire company. 
You could use it in either situation. 
OK, let's continue. 
Oh, yes. That's... that's me. So. 
So you didn't arrange outside financing? 
Not at first. 
Like you said, lenders often charge a premium for small business loans because they are so risky. 
OK. We want to talk about another word in the sentence. 
I'm sorry. 
Please don't hurt me. 
Uncle Bob, you're a little scary today. 
But you said the word "premium." And we do want to talk about that because it's a key word for today. 
It's in our Word Bank, the word "premium." Premium is an amount of money that you pay. 
But can you explain this a little bit more, Carolyn? 
Well, when you're trying to get a loan, you often have to pay interest, additional money on that loan. 
But a premium is more money in addition to the interest. 
So this is a base fee that you have to pay in order to get the loan first. 
And then you also have to pay interest afterward. 
So, oh, it can be very expensive. 
Gabe, how else might you use this word? 
Well, as you could see as Carolyn was telling us earlier, this is actually referring to what Ben said earlier. 
He says we're looking into small business loans, but the interest rates seem really high. 
And so if you're going to buy into a company or if you're trying to raise finances, then you might be worried about the interest. 
And of course, one thing you need to think about is the premium, what you might have to pay there. 
Well, hey, is it my turn to continue? 
This is uh, Uncle Bob? 
It is. 
Yeah. It is Uncle Bob. 
Here we go. 
We were worried that the cost of servicing a loan would actually hurt the business. 
Oh, I hadn't thought of that. 
Yeah, you hadn't thought of that. 
I didn't think so, Ben. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
She's always got some good for us there. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
There's a lot to learn in today's conversation. 
Gabe, what was one thing that you learned today? 
I learned about... I... I learned about undercapitalization. 
Actually, that's a big word. 
And I learned that you need to make sure your company is making a profit, not losing money. 
So don't undercapitalize. 
Carolyn, what did you learn? 
Well, we mentioned the word "servicing," servicing a loan. 
And that just means that you make payments on the amount that you borrow as well as interest. 
And we have a lot more to learn about what it takes to finance a business. 
And I hope that you'll join us here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.03.09.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you are here for day two of our lesson Financing Your Business. 
Now I know not everyone is interested in starting their own business. 
But if you are, this is a very important lesson. 
We are learning how to finance your business or company in the best way. 
And you have some Talk About It questions in your magazine. 
One of them is: Think of some creative ways to pay for a new business. 
Carolyn, what is a creative way to pay for a business? 
Well, I grew up doing a lot of fundraising. 
And if you're starting a new business, then you want to make sure that people will support you. 
And you could have a fundraising party and encourage people to donate to your business so that you can provide a service for them. 
How else could you use this, Nathanael? 
Well, I have a friend, and he kind of does farming. 
He farms vegetables, but he also works at a restaurant. 
This restaurant also takes his vegetables so that he can sell other vegetables outside of their store. 
So they don't have to pay for some of the food that they need. 
All right. So it's kind of a win-win situation. 
Think of some creative ways. 
Often the best ways will not only benefit you but benefit other people as well. 
Well, let's get started with the first reading with this conversation actually between Uncle Bob and Ben. 
Financing Your Business. 
Instead of borrowing right away, we waited until the business was a little better established. 
Then we borrowed money and used it to expand the business. 
How did waiting help? 
Well, by the time we took out the loan, we had an income stream and a healthy balance sheet, so we were less of a risk for lenders. 
That meant we were able to borrow on better terms. 
So you think we should wait before getting a loan? 
So we've just enjoyed part of a conversation between Uncle Bob and Ben. 
Nathanael, today it's your turn to be Uncle Bob. 
Carolyn, you will continue to be Ben. 
All right. 
Nathanael, let's get started. 
OK. 
Instead of borrowing right away... 
No... Nathanael, remember what we talked about. 
Right. 
OK... um. 
Instead of borrowing right away, we waited until the business was a little better established. 
Then we borrowed money and used it to expand the business. 
Uh, how did waiting help? 
Well, by the time we took out the loan, we had an income stream and a healthy balance sheet, so we were less of a risk for lenders. 
Wait. Wait, wait. 
Excellent! That was excellent, Uncle Bob. 
You did remember what we talked about. 
First I want to talk about something here from this sentence from Uncle Bob. 
He says: By the time we took out the loan, we had an income stream. 
I want to talk a little bit about an income stream. 
Your income stream is kind of the flow of cash or how your income comes in. 
So how else could you use that phrase, Carolyn, an income stream? 
Well, it is kind of an interesting phrase. 
When you think of a stream, you think of water that is flowing. 
So this is money that is flowing in. 
And you want a healthy income stream if you're going to have a successful business, right, Nathanael? 
Yes. And I think an income stream is also money that you make regularly. 
So you have this income stream and you can expect what kind of money you're going to make regularly. 
That's right. 
So of course, just like Carolyn said, you kind of think of water with this word "stream." I also I think of cash flow. 
You use that word "flow" to talk about water, too. 
So in many ways, people use "water terms" to talk about finances or money. 
A stream of money, the cash flow, different things like this. 
Well, we saw something else here in this sentence: a healthy balance sheet. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word right there. 
It is a "balance sheet." Carolyn, can you tell us a little bit more about this? 
Well, a balance sheet shows a business' income and their expenses. 
So how much money you take in and how much money you pay out or spend. 
And it's very good to have this if you want to have a loan because it shows the bank that you are a successful business or maybe a not-so-successful business. 
That's right. 
Well, Nathanael, how else could you use a balance sheet, or who would benefit from a balance sheet? 
Well, I think anyone who is in business or has a small business or a big, big business as well should have a balance sheet. 
And a balance sheet should also tell you where your money has come from, not only what you have but where you got it as well. 
All right. 
Well, it's good to keep track of things in your business as you get started. 
That's why it's good to have a balance sheet like this - to let you know where you are. 
And Carolyn, it says the word "healthy" here. 
What does that mean? 
Does it mean the balance sheet is not sick? 
Well, here it's not talking about well or sick. 
It's a "healthy" balance sheet means that you are making money. 
Your business is successful. 
So it is healthy, it is growing and thriving. 
And a good business should have a healthy balance sheet. 
Excellent. 
Well, I think it's time for us to continue talking about this conversation. 
Actually we're finished for now, Uncle Bob, because we want to enjoy some time with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Let's go there now. 
Hi, friends. 
If you are running a business, we hope that you're not in the red. 
Yes. We hope that you are in the black. 
Now Steve, before we confuse everyone any further, let's talk about what "in the red" and "in the black" mean. 
OK. These expressions come from bookkeeping. 
In the old days, people who kept business records usually wrote things down using two colors of ink. 
Red ink indicated expenses or how much money was lost. 
And black ink indicated profits or how much money was being made. 
So if your business is unprofitable and losing money, then you can say it's in the red. 
Lots of magazines operate in the red these days because fewer people subscribe to them. 
They're losing more money than they're making due to the Internet, no doubt. 
But if your business is creating more income than expenses, then it is in the black. 
You're making a profit. 
And if your business is in that unusual position where it's neither making money nor losing money... 
Well, then we don't use any ink. 
We say it's breaking even. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Yes, it's good to be in the black with your business. 
Well, let's continue, Uncle Bob. 
OK. Uncle Bob was talking about the relationship between the lenders and his company. 
And he continues. 
That meant... Excuse me. 
Yes. 
That meant we were able to borrow on better terms. 
Wait. Excellent. 
"We were able to borrow on better terms." Thank you, Uncle Bob. 
We want to talk about that phrase there: to do something on some terms. 
So you borrow on better terms. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that the situation or the agreement that you are able to use when applying for a loan is more favorable. 
It is better for you as the borrower. 
So if you have a healthy balance sheet, you can get a better deal on your loan. 
You can borrow on better terms. 
You can borrow on better terms. 
But how else might you use that kind of phrase, Nathanael, to do something on some kind of terms? 
Well, people could be on good terms or on bad terms. 
Sometimes we also say that people are on speaking terms or not on speaking terms. 
If you're on speaking terms, of course, you're talking to each other. 
But if you're not on speaking terms, you're not communicating very well. 
Maybe you're not even saying anything to each other. 
All right. 
So you do want to make sure to try to stay on speaking terms with people to maintain good relationships. 
Well, if you're working for a company and you need to leave, 
you want to make sure that you leave on good terms so that you maintain a good relationship with that company, that there are no hard feelings. 
You want to leave on good terms, not on bad terms. 
Right now it's time for us to go and enjoy another line with Ben right here before we go to Language Lab. Ben. 
Yes. So... so you think we should wait before getting a loan? 
Excellent. Excellent question. 
Ben, I like that question. 
And of course, I like spending time with Michelle too. 
Let's go to the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.09.B

In our article today, Uncle Bob has been sharing his own business experiences with Ben. 
And he's him about how he was able to get his first loan on better terms because he already had a healthy balance sheet and an income flow, or an income stream. 
So it sounds like Uncle Bob has some really great advice that he can share with his nephew Ben. 
And we have some more of this conversation coming up in the next part of our reading today. 
Financing Your Business. 
Practically speaking, most small businesses inevitably go through several rounds of financing as they grow. 
Like your company, most small businesses are started with seed money from their owner's savings or family members. 
The businesses aren't usually started with money from a loan. 
How will I know when the time is right to borrow? 
Once companies are more established, the owners have a lot more choices. 
They might, for example, get a line of credit, take on a partner or get a loan. 
If borrowing money will make you money, then it's time to consider it. 
So it's all a matter of timing? 
That's right. 
And right now, it's time for lunch. 
Sounds good. 
Where should we go? 
An excellent conversation with Uncle Bob and Ben. 
Well, let's learn something from their conversation. 
Nathanael, please continue as Uncle Bob. 
Practically speaking, most small businesses inevitably go through several rounds of financing as they grow. 
Excellent. 
And let me just stop you right there. 
I love to interrupt. 
OK. We have an important word we would talk about there from the Word Bank. 
It is the word "inevitably." Inevitably. 
That means you're talking about something that is unavoidable. 
It will happen sooner or later, inevitably. 
So Carolyn, how could you use that word? 
Well, you could also change the word a little bit and say something is inevitable. 
So I think it is inevitable that Gabe will be interrupting Nathanael during this reading today. 
Excellent. That was a great way to use that word, Carolyn. 
Nathanael, how could you use that word, "inevitable" or "inevitably"? 
Well, if a big business moves into a town, the small businesses around it may inevitably fail if they're selling the same thing or offering the same things. 
Ugh. That's so true. 
Sometimes my favorite companies or stores, 
maybe little mom-and-pop restaurants go out of business because there is a bigger one that has a better business or is doing better financially. 
I don't like it when that happens, but it is inevitable that some people go out of business. 
Another way you could phrase this is by saying it's only a matter of time that this will happen. 
Or some people like to say it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. 
It is inevitable. 
It will happen sometime. 
Well, let's continue, Uncle Bob. 
Like your company, most small businesses are started with seed money from their owner's savings or family members. 
The businesses... 
And inevitably, Gabe interrupts because we have something important to talk about there. 
Sorry, Nathanael. Thank you. 
This is from our Word Bank, of course. 
It is the phrase "seed money." And it could be easy to remember because, of course, a seed is a beginning of some kind. 
So it's the money that you need to start your business or to start whatever you want to do. 
Carolyn, where might you use that phrase "seed money"? 
Well, maybe if you're saving money for college, you need a little seed money to start your bank account. 
Collect some interest, and eventually pay for your tuition. 
I need some seed money, Gabe. 
Uh... that seed money is not coming from me. 
Um, Nathanael, is there another way to talk about that... that phrase "seed money"? 
Well, I think most often you will use this term "seed money" when talking about business. 
It's not something that we talk about a lot. 
But I do want you to know that seed money can include loans, though it can also be money that you have saved or that other people have given you like Uncle Bob said. 
That's right. 
So maybe, perhaps, Uncle Bob might even be willing to give Ben some seed money for Ben and Sandy's new business. 
Sometimes it does come from family members or from your own personal savings. 
Well, I don't think Uncle Bob is finished his line here. 
Uncle Bob, please continue. 
The businesses aren't usually started with money from a loan. 
Oh. How will I know when the time is right to borrow? 
Once companies are more established, the owners have a lot more choices. 
They might, for example, get a line of credit, take on a partner or get a loan. 
Yes. Yes, that's great. 
That's great, Uncle Bob. 
Thank you. 
We have some more words we want to talk about from the Word Bank: a line of credit. 
This is the maximum amount of money that you can use for credit. 
So what is important to remember about a line of credit, Carolyn? 
Well, you want to make sure that you have a good line of credit and not a bad one so that banks will trust you to repay the money that you borrow. 
OK. 
So, if you want to buy a car, you need to have a good line of credit. 
But then how can you get a good line of credit? 
Well, a lot of people start out with a credit card. 
And they make a purchase, and then pay it off immediately. 
And they make many small purchases to help build up their line of credit. 
I bought this, and then I paid it off. 
So I don't owe any money. 
Very important things to remember. 
All right. 
Let's take a look at some other words from this sentence: to take on something, like taking on a partner. 
That means to add a new partner. 
Or you can adopt something new like taking on a new policy. 
Maybe you want to benefit another organization, and they can benefit you. 
You could take on a charity organization. 
Or you can also take on a challenge; you're willing to accept the challenge. 
All right. 
Uncle Bob, please continue. 
If borrowing money will make you money, then it's time to consider it. 
So it's all a matter of timing? 
That's right. 
And right now, it's time for lunch. 
Sounds good. 
Where should we go? 
I know where we should go. 
We should go and enjoy a review skit, and then enjoy some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hey, Ben, how's the business coming along? 
Well, we followed your advice and things are going well. 
Good for you. 
The crucial challenge now is financing. 
Financing is important. 
Obviously, we're funding the company with our savings, but we could run out of money. 
Ooh. Undercapitalization is one of the major reasons for small business fail. 
Yeah. 
So what is your advice about outside financing? 
Instead of borrowing right away, maybe you should wait. 
Wait? 
How will waiting help? 
If you have an income stream and a healthy balance sheet, you are less of a risk for lenders. 
So we'll be able to borrow on better terms? 
Yeah. That's the idea. 
Small businesses inevitably go through financing as they grow. 
How will we know when the time is right to borrow? 
Wait until your company is established. 
Then you'll have more choices. 
More choices? 
Yeah. You can get a line of credit. 
Hmm. 
Or take on a partner. 
Hmm. 
Or take out a loan. 
Hmm! 
When borrowing money will make you money, then you should consuder it. 
So it's all a matter of timing? 
Yeah. Now it's time for lunch. 
Uh, can I borrow some lunch money? 
Just kidding. 
But if you have some... 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's head back to our teachers. 
Well, I learned some important things from our conversation between Uncle Bob and Ben today. 
It's important when you're starting a business to have a good line of credit. 
You want to be able to have a good relationship with other people you might be working with so that they can trust you if they're going to lend you money. 
Uh, this makes me think, though, about credit cards. 
Many people have credit cards. 
Nathanael, do you use a credit card, and why or why not? 
I don't have my own credit card. 
But there have been a few times where I have need to purchase something online, so I use someone else's. 
OK. So maybe someone else trusts you with their credit card. 
Um, Carolyn, do you use a credit card? 
I do use a credit card. 
I use it when I'm buying things online or trying to purchase plane tickets. 
It's very useful to have a credit card. 
I agree. 
It can be useful. 
Of course you don't want to go over your limit, and you want to make sure that you pay your credit card off right away or as soon as possible. 
Well, thank you for joining us today for our financing lesson. 
We'll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.03.11.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
We have an important and interesting lesson called Eat for Energy. 
That's right. 
If you want energy, what can you do to get energy? 
Well, of course, you can take care to eat good things that will give you energy. 
Nathanael, what kinds of things do you eat, um, that give you energy? 
Well, if I'm honest, and I'm tired and I want some energy while I'm doing my work, I'll probably get some kind of drink with caffeine in it. 
May not be the best choice, but that's what I usually do. 
Well, I think a lot of people would do the same thing. 
Caffeine is an energy boost for sure. 
Carolyn, what about you? 
Well, many times I do the same and have a little caffeine, maybe some black tea. 
But I also like to eat chocolate-covered coffee beans or espresso beans. 
And they give a little burst of caffeine as well, but very chocolatey. 
All right. 
Well, those both sound pretty good. 
I like chocolate, too. 
I also like to have almonds. 
I actually get a pack of almonds almost every day because I know they're good for energy. 
And I did this before I found out that actually almonds are pretty good for energy from today's lesson. 
We're going to learn a lot Eat for Energy. 
Let's get started with the first reading for the day. 
(Music). 
Eat for Energy. 
What kinds of food can you eat to increase your energy? 
It's the middle of the afternoon. 
You've been working hard all day. 
But now you can't keep your eyes open, and your mind starts to wander. 
Suddenly, a pain in your stomach brings you back to reality. 
You need a snack. 
You take a break and go to the nearest convenience store. 
You stare at the rows of chips, candy and soda. 
But before you grab just any snack, stop and think. 
What food will give you healthy, long-lasting energy? 
Well, we should all try to choose foods that give us healthy, long-lasting energy. 
And in our article today we will learn what kinds of food we can eat to increase our energy. 
And we get started with the article today, it says: 
It's the middle of the afternoon. 
You've been working hard all day. 
But what, Nathanael? 
But now you can't keep your eyes open, and your mind starts to wander. 
OK. So you can't keep your eyes open. 
What exactly do we mean when we say that, "you can't keep your eyes open," Gabe? 
Well, yeah. We see this word here "keep." And it's a word we want to talk about. 
If you can't keep your eyes open, that means maybe you're nodding off and you want to take a rest or go to sleep or take a nap. 
You can't keep your eyes open. 
So when you use that word "keep," it's kind of meaning to continue to do something. 
I kept my eyes open. 
That means I... I was awake. 
I could stay awake. 
If I can't keep my eyes open, I might fall asleep. 
Well, Carolyn... 
Well, I hope you can keep awake, Gabe. 
Thank you. 
Yeah. Yes. And there are many other ways that you can use this word "keep." When you are carrying many heavy bags through an entrance, 
you might ask someone to please keep the door open so you can get through easily. 
How else might you use this word, Nathanael? 
Well, you might need to keep something away from something else. 
Keep the baby away from the oven so they don't get burned, something like that. 
Right. So that's more prevention, a little... a little bit different. 
But yeah, still another way you can use this word "keep." And the article also has another key word in that sentence: wander. 
And this word is from our Word Bank. So let's look at this word: wander. 
Now if you wander, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, when you're wandering, maybe you don't have an aim for where you're going, but you're kind of walking somewhere and you have no direction. 
You kind of wander. 
And it's kind of fun to wander through a forest or a field. 
If you have time and you don't have a particular thing you want to do, you can wander. 
But when it says your mind starts to wander, another word for that is "daydreaming." Your mind begins to wander. 
That's right. 
So you start thinking about something else. 
When else might you wander, Nathanael? 
Well, sometimes I wander around the store looking for something because I don't really know where to go and where to find it. 
I wander around until I do see it. 
That's right. 
And you could also wander around someone's house. 
If they invite you to take a look at their new house, you can wander a little bit. 
But don't let your mind wander. 
And in our article we see that suddenly, a pain in your stomach brings you back to reality. 
So you aren't daydreaming anymore. 
You are back in reality, thinking about what is actually happening. 
And you need a snack. 
Now Gabe, how else do we continue? 
Well, we continue: 
You take a break and go to the nearest convenience store. 
So it's true. If your mind starts to wander, and then you have that pain in your stomach, that pain that brings you back to reality, reality hits, 
and you need a snack, you can head to that convenience store. 
Let's take a look at those words from the Word Bank: a convenience store. 
I think many of you know what convenience stores are. 
Maybe you shop in convenience stores every day because they are convenient. 
They're close to your house, and there are many things you can buy there. 
What else could you do at a convenience store, Nathanael? 
Well, there are many snacks and many kinds of food at convenience stores, but they're there for your convenience. 
And they have a lot of things that you might need. 
They don't have a lot of options, but they might have something that you need if you need to buy it quickly. 
And I would also say the convenience stores are ubiquitous. 
I know Steve and Ken used that word the other day when they were talking about things being everywhere. 
I think convenience stores really are everywhere. 
They are ubiquitous. 
That's why they are convenient. 
That's right. 
And they have many different kinds of snacks available for you to buy. 
And we see in our article that you stare at the rows of chips, candy and soda. 
So lots of different snacks but maybe not the healthiest snacks. 
How does the article continue, Nathanael? 
It says: But before you grab just any snack, stop and think. 
So you don't want to choose some of these unhealthy options. 
Maybe you should look for something that will be better for you and give you more long-lasting energy. 
That's right. 
And we do want to stop and think about what Liz has for us today in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
So what kinds of food can you eat to increase your energy? 
That's what today's article is all about. 
And we find this statement in the article: "But before you grab just any snack..." And that's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Notice the phrase "just any snack." It means it doesn't matter what kind of snack, any snack is fine. 
We use this phrase "just any + noun" to talk about something that doesn't have any special quality. 
For example: 
I need to borrow a cup - just any cup is fine. 
Or: Not just anybody can come to this party; only personal friends of the boss are invited. 
So friends, give this phrase a try. 
You can practice it just any time. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
Thanks, Liz. 
Well, we see in our last sentence of the paragraph: What food will give you healthy, long-lasting energy? 
And this is a really good question because a lot of the things we see at the convenience store might make us feel more tired. 
The chips and the candy could drain our energy, but we want something that is long-lasting. 
Now Gabe, we were talking about this word earlier. 
Where else might you see long-lasting? 
Well, long-lasting, I think of something that needs electricity. 
You might need to get batteries that are long-lasting, long-lasting batteries that can last for a long time. 
Nathanael, what other things might be long-lasting or maybe it's important to have something long-lasting? 
Ooh, that's a good question. 
I think of sometimes movies being ever-lasting or long-lasting. 
It's not necessarily something you would often say, but I guess you could. 
That's right. 
Well, we want our energy to be long-lasting. 
And right now we'll take a little time to see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.11.B

Well, so far this has been an interesting article because you are a character in the article. 
The writer put you in there by using this word "you" and saying: You're tired. 
It's in the middle of the afternoon. 
You need some energy. 
So you go to a convenience store to find something to give you energy that you can eat or drink. 
Now this article is talking about healthy things that can give you energy and is going to start with a couple examples in this part of the article. 
(Music). 
Eat for Energy. 
Water. 
Yes, water. 
Your body uses water to absorb the things it needs. 
Water also helps your cells get the things they need to keep them working. 
Each day, make sure you are drinking enough water, especially if you are exercising. 
Almonds. 
These little treats are full of protein, fiber and good fats. 
They help you stay full. 
Almonds can also reduce your risk of heart disease. 
And they contain lots of omega-3 fatty acids that can help keep you focused. 
(Music). 
In the second part of our reading today we see two good ways that we might be able to boost our energy levels. 
And the first one we see here is water. 
Yes, water. 
Now this is kind of interesting. 
Gabe, how is water going to help me increase my energy level? 
Well, water is very important. 
It seems simple. 
That's why the author says, "Yes, water." This is very important. 
And it will increase your energy. 
We read: Your body uses water to absorb the things it needs. 
So of course, water is very essential. 
Nathanael, can you tell us about that word there, absorb? 
Absorb. Yes, we're going to talk about that word today because it is a Word Bank word: absorb. 
Now if something absorbs something else, maybe like a sponge that you wash... dishes with, absorbs water, it kind of draws something in. 
Often we talk about a liquid, but it could absorb other things depending on what you're talking about. 
What's another example of that, Carolyn? 
Well, another way you can use the word "absorb" is you can absorb information. 
If you are learning something new and you are very interested in it, then you can absorb that information into your brain and remember the things that you've learned. 
What are some other things that you can absorb, Gabe? 
Well, I was also going to talk about absorbing things mentally. 
Everyone learns things in different ways. 
So which way do you learn best? 
How will you absorb information best? 
Maybe you absorb things best by watching TV or listening to the radio. 
Well then, of course, Studio Classroom is great for you. 
Maybe you need your magazine in front of you. 
That's the way you absorb the information best. 
How do you absorb things best? 
That means you will remember it and not forget it. 
You can absorb these things. 
That's right. 
So just like a sponge absorbs water and holds it in, you can also hold information in. 
Well, continuing on in the article we see that water also helps your cells get the things they need to keep them working. 
And we see this word "keep" again that we talked about earlier in the article. 
So it helps your body to continue to work. 
And that is very, very important. 
How do we continue, Nathanael? 
Well, the next sentence says: 
Each day, make sure you are drinking enough water, especially if you are exercising. 
Why should that matter? 
Why would we need more water if we're exercising, Gabe? 
Well, our body does use water that we have. 
And so when we're exercising, it uses even more. 
It uses everything inside of us, really. 
And so we need to make sure that we are being hydrated. 
That's another word for drinking enough water is staying "hydrated." So it's true. 
When you go out to exercise, bring a water bottle with you. 
Go exercising and drink plenty of water. 
That's right. 
And exercising is another great way to stay healthy. 
And I think that earlier Nathanael had mentioned that this article is talking all about you. 
It's all about you today and how you can boost your energy levels. 
And I think Ken and Steve have a little more information for you in the Info Cloud. 
Hi, friends. 
Did you notice something peculiar about today's article? 
It's talking to you. 
Notice how the article starts: 
It's the middle of the afternoon. 
You've been working hard all day. 
But now you can't keep your eyes open, and your mind starts to wander. 
What we have here is what's called second-person narrative. 
This is the point of view of the reader. 
Using second-person narrative makes the reader - you - feel as if you're a character within the story. 
Second-person narrative is actually one form of literary narratation, which is the way you write from a particular point of view. 
The most common narrative is third-person narrative. 
This is where you use the "he, she" form as in "he" walked down the street, or "she" picked up the phone. 
In newspapers, textbooks or encyclopedias, the text is often written in the third-person. 
And of course, there's the first-person narrative. 
And that is writing from the "I" point of view as in "I" walked down the street, "I" picked up the phone. 
We often see the first-person narrative used in novels. 
So the next time you write a composition, try using a different form of literary narration. 
You might be pleasantly surprised by the result. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
Well, moving on to the second recommendation for today we see "almonds." These little treats are full of protein, fiber and good fats. 
So an almond is a small nut, and it's very tasty. 
And we see that it's full of protein. 
And "protein" today is one of our Word Bank words. 
Nathanael, what is protein? 
Well, protein is an interesting thing. 
In school, I think you usually learn that it's like a chain of what we call amino acids. 
But I think more importantly, you can find protein when you eat meat, some nuts and some other kinds of food, maybe like, uh, beans or something like that. 
It's something that your body needs to function. 
That's right. 
So protein is very important when you are trying to build muscle. 
You need to have lots of protein. 
How else might we need protein, Gabe? 
Well, you could also find them in... in different kinds of cheeses. 
Um, if you're not eating a lot of meat but you need your protein, maybe you want to make a protein drink. 
There are certain powders or mixes that you can use to make a drink, kind of like a smoothy. 
And that can give you a lot of protein. 
Or people also eat energy bars. 
They are protein bars. 
They kind of look like candy bars. 
But they have lots of good things inside, lots of protein. 
That's right. 
And things that have protein, fiber and good fats, as we see continuing in the article, they help you stay full. 
So almonds make you feel like you don't need to eat very much more. 
And almonds can also reduce your risk of heart disease. 
And they contain lots of omega-3 fatty acids that help... that can help keep you focused. 
Oh, so you don't want to lose focus when you're trying to study. 
Well, we learned a lot of these different big words here like omega-3 fatty acids. 
Um, this is something that humans need but that we can't create by ourselves. 
We can't create this within ourselves, but humans do need these kinds of things. 
That's right. 
And they're very good for your heart. 
Well, I think Michelle has a little bit more information for us in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's return to our teachers. 
Well, today we've learned about two things that you can use to help boost your energy. 
We can drink more water and eat almonds if we're feeling a little hungry in the afternoon. 
But I wonder what other things you can do to boost your energy. 
Do you have any ideas, Nathanael? 
Well, I do something that gives me some mental energy if I need it. 
Sometimes if I'm feeling tired, I'll go on to YouTube and find a funny video or a very upbeat fast song. 
And sometimes it can up my energy. 
Oh, so it makes you feel very energetic. 
What sort of things do you do, Gabe? 
I actually agree with Nathanael. 
I think that if you have a job that requires creativity of some kind, it's good to look at those kinds of videos that can kind of inspire you or get your mind thinking. 
But I also like to maybe get out and walk around outside for a little bit. 
Get a breath of fresh air. 
Just a little change of scenery, a change of pace that is good for energy as well. 
That's right. 
Well, taking a little break, getting some exercise, stretching can all help you to relieve some stress and get a little more energy in the afternoon. 
And we have some more suggestions for you tomorrow. 
So I hope you'll come back and join us here at Studio Classroom. 
Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.03.12.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we want to thank you for joining us for the second day of or lesson Eat for Energy. 
We're glad that you joined us today because we haven't finished talking about important foods that you could eat so that you can have energy. 
Yesterday we were talking about what happens when your mind starts to wander when you're working. 
And then the pain in your stomach reminds you that you need to get back to work. 
But you need energy, well, Nathanael, what can you do? 
Well, one thing that you can do is to make sure that you drink enough water. 
Water keeps your cells working as they should, and also allows you to absorb the things that you need for your body. 
That's right. 
So water is one thing we talked about yesterday. 
But Carolyn, what was the other kind of food that you could have? 
Well, you could also have a little snack by eating some almonds. 
Almonds are great for protein, which helps to give you energy. 
And almonds also contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for your heart and help you to stay focused. 
So you could have almonds or drink a glass of water. 
Well, maybe you want to go and get a glass of water, a bag of almonds right now and enjoy the second part of our lesson today. 
Let's get started with the first reading Eat for Energy. 
(Music). 
Eat for Energy. 
Fruit. 
Fruit of all kinds contain healthy carbohydrates, which will raise your energy level quickly. 
They have fiber, which will fill you up, and lots of vitamins. 
Bananas make especially good snacks because they have lots of potassium. 
This important mineral keeps your nerves and muscles working well. 
Whole grains. 
Whole wheat, oats and brown rice give you fiber, good carbohydrates and vitamins. 
They provide energy that will stay with you until your next meal. 
So this is the third suggestion of something that you can eat or drink to give you some energy - fruit. 
Fruit of all kinds contain healthy carbohydrates, which will raise your energy level quickly. 
So we have this word "carbohydrates," and we just want to learn about that little bit more. 
What's the most important thing to know about carbohydrates, Carolyn? 
Well, a carbohydrate can also be called a "carb," very commonly in English. 
And it's just something that gives your body more energy, so. 
Lots of breads, grains, rice have lots of carbohydrates, and your body uses this to stay energized. 
That's right. 
And carbs, or carbohydrates, can also be found in sugar or different things made from sugar like desserts. 
They often have carbohydrates. 
And of course, after you eat a nice, sweet dessert, you might feel a boost of energy. 
OK. And I think there's a little bit more for us to learn about fruit in the Information Cloud. 
Our lesson today tells us that fruit of all kinds contain healthy carbohydrates. 
Have you ever wondered why it written "fruit" and not "fruits"? 
Well, although it's true that both "fruit" and "fruits" are acceptable plural forms, most native English speakers prefer the singular form. 
For example: Fruit is delicious in the summertime. 
And if I say "fruits" are delicious in the summertime, it would not be considered wrong, but it just sounds kind of scientific. 
Hmm, yes. I agree, Ken. 
If you're a botanist who studies different varieties of fruit, then you might call different berries and nuts fruits. 
So "fruit" is the overall description. 
And if you want to refer to individual types or names of fruit, you can use "fruits" with a S. 
Right. 
Now Ken, there's another place where the plural "fruits" is used. 
And that is when you use "fruit" as a symbol as in "the fruits of my labor". 
Right. In that usage, fruit is no longer what's harvested from trees but a symbol. 
Fruits means "benefits" in that expression. 
So the next time you can't decide whether to use fruit or fruits, go with "fruit." It's what most people say. 
(Chinese). 
Continuing in the article the next sentence says: 
They have fiber, which will fill you up, and lots of vitamins. 
So fruit has fiber and vitamins as well. 
Now "vitamins" is an important word today because it is a Word Bank word that we want to talk about. 
What should we know about vitamins, Gabe? 
Well, something is that we need all kinds of vitamins. 
Our bodies need every kind of vitamin. 
A lot of vitamins come from things like animals and plants. 
And of course, maybe you can think of some vitamins, like vitamin C. 
You can eat or drink uh, lemonade, and get some vitamin C. 
That's very important if you want to stay away from getting a cold. 
What else do we know about vitamins, Carolyn? 
That's right. 
Well, fruits are filled with vitamins many different kinds, but one kind they don't have is B12. 
B12 is a vitamin that is only found in animals. 
So if you don't eat a lot of meat, you might want to take a vitamin, which is just a small pill usually, and it will give you the B12 if you need more of it. 
Yes. Vitamins are something else that your body cannot make itself, so you have to eat them. 
OK. Now we have another specific fruit that is mentioned. 
What is that fruit, Gabe? 
The fruit we see here is banana. 
We find that bananas make especially good snacks because they have lots of potassium. 
So of course, if you like bananas, then this is great. 
And they make especially good snacks. 
Let's take a look at that phrase there: if something makes especially good something, it makes a good something. 
You could use this phrase in another way. 
You could say songs make good English lessons. 
You can listen to songs just for fun, or you can learn to... listen to English songs and learn something new. 
But Carolyn, how else could you use that phrase? 
Well, you might be thinking about getting a pet, and oh, what kind of pet should I get? 
Well, dogs make especially good pets. 
So do cats; so they make good pets. 
How else can you use this, Nathanael? 
Well, I was thinking of possibly talking about a writer, you might say that his books make for good movies or make good movies. 
I like when they make movies out of his books. 
OK. The next sentence of this article says: 
This important mineral keeps your nerves and muscles working well. 
Now of course, this important mineral is potassium. 
And now we want to talk about this word "mineral." Mineral is another Word Bank word for today. 
And what is important about minerals, Carolyn? 
Well, minerals are natural substances found in nature such as salt or coal or even gold. 
These are all different kinds of minerals. 
What else do you know about them, Gabe? 
Well, most minerals come from things like soil or water. 
So you found out that vitamins come mainly from plants and animals, minerals come from the earth like soil and water. 
Now you don't need every kind of mineral, but you do need all kinds of vitamins. 
But we do find out that potassium is a great mineral that is found in bananas. 
So if you want some energy, do have a banana. 
OK, so we've talked about fruit. 
Now let's talk about the next example, which is whole grains. 
First sentence of this section says: 
Whole wheat, oats and brown rice give you fiber, good carbohydrates and vitamins. 
A lot of words that we've seen there already. 
Do you eat much whole grain, Carolyn? 
Well, usually if I have a sandwich, I try to use whole-grain bread instead of white bread because it does have more fiber. 
And it's a little bit better for you. 
Now if we continue in the article, it says: 
They provide energy that will stay with you until your next meal. 
And this is important if you do not want to feel hungry later in the afternoon. 
OK. These are some great suggestions. 
Maybe you should consider them. 
But right now let's go to the Language Lab and talk to Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.12.B

Well, we're talking all about food that you can eat for energy. 
And today we've learned a little bit about fruit and whole grains. 
Of course, you know that fruit can have a lot of fiber in it, carbohydrates. 
It has minerals and the vitamins that you need like potassium. 
I also have heard that apples can give you longer-lasting energy than a cup of coffee can. 
So maybe next time you're considering which you should have for energy, just take an apple instead. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn. 
So let's continue. 
(Music). 
Eat for Energy. 
For a snack, try a sandwich on whole-wheat bread or whole-grain cereal sprinkled over yogurt. 
And speaking of yogurt... 
Greek Yogurt. 
All yogurt is great for digestion. 
But thick Greek yogurt has extra protein for longer-lasting energy. 
Dark chocolate. 
There's nothing wrong with enjoying an occasional treat - especially if it's chocolate. 
Chocolate provides minerals like iron that can increase your energy. 
But aim for chocolate that's at least 70 percent cacao. 
It provides more health benefits - and less sugar. 
OK. Thank you very much. 
And now there are some different ways to get whole grains in your diet and what you eat. 
What are some of those suggestions in the next sentence, Carolyn? 
Well, it says: For a snack, try a sandwich on whole-wheat bread or whole-grain cereal sprinkled over yogurt. 
So you could try a healthier whole-grain sandwich, which something I like to do, or even put whole-grain cereal on top of yogurt instead of in a bowl of milk. 
And we see this word "yogurt." And it is from our Word Bank today. 
Let's talk about yogurt. 
Gabe, what is yogurt? 
What is yogurt? 
Well, it's something made from milk. 
It's kind of a process. 
You have to leave the milk out in a good way. 
And you add different things to it so that it becomes a little thicker, sometimes a little more tangy or sour. 
But yogurt is very good. 
It's actually quite delicious. 
There are many different kinds of yogurt. 
And you can even freeze yogurt to taste like ice cream when you have frozen yogurt. 
Some people like frozen yogurt more than ice cream. 
But what else could you say about this word "yogurt," Nathanael? 
Well, what Gabe said is true. 
Sometimes yogurt is kind of sour, or tart, we might say. 
And sometimes we put fruit in it so that isn't quite so sour. 
But there are other things that you can do with yogurt as well. 
You see the end of this section says, "And speaking of yogurt..." And next it's going to talk about Greek yogurt. 
But let's talk about that way of speaking first. 
"Speaking of yogurt..." what exactly is meant by using that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that oh, well, we've already started talking about this word, this word "yogurt," so we are speaking of yogurt already. 
And we want to introduce some more about that topic. 
How else can you use this phrase, Gabe? 
Well, speaking of food, you guys, I'm getting hungry. 
Or we're talking about energy. 
Speaking of energy, I need to exercise. 
Exercise will give me energy. 
And I haven't exercised very much recently. 
Speaking of these things, I need to do something else. 
How else would you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
I might say, "Speaking of the time, I think we'd better continue the lesson." OK. 
So the next section is about Greek yogurt. 
And the first sentence says all yogurt is great for digestion. 
OK. So what is different about Greek yogurt? 
I mean, we have normal yogurt that we already talked about. 
How is Greek yogurt different? 
Well, it's from Greece. 
No... I mean, really the difference is thick Greek yogurt has extra protein for longer-lasting energy. 
So if you want that energy that last for a longer time and it's a little healthier for you, Greek yogurt is the way to go. 
Carolyn, do you ever eat Greek yogurt? 
Well, there was a time when I ate a lot of Greek yogurt. 
And I often put some honey in it to make it a little bit sweeter because it can be a little... tart or sour. 
Now this next section is one that I'm very happy to see here - It is chocolate, specifically dark chocolate. 
And how does it continue, Nathanael? 
Well, the first sentence says: 
There's nothing wrong with enjoying an occasional treat - a treat every once in a while - especially if it's chocolate. 
I think most of us can agree with that. 
Wouldn't you say, Gabe? 
That's right. 
I think most people do like chocolate. 
I like chocolate of all kinds. 
I love almonds, and I love chocolate-covered almonds. 
And we find here that there's nothing wrong with enjoying this. 
You see that phrase "there's nothing wrong with." You could also use that to talk about other things. 
There's nothing wrong with playing video games. 
You just want to do that in moderation. 
There's nothing wrong with resting, but you don't want to become lazy. 
Well, how else could we use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, we could use that phrase by saying something like there's nothing wrong with using a little extra money to do something that is relaxing every once in a while. 
You need to do something like that to keep your spirit or attitude up sometimes. 
OK. The next sentence says: Chocolate provides minerals like iron that can increase your energy. 
So there we're seeing "minerals" again. 
And we can get that in chocolate. 
How about the next sentence, Carolyn? 
It says, "But aim for chocolate that's at least 70 percent cacao," which is what chocolate is made from. 
So you want something that's rich in cacao, the original part of chocolate, not lots of sugar because it provides more health benefits and less sugar. 
So that's important. 
And we see a word here "benefits" that we want to talk about. 
Nathanael, can you tell us a little bit about "benefits"? 
Well, a benefit is a good thing or an advantage that you might receive from something. 
I could also use it as a verb. 
I would benefit if the meeting were earlier, but it's not very good for others. 
How else could you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, that's right. 
People benefit from reading books. 
Of course that is a great way to learn or improve in the language you want to learn is to read more. 
That will really benefit you. 
It will be a good benefit for you. 
Well, let's continue by enjoying a review skit and then going to see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hey, Josie, what are you doing here? 
It's the middle of the afternoon. 
Shouldn't you be at work? 
Yeah, but I've been working hard all day. 
And now... now... 
And now you can't keep your eyes open. 
That's right. 
And my mind is starting to wander. 
You need a snack. 
Yes. 
That's why I'm here at your convenience store. 
Let's see... 
Wait... Don't just grab any snack. 
No? 
No! Stop and think. 
You need healthy, long-lasting energy. 
Let's see... 
You need water. 
Your body needs it to keep your cells working. 
Oh, water. OK. 
Yes. Oh, and almonds. 
These little treats are full of protein, fiber and good fats. 
Oh. 
They help you focus. 
Almonds. 
Yes. 
Oh. And... yeah, fruit is always good. 
It will raise your energy level and fill you up, and has vitamins. 
OK. Fruit is good. 
Oh, and don't forget whole grains. 
They provide energy that will stay with you until your next meal. 
How about a sandwich? 
Oh, good idea. 
Oh. Yogurt is good, too. 
It's great for digestion. 
And the Greek yogurt has extra protein. 
Oh, OK, yogurt. 
Oh, and my favorite - dark chocolate. 
Oh! Dark chocolate? 
That's right. 
There's nothing wrong with enjoying an occasional treat. 
And chocolate provides iron and minerals. 
Great! I love chocolate. 
Wow! There are so many high-energy snacks. 
So which one should I choose? 
Choose them all. 
Oh. OK. I'll take them all. 
That's great. 
That will be $57. Cash or charge? 
Oh. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
Now it's time to go back to our teachers. 
Over the past two days, we've heard a lot of tips about different foods and drinks that can give us extra energy. 
But when do you feel like you need an extra little bit of energy, Carolyn? 
Well, sometimes I've had a long day at work just sitting in front of a computer. 
And when I get home, I am almost too tired to even try to make dinner. 
So maybe I should have a small snack like some almonds and drink a glass of water, and then I'll have enough energy to get a few more things done. 
What about you, Gabe? 
Well, that does sound like a good appetizer, almonds before dinner. 
Sometimes I feel like I have a little bit of energy actually just after lunch because I've eaten so much, and I just want to go to sleep. 
So maybe I could... maybe pop in a few almonds or have a piece of fruit right after lunch. 
OK. Well, we hope that you all give these suggestions a try. 
And we'll see you next time on Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.03.13.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad that you could join us for today. 
We're getting started with a lesson called Difficulties in German. 
And our author Jo Wuertz has had some interesting experiences learning the German language. 
Well, it's not always easy to learn a new language. 
Carolyn, of course you speak English, but I know that you've also learned Chinese. 
Do you have any experiences about how difficult it might be to learn this language? 
Well, it is very challenging. 
And there was one time I wanted to buy a pair of shoes, but instead of saying the Chinese word for "shoes," I said the Chinese word for "eggplant". 
Wait. How does that go? 
So what's the Chinese word for "shoe"? 
What's the Chinese word for "eggplant"? 
Uh, the "shoe" is (Chinese). 
And the "eggplant" is (Chinese). 
And so the sound is very similar. 
And I got them confused when I was trying to buy this pair of shoes. 
And it was a little embarrassing. 
Well, that does make for a good story. 
I think those kinds of things happen a lot if you are learning a new language. 
Nathanael, has anything like that happened to you? 
Well, yes. There was one time that I meant to say "chest hair" (Chinese), and I ended up saying "panda" (Chinese). 
And people were very confused. 
Well, I think it is time that we get to the first part of today's reading. 
(Music). 
Difficulties in German. 
My successes - and failures - at studying German abroad. 
I will be the first to admit that my German skills are quite poor. 
As a university student I decided to minor in German. 
For some reason, I really liked the language, but I was not particularly good at learning it. 
The grammar and word order confused me. 
Prepositions made no sense. 
All the nouns had genders, and I rarely remembered which noun was which. 
My only talent was spelling - I got an A+ on every vocabulary test I took. 
After two years of studies, I resigned myself to communicating in broken German, and signed up to study in Germany to complete my degree. 
It was the hardest semester I would ever have. 
(Music). 
Well, I always enjoy reading Jo's stories. 
At the very beginning here we see this tagline. 
It says: My successes - and failures - at studying German abroad. 
And something I do appreciate about Jo is that she says everything. 
She's not just talking about the good things. 
She also talks about the negative things. 
She's very honest. 
She talks about her successes and her failures at learning this new and somewhat difficult language. 
Well, the first sentence here begins with "I will be the first to admit that my German skills are quite poor." And before we can continue, 
we're going to enjoy some time with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Here's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
I will be the first to admit that my German skills are quite poor. 
Notice the phrase: to be the first to admit. 
Basically, it means the writer is willing to say that her German is not very good. 
We use this expression "to be the first to + a verb" when someone is admitting that they're responsible for something that is not so good. 
Now usually when we're describing ourselves, we don't like to talk about our poor qualities. 
But sometimes there are situations where we'll be willing to say that we're not very good in something. 
For example: Although Tom comes from a family of accountants, he'll be the first to admit his math is very poor. 
Or: Dr. Nelson is a long-time expert in this field, but he'll be the first to admit he has no idea how we should handle this case. 
Now if you want to see some more example sentences, you'll find them in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
Bye-bye. 
Thank you, Liz, for being the first to explain that sentence to us. 
As we continue: As a university student I decided to minor in German. 
All right. 
We see a word there in that sentence, "minor." Nathanael, can you tell us about this word, to minor in something? 
You've probably heard that you major in something in college. 
Well, of course you can also minor in something else. 
I personally had a minor in Media, though my major is in Bible. 
It's different. 
OK. Carolyn, did you minor in anything while you were staying at university? 
Well, I thought about having an Honors minor, and I was able to complete it. 
And my sister has a Physics minor. 
So she was already taking a lot of math classes, and Physics fit in very well with her major. 
So she decided to have a minor as well. 
Well, I did not minor in anything. 
I got a major in Communications, and I studied Theater. 
But we see that Jo minored in German. 
She decided to minor in German. 
We don't know what her major was, but that's not important for this lesson. 
Nathanael, how do we continue this story? 
The next sentence says: 
For some reason, I really liked the language, but I was not particularly good at learning it. 
So she is taking on a challenge. 
All right. 
She wasn't good at learning it, it was a challenge. 
And she continues: The grammar and word order confused me. 
How might this have been confusing, Carolyn? 
What was confusing to her? 
Well, the grammar and word order in German is very different from English. 
So she had to learn a new grammar system, and the words were in different places. 
All right. 
And she continues by saying "Prepositions made no sense." She could not understand them. 
Well, I like that phrase - if something makes no sense or if something makes sense. 
How else could you use that phrase? 
I might say "Oh, that makes sense" if I really understand it. 
What is something that makes sense or doesn't make sense to you, Nathanael? 
Well, it would make no sense to listen to really loud music when you're trying to sleep. 
It probably would not help you very much. 
All right. I wouldn't understand that either. 
Well, uh, prepositions were confusing for Jo. 
She says they made no sense. 
And she continues: 
All the nouns had genders, and I rarely remembered which noun was which. 
Let's take a look at a word from that sentence. 
It is "gender." And there's a good word there from the Word Bank: gender. 
This talks about male or female. 
Humans, of course, are either male or female. 
But some words in some languages can also either be male or female. 
And of course, we also talk about gender roles. 
That's something that many people argue about - what is right for women to do or men to do, gender roles. 
But the rest of the sentence as we see a phrase here that says "which was which." She rarely remembered which noun was which. 
Let's talk about that phrase. 
Nathanael, what can you tell us about this sentence pattern? 
Well, when you are learning a new language, sometimes it's hard to tell which word is which. 
Sometimes they just sound almost exactly the same. 
We gave some examples earlier, uh, very similar sounding words. 
That's right. 
Which is which. 
Oh, these shoes look the same. 
Or my bag looks the same as yours, which is which? 
Well, of course, there are different ways to tell which is which. 
Carolyn, how does our article continue? 
Well, it says: 
My only talent was spelling. 
I got an A+ on every vocabulary test I took. 
So it sounds like she did pretty well on her vocabulary tests. 
She got an A+. 
And that's kind of a different grading system than what is used here in Asia. 
Nathanael, can you tell us a little bit more? 
Well, A+ is the best grade that you could probably get in the United States. 
But here, of course, there... they use a percentage system. 
One hundred percent would be the best grade that you could get. 
OK. Let's move on to the Information Cloud. 
From our lesson today, it does seem like one would have to have a talent for German in order to learn the language. 
Well, our writer does use the word "talent." She says her only talent was spelling. 
So let's talk about that. 
A talent is a natural ability or skill. 
Right. 
Someone who is talented shows an exceptional natural ability to do something. 
Another word we might use is "gifted". 
Right. 
Being gifted and being talented are pretty much the same thing. 
But the word "gift" has the connotation that it's something God-given. 
Someone might have a gift for making people laugh. 
And that means he has a great sense of humor. 
Now I've known a few gifted children; and I certainly know some gifted adults. 
I have a friend who has a knack for learning languages. 
She can speak six languages very well. 
She's definitely gifted in language learning. 
Wow! That's pretty amazing. 
A knack, spelled K-N-A-C-K, is a special way of doing something. 
If you have a knack for something, then you are not only good at it, but you might have a unique way of doing it. 
And then there's "genius," which refers to somebody with exceptional ability, especially somebody whose intellectual or creative achievements gain wide recognition. 
And very few of us are geniuses. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, we continue with Jo's story. 
After two years of studies, I resigned myself to communicating in broken German, and signed up to study in Germany to complete my degree. 
All right. 
Let's take a look at one key word right there. 
It is the word "resign." When you resign yourself to do something, that kind of means you... you gave up a little bit. 
You went to another position that was a little more comfortable. 
How could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, when I think of the word "resign," I think of something that is inevitable, which is a word we learned in a previous lesson this month. 
And if you resign yourself to doing something, maybe you don't really want to do it. 
So like: I resigned myself to waiting in a really long line. 
All right. 
All right. You didn't want to do it, but you resigned to doing it. 
Well, Jo continues: 
It was the hardest semester I would ever have. 
Friends, this is a great introduction to a wonderful story. 
We have more after learning with Michelle and, of course, taking a break. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.13.B

Well, in our article today Jo seems to be having some trouble learning German. 
There are so many things to remember, especially since all of the nouns have genders. 
It can be very confusing. 
And we see that she redesigned herself to communicating in broken German. 
Well, let's continue with our article today and see what she did once she finally arrived in Germany. 
(Music). 
Difficulties in German. 
Once in Germany, I felt like I was starting from scratch. 
The German I'd learned in university wasn't practical for everyday conversation. 
My book knowledge fell by the wayside as I figured out the basics of getting around, reading menus and chatting with my classmates. 
I was constantly on edge at school, worried about whether the professors would call on me in class and whether I'd understand their questions. 
I only relaxed a little around my eight roommates, who were willing to speak German slowly to me and didn't seem to mind my mistakes. 
Well, it is nice to have roommates who you can practice your new language with. 
We started the beginning of this section. 
Jo says: Once in Germany, I felt like I was starting from scratch. 
All right. 
Let's take a look at those words, "to start from scratch," straight from our Word Bank. 
When you start from scratch, Nathanael, what are you doing? 
Well, you're starting from the very beginning again. 
Maybe you've already done some work, but you have to go back and start from scratch. 
Has this ever happened to you when you were writing a paper and you didn't save it on your computer? 
You had to start from scratch. 
Ah, yes, I understand. 
Either I didn't save it, or I misunderstood the professor. 
I misunderstood the assignment, so I had to toss out what I already did and start from scratch. 
Carolyn, have you ever had to start from scratch on anything? 
I have had to start from scratch on many occasions. 
And this word can also have a different meaning, scratch. 
To start from the beginning, you can make something from scratch. 
It means that you don't have anything prepared beforehand, you make everything yourself. 
So maybe you like to bake things from scratch. 
That's great. 
That's a great way to use this phrase. 
Next time you're cooking or baking, you can talk about starting from scratch. 
Well, Nathanael, how does our lesson continue? 
The German I'd learned in university wasn't practical for everyday conversation. 
Sometimes that is a troublesome thing when you're learning a language, you feel like you can't really use it. 
That's right. 
You can't really use it sometimes. 
And she refers to her book knowledge. 
She says: My book knowledge fell by the wayside as I figured out the basics of getting around, reading menus and chatting with my classmates. 
Well, book knowledge, that's just the information that you learn from books like textbooks. 
It's not necessarily great for conversation on the street. 
I also think of street smarts. 
Some people are very street smart. 
They can get around on the street. 
And other people have a lot of book knowledge. 
But I also saw another phrase here in this sentence. 
We talked about getting around. 
So Carolyn, what does this mean? 
These are words we want to talk about: getting around. 
Well, if you can get around, that means you can find your way. 
You don't get lost. 
You understand where you're going and what you should be doing. 
So you might say it's very easy to get around the city. 
All of the signs are very clear, and the roads are very straight. 
So it's pretty easy and not confusing. 
All right. 
It's not confusing to get around physically in a city or an area. 
Nathanael, is there another way you could use this phrase? 
Well, sometimes we do say "they get around a lot," but just means that they go a lot of places. 
They are so familiar with the roads because they get around a lot. 
All right. 
So use that phrase sometime today. 
How do you get around? 
Well, Jo continues: 
I was constantly on edge at school, worried about whether the professors would call on me in class and whether I'd understand their questions. 
So again, we have an important phrase right there: on edge. 
Jo felt like she was on edge. 
Can you tell us about this, Nathanael? 
Well, if you're on edge, you're very nervous. 
Maybe you feel like you're standing on a very thin edge, and you're nervous about falling off. 
That's a picture to maybe help you understand. 
For example, public speaking puts many people on edge. 
We often say that: puts you, puts people on edge. 
I would agree. 
Uh, public speaking is one of the top fears that people have and would put people on edge. 
How do you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, maybe if you're in an accident and you're afraid of having another accident like you're driving and you get hit, 
you might be on edge the next time you get into a car. 
It can be very nerve-wrecking. 
All right. 
You might feel tense or anxious. 
Well, friends, when do you feel on edge about something? 
Talk about it in English today. 
Nathanael, how does Jo continue? 
She says: I only relaxed a little around my eight roommates, who were willing to speak German slowly to me and didn't seem to mind my mistakes. 
It's always nice to have someone to practice with that isn't going to make you feel nervous or that is trying to make you say everything perfectly all the time. 
That's right. I... I agree. 
You want to be comfortable speaking your new language around people. 
It's kind of funny sentence here. 
Jo says she only relaxed a little. Why? 
Because she didn't just have one or two roommates to be nervous around, she had eight roommates. 
They made her feel comfortable. 
But having that many people to speak to can make you get a little on edge. 
Well, Carolyn, how do you feel about the story so far? 
Well, I'm really enjoying reading about what Jo has gone through because I've been in... similar situations. 
And I'd really like to see how other people react to learning a new language. 
That's right. 
I think so, too. 
It can be interesting learning a new language. 
You don't want to let what you already learned fall by the wayside. 
That's another phrase that we saw here in this lesson. 
She says her book knowledge fell by the wayside. 
And that means it was important, but you don't have enough time or you don't care, so you can't really focus on something. 
I think it's important to let your relationships be important. 
Don't let them fall by the wayside. 
Emphasize your relationships, or take care of your relationships. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And keep watching as our lesson continues. 
Well, Jo's story is certainly interesting. 
I'm enjoying learning about her experiences learning German. 
And it does make me wonder about the phrases or the things that are useful to know when you visit another culture. 
Carolyn, what kinds of things would you need to know, or do you think are important to know if you visit another culture? 
Well, I think it's always good to be able to ask for directions, to know how to ask "How do I get there?". 
But it's also important to understand the answers that people give you. 
And a lot of times we don't learn those responses. 
So pay attention to those as well. 
What do you think, Nathanael? 
Well, you may not think that it sounds that important, but I think it's good to know a few polite phrases like "Excuse me" or "I'm sorry". 
They might keep some awkward things from happening. 
All right. 
I think that people are pretty understanding when there's a foreigner in their culture. 
But it is good to know and do your research beforehand to know what kinds of things you should say. 
Well, we have lots more to learn tomorrow. 
We'll see you then right here on Studio Classroom. 
Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.03.14.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you are here for day two of our lesson Difficulties in German. 
We're enjoying quite a good story by Jo about her experiences learning German, and we're going to continue today. 
But I do wonder about different ways to learn a language. 
There are so many different ways. 
We talked about book knowledge yesterday about learning things from a book. 
Carolyn, what's another way that you can learn a new language? 
Well, when I was in high school, I was very interested in learning Japanese. 
So I decided to enroll in a summer program and go to Japan. 
It was very challenging since I had all Japanese classmates who didn't speak any English. 
Wow! That would be quite intimidating for me. 
I would be on edge the entire time I was there. 
Nathanael, what about you? 
What's another way to learn a new language? 
Well, you know one thing that is available now are certain computer programs that are supposed to help you learn languages. 
And some of them say that they can teach you pretty quickly, too. 
All right. 
So there are many different ways to learn a language. 
I think songs really help, too. 
If you know a song, you can sing it in another language. 
Then that could help you learn a language as well. 
Well, let's get started with the rest of Jo's story for today. 
Difficulties in German. 
(Music). 
Difficulties in German. 
I had enrolled in four classes - literature, grammar, reading and writing, and history. 
All were in German and difficult, but the history lecture was the worst. 
The professor spoke fast; almost everything he said flew right over my head. 
I sat in the front, took notes and even recorded the lectures, but nothing helped. 
I had no idea what the class was about. 
At the end of the semester, I summoned all of my courage and asked my history professor for a form saying I'd attended the class. 
He said yes and told all the foreign students who wanted this form to meet at his office at a certain time. 
I'd like to say I got the form and took it back to my university for class credit... but I didn't. 
(Music). 
It sounds like Jo is having a very difficult time in her history class. Oh. 
But let's go to the beginning of the article and we see that: I had enrolled in four classes - literature, grammar, reading and writing, and history. 
And right in that first sentence we see a word from our World Bank - the word "enrolled." If you enroll in something, then you sign up for it. 
In the introduction today, I said that I enrolled in a program to go to Japan for a summer. 
Nathanael, how would you use this word "enroll"? 
Well, another place you could enroll is for some kind of contest. 
You enroll to participate in a contest. 
That's right. 
Have you ever enrolled for a contest, Gabe? 
Enrolled for a contest? 
Well, not really. 
I do like competing, and I like races. 
Um, I enrolled... I guess I... you could say I enroll for in a race. 
I don't know if that counts. 
That's a kind of contest. 
Um, but I've been thinking of maybe like a spelling bee, a spelling contest. 
You might enroll for that kind of a contest. 
Or maybe there's a speech contest or a drama contest, you can enroll in that kind of contest. 
Carolyn, have you ever enrolled in anything? 
Well, I have. 
I enrolled in many classes when I was in college. 
You enroll for your classes. 
And I know many people who also enrolled in the Army. 
So they joined the military. 
Now if we continue in our reading, we'll learn a little bit more about these classes that Jo enrolled in. 
Nathanael? 
All were in German and difficult, but the history lecture was the worst. 
I'm sure it would be hard to go to classes in a completely different language than the one that you're most familiar with. 
Right, especially maybe if it was a lecture format. 
That's where the professor or teacher talks the whole time, and the students are taking notes. 
I prefer discussion format where the teacher encourages discussion and questions a lot more. 
I prefer that over lecture format, but I know that many classes are with lectures. 
That's right. 
And we see here that the professor spoke fast; almost everything he said flew right over my head. 
Oh. 
And we see a phrase here "over my head." And it's also from our Word Bank today. 
If something is flying over your head, Gabe, what does that mean? 
Excuse me? 
Uh, I don't understand. 
Oh! Yeah, that's right. 
If something flies over your head, it means you don't understand something about it. 
There's something maybe a little too difficult to understand. 
It goes right over your head. 
It's kind of a fun idiom. 
How could you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, I can have a conversation with someone in Chinese. 
But sometimes if I'm watching TV like the news, the Chinese goes right over my head. 
I don't understand very much. 
That's right. 
And it's pretty easy to get confused when you're having conversations in a different language. 
And things just go right over your head, you miss the point. 
So it sounds like Jo is having a very difficult time in this lecture class. 
Gabe, would you like to continue? 
Of course. 
Jo says: I sat in the front, took notes and even recorded the lectures, but nothing helped. 
Nothing is working for Jo. 
Of course if you are really attentive and focused, and you want to learn a lot, then you sit where in the classroom? 
You sit in the front so you can try to get everything. 
But this did not help Jo. 
That's right. 
And we see she says: I had no idea what the class was about. 
So she didn't even know the topic of the class other than it's a history class. 
Oh. It sounds like she's having a very difficult time. 
Well, continuing on we see: 
At the end of the semester, I summoned all of my courage and asked my history professor for a form saying I attended the class. 
So she wants to at least prove to her teachers that she went to the class even if she didn't understand it. 
And in this sentence we see another Word Bank word "summoned," to summon something. 
Nathanael, can you explain this word for us? 
Well, if you summon something, you're calling it and you have authority or you have the power to call it. 
So I might say that my boss summoned me to her office to discuss something. 
You use it in that kind of way. 
Right. And it can also mean to call together, bring many things together. 
So she summoned all of the courage she had, oh, to ask her history professor for a form. 
Have you ever had to summon something, Gabe? 
Well, Jo talks about summoning courage. 
I think maybe you could summon strength as well. 
You don't think you have a lot of strength, but really you're summoning all the strength that you have to do something. 
I also think about maybe the president, maybe he summons some advisors for a decision that he has to make. 
So Jo is summoning the courage that she needs to talk to her professor. 
That's right. 
And we see that he said yes and told all the foreign students who wanted this form to meet at his office at a certain time. 
So it sounds like she didn't need to be afraid; he said it would be OK. 
Unfortunately, we see that Jo: I'd like to say I got the form and took it back to my university for class credit... but I didn't. 
Oh. So she didn't actually get the form. 
She would like to say this. 
And that is a phrase we'd like to discuss: I'd like to say... but. 
Uh, Gabe, can you tell us about this phrase? 
Well, sure. Maybe something you regret, maybe something didn't happen and you regret it: 
I'd like to say that I used my time wisely, but I didn't. 
I wasted my time. 
You could say I'd like to say I passed the test, but I didn't pass. 
There's usually a "but." I'd like to say... but. 
Nathanael, how would you use that phrase? 
I'd like to say that we had more time to talk about this, but it's time to go to the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.14.B

This article is Difficulties in German. 
And it's by Jo Wuertz, who's talking about her own experiences learning German in Germany. 
She enrolled in four classes, but they went over her head. 
She did not understand what was being taught in class because it was all in German. 
So she went to a professor and asked if she could have a form saying that she at least went to the class. 
And we're going to see what the rest of the story has to tell us and the rest of her experience learning German in Germany. 
(Music). 
Difficulties in German. 
I was too afraid to be in his office and revealed how little I could really understand. 
I was sure I was the only one in the class at such a low level. 
So I flaked and skipped the meeting. 
Years have passed, but I still remember how it felt to struggle so hard at learning another language. 
I think my failures that semester taught me just as much as my successes. 
(Music). 
Learning another language can be a struggle. 
And we can learn a lot from our failures and successes when we try something new. 
Now earlier in the reading, we were talking about Jo went to see her history professor to ask for a form. 
And she didn't actually go to the meeting. 
She says: I was too afraid to be in his office and revealed how little I could really understand. 
Uh, Gabe, have you ever been in a situation where you were too afraid to go to meet someone because you didn't think they would understand? 
Oh, man, good question. 
I didn't think someone would understand me so I did not go and approach the person. 
Actually, that happens... not often, but it didn't just happen once. 
I am more afraid of certain people than I am of others, so it's hard to approach them. 
Maybe I fear that they will see something about me that I don't want them to know. 
Maybe I fear what their response will be. 
For some reason or another, I am afraid to approach that certain person. 
Um, it's not good to have that attitude. 
I think we should kind of be able to have the courage and summon the courage we need to talk to the people that we need to talk to. 
But I did see a word in this sentence. 
It is: reveal. 
Joe says: I was too afraid to be in his office and reveal how little I could really understand. 
So these things kind of reveal something about you. 
Nathanael, how might you use that word "reveal"? 
Well, yes. "Reveal" is showing something new, revealing maybe your inside thoughts. 
When you're speaking in a group, you might reveal your deepest thoughts to let them get to know you. 
Or maybe that's just what you're supposed to do in this group. 
Yeah. I'd agree some things that you do or say could reveal something about your character. 
Whether you intend to or not, it's revealing something about you. 
Well, Carolyn, how do we continue? 
Well, she was afraid to reveal something for sure. 
She says: I was sure I was the only one in the class at such a low level. 
So she was afraid that if she went with all of the other foreign students, she would be the one at the lowest level in her language ability. 
That could be very intimidating, very scary. 
And so she didn't want to go. 
So what did she do, Nathanael? 
Well, the next sentence tells us what she did. 
"So I flaked and skipped the meeting." OK. 
She did two things here: she flaked and skipped the meeting. 
And "flaked" is an interesting and funny word. 
You don't always hear it so often, but it's a good one to know. 
"Flake" is a... also a Word Bank word we want to talk about today. 
To flake or to flake out, what does that mean, Gabe? 
All right. 
Well, I think of something you originally intended to do, but just like a snowflake as it drifts through the wind, it's kind of wishy-washy. 
It goes from one place to another. 
And she did not do what she originally wanted to do. 
Usually you use this when you talk about maybe not being in the mood to do something at the last minute or you're scared about something like Jo was. 
How would you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, I invited someone to go with me to sing some songs at KTV, but they flaked at the last minutes. 
And I ended up going by myself. 
That's not very fun to do. 
So try not to flake out on people. 
Let them know ahead of time if you can't go with them. 
I agree completely. 
And I know that feeling. 
You plan on meeting up with somebody, and they flake. 
I try not to be a flakey person. 
Well, Nathanael, how does the lesson continue? 
Well, it looks like she talks about the future in the next sentence. She says: 
Years have passed, but I still remember how it felt to struggle so hard at learning another language. 
So she looks back to these memories and remembers that it really was difficult to learn German. 
That's right. And she also continues: 
I think my failures that semester taught me just as much as my successes. 
So it seems like she's learned a lot of good lessons after going through this very difficult experience. 
Have you learned lessons like this, Gabe? 
Well, yeah. I would agree with her. 
Of course, you want to learn from your successes. 
You want to be able to say, "I did everything great. I didn't make any mistakes." And you can learn from that. 
But I agree that you can probably learn more through your failures because then you're really conscious about what you need to improve upon. 
So you can learn through your failures as well. 
Nathanael, what do you think about this? 
Well, I think that when you do something incorrectly or in the wrong way, you usually end up with an interesting or memorable story. 
And so it gives you something to remember not to do that thing again. 
So it's true, you can learn from your mistakes. 
And Jo certainly did give us an interest story. 
And now it's time to go to the Information Cloud, watch a review skit, and then go see Michelle. 
Hi, friends. 
Since our lesson today is about someone who had difficulty learning German, I think it's a good idea to talk about how we can improve our English. 
Well, three words, everybody. 
Practice, practice, practice. 
We all know the saying "Practice makes perfect," so that's what we should do. 
I agree. 
And we should practice every day by reading, writing and speaking English as much as possible. 
Steve, which is better, studying English once a week for two hours straight or reading something in English 15 minutes a day? 
Well, I would say the latter. 
And friends, you don't have to read an English textbook. 
You can read an English newspaper or a book or magazine about something you're interested in. 
If you enjoy bicycling, pick up an English magazine about cycling. 
In your reading, you'll likely come across words that you don't understand. 
Look them up. 
But don't just memorize the words, use them. 
Try putting them in phrases when you speak with others or when you write something. 
Of course, you need to choose the right materials in your studies. 
I might be partial, but I think one of the best magazines that can help you improve your English is Studio Classroom. 
That's right. 
Study with the best. 
(Chinese). 
(German). 
What's wrong? 
Studying in German is harder than I thought. 
But you minored in German. 
Yes. And I like German, but I'm not particularly good at learning it. 
Then why did you come to Germany to study? 
I resigned myself to communicate in broken German. 
Then this must be the hardest semester of your life. 
Yes. It feels like I'm starting from scratch. 
So what are you taking? 
Uh, literature, grammar, reading and writing, and history. 
(German). History! 
That's a difficult one. 
Yes. The professors speaks so fast. 
Everything flies right over my head. 
Then you need to take notes and record the lectures. 
I've tried. But nothing helps. 
I have no idea what the classes are about. 
So what will you do? 
Well, I summoned my courage and asked the professor for a form. 
So you can get credit for the class? 
Yes. He told all the foreign students to meet in his office. 
So when do you meet with him? 
We meet right now. 
But I'm not going. 
What? You're skipping the meeting? 
Yes. I'm going to flake. 
I don't want others to know how little I understand. 
I'm such a failure. 
Well, perhaps one day these struggles will teach you just as much as your success. 
Do you really think so? 
Uh... nein. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers. 
Well, the past two days we've been learning about Jo and her difficulties in German, learning the German language. 
But there are also difficulties we face when learning English. 
Nathanael, can you think of some of the difficulties you might face if you learn English? 
I think one of the strangest things about English is its spelling. 
Sometimes it just does not seem very consistent, and you just have to memorize some of the differences in spelling in English. 
That's right. 
There are words that are spelled very differently from the way they sound, or words that sound the same but have different spellings. 
Gabe, can you think of other difficulties in learning English? 
Well, yeah. 
Some of the rules in grammar, they're rules, and so you think that they should be the same or consistent all the time. 
But some words or sentence structures can break those rules. 
English is not an easy language to learn. 
That's right. 
And many languages have very unique things, and it makes each of them a little difficult when you try to learn them. 
Well, we hope that you'll continue learning English here with us at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.03.15.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you're joining us for our lesson called Sitting Alone. 
So whether you are sitting alone or whether you are enjoying our time with friends, you have a lot to learn here at Studio Classroom today. 
Now my first question for you is: 
What would you do if you saw someone sitting alone at school? 
It's lunchtime, everyone's at the cafeteria, and you see someone sitting alone. 
Nathanael, what would you do? 
Well, it really depends who they are. 
If I know who they are, I might sit with them. 
If I don't know who they are, I don't want to assume that they're lonely either. 
So it kind of just depends who they are. 
It depends on who they are. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
How would you feel about this? 
What would you do? 
Well, if I saw someone sitting alone, I might walk up to them and ask if they had anyone sitting with them, or if it would be OK if I sat down and joined them for lunch. 
I think that's a very polite thing to ask. 
Well, friends, we're going to enjoy a conversation between two friends Mary and Jane. 
Let's see what they're talking about right now. 
(Music). 
Sitting Alone. 
How should you treat an unpopular student? 
Mary and Jane are eating lunch in their school cafeteria. 
It looks like Sally is sitting by herself again today. 
Let's invite her to eat with us. 
I think our table is full. 
We could pull up a chair and make some room. 
Yeah, but people might notice and think we're friends with her. 
What's wrong with that? 
She's so weird. 
If we sit with her, people will think we're weird, too, and won't want to be friends with us. 
I don't think everybody will quit being our friends just because we're nice to her. 
Today we're looking at a POINT OF VIEW article. 
And here's the topic; it's in the deck. 
How should you treat an unpopular student? 
Many of us have had to think about this - how we should treat someone who is unpopular. 
And we want to talk about this word today, unpopular, because it's in the Word Bank. 
Unpopular. 
Let's talk about how we can use this word. 
Of course, it is the opposite of popular. 
Something that is popular is something that everyone enjoys, everyone seems to like, or most people, anyway. 
But how could we use this word "unpopular," Carolyn? 
Well, if something is unpopular, then it is not popular. 
The "U-N" at the beginning of the word shows us it is not something. 
And you might say: Oh, well, that band was really popular a few years ago, but now they're kind of unpopular. 
No one really listens to them anymore. 
How else might you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, maybe someone has a... an idea that everyone likes. 
It's a popular idea. 
Or you might say that... that's kind of a strange idea. 
It's an unpopular idea around here. 
So there are different things that can be popular or unpopular. 
And if you're talking about people that are unpopular, it could just mean that not many people know them or it could mean that people actually don't like them. 
It could mean different things here. 
That's true. 
And I think Carolyn made a good point. 
Something that's popular now, after a few years or even after a few months may not be popular later. 
OK. Let's look at the setup of this conversation. 
The first sentence in this article says Mary and Jane are eating lunch in their school cafeteria. 
So that's what's going on. 
And now we're going to review what Mary and Jane said. 
Now today let's have... Carolyn, you can be Mary. 
And Gabe, are you comfortable playing Jane? 
Well, yes. Nobody else can... I mean, it's either you or me, Nathanael. 
I'll be Jane. I'll be Jane. 
Better that it's you, yeah. 
OK. 
Please, let us get started, Carolyn. 
Ah, yes, Mary. 
It looks like Sally is sitting by herself again today. 
Let's invite her to eat with us. 
I think our table is full. 
Oh. We could pull up a chair and make some room. 
OK. Thank you both very much. 
It's a very good start, but we have reached our first phrase that we need to talk about. 
First, though, I do want to mention that at the beginning, Mary says it looks like Sally is sitting by herself again. 
So they have seen Sally several times, which is important about this POINT OF VIEW article. 
They know who she is, and they notice that she sits by herself. 
But right now we want to talk about this phrase, make some room or to make room. 
It sounds kind of strange to "make room," but we do use this phrase, and we use it quite often. 
How could we use this phrase, Gabe? 
Well, when you make room for somebody, like Mary and Jane might make room for Sally, 
that means they move their chairs a little bit so that there is another space where Sally could sit. 
I could also use it to talk about food. 
Maybe I feel like I'm full, but then dessert is coming soon. 
I'll make room for dessert. 
I can always make room for dessert. 
How might you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, if you make room for something, then you are making extra space to put something there. 
So you can make room for dessert. 
You could also say: Oh, this table is so full, but I need to make room to sit my books on it. 
So you have to move things out of the way. 
Sure. Both of these usages are very likely usages. 
And you might also have it in a more non-literal way if you need to make room for something in a program, to add another little bit to your program. 
You can also make room for that. 
OK. Let's continue with the dialogue. 
I think it's Jane. OK. 
Yeah, but people might notice and think we're friends with her. 
What's wrong with that? 
She's so weird. 
OK, Jane, thank you. 
Your attitude is not very good, but it's not why I'm interrupting you. 
It's because we need to talk about this word "weird." Weird. 
You might have heard this word "weird" before, and it's in our World Bank today. 
"Weird," It kind of means strange or odd or unusual. 
When can we use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, maybe you had a very strange dream last night. 
You could say that "Oh, I had this really weird dream. I was flying. 
And then there was an elephant. 
And I don't know what's going on. 
It's very weird." So you can have a weird dream. 
How else might you use this word? 
Well, I was just going to talk about my weird dream where I was in a room with President Barack Obama and Condoleezza Rice. 
I don't know what we're talking about, but that situation was just kind of weird. 
It was a weird situation. 
When would that ever happen? 
Only in a weird dream. 
That's true. 
And it is weird to think of Gabe in American politics. 
But I think we're all weird in our own way. 
So it's OK. 
Jane, if you would continue. 
Ah, yes. I'll say that again. 
She's so weird. 
If we sit with her, people will think we're weird, too, and won't want to be friends with us. 
I don't think everybody will quit being our friends just because we're nice to her. 
OK. Thank you both very much. 
This is an interesting POINT OF VIEW article. 
Who do you agree with? 
Do you think that it would be good to sit with Sally, or do you think you would be like Jane and would rather not go? 
What do you two think so far? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I think I'm very similar to Mary. 
So I... I would like to invite her, so I'm... I'm very glad to be reading Mary's part. 
OK. It's good that you are playing Mary's part. 
How about you, Gabe? 
Well, I think that many people do also understand Jane's perspective on the situation. 
So far they're both saying things that are pretty understandable. 
But I hope that I would also be more like Mary. 
OK. We're going to continue with this later. 
But right now we're going to see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.15.B

We're enjoying a conversation today between Mary and Jane, two friends, and they're talking in the cafeteria about an unpopular student. 
Should they invite Sally to join them, or should they not invite her to join them for lunch? 
Well, they both have different ways of looking at the situation. 
Mary thinks it's good that Sally should join them. 
Jane doesn't like that idea so much. 
Let's continue and see what the rest of their conversation sounds like. 
(Music). 
Sitting Alone. 
But if we invite her to join us, we may never get rid of her! 
She'll tag along with us all the time. 
What do you have against her? 
Well, she's unpopular. 
She's not very pretty; she's painfully shy; she doesn't excel in any subjects, and she doesn't belong to any clubs. 
Maybe she just feels nervous around people she doesn't know. 
She might be less shy and more willing to participate if someone reached out to her a little bit. 
Maybe. 
But why does that someone have to be us? 
And some of you might ask the same question that Jane has just asked. 
OK. Gabe, are you ready to get back into character as Jane? 
Uh, yeah! 
OK, here we go. 
Jane's first line after the break. 
But if we invite her to join us, we may never get rid of her. 
OK, thank you, Jane. Got to interrupt you again. 
I'm sorry, but we need to talk about this little phrase: get rid of. 
It's actually a More Information phrase today. 
But we want to just show you how you can use it. 
If you're getting rid of something, you're removing it or maybe you're getting away from it yourself. 
You might try to get rid of mosquitoes in your apartment. 
What else would you try to get rid of, Carolyn? 
Well, if you have a lot of trash in your room, you need to get rid of it. 
Otherwise, you might get mice or rats. 
You should get rid of your trash. 
I think another thing that you need to get rid of is negative vocabulary. 
Sometimes you might hear people using a lot of bad language, things that don't sound very good. 
Maybe in a marriage, someone might use the word "divorce." Maybe you want to get rid of that kind of talk. 
Don't mention those things anymore. 
Get rid of it. 
OK, very good. 
And I think now we can move on. 
Jane, I'm sorry for interrupting. 
It's OK. 
Here I go. 
She'll tag along with us all the time. 
And now I have to stop you again because we need to talk about this phrase "tag along." Tag along. 
That's an important phrase today. 
Let's look at that. 
Tag along means to go with. 
So maybe if you see a group of people going somewhere that you're interested in going to as well, you might say: 
Can I tag along? 
Do you mind if I tag along? 
Are there other ways that we could use this, Gabe? 
Well actually, that sentence kind of occurred to me to mind if I tag along. 
I think one reason that people ask this is because usually tagging along is not perceived as a good thing. 
It's kind of a negative thing. 
Oh, we don't want to let them tag along. 
Or we feel bad if we just tag along. 
So you might ask that question. 
Can I tag along, or do you mind if I join you guys? 
Do you mind if I tag along? 
How might you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, you can use this when you're talking about people. 
But you can also use it to talk about animals. 
While I was taking a walk, there was a dog tagging along. 
He was walking along with me even though he wasn't my dog. 
OK. 
These are all good examples of using this phrase - tag along. 
I bet that you could use this phrase even today. 
It's quite common. 
OK. Mary, would you please give us the next line? 
Oh, yes. 
What do you have against her? 
OK. Thank you very much. 
I have to stop you again because now we want to visit Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Let's see what she wants to tell us today. 
Hello, friends. How are you today? 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
And here is our Grammar Tip sentence from today's POINT OF VIEW article. 
What do you have against her? 
Our focus is on the phrase: to have against someone or something. 
It's an expression you'll hear native speakers use to talk about disliking someone or something because of a certain reason. 
So if you're wondering why your friend hates watching foreign films, you can ask: 
What do you have against foreign films? 
Or if you want to explain why a classmate won't join everyone for dessert: 
She has something against sweets. 
And if you want to explain how you honestly don't dislike somebody, you can say: 
I have nothing against that person. 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section, you'll find more example sentences there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. Bye-bye. 
Thank you very much, Liz. 
OK, Jane, you have another chance again to tell us your next line. 
Yes! 
Well, she's unpopular. 
She's not very pretty; she's painfully shy; she doesn't excel in any subjects, and she doesn't belong to any clubs. 
Wow! Very well done, Jane. 
That was a very long sentence. 
I'm impressed that you got all the way through it. 
OK. But there are few things that we need to talk about in this sentence. 
And the first one is this use of the word "painfully." Painfully. 
It's a bonus word today. 
But it's really we want to talk about how you're using that in this sentence. 
It says "painfully shy." This uh, this bonus phrase can be used in situations that are kind of uncomfortable. 
If someone is painfully shy, it's... it means they're so shy that it's kind of uncomfortable to be around them. 
But you can use it in other ways as well. 
Meeting new people can be painfully awkward. 
That's kind of similar. 
But what are other ways that we could use this word "painfully" in this way, Carolyn? 
Well, one way that I use it quite often is "painfully obvious." If something is very clear, 
its meaning is very obvious, but someone still doesn't understand, you might say: 
It's painfully obvious that they don't understand this very easy thing. 
So, painfully obvious. 
That's pretty funny. 
Sometimes a riddle might be understood by everybody except one person. 
You might say: Oh, so painfully obvious! Why can't you just get it! 
I also might use the phrase: some... someone is painfully slow. 
Everything they do takes such a long time. 
They are painfully slow. 
OK. So something is so clear, you don't get it. 
It almost hurts me that you don't get it. 
Or someone is being so slow. 
It almost feels like it's hurting me that you're so slow. 
That's kind of the idea behind this. 
Well, we also want to talk about another word. 
It's a Word Bank word today: excel. 
excel. 
Let's talk about this word. 
It means to be very good at something in particular. 
Maybe someone is no good at spelling, but they might actually excel at writing stories. 
Even if they can't spell words very well, they might excel at writing stories. 
What's another case where we could use this, Gabe? 
Well, you might ask the question: 
What do I excel in? 
What are my talents? 
What am I good at? 
Think about that. 
What do you excel in? 
You want to focus on those strengths. 
Carolyn, how might you use that word? 
Well, I am not very good at math, but my sister excels in it. 
She is extremely good at math; and that is her college major. 
OK, very good. 
Now Carolyn, we can go back to you because Mary has the next line. 
Oh, wonderful! 
Maybe she just feels nervous around people she doesn't know. 
Ah, good point, Mary. 
But for right now, we want to go to the Info Cloud to talk to Steve and Ken. 
Hi, friends. 
Have you ever noticed there are basically two types of people at a party? 
Those who are sociable and talk a lot, and those who just sit quietly in the corner maybe reading a magazine or nursing a drink. 
There are different terms that describe each of these kinds of people. 
A very talkative, sociable person might be called a social butterfly. 
Just as a butterfly flits from flower to flower, a social butterfly goes from one group of people to the next either gossiping or making small talk. 
And a person who lies low and doesn't want to meet people and a party might be called a wallflower. 
The term comes from the image of a person isolating herself from areas of social activity, at dances and parties. 
This person is afraid to dance and so chooses to remain close to a wall in the dance hall where she feels safe. 
Right. 
A wallflower is a person who doesn't like being social, is uncomfortable at a party or social gathering and was possibly forced to go by well-meaning friends. 
Sometimes we use the word "loner" or "recluse" to describe such a person. 
But those are a bit stronger, and they sound more negative than wallflower. 
Social butterfly, on the other hand, can have a negative connotation. 
But it's mostly used in a humorous or teasing manner. 
You going out again tonight? 
You're such a social butterfly! 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
OK. Let's finish out this part of the conversation for today. 
Yes. Me. 
She might be less shy and more willing to participate if someone reached out to her a little bit. 
Maybe. 
But why does that someone have to be us? 
Well, you might agree with Jane, or you might think that this is not a very nice thing to say. 
Let's go now to see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And keep watching as our lesson continues. 
Well, do you ever sit alone for lunch? 
You might have reasons for doing that. 
Do you all ever sit alone for lunch? 
Uh, yes. 
No. 
Oh, OK. Thank you for your answers. 
Well, I guess we'll see you next time when we continue to talk about this issue on Studio Classroom. Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.03.16.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you're joining us for day two of our lesson called Sitting Alone. 
Mary and Jane are two friends, and they're talking about whether or not they should invite somebody else at their school to sit with them for lunch. 
Well, this makes me wonder. 
What do you act like or how do you act when you meet someone new, someone you don't know yet, how do you act? 
Nathanael? 
Well, I try to be quite friendly and ask a few questions. 
But if I'm meeting them in a big group, I'm often more quiet. 
I'm not a person who likes crowds very much. 
OK, so it depends on the crowd, depends where you are. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, I think it does depend a lot on where I am and what role I'm playing when I'm meeting them. 
If I'm hosting an event and there are people coming that I don't know, then I'm very friendly, very welcoming. 
I want them to feel comfortable meeting me and meeting the rest of my friends. 
Mmhm, very good. 
Well, one of my strengths is meeting new people knowing what to say and what not to say. 
Actually, sometimes my friends, my close friends tell me: Why do you treat new people better than you treat us? 
So it could be an issue. 
Maybe you're really good at meeting new people; maybe not. 
Well, let's get started with the next part of this conversation between Mary and Jane. 
(Music). 
Sitting Alone. 
Why not us? 
If I were Sally, I'd want someone to befriend me. 
Wouldn't you? 
I guess so, but I don't think we're doing anything wrong by not befriending her. 
We're not mean to her, and not going out of our way to talk to her is understandable. 
We can't be best friends with everyone. 
Maybe not, but we can show compassion to one person. 
It's not that hard to have one more friend. 
We're already pretty busy. 
Where will we find time? 
(Music). 
OK. This is turning into quite an argument here between Mary and Jane. 
Well, let's get started learning something from some of these lines. 
Um, Nathanael, why don't you be Jane today. 
And Mary, you can get started here. 
OK, great. 
Well, yesterday Jane had asked why should they be the ones to invite Sally to sit with them. So Mary's response: 
Why not us? 
If I were Sally, I'd want someone to befriend me. 
Excellent! I need to interrupt you here, Mary. 
Thank you. 
We have a Word Bank word to talk about there. 
It is the word "befriend." This is a good thing to do. 
If you befriend somebody, that means you become friends with them. 
Maybe you do something or say something first and invite them to be friends with you. 
How might you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, I think it's easy to befriend some people quickly. 
Others it takes a little bit longer to get to know. 
All right. That's very true. 
Different people have different personalities. 
How might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, again, you can also use this word when you're talking about animals. 
You can befriend a stray cat, befriend a stray dog. 
It means that you are friendly towards them and they trust you. 
So you can befriend animals as well. 
OK. Well, who was the last person that you befriended? 
Think about that. 
Talk about it in English. 
There's something else from this sentence that I think is very valuable. 
It's the phrase: if I were so and so, I'd do this. 
And I think the reason Mary says this is... it actually reminds me of the golden rule: 
Do to others what you want them to do to you. 
So if you like the feeling, then you could do it to somebody else. 
Mary wants to be kind to Sally. 
And uh, Mary, you have one more line there, I think? 
Yes. It's a short question. 
Wouldn't you? 
I guess... I... 
Gabe, I can't do this. 
I'm not... I'm not good at being a girl. 
What?! What are you talking about? 
You have to be the girl. 
I was the girl yesterday, and I know that people want to hear you be a girl today. 
OK, OK. 
I'll just... I'll just do it. 
I guess so, but I don't think we're doing anything wrong by not befriending her. 
We're not mean to her, and not going out of our way to talk to her is understandable. 
Um, excellent... I suppose. 
Not a lot of enthusiasm there for Jane today. 
Well, we do have some things to look at from this sentence, and one of them is the phrase: go out of one's away. 
This is kind of a bonus phrase for you. 
When you go out of your way to do something, that means you had one goal, but then you kind of did something else on the way. 
It wasn't convenient, you went out of the way to do it. 
So how might you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, I often tell people: Please don't go out of your way, but if you can do this, then that would be great. 
Maybe I forgot to pick something up at the store, so if you're going to the store, could you get that for me, but don't go out of your way. 
All right, don't go out of your way. 
Maybe someone might go out of their way to say hi to you. 
They didn't have to go and stop by where you are, but they just went out of the way to say hi. 
Nathanael, how would you use this phrase? 
Well, sometimes someone gives you a gift or maybe some kind of food just spontaneously. 
And you said: Well, I hope you didn't go out of your way to do that. 
Thank you, though. 
I hope you didn't go out of your way. 
But if you did go out of your way, it would be understandable. 
That person needs some food. 
The next word we have here is "understandable." This is from our Word Bank. 
And if it's easy to understand, it doesn't take a lot of explaining, then it's understandable. 
Nathanael, how might you use that word? 
Well, as I mentioned earlier, I think it's understandable that a person might want to sit alone sometimes. 
Sometimes you just feel like doing that. 
Sometimes you maybe have to eat quickly. 
But there are understandable reasons for sitting alone. 
Right. That is understandable. 
But how might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, if you see someone who is very excited, very happy because they passed their exam, their reaction is understandable. 
Of course they're going to be happy. 
They passed, they finished. 
They're done. 
Excellent. 
It is understandable. 
And it's understandable that we need to continue. 
Nathanael, please continue as Jane. 
We can't be best friends with everyone. 
Maybe not, but we can show compassion to one person. 
That touches my heart, Carolyn. 
We can show compassion to one person. 
I mean, not Carolyn. 
Mary, of course. 
Mary, thank you. 
"Compassion" is firm our Word Bank. 
And if you have compassion, that means you have a kind of love that is able to see other people as valuable. 
And maybe you're busy, but you still put value and place value on other people. 
You have compassion. 
Maybe you do something with compassion. 
How could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, you should have compassion for people when you see that they need something. 
Maybe you live in a big city, and you see someone trying to get onto a crowded bus. 
And they need a seat. 
Be compassionate and give them your seat. 
Show them compassion. 
All right. 
Nathanael, how might you use that word? 
That's a good point. 
She said the word "compassionate," which is the adjective form. 
So ask yourself: What are you compassionate about or compassionate for? 
You should really care about those things. 
That's right. 
It is good to be compassionate. 
C-O-M-P-A-S-S-I-O-N-A-T-E. 
Mary, please continue. 
Oh, yes. 
It's not that hard to have one more friend. 
We're already pretty busy. 
Where will we find time? 
Excellent! Excellent conversation. 
Let's continue now learning something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.16.B

We've been listening to a conversation between Mary and Jane. 
And they seem to be disagreeing on inviting Sally to come join them for lunch. 
Mary thinks that it is good to show compassion to other people and try to befriend them. 
But Jane thinks that it's understandable that they don't try to be friends with everyone. 
Well, let's see what these girls continue to say to each other, and whether or not they can come to an agreement. 
(Music). 
Sitting Alone. 
We can invite her to join us when we're with our other friends - like to a party or something. 
And we have lots of time to chat between classes. 
Besides, if we get to know Sally, we'd probably discover things about her. 
She might be really interesting and fun to be around. 
Well, lunch is over anyway. 
I guess it's too late for her to sit with us today. 
But maybe I'll invite her to hang out with us at the mall on Saturday. 
Ah... I don't think I'll join you, but have fun. 
Very interesting. 
Well, if you ask me, I think that Jane will be missing out on getting to know someone new. 
I think Mary will have fun getting to know Sally. 
Well, speaking of Mary, Mary, could you pick it up? 
Oh. Sure, yes. 
We can invite her to join us when we're with our other friends - like to a party or something. 
And we have lots of time to chat between classes. 
Besides, if we get to know Sally, we'll probably discover things about her. 
Excellent! I need to interrupt you here. 
That was great. 
It's true. 
Mary is trying to think of different ways that they can get to know Sally. 
Sometimes it can be kind of scary just to start up a conversation with just one other person. 
Maybe it's good to have other people around - like at a party. 
Well, we see a word here that we want to talk about. 
It is the word: besides. 
Mary says: Besides, if we get to know Sally, we'll probably discover things about her. 
So you use that word to kind of mention another fact about something. 
Nathanael, how might you use that word? 
Well, you can use it at the beginning of a sentence like in this case. 
But you could put it at the end as well. 
That table is full, but there are many other open seats besides. 
It's almost kind of like saying "anyway." "Besides" is a similar meaning. 
Yeah, that's true. 
Carolyn, how might you use that word? 
Yes, there are different ways to use the word "besides." And you might say: 
Oh. Well, I really like to go shopping. 
Besides, while I'm there, I can spend time with my friends. 
So I can get two things done that I enjoy at the same time. 
That's right. Besides. 
We also learned about Zanzibar earlier this month. 
You might say besides tourism, spices is a big industry in Zanzibar. 
So there are different ways to use this word "besides." It usually has an S. 
All right. 
Mary, please continue. 
Oh, yes. Thank you. 
She might be really interesting and fun to be around. 
Well, um, Jane, I think it's... it's your turn. 
Aren't you going to continue? 
Isn't this the best part of your day, Nathanael? 
Well, I think it's your turn to read the... the one three-word sentence, Gabe. 
Oh. Oh, right. the three-word sentence. 
Well, "The bell rings." There. 
Continue, Jane. 
Well, lunch is over anyway. 
I guess it's too late for her to sit with us today. 
But maybe I'll invite her to hang out with us at the mall on Saturday. 
Excellent, excellent. 
I need to interrupt you here for a minute, Mary, because we have some Word Bank words there. 
It is: hang out. 
Now when you hang out with somebody, that means you're spending time with them. 
It's not work time. 
You're hanging out with somebody, getting to know them, just having fun. 
It's casual. 
You're hanging out. 
So when do you hang out with people, Carolyn? 
Well, I like to hang out with people after work. 
You know, you finish working or maybe you finish class, you can hang out with your friends at a coffee shop. 
All right. 
That's a great place to hang out. 
Nathanael, do you ever hang out with anybody? 
Oh, well, every once in a while I spend time with people; usually I just keep to myself. 
No. Actually, I like hanging out with people and having good conversations. 
Right. 
You like hanging out with people as long as you can have your own voice and maybe not the voice of Jane, right? 
You don't like being Jane. 
You might say that. 
Well, I did. 
However, I do think that Jane has one more line, and I think you'll do a great job. 
Nathanael, take it away! 
I don't mind. 
I don't think I'll join you, but have fun. 
Excellent! 
Well, you said that with such excitement. 
I don't think I'll join you, but have fun. 
Well, that's what Jane is deciding. 
She's not going to hang out with Mary and Sally at the mall on Saturday. 
But she does say to have fun. 
Um, I didn't really sense that much excitement from her. 
Have fun. 
Do you think she meant that, Carolyn? 
No. I think she might be a little bit sarcastic when she is saying this. 
She doesn't really mean for them to have fun because she thinks that this is going to be very boring and not fun at all. 
Yeah. I don't think Jane was being very sincere here with that last line. 
Well, it's time for us to join Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll enjoy a review skit, and then go on to Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Good news, everyone. 
Latin is not dead. 
There are plenty of Latin words and phrases that we English speakers still use on a regular basis. 
So you don't need to become fluent in Latin. 
But if you're serious about studying English, you should become familiar with some of the most commonly used Latin expressions. 
OK. Earlier this month Ken introduced the Latin phrase "carpe diem." Well, today let's get familiar with a few more. 
OK. One phrase that is very fitting for today's lesson is persona non grata. 
It refers to someone like Sally in our lesson, who is not welcome in a certain situation because he or she is considered a threat or a source of conflict. 
All right. 
Another useful Latin expression is "status quo." And it means the existing state of something. 
You'll hear this use in the news because businessmen, politicians and diplomats, they tend to prefer the status quo. 
Right. Like Jane in our lesson, they like to keep the status quo because changing things will likely create confusion and disorder. 
Friends, for more Latin phrases, go to Google and type in: 50 common Latin phrases every college student should know. 
(Chinese). 
Look. Sally is eating alone again. 
Let's invite her over. 
I think our table is full. 
Well, we can make room. 
No. People might think she's our friend. 
Well, what's wrong with that? 
Sally is weird. 
People will think we're weird, too, and they won't want to be friends. 
Oh, that's just silly. 
Besides, if we're nice to her, she might want to tag along with us. 
Well, what do you have against Sally? 
She's unpopular, not pretty, painfully shy, doesn't excel, doesn't belong to any clubs. 
Well, maybe she just needs someone to reach out to her. 
Yeah, maybe, but it doesn't have to be us. 
Why not us? 
If I were Sally, I'd want someone to befriend me. 
We can't be friends with everyone. 
Not sitting with her is understandable. 
Well, I think we should show some compassion. 
We should spend some time with her. 
Uh, we're already busy. 
We don't have time. 
Who knows? 
She might be interesting and fun. 
Well, fine. 
Go sit with her and find out. 
OK. I think I will. 
You can join us if you want to. 
No thank you. 
Oh, now I'm sitting here alone. 
People will think I'm weird. 
Hey, wait for me! 
(Music). 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
Well, we enjoyed a good conversation between Mary and Jane today. 
I personally agree with Mary more. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, I also agree with Mary because there were many times, 
even at my own high school when I would see someone sitting by themselves and invite them to join me and my friends while we were eating lunch so that they wouldn't have to sit alone. 
It is a nice thing to do. 
What do you think about this, Nathanael? 
Of course I agree with Mary. 
Who wouldn't? 
OK. I understand that I made you play the part of a girl today, but you should still have a good attitude while teaching. 
What... you want to play a girl? Whatever! 
I mean, I'm just glad we're done with this today. 
I... I did not come here to play a girl, all right? 
I'm just... I'm over it. 
I guess I'm sitting alone. 
Well, we'll see you next time on Studio Classroom. Bye. 
(Music).

2013.03.18.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you are joining us for a lesson about Maya Moore - Reaching for the Heights. 
Maya Moore is a basketball player who has found her way to success. 
There are different things in her life that have made her want to succeed. 
We're going to find out all about her over the next couple of days. 
But I do wonder what makes you want to succeed in life. 
Nathanael, what makes you want to succeed? 
Well, there might be many different reasons, but one is results. 
It's not always the best reason, but it's not necessarily bad either. 
But you just want to see something happen. 
Sometimes it's good for you, sometimes it's good for others. 
Results might make you want to succeed. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, I really like to make my parents pound. 
I want them to know how much I care about them and how thankful I am that they support me in what I do. 
But I also think a lot about God and His plan for me, and I want to make him proud, too. 
All right. So maybe you want to make people or God proud. 
Sometimes what makes me want to succeed is watching others who are very focused, and they have what they want, they succeed it. 
And I think they're a good example for me as well. 
So different things may make you want to succeed in life. 
We're going to find out all about Maya Moore. 
Let's get started in the first reading for the day. 
(Music). 
Maya Moore - Reaching for the Heights. 
This amazing young basketball player is taking the game and her life to a new level. 
Success seems to find Maya Moore everywhere she goes. 
But life hasn't been a bed of roses for Maya and her biggest supporter, her mother. 
The path to success required a lot of hard work and sacrifice. 
More than teammates. 
Maya discovered her love of basketball in 1997 at the age of 8. 
That was the year the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) began holding games. 
The young girl watched WNBA star Cynthia Cooper play in the Olympics. 
Maya dreamed that she, too, could one day compete in the Olympics. 
Maya sounds like she has some very big dreams here. 
And at the top of our article we see: This amazing young basketball player is taking the game and her life to a new level. 
So there are a lot of changes instored for Maya. 
And let's get started at the beginning of our article, and we see: Success seems to find Maya Moore everywhere she goes. 
So she is a very successful person. 
Nathanael, how does the article continue? 
Well, the next sentence says: 
But life hasn't been a bed of roses for Maya and her biggest supporter, her mother. 
That's an interesting sentence, "Life hasn't been a bed of roses." Whose life is a bed of roses? 
Whose life is a bed of roses? 
I'm not sure. 
But "a bed of roses," this is from our Word Bank. 
It's kind of a fun idiom. 
And it just means a life of ease, a bed of roses. 
If you can imagine a bed made of roses, it's not uncomfortable, and maybe it smells good. 
Everything seems fine about a bed of roses. 
So Carolyn, is anybody's life a bed of roses? 
Well, I think maybe sometimes we think that people with a lot of money or very powerful, influential, famous people might live on a bed of roses. 
They have things so easy that you could say that they live on a bed of roses. 
OK. So maybe they live on a bed of roses. 
How else might you use that phrase, though, Nathanael? 
Well, for some people, high school might seem like a bed of roses, but college is often much more difficult. 
Or maybe for some people, high school was a bed of roses, but for other people it was not a bed of roses. 
Everyone has a different life. 
And maybe what is difficult to you may be easy for someone else. 
It might be a bed of roses for someone else. 
Well, we continue with our lesson. 
We're talking about Maya Moore and the path to success required a lot of hard work and sacrifice. 
So getting to the place where she was successful was not an easy path. 
So how does this lesson continue, Nathanael? 
Well, the next section has this heading: More than teammates. 
And I think this is talking about Maya and her mother. 
But we want to talk about this word "teammates." Teammates. 
That's a Word Bank word for today, teammates. 
Of course, a teammate is someone else that is on your team. 
For example, in basketball, there are five teammates playing together on the court. 
OK. So that's one kind of way where you would use this word "teammate." But I think most sports or most team sports also have teammates. 
Even if you're playing tennis with um, with another person on your team, you have one other teammate. 
How else might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, you want to make sure that you work well with your teammates, and that includes at work or at school. 
Sometimes you get put onto a team to work on a project together. 
And you need to work with your teammates and get along. 
So maybe it's not just in sports that you use this word. 
Actually here at Studio Classroom, I think of Nathaniel and Carolyn as my teammates. 
We're on a team together teaching here at Studio Classroom. 
They are pretty good teammates. 
Well, thank you. 
And we will continue with our article, we see: 
Maya discovered her love of basketball in 1997 at the age of 8. 
So she was quite young when she discovered this love for basketball. 
And how did she discover this, Nathanael? 
Well, there was something important about that year. We see in the next sentence: 
That was the year the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) began holding games. 
OK. There's a few things in this sentence I think that we want to talk about. 
And the first is another key word for today: association, Women's National Basketball Association. 
An association is a group of people that are working together to do something. 
They have one goal. 
There are many different examples of this. 
What is one example, Carolyn? 
Well, there are many different kinds of associations. 
You might have an association in your office. 
If you all work together and you have a common goal that you want to achieve, you could form an association at work. 
How else can you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, I think of the word "associated." If I am associated with somebody, that means maybe we have the same goal. 
Maybe we're part of the same group and we're trying to do the... something similar. 
We have a similar goal. 
We're associated with each other in an association. 
So Maya Moore she was watching the WNBA, and this is when they began holding some games. 
And we do more to talk about another word in that sentence. 
It is the word "hold." And I usually think of holding like carrying something. 
But Carolyn, what does it mean here? 
Well, here it does not mean that you hold something in your hand. 
If you hold a game, then you have a game. 
Perhaps you start having games, start holding them. 
You have an event usually. 
How else can you use this word, Nathanael? 
Well, maybe if you played sports when you were in high school or middle school, you might have had a party sometimes. 
And one family that has a player on the team might hold a party for the team in their house. 
It's also like providing a space for the party. 
All right. 
Well, that's one way you can hold an event. 
We continue by learning the young girl watched WNBA star Cynthia Cooper play in the Olympics. 
And Maya dreamed that she, too, could one day compete in the Olympics. 
We want to talk about that phrase there: one day. 
We're not just talking about a day in the past, are we, Nathanael? 
No, no. 
In this case we're talking about a day in the future that is coming, that you hope for. 
For instance, people who succeed might often believe that they will one day do something important; and that drives them. 
That's right. 
So "one day" means that sometime in the future eventually this thing will happen. 
Perhaps one day men will go to the moon. 
Wait... we've already done that. 
So, not to the moon, but perhaps to another planet. 
Well, now we're going to spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.18.B

Are you a fan of basketball? 
Well, if you watch women's basketball, you probably have heard of Maya Moore. 
She's a very successful basketball player. 
And then reading this article, though we've just started, we know that her mother is very important in her life. 
And the beginning of Maya's story is a girl with some dreams. 
In 1997 when she was 8 years old, she started to watch basketball and wanted to participate herself. 
Let's see how her story continues now. 
(Music). 
Maya Moore - Reaching for the Heights. 
Three years later her mother, Kathryn, was offered a better job in North Carolina. 
Kathryn decided to make the move from Missouri because North Carolina provided greater basketball opportunities. 
Sadly, in under two months the company downsized, and Kathryn lost her job. 
She remembers, "It was a bad, bad time." Maya says the difficulties brought them closer, and she praises her mom. 
"She's more than a teammate. 
I know she's going to be on my side.". 
It sounds like Maya's mother is very supportive of her. 
And in the beginning of this section we see: 
Three years later her mother, Kathryn, was offered a better job in North Carolina. 
And well, she made a decision. 
Kathryn decided to make the move from Missouri because North Carolina provided greater basketball opportunities. 
So it sounds like her mother really cared about Maya's success in basketball. 
Don't you think so, Nathanael? 
I think that she cared very much about that because she made her decision not only because of the job offer that she received, 
but also because of opportunities for her daughter in this new place. 
And we want to talk about this word "opportunities." It is a Word Bank word today. 
Opportunities. 
It's like a chance to do something. 
An opportunity to do many different kinds of things, and sometimes they are new things. 
How could we use the sentence, Gabe? 
Well, opportunities don't come every day. 
Big opportunities for success don't come all the time. 
So when they come, make sure you take the opportunity to do something about it. 
You can use that phrase: to take the opportunity to do something. 
You don't get the chance every day, so take the opportunity when it comes. 
Carolyn, how might you use that word? 
Well, if you have the opportunity to study abroad, you should go for it. 
Learn something new about another culture, another country, maybe even another language. 
It's a really great opportunity. 
And what kind of opportunities has your school given you? 
Or what kind of opportunities does your work give you? 
Hopefully you get to try some new things, whether you're still in school or if you're already working. 
All right, continuing on. 
It says: Sadly, in under two months the company downsized, and Kathryn lost her job. 
OK. This is not good news. 
What does this word "downsize" mean, Gabe? 
Well, when a company downsizes, that means they have to let go of some of their employees. 
So maybe there were a number of people working at the company. 
But then because of cost, because it cost too much money to keep everybody at the company, they had to maybe fire some people. 
So that's what it means to downsize. 
And I think maybe um, Maya's mother Kathryn was one of the people that was let go from the company. 
That's right, because she was probably one of the newest employees and she just moved there. 
And we see: She remembers, "It was a bad, bad time." So it was very difficult. 
It was not a bed of roses. 
They had just moved to North Carolina, and now her mother no longer has a job. 
Well, how does the article continue, Nathanael? 
Maya says the difficulties brought them closer, and she praises her mom. 
So even though they had some hard or tough experiences, they became closer through these experiences. 
It had some good results. 
That's right. 
And we see that Maya says "She's more than a teammate. 
I know she's going to be on my side." So it sounds like Maya is very thankful actually for these experiences. 
Even though it was a very hard time, they learned a lot from it. 
And they became much closer, even more than a teammate. 
So more than working together. 
What do you think, Gabe? 
Well, I think that... yeah, just like Maya says, Kathryn, or her mom is on her side. 
I think she would say the same thing about herself. 
She is on her mom's side. 
They are good teammates. 
And she says these difficulties brought them closer together. 
This just makes me wonder: What things in your life, maybe what difficulties have brought you closer to the people around you? 
Nathanael, Carolyn, can you think of anything like this? 
Maybe what difficult times have brought you closer to someone in your life? 
Well, I know when I've had friends that have difficult experiences, you just try to spend time with them. 
You can't always do something that will help them directly, but just spending time with them can bring you closer together. 
That's right. 
It's very important to talk to people when they are having a hard time, when they're going through these difficulties. 
Sometimes just being able to listen to what they have to say can be a very big help. 
I think so, too. 
Sometimes there are conflicts, maybe you get into a big argument about something. 
But when you work through it, you realize that your relationship is better. 
You are closer with that person. 
Well, I'm not sure all the details of Maya's relationship with her mom, but many difficulties have brought them closer together. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
And there we'll enjoy a review skit, followed by Michelle in the Language Lab. 
For the people you care about, there are many ways to express unity and support. 
In today's lesson, Maya Moore says she knows her mother is on her side. 
OK. You can show support of someone by saying to them: I'm on your side. 
Now another phrase that indicates a slightly higher level of commitment and devotion is: I'm in your corner. 
It actually comes from the sport of boxing. 
And it means you would stand by and support someone even to the point of fighting for them. 
That's right. 
Now next, the even more loyal expression of support: I got your back. 
"I got your back" assures someone you will act as his or her second set of eyes to make sure they're safe. 
You'll be watching what's behind them while they're looking forward. 
And that you'll do whatever is necessary to help your friend through a tough time. 
"I got your back" is a phrase that most likely came from the battlefront where soldiers guard and protect one another as a matter of life and death. 
It's kind of like "I've got you covered," another good expression to assure someone you'll be there to help any way you can. 
Right. 
If your friend forgets to bring his wallet - at a restaurant you can tell him: I've got you covered. 
Ah, what reassuring words! 
(Chinese). 
Go, go! 
I'm practicing basketball. 
I want to be like Maya Moore. 
I know. 
Hey, what happened to Maya after her mother lost her job? 
Well, they moved to Georgia, and Maya continued to play basketball. 
Was she on the high school team? 
Yeah, and she played against some of the nation's best players. 
Competition improves skills. 
Maya led her team to 125 victories. 
They won three state championships. 
That's great. 
Yeah. 
She was named the national player of the year... twice. 
Twice is nice. 
Universities competed to recruit her. 
How did she choose which university? 
With careful consideration. 
And? 
And she chose the University of Connecticut. 
And? 
And she led the team to a 150 and 4 record. 
And? 
And after graduation, she was the first choice of the Minnesota Lynx. 
Hey, they won the WNBA title last year. 
Yeah. And Maya was named rookie of the year! 
Wow! That's amazing. 
Yeah. I think she's one of the best to ever play basketball. 
Hey, pass me the ball. 
Why? 
I want to practice and be like Maya Moore. 
Oh, yeah? 
Well, I want to be more like Maya Moore. 
No. I want to be more like Maya. 
No, I... it's my basketball. 
I want to be more like Maya. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our teachers are up to. 
Today we've learned about Maya Moore and her mother, and how they are more than teammates, 
and the amount of support that her mother had shown for her daughter's success in basketball. 
And it makes me think of the people who support me and the decisions I make, like my own mother. 
Gabe, do you have anyone who supports you this way? 
Well, yeah. 
Actually, both my parents are pretty good at supporting me and what I want to do. 
I also think my little sister is a good support as well. 
Um, there are a couple friends in my life who have really told me, "You should really follow this dream. 
You should do this, Gabe, because you're good at this." They've shown me they support me as well. 
What about you, Nathanael? 
My family have been great supporters. 
And I've also had some very encouraging professors in college that have helped me along and fought for me, too. 
Great. Well, I hope that you'll join us again tomorrow at Studio Classroom as we continue learning about Maya Moore. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.03.19.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And thank you for joining us for day two of our lesson about Maya Moore - Reaching for the Heights. 
Of course, she is a basketball player, and she's a very successful basketball player. 
Yesterday we learned about some of her difficulties, some of the things that her and her mom faced together, things that brought them closer together. 
But as a basketball player, Maya Moore, I'm sure, is very competitive. 
Well, do you like competition? 
Are you do good with competition? 
Carolyn, what do you think about this? 
Well, I am actually not a fan of competition. 
I don't like to compete with people. 
I feel enough pressure from myself. 
I don't need any more from others. 
OK. You don't like competing with people. 
Nathanael, do you like competing with others? 
Well, it kind of depends. 
In some areas, I don't like competition. 
But in others, I do find it fun, especially if it's just a game and it doesn't matter that much. 
I agree. 
Sometimes I'm actually motivated to get better when I'm watching someone else. 
Like if they're playing drums, I feel like I need to get better. 
Maybe I don't tell them it's a competition, but in my heart, I'm kind of competing. 
I want to get better. 
Well, friends, we're going to learn all about Maya Moore today - A winning partnership. 
Let's get started with the first reading of the day. 
(Music). 
Maya Moore - Reaching for the Heights. 
A winning partnership. 
About a year later, mother and daughter moved to Georgia, where Maya continued to play basketball. 
In high school she had the opportunity to play basketball against some of the nation's best players. 
The competition improved her skills. 
Maya led her team to 125 victories and three state championships. 
During this time, she was named the national player of the year twice. 
Universities competed to recruit her for their women's basketball programs. 
Yesterday we learned that Maya and her mother were more than teammates. 
And today we see that they are a winning partnership, or a partnership that wins. 
And we looked at "teammates." And we want to look at "partnership" today. 
That's a Word Bank word: partnership. 
You've probably heard the word "partner" before. 
"Partnership" is a noun just describing when two people come together to work together. 
How could we use this in a sentence or an example of a partnership, Carolyn? 
Well, that's right. 
So a partnership is when two people come together or more than two people, and they work together. 
And they have about the same responsibilities, and they have to do things to make it work. 
You might have a partnership at work. 
Maybe there are two people in charge, not just one boss but two; they have a partnership. 
How else can you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, I think of my sister who is a lawyer, and she's had to work for law firms where there are often two partners who are... ahead of her. 
And they have a partnership working together on some cases. 
Um, but we're talking today about a winning partnership. 
And this makes me think of the phrase, "a win-win situation." That means it's good for both people, good for everybody. 
It's a win-win situation. 
That's a good partnership. 
That's right. 
And you could have partnerships in business, or two partners in entertainment that work together. 
Also, marriage is a kind of partnership. 
OK. The next sentence says about a year later, mother and daughter moved to Georgia, where Maya continued to play basketball. 
You remember that they first lived in Missouri. 
They moved to North Carolina where things did not go well. 
And now they are in Georgia. 
What happened in Georgia, Carolyn? 
Well, we see: In the school she had the opportunity to play basketball against some of the nation's best players. 
So it sounds like this move from North Carolina to Georgia was also very good for her basketball career. 
How... how does this continue, Gabe? 
Well, the competition improved her skills. 
So of course, when you're playing against the best players, you are going to improve. 
When you "play against somebody," I usually think of sports when I see this phrase - to play against somebody. 
That means you have an opponent. 
You have a team and people are playing against you. 
You both want to win. 
You're playing against each other. 
And then of course you can improve. 
So hopefully if you're part of some kind of competition, you can use it to improve yourself even if you don't enjoy competition that much. 
Look at Maya. 
The next sentence says Maya led her team to 125 victories and three state championships. 
That is very impressive. 
Maya is a great leader. 
And we want to look at this phrase: to lead someone or something to, or here "led" something to. 
How can we use this phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, here we see that Maya was a leader. 
She led her team to three state championships. 
That's amazing. 
It's very big deal. 
But you can also lead someone a little bit more physically. 
Instead of leading them to this event, you could lead someone to a place. 
Maybe my friend led me to a new restaurant because I didn't know where it was. 
How else can you use this, Gabe? 
Well, I was thinking more about maybe the title of today's lesson - Reaching for the Heights. 
I think Maya Moore has led her team to greater heights. 
You want to be more successful in the future. 
That means you're attaining or achieving greater heights, getting to a higher place in life. 
And Maya Moore has led her team to greater heights. 
OK. 
There's also a word in this sentence that we want to look at - the word "championship." If you play sports, you might be familiar with this word. 
But it's a Word Bank word today. 
When does a championship happen, Gabe? 
A championship happens toward the end of all the basketball games, the basketball season. 
The end of a sports season is the championship games, or the championship game, when you figure out who is the champion, who is the top team. 
And all kinds of sports have championships. 
And the word "champion" means winner. 
So it kind of makes sense, championship, champion. 
The next sentence says: During this time, she was named the national player of the year twice. 
Player of the year, "the best player of the year" is what that means. 
When you say "of the year," that's another phrase that we want to talk about: a noun of the year. 
Time magazine has a "person of the year." They did something important. 
What are other ways that we could use this phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, you don't have to just say "of the year." It could be any time frame. 
So you could also say "employee of the month" or "student of the week". 
There are many different ways you can use this phrase to show how much you appreciate someone for being number one during that time. 
That's right, Carolyn. 
Actually I was student of the week one time in fifth grade. 
Mrs. Burke made me student of the week. 
I guess I was nice enough and good enough to be student of the week. 
So yeah, you can be something of the year, of the month, of the week. 
Well, we continue. 
Universities competed to recruit her for their women's basketball programs. 
So it looks like she wasn't the only one competing, universities were also competing for her. 
They wanted her on their team. 
Well, let's continue by learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.19.B

We're learning all about Maya Moore today. 
And we found out that she led her high school to a lot of victories and three state championships so far. 
She was also named the player of the year twice, the national player of the year. 
So she has had a lot of successes so far. 
We also just started learning about how different universities were competing to recruit her for their basketball programs. 
Let's continue learning about this now. 
(Music). 
Maya Moore - Reaching for the Heights. 
Maya and her mother approached the college decision like they did everything, with careful consideration. 
Maya chose the University of Connecticut. 
In her four years at the University of Connecticut, she led the school to a 150 and 4 record. 
After graduating in 2011, Maya was the first choice of the professional team the Minnesota Lynx. 
She rewarded them with the 2011 WNBA title and was named rookie of the year. 
No wonder many call Maya one of the best to ever play the game! 
Well, Maya just continues to do amazing things. 
Starting this section the sentence says: 
Maya and her mother approached the college decision like they did everything, with careful consideration. 
OK. There are few words that we want to talk about in this sentence. 
And the first is "approached," or to approach. 
It means to come up to something, kind of to get close to it, but it can be used in some different ways. 
What's one of those ways, Gabe? 
Well, maybe you have a deadline coming up soon. 
You need to finish your homework or your project by a certain date. 
The date is approaching. 
The deadline is approaching. 
You need to get it done. 
You could also use this to talk about how you come up to people and talk to them. 
I sometimes think about being a person who is easy to approach. 
I want to be someone who is easy to approach. 
I don't want people to be scared to approach me. 
I want to be easy to approach. 
How else could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, in this sentence, we see that Maya and her mother approached a decision that they needed to make. 
So it's not something you can actually get close to but more how you do something. 
So here "approach" is how you do something. 
And you should approach things carefully. 
You should give it a lot of thought when you're making a big decision. 
Now there is a second word, and it talks about how they approached this decision - with careful consideration. 
And "consideration" is also from our Word Bank today. 
Can you tell us a little bit about consideration, Nathanael? 
Well, consideration is thinking something over. 
So careful consideration is to look at something, look at all of the details and decide what is best in this case. 
You might also see the phrase "for your consideration" when you give something to someone to consider. 
That's right. 
Sometimes maybe I imagine that some of these universities might have written something like that when they were trying to recruit Maya: 
For Your consideration, maybe you want to think about our university, our basketball program. 
Just for your consideration, we're interested in you. 
This word is kind of similar to the word "considerate," but it's a little bit different. 
If you are a considerate person, that means you are thoughtful and kind. 
You think about other people. 
But here we're talking about consideration, something for you to think about. 
OK. And the next sentence says Maya chose the University of Connecticut. 
So they thought over this decision, they had different colleges to choose from, and she chose the University of Connecticut. 
What does the next sentence tell us about her time there, Carolyn? 
Well, we know that the University of Connecticut is a very good school for basketball. 
And we see that in her four years at the University of Connecticut, she led the school to a 150 and 4 record. 
So that means that her team won 150 games, and only lost four. 
That's a very, very impressive record, isn't it, Nathanael? 
Yes. It was the best that team had ever done. 
You also see in that sentence that same pattern: to lead something to, or led something to. 
The next sentence says: After graduating in 2011, Maya was the first choice of the professional team the Minnesota Lynx. 
So she had done very well in college basketball, and now she is moving on to the WNBA. 
What does the next sentence say, Gabe? 
Well, she rewarded them with the 2011 WNBA title and was named rookie of the year. 
So it's kind of a fun way of saying that she rewarded them with something. 
They chose her, and she rewarded them with this title. 
That means they got the championship. 
And Carolyn, what is a rookie? 
Well, a rookie is someone in their first year of a sport, so. 
We might say: Oh, it's their first year playing basketball, so they are a rookie. 
They don't have that much experience. 
But you can also use "rookie" to apply to things outside of sports in many other situations. 
Do you have an example, Nathanael? 
Well, I've only been at Studio Classroom for a few months, so I guess you could call me a rookie here. 
I don't have that much experience yet. 
But rookie is not necessarily a bad thing. 
Maya was rookie of the year. 
And now we see that no wonder many call Maya one of the best to ever play the game. 
Now have either of you seen Maya Moore play a game before? 
Um, no. I haven't seen her play a game yet. 
But I do want to add that word "yet" because especially after enjoying this lesson about Maya Moore and seeing where she has come to, 
she's reached some great heights, I would like to see her play in the WNBA. 
I'm sure she would be amazing to watch. 
Right now we want to go over to the Info Cloud and learn from Steve and Ken. 
After that, we'll watch a review skit, and then learn from Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Maya Moore is an amazing athlete. 
Let's talk a bit about some of the reasons why. 
OK. We'll start with her standing vertical leap, which is sports talk for how high someone can jump from a standing position. 
Add Maya's amazing 66 centimeter vertical leap to her 183 centimeter frame and you've got, in theory, a player who is 2.5 meters tall. 
Wow! By the way, everyone, the average vertical leap for men in the NBA is 71 centimeters, just 5 more centimeters than Maya. 
OK. Another thing that makes Maya great is her quick muscle reflexes. 
With the help of modern technology, we've learned that Maya can move her hand faster than the striking speed of a rattlesnake! 
Incredible! 
Which helps her to steal the ball and cause turnovers, making her a feared defender. 
Finally, let's mention Maya's peripheral vision, which she skillfully uses to maintain a sense of what's happening on the court. 
She uses it to see where other players are and to predict when they're going. 
Which is valuable when you're playing defense, shooting the ball, driving toward the basket or setting up a play for a teammate. 
(Chinese). 
Go, go! 
I'm practicing basketball. 
I want to be like Maya Moore. 
I know. 
Hey, what happened to Maya after her mother lost her job? 
Well, they moved to Georgia, and Maya continued to play basketball. 
Was she on the high school team? 
Yeah. And she played against some of the nation's best players. 
Competition improves skills. 
Maya led her team to 125 victories. 
They won three state championships. 
That's great. 
Yeah. She was named the national player of the year twice. 
Twice is nice. 
Universities competed to recruit her. 
How did she choose which university? 
With careful consideration. 
And? 
And she chose the University of Connecticut. 
And? 
And she led the team to a 150 and 4 record. 
And? 
And after graduation, she was the first choice of the Minnesota Lynx. 
Hey, they won the WNBA title last year. 
Yeah. And Maya was named rookie of the year. 
Wow! That's amazing. 
Yeah. I think she's one of the best to ever play basketball. 
Hey, pass me the ball. 
Why? 
I want to practice and be like Maya Moore. 
Oh, yeah? Well, I want to be more like Maya Moore. 
No. I want to be more like Maya. 
No, I... it's my basketball. 
I want to be more like Maya. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And it's time to go back to our teachers. 
Well, you may not have seen Maya Moore play a game. 
But what is the most exciting live sports game that you have been to? 
What do you two think? 
Oh, well, a live sports game... I've been to a few. 
I've been to some basketball games in university and some baseball games. 
I think one exciting game was one that the score was pretty close at a baseball game. 
And um, some of the baseballs kept coming and being hit over into the stands where me and a couple of friends were. 
And so that was pretty exciting to see the baseballs hit in our direction. 
Carolyn, what about you? 
Well, that does sound very exciting. 
I have been to several girls' basketball games. 
The team at my high school was very good. 
And they went to the state championship every year; and for the past five years, they have won. 
They are the reigning state champions. 
And it's always a very close and exciting game. 
Well, it is fun to see a live sports event that is exciting. 
And I hope that you've had the chance, too. 
We're going to talk a little bit more about Maya Moore tomorrow on Studio Classroom. 
And we hope that you can join us. 
Until then, bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.03.20.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you are joining us for day three of our lesson: Maya Moore - Reaching for the Heights. 
We've been learning all about this basketball star Maya Moore, and she certainly has reached for the heights. 
And I think she continues to as well. 
We've learned a lot about her past over the last couple of days. 
Nathanael, what is something that we talked about? 
We met Maya when she was 8 years old living in Missouri and loved to watch the WNBA, which had just started. 
She dreamed of playing basketball in the Olympics. 
And then she moved with her mother to another state, North Carolina, for a new job for her mother and better basketball opportunities for herself. 
But this move did not go very well, and her mother lost her job. 
But they learned from this experience, and it brought them closer. 
All right. 
And then what happened, Carolyn? 
Well, she had a great partnership with her mother. 
They were teammates in life. 
And they ended up moving to Georgia, where they had even better basketball opportunities. 
And Maya led her team to state championships many times. 
And it seems like she's had a very successful career since then. 
All right. 
Well, it hasn't always been a bed of roses for Maya Moore, but obviously now she is very successful. 
Well, I'm excited to learn more about her in today's lesson. 
Let's get started. 
(Music). 
Maya Moore - Reaching for the Heights. 
Maya was chosen to play on the 2012 U.S.A. Olympic basketball team. 
She and her teammates went on to win the gold medal. 
A giving nature. 
Though she found success in basketball, Maya cares about much more than just the game. 
Everyone agrees that she strives to show respect to her mother. 
While in high school, Maya worked hard and was an honor student. 
She also spent much of her free time mentoring kids who needed help. 
She spent her days off taking children to amusement parks or feeding the hungry. 
Well, it certainly does seem like Maya has a giving nature. 
Let's go back to the beginning of our lesson for today, we read: 
Maya was chosen to play on the 2012 U.S.A. Olympic basketball team. 
That is a great honor. 
And it wasn't that long ago she was playing for the Olympics. 
She was playing basketball for the Olympic team. 
Well, Nathanael, how do we continue? 
The next sentence says: She and her teammates went on to win the gold medal. 
OK. Let's look at a phrase in this sentence: went on to. 
What does it mean to "go on to" or if you went on to something? 
I think of the sentence "Maya went on to fulfill her dreams." She wanted to play in the Olympics, and that's what she did. 
That's right. 
Well, this phrase means to continue to in the future do something that you probably wanted to do. 
So she went on to fulfill her dreams. 
You can also go on to fulfill your dreams. 
Or if you want to go to college, you can go on to get your college degree. 
How else can you use this, Gabe? 
Well, yeah. You think about successes when you use this phrase. 
Maybe you did something great, but there's something even better in the future, or maybe something a little different. 
I think of Doris Brougham who founded Studio Classroom. 
She came to Asia to tell people about God, and she went on to found Studio Classroom. 
Of course, she continues to tell people about God, but it talks about the different successes, the greater things that she is doing and that she continues to do. 
Of course, Maya Moore goes on to do even greater things. 
Carolyn, how does our lesson continue? 
Well, there's another word in the sentence that I'd like to talk about, the word "medal." Her team won the gold medeal at the Olympics. 
And this is a word from our Word Bank. 
And if you get a medal, then it is a kind of award. 
And usually you wear it around your neck, and it is made of "metal," with a T, not a D. 
Uh, can you tell us about the gold medals at the Olympics, Nathanael? 
Well, if you win a gold medal, it means that you have won first place. 
There are also silver medals for second place, and bronze medals for third place. 
So they were the champions of the Olympic event for women's basketball. 
How do we continue, Gabe? 
Well, I think we need to continue by learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
They have something important to tell us there. 
You know that phrase "practice makes perfect"? 
Well, it's wrong. 
What? Why? 
Let me explain. 
Let's look at the way Maya Moore shoots the basketball. 
It's picture perfect, right? 
It is! Maya launches the ball at a perfect trajectory and speed every time, enabling her to score a lot of points. 
Well, Maya developed her shooting form not by accident but through countless hours of practicing correctly. 
Eventually it became automatic because of muscle memory. 
Yes. Muscle memory is when we can use something without thinking because of constant practice and repetition. 
It's how we can ride bicycles, play extremely difficult pieces on the piano or solve the Rubik's Cube in 30 seconds. 
That's right. 
When you perform an action often enough, mental shortcuts are created enabling you to do that action without thinking. 
But be warned! Muscle memory doesn't distinguish between what is correct and what is incorrect. 
Oh, so if you're practicing something incorrectly, you're actually repeating a mistake over and over again. 
And that will go into your muscle memory, too. 
That's right. 
So maybe a better way to say that famous phrase is: Perfect practice makes perfect. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Yes, it's important to remember to have perfect practice. 
Perfect practice makes perfect. 
You want your muscles to remember to do things in the proper way. 
Well, here we're talking about Maya Moore's giving nature in this next section. 
A giving nature. 
Let's talk about that word for a minute. 
When I think of nature, I think of mountains and lakes and beaches. 
Nathanael, is that what we're talking about here? 
Well, not exactly. 
We're talking about a person's nature or what is kind of natural to them, what was always in them. 
You might say it is in his nature to be friendly. 
Friendliness is part of his nature. 
That's right. 
And there are many other kinds of nature. 
You might have a caring nature. 
Usually we say this kind of nature is a good thing - a friendly nature, a caring nature, or Maya has a giving nature. 
All right. 
Or you might also say it's not in someone's nature to do something. 
That's kind of strange, she's late today. 
It's not in her nature to be late. 
It's in her nature to be on time. 
So we're talking about Maya Moore and her giving nature. 
She's a generous person. 
And what do we learn about her, Carolyn? 
Well, we see: Though she found success in basketball, Maya cares about much more than just the game. 
So it's not only basketball that she wants to succeed in or that she cares about. 
She cares about much more than that. 
And what does she care about, Nathanael? 
Well, in the next sentence we see that everyone agrees that she strives to show respect to her mother. 
We've seen through this article that they are very close together. 
They're teammates, and they're a partnership, and they really care about each other. 
That's right. 
They strive to show respect; or she strives to show respect for her mother. 
That means it's not always easy, but she wants to do this. 
She strives for it. 
Well, we continue learning about Maya Moore. 
While in high school, Maya worked hard and was an honor student. 
She worked hard, and she was an honor student. 
Are you an honor student? 
Carolyn, what's an honor student? 
Well, an honor student is someone who gets very good grades. 
They work very hard in school. 
And the school usually recognizes them for their great work, for how hard they are trying. 
You can be an honor student. 
I... I was an honor student in school. 
You were an honor student. 
Was there anything in particular that you were good at, an honor student at everything or just a certain subject? 
Well, I had very good grades in all of my subjects because I worked very hard and tried to do my best in everything. 
So I... I was an honor student in all of my classes. 
All right, so that's an honor student. 
We have one working with us today. 
Well, we continue learning about Maya Moore. 
She also spent much of her free time mentoring kids who needed help. 
Mentoring, that's giving advice or being there for somebody. 
She spent her days off taking children to amusement parks... hey, amusement parks or feeding the hungry. 
Let's talk about these words, "amusement park." They're from our Word Bank. 
An amusement park is a fun place where you can go and maybe ride some different rides, enjoy different activities. 
Nathanael, do you like amusement parks? 
I do like amusement parks a lot. 
And my favorite part of them is roller coasters. 
I really enjoy roller coasters. 
Well, Carolyn, what do you enjoy about amusement parks? 
Well, I also really like the roller coasters, but a lot of amusement parks have performances. 
And I really like to see the shows that they put on at the parks as well. 
Well, there are so many different kinds of amusement parks. 
Where do you like to go if you go to an amusement park? 
We want to continue right now by learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.20.B

We've been learning a lot about Maya Moore. 
And today we saw that she went to the Olympics. 
She fulfilled her dream, and her team went on to win that gold medal in women's basketball. 
We also saw that Maya has a very giving nature. 
She's not just about basketball. 
She cares about many other things such as taking children to amusement parks or feeding the hungry. 
She has a very giving nature. 
Well, we're going to learn a little bit more about Maya in our next reading for today. 
(Music). 
Maya Moore - Reaching for the Heights. 
According to her high school coach Tracey Tipton, Maya is motivated most by her belief in God. 
"She wants to make a difference in the lives of people around her," says Tipton. 
Maya offers young people the following suggestion. 
"Surround yourself with winners. ... Surround yourself with people who have good character. 
... And just work your hardest." Those are wise words to live and win by! 
Well, those are some wise words from Maya Moore. 
And we also heard some words from someone else who knew Maya Moore. 
According to her high school coach Tracey Tipton, Maya is motivated most by her belief in God. 
Well, her high school coach Tracey Tipton remembers this about Maya. 
She is motivated by her belief in God. 
Let's take a look at that word: motivate. 
If something motivates you, that means it causes you to do something, or to be a certain person or act in a certain way. 
Carolyn, how might you use that word? 
Well, you can have many different things that motivate you. 
Maybe your friends encourage you to do things. 
They... they tell you that you can do it, and you feel motivated. 
You are motivated to do something. 
How else can you use this word, Nathanael? 
Well, sometimes we say "motivated" as an adjective and kind of leave it at that. 
She is very motivated. 
It means maybe she's always trying to do something new or trying to work very hard, very motivated. 
I like that. 
And I think that we can say that Maya Moore is very motivated. 
Well, what's she motivated by? 
She's motivated by her belief in God. 
We continue by hearing something that Tracey Tipton said: 
She wants to make a difference in the lives of people around her. 
She wants to make a difference. 
So she's motivated by her belief in God, God made a difference in her life. 
Now she wants to make a difference in other people's lives. 
You can make a positive difference. 
Well, how do you want to make a difference in the lives of other people? 
Nathanael, how do you want to make a difference in other people's lives? 
Well, I do want to make people's lives better, and there are different ways to do that. 
I also want to be part of telling people the truth that they need to hear. 
And I believe that that is about God. 
And that's what many of us here at Studio Classroom try to do. 
That's right. 
Well, we do want to make a difference. 
How do you want to make a difference? 
Let's continue learning about Maya. 
What do we know here, Carolyn? 
Well, we did see that Tracey Tipton... "She wants to make a difference in the lives of people around her," says Tipton. 
And after that, we see: Maya offers young people the following suggestion. 
So now Maya is going to give us some advice. 
Surround yourself with winners. 
Surround yourself with people who have good character. ... And just work your hardest. 
So in her advice we see this word a couple of times, "surround." And it is from our Word Bank. 
To surround yourself means to have something around you. 
Not just in front or behind or beside you, but on every side, all around you. 
How might you use this word, Gabe? 
Surround, surround... 
Well, maybe you might talk about a celebrity who is surrounded by cameras and microphones, and they're asking her questions. 
She's surrounded by these people. 
How might you use that phrase? 
Well, I think that you don't want to get yourself surrounded on the basketball court. 
You're playing basketball, you always want a way out or a player, a teammate to throw to. 
Don't get yourself surrounded. 
That's right. 
And a lot of times we think of if you go to the movie theater, you want to go to a theater with surround sound so that it feels very real. 
But Maya says that we should surround ourselves with winners and people with good character, people who have positive attitudes and are good people. 
Well, how do we continue, Nathanael? 
Well, after she gives her last piece of advice, there's one more short sentence. 
Those are wise words to live and win by. 
So we know that Maya has been successful in what she's done. 
And she tries to do good things to other people. 
And she is motivated by many different things. 
So we can listen to this advice from her and trust it. 
Exactly. I like this advice from her, too. 
She gives a couple different pieces of advice. 
Surround yourself with winners, with people who have good character, and just work your hardest. 
I think it is very important to make sure that people around you do have good character. 
They can help you to also keep good character as well. 
Well, we have more to learn with Liz in the Grammar Gym, and then something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi there, friends. 
How are you doing today? 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
We've been talking about the amazing young basketball player Maya Moore in our PROFILE article. 
And the writer ends the article with this sentence: 
Those are wise words to live and win by! 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Basically it means: Those are wise words to live your life with and to win games with. 
Notice the word "by." It is used to talk about how something is done. 
For example: 
Before the game begins, each player will be given the rules to play by. 
Or: All new employees must learn the work procedure that everyone has to go by. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
And that's it for now. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
Bye-bye. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
Now let's go back to our teachers. 
Well, we've learned many wonderful things about Maya Moore over the last couple of days. 
She is a very successful basketball player. 
And of course, she is motivated by her belief in God. 
And we also know that she surrounds herself with people who are winners and who have good character. 
My question for you is: Who do you surround yourself with? 
Nathanael? 
Well, I like to have positive people around me, people that will encourage but also to see the bright side of things, the good side of things. 
I think it's important to have those kind of people with you. 
Carolyn, what about you? 
Well, here in Taipei, I try to surround myself with people from my Bible study group, 
people from church because they all have very good character and are very supportive. 
Well, I agree with both of those things. 
I also like to surround myself with people who will encourage me to become a better person, 
not just to stay where I am, but to continue to improve in every aspect of life. 
It's very important to surround yourself with good people. 
Well, we will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.03.21.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And it's an amazing day. 
It's a great day to talk about Amazing Bridges. 
That's right. 
Over the next couple of days, we will be learning about some amazing bridges around the world. 
Well, this just makes me think. 
I mean, you've seen many different kinds of bridges, I'm sure. 
What bridge comes to your mind when you think about a bridge? 
Nathanael, what bridge comes to your mind? 
Well, I do think of a few, but one of them is a very famous bridge called the Brooklyn Bridge. 
The south part of New York City has the Brooklyn Bridge. 
And I've walked on it twice. 
And I always think it's very interesting to walk across it. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Do you think of any bridges? 
Well, the first bridge I think of is the one that I can see from the kitchen window in my house in West Virginia. 
But there's also a very famous bridge in West Virginia called the New River Gorge Bridge. 
And it's very, very tall and very, very long because it spans the tops of two mountains. 
That's so cool. 
There are many different kinds of bridges. 
I think of a bridge that I jumped off of. 
Obviously it's not a very high bridge, but I jumped off into a river below. 
That was quite fun. 
Well, we're going to learn about different bridges today. 
So open your magazine and let's get started with the first reading. 
(Music). 
Amazing Bridges. 
Bringing cultures and people closer together. 
Bridges come in many shapes and sizes, from simple spans to architectural wonders. 
People admire their beauty. 
The Sydney Harbour Bridge, Tower Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge draw countless tourists each year. 
Bridges are an important part of our transportation system, too. 
Imagine trying to get to work or school without any bridges! 
Amazing design. 
While all bridges rely on careful engineering, some attract attention because of their interesting examples of design. 
The Magdeburg Water Bridge in Germany is a wonderful example and looks a lot like an optical illusion. 
It certainly sounds like there are a lot of very interesting bridges out there that we can learn about. 
And in today's article we see that bridges bring cultures and people closer together. 
And the first sentence in our article says: Bridges come in many shapes and sizes, from simple spans to architectural wonders. 
And a span is just something that goes from one point to another point. 
So earlier I said that the bridge in West Virginia spans two mountaintops. 
It goes from one point to the other. 
Continuing on in the article we see that people admire their beauty. 
And what are some of these bridges that people admire, Nathanael? 
The next sentence has many examples. 
The Sydney Harbour Bridge, Tower Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge draw countless tourists each year. 
"Countless" is like saying you can't count them because there are so many - so many tourists each year. 
That's right. 
And we continue on with: Bridges are an important part of our transportation system, too. 
And in this sentence we see a key word, "transportation." And bridges are a very important part of our transportation system. 
What is transportation, Gabe? 
Well, transportation is how you get around. 
So do you take a bus? 
Maybe you take a taxi, the subway. 
These are all different forms of transportation. 
When we talk about forms of transportation, we think about those things. 
A bridge is not a form of transportation, but you definitely need bridges to get from one place to another in some areas. 
This helps with transportation. 
That's right. 
So many times a bus will have to cross over a river. 
If you were taking public transportation on a bus, then you might need a bridge to get to the other side of the river. 
How else would you use this word, Nathanael? 
Well, I was thinking that while I was in the United States, my main form or main kind of transportation was by car. 
But now that I'm in Taipei, I mostly use public transportation to get around, mostly the subway, sometimes buses. 
Yes. So there's a great public transportation system here. 
And it's important to have bridges in our transportation system to get from one point to the next. 
Now continuing in the article: Imagine trying to get to work or school without any bridges. 
Is that possible for you? 
How many bridges do you cross on your way to school or on your way to work? 
I don't cross any bridges. 
Do you, Gabe? 
I don't cross any bridges, either. 
I actually live pretty close by to where I work. 
Um, but I do like this sentence right here. 
It says imagine something without something else. 
Imagine trying to get to work or school without any bridges. 
I mean, you could use that sentence in different ways. 
Imagine driving without hands. 
Of course that's pretty dangerous. 
Don't do it. 
You could say imagine the world without mountains. 
Well, that would be pretty boring. 
Nathanael, how else might you use that phrase, "imagine something without something else"? 
Well, imagine school without class! 
What reason would there be to go? 
Or school without rules? 
I think it would be a mess at a school without rules. 
That's right. 
Imagine the world without Studio Classroom. 
It just wouldn't be the same. 
Studio Classroom is amazing. 
Right? 
That is right. 
And we're going to learn about something else that is amazing - the amazing design of these bridges. 
And continuing in the article it says: 
While all bridges rely on careful engineering, some attract attention because of their interesting examples of design. 
Now Nathanael, you and I were kind of talking about this word "engineering" earlier. 
Can you explain a little bit more about this Word Bank word? 
Well, it is a Word Bank word, so it's very important for today. 
Engineering is kind of like taking science and math and using them in useful ways, practical ways, uh, 
maybe for something like building bridges but also for maybe uh, making different kinds of structures as well like... like buildings or machines. 
These are all different kinds of engineering. 
That's right. 
How else might you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, I think that if you want to go to school to study engineering, MIT is a good one for that. 
There are some other famous schools around the world where you can go and study engineering, or to become an engineer. 
So there are different forms of that word as well. 
If you're studying engineering, you want to become an engineer of some kind. 
That's right. 
Well, let's see if we can cross another little bridge and go see what Liz has for us today in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We see this sentence in today's article: 
While all bridges rely on careful engineering, some attract attention because of their interesting examples of design. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the sentence pattern: 
While all [situation A], some [situation B]. 
This is a very simple but useful sentence pattern. 
And it's usually used in formal situations, especially in writing. 
Here are some examples. 
While all students have classes from Monday through Friday, some take special classes on Saturdays. 
Or: While all tourists visit the base of the waterfall, some take the extra time to hike to the top of the waterfall. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, you'll find them in today's Grammar Tip section in your Studio Classroom magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
Bye-bye. 
Thanks, Liz. 
Well, continuing in our article we see that the Magdeburg Water Bridge in Germany is a wonderful example and looks a lot like an optical illusion. 
So this bridge in Germany is a great design, an amazing design and looks like an optical illusion. 
So "optical" means your eyes, something to do with your eyes. 
So it is a trick of the eye, an illusion. 
And Gabe, I think you have an optical illusion for us, don't you? 
Well, yes. I have a pen here. 
And if I move my pen in the right way, it looks like the panic is not straight but it is rubber. 
Let's see if it's going right now. 
Does it look like my pen is rubber? 
Yes. 
This is a trick that I learned in the fourth grade, an optical illusion. 
But Carolyn... 
Let me... let me see that pen, Gabe. 
I... I'm not sure if it's actually a rubber pen, maybe... 
It's... it's not rubber. 
It's straight. 
Yeah. Don't break it! 
Oh... sorry, sorry. 
Um, no, it's a real pen. It's not made of rubber. 
Thank you, Gabriel. 
Yeah. 
Thank you. 
No problem. Thank you. 
Yeah. OK. 
Well um, I think that there is some more illusion information waiting for us in the Information Cloud. 
And then we will see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, friends. 
Let's talk about various sensory illusions today. 
Illusions are distortions in our sensory perception. 
They deceive and mislead us into thinking something is a certain way when, in reality, it's not. 
For most of us, vision is our most dominant sense. 
So we're most familiar with optical illusions - that is illusions that deceive our eyes. 
The most well-known example is perhaps the mirage: seeing water in the middle of a desert when, in reality, there is no water at all. 
Right. 
But there are other kinds of illusions, too, such as auditory illusions or sounds that trick our ears. 
One illusion is called the Shepherd tone. 
During the audio test, sets of tones seem to be rising and falling in pitch, but they're really not. 
It's kind of like the audio version of a spinning barbershop pole. 
Good example. 
And finally there are tactile illusions. 
One of the more famous is called the thermal grill. 
It's made up of small alternating metal bars or tubes, half warm about 40 degrees and half cold, say, 20 degrees. 
Both safe temperatures, but when you touch the grill, you feel as though your hand is burning. 
But don't worry, it's not. 
It's just an illusion. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.21.B

Well, we're talking about bridges today, and not just any bridges, but amazing bridges, bridges that are very unique. 
Of course, bridges are often beautiful, and many people go to see them. 
But they might also have an amazing and useful design, amazing designs like the Magdeburg Water Bridge, which looks like an optical illusion is one example. 
But there are more to come in the rest of today's reading. 
Let's go there now. 
(Music). 
Amazing Bridges. 
As strange as it sounds, the bridge connects two canals and allows their water to pass over the Elbe River. 
The bridge works like a "concrete bathtub" and helps boats avoid a long and difficult journey down the river. 
Another showcase of bridge design is the Gateshead Millennium Bridge in England. 
The bridge is made of two steel arches that tip up to allow boats to pass underneath. 
Each time this self-cleaning bridge tips up, trash rolls along the bridge and into traps at either end. 
We are learning about some very interesting bridges today. 
And going back to the Magdeburg Bridge in Germany, we see: 
As strange as it sounds, the bridge connects two canals and allows their water to pass over the Elbe River. 
So this bridge is going over a river, but the bridge is also for water. 
It connects two canals. 
And we see at the beginning of the sentence "as strange as it sounds." And this is an extra phrase we want to talk about because it's quite useful. 
Nathanael, how might you use this phrase, "as strange as it sounds"? 
Well, of course you use it when you're saying something that uh, someone you're talking to may not expect. 
As strange as it sounds, I think I learn the most from bad experiences. 
So that could be a little bit surprising and might sound a little bit strange for the person you're talking to. 
What about you, Gabe? 
Yeah, actually, that one's a little more strange, or stranger. 
I... as strange as it sounds, I grew up in Taiwan. 
You look at me, and I don't look Taiwanese. 
But as strange as it sounds, I did. 
I grew up here. 
Well, there are different ways you could use that phrase, "as strange as it sounds." So use it today when you are talking with somebody. 
That's right. 
And as strange as it sounds, we need to get back to our reading. 
Actually, that is not a strange phrase; that is true. 
And we also see another word in this sentence. 
It is a Word Bank word for today, canals. 
And a canal is a waterway. 
Gabe, can you tell us a little bit about a canal? 
Yeah. Well, it's a little different. 
It's kind of a waterway that is made by people, so it's not natural. 
Canal is a manmade waterway. 
Sometimes I think of sewage canals that allows sewage to pass through somewhere. 
That's not very pleasant. 
There are better, more pleasant canals in the world. 
That's right. 
And Nathanael, could you tell us maybe what some canals are used for? 
Well, there're some very famous canals. 
And one of the first ones that I think of is the Panama Canal, 
which allows ships to go across or through South America around Panama rather than having to go all the way south around the whole continent. 
That's right. 
So canals are usually made by people who want to be able to get from one point to another quicker. 
So they make a new river called a canal. 
It can also be used for watering crops. 
They need more water, so they make a canal. 
Well, continuing on we see that the bridge works like a "concrete bathtub" and helps boats avoid a long and difficult journey down the river. 
So it sounds like this river is not very easy for boats to travel on, so they made a canal that goes over the river instead. 
And we see another key word from our Word Bank here in this sentence: concrete. 
And concrete is a building material. 
What can you tell us about concrete, Nathanael? 
Well, concrete has some different things inside of it. 
Usually there are some pieces of stone or maybe other hard things like that, um, like pebbles or gravel. 
But also it has cement, which is like a powder that comes from a rock. 
And when you mix it all together and it dries, it's very hard. 
That's right. 
So what are some things that might be made of concrete, Gabe? 
Well, a lot of houses or apartments now are made with concrete. 
They're made of concrete as opposed to wood or something else. 
You can also use this word in another way to talk about something that is easy to understand as opposed to abstract. 
So we have given you some concrete examples of how to use this word. 
You can understand that a house is made with concrete. 
That's a concrete example of how to use this word. 
That's right. 
But we don't usually see "concrete bathtubs," so it is in quotation marks. 
Well, continuing on we see: 
Another showcase of bridge design is the Gateshead Millennium Bridge in England. 
Now Nathanael, can you tell us a little about this bridge, and why it is a showcase? 
Well, a showcase is like some kind of amazing example or demonstration of something. 
So here we're talking about a showcase in this bridge. 
And the bridge is described in the next sentence: 
The bridge is made of two steel arches that tip up to allow boats to pass underneath. 
I recommend that you go to YouTube, type in the name of this bridge and see it for yourself. 
It is very interesting. 
But I think that there's an important word that we need to talk about here. 
What is that word, Gabe? 
The word is "underneath." That's right. 
It's from our Word Bank. 
And if you talk about something underneath, that means it is under. 
So I think about maybe um, lifting up rocks and seeing the insects or cockroaches running around underneath. 
How else could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, if we're walking along and I see something on the sidewalk, but then you step on it. 
I might say: Oh, what is underneath your foot? Is that money? 
I think... I think you stepped on some money, Gabe. 
Nice. What is underneath my foot? 
That would be nice to have money underneath my shoe. 
How else could you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, you might talk or ask what's underneath the table. 
Is the dog underneath the table? 
Are you feeding the dog underneath the table? 
Something like that. 
All right. Well, we have one more thing to look at here. 
Each time this self-cleaning bridge tips up, trash rolls along the bridge and into traps at either end. 
So it's a self-cleaning bridge. 
It cleans itself. 
That's one of its functions. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Let's get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
All of this talk about interesting bridges reminds me of a bridge that I've been on that was covered in fog every time we went across it. 
And it was in West Virginia and very scary. 
And I wonder have you guys been on a bridge that was kind of scary? 
We always call this one "the ghost bridge." Nathanael, have you been on a scary bridge? 
Well, last summer I was acting in a movie. 
And I had to run across a small kind of bouncy, shaky bridge while holding a real metal sword in my hand, and it was quite high. 
So I was a little nervous when I did that. 
It was kind of fun, but maybe a little nervous, too. 
That does sound a little bit scary to run across a bridge with a sword. 
Uh, Gabe, have you had an experience like that? 
Well, I just remember being scared reading the story the Three Billy Goats Gruff as a young child because these three goats had to go across a bridge. 
The bridge wasn't scary, but what was underneath was very scary. 
It was a scary story. 
It can be a scary story, but you don't need to be afraid of bridges. 
And we're going to talk about them some more. 
So we'll see you here again on Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.03.22.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
An I'm Nathanael. 
And you are joining us for day two of our lesson - Amazing Bridges. 
And hey, bridges! 
That makes me think of a song that I used to sing when I was a kid: London Bridge is falling down. 
Do you guys want to play? 
I haven't played that in years. 
Well, I... I know that game, but I don't know if we really have enough people. 
Of course, we do. 
We can get people from the studio. 
Hey, is anybody out there who wants to play? 
Oh, wow. 
Excellent! Here we go. 
London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. 
London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady. 
Hey. 
That's not a lady. 
Oh, yeah. That's not a lady. 
We should do this again. 
OK, one more time. 
We'll try. 
Try again. 
London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. 
London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady. 
That's the one we want. 
I was right. 
Thank you. Thank you all. 
Thank you. 
All our guest stars. 
Great job, you guys. 
Well, that was... that was a lot of fun. 
I... I miss playing these games about bridges. 
And maybe we should start learning some more about bridges. 
Yeah. We do have a lot more to learn. 
Let's do that right now. 
Open your magazine. 
We'll get started with the first reading for today. 
(Music). 
Amazing Bridges. 
Different roles. 
Bridges do many things in addition to spanning obstacles. 
The Khaju Bridge in Esfahan, Iran, illustrates some of the roles bridges play. 
Built around 1650, the bridge's graceful arches have provided people with a shady meeting place for hundreds of years. 
In the middle of the bridge sits an octagonal pavilion with an art gallery. 
It also acts as a dam. 
By blocking the flow of the Zayandeh River, the bridge provides water for gardens on its upstream side. 
Steps along its downstream side provide locals with a place for doing laundry. 
We know that there are many kinds of bridges that do different things, so we could say that bridges have different roles. 
And the first sentence of this section says: 
Bridges do many things in addition to spanning obstacles. 
Now we talked about this word "spanning," to cross over from one point to another. 
But this word "obstacles" is new, and it's a key word for today that we want to talk about. 
Obstacle. 
How would you describe an obstacle, Carolyn? 
Well, an obstacle could be something that is in the way. 
And a bridge usually tries to get past an obstacle. 
Maybe a river that's difficult to cross, you build a bridge over it. 
It's no longer an obstacle, and it is no longer in your way. 
But obstacle can have many meanings, right, Gabe? 
Well, that's right. 
I think it could be anything in your way of something that you want to do. 
So you could talk about the obstacles that you face in life. 
What is your goal? 
What obstacles are in the way? 
In studying acting, I had to think about the obstacles in the way of my character. 
My character had a goal. 
What obstacles are in his way? 
He has to get through those obstacles. 
How else could you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, sometimes you might actually use obstacles to put something in the way of something to stop something from happening, like road obstacles. 
If you see a road obstacle, you know that maybe that's an area that's being repaired. 
So they could be positive or negative in that way. 
Now we have another bridge that we're going to talk about. 
Can you read the next sentence, please, Gabe? 
Yes. We see that Kahju Bridge in Esfahan, Iran, illustrates some of the roles bridges play. 
So this illustrates, or this kind of helps to demonstrate the different roles that bridges play. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word. 
It is: illustrate. 
Now if you illustrate something, usually I think of maybe someone who has illustrated a book. 
That means they've animated it. 
They've drawn pictures inside to help tell the story. 
But I think it could be used in other ways, right, Carolyn? 
That's right. 
Well, here it just means that it shows it is an example of how bridges can be used. 
And you could have maybe a story but without pictures that illustrates the importance of something. 
So if there is a moral to the story, then the story illustrates the importance of honesty, that moral. 
How else might you use this word, Nathanael? 
I think we often wear clothes that illustrate our personality. 
What we wear can tell you a little bit about what kind of person we are. 
OK. Now we learn a little bit more about this bridge in the next sentence. 
It says: Built around 1650, the bridge's graceful arches have provided people with a shady meeting place for hundreds of years. 
So this is an old bridge. 
But there's an important word here as well. 
Graceful. 
We want to look at this key word also: graceful. 
Graceful, I think of as being something that moves very well, but it looks very beautiful. 
What other ways can you describe this word? 
Or what is something that is graceful, Gabe? 
Well, yeah, something that does not look awkward, it flows smoothly, something is graceful. 
I think of a graceful dancer. 
Some of them look great while they're dancing on stage. 
I also use it in a slightly different way to talk about the way that you speak. 
You want to be graceful with your words. 
That means you make other people feel good or feel comfortable with the things that you say. 
You have graceful words, not mean words. 
That's right. 
And I often think of ballet as being a very graceful form of dance. 
Well, if we continue on with the article we see that in the middle of the bridge sits an octagonal pavilion with an art gallery. 
So that's something very unique. 
There aren't usually art galleries in the middle of bridges. 
How does it continue, Nathanael? 
Well, it also acts as a dam, which is just another role that this bridge, the Kahju Bridge in Iran, plays. 
As you see, it has many different roles just though it's one bridge. 
OK. What's the next sentence, Gabe? 
Well, we continue. 
By blocking the flow of the Zayandeh River, the bridge provides water for gardens on its upstream side. 
And steps along its downstream side provide locals with a place for doing laundry. 
So how does this look, Carolyn? 
What are we talking about here? 
Well, it sounds like if you are on the bridge and you look upstream, you're looking where the water is coming from. 
Then there's water for gardens. 
But if you look downstream away from the bridge and where the water is flowing to, there are places for people to do their laundry. 
So you have gardens on one side, and people washing their clothes on the other side of this bridge, with an art gallery in the middle of it. 
So it's a very unusual bridge. 
That's right. 
It's unusual. 
It seems like quite a sight, not just the bridge, but also everything that's going on around it. 
Well, we do have more to learn with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud, and then we will join Michelle. 
Hi, friends. 
There are lots of "up - down" word pairs in English. 
Surprisingly, the majority of them, like upload and download, have no relation to location. 
So today let's talk about a few that do. 
Hopefully "upstairs" and "downstairs" don't require any explanation. 
But this one might: uptown and downtown. 
Uptown could mean the northern part of a city, but it could also mean a city's upscale residential area, regardless of the location. 
Likewise, downtown could mean the southern part of a city or simply the historic or central business district. 
OK. Our next "up - down" word pair comes from sports that are played on a field like football and rugby: upfield and downfield. 
Simply stated, upfield and downfield are opposite ends of a field. 
But which word to use would depend on 1. where your team is on the field, and 2. whether your team is at that moment playing defense or offense. 
OK. We should also mention upwind and downwind. 
Upwind means into or against the wind, 
while downwind means in the same direction that the wind is blowing, an important distinction for hunters, bikers and sailors. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.22.B

Well, we've been learning all about bridges. 
And earlier today we learned about a bridge in Iran called the Khaju Bridge over the Zayandeh River. 
And we found out that this bridge illustrates the different roles that bridges can play. 
There is an art gallery on this bridge in an octagonal pavilion, so an eight-sided building almost. 
There's an art gallery there. 
It sounds like quite a sight, something that you might want to visit. 
Well, it's time for us to get started with the second reading for today. 
(Music). 
Amazing Bridges. 
Bridges in language and culture. 
Bridges also play a role in the English language. 
We warn people not to cross a bridge until they come to it and not to burn their bridges. 
The past becomes water under the bridge. 
Culturally, bridges are a symbol of change. 
They feature in songs like "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and movies like the Bridge on the River Kwai. 
They also feature prominently in stories from around the world. 
From transportation to culture, bridges play important roles in our daily lives. 
In this section, you see that we're not talking about actual bridges that you can cross exactly in this section, 
but other kinds of bridges - bridges in language and culture. 
So let's start this section. 
It says, "Bridges also play a role in the English language," as we see here. 
And the next sentence is very interesting because it has a lot of different expressions that you might not have heard before. 
Can you start this sentence, Carolyn? 
Certainly. 
We see: We warn people not to cross a bridge until they come to it and not to burn their bridges. 
So here we have two great bridge-related phrases. 
The first one is not to cross a bridge until they come to it. 
And we do want to talk about this phrase. 
Gabe, can you explain what this means? 
Well, if you don't cross a bridge until you come to it, that means maybe you have many things you are going to decide about. 
And maybe some things in the future that you need to decide, but if you worry about it now, that's not a good thing. 
Don't cross that bridge until you come to it. 
You can decide on it in the future. 
Don't cross the bridge right now. 
Cross the bridge when you come to it. 
That's right. 
So when you actually face that problem or that situation, then you can deal with it. 
Don't waste time worrying about it now. 
And the second one in there was not to burn their bridges. 
Nathanael, what does this phrase mean? 
Well, don't think about it literally, but think about it maybe mostly in terms of relationships. 
You don't want to ruin relationships or burn the bridge between two people. 
You want to make sure that you're still on good terms, that your relationship is still good even when you... maybe you have to say goodbye. 
Or there's a lot of different cases when you could use it. 
What might be a situation, Gabe? 
Well, I have to say that I have burned my bridges in the past with people that used to be friends. 
And I hurt them; I accidentally burned my bridges. 
And we don't have a good relationship now. 
Have you burned your bridges? 
Well, I hope not. 
You want to try to maintain good relationships. 
Well, you can go back, get in touch with somebody, and there are no hurt feelings. 
Everything is good. 
Don't burn your bridges. 
But Carolyn, what's the third idiom that we see here? 
Yes, there is a third one. 
We see that the past becomes water under the bridge. 
And if water is going under the bridge, it's not the same water. 
It continues to flow. 
And it's different water, and it goes far, far away, so. 
This is a really great phrase. 
And Nathanael, could you use this phrase for us? 
Oh, sure. Of course. 
It means that something has already happened, it's already passed. 
So maybe you did something bad to me in the past or something that I didn't appreciate, and I was mad then. 
But now it's water under the bridge. 
It's over. 
I've forgiven you. 
And we're OK now. 
That's right. 
So maybe you feel like you burned bridges, but the other person is forgiving. 
They might say it's water under the bridge. 
It's kind of the opposite of that first idiom, cross a bridge when you come to it. 
You're worried about something in the future. 
But here we can learn that you don't have to worry about something in the past. 
It's water under the bridge. 
Well, we continue in our lesson, it says: 
Culturally, bridges are a symbol of change. 
And how do we continue, Nathanael? 
Well, they feature in songs like "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and movies like the Bridge on the River Kwai. 
Both of these are very famous things in, at least, American culture. 
But I think that many English speakers know of this song and this movie. 
Do you know this song, Carolyn? 
I do know this song. 
It's very well-known. 
Like a bridge over troubled water... Yeah, so it's... it's a very nice song. 
And we see that bridges in our article also feature prominently in stories from around the world. 
So not just songs and movies, but also stories. 
And there is the key word here, "prominently" from our Word Bank. 
And if something is prominent, then it is very important. 
It is a key point. 
Gabe, can you tell us more about "prominent"? 
Well, yes. 
You just used this word as adverb and as an adjective. 
Usually I use the word as an adjective, prominent. 
He's a prominent person on his campus. 
A lot of people like him. 
They need him, they listen to him. 
He's a prominent person, prominent figure. 
Um, or you could also talk about a prominent person in history, like an important president or a leader of a country, a prominent person in history. 
How could you use that word, Nathanael? 
I was thinking if you tell someone directions to go somewhere, you might say something like: 
Oh, you won't have any trouble finding it. 
It's a very prominent building. 
It sticks out. 
It's easy to see. 
OK, moving on. 
Next sentence says: From transportation to culture, bridges play important roles in our daily lives. 
And a lot of different roles, too. 
And now it's time to see a review skit, after which, we'll talk to Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Wow! Bridges are really amazing. 
Yeah. They come in many shapes and sizes. 
Some are simple. 
Some are architectural wonders. 
Bridges are also an important part of our transportation system. 
Right. 
And in addition to spanning obstacles, bridges play other roles. 
Yeah. They play a role in the English language. 
Right. 
Huh? They do? 
Sure. 
Sometimes people say: Cross that bridge when you come to it. 
Oh, yeah. 
That means you can deal with the situation later when it comes up. 
That's right. 
Sometimes people warn others not to burn their bridges. 
Oh. When you're crossing a bridge to something new like a new job, don't ruin those old relationships. 
Hmm, that's good advice. 
You may need to cross back over the bridge someday. 
Yeah. Oh, and how about the phrase "water under the bridge"? 
Oh. Once the water passes under a bridge, it's gone. 
That's just like things that happened in the past. 
They're like water under the bridge. 
They're gone. 
So culturally, bridges are a symbol of change. 
That's right. 
And they feature in songs, too. 
Oh, yeah. 
London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. 
And like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down. 
Hey, and don't forget Bridge over the River Kwai. 
Yeah! Hey, let's do that one. 
(Music). 
Hey, wait for me. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And keep watching as our lesson continues. 
We talked a lot about a lot of different kinds of bridges today that do very different things. 
So which one do you think was the most impressive or the most interesting, Carolyn? 
Well, I really like the Magdeburg Bridge in Germany where it's a bridge that doesn't have cars on it, but a bridge that has water on it for boats to travel. 
I think it's a very interesting idea to have a river over a river. 
That does sound really cool, kind of an optical illusion like this little pen trick that I did yesterday. 
How very exciting. 
I also think about the Khaju Bridge I would like to visit because I think it will be fun to visit Iran as well and see what else they offer there. 
It does look like quite an interesting sight, too. 
What bridge did you find most interesting? 
You can think about that. 
We hope you enjoyed this article. 
And come back and see us next time on Studio Classroom. 
Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.03.23.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we want to thank you for joining us here today. 
We're talking about a very important issue today - Plagiarism. 
And it's called here "a common crime." Well, crime, of course, is not good. 
There are many different crimes around the world, many things that people do wrong, things that are illegal. 
Nathanael, what kinds of things come to your mind when you think of crime? 
Well, one that I think is also very common is downloading because it's a kind of theft if you're downloading like movies or music that you should be paying for. 
All right. 
So that's a crime because people aren't getting paid what they should if other people are just getting their things for free. 
Carolyn, what kinds of things do you think about when you think of crime? 
Well, when I think of something that is a very common crime, I think of animal abuse. 
I care a lot about animals. 
And a lot of people do not take care of their animals the way they should. 
They abuse them. 
And this is actually a crime in many places. 
All right. 
Well, there are lots of different kinds of crimes. 
Some that readily come to mind are like murder or theft. 
Those are easier to think of when you think of the word "crime." But today we're going to talk about one that maybe doesn't occur naturally to you: Plagiarism. 
Let's get started with the first reading of our lesson today. 
(Music). 
Plagiarism: A Common Crime. 
Are you an idea thief? 
An important assignment is returned face-down on your desk, and you turn it over to see a big, red 0 on it! 
You did so much research and spent so many nights burning the midnight oil on this paper - how could this happen? 
You plagiarized - that's what happened. 
Plagiarism is presenting another source's material as your own, which students often do, though it's considered to be both theft and fraud. 
Obviously if you simply take an online article and call it your own, you are an unrepentant plagiarist. 
But you will be given the same label if you use just one quotation or concept from another's work without giving credit to the original author. 
People across the world have had degrees and positions revoked for such actions. 
Wow! Plagiarism can have some pretty serious consequences. 
Well, we see here just under the title, there's a question. 
Are you an idea thief? 
Are you an idea thief? 
Do you steal other people's ideas? 
We're going to learn a little bit more about this idea in the Information Cloud with Steve and Ken. 
And then we'll be right back. 
Taking and using someone else's idea is as old as time. 
Especially in the arts. 
Whether it's a dancer, a film director, an artist or a rock guitarist, artists first learn their craft by studying and copying the greats that went before them. 
So when you listen to a new pop song, you might hear something that's another artist's influence. 
This is acceptable and is to be expected. 
However, there are times when a musician outright steals another artist's song - and that is unacceptable. 
It's musical plagiarism, and it happens one of two ways: either the artist steals someone else's musical idea like a melody, 
or the artist takes a portion of someone else's previously recorded song and reuses it. 
Right. And that's called sampling. 
Sampling has been around for a long time. 
And no one really cared about it until the 1980s when rap artists began to find financial success with songs containing samples of other artists' songs. 
As always, once money became involved, people started paying attention. 
So in the U.S., anyway, unless an artist gives permission or is given credit and royalties, the sampling musician can expect to be sued. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
That gave me something good to think about. 
Well, let's get started with our lesson. 
The first sentence says: 
An important assignment is returned face-down on your desk, and you turn it over to see a big, red 0 on it. 
All right. 
So you did some homework, and you got your assignment returned to you face-down. 
Nathanael, what does that mean, "face-down"? 
Well, if something is face-down, it's like its face is pointing down. 
So the side of your paper that has writing on it, that's the face - it is down on your desk. 
All right. 
Your paper was face-down. 
Another phrase that occurs to me is when someone falls face-down in the dirt or face-down in the mud, not a very comfortable feeling. 
Well, let's continue with this lesson about plagiarism. 
You did so much research and spent so many nights burning the midnight oil on this paper - how could this happen? 
How could what happen? 
How could you get a big, red 0 on your paper? 
Let's take a look at a phrase from that sentence: burn the midnight oil. 
Carolyn, please tell me what this means. 
Well, I think that this phrase means that you stay up all night. 
You burn the midnight oil. 
Before we had electricity, people would stay up all night using an oil lamp, which needed oil to burn. 
So I think that's where this phrase comes from. 
But it's actually one that I had never heard until I came to Asia. 
Interesting. An English phrase you hadn't heard until you came here. 
Nathanael, how might you use this phrase? 
Well, I might say that in college, I spent many nights burning the midnight oil because I had so much to get done. 
That's right. 
Maybe you burn the midnight oil researching for a project or something. 
Well, Nathanael, how does the lesson continue? 
You asked what happened. 
What did you do? 
Well, here's the answer in the next sentence. 
You plagiarized - that's what happened. 
Plagiarized. And in this next sentence we see another form of that word. 
Plagiarism is presenting another source's material as your own, which students often do, though it's considered to be both theft and fraud. 
That's right. 
It is considered theft and fraud. 
Well, we see that plagiarism is defined here in this sentence as presenting another source's material as your own. 
So you're taking someone else's idea and saying it is your own. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: to present something as your own. 
It's not your idea, but you are saying: Hey, that's my idea. 
It's my own. 
How else could you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Sometimes if you're very good friends with another family, they might treat you as their own, 
as if you were a part of their family even though you are not related. 
All right. 
They treat you as part of their own family. 
How might you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, this actually reminds me of another article we've done in the past on Margaret E. Knight. 
When she went to get her patent, she discovered that someone else had presented her idea as his own because he tried to copy her device. 
So he tried to present it as his own idea. 
All right. And that was a kind of theft, an idea theft. 
And here we're going to talk about the word "fraud" as well. 
"Fraud" is from our Word Bank. 
Fraud is when you do something in a kind of dishonest way. 
It's not real, it's not authentic. 
It's a fraud. 
How might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times I hear this word used about credit cards - credit card fraud. 
Someone learned your credit card number and has all of your information, and they use your number to buy things. 
That is credit card fraud. 
All right. Is there another way to use this word? 
Well, this is already a noun. 
But there's another form of this that's also a noun where you would put an article in front and say: a fraud or the fraud. 
Sometimes we say: Oh, that's a fraud. 
And when we say that, "fraud" means a fake thing. 
It's not real, maybe a "fraud" painting. 
And you might also call a person "a fraud." Of course, you don't want to do things that are dishonest. 
You don't want to be a fraud. 
Well, let's continue with our lesson. 
Obviously if you simply take an online article and call it your own, or presented as your own, you are an unrepentant plagiarist. 
That's a harsh word, let's take a look at it from the Word Bank: unrepentant. 
If you are unrepentant, that means you're not sorry about what you did. 
How might you use that, Nathanael? 
Well, I think when someone hurts another person, later, if not very quickly, they will feel sorry. 
But there are some who remain unrepentant and never feel sorry for what they've done. 
All right. 
Do you ever use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times I hear this word when I'm in Bible study and we talking about needing to repent for bad things that we do. 
We should be repentant, not unrepentant. 
That's right. 
And if you do do something wrong, you should repent. 
Don't the unrepentant. 
But we see here: 
But you will be given the same label if you use just one quotation or concept from another's work without giving credit to the original author. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn something new with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We've been talking about plagiarism in today's article. 
And we see this statement: giving credit to the original author. 
Our Grammar Tip focuses on the phrase: to give credit. 
It means to acknowledge that somebody is responsible for something. 
When you give credit to someone, you're telling others that this person has done something significant and should be recognized for it. 
For example: 
Although the talented musician has won many awards, he always gives credit to his teacher. 
Or: Nobody likes to be on Harrison's team because he never gives credit to any of his teammates. 
So giving credit to someone is a good thing to do and is also the right thing to do when you're giving a report and you want to borrow someone else's idea or saying. 
So, friends, that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
Bye-bye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, continuing on. 
People across the world have had degrees and positions revoked for such actions, revoked for plagiarizing. 
All right. 
When you get something revoked, you had it in your hands, it was yours, but then it was taken away from you, 
usually by authority like governments or institutions or something. 
It was taken away from you. 
Well, let's go now to see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.23.B

Today we are covering a very important topic - plagiarism. 
And plagiarism is when you present another person's ideas or material as your own. 
This is fraud. 
And I hope that you don't stay up all night bringing the midnight oil working on your research papers only to discover that there is something that has been plagiarized in your paper. 
Well, in the next part of our article, we will find different ways that you can try to catch this before it becomes a problem. 
(Music). 
Plagiarism: A Common Crime. 
However, you can avoid all of these consequences by citing your sources in the correct format and by confirming you did your work through an online plagiarism checking service. 
For example, PlagTracker allows you to upload a document and receive a free plagiarism report based on material on all web pages and in its extensive database. 
PlagTracker is a foolproof way to make sure your writing is appropriately documented and to ensure that you won't be accused of plagiarism. 
Well, earlier in our lesson we learned that some people have had their positions or degrees revoked for plagiarizing. 
We read here, however: 
However, you can avoid all of these consequences by citing your sources in the correct format and by confirming you did your work through an online plagiarism checking service. 
That's a big sentence. 
But let's take a look at one of those words there. 
The word, of course, is "cite." Now if you cite your sources, that means you are saying where you got your idea from. 
It's as simple as that. 
Make sure you cite your sources when you are writing something. 
How else might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, if you hear something that you like, you might say: Oh. Well, I heard it from this person, or I read in this book. 
That is also a way to cite some information that you've heard before, although a lot of people don't do this when they're having conversations. 
Right. That's not as common or as important as when you're writing a paper. 
Well, Nathanael, how else might you use that word? 
Well, I think it's also useful to know the noun form of this word - citation. 
C-I-T-A-T-I-O-N. 
You have citations, usually at the end of your paper, to tell where you got your information. 
And that's a very important part of writing a paper for school. 
You need to have your references, your citations. 
Of course, if someone wants to quote you, then you could say: Hey, you... you can cite me if you want. 
Just... just quote me say that I said this. 
You can cite me. 
Well, how does the lesson continue, Carolyn? 
Well, we were talking about plagiarism tracking services or checking services. 
And we see that: 
For example, PlagTracker allows you to upload a document and receive a free plagiarism report based on material on all web pages and in its extensive database. 
So it looks like PlagTracker is one great way that you can use to check your papers to make sure you didn't plagiarize the information. 
That's right. 
You can get a free plagiarism report. 
That sounds like a good idea, especially if you're a little worried about if you plagiarized. 
Well, Nathanael, how do we continue? 
Next sentence talks a little bit more about PlagTracker. 
PlagTracker is a foolproof way to make sure your writing is appropriately documented and to ensure that you won't be accused of plagiarism. 
All right. 
It is very important that you don't want to be accused of doing something like this. 
Let's talk about some of those words in that sentence. 
The first one from the Word Bank is "foolproof." I like that word, foolproof. 
That means you... you won't feel like a fool after you've used something. 
It's foolproof. 
But how else can you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, it does mean that it is foolproof, you can not be fooled. 
And a lot of times I think of ideas as being as foolproof. 
You might say this is a foolproof plan. 
It cannot fail. 
How else can you use this word, Nathanael? 
I also think of a foolproof plan. 
But I think usually when we're making plans, there's lots of different things that could go wrong. 
There are very few foolproof plans. 
All right. 
There are few foolproof plans. 
Things could go wrong. 
I think of maybe a foolproof method. 
Some method has been tried many times over and over again, and it usually goes right. 
That's a foolproof method of doing something. 
Well, we see another word here in this sentence from the Word Bank: document. 
And this kind of has a similar meeting to the word "cite." You need to document something. 
That means you say where you got an idea from, to write down the important things, to document something. 
How could you use that word, Nathanael? 
"Document" can also mean to list something officially. 
It's really kind of the same meaning, just used a little bit of a different way. 
So for example, your marriage should be documented. 
There should be an official record of it. 
Or your car should be documented as well. 
That's right. 
A lot of people carry around documents that show that they are documented. 
Maybe you have a passport that is an identity document. 
It lets people know that you are from a certain country. 
It is documented that you are from that country. 
OK. I like that this word can be used as a noun as well. 
You have certain documents. 
Well, all of this at PlagTracker is to ensure that you won't be accused of plagiarism. 
"To be accused of something" - that's when someone says you did this and it was wrong. 
What other things could you be accused of in life, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times you might be accused of doing things that you didn't actually do. 
Maybe something goes missing, and your sister blames you you took it. 
But you didn't. 
It is very common. 
Well, now it is time to go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
Well, I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
Well, I learned a little bit about plagiarism today. 
And an important way to make sure that people don't accuse you of plagiarizing is that you can go and check out PlagTracker. 
Check that out online when you have time. 
But do you think that plagiarism is really a big issue, Nathanael? 
Well, I think that it is honest to say where you got your information from, 
and it's also respectful to where you got it from, and it's also helpful to other people later that read your paper and want to learn more. 
I think it's a very good thing not to plagiarize. 
OK. What do you think about this issue of plagiarism, Carolyn? 
Well, I know it was a bit of a problem at my college because we had a lot of international students who were not familiar with how to cite their research, 
and they didn't understand what plagiarism was. 
Oh, man. So some people might learn this lesson the hard way. 
I hope you're not one of those people. 
Remember to cite your sources when you are writing something. 
OK. Well, thank you for joining us for today and our lesson about plagiarism. 
And we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.03.25.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
Um, that's great, Nathanael. 
Carolyn, why didn't you say hello? 
Yeah. It's not very nice. 
You should say hello. 
Oh. 
Wait, she... 
You're not speaking? 
You want us to be quiet? 
Wait, Carolyn is not saying anything, but she's doing something with her hands. 
Wait. Five plus five plus five plus five... 
No. Nathanael, what is she doing? 
I know. It's a lot of fives. 
There's maybe... she's trying to push something... 
OK. 
... forward, but there's nothing here. 
There's nothing here. 
Oh! She... she's pushing a wall. 
She's pushing a wall. 
Yeah? 
Carolyn... She's smiling. 
A wall that's invisible? 
She's happy about it. 
She's smiling? 
Yeah. We're good. We're good. 
She's pushing a wall. 
OK. It's fun to push walls. 
Walls are fun? 
No. No, no, no. 
Safe! In baseball! Yeah? 
Gabe, the lesson! The lesson. 
The lesson is about mimes. 
The Art of Mime! 
The Art of Mime! Yeah. That's right, Carolyn. 
Carolyn is being a mime right now. 
Yes. Thank you. Thank you. 
She's clapping for us. Excellent. 
Well done. 
Yeah, well done, Carolyn. 
We were a little slow knowing what you were doing. 
Friends, that's true. 
We have an important and fun lesson today about the Art of Mime. 
So open up your magazine and let's get started with the first reading for today. 
Ah. 
The Art of Mime. 
In this art form, actions speak louder than words. 
What do you think of when you think of a face painted white? 
A shirt with stripes? 
White gloves and a black hat? 
In the West, this figure might come to mind when we think of mime. 
Mime is the art of acting without using speech. 
The word can also refer to a person who performs this art. 
This type of art has grown and changed over the centuries. 
What began as a simple form of communication is now a form of theater. 
(Music). 
This is a great form of theater; and we see at the beginning: 
In this art form, actions speak louder than words. 
So it is a form of art. 
And these actions are louder than words, which is a very interesting phrase. 
And I think that Steve and Ken have a little more information for us in the Info Cloud. 
Hi, friends. 
Do actions really speak louder than words? 
I would say yes. 
What we do is more important than what we say. 
What do you think, Steve? 
I agree, Ken. 
And there are many English phrases that confirm this, like: Do as I say, not as I do. 
It means don't imitate my behavior but obey my instructions because kids pick up their behavioral cues more from watching than they do from listening. 
A mother who smokes might forbid her child who is interested in starting the habit by saying: Do as I say, not as I do. 
Ken, as a father of a young boy, you should understand how quickly and easily kids imitate others' actions. 
I sure do. 
Kids don't think about why they do what they do, nor do they think about the consequences of their actions. 
All they know is they want to act just like their friends or their older siblings. 
Hmm, sounds like a case of "monkey see monkey do," which is kind of a kid's saying but it doesn't just apply to kids. 
Many adults are guilty of acting like monkeys too, imitating others' actions without thinking. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
Well, our article today opens with a series of questions. 
So Nathanael, I'm going to ask you these questions. 
Oh. 
What do you think of when you think of a face painted white? 
A face painted white... um, drama. 
Drama. OK. 
A shirt with stripes? 
Hmm, a shirt with stripes... a sailor? 
A sailor! Oh, that's a good answer. OK. 
And white gloves and a black hat? 
Ah, Fred Astaire, a famous dancer. 
Well, those... those are pretty good guesses, but uh, Gabe, what do we think of in the West when we have these three things? 
Well, I think our author wants us to think of a mime. 
We continue: In the West, this figure might come to mind when we think of mime. 
And Carolyn, by the way, it is very good to hear your voice again. 
At the beginning of today's lesson in the introduction, she was trying to be a mime. 
And you are a very good mime at that. 
Oh. Well, thank you. 
Maybe I have a future career in mime. 
And what is mime? 
Mime is the art of acting without using speech. 
So that is why I did not say anything earlier today. 
Now how does this continue, Nathanael? 
The next sentence says the word can also refer to a person who performs this art. 
It's a good point to make. 
So mime is an art form. 
It's also a person. 
And you can actually also use "mime" as a verb - to mime something, kind of to act it out without words. 
That's right. 
And we see a key word in this sentence as well, the word "perform." So we want to talk about that word from our Word Bank. 
If you perform something, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, it means you're doing something for other people to see in some way. 
Maybe you're entertaining them. 
Maybe you're uh, also just doing something educational, but it's doing something in front of some kind of audience. 
You are performing for somebody. 
I usually think of maybe going to see a show like a Broadway musical or a... some kind of a theater show, a drama. 
That is a kind of performance where people perform. 
That's right. 
Uh, have you performed anything, Nathanael? 
Oh. Well, I have performed in quite a few plays when I was in high school and in college. 
It's one of my favorite things to do - acting. 
I like performing. 
Well, I also really enjoy performing in theater. 
And when I was in high school, I often performed with the band because I was a member. 
And we performed many different types of music. 
Well, continuing on we see that this type of art has grown and changed over the centuries. 
So it started out as the one thing and then became something else because what did it use to be, Gabe? 
Well, it used to be a simple form of communication. 
But I want to take a look at that word "over" from that sentence. 
This type of art has grown and changed "over" the centuries. 
And usually I think of this word as being on top of something else. 
Um, it's over something. 
But we see it a little... used a little differently here. 
Carolyn, what does this mean, "over the centuries"? 
Well, it's talking about the passing of time. 
So time is going on, and it is going over the centuries. 
But you could also say over the days, over the weeks or years. 
Nathanael, could you give us an example? 
Well, since we're talking about performing, you might say that people who perform, like celebrities, may fade over the years. 
People aren't always famous for a very long time, maybe just a short time. 
That's right. 
And we see that what began as a simple form of communication is now a form of theater. 
So over the years, mime went from being communication to a form of theater. 
And "communication" is one of our Word Bank words today. 
So let's take a look at that. 
If you communicate with someone, then you are interacting with them, you are talking to them, and there is a meaning. 
Uh, how do you communicate, Gabe? 
Well, usually I communicate by talking. 
But something I don't think about that's probably even more accurate is that I communicate more with my actions. 
Actions do speak louder than words. 
So my non-verbal communication, or the communication where I don't use words, actually means a lot. 
I communicate with my hands or other things like that. 
Nathanael, how might you use that word? 
Well, there's all kinds of communication. 
Gabe mentioned that he studied communication before to me. 
And when you study communication, it's such a broad thing with so many different parts, sometimes you need to be more specific, 
like you studied TV as part of communication. 
But of course, there're Skype and texting and instant messaging. 
These are all forms of communication that we can use today. 
That's right. 
And communication is very important in our relationships with people. 
We want to make sure that we communicate our meanings clearly to have good relationships with others. 
Well, I think now Liz has something she would like to communicate to us in the Grammar Gym. 
Then we'll go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hello, friends. 
How are you doing today? 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
We see the sentence in today's article: 
What began as a simple form of communication is now a form of theater. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the sentence pattern: What began as a... is now a... 
This is a great sentence pattern to use in formal situations to talk about how something used to be one way but has changed into something completely different. 
For example: 
What began as a two-man business team is now a company with five hundred workers. 
Or: What began as a tiny laboratory in the back of a school building is now a separate research center. 
If you want more example sentences, you'll find them in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym, saying goodbye. 
See you next time. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.25.B

Have you ever seen someone on the street performing but not using any words? 
They're acting something out with their hands, with their body, with their face, but they're not saying anything. 
If you have, you saw a mime. 
I don't think I've actually ever seen a mime, so I'm glad that today we're talking about mimes and the art of mime. 
And there's still more to learn about this art form in this part of today's reading. 
The Art of Mime. 
Mime through the ages. 
Mime is one of the earliest forms of self-expression. 
As languages were developing, humans still used their bodies to speak. 
Mime first became an art form in ancient Greece. 
Silent actors performed everyday scenes using gestures. 
These plays often taught a lesson about values. 
When the Romans conquered Greece, they took the art of mime back to Italy. 
There they made it their own. 
Even after the fall of the Roman Empire, mime survived. 
(Music). 
Well, it looks like mime has certainly been around for a long time and gone through a lot of changes. 
In this section we have "Mime through the ages." And we see that mime is one of the earliest forms of self-expression. 
And "self-expression" is one our Word Bank words, so we would like to express its meaning. 
Self-expression is you want to tell people how you feel, what you are doing yourself and express that, show them what you mean. 
Nathanael, how might you use this word "self-expression"? 
Well, self-expression, you might think of the phrase express yourself. 
And one way that people do that is with their appearance. 
Uh, what they wear, their hair style, they can choose these things. 
And it is one way that they can express themselves. 
It's one kind of self-expression. 
That's very true. 
Gabe, do you like to express yourself? 
Well, yes, I do like to express myself. 
I think another way of self-expression is by the kinds of things that you listen to, the kinds of things that you talk about as well. 
But people can tell something about you by the kind of music that you listen to. 
That's one way that other people can know about yourself, your self-expression. 
Of course, there are different ways to express yourself. 
And I think that self-expression is very crucial. 
It's important to be able to express yourself. 
That's right. 
And we see that mime was a very early form of self-expression, a way to communicate with other people. 
In the article we see: As languages were developing, humans still used their bodies to speak. 
So if you mime, then that is a way of speaking. 
You can tell people what you mean by your actions. 
Uh, how does the article continue, Nathanael? 
It says mime first became an art form in ancient Greece. 
Ancient Greece, ancient civilization that we often talk about in history a very long time ago. 
So we know that mime has been around a long time. 
That's right. 
And Gabe, would you like to continue for us? 
Of course. 
Silent actors performed everyday scenes using gestures. 
So silent actors, they didn't have any lines. 
They were silent, and they performed everyday scenes. 
And everyday scenes, that just talks about common things you might see or experience in day-to-day life. 
Like what happens at home or what happens at school, in the classroom, at the office, these are everyday things. 
That's right. 
And in this sentence we had another word from our Word Bank, the word "gesture." Now a gesture is a kind of action, 
a motion that you use to express yourself usually. 
And a gesture... I usually think of hand gestures. 
I use my hands a lot when I talk if I'm not holding a clipboard. 
Nathanael, what kind of gestures might you use? 
Well, you might gesture for someone to cross the street. 
Ah, you can also use this as a verb as I have, too, gesture. 
Gesture someone across the street. 
Or you can say use a gesture to bring someone across the street. 
How else might you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, I was just thinking about asking if you have clear hand gestures. 
Sometimes actions do speak louder than words. 
And it's important to know that what you mean to communicate is what you're actually communicating with your hands. 
Do you have good hand gestures? 
Maybe you can practice that with a couple of friends. 
Don't say anything. 
You can be silent actors, and you can just use your gestures and guess what each other is trying to communicate. 
That's right. 
Well, these silent actors were performing, so these plays often taught a lesson about values. 
So they were trying to teach something that was important, something that was valuable and a good lesson for people to think about. 
What might be a good value that they taught, Nathanael? 
Maybe they taught something about being kind to other people and how that makes for good relationships. 
There's a lot of... possible values that they might have taught. 
Absolutely. And we see that when the Romans conquered Greece, they took the art of mime back to Italy. 
So it sounds like mime was actually very popular. 
Even when the Romans conquered another country, they wanted to keep that art form. 
Well, how do we continue, Gabe? 
Well, we find out what the Romans did. 
Even after... actually we find out that they made it their own. 
The Romans made the art form their own. 
They made mime their own. 
And I like that sentence. 
We want to talk about that for a little bit: to make something your own. 
How could you use that phrase? 
When you make something your own, that means someone else created it or originated it, 
but then you do in such a way that it really seems like it's coming from you. 
How could you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of recipes I find online have things that maybe I don't really want to eat or I kind of want to reduce the sugar. 
So I change the recipe a little bit, and I make my own. 
Excellent. That's one great way. 
I'm a musician. 
I play drums in a band. 
And we sometimes do covers of other songs or other groups, but we do it in a way that we make it our own. 
We make the song have an original sound. 
How else could you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, if you're talking about plays, some of them are quite old or have been around for a while. 
But they keep getting performed. 
And each time that someone else performs them, hopefully they would make it their own. 
Make the play their own so it's something new and fresh. 
And that's what the Romans did with the art of mime. 
And we see that even after the fall of the Roman Empire, mime survived. 
So it was still around. 
Well, let's go see Michelle in the Language Lab and see what she has for us today. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And it's time to go back to our teachers. 
Today we've been learning about the art of mime and this form of communication. 
And I wonder other ways that we can express ourselves other than through gestures. 
Gabe, can you think of other ways of self-expression? 
Well, I was also thinking about speech, um, and the way that you speak. 
Sometimes you can say something directly. 
But also something that people use is sarcasm. 
They say something to mean the opposite. 
And that's one way of expressing yourself so that you don't really sound mean, but you're still kind of mean. 
You still get your point across. 
Another way I express myself is by playing drums. 
I love to play drums. 
You can kind of tell how I'm feeling by how I play the drums. 
That's right. 
And do you ever express yourself there, Nathanael? 
No. No. I like to keep everything to myself and not tell anyone anything about myself. 
Uh oh, sarcasm, sarcasm. 
I think Nathanael is being a little bit sarcastic. 
Well, I hope that you will join us again tomorrow to learn some more about the Art of Mime here on Studio Classroom. 
Bye-bye.

2013.03.26.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And we're glad that you could join us for day two of our lesson: The Art of Mime. 
We talked a lot about mime yesterday. 
Um, we used our words; we did not mime anything. 
Well, Carolyn did at the beginning. 
I think she was a good mime. 
But we're also going to talk about different kinds of performances right now. 
What's another kind of cool street performance that you have seen, Carolyn? 
Well, I actually saw a breakdancing performance when I was waiting at the airport. 
I was very surprised to see that in the airport lobby, but he was going to a competition and wanted to practice while he was waiting. 
Nathanael, have you ever seen a street performance? 
Well, when I was in the New York subway, there were four people that came through and sang one of my favorite songs My Girl. 
And it was really great. 
They did it really well. 
I wish I'd given them some money, but I was so amazed, I didn't even think about it. 
Oh, man. They were that great. 
That sounds amazing. 
Maybe you've seen someone who does a street performance where they just stand there. 
They have an incredible costume, but they're just standing in a certain pose. 
And maybe they change a little bit. 
They move a little bit just when you look away. 
And then you look back, and they have a different pose. 
That's kind of a fun street performance. 
There are so many different kinds of street performances. 
We're going to learn a little bit more about mime today. 
Let's get started with the first reading of today's lesson. 
(Music). 
The Art of Mime. 
In the mid-1500s mime became a form of street performance in Italy. 
Mimes wore masks and acted out comedies. 
Because masks hid their faces, they could make fun of any aspect of society. 
Everyone enjoyed these performances - young and old, rich and poor. 
Mimes also traveled around Europe. 
Because their art had no words, there was no language barrier. 
Mime became especially popular in France. 
French performers created famous mime characters like Pierrot and Bip. 
These characters helped shape today's mime. 
(Music). 
Yesterday we start to learn a little bit about the history of mime. 
And we have some more specific information today. 
The first sentence says: 
In the mid-1500s mime became a form of street performance in Italy. 
Now earlier we talked about different examples about street performance. 
And now we want to look at that word "performance." Performance. 
Let's look at this Word Bank word today. 
Now I think yesterday we had a similar word. 
"Perform" was a word that we talked about yesterday. 
Performance is what kind of word, Gabe? 
Well, it's the act of performing. 
So it's the noun form of this word - performance. 
You can talk about someone's performance like how they did acting or dancing. 
Or you can talk about someone's performance in maybe a less artistic way. 
But maybe someone gave a speech, how was their performance? 
That means how did they do. 
Carolyn, how would you use that word? 
Well, you could also talk about someone's performance at work. 
How well someone does their job is how well they perform at work. 
Do they have a good work performance or a poor one? 
OK. Those are two different ways of using this word "performance," but both very useful. 
OK. Let's move on to the next sentence. 
What does it say, Carolyn? 
Well, it tells us that mimes wore masks and acted out comedies. 
So mimes were meant to be funny. 
And originally they were wearing masks, not face paint. 
They wore masks and acted out comedies. 
Well, this does seem kind of interesting. 
I know that many performances still use masks or face paint when they act things out. 
And when you act things out, that means you are bringing a common or everyday scene to life. 
You're acting it out. 
You're not just talking about it. 
You're using your hands and your facial expressions and everything to act it out. 
Great. OK. The next sentence says: 
Because masks hid their faces, they could make fun of any aspect of society. 
So they had a reason for wearing these masks - so they could make fun of anything they wanted. 
But we want to talk about this phrase: make fun. 
What exactly does it mean to make fun of something? 
Do you usually think that this is a good thing, Carolyn, to make fun of something? 
Well, I think it depends on what you're talking about. 
If you make fun of something, then you kind of joke about it. 
Maybe you want to make fun of someone that you saw do something that was kind of silly. 
But it's not good to make fun of people. 
Maybe you could make fun of an idea. 
What are some things that you make fun of, Gabe? 
Well, I do enjoy making fun of my friends sometimes. 
Of course, they understand me, and so they know that I'm just joking. 
And they make fun of me, too. 
Sometimes they tease me about something. 
But there might be a decision or some policy that the government puts into play. 
Some people don't like it. 
And so they will make fun of the government or make fun of the leader somehow by acting something out maybe. 
There are different ways to make fun of these things. 
How do you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, yeah, sometimes we do make fun of our friends. 
But making fun of others may be harmful. 
Also, we want to have a good relationship. 
We don't want to make fun of other people if they're not going to accept it or take it very well. 
Right. 
OK. 
But of course, back then and now, they are still making fun of different ideas and sometimes the government. 
And here we see in the next sentence that everyone enjoyed these performances - young and old, rich and poor. 
So maybe mimes were popular at this time. 
What does it say next about mimes, Carolyn? 
It continues: 
Mimes also traveled around Europe. 
So they didn't just stay in one place starting out in Italy, they went all over Europe. 
So it sounds like they were very popular if they were able to go to other countries. 
That's right. 
We find out because their art had no words, there was no language barrier. 
And this is great. 
This is why mime is so amazing and incredible is because it can communicate to people of many different backgrounds. 
Let's take a look at that word "barrier." It's from our Word Bank. 
A barrier is like a block for something. 
So a language barrier means a block in communication with someone of a different language. 
Maybe because you speak Chinese, someone speaks English or another language. 
you can't understand everything they're saying, they can't understand everything you're saying. 
There is a language barrier. 
How could you use that word, Nathanael? 
Well, just like language can be a barrier, culture can also be a barrier. 
But sometimes I think we make it more of a barrier ourselves when it doesn't need to be. 
What else could be a barrier, Carolyn? 
Well, we use this word to mean something that is separated. 
If there is a barrier, it is separate, so. 
You can also use it referring to physical things, things that you can see and feel, like: 
We needed to put up a barrier between my house and my neighbor's house. 
So we built a fence. 
Or we built a barrier along the street so that it wouldn't be as noisy when cars went by. 
That was a kind of barrier. 
Well, we continue by finding out that mime became especially popular in France. 
And French performers created famous mime characters like Pierrot and Bip. 
What do we know about these characters? 
Well, I think that some of these are pretty well-known. 
I don't really know much about them myself, but I do think that there are some people that are famous for also acting out these characters. 
The next sentence says these characters helped shape today's mime. 
They helped shape today's mime. 
We want to talk quickly about this use of the word "shape" here as a bonus today. 
As a verb, what does this mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if you shape something, that means that you form it. 
You help it to develop, maybe even create it. 
And you can shape many different things such as an idea. 
What other things can you shape, Gabe? 
Well, I think about that. 
I think about how my ideas or my outlook on life were shaped by my parents, by some teachers, by some authors of books that I've read. 
All these things helped to shape the way that I think. 
OK, great. 
And now I think it is time to join Michelle in the Language Lab and see what she has to teach us today. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.26.B

Well, we're learning more about miming today. 
And we found out in the 1500s that it became a form of street performance in Italy. 
People would use it to make fun of different aspects of society. 
And of course, mime breaks many language barriers. 
Just like maybe you think about Mr. Bean today. 
He acts silently, and people of all cultures can understand this from the silent actor. 
He's broken many language barriers, and so have people who like to do mime. 
We're going to learn a little bit more about mime right now in the second part of our reading for the day. 
(Music). 
The Art of Mime. 
Mime like a pro. 
Want to try mime? 
Try communicating only through body language; no talking allowed. 
Watch people's facial expressions and gestures closely and practice copying them. 
Create a story to act out - this will be more interesting to your audience. 
No props? 
No worries! 
You can create anything you need out of thin air. 
The most important thing is to believe your illusion. 
If you believe it's real, your audience will, too! 
(Music). 
Well, you, too, can be a mime. 
As you see this section is called "Mime like a pro." So if you're interested in being a mime, you should pay attention. 
What does Jo say first, Gabe? 
She says, "Want to try mime?" Maybe this interests you. 
Want to try it? 
She says try communicating only through body language; no talking allowed. 
Shh. 
No talking allowed. 
And next one of her tips is that you should watch people's facial expressions and gestures closely and practice copying them. 
Now we talked about this word "gestures" before. 
But there's another word here - facial - that we want to talk about today. 
It is a key word today in our Word Bank. 
So let's talk about this word: facial. 
Now when you hear the word "facial," what should you think of, Carolyn? 
Well, you should think of your face. 
If something is facial, then it has to do with your face. 
And we have facial expressions. 
So if you smile, then you have a happy facial expression. 
Maybe you are not happy, so you frown. 
What are some other facial expressions, Gabe? 
Well, if you're unhappy, you would frown. 
If you are angry, you might get really red. 
People can tell if you're angry. 
Maybe you're kind of shy, and you do things with your eyes so that you show that you don't like to talk to people. 
Those are different facial expressions. 
Nathanael, do you enjoy creating different facial expressions? 
Ah, I do enjoy facial expressions sometimes, but they can go overboard at times, you know. 
OK. The next sentence says: 
Create a story to act out - this will be more interesting to your audience. 
OK. 
Create something, act it out. 
You can use facial expressions to do something like this, and gestures as well. 
OK. And next what does it say, Carolyn? 
Well, it tells us: No props? No worries! 
And "props," no props. 
"Props" is one of our key words today from our Word Bank. 
A prop is something you use to support your performance. 
So if you're performing something, you might need props to help your audience understand what you're doing. 
What else might a prop be used for, Gabe? 
Well, your prop, I do think of performances as well. 
Um... and if you are creating a scene of some kind, then it might be helpful to have a prop. 
So I don't know if you like acting or not, but maybe you can try performing with props, or you can also try just being like a mime perform without props. 
We see these couple of sentences: No props? No worries! 
That's short for: 
You don't have any props? 
Well, don't worry about it. 
That's right, because you can create anything you need out of thin air. 
You don't have to have it there in your hand, you can act like you have it. OK. 
Now let's talk to Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Hi, friends. 
Did you catch it? 
An unmistakably Australian phrase written by an unmistakably American author. 
Of course, we're talking about "No worries!" Identified as the most common phrase in the Australian vocabulary, 
"no worries" means that's all right or no problem. 
But when an Australian says it, it can mean so much more. 
Right. 
"No worries" conveys an attitude of friendliness, good humor and optimism. 
"No worries" sums up the Australian lifestyle so well that many have lobbied for it to be the country's official national motto. 
Now some of you may remember the 1986 Australian movie Crocodile Dundee or the 1990's TV show The Crocodile Hunter. 
They help introduce "no worries" to America. 
Then some say it was during the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics that "no worries" became permanently fixed in the American vocabulary. 
More and more Australian words and phrases are finding a home in the American vernacular like "good on you," an expression of congratulations meaning well done. 
And the word "barbie." Of course, that's Australian for barbecue. 
"Outback" refers to wild, remote areas. 
Now one of these days we should have a barbie in the outback, Ken. 
Good idea, mate. 
(Chinese). 
It is useful to know some of the phrases and special vocabulary used in different countries, so. 
Thank you. 
Moving on in our article, it says the most important thing is to believe your illusion. 
If you believe it's real, your audience will, too. 
So if you believe what you're doing is real even if you don't have something in your hand and you're just acting it out, your audience will believe it, too. 
Now we have mentioned this word "illusion" here. 
What exactly does that mean quickly, Carolyn? 
Well, an illusion is something that is not real, but you think that it is real. 
You make an illusion. 
And I think we have some more information here in our review skit. 
And then we'll see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Oh! Let's see... 
You've got a shirt with stripes. 
You've got white gloves. 
And you're wearing a funny hat. 
Let's see, what comes to mind? 
Um, let me think. 
Mime! 
Mime comes to mind, right? 
But mime is the art of acting without using speech. 
That's right. 
And you're not doing mime because you are talking. 
Oops! You're right. 
But since I'm talking, let me tell you more about mime. 
Well, OK. 
What else do you have to say? 
The word "mime" can mean the performance or the one who performs. 
And how did mime begin? 
It began as communication. 
It's one of the earliest forms of self-expressions. 
Oh, like using body language to communicate? 
Right. 
It began in ancient Greece. 
When the Romans conquered Greece, they took mime back to Italy. 
Oh. Well, what about street performances? 
Oh. Those began in the mid-1500s in Italy. 
Because masks hid their faces, mimes could make fun of society. 
I'm sure everybody enjoyed that. 
Yes, young and old, rich and poor. 
Mimes also traveled around Europe. 
Yeah, why not? 
No words, no language barriers. 
That's right. 
Mime became especially popular in France, where famous characters helped shape the mime of today. 
I see. 
So what do you think? 
I think you should stop talking. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
Well, I'm glad that we talked about mimes today because I've never seen one on the street performing. 
Carolyn, did you learn anything about mimes today? 
Oh... Oh, she's got the magic gloves of silence on. 
OK. 
So we have to guess what she's trying to communicate to us. 
Yes. OK. 
We're ready. 
Right. 
Yeah, you're... one point. 
One time. 
One time. 
I saw two... 
A second time... 
A second... 
A couple of... 
Or... oh! 
It's a rabbit! 
It's not two. It's a rabbit. 
That's a rabbit! 
That's... 
Hey, that's good. That's good. 
No, no rabbit. No rabbit. 
A queen! A queen and her hat. 
Prince? 
Likes to dress... 
Royal... 
OK. This is kind of interesting. 
No. 
Beard... mustache. 
Oh, no... a smiling beard. 
Smiling beard. 
Yeah, beards can smile, too. 
Oh... or frown? 
No, a frown? 
Oh. Carolyn, this act of mime is really difficult. 
What is she trying to say? 
Guys, there are different kinds of mimes, different characters. 
I learned that today. 
Oh! OK, I get it. Very nice. 
Well, you did a very good job. 
Sorry, we didn't pick up on that. 
Friends, we've had a lot of fun learning about The Art of Mime. 
And we hope to see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.03.27.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And yes, you are joining us for a lesson called The Downside of Staying Connected. 
Of course, many people have smartphones or tablets these days in order to stay connected with their friends and family. 
But I do wonder about this question here that we see in the Talk About It: 
Do you have the habit of looking down at your smartphone or tablet for a long period of time? 
Do you have this habit, Carolyn? 
Well, I don't have a smartphone, and I don't have a tablet, so I don't have this habit fortunately because as we are going to find out, 
it looks like it can cause a lot of problems. 
Uh, Nathanael, what about you? 
Uh, Nathanael? 
Sorry. I... 
Well, we asked you a question. 
Um, do you have the habit of maybe looking down at your smartphone or tablet for too long of a period of time? 
And it seems like you do. 
Um... of course not. 
Of course not... right! 
What were you just doing, Nathanael? 
I was just checking my email. 
You know, have to do it every once in a while. 
Right. 
Well, maybe today's lesson is for you. 
Let's get started, friends, with our first reading of the day: The Downside of Staying Connected. 
The Downside of Staying Connected. 
The habit of looking down at your smartphone or tablet could be hurting you. 
The next time you're riding a subway or bus, pay attention to your fellow passengers. 
Chances are you'll see plenty of them with their heads down, tapping the screens of their tablets or texting on their smartphones. 
While these folks may be making good use of their time by staying connected, their bodies are paying a heavy price for such convenience. 
As hand-held devices such as smartphones and tablets are becoming more common, users are reporting some new physical problems. 
Well, we are learning about The Downside of Staying Connected. 
And right there in our title, we have a word from the Word Bank. 
It is: downside. 
Nathanael, now that your smartphone is put away, could you please help us talk about this word "downside"? 
Well, there's a downside and kind of an upside to everything. 
The downside is kind of the bad part of things. 
So the downside of staying connected is maybe the bad results of staying connected. 
All right. Well, Carolyn, how might you use this word in a sentence, the "downside"? 
Well, I really love to travel. 
And it's great, it's so much fun, I can learn so many new things. 
But the downside is it can be a little bit expensive and I might have to be on a plane for a really long time. 
All right. 
That is the downside. 
Or maybe if you are really just thinking about the negative part of something, you could also say, "Well, the upside is this." There's also a positive side. 
There are two sides to every coin. 
There's a downside and an upside. 
Well, let's get started with the... the thing right below the title, the deck says: 
The habit of looking down at your smartphone or tablet could be hurting you. 
Maybe this describes you. 
Maybe you have some neck... neck pains or back pains. 
This lesson could benefit you. 
What is the first line of the lesson, Carolyn? 
We see: The next time you're riding a subway or bus, pay attention to your fellow passengers. 
And after reading this article, I have started paying attention to the other passengers on the train and noticing something. 
And we see: Chances are you'll see plenty of them with their heads down, tapping the screens of their tablets or texting on their smartphones. 
And this is something that I notice a lot on my way to work. 
Nathanael, do you ever see people doing this? 
Oh, of course. 
When you go out, there's all kinds of people on their phones. 
It's very, very common. 
That's right. 
The chances are you will see something like this. 
I like that phrase: chances are. 
Let me use it in another way. 
If you've heard the phrase "a friend for life," chances are you listen to Studio Classroom, or you've heard Studio Classroom before. 
Well, the lesson continues. 
While these folks may be making good use of their time by staying connected, 
(that means staying in touch with other people,) their bodies are paying a heavy price for such convenience. 
Wow! They're paying a heavy price. 
And of course, we find out that they are making good use of their time. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: to make good use of something. 
How else could you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, if you make good use of something, then you are using it as best as possible. 
If you have a project at work, you do need to make good use of your time. 
But you could also make good use of the people around you if you need some help. 
You can ask them to assist you and make good use and the resources around you. 
All right, good, making good use of your resources. 
How might you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, a high-priced phone plan might be worth the cost if you do make good use of it. 
If you use it for many different things that are good for your life and useful for staying connected, maybe it's worth a high price. 
All right. 
You could make good use of it. 
Make good use of your vacation. 
Don't just travel to another country and not see the sights. 
Make good use of your time there. 
And of course, we see here in this sentence: 
While these folks may be making good use of their time by staying connected, their bodies are paying a heavy price for such convenience. 
What does that mean, Carolyn, to pay a heavy price for something? 
Well, it doesn't mean that the price is actually heavy that you have to carry it. 
But it means that it is very expensive or costly. 
And if something is costly, then maybe it's not really worth what they're doing. 
OK, maybe it's not worth it. 
Well, Nathanael, how does the lesson continue? 
It says as hand-held devices such as smartphones and tablets are becoming more common, users are reporting some new physical problems. 
Well, I don't really know what he might be talking about here. 
I don't think I'm experiencing any of these things, but maybe others are. 
Right, of course. 
Maybe you haven't experienced those new physical problems yet. 
But maybe if you're not careful, you might have some of those problems. 
Here we're talking about new physical problems. 
So maybe they're problems that didn't exist before. 
But scientists or doctors are discovering that there are some new problems that are related to staying connected or looking down on your smartphone or tablet for too long. 
Well, we have more to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.27.B

We often hear that it's a great thing to be connected, to have access to technology that keeps us in touch with people. 
But here we've been learning about the downside of staying connected and the heavy price that some people are paying physically on their bodies. 
And we're going to learn a little bit more about that in the next section even though this could be a great way to make use of your time during your daily commute to and from work. 
(Music). 
The Downside of Staying Connected. 
Florida chiropractor Dean Fishman began noticing an increased number of his patients complaining of neck and shoulder pain. 
He traced these symptoms to the overuse of hand-held devices, specifically the action of bending the neck, 
and coined the term "Text Neck." As if the painful symptoms weren't bad enough, 
Fishman warns that an untreated case of Text Neck could lead to permanent spinal damage. 
He founded the Text Neck Institute in an effort to treat and educate those suffering from Text Neck. 
Treatments offered there include chiropractic care, physical therapy, massage therapy and exercise planning. 
Well, thank God for Text Neck, we learned a lot here in this section. 
We start out by reading: Florida chiropractor Dean Fishman began noticing an increased number of his patients complaining of neck and shoulder pain. 
Ooh. Well, this person is a chiropractor. 
Carolyn, what's a chiropractor? 
Well, a chiropractor is someone who treats illnesses or pain by adjusting parts of the body through pressure. 
And a lot of times they will be adjusting your neck or your spine. 
Mmhm. OK. So they help maybe with back or spine problems - a chiropractor. 
I've never been to a chiropractor. 
But my back doesn't have many problems. 
But I do wonder if maybe the chiropractor would tell me that my back has problems. 
Who knows? 
Let's go right down to visit Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Our TECHNOLOGY article talks about how the habit of looking down at your smartphone or tablet could be hurting you. 
We find this statement in the article: ... an increased number of his patients complaining of neck and shoulder pain. 
That's a more formal way of saying more and more of his patients are complaining of neck and shoulder pain. 
Now notice the pattern: An increased number of [something + verb-ing form]. 
So how do we use this pattern? 
Think of a subject that does something, and there are more and more cases of this happening. 
For example, we can have an increased number of girls getting cosmetic surgery. 
Or, an increased number of investors buying property in this part of town. 
So friends, give this pattern a try. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
Goodbye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, we're learning about Dean Fishman before. 
And he noticed that people started coming to him complaining about neck and shoulder pain. 
We continue here. 
He traced these symptoms to the overuse of hand-held devices, specifically the action of bending the neck, and coined the term "Text Neck." OK. 
We have a lot to look at from that sentence. 
The first thing we want to look at is that word from the Word Bank: a symptom. 
A symptom of something is the outward sign of something, the outward sign of maybe a serious problem. 
So how else might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, if someone is sick, you might ask them: What are your symptoms? 
Does your stomach hurt? 
Do you have a fever? 
Do you have a runny nose? 
These are all symptoms of a type of cold or maybe even the flu. 
All right. I think of maybe having a fever. 
If you're afraid you might have the flu, a fever is a symptom of the flu sometimes. 
It could be. 
Nathanael, how else might you see that word used? 
Doctors usually look at symptoms to determine or decide what kind of illness is giving you your problem. 
So it's very important for doctors to look at these symptoms. 
And we find that Dean Fishman, he traced these symptoms to the overuse of hand-held devices. 
He traced the symptoms to that. 
Carolyn, what does that mean to trace something to something else? 
Well, you could draw a line from one thing to another or maybe follow some clues. 
He was trying to figure out why so many people were having these neck and shoulder problems. 
And well, if you're always looking down, it's going to put some strain on those muscles. 
That's right. 
And so we find out that he coined the term "Text Neck." OK. We know what a text is and your neck. 
So Text Neck, that's kind of a problem. 
But Nathanael, what does it mean to coin a term or to coin a phrase? 
Well, in this case, to coin kind of means to create or invent. 
When you're talking about a word or a phrase or a term, you coin it more than you invent it. 
All right. So you kind of invent this new phrase. 
Now we know Text Neck, and we can think about Dean Fishman because he came up with this phrase. 
Well, we have more to learn in the Information Cloud. 
Let's go there now. 
Thanks to technology, we now have another physical ailment to worry about - Text Neck. 
Text Neck could be classified as an RSI, or Repetitive Strain Injury. 
RSIs are injuries to muscles or the nervous system caused by repetitive motions, forceful exertions or sustained awkward positions. 
I can think of another RSI which also has to do with mobile devices. 
I think I know which one you mean, Ken. 
If you spend a lot of time pressing buttons on your smartphone or PDA, you might develop an aching, throbbing pain in your hands known as blackberry thumb. 
Yep, you got it. 
OK. Our next RSI has nothing to do with electronic gadgets. 
It's caused by one of the bestselling puzzles of all time, the rubik's cube. 
And it's called rubik's wrist. 
And it describes the pain caused by the repetitive turning of a rubik's cube really fast. 
Of course, the all-time classic example of RSI is tennis elbow. 
It's the unscientific name used to describe an elbow that sore and tender because of overuse. 
And it's not just tennis players who get tennis elbow. 
Swimmers, climbers, manual laborers and waiters can also get tennis elbow. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, continuing: As if the painful symptoms weren't bad enough, Fishman warns that an untreated case of Text Neck could lead to permanent spinal damage. 
Wow! This is something to take seriously. 
Well, let's take a look at one phrase here from this sentence. 
It starts out: as if something weren't bad enough. 
You could say as if something isn't bad enough, like: As if the traffic wasn't bad enough, everyone was late to the meeting. 
How else might you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, maybe it's very cold outside, you might say: 
As if the cold weren't bad enough, it just started to rain. 
So you might feel pretty miserable in that kind of weather. 
All right. 
What's another example of how to use this phrase? 
Well, as if my focus weren't bad enough, I just downloaded a lot of apps onto my phone to distract my attention even more. 
Right. So as if something isn't bad enough, something else might add to the problem. 
And Dean Fishman discovered that some people might have permanent spinal damage if they are not careful. 
Let's take a look at that adjective "spinal." It's from the Word Bank. 
"Spinal" describes anything or talks about anything that has to do with your spine, that line of bones down your back. 
It's a very important part of your body. 
How else might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, going down your back with your spine is also your spinal cord. 
And it connects to your brain. 
So that is something that you really want to take care of. 
You want good spinal health. 
All right. That's right, because it's part of your nervous system, the spinal cord. 
Nathanael, how else might you use that word? 
Well, inside the spinal cord or the spinal column is spinal fluid, which, of course, is very important for the function of the body as well. 
All right. 
Actually, when I was a baby, I had a spinal disease, and it was actually quite dangerous. 
Of course, I'm... I'm better now. 
I'm very glad about that. 
No permanent spinal damage. 
Well, we continue. 
He founded the Text Neck Institute in an effort to treat and educate those suffering from Text Neck. 
All right. 
Nathanael, how does the lesson continue? 
The next sentence says: 
Treatments offered there include chiropractic care, physical therapy, massage therapy and exercise planning. 
A lot of possibilities. 
We want to talk about one word in particular; and that is massage. 
"Massage" is a Word Bank word today. 
And maybe you've gotten a massage before. 
It's when someone kind of puts pressure on your back in different areas and rubs your back, makes it feel better usually. 
Sometimes I think it's a little painful. 
How's a way that we could use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, I do enjoy getting a massage. 
And you can get a massage pretty much on any... any part of your body. 
Have you had a massage before, Gabe? 
Oh, my goodness, I love massages. 
And unlike Nathanael, I do like hard massages. 
Um, sometimes you can also call them "rubs," like especially a back massage could be called a back rub. 
And you don't need a professional person to give you a back rub. 
Maybe just your friend can give you a back rub or a back massage. 
Well, let's continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our teachers are up to. 
All right. 
We've talked all about the downside of staying connected today. 
And I do wonder about other physical consequences to staying connected, consequences besides Text Neck. 
Carolyn, what do you think of? 
Well, I think of staring at that small screen for long periods of time. 
It can really affect your vision. 
It can put a lot of strain on your eyes and lead to eye problems. 
All right. 
What other consequences are there, Nathanael? 
Well, there can also be consequences in your hands. 
When you're doing this or when you're typing too often, it can cause problems in your hands. 
All right. 
And I... I think we've seen some videos on YouTube of people who were so concentrated on their tablet or smartphone that they ran into things like walls or fountains. 
So you want to be careful to watch where you are going. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
We'll see you next time to learn more about The Downside of Staying Connected here at Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
Bye-bye.

2013.03.28.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you are here for the second day of our lesson about The Downside of Staying Connected. 
Today we're going to be talking about different ways to prevent Text Neck. 
That was a term that was coined by Dean Fishman when he realized that people kept complaining to him about neck and shoulder pain. 
Well, maybe you have a job at an office and you sit at a desk all day long. 
What are some ways that you can relieve the pain in your neck and shoulders? 
Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times when I'm sitting at my desk, and I feel, oh, my shoulders are getting a little bit tight, 
I try to do some shoulder stretches by reaching my arms across each other, pulling them back a little bit. 
There are a lot of different exercises you can do at your desk. 
All right. 
What could you do, Nathanael? 
What things come to mind? 
Well, I've noticed some people at the office that actually sit on exercise balls when working at their desk. 
And maybe that helps, too. 
All right. 
Maybe you could get up every hour and walk around, do some stretches, different ways to prevent your neck and shoulders from getting too sore. 
Well, we're going to be talking about ways to prevent Text Neck in the first part of our reading. 
Let's do that now. 
The Downside of Staying Connected. 
Ways to prevent Text Neck. 
In order to avoid or reduce the possibility of getting Text Neck, use the following basic ergonomic principles: 
Avoid awkward positioning. 
Don't strain your neck, and stay aware of how your body is positioned in relation to the device. 
Take frequent breaks when using any kind of mobile device. 
Many doctors recommend that users change their position every 15 minutes. 
When using a tablet, use a case that can prop up the device at a comfortable viewing angle. 
Well, we do want to try to avoid Text Neck and being in pain. 
And we see at the beginning of our article: 
In order to avoid or reduce the possibility of getting Text Neck, use the following basic ergonomic principles. 
And at the beginning of that sentence, there's a little phrase "in order to do something." And we want to talk about that today. 
"In order to avoid" or "in order to do something else," what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that means... in order to... if you are going to do something in order to, you say "so that you can do something." So for example, 
I might say in order to give a good presentation, you need to prepare well. 
Or in order to avoid the lunch crowd or the waiting line at that restaurant, I left the office early for lunch. 
In order to avoid that crowd. 
How else could you use this phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, what do you do in order to stay in shape? 
Maybe you run or you swim or you lift weights. 
What do you do so that you can stay in shape, in order to stay in shape? 
That's right. 
Well, in order to learn English, you should practice every day, at least ten minutes, to keep your skills sharp. 
Well, we'll continue on. 
We see this word "ergonomic." Ergonomic just means something that is comfortable, 
something that is made specifically for your comfort so that you are not in an odd position. 
Now to avoid awkward positioning, what can we do, Nathanael? 
The sentence tells us: 
Don't strain your neck, and stay aware of how your body is positioned in relation to the device. 
This word "strain" is important for this topic, really, in general. 
We want to talk about it today because it is a key word - the word "strain." Strain. 
It can be used in a few different ways. 
What exactly does it mean, Gabe? 
Well, when you strain something, you kind of pull it or do something in an uncomfortable way. 
I often think about straining muscles. 
If you're not careful when you are exercising or playing sports, you might strain a muscle. 
It'll make you feel a little bit uncomfortable. 
It's not good to strain your muscles. 
That's right. 
You could also strain your brain. 
If you are thinking too hard, you might say: Oh, this is putting too much stress on my brain. 
It feels very strained. 
But you can also strain relationships. 
If you have a fight with someone, that can put stress on your relationship. 
And it feels strained or pulled apart. 
Well, how do we continue, Nathanael? 
I think there's a phrase we should talk about. 
Yes, there is another phrase that we do want to talk about in this sentence. 
It is "in relation to." In this sentence it's talking about the body in relation to your mobile device or to the device that you're using like a cellphone. 
So how are they related? 
"Especially in terms of positioning" as used in this sentence. 
What are other ways that we could use this phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times I do think of it as a position in relation to something else. 
So you might say: Oh. Well, where is your house in relation to the post office? 
Can I get there easily from the post office? 
That's right. 
Or like where is the mall in relation to the river? 
Is it east, north, south or west? 
Where is it in relation to this other place? 
That's right. 
Well, we continue on and we see some more advice. 
Take frequent breaks when using any kind of mobile device. 
Many doctors recommend that users change their position every 15 minutes. 
So that's pretty often. 
You don't want to stay in the same position for a long time. 
Now how do we continue, Gabe? 
Well, when using a tablet, use a case that can prop up the device at a comfortable viewing angle. 
Let's take a look at those words from the Word Bank: prop up. 
When you prop something up, or when something is propped up, that means you put it in a position that you can see it better. 
It's propped up; not flat, propped up. 
How might you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
If you prop something up, you're probably giving it something to lean on. 
And I realize that when I read at home, I often lay down and prop my head up with a pillow. 
I don't know if it's the best position to read, but that's how I often do it. 
That's true. 
You can prop yourself up with a pillow, which is kind of what I was thinking. 
But you can also support someone - you can prop your friend up by encouraging them to succeed. 
You can prop a person up as well as a thing. 
Well, now it is time for us to spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.28.B

Well, these two days we're talking about Text Neck, 
which is this issue that people have when they're using their phones and bending their necks over and they start getting pain in their neck. 
And today we're looking at some helpful suggestions for avoiding that kind of pain. 
One of them is to stop placing yourself in an awkward position. 
You should also take frequent breaks. 
And if you're using a phone or a tablet, maybe you should prop it up. 
Let's continue to learn about this issue today in this reading. 
The Downside of Staying Connected. 
There's an app for that! 
For those who simply can't take their eyes off of their devices, there is an ironic twist - downloading a special app could help. 
Dr. Fishman has released an app called the Text Neck Indicator App, which measures the angle of your smartphone. 
When the angle is appropriate, a green light appears in the upper corner of your screen. 
But when the angle puts you at risk for neck strain, the light turns red, triggering you to adjust your angle. 
So go ahead and stay connected, but don't let your body - or your neck - stay in one position for too long! 
It is a good idea to keep moving. 
Don't stay in one position for too long. 
And at the beginning of this section we see: There's an app for that! 
And we start by finding out: For those who simply can't take their eyes off of their devices, there is an ironic twist - downloading a special app could help. 
So this is a little bit ironic. 
And we're going to explain this word "ironic" to understand the sentence a little bit better. 
It is a key word today. 
If something is ironic, then you don't expect it to have the meaning that it does. 
Maybe it even means the opposite of what you expect. 
Gabe, can you give us an example? 
Well, yeah, actually there was a funny pin. 
Some people like to put pins on their backpacks or bags. 
And this pin says, "I hate pins." And the bottom part says, "But I love irony." It's kind of ironic because they hate pins but they love irony. 
So "irony" is the noun form of this word "ironic." It's irony. 
It is ironic. 
That's right. 
Well, Nathanael, can you give us another example? 
Well, it is kind of ironic that some of the most comfortable ways to place yourself... 
maybe if you're bending over like this, it feels a little bit more comfortable, but actually it's causing more problems in your back and will cause you pain later. 
That's right. 
You need to be careful with how you sit. 
Try to sit up straight. 
Well, it's also a little bit ironic because my sister is very good at math, but I am not that great at it. 
So it's a little ironic because we are sisters, same parents, but we are good at different things. 
Well, continuing on in our article we see that this app could help. 
So it's a little ironic because the app is for your smart devices, for your cellphone or your tablet, a little bit ironic. 
Nathanael, how does the article continue? 
It says Dr. Fishman has released an app called the Text Neck Indicator App, which measures the angle of your smartphone. 
So this app might actually be pretty useful even though sometimes a smartphone is the problem for this kind of issue. 
That's right. 
And in this sentence we see another word from our Word Bank, the word "indicator." And if something is an indicator, then it tells you some information. 
Usually we see this when we're talking about science. 
We need an indicator of the results. 
We need to know how to understand them. 
Gabe, how else can you use this word? 
Well, I think the cars... the lights on your car can be called "indicators" as well. 
If you need to turn left or turn right, you indicate to the person behind you that you are doing that. 
Those are called your indicators. 
I also think about maybe a map. 
Symbols on a map are indicators of other things in real life. 
That's right. 
Well, how else might you use this word, Nathanael? 
Well, there's also the word "indication," which is kind of a different form but also a noun of this word. 
And I might say something like: If stiffness is any indication, maybe I should start using this app. 
Well, it could be an indicator that something is wrong and that you should download this app. 
Well, we see what this app actually does on your smartphone. 
When the angle is appropriate, a green light appears in the upper corner of your screen. 
And we know a lot of things now. 
A green light means "good" or "go" when you're driving. 
But what happens when this angle is not good, Gabe? 
But when the angle puts you at risk for neck strain, the light turns red, triggering you to adjust your angle. 
So maybe it's at a bad angle, and it will be red, so then you want to adjust the angle. 
And if something triggers you to do something, it means it gets you going. 
It causes you to do something, or it reminds you to do something. 
That's right. 
And in our last sentence here we see: So go ahead and stay connected, but don't let your body - or your neck - stay in one position for too long. 
We saw earlier that doctors recommend you change your position about every 15 minutes. 
Maybe you can try downloading this app to make sure that your tablet or smartphone is at the proper angle for you to see, 
so it doesn't put a lot of strain on your neck or your back. 
Nathanael, do you think you might download this app? 
Well, it might be necessary. 
Sometimes I am in the habit of looking down at my phone, and I have been feeling just a little bit of stiffness in my neck. 
Maybe I need this little indicator in the corner of my screen to tell me that I need to prop my phone up. 
That's right. 
Well, Gabe, do you think you might find any of this useful? 
Hmm, I don't know. 
I... I have no problems with the way that I sit or the way they look at things. 
My neck is totally fine, Carolyn. 
Well, I can see that, Gabe. 
You might want to reconsider that a little bit. 
But right now, let's go to the Info Cloud and learn a little bit more. 
Then we'll watch a review skit and see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, friends. 
Can your arm fall asleep while the rest of your body is awake? 
Yes, it can. 
Maybe you've slept on your arm, and when you got up, you found that your arm didn't get up with you. 
It fell asleep. 
This funny expression describes that strange and uncomfortable feeling - numb body parts that feel like dead weight and you can't move them. 
When your body is in an awkward position for too long, you put undue pressure on something like your arm. 
And this pressure does two things. 
First, it squeezes nerve pathways, meaning muscles can't communicate properly with your brain. 
And this confusion generates feelings of numbness or prickly pain in part as a warning that you need to move. 
Right. 
Secondly, the pressure can cut off circulation, stopping blood from delivering oxygen and nutrients to muscles and nerve cells. 
Compressed nerves and poor circulation can be very dangerous. 
So it's important not to put your body in an awkward position for too long. 
Right. 
And by the way, after you move your arm, and it finally begins to wake up, the nerves start firing again. 
This is what causes the weird "pins and needles" feeling. 
(Chinese). 
Don't let your body - or your neck - stay in one position for too long. 
(Chinese). 
I see you're staying connected. 
Yes. I'm making good use of my time. 
True, but your body is paying a heavy price. 
What do you mean? 
Ow! Oh, my neck. 
Oh... my shoulder. 
A-ha! You have the symptoms of Text Neck. 
Text Neck? 
What causes that? 
The overuse of hand-held devices while bending the neck. 
Aw. It sounds serious. 
It is. If left untreated, it can lead to permanent spinal damage. 
Oh, no. 
Should I get treatment or massage? 
Physical therapy? 
Maybe exercise? 
Well, first you should follow some basic ergonomic principles. 
Like what? 
Avoid awkward positioning. 
Don't strain your neck. 
Oh, yeah. I'll stay aware of how my body is positioned. 
Also, take frequent breaks when using your mobile device. 
Yeah. I'll change my position every 15 minutes. 
Good. When using your tablet, use a case that can prop up the device. 
To be sure it's at a comfortable viewing angle? 
Exactly. 
Oh, and here's an ironic twist. 
What's that? 
These's a special Text Neck Indicator App. 
Text Neck Indicator App? What does it do? 
It measures the angle of your smartphone. 
When you are at risk for neck strain, a red light triggers you to change your angle. 
Oh! Well, I'll download it right away. 
Good. 
It's just what you need to stay connected. 
Yeah. Oh. 
Ouch, my neck. 
Oh, I hope it's not too late. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And let's return to our teachers. 
Well, the past two days we've been learning about the downside of staying connected. 
And it kind of makes me think about how popular it is and important to some people to stay connected all the time. 
Nathanael, what do you think about this? 
Well, I think that it's kind of understandable that this might happen if you are in the habit of doing that. 
But I think this habit is unnecessary. 
We spend too much time on our phones today. 
I agree with you. 
I think that people are being too connected, and they're not taking enough free time to really enjoy what they do outside of technology. 
What do you think, Gabe? 
I think the same thing. 
That's a funny sight when everybody at a restaurant is just looking at their smartphones instead of talking to each other. 
Exactly. Well, I hope that you have learned something from this lesson and that we will see you again on Studio Classroom. Bye-bye.

2013.03.29.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you're joining us for a lesson about cuttlefish. 
Actually, it's called Lessons from the Cuttlefish. 
So we're going to be learning about this sea creature, the cuttlefish. 
And we can also learn from the cuttlefish. 
We'll talk more about that later. 
But I do wonder if you have ever encountered any interesting sea creatures. 
Nathanael, what's the most interesting sea animal that you've encountered? 
Well, a long time ago, I was at the beach in Florida where they have stingrays. 
They kind of have a long tail that they can sting you with, and they look like they have wings. 
But they were swimming right around my feet. 
It was kind of scary but also kind of fun. 
That sounds really interesting. 
Carolyn, what about you? 
Well, one of my favorite sea creatures is the seadragon. 
And it looks a lot like a seahorse, but it is very good at hiding because it has lots of extra parts on its body that help it to blend in with its surroundings. 
Interesting. 
Well, the most or the closest I've gotten to a sea creature is actually a sea turtle when I was scuba diving. 
I got close enough to pet it, and it wasn't shy. 
It didn't swim away. 
But I would like to see a seadragon sometime, Carolyn, because actually this kind of reminds me of today's creature, the cuttlefish. 
One minute you see it, the next minute you don't. 
Let's get started with our first reading for the day. 
(Music). 
Lessons from the Cuttlefish. 
Inspirations from the sea for clothes that change colors. 
The amazing cuttlefish - now you see it; now you don't! 
The ocean's master of disguise is known for its ability to appear and disappear right before your eyes. 
This eight-armed creature can quickly change its color and texture to match its surroundings. 
Cuttlefish go through this process in order to surprise prey, protect themselves or attract other cuttlefish. 
How does it work? 
The color change is possible thanks to millions of special cells under the skin. 
These color cells contain tiny bag-like structures that hold different colors of ink, including red, yellow, black, brown and others. 
Inspirations from the sea for clothes that change colors. 
It is a really interesting idea. 
And I think that you're going to find today's article pretty interesting, too. 
It's about cuttlefish, but it's also kind of about fashion. 
OK. Gabe, can you get us started with the first sentence? 
Of course. 
The amazing cuttlefish - now you see it; now you don't! 
Actually this phrase, or this group of words "Now you see it; now you don't," that's kind of a phrase you might hear in a magic show. 
Right, Nathanael? 
That's right. 
A magician might say that he's going to make something disappear, and he says: Now you see it; now you don't. 
And it disappears. 
Let's read the next sentence. 
The ocean's master of disguise is known for its ability to appear and disappear right before your eyes, right in front of you. 
OK. There is a Word Bank word in this sentence that we want to discuss today. 
This word is "disguise." Disguise is usually something that we think of that you put on to hide yourself or to make yourself blend in. 
But the cuttlefish has a natural disguise. 
How can we use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, if you disguise yourself, then you are trying to hide who you are. 
And maybe you would wear a disguise when you are trying to trick your friends. 
You don't want them to recognize you. 
Maybe you want to play a joke, you can wear a disguise. 
And that's great, Carolyn just used this word as a noun and a verb. 
You might disguise yourself to look like something else. 
Or you wear a disguise. 
You could also use this word a phrase - "in disguise." I'm going in disguise. 
That means I'm going, maybe wearing a mask or something so that other people don't recognize me. 
That's true. 
You could also say "disguised" as an adjective. 
It's another way to use this word. 
Right before "disguise" in this sentence, we see a small phrase: the master of disguise. 
And we want to talk about this phrase, "the master of..." You can put many different nouns after this phrase. 
And it puts it in a different kind of situation. 
What's an example of this, Gabe? 
Well, I think about Marcel Marceau, the mime we learned about earlier this month. 
He is the master of mime. 
Actually, I can't think of many mimes who are better than he is. 
He might be the master of mime. 
How else might you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, if you want to say someone is really good at something or the best at something, 
you could say that they are the master of it, such as someone who is the master of music. 
They are very talented at music. 
That's right. 
We might also ask what animal is the master of the sea. 
There are many different options. 
Maybe it'd be one of the big whales. 
That's possible. 
OK. Carolyn, would you carry on with our reading? 
Of course. 
This eight-armed creature can quickly change its color and texture to match its surroundings. 
So it sounds like the cuttlefish is very good at changing to look like what is around it. 
And we see a key word here from our Word Bank: surroundings. 
And surroundings are the things that are around you. 
How would you use this word, Nathanael? 
Well, it's easy to get lost if you don't know your surroundings. 
If you're not familiar with what's around you, you might get turned around or get lost very easily. 
Gabe, what do you think? 
Actually, maybe if you're trying to help somebody who is lost and you're on the phone, you could say: Well, tell me about your surroundings. 
What is around you? 
If you know what's around where they are, then you can help them figure out where they're going. 
Tell me about your surroundings. 
And we find out about this creature of the sea that matches its surroundings. 
Sometimes when I use this word "match," I think about maybe matching clothes. 
They're clothes that look good together, but they're not always the same color. 
However, Carolyn, I think that maybe the cuttlefish does actually try to be the same color as its surroundings, right? 
Yes. So when the cuttlefish tries to match its surroundings, it becomes the same color as the things that are around it. 
And we see even the same "texture," so the same type of bumpy or smooth that is around it. 
So it sounds like the cuttlefish is very good at disguising itself. 
That's right. 
And why do they do this? 
It says cuttlefish go through this process in order to surprise prey, protect themselves or attract other cuttlefish. 
See, there are many different reasons why the cuttlefish might want to change its appearance, 
change how it looks to blend in with its surroundings. 
How does the next part start, Gabe? 
Well, how does it work? 
The color change is possible thanks to millions of cells... actually they're millions of special cells under the skin. 
Liz is going to talk to us a little bit more about this sentence here. 
Hi, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Our FASHION article today mentions how engineers have developed a new kind of fabric that changes colors like what cuttlefish do. 
How is this change of color possible? 
We read: 
The color change is possible thanks to millions of special cells under the skin. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
And our focus is on the phrase: thanks to. 
We're not saying that people thank the special cells under the skin of the cuttlefish. No. 
Instead, "thank to" is a formal way of saying "because of," so. 
Instead of saying because of the sunny weather, we enjoyed a lovely day outside, we can say: 
Thanks to the sunny weather, we enjoyed a lovely day outside. 
Or: The team was able to finish the project quickly because of the new computer program. 
We can say: 
The team was able to finish the project quickly thanks to the new computer program. 
If you want more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And this is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
Goodbye. 
Liz, our grammar is improving thanks to you. 
Continuing on it says: 
These color cells contain tiny bag-like structures that hold different colors of ink, including red, yellow, black, brown and others. 
So they could possibly change into many different colors. 
OK. Now we need to go see Michelle in the Language Lab and see what she has to teach us today. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.29.B

We're learning all about the cuttlefish today. 
And of course, we're seeing how we can learn from the cuttlefish as well. 
This is a fish that can change colors right before your eyes, and maybe even change textures. 
It is the master of disguise in the sea. 
And of course, it can match its surroundings very well anytime it wants to. 
We have a lot more to learn about how this works. 
It's very amazing. 
So let's get started with the second reading for today. 
(Music). 
Lessons from the Cuttlefish. 
A cuttlefish can change color in less than a second after its brain imparts a signal to these cells. 
In fact, a cuttlefish can change color several times in just a few seconds. 
For years scientists have tried to figure out this complex system and how it could be beneficial to people. 
Now they are taking a cue from this "chameleon of the sea" in an effort to develop "smart clothing.". 
Well, I've heard of a smartphone before but not smart clothing. 
It's kind of a strange idea, but maybe it would be useful, too. 
OK. This section starts by saying: 
A cuttlefish can change color in less than a second after its brain imparts a signal to these cells. 
Now there's a great word that we want to talk about in the sentence that we don't actually always use that much, 
but it is a good one to know, "impart," a Word Bank word. 
You might read this in a textbook sometime, so it is useful to know this word. 
To impart something kind of means to send something or it could mean to give something, especially in terms of communication. 
What's a way that we could use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times I think about imparting advice to someone. 
You might impart advice so that they know something that they should do. 
It's... it's a good idea. 
Let me give you some advice; impart. 
That's right. 
So this word can be used to talk about things you can feel like a gift, imparting a gift to somebody. 
Or you can impart advice. 
You can impart wisdom to somebody. 
Impart understanding or impart knowledge to somebody. 
You're giving it away to that person, kind of in a way like a gift as Nathanael was saying. 
That's right. 
And with technology today, we can easily impart messages across the world. 
In this sentence, the brain is imparting a signal to these cells that can cause a color to change inside the cuttlefish. 
Pretty interesting. 
OK, continuing on. 
In fact, a cuttlefish can change color several times in just a few seconds. 
A cuttlefish can change colors in just a few seconds. 
That is very impressive and very interesting. 
Are there other animals that can change colors? 
Actually, yeah. There are other animals that can change colors. 
Later on we read that the cuttlefish is compared to a chameleon. 
And as you can see on page 50, there is a picture of a chameleon there. 
A chameleon can also change colors to match its surroundings. 
I think there are other animals like this. 
Um, does the seadragon do this as well, Carolyn? 
Well, the seadragon doesn't really change colors. 
It's already many different colors to match its environment. 
So if it lives in an area with a lot of seaweed, then the seadragons there are the same colors as the seaweed in the area. 
OK, very good. 
The next sentence says: 
For years scientists have tried to figure out this complex system and how it could be beneficial to people. 
And in this sentence we want to talk about the word "beneficial." Beneficial. 
Have you heard this word before? 
It's a very useful word; and it's a World Bank word today. 
You might have heard the word "benefit." That can be a noun. 
"Beneficial" is an adjective. 
What exactly does this mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if something is beneficial, then it is helpful. 
It is good for you to have this thing. 
And something that I think is very beneficial is learning a second language because you are able to communicate with even more people, 
and express your ideas in new and different ways. 
It is very beneficial to learn a second language. 
And that's why we hope that it's beneficial for you to be watching Studio Classroom, or learning with Studio Classroom. 
We want it to be... beneficial. 
I also think about maybe someone who imparts wisdom or advice to you. 
That can be very beneficial. 
You could say I had a beneficial conversation. 
It really helped me. 
And there's a famous piece of advice from the Bible that basically says you can do what you want, but not everything is beneficial. 
Not everything is going to do you good. 
OK, moving on again. 
What does the next sentence say, Carolyn? 
It says: Now they are taking a cue from this chameleon of the sea in an effort to develop smart clothing. 
Interesting, right? 
Smart clothing? 
Kind of a new idea to me. 
In this sentence we want to talk about a particular phrase that you may not be familiar with: to take a cue from something. 
Taking a cue from something. 
When I hear the word "cue," I usually think of theater, in which you might hear someone say a line, 
and that might be a note or a little indication to you that you should go on stage or that it's your turn to speak. 
It tells you what you should do next because you know what came before. 
It's a cue. 
So how can we use this phrase, to take a cue from something or from somewhere, Gabe? 
Well, it's important to eat healthfully, right? 
So maybe you can take a cue from Popeye and eat your vegetables. 
Of course, Popeye is known for eating spinach, and it makes him really strong. 
Take a cue from him and eat healthfully. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, I think that we take cues from lots of people that we meet. 
We can take cues from our parents. 
We can learn from them. 
But also, even when we are sitting here, we might point to one another. 
And that is a cue that someone else is going to speak. 
So here is a cue, Nathanael. 
Right. 
And we would call these things between people "social cues." That's a term that we might talk about pretty often. 
OK. 
And now we want to hear something interesting from Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
After that, we're going to see what Michelle has to say today in the Language Lab. 
When humans look to nature to solve a problem or improve upon existing technology, we call it biomimicry. 
OK. The word comes from the ancient Greek. 
You might recognize "bio-" as the prefix that means life, while "mimic" means to imitate. 
You could say it's science that imitates life. 
Now biomimicry isn't a new thing. 
We humans have been seeking answers in nature for thousands of years. 
But it was in 2008 that biomimicry really made world headlines. 
Maybe you remember during the Beijing Olympics, swimmers wore swim suits designed to mimic shark skin. 
I remember that. 
Researchers found that a shark's skin helps water pass by the shark faster, thus helping it to swim faster. 
And so swimmers who wear suits designed like shark skin swim faster too. 
The new technology works so well that sharkskin suits have since been banned in most major swim competitions. 
OK. Another kind of biomimicry is one that you might have used today on your shoes, jacket or backpack. 
Right. 
In the 1940s, after going on a walk, a Swiss engineer took a closer look at the small burrs that attached themselves to his dog. 
It became the inspiration for what we now know today as velcro. 
(Chinese). 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
Well, we're going to talk more about this topic tomorrow. 
And we're going to see that people want to take a cue from the cuttlefish and make some clothes that can change colors. 
But I think that we've already taken cues from other animals for fashion before. 
What are some examples, Gabe? 
Well, I think about maybe different shoes or belts that are made of leather. 
You might, of course, have leather made from cowhide or cow skin, but also maybe crocodile leather or snake skin. 
These things are different things that you can use to make shoes or bags, different things that use leather. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, I think that a lot of clothing that's popular right now has a cheetah pattern or zebra stripes. 
These are animal-inspired pieces of clothing but not actually made from the animal. 
That's right. 
You won't find me wearing them, but they are somewhat popular. 
OK. Please come back and join us tomorrow to talk about the cuttlefish and how it's changing fashion a little bit more. Bye-bye. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.03.30.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And I'm Nathanael. 
And you are joining us for day two about Lessons from the Cuttlefish. 
That's right. 
We're learning how to take a cue from the cuttlefish for things like fashion. 
Well, I do wonder, what does this sound like to you - I mean, would color-changing clothes interest you? 
Would you like to wear clothes that maybe could change colors? 
Nathanael, what do you think about this? 
Well, if I control... could control the colors that they changed to and when they changed, yes, I might be interested. 
I think it might be helpful for making your outfits match. 
Ah, very good. 
Yes, you do want to wear things that match. 
Carolyn, are you interested in this at all, color-changing clothes? 
I am. I think this'll be great. 
I would love to have clothes that I could change the colors or maybe change the patterns, the designs. 
I could have lots of creative clothing that I had control over. 
I think it would be very fun. 
It would be fun. 
Maybe it would be fun to have colors that change depending on your mood. 
If you're angry, it became red. 
If you were calm and relaxed, it turned blue or something like that. 
This whole idea does sound fun. 
So the cuttlefish may be influencing fashion. 
Let's continue learning about the cuttlefish today right now. 
(Music). 
Lessons from the Cuttlefish. 
Engineers Jonathan Rossiter and Andrew Conn at the University of Bristol in the U.K. have created a clear "artificial skin." Using cuttlefish technology, 
the two men have developed a soft material that contains something similar to the cuttlefish's color cells. 
But instead of color, these cells hold a tiny, thin piece of black rubber. 
A process that squeezes the rubber pieces causes them to appear flatter and wider. 
When all these black spots are expanded at the same time, it looks like the skin is suddenly darkening. 
And just like the cuttlefish, the color change takes place in less than a second. 
Well, we're learning interesting things about cuttlefish technology here. 
We start out by reading: 
Engineers Jonathan Rossiter and Andrew Conn at the University of Bristol in the U.K. have created a clear "artificial skin." OK. 
Before we look at that sentence, I want to take a look at that word "artificial" straight from the Word Bank. 
If something is artificial, that means it's not real or natural. 
Maybe it's manmade, a little bit fake. 
Carolyn, how might you use that word "artificial"? 
Well, a lot of times in our food, our food has different colors, but it's not actually that color originally. 
So we have a lot of artificial colors in our food that makes it look a little bit better and probably makes us want to eat it a little bit more. 
Uh, how else might you use this word, Nathanael? 
Well, you might also see this word when you're talking about computers because there's something called "artificial intelligence" in many computer programs that help them work, really. 
Artificial intelligence is another common place to see this word, artificial. 
Artificial intelligence. 
Artificial colors in your food. 
Actually, that reminds me of maybe some artificial flavoring. 
It's not really from fruit, but it's artificial flavoring to make it taste like a certain kind of fruit. 
Well, we're talking here about a clear artificial skin. 
I would be kind of scared to wear a clear skin of any kind. 
But I'm sure that these engineers know what they're doing. 
Nathanael, how do we continue? 
The next sentence says: 
Using cuttlefish technology, the two men have developed a soft material that contains something similar to the cuttlefish's... cuttlefish's color cells. 
A lot of "k"s there. 
I think this would be a very strange feeling kind of material. 
I don't know if this is something that I would really want to wear. 
I don't know, either. 
We'll see. 
Maybe they'll design some clothes that are actually comfortable but actually use cuttlefish technology. 
Now I don't think that the cuttlefish ever intended to have technology mimic it, but here we're talking about cuttlefish technology. 
And maybe you can use some other animals to talk about technology, too, like maybe scientists study whales. 
There is whale technology in how to communicate with sounds like sonar, whale technology. 
Anyway, today we're talking about cuttlefish technology and how it influences fashion. 
How do we continue, Carolyn? 
Sure. 
Well, we see that but instead of color, these cells hold a tiny, thin piece of black rubber. 
So earlier we talked about how the cuttlefish has lots of different colored ink inside its cells. 
But this is a tiny piece of black rubber. 
And in the article we see a process that squeezes the rubber pieces causes them to appear flatter and wider. 
So it sounds like these scientists have found a way to make tiny pieces of rubber act similar to a cuttlefish. 
Nathanael, how does this work? 
Yeah. It's interesting. 
The next sentence explains it a little bit. 
But I don't know if I completely get it without seeing it; maybe you will. 
When all these black spots are expanded at the same time, it looks like the skin is suddenly darkening. 
So interesting. 
These spots are going to expand, and they will look darker. 
Well, we want to talk about this word "expand," or "expanded" as it is used here because it is a Word Bank word today. 
And when something expands, it gets larger. 
I often think of a circle expanding and getting bigger, but many other things can expand, right? 
That's very true. 
And actually, I think of something a little less physical expanding. 
I like to expand my knowledge. 
You can learn about new things and expand the amount of things you know. 
I think another phrase for expanding your knowledge is expanding your horizons. 
The horizon is what you can see as far as you can see. 
So when you expand your horizons, you can see even further, you know even more. 
I also think of things like balloons. 
Of course, at first they're deflated. 
But then you can expand the balloon. 
You can put more air into it and it expands. 
That's right. 
I think the population can also expand. 
Uh, it grows bigger just like other things do as well. 
OK. The next sentence says: 
And just like the cuttlefish, the color change takes place in less than a second. 
And again, I m pretty impressed with this. 
A color change that can take place in less than a second. 
That's really very quick. 
I wonder if it will be difficult to achieve this kind of technology. 
Well, it may be a possibility in the future. 
We see a phrase here in this sentence: takes place. 
The color change takes place in less than a second. 
We want to talk about that phrase, "to take place." It means to happen. 
So Nathanael, how could you use those words? 
Well, you can use this phrase in many different kinds of questions. 
Where did it take place? 
When did it take place? 
How did it take place? 
There are all kinds of possibilities. 
All right. Well, right now it's time for something else to take place. 
Michelle has something to teach us in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.03.30.B

Today we are learning about cuttlefish technology and the possibilities it has in fashion. 
We've learned that a couple of scientists have created an artificial skin based on the way a cuttlefish changes color. 
They have very small cells that expand to make the skin look darker. 
It's a very interesting idea. 
And we can learn some more about it in the next part of the article for today. 
(Music). 
Lessons from the Cuttlefish. 
In the future, Rossiter hopes that by layering the cells, they can create material with multiple color changes or moving patterns. 
How can it be used? 
Military groups may find the material useful for camouflage. 
Hikers and bikers, though, will appreciate the ability to become suddenly bright, making themselves stand out for safety purposes. 
And who knows, "cuttlefish fashion" may someday be the latest thing on the runway. 
All right. We were learning about how this technology could work. 
And we read: 
In the future, Rossiter hopes that by layering the cells, they can create material with multiple color changes or moving patterns. 
Well, it does sound very interesting. 
And we want to talk about a word here from that sentence from the Word Bank. 
It is the word "layer." When you layer something, you're putting one thing on top of another, 
or maybe three or four things or many things on top of each other. 
How else could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times when I'm getting dressed, I like to layer my clothes. 
Today I'm wearing a long-sleeve shirt, but I'm also wearing this vest over top. 
It is a layer of clothing. 
OK. So you can layer your clothes. 
Maybe if you get a haircut; some styles are called layers. 
You get your hair layered. 
Nathanael, how else would you use that word? 
Well, just remember that this word is also a noun. 
You've probably heard it before. 
But you might say that a cake has many different layers, depending on what kind of cake it is. 
But remember, it is a noun as well. 
So a cake has many different layers. 
Lasagna also has many different layers of noodle and meat sauce. 
These things can be used... or this word can be used in many different ways. 
So we're talking about the cuttlefish and cuttlefish technology. 
How can it be used? 
Nathanael, what does our lesson say? 
It says military groups may find the material useful for camouflage. 
Camouflage is something that you wear so that you can blend in with an area. 
It might often be a color to blend in with trees or leaves or something like that. 
Have you ever worn camouflage before, Carolyn? 
Well, actually growing up in West Virginia, I have worn camouflage. 
It's very stylish to wear there. 
And many people wear it because they like to go hunting and they need to blend in with their surroundings. 
But in this... in this sentence, we also see a phrase: find something useful. 
And we want to talk about that today. 
If you find something useful, Gabe, what does that mean? 
Well, that means that you can use it for maybe many purposes. 
You find something useful. 
Maybe you didn't expect to be able to use it, but you have found a way to use it. 
I think of something like duct tape. 
I mean, people find duct tape useful for many things. 
They can repair things. 
You can do many things with duct tape. 
You can find it useful. 
How would you use that phrase, Nathanael? 
Well, and you can also use this in different ways. 
You don't have to say "useful." You can find something uh, something very different as well. 
I might say that I find green apples to be very sour, but other people enjoy them a lot. 
OK. So I find this food to be sour. 
I find that person attractive. 
And I find this useful. 
People find this material useful for camouflage. 
Let's go and learn something else... with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Biomimicry is applying what we learned from nature to stir our imaginations and solve our problems. 
Now here are two more examples of how nature inspired technology. 
First, termite mounds. 
Researchers in Africa found that the temperature and humidity inside a tall termite mound stay at a fairly comfortable constant. 
It didn't matter if the outside temperature was a cilly 2 degrees or a scorching 40 degrees. 
After some careful study, researchers took what they learned from the tiny insect architects and applied it to designing energy-efficient buildings for humans. 
And there's a building in Zimbabwe now that stays cool without any air conditioning. 
And it uses just 10 percent of the energy of a building of similar size - all thanks to the termite. 
Amazing. 
Well, our last example of biomimicry is the lotus flower. 
Have you ever noticed the leaves of lotus flowers are always clean? 
That's because their special surface naturally repels dust and dirt. 
When it rains, the water simply washes all the dirt away. 
Now one German company carefully studied the surface of lotus flower leaves and developed paint with similar properties. 
So now your house can look as clean and fresh as a lotus flower. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, I certainly do learn a lot from the Information Cloud. 
Well, we continue with our lesson. 
Hikers and bikers, though, will appreciate the ability to become suddenly bright, making themselves stand out for safety purposes. 
So maybe hikers and bikers think the opposite from people in the military. 
If you're in the military, you might want to camouflage yourself. 
But if you're a biker or a hiker, you want cars to notice you. 
You want to stand out. 
Let's talk about those words from the Word Bank: to stand out. 
Carolyn, what does that mean? 
Well, if you stand out, that means that you are very obvious. 
It is very clear that you are different from what is around you. 
And a lot of times I think about if you are applying for a job, you should stand out from the other applicants. 
You want the employer to see how you are different and why that is a good thing. 
All right. 
So Nathanael, how else could you use these words, stand out? 
Well, standing out may be positive, but I'm a person who doesn't like to stand out in public. 
I don't always like a lot of attention. 
OK. So maybe you don't like to stand out. 
Well, what stands out to you? 
Maybe you just read a book or watched a movie, and you want to recommend it to somebody else. 
You should share the things that stand out to you, the things that you will remember. 
Of course, it may not always be positive. 
This also reminds me of another phrase: to stick out. 
If something sticks out like a sore thumb, that means it really is obvious but not in a good way. 
So you want to stand out in a positive way. 
Nathanael, how does the lesson continue? 
Well, the last sentence says: 
And who knows, cuttlefish fashion may someday be the latest thing on the runway. 
And of course, when they say "runway," they mean in places where fashion is popular, or this is where models walk. 
If you go to a fashion show, you'll see them walking on the runway. 
Who knows, maybe one day it could be the latest thing on the runway. 
Well, it's time for us now to enjoy a review skit, and then some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Look at my new pet. 
It's a cuttlefish. 
Where? 
I just see water and rocks. 
Look! He's right here. 
Well, why can't I see him? 
You can't see him because he's the master of disguise. 
Master of disguise? A fish? 
Well actually, the cuttlefish is not really a fish. 
He's more like a squid or an octopus. 
Oh. Well, I don't see a squid or an octopus or any kind of cuttlefish. 
That's because this little eight-armed creature can easily change its color and texture to match his surroundings. 
Really! That's so amazing. 
How does he do it? 
Well, he's got millions of special cells under his skin. 
They change colors. 
So he's like a chameleon of the sea. 
Yeah. 
This little guy is teaching scientists how to make smart clothing. 
What, scientists are learning from your cuttlefish? 
Yeah. Engineers have created a clear, artificial skin using cuttlefish technology. 
Wow! That it just so amazing. 
Uh huh. They hope that by layering the cells, they can create material with multiple color changes or moving patterns. 
Oh. Well, that would be useful for camouflage, and for hikers and bikers. 
Yeah. What a great pet! 
We can learn lessons from the cuttlefish. 
Yeah! Hi, little cuttlefish. 
You're amazing. 
Actually, he's over here now. 
Oh. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
Keep watching as our lesson continues. 
All right. 
Well, we've learned a lot about the cuttlefish. 
And of course, technology can take a cue from the cuttlefish, especially in fashion. 
Well, this does make me wonder about other animals that have special talents or special things about them. 
Nathanael, here's kind of a fun question. 
What... what animal ability would you like to adapt? 
Yeah, I think it's a very hard question. 
I thought maybe I would like to fly, but I don't really want wings that would make me feel a little strange. 
And I would like to be able to breathe underwater. 
But if I had gills, I would also feel a little strange and I would stand out in the crowd. Um... 
OK, you don't like standing out. 
No, I don't like standing out. 
I think maybe I'll just stay as I am. 
Right. I like you as you are, Nathanaiel. 
Oh, thank you. 
Carolyn, how would you answer that question? 
Well, it wouldn't be a big change, but I would like to have the vision of an eagle so that I could see very, very far away. 
Very nice. 
Well, I would probably want to be like an ant and lift 20 times my body weight. 
Well friends, we've had a lot of fun learning all about the cuttlefish and learning from the cuttlefish. 
We'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.04.01.A

Hello, hello, hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for today, the first day of April. 
We're going to be learning all about April today. 
Our lesson is going to teach us the different things that you can celebrate during the month of April. 
Well, what do you think of when you think about April? 
What comes to your mind, Carolyn? 
Well, April's a really great month. 
It starts to get warmer, and the flowers start to bloom. 
It's also a really great month because my birthday is in April. 
What? No way. 
Your birthday is in April? 
Wait. My sister's birthday is also in April. 
So that's what I like to celebrate. 
When's your birthday? 
Well, my birthday's on April 20. 
When is your sister's birthday? 
It's April 16! 
Hey, you guys can celebrate during the same week, Carolyn. 
That's awesome. 
Well, that sounds great. 
We can have a big birthday party. 
That's a great idea. 
We can have a big birthday party for Carolyn and my sister in the month of April. 
Well, what else does April make you think about? 
Well, actually, Gabe, I didn't want to say anything, but I think there's something on your head. 
What? 
Yeah. It's big and brown and... 
Something on my head? 
Yeah. 
Wait! What is it? 
Oh... April Fools. 
Carolyn... 
You! You're a funny one. 
April Fools. 
Yes, today is April Fools' Day. 
Well, let's get started with our first reading for this lesson about April. 
April. 
April showers bring May flowers. 
During April in the northern hemisphere, flowers bloom, and the world comes back to life after a long winter. 
Some think this month's name comes from the Latin word aperire, meaning to open, referring to the opening of flowers. 
And April's name says much more as well. 
A - Arbor Day, a holiday that celebrates and encourages planting trees, falls on April 26 this year. 
J. Sterling Morton, a pioneer on America's frontier, was passionate about nature and proposed this holiday. 
It was first held in Nebraska on April 10, 1872, and has since spread throughout the U.S. 
Well, there are many things to celebrate in April. 
And right at the beginning of our lesson, we read a sentence: April showers bring May flowers. 
It's a fun little rhyme, showers and flowers. 
Of course, when it rains, then plants can survive, and you might see flowers. 
After winter, you will see more flowers in the spring. 
Well, we get started by reading: During April in the northern hemisphere, flowers bloom, and the world comes back to life after a long winter. 
Let's take a look at that word from the Word Bank. 
It is the word "bloom." Carolyn, what does that mean? 
Well, if something blooms, then it opens up. 
And so here we see that "flowers bloom in April in spring" means that they were closed, and now they have opened into beautiful flowers. 
Now what is something else that could bloom, Gabe? 
Well, something else that could bloom... If... you could have flowers that bloom. 
I also think of flowers or plants that produce nuts. 
You also might say those kinds of things bloom as well like an almond tree or a... or cherry blossom tree. 
There are different things that bloom. 
But usually I do think of flowers that bloom. 
And I also think of the word "blossom." It's very similar, B-L-O-S-S-O-M. 
A flower blossoms. 
That means it opens up. 
It becomes what is beautiful when you think of a flower. 
How else could you use that word "bloom," Carolyn? 
Well, I also think of a person that blooms. 
If someone is successful or coming out of their shell, they are opening up to the world, they bloom. 
And it's usually a very positive thing. 
That's right. 
These words, bloom and blossom, they are always positive. 
Well, we have something else we want to look at from that sentence. 
It's a phrase: back to life. 
So we just read the world comes back to life after a long winter. 
Back to life, does that mean the world is dead, Carolyn? 
No, it doesn't mean that the world is dead, Gabe. 
It just means that in winter, everything seems to be very cold. 
The trees lose all of their leaves, and it doesn't really look alive. 
But in the spring, things gain their color. 
They start to bloom. 
They start to open back up and come back to life. 
All right. They come back to life. 
Well, something else I think about is bears. 
That's right. 
Many bears sleep for a long time during the winter. 
It's called hibernating. 
And they seem dead, so you might say that bears come back to life after the winter. 
Well, we continue with our article. 
Some think this month's name comes from the Latin word aperire, meaning to open, referring to the opening of flowers. 
Carolyn, my Latin is not very good. 
I don't know if I said that word right, but this word does mean to open or the opening of flowers. 
That's right. 
And that's why many people think that the word April comes from this word aperire, maybe. 
I'm not quite sure how to say it either since it is Latin, not English. 
And we see that "And April's name says much more as well." And in our article we start with the letter A. 
And what does A stand for, Gabe? 
A is for Arbor Day. 
We find here: This is a holiday that celebrates and encourages planting trees; and this falls on April 26 this year. 
Um, this year, Carolyn? Why this year? 
That's right. 
It is this year, not next year or last year because this holiday changes the date each year because it always occurs on the last Friday of April. 
So it could be on 26, 27; the date can change. 
All right. 
And you see that phrase "falls on." That means it happens to be on April 26 this year. 
Well, we continue learning about Arbor Day with J. Sterling Morton, a pioneer on America's frontier, 
and he was passionate about nature, and he proposed this holiday. 
So he proposed this holiday, he came up with the idea. 
He said: OK. This date should be celebrated right now. 
Well, we have a word we want to talk about here in this sentence. 
It is the word "frontier." Carolyn, can you tell us about this word? 
Well, if you are on the frontier, then you are on the edge of something. 
You are exploring new territory, new areas. 
And a lot of times we think of space as the final frontier. 
All right, the final frontier because we have a lot more to explore out there. 
It's something that is newly discovered or maybe hasn't been discovered too much yet. 
Well, we're going to continue learning more about Arbor Day, but first let's go spend some time with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Hi, friends. Welcome to the month of April. 
We have a special holiday in this month called Arbor Day. 
Yes, Arbor Day is one of several holidays in April. 
Now we need to be careful when we use this word "holiday." When Americans hear this word, 
they usually think of a day determined by the government for people to be off work or school. 
Now though Arbor Day is a holiday, it's still a work day. 
Holidays that are non-working days are called national holidays. 
Examples include the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. 
Now holidays are reserved for days that are of religious or national significance. 
Schools, businesses and workplaces often close for holidays. 
The British use a different term, bank holiday. 
Why? 
Because banks are closed on this day. 
And to the British, "holiday" is also what Americans refer to as vacation. 
So instead of going on vacation, they usually just say go on holiday. 
You know, Americans and Canadians are probably the only people that use the word "vacation." In the rest of the English-speaking world, 
most people say go on holiday rather than go on vacation. 
That's right. 
So whether you say holiday or vacation, we hope you'll be able to go on one before too long. 
(Chinese). 
Going back to our last sentence about Arbor Day, we see it was first held in Nebraska, 
(a state in the United States,) on April 10, 1872, and has since spread throughout the U.S. 
Well, I remember celebrating Arbor Day when I was in junior high school. 
And a lot of the students came together, we planted trees around the school. 
Now it's time for us to go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.01.B

Today we've been learning about the month of April and some of the things that occur during the month of April. 
We've learned about flowers blooming and the world coming back to life because April is a month that occurs during spring. 
We've also learned a little bit about the holiday Arbor Day, which celebrates the importance of planting trees and in the importance of taking care of our Earth. 
Well, we still have some things to learn about this month April, so let's get to it in our second reading for today. 
April. 
P - Practical jokes are common on April 1 - April Fools' Day. 
People play tricks on each other, and some companies even join in. 
The BBC once reported a story about farmers harvesting spaghetti from trees, and Burger King advertise a left-handed hamburger. 
R - Rain is common in many places during April, a fact that gave rise to the old saying: "April showers bring May flowers.". 
I - International Guitar Month falls in April along with National Humor Month and National Stress Awareness Month. 
L - Loyal love and innocence are represented by the daisy, April's flower. 
And April's gemstone, the diamond, represents everlasting love. 
Well, let's get started with the letter P. 
It stands for "practical jokes." Yes. 
Practical jokes are common on April 1 - April Fools' Day. 
Many of you know and celebrate April Fools' Day by playing jokes on people. 
They are called practical jokes. 
Another word is maybe a "prank," P-R-A-N-K. 
But yes, a practical joke. 
And at the beginning of our lesson today, Carolyn tried to play a little practical joke on me by telling me there was something on my head. 
I don't know what it was. 
But obviously there was nothing on my head. 
It was just a practical joke. 
Well, it's... it's gone now. 
It's... OK. 
Right. 
Well, and I did say "April Fools!" So you knew it was just a joke. 
OK. It's very important. 
Sometimes if you want to play a practical joke on somebody, you want to let them know you are joking. 
So you can say "April Fools'!" Then they know it was just a joke. 
All right. 
Well, we continue learning about April Fools' Day. 
People play tricks on each other. 
People play tricks or jokes, and some companies even join in. 
Well, that's kind of fun. 
So it's not just individual people who are playing tricks, even some companies join in. 
That's right. 
And this is only on April 1, so just one day of the year. 
But we see that the BBC once reported a story about farmers harvesting spaghetti from trees, and Burger King advertised a left-handed hamburger. 
Those sound very interesting, Carolyn. 
Actually, I have tried the spaghetti that was harvested from trees. 
And the spaghetti is quite delicious. 
Um, I don't think spaghetti grows on trees, Gabe. 
I think someone may have been playing a practical joke on you. 
Maybe you're right. 
April Fools' Day, ha-ha, on me. 
Well, anyway, let's continue with the letter R. 
It stands for "rain." Of course, this is a month in spring. 
And so you might see a lot of rain. 
Rain is common in many places during April, a fact that gave rise to the old saying: April showers bring May flowers. 
So that's where that saying came from. 
Well, we're going to learn more about this sentence or this phrase "to give rise to something" in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Now in today's article, we see this sentence: 
Rain is common in many places during April, a fact that gave rise to the old saying: April showers bring May flowers. 
And that's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the idiom "to give rise to." It means to be the cause of something. 
So looking at today's sentence, the writer is saying that the fact it's common to have rain in many places during April is the reason why we have the saying: 
April showers bring May flowers. 
OK. Let's have a look at some example sentences. 
The unfortunate car accident gave rise to the current set of traffic safety rules. 
Or: William's experience studying overseas gave rise to his passion for traveling. 
So now it's your turn. 
Think of something that is the cause of something else, and practice using this idiom. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym, saying goodbye. 
And we see the next letter in the word "April" is the letter I. 
And here we have International Guitar Month falls in April along with National Humor Month and National Stress Awareness Month. 
So it sounds like there's a lot of things going on in April. 
And we have a word there that we want to talk about, the word "awareness," to be aware of something. 
Can you tell me a little bit about this word, Gabe? 
Yeah. Well, maybe if you're not aware of something, that means you don't know that it's happening or you don't even know about it at all. 
You're not aware. 
And so when you have an awareness of something, that means you know what is going on. 
And many things, many organizations like to have awareness about things or encourage awareness about things. 
So National Stress Awareness Month is maybe bringing to attention the fact that lots of people are very stressed. 
And that's not a good thing. 
National Stress Awareness Month and the things we can do about that. 
How else might you use that word "awareness," Carolyn? 
Well, it is important to be aware of what is going on around you and to have some mental awareness. 
You should be aware of the things around you. 
But there are many other things that you can be aware of. 
Here we have stress, but you could also be aware of maybe... 
International Guitar Month. 
International Guitar Month, that's right. 
Yeah, especially if you're a musician, you might celebrate International Guitar Month. 
Well, I see some words here, international and national. 
Just a reminder that "international" talks about things that are worldwide. 
And "national" are things... or talks about things within your country or within a certain country. 
Um, let's continue with the last letter here. 
It is the letter L. 
Loyal love and innocence are represented by the daisy, April's flower. 
Let's take a look at that word. 
I think it's a good word to know. 
It's the word "innocence." And if you have innocense, what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that you are innocent. 
It means that you are not guilty of something. 
You are pure and kind of like a child. 
I think the innocense of a child is something that is very beautiful. 
I think so, too. 
I was going to talk about that as well. 
If you're not guilty about something, you didn't do anything wrong, then you are innocent. 
And of course, many people think of children as having innocence. 
Well, we talking... we're talking about loyal love and innocence, and they are represented by the daisy, April's flower. 
What else do we know about this month here, Carolyn? 
Well, we also know the gemstone. 
And April's gemstone, the diamond, represents everlasting love. 
And a lot of people get diamond rings when they get married. 
It's true. 
A lot of people wear diamond rings when they are engaged or maybe married as well. 
Diamonds are wonderful and beautiful stones. 
And they represent everlasting love, loyal love, L. 
Well, we've... we've learned a lot about April today. 
And we have a lot more to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our teachers are up to. 
Today we've spent a lot of time learning about the month of April and some of the different things that go on during this month, one of them being practical jokes. 
April Fools' Day is a pretty fun day to celebrate so long as your jokes don't get too mean. 
But other than the joke that I played on you today, Gabe, have you had any experience with April Fools' Day? 
Well, yeah, practical jokes. 
I... I tried to tie a fake cockroach to a string. 
And then I waited for my sister to come by. 
And I let it fly down the stairway. 
I wanted to scare her. 
But it didn't really scare her. 
Wait! What's this in my pocket? 
Eww, it's a cockroach! 
Carolyn, April Fools' Day. 
April Fools. Oh, well. 
OK, not a real cockroach, just a joke. 
And we are very glad that you are here with us today on Studio Classroom. 
And we hope that you will join us next time right here. 
Goodbye. See you next time. 
Yeah, it's a cute little cockroach. 
(Music).

2013.04.02.A

(Music). 
Hello, everyone. 
And welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us today for our lesson about baseball. 
It is "more than a game" as you will see in our title. 
We're going to be talking about this for the next couple of days. 
Well, have you ever played baseball? 
Do you enjoy baseball? 
Do you know how to play baseball? 
Do you know the rules? 
Carolyn, what do you think about baseball? 
Well, I really like baseball. 
I don't watch it very much on TV, but I used to play it when I was younger because my dad was a coach for one of the teams. 
So I was on my dad's team, and it was a lot of fun. 
Did you ever play baseball, Gabe? 
You know, Carolyn, I never played baseball. 
When I was younger, I played another sport like it called softball. 
Have you ever played softball? 
I haven't played softball. 
Can you tell me about that a little bit? 
Yeah. The ball's a little bigger than a baseball. 
And it's pitched a little differently, a little slower. 
I think it's probably a little easier to play than baseball. 
It's a fun game. 
Baseball can also be called fastball, F-A-S-T-B-A-L-L. 
And today and for the next couple of days, we're going to learn how it is more than just a game. 
Let's get started with our first reading of the day. 
(Music). 
More Than a Game. 
Life is like baseball. 
Baseball and the U.S. have a long history together. 
The sport is so popular that it's even called America's Favorite Pastime. 
Baseball is an endless source of entertainment for the American public. 
But the love of the game goes deeper than that. 
Baseball is so much a part of America's identity that many find lessons on the diamond. 
Well, there are a lot of things that we can learn about life from baseball. 
And we see at the very beginning, "Life is like baseball." So life is kind of like the game of baseball. 
And we see that baseball and the U.S. have a long history together. 
So baseball is not something that is very new in the United States. 
It has been there for a long time. 
Do you know anything about this game, Gabe? 
Well, I know quite a bit about this game baseball even though I've never played it before. 
But it's true; the U.S. and baseball have a long history together. 
You could also use the idiom: they go hand in hand. 
These things go hand in hand, the U.S. and baseball. 
We're going to be learning a little bit about baseball but not really about the rules, more about lessons you can learn from this game baseball. 
That's right. 
And we see in our article that this sport is so popular that it's even called America's Favorite Pastime. 
So this game is really important in the United States and in U.S. history if it's called America's Favorite Pastime. 
And this is an interesting word here, this word "pastime." What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, "pastime," an easy way to remember what this word means is it's how you pass the time, what you do with your time. 
So you might think of a hobby as being a pastime, something that you do or that you enjoy doing. 
So baseball is America's Favorite Pastime. 
Carolyn, what other pastimes can you think of? 
Well, you might have a pastime where you enjoy watching sports instead of playing them. 
A lot of Americans enjoy watching baseball even if they don't play it. 
So that could be your pastime since you haven't played, Gabe. 
It's true. 
Actually a lot of people enjoy watching American football during the football season. 
It's another one of America's Favorite Pastimes. 
Something I enjoy doing is playing drums. 
It's one of my favorite pastimes. 
What about you? 
How do you enjoy passing your time? 
What do you like to do? 
You can call that a pastime. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing in our article we see that baseball is an endless source of entertainment for the American public. 
So it sounds like the United States gets a lot of entertainment out of this game. 
That's right. 
People are always interested in baseball. 
That's why it's an endless source of entertainment. 
It's entertainment that does not end. 
And I think Liz is going to share a little more about this in the Grammar Gym. 
Let's go there now. 
Hello, friends. 
I hope you're doing well today. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Now in today's article we see this sentence: 
Baseball is an endless source of entertainment for the American public. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: endless source of. 
It's a fun and exaggerated way of saying "constantly creating," so. 
Today's sentence just means that baseball is always providing entertainment for the American public. 
And let's have some examples. 
Paula's poor spending habits became an endless source of headaches for her family. 
Or: This new computer program claims to offer an endless source of educational games that can be used in the classroom. 
Now if you'd like to see some more example sentences, please take a look at today's Grammar Tip section in your Studio Classroom magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Continuing in our article we see: But the love of the game goes deeper than that. 
So talking about being an endless source of entertainment, it is much more than that. 
It goes deeper than that. 
Can you explain this phrase a little bit, Gabe? 
Yeah. Maybe you think something is a way on the surface or it appears to be just one way. 
Baseball is just a game. 
That's what many people may think. 
But it goes deeper than that. 
There... there are things that you can learn from baseball. 
So it's not just a game. 
It goes deeper than that. 
That's right. 
And in the article we see that baseball is so much a part of America's identity that many find lessons on the diamond. 
So it is so much a part of America's identity. 
This is an interesting phrase here: so much a part of something. 
If something is so much a part of it, then it is very important. 
It's a really important part. 
You might say that street food is so much a part of the culture that there are entire areas that just have food carts. 
It's very, very popular. 
Sure. 
Or you might think that American Black history is so much a part of jazz music. 
You can't separate it. 
Jazz music came from a lot of history there. 
You might also say... or I would say that coffee was so much a part of my dad's diet that he could not do without it. 
He got headaches if he didn't drink coffee; so much a part of something. 
And of course, we see here: 
Baseball is so much a part of America's identity that many find lessons on the diamond. 
That's right. 
And that's another great word there, the word "identity." If you have an identity, that is who you are, 
the way you identify or know yourself, the way you portray yourself to other people. 
So America's identity has a lot to do with baseball. 
That's right. It does. 
And there are other ways you can use that word "identity." Here we're talking about America's identity, how people recognize America. 
You might also think about hot dogs and hamburgers or apple pie when you think about America's identity. 
Or maybe your personal identity. 
You could also call that your ID. 
If someone is asking for your identity, they might be asking for your ID, or identification. 
That's right. 
Another good word "identification," comes from the word "identity." Well, 
the end of that sentence we see "find lessons on the diamond." And when I think of a diamond, 
I think of a shape, a square... a square shape but it's kind of turned on at side. 
Or I think of a stone. 
But here a diamond is referring to the baseball field. 
Right, Gabe? 
That's right. 
We're not talking about a precious jewel or just a shape. 
The diamond is the baseball field. 
So when you're talking about sports and saying "let's go to the diamond and play ball," you're talking about going to a baseball field to play baseball. 
That's right. 
Well, I think we have some more to learn from Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.02.B

Well, if you're just joining us, we are talking about baseball. 
You can open up in your magazine to the lesson called More Than a Game because baseball is not just a game with rules. 
We're actually not talking about the rules of baseball today. 
Over the next couple of days we're talking about lessons you can learn from baseball, America's Favorite Pastime. 
We already found out that it's a huge part of America's identity. 
And we have lots to learn from this sport. 
So let's get started with our first lesson from baseball in the next reading of the day. 
(Music). 
More Than a Game. 
"A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings." - Earl Wilson. 
For this successful 1960s pitcher, there was a lot of pressure. 
Everyone on and off the field watches the player at bat. 
He has three tries to hit a ball flying toward him at 80 miles per hour. 
Instead of thinking about failing, it's important to focus on the task at hand. 
Whether a batter or an office worker, only you can control your own performance. 
Don't let the fear of things you can't change defeat you. 
It is true that we are in charge of our lives and we're the ones who can make those changes. 
Well, at the beginning of this article we see: 
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings. 
And this is a quote by Earl Wilson who was a very famous baseball player. 
And his quote is very interesting. 
Baseball is a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings. 
Well, what does this mean, Gabe? 
Well, he describes baseball as a nervous breakdown because there is a lot of pressure when you are playing baseball. 
And a nervous breakdown is something that I hope you don't experience very often. 
But if you have a nervous breakdown, that means you have a lot of pressure. 
You can feel that pressure and maybe you can't handle it. 
And so you have a nervous breakdown. 
It's not a good thing, is it? 
It is not; and it comes from having a lot of stress. 
But here we see that a baseball game is like having a nervous breakdown, but it's divided into nine innings, or nine sections of this baseball game. 
So baseball games have nine innings when you play a full game of baseball. 
That's right. 
And one inning is when each team takes turns playing on the field and batting. 
So when one team is batting, that's half an inning. 
And then when they go out to play in the field, that's the other half of the inning. 
So there are nine innings in baseball. 
And for Earl Wilson, this successful 1960s pitcher, there was a lot of pressure. 
Yes. And we see in this sentence that he was the pitcher. 
So that means that he was not trying to catch the ball, he was actually throwing the ball at the person who was batting. 
And in the next section we see: Everyone on and off the field watches the player at bat. 
So there is a lot of pressure for the pitcher because everyone is watching the ball and the person who is at bat. 
That's right. 
Everyone on the field and off the field. 
That means the people that are playing as well as everyone who came to watch America's Favorite Pastime - baseball. 
So they're watching the person at bat. 
The person at bat is the batter, the person who has the baseball bat in his hands and he is at bat. 
That's right. 
And he has three tries to hit a ball flying toward him at 80 miles per hour. 
So there is a very, very fast ball that is almost 129 kilometers per hour. 
And he only has three chances or three tries to hit this ball before someone else comes up to bat. 
That's right, only three chances. 
Maybe he will get out; maybe he'll hit the ball and start running around the baseball diamond. 
Well, we continue. 
Instead of thinking about failing, it's important to focus on the task at hand. 
Instead of thinking about failing, it's good to focus on what is there in front of you - the task at hand. 
Carolyn, what does that phrase mean, if something is at hand? 
Well, if something is at hand, then it is what you are doing at that moment, so. 
It's not something that happens in the future or in the past. 
It is what is in front of you now. 
All right. 
So you might talk about the situation at hand. 
Let's not think about other things. 
Let's think about the situation at hand, what we need to do right now. 
It's immediate. 
It's what you need to focus on right now. 
And in baseball, you really can't think about failing too much. 
You need to focus on the task at hand. 
And the task at hand is going to the Information Cloud and learning something with Steve and Ken. 
Today's lesson is about baseball. 
And we all know where baseball is played. 
Of course. It's played in stadiums. 
Yes. In modern times, we go to a stadium to see a ball game. 
But did you know that in the old days, baseball was played before a handful of people in public parks? 
Ah, so that's why we also refer to the place where baseball is played a ballpark. 
Right. 
When I was a kid attending a baseball game, I always wanted to see someone knock the ball out of the park or hit a home run. 
And then there's the expression "knock one out of the ballpark," which means to have a great idea or to do something extremely well. 
Steve, I think you really knocked one out of the ballpark at the staff meeting yesterday when you suggested early retirement for English teachers. 
Thanks, Ken. 
Now if the ball is hit but stays within the ballpark, the ball is in play. 
By extension, the expression "in the ballpark" means something that's within a range that you can deal with. 
We often talk about a ballpark figure, which is an acceptable, reasonable estimation. 
(Chinese). 
It is good to know about that word "ballpark." And moving on in our lesson we see: 
Whether a batter or an office worker, you... only you can control your own performance. 
So you are the one who is in control. 
And we see that word "batter." If someone is a batter, then they are the person who is at bat, the one with the baseball bat. 
And they're about to hit the ball. 
That's right. 
That is the batter. 
And whether you're a batter or an office worker; I could also add some other things here. 
Whether you're a batter, an office worker, a musician, a doctor, a technician, only you can control your own performance. 
So that's a rule that you can use in any area of life. 
You can control what you do. 
That's right. 
And it is important in the last sentence here we see: Don't let the fear of things you can't change defeat you. 
So you don't want to let this fear of things that you can't control or that you can't change defeat you. 
And that is a good word, "defeat." We want to look at that word now. 
If you are defeated, that means that you lose. 
Right, Gabe? 
That's right. 
And you just used that in kind of an adjective way. 
If you feel defeated, that means you feel like you are losing to something. 
So when you play a game and you defeat the other team, that means you have victory. 
You win. 
You defeat the other team. 
That's right. 
So in baseball, you might hear that the Yankees defeated the Red Sox or something like that. 
That's right. 
Now in life, maybe sometimes you do feel defeated. 
You feel like so many things are happening that are bad or negative, and you feel bad about that, you feel like you can't possibly win, you could say: 
I just feel defeated. 
Well, it's important not to focus on failing but to focus on what you need to do, and you can overcome that feeling of defeat. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's the time to go back to the teachers. 
Today we've been talking about baseball and one of the lessons that you can learn from it. 
And we also learned about two of the positions that you can play in baseball: the pitcher and the batter. 
And so I wonder, Gabe, which would you prefer to be, the person at bat or the pitcher? 
Oh, Carolyn, I think both people have a lot of pressure on them. 
I would rather be the batter, actually. 
I don't think I'm a very good pitcher. 
I can try to bat. 
I think it might be a little easier to be batter, but I'm not sure because I've never been pitcher. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, my arm is not very good but I think I'd rather be the pitcher because having a ball at 80 miles an hour coming toward me is a little bit scary. 
Yeah, that could be a little bit scary. 
Bad things happen sometimes during baseball games. 
You never know what might happen. 
But it is an exciting game to watch. 
There's a lot going on. 
We're going to learn some more lessons next time here at Studio Classroom, so please come back. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.04.03.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson - More Than a Game. 
We've been talking about baseball but not the rules, not really the game. 
We're talking about lessons you can learn from the game of baseball. 
And we learned about one yesterday that you can't let outside situations make you feel defeated. 
You need to focus on the task at hand and control your own performance. 
We have more to learn from today. 
But since we are talking about baseball, I do wonder if you have ever been to a baseball game. 
Carolyn, have you been to a baseball game before? 
Well, I've been to many baseball games since I used to play. 
But I also got to see a really great baseball game when I was in Japan as an exchange student. 
The high school I was going to had a baseball team. 
And at the end of the game, they let me keep the ball. 
What, no way! You got to keep a ball from a baseball game? 
That's so cool. 
Well, I've been to a couple of baseball games. 
I used to think baseball was kind of boring, but I think I'm getting more and more interested in baseball. 
It's actually quite an exciting sport to watch. 
Well, we have some more lessons to learn from the game of baseball today. 
So let's get started with the first reading in today's lesson. 
(Music). 
More Than a Game. 
"You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first." - Frederick B. Wilcox. 
If you don't take some chances, you probably won't improve. 
A runner on first or second base can try to "steal" the next base. 
He does this by dashing there as the pitcher prepares his fastball. 
Stealing a base is not easy, but it might be worth running the risk. 
We face choices like this every day: stay safe or take a risk. 
Well, I like that quote at the very beginning of our lesson. 
It says: You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first. 
This was said by Frederick B. Wilcox. 
And he says that you can't steal second base and keep your foot on first. 
Carolyn, what is a base? 
Well, a base in baseball is where you want to run to. 
So you have four bases. 
You have first, second and third base and then also the home plate. 
And you need to run to each of those bases in order to score a point. 
All right. That's right. 
You need to run around those three bases and get to the home plate in order to get a point. 
And we're going to find out about "stealing" pretty soon. 
Our first sentence here is: If you don't take some chances, you probably won't improve. 
Would you agree with that, Carolyn? 
Well, I think sometimes it is important to take a chance so that you can make progress. 
If you stay in the same place the entire time and you don't try to make a change or you're afraid to make a change, it's difficult to improve sometimes. 
That's right. 
So it is good to take some risks, to take some chances, and then you can improve. 
We continue: A runner on first or second base can try to "steal" the next base. 
Now we're talking about bases here. 
And you can steal a base from first or second base. 
Um, Carolyn, when we're talking about this word "stealing" a base, 
does that mean someone is going to pick up the base and run home with it without paying? 
Eh, no, no, no. It's not that kind of stealing. 
It means that they're going to run when they aren't supposed to. 
So when the pitcher is getting ready to throw the ball, they start running before the pitch is actually thrown. 
All right. 
And sometimes this can be risky. 
It can be dangerous because the pitcher might see and throw it to the next baseman, and you will get out. 
All right. 
So you might want to steal a base if you are playing baseball, but it is a risk. 
Well, how do we continue with this lesson, Carolyn? 
Well, we see that he does this by dashing there as the pithcer prepares his fastball. 
So they're explaining how you steal a base here. 
And you do this by dashing, so you run very fast. 
This word "dash" means to run quickly, usually for a short distance. 
All right. 
So "dashing." Actually the first thing that I think of when I hear this word is that song - "Dashing through the snow. Jingle bells." Right? 
You know that song. 
Dashing, that means you're going very fast through the snow. 
But of course, here we're talking about running. 
And there is actually a race, or a really short race called the 100-yard dash or the 50-yard dash. 
That means you're running as fast as you can to cross the finish line when you dash. 
That's right. 
And here the person is dashing to the next base while the pitcher prepares his fastball. 
And "his fastball" means that he's going to be throwing this ball very fast to 80 miles an hour, probably. 
That's right, a fastball. 
That's especially fast. 
There are other kinds of ways to pitch. 
You might throw a curveball. 
It might not be as fast, but it can be tricky for the batter. 
So there are different ways to pitch. 
And many pitchers like to pitch fastballs. 
Well, stealing a base is not easy, but it might be worth running the risk. 
I like this idiom here in this article especially because you do need to run in baseball, and it's an idiom that really means to take a chance. 
How else might you use that idiom, Carolyn? 
Well, you can use it here that running a risk is a good thing. 
But you might also say: Well, if I don't practice every day, I run the risk of forgetting how to do it. 
All right. You might run the risk of forgetting how to do something. 
I know some baseball teams like to buy baseball players. 
And they maybe have a contract for five or ten years. 
When you do that, you run the risk of your baseball player getting older and not being able to play as well, but you still have to pay them the money. 
That's a risk that you might take. 
You run that risk. 
That's right. 
Well, we have one more sentence here in this paragraph. 
We face choices like this every day: stay safe or take a risk. 
So many times throughout our day, we do find times when we have to make a choice; and it might be a risky choice. 
That's right. 
So you face a choice. 
You have a choice you need to make. 
That's called facing a decision or facing a choice. 
And the choice is stay safe or take a risk. 
Well, which one would you prefer to do? 
Which one are you more likely to do? 
Carolyn, what about you? 
Would you be more likely to stay safe or to take a risk? 
Well, I am a very cautious person, so I'd like to stay safe. 
But sometimes if there is a challenge in front of me, I take the risk and try to do my best and see what happens. 
All right. 
That's good. 
Sometimes it is good to take a risk. 
I think if you have a business, you need to take risks. 
Otherwise, you won't make more money. 
Sometimes it is good to take a risk. 
Even if bad things happen, other good things also might happen. 
So it can be good to take a risk. 
And especially in baseball, people steal bases. 
That is taking a risk. 
But it could earn you some points. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, friends. 
If you ever have a chance to go see a baseball game in the U.S., there's something you have to do during the seventh inning. 
That's right. 
Immediately after the top of the seventh inning, you should stand up and sing: 
Take me out to the ball game. 
Take me out with the crowd. 
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack. 
I don't care if I never get back. 
OK, OK, I think they get it. 
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is the third most often-played song in America after Star Spangled Banner and Happy Birthday to You. 
It's a tradition in the U.S. to sing this song during the so-called seventh-inning stretch. 
Now that's when fans stretch their arms and legs and other muscles in the middle of the seventh inning. 
How did this tradition begin? 
Legend has it that President William Howard Taft was at a baseball game once. 
And after sitting there watching the game for six innings, he started feeling sore. 
So he stood up to stretch. 
And upon seeing the President stand up, the rest of the spectators at the ballpark felt obligated to join the President in his gestures. 
And the tradition of the seventh-inning stretch was born. 
(Chinese). 
(Chinese).

2013.04.03.B

Today we are on our second day of our article More Than a Game. 
And we are talking about lessons that you can learn from the game of baseball. 
Today we've learned that sometimes we need to run the risk of doing something, of taking a chance. 
If we want to improve, it is important to try our best. 
And sometimes it works out for the better. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn and another great tip coming up in the next part of our article. 
So let's read that now. 
More Than a Game. 
"Every strike brings me closer to the next home run." - Babe Ruth. 
Ruth knew that you often have to fail before you succeed. 
The Bambino and batters before and after him have missed more balls than they have hit. 
Take the latest World Series winners, the San Francisco Giants. 
They lost over 40 percent of their games during the 2012 season. 
They viewed every win or loss as another step forward. 
There's no room for self-pity after a loss - only for more effort the next time. 
Well, so far I really like these lessons that you can learn from baseball. 
At the beginning of this section, there is a quote from Babe Ruth. 
He said "Every strike brings me closer to the next home run." And we learn about what that means in this paragraph. 
But Carolyn, what is a strike? 
Well, a strike happens when you are up to bat and you miss the ball. 
The pitcher throws it, and the ball goes right past you. 
You don't hit it with the bat. 
All right. 
And you are allowed two strikes. 
If you have three strikes, then you are out. 
But of course, your goal is to get around the bases to home plate. 
One way to do that is by hitting a home run. 
Carolyn, what's a home run? 
Well, a home run is when you hit the ball so hard that it goes very, very far, 
and you are able to run to first base, second base, third base and home plate before you're out. 
That's right. 
And sometimes that is called a homer. 
That's a nickname, H-O-M-E-R. 
A homer is a nickname for a home run. 
And if you do hit a home run into the stadium or into the stands where people are, the batter doesn't need to run. 
He can just walk around the bases because he hit a home run. 
And Babe Ruth was well-known for hitting home runs. 
Well, we see here that Ruth knew that you often have to fail before you succeed. 
You often have to fail before you can succeed. 
How do we continue with this article, Carolyn? 
Well, we see the Bambino and batters before and after him have missed more balls than they have hit. 
And you see at the very beginning of the sentence, the Bambino. 
You might wonder who that is. 
Well, it's just another nickname for Babe Ruth. 
He was known as the Bambino. 
That's right. 
Or sometimes people call him the Great Bambino. 
The Bambino. 
And he said... well, he and batters before and after him have missed more balls than they have hit. 
That's because it's really not that easy to hit a ball in baseball. 
If something is pitched at you very fast, you might miss more than you hit. 
Well, we continue. 
Take the latest World Series winners, the San Francisco Giants. 
Now this is kind of an interesting sentence, an interesting word to start with. 
"Take" the World Series winners? 
The San Francisco Giants? 
You could say "take the San Francisco Giants, for example." Sometimes we say that. 
Take this, for example. 
That means you're going to share an example about something. 
But there is a phrase there, the World Series. 
What is that, Carolyn? 
Well, the World Series is the biggest game in baseball. 
If you are in the World Series, then you are playing against the top baseball teams in the United States. 
That's right. 
And it's pretty exciting to see baseball games, especially the World Series. 
You're watching excellent players play America's Favorite Pastime. 
Well, we continue learning about the San Francisco Giants. 
They lost over 40 percent of their games during the 2012 season. 
That's a lot of games to lose. 
Well, we're going to continue. 
But first, we're going to talk about that word "season." Um, usually I think of spring, summer, fall and winter. 
Don't you, Carolyn? 
That is usually what we mean when we say "season." But here we're talking about a sport season. 
So baseball's season is not very long. 
It's usually the spring and the summer, and then baseball season is over. 
And then it's time for football season. 
That's right. 
Different sports have different seasons. 
Something else that you can remember about baseball is that is split into a couple of different seasons. 
There's the regular season where people are competing against each other. 
There are 162 games in the regular season. 
And then there's the postseason. 
And only a few teams are chosen to play in the postseason before the final game. 
So there are a couple of different seasons even in baseball. 
Well, how does the lesson continue? 
Well, we're still talking about the San Francisco Giants. 
And they viewed every win or loss as another step forward. 
So we saw that they lost over 40 percent of their games, so almost half they lost their games. 
But they still won the World Series. 
So they saw these wins and losses as steps forward. 
And we want to talk about the phrase there: to take a step forward. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, when you take a step forward, that means you are looking to the future. 
You're not thinking about how you fail, you're taking a step forward. 
No matter how well or badly you do, you are still thinking about moving forward. 
So do you take steps forward? 
And how do you do that? 
How do you take a step forward, Carolyn? 
Well, I try to focus on positive things and move forward. 
Focus on what is good and in the future. 
All right. And we read on: 
There's no room for self-pity after a loss - only for more effort the next time. 
So if there isn't room for something, that means don't think about it. 
There's no room for self-pity. 
Those are some words we do want to think about. 
We want to talk about these words, self-pity. 
That means you feel bad for yourself about something. 
That's right. 
And it's not something you want to do. 
You want to focus on the positive things ahead of you that are waiting in the future. 
Well, now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we will join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hooray for baseball. 
It's a great game. 
Hey, it's more than a game. 
Baseball is part of America's identity. 
Yes. And you can learn some important life lessons from baseball. 
That's right. 
For example, we can learn how to steal. 
Hey, stealing isn't good. 
Well, it is in baseball. 
If a player dashes to the next base while the pitcher is getting ready to throw the ball, it's very good. 
You're right. 
The runner takes an opportunity to get ahead. 
Exactly. 
But you can't steal second base and keep your foot on first. 
Oh. But keeping your foot on first base is good. 
It's safe. 
You can't get out. 
Right. But you can't steal, either. 
Oh. So the lesson is sometimes you need to take chances if you want to get ahead. 
That's right. 
And here's another lesson from baseball. 
Babe Ruth said: Every strike brings me closer to the next home run. 
Uh, wait. 
If you're the batter and you swing, you miss, that's a strike; and that's not good. 
Yes. But you are closer to your next home run. 
Oh, yeah! 
And in life, every failure brings you closer to your next success. 
Yes. That's another great lesson that we can learn from baseball. 
Well, that's wonderful. 
I love baseball! 
Me too. 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
Well, we've learned some wonderful lessons so far in this lesson about baseball and that there are many things that you can learn from the game of baseball. 
I wonder if uh, maybe you don't like baseball, maybe you like another sport or you play another sport, 
are there any lessons that you've learned from your favorite sport, any life lessons? 
Carolyn, what about you? 
Well, other than baseball, I didn't really play a lot of sports, but I was part of the marching band in high school. 
And it's really like a team sport. 
And each person has their own responsibility, their own part that they need to play. 
So it helped me to learn that you really can't depend on someone else to do your job for you. 
You are responsible for what needs to get done. 
Interesting, because I was going to say a lesson that I learn from Ultimate Frisbee is that it is a team sport, and you need to learn how to play with other people. 
So I guess it depends on the sport. 
And you do need to control your own performance, and also learn how to rely on others sometimes. 
Well, you can learn a lot of different things about life from different sports. 
And we have more to learn from baseball, so please come back tomorrow. 
We'll see you then right here at Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.04.04.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for day three of our lesson about baseball. 
It is more than just a game. 
We've been talking about different life lessons that you can learn from this wonderful sport, baseball. 
It is not only America's Favorite Pastime, there's a reason for that. 
There's a reason that people love this sport. 
There are many lessons that you can learn from it. 
What's one of the lessons that we talked about, Carolyn? 
Well, on the first day we talked about overcoming fear and not letting the fear of things you can't change defeat you. 
It's important to focus on the task at hand even when we're under a lot of pressure. 
That's right. 
It's good to focus on the task at hand. 
Another lesson that we learned is that you need to take risks sometimes in life. 
If you want to steal a base in baseball, that can be kind of risky. 
You don't know if you will make it or not. 
But if you do, you will improve and maybe get a point for your team. 
Sometimes it's good to take risks. 
And another lesson that we learned is that it's good not to pity yourself. 
You need to move forward. 
Take steps forward. 
Don't just feel bad about your failures. 
Well, we have one more lesson to learn from baseball today, so let's get started. 
If your magazine isn't opened yet, open it right now. 
Let's get started with the first reading of the day. 
More Than a Game. 
"It ain't over 'til it's over." - Yogi Berra. 
The meaning of this famous Yankees catcher and manager's words is simple: Never give up. 
There is always time for a comeback in baseball. 
In 2010, the Colorado Rockies were down six runs against the St. Louis Cardinals. 
Determination pushed them to score nine points at the bottom of the ninth for the win. 
We often stop trying when we think we know what the ending will be. 
With the right attitude, we can still succeed even when it doesn't seem likely. 
It is important to have the right attitude. 
And at the beginning of our reading today we see another quote, this one from Yogi Berra. 
He says, "It ain't over 'til it's over." So those are some words of encouragement to you from Yogi Berra. 
And it's kind of an interesting phrase. 
He uses this word "ain't," which is not really a word. 
And it's not something that we use. 
But the article does go on to explain what he means in this sentence. 
Uh, Gabe, can you please continue for us? 
That's right. 
Well, I should explain the meaning of that word "ain't." We don't want to hear you using it, but it means isn't. 
So you could say it isn't over till it's over or it's not over till it's over. 
And the meaning of this famous Yankees catcher and manager's words is simple: Never give up. 
All right. 
That's a great lesson that you can learn from baseball - Never give up. 
Uh, Carolyn, what is a catcher? 
Well, the catcher is the person who tries to catch the ball. 
So the ball is being hit by the batter. 
It's being thrown by the pitcher, and being caught by the catcher. 
That's rights. 
So the catcher is always behind the batter. 
And he catches the pitcher's balls. OK. 
Well, don't give up, or never give up. 
So this famous Yankees catcher was also a manager in his life, very famous person, Yogi Berra. 
Well, we continue. 
There is always time for a comeback in baseball. 
There is always time for a comeback. 
And we want to take a look at that word "comeback." A comeback is when you are down or maybe when you are losing, 
and then it's when you kind of come back so that you are actually winning. 
How else could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times in sports we talk about the team made a comeback. 
So they were losing before, and then they go on to win the game. 
And nobody thought that they could do it. 
They made a comeback. 
All right. 
They made a comeback. 
I also think of another way to use that word "comeback." Maybe if you are arguing with somebody, someone might say something kind of mean. 
And if... if you have a comeback, that means you say something that... that keeps the argument going. 
It's not a good thing, really, to keep having comebacks back and forth. 
But in baseball, it's good to have a comeback, or in a sport. 
If you're losing, it's great when you can have a comeback. 
That's right. 
And the article gives us an example of a comeback. 
In 2010 the Colorado Rockies were down six runs against the St. Louis Cardinals. 
So these are team names, the Colorado Rockies and the St. Louis Cardinals. 
And the Rockies were down by six runs. 
So they were down six points. 
This is a pretty big gap if they are down that many points. 
It's true. 
And when you're down in a game, that means your team has less points. 
Your team is losing. 
So your team might be winning. 
You are up, or you're ahead by so many points. 
That's the opposite of "down." So the Rockies were down six runs against the St. Louis Cardinals. 
Well, how does this article continue, Carolyn? 
Well, we see that determination pushed them to score nine points at the bottom of the ninth for the win. 
So the Rockies were able to win the game even though they were down six runs. 
And we see this word at the beginning of the sentence: determination. 
What does that mean if you have determination, Gabe? 
Well, if you have determination, that means you will not give up. 
You have a goal and you are determined to do it. 
That means you've decided in your heart that you're going to do it no matter what. 
You have determination. 
So as you can see, that word can be used in different ways. 
You can be determined to do something. 
D-E-T-E-R-M-I-N-E-D. 
Are you a determined person? 
Do you have determination? 
I think that I do have determination. 
When I set a goal for myself, I want to succeed. 
And I try as hard as I can to meet that goal. 
So I do think I have determination. 
All right. It's good to have determination. 
When do you have determination, friends? 
Think about that, talk about it in English. 
We have some words in that sentence, "the bottom of the ninth." What does that mean? 
Well, we've been learning about innings, or we learned about innings before. 
So this is talking about the second half of the ninth inning or the last inning. 
We call that the bottom of the ninth. 
What is the first half of the ninth inning called, Carolyn? 
That would be the top of the ninth. 
You have the bottom and also the top of the ninth. 
So it was at the very end of the game, the last inning, that they were able to score nine points and win. 
Well, continuing in our article we see: 
We often stop trying when we think we know what the ending will be. 
With the right attitude, we can still succeed even when it doesn't seem likely. 
I think this is a really great advice. 
That's right. 
Sometimes we think that we're going to lose, and so we just give up. 
But if you think about it another way, sometimes you think you're going to win, and so you become too proud and stop trying. 
And you might actually lose if you become too proud. 
That's a good point to remember, too. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.04.B

Well, so far today we've learned an important point from the game of baseball: Never give up. 
Yogi Berra said it ain't over 'til it's over. 
That means you need to keep on playing, keep on trying. 
Whatever you're doing, be determined. 
Have determination to finish well and never give up. 
And we learned about an example. 
We learned about the Colorado Rockies and how they were losing. 
And at the bottom of the ninth inning, they had a comeback, and they won this game. 
So don't give up. 
You could win. 
We have some more to learn from today's lesson. 
So let's get started with the second part of our reading for today. 
More Than a Game. 
Baseball fan or not, you can still learn from some of the greats. 
An understanding of their careers shows that it's not all triples and no-hitters. 
These players found life principles throughout the great American sport they gave their lives to. 
In their eyes, baseball was much more than a leather ball and a wooden stick. 
As columnist George Will wrote, "Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona.". 
We've been learning a lot about lessons from baseball. 
And at the beginning of this paragraph we see: Baseball fan or not, you can still learn from some of the greats. 
So even if you are not a big fan of baseball, you can still learn lessons from the great players of this game. 
That's right. 
Some of the greats. 
You could talk about great players in a shorter way. 
Just say "the greats." So you could talk about basketball greats as well, or football greats. 
Basically, any area of life where someone is really famous or is really well-known, you might call that person a great. 
So we're learning lessons from the baseball greats. 
That's right. 
And continuing on in the article we see: 
An understanding of their careers shows that it's not all triples and no-hitters. 
And these are some baseball terms - triple and no-hitter - that are very interesting. 
Gabe, can you explain them a little bit for us? 
Yeah. 
Well, a triple is when you hit a ball, you're the batter, you're at bat and you hit the ball so well that you get all the way to third base without stopping. 
So it's not a home run. 
It's not a homer. 
You don't go all the way around, but you land on third base, which is pretty good. 
And Carolyn, what's a no-hitter? 
Well, a no-hitter is when none of the people at bat are able to hit a ball. 
Someone still might get on base for other reasons, but no one actually hits the ball. 
That's right. 
So an understanding of these baseball people's... or baseball greats careers is that it's not all triples and no-hitters. 
There are great things that happen, and of course, bad times as well. 
Well, we continue. 
These players found life principles throughout the great American sport they gave their lives to. 
There are life principles, life principles like the lessons that we have been learning: Never give up. 
I also think of some other life principles that maybe you can learn from sports. 
But they're good life principles like being patient. 
Having patience is a good life principal. 
Carolyn, are there any good life principles that you can think of? 
Well, there are a lot of good life principles like being part of a team. 
Learning how to do teamwork is very important. 
But there is a phrase at the end of this sentence: gave their lives to. 
If you give your life to something, then that is what your life is all about. 
You might say that the scientist gave his life to science. 
So all he did was research. 
All right. 
Someone gave their lives to research to find the cure for cancer. 
That's a good thing to give your life to. 
I also think about our boss here at Studio Classroom. 
She gave her life to the people of Taiwan and the people of Asia, and especially teaching English; she gave her life to this. 
So someone who gives their life to something, that means they use all of their energy on one thing. 
So baseball players give their lives to the great sport of baseball. 
And right now it's time for us to continue learning something which Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Hey, I'm really glad to have a friend like you, Steve. 
You're a real pal. 
Thanks, Karen. 
You're a real pal, too. 
You're a good friend. 
Hi, friends. 
We hope you can be our pals, too. 
Today we'd like to teach you how to tell the difference between two words, principle and principal. 
One is spelled P-R-I-N-C-I-P-L-E. 
The other is spelled P-R-I-N-C-I-P-A-L. 
Now both of these words sound the same, but they have different meanings. 
A principal, ending in P-A-L, is the head of a school. 
And a principle, spelled with P-L-E at the end, is a rule, standard or belief of one kind or another. 
A good way to remember the different spellings is to remember that a principal, meaning the head of a school, is always your pal or friend. 
Why? 
Because principal is spelled with P-A-L at the end, just like the word pal. 
Principle, ending in P-L-E, has only one meaning: a rule, standard or belief, whereas principal, ending in P-A-L, has many meanings. 
That's right, Ken. 
As a noun, it can mean the leader of a school or the non-interest part of a loan. 
As an adjective, however, principal means most important. 
(Chinese). 
Continuing in our article we see: In their eyes, baseball was much more than a leather ball and a wooden stick. 
So in the eyes of these baseball greats, baseball was much more than just a ball and a stick. 
And we see that phrase "in their eyes." What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that means "to them" or "according to them." So in their eyes. 
I might also say: You know, in my eyes, you're the best. 
How else would you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, in God's eyes, everyone is important and special. 
All right. In God's eyes, everyone is important and special. 
And in these baseball greats' eyes, baseball is much more than a leather ball and a wooden stick, or the bat. 
Let's take a look at that word "leather." What is leather, Carolyn? 
Well, leather is made from the skin of an animal. 
And a lot of people like to wear shoes that are made out of leather, or belts made out of leather. 
And here we find that baseballs are also made of leather. 
That's right, baseballs. 
And of course, a baseball glove is also made of leather. 
And it could be made from different kinds of animal skin, maybe cows or crocodiles. 
There are different kinds of leather. 
Well, we continue. 
As columnist George Will wrote: 
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. 
True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. 
Well, George Will is a columnist. 
What is a columnist? 
Well, a columnist is someone who writes. 
It's a kind of writer. 
And he was probably writing for a newspaper because we usually think of a newspaper column. 
So he writes a column in the newspaper. 
All right. 
And we see the Grand Canyon here. 
The Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. 
Well, if you've ever been to the Grand Canyon, it's not just a little hole. 
It's a great, big, spectacular, fantastic place to visit. 
So what he's saying here is that like the Grand Canyon, baseball has had a big impact, a lot of influence. 
Well, it's time for us to continue by doing something fun. 
Let's go and enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Take me out to the ball game. 
Take me, too. 
I love baseball. 
Baseball and the U.S. have a long history together. 
Yeah. Baseball is as American as uh... American apple pie. 
Yeah. And that's what people say. 
People say other things, too. 
Yeah, like the great baseball player Yogi Berra. 
Yogi was the famous catcher and manager for the New York Yankees. 
That's right. 
And he said it's not over till it's over. 
It's not over till it's over? 
What's not over? 
The baseball game. 
It continues until the very last out. 
Well, doesn't everyone know that already? 
Yes. But sometimes one team is way ahead, and we are sure they will win. 
Right. But they may not win. 
Right. There's always a time for a comeback in baseball. 
So play with determination until the very end. 
Yes. 
Never give up. 
It's not over till it's over. 
Hey, that's another great life lesson, isn't it? 
Sure is. 
You can find great life principles in this great American sport. 
Yes, you can. 
It's more than just a leather ball and a wooden stick. 
So take me out to the ball game. 
Yeah, let's play ball. 
So... is it over? 
Yeah, it's over. 
Oh. Say goodbye. 
Goodbye. 
Bye. 
It's over when it's over. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to the teachers. 
The past three days we have learned a lot of really great lessons from this game of baseball. 
And I wonder which lesson you think is the most important to you. 
Gabe, is there one lesson that really stands out to you? 
Yeah. I like what Babe Ruth said: Every strike brings me one step closer to the next home run. 
And so he didn't just view his failures as something to bring him down. 
He knew there was something better coming, another home run. 
And I think that I can learn about many different areas of life from that lesson. 
That's right. 
It is important to think positively and always take a step foward. 
Keep moving forward. 
Well, we hope that you have enjoyed learning about baseball and the life lessons it can bring here on Studio Classroom. 
And we will see you next time. See you. 
(Music).

2013.04.05.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for a lesson about Orioles Pitcher Chen Wei-Yin. 
We're going to be learning all about this baseball player who plays for America's Major League Baseball. 
But I do wonder if you do like to watch sports. 
Maybe you have some of your own favorite athletes. 
Carolyn, do you have any favorite athletes? 
Well, I don't watch a whole lot of sports now. 
But when I was in high school, I really liked to go watch our high school girls basketball team play. 
They had some really great statistics, very impressive players. 
They won over 100 games in a row. 
They didn't lose a single game, and they played over 100 teams. 
That is pretty impressive. 
Well, when I was in high school, I also enjoyed watching the basketball games. 
And my school won five or six years in a row against our main competitors. 
And so it was pretty fun to be part of that school. 
Well, today we're going to be learning about a baseball player. 
He's becoming pretty famous. 
His name is Chen Wei-Yin. 
So let's get started with the first reading of the day. 
Orioles Pitcher Chen Wei-Yin. 
Durable his Chen's middle name. 
When you're a lefty born into a traditional Taiwanese family, you might get scolded a few times for eating with the wrong hand. 
But what if that lefty grows up to use that same hand to pitch in Major League Baseball (MLB)? 
That happened to none other than baseball hero Chen Wei-Yin! 
This 27-year-old major league sensation has quite a track record. 
He played in the Olympics twice representing Chinese Taipei. 
In 2009 he became one of the best starting pitchers in the Japanese Central League with an emphatic earned run average (ERA) of 1.54. 
This is a fancy way of saying not many batters could do their job when Chen was on the mound. 
Well, right in our title today we have a word from the Word Bank. 
It is "pitcher." We're talking about Orioles pitcher Chen Wei-Yin. 
And a pitcher is a very important part of baseball. 
Carolyn, who is the pitcher? 
Well, in baseball, the pitcher is the person who throws the ball to the person at bat. 
So this is a very important job. 
And we have talked a little bit about this word "pitcher" before in our other baseball article. 
That's right. 
So the pitcher, we would say he pitches. 
This word can be a verb, P-I-T-C-H. 
That's what the pitcher does. 
He pitches the ball to the batter. 
And it's a very important job. 
And I... I bet a lot of pitchers feel a lot of pressure when they are pitching. 
Well, we learn something right away here about Chen Wei-Yin. 
Durable is his middle name. 
He is a durable pitcher. 
Let's learn a little more about that phrase "someone's middle name" in the Information Cloud. 
Ken, you did a great job at the basketball game last night. 
For the entire game your team was behind. 
But then at the last minute, you pulled ahead and defeated the other team. 
Well, comeback is my middle name. 
Well, I'll say. 
Hi, friends. 
If you're not sure what we're talking about, let us explain. 
Just now Kent said comeback was his middle name. 
Well, actually, it's not his real middle name. 
But we use "something is someone's middle name" to describe what a person is good at or what characterizes a person. 
Ken did an amazing job last night on the basketball court helping his team with a come-from-behind win. 
For you, Steve, patience is your middle name. 
I find you to be a very patient person. 
Wow, Ken, how did you know? 
Patience is my middle name. OK. 
All joking aside, this is a good expression to learn. 
A pro wrestler, for example, might say to his opponent: Pain is my middle name. 
So he's good at causing pain, a good way to intimidate the enemy. 
That's right. 
Middle name is, in fact, part of a person's full name, which in the Western world is made up of the first name, middle name and last name. 
In Asia, the terms "surname" or "family name" are used instead of last name because the family name comes first instead of last in most Asian cultures. 
(Chinese). 
At the beginning of the article we see: 
When you're a lefty born into a traditional Taiwanese family, you might get scolded a few times for eating with the wrong hand. 
Now if you're a lefty, then you probably use your left hand most of the time. 
And this is a great word that we want to talk about since we usually think of people being right-handed, but there are many left-handed people. 
That's right. 
And sometimes you can call them lefties. 
It's kind of a nickname for a left-handed person. 
So do you usually use your right hand? 
Well, you would say you are right-handed. 
Don't say I'm a righty. 
But if you do use your left hand, you could say, "Oh, yeah, I'm a lefty." I write with my left hand. 
I do other things with my left hand. 
So I'm a lefty. 
And I know many people who play sports who actually use their right hand when they eat or when they write, 
but then when they play sports, they use their left hand because it gives them a little bit of an advantage. 
Yes, it does, especially when you are playing sports. 
So this does give Chen Wei-Yin an advantage in baseball. 
Well, we find out that if you are born into a Taiwanese or traditional Taiwanese family, you might get scolded for eating with the wrong hand. 
Some people might think it's the wrong hand, to use your left hand to do something. 
But we continue. 
But what if that lefty grows up to use that same hand to pitch in Major League Baseball? 
What if that happens? 
Well, Major League Baseball can also be known as the MLB. 
That's right. 
And we see that that happened to none other than baseball hero Chen Wei-Yin. 
And that's amazing that he was able to become a pitcher for Major League Baseball. 
That's right. 
Well, we do want to look at a phrase right here in this sentence: none other than. 
That means really he's the only one that this has happened to. 
None other than. 
You can use this phrase to emphasize something or to say how important something is. 
So I might say: Well, the race was wonderful. 
But the winner is none other than Carolyn Bugg. 
Well, that would be very impressive. 
And we do usually use this phrase to introduce someone or something that is very important. 
So you might have a speech, and the person who is speaking is none other than the president or the CEO of the company. 
That would be a very impressive person to have come to your meeting to speak. 
That's right. 
Well, we continue learning about Chen. 
This 27-year-old major league sensation has quite a track record. 
We're going to be looking at that track record. 
But first let's look at those words: a track record. 
Carolyn, what does that mean? 
Well, a track record is a list of your accomplishments, a list of successes that you have made. 
So if you have a track record, you want to make sure that your track record is good. 
And it sounds like Chen Wei-Yin has a very impressive one. 
That's right. 
So you could also say it makes him have a good reputation. 
He has an impressive track record. 
Well, maybe someone doesn't have a good track record. 
So you can use this in a positive and negative way. 
How is this person's track record? 
We're learning about Chen Wei-Yin's track record, and we continue. 
He played in the Olympics twice representing Chinese Taipei. 
Well, that is pretty impressive, playing in the Olympics twice. 
And we learn some more about his track record. 
In 2009 he became one of the best starting pitchers in the Japanese Central League with an emphatic earned run average (the ERA) of 1.54. 
So that sounds very impressive. 
And we see this very interesting word here, the word "emphatic." If something is emphatic, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that means you use this word to emphasize something. 
So an ERA, or an earned run average of 1.54 is really, really good. 
There is an emphatic earned run average of 1.54. 
You also might use this word in other ways. 
I could say when Rex proposed to Unice, she responded with an emphatic yes. 
Yes! I will marry you. 
So you can use this word in many different ways. 
So if something is emphatic, then it really stands out. 
It is very impressive. 
And he has a very impressive ERA of 1.54. 
And this was when he was playing in the Japanese Central League. 
We continue in our article. 
This is a fancy way of saying not many batters could do their job when Chen was on the mound. 
That's right. 
Not many batters could do their job. 
What does it mean to do your job? 
Well, a batter bats. 
So when he was pitching, when he was the pitcher, not many people could hit his balls while he was pitching from the pitcher's mound. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.05.B

Today we are learning all about none other than Chen Wei-Yin, a pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles. 
We found out that he was born into a traditional Taiwanese family as a lefty. 
And so when he pitches in baseball, he uses his left hand. 
He also uses it for many other things. 
And we have a lot more to learn about this player's track record in the next part of our reading. 
So let's do that now. 
Orioles Pitcher Chen Wei-Yin. 
In 2012, during his first season pitching for the American League of MLB, he started 32 games and pitched 192 2/3 innings. 
And on October 8, 2012, he became the first Taiwanese pitcher to claim victory in MLB postseason debut. 
But what's with those numbers? 
They're just statistics, right? 
Wrong. 
They testify to one trait of this made-in-Taiwan Orioles pitcher - durability. 
Not many pitchers can pitch game after game like he does without breaking down! 
Well, let's go back to continue looking at Chen Wei-Yin's track record. 
Our first sentence in this section is: 
In 2012, during his first season pitching for the American League of MLB, he started 32 games and pitched 192 2/3 innings. 
That is very impressive. 
So he started 32 games. 
That just means that he was the first pitcher helping to pitch for his team. 
Of course, the other team also had a pitcher. 
But he started pitching for his team. 
That's right. 
And continuing in the article we see: An... And on October 8, 2012, he became the first Taiwanese pitcher to claim victory in an MLB postseason debut. 
So it sounds like he is being very successful in his career as a pitcher in the United States. 
That's right, because on October 8, he became the first Taiwanese pitcher to claim victory. 
When you claim victory in something, that means it's yours. 
You can claim it. 
You can say it is yours. 
And of course, victory is the opposite of defeat. 
You have victory, you win. 
So he claimed victory in an MLB postseason debut. 
Let's take a look at that word "debut." Carolyn, what is a debut? 
Well, if you have a debut, then it is the first time that you appear, usually publicly, to perform something. 
So here, he has his debut as a pitcher. 
He is performing as a pitcher. 
But you might also say the actress had her theatrical debut, her first appearance on stage, when she was only 7 years old. 
And that's usually how I think of this word, some kind of a performance. 
So you might talk about someone's acting debut or their TV debut, the first time they came on TV. 
Of course by now you know that this word is pronounced debut. 
So don't say that "T" at the end. 
D-E-B-U-T is debut. 
And we're talking about Chen Wei-Yin's postseason debut. 
So the postseason is a part of the baseball season. 
There are two major seasons. 
One is the regular season. 
And there are 162 games played in the regular season. 
And then if you win or do really well, you go to the postseason. 
And only certain teams play in the postseason. 
That's right. 
And continuing in our article we see: But what's with those numbers? 
Talking about these numbers, they're a little bit strange using fractions. 
And we see this great phrase, "what's with" those numbers. 
And Liz has some more to tell us about that in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In our PROFILE article this month, we see this sentence: 
But what's with those numbers? 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the idiom: what's with. 
It's a very casual way of asking why something is there or why something is the way it is. 
In the case of today's sentence, the writer is asking about what's so special about those numbers. 
So use this idiom when you want someone to explain something to you. 
For example, let's say you see your roommate suddenly bringing in lots of boxes, and you can ask her: 
What's with these boxes? 
Or let's say your friend is suddenly all dressed up in a fancy outfit, so you can ask: 
What's with that nice outfit today? 
So friends, give this idiom a try next time when you would like someone to explain something to you. 
And be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
We're talking about Chen Wei-Yin's track record. 
And what is with those numbers? 
We see in our article: 
They're just statistics, right? 
Wrong! 
What are they, Gabe? 
Well, they testify to one trait of this made-in-Taiwan Orioles pitcher - durability. 
So earlier we did see a number of... numbers we talked about him pitching 192 2/3 innings. 
He had a 1.54 ERA. 
These are numbers. 
They are also statistics about a certain sports player. 
But they're not just numbers; they testify to something. 
And what does it mean to testify to something, Carolyn? 
Well, if you testify to something, then you say that it is true. 
You prove that something is real or true. 
And it proves that he is durable. 
We see this word "durability." Let's talk about that word for a little bit. 
Durability means that you can withstand something that is very difficult. 
You are strong and durable. 
OK. So Carolyn just used this word in kind of a different way. 
As an adjective, it is durable. 
D-U-R-A-B-L-E. 
You saw that word at the beginning because durable is Chen's middle name. 
But here, durability. 
It's the noun. 
So Chen Wei-Yin has durability. 
And another way that I might use this word is to talk about something else that can last for a long time. 
I might say that tree's branches have durability. 
Many people can play on the branches for a long time, and the branches won't break. 
It has durability. 
That's right. 
So this is a great word to know. 
And we know that durable is Chen's middle name. 
And Steve and Ken told us about that phrase earlier. 
Well, continuing with our last sentence here. 
Not many pitchers can pitch game after game like he does without breaking down. 
So game after game. 
He pitches one game and then the next game and then the next game, 
and he is still able to withstand all of the pressure and the strain that pitching puts on his body. 
That's right. 
That's kind of a fun phrase: something after something. 
So game after game, one game after another game after another. 
I could also say time after time he does a great job. 
Carolyn, what does it mean to break down? 
Well, if you break down, then you're feeling weak. 
You can't continue on. 
And so here in baseball, it's a lot of strain on your body. 
It's very physically difficult. 
And it is very easy for you to break down. 
Your arm gets very tired if you're pitching balls at 80 miles an hour. 
That's right. 
You might remember learning a phrase from our baseball lesson: a nervous breakdown. 
And sometimes if you have a lot of pressure, you might have a nervous breakdown. 
You might break down or become weak. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to go back to the teachers. 
Well, from today's lesson we know that Chen Wei-Yin is a durable pitcher. 
And durable is a good word. 
You want this word to describe you in some ways. 
It's good to be durable. 
Now how does this word describe you? 
Carolyn, does it describe you in any way? 
Well, I do have a lot going on. 
I stay very, very busy. 
And I'm very active in my church. 
So between work and church, I'm a very busy person. 
And it takes a lot of energy. 
So I have to be very durable and not wear out too quickly. 
All right. That's a very good point. 
For me, I used to be a runner on a track team. 
We're cross-country team. 
And I never liked doing the fast races, the sprints. 
I prefer to do the longer ones. 
And I was more durable in that way. 
I couldn't run very fast, but I can last for a long time. 
So I was durable in that way. 
Well, answer this question for yourself. 
How are you durable? 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And we'll see you next time to continue learning about Chen Wei-Yin. 
See you later. 
See you.

2013.04.06.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson about Orioles Pitcher Chen Wei-Yin. 
We learned a little bit about this made-in-Taiwan pitcher who is now playing for America's Major League Baseball. 
Well, that makes me wonder: Have you ever wanted to be an athlete, a professional athlete? 
Was that ever one of your dreams? 
I know that it was Chen Wei-Yin's dream once upon a time. 
And now he is really doing what he wanted to do. 
Was that ever your dream? Carolyn? 
Well, I didn't really dream of becoming an athlete, but I did always admire people who were able to play team sports. 
I was not very athletic when I was younger, and I felt much more comfortable playing music instead of being on a sports team. 
All right. So music was more of your dream. 
Well, I used to play on a basketball team in high school. 
I wasn't very good. 
And I... I think I dreamed of getting on a better team, but it never really happened. 
So yes, I pursued other things like acting and music as well. 
Well, what is your dream? 
Do you dream of being an athlete one day like Chen Wei-Yin? 
We're going to learn more about his story right now. 
Orioles Pitcher Chen Wei-Yin. 
Eye on the ball. 
Chen's parents weren't always the biggest fans of him throwing baseballs around, regardless of how big their neighborhood alley was. 
One too many broken windows, bruises on grandma and a big brother's black eye caused Chen's family to clamp down on his ball-throwing activities. 
Still, his mother saw some sense in letting him play ball in the club at school. 
By the time he was in high school, Chen's dream of joining the major leagues began to form. 
(Music). 
Here we see a little bit about Chen's dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player. 
And at the very beginning we see this section is entitled "Eye on the ball." If you have your eye on the ball, then you are paying attention. 
You are watching to what is happening around you. 
This is a really fun phrase, Gabe. 
How else can we use this? 
Well, yeah. 
This idiom I think it maybe even came from baseball or a sport that uses balls because you need to focus on the ball so that you can hit it. 
And of course, Chen Wei-Yin kept his eye on the ball. 
It's an idiom that means that you are focused even from maybe a young age like Chen Wei-Yin for a long time. 
He had a goal. 
He had his eyes on the ball. 
Well, our first sentence here is: 
Chen's parents weren't always the biggest fans of him throwing baseballs around, regardless of how big their neighborhood alley was. 
So it sounds like his parents didn't always support his love of the game and how much he wanted to play baseball and throwing the ball in their neighborhood alley. 
Well, we see this phrase "regardless of." And we want to talk about that. 
If you were talking about something regardless of something else, it means that that other thing doesn't matter. 
So regardless of how big the alley was, they still didn't really like him throwing baseballs around. 
That's right. 
You might use this phrase in another way. 
Anyone can come into this restaurant regardless of their age. 
Or we're starting right at five o'clock regardless of who's here. 
So don't be late. 
Now it didn't matter how big the neighborhood alley was, I think maybe some things were broken. 
Well, we're going to learn some more things in the Information Cloud with Steve and Ken. 
If you really admire a pop star, a band, a movie actor or a sports team, you are a fan. 
Remember, everyone, one person is a fan, singular. 
If you're talking about more than one admirer, then you say "fans." Hundreds of fans gathered at the airport to welcome the movie star. 
The word "fan" is actually a shortened form of "fanatic." And that's not very positive, is it? 
No, it's not. 
A fanatic is someone whose enthusiasm for something is extreme or beyond normal limits. 
A related word is groupie. 
This slang term is derived from "group," in reference to a musical group. 
A young woman who follows the members of a pop group on tour would be considered a groupie. 
But we can also use "groupie" to refer to someone who is an ardent fan of a celebrity, especially a pop star. 
So a groupie is an extreme fan. 
Now people can also be a fan of a sport or a hobby. 
Ken, I know you're a fan of jazz music. 
I sure am. 
And you're a baseball fan, aren't you? 
Yes, I am. 
I really enjoy watching Major League Baseball. 
So you can call me a baseball fan. 
(Chinese). 
We were talking about how Chen's parents weren't the biggest fans of him throwing baseballs around. 
And we see why in the next sentence. 
One too many broken windows, bruises on grandma and a big brother's black eye caused Chen's family to clamp down on his ball-throwing activities. 
So it sounds like he hit a lot of things that he shouldn't have when he was trying to pitch the ball and practice in the alley or at home. 
That's right. 
And so this caused his family to clamp down on what he wanted to do. 
Let's take a look at those words: clamp down on. 
If you're doing something, and someone clamps down on your activity, 
that means they give you some more rules so you can't do it as much or as freely as you used to. 
How else might you use that phrase? 
Well, if your parents decide that you are playing too many games online and not spending enough time studying, 
they might clamp down on free time so that you spend more time doing what you should be doing and less time playing games. 
That's right. 
You might also see this word as a noun, together, a clampdown. 
His parents put a clampdown on his ball-throwing activities. 
Well, we continue learning about Chen. 
Still, his mother saw some sense in letting him play ball in the club at school. 
Uh, play ball? 
What does this mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if she saw some sense in letting him play ball, it means that she saw oh, well, 
maybe it's still OK if he plays baseball at school because they had a club or a team, a baseball team at the school. 
That's right. 
And sometimes you might see that phrase "to play ball." Let's play ball. 
That's slang or another way of saying let's play baseball. 
Well, we continue. 
By the time he was in high school, Chen's dream of joining the major leagues began to form. 
So we asked earlier what your dream was. 
Did you have a dream to become an athlete? 
Well, we talk about dreams forming here. 
That's right. 
And we see that his dream of joining the major leagues began to form when he was in high school. 
So he didn't just want to play baseball on his regular school team in junior high school or high school, he wanted to play in the major leagues. 
So he wanted to play professionally as a baseball pitcher. 
That's right. 
That was his dream. 
Well, we want to talk more about Chen Wei-Yin later. 
But right now we have something to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.06.B

We've been learning all about Chen Wei-Yin, the pitcher, or one of the pitchers for the Major League Baseball team the Baltimore Orioles. 
And yesterday we learned about some of his statistics, his track record. 
But today we're learning about his background so far. 
Of course, when he was a young kid, he would play baseball in the neighborhood alley. 
And his parents, or his family, weren't always a big fan of that. 
They didn't support that for many reasons. 
But now we're going to continue learning about how his dream became a reality. 
"Playing with the big boys." Let's read that now. 
(Music). 
Orioles Pitcher Chen Wei-Yin. 
Playing with the big boys. 
That dream became a reality in 2012. 
However, he received a rude awakening on April 10, 2012, during his MLB start, which was a game against the Yankees. 
Derek Jeter, the first batter, hit a home run! 
While the Orioles lost that game, Chen had the most wins, game appearances and strikeouts of any pitcher for the Orioles last season. 
Not to mention their entry into the playoffs - a feat they hadn't accomplished since 1997 - came after he was on board. 
"My responsibility... is to make every pitch my best. 
My ultimate goal is to do the best for my team in every game." His reputation as "a man you can trust" has definitely been well-earned. 
We found that Chen is very dedicated to his team and doing his very best. 
At the beginning of this section we see the title: Playing with the big boys. 
So if he is playing with the big boys, then he is not on his high school team anymore. 
He is now playing professional baseball in the major leagues. 
And the first sentence says: That dream became a reality in 2012. 
And this was his dream to play with the big boys. 
That's right. 
If you ever see that phrase "the big boys," it's talking about something professional or the people who are most serious about a certain thing. 
The big boys. 
Well, "however," we continue. 
However, he received a rude awakening on April 10, 2012, during his MLB start, which was a game against the Yankees. 
Well, we see a phrase there: a rude awakening. 
Carolyn, what might that mean? 
Well, it might mean that it's something he didn't expect if he is rudely awakened. 
He has a rude awakening, then he is suddenly shocked by something. 
It's a big surprise. 
That's right. 
It wasn't as easy as he dreamed that it would be. 
You might use this phrase in another way. 
Tom thought the class would be easy, but he was rudely awakened by his first test score. 
Maybe he didn't do so well. 
It was a rude awakening. 
So Chen Wei-Yin had a rude awakening as well. 
That's right. 
And we see why he had a rude awakening when he was playing against the Yankees. 
We see Derek Jeter, the first batter, hit a home run! 
So here Chen is trying to pitch the ball. 
And the very first batter, Derek Jeter, hit a home run. 
Yeah. Well, that happens in baseball. 
And Derek Jeter is a great player. 
He hit a home run, or a homer, as you learned how to use the other day. 
He hit a home run. 
Well, we continue. 
While the Orioles lost that game, Chen had the most wins, game appearances and strikeouts of any pitcher for the Orioles last season. 
So he's still very impressive. 
Let's talk about some of those things. 
Um, Chen had the most wins. 
That means that he was the pitcher who had the most wins for their team. 
But what does it mean to have an appearance, Carolyn? 
Well, if you appear somewhere, then you show up. 
You are there, people can see you. 
And so he had the most wins and game appearances, means he played as the pitcher in a lot of games, perhaps the most games. 
That's right. 
And we see another word here: strikeout. 
That means he pitched in a way that caused batters to strike out. 
And if you strike out... how many strikes do you have at bat, Carolyn? 
Well, when you are batting, you get three strikes, and then you are out. 
So you can try to hit the ball three times, and then your turn is over. 
That's right. 
So Chen is very impressive. 
Well, we continue. 
Not to mention their entry into the playoffs - a feat they hadn't accomplished since 1997 - came after he was on board. 
And we see that this is a feat they hadn't accomplished since 1997. 
And a feat is something impressive that you are able to accomplish. 
How else can we use this word, Gabe? 
Well, I might say she is an incredible runner. 
She ran three marathons this year. 
That is quite a feat - something that's not easy to do. 
That's right. 
And you might say that catcher was able to catch that ball. 
It was not a home run because he grabbed it out of the air. 
It was quite an amazing feat to see. 
That's right. 
Well, the sentence does say "not to mention their entry into the playoffs." So they didn't get into the playoffs for a long time. 
But let's take a look at that word "playoff." Yesterday we talked about a word "postseason." Actually, the postseason games are the playoffs. 
It's the same thing. 
So the Baltimore Orioles had not been in the postseason, in the playoffs, since 1997. 
That's a long time. 
But they did once Chen Wei-Yin came on board. 
That's right. 
And we see that he came on board. 
If you come on board, then you join something. 
This is a very good phrase. 
And it kind of makes me think of going on to a boat. 
You join the sailors on a boat. 
You are part of their team or their crew. 
You are on board. 
Well, speaking of teams, I'm glad that you are on board here at Studio Classroom, Carolyn. 
And I know that we enjoyed our time when Nathanael was on board here as well. 
So there are different ways to use this word... this kind of idiom here: on board. 
Well, we continue with a quote from Chen. 
He says: My responsibility... is to make every pitch my best. 
Well, that's a good responsibility to have. 
You want to do your best. 
That's right. 
And he continues: My ultimate goal is to do the best for my team in every game. 
So his "ultimate" goal. 
This is a word we want to talk about: ultimate. 
So his main goal, his main achievement that he wants to do in each game. 
He wants to do his very best each time. 
That's right. 
You might have an ultimate goal. 
That's the... the biggest thing that you want to do, the most important. 
You could use that word "ultimate" in a slightly different way. 
Some people consider IMAX to be the ultimate movie experience. 
There is nothing better. 
And of course, Chen has an ultimate goal. 
We continue. 
His reputation as "a man you can trust" has definitely been well-earned. 
And actually this was given to him, this reputation, by the Japanese Central League. 
They realize that he was a man that you can trust on the baseball diamond. 
That's right. 
Well, right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll learn something more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hey, mister, are you are lefty? 
Yes. But it hasn't been easy, especially since I was born in a traditional Taiwanese family. 
Oh. Well, what do you mean? 
Well, I used to get scolded for eating with the wrong hand. 
Oh, that's too bad. 
Yeah. But nobody scolds me now. 
Why not? 
Because I'm none other than baseball hero Chen Wei-Yin. 
Mr. Chen, the made-in-Taiwan pitcher. 
That's me. 
Wow! Your family must be so proud now. 
Yes. But it wasn't always that way. 
When I was growing up, they weren't fans of me throwing baseballs around. 
Well, why not? 
Too many broken windows, bruises and black eyes. 
Oops. 
My parents clamped down on my ball-throwing at home, but they still let me play at school. 
Good. 
So did you have dreams of joining the major leages? 
Yes! And that dream became a reality in 2012. 
I know! You have the most wins and strikeouts of any pitcher for the Orioles last year. 
Yes. And we entered the playoffs. 
Oh. So what's your secret, Mr. Chen? 
Well, I just do the best for my team in every game. 
And you have a reputation on being a man you can trust. 
Yeah. Not bad for a lefty. 
Right... I mean, left. 
(Chinese). 
And let's go back to our teachers now. 
The past two days we've been learning all about Chen Wei-Yin and his baseball career and how it started and a little bit about his history at home. 
He didn't always have an easy time when he wanted to play baseball. 
His family didn't always support him and sometimes clamped down on his ball-throwing activities. 
And I kind of wonder: Has this ever happened to you? 
Is there something that you were very passionate about that you may have struggled with because you didn't have support from other people? 
Gabe, have you ever had this kind of experience? 
Well, I love playing drums, but my family did not always like it when I practiced. 
They like it better now that I'm a little better. 
Well, drums can be a little bit noisy. 
And baseball can be a little bit dangerous if the ball doesn't go where you want it to. 
Well, that's all we have today on Studio Classroom. 
But we have much more to learn in our next segment. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.04.08.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us today. 
Our lesson is called Home Away From Home. 
And it's written by Pauline Lin, who is the former TV director here at Studio Classroom, actually. 
So we're going to learn about her experiences after she moved with her family to the United States. 
Well, moving is not an easy experience for everybody. 
Have you ever moved before? 
How do you feel about moving? 
What do you think about moving, Carolyn? 
Well, I don't actually have very much experience with moving because I don't remember really moving until I came to Taipei. 
It was really my first moving experience. 
And it was not very easy because I couldn't bring many of my things with me on the plane. 
Have you ever had to move, Gabe? 
Oh, my goodness. Yes, I've had to move many times in my life, so much so that now I have very few things. 
Moving so much has kind of forced me to throw away some unnecessary things, which is good, I guess. 
Well, we're going to learn about moving or being at a home away from home with Pauline's experiences. 
Let's get started with the first reading of today's lesson. 
Home Away From Home. 
New experiences are waiting for everyone. 
We are finally settled down in a suburb near Washington D.C. 
This is where we will be staying for three years. 
When my husband was asked to transfer to his company's office here, we knew our lives would change. 
My two teenage daughters had to leave their friends and comfort zone in Taipei. 
They will need to adjust to a new educational system. 
Will they be able to "survive" at a new school? 
Can they function well in a foreign language? 
Will they feel frustrated and homesick a lot? 
Only time will tell. 
Well, adjusting to life in a new city that you've just moved to can be a bit of a challenge. 
And at the beginning of our article we see: New experiences are waiting for everyone. 
So no matter where you go, you are sure to experience something new when you move. 
And our article beings: We are finally settled down in a suburb near Washington D.C. 
So Pauline and her family have settled down in a suburb. 
And "suburb" is a great word here. 
It... what exactly does suburb mean, Gabe? 
Well, the suburbs of a city are a part of the city but not downtown, not the main part. 
They're kind of the surrounding neighborhoods. 
So there's still lots of people, but not as many people as downtown. 
But it's also not the countryside. 
It's not rural; it's the suburbs of a city. 
So it is "sub-urban." We know that "urban" means city. 
It is a suburb, part of the city but a little further away from the center of the city. 
Now there's another phrase in there you mentioned, Gabe. 
That's right. 
Well, in part of the sentence we see the phrase "settled down." And I think that Liz is going to share more with us in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In our LIFE IN AMERICA article we read: 
"We are finally settled down in a suburb near Washington D.C." And that's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the idiom: to settle down. 
"To settle down" has several different meanings. 
But in today's sentence, it means to begin living in a place in a stable and orderly way. 
So in the case of today's sentence, the writer is saying that life in their new home near Washington D.C. is finally starting to become much more orderly and stable. 
We usually use "settle down" to talk about someone moving to a new place to start a new home. 
For example: 
After working in Asia for several years, the American businessman decided to settle down in Hong Kong. 
Or: Mr. and Mrs. Lin wish their children could settle down near them, but all three sons live overseas. 
So friends, give this phrase a try and discuss with your friends where they would like to settle down. 
And if you have a copy of this month's magazine, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more examples. 
And this is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you all next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
So Pauline's family is settled down. 
They're not moving anywhere now. 
And we're continuing with her lesson. 
This is where we will be staying for three years. 
So they really are settled down if they're planning on staying somewhere for that amount of time. 
That's right. 
And we continue in our article: When my husband was asked to transfer to his company's office here, we knew our lives would change. 
So her husband was asked to transfer to another city where his company, the company that he worked for, had another office. 
Now "transfer" is a really great word. 
If you transfer, that means that you go to another place. 
And here he is transferring jobs. 
He's changing the location of this job, but he is not actually changing the job that he has. 
And Carolyn, I want to say that maybe even within a company, you could transfer from one department to another department. 
So your responsibility is a little bit different. 
You could also say you're transferring your responsibilities to another person. 
So it's kind of this idea of change. 
That's right. 
And it is a really great word. 
Well, continuing in of our article we see: 
My two teenage daughters had to leave their friends and comfort zone in Taipei. 
Well, it's very difficult when you're moving if you have to leave your friends and to leave your comfort zone. 
And that's a really great phrase. 
It means that you are comfortable in that place, in that zone. 
How else can you use this, Gabe? 
Well, Carolyn, I think that almost everybody has a comfort zone. 
Uh, very few people are... are always moving from one place to another so that they're never comfortable anywhere. 
Most of us have a comfort zone, a comfortable area. 
What is your comfort zone? 
Actually, I live in Taipei, and so Taipei is kind of like my comfort zone. 
That's right. 
Well, we have a few more things to learn with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
If you're between the ages of 13 and 19, you are a teenager. 
Why? Just say the numbers out loud - 11, 12, 13, 14, 15... 
Only the numbers between 12 and 20 have the word "teen" in them. 
That's why we use the term teenager. 
If someone is not quite old enough to be a teenager, we might call that person a preteen. 
Someone between the ages of, say, 9 and 12, would be a preteen. 
Another word for preteen is "tween," which is mainly used in the U.S. 
A tween is a child between middle childhood and adolescence. 
Yes. 
"Tween" is actually a combination of the words "teen" and "between." The term is often used by marketers who are trying to sell products to kids in the tween age range. 
Now Ken, you just used the word "adolescence." What's that? 
Adolescence is that period of transition between youth and maturity. 
OK. So someone who is transitioning between childhood and adulthood can be called an adolescent. 
(Chinese). 
Well, moving on, Pauline writes: They will need to adjust to a new educational system. 
So she's talking about her two teenage daughters, and they need to adjust to some changes. 
An educational system. 
Well, in different countries the educational systems are a little bit different. 
One thing that comes to my mind is that in Asia, high school's only three years. 
Or in many places it's only three years whereas in the United States, it is usually four years in high school. 
That's just one little difference. 
Well, and they're also going to be studying in a different language. 
They will be studying in English now instead of in Chinese. 
So this could be a bit of a concern. 
And Pauline goes on to list some other concerns with these questions: 
Will they be able to "survive" at a new school? 
Can they survive there, Gabe? 
Well, can they survive? That's a good question. 
This word is in quotes because usually the word "survive" means to... to live and not die. 
But of course, they're not going to die. 
They will survive. 
This just means: Can they stay encouraged and not give up? 
That's kind of what it means to survive in a new place - to stay encouraged and not give up. 
And she also asks: 
Can they function well in a foreign language now that they're going to be taking their classes in English instead of Chinese. 
And she has another question here. 
Will they feel frustrated and homesick a lot? 
And in this sentence we see this word "frustrated." If you are frustrated, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Carolyn, when I feel frustrated, that means I feel upset about something, usually something that I can't control, so I feel frustrated. 
Sometimes miscommunication will make me feel frustrated. 
I say something, and the other person doesn't understand. 
Or maybe I misunderstand them. 
And so we both just feel frustrated. 
Caroly, do you ever feel frustrated? 
Sometimes. And I think especially when you move, you can feel very frustrated trying to adjust to a new city and a new life. 
And in the last sentence here she say: Only time will tell. 
If only time will tell, then the answers to these questions are not clear right now, but in the future, they will know the answers. 
Well, now it's time to learn something more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.08.B

In our lesson Home Away From Home today, 
we're learning with Pauline and her family as they have decided to move away from their comfort zone of Taipei and live in the suburbs of Washington D.C. 
This is not an easy decision, but they had a lot of questions that they needed to answer as well because they had two teenage daughters. 
And so they're wondering how they will adjust to this new life. 
There are many questions that can only be answered in time. 
But we're going to see how Pauline finishes her story for today. 
Let's get started with the second reading of our lesson today. 
Home Away From Home. 
But we decided to accept the offer, so we are bravely embracing this challenge. 
We have decided we can overcome any difficulties. 
We also decided to make the most of it. 
We plan to travel, explore and learn about "real" American culture and life. 
Large numbers of tourists come here to see the White House, the Pentagon, Capitol Hill and the Smithsonian. 
We plan to go, too! 
(Music). 
It sounds like Pauline and her family will be very busy because they have so many great places that they can visit around Washington D.C. 
Well, at the beginning of this section of the reading we see: 
But we decided to accept the offer, so we are bravely embracing this challenge. 
They are bravely embracing the challenge of living in the United States after moving from their home in Taipei. 
Well, if you embrace something, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Usually I think about this as like hugging something, not letting it go. 
So you might embrace your friend when you haven't seen them for a long time. 
We're talking about embracing a challenge here. 
That means not being afraid of it. 
It's the opposite of fearing it. 
You are embracing it. 
You're taking it on, letting it be a part of you. 
Can you embrace other things in life? 
Well, yeah. 
If you go to a different country, you might embrace that culture. 
What else might you embrace, Carolyn? 
Well, you can embrace many different kinds of things. 
And you can embrace the challenge. 
You can embrace the culture. 
It is a very useful word. 
Well, continuing on we see: 
We had decided we can overcome any difficulties. 
So if they can overcome them, then the challenge is no longer there. 
You can overcome difficulties. 
How else can you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, if you have a challenge, and you're not sure how to get through it, don't give up. 
I'm sure that you can overcome. 
You can do what you need to do to overcome that challenge. 
That's right. 
And we see that Pauline and her family: 
"We also decided to make the most of it." And if you make the most of something, then you do your very best in the situation that you are in now. 
How can you make the most of something, Gabe? 
Well, I really like this idiom: to make the most of something. 
So let's say, for example, that you are going on vacation, and you want to make the most of your trip. 
That means you don't just sit inside your hotel room watching TV. 
Please don't do that. 
If you're going to another country on vacation, make the most of your time. 
Get to know the country and the culture. 
Make the most of it. 
It is great to make the most of your time to spend your time wisely. 
If you are trying to learn English, then you should make the most of your time and practice if you have a few spare minutes. 
There's always time to practice. 
So make the most of it. 
That's right. 
Make the most of it. 
Well, we continue our lesson here. 
Pauline says: We plan to travel, explore and learn about "real" American culture and life. 
So it sounds like they are going to make the most of their time in the United States. 
Now Carolyn, this word "real" here is in quotation marks. 
What does that mean? 
Well, usually if something is in quotation marks, then it has a slightly different meaning. 
And so if you have "real" American life, it's not just what you see in movies, on TV, maybe on the Internet, 
but they actually get to experience the real life of Americans in Washington D.C. 
That's a great way to put it. 
Well, right now it's time for us to experience a real slide show - some pictures that Pauline and her family have taken while living in the United States. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
Those were some very lovely pictures. 
Thank you for sharing those with us. 
Well, continuing on we see: 
Large numbers of tourists come here to see the White House, the Pentagon, Capitol Hill and the Smithsonian. 
Those are some very famous locations around D.C. because it's the capital of the United States. 
Have you ever been to those places, Gabe? 
Oh, great question. 
I've been to D.C. 
I've seen the White House, but not really up close. 
And I've been to the Smithsonian. 
That's a museum there in Washington D.C. 
You can learn a lot about some history in the United States and see some cool things at the Smithsonian. 
Carolyn, did you ever go to any of these places? 
Well, I actually worked in Washington D.C. for a summer. 
Yeah! It was... it was a really amazing experience. 
And I was working on Capitol Hill. 
So I have been to Capitol Hill many times. 
And I've also gone past the Pentagon, seen the White House and visited several of the Smithsonian museums because they have many different kinds of museums. 
That's right. 
Well, D.C. is an exciting place to visit if you ever get a chance to go. 
And as Pauline wrote here: We plan to go, too! 
So they've heard about these famous places, and they also plan to go. 
Well, right now it's time for us to go and visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
Now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
Today we had a lot of fun learning about Pauline and her family and their move to the United States to Washington D.C. 
And it kind of makes me wonder if you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose to live. 
Gabe, is there someplace that you would really love to live? 
That's a great question because usually I might think about places I've been to because I kind of know what they are like. 
But I'm going to say somewhere in South America because I've never been there. 
And from what I hear, the lifestyles are pretty laid back, which suits my personality. 
That's just one reason why I might want to go and move or live there. 
Well, that does sound very interesting. 
It would be quite an adventure to go to South America and live there if you've never been. 
I really like places that are convenient, have good food, friendly people. 
And so I think that's why I'm very happy right now living in Taipei. 
It's a really wonderful place to live. 
Well, we've had a great time today learning from Pauline and her family's experiences in the United States. 
And we still have more to learn from her tomorrow in our lesson here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
Have a great day. 
(Music).

2013.04.09.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for day two of our lesson Home Away From Home. 
We're learning about Pauline Lin's experiences with her family away from their comfort zone in Taipei. 
And they're living in the United States in Washington D.C. 
Well, it's not easy to move for a lot of people. 
There are some challenges that come with that. 
So what are some challenges that you might face if you move to another country or to a new place? 
Carolyn, can you think of any challenges? 
Well, if you move to another country, that means that you might have to adjust to a different kind of food. 
Many countries have their own special kinds of food that are very different. 
So it might take some adjusting. 
And it also may take some time to make new friends. 
That can be a big challenge that you face when you go somewhere new. 
That's true. 
Well, one challenge that I faced when I went to the United States for college was that I had to get used to being seen as an American. 
People thought I was an American. 
They didn't realize that I did not grow up in America. 
They expected me to act like an American, but I didn't all the time. 
That was a challenge that I faced. 
Well, we're going to get started with the first reading of our lesson today. 
Home Away From Home. 
Living here definitely will give us the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of all four seasons. 
There are colorful flowers in spring and sunshine in summer. 
In autumn are red, orange and yellow leaves, and snow falls in winter. 
In mid-April, we went to the National Cherry Blossom Festival. 
This festival commemorates the gift of 3,020 cherry trees from Tokyo to Washington D.C. in 1912. 
More than one million people attend every year. 
Wow! Lots of people go and attend this festival. 
Well, let's go to the very first sentence of our article, Pauline writes: 
Living here definitely will give us the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of all four seasons. 
Well, that sounds like a great thing to do. 
If you're living in Washington D.C., you get the chance to experience the beauty of every season. 
That's right. 
And she says that it definitely will give them this opportunity. 
And if something is definite, then it is going to happen. 
There's nothing that can stop it. 
It is for sure. 
This word "definitely" we want to look at. 
It is definitely a word that you should know. 
How can you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, I like what you just said: It's definitely something you should know. 
Carolyn also used another form of this word, an adjective: It's definite. 
D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E. 
But let's use it the way that is here in the article - definitely. 
My favorite show... or my favorite band is coming to this city. 
I am definitely going to see them live in concert. 
How might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, you know, I love this word "definitely." And it's definitely a word that I like to use often. 
So it is definitely useful. 
Well, let's continue because we definitely have more to learn here today. 
The next sentence says there are colorful flowers in spring and sunshine in summer. 
So Pauline is talking about the beauty of all four seasons. 
Here are two seasons so far: colorful flowers in spring and sunshine in summer. 
What does she say about the next couple of seasons? 
Well, she says in autumn are red, orange and yellow leaves, and snow falls in winter. 
So each season is quite different from the others. 
And we see this snow falls in winter. 
And I'd like to talk about that phrase there: snow falls versus snowfall. 
OK. 
If snow falls in winter, that means that the snow is falling. 
Here "fall" is a verb, to fall. 
But if you have snowfall, that is the amount of snow that you have. 
So those two words are a little bit different. 
One is a phrase - snow falls; and the other is a compound word - snowfall. 
That's right. 
So remember the difference. 
The first one is a verbal phrase. 
And the second one... or a verb phrase; the second one is just a noun, the snowfall. 
So have you ever seen snow? 
When it falls, it is definitely beautiful. 
Carolyn, how do we continue our lesson? 
Well, we have some pictures that we're going to take some time to look at right now. 
(Music). 
Those are some nice pictures. 
Well, we continue learning from Pauline's experiences. 
She says: In mid-April, we went to the National Cherry Blossom Festival. 
So in about mid-April of 2012, they went to the Cherry Blossom Festival. 
Cherry blossoms are very nice and beautiful flowers. 
And what can you tell us about this festival, Carolyn? 
Well, Pauline continues to tell us in the article: 
This festival commemorates the gift of 3,020 cherry trees from Tokyo to Washington D.C. in 1912. 
So Japan gave a gift of many, many cherry trees - over 3,000 cherry trees - to the United States. 
And they were planted in Washington D.C. 
And this would have been 100 years ago from the time that Pauline went in 2012. 
The word "commemorate" means to remember something. 
So if there is something special that happened in history, today you can commemorate that event, so. 
In our article we're talking about something that happened in 1912. 
Well, we can commemorate that today. 
That's right. 
And there are many other holidays that are used to commemorate things. 
We commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas. 
Christmas is a holiday that commemorates Jesus' birth. 
And many holidays will commemorate some kind of event. 
If you think about Thanksgiving, that commemorates when people went to America and started living there, 
and some of the people already there helped them know how to live there. 
So Thanksgiving commemorates this. 
Well, we have more to learn. 
Our last sentence here is: More than one million people attend every year. 
So we're talking about the National Cherry Blossom Festival, more than a million people attend every year. 
That means they participate or they go and watch this event every year. 
That's right. 
Well, it is a very popular event if more than one million people go to view the cherry blossoms. 
Is there something like this where you live? 
Do many, many people come from all over to see flowers bloom? 
It's a very popular event in many parts of the world. 
Well, now it's time to go join Michelle in the Langauge Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.09.B

Well, today we have been learning some more from Pauline and her experiences in Washington D.C. 
It sounds like she is having a wonderful time and definitely has the opportunity to enjoy many different types of seasons, all four seasons in Washington D.C. 
She and her family were also able to enjoy watching the cherry blossoms bloom in this great city. 
Well, we have some more to learn in the next part of our article. 
Let's read that now. 
Home Away From Home. 
We went on a Friday and joined the flocks of people already there. 
They walked around the Tidal Basin. 
They sat on the grass and took photos of the beautiful pink and white blossoms. 
We were able to capture the Washington Monument in the background with the cherry trees in bloom. 
Of course, we bought some magnets, mugs and T-shirts as keepsakes. 
We are very fortunate to have plenty of time to appreciate this place. 
It's our "home away from home" for the next three years. 
All right. 
Well, let's take a look at that first sentence of this section. 
Pauline writes: We went on a Friday and joined the flocks of people already there. 
So she's talking about her family going to join the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. 
But she uses a word here that I usually only use when I'm talking about animals like sheep or those kinds of animals. 
The word is "flock." Carolyn, what does this word mean? 
Well, here it just means a large group. 
So if there are flocks of people at this festival, it means that there are many, many people at this festival, a very large group. 
OK, so a large group of people, many people. 
Of course, usually you would see this word when talking about sheep or... animals like that. 
Goats, flocks of sheep, flocks of goats. 
Also birds in the sky, flocks of birds. 
Well, we're going to continue. 
We're learning about Pauline and her family. 
And we're seeing that they walked around the Tidal Basin. 
The people, the flocks of people walked around the Tidal Basin. 
And how do we continue, Carolyn? 
Well, we see they sat on the grass and took photos of the beautiful pink and white blossoms. 
So cherry blossoms here are pink and white. 
And they are very beautiful. 
We also see: We were able to capture the Washington Monument in the background with the cherry trees in bloom. 
This sounds like a very beautiful picture. 
That's right. 
And picture, well, maybe they did take some pictures with their cameras. 
They were able to capture the sight of this. 
Let's take a look at that key word. 
It is "capture." And when you capture something, that means you catch sight of it. 
Here in this article, that's what it means. 
It can also mean to catch something like maybe you are looking for butterflies, and you can capture some butterflies and take them home. 
You catch them. 
But here it's talking about catching a sight of something. 
How else might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, in the article it is used in reference to a photo or a video. 
If you capture something with your camera, it means that you take a picture of it or you video-tape it. 
You record it with your camera. 
So here they have captured the Washington Monument in the background of these beautiful cherry trees that are blooming. 
That's right. 
Well, if you have a camera, what kinds of things can you capture? 
Maybe you can capture a beautiful sunset. 
Or if your camera is really good, you can capture some shooting stars in the sky at night. 
And I think that Pauline has captured some wonderful photos as we have seen them in some slide shows. 
Well, we continue with the lesson. 
Of course, we bought some magnets, mugs and T-shirts as keepsakes. 
They bought these things as keepsakes. 
That's another word we want to talk about. 
And a keepsake is something that you have that helps you remember a time in your life. 
A keepsake. 
That's right. 
It is something you keep from a certain place that you go, sort of like a souvenir. 
They are very similar words. 
So this keepsake, they bought several different kinds. 
Magnets, mugs and T-shirts can all be keepsakes because they remind you of something you did in the past. 
That's right. 
And you don't have to buy keepsakes. 
Of course, most souvenirs, you... you have to buy. 
But maybe you found something in nature, and it reminds you of your time. 
That can also be a keepsake. 
Well, the last sentence here is... or the last couple of sentences Pauline says: 
We are very fortunate to have plenty of time to appreciate this place. 
It's true if you're in a wonderful place, you don't just want to be there for a short time. 
You want to have time to appreciate it. 
That's right. 
So when you go somewhere, it is important to appreciate where you are at the time. 
And Pauline and her family seem to really be enjoying their time in Washington D.C. 
She says: It's our "home away from home" for the next three years. 
So they will be in Washington D.C. for several years. 
And it is their "home away from home." This is a very interesting phrase. 
Gabe, can you explain it a little bit? 
Well, yes. 
The title of our lesson: Home Away From Home. 
And this just means that you have found a way to be comfortable where you are living now even though it's not your original home. 
So where are you living? 
Are you living in your home country? 
If not, have you found a place that is your home away from home? 
I hope so because it's good to be comfortable wherever you are. 
That's right. 
So for me, Taipei would be my home away from home since this is not where I'm originally from. 
That's great. 
Well, friends, it's time for us to continue learning something with Steve and Ken. 
I think the Information Cloud is their home away from home. 
And then we'll enjoy a review skit, followed by Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, friends. 
What do you call the place you live in? 
Is it a house or a home? 
Well, we all live in houses, but we don't all live in a home, which is a place one is attached to emotionally. 
Right. 
You might be moving into your new house, but it may not feel like home until after you've lived in it a few years. 
When Christmas comes around, many people go home for Christmas. 
They go back to where their family is. 
Our article today is titled Home Away From Home. 
This is a common expression that refers to a place where you feel as comfortable as you do in your own home. 
A comfortable hotel that you stay at can be your home away from home. 
When I have guests over, I always say to them: Make yourselves at home. 
In other words, feel free to act just as you would in your own home, 
even if that means putting your feet up on the coffee table or helping yourself to whatever is in the refrigerator. 
I'll remember that next time I go to your home. 
(Chinese). 
Hey, look! 
My friend wrote a blog. 
Lots of people write blogs. 
What's it about? 
She's really having a big adventure. 
What kind of adventure? 
She moved with her family from Taipei to America. 
Oh, that's an adventure. 
That will take some adjustments. 
Yeah. That's exactly what she says. 
So what else does she say? 
Well, she says her family is enjoying the beauty of all four seasons. 
Oh. Four seasons are nice. 
Yeah. 
She says there are flowers in the spring, sunshine in the summer, colorful leaves in autumn and snow in winter. 
Oh, that is nice. 
Anything else? 
Oh! They went to the Cherry Blossom Festival along with a million other people. 
What did they do there? 
Well, they sat on the green and took lots of photos. 
Photos of what? 
Everything! Pink and white cherry blossoms and oh, the Washington Monument. 
Did they get souvenirs? 
Uh, yes. 
They bought magnets, mugs, T-shirts, all those keepsakes. 
It sounds like your friend is really enjoying her time in the States. 
Yeah. She says it's her home away from home. 
Oh, that's so sweet. 
Yeah... 
What's wrong? 
Does this blog make you miss your friend? 
No. It makes me miss adventure. 
I want to travel abroad. 
I'm so jealous. 
(Chinese). 
And now keep listening as our lesson continues. 
Well, we've learned all about Pauline and her family's experience in their home away from home at Washington D.C. 
Now I do wonder if you would be able to move to another country if you had to. 
How would you feel about this, Carolyn? 
Well, I have already moved to a place outside of the U.S. 
And it's been very interesting. 
And I did it because I wanted to. 
Now if someone told me that I needed to transfer because of my job, I might have to consider: 
Oh. Well, where am I going? 
Is it a place that I'm interested in living? 
Is it a safe place to go? 
Those are some things that I would have to ask before I said yes. 
But I do love to travel, so I would probably go. 
Yeah. Well, I think I would, too. 
At least for a little while, I get a taste of the culture and see if I really liked it there. 
Well, friends, thank you for joining us for this lesson Home Away From Home. 
And we hope to see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.04.10.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for today's lesson all about Food Inventions. 
Well, we're going to be learning about some different things that were invented throughout history that help you in the kitchen when you are making food. 
Well, what kinds of things do you use from your kitchen? 
What kitchen utensils or tools do you use the most? 
Maybe you'll learn about some of those things in today's lesson. 
Carolyn, what do you use in your kitchen? 
Well, I use a knife every day, it seems like, because I'm always needing to cut something. 
I eat a lot of vegetables, so a knife and cutting board are very important to me. 
All right, a knife and a cutting board. 
I just use the basics. 
I think I use forks, knives, spoons, cups, bowls, plates. 
I don't really use anything fancy too often. 
But there are some fancier kitchen tools we're going to be looking at in today's lesson and tomorrow's as well. 
So let's get started with the first reading of the day. 
Food Inventions. 
The stories behind the kitchen inventions we couldn't do without. 
What was involved in preparing your dinner last night? 
You probably have never stopped to think about it, but many processes and devices were involved before the food and drink appeared on your table. 
As a matter of fact, food preparation innovations throughout history have paved the way for safer, easier-to-make meals. 
A focus on safety. 
Pasteurization. 
One of the most important food discoveries occurred in the 1860s when French chemist Louis Pasteur found that by heating liquids, harmful bacteria could be destroyed. 
Before then, deadly bacteria in food and drink led to disease and death. 
Today food is much safer thanks to the process of pasteurization, named for this scientist. 
(Music). 
Those are some very important inventions for our kitchen and the things that we eat. 
At the beginning of our article we see: The stories behind the... the kitchen inventions we couldn't do without. 
Now that's a very good phrase: if you can't do without something. 
We're going to talk about that for a little bit. 
These are the stories about kitchen inventions that we just can't do without. 
What does it mean if you can't do without something, Gabe? 
That means it is necessary. 
You really need it. 
And so there are some things that we use in our kitchens or food inventions that we think are really necessary today, we can't do without them. 
How else might you use that phrase? 
Well, I could say: 
Thank you for your help. 
I could not do without your help at the party last night. 
I couldn't do without you. 
That's right. 
You could also say in society today, we couldn't do without electricity. 
We are very dependent on electricity nowadays. 
Well, continuing in our article we see: What was involved in preparing your dinner last night? Do you know? 
This is an interesting question. 
That's right. 
What was involved? 
Maybe you don't even think about it. 
You just use what's right there. 
Use the tools that you have. 
And you don't think about what was involved in making some of those tools. 
So what was involved, or what was included in making your dinner last night? 
And the next sentence says: 
You probably have never stopped to think about it, but many processes and devices were involved before the food and drink appeared on your table. 
It takes a lot of work when you're trying to prepare a meal, and there are many different things that go into it. 
Well, how does the article continue, Gabe? 
Well, we see: As a matter of fact, food preparation innovations throughout history have paved the way for safer, easier-to-make meals. 
And this sentence begins with the phrase "as a matter of fact." It's a phrase you might hear often in English. 
If you want to tell someone the truth about something, maybe people aren't sure, you can say "as a matter of fact," and then you can say the truth. 
So how else can we learn from this sentence, Carolyn? 
Well, we do have another really good phrase. 
And this one is from our Word Bank: pave the way. 
We see: paved the way for safer, easier-to-make meals. 
Yeah. 
You can "pave the way for something," it means that you make it possible for something to happen in the future. 
How else can we use this, Gabe? 
Well, many people believe that if you want something to happen in life, that God maybe paves the way for that to happen. 
So something might not happen unless God actually does something. 
He paves the way for it to happen. 
That's right. 
And there are many things that pave the way in your kitchen for new inventions to be invented. 
Well, the first one we see here is pasteurization. 
Pasteurization is a very big word and a very interesting word. 
It comes from a man's name. 
Now what exactly is pasteurization, Gabe? 
Well, pasteurization, the first thing I think about is maybe liquid-like milk. 
Milk is made healthy through pasteurization. 
And we're going to learn more about this in this paragraph. 
One of the most important food discoveries occurred in the 1860s when French chemist Louis Pasteur found that by heating liquids, harmful bacteria could be destroyed. 
So again, it's destroying bacteria in liquids. 
That's right. 
And we see that Mr. Pasteur, Louis Pasteur, French name, was a chemist. 
And a chemist is someone who studies chemistry, a kind of scientist that looks at things on very basic levels. 
And he found something. 
He made a very interesting discovery that if you heat liquids, you can destroy bacteria. 
All right. 
Well, a chemist might deal with chemicals, C-H-E-M-I-C-A-L. 
And chemicals can be dangerous, some of them. 
And of course, many liquids also have chemicals. 
When I think of a chemist, I think of someone dressed in white lab coat, 
maybe wearing some kind of goggles to protect their eyes, and things are exploding. 
That's what I think about when I think of a chemist. 
I'm not sure what Louis Pasteur experienced, but he did help us with pasteurization. 
That's right. 
And we see that before this discovery, before then, deadly bacteria in food and drink led to diseases and deaths. 
So it was very serious at the time that there could be deadly bacteria in your food or drink. 
But fortunately, Louis Pasteur made a new way to clean the food, to kill the bacteria. 
And we see this word "deadly." The bacterial was deadly. 
What does this mean, Gabe? 
Well, something is deadly, that means it might cause death. 
So you might think of a snake. 
A snake bite could be deadly if there is venom in the snake bite. 
Uh, maybe you think of weapons, too. 
Weapons like guns and knives can be deadly weapons. 
So of course, you want to try to prevent anything deadly from happening. 
That's right. 
And continuing in the article we see: Today food is much safer thanks to the process of pasteurization, named for this scientist. 
So it's a really great invention. 
And we're very thankful that he discovered this way to kill bacteria. 
Well, now it's time to go see Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Thank you for joining us, everyone. 
We enjoy your company. 
And thanks to modern technology, we can meet on the air. 
Friends, did you notice what Ken just said? 
He wasn't thanking modern technology. 
He said thanks "to" modern technology. 
Let's take a look at this phrase: thanks to. 
The phrase "thanks to" is the same as "because of." So thanks to technology is just another way to say because of technology. 
We can also use "thanks to" for something with a negative turn out. 
For example, I might say: Thanks to the rain, the picnic was canceled. 
I'm not happy about the rain. 
I'm just saying because of the rain, the picnic was called off. 
Sometimes we use this phrase with a sarcastic tone. 
Steve, thanks to you, I had an upset stomach after I drank the coffee you bought me. 
Oops. 
Now the opposite of thanks to you is "no thanks to you," which means you gave me no help, though, as my friend, I had a right to expect some help from you. 
So for example, I could say I finally mastered Chinese, no thanks to you. 
Meaning I didn't help you learn Chinese when I could have. 
Or even that you might have tried to prevent me from mastering it. 
Uh, you know I'm always willing to help you with Chinese, right? 
Of course, Ken. 
That was just an example sentence. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.10.B

Well, we're talking today about food inventions and some things that we can use in our kitchens today that we cannot do without. 
And these have been influenced by people throughout history. 
Some people have helped pave the way for safer, easier-to-make meals. 
One thing we talked about is pasteurization, a process invented by French chemist Louis Pasteur. 
And we're going to learn about something else right now: refrigeration. 
Let's do that together. 
Food Inventions. 
Refrigeration. 
In the old days people placed food in cold streams or under snow and ice to keep it from spoiling. 
The quest continued, though, for a better method to preserve and store food. 
Finally German engineer Carl von Linde developed a way to liquefy gas in large quantities, a process that is required for refrigeration. 
He patented his refrigeration design in 1877, 
and many consider von Linde the inventor of the modern-day refrigerator, something no kitchen should be without. 
Refrigerators are certainly important. 
I can't imagine not having one. 
Well, we see in this section "Refrigeration." The first sentence says: 
In the old days people placed food in cold streams or under snow and ice to keep it from spoiling. 
So before we had refrigerators, people used to put their food in cold streams, cold water, maye near their house, or in snow and ice to keep it from spoiling or going bad. 
And this says in the old days people did this. 
That means maybe a long time ago, in the old days. 
However, I know that in some places in the world, people still do this because it does save electricity. 
And if it's cold enough outside, if there's always snow, then you can still do this to keep your food from going bad or spoiling. 
That's right. And the next sentence says: 
The quest continued, though, for a better method to preserve and store food. 
So while some parts of the world you can just store your food outside where it's cold, a lot of places are too warm for this to really work, except in winter. 
So the quest continued. 
If you have a quest, then you are searching for something. 
This is a really great word, a quest. 
Maybe you are on a quest for a new refrigerator because yours is broken. 
Uh oh. Well, if you do have a broken refrigerator, go out and go on a quest for one. 
That kind of means you have a mission to accomplish something. 
You are searching for something. 
Maybe if you're a student, you have a quest. 
You are on a quest for more knowledge. 
You're on a quest for more wisdom. 
So you can use this word to talk about things you're searching for or ideas that you want to have. 
Well, people were on a quest for a better way to preserve food, to keep their food good longer. 
And we see that finally German engineer Carl von Linde developed a way to liquefy gas in large quantities, a process that is required for refrigeration. 
So this German engineer found a way to keep things colder longer. 
That's right. 
We see a word here: liquefy. 
He developed a way to liquefy gas. 
Of course, gas is... well, it's not liquid. 
But there is a way to turn it into a liquid. 
And that is called liquefying something. 
So he did this. 
And if you have a refrigerator, then there is probably this process going on - liquefying gas. 
That's right. 
And we see that he patented his refrigeration design in 1877, 
and many consider von Linde the inventor of the modern-day refrigerator, something no kitchen should be without. 
All right. 
Well, he has invented something that everyone should have. 
Of course if you go into a kitchen these days, you will probably look around and notice a refrigerator among other things. 
So he did something that is very necessary, something that we can't be without. 
And it says in 1877, and I kind of think of that as a very long time ago. 
Yeah. 
But actually that means that they didn't have refrigerators until 1877. 
Right. Exactly. 
So we think of it as a long time ago, but really it was a long time that people didn't have refrigeration. 
So as you can see, we can use this word "refrigerator" in different... ways, too. 
Uh, you see the word "refrigeration" is like the process that happens within your refrigerator. 
That's right. 
So do you have a refrigerator? 
Do you have a large refrigerator, a small refrigerator? 
Do you even use a refrigerator in your house? 
Do you live in a cold enough place that you don't need one? 
That's right. 
Maybe you're a college student, and you just have a small refrigerator in your dorm room. 
Well, refrigeration is very important today. 
Of course, it's a great process that can be used to help keep food good without spoiling. 
It's something that no kitchen should be without. 
Let's go and take a look at the Grammar Gym with Liz. 
And then we'll go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Good idea. 
Hi there, friends. 
I hope you're all doing well today. 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
And here's today's Grammar Tip sentence: 
" ... something no kitchen should be without." Our focus today is on the sentence pattern: 
No [subject] should be without. 
It's just another way to say something is absolutely necessary for a certain subject. 
For example, maybe a publisher might advertise their newest dictionary as: 
This is a dictionary no language-learners should be without. 
Or maybe a large department store is promoting their VIP cards, so they might say: 
This is a card no shopper should be without. 
Now it's your turn. 
Can you think of an item that is necessary or very important to a certain group of people? 
And practice using this pattern with your friends. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our teachers are doing. 
Today we've learned about a couple of different inventions that we use in our kitchen, 
things that have made things easier and pave the way to make our food safer to eat. 
What was the first one we learned about today, Gabe? 
Well, it's that big word "pasteurization." That's the process where you heat up liquid so you can kill off deadly or harmful bacteria. 
And this is, of course, named after... or named for a French chemist Louis Pasteur. 
We're very grateful to him for this food innovation. 
It is a wonderful innovation. 
And the other one we learned about today was refrigeration. 
Pasteurization; refrigeration. 
And refrigeration was discovered this way to liquefy gas by a German engineer Carl von Linde. 
So he helped us discover a way to keep our food uh, fresher longer with this process of refrigeration. 
That's right. 
Well, this just makes me wonder. 
We have a question here at the end of the lesson, and it says: 
Do you ever worry about the food or drink that you consume? 
Is that something that you ever worry about, Carolyn? 
Well, sometimes I do worry about it because food might not be fresh. 
Even though we have these ways to keep food fresher longer, that doesn't mean that the food is still good. 
And I eat a lot of vegetables. 
And those can be dangerous if you eat them raw, if you don't cook them. 
So I have to be kind of careful and make sure that they are still clean before I eat it. 
That's right. 
Of course people are always telling me not to mix my chicken with my beef if I'm cooking with raw chicken or beef, 
because chicken has something that you really need to make sure is completely gone when you cook it. 
Well, there are many things to worry about or that you can't worry about. 
We hope you don't worry. 
But we hope you do come back next time for the continuation of this lesson Food Invention. 
See you. 
See you.

2013.04.11.A

Hi, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for the second day of our lesson about Food Inventions. 
We've already talked about some innovations that have helped us in the kitchen to make the process of eating a safer process. 
And also, we have more to learn today. 
But I do wonder about what kinds of things you have in your kitchen, maybe something you think is strange. 
What's a strange kitchen tool or invention that you have seen, Carolyn? 
Well, I don't know how strange it is, but I do think it's very neat and very useful. 
It's a pineapple slicer. 
You cut off the top of the pineapple with a knife. 
And then you take this long metal tube, and you twist it into the pineapple and then pull it out. 
And it gives you beautiful sliced strings of pineapple. 
That is one great way to cut your pineapples, makes it easier on you. 
Something my mom used to have was an apple slicer. 
You would put the apple on one end into this apple slicer. 
And then... and then rotate the other end and it would just slice the skin off. 
I guess it was an apple peeler. 
It would peel the skin off. 
That way you could just eat the meat of the apple. 
Very interesting inventions. 
Well, we're going to learn about more today in our lesson. 
So I hope you have your magazine open. 
Let's get started. 
Food Inventions. 
An emphasis on convenience. 
The egg carton. 
Back in 1911, an argument in British Columbia, Canada, led to a useful invention. 
Eggs shipped by a local farmer to a hotel owner often arrived broken, and each blamed the other for the damage. 
To solve the problem, Canadian newspaperman Joseph Coyle designed a paper carton with small, hollowed out spaces that cushioned the eggs and kept them separated. 
Coyle's invention was so successful that we still use a variation of it today. 
(Music). 
The title of this section really is "An emphasis on convenience." And it's kind of interesting. 
It says a lot about the day in which we live, people want things that are easy and convenient. 
Do you find this to be true, Carolyn? 
I do think that this is very true. 
We always are looking for ways to make things easier and more convenient. 
If things are easily accessible, if we can do things easily and find them faster, we are very happy with it. 
That's right. 
So there is an emphasis on convenience when people are inventing things. 
The first thing we talk about here is the egg carton. 
All right, the egg carton. 
You might see an egg carton in the supermarket. 
It's full of eggs, maybe six or a dozen eggs in an egg carton. 
Let's look at that key word. 
It is "carton." What is a carton, Carolyn? 
Well, a carton is a type of container or box that you put something in. 
And usually I think of an egg carton or even a milk carton. 
It's now mostly made out of a type of board, a very hard-pressed paper. 
And you can put liquids in it or keep your eggs safe in it. 
All right. 
So cartons could come in different shapes and sizes. 
An egg cartoon looks much different than a milk carton. 
That's the container that milk is in. 
So try to use that word today: carton. 
Well, we're learning about the egg carton. 
It says back in 1911, an argument in British Columbia, Canada, led to a useful invention. 
I love when that happens. 
Arguments can be good. 
It's true. 
And we see that "Back in 1911..." This is a great way to start a sentence to say back in some period of time. 
If you say "back in," then it's probably a long time ago. 
So you might say back in my grandparents' day, they didn't really have a car. 
Back in the 80s, I was born. 
There are different ways to use that phrase "back in," so something a long time ago. 
Well, we continue with our lesson. 
Eggs shipped by a local farmer to a hotel owner often arrived broken, and each blamed the other for the damage. 
Well, I guess that would seem like an argument, Carolyn, I mean, if people are just blaming each other. 
That's right. 
If they have broken eggs, no one wants to take the blame for it. 
Oh. The person who is delivering them broke the eggs. 
No. It's because the hotel is too far away. 
So I'm sure that they had a big argument over who is responsible for these broken eggs. 
Fortunately, there was a solution. 
To solve the problem, Canadian newspaperman Joseph Coyle designed a paper carton with small hollowed out spaces that cushioned the eggs and kept them separated. 
That genius, Joseph Coyle. 
He was a Canadian newspaperman. 
Wouldn't you know, a newspaperman invented the egg carton! 
That's great. 
So this kind of tells me that no matter what you're doing, maybe you can have an idea that could help many people. 
That's very true. 
It doesn't matter what your job is, you can still invent something that is very helpful or useful. 
And we see that what he did was make something to keep the eggs separated and to cushion them or support them and keep them safe so that they didn't break. 
How does the article continue, Gabe? 
Well, Coyle's invention was so successful that we still use a variation of it today. 
All right. 
Let's take a look at that word "variation." A variation means a kind. 
So it's not exactly like the original, it is a variation. 
So how might you use that word? 
Well, it does mean that some changes have been made to it. 
It was originally made this way. 
And we've changed it a little bit, but it's still about the same. 
So the egg carton was made out of a paper carton. 
So before, it was paper. 
Now we have things that are more like foam or more like cardboard, a little bit of a harder material. 
That's right. 
It's a variation. 
I also think of cars today. 
They are a variation of the original cars. 
Of course, you might still see that car. 
But we don't drive those kinds of cars anymore. 
We have much more conveniently-made cars today, easier to drive. 
But they are a variation of the original. 
Well, I like this word in another sentence here. 
It is "cushion." Uh, this makes me think of a pillow. 
What can you tell me about a cushion, Carolyn? 
Well, a cushion, I usually think of something that you might sit on on a couch. 
It's something that supports you and is very comfortable. 
You feel very relaxed when you're sitting on a cushion. 
Or you can cushion your head when you lay on a pillow. 
So it can be a noun or a verb. 
That's right. 
Well, we have more to learn after our break. 
But right now it's time for us to visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.11.B

Today we're talking about kitchen inventions that make our lives more convenient. 
It is so much easier now that we have an egg carton. 
We don't have to worry about our eggs breaking on the way to the store or when we take them home with us. 
And we found that back in 1911, there was an argument in Canada between two men. 
And it ended up with the invention of the egg carton. 
Well, we have two more great kitchen inventions we want to talk about in the next part of our lesson. 
Let's do that now. 
Food Inventions. 
The can. 
In 1810, London resident Peter Durand invented metal cans that would hold and preserve food for long periods of time. 
The only problem was that people had to use a hammer and chisel to open them. 
Amazingly, it took another 50 years before the can opener was invented by Ezra Warner. 
The knife. 
Many believe the knife is mankind's oldest tool, with the earliest forms made from flint or a glass-like rock and then from metal around 2500 B.C. 
Through the years, the cutting device evolved into the handy tool we place so much reliance on today. 
While we in the 21st century take these inventions for granted, our lives would be very different without these indispensable kitchen aids. 
(Music). 
OK. The can and the knife, both very useful tools that you might see in the kitchen. 
Let's start with the can. 
In 1810, London resident Peter Durand invented metal cans that would hold and preserve food for long periods of time. 
So he was a London resident. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that he lived in London. 
He lived in the City of London. 
And we see that he invented metal cans. 
It's hard for me to imagine a time when there weren't metal cans to store our food in. 
That's right. 
And they hold your food for long periods of time. 
It's very true. 
Sometimes you can store food in a metal can for years, and it won't go bad. 
Foods like beans or corn or things like that, you can put in metal cans, a very useful invention. 
It was. 
And we continue on to see just a little bit of a problem with this invention. 
The only problem was that people had to use a hammer and chisel to open them. 
So we had this great way to preserve food and keep it fresh for a long time, but it was very difficult to open a can if you need to use a hammer and chisel. 
Wow! That seems kind of like a fun challenge to face. 
If you like working with tools, maybe you'll like this idea. 
Next time you have a can, instead of using your can opener, get a hammer and get a chisel and open that can. 
A hammer, of course, is a tool that you can use. 
And a chisel, you can... has a sharp end on one end. 
And you can use a hammer behind it to try to open something or make a hole in something. 
That's right. 
So the chisel is a flat tool that's used to carve wood or stone, and also to open cans. 
However, amazingly, it took another 50 years before the can opener was invented by Ezra Warner. 
So we had cans for 50 years before we had can openers. 
Well, I'm grateful for Ezra Warner because I don't have a chisel at home. 
Let's continue learning about the knife. 
We read here: 
Many believe the knife is mankind's oldest tool, with the earliest forms made from flint or a glass-like rock and then from metal around 2500 B.C. 
Wow! So this goes back a long time. 
That's right. It... I think it is our oldest invention, our oldest tool. 
And we see that it was made from flint in one of its earliest forms. 
So one of the earliest things they used to make knives was flint. 
And flint is a type of hard, grey stone that is good for cutting things. 
It's good for cutting things. 
And if you rub flint and some stones together, then you can also make a fire. 
That's actually how some people make fires if they are out alone in the wilderness. 
Have a piece of flint with you, maybe you can create your own fire. 
Well, we do see another word in that sentence I just want to talk about. 
It's the word "mankind." What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, mankind means everyone, the type of people. 
So mankind is everyone in the world. 
And here we're talking about the ancestors of mankind when we were making tools out of flint. 
That's right, a long time ago around 2500 B.C. 
OK, we continue. 
Through the years, the cutting device evolved into the handy tool we place so much reliance on today. 
I like that. 
The tool is very useful today. 
And it has uh, evolved or changed a lot over the years. 
Let's talk about the word: reliance. 
What does this word "reliance" mean? 
Well, reliance means that you rely on something. 
You depend on it. 
Or as we mentioned yesterday, you can't do without it. 
You rely heavily on something, you need it. 
That's right. 
And Carolyn just used a verb form - rely. R-E-L-Y. 
Usually you see it with the word "on." You rely on something or you rely on somebody. 
Well, let's continue. 
While we in the 21 century take these inventions for granted, our lives would be very different without these indispensable kitchen aids. 
And it's true. 
I think sometimes we do take many things for granted. 
We do. 
And I see this great word here: indispensable. 
It's similar to the word "reliance," if you rely on something. 
But if something is indispensable, then it is also necessary. 
You need it. 
You really can't do without it, must have this thing. 
That's right. 
Because if you dispense of something, that means you throw it away. 
Maybe it's useless or you don't need it. 
But if it's indispensable, then of course you need it. 
Carolyn, you are indispensable. 
And I don't want to take you for granted. 
Oh. Well, thank you. 
I appreciate that. 
And I certainly don't want to take anything for granted, especially Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
They have something that they would like to tell us about. 
Then we can review a... we can enjoy a review skit. 
And join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, friends. 
Do you ever assume something will always be available and that it will always serve a certain function? 
For example, when you turn on the faucet, do you always assume that water will come out of it? 
Well, if you do, you're taking water for granted. 
When you take something for granted, you assume you'll never lose it. 
Right. 
The verb "grant" means to allow or give freely. 
So when you take something for granted, you're assuming that that thing is given to you for free. 
And when you make that assumption, you tend not to appreciate that thing. 
But one day, there may be no water coming out of the faucet, and so we shouldn't take water for granted. 
What else do we take for granted, Ken? 
People. 
If there is a person you know who cares for you and they are putting in effort to make you a better person, you don't want to take them for granted. 
Right. 
A friend could be taken for granted if you assume that he will always be ready to help you out, even if you aren't always ready to help him. 
Or if you're the head of a company, don't take hard-working employees for granted. 
They should be rewarded for their long and faithful service. 
Think about what you might take for granted and start to appreciate it. 
(Chinese). 
Hooray for food. 
I love to eat. 
Me, too. 
And food preparation innovations throughout history have paved the way for safer and easier-to-make meals. 
And that makes eating even easier. 
Pasteurization was an important food discovery. 
Yes. Louis Pasteur destroyed harmful bacteria by heating liquids. 
Before that, deadly bacteria led to disease and death. 
Today, food is much safer. 
Another helpful invention was refrigeration. 
Oh. 
It's a great method to preserve and store food. 
Right. 
No kitchen should be without a refrigerator... full of food. 
Yeah. 
And don't forget the egg carton. 
Keeping eggs separated by cardboard was a very useful invention. 
Mmhm. How true that is. 
Nobody wants uh... broken eggs. 
And how about the can? 
Yes, another useful invention. 
Metal cans can hold and preserve food for long periods of time. 
Cans are so convenient, especially since can openers were invented. 
Right. 
Hey, don't forget about knives! Man's oldest tool. 
Yes. Don't take them for granted. 
Wow! We have a lot of indispensable kitchen aids. 
Eating has never been easier. 
And speaking of eating, what are we waiting for? 
Let's get started. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And I guess it's time to go back to our teachers. 
We've learned a lot about useful food inventions or inventions that you might see around your kitchen that we cannot do without. 
Well, I do wonder what is something in your kitchen that you think that you can not do without, you need it. 
Carolyn, what do you think? 
Well, there are a lot of things in my kitchen that I use every day. 
But I think the one that I would really hate to be without is my refrigerator. 
I put a lot of things in my refrigerator. 
And I can't imagine not having one. 
All right. 
I think a refrigerator is pretty important, too. 
Also, sometimes there might be 10,000 spoons when all I need is a knife. 
So, I can't do without my silverware. 
I think it's pretty important. 
Oh, yeah, and cups! 
I like to drink water out of those. 
Well, there are many things that we find useful in our kitchens. 
And of course, I hope you know how to answer that question in English as well. 
And come back next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you later. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.04.12.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And we want to thank you for joining us today. 
Our lesson is called How Do You Choose a Career? 
So we're going to be learning about different points of view on this subject. 
How do you go about choosing a career? 
Of course, a career is different than a job. 
A job you might have for a short period of time. 
But a career is usually one that you would like to do for a longer period or perhaps most of your life, your career. 
So how do you choose a career? 
Well, many people are interested in different things. 
What were you interested in doing when you were growing up? 
What did you want to be when you were growing up? 
Carolyn, what about you? 
Well, when I was younger, I wanted to be a veterinarian, 
a kind of doctor that takes care of animals instead of people eh, because I really, really liked animals when I was little. 
Well, you do know a lot about animals. 
I think that would be a great career for you. 
For me, growing up, actually, a lot I wanted to be an actor. 
And I get to do that a little bit here at Studio Classroom. 
Well, what did you want to be growing up? 
Or what do you want to be in the future? 
Let's get started with our first part of today's lesson - How Do You Choose a Career? 
How Do You Choose a Career? 
There are many considerations when deciding on a career. 
Robert sees Helen sitting at a computer in the library and strikes up a conversation. 
Hi, Helen. 
What are you working on? 
I'm taking a quiz to help me decide the kind of career I should have. 
A career quiz? 
You need to take a test to choose your career? 
Well, you don't have to take a test. 
Whew! I got a little anxious there thinking that I needed to study for another test. 
No. The issue is that I have no idea what career I should pursue. 
I can see myself doing so many things. 
I need help figuring out what is best for me based on my interests and personality. 
(Music). 
It is important to look at your interests when you're deciding on a career. 
And at the beginning we see: There are many considerations when deciding on a career. 
So we have this word "considerations." It just means that you need to consider things. 
So there are many things that you should think about when you are trying to decide your career. 
Well, we have a conversation here with Robert and Helen. 
And Robert sees Helen sitting at a computer in the library and strikes up a conversation. 
He strikes up a conversation. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, I'm glad you ask, Carolyn, because these words are straight from our Word Bank. 
When you strike up something, usually I use it when I'm talking about a conversation, actually. 
When I strike up a conversation with somebody, that means I start the conversation. 
Maybe it's talking to a stranger, and I want to get to know that person. 
And so I go and strike up a conversation. 
I think Robert and Helen are friends. 
So you can strike up a conversation with anybody. 
When do you strike up conversations with people, Carolyn? 
Well, I strike up conversations with people at lunch. 
Usually if I see someone sitting there, I might go strike up a conversation and sit down and have lunch with that person. 
Hey, that's a good point. 
That reminds me of last month's VIEWPOINT article. 
Maybe it would have been good for the girls to strike up a conversation with the girl who was sitting alone. 
Well, we see here that Robert sees Helen sitting at a computer, or in front of a computer, and he strikes up a conversation. 
Um... well, it's Robert and Helen. 
So I guess I'll be Robert, and you can be Helen. 
Oh, that... that sounds pretty good. Yeah, I like that. 
All right. Good. 
Here I go. 
Hi, Helen. 
What are you working on? 
Oh, I'm taking a quiz to help me decide the kind of career I should have. 
Ooh, a quiz. 
Let me pause right there for a moment. 
This is not your average or normal kind of quiz here, is it, Carolyn? 
No. This is a very special kind of test, the quiz, that is helping Helen to decide what kind of career she should have. 
So not really something you would study for. 
OK, not something you would study for. 
Usually I think of a quiz or even a test as something you would study for. 
But it's not like that in today's lesson. 
Robert continues: 
A career quiz? 
You need to take a test to choose your career? 
Well, you don't have to take a test. 
Right. 
Well, I guess it's not a requirement. 
You don't have to take a test. 
And then Robert says: 
Whew! I got a little anxious there thinking that I needed to study for another test. 
Well, you don't need to be anxious. 
And this is another word we want to talk about. 
If you are anxious about something, it means that you are worried, you are nervous about something that's going to happen. 
When are you anxious, Gabe? 
Oh, that's a good question. 
Actually, before a test, I might get anxious, or before a performance. 
I love performing, whether it's acting or playing drums or other kinds of musical performances, and I might get anxious. 
Even if I've prepared well, I know I have to do something and do it well, so I get anxious. 
When do you get anxious, Carolyn? 
Well, I think also before I perform on stage. 
If I'm going to sing a song in front of people at church, then I might be a little bit anxious before the song starts. 
But once it starts, I'm OK. 
And Robert thought that maybe this was a test he had to get anxious about. 
He says: Whew! I got a little anxious there thinking that I needed to study for another test. 
But what does Helen say? 
She says: No. The issue is that I have no idea what career I should pursue. 
So the issue she is having is that she doesn't know what career she should do in the future. 
And "issue" is another word we want to talk about. 
What does it mean if you have an issue, Gabe? 
Well, sometimes I think of this as being a problem or a struggle, something that you have to work through. 
You don't know all the answers right now, you're trying to solve it. 
You have an issue that you need to work through. 
Uh, what kinds of issues are there in life, Carolyn? 
Well, I think a lot of issues that people face is they don't get enough sleep. 
Oh, yeah. 
If you don't get enough sleep, that can be a very big issue. 
That can be a big issue. 
So you can talk about it as being a big issue or just a little issue. 
But Helen says: The issue is that I have no idea what career I should pursue. 
You can use that word "pursue" in other ways, too. 
That means to go after something. 
So a guy might pursue a girl and see if maybe one day she'll become his girlfriend. 
Well, Helen also continues: 
I can see myself doing so many things. 
I need help figuring out what is best for me based on my interests and personality. 
All right. 
Well, Helen said a very important phrase there: based on my interests and personality. 
Let's talk about those words. 
When you base something on something else, that means you're doing something because of this information. 
How might you use that phrase? 
Well, I try to base a lot of the things I do on the Bible. 
It has a lot of really important teachings that we should follow. 
And I try to base my life on that. 
All right. 
That's a great thing to base your life on, the Bible. 
Or maybe you have to make a decision, what do you base your decision on? 
Why did you make that decision? 
Is it because of something someone said or something else? 
Well, we have more to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Here we go. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.12.B

So far in today's lesson, Robert has struck up a conversation with his friend Helen. 
And Helen is in the middle of taking a quiz, a career quiz. 
It's not the kind of test or quiz that you usually think about in school. 
You don't have to study for this kind of quiz. 
Helen is going to find out what career might be best for her. 
And she's a little bit anxious about this, maybe. 
She has an issue. 
She wants to do something that is important and good for her in the future. 
Well, we have more to learn from this conversation. 
Let's continue with the second part of our lesson for today. 
How Do You Choose a Career? 
Good luck. 
But I don't need to worry since I already know what I'm going to do. 
Really? But we're only juniors in high school! 
How can you be so sure about your future career? 
Simple - my parents want me to be a doctor, so I'm going to go to medical school. 
That's a lot of time and money. 
You might want to talk to a career counselor before you make such a big decision. 
No. I trust my parents' judgement - especially when it is something as important as deciding my future. 
Robert and Helen are both making some pretty good points here. 
And it is good to listen to your parents. 
Well, Robert has the first line here. 
So Gabe, why don't you start. 
All right. 
Good luck. 
But I don't need to worry since I already know what I'm going to do. 
Wow! You are pretty impressive. 
You already know what you're going to do. 
And Helen says: Really? But we're only juniors in high school! 
How can you be so sure about your future career? 
Well, that is a good question, Helen... Carolyn. 
How can you be so sure about your future career? 
And this is a good question to ask: How can you be so sure about something? 
Maybe your friend has made a decision, and they're pretty certain about something. 
How can you be so sure? 
You want to go on a picnic tomorrow? 
You think the weather is going to be great? 
How can you be so sure? 
It's been raining this whole week. 
And as... as Helen says: How can you be so sure about your future career? 
That's right. 
Well, I think that this sentence has something that Steve and Ken want to talk to us about in the Information Cloud. 
So let's go see them now. 
Today we review the word "year." If you're a student, it's very likely that someone, maybe a foreigner like me, will ask you the question: 
What year are you in? 
And the answer is not 2013. 
No. It simply means what grade are you in. 
That's right. 
But be careful. 
"What grade are you in?" is a question reserved for young children who are in grade school or elementary school. 
But if you're asking a high school or university student, we normally ask: What year are you in? 
So become familiar with this question and have an answer ready. 
And the proper response... 
... could be I'm in my freshman year. 
Freshman is the first year. 
Second year in sophomore. 
Third year is junior. 
And your fourth year is your senior year. 
These labels work for high school, college and university. 
Steve, what if a high school has only three years? 
Well, there are some high schools in America like that, too. 
So what we do is simply drop the term "freshman" and begin with sophomore. 
Or you could still use the word "grade" to avoid confusion with university years. 
You could say I'm in the 10th grade, 11th grade or 12th grade. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
It is good to know the difference between being a junior in high school and being a junior high school student. 
Well, Robert continues with this conversation. 
Simple - my parents want me to be a doctor, so I'm going to go to medical school. 
Oh. Well, Helen doesn't really think that's a good idea. She says: 
That's a lot of time and money. 
You might want to talk to a career counselor before you make such a big decision. 
Well, you know, I... I like what Helen is saying here. 
And we need to talk about that sentence a little bit. 
I saw a phrase there: you might want to do something. 
You might want to talk to a career counselor. 
You can use that phrase when you are suggesting something to a friend. 
You might want to do this. 
That is a good suggesting phrase. 
Carolyn, I think we have another important word here. Is that right? 
We do. 
She mentions career counselor. 
And "counselor" is a word from our Word Bank today. 
If you talk to a counselor, a counselor is someone who gives you advice, good advice because they know a lot about whatever it is you have a question about. 
So if you talk to a career counselor, they can give you good advice on careers. 
All right. And there are many words kind of like this. 
You might talk about a career counselor or an academic advisor, A-D-V-I-S-O-R. 
That's a similar word, someone who gives you advice about something. 
Um, there's another kind of counselor I'm thinking about. 
Maybe you have some emotional problems or issues that you are working through, and you just need to go and see a counselor, 
someone who doesn't know you, is not involved with the issues. 
And they can help you see how you can fix these problems clearly. 
That's another kind of counselor. 
It is another kind of counselor. 
And actually, there are college counselors as well. 
And before I did my exchange program to Japan, I talked to a retired high school counselor to give me some advice on what I should do in preparing for college. 
OK. So was that a helpful time talking to this counselor? 
It was very helpful. 
And he recommended that I tried studying abroad before going to college. 
So it was really great. 
Well, hey, I guess that advice, that counsel paid off. 
Well, friends, let's continue this conversation. 
I am Robert. 
No. I trust my parents' judgment - especially when it's something as important as deciding my future. 
Well, Robert, you make a very good point there. 
It is really good to listen to your parents. 
They have the best interests in mind for you. 
They want you to succeed and do your very best. 
So maybe his parents are right, and he should be a doctor. 
Well, we don't know. 
Robert and Helen are having this conversation. 
Helen is relying on or thinking about this career quiz as something that could help her decide her future. 
And Robert is trusting his parents. 
He trusts his parents' judgment. 
That word can mean a lot of things, someone's "judgment." But here it's talking about how they see something in life. 
So they think the best thing for Robert to do is maybe to become a doctor. 
And that is a very successful career. 
So I'm very interested to see how their conversation is going to turn out. 
But before we can do that, we're going to watch a review skit, and then visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Lawyer, cook. 
Banker? 
Cowboy. 
Excuse me. 
How may I help you? 
I'm trying to choose a career. 
I need some help. 
Oh. Choosing a career is an important decision. 
I know. And I have no idea what career to pursue. 
Teacher? Taxi driver? 
Accountant? 
You should talk to a career counselor. 
I know. 
That's why I'm here. 
I want to figure out which job is best for me. 
Basketball coach? 
Farmer? Entertainer? 
Well, there are a lot of choices. 
And I can see myself doing so many things. 
Doctor, chef, window cleaner... 
Preparing for a career takes time and money. 
What about your parents? 
Oh, they already have careers. 
No. I mean why not talk to them about your future? 
Oh, right. 
Yes. I can trust their judgment on big decisions. 
Well, good. 
And you know you can also take a career quiz. 
A career quiz? 
How can that help? 
It can help you find a career based on your interests and personality. 
Cool! You're so helpful. 
Yes, I know. 
That's why I chose to be a career counselor. 
Pilot, salesman. 
Actor, English teacher! 
Uh, here's the quiz. 
Let's get started right away. 
Puppet! 
(Chinese). 
OK. Now get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
Today we've been talking about how to choose a career. 
And Robert and Helen have been discussing a few different options. 
You could take a career quiz, talk to your parents about it. 
Maybe see a career counselor. 
But there are a lot of issues you face, and it can be a little bit anxious, make you feel anxious. 
So Gabe, how do you think you should choose a career? 
Do you think it's a good idea to get advice from other people? 
I do. 
I think generally in life, it's good to talk to people who are older, who have experienced many different areas of life and see what their counsel is, 
see what their advice is about something. 
So yeah, if you're choosing a career, it's good to talk to people who have spent time working somewhere and who sees... and they know what works for them, what doesn't work. 
And they can tell you what kinds of things you should consider. 
So I do think it's good advice. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, I do think it's important. 
If you know someone or you have an interest in something, you should talk to someone in that field who already has that job and get some ideas about it. 
Well, we hope that you will join us again tomorrow here on Studio Classroom for the rest of this conversation. See you then. 
See you later. 
(Music).

2013.04.13.A

Hey, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for the second day of our lesson called How Do You Choose a Career? 
We enjoyed a conversation between Helen and Robert yesterday. 
Helen thinks that maybe you should take a career quiz, something that can help you figure out your personality and your interests. 
And Robert says he's just going to rely on what his parents want. 
How do you choose a career? 
And when should you start thinking about your career and life? 
Carolyn, what do you think? 
When should you start thinking about this? 
Well, I think it's really never too early or too late to start thinking about your career. 
If you are very young and you have a passion for something, you really love it, 
then you should probably start thinking about jobs that have something to do with it. 
When I was young, I loved animals. 
So I really wanted to be a veterinarian. 
And I didn't end up being a veterinarian, but it was something I had a strong interest in. 
And whenever we talk about animals here at Studio Classroom, Carolyn always has a lot to say. 
So it does come in handy. 
Well, let's get started by continuing this conversation between Helen and Robert. 
How Do You Choose a Career? 
You should think about this more seriously. 
What if you go to medical school and discover that you don't like studying medicine? 
I'll just deal with it and be a doctor anyway. 
My parents have really high expectations for me, so I don't want to let them down. 
Would you really want to work at a job you don't enjoy? 
A career test can help you determine what you like and are good at. 
Hmm... Well, maybe that is a good idea. 
Then maybe I could make a list of potential career options and talk to my parents about them. 
Well, that does sound like a good idea, Robert. 
Let's go back to the beginning of this conversation. 
Where is Helen? 
Helen? 
I'm right here, Gabe. 
All right. OK. 
You would be Helen today again. 
Yes. I will be Helen. Thank you. 
You should think about this more seriously. 
What if you go to medical school and discover that you don't like studying medicine? 
Very good question. 
What if you go there and discover that you don't like studying medicine? 
Friends, usually I think of this word "discover" as finding a new place. 
But here it's used in a different way. 
You discover something about yourself - it's something new about yourself. 
Well, this is a good question for Robert. 
And Robert says: 
I'll just deal with it and be a doctor anyway. 
Well, I don't know if that sounds like a very good idea there, Robert. 
I mean, if you're just going to deal with it, I'm... I'm not quite sure what you mean. 
Well, you know what, I think something that might help, Carolyn, is spending time with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Let's do that now. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
And here's our Grammar Tip sentence from today's POINT OF VIEW article: 
I'll just deal with it and be a doctor anyway. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: to deal with it. 
This is a very common phrase that native speakers use to talk about handling a situation, 
and usually it's about a situation that is uncomfortable or not pleasant. 
And in the case of today's article, we see that Robert is responding to Helen's question. 
What if he finds out he doesn't enjoy going to medical school? 
His answer? 
He'll just face the situation and be a doctor anyway. 
So what are things that people deal with? 
We can say: 
People have to deal with morning traffic. 
Or, if you're at a busy airport: Passengers have to deal with long lines. 
What about you? 
What are some things that you have to deal with? 
And if you'd like to see some more examples, you can check out today's Grammar Tip section. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, Robert continues his line. 
My parents have really high expectations for me, so I don't want to let them down. 
Oh, you don't want to let them down because they have high expectations. 
Well, that's understandable. 
They expect very big things from you, and you don't want to let them down. 
Well, that is a phrase we want to look at: let someone down. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, someone might have expectations for you. 
They want you to do something or they expect that you will be a certain way. 
And when you let them down, that means you disappoint them. 
So this word actually can also... or these two words, to "let down," can also be put into one word as a noun. 
It could be called a letdown. 
That was a letdown. 
It was a disappointment. 
Or it let me down; I was disappointed. 
How else might you use that phrase? 
Well, you might say, "I really need your help on this. Please and don't let me down." I need your help very badly. 
And I might say I'm sorry I let you down. 
I couldn't help like I wanted to. 
So Roberts' parents have high expectations for him. 
Well, what other ways can you have expectations for something? 
Maybe you have great expectations for a new restaurant opening down the street. 
You think the food will be great. 
You hope it doesn't let you down. 
Well, I know some people that never let us down - Steve and Ken. 
Let's go join them in the Information Cloud. 
If you're a parent like me, you probably have high expectations for your child. 
There's nothing wrong with that. 
But as parents, we should be careful not to be too involved in our children's lives. 
If we do, we might turn into helicopter parents. 
"Helicopter parent" is a colloquial term for a parent who pays extremely close attention to their children's experiences and problems. 
And why do we use this term "helicopter parent"? 
Like a helicopter, a parent hovers over their children supervising everything they do. 
Now I understand the need to save your child from potential harm, but parents should try to avoid becoming over-protective. 
Experts warn that helicopter parents may deprive children of crucial decision-making, problem-solving and confidence-building skills they'll need later in life. 
You know, I've heard of a student who couldn't find a class on campus. 
And instead of approaching someone or seeking a map, called mom who was 2,000 miles away to find out where it is. 
And therein lies the problem - a helicopter can't be hovering overhead forever. 
You know, as a parent, I have to learn to let go and let my son face problems and deal with them on his own. 
Only when we allow our kids contact with life's problems can they become strong and capable. 
Now I'm not a parent, so I'm not one to give advice here. 
But maybe parents can find something else to do besides worrying about their kids. 
Good point, Steve. 
I think when I spend part of my energy on things other than my son, things get a little better for everyone. 
I think the fact that you're studying English with us right now instead of checking if your son or daughter is studying English is a good sign. 
(Chinese). 
Helen continues on in the article. 
She says: Would you really want to work at a job you don't enjoy? 
A career test can help you determine what you like and are good at. 
That is good. 
That is good. 
I want to take a look at that word "determine" because earlier this month, we learned the word determination. 
That means when you have a goal and you want to achieve it. 
You're going to do it. 
Here it's used a little bit differently. 
When you determine what you like and what you are good at, that means you find out what you like and what you are good at. 
So this word "determine" can be used in different ways. 
Well, Robert continues. 
Hmm... Well, maybe that is a good idea. 
Then maybe I could make a list of potential career options and talk to my parents about them. 
Well, that is a good idea, Robert. 
We could make a list of potential career options. 
And we see that word "potential." It's a word we want to talk about. 
It means something in the future that is possible, so. 
You have potential to do something or you can make a list of potential options. 
How else can you use that word, Gabe? 
Well, I like that you also used this word just now as a noun. 
If someone has potential, that means maybe in the future they will be very good at something or do very well at something. 
They have potential in a certain area. 
Maybe it's not developed right now, but they have potential. 
And right here we're talking about a list of potential career options. 
So maybe Robert will choose one of these options, one of these careers. 
They are potential career options. 
And then he can take his list and talk to his parents about them so that they can discuss his career together. 
This sounds like a really great idea. 
I think so, too. 
So he's going to make this list. 
That means he's probably going to write these things down and then talk to his parents about them. 
Well, we're learning a lot through this conversation with Robert and Helen. 
And we have more to learn. 
But right now it's time for us to spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.13.B

Helen and Robert are continuing to discuss different ways and maybe the best way that you can choose a career. 
And Robert originally thought that he would just be a doctor. 
And if he didn't like it, he would deal with it. 
But Helen makes some suggestions to him, and maybe he will make a potential list of career options. 
Well, we have a lot more to hear from Robert and Helen in the next part of our article. 
Let's start the second reading now. 
How Do You Choose a Career? 
You should also consider what kind of work environment you like and how much money you want to make. 
You also need to think about how easy it would be to take time off and how much education you need. 
That's a lot to think about. 
Well, I'm pretty good at math, and I really love to sketch pictures of buildings. 
That sounds more interesting to me than fixing human bodies. 
I just don't want to upset my parents. 
I know, but it sounds like you're interested in architecture. 
My dad knows some architects. 
He could introduce you to some so you could find out more about that field. 
Then you can make an informed decision. 
I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk to them. 
Well, think about it, and let me know. 
(Music). 
Yes, Robert will let Helen know. 
Well, Helen, would you like to begin this conversation? 
Uh, sure, of course. 
You should also consider what kind of work environment you like and how much money you want to make. 
You also need to think about how easy it would be to take time off and how much education you need. 
Wow, wow, wow! OK. Thank you, Helen... Carolyn. 
Helen mentioned a lot there in that conversation. 
There are four main things. 
One thing you should consider is the kind of work environment that you want. 
And another thing is how much money you want to make. 
What's the third thing that Helen suggests that Robert think about? 
Well, she also recommends that he'd think about how easy it would be to take time off. 
Because if you have a job that keeps you very busy, it might be a little bit difficult to spend time with your family, go on vacation or take time off for other reasons. 
That's right. 
And another thing that Helen mentions is the kind of education that you need. 
What she's talking about here is whether you just need a bachelor's degree from university or if you need to continue getting your master's or Ph.D. or something else. 
That's the kind of education level that she is talking about. 
Or it could be part of it, anyway. 
Well, Robert will continue this conversation. 
That's a lot to think about. 
Well, I'm pretty good at math, and I really love to sketch pictures of buildings. 
Well, if you like to sketch things - "sketch" is a really great word - it means you like to draw things. 
And sketch is one of our Word Bank words today. 
And so Gabe, are there any things that you like to sketch? 
Oh, Carolyn, I do like to sketch. 
I sketch people. 
But usually they just look like little sticks on my paper because I'm not really good at drawing or sketching. 
But yes, Carolyn, many people are good at sketching. 
You draw something, maybe it's not very detailed, but it's kind of an outline of something that you want to create; you sketch something. 
That's right. 
And we see here that Bobert likes to sketch pictures of buildings. 
He likes to sketch buildings. 
Well, Robert, how do you continue? 
All right. 
That sounds more interesting to me than fixing human bodies. 
I just want to interrupt Robert for a moment. 
Oh, OK. You can interrupt yourself, I suppose. 
Thanks. OK. 
He talks about fixing human bodies. 
Um, this is kind of a... an unofficial way of saying maybe doing surgery or... or working in a hospital as a doctor because what doctors do is fix bodies. 
Usually I use that word "fix" to talk about tools maybe fixing something that's broken. 
But here he's talking about fixing human bodies. 
That's right. 
It is a very interesting way to talk about the thing that a doctor does at work, but it is kind of true. 
Well, how do you continue, Robert? 
All right. 
I just don't want to upset my parents. 
Well, I know, but it sounds like you're interested in architecture. 
So Robert, you might want to think a little bit about architecture. 
That's a great idea. 
And Helen continues: 
My dad knows some architects. 
He could introduce you to some so you could find out more about that field. 
Excellent, excellent, Helen! 
You just said that your dad knows some architects. 
And we talked about the word "architecture" before. 
So architecture is the field or the career. 
And an architect is the person who is in that field. 
And of course, a field is an area of a job or career, the thing that you want to do. 
OK, sorry for interrupting, Helen. 
Please continue. 
That's all right. Yes, one more line there. 
Then you could make an informed decision. 
Informed? Decision? 
Good. 
There's a word from the Word Bank right there. 
It is "informed." If you make an informed decision, Carolyn, does that mean that I just kind of decide something at the last moment without thinking about it? 
No. If you are informed about something, it means that you have done a lot of research. 
You really know the subject well. 
So if you make an informed decision about your career, then you've done a lot of research on what kind of career you would really like to have. 
All right. 
So that's an informed decision. 
That word is kind of used as an adjective there. 
But it could also be a verb. 
You could inform someone about something. 
Or maybe you are informed through the newspaper or through articles online. 
Well, what kinds of decisions should be informed in life? 
I think of maybe which university you should go to, you need to make an informed decision. 
That's right. 
And you also need to be very informed about the things that you buy. 
The food that you buy, you want make sure you buy healthy things. 
So you should be an informed shopper as well. 
Or maybe you want to buy stocks. 
You should have an informed decision about where you buy stocks, what business you get involved with. 
Anyway, it is good to have informed decisions. 
And I'm going to continue informing you with Robert's line here. 
Robert's line is: 
I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk to them. 
Well, think about it, and let me now. 
All right. 
Well, this is a good conversation between Robert and Helen. 
Robert says it wouldn't hurt to talk to them. 
It's not his first idea. 
He doesn't think about talking to them first, but it wouldn't hurt. 
Maybe it's not a bad thing to talk to his parents. 
That's right. 
And Helen says: Oh, well, you know, think about it for a little while, and then let me know what you decide. 
Well, now I think it's time for us to spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
Well, we've enjoyed a conversation between Robert and Helen about how to choose a career. 
Helen thinks that she's going to base her decision off of maybe a career quiz or talking to other people, 
whereas Robert really trusts in what his parents have to say for him. 
Well, Carolyn, what do you think? 
What is the best way to choose a career? 
Well, I don't know if there's just one way that is the best way. 
There are many different ways to think about choosing your career. 
And one of the things that I found to be the most beneficial for me was I went to a veterinarian's office, 
and saw what a vet actually does on a day-to-day basis and decided that kind of work really wasn't for me. 
That work wasn't for you. 
Maybe... maybe you wanted more involvement with animals? 
Yes, I would have preferred to play with the animals and not have to do surgery on the animals. 
I like that. 
Well, maybe a better place for you then is SeaWorld. 
Friends, thank you for joining us today for this lesson. 
And we'll see you next time here at Studio Classroom. 
See you later. 
(Music).

2013.04.15.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for our lesson "Mathalicious!" All right. 
We're going to be talking about math and how it can be made fun. 
It can be an interesting subject. 
Why do I say that? 
Because many people think that math is not interesting. 
Well, what about you? 
Do you think math is interesting or not, and why? Carolyn? 
Well, I do think math is very interesting. 
It wasn't a subject that I was always very good at, but I really enjoyed it. 
And I actually took advanced math classes in high school when I could have taken something else. 
Wow! That is really good because I did not take any advanced math classes. 
I enjoyed some of my math classes. 
I, too, thought they were interesting even though I wasn't very good at math. 
I'm not good with numbers or doing math problems, but I did find the problems kind of interesting. 
However, I know that many people have different thoughts about math. 
Let's get started with the first reading of today's lesson - Mathalicious! 
(Music). 
Mathalicious! 
Getting students interested in math by asking better questions. 
Former middle school math teacher Karim Kai Ani often faced a classroom full of bored students. 
But he couldn't get upset because he agreed with them - the lessons really were boring! 
That's why he became a math coach, a job that allowed him to help other teachers design better lessons. 
Then, in 2009, he founded the math-teaching website Mathalicious, so he could devote himself completely to designing lessons. 
Unlike lessons in traditional math textbooks, Mathalicious lessons ask open-ended math questions with real-life applications. 
(Music). 
Great! Well, let's get started with "Mathalicious!" Uh, there's something kind of special about that title. 
Carolyn, what does this word mean? 
Is this even a real word? 
Well, it is a made-up word. 
It is not something you would find in the dictionary. 
But it takes the word "math" and the word "delicious," so something that you really enjoy, and puts the two words together. 
So it is "mathalicious." It is very fun math. 
All right. 
Well, maybe you can think about combining other words with the word "delicious," something that you don't normally enjoy, 
and then adding "alicious," it might make it easier to enjoy. 
Well, let's get started. 
The first thing we read here is getting students interested in math by asking better questions. 
And that's true. 
Sometimes you might get someone interested in something by asking good questions about it. 
That's right. 
If you make interesting questions, then the topic will also be more interesting. 
And we see: Former middle school math teacher Karim Kai Ani often faced a classroom full of bored students. 
So here is a math teacher at a junior high school, and his students are very bored. 
That's right. 
It seems like he's facing a challenge here. 
We continue: But he couldn't get upset because he agreed with them - the lessons really were boring! 
But wait! 
He's a math teacher, and he thinks the lessons are boring? 
Yeah. It seems like even the teacher thought that the lessons were boring, so he couldn't be upset with the students. 
Now I think Steve and Ken have some information they'd like to share with us in the Info Cloud about this word - boring. 
You might get a little bored when you hear what we're about to say, but I think it's important to know the difference between bored and boring. 
I hope nobody is feeling bored right now because today's lesson is not boring at all. 
No, it's not. 
OK. "Bored" should be used when describing how a person feels, as in: I'm bored or she feels bored. 
Boring, however, is used to describe things other than people. 
For example, that movie was boring or that book is really boring. 
Now if you say "I'm boring," then you're saying you're a boring person. 
You make others bored. 
This is the same with excited and exciting. 
Sometimes I hear English learners say: That made me very exciting or I feel exciting. 
Remember, adjectives with the "I-N-G" suffix should be reserved to describe things, not people. 
So I guess we can say if it ends with "I-N-G," then use it to describe things, not people. 
That's a great rule, Ken. 
Hey, that was an interesting lesson. 
And I hope nobody felt bored. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
That was interesting information, not boring at all. 
Well, we continue learning about Karim Kai Ani. 
He thought that some lessons were boring in math. 
So we continue. 
That's why he became a math coach, a job that allowed him to help other teachers design better lessons. 
Let's talk about the difference there between a coach and a teacher. 
What do you know about this, Carolyn? 
Well, a coach is someone who leads a team. 
And a teacher is someone who teaches in a classroom. 
So it sounds like his job has changed a little bit. 
Instead of teaching students, he is helping teachers to become better math teachers and coaching them, 
or giving them advice on how to make their lessons more interesting. 
That's right. 
He's a great guy. 
"Then, in 2009," as we continue, "he founded the math-teaching website Mathalicious, so he could devote himself completely to designing lessons." OK. 
So it seems like his career completely changed. 
He was a teacher. 
Now he is a coach and he designs lessons. 
That's right. 
And in this sentence we see the key word "devote." If you devote your life to something, then you give your life to it. 
That is where you spend all of your time. 
OK. Maybe you don't want to devote your life to something, but maybe you can devote your time to something a little smaller like: 
This weekend I need to devote a couple of hours to finishing my homework, my math homework. 
I need to devote some time to my math homework. 
Or you should devote some time to studying English. 
You should practice at least ten minutes a day to keep your English skills up to par, to keep them sharp. 
Good idea. 
Well, we continue. 
Unlike lessons in traditional math textbooks, Mathalicious lessons ask open-ended math questions with real-life applications. 
There's a lot in that sentence. 
Let's talk about open-ended questions. 
What are those? 
Well, if something is open-ended, then it doesn't have a right or wrong answer. 
It's something that you need to really think about. 
What might the answer be? 
Maybe do some research to figure out what the question is really trying to get to. 
That's right. 
I also think maybe the answer is not simply a yes or a no. 
Maybe an open-ended question will start with... with the word "how" or "why." Well, we have a key word right there. 
It is "application." Let's take a look at that. 
An application is something that can apply to your life, how you use something. 
Right. So a real-life application is something that you can use every day, not just once in a while. 
And it's really great because a lot of people wonder: Oh, well math, how am I going to use this later in my life? 
So if you have real-life applications for open-ended math questions, math is suddenly a very interesting subject if you thought it was boring before. 
Mmhm. And there are many ways math can be applied to lots of careers. 
Well, right now it's time for us to watch a special video about Mathalicious. 
And then we'll go and join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
According to a Raytheon study, 61 percent of middle school students say they would rather take out the garbage than do their math homework. 
For them, math isn't just a chore, it's worse. 
If you ask students why they dislike math so much, they'll say I don't know what it means and when I'll ever use it. 
Mathalicious is rewriting math around real-world topics. 
We provide classroom teachers with lessons that allow them to teach standards-based math using real-world topics that students care about, 
from the NBA to the iPad, to the odds of finding life on other plants. 
Instead of teaching fractions and percents, teachers get to teach: Is Wheel of Fortune rigged? 
Instead of just proportions, they're asking: Do people of small feet pay too much for shoes? And should Nike charge by weight? 
Exponential decay? 
How is the iPod depreciated over time? 
When teachers teach using Mathalicious lessons, not only are they teaching more standards in less time, 
but they're doing it in a way that allows them to have the kinds of conversations with their students that they got into teaching to have in the first place. 
I was a middle school math teacher for a number of years and really struggled. 
Teaching is hard. 
I realize that many of the challenges that we teachers face, from classroom management to disengaged students, 
stem directly back to the content that we're teaching. 
It's dry. 
It's irrelevant. 
It's boring to students. 
And it doesn't need to be like that. 
I started Mathalicious to give teachers an alternative. 
On a recent survey, 95 percent of teachers said their students enjoy Mathalicious lessons. 
You couldn't get 95 percent of teachers to say that their students enjoy lunch. 
And even more importantly, 97 percent said it makes their students better problem-solvers. 
And 71 percent of teachers said they enjoy their jobs more when they teach Mathalicious lessons. 
Happier teachers, smarter students. 
As a former classroom teacher myself, I know how hard teachers work and how busy they are. 
At Mathalicious, we provide them with everything they'll need to teach the lesson effectively: 
form a student handout to a multimedia presentation with the audio and the video, 
to a lesson guide that highlights typical misconceptions and how they can address them. 
We put teachers in a position to engage their students with conversations that are really interesting and teach math at the same time. 
When teachers use Mathalicious lessons, students don't feel like they're just learning math but they're using math to learn about the world. 
Because at the end of the day, math is not a set of skills to learn, memorize and regurgitate. 
Mathematics is a tool that we humans developed to explore the world around us. 
And that's what Mathalicious does. 
(Music). 
(Chinese).

2013.04.15.B

Today we are talking about math and Mathalicious, this great way that turns math from a boring subject for some students into something very interesting. 
And we've learned about today a math coach who helps teachers to make their lessons more interesting with this program. 
He devoted himself to math and making it interesting for others. 
Well, we still have some more to learn about Mathalicious in our second reading today. 
(Music). 
Mathalicious! 
For example: Do people with small feet pay more for shoes? 
How long must a person exercise to burn off a Big Mac? 
Each lesson includes handouts, a teacher's guide and a short multimedia presentation. 
Also, each lesson requires students to use specific math skills included in the Common Core State Standards. 
While the site does offer a handful of free samples, the lessons are based on payment. 
But for many math teachers, the cost is worth it. 
Mathalicious gives them the tools they need to turn bored students into inspired ones! 
(Music). 
Before the break we talked about open-ended questions, and we have some examples here. We read: 
For example: Do people with small feet pay more for shoes? 
How long must a person exercise to burn off a Big Mac? 
Well, these are great questions to think about, and they do involve math. 
They do! And these are things that you can apply to your everyday life. 
They have real-life applications. 
And we see this phrase here: burn off. 
How long must you exercise to burn off a Big Mac or a hamburger? 
And if you burn something off, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that means maybe you have some... something on your body or some calories or fat, and you want to get rid of it. 
So often people exercise to burn off fat, to burn off calories. 
You get calories by eating. 
And especially something like a Big Mac or a hamburger might give you a lot of calories. 
You want to burn those off. 
Right. So you want to use all of them up. 
You want to exercise and use that energy and burn it off. 
Continuing in the article we see: 
Each lesson includes handouts, a teacher's guide and a short multimedia presentation. 
So each lesson has many different parts. 
It's not just "This is a math problem. Please solve it." It's much more interesting. 
That's right. 
You might have a piece of paper, a handout and also a multimedia presentation. 
Well, that's kind of a fun word. 
"Multi-" is many, and media. 
And there are different kinds of media. 
You might have a video. 
That's a medium. 
Or a PowerPoint presentation, that's a kind of media; or some... even pictures on a slide show. 
Even here at Studio Classroom, you might see some pictures in the background. 
That's another kind of media. 
Well, how do we continue? 
We see: Also, each lesson requires students to use specific math skills included in the Common Core State Standards. 
So there are very specific skills that are being taught in these lessons so that the students are continuing to learn. 
That's right. 
The Common Core State Standards, something that everybody must match up to. 
Well, we continue. 
While the site does not... or the site does offer a handful of free samples, the lessons are based on payment. 
So you do need to pay for this wonderful lesson. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
I hope you're all doing well today. 
My name is Liz, and I want to thank you for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
In today's article we read: 
While the site does offer a handful of free samples, the lessons are based on payment. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Notice how the sentence begins with the word "while." Normally we use "while" to talk about how two things are happening at the same time like: 
Jim waited in the car while Teresa went to buy coffee. 
But in the case of today's sentence, "while" means "although." So we can say: 
Although the site does offer a handful of free samples, the lessons are based on payment. 
Let's have a look at some more example sentences. 
While cats are generally known to not like water, tigers do enjoy swimming. 
Or: While tourists are not allowed to walk into the palace, the palace gardens are open to the public. 
Now it's your turn. 
Try making a sentence using "although" at the beginning, and then change it and practice using "while" instead. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
So you do have to pay for these lessons. 
And in our article we see: 
But for many math teachers, the cost is worth it. 
Mathalicious gives them the tools they need to turn bored students into inspired ones! 
All right. 
Well, let's take a look at that word "inspired." If you are inspired by something, that means you are interested in it, 
maybe even enough to do something or create something on your own. 
You are inspired. 
And if something is inspired, then it is special and you want to do great things. 
Well, I think that we might be inspired by watching another video and then joining Michelle in the Language Lab. 
When we turn on the TV, how does what we see affect our well-being? 
According to University of California psychologist Dr. Keltner, we can measure this using something called the jen ratio. 
Every time we witness something negative, we add one to the denominater. 
Every time we witness something positive, we add one to the numerator. 
According to Keltner, the higher the ratio, the better off we are. 
So if the jen ratio is rael, how much are we really able to control our own well-being? 
And in the face of all this negativity, what can we do to improve not just our own jen ratio but everyone else's too? 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our teachers are up to. 
We're talking about Mathalicious today. 
And I do wonder if you have ever used math outside the classroom. 
Carolyn? 
I have, and actually it was really fun. 
When I was in middle school, I was taking an advanced math class. 
And our teacher taught us a trigonometry equation, this really complicated thing. 
But actually, it was very easy and very fun. 
We got to go outside and figure out how fast the cars were driving in front of our school by using this math equation. 
So you can use math outside the classroom. 
I have also used math outside the classroom. 
I went to the market to buy two apples for myself and one for my friend. 
I bought three apples. 
I used math. 
Well, it's time for us to say goodbye. 
But we hope to see you next time join us here at Studio Classroom. 
See you later. 
(Music).

2013.04.16.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for a lesson called A Taste for Travel. 
Do you like traveling? 
Well, many of you do. 
And maybe if you are traveling, you like to try different things. 
There are many different kinds of foods that you can eat. 
Maybe you have a taste for travel. 
Well, have you ever tried anything really interesting? 
Maybe some street food, something that you bought in a certain country that was very different. 
Carolyn, have you ever tried any interesting street food? 
Well, I have done a bit of traveling around Asia. 
And one thing I tried that I thought was very interesting was an oyster pancake. 
And at the time, I had no idea what was in it except for eggs and oysters. 
And it was quite good, actually. 
Oyster pancakes are quite good. 
I know exactly what you're talking about. 
One time I was traveling, and I had some silkworm cacoons, and I had some fried bees. 
And snake meat? 
Those are very interesting things to try. 
I liked the fried bees. 
It kind of tasted like popcorn. 
But I don't think I'm going to try the other things again. 
Well, we're going to learn from Jo's experiences here in our lesson today. 
And she has some advice for us as well. 
Let's get started with the first reading of the day - A Taste for Travel. 
(Music). 
A Taste for Travel. 
You can watch your health and still eat like a local! 
I love street food. 
Wherever I go, I'm always looking for chances to eat like a local. 
In many places, some of the best ethnic food is served from a cart! 
From fish and chips in Edinburgh to pad thai in Bangkok, I've tried some delicious stuff! 
But there's a dark side to all this good food - food poisoning. 
I once had a bad case of it in Nepal. 
Well, it sounds like Jo has had a lot of very interesting foods, but it doesn't always turn out well for her body. 
And there's something in the title here I see: A "Taste" for Travel. 
If you have a taste for something, that means that you enjoy doing it. 
Uh, Gabe, do you have a taste for anything? 
Do I have a taste for anything? 
I have a taste for jazz music. 
I enjoy playing drums, and I like playing jazz with the drums. 
I also go and see some shows. 
I have a taste for that kind of music. 
You see that word "taste," and maybe you think of food or drinks. 
Maybe you have a taste for coffee. 
You love all kinds of coffee. 
But as you'll learn in this article, it's not just about food or drinks. 
You can also have a taste for language learning. 
If you're learning English or you enjoy learning other languages, you have a taste for language learning. 
So we're learning all about a taste for travel today. 
That's right. 
And we see here: You can watch your health and still eat like a local. 
So it is important to take care of yourself while you're traveling and also enjoy the food you eat. 
Well, we see: I love street food. Wherever I go, I'm always looking for chances to eat like a local. 
Gabe, do you do this when you travel? 
Oh, Carolyn, I should more often. 
"To eat like a local," that means to eat what the people in that area often eat - to eat like a local. 
Um, actually, yeah, I do. 
I do like to try things. 
When I'm visiting a certain country, I like to try the foods that they offer. 
So yeah, it is good to eat like a local. 
Do you ever do this? 
I do. I really enjoy eating street food and just walking around to all of the different ethnic foods. 
And we see in many places, some of the best ethnic food is served from a cart. 
So I do like to walk around to these different carts and try many different kinds of ethnic foods. 
All right. 
Well, we have "ethnic" foods. 
You could talk about other things as being ethnic as well. 
Maybe some music you're listening to is ethnic music. 
It's maybe from a certain country in South America, it is ethnic music. 
And it really is music that you can always listen to maybe in that country or comes from that country. 
Maybe there is ethnic clothing. 
Some people are wearing some clothes that you would only see in a certain country or a certain part of the world. 
That's right. 
So it's very special to that culture. 
And we see some of these ethnic foods: 
From fish and chips in Edingburgh to pad thai in Bangkok, I've tried some delicious stuff! 
So she's had fish and chips and pad thai. 
Those are some very interesting foods that you don't always see every day. 
Mmhm, it's true. 
Actually a few months ago, I went to Australia and had lots of fish and chips that I guess is what the locals eat. 
People love to eat fish and chips, especially on the beach. 
And yes, pad thai is a very famous dish in Thailand. 
Well, we have something to learn which Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Hi, friends. 
Have you ever noticed? 
Sometimes British names can be incredibly difficult to say properly because their pronunciations don't correspond with their spellings. 
Like the name of Scotland's capital city. 
It looks like it should be pronounced Edin-burg, but it's actually pronounced Edin-boro. 
The small town of Postwick is pronounced Pos-ik. 
And that famous college at Cambridge is not pronounced as you would expect Magdalene, but rather Ma-de-len. 
Hmm. British family names have the same problem. 
For example, Auchinleck can be pronounced Aff-leck. 
And don't pronounce M-C-K-A-Y as Mac-kay; you say Ma-Kai. 
This pronunciation problem isn't just troublesome for non-Brits like you and me. 
The British people themselves have trouble keeping things straight, too. 
So much so that the BBC actually has a department of pronunciation to ensure all British place names and family names are pronounced accurately over the air. 
To be fair, the U.S. has a few pronunciation traps of its own, like the name of a well-known fishing village in Massachusetts. 
The uninitiated might be tempted to pronounce it as Glue-chester, but actually it's Glu-ster. 
All this to say, friends, if you ever mispronounced an English name, you are forgiven. 
(Chinese). 
Continuing in our article we see: But there's a dark side to all of this good food - food poisoning. 
So there's something that isn't very good about trying these different foods, and it's food poisoning. 
And food poisoning is an interesting word. 
It's something you get when the food you eat makes you sick, isn't it, Gabe? 
That's right. 
Now this word "poison" is a very serious thing. 
Of course, there might be actual poisons in food that if you eat, it will make you sick or even worse. 
But food poisoning doesn't necessarily have to be a kind of poison. 
Maybe it's just the way that something is cooked. 
Maybe you're not used to it. 
Your body is not used to it. 
And so you can call all those kinds of things "food poisoning." When your body reacts in a certain way that's not good, that could be called food poisoning. 
Maybe you might vomit or even worse if you have food poisoning. 
And Carolyn, it's not very comfortable having food poisoning, is it? 
No. Food poisoning is not a comfortable thing to have. 
And we see that Jo says: "I once had a bad case of it in Nepal," another country here. 
And we're going to learn a little bit more from Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.16.B

We're joining Jo in this article - A Taste for Travel. 
Of course, when you are traveling, it's fun to try the different ethnic foods that a certain country has to offer. 
But - and there's a fun phrase there - there is a dark side. 
That means there is a negative side to trying street food or food from a cart. 
Well, that negative side or that dark side is food poisoning. 
You don't want to have food poisoning from any kind of food that you try. 
We're going to learn some things about how to avoid food poisoning. 
Let's continue with the next part of our article today. 
(Music). 
A Taste for Travel. 
I was in bed for two days and unable to eat much for weeks after. 
I was in a rural area, so I had no access to clean water or food. 
I couldn't help getting sick. 
Most travelers have a horror story or two about food poisoning. 
It's a risk we all take when we eat strange foods. 
But there are ways to enjoy good local food and avoid an upset stomach. 
A few precautions might save you a lot of pain. 
The following tips will help keep you safe and healthy. 
It sounds like Jo is having a very difficult time on this trip. 
We see: I was in bed for two days and unable to eat much for weeks after. 
This does not sound like she was having a very good time on her trip in Nepal if she was in bed for two days. 
What do you think, Gabe? 
Well, I think so, too. 
Usually when you travel to another country, you want to see the sights. 
You want to get out and explore a little bit. 
And I know Jo does. 
But she was in bed. 
I mean, she had to stay in her bed for two days. 
And that's not it! Carolyn, she was unable to eat much for almost two weeks after. 
That is pretty bad food poisoning. 
Well, I hope that kind of food poisoning hasn't occurred to you, friends. 
We're going to learn more about Jo's story. 
Here she says: I was in a rural area, so I had no access to clean water or food. 
So that's why, Carolyn. 
Yes. That does explain why she had food poisoning. 
She didn't have access to clean water or food because she was in a rural area. 
And a rural area is a place that is far away from a city. 
Usually we think of the countryside. Right, Gabe? 
That's right, the countryside. 
I think of the opposite: being urban, U-R-B-A-N. 
That's within the city. 
And a rural area is kind of out in the country, maybe not many people around. 
Um, and of course, technology is not as good in rural areas as it is in urban areas. 
And so sometimes water and things like that might not be as healthy as well in rural areas. 
Well, you know that word "rural." Talk about it today. 
Use it some time. 
Do you live in a rural area or do you live in an urban area? 
Well, she had no access to clean water or food in this rural area, and so she says: I couldn't help getting sick. 
I couldn't help getting sick. 
When you can't help doing something, what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that there was really nothing you could do to prevent it. 
It was going to happen, and you couldn't stop it. 
So if you don't have clean water, you probably can't help getting sick. 
That's right. 
You can't help it. 
And there are other ways to use that phrase when you "can't help doing something." You think something is so funny: 
I couldn't help laughing at you. You were so funny! 
Or maybe there's something that you just really wanted to do, and you didn't. 
You say: I couldn't help myself. I just had to do it. 
I couldn't help myself. 
Well, how does our article continue, Carolyn? 
Well, we see that most travelers have a horror story or two about food poisoning. 
So most people who travel to other countries and try foods that they aren't used to eating have a horror story or two about getting food poisoning. 
And a horror story is a very scary story. 
Gabe, how might you use this word "horror"? 
Well, "horror" makes me think of maybe a horror movie. 
Of course, we're talking about horror stories here, a scary story, something you don't want to experience yourself. 
And a horror movie is a scary movie. 
Now this word also makes me think of the word "horrible." An adjective, horrible. 
H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E. 
I just want to point out there's a difference between these two words when you're talking about movies. 
A horror movie is a scary movie. 
Maybe it's very well done, though. 
But a horrible movie is a movie that maybe is not very scary, but the important thing is it's not well done at all. 
It's an awful movie. 
It's a horrible movie. 
That's right. 
Well, let's take some time now to go see Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Here's our Grammar Tip sentence from today's PASSPORT article: 
Most travelers have a horror story or two about food poisoning. 
Notice the phrase "story or two." It's a very informal way of saying "some stories" with the understanding that there aren't too many. 
This phrase "story or two" comes from the phrase "one or two." We use it when we want to talk about a small but indefinite amount of something. 
For example: 
Although Martha is not a nurse, she does know a thing or two about taking care of sick people. 
Or: Eric likes to read a book or two when he has free time. 
Now it's your turn. 
Find a friend or two and practice using this phrase. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your Studio Classroom magazine. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
All right. 
Before the Grammar Gym, we were talking about people having a horror story or two about food poisoning. 
And we continue. 
It's a risk we all take when we eat strange foods. 
So taking risks - when you go to a new country, you might be taking a risk by eating some of the local food. 
Carolyn, do you like taking risks? 
Well, I don't really like taking risks. 
I'm not a big risk taker. 
But I do like to try new foods when I travel. 
All right. 
So it is maybe a little risky to try some new foods. 
I do like taking risks sometimes. 
I like to jump off of high places into water. 
It can be uncomfortable if I land wrong, but that's a risk that I take because I enjoy jumping from heights. 
Well, it is a risk you will take if you want to go and enjoy some strange foods as well. 
But we continue. 
There are ways to enjoy good local food and avoid an upset stomach. 
There are good ways to do this. 
What is an upset stomach? 
That word "upset" is from our Word Bank. 
Carolyn, what does that mean? 
Well, if you are upset, then you are unhappy. 
And if your stomach is upset, then your stomach is unhappy. 
It's very uncomfortable and probably hurts a lot. 
All right. 
You feel uncomfortable. 
Maybe you feel upset about something. 
So it can be used to talk about your feelings, your emotions. 
You're upset. 
You're angry; you're mad. 
Maybe you're a little bit confused. 
Maybe your stomach can also feel upset. 
It feels unhappy. 
I like the way you put that, Carolyn. 
Well, do you ever get upset stomachs? 
Maybe there are a couple ways to avoid upset stomachs. 
Well, Jo continues: A few precautions might save you a lot of pain. 
Might save you a lot of pain. 
Carolyn, but let's take a look at that word "precaution" here. 
What does that mean? 
What's a precaution? 
Well, a precaution could be a warning or it could be something you do ahead of time to prevent something from happening later. 
You use caution before something happens, a precaution. 
All right, very good. 
You might want to have some precautions. 
They might save you a lot of pain. 
Or you could also say it saves you from a lot of pain. 
Jo says the following tips will help keep you safe and healthy. 
And of course, we're going to learn all about those tips tomorrow in our next lesson. 
But for right now, it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's return to our teachers. 
Today we've been learning about Jo and a time when she had a really bad case of food poisoning and couldn't get out of bed for two days. 
And Gabe, it makes me wonder: Have you ever had an experience like this? 
Oh, yeah, many times. 
Now there was one time that I'm thinking about. 
I don't know if it was food poisoning, but I reacted to the food in a way that I didn't before. 
I went to this restaurant and tried their mollusks, a kind of seafood in a shell. 
And the first time was OK. 
But the second time I had it, after half an hour I started itching all over. 
And I went to the mirror. 
And it turned out my face was swollen. 
I had an allergic reaction to these things. 
I don't think that the restaurant was very clean. 
Well, Carolyn, have you ever had food poisoning before? 
I did. 
And it was very surprising because we talked about how in rural areas, things can be unclean. 
But my food poisoning happened in Singapore, one of the cleanest cities there is. 
What? 
So it was very, very strange. 
That is quite strange. 
Well, I guess you need to be careful wherever you go. 
We have some good and important tips to learn next time here on Studio Classroom, so we will see you then. 
Until then, goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.04.17.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for day two of our lesson called A Taste for Travel. 
If you missed yesterday's lesson, you can always look in your magazine and figure out what Jo was writing about there. 
She's talking about traveling overseas or to a different culture and eating the local food there. 
And there is a dark side sometimes. 
What is that dark side, Carolyn? 
Well, it's food poisoning. 
Sometimes the food we eat can make us sick. 
And it sounds like a lot of people who travel have a horror story or two about food poisoning. 
That's right. 
Jo says that she went a rural area and had no access to clean water. 
So she's talking about her experience with food poisoning, and she wants to share some tips on how you can avoid that dark side of eating local food. 
Well, we're going to learn what those tips are in today's lesson. 
So let's get started with the first reading of the day. 
(Music). 
A Taste for Travel. 
Drink clean water. 
In many places, tap water isn't safe to drink. 
In these places, avoid ordering drinks made with water or served with ice. 
Drink bottled water or soda instead. 
Skip the fresh fruit. 
It might look and taste delicious. 
But if it's been washed in dirty water, it may make you sick. 
You can't tell by looking at it, so it's better to be safe than sorry. 
Choose meat that has been cooked recently and well. 
Meat and seafood that have been left out for a long time are dangerous to eat. 
If it doesn't look or smell OK, move on. 
All right, so far so good. 
Those are good tips to have if you are going to travel overseas and try some local food. 
At the very beginning we read: 
Drink clean water. 
In many places, tap water isn't safe to drink. 
But what is tap water? 
Well, we're going to talk about those words, tap water. 
Carolyn, what is tap water? 
Well, tap water is water from the tap or from the sink, so. 
If you go into your kitchen or your bathroom, and you turn on the water in your sink, then that is tap water. 
But a lot of places you shouldn't drink the tap water. 
It might have germs in it, and it can be dangerous to drink and make you sick. 
Well, it could make you sick. 
There are some countries where it's OK to drink tap water. 
Actually, I think most of the United States it's OK to drink water straight from the sink. 
It's clean. 
It's OK. 
That is tap water. 
And... but many countries, uh, it's not OK to drink tap water. 
You want to have healthy or clean water. 
Maybe you can install a filter near your sink that has clean water. 
Well, Carolyn, how does the lesson continue? 
We see: In these places, avoid ordering drinks made with water or served with ice. 
And this is something very important when you're traveling because many times you go on vacation to a nice, warm tropical destination, 
and you want to have a drink with ice in it, but the ice could be made from water that isn't clean. 
So you really shouldn't have ice in your drinks. 
It's true. 
Now something that you could do a little cleaner... this is a little cleaner is boiling your water, and then drinking it; or letting it cool off and then drinking it. 
That way it's a little cleaner. 
Anyway, the lesson continues. 
Drink bottled water or soda instead. 
Now I don't know about you, Carolyn, but I don't usually think of soda as being a healthier drink, do you? 
I don't usually think that soda is healthier. 
But in this case, if the water isn't clean, then soda could prevent you from getting sick if you drink that instead. 
And our next tip we see: Skip the fresh fruit. 
And oh, this sounds very sad if we need to skip the fresh fruit. 
And if we skip something, Gabe, what does that mean? 
Well, it's one of our words that we want to talk about today. 
When you skip something, that means you jump over it. 
It's like it's a step in an order that maybe you should do or most people are doing, but you just jump over it, you go to the next thing. 
So maybe part of the course or part of your meal is the fresh fruit, and you want to skip over it. 
You jump over it. 
What else might you skip, Carolyn? 
Or how might you use that word? 
Well, you might decide that you want to skip dessert. 
If you are full, you don't want to eat anymore, you can skip part of you meal. 
Right, you can skip dessert. 
Well, sometimes you get to the movie theater just when the movie starts. 
You skipped through the previews. 
You skipped the previews and just went to watch the movie. 
So you can use that word in a couple of different ways. 
So Jo says skip the fresh fruit. 
It might look and taste delicious, but what, Carolyn? 
But if it's been washed in dirty water, it could make you sick. 
So again, if the water isn't clean, and you use it to wash your food, that could also make you sick. 
So it sounds like probably just eat things that have been cooked. 
Yeah. Or maybe you can wash it in soda... Ha. No... 
Don't wash your food in soda even though it might be a little cleaner in some countries. 
Dirty water, of course, can make you sick. 
And Jo continues. 
You can't tell by looking at it, so it's better to be safe than sorry. 
You can't tell by looking at it. 
So then... so then what should you do? 
I mean, if you can't tell, then what should you do, Carolyn? 
Well, you should skip the fruit. 
Sorry. It's better to be safe than sorry. 
So you should be safe and just skip the fruit. 
Well, we don't want to skip spending some time with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
In English, there's a common sentence structure, better something than something else, in which two undesirable options are presented. 
The first is preferable to the second. 
Like: better safe than sorry. 
Being safe is undesirable because it's boring and it takes extra effort. 
And being sorry is undesirable obviously because nobody likes to suffer feelings of regret. 
But if we had to choose between the two, the first, "being safe," is the more attractive option, right? 
That's right. 
How about "better late than never"? 
Try as we might, we can't always be on time. 
But isn't it better to hand in a class project a little late than never at all? 
I think so. 
There's also the sentence: Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. 
It's telling us that it's worth risking a broken heart for love. 
Hmm. Neither choice is appealing, but because love is such an important experience, the first option is preferable. 
OK, one more. 
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt - a reminder that sometimes it's best to just keep your mouth shut. 
It's the difference between others merely thinking you are foolish and knowing you are foolish. 
(Chinese). 
Well, moving on to our next tip. 
Jo writes: Choose meat that has been cooked recently and dwell. 
So you want meat that has not been cooked too long ago. 
You don't want to go to a restaurant and eat something that's been sitting out for a couple hours or maybe even a couple of days. 
You want something that is cooked recently and cooked well. 
That's right. 
It is important. 
And we see that meat and seafood that have been left out for a long time are dangerous to eat. 
So it is important to make sure that the meat or the seafood that you're eating has been cooked recently and it has been cooked well. 
So it is fully cooked. 
There isn't a lot of red in the meat. 
It's fully cooked. 
That's right. 
Otherwise, it could be dangerous to eat. 
Well, I have certainly been to restaurants where I ordered something and I thought they were going to make it fresh, 
but then it turns out they just used something... or gave me something that was sitting out for a couple of hours. 
I didn't go back to that restaurant. 
Has it ever happened to you, Carolyn? 
Well, it has. 
And Jo gives us another little tip here at the end. 
She says if it doesn't look or smell OK, move on. 
So go somewhere else if you think that the food doesn't look fresh. 
Well, now it's time for us to move on to see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.17.B

Today we've been learning some tips from Jo on how to keep our bodies healthy when we are traveling and trying foods in other places. 
Our first tip today was to drink clean water because tap water is not always safe for us to drink. 
We also learned that maybe we should skip the fresh fruit. 
Even though it looks so delicious, if it's been washed in water that isn't clean, it could make you sick. 
Well, we have some more tips in the second part of our article today. 
(Music). 
A Taste for Travel. 
Watch the locals. 
They will avoid a food cart that has made them sick before. 
Be prepared. 
Take medicines that can ease your symptoms. 
These won't cure whatever bug you've picked up. 
But they will help with the pain when there's no place to rest and recover. 
With these tips in mind, you're ready to dig in! 
Street food is part of the travel adventure; don't be afraid to try something different. 
You never know - you might discover a new favorite dish! 
All right. 
We have some good tips here in the last part of our lesson for today. 
Watch the locals. 
They will avoid a food cart that has made them sick before. 
Would you agree, Carolyn? 
I think that is very true. 
If you are traveling somewhere that you are unfamiliar with, and you want to find a good place to eat, watch where other people are eating. 
If you see a long line, maybe you should see what is at that cart. 
And it might be something very, very good. 
That's true. 
Go where there's a long line. 
You know, I like this tip mostly except sometimes I think locals are so use to food that maybe they don't get sick eating it, but someone outside might get sick. 
So usually this is a good tip. 
And just like Carolyn said, go where the long line is. 
Well, what's the last tip for today? 
Be prepared. 
It is very important to be prepared. 
And we see that Jo recommends that you take medicines that can ease your symptoms. 
It's very important if you get sick that you are ready and have medicine with you to help with these symptoms. 
Your upset stomach - we learned yesterday, "upset," being very uncomfortable. 
So if you are having these symptoms, you should take something with you. 
That's right. 
And a symptom, of course, is just the outward appearance of something bad going on on the inside. 
Usually a symptom is an appearance of something bad, not good. 
So a symptom could be vomiting. 
Or maybe you have a fever or you're sneezing. 
Those are all symptoms of something more serious going on on the inside. 
Well, using these things, we continue, these won't cure whatever bug you've picked up. 
These won't cure the bug. 
Let's take a look at that word "bug." Carolyn, kind of reminds me of your last name a little bit. 
Oh. Well, a little bit. 
But here "bug" does not mean me. 
And it does not mean an insect. 
It is not something that is alive... really. 
But this bug is an illness, a disease, something that makes you sick. 
So you might get a stomach bug, and so your stomach is upset. 
That's right. 
And often a bug is a kind of virus, something bad that you have picked up and you want to get over. 
You don't want to be sick for two weeks like Jo was. 
Well, we continue. 
But they will help with the pain when there's no place to rest and recover. 
So medicines like this will help with the pain if you don't have time to rest or have time to recover. 
That's right. 
And I always take medicine with me when I travel to make sure that if I eat something that I shouldn't have eaten or something that is making me sick, 
I can take medicine and feel better and try to enjoy the rest of my trip. 
Do you usually take something with you, Gabe? 
Actually, I do. 
I usually take painkillers because sometimes I get headaches. 
And so I will be able to take those painkillers and then enjoy my time with other people or wherever I am. 
Well, our last paragraph says: With these tips in mind, you're ready to dig in. 
Wait a minute. 
Dig in, like with a shovel? 
What's going on here? 
No. No, there's no shovel to dig into the ground. 
You're going to dig into the food. 
OK. 
So you're going to start eating and really enjoy it. 
All right. 
So dig in. That means to start eating and really enjoy it. 
I think of another phrase: eat up. 
You want to eat up. 
And of course, here we see "dig in," So is there a big meal before you? 
Well, dig in. 
Carolyn, I think we have a little more in our lesson today. 
There is. 
We see that street food is part of the travel adventure. 
Don't be afraid to try something different. 
So when you're traveling, street food is all part of the experience. 
It's part of your travel adventure. 
And "adventure" is a great word. 
When you travel, you do something exciting, something unexpected. 
Do you like to go on adventures, Gabe? 
Oh, yeah, Carolyn. 
Adventures are wonderful. 
You go and explore new places. 
Maybe you do something that most people would consider a little bit dangerous. 
I do like adventures. 
I also like to be careful sometimes, but it's fun to be adventurous. 
There's an adjective form of that word. 
A-D-V-E-N-T-U-R-O-U-S. 
Are you an adventurous person? 
Well, it sounds like you have a taste for adventure. 
And when you're traveling, you never know - you might discover a new favorite dish! 
So you might discover something that you never would have thought of liking before you went on this adventure. 
Have you found anything like that before? 
Well, I don't know. 
But let's take a look at that phrase "you never know" because sometimes you can use that. 
You could say something like: 
Wait! You've never tried (Chinese)? 
Well, you never know, you might like it. 
If you haven't tried something, you never know. 
You might actually enjoy it. 
That's right. 
You never know until you try. 
And right now it's time for us to watch a review skit. 
And then we're going to see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Let's eat here. 
No thanks. 
I never eat street food. 
But food served from carts is the best ethnic food. 
It's the best ethnic food poisoning. 
OK. OK. 
Well, that is the dark side. 
It's a risk we take. 
I can't enjoy local food. 
I might get an upset stomach. 
Don't worry. 
A few precautions can save you pain. 
Really? What precautions? 
First, only drink clean water. 
Use bottled water or drink soda. 
Oh. OK. 
Soda and fresh fruit. 
No, no, no. 
Skip the fruit. 
It's been washed with dirty water. 
Oh, no. 
Oh, yes. 
Better be safe than sorry. 
Yeah. Well, how about meat... and seafood? 
Only choose meat that has been cooked recently and well. 
Ooh. This meat looks strange, and it smells funny. 
Then move on. 
Follow the locals. 
The locals? 
Yes. They avoid food at places that make them sick. 
Oh, good point. Yeah. 
And be prepared. 
Take along medicine that can ease your symptoms. 
Yeah. Can medicine cure me? 
Uh, no. 
But it helps with the pain while you recover. 
Yeah. 
Hey, thanks. 
I'll keep those tips in mind. 
Good for you. 
Now Dig in! 
Discover new dishes. 
OK. I'll eat what you eat. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what the other teachers are doing. 
We've enjoyed an article about A Taste for Travel. 
And of course, it's important to be safe. 
You want to try to eat things that are healthy wherever you go. 
But many people have traveled around the world to different places and tried very unique foods, things that maybe you wouldn't get in your hometown. 
Carolyn, what's the most unique food that you have had during your travels? 
Well, I've tried a lot of different and very unique things. 
One thing that I've enjoyed trying here is (Chinese), stinky tofu. 
It's quite unique in its flavor, and it has a very strong smell. 
I've also tried cow lung while I was traveling... and uh, very interesting experience. 
What?! Cow lung? I don't think I've ever even heard of cow lung. 
Did it help you breathe better? 
Uh, no. No, it didn't. 
But it tasted... very crispy. 
Oh. Would you recommend it to me? 
Sure. You should try it. 
All right. 
Maybe I'll try cow lung the next time I go traveling. 
Where was that? 
In Indonesia. 
Oh, right, Indonesia. 
Cow lung in Indonesia. That's on my list. 
All right, friends. 
What about you? 
What is a unique food that you have tried somewhere during your travels? 
Thank you for joining us for this lesson. 
And we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.04.18.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And we're very glad that you could join us for today's lesson. 
Especially if you are interested in careers or maybe you are looking for a new job, the next couple of days are just for you. 
The lesson is called Should I Put This on My Resume? 
We'll talk more about that Word Bank word "resume" later. 
But basically, your resume has information all about you that you will give to the company that you might work for. 
Well, have you ever written a resume? 
And what kind of information did you put on it? 
Carolyn, did you have to write a resume when you came to work at Studio Classroom? 
I did need to write a resume. 
And each time I write a resume, it's a little bit different. 
But some things that I always include are my education and my previous work experience, 
and things that I think are relevant or important to the job that I'm applying for. 
All right. 
Those are important things to include on your resume. 
And if you're interested in knowing more, 
then please pay attention to this lesson because it will include what you should put in your resume and what you should leave off of your resume. 
So let's get started with the first reading for today. 
(Music). 
Should I Put This on My Resume? 
Tips for what is important when you apply for a job. 
Are you a 5-foot-7 woman who has three dogs and loves skydiving? 
Unless you're applying for a job as a dog walker or skydiving instructor, these details do not belong on your resume. 
Resumes should only include information that is relevant to the position, was requested by the employer or makes it easy for them to contact you. 
Anything superfluous - hobbies and personal attributes for example - should not be shared. 
While every situation is unique, and it's important to take the job and employer requirements into account, 
there are some general rules for what does and doesn't have a place on your resume. 
(Music). 
Today and for the next few days we will be talking about the rules or things that you should and shouldn't put on your resume. 
And right in the title we see: Should I put this on my resume? 
And "resume" is a very important word since that is our topic for this article. 
A resume is a document or a piece of paper that you want to give your employer so that they know what your background is, 
what education you have, what other jobs have you had, and are you a good match for the job that you're applying for. 
What else can you tell us about this word "resume," Gabe? 
Well, you might notice that this word "resume" has a little accent mark on the last E. 
So it's not pronounced re-sume. 
It's pronounced re-su-meh. 
There are other English words like this that actually come from French. 
When you see that accent mark, usually it's from French. 
Another word with be "cafe." What's another word kind of like this, Carolyn? 
Well, another word would be "fiancee." It also has an accent mark on the last E. 
So it has more of an "A" sound. 
Well, at the very beginning we see that this article was written by Debra Auerbach. 
And she is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. 
Well, how does this article start, Gabe? 
All right. 
Well, right at the beginning we see: Tips for what is important when you apply for a job. 
And there's the sentence here, it's a question: 
Are you a 5-foot-7 woman who has three dogs and loves skydiving? 
Carolyn, are you a 5-foot-7 woman who loves skydiving and has three dogs? 
Um, I am not a 5-foot-7 woman, and I do not have three dogs, and I've never been skydiving. 
But this question is trying to get you to think about are these things important on your resume? 
Do you need to include them? 
Do you need to include them? 
Well, the next sentence says: 
Unless you're applying for a job as a dog walker or skydiving instructor, these details do not belong on your resume. 
Uh well, what is a dog walker? 
That's someone who has a job walking someone else's dogs, taking care of their pets. 
And a skydiver... or a skydiving instructor will teach you how to skydive. 
That is one of our More Information words, skydiving. 
Carolyn has never been skydiving, neither have I. 
But I would love to try... jumping out of a plane through the sky. 
And of course, you need to be careful and where you parachute. 
Skydiving, it sounds like a lot of fun. 
And in the article we see that resume should only include information that is relevant to the position, was requested by the employer or makes it easy for them to contact you. 
So these are things that you want to include in your resume. 
But there are also things that you shouldn't include. 
How does the next sentence continue, Gabe? 
We see: Anything superfluous - hobbies and personal attributes for example - should not be shared. 
Well, let's take a look at that word "superfluous." It might help you understand this sentence and what you should not include in your resume. 
If it is superfluous, it's too much information. 
It's unnecessary information. 
How might you use that word, Carolyn? 
What is superfluous? 
Well, I really like the word "superfluous." Some people think that the word is superfluous. 
It is not necessary. 
It's a word you don't need. 
But I really like this word to describe things that you don't need. 
It's a very fun word to say, and it is not superfluous. 
Well, the word is "superfluous," and it's a necessary word. 
But it is true - sometimes you might be reading a book or watching a movie, and you think: 
Wow! Where did this come from? 
This has nothing to do with the plot. 
This information seems superfluous. 
So there are different ways that you might use that word. 
We see another word in this sentence here in our lesson, "attribute." This is also from the Word Bank. 
And an attribute of something is a characteristic. 
It's something to describe something, an attribute. 
So where might you see that word, Carolyn? 
Well, an attribute is a kind of quality. 
And you might say: Well, after his interview, it was clear that his personal attributes made him perfect for the job. 
Interesting. His personal attributes made him good for the job. 
All right. 
Or I might say that love is one of God's attributes. 
There are many more things we can know about Him, but love is one of his qualities or attributes. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
The purpose of a resume is to land a job interview and then hopefully, the job itself. 
But how do you get people interested in reading it? 
Use a cover letter. 
Its purpose is to get job recruiters and hiring managers to read your resume. 
Now think of a cover letter as an appetizer. 
If the recruiter finds it tasty, then he or she will likely continue on to the main course, which is your resume. 
But if the cover letter is not tasty, the meal ends abruptly, and your resume winds up in the trash. 
So make your cover letter delicious by making it look professional and keeping it concise. 
Yes, concise. Just a few short sentences are all that's required. 
Mention things like what job opposition you're applying for and where you heard about it. 
And definitely mention something that will differentiate you from other people who might be applying for the same position. 
Then close strong and say thank you. 
Remember, a cover letter should not repeat information already in the resume. 
You should complement it. 
Now, a carefully-constructed cover letter could make the difference between getting the job you want or not. 
(Chinese). 
In the next sentence we see: 
While every situation is unique, and it's important to take the job and employer requirements into account, 
there are some general rules for what does and doesn't have a place on your resume. 
Well, in that sentence we see a phrase: take something into account. 
And if you take something into account, that means that you think about it. 
What sort of thing should you take into account, Gabe? 
Well, maybe you're going on a trip, and you need to drive some cars. 
You need to take into account how many people are going with you. 
That way you know how many cars you should take. 
Or maybe you need to take into account the weather so that you know when you should go somewhere. 
You can take different things into account. 
So when you are trying to make a decision about something, it is important to take different things into account. 
If you want to make a big purchase, you might want to take your budget into account. 
How much money can you spend on a car or on a house? 
You need to take things into account. 
Well, now it is time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.18.B

Well, we're talking today about things that you should and maybe should not include on your resume if you are looking for a new job. 
Of course, something that you might want to put is something relevant. 
You don't want to put anything that is superfluous like hobbies or personal attributes. 
You want to include relevant information that will help you with this new job. 
And of course, we're going to get started with the next section looking at some of these tips. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
Should I Put This on My Resume? 
1. Home address: Career coach Lavie Margolin recommends including your address. 
"Not listing your address on your resume will make things more challenging for you," Margolin says. 
"It will be an immediate question mark for employers as to why there is no address listed.". 
Just make sure that you've done your research on the company to ensure its legitimacy before sharing any contact information. 
2. Reference information: "Never include reference information, 
especially if you don't know that you want the job," says Bruce Hurwitz, president and CEO of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing. 
Always speak to your references first before sharing their details with prospective companies. 
We have two great tips here today. 
And our first one is home address. 
Career coach Lavie Margolin recommends including your address. 
So this is your home address, where you live. 
How does it continue, Gabe? 
Well, she says: Not listing your address on your resume will make things more challenging for you. 
All right. 
She says that this will make things more challenging for you. 
That means it might be more difficult for you to get the job. 
It will make it more challenging for you. 
That's right. 
And that was Margolin says. 
And she continues: It will be an immediate question mark for employers as to why there's no address listed. 
So if it is an immediate question mark, then the employer is going to be a little bit confused why didn't you include this on your resume. 
That's right. 
You might call that a question mark. 
You can kind of see an invisible question in their head. 
You might also call this a red flag. 
You can talk about... that sometimes. 
If something makes you confused or makes you cautious, you call that a red flag. 
You want to be careful. 
It's kind of a warning. 
So you don't want your new employer to have that kind of question mark in their head, just put your home address. 
That's right. And she continues: 
Just make sure that you've done your research on the company to ensure its legitimacy before sharing any contact information. 
So it's important to provide your contact information like your home address to your employer or your potential employer. 
But you want to make sure of the company's legitimacy first. 
And legitimacy is a really great word from our Word Bank today. 
If something is legitimate, then it is good. 
It is OK. 
It has been approved and is official. 
How might you use this word "legitimacy," Gabe? 
Well, I like that Carolyn just used another form, the adjective, legitimate. 
L-E-G-I-T-I-M-A-T-E, legitimate. 
It's for real. 
It's legitimate. 
You might talk about the legitimacy of your signature. 
I know that you sign your name, not somebody else. 
It's your legitimate signature. 
Or maybe you want to see if a website has legitimacy, if it is a legitimate website. 
Sometimes you will see a little lock at the beginning or "http" with an "s" says that it might be a more legitimate website, a website that you can trust. 
These are legitimate things with... legitimacy. 
That's kind of a big, fun word to say. 
It is. 
And the article continues with our second tip here. 
It is reference information. 
And our first quote says: 
"Never include reference information, especially if you don't know that you want the job," says Bruce Hurwitz, president and CEO of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing. 
So this CEO and president of the staffing company has some good advice on what you should and shouldn't put on your resume. 
And his first is to never include reference information. 
How do you feel about this one, Gabe? 
Well, it is kind of interesting. 
You want to be able to talk about your current boss or maybe people that can speak highly of you, that can say something about you. 
And you want to be able to list them, maybe eventually. 
But you also want to uh, let your references know that... that you can trust them or that they trust you. 
So you don't want to just give their information out to anybody. 
You want to be careful about sharing that reference information. 
And of course, the reference information is talking about the people that you might refer to to help you with your new job. 
That's right. 
And the next sentence does say: 
Always speak to your references first before sharing their details with prospective companies. 
So a reference is a person, not a book, not a reference book but a referee, 
a referee person who can refer you or give you a recommendation to your potential employer. 
And you want to make sure you talk to them before you give their information to someone they don't know. 
Well, I think now is a great time for us to... enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hello. Hello! And how do you do? 
I'm here for my job interview. 
OK. 
And here's my resume. 
I'm sure you'll be really impressed. 
I hope so. 
Let's see... you are 5 foot 2 with eyes of blue. 
Yeah, that's me. 
And I see that you have three dogs. 
Fluffy, Freddy and Franky. 
Yeah, that's right. 
And you love skydiving? 
Oh, I sure do. 
And your favorite color is red. 
Yes, it is. 
Hmm... I don't understand. 
Oh. Well, dogs are cute, and skydiving is exciting, and red is a lucky color. 
I don't understand why you put this on your resume. 
Well, I want you to know all about me. 
I'm a very interesting person! 
But these details don't belong on a resume. 
They don't? 
No. Resume should only include relevant information. 
Relevant information? Is that all? 
Yeah. You can also include requested information. 
And nothing else? 
And contact information. 
And so that's it? 
Yes. 
Anything superfluous should not be shared. 
But don't you want to know about Fluffy and Freddy and Franky? 
Uh, no. 
And now, what are your job qualifications? 
Uh, job qualifications? 
Is that relevant? 
Yes! And please include your education and experience. 
Well, that's a great idea! 
Why didn't I think about that? 
(Chinese). 
OK. Now get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
Today we've learned two great tips on things that you should and should not include on your resume, 
and a few other things to think about when you are applying for a job. 
One thing that I found a little bit surprising was checking the legitimacy of the company before you give them your contact information. 
It's something I hadn't really thought about before. 
Gabe, was there anything else that you found surprising in this article? 
Well, these two tips kind of seem to point to trust. 
You want to be able to trust the company that you might work for in the future. 
Now some people don't think about that. 
They just think: I want to get a new job. 
This job looks nice. 
This company looks good, so I will give all of my information, including my reference information. 
But you want to make sure that you can trust this company as well before you give other people's information. 
That's right. 
Well, we still have two more days for this article and many more tips to learn about writing resumes. 
And I hope that you will join us tomorrow again here on Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
See you later. 
(Music).

2013.04.19.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of this lesson called: Should I Put This on My Resume? 
This is important especially if you are looking for a job and you're wondering what you should put on your resume. 
Well, so far we've learned some interesting tips, and we have more to learn today. 
Carolyn, what was one of the tips that we talked about yesterday? 
Well, we talked about reference information and how it's a little bit superfluous. 
It's not something you really need to include on your resume unless your employer or potential employer asks you for it specifically. 
All right. 
That's one thing, the reference information. 
Another thing we talked about is your home address. 
You might not think it's important to put your home address on a resume. 
But if you don't, some people might think it's kind of strange that you just didn't want to include that information. 
But of course it is very important that you trust the company that you might be working for. 
Make sure that they are a legitimate company. 
All right. 
Well, we have more to learn today. 
Let's get started with the first reading of today's lesson: Should I Put This on My Resume? 
(Music). 
Should I Put This on My Resume? 
3. A disability: 
"There is a common and not unfounded fear that revealing a disability may lead to not being selected for a position. 
This makes the disclosure choice a difficult one," says Barbara Otto, executive director of Think Beyond the Label, 
a national collaborative aimed at increasing employment among people with disabilities. 
"A resume is a springboard for you to give details about your skills, experience and the unique perspectives you bring to the table. 
You should not explicitly state your disability, but you can weave in your professional experience and hobbies that may be disability-related. 
(Music). 
OK. We're learning all about disabilities here, and if it's important if you should put the disability on your resume or not. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word: disability. 
Your disability makes it less easy for you to do something. 
Maybe other people can do things in an easier way, then you have a disability. 
How might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, there are many different kinds of disabilities such as a learning disability, which means you might not be able to learn things as quickly as other people. 
But having a disability does not mean that you can't have a good job. 
And we see here in our third tip in the article: 
There is a common and not unfounded fear that revealing a disability may lead to not being selected for a position. 
So you do need to use some caution when revealing that you have a disability. 
That's right, because this is a common fear. 
And as we find out, it's not unfounded. 
If something is founded, that means there's a good reason for it. 
So if it's not unfounded, that means there really might be a good reason to have this fear. 
But you shouldn't have this fear. 
And you shouldn't fear that revealing a disability will make you not good for the job. 
Well, we have more to learn about this from Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
In our CAREERS article today we read: 
"There is a common and not unfounded fear... " That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the word "unfounded." It may seem like a strange word. 
We see it... it begins with "un-," and that means "not." Then we see "found," but it ends with "E-D". 
Now normally "found" is the past tense for "find," and there is no "E-D" at the end, like: 
I finally found my keys. 
But in today's sentence, "unfounded" is a word that means not based on facts. 
So today's sentence just means there is a fear that is common and it's reasonable as to why there is such a fear. 
It is not unfounded fear. 
So if you want to talk about things that are unreasonable because they're not based on facts, 
then you can try using "unfounded," like unfounded suspicions or unfounded accusations. 
And if you turn to today's Grammar Tip section, you'll find more examples there. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, you might feel that revealing your disability might make it harder for you to be selected for a job. 
We continue: "This makes the disclosure choice a difficult one," says Barbara Otto, executive director of Think Beyond the Label, 
a national collaborative aimed at increasing employment among people with disabilities. 
A great sentence, and we need to look at something at the beginning there. 
This makes disclosure a difficult one. 
OK. Well, disclosure is from our Word Bank. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if you disclose something, it means that you reveal it. 
And here it is disclosing information about yourself, and it's very personal. 
And this can be a difficult decision. 
But if you're applying for this job, you want to make sure that you get full... disclosure of the company before you apply to make sure that it's legitimate, 
that it has "legitimacy," a word that we learned yesterday. 
All right, good. 
Now something about this word - usually you use the word to talk about personal or sensitive information that you don't just share with everybody. 
For instance, if I wanted to tell you a story about somebody, I would say let me share a story about this person. 
But if I had sensitive information, I would call that disclosing the information. 
I'm going to disclose something to you... or with you that is something a little more personal and sensitive. 
So this makes the disclosure choice a difficult one. 
Well, Barbara Otto is the executive director of Think Beyond the Label. 
Carolyn, what is a label? 
What's think beyond the label? 
Well, a label is something that you assign to something else. 
So you might give a group of people a label. 
Or you might put a label on something so that you remember what is there. 
You might label your files at work so you remember which files contain which documents. 
That's right, a label. 
So if you see the word "disability," that's a kind of label. 
There are so many things that could be included there. 
But some people just see the label and immediately think something negative. 
All right. So think beyond the label. 
And we want to talk about another word here - collaborative - from that sentence. 
Carolyn, what is a collaborative? 
Well, here a collaborative is a group of people or a group of organizations that work together to reach a common goal. 
So you can start a collaborative in order to achieve something with a group of people. 
That's right. And this word can be used as a noun or adjective. 
It is... it's a noun here. 
But you could say there was a collaborative effort. 
That means people were working together on something. 
Well, we continue with our article. 
A resume is a springboard for you to give your details about your skills, experience and the unique perspectives you bring to the table. 
So what is a springboard? 
Well, a springboard is something that gives you an extra jump. 
If something is springy, then it is kind of bouncy. 
And a springboard can give you some extra speed or a step up in your application here. 
All right. 
So this is kind of figurative word here. 
It's a springboard, something to get you started. 
And something that you bring to the table is your perspective on something. 
It's... this is a cool idiom. 
If you are sitting at a table, then there is food before you. 
And maybe different people bring different things. 
So when you bring something to the table, you are contributing something. 
That's right. 
You bring your own unique perspective. 
And our article continues. 
You should not explicitly state your disability, but you can weave in... your professional experience and hobbies that may be disability-related. 
So you don't want to explicitly state in your resume that you have a disability. 
And "explicitly" is another great word that we want to talk about. 
If something is explicit, then it is very clear. 
It's very obvious. 
How else can you use this word "explicitly," Gabe? 
Well, I might say: Why were you running by the pool? 
The rules explicitly said don't run by the pool. 
They explicitly said this, so why were you running by the pool? 
That's right. 
So you can also use this word other ways. 
You could say: Please explicitly tell me why you want this job. 
Please explain very clearly and say why you are the best person for this position. 
There are many ways that you can use this word. 
That's right. 
Of course, you get the idea that nothing is hidden. 
If it's explicit, nothing is hidden. 
So you want to weave in your professional experience and hobbies that might be disability-related. 
So you weave in. 
I usually think of making clothing or fabric when I think of the word "weave." But you can use it here when you're talking about incorporating it into something. 
That's right. 
Well, now it is time for us to spend some time with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we will join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Today let's talk about discrimination, which is treating someone unfairly because of their race, gender or religious views. 
It's most often the result of prejudice, which is an unfavorable attitude, opinion or feeling that is not based on fact or reason. 
To keep the two straight, remember that discrimination is the act while prejudice is the thought. 
In recent history, governments have created laws to protect people from discrimination or unfair treatment, especially as it relates to getting a job. 
Right. 
In many countries, it's become illegal for employers to discriminate against people who have certain physical or mental disabilities. 
In other countries, job seekers are discriminated against for some pretty unusual reasons. 
In one Asian country, for example, it's reported that qualified businessmen are denied employment simply because they are too short. 
Some men get so desperate for work that they undergo a dramatic surgical procedure to lengthen their legs. 
Ouch! 
And in another Asian country, people are encountering discrimination because of their blood type. 
Imagine, if your blood type is AB, you get the job. 
But if it's A, B or O, sorry! 
So friends, what do you think? 
Fair or not? 
(Chinese). 
(Chinese).

2013.04.19.B

Today we are talking about things that you should or should not include on your resume. 
The first tip that we've talked about today is about a disability. 
If you have something that you maybe aren't able to do as quickly as someone else, you may have a disability. 
But this should not be a problem for you when you are trying to apply for a job. 
There are different ways that you can provide disclosure during your interview without putting it on the resume. 
Well, we have another great tip coming up in the second part of our article. 
Let's read it now. 
(Music). 
Should I Put This on My Resume? 
... Then in the interview you can use these achievements to break the ice about your disability if you choose to.". 
4. Grade point average: 
It's great if you graduated from college with a 4.0, but if you did so 10 years ago, it's probably time to remove your GPA from your resume. 
"A person's GPA would normally only be listed on the resume if [he] recently graduated from college," Margolin says. 
"If the GPA is below a 3.0, it is usually best to leave it off. 
In certain circumstances, a GPA would remain on longer ... some job listings require a certain GPA minimum.". 
(Music). 
All right. 
Well, we're learning some good tips for what you should and shouldn't include in your resume. 
Actually, at the beginning of this section, we're still talking about your disability and whether you should include that or not. 
The sentence is: Then in the interview, you can use these achievements to break the ice about your disability if you choose to. 
So your achievements might be your professional experience or your hobbies. 
And you can use these in your conversation, maybe you can then break the ice. 
Carolyn, that's from our Word Bank. 
But what does that means? 
Well, if you break the ice, it means that you introduce some information that maybe is a little bit difficult to talk about, 
and you try to relieve the stress or tension about a certain issue. 
So if you break the ice, then you are trying to make things more comfortable between you and someone else. 
And sometimes if there's a group of people together for some reason, they don't know each other. 
Sometimes you don't know what to talk about, you could say: 
I broke the ice by starting a conversation with somebody. 
Actually, if you're playing games with people, sometimes those games are called ice breakers, 
games that break the ice so that people can be more comfortable around each other. 
That's right. 
And it isn't always easy to break the ice when you first meet someone, so you might try playing some ice-breaker activities. 
Well, continuing on to our next point in the article, our fourth point is grade point average, your GPA. 
And it says it's great if you graduated from college with a 4.0, a perfect score. 
But if you did so 10 years ago, it's probably time to remove your GPA from your resume. 
That's right. 
They say it's great if you did this because actually it's... it's awesome. 
It shows off a little bit of who you are because a 4.0 is an excellent GPA. 
As Carolyn said, it's the perfect GPA. 
So of course you might be tempted to boast about this or to want to show this on your resume. 
But if you got a GPA like that more than 10 years ago, maybe it's time to remove it from your resume. 
It's time to take it off of the resume. 
That's right. 
And the article continues: 
"A person's GPA would normally only be listed on the resume if they recently graduated from college," Margolin says. 
And we learned some information from Lavie Margolin yesterday. 
And she is a career coach. 
And here she says that if you recently graduated from college, including your GPA on your resume is a good thing. 
That's right. 
It's actually quite normal. 
But she continues. 
If the GPA is below a 3.0, it is usually best to leave it off. 
Carolyn, why might she say this? 
Well, if you have a lower GPA, it might actually hurt your chances of getting the job. 
So you might just include your education, what you majored in and where you went to school, and leave off your grade point average. 
That's right. 
Now you might have noticed that when we're talking about GPAs, 3.0 or 4.0, we say 4.0, not "four point zero" usually. 
It's usually best to say 3.0, 2.0, 4.0 and numbers like that. 
Well, let's continue with the lesson. 
In certain circumstances, a GPA would remain on longer ... some job listings require a certain GPA minimum. 
That's right. 
So some jobs actually want you to include the GPA on your resume because they want to know what kind of grades you got in your field of study. 
It's important to your employer, so then you would need to include it. 
That's right. 
Now there's that last word in the sentence, "minimum." That's the least that you do or the least amount of something. 
If you ever see the letters "MIN.," you know that is short for the word "minimum." Just in the future, if you ever see that, that is "minimum". 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Langauge Lab. 
(Chinese). 
Now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
Well, we've been learning some different tips for what you should and shouldn't put on your resume. 
And sometimes you might be confused. 
You don't know what you should write, so it might be good to let others help you. 
Well, do you ever let others proofread what you write? 
And maybe, how could that benefit you with your resume? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I usually have people help me proofread, look over things that I write, especially if it's something important like a resume. 
And actually the first time I wrote my resume, I had someone, a professional resume writer look at it, 
and help me through so that I had everything just the way it should be so that the employers would see all of the important information. 
All right. 
I think it's very helpful to do that - to have someone help you and look through what you have written. 
It'll make you more confident as well. 
Well, thank you for joining us today. 
And we have some more to learn next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.04.20.A

Hey, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the third day of our lesson: Should I Put This on My Resume? 
Well, if you are looking for a job, then I hope you have joined us for the last couple of days. 
We've been talking about tips for what you should put on or what you should leave off of your resume if you're applying for a job. 
Carolyn, what was one helpful tip that we talked about yesterday for what you should put on or take off of your resume? 
Well, yesterday we talked about two great tips. 
The first one was a disability. 
If you have a disability, it's a very difficult decision whether or not you should disclose that information to your potential employer. 
We also talked about how you should not state explicitly if you have a disability, but you can do some different things to break the ice on that issue. 
That's right. 
And Carolyn used some good key words from yesterday right there. 
Another tip that we learned was about your grade point average. 
Sometimes a job might want to see your grade point average. 
But often you might want to leave your grade point average off, especially if it's been a while since you graduated from college. 
Well, we have some more tips to look at today, so let's get started with the first reading of today. 
Should I Put This on My Resume? 
(Music). 
Should I Put This on My Resume? 
5. Objective: 
"Never put an 'objective,'" Hurwitz says. 
"The real objective is to get the job. 
If it is too generic, it means nothing. 
If it is not a perfect match for the job, the employer will ask herself, 
'Why is he applying if he wants something else?' It's a waste of space and has no advantage.". 
6. A photo: 
If you're pursuing a modeling career, it's understandable that you would want to share a photo of yourself with the prospective employer. 
For most other jobs, leave the photo off. 
If information isn't relevant to a job, you wouldn't include it, so why would you share a photo when your appearance has nothing to do with the position? 
(Music). 
Well, those are two really great tips about things that you might want to not include in your resume. 
And our lesson today is Should I Put This on My Resume? 
And before we get into the lesson too much, we want to go see Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud because they have something very important to tell us. 
As we focus on resume today, let's take a closer look at this word. 
Sometimes we see it with an accent mark over the last "E" so that it can be distinguished from the verb "resume". 
Right. Good point, Ken. 
For a handful of reasons, accent marks, or diacritics, are quite useful. 
But their main function is to give English letters a different phonetic sound. 
There are many common English words that contain diacritics like fiance, deja vue, expose and cafe. 
Even names can include a diacritic, like 19th-century author Charlotte Bronte and 21st-century pop singer Beyonce. 
And if you haven't yet get to know the diacritics over the words "jalapeno" and "naive," any other, Steve? 
Well, the word "facade" is somewhat unique because its diacritic is under the letter C. 
Diacritics are easy to write if you're using a pen or pencil. 
But what you do if you're using a computer keyboard, smartphone or tablet? 
Well, some word processing software is intuitive and will automatically add diacritics for you. 
So try that first. 
If that doesn't work, though, log on to the Internet and type in "typing international accent marks and diacritics" for more help. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, we're going to our fifth tip of this lesson. 
And it is Objective. 
"Never put an 'objective,'" Hurwitz says. 
But let me pause right there and ask Carolyn, what is an objective? 
Well, many times your objective is your goal. 
And sometimes we write a resume, at the very top we'll put our objective and say why we want the position at this company. 
But here Hurwitz says that we really shouldn't put an objective. 
All right. 
We're going to continue learning why. 
But it's true; in life, you have objectives. 
You have different goals for different things. 
So you have your objectives. 
But maybe it's smart not to put your objective on your resume. 
You know what it is inside your head. 
Just don't write it down. 
We continue: The real objective is to get the job. 
So if it is too generic, it means nothing. 
All right. 
Let's take a look at that word there. 
The word is "generic." Now if something is generic, that means it's not very detailed. 
It's not very specific. 
Maybe someone might say it is vague. 
You don't really know what the person means by something generic. 
How else could you use that word? 
Well, a lot of times when I hear the word "generic," I think of a brand. 
You might have a name brand for something, and then also a generic brand. 
This is very common when you're getting your medicine. 
You might get a name brand medicine or a generic brand that is a little bit cheaper. 
That's right. 
I think sometimes people prefer to buy name brands. 
And then other people don't really care if they spend something... spend a little less money on something generic. 
Well, if you put your goal or objective, and it's too generic, it means nothing. 
But, we continue, if it is not a perfect match for the job, the employer will ask herself: Why is he applying if he wants something else? 
So if you're applying for a job, this just means that you know what you're applying for, 
the boss knows what you're applying for, you don't need to write down what you are applying for. 
That's right. 
It seems a little bit superfluous. 
It's not necessary to include an objective on your resume even though some people might recommend it. 
And we see in our article: 
It's a waste of space and has no advantage. 
You know what you're applying for. 
The employer already knows what job you want. 
So really it has no place on your resume and just takes up space. 
That's right. 
It's a waste of space. 
You can use this phrase: a waste of something. 
Maybe a waste of space if there is not much room in your car, and someone has a lot of things in there, you might say: 
That's a waste of space. 
We need to use this car. 
Or maybe clean up your room a little bit. 
Why do you need that piece of furniture there? 
That's a waste of space. 
That's right. 
There are many ways to use that phrase. 
And we have another tip here in our article, our sixth piece of advice: A photo. 
If you are pursuing a modeling career, it's understandable that you would want to share a photo of yourself with the prospective employer. 
So if you have a job that requires your appearance to be very important like modeling or maybe being on TV, you might need to include a photo in your resume. 
But how does it continue, Gabe? 
Well, for most other jobs, leave the photo off. 
We read: If information isn't relevant to a job, you wouldn't include it, so why include a photo? 
So why would you share a photo when your appearance has nothing to do with the position? 
So what the author is saying is that a photo is kind of like information that isn't relative to most jobs. 
That's right. 
So if you have a very specific job that you're applying for, like here a modeling career or maybe you want to be an actor or an actress, then you might need to include a photo. 
Your employer expects one. 
But if your appearance is not really relevant to the job, then you don't need to put a photo on your resume. 
That's right. 
Your appearance has nothing to do with the position. 
I like that phrase: to have something to do with something, or to have nothing to do with something. 
If your appearance has something to do with it, that means it is related. 
If it has nothing to do with it, it means it is not related. 
That's right. Well, now it's time for us to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.20.B

So far today we've talked about some things that you probably should not include on your resume. 
And the first one is your objective. 
Because if it's too generic, it means nothing. 
And if you list what you want, then the employer should already know that, especially if it matches with the job that you want. 
Another thing that you should probably not include is a photo of yourself unless you're pursuing a modeling career, 
or acting or something that requires a good appearance. 
Well, we're going to continue learning with tip number seven. 
(Music). 
Should I Put This on My Resume? 
7. Quick response code: 
QR codes are growing in popularity as a tool to connect employers with a candidate's portfolio or LinkedIn profile. 
If you're submitting it online, skip the QR code, but if you're handing out hard copies - at a career fair, for example - including one might help you stand out. 
And don't just include a QR code for show - it should link to something interesting and applicable. 
Connecting the employer to an online replica of your resume or a poorly written and sparsely updated site won't score any points. 
(Music). 
The last piece of advice in our article today talks about the quick response code, or the QR code. 
This is a very new piece of information that you can include on your resume, or maybe you shouldn't include it on your resume. 
And we will read about that in a minute. 
But Gabe, what exactly is a quick response code? 
Quick response code, it has a lot of information in it. 
Actually it just looks like a little square with a bunch of little lines, kind of like a maze on the inside. 
But when you scan it or when you have an instrument that can show you more information, then you can see everything that it represents. 
So actually, if you use a QR code, you could put a lot of information on there to talk about yourself. 
And I know a lot of businesses are starting to use quick response codes, these QR codes, 
at their place of business so that customers can find out lots of information about them quickly and easily. 
A lot of them put these little QR codes on their business cards so that you can use your "smart" device to scan it, 
and then you are quickly linked to their online profile. 
It's very convenient. 
Well, we're learning all about QR codes here. 
The sentence here is: 
QR codes are growing in popularity as a tool to connect employers with a candidate's portfolio or LinkedIn profile. 
So if something is growing in popularity, or growing in something, that means it is becoming more and more. 
Growing in popularity, that means it's becoming more and more popular. 
It's becoming more popular. 
That's right. 
You could also say that something is "growing in number," means that the number of that thing is increasing. 
So that's always a good thing. 
And here we see that QR codes are growing in popularity and that they can connect your prospective employer to your portfolio. 
And that's a really great word that we want to look at today: portfolio. 
If you have a portfolio, it's usually a collection of documents or information about yourself. 
And a lot of times I think of an artist's portfolio contains the work that the artist has done or copies of their work. 
Mmhm. Or maybe I think of an actor's portfolio. 
And you would include a picture of yourself in your portfolio if you are an actor. 
It's a cover shot. 
Maybe it's right there on the front so that people can see exactly what you look like. 
So what kinds of things do you include in your portfolio? 
You might have an online portfolio where people can go there and figure out more about you there. 
Now there's another word mentioned here. 
It's actually two words put together: LinkedIn. 
And this is actually a company. Right, Carolyn? 
Yes. 
So LindedIn is an online website that tries to help people maintain their online portfolio so that if they want to connect with different people who are offering jobs, 
or they have a job opportunity, it's very easy to exchange work information. 
That's right. 
Well, we continue with our lesson. 
If you are submitting it online, skip the QR code, but if you're handing out hard copies - at a career fair, for example - including one might help you stand out. 
Well, Carolyn, have you ever been to a career fair? 
I have been to a career fair, but it was kind of a long time ago. 
And QR codes were not very popular then. 
So this is very interesting and new information for me. 
That's right. 
And having one of these things, a QR code, if you're at a career fair where you meet different companies and representatives from companies, 
and they're talking about their businesses and maybe trying to get new people to come and join their companies. 
Now if you're going there, you want to stand out. 
You want to be or sound like someone special. 
That's right. 
And we see continuing in the article: 
And don't just include a QR code for show - it should link to something interesting and applicable. 
And we see a great phrase here: for show. 
If something is for show, then it's not really useful. 
It's there, and it looks nice. 
It has a nice idea about it. 
It looks good, but it's not actually usable. 
That's right. 
What is for show? 
Well, maybe you didn't really need to bring those fancy things, but you brought them just for show. 
It looks very nice. 
Well, we continue with our lesson. 
It should link to something interesting and applicable. 
"Applicable" is from our Word Bank. 
And if something is applicable, that means it is helpful or you can use it in a certain area. 
It's applicable. 
How else might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, you do want to make sure that the information you provide is applicable. 
And maybe something isn't applicable. 
Oh. Well, that's a good idea, but it's really not applicable here. 
Well, let's look at the end of that sentence again. 
It should link to something interesting and applicable. 
"Applicable" is a good key word here. 
If something is applicable, it is helpful. 
You can apply it to your life or to what you need to do in your job. 
That's right. 
So it is important to include information that is applicable in your resume so that your employer knows what you can do. 
Well, continuing in our article we see: 
Connecting the employer to an online replica of your resume or a poorly written and sparsely updated site won't score any points. 
And we see a great word there: sparsely. 
"Sparsely" means not very often or things that are very far apart. 
So if you sparsely update your online resume, then you very rarely update the information. 
And you could use the word like this: 
The houses in that neighborhood were sparsely located. 
That means they're not right next to each other. 
There was space in between. 
Think of another way that you can use that word today. 
Right now it's time for us to continue by enjoying a review skit. 
And then we'll go visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hello, hello, and how do you do? 
I'm back for another interview. 
So you're back again. 
Yes. And here's my new resume. 
I'm sure you'll be really impressed. 
I hope so. 
Let's see. 
I added my home address. 
Since you're a legitimate company, I don't mind sharing it. 
What about references? 
I will include those unless I really want the job. 
I see you participate in activities for the disabled. 
Yes. 
I have skills, experience and unique perspectives to bring to the table. 
I... don't see your GPA. 
Well, I am not a recent graduate. 
And besides, my GPA isn't that great. 
So why include it? 
And now, what is your objective concerning this job? 
To get this job, and the paycheck! 
And where is your photo? 
My photo? 
Well, as long as I'm qualified, it doesn't matter what I look like, does it? 
OK. Is... is there anything else? 
Yes. I included a QR code. 
What's that? 
A quick response code. 
Use that and connect to my portfolio online. 
I'm impressed! 
Yes. But it's not just for show. 
It's linked to interesting and applicable information. 
You're hired. 
Yay! 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our teachers. 
The past three days we've learned a lot of great things about what we should and should not put on our resume. 
And I wonder if there's any other information or some other tips, Gabe, that you might be able to give us. 
Well, I just think it's good to also show what you are interested in, maybe some things you are talented in. 
Especially if you are going into a job that is about entertainment, it might be good for people to know what talents you have. 
That is some great advice. 
And we hope that you will join us again on Studio Classroom. 
See you next time. 
See you next time. 
(Music).

2013.04.22.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And today also in the studio is Linda Ludwig. 
She wrote today's lesson about Komodo dragons. 
And she's also the editor of the Studio Classroom magazine, which I hope you have in your hands. 
Welcome, Linda. 
Thank you, Gabe. 
Its very nice to be here with all of you today. 
Well, today we're going to be learning about Komodo dragons. 
They are a large and dangerous animal. 
I wonder what kind of large or dangerous animals have you seen in the wild. 
Carolyn? 
Well, it was not a very large animal that I saw, but it was definitely dangerous. 
It was a copperhead snake. 
And I saw it while I was hiking in the United States. 
There are a lot in the area I'm from. 
And I was just walking along, and there it was. 
It was very scary. 
That is definitely a dangerous animal. 
Linda, have you ever seen a large or scary or dangerous animal? 
Well, I've seen all of them are wrapped up into one. 
When I was in western United States, I saw a... an American buffalo. 
And that animal, unlike Carolyn's animal, is like 10 feet tall, and very, very dangerous. 
Well, some animals might appear to be harmless in the wild, but they're actually quite dangerous. 
Kind of like a hippopotamus. 
If you go to a zoo, you might just see it walking around or swimming around. 
But it's considered to be one of the most dangerous animals out there. 
We're going to be learning all about the Komodo dragon today. 
So let's get started. 
(Music). 
Komodo Dragons. 
Meet the world's largest living lizard. 
Dangerous and deadly aptly describe the largest existing lizard species alive on Earth - the Komodo dragon. 
Listed as vulnerable (to extinction) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, they number less than 6,000. 
They mostly inhabit the islands of Indonesia's Komodo National Park as well as some areas of Flores. 
These formidable predators devour deer, wild pigs, smaller dragons, water buffalo - and humans if given a chance. 
Their clay-colored, scaly skin provides them with perfect camouflage as they lie on the brown earth among dead leaves waiting for unsuspecting prey. 
To seize their prey, the lizard's powerful legs spring into action, and their deadly bites leave little hope for the victim unless treated immediately. 
Well, this does sound like a very powerful creature. 
And we see at the very beginning: Meet the world's largest living lizard. 
So this is the largest lizard alive in the world today. 
And our first sentence says: Dangerous and deadly aptly describe the largest existing lizard species alive on Earth - the Komodo dragon. 
And dangerous and deadly aptly describe the Komodo dragon. 
What does this word here mean, Gabe, this word "aptly"? 
Well, it's from our Word Bank. 
And if you describe something aptly, that means it's a pretty good, precise or exact description. 
So it aptly describes the largest living lizard. 
Um, you could also use another word like this, "apt." That's an adjective. 
An apt description is kind of a precise or exact description. 
How else might you use that word "aptly"? 
Well, I could... I could say: Beautiful aptly described Marilyn on her wedding day. 
All right. 
How else could you use that word, "aplty," Carolyn? 
Well, I think that it is very apt that we are reading this article about Komodo dragon since Linda went there. 
But that is not quite "aplty." This is "apt," A-P-T. 
That's right. 
There are different ways to use this word, different forms of this word. 
And dangerous and deadly aptly describe the largest existing lizard species alive on Earth - the Komodo dragon. 
How does the lesson continue? 
We see: Listed as vulnerable (to extinction) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's, (the IUCN,) Red List of Threatened Species. 
And here in the sentence, it's quite a long name. 
But before that we saw the word "vulnerable" and to extinction. 
This is a special usage of the word "vulnerable." So Linda, could you please explain this word for us? 
Certainly. 
This is an organization that tracks animals, kind of like the World Wildlife Federation. 
And they have a list of endangered species and vulnerable species. 
So they have a scale of how animals are rated according to their number and how many there are that are alive on Earth. 
And right now the Komodo dragon is in the vulnerable species, which is right next to the... to the extinct species or threatened to be extinct species. 
They actually used to be on the extinct list. 
And now they've moved up a little bit. 
Whoa! That's good for the Komodo dragon. 
Um, so they are vulnerable. 
They might die off in the future. 
We hope that doesn't happen, but they are on the vulnerable list. 
And "they number less than 6,000," as our lesson says. 
That's not very many. 
Of course, you would not want to see all 6,000 in one place, but this is a vulnerable species. 
And the article says they mostly inhabit the islands of Indonesia's Komodo National Park as well as some areas of Flores. 
Well, I think now we can take some time to look at some pictures that Linda took while she was on Komodo Island. 
(Music). 
Well, from those pictures, I can see how these animals might be dangerous and deadly. 
Well, we continue in the lesson: 
These formidable predators devour deer, wild pigs, smaller dragons, (that is Komodo dragons,) water buffalo and humans - if given a chance. 
Wow! OK. 
Before we talk about that sentence, we want to talk about that word "formidable." Carolyn, what does that word mean? 
Well, if something is formidable, then it causes fear or alarm. 
It's something that's very scary. 
And we usually think of an opponent as maybe being formidable. 
OK. I also maybe think of a thunderstorm. 
Maybe you see some clouds in the distance, and it can cause fear. 
It's a formidable storm, some formidable clouds. 
Um, Linda, you got to see these Komodo dragons. 
You describe these as formidable? 
Well, they are formidable. 
When you see them in the wild, you do not want to go near them. 
You have to say at least five meters away from them because if they attack you, you don't have a chance. 
Oh, man. OK. You don't have a chance. 
Well, they are predators. 
Um, that means they are dangerous. 
And at the very end of this sentence we see a phrase: and humans - if given a chance. 
They will attack humans if given a chance. 
Well, you could say if he is given a chance, he might succeed in this project. 
All right. 
And as we can see the Komodo dragons might attack humans if given a chance. 
We continue. 
Their clay-colored scaly skin provides them with perfect camouflage as they lie on the brown earth among dead leaves waiting for unsuspecting prey. 
So clay-colored scaly skin, that's a good way to describe a kind of reptile or lizard as well. 
But Linda, what is unsuspecting prey? 
Well, first of all, let's look at the word "prey." Prey is the opposite of predator. 
A predator is the hunter; and the prey is the hunted. 
And "unsuspecting" means, you know, an animal just walking along or eating, and they don't realize that they're going to be attacked. 
All right. They don't realize it. 
They don't maybe expect it. 
They're unsuspecting. 
So these poor creatures might get attacked by a Komodo dragon. 
Well, Carolyn, how does the lesson continue? 
Well, we see how they attack. 
To seize their prey, the lizard's powerful legs spring into action, and their deadly bites leave little hope for the victim unless treated immediately. 
Wow! So it sounds like these creatures can kind of spring into action or jump. 
Linda, does that mean they can run as well? 
Well, actually Komodo dragons can run as fast as a dog. 
And that's one of the reasons that they're very dangerous. 
And their bite is deadly because they have about 50 kinds of bacteria, uh, 50 or 60 is what I've heard, bacteria in their mouth. 
So when they bite, it becomes infected. 
Wow! Dangerous and deadly, indeed. 
We're learning a lot about the Komodo dragon. 
Let's continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And then we'll take a break. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.22.B

We're learning all about Komodo dragons today. 
And though they are listed as some vulnerable species, (there are only less than 6,000 left in the wild) these creatures are formidable. 
You do not want to get around them. 
You don't want to be part of their unsuspecting prey. 
We have more to learn about these dangerous and deadly creatures - the Komodo dragons. 
Let's read the second part of our lesson today. 
(Music). 
Komodo Dragons. 
The dragons will follow a bitten water buffalo about a month, waiting for it to succumb to the venomous bite. 
Their keen sense of smell enables the dragons to detect the scent of blood up to 10 kilometers. 
The females lay from 15 to 30 eggs in ground nests that they have overtaken from wild turkey-like birds. 
The mothers then lie near their nests, protecting the eggs until hatched. 
According to the park ranger, only three to five newborns survive due to predators, including their own cannibal mothers! 
Upon hatching, the babies climb trees, build nests and survive on birds and insects until they are big enough to survive in the dragon world below. 
Well, being a baby Komodo dragon sounds a little bit dangerous. 
We see in this first sentence here: 
The dragons will follow a bitten water buffalo about a month, waiting for it to succumb to the venomous bite. 
Oh, that sounds a little bit scary. 
Uh, what can you tell us about this sentence, Linda? 
Well, we see here that the water... the water buffalo obviously is quite a bit larger than a Komodo dragon. 
Komodo dragons are about 10 feet, can be up to 10 feet in length. 
And they can actually eat about 80 kilos at one feeding, I suppose. 
But they can't take down a water buffalo. 
So as we talked about earlier, when they bite the dragon... they infect it. 
When they bite the water buffalo, they infect it. 
And the water buffalo becomes weaker and weaker. 
It takes about a month, our guide told us, before the water buffalo will die. 
And then the Komodo dragon will eat it. 
So then it succumbs to this venomous bite. 
And we have this would "succumb." And what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, it means to give in to the power of something. 
And usually I think of this as maybe against your will. 
You don't want to give in, but you eventually succumb. 
I might say she succumbed to the salesman after he talked with her for a while, and he persuaded her to buy the product. 
She finally succumbed and bought it. 
And here the water buffalo succumbs to the venonmous bite, this deadly bite of the Komodo dragon. 
Continuing in our article we see their keen sense of smell enables the dragon to detect the scent of blood up to 10 kilometers. 
So they can smell blood from 10 kilometers away. 
Yeah. You want to make sure that you don't have a cut on your body somewhere. 
Does this happen ever? 
Well, a... apparently a couple of months before we got there, a Komodo dragon actually did attack somebody visiting the island. 
They actually attacked the park ranger who was protecting the person because that person did have like some cut or blood. 
And they went after the blood. 
That sounds very scary. 
Be careful around these Komodo dragons, friends, if you have a chance to visit this national park. 
Right now it's time for us to visit Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Dragons are ancient mythical creatures that play a large role in the cultures of both the East and the West. 
But the two cultures' creatures are really quite different. 
In the West, dragons are thought of as destructive, poisonous, fire-breathing monsters that are to be feared and killed. 
Now contrasts them with the dragons of China, which are portrayed as wise and powerful, gentle and even playful. 
They're creatures that bring good fortune. 
The two dragons look different, too. 
Chinese dragons resembles snakes with legs whereas Western dragons look more like winged dinosaurs. 
As different as they are, many people, Westerners especially, mistakenly lump the two dragons together simply because they share the same name. 
So to them, the Chinese dragon is just as violent and evil as its Western counterpart. 
So to save the reputation of the respectable Chinese dragon, a group of Chinese scholars have pushed to introduce a new word into the English language, 
a word that would clear up the confusion and distinguish the good Chinese dragon from its wicked cousin in the West. 
Now, should they be successful, the Chinese dragon's new English name would be "long," spelled L-O-N-G. 
(Chinese). 
In our article we see the females lay from 15 to 30 eggs in ground nests that they have overtaken from wild turkey-like birds. 
So they lay quite a few eggs. 
And then the mothers then lie near their nests protecting the eggs until hatched. 
So they sound like very protective mothers. 
They sound like very protective mothers so far. 
Linda, what else can we find out about these? 
Well, actually our guide also told us that the mothers don't leave the nests. 
So the only time... they can even lie there for a month without eating. 
So that's why the prey that come by might be snatched by them. 
Because of the camouflage that we read about earlier, you can't really see them. 
Interesting. 
Well, you have definitely to be careful around these creatures. 
We continue with our lesson. 
According to the park ranger, only three to five newborns survive due to predators, including their own cannibal mothers! 
Wow! Um, let's talk about that word "cannibal." If you're... well, not if you're a cannibal. 
But if a creature is a cannibal, that means it eats its own kind. 
Um, can you tell us anything else about this, Linda? 
Well, the... they are cannibal mothers, and also the other Komodo dragons also eat the babies. 
That's one of the reasons the mother lies there for such a long time to protect them from other dragons, but then they turn and eat their own. 
Wow! OK. 
So these mothers could also be cannibal mothers. 
How do we continue, Carolyn? 
Well, we see upon hatching, the babies climb trees, build nests and survive on birds and insects until they are big enough to survive in the dragon world below. 
So it's a bit challenge for these baby dragons to survive. 
Right. They actually climb palm trees that have a soft inside. 
And they live there for like two to three years until they are... uh, to me, it's amazing, they are big enough to live below. 
All right. 
Well, we've learned a lot about these deadly and dangerous creatures, the Komodo dragon. 
Now it's time for us to continue learning something with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
And then we'll go see Michelle. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
Our NATURE article today talks about Komodo dragons. 
And the writer mentions "Upon hatching, the babies climb trees... " That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the word "upon." In this case, it means at that moment. 
So what the writer is saying is baby Komodo dragons come out of the eggs, they climb trees. 
This use of "upon" is usually in formal situations like in writing or when you're giving a speech. 
For example: 
Upon hearing the good news of his promotion, Timothy called his parents to let them know. 
Or: Upon seeing the mess in the living room, Cynthia knew her kids were home. 
Now it's your turn to practice using "upon." Can you think of something that happens the moment a situation takes place? 
And that's all the time we have for today. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
This is Liz. 
I'll see you next time. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's return to our teachers. 
Today we have learned a lot about this formidable predator, the Komodo dragon. 
But I'm sure that there is a lot more information that you weren't able to include in this article, right, Linda? 
Well, yes. 
And I'll tell you a couple of more very interesting features about the Komodo dragon. 
We read in the first paragraph that they live in Indonesia in Komodo Island National Park. 
A Komodo national park, and that is a group of islands. 
And Komodo dragons swim. 
So if they run out of food on one island, they can swim to another island to look for other food. 
And their only natural enemy in the wild is the snake. 
And I really don't think they care much. 
Well, if they are such great predators and very strong, powerful creatures, I don't think a snake would be too big of a worry for them. 
You might be right. 
Well, we want to thank you for joining us today learning all about the Komodo dragon. 
And thank you for joining us, Linda. 
It's been my pleasure to be here. Thank you. 
All right. 
We'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you later. 
Bye.

2013.04.23.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for today's lesson. 
It's called Beyond Bali. 
I don't know if you've been to Bali before. 
Indonesia, there is a very famous island there called Bali. 
But you can explore more than just Bali. 
Well, we're going to learn more about this. 
And our lesson talks about a lot of different interesting places that have interesting scenery and very interesting animals. 
Of course, one animal we already learned about was the Komodo dragon. 
But Carolyn, have you ever seen anything else like this, maybe an unusual or special place that had beautiful scenery or interesting animals? 
Well, it's interesting that the article is called Beyond Bali because when I was in Bali, 
I went hiking, and there was a beautiful cliffside view and there were monkeys everywhere. 
So it was great for taking pictures. 
And there are all of these monkeys, which was something I really wasn't used to seeing. 
Yeah. I wouldn't be used to that, either. 
I think some interesting scenery that I saw, some beautiful scenery, was in Yosemite, California. 
Just landscape that is unlike anything I've ever seen before. 
When I went to visit Australia, I saw these big birds called the cassowary. 
They're quite dangerous, but quite colorful, too. 
Very interesting. 
Well, we're going to learn all about some interesting things that Linda saw beyond Bali. 
Let's get started with the first part of our reading for today. 
Beyond Bali. 
Explore the land of Komodo dragons. 
When thinking of an Asian vacation, many consider Bali, Indonesia, the beautiful island paradise. 
However, why stop there? 
An hour's flight southeast will land you on Flores - Bali before the tourists. 
Last fall, my husband and I went! 
After landing, we sailed to Komodo National Park. 
Declared a World Heritage Site in 1986, the park consists of three major islands - Komodo, Rinca and Padar - and various smaller ones. 
We visited during the dry season, so the islands were brown and barren. 
(Music). 
Well, let's get started. 
Beyond Bali. 
We read that first sentence says: Explore the land of Komodo dragons. 
So we learned all about Komodo dragons yesterday. 
Now we're talking about where they live, where they live, explore the land of Komodo dragons. 
How do we start here, Carolyn? 
We see: When thinking of an Asian vacation, many consider Bali, Indonesia, the beautiful island paradise. 
And a lot of people do think about going to Bali in Indonesia. 
I have been there myself. 
Have you been to Bali, Gabe? 
I have not been to Bali. 
I have not been anywhere else in Indonesia. 
Although I am looking forward to going, so I can try their cow lung. 
Of course, you remember a few days ago Carolyn said that she tried some cow lung in Indonesia. 
I'm sure there's many things to do in Indonesia. 
But however, why stop there? 
That means "Why stop at Bali?" Of course, Bali is the most famous place. 
Right, Carolyn? 
That's right. 
And it is a very popular destination for many who want to take an Asian vacation. 
But an hour's flight southeast will land you on Flores - Bali before the tourists. 
So if you want to go to a place that has less tourists than Bali, you could go to Flores. 
And we see this word "land." And it's kind of an interesting way to use this word, Gabe. 
Can you explain it a little? 
Yeah. It says that the flight lands you on Flores. 
So usually you think about maybe you're on an airplane, and the airplane is landing. 
But here it's landing you at a certain destination. 
You could say the flight landed us in Taipei. 
But I also want to use this word in a slightly different way. 
Of course, uh, maybe if you're a student, and you're in class, you want to have a good attitude. 
Your teacher might say: 
You'd better be careful, or your bad attitude might land you in the principal's office. 
That means because of this, because of your attitude, you will be at that place. 
So it will land you there. 
That's right. 
So it can be used many different ways. 
And continuing we see: Last fall, my husband and I went. 
So Linda, who wrote this article, went to Flores with her husband. 
And I think we have something to learn with Ken and Steve in the Information Cloud. 
As a traveler, how do you get a true taste of a foreign culture? 
You can do what the author of today's article did and get off the beaten path. 
In other words, don't go to a place where there are already thousands of foreigners. 
Visit a place where there aren't so many tourists around. 
That's right. 
Getting off the beaten path means more excitement and more adventure. 
OK. Another way to get a true taste of a new place - go behind the scenes. 
Now "behind the scenes" normally means not known or meant to be known by the general public. 
So if you go on a behind-the-scenes tour in a museum, a TV studio or at a historic landmark, you will see and learn things that most others won't. 
Of course you should expect to pay more for a behind-the-scenes tour, but often it's worth it. 
And now for the truest taste of a local culture, you must go native. 
I like this one. 
You do this by going to a foreign country or far away city and adopting the lifestyle and attitudes of the local people. 
A true taste indeed, but going native is not always easy to do. 
(Chinese). 
Well, if you are a traveler, you want to have a true taste of where you are visiting. 
Let's continue with our lesson. 
After landing, we sailed to Komodo National Park. 
Well, Komodo National Park, it sounds like there are probably lots of Komodo dragons there. 
Isn't that right? 
That's right. 
This is one of the few places in the world that you can find Komodo dragons is in Komodo National Park. 
And we see: Declared a World Heritage Site in 1986, the park consists of three major islands - Komodo, Rinca and Padar - and various smaller ones. 
So the park has three islands. 
And it was declared a World Heritage Site. 
Now let's take a look at this word "declared." If you declare something, then you make it official. 
You name it something officially. 
Uh, how can you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, usually I think of the courtroom when you think of this word "declare." Someone is declared innocent or someone is declared guilty. 
And um, much of the world, people are innocent until proven guilty. 
And then after a trial or two, then you find out if they're really innocent or not. 
They are declared innocent or declared guilty. 
That's right, it becomes official. 
That's right. 
And we see that Komodo National Park was declared a World Heritage Site. 
So it's a very, very special place, very unique in the world that it is able to get this name - a World Heritage Site. 
And maybe you want to go online and look up World Heritage Sites. 
And you could see a list of other places in the world that are very valuable contributions, very important places. 
Well, we continue learning from Linda. 
We visited during the dry season, so the islands were brown and barren. 
All right. 
So if the rainy season was when they visited, then maybe it would be a little more green. 
But Carolyn, we see here that the ground was "barren." What does that mean? 
Well, if something is barren, then it's empty. 
There is nothing there. 
And many times I think of maybe a field is barren after the crop has been harvested and brought in. 
All right. 
A field might be barren. 
Nothing is there. 
Um, and of course, these islands were brown and barren. 
That means maybe she felt like things were kind of dead, like there was very little life there. 
So maybe if they visited during the rainy season, they would see a lot more green. 
Who knows? 
Well, we're going to continue learning something right now with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And then we'll take a break. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.23.B

Today we are learning about things to do in Indonesia, beyond Bali, beyond this popular tourist destination. 
If you fly just an hour, a plane can land you on Flores. 
And if you continue, you can go to the Komodo dragon park, the Komodo National Park, which was declared a World Heritage Site. 
And if you go during the dry season, it might be a little bit barren, not much there, but it's still very interesting. 
And we will find out more of what Linda and her husband did in the second part of our article today. 
Beyond Bali. 
Our first stop was Rinca, home to about 1,300 Komodo dragons. 
The warnings were clear. 
Stay with your park guide; don't wander off the path; keep five meters away from the dragons. 
As we explored, we came across many Komodo dragons and even tracked one as it lumbered along. 
From Rinca, we sailed west and anchored near Komodo Island. 
The next morning, we toured the island on foot. 
Again, we came across lots of wildlife - dragons, deer and water buffalo. 
And in one valley, many cockatoos flew about, filling the air with raucous calls. 
(Music). 
It sounds like Linda and her husband were having an interesting time so far. 
We read: Our first stop was Rinca, home to about 1,300 Komodo dragons. 
Wow! It seems like maybe they'd be hiding in the bushes. 
You never know where these Komodo dragons might be. 
I said "thirteen hundred." Is there another way to say that number, Carolyn? 
There is. 
You could also say it is home to one thousand three hundred Komodo dragons. 
So there are many ways to read that number in English. 
That's right. 
And we find out that this is home to these Komodo dragons. 
That means they... they're comfortable there. 
This is where they're used to, their home. 
This place is home to Komodo dragons. 
Well, Linda says the warnings were clear. 
And what were the warnings? 
The warnings were: Stay with your park guide; don't wander off the path; keep five meters away from the dragons. 
So very, very clear warnings because Komodo dragons are very dangerous animals. 
That's right. 
Well, five meters. 
Um, I am about six feet. 
That's about two meters. 
I think maybe two and a half times my height. 
You know, Carolyn, that doesn't really seem very far away. 
I mean, I wouldn't want to be that close to the dragons. 
I... I think I would try to stay more than five meters away from the Komodo dragons. 
That's right. 
You do want to be careful around these Komodo dragons. 
Well, Linda continues. 
As we explored, we came across many Komodo dragons and even tracked one as it lumbered along. 
Hmm. 
Well, I would definitely want the tour guide there with me if I was doing that. 
Let's take a look at that word. 
It is "lumber." and if something is lumbering along, that means it's moving along. 
But I get kind of a sense of maybe something is heavy or kind of awkward. 
It's not smooth; it's kind of lumbering along. 
How might you use that word? 
Yes. This word "lumber," it does mean that something very heavy is moving slowly, perhaps not very smoothly. 
And a lot of times I think of maybe an elephant would lumber along. 
If it's not running, just walking side to side, it kind of lumbers. 
That's right. 
It lumbers along. 
If you talk about a human, you might say they trudge somewhere, T-R-U-D-G-E. 
But usually I think of animals, big, heavy animals as lumbering along. 
Well, we're talking about these Komodo dragons. 
And I think it will be very interesting to see some in the wild and even maybe track some as they lumber along. 
But I wouldn't want to get too close. 
How does the article continue, Carolyn? 
Well, we see from Rinca, we sailed west and anchored near Komodo Island. 
So they left the island of Rinca and anchored near Komodo Island - so another one of the islands. 
And we see this word "anchored." And that means that they must've taken a boat. 
They took a boat from one island to the other and anchored at Komodo Island. 
So... can you explain this word a little more, Gabe? 
Yeah. Anchor, usually I think of it as a noun, a big ship might have an anchor. 
You toss it into the ocean. 
And then it keeps the ship steady. 
It keeps it there. 
It is anchored. 
Uh, but of course, here we see it as a verb. 
They sailed west and anchored near Komodo Island. 
So it's the same idea. 
They're stopping at a place so that they're stable and not moving. 
The ship is not moving. 
It is anchored. 
That's right. And we continue. 
The next morning, we toured the island on foot. 
So they walked around the island on foot, not taking a car or any other form of transportation. 
Do you think this is a good way to see the island, Gabe? 
Actually, that's a good question. 
And yeah, I think it's a great way to see the island because then you're not going too quickly. 
You can catch more things. 
You won't miss as many things. 
So they're going on foot. 
Well, we continue. 
Again, we came across lots of wildlife - dragons, deer and water buffalo. 
And then what happened next? 
Well, we came across lots of wildlife. 
So these are some words we want to talk about. 
When you come across something, that means you encounter it. 
Maybe you didn't plan on it, maybe you did, but it crossed your path. 
How might you use that phrase? 
Well, you might say I came across some amazing food when I was traveling on Komodo Island. 
Or I came across a very interesting creature when I was hiking in the woods. 
That's right. 
Or I might say I came across an interesting newspaper article about the Komodo National Park. 
So you can come across different things in different ways. 
Well, our article continues. 
In one valley, many cockatoos flew about, filling the air with raucous calls. 
Ah, yes, cockatoos can be described as raucous. 
Carolyn, have you seen cockatoos before? 
Well, I have in a zoo, and they are very noisy. 
They make these raucous calls. 
And "raucous" just means to be very, very loud and noisy. 
It's really not a pleasant sound. 
That's right. 
And "raucous" is a good word to know from our Word Bank. 
It's a good word to describe these cockatoos as well. 
It's kind of annoying, an annoying noise. 
So cockatoos definitely make annoying noises, especially when there are many of them flying about. 
That's right. 
Well, today we have something very special. 
We have some pictures that Linda and her husband took while they were on Komodo Island at this national park. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now, back to our lesson. 
Well, we've definitely learned about some interesting scenery and interesting animals in this lesson today. 
And we, of course, talked all about Komodo dragons yesterday. 
I am curious how you would feel being up close to a Komodo dragon. 
Would you like that experience, Carolyn? 
Well, I think that if I went with a group of people and had a good guide, 
and we all followed these very clear rules, then I would love to go and see Komodo dragons in the wild. 
What about you, Gabe? 
Yeah, I think so, too. 
I would definitely want to have a guide there who knew what he was doing and who understood these creatures. 
Because, as you learned yesterday, if you even have any kind of blood on you, if you have a cut or something, maybe the Komodo dragons can smell that. 
They can smell the scent of blood for a far distance, a long distance away. 
So be careful if you're going to visit and see these Komodo dragons. 
Well, we do hope that you come back next time and learn more about Linda and her husband's experiences - Beyond Bali. 
Next time here on Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.04.24.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And as you can see, Linda is back here with us. 
And I'm glad about that because Carolyn and I have had a lot of fun learning about your experiences beyond Bali. 
But you actually got to experience this. 
Right. My husband and I went there last fall at the end of September for about ten days. 
And we went at the end of the dry season, so it was quite brown and barren-looking. 
All right. 
So it's pretty brown, not much greenery. 
Um, would you recommend visiting any one island if you really want to see those Komodo dragons? 
Well, I would say you need to go... the tour actually includes both Rinca and Komodo Island. 
It's part of Komodo National Park. 
You are guaranteed to see uh, dragons, Komodo dragons no matter which island you go to. 
But Rinca has more Komodo dragons. 
It's a smaller island, so it's easier to find them in the wild. 
Komodo Island actually is quite large. 
So then is there a place that you might be able to see these dragons more often? 
Where do Komodo dragons like to hang out? 
Well, they hang out underneath the kitchen. 
Um, they have a... this is a national park. 
They have park rangers that live there. 
They have um, different buildings, and so they hang out under the kitchen. 
But if you go out on a track, then you also can see them in the wild if you're lucky. 
Oh. Well, I know that Komodo dragons were not the only thing you got to see on this trip. 
And I think today's article continues more about what you did during the rest of your vacation. 
That's right. 
All right. 
Well, it's time for us to get started with the first part of our reading today. 
Beyond Bali, part two. 
Beyond Bali. 
About mid-morning, we headed back to Flores, stopping to snorkel along the way. 
Komodo National Park is home to many world-class dive sites, so these waters are excellent for diving and snorkeling. 
As we sailed, we passed a giant sea turtle as well as numerous giant black morph manta rays. 
After spending the night in Labuan Bajo, the gateaway to western Flores, we began our journey inland. 
We drove up and down through the mountainous terrain, snaking our way to Cancar. 
Here we gazed down at the spectacular spiderweb rice fields of the Manggarai people. 
(Music). 
Well, it seems like Linda has gotten to see a lot of different kinds of wildlife here so far. 
At the beginning we find: 
About mid-morning, we headed back to Flores, stopping to snorkel along the way. 
Linda, do you go snorkeling often? 
No, not very often. 
But when you're in a place like this... Komodo National Park is actually... has world-class dive sites and snorkeling sites. 
So there are several places they stop for you to snorkel. 
All right. 
Well, if you have never been snorkeling, basically you're on the surface of the water, and of course, you have something to help you breathe. 
And you can see all the sea creatures beneath when you are snorkeling. 
So a little different from scuba diving where you go way down into the ocean. 
So this is about mid-morning. 
Carolyn, what's mid-morning? 
What time is that about? 
Well, mid-morning would be before noon but after you wake up. 
So probably around 10 o'clock? 
Right. 
Actually, when you go on to the island, they take you early in the morning because it's easier to see the dragons. 
When it gets hot, they tend to hide more or go out further away. 
So about 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock, yeah. 
OK. Well, we continue. 
Komodo National Park is home to many world-class dive sites - just as Linda was saying. 
So these waters are excellent for diving and snorkeling. 
Well, I want to take a look at those words: world-class. 
Linda, could you tell us a little bit about what this means? 
What is world-class? 
Well, if something is world-class, it means it's very top-level. 
So you can have a world-class resort. 
You can have a world-class restaurant. 
It means that around the world, it is at the top. 
All right. 
So maybe if you're researching for what to do, these might pop up first. 
World-class, that doesn't sound cheap to me, though. 
Is that kind of more expensive? 
Well, here it just means that the diving and the snorkeling is so good that it ranked at the top, where people want to go around the world. 
So for this one, for diving and snorkeling, here it doesn't have anything to do with price. 
OK. 
So how does the lesson continue, Carolyn? 
Well, we see: As we sailed, we passed a giant sea turtle as well as numerous giant black morph manta rays. 
So you got to see a lot of different kinds of animals on this trip. 
We did. 
And actually our guide said that it was very rare to have a giant sea turtle swim passed your boat because we were out in open water. 
It was pretty cool, actually. 
And the black morph manta rays, they have a point called manta point. 
And if it's a calm day, you can go snorkeling with them. 
But actually it was very, very windy and it was too dangerous. 
So you could see about, oh, maybe over a dozen of these uh, manta rays floating on top of the surface, very cool. 
Is it actually dangerous to swim with the manta rays? 
Well, they wouldn't have it as one of their tops on... one of their stops on their tour if it were. 
OK. But there were numerous black morph manta rays. 
So there were many of them, a large number of them that you were able to see. 
So that's really great. 
That's right. 
We see that word "numerous" here. 
It's from our Word Bank. 
And just like Carolyn said, it means many. 
It's another way to say "many." There were numerous manta rays and, of course, one giant sea turtle as well. 
Well, this is really interesting so far. 
What... what do we continue with, Carolyn? 
We see: After spending the night in Labuan Bajo... I'm not sure how to say them, Linda. 
Yep, Labuan Bajo. 
All right. 
Well, the gateway to western Flores, we began our journey inland. 
So you started to make your way in toward the center of the island? 
Right. 
Because Labuan Bajo actually is at the western end, so it's a port. 
And it's also the major um... It's... you know, it's not a large city, but it's the major city in western Flores. 
So it's where the airport is. 
You fly in there from Bali. 
And then you start going toward the center of the island. 
And so you make your journey inland. 
And that's another word from the Word Bank, friends. 
When you go inland, you're traveling away from the ocean or away from the water. 
It's kind of what it sounds like - in toward the land. 
That's inland. 
And we continue here. 
Linda says: We drove up and down through the mountainous terrain snaking our way to Cancar. 
Well, this already sounds pretty exciting, driving up and down and snaking from one place to another in this mountainous terrain. 
Yeah. What were you doing just now, Linda? 
Was it a comfortable feeling there? 
Well, if you get... have motion sickness like I do... so when we were on the boat... 
We were on the boat for two days going to... going to Komodo and coming back, I took motion sickness pills. 
And I also took them every day on the trip inland. 
Man! Well, if you do get car sick, then maybe it's not comfortable going through mountainous terrains. 
"Mountainous" is also from our Word Bank. 
And it's kind of easy to remember. 
You see that word "mountain" in there. 
That means there are many mountains. 
Now there's another word like this to describe hills. 
It's "hilly." You wouldn't say "hillous." You would say "hilly" if there are many hills. 
But if there are many mountains, it is mountainous. 
Well, Carolyn, how does the article continue? 
Well, before we continue, I want to look at that word "snaking." Linda, why did you choose this word? 
Well, I chose that word because it really is a description of how we went. 
There are no trains in Flores. 
So it's all road that you drive on. 
And because it's through the mountain, it looks like a snake going all throughout the island. 
Oh, I see. 
So it's very twisty going up these mountains. 
Right. 
Well, and here we gazed down at the spectacular spiderweb rice fields of the Manggarai people. 
So it sounds like you had a really amazing view once you got to the top of the mountain. 
We did. 
Actually, the Manggarai people are the only ones that have spiderweb-shaped rice fields. 
Oh, I see. 
So maybe we can take some time now to look at some pictures that you and your husband took on this trip. 
And then we'll see Michelle in the Langauge Lab. 
(Music). 
(Chinese).

2013.04.24.B

Well, we're enjoying learning about Linda and her husband's experiences beyond Bali. 
Of course, they got to visit Komodo National Park, which is home to world-class diving sites. 
So they got to spend some time snorkeling in the water as well. 
And of course, they got to see a giant sea turtle and giant black morph manta rays. 
And they spent some times in the mountainous regions as well snaking through these roads. 
We have a lot more to learn in the next part of our section, this next reading for today. 
(Music). 
Beyond Bali. 
We continued southeastward. 
Around every turn in the road, photo opportunities abounded from the dramatic landscape to children playing along the roadside. 
After a night in the town of Bajawa, we headed to Bena, the oldest and largest traditional village of the Ngada people. 
Sitting at the base of the impressive volcano Mount Inerie, this village consists of around 40 thatched-roof houses. 
Macadamia nuts, vanilla, cloves and coffee grow on the nearby slopes of the volcano. 
(Music). 
We were just talking about snaking up the mountains and looking down at the rice fields of the Manggarai people. 
And continuing on in the article we see that we continued southeastward. 
Around every turn in the road, photo opportunities abounded from the dramatic landscape to children playing along the roadside. 
So it sounds like a really great place to take pictures. 
It was. 
There were a lot of photo opportunities. 
And it didn't matter where you looked, there was something different to look at, to see, to take a photo of. 
All right. 
It seems like there are many good places to take photos here. 
And something I notice about this sentence, Linda wrote: around every turn in the road. 
I think another word you could also use there is "bend," B-E-N-D, around every bend in the road. 
And I would also like to see children playing along the roadside, even though that seems kind of dangerous, Linda. 
Well, actually because it's a mountainous region, the villages are all built right along the roads. 
And the kids play... actually, they play on the road a lot because it's a flat area. 
OK, because it's a flat area. 
Well, it would be quite interesting to go and visit. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
And then we'll go and see what Steve and Ken have for us in the Info Cloud. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's TRAVEL article we read: 
Around every turn in the road, photo opportunities abounded... 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the word "abounded." It's a really fancy way of saying to be in large number of. 
So what the writer is saying is that around every turn in the road, you can find lots of photo opportunities. 
This word "abounded" is usually used in formal situations. 
So instead of saying "There are lots of fish and sea creatures living in the coral reef," you can say: 
Fish and sea creatures abound in the coral reef. 
Or instead of saying "There is so much creativity in Mr. Dawson's art class," try saying: 
Creativity abounds in Mr. Dawson's art class. 
Now it's your turn. 
Can you think of something that appears in large members? 
Then try practice using this word. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, you'll find them in today's Grammar Tip section in your Studio Classroom magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
If you're just getting familiar with the "from... to... " construction, and you want to try incorporating it in your English writing, let us suggest a few things. 
First, it's best if the things you mention create a diverse spectrum. 
That is you should start at one end and finish at the other, like from high to low, from short to tall, or from past to present. 
And seeing as a spectrum can't have more than two extremes. 
Don't mention more than two items as that will likely create confusion. 
In today's lesson, the author tells us photo opportunities abounded from the dramatic landscape to children playing along the roadside. 
So what's the spectrum here? 
Spectacular to ordinary. 
And everything in-between, meaning no matter where you point and shoot your camera, you are likely to get a great picture. 
Now not long ago, one of the more common "from... to... " expressions was "from soup to nuts," a very unusual spectrum indeed. 
Its origin is found in traditional formal meals, during which soup was served first and nuts last. 
But today, you're more likely to hear people say from A to Z. 
(Chinese). 
Continuing in the article we see: 
After a night in the town of Bajawa, we headed to Bena, the oldest and largest traditional village of the Ngada people. 
Now this sounds like a very interesting place to get to explore. 
What did you do there, Linda? 
Well, we got to look around and see what village life is like. 
And interesting about the Ngada people, they are run by women. 
So it is a matriarchal society. 
It doesn't matter if you know that word or not. 
But it means the women... the women's line of the family lives there. 
So if a girl gets married to a man outside of that village, the man moves to that village and lives there. 
Oh. So it sounds like the women are the one who are in charge of the society and the village. 
Basically that's right. 
Wow! Well, we continue learning about this. 
Sitting at the base of the impressive volcano Mount Inerie, this village consists of around 40 thatched-roof houses. 
Well, considering a volcano is usually quite large. 
There are only 40 thatched-roof houses. 
This village seems kind of small. 
Well, this is an old village. 
This is a traditional village. 
It's not like the town... and Bajawa is like, you know, a regular town that you would stay in. 
But you can't really stay here. 
It's a traditional village. 
And the thatched-roof means that they make the roofs of their houses from like palm leaves. 
OK. 
And they saw them together so they keep out the rain and the cold... as it gets. 
And it sits at the base. 
The base means at the bottom of Mount Inerie. 
And that is an active volcano, actually. 
It last erupted in the 1970s. 
No way! 
It's an active volcano. 
That's from our Word Bank, the word "volcano." And of course this is a mountain, of course, that has lava and a lot of activity underneath. 
You never know what's going to happen with an active volcano especially. 
Um, opposite of an active volcano is a dormant volcano, D-O-R-M-A-N-T. 
That means that you never know when it will erupt, but probably not anytime soon. 
This is an active volcano, you said. 
Right. Actually there are a lot of active volcanoes on Flores. 
Wow. 
Well, it sounds like a very interesting place to make your home and try to live. 
And there are also some very interesting things that grow there. 
What are some of the things there, Gabe? 
Yeah. Well, we've got macadamia nuts, vanilla, cloves and coffee grow on the nearby slopes of the volcano. 
So here we see some spices actually, vanilla and cloves. 
And macadamia nuts. I love macadamia nuts! 
Did you try any of these things? 
Of course! And you can also buy them... at the village. 
Oh, wow! So it sounds like this is a really great place to visit if you want to experience some very different culture. 
Well, now it's time for us to see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's head back to our teachers now. 
Today we've been talking about exploring the island of Flores with Linda. 
And Linda, are there other things that you can do on Flores? 
Can you hike this volcano? 
Yes, you can. 
Actually our guide... we didn't actually hike up this volcano. 
But our guide took a French couple a couple of months earlier. 
It took them nine hours to hike up to the top of that volcano. 
And we also met... met another couple in the village who were hiking around the base of it. 
It's quite large. 
But our... actually our tour was too strict of time, so we had to move on. 
Oh. That's unfortunate that you weren't able to explore a little bit more in this area. 
I know it sounds like a really great place to go. 
Well, I hope that you'll join us again tomorrow and that everyone else will join us again tomorrow to continue this article here on Studio Classroom. 
Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.04.25.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
I'm Carolyn. 
And of course, back with us is Linda. 
We're glad to have you again today. 
And we've been learning all about Linda and her husband's experience beyond Bali. 
What did we talk about the first day here, Carolyn? 
Well, the first day we talked about their experience when they went to Komodo National Park and saw the Komodo dragons. 
They were with a guide. 
And they had to be very careful and follow all of the very clear warnings that were given because Komodo dragons are quite dangerous. 
What did we talk about on the second day, Gabe? 
Well, we learned about some other creatures that Linda and her husband got to see when they were snorkeling: some giant sea turtle and a lot of morph rays. 
Well, this has all been very interesting. 
They also got to go to the base of a volcano. 
And they got to climb the volcano. 
Is that right, Linda? 
We didn't climb this volcano. 
We climbed one that we're going to talk about today. 
OK. Well, we're going to learn about another volcano today. 
Let's get started with the first reading - Beyond Bali. 
(Music). 
Beyond Bali. 
We continued to Moni for a short sleep before arising at 4:00 a.m. to hike up Mount Kelimutu, Flores' three-colored wonder. 
The volcano erupted in 1886, leaving three lakes at its peak. 
Originally, red, blue and white in color, the lakes have changed to turquoise, blue/green and black. 
The view not only of the crater lakes but also of the surrounding countryside can only be described as stunning. 
We hated to leave but had to begin our drive north, so we grudgingly made our way down the mountain. 
(Music). 
Well, if you do have your magazine, let's start at the beginning. 
Linda wrote: 
We continued to Moni for a short sleep before arising at 4:00 a.m. to hike up Mount Kelimutu, Flores' three-colored wonder. 
Linda, you said here that it was a short sleep. 
I want to say that's a nap, but that wasn't a nap, right? 
No. Since it's 4:00 in the morning, it was at night. 
OK. So it's... so you did actually sleep through the night. 
We did. 
OK. Good. All right. 
So usually in the afternoon if you get a short sleep, that would be called a nap. 
But this is a little different. 
So you woke up at 4 a.m. to hike up? 
Right. We started our hike around 4:30 in the morning... and because we wanted to be there for the sunrise. 
This sunrise comes up, it faces the east. 
So there are spectacular pictures that you can get at the top. 
Wow! Well, you would not want to miss this. 
If you have a chance to visit this area, friends, make sure to... to get up at 4 a.m. one morning and go and catch the sunrise. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something different with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
In every language, there are different ways to say the same thing, and there are different ways to write the same thing. 
And each way brings with it a slightly different nuance in meaning. 
For example, what if in the first sentence of today's lesson our author used the simple past tense verb "arose" as in "we arose at 4 a.m."? 
It would be correct but unexciting. 
In using the progressive verb, arising, however, an important nuance of meaning is presented. 
The author is telling us that waking up at 4 a.m. was a process, an ongoing action. 
Which makes perfect sense. 
If I had to get up that early, I think it would take me at least half an hour and many cups of coffee before I was fully awake. 
OK. Another word the author may have considered using is "rising" as in "before rising at 4 a.m.". 
A better choice than "arose" but still not as good as "arising". 
The big difference here is arising's "a-" prefix. 
The "a-" not only strengthens the verb's progressive feel, it acts as an intensifier, giving "arising" a slightly stronger nuance than "rising". 
Great word choice. 
(Chinese). 
Continuing in the article: 
The volcano erupted in 1886, leaving three lakes at its peak. 
So quite a long time ago this volcano erupted. 
It exploded, and it left three lakes at the top, at its peak. 
Linda, what can you tell us about this particular eruption? 
Well, it erupted, and it left three craters behind it. 
And... well, these three different lakes. 
And it also erupted... it erupted through the years. 
It erupted in 1968 and shot water 10 meters out of the lakes that exist there right now. 
And our guide told us that they are expecting another eruption in about 20 years. 
They hope it will leave a fourth crater, but it could destroy the whole volcano. 
Wow! That kind of sounds a little bit dangerous. 
Um, Linda has been talking about this word and using this word "erupt." It's from our Word Bank. 
And that just means that the volcano's top blew off uh, a couple of... well, not a couple of years ago. 
Almost 30 some years ago, Mount St. Helens erupted in America. 
That was a famous volcano that erupted. 
You also might talk about someone who loses their temper as "erupting." They are erupting. 
But today we're talking about this volcano. 
And an eruption is the noun form, E-R-U-P-T-I-O-N. 
Well, um, I guess it does sound a little bit dangerous, but they're expecting another lake to be created from this? 
Well, they hope that another lake will be created. 
If it isn't, then they aren't really sure what will happen. 
They can only be guessing at this point. 
Oh, I see. 
And well, in the article you talk about these lakes. 
And it says originally, red, blue and white in color, the lakes have changed to turquoise, blue/green and black. 
So it sounds like these lakes used to be very vivid colors, and now they've gotten a bit darker. 
Well, that's right. 
Actually, it's because of the chemicals underneath. 
So they've been several different colors. 
These... these are the colors that they are right now. 
But through the years, they've... they've been a variety of colors. 
And in the turquoise lake, which is kind of a light blue color like the color maybe of the sky. 
Sometimes we could see a turquoise sky, or the color of the ocean um, along the shore. 
You can see uh, gold... gold, and you think: What is that? 
It's sulfur in the water. 
Interesting. 
Wow! OK. 
So these lakes have been formed and changing, it seems, over the years. 
And we continue. 
The view not only of the crater lakes but also of the surrounding countryside can only be described as stunning. 
You described these as crater lakes. 
What's a crater, Linda? 
Well, a crater is something that's dug into the ground. 
So we were standing at the peak and we were looking down at three kind of big, big holes. 
And in these holes were the different lakes. 
They're like 67 meters deep. 
One of the lakes is 67 meters deep. 
They're different uh, depths. 
Or each lake is a uh... in different... widths as well. 
OK. Well, craters can also be caused by asteroids or rocks from space. 
When they hit the Earth, they might leave a crater. 
And you said these can only be described as stunning. 
I want to take a look at that phrase there - it is "only be described as" something. 
That means you can't think of any other word to describe something. 
For instance, you might say that restaurant can only be described as too expensive. 
How else might you use that phrase? 
Well, I think you could say the girl's dancing can only be described as graceful. 
And this volcano or these lakes can only be described as stunning. 
We see that word from the Word Bank. 
What does it mean, stunning? 
It means, you know, it's so beautiful, then it kind of takes your... in English we say "it takes your breath away" because you have the green background, 
and you know, we could see quite a distance because we were at the top of a volcano. 
So you could see the mountains in the background, actually the ocean way far away... behind there. 
And then you have these three-colored lakes sitting there. 
Wow, that does sound quite stunning. 
It looks stunning. 
You can describe a scenery as being stunning. 
You can also tell someone: Hey, you look stunning. 
That means they're dressed very nicely. 
They look stunning. 
Carolyn, how does the article continue? 
Well, we see that we hated to leave but had to begin our drive north, so we grudgingly made our way down the mountain. 
So you didn't really want to leave. 
It was very grudgingly that you left. 
Right. If somebody does something grudgingly, it means that they don't really want to do it. 
So if I help you... if you ask me for some help, and I say: OK, I'll help you. 
Right. 
And I... it means I'm not doing it with a very good attitude. 
I'm grudgingly going to help you. 
Right. Well, it seems like your guide knew that there were plenty of other great things to see. 
And so that's what he wanted to take you away. 
And we do have some more things to learn about from Linda and her husband's experiences here. 
First, let's go and take some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.25.B

Well, we've been learning all about Linda and her husband's experiences beyond Bali. 
And today we learned a little bit about their visit to Mount Kelimutu, Flores' three-colored wonder. 
Of course, it originally was blue, red and white. 
And now it is turquoise, blue/green and black. 
There are three lakes there at the top of this volcano. 
It seems like quite an amazing sight. 
We're going to continue learning in the next part of our reading for today. 
Beyond Bali. 
Following a restful sleep in Riung, we hopped aboard a boat and headed to another fantastic park - the Seventeen Island National Reserve. 
We first viewed thousands of flying foxes - fruit bats - before heading to the coral gardens to snorkel to our heart's delight. 
The boat then made its way to one of the island beaches where we barbecued fresh fish. 
Delicious! 
As we headed back to where our journey had begun, we were so glad we had gone beyond Bali. 
(Music). 
All right. Here Linda wrote: 
Following a restful sleep in Riung, we hopped aboard a boat and headed to another fantastic park - the Seventeen Island National Reserve. 
So unlike the sleep before arising at 4 a.m. to go visit Mount Kelimutu, this was a restful sleep. 
And can you tell us a little bit about the Seventeen Island National Reserve? 
Well, actually what's very interesting about the Seventeen Island national Reserve is that, first, it's a protected area. 
So it's a large, very large ocean area that's protected. 
And there are more than seventeen islands. 
There are actually 20... some say 21, some say over 24. 
But they call it the Seventeen Island National Reserve because August 17 is Indonesia's Independence Day. 
And they want to be very supportive. 
So they changed the name to Seventeen Island. 
Interesting. 
The political reasons behind choosing some of these names, the Seventeen Island National Reserve. 
Well, how do we continue, Carolyn? 
Well, we see: We first viewed thousands of flying foxes - fruit bats - before heading to the coral gardens to snorkel to our heart's delight. 
So you got to see even more animals on this trip. 
Fruit bats. 
Yeah. 
There were... there were actually thousands of them. 
And they were not little ones. 
They were big ones. 
And there's call... also called sun bats because you can see them during the day very, very easily. 
They were flying around. 
They... some of... sometimes their wingspan was maybe a couple of feet. 
Wow! 
And they go... actually they leave the island that they're on and go over to the main island to eat sometimes. 
So the farmers have to be very careful because they can eat their whole fruit crop. 
Wow! 
Pineapple and bananas. 
OK. These fruit bats, or flying foxes; I guess they have lots of names. 
Um, I don't know if I want to see one up close. 
But I would like to see this... these coral gardens and also... snorkel to my heart's delight. 
Let's talk about that word from the Word Bank. 
It is "coral." Carolyn, what is coral? 
Well, a coral is a type of animal in the ocean. 
And when it dies, it forms coral. 
And it's very beautiful. 
There are many coral reefs. 
What kind of coral were you able to see? 
Well, there... there were many kinds of coral that we saw. 
And actually, it was near one island out in the middle of the ocean. 
And the coral was on the ocean floor. 
So um, it's... well, shallow here where the boats all docked... or they didn't dock, they anchored at ocean... in the ocean. 
And then towards our left maybe about 100 feet over was a drop-off where you went way down into the ocean. 
And that whole area was covered with all kinds of coral. 
Wow! That sounds really beautiful. 
Actually, well, was it like a... was it a stunning sight under the water here? 
It was a stunning sight under the water. 
And that's why they call it "coral garden" because it's not just like around the... around the island as sometimes we see it. 
But it actually was covering a whole large area under the ocean. 
All right. 
Well, Linda says she can coral... I mean snorkel in this coral to her heart's delight. 
If you do something to your heart's delight, that means you do as much as you want to. 
Well, how do we continue, Carolyn? 
We see: The boat then made its way to one of the island beaches where we barbecued fresh fish. 
Delicious! 
So it sounds like, Linda, you were able to go back and have a very nice meal after a long day of enjoying your time on this island. 
Actually we went to another island in the Seventeen National Park Reserve and barbecued fish. 
It was actually a whole lunch that we had. 
And we also snorkeled while we were there as well. 
We... we uh, barbecued snapper and grouper and had... oh, it... it was a feast. 
Wow! That sounds delicious. 
It does sound delicious. 
And I think we have some more pictures from your trip that we can look at right now. 
(Music). 
Wow! Those are some stunning photos. 
Well, we have one more sentence here in our lesson: 
As we headed back to where our journey had begun, we were so glad we had gone beyond Bali. 
And Linda, Carolyn and I are also very happy you went beyond Bali because now we have a little glimpse of what this place is like. 
That's right. 
And it's been really great having you join us the past couple of days to talk about your experiences. 
Now in this last sentence we see: as we headed back. 
And earlier you wrote: the boat then made its way. 
And these are two ways to describe where you're going or how you're going to get there. 
You can head somewhere or you can make your way somewhere. 
Now how do you feel about the entirety of your trip? 
Well, it was a fabulous trip. 
And you know, I wanted to do something adventuresome. 
And we... we went to Bali a few years ago... actually about 15 years ago. 
And we wanted to go somewhere else in Indonesia. 
And I'd always had... and feeling that I wanted to go see the Komodo dragons and also to see Flores. 
You need to be adventuresome. 
You need to... to book a tour online or at least book a guide online and hire a driver. 
And then they can take you where you want to go. 
There are package tours. 
Or you can actually kind of streamline, or you know, change the tour that they offer, which we did a little bit, to do what you want to do. 
And also remember to be prepared. 
This is not like a five-star resort... area that you're going to. 
You're going to Flores. 
It is just beginning to develop. 
I... we took um, hand towels, and we took a little bit of soap, and we took some wash cloth with us. 
And we were kind of glad that we did. 
Well, it sounds like you did have quite an adventure. 
And it is really important to be prepared. 
It sounds like some of those hotels might not have everything that you need. 
Well, now it's time to go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our teachers are doing now. 
Well, we've learned a lot about Linda and her husband's experiences beyond Bali. 
But I have a feeling that she couldn't write about all of her experiences here in our lesson. 
Am I right, Linda? 
You are very right. 
We have such limited space and time that I only wrote about the big things that we did. 
We also stopped at a beach along the southern part of Flores and saw Blue Stone Beach. 
And that's all that comes up there are blue stones. 
And they actually sell them to Japan. 
And we stopped at our driver's home. 
That's very rare. 
He was... we were going through his village. 
And he wanted to stop off and do something at this house. 
And all the village kids came over, and we took photos with them. 
It was very, very fun. 
That is so cool. 
So it was a very exciting trip. 
Yeah. 
It sounds like a very exciting trip. 
And now I really want to go to Flores. 
Well, thank you very much for joining us on Studio Classroom to talk about this article. 
And we hope that everyone else will join us again next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.04.26.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for our lesson called The Greatest Races. 
Well, I know that many people do enjoy running. 
Many people enjoy exercising and racing with other people or against other people. 
So I wonder if you have ever joined a race, and maybe what's the furthest you have ever run. 
Or have you ever joined a race? 
Carolyn, what about you? 
Well, the furthest I've ever run was probably 8 kilometers. 
And that was at the gym, not in a race. 
But I have been able to watch several races, several marathons actually, and take pictures of my friends as they crossed the finish line. 
Well, hey, that's great to know because the next time I'm in a race, maybe you can take some pictures as I cross the finish line. 
Well, if you let me know when your race is, I would be happy to take some pictures for you. 
All right. 
Well, maybe I will run one of these great races one day. 
We're going to get started with the first reading of our lesson today - The Greatest Races. 
The Greatest Races. 
Races around the world push runners to their limits. 
An exhausted runner raced into the Greek city of Athens. 
It was 490 B.C. 
The man had come from the town of Marathon to deliver a message. 
The Greeks had won a battle against an attacking army. 
The runner reached Athens and shouted, "Greetings, we win!" before falling down, dead. 
This story may or may not be true. 
However, because of it, people run 42,195-meter races - the distance between Marathon and Athens. 
These athletic events are called marathons. 
Well, at the beginning of our article, we see races around the world push runners to their limits. 
And this is a very great phrase: to push someone to their limits. 
"Push to one's limits" is a phrase we do want to look at. 
And if you are pushed to your limits, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that means you are doing something a little more challenging than you have done in the past. 
So you are pushed to your limits. 
You think it's all you can do, but then you actually do some more. 
So some races will push you to your limits if you are a runner. 
How else might you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, a competition can also push someone to their limits. 
If you are pushed to your limits, then you are at the very edge, you don't think you can go any further. 
And a race like this, a very long race, can certainly push you to your physical limits. 
That's right. 
Of course, you're talking about physical limits. 
There might be other limits as well. 
You think you can only study for so long. 
Or maybe you think you can only take so many classes during a semester. 
And you push yourself to your limits, and you work really, really hard in school. 
I think many students also push themselves to their limits. 
Maybe they even push their limits back. 
Well, how do we get started here, Carolyn? 
Well, we do learn about someone who pushed his limits. 
We see an exhausted runner raced into the Greek city of Athens. 
And here we have a key word, the word "exhausted." If something is exhausted, then it is out of energy. 
It is very, very tired. 
So here are the runner was exhausted. 
He had no more energy left. 
Well, do you ever feel exhausted? 
You might say, "I'm so exhausted." I've been working hard all day on a project. 
Now I am exhausted. 
I was in a bicycle race not too long ago. 
And we rode for about 80 kilometers. 
I was exhausted by the end of the day. 
But I'm really glad that I joined the race. 
So you can be exhausted from exercising or doing something physically. 
You might also be exhausted from talking. 
And if I keep talking, I might feel very exhausted. 
So Carolyn, please say something. 
Well, there are things that can make you feel very tired, very exhausted. 
And we see in our article, it was 490 B.C. 
So this was a very long time ago. 
And the man... had come from the town of Marathon to deliver a message. 
And what was his message, Gabe? 
The Greeks had won a battle against an attacking army. 
So they won. 
There were some enemies attacking them. 
And then the runner reached Athens and shouted, "Greetings, we win!" before falling down, dead. 
Well, that is one great thing to say before you die, I guess. 
Carolyn, should we talk about one of those words? 
Yes, we should. 
When the runner arrived in Athens, he said "Greetings!" And "greetings" is a very interesting word here. 
It's not one that I hear too often now. 
But greetings is a kind of greeting. 
It's another way to say hello. 
So if you say "Greetings," you are greeting someone. 
You are saying hello to them. 
That's right. 
So you might talk about maybe season's greetings. 
Some cards during Christmastime will say "Season's Greetings." That's kind of a special way to say hi to somebody. 
Or you could say: Hey, please send greetings for me. 
I can't go with you to visit, but please send greetings for me. 
That's right. 
So there are some ways to use this. 
And you can try using this instead of hello. 
You can say greetings. 
And continuing on in our article, we see this story may or may not be true. 
So we aren't sure if this actually happened or if it's just a story. 
However, because of it, people run 42,195-meter races - the distance between Marathon and Athens. 
That is an incredible distance to run. 
He ran a long time. 
Well, the next sentence says these athletic events are called marathons. 
All right. 
So why is it called marathon? 
Because one of the places is called Marathon. 
Well, let's take a look at that word. 
It is "marathon." Of course, it was just originally the name of a place. 
But now it's a long race that is 42,195 meters long. 
Or about 42 kilometers is what they usually run in a modern marathon. 
That's right. 
Well, have you ever run a marathon? 
Carolyn, I don't think you have. 
Have you? 
I have not, but I have had the experience of going to watch my friend run in a marathon. 
And she actually placed fourth or fifth, I think. 
So it was very, very exciting. 
Well, that is really cool. 
I have never participated in a marathon, either. 
But I think maybe I'll start with a half marathon. 
They're other kind of races. 
A half marathon, of course, it's half as long as a marathon. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll visit Michelle. 
There are, in fact, two roads that go from the Greek town of Marathon to the capital of Athens. 
One is exactly 34.5 kilometers long. 
And the other is 40.8 kilometers long. 
So you might ask: Where does 42.195 kilometers, the official distance of a modern marathon, come from? 
Well, it does seem pretty random, doesn't it? 
I mean, couldn't marathon organizers have chosen a simpler number for the race distance, something like 40 kilometers? 
Well, for many years, they did. 
In the 1896, 1900 and 1904 Olympic Games, 40 kilometers was the official marathon distance. 
But then the distance got wacky. 
And here's why. 
In 1908, the Summer Olympic Games were held in London, England. 
Of course, the British royal family wanted to have a good view of the race. 
And naturally, the Olympic officials wanted to make the King and Queen happy. 
Right. 
So the marathon was to start at Windsor Castle and finish right in front of the royal family's viewing box. 
But to make that happen, the race distance had to be extended 2.195 kilometers. 
And somehow, it stuck. 
Now the awkward-sounding 42.195 kilometers is the official Olympic marathon distance. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.26.B

If you're just joining us in the first part of our lesson today, we learned about a runner who ran from the city of Marathon to Athens, 
which was just a little over 42,000 meters. 
And he yelled, "Greetings, we win!" There was a war or a battle, and the Greeks won. 
And so that distance between Marathon and Athens gave us the distance for our modern-day marathons. 
Well, we're going to learn a little bit more about these great races in the second part of our reading today. 
The Greatest Races. 
The first marathon held in 1896, was a selection race for the first modern Olympics. 
It had about a dozen runners. 
But more races, including the Olympic marathon, soon followed. 
The next year, the first annual marathon was run in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 
Today about 800 marathons take place in cities every year. 
Location, location, location. 
Running a marathon is extremely difficult. 
But some runners can enjoy the sights as they go. 
Marathons in Paris and London take runners past these famous cities' most impressive landmarks. 
It would be very interesting to run through these different cities. 
Well, we see at the beginning of this reading: 
The first marathon held in 1896, was a selection race for the first modern Olympics. 
So this was a special race. 
We hadn't really started having marathons as competitions. 
It was a selection race for the Olympics. 
That's right, a selection race. 
And when you select something, that means you are choosing something. 
So maybe they were choosing who would be the first Olympic runners. 
We find that it had about a dozen runners. 
So about 12 runners were in this selection race. 
So not very many people were participating in marathons at this time. 
But then we continue to see: 
But more races, including the Olympic marathon, soon followed. 
So there were many more marathons to occur later. 
And the Olympics even now has a marathon event. 
That's right. 
Well, we continue. 
The next year, the first annual marathon was run in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 
So in 1896 was that selection race. 
And the next year, 1897, was the first marathon, or the first annual marathon. 
That means that's the first time it started happening on a yearly basis. 
That's right. 
And today about 800 marathons take place in cities every year. 
So we went from having just one marathon as a selection race for the Olympics to having about 800 marathons a year. 
That is a lot. 
So that means there are many places in the world that you can go and participate in a marathon. 
Or if you don't want to participate, you can go and stand on the sidelines and take pictures and cheer your friends on while they run their marathons. 
That's right. 
It is a lot of fun to go to a marathon and to watch just as someone who enjoys watching a race. 
It is a very great time. 
Well, let's go to the next section. 
It has three words that are all the same: Location, location, location. 
Running a marathon is extremely difficult. 
Whoa. Yeah, that's easy to believe. Right, Carolyn? 
I think so. 
It is very easy to believe that running a marathon is difficult. 
It takes a lot of training and practice. 
That's right. 
But we continue. 
But some runners can enjoy the sights as they go. 
The sights... Uh, what are we talking about here, Carolyn? 
Well, those would be things that you can see while you're running. 
"The sights as you go," it means that you are able to look at things while you are running this race. 
And it's a pretty long race, so you should be able to see a lot of things. 
Well, I hope so. 
Actually, that's one of the nicest things about not running around a track. 
If you're actually running outside in nature or through a city, there are many things to see. 
There are many sights. 
That's right. 
And in our article we see: 
Marathons in Paris and London take runners past these famous cities' most impressive landmarks. 
So if you participate in a marathon in London or Paris, or maybe some other cities, you will get to run past some of their very impressive landmarks. 
And a landmark is a word that we want to talk about today. 
If something is a landmark, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, a landmark is something that most people recognize or it is noticeable. 
It's a noticeable place on... in a place or like on a map. 
So there are some very big landmarks. 
Like in Paris, I can imagine one of the most famous landmarks is the Eiffel Tower. 
What's another famous landmark that you might see in one of these cities, Carolyn? 
Well, I know that if you come to Taipei, you would see Taipei 101. 
It is a very famous landmark here. 
But landmarks can also be part of nature. 
If you go to the Grand Canyon, that is also a very famous landmark. 
That's right. 
You don't have to just talk about landmarks as being something big and famous. 
Maybe you're trying to give directions to one of your friends to get to your house. 
And there is a more noticeable place in your neighborhood. 
Oh, you need to turn left at the post office. 
Everyone knows where the post office is. 
That is a landmark in our neighborhood. 
That's right. 
So there are many different kinds of landmarks. 
And if you run a marathon in a big city like Paris or London, 
you should be able to see some of their very, very famous landmarks that many tourists want to visit. 
All right. 
Well, it's time for us right now to visit a review skit... or have fun with a review skit. 
And then we'll see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Oh. You look exhausted. 
I am. I'm getting ready to run a marathon. 
A marathon? Well, what is that? 
A marathon is a... very long race. 
Exactly how long is a marathon? 
It's 42,195 meters. 
Wow! That is long. 
But why is it 42,195 meters? 
Well, it all started about 490 B.C. 
A man was running to deliver a message. 
Oh, like a messenger? 
Yes. He was running to Athens, Greece, from a town called Marathon. 
Oh. So how far did he have to run? 
He ran 42,195 meters. 
Oh, so that's where the name marathon comes from? 
Yes, the name and the distance. 
Oh. So what news did the messenger bring? 
Well, he brought news of a battle. 
He raced into Athens and shouted. 
Well, what did he shout? 
What was the message? 
Greetings! We win! 
Wow! That was good news. 
Yes. 
But then he fell down, dead. 
Oh. Well, that's bad news. 
Yes. 
Hey, did that really happen? 
Well, the story may or may not be true. 
However, because of it, people run the distance between Marathon and Athens. 
Oh, 42,195 meters. 
That's right. 
And it's called a marathon. 
Wow! A marathon. 
That's interesting. 
And... exhausting. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
Today we've learned a little bit about the history of the marathon and how it got its name. 
We've also talked a little bit about places that you can run marathons through big cities and some of the impressive landmarks you might see. 
And I wonder: Would you want to run a marathon? 
What do you think, Gabe? 
Would you be interested in running a marathon? 
Well, yeah. That does interest me. 
I think I would have to prepare well for it by exercising months in advance. 
But let me tell you, I do like the kind of marathon that Steve and Ken were talking about in the Information Cloud. 
Maybe like a movie marathon where I watch many movies back to back. 
That sounds a little more appealing to me, Carolyn. 
Well, that is a different kind of marathon. 
And if you want to run a marathon in one of these races, 
you should definitely take time to train and make sure that your body is able to handle running such a long distance. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn about marathons tomorrow in the rest of our lesson. 
So we'll see you then. 
(Music).

2013.04.27.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for the second day of our lesson called The Greatest Races. 
We're talking all about marathons. 
We learned about the origin of the marathon yesterday. 
And we're going to be talking a little bit more about marathons today. 
Well, I do wonder: Do you think that running a marathon is a good way to explore new cities? 
Maybe there are some place you've never been to before. 
Is running a marathon a good way to explore that place? 
Well, I think that if you aren't too worried about how fast you run the race and you take your time, you can definitely enjoy some of the things around you. 
We talked about seeing impressive landmarks in different cities yesterday. 
And if you aren't too concerned about placing in the race or running very fast, you could certainly enjoy those things. 
Hmm, so you want to take your time. 
Well, maybe then you could walk a marathon instead of run a marathon. 
You could take your camera with you and go and see all of these sights. 
That's a more relaxing way to get through a marathon. 
Well, we are going to learn more about marathons today. 
So let's get started with the first reading of the day. 
The Greatest Races. 
Stepping into history. 
At the Great Wall Marathon in Tianjin, China, racers can run along the Great Wall of China. 
The route also takes them through beautiful villages and rice fields. 
Running this race can take 50 percent longer than most marathons because of the wall's steep steps. 
Signaled by the sun. 
One unusual marathon took place on November 14, 2012, in Port Douglas, Australia. 
That day, there was a total solar eclipse. 
The sun's appearance after the eclipse marked the beginning of the race. 
(Music). 
Well, the heading of this section is called Stepping into history. 
Now I don't usually think of history as something that I use my legs to step into. 
But this is a good way to use English, or a good way that you can use English. 
Stepping into history. 
It's like you're traveling into the past - to step into something. 
How else might you use that phrase? 
Well, if you step into something, it does mean that you enter it. 
So if you step into history, it's like you enter a different time. 
You could also step into a book, or step into a movie. 
It means that you get a greater understanding of those things. 
Carolyn, I really appreciated when you stepped into my life and stepped into the life here at Studio Classroom. 
So you can step into someone's life or enter into a book or a movie like that - stepping into it. 
Well, we're stepping into history. 
And our first sentence here is: 
At the Great Wall Marathon in Tianjin, China, racers can run along the Great Wall of China. 
That is so cool. 
That sounds like a really impressive race, a very interesting race to be able to run along the Great Wall of China. 
It's certainly very different from other marathons. 
That's right. 
Well, it would be an impressive race with lots of wonderful scenery, I'm sure. 
The route also takes them through beautiful villages and rice fields. 
All right. Well, let's talk about that word from the Word Bank. 
It is "route." A route is the way that you get somewhere. 
That's right. 
It is where you go and how you get to your destination. 
Which route should you take? 
What is the best route to get to the end of this race? 
And a lot of times when you run a marathon, they will give you a map that tells you which route you are supposed to go. 
All right. 
There may be many different routes you could take. 
Some people like to take the scenic route. 
That's another way of saying it's a route that maybe takes longer, but it has nice scenery, the scenic route. 
Well, we can take a route through beautiful villages and rice fields. 
And how do we continue this, Carolyn? 
Well, we see that running this race can take 50 percent longer than most marathons because of the wall's steep steps. 
So if you're running up the Great Wall of China and then down the Great Wall of China, there are many, many stairs. 
And it is quite steep. 
All right. It's very steep. 
If something is steep, it can be kind of difficult to go up. 
All right. 
Well, we're going to go to the next section here. 
It's called Signaled by the sun. 
This is an unusual marathon. 
But let's take a look at that word "signal." It's from our Word Bank. 
And if you signal something, what does that mean? 
Well, it means that there is some sort of gesture or a sound that means something to someone else, so. 
One signal might be in traffic. 
If you're driving and you see a red light, that is a signal for you to stop. 
And a green light is a signal for you to go. 
Good. So that's one kind of signal. 
Uh, maybe you can use your hands to signal somebody as well. 
You can use your hands to say "Go away." Or you can signal to come closer. 
There are different kinds of signals. 
And as you have noticed, Carolyn and I have been using this word as both a verb and a noun. 
So this section is called Signaled by the sun. 
Why? 
Well, we see in our article. 
One unusual marathon took place on November 14, 2012, in Port Douglas, Australia. 
And the reason this marathon was unusual is because that day there was a total solar eclipse. 
Now if you have a solar eclipse, that's a very special event. 
And we want to talk about that word, "solar eclipse." That is something that happens when the moon comes between the sun and the Earth. 
So you can't see the sun. 
That's right. 
So that's a solar eclipse. 
Sometimes this happens only in part. 
Maybe only part of the moon will cover some of the sun, so you can still see a lot of the sun. 
But this is a total solar eclipse. 
So it's like the moon really pass right in front of the sun. 
Quite a special event, a solar eclipse. 
Well, I just want to remind you. 
They can be exciting to learn about or to read about, a solar eclipse. 
But if you have a chance to see a solar eclipse, do not look directly at the sun. 
There are other ways to experience a solar eclipse. 
That's right. And well, we see about this marathon and the solar eclipse that happened on this day, 
the sun's appearance after the eclipse marked the beginning of the race. 
So when the moon came in front of the sun, that was the eclipse. 
And as the moon passed away and you could see the sun again, the race started. 
That was the signal to begin the race. 
That's right. 
That's another way to say it marked the beginning of the race. 
It started the race. 
So you can use that word "mark." This day marks our anniversary. 
Or this day marks the first day that we came to this city. 
And just as we see here: The sun's appearance marked the beginning of the race. 
Well, it's time for us to learn some more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.27.B

In the first part of our article today, we stepped into history and took a route along the Great Wall of China. 
There was a great marathon run there, one of the great races in the world. 
And you can actually run along the steep steps of the Great Wall and through rice fields and other areas around China. 
It's a very interesting race. 
Well, we have much more to learn about marathons in our next reading. 
So let's read that now. 
The Greatest Races. 
Extra help. 
Most marathons provide water for runners, but some go the extra mile. 
The Little Rock Marathon in Arkansas, USA, has a "lipstick station" near the end. 
It helps female runners look great for photos after the race. 
And in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, marathon runners can enjoy country music. 
Fifty groups perform on 28 stages set up along the route. 
For people around the world, running a marathon is a challenging but satisfying experience. 
A very satisfying article. 
Well, let's get started with this section here. 
It says: Extra help. 
Extra help. 
Well, our sentence says: Most marathons provide water for runners, but some go the extra mile. 
And it's true. 
If you do participate in a long race, there will be water stations where you can drink some water. 
But what does it mean to go the extra mile, Carolyn? 
Well, this is a really great phrase. 
And I like that the author used it here because we're talking about a race. 
And a lot of times we measure that in kilometers or miles. 
And so if you go the extra mile, it means you go further than you needed to. 
You go an extra distance - an extra mile. 
So if you go the extra mile, you might say: 
Well, it was so nice of you to go the extra mile and show us around the city and take off of work for an entire day. 
You really didn't need to. 
That's right. 
Or maybe your parents told you to wash the dishes. 
And so you did, you wash the dishes. 
And then they came home, and they see that the whole house is clean. 
They might say: Wow! We just told you to wash the dishes, but you went the extra mile and you cleaned the whole place. 
So that's what it means to go the extra mile. 
It's always a good thing. 
And in some of these marathons, people go the extra mile. 
And how do they do that, Carolyn? 
Well, we see: The Little Rock Marathon in Arkansas, USA, has a "lipstick station" near the end. 
And this is going the extra mile if they have a lipstick station. 
And that's a word we want to talk about. 
Lipstick in a kind of makeup that a lot of women will put on their lips. 
You see the word "lip" in this word "lipstick." Uh, Gabe, how else can you use this word? 
Well, I would say I don't wear lipstick. 
That's how I use this word. 
But I do use chapsticks sometimes. 
I actually have some chapstick in my pocket. 
And chapstick is for when your lips get too dry. 
It's not lipstick. 
It's chapstick. 
And as Carolyn said, many women like to use lipstick when they go out. 
Or maybe there's a fancy dinner or something special going on, they might wear special lipstick. 
That's right. 
So lipstick will add some color to your lips. 
You can get many different colors of lipstick. 
And here in this marathon, there's actually a lipstick station. 
Well, why is there a lipstick station, Gabe? 
This is really interesting to me. 
It helps female runners look great for photos after the race. 
Wow! OK. 
So if you want to look like you did not just enter a marathon and race in a marathon, you can go to a lipstick station and then look just like you do in any other photo. 
You can go and take pictures after your marathon. 
Well, this is definitely going the extra mile since it's the first time I've ever heard of a lipstick station at a marathon. 
But it's a pretty nice idea because if you ran 42 kilometers, you're probably very hot, very tired, exhausted. 
And you might not want to have your picture taken. 
So a lipstick station could help you feel more comfortable with having your picture taken as you cross the finish line. 
Hmm. I wonder if there's like a comb station for guys so they can comb their hair to look nice for photos. 
Well, we continue. 
And in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, marathon runners can enjoy country music. 
Well, that sounds really cool, actually. 
Yes. Country music is very popular in Tennessee. 
A lot of famous country artists come from that state. 
And we see that 50 groups perform on 28 stages set up along the route. 
So there are many, many performers all along the route of the race. 
That's right. 
And they're performing on these 28 different stages. 
That's actually quite a lot. 
It seems like you're never without music when you're running a marathon there. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
The Greek word "marathon" literally means a place with fennels. 
But ever since that epic run 2,500 years ago, the word is now associated with long-distance foot races. 
In our more modern times, you might hear the word "marathon" being used as an adjective to describe a very long event or activity. 
The activity could be tedious, like a marathon study session, or fun, like a weekend movie marathon. 
Right. 
Some time ago, a clever person decided to cut the word "marathon" up, take the second half of the word and place it behind the verb "walk". 
The new word "walkathon" came to mean a long-distance walking event, organized to raise money for charity. 
Now since then, other verbs have been used in place of "walk," making new ways to raise funds for good causes, like "bike" for bikeathon. 
Other such charitable events aren't so much long distance as they are long duration, like danceathons, skateathons and telethons. 
OK, telethon's T-E-L-E prefix gives us the clue that the event has a connection with television. 
So a telethon is a very long television program aired for the purpose of raising money for charity. 
(Chinese). 
In the last sentence of our article today we see: 
For people around the world, running a marathon is a challenging but satisfying experience. 
And I think running a marathon really is a challenge. 
What do you think, Gabe? 
Well, it's true. 
It is quite a challenge. 
It can be challenging to run that long race, but it is a satisfying experience. 
So many things in life are like that. 
They're difficult. 
You don't really know if you can do it. 
But once you're finished, you feel satisfied, and you're very happy that you did. 
Can you think of anything in life that is like this, Carolyn? 
Well, it's not easy trying to learn another language, but it is very satisfying. 
I spent a lot of time trying to learn Chinese. 
And it's been a big challenge. 
But I've made a lot of progress, and I feel very satisfied with the results. 
Well, that is a great example. 
I think something for me that is challenging but also satisfying is teaching. 
I enjoy teaching different things. 
I enjoy teaching English, of course. 
I also teach the Bible. 
And I like to teach drums. 
And it's challenging to teach sometimes because sometimes there's miscommunication. 
But of course, it is satisfying when you can see your students are developing and growing. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
And then will visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hello, friends. 
How are you doing today? 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
In our SPORTS article today we read: 
For people around the world, running a marathon is a challenging but satisfying experience. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the sentence pattern: 
[subject] is a [adjective 1] but [adjective 2] [object]. 
In today's sentence, we see that running a marathon is a challenging experience, but running a marathon is also a satisfying experience. 
It is challenging but also satisfying. 
Put them together and you get the sentence we have in the article. 
So can you think of things that have qualities that seem to be opposites? 
For example: 
Carl is a pleasant but inexperienced office worker. 
Or: Terrance's parrot is a beautiful but vicious bird. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now, back to our lesson. 
We've learned about some pretty interesting marathons in today's lesson. 
And I wonder which one of these marathons seems most interesting to you. 
Carolyn, what do you think about this? 
Well, all of the marathons we've learned about the past two days had been very interesting. 
But I think the one I like the most was the one in Australia with the solar eclipse. 
The start of the race was signaled by the sun. 
And I think that it's such a unique way to start the race that I'm kind of sad I missed it. 
Well, you could probably describe that race as a once-in-a-lifetime experience because a total solar eclipse doesn't happen very often. 
I also really enjoy the idea of listening to a lot of bands as I run my marathon, although I would probably choose jazz music instead of country music. 
But these races are all very interesting. 
If you have a chance to run a marathon, maybe you can do one in a special area like we learned about in today's lesson. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And we hope to see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you later. 
See you.

2013.04.29.A

Hi, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for our BUSINESS lesson this month. 
It's called Location, Location, Location. 
Yes, three times "location." That means it must be pretty important where your business is, what the location is. 
Well, what does make a business good or bad, or what... what location is good or bad for a business? 
Carolyn, what do you think? 
Well, I think it's very important that people can find your business easily. 
If it's around the corner behind another building, it could be very difficult to find. 
So you want to have a place of business that is easy for people to get to. 
All right. You want it to be easy for people to get to your business. 
What else could be good about a good location? 
Well, maybe a bad location is somewhere that is around other stores that you don't really want to go. 
Or maybe it's in a dangerous neighborhood. 
You don't want to go to a business in a dangerous neighborhood. 
So if you have a business, think about these things. 
And of course, we have to learn a lot more in today's lesson. 
Let's get started. 
(Music). 
Location, Location, Location. 
Choosing the right location can be the most important decision a business makes. 
Business is great! 
Ben and Sandy Johnson's new company is doing well, and they are thinking about moving the business to a new location. 
Hi, Ben. 
How's Sandy? 
She's great, Uncle Bob. 
And the business? 
It's actually going very well. 
We've had a surge of new customers, and we're thinking about moving to a new office. 
That's great news, Ben! 
Where? 
We're looking at a bunch of locations, but we haven't decided on one yet. 
Choosing a location is the most important decision many businesses ever make. 
I know the right location can make or break a business, but it can't be that hard to find a good spot. 
(Music). 
All right. 
We're enjoying this conversation between Uncle Bob and Ben. 
At the very beginning of our lesson, we see a sentence: 
Choosing the right location can be the most important decision a business makes. 
So it seems like it's a pretty important decision. 
But there are many important decisions that businesses have to make. 
And that is what we are talking about in this series about Ben and his Uncle Bob. 
That's right. 
Well, we see another thing. 
Business is great! 
We found out about Ben and Sandy. 
Ben and Sandy Johnson's new company is doing well, and they're thinking about moving the business to a new location. 
All right. 
That's what today's lesson is all about - moving their business. 
So let's get started with this conversation. 
Um, would you rather be Uncle Bob or Ben, Carolyn? 
I would like to be Ben today. Thank you. 
All right. Good. 
Uncle Bob. 
Hi, Ben. How's Sandy? 
She's great. 
And the business? 
It's actually going very well. 
We've had a surge of new customers, and we're thinking about moving to a new office. 
Well, this is a very nice conversation so far. 
And we've got a great key word right there in Ben's line. 
He said "surge" - a surge of new customers. 
A surge of something is when something comes in greater power or more numbers, a surge. 
Right. 
So here he has had an increase in customers. 
And usually I think of a surge as something that happens very quickly. 
So you might have a surge in production. 
You get things done very quickly, and you're able to do lots of things in that time. 
That's right. 
And then you go back to your normal pace sometimes. 
Or maybe there's a surge in electricity. 
Maybe there's such a great surge that the power goes out. 
It was too much to handle. 
There are different ways to use this word. 
And Ben is talking about a surge of new customers. 
That is great for business. 
It is great for business. 
And we see that he's thinking about moving to a new office. 
If you have a lot of customers, you should think about your location, you might need to change. 
And so Uncle Bob continues by asking: 
That's great news, Ben! Where? 
We're looking at a bunch of locations, but we haven't decided on one yet. 
Yes. Of course it can be difficult to decide. 
Well, there's a word in that sentence, "bunch." A bunch means several or maybe even handful. 
You saw that word "handful" earlier this month. 
And a bunch could also be described as many, several, some or a handful. 
That's right. 
Well, they are looking at a bunch of different locations, many locations, and they haven't made a decision where they want to go yet. 
All right. 
Well, Uncle Bob says: 
Choosing a location is the most important decision many businesses ever make. 
Uh, well, this is quite interesting, Carolyn. 
It is quite interesting. 
This is one of the most important decisions that a business can make is its location. 
Exactly. 
Well, Uncle Bob says it is the most important decision. 
If you go back to the top of our lesson, it says the right location can be the most important decision. 
It's a little bit different. 
It seems like Uncle Bob has an opinion here. 
Maybe it's not exactly correct. 
Maybe there are other important decisions. 
But it can be the most important decision. 
That's true. 
We've talked about financing your business and the importance of timing when you decide to have a loan, take out a business loan. 
That is also a very important decision that a business can make. 
OK. So choosing a location is important. 
And oh... how does Ben continue this conversation? 
Oh. Well, he says: 
I know the right location can make or break a business, but it can't be that hard to find a good spot. 
All right, a great sentence, a great line. 
Let's take a look at some of those words there: make or break. 
This is great or bad. 
If something makes your business, that means it... it makes it really good for your business. 
If something breaks your business, that means it's not good for business at all. 
That's right. 
So it can make or break your business. 
You might also say it makes or breaks the deal. 
If you want to make an agreement with something, there might be one certain condition, one thing that has to be done that makes or breaks it. 
All right. 
What else can be made or broken? 
Well, maybe you have a show coming up, and you need to do really well. 
You might say this performance will either make or break my acting career. 
I hope it makes my acting career. 
Well, we see another phrase in this sentence. 
It can't be that hard to find a good spot. 
What does he mean by that? 
Well, it means that he doesn't think it will be too difficult to find a good location. 
It should be pretty easy to find a place that is convenient for him and the other people that want to come to his office. 
That's right. 
Well, you could use that phrase in some other ways, too: it can't be that hard to do something. 
You think math is difficult? 
It can't be that hard to solve your math problem. 
That means I don't think it's... it's that hard. 
There are other ways to use that phrase. 
That's right. 
And he says "a good spot." And here we're just talking about the location. 
"Spot" here means where he is going to locate his business. 
Well, now it's time for us to learn something else with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. 
I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.29.B

Location, location, location. That is what we're talking about in our BUSINESS article today. 
Ben and Sandy Johnson have had some success in their company. 
There has been a surge of new customers. 
So now Ben is talking to his Uncle Bob about some advice on the location of his business because they're thinking of moving their office. 
We have a lot more to learn from Ben and his uncle in the next section of our reading today. 
(Music). 
Location, Location, Location. 
There might be a lot more to it than you think. 
What do you mean? 
Well, most businesses choose their location based on accessibility. 
That makes sense. 
You need lots of customers for your business to grow. 
That's true, but there is more to it than that. 
Like what? 
You don't just need to relocate to a spot near people. 
You need to find a place near the right types of people. 
I guess that is true. 
What's the point of being surrounded by people if they aren't interested in your products? 
Right. 
(Music). 
Well, do you remember before the break, Ben said it can't be that hard to find a good spot? 
Here is Uncle Bob's response to that. 
There might be a lot more to it than you think. 
Oh. So it sounds like Ben might need to consider some other things if there's a lot more to it. 
And that is a really great phrase that Liz wants to tell us about in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In our BUSINESS START-UP article today, we find this statement: 
There might be a lot more to it than you think. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the phrase: a lot more to it. 
This is a common expression that native speakers use to let people know that something is not so simple. 
If you want to tell someone that something is more complicated than they think, then you can use "a lot more to it." For example: 
Fixing this machine was tricky - there's a lot more to it than I thought. 
Or: Becoming a successful actor is not easy at all - there's a lot more to it than most people think. 
And if you turn to today's Grammar Tip section, you'll find more examples there. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, there is more to it than you think. 
What does Ben say? 
Ben says: Why do you mean? 
Well, most businesses choose their locations based on accessibility. 
Oh, based on accessibility. 
So it means to be accessible. 
This is a very great word here, accessibility, from our Word Bank. 
If something is accessible, then it has accessibility. 
It means that you can get to it. 
That's right. 
You can get to it. 
Maybe it's easy to get to if it is accessible. 
It's in a good spot, accessibility. 
Well, you might ask a question: What's the accessibility of the parking lot? 
You're considering buying an apartment or renting an apartment, and you wonder what's the accessibility of the parking lot. 
I need to park my car somewhere close by. 
That's right. 
You could also use it around the office. 
The accessibility of important files is really, really good to know. 
Oh. Where did I put that file? 
I can't find it. 
I need to access it quickly, so I will organize it by putting it in this cabinet for easy accessibility. 
Actually, that's a great point. 
If you are a messy or sloppy person, maybe it's a good idea to organize your things so that things can be more easily accessed. 
There is good accessibility to the things that you need. 
So Uncle Bob thinks that this is important. 
Most businesses choose their locations based on accessibility. 
Again, we see that phrase "based on." If something is based on something, that means it's because of something. 
That's right. 
And Ben responds: That makes sense. 
You need lots of customers for your business to grow. 
Well, hold on a second. 
That makes sense. 
Uh, Ben agrees with Uncle Bob. 
And that's a great phrase to know: That makes sense. 
If someone says something to you, maybe you didn't really think about it before, but you agree. 
You can say: Hey, that makes sense. 
How might you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, it's true. When you agree with something that someone is explaining to you: 
Oh, really? I didn't think of that before, but that really makes sense. 
That makes sense. 
And of course, Ben says that here: 
That makes sense. 
You need lots of customers for your business to grow. 
Of course! A business needs customers. 
Here's what Uncle Bob says: 
That's true, but there's more to it than that. 
Wait, he... he's repeating something that he said before, Carolyn. 
Yes, he is. 
That's true. 
And that makes sense. 
That is true, but there's more to it. 
So there are still things that his nephew needs to think about. 
There's a lot more to it than just finding a good spot. 
And there's a lot more to it than just customers. 
Well, we have more to our lesson. 
Right now we're going to enjoy some time with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
If you were to go through this month's BUSINESS lesson and count all the words that have the "T-H" sound, you'd find around 50 of them. 
Now we know that more than half of those are function words like the article "the" and pronouns like "them" and "they." But still, 
those 50 words make up over 12 percent of the entire dialogue. 
That's one out of every eight words. 
Which tells us if we want to be proficient in speaking English, we must come to grips with the tricky "T-H" sound. 
Yes. For many English language learners, pronouncing the "T-H" sound is not easy. 
So often a word like "thinking" turns into a "sinking," and "that" turns into "dat". 
To speak a language fluently, you need accuracy. 
And accuracy comes through practice. 
How should we practice? 
Well, here's a tip. 
Go home and practice speaking English in front of a mirror. 
Also, read something out loud. 
Whenever you meet a word with the "T-H" sound, say it by sticking your tongue between your teeth... just enough so that you can see it. 
Great. 
Now, soon you'll be making the "T-H" sound perfectly without even thinking about it. 
(Chinese). 
Well, before the Information Cloud, Uncle Bob says: 
But there's more to it than that. 
How do we continue? 
Well, Ben responds: Like what? 
Hmm. 
You don't just need to relocate to a spot near people, you need to find a place near the right types of people, Ben. 
Oh. So I need to relocate near the right types of people. 
And we see this word here "relocate." And that is a key word today. 
If you relocate, then you move somewhere else. 
You change your position. 
Have you ever relocated, Gabe? 
Well, yes, I have relocated. 
I am relocating right now to stand right next to you. 
And then I'm going to relocate again to stand where I was standing. 
Well, that is one way to use the word "relocate." But I usually think of it as a bit of a bigger move. 
So maybe you live in the city, and you decide to relocate to the country side, or you relocate to a different city altogether. 
That's right. 
And so you want to relocate. 
If you're a business, you want to relocate to be around the right types of people. 
And I know some businesses, especially some restaurants who have relocated, they were in areas that not many people walked through. 
But now my favorite lamian restaurant is no longer in my neighborhood. 
It's in another neighborhood because there are more people that will go to that restaurant. 
And now the business is doing great all because they relocated. 
So they relocated to an area with the right types of people, not just an area with a lot of people living there. 
Well, Ben continues: 
I guess that is true. 
What's the point of being surrounded by people if they aren't interested in your products? 
Right. 
Very good. 
One word to end that conversation: Right. 
But wait a minute. 
What kind of a question was that? 
And what kind of an answer is that? 
Ben says: What's the point of being surrounded by people if they aren't interested in your products? 
That's called a rhetorical question. 
Maybe there doesn't need to be an answer, yes or no. 
And Uncle Bob understands that. 
So he simply responds with the word "Right." What you said was correct, and I don't have much else to add. 
All right. 
Right! 
Well, it's time for us to continue by learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And it's time to go back to our teachers now. 
Well, we're talking all about location and how important it is for a business. 
Well, I do wonder what kind of business you would like to start if you have not yet started one. 
And where would you locate that business? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I think that I might start a bakery if I were to start a business. 
I love to bake. 
And probably a good location for a bakery is a place near other shops that I can get my baking supplies easily. 
That's a good idea. 
I think, for me... I love sauces. 
I think that sauces can really make food taste delicious. 
I might start a sauce business where I just sell all kinds of sauce. 
And it would be in an area where lots of people live, so they can buy my sauces, take them home and cook with them. 
Well, location is important. 
Where would you put your business? 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we have more to learn from Ben and his Uncle Bob next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.04.30.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for day two of our lesson - Location, Location, Location. 
It is important to have a good location for your business. 
Maybe if your business is not in a good location, you can relocate. 
That's one of the things we talked about yesterday. 
Well, we've enjoyed quite a few conversations between Uncle Bob and Ben about Ben and Sandy's business. 
So what are some other things that we've learned about over the last couple of months, Carolyn? 
Well, we learned about the importance of having a good business plan. 
You need to have a very clear plan of what your business is, what it is going to do and how it's going to work. 
It is important to have a good business plan. 
And of course, we also learned about financing your business. 
Where are you going to get the seed money to start your business? 
You want to make sure you don't undercapitalize. 
You want to make a profit. 
And of course, in this lesson we're talking about how important it is to have a good location. 
Let's get started today with the first reading of our lesson - Location, Location, Location. 
(Music). 
Location, Location, Location. 
What else should I be thinking about? 
You also need to think about your brand image. 
You mean I should think about what the office says about my company? 
Right. 
You need to pick a location that is consistent with the image you want to have. 
OK. That makes sense. 
You can't just think about your customers though. 
You also need to consider your supply chain. 
But our company doesn't really have a supply chain. 
We just build apps for our customers. 
That doesn't mean you aren't reliant on other companies, though. 
A good location can make face-to-face meetings convenient and help avoid misunderstandings. 
(Music). 
We do want to avoid misunderstandings in our business and with our customers. 
At the beginning, Ben has a line asking his Uncle Bob: What else should I be thinking about? 
And of course, I'll be Uncle Bob. 
You also need to think about your brand image. 
Wait a minute, brand image is important. 
Brand image is important. 
If you have a brand image, then that is what people think of when they think of your business or your brand of product. 
What kind of idea do you want people to have about the things that you make? 
That's right. 
You also might think of this as your brand's reputation. 
What is it known for? 
What do people think about when they think of your brand? 
That's your brand image. 
Well, please continue, Ben. 
Oh, thank you. Yes. 
You mean I should think about what the office says about my company? 
Right. 
You need to pick a location that is consistent with the image you want to have. 
Oh. It needs to be consistent with the image that Ben wants to have people think of when they think of his company. 
And this phrase here "consistent with," it's a great little phrase. 
It means that it doesn't change, it stays the same or it matches well. 
All right. 
Well, different things could be consistent with something. 
So you might say uh, someone's character is this person consistent in private and in public. 
Is their character in private consistent with their character in public? 
Different things should be consistent. 
That's right. 
And here Ben wants his company's office to be consistent with the image that people think of when they think of his products. 
So location can affect that image. 
Ben responds: OK. That makes sense. 
You can't just think about your customers though. 
You also need to consider your supply chain. 
Oh. So it's not just about customers. 
There are other things that you have to think about when choosing your location. 
Not just making sure that there are people there who are interested in your products but also about the supply chain. 
Yes, the supply chain. 
Let's take a look at those words from our Word Bank. 
Your supply chain is how you are connected to other businesses that could benefit you, especially financially or other ways. 
They can give you things and give you resources, your supply chain. 
That's right. 
So if you have a business that makes something, like if I were to open a bakery, I would need a supply chain that provided me with the ingredients for my products. 
I would need flour and sugar, and all sorts of other things in order to bake things. 
And those would be my supplies. 
And the businesses I purchas those supplies from would be my supply chain. 
And my supply chain for my sauce shop might include different kinds of sauces or ingredients for those sauces. 
So my supply chain. 
Well, it's very important to think about or consider your supply chain. 
Ben, please continue. 
Yes. Ben continues: But our company doesn't really have a supply chain. 
We just build apps for our customers. 
Hmm, you just build apps for your customers. 
Or you might call those applications - "apps" for short. 
And Uncle Bob continues. 
That doesn't mean you aren't reliant on other companies, though. 
A good location can make face-to-face meetings convenient and help avoid misunderstandings. 
Oh. So even though Ben doesn't really have a supply chain, he might still be reliant on other companies. 
And this is another great word we want to talk about: reliant. 
If you rely on something, then you depend on it. 
You need it to be there. 
That's right. 
You rely on something. 
Well, I have a question for you. 
How reliant on your parents are you? 
Of course, children rely on their parents a lot. 
But the older you get, you become less and less reliant on your parents. 
That is true. 
And Uncle Bob said something else in this uh, section here. 
He said face-to-face meetings would be more convenient and help avoid misunderstandings. 
Now this phrase "face-to-face," if you have a face-to-face meeting, then it is in person. 
Both of you are there, and you are talking to each other. 
It's not over the phone or on the computer through an email, or even through a text message. 
That's right, face-to-face. 
It's important to know when to have face-to-face meetings. 
Of course, something else you could do, another kind of meeting is over Skype. 
Sometimes you might live in a different country, and you need to have meetings over the phone or through Skype or something like that. 
But if possible, if you are in the same city as somebody, you want to be able to have face-to-face meetings because these can really help to avoid misunderstandings. 
That's right. 
And if you have a business that is building apps or making apps for your customers, they might have questions. 
And a face-to-face meeting would be very convenient if you have a good location that they can find you at. 
Well, now it is time for us to have a meeting with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.04.30.B

We've been enjoying a conversation between Ben and his Uncle Bob. 
And of course, one thing we learned about a business location is that you want it to be around the right types of people. 
And earlier in today's lesson, we learned about needing to consider your brand image. 
You want to think about how people view your business when you are choosing a location. 
It's also important to think about your supply chain and are you reliant on other companies. 
You want to be able to have face-to-face meetings with important people. 
Right now it's time for us to continue this conversation. 
(Music). 
Location, Location, Location. 
I guess I should also think about competition. 
Good idea. 
You may be able to pick a location that is near complementary companies rather than those that will compete with you directly. 
Anything else? 
Yes. Happy employees. 
What? 
You should choose a place that gives you access to talented employees and doesn't require them to make long commutes. 
That's good advice, Uncle Bob. 
Thanks. 
I'll have to think about those things. 
I'm happy to help, Ben. 
(Music). 
There certainly are many things to think about when choosing a location. 
And Ben says here: 
I guess I should also think about competition. 
Competition, that's something that you should think about or consider. 
What is competition, of course? 
Well, it's any company that is doing something similar to the company that you are doing. 
So that is your competition. 
That's right. 
So he should avoid choosing a location where other businesses are making apps for their customers. 
If his location is too close to his competitors, he might lose business. 
So Uncle Bob thinks this is a good idea. 
He says: Good idea. 
You may be able to pick a location that is near complementary companies rather than those that will compete with you directly. 
Oh. So I should choose a location near complementary companies. 
Now if something is complementary, that means it's helpful. 
It complements you. 
It adds something good to whatever else you're doing. 
And this is a word from our World Bank today. 
That's right, complementary. 
So if maybe you have a company or a restaurant that sells meals for lunch or dinner, 
a complementary company or a complementary restaurant might sell desserts or just drinks. 
They're not competing with you. 
It's a complementary restaurant. 
What else might be complementary? 
Well, in your example, both businesses were able to benefit from what the other business was doing. 
And that's very important when something is complementary. 
Both businesses are able to succeed, and they don't take away from one another's customers. 
That's right. 
You also might call that a win-win situation. 
You're not losing to each other. 
You're helping each other. 
It's a win-win situation. 
So who continues this conversation? 
Uh, well, Uncle Bob just said don't get a company... or don't go close to a company that will compete with you directly... Ben. 
Oh, yes. 
Anything else? 
Oh, right, a very short line. 
Uncle Bob says: 
Yes. Happy employees. 
Oh, happy employees. 
I guess that would be pretty important with your business, but Ben says: What? 
Well, you should choose a place that gives you access to talented employees and doesn't require them to make long commutes. 
Well, I think that does make a lot of sense, Uncle Bob. 
You do want to have happy employees. 
And you want talented employees - so people working for you that are very skilled at what they are doing. 
We also see a word here at the end of this sentence: commutes. 
You don't want your employees to have to make a long commute to work. 
Tell us about that word a little bit, Gabe. 
Well, yeah, that's right. 
A commute, or your commute is how you get from one place to another. 
Especially talking about work or your career, your commute is maybe the distance that you have to travel and maybe how you travel. 
That is your commute. 
And it's true, some people have a long commute. 
They have to drive in their car for maybe close to an hour to get to and from work. 
That's right. 
And we talk about commutes when you go from one location to... another on a regular basis, 
not just once in a while but something that you do pretty much every day. 
So going to work, going to school, the way that you get to those places each day would be your commute. 
I know when I was working in the U.S., I had a two-hour commute on the bus from where I was staying to the office I was working at. 
Wow! Carolyn, I am very glad you're not there anymore. 
I'm glad you're here. 
It's a little less of a commute. 
Well, friends, this word "commute" is a noun. 
And there's another noun kind of like it. 
It's the person who has to do that commute. 
That's a commuter. 
Maybe you have an employee or a co-worker who lives far away, he would be a commuter. 
He commutes to work every day. 
That's right. 
And you don't have to drive yourself when you commute. 
If you have a long commute, it could be on the bus or on the train. 
That was how I was able to get to work before. 
I commuted on public transportation. 
Well, we don't have to go very far to see Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Location, location, location. 
We repeat it three times for a reason. 
Because it's really, really, really important. 
It is. 
In fact, it's real estate's number one rule. 
A house's value depends on its location. 
Of course, things that make a location good are somewhat subjective because everyone has different tastes and needs. 
But here are a few things that are pretty common. 
OK. For many home buyers, especially young couples, 
a good location is a home located in a good school district because they'll want their kids to have a good education. 
Naturally. 
Next on the list: living near public transportation or as close to work as possible. 
Right. 
It's worth paying extra for a house that's near a subway station if it could save you from being stuck in traffic two hours today. 
Of course, the things that make a location bad are easier to agree on, like a rundown neighborhood with a high crime rate. 
Or living next to railroad tracks, freeways, a busy airport or a nuclear power plant. 
These dangerous and noisy locations leave little chance to enjoy any peace and quiet. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, we're enjoying this conversation with Uncle Bob and Ben. 
And Uncle Bob has had some pretty good advice. 
So I think, Ben, you still have a line! 
I do, I do. 
He says: That's good advice, Uncle Bob. Thanks. 
I'll have to think about those things. 
All right. 
He's going to consider these things that Uncle Bob has been talking about. 
What did Uncle Bob say? 
Well, he was talking about the brand image. 
Carolyn, what's something else today that Uncle Bob was advising Ben about? 
Well, he also told him that he needs to think about his supply chain and everything that he is reliant on in order to run his business well. 
And there was one more thing there, Gabe. 
That's right. 
Picking a location near complementary companies and not just companies that you directly compete with. 
So Uncle Bob does have some good advice. 
And so his last line here is... : I'm happy to help, Ben. 
Well, we are very glad that you are happy to help, Uncle Bob, especially since you've given such great advice today talking about commuting and happy employees, 
and so many other things you need to think of when you're choosing your location. 
Well, now it is time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
She's happy to help. 
She is. 
Hello, Uncle Bob. 
Hello, Ben. 
How are you? 
I'm fine. 
How is Sandy? 
She's fine, too. 
And how's the business? 
It's fine. 
We're thinking about moving to a new office. 
Whoa! That's great. 
We're looking at a bunch of locations. 
Ooh. Remember, the location can make or break a business. 
It shouldn't be too hard to find a good spot. 
Well, choose a location based on accessibility. 
That makes sense. 
And find a place near the right kind of people. 
People that are interested in our products? 
Exactly. 
Oh, and don't forget about your brand image. 
Right. I'll pick a location that is consistent with a good company image. 
Right. And remember your supply chain. 
Oh, we don't really have a supply chain. 
Well, you are still reliant on other companies. 
So we need a location that makes face-to-face meetings convenient. 
Yes. And a place near complementary companies. 
Rather than companies that compete. 
Yes, that's right. 
Any other advice? 
Sure. Happy employees. 
Choose a location near talented employees. 
Oh. So they don't have long commutes. 
That's right, Ben. 
Oh. Hey, you should move your office to my neighborhood. 
Yeah. Then I can always get good advice. 
Yes. 
For free. 
Ha... I heard that. 
(Chinese). 
And we have to go back to our teachers now. 
The past two days we've been listening to a conversation between Ben and his Uncle Bob on the importance of choosing a good location for your business. 
And there was a lot of great advice given, but I wonder are there other things that location is really important for. 
Do you need to choose a good location when thinking about other things in your life? 
Gabe, can you think of something where location is very important? 
Well, I think that governments have a responsibility to put things in good locations. 
Where should the school go? 
Where is the hospital? 
Or maybe where is a good place for a park so lots of people can go there? 
These are interesting things that a government or the... the city needs to think about when they're planning the location of things within the city. 
That's right. 
So this isn't just important to a business owner but to governments and to people who want to buy a house as well. 
Location is important. 
Well, we're very glad that you were able to join us today on Studio Classroom. 
And we will see you again next time. 
Right here. 
Bye-bye. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.05.01.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us. 
It is the first of the month of May. 
We're going to be learning about Memphis in May. 
You may be wondering what Memphis is or where Memphis is. 
Actually, it's a famous city in the state of Tennessee in the United States of America. 
If you're not sure where it is, you can look in your magazine on page 13. 
There's a little map with a dot for Memphis. 
Memphis in May. 
Well, you can attend a wonderful festival if you visit Memphis during the month of May. 
Do you enjoy festivals? 
Carolyn, do you like festivals? 
I do enjoy going to festivals. 
In fact, my hometown in the U.S. had several different festivals. 
We celebrated trains and even a water festival. 
It was a really great time. 
Well, today we're going to be learning about this festival in Memphis, Tennessee. 
So let's get started with our reading for today. 
(Music). 
Memphis in May. 
This Tennessee festival will delight your senses. 
Stroll along the bank of the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee, in May, and you'll find yourself in the midst of a party. 
This month-long party attracts over 100,000 people from around the world each year. 
They gather in the 30-acre Tom Lee Park to experience the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of Memphis. 
There they celebrate Memphis music, world-class pork barbecue and many other local attractions. 
We have a good introduction here to this festival - Memphis in May. 
And at the very beginning here, we read a sentence. 
This Tennessee festival will delight your senses. 
We already know that Memphis is in the state of Tennessee, and this festival will delight your senses. 
Carolyn, what are your senses? 
Well, your senses are things that you use to sense what is around you, so. 
You have your eyes, you can see. 
You can hear with your ears, smell with your nose, taste with your tongue, and feel with your hands or with your skin. 
So those are your five senses. 
All right. 
And if you go and visit this festival, you will experience things that will delight all of those senses. 
The first sentence here is: 
Stroll along the bank of the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee, in May, and you'll find yourself in the midst of a party. 
Well, if you're strolling along, that means you're not going too quickly. 
You're walking, maybe at a nice pace. 
But we see a good word there. 
It is the word "midst" - the midst of a party. 
If you are in the midst of a party, that means you're in the middle of it. 
How else might you use that word? 
Well, you might say that I'm in the midst of doing something. 
"I'm in the midst of doing my homework" means I'm in the middle of it, I'm a little bit busy right now. 
All right. 
I'm in the midst of doing something. 
I'm in the midst of a conversation right now. 
We're in the midst of teaching. 
You're in the middle of enjoying a nice lesson at Studio Classroom. 
And we have another phrase in that sentence. 
It is the phrase "find yourself." It says here you'll find yourself in the midst of a party. 
If you find yourself somewhere, that means you weren't expecting it maybe, but there you are, you found yourself in the middle of a party. 
That's right. 
And you might say: Well, you know, if you work hard and you reach your goals, you could find yourself with a great life. 
All right. 
Sometimes I go out in nature. 
Maybe I'll go hiking. 
And I'll look out, and I'll find myself amazed at God's creation. 
So you can use this phrase in different ways. 
You find yourself, and then something that describes how you feel. 
Well, let's continue. 
This month-long party attracts over 100,000 people from all round the world each year. 
Carolyn, that's not a small group of people, is it? 
No. A hundred thousand people is a pretty large number. 
And we see that they're from all over the world, not just from Tennessee or even from the United States. 
Continuing we see that they gather in the 30-acre Tom Lee Park to experience the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of Memphis. 
So there's a lot to experience in this 30-acre park. 
Now an acre is a size that we use to measure land. 
Is this a very big park, Gabe? 
Actually, it is. 
Thirty acres is quite large. 
An acre is a little smaller than a football field. 
It's about 4,046 square meters. 
So it is quite a big plot of land. 
And so a 30-acre park is really, really big. 
That's where you can celebrate this festival. 
Well, that's quite an event. 
And 100,000 people, you do need a lot of space. 
Well, I think that Ken and Steve have something they'd like to share with us in the Information Cloud. 
Hi, friends, you are a sight for sore eyes. 
We're really glad to see you. 
That's right, friends. 
It's good to see all of you. 
A sight is what we see. 
And a sight for sore eyes is a welcoming sight. 
We do need to be careful when we use this word, though, as there is another "site," spelled S-I-T-E. 
And that "site" refers to a place or location. 
Yes. And it can get confusing when we talk about seeing the sights. 
If you're a tourist on vacation, you will most probably see the sights, S-I-G-H-T-S. 
Sights are things that people look at. 
You can take in the sights. 
And that means to go out and see all the landmarks that tourists usually visit. 
OK. And we call that sightseeing. 
But if you're a historian, you'll likely be visiting different historic sites or places where historic events happened. 
Site, in this case, is spelled S-I-T-E. 
Or if you are an archaeologist, you'll be working in different excavation sites or digs. 
And that's also spelled S-I-T-E. 
So, two different "sites" with two very different meanings. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, we are learning about Memphis in May. 
And of course, over 100,000 people from around the world go there every year. 
We continue in our lesson: 
There they celebrate Memphis music, world-class pork barbecue and many other local attractions. 
Well, those sound good to me. 
And I love music, and I love things like barbecues. 
Carolyn, do you like barbecues? 
I do love barbecues. 
You get to go outside and use a grill. 
Maybe you have gas or charcoal, and you can grill some meats, some vegetables. 
It's a really wonderful way to cook and spend time with people outside in a nice weather. 
And since this is in May, it would be great weather. 
That's right. 
It would be great weather, perfect for world-class pork barbecue. 
So Carolyn just talked about barbecues. 
They are wonderful and delicious most of the time. 
This is a world-class pork barbecue. 
Carolyn, what does it mean if something is world-class? 
Well, I think that's something we kind of discussed before. 
It means that it is so wonderful it's at the very top of the charts in its class. 
So if it is world-class, then it is one of the best in the entire world. 
That's right. 
You might talk about a world-class performer, world-class entertainer, someone who is excellent at what they do. 
Maybe they're famous around the world. 
They set the standard. 
And of course, this pork barbecue will set the standard. 
I would love to go myself. 
But right now it's time for us to enjoy a video maybe to help you get to know Memphis a little more. 
(Music). 
Memphis certainly looks like a lot of fun to visit. 
But before we continue learning about this great festival, we're going to spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.01.B

Today we're learning about a festival in Memphis, Tennessee. 
And we see that if you go in the month of May, you will find yourself in the midst of a party. 
And this is a month-long party filled with barbecue and music and many, many things that you can enjoy in this 30-acre park in Memphis. 
Well, there's a lot to learn about this festival. 
So we'll continue with the next reading for today. 
(Music). 
Memphis in May. 
Beale Street Music Festival. 
The first of the four Memphis in May events, the Beale Street Music Festival, kicks off on May 3. 
The three-day musical celebration takes place on four large stages scattered throughout the park. 
To date, the event has welcomed over 1.1 million people who came to see top artists perform. 
Over the years, festival performers have included Mumford and Sons, Katy Perry and more. 
Along with famous artists, lots of local performers also play the music Memphis has become famous for. 
Each year this musical treat is a sell-out event as everyone gathers to celebrate Memphis' musical heritage. 
OK. Let's start here at the top with the Beale Street Music Festival. 
We see that first sentence: 
The first of the four Memphis in May events, the Beale Street Music Festival, kicks off on May 3. 
All right. 
The first of four in the May events. OK. 
So that means there are many events here. 
We're going to be talking about the Beale Street Music Festival. 
And it kicks off on May 3. 
What does that mean, Carolyn, if something kicks off? 
Well, if something kicks off, that means that it begins. 
And that is one of our key words today from our Word Bank. 
To kick something off means to start, so. 
You can kick off a festival with a big celebration. 
And we have the Beale Street Music Festival kicking off this Memphis in May festivity. 
Well, it sounds like a great way to start or to kick off a festival with music. 
That's a wonderful way to kick off a party as well. 
Well, if you are holding an event, how will you kick it off? 
Maybe you want to do something exciting that really catches people's attention. 
And of course, music does catch people's attention. 
Carolyn, how do we continue? 
Well, we see that the three-day musical celebration takes place on four large stages scattered throughout the park. 
So it's not just in one area. 
There are four stages in this park. 
And I'm sure that there are lots of people performing at the same time if there are 100,000 people attending this celebration. 
I think so, too. 
It sounds like a pretty exciting place to be. 
There are these four stages, and they're scattered throughout the park. 
That means they're not right next to each other. 
They're in different places. 
If you have something that is scattered, maybe you don't think of something organized. 
Maybe it can be in many different places. 
So we continue with our lesson. 
To date, the event has done what? 
Well, it has welcomed over 1.1 million people who came to see top artists perform. 
So to date, we have seen 1.1 million people who have come to see top artists perform. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Are we going to learn about that phrase, "to date"? 
Well, we are going to learn about that phrase. 
And actually, I think Liz would like to tell us about that in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
How are you doing today? 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this sentence: 
To date, the event has welcomed over 1.1 million people who came to see top artists perform. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Notice the phrase at the beginning of the sentence: to date. 
It's another way to say from the very beginning to this moment. 
So today's sentence just means from the time the event was started until now, 
it has welcomed over 1.1 million people who came to see top artists perform. 
We normally use "to date" in formal situations. 
For example: 
To date no one has broken the town's pie-eating contest record. 
Or: To date over two million tourists have visited the historic site. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thanks, Liz. 
Well, before the Grammar Gym, we learn about some people that came to see top artists. 
Top artists are maybe celebrities or singers. 
Top artists, very famous ones. 
We continue. 
Over the years, festival performers have included Mumford and Sons, Katy Perry and more. 
So over the years, over the many years or a lot of time, we have seen performers like this come along. 
Well, Mumford and Sons is kind of a fun band. 
And we're going to be learning more about them in next month's lessons. 
Um, but who is Katy Perry? 
Is she a singer? 
Well, Katy Perry is a singer. 
And she's pretty popular in the U.S., or at least she was last year. 
She was very popular and put out some hit songs. 
And so you might consider her to be one of the top artists that performs at this festival. 
That's right. 
And of course, "along with famous artists," we continue. 
Along with famous artists, lots of local performers also play the music Memphis has become famous for. 
So we're talking about world-famous people that come to Memphis in May, but also local artists. 
Carolyn, what's the difference? 
Well, a local artist would be someone from the area, someone in Tennessee or maybe even in Memphis, somewhere nearby. 
And they perform the music that Memphis is famous for. 
And a lot of times I think of the blues when I think of Memphis, Tennessee. 
All right. 
So there are different artists that come and perform in Memphis in May. 
Well, we continue. 
Each year this musical treat is a sell-out event as everyone gathers to celebrate Memphis' musical heritage. 
It's a big sentence with a lot we want to talk about. 
The first thing is the word "treat." We see here it is a musical treat. 
If something is a treat, usually I think of food. 
I mean, you love to eat treats. 
It's something good. 
So Carolyn, what's a musical treat? 
Well, a musical treat is something for your ears to enjoy. 
So if you have a tasty treat, something that you can eat and it tastes very good, that's a treat. 
But here your ears are just so happy with the sounds that it's hearing. 
It is also a treat. 
And you also might use another adjective in front of that word "treat." Maybe you saw a wonderful show, you could call that a visual treat. 
Or if you went hiking and saw something amazing, that could also be a special treat. 
Well, we have another Word Bank word here. 
It is the word "sell-out." Each year this musical treat is a sell-out event. 
Carolyn, what does that mean? 
Well, it means that there aren't any more tickets left. 
That means that all of the seats are filled. 
It's a full house. 
It's sold out. 
That's right. 
Sorry. We're sold out. 
It's a musical sell-out. 
Well, we have more to learn about Memphis the next time you come back here to Studio Classroom. 
But first, let's go enjoy some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers now. 
We've begun learning all about Memphis in May. 
And one of the big events that kicks off this festival is the Beale Street Music Festival. 
So I do wonder if you have ever been to any festivals, especially any music festivals. 
Do you like going to those? 
Carolyn, have you ever been? 
Well, I have been to a couple, actually. 
And the first that I went to was on a farm in the United States. 
And it wasn't a... it was probably just about as big as this event with 100,000 people. 
It was called Creation. 
And it was three or four days of concerts and speakers. 
And it was a really great time. 
Wait a minute, you went to Creation Fest, too? 
Yes. 
No way! 
We've both been to the same festival, maybe at different times. 
But it is a wonderful festival, lots of great music. 
Well, we're going to learn more about Memphis in May next time, so you better come back to Studio Classroom. 
We'll see you then. 
(Music).

2013.05.02.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for the second day of our lesson - Memphis in May. 
Of course, yesterday we learned about a music festival that kicks off this month-long Memphis in May. 
It was the Beale Street Music Festival. 
Well, today we're going to be learning about something a little bit different, something most people like - food. 
Yes, a world-famous barbecue contest. 
Now I do wonder if you have ever entered a food contest, or maybe you have attended a food contest. 
Have you, Carolyn? 
Well, I have been to a couple of different food competitions. 
I knew a guy who was competing and cooking in a food competition; but I've also been to a food-eating competition. 
And it was jello. 
And I ate so much jello that I no longer really enjoy it. 
Wow. OK. 
Well, that's one kind of food that's very special. 
I was just thinking, I... I have actually been a judge in a food contest. 
It was to see who could use cheese to make the best kinds of bread or treats, different things like that. 
It was a pretty cool contest. 
Today we're going to be learning about a world-famous barbecue contest. 
So let's get started. 
(Music). 
Memphis in May. 
World-famous barbecue contest. 
The mouthwatering smell of pork barbecue fills the air during the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. 
The cook-off event began in 1978 in a downtown parking lot with only 26 competitors. 
This month the contest runs from May 16 through 18 with more than 250 teams from around the world. 
Teams compete for over $110,000 in prizes and the right to be crowned the Memphis in May barbecue champion. 
Guinness has declared the event the "Largest Pork BBQ in the World" with 82 tons of pork cooked over three days. 
Well, there is certainly a lot of pork being cooked at this world-famous barbecue contest. 
And our article starts: The mouthwatering smell of pork barbecue fills the air during the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. 
It's a very long title for this contest. 
But at the beginning of the sentence we see a very long word: mouthwatering. 
And it's one of our Word Bank words. 
If something is mouthwatering, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, if something is mouthwatering, it makes your mouth water. 
And sometimes your mouth begins to water when you are getting hungry. 
So sometimes you can smell something that makes the inside of your mouth begin to water. 
I think if I visited this place, Memphis in May, and enjoyed the barbecue contest, 
I would smell these things and my mouth would begin to water, Carolyn. 
I... my mouth would probably also being to water because of the delicious smells that fill the air. 
And this is a really great phrase. 
If something fills the air, then it is everywhere. 
So let's take a minute and look at that. 
Gabe, what else could fill the air? 
Well, this is a great phrase. 
If something fills the air, that means that everywhere you walk, you can experience it. 
So if you are at this barbecue, then everywhere you walk, you can smell the delicious smell of pork barbecue. 
But I also could use this phrase in another way. 
Maybe I'll talk about music. 
Music filled the air at the festival at the Beale Street Music Festival. 
That's right. 
So a smell could fill the air. 
A sound could fill the air. 
But it could also be something that you see. 
Maybe the air was filled with birds. 
Birds fill the air; or balloons. 
So something that you can sense around you can fill the air around you. 
All right. 
Well, we're talking about the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. 
Let's continue. 
The cook-off event began in 1978 in a downtown parking lot with only 26 competitors. 
That's not many. 
But I se this word at the beginning, the "cook-off" event. 
Carolyn, what's a cook-off? 
Well, it's a fun way to talk about a cooking competition. 
Many times we'll have the word "off" to show that you're going to be competing against someone else. 
So in this cook-off, there were many people competing. 
And here when it first started, there were only 26 competitors. 
There were only 26 competitors. 
Well, that word "cook-off" makes me think of another kind of contest. 
Maybe if you're good at dancing, you can join a dance-off. 
You're competing against other dancers to see who is better. 
Well, we do have more to learn with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud all about parking lots. 
Let's talk about something that you do almost every day if you drive a car: parking. 
Yes. Parking can be a headache especially in a big city. 
Sometimes when you arrive at your destination, you find that all the available parking spaces are taken. 
Now a parking space is just the area where a single car can park. 
It may be indicated by lines drawn on the side of a road showing where you should park or it may be in a parking lot. 
Let's talk about parking lot for a minute. 
A parking lot is a large level area where cars or other vehicles are parked. 
It can be covered or open-air. 
Right. 
But if you're in a large building that contains several levels of parking lots stacked on top of each other, we no longer call it a parking lot. 
Instead, we call that a parking garage. 
And if you travel outside the U.S., you might also hear the term "car park," which is the British term for a parking lot. 
OK. "Garage" has another meaning. 
It may also refer to the place where you take your car to have it repaired. 
Good point. 
(Chinese). 
Continuing in our article we see: 
This month the contest runs from May 16 through 18 with more than 250 teams from around the world. 
So when this competition first started, there were only 26 people or teams competing. 
And now there are 250... more than 250 teams. 
I think it may have gained some popularity, Gabe. 
I think so, too. 
This sounds like something that I would want to go and enjoy this barbecue cooking contest. 
And it lasts for three days from May 16 through May 18 this year. 
I think these teams will be smelling like pork by the end of those three days. 
I'm sure that they will be. 
And continuing in the next paragraph we see why so many people want to participate. 
Teams compete for over $110,000 in prizes and the right to be crowned the Memphis in May barbecue champion. 
Well, that sounds great. 
Some people do compete for this prize over $110,000. 
But many people do really compete for the right to be crowned the Memphis in May barbecue champion. 
They really do want that trophy. 
I've seen some pictures of these trophies. 
They are nice trophies, nice prizes. 
That's right. 
They are not small. 
And they get the honor of being the champion of this world-famous barbecue competition. 
And we see that even Guinness has declared the event the "Largest Pork Barbecue in the World" with 82 tons of pork cooked over three days. 
Wow! That's a lot of pork. 
Friends, let's take a look at this key word from the Word Bank here. 
It is "declare." Guinness has declared this event something. 
So when you declare something, that makes it official. 
How else could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, you might declare today a day of rest. 
OK. 
You are not to do any work today. 
You have to rest. 
It is official. 
All right. It's official. 
Or maybe at the end of this cooking contest, someone is declared the winner. 
It's official. 
Nobody else won, only that one team won. 
Well, let's take a look at another word here. 
It's the word "Guinness." Carolyn, who is Guinness? 
Well, here it's referring to the Guinness Book of World Records. 
They are very important. 
And it's a great way to keep track of who is number one, or does the most of something, or the fastest, the best at something in the world. 
Well, now it's time for us to go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.02.B

Well, if you're just joining us, we've been talking all about the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest during Memphis in May. 
And of course, if you go, then you might experience some mouthwatering smells. 
This event, this championship barbecue cooking contest, has been declared the Largest Pork Barbecue in the World. 
So if you enjoy pork, you don't want to miss this festival. 
We're going to continue learning all about this right now. 
(Music). 
Memphis in May. 
Festival-goers get to participate, too, with free guided tours of the teams' areas. 
Team cooks share barbecuing techniques, secret recipes and lots of fun tips. 
Visitors can also view individual team booths that are decorated in unique and creative ways. 
Another fun event is the "Ms. Piggie Idol," where people dress up like pigs and compete in a singing contest. 
Best of all, though, is the opportunity for festival-goers to buy and experience the legendary barbecue Memphis is famous for! 
This does sound like a very interesting and delicious festival to go to. 
And we see that festival-goers get to participate, too. 
So it's not just the people who are competing in this competition trying to be crowned the barbecue champions but the people that go there, the festival-goers. 
This is an interesting way to talk about the people that attend a festival. 
That's right. 
So that's a festival-goer, someone who goes to a festival. 
But let's use that word "goer" in another way. 
You might see this in other ways. 
You could talk about someone who goes to a party. 
How many people went to the party? 
There were a lot of party-goers. 
Or maybe you go to church, there are other church-goers to attend church with you. 
That's right. 
You could also go to a concert like we talked about yesterday, and you would be a concert-goer. 
So there are many different ways that you can talk about people who attend an event. 
They are a something-goer. 
That's right. 
So these festival-goers, well, they have free guided tours of the teams' areas. 
And we continue learning about these teams. 
Team cooks share barbecuing techniques, secret recipes and lots of fun tips as well. 
Wow! I think I would really like to get to meet some of these cooks and learn their secret recipes. 
Mmhm, so would I, and some of their techniques. 
I am not a very good cook myself. 
I don't cook many things. 
But maybe I can learn something here at this barbecue cooking contest. 
That's right. 
Well, visitors can also view individual team booths that are decorated in unique and creative ways. 
So you can walk from one booth to the next. 
And "booth" is one of our Word Bank words. 
What is a booth, Gabe? 
Well, a booth is... usually I think of a closed-off kind of area, maybe a little smaller than a room. 
And a booth has... well, at a booth in a barbecue cooking contest, you would have the team that is making the barbecue - the team that is cooking. 
So there are different booths for the different teams. 
That's right. 
So each team has their own booth. 
And you can walk from one to the other, and meet the different team members and maybe try some of their barbecue. 
Well, we see that there are many other things going on. 
Another fun event is the "Ms. Piggie Idol," where people dress up like pigs and compete in a singing contest. 
Gabe, would you like to participate in Ms. Piggie Idol? 
I think it would be kind of interesting. 
This is the first I've heard of Ms. Piggie Idol. 
But I have seen some videos about this contest. 
And some people do really like to dress up. 
And they dress up pretty well, looking like pigs in the Ms. Piggie Idol. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word: an idol. 
Usually... well, recently we use this word "idol" to talk about maybe a hero of some kind, someone who is the best at something, like singing. 
That's right. 
So here we have a Ms. Piggie Idol. 
But there are many other singing competitions that you could watch on TV, and maybe vote for your favorite singer. 
And those also use the word "idol" in the name of the competition. 
Well, best of all, though, is the opportunity for festival-goers to buy and experience the legendary barbecue Memphis is famous for! 
And I think that's probably why most people want to go to this particular part of the festival. 
Well, I think so, too. 
Any opportunity to have world-class or world-famous barbecued pork, that's a great reason to go to this festival. 
And we see that word there. 
You can experience the "legendary" barbecue Memphis is famous for. 
If something is legendary, that means it is famous. 
Maybe it's become a legend around the world. 
People in many places have heard about it. 
It is legendary. 
That's right. 
So everyone wants to come and experience this great barbecue pork in Memphis, Tennessee, during the Memphis in May festival. 
It sounds like a really great time. 
Well, Carolyn, we've been talking all about Memphis in May. 
And today we've been learning about the barbecue, this world-famous cooking contest. 
Would you want to be a festival-goer in the future? 
I think that if I had time to go to Memphis, Tennessee, in May, (it would have to be in May), 
then I would definitely love to go and see all of these great events that go on there. 
I think it would be quite interesting to go and eat some pork barbecue while watching some people dressed up like pigs singing and dancing on a stage. 
It all sounds quite exciting. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning about this world-famous barbecue with a video. 
Let's enjoy. 
(Music). 
If you love food, fun and Southern hospitality, a stop at the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest in Memphis, Tennessee, is a must. 
Held in Tom Lee Park in downtown Memphis, you're nestled between the bluffs and the mighty Mississippi. 
This annual contest is part of a month-long festival known as Memphis in May. 
Just an incredible atmosphere. 
A wonderful opportunity to learn about uh, how the big hogs do it and how you can translate that into your own backyard. 
Established in 1978, the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest started with 20 teams competing, but quickly grew. 
Today, more than 250 teams compete for the right to be called the Grand Champion. 
They come not only from across the country but around the world, and certainly just down the street as well. 
More than $100,000 in prize money is also awarded. 
But to some teams, the oversized trophy and bragging rights are worth much more. 
Teams compete in a variety of events, ranging from "Anything but Pork" to the best sauce, the best baked beans, even the best booth. 
And there's definitely no lack of creativity when it comes to team names and booth designs. 
Just walking the rows of booths that stretch for over a mile is a treat in itself. 
It... is a great neighborhood setting. 
As you can see, the booths are just right next to each other. 
And everybody sort of becomes great friends even if they didn't know each other before they moved in. 
Once the weekend is over, they... they never forget one another. 
It's a great place to be. 
The music and the food and the atmosphere, just one of the best festivals I've ever been to and I go to a lot. 
Like any other festival, you'll find plenty of vendor booths set up with demonstrations, products, food and drinks and prize giveaways. 
But what you won't find at any other festival is the undeniable aroma of the world's best barbeque being smoked to perfection. 
Whether you're a really professional or just a fan of barbecue, 
you're sure to appreciate the sights and scents at the World Championship Barbecue Festival. 
(Music). 
Visit MemphisinMay.org for more info. 
Here you'll find everything from dates and times to a complete team listing. 
And there's even a link to download a Memphis in May app for your Android or iPhone. 
Come on down to barbecue fast and see why Memphis is home of the world's best barbecue. 
Well, that video looks so delicious, I... I could smell the pork barbecue through the video. 
Well, now it's time for us to go get some more information from Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to hear more from our teachers. 
Today we've been talking all about the world-famous barbecue competition in Memphis, Tennessee, during their month-long celebration. 
And I just think of how wonderful it must smell as you're walking around this festival. 
And Gabe, I... I also wonder what was the most mouthwatering smell you've ever experienced. 
Ooh, mouthwatering smells. 
Um, my mouth usually begins to water when I'm already pretty hungry. 
Mouthwatering smells... 
Well, I'd have to say it's another kind of barbecue, but they were just cooking hamburgers and hot dogs. 
But I could smell it from a long ways away. 
It was definitely a mouthwatering smell, I went and got my hamburger. 
Oh, I'm sure you went and got it right away if your mouth was already watering. 
Well, we still have another day to learn about this very exciting festival. 
So I hope we'll see you again tomorrow right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.05.03.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And we want to thank you for joining us for the third day of our lesson - Memphis in May. 
We've been talking all about this special month-long festival in Memphis, Tennessee. 
Carolyn, what was something that we learned the first day of our lesson, Memphis in May? 
Well, we were talking about the Beale Street Music Festival, which kicks off the whole month-long celebration. 
And it's a three-day event with lots of different concerts with world-famous performers. 
All right. 
There are world-famous performers. 
Top artists come and perform. 
And of course, something else that you can experience during this month-long festival is the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. 
It's the largest pork barbecue in the world. 
You can go and experience some mouthwatering smells during this contest. 
And of course, you can see some people singing, dressed like pigs and dancing around on stage. 
It all sounds quite interesting. 
Well, we have more to learn about Memphis in May today. 
So let's get started with the first reading. 
(Music). 
Memphis in May. 
An international event. 
With a goal to promote world cultural awareness, Memphis in May selects one country each year to focus on and honor. 
The chosen country this year is Sweden, and special events will include Swedish arts and cooking exhibits. 
Dancers, singers, artists and speakers from Sweden will also perform throughout the month. 
Local students will participate in writing, photo, PowerPoint and poster contests with attention given to learning more about the honored country. 
Well, this certainly is an international event. 
Let's go to the top. 
With a goal to promote world cultural awareness, Memphis in May selects one country each year to focus on and honor. 
Well, this does sound quite interesting. 
They want to promote something. 
They want to promote world cultural awareness. 
What does that mean, Carolyn, world cultural awareness? 
Well, they want to help people that are attending their festival to know something more about other cultures around the world. 
Because the Memphis in May celebration, there's a lot of artists who perform local music, the music that Memphis is famous for, 
but they also want people to become more familiar with other cultures around the world, not just that in Memphis. 
I think that's a great idea. 
I think it's easy if you're living in a certain country just to think about what is around you. 
But it's important to be reminded to become aware of other things around the world. 
So they select one country each year to focus on and honor. 
If you focus on something, that means you're really going to be talking about that mostly and not much else. 
You focus on that thing. 
That's right. 
And the country chosen this year, the chosen country this year is Sweden, and special events will include Swedish arts and cooking exhibits. 
Oh. So there are going to be lots of different things just focusing on the country Sweden this year. 
That's right. 
The special events will include Swedish arts and cooking exhibits. 
Let's take a look at that word "exhibits." Now an exhibit is something that you might see. 
It's a kind of show. 
So there are Swedish exhibits, maybe different things that are from Sweden or describe Sweden, things from Sweden. 
Now there's a difference between exhibit and exhibition. 
If you go to a museum, there might be an exhibition. 
That means many things talking about one topic. 
But an exhibit is just one of those things. 
So an exhibition, and then an exhibit. 
That's right. 
And we see what some of those exhibits will be. 
Dancers, singers, artists and speakers from Sweden will also perform throughout the month. 
So it's not just part of the festival but for the entire month, they will be focusing on things from Sweden. 
That's right, throughout the month. 
Well, this does sound pretty interesting. 
We continue in our lesson: 
Local students will participate in writing, photo, PowerPoint and poster contests with attention given to learning more about the honored country. 
All right. So it's all about Sweden this year. 
And local students will participate in these things. 
Which one sounds interesting to you? 
Carolyn, would you want to participate in writing, photo, PowerPoint or maybe a poster contest? 
Well, I'm not the most creative person when it comes to posters or PowerPoints or even photography, 
so I think I would probably like to do the writing competition. 
I really enjoy writing and expressing things through words. 
Whoa. That sounds pretty good. 
I think you would be good at that. 
You're good at writing. 
Uh, let's see, I think I might be best at writing as well. 
Maybe I could make a poster of some kind and compete with other people. 
Well, we find that there is a chance for you to do this. 
If you have a chance to visit Memphis in May, then you can take part in one of these contests. 
Which one would you enjoy doing most? 
We see that it's... has attention given to learning more about the honored country. 
Carolyn, what does that mean, attention is given to something? 
Well, if you give your attention to something, then that is what you're going to focus on. 
So they are focusing on Sweden. 
But you also might want to give your attention to whoever is speaking. 
If you are at a lecture or in a classroom or at a performance, you should give your attention to whoever is performing or speaking. 
That's right. 
So not just your teacher is in the classroom; of course you should give your attention to your teacher. 
But maybe someone... someone else, maybe one of your classmates will get up and give a speech. 
It's important not to just sit there talking to each other. 
You want to give your attention to that speaker. 
Right now it's time for us to give our attention to Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.03.B

Well, we hve learned a lot about Memphis and what happens in the month of May in this great city. 
And today we've been talking about the international events going on there. 
This year they are focusing on Sweden, and there will be many exhibits that you can attend to learn more about this honored country. 
Well, we still have a few more things to learn about this great May festival. 
Let's start with the second reading for today. 
(Music). 
Memphis in May. 
Sunset Symphony. 
Memphis in May concludes on May 25 with a little something for everyone. 
Bring your picnic basket, make yourself comfortable with a great view of the river and enjoy performances by local bands. 
At 6:00 p.m., watch as planes perform amazing tricks in the skies above during the annual air show. 
Beautiful melodies fill the air at 7:30 p.m. when the Memphis Symphony Orchestra plays popular favorites. 
The festival closes at 9:00 p.m. with a spectacular fireworks display over the mighty Mississippi River. 
What a perfect ending to a month-long celebration! 
Well, that does sound like the perfect ending for this month-long festival. 
We're talking all about the Sunset Symphony here. 
Two S words - Sunset Symphony, it's kind of fun. 
Well, let's talk about that first one first. 
Carolyn, what's a sunset? 
Well, a sunset is what you see when it's the end of the day, and the sun is going down, or it looks like it's going down. 
And it's very beautiful at sunset because the sky becomes very different colors depending on where you are in the world. 
That's right. 
And of course, that happens in the evening. 
But the next morning, you might see a sunrise - S-U-N-R-I-S-E. 
So there's the sunrise in the morning, which is also beautiful, and the sunset at night. 
And here we're talking about the Sunset Symphony. 
Symphony, straight from our Word Bank. 
A symphony is a piece of Western classical music that a music group might perform. 
That's a symphony. 
And it's a lot of fun to attend something where they are playing a symphony, to listen to symphony music. 
It's very beautiful and really opens your brain to thinking and thinking new thoughts. 
That's right. 
And some music can really do that. 
It can inspire you to think some interesting things. 
I think of Bach or Beethoven, Rachmaninov. 
I think of these kind of musicians when I think of symphonies because they wrote many symphonies, or some of them did. 
Well, we're going to continue with our lesson. 
How do we begin, Carolyn? 
We see Memphis in May concludes on May 25 with a little something for everyone. 
So this month-long celebration ends, it concludes on May 25, and there is a little something for everyone. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
I know, right? 
That's kind of an interesting phrase: a little something for everyone. 
Well, this means that there are so many different people going with different interests. 
Maybe you're not interested in music. 
Maybe you're interested in something else. 
Well, there's something for you. 
Maybe you are interested in music, so there's something for you. 
Maybe you're interested in flying a kite. 
There's something for you as well. 
There's a little something for everyone. 
So everyone who goes can enjoy themselves. 
And we see you can bring your picnic basket, make yourself comfortable with a great view of the river and enjoy performances by local bands. 
So it does sound like there's something for everyone. 
There is something for everyone. 
You can make yourself comfortable. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: to make yourself comfortable, or make yourself something. 
That means maybe you weren't before, but then now there's a way for you to do this. 
There's a way for you to become comfortable. 
Make yourself comfortable. 
That's right. 
And a lot of times I think of this phrase as being kind of an invitation. 
So when you are visiting someone at their house, they might say: Oh, make yourself comfortable, or make yourself at home. 
Just treat this house as if it were your own house, so make yourself at home. 
That's right. 
The next time someone comes to your house, you can say make yourself at home, or make yourself comfortable. 
Well, let's continue. 
At 6:00 p.m., watch as planes perform amazing tricks in the skies above during the annual air show. 
Well, I see a word from the Word Bank there. 
It is "annual." What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means it's something that happens every year at the same time during the year. 
So you might have an annual event like a festival. 
It's at the same time each year. 
I can think of a great annual festival. 
A great thing to celebrate is July 8. 
I celebrate this day annually because it's my birthday. 
Oh. Well, that is an annual celebration. 
Your birthday comes once every year, so... and it's on the same day. 
That is annual. 
Very good, Gabe. 
It's true. 
But usually you use this word "annual" to talk about something a little bigger than just one person. 
So you can celebrate at Memphis in May. 
You can see these planes flying in the skies above during the annual air show. 
It's time for us to learn something about that word "skies" with Steve and Ken. 
Let's go to the Info Cloud. 
Hi, friends. 
What's up? 
And I hope you won't respond: The sky. 
That's an old high school joke, Ken. 
But since you brought it up, why don't we talk about the sky today. 
We all know what it is. 
Or what they are! 
"Sky" is often used in the plural form - skies. 
The earliest meaning of sky was cloud. 
And so "the skies" meant the clouds. 
Nowadays, skies no longer means clouds. 
The skies refer to different areas of the sky. 
For instance, during World War II, the British Royal Air Force fought to keep the skies of England safe. 
And meteorologists often talk about clear skies or gray skies. 
I think the implication is that audiences living in different places see different portions of the sky, hence, the plural form. 
Right. 
Ken, I'm sure you remember United Airlines used to have a slogan: Fly the friendly skies. 
Yep, I sure do. 
But these days, with air traffic congestion, I think "Fly the crowded skies" is more the case. 
OK. Keep in mind, everyone, that sky and skies are not always interchangeable. 
For example, I couldn't say: Look! There's an airplane up in the skies. 
Good point. 
(Chinese). 
Continuing on with the Sunset Symphony. 
Beautiful melodies fill the air at 7:30 p.m. when the Memphis Symphony Orchestra plays popular favorites. 
So at 7:30 in the evening, the sun is setting, and there is the Memphis Symphony Orchestra getting ready to play popular favorite songs. 
Now here we have another musical word from our Word Bank, the word "orchestra". 
What is the difference between a symphony and an orchestra, Gabe? 
Oh, good question. 
Well, earlier we talked about symphony. 
It's a piece of Western classical music, and it's performed by an orchestra. 
So the orchestra is the group of musicians who play symphonies. 
An orchestra has a conductor, someone who directs, and they play these symphonies. 
So you can be an orchestra member if you play a musical instrument. 
Oh, I see. 
Well, I really like to listen to orchestras perform symphonies. 
Continuing on we see: The festival closes at 9:00 p.m. with a spectacular fireworks display over the mighty Mississippi River. 
Oh. This sounds like a really great place to watch fireworks. 
What do you think, Gabe? 
I think so, too. 
It sounds spectacular. 
If something is spectacular, usually there's a lot to take in with your eyes and maybe with your ears as well. 
It's spectacular. 
And you see that word "fireworks." It's always with an "s," actually. 
You can see a fireworks display. 
Do you like fireworks? 
Well, we continue: What a perfect ending to a month-long celebration! 
What do you think, Carolyn? 
Is this a good ending to this month-long celebration? 
Well, it's a celebration of music and culture and food. 
And if you have your picnic basket, and you listen to the orchestra play a symphony, 
and then you watch the fireworks over the Mississippi River. 
I think this is a pretty good way to end the Memphis in May festival. 
That's right. 
Well, we have a good ending for you today. 
We're going to watch a video, learning a little bit more about Memphis. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Memphis means fun for the whole family. 
The highly-rated Memphis Zoo is home to 2,800 animals on 70 acres, including two giant pandas. 
The zoo has daily animal shows and feedings. 
Take a ride on a riverboat, you'll find a variety of options from sightseeing to dinner cruises, holiday cruises, and even private charters. 
Watch the famous Peabody Ducks as they're led down the red carpet every day at 11:00 a.m. to a fountain in the historic hotel's lobby. 
And every evening at 5:00, they waddle up the red carpet again to spend the night in their "Duck Palace" on the hotel roof. 
At Shelby Farms Park, the largest urban park in the U.S, you can ride a bike, ride a horse, rent a paddleboat, fish, play... 
There's lots of space to have lots of fun. 
Learn about firefighting history and the lives of firefighters at the Memphis Fire Museum. 
Kids love to ride the snorkel basket simulator and play in the model firehouse. 
And if you're a baseball fan, don't miss Autozone Park, one of the finest ballparks below the major league level. 
Watch the Memphis Redbirds play, or take a behind-the-scenes tour. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And don't go away yet. 
Keep watching as our lesson continues. 
Well, you've learned all about Memphis in May, this wonderful festival. 
You've even seen some videos about Memphis. 
You've learned all about Memphis. 
Now I do wonder what sounds most interesting to you from this lesson. 
Would you like to attend the Beale Street Music Festival, maybe eat some pork barbeque, or learn a little bit about Sweden? 
What do you think, Carolyn? 
Well, I am very interested in cultures. 
So I really want to experience the Memphis style of music. 
They are very famous for their own very unique types of music. 
And I would also really like to learn a little bit more about cultures around the world. 
So we would have to see which year I go and which country would be honored that year. 
Well, I'd be interested in going to learn more about Sweden or another honored country, 
but only if I can eat some pork barbecue at the same time because I'm getting hungry right now. 
I think it's time for us to end today's lesson. 
But we hope you do come back to Studio Classroom next time. 
(Music).

2013.05.04.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us today. 
Our lesson is called The Merry Month of May. 
Three "M's" there in our title. 
Of course, "merry" just means happy. 
May can be a happy month, and we hope it is for you. 
Well, May can make you think of a lot of different things. 
Maybe it's your birthday in May. 
Well, what are you going to celebrate in May? 
Is there anything special going on this month for you? 
Carolyn, is there anything special going on for you? 
Actually, there is something very special going on this month for me and the rest of my family because one of my sisters is graduating from college today. 
No way! Today! 
Well, that is something to celebrate. 
Well, for me, actually it is quite a special month. 
Every May my parents celebrate their anniversary, their wedding anniversary. 
So it is definitely a merry month. 
Well, we have a lot to learn about May. 
So I hope you have your magazine. 
Open it up and let's get started with the first reading of the day. 
The Merry Month of May. 
Celebrate more than Mother's Day this month. 
May 1 is International Workers' Day, a significant day for workers. 
Prior to the 1800s, workers put in nearly 16 hours each day. 
Over time, labor unions in many countries fought for shorter workdays. 
"Eight hours labor, eight hours recreation, and eight hours rest" became a popular saying. 
If you wish to party for a whole week, join the nurses! 
May 6 begins National Nurses' Week, which ends on May 12, International Nurses' Day. 
That day, Florence Nightingale's birthday, celebrates the profession and her contribution to modern nursing. 
(Music). 
The month of May is a very interesting month. 
But before we get into the article too much, right there in the title "The Merry Month of May," Steve and Ken have something they'd like to share with us. 
Let's go see them in the Information Cloud. 
Hi, friends. 
Did you know the title of today's lesson is actually taken from the lyrics of an old song called The Fountain in the Park. 
Old is right. 
That song came out in the 1880s, but because it was so popular, it's still in the minds of the public. 
If I were to whistle the melody right now, I'm sure many of you would recognize it. 
Appropriating popular song titles and lyrics is a trick authors and movie producers use often. 
Because they want the public to identify with their product quickly and easily. 
The sooner they do, the sooner the public will go out and read the book or watch the movie. 
There are hundreds of movie titles that have a connection to famous English song titles or lyrics. 
One example is Stand by Me. 
Ah, yes, a number-one hit song back in 1961. 
It became stuck in the public's mind for a long, long time. 
In 1986, movie producers capitalized on the song's enduring popularity and released the movie with the same name. 
Just last year, a forgettable Brad Pitt movie came out called Killing Them Softly. 
The title was a reference to the 1973 hit song Killing Me Softly. 
(Chinese). 
Well, we can learn a lot about May here about nurses and other important things that happen in May. 
And at the beginning of the article we see that May 1 is International Workers' Day, a significant day for workers. 
Well, it sounds like a pretty important day. 
And we see a word right there in this sentence, the word "significant." It's from our Word Bank. 
If something is significant, then it has a lot of importance. 
It is very, very important thing, so. 
What does this mean, Gabe? 
Well, this is a significant word. 
It's a word that we think that you should know. 
Maybe it can help a lot when you are trying to practice using your English. 
You can use this word in different ways. 
Maybe you have a significant relationship. 
Maybe you have some important friendships in your life. 
What... which relationships are significant to you? 
Or maybe you might want to say I didn't do anything significant today. 
I didn't do anything important, nothing that will change my life. 
Nothing was too significant. 
But we know that International Workers' Day is a significant day for workers. 
For people who work, so. 
We see that prior to the 1800s, workers put in nearly 16 hours each day. 
How would you feel, Gabe, if you had to work 16 hours every day? 
Carolyn, I'm very glad that I don't have to work 16 hours every day. 
I'm glad that I did not live prior to the 1800s. 
Um, but it's true. 
"Prior to this time," that means before this time. 
And we find that workers put in nearly 16 hours a day. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: to put in something. 
You're talking about giving some of your time or giving some of your... whatever you have. 
You could also put in a lot of energy into a project. 
How else could you use that phrase? 
Well, you might say that you put in money. 
You invest in something to try to make it better, try to succeed in business. 
You can put in your own money or other people could put in their money. 
It's true. 
Or maybe if you're studying at a university, and you have a... a big paper that you need to write. 
Some people spend hours, maybe 100 or 200 hours. 
They put in many hours for their homework for this one big paper. 
So you can use that phrase in different ways. 
Well, we'll look at and see what workers put in. 
Over time, labor unions in many countries fought for shorter workdays. 
So labor unions, these organizations of workers were trying to get shoter workdays because the overtime was too much. 
Sixteen hours a day. 
That's right. 
Sixteen hours a day, of course, today that would be considered overtime. 
That's used as one word O-V-E-R-T-I-M-E. 
If you are working overtime, hopefully you get paid a little more. 
Here we see it as two words, over time, labor unions in many countries fought for shorter work days. 
That means over a long period of time. 
And it was. 
It was probably close to 100 years or more that people kept fighting for this. 
And we see this quote here, "Eight hours labor, eight hours recreation, and eight hours rest" became a popular saying. 
That's right. 
So they wanted to divide the day into three eight-hour periods: 
eight hours of labor or work, eight hours of recreation or relaxing, and then eight hours of rest - to sleep. 
And we see that word "recreation." And it's from our Word Bank, so let's talk about it. 
If you have recreation, then you do something that you enjoy. 
Maybe you spend your time relaxing, or maybe you go to the park. 
It is a great place for recreation. 
That's right. 
That is a good place for recreation. 
It's pretty much what you do for fun. 
Maybe you have a hobby of some kind, that's a recreational activity. 
Or maybe you like to go out hiking. 
Maybe you like to do something different, playing games. 
These are all considered recreation, what you do that's not work. 
That's right. 
Well, that is why workers enjoy the month of May on May 1. 
Continuing in the article: 
If you wish to party for a whole week, join the nurses! 
May 6 begins National Nurses' Week, which ends on May 12, International Nurses' Day. 
That's right. 
So we're... you can celebrate nurses or nursing for a week or for a day. 
And we continue: 
That day, on May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday, this celebrates the profession and her contribution to modern nursing. 
Well, we do have a key word. 
The word is "contribution." And if you have a contribution, that means you give something to something else. 
So Florence Nightingale contributed. 
She gave a lot of her life to modern nursing or studying about nursing. 
That's right. 
Well, you can contribute a lot of things. 
You can make a contribution. 
Her contribution was to nursing. 
But maybe you like to make a contribution of your time to projects that you think are worthwhile. 
Well, I think it's an important question. 
How can I contribute to society? 
You see that word as a verb as well. 
C-O-N-T-R-I-B-U-T-E. 
How can you contribute to society? 
That's a question a lot of people have. 
What contribution will you make? 
Well, Michelle always makes a good contribution here at Studio Classroom. 
Let's join her in the Language Lab now. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.04.B

We're talking all about the Merry Month of May today. 
There are different things to celebrate. 
And so far we've looked at International Workers' Day. 
This is where you can celebrate that you don't have to work 16 or more hours a day. 
You can have eight hours labor, eight hours recreation, and eight hours of rest. 
Or of course you can celebrate with the nurses - National Nurses' Day, or National Nurses' Week or International Nurses' Day. 
We have a lot more to celebrate in May. 
So let's get started with the second reading right now. 
The Merry Month of May. 
Or perhaps you feel like celebrating food. 
Make some chocolate chip cookies on May 15, National Chocolate Chip Day! 
You could couple cookies with something made of emerald for a loved one. 
May's brilliant green gemstone represents wisdom, patience and growth - all necessary for a love that lasts. 
Happiness, sweetness and a pure heart are represented through May's power, the Lily of the Valley. 
Finally, May 31 is World No Tobacco Day. 
About 6 million people a year die from tobacco use. 
Around 600,000 of those die from second-hand smoke alone. 
So put out that cigarette! 
(Music). 
Well, we have a good warning there at the end of the article. 
But let's look at the beginning of this section first. 
Or perhaps you feel like celebrating food. 
Hmm, you can celebrate food in May. 
And we see: Make some chocolate chip cookies on May 15, National Chocolate Chip Day. 
Whoa. That sounds like a really great day to celebrate, National Chocolate Chip Day. 
Carolyn, I agree. 
You can make chocolate chip cookies. 
Well, maybe you like to eat cookies. 
Cookies are a special kind of treat. 
A lot of people like to have cookies for dessert. 
What kind of cookies do you like? 
Carolyn, do you like chocolate chip cookies, or do you prefer another kind of cookie? 
Well, I think chocolate chip cookies are very delicious, but my favorite are raisin cookies. 
But they have to be homemade raisin cookies, not the kind that you buy in a store. 
Hmm, homemade raisin cookies. 
Well, that does sound delicious. 
Chocolate chip cookies, homemade raisin cookies. 
There are lots of different kinds of cookies. 
But chocolate chip cookies are really famous, especially in the United States. 
Someone actually discovered how to make chocolate chip cookies on accident. 
They were trying to make chocolate cookies, but then they ended up using little bits of chocolate to put inside these cookies. 
And they became chocolate chip cookies. 
Well, they are delicious. 
They are delicious. 
And we see that you could couple cookies with something made of emerald for a loved one. 
So you could give someone you love chocolate chip cookies and something with emerald. 
And we're going to be learning about this gemstone a little bit more. 
But for now let's take a look at what Liz has to share in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
In today's article, the writer mentions: 
You could couple cookies with something made of emerald for a loved one. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the word "couple." Normally, "couple" is used as a noun, like a married couple. 
But in today's sentence we see "couple" used as a verb. 
In this case, it means to put together with. 
So the writer is suggesting we could combine cookies with something made of emerald to give to a loved one. 
OK. Let's have a look at some example sentences. 
Our dinner banquet on the beach was coupled with a free boat ride. 
Or: The presentation was basically a speech from the dean coupled with a video clip. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Well, before the Grammar Gym, we were talking about emeralds and making something with emeralds. 
We see in that sentence: something made of emerald for a loved one. 
And if you have something that is made of emerald, that doesn't mean the whole thing is an emerald, just a single emerald, but it contains emeralds. 
Now Gabe, how else can you use that phrase, "made of something"? 
Made of something... well, maybe you could talk about a necklace that is made of pearls. 
Or if you're going on a picnic, maybe you're eating sandwiches that are made of ham and cheese. 
So you can use these different things to use this phrase: made of, or to be made of something. 
Well, here we have something made of emerald. 
And continuing we see: May's brilliant green gemstone represents wisdom, patience and growth - all necessary for a love that lasts. 
That's right. 
So these things are represented by the emerald, this beautiful green gemstone. 
Let's take a look at that word "represent." It's from our Word Bank. 
And when you represent something, that means you show something so you can symbolize something. 
So the emerald represents these different qualities. 
How else can you use that word? 
Well, you can have someone, a person, represent something. 
You might say that Gabe represents a good English teacher. 
He's very good at teaching English. 
And when you think of an English teacher, you might think of Teacher Gabe here. 
Well, or you could also say that Carolyn and I represent Studio Classroom. 
We teach for Studio Classroom. 
But if you see us on the street or somewhere else, we would also represent Studio Classroom. 
Maybe we can say things for Studio Classroom as a company. 
Well, these things represent wisdom, patience and growth. 
These gemstones, they represent wisdom. 
Carolyn, are these things good, wisdom, patience and growth? 
These are all very good things. 
If you have wisdom, then you are intelligent and you know how to use the information you have. 
And patience and growth. 
It's wonderful to be patient and to be able to grow and change. 
And we see that they are all necessary for a love that lasts. 
That's right. And we continue. 
Happiness, sweetness and a pure heart are represented through May's flower. 
And what is the flower? 
The Lily of the Valley. 
Well, how do we end this is lesson, Carolyn? 
Well, we have one more thing going on in May. 
Finally, May 31, so the last day, is World No Tobacco Day. 
About 6 million people a year die due to tobacco use. 
And we see that word "tobacco." And it's from our Word Bank. 
Tobacco is a kind of plant that many people like to smoke or chew as a cigarette, but it's really not very healthy for you. 
Well, it's true. 
Tobacco is in a lot of cigarettes or cigars or things like that. 
Um... and of course, around 600,000 of those die from second-hand smoke alone. 
So 600,000 of those people who have died from tobacco use die from second-hand smoke. 
So they weren't actually smoking the cigarettes or cigars, other people were smoking around them. 
Yes. So it's very dangerous. 
And we see that last sentence: 
So put out that cigarette! 
Stay healthy and don't endanger others that are around you with second-hand smoke. 
Well, we do have a little bit more to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's head back to our teachers and today's lesson. 
May is a very busy month. 
And we've learned about several different holidays and things going on during this month. 
Is there anything that you want to celebrate? 
Do any of these days have a meaning to you? 
I know World No Tobacco Day is a very important day for me. 
What about you, Gabe? 
National Chocolate Chip Day. 
I just want to have a chocolate chip cookie right now. 
Well, maybe you can have one after lunch. 
OK. That's a good idea. 
Well, friends, thank you for joining us today. 
And we hope to see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.05.06.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for today. 
Our lesson has to do with traveling. 
The title is "Cash, Check or Credit Card?" And so when you travel, you might be able to pay using three different kinds of things. 
Cash, check or credit card. 
Of course, there might be other ways to pay. 
But these are the three main ones that people use when they're traveling around the world. 
So how do you usually pay for things when you're traveling? 
Carolyn, is there a certain way that you usually pay? 
Well, usually when I'm traveling, I do take a credit card with me. 
But when I actually buy things, I prefer to use cash. 
I feel much more comfortable just having the cash there and being able to hand it to the person and not worrying about using my card. 
I see. 
Usually I take my credit card or an ATM card, and then I will withdraw some money. 
I'm the same as Carolyn, I would use cash most of the time when I'm paying for something. 
But there are different ways to pay for things. 
And we have some tips from this lesson. 
So let's get started. 
Open up your magazine. 
Let's do the first reading of the day. 
Cash, Check or Credit Card? 
A backpacker's advice on carrying money in Europe. 
During my semester abroad in Europe, I had many opportunities to travel around Germany and neighboring countries. 
Nearly every country I visited used the Euro, so exchanging currencies wasn't a problem. 
The adventures came when deciding how to pay. 
I began my semester with American Express traveler's checks. 
I'd never traveled abroad, and traveler's checks were my safest bet. 
They were insured, which meant that American Express would replace them for free if they were lost or stolen. 
Well, it is a good idea to be safe with your money when you are traveling in another country. 
At the beginning we see that this is a backpacker's advice on carrying money in Europe. 
So someone who has gone backpacking in Europe is going to be giving us some tips on what we should do to keep our money safe when we travel there. 
That's right. 
And our author is Jo, Jo Wuertz. 
And she usually has interesting stories about her travels. 
Let's begin. 
During my semester abroad in Europe, I had many opportunities to travel around Germany and neighboring countries. 
All right. So she had many chances to go traveling to Germany and the neighboring countries. 
What is that, Carolyn? 
What are the neighboring countries? 
Well, those would be the countries that are near Germany. 
So she didn't just travel within Germany. 
She went to the ones that were next to it or maybe a few countries over because many of the countries in Europe are very close, 
and travel is pretty easy. 
That's right. 
So if you have a chance to travel abroad, maybe... during your semester abroad at university or at school, 
you might want to go to Europe because it's easy to travel around or among these countries. 
There are so many countries right next to each other. 
They are all neighboring countries. 
Well, how does this lesson continue? 
Well, we see: Nearly every country I visited used the Euro, so exchanging currencies wasn't a problem. 
So nearly every country, most of the countries that she visited, used the Euro, which is a standard form of money in Europe. 
That's right, the Euro. 
Many countries use the Euro. 
It's a kind of currency. 
And so we're talking about exchanging currencies here - it wasn't a problem. 
There are two things we want to talk about here. 
The first is the word "exchange." When you exchange a currency, that means you are switching it or replacing one with another. 
You can exchange different things. 
What other things can you exchange in life, Carolyn? 
Well, I often think of people who ask me for a phone number or an address. 
They say: Oh. Well, would you mind exchanging phone numbers? 
So I give them my phone number, and they give me their phone number. 
But you could also exchange gifts. 
Maybe you're at a party, and everyone brings a gift. 
And then you trade one gift for another. 
It's a gift exchange. 
That's right. 
That can be kind of a fun event, a gift exchange. 
Or maybe you're exchanging glances with somebody. 
You're looking at that person, they're looking at you. 
Maybe you're sharing different facial expressions. 
You're exchanging glances. 
There are different ways to use that word "exchange." Now let's talk about the Word Bank word: currency. 
You need to know this word if you are traveling abroad, especially and if you're going to be using money in another country. 
The currency is the money that that country or that place uses. 
How could you use that word? 
Well, it is very important to know what currency they use. 
So you might ask someone: What is the best currency, or what currency do I need to exchange my money for before I travel? 
That's right. 
And if you're not sure, then you might be able to go online. 
There are different currencies listed there. 
Usually they're abbreviated. 
So the U.S. Dollar would be USD and letters like that when you're talking about currencies. 
Well, let's continue with Jo's story. 
The adventures came when deciding how to pay. 
All right. 
So it's fun to just travel abroad, but the adventures come when you decide how you're going to pay. 
That's right. 
And we see that she says: I began my semester with American Express traveler's checks. 
Well, traveler's checks from American Express was what she decided to use when she first started studying abroad. 
Now a traveler's check is something that I've never really used. 
Gabe, could you tell us more about this Word Bank word? 
Of course. 
American Express makes traveler's checks. 
That means you can use these checks. 
They're already made for you. 
You buy them, but then you can use them in other countries almost like cash. 
So it's a traveler's check. 
It's one way that you could pay. 
Well, Jo says that she'd never traveled abroad, and "traveler's checks were my safest bet," she says. 
Her safest bet - it's the safest thing she could think of. 
And they are pretty safe. 
We're going to find out more later why they are safe. 
But first, let's go and visit Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
I hope you're doing well today. 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
We see this statement in today's article: ... and traveler's checks were my safest bet. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: safest bet. 
It's another way to say: smartest option. 
So the writer is saying that using traveler's checks is the smartest thing for her to do. 
We use "safest bet" when we're talking about making smart decisions in difficult or complicated situations. 
For example: 
Taking the metro to the airport is your safest bet if you don't want to be stuck in traffic. 
Or: it's very hard to find drinking water in the mountains; your safest bet would be to get it from your hotel. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your Studio Classroom magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
We are talking about traveler's checks that were Jo's safest bet. 
In the next sentence we see that they were insured, which meant that American Express would replace them for free if they were lost or stolen. 
So it sounds like these traveler's checks really were a safe bet. 
That's great. 
And you can get different things insured. 
"Insure" is from our key word list, or our Word Bank. 
And if you have something insured, that means it is safe. 
It's secure. 
You have paid some money, a little extra money, for something to be safe. 
So if something happens to it, that means you don't have to buy something over again and start at the very beginning. 
That's right. 
So a lot of times I think of you might need to buy insurance for your car or your house. 
Those are two very important things to insure. 
Well, now it is time for us to enjoy some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.06.B

If you're just joining us, we have a lesson called Cash, Check or Credit Card. 
And we're joining Jo's story as she talks about how she paid when she went traveling in different countries. 
And of course, one thing that she used was American Express traveler's checks. 
She thought they were the safest bet, the safest thing because they were insured. 
We're going to be learning a little more about this and her other experiences traveling abroad. 
So let's get started with the second reading of today. 
Cash, Check or Credit Card? 
I cashed them into Euros at a bank in Freiburg and happily lived off those funds during my first month. 
Later I opened a bank account. 
I used the bank's ATM to withdraw cash throughout the rest of the semester. 
In Freiburg I found credit cards unhelpful; most of my purchases were small and from small stores. 
Cash was easiest. 
And because Freiburg is a small, quiet city, I didn't feel any danger when I was carrying cash. 
This was not always the case in other countries where I traveled. 
We do have very different experiences depending on where we travel. 
Well, before we were talking about traveler's checks and Jo's experience with them, she says: 
I cashed them into Euros at a bank in Freiburg and happily lived off those funds during my first month. 
Well, so she took her traveler's checks and cashed them at a bank. 
Then she lived off of those funds for a month. 
That's right. 
She lived off of this money. 
So when you live off of something, that means you basically just use that for your life or how you're going to pay. 
You could use this in other ways, not just talking about money. 
You could say: I lived off of noodles and rice for a week because I didn't have anything else. 
You live off of these things. 
That's right. 
But here we see that Jo was able to live off of the traveler's checks that she cashed at the bank. 
Continuing: Later I opened a bank account. 
So she started her own account at this bank and no longer used traveler's checks. 
That's right. 
Now of course, if you are using checks of any kind, you can cash them. 
Use the verb, to "cash" something. 
That means you trade your check for the appropriate amount of cash. 
And of course, if you have a bank account, that will help. 
Jo's story continues. 
I used the bank's ATM to withdraw cash throughout the rest of the trip... or the rest of the semester. 
So she's talking about her ATM now. 
Now I think you know what an ATM is. 
Maybe you even have an ATM card, and you can withdraw money whenever you need it. 
But it is connected to a bank account, so you need to have an account with money already in it before you can use your card. 
It's a little bit different from a credit card where you pay the money back later. 
That's right. 
I don't know which is better. 
Actually it's probably good to have both a credit card and an ATM. 
But remember to pay off your credit card. 
Well, we continue with Jo's story. 
In Freiburg I found credit cards unhelpful; most of my purchases were small and from small stores. 
Interesting. 
Some people find credit cards very helpful, but she found them unhelpful. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: to find something helpful. 
Of course, in our lesson you see it's "I found something unhelpful." But I think you can use this in a positive way. 
How can you use that phrase, to find something helpful, Carolyn? 
Well, maybe you ask someone for their opinion about something, and you might say: 
Oh, I found his advice very helpful. 
It was great advice. 
OK. So you could find someone's advice helpful. 
Or maybe someone really helped you, moving something from one place to another: 
I found that very helpful. 
Thank you very much. 
So Jo found something unhelpful. 
She found credit cards unhelpful. 
They didn't really help her that much. 
But Carolyn, what's the Word Bank word we have here? 
Well, we see the word "purchases" here because she is talking about buying things. 
And so the word "purchase" here is not a verb. 
It's not to buy something. 
It is the thing that you buy. 
It is a noun. 
That's right. 
And you can use this to talk about anything that you buy. 
That is a purchase. 
Of course, you know that purchase can also be a verb. 
You can purchase many things. 
And here it's an noun. 
So you can purchase a purchase. 
That's right. 
Well, Jo thought that credit cards were unhelpful when she was buying her purchases. 
She says that cash was easiest. 
And I think that Steve and Ken have something they'd like to share with us about that in the Information Cloud. 
If you ever go shopping in the U.S., you'll likely encounter a store clerk asking you the question: Cash or charge? 
And my response is almost always: Do you take American Express? 
Ah, Ken, so you charge your purchase using a credit card, which in your case, is American Express. 
Right. 
Now more and more supermarkets and drugstores in the U.S. have devices where customers slide their credit card themselves. 
But still, in many places they need to hand their card over to the cashier. 
Well, people just don't like to carry a lot of cash with them. 
For one, it's dangerous; and it could get lost or stolen. 
Right. 
Credit cards are safer and more convenient. 
Not only that. 
When you charge a purchase, most credit card companies will insure that purchase in case the product is defective. 
Another reason people love to pay with plastic is because the credit companies give points with each purchase, 
points that can later be redeemed for free stuff or discounts. 
Now "pay with plastic" is an informal expression. 
And it comes from the fact that credit cards are made of plastic, so. 
When we use one to buy something, we can say we are paying with plastic or using plastic money. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, we continue with Jo's story. 
She writes: And because Freiburg is a small, quiet city, I didn't feel any danger when I was carrying cash. 
So she says cash is easiest to pay with, and she didn't feel any danger when she was carrying cash. 
What does that mean to feel danger, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that you think perhaps the area around you isn't safe. 
You think it's dangerous, and so you can feel as if there is danger around you. 
But she says that this was a nice small town, so she really wasn't worried when she was carrying cash. 
That's right. 
You know, I could also say I didn't feel like I was in danger when I was carrying cash. 
There are a couple ways to say that. 
But Jo ends: This was not always the case in other countries where I traveled. 
It sounds like she has more to share with us in the next part of her lesson. 
It wasn't always the case that there was no danger. 
So maybe it was dangerous in other areas where she traveled. 
That's what it sounds like. 
And we see that phrase: not always the case. 
So she's talking about a situation that is different. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn some more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers. 
Well, we've been hearing a lot from Jo about her experiences traveling abroad and what she used to pay for things in other countries. 
I wonder, do you have any special tips or tricks for people when they travel abroad? 
Is there something special that you do to keep your money safe? 
Gabe, what... what do you do when you travel? 
Well, I try not to have too much cash on me at one time. 
Of course, if someone steals my credit card, then I can cancel the card. 
But I might lose the cash if someone steals it. 
So don't carry too much cash on you at one time. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, that is some pretty good advice. 
I would also make sure to not put all of my money or my important documents in one place. 
Spread them out. 
Have a little bit of cash here, a little bit of cash there. 
And always carry a copy of your passport in a place that is not where your passport is kept. 
Well, we have some more to learn from Jo tomorrow. 
And we will see you then right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you next time. 
(Music).

2013.05.07.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for our second day about traveling this month. 
We're joining Jo and her story about traveling in Europe, and we're asking the question: 
Cash, check or credit? 
Which should you use to pay with when you're traveling? 
Well, have you ever been in a place where you couldn't use your credit card? 
Sometimes that happens. 
You have a credit card, but you can't use it. 
Has that ever happened to you, Carolyn? 
Well, actually a lot of times when I travel, the places I go to don't accept credit cards because it requires a special system that the shop has to pay for. 
So they don't take them; they only take cash. 
And that's OK since I usually pay for things in cash. 
Well, that's usually OK for me, too. 
But I had to make a layover in one country, and I didn't have the cash, the currency of that country. 
All I had was a credit card. 
And they said: Sorry, we only take cash. 
I didn't even have any U.S. dollars, so I couldn't pay with anything. 
I couldn't get my coffee. 
Anyway, I'm glad I'm back. 
Now I can use a credit card. 
Sometimes you can, sometimes you can't. 
But it... it's good to learn more from other people's experiences. 
So pay attention right now as we listen to Jo and what she has to say. 
Cash, Check or Credit Card? 
I always carried a credit card, my ATM card and cash wherever I went. 
The reason for this was safety. 
My credit card had a high limit which was great for emergency use. 
Using the ATM card was safer than carrying a lump of cash in my wallet. 
A small amount of cash was perfect for food and souvenirs. 
I never had trouble with these, but two of my friends weren't so lucky. 
In Nice, France, my friend Chiyo had her backpack stolen while we were eating lunch at McDonald's. 
Someone walked right by and snatched it - we didn't notice until we got up to leave. 
Oh... not a good experience at all. 
I hate it when people steal things. 
Well, let's go to the beginning of Jo's story here today. 
She says: I always carried a credit card, my ATM card and cash wherever I went. 
So it seems like this is a good idea for us to do as well. 
She might give you this advice: Carry a credit card, ATM card and cash wherever you go when you are traveling. 
And we see why she did this. 
The reason for this was safety. 
And I do think it's a good idea to have different forms of payment when you're wanting to purchase things in other countries. 
But you probably should keep them safe and tucked away where they won't get stolen. 
That's right. 
Then you won't be in any danger. 
Well, let's continue. 
She says: My credit card had a high limit which was great for emergency use. 
Wait a minute, Carolyn. 
What does that mean to have a high limit? 
I know we've talked about this before in earlier months. 
What does it mean to have a high credit limit? 
Well, if you have a high credit limit, it means that you can buy a lot of things or spend a lot of credit money that you can pay back later. 
It means that the company trusts you that you will be able to pay back what you spend. 
And so, they let you spend a lot. 
That's right. 
So the more you use a credit card and the earlier you pay off your credit card, the higher your limit will be. 
All right. 
So that's pretty good. 
And you can use these for emergency use. 
Well, let's continue. 
Using the ATM card was safer than carrying a lump of cash in my wallet. 
OK. Sometimes it can be safer than just carrying cash. 
Let's talk about that key word there "lump." What is this word, Carolyn? 
What does it mean? 
Well, a lump is a large piece of something. 
You might say you have a lump of money, which would be quite a thick and large amount of money. 
But I also think of a lump of maybe dirt or coal, something that you can hold in your hand. 
That's right. 
I think of kind of a shape when she's talking about this lump of cash in her wallet. 
It's kind of this shape. 
It's not smooth. 
It's kind of something that might be awkward to carry. 
It's a lump of cash. 
Sometimes you feel like that. 
You have so much cash in your wallet. 
It makes your wallet too thick, kind of like a lump in your pocket. 
Well, how does the lesson continue, Carolyn? 
Well, she says a small amount of cash was perfect for food and souvenirs. 
So she just needed to carry around a little bit of cash, not a lump of cash so that she could get food and souvenirs. 
Then she had her ATM card in case she needed to get out more money, 
and also had a credit card in case she needed to buy something more expensive or if there was an emergency. 
Jo's a smart one. 
Well, let's take a look at a phrase from this sentence: the amount of cash was perfect for food and souvenirs. 
Perfect for something. 
Well, of course nothing is perfect. 
But you can use this phrase in other ways. 
You could say: This gift is perfect for you. 
I knew you would like it. 
Or that drink, that cool drink is perfect for hot summer weather. 
How might you use that phrase? 
Well, this is a perfect time for relaxing. 
It's vacation time. 
It is perfect for going to the beach. 
That's right. 
It's perfect for that. 
Well, let's continue with Jo's story. 
She is talking about the amount of cash that was perfect for food and souvenirs. 
I never had trouble with thieves, but two of my friends weren't so lucky. 
So Jo never had anything stolen from her, but it sounds like her friends maybe had this experience? 
That's what it sounds like. 
She says that her friends weren't so lucky. 
So they did not have this same luck that she did in not having things stolen from her. 
And then she gives us an example of what happened to one of her friends. 
She says: In Nice, France, my friend Chiyo had her backpack stolen while they were eating lunch at McDonald's. 
Oh, man. 
To have your backpack stolen, there's probably a lot of important things in there. 
How did it happen? 
Well, someone walked right by and snatched it - we didn't notice until we got up to leave. 
Man, I hate when that happens! 
But I do like talking about words from the Word Bank. 
Let's talk about this word "snatch." If you snatch something from somebody, that means you take it from them. 
Maybe when they did not expect it, you snatch it out of their hands. 
And it's usually something that's done very quickly, to snatch. 
Usually when I think of this word, though, I think of maybe an animal snatching something, so. 
You might throw a ball or a stick when you're playing with your dog. 
And the dog snatches it out of the air. 
You're right. 
Well, I had a similar experience to Jo when I was visiting Greece, actually. 
We were praying before a meal, and we all had our eyes closed. 
And someone came by and took my friend's bag. 
They snatched her bag and stole it. 
So do be careful when you're traveling. 
And uh, you don't want people to snatch your things, especially your important documents. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.07.B

Well, we're on the second day of our lesson Cash, Check or Credit Card. 
And we've been learning all about Jo and her experiences traveling abroad and the ways she likes to pay for things. 
She likes to have cash on her for small purchases, but also carry around a credit card for emergencies as well as having her ATM card with her. 
Well, we're going to learn some more about what happens when things get stolen while you are traveling abroad. 
Let's do that now. 
Cash, Check or Credit Card? 
In Rome, another friend's wallet was stolen from her backpack. 
The next day, she caught a pickpocket reaching into her bag and stopped him. 
But of course there was nothing left for him to steal. 
I learned from their experiences and now try to be especially cautious when I'm in unfamiliar places. 
Careful planning and wise decisions help me worry less about keeping my money safe and more about having fun! 
Well, yes, it is important to plan carefully before you go on a trip somewhere. 
OK, so let's continue with this lesson. 
Jo says: In Rome, another friend's wallet was stolen from her backpack. 
So we already learned about one friend who had something stolen from her. 
And then another friend's wallet was taken from her backpack or stolen from this backpack. 
And that's very unfortunate. 
Her first friend had her entire backpack stolen. 
And then the second friend had her wallet taken out of her backpack when they were in Rome. 
And I think that Steve and Ken want to tell us a little bit about what you do when you are in Rome. 
Hi, friends. 
Have you ever been to Rome? 
If you have, did you do as the Romans do? 
Ken, I think we need to explain to our students that what you just said is actually a reference to a common expression. 
You're right, Steve. 
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do" is actually a common saying. 
And it usually has nothing to do with Rome or the Romans. 
Right. 
It just means that when you are visiting a new place, such as Rome, you should try to follow what the locals do. 
Now I remember when I first visited Beijing, a friend took me to a restaurant and ordered some thousand-year-old eggs. 
Now I didn't quite know what to do, so the friend said to me: 
Oh, come on, Steve. 
Give it a try. 
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. 
So I picked one up with my chopsticks and put it in my mouth, and it was actually not bad. 
So this expression is basically saying that one should try to fit in, assimilate or conform to what is socially acceptable when they're in a new place. 
But Steve, do you think this is always a good idea? 
Not always! 
Remember, just because everyone else is doing something doesn't mean it's right or that you have to do it, too. 
Yes, I agree. 
You should exercise your own judgment. 
(Chinese). 
Very good. 
When in Rome, do as the Romans do... unless they are taking your wallet from your backpack. 
Well, let's continue with Jo's story. 
The next day, she caught a pickpocket reaching into her bag and stopped him. 
Very good. 
It sounds like she learned her lesson, Carolyn. 
Well, she did, but there's still this "pickpocket." And that's one of the words from our Word Bank. 
It's not a very good thing to have a pickpocket around. 
A pickpocket is a person who steals things, usually from people's pockets. 
Yeah. That's an easy word to remember because it's like you're picking out of someone's pocket. 
And I've seen TV shows about how pickpockets steal things. 
It's very interesting. 
They're very clever. 
There are many ways to steal. 
Of course, you should not steal. 
Don't become a pickpocket. 
But do be careful that you don't want to have a pickpocket steal something from you. 
Well, Jo continues. 
But of course there was nothing left for him to steal. 
I like that. It's kind of funny. 
It's kind of funny, but it's very unfortunate because she had already had her wallet stolen the day before by another pickpocket. 
So it seems like there are a lot of pickpockets in this area. 
And she is an easy target for them. 
That's right. 
But of course we see a phrase here. 
There was nothing left for this person to steal. 
You could use that phrase in some other ways, too. 
You might say there's nothing left for me to eat. 
All of the food is gone. 
Or I've said everything I need to say. 
There's nothing left for me to say. 
Well, Carolyn, how does Jo's story continue? 
She says: I learned from their experiences and now try to be especially cautious when I'm in unfamiliar places. 
So Jo was very lucky that she did not have this experience. 
She did not have anything stolen from her or have a pickpocket reach into her bag. 
But she did learn from what happened to her friends. 
That's right. 
She learned from these lessons. 
And so now she is cautious. 
Let's take a look at that word straight from the Word Bank. 
To be cautious means to be careful. 
Really, they mean the same thing. 
If you are cautious, you are careful. 
So how can you be cautious, Carolyn? 
Well, you should be cautious when you are planning a trip. 
You should really think about where you need to go, where you want to go and how best to prepare for it. 
You should be cautious when you want to travel. 
That's right. 
And maybe you're traveling by car, traveling on a motorcycle. 
You need to be cautious when you are driving these kinds of vehicles because it can be kind of dangerous when you're traveling in that way. 
So be cautious no matter what you do. 
And Jo continues: 
Careful planning and wise decisions help me worry less about keeping my money safe and more about having fun! 
All right. 
So it's important to have careful planning when you are trying to plan a trip. 
Now she talks about worrying about two things here, Carolyn. 
What's the first thing she worries less about? 
Well, she worries less about keeping her money safe. 
She doesn't need to do that because she's already thought about it. 
She tries to make these wise decisions and be especially cautious when she's planning where she's going. 
That's right. 
Now usually I think about worry as thinking about something in a negative way. 
You're anxious, you're nervous about something. 
You're worried about it. 
So you worry less about keeping your money safe. 
But she also says she can worry more about having fun. 
So this is a great thing. 
I wouldn't think of it as worry. 
But this is kind of a fun way of writing that she is just going to think about having fun, not about where her money is or if it is safe. 
That's right. 
And it is important when you're planning a trip to think about all of the possible situations that you might face while you're traveling somewhere unfamiliar. 
So it's good to know what it is like in that country or that city that you're going to. 
Are there lots of pickpockets? 
Is it a pretty safe place? 
What do you need to worry about? 
And I hope that you'll worry more about having fun than anything else. 
That's right. 
Well, it's time for us to have fun right now with a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Living abroad is great. 
Yes. There are so many opportunities to travel. 
But what about money? 
Oh, don't worry. 
Exchanging currencies isn't a problem. 
Most countries here use the Euro. 
Yes. But how should I pay, cash, check or credit card? 
Deciding how to pay isn't easy. 
So what's my safest bet? 
Um, traveler's checks. 
They're insured and can be replaced free if lost or stolen. 
Oh, that is a safe bet. 
But cash, an ATM card and credit cards are good, too. 
Oh. There are so many choices. 
I know. 
But here's what I do. 
I carry a credit card, ATM card and cash all the time. 
Why? 
Well, the reason is safety. 
My credit card has a high limit. 
It's great for emergencies. 
That's important. 
My ATM card is safer than carrying a lump of cash. 
Yeah, safer and less lumpy. 
Yes. And a small amount of cash is good for food and souvenirs. 
All right. 
I'll carry a credit card, ATM card and cash, too. 
It's your safest bet. 
Oh, no! Someone snatched my backpack. 
Oh, no. 
Your safest bet wasn't safe enough. 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our teachers are doing. 
Well, we've had fun learning about Jo's experiences traveling with some of her friends. 
Unfortunately, some of them had something stolen from them - a backpack, a wallet. 
There were some pickpockets here and there. 
Well, have you ever had anything stolen from you? 
And what did you do about it? 
How did you feel about that? 
Carolyn, has this ever happened to you? 
Well, there was a time when I was traveling outside of the U.S., and I needed to get money from the ATM. 
So I went to the ATM, and I made sure no one was watching me. 
I got my money, got on the train to go back to my apartment. 
And as I'm walking down the street, it's night time, and I'm just talking to my friend. 
And suddenly there's a hand that came between us. 
No way! 
Someone tried to open my purse and steal the money I had just taken out of the ATM. 
Wait. So did they get the money from you, Carolyn? 
They did not because we saw him. 
And as soon as he saw us notice him, he turned around and walked away. 
Good. I like that. 
You didn't let... you didn't let him take any money from you. 
I think it's good also to travel with a friend. 
Sometimes that can help to keep things safe. 
Well, thank you for joining us for today's interesting lesson. 
And we hope to see you again next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.05.08.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And we want to thank you for joining us for today's lesson. 
We're going to be learning all about a movie star, a celebrity, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. 
Our lesson is called Just a RegularJOE. 
Well, we're going to find out why it's called this in our lesson. 
But I do wonder if you have ever heard of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, or maybe you've even seen him in some movies. 
Carolyn, have you seen this guy in any movies? 
Well, actually I have, and at the time I didn't really know who he was. 
But this article is very interesting. 
I had seen him in a few movies that are mentioned here like (500) Days of Summer and The Dark Knight Rises, 
which was a very exciting film that he had a part in. 
That's right. 
Those are big films. 
I saw him in Inception as well, and he did a great job. 
Well, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. 
We're going to be learning all about him over the next couple of days. 
So I do hope you have your magazine. 
Open it up, and let's get started with the first reading of today - Just a RegularJOE. 
(Music). 
Just a RegularJOE. 
Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes fame look so easy. 
Though only 32 years of age, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has over a quarter century of experience in the entertainment industry. 
Recent blockbusters have made him famous worldwide, but he's been acting for ages. 
While the road of fame has been rough on many young stars, Gordon-Levitt seems to be traveling it with ease. 
However, he has no regard for celebrity. 
"I really don't like this notion that some people are more important than other people," he says. 
So how is it that the rising star seems to be on the road to success without breaking a sweat? 
(Music). 
Well, he is becoming a very successful actor. 
And right at the beginning we see that Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes fame look so easy. 
He makes fame look easy. 
Now I want to talk about that phrase. 
If you make something look easy, then you take something that's very difficult, 
but you do it so well that when other people see it, they think it must be actually very easy to do. 
Gabe, is there anyone you know that can make something look easy? 
Well, I've seen a juggler online. 
And he makes juggling look so easy. 
It's not easy to take a couple of items, three or more items, and throw them up in the air to keep them going in the air without falling on the ground. 
Juggling is difficult, but this guy can take over 10 things and make juggling look so easy. 
I don't know how he does it. 
Carolyn, do you know anybody who makes something look so easy? 
Well, I've... actually I've been taking some tai chi lessons to kind of get in better shape. 
And my teacher makes it look so easy. 
He's just very, very calm and very smooth movements. 
And then when I try to do it, it doesn't quite look the same. 
Right. Of course, a professional will make something look very easy. 
Maybe you know some musicians who make playing an instrument look so easy. 
Of course it's not. 
Well, Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes fame look so easy. 
Is it easy to become famous? 
Most of the time it's not. 
But he makes it look easy. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing in the article we see: 
Though only 32 years of age, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has over a quarter century of experience in the entertainment industry. 
So he's really not very old, only 32, but he has over a quarter century of experience. 
How long is a quarter century, Gabe? 
Well, if a century is 100 years, then a quarter century is 25 years. 
So he's been acting for more than half of his life, or he's been in the entertainment industry for more than half his life. 
He's 32 years of age. 
That means he's 32 years old. 
Well, we've been talking about this man - Joseph Gordon-Levitt. 
And his name is kind of unique as far as English names go. 
And I think that Steve and Ken are going to tell us some more about that in the Information Cloud. 
The focus of this month's PROFILE feature Joseph Gordon-Levitt has what is called a double-barreled surname. 
Sometimes it's called a hyphenated surname, but the hyphen is optional. 
That's right. 
Now we should mention that the practice of naming children and changing surnames varies from culture to culture and country to country. 
Today we'll focus on naming practices common in the U.S. 
There are different reasons why Americans choose double-barreled surnames. 
One of the main reasons is the egalitarian. 
Yes, egalitarian. That's a big word that just means equal and fair. 
Historically, when a woman married, she gave up her family name for her husband's. 
But many today feel that practice sends a message that the husband is more important than the wife. 
So for couples who want to emphasize equality in their relationship, 
they might choose to adopt a double-barreled surname for themselves, husband included, and (or) their children. 
This might be the reason behind Joseph's parents giving him a double-barreled surname. 
But I'm guessing he has it for another more important reason. 
Right. 
Joseph Gordon-Levitt's double-barreled surname reminds everyone that he is the grandson of the famous Hollywood movie director Michael Gordon. 
Something that, I'm sure, doesn't hurt his career as an actor. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, we continue with our lesson. 
Recent blockbusters have made him famous worldwide, but he's been acting for ages. 
So we've been talking about Joseph Gordon-Levitt and some blockbusters that have made him famous. 
Um, what's a blockbuster movie, Carolyn? 
Well, a blockbuster is a movie that is very, very successful. 
It breaks through the records. 
And so a blockbuster, I usually think about those being released in summer. 
Mmhm. OK, released in summer. 
And of course, many blockbusters are appreciated by audiences around the world. 
Not just one part, not just in Hollywood or in America but most of the world knows about these movies. 
And Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been acting for ages. 
This means he's been acting for, well, a long time. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing. 
While the road of fame has been rough on many young stars, Gordon-Levitt seems to be traveling it with ease. 
So usually when a child starts out acting at a very young age, as they grow up, they face a lot of problems. 
But here we see that Gordon-Levitt seems to not really have too many problems. 
That's right. It's not too rough for him. 
We do continue. 
It says: However, he has no regard for celebrity. 
He says: I really don't like this notion that some people are more important than other people. 
Let's take a look at two key words there. 
The first one is "celebrity." Now usually I think of this as a person, someone who is famous, either a singer or an actor. 
But how is it used here, Carolyn? 
Well, here it's not used as a person. 
It's used to refer to the fame. 
So he is not really that fond of fame or being a celebrity. 
That's right. 
He doesn't really put much value on it. 
Well, we continue, we see another word here. 
It is "notion." And notion is also from our Word Bank. 
I think of a notion is as kind of something that is not spoken by people, but a feeling that many people have about something. 
That's right. 
Or some kind of idea and the way that people think about you maybe from the way you behave. 
Or here a lot of people think that celebrities or someone who is famous, they are more important than other people. 
But Joseph Gordon-Levitt does not agree with this idea or this notion. 
That's right. 
He doesn't agree. 
So, we continue: So how is it that the rising star seems to be on the road to success without breaking a sweat? 
Carolyn, what does it mean to break a sweat? 
Well, if you are exercising, maybe you're running really fast, you start to sweat. 
And so breaking a sweat means that you begin to sweat. 
It requires a lot of effort. 
And here we see that he is not breaking a sweat in his success. 
It's something that's very easy for him. 
Well, let's go spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.08.B

If you're just joining us, we are learning about Joseph Gordon-Levitt. 
He is "Just a RegularJOE." We'll learn more about that title later in our lesson. 
But for now we have already talked about him being famous. 
He's become famous worldwide for some blockbusters. 
However, he doesn't regard celebrity as something very important. 
So how is it that this rising star has gotten a start without breaking a sweat? 
We're going to be looking at some possibilities in the next part of our lesson today. 
(Music). 
Just a RegularJOE. 
Maybe it's in the family. 
Gordon-Levitt's late grandfather Michael Gordon was a director of plays and films, a few of which won Academy Awards. 
Gordon's career survived the blacklisting of the 1950s, 
revealing a resilience that may have inspired Gordon-Levitt's survival of the change from child to adult actor. 
At six, he began his profession with commercials for peanut butter and, later, cereals. 
In 1992, he burst into the movies with Beethoven and A River Runs Through It before landing the TV sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun in 1996. 
His role as a series regular made him famous and won him several awards. 
He does seem to be having a lot of success. 
And in this section, we see "Maybe it's in the family." Maybe he's successful because of his family. 
We see Gordon-Levitt's late grandfather Michael Gordon was a director of plays and films, a few of it... a few of which won Academy Awards. 
Now it says "his late grandfather." What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, "late" is a polite way to say that someone has passed away. 
So if you describe someone as late, his late grandfather, that means his grandfather passed away. 
It could be recently, or it could be a long time ago. 
His grandfather passed away in 1993, almost 20 years ago. 
So this is his late grandfather. 
That's right. 
And we saw that he was a director of plays and films, and some of them won Academy Awards. 
So his grandfather was also successful. 
We also see that Gordon's career survived the blacklisting of the 1950s, 
revealing a resilience that may have inspired Gordon-Levitt's survival of the change from child to adult actor. 
Because as we mentioned before, that's not an easy transition to do. 
Now there's a word in here, Gabe. 
What... what word are we going to talk about? 
Well, we see an underlined word there "blacklisted." Now Gordon-Levitt's grandfather, he survived the blacklisting of the 1950's. 
So maybe some of his work was not accepted. 
It was hard to do work back then and... and get it accepted. 
But it reveals a resilience that may have inspired Joseph Gordon-Levitt's survival. OK. 
So let's take a look at this Word Bank word: resilience. 
If you have resilience to something, that means maybe you fall down, maybe you get hurt, you're in pain, 
but you get back up and you do even better, and you make it seem easy. 
That is resilience. 
That's right. 
And a lot of times when I think about this word, I think about someone having resilience when they are ill. 
So when you are sick, and you make a full recovery, you might say that that person is resilient. 
That is resilient. 
Maybe someone can be resilient. 
Or you might talk about some insects or pests that you don't like. 
You spray them with poison, but they become resilient. 
Sometimes that's how it is. 
The cockroaches are resilient to this bug spray. 
They will not die. 
They have resilience. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing we see: 
At six, so at age six, he began his profession with commercials for peanut butter and, later, cereals. 
So he started off very simply doing commercials for peanut butter and cereal. 
That's right. 
And in 1992, he burst into the movies with Beethoven and A River Runs Through It before landing the TV sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun in 1996. 
I get this idea of coming on really strong. 
When you burst into something, that means it's kind of like a surprise. 
You burst into it. 
That's right. 
So he burst into these movies. 
And then later he landed a job, or he landed the TV sitcom. 
And this is kind of an interesting way to use the word "land." Usually I think of landing something, 
you would maybe "land a plane" as you've been flying and then you land. 
But that's not what it means here, Gabe. 
No. This means he achieved something. 
This means he... he got something. 
So he landed in the... the TV sitcom. 
Or you could also use it in another way. 
He landed a job at the bank. 
That means he achieved something, he got something. 
That's right. 
So "land" here is not quite the same as landing a plane. 
Well, his role as a series regular made him famous and won him several awards. 
So he was a regular person or a regular character on this series. 
Now "series" is a word from our Word Bank. 
So let's take a look at that. 
What is a series, Gabe? 
Well, a series is more than just one of something. 
So of course, if you see a movie, that's usually not series. 
But if you're watching a TV show, and... and you can see it many times, maybe once a week or couple times a week, that might be a TV series. 
So he was on this series. 
Well, now we want to take a little time to watch a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Oh... Oh! I know who you are. 
You're a big celebrity, right? 
Actually, I'm just a regular Joe. 
A regular Joe? No. No. 
You're a celebrity Joe, a special Joe, a Hollywood Joe, a VIP Joe. 
I really don't like this notion that some people are more important than other people. 
What do you mean? 
You're Joseph Gordon-Livett... Levitt. 
Recent blockbusters have made you famous worldwide. 
You've been acting for ages. 
Yes. I have a quarter century experience in the entertainment industry. 
The road of fame is rough on young stars like you, huh? 
Actually, I've been traveling with ease. 
With ease? 
Yes. 
A rising star like you? 
I'm on the road to success without breaking a sweat. 
No sweat, huh. 
What's your secret? 
It's in the family. 
My grandfather was a director of films and plays. 
He won some Academy Awards. 
I was inspired by his resilience. 
Tell me, how did it all begin? 
Peanut butter commercials. 
Then cereal, and then movies. 
And then TV! 
That TV series made you famous. 
Yes, without breaking a sweat. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to go back to our teachers. 
Today we've been learning a little bit about Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his success as an actor. 
And we were talking about his late grandfather Michael Gordon who was also involved in the film industry, 
and how maybe that helped to influence Gordon-Levitt in his own career. 
Well, I wonder is there someone in your family that you are like the most. 
Gabe, are you very similar to one of your family members? 
Yeah. It's a good question. 
I think we all kind of resemble some family members. 
Um, I'd say I'm a lot like my mom, actually. 
She's... she's pretty outgoing. 
She loves talking to strangers and new people. 
She's also very sweet and caring and humble. 
So am I. 
And um, lots of other things. 
I think I'm pretty much like my mom. 
Oh. Well, that's... it's very good. 
Well, who are you like? 
We have a lot more to learn about Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the next two days. 
So I hope that you will join us again here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.05.09.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for the second day of our lesson Just a RegularJOE. 
We've been learning a little bit about Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a very successful actor, and where he got his success from. 
Why is he successful when it's not an easy road to fame for a lot of celebrities? 
Well, yesterday we discussed maybe it's in the family. 
Today we're going to be talking about two things: maybe it's vision, maybe it's creativity. 
But I do wonder about your vision. 
Do you have a kind of vision for your life, something that you want to accomplish? 
Carolyn, do you have a kind of vision for your life? 
Well, I do have a vision for my life, but it's not really something that I want to accomplish. 
I... I've felt like God is calling me to do very certain things, and so I'm trying to follow God's vision for my life. 
All right. 
Well, that... that is a good vision to have - God's vision. 
He knows what's best. 
Sometimes I don't really know what the vision for my life is. 
But I think it has something to do with teaching, acting and playing drums and speaking Chinese. 
These are different things that I'm good at. 
So what is the vision for your life? 
Or what is your vision? 
We're going to be learning a little bit about Joseph Gordon-Levitt's vision in the first section of our reading for today. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
Just a RegularJOE. 
Maybe it's vision. 
Disdaining his fame, Gordon-Levitt moved from his home in Los Angeles to Columbia University in New York City during 3rd Rock's final season. 
"It was the smartest thing I ever did. 
I got to reinvent myself." Curiously, Michael Gordon started in Hollywood making film noir, 
moved to New York during his troubles in the 50s and returned to direct comedies. 
After quitting school, Gordon-Levitt did not return to comedy, but moved to dark and mysterious independent films. 
Both men learned from their experiences, wanted something new and took up the reins of their lives to find it. 
(Music). 
All right. 
Well, let's start at the very beginning here. 
Maybe it's vision. 
Maybe his success is due to his vision. 
Our first sentence here is: 
Disdaining his fame, Gordon-Levitt moved from his home in Los Angeles to Columbia University in New York City during 3rd Rock's final season. 
So he used to live in Los Angeles, then he moved to New York City. 
But at the very beginning of the sentence, we see a key word here: disdain. 
Carolyn, can tell us about this word? 
Well, if you disdain something, then you think that it is not important. 
It doesn't deserve your respect or, really, your time. 
So "he disdains his fame" means he doesn't really think it's a very important thing to be famous. 
That's right. 
It's not worth considering. 
It's not something you need to make a decision about or regarding. 
Yesterday you heard the phrase: he had no regard for celebrity. 
This sentence really means the same thing. 
He disdained his fame, didn't really think about it too much. 
Well, he left for New York City during 3rd Rock's final season. 
He says: It was the smartest thing I ever did. 
Why, Carolyn? 
Well, he continues: I got to reinvent myself. 
And if you reinvent something, then you take something that's already there and make it into something new. 
So he got to reinvent himself. 
Yeah. That's kind of a strange phrase. 
But I think what he means by this is that maybe he discovered some new things about himself, some new talent. 
Maybe these things gave him a new vision for his life. 
Maybe it's not a bad idea to get away from what you're comfortable with. 
Go somewhere new. 
You might discover some new things about yourself and maybe even reinvent yourself. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing we see some more information about his grandfather. 
It says: Curiously, Michael Gordon started in Hollywood making film noir, 
moved to New York during his troubles in the 1950s and returned to direct comedies. 
So it sounds like his grandfather was also in Hollywood, and then moved to New York and started doing something very different. 
That's right. 
At first he was doing film noir. 
"Noir" is French for "black." So some of his movies had kind of a darker side. 
It was a kind of style of film directing. 
But when he went back into filmmaking, he was doing something different, not dark, serious movies, but comedies. 
That's right. 
And we see: After quitting school, Gordon-Levitt did not return to comedy, but moved to dark and mysterious independent films. 
So there's a bit of a contrast between what his grandfather did and what he did because 3rd Rock was a rather funny show, 
and now he has moved on to something much more serious. 
That's right. 
So he is similar to his grandfather. 
They both changed styles, or genres, but they both ended up doing something different than originally. 
Well, we continue. 
Both men learned from their experiences, wanted something new and took up the reins of their lives to find it. 
All right. 
We're talking about the similarities between Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his grandfather. 
And they wanted something new. 
They took up the reins of their lives. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, this is an interesting word from our Word Bank, this word "reins." And when I think of reins, I think of what you use to steer a horse. 
If you're riding a horse, you should hold the reins so you can tell it which direction you want to go, or go faster or slow down. 
But here, they're talking about the reins of their lives. 
So it sounds like they're trying to take control of the direction their lives are going to go in. 
That's right. 
I think that's the idea. 
When you use the word "rein" in this way, it's talking about taking control of something. 
You are in control of your life. 
You're in control of what you do, where you go. 
You can take the reins of your life to try to find out what direction you want to go, what vision you will have. 
Well, I think I know what direction we're going right now. 
It's time for us to go and join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.09.B

Today we've been learning some more about Joseph Gordon-Levitt. 
And in the first section we were talking about maybe it's vision. 
He and his grandfather both had a vision for their lives. 
They both wanted to take the reins, to take control and steer their lives in a new direction, 
and go through some changes in where their careers were at the time. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn about in our next section: Maybe it's creativity. 
Let's read that now. 
(Music). 
Just a RegularJOE. 
Maybe it's creativity. 
During this time Gordon-Levitt also founded hitRECord, an online, open collaborative production company where he goes by RegularJOE. 
Users can upload their records - the company's term for "video, audio, image or text" - and other members can remix them as they wish. 
"The most valiant thing you can do as an artist is inspire someone else to be creative," Gordon-Levitt once remarked. 
Their work has been viewed at Sundance, sold as books and albums, and performed live. 
The company splits earnings with collaborators fifty-fifty. 
With these results, he feels the Internet is giving us "a cultural golden age.". 
Well, Joseph Gordon-Levitt really is a creative guy. 
And we find out here why, today's lesson, why this lesson is called Just a RegularJOE. 
Well, this is the name that he uses in his company hitRECord. 
So "Maybe it's creativity." The first sentence here is: 
During this time Gordon-Levitt also founded hitRECord, an online, open collaborative production company where he goes by RegularJOE. 
Carolyn, I see a Word Bank word there. 
What does "collaborative" mean? 
Well, collaborative means that you are working with other people. 
It's not something you do on your own. 
You should collaborate or work with others. 
So it's a collaborative, a group effort. 
All right, open, collaborative production. 
I like that Carolyn used the word "collaborate," the verb. C-O-L-L-A-B-O-R-A-T-E. 
You can collaborate with other people and have a collaborative production company. 
And in this company, he goes by RegularJOE, with the capitaled J-O-E. 
But what does it mean to go by something, Carolyn? 
Well, here "go by" is talking about a name that someone can go by, so. 
His name is Joseph. 
But at his production company hitRECord, he goes by a different name. 
He is called RegularJOE. 
J-O-E, all capital letters, and just one word. 
So he has a very special name that he goes by here. 
And I think there are a lot of people who are named one thing, but they like to be called something else, so they go by a nickname. 
Well, yeah, Carolyn, like myself! 
My full name is Gabriel, G-A-B-R-I-E-L. 
But few people call me by my full name. 
I just go by "Gabe," G-A-B-E. 
Most people call me Gabe. 
I go by "Gabe." Joseph Gordon-Levitt, he goes by "RegularJOE" at his website... or at that company. 
Well, we're going to continue with this lesson. 
The next sentence says: 
Users can upload their records - the company's term for "video, audio, image or text" - and other members can remix them as they wish. 
So now you're getting a feel for the collaborative effort here. 
It really is working with other people. 
People can take what you put on the website and remix it as they like. 
That's right. 
So it sounds like there are a lot of people who use this service. 
And they can take lots of different types of media or "records," as they call the video, audio, images or text. 
You can do anything and put them together many different ways. 
Well, I think that Ken and Steve have some more information about this in the Info Cloud. 
Let's go there now. 
If you're 30 years old or younger, it's very possible you've never held, much less seen, one of these - a real record. 
It's a round, flat piece of plastic with small grooves in it. 
For close to 100 years, records have been the preferred way people bought their prerecorded music. 
And records outlived reel-to-reel tapes, which are spindles of magnetic tape. 
They are like the audio version of a film reel. 
Yes. 
Then in the late 1960s, the 8-track tape came along, still not as popular as records, but better than the reel-to-reel because of its portability. 
People loved playing 8-track tapes in their cars. 
The record's first real competition came in the 1970s with a smaller, more durable tape mechanism - the cassette. 
Now helped along by the popular Sony Walkman, cassettes reached their peak of popularity in the late 1980s. 
And then it happened - the compact disk, or CD, arrived, spelling the end of market dominance for both the record and the cassette. 
Today, records are making a slight comeback as many favor their warm, rich analog sound to the more cold and sterile digital sound of CDs and MP3s. 
(Chinese). 
Well, we're learning all about how you can collaborate with others at hitRECord. 
And Joseph Gordon-Levitt said something here. 
"The most valiant thing you can do as an artist is inspire someone else to be creative." Gordon-Levitt once remarked. 
I like that. 
Inspiring someone else to be creative, that is a valiant thing to do. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word. 
It is "valiant." When I think of valiant, I think of a person who is maybe brave or courageous, maybe a hero. 
How would you use that word "valiant," Carolyn? 
Well, that is usually what I think of. 
But you know, if someone is working very hard and they're trying their best to succeed, I might say that they are making a valiant effort. 
They are trying so hard. 
And it's amazing. 
Their courage or their bravery and the amount of work that they're willing to put into it, it's a valiant effort. 
A valiant effort. 
And of course, if you're a celebrity, you're... you're famous, and you're doing your own thing, you're trying to become successful. 
That's great. 
But I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt admires people who can be successful, be good at what they do, but also inspire others in their art as well. 
Well, we continue with our lesson. 
Their work has been viewed at Sundance, sold as books and albums, and performed live. 
It sounds really cool, Carolyn. 
It does. 
It's not just something that you can see online, but it's also been performed live. 
So these different things that have been remixed are very, very popular. 
And people want to see them. 
They've been turned into books and albums even. 
That's right. 
And we find out a little bit more about hitRECord. 
The company splits earnings with collaborators fifty-fifty. 
OK. So we talked about the word "collaborative." Carolyn used it as a verb, to "collaborate" something. 
And now we see another form, a "collaborator." What is that, Carolyn? 
Well, a collaborator is someone who is part of a collaborative or someone who collaborates. 
So here we see that this word ends in O-R. 
And a lot of other words might end in E-R. 
And this tells you that it's a person. 
A person who collaborates is called a collaborator. 
That's right. 
And we see that this company splits the earnings with the collaborators fifty-fifty. 
If you split something fifty-fifty, that means you get half, and the other person gets half. 
So the way it works hitRECord... hitRECord gets half, and then that one collaborator also gets half. 
That's pretty good. 
It is. 
It seems very fair if you get half and the company that is able to produce these and encourage these new ideas also gets half. 
Well, continuing. 
With those results, he feels the Internet is giving us "a cultural golden age." So Joseph Gordon-Levitt feels like we're going into a cultural golden age with the Internet. 
I think so, too. 
It's an interesting way to put it, an interesting idea. 
A golden age, of course, implies something new, something that you haven't done before. 
So a cultural golden age, well, maybe the Internet really is giving us this. 
It's time for us to continue enjoying a review skit. 
And then we'll go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Oh! I'm so happy to meet a big celebrity. 
I told you, I'm just a RegularJOE. 
Right. Well, RegularJOE, what are you doing here in New York? 
Shouldn't you be in Hollywood? 
Well, disdaining my fame, I moved from LA to Columbia University. 
Wasn't that during 3rd Rock's final season? 
It was. And it was the smartest thing I ever did. 
Why is that? 
I got to reinvent myself. 
Yeah. You left comedy, and you never returned. 
Right. 
I took the reins in my life and moved to the dark and mysterious. 
Do you only do dark and mysterious now? 
No. I've been doing other things, too. 
I founded the record company hitRECord. 
What a crazy game. 
What kind of company is that? 
Well, users upload their records, and other members can remix them. 
What for? 
Well, so artists inspire each other. 
The Internet is giving us a cultural golden age. 
A cultural golden age. 
Yes! You're brilliant. 
You're amazing. 
You're a VIP. 
I'm telling you, I'm just a RegularJOE. 
You're a Hollywood sensation. 
You're a celebrity. 
You're... a great, amazing, incredible Joe. 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
Well, I'm having fun learning about Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the things that he has done and accomplished in his life. 
Of course, one of these things is founding hitRECord, a collaborative production company, 
where you can submit something, a record of some kind - video, audio, image or text - and then other people can collaborate or remix it. 
Carolyn, does this interest you? 
Would you ever want to submit something to hitRECord? 
Well, I don't really know that I have anything to submit, but it is a very interesting idea. 
And I kind of like to check it out and see if maybe someone else has submitted something that I could use and remix, and see what I could do with it myself. 
I know! There're so many possibilities. 
I think I might be able to send my song and see if someone else wants to remix that and make it sound different or interesting. 
Well, thank you for joining us today. 
We have more to learn about Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Just a RegularJOE, next time. 
See you then. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.05.10.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for the third day of our lesson learning all about Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Just a RegularJOE. 
Well, I've had a lot of fun learning about this actor's past and what has made him successful. 
It's interesting to learn about someone's background. 
Carolyn, what's one thing that we learned about Joseph Gordon-Levitt? 
Well, the first day we were talking about his family. 
And his grandfather was also involved a lot in film. 
And he had started out doing films in California, and then later moved to New York. 
And we talked about how this resilience in his career may have had an influence on Joseph Gordon-Levitt's career as well. 
That's right. 
So maybe it's in the family. 
We talked about maybe it's vision or maybe it's creativity. 
Of course, Joseph Gordon-Levitt had a lot of changes in his life. 
He had to reinvent himself while he was in New York. 
And he also founded hitRECord, that collaborative production company where you can send in your records, other people can remix them. 
It all sounds very creative. 
Or... or maybe it's passion. 
Let's get started with our first reading of the day. 
Let's do that now: Maybe it's passion. 
(Music). 
Just a RegularJOE. 
Or maybe it's passion. 
Though still involved in hitRECord and indie cinema, Gordon-Levitt has also found his way into mainstream Hollywood. 
Keeping one foot in the independent realm, his performances in smaller films like (500) Days of Summer have earned him award nominations. 
Otherwise, he jumps wholeheartedly into big studio productions like last year's The Dark Knight Rises and Lincoln. 
But why all the activity? 
"I love acting, I love making movies, and that's why I do it. 
This is a job which I try to get involved with as much as I can." And seeing that he has written, directed, and starred in his current project, 
no one can accuse him of limited involvement. 
(Music). 
He does seem to be very passionate about what he does with his career. 
And we see here "Or maybe it's passion" at the very beginning. 
But before we get too far into it, we need to go see Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
If you're looking for an English idiom to describe something that comes easily to you like fame is to Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 
just remember two things: dessert and simple exercise. 
Right. 
Let's start with the dessert: easy as pie. 
And by that, we mean "eating pie," since making pies requires time, effort and some expertise. 
For me, there are few things easier than eating a piece of pie. 
Hmm... not even eating a piece of cake? 
Of course, "piece of cake" is one of the more familiar idioms that suggests something took little or no effort. 
OK. So that's the dessert. 
Now here's the simple exercise section: a walk in the park. 
It's another creative way to express: That was easy. 
Good one, Ken. 
Now let's combine the dessert and the simple exercise themes for our last "that's easy" idiom: cakewalk. 
"Cakewalk" has an interesting origin. 
It comes out of 19th century America, and was a form of public entertainment for African Americans. 
It was something like a dance contest. 
That's right, Ken. 
The person or couple who had the fanciest or most entertaining footwork actually won a big cake as a prize. 
(Chinese). 
Don't worry. 
It will be a walk in the park. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
Steve and Ken, you make teaching seem like a piece of cake. 
Well, we're continuing to learn about Joseph Gordon-Levitt. 
The... the heading here is Maybe it's passion, so. 
Though still involved in hitRECord and indie cinema, Gordon-Levitt has also found his way into mainstream Hollywood. 
Wait a minute. 
Let's take a look at some words there: indie cinema. 
That is independent films. 
Indie, I-N-D-I-E, is short for independent cinema or films. 
But tell us about that word "mainstream," Carolyn. 
Well, it's kind of the opposite of an indie film. 
If it is mainstream, that means it is common, it is popular, and everyone pretty much knows about it. 
Independent films are usually smaller and less well-known. 
That's right. 
And maybe there aren't very many major funds going into independent films. 
But of course mainstream Hollywood, those are the big production companies that everyone knows about. 
You also might talk about mainstream music or independent music. 
Mainstream, of course, is the music that most everybody knows about or has heard. 
Well, how do we continue this lesson? 
Well, we see: Keeping one foot in the independent realm, his performances in smaller films like (500) Days of Summer have earned him award nominations. 
So he has been participating and acting in smaller films as well as larger mainstream films. 
That's right. 
This sentence begins "Keeping one foot in the independent realm." So that's a fun way of saying you still have a part in this area of life. 
You keep one foot in this realm, and put your other foot in the other place. 
You can keep one foot somewhere, and do something else. 
Well, we see a word here. 
It is "nomination." Let's take a look at that word. 
If you have a nomination for something, that means someone thought you did a great job, 
and they wanted to suggest your name for a prize or something - a nomination. 
That's right. 
And you can be nominated for many different things. 
Perhaps you are competing in a science fair. 
You might be nominated to represent your school in the national science fair. 
So you get to compete against even more difficult or more advanced teams. 
That's right. 
So if you are nominated, that doesn't necessarily mean you are chosen. 
But it means that enough people thought you were good enough, and they think that you can do a good job. 
Well, we continue learning about Gordon-Levitt. 
Otherwise, he jumps wholeheartedly into big studio productions like last year's The Dark Knight Rises and Lincoln. 
So he likes to keep his foot in the independent realm, but he also likes to jump wholeheartedly into whatever he does. 
Tell us about that word, Carolyn. 
Well, if you do something wholeheartedly, then you do it completely. 
You want to do that the most, and that is where you spend all of your energy. 
Maybe you know someone who volunteers wholeheartedly. 
They put everything they have and all of their energy into the work they're trying to do to help others. 
So you can do something wholeheartedly. 
Or maybe you have a halfhearted effort. 
You're doing it, but maybe only because someone else wants you to do it, or only because you need to make money. 
You kind of do a halfhearted job. 
You're doing it halfheartedly. 
Of course, it's good to do things wholeheartedly. 
What do you do wholeheartedly? 
Well, continuing we see: But why all the activity? 
It does sound like he's very busy if he did two major movies last year. 
But what does he say, Gabe? 
"I love acting, I love making movies, and that's why I do it." Well, that's simple enough. 
He loves what he does. 
That is an important thing. 
And we continue: This is a job which I try to get involved with as much as I can. 
So he doesn't want to simply take a role here, be in a movie there. 
He wants to be an... as involved as possible. 
That's right. 
And seeing that he has written, directed and starred in his current project, no one can accuse him of limited involvement. 
All right. 
Well, let's take a look at a phrase there: seeing that he has done this. 
That really means since he has done this or because he has done this. 
You could use that phrase in another way. 
You could say: Well, seeing that everyone is here early, let's... let's get started early. 
Let's not wait till the class starts. 
Let's get started early. 
That's right. 
You might also say: 
Well, seeing that your English is so good, would you mind helping me translate something? 
Hmm, good question. 
Maybe someone will say that about you, too. 
Well, we have been learning a lot about Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and no one can accuse him of limited involvement. 
He likes to do lots of different kinds of things. 
Let's take a look at what the Language Lab has for us today. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.10.B

Well, we're learning that Joseph Gordon-Levitt does have passion. 
He loves acting, he loves making movies, and that's why he does it. 
So he keeps one foot in the independent realm, and he also has done big blockbuster movies in Hollywood as well. 
He just loves doing what he does. 
So he has passion. 
So is that why he has success? 
Well, we're going to continue learning more about this man - Just a RegularJOE. 
(Music). 
Just a RegularJOE. 
Gordon-Levitt often explains his success this way: 
"I'm really lucky. I'm really grateful... And I love it." True as that may be, can a man with his talents, drive and experience credit his career to luck? 
He's thankful for a pioneering grandfather, a supportive family and trusting directors that have given him chances. 
But he also states: "Success is not important to me, nor are power or money." Maybe it's that very perspective that has given him the "lucky" life he has led. 
(Music). 
Well, whether or not it's important to him, he has been very successful. 
And we see in this section, Gordon-Levitt often explains his success this way: 
I'm really lucky. 
I'm really lucky. 
Well, I guess he uh, just thinks he's a lucky guy, Gabe. 
Well, yeah. He says he's lucky. 
He says: I'm really grateful... And I love it. 
So he thinks that maybe it's just luck that has given him a lot of success. 
But he's happy about that. 
He's thankful for it. 
And of course, he loves it. 
He loves doing what he does. 
But the lesson continues. 
True as that may be, can a man with his talents, drive and experience credit his career to luck? 
I like what our author is saying here. 
True as that may be, can Joseph Gordon-Levitt just say this is just luck? 
He credits his career to luck. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: to credit something to something else. 
That means you give the reason to something else. 
You say this is the reason why I am, why the way I am. 
How can you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, he does seem to credit his career to luck. 
So his career doesn't really... isn't something that he takes credit for. 
He gives the credit to luck. 
But I would say that my life, I credit to the way God has been leading me. 
I give all the credit to Him. 
All right. 
You give all the credit to God. 
You can credit that to Him. 
You also might say that girl was really beautiful. 
Well, she credits her good looks to her mother. 
Her mother was also a very beautiful person. 
So there are different ways you can use that phrase. 
But right now it's time for us to look at the phrase "true as that may be." We're going to be learning a little more about that with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we read: 
True as that may be, can a man with his talents, drive and experience credit his career to luck? 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase at the beginning of the sentence: True as that may be. 
It's another way to say: Although that may be true. 
We use this phrase when we want to say even though what was mentioned before is true, there are other things to think about. 
For example: 
The traffic jam was really bad; true as that may be, Gary could have come to work earlier. 
Or: The team is running out of time; true as that may be, the team members should continue to work out a solution. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Continuing learning about Joseph Gordon-Levitt, we see he's thankful for a pioneering grandfather, a supportive family and trusting directors that have given him chances. 
So it doesn't really sound like it's all luck. 
He's had a lot of people there to help them, especially a pioneering grandfather, supportive family and trusting directors. 
That's right. 
And I think of that word "pioneering." We've talked about this before. 
Someone who paves the way for other people. 
Maybe they started something big, and so other people followed. 
His grandfather certainly did that. 
He was a pioneering grandfather. 
Joseph Gordon-Levitt also has a supportive family. 
Let's take a look at that word "supportive" from our Word Bank. 
If someone is supportive of you, that means they support what you do. 
They're behind you, they agree with you. 
They are supportive. 
How can you use that word, Carolyn? 
Is there anyone who is supportive of what you do? 
Well, there are a lot of people. 
Actually, I also have a very supportive family. 
They're very happy with what I am doing here in Taipei. 
And they support me in my work here. 
All right. 
Well, it's good to have family members who are supportive, who can support you. 
I would think that I have made some decisions that my family didn't always support. 
But they want to support what my desire is, what my interests are. 
They try to be supportive. 
If I'm interested in something, they want to be supportive. 
But Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues, he also states: 
Success is not important to me, nor are power or money. 
Interesting. 
Success isn't important to him. 
Well, it sounds like it's not what he focuses on. 
He just loves what he does. 
As we've been learning about the past few days, he really, really enjoys what he does in his acting career, and he's very passionate about it. 
So he's not concerned about the success or power or money. 
Well, it seems like most of the world is concerned about success, power and money. 
It's what drives a lot of people. 
And our author continues: 
Maybe it's that very perspective that has given him the "lucky" life he has led. 
So maybe it's this idea that success, power and money and fame and celebrity aren't as important as many people say that those things are, 
maybe this perspective has made Joseph Gordon-Levitt very lucky. 
It's possible that this is what has made him so lucky. 
But there have been so many good things that seem to have really happened in his life that have allowed him to have such a successful career. 
Well, I think this is definitely our author's opinion. 
It's important to have a good attitude. 
No matter what you are doing in life, you want to do it wholeheartedly. 
And maybe it's good to stay humble and not to focus too much on things that aren't important. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's head back to our teachers. 
The past three days we have been learning all about Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his career as a very successful actor. 
But today we learned that he does not focus on the success, and that's not what's really important to him. 
It's a very unique perspective that he has toward his career. 
And I kind of wonder what kind of attitude do you think can help you succeed. 
What is the best way to lead to success? 
Gabe, what kind of attitude should you have? 
Well, one word that comes to my mind, Carolyn, is resilience. 
We talked about that in this lesson already, resilience. 
That means if you fail or mess up, it's tempting to just sit there and... and think it's too difficult to try again. 
But if you have resilience, it doesn't matter. 
You know you're not perfect. 
You know you will make mistakes. 
You can keep getting up and trying even harder and doing even better. 
I think that's the kind of attitude that makes some people very, very successful. 
That is a great attitude to have, a very positive attitude that you can continue even when you fail once or twice or even 100 times, you can still succeed. 
Well, we hope that you've enjoyed this article with us. 
And we'll see you again next time here on Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.05.11.A

Welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And we're very glad you could join us for today's special lesson about mothers. 
Well, we have a question in our title: What's a Mother Worth? 
We're going to be learning about the different things that mothers do. 
Moms have a very important job. 
I know my mom does have a very important job. 
And I'm sure yours does, too, and Carolyn's. 
And I'm just curious what your mother does for you and your family. 
Maybe you can talk about that in English. 
Carolyn, what does your mom do for you? 
Well, my mom does a lot of stuff. 
She has a full-time job. 
But she also cooks and cleans and drives us places, make sure we stay organized, and listens to us when we have problems. 
And she's a very busy woman because she has four children. 
Wow! Well, your mom is a very busy woman. 
My mother is also a wonderful mother. 
She does a lot of stuff for us - cooking, listening to us especially. 
She loves to be there for us. 
And it's time for us to learn a little bit more about what a mother is worth in today's lesson. 
So open up your magazine and let's begin. 
(Music). 
What's a Mother Worth? 
Do you ever think about all the jobs your mother does? 
Do you think your mother is worth her weight in gold? 
You may certainly feel that way, and mothers do many things for their families. 
Mothers are cooks, nurses, housekeepers and child-care workers. 
Their job descriptions may also include psychologist, tutor, manager, waitress and more. 
Each year, the website salary.com tries to put a dollar value on all those jobs. 
The website figured the number of hours moms spend on each job. 
Then they arrived at the average hourly wage. 
Well, our lesson begins with a question: 
Do you ever think about all the jobs your mother does? 
Do you think about everything that your mother does? 
I think this is a good question for us to think about because sometimes I think we take things for granted, especially people who are important in our lives. 
Do you think this is true, Carolyn? 
I do think this is true. 
It's very easy to forget just how much people help us and how much we need other people in our lives. 
So today we're going to be talking about what is a mother worth. 
And the very first line here says: Do you think your mother is worth her weight in gold? 
This is another good question. 
Do you think your mother is worth her weight in gold? 
Well, what does this phrase mean, to be worth your weight in gold? 
Well, gold, of course, is very valuable. 
It's very expensive. 
But most of the time, a piece of gold does not weigh a lot. 
However, you probably weigh more than gold. 
Are you worth your weight if you are completely made of gold? 
That would be very, very valuable indeed. 
Yes. So I do think that my mother is worth of her weight in gold. 
It would be very valuable, worth a lot, because my mother is a very important person. 
Well, continuing on. 
You may certainly feel that way, (and I do) and mothers do many things for their families. 
It's true. 
That's right. It is true. 
"Mothers are cooks, nurses, housekeepers and child-care workers," just to start off with. 
Let's take a look at something from that sentence, the key word "housekeeper." Well, what is a housekeeper? 
That is someone who might clean your house, someone who makes things nice and tidy and neat. 
And of course, they clean, like sweeping the floor doing the dishes, making sure things are organized in the house. 
That's right. 
So some people hire a housekeeper to come in and clean their home. 
But a lot of times it's your mom is the housekeeper. 
Maybe you can help her this Mother's Day with that responsibility. 
I think that's a great idea, Carolyn. 
Of course, a mom's job might be a housekeeper. 
Of course, you could also be a housekeeper as well. 
You could help to make things look nice. 
So moms are cooks. 
They cook things for you. 
They are nurses. 
Maybe when you're feeling sick or something happens, they can help you feel better. 
And they're child-care workers. 
Of course all of these things, all of these words that we're using are actual jobs, professions, that some people have even if they are not mothers. 
That's right. 
And learning more about things that moms do: 
Their job descriptions may also include psychologist, tutor, manager, waitress and more. 
So moms have many, many different jobs and many job descriptions. 
Here we see one that is psychologist. 
And this is another word from our Word Bank. 
A psychologist is someone who studies the way people think so that they can give good advice when we have a problem. 
I think that's something that psychologists do. 
They know how to give good advice. 
They listen. 
I also think maybe they help you understand why you think the way that you do. 
That's what a good psychologist will be able to do. 
So a mom has this job description. 
She has a job description of tutor and manager, waitress and many more. 
So let's continue. 
Each year the website salary.com tries to put a dollar value on all those jobs. 
We just listed many jobs. 
And there's a website, salary.com, it'll try to put a dollar value to see how much these jobs are worth. 
That's right. 
And we see that word "salary" is also from the Word Bank. 
If you have a salary, that's the amount of money you make for the job that you have. 
That's right. That's your salary. 
Do have a monthly salary? 
You get paid every month. 
Or maybe your job is based on the hours that you work. 
So what is your salary? 
Well, that is a question that you might not want to ask if you ever visit a Western country. 
That's kind of a sensitive question. 
What is your salary? 
You might be curious. 
But be careful who you ask. 
You want to make sure you are good friends with that person. 
That's right. 
But it is good if you are applying for a job that you know what the salary is before you decide to take it. 
Well, we are trying to put a dollar value on the jobs that moms do, so. 
How much should a mom make for all of the jobs that she does at home? 
Well, we're talking about salary.com here. 
And the website figured the number of hours moms spend on each job. 
They figured this out. OK. 
And then they arrived at the average hourly wage. 
We're going to learn a little bit more about that a little bit later. 
But let's first look at this Word Bank word: average. 
The average of something is when you add up everything and divide by the amount of things, so. 
For instance, if you have three different numbers, you add them together, and then you divide by three, that last number is the average. 
That's right. 
And usually you have an average when you are talking about your grades, your grade point average. 
You want to know what your grades are on average. 
Well, now it's time for us to join Liz in the Grammar Gym to learn something more about this sentence. 
And then we'll visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this sentence: 
Then they arrived at the average hourly wage. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: arrived at. 
Normally we use "arrive" to mean to come to a place like: The plane has finally arrived. 
But in today's sentence, "arrived at" means concluded. 
In other words, the people finally came up with a decision as to what the average hourly wage should be. 
This use of "arrive at" is more often in formal situations where people want to talk about plans, ideas, answers or solutions. 
For example: 
After much discussion, the team arrived at this solution. 
Or: Albert's decision is shocking; how did he arrive at that decision? 
Now it's your turn to practice. 
Think of how an idea, plan, answer or solution is formed, and try using "arrive at" instead. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.11.B

What is a mother worth? 
Do you think about that often? 
What does your mother do for you? 
Today we've been talking about many different jobs that a mother has at home. 
She could be a psychologist, a housekeeper, a tutor, a manager, so many different things. 
Well, now we're going to learn about salary.com and how much they think a mother should be paid. 
Let's get started with our next reading for today. 
(Music). 
What's a Mother Worth? 
Last year for a stay-at-home mom it was US$17.80. 
And the workweek for a mom was 94.7 hours! 
Do some simple arithmetic and you get a yearly salary of US$112,962! 
Moms who also work outside the home did not put in as many hours, so their "mom salary" was US$66,979. 
Either way, hiring someone to perform all the jobs that mom does is expensive! 
Of course no one can put a dollar value on the love and support that moms provide. 
Those qualities are priceless! 
Take time this Mother's Day to thank you mom! 
Well, that is a great idea. 
So we've been talking about the hourly wage, or the average hourly wage that a mother might make for all of the jobs that she does. 
OK. 
At the beginning of this section we read: 
Last year for a stay-at-home mom it was US$17.80, US. 
That's US dollars. 
And so that's quite a bit, $17.80. 
That's not a bad salary. 
In fact, it's much higher than the minimum wage, which is about $7 and some cents. 
So this is $10 more. This is great! 
That's right. 
And we're talking about a "stay-at-home" somebody. 
That means you don't have an outside job. 
You're a stay-at-home mom or maybe a stay-at-home dad. 
Well, we continue with this lesson. 
And the workweek for a mom was 94.7 hours. 
Wow! 
Carolyn, um, how much is the average... how many hours do people usually work a week? 
Well, most people just work 40 hours a week. 
But I see that moms work 94.7 hours. 
That's more than double. 
Exactly! So moms really are busy. 
They're busy workers. 
So do some simple arithmetic and you get a yearly salary of US$112,962. 
Wow! That's a lot that a mother could be making based on all of the things that she does for her family. 
That's right. 
And we get this by doing some simple arithmetic. 
"Arithmetic" is a word from our Word Bank. 
We'll bring it up here. 
"Arithmetic" means that you do some math. 
You just add things together, subtract, multiply or divide. 
It's not too complicated, but we call that arithmetic. 
That's right. 
So this is simple arithmetic. 
But usually I do just use the word "math." Anyway, I don't know if you're good at math. 
I'm not usually very good at math, but maybe some simple arithmetic is OK. 
Maybe I'll come to the same conclusion. 
I will get this answer as well. 
Let's take a look at this other word in the sentence, "get." Now I know this may be an easy word. 
Of course you know that when you get something, you receive something. 
But it's used a little differently here, right, Carolyn? 
That's right. 
Here "get" is being used to show the result of something or the outcome. 
Here, if you do some math, then you get an answer. 
So it's not just receiving something that you can hold that you get a gift or you get a present. 
Here you are getting an answer. 
That's right. 
So you could say 9 + 3 + 4 is, let's see... 16. 
Is that right? 
So I got "16" for my answer. 
That's the answer that I got, G-O-T. 
So that's how you use this word - to get an answer, or I got this answer. 
That's right. 
Well, now it is time for us to get some information from Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
In today's lesson we get a monetary value of a mother's worth. 
We know how many hours mothers work a week, and we also have an average hourly wage, so. 
If we do the math, an average mom is worth an annual salary of $112,962. 
That's right. 
Just do the math, and we get this astonishing figure. 
Steve, are you good at math? 
Oh, I can't say that I am, Ken. 
But thankfully, we don't need to be good at math to do the math. 
No, you don't. 
"Do the math" is, in fact, an idiom. 
And it means "figure it out." It's similar to saying put two and two together. 
That's right. 
"Do the math" just means to reach a logical conclusion, or add up the facts and see what you conclude. 
It doesn't have to be about mathematics. 
If I say X is my conclusion, and you dispute it, I might say to you "Do the math," implying that you will arrive at the same conclusion that I did. 
But in today's lesson, it is about mathematics. 
And having done the math, we should thank our mothers for the hard work they perform every day. 
Yes, we should. 
(Chinese). 
Well, thank you, guys. 
Right now we're continuing to learn about moms. 
And let's read this next sentence. 
Moms who also work outside the home did not put in as many hours, so their "mom salary" was US$66,979. 
Still quite a bit of money. 
That's right. 
It is still quite a bit of money. 
And the next sentence says: Either way, hiring someone to perform all the jobs that mom does is expensive. 
So at the beginning of that sentence, we see two words: either way. 
Either way. 
So this is a phrase that means it's still true. 
It doesn't matter about this other fact, it's still true that this happens. 
That's right. 
No matter how you look at it, it's still true. 
So for instance, maybe someone makes a lot of money, you could say: 
Well, I'm not sure if he makes his money more at his job or because he invests in stocks. 
Either way, he's making a lot of money. 
That's true. 
Or you could say: Well, I think it might rain today. But either way, I'm still going to go to the park and exercise. 
All right. 
So now you know how to use this phrase. 
Either way, you know how to use it. 
Well, we're going to continue learning about moms. 
Of course no one can put a dollar value on the love and support that moms can give, that they "provide," here it says. 
So you can't put a dollar value on these things. 
Sometimes we want to say: Oh, this is worth this much. 
But we can't put a dollar value on what our moms provide. 
That's right. 
We see that those qualities are priceless. 
You can't put a price on them, it's just not possible. 
They are priceless. 
This is a great word to know for something or someone who is very valuable to you. 
Maybe someone's friendship is priceless. 
Maybe their words of advice are priceless. 
That means they're too wonderful. 
Well, take some time this Mother's Day to thank your mom. 
That is a great idea. 
Right now it's... it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
She's also a pretty good mom, actually. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's head back to our teachers now. 
What's a mother worth? 
Well, I hope after today's lesson, you at least appreciate your mom a little bit more. 
Well, I have a question for you. 
Which of your mom's jobs is most important to you? 
Think about all the things that she does for you or your family, and which of these things is most important to you? 
Carolyn, what about you? 
What's your answer? 
Well, I really appreciate the time that my mom takes to talk to me. 
It's not easy living so far away from home. 
And when I get to talk to her, we chat for hours. 
Man, I was going to say that, Carolyn. 
I think it's maybe normal for us to appreciate our mothers because they are good listeners and they love talking with us. 
Well, I think it's time for us to say... actually Carolyn, we... we planned something. 
Here we go. You ready? 
Yes! 
OK, here we go. 
I love you, Mom. 
OK. We hope you get a chance to tell your moms you love them, too. 
Now it's time for us to say goodbye. 
But we see you... we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.05.13.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
Our lesson is called How Not to Use a Smartphone. 
Well, we know that many people today have smartphones. 
And of course, smartphones are wonderful tools that you can use in life to stay connected with people. 
They're useful for many reasons. 
Well, what are some of the benefits of smartphones? 
Maybe you can think of some. 
Carolyn, what's one of the benefits of a smartphone? 
Well, I know it's really nice to have one when you have a question about something. 
You can get on the Internet and look up the information right away and answer your question. 
Or maybe if you're not sure where you're supposed to be going, you can look up the information on a map online, and then you aren't lost anymore. 
Those are great benefits to having a smartphone. 
Of course another benefit to having a smartphone is that you can stay in touch with people really easily. 
But of course smartphones also have disadvantages. 
Today we're going to be learning about how not to use a smartphone. 
Let's get started with the first reading of the day. 
How Not to Use a Smartphone. 
Technology should help you, not hurt you. 
Today's smartphones can do almost anything instantly, but like all tools, they should be used wisely. 
So here's a list of problematic habits that smartphone users should avoid. 
Ignoring your surroundings. 
Imagine you're rushing through a crowded subway station, late for an appointment. 
Suddenly someone is blocking your way, walking very slowly, drifting back and forth, fiddling with their smartphone. 
You probably feel annoyed, but do you ever do the same thing? 
For the sake of others and for your own safety, put the phone away while walking. 
OK. Well, let's get started at the very beginning there. 
We see a sentence: Technology should help you, not hurt you. 
And I agree. 
Anything that people invent today is usually for our benefits, but sometimes these things can also hurt us. 
Technology, like smartphones, should not hurt us. 
All right. 
The first sentence here is: 
Today's smartphones can do almost anything instantly, but like all tools, they should be used wisely. 
Well, if you can use something instantly, that means you can use it right away. 
I think of a microwave. 
You can heat up your food instantly. 
Carolyn, what's something else that you might be able to do instantly, something you don't need to wait too long for? 
Well, you can heat up your food very quickly in a microwave. 
And I also think of just turning on the lights. 
It's something that happens very quickly. 
You push a button or flip a switch, and suddenly there is light. 
Or you turn them off, and then there's no light. 
It's true. 
These things happen instantly. 
Sometimes we take them for granted. 
But some of these things should be used wisely. 
Of course, you should use many things wisely. 
If you have 24 hours during a day, you need to use your time wisely. 
How will you spend your time? 
Well, Carolyn, how do we continue? 
The article says: So here is a list of problematic habits that smartphone users should avoid. 
So we have some problematic habits that smartphone users may face when they're using their technology. 
And if something is problematic, what does that mean, Gabe? 
It's a word from our Word Bank. 
That's right, this problematic. 
Well, if it's problematic, that means it could cause you some problems, or maybe it causes some trouble. 
What is problematic? 
Well, maybe if you're arguing with someone in your life, that could be kind of problematic. 
You don't know how to resolve the solution or come up with a solution, it might be something problematic. 
How else could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, I might say it was a problematic situation when the two friends couldn't agree on where they wanted to go for dinner. 
They both wanted to go to different places. 
And it was a problem because they wouldn't agree where to go. 
Well, we have some problematic things that smartphone users should avoid. 
And the first one is ignoring your surroundings. 
That's right. 
Don't do this. 
Don't ignore your surroundings. 
You want to be aware of where you are going. 
Your surroundings, of course, are... or is the environment around you, anything that is around you. 
So we see a sentence here. 
Imagine you are rushing through a crowded subway station, late for an appointment. 
So you're rushing through. 
You're not walking slowly. 
You are rushing through. 
And then what happens, Carolyn? 
Well, you're in a big hurry, and suddenly someone is blocking your way, walking very slowly, drifting back and forth, fiddling with their smartphone. 
Oh, man. That happens all the time. 
I see this. 
Maybe you're in a subway station, and some people are just walking slowly, drifting back and forth like this, blocking everyone's way. 
Well, let's talk about this phrase: back and forth. 
If you go back and forth, it doesn't necessarily mean you're walking back or walking forward. 
It could just mean going from side to side, back and forth. 
That's right. 
And you could also use this when you're talking about a decision you're trying to make. 
Maybe you can't decide what to do; or the two friends couldn't decide where to go, they went back and forth, 
back and forth, trying to decide what they wanted to do. 
And so if you have a smartphone, sometimes if you're just looking at it all the time, you might just be walking back and forth. 
And you're fiddling with your smartphone. 
Let's take a look at this word from our Word Bank. 
It is "fiddle." Now what does this mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if you fiddle with something, then you are just playing with it. 
You're not really doing anything important. 
You're just kind of taking up some time and doing something that maybe is kind of fun but not something you need to do. 
And sometimes people fiddle with different things. 
I mean, maybe you have a pen, and you're just fiddling with your pen while your teacher is talking. 
Or maybe you don't know what to do, sometimes you fiddle with your tie. 
Some people fiddle with their hair. 
You can do different things with your hands. 
And sometimes this is called fiddling, not really important things. 
Well, continuing on. 
You probably feel annoyed, but do you ever do the same thing? 
Gabe, do you ever do the same thing? 
Do you fiddle with your smartphone? 
Well, yes. Yes, I do, Carolyn. 
Sometimes I do feel annoyed that other people for going slowly when I'm in a rash. 
But then, I have to think about the fact that sometimes I do the same thing. 
And it probably annoys other people. 
Well, for the sake of others and for your own safety, put the phone away while walking, Gabe. 
OK, thank you, for the sake of others and maybe even for my own sake. 
Well, we see that phrase there: for the sake of somebody. 
This means for the reason, or for someone else's uh, benefit - for the sake of that person. 
So how else could you use that phrase? 
Well, I might say for the sake of convenience or for the sake of time, let's take a taxi instead of taking the bus. 
It will be much faster. 
That's a great way to use that phrase. 
And for the sake of time right now, friends, it's... well, it's time for us to continue learning with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
They're going to be talking about texting while walking. 
And then we're going to spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Texting while driving is very dangerous. 
So laws against it make sense. 
Now lawmakers are wondering if they should create laws making texting while walking illegal, too. 
Yes, it sounds ridiculous. 
But the fact is when you text and walk at the same time, you are putting yourself and others in danger. 
Consider one woman in New York City who was walking along a busy street, texting her friends. 
Because she wasn't paying attention, a car ran over her foot. 
So, guess what she did next. 
She called the police. 
No. She texted her friend saying: I just got hit by a car! 
Wow! She was very, very lucky. 
People texting, walk into parked cars. 
They fall down stairs, trip over fire hydrants. 
And yes, sometimes they die because they can't wait to type LOL. 
Well, what can be done? 
Well, some cities are passing laws making it illegal to cross the street and text message at the same time. 
If you're caught, you could pay as much as $50. 
OK. 
Another solution is putting traffic lights in the street so pedestrians looking down at their cell phones will also, hopefully, see when the light is green or red. 
Hey, not a bad idea. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.13.B

Today we are talking all about smartphones and what not to do with them, 
some of the problematic habits that users should avoid when they are using their smartphones. 
The first one we talked about was ignoring your surroundings. 
It's important to pay attention to where you're going and not just drift back and forth as you walk. 
Well, we have some more things to avoid when you're using your smartphone. 
Let's read the second part now. 
How Not to Use a Smartphone. 
Recording people without permission. 
It may be tempting to snap a picture or take a video when you see someone who looks different. 
But recording people's daily lives can be rude and hurtful. 
If you want a picture, ask for permission. 
Your friends may not mind you taking pictures of them. 
But make sure you ask before posting anything that could be embarrassing online. 
Displaying their mistakes for the world to see is sure to hurt your friendship. 
And once pictures are posted, they're impossible to remove. 
Well, before the break we talked about ignoring your surroundings. 
Don't do that. 
Right now we have been learning about recording people without permission. 
I think a lot of people do this. 
Do you feel that way, Carolyn? 
Well, I have had a few experiences where I've seen people taking pictures of other people that they didn't know. 
It was kind of odd for me to see this happen. 
But I guess people do sometimes record without permission because it's so easy. 
And we see in the very first sentence of this part. 
It may be tempting to snap a picture or take a video when you see someone who looks different. 
That's right. 
It might be tempting. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from the Word Bank. 
I like this word. 
It is "tempting." If something is tempting, that means you really want to do it. 
You're thinking about doing it. 
But maybe it's not a good idea. 
That's why it's tempting - because it's not really a good idea. 
That's right. 
So you really want to do it. 
And I can think of something: Maybe you've enjoyed a wonderful meal, and you had a piece of cake for dessert. 
But there's still some more cake there on the table. 
It's very tempting to have a second piece, or a third piece. 
But maybe you're already full, and you shouldn't eat anymore. 
That's right. 
Or maybe you really want to share a secret with somebody. 
It's really tempting to share the secret because it's such an interesting piece of information. 
But you know you shouldn't share it with other people. 
So what is tempting for you in your life? 
I think we're tempted to do a lot of things every day that maybe we shouldn't do. 
And of course, if you're going to take a picture of somebody or record something, ask for their permission first. 
See if it's OK. 
That's right. 
So it may be tempting to snap a picture or take a picture very quickly, maybe without the person noticing. 
But recording people's daily lives can be rude and hurtful. 
That's right. 
It can be rude, and maybe it could even hurt someone's reputation. 
It can be harmful. 
Well, if you want a picture, ask for permission. 
Just ask first. 
You may be able to take the picture after all. 
Or maybe that person will say: No. I'm sorry. Please don't record me, or don't take my picture. 
That's right. 
Well, your friends may not mind you taking pictures of them. 
But make sure you ask before posting anything that could be embarrassing online. 
So many times we're out with our friends, we're having a great time, taking lots of pictures. 
But you should still check with them before you put those pictures online because it might be embarrassing. 
It's true. 
Well, we want to take a look at this word from the Word Bank: embarrassing. 
Well, I think you probably know this word. 
I think it's easy for us to feel embarrassed about things sometimes. 
Well, what is embarrassing to you? 
It's something that you don't really want other people to know maybe about yourself. 
Maybe you did something that was embarrassing, and you just what to run away. 
You don't want to be seen by anybody. 
How could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, when I think about pictures that are embarrassing, I think a lot of people find their baby pictures to be very embarrassing. 
And they don't want to share them with their adult friends. 
It's true. 
I know many people who feel that way about their baby pictures. 
Or maybe you have an embarrassing story. 
I think everybody has a couple embarrassing stories. 
Those can be kind of fun to share when you're getting to know a new group of people or getting to know your friends better. 
Talk about some embarrassing stories. 
They can be interesting. 
Well, we see that displaying their mistakes for the world to see is sure to hurt your friendship. 
So if you have taken an embarrassing picture, you should make sure you ask before you put it online. 
Otherwise, it may hurt your friendship, or it is sure to hurt your friendship. 
And Liz is going to talk about that phrase a little bit more right now in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We see this sentence in today's article: 
Displaying their mistakes for the world to see is sure to hurt your friendship. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the sentence pattern: 
[Action 1] is sure to [Action 2]. 
This is a great pattern to use when you want to talk about how a certain action or activity will definitely lead to another action or activity. 
So going back to today's sentence, the speaker is saying that a definite way to hurt your friendship is to display the mistakes of your friends for the world to see. 
Let's have a look at some example sentences with this pattern: 
Not getting enough sleep is sure to make you do poorly at work the next day. 
Or: Following an exercise plan is sure to make you lose weight. 
If you'd like to see some example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section in your Studio Classroom magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
We have one more sentence here at the end of today. 
And it says: And once pictures are posted, they're impossible to remove, 
which is why it is so important to ask for permission before you take pictures, snap a photo, record a video or post anything online. 
It's true. 
Once these things are posted, they're impossible to remove. 
Well, maybe not impossible. 
Maybe you could ask your friend to take the picture offline. 
But sometimes when you post something, a lot of people already see it before the picture is removed. 
So once pictures are posted, you want to make sure that you're posting the right kinds of pictures. 
That's right. 
Well, now it's time for us to go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And now, back to our lesson. 
OK. So we've been talking about some of the things that you might want to avoid if you are using your smartphone. 
You don't want to ignore your surroundings. 
Well, I wonder if you've ever seen someone who has ignored their surroundings. 
Carolyn, have you ever seen anybody like this? 
Well, I have. 
And occasionally, someone would be walking in front of me, drifting back and forth, using their smartphone, just fiddling. 
And then they run into something because they weren't paying attention. 
And I always worry that they're going to really hurt themselves because walking into a wall is really not good. 
Texting while walking can be kind of dangerous. 
Using your smartphone. 
There are videos online of people who are using their smartphones, and they're ignoring their surroundings, and they walk into things. 
They're kind of funny to watch. 
There was a lady who walked into a fountain because she was just so concentrated on her smartphone. 
So when you're using a smartphone, don't ignore your surroundings. 
Well, we hope you join us next time for more on how not to use your smartphone. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.05.14.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us. 
We're talking about How Not to Use a Smartphone today. 
Yesterday we learned a couple of ways which you should not use your smartphone. 
You don't want to ignore your surroundings when you are on your smartphone. 
You also don't want to record other people without their permission. 
Now do you have a smartphone, and how do you use it most often? - because smartphones can be good. 
Carolyn, how do you use your smartphone? 
Well, if I had a smartphone, I would probably use it to look up information online because I have a very high tendency to get lost. 
And so it would be very useful to have a map on my smartphone. 
Carolyn, it is very useful. 
I also use the map on my smartphone sometimes. 
The way I use my smartphone most often is for connecting with people that are not around me all the time, like through Facebook and things like that. 
Um, so you can use... your smartphone in good ways. 
But of course, there are some downsides to having a smartphone. 
Don't use it in the wrong way. 
Let's continue learning about this in today's lesson. 
(Music). 
How Not to Use a Smartphone. 
Disconnecting from people. 
Smartphones are great tools for communication - except when they replace personal interaction. 
It's not uncommon to see people sitting together not speaking, but staring silently at their smartphones. 
Real friendships require face-to-face interaction. 
Facial expressions and body language express far more than words - or emoticons. 
What you focus on reflects your priorities. 
Interrupting a conversation to check your phone implies that the person you're with is less important than your messages. 
(Music). 
Well, this is a very interesting section titled Disconnecting from people. 
And right there in heading we see the word "disconnecting." And it's a word from our Word Bank. 
If you are disconnected from something, then you are not connected. 
You're away from it, maybe very far away. 
Gabe, how do we usually use this word? 
Well, I think about it when I'm thinking about devices like computers or phones or tablets, things that need to be plugged in. 
You need to connect it to an electric source so that you can have power. 
And then you can disconnect it. 
You can pull the wire out of the wall. 
You can disconnect these things. 
But then of course, they might run out of batteries if you disconnect them for too long. 
But how else can you use this word? 
Well, here we're talking about and disconnecting from people. 
So this is not an electronic device - your smartphone or your tablet that's plugged in, and then it's not plugged in. 
This is talking about your relationships with the people around you. 
And if you're disconnected from a person, then you're not really paying attention to them. 
You're not close to them, even though perhaps they're right next to you. 
So how does this start, Gabe? 
Well, smartphones are great tools for communication - except when they replace personal interaction. 
I think this happens a lot. 
Smartphones and other kinds of technologies can replace personal interaction with people. 
Let's talk about that key word: interaction. 
When you interact with somebody, that means you're having a conversation with them, or you're communicating with them somehow. 
That is interaction. 
Carolyn and I are co-workers. 
And so we have personal interaction almost every day. 
How else can you use that word? 
Well, I do think of it as a personal interaction when you are talking to another person. 
You are interacting with them. 
There's also a verb form: interacting. 
So if you have this interaction with others, then you are developing a relationship with them. 
However, continuing in the article we see: 
It's not uncommon to see people sitting together not speaking, but staring silently at their smartphones. 
That's right. 
It's not uncommon. 
You could also say it's common to see this kind of thing happening. 
It's not uncommon. 
They want to emphasize that this happens a lot. 
People just stare silently at their smartphones, and they don't really talk to each other. 
But what can we find out about real friendships? 
We continue. 
Real friendships require face-to-face interaction. 
Carolyn, do you agree with this? 
Do all real friendships need face-to-face interaction? 
Well, I know that in our world today, we're so connected through technology that people enjoy just sending e-mails, 
chatting online, talking on the phone, sending text messages. 
And there are so many ways to communicate with people that sometimes we don't think about face-to-face interactions as being very important. 
But I think that if you really want to have a close relationship with someone, 
you need to see them in person and sit down and get to know them, not just chatting online. 
I agree. 
And we continue learning more about this. 
Facial expressions and body language express far more than words - or emoticons. 
Well, there's a lot in that sentence. 
But of course, if you're talking with someone, communicating with somebody, 90 percent of your communication is nonverbal. 
It's not what you say. 
It's in your body language and facial expressions. 
So what is your body language, Carolyn? 
Well, your body language is what you're doing with your body. 
We say language is what you're saying, what you're speaking. 
But you can also use your body to communicate things, and especially facial expressions. 
If you are happy, you have a smile. 
If you're not happy, maybe you have a frown or you're angry. 
And it's very obvious from the way that your body is reacting to what someone else is saying, how you feel. 
And sometimes you can express those feelings with emoticons if you're writing or texting someone. 
Let's take a look at the Info Cloud for more information about this. 
Emoticons are pictorial symbols that people include in their e-mails, blogs and instant messages to communicate feelings that words simply can't express by themselves. 
There are hundreds of emoticons in use today. 
However, the most popular still remains the smiley face. 
In the Western world, they're made by hitting the colon key for the eyes, 
a hyphen for the nose, and then a right parenthesis, which represents the upturned mouth. 
Now most Western emoticons like the smiley face are vertical - that is you have to tilt your head to the left to read them - compare them with Japanese emoticons, which tend to be horizontal. 
Right. 
They might require a few extra steps to make, but there's no head tilt required. 
For example, a Japanese style happy face emoticon has an underscore for the mouth, 
carets for eyes, and parentheses symbolizing the outline of the face. 
Asian people will also sometimes use language characters as emoticons. 
For example, the Chinese character (Chinese), which means bright. 
But because (Chinese) kind of looks like a wacky square face, when it's used as an emoticon, 
it can express annoyance, embarrassment awkwardness and frustration, depending on the context. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, Steve and Ken. 
Well, emoticons are pretty interesting. 
And I actually have one right here. 
Yeah, that is a very popular emoticon. 
I've got one, too. 
What could these things be expressing? 
Well, we don't know. 
But emoticons do express different emotions. 
And it's important not just to express through emoticons, but to be able to have face-to-face interaction with people. 
Well, we continue with our lesson. 
What you focus on reflects your priorities. 
So interrupting a conversation just to check your phone implies that the person you're with is less important than your messages. 
Well, Carolyn, we have a key word there in that sentence. 
We do, the word "imply." And if you imply something, then that is what people are going to think. 
So if you're not paying attention to the people around you, you're just playing with your smartphone or fiddling with your smartphone, 
it makes other people think that really they aren't very important, and maybe you don't want to talk to them. 
That's right. 
Sometimes you imply something in life. 
You don't say it directly to your friend. 
But your actions show something. 
That... that's how you imply something to your friend. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.14.B

How not to use a smartphone. 
We're learning all about the ways that you should not use your smartphone. 
And one thing we've talked about today so far is disconnecting from people. 
Of course if you're always on your smartphone, then you lose face-to-face interaction with other people. 
And that is so important for real friendships. 
You don't want to communicate to your friends that they're not important simply because you're always on your smartphone. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning more about how not to use a smartphone. 
(Music). 
How Not to Use a Smartphone. 
Missing experiences. 
If you're at a special event, don't let your phone become a distraction. 
Turn it off, or use the silent mode so everyone can fully enjoy the experience. 
Stifling your creativity. 
With your smartphone always available, you always have something to do. 
But that may not be a good thing. 
Some say that unused time is necessary for creative thinking. 
So resist the impulse to spend every spare moment with your phone. 
Instead, see what great ideas you can think up. 
By avoiding these habits, you can be sure your smartphone is helping - not hurting - you. 
(Music). 
Well, our next tip here is Missing experiences. 
We don't want to miss out on experiences because of the technology we use. 
And we see here: 
If you are at a special event, don't let your phone become a distraction. 
So don't be distracted by your phone. 
You should enjoy the special event that you're attending. 
Gabe, how does it continue? 
Well, I think some things... or many things in life can be distractions. 
So we continue: 
Turn it off. 
Turn your smartphone off, or use the silent mode so everyone can fully enjoy the experience. 
It's true. 
Sometimes I'll be in a meeting, or sometimes I'll be watching a movie, and someone's smartphone or cell phone will go off. 
Or they'll be using it, and they're not really enjoying the experience. 
They're not really there experiencing something with you. 
So turn it off, or turn it on silent. 
That's right. 
And we see another point here. 
Stifling your creativity. 
Oh. And we have a key word right there in the heading: stifle. 
To stifle something, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, sometimes you feel stifled. 
That means you want to be free to do something, but you're limited. 
Something is making you not so free to do something. 
So we are creative people. 
People are supposed to be creative. 
But if you're always on your smartphone, then that could stifle your creativity. 
How else could you use that word "stifle"? 
Well, it does mean to prevent you from growing or developing. 
And we don't want to stifle our careers. 
When we are trying to grow and develop in our education and learning... maybe learning a new language, 
we want to make sure that we don't stifle that development and just allow it to grow and improve. 
That's right, so. 
What in your life is stifled? 
Think about that because you don't want those things to be stifled. 
You want to be able to grow. 
Well, our first sentence here is: 
With your smartphone always available, you always have something to do. 
That's... that's OK, I mean, if you really want to do something all the time. 
But that may not be a good thing. 
Some say that unused time is necessary for creative thinking. 
So it sounds like it's pretty important to have a little free time, a little down time where you don't have to always be occupied by something. 
That's right. 
That is called your unused time. 
Unused time could be very important. 
We continue. 
So resist the impulse to spend every spare moment with your phone. 
Well, let's take a look at a phrase from that sentence: when you resist the impulse to do something. 
Your impulse is what you want to do right away. 
You think about it, and then you want to do it. 
But when you resist that impulse, that means you stop yourself. 
So I could also say: Resist the impulse to say everything that comes to your mind. 
Sometimes you need to think before you speak. 
So resist that impulse. 
How could you use that phrase? 
Well, it's very true. 
You should resist the impulse to say everything you are thinking about. 
But perhaps you also need to resist the impulse to buy everything you see. 
Sometimes it is very difficult. 
We want something, and we think: 
Oh, that would be great. 
I can wear it here; or I can put in there. 
But we need to resist the impulse and think before we buy things. 
And of course, resist the impulse to spend every moment with your smartphone. 
Instead, see what great ideas you can think up. 
Well, Carolyn, these are great words, "think up." What does that mean? 
Well, it doesn't mean your thoughts are going to be going up out of your head. 
They're not going up. 
But if you think up something, then you have an idea. 
And here you can think up great, creative ideas. 
They can be your very own thoughts. 
Maybe you can use this phrase in another way. 
Maybe there is something problematic in your life, and you need a solution. 
Well, you can think up a solution for your problem. 
Well, we see by avoiding these habits, you can be sure your smartphone is helping - not hurting - you. 
And this is very important for us. 
Don't let your technology hurt you. 
Right now it's time for us to go enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Today smartphones can do almost anything instantly. 
Yeah. They are so smart. 
But here are some problematic habits that you should avoid. 
Um, did you say something? 
Number one: Don't ignore your surroundings. 
Sorry. I wasn't listening. 
I just took a photo of you. 
Number two, I know it's tempting, but you should ask permission before you snap a photo. 
There. I shared it online. 
And ask before posting it online. 
Once you post something, it's impossible to remove. 
You look so funny. 
How embarrassing. 
Number three: Don't replace personal interaction with your smartphone. 
Huh? Excuse me. I have a call. 
What you focus on reflects your priorities. 
Number four: Don't let your smartphone let you miss a special event. 
Turn it off, and enjoy the experience. 
Happy birthday, by the way. 
Later, later. 
And number five: Don't let your smartphone stifle your creativity. 
Resist the impulse to spend every spare moment with your phone. 
Instead, think! Think of great ideas. 
Hmm, so my smartphone should be helping, not hurting. 
Right. 
OK. I'll turn my smartphone off. 
Great! Now we can communicate face-to-face. 
Yeah. It's my birthday. So... 
Oh, hold on. That's my phone. 
I need to take this call. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are doing. 
We've been talking all about things to avoid doing with your smartphone. 
And today we discussed disconnecting from people. 
Do you think your smartphone is hurting the relationships you have with others? 
Gabe, what do you think? 
Well, yeah, I've been hurt like this before. 
When I was hanging out with a friend at Starbucks, and I really wanted to talk to this friend, but she was constantly on her smartphone. 
So yeah, it has hurt some relationships. 
That is very unfortunate. 
And I've actually seen a group of guys just sitting at a cafe, and none of them spoke a word to each other. 
They were on their phones the entire time. 
Well, that is all for this lesson. 
But we hope that you'll join us again right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.05.15.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us here today. 
We're going to be talking about a very interesting creature, a tiny little animal called a springtail. 
Now if you have your magazine, I hope you have it open to page 26 because you can see how small these things really are. 
What is the smallest animal that you have ever seen? 
What's the smallest creature that you've seen with your eyes? 
Carolyn? 
Well, probably a flea... Actually, no. I have seen a very tiny red spider. 
What? 
It is smaller than a flea, and I don't know what it's called. 
But occasionally I see them. 
And I only know they're there because they're bright red. 
And I see this little tiny red dot just moving along. 
Interesting, a tiny little spider. 
That sounds a little better than a flea. 
I think fleas are the tiniest animals I have ever seen. 
I have a cat. 
And it got fleas once. 
I did not like seeing those things jumping around. 
Well, today we're going to be talking about something not as bad as fleas, actually they're quite interesting - springtails. 
So let's spring right into the lesson. 
(Music). 
Springtails. 
These tiny animals are one of nature's greatest success stories. 
Springtails get their name from their ability to, well, spring. 
When they are disturbed, their tails pop out very quickly. 
This action sends them springing as high as 100 millimeters into the air. 
That's amazing since most are only a few millimeters long! 
Besides jumping, springtails have another special ability. 
They make the soil cleaner because they eat fungus and dead plant material. 
Their eating habits help reduce the levels of bad chemicals in the soil. 
With more than 6,000 different species, springtails come in many shapes, sizes and colors. 
Very interesting creatures, indeed. 
Well, our lesson begins with a sentence: These tiny animals are one of nature's greatest success stories. 
We're going to be learning all about why in the lesson, why are they nature's greatest success stories. 
We'll find out later. 
But I want to spend some time with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud to talk a little bit more about nature. 
Here we go. 
Hi, friends. 
Let's pause and ponder "nature" for a minute. 
What it is nature exactly? 
Well, nature has several definitions. 
It can refer to the natural physical world, or less-than-perfect human behavior. 
But in addition to asking what is nature, we might also want to ask who is nature. 
Ah, you must be referring to Mother Nature. 
We often hear about her on TV when weather men talk about the weather. 
Mother Nature unleashed her wrath today when tornadoes tore their way across the county. 
Hmm. Or Mother Nature smiled on us today with this warm weather. 
This is an example of personification, which is giving human traits to non-living things. 
Nature is non-living. 
But calling it Mother Nature is giving it a human quality. 
Now there is another word that sounds a lot like nature - the word nurture. 
And there's the age old debate about nature versus nurture. 
Child psychologists like to debate whether nature or nurture plays a bigger role in a child's development. 
I remember studying that in college. 
People who subscribe to the nature theory believe that children are born to behave a certain way. 
How they behave is inside them already. 
That's right, Ken. 
But the nurture theory maintains that children think and behave only according to how they are raised and taught. 
(Chinese). 
In the first sentence here we see: Springtails get their name from their ability to, well, spring. 
So springtails can spring. 
That's a very interesting thing for them to do. 
If it springs, then it jumps. 
It jumps up very quickly usually. 
And this is a very interesting sentence as far as grammar goes. 
And I think Liz has something she wants to share with us in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi, friends. 
I hope you're all doing well today. 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
And here's our Grammar Tip sentence for today. 
Springtails get their name from their ability to, well, spring. 
Our focus today is on the word "well." We normally use it to talk about how something is done, like: 
That was a job well done! 
But in today's sentence, "well" is a filler. 
Fillers are used to give the speaker time to think about an explanation. 
When you hear a speech, you might hear "well" used several times. 
So why do we see the word "well" in today's article? 
The writer starts out by trying to explain how springtails get their name, and he wants to give readers the feeling that he is talking to them. 
So he just writes out the word "well" into the sentence. 
This is a good example of creative writing. 
Here are more sentences: 
Why did you do that? 
Well, I wasn't paying attention. 
Or: Do we all have to clean the kitchen? 
Well, you could take the trash out. 
So next time when you need to pause and think of something to say, try using "well" instead. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Well, thank you, Liz. 
Anyway, we were talking about springtails, and they can spring. 
We find out more here. 
When they are disturbed, their tails pop out very quickly. 
Well, I don't like being disturbed. 
Maybe if I was a springtail, my tail would pop out very quickly as well. 
Carolyn, do you like being disturbed? 
I do not. 
If you're disturbed, that means that something is bothering you. 
Maybe you bump into someone, and it disturbs the other person. 
You have to be careful. 
But here we see this phrase "pop out," and it's from our Word Bank. 
If something pops out, then it appears suddenly. 
It wasn't there before, and then it's there. 
So here when springtails are disturbed, their tails - you can't see them - and then they pop out and they spring away. 
That's right. 
Well, I have a friend who works as a grocer. 
She sells things. 
Sometimes the cash register, the drawer, pops out when she doesn't expect. 
So different things can pop out. 
Usually it happens when... when you don't expect it, or it happens quickly. 
Well, we continue learning about the springtail and this popping out. 
This action sends them springing as high as 100 millimeters into the air. 
One hundred millimeters. 
Let's see, it's about like that. 
I... I can do 100 millimeters with my fingers like this. 
That's really not that far for me, Carolyn. 
Oh. But this is very amazing actually. 
We see: That's amazing since most are only a few millimeters long. 
So they're only one or two millimeters to begin with, and they are jumping 100 millimeters. 
So that's quite a big difference between their size and how far they can jump. 
It's true. 
But I don't think that humans are going to be able to do that just simply by ourselves anytime soon. 
Well, these springtails are quite interesting. 
We find out more about them. 
Besides jumping, springtails have another special ability, another special thing that they can do, that they're able to do. 
What is this, Carolyn? 
Well, they make the soil cleaner. 
They eat fungus. 
So they make the soil cleaner because they eat fungus and dead plant material. 
So they're eating things that have already died, these decaying plants. 
And it helps to clean up the area around them. 
That's true. 
And of course, a fungus is a kind of plant. 
Actually, a lot of mushrooms, most mushrooms are types of fungus. 
You might call them fungi, for plural. 
Anyway, we continue with our lesson. 
Their eating habits help reduce the levels of bad chemicals in the soil. 
Let's take a look at that key word there. 
It is "reduce." When you reduce something, that means you make it less than it was before. 
So how might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times we think about reducing the amount of things we need to throw away. 
We should try to use things again or recycle them so we can reduce the amount of trash that we have. 
Or maybe you can reduce the amount of junk food in your diet so that you're eating a little more healthfully. 
You reduce these things. 
You make them less. 
So springtails are actually very helpful. 
Well, how do we continue, Carolyn? 
We see: With more than 6,000 different species, springtails come in many shapes, sizes and colors. 
More than 6,000 different species, Gabe. 
What is this species? 
Oh, species. 
Of course the world is full of thousands, if not millions, of different kinds of species of animals and plants and different things. 
And of course, human beings are a certain kind of species. 
So if you look at the springtail, and you study it, you'll find out that there are more than 6,000 different species of these things. 
That's right. 
So there are more than 6,000 different types or kinds of springtails. 
And they come in many different colors and sizes and even shapes. 
So they are very unique creature with a very diverse type of population. 
Well, now it's time for us to go see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.15.B

Today we're learning all about a tiny animal called a springtail that is one of nature's greatest success stories. 
We've learned that they are able to jump, or spring, more than 100 millimeters into the air, 
which is very interesting because they are very tiny and only a few millimeters long. 
Their tails pop out, and they spring away. 
Well, we have much more to learn about this very interesting animal in the next part of our reading. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
Springtails. 
These tiny insect-like creatures live in wet soil in large groups. 
Some areas have as many as a million springtails per acre of soil! 
That's why some scientists say springtails are among the most successful animals on Earth. 
In 1996 in Austria, firemen were called about a chemical spill. 
They arrived to find that the area on the road wasn't chemicals, but several million springtails. 
Springtails often gather together on roads, snow and puddles. 
They jump together in the same direction. 
People watching might think a giant puddle is moving! 
Wow! These certainly are interesting little creatures. 
We are learning about the springtails. 
And let's go to the beginning of this section. 
These tiny insect-like creatures live in wet soil in large groups. 
So they're insect-like creatures that live in soil. 
And of course, you need soil if you're going to grow plants. 
Wet oil is good for plants, so. 
Springtails kind of probably live with plants. 
And these are creatures, too. 
This is a word from our Word Bank. 
Carolyn, what is a creature? 
Well, a creature is something that is alive, so. 
We might use this when we're talking about different kinds of animals. 
We also might say it is a kind of creature. 
So here we aren't really sure. 
Is it an animal? 
Is it an insect? 
What do we call it? 
We can call it a creature. 
That's right. 
It's a kind of creature. 
Well, what is your favorite kind of creature? 
Of course there are so many creatures in the world today. 
Talk about that in English, your favorite kind of creature. 
These are insect-like creatures. 
They're kind of like insects. 
And we continue in our lesson. 
Some areas have as many as a million springtails per acre of soil. 
That's a lot of springtails in an acre. 
We learned about an acre earlier this month. 
And some areas like an acre large might have over a million springtails inside. 
That is a very large population for springtails. 
And we see that's why some scientists say springtails are among the most successful animals on Earth. 
If there are a million of them in just an acre of land, then how could we possibly try to count the number in the whole world? 
They must be one of the most successful creatures on Earth. 
Well, following in our lesson, there is an interesting story about springtails. 
Let's read that together. 
In 1996 in Austria, firemen were called about a chemical spill. 
Well, in Austria. 
Have you ever been to Austria? 
I almost say "Australia." They're not the same. 
Where is Austria, Carolyn? 
Well, Austria is a country in Europe. 
Australia is not a country... (Nope...) in Europe. 
That's right. 
Well, let's take a look at a word in this sentence - the words "spill." Usually I think of this as a verb. 
Oops! I spilled my water all over the table. 
But here it's a noun. 
How do you use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, here we're talking about a chemical spill. 
But a lot of times in the news we'll hear about an oil spill. 
Yeah. 
If oil is being transported from one place to another, and something happens to the ship it's on or whatever happens to be traveling in, 
then you might say that there was an oil spill, which means that the oil did spill out over the ground or the water. 
That's right. 
Or it could be a big spill of some kind. 
Well, let's continue. 
They arrived to find that the area on the road wasn't chemicals, but several million springtails. 
Interesting. 
So some scientists or some people thought that the road was covered with chemicals. 
There was a chemical spill. 
But in fact, what was really there? 
Well, when the firemen arrived, they saw that it was springtails, not chemicals. 
There... there were millions of springtails. 
And we see: Springtails often gather together on roads, snow and puddles. 
So they like to travel in large groups. 
And here they were on the road. 
Interesting. 
We see a word there: puddle. 
That's a small, tiny little area filled with water, a puddle. 
You might go stepping in puddles if it's raining. 
Well, we continue learning. 
These springtails, they jump together in the same direction. 
Interesting. 
I think, Carolyn, that we as humans could probably learn from springtails in this way. 
It's good to work together and going the same direction. 
It is good to go in the same direction. 
If you're trying to jump one way, and another springtail is trying to jump the other way, you'll... they'll probably run into each other or jump into each other. 
But if you are watching these springtails, people watching might think a giant puddle is moving because there are millions of springtails all jumping in the same direction. 
Well, it seems like kind of an optical illusion here. 
These firemen, they thought it was a chemical spill, but really it was just millions of springtails jumping in the same direction. 
That must look quite interesting. 
Well, it's time for us to learn a little bit more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's head back to our teachers. 
Well, we've been learning all about springtails today, these tiny little creatures whose tails pop out if they are disturbed. 
Well, what is most interesting about springtails to you from today's lesson? 
Carolyn, what did you enjoy learning about springtails? 
Well, they are very interesting little creatures that I had never really heard of. 
So I thought most of these facts were quite interesting. 
And the fact that they are so tiny but can jump so far compared to their size, I think it's very impressive. 
Yeah, it is impressive. 
I'm just really happy that I have heard of springtails now because I'm afraid that if I saw a springtail and didn't know what it was, I would think it was a flea. 
I don't like fleas. 
But I think I'd be OK with a big group of springtails as long as they were jumping in the same direction away from me. 
That would be good. 
Well, we hope you've enjoyed today's lesson. 
And of course, we hope to see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.05.16.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for today's lesson. 
We're talking about our BUSINESS START-UP. 
We're going to be enjoying a conversation between Ben and his Uncle Bob today. 
Our lesson is called Wants and Needs. 
So I guess when you're starting a business, you need to think about what you want and maybe what you really need for that business. 
Well, it's getting close to the weekend. 
That's when a lot of people go shopping. 
And Carolyn, are you doing anything this weekend? 
Well, I... I do really need this pair of shoes. 
And they're on sale right now at the mall. 
So I think I'm going to have to go buy them this weekend. 
Oh, really? 
Yes. 
Oh. Well, I guess you are going shopping, and you're going to get these shoes. 
Um, do you need these shoes, Carolyn? 
Uh... Well, yeah. I mean, they're really perfect for this event that I have coming up. 
I'm supposed to be singing and I... I need to wear these special shoes, and they just look perfect. 
Uh huh. They look perfect. 
So it sounds like you... you want these shoes, but maybe you don't need them. 
No. But I don't have shoes this color. I need them. 
Oh. Right. 
Well, interesting. 
I guess we need to think about our wants and needs. 
Let's get started with our lesson right now: Wants and Needs. 
Wants and Needs. 
Knowing the difference between wants and needs can save your company. 
Ben and Sandy Johnson have just moved their company into a new office. 
Business is good, and Ben thinks it might be time to have fun. 
Hey, Ben. How's the new office? 
It's really nice. 
You should visit some time. 
I'd like that. 
Wait until we finish the game room, though. 
It's going to be exceptional. 
Game room? 
Why are you putting a game room in your office? 
I think it might be beneficial for our working environment. 
How will it benefit your staff? 
Well, lots of tech companies have amenities in their offices, and it seems to be working for them. 
That doesn't mean that everything can be formulated the same for every company. 
It sounds to me like you're confusing wants and needs. 
Well, we don't want to confuse wants and needs. 
That's very important. 
Well, at the beginning here we see that knowing the difference between wants and needs can save your company. 
So it's very important in business to know the difference between wants and needs. 
Mmhm. And we see here that Ben and Sandy Johnson have just moved their company into a new office. 
Business is good, and Ben thinks it might be time to have fun. 
Interesting. 
So that's where this conversation begins. 
Uncle Bob is talking here. 
His first line is: 
Hey, Ben. How's the office? 
Well uh... um, do you want to be Ben? 
Um, sure, sure. 
Oh. So you're asking me about my new office. 
Oh, right. Well... 
It's really nice. 
You should visit some time. 
Well, I'd like that. 
Oh, really? 
You want to come visit my office? 
Well, of course. 
I'd like to do that. 
You should visit some time. 
A great way to answer is you could say: I'd love that, or I'd like that. 
That's right. 
Well, Ben is going to be having some fun in his office soon, so he says: 
Wait until we finish the game room, though. 
Oh, we're going to have a game room. 
Did you know that? 
Wait. You're going to have a game room. 
Ben is going to have a game room. 
Carolyn, what is a game room? 
Well, a game room is exactly what it sounds like. 
It's a room where you can play games. 
OK. So maybe you're seeing some of these pictures here at Studio Classroom, a picture of a pool table. 
Maybe you'll have a pool table at... or in your game room. 
I love foosball. 
That's another kind of game that you can play. 
And you would... you might find one of those in a game room. 
And some companies do have game rooms. 
That's right. 
Well, Ben wants a game room in his company, and he says it's going to be exceptional. 
Wait a minute. 
Carolyn, you were exceptional just now playing Ben. 
Oh, well, thank you. 
And "exceptional" is a great word from our Word Bank today. 
It means to be very special, to be better than something. 
It is an exception to what you might think normally. 
That's right. 
So maybe you have lots of people in a room, many people can't do the job. 
But there's one person who does a great job. 
They are exceptional at doing what they do. 
So you can use this word to talk about other things, too. 
Maybe you have an exceptional student in your class. 
Maybe you are that exceptional student, and you can do something especially well. 
That's right. 
Well, I think, Uncle Bob, it is your line now. 
Of course. 
Uncle Bob has a question here. 
Game room? 
Why are you putting a game room in your office? 
Oh. So I guess Uncle Bob doesn't think it's a very good idea. 
But Ben says: 
I think it might be beneficial for our working environment. 
How will it benefit your staff? 
That's a good question, Carolyn. 
Well, it is a good question. 
It's important to think about how things are going to help you or benefit your staff. 
Well, Ben says: Well, lots of tech companies have amenities in their office, and it seems to be working for them. 
All right. 
Ben, you've got a good idea here. 
Some companies do have amenities in their office. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word: amenity. 
An amenity is something that, well, you don't need, but it's nice to have around, like a game room. 
That's right. 
And it's something that you enjoy usually. 
It's something extra that a place provides. 
So a company might have a game room for their employees. 
But you also might stay at a really nice hotel, and they have very special amenities for their customers or for their guests. 
Maybe they have a swimming pool or an exercise room or really nice bathrooms with lots of things to use for your guests. 
All right. 
Well, now it's time for us to join Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
One reason we might find it difficult to distinguish between wants and needs is because we're too busy keeping up with the Joneses. 
This popular idiom describes the need people have to achieve or own as much as the people around them. 
By doing this, they feel they are popular, successful or cultured. 
For example, maybe your neighbor just bought the latest cell phone, built a game room in his house, or he bought a new expensive sports car. 
So then, to prove to others that you are just as good, you go out and do the same thing - even though you don't really need it. 
Or maybe even if you can't afford it. 
Right. 
And that is where keeping up with the Joneses gets dangerous. 
The urge to avoid appearing socially inferior is so strong that some people will actually borrow money or use credit just to make people think they're successful. 
In essence, they're buying their social status, even going into debt to do it. 
Sounds like a trap. 
Ken, I think it is. 
Friends, there's no need for you to keep up with the Joneses. 
So don't let the Joneses influence how you spend your money. 
(Chinese). 
Well, Ben was talking about how he wants to be like other companies and have these amenities. 
Uh, Uncle Bob, what is your next line? 
All right. 
That doesn't mean that everything can be formulated the same for every company. 
And I'd just like to interrupt Uncle Bob right here. 
He said a key word "formulated." Let's take a look at that word. 
When you formulate something or if something is formulated, that means there's kind of like the same form or the same formula for everything. 
Maybe there is a mold, and everyone just follows that pattern. 
You formulate something. 
And you formulate a plan. 
So this is the kind of plan that they're going to have. 
And he's saying: Well, you don't have to have the same plan that other companies have. 
What does he continue to say? 
Well, he says: It sounds to me like you're confusing wants and needs. 
And there we see our title Wants and Needs. 
But there's something else in this sentence we want to talk about: when you confuse something and something else. 
You can also say you're confusing wants with needs. 
But how else might you use that sentence pattern, Carolyn? 
Well, this is a great little phrase that we can bring up: confusing thing and something else. 
A lot of times people ask me where I'm from, and I say: Oh, I'm from West Virginia. 
But they don't know where that is, and they think I said Virginia. 
They're confusing two states. 
They're confusing West Virginia and Virginia. 
Sometimes people ask me a similar question, and I'll say: Oh, I'm from Taiwan. 
And they'll be like: Oh, Thailand? How's Thailand? 
They're confusing Taiwan with Thailand. 
So it's easy to confuse some things in life. 
That's how you use this phrase: to confuse something and something else. 
Right now it's time for us to learn a little bit more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.16.B

Well, we are talking about wants and needs today. 
Of course, Ben and Sandy Johnson have a new office, and they're going to make a game room. 
They want a game room. 
Maybe Ben thinks they need a game room. 
This is kind of an amenity that their office or company might like. 
But Uncle Bob has another idea. 
He doesn't think that it will necessarily benefit the company, or maybe it won't benefit the staff. 
Uncle Bob and Ben think a little differently about this idea. 
Well, it's time for us to continue enjoying this conversation between Ben and his Uncle Bob. 
(Music). 
Wants and Needs. 
What do you mean? 
Sometimes they're the same thing. 
Not really. 
Needs are things that you really can't do without. 
Wants are things you would like to have. 
But what's wrong with wanting a game room? 
There's nothing wrong with wanting a game room. 
You just need to remember that the things you want aren't always good for you. 
And that is especially true in business. 
But what about Google? 
They offer free meals, fitness centers and nap pods. 
For successful companies, perks like those are offered as part of a carefully crafted business strategy. 
Well, I think Uncle Bob is making some good points here to his nephew Ben. 
And Ben has the first line, so I'll start. 
What do you mean? 
Sometimes they're the same thing. 
And he's talking about wants and needs. 
That's right. 
So Uncle Bob says: Not really. 
Needs are things that you really can't do without. 
Wants are things you would like to have. 
So do you see the difference there? 
If you cannot do without something, what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that you have to have it. 
You need it in order to survive even. 
Here a business might need something very important, but perhaps you want something that isn't quite as necessary. 
That's right. 
Well, what are some things that you can't do without in your life? 
Earlier this month we talked about mothers. 
What a mother is worth. 
I think I can't do without my mom's love. 
But what about you? 
How can you use this sentence? 
What can you not do without, you really need it? 
That's right. 
Well, Ben has some ideas about things that he needs and wants. 
He says: But what's wrong with wanting a game room? 
Well, there's nothing wrong with wanting a game room. 
You just need to remember that the things you want aren't always good for you. 
And that is especially true in business. 
Oh. I think that's especially true in many parts of our lives. 
Things that we want to have aren't always what we need to have. 
And sometimes they can actually hurt us. 
I think so, too. 
Actually I think of children. 
When you're small, you learn this lesson as you grow older. 
Maybe you really want something, but your mom or dad says: No, you shouldn't have that now. 
You really want to eat a nice, delicious sweet treat. 
But your mom says: No. You must have your dinner first. 
Maybe you can have that later. 
Or maybe you've had too much. 
Sometimes the things you want are not what you need, and they're not what is good for you. 
That's right. 
And here we're talking about the wants and needs of Ben's company that makes apps. 
Well, Ben says: But what about Google? 
They offer free meals, fitness centers and nap pods. 
Carolyn, I love that idea. 
I mean, free meals is fine, and a fitness center is great. 
But a nap pod, that is wonderful! 
I mean, to be able to take a nap in a special room that's cozy, comfortable - a nap pod - every day after lunch for five hours. 
Well, I don't know if five hours is considered a nap, Gabe. 
But it does sound like there are some very good benefits for working for a company that has all of these extra special amenities like free meals and nap pods, 
and even a fitness center that you can use before or after your shift at work. 
That's right. 
So it sounds like some companies have this, and Ben is maybe comparing his little office with Google. 
But what does Uncle Bob say about this? 
He says: For successful companies, perks like those are offered as part of a carefully crafted business strategy. 
So there's a little bit of a difference. 
This company has thought a lot about this, and it will actually help them a lot. 
It helps Google when they have these things. 
That's right. 
And we see that they're called perks. 
These special extra things that they have at their company is called a perk, an extra benefit. 
So what is a perk? 
Well, it's from our Word Bank. 
And as Carolyn said, it's an extra benefit. 
It's something special. 
It's something that most people like. 
A perk is positive most of the time. 
So what kinds of perks do you have at the company you work for? 
Or maybe you're a student. 
What kinds of perks do you have as... as a student in your class? 
Or are there any perks? 
I know that a lot of students get discounts with their student ID. 
That is one perk of being a student. 
Well, one of our perks here at Studio Classroom is that we get to watch review skits. 
So we're going to do that now. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Hello, Uncle Bob. It's a great day. 
Well, yes. 
Why are you so happy? 
Because my new business is doing very well. 
I'm not surprised. 
You've had lots of free advice. 
That's true. 
And how about the new office? 
Oh, it's really nice. 
Come visit some time. 
OK. Let's go. 
Uh... no. No, not yet. 
Wait until we finish the game room. 
The game room? 
Oh, yeah. It's going to be exceptional. 
Why are you putting in a game room? 
Why not? 
A lot of tech companies have amenities in their offices. 
Yeah. But all companies aren't formulated the same. 
Hmm, true. 
But I really want a game room. 
What's wrong with that? 
Nothing's wrong with wanting one. 
But do you really need it? 
Do I need it? Well... Uh, it's a good perk. 
And perks can be offered as a good business strategy for successful companies. 
So no game room? 
You may need that money for something else. 
But I really want a game room! 
Remember, Ben, the things you want aren't always good for you, especially in business. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's return to our teachers. 
Well, Ben and his Uncle Bob have been talking all about wants and needs, 
and what you want for your company might be different from what your company actually needs. 
Well, I kind of wonder if you could have some special perks or amenities where you work or where you go to school. 
What would you want? 
Gabe, what kind of perks would you want at work? 
Well, I like this idea of a game room. 
I think it's wonderful to be able to take a break for maybe five or ten minutes, and go on play a game with somebody to get your mind going. 
Maybe it would help me be even more creative at what I'm doing. 
That's true. 
It could help you with your creativity. 
I think I would probably really enjoy a nap pod just for a 10- or 15-minute nap in the afternoon. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn with the conversation going on here tomorrow. 
So we'll see you then right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you next time.

2013.05.17.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for the second day of our lesson Wants and Needs. 
We've been enjoying a conversation between Ben and his Uncle Bob. 
Of course, Ben wants something for his new company, but his Uncle Bob thinks that maybe he doesn't need this thing. 
Carolyn, can you help us review a little bit more about this? 
Well, Ben was very excited because he was going to put in a game room, and it is going to be exceptional. 
It's going to be an amazing game room, and just be a really great amenity that his employees could enjoy. 
Unfortunately, his Uncle Bob doesn't think that it's really necessary for him to have this. 
He doesn't think it's a need. 
No. He thinks maybe it's just a want. 
He thinks Ben is just confusing wants and needs. 
Of course, Ben says: Well, Google has this thing. 
They have these wonderful perks. 
Why can't we have this as well? 
Uncle Bob thinks that he is just... doesn't need to formulate his ideas or his company after other companies. 
Well, we have more to learn from Ben and his Uncle Bob about wants and needs. 
So let's do that now. 
Wants and Needs. 
How is having great benefits part of a business strategy? 
Some companies use benefits to recruit high-quality workers. 
Benefits can also help employees work longer hours and improve worker longevity by keeping staff healthy and happy. 
So how do I know if something I want is something the company really needs? 
You just need to set your priorities. 
The game room is pretty high on my list of priorities. 
I'm talking about prioritizing spending for your business. 
Every dollar you spend on something you want is a dollar you can't spend on something you might need. 
Hmm, those do sound like wise words from Uncle Bob. 
Well, let's start at the beginning of our lesson today. 
Ben has a line. 
Carolyn, I like it when you are Ben. 
All right. 
Well, then I will continue to read his part. 
How is having great benefits part of a business strategy? 
Hmm, good question. 
Yesterday Uncle Bob and Ben were talking about a business strategy. 
And some things that you want to think about when you are buying new things or investing is how will it benefit your business. 
Do you have a strategy for something? 
That means a plan. 
It's important to think about these things. 
So Uncle Bob responds. 
Some companies use benefits to recruit high-quality workers. 
Benefits can also help employees work longer hours and improve worker longevity by keeping staff healthy and happy. 
Well, first I want to talk about Uncle Bob's line there. 
He talks about high-quality workers. 
What is that, Carolyn? 
Well, a high-quality worker is a worker that's just very good. 
Someone who really knows what they're doing and does it very well, 
someone that you really want to have working for your company because you don't want low-quality workers who are lazy or do a poor job. 
That's right. So you could talk about high-quality in many areas of life. 
Maybe you have something that is high-quality. 
It... it runs really well, you can use it. 
Or maybe something is kind of low-quality, you don't want to use it anymore. 
You want to get a new one that is higher quality. 
But we also see another word here. 
We see the word "longevity." So we're talking about the longevity of keeping staff healthy and happy. 
So what is longevity? 
Well, that's how long something can last, longevity. 
That's right. 
And a lot of times when I think about longevity, I think about people and how long they can live. 
I might say that longevity runs in my family because many of my family members have lived to be well into their 90s. 
Or even my great-grandmother was 104 years old. 
Well, it seems like longevity does run in your family. 
Other things might have longevity as well. 
Maybe someone has a job, and it only lasts for so long. 
Maybe that job has longevity that's maybe it's not too long. 
But here we're talking about worker longevity. 
So this is how long you can keep someone working on your staff and how well they do. 
Are they happy? 
Are they healthy? 
Well, Ben has the next line, so I will continue reading. 
So how do I know if something I want is something the company really needs? 
Hmm, good question, Ben. 
How do I know if something I want is something that the company really needs? 
Well, we're going to learn something about this with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
I think they have a good tip for us today. 
Can't distinguish between wants and needs? 
Well, I think some of the blame can be placed on advertisements. 
You're right. 
Ads are everywhere, and they're constantly telling us to buy stuff we don't need. 
In this day and age, we find advertisements on TV, on our computers and cell phones and on billboards. 
They're on and in public transportation, in flyers, magazines and newspapers, even in public restrooms. 
As a matter of fact, you can now find advertisements stamped on eggs that you buy in the supermarket. 
Researchers estimate that we are bombarded between 3,000 to 5,000 ads every day. 
That's true! They counted. 
I know! So now, more than ever, it's important that we know how to distinguish between the things we need and the things we want. 
One way to get started is by practicing the 10-second rule. 
Let's say, for example, you're in the supermarket, and you see something you want. 
Wait 10 seconds. 
Then if you still want it, go for it. 
Right. 
For larger purchases like a new motorcycle or car, use the 10-day rule. 
You'd be surprised. 
After waiting a few days, you'll find many of the things you thought you needed were just wants. 
(Chinese). 
That is some very good advice. 
I think I might have to start doing that when I go shopping. 
Well, Uncle Bob, you have the next line. 
Of course. 
You just need to set your priorities. 
So of course we were talking about knowing if what you want is something that company really needs. 
Just set your priorities. 
Well, Ben responds: The game room is pretty high on my list of priorities. 
I love that sentence. 
It's high on Ben's list. 
So do you have a list of something that you want to do, or a list of wants or needs? 
Where are the items on your list? 
Maybe something is really important to you. 
It is high on your list. 
Maybe it's something you want, but it's not that important to you. 
It can be low on your list. 
OK. 
I guess I will continue because I'm Uncle Bob. 
I am talking about prioritizing spending for your business. 
Great, Uncle Bob. 
You just said this great word. 
We were talking about priorities. 
And then Uncle Bob says he's talking about prioritizing. 
Oh. So this one is not a noun like "priority." it is a verb, to prioritize. 
Let's look at that word. 
If you prioritize something, then you put it in order of importance. 
So what is your first priority? 
You should prioritize your needs and your wants. 
And I think that you can use this word to talk about everyday life. 
How do you prioritize things on your schedule? 
Well, if you really need to get something done, you can prioritize by doing that thing first. 
Maybe you love to check your e-mail to see what someone has sent you. 
But maybe it's not that important. 
You really need to get something else done first, prioritize. 
Do with the first things first. 
That's right. 
So do what's most important before you do the other things. 
Prioritize your time. 
Well, um, sorry, Uncle Bob, for interrupting you. 
Please continue with your line. 
That's fine. 
Every dollar you spend on something you want is a dollar you can't spend on something you might need. 
All right. 
Maybe this seems like something that anybody can think about, but I like hearing Uncle Bob say it because it's true. 
If you think about that with your money, spending something on... spending your money on something you want will take away from something that you might need. 
That's right. 
It is very true. 
And right now we can learn something more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.17.B

Well, we've been continuing our conversation with Ben and his Uncle Bob. 
And they're discussing the difference between wants and needs. 
They are not quite the same. 
Uncle Bob gave Ben some great advice that he should prioritize what he needs over what he wants. 
It is important to think about where you want to spend your money. 
Well, we have a bit more with the two of them in the next part of the conversation. 
Let's read that now. 
Wants and Needs. 
So my first priority should be getting things that my company needs to survive and grow. 
Right. 
And your second priority should be getting things that might benefit your company in tangible ways. 
Like investing in a new product or service? 
Yes. After you've met those needs, you can start thinking about the things you want. 
Like my game room? 
Exactly. 
So when do you want me to visit the new office? 
You'd better just come by next week. 
If you wait for the game room, you'll be in for a lengthy wait. 
Sure thing, Ben. 
Well, I guess it sounds like Ben might be taking Uncle Bob's advice here. 
Let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
Ben has the first line. Carolyn? 
Yes, I do. 
So my first priority should be getting things that my company needs to survive and grow. 
Yes. That is great. 
So Ben's line here, he means that he needs to make some priorities. 
And his first priority is what will help the company survive and grow. 
Sometimes when I think about this word "survive," I think about living. 
And if you can't survive, then you die. 
But is that what it means here, Carolyn? 
Well, here he's talking about a business, so. 
We don't usually think of a business is something that is alive, but it is important to be able to stay open as a business. 
You don't want to go out of business and have to close your doors. 
That's right. 
Well, let's see what Uncle Bob says here. 
Right. 
And your second priority should be getting things that might benefit your company in ways... in tangible ways. 
That's a very important word in this sentence. 
Now let's take a look at that word from the Word Bank: tangible. 
If something is tangible, that means either you can feel it or it is measurable. 
You can measure it and kind of see how it is growing or see how it is changing. 
That's right. 
So if Ben is going to do something tangible for his company, then he should be able to see the results, 
not simply enjoy sleeping in a nap pod or enjoy playing in a game room but actually see his company succeed more than it has been. 
That's right. 
I think maybe Ben wants his employees to be happy. 
And so that's great, but it's not really tangible. 
Sometimes emotions aren't really tangible. 
You can't really measure how the company is growing in that way. 
But finances you can measure. 
And so that's what Uncle Bob is talking about here. 
Well, what does Ben say about this? 
Well, he says: Like investing in a new product or service? 
Hmm. Yes, investing in something like a product or a service. 
Of course if you invest in something, that means you hope to get something in return. 
Maybe you hope to get even more in return. 
Most of the time you want more in return. 
That's right. 
Well, I think, Uncle Bob, you have the next line. So please go ahead. 
Ah, yes. 
After you've met those needs, you can start thinking about the things you want. 
Ah. 
So once Ben has considered all of the things that he needs and where he should be investing his money, he can start to think about the things he wants. 
And he says: Like my game room? 
Exactly. 
So when do you want me to visit the new office? 
Well, um... you'd better just come by next week. 
Wait. Wait. Hold on a second, Carolyn. 
I need to interrupt you there. 
"You'd better," that is a good phrase to know. 
"You'd better," it's short for "you had better" do something. 
And you can use this phrase when you want to suggest something to somebody. 
So I might say something like: You'd better wait to get the game room for your office. 
Don't get it right now. 
You'd better wait. 
Or you might say: You'd better finish your dinner. We don't want to waste any food. 
Or you'd better come to the meeting right now. 
The boss is wondering where you are. 
So you can use that phrase in different ways. 
But how does Ben continue here, Carolyn? 
Oh. Well, he's telling him to come next week. 
If you wait for the game room, you'll be in for a lengthy wait. 
All right. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from the Word Bank. 
It is "lengthy." And really this is just another word that means long. 
Maybe you had a ride. 
You had a car ride, and it was kind of long. 
You could say that was a lengthy ride. 
That's right. 
Or maybe you went to that meeting that your boss called you to, and it was a very lengthy meeting. 
It took a very long time, maybe three or four hours. 
And here in our lesson, we're talking about a lengthy wait. 
Usually I see this word as a verb - when you wait for somebody. 
But here you see it can be used as a noun. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we read: "... you'll be in for a lengthy wait." That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the expression: to be in for something. 
It means "can expect." So today's sentence means one can expect a lengthy wait. 
Normally we use "to be in for" to talk about how something bad or unpleasant is expected to happen. 
For example: 
Ted knew he was in for a lecture from his mother when he saw his low grades. 
Or: When Joe saw the dark clouds in the sky, he knew he was in for some heavy rain. 
Occasionally you might find "to be in for something" used in a positive way like: 
The audience knew they were in for a treat the minute the magician got on the stage. 
Or: I didn't know I was in for a surprise; I thought it was just another regular day at work. 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine, you'll find more example sentences there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Well, we have one more line here from Uncle Bob. 
Would you care to read that? 
Of course. 
It says he's laughing. 
Sure thing, Ben. 
Oh, great. 
And it's a sure thing, so. 
Ben told him that he should probably just come by next week, otherwise he'll have to wait a long time. 
And Uncle Bob's response is: Sure thing. 
So he will definitely do it. 
Exactly. 
You can use this response, too, sometimes. 
If you agree with someone about something or you agree to do something - sure thing. 
Sure thing. I'll be there. 
Well, right now it's time for us to enjoy some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And keep watching as our lesson continues. 
Well, this has been a very good and, I think, important lesson for us to know the difference between your wants and your needs. 
Of course you want to try to focus on your needs first as Uncle Bob's advice was. 
And then you can think about the things that you want. 
Well, hey, Carolyn, you were talking about buying shoes this weekend. 
Are you still going to buy those shoes that you want? 
Well, you know, Gabe, so we've been talking a lot about wants and needs the past two days, 
and I feel like Uncle Bob has been giving some really good advice about setting priorities and making sure that you know where you should spend your money because it's really important. 
And then Ken and Steve gave that great advice on the ten-second or the ten-day rule. 
And after all this thinking, yeah, I'm going to buy those shoes. 
Really? You're going to buy the shoes. 
Well, that's great. I... I guess she must really need those shoes. 
Well, friends, thank you for joining us today. 
And we hope to see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
See you.

2013.05.18.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And we want to thank you for joining us here today. 
Our lesson is called Running Right. 
Yes, of course it's important to exercise. 
Many people like to jog; some people like to swim. 
Maybe you do something else for exercise. 
But of course, probably the most common form is running or jogging. 
Now sometimes if you run the wrong way, if you're not running right, you might get injured. 
Has this ever happened to you? 
Have you ever been injured while exercising, Carolyn? 
Well, I don't exercise often enough, unfortunately, to get get injured. 
Or maybe when I do exercise, I just do a very good job of stretching beforehand. 
But one of my friends actually sprained her ankle the day before she was going to run a marathon. 
No way. 
Yes. And she decided that she was going to run the marathon anyway, on a sprained ankle. 
Wow! So what happened? 
I mean, did she succeed? 
Did she finish the marathon? 
Was she OK? 
She did finish the marathon, but her ankle was severely injured afterward. 
And she had to spend a few weeks recovering. 
All right. 
Well, I think it is important to know how to run the right way. 
Let's get started with the first section of our reading for today. 
Running Right. 
Running is great exercise - if you do it right. 
The sun is out. 
The weather is pleasant. 
It's a great day for running. 
But before you start, here are some tips for avoiding injuries. 
Be safe. 
Pay attention to what's happening around you while you run. 
If you are running along a road, wear light-colored clothes so drivers can see you. 
Listen to your body. 
Running is tiring and can hurt. 
But consistent pain indicates that something is wrong. 
Maybe you need to change the way you move to put less pressure on certain muscles or joints. 
Or maybe you're overtired and need a day off. 
Resting when necessary will help you get back to running as soon as possible. 
It is good to remember to rest. 
And here we see that running is great exercise - if you do it right. 
And our article begins: 
The sun is out. 
The weather is pleasant. 
It's a great day for running. 
Oh. It sounds like a very beautiful day, and it's a great day for running. 
A great day for something - that's a phrase we want to talk about. 
Oh. What kind of great days can you think of, Gabe? 
What is a great day to do something? 
Well... yeah, usually if the sun is shining, that's the sun is out, you could say it's a great day for a picnic, or it's a great day for going to the beach. 
But maybe it's raining outside. 
Maybe it's stormy weather, it's a great day for staying inside and watching movies. 
So you can use this phrase "It's a great day" no matter what time or what kind of day it is. 
That's right. 
Every day is a great day. 
Sometimes it's a great day to be outside. 
And other times it's a great day to be inside. 
Well, continuing we see: But before you start (before you start running), here are some tips for avoiding injuries. 
And "injuries" is one of the words from our Word Bank. 
And it... it is an important word to know because you do want to avoid injuries when you run. 
What is an injury, Gabe? 
Oh, man. 
An injury is when you get hurt somehow. 
Something happens to your body. 
Maybe you get a cut, maybe you pulled a muscle or sprained your ankle like Carolyn's friend. 
These are all different kinds of injuries - things that harm our bodies. 
And we need to recover from injuries. 
I could also use this word a the verb - to injure something. 
I injured my leg. 
It really hurts. 
Well, we want to avoid injuries. 
And our article today has several tips on how to do that. 
The first one is Be safe. 
Just be safe. 
Pay attention to what's happening around you while you run. 
It's important to know what is around you and not run into things, or make sure that nothing runs into you when you're running. 
That's true. 
So pay attention to what's around you while you run. 
Earlier this month we talked about how not to use a smartphone. 
I would suggest don't run and text at the same time because then you would not be very safe. 
We continue here. 
If you are running along a road, wear light-colored clothes so drivers can see you. 
OK. This seems very interesting. 
It's... it's very important, but I think it's especially important at night. 
When it's dark out, you want to wear light clothes. 
Don't wear black clothes. 
A driver might not be able to see you. 
That's right. 
Or if you run early in the morning, sometimes those who are driving cars might be very sleepy and not really looking for people running along the road. 
It's important to wear clothing that makes you easily seen so that you are not in danger, but you are safe. 
That's right. 
Well, the next point we see is to listen to your body. 
Tell us about this, Gabe. 
All right. 
Well, listening to your body, that seems kind of like a strange phrase. 
Really this just means pay attention to what your body might be telling you or communicating. 
Our sentence here is "Running is tiring and can hurt." It's true. 
But consistent pain indicates that something is wrong. 
So pain is normal, but consistent pain could be an indication something is wrong. 
What does this word "consistent" mean? 
Well, if something is consistent, then it happens over and over and over again. 
It repeats; it happens all the time. 
And so if you are having consistent pain, then you are getting the same pain all the time, 
and you may need to see a doctor because you might actually be hurt. 
But I can also use this word a different way. 
You might say that she is such a great worker. 
Her work is very consistent. 
She always does a great job. 
All right. 
So there are different ways you could use this word. 
But we're talking about consistent pain here, something might be wrong. 
Let's continue with our lesson. 
Maybe you need to change the way you move to put less pressure on certain muscles or joints. 
Let's talk about that word "pressure" from the Word Bank. 
Pressure is anything that presses up against you. 
And so sometimes things press against your muscles, and you feel pressure. 
Sometimes you want to move in a different way. 
My friend his legs were injured, and so he had to not run. 
Instead, he swam in the swimming pool. 
And this put less pressure on certain muscles in his body. 
That's right. 
So if you have pressure on something, then you're pressing against it, or putting weight on it. 
And if you are injured, you might not want pressure on it. 
Although sometimes if perhaps you have a cut, it's important to put pressure so that you don't bleed. 
Well, here we are talking about putting less pressure on certain muscles or joints. 
Or maybe you are overtired and need a day off. 
You might be so exhausted. 
You've been running and training so hard that you are overtired. 
That's right. 
So resting when necessary will help you get back to running as soon as possible. 
You love running. 
You want to get back to it. 
Let's talk about that phrase: to get back to something. 
Maybe something you're in the middle of, but you had to take a little break. 
And now you're getting back to it. 
Maybe you're working today, and you took a little break. 
You need to get back to work. 
I need to get back to my homework. 
Well, it's time for us right now to continue learning something with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
And then we'll visit Michelle. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Our Grammar Tip focus today is on a very useful phrase. 
Let's take a look at today's Grammar Tip sentence. 
Resting when necessary will help you get back to running as soon as possible. 
Notice the phrase "when necessary." It's a shorter way to say: when it is necessary. 
We often use this phrase when we want to talk about how often something should be done. 
In the case of today's sentence, the writer is saying that a certain amount of rest is helpful for runners. 
How often should the runner rest? 
Rest when necessary. 
Let's have a look at some example sentences. 
Don't take this medicine every day. 
Take it only when necessary. 
Or: Mr. Martin rarely uses his cell phone; he makes calls only when necessary. 
Now it's your turn. 
Can you think of certain things that are done only when they're necessary? 
Then get together with a friend, and practice using this phrase. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.18.B

We're talking about are Running Right today. 
If you love exercising, you love running or jogging, maybe it's a good idea to learn how to run the right way so that you can avoid injuries. 
One of the tips we talked about is to be safe. 
You want to make sure you know your surroundings so that you don't run into something and hurt yourself. 
Another thing we talked about is listening to your buddy. 
of course, a little bit of pain is normal when you're running. 
But if it is consistent, that's an indication something might be wrong. 
Well, we have more to learn in our article. 
Let's go to the second reading for today. 
(Music). 
Running Right. 
Choose good shoes. 
Pick comfortable shoes that fit the unique shape of your foot. 
This would prevent strain on your feet, ankles, legs and back. 
Mix it up. 
Many experts recommend cross-training - doing other physical activities besides running. 
That could mean biking, swimming or playing a sport. 
By varying your exercises, you avoid injuries caused by repeated motion. 
Following this simple advice will help you stay safe while you get healthy. 
These are all really great tips to help you stay healthy when you are training or when you are running. 
And we have two more in this second section. 
The first one is to choose good shoes. 
It's very important that you are wearing good shoes, not just perhaps a pair of high heels when you are running. 
The first sentence says: Pick comfortable shoes that fit the unique shape of your foot. 
Gabe, do you try to pick shoes that fit the unique shape of your foot? 
Well, actually I do try to pick good running shoes for when I go running. 
I think this is very important. 
You don't want to wear your office shoes when you're out running. 
I think it's kind of funny. 
I see some people hiking up mountains sometimes, and ladies are wearing high heels. 
That makes me laugh. 
They should be wearing shoes that are appropriate for what they are doing. 
And especially if you're running, you want shoes that fit your foot well. 
That's right. 
So each person's foot is different. 
And it's important to find a pair of shoes that are comfortable for you and your feet, not for someone else's. 
Well, this will prevent strain on your feet, ankles, legs and back. 
So it is very important because it prevents strain. 
What does it mean if you feel strain, Gabe? 
Oh, strain. 
You know something is wrong. 
Maybe your muscles are strained. 
It's kind of like they're... they're pulled too much. 
Um, and so you might feel strain in your neck muscles or your back muscles, your leg muscles. 
Pay attention to these kinds of things. 
And if you get the right kinds of shoes, there will be less strain. 
That's right. 
Well, in the second section here we see: Mix it up. 
Many experts recommend cross-training - doing other physical activities besides running. 
So you don't have to only run to get in shape, you can cross-train or do other physical activities. 
And there's a Word Bank word there - the word "physical." Can you explain this for us, Gabe? 
Yeah, physical, anything that has to do with your body, your physical body. 
So we're not talking about your emotions or the way that you think or your spirit, we're talking about your physical body. 
So you need to stretch. 
That is great for your physical body. 
How else can you use that word "physical"? 
Well, we do talk a lot about physical exercise and getting into shape. 
We want to make sure we take care of our physical selves by eating healthy and exercising. 
So running is a great way to do this, but also cross-training. 
And I think that Ken and Steve have something they'd like to share with us in the Information Cloud. 
Our lesson today is about running, but I have a sneaking suspicion that our author is really talking about jogging. 
I think you're right. 
Running means you are moving at a faster pace than jogging. 
But when the average person goes out for a "run," he or she is most likely jogging. 
Right. 
Technically, if it takes you less than nine minutes to complete one mile, you are running. 
If it takes you more than nine minutes to complete one mile, you are jogging. 
So which is better? 
Well, both running and jogging work your muscles and are good for your heart, lungs and bones. 
Jogging is harder than walking because it requires more effort to go faster. 
And depending on the distance, running requires even more effort than jogging. 
It's more intense, and it requires a lot of stamina. 
So if you want to become a runner, and if you've never run before, you should start off slow. 
That's right. 
Begin by walking fast. 
And then work up to jogging. 
Only then should you move on to running. 
But remember, even when you are just going for a jog, you can still say you're going running. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, do you go running more often, or maybe is it jogging? 
Now you know the difference. 
Let's continue with our lesson. 
That could mean biking, swimming or playing a sport. 
We're talking about cross-training here, so not just running. 
You can do other things like biking, swimming, playing a sport like basketball or volleyball. 
And by varying your exercises, you avoid injuries caused by repeated motion. 
Carolyn, what's repeated motion? 
Well, repeated motion is when you do the same thing over and over again. 
We kind of talked about things being consistent earlier. 
You do the same thing and then the same thing, and then the next day you do it again. 
It can really be hard on your body and wear out your muscles or your joints. 
And that can lead to injuries. 
So we want to try to do different exercises that allow other parts of our body to move and increase our overall physical health. 
And I think that's kind of what this word "vary" means. 
When you vary something, that means you make it a little bit different. 
You mix it up. 
And you can use that phrase "mix it up" in other areas of life, too. 
Maybe you lead a kind of group. 
Maybe you lead a youth group, and you always do the same thing. 
Well, maybe one time you want to mix it up. 
Throw in another kind of game. 
Make it a little bit different. 
Vary it a little bit. 
That's right. 
It's important to have variety, to vary things, to mix things up and keep things interesting in all parts of your life, 
and just to stay healthy both physically and spiritually. 
That's right. 
Well, we are learning all about running the right way or running right. 
And following this simple advice will help you stay safe while you get healthy. 
So it's true. 
This advice, it doesn't seem very hard to understand, does it, Carolyn? 
No. It's very simple. 
Just be safe, listen to what your body is trying to tell you, choose good shoes, and do different kinds of exercise. 
It all seems very easy advice to follow. 
That's right, pretty simple. 
Well, I think that Michelle also has some simple lessons for us in the Language Lab. 
Let's go and join her right now. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to go back to our teachers. 
Today we've been talking all about running right and how to avoid injuries when we're exercising. 
Well, what are some things that you do to avoid being injured when you are exercising or playing sports? 
I know that when I go to my tai chi class, I always stretch for a long time before the lesson begins so that I won't feel too sore afterward. 
Gabe, are there any things that you try to do before you exercise to prevent injuries? 
Well, I think stretching is important before. 
But I also think stretching is important after you exercise, 
after you do something um, that might be kind of painful or something that makes a strain on your body, causes a strain on your body. 
You want to stretch before and after. 
And sometimes I'll even stretch before I play drums. 
I'll stretch my arms out a little bit. 
Stretch my legs, different things. 
Think about different areas in life that you need to stretch because stretching can be very important. 
That is very true. 
Well, I've learned a lot about running right. 
And I hope that you have, too, and that you will join us again next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.05.20.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us today. 
Our lesson is called New Kid on the Block. 
We're going to be learning about how one person or a family adjusted to a new school. 
Well, sometimes when you're at school, sometimes new people come into the school. 
Maybe it's a new year, or maybe even halfway through the year, and someone new is in your class. 
Has that ever happened to you? 
If so, how did you react to that new person? 
Carolyn, has this ever happened to you? 
Well, it did happen a few times. 
I went to a very small school, and everyone knew each other and knew each other's families. 
So it was very interesting each time we had a new student arrive because everyone was very curious to know: 
Oh. Why are you here? 
Why did your family move to this town? 
I think I agree. 
Actually I went to a small school, and I know that feeling. 
Why are you here? 
And I wanted to get to know some new people as well. 
Actually my friend Joey and I became pretty good friends. 
He was new in seventh grade. 
And we started a conversation and became good friends. 
So you never know what might happen when someone new comes to your school. 
Be nice. 
Now it's time for us to get started with our first reading of the day. 
(Music). 
New Kid on the Block. 
Life in an American junior high school. 
As the new kid on the block, my daughter Irene needs to deal with and overcome several difficulties. 
Fortunately, there are detailed instructions for parents and students who move to our area. 
From enrollment to the academic program, we followed them step by step. 
My daughter graduated from grade school in Taipei, so she is entering the seventh grade. 
Each semester, the school holds an orientation for transfer students like her and new sixth graders. 
(Music). 
Today we're talking about an article written by Pauline Lin. 
And we see a nice little sidebar here: Our "Life in America" series is written by Pauline Lin, former TV program director of Studio Classroom. 
She moved to the States in July 2011 with her family. 
This series is written to teach about how one Chinese family adjusted to different aspects of life in America. 
And today we're talking about life in an American junior high school. 
That's right. 
That is one of the aspects you might need to adjust to. 
So our lesson is called New Kid on the Block. 
Well, before we get started with our text, let's take a look at that phrase and what it means: the new kid on the block. 
Carolyn, what is that? 
Well, if you are the new kid on the block, then you are new to the area. 
The block is usually the area surrounding your house or your school for one street. 
We say go one block, go two blocks. 
If you are the new kid on the block, then you are new to that area. 
That's right. 
So let's get started here. 
The first sentence is: 
As the new kid on the block, my daughter Irene needs to deal with and overcome several difficulties. 
It's true. 
If you're somewhere new, there are probably some difficulties you need to confront or face. 
That's right. 
But we see that fortunately, there are detailed instructions for parents and students who move to our area. 
So even though it's difficult to move somewhere new, they have detailed instructions. 
It's very clear what they need to do as a new family and as Irene is a new student in this school. 
Sometimes it's easy to be worried about something, and then you hear some good news. 
And so you can say "Fortunately," and then share the good news. 
So fortunately, there are some good instructions. 
Well, let's continue. 
From enrollment to the academic program, we followed them step by step. 
They followed these instructions step by step. 
But first, let's take a look at that word "enrollment." What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if you enroll in something, then you sign up for it. 
So when you are new to a school, you need to enroll in classes and enroll in the school so that you are on their student list. 
So from enrollment to the academic program. 
And "academic" is one of the words from our Word Bank today. 
"Academic" just means that it is about your education. 
It has something to do with what you are learning or studying. 
That's right. 
Sometimes you can even add an "S" on the end of this word to talk about the academics, your academics. 
Well, we have something else here in this sentence: step by step. 
OK, so we followed these instructions step by step. 
And let's talk about that phrase. 
If you do something step by step, that means you do it one thing at a time. 
Not everything at once, but just one step at a time. 
That's right. 
So it sounds like this was probably a very long process. 
But because there were instructions that were very clear and detailed, it wasn't too difficult. 
They were very clear in which steps they needed to take first, and then what you do next. 
And sometimes you might do something step by step online as well. 
If you need to complete something online, there are steps you can complete. 
You can go step by step. 
Well, we continue with this story. 
My daughter graduated from grade school in Taipei, so she is entering the seventh grade. 
Interesting. 
Well, this is a completely different environment then, right? 
Yes. So she finished elementary school, or grade school - so her first six years in Taipei - but now she is going into seventh grade. 
She's going into junior high school in the United States. 
That's right. 
Well, we continue. 
Each semester, the school holds an orientation for transfer students like her and new sixth graders. 
Interesting. 
So she is going into seventh grade, but she's going to be transferring, and there's an orientation for new sixth graders. 
You might be confused here. 
But in the American school system, elementary school ends after fifth grade. 
And so when you enter sixth grade, that's actually junior high school. 
That's right. 
And we see that she is going to this orientation, or an introduction to tell her more about the school and help her become familiar with it. 
But she is a transfer student. 
And that's another word from our Word Bank. 
If you are a transfer student, then you were at one school, but then you change schools and go to another one. 
That's right. 
And this can happen at any age, at any level of education. 
Maybe not just in elementary school or grade school. 
At my university, every year, or every semester even, there were transfer students. 
People who started out at another university, but they came to my university - transfer students. 
That's right. 
So have you ever been a transfer student? 
It's a very interesting experience. 
And here we are learning about Pauline's daughter Irene, and how she adjusted to her new life at this school. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn something more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.20.B

We're talking about the New Kid on the Block today. 
If you move to a new place, especially a new culture, you might have to adjust to a few things. 
And especially if you're a student, you will have to adjust to a new school. 
You will be the new kid on the block. 
And so we're learning about Pauline Lin's daughter Irene as she adjusted as she was the new kid on the block at the school. 
Well, let's continue learning right now. 
(Music). 
New Kid on the Block. 
We thought that would be the perfect time for us to learn more about the school. 
However, parents aren't allowed! 
The school expects middle-schoolers to be independent and have self-discipline. 
So my brave daughter went with two new friends from church. 
The activities included getting to know your campus, finding your classrooms and learning how to read the bulletin board. 
In the classroom, the students played Bingo in small groups to learn more about each other. 
(Music). 
Well, let's begin at the beginning of this section, shall we? 
We thought that would be the perfect time for us to learn more about the school. 
So that is a great time. 
Orientation is when the students, especially the new students, are learning about something. 
So the parents can get involved as well. 
That's true usually. 
But we see: However, parents aren't allowed. 
So parents were not allowed to go to this orientation. 
Not at all. 
Whoa! Parents aren't allowed! Nope. 
Or you might see that phrase written somewhere: something is not allowed. 
Maybe you walk into a restaurant, and you want to take your dog in, too. 
But then you see a sign that says: No dogs allowed. 
Then you can't take your dog inside that restaurant. 
So think about that, and observe whenever you go somewhere, is there a sign that says "No something allowed"? 
Hmm. Well, we see why they weren't allowed to have parents at the orientation. 
The school expects middle-schoolers to be independent and have self-discipline. 
Well, self-discipline is a great thing. 
And if you are a middle-schooler or any kind of student, you want to be independent and have self-discipline. 
So let's talk about that word there. 
It is self-discipline. 
And if you have self-discipline, that means you can kind of control your life. 
But it's a little bit different from self-control, right, Carolyn? 
That's right. 
So this is being able to decide what you should be doing and then do it without anyone having to tell you what to do, so. 
Here they think that middle-schoolers should have self-discipline, so. 
They shouldn't need their parents there to make sure that they are behaving or that they are doing what they ought to be doing but they can do it themselves. 
That's right. 
So independence and self-discipline. 
Well, Carolyn, you are a vegan, right? 
You like to eat only vegetables. 
Does it take self-discipline to do that? 
It does take a lot of self-discipline when you are trying to control the things that you eat. 
And being vegan or someone who does not eat any animal products at all is very difficult, and it takes a lot of self-discipline. 
Well, I respect you for that. 
Carolyn does have self-discipline. 
And friends, if you like to exercise every day, that also takes self-discipline to tell yourself you need to do something, 
even though it might be a little bit painful or uncomfortable, but you know it's good for you - self-discipline. 
So how does this story continue? 
Well, so my brave daughter went with two new friends from church. 
So it sounds like her daughter has already made some friends at church, and they were able to go to this orientation together. 
Well, it's always nice to do something with some other people. 
If you're going to something new, sometimes it's uncomfortable to go alone. 
Has that ever happened to you, Carolyn? 
Or do you usually go with friends? 
Well, I prefer to go places with friends because if it's just me by myself, I might feel a little bit uncomfortable. 
But if I have one or two other people with me, I feel much more confident in what I'm doing. 
All right. 
So it can be something nice to go with friends. 
And Irene has gone with friends from church. 
And we continue. 
The activities included getting to know your campus, finding your classrooms and learning how to read the bulletin board in the classroom. 
So it seems like you're learning some new things at this school. 
That's right. 
And we see that word there: bulletin board. 
And it's from our Word Bank. 
A bulletin board is an area where you put announcements. 
So if there's something important that you want the students to know at school, you would put a piece of paper with the announcement or the information on it. 
And then everyone that walks past the bulletin board can read it. 
That's right. 
And sometimes a classroom might have a bulletin board inside, like I just said. 
Or often the bulletin board will be outside of every classroom. 
Maybe there's one big bulletin board that everybody can go and see. 
So you can read the bulletin board and see what is on the bulletin board. 
Well, that wasn't the only thing she learned about. 
She also got to know more about her campus and how to find her classrooms. 
And we see that in the classroom, the students played Bingo in small groups to learn more about each other. 
So it sounds like they had a really great time meeting other students and learning about one another. 
That's right. 
And Bingo, of course, is a popular game that many people like to play. 
Maybe you know how to play Bingo as well. 
How do you play Bingo, Carolyn? 
What do you need? 
Well, you need a board with the letters B-I-N-G-O across the top, and then there are columns on your board. 
And each space has a number in it, a different number. 
And someone else will call out the numbers. 
And as they call your numbers, hopefully you can make one line, a full line, and then you can win a prize. 
That's right. 
That's the best part of Bingo is winning that prize. 
You're lucky if you win that prize. 
Well, of course there are many ways to play Bingo. 
Maybe instead of numbers, you can put the names of your classmates. 
Maybe that's what they did in Irene's class. 
Well, it's time for us right now to enjoy learning something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud - all about ice breakers. 
And then we'll go and see a review skit followed by Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Normally when a group of strangers is together in one room, 
it takes a while before they feel comfortable talking and sharing personal information with one another. 
Well, it's natural. 
People want to protect themselves from getting hurt or embarrassed, so they behave in a cold and somewhat reserved manner. 
But nobody likes being in an atmosphere like that. 
It's icy and uncomfortable. 
Hey, sounds like the perfect time for an ice breaker! 
Ice breakers, also known as warm up activities, 
are games or activities that are designed to help groups of people break the ice - that is to encourage them to get to know one another better. 
Ice breakers are great for people in groups who intend to work together as a team like office workers and athletes. 
They're also useful for building community for freshman students moving into a university dormitory, for example. 
And ice breakers come in all shapes and sizes. 
The most basic is probably just writing your name on a sticker and wearing it on your shirt. 
It's amazing how people will talk to you once they know your name. 
Right. 
Friends, check the Internet for fun and creative ways you can help people break the ice. 
(Chinese). 
Now that's funny. 
What's funny? 
I'm reading about my friends that move to the States. 
Oh, yeah. I remember. 
So how are they doing? 
Well, their daughter is in junior high school. 
It's not easy. 
She needs to overcome some difficulties. 
How is she dealing with it? 
Fortunately, the family has detailed instructions. 
They're following them step by step. 
Good. 
But why were you laughing? 
Each semester, the school holds an orientation for new students. 
For students to learn about the school. 
Why is that funny? 
It's for students! 
But the parents wanted to go, too. 
What? 
They were surprised when they weren't allowed. 
Oh, that is funny. 
So the daughter went with her friends. 
That's good. 
Did she learn about the campus and the classrooms? 
Yes. And she learned how to read the bulletin board, and even played Bingo! 
Orientation sounds like fun. 
Yeah. I want to go. 
Too bad it's just for students. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's return to our teachers now. 
Today we've been talking about Pauline's daughter and how she was able to adjust to life in this junior high school in the United States. 
And it's not easy when you are a transfer student going to a new school. 
Have you ever transferred schools before? 
Are you a transfer student? 
Gabe, have you ever had to transfer schools? 
Well, I did go to a school in the United States for sixth grade and also for my third year in high school, but I also came back to my original school. 
Carolyn, have you ever been a transfer student? 
I actually haven't been a transfer student. 
I lived in the same town almost my entire life and never had to switch schools. 
Well, it seems like we haven't had that experience too much. 
But maybe you have been a transfer student. 
We want you to talk about that. 
Talk about your experience in English. 
Right now it's time for us to say goodbye. 
But we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.05.21.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson New Kid on the Block. 
We've been learning all about Pauline Lin's daughter Irene as she adjusts to her school in the seventh grade. 
She's had to make some adjustments as she gets used to this new culture and the new school. 
But she's learned how to be independent and have self-discipline. 
Well, we're going to learn a little bit more about her story today. 
But I wonder what your school does or maybe what your school did for new students that came, some transfer students? 
Carolyn, were there any transfer students that went to your school? 
Or how did they welcome new students? 
Well, my school was very small like I've mentioned. 
And they didn't really have a huge program or a big orientation for the new students because we'd only have maybe one or two. 
So they just walk around with one of the school staff and see the buildings in the classrooms. 
And that was about it. 
OK. Well, I think maybe every school is a little bit different. 
It is nice to have an orientation to let new students get to know the place a little bit more. 
We're going to be learning a little bit more about this in our first reading of the day. 
So let's do that now. 
(Music). 
New Kid on the Block. 
The second week of the semester, the school had a "back to school" night. 
Parents meet the teachers and learn about their child's schedule, requirements and grading. 
The biggest difference between elementary and middle school is that the students change classrooms for each subject. 
Do you think that's complicated? 
Wrong! 
From Monday to Friday, the schedule also changes. 
Math can be the first class on Monday and then the second one on Tuesday. 
I'm still confused, but the kids have no problem after the first week. 
(Music). 
Well, sometimes that is the case. 
You might be more confused than your children are. 
Well, let's start at the very beginning here. 
We're talking about Irene and how she is adjusting to the school. 
The second week of the semester, the school had a "back to school" night. 
Well, that sounds kind of fun. 
What is that, Carolyn? 
What's a "back to school" night? 
Well, usually school is during the day, but this is a "back to school" night. 
And we find out in the next sentence that it's for parents. 
So parents usually aren't in school anymore, and hopefully not junior high school. 
But the parents are able to go back to the school and meet the teachers as we find out in the next sentence. 
That's right. 
Parents meet the teachers and learn about their child's schedule, requirements and grading. 
So this is a good time for parents to be oriented as well, to get to know the school as well. 
So what are requirements? 
Carolyn, what's a requirement? 
Well, a requirement is something that you have to do. 
There is nothing you can do about it. 
You are required to do it. 
So they get to learn about what their students... or what their children are going to have to do at this new school. 
OK. I think this is a great idea, a "back to school" night or event. 
Well, we continue with the story. 
The biggest difference between elementary and middle school is that the students change classrooms for each subject. 
OK. Well, I want to talk about a couple of things in this sentence. 
First, a Word Bank word: elementary. 
Elementary, I usually think of the grades between first grade and fifth grade. 
So just after kindergarten, maybe you're six or seven years old and you go through elementary school. 
Um, but is there another way to talk about elementary school, Carolyn? 
Well, yesterday we referred to elementary school as grade school. 
You might also call it primary school. 
It's where you go when you first begin going to regular school or regular classes. 
And it's very simple. 
So it's the elementary school. 
All right. 
Well, maybe you're not in elementary school anymore. 
Well, where did you go to elementary school? 
Talk about that. 
Maybe you have some memories from elementary school. 
We see another kind of school in that sentence. 
It is middle school. 
But Carolyn, I've heard people refer to it as junior high school. 
Is that also correct? 
Yes. I think you can use both of them. 
Both middle school and junior high school have about the same meaning. 
It's between elementary school and high school, so some people call it middle school. 
It's in the middle. 
That's right. It's right in the middle. 
Well, we're continuing to learn about her experiences. 
We find the biggest difference between elementary and middle school... OK. 
So do you think that's complicated? 
Well, do you think it's complicated? 
Is that word complicated? 
Actually, the word is "complicated." It's from our Word Bank. 
If something is complicated, that means it's difficult to understand, maybe even it's difficult to explain. 
Yes. So it is not easy. 
It's the opposite of easy if something is complicated. 
And maybe you think that this schedule is complicated because you have to change classes for each object. 
Each class that you go to is in a different room, and you have to remember where it is and which one you're supposed to go to next. 
That's right. 
It can be kind of complicated. 
Maybe you have a complicated situation. 
It's really hard to figure out a solution. 
Well, the question is here - Do you think that's complicated? 
And the answer is "Wrong!" Actually, I think the answer is maybe... maybe it's complicated, but not compared to what comes next. 
Carolyn, what comes next? 
That's right. 
The next part is very complicated. 
We see that from Monday to Friday, the schedule also changes. 
So math can be the first class on Monday, and then the second one on Tuesday. 
So your schedule is not the same each day of the week. 
Right. So that does sound a little bit complicated. 
Maybe it might take some time getting used to your schedule. 
Well, it can be different when you're going to a new school. 
It can be kind of confusing. 
I remember going to one school one semester where the first class started at 7:17 in the morning. 
It seems like such an odd time to start a class. 
But I remembered because it's such an odd number - 7:17. 
I never forgot what time school started. 
Well, that is a little bit strange for a starting time. 
And we see that with this schedule, Pauline writes, "I'm still confused." So she found this to be very difficult to understand if she was confused. 
And that word is from our Word Bank. 
If you are confused, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, I... I'm confused. 
I really don't know what to think about this. 
Maybe I think something should be one way, but people are telling me it's another way, so I'm confused. 
So you don't really know or you don't understand what is going on. 
And this schedule is very difficult, very complicated. 
And I think it would be very easy to be confused if math class is the first day on Monday, and the second day on Tuesday, 
and then no math on Wednesday, and maybe Thursday is the fourth class. 
Who knows? It sounds very confusing. 
But the kids have no problem after the first week. 
That's right. 
Well, Carolyn, I like that you used the word "confusing." You can feel confused about something. 
A person is confused. 
But maybe a situation is confusing. 
I'm confused because the schedule is confusing. 
So they're a slightly different. 
Well, let's take some time with Michelle in the Language Lab right now. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.21.B

Today we are continuing our article New Kid on the Block. 
Now we've been learning about Irene's class schedule. 
It sounds a little bit complicated. 
And her mom was very confused by it because her classes are different every day. 
She might have one class in the morning, and then on the next day it will be in the afternoon. 
It sounds like quite a challenge. 
Well, we're going to learn some more about her experience at an American junior high school in the next reading for today. 
(Music). 
New Kid on the Block. 
Students attend seven classes each day. 
Every student has different classes from the others depending on their electives. 
Some study Spanish; some learn French. 
Classes end at 2:40, and the school bus takes the students home. 
So far, Irene has missed the school bus twice and gone to the wrong class once. 
But I think she likes her new school. 
This new kid on the block is finding her way despite the language barrier. 
We can only stand beside her, support her and look forward to a great school year! 
(Music). 
Well, it sounds like the role of a parent is to stand by your child and to support them when they're at school. 
Well, let's go to the beginning of this section. 
We read: Students attend seven classes each day. 
Well, Carolyn, that sounds normal to me, about seven classes, right? 
Yeah, seven classes is pretty normal for one day at school because school is usually six or seven hours. 
So that does sound about right. 
OK. Maybe some schools have eight or nine classes every day. 
But here Irene has seven classes every day. 
Every student has different classes from the others depending on their electives. 
So that's also very unique or special about the American school system that you have electives. 
And every student might have different classes depending on these electives. 
Carolyn, what is an elective? 
Well, an elective is something that you choose yourself, so. 
Many schools, especially large schools or schools in large cities, have extra classess that you can choose to take. 
Most of the time you are required to take math, English, history, those sorts of classes. 
But then you can also choose electives, maybe a language or another interesting class like art or music. 
That's what I remember taking in high school. 
The elective that I chose... actually I chose a couple of different music classes for my electives. 
So what kinds of electives are offered at your school? 
Maybe you don't have any. 
But as you can see, Irene could take some electives. 
So we continue with the lesson. 
Some study Spanish; some learn French. 
So every school is different. 
What foreign language does your school offer? 
That's right. 
Here we see Spanish and French are offered here. 
And I think that Steve and Ken have something they'd like to share with us about studying a foreign language. 
Hey, Steve. 
Don't you think it's incredible that the education system in America still doesn't require middle school and high school students to study a foreign language. 
Well, it is a shame, Ken, because when you study a second language, you benefit yourself in so many ways. 
Some ways you might be aware of, and some maybe not. 
Here are a few. 
First, studying a foreign language increases your global understanding. 
It shows you that there are different ways of thinking. 
You get a different perspective of life. 
So it forces you to look out beyond yourself. 
But a foreign language also compels you to look inward, too. 
Right. 
Studies show that knowing a foreign language increases your understanding of your own culture - and that includes your native language. 
Thirdly, knowing a foreign language increases your chances of getting into a better school, going abroad to study and then later, getting a better job. 
Next, remember that foreign languages help you to appreciate foreign books, movies and music. 
And finally, perhaps the best reason to study a foreign language - it helps you to make new, lifelong friends like everyone here at Studio Classroom, your friend for life. 
(Chinese). 
Well, I think it is very important to be able to learn a foreign language that can help in lots of areas in life. 
Let's continue with this lesson. 
Classes end at 2:40, and the school bus takes the students home. 
Well, that's kind of special. 
Do you ride a school bus to and from your school? 
Carolyn, did you ever do this? 
Well, I did when I was in high school. 
My elementary school and middle school, or junior high school, were close enough that I could walk. 
But the high school was kind of far away, so I would take the bus every morning and then every afternoon when school was over. 
All right. 
And we see here that this school ended at 2:40. 
That may seem pretty amazing to you because 2:40 is still pretty early in the day. 
I know a lot of schools in Asia, maybe you don't get out until five or six in the evening. 
So this is a big difference. 
It is a big difference. 
And that's even earlier than when I used to get out of school. 
Usually my classes would end around 3:00 or 3:15. 
Wow! So 2:40 is really early. 
Well, we continue. 
So far, Irene has missed the school bus twice and gone to the wrong class once. 
I'm sure that Irene was probably a little nervous on those days about missing the school bus and going to the wrong class. 
But she did OK. 
Let's take a look at a phrase there at the beginning of that sentence: so far. 
Carolyn, how would you use these words "so far"? 
Well, "so far" just means that up to this time or up to this point. 
So we see here that so far, Irene has missed the bus twice and gone to the wrong class once. 
But that just means that up to this time, that's what happened. 
Maybe she will miss the bus again in the future. 
All right. 
Well, how can you use this phrase "so far"? 
You're doing a great job today. 
So far so good. 
Also, so far we've talked about three words from our Word Bank, but later we'll talk about another one. 
First let's take a look at this other sentence: 
But I think she likes her new school. 
It's good that she's getting used to her new school. 
It is a great thing that she's getting used to her new school. 
And we see that this new kid on the block is finding her way despite the language barrier. 
So she is trying to find her way around despite this the language barrier because English is not her first language. 
No, it's not. 
But let's take a look at this important word here from the Word Bank: despite. 
This means because... or not because of; this means even though. 
So even though there's a language barrier, she's still going to do something. 
So how else can you use that word? 
Well, I might say: Despite having a cold, I still went in to work today. 
Well, despite you having a cold, I don't know if that was a good idea. 
Oh, you're right. 
That's good. 
That's maybe a good thing to think about. 
You don't necessarily want to go in to work if you have a cold. 
But you also might say: Despite the hot weather, she still ran a marathon. 
I can't believe it. 
Even though the weather was hot, she still did it. 
Well, we're going to take a look at the Grammar Gym and what Liz has to share with us right now. 
Hi there, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we read: 
This new kid on the block is finding her way despite the language barrier. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
And today we're looking at the phrase: to find one's way. 
Normally "to find one's way" means to figure out how to move from one place to another place. 
But in today's sentence, the phrase means figuring things out. 
In other words, this new kid on the block is figuring things out despite the language barrier. 
OK. Let's have a look at some example sentences. 
Jason would not have found his way in the corporate world if he hadn't followed his father's advice. 
Or: With good common sense and a positive working attitude, Janet is finding her way in her new job. 
Want more example sentences? 
Then check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
In the last sentence here Pauline writes: 
We can only stand beside her, support her and look forward to a great school year! 
So it sounds like they're going to have a really great time in the United States. 
I think they are. 
Well, let's continue right now learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to the lesson. 
We've been learning all about Irene and how she's been adjusting to going to a new school, a school outside of her original culture, in the United States. 
Well, how would you feel about going to a new school? 
Maybe you've never been to a new school. 
You've never been a transfer student. 
What do you think would be the hardest part about doing this? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I think it would be very hard to make new friends. 
It's always difficult to move to a place where you don't know anyone. 
And trying to make good friends can be kind of challenging. 
That's right. 
Well, I think there are many things you might need to adjust to. 
Friends, if you want more information about the United States education system, there is a little fact on page 35 of your magazine. 
Well, thank you for joining us here today. 
And we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.05.22.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
Thank you for joining us for today. 
We have an interesting lesson about 3-D printing. 
You could see our title that says "3-D Printing: No Factory Required." Well, what is 3-D printing, anyway? 
I've heard of printing, but 3-D printing? 
Carolyn, have you heard of 3-D printing? 
Actually, I have. 
It was something that one of my friends in the United States introduced to me. 
She has a friend who bought a 3-D printer. 
And I was very interested to see some of the interesting things that he was able to "print." It's not really printing. 
It actually has a lot to do with the title here - "no factory required" because it's not being printed on paper. 
That's right. 
Not being printed on paper; no factory required. 
Well, we're going to learn all about 3-D printing in our lesson today. 
So let's get started with the first reading here. 
(Music). 
3-D Printing: No Factory Required! 
This magical technology turns 3-D designs into 3-D objects. 
Printing images is easy: 
Select an image of a purple robot on your PC, for example, and then press print. 
Your home printer precisely shoots drops of ink onto a flat piece of paper, creating the robot's 2-D image. 
"Printing" 3-D objects is something altogether different. 
Take the purple robot. 
First select a file of the 3-D model of the robot and send it to your special 3-D printer. 
Immediately, the printer begins making noise, and a nozzle releases plastic material in thin layers, over and over again. 
In two to three hours, a 3-D purple robot is standing before you! 
In our title we do see this great phrase: no factory required. 
Usually when I think of making something - not printing - but just making a toy or some kind of object, we usually think that it comes from a factory. 
But here we're learning about 3-D printing where no factory is required. 
This is a very great phrase. 
And right there we see this magical technology turns 3-D designs into 3-D objects. 
That's really cool. 
3-D designs that you can see online or maybe you can create, you can turn these things into 3-D objects that you don't just see. 
You can actually feel them, touch them, use them. 
All right. 
So let's get started with the first sentence here: 
Printing images is easy: 
Select an image of a purple robot on your PC, for example, and then press print. 
That is easy enough, right? 
It is pretty easy. 
You're just taking a piece of paper and your printer, and there's a picture of a purple robot on your PC, your computer, and you hit the "Print" button. 
And what happens? 
Well, your home printer precisely shoots drops of ink onto a flat piece of paper, creating the robot's 2-D image. 
Well, that's true. 
That's what happens when you print - you have a 2-D image. 
And 2-D, well, if you have a piece of paper like this, then that would have a 2-D image on the top, not an object. 
But let's take a look at a key word from this sentence. 
What is it, Carolyn? 
It is the word "precisely." And if something is done precisely, then it is exact. 
There is no confusion. 
It is very specific in what it does. 
It is very precise. 
So when your printer prints something, the ink is not going all over the paper. 
It is going to one specific area that you want it to be in. 
So it does precisely what you want it to do. 
You could also use that word in another way. 
If you tell someone to do something, and they do exactly what you wanted to do, you say: 
You did precisely what I said. 
Thank you! Thank you for doing precisely as I asked. 
That's right. 
Well, we see that "printing" 3-D objects is something altogether different. 
Now if it's altogether different, then it's completely different. 
There really isn't anything similar. 
And we see that the word "printing" here is in quotation marks, which is something that Steve and Ken want to talk about in the Information Cloud. 
Today let's take a look at something that may seem insignificant, but it's, in fact, quite meaningful - quotation marks. 
Steve, what can you tell us about quotation marks? 
Well, as the name suggests, quotes are used when quoting someone's words. 
That's the most common usage of quotation marks. 
Yes. That's one usage. 
But there's another function of this punctuation mark: irony, which is the use of words to express something different from their original meaning. 
In other words, what's quoted is an unusual meaning of the word. 
As an example, living in the age of the Internet, we might talk about "living" in the virtual world. 
And I might put the word "living" in quotes because no one can literaly live in the virtual world. 
It's not real. 
That's a good one, Ken. 
Here's another example. 
John claimed he was too "busy" to help me. 
If I put "busy" in quotes, I am doubting whether he was really busy. 
Hey, Steve, why did you put your fingers up like that just now? 
Well, Ken, that's what we call "air quotes;" some people call it "finger quotes." When people speak, 
they'll sometimes use their fingers to indicate quotation marks, giving the quoted word an ironic or unusual meaning. 
(Chinese). 
All right. 
Well, we have more to learn about 3-D printing. 
Now you've learned about this robot 2-D image and that 3-D objects are something altogether different. 
Now we see this next sentence: Take the purple robot. 
Um, take the purple robot. 
Take... take it where, Carolyn? 
Where am I taking it? 
Well, you're not taking the purple robot anywhere. 
You're not going to hold it. 
OK. 
It's a 2-D image on your computer. 
And actually, I think that Liz would like to explain this sentence to us a little bit better in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
How are you doing today? 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article, we see this sentence: Take the purple robot. 
The writer is not saying that we the readers should go ahead and reach out with our hands and grab the purple robot, no. 
Instead, "take" is a short way of saying "take for example." So today's sentence just means using the purple robot as an example. 
This use of "take" to talk about examples is most often found in spoken situations. 
For example: 
Robert has so many crazy stories about his travels; take the time when he was stuck in Mexico City without his passport. 
Or: Mrs. Jensen's students are very creative; take Timothy and his artwork. 
And that's it for today. 
Be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine for more example sentences. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, we're taking this purple robot. 
The next sentence here is: 
First select a file of the 3-D model of the robot and send it to your special 3-D printer. 
So this is assuming that you have a 3-D printer, and you send this file to the 3-D printer. 
That's right. 
So you have a 3-D image on your computer and a 3-D printer. 
And immediately, the printer begins making noise, and a nozzle releases plastic material in thin layers, over and over again. 
And so it's going to be releasing this plastic material from a nozzle. 
And nozzle is one of the words from our Word Bank today. 
A nozzle is the narrow end of a tube usually. 
And it uh, sends out liquid. 
It controls where the liquid goes. 
So usually I think of a hose, actually, a water hose. 
Usually water hoses will have a nozzle, or some water hoses have a nozzle on the end. 
And you can control where the water goes, how much pressure you want the water to have. 
There is a nozzle there. 
But of course, if you have a 3-D printer, this is not shooting out water. 
It's shooting out probably really hot plastic that will get solid over time. 
Right. So this nozzle is releasing these thin layers of plastic over and over again. 
And in two to three hours, a 3-D purple robot is standing before you. 
You can see it right there. 
It's something you can hold and not just on a piece of paper. 
Well, right now we want to take some time to go visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.22.B

We're talking about 3-D printing today. 
Of course you don't need to go to a factory to get some things done, to get some things printed. 
You could print objects that you could see and hold and use. 
Of course usually when you think of printing, you think of 2-D objects printed out on a piece of paper. 
Now you can have 3-D printing. 
And this, of course, uses some plastic in a special 3-D printer. 
We're going to be learning a little bit more about this in the rest of today's lesson. 
(Music). 
3-D Printing: No Factory Required! 
3-D printing: then and now. 
3-D printing technology first appeared in the 1980s. 
At that time, it was used as an inexpensive way for companies to make prototypes before creating final products. 
But 3-D printing technology has matured to the point where printers can now create high-quality objects using a variety of materials, including metals. 
That means 3-D printers can now make final products that meet high industrial standards. 
3-D printers are already being used to make parts for racecars and jets as well as artificial limbs and hearing aids. 
(Music). 
It sounds like 3-D printers will be very, very useful. 
And at the beginning of this section we see the title: 3-D printing: then and now. 
So we're going to get a little information on the history of 3-D printing and how it's changed. 
How does this begin, Gabe? 
Well, yes. If you're talking about then, or saying the phrase "then and now," usually "then" means in the past. 
So then, or back then, and now. 
Our first sentence is: 
3-D printing technology first appeared in the 1980s. 
It first appeared at this time. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, when something first appears, then that's when it was first used or even invented. 
So people were using 3-D printers for the first time in the 1980s. 
And we see at that time, it was used as an inexpensive way for companies to make prototypes before creating final projects. 
And a prototype is the first version of something so you can get an idea of what it will look like or how it will work, 
and maybe some problems that you might face in the future and changes you can make. 
That's right. 
Sometimes you're not satisfied with the prototype, but that's why a prototype is important. 
And so if you wanted inexpensive way to create something, well, some people used 3-D printing before creating the final products. 
Let's continue. 
But 3-D printing technology has matured to the point where printers... 
What can they do? 
They can now create high-quality objects using a variety of materials, including metals. 
All right. 
So they have matured to this point. 
Let's take a look at the word from the Word Bank. 
It is "mature." Carolyn, I usually think of humans, people, they mature over time. 
We get more and more mature hopefully. 
Uh, but how is this word used in our lesson? 
Well, here it's describing how the process has developed. 
So printers have gone from being something that was used to create a prototype, or these 3-D printers were used to create prototypes, and now they have changed. 
They have developed or matured into something else. 
They can now create high-quality objects, not just a cheap prototype but something you could actually use. 
That's right. 
And we see this phrase: they've returned to the point of something. 
That's another great phrase to know: to the point. 
You could use this phrase like this. 
The... the turkey was cooked to the point of burning. 
They burned the turkey. 
How else might you use that phrase? 
Well, I think that people have become very intelligent, and they've come up with all of these new inventions. 
And actually, we've gotten to the point where we can fly around the world in a very short time. 
It's true. 
So these are great ways to use that phrase. 
Well, let's continue. 
This means... or that means that 3-D printers can now make final products that meet high industrial standards. 
Well, it's time for us to take a look at a special video. 
Let's do that now. 
So maybe you've heard about the MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3-D Printer, but you don't know how it works. 
It's cool. 
I'm Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot, and I'm going to walk you through the MakerBot creation process. 
The MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3-D Printer is the easiest, fastest and most affordable tool for making professional quality models. 
If you're an engineer, or an engineer at heart, 
you can keep a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3-D Printer right on your desktop and produce amazing high-quality models while you work. 
The MakerBot creation process starts with a digital design. 
This can be a design that you create using any digital modeling program. 
Or you can download one of thousands of models from our site, Thingiverse.com. 
Thingiverse is a community forum where people, like you, can share their digital designs. 
There are over 25,000 things on Thingiverse. 
And most of them can be made on the MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3-D Printer. 
And the best part - they're all free. 
Once you got your digital design, the next step is to open it in MakerBot MakerWare. 
This is the software that allows you to prepare your model to be made on your MakerBot Replicator 2. 
MakerBot MakerWare is a brand new software tool developed right here at MakerBot. 
You can use MakerBot MakerWare to move and scale your model, and to arrange it just so on the virtual build plate. 
When you got it just how you want it, just press Make It, 
and the MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3-D Printer will begin transforming your digital 3-D model into a physical 3-D model. 
The material that the MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3-D Printer uses is a renewable bio-plastic called PLA. 
When you tell the MakerBot Replicator 2 to make something, it begins by pulling the PLA filament that's spooled in the back up through this tube and into the extruder. 
The extruder heats it up and squishes it through a very small hole on to the build plate. 
It starts by laying down the bottom layer of your 3-D model. 
Then the platform moves the object down a tiny bit so the extruder can lay down the second layer. 
The process continues for the next layer, and the next layer, and the next layer. 
This process can take some time because each layer can be as fine as 100 microns. 
When you're done, you'll have a professional quality model that doesn't require any sanding or finishing. 
Now you know how a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3-D Printer works. 
And it's time to set your mind in motion thinking about how you're going to use yours and what you're going to make. 
Well, 3-D printers can be used for so many amazing things. 
And we see 3-D printers are already being used to make parts for racecars and jets as well as artificial limbs and hearing aids. 
Hearing aids? 
Wait. Can you say that again? 
Well, yes, we're going to say that again - hearing aids. 
Well, let's take a look at that. 
It's from our Word Bank. 
Do you have hearing aids? 
Or do you use hearing aids? 
Some people do. 
They put them inside their ears. 
And then it can help them hear things a little more clearly. 
You can put in the hearing aid or... or take out your hearing aid. 
Well, it would be very interesting to be able to print a hearing aid or even an artificial limb, 
a part of your body that isn't a real part but maybe made of plastic or metal. 
Well, now it's time for us to spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's head back to our teachers now. 
3-D printing is a very interesting topic and can be used to do so many things. 
You can print hearing aids, artificial limbs or parts of race cars and jets. 
It's all very impressive. 
Gabe, what do you think is the most interesting thing we've learned so far about 3-D printers? 
Well, actually if you have your magazine, on page 39 there are a couple other interesting facts about 3-D printing. 
Jay Leno, the TV host, has used 3-D printing to make some parts for his cars. 
That is really interesting. 
That is pretty amazing. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn about 3-D printing tomorrow right here on Studio Classroom. 
So we'll see you then.

2013.05.23.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for the second day of our lesson about 3-D printing. 
It is quite an interesting piece of technology. 
And we're talking about no factory required. 
So of course you don't have to go to a factory to have things printed, have objects printed for you. 
Well, if you had a 3-D printer, or if you had this option of 3-D printing, what would you print? 
What kinds of things would you print? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I really like to have useful things. 
And maybe if I had a 3-D printer, I could print things that I could wear, like jewelry. 
I could print a necklace or earrings or shoes. 
I could print shoes, Gabe. 
You could print shoes. 
But make sure that you get shoes that fit right if you're going to run because you want to run right. 
That's very true. 
That's very, very true. 
All right. 
I don't know what I would print. 
I would probably think about something that is usually very expensive to buy, 
and then I just go print that out in my 3-D printer for a little cheaper price. 
Well, it's time for us to get started with the first reading of our lesson today. 
(Music). 
3-D Printing: No Factory Required! 
The future of 3-D printing. 
One startling ability 3-D printers have is that they can print parts of themselves. 
This ability could come in handy for future space missions, like building a base on Mars. 
Instead of transporting heavy equipment to Mars, engineers could send one 3-D printer that could "print" multiple printers. 
Each one could be used to make certain objects - from doors to windows - for astronauts to assemble. 
An even more incredible application of 3-D printing technology is being tested in the medical field. 
(Music). 
All right. 
We're going to learn more about the medical field later. 
But let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
It's called The future of 3-D printing. 
So we learned about the history, then and now, the past and present. 
Now we're talking about the future of 3-D printing. 
One startling ability 3-D printers have is that they can print parts of themselves. 
That is really cool and, yes, maybe even startling. 
It is a little bit startling. 
And that is a word from our Word Bank. 
If something is startling, then it is unexpected. 
You didn't think it could happen. 
You are very surprised by it. 
And if something can reproduce itself, it doesn't have to have something else make it. 
It can make parts of itself. 
That can be a little bit startling. 
That's right. 
Well, I think of other things in life that can be startling as well. 
Maybe they surprise you. 
They take you by surprise. 
Maybe you're busy doing your homework. 
And then you don't think anybody is in the room. 
And someone comes up and taps you on the shoulder, it startles you. 
You could say: You startled me. 
Don't startle me like that. 
Well, this is startling information about the printer that can print parts of itself. 
Continuing: This ability could come in handy for future space missions, like building a base on Mars. 
Oh. It could come in handy for space missions? 
I think this is really cool. 
Of course, anything that has to do with the final frontier of space is interesting. 
And you could take a 3-D printer and build a base on Mars, or it could help when you're building a base on another planet. 
Well, it could come in handy. 
Let's go and see what Steve and Ken have to say about this phrase. 
Hey, Ken, thanks for lending me your cell phone yesterday. 
It really came in handy. 
No problem. 
That's just an old cell phone I'm not using anymore. 
I'm glad it came in handy. 
Now friends, when I said "it came in handy," I mean it became useful. 
Since my cell phone was being repaired, Ken's phone came in handy, or it became useful to me. 
Now if you keep something handy, it's not really the same as come in handy, is it? 
No, it's not. 
If you keep something handy, it's close to you. 
And therefore, it's easy to reach or get to, presumably with your hands. 
I like to keep a Chinese-English dictionary handy so I can look up Chinese characters that I don't know. 
Sounds like it's a handy reference book. 
It is, Ken. 
My Chinese-English dictionary is very useful. 
You know, I always keep a pen handy so I can jot down important information. 
Good. It's always within easy reach. 
Now we should mention a related word: handyman. 
And that's someone who can do many different small jobs or tasks like fix things in a house or building. 
A handyman is very handy with various tools. 
Yes, he or she is very good at working with tools. 
(Chinese). 
Well, we were talking about the printer being able to print parts of itself and this being useful in space missions. 
We see instead of transporting heavy equipment to Mars, engineers could send one 3-D printer that could print multiple printers. 
So you could just take one to Mars, and then it could print parts for other printers that could be put together. 
That's right. 
And that's what transporting means. 
You take it from one place to another. 
So you don't have to take all this heavy equipment. 
You can just take one printer. 
And it can do the job for you. 
Uh, this seems really interesting. 
I don't really understand how this can work. 
Carolyn, do you? 
Well, if you take on printer, and it has all of the materials it needs to print other printers, then you can have it print out those parts. 
And then the astronauts could put the printer together, and then that printer could also print more parts. 
And we see in the article: 
Each one could be used to make certain objects - from doors to windows - for astronauts to assemble. 
So you can print multiple printers, and then those printers can print even more things. 
And they can print doors and windows and other things that astronauts can put together. 
That's right. 
It says here "from doors to windows." That's kind of a special way of saying "a lot of things." So from... from one thing to another. 
We're going to print things from doors to windows here on Mars. 
And then the astronauts, these scientists in space, will assemble them. 
They'll put them together. 
Right now it's time for us to enjoy another special video. 
There's kind of a robot in here that looks a little bit like a spider. 
Now let's take a look. 
(Music). 
I've been interested in robots ever since I really saw the first robot. 
I started building robots when I was 12 years old. 
And when I saw the first hexapod, I was in middle school. 
I... I saw hexapod in a book. 
And from the minute I saw it, I knew I wanted to build one of these. 
And it wasn't until I took a cognitive robotics class here at the University of Arizona. 
And at that time I actually had... had a good excuse to spend a lot of time on working on a hexapod. 
(Music). 
I'm able to make very complex parts using something called a 3-D printer made by Dimension. 
And the way this works is it actually extrudes layer by layer small... small amounts of plastic. 
And there are two kinds of plastic. 
There's a support material and an actual model material. 
And the support material kind of holds like overhanging structures so you can really print any complicated shape that you want. 
And this right here is the femur of the hexapod. 
And this is made in the printer. 
And it was made in the printer like this. 
And the head actually extruded plastic around and filled all the cavities like this. 
Now the white material here is the... is this support material. 
And the grey material up here is the actual model material. 
And again, it was printed like this. 
And there's so much support material because this is the actual leg the way that it comes out. 
And so you can see that you can really make any sort of complex shape with the 3-D printer. 
And these are very rigid uh, pieces that can be used in robotics, casings for other and better projects. 
Wow! It's a little hard to believe that that robot was made using a 3-D printer. 
And an even more incredible application of 3-D printing technology is being tested in the medical field. 
Something even more incredible is being done in the medical field with 3-D printing. 
And we see this word "incredible." What does that mean, Gabe? 
It's from our Word Bank. 
That's right. 
If something is incredible, it is hard to believe. 
So a lot of things could be incredible in this life. 
We use this word actually to talk about something that is great or amazing. 
It's incredible. 
There's an incredible view from the top of that mountain. 
So you can use this word in different ways. 
How would you use this word? 
Well, it was incredible. 
I had no idea that it was possible to be able to print a spider robot. 
I also had no idea that you could print things in the medical field. 
Well, before we learn more about that, we should go spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.23.B

Well, we're on the second day of our article 3-D Printing: No Factory Required! 
And we've been talking about the future of 3-D printing. 
Perhaps one day we'll be able to send a 3-D printer to Mars where astronauts can print more printers and assemble things on the Planet Mars. 
It's an even more incredible thing that they can do things in the medical industry, which we're going to be learning about now in the next reading today. 
(Music). 
3-D Printing: No Factory Required! 
A company called Organovo has developed a type of 3-D printer that can take a human's cells and use them to create organic tissues. 
Organovo successfully printed their first blood vessels in 2010, and they are looking ahead to the day when they can print entire replacement organs. 
Making an impact. 
Last year, analysts at the Atlantic Council released a report titled "Could 3-D Printing Change the World?". 
The authors predict that 3-D printing will be a game changer on many levels. 
They believe that 3-D printing could have "as profound an impact on the manufacturing world as the PC in the Internet on the information world.". 
(Music). 
Wow! 3-D printing can definitely make a big impact on our world. 
Well, we are talking about the medical field here. 
And there is a company we're talking about. 
A company called Organovo has developed a type of 3-D printer that can take a human's cells and use them to create organic tissues. 
All right. 
So this company has a 3-D printer; and what can it do with human cells? 
Well, it can recreate some tissues. 
Well, this is a very special kind of 3-D printer, not one that you could buy for your home. 
It's very special from this company Organovo; and it can take a human's cell and make organic tissues. 
So that's actually a living part of a human body. 
Well, Organovo successfully printed their first blood vessels in 2010, and they are looking ahead to the day when they can print entire replacement organs. 
So they think that one day there will be a time when they can replace organs within our body. 
And they... 
We see this phrase: looking ahead to the day. 
That's something we want to talk about. 
To look ahead to something, what does that mean, Gabe? 
That means you're kind of expecting something to happen in the future. 
It hasn't happened yet. 
We haven't invented this thing yet. 
There's no way to do it, but we're looking ahead. 
We could also say we're looking forward to it, looking ahead to it. 
I think many people look ahead to a time of peace in the world. 
We want this to happen. 
We're looking ahead. 
Is it possible? 
I think so. 
That's right. 
So you can look ahead to the day when something will happen. 
You could also maybe look ahead to having a new job. 
Looking ahead to a big celebration. 
It's something you hope to have in the future. 
Well, there's another word in this sentence that we should probably talk about from our Word Bank - the word "replacement". 
They're hoping to print replacement organs. 
And if something is a replacement, then it is used instead of something else. 
It replaces the original thing. 
All right. 
So you might talk about replacement organs, wow, inside your body. 
Or I also think about replacement parts. 
Some things you can just... if... if they go bad, if they break, then you can replace them with something else. 
Those are replacement parts. 
Maybe a factory makes a lot of these different parts. 
And they're all the same, and so you can use them to replace each other. 
Replacement parts. 
And that kind of reminds me what we talked about yesterday how 3-D printers are being used to make parts or print parts for jets or even racecars. 
They are used to make replacement parts if these things break. 
Well, we have another section here titled: Making an impact. 
If you make an impact on something, then you are making a difference. 
There's something big happening here. 
How does it continue? 
Last year - pretty recently - last year, analysts at the Atlantic Council released a report titled "Could 3-D Printing Change the World?". 
That is quite an interesting report. 
It's a good question to ask. 
Can this really change the world? 
Well, it is an interesting question because 3-D printers do sound very impressive and they have a lot of startling abilities like being able to print parts of themselves. 
Well, the authors of this study, the authors predict that 3-D printing will be a game changer on many levels. 
This is an interesting phrase that it's going to be a game changer, Gabe. 
Well, game, yeah, usually I think of a game as something kind of fun you play with your friends. 
But this is used in another way. 
We're talking about maybe even the game of life. 
The way that things are done in the world or in society or in technology, this game could change because of 3-D printing. 
So 3-D printing may have a very big impact on the way things are done in our daily lives. 
These authors of this study, they believe that 3-D printing could have as profound an impact on the manufacturing world as the PC in the Internet on the information world. 
Well, those have had a pretty profound impact on the information world. 
Let's look at that word "profound" for a minute. 
It's from our Word Bank. 
And it means that something has made a major change, there's a big difference. 
How would you use this, Gabe? 
Well, I think about people who have made a profound impact on me, like maybe some of my teachers in school or at university. 
They had a profound impact on my life. 
They said things and taught things that I will always remember. 
And I think it's true, PC in the Internet have a profound impact on the information world. 
The age we live in, sometimes it's called the Information Age, and that's because of the Internet and things like that. 
So now 3-D printing could have that big of an impact, a profound impact on our world. 
On our manufacturing world. 
Well, that is a lot to think about. 
But now it's time for us to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to get back to our teachers. 
Well, 3-D printing does seem like something that can change the way we do things. 
It could be a game changer in our world. 
But based on our article today, do you think that 3-D printing will have a profound impact on the manufacturing world? 
Carolyn, what do you think about this? 
Well, I think that if people start buying 3-D printers for their homes, then they might not need to go out and buy as many things at the store, so. 
They might not need those things that factories produce. 
It could also really help to decrease prices for production because some things are quite expensive. 
And if you can make something that's high-quality with just a 3-D printer, maybe things will become cheaper. 
It's true. 
Maybe things might become cheaper. 
I do think there are plenty of things out there, though, that maybe can be replaced by a 3-D printer and its capabilities. 
But I think it would have a pretty big impact on the way we do things. 
Well, it's time for us to say goodbye for now. 
But we hope to see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.05.24.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for our lesson today called To Post or Not to Post. 
Well, it is a question that many people have. 
Some people like to post everything about their lives online. 
Of course, today there are many social networks you can post things about yourself all over the place. 
So what kinds of things do you like to post online? 
Maybe you don't like to post anything online, but maybe you do. 
Carolyn, do you post anything online? 
And if so, what? 
Well, there are a few things I like to post online. 
A lot of my friends have birthdays. 
And I like to wish them a happy birthday and post something so that they can see it and know that I'm thinking about them. 
Well, that is very sweet, of course. 
It's... it's good to show your friends that you care about them; and you can do that online. 
For me, I don't really post much. 
Sometimes I'll post a picture if I think it is interesting or if it means something to me. 
But otherwise, I don't post a whole lot online. 
So our lesson today is To Post or Not to Post. 
Let's enjoy a conversation between two friends. 
To Post or Not to Post. 
How much do you share online? 
Julie and Susan are eating lunch together at a cafe. 
Susan takes out her phone and starts taking pictures of her food. 
Wow, you sure are taking a lot of pictures. 
You must really like the presentation of the food. 
I do! 
The heart-shaped sandwich is really cute. 
I want to update my status so my friends can see it, too. 
Do you want me to take pictures of your food for you? 
No, that's OK. 
I don't usually post stuff like that online. 
If people really want to know what I have for lunch, they can ask me. 
Well, we are having a very interesting conversation with Julie and Susan, two girls who are sitting down for lunch. 
At the beginning we see Julie and Susan are eating lunch together at a cafe. 
Susan takes out her phone and starts taking pictures of her food. 
Oh. Well, this seems like pretty normal behavior. 
I see people doing this all the time, don't you, Gabe? 
Well, it's true, yeah. 
Whether you're at a cafe drinking coffee or eating something simple, or if you're at a nice fancy restaurant, 
a lot of people like to take out their smartphones or even just their regular cell phones and take pictures of their food. 
And then they put those pictures online. 
That's right. 
Well, we have a conversation with Julie and Susan. 
Uh, which one would you like to be, Gabe? 
Hmm, let's see, Julie and Susan... Ah, I'll be Julie. 
Can I be Julie? 
OK, you can be Julie. Go, go right ahead. 
OK. 
Wow, you sure are taking a lot of pictures. 
Oh, great. 
Well, you sure are taking a lot of pictures. 
There's a nice little phrase there: you sure are doing something. 
Let's look at that for a moment before we continue the conversation. 
If you sure are doing something, you are emphasizing what is going on. 
It is certainly happening. 
Uh, Gabe, how might you use this? 
Well, you could say: 
Wow, you're eating a lot. 
You sure are hungry. 
Or: Oh, my goodness, that sure is a big elephant. 
And in the conversation just now with Julie and Susan, there was a waiter. 
And he sure was a handsome waiter. 
So you can use this phrase "sure are" to say that something is true. 
It is definite. 
And it seems like there are a lot of pictures being taken since Julie says: You sure are taking a lot of pictures. 
Well, now we sure do need to go see Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud to learn a little something else. 
Hey, Steve, let me ask you this. 
What do you think of when you hear the word "bug"? 
I think of insects. 
OK. That's one meaning. 
Another meaning of bug is a person who has an interest or enthusiasm for something. 
Ah, yes. 
When tagged on at the end of certain words, a fun, new descriptive word is created. 
OK. Let's tag "bug" on to the end of the word "shutter," which is that mechanism that lets light into a camera. 
Perfect example. 
The new word is "shutterbug." And it describes an amateur photographer who has a lot of enthusiasm for taking pictures, just like Susan in today's lesson. 
OK. We all know what "litter" is, right? 
It's the trash and garbage that you see on the streets or in parks. 
Add the word "bug" to "litter," and you get "litterbug," which is a person who wouldn't think twice about throwing trash in public places. 
OK, one more. 
What happens when we place "bug" at the end of the word "cuddle," which means to hold close in an affectionate way for comfort or warmth? 
We get cuddlebug. 
We sometimes use "cuddlebug" to describe an enfant who delights in being hugged and held by mom and dad. 
And if your pet dog or cats display this kind of behavior, you can call them cuddlebugs, too. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, we were in the middle of Julie's line. 
And I will continue being Julie. 
Here I go. 
You must really like the presentation of the food. 
Oh. The word "presentation" is right there. 
It's a great word - the presentation of the food. 
And that is a word from our Word Bank. 
The presentation is the way something looks. 
So it's not that you are watching a presentation, you are watching something happening but the way that the food is presented on the plate. 
How else could you use this, Gabe? 
Well, sometimes maybe you... you give a speech. 
And for part of your speech, you give out a piece of paper to each of your classmates. 
And maybe you did something special to make that piece of paper look cool or interesting. 
That is the presentation of your piece of paper. 
The presentation looks interesting. 
But usually I do think of food when I use this word presentation because sometimes going to eat something is not just about the taste, 
but also about how the cook makes it look after they give you the food. 
That's right. 
Well, OK. I suppose I will be Susan. 
And continuing with Susan: 
I do! The heart-shaped sandwich is really cute. 
I want to update my status so my friends can see it, too. 
Wait a minute. Wait a minute. 
Before you continue your line there, Susan... Carolyn, I would like to update all of our friends here about some um, well, English words. 
One English word in this instance is the word "update." If you update something, 
that means you are making it new or up-to-date so that people can tell it happened recently. 
So here we see a Word Bank word. 
It is "status." You can update your status online. 
Carolyn, what's your status? 
Well, your status is what you are doing. 
So what you are doing, you want to update it so that people know what you're doing now instead of what you were doing five years ago. 
It could be a very different change in your current status. 
That's right. 
Now of course nowadays when you think of the word "status," you might think of Facebook or Twitter. 
And there's a little question that it might ask you. 
You have a space you can write your status in. 
It's what you are doing most recently or what you are thinking about. 
That is your status. 
And of course you can also post pictures in that status space. 
I also think of this word in another way. 
Maybe a marital status. 
If you are married, that's your status. 
Or maybe you're not married, you're single. 
That is also a kind of status. 
That's right. 
Well, OK. 
Continuing with Susan's line now. 
Do you want me to take pictures of your food for you? 
A great question. 
No, that's OK. 
I don't usually post stuff like that online. 
If people really want to know what I had for lunch, they can ask me. 
Oh. Well, so it seems like Julie and Susan are having a little bit of a disagreement. 
But now it is time for us to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.24.B

Our lesson today is called To Post or Not to Post. 
And so far we've been enjoying a conversation between Susan and Julie. 
They're both at a cafe, both enjoying coffee or a meal. 
And Susan gets a heart-shaped sandwich. 
And she starts taking a picture of her sandwich. 
She wants to post this picture online. 
Well, we already found out that Julie and Susan don't really agree about doing this. 
Susan thinks that's a great idea, but Julie doesn't just want to post just anything online. 
We're going to continue finding out more in the rest of their conversation for today. 
To Post or Not to Post. 
But posting your meals is a great way to start conversations with your friends. 
And it helps you find new places to eat as well. 
Maybe. 
But to me, that sort of information isn't worth my while. 
It's a waste of time for me to post about it. 
Not to mention that it wastes my friends' time when they scroll through their updates. 
It's not a big deal. 
If people don't want to see my posts, they can just skip it. 
What sort of things do you like to share online? 
Well, I don't post many updates. 
I like to check what my friends are doing. 
But me - I usually just post about major events or things that catch my interest. 
Well, it sounds like Julie and Susan have some different ideas about what they should and shouldn't post online. 
Well, OK. So let's go back to Susan's line, and I will continue being Susan, yes? Yes. OK, great. 
But posting your meals is a great way to start conversations with your friends. 
And it helps you find new places to eat as well. 
Interesting. 
Before we continue finding out what Julie says, let's talk about that phrase: to start a conversation. 
How do you start conversations? 
How do you begin a conversation with somebody? 
Well, maybe you might want to talk about photos. 
That could be a good conversation starter. 
Do you agree with this, Carolyn? 
Well, it could be a pretty good way to start a conversation with your friends online. 
If you post a picture, and then someone sees it, and they think: Wow! Where did you take that picture? 
That's so cool. 
I want to go there, too. 
Can you tell me more about it? 
It could be a very good way to start a conversation with someone. 
That's right. 
And I think that's what Susan is thinking here. 
It helps you find new places to eat as well. 
Maybe not just eating. 
But maybe if someone went somewhere interesting, and you see a photo of it, you might want to go there as well. 
Interesting. 
Very good, Susan. 
OK, Julie will continue. 
And that's me for now. 
Maybe. 
But to me, that sort of information isn't worth my while. 
Oh. It's not worth your while? 
Oh. So... what does that really mean? 
This is from our Word Bank today: worth your while, worth one's while. 
And that means that it's worth your time. 
You want to spend time doing something if it's worth your while. 
Can you think of anything that might be worthwhile, Gabe? 
Might be worthwhile... I like that. 
You kind of put those two words together into one word. 
If something is worthwhile, that means it's worth spending time doing. 
For example, maybe you're sick, and you don't want to go to the doctor. 
You hate going to the doctor. 
But your friend tells you it might be worth your while to visit the doctor. 
You might get better more quickly, and then you can continue on with life. 
It might be worth your while to do that. 
That's right. 
It's... it's also worth your while to learn something new. 
Maybe learning a new language. 
Maybe studying English is worth your while because it gives you a great new skill. 
But it does take time. 
So you'll have to spend time doing it. 
It is worth your while. 
Well, OK. 
Julie, sorry we have interrupted you again. 
Please continue. 
Right. We're finding out that something is not worth Julie's time. 
She continues: 
It's a waste of time for me to post about it. 
Not to mention that it wastes my friends' time when they scroll through their updates. 
Great. So your friends have to scroll through their updates. 
They have to look at them one by one. 
And usually when we see this word "scroll," I think of something on a computer or an electronic device. 
And you just kind of go down the page, and you look at the information. 
That's right. 
Usually I think of a computer or maybe even a tablet or your smartphone. 
You can scroll up or you can scroll down on the screen to find out what is at the top or what is at the bottom. 
So you can scroll through your friends' updates or your friends' statuses or whatever is on their Facebook page or what's online. 
You can scroll up or scroll down. 
All right. 
Well, Susan has the next line in response to Julie: 
It's not a big deal. 
If people don't want to see my post, they can just skip it. 
Wait a minute... Wait. Hold on a second. 
Hold on a second. 
"It's not a big deal." What does that mean? 
Well, if something is not a big deal, that means it's not important. 
Maybe it's not something that you should spend a lot of time thinking about. 
It's not good or it's not bad, it's just not a big deal at all. 
That's right. 
And they can just skip it. 
They can ignore that it is there. 
Well, OK. 
What sort of things do you like to share online? 
Well, that's a good question, Susan. 
And Julie says: 
Well, I don't post many updates. 
I like to check what my friends are doing. 
But me - I usually just post about major events or things that catch my interest. 
Oh. So it sounds like Julie doesn't post too many things. 
But she's interested in what her friends are doing, but only post things that catches her interest. 
So what does that phrase mean, Gabe, to catch your interest? 
Yeah, it's a great phrase. 
If something catches your interest, that means it interests you. 
You want to find out more about it. 
Maybe you just see something that you want to find out more about. 
It catches your interest. 
So it sounds like Julie likes to find out things about other people's lives through their photos, but she doesn't want to post too many of her own. 
Very interesting. 
Well, it is interesting. 
And now it's time for us to watch a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Wow, this restaurant is really nice. 
Yes, it is. 
Let me take some pictures. 
OK. I'm smiling. 
Well, I don't want a picture of you. 
I want a picture of the pizza. 
What for? 
I want to update my status online, and I want all my friends to see it. 
Why? 
Well, so they'll know about the pizza here. 
And maybe they'll want to start a conversation. 
I don't post things like that. 
Why not? 
It's a waste of my time and my friends' time. 
Who wants to scroll through all those updates? 
My friends do. 
And if they don't, it's not a big deal. 
They can just skip it. 
That sort of information isn't worth my while. 
So what kinds of things do you post online? 
Actually, I don't post many updates. 
I only post major events. 
Only major events? 
Sometimes I post things that catch my interest. 
Oh. OK. 
Of course, I do check to see what my friends are doing. 
Well, that's good. 
So what are your friends doing now? 
Hmm. Well, Jim is eating spaghetti. 
And Betty is eating a sandwich. 
And Mike is having noodles. 
How fun! 
And we are eating pizza. 
Yeah! 
(Chinese). 
And let's head back to our teachers now. 
We've been listening to a small debate between Julie and Susan at this cafe about what sort of things they should be posting online. 
And they seem to have very different opinions. 
So I wonder who do you agree with so far in this conversation. 
Gabe, are your more like Susan or Julie? 
I think I'm a bit more like Julie, actually. 
I don't post too many things on... online. 
Um, but I do find it interesting looking through my friends' photos and statuses to see what they're talking about or what they are posting. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, I'm also fairly similar to Julie, but it is interesting the arguments Susan is making. 
Well, we will continue this conversation tomorrow right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.05.25.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
Thank you for joining us for day two of our lesson To Post or Not to Post. 
What do you like to post online? 
Should you post things online? 
When should you post a picture, and when should you not post a picture or a status? 
To post or not to post? 
That is the question. 
We've been enjoying a conversation between Julie and Susan. 
Now Carolyn, can you tell us the difference between these two ladies? 
Well, Susan saw this wonderful presentation of this heart-shaped sandwich and wants to post it online. 
But Julie finds it a little bit odd that maybe posting things like that isn't worth her while and is a waste of time for people who have to scroll through those updates online. 
So they're having a little bit of a disagreement about what you should post and what you shouldn't post. 
So Julie only likes to post things that are important or interesting to her. 
And Susan seems to like to post things that might interest a lot of other people, not just herself. 
That's right. 
Well, we have more to learn from this conversation between Julie and Susan today. 
So let's get started. 
To Post or Not to Post. 
Oh, I do that, too. 
There are so many different social networks and blog sites available. 
It's easy to stay in touch with people you don't see very often. 
In some cases, maybe. 
But I don't really want people I don't talk to regularly to know what I'm doing or where I'm going. 
That's just creepy. 
Then you can be more particular about who you friend and who can see your updates. 
But I like keeping large numbers of people in the loop by posting a single message. 
I guess. 
But that doesn't mean I want everyone I'm friends with to see what I post. 
Besides, some people respond a little too quickly to my posts, and it makes me uncomfortable. 
(Music). 
All right. 
Well, to begin this lesson today, we need to go back to what Julie said in yesterday's lesson. 
She said: 
I usually just post about major events or things that catch my interest, things that are interesting to me. 
So Carolyn, what did Susan say here? 
Well, Susan responds: 
Oh, I do that, too. 
There are so many different social networks and blog sites available. 
It's easy to stay in touch with people you don't see very often. 
OK, great. Great. Excellent. 
But we do have some important things we want to talk about from Susan's line. 
What is social network? 
A social network, that's something that you can take part in online. 
Of course, a social network might be Facebook or Google Plus or Twitter, Weibo, Tumblr. 
There are lots of different social networks out there, ways to stay in touch and stay connected with other people. 
That's right. 
And we also see that there are blog sites. 
Uh, "sites" is just an abbreviation for website. 
So if there are lots of blog sites, it means that there are lots of websites out there where people are writing blogs or web blogs. 
They are just writing down their thoughts. 
It's like an online journal on this site. 
That's right. 
So anytime you see that word "site," you know it's talking about a website of some kind, something you need to go on the Internet to see or to do something with. 
So what kind of sites do you visit online? 
Or maybe you have a blog, and you have a certain website that you like to write your thoughts down in. 
Well, this is what Susan is saying: 
It's easy to stay in touch with people you don't see very often. 
Let's see what Julie says. 
In some cases, maybe. 
But I don't really want people I don't talk to regularly to know what I'm doing or where I'm going. 
That's just creepy. 
Oh, I see where Julie is coming from, what she's trying to say. 
And she says that she doesn't want people that she doesn't talk to regularly to know what she's doing. 
And if you don't talk to someone regularly, it means that you don't talk to them all the time. 
Maybe you talk to them once a year or twice a year, not someone that you are very close friends with. 
So maybe you don't want them knowing everything you're doing. 
That's right. 
Of course you have some close friends, and then there are those people that you know. 
And then there are some people that don't know you very well at all. 
Do you want them knowing everything about your life? 
Or would you agree with Julie, is it kind of creepy? 
Let's take a look at that word from the Word Bank. 
If something is creepy, I think of the word "scary." But I think it means something a little bit different. 
Creepy maybe makes you feel uncomfortable. 
Maybe it doesn't make you afraid, but it makes you uncomfortable thinking about. 
Right. So it makes you a little bit nervous and very uncomfortable like: Oh, that's kind of creepy. 
Or did you see that guy standing over there? 
He's kind of creepy. 
I don't know him. 
That's right. 
So it makes you feel very nervous or even afraid. 
So what is creepy to you? 
Think about that. 
Maybe you can use this word today. 
Well, Susan... How does Susan continue? 
Oh, well, yes. 
She says: Then you can be more particular about who you friend and who can see your updates. 
Interesting. 
Let me interrupt you for a moment. 
Let's talk about that Word Bank word: particular. 
If you are particular about something, that means you like things to be done a certain way. 
Not... not no rules; maybe you have some rules about how to do something. 
You are particular about it. 
How might you use that phrase, or that word? 
Well, I know some people are very particular about the things that they eat. 
They have very specific kinds of foods that they will and won't eat. 
So they are very particular when it comes to food. 
So you could be particular about food. 
Or maybe you're particular about who you tell your secrets to. 
I think it's important to be particular about some things in life. 
So what do you need to be more particular about in life? 
That's something you can think about. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Like all languages, English is constantly changing. 
New words are born. 
Old words die out. 
And existing words change form and meaning. 
That's right. 
Like the word "friend," for hundreds of years, it was a noun. 
Just eight years ago, it became a verb. 
Turning nouns into verbs is called verbing, which is funny because the word "verb" itself is a noun. 
Right. 
One reason verbing happens is because of new technology. 
With certain new inventions, we discover we need to describe an action that previously did not exist. 
For example, using a microwave oven. 
When the appliance came out in the 1950s, there was no quick and easy way to tell someone you were going to heat or cook something in one. 
Right. 
But people are practical. 
And it didn't take long before someone took microwave, the noun, and turned it into a verb. 
So now if you want a quick snack, you just throw something, like a bag of popcorn, into the microwave and "microwave" it. 
Right. 
Technology is a huge driving force behind verbing. 
Consider some of the other nouns we've recently turned into verbs, words like text, bookmark, access and, of course, Google. 
(Chinese). 
Well, that is very interesting the way you can verb things. 
And here in that sentence we saw that you can friend someone online. 
Well, Susan continues. 
But I like keeping large numbers of people in the loop by posting a single message. 
And Carolyn, I would like to keep everyone in the loop about this phrase because I think it's important to know. 
If you keep someone in the loop, that means you keep them updated. 
You give them information as it comes along. 
Maybe your friend is going to have a baby, and they want to keep you in the loop. 
They're going to tell you how the process is coming. 
Is the baby here yet or not? 
They want to keep you in the loop so you know what's going on. 
That's right. 
Well uh, Julie, you have the next line. 
Would you continue? 
Of course. 
I guess. 
But that doesn't mean I want everyone I'm friends with to see what I post. 
Besides, some people respond a little too quickly to my post, and it makes me uncomfortable. 
It's kind of creepy. 
Well, it could be a little bit creepy. 
And if people are responding very quickly, I can see how it might make you uncomfortable. 
Well, we don't want to be uncomfortable. 
We want to go join Michelle in the Language Lab to learn something more. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.25.B

Well, today we have been continuing our conversation in the lesson, To Post or Not to Post, with Julie and Susan. 
And they're still disagreeing on whether or not they should be posting certain things online. 
Julie thinks that some people respond too quickly to the things that she posts. 
And maybe it's a little bit creepy who can see all of her information. 
Well, they're going to continue their discussion here in the next part of the reading. 
Let's do that now. 
To Post or Not to Post. 
Oh, that just shows that your friends are interested in what you are doing or thinking. 
You shouldn't let that bother you. 
These sites are great for sharing so many things. 
I guess so, but sometimes people share too much information. 
They post pictures that are inappropriate or uninteresting, or they share things that are unimportant. 
Well, that's one opinion. 
Maybe what you think is unimportant is actually really interesting to someone else. 
Maybe. 
But I think I'll stick to just posting what I think is important. 
(Music). 
Oh, Julie and Susan. 
Well, friends, before the break, Julie was saying something. 
She says: Some people respond a little too quickly to my posts, and that makes me uncomfortable. 
But Susan feels differently about this. 
Carolyn, what does Susan say? 
She does feel differently. 
Oh, that just shows that your friends are interested in what you are doing or thinking. 
You shouldn't let that bother you. 
Excellent! I love what Susan says here. 
She has a very positive way of thinking about these things. 
She says that just shows that your friends are interested in this. 
So if it just shows something, that means that someone did something, and really it just has one message. 
It just shows one thing. 
It shows they are interested. 
Don't think too much about it. 
It just shows they are interested. 
But I want to take a look at another phrase here. 
You shouldn't let that bother you - to not let something bother you. 
When would you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times I think about maybe if you make a mistake, 
and you're very worried about what's going to happen because you made a mistake and you feel nervous. 
Well, don't let it bother you. 
It was just a little thing. 
It's not a big deal. 
It's true. 
That's right. 
You don't want to let your mistakes bother you too much. 
But sometimes other things in life might bother you. 
Maybe someone said something bad about your hair or the way you dress or what you did. 
Are you going to think about it a lot? 
Or maybe you shouldn't let it bother you. 
Maybe you're on Facebook a lot, and you love writing really cool statuses. 
But not very many people like your status. 
Does that bother you? 
Well, maybe it shouldn't bother you too much. 
Yes. Don't let it bother you. 
Well, I won't let this bother me. 
I will continue reading Susan's line. 
These sites are great for sharing so many things. 
I guess so, but sometimes people share too much information. 
They post pictures that are inappropriate or uninteresting, or they share things that are unimportant. 
Oh. Well, you have a great list of things there, Julie. 
And they post pictures that are inappropriate or uninteresting. 
So it sounds like maybe there's something wrong with the pictures that are being posted online when we see that word "inappropriate" - also from our Word Bank. 
What does it mean if something is inappropriate, Gabe? 
I think this is an important word because if you're doing something that's inappropriate, that means that other people won't accept what you are doing. 
It's not right. 
So if you take pictures that some people may be offended by, well, those are inappropriate pictures. 
You shouldn't post those pictures online. 
How else might you use that word? 
Maybe you're going to a special event. 
It's a fancy dinner. 
Everyone is dressed a certain way, very nice. 
But you're just wearing ripped jeans and a T-shirt. 
Well, you're dressed inappropriately for the dinner. 
It's inappropriate. 
That's right. 
We also need to be careful what we say online, and make sure that we don't post anything inappropriate that might hurt someone's feelings. 
Well, Julie had a very long list - inappropriate, uninteresting or things that are unimportant. 
And so you see this I-N, U-N, U-N, those all mean "not." So not appropriate, not interesting or not important. 
Well, oh, Susan has the next line. 
So I will continue. 
Well, that's one opinion. 
Maybe what you think is unimportant is actually really interesting to someone else. 
Interesting. 
That's what Susan thinks. 
And I think it's true. 
I think she's right. 
Maybe you think something is just kind of dumb information. 
It's not worth knowing about. 
It's not worth your while finding out about. 
But maybe someone else thinks it's wonderful. 
It makes me think of the idiom: One man's junk is another man's treasure. 
If you heard that before, it's true in life. 
What's not important to you might be really important to me. 
Well, Julie, I think you have one more line there. 
Yes, of course. 
I almost forgot. 
Maybe, but I think I'll stick to just posting what I think is important. 
Oh, you'll stick to posting what you think is important. 
So you'll continue doing this. 
And actually that's a very interesting way to phrase it. 
I think Liz wants to talk to us about that in the Grammar Gym. 
How you doing today, friends? 
My name is Liz, and thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
In our article today we see this sentence: 
But I think I'll stick to just posting what I think is important. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: stick to. 
Normally we use "stick to" to talk about how things are connected together on the surface, like: 
When gum sticks to the bottom of your shoe, it's not easy to get it off. 
But in today's sentence, there are no objects with surfaces that are connecting to one another. 
Instead, "stick to" is an informal way to say "to focus on one activity and not on other activities." For example, parents might tell their kids: 
Just stick to your homework; don't waste time on other things. 
Or: It's not healthy to stick to your computer all day and not to other things. 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine, you'll find more example sentences there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, Julie and Susan, I think, are just disagreeing about what's important to post and what is unimportant to post online. 
Well, we do have a lot more to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Let's go there now. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what the other teachers are up to. 
Well, I've enjoyed our conversation today between Julie and Susan. 
Of course, there are some pros to social networking and some cons to social networking; some great things and some not-so-good things. 
Well, what do you think about this? 
What's great about social networking, and what's something that maybe you should be careful about? 
Carolyn, what comes to your mind? 
Well, I really like being able to use social networking sites because it allows me to stay in touch with my family. 
And since I live so far away, it's really nice. 
But I also do try to be careful that not everything I post is seen by everyone I know. 
Well, Carolyn, I agree with you, and I had to learn that the hard way. 
It's important to limit the number of people that can see everything that you are posting or writing about the kinds of things you are sharing. 
Well, I'm glad you could join us today for this lesson. 
And of course we have more to learn here at Studio Classroom next time. 
So we'll see you then. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.05.27.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us today. 
I hope you find this article interesting today. 
Our lesson is called The History of Women's Trousers. 
Well, we do talk about many things here at Studio Classroom. 
And now we will be talking about the history of women's trousers, or pants. 
Well, this just makes me wonder if you are a woman, if you're a woman, do you wear pants more often or... or skirts or something else. 
Carolyn, do you prefer pants over skirts? 
Or what do you think? 
Well, most of the time I do wear pants. 
I don't know if you've noticed, Gabe, but when I come to work, I usually have on a pair of pants. 
But there are times like when I go to church that I prefer to wear a skirt or a dress because I want to look especially nice. 
All right. So I guess it depends on the occasion. 
Well, how do you feel about this? 
And maybe you could talk about this a little bit or think about it as we get started with our lesson today - The History of Women's Trousers. 
Open up your magazine and let's begin. 
The History of Women's Trousers. 
Women and pants have had an interesting history. 
On May 28, 1923, the top lawyer in the U.S. said women could wear slacks. 
Up until that time it was not acceptable for American women to wear pants. 
Even with this change, however, people still considered women in trousers a shocking idea. 
Today, though, times have changed, and pants are a staple in most women's closets. 
What are some factors that made this item of clothing acceptable? 
That is a very interesting question. 
Well, let's go back to the very beginning here. 
Women and pants have had an interesting history. 
And we are learning a little bit about this. 
So what's our first sentence here, Carolyn? 
Well, we see on May 28, 1923, the top lawyer in the U.S. said women could wear slacks. 
All right. 
Women could now wear slacks. 
Of course nowadays you see lots of women wearing pants, slacks or trousers. 
But in 1923, this was something new. 
All right. 
Well, what does that word "slacks" mean, Carolyn? 
Well, slacks are just another word for pants. 
And usually when I think of slacks, they're very relaxed kind of pants, very comfortable and usually look very nice. 
All right. 
So these are three different words so far that we can use to talk about something you wear over your legs: trousers, pants and slacks. 
Well, we continue. 
Up until that time it was not acceptable for American women to wear pants. 
So up until 1923, it wasn't acceptable. 
Well, what does that word mean? 
It's from our Word Bank. 
Carolyn, can you tell us about that word? 
Well, if something is acceptable, then it is OK. 
Lots of people agree that this is something that you should or can do. 
But we see that it was not acceptable for women to wear pants or trousers until 1923. 
So most people didn't agree with this idea. 
What other ways can you use this word "acceptable," Gabe? 
Well, I remember hearing this phrase from my teacher when I was in school: 
Gabe, I don't like the way you're talking to me. 
Your tone of voice is not acceptable. 
My teacher didn't like the way that I was speaking. 
She also sometimes said it's unacceptable to do something. 
When you add the word "U-N," that means not acceptable, unacceptable. 
Well, it is now acceptable for women to wear pants. 
But we see that even with this change, however, people still considered women in trousers a shocking idea. 
All right. 
So even though there is this change, even though the top lawyer said it's OK, people still thought it was a shocking idea. 
It was surprising. 
People didn't expect it, really. 
Let's learn a little bit more about this sentence with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we read: 
Even with the new law, however, people still considered women in trousers a shocking idea. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the sentence pattern. 
Sometimes people just won't change their minds about something. 
No matter what the situation may be, some people still hold on to their opinions. 
If you ever want to talk about such people and their unchanging views about something, then consider using this sentence pattern: 
Even with [a certain situation], however, people still consider [something 1] a [something 2]. 
For example: 
Even with his experience, however, people still considered the politician an unlikely candidate for the next election. 
Or: Even with all that Cinderella has done for her family, her step-mother still considers her a lazy worker. 
Be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thanks, Liz. 
Well, in that last sentence we read that people still considered women in trousers a shocking idea. 
Now a shocking idea is something that's very surprising. 
How else could you use this, Gabe? 
Oh, shocking idea. 
Well, women in trousers is not the first thing in history and not the last to shock society. 
Some things are considered shocking today. 
Some people want to have rights, and they fight for these rights. 
And maybe they get their rights, but it's a shocking idea to society. 
That's right. 
So there are many things that are shocking. 
And here in the early 1900s, it was very shocking that women would be able to wear pants instead of a skirt or a long dress. 
But continuing in the article: 
Today, though, times have changed, and pants are a staple in most women's closets. 
Interesting. 
I thought a staple was what you use to put some pieces of paper together. 
Carolyn, what's this word here? 
Well, this is a special word, this word "staple." And it just means something that is very basic and common, and you probably have this as part of your life. 
So a staple in your closet is something that you wear pretty much every day. 
But you can have staples in other areas of your life as well. 
That's right. 
Usually I think of food when I think of the word "staple." So what it is a staple in your... in your kitchen? 
Maybe some people eat a lot of rice every day. 
That's a staple. 
You need it. 
When you think about food, you think about that kind of food. 
So that is a staple. 
In some countries, when I went to Romania, potatoes were a staple. 
Everyone always ate potatoes. 
It was very common. 
Well, so we have these staples. 
Pants are a staple in my closet for sure. 
Well, what are some factors that made this item of clothing acceptable? 
What are some reasons that women are now able to have pants in their closets? 
That's a good question. 
And we're also going to take a look at this word. 
It is "factor." It's from our Word Bank. 
A factor in something is a reason or some way that contributes to the way things are now. 
So a factor... maybe you need to make a decision about something, you need to think about the factors before you can make that decision. 
That's right. 
And here it could be something that happened. 
And one of the factors, I'm sure, that made clothing acceptable... 
or this piece of clothing acceptable was that the top lawyer in the U.S. said that women are allowed to wear slacks. 
It's OK. 
And if he's the top lawyer, then he has a lot of power in saying what is and isn't OK. 
That's right. 
Leadership usually does play a part. 
It is a factor. 
You could also use this word as a verb. 
This factors in to this decision. 
When you factor something in, that means you take it into consideration. 
Well, it's time for us to join Michelle in the Language Lab right now. 
And we're going to learn more about women and their history with trousers. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.27.B

If you're just joining us, we've been talking today about The History of Women's Trousers. 
So why are women able to wear pants today? 
It wasn't always the case. 
But in 1923, a top lawyer in the U.S. said that it would be acceptable for women to wear slacks. 
And now they've become a staple in most women's closets. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn about The History of Women's Trousers in the next reading of the day. 
Let's do that now. 
The History of Women's Trousers. 
Women's rights. 
In New York City around 1850, some ladies became involved in women's rights and dress reform. 
Many of them wore full-cut pants known as "bloomers" under their skirts. 
The unique-looking pants were named for Amelia Bloomer, their strongest defender. 
However, they were heavily criticized by most people. 
While some women wanted to be free of their heavy skirts, they didn't like the unpopular bloomers. 
Yet these early pants were a glimpse of the future as women continued pushing for equal rights. 
All right. 
We're learning all about the bloomers here. 
We begin with "Women's rights." We're talking about women's rights in this next section. 
In New York City around 1850, some ladies became involved in women's rights and dress reform. 
All right. 
So it takes... usually it takes a group of people to come and try to push for something, to try to fight for something like women's rights. 
And this particular thing that we're fighting for is a certain kind of dress reform. 
That word's from our Word Bank - reform. 
Carolyn, can you tell us about that word? 
Well, if you reform something or have a dress reform, then you are trying to change the way things are done. 
A lot of times when I hear this word, I think of maybe you want to change the rules or change the way something is set up. 
You want to reform the way things are done. 
That's right. 
So Carolyn used this word as a verb. 
I usually use it as a verb as well, to reform something. 
But here we're talking about dress reform, the noun. 
So you can use it as a noun. 
What kinds of things need to be changed? 
Well, you can talk about that, and then put the word "reform" after it. 
So we continue learning about this. 
People are fighting for dress reform. 
Many of them wore full-cut pants known as "bloomers" under... well, under their skirts. 
And so they wore these "bloomers." We're going to be learning a little bit about this. 
Why are they called "bloomers," Carolyn? 
Well, they were named after someone actually. 
The unique-looking pants were named for Amelia Bloomer, their strongest defender. 
And I don't know if you've ever seen bloomers or not, but they're kind of interesting-looking pants that are very large and poofy. 
Yeah. 
And you wear them under a skirt. 
So you can't just wear bloomers; you have to wear a skirt over them. 
I don't know how you feel about bloomers, I don't think they're very stylish. 
Carolyn, what do you think about bloomers? 
Do people still wear bloomers? 
Well, I don't think that people really need to wear bloomers anymore because now it's acceptable for women to wear pants. 
Right. 
Well, we found out here that Amelia Bloomer was the strongest defender for this idea. 
And if you're a defender for something, that means you are fighting for it. 
Maybe people are attacking you, attacking your cause, but you want to defend it. 
All right. 
How do we continue this lesson? 
Well, we see that however, they were heavily criticized by most people. 
So it sounds like a lot of people didn't think that wearing bloomers was a good idea. 
And we see this word here from the Word Bank, the word "criticized," to criticize something. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
When you criticize something, you say something about it. 
You usually kind of have this attitude of that thing is wrong. 
Maybe you say some negative things about it. 
Maybe you don't say very many positive things. 
Do you ever feel criticized, or do people ever criticize you? 
What can you say about this word, Carolyn? 
Well, it... it does mean that you think that something is wrong or maybe it's not quite as good as it should be. 
Maybe you need some good criticism. 
When you are writing, if you want some help: Please criticize what I wrote so that I will know how to do better next time. 
All right. 
Carolyn used a good word: criticism, C-R-I-T-I-C-I-S-M, is the noun form. 
When you receive criticism for something; and she's talking about constructive criticism. 
It's not good to criticize people in a bad way; but constructive criticism is a good thing. 
I hope that you want and accept constructive criticism in your life. 
That's right. Well, continuing on. 
While some women wanted to be free of their heavy skirts, they didn't like the unpopular bloomers. 
OK. Maybe bloomers were unpopular because they were not stylish, or because people just weren't used to them. 
But let's take a look at this phrase here, the phrase "free of." We wanted to be free of something. 
If you're free of something, that means you don't have to think about it anymore. 
Maybe you're free from that thing. 
Or it means that you don't have it anymore, so. 
Maybe once you graduate from school, you will be free of homework. 
Oh, yeah. That's a great feeling. 
Or maybe you've been wearing a suit all day long, and it's very hot, and you're wearing your tie. 
At the very end of the day, you can take your tie off and say: Ah! I'm so glad to be free of that tie. 
Well, let's continue with our lesson. 
The sentence here is: Yet these early pants were a glimpse of the future as women continued pushing for equal rights. 
Carolyn, can you tell us about that phrase "to push for something"? 
Well, if you punish for something, then you want to get that thing approved. 
You want it to become acceptable. 
So here they are pushing for equal rights. 
But you can push for a lot of different things. 
Maybe you really want a car, but your parents don't agree with you. 
But you can push to have a new car. 
All right. 
Maybe you're fighting for this thing that you really want. 
Well, earlier this month we talked about International Workers' Day. 
And people were fighting for or pushing for a shorter workday, so now we have eight hours in our workday. 
So you can use that phrase "to push for" in many ways. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll join Michelle. 
Since our lesson today is about pants, let's talk about pants today. 
Great idea. 
OK. First of all, unlike the word "shirt," the word "pants" is plural. 
Now you may wonder why. 
This is one piece of clothing, why is it plural? 
Well, there's a bit of history behind the answer. 
Now in the old days, pants came in two parts, one part for each leg. 
The pieces were put on each leg separately, and then wrapped and tied at the waist. 
Later, when pants were made as a one-piece garment, the plural usage persisted. 
So that's how pants got to be plural. 
And since a pair of pants has two legs, you could refer to the legs as pant legs. 
For example, he rolled up his right pant leg. 
Of course there are long pants and short pants. 
But most people nowadays just say "pants" to refer to the long version, and "shorts" to refer to short pants. 
And that's why "pants" and "shorts," even though they're each one item, are plural nouns. 
(Chinese). 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our teachers. 
We've been having fun learning about the history of women's trousers today, and of course some women's rights as well. 
People now have the right... or women now have the right to wear pants, thanks to Amelia Bloomer and others like her. 
Well, it makes me wonder what other women's rights have people had to push for throughout history. 
Carolyn, can you think of any others? 
Well, there have been quite a few. 
Women were not always considered to be equal with men. 
And even in the United States, there are still things that women fight for. 
But some of the things that I am very thankful for are being able to vote and being able to apply for the same jobs that men have. 
All right. 
So those are some of the things that women's... women have had to fight for and push for. 
And I'm glad that they have. 
Right now it's time for us to say goodbye. 
But we have more to learn about The History of Women's Trousers next time. 
See you then. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.05.28.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for the second day of our lesson The History of Women's Trousers. 
Yes, they have had a long history. 
People have had to fight for the right to wear trousers or pants or slacks, or whatever you want to call them. 
But this just makes me wonder what are some of the differences between women's fashions and men's fashions. 
Of course men have worn pants or trousers for a long time. 
But today there are still some differences between women's and men's fashion. 
What are some, Carolyn? 
Well, one I can think of that's very obvious - you are wearing a tie today, and I am not wearing a tie. 
But I am wearing high heels, and you are not. 
Well, yes, that is one big difference. 
I think another difference I can think of is maybe what you put in your hair. 
Women put certain things in the air sometimes that I don't really see a lot of men put in their hair. 
Of course, today lots of men and women wear things that are very similar. 
So sometimes fashions do cross. 
All right. 
Now it's time for us to get started with the first part of our reading for today - The History of Women's Trousers. 
The History of Women's Trousers. 
Practical matters. 
When men went off to fight in World War I, women's roles changed. 
They were forced to take jobs that were traditionally performed by men. 
As women began working in factories and fields, they discovered that skirts weren't practical. 
So they wore trousers on the job. 
Women once again performed traditional male jobs during World War II. 
Often they would borrow pants and overalls from their husbands, fathers and brothers. 
But trousers still weren't acceptable outside of work. 
Well, here are some very interesting factors as to how women were able to wear pants. 
At the beginning of this section we see Practical matters. 
If something is practical... well, that's a word from our Word Bank. 
And practical just means something that makes sense. 
It's useful or something that you can use very easily, and it's helpful. 
How might you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, I often think about practical advice. 
Someone might give you advice that you can use in your life. 
It's very practical. 
They tell you what you should do. 
That's practical advice. 
Sometimes other people give you advice, and you think about it. 
Maybe it's kind of confusing, you're not sure what to do. 
It's not practical advice. 
And here's some practical advice for you since you are learning English: Maybe you want to pick up an English novel. 
That would be a practical way to improve your English. 
Well, we are talking about practical matters here and how that affected whether women could wear pants or not. 
We see here at the beginning: 
When men went off to fight in World War I, women's roles changed. 
So something happened during World War I as the men all left to fight. 
That's right. 
They went off to fight. 
Often you hear about soldiers going off to war. 
Usually you see that word "off" like this. 
They went off to war. 
So they went off to fight in World War I, and then women's roles changed. 
Carolyn, what is a role? 
Well, a role is what you do or the part you play. 
Many times when I hear the word "role," I think of acting and what part you play in a movie or in a drama. 
But here it's talking about your role in life. 
Maybe your role at home is a mother or father. 
So women's roles changed, maybe women had to learn how to do different things. 
Well, we continue. 
They were forced to take jobs that were traditionally performed by men. 
Again we see "acting" here, or what you do with this word "perform." Things that were performed or done by men, and now women are beginning to do these things. 
That's right. 
And as women began working in factories and fields, they discovered that skirts weren't practical. 
So before when women were mostly at home, wearing a skirt was not a problem. 
But if you are trying to do your husband's job or your brother or your son's job and working in a factory or out in a field, it would be very difficult to do this in a skirt. 
That's right. 
Maybe skirts would get in the way. 
They wouldn't allow you to do as much or do what you're supposed to do. 
So they wore trousers on the job. 
Well, I like that phrase "on the job." What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if something is on the job, then it's what you do while you are working. 
So they are wearing these pants while they work, but maybe not while they're at home, just when they're working. 
That's right. 
Well, sometimes I see this phrase "on the job" used in another way. 
Someone might be sleeping on the job. 
They're supposed to be working, but they're sleeping on the job, or they're checking the Internet for things that are not work-related on the job. 
So if you're at work, make sure you're really on the job, doing what you need to do. 
Well, how does the lesson continue? 
Well, women once again performed traditional male jobs during World War II. 
So it sounds like when the men would have to go off to fight, the women would have to replace them in the workforce and take over their jobs. 
All right. 
So these kind of all revolve around the wars. 
The two major world wars have changed women's roles a little bit. 
Very interesting. 
Well, often they would borrow pants and overalls from their husbands, fathers and brothers. 
So they didn't have their own, they would have to borrow these things from their family members. 
That's right, because well, they didn't really wear pants outside of the house. 
They didn't have to because they didn't have these types of jobs. 
But here we see that they borrowed overalls from their husbands, fathers or brothers. 
And overalls are pants that come all the way up over your entire body. 
They cover everything. 
That's right. 
There's a way that you can connect them up at the top over your shirt; those are overalls. 
Have you ever worn overalls? 
Or maybe you own a pair of overalls. 
"But trousers still weren't acceptable outside of work," we see. 
Oh. So even though they were able to wear these clothes during the war and when they were working, 
they still weren't really supposed to wear them when they weren't on the job. 
That's right. 
"Outside of work," we see this phrase here. 
Now usually I think of outside as being as opposed to inside of a building, for instance. 
But here we're talking about outside of work. 
Can you explain this a little bit, Carolyn? 
Well, if you're outside of the work, then it means that you aren't working. 
And sometimes our work is outside, but that's not what it's talking about. 
If you're working in a field, then you're working. 
But once you go home, that is outside of work. 
All right, so. 
What can you wear when you're on the job, while you are working? 
And what can you wear when you're outside of work? 
They might be two different things. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.28.B

We've been learning about The History of Women's Trousers in this lesson. 
We already talked about the fight for women's rights or pushing for women's rights to wear pants or trousers. 
And today we've also talked about some practical matters. 
During both of the major world wars, when the men went off to fight in the wars, women had to do what the men were supposed to do at their work. 
And so it became practical to wear pants. 
Well, we're going to continue learning about this in the next part of our reading for today. 
The History of Women's Trousers. 
Fashionable influences. 
Hollywood began to change that concept, though. 
When stars Katharine Hepburn and Grace Kelly appeared wearing pants, many fashionable ladies copied the look. 
However, most women during the 1940s and 50s still preferred to wear dresses and skirts. 
Teen choice. 
In the 1950s teenage girls chose rolled-up blue jeans for casual wear. 
In the 60s, they chose bell-bottom jeans, and in the 70s, designer jeans. 
In the 21st century, women feel free to wear different types of pants on most occasions. 
From bloomers to business suits, women and their trousers have come a long way. 
Well, women and their trousers have come a very long way from just bloomers to what we wear now. 
But we can see some of the reasons that they have changed. 
In this next section we see it is called Fashionable influences. 
And "fashionable" is a word from our Word Bank. 
If something is fashionable, then it looks good, and it is also very popular. 
People like to wear it or they like to use it. 
How might you use this "fashionable" word, Gabe? 
Well, fashionable, maybe I think about clothes. 
The clothes that people are wearing could be fashionable. 
They're in; they're stylish. 
Or maybe someone's haircut is very fashionable. 
You can compliment your friend who has a fashionable haircut. 
Well, you could also think of the word "stylish" when you think of the word "fashionable." So what is fashionable? 
We're talking about fashionable influences right here. 
That's right. 
So there are some fashionable influences or some influences from fashion. 
To start this we see: Hollywood began to change that concept, though. 
And it's talking about the concept that trousers were not acceptable outside of work. 
Hollywood changed that idea. 
Well, Carolyn, I think Hollywood has a big role in today's world as well. 
It changes the ideas or the concepts of a lot of things in life. 
And so I can see or understand how Hollywood would change the concept of what women could or couldn't wear. 
That's right. 
So we'll talk about this influence. 
When stars Katharine Hepburn and Grace Kelly appeared wearing pants, many fashionable ladies copied the look. 
So here we have two very famous women in Hollywood who began to wear pants. 
And it sounds like many other women in the U.S. wanted to be like them. 
And if you're not sure who these women are, Katharine Hepburn and Grace Kelly, there's a picture of them on page 48 in your magazine. 
Carolyn, they were incredible actresses. 
And I really wish sometimes that I was alive back then when they were making movies and influencing society. 
They did have a very big influence on society. 
And they even had an influence on women's rights and our right to wear pants. 
Well, right now we have a little more information to learn with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud on that word "look". 
Hi, friends. Let's take a look at a very simple word today - look. 
Now I don't mean the verb look but the noun look. 
So Steve, do you know what the preferred look for this summer is? 
Ha, Ken, that's a great example of how to use "look" as a noun when it refers to a distinctive manner of dress or fashion. 
A singer might change her outfit several times in a concert, and each outfit would be a different look. 
And no, Ken, I have no idea what the preferred look for this summer is. 
Not important. 
Now if we use... "looks," plural, it has a different meaning. 
It just means the appearance of something. 
You might like the looks of a place when you first see it. 
But looks can be deceiving. 
Good point. 
So don't be fooled by the looks of something. 
Now a person may also have good looks. 
And "looks" here refers to his or her physical appearance, especially when it's pleasing. 
Right. 
We can't say somebody has bad looks - only good looks. 
And good looks generally refers to one's facial appearance, like a movie star has good looks. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Looking good, as always. 
Let's continue with our lesson. 
However, most women during the 1940s and 50s still preferred to wear dresses and skirts. 
And so many people started wearing pants because of influences like Katharine Hepburn and Grace Kelly, but many women still preferred to wear skirts. 
Well, it was something they were used to wearing. 
But we see in the next section titled Teen choice. 
So what teens decided to do. 
In the 1950s teenage girls chose rolled-up blue jeans for casual wear. 
All right. 
Well, that's actually still something you might see today in some places, rolled-up blue jeans. 
Well, if you're wearing jeans, you can roll the bottom of them up a little bit. 
That was kind of fashionable. 
But let's talk about this Word Bank word here - it is "casual." If something is casual, it's not formal. 
You don't wear it when you're going to something fancy. 
You can just wear it out anywhere. 
That's right. 
So it's something that you wear every day. 
And you usually feel very relaxed when you wear it. 
It's casual. 
And the girls here in the 1950s decided that they wanted to wear rolled-up blue jeans for their everyday life, for their casual wear. 
That's right. 
Well, I can use this word in another way as well. 
You might talk about a casual conversation you had. 
You weren't giving a formal speech in front of an audience. 
You were just talking with a friend. 
It was a casual conversation. 
And I think in most friendships, you just have casual conversations. 
That's right. 
So you can use this word in several different ways. 
Continuing. 
In 1960s, or in the 60s, they chose bell-bottom jeans, and in the 70s, designer jeans. 
So they had different kinds of jeans that they preferred in each of these times. 
All right. 
So it seems like jeans are catching on, they're becoming more and more popular. 
We see different types of jeans here: bell-bottom jeans, designer jeans. 
Um, Carolyn, have you ever woren bell-bottom jeans? 
Well, I've worn bell-bottom jeans, but I think they were a little bit different. 
They were just a small bell at the bottom. 
But I think in the 1960s, they were very large bell-bottom jeans. 
All right. 
Well, they were certainly fashionable once upon a time in the past. 
But of course styles are changing gradually; we had designer jeans. 
And we continue. 
In the 21st century, women feel free to wear different types of pants on most occasions. 
Let's talk about that Word Bank word "occasion." What is an occasion, Carolyn? 
Well, an occasion is a special day or a special event, so. 
Here they have been wearing jeans on most occasions, so it's not special. 
It's all the time, most occasions. 
But maybe there's a special occasion that you want to wear a dress or a skirt, or you want to look very nice. 
Or maybe you see your friend wearing something extra special, you can ask this question: 
What's the occasion? 
Are you going on a date today? 
Well, we continue. 
From bloomers to business suits, women and their trousers have come a long way. 
Let's talk about that phrase: to come a long way. 
This means that gradually or over time, things have developed to where they are now. 
That's right. 
And women's trousers have come a long way from a time when women could not wear pants at all to being able to wear them all the time, every day for any occasion. 
Well, I also think of movies when I think of this phrase. 
Movies have come a long way. 
They used to be silent, and then black-and-white but speaking. 
And now there's so much technology involved in movies that are really cool. 
They have come a long way. 
Right now it's time for us to go enjoy a review skit, and then join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
I'm wearing a skirt. 
And I'm wearing trousers. 
Both are acceptable. 
Yes. But it wasn't always that way. 
No. In the past, women wearing trousers was a shocking idea. 
Simply shocking. 
But now pants are a staple in most women's closet. 
So what made trousers acceptable? 
There are many factors. 
For one thing, pants were practical. 
When men went off to fight in World War I, women began working in factories and fields. 
Skirts weren't practical at all. 
So women wore trousers on the job. 
The same thing happened in World War II. 
Women borrowed pants and overalls from the men in the family. 
But pants still weren't acceptable outside of work. 
Then the fashionable influence of Hollywood came along. 
Ladies in film appeared wearing pants, and other fashionable women copied the look. 
Yes. 
However, women in the 40s and 50s still preferred dresses and skirts. 
But teenage girls in the 50s chose blue jeans for casual wear. 
And in the 60s, bell-bottom jeans. 
And in the 70s, desinger jeans. 
And on and on... and now women feel free to wear pants on almost any occasion. 
Yes. Trousers have come a long way. 
And I'm glad; slacks are practical and comfortable. 
But so are skirts. 
Both are acceptable. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our teachers are doing. 
You've certainly come a long way studying Egnlish here with us at Studio Classroom. 
And we do want to thank you for joining us here today learning about the history of women's trousers. 
Of course there's always a lot to learn here at Studio Classroom, so we will see you next time. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.05.29.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for today's lesson. 
Open your magazine, and we're talking about Coffee Houses. 
Well, I know a lot of people love to drink coffee. 
Some people like to drink it first thing in the morning. 
Is that what you do? 
Well, or how do you wake up in the morning? 
Do you need something special to wake you up in the morning? 
How do you usually wake up in the morning, Carolyn? 
Well, usually I just get up when my alarm goes off. 
And after I brush my teeth and wash my face, I'm pretty awake, and I don't really need coffee. 
But there's actually a rooster that lives very close to my apartment, and he's quite noisy. 
So occasionally he will wake me up as well. 
Interesting. 
Yes, animals like roosters can wake us up in the morning. 
For me, sometimes I have almonds. 
Those do a pretty good job of waking me up; or an apple, that can wake me up as well. 
But of course, we're going to be talking all about coffee in our lesson here. 
And I know that lots of people love to drink coffee first thing in the morning. 
It's great, and it can really wake them up. 
Let's get started with the first reading of today's lesson Coffee Houses. 
(Music). 
Coffee Houses. 
Coffee houses then and now. 
Ah, the rich smell of fresh coffee! 
People who love the aromatic beverage flock to coffee houses to enjoy it. 
A coffee house may be as simple as a cozy room with big soft chairs, Wi-Fi and dozens of coffee drinks. 
Or it may be a place where baristas are coffee chefs and the roasting of beans a serious business. 
However one looks at it, coffee houses have drawn people for centuries like honey draws flies. 
(Music). 
It's true, so many people do love coffee. 
Well, at the very beginning, right under our title we see a phrase: Coffee houses then and now. 
So we're talking about coffee houses in the past and, of course, now in the present. 
And our first line says what, Carolyn? 
It says: Ah, the rich smell of fresh coffee! 
Oh, coffee. 
Fresh coffee does have a very rich smell. 
And this is a very good word to use to describe something, the word "rich." Usually when I think of this word, I think of having a lot of money. 
But what does it mean here, Gabe? 
That's right. 
When you're talking about a rich smell, that means it's a smell that really feels like there's a lot to it. 
There's a lot you can take from it, a lot to enjoy. 
And coffee does have a rich smell. 
What other things have a rich smell? 
Well, some flowers have rich smells. 
Maybe there's a field of flowers, and you can really smell that rich smell of flowers. 
But you can talk about other things that are kind of rich, too, right? 
How else might you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, a sound can also be very rich if it's a very full sound. 
Maybe you are listening to a symphony being performed by an orchestra. 
And you hear this wonderful sound, and it's very rich and full. 
There's a lot to it than just a single noise. 
That's right. 
Or of course maybe if you have some nice chocolate, that could be a rich taste in your mouth. 
Well, we're talking about the rich smell of fresh coffee. 
People who love the aromatic beverage flock to coffee houses to enjoy it. 
It's true. They flock like... like a large group of animals they go to these coffee houses to enjoy coffee. 
Let's talk about a Word Bank word there. 
It's the word "aromatic." What does this mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if something is aromatic, then it probably has a very strong smell but also a very good smell. 
It's something that you enjoy smelling. 
And here we see that coffee is aromatic. 
What else could be aromatic, Gabe? 
Well, I think some perfumes are definitely aromatic. 
Perfumes or colognes, things that give a good smell can be described as aromatic. 
You might see the word "aroma" in that word, A-R-O-M-A. 
And that means a smell, usually a good smell. 
Now we're talking about an aromatic beverage. 
And of course, a beverage is what, Carolyn? 
Well, a beverage is something that you drink. 
So there is a very strong smell coming from this delicious drink. 
And continuing: A coffee house may be as simple as a cozy room with big soft chairs, Wi-Fi and dozens of coffee drinks. 
So it could be very simple like a cozy room. 
And "cozy" is one of our Word Bank words. 
Cozy just means a place that is comfortable. 
And usually I think of something that is kind of small, a smaller comfortable space. 
Right, not too big. 
What sort of things could be cozy? Yeah. 
Well, usually I think of like really cozy chairs, too. 
I mean, maybe a cozy chair with a nice soft pillow. 
You don't want to get up and leave. 
You just want to stay there and enjoy your time because it is really cozy. 
I also think of maybe a really warm blanket in the winter. 
It can just be really cozy. 
So we're talking here about a cozy room with big soft chairs, Wi-Fi and dozens of coffee drinks. 
Now Carolyn, usually I see this word "dozen" and I think 12. 
So "dozens," does that mean 12, 24, 36, 48? 
Uh, no... Here "dozens" just means a lot of coffee drinks, so. 
It might have 12, and it might have 24, but it also could have 25, 26, 27. 
It doesn't have to be done in 12s. 
OK, good. 
So it just means a lot of something. 
Well, let's continue with our lesson. 
Or it may be a place where baristas are coffee chefs and the roasting of beans a serious business. 
And a barista is someone who knows how to prepare and serve coffee in one of these places or espresso-based coffee. 
Yes. So here we're making a comparison. 
It may be a place that is very simple and cozy, 
or the people who prepare your coffee, the barista, may be a coffee chef, and the roasting of beans is a very serious business. 
But however one looks at it, coffee houses have drawn people for centuries like honey draws flies. 
Now at the beginning of that sentence, we see "however one looks at it." And that's a really great phrase. 
We're going to talk about it. 
What does this mean, Gabe? 
That means you can see a certain thing in life from many different angles. 
Maybe you see it from one angle. 
You look at it from another angle. 
Actually, however one looks at it, you get the same fact. 
You feel the same way. 
So how might you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, you could say however one looks at it, it's still true. 
Coffee is still a very popular drink. 
It doesn't matter if you are going to a simple place that is very comfortable or a very fancy place that might be expensive. 
However you look at it, coffee is very popular. 
All right. 
Well, we're going to be talking more about coffee houses in our lesson. 
But for now it's time for us to enjoy some time with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
And then we'll go and see Michelle. 
How are you doing today, friends? 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Let's have a look at today's Grammar Tip sentence. 
However one looks at it, coffee houses draw people like honey does flies. 
This sentence just means coffee houses attract people just like honey attracts flies. 
Notice the sentence pattern: 
[subject 1 + verb + object 1] like [subject 2] does [object 2]. 
This is a great sentence pattern to use when you want to talk about how a situation is much like another situation. 
What one subject does to an object is much like how another subject does to another object. 
For example, we can say Samanth loves shoes like a child does candy. 
Or: The sheriff hunts down criminals like a cat does mice. 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section, you'll find more example sentences there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.29.B

In our lesson today, Coffee Houses, we've been learning some of the history and a little more information about what is going on with coffee, 
and why people enjoy this rich, aromatic beverage. 
Some people like to go to a cozy coffee shop where they can sit in comfortable chairs. 
Other people like more fancy places. 
Well, we do get to learn a little bit more about the history of coffee in the next reading today. 
(Music). 
Coffee Houses. 
The first public coffee house dates back to 1475 in Constantinople, Turkey, today's Istanbul. 
Coffee was very important to the culture at the time. 
A woman was allowed to divorce her husband if he did not keep the coffeepot full! 
Coffee houses arrived in Europe about 1650 and spread to England by 1652. 
Some believe the word "tips" first entered the English language in an English coffee house. 
A jar on the counter had a sign that read "To Insure Prompt Service." Customers who put a coin in the jar were served more quickly. 
(Music). 
All right. 
Well, here we're talking about the first public coffee house. 
The first sentence here is: 
The first public coffee house dates back to 1475 in Constantinople, Turkey, today's Istanbul. 
Uh, what does that mean, Constantinople, Turkey, today's Istanbul? 
Well, the name of the city has changed. 
So in 1475, the city was called Constantinople, but today we know this city as Istanbul. 
But it's the same city in the country of Turkey. 
All right. I see. 
That is today's Istanbul. 
So back in 1475. 
It says it dates back to this date. 
You can use that phrase in other ways. 
For example, Studio Classroom dates back to 1962. 
That means that's the year it began. 
So... the first coffee house was open in 1475. 
Well, what do we know about this? 
Well, we see how important coffee was. 
Coffee was very important to the culture at the time. 
And there's a very interesting sentence after that. 
A woman was allowed to divorce her husband if he did not keep the coffeepot full! 
Wow! Be careful, husbands. 
If you don't want your wife to divorce you, keep that coffeepot full. 
I'm glad things are a little bit different now. 
But we do want to take a look at that key word "divorce." Carolyn, what does this mean? 
Well, when you get married, then, well, you're married. 
But if something happens during your marriage, during your relationship, and you decide to no longer be married, we call that a divorce. 
You get a divorce. 
And here a woman could divorce her husband, so it could be a noun or a verb. 
That's right. 
It could be a noun or a verb. 
And of course, this word is an important word to know. 
But I think if you're married, that it's probably not a word you want to use too often. 
Even if you're really angry with each other, don't just throw this word "divorce" out. 
Well, we're going to continue with this lesson. 
Coffee houses arrived in Europe about 1650 and spread to England by 1652. 
So over time, coffee... or the idea of coffee houses was spreading to other countries. 
And it took a while for it to get there because Turkey is fairly close to Europe. 
But it was in 1475 that coffee houses date back to Constantinople, or Istanbul, and it wasn't until 1650 that they started to make their way into Europe. 
Well, continuing, some very interesting information. 
Some believe the word "tips" first entered the English language in an English coffee house. 
All right. 
So it first entered the language. 
We hadn't used that word "tips" before, but we're going to find out where this word came from, maybe where this word came from. 
A jar on the counter had a sign that read "To Insure Prompt Service." All right. 
So let's take a look at that phrase: to insure prompt service. 
We have two key words there. 
The first one is "insure." Now this really makes me think about insurance - what you buy so that you can make sure that things are safe. 
Your things are safe. 
You insure those things. 
But here it's more like a promise. 
If you insure that something is going to happen, then it's a guarantee or a promise that this is what will happen in the future if you do something else. 
That's right. 
Now I think that the word that they should have used is "ensure." But I think that Steve and Ken will talk about that a little more in the Info Cloud later. 
First let's talk about that word "prompt." If you have something prompt, that means it is done right away or in a good amount of time. 
There is prompt service. 
We'll get to you promptly or right away. 
Yes, so very quickly. 
To insure prompt service, you could put some coins in this jar on the counter. 
It's like a tip that we give today in many restaurants. 
That's right. 
It is prompt. 
It will insure prompt service. 
You could use that word "prompt" in other ways. 
If you ask someone a question, they might wait a while to get back to you, or they might give you a prompt response. 
They tell you something right away. 
It's time for us to learn something right now with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
In today's lesson our author offers one explanation as to how the word "tip" entered the English language. 
But notice how she wisely started the sentence: "Some belief..." This should be a clue to you, the reader, that what follows is not necessarily true. 
Right. 
By using these words, the author is giving the reader freedom to disagree, which is good because I disagree. 
I do, too. 
I was suspicious when I saw the word "insure," I-N-S-U-R-E. 
It feels like it's being forced to fit for the sake of the letter I. 
Right. 
Clearly, the better choice is "ensure," E-N-S-U-R-E, which means to make certain something takes place, like good service. 
OK. 
A second reason we disagree about this origin of "tips" is because the explanation would make tips a 17th-century acronym. 
And English acronyms didn't really come into existence until the 20th century. 
Right. So we think the "To Insure Prompt Service" phrase is just a clever story to explain something we're not 100 percent sure of. 
Reminding us that no matter what the language, we should always read with a critical eye. 
Because not everything that's written is fact. 
(Chinese). 
It is important to pay attention when we are reading. 
And we were talking about tips - To Insure Prompt Service - T-I-P-S. 
So maybe that is where "tips" came from. 
Well, we have one more sentence in this article today. 
Customers who put a coin in the jar were served more quickly. 
So it sounds like if you put money into this jar, it would insure, or "ensure," prompt service. 
Well, this does seem like an interesting idea for where the word "tips" came from. 
But I agree with Steve and Ken. 
I'm not sure if it's actually true. 
Some believe or some people believe this, but I don't know how true it is. 
But I am having fun learning about the origin of coffee houses. 
We have more to learn next time. 
But of course, right now let's spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
Now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
We're learning about coffee houses today. 
And of course you've already learned that a little bit about this aromatic beverage. 
And you've even learned some history that in some places, or actually in Constantinople, Turkey, 
a woman was allowed to divorce her husband if he did not keep the coffeepot full. 
They really thought that coffee was very important. 
Well, how important is coffee to you in your life? 
Carolyn, is it pretty important to you? 
Well, it's really not that important to me. 
Sometimes I need an extra boost that it's really nice to have some coffee, but I don't really drink it every day. 
You don't drink it every day, so it's not that important. 
I do know some people who drink coffee every day. 
I don't drink it every day. 
But I think that I know why people do drink it every day. 
It really does taste good, or some blends of coffee can taste great. 
Well, we're going to learn more about coffee houses tomorrow and the next day. 
So please come back here to Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.05.30.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson about coffee houses. 
We already talked a little bit about the origin of coffee houses, where they began, and of course some of the history and background to coffee. 
So many people love coffee. 
They drink it every day, maybe even a couple of times a day. 
Well, we have a three-day lesson about coffee houses. 
I hope you're interested; I mean, maybe you don't even like coffee. 
Do you like coffee, Carolyn? 
I do like coffee. 
I don't think it every day, but I think it's really nice when I need a boost of energy. 
And I know that my dad actually loves coffee, and he does drink it every morning. 
He drinks an entire pot of coffee every morning. 
Whoa, your dad and my dad sound like they would be good friends because my dad has been addicted to coffee before. 
And sometimes he would get headaches if he didn't have coffee for a while. 
Did that ever happen? 
Uh, yes, it did. 
But now I think my dad is drinking mostly decaf. 
So there's not any caffeine in the coffee. 
All right. 
Well, some people certainly do love coffee. 
I like it, but I don't need it every day. 
Anyhow, we're going to learn more about coffee houses today. 
So open up your magazine and let's begin. 
(Music). 
Coffee Houses. 
Thanks to Starbucks, coffee houses can now be found all over the world, and the coffee house phenomenon continues to grow. 
As of July last year, Starbucks boasted 17,651 coffee houses in countries around the world. 
While some folks head for the nearest Starbucks when desperate for coffee, other coffee aficionados want something more. 
They look for coffee places that offer extra special coffee. 
These shops offer specialty coffee blends or signature coffee drinks. 
(Music). 
It's nice to be able to go to a coffee house that has a special drink. 
And at the beginning of the article today, we see that thanks to Starbucks, coffee houses can now be found all over the world, 
and the coffee house phenomenon continues to grow. 
So it sounds like Starbucks is pretty responsible for just how popular coffee is around the world. 
That's right. 
Whenever you see that phrase "thanks to something," that means you know that's the reason for something. 
So Starbucks may be one of the biggest reasons for the popularity of coffee around the world and coffee house phenomenon. 
We're talking here about a key word, the word "phenomenon." A phenomenon is something that you can observe. 
It's something that happens that you can observe, you can watch as it happens. 
Maybe as something continues to grow or develop, you can see how it develops. 
That's a kind of phenomenon. 
And it's also something that's usually a bit unique or something you didn't expect, so. 
It's hard to imagine that there would be coffee houses all over the world just because of one company. 
But it continues to grow. 
So there are still more and more coffee houses being built, and people are going to them every day. 
That's right. 
Well, there are many kinds of phenomena. 
That's the plural, P-H-E-N-O-M-E-N-A. 
There are many phenomena in the world recently. 
Or I guess of the last couple of years, 
we've been seeing this phenomenon with... with social networking and seeing how you can observe the way that people do social networking and do things online. 
Well, we're talking about the phenomenon of coffee now. 
And we continue in our lesson. 
As of July last year, Starbucks boasted 17,651 coffee houses in countries around the world. 
That's a lot of coffee houses, Carolyn, just... just for Starbucks. 
That is a lot of coffee houses. 
And we see there's this word "boast." Starbucks boasted this large number of coffee houses. 
And if you boast something, then here it just means that you own it. 
They have 17,651 coffee houses around the world. 
That's right. 
It's kind of a fact about them. 
But of course they're able to boast about it because it makes them sound good. 
That's what you can use this word "boast." You could also use this word in another way like: That restaurant boasts excellent service. 
Of course other things are nice there, but their service is excellent. 
They boast excellent service at that restaurant. 
So it's to have something that you're very proud of and you want to let other people know about. 
Well, now it's time for us to spend some time with Ken and Steve in the Information Cloud. 
Hi, friends. 
Have you ever wondered how Starbucks got its name? 
Maybe it had something to do with stars or bucks? 
Good guess, Ken. 
But I'm afraid that's not the case. 
When the three co-founders of Starbucks started the company in Seattle, Washington, in 1971, they had a meeting to decide what to name their new company. 
One man was an English teacher, one a history teacher and one a writer. 
And so they picked the name from the classic American novel Moby Dick. 
And the name was Pequod. 
Now Ken, I don't know about you, but I would hesitate to drink a hot cup of Pequod. 
I don't blame you, Steve. 
Pequod is the name of the whaling ship in Moby Dick. 
But it's not a very savory name for a coffee house. 
Good thing one of the partners rejected the name. 
So after more discussion, all three settled on another name from Moby Dick, Starbuck, which is the name of the chief mate on the Pequod. 
And since there are three partners, they simply added an "S," officially making the name Starbucks. 
And the rest, as we say, is history. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, Steve and Ken, for that insightful bit about the origin of Starbucks. 
Let's continue with our lesson about coffee houses. 
While some folks head for the nearest Starbucks when desperate for coffee, other coffee aficionados want something more. 
So of course a lot of people think about Starbucks when they think about coffee. 
But it's not just about Starbucks. 
There's so much more. 
Isn't that right, Carolyn? 
There is a lot more. 
But many people when they are desperate for their coffee, they just think of Starbucks. 
But we see this word "desperate." They're desperate for coffee means that they need coffee. 
They must have it, otherwise something bad might happen. 
That's right. 
When you're desperate for something, you cannot do without it. 
When I hear someone say "I'm desperate," and they don't specify what they mean, that means they might be desperate for a boyfriend or for a girlfriend. 
But you can say "I'm desperate for something," that means I need something in my life, like coffee. 
That's right. 
Well, we see another great long word in that sentence: coffee "aficionados" want something more. 
So many people just think of Starbucks, but coffee aficionados want something a little bit more. 
And this word is used to refer to a kind of person who has a great knowledge about a certain subject or is very supportive of something. 
So these people probably know a lot about coffee here. 
That's right. 
They probably know about the different ways that coffee is prepared. 
And they know a lot about coffee, what it tastes like. 
They're aficionados. 
Well, let's continue. 
They look for coffee places that offer extra special coffee. 
And there are many of those places around the world. 
And even maybe in your city, there might be some places that offer extra special coffee that's just a little bit different. 
That's right. 
These shops offer specialty coffee blends or signature coffee drinks. 
So they have something that is very unique to that shop. 
If it's a signature coffee drink, that means that it's their specialty. 
It's something that they have made themselves that you probably can't find anywhere else. 
That's right, someone's signature something. 
I think of Michael Jackson. 
The Moonwalk is his signature dance move. 
When you see the Moonwalk, you know: Oh, yeah, that's Michael Jackson's dance move. 
It's his signature dance move. 
So you can use that word in many different ways. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.30.B

Well, if you're just joining us, we've been talking about coffee houses and how this phenomenon has grown over the years and even over the centuries. 
And of course we even learned a little bit about the origin of Starbucks with Steve and Ken. 
But we also learned that some people don't like to settle just for Starbucks, they like extra special coffee. 
They are coffee aficionados. 
And of course we're going to be learning a little bit more about some special coffee houses in the next part of our reading today. 
(Music). 
Coffee Houses. 
In Brazil, serious coffee drinkers visit Isabela Raposeiras. 
The owner of this coffee house named for her is familiar with coffee growing. 
She is also skilled in roasting and blending. 
She travels the world to learn everything she can about coffee. 
Her shop boasts an amazing espresso blend. 
Those in the Philippines head to the nearest Figaro Coffee shop. 
This shop serves delicious coffee of several different blends. 
Their flavored beans are made through a special process that puts the flavor right into the bean. 
This results in a delicious, long-lasting flavor. 
(Music). 
That does sound like some very delicious coffee with the flavor right there in the bean. 
But before we get to that, at the beginning of this section we see "In Brazil," (so we've moved on to Brazil,) serious coffee drinkers visit Isabela Raposeiras. 
Oh. So this sounds like a very nice place to go. 
And we see the owner of this coffee house named for her is familiar with coffee growing. 
So the name of the coffee house is also this woman's name. 
That's right. 
So she is familiar with coffee growing. 
Well, let's take a look at that phrase: to be familiar with something. 
That means she knows something about this. 
Maybe she's an aficionado; she knows something about coffee. 
She's familiar with it. 
But how else could you use that phrase "familiar with"? 
Well, you could be familiar with anything that you know a lot about. 
Perhaps you are a businessman or a businesswoman, and you are very familiar with banking, or you're very familiar with accounting. 
You could be familiar with many different types of things. 
That's right. 
Or maybe you are learning a new language like English, and you hear a word that you've never heard before and you could say: 
I'm sorry. I'm not familiar with that word. 
Could you explain it to me? 
Don't be ashamed to ask that. 
If you're not familiar with something, you can ask for an explanation. 
So we're talking about serious coffee drinkers here who like to go to this coffee house. 
Well, how do we continue? 
Well, she is also skilled in roasting and blending. 
So not only is she very familiar with coffee growing, but she also knows about roasting and blending coffee. 
That's right. 
She's skilled in these things or in these areas. 
Let's take a look at that word from the Word Bank. 
It is "blend." When you blend something together, that means you mix it together. 
But it's not like mixing salad together with salad dressing. 
That doesn't really blend. 
We're talking about mixing maybe liquids together. 
You blend them together. 
That's right. 
And sometimes I think about blending colors if you want to make a different shade of a color or a new color. 
If you take the color red and the color blue, blend them together you get purple. 
So you blend things together, and it can give you a very beautiful color or a very wonderful flavor of coffee. 
And if you are like this woman Isabela Raposeiras, then you know how to grow coffee, you know how to roast it, and you know how to blend it. 
She must be really good at what she does. 
We're continuing to learn about here. 
She travels the world to learn everything she can about coffee. 
Now that is a coffee aficionado. 
Yes. She sounds very dedicated to knowing as much as she can about coffee and learning about coffee all over the world. 
We also see that her shop boasts an amazing espresso blend. 
Oh. So she has her own signature drink, it sounds like. 
Yes, it does sound like her signature drink is this espresso blend. 
Let's take a look at that word from the Word Bank. 
It is "espresso." And sometimes I do think of espresso when I think of coffee. 
Espresso is when you take nearly boiling water, and you push the water through these coffee beans to make this espresso. 
And there's a lot of caffeine in espressos, a little more than just regular coffee. 
Of course, espresso is used to make lots of different kinds of coffee drinks. 
Do you ever drink espresso? 
Well, if I drink espresso, it's always in a very small cup because the coffee is so strong. 
It's a very strong flavor, and it does have a lot of caffeine. 
That's right. 
So if you need to sleep at night, and caffeine affects you, then don't have espresso too late in the day. 
Well, we're going to continue with this lesson. 
We're learning about the Philippines now. OK. 
Those in the Philippines head to the nearest Figaro Coffee shop. 
The nearest Figaro Coffee shop, what do we know about this? 
Well, this shop serves delicious coffee of several different blends. 
So this seems to be a very popular coffee shop in the Philippines, and we see why. 
Their flavored beans are made through a special process that puts the flavor right into the bean. 
I like that. 
It puts the flavor right into the bean. 
OK. It seems like they're doing a really good job making these beans very special. 
And this results in a delicious, long-lasting flavor. 
I think that's probably what makes this shop special is the long-lasting flavor of these coffee beans. 
If you make it the right way, it will last for a long time. 
Well, it's time for us now to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll go and see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Ah, the rich smell of fresh coffee. 
Ah, yes. Give me a cozy room with soft chairs and a cup of coffee. 
Give me a place where roasting coffee beans is serious business. 
However you look at it... 
We love coffee! 
Coffee houses date back to 1475. 
And now thanks to Starbucks, they can be found all over the world. 
Thank you, Starbucks. 
The coffee house phenomenon continues to grow. 
Now Starbucks has over 17,000 coffee houses around the world. 
People desperate for coffee head there. 
But some coffee aficionados want something more. 
They look for places with extra special coffee, like Isabela Raposeiras in Brazil. 
Brazil? 
That's a long way to go for coffee. 
Yes. But the owner is familiar with coffee growing. 
She's also skilled in roasting and blending it. 
She travels the world learning everything she can. 
Hey. Speaking of travel, let's head to the nearest Figaro Coffee shop. 
Sure. 
Where is that? 
In the Philippines. 
Their flavored beans are made through a special process for a delicious, long-lasting flavor. 
Well, what are we waiting for? 
I haven't finished my coffee yet. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what the other teachers are up to. 
We've been talking all about coffee houses around the word today. 
We've talked about Starbucks and chain coffee houses and how popular they are all over the world. 
But we've also talked a little bit about smaller coffee houses that have signature drinks or special blends. 
And I wonder which do you prefer. 
Do you like to go to a coffee house that it's part of the chain, or you know exactly what kind of drinks they will have each day? 
Or do you prefer something a little more special when you go to drink your coffee? 
What about you, Gabe? 
Carolyn, I think I prefer something a little more special because I've been to all the big coffee houses. 
Actually, do you remember when we went to Taitung, and we went to a pretty special coffee house down there? 
They serve some pretty interesting coffee. 
And I think that the person must have been an aficionado. 
She really knew what she was doing. 
Well, there are lots of different ways and different places that you can enjoy coffee. 
And I hope that you will join us again tomorrow as we continue learning more about Coffee Houses. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.05.31.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for our third day about this lesson about coffee houses. 
What have we learned so far about coffee houses? 
Well, of course, they date back a long time, many centuries ago actually. 
Carolyn, what can we know about coffee houses? 
Well, we've talked about how great coffee smells, this wonderful aromatic beverage. 
And we've also talked about a little bit of the history of coffee and just how important it was to certain cultures, 
like in Turkey where coffee houses date back to - in 1475. 
We've also talked about a few other special coffee houses around the world. 
We learned that some people don't settle for the really famous coffee houses like Starbucks. 
But they are coffee aficionados, and they love something a little extra special about their coffee. 
Of course there's the coffee house in Brazil - Isabela Raposeiras, and there's the one in the Philippines - the Figaro Coffee shop. 
These are very different examples of coffee shops and people who love coffee. 
We're going to learn a little bit more in our lesson today. 
So open your magazine and let's get started. 
(Music). 
Coffee Houses. 
Some of the world's coolest coffee houses offer more than just good coffee. 
At Brother Baba Budan in Melbourne, Australia, customers are rewarded with a unique environment as well as great coffee. 
Wooden chairs hang from the ceiling. 
The door handle is a silver coffee shovel. 
Those who prefer to share their coffee with something furry can visit Usagi-to-Cafe in Japan. 
People there can sip their coffee and pet one of the 21 bunnies for about US$1 per minute. 
(Music). 
Twenty-one bunnies, how cute. 
Well, let's get started at the beginning here: 
Some of the world's coolest coffee houses offer more than just good coffee. 
So if we're talking about offering more than just good coffee, of course what you think about when you go to a coffee house is coffee, 
but there is more than coffee at the coolest coffee houses. 
Like what do we learn about here, Carolyn? 
Well, we do have some very interesting and unique coffee houses. 
Here we see: At Brother Baba Budan in Melbourne, Australia, customers are rewarded with a unique environment as well as great coffee. 
So if you go to this coffee shop in Australia, you will be rewarded with a very unique environment. 
I like that our author chose to use the word "reward." It's from our Word Bank here. 
And if you reward it with something, it's almost like you earned it. 
You did something to earn something. 
So maybe travelers traveled a long way out to Melbourne, and they're enjoying this coffee. 
And they're rewarded with a unique environment because a reward is something that you earn for doing something. 
Right. And it's... usually I kind of think of a prize that you get for some accomplishment or something that you've done. 
Well, let's see what kind of reward you get in this environment at this coffee house. 
We see wooden chairs hang from the ceiling. 
So the chairs are not on the ground, they are hanging from the ceiling. 
What else is special about this coffee house? 
Well, the door handle is a silver coffee shovel. 
Well, you might think of a shovel as something you use to pick up some dirt or snow on the ground. 
But here a shovel is a little smaller, and it's used to scoop out coffee beans. 
So the door handle is a... is a silver coffee shovel. 
This is kind of a creative little coffee shop. 
It sounds very unique and a really great reward to be able to go and enjoy some nice coffee in this shop. 
Well, we can see another unique coffee shop in the next paragraph. 
Those who prefer to share their coffee with something furry can visit Usagi-to-Cafe in Japan. 
Now this is a very interesting sentence. 
Would you like to enjoy your coffee with something furry? 
Yeah, it sounds kind of weird. 
Um, but something furry is basically, I guess you think of an animal like we're learning about bunnies here. 
People can sip their coffee and pet one of the 21 bunnies for about US$1 per minute. 
So bunnies are furry, of course. 
Carolyn, what's another furry animal? 
Well, I think cats are furry, dogs are furry. 
Really, something that's furry means that it has fur or long hair. 
And so these rabbits have long fur, and you can pet them while you drink your coffee. 
This is also a very interesting name for the cafe since the Japanese word "usagi" means "rabbit" in English. 
Right. And rabbit... or bunny is another name for a rabbit. 
You might call it a bunny rabbit. 
So this means rabbit to cafe, Carolyn? 
I guess so. 
So you can have your coffee and pet a cute little bunny while you drink it. 
Well, now it is time for us to see what Michelle is doing in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.05.31.B

Today we've been having a lot of fun learning all about different coffee houses around the world. 
The first one we talked about today was one in Melbourne, Australia, where you can enjoy a very unique environment with wooden chairs hanging from the ceiling. 
Another one we've talked about today was one in Japan, Usagi-to-Cafe, where you can sit and pet one of their rabbits while you drink your coffee. 
Well, we have several more very unique and interesting coffee houses to learn about in the next part of our reading. 
(Music). 
Coffee Houses. 
At Wash & Coffee in Munich, Germany, patrons enjoy a cup of coffee and use the Internet as they do their laundry. 
This place aims to make people feel at home. 
At the Big Knit Cafe in Bangkok, Thailand, customers are served yarn along with their coffee. 
The cafe attracts all levels of knitters - experienced staff offer help to the novices. 
A coffee house may just serve great coffee, or it may offer something extra. 
Either way, there's nothing like the rich smell of coffee. 
(Music). 
Ah, coffee does have quite a nice smell. 
Well, let's begin at the beginning of this section here. 
At Wash & Coffee in Munich, Germany, patrons enjoy a cup of coffee and use the Internet as they do their laundry. 
Well, talk about killing two birds with one stone, you can do a lot at this coffee shop. 
You can be a patron and enjoy a cup of coffee while you do your laundry. 
Well, this is certainly a very unique and interesting coffee shop if you can go there to wash your clothes and also drink coffee at this place called Wash & Coffee. 
But we see that the people who go there are referred to as patrons. 
If you are a patron, then you attend something. 
So here we have patrons of Wash & Coffee. 
What are some other things you might be a patron of, Gabe? 
Oh, patrons. I think of customers. 
Some customers can be referred to as patrons, people that... that use something or that attend something. 
Um, if you go to a concert, can you be called a patron, Carolyn? 
Well, I guess you could be called a patron. 
But usually it's something we use when you are frequently there. 
Maybe you buy something there quite often, so. 
If you go to a particular concert hall, (a place where they have concerts,) you might be a patron of that building, 
but not necessarily a patron of the concert because the performer might be different. 
OK. So you might need to go somewhere frequently to be called a patron somewhere. 
Well, you can see a picture of this coffee shop in your magazine Wash & Coffee. 
Actually it kind of seems appealing to me. 
I would like to go and visit this coffee shop, especially if I have some laundry to do. 
But I'm not going to take my laundry from here to Munich, Germany, just to go and taste the coffee. 
However, if I'm visiting Munich, I will visit this coffee shop. 
Well, it's time for us right now to see what Steve and Ken have for us in the Information Cloud. 
It's the last day of the month, and it's high time to do the laundry. 
I hope you're joking, Steve. 
I do my laundry at least twice a week. 
Yes. Yes, Ken, I was joking, but let's talk about laundry for a minute. 
It can be a confusing word. 
Yes, it can be. 
Laundry can either refer to dirty clothes that will be washed or clean clothes that have just been washed. 
Right. 
We can do the laundry, hang laundry out to dry, and finally, fold the laundry. 
Another word for laundry is "wash." So instead of do the laundry, you can do the wash. 
Notice "wash" is used as a noun. 
And that should not be confused with washer, which is short for washing machine. 
So you would put the wash in the washer. 
And you do the wash because he want all the dirt and stains to come out in the wash. 
Nice one, Ken. 
"Coming out in the wash" is also an idiom. 
Just like a clothing stain that can be removed by washing, a problem can "come out in the wash" meaning that it'll be revealed or it'll turn out well in the end. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
Well, we were talking about this coffee house called Wash & Coffee. 
In the article we see this place aims to make people feel at home. 
So it aims to make people feel at home. 
And if you can sit and drink coffee while you do your laundry, it does seem like you would be at home. 
But I really like this phrase here: It aims to do something. 
So let's look at that for a minute. 
Gabe, what does it mean if you aim to do something? 
Well, that means it's your goal. 
So it's the goal of Wash & Coffee to make customers or patrons feel at home there at the coffee shop while they're doing laundry and surfing the Internet. 
It's their aim to do this. 
You could also use this in other ways. 
It's our aim here at Studio Classroom to help you improve your English. 
It's our aim to do that. 
That's right. 
And a lot of people their aim, or their goal, is to make other people happy. 
They aim to please other people. 
Do you aim to please? 
I think Wash & Coffee aims to please its patrons. 
I think so, too. 
And we're going to learn about another coffee house here. 
We're going around the world a little bit to Bangkok. 
At the Big Knit Cafe in Bangkok, Thailand, customers are served yarn along with their coffee. 
This sounds really interesting so far. 
Let's take a look at that key word "yarn." When I think of yarn, I think of a kind of string. 
Usually you might see a ball of yarn. 
And you can use yarn to make clothes or other kinds of materials, yarn. 
That's right. 
And so here you can knit with yarn at this cafe, the Big Knit Cafe in Bangkok, and you get yarn with your coffee. 
And we see that the cafe attracts all levels of knitters - experienced staff offer help to the novices, or the novices. 
So it's very interesting that you can knit while you drink your coffee here. 
I think it's an interesting idea, too. 
Would you like to go to a coffee shop and begin to knit the next sweater you will wear? 
Or maybe you can make a gift for somebody while you sit and drink your coffee. 
Let's take a look at another Word Bank word here, the word "novice." Now a novice is a beginner at something. 
You're talking here about the experienced people helping the novices. 
So of course there are the experts, the people who know what they're doing. 
And they're there to help novices like me, who do not know how to knit yet. 
That's right. 
I would also be a novice when it comes to knitting. 
But this sounds like a really great place to learn. 
You can sit there, have so many experienced people show you how to do it, and enjoy some really nice coffee in Thailand. 
I think I might have to take a trip to Thailand just to learn how to knit. 
Just to learn how to knit. 
Well, I think that there are many different kinds of novices. 
You see that key word, and you can talk about a beginner in a lot of different ways. 
Maybe if you're just learning how to play musical instrument, you could call yourself a novice at the guitar. 
You're just learning how to play. 
The letters N-O-V, "nov-," actually mean new. 
So you're new to this... this topic or this experience. 
That's right. 
So I guess I will be a novice at tai chi. Right? 
Really? You just started? 
Yes, I did. I just started taking tai chi lessons this past month, I guess. 
And yeah, it's... it's very difficult, so I would be a novice. 
All right. Well, you can still teach me something because I know nothing about tai chi. 
Well, we're continuing to learn more about coffee and coffee houses. 
And a coffee house may just serve great coffee, or it may offer something extra. 
So we're just reviewing this lesson about coffee houses. 
Of course it could just have great coffee, or maybe the best coffee houses, the coolest coffee houses give you a little something extra. 
It's true. 
But either way, there's nothing like the rich smell of coffee. 
And it's true, coffee does have a very rich smell. 
We talked about that on the first day of this article. 
But there's a little phrase in this sentence, "there's nothing like..." There's nothing like something else. 
What does that mean? 
That means this is truly a unique experience. 
The smell of coffee, the rich smell of coffee is really unique. 
There's nothing like it. 
You can use this phrase in other ways. 
There's nothing like a hot shower in the middle of winter. Yes. 
Well, how else can use that phrase? 
Well, you might also say there's nothing like a mother's love. 
It's a very unique kind of love, and your mother is the only one that can give it to you, so there's really nothing like it. 
All right. 
Well, how else can you use that phrase? 
Try that today. 
Use this phrase: There's nothing like something. 
All right. 
Now it's time for us to continue with a review skit. 
And then we're going to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Ah, coffee house with good coffee. 
What could be better? 
A cool coffee house with good coffee. 
Cool? What do you mean? 
Japan has a coffee treehouse. 
A coffee house in a real tree? 
Well, no. It's not in a real tree, but it's still impressive. 
Take the elevator, and you are rewarded with coffee and an ocean view. 
That is cool. 
There's also a coffee cafe in Japan with bunnies. 
Real bunny rabbits? 
Yes. You can sip your coffee and pet one of 18 bunnies. 
Hooray! Let's go to Japan. 
But wait, wait, wait. 
In Germany, patrons can enjoy coffee, watch TV and do laundry. 
People can do that at home. 
That's the idea - to make you feel at home. 
No, thanks. 
In Thailand, customers are served yarn with their coffee. 
Do they drink it? 
No. They knit with it. 
The cafe attracts all levels of knitters. 
So do you want great coffee or great coffee with something extra? 
Either way is good, just give me that rich coffee smell. 
Ah. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our teachers. 
We've been talking all about coffee houses. 
Do you go to a coffee house just for great coffee, or do you go for the environment to see what is special about that coffee house? 
Well, my question for you is what is the most interesting coffee house that you have been to. 
Maybe you've been to quite a few. 
What is one interesting one? 
Carolyn, have you ever been to a unique coffee house? 
Well, I have been to a few unique coffee houses. 
But one that really sticks out to me was one I went to in college. 
And you could go in and sit in these very comfy, cozy chairs and just sit and play games for hours. 
And they had very, very many specialty drinks. 
And they sold pastries baked by people locally. 
So it was a very interesting place to enjoy coffee. 
That sounds good. 
I've been to a coffee house where they had a bunch of cats running around, and you didn't have to pay a dollar just to pet the cats. 
Well, it's time for us to say goodbye for now. 
But we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.06.01.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for the first lesson in June. 
That's right. 
It is summer. 
And of course, I know many of you students are maybe getting off of school pretty soon. 
But you can always learn English. 
There's always more to learn. 
So thank you for joining us today. 
Well, what is special about June? 
What is special about June to you? 
Carolyn, is there anything that is special about June? 
Well, I know that I really enjoy the month of June because June 20 is West Virginia Day. 
So it is West Virginia's birthday. 
On 1863, the people of West Virginia got together and formed a state government and became their own independent state. 
Interesting. 
Well, I never knew that you could celebrate West Virginia Day in June. 
You learn something new every day. 
Well, if you ask me what is special about June to me, I would say that some of my friends have birthdays in June. 
But of course, there is a lot more that you can learn from the month of June. 
And we're going to take a look at some of these things in today's lesson. 
So let's get started with the first reading of the day. 
June. 
"And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days." - James Russell Lowell. 
Temperatures rise, flowers fill gardens, skies are sunny, and people head off to the beach in the Northern Hemisphere! 
Spring ends as summer begins on June 21 with the longest day of the year. 
In the Southern Hemisphere, however, winter begins, bringing cold, rainy weather. 
In Iceland, Fishermen's Day celebrations occur the first weekend of June as fishing is an important aspect of the country's economics. 
All fishing boats dock in the harbors so that the fishermen can attend the carnivals and festivities that are held. 
Fishermen's Day in Iceland. 
Well, it seems like we're going to be learning about June all round the world in today's lesson. 
But at the very beginning of our lesson, we see a sentence: 
And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days. 
This was said by James Russell Lowell. 
And we want to take a look at a phrase there in that second sentence: Then, if ever, come perfect days. 
You can rephrase this to say: 
If perfect days ever come, they come in June. 
But let's take a look at those words, "if ever." How can you use those words, Carolyn? 
Well, "if ever" just means that if a time were to be the right time to do something, then this is the time. 
So June is the time for perfect days to happen. 
You might also say now, if ever, is the perfect time to apply for grad school. 
Oh, I like that. 
You could also use the word "any." You could say "if any." For instance, you want to borrow a pen? 
Well, I only have one or two left, if any, I'm not even sure about that. 
I only have one or two left, if any. 
We see this phrase: if ever. 
Well, let's get started. 
What does the first sentence of our lesson say? 
We see that temperatures rise, flowers fill gardens, skies are sunny, and people head off to the beach in the Northern Hemisphere. 
So June sounds like a really fun month, a very enjoyable month. 
And we see a phrase here: head off. 
They head off to the beach. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, this is from our Word Bank. 
And when you head off somewhere, that means you are going somewhere. 
You could also say you're making your way somewhere. 
You're heading off. 
You might also say I'm heading down to the beach. 
But make sure that when you say "I'm heading off somewhere," you remember you are going somewhere. 
You could also just say "I'm off." If you're about to leave for some place, you could say, "I'm off." I'm going. 
That's right. 
So if you head off, that means you are starting to leave. 
You might say that, oh, I am heading off to the museum today. 
There are lots of things I want to see there. 
There are many things I want to see, so I'm heading off right now. 
And as Carolyn said before, June is a fun month. 
There are many things you might see - flowers filling gardens, the skies are sunny, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. 
Spring ends as summer begins on June 21 with the longest day of the year. 
Well, I think many people recognize June 21 is the longest day of the year. 
But Carolyn, what about the Southern Hemisphere? 
Well, it's very different. 
In the Southern Hemisphere, however, winter begins, bringing cold, rainy weather. 
So the Northern Hemisphere gets to enjoy this wonderful, warm weather and the beginning of summer. 
But the Southern Hemisphere has cold, rainy weather, and it's the beginning of winter. 
That's right. 
So my sister in Australia might be experiencing weather that's a little bit colder. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn something different with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we read, "... winter begins, bringing cold, rainy weather." That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the sentence pattern. 
Notice the pattern: [subject] + [verb 1], (comma) [verb-ing 2]. 
This is a great sentence pattern to use when you want to talk about the conditions or results of a situation. 
Looking at today's Grammar Tip sentence, you can see there are two parts. 
Part 1: Winter begins. 
Part 2: Winter brings cold, rainy weather. 
Part 1 is the main point of the sentence, winter begins. 
But part 2 describes part 1, winter brings cold, rainy weather. 
Put the two together, add a comma in between both parts and make sure the verb in part 2 ends in "-ING" form. 
And that's the sentence pattern. 
Let's look at some example sentences. 
The tired traveler climbed on board the train, dragging his suitcase with him. 
Or: The dog chased the thief down the road, barking wildly and waking up the whole neighborhood. 
And that's it for today. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
This is Liz, and I'll see you next time. 
It is good to know that grammer structure when you have a verb and then another verb right after it with "-ING." Well, continuing in our article, we are learning about Iceland. 
In Iceland, Fishermen's Day celebrations occur the first weekend of June as fishing is an important aspect of the country's economics. 
So here we have a very interesting holiday called Fishermen's Day. 
That's right, because fishing is an important part of this country's economy. 
Fishing brings in a lot of money. 
It's an important aspect of the country's economics. 
You can use that phrase in other ways. 
You could say new vocabulary is an important aspect of Studio Classroom lessons. 
You learn new things every day. 
That's right. 
And we do see that word there "economics" from our Word Bank. 
And you might study economics in school. 
So you would study the importance of how money goes from one place to another and how it relates to you and other people. 
It's a very interesting topic. 
That's right. And another very similar word is "economy." It's pronounced a little bit differently, you see. 
Economics or economy. 
And this is a specific type of economic system, so the economy of a certain country. 
But of course, like Carolyn said, you might be talking about the study of economics. 
Well, let's continue with our lesson. 
All fishing boats dock in the harbors so that the fishermen can attend the carnivals and festivities that are held. 
Well, let's see a word there in that sentence, the word "dock." And this is what boats do when they stop somewhere. 
If you're driving a car, you park. 
But if you're in a boat, you would dock, D-O-C-K. 
You dock somewhere. 
That's right. 
And we also see a word, "festivities." This is a festival. 
And when you celebrate a festival, there are a lot of activities that can also be called festivities because it's a festival. 
Well, we have some more things to learn with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
I think this is a good time to discuss the difference between a harbor and a port. 
Good idea, Steve. 
Both ports and harbors serve as stops for ships, and the two terms are often interchangeable. 
But there is an important difference between them - size. 
That's right. 
Harbors are usually small. 
They are mainly rest stops and are meant for smaller boats. 
Ports, on the other hand, are areas known for loading ships that carry goods and passengers. 
I usually think of a port as a large commercial enterprise with docks and warehouses. 
You might even see warships docked in a port. 
A harbor, on the other hand, can be as small as a tiny cove with several rowboats in it. 
So a port should have a support system for freighter traffic. 
That's right. 
And here's another difference: 
Harbor could also refer to the area of water within a port, the word "port" doesn't. 
But "port" could refer to an entire town or city. 
For example, Los Angeles is sometimes referred to as a port city. 
A port city is near a sea or river that has a harbor. 
So when you're in a port city, you might walk down to the harbor, which is on the waterfront. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.01.B

It is June 1; and we are learning all about the month of June today. 
So far we have learned about the weather changes in the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. 
June 21 is when summer begins for the Northern Hemisphere, and winter for the Southern Hemisphere. 
Well, we've also learned a little bit about some festivals. 
And we have a lot more to learn in the next reading for today. 
June. 
And in Asia, people celebrate Dragon Boat Festival with dragon boat races and by eating the traditional Chinese rice dumpling zongzi. 
Both commemorate the death of patriot Qu Yuan. 
The rose, June's traditional flower, symbolizes love and appreciation. 
The birthstone for June is the pearl, a symbol of purity. 
This gem is the only one that comes from a living creature. 
Those who like candy can go ahead and satisfy their sweet tooth as June is Candy Month! 
But it is also Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, so balance the sweets with those! 
Well, that sounds like pretty good advice. 
So in today's lesson we learned a little bit about Iceland and, of course, about Asia as well. 
We see a sentence there at the beginning of this section: 
And in Asia, people celebrate Dragon Boat Festival with dragon boat races and by eating the traditional Chinese rice dumpling zongzi. 
So Dragon Boat Festival, well, that is something that I think many people celebrate in Asia. 
And actually it's becoming quite popular around the world. 
Yes, it is. 
And it's a very interesting sport to watch. 
And we also see that a lot of people like to eat a Chinese rice dumpling called zongzi. 
Have you ever eaten zongzi, Gabe? 
Oh, yes, I have, Carolyn. 
I do enjoy eating zongzi. 
Inside there's kind of sticky rice and lots of different things like peanuts and meat. 
And I think you know what I'm talking about because I know many of you like zongzi as well. 
Well, Carolyn, we're talking about Dragon Boat Festival. 
Have you ever celebrated or seen dragon boat races? 
I have seen dragon boat races. 
I even participated in one on a team, which was very, very difficult. 
All right. 
Well, it does sound like a fun challenge. 
Well, we continue with the lesson. 
We've been talking about dragon boat races and the zongzi, both commemorate the death of patriot Qu Yuan. 
So both of these things, we can remember the death of this patriot named Qu Yuan. 
Carolyn, what does that key word mean, "patriot"? 
Well, a patriot is someone who is loyal to their country. 
And usually I think of a soldier as being a patriot, someone who fights for their country and really believes in supporting it or defending it. 
That's right. 
Actually soldiers should be patriots. 
They're fighting for their country. 
Are you a patriot of your country? 
Are you patriotic? 
That's the adjective form of this verb... or this word! P-A-T-R-I-O-T-I-C. 
Are you a patriotic person? 
Well, I'd like to think that I am a patriotic person. 
I support the United States of America. 
Well, continuing into the next paragraph: 
The rose, June's traditional flower, symbolizes love and appreciation. 
So here we see the flower for June, which is the rose. 
The rose. 
And of course, I think many people think of love when they see a red rose especially. 
But of course, you might also think of other things. 
A yellow rose might represent friendship. 
And that can also represent appreciation for something. 
Let's take a look at that word from the Word Bank: appreciation. 
If you have appreciation for something, that means you find things to like about something or respect. 
You can appreciate that person or that thing. 
That's right. 
And you might also be thankful for something and you want to show your appreciation. 
So you should show some appreciation to your teachers and thank them. 
That right. 
Maybe there's a Teachers Appreciation Day or something else Appreciation Day. 
You can appreciate different things throughout the year. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning about the birthstone. 
The birthstone for June is the pearl, a symbol of purity. 
Um, I wonder why. 
Maybe that's because it's white, Carolyn? 
Well, this is a very special gem. 
And usually I don't think of it as a gem, but the color usually is white. 
You could also have pink or black pearls, which are a little harder to find. 
But usually when I think of pearls, I think of something that is white and round. 
And purity is usually something that is associated with white. 
Interesting. 
Well, we continue learning that this gem is the only one that comes from a living creature. 
And usually I think of it as coming from an oyster, but it could be any kind of mollusk. 
But usually, I guess pearls come from the ocean, oysters and things like that. 
They are very precious gems. 
Well, we continue. 
Those who like candy can go ahead and satisfy their sweet tooth as June is Candy Month! 
Well, uh, Carolyn, do you like candy? 
Well, not really. 
But I do know a lot of people who have to a sweet tooth, which means that they enjoy eating things that are sweet. 
But it is also Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month. 
June is Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, so balance those sweets... uh, balance these sweets with those, so. 
That is a very interesting phrase there: to balance something with something else. 
Gabe, how can we use that? 
Well, yeah. 
If you balance something with something else, that means you need to make it kind of equal. 
So for example, maybe you love to work, you need to balance work with rest or recreation. 
How else could you use that phrase? 
Well, a lot of times I think that students are so busy studying that they might not get enough sleep or they might not get enough exercise. 
So you should try to balance studying with sleep or balance studying with exercise. 
I agree. 
Well, I do find it interesting that both Candy Month and Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month are the same month. 
Make sure to balance your sweets with healthier things. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something different with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are doing. 
Well, we learned quite a bit about June in this lesson. 
And one thing we talked about is that it is Candy Month. 
I know many of you like candy. 
And so my question for you is: 
Do you have a sweet tooth? 
And if so, what kinds of sweets do you like to eat? 
Carolyn, you mentioned that you don't have a sweet tooth. 
Do you want to talk about that a little more? 
Well, I enjoy eating dark chocolate. 
But that's kind of bitter. 
It's not really sweet. 
And oftentimes people will give me candy because they want to share what they have with me. 
And I give it to other people because I also like to share. 
Excellent! Well, at least somebody can appreciate the candy that you were given. 
Well, right now it's time for us to say goodbye. 
But we hope to see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.06.03.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
Thank you for joining us for today's lesson. 
It's all about movies. 
Well, actually for the next three days, we have a lesson called Let's Go to the Movies. 
That's what you say when you want to take your friends and go see a movie, especially at the movie theater. 
Well, there are many movies coming out this summer. 
Some have already even come out, many great movies. 
And we're going to be learning all about these summer movies. 
Well, Carolyn, what movies are you excited about seeing this summer? 
Well, we're going to be talking about a lot of really great films. 
And there are two that I am very excited for this summer. 
I'm really looking forward to seeing Star Trek Into Darkness, a really great film, and I have very high hopes for it. 
And another one is a little bit newer and different called Pacific Rim. 
And we'll be talking about that one as well over the next few days. 
Yes, I think we will be talking about those movies. 
Some movies we won't be talking about are Fast and the Furious 6 and, of course, a movie called Red 2. 
It's a sequel, R-E-D 2, starring Bruce Willis and some other great actors. 
Well, it's time for us to get started with the first reading of the day. 
Let's Go to the Movies. 
Summer movies are the most highly anticipated of the year. 
Movie lovers eagerly await the start of the summer movie season when the studios roll out their biggest pictures. 
Summer 2013 will not disappoint them. 
Sequels and series. 
Once again sequels and film franchises make up a big part of the summer offerings. 
Iron Man 3 finds billionaire/superhero Tony Stark traveling to China. 
There he faces the terrorist mastermind who has destroyed his comfortable life. 
Stark must rely on his own ingenuity rather than his super suit to survive. 
(Music). 
Well, that is one movie that I'm looking forward to seeing. 
Let's go to the very beginning of our lesson. 
Summer movies are the most highly anticipated of the year. 
It's true, people get very excited about seeing summer movies - movies that come out during the summer. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It's the word "aniticipate" or "anticipated." If you anticipate something, that means you are excited about it. 
You're eagerly waiting for it to happen. 
That's right. 
And there are lots of things that you might be anticipating this summer like the new movies coming out. 
But maybe you have a highly anticipated book coming out. 
One of your favorite authors has written a new one. 
That's right. 
You might anticipate something like this. 
Many people anticipate the Oscars. 
Speaking of movies, we're learning all about movies in this lesson. 
People love to watch the Oscars and see who's going to win a prize for these movies. 
They anticipate this big event. 
Well, our first sentence here says: 
Movie lovers eagerly await the start of the summer movie season when the studios roll out their biggest pictures. 
And that is a very interesting phrase right there that they "roll out" their biggest pictures. 
It doesn't mean that they have... the movie is on a wheel, and they're going to bring it outside. 
But that is a great phrase we want to look at. 
If you roll something out, then you introduce it for the first time, like a premiere. 
And a lot of times we think of rolling out the red carpet to introduce the stars at an award show. 
That's right, like the Oscars, you roll out the red carpet. 
So you use this phrase to talk about things that are round. 
So why would they roll out pictures? 
Well, because originally, movies were made on reels, which were round. 
Now there's many ways to make movies, but you roll out a picture like that, roll out a movie. 
Well, something else you could roll out, something you could introduce is a new kind of car. 
It's got wheels. 
Wheels are round. 
You can roll out this car for everybody to see. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing in the article: Summer 2013 will not disappoint them. 
So you will be very excited to learn all about the movies coming out this summer. 
And our first section here is titled Sequels and series. 
And we see a word there, "sequels." Gabe, what is a sequel? 
Well, a sequel is the second part or the second film in a story. 
Sometimes people make a movie, and they don't think they will make a sequel. 
But then everybody loves the movie, so then they decide to make another one to follow that movie, maybe to follow the same story. 
It's a sequel to that movie. 
That's right. 
And next to that word "sequel," we see that word "series." And that means that it continues even further past a second movie. 
So, in this first paragraph: Once again sequels and film franchises make up a big part of the summer offerings. 
That's right. 
And we see a word there, franchise, a film franchise. 
Well, usually a franchise is a brand name that has a series of products. 
And so a film franchise is a film that has a potential to be a part of a series, maybe two or more movies. 
Of course, one of these we're talking about right now. 
Iron Man 3 finds billionaire/superhero Tony Stark traveling to China. 
Yes, this is a big film franchise: Iron Man 1, 2 and, of course, Iron Man 3 now. 
Yes. So here we have the series Iron Man. 
And there he faces the terrorist mastermind who has destroyed his comfortable life. 
So Tony Stark goes to China, and he faces this terrorist mastermind. 
And a terrorist is not a very good word and not a very good person, but it's someone who attacks a government. 
That's right. 
Now maybe you've heard this word before. 
Maybe you've heard it in the news. 
We've heard about terrorist attacks. 
Often these are kind of surprise attacks. 
People don't expect them. 
And the word "terror" is in that word terrorist. 
Terror is fear. 
It makes you afraid about something. 
So that's the goal of terrorists is to make people fearful or afraid about something. 
That's one of the goals. 
So of course this isn't good in this movie. 
There's going to be a terrorist. 
And Tony Stark must face this terrorist. 
But he is not afraid. 
We see that Stark must rely on his own... own ingenuity rather than his super suit to survive, so. 
He is very brave and overcomes this mastermind. 
That's right. 
In the past, in the last couple of Iron Man movies, of course, it's very impressive the suit that he has, his super suit. 
But in this movie, he might have to rely on his own ingenuity a little bit more, his own brains as opposed to his suit. 
This is going to be very interesting to watch. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.03.B

Today we're talking all about movies. 
And there are many highly anticipated films rolling out this summer. 
Which ones are you eagerly waiting for? 
There are many sequels and series coming out. 
One that we've already talked about today was Iron Man 3, where Tony Stark goes to China to face a mastermind. 
Well, we have many more movies to talk about today, so let's get started with our next reading. 
Let's Go to the Movies. 
Science-fiction fans eagerly await Star Trek Into Darkness, the 12th film in the Star Trek franchise. 
In it, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise must hunt down the villain responsible for Starfleet's destruction. 
Sully and Mike of Monsters, Inc. fame return in Monster's University, which tells of the pair's days at the University of Fear. 
Their initial dislike of each other slowly becomes respect and, eventually, friendship. 
The 3-D format adds to the fun of the college pranks the pair plays on each other. 
Another animated offering, Despicable Me 2, finds Gru, his three adopted daughters and his band of minions taking on a dangerous villain. 
(Music). 
Well, these do sound like some wonderful animated films. 
Let's go back to the the beginning of this section: 
Science-fiction fans eagerly await Star Trek Into Darkness, (we know Carolyn does) the 12th film in the Star Trek franchise. 
Again we see that word "franchise." It's more than just a sequel. 
It's a film in a series of films. 
That's right. 
And to learn a little bit more about what will happen in this 12th film in the franchise: 
In it, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise must hunt down the villain responsible for Starfleet's destruction. 
So it sounds very, very exciting. 
That's right. 
And you see a phrase there: hunt down. 
They're going to hunt down somebody. 
When I think of hunting, I think of taking a gun or a bow and arrow, and maybe trying to find some animals in the forest. 
But of course, here when you hunt down somebody, that means you're looking for them. 
You are trying to find them very carefully. 
And until you do, you will not give up; you're hunting them down. 
That's right. 
And they have to find whoever was responsible for destroying Starfleet. 
That's right. 
Well, it's time for us to look at another movie. 
Sully and Mike of Monsters, Inc. fame return in Monsters University. 
Carolyn, did you ever see Monsters, Inc.? 
I did see Monsters, Inc. 
And it was a very fun movie, very light-hearted and a nice animated film that I really enjoyed, so. 
This should be a very fun one as well. 
They're going to be in Monsters University, which tells of the pair's days at... at the University of Fear. 
I don't know that I would want to go to a University of Fear, Gabe. 
Well, yeah, I don't know if I would, either, Carolyn. 
But I loved Monsters, Inc., the first movie. 
And I think this is going to be a very fun movie to watch. 
Now that phrase at the very beginning of this sentence is "Sully and Mike of Monsters, Inc. fame..." You could also rephrase this to say: 
"Sully and Mike famous for Monsters, Inc.," and then continue the sentence. 
So they have this Monsters, Inc. fame. 
Well, let's continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Most of the films in today's lesson are sequels. 
That is they are movies that follow or continue the story of other movies that have already been released. 
The one exception is Monsters University. 
It's not a sequel, it's a prequel, which is the opposite of a sequel. 
Right. 
Instead of going forward in time and telling audiences what happens next, 
a prequel is a movie or book that goes back in time and tells audiences what happened before the original story took place. 
They're also sometimes called backstories. 
So it seems like movie studios are giving us more and more prequels these days. 
Why do you think that is? 
Well, like sequels, prequels have a pre-existing fan base that is already familiar with the characters. 
This means sequels and prequels aren't as big a financial risk for studios to produce. 
But the one big challenge in creating a successful prequel is writers can't include a surprise ending. 
Right, because audiences already know from the original movie basically how things will end. 
That's why prequels generally focus on character interaction and character development, 
cluing in audiences with how and why events in the original movie took place. 
(Chinese). 
Well, talking about Monsters, Inc., I guess that this new movie would be considered a prequel since it is going back in time. 
Their initial dislike of each other - talking about Mike and Sully - slowly becomes respect and, eventually, friendship. 
So this is telling the story of how Mike and Sully became such good friends. 
That's right. 
I guess they didn't like each other at first - their initial dislike. 
"Initial" means at first. 
So at first, they didn't like each other like you see in that first Monsters, Inc. movie. 
Well, we continue. 
The 3-D format adds to the fun of the college pranks the pair plays on each other. 
All right. 
So just like a lot of college students and high school students or just good friends, they play pranks on each other. 
Let's take a look at that key word "prank." Carolyn, what is a prank? 
Well, a prank is kind of like a practical joke that we talked about in April for April Fools' Day. 
But it's usually something a little bit mean that you are trying to do to another person to make them feel embarrassed. 
That's right. 
I remember one prank. 
I was in the dorms in my high school. 
One prank that some people played was they stacked up many cans, empty can, drink cans in front of a door. 
And so when the person opened the door, all of the cans fell into the room. 
That was a simple kind of prank. 
It's a harmless prank. 
There are some very mean pranks. 
We don't encourage you to do those. 
But sometimes playing simple pranks on other friends can be a little bit fun. 
And we see that Mike and Sully, I guess they're going to do that in this Monsters, Inc. movie. 
Well, we do have another animated offering. 
Despicable Me 2 finds Gru, his three adopted daughters and his band of minions taking on a dangerous villain. 
Well, hey, let's take a look at some of those words in that sentence. 
The first is from our Word Bank. 
It is "animated." And this is an important word to know if you're talking about movies. 
Many movies today are animated. 
I don't want to say "cartoon." Some animated movies are cartoons. 
But usually when we say "animated," we're talking about using better special effects but they're not using real people or real backgrounds. 
That's right. 
So you might animate a movie on a computer and 3-D movies like Mike and Sully in Monsters, Inc. University. 
It sounds like they are going to be uh, an animated 3-D movie. 
It sounds like a lot of fun. 
But this one, we're talking about Despicable Me 2. 
And he has three adopted daughters and a band of minions, Gabe. 
That's right, minions, his band of minions. 
They're his followers. 
A minion is someone who maybe works for you, but they adore you, they love you, they love working for you. 
And you might see this word or maybe see this kind of person working for someone like a villain or obviously like someone like Gru from Despicable Me. 
If you ever saw the first one, it's a very cute movie. 
And I'm sure this next one will be great as well. 
Well, let's continue doing something special. 
Let's enjoy a review skit. 
And then join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hooray! The summer movie season is finally here. 
Yes. The studios are rolling out their biggest pictures. 
I've been waiting. 
I'm expecting a lot. 
And summer 2013 will not disappoint. 
I want to see Iron Man 3. 
Tony Stark is traveling to China, where he faces the terrorist mastermind. 
Ooh. And he must rely on his own ingenuity to survive, not his super suit. 
Yeah. Let's go. 
Wait. Wait. Wait. Star Trek Into Darkness is also playing. 
Hmm, with Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise? 
Yes. They're hunting down the villain responsible for Starfleet's destruction. 
Wow! Maybe we should go see that one. 
Wait. Wait. Wait. Now wait before. 
Sully and Mike of Monsters, Inc. are back, too. 
I love Monsters, Inc. 
What about the new movie? 
Well, it's Monsters University. 
It tells about Sully and Mike's days at the University of Fear and all their college pranks. 
And it's in 3-D. 
Wow! That sounds pretty good. 
Also showing is Despicable Me 2. 
That's another great movie. 
Wow! I want to go see that one. 
There are so many great titles. 
Which one should we see? 
Let's see them all. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers now. 
Well, so far today we've talked about some sequels and movie franchises and, of course, some animated movies. 
Well, I do wonder about what sequels you thought were better than the original movies. 
There've been many movies that came out. 
Sometimes the sequel is better. 
Most of the time we think the original is the best. 
But Carolyn, has there ever been any sequel or part of a series that you thought was better than the first one? 
Well, actually I thought Toy Story 3 was much better than that first or the second one. 
It was so moving and just a wonderful story. 
You know, that's the one I was thinking about, too, Carolyn. 
I loved Toy Story 3. 
Well, it's time for us to say goodbye for today. 
But do come back next time because we have more to talk about about the summer movies. 
See you next time on Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.06.04.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for the second day of our lesson about summer movies this year - Let's Go to the Movies. 
Are you going to see any of the movies that we mentioned in yesterday's lesson? 
Are you going to see that new Star Trek movie or the movie about Sully and Mike from Monsters, Inc? 
Or maybe you'll see Iron Man 3. 
Well, there're so many different kinds of movies. 
What kinds of movies do you like to watch the most? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I actually really enjoy action movies. 
I like all of the excitement and adventure. 
And I also really like science-fiction action movies, which is why I can't wait to see Star Trek Into Darkness. 
Well, I think that is going to be a fun one to watch, especially in the movie theater. 
I also like action movies in a movie theater because of the big screen. 
Everything comes to you so much bigger. 
That's why I enjoyed watching Life of Pi. 
Do you remember that movie? 
I saw it twice in the theater. 
It was just so well done. 
I love those kinds of movies. 
Well, we're going to be talking about more summer movies that are coming out this year. 
So let's get started with the first reading of the day. 
Let's Go to the Movies. 
More animated offerings. 
In Epic, teenager Mary Katherine is magically transported to a deep forest where a battle between good and evil is taking place. 
She joins a group of strange characters who are fighting to save their world. 
The animated 3-D adventure Turbo follows the adventures of a snail who somehow attains the power of superspeed. 
His goal is to win the Indianapolis 500. 
Comic book heroes. 
Man of steel, the highly-anticipated new version of Superman, tells the familiar story of a child from a dying planet who comes to Earth. 
(Music). 
This sounds like it's going to be a very great summer for movies. 
At the beginning here we see a title: More animated offerings. 
Yesterday we talked about two animated movies, and today we've got a few more. 
The first one is Epic. 
In Epic, teenager Mary Katherine is magically transported to a deep forest where a battle between good and evil is taking place. 
Do you think this sounds like an exciting epic movie, Gabe? 
Well, yeah, it does, actually. 
This movie's name is Epic. 
So that's a noun, I guess, because it's the name of a movie. 
But it's an adjective, actually. 
If something is epic, that means it is really big. 
It's not just something really small. 
It's a big, grand story. 
And so this is talking about someone who is magically transported somewhere. 
I also use that word "magically" sometimes. 
Have you seen The Hobbit? 
In that movie, when someone puts on the ring, they magically disappear. 
We don't know how do explain it. 
It just magically happens. 
That is one way to use that word to describe it. 
Well, talking about Mary Katherine in Epic, she joins a group of strange characters who are fighting to save the world. 
So it sounds like she's going to have quite an adventure in this movie. 
That's right. 
And of course, we found out that the theme of this movie is kind of the battle between good and evil. 
And I think that's the theme of many movies. 
Of course there is a battle in the real world between good and evil. 
So they like to bring that out in movies as well. 
Well, how do we continue here, Carolyn? 
It starts: The animated 3-D adventure Turbo follows the adventures of a snail who somehow attains the power of superspeed. 
So this is very interesting, a 3-D movie called Turbo. 
If something is turbo, then it's very, very fast. 
You might have a turbo engine on a vehicle, like on a racecar, so that it will go faster. 
But this is about a snail. 
And snails, I usually think of as something that is very slow. 
That's right. 
So snails really are probably some of the slowest animals on Earth. 
So how is he going to become "Turbo"? 
Well, he attains this power of superspeed. 
Let's look at that word from the Word Bank: attain. 
If you attain something, that means you reach it, or you get it through some level of difficulty usually. 
It's not like the word "obtain," O-B-T-A-I-N. 
That means to get something. 
But usually it didn't require any kind of challenge or difficulty. 
But usually when you attain something, it wasn't that easy. 
Carolyn, how else might you use that word? 
Well, if you have been studying English for a while, maybe you've been studying with us here on Studio Classroom, 
we hope that you have attained a high level of English that you feel comfortable in speaking English, 
and maybe you have even attained a high score on your English test. 
Well, that is our hope for you. 
Now this snail, he is going to attain the power of superspeed. 
Well hey, I think we should learn something else with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
They've been around almost 100 years now. 
So hopefully, we're all familiar with 3-D movies, right? 
Right. And what are the three dimensions again? 
Width, height and depth. 
OK. Now are you ready for the next dimension in entertainment? 4-D! 
4-D isn't actually a fourth dimension in the geometric sense. 
Rather, it refers to entertainment that combines artistic talent with the latest technology for the purpose of heightening our senses and maximizing our fun. 
Right. 
For example, let's say you're watching a movie about elephants. 
As the hefty animals begin walking past you on the big screen, you start to feel the floor vibrating underneath your feet. 
Then as you watch the elephants spraying water from their trunks, you realize you, too, are being sprayed with water right there in the theater. 
You might even be able to... smell the elephants, too. 
Not sure if I like that. 
Keep your eyes open and you might also see movie advertisements claiming 5-D, 6-D and even 7-D technology. 
But they're all basically the same thing - cutting edge, interactive entertainment. 
Besides theaters, you'll find 4-D entertainment in theme parks, museums, visitor centers, zoos, aquariums and casinos, too. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, there is a 4-D ride that I can think about. 
And that is the Star Wars Ride at Disneyland. 
It's quite fun. 
Let's continue with our lesson. 
We're learning about Turbo, about this snail who attains the power of superspeed. 
And his goal is to win the Indianapolis 500. 
And that is a big car race. 
It's a 500-mile long car race. 
Well, in our next section we see Comic book heroes. 
So we are going to be talking about characters from comic books and this new movie: Man of Steel, 
the highly-anticipated new version of Superman, tells the familiar story of a child from a dying planet who comes to Earth. 
Do you like Man of Steel or do you like Superman, Gabe? 
Well, I like Superman. 
I like the idea of Superman, someone who has these superpowers and who can help and rescue many people. 
Um, I am looking forward to seeing Man of Steel because I like seeing these different versions of old classics that keep coming out. 
I know Batman is another character from a comic book. 
And they keep making new movies about Batman. 
And usually they keep getting better and better as well. 
That's right. 
Well, this is a new version of the Superman story. 
And "version" is a word from our Word Bank. 
If you have a version of something, then it's very similar to what came before it with a few minor changes, so. 
Maybe you are highly anticipating the release of the new iPhone. 
It is the newest version of this phone. 
The newest version. 
Or maybe you love playing video games or computer games, and there's a new version of your favorite game coming out. 
Of course, when we're talking about movies, new versions of old stories come out all the time. 
One of these things... one of them is a movie called The Great Gatsby. 
We're going to be learning about that a little bit later. 
But that's kind of a new version. 
Well, we're going to learn something new with Michelle right now in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.04.B

Well, we've been talking about some summer movies so far today. 
We've learned about some animated offerings, some animations that are coming out this year. 
One of them is called Epic. 
And that should be pretty good to see on the big screen. 
Another is called Turbo, actually about a snail who attains the power of superspeed. 
And of course, if you love comic books, then you might want to check out the newest version of Superman called Man of Steel. 
We're going to be continuing to learn about this and then some other movies in the next part of our reading for today. 
Let's Go to the Movies. 
He is adopted by a couple in Kansas, and as he grows up, he discovers his amazing powers and decides to use them to fight evil. 
Henry Cavill plays Superman/Clark Kent in the film. 
A masked lawman and his Native American partner battle for justice in the unsettled west of the United States in The Lone Ranger. 
The film features plenty of impressive action sequences. 
Hugh Jackman stars as his X-Men character Wolverine in The Wolverine. 
Jackman travels to Japan where he trains with a samurai warrior and confronts a mysterious figure from his past. 
(Music). 
Let's go back to beginning of this section where we are still talking about Superman's new version - Man of Steel. 
We see Clark Kent is adopted. 
He is adopted by a couple in Kansas, and as he grows up, he discovers his amazing powers and decides to use them to fight evil. 
So it sounds like he has a very interesting life. 
Well, I think so, too. 
And again we see this theme here, the battle between good and evil. 
I think that's what Superman has always been about - the battle between good and evil. 
So Superman, or Clark Kent, is going to fight against evil. 
And Henry Cavill plays Superman (slash) Clark Kent in the film. 
Of course if you know anything about Superman, yes, he has kind of two roles - Superman and his regular human role Clark Kent. 
That's right. 
So he has two lives almost. 
Well, the next paragraph we learn about another famous comic book character and its new movie. 
A masked lawman and his Native American partner battle for justice in the unsettled west of the United States in The Lone Ranger. 
Are you familiar with the story of The Lone Ranger, Gabe? 
You know what, Carolina? 
I wish I was, but I'm not really familiar with the story, which maybe is a reason why I should go and watch it this summer. 
It is a great story. 
And as we see, this is about a masked lawman, so someone who is fighting for the law. 
He wants to enforce the laws because in the west of the United States during this time, 
it was a very dangerous place to be, and there wasn't really anyone to enforce the laws. 
There really weren't a lot of police. 
That's right. 
Well, we continue learning about this. 
The film features plenty of impressive action sequences. 
So if you love action sequences, we know Carolyn loves action movies, I love watching action movies on the big screen, 
and there will be many action sequences in this movie. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "sequence." Now a sequence is a word that means that there was something first, and then maybe there are many things in order. 
So that is an action sequence. 
There are many things that are happening in an order. 
That's right. 
So one thing happens, and then another thing, and then another thing. 
And they all go together in a sequence, a series of one thing happening right after the other. 
Well, other than action sequences in The Lone Ranger, there is another comic book movie coming out this summer. 
Hugh Jackman stars as his X-Men character Wolverine in The Wolverine. 
Now this is a franchise I hope you are more familiar with, Gabe. 
Well, yes, I am, Carolyn. 
I have seen some of the X-Men movies. 
I haven't seen all of them, but I do enjoy watching Hugh Jackman. 
He was in Les Mis, which I saw earlier this year. 
And he did a great job. 
And of course I enjoy watching him as the Wolverine as well. 
Yes. This is a very different role, this character he plays in X-Men. 
And Jackman travels to Japan where he trains with a samurai warrior and confronts a mysterious figure from his past. 
It sounds like a lot of the movies this year are going to be going to Asia. 
We know from yesterday, Iron Man 3 will be taking place partially in China, and the Wolverine, he is going to be traveling to Japan. 
That's an interesting observation, Carolyn. 
I've noticed over the last couple of years, many Hollywood movies have some of their events happening in big cities in Asia, 
or even other places around Asia or around the world. 
They're trying to become more international. 
I like that. 
Well, let's take a look at one of these words from this sentence. 
It is "warrior." It's from our Word Bank. 
And a warrior is someone who fights for their country or fights for their government. 
Or maybe they just fight for a cause. 
They're a warrior. 
That's right. 
And here we have the Wolverine is going to be a... fighting with a... or training with a samurai warrior so that he can learn this... style of fighting. 
That's right. 
And a samurai warrior is a special kind. 
It's a warrior from a certain country - you know - Japan. 
That's right. 
A samurai is someone who fights for their nobility. 
They're a military warrior. 
And actually it's very difficult to become a samurai. 
They're very impressive warriors indeed. 
That is correct. 
Well, right now it is time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we will join Michelle and learn something there with her in the Language Lab. 
Wow! There are so many great movies this summer. 
Yeah. Iron Man 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness sound exciting. 
Monsters University and Despicable Me sound fun. 
So which movie should we watch? 
Wait. There are other choices, too. 
Other choices? Like what? 
Like Epic. 
It's another animated movie. 
A lady is transported into a forest where she fights to save the world. 
Saving the world is important. 
And there's another movie. 
This one's called Turbo. 
It's a 3-D adventure about a snail. 
The adventure of a snail? 
Yes! He wants to win the Indianapolis 500. 
That's funny. 
Anything else? 
Yeah, the Man of Steel. 
It's a new version of Superman. 
Superman fights against evil. 
He's super. 
And so is The Lone Ranger. 
He battles for justice in the wild west. 
Sounds impressive. 
Let's go. 
Wait! Wolverine! It has action, too. 
He travels to Japan and trains with a samurai warrior. 
Wow! Which film should we see? 
Let's see, how about... 
Oops. 
It's too late. 
What? 
The ticket window is closed. 
Oh, no. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
Well, the movies we have talked about today have mostly focused on comic book movies. 
And I wonder how excited are you for the comic book movies coming out this summer. 
Do you enjoy watching films based on comic books? 
Gabe, I know some people are not very happy that comic books are being turned into movies because they think it kind of takes away from the story. 
How do you feel about this? 
Well, I was never really that into comic books, and so maybe I can't criticize on that basis. 
But I do enjoy a lot of these movies. 
I love the Batman movies that have been coming out recently. 
Actually I loved Li Ang's The Hulk, which is also based on a comic book character. 
Some people didn't like his version, and so there was a new version of the Hulk made. 
But usually I like these comic book movies. 
They are very fun movies to watch. 
And I think that they can really help to expand the number of people who read the comics because you watched these movies and want to learn more about the characters and their stories. 
Well, we have another full day of learning about movies right here tomorrow on Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.06.05.A

(Music). 
Hello and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
Thank you for joining us for the third day of our lesson about the movies that are coming out this summer. 
Let's Go to the Movies! 
Yes, of course, there are many great movies coming out this summer. 
Some have already come out. 
Have you seen any of the movies that we have mentioned so far? 
Well, there are more things to look forward to as well. 
Do you like going to the movies? 
Do you like going to watch movies on a big screen at the movie theater? 
Or do you prefer watching movies from the comfort of your television or your seat at home? 
Carolyn? 
Well, there are certain movies that I really like to watch in a movie theater because the sound system is so good, 
and the special effects are amazing to see on a big screen. 
But there are also a lot of other movies that I'm just fine sitting at home and watching them on my computer or on TV. 
Yeah, I think I would agree. 
Although sometimes I won't even watch a movie unless I'm very intentional about it. 
That's why I do like going to the movie theaters to watch movies, because I'm not distracted by other things. 
I can just sit and watch the whole movie, especially those big epic films that have so many wonderful special effects. 
Those are great to see in the movie theater. 
Well, let's get started with our first reading of today learning about some other movies this summer. 
Let's Go to the Movies. 
Action and Adventure. 
The special-effects extravaganza Pacific Rim tells of a team of humans who pilot giant robots in a worldwide battle against an alien attack. 
Real-life father and son Will and Jaden Smith costar in After Earth, the story of a father and son who crash land on planet Earth. 
The planet is no longer inhabited by humans as they were forced to abandon it 1,000 years earlier. 
As the father lies dying, the son must recover their rescue beacon against impossible odds. 
(Music). 
Wow! That sounds like quite an interesting film to watch, and I love those actors. 
Well, let's go to the very beginning here. 
We're talking about Action and Adventure. 
The special-effects extravaganza Pacific Rim tells of a team of humans who pilot giant robots in a worldwide battle against an alien attack. 
Wow, big sentence right there. 
Let's talk about some things in that sentence. 
This is a special-effects extravaganza. 
That's how they describe this movie Pacific Rim. 
It's an extravaganza. 
This is from our Word Bank. 
Carolyn, what is an extravaganza? 
Well, an extravaganza is something very big, very impressive or exciting. 
And here we have a movie that is a special-effects extravaganza, which means that there will be a lot of special effects in this movie. 
Probably throughout the entire film, it will just be one special effect after the other. 
That's right. 
Now you can use this word "extravaganza" to describe lots of different kinds of events, actually. 
They're talking about a special-effects extravaganza. 
But maybe you're throwing a big party, and there will be lots of different kinds of food. 
You could just call that a food extravaganza. 
Think about how to use that word "extravaganza." And we're talking about this movie Pacific Rim. 
It tells of a team of humans who do something. 
Let's look at that phrase: it tells of something. 
Carolyn, can you tell us about this phrase? 
Well, this phrase just means that it's about something. 
The story is about a team of humans who pilot giant robots. 
You might also say tells of the life of a young boy. 
So this is a really great phrase that we can use throughout our conversations. 
Gabe, how else might you use this? 
Well, I might say the book tells of something or the... the movie tells of something. 
This recording that I'm listening to, it tells of the story about this person. 
So that's how you use this phrase. 
You're not necessarily speaking. 
You could be just reading something that tells of something. 
So we're talking about a team of humans who pilot giant robots. 
Um, usually I think of piloting like you're... you're flying an airplane. 
Carolyn, what does this mean here? 
Well, here it means that they are controlling the giant robots. 
And maybe the robots can fly, so they might need to pilot them. 
But it means that they are kind of controlling, they are inside the robot. 
And it is in a worldwide battle against an alien attack. 
And "alien" is another word from our Word Bank. 
If something is alien, then it is foreign; it is from outside. 
And usually when we think of alien attacks in movies, we think of aliens from outer space. 
That's right. 
And of course one movie that you may have seen is called Independence Day, or ID 4. 
Will Smith stars in this movie, and he fights against aliens. 
And we're going to be learning about Will Smith a little bit right now as well. 
Real-life father and son Will and Jaden Smith costar in After Earth, the story of a father and son who crash land on planet Earth. 
Interesting. 
They're humans, but they're coming from the outside. 
They crash land, so it's not a smooth landing, right here on planet Earth. 
That's right. 
And it's very interesting the reason that they crash land on Earth. 
We see the planet is no longer inhabited by humans as they were forced to abandon it 1,000 years earlier. 
So there are no people on the Earth anymore. 
It is no longer inhabited. 
And let's take a look at that Word Bank word, the word "inhabited." If a place is inhabited, then it means that something lives there. 
I might say that the forest is inhabited by many different animals and hundreds of different kinds of birds. 
Or maybe that building is full of animals. 
These animals inhabit this old building. 
People used to inhabit that building, but now it's inhabited by these different kinds of animals. 
They live there. 
So the planet is no longer inhabited by humans as they were before. 
It's no longer, that doesn't happen anymore. 
But as we continue learning about this movie: 
As the father lies dying, the son must recover their rescue beacon against impossible odds. 
Carolyn, what does it mean to do something against impossible odds or against odds? 
Well, it means that it's very unlikely to succeed. 
It would be a very difficult situation to actually complete your task. 
So here it is against impossible odds. 
And it sounds like it would be a very difficult task to recover this rescue beacon. 
That's right. 
And a rescue beacon, maybe it's a source of guidance of some kind. 
And so if you are going to do this, if it's against impossible odds, it's really difficult. 
Maybe your chances of winning are one out of 100. 
That's impossible odds. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.05.B

It is our third day in this article Let's Go to the Movies. 
Today we are talking all about action and adventure films coming out this summer. 
We've already talked about two today. 
The first one was Pacific Rim, a special-effects extravaganza, which deals with an alien attack. 
The second one we talked about was After Earth, in which the planet Earth is no longer inhabited by humans. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn in the next section, so let's start that reading now. 
Let's Go to the Movies. 
In the action-drama White House Down, Channing Tatum stars as a Secret Service agent trying to save the U.S. president. 
A paramilitary force that has taken control of the White House threatens his life. 
Those wanting more story-driven fare shouldn't miss the latest adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. 
Tobey Maguire stars as writer Nick Carraway, who is drawn into the flamboyant world of millionaire Jay Gatsby during the Jazz Age. 
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Gatsby in this tragic romance. 
With so many great titles to see, film fans will be spending many hours experiencing danger, drama and laughter from the comfort of a theater seat. 
(Music). 
That's true. 
Well, let's start at the beginning of this section here. 
We're talking about action and adventure movies. 
In the action-drama White House Down, Channing Tatum stars as a Secret Service agent trying to save the U.S. president. 
Well, Carolyn, I can think of many movies in the past that kind of have a similar theme: someone is trying to save the president or someone in leadership. 
This is a very common theme that we see in movies. 
Especially coming out of the United States, there are many movies that are made about the president. 
And in this one, a paramilitary force that has taken control of the White House threatens his life. 
So the life of the president of the United States is threatened by a paramilitary force. 
And paramilitary just means that it is not an actual military but people who are acting as one. 
That's right. 
Or maybe they're assisting the military. 
Sometimes you might see those letters P-A-R-A at the beginning of a word in English. 
"Para-" means "with." It comes from another language, I think. 
But it means "with." And so if you can remember that, it will help you understand the meaning of that word. 
And so this has taken control of the White House. 
Or some force that is coming, and they want to threaten the president's life. 
They take control of something. 
So this person wants to come and save the president. 
Well, that is a very exciting mission for him to take on. 
And there are other movies coming out this summer as well that are action-oriented. 
But those wanting more story-driven fare shouldn't miss the latest adaptation of F. Scott's... F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. 
And this is a very famous story by F. Scott Fitzgerald that has been remade into another movie. 
That's right. And so you don't want to miss this if you like story-driven movies, or story-driven fare as we see here. 
Many things can be driven, but... 
Well, let's take a look at the Grammar Gym and see what Liz has to say about this. 
Hi there, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article the writer mentions: 
Those wanting more story-driven fare shouldn't miss the latest adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Notice the phrase "story-driven." It describes fare. 
What kind of fare? 
It's fare that is driven by a story. 
"Driven" is usually used to talk about what we do with cars, like: 
He has never driven a car before. 
But in today's sentence, "driven" means to be controlled by or to be strongly influenced by. 
So the sentence just means people who want to watch movies that are influenced by a story should go see F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. 
So we see story-driven fare. 
What other something-driven adjective phrases are there? 
Well, a boss that only cares about money is a money-driven boss. 
A hungry tiger looking for food is a hunger-driven tiger. 
Or a learning program that focuses on being fun can be described as a fun-driven program. 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine, you'll find more examples there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Earlier I mentioned that this film The Great Gatsby is remade into another movie. 
And I think that Steve and Ken have something they'd like to tell us about that in the Information Cloud. 
Not only is the movie The Great Gatsby an adaptation, (that is a film that is based on a play, a musical or in this case, a novel,) it's also a remake. 
Right. It's a new version of a previously released movie. 
This can be said because there are already three other major Hollywood productions of The Great Gatsby in existence. 
The last one being filmed in 1974. 
But there are some die-hard movie fans who will argue that the new Gatsby movie is not a remake but rather a reinterpretation. 
They say a remake needs to be based on a previously released film. 
And the new Gatsby film is not. 
It's based on the same source material as the other three Gatsby films - the novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. 
Right, meaning in 88 years, nothing's changed. 
The new Gatsby movie has the exact same characters, plot, setting and title as the other three Gatsby movies before it. 
The only difference being the actors and how they interpret their roles. 
But maybe those fans are just being too picky. 
Why can't a film be an adaptation, a remake and a reinterpretation all at the same time? 
(Chinese). 
Well, we've been learning about this famous story, The Great Gatsby. 
Tobey Maguire stars as writer Nick Carraway, who is drawn into the flamboyant world of millionaire Jay Gatsby during the Jazz Age. 
All right. 
So we know that Tobey Maguire will be in this movie, and he's drawn into the world, the flamboyant world of Jay Gatsby. 
Let's look at the key word: flamboyant. 
This makes me think of something that is really fancy. 
Maybe you don't need everything to be that fancy and wonderful and spectacular, but it is. 
Someone has made it flamboyant. 
Yes. I think of something that is flamboyant as something being very bright, flashy, something that really catches your attention. 
You can't look away from it. 
It's very flamboyant and very obvious as well. 
And here we have a flamboyant world. 
Maybe you know someone who has a flamboyant lifestyle, or they have flamboyant clothes that are very eye-catching. 
That's right, flamboyant clothes. 
Or they live in flamboyance. 
There's kind of a noun, F-L-A-M-B-O-Y-A-N-C-E. 
Now we're talking about Jay Gatsby here, and he has a very flamboyant lifestyle, it's true. 
And he lives during the Jazz Age. 
Actually, the author F. Scott Fitzgerald kind of made this term popular, the Jazz Age. 
Now this is the era between World War I and the Great Depression. 
That's called the Jazz Age. 
Well, in this movie, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Gatsby in this tragic romance. 
So we have two big names in this movie, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire are both stars in this tragic romance. 
That's right, a tragic romance. 
Do you know other stories that are tragic romances? 
Well, Shakespeare wrote a couple. 
Romeo and Juliet was definitely a tragic romance. 
Well, let's continue. 
With so many great titles to see, film fans will be spending many hours experiencing danger, drama and laughter from the comfort of a theater seat. 
Well, what about you? 
Are you a film fan? 
Will you be seeing any of these movies? 
I think I will definitely be going to see some of these titles, another way that you can say film or movie talking about their title. 
And I am looking forward to enjoying spending time in the movie theater this summer as it will probably be very hot outside. 
That's right. 
You can enjoy a movie from the comfort of a theater seat. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something different with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now, time to get back to our teachers. 
Wow! We've talked about many of the different movies that are coming out this summer. 
Some have already come out. 
And I wonder if you've seen some of them. 
I wonder if you also like acting. 
Or if you had a choice, if you could be in one of these movies, what kind of movie would you like to star in? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I would actually really like to star in an animated movie. 
Interesting. 
Yes. I really like the idea of voice acting and just being very expressive in the way you use your voice and put it on a character on screen. 
I think that it would be really fun project to work on. 
That does sound like fun. 
For me, I think I'd like to do something a little more story-driven. 
I love dramas, and they're big challenge for actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire in The Great Gatsby. 
I'd like to be in a movie like that. 
Well, what about you? 
What kind of movie would you like to be in? 
Talk about that in English, of course. 
And we hope to see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.06.06.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for today's lesson. 
It's a very interesting lesson about drive-ins. 
Well, maybe you don't know what a drive-in is, but it's a kind of movie theater. 
It's a kind of theater where you can actually take your car and drive and sit in your car and watch a movie in a big parking lot. 
That's a drive-in movie theater. 
Well, have you ever been to a drive-in movie theater, Carolyn? 
I have actually been to a drive-in theater many, many times. 
There is one very close to my house in West Virginia. 
It only took 20 or 30 minutes to get there, which is pretty close for a movie theater to my hometown. 
So we would often go there on the weekends and watch movies. 
Well, that's really cool. 
You went to a drive-in theater. 
I had... well, there was a drive-in theater right next to the university I went to, but it was shut down. 
There was a big theater screen and a big parking lot. 
But the government wouldn't let them use it because they thought it would fall apart and maybe harm some people. 
So I was there at a drive-in theater, but there were no movies showing. 
I would love to see a movie at a drive-in theater. 
We're going to be learning all about these today. 
Let's get started with the first reading of today's lesson, Drive-Ins. 
Drive-Ins. 
Eighty years ago the drive-in theater was born. 
Was your last trip to the movies a memorable experience? 
Maybe not. 
But years ago, people could have as much fun at the movies as they did watching the film. 
The days of the drive-in theater. 
In 1933, Richard Hollingshead created a unique moviegoing experience when he opened the first outdoor theater. 
At this New Jersey "drive in" theater, people watched a movie from their cars for the first time. 
The popular idea spread, and by the mid-60s there were around 5,000 drive-ins across America. 
That is a lot of drive-in theaters, very large number there. 
Well, we see here that 80 years ago the drive-in theater was born. 
Now drive-in theaters are not alive, but we see that it was born. 
It just means that it was created or invented. 
And a movie theater can't really come to life with all of the activities that go on there. 
Well, that's true. 
And sometimes, just like Carolyn was saying, this is not something that's alive like an animal or a person, 
but you can use the word "born" to talk about something that is invented or created for the first time. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing with our first reading here at the very beginning: 
Was your last trip to the movies a memorable experience? 
Is there something that you remember about it? 
We have that word from our Word Bank: memorable. 
If something is memorable, then you remember it easily. 
It's something that really stands out. 
All right. 
So what in life could be memorable? 
Or maybe you had a memorable vacation. 
You went on a trip somewhere. 
You experience so many things you will never forget it. 
That's like my trip to India earlier this year. 
It was a very memorable experience. 
I went to many places, saw and tasted and felt many different kinds of things. 
It was a memorable time. 
But what else could be memorable, Carolyn? 
Well, I think for a lot of people, their wedding day is very memorable. 
It is a day that they will never forget and maybe the happiest day of their lives. 
Well, right now it is time for us to have a memorable experience with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Our HISTORY article this month is about drive-ins. 
It's a fun and interesting article. 
However, when it comes to HISTORY articles, not everyone is so interested in past events. 
It the case of today's article, the writer could have jumped right into the history of drive-ins, but that would make a lot of readers lose interest. 
So what does the writer do to capture the readers' attention? 
She begins by asking a question: 
Was your last trip to the movies a memorable experience? 
With this question, the writer invites her readers to think about a personal experience. 
This creates a bridge and allows the readers to connect with the subject of the article. 
So next time when you're writing or talking about a subject that is full of facts that might appear boring or not meaningful to readers or listeners, 
don't just jump right into your subject and lay out all the facts. 
Instead, ask a personal question relating to your topic. 
This will make your readers or listeners more interested in what you have to say. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Well, just before the Grammar Gym, we had a question: Was your last trip to the movies a memorable experience? 
And we continue. 
Maybe not. 
Of course sometimes it can be great... other times you just don't remember it. 
But years ago, people could have as much fun at the movies as they did watching the film. 
Carolyn, have you ever had a memorable time in a theater? 
Well, not really in a movie theater. 
I usually focus on the movie that I'm watching because I want to remember that experience because that's why I go there. 
But when I go to a drive-in theater, there are so many more things to enjoy than just watching a movie. 
All right. 
Well, let's get started learning about the drive-in theater. 
This next part is titled The days of the drive-in theater. 
The days of something. 
If you read that sentence, you know that maybe this is talking about something in the past, maybe it's not around anymore or maybe it's not as big anymore. 
We're talking about the days of the drive-in theater in the past. 
That's right. 
And this is a phrase that does tell you that it happened before, and we'll look at it. 
A lot of times I think of how quickly technology changes; the days of the CD player. 
It seems like such a long time ago that we were using CDs. 
Now everyone has MP3 players or just your cell phone or something even different. 
You just download it on your computer, and you don't really even need a file. 
That's right. 
I could also say the days of needing a computer to get online are gone. 
Now we have smartphones, we can get online whenever we need to. 
Well, let's continue with our lesson. 
In 1933, Richard Hollingshead created a unique moviegoing experience when he opened the first outdoor theater. 
That's right. 
And this is a moviegoing experience, so you are going to the movies. 
And it does sound very unique. 
It was the first outdoor theater. 
And at this New Jersey "drive in" theater, people watched a movie from their cars for the first time. 
Well, do you think you would be very excited to get to watch a movie from your car for the very first time, Gabe? 
Yes, Carolyn, because there is that movie theater next to my old university, and I didn't get to watch one there. 
I still haven't seen my first outdoor movie for the first time from a car. 
That would be cool. 
Well, we continue. 
The popular idea spread, and by the mid-60s there were around 5,000 drive-ins across America. 
So over a span of maybe 30 years or so, this idea became very popular. 
And it grew from just one to over 5,000, or around 5,000 drive-ins around America. 
That's right. 
Well, it sounds also like as the popularity of cars grew. 
Because in the 1930s, not everyone had a car, but by the 1960s most people did and they wanted places to drive. 
That's right. 
Well, we see a phrase here, or a word: the mid-60s. 
This is talking about the 1960s, not at the beginning, maybe not 1961 or 62, and not toward the end, the mid-60s. 
Carolyn, what year would that be maybe? 
Well, 1964, 65, 66. 
Yeah. 
Those are the mid-60s. 
All right. 
So we're talking about the drive-in here and how this idea grew across America. 
Well, let's continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.06.B

Have you ever been to a drive-in, a drive-in movie theater? 
Well, that's what we're talking about today. 
I don't know if your moviegoing experiences are very memorable or not. 
But as we found out, it can be a very memorable experience going to a drive-in theater. 
We found out about a man named Richard Hollingshead who started or created the first drive-in theater in 1933. 
It became a very popular idea especially by the 1960s. 
Well, let's continue learning about the drive-in movie theater. 
(Music). 
Drive-Ins. 
At a drive-in, the entertainment began before the movie started. 
Playgrounds, pony rides and more provided lots of fun for the kids. 
Halfway through the movie, dancing drinks and singing hot dogs appeared on the screen. 
Hungry people would then flock to the concession stand for a small snack or a full meal. 
The drive-in provided a whole evening of inexpensive entertainment. 
In the 1980s, however, VCRs, cable TV and rising property prices almost caused the death of drive-ins. 
People didn't go to them as before. 
But some drive-ins survived, and new generations of moviegoers are now enjoying the experience. 
Well, I am very glad that drive-ins have survived for others to enjoy because at a drive-in, the entertainment began before the movie started. 
And if you go there now, it begins before the movie starts. 
And we see a word in that sentence, the word "entertainment." And entertainment is from our Wod Bank today. 
Gabe, what does this very long word mean? 
Well, entertainment is anything that entertains you. 
It's not work. 
It's something that makes you laugh or makes you amused. 
It's something that you can enjoy, entertainment. 
Usually I think of entertainment as something like movies or maybe you go to a concert of a group of music group that you really like. 
You can go and hear them play and sing. 
That is a kind of entertainment. 
That's right. 
But there are many kinds of entertainment. 
And people who go to drive-ins are not there only to see a movie. 
We see in the article that playgrounds, pony rides and more provided lots of fun for the kids. 
So you could go to a movie theater, and there would be a playground or ponies for your kids to ride. 
That's right. 
Well, these seem like different kinds of entertainment. 
Of course maybe sometimes you only think of a certain kind of entertainment. 
Oh, I'm going to go to the movies or something like that. 
Well, try to be creative. 
There are so many other forms of entertainment. 
Even riding a pony or a horse is a kind of entertainment. 
And of course, kids love to play on playgrounds. 
That's right. 
Well, halfway through the movie, dancing drinks and singing hot dogs appeared on the screen. 
So you would watch half of the movie, and then it sounds like there would be a little ad with dancing drinks and singing hot dogs. 
Well, that sounds interesting, these drinks are dancing, and the hot dogs can sing. 
Wonderful. 
Well, that does sound like entertainment to me. 
Yes. Well, there was a reason that they would appear on the movie screen. 
Hungry people would then flock to the concession stand for a small snack for a full meal. 
So when the movie was halfway through, you could take a break and get a snack from the concession stand. 
That's right. 
The drive-in provided a whole evening of inexpensive entertainment. 
And that is my favorite kind of entertainment - the kind that you don't have to pay a lot of money to enjoy. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue learning something in a video. 
Enjoy this video. 
(Music). 
Can you tell me about your experience with reserving with us at the Drive-In tonight? 
It was very easy. 
I just called the number like I said and you're very helpful. 
Got me the spots I needed. 
Everybody's happy. 
And you bought three whole car lots for so many people. 
I did with three car lots. 
And everybody's happy so far for tonight? 
Yup. 
(Music). 
I do love drive-in theaters. 
Well, in the 1980s, however, VCRs, cable TV and rising property prices almost caused the death of drive-ins. 
So in the 1980s, there were rising property prices. 
"Property" is a word from the Word Bank. 
And property is simply something that you own or can buy. 
And here it is talking about land. 
Mmhm. That's right, so the property that you have. 
Well, it almost caused the death of drive-ins. 
The death of something. 
Again, we're not talking about something like an animal or a person who's dying. 
This phrase, "the death of," means that an idea or something is not being done anymore, something is not being used anymore, like drive-ins. 
That's right. 
And a lot of people are thinking that cell phones may cause the death of house phones. 
Interesting. 
Many people don't have phones in their homes because their cell phones are so convenient. 
That's an interesting idea. 
I think that might happen one day. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
You know, Steve, I think it's a real shame that many drive-ins died out. 
I think so, too, Ken. 
In addition to the several reasons our lesson mentions, there's one more reason for the death of drive-ins: the multiplex. 
Ah, yes. The multiplex is a special kind of movie theater. 
The prefix "multi-" means many or more than one. 
So a multiplex is a movie theater complex with multiple screens or auditoriums, maybe 6, 10 or even more. 
Many multiplexes are part of a shopping mall, but they don't have to be. 
Some multiplex theaters were built on the sites of former drive-in theaters. 
Now that's pretty ironic. 
But you have to admit, a multiplex theater has many advantages over the drive-in. 
In addition to offering more movie choices, it offers more showings for each movie so you don't have to wait a long time for a particular movie to start. 
Multiplex theaters also make good business sense. 
A theater owner can convert his single screen theater into a multiplex by dividing the large auditorium into a handful of smaller ones, 
thereby, generating more profit. 
But those auditoriums tend to be pretty tiny like oversized living rooms. 
Which is why I try to avoid them. 
(Chinese). 
Well, talking about drive-ins, people didn't go to them as before. 
But some drive-ins survived, and new generations of moviegoers are now enjoying the experience. 
All right. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from the Word Bank: generation. 
It could mean different things. 
It could mean a grandfather, a father and a son. 
Those are three generations in a family. 
But here it means a period of years. 
So the generation of youth now enjoy different things that the generations of youth before enjoyed. 
That's right. 
Well, right now it is time for us to enjoy a visit to the Language Lab with Michelle. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are up to. 
Well, drive-ins are a wonderful place to go to watch a movie, a great source of entertainment. 
So Gabe, what interests you most about drive-in theaters? 
Inexpensive entertainment. 
Oh, yeah. 
That is a very good part to the drive-in experience. 
Well, I hope that you will have the opportunity to go and that you will join us right here on Studio Classroom next time. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.06.07.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for today's lesson. 
I hope you're interested in learning about snakebites. 
This lesson is all about snakebites. 
Well, the world is full of snakes... well, maybe not full of snakes, but there are many kinds of snakes all over the world. 
Hey, do you like snakes? 
How do you feel about snakes? 
Do you think that they are interesting or frightening to you? 
Carolyn, how do you feel about snakes? 
Well, I actually have mixed feelings about snakes. 
If it's just a nice little gutter snake or a black snake, I'm OK with that. 
I actually even kept a corn snake at my house for a few days until we could take it to the park service to have them take care of it and use it for education. 
OK. So that's great. 
So all snakes are wonderful, right? 
Ah, no, I wouldn't say that. 
If that corn snake had been a rattlesnake, I probably would have killed it. 
All right. 
So you feel different ways about different snakes. 
I think snakes are beautiful, I really do. 
But I try not to get too close to them because I'm not sure yet which ones are poisonous (or venomous) and which ones are not. 
But I do think that they are beautiful creatures. 
Anyway, we're going to be learning about snakebites today. 
Please pay attention as we get started with our first reading of the day. 
(Music). 
Snakebites. 
Watch out for poisonous snakes! 
Adults, children and pets around the world experience them. 
They can result in swelling, bleeding or even death. 
In India, they kill many more people than tiger attacks. 
Snakebites affect between 1.2 million and five million people each year around the world. 
Luckily, out of the 3,000 species of snakes that exist worldwide, only 600 have venom according to the World Health Organization. 
However, any bite can be dangerous if infection sets in. 
Some types of venom make the bite area swollen or painful. 
Others cause bleeding or damage the heart's nerves. 
Here are some especially dangerous snakes: 
All right. 
Well, before we take a look at some of those dangerous snakes, let's learn some English from the beginning of this lesson. 
At the very beginning we see a phrase there: Watch out for poisonous snakes! 
Watch out for these snakes. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank: poisonous. 
If something is poisonous, that means it's not good for you. 
It can cause you to be unhealthy in some way, and it's bad for you. 
What kinds of things are poisonous, Carolyn? 
Well, things that are poisonous contain poison. 
And there are a lot of plants that are poisonous. 
If you touch them or eat them, you can have a very severe reaction. 
Maybe you touch a plant, and your skin gets a terrible rash. 
It turns red and itchy. 
You might even have to go to the hospital. 
But you might eat something that is poisonous as well. 
There are many mushrooms that are poisonous, and you need to be careful not to eat them. 
That's right. 
Some chemicals are poisonous. 
Some gases could be poisonous. 
We also might say "toxic," T-O-X-I-C. 
But these things are poisonous for you. 
You want to learn what things are poisonous in the world of nature. 
Well, we're talking about poisonous snakebites, and let's get started. 
What's our first sentence for the day, Carolyn? 
Well, we see: Adults, children and pets around the world experience them. 
Oh, them! 
Them. What is "them"? 
Well, we continue. 
They can result in swelling, bleeding or even death. 
We're still talking about them or they - these can result in swelling bleeding or even death. 
Well, let's see if the next sentence will tell us what "they" are. 
In India, they kill many more people than tiger attacks. 
Wait a minute. 
So far we have three sentences, and we don't know what they or them are, OK? 
In India, they kill more people than tiger attacks. 
That's crazy! What are we talking about? 
The next sentence here is snakebites. 
Snakebites affect between 1.2 million and five million people each year around the world. 
That is a very large number. 
Even the smallest number, 1.2 million, that's a lot of people who are affected by snakebites. 
It sounds like a pretty dangerous thing. 
That's right. 
Well, so far the first three sentences did not talk about snakebites. 
The fourth sentence we knew what they were talking about. 
Let's learn a little bit more about what this is called with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
The author of today's lesson starts her article by telling us there exists a deadly danger and that the danger is everywhere in the world. 
Pretty frightening. 
But she didn't tell us what it is. 
Not right away, anyway, because she's busy grabbing our attention and making us care about reading what comes next. 
And so finally, in the fourth sentence of the article, we learn what the danger is - snakebites. 
So what did the author do? 
She created a little suspense - that mental and emotional excitement we feel while anticipating the outcome of uncertain situations. 
Suspense could come from a real-life situation, a story, a drama or even a joke. 
Using suspense is effective because we humans are naturally curious people. 
If we start to watch a thrilling drama, we're usually willing to continue watching to see how it ends. 
If we're reading a murder mystery, we're often pretty eager to read on and find out who did it. 
So friends, take advantage of this. 
The next time you write an essay or prepare a speech, try adding some suspense. 
And give your audience a reason to care about what you'll say next. 
(Chinese). 
There was a lot of suspense building in that first paragraph talking about something so dangerous and not knowing what it was. 
But we found out that we are talking about snakebites. 
How does the next paragraph continue, Gabe? 
Well, luckily, out of the 3,000 species of snakes that exist worldwide, only 600 have venom according to the World Health Organization. 
So we see that word "worldwide," and actually before the Info Cloud, you saw another phrase: around the world. 
Actually those can mean the same thing. 
You can use those phrases and words in the same way, worldwide or around the world. 
That's right. 
And of the 3,000 species of snakes around the world, only 600 of them have venom. 
Well, I think that is 600 too many. 
But let's look at that word "venom." It is from the Word Bank. 
And if something has venom, then it has a kind of poison in it. 
Now venom and poison are a little bit different, but a lot of times we use them in the same way. 
That's right. 
You might call something poisonous or you could say it is venomous. 
So venom is a noun; but venomous becomes an adjective, V-E-N-O-M-O-U-S, when something has venom and could be poisonous when it bites you, like a snake. 
Or something else that is venomous or has venom is a spider. 
Some spiders, anyway. 
What are other things that might have venom, Carolyn? 
Well, there are a lot of animals that have venom. 
And actually insects, also. 
Maybe you get stung by a bee, and you have a terrible reaction, it might be that the bee was venomous. 
And now you have venom or poison inside you. 
Now there is a little sidebar in your magazine on venom versus poison if you'd like to read that and learn a little bit more about the difference between those two words. 
That's right. 
Well, we're talking about snakebites here. 
Six hundred snakes have venom or are venomous. 
Let's continue. 
However, any bite can be dangerous if infection sets in. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "infection." This is not a good thing. 
If you have an infection, that means it's affecting your body in some way, and you need to get it checked out maybe at a hospital or by a doctor. 
That's right. 
So when you get injured, if there's a cut on your skin, you might get an infection if that area gets dirty or bacteria gets in it. 
And it can set in. 
It can be very, very dangerous. 
Well, continuing: 
Some types of venom make the bite area swollen or painful. 
It can be very, very painful or swollen. 
Others cause bleeding or damage the heart's nerves. 
Ouch! OK. Be careful around snakes. 
Here are some especially dangerous snakes. 
Well, we're going to be talking about those a little bit later. 
But for now, we need to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.07.B

If you're just joining us today, we are reading an article on snakebites and the dangers of snakebites. 
Snakes around the world can be poisonous or venomous. 
Those two words we often use in the same way though they can mean slightly different things. 
Encourage you to read about that some more. 
Well, we find that snakebites can be very dangerous especially if infection sets in. 
Now let's learn some more about the different kinds of snakes that you might want to avoid. 
(Music). 
Snakebites. 
King cobra. 
The largest of all poisonous snakes, king cobras can reach 5.5 meters in length. 
Each king cobra bite contains enough poison to kill an elephant - or 20 people. 
But these massive snakes usually avoid people. 
They live throughout India, southern China and Southeast Asia. 
Inland taipan. 
A bite from Australia's inland taipan, the world's most poisonous snake, releases enough venom to kill 100 men. 
The good news is that people rarely come in contact with this snake, and a treatment for its venom exists. 
Wow! Do stay away from this snake, the king cobra. 
We are learning all about this largest of all poisonous snakes. 
King cobras can reach 5.5 meters in length. 
Carolyn, that's really long. 
Actually, I think that's almost three times longer than I am tall. 
I think you are right. 
And well, this is the longest of all snakes. 
And I bet it might be why they are called the king cobra. 
They are the king of the snakes because they are so big. 
Well, reading on. 
Each king cobra bite contains enough poison to kill an elephant - or 20 people. 
That's just one bite, Gabe. 
That's just one bite. 
OK, I'm going to stay away from the king cobra. 
But we found out something here. 
One bite can kill 20 people or kill an elephant. 
Well, let's take a look at a phrase there: It's enough poison to kill an elephant. 
It's enough something to do something else. 
You can use that phrase in other ways. 
Do you have enough money to keep your business going? 
Or we have enough food to feed the world, but only the rich people are eating. 
We have enough things to do something else. 
How else can you use that phrase? 
Well, you might say that "Oh, I have enough time to finish my homework." It's a great way to use this. 
There are many different ways you can use this structure, 
not just talking about snakes or your business but many other things that you can have enough of something to do some task. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing on: 
But these massive snakes usually avoid people. 
Oh. So Gabe, it sounds like you don't need to worry about avoiding the king cobra because they usually avoid people. 
Well, that is definitely good to know. 
And I probably won't be seeing any in the city where I'm living anyway. 
But we do find out that these snakes are massive. 
Of course, they're 5.5 meters or they can to reach that length. 
That is a massive snake. 
Well, let's take a look at that word "massive." Massive is another word for huge or great or big. 
It's massive. 
I think of like a really big truck when I think of the word "massive." That is a massive truck. 
That's right. 
I also think of another animal that might be massive - the elephant. 
The elephant is a massive animal. 
It's huge. 
And elephants are massive. 
But the massive king cobra, all it needs to do is take one bite out of that elephant, and it could kill it. 
So these snakes are pretty dangerous. 
But the snakes usually avoid people. 
That is good news. 
That is good news. 
And we also find out they live throughout India, southern China and Southeast Asia. 
So if you live in another part of the world, you might not have to worry too much about encountering a king cobra because they live in a very limited area. 
That's true. 
Well, we're going to learn about another kind of snake here. 
It's called the inland taipan. 
A bite from Australia's inland taipan, the world's most poisonous snake, releases enough venom to kill 100 men. 
Wow. OK, so we saw that phrase again: enough venom to do something. 
And this can kill not only 20 men but 100 men. 
Well, I guess that's why it is the most poisonous or the most venomous because one bite has so much venom in it. 
The good news is - there is good news, Gabe - the good news is that people rarely come in contact with this snake, and a treatment for its venom exists. 
Well, that does sound like good news. 
And that's a good phrase to know: the good news is something. 
Maybe you had to share some bad news with somebody or something negative, and then you can follow up by saying: 
"Well, the good news is this..." and then you share your good news. 
For example, you were planning on going out and doing something in the nice weather. 
But then it rained that day. 
You could say: Well, the good news is we're still together with each other. 
We can do something else inside. 
That's the good news. 
That would be good news. 
You could watch a movie inside. 
Exactly. 
Well, maybe you're at school, and your teacher says: I need you to write a 10-page report. 
That sounds like pretty bad news. 
But the good news is you have three weeks to do it. 
That's good news. 
Well, if you do have bad news and good news, usually you want to share the bad news first so that you can say the good news is this. 
Well, there's always good news here at Studio Classroom. 
The next good news for you is that we have a review skit to watch. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Before we start hiking, I have something important to talk about. 
Yeah? What's that? 
Something that adults, children and pets around the world have experience with. 
Yeah? What's that? 
Something that can result in swelling, bleeding or even death. 
What's that? 
Something that kills more people in India than tiger attacks. 
What? Tell me what! 
Snakes. 
Ah, snakes! 
Oh, no. 
But don't worry. 
Only 600 kinds of snakes have venom. 
Six hundred poisonous snakes? 
Of course. 
A bite from any snake can be dangerous if infection sets in. 
Infection? 
Yes. Some types of snakebites become swollen or painful. 
Oh, no. 
Others cause bleeding or damage to the heart's nerves. 
Oh, no. 
King cobras are the largest poisonous snakes. 
Their poison can kill elephants. 
I'm glad I'm not an elephant. 
Or 20 people. 
Lucky for you, they usually avoid people. 
Lucky for me, I usually avoid snakes. 
The world's most poisonous snake has enough venom to kill 100 men. 
Ah... luckily, I'm not a man. 
Well, they kill women, too. 
Oh, no. 
OK. Well, let's go hiking. 
Let's go home. 
What, come on! 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our teachers. 
We've been learning a little bit about snakebites today. 
Of course, many snakes have venom. 
And we've learned about who sneaks in particular: the king cobra and the inland taipan. 
Now I do wonder if you know anybody who has ever been bitten by a snake. 
Or maybe you've been bitten by a snake. 
And what happened? 
What did you do about it? 
Carolyn, has anybody ever been bitten by a snake that you know? 
Well, fortunately no, I don't know anyone who has been bitten by a snake. 
But where I come from in West Virginia, there are a lot of sneaks. 
And so we grow up being very aware of the dangers of which snakes are poisonous and which snakes aren't. 
Well, I'm glad to say that I don't know anybody who's gotten bitten by a snake, either. 
But it is important to know what to do if that does happen. 
So please join us for our next lesson about Snakebites tomorrow right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.06.08.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for our second day when this lesson called Snakebites. 
Now I don't really like getting too close to snakes. 
But yesterday we did learn about a couple of snakes, and these have venom. 
One is the king cobra, another is the inland taipan. 
Today we're going to be learning about one called the Russell's viper. 
But why all these different names, cobra, taipan, viper? 
Carolyn, do you know anything about these names? 
Well, there are some differences. 
In English, we like to classify things and have specific names for different types of animals, different types of plants. 
And these names help us to tell the difference between them. 
Cobras usually have a hood or extra skin around their neck that expands when they become threatened or scared, and they are poisonous. 
Taipans live in Australia, and their name comes from an aboriginal word that sounds like taipan. 
And the viper that we're learning about today is very scary and very unique. 
Their fangs are hinged so they can move up and down, and it allows them to bite many times very quickly. 
Whoa! That does sound scary. 
OK. That's about the Russell's viper which we're about to learn about. 
So please open up your magazine if you haven't already done so, and let's get started with the first reading of the day. 
(Music). 
Snakebites. 
Russell's viper. 
This snake lives throughout Asia, including India, southern China, and on the island of Taiwan. 
It prefers grassy fields but can be found in forests and urban areas. 
It bites more people and causes more deaths than any other poisonous snake. 
What to do. 
Snakes may be terrifying, but most are more afraid of you than you are of them. 
So if you see a snake, stand back and let it slither away. 
We are talking about snakebites and how we need to watch out for poisonous snakes. 
Yesterday we talked about two words: poisonous and venom. 
And I think that Steve and Ken have some more information they like to share with us on those two words. 
Is an animal poisonous or venomous? 
Using these two adjectives interchangeably is, strictly speaking, incorrect. 
So what's the difference? 
First, we must look at how the animal's toxin is transferred. 
Right. 
Venomous creatures transfer their toxin actively - that is they intentionally deliver it, usually through fangs or a stinger. 
This means all the snakes in our lesson are venomous, not poisonous. 
Because poisonous creatures will only transfer their toxins passively, like when they are ingested or touched. 
An example of this is the poison dart frog. 
If some larger animal eats it or even touches it, the poison on the frog skin will get into the animal's system and kill it. 
Which leads us to the second distinction between poisonous and venomous - and that is how does the creature use its toxin? 
Poisonous creatures, like the dart frog, use their toxin for defensive purposes whereas venomous creatures use their toxin for offensive purposes. 
In other words, a poisonous creature's toxin serves as protection against predators whereas a venomous creature uses its toxin to kill its prey. 
Correct, so. 
The blowfish, poisonous or venomous? 
Poisonous. 
And the scorpion? 
Venomous. 
You got it. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks. 
Well, if those guys were too fast, you can read that information on page 23 in your magazine. 
Well, let's get started talking about this Russell's viper. 
This snake lives throughout Asia, including India, southern China, and on the island of Taiwan. 
Well, it lives in these different places. 
And you might want to watch out for the Russell's viper if you are in any of these places. 
Now Carolyn, why do we say "on" the island of Taiwan instead of "in" the island of Taiwan? 
Well, it is a little bit different because it's an island. 
It's surrounded by water. 
So you are on it, you're not really in it. 
Other places we might say, "Well, I am in the United States." But because we specify Taiwan as an island, we say "on". 
OK. Interesting. 
Well, you can see this Russell's viper maybe on the island of Taiwan. 
And what else do we find out about it, Carolyn? 
Well, this snake, it prefers grassy fields but can be found in forests and urban areas. 
So it likes grassy fields, but you can find it other places like urban areas. 
Let's look at that word from the Word Bank. 
What does an urban area mean, Gabe? 
Well, when I think of the word "urban," I think of a city. 
So you're not in the countryside, you're in an urban area. 
Urban, maybe the opposite of this word is rural, R-U-R-A-L. 
That's kind of more to do with the countryside, not within the city. 
But you might be able to find the... the Russell's viper in urban areas. 
That's kind of scary to think about. 
That is very scary. 
And we learn something that is also scary in the next sentence: 
It bites more people and causes more deaths than any other poisonous snake. 
So this is a snake that you really want to watch out for if you live in an area that has this type of snake. 
That's right. 
Well, what to do? 
What can you do? 
Snakes may be terrifying, but most are more afraid of you than you are of them. 
And I think that's true. 
That's something that many people try to remind you about snakes is that they are more afraid of humans than you are of snakes. 
So they may be terrifying, but remember that. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "terrifying." If something is terrifying, it makes you afraid, it makes you frightened. 
Of course, you see it here as a verb. 
So you could terrify somebody; or snakes might terrify you. 
That's right. 
And if something is terrifying, it is very scary. 
Maybe you think flying is terrifying. 
Many people are afraid of flying. 
But you do not need to be terrified of snakes because there are things you can do. 
What does the next sentence tell us, Gabe? 
Well, so if you see a snake, stand back and let it slither away. 
We just learned that most snakes are more afraid of you than you are of them. 
If you see one, just stand back, let it slither away. 
And of course slithering is the action that a snake does. 
If you talk about a snake, and you want to use a verb, I think "slither" is the best one. 
It doesn't walk away, it doesn't have legs. 
It slithers away. 
That's right. 
And it is important to stand back from the snake. 
You want to give it space because if a snake feels cornered or like it can't get out, it will try to attack or bite you. 
And if it is a venomous snake, that can be very, very bad and even fatal. 
That could be fatal, bad. 
It could be terrifying. 
Well, I do want to talk about that key word a little bit more because Carolyn used it as an adjective - terrified. 
You might be terrified of something like heights. 
T-E-R-R-I-F-I-E-D. 
Well, what are you terrified of? 
What terrifies you? 
For some people, it might be earthquakes. 
Carolyn, is there anything that terrifies you or that you are afraid of? 
Well, I am actually terrified of spiders. 
I do not like spiders, and especially since some spiders are also venomous. 
I... I am very concerned about finding spiders in my apartment. 
All right. 
So you might be terrified of some spiders. 
I think some people are terrified of cockroaches. 
Some people if they see a cockroach, they... they faint. 
They don't know what to do. 
They are terrified. 
Well, you might see some of these things in urban areas - spiders, cockroaches, and sometimes even snakes. 
But always remember, these little creatures are more terrified of you than you are of them. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something else with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And then we'll take a break. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.08.B

Well, we've been learning more about snakebites today. 
And there's another snake we talked about that you... you should try to stay away from. 
This is the Russell's viper. 
Now if you do see a Russell's viper, just stand back and let it slither away. 
But remember, this can be found in some urban areas, and it causes more deaths than any other snake in the world. 
Definitely a dangerous snake. 
Well, we're learning more about what to do if you see a snake. 
Let's do that right now in the second part of our reading for today. 
(Music). 
Snakebites. 
Wear shoes, or better yet boots, when walking outside where snakes might be concealed. 
Never put your hand somewhere you cannot see. 
If a snake bites you, try to get back so it doesn't bite again. 
And try to identify it if you can do so safely. 
Remove any jewelry that could constrict the bitten area. 
And avoid moving the affected limb to slow the venom's spread. 
Most importantly, go to an emergency medical center immediately to get antivenin, a medicine that will stop the venom's effects. 
Even the most dangerous bites can be cured with quick medical treatment. 
Well, that is very good to know with quick medical treatment, you can recover from snakebites. 
Well, going back to the beginning of this section: 
Wear shoes, or better yet boots, when walking outside where snakes might be concealed. 
This sounds like some pretty good advice, Gabe. 
Well, I think so, too. 
Wear shoes, or there's an even better idea - better yet - boots. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: better yet. 
So maybe you have a suggestion. 
You suggest one thing, and then you could say, "Actually, better yet," and then you suggest something else. 
What's one way you could use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, you might say: 
Oh, I have a great idea! Let's go to the movies. 
OK. 
Wait! Better yet, let's rent a movie and order pizza. 
Oh, better yet, let's watch a movie, order pizza and then play games. 
That sounds great. 
Those are some better ideas. 
So when the first thing you say is a good idea, but you have a second idea that is even better, you can say: Better yet, this other thing. 
That's right. 
So wear shoes. No wait, better yet, boots. 
That will protect your feet even more. 
All right. 
Let's look at that word from the Word Bank. It is: concealed, or conceal. 
If you conceal something, that means you hide it. 
If something is concealed, that means it is hidden and you can't see it. 
That's right. 
So maybe you like to conceal things so that other people can't find them. 
That's a fun game. 
Yes. Well, it's not quite like hide and seek. 
But maybe you have a lot of money. 
You just got paid. 
You want to conceal your money so that no one else will find it before you can take it to a bank, and then it will be a little bit more safe. 
That's right. 
Well, what are some other things that you want to conceal? 
You don't want other people to see. 
You could talk about ideas as well, or maybe your emotions. 
Maybe you're really angry about something, but you're trying to keep cool. 
So you conceal your emotions; you conceal your anger. 
Well, we have some more good advice about being in areas where snakes might be concealed. 
Never put your hand somewhere you can not see. 
So if you are walking through the woods, and you see a hollow area or a hole, don't put your hand in it because there might be a snake inside. 
That's true. 
Sometimes you do see little holes in the ground. 
You might be curious. 
But yeah, don't put your hand there, especially if you don't know what's inside. 
Let's continue. 
If a snake bites you, try to get back so it doesn't bite again. 
Well, that seems like pretty good advice. 
I might think about that myself. 
I mean, if I'm bitten once, I don't want to get bitten again. 
I would step back. 
That's right. 
It is good advice, especially if you are bitten by a viper because they can bite multiple times very quickly. 
You want to get as far away as possible. 
But don't run because you don't want the blood to flow too quickly. 
Well, and you should try to identify it if you can do so safely. 
So if you can see what kind of snake it is without getting too close so that you get bitten a second or third time, you should do so. 
That's right, but do so safely. 
Um, I think I would just try to run away as fast as I could, but I think this is good advice, too. 
Maybe it's not a horrible snake. 
Maybe you got bitten, but it's not a venomous snake. 
Anyway, try to identify the snake. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something new with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We see this sentence in today's article: "... try to identify it if you can do so safely. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: do so. 
It's an expression that means "do this." So what the writer is saying is: 
If you're ever bitten by a snake, try to identify the snake if you can do it safely. 
We normally use "do so" in formal situations to talk about an action that is already mentioned. 
Also, the subject needs to be the same. 
For example, let's say Julia's boss asked her to send out some letters, and Julia has already done it. 
Then we can say: 
Julia's boss has asked her to send out the letters, and she has already done so. 
Or let's say Thomas waited for a long time to quit his job, and this is something that Thomas should have done sooner. 
So we can say: 
Thomas waited too long to quit his job; he should have done so sooner. 
And that's it for today. 
Keep practicing your English. 
Doing so will help you to become more confident with your English. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thanks, Liz. 
Continuing talking about what to do if you are bitten. 
Remove any jewelry that could constrict the bitten area. 
Now "constrict" is a word from our Word Bank. 
If something constricts, then it squeezes or it prevents things from moving. 
Gabe, why is it important to remove something that could constrict the bitten area? 
Well, you want to avoid moving the affected limb to slow the venom's spread. 
All right. 
So if you do have something constricting you, that's not good. 
You could use that word in other areas of life, too. 
You might feel constricted. 
If someone is not giving you freedom to do something, you feel constricted. 
But here, of course, we're talking about snakebites and constricted areas of your skin. 
That's right. 
So we want to try to slow the venom's spread, not allow it to move more quickly, so. 
Avoid... and avoid moving the affected limb to slow the venom's spread. 
That would be very helpful. 
And most importantly, go to an emergency medical center immediately to get antivenin, a medicine that will stop the venom's effects. 
All right, because even the most dangerous bites can be cured with quick medical treatment. 
All right, something like antivenin, that will help stop the effects of these snakebites. 
So this is good news. 
We learned about some good news yesterday. 
We have some good news now. 
A lot of snakebites can be cured with quick medical treatment. 
Well, we have more good news. 
It's time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
The past two days we've learned a lot about snakes and how dangerous they can be if they have venom and can bite you. 
Well, we've talked about some of the things you could also do if you are bitten or if you see a snake. 
But how would you react if you saw a snake when you were walking outside? 
Gabe, what would you do if you saw a snake? 
Well, I have seen snakes on many occasions. 
And usually I stop and appreciate them because they are quite beautiful creatures. 
Some of them were just resting there right on the road or on a ledge as I was walking through. 
I usually do like to appreciate snakes, but I don't get too close. 
Well, it is a good idea to not get too close and just back away slowly so that they don't feel afraid and you don't get bitten. 
Well, we have lots more to learn here on Studio Classroom in our next lesson. 
And we will see you then. 
See you next time. 
(Music).

2013.06.10.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And do you know what time it is? 
Well, it's picnic time! 
That's right. 
If you look in your magazine, the name of today's lesson is called Picnic Time. 
Well, have you ever been on a picnic? 
They can be quite enjoyable. 
Carolyn, have you ever been on a picnic? 
I have been on many picnics. 
And perhaps one of the most memorable picnics was one that I went on last year. 
Last July I went back to the United States for a few weeks, 
and I got to go on a really great picnic during the Fourth of July celebrations and celebrate that holiday with my family. 
Well, Fourth of July can be the perfect time to have a picnic because you can go with your family, and you could see many other people as well. 
Picnics can be a great time to get together with friends outside. 
And of course, you take a meal as well and just enjoy nature outside. 
Well, it's picnic time, and it is time to get started with the first reading of today's lesson. 
Let's do that now. 
Picnic Time! 
Celebrate summer by eating outside. 
Instead of eating at the same old restaurant this weekend, why not go on a picnic? 
If you've never been on one, or if it's been a while, you can discover how good food tastes outdoors. 
Picnics throughout history. 
Many believe the first planned outdoor meals took place during medieval times in Europe. 
The well-organized feasts usually included cold meats and fancy baked goods for wealthy guests of hunting parties. 
(Music). 
Well, picnics are a great way to spend some time outside. And at the very beginning we see: 
Celebrate summer by eating outside. 
And we are going to see just how much fun it can be to eat our food outside. 
We see: Instead of eating at the same old restaurant this weekend, why not on on a picnic? 
What do you think, Gabe? 
Why not go on a picnic? 
Well, yeah, that's an interesting question. 
We call this a rhetorical question. 
It's a question where the answer really is, well, of course, you should go on a picnic. 
And at the beginning of this sentence we see the phrase: instead of eating at the same old restaurant this weekend. 
The same old restaurant. 
Carolyn, does this mean that the restaurant is many years old? 
No. This phrase means that it's a place that you go to pretty often or it's something that doesn't really change. 
It's the same every time you're there. 
So you might say: Oh, well, how's your hometown doing? 
Since I don't live there anymore, I might say: Oh, how's my hometown? 
Oh, it's the same old town. 
Nothing changed. 
Nothing has changed. 
It's the same old town. 
Or maybe someone might see me after a long time and tell someone else: 
Ah, he's the same old Gabe. He hasn't changed at all. 
Or maybe you are going to a restaurant, you can tell your friend: 
You're just ordering the same old thing. 
Why don't you try something new? 
And why don't you go on a picnic? 
This is a good suggestion. 
It is a good suggestion. 
And continuing: 
If you've never been on one, or if it's been a while, you can discover how good food tastes outdoors. 
And it is a very different experience from eating in a restaurant. 
That's right. 
It can be very different to go on a picnic. 
Of course food tastes different when you're outside if it's not restaurant food. 
Often you make it yourself, or someone else that you know makes it for you. 
And you can take it and enjoy a picnic. 
Now we see this word "on," if you've never been on one. 
Usually we use the word "picnic" with the word "on." You go on a picnic somewhere. 
That's right. 
And you can discover how good food tastes outdoors. 
Well, we've got another section here titled: Picnics throughout history. 
So picnics are not something that is new; it's been around for a while. 
We see that many believe the first planned outdoor meals took place during medieval times in Europe. 
That's right. 
So many people think that these have been around for a long time. 
Medieval times in Europe, that was many centuries ago. 
And we learn more about this. 
The well-organized feasts usually included cold meats and fancy baked goods for wealthy guests of hunting parties. 
Well, that's a big sentence. 
We have a lot to talk about there. 
And the first thing, of course, is to talk about that Word Bank word: feast. 
Now a feast is a meal that you have. 
But Carolyn, is it usually a small, ordinary meal? 
No. when I think of a feast, I think of a huge meal with many different kinds of food and a lot of people, 
not just something small with three or four or five people but maybe 10 or 20 people. 
That's right. 
It's usually a big meal. 
I might think about a Christmas feast or a Thanksgiving feast, the feast you have at Chinese New Year, 
or a wedding feast - something that you eat with lots of people. 
And these were well-organized. 
Well, it's a little bit different now. 
It doesn't really have to be well-organized to be a picnic now. 
You could just do something simple. 
But these were well-organized feasts, which needed a lot of planning. 
And we see that they usually included cold meats - so not hot food, you're heating outside - and fancy baked goods. 
And a baked good is usually a desert, something sweet that you eat, probably cake or cookies or muffins, something delicious - baked goods. 
And who were these things for, Gabe? 
Well, they were for wealthy guests of hunting parties. 
So of course if you're a wealthy guest of something, then you're rich, you have a lot of money, you were invited to join something. 
And so people were invited to join these picnics. 
They were wealthy guests of hunting parties. 
Carolyn, what's a hunting party? 
I mean, is that kind of a fun celebration where you bring balloons, and you dress up, and you have a theme? 
What's going on here? 
Not... not quite, Gabe. 
Uh, this is not that kind of party. 
Here a "party" means a group of people. 
And this group of people were people who wanted to go hunting. 
So wealthy people would invite their friends, and they would all go hunting together. 
And that would be a hunting party. 
Interesting. 
OK. So you see this word "party" is used a little bit differently than the way we usually think about it. 
Another way you could use this word like this is when you're at a restaurant. 
You made a reservation. 
And then someone would say: Oh. Are you Harbor, party of five? 
Yes, a party of five. That means you're a group of five people going to eat at that restaurant. 
That's right. 
Well, now it's time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.10.B

Well, it is Picnic Time here at Studio Classroom. 
That means it's time to learn about picnics. 
And of course if you've never been on a picnic, I suggest that you do that soon. 
Find a day where it's sunny, the weather is nice, and you can go out, brings some friends, bring your family, go on a picnic. 
So far today we've talked about a little bit of history of the picnic. 
And we found out that maybe it started during medieval times in Europe. 
Well, we're going to continue learning about picnics right now. 
(Music). 
Picnic Time! 
During Victorian times in England, picnics were popular because they provided an opportunity for young people to spend time together outdoors. 
Art and literature began featuring picnics, and popular novelists introduced them in their books as enjoyable social events. 
A typical Victorian picnic included a delicious meal - sometimes with lobster tail and rich desserts. 
In addition, picnic-goers enjoyed musical entertainment and group games. 
The food at 20th century picnics became less elaborate and included items like fried chicken, potato salad and other simple fare. 
Today people can take whatever they like to eat, but the focus is on having a simple, leisurely, fun-filled meal outdoors. 
(Music). 
Picnics are certainly fun... fun-filled meals. 
Well, at the beginning of this section: 
During Victorian times in England, picnics were popular because they provided an opportunity for young people to spend time together outdoors. 
Well, that's quite a long sentence. 
At the beginning of it we see "during Victorian times in England." So this was the time when Queen Victoria was ruling England. 
What happened after that, Gabe? 
Well, these things became popular as people were encouraging young people to spend more time outdoors. 
Do things that took you outside. 
I think maybe we should still be encouraging people to do that today. 
So many people like to spend time inside playing video games or watching TV. 
It's good to do things outdoors. 
And picnics are a great way to do that. 
That's right. 
And we also see a result. 
Art and literature began featuring picnics, and popular novelists introduced them in their books as enjoyable social events. 
So it sounds like picnics started to become very popular. 
They were even included in art and literature. 
And "literature" is a word from our Word Bank today. 
Gabe, what is literature? 
Well, literature is what is written in a language. 
When I think of literature, I think of things like books or novels or magazines or even some advertisements, 
something that will promote an idea of some kind, and it's written in a certain language. 
Of course maybe you have studied some Chinese literature, and I hope also some English literature as well. 
That's right. 
Well, here we see that novelists were writing about picnics in their literature. 
And they were writing about them as something that was enjoyable, an enjoyable social event that you spend time with other people. 
Well, how does it continue, Gabe? 
All right. 
Well, we find out about Victorian picnics. 
A typical Victorian picnic included a delicious meal. 
So this is the usual Victorian picnic. 
And this delicious meal, sometimes with lobster tail and rich desserts. 
Well, lobster sounds like kind of an expensive thing to have anywhere, especially on a picnic. 
It's not a cheap meal; but lobster tail sounds kind of good, actually. 
But Carolyn, can you tell us about rich desserts? 
What does that mean? 
Well, we were talking earlier about how wealthy people had picnics. 
And this does sound like an expensive picnic, but that is not what the word "rich" here means. 
Here the word "rich" dessert means that it's a very full dessert, probably very sweet and has lots of sugar and butter and cream and milk. 
It's a very filling, sweet, rich desert. 
All right. 
Well, we have more to learn about this word "dessert" with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Listen closely to what they have to say. 
Hi, friends. 
Do you ever get confused about the spelling of the word "dessert"? 
Should there be one "S" or two? 
There should be to "S-s." If you spell it with just one "S," you'll end up with the word desert. 
So how do you remember that? 
Well, here's a good way. 
Just remember you always want one more dessert. 
So you'll need one more "S" when you write the word dessert. 
Or you can remember the name Sahara, which is a famous desert. 
And Sahara only has one "S," just like desert. 
Now Ken, the word "desert" can also be used as a verb, right? 
Right. 
But the pronunciation and meaning change when you use it as a verb. 
To desert, D-E-S-E-R-T, someone or something means to leave or abandon that person or thing without intending to return. 
If a man deserts his family, then he leaves his family without planning to return. 
Or we can talk about a soldier deserting his post in the military. 
Such a person is called a deserter. 
You know, Ken, there's one thing I'd never desert. 
Oh, yeah? What's that, Steve? 
A dessert! 
Get it? 
I'd never desert a tasty dessert. 
Ah, good one. 
(Chinese). 
Very funny, Steve. 
I'd never desert a tasty dessert. 
Well, we're continuing to learn about these Victorian picnics. 
In addition, picnic-goers enjoyed musical entertainment and group games. 
So that's not just simply a time to get your friends together and have some food outside. 
Sometimes it can be a lot bigger than that, right, Carolyn? 
That is right. 
And we learn a little bit more about that in the next paragraph. 
The food at 20th century picnics became less elaborate and included items like fried chicken, potato salad and other simple fare. 
So you can play games; you can have these elaborate uh, festivities. 
But you can also have things that are more simple. 
But first, let's look at that word "elaborate" from the World Bank. 
If something is elaborate, then it's very fancy. 
It's very big and maybe even complicated. 
That's right. 
There are so many details in something elaborate. 
It's not simple. 
It's the opposite of simple. 
Maybe you heard someone give a speech. 
It wasn't just a simple speech. 
It was an elaborate speech. 
They did a very good job. 
Or you might say that someone's home is very elaborate. 
If it is a very expensive home with lots of art hanging on the walls, very fine decorations, you might say that their house is elaborate. 
But we see that they went from eating lobster tail and rich desserts at these picnics to much more simple fare, or simple food, like fried chicken or potato salad. 
What else do we learn, Gabe? 
Today people can take whatever they like to eat, but the focus is on having a simple, leisurely, fun-filled meal outdoors. 
That's true. 
Let's take a look at that word "leisurely" from the Word Bank. 
If you do something leisurely, that means you're not stressed when you're doing it. 
You can take your time. 
That's right. 
It is a very relaxed activity. 
And picnics should be leisurely. 
It should be just a fun time to get together and eat a meal outdoors. 
And you can do other things leisurely as well. 
You could take a leisurely walk. 
You could walk at a leisurely pace, not too quick. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue learning something... well, having fun actually, with a review skit. 
And then we'll learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
What time is it? 
I don't know. 
It's picnic time. 
Picnic time? 
Great! I love picnics. 
Most people do. 
And tomorrow is International Picnic Day. 
Whoa, wow! Let's have a picnic and celebrate. 
OK. Let's discover how good food tastes outdoors. 
OK. But wait, I have a question. 
About picnics? 
Yeah. When did people start having picnics? 
Good question. 
Many people believe that the first planned outdoor meals took place in medieval times. 
Medieval times? Ooh. 
Yeah. Those feasts were usually for wealthy guests at hunting parties. 
So picnics have a long history. 
That's right. 
And during the Victorian times in England, picnics provided an opportunity for young people to get together. 
Oh. So were they popular? 
Oh, yes. 
Soon art and literature began featuring picnics. 
They were introduced as enjoyable social events. 
Oh. Really enjoyable, right? 
Yes. 
A typical picnic included a delicious meal with lobster tails and rich desserts. 
They also had musical entertainment and games. 
Well, hooray! Let's have a picnic. 
Will we have lobster tails? 
No. Today's picnics are less elaborate with fried chicken and other simple fare. 
Oh. Well, sounds good to me. 
You bring the food, and I'll bring the fun. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our teachers. 
We have learned a lot about the history of picnics today and how they've changed over the years. 
And if you want to know a little bit more about picnics, there are some fun facts that you can find on page 24 of your magazine. 
Now Gabe, I have a question for you. 
Where would you go for a picnic? 
Well, I think anywhere where there's a body of water like a lake or a river, that's a good place to have a picnic because usually those make beautiful places, 
beautiful scenery there. 
That is very true. 
Lakes and rivers do have beautiful scenery. 
If you aren't near a lake or a river, you might simply go to a park. 
They are wonderful for picnics as well. 
Well, we have more to learn about picnics tomorrow right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
Goodbye.

2013.06.11.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for day two of our lesson Picnic Time. 
We've learned a little bit about picnics throughout history. 
And of course, we're going to learn a little bit more about what can make your picnic an enjoyable experience today. 
Well, when was the last time you went on a picnic? 
And if you go on a picnic in the future, what kinds of food will you bring? 
Carolyn, what kind of food would you take on a picnic? 
Well, I do like going on picnics, and I usually have a fairly healthy picnic. 
I like to bring a lot of fruit and vegetables, sandwiches and usually things that are fairly easy to eat with your hands. 
That's right. I agree, things that are easy to eat with your hands. 
Also, you want to think about where you're going as well. 
If you go to the beach, you might get sand in your food. 
You want to eat things or bring things that might prevent that from happening, things that can be eaten quickly without getting too much sand inside. 
Well, of course you might bring many different kinds of things on a picnic. 
What about you? 
What kind of food are you going to take on your next picnic? 
Let's... let's take a look at the first reading of today's lesson Picnic Time. 
We have some tips for a successful picnic. 
Picnic Time! 
While picnics are an enjoyable family or couple's activity, they can also be a great group event. 
Many companies, churches and clubs host picnics for their employees and members, featuring food, games and fun. 
Tips for a successful picnic: 
Take a blanket - A handy blanket allows you to spread out your meal on the ground. 
Take bug spray - Mosquitoes can ruin your outdoor fun, so be prepared with mosquito repellant. 
Ants are never welcome, so don't lay your blanket near an ant hill. 
(Music). 
All right. 
We've got some great tips so far. 
And let's take a look at the very beginning of our lesson. 
While picnics are an enjoyable family or couple's activity, they can also be a great group event. 
That's true. 
You could go with just one or two other people, your family, or even a huge group can have a picnic together. 
That's right. 
And we see that many companies, churches and clubs host picnics for their employees and nembers, featuring food, games and fun. 
So many different organizations, your company, your church, or maybe some clubs that you belong to might host a picnic. 
And that word "host" is from our Word Bank today. 
Gabe, what does it mean to host something? 
Well, if you host something, that means you're in charge of holding the event. 
Or maybe it's at your house or your place, you host something. 
So if you are part of an organization or maybe your company is going to host something, that means you are going somewhere you can take part in that thing. 
Now this word can also be a noun. 
If you are a host, that means you are in charge of holding the event at your place or somewhere else. 
Yes. 
So the host hosts the event, the noun and the verb. 
Well, we see there are many different types of ways you can host a picnic. 
And maybe a company hosts it for their employees, and it features food, games and fun. 
Well, the next section we see Tips for a successful picnic. 
So these are important things to keep in mind when you are organizing a picnic. 
Gabe, what is our first tip? 
Tip number one. 
Take a blanket. 
Yes. A handy blanket allows you to spread out your meal on the ground. 
I think this is a good idea. 
Whether you're going to a park or you're going to the beach, it's nice to have a blanket or at least a big sheet to spread out on the ground, and you can sit on that. 
That's right. 
And we see that here the blanket is described as being handy, a handy blanket. 
And I think that Liz has something she wants to tell us about that word in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In our article today, the writer gives several tips on how to have a good picnic. 
We read: A handy blanket allows you to spread out your meal on the ground. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the word "handy." It's a common expression we use to describe how something is very easy to use or is very useful. 
In the case of today's sentence, the writer is explaining that by having a blanket laid out, things would be so much easier to organize. 
So it's a good thing to have a blanket. 
It's a handy thing to have on a picnic. 
What else can we describe as being handy? 
Certain kitchen appliances can be described as handy because they can make whatever you're doing become so much easier, like: 
This food processor is very handy and can help you save a lot of time in the kitchen. 
Or if you have a certain tool that's convenient to carry around with you, then you can describe it as being handy, like: 
An army knife is a handy tool to have when you are in the mountains. 
So think of something that's handy, and talk about it with a friend. 
And if you check out today's Grammar Tip section, you'll find more example sentences there. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, we continue with another tip here. 
Take bug spray. 
This can be very important, especially depending on where you live, there could be a lot of bugs. 
That is right. 
And we see that mosquitoes can ruin your outdoor fun, so be prepared with mosquito repellant. 
Yes. And mosquitoes are very annoying. 
They bite you, and then it starts itching. 
And they can really ruin your fun, or ruin your picnic. 
And that word "ruin" is from the Word Bank. 
And it means to just rack something or destroy it, to spoil your fun. 
And sometimes I use this word when I'm thinking about clothes like clothes were ruined. 
Oh, no. I got tomato sauce on my white shirt. 
It ruined my white shirt. 
Or sometimes you want to be careful how you wash your clothes. 
You don't want to put some clothes in the dryer, for instance. 
That might ruin those clothes. 
That's right. 
Well, don't let mosquitoes ruin your picnic. 
Make sure that you take along mosquito repellant. 
Repellant will keep the mosquitoes away. 
It will repel them. 
That's right. 
That's a good point, actually. 
This noun, repellant, is something... It's called bug spray or repellant. 
And it repels things. 
If you repel something, that means you separate yourself from it. 
You drive it away from you somehow. 
So this is called mosquito repellant. 
That's right. 
And another insect that you want to keep away - ants. 
Ants are never welcome, so don't lay your blanket near an ant hill. 
So when you are going on your picnic and you have your blanket, make sure you pick a spot that is away from any ant hills because ants could also ruin your picnic. 
That's true. 
So there are many different kinds of ants, right? 
Of course you might see little black ants coming out of an ant hill trying to eat your food. 
And of course something that you really want to stay away from is red ants - sometimes called fire ants. 
My mom stood on an ant hill once. 
She didn't realize it until there were many fire ants crawling up her leg and biting her leg. 
So make sure you look around for these ant hills before you put your handy blanket down. 
That is right. 
And we want to make sure that your picnic is very enjoyable, that you do not have to worry about insects ruining your time. 
But right now we want to enjoy some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.11.B

Summer is picnic time. 
And today we have learned that many different organizations, churches, clubs, companies all host picnics for people that belong to them. 
And when you are organizing a picnic or hosting a picnic, there are some important tips to keep in mind. 
The first two we've talked about today: 
Take a blanket, a handy blanket, and also take bug spray. 
Well, we have a few more tips to make sure that you have a great picnic this summer. 
So let's read those now. 
Picnic Time! 
Wear sunscreen - When spending time outdoors, make sure you are protected from the sun's harmful rays. 
Pack items that won't break - Take unbreakable cups and dishes or ones that can be disposed of easily. 
Take games - Pack a ball to toss, a Frisbee to throw or something else that will provide a fun activity. 
Throw away your trash - Leave the area clean for those who will follow you. 
Have fun - A picnic is a great opportunity to eat and have a fun time of outdoor relaxation. 
(Music). 
All right. 
Well, let's continue looking in more detail at some of these tips. 
The first one here after our break was wear sunscreen. 
This is very important, especially for me to remember. 
When spending time outdoors, make sure you are protected. 
Protected from what? 
Well, from the sun's harmful rays. 
Carolyn, do you wear sunscreen? 
Well, when I am going outside, especially in this summer on a picnic, I definitely need to wear sunscreen. 
My skin is very pale. 
And if I don't wear it, I burn very easily. 
All right. 
Well, I'm uh... the same way, actually. 
I have pale skin. 
I try to get suntans, but actually it usually turns into sunburns. 
And so it's important for me, and for Carolyn, to put on sunscreen to protect our skin from the sun's harmful rays. 
Those can also be called sunrays. 
They are rays. 
That is right. 
But it is also important for everyone to wear sunscreen. 
Even if you don't brun easily, the sun's rays can still harm you. 
So make sure that if you are going outside this summer, even if it is not a very sunny day, make sure you put on some sunscreen. 
Well, our next tip here: Pack items that won't break. 
Why would we do that, Gabe? 
Well, because often you might kind of be... uncareful if you're taking something like glass out on a picnic. 
It might break easily, especially if you're traveling with it, so. 
Take unbreakable cups and dishes or ones that can be disposed of easily. 
Unbreakable cups, I think of maybe plastic cups. 
Those are unbreakable. 
Glass is breakable and fragile. 
That is right. 
And we see this phrase, "disposed of." You should take things that can be disposed of easily. 
It means that you can throw them away or get rid of them. 
And here we see "easily." And I might think that you should take paper plates or plastic plates that you can simply throw away when you're done, 
although I know a lot of people like to recycle their plastic plates and use them again. 
Well, that's true, too. 
So either recyclable plates or things or things that can be disposed of. 
Now something important about this word is that when you use it to talk about throwing something away, you always have the word "of". 
You're disposing of something. 
That means you throw it away. 
Don't say "I'm disposing this thing." No. That means something different. 
You're disposing of something. 
That is right. 
Well, we have another tip right here. 
Take games. 
Well, this is a great one. 
If you are going on a picnic, you should take games. 
Pack a ball to toss, a Frisbee to throw or something else that will provide a fun activity. 
You are outside, so these are some great things that you can take with you. 
That's right. 
And I love playing Frisbee. 
Actually something I like to do at picnics is play Ultimate Frisbee. 
It's a team sport, actually, with seven or more people on each team. 
And you can use rules kind of like football rules, but instead, you're using a Frisbee. 
It's a fun game to play. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something else right now, actually kind of about that word "Frisbee," with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
You know, Steve, I'm very glad our lesson today mentions Frisbee because one of my favorite games is Ultimate Frisbee. 
Ah, yes, that's a great game. 
And speaking of Frisbee, did you notice that Frisbee is always capitalized? 
How could I not? 
Every time I type the word "Frisbee" on the computer, the auto-correct function always capitalizes it for me. 
And the reason it does that is because Frisbee is a registered trademark of a toy company, so. 
If you want to avoid any confusion with the trademark Frisbee, you can always use the term "flying disc" instead. 
For Ultimate Frisbee, you can simply say "Ultimate". 
I love to play Ultimate. 
But I still think Frisbee is a good word to use because it is widely recognized. 
I agree, and it is becoming genericized. 
That means the trademark Frisbee is becoming a generic English word that refers to all flying discs regardless of their brand. 
Frisbee isn't the only example of trademarks that are being genericized. 
Some others include Kleenex, Xerox and Band-Aid. 
And since these names have not been fully genericized and are still technically registered trademarks, 
you might want to say "facial tissues," "photocopiers" and "adhesive bandages" instead. 
(Chinese). 
It is very interesting the way the names of things just become common words. 
Well, our next tip here we see: Throw away your trash. 
Don't just leave it. 
It says leave the area clean for those who will follow you. 
So those who will follow you... Gabe, what does this word "follow" mean? 
Are people going to be walking behind me while I'm going on a picnic? 
Well, no. But that... that's a good question, though. 
I mean, usually when you think about following somebody, you're leading and then other people are following behind. 
However, this word is also just... it just means "after." So if people come after you, that means they follow you. 
So if you're doing something, you're using the room, you want to leave it clean for the person following you. 
They're not right behind you, but they will be in the room after you are. 
You could also use it kind of as an adjective. 
We're going to be learning about another tip in the following sentence. 
So there are different ways to use that word "follow". 
That is right. 
And you do want to make sure that you throw away your trash. 
Clean up after yourself so that the people who are there after you are, who follow you, will have a clean space to have their own picnic. 
Well, what is our last tip here, Gabe? 
All right. 
It is "have fun." Well, maybe it wasn't necessary to put this in today's article. 
But sometimes it is important to remind people they need to have fun. 
We spend so much time at work or school. 
It's important to get out and have fun. 
That's right. 
A great picnic is a great opportunity to eat and have a fun time of outdoor relaxation. 
So a picnic is a great time for relaxing or relaxation. 
And "relaxation" is from our Word Bank. 
Let's take a look at it. 
Of course you know what the word "relax" means. 
That's the verb. 
"Relaxation" here is the noun. 
I also see this word with another word, and sometimes people say R and R. 
I need a little R and R. 
That means rest and relaxation. 
When do you need some R and R? 
Well, after a long, busy day at work, I'd like to get a little R and R, some rest and relaxation. 
Well, now it is time for us to learn something else with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what the other teachers are up to. 
All right. 
Well, we've learned a lot about picnics over the last couple of days and some very important tips for if you are going on a picnic. 
Now one thing we learn about is taking games. 
You want to take a ball or a Frisbee. 
Now what other kinds of fun activities can you do on a picnic? 
Carolyn? 
Well, depending on where you go determines what kind of activities you can do. 
OK. 
If you go to the beach, you should take your swimsuit, play in the water. 
Maybe take a boogie board that you can ride in the water, or a beach ball that you can toss around with your friends. 
I think that is a good tip. 
Well, what kinds of activities will you do on your next picnic? 
If you want to know more about picnics, there are some picnic fun facts on page 24 of your magazine. 
So check that out. 
Right now it's time for us to say goodbye. 
So we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.06.12.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for a lesson about dragon boating. 
We're talking about how Dragon Boating Conquers the World. 
Well, it's true. 
This sport, this event, this race that began in Asia is now being found in many places all over the world. 
Well, I do wonder if you have ever seen a dragon boat race or maybe if you've even participated in a dragon boat race. 
Carolyn, you're from America. 
Have you ever seen a dragon boat race? 
Well, I am from the United States, but I have actually participated in a dragon boat race. 
What! 
Two years ago when I first came to Taiwan, I lived in a city, and Luodong had a dragon boat race. 
And I was able to be one of the participants in the boat pushing it along. 
No way. 
Yes. 
That's great. 
So she got to participate in the dragon boat race. 
I've never done that before. 
That sounds like fun. 
My friend invited me to do that. 
And then he told me that all the rehearsals were at five o'clock in the morning. 
I was like: Forget it, man. Maybe next year. 
But I did get to see him race, and it was quite exciting. 
Well, what about you? 
Have you ever participated in one or maybe uh, seen one before? 
Dragon Boating Conquers the World. 
Let's get started with our lesson. 
Dragon Boating Conquers the World. 
People all over the world enjoy the sport of dragon boating. 
Twenty teammates reach forward with paddles, dig them into the water and then pull back in a quick, powerful motion. 
A drummer keeps time for them from the front of the boat while another person steers from the back. 
Together, these 22 people race a boat fitted with the head and tail of a dragon. 
It's a scene that's been part of the Dragon Boat Festival in China for thousands of years. 
But over the last 30-plus years, this scene has become common on lakes and rivers around the globe. 
(Music). 
Dragon boating is certainly gaining popularity around the world, especially if our title here is true that it is conquering the world. 
It is taking over the sporting scene. 
And in the little sidebar we see that people all over the world enjoy the sport of dragon boating. 
And I also really enjoyed it a few years ago when I was able to join a team. 
Well, learning about teams, we'll start in our first paragraph: 
Twenty teammates reach forward with paddles, dig them into the water and then pull back in a quick, powerful motion. 
And I think this is well described. 
If you've ever seen a dragon boat race, this is what it's like. 
These teammates reach forward with paddles. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: a paddle. 
It's something that you can use to help you move your boat forword, or in some cases, to move your boat backward or keep it still. 
You use a big wooden stick, or sometimes made of plastic or something else, this is called a paddle. 
That's right. 
And when you are going to be in a dragon boat race, you need to make sure that everyone's paddle goes into the water at the same time, 
pulls back at the same time and comes up at the same time to pull your boat along as fast as possible. 
That's right, because you are going forward in a quick, powerful motion. 
And of course, you can use the word "paddle" as a verb, too. 
You can paddle forword in your boat. 
Well, we continue learning about this great experience dragon boating. 
A drummer keeps time for them from the front of the boat while another person steers from the back. 
All right. 
So you've seen this before. 
If you've seen dragon boating, there is someone at the front, maybe with a big drum, and they are keeping time for all of the people paddling behind. 
That's right. 
So this drum allows them to paddle at the same time so that they are all together. 
And we also see that there's someone in the back who steers. 
And "steer" is one of the words from our Word Bank today. 
If you steer something, then you direct it where it's supposed to go, so. 
Here they are steering the dragon boat. 
You might also steer a ship with the large wheel. 
That's right. 
Where else have you seen this word "steer"? 
Well, if you drive or if you have a car, then you use a steering wheel - the wheel that steers the tires where they're going to go. 
So you have a steering wheel. 
You could also use this in kind of an idiom or phrase: to steer clear of something. 
Someone warns you to stay away from something that it's bad for you. 
You should steer clear of it. 
That's what that means - just stay away from that thing. 
That's right. 
Well, right now Steve and Ken have something they'd like to share with us in the Information Cloud. 
We're all familiar with the five basic senses, right? 
Sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing. 
But there are, in fact, a lot of other senses we humans possess to some degree or another. 
Like the sense of rhythm. 
If you want to play the drums, you'll need to have this sense because keeping time is a drummer's main responsibility. 
Right. 
And if you are someone who enjoys listening to and telling a good joke, you'll have a healthy sense of humor. 
OK. What about the sense that can keep us from getting lost? 
Ah, you mean the sense of direction. 
This sense comes in handy when you're driving around in an unfamiliar city or hiking in the woods. 
One more, because I know many of you love wearing fashionable clothes. 
Well, if that's you, then you probably have a sense of style. 
If you lack any one of these four senses, you can try to cultivate it through learning and practice, but there's no guarantee how far you'll get. 
For most people, you either have the sense or you don't. 
Right. 
Have you ever tried to teach someone how to be funny? 
Not easy. 
(Chinese). 
Well, those are some good senses to know about. 
So we have 20 people in a dragon boat paddling, someone in the front keeping time and someone in the back steering. 
Let's continue with our lesson. 
Together, these 22 people race a boat fitted with the head and tail of a dragon. 
That's so cool. 
It's definitely a special kind of boat. 
And I guess that's why it is called a dragon boat since it has been fitted with both the head and the tail of a dragon. 
It has these two things on it. 
It's been a scene that's been part of the Dragon Boat Festival in China for thousands of years. 
So this is not really a new sport. 
No, it's not really a new sport at all. 
It might be a new sport that is celebrated around the world, but it's been in China for thousands of years. 
It's a scene that's been a part of the Dragon Boat Festival. 
A scene is something that you can see, something that you can enjoy and maybe even participate in - a scene. 
That's right. 
And right now Liz has something she would like to share with us about that in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we read: 
It's a scene that's been part of the Dragon Boat Festival in China for thousands of years. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
And for today we're looking at the sentence pattern. 
Notice: [something] is a scene that's been part of [something else]. 
Sometimes we have an event with many things happening at the same time. 
In today's article, the focus is on Dragon Boat Festival. 
And there are many things going on during this festival. 
But the writer puts special attention on what it's like to be in a dragon boat. 
After describing it, he goes on to explain that this is something that people see - It's a scene. 
And it's just one of many things going on during this festival. 
It's a part of the Dragon Boat Festival. 
Let's look at some more example sentences. 
Putting up a tree and letting the kids decorat it is a scene that's been part of the Johnson Family Christmas celebration for many generations. 
Or: Employees working together to clean out their work spaces is a scene that's been part of the company's annual cleaning contest for many years. 
Now it's your turn. 
Think of an activity that's part of a greater event, and try using this sentence pattern. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Well, this festival has gone on for thousands of years. 
But over the last 30-plus years, this scene has become common on lakes and rivers around the globe. 
Now we see that word there "plus," 30-plus years. 
Gabe, can you explain that to us? 
That's right. 
This means at least 30 years. 
So you can use this when you're writing or talking about something. 
You don't want to say the exact number. 
Maybe you don't know what the exact number is, but it's more than 30 here, 30-plus years. 
You could say the company's been around for the last 15-plus years. 
How else could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, I could say that my parents have been married for 20-plus years. 
I don't want to say how long they've been married because they might think that people will think that we are old. 
But they have been married for more than 20 years. 
All right. 
So that's how you use this word "plus." Try that sometime today or when you're writing something. 
Now let's talk about another word from this sentence, the word "globe." This is from our Word Bank. 
Usually I think of a globe as something that you can touch, you can hold. 
It's a small model of the world, and you can spin it. 
And there is the world. 
Uh, you can talk about different countries on the world from a globe. 
But what does it mean here, Carolyn? 
Well, here a globe is talking about the world. 
So just around the world, the sport of dragon boating has become a very common scene. 
Well, right now it is time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.12.B

Today we're learning about how dragon boating is conquering the world. 
People all over the world enjoy this sport. 
And our author has done a very good job of describing for us, giving us a picture of what it looks like to be in a dragon boat race. 
You have 20 people who are paddling the boat. 
You have someone in the front keeping time with a big drum, and someone in the back who is steering. 
And of course all across the globe, this sport is becoming more and more popular. 
We're going to find out how in the next section. 
(Music). 
Dragon Boating Conquers the World. 
The world outside Asia was formally introduced to dragon boating in 1976. 
That year the Hong Kong Tourism Association had a plan to increase tourism. 
Their first step was inviting a Japanese team to compete in the first Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races. 
The media sent pictures around the world, increasing international interest in the sport. 
Their next step was sending teak dragon boats to cities in North America and Europe. 
Whether their plan helped tourism or not, it did give rise to dragon boat clubs in many countries. 
By the time the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) was founded in 1991, dragon boating had truly become an international sport. 
It does sound like dragon boating has become an international sport. 
Now in this section we are learning a little bit about the history of dragon boating. 
We see that the world outside Asia was formally introduced to dragon boating in 1976. 
Well, it's been quite a few years since we were first introduced to dragon boating, Gabe. 
That's right, quite a few years, actually many decades, or several decades, since 1976. 
That's when it was formally introduced. 
Do you ever formally introduce one friend to another? 
Maybe you've seen someone before, but you haven't been introduced. 
Well, your friend can formally introduce you to. 
He might say: Hey, meet so-and-so. 
That's formally introducing somebody. 
That's right. 
Well, dragon boating was formally introduced in 1976 to the rest of the world. 
That year the Hong Kong Tourism Association had a plan to increase tourism. 
So they wanted to do something special to encourage people to visit Hong Kong. 
What did they do to try to meet this goal, Gabe? 
Well, that's right. 
Their first step was inviting a Japanese team to compete in the first Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races. 
So they took a small step. 
They invited people from a country that's relatively nearby - Japan. 
They came over first, and they competed in this first dragon boat race, this first International Dragon Boat Race in Hong Kong. 
That's right. 
And then they did something else. 
The media sent pictures around the world, increasing international interest in the sport. 
So they invited a team from Japan to join them in this first race for international teams. 
And then they took lots of pictures and sent them around the world. 
Well, I think this is very interesting and very smart on Hong Kong's part. 
They want to increase tourism and interest for what they do. 
And so one way to do that is to take pictures and send these things around the world. 
That's one way to increase interest in something. 
Take good pictures. 
And in 1976, it would not have been quite as easy as it is now that we have the Internet and all of these different types of social media that make sharing and sharing interest in things so much more convenient. 
It was a little bit more of a challenge in the 1970s. 
All right. 
Well, they are increasing international interest. 
And their next step was sending teak dragon boats to cities in North America and Europe. 
Carolyn, what is teak? 
Well, a teak dragon boat would be a dragon boat made out of wood. 
And teak is a very hard type of wood that a lot of people like to use to make very nice furniture. 
Interesting. OK. 
So they're making these boats from teak. 
And we continue. 
Whether their plan helped tourism or not, it did give rise to dragon boat clubs in many countries. 
Interesting. 
Well, I... I hope it did help tourism. 
And we know that it gave rise to dragon boat clubs. 
But let's talk about this phrase here, OK. 
Whether it did something or not. 
So let's use this in another way. 
I'm going, whether you come with me or not. 
You could also say: Whether or not you come with me, I'm going. 
So you can use this phrase in different ways. 
So it just shows that it doesn't really matter what the initial thing was, the result is still something else. 
It's still going to happen. 
You might say whether his plan worked or not, it was still very well accepted. 
So maybe it didn't turn out the way he thought it would, but it was still a good plan anyway. 
Well, there's also another phrase in there: give rise to something. 
And that one is in our Word Bank today. 
What does it mean if something gives rise to? 
Well, I think that it gave a cause for something, or it was the reason why something happened. 
Maybe it was one of the main reasons something happened. 
So this dragon boating and sending teak boats around the world, that gave rise to dragon boat clubs in many countries. 
You might use this phrase in another way. 
I could say low pay gave rise to many complaints from the employees. 
So employees are complaining because of their low pay. 
It gave rise to their complaints. 
That's right. 
Well, talking about dragon boats: 
By the time the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) was founded in 1991, dragon boating had truly become an international sport. 
That's right. 
And what's a federation? 
Well, it's a group for a common action of some kind. 
And you can find out more about the IDBF on page 26 of your magazine. 
Do check that out. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something different with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what the other teachers are doing. 
Today we've learned a lot about dragon boating and its history and its increasing popularity around the world. 
Now I know that it started in Hong Kong when they wanted to increase tourism, and it has since then gained so much popularity in other countries. 
And it kind of makes me wonder why do you think so many countries around the world have embraced this sport. 
Gabe, what do you think? 
Well, one reason I think is simply because it's a sport. 
It's good exercise, and it is a team sport. 
And so many people are working together for one goal. 
It promotes unity. 
I think there are many reasons why this is becoming popular around the world. 
I think you are right. 
It is also a very interesting sport with an interesting cultural history. 
And I think that makes countries very encouraged and want to learn more about it. 
Well, we hope that you've learned a lot today here on Studio Classroom, and that you will join us again next time. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.06.13.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for a lesson about marketing. 
It's called DIY Marketing - Do It Yourself Marketing. 
Well, we're going to continue learning about Uncle Bob and Ben. 
We've already enjoyed many of their conversations. 
And Ben and his wife have started a business; and today's lesson is a little bit about their marketing. 
Well, within marketing, there are advertisements. 
People create advertisements to try to get others interested in their product. 
Carolyn, what kind of advertisements appeal to you? 
Well, I really like ads that are very clever, that use a play-on words, so. 
It really catches my interest because someone has thought a lot about what the best way to communicate their ideas to me would be. 
OK, so a clever ad, maybe a play-on words. 
I also like ads or commercials on TV that are funny. 
They do get me interested in a certain product. 
But what kind of ads appeal to you? 
What kind of ads make you want to buy a product? 
Think about that as we get started with our first reading of today's lesson - DIY Marketing. 
(Music). 
DIY Marketing. 
Doing your own marketing may not be as hard as you think. 
Ben! How are you? 
I'm doing well, Uncle Bob. 
It's good to see you. 
It's nice to see you too, Ben. 
Say, I've been wondering how things are going with your business. 
They're going pretty well. 
Business is still OK, but our growth seems to have leveled off. 
Do you know why? 
Not really. 
Actually, Sandy and I were just talking about doing some marketing research to help figure that out. 
That sounds expensive! 
(Music). 
All right. 
Before we continue that conversation, let's go to the very top of our lesson today: Doing your own marketing may not be as hard as you think. 
We're talking about DIY marketing. 
You can do it yourself. 
So let's take a look at those letters from our Word Bank: DIY, or do it yourself. 
This is pretty easy to understand, right, Carolyn? 
Yes, it is. 
It's very straightforward. 
If you do it yourself, then you do it yourself. 
No one else is helping you. 
And there are many projects around your home that you could do yourself. 
You don't need to ask other people if you have a little information. 
Maybe you have a sink that is leaking, you could fix it yourself if you have the right tools. 
That's right. 
And actually, nowadays online you can figure out a lot of information for how to fix things or do things by yourself without professional help. 
Do It Yourself Marketing is what we're talking about today. 
So doing your own marketing might not be as hard as you think. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: not be as something as you think. 
Or you could use this phrase in many ways. 
How else might you use that phrase? 
Well, you might say: Well, it's not as hard as it looks. 
When you first see something, "Oh, it looks too difficult. There's no way I could do it." But really, it's not as hard as it looks. 
Or maybe it's not as easy as it looks. 
Someone is really good at doing something. 
Maybe they're really good at juggling or playing a certain instrument, and they make it look super easy. 
You could say it's not as easy as it looks. 
It's actually more difficult than it looks. 
But marketing might not be as hard as you think. 
That's right. 
And in our lesson today, it's time for Ben and Sandy Johnson to do some marketing for their company. 
Do they need a professional, or can they do it themselves? 
This is an important question for them to ask. 
And we have a great conversation between Uncle Bob and Ben. 
Gabe, who would you like to be today? 
I want to be Ben today. 
So you please be Uncle Bob, OK? 
OK. I will be Uncle Bob. Hmm. 
Ben! How are you? 
Hmm, great question. 
I'm doing well, Uncle Bob. 
It's good to see you. 
It's nice to see you too, Ben. 
Well, hold on a second. 
Hold on a second, Carolyn. 
I'd like to say something here. 
Yes? 
This is a good way to greet somebody who you already know. 
But I do know that some people like to say "It's nice to meet you" even though they already met somebody before. 
Some people make that mistake. 
If you already know somebody, say "It's nice to see you," or "It's good to see you again." Don't say: It's nice to meet you. 
You already met that person. 
You only say "It's nice to meet you" the first time you meet somebody. 
All right. Remember that. 
Let's continue this conversation. 
Carolyn, it's all yours. 
Yes. Uncle Bob continues. 
Say, I've been wondering how things are going with your business. 
Hmm, very good. 
How things are going with Ben and Sandy's business? 
Well, before we continue this conversation, say, I think Liz has something that she wants to share with us in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's BUSINESS START-UP article, we see this sentence: 
Say, I've been wondering how things are going with your business. 
Our focus today is on the first word "say." Normally we use "say" to mean to tell or to speak, like: Please don't say anything. 
But in today's sentence, Uncle Bob is not telling Ben to speak. 
Instead, he uses "say" to get Ben's closer attention. 
"Say" is an expression that native speakers use to let their listeners know that there's something important that's about to be said. 
So let's pretend you run into someone, and you start out with some simple greetings like "How are you? How's work?" But then you want to talk about something more serious like: 
Say, I heard your grandmother was in the hospital last week - how is she doing? 
Now let's suppose you and a friend have been talking about weekend plans, and you suddenly want to find out what time it is. 
So you can use "say" to show you want to change the subject quickly like: 
Say, what time is it right now? 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine, you'll find more example sentences there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thanks, Liz. 
And Uncle Bob had just said: Say, I've been wondering how things are going with your business. 
Ben? 
They're going pretty well. 
Business is still OK, but our growth seems to have leveled off. 
Oh, it's leveled off. 
And "level off" is from our Word Bank. 
If something levels off, then it stops growing. 
It's not going up and it's not going down. 
It's just at the same level. 
That's right. 
It levels off. 
I usually think of this phrase when I think about maybe a skill, something you want to improve in. 
Well, you work and work and work, and you get better. 
But then sometimes it feels like you level off. 
You're not improving that much. 
You just feel like you level off. 
Has that ever happened to you, Carolyn? 
Well, it has. 
When I was studying Chinese, I learned a lot very, very quickly at the beginning. 
And then things got very difficult, and it just kind of leveled off. 
I didn't seem to be learning anything. 
But what I needed was a new challenge to get me going again. 
Maybe your English ability needs to be challenged as well so that it doesn't level off. 
All right. 
Well, I think it's normal to level off sometimes. 
But of course, you do want to try to keep improving. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud, OK? 
OK. 
Let's take a look at a very simple but versatile expression today, OK? 
OK. What's that? 
"OK." That's the expression. 
OK can be used as an adverb, as in "The air conditioner is working OK." It can be used as an adjective. 
Are you OK? 
It can also be used as a noun. 
He got his supervisor's OK. 
It can even be used as a verb. 
Let's hope she'll OK their request. 
Very versatile indeed. 
Now let's take a closer look at the adjective usage. 
When a friend asks, "What do you think of my new haircut?" to answer "OK" is bordering on impolite. 
I agree. 
Instead of "OK," you'd better use a value word like beautiful or perfect. 
Even "terrible" shows more emotional involvement than just "OK". 
Right, because OK... simply means passable or acceptable. 
Well, it's affirmative, it's lukewarm. 
Good point. 
Now how should you write it? 
You can either write it as an abbreviation with capital O and capital K with no periods, or you can spell it out like a word: O-K-A-Y. 
OK. Now let's also look at a variant of "OK." And that's very colloquial - okey-dokey. 
Yes. "Okey-dokey" is not only very colloquial, it's a lot more playful than plain OK. 
Even though both OK and okey-dokey are used for communicating agreement, okey-dokey would likely bring a smile to the listener's face. 
(Chinese). 
Okey-dokey. 
Well, Ben was just saying that his business seems to have leveled off. 
The growth has kind of stopped; and Uncle Bob has a question for him. 
Do you know why? 
Not really. 
Actually, Sandy and I were just talking about doing some marketing research to help figure that out. 
That sounds expensive. 
Marketing research can be very expensive. 
It's true, but Ben and Sandy want to figure this out. 
And when you figure something out, you... you understand more what the problem is or how you can improve. 
You can figure it out. 
Well, it's time for us now to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.13.B

Today is all about Do It Yourself Marketing, DIY. 
And it may not be as hard as you think. 
Ben is talking with his Uncle Bob about how his... the growth of his business seems to have leveled off. 
And he and his wife Sandy are thinking about doing some marketing research. 
Uncle Bob thinks that this might be a little bit expensive and a little bit time-consuming. 
Well, we are going to learn some more about what Ben has to say in the next reading for today. 
(Music). 
DIY Marketing. 
I suppose it would be if we hired a marketing firm to do the work. 
But these days marketing research has never been easier. 
Do tell! 
Well, the Internet has really changed marketing in a lot of ways - especially for small businesses. 
How has it done that? 
I guess the main thing is that the Internet makes it easier to find and connect with potential customers. 
We don't want to pay for advertising that nobody reads. 
The Internet also makes it easier to communicate about your business and collect feedback. 
So you're planning to do all of your marketing by yourselves? 
That's right. 
And, honestly, it isn't as strange as it might sound. 
(Music). 
All right. 
So if you want to do some marketing research, it might be kind of expensive. 
Well, that's what Uncle Bob thought before. 
Let's continue this conversation. 
At the beginning of this section, Ben says: 
I suppose it would be if we hired a marketing firm to do the work. 
But these days marketing research has never been easier. 
So of course there are companies out there, organizations or firms that can help you or assist your company in doing something like marketing. 
But now it has never been easier to do this on your own. 
That's right. 
And that's a great phrase: if something has never been easier. 
Let's take a look at that: to never been something... or never be something. 
You might say: Oh, my health has never been better. 
I've been eating right and exercising, and I feel great. 
It's never been better. 
And because my health has never been better, I've never been happier. 
So you could also say "have." I have never been happier. 
Or I've lost a lot of weight; I've never been skinnier. 
So you can use this phrase in many ways. 
You might say: I've never been more excited about something than I am now, that I am about my new job. 
That's right. 
Well, Uncle Bob has the next line, and it's very short: Do tell! 
So if you say "Do tell," what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that means you want the other person to explain a little more about what they're talking about. 
It's very simple to say. 
You can practice it. 
Try using it today in conversation. 
If someone is talking to you about something, you want to know more about it, say: Do tell. 
Do explain. 
That's right. 
So tell me more, Ben, with your next line. 
Well, the Internet has really changed marketing in a lot of ways, especially for small businesses. 
And it's true. 
The Internet really has changed the way that we see the world, and it's made a lot of things very convenient. 
And talking about small businesses here, so Uncle Bob asks: How has it done that? 
Well, I guess the main thing is that the Internet makes it easier to find and connect with potential customers. 
OK, so that's the main thing. 
All right. 
There are many ways that the Internet helps. 
But you can connect with potential customers much more easily. 
He continues: We don't want to pay for advertising that nobody reads. 
I think that sounds like a very good idea. 
You don't really want to pay for something if no one's going to use it. 
And here we're talking about advertising. 
And advertising is also from our Word Bank today. 
What exactly is advertising, Gabe? 
Well, advertising is getting people interested in what you're trying to sell, or getting people interested in your product. 
That is advertising. 
And of course, this falls under the category of marketing. 
So if you're at university, and you love the idea of being creative and creating advertisements, 
then you could study marketing and also learn how to do some good advertising at the same time. 
That's right. 
So if you want to let people know what you're doing, you can advertise it. 
It's not just about a business advertising. 
Maybe you are holding a special event. 
There's a concert going on. 
You need to do some advertising so that people will know when it is and where it is. 
That's right. 
And so of course you could pay for other people to help you advertise. 
But that could cost a lot of money. 
All right. 
Let's continue seeing what Ben says. 
The Internet also makes it easier to communicate about your business and collect feedback. 
So we're talking all about the pros of the Internet here, especially regarding your small business. 
Let's take a look at this Word Bank word. 
It is "feedback." Carolyn, what is feedback? 
Well, feedback is information that you get back. 
So maybe you are trying to figure out the best decision to make, you want to get some feedback. 
Ask other people what they think and what their ideas are about the situation. 
All right. 
So you might get some positive feedback. 
Everyone loves positive feedback. 
You did something, you want to know how other people reacted. 
You get positive feedback. 
You could also get some negative feedback. 
But I think both positive and negative feedback is important because you need to know how you can keep improving. 
That's right. 
Well, Uncle Bob continues in his next line. 
So you're planning to do all of your marketing by yourselves? 
That's right. 
And, honestly, it isn't as strange as it might sound. 
All right. 
So it looks like Ben and Sandy Johnson are going to do a lot of marketing by themselves. 
Honestly, what does Ben say here? 
It isn't as strange as it might sound. 
So perhaps Uncle Bob is very surprised by the idea of doing your own marketing, but it's really not that strange. 
It's not that strange. 
Maybe these young kids, Ben and Sandy, have a great idea that Uncle Bob hadn't thought about yet. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our lesson. 
Well, we've been learning about Ben and Sandy and their business, and how they're going to do some marketing by themselves. 
And of course when you're doing marketing, you want to have feedback from customers and other people. 
Well, I wonder how you would collect feedback from people. 
Carolyn, what's a good way to do that? 
Well, one way to do that and the Internet makes it very easy is to just have a survey. 
Maybe you give a presentation, you want to know what people thought of it. 
And you just send out a survey in their e-mail, and have them fill it out and e-mail it back to you. 
OK. You could do it with a survey. 
Something else I think about is maybe using something like Facebook or another social network like that. 
You can simply ask a question about something and get some feedback. 
The Internet makes a lot of things convenient and more easy... or easier these days. 
Well, it's time for us to say goodbye for now. 
But we do hope to see you next time to learn more about Do It Yourself Marketing here on Studio Classroom. 
See youthen.

2013.06.14.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day in our lesson about DIY Marketing, or Do It Yourself Marketing. 
Of course we already enjoyed a conversation between Ben and his Uncle Bob about how Ben and Sandy will be doing their own marketing research for their company. 
What is something that we learned or talked about yesterday, Carolyn? 
Well, we learned that doing your own marketing, DIY, may not be as hard as it sounds or as hard as you might think. 
Because of the Internet, it is very easy for companies to connect with their potential customers. 
And that's really great news for small businesses. 
What's something else we learned yesterday, Gabe? 
Well, that's right. 
The Internet is very important because they said, or Ben said: Who wants to pay for advertising that nobody reads? 
And of course one other benefit with the Internet is that you can get quick feedback from potential customers or from other people who might be interested in your product. 
So Ben and Sandy are pretty excited about doing their own research for marketing for their company. 
So far their growth has leveled off. 
But I think they might be improving sometime soon, especially if they do this marketing research. 
Let's continue this conversation today between Ben and Uncle Bob. 
(Music). 
DIY Marketing. 
How are you going to run this marketing campaign? 
At this point, we're basically going to follow a three-step plan. 
First, we'll try to connect with our current and potential customers. 
Are you going to create a mailing list? 
Sort of. 
At first, we'll probably just use social media like Facebook and Twitter to connect with people we are working with. 
Then we'll try to use those connections to gather information. 
Are you going to use surveys or something? 
(Music). 
It seems like Ben has put some thought into what he and his wife Sandy want to do for marketing. 
And continuing our conversation between Uncle Bob and Ben. 
Now Gabe, yesterday I was Uncle Bob. 
Who would you like to be today? 
All right. I'll be Uncle Bob today. 
Here we go. 
Here's Uncle Bob's first line. 
How are you going to run this marketing campaign? 
Oh. Well, the marketing campaign, yes. 
At this point, we are basically going to follow a three-step plan. 
Excellent. All right. 
We're talking about a marketing campaign here, and they have a three-step plan. 
Well, you could use that word "step" and talk about many numbers. 
You might have a four-step plan, a 25-step plan for something. 
But I want to take a look at that word "campaign" that Uncle Bob was talking about. 
You have a marketing campaign or a cause to do something. 
Another campaign that I can think about is one that the lead singer from U2 has right now. 
The ONE campaign. 
It's a campaign to fight against poverty and against preventable diseases - the ONE campaign. 
But what other kinds of campaigns can you think of? 
Talk about those in English. 
All right. 
We're talking about this three-step plan. 
Ben, please continue. 
Oh. Yes, thank you, so. 
We have a three-step plan. 
First, we'll try to connect with our current and potential customers. 
Excellent! Excellent, Carolyn, current and potential customers. 
Well, what is the difference, Carolyn, current and potential? 
Well, your current customer are the people who are already using your products or the people who are already buying things from you. 
Maybe they're already using his apps. 
But potential customers are the customers that might be interested in buying his products or using the apps that he makes, so. 
If you have current customers, they're already buying from you; and potential are people who might buy from you in the future. 
All right. 
And it seems like Ben and Sandy want to connect with these customers. 
Uncle Bob asks: 
Are you going to create a mailing list? 
Great, Uncle Bob. 
A mailing list; create a mailing list. 
And that is one of the words from our Word Bank. 
If you have a mailing list, then you have a list of names and addresses, and probably now e-mail addresses and phone numbers as well. 
But these help you to get in contact with people. 
That's right. 
It's a mailing list. 
That's what we call it. 
But of course you don't necessarily have to use written or handwritten mail and send it to home addresses or PO boxes. 
You could call it a mailing list for e-mail as well, or even maybe for Facebook or something else. 
It's basically a list of contacts. 
That's your mailing list. 
That's right. 
Well, Ben responds: Sort of. 
So Uncle Bob is talking about a mailing list, and probably just thinking about addresses and writing letters to people. 
But Ben has a different idea. 
At first, we'll probably just use social media like Facebook and Twitter to connect with people we are working with. 
Well, that sounds like a pretty good idea. 
You could use a mailing list and write letters. 
But of course now with social media, things like Facebook and Twitter, this could be a lot easier to work with people and connect with people. 
Well, how does Ben continue? 
He says: Then we'll try to use those connections to gather information. 
All right. 
So using those connections to gather information. 
Uncle Bob says: Are you going to use surveys or something? 
Well, this is a good question from Uncle Bob. 
A survey is one way that you could get feedback about your product - using a survey. 
That's right. 
A lot of businesses like to conduct customer surveys, and maybe it's online, maybe it's over the phone. 
I know a lot of times when I call places, they will say please stay on the line for a short survey. 
And they get your feedback right there so that they know whether or not the call was helpful. 
But he also says "or something," so Uncle Bob is not really sure what Ben's plan is. 
Maybe he wants to do a survey or maybe he wants to do something else. 
That's right. 
Well, Carolyn has been talking about surveys just now. 
And one word she used was "conduct." If you are going to do a survey or you want some information, some feedback, the verb you use is conduct. 
C-O-N-D-U-C-T. 
You can conduct a survey. 
All right. 
Let's learn something else with Michelle in the Language Lab, and we'll see you very soon. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.14.B

Well, if you're just joining us, we've been talking about Do It Yourself Marketing, or DIY Marketing. 
We're enjoying a conversation between Ben and his Uncle Bob. 
And his Uncle Bob is always very helpful and has very good questions. 
He asks about this marketing campaign and how he's going to do this. 
Well, Ben has a three-step plan. 
They're going to connect with current and potential customers. 
And of course, one way to do that is through social media like Facebook or Twitter to get feedback about these things. 
Well, we have more to learn in the next part of our conversation today. 
(Music). 
DIY Marketing. 
Questionnaires are a simple and inexpensive way to do market research. 
We'll probably come up with a short list of questions to ask people or companies we work with. 
We'll also post stuff in industry-related forums and do online focus groups. 
Are you going to follow that up with advertising? 
Kind of. 
We're going to try to create some buzz. 
What does that involve? 
Buzz is basically just excited interest. 
We'll create a media kit and try to get some coverage in the local media. 
Then we're hoping to use our social media and website to spread the word. 
That sounds very interesting. 
Let me know how it works out. 
Don't worry. I will. 
Well, it sounds like Uncle Bob is learning something from this conversation with his nephew today. 
Well, going to the beginning of this section, Ben has the first line and... oh, that's me today. 
Yes, I am Ben. 
Questionnaires are a simple and inexpensive way to do market research. 
OK. Before you continue, Ben, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "questionnaire." It's kind of a long word with some uh, letters there at the end: A-I-R-E; a questionnaire. 
OK, this is a kind of survey. 
Well, what kind of survey is it? 
You could probably guess - it's got some questions on it; a survey with lots of questions. 
That's right. 
And that is a questionnaire. 
Have you ever had to fill out a questionnaire? 
Did someone want your feedback and they gave you a questionnaire to write down your answers? 
Answer a few questions and then give it back to them. 
It's a pretty easy way to give some feedback about a project or a service that you received. 
Well, OK. I... I will continue Ben's line. 
We'll probably come up with a short list of questions to ask people or companies we want to work with. 
Excellent. 
I hate to interrupt you again, Ben... Carolyn. 
But there's a phrase here I think is important to talk about. 
The phrase is "come up with something." We'll probably come up with a list of questions. 
You can use this phrase in another way. 
You could say let's come up with some fun games to play at the party tomorrow night. 
How else could you use that phrase? 
Well, I might say: Oh, that's a great idea. Can you come up with any other good ideas? 
Or have you come up with a plan yet? 
Do you know what you want to do this weekend? 
Let's come up with something fun to do. 
All right. 
So the phrase "come up with" simply means to think of something that you want to do. 
Well, please continue, Ben. 
Oh, thank you. Thank you, Gabe. 
We'll also post stuff in industry-related forums and do online focus groups. 
Excellent! I need to interrupt you again. 
A focus group, that's from our Word Bank. 
So we've been talking about different ways that they're going to get feedback, and a focus group could be one of those ways. 
Carolyn, what is a focus group? 
Well, a focus group is a specific group of people with a specific purpose. 
So they have a goal that they want to achieve and discuss a topic fully. 
OK, so they're going to discuss maybe these products that Ben and Sandy are selling. 
They're going to do this in a focus group. 
And now you can have focus groups online as well. 
Well, how does Uncle Bob continue? 
He says: Are you going to follow that up with advertising? 
Great, Uncle Bob. 
That's fantastic. 
But right there in your line, there was a good phrase: to follow up with something. 
What does it mean if you follow up with something, Gabe? 
Well, you did something; maybe you introduce an idea, and now you're trying to follow up. 
You're trying to see how people are reacting to that idea. 
What's another way you could use the phrase "follow up"? 
Well, a couple of days ago we learned about dragon boating, how it's becoming popular around the world. 
And the Hong Kong Tourism Association was good at putting an idea out there. 
And they followed up with people by sending out pictures of dragon boating. 
So that's one way that you can follow up with someone. 
How else might you use that phrase? 
Well, a lot of teachers like to follow up on their lessons by giving you a worksheet or a test to see how much you remember or how much you learned. 
It's a type of follow up. 
You might also want to follow up your meal with dessert. 
So it's something that comes after something you did before. 
OK. So try to use that phrase sometime today: to follow something up with something else. 
Ben, you have the next line. 
Oh, yes. 
So you asked me if we were going to follow it up with advertising. 
And Ben replies: Kind of. 
We're going to try to create some buzz. 
What does that involve? 
Oh. So what things is that going to include? 
What do you need to do in order to create buzz? 
Well, Ben says: Buzz is basically just excited interest. 
Hmm. so that's what buzz is. 
Well, how will Ben create buzz? 
Well, he says: We'll create a media kit and try to get some coverage in the local media. 
Excellent. I need to interrupt you. 
Let's talk about that Word Bank word. 
It is "coverage." If you have coverage from the media, that means the press or the media are going to be maybe doing a story on you or your company. 
They're giving you coverage. 
That's right. 
So you are getting some time in the media. 
Maybe a magazine or newspaper article or just an interview with a local reporter could all be types of coverage. 
That's right. 
Now if you're working with the media and you're a reporter, then your boss might ask you to cover a story. 
That means you're going to be in charge of gathering that story and the details. 
Well, let's continue with Ben's line. 
Then we're hoping to use our social media and website to spread the word. 
All right. 
Well, Ben sounds like he has a great idea. 
Let's continue learning something with Steve and Ken right now in the Information Cloud. 
Hi, friends. 
Have you ever heard someone say they want to have a word with you, and when they do, they almost always end up saying a lot more than just a word? 
Uh, may I say a word about that, Ken? 
That's just one of the many idiosyncrasies of the English language. 
"A word" can mean either one word or a brief statement, which can contain quite a number of words. 
So let us take a closer look at the word "word" today and see what other meanings it has. 
Steve, thanks for putting in a good word for me. 
Don't mention it, Ken. 
All the good things I told the boss about you were actually true. 
So as you can see, Steve didn't just say one word. 
He actually said some positive things about me. 
Another meaning of the word: "word" is news or information. 
And that's using "word" as an uncountable noun. 
People often like to spread the word when they find a new restaurant they like. 
Right. 
Today many people use social media to get the word out so that others can experience the tasty food themselves. 
OK. "Word" can also mean rumor. 
Word has it that the two companies are planning a merger. 
And word gets around. 
If you do something bad in a small town, word gets around. 
Which means everyone will hear about it. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you. 
Well, the word on the street is that everyone loves the Information Cloud. 
Let's continue with this conversation. 
Uncle Bob says: 
That sounds very interesting. 
Let me know how it works out. 
Don't worry. I will. 
Well, that brings us to the end of our conversation between Uncle Bob and Ben. 
But we still get to enjoy a review skit and learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
So tell me, Ben, how are you? 
I'm doing well, Uncle Bob. 
Great. And how are things going with your business? 
Pretty well, but things have leveled off. 
Ooh. Do you know why? 
No. We're talking about doing some market research to figure out why. 
Oh, sounds expensive. 
Not really. 
The Internet makes it easy to connect with customers. 
And it's good for advertising and collecting feedback. 
Really! Tell me more. 
Uncle Bob, we're basically following a three-step marketing campaign. 
Well, what's the first step? 
We'll connect with current and potential customers. 
Will you create a long mailing list? 
First, we'll just use social media and gather information. 
How about surgerys? 
We'll use questionnaires and post things on forums, too. 
And also use focus groups. 
Well, sounds like a simple way to do market research. 
And inexpensive. 
We'll also create buzz. 
Buzz? 
Buzz is basically excited interest. 
We hope to use social media and our website to spread the word. 
Well, that sounds interesting. 
I guess you'll be as busy as a bee. Ha... 
As busy as a bee? 
Yeah, buzz, buzz, buzz. 
Ah... you're a funny man, Uncle Bob. 
Busy as a bee... 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our teachers. 
We've been learning a lot about DIY Marketing, and I wonder what would you do if you were Ben to market your company. 
Gabe? 
Hmm, interesting question. 
Well, people like to post videos online. 
Maybe that would be a good idea to make a little video of the product, put it on YouTube. 
See how people react. 
That sounds like a pretty good idea. 
Well, we hope that you've enjoyed learning about marketing here on Studio Classroom. 
And we will see you next time. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.06.15.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for today's lesson. 
Did you know that vacations are good for you? 
Well, yes, they are. 
And that's the name of today's lesson: Vacations Are Good for You. 
Well, I hope that you have had some good vacations in your life, some good, memorable experiences. 
Carolyn, what was one of your favorite vacations? 
Well, I actually went on vacation with my uncle and my brother to Pennsylvania, a state in the U.S. 
And we went to a Christian concert for an entire week. 
We slept there in a tent out in this field. 
And during the day, we would go listen to speakers and music performed on different stages throughout this huge area. 
It was a really amazing vacation. 
Well, that is a good experience. 
Let's see, a vacation for me... 
I've been on many vacations with my family to the southern part of Taiwan in Kenting. 
And we've been there... we used to go there almost every Christmas. 
We had many great experiences and memories there. 
I also went with some friends to Boracay in the Philippines. 
As you can see, I love beaches. 
Beaches make for great vacation spots. 
So our lesson today is Vacations Are Good for You. 
Let's learn how in our lesson. 
(Music). 
Vacations Are Good for You. 
Taking a break may be the most important thing you do this summer. 
Did you know German law gives all full-time employees 20 vacation days each year? 
Many European countries have similar laws. 
That may be because vacations serve an important function: protecting people's health. 
Taking regular vacations corresponds to having a healthier heart. 
One study says men who miss vacations are 30 percent more likely to have heart attacks. 
Another looked at women who take vacations every six years or even less often. 
They're eight times more likely to have heart disease or heart attacks! 
Well, those are some interesting studies that people are making. 
Let's go to the very top of our lesson here. 
We see a phrase there or a sentence: Taking a break may be the most important thing you do this summer. 
Of course there are many things you might need to do this summer. 
You might have to work this summer a lot. 
But taking a break could be the most important thing that you do. 
That's right. 
And we find out in our article: 
Did you know German law gives all full-time employees 20 vacation days each year? 
Did you know that, Gabe? 
Carolyn, I did not know that. 
But I was so excited when I read this for the first time because I want 20 vacation days each year. Huh. 
Well, anyway, we have a word we want to look at in that sentence. 
It is the word "employee." We're talking about full-time employees in Germany here. 
And an employee is someone who works at a company. 
So especially if there is a boss, that boss has employees. 
That's right. 
And we are the employees here at Studio Classroom. 
Yep. 
And we have many co-workers who are also employees here. 
Well, if you are a full-time employee in Germany, then you get to have 20 vacation days each year, according to the law. 
That sounds like a great idea. 
Well, another word that is like this word "employee" is the word "employer," E-M-P-L-O-Y-E-R. 
That's a boss. 
So a boss might have many employees. 
If you're a boss, how many employees do you have? 
Which employee is your favorite? 
Share that information with the other employees. 
No. I'm just kidding. 
Don't do that. 
But think about this question in English. 
How many employees do you have or talk about your employer. 
Well, continuing in the article. 
Many European countries have similar laws. 
So not just Germany, but many countries in Europe. 
That may be because vacations... serve an important function. 
And what function is that, Gabe? 
Well, the function or purpose is to protect people's health. 
Protecting people's health is very important. 
Let's take a look at a phrase in that sentence: to serve an important function. 
This means that there is a purpose, there is a function, and you are helping go toward that purpose or that function. 
It serves that purpose. 
So it is useful for a certain reason. 
And you might say that smartphones serve the function of keeping us connected with the world around us. 
That's right. 
That's one thing that smartphones do. 
They serve that purpose. 
Bees are very important in the world today. 
Bees serve a good purpose in the world. 
Or maybe you think something is really pointless, you can ask: What purpose does that serve? 
It doesn't really serve a purpose. 
Or serve a function. 
You can use "function" or "purpose" in that phrase. 
Well, we're talking about protecting people's health by taking vacations. 
And in the next sentence we see: 
Taking regular vacations corresponds to having a healthier heart. 
All right. 
I like that information. 
If you want to have a healthier heart, then you should take regular vacations. 
This is good information, right? 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: correspond. 
This means it relates to something if it corresponds to something. 
How could you use that word? 
Well, you might say that the scientist's research corresponds with long-held beliefs. 
So the things that people thought were true corresponded with what the scientist did his research on; and it turned out to be true. 
All right. 
I might also say that your grades in school correspond to your study habits. 
Is that true for you? 
The harder you study or the better you study, you get better grades. 
I know it's not true for some people. 
They're just... they're just smarter. 
They don't need to study. 
But usually grades correspond with study habits. 
Yes, it is something that is usually true, but maybe not for everyone. 
Regular vacations can help you have a healthier heart. 
One study says men who miss vacations are 30 percent more likely to have heart attacks. 
Ooh, so if you miss vacations, if you just don't go on your vacations, then you might have more heart attacks or would be more likely to have heart attacks. 
This word "miss" here, it means that basically almost every company will give their employees a certain amount of vacation days. 
If you miss it, that means you just don't go on vacation at all any year. 
That's right. 
And another study - Another looked at women who take vacations every six years or less often. 
Now what did they find from this study, Gabe? 
Well, this is scary information, Carolyn. 
They're eight times more likely to have heart disease or heart attacks! 
Ouh! Eight times more likely, Carolyn. 
That is quite a big difference. 
And maybe we should be thinking about taking vacations, Gabe. 
Well, I think that's a great idea. 
Maybe we should talk to our boss about that. 
For now, it's almost time to take a break, but we're going to spend some time with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
And then go and see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hello, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
In today's article, we see this sentence: 
They're eight times more likely to have heart disease or heart attacks! 
Our focus today is on the phrase: more likely. 
It just means greater possibility. 
So when there is a greater possibility for something to happen, consider using "more likely." For example, let's say Kevin doesn't like to go out. 
So when he wants to go watch a movie: 
Kevin is more likely to watch a DVD at home than to go to a movie theater. 
Or certain studies have shown that more smokers die of cancer than non-smokers. 
So we can say: Smokers are more likely to get cancer than non-smokers. 
Now it's your turn to practice. 
Think of something that has a greater chance of happening than something else. 
Then meet with a friend and try using "more likely" in a sentence. 
That's all the time we have for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.15.B

If you're just joining us, we are talking about the importance of taking a vacation. 
It is very important to take vacations for your health. 
It helps you have a healthier life. 
And studies have shown that it corresponds to having a healthier heart. 
And many countries in Europe also have required minimum numbers of vacation days for their employees so that they get their vacation time. 
Well, we hope that you will continue reading and enjoying the rest of this lesson with us in the next section. 
(Music). 
Vacations Are Good for You. 
Other studies indicate that people who take time to relax usually have lower blood pressure. 
They also have lower levels of stress hormones and thinner waists! 
And let's not overlook the happiness that vacations bring. 
One survey studied people's feelings about spending money. 
Most were happier spending money on experiences like vacations than on possessions. 
Perhaps this is because they continued to share the memories with others. 
Vacations keep you healthy, happy, and can help build relationships, especially if you take them with family. 
So what are you waiting for? 
Take one this summer! 
Well, that sounds like a great idea. 
If you weren't planning on taking a vacation yet, now maybe you can start planning one. 
Let's go to the beginning of this section. 
Other studies indicate that people who take time to relax usually have lower blood pressure. 
So we've been learning from different studies here that show that vacations are healthy for you. 
They are good for you. 
And if you go on vacation, you might have lower blood pressure. 
And usually we think of having lower blood pressure as being a good thing because if your blood pressure is too high, 
it can lead to a lot of very serious health problems. 
If you don't know your blood pressure, I would recommend that you go see a doctor or a nurse, and have them check it for you. 
I agree. 
It is good to take time to relax. 
We're finding out about people that take time to relax, they also have lower levels of stress hormones and thinner waists. 
Well, I think that's something that many people want - thinner waists, and lower stress hormones, too. 
That's right. 
And let's not overlook the happiness that vacations bring. 
So "overlook" is a word from our Word Bank. 
If you overlook something, then you ignore it or you don't look at it. 
That's right. 
You don't really think about it or take it into consideration. 
Sometimes people feel overlooked. 
Everyone is thought about... 
Everyone thinks about somebody, but they don't think about you. 
And you feel overlooked. 
Does that ever happen to you? 
Well, I certainly hope not. 
And it's important not to overlook happiness when you're talking about vacations because vacations can make you very happy. 
What does the next sentence tell us about this, Gabe? 
Well, one survey studied people's feelings about spending money. 
Most were happier spending money on experiences like vacations than on possessions. 
Another greater reason to take a vacation. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "possession." Your possession is something that you own, or your possessions are the things that you own. 
That's right. 
And many people focus on possessions or they focus on buying things and having things. 
But the article here tells us that possessions are not really what people value according to this survey. 
They found that spending money on experiences was more rewarding or made them happier than spending money on possessions. 
Well, I think I would agree with this statement. 
And we see a sentence here that describes this... or explains it: 
Perhaps this is because they continued to share the memories with others. 
So you might share memories with friends or family. 
At any rate, you're sharing memories with people when you go on vacation with them. 
That is very valuable, more valuable than a lot of possessions. 
You could also share those memories with the people that you talk to by telling them stories about your vacation or sharing pictures with them. 
But if you have to spend a lot of money on possessions that you buy while you're on vacation, that could be very stressful. 
It's very nice to just share that experience with someone. 
That's true. 
Well, let's continue learning about this. 
Vacations... uh, vacations keep you healthy, happy, and can help build relationships, especially if you take them with family. 
So there are so many great benefits to vacations. 
They keep you healthy. 
They keep you happy. 
Why wouldn't people go on vacations, Carolyn? 
Well, I think a lot of people worry about their jobs. 
They worry about work. 
And making time for vacations can be difficult, especially if you have a tight budget, if you don't have a lot of money to spend. 
But vacations are very important to your happiness and building relationships with the people that you love. 
So a vacation could be a very good idea and just the thing you need to do this summer. 
That's right. 
So what are you waiting for? 
Take one this summer. 
I like that question there. 
What are you waiting for? 
You could use that question as well when you're talking to your friends. 
You think something is a great idea, "What are you waiting for?" Go do it! 
That's right, so. 
What are you waiting for? 
Start practicing your English every day. 
Only 10 minutes a day, and you could have great English studying with us here at studio classroom. 
That's right. 
That's a great way to use it. 
Or maybe there's a concert coming up, and the tickets are selling out. 
What are you waiting for? 
Go and buy a ticket! 
Here we're talking about vacations. 
So what are you waiting for? 
Take one this summer. 
Well, what are we waiting for, Carolyn? 
Well, I don't think we should be waiting. 
We should be going to see Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab to learn something with her. 
In the modern American business world, there have traditionally been three ways to take time off work and still get paid. 
And they are vacation days, personal days and sick days. 
For vacation days, employees schedule their time away from the office in advance. 
This helps bosses plan ahead, making sure the office isn't understaffed. 
Personal days are intended for personal things like a doctor's appointment, unexpected things like a death in the family, 
or emergencies like when a child suddenly needs to go to the hospital. 
OK. Next are sick days. 
As with personal days, employees who are sick just call in at the last minute and let the boss know they're not going to work. 
But that's often inconvenient for the employer. 
To simplify things, including record keeping, some companies have adopted the PTO, or paid time off plan. 
It's when all of the employee's time off is lumped together in one unit. 
Some call it a time bank. 
Right. 
And employees can "spend" their time any way they want so long as they give enough advanced notice. 
The PTO plan saves a lot of headaches, but it, too, has its disadvantages. 
Which we'll talk about some other time. 
(Chinese). 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
Well, now that you hopefully understand how important vacations are for your happiness and for your health, 
where are you going to go on your next vacation? 
Have you started planning yet? 
Carolyn, where do you think you'll go on your next vacation? 
Well, you know, I try to think about spending money and saving money, and I think my next vacation will be a staycation. 
What?! What's a staycation? 
A staycation, S-T-A-Y-C-A-T-I-O-N, staycation, it means that I'm going to take a break and just enjoy being at home or just being in the city that I live in. 
I'm not really going to go anywhere, just enjoy some time to relax. 
Interesting. 
I think I have heard of staycations before. 
That's right. 
You don't need to spend a lot of money to go somewhere on a vacation. 
You could just have a staycation or do something that doesn't require as much money, and then you can still relax. 
I like that idea. 
Well, thank you for joining us for today. 
I hope you learned something new. 
Remember to plan your next vacation soon. 
And we will see you right here on Studio Classroom next time. 
(Music).

2013.06.17.A

Hello, hello, hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for today. 
Our lesson is called How I Learned to Read and Write Korean. 
We're going to be learning from Jo. 
She always has such interesting experiences; and she did get to travel to Korea. 
And she's talking about how she learned how to read and write Korean. 
Well, this makes me wonder, what about you? 
How important do you think it is to learn the local language for a country that you are visiting? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I think that if you're going to be there for a while, maybe more than just a vacation, 
if you're there for an extended period of time, you should definitely learn the local language. 
It will make things much, much easier for you as you try to adjust to the new culture or the very different way of life there. 
I agree. 
I want to go and visit some places in South America, I would probably need to learn some Spanish first. 
I think that would be important. 
And also we learned about Chen Wei-Yin, the Orioles baseball pitcher. 
And when I was researching about his life, actually I learned that when he went to pitch in Japan, 
he learned Japanese because he did not want to be seen as an outsider. 
So you might have many reasons for why you want to learn the local language. 
Now it's time for us to get started with the first reading of today's lesson. 
(Music). 
How I Learned to Read and Write Korean. 
My adventures in South Korea began with an important language lesson. 
After university, I decided to move to Daegu, South Korea, to teach English for a year. 
All my research told me it wasn't necessary to learn Korean. 
I thought I would need to study it, but every website, blog and forum said no. 
So when I left for Korea, the only Korean word in my vocabulary was kimchi. 
When I arrived in Seoul, I felt baffled by the unusual Korean writing. 
Lines and circles were everywhere I looked; only some were translated into English. 
All right. 
Well, let's get started at the very beginning here. 
We read: My adventures in South Korea began with an important language lesson. 
This is interesting. 
Usually I think of a language lesson as something you do in a classroom. 
Is that what Jo is talking about here, Carolyn? 
It is not. 
It's something that she learned while she was in South Korea, not in a classroom learning a language but just living there. 
We see: After university, I decided to move to Daegu, South Korea, to teach English for a year. 
So she graduated from school, from university and moved to a city in South Korea. 
That's right, Daegu. 
And she decided to teach English for a year. 
Well, I think we have something to learn with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud about that word university. 
Hi, friends. 
If you're still in high school, have you thought about what you want to do after you graduate? 
Are you going to go to college or are you going to go to university? 
These are two distinct questions. 
But if you're in the U.S., the two questions are actually one and the same. 
That's right. 
Americans use the terms "college" and "university" to mean the same thing. 
It's common to say someone is going off to college even if they're actually going to university. 
But technically, the two terms are different. 
That's right. 
Colleges are usually small and only offer four-year degrees. 
Universities are large, made up of many colleges. 
For example, Ohio State University has its own College of Arts and Sciences among others. 
Though they're smaller, some of the top-ranked schools in the U.S. are colleges. 
One example is the Ivy League school Dartmouth College. 
And that's quite different from a community college, which offers trade and technical certifications and training, but seldom offers four-year degrees. 
Which are called bachelor's degrees. 
Universities, on the other hand, can offer advanced degrees like master's degrees and doctoral degrees. 
(Chinese). 
It is an interesting difference between those two words. 
Well, continuing in our article Jo writes: 
All my research told me it wasn't necessary to learn Korean. 
So she had done a lot of "research." And that is a word from the Word Bank. 
It means that you look something up. 
You look up the information, and you gather research. 
So all of her research that she had collected told her that she didn't need to learn Korean in order to live in South Korea. 
That's right. 
And you can use this word "research" as a verb as well. 
Often I use it as a verb. 
I had to research many things for my trip. 
I wanted to get the best prices. 
I did a lot of research. 
Or maybe in school you have to research a lot because you're writing a research paper. 
Or maybe you've graduated, you're working, and your job is in research. 
You get to research many things. 
That's right. 
So this word can be used in many different ways: to research, to have some research, or a research paper, many ways that you can use this word. 
Well, continuing she says: 
I thought I would need to study it, but every website, blog and forum said no. 
So she thought that if she wanted to move to South Korea, she should study some Korean. 
But everything she read, every website, blog and forum said she didn't need to. 
That's right. 
It seems like a lot of foreigners that went to Korea were suggesting it's not important to learn the local language. 
Now a forum is a meeting place for an open discussion. 
It could be an official meeting place, or you could go somewhere online and many people are talking about a certain topic. 
That's right. 
So when I left... or when Jo left for Korea, the only Korean word in my vocabulary was kimchi. 
So kimchi is a popular Korean food, a pickled cabbage usually that is kind of spicy. 
And a lot of people enjoy eating it; and this was the only word in Korean that she knew. 
That's right. 
It's the only thing she knew how to say - kimchi. 
There are many different kinds of kimchi, and it is delicious. 
Well, we continue. 
When I arrived in Seoul, I felt baffled by the unusual Korean writing. 
I think you might feel the same way when it comes to many languages. 
You feel baffled about something. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word. 
To be "baffled" is to be confused by something. 
That's right. 
So if you are baffled, then you are very confused. 
You don't understand it at all. 
And if you are looking at a writing that you are not familiar with - a different language - maybe you know Chinese but you don't know English. 
When you see English words, they might baffle you. 
You might feel baffled by them, very confused. 
Well, what baffles you? 
Sometimes when I'm looking at directions that a friend gives me, the directions baffle me. 
I'm not really sure what they mean. 
I'm not sure where I should go because I am just baffled. 
Oh. And Jo was baffled by these things that she was seeing. 
She says lines and circles were everywhere I looked; only some were translated into English. 
So she was baffled by the lines and circles that are used to write Korean; and they were everywhere she looked. 
That's right. 
This phrase "everywhere I looked" - everywhere I went, I saw these things. 
Something else that could be everywhere is the convenience stores. 
They're everywhere you go. 
That's right. 
So everywhere you look, you can see a convenience store, a 7-Eleven or a Family Mart, they are everywhere you look. 
You might say: I was walking through the woods, and there were birds everywhere I looked. 
They were all over the place. 
That's right. 
Well, we do have another word here we want to talk about. 
It is the word "translate." This is from our Word Bank. 
When you translate something, you're taking it from one language and saying it in another language. 
Have you ever translated something from Chinese to English before? 
Or from English to Chinese. 
If you are learning languages, it is important to know how to translate things correctly so that you understand their meanings. 
Well, right now we want to take some time to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.17.B

Today we are learning more about one of the adventures that Jo has gone on. 
And here we are talking about how she learned to read and write Korean. 
When she graduated from university, she moved to a city in South Korea. 
And she was baffled by all of the lines and circles that she saw around her. 
Her research told her that she didn't need to learn Korean, and now she is finding it difficult to get around South Korea. 
Well, we have some more to learn from Jo's article in the next part of our reading. 
How I Learned to Read and Write Korean. 
On the bus ride to Daegu, Korean was on every sign we passed. 
It bothered me that I couldn't read anything. 
I looked at the bus ticket in my hands - more lines and circles. 
My eyes settled on one symbol - it looked like a phone hanging on a wall. 
I decided to play a game of I Spy with myself. 
I searched the passing scenery for this same symbol. 
Later I would discover this symbol, "(Korean)," is the first in the name "Daegu," my new home. 
(Music). 
Well, it seems like Jo is getting a little bit frustrated not being able to understand everything that she sees around her. 
We continue with her story. 
On the bus ride to Daegu, Korean was on every sign we passed. 
I think that's how it feels when you go to another country. 
Everything you see, all the signs are in that language, just seems very foreign. 
It does. And it can be very confusing. 
And perhaps some of the blogs that she had read before were from people who had stayed in larger cities. 
But she is on a bus going to Daegu; and all of the signs are in Korean. 
We see that "It bothered me that I couldn't read anything," so. 
She really didn't understand anything that was on the sign that she went passed. 
That's right. 
She describes these signs earlier as lines and circles. 
That's kind of how the language looks what it's written down. 
And it would bother me too if I went somewhere, and I just couldn't understand anything. 
Well, Jo continues. 
I looked at the bus ticket in my hands - more lines and circles. 
That's right. 
That's how she describes it. 
More lines and circles. 
My eyes settled on one symbol - it looked like a phone hanging on a wall. 
And this is kind of an interesting way to look at other languages and their writing systems. 
When you look at something that you don't understand, you try to make a connection. 
And here she found one Korean word that looked like a phone hanging on a wall. 
And so she decided to play a game. 
She says: I decided to play a game of I Spy with myself. 
Carolyn, this is a fun game. 
How do you play I Spy? 
Well, one person will pick an object, and then the other person will have to guess what the object is by asking for some clues. 
OK. And usually there's kind of a little rhyme with this game. 
Here's how it goes... 
Actually, let's play! 
OK, it goes like this. 
Um, I spy with my little eye something that is orange. 
Carolyn, what is it? 
Orange... Something orange. 
It's her shirt! 
Oh, Gabe. 
What? 
Is it my shirt? 
Ah... you hurt me. 
No? No. But it is the only thing orange here. 
So it's a little easy, actually. 
Right. That was quite an easy game of I Spy. 
Well, Jo played a game of I Spy with herself. 
So there wasn't another person guessing. 
She says: I searched the passing scenery for this same symbol. 
So she looked at the things around her for this symbol that looked like a phone hanging on a wall. 
And she uses that word "scenery." She looked at the scenery. 
What does this mean, Gabe? 
Well, scenery is anything that you can see. 
So I usually think of it in a positive way. 
Maybe you go visit a certain country, and there is great or beautiful scenery. 
You could see mountains and rivers and lakes. 
And lots of nature I think of when I think of the word scenery. 
Yes, that is usually what I think of as well. 
Or the place behind you. 
You might say this scenery here is lovely. 
Or the scenery on the stage was very well done in that play. 
That's right. 
But I think Jo is also talking about basically anything that she saw in the city. 
It doesn't have to be nature. 
You could be talking about the city that you're passing on a bus, the things that you see, the passing scenery. 
Well, let's learn about this symbol, this phone hanging on a wall. 
She says that later I would discover this symbol, "(Korean)," is the first in the name "Daegu," my new home. 
So this symbol that she was playing the game of I Spy to find turned out to be part of the name of the town. 
The part of the name of the town, the new home, new place she would be staying or living. 
I like that she wrote that - her new home - because she wanted to feel like she was at home in this place. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new or have fun with a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Here I am, in Korea! 
I decided to move here to teach English. 
Ah, English, English. 
I wanted to study Korean before I came, but no! 
All my research said it wasn't necessary. 
Every website, blog and forum said no. 
No. No. 
So here I am in Korea, and the only Korean word in my vocabulary is kimchi. 
Ah, kimchi. 
Yeah. 
Korean writing baffles me. 
I see lines and circles everywhere I look. 
Even on my bus ticket, it has lines and circles. 
Lines and circles. 
Yeah. 
On my bus ride to Daegu, I saw Korean writing on every sign. 
Only some were translated, so I couldn't read anything - just lines and circles. 
Lines and circles. 
That bothers me. 
So I'm playing a game with myself. 
I'm trying to find this symbol, the one that looks like a phone hanging on a wall. 
Yeah, a phone! Hello. Hello... 
Yeah. I wonder what this symbol means. 
Daegu. Daegu... Here, here. 
Really! So this symbol is the first name of my new home. 
Home. Daegu. Welcome. 
Oh. Thank you. 
Uh... 
Uh, you want some kimchi? 
You look hungry. 
Let's go eat. 
You speak English! 
Of course. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our lesson now. 
Well, we found out in today's lesson that Jo didn't learn much Korean before she went to South Korea. 
And so she had to learn everything while she was there. 
Well, have you had a similar experience like Jo? 
She looked around, and everything she saw was in a foreign language. 
Has that ever happened to you, Carolyn? 
Well, actually a very similar experience: I was studying in university... or it was a college in the United States. 
And I decided I wanted to learn Chinese and study abroad to do it. 
But I went to China, and I had never studied Chinese before. 
So it was a little bit confusing. 
I felt very baffled by all of the strange characters because I couldn't read any Chinese. 
Yeah, that's true. 
Well, I think sometimes this can even happen in your own language if it's a topic you don't know much about. 
I might open a science book and not know anything that they're talking about even though it's in English. 
Has this ever happened to you? 
Well, thank you for joining us for today. 
And we'll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.06.18.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for the second day of our lesson: How I Learned to Read and Write Korean. 
Of course we're joining Jo's story here. 
She went to South Korea, and she learned how to read and write Korean while she was there. 
She didn't really know much before she arrived in South Korea. 
But it can be difficult to learn another language. 
And I wonder sometimes if there are some tricks that you can use to help you learn or understand something better. 
Carolyn, do you use any tricks when learning a new language? 
Well, I find that even English has a lot of words that I don't know, so I need to use a dictionary to look them up. 
But before I use a dictionary, I like to look at the word and see if it's similar to other words that I know, 
or if there are parts of the word that remind me of other words; maybe they have similar spellings or sounds and also similar meanings. 
I also try to look at the words that are before and after to guess its meaning. 
All right. 
So Carolyn looks for context clues. 
That means within a sentence, she can try to guess what a word means. 
Well, there are different tricks you could use to figure out what a word might mean and how to understand a language better. 
We're going to find out more about what Jo did regarding this in our lesson for today. 
(Music). 
How I Learned to Read and Write Korean. 
The first word I learned to read in Korean was bibimbap, a famous Korean dish. 
My Irish coworker taught it to me at a restaurant. 
"It's easy to find on a menu," she said. 
"It has so many 'b' sounds in the name." She wrote out the whole Korean alphabet and described how to put letters together. 
I learned that the letters go together to form "blocks," or syllables. 
Blocks go together to form words. 
(Music). 
Well, that is a very interesting way to build a language. 
Well, going to the beginning of our article for today: 
The first word I learned to read in Korean was bibimbap, a famous Korean dish. 
This is a very famous Korean dish. 
Gabe, have you ever eaten a bibimbap? 
Carolyn, I... no, I don't think I have eaten this bibimbap. 
This article was actually the first time I've heard of this famous Korean dish. 
Carolyn, have you eaten bibimbap before? 
I have! And it's quite delicious. 
It's the Korean food that you get in a stone bowl. 
It's... you usually try to cook it in the bowl. 
It's very, very good. 
Carolyn, why didn't you just say that? The stone bowl Korean food. 
I've had that before. 
Oh. Well, so you have had bibimbap. 
Oh, I guess I have. It's delicious. 
So how did she continue after she tells us about bibimbap? 
Well, she says... she actually talks about a coworker from another country completely - her Irish coworker. 
My Irish coworker taught it to me at a restaurant. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from the Word Bank. 
It is "coworker." Now your coworker is someone that you work with. 
It's easy to remember, right? 
You see that word "worker" in that word. 
It's someone that you work with. 
And of course, what job did Jo have, Carolyn? 
Well, she was a teacher. 
So her Irish coworker would probably also be a teacher there. 
And you know, Gabe, you are my coworker here on Studio Classroom. 
That's right. 
We are coworkers. 
And there are many more coworkers here at Studio Classroom. 
Sometimes you might work together on a project. 
They are certainly your coworker. 
But even if you don't work on the same project, but you're still in the same company, you're still coworkers. 
So the teachers on Let's Talk in English and Advanced radio are also our coworkers. 
That is right. 
So we have many coworkers here at Studio Classroom and in all of the other departments that are part of this company. 
Well, continuing in the article talking about learning the word bibimbap from her Irish coworker. 
"It's easy to find on a menu," she said. 
And why was it easy to find on the menu, Gabe? 
Well, her Irish friend said: It has so many "b" sounds in the name. 
That was, uh, me trying to have an Irish accent. 
I don't know that it quite worked, but there are a lot of "b" sounds in bibimbap. 
So apparently it's very easy to find on the menu because if you look at the Korean word for bibimbap, it just changes a little bit. 
And I guess those are the "b" sound that repeats over and over. 
That's right. 
It does look like the same symbol that repeats itself. 
Well, I guess that's an easy way to remember certain things about Korean that you could see the same symbols over and over again. 
I guess it's a little bit more like the English alphabet than maybe Chinese characters, right? 
That's what it sounds like. 
And we see that she wrote out the whole Korean alphabet and described how letters are put together... or how to put letters together. 
So it sounds like you build words just like in English. 
You have an alphabet with 26 letters. 
And you put them together to make words. 
Korean also has an alphabet. 
And you put those symbols together, and you make letters. 
That's right. 
And Jo says: I learned that the letters go together to form "blocks," or syllables. 
And they do kind of look like little blocks, these... these words. 
So these things go together to form these things. 
Let's take a look at that word from the Word Bank. 
It is syllable. 
Now a syllable is the sound that you make with a word. 
So the word "syllable" has three syllables. 
There are three different sounds in that word. 
That's right. 
So syl-la-ble, three, three syllables. 
My name also has three syllables. 
Car-o-lyn. 
And my name, well, it depends. 
If you say Ga-briel, that's two syllables; or Ga-bri-el, that could be three syllables; or just Gabe, one syllable. 
And of course, in the English language, the word with the most syllables is antidisestablishmentarianism. 
Carolyn, that's a wonderful word. 
That is a very long word with many, many syllables. 
Well, talking about the Korean language and its alphabet, we learned that blocks go together to form words. 
So letters go together to form blocks. 
And then those blocks go together to form words. 
That's right. 
Well, Jo is learning this language. 
We're finding out that it's not as hard for her now as she thought it would be. 
So she's starting to find out what Korean is and how to read Korean. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.18.B

Well, we found out so far today about how Jo learned a word in Korean. 
The first word that she learned was bibimbap. 
And of course, this is a kind of food, delicious Korean food that she had there. 
How did she learn this? 
Well, her Irish coworker taught her how to put words together... or put letters together to form blocks, or syllables. 
And then you put the syllables together to form a word. 
Well, we're going to continue learning about how Jo is learning Korean in Korea. 
Here we go. 
(Music). 
How I Learned to Read and Write Korean. 
From then on I learned written Korean quickly. 
Every day held dozens of opportunities to practice. 
I sounded out words I read on subway ads. 
I sounded out items on menus. 
I even sounded out movie titles that appeared on TV. 
It became a fun game! 
My students loved it when I wrote Korean and helped me learn even more. 
Learning to read and write Korean didn't equal fluency. 
Most of what I read I didn't understand. 
But mastering this small skill was a big step in adjusting to my new life in Korea. 
(Music). 
Being able to read does really help when you're trying to adjust to a new culture or a new life. 
Well, right here at the beginning of this paragraph we see: 
From then on I learned written Korean quickly. 
So after her Irish coworker explained how to make words and she learned the entire alphabet, 
she was able to learn Korean... or at least written Korean very quickly. 
That's right. 
So she found out that it's a little bit similar to the English alphabet. 
Therefore you could use these words, these letters in a similar way. 
It can be easier to learn. 
Every day held dozens of opportunities to practice. 
Well, that's great. 
If you go to another country and you're trying to learn the language, then you want to have chances to practice that language. 
At least I hope you do want to practice and improve in that language. 
That's right. 
And it sounds like she took every opportunity to practice. 
She says: I sounded out words I read on subway ads. 
So she's just going around traveling, doing her daily routine. 
And she sees a subway ad with some words on it, and she sounded out those words. 
And we want to talk about that phrase: to sound out some words, or to sound something out. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, you're reading something, but you're not just silently reading it. 
You're also using your voice to sound it out. 
For instance, earlier in today's lesson, I mentioned a 12-syllable word: antidisestablishmentarianism. 
Now you don't know what that word means. 
But if you looked at it on a piece of paper, you could sound it out. 
So even though you could sound something out, it doesn't necessarily mean that you understand what it means, right, Carolyn? 
That is right. 
And she was sounding out words that she read on subway ads. 
So this was one way that she practiced reading Korean. 
Well, I think right now it is time for us to learn something else with Ken and Steve in the Information Cloud. 
If you live in a large city, chances are your city has a mass rapid transit system. 
In Taipei, we call it the MRT for short. 
But depending on the city, such a system may go by different names. 
In today's lesson, we see the word subway. 
That's a very common name for a rapid transit system. 
The New York City Subway is one of the most famous subways in the world. 
But the word "subway" literally means a path that's underground. 
In fact, in British usage, subway refers to an underground crossing for pedestrians. 
So if you're referring to a rapid transit system that is built above ground, then it wouldn't really qualify as a subway. 
And that's probably why in Chicago, it's called the L, which is short for elevated. 
A big part of the L system is above ground, elevated over the roads. 
Another common name is metro. 
The rapid transit systems in Washington D.C., Paris and Moscow are all referred to as the Metro. 
And finally, there's the London Underground. 
But most locals call it the Tube. 
(Chinese). 
All right. 
Well, let's continue with Jo's story. 
She says, "I sounded out items on menus." She's talking about sounding out words everywhere she goes. 
I even sounded out movie titles that appeared on TV. 
So she's sounding out everything. 
It sounds like wherever she goes, she is trying to have fun with the Korean language. 
That's right. 
And she is taking every opportunity to practice. 
Now that she knows the alphabet, she knows the sounds that each one makes, 
and she knows how to put the sounds together to make blocks and then words, she's able to read out loud. 
And we see: My students loved it when I wrote Korean and helped me learn even more. 
So her students were even excited that she wanted to learn Korean, and they helped her to learn. 
That's right. 
They helped her to learn even more, to grow even more, to enjoy it even more. 
And I think that's kind of fun. 
If you're a teacher, of course you're teaching your students something that you know. 
But it's really fun as a teacher to be able to learn from my students as well. 
That's right. 
And we said that she was sounding out movie titles that appeared on TV. 
And it became a fun game! 
This was a game for her, not just learning but playing while she learned. 
And her students enjoyed it, too. 
That's right. 
Now we continue with Jo's lesson: 
Learning to read and write Korean didn't equal fluency. 
So it's not the same as being fluent. 
Let's take a look at that Word Bank word: fluency. 
If you have fluency in a certain language or in a certain subject, that means you know it really, really well. 
You can communicate pretty well with it. 
And you know what other people are talking about when they use that language. 
That's right. 
So fluency is important. 
When you are learning another language, you want to be able to communicate easily and be understood as well as understand the other person. 
So fluency is very important when learning another language. 
But we see that it didn't equal fluency. 
So being able to read is not the same as fluency. 
That's right. 
She wasn't fluent. 
So you could see this word can also be an adjective - fluent, F-L-U-E-N-T. 
Are you fluent in English? 
Are you fluent in Chinese or in another language? 
Well, we have more to learn right now with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We find this sentence in today's article: 
Learning to read and write Korean didn't equal fluency. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
And today we're looking at the word "equal." Normally we use "equal" to talk about math problems like: 
One plus two equals three. 
But in today's sentence, the writer is not talking about math. 
Instead, she uses "equal" to mean to be as good as. 
So today's sentence just means: Just because the writer learned to read and write Korean didn't mean she was as good as being fluent. 
We use "equal" like this when we want to talk about how something naturally means or leads to something else. 
For example: Having a higher job position equals greater responsibility. 
Or: Poor time management at work equals less productivity. 
And when we want to talk about how something does not lead to something else, then we use "not equal." For example: 
Having the latest technological gadget does not equal being cool. 
Or: Being rich does not equal being happy. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, do please check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Going back to how reading and writing is not the same as fluency, they do not equal each other, Jo says that most of what I read I didn't understand. 
So she could read it, but she didn't know what it meant. 
But mastering this small skill was a big step in adjusting to my new life in Korea. 
Well, I would agree with her. 
I don't necessarily understand everything that I read. 
Even in English, there are some words that I have never seen before or I've never used before. 
I can try to sound them out, and then hopefully I will learn how to understand and use these words. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
The past two days we've been learning from Jo and her experiences of being able to read and write in Korean while she was studying in... while she was working in South Korea. 
And it sounds like a very difficult thing to do. 
And we also learned that being able to read and write are not the same as being fluent or having fluency. 
And I just wonder, Gabe, how important do you think it is to be able to understand or is it OK if you can just read it? 
Um, actually if you can just read it, that helps with recognizing words, or in my case, Chinese characters. 
But of course, my goal is to be able to use those words and not just... not just sound them out but also to be able to use them correctly in a sentence. 
That's right. 
And that takes a lot of time and a lot of practice, which I hope you are getting plenty of with us here on Studio Classroom. 
I also hope that you will join us again next time on our next episode of Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.06.19.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And Carolyn, what time is it? 
Summertime! 
That's right. 
It's summertime. 
And the name of our lesson today is... What Time Is It? Summertime! 
Well, what do you like to do during the summer? 
Maybe you like to get out and enjoy the fresh air. 
You can go and be in lots of places in nature. 
What do you like to do during the summer? 
Carolyn? 
Well, summer for me is usually a time that I spend with my family. 
It's also a time that I love to go swimming. 
I love swimming in lakes, in rivers, in the ocean, on the beach. 
Oh, I love going swimming and even to swimming pools. 
Well, I would have to agree with you. 
Swimming is a great thing to do during the summer when the water is not freezing cold like it is during the winter. 
Summertime is wonderful for that. 
I also like going on vacations in the summer to places that have beaches. 
And I can enjoy a nice drink while I sit on the beach and just enjoy the scenery. 
It's very nice. 
Well, what do you like to do during the summer? 
We're going to be learning a little bit about what a family in America is doing this summer. 
So grab your sunglasses and let's go. 
(Music). 
What Time Is It? Summertime! 
Grab your sunglasses and let's go. 
You probably have heard this song from High School Musical 2 - "What Time is it? Summertime!" What do Americans usually do in summer? 
The last thing they like to do is to stay indoors to study or work. 
School gets out in mid-June, so parents make plans to travel or send their kids to summer camps. 
Road trips or beach vacations are top choices for families. 
Camps vary from technology to adventure. 
The local swim and fitness centers make popular spots to cool off. 
(Music). 
All right. 
Let's start at the very beginning here: 
You probably have heard this song from High School Musical 2 - What Time is it? Summertime! 
Well, if you have seen High School Musical or High School Musical 2, then you know this song. 
Carolyn, how do we continue? 
Well, actually I want to talk about that word "musical." It is a word from our Word Bank today. 
And a musical is a story that is told to music or with music. 
So if you have seen High School Musical 2, you know that there is a lot of singing in this movie. 
It's not just your normal movie. 
It's a movie, though, called High School Musical. 
And usually a musical is not a movie. 
It's a stage performance. 
Most musicals start on the stage. 
And maybe over many years they become very popular, and so they're made into movies. 
But I do enjoy seeing musicals. 
One very famous place that you can enjoy musicals is on Broadway in New York. 
They have lots of musicals there. 
And that is something that you might do this summer is go watch a musical. 
Many theaters perform outside during the summer. 
And you can watch a musical there. 
Well, what do Americans usually do in the summer? 
This is a great question that our author asks. 
And she answers it by saying the last thing they like to do is to stay indoors to study or work. 
That's right. 
Now Carolyn just said that sentence... or question: 
What do Americans usually do in the summer? 
You read "What do Americans usually do in summer?" So you can use the word "the" or not. 
They both mean the same thing. 
They're both equally correct. 
What do Americans usually do in the summer, or in summer? 
Well, some people like to go outside. 
The last thing that people like to do is stay inside to study or work. 
Let's learn more about this sentence from Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we find this sentence: 
The last thing they like to do is to stay indoors to study or work. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the phrase at the beginning of the sentence: the last thing. 
We use this expression when we want to talk about an activity that someone doesn't enjoy doing. 
In the case of today's sentence, the writer is saying that Americans don't really want to be indoors during the summer months. 
Because it is something they don't want to do, we can say it is the last thing they like to do. 
OK. Let's look at some example sentences. 
Kerry hates doing house chores, so we can say: 
If Kerry has free time, the last thing she would do is clean her house. 
Or, Steven doesn't like going to the mall on weekends, so we can say: 
Going shopping this weekend is the last thing Steven would do. 
If you want to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section in your Studio Classroom magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Well, I know that for many students, the last thing they want to do is study when the weather is so beautiful outside. 
And we see that school gets out in mid-June in the U.S., so parents make plans to travel or send their kids to summer camps. 
So in mid-June, students need something to do, and parents make plans with their children. 
That's right. 
So maybe from June 15 through 20 or something like that, schools get out and people can do enjoy something in the summer. 
Road trips or beach vacations are top choices for families. 
So if you went onto Google and searched "summer activities for families," these two things might come out on top - road trips or beach vacations. 
Let's take a look at that first one there, a road trip. 
This is taking a trip somewhere in your car or in a vehicle. 
But it's not just traveling for two hours from one city to another, is it, Carolyn? 
No. A road trip is usually very long. 
I would say probably at least an entire day to get where you're going. 
So not just from one city to another, but a road trip to another state or even another part of the country. 
And the United States is very big, so road trips can be a lot of fun. 
They can be a lot of fun. 
You spend most of your time in your car or in your van or something. 
You're not spending a lot of time outside. 
That's what a road trip is. 
You can enjoy the scenery on a road trip. 
Well, we continue. 
Camps vary from technology to adventure. 
So some people like to send their kids to summer camps. 
And they all have different kinds of themes like technology or adventure. 
Carolyn, are there other themes that you might enjoy at a summer camp? 
Well, there are a lot of different types of summer camps. 
I know that there are computer camps. 
I know that NASA in the United States has a space camp. 
Interesting. 
And the school that I went to for university, they have a really great camp for students that want to excel in sciences. 
Interesting. 
And of course, sometimes Studio Classroom also puts on English camps, English summer camps. 
So often a summer camp will have a kind of theme. 
Well, we continue learning about something here. 
The local swim and fitness centers make popular spots to cool off. 
All right. 
So if you want to just cool off, you can go to one of these places. 
That's right. 
You can go to a swim or a fitness center. 
And there swim and fitness centers means swim centers and fitness centers. 
They are both types of centers, but the word is only used once. 
That's right. 
Well, Carolyn, I saw a phrase there at the end of the sentence: to cool off. 
What does that mean? 
Well, if you want to cool off, then you want to go somewhere that is not hot. 
You want to take a break from the heat and probably go inside where there is air conditioning or a swimming pool. 
All right. 
Of course maybe you can take a fan with you and have a cool drink if you want to cool off. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.19.B

Well, it is summertime, and I hope that you are getting ready to enjoy a nice summer. 
This year, take a little break. 
Take a break from the heat and cool off by going to a swim or fitness center. 
You also might go out and enjoy a musical in a park or put on by another theater company. 
There are so many things to do this summer. 
Maybe you want to take a road trip or a beach vacation. 
Well, we have lots more to learn from Pauline and her family, and what they will be doing this summer. 
Let's start our second reading for today. 
(Music). 
What Time Is It? Summertime! 
The Music Center, shopping malls and Town Center host free outdoor concerts every week. 
And sports lovers canoe or kayak along the river or bike and hike on the trails all summer. 
So what is my family doing this summer? 
On weekends, we're going to different state and regional parks. 
Rock Creek Regional Park's Lake Needwood is our favorite place to hike. 
The nature center there helps us understand this area's history. 
My children love the Legacy of the People exhibit. 
Outside they visit the aviaries to see their "feathered friends" - a wing-injured American bald eagle and a half-blind owl. 
(Music). 
All right. 
Well, we've learned a little bit now about Pauline and her family. 
She says that sometimes they take their children to go and enjoy these things. 
Well, let's go to the top of this section here. 
We're learning about the Music Center. 
The Music Center, shopping malls and Town Center host free outdoor concerts every week. 
Well, that sounds like a fun summer activity - going to an outdoor concert. 
That does sound like a really great thing to do in the summer, especially since they are free and they are every week. 
But let's take a look at that word "concert" from our Word Bank. 
A concert is a musical performance. 
And usually I think of it as one that is live. 
You get to enjoy it while they are performing, not just listen to a recording of it. 
That's right. 
Of course if you want to listen to a recording, sometimes they make DVDs of these live concerts, and you can listen. 
But it's not as fun as going to a live concert. 
Of course there are many different kinds of concerts. 
What kinds of concerts do you enjoy attending? 
Pop music concerts? 
Or maybe something a little more classical? 
Of course there are many different kinds of concerts. 
And there are concerts every week where Pauline and her family have moved to Washington D.C. 
And sports lovers canoe or kayak along the river or bike and hike on the trails all summer. 
So it sounds like there is a lot to do in her neighborhood. 
That's right. 
What can you do in the river? 
You can canoe or kayak. 
A canoe and a kayak, these are two different kinds of boats. 
They're not big ships. 
They're small boats that you can use fairly easily. 
What's the difference? 
Well, there are some little differences. 
But if you want to go quickly, use a kayak. 
That is much faster. 
Yes, it is. 
Well, but she uses this word "all" summer. 
All summer. 
So here we're not talking about something you can really see. 
She's talking about time. 
Gabe, how can we use this word "all" to talk about time? 
Well, in almost any way you want to talk about time. 
So for example, you could say: We did this all day. 
We hiked all day long. 
Or what about all year? 
They were living with us all year long, not just for a couple of days or a couple of weeks but all year. 
That's right. 
So you can use this word to talk about time. 
Continuing in our article. 
So what is my family doing this summer? 
Pauline asks us. 
And she answers how, Gabe? 
Well, she says: On weekends we're going to different state and regional parks. 
So within the United States, there are many different kinds of parks. 
Some very famous ones like Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon. 
But there are also some smaller ones, some state and regional parks. 
That's right. 
And the park that it sounds like they want to go to is called Rock Creek Regional Park. 
We see: Rock Creek Regional Park's Lake Needwood is our favorite place to hike. 
So they love going here to go hiking. 
The nature center there helps us understand this area's history. 
That's right. 
Actually this is a very popular place in that area. 
It's 75 acres and it's very popular among fishermen. 
So if you like fishing, maybe you want to go and visit Lake Needwood. 
And of course you can learn a little bit about the area's history there as well. 
And she gives us some other reasons why they enjoy going there so much. 
She writes: My children love the Legacy of the People exhibit. 
And I'm not quite sure what that exhibit would be, Gabe. 
Well, at this exhibit, you can learn about the lives of Maryland pioneers and a tribe of Indians that lived there. 
And of course, a legacy is something that is handed down from people in the past to us now; so the Legacy of the People. 
That's right. 
So they can visit this exhibit. 
They can also do some other things there as well. 
Outside they visit the aviaries to see their "feathered friends" - a wing-injured American bald eagle and a half-blind owl. 
So they like to go to the aviaries here to visit their "feathered friends," Gabe. 
Well, a feathered friend, that's slang for any kind of bird. 
And an aviary is a large space where birds can fly around. 
It's contained, so they can't just fly off wherever they want to, but it's not small like a cage, either. 
That's right. 
So it is a great place to be able to see birds flying around, and you can see many different kinds of birds there. 
And at this one they have a wing-injured American bald eagle. 
Now "injured" is one of the words from our Word Bank. 
If you are injured, then you are hurt. 
So this bald eagle has an injury or it is hurt on its wing, so it probably cannot fly. 
Good, OK. 
It has an injury; that's not good. 
But I say good because there are different ways you can use that word. 
"Injury" is the noun. 
"Injured" might be an adjective. 
If your foot is injured, that's an adjective. 
Or you might injure your foot, a verb. 
So there are different ways you can use this word. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
This is very important, especially if you are writing English. 
And then we'll learn some more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson once said: 
The hyphen was the most un-American thing in the world. 
And Britain's Winston Churchill said hyphens were a blemish to be avoided wherever possible. 
Yes, many people believe the hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that has outlived its usefulness. 
As evidenced by words that are born with hyphens but then slowly and discreetly abandon them. 
Does anyone remember when the word tomorrow had a hyphen after the t-o? 
If not, then surely you remember when the word e-mail was always written with a hyphen after the e. 
Well, not so much anymore. 
But don't worry, people. 
The hyphen is not going anywhere. 
Good thing, too. 
Hyphens still have a handful of important functions. 
For example, they facilitate understanding by neatly dividing words. 
Right. 
They prevent what some people call letter collision. 
Imagine encountering words like coat-tail, shell-like, re-enter and de-ice without their hyphen. 
What a mess! 
You are right. 
Well, another important function of hyphens is they help prevent ambiguity. 
For example, a half-blind owl isn't the same as a half blind owl, is it? 
And an old-furniture dealer is quite different from an old furniture dealer. 
(Chinese). 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to go back to our teachers. 
All right. 
So far today we've learned a little bit about what our author and her family are doing this summer. 
But what about you? 
Do you have any fun plans for this summer? 
Carolyn, what about you? 
Well, I think this summer I will probably spend my weekends going hiking and maybe even go to a cold spring or two to relax and cool off. 
What about you, Gabe? 
I think I'll be spending a lot of time at the beach. 
I love going to the beach, especially during the summer. 
What about you? 
Do you have any fun plans for this summer? 
Talk about that with a friend or a family member. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.06.20.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And do you know what time it is? 
Well, yes, it's time for us to continue looking at this lesson about summertime. 
The name of the lesson is: What Time Is It? Summertime! 
And we've been enjoying a lesson by Pauline about her time in America and the things that she is taking her family to do this summer. 
Well, what do you enjoy doing during the summer? 
And what is the best summer that you have ever had? 
I'm sure you have some good memories from summertime. 
What's one of the best summers that you have ever had? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I've had a lot of really great summers. 
Uh, when I was growing up, I would spend a lot of my time on my grandparents' farm playing with animals and getting to just run around outside. 
And those were always great summers. 
But I think my best summer was when I studied abroad in Japan. 
That was over the summer. 
Interesting. That sounds like a good summer. 
One summer some of my friends flew me out to visit them in Maryland. 
And I got to hang out, go to a big music festival. 
That was a great summer. 
Of course now I am working throughout the summer; I don't have a lot of time to go and travel places. 
But what about you? 
Talk about a good summer memory in English. 
Right now it's time for us to get started with the first reading of the day. 
(Music). 
What Time Is It? Summertime! 
Georgetown in Washington, D.C., is a great place to hang out on weekends also. 
The 17th and 18th century architecture and cobblestone streets lined with modern shops make shopping fun. 
If you are tired of shopping, walk over to the Georgetown Waterfront Park. 
Wander along the Potomac River, and watch the seagulls flying around. 
Like many American families, we're going to the beach. 
Ocean City is famous for its beautiful beach, fishing and water sports. 
Thousands of vacationers go there to surf, boogie board and swim. 
The beach is a very popular destination in the summer. 
Well, our very first sentence for today says that Georgetown in Washington, D.C., is a great place to hang out on weekends also. 
So Pauline has been talking about all of the different places she and her family have planned to go during the summer. 
And Georgetown in Washington, D.C., is one of those places. 
That's right. 
And she says it's a good place to hang out. 
Maybe they're not doing much there. 
They don't have anything organized. 
They would just hang out. 
And you know what, I think we should just learn more about this phrase with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
As our author today proves, it doesn't take long after moving to America for one starts using the phrase "hang out." It's really useful. 
It is. 
So what exactly is hanging out? 
Well, first, it's a state of ease and relaxation. 
Playing video games, reading a book, baking a cake or watching TV, the activity doesn't matter so long as it's not a strain on your mind or body. 
OK. Who do you hang out with? Your boyfriend or girlfriend? 
Not necessarily. 
Hanging out is not the same as going out on a date. 
No, it's not. 
You hang out with people you like. 
Yes, you can, technically, hang out by yourself. 
But more often, hanging out means you are socializing with a friend or a group of friends. 
Next, where can you hang out? 
Anywhere, really. 
Parks, libraries, restaurants, cafes and shopping malls are all popular places to hang out. 
Hanging out at home is allowed; but there is an implication that hanging out happens in a public place. 
So when's the best time to hang out? 
Whenever you're bored, or when you and your friends have some free time. 
The length of time you hang out is very flexible too, from, say, five minutes to five days. 
And finally, why should you hang out? 
Because you can. 
(Chinese). 
Oh. Well, maybe we can find some time to hang out. 
Hey, Gabe, you want to hang out after work today? 
Well, sure, Carolyn. 
What do you want to do? 
Um, hang out. 
Oh, right. 
Yeah. 
Sure. 
OK, great. 
Well, back to our article. 
The 17th and 18th century architecture and cobblestone streets lined with modern shops make shopping fun. 
So this is a very historic area with 17th and 18th century architecture or buildings. 
And the cobblestone streets are lined with modern shops. 
That's right. 
Now that's a really great little phrase there: to be lined with something. 
Gabe, can you tell us about that? 
Yeah. The streets are lined with modern shops. 
That means the shops are right next to each other, 
and there are so many of them that when you look at them from a distance, it looks like there is a line of shops. 
So you can use that word like a verb. 
Something is lined with modern shops. 
I could also use it in another way. 
For example, at New Year's time, people wait to watch the fireworks go off. 
Sometimes on the bridge, there is a line of cars. 
Or the bridge is lined with cars parked just waiting for these fireworks to go off. 
That is a great example. 
And we are talking about the summer and the street is lined with shops, which makes shopping very fun. 
Well, continuing. 
If you are tired of shopping, walk over to the Georgetown Waterfront Park. 
Oh. Well, it sounds like a really great place to go. 
If you're tired of shopping, you can go to the park. 
And what will they find there, Gabe? 
Well, what you could do is wander along the Potomac River and watch the seagulls flying around. 
So you can see the Potomac River there. 
But let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "wander." Carolyn, what does it mean to wander? 
Well, if you wander, then you don't have any real goal in your destination. 
You just simply walk around, kind of like what you're doing now, Gabe. 
Maybe... maybe you go to a bookstore or a library, and you don't have any specific book that you're looking for, but you just wander around and look. 
That's good. 
That's great. 
You just wander around. 
You don't have any goal or direction necessarily. 
You could wander around somewhere. 
Or you might want to tell somebody: Stay right here. Don't wander away. 
We don't want to lose you, so please don't just wander away. 
That's right. 
Well, you can wander along the Potomac River and see the seagulls flying around, a great break from shopping. 
Continuing into the next paragraph. 
Like many American families, we are going to the beach. 
Now which beach are they going to go to, Gabe? 
Well, they're going to go to a famous beach - Ocean City. 
Ocean City is famous for its beautiful beach, fishing and water sports. 
So there are lots of places to swim. 
There is a beautiful beach at Ocean City. 
It's famous for its beach. 
You could use that phrase "famous for" in other ways. 
What is your city famous for? 
What about Pingxi in Taiwan? 
That's famous for sky lanterns. 
But what about where you're from? 
What is your city famous for? 
Well, we've got Ocean City. 
And thousands of vacationers go there to surf, boogie board and swim. 
So when you go on vacation, you are a vacationer. 
Add "-er" and it becomes a person. 
And you go there to surf, boogie board and swim. 
So there is a lot to do in the water at Ocean City. 
That's right. 
Now we're talking about boogie boarding here. 
That's kind of like surfing, but you're not standing up on a long board. 
You're resting, or you're lying down on a board with your hands at the front. 
You are boogie boarding. 
And boogie boarding is a lot of fun. 
Carolyn, have you ever been surfing or boogie boarding? 
Well, I have not tried surfing. 
I would like to, but it seems very difficult. 
Boogie boarding, however, is quite easy and very fun. 
And there are a lot of places, especially Ocean City in Maryland or other beaches around the U.S. and around the world that you can boogie board. 
That's right. 
Just go buy a boogie board, and take it out to the ocean and catch a wave. 
It is a lot of fun. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something different with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.20.B

If you're just joining us, so far we're talking a little bit about what you can do in the summertime in Washington, D.C. 
You could travel to Georgetown. 
And you can wander along the 17th and 18th century old cobblestone streets and go shopping. 
It's a fun place for shopping. 
Or you could go to the Waterfront Park there and look at the beautiful Potomac River. 
Of course, if you would like swimming or want to try boogie boarding, you can head to Ocean City and do that there. 
Well, let's continue learning from our lesson today. 
(Music). 
What Time Is It? Summertime! 
Kids build sand castles and jump in the waves while adults swim or sunbathe. 
Free movies, bonfires and concerts on the beach occur almost every night. 
Ocean City also has one of America's famous boardwalks. 
Gigantic kites fly high, and street performers and shops provide entertainment. 
The arcades are filled with kids of all ages. 
And food? 
Seafood lovers will enjoy the spicy steamed crab and famous Maryland crab cakes. 
Have a sweet tooth like me? 
Try the caramel popcorn, funnel cakes and hot, hand-dipped donuts. 
It's the beginning of the summer, so let's go out and have some fun! 
Summer is a very fun time to go out and just enjoy all of the great activities going on. 
At the beginning of this section, we're still talking about the beach, so. 
Kids build sand castles and jump in the waves while adults swim or sunbathe. 
Now Gabe, there are lots of things that she talks about here. 
You could build sand castles, jump in the waves, swim or sunbathe, different activities for kids and adults. 
Which do you like to do? 
Any of the activities that have to do with water. 
I like building sun... er... sand castles, too. 
But I like swimming in the water, jumping in the waves. 
And yeah, sometimes getting out and sunbathing because I like to get a tan, or at least I like trying to get a tan. 
Yes, it is not always easy to get a tan, especially for me. 
It doesn't work out very well. 
Well, free movies, bonfires and concerts on the beach occur almost every night. 
So the beach is not just a place for swimming or sunbathing. 
It's a place that you can watch movies, see a concert or enjoy a nice bonfire. 
That's right. 
Ocean City's beaches are famous for lots of reasons. 
So do you like fires? 
You could create a little fire. 
When you're camping, that's called a campfire. 
Or maybe there's a big fire on the beach. 
You use lots of wood and different things to create a bonfire. 
You can gather around and stay warm near a bonfire. 
That's right. 
Well, Ocean City also has one of America's famous boardwalks. 
So there are many boardwalks in the U.S.; and the one in Ocean City is very famous. 
How does the article continue, Gabe? 
Well, I did want to say something about boardwalks. 
Sometimes there are shops on the boardwalk you can go in and buy little things, souvenirs. 
Or you could take pictures at special booths that allow you to wear special clothes. 
There are many different things that you can do at these famous boardwalks. 
But we... we find out that you can do other things as well. 
Reading on: Gigantic kites fly high and street performers and shops provide entertainment. 
Well, Carolyn, what does that mean, "gigantic"? 
Gigantic. Well, gigantic is from our Word Bank. 
And it means very, very, very large, so bigger than you would expect. 
It is a gigantic kite. 
Maybe the kite is bigger than you, Gabe. 
It... actually there are probably maybe kites that are bigger than me or bigger than a human being. 
These are gigantic kites. 
Now what else can be gigantic? 
Yes, bigger than you expect. 
Sometimes I see little spiders crawling around here and there. 
But I hate seeing gigantic spiders. 
Ooh, they make me scared. 
They are very scary when you see something gigantic like a spider, yes. 
But we are talking about entertainment at the beach, and there is so much going on. 
The arcades are filled with kids of all ages. 
And there are arcades at the beach. 
Arcade is another word from the Word Bank. 
It's a place where you pay money to play a game. 
That's right. 
And these are called arcades. 
The rooms or the places you can just call that arcades, with an S. 
You're going to the arcades. 
Now there are so many different kinds of arcade games. 
What kind of arcades do you enjoy playing? 
I really like Pinball. 
That's a classic arcade game. 
Yes. So maybe you remember last year a movie came out called Wreck-It Ralph. 
The games in that movie were all in the arcade, that they were all arcade games. 
Well, there is much more going on at this boardwalk and at the beach. 
And food? 
And food? 
We're going to be learning about food as well. 
Seafood lovers will enjoy the spicy steamed crab and famous Maryland crab cakes. 
I just want to go back to Maryland right now. 
I love crab cakes. 
But first, let's talk about this word from our Word Bank. 
It is "spicy." Do you like spicy food? 
If it's a little bit hot, maybe you've added some spicy pepper. 
It will make the food spicy. 
Do you like spicy food, Carolyn? 
I do not like spicy food. 
I don't like things that are hot and burn my mouth. 
They make me cough. 
But steamed crab and famous Maryland crab cakes are very delicious. 
So delicious. 
Oh, man! I want to go and try some crab cakes again. 
Well, what if you like something sweet? 
Our article continues. 
Have a sweet tooth like me? 
Try the caramel popcorn, funnel cakes and hot, hand-dipped donuts. 
Carolyn, I'm getting hungry. 
I need to leave and get something to eat. 
Well, we're... Wait, we still have another sentence in the article, Gabe. 
Let's... let's finish first. 
It's the beginning of the summer, so let's go out and have some fun. 
We have a lot of fun here on Studio Classroom teaching you, talking to you, 
and working with each other talking about all of these delicious things. 
And now it is time to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
I'm going to get a snack. 
(Music). 
What? I can't believe this! 
Let me guess - you're reading your friend's blog. 
Right. She's talking about summertime. 
Let me guess - she wants to spend the summer studying with the kids. 
No. That's the last thing she wants to do. 
Then what does she want to do? 
Everything else. 
Everything? 
Yeah. She wants to take road trips and go to camp. 
That sounds fun. 
Yeah. And uh, what else? 
Oh, visit regional and state parks. 
That sounds fun, too. 
They also want to hang out at Georgetown. 
It has old architecture and cobblestone streets. 
That sounds nice. 
It is. 
And they have modern shops, too. 
How fun! 
But that's not all. 
They want to wander along the Potomac River and watch the seagulls fly. 
Nice. 
And go to Ocean City for fishing trips and water sports and surfing and swimming. 
Wow! Ocean City sounds fun. 
There are free movies and concerts and a famous boardwalk there. 
Anything else? 
Kites and street performers and shops and arcades and spicy steamed crabs and caramel popcorn and donuts. 
Donuts... Wow, they'll do so many fun things. 
Yeah! Huh, they sure will. 
What about you? 
What... what will you do this summer? 
I'll study. 
Me, too. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And we've got to get back to our teachers now. 
We've enjoyed learning all about things that you can do in the summertime, especially in the Washington, D.C., area. 
Now of the things that we read about in this article the past two days, which one are you most interested in going to see? 
Gabe, where would you like to go? 
Hmm. Well, I just finished a donut, which was delicious. 
And it reminds me of that section talking about Ocean City where it sells lots of delicious foods. 
I think I'd like to go and try the boardwalk at Ocean City, Carolyn. 
Well, that would be a great place to go. 
And I hope that you will think about what you want to do this summer in English. 
And we will see you here next time on Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.06.21.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And we're glad that you could join us for our lesson today about a special band named Mumford and Sons. 
I don't know if you've heard of them before; perhaps you have. 
They are wonderful. 
Well, we are talking about a band, a music band today. 
And I wonder what kind of music you listen to? 
What do you enjoy listening to? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I enjoy listening to many different kinds of music. 
But some of my favorite artists right now would have to be Owl City, 
and Future of Forestry was a new band that I was introduced to recently. 
And I just love their music. 
All right, Owl City, Future of Forestry. 
You let me hear some of their music. 
I like Future of Forestry as well. 
Well, I've loved Radio Head for a long time. 
I went to a concert of theirs last year. 
And I love all sorts of jazz, especially that kind of funky jazz. 
I love going to those kinds of concerts and listening to that kind of music. 
Well, Mumford & Sons is very unique. 
It's different. 
And you are going to get a chance to learn a little bit about them today. 
So let's get started with the first reading for the day. 
(Music). 
Mumford & Sons. 
Meet the Gentlemen of the Road. 
If you haven't heard Mumford & Sons, get online now, and they will blow your mind. 
Check out the songs "The Cave" or "I Will Wait." Done? 
Maybe now you have an idea of how an infectious sound can spring a young British band to amazing heights. 
The group earned two 2013 Grammy awards, and in 2012 their album Babel had the second highest new album sales. 
But Mumford's four unrelated members offer more than that; they invite you to join them. 
OK. Let's start at the very beginning here learning about Mumford & Sons - Meet the Gentlemen of the Road. 
Well, if you have had a chance to look online and see some of those songs mentioned here, you will see that they certainly are gentlemen. 
And they act like gentlemen or look like gentlemen in their concerts and in everything that they do. 
They are the Gentlemen of the Road. 
That's right. 
And they are Gentlemen of the Road because they're always traveling, which is something we will be talking about in today's lesson. 
Well, first, let's just look a bit at their name. 
Their name - Mumford & Sons. 
Usually when I see "& Sons" with something, I think of a "father-and-son" business. 
But that's not what this band is, is it, Gabe? 
No, it's not. 
It's a group of friends that got together. 
And one of them, yes, their name is Mumford, but then the others are not named Mumford. 
It's not really his son; it's his friends. 
But here we're talking about Mumford & Sons. 
And it's true, there are many businesses in the West that might say "something & Sons" or "something & Co.," and that means it's a kind of company. 
That's right. 
But here it's not a family business; it's a family of friends. 
Well, let's get started at the very beginning here. 
If you haven't heard Mumford & Sons, get online now, and they will blow your mind. 
All right. They will blow your mind. 
Let's take a look at some of those words. 
They're from our Word Bank: to blow your mind. 
That means they are better than you expected. 
Or maybe you didn't expect anything, you didn't know what to expect. 
But it was a lot better. 
It was really great. 
It blew your mind. 
How could you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, I do think if you went watching a performance, maybe you've heard these songs before, 
you've listened to the CD or the MP3. 
But then you go to the concert, and it's a live performance. 
And it just blows your mind because you had no idea that it could sound even better; and a live concert experience is pretty amazing. 
Well, that's how I felt at Radio Head's concert last year. 
It blew my mind. 
They truly are good musicians and good performers onstage. 
They blew my mind. 
It makes me think of another phrase: if something blows you away. 
It kind of means the same thing. 
Wow! That just blew me away. 
It was incredible. 
How do we continue this lesson, Carolyn? 
We see: Check out the songs "The Cave" or "I Will Wait." So check out these songs. 
Check out. Let's look at that phrase. 
If you check something out, that means you look at it, you look it up. 
Maybe you find some information on it, or here - listen to these songs. 
All right. I love that band. 
You should listen to them, too. 
Check out their new album. 
Or you could check their new album out. 
You could put these words "check out" together or split them up, check something out. 
Well, check out those songs "The Cave" and "I Will Wait." Done? 
Well, of course not right now. 
You're on Studio Classroom. 
You're listening to us. 
But in a minute, you should go check those songs out. 
And when you are done, maybe now you have an idea of how an infectious sound can spring a young British band to amazing heights. 
All right. 
Well, let's take a look at a word right there. 
The word is "infectious." This is from our Word Bank. 
Now this kind of makes me think of the word "infected" with... which is a bad thing. 
So if you're infected, that means it's... it's not good for your body. 
But if it's infectious, that means you are infecting others. 
And music can be infectious. 
It's catchy. 
You want to listen to more of it. 
That's right. 
So here we're talking about it in a good way. 
That's right. 
This infectious sound is a good thing. 
It means that people want to listen to it. 
It spreads very quickly. 
And this infectious sound has sprung a young British band to amazing heights. 
So they went from not being very popular to being very well known around the world. 
And what have they done, Gabe? 
Well, they're pretty amazing. 
The group earned two 2013 Grammy awards, (wow!) and in 2012 their album Babel had the second highest new album sales. 
All right. 
So it seems like they've been doing pretty well for themselves. 
Carolyn, what is the Grammy Awards? 
Well, the Grammys are probably the biggest award show for musicians. 
So all of the performers, especially in the United States where it's hosted, they are chosen for different categories. 
And here Mumford & Sons won two Grammys in different categories in 2013. 
That's right, and their album Babel did pretty well as well. 
Well, we continue learning. 
But Mumford's four unrelated members offer more than that; they invite you to join them. 
Well, this makes me want to learn a little bit more. 
So far we know that they are unrelated members. 
Carolyn, what does that mean? 
Well, it means that they are not part of the same family. 
So even though they're called Mumford & Sons, as we said before, they are not related to or unrelated. 
But right now, let's spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.21.B

If you're just joining us, today we are talking about a band called Mumford & Sons. 
And even though the four band members are unrelated, you see the word "Sons" in the name of the group. 
Well, we've learned that they are a young British band with a very infectious sound and that they won two Grammys this year in 2013. 
Well, we've got a lot more to learn about this great band coming up in the next section of our reading. 
(Music). 
Mumford & Sons. 
The Mumford Family Tree. 
They make fans feel at home and strive to make their music accessible online, 
keep ticket prices low and tour as much as possible. 
"We're pretty intent on touring for the rest of our lives, really," claims Marcus Mumford, 
and they've already traveled around the U.S. 10 times. 
Their variety of locations also lets them grow the Mumford family tree, 
ranging from outdoor festival audiences of thousands upon thousands to smaller gatherings at indoor clubs. 
That's probably why throngs of American teens and British Prime Minister David Cameron, 
who requested they perform at the White House, name them their favorite band. 
Wow! That is high praise coming from the prime minister. 
Well, let's take a look at this section here. 
It's called The Mumford Family Tree. 
So again we see this theme of family in our lesson today. 
Even though they're not related, of course, they have a family tree. 
Let's find out what they mean by this. 
They make fans feel at home and strive to make their music accessible online, 
keep ticket prices low and tour as much as possible. 
Well, it sounds like they are really reaching out to their fans. 
They really want them to join them on this experience and to make them feel at home, or feel like they're part of the family, 
very welcoming in their concerts. 
That's right. 
And they strive to make their music accessible online. 
If something is made accessible to you, that means it's easy for you to access or get ahold of. 
And one way that bands can do this is by having maybe a blog or a website where they post a lot of their songs, 
and you can just listen to them for free. 
That is making your music accessible. 
That's right. 
And we continue. 
We're pretty intent on touring for the rest of our lives, really," claims Marcus Mumford, 
and they've already traveled around the U.S. 10 times. 
Well, that sounds pretty impressive, already to travel around the U.S. 10 times. 
Well, what did he say? 
We're pretty intent on touring for the rest of our lives. 
They're intent. 
Let's take a look at word. 
It's from our Word Bank. 
If you're intent on doing something, that means you plan to do it. 
How else could you use that word? 
Well, it means that you plan or you want to do it. 
Maybe someone will ask you, "Oh, well, what is your intent?" What do you want? 
What do you want? 
What is your intent? 
Or often I will actually see this word with the word "on." So I'm intent on doing something. 
I am intent on finishing my project by the end of tonight. 
I don't want to keep working on it for many days. 
I'm intent on finishing it by tonight, so I'm going to work hard. 
Well, that is very good is... it is important to be intent on working hard. 
And perhaps you are intent on improving your English. 
The band here is intent on touring for the rest of their lives. 
So they really enjoy touring, traveling, performing, and they've already traveled around the U.S. 10 times. 
That's right. 
Well, they are wanting to tour. 
Maybe it's a little different from going on a tour. 
Let's take a look at the Info Cloud right now and see what Steve and Ken have to share with us about this word "tour". 
Marcus Mumford says that his band intends to tour as much as possible, maybe for the rest of their lives. 
So they intend to go on tour a lot. 
When bands, orchestras, actors and dancers go on tour, they go from place to place, putting on shows in front of live audiences. 
Right. 
But if you're a tourist, you don't go on tour; you go on a tour. 
When you go on a tour or take a tour, you visit a place. 
You could take a tour of a museum, art gallery, city or country. 
Whenever you go somewhere new and you want to learn more about the place, you can take a tour. 
And how do you take a tour? 
You can either find a tour guide who will show you around. 
Or if you're adventurous, you might buy a travel guide or guidebook and explore on your own. 
So remember, a tour guide is a person, a travel guide is a book. 
And both can be useful when you go on a tour. 
(Chinese). 
Well, there are a few different ways that you can use that word "tour." So do you like to tour with a band? 
Or do you like to go on a tour? 
Continuing in our article. 
Their variety of locations also lets them grow the Mumford family tree. 
Now this is kind of interesting. 
They want to grow the Mumford family tree, Gabe. 
Right. 
Well, a family tree is maybe a diagram or a picture of the... the relatives in your family. 
Maybe you've made a family tree before with your grandparents on the top or even your great-grandparents above, 
and then lines pointing down to your mother and father, aunts and uncles. 
That's a family tree. 
So the Mumford family tree is... well, it's not just this band of musicians. 
Their family tree grows with every concert that they do because they hope to include audiences into their family tree. 
That's right. 
And talking about the variety of locations: 
Ranging from outdoor festivals... outdoor festival audiences of thousands upon thousands to smaller gatherings at indoor clubs. 
So they do huge concerts with thousands and thousands of people, 
but also concerts at much smaller places with just a small group of people. 
That's right, so there's quite a range of kinds of audiences. 
And you see that phrase: thousands upon thousands. 
You could say hundreds upon hundreds or millions upon millions of something as well. 
That just means a lot. 
All right. Let's continue. 
That's probably why throngs of American teens and British Prime Minister David Cameron, 
who requested they perform at the White House, name them their favorite band. 
All right. Let's take a look at one of those words in that sentence. 
It's from our Word Bank: throng. 
A throng is an intensely packed group of people or animals, a throng. 
That's right. 
So here we're talking about a very large group of people, maybe at this concert with thousands upon thousands of people in the audience. 
That would be a throng. 
And they have throngs of American teens and even the British Prime Minister call them their favorite band. 
That's right. 
Now we learned something about the British Prime Minister here David Cameron, 
and that is that he requested this band play at the White House, which is in which country, Carolyn? 
Well, the White House is in the United States; and David Cameron is the Prime Minister of Great Britain. 
That's right. 
So they are definitely making their name known internationally and being recommended to play in other countries. 
Sounds pretty cool. 
Well, it's time for us to enjoy a review skit right now. 
And then we'll go visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Hey... what are you doing? 
I'm practicing the banjo. 
What for? 
I want to join Mumford & Sons. 
Mumford & Sons. 
What's that? 
Huh? You haven't heard of Mumford & Sons? 
No. 
Well, get online and check them out. 
Their songs will blow your mind. 
Why? What's so special about Bedford and Friends? 
No. It's Mumford & Sons. 
They are a young British band with an infectious sound. 
They've reached amazing heights. 
Amazing heights, huh? 
Yes! Six Grammy nominations. 
Whoa! That is impressive. 
They make fans feel at home and make their music accessible online. 
Do they ever tour? 
Oh, yes. 
They are intent on touring. 
Their audiences range from thousands upon thousands to small gatherings. 
Oh. 
And they keep ticket prices low, too. 
They want people to join them. 
Wow! That's really great. 
Yeah. That's why I'm practicing. 
I want to join Mumford & Sons. 
They don't want you to join their band. 
They don't? 
No. They want you to join their audience. 
Oh. Then I guess I can stop practicing. 
Good. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's return to our teachers. 
I've enjoyed learning about Mumford & Sons so far today. 
And there's one sentence that I want to read again. 
Their concerts, they range from outdoor festival audiences of thousands upon thousands to smaller gatherings at indoor clubs. 
Well, I do wonder what kind of music atmospheres you like for your concerts. 
What kind of concert atmospheres do you like? 
Carolyn? 
Well, it really depends on the kind of music. 
If it's very loud, fast, exciting music, I like to be in a very big place with lots of people that I can share that energy with. 
But if it's quieter, softer, maybe piano, jazz, I like a smaller atmosphere. 
I agree with you. 
And I love jazz music, so often I will choose a little place like a jazz club of some kind, 
and a place where I can actually still talk to my friends and listen to music at the same time. 
Well, what about you? 
What kind of place do you like to go and listen to concerts? 
We'll see you next time because we have more to learn about Mumford & Sons right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.06.22.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for day two of our lesson, Mumford & Sons. 
We've already been learning about this band that has become pretty famous internationally, Mumford & Sons. 
Well, I do wonder about you and your favorite musicians. 
What kinds of things do they sing about? 
Of course there's the musical aspect to a group - it should be good music. 
But what about the lyrics? 
What do your musicians or your favorite artists sing about? 
Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of the music I listen to and a lot of what I hear played on the radio even, it's all about relationships and love. 
And the groups that I listen to specifically sing about our relationship with God and how much He loves us. 
OK. So that's what your favorite groups sing about. 
I would kind of have to agree. 
A lot of my favorite groups or musicians have words or lyrics that are kind of thought-provoking and challenging to me, 
and make me want to become a better person. 
So it's not shallow lyrics. 
And I think that Mumford & Sons also have some lyrics that are pretty deep as well. 
Let's get to know a little bit more about them today. 
Open up your magazine. 
We'll get started with the first reading of the day. 
(Music). 
Mumford & Sons. 
Roots Across Borders. 
These London locals clearly have major followings in their home country and in the U.S., but what is it that appeals to both? 
The reason might well be that their style takes its cues more from American flavors than British. 
Folk and bluegrass tour companions and recording in Nashville, Tennessee, America's country capital, 
may have won them their Best Americana Album Grammy nomination this year. 
At the same time, you can find allusions to Shakespeare, 
The Odyssey and the Bible in their music - there truly is something for everyone. 
They are quite popular in more countries than one. 
And the beginning of this section is titled Roots Across Borders. 
Now yesterday we talked about how British Prime Minister David Cameron invited this band to play at the White House. 
So two different countries; and those countries have a history together. 
And they are popular in both countries. 
Well, how does this article begin today? 
OK. Well, these London locals clearly have major followings in their home country and in the U.S., but what is it that appeals to both? 
OK. So here we have this idea of being rooted internationally. 
Roots across borders - London, or England, and the U.S. 
That's right. 
And we see that the reason might well be that their style takes its cues more from American flavors than British. 
And I see a lot of really great words here. 
I love the phrasing of this sentence. 
And let's take a look first at the phrase: might well be. 
If something might well be, then it's a good possibility. 
It's possible that this is why. 
Right. So it's only a possibility. 
If our author knew for sure, then he would write the reason "is" that their style takes its cues. 
But "might well be," it's only a possibility. 
You could use this phrase in another way. 
Uh, I might well be late tonight. 
I might well be getting home late because I might well be having to stay at work late. 
That might be a possibility. 
That's right. 
Well, moving on in this sentence, I love that the author says their style takes its cues more from American flavors than British. 
So to take a cue, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that means that they're influenced more by American flavors or musical styles than British styles. 
So they're influenced. 
They're taking their cue. 
It's like someone is telling them what to do next. 
And this turns out to be the American music styles, or "flavors" as we see here in this sentence. 
Our author is using the word "flavor," but he's talking about musical style. 
That's right. 
And in the next sentence, we see just what kind of styles they're talking about. 
Folk and bluegrass tour companions and recording in Nashville, Tennessee, America's country capital, 
may have won them their Best Americana Album Grammy nomination this year. 
Now that sentence is very, very long. 
So we want to go back to the very beginning of it and look at that word "folk" from our Word Bank. 
Now what does it mean if something is folk, Gabe? 
Well, folk music is music that is traditional from a certain area or culture. 
And it's not commercial or pop music. 
It's also not classical music from centuries ago. 
Folk music has more of the traditional feel to it from a certain area. 
That's right. 
And here we're talking mostly about folk music from the South of the U.S., from the Southern United States. 
And they also mentioned bluegrass, which is another folk style found in the Southern United States. 
And it's usually played on guitars and banjos or even homemade instruments. 
It's a very fun style of music. 
Well, continuing in that sentence, they've had a tour companions from these two styles of music. 
And they did some recording in Nashville, Tennessee, which is America's country capital. 
Now here the word "country" is from the Word Bank as well. 
But it does not mean a place. 
Nope. 
What does this word mean, Gabe? 
Well, country music; we're talking about country music here. 
So America's country capital, that really means America's country music capital. 
Do you like listening to country music? 
Do you ever listen to country music, Carolyn? 
Uh, sometimes. 
I am from West Virginia, so it's very popular there. 
But I don't listen to very much country, though my sister enjoys it. 
Well, these things, working with these people and touring and recording in Tennessee, 
may have won them their Best Americana Album Grammy nomination this year. 
All right. 
And the Best Americana Album. 
As we can see, this group of British musicians have a nomination for the Best Americana Album. 
That's kind of traditional American music feel, Americana. 
And that's very interesting and great on their part. 
They're doing great. 
Roots across borders, of course. 
That's right. 
So even though they are not Americans, they were still nominated for having great musical style that is home in America. 
So, continuing in our next sentence: 
At the same time, you can find allusions to Shakespeare, 
The Odyssey and the Bible in their music - there truly is something for everyone. 
Well, let's take a look at one of those words from our Word Bank: allusion. 
An allusion is a reference to something else outside of what you're talking about. 
So many musicians like to do this. 
They will allude to something. 
And Shakespeare, The Odyssey and the Bible are big pieces of literature that people might choose to allude to in their music. 
And I like that you use the verb form of this word, allude, A-L-L-U-D-E, to allude to something or to have an allusion. 
And it sounds like this band is very intelligent if they are taking some of their material from Shakespeare, The Oddyssey and even the Bible. 
That's right. 
Well, I think that Ken and Steve have a little more they want to share with us about this in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll go and visit Michelle. 
So what are some things in the Bible that people often allude to, Ken? 
Well, there's the Garden of Eden, which God created for Adam and Eve. 
So if a person finds delight, happiness or bliss in a certain place, he might call it the Garden of Eden. 
Can you think of another example? 
How about a giant warrior named Goliath? 
The Bible records him as being around three meters tall. 
In modern usage, Goliath is used as an allusion to very powerful people or things like a company. 
For example, you might hear about a neighborhood grocery store that can't compete against the supermarket Goliath. 
Here is one more: The Good Samaritan. 
In the New Testament, there's a story of a man who is attacked by thieves and left at the side of the road. 
A passing Samaritan helps him by caring for him and taking him to an inn. 
A good Samaritan now refers to anyone who freely helps others in their time of need. 
And finally, Armageddon, which you might recall is the name of a popular movie. 
In the Bible, Armageddon is the site of an epic battle in the end time. 
Now Armageddon refers to huge catastrophes, any great loss of life in battle, or the use of weapons of mass destruction. 
Just as the movie tried to depict. 
(Chinese). 
(Chinese).

2013.06.22.B

We've been talking a little bit about Mumford & Sons today. 
And this band had a nomination in the Grammy's for the Best Americana Album. 
What makes that special? 
Well, they're not an American band. 
They're from London. 
They're London locals who have roots across borders, indeed, around the world. 
So let's continue learning more about Mumford & Sons in the next part of our reading for today. 
(Music). 
Mumford & Sons. 
If they would claim anything about their style, it might be summed up in this: 
"We're more about people than music.". 
They don't even like the distinction between band and audience but would rather that both be considered as one whole, one family. 
For now, Mumford & Sons just want to keep up their energy, their creativity and the relationships they've found on the road. 
"I feel like we've got a lot more to say. 
We haven't said a third of it, a half of it, an eighth of it yet," Marcus says. 
This writer, for one, can't wait to hear more. 
It sounds like this band does have a very special relationship with their audience. 
And our writer is very excited to hear more from them. 
Well, going back to the beginning of this section, Gabe, how does it start? 
All right. 
If they would claim anything about their style, it might be summed up in this, this quotation: We're more about people than music. 
Oh. So you see that phrase there: summed up; to sum something up. 
And let's look at that for our Word Bank. 
If you sum up, then you just summarize it; you make it shorter. 
And to sum up what this band is about - they're more about people than music. 
How else could you use this phrase, Gabe? 
Well, maybe someone gave an explanation about something or gave a long speech. 
It was a great speech, but you want them to say it again, a little bit shorter. 
You could say: Could you please sum that up for me? 
Make it a little bit shorter. 
Give me the main points. 
Sum it up. 
Give me a summary. 
Actually, that's a similar word, S-U-M-M-A-R-Y. 
It's a noun, and it's when you explain something in a very short way, a summary. 
That's right. 
So you can sum something up. 
And to sum up what the band thinks: We're more about people than music. 
They're more about something than something else. 
And let's look at that phrase here: we're about; to be about something. 
What does that mean, Gabe, if you are about something? 
Well, yeah. 
Usually I hear this when I'm talking about something but not people. 
So this class is about philosophy; or they're talking about music. 
But here we see that people or a group of people can be about something. 
That means they really care about that thing. 
So I might say he is about discipline. 
He really cares about discipline and making sure that he disciplines himself and making sure other people are disciplined. 
He is about discipline. 
Well, I might say that we are about friendship and we are about learning. 
We want to be your friends for life, and we want to help you learn, so that is what we are about. 
That's right. 
So now you know how to use this word when you're talking about people or a group of people. 
Mumford & Sons they say: We're more about people than music. 
We continue. 
They don't even like the distinction between band and audience but would rather that both be considered as one whole family. 
So they really are about people and try to be like a family. 
That's right. 
And it says "one whole, one family," so trying to place emphasis on just being one thing together like a family or one whole unit. 
They don't want to be separated from their audience. 
That's right. 
They don't like that distinction, that separation. 
Well, we continue. 
For now, Mumford & Sons just want to keep up their energy, their creativity and the relationships they found on the road. 
Well, Carolyn, I like these guys so far. 
What about you? 
Yeah, I really like what they have to say. 
And we have another quote here says: 
"I feel like we've got a lot more to say. 
We haven't said a third of it, a half of it, an eighth of it yet," Marcus says. 
That's right. 
So one of the band members said this. 
That's right. 
Marcus Mumford said this. 
They really have a lot more to experience. 
They haven't experienced a third of it, a half of it, an eighth of it, even a little fraction of it yet. 
They want so much more. 
Well, this writer, for one, can't wait to hear more. 
Wait a minute. This writer can't wait to hear more? 
What writer, Carolyn? 
Well, this article was written by one of our coworkers Nathanael. 
I don't know if you remember Nathanael, Gabe. 
Carolyn, I miss Nathanael. 
Of course I remember Nathanael. 
And even though he's not teaching with us here on Studio Classroom, I'm glad that he's still writing for us at Studio Classroom. 
He has some good articles. 
"This writer," now you can read it like this as well. 
If you're writing something and you don't want to say your name, you could say "this writer," and then you could share your opinion. 
That's right. 
And he says this writer, for one, can't wait to hear more. 
He can't wait to hear more of what Mumford & Sons has to say in their songs. 
But I like that he uses "for one." And Liz has something to tell us about that in the Grammar Gym. 
Then we'll go learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We've been talking about Mumford & Sons in today's article. 
And the writer ends with this sentence: 
This writer, for one, can't wait to hear more. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
And today we're looking at the phrase "for one." It's a short way of saying one example out of many. 
So today's sentence just means the writer is one of many people who can't wait to hear more. 
So when you want to show how somebody is an example of what you're talking about, consider using "for one." For example: 
Many people weren't impressed by the speaker; I, for one, think his talk was too long. 
But we can also use "for one" to talk about things or situations. 
For example: 
My day just didn't go smoothly; for one, I overslept and was late for work. 
Or: I don't think you should take that job; for one, the pay is so low and the hours are horrible. 
If you want to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our teachers. 
Well, the past two days we've spent a lot of time learning all about this band from London Mumford & Sons. 
And they have a very wide audience spanning from the U.K. to the U.S. 
They have a very large audience and are very popular. 
And I wonder now that you know about them, will you listen to them? 
What do you think, Gabe? 
Have you heard of this band before, and what do you think now? 
Well, I hadn't really heard too much of them before reading this article. 
But I am interested in their music, and I'm really interested in knowing what they are singing about. 
I think their lyrics are kind of deep and very meaningful. 
So I'm interested in knowing what the meaning is behind what they sing about. 
Yeah, me too. 
I hadn't really listened to any of their songs before reading this article, but now I think I'm going to listen to them pretty often. 
Well, we hope that you've enjoyed learning about them today and that you will join us again right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you next time. 
(Music).

2013.06.24.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for a lesson about dieting. 
That's right. Our title is called The Ups and Downs of Diets. 
Well, there are many kinds of diets out there. 
Many people want to go on diets for different reasons. 
But what kinds of methods or ways of dieting come to your mind? 
What comes to your mind, Carolyn, when you think of going on a diet? 
Well, the first thing I think of when I hear the word "diet" is, well, I want to lose weight, so I will eat less; so eating fewer things throughout the day. 
But that's not always the healthiest way to lose weight. 
I think that instead of eating fewer things, you could replace the things that you are already eating with something healthier. 
OK. I agree with you. 
Sometimes people just don't even eat certain meals throughout the day; they just eat less. 
But something else you could do when you go on a diet is maybe just eat fruits and vegetables. 
That's called the fruits and vegetables diet. 
You don't eat other things. 
Well, what comes to your mind when you think about going on a diet? 
We're going to be talking about different diets in the next couple of days. 
The Ups and Downs of Diets, or the pros and cons of diets. 
Let's begin. 
(Music). 
The Ups and Downs of Diets. 
What should you do when you want to lose weight? 
Ellie and Danielle meet at a coffee shop, place their orders and take a seat. 
Ellie, why are you just having coffee? 
I thought we were meeting for coffee and dessert. 
I'm not eating dessert these days. 
I'm going to Florida on vacation, and I need to lose about 15 pounds. 
Otherwise I won't be able to fit into any of my summer clothes. 
When do you leave? 
In less than a month. 
In order to lose one pound of fat, you have to eat 3,500 fewer calories a week than you usually eat. 
So I'm on a diet. 
Well, we start our lesson with a question: 
What should you do when you want to lose weight? 
And we have two friends and their conversation here. 
Ellie and Danielle meet at a coffee shop, place their orders and take a seat. 
So our two friends, Ellie and Danielle, two young ladies are at a coffee shop, and they place their orders. 
Now that is a great phrase from our Word Bank. 
Gabe, can you tell us about this? 
Yeah. That just means to order your food at a restaurant or coffee shop or something else like that. 
You place your order. 
Now you, as a customer, place your order. 
But if a waiter or waitress comes to your table, they will do something else - they take your order. 
They might say: Can I take your order? 
So you place an order, you tell them what you want. 
They take your order. 
That's right. 
So they're at a coffee shop, and they place their orders and take a seat. 
Now this is a conversation, Gabe. 
So would you like to be Ellie or Danielle? 
Hmm, let's see... Ellie or Danielle? Ellie... I'll be Ellie. 
How about that? 
OK. 
You be Ellie. 
I will be Danielle. 
OK. 
All right. Well, Danielle starts: 
Ellie, why are you just having coffee? 
I thought we were meeting for coffee and dessert. 
I am not eating dessert these days. 
I'm going to Florida on vacation, and I need to lose about 15 pounds. 
That's a lot of weight, actually. 
Fifteen pounds? 
Well, yeah. I need to lose 15 pounds. 
You know, it's true. 
Some people like to lose 15 pounds or more. 
They have a goal. 
They want to lose a certain amount of weight in a certain amount of time. 
That's normal, right, Carolyn? 
Well, people do usually set weight goals when they decide that they want to lose weight. 
And it sounds like Ellie's goal is to lose 15 pounds because she's going on vacation to Florida. 
So please continue your line. 
I want to know why she needs to lose 15 pounds to go on vacation. 
OK. I need to lose 15 pounds. 
Otherwise I won't be able to fit into any of my clothes. 
Oh, any of your summer clothes. 
I guess people wear different clothes in the summer. 
And it could be difficult to fit into them if you have gained weight throughout the winter. 
Now in that sentence "otherwise I won't be able to fit into any of my summer clothes," there's another word from our Word Bank. 
That's right. 
It is the word "otherwise." You use this at the beginning of a sentence, maybe... maybe in the middle. 
And you can use it like this: 
If it's sunny, let's go out to the park and play. 
Otherwise let's just stay inside and watch a movie. 
That is a great example. 
And I think Danielle has the next line. 
When do you leave? 
In less than a month. 
In order to lose one pound of fat, you have to eat 300... I mean, 3,500 fewer calories a week than you usually eat. 
Whoa! That is a lot of calories to lose one pound of fat. 
And "calories" is another word from our Word Bank. 
A "calorie" is the amount of energy in the food you eat. 
So we need to eat calories. 
They're very important if we want to have energy so that we can move and do things, but... 
Well, that's true. 
If you want to lose weight, she says that you need to eat fewer calories. 
That's right, 3,500 fewer calories each week. 
Well, of course almost everything you eat will have calories in it. 
But sometimes you might eat something that has too many calories. 
Be careful about what you eat. 
Think about how many calories you have. 
You know, a lot of people love to eat or drink (Chinese), the pearl milk tea. 
Actually, one of those could have almost 800 calories or more. 
That's a lot of calories. 
That is. 
Maybe she just needs to not drink any pearl milk tea, or bubble milk tea. 
Yes. 
Well, I think you have one more little sentence there, Ellie. 
Ah, right. 
So I'm on a diet. 
You're on a diet? 
I don't think you're standing on a diet. 
No... silly, Carolyn, not on something like that. 
This is a phrase you use when you talk about dieting. 
You say you are on a diet. 
But you can use those words "on a" something to talk about other things as well, right, Carolyn? 
That's right. 
You might say: I'm on a tight schedule. 
I don't have a lot of time. 
I'm on a schedule, or a tight schedule, so I'm very busy. 
OK. You might be on a tight budget as well. 
You can't spend a lot of money. 
Of course usually you hear things like "I'm going on a break," or "I'm going on a vacation." Or here in today's lesson, we find out that Ellie is on a diet. 
That's right. 
Well, right now it is time for us to go on a little journey to the Language Lab and visit Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.24.B

Well, we've been talking about The Ups and Downs of Diets so far today. 
Danielle and her friend Ellie are at a small little restaurant or a coffee shop. 
They place their order and they begin talking. 
Danielle thought they were meeting for coffee and dessert, but Ellie is just having coffee. 
She is going on a diet. 
She wants to lose 15 pounds for her vacation in Florida so that she can fit into her summer clothes. 
But Danielle doesn't think the way that Ellie is dieting is the best way there is. 
Well, let's continue learning more from their conversation. 
(Music). 
The Ups and Downs of Diets. 
What diet are you on? 
I'm skipping at least one meal a day, and I'm not eating any snacks. 
That is not a good idea. 
And it won't help you lose weight. 
Why not? 
I'm consuming fewer calories. 
True. 
And you may think you're losing weight, but you're not. 
You're just losing water. 
Who cares? 
I'll still weigh less and be able to fit into my clothes. 
Yes, but as soon as you start to eat normally, the weight will come right back. 
Your body will replenish the water, and you'll be right back where you started. 
Well, they are having an interesting conversation. 
I'm not sure that they really agree with each other. 
Danielle asks Ellie a question about her diet: 
What diet are you on? 
Hmm, a very good question. 
You can ask this to your friend. 
There are many different kinds of diets. 
You could ask what diet your friend is on. 
Well, Ellie responds: 
I'm skipping at least one meal a day, and I'm not eating any snacks. 
Oh. Uh, I don't think I've heard of that diet. 
A lot of diets have names. 
But Ellie explains what she is doing for her diet - skipping one meal a day and not eating any snacks. 
Yeah. 
I think maybe not eating any snacks is good, but skipping one meal a day... 
Well, it's called the skipping-a-meal-a-day diet, Carolyn. 
Haven't you heard of it? 
Uh, no. I'm sorry, Gabe... um, Ellie. 
OK. Danielle has the next line: 
That is not a good idea. 
And it won't help you lose weight. 
Why not? 
I'm consuming fewer calories. 
Oh! So Ellie thinks that because she's eating fewer calories or consuming fewer calories that this is a good way to lose weight. 
What do you think, Gabe? 
Well, I can see her logic. 
When you consume fewer calories, that means you are eating less or taking in less. 
And I could see why she thinks that. 
You might lose weight. 
Danielle doesn't think so, though. 
Carolyn, what do you think about this? 
Well, I... I'll read Danielle's line first. 
She says: True. (So it's true you are eating fewer calories.) And you may think you're losing weight, but you're not. 
You're just losing water. 
What?! 
That's a surprise to me, Carolyn. 
I thought if you ate fewer calories that you would actually lose weight. 
But Danielle says you're losing only water? 
Well, I think that when you start to change your diet, your body is trying to adjust. 
Then a lot of the weight you lose at first is extra water weight that your body has stored. 
Interesting. 
Well, let's see what Ellie thinks about that. 
Maybe she's never heard it before, either. 
She says: Who cares? 
I'll still weigh less and be able to fit into my clothes. 
"Who cares?" So Ellie uses this phrase to express that she doesn't care. 
If you ask "Who cares?" then you don't care, and you don't think other people should, either. 
That's right. 
Who cares? 
When can you use that phrase? 
Well, maybe someone tells you something they think is really important, but you're just like "Who cares?" I don't care about that. 
Well, I think something that we all should care about is learning something with Steve and Ken. 
They join us every day in the Information Cloud. 
Let's go there now. 
In our VIEWPOINTS lesson this month, we meet Ellie, who is determined to lose 15 pounds fast. 
And it seems she'll do anything to reach her goal, even if it means doing something unhealthy. 
Yes, because she's more concerned with the final result than she is with the method used to achieve that result. 
We could say: For her, the end justifies the means. 
Meaning the correctness of an action is based on the outcome of the action, not the action itself. 
It doesn't matter if the action is illegal, unfair, cruel, immoral, evil, or in Ellie's case, unhealthy. 
If it gets the desired result, then it's considered OK. 
OK. Cheating on a test or being dishonest on a college application is a good example. 
Some students feel the wrongness in doing these things is excusable because the outcome for them is good. 
More complicated examples emerge during times of war. 
One well-known example from history asks: 
Is bombing two cities and killing 250,000 people justifiable if that action ends a war, and, thereby, saves the lives of one million others? 
Well, it's certainly a beneficial end, but a cruel means. 
Friends, what do you think? 
(Chinese). 
Well, what do you think about that? 
Does the end justify the means? 
Or is the means just as important as the end result? 
This is something important to think about. 
OK. Danielle, I think you have another line. 
Yes. 
So Ellie had said that she doesn't really care where the weight is from because she's still going to weigh less and be able to fit into her clothes. 
Danielle's line: 
Yes, but as soon as you start to eat normally, the weight will come right back. 
OK, great. Excellent. 
Thank you, Carolyn. Wonderful. 
You said something important there from our Word Bank. 
It's the word "normally." Now this is something that you can say to express what you do usually. 
It kind of means "usually." What you do normally, regularly, usually; these words kind of all mean the same thing. 
So how could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, I could say that I normally wake up around 6:00 a.m. 
But today I woke up at 6:30; I got a little extra sleep. 
OK, that's good. That's good. 
I might say uh... I normally eat three meals a day. 
But today I didn't have time to eat breakfast, so I only had two meals a day. 
I think I'm going on the Ellie diet. 
Well, as soon as you start to eat normally again, you might find that that diet is not very good. 
Oh. Well, why? 
What does Danielle say about this? 
Well, she says: Your body will replenish the water, and you'll be right back where you started. 
OK. Well, I like what Danielle says here. 
It's a very important reminder. 
And I learn something new about dieting and the role of water in your body. 
All right. 
So we hear this word... or we see this word "replenish." It replenishes the water. 
Carolyn, what does that mean, to replenish something? 
Well, if you replenish something, then you return it, or you refill it. 
And here the water is coming back into your body, going back to the same level that it was before. 
So if you lose five pounds of water when you're on a diet, as soon as you start to eat normally again, those five pounds of water are going to come right back. 
That's right. 
And we see that phrase: You'll be right back where you started. 
That's not a good phrase to hear because you have a goal. 
You want to lose weight. 
If you're right back where you started, that means it seems like you did not improve. 
OK. Try to use that phrase sometime today: to be right back where you started. 
Well, let's enjoy a review skit right now. 
And then join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
I'm home, and I'm starving. 
What's for dinner? 
We're having cabbage soup tonight. 
But we had cabbage soup last night and the night before. 
Well, that's because I'm on a diet. 
I can lose 10 pounds if I eat cabbage soup for a week. 
This is a fad diet. 
It probably won't work. 
Yes, it will. 
It's guaranteed. 
Besides, it's unhealthy. 
Well, if it works, I don't care. 
It's nice you're trying to lose weight. 
But isn't there another way? 
Well, I could skip meals, but I'd be ravenous all day. 
You could eat meals but smaller ones. 
No. I won't lose weight fast enough... unless I use diet pills. 
No. Diet pills aren't good for you. 
I don't intend to take them forever, just until I lose 10 pounds. 
Why is losing weight so important? 
We're going to the beach this summer, remember? 
I want to look good in my swimsuit. 
I have an idea. 
Let's go to the mountains this summer. 
Good idea. Then I won't have to lose weight. 
And I won't have to eat cabbage soup. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers now. 
We're talking about The Ups and Downs of Diets today. 
And it sounds like Ellie and Danielle don't quite agree on the best way to diet. 
Gabe, what do you think of their conversation so far? 
Well, I think Danielle is very smart, and she taught me something new. 
She taught me about the role of water in your body. 
Just because you eat less doesn't mean you will lose weight. 
You might just be losing water. 
But then you gain it all back again when you have a normal diet again. 
That's right. 
So it sounds like Ellie and Danielle have a lot to talk about. 
And we hope that you will come back for the rest of their conversation tomorrow here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.06.25.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
Thank you for joining us for day two of our lesson: The Ups and Downs of Diets. 
Now so far we've learned that two friends are in a coffee shop, having a conversation. 
One of them thought they were meeting for coffee and dessert. 
But Ellie only wants to have coffee. 
And why is that, Carolyn? 
Well, Ellie is on a diet. 
She's right getting ready to go on vacation to Florida, and she wants to lose 15 pounds in one month. 
Wow! OK, so 15 pounds in one month. 
Her friend Danielle is listening to her as she talks about losing this much weight. 
Ellie said something; she says that it takes a certain amount of calories to lose each week if you want to lose one pound. 
How many calories do you need to lose if you want to lose one pound? 
Well, you have to eat 3,500 calories less than usual if you want to lose just one pound of fat. 
However, her friend Danielle says that this is not the right way to diet because what kind of diet is she doing? 
Well, she's skipping one meal and not eating any snacks, which is OK. 
She might lose weight for the time being, but she will gain it all back later when she starts eating normally again. 
Well, let's continue learning what Ellie and Danielle have to say in today's lesson. 
(Music). 
The Ups and Downs of Diets. 
But not right away. 
Skipping meals will help me accomplish my goal. 
If I'm not eating, I'm not gaining! 
I appreciate the fact that you want to lose weight quickly. 
But isn't there a better diet you can try? 
Lots of them. 
One guaranteed that if I would just eat cabbage soup for a week, I'd lose around 10 pounds. 
But I don't like cabbage. 
Good thing. 
That's a fad diet, and it's really unhealthy. 
Well, if it works, I don't care. 
I need a short-term fix. 
But as I said, I don't like cabbage. 
That's an interesting diet that Ellie was thinking about doing. 
Well, let's go to the beginning of this conversation. 
I will be Ellie again if you don't mind, Carolyn. 
Yes, that's fine. 
I will be Danielle. 
And Danielle had just told Ellie that the weight will come right back when she starts eating normally, that she was just losing water weight. 
OK. The weight will come right back. 
You'll be right back where you started. 
Ellie says: But not right away. 
Skipping meals will help me accomplish my goal. 
If I'm not eating, I'm not gaining! 
Oh. Ellie, this is some very interesting logic. 
And she says: If I'm not eating, I'm not gaining. 
And this is a great structure right here, a great way to phrase something. 
If I'm not something, I'm not something else. 
What is one way you could use this, Gabe? 
Well, I might say if I'm not exercising, then I'm not getting stronger. 
Or I could also say... if Bob doesn't sleep well at night, he's not happy in the morning. 
Or if I don't sleep well at night, I'm not happy in the morning. 
Carolyn, how might you use that phrase? 
Well, a lot of people might use this by saying "If I'm not working, I'm not earning money." Time is money. 
That's another phrase that we've talked about before. 
Well, Danielle has the next line, so I will continue to read her part. 
I appreciate the fact that you want to lose weight quickly. 
But isn't there a better diet you can try? 
OK. I like that. 
Danielle has a question: Isn't there a better diet you can try? 
And she also says that there is a fact. 
The fact is Ellie wants to lose weight quickly. 
I think many people feel this way. 
You want to lose weight quickly. 
That is a fact. 
"She appreciates the fact that..." All right. 
Here's what Ellie says: Well, lots of them. 
There are lots of diets. 
One guaranteed that if I just ate cabbage soup for a week, I'd lose around 10 pounds. 
But I don't like cabbage. 
Oh, you don't like cabbage. 
Well um, that might be a good thing. 
But you did use the word "guarantee" in that sentence, and it is from our Word Bank. 
"One guaranteed that..." If you guarantee something, then you promise that this will happen. 
You get a guarantee. 
Gabe, how do you usually see this word used? 
Well, someone like a salesperson might try to sell you something, and they guarantee that your life will be better in some way. 
Or maybe you could eat something. 
If you eat this, I guarantee you will feel better, and you will feel healthier. 
I can guarantee that. 
That's right. 
And you might see something a little bit different between what was read in the reading, what we have here in the magazine, there was a change made. 
And it says that if I just ate cabbage soup for a week, I'd lose around 10 pounds, 
or that if I would just eat cabbage soup for a week, I'd lose around 10 pounds. 
We hear this a lot in conversation: If I would just do this, then I would do that. 
But that is not a phrase, a way of using grammar in English that is formal. 
It is for conversation only because you can't use the "if" clause in future tense for conditional clauses. 
Interesting. 
So the way that Ellie says it here is what you would hear in conversation more? 
Yes. This is something that you would hear in a conversation, but not something that you should use in formal English. 
OK, if I just ate cabbage for a week. 
Well, what does Danielle say in response to Ellie? 
Well, Ellie says that she doesn't like cabbage. 
Danielle responds: Good thing. 
That's a fad diet, and it's really unhealthy. 
All right. 
Well, let's take a look at one of those words there from the Word Bank: fad. 
A fad is something that it's not... has not been around for a long, long time. 
Maybe it's just a trend, a recent thing that is popular to do now, a fad. 
Yes. So it's something that's popular now. 
Lots of people think it's a good idea, but maybe it's not actually something that people should be doing. 
It's just popular for a short time; and later people will think that it was kind of a bad idea. 
That's right. 
It's unhealthy. 
Well, in what way are you unhealthy? 
You can use that word from our More Information. 
Think about that. 
But we're talking about fad diets here. 
And if you only drink cabbage soup for a week, that's kind of fad diet. 
Well, let's see what Ellie says. 
Well, if it works, I don't care. 
I need a short-term fix. 
But as I said, I don't like cabbage. 
Oh. Well, it's probably a very good thing she doesn't like cabbage. 
And she uses that phrase "But as I said." Let's look at that for a minute. 
But as I said, I don't like cabbage. 
So here she has already said something, and she wants to repeat her point. 
That's right. 
And if you want to emphasize something that you said before, you can use this phrase "as I said," and then repeat what you said before. 
I might have apologized before. 
I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. 
We continue our conversation. 
You still don't forgive me. 
I might say: As I said, I'm sorry. 
I won't do it again. 
That's right. 
Well, we don't need to be sorry right now because we're going to go spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.25.B

We are continuing a conversation between Ellie and Danielle on The Ups and Downs of Diets. 
And it sounds like Ellie and her ideas of dieting do not really agree with Danielle's. 
She talks about one diet that guaranteed if she ate cabbage soup for a week, she would lose 10 pounds. 
I'm not so sure if that is true. 
It may just be a fad diet. 
Well, let's see how their conversation continues in the next part of our reading. 
(Music). 
The Ups and Downs of Diets. 
Don't you get hungry skipping meals? 
Yes. I'm ravenous right now. 
I didn't have breakfast. 
Why don't you still eat meals but just eat smaller ones? 
I'd lose weight too slowly that way. 
I don't have a lot of time. 
To reduce my hunger, I'm going to take diet pills. 
Those aren't good for you in the long term. 
I don't intend to take them forever! 
I just need something to help me for a few weeks. 
OK, whatever. 
But when you do eat, be sure to eat food that's good for you! 
Well, one thing that we know for sure is that Ellie wants to skip a meal every day and not eat any snacks. 
Carolyn, what does Danielle say about this? 
Well, she says: Don't you get hungry skipping meals? 
Yes. I'm ravenous right now. 
I didn't have breakfast. 
Oh, you're ravenous? 
Ravenous is a wonderful word to describe how hungry you are. 
Let's look at that from our Word Bank. 
If you are ravenous, then you feel extremely hungry. 
You are so hungry that maybe you could even eat a horse. 
Hey, that's what some people say, Carolyn. 
They're kind of exaggerating, right? 
But you hear that phrase. 
I'm so hungry I could eat a... a horse. 
Or I'm so hungry I could eat a cow. 
You are ravenous. 
Now there is another word that's like this. 
It's the word "starving." Sometimes people say "I'm starving!" But we don't want to encourage you to say that. 
Why? 
Because in the world, there are people that are actually starving. 
They don't have much to eat. 
It's not a good thing. 
And so if you're really hungry, here's a great word to use. 
You could say: I'm ravenous. 
And Ellie is ravenous right now because she didn't eat breakfast. 
That was the meal she decided to skip, so. 
Danielle makes a suggestion to her. 
Why don't you still eat meals but just eat smaller ones? 
I'd lose weight too slowly that way. 
I don't have a lot of time. 
To reduce my hunger, I'm going to take diet pills. 
Oh, my! So Ellie wants to lose weight quickly. 
She doesn't have a lot of time so she's trying to lose weight as fast as possible. 
And to reduce her hungry... hunger so that she doesn't feel ravenous, she's going to take diet pills. 
Diet pills. 
Well, I don't think I've ever used a diet pill before or eaten a diet... taken a diet pill before. 
But I guess some people do. 
Is that right, Carolyn? 
There are people who use diet pills; and it's supposed to make you feel less hungry. 
But I don't know that diet pills always work. 
And some of them seem a little unsafe. 
Danielle says in her next line: 
Those aren't good for you in the long term. 
Hmm, those aren't good for you in the long term. 
OK. So diet pills might be good for you for a short period of time, or they're OK. 
But if you keep taking them over a long period of time, that's unhealthy. 
Well, let's take a look at what Liz has to teach us about this phrase "long term" in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
And in today's article we see this sentence: 
Those aren't good for you in the long term. 
Our focus is on the phrase "long term." Sometimes you'll see it written with a hyphen between "long" and "term," long-term. 
So, what is the difference? 
In today's sentence, "long term" is a noun phrase meaning a long period of time. 
When "long term" is used as a noun phrase, there is no need for a hyphen, and you will usually see "the" appear in front of it. 
For example: 
Unlike his past business trips that last for a few days, Mr. Lee's current assignment is a move for the long term. 
Or: The farmer stored a lot of grain and is prepared for the long term. 
But if "long-term" appears before a noun, it's an adjective phrase, and a hyphen is needed. 
For example: 
The long-term effects of this drug are unknown. 
Or: Tracy values her business relationships - especially the long-term ones. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more examples. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thanks, Liz. This is a great phrase to know how to use in the long term. 
You might want to think about the long term when planning what you want to study in college or university. 
Think about the long-term goal. 
Well, Ellie, I think you have the next line. 
All right. 
Well, we were talking about diet pills. 
Ellie says: I don't intend to take them forever! 
I just need something to help me for a few weeks. 
Oh, so you don't intend to use them forever. 
Well, "intend" is a word from our Word Bank. 
And it just means to plan to do something or to want to do something. 
Ellie doesn't intend to use diet pills for a long time, just a short time. 
But that is just her plan. 
We don't know if that's what will actually happen. 
That's right. 
You might use this word to talk about something else. 
Maybe you had a great idea for something. 
Everything was going smoothly. 
And then it turned into a problem at the end. 
You could say: I never intended for this to happen. 
I intended for something good, not for something bad. 
But this word can also be a noun. 
Ellie could also say it's not her intention to take these diet pills forever. 
The noun is I-N-T-E-N-T-I-O-N, intention. 
That's right. 
Well, you might intend to do something. 
I hope that you intend to learn English with us here at Studio Classroom and continue to do that, follow through with your plan. 
Well, so Ellie doesn't intend to take diet pills forever. 
And Danielle has her next line: 
OK, whatever. 
But when you do eat, be sure to eat food that's good for you. 
Very good. 
Very good line there, Danielle. 
Yes, very good advice. 
Eat food that is good for you. 
Don't just snack on junk food all the time. 
Um, and I like her advice before. 
When you eat a meal, just have a smaller meal. 
Don't eat a big meal like you normally do. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud about that word "whatever". 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
In one academic survey, "Whatever!" was voted the most annoying expression in conversation two years in a row. 
It's no wonder. 
"Whatever" is impolite and way overused. 
"Whatever" is rude because it often communicates a feeling of apathy. 
It basically says: I don't care what you say. 
So obviously, this isn't something you'd ever want to say to your teachers, parents or your boss. 
Right. 
When talking to her friend, however, Danielle gets away with saying it because she uses "whatever" in a related but slightly less offensive manner. 
Right. 
She senses her discussion with Ellie is going around in circles, so she's frustrated. 
She feels she's wasting her time and energy talking with Ellie about the dangers of dieting. 
So she says, "OK, whatever," which, in this situation, means you're not really listening to what I'm saying, so I'm going to end the discussion. 
OK. Our last usage of "whatever" is more cowardly than impolite. 
Let's say you're arguing with someone, and it's becoming clear that you're losing the argument. 
Saying "Whatever!" is an effective way of ending the argument and acknowledging defeat without actually having to say I'm wrong. 
(Chinese). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teaches are doing. 
Well, I've enjoyed this conversation between Danielle and her friend Ellie. 
And of course, Ellie wants to lose weight. 
She wants to lose weight quickly. 
Danielle has a couple of suggestions for her. 
I don't know if Ellie is going to listen to her or not, but I do like the idea of losing weight in a safe way. 
Carolyn, what, to you, is maybe a safe way to go on a diet? Or what can you suggest? 
Well, I think when you want to lose weight, you need to plan it out and really think about the best way for you because everyone's body is different. 
And you might even want to talk to a doctor before you go on a diet or start an exercise plan. 
Having those two combined together - diet and exercise - is probably the best way for most people to lose weight. 
I like that. 
And I like your suggestion about talking to a doctor or someone like that. 
Well, I hope you enjoyed today's lesson. 
I hope you learned something new. 
And we will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.06.26.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for our lesson today. 
It's about blood types, and this is a life-saving discovery. 
We're going to be learning all about blood types. 
Well, I do wonder if you know what your blood type is. 
Many people do. 
Do you know what your blood type is? 
And how important is it to know your blood type? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I do know my blood type. 
I am A positive. 
Mmhm. 
Which is also the same as my mother's, which is good to know in case of an emergency. 
It's good to know your blood type so that if you have to go to the hospital and you need blood, 
or maybe you want to donate blood, you know already who you can give it to. 
OK. That sounds pretty important. 
Carolyn, um, I don't know my blood type. 
How can I figure out what my blood type is? 
Well, you might ask your parents because it could be on your birth certificate. 
OK. 
Or you could just go to the hospital and have them do a very simple blood test. 
Oh, no... No... I'm... I'm afraid of blood, Carolyn. 
I don't think I can do that. 
Well, I mean, if you need someone to go with you, maybe I could cover your eyes and... and you won't have to watch. 
OK. That sounds good. 
I... don't know how I'm going to make it through today's lesson. 
I don't like talking about blood too much. 
But I agree this is important to talk about, and we have many things to learn here today. 
So let's get started with the first reading of today's lesson about blood types. 
(Music). 
Blood Types: A Life-saving Discovery. 
How one scientist changed the way the world saw blood - and won a Nobel Prize. 
For centuries, scientists experimented with transferring blood between people - usually with fatal results. 
In their experiments, they noticed that sometimes during blood transfusions the red blood cells clumped together causing a toxic reaction. 
In the early 20th century, Austrian scientist Karl Landsteiner discovered this was caused by a reaction to the donor's blood. 
He categorized people into four blood groups - A, B, AB and O - based on the proteins in their blood. 
Receiving blood from a donor whose blood type was not compatible would hurt or kill a patient. 
For this discovery, Landsteiner received the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. 
(Music). 
It is interesting to learn about the history of blood types. 
And today we're not really talking about blood but their different types, putting them into categories. 
At the very beginning we see that this is how one scientist changed the way the world saw blood - and won a Nobel Prize. 
So one man... or one scientist changed the way the world saw blood. 
And there is a really great phrase just in that introduction: the way something saw something else. 
That's right. 
Let's look at that, Gabe. 
That's right, the way that the world saw blood. 
That means... that doesn't mean that the world is looking at blood. 
But this just means the way that we perceive it, or the way we understand this. 
So you could use this phrase in other ways. 
Maybe you've heard of Galileo. 
Well, he changed the way the world sees Earth. 
People used to think that the sun went around the Earth. 
Now we understand the Earth goes around the sun. 
He changed the way that we see these things. 
That's right. 
And it's also important to think about the way students see learning. 
How do you see learning? 
Do you see it as a fun activity like Jo when she was learning to read and write Korean? 
Is it a game for you, something that you enjoy? 
Well, I hope that you see learning and learning English as something that is very fun. 
I do, too. 
Well, we find out about this scientist. 
He won a Nobel Prize. 
That is an excellent prize for anybody to win. 
Let's get started. 
And the first sentence of this paragraph: 
For centuries, scientists experimented with transferring blood between people - usually with fatal results. 
Well, Carolyn, what does that mean to transfer blood? 
Well, they would take blood from one person and put it into another person. 
This sounds kind of strange, but it's actually something very important. 
If you are injured and you lose a lot of blood, then the doctor needs to be able to put more in you to help save your life. 
But these kind of transfers usually had fatal results. 
So the patients did not survive. 
That's right. They didn't survive. 
And we continue. 
In their experiments, they noticed that sometimes during blood transfusions the red blood cells clumped together causing a toxic reaction. 
Well, a blood transfusion is kind of like... uh, this transfer, it's kind of like using one person's blood and giving it to somebody else who needs it. 
Yes. And I'm sorry that we are talking about blood like this, Gabe. 
I know it is making you very uncomfortable. 
But the blood cells did "clump" together; and that is a word from our Word Bank. 
So if something clumps together, that means it sticks together in a large amount. 
A lot of times I think of sand at the beach. 
If sand gets wet, it will clump together or stick together; and you can hold it. 
It doesn't just fall through your fingers. 
That's a good way to use that word. 
I also think of this word when a lot of people stick together. 
For instance, at my university in the United States, there were some people from Asia who were at the school, and they clumped together. 
They didn't really get out and make friends in the United States that spoke English. 
They always spoke their own language with each other, and their English did not improve. 
So if you do that, if you study abroad, make sure you get out and know different people. 
Don't just clump together. 
That's right. 
Well, these clumps of red blood cells would cause a toxic reaction, and the patient would die, which is very unfortunate. 
However, in our next paragraph we see: 
In the early 20th century, Austrian scientist Karl Landsteiner discovered this was caused by a reaction to the donor's blood. 
So he figured out why this was happening. 
That's right. Well, let's take a look at that word. 
It is "donor," straight from our Word Bank. 
And if you are a donor, that means you are giving something uh, freely, really, you're giving blood. 
Actually, sometimes if you donate blood, if you're a donor, you might get paid for it. 
But you are giving something, you're donating your blood. 
That's right. 
And you can donate many other things. 
Some people like to donate their time, or maybe they like to donate money. 
They are a donor to an organization. 
Or maybe they donate to their church. 
They are a donor. 
That's right. 
Well, we're learning about Karl Landsteiner who actually died 70 years ago today. 
And he categorized people into for blood groups - A, B, AB and O - based on the proteins in their blood. 
Well, how do we continue here, Carolyn? 
We see that receiving blood from a donor whose blood type was not compatible would hurt or kill a patient. 
So it was important to have a compatible blood type. 
Now if something is compatible, that means that it works together. 
They can be used together. 
What are things that are compatible, Gabe? 
Well, people talk about marrying someone who you're compatible with. 
You want to work well together, not get into too many arguments or fights or whatever. 
You want to be compatible with each other. 
That's right. 
And well, we see: For this discovery, Landsteiner received the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. 
So he got a Nobel Prize for this great discovery. 
That's right. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something different with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud right now. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Many people believe the Nobel Prize is the highest honor one can receive. 
Steve, what do you think of that? 
Well, the Nobel Prize is certainly very prestigious. 
To receive one in any of its categories, whether it'd be Literature, Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, Peace or Economics, is indeed a high honor. 
Now the word we use for recipient of the Nobel Prize is laureate. 
Mother Teresa was a Nobel laureate, and so was President Barack Obama. 
And as the name indicates, the Nobel Prize was created by Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist who invented dynamite in the late 19th century. 
While he made a fortune from his invention, he didn't want to be remembered as the man who created something people used in war to kill and destroy. 
So before he died, he wrote a will specifying that his fortune be used to create prizes for those who give the greatest benefit to mankind. 
So what does a Nobel laureate receive? 
A gold medal, a diploma and a sum of money. 
And the amount? About US$1.2 million. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.26.B

Well, we're learning all about blood types today. 
And we learned so far about how one scientist, Karl Landsteiner, made a discovery that changed the way that the world sees blood. 
He made a discovery - an important one - because often people would be transferring blood from one person to another with fatal results. 
Often the blood transfusion would be toxic for the receiving person. 
And so that was not a good thing. 
But this scientist made a discovery, and he won a Nobel Prize for it as well. 
He learned... or discovered that there are four main blood types: A, AB, B and O. 
And of course we're going to be learning more about blood types and what people think about blood types around the world. 
Let's continue that right now. 
(Music). 
Blood Types: A Life-saving Discovery. 
Many Asian people believe that one's blood type relates to one's personality. 
People with blood type A are seen as loyal and having high standards but as too anxious. 
Type B people are considered creative and optimistic but selfish. 
Those with type AB are considered rational, calm and controlled. 
Type O people tend to be friendly, passionate and ambitious but stubborn. 
Movies, comics and dramas draw on this idea. 
In Japan, some people even make dating and hiring decisions based on blood types! 
One book proposed that blood types reveal people's ideal diets and lifestyles. 
However, little scientific evidence supports blood-type diets or personality tests. 
Maybe more study of this will lead to another Nobel Prize! 
Well, there is a lot to learn about blood types. 
And it sounds like a lot more research to be done. 
Well, going back to the beginning of this section, we learn a little bit about opinions that people have about blood types. 
We see many Asian people believe that one's blood type relates to one's personality. 
So whatever your blood type is is connected to the way you interact with other people. 
Gabe, how does it continue? 
People with blood type A are seen as loyal and having high standards but has something else - as too anxious. 
So there's often a pro and a con; often something positive and maybe something negative with each blood type. 
I don't know if this is true about people with blood type A, but this is what people see. 
Well, that's very interesting since I am type A. 
I don't know if I agree with all of that. 
I don't think I'm that anxious. 
OK. 
But, continuing: Type B people are considered creative and optimistic but selfish. 
Hmm. Again we see some positive and some negatives as well. 
And we continue. 
Those with type AB are considered rational, calm and controlled. 
Hey, that seems like it's all positive, at least according to our lesson here today. 
I would like to be AB. 
Well, if you were AB, then you would be rational, according to this, or according to the ideas held by many people in Asia. 
And rational is a word from our Word Bank. 
If you are rational, then you are able to think clearly. 
There is a lot of logic in what you do and say. 
All right. 
And the opposite of this word is irrational. 
Just add the letters I-R to the beginning of this word, it'd becomes irrational. 
Someone who is irrational is hard to talk to. 
They have irrational arguments. 
Nothing they say makes sense. 
You don't even want to talk to a person who is just irrational. 
Yes. But according here... according to the article here, AB is a rational personality indicator. 
Well, type O people tend to be friendly, passionate and ambitious but stubborn. 
All right. 
There we go again, some positives and a negative. 
Well, I like some words used to describe these people. 
"They're seen as," or "they're considered," or we see another phrase "tend to be." They kind of mean the same thing. 
We see this person as; they're considered to be one way; or they tend to be another way. 
That's right. 
So it doesn't mean that all people that have these blood types are the same in their personalities, but they are very similar. 
And many people with those blood types have that type of personality according to these beliefs. 
Well, movies and... movies, comics and dramas draw on this idea. 
That's a very interesting topic there that they draw on this idea. 
And I think that Liz has something she wants to share with us in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
So we're talking about blood types in today's article. 
And the writer mentions that many Asian people believe that one's blood type relates to one's personality. 
It's such a popular idea that the writer mentions "Movies, comics and dramas draw on this idea." That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the phrase: to draw on something. 
Normally we use "draw" to mean to make a picture. 
But in today's sentence, "to draw on something" means to get or take ideas from. 
In other words, this idea of how one's blood type relates to one's personality is used in Asian movies, comics and dramas. 
Let's look at some examples: 
Jackie drew on her school counselor's advice and decided to major in business. 
Or: For our new writing assignment, the professor wants us to draw on the concept of time travel. 
Now it's your turn. 
What can you draw on? 
Think of ways where you get ideas, and practice making your own sentences. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Well, continuing learning about blood types: 
In Japan, some people even make dating and hiring decisions based on blood types. 
Wow, to base that kind of decision on someone's blood type... interesting. 
It is very interesting. 
And we see something else in the next paragraph. 
One book proposed that blood types reveal people's ideal diets and lifestyles. 
However, little scientific evidence supports blood-type diets or personality tests. 
That's true. 
There's little evidence now. 
But as we see: Maybe more study of this will lead to another Nobel Prize. 
Maybe it could lead to, or eventually in the future, 
there could be another Nobel Prize that shows us that there is evidence that blood types are related to diets and things like that. 
Well. it's time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And keep watching as our lesson continues. 
This has been a very interesting article all about blood types. 
And one thing that really caught my interest was at the end talking about blood types and diets, 
the ideal diet that might be connected to your blood type because I actually know several people in my family who follow the blood-type diet. 
And they've said that it has been very helpful to them... (Wait a minute...) that they feel full of energy. 
So you're saying that people in your family who have a certain blood type, there's certain foods that they can eat that will help them? 
Well, that's what they say. 
OK. 
And they find that following this diet helps them to sleep better. 
They feel more energetic throughout the day, and they just feel healthier overall. 
Well, hey, maybe there... maybe there are reasons to have blood-type diets. 
Hmm, something to think about. 
But of course, I should figure out what my blood type is first. 
Well, friends, thank you for joining us for today's interesting lesson about blood types. 
And we hope to see you again next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.06.27.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
Thank you for joining us for today's lesson. 
We will be traveling to Micronesia. 
Our title is Chuuk: The South Pacific's Historic Treasure. 
Well, you can see in our title that we're going to be learning about something historic. 
Do you enjoy learning about history? 
Well, maybe you enjoy traveling to different places. 
And do you enjoy learning about the history of the places that you travel to? 
Carolyn, do you enjoy doing this? 
I do enjoy learning about the history of the places I go. 
Uh, few years ago I went to Kyoto in Japan. 
And I had a wonderful time exploring the old city because it used to be the capital of Japan. 
But now that has moved to Tokyo. 
And just learning about the rich history and culture of the city of Kyoto was wonderful. 
Well, that does sound wonderful. 
I'm sure Japan has many places you could visit and learn the history of. 
Actually, around the world, almost everywhere you go, there is some history to learn. 
Well, let's get started with our lesson today - Chuuk: The South Pacific's Historic Treasure. 
Open up your magazine. 
We'll begin with the first reading. 
(Music). 
Chuuk: The South Pacific's Historic Treasure. 
This Micronesian state is an adventure - on land and under water! 
Far out in the South Pacific lies a tiny country with a lot of history, the Federated States of Micronesia. 
During World War II it was an important Japanese base in the Pacific arena. 
Today it is a top choice for adventurous travelers and a mecca for wreck divers. 
Four states make up Micronesia - Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap and Chuuk - and each has its own flavor. 
Korsae is a lesser-developed tropical paradise. 
Pohnpei is home to the ruins of the stone city of Nan Madol, a must-see for visitors. 
Yap offers true island tradition, complete with village chiefs and thatched-roof huts. 
Well, we're getting to know about these different places within Micronesia. 
Let's go back to the very beginning here. 
This Micronesian state is an adventure - on land and under water. 
So we'll be learning mostly about Chuuk in our lesson. 
This Micronesian state, or place, is an adventure on land and, of course, under water. 
Which I think is very interesting since when I visit a place, I don't usually think of it as being an adventure underwater and on land. 
But here we're going to see how much fun you can have if you go to the island of Chuuk and you look under the water. 
That's right. 
So let's begin in our text. 
Far out in the South Pacific lies a tiny country with a lot of history, the Federated States of Micronesia. 
The Federated States. 
Well, if something is federated, that means it's united under a central government. 
So there are many islands there in Micronesia under a central government. 
That's right. 
And we see what kind of history they have. 
During World War II it was an important base in the Pacific arena. 
So these states, the Federated States of Micronesia, have an important history that took place during World War II because it was an important Japanese base in the Pacific arena. 
That's right. 
Well, let's take a look at that word "arena." It's from our Word Bank. 
An arena is a place where you might see events, or a place where events happen. 
Usually I think of an arena as something that people build. 
Maybe a big building of some kind, and maybe you can go and see concerts - like the Taipei Arena is like that. 
But Carolyn, here it's a little bit different, right? 
That's right. 
Usually we think of it as a building, a place you see a sporting event or a concert. 
But this is talking about just a place where an event happens. 
And here talking about the Pacific arena was an important place during World War II where a lot of battles occurred. 
That's right. 
So battles are a kind of event as well. 
That's why we can call this the Pacific arena. 
Well, today it is a top choice for adventurous travelers and a mecca for wreck divers. 
So many people are choosing to go here, many people who love adventure. 
But Carolyn, what does that word mean, "mecca"? 
Mecca. 
Well, mecca just means it's a place where people like to go because there is something very famous there or something very special, 
and it becomes a popular destination, so. 
This island is a mecca for wreck divers because there's something special there that divers who enjoy going to wrecks really want to see. 
That's right. 
Well, you could use this word "mecca" to talk about something that's famous for another kind of thing. 
Like, for instance, if you enjoy skiing, go and visit Aspen, Colorado. 
That is a mecca for skiers. 
Well, now you know how to use that word. 
Let's talk about our word from the Word Bank. 
It is "adventurous." Are you an adventurous person? 
Do you love adventure? 
That's right. 
If you are an adventurous person, then you do like going on adventures. 
You like things that are exciting, thrilling, maybe even a little bit dangerous. 
That's right. 
So, do you enjoy adventures? 
Where will you go next? 
Well, if you do enjoy adventures, and you like diving, then maybe you'd like to check out Chuuk. 
It is a mecca for wreck divers. 
And we found out a little bit more here. 
Four states make up Micronesia. 
Carolyn, what are they? 
Korsae, Pohnpei, Yap and Chuuk; and each has its own flavor. 
And here again we're talking about flavor being just something special about the place. 
They all have their own special atmosphere. 
That's right. 
So we're mostly learning about Chuuk in our lesson. 
But of course, our writer wanted to give us a little bit about each of these places. 
So Korsae is a lesser-developed tropical paradise. 
Uh, what do we find out about Pohnpei? 
Well, Pohnpei is home to the ruins of the stone city Nan Madol, a must-see for visitors. 
And let's take a look at that phrase: must-see. 
If this is a must-see destination, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, Carolyn, that means you must see it. 
So usually we see these words as two separate words, and "must" is a verb. 
You must go and see this. 
Here it's a noun. 
That sight is a must-see. 
For example, if you ever visit Rome, there are many buildings there that are must-sees. 
It is a must-see. 
You must see the Coliseum. 
It is a must-see. 
That's right. 
Well, we learn some more about the next island - Yap. 
Yap offers true tradition, complete with village chiefs and thatched-roof huts. 
It sounds like a very interesting place to go as well. 
That's right. 
I had some friends who went to visit Yap, and they really enjoyed their time there. 
Well, of course wherever you go, it's good to get to know the people of that place. 
Mostly we'll be learning about Chuuk, but for now it's time for us to learn more with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Silent letters are a lot like mosquitoes. 
They're hard to detect, and they're annoying. 
Just the other day I was listening to a man give a fabulous speech. 
His English was great, except for one word he mispronounced again and again - debt. 
Which is spelled D-E-B-T. 
And the "B" should be silent. 
But, much to my chagrin, he kept pronouncing that "B," and it sounded like he was saying "debit" - a related but different word. 
Now I bring this up as reminder to be careful. 
Because no matter how long we've been speaking English, silent letters can unexpectedly appear and bite us. 
Well, as irritating as they are, there are rational reasons for their existence. 
One is that during the Renaissance, there was something of a classical language revival. 
At that time, scholars in England felt compelled to tweak the spelling of English words, reforming them to fit the Latin ideal. 
That's when "debt," formerly spelled D-E-T-T-E, got its silent B, and so became more like its Latin root debitum. 
Many other words aquired a silent letter during this time too, including doubt, receipt and island. 
Speaking of island, can you detect the other two words from today's lesson that have a silent letter? 
See if you can find them. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.27.B

Today we began learning about the Federated States of Micronesia and some of the islands that make up that country. 
There are four main islands in the Federated States of Micronesia: Korsae, Yap, Pohnpei and Chuuk. 
Well, today we are focusing mostly on Chuuk and what makes it such a great mecca for wreck divers. 
Let's learn about the adventures we can have at this island next. 
Chuuk: The South Pacific's Historic Treasure. 
But Micronesia's main draw is Chuuk. 
Hundreds of World War II-era wrecks lie beneath the surface of its lagoon, the result of a huge battle. 
For scuba divers wanting a unique glimpse of history, this is Micronesia's real treasure. 
Sunken history. 
During World War II, Chuuk, then called Truk, hosted a large portion of Japan's naval fleet. 
In 1944, the U.S. attacked the Japanese forces on Truk. 
More than 300 ships and aircraft were destroyed, creating what would become a wreck diver's paradise. 
Well, let's start at the beginning of this section. 
But Micronesia's main draw is Chuuk. 
Why is there a "but" there? 
Well, we've been learning about these other islands, these other states in Micronesia, but the main draw here is Chuuk. 
That means it's most famous for Chuuk. 
That's right. So we find out why so many people want to go there. 
Hundreds of World War II-era wrecks lie beneath the surface of its lagoon, the result of a huge battle. 
All right. 
Well, let's take a look at some of those words in that sentence. 
The first one from our Word Bank is "era." We're talking here about World War II era. 
And that is a period of time known for maybe a significant event or something else, an era. 
That's right. 
You might also say this music was popular during the Jazz era, and it's still popular today. 
Or maybe you are learning about some history in your history class, and you are studying the Victorian era. 
There are many different eras throughout history. 
And here the World War II era, there were many, many ships that were sunk on this island of Chuuk, or around the island of Chuuk. 
And the wrecks lie beneath the surface of its lagoon. 
Now there's another word from our Word Bank. 
Let's take a look at that. 
Gabe, what's a lagoon? 
Well, a lagoon is a shallow body of water. 
It's not too far from the sea, but it's usually separated maybe by a sandbar or something like that. 
So there are lagoons. 
And of course, they're really close to the ocean most of the time. 
But what can you find in a lagoon? 
Well, I don't usually think about finding wrecks. 
But hey, I guess that can happen, too. 
That's right. 
There was a huge battle, so now there are hundreds of ships in this lagoon. 
And for scuba divers wanting a unique glimpse of history, this is Micronesia's real treasure. 
All right, if you want a glimpse of this. 
Let's take a look at those words, "a glimpse of something." That means a tiny taste or experience of something. 
So you're not really looking at history. 
Carolyn, is it possible to look at history? 
Well, you can see pictures of it, and you can see things that are left over from the past like these wrecks. 
But you can't actually look at history because it's already happened. 
That's right. 
So you can use this phrase, though, to talk about things that maybe you can experience, like: 
I'm going to share a little bit about my past with you so that you get a little glimpse of my history or a glimpse of my background. 
That's right. 
But you could also use this just to mean a short look. 
So you might say: I was able to catch a glimpse of the famous actor as he was leaving the restaurant. 
Wow. 
I saw just him... a short time. 
I only caught a short glimpse of him. 
But I still saw him. 
And that is exciting to see something like that. 
So a little glimpse. 
And we're getting a little glimpse of history. 
Well, we're getting a little glimpse about Chuuk in our lesson today and over the next couple of days. 
Well, the next part is called "Sunken history." Hmm. 
Carolyn, what could that mean? 
What is usually sunken? 
What does that mean? 
Well, if something is sunken, that means it has sunk; it is below the water. 
Usually when I think of something that has sunken, I think of a ship that is underneath the water. 
All right. 
So there are many ships under the water. 
Well, that's what that word "wreck" means, W-R-E-C-K. 
We're talking about ships that were maybe destroyed or somehow sunk into the water. 
Those are called wrecks. 
Now during World War II, Chuuk, then called Truk, hosted a large portion of Japan's naval fleet. 
So they hosted. 
Well, this is where this event happened. 
That's where a lot of Japan's naval fleet was. 
That's right. 
So they had a lot of Japanese ships or military ships, since these were their naval fleet, stationed in this island, or around Truk, or Chuuk, as we now call it. 
But we see that in 1944, the U.S. attacked the Japanese forces on Truk. 
This is during World War II in 199... in 1944. 
And more than 300 ships and aircraft were destroyed, creating what would become a wreck diver's paradise. 
Hmm, very interesting. 
So something that was very tragic in history, a big battle, becomes a paradise for wreck divers now. 
Well, that happens sometimes. 
Now there are many things under the water that divers can go and enjoy. 
And if you enjoy scuba diving, then maybe you'd want to check out Chuuk as well. 
That's right. 
Well, now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Wow! Where are we? 
We're here in the Federated States of Micronesia. 
Oh. So where's that? 
We are far out in the South Pacific. 
This tiny country has a lot of history. 
History? Here? 
Oh, yes. 
During World War II, it was an important Japanese base in the Pacific arena. 
Hmm. OK, it has a lot of history. 
But what are we doing here now? 
This place is a top choice for adventurous travelers like us. 
Like us? 
Yes. 
Now let me explain. 
Four states make up Micronesia; and each has its own flavor. 
Different flavors like uh, vanilla and chocolate. 
No, not quite. 
One area is like a tropical paradise. 
Hmm, sounds nice. 
Another area is home to ruins of a stone city. 
Interesting. 
Another offers true island traditions with village chiefs and thatched-roof huts. 
Oh, I like that. 
But Micronesia's main draw is here. 
Here? Where? 
Right here! 
Hundreds of World War II-era wrecks lie beneath the surface of this lagoon. 
Wow! 
"Wow!" is right. 
For scuba divers, this is a unique glimpse of history, a real treasure. 
Yeah. Too bad we don't know how to scuba dive. 
Yes, that is too bad. 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our teachers are doing now. 
Well, we've been learning a little bit about the Federated States of Micronesia and, of course, especially about Chuuk, this wreck diver's paradise. 
But I do wonder, of the other islands that we talked about today, which would you like to visit? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I would be very interested to visit the island of Pohnpei. 
I really like seeing old ruins of cities. 
One of the things I really enjoyed in Thailand was going to Ayutthaya and seeing the burned-out buildings there that used to be a huge great city where the king lived. 
But now it's just bricks. 
Interesting. 
Well, I enjoy seeing old ruins of buildings and cities as well. 
I also like to visit Yap. 
As I said before, some of my friends went there. 
And I wonder if maybe I could meet some people that they also met before. 
Well anyway, what about you? 
What would you like to visit? 
Where would you like to go here in Micronesia? 
We hope you'll join us next time to learn more about Chuuk. 
We'll see you then on Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.06.28.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
Thank you for joining us for the second day of our lesson all about Chuuk. 
We're learning about the South Pacific's historic treasure - Chuuk. 
And today we'll be talking a little bit about some dive sites that are popular there. 
Now I don't know if you enjoy diving. 
Maybe you've never been scuba diving before. 
Would you like to try? 
How... how do you feel about this? 
Carolyn, have you ever been scuba diving? 
Do you enjoy diving? 
Well, I've actually never been scuba diving. 
I haven't even been snorkeling out in the ocean. 
But it's something that I really want to do. 
I would love to learn how to scuba dive and just be able to explore places under the water like this. 
It sounds like so much fun. 
Gabe, have you ever been scuba diving? 
Yes, I have, a couple of times. 
I don't have my license yet. 
I do enjoy scuba diving. 
But I have to say, sometimes equalising or adjusting to the water pressure can kind of hurt my ears a little bit. 
I know that's something a lot of divers experience. 
But the more you do it, the easier it becomes. 
And it's a lot of fun to see all those things under the water. 
I would love to visit Chuuk for that reason. 
Well, let's get started with the first part of our reading for the day: The Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon. 
Chuuk: The South Pacific's Historic Treasure. 
"The Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon". 
Micronesia may be small, but there's nothing "micro" about its dive sites. 
More than 100 ships, submarines and aircraft lie at the bottom of Chuuk Lagoon. 
For 25 years these wrecks were ignored. 
But in 1969, explorer Jacques Cousteau made a film about the lagoon, and it became famous. 
Divers have flocked here ever since. 
Although there are far too many wrecks to see in one trip, some of the best are: 
The Nippo Maru. 
It is nearly whole and has a tank and several weapons on its deck. 
Well, this sounds like a really interesting place to go, all of this history and so many ships to learn about. 
Well, let's go back to beginning here, The Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon. 
Now if you have a ghost fleet, Gabe, what does that mean? 
Well, a ghost fleet. 
What do you think of when you think of a ghost? 
That's right, something that is not living anymore. 
So it's kind of eerie, this fleet that is sunk beneath the surface of the water here, this ghost fleet. 
That's right. 
And this fleet being a lot of different ships, large military ships. 
Well, let's look at the first sentence here. 
Micronesia may be small, but there's nothing "micro" about its dive sites. 
And of course, the word "micro" means small, but there's nothing small about its dive sites, Gabe. 
All right. 
Well, in that word "Micronesia," you see the word "micro," which means small. 
And of course if you're looking at the globe or the world, then yeah, that can seem very small. 
But when you're there, it's not small at all. 
So these words are relative words to your experience or where you are standing, your angle. 
But let's take a look at this word or this phrase here. 
There's nothing micro about its dive sites; there's nothing something about something else. 
You could use that phrase in other ways. 
How might you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, I might say the prices at this store are really low, but there's nothing cheap about their service. 
So the quality there is really good. 
The employees are great; but they have very low prices. 
All right. 
You're taking that class in school? 
There's nothing interesting about that subject, is there? 
So you can use that phrase in many ways. 
And of course there's a lot of interesting... there are many interesting things to learn about Chuuk. 
Let's continue. 
We're talking about this dive site, OK. 
More than 100 ships, submarines and aircraft lie at the bottom of Chuuk lagoon. 
And we have a word there from our Word Bank, the word "submarine." Now this is such a very cool and interesting vessel or ship. 
A submarine is a boat that doesn't go on top of the water but is under the water, like you're driving through the ocean. 
That's right, a submarine. 
Sometimes we shorten that word to a "sub," S-U-B. 
And of course maybe you've had sandwiches that look like submarines. 
It's true; those are called submarine sandwiches. 
If you enjoy those kind of sandwiches, well, you can think about Chuuk lagoon and the submarines that used to be there... 
the submarines that are there at the bottom now, these wrecks. 
Now there's another word in this sentence that's kind of interesting. 
I think it maybe should have an S... or it seems like it should have an S, the word "aircraft." But aircraft never has an S. 
That's right. 
It's not aircrafts; aircraft, singular and plural, no S. 
So continuing into the next sentence: 
For 25 years these wrecks were ignored. 
Nobody really paid any attention to them for 25 years, but something changed. 
But in 1969 explorer Jacques Cousteau made a film about the lagoon, and it became famous. 
All right. 
So this explorer is a very famous explorer - Jacques Cousteau. 
He made a film. 
You might call that a documentary, D-O-C-U-M-E-N-T-A-R-Y, a kind of film where you record actual things about history or something. 
And you can make a film like that. 
This became famous. 
Divers have flocked there ever since. 
They have flocked to Chuck ever since. 
That's right. 
So it sounds like his film was very popular among divers. 
They all saw this movie, and they wanted to go to the lagoon and investigate these wrecks. 
Well, continuing. 
Although there are far too many wrecks to see in one trip, some of the best are... 
And Gabe, what's the first wreck that divers must see when they go to Chuuk? 
Well, the first suggestion here is the Nippo Maru. 
It is nearly whole and has a tank and several weapons on its deck. 
Well, that seems kind of cool. 
It hasn't been destroyed too badly. 
It's nearly whole. 
So almost all of it is there. 
And what is on top of its deck? 
A tank! 
And a tank, of course, is a military vehicle, usually very large that is armored so that it can't be destroyed by other things, maybe by regular weapons. 
But it's a very powerful vehicle that protects soldiers and can go through pretty much anything. 
All right. 
Well, we've been learning a little bit about the Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon, and there are many things you can see underwater here. 
But we're just going to talk about a couple more ships in today's lesson. 
But before we do that, we need to spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And then we'll take a break. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.28.B

So far today we've been learning about the Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon. 
Now many ships were sunk there in 1944 during World War II. 
But for 25 years the place was pretty much unexplored. 
People just kind of ignored it for a while until Jacques Cousteau made a documentary film about it in 1969. 
So now people are going there all the time. 
They're popular dive sites. 
And we're going to learn about some more of the ships under the water there at this Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon. 
(Music). 
Chuuk: The South Pacific's Historic Treasure. 
The Shinkoku Maru. 
This ship was an oiler - it refueled other ships in the fleet. 
It was present during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. 
The Fujikawa Maru. 
Many think this is the best wreck dive in the lagoon. 
It was an aircraft ferry that carried planes and extra parts. 
The wrecks are an exciting attraction not only for their history but also for their natural beauty. 
In the warm, calm waters of the lagoon, reefs have formed on and around these sunken vessels. 
Well, there are a lot of really great dive sites to visit here. 
Now let's go back and look at the next wreck on our list of recommended dives to visit: the Shinkoku Maru. 
This ship was an oiler. 
So what did it do, Gabe? 
Well, it's an oiler. 
It had gas or fuel, I guess. 
And it refueled other ships in the fleet. 
So let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: refuel. 
Well, if you do something again, you can say "re-." So "fuel" can be a verb here. 
You need to fuel up or put fuel in your ship or your vessel, your car. 
You can refuel. 
That's right. 
And so sometimes I say oh, well, I need to refuel my car, or let's refuel at the next gas station. 
That's right. 
You need to refuel every once in a while. 
Otherwise you will run out of gas. 
So this ship was an oiler. 
The whole function of the ship was to refuel other ships in the fleet. 
It was present during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. 
Well, that is an interesting fact. 
This ship that was sunk in Micronesia was actually present in Pearl Harbor in Hawaii in 1941. 
That's right. 
And that is an interesting piece of history, 
especially since it was the U.S. who attacked these ships later in 1944 and is responsible for all of this great sites so that you can go and wreck dive there. 
Well, the next one on our list is the Fujikawa Maru. 
Many think this is the best wreck dive in the lagoon. 
Now why would they think that, Gabe? 
Why would they think the Fujikawa Maru is the best wreck dive in the lagoon? 
Well, we see a little explanation here, maybe a little glimpse of why people love this dive. 
It was an aircraft ferry carrying planes and extra parts. 
All right. 
So it seems like maybe it's a big ship; and it had lots of things that you can see. 
Especially if you're diving down there, there're so many different details that you can explore. 
That's right. 
So it was an aircraft ferry that carried planes and extra parts. 
And if it has planes on it and extra parts, that would be a really cool thing to explore under the water. 
It's true. 
Well, we see some ships here. 
We're learning about some of the famous ships. 
We can't take time to learn about all of them right now because that would take a long time. 
But now we have a little glimpse of some of the wrecks that you can visit if you go scuba diving here at the Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon. 
That's right. 
Well, these wrecks are an exciting attraction. 
The wrecks are an exciting attraction not only for their history but also for their natural beauty. 
So it's not just the history that attracks divers to this area, it's also a beautiful place to go. 
And we see that word from our Word Bank, the word "attraction". 
That's right, attraction. 
Are you attracted by this article? 
Do you want to go and learn more about Chuuk and this place? 
Well, this could be an attraction to you. 
You want to know more about it. 
You are drawn to it. 
That's an attraction. 
That's right. 
An attraction is something that makes you want to go somewhere. 
Maybe there is a new attraction at the amusement park. 
You want to go to the park because they have something new and exciting that you're interested in seeing. 
That's right. Or maybe you are traveling somewhere and you want to go visit the tourist attractions, the things that attract most tourists to that area. 
So if you're going to go visit Micronesia, and you love diving, this could be a great attraction for you. 
It could be the ideal attraction. 
That's right. 
But the wrecks are not the only thing that attracts visitors, it is also a beautiful place to go. 
And we see: 
In the warm, calm waters of the lagoon, reefs have formed on and around these sunken vessels. 
So there are reefs, or coral reefs that have formed around and even on the sunken vessels. 
Well, I think we need to take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is a "vessel." And a vessel is any kind of ship or boat, something that you use to travel or carry things on the water. 
That's right. 
And usually we use it to refer to ships, so something traveling through the water. 
But it could also refer to an airship, something that flies through the air. 
But a vessel is not something on the ground; water or air. 
That's right. 
So what kind of vessels can you think about? 
There're so many different kinds. 
We've talked about some today. 
We've talked about some sunken ships. 
Of course, there are submarines. 
There are aircraft; and there is an oiler. 
Those are all different kinds of vessels. 
That's right. 
And there are many other kinds of vessels. 
Which ones can you think of? 
Talk about them with your friends in English, and maybe find a few more in our article. 
Well, right now I want to enjoy some time with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud and see what they have to say to us. 
And then we'll enjoy a review skit, and get to spend time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
So how exactly does a sunken ship create an artificial reef? 
Well, it all starts when marine creatures like algae, barnacles, corals and oysters attach themselves to it. 
These tiny, tasty oceans snacks, along with the safe hiding places that the ship provides, attract larger fish like minnows and sardines. 
And then eventually, even larger fish, like sharks, might arrive at the wreck looking for a meal. 
Over the course of a few years, the sunken ship has turned into a reef, a mini ecosystem of marine life. 
Divers love to explore these sunken wrecks; and fishermen love the fish these artificial reefs attract. 
And seaside communities love the revenue that the divers and the fishermen bring to their towns. 
Artificial reefs are so attractive to fish, and so lucrative that people will intentionally sink ships to create them. 
In 2006, an old aircraft carrier was intentionally sunk off the coast of Florida, creating the largest artificial reef in the world. 
But ships aren't the only things that people sink to create reefs. 
We also sink logs, used tires, decontaminated subway cars, old oil rigs, used appliances and vending machines. 
(Chinese). 
This place is kind of small. 
Small, yes. But there is nothing "micro" about Micronesia. 
Why is that? 
Well, there are more than 100 ships, submarines and aircraft lying at the bottom of this lagoon. 
Why are they there? 
The result of a huge battle and ignored for 25 years. 
Ignored? 
That's too bad. 
But in 1969 Jacques Cousteau made a film about this lagoon. 
The famous explorer? 
Indeed. 
And divers have flocked here ever since. 
Hmm. What kind of things can divers see? 
Well, one ship is nearly whole. 
It has a tank and several weapons on it. 
Oh. I wish I could see that. 
Another ship was an oiler. 
It refueled the other ships and was at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked. 
Oh. I wish I could see that! 
Another ship was an aircraft ferry carrying planes and extra parts. 
Oh. I wish I could see that. 
These wrecks are an exciting attraction. 
Because of their history? 
Yes, and because of their natural beauty. 
Reefs have formed on and around these sunken vessels. 
Hmm. I wish I could see that. 
Too bad we're not divers. 
Yeah, too bad. 
So, let's visit the other parts of Micronesia. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are doing. 
Today we've learned about three of the different wrecks that you can visit in the Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon. 
And I wonder which of these three do you find the most interesting. 
If you could only visit one during your stay on the island of Chuuk, 
which one would you choose to see - the Nippo Maru, Shinkoku Maru or the Fujikawa Maru? 
Gabe, which one interests you the most? 
Fujikwaw Maru. 
Simply because what's written here is: Many think this is the best wreck dive in the lagoon. 
See, I don't know much about Truk besides what I read in today's lesson and what I learned yesterday. 
So, many people think this is the best one to go and visit? 
Well, I want to go and visit that one, too. 
I think it probably has a lot of beautiful scenery... to offer underwater, many things to see in and around this ship if I'm diving underwater there. 
Well, that's probably very true since it is one of the most popular ones. 
I think I might like to go see the Nippo Maru because there is a tank on this ship, and it would be very interesting to explore that area. 
Well, we still have another day to learn more about these Federated States of Micronesia and the things that you can do there. 
We hope to see you again tomorrow right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you next time. 
(Music).

2013.06.29.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
Thank you for joining us for day three of our lesson about Chuuk: The South Pacific's Historic Treasure. 
Now we've been learning a lot about Micronesia and especially about Chuuk and why it is special to divers. 
But of course, we also learned about some other places in Micronesia. 
We talked about Pohnpei and Kosrae and Yap as well. 
But what did we find out about these places? 
Well, there's a lot above the water, but there's a lot to be explored underneath the water as well. 
Over 300 ships and other kinds of vessels were sunk beneath the water. 
Carolyn, what else did we learn? 
Well, we learned that there are also submarines among the ships that were sunk. 
And we learned about a few of the few famous wrecks... some of the many, many famous wrecks there. 
The Nippo Maru, the Shinkoku Maru and the Fujikawa Maru are all very popular dive sites for wreck divers to visit when they go to Chuuk. 
All right. 
Well, we've learned a little bit about Chuuk so far, and we have a little bit more in today's lesson. 
So please, open up your magazine and let's begin with the first reading of the day. 
(Music). 
Chuuk: The South Pacific's Historic Treasure. 
Explore Chuuk above the water. 
Chuuk offers options for divers of all skill levels and all interests, from history to marine life to underwater photography. 
For non-divers, there are more than 15 sunken wrecks and planes that can be seen without putting on dive gear. 
The water is quite clear, so exploring is fun even at the surface with a snorkel. 
There's plenty to do on land as well. 
Tours take visitors to the old Japanese command center, a lighthouse and caves that still hold cannons from the war. 
Yes, there is a lot to do on land as well. 
Well, at the beginning of our lesson we see that title: Explore Chuuk above the water. 
So we've already learned about doing some things under the water, going diving. 
But now there's lots to see above the water as well. 
That's right. 
And at the very beginning we see that Chuuk offers options for divers of all skill levels and interests, from history to marine life to underwater photography. 
So if you are a diver, there are many, many things you can do whether you have lots of experience or not. 
That's right. 
We're talking about divers of all skill levels. 
So this is a phrase that you could use in maybe another way, too. 
You could talk about people of all age levels. 
People of any age level are welcome here, of all age levels. 
Here we're talking about skill levels. 
And maybe you like photography. 
Well, if you are a photographer, then you like photography. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: photography; taking pictures. 
That's right. 
And it's more than just taking pictures. 
Photography is an art. 
So you should have great skill in taking pictures. 
And it sounds like there are a lot of divers who visit Chuuk, who enjoy taking photos of the wrecks. 
And it is probably very beautiful; and I'm sure it looks like art. 
That's right, especially if you have a nice camera and you are very skilled. 
Do you enjoy photography? 
Maybe you've taken some photography classes. 
Well, I hope that you can continue to improve in your photography. 
And maybe you can have a chance to go and visit Chuuk one of these days and do some underwater photography. 
Continuing in our article: 
For non-divers, there are more than 15 sunken wrecks and planes that can be seen without putting on dive gear. 
So if you're someone like me who has never been diving before and doesn't have a license, 
there are still more than 15 sunken wrecks and planes that you can see without going underwater. 
The water there must be beautiful and clear. 
I imagine so, Carolyn. 
And so if you are going to do this, you don't necessarily need any gear, any of the big gear that comes with scuba diving. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "gear." And gear is anything that you can use to accomplish some kind of task. 
Or to do something, you might have to have some gear. 
That's right. 
So if you go diving, you need diving gear. 
But maybe you do like photography, and you're a photographer. 
You may need to make sure that you have your photography gear. 
Maybe you need a tripod and a camera. 
Or perhaps you like hiking through the woods and going camping. 
You need to make sure to pack your camping and hiking gear so that you can be... so that you are able to enjoy those activities fully. 
And I think that you could use this word "gear" when you're talking about sports or activities of many kinds. 
So if you like going biking, then you might have some biking gear. 
Of course, if you enjoy skiing, then you need to bring your skiing gear. 
That's anything that you need to ski with. 
All right. 
Let's continue learning about this. 
"The water is quite clear," as Carolyn was saying, so exploring is fun even at the surface with a snorkel. 
Carolyn, you've mentioned the word "snorkel" a couple of times. 
What is that? 
Well, a snorkel means that you don't have to have this huge tank of oxygen or a special suit. 
You simply have a breathing piece with a long tube that goes out of the water, and you wear a mask so that you can look down into the water. 
And you are able to breathe through a tube. 
You don't need a tank of air. 
All right. 
So it's a little bit simpler than diving. 
Of course if you do enjoy getting down deep beneath the surface, then you need to go diving. 
Well, there's plenty to do on land as well. 
Tours take visitors to the old Japanese command center, a lighthouse and caves that still hold cannons from the war. 
Interesting, indeed. 
Yes. It sounds like a really great place to visit. 
You learn a lot about the Japanese history on this island. 
And you can visit a command center, a lighthouse, or even caves that have cannons left over from the war. 
And "cannon" is a word from our Word Bank. 
A cannon is a huge gun, right, Gabe? 
Yeah, pretty much. 
It's uh... well, it's very dangerous, of course. 
Sometimes there might be cannons on a battlefield. 
People take cannons into war, and they do a lot of damage. 
Um, and of course, when you are using the cannon, that's called firing the cannon. 
And what do you use? 
What do you put inside the cannon? 
That's called a cannonball. 
So these are different aspects to a cannon. 
That's right. 
So it sounds like there are a lot of really great things, a lot of historical things that you can see on land without even needing to go in the water. 
Maybe you need a break from the water. 
There are still plenty of things for you to do around the island. 
Well, right now it is time for us to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.06.29.B

We are on day three of our article talking about the island of Chuuk in Micronesia. 
And today we're talking about exploring Chuuk above the water. 
There are many, many things to do and see that don't require diving. 
You could go snorkeling. 
The water is very clear, and there are many things that you can see without having to go far under the water. 
There are also tours that you can go on around the island to learn about some of its history. 
Well, we still have some more to learn about this great island in the next section of our reading. 
Chuuk: The South Pacific's Historic Treasure. 
Chuuk's capital, Weno has a limited number of hotels, but the best are well-developed for international visitors. 
They offer meals, Wi-Fi, beautiful ocean views and more. 
Their dive shops are happy to organize dive trips for groups big and small. 
Various dive courses are available as well. 
What Micronesia lacks in size, it makes up for in once-in-a-lifetime experiences. 
"The Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon" belongs at the top of any diver's to-do list. 
With its stunning marine life, variety of wrecks and dramatic history, Chuuk is a fascinating destination waiting to be explored. 
It's waiting to be explored perhaps by you. 
Well, let's go up to the beginning of this section here. 
We're talking about Chuuk's capital now. 
Chuuk's capital, Weno has a limited number of hotels, but the best are well-developed for what? 
Well, for international visitors. 
OK. So it has a limited number of hotels. 
That means that maybe there's only enough for a certain amount of people. 
You could use that phrase in other ways. 
There are only a limited number of seats in this room. 
Or there are only a limited number of rooms in this hotel. 
That's right. 
Well, since it is a small island, it would make sense if there are only a few hotels there. 
And it's important if... I guess if you want to go visit Chuuk that you book in advance so that you make sure you have a place to stay. 
But continuing we see that they offer meals, Wi-Fi, beautiful ocean views and more. 
So they do sound like they are very well-developed and ready for international guests. 
That's right. 
Most international guests love to have their Wi-Fi even at a place like Chuuk where it probably is really nice to just get out and get away from technology for a while. 
Well, we continue our lesson. 
Their dive shops are happy to organize dive trips for groups big and small. 
You can rephrase that sentence to say they're happy to organize them for big or small groups. 
But this is another way to say it: groups big and small. 
That's right. 
And it is a fun way to say it. 
And it's great that since there are so many wonderful diving opportunities that they are happy to organize dives for you whether you are part of a large group or a small group. 
Maybe it's just you and one or two other people, you can still organize a dive to go visit some of these sunken ships. 
OK. So you can go with one of these groups, or you can learn. 
We continue learning here. 
Various dive courses are available as well. 
So Carolyn, you don't know how to dive yet. 
Would you like to travel to Chuuk to learn how? 
I think that would be an amazing trip to be able to say that I learned how to dive when I went to the Federated States of Micronesia, 
and I spent some time on this island Chuuk, and I got to explore all of these great wrecks as part of my diving course? 
Oh, I... I think this sounds like the best place to learn. 
I think so too, Carolyn. 
It would be a great place to learn how to dive. 
And of course, what can you do next? 
Well, what Micronesia lacks in size, it makes up for in once-in-a-lifetime experiences. 
So of course you can go diving and go enjoying the other uh... things to do there. 
And what it lacks in size, it makes up for in once-in-a-lifetime experiences. 
Let's take a look at that phrase. 
What something lacks in something, it makes up for in something else. 
So it's OK if something doesn't have something because you look at another aspect of that thing, and it makes up for it. 
It's OK. 
Carolyn, please give us an example of how to use this phrase. 
Well, maybe you're going to one of the hotels, and it's a very small hotel. 
You might say what the hotel lacks in size, it makes up for in service. 
OK. 
They did a great job organizing my dive. 
It was so much fun. 
It was so much fun. 
You could also say what Tina lacks in height, she makes up for in confidence. 
So she's very short, but she has a lot of confidence. 
Or maybe what the car lacks in size, it makes up for in speed. 
It's not very big, but it's very fast. 
So here what Micronesia lacks in size, it makes up for in once-in-a-lifetime experiences. 
That's right. 
And the Ghost Fleet of Chuuk Lagoon, or Truk Lagoon belongs at the top of any diver's to-do list. 
Now a to-do list. 
I think Liz may have something for us about that in the Grammar Gym. 
And then we'll see what Steve and Ken have to say in the Information Cloud. 
Friends, thanks for coming here to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Now in today's article we see this sentence: 
"The Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon" belongs at the top of any diver's to-do list. 
And that's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the phrase at the end of the sentence: to-do list. 
Now normally a to-do list is a list that a person makes to remind himself or herself of all the things that need to be done. 
It can be on a piece of paper, or now on a handheld device. 
But in today's sentence, we're not really talking about a piece of paper or a handheld device for the divers to carry around. 
Instead, a to-do list is the idea of the many things that someone wants to do and may have already planned out. 
So let's say you are with your friend at the mall, and you know your friend wants to do a lot of things. 
You can ask: What is the first thing on your to-do list? 
Or, let's say you have a lot of fun things planned out for this weekend, but watching a movie is not one of the activities. 
You can say: 
I have planned a lot of fun activities but watching a movie is not on the to-do list. 
Now friends, if you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out the Grammar Tip section for more examples. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
Bye-bye. 
Because we are forgetful, we often resort to making lists. 
Our lesson today mentions the to-do list. 
Well, Ken, what other kinds of lists are there? 
Well, before I go to the grocery store, I sometimes write a grocery list, which would include things like milk, cereal, bananas, carrots and chicken feet. 
They're the grocery items I need to pick up at the supermarket. 
Very important. 
And then there's the laundry list. 
Ken, I don't know about you, but when I hear the word "laundry," I think of dirty underwear. 
So a laundry list is a very long or exhaustive list of things that are mostly negative or boring, like a laundry list of complaints. 
Here's a different list that contains things that you really wish you could do - bucket list. 
This is the list of things you would like to do before you die. 
It comes from the term "kick the bucket," which means to die. 
Come to think of it, I need to add skydiving to my bucket list. 
All right. 
Finally, friends, there is the A-list. 
If you're throwing a big, fancy party and trying to decide who to invite, people on the A-list are the ones that are the most desirable. 
We often refer to big movie stars in Hollywood as A-listers. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you. 
Well, let's continue with our lesson. 
With its stunning marine life, variety of wrecks and dramatic history, Chuuk is a fascinating destination waiting to be explored. 
It does sound like a destination that should be explored. 
Maybe you can do that soon. 
Let's take a look at our key word there. 
It's "destination." A destination is where you are going. 
That's where you will arrive finally, your destination. 
That's right. 
Is there a destination that you have set for this summer? 
Maybe you're getting ready to go on vacation. 
What is your destination? 
Where do you want to go? 
Or where are you traveling? 
Maybe you're going to visit many places. 
You could say: What's your next destination? 
When I went to India, we went to Chennai. 
Our next destination was New Delhi. 
Our next destination was Goa. 
And finally, our final destination was Mumbai. 
So that's how you can use this word. 
Do that sometime today. 
Right now it's time for us to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers now. 
Well, I've certainly enjoyed learning about Chuuk over the last couple of days here in Micronesia. 
But I do wonder about this diving. 
I think it's great to promote tourism in certain places. 
But how do you feel about this, promoting tourism here? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I know that it's a beautiful area with clear water. 
And sometimes large numbers of tourists or encouraging this type of activity can destroy the environment. 
So that's a little bit of a concern. 
But the wrecks have been there for over 50 years, so maybe it's not too big of a problem. 
Well, I hope it's not a problem. 
But of course, you do want to try to be concerned about the place you are visiting. 
Protect the environment. 
Thank you for joining us for this wonderful lesson. 
And of course we will see you next time right here on Studio Classrooom.

2013.07.01.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the first day of July this summer. 
Of course, July is one of the hottest months on earth, and so our lesson is all about July being hot, hot, hot. 
Well, "hot" could mean many things. 
It could mean exciting or interesting as well. 
But we are going to be talking a little bit about the temperature this month in... in this lesson. 
So Carolyn, I wonder maybe about what is the hottest place you have visited. 
What's one place you visited that was very hot? 
Well, I did go to one very hot place; I went to Singapore. 
And I was there in February, which is winter, but I was wearing shorts and short-sleeve shirts. 
And I think I had to take two showers a day because it was just so hot. 
Well, Singapore can get very hot and humid as well. 
I remember for my 12th birthday I got a little stereo, a boom box, to play music. 
And I left it in the car in California, and it was very hot. 
I left it there for a couple of days. 
And when I finally saw it again, lots of pieces were melted. 
I could still use it, but it didn't look as good. 
So if it can get very hot, some things might start melting. 
You want to be careful in hot weather. 
Well, we're going to be learning a lot about July in this lesson, so let's get started. 
July is Hot, Hot, Hot! 
Start this month with some hot July facts. 
Welcome to one of the hottest months on Earth - at least in the Northern Hemisphere. 
On July 10, 1913, the temperature in Death Valley, California, reached 56.7 degrees Celsius. 
That's approaching the heat you need to fry an egg! 
Indeed, you can try doing that on July 4 - Sidewalk Egg Frying Day. 
Of course, you may want to beat the heat by eating ice cream. 
Ronald Reagan, America's 40th president, would have supported that idea! 
In 1984, he declared July to be National Ice cream Month. 
Take your cold treat and go for a walk. 
Or just enjoy your ice cream while watching and enjoying Studio Classroom for now. 
Let's go back to the very beginning of this lesson. 
Right at the beginning we see: Start this month with some hot July facts. 
Now as I said before, hot, of course, could describe temperature. 
But it could also mean something interesting or exciting, something you want to learn or know more about. 
So what is the next sentence of our lesson, Carolyn? 
Well, it starts: Welcome to one of the hottest months on Earth - at least in the Northern Hemisphere. 
So this is one of the hottest month around the world if you are in the Northern Hemisphere. 
That's right. 
And at the very beginning of that sentence, we saw a phrase: welcome to. 
Usually I think of using this phrase when you're talking about welcoming someone to a place, or welcome to Studio Classroom. 
But of course you can use it in other ways when you are welcoming someone to join you in a certain topic. 
That's right. 
So here we have "Welcome to the month of July!" Welcome! We are just arriving. 
It is the first day in July. 
Continuing in the article: 
On July 10, 1913, the temperature in Death Valley, California, reached 56.7 degrees Celsius. 
Uh, that's a little bit warm, Gabe. 
That's a little bit warm, Carolyn? 
That's really, really hot. 
Actually, that's approaching the heat you need to fry an egg. 
Well, I think that's one of the reasons why they call it Death Valley, California, because it does get really hot there. 
And indeed, you might be able to fry an egg. 
Now we're talking about approaching the heat you need to fry an egg. 
Carolyn, do you know what heat you need to actually fry an egg? 
Well, it needs to be about 70 degrees Celsius in order to fry an egg or to fully cook an egg. 
And indeed, you can try doing just that on July 4 - Sidewalk Egg Frying Day. 
So there's a day for trying to fry an egg on the sidewalk. 
That's right, Sidewalk Egg Frying Day. 
Carolyn, I don't usually think of this when I think of July 4. 
Is there something else that comes to your mind when you think of July 4? 
Well, July 4 is actually a pretty important holiday in the United States. 
It's Independence Day - the Fourth of July. 
And there're huge celebrations across the country. 
That's right, the Independence Day, America's national holiday. 
But of course, here, this is a lesser-known holiday, Sidewalk Egg Frying Day. 
Let's take a look at a key word at the beginning of this sentence, the word "indeed." Indeed, you can try doing that. 
This just means in fact or actually this is what you can do. 
So how else could you use that word? 
Well, it does seem that: Oh, it is true, you can do that, or maybe you should think about it. 
Indeed, it is the month of July. 
It is now July 1. It is no longer June. 
But you could also move "indeed" to the end of the sentence. 
You can try doing just that on July 4 - Sidewalk Egg Frying Day. 
So here we have it at the beginning "indeed." You might say: Oh. Indeed, I need to go to the store. 
Or: I need to go to the store, indeed. 
You use it to emphasize things. 
Very good. 
Well, of course, in every one of our lessons, we have a special time with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
And indeed, it is time for us to visit them now. 
We're going to be talking about the different ways to order eggs. 
Hi, friends. 
If you order eggs in a restaurant, the server will likely ask you: How do you like your eggs? 
And the answer is not "Well done." That's an answer to the question: How do you like your steak? 
That's right. 
And since our lesson today mentions frying eggs, let's learn the options we have for ordering eggs. 
OK. 
First, there is sunny-side up. 
That's when the egg is cooked on one side only, and the yolk is still runny. 
Next, my personal favorite - over easy. 
That's what the egg is cooked mostly on one side and a little on the other side. 
And the yolk is still runny. 
And then there's over hard. 
The egg, in this case, is cooked on both sides until the yolk inside is hard. 
If you don't mind peeling the shell, you can order an egg either soft-boiled or hard-boiled. 
The egg in both cases is boiled in the shell. 
The yolk is still liquid in a soft-boiled egg, and is solid in a hard-boiled egg. 
Then there's poached. 
That's when the egg is boiled out of the shell. 
Finally, there's scrambled, which needs no explanation. 
(Chinese). 
Well, how do you like to order your eggs? 
There're several different ways you can try using those phrases. 
Think about it. 
How do you like to order your eggs? 
Continuing on: 
Of course, you may want to beat the heat by eating ice cream. 
That sounds like a pretty good idea to me. 
Well, I think so too, especially if it's really hot outside. 
Go and get some ice cream. 
Well, let's take a look at one of the phrases in this sentence: to beat the heat. 
Carolyn, what does that mean when you beat the heat? 
Well, if you beat the heat, then you overcome it, you win against the heat. 
But that means that you aren't hot anymore. 
You can cool down or feel comfortable. 
OK. Well, is there another way that you could use that phrase, "to beat something"? 
How else could you use that phrase? 
Well, maybe there is a lot of traffic on your way to school or on your way to work, and you want to beat the rush. 
So you leave earlier when there aren't as many people. 
OK. You beat the rush. 
Or maybe you might say you want to beat the crowds. 
You go out. 
You go and have... I like to have lunch when there aren't as many people in the restaurants. 
You beat the crowds. 
So you can use that phrase in different ways. 
Now let's continue learning about ice cream. 
Ronald Reagan, America's 40th president, would have supported that idea - beating the heat by eating ice cream. 
That's right. 
And we see that in 1984, he declared July to be National Ice Cream Month. 
So you should eat lots of ice cream during the month of July to beat the heat. 
Exactly, because everyone is celebrating; and Ronald Reagan, our former president, said that we should. 
Take your cold treat and go for a walk. 
Well, it's time for us right now to go and learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.01.B

It is the first day in July. 
And indeed, it is hot, hot, hot. 
We were talking about how in Death Valley, California, it has reached the temperature of 56.7 degrees Celsius, 
which is almost hot enough to fry an egg, which is a holiday on July 4, you can try frying an egg on the sidewalk. 
Well, we have many things to learn about in the month of July, and we would do that now in the next reading for today. 
July is Hot, Hot, Hot! 
In some places you might spot a larkspur, July's flower. 
White ones convey a happy nature while purple ones represent first love. 
July's gemstone is the red ruby. 
This "king of gems" represents courage, among other virtues. 
According to some, soldiers used to implant rubies under their skin in hopes of gaining courage in battle. 
International Joke Day is July 1 - today! 
And who doesn't like to laugh? 
Take some time to tell a joke or post something funny online. 
After all, laughter is the best medicine. 
Yes, indeed, that is true. 
Well, let's get back to the beginning of this section. 
Earlier today we talked about maybe taking your ice cream and going out for a walk. 
Now in some places you might spot a larkspur, July's flower. 
So if you're taking your ice cream and walking in some places in the world, you could spot a larkspur. 
If you don't know what that is, well, there is a picture in your magazine on page 12. 
That's what a larkspur looks like; and they come in different colors. 
That's right. 
And this is the flower for the month of July. 
White ones convey a happy nature while purple ones represent first love. 
So different colors of the larkspur mean different things. 
They convey different meanings, Gabe. 
That's right. 
And let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: convey. 
If you convey something, that means you communicate it. 
But you don't necessarily have to use words to communicate it. 
You could be conveying something just through your body language. 
Or just like a flower, you can look at a color, and it might convey something to you. 
That's right. 
So perhaps you smile at someone. 
This conveys that you are happy. 
Smiles mean you feel happy. 
And you can convey a happy attitude by smiling or maybe even waving at someone. 
And just like you can convey a happy attitude, sometimes the way you stand or the way you look can convey a negative attitude as well. 
His look conveyed anger. 
Or her look conveyed depression; she's not very happy. 
Oh, well, we have larkspurs. 
And the white ones are happy, or... yes, and the purple ones convey first love, so. 
There are many wonderful things that you can think about when you see these beautiful flowers. 
That's right. 
So we're talking about the flowers now, and we're also going to be talking about July's gemstone. 
July's gemstone is the red ruby. 
Now if you don't know what a ruby looks like, well, of course there's a picture in your magazine. 
And sometimes here on the TV, you can see it pop up behind Carolyn as well. 
A ruby. 
Now what do we learn about the ruby, Carolyn? 
Well, this "king of gems" represents courage, among other virtues. 
And we see that the ruby is referred to as the "king of gems." Why is that, Gabe? 
Well, the king of gems, because actually, it is a very, very important gemstone. 
It's a very beautiful gemstone, and it can represent many virtues. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: virtue. 
If something has a virtue, that means it has a very special character; it is unique. 
If a person has virtue, that is a great thing. 
You want to be someone who has virtues. 
An example of virtue is courage. 
What's another example of a virtue, Carolyn? 
Well, you could have courage; you could be brave. 
Maybe you are very strong, or maybe you are very smart. 
You know a lot of things, and you can share your knowledge with other people. 
These are very good virtues. 
It is also a good virtue to have morals. 
You know right and wrong, and you do the right thing. 
That's right. 
Now sometimes people say that patience is the mother of all virtues. 
So if you want to be a virtuous person and have good virtues, you also need to have patience. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Liz in the Grammar Gym right now. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we read: 
This "king of gems" represents courage. among other virtues. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase "among other." It's a fancy way of saying one of many. 
So today's sentence just means this king of gems represents many virtues, and one of them is courage. 
Use this phrase when there's a list of qualities or examples and you want to just mention one of them. 
For example: 
Amy visited museums, among other activities, while she was studying in Paris. 
Or: A platypus is unlike other mammals; it lays eggs, among other unique characteristics. 
So give this phrase a try. 
Think of something that has lots of qualities or examples and talk about it. 
That's it for today. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
This is Liz. 
I'll see you again next time. 
Bye-bye. 
Among other things that we've been learning about today, we were just talking about the red ruby. 
And according to some, soldiers used to implant rubies under their skin in hopes of gaining courage in battle. 
We had just talked about how rubies represent courage. 
And this seems a little bit uncomfortable, but let's look at that word: implant. 
If you implant something, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, it means you put something inside of something else but it's not naturally there. 
It's not supposed to be that way. 
These days people like to implant little devices or chips uh, maybe in certain animal skins so that they can track where the animal goes. 
They implant these things. 
And so some soldiers would implant rubies under their skin. 
Maybe it would give them courage. 
Maybe it did. 
And continuing on: International Joke Day is July 1 - today! 
So today is International Joke Day. 
And who doesn't like to laugh, Gabe? 
That's right. 
Who doesn't like to laugh? 
And maybe if you missed April 1, April Fools' Day, well, here's another chance to tell a joke or do something funny. 
Take some time to tell a joke or post something funny online. 
After all, laughter is the best medicine. 
Well, let's take a look at that phrase, "laughter is the best medicine." What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that if you aren't feeling well, maybe you just need to laugh. 
Laughter can make you feel great. 
And a lot of times it can make you feel better, not just your emtions like what you're thinking about, but make your body healthier. 
Exactly. 
I think we're going to be learning a little bit more about that later this month about laughter. 
So stay tuned. 
But laughter is the best medicine. 
So do something funny today, or share something funny with someone else. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are up to. 
We've learned a lot about the month of July today. 
And today is July 1, so it is International Joke Day. 
Do you know any funny jokes? 
Gabe, have you heard a funny joke recently? 
Yes. Well, here's one of my favorite jokes. 
A horse walked into a restaurant, and the waiter there said, "Why the long face?" Get it? 
A horse has a long face. 
But a long face can also convey that the horse is kind of sad, and so he says why the long face... 
Gabe, I... I think that if you have to explain why a joke is funny, it's not actually funny. 
Oh. Right. 
Well, maybe... maybe I'll work on that. 
OK. 
Well, maybe you can share a funny joke with one of your friends today, or post something funny online. 
We will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.07.02.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for a lesson - Exploring South Korea. 
That's a lesson by Jo. 
And we've had a lesson by Jo almost every month. 
She's been traveling and doing a lot of different things around the world. 
We know she has visited South Korea. 
Now I don't know if you've been outside of your country. 
Maybe you've been to South Korea or somewhere else. 
Have you ever had culture shock? 
Carolyn, is that something you have ever experienced? 
Well, I didn't realize it was culture shock at the time, but now that I think about it, 
when I went to Japan when I was a high school student, every day I would go to class. 
And by the time I came home in the afternoon, I was so tired of it, I just didn't want to do anything. 
I had a wonderful host family that took me places. 
But I was so exhausted that sometimes it was really hard to enjoy it. 
All right. 
Well, sometimes learning a new language or learning anything new can be tiring mentally. 
And that could be part of culture shock as well. 
Sometimes when I go back to the United States, I have what some people call reverse culture shock. 
So I'm American, but when I go back there, I have to get adjusted to that culture again. 
Well, it's time for us to get started in our lesson - Exploring South Korea. 
(Music). 
Exploring South Korea. 
Getting to know South Korea - with a little help from my friends. 
Culture shock hit me hard during my first few months in South Korea. 
My job was new and different; I didn't know anyone, and the language barrier frightened me. 
My therapy was to sit alone in my apartment and watch TV every night after work. 
I lived this way from February until May. 
But as the weather warmed, I began to venture out more and explore. 
An accessible Korea. 
Over that summer I learned that Korea has a lot to offer. 
They are miles of beautiful mountains and ocean beaches, centuries of rich history and unique cultural experiences everyone should try. 
There are a lot of wonderful things to experience and enjoy in South Korea as we will be reading about in our article. 
Now if we go back to the beginning we see: 
Getting to know South Korea - with a little help from my friends. 
And this is a very familiar line if you listen to The Beatles, right, Gabe? 
That's right. 
If you know the song, "I get by with a little help from my friends..." it's from The Beatles. 
And of course it's a popular reference here that Jo is using. 
So getting to know South Korea, with a little help from her friends. 
We're going to learn about how her friends maybe have helped her get to know South Korea. 
That's right. 
Well, beginning with our article here: 
Culture shock hit me hard during my first few months in South Korea. 
And culture shock is something that a lot of... a lot of people experience when they go to another country that is very different from their own. 
That's right. 
And she says that culture shock hit her hard. 
So if something hits you hard, maybe that means you didn't expect it, it came and it really affected you in a big way. 
It hit you hard. 
Maybe you have a sickness, and the sickness hit you hard. 
The flu hit me hard. 
Or you're traveling, and jet lag really hit me hard today when I came home. 
That's right. 
Well, we see why she experienced this culture shock. 
She says: 
My job was new and different; I didn't know anyone, and the language barrier frightened me. 
So if you remember in our lesson last month, 
Jo was talking about how she needed to learn Korean because when she went there, she didn't know anything except for the word kimchi. 
Right. 
And then she gradually learned other Korean words as she lived there. 
But you know, language barriers can be a challenge. 
Especially if you only know a little bit of a certain language, you're not fluent, it can be a barrier in your communication with other people of that language. 
So culture shock and language barriers, these are two very big challenges when you want to move to another country or go to visit another culture. 
That's right. 
And we see in the next sentence how Jo dealt with these challenges. 
She says: My therapy was to sit alone in my apartment and watch TV every night after work. 
This was her "therapy." And that is a word from our Word Bank, so we'll take a look at that. 
What is therapy, Gabe? 
Well, therapy is a word that basically means curing or healing. 
And if you have a health problem, then it's attempting to try to cure or heal you from that health problem. 
So that is therapy. 
Now maybe another word that this is similar to is therapist, T-H-E-R-A-P-I-S-T. 
This is someone who gives you therapy, who helps you as you heal from your health problem. 
That's right. 
So maybe you need therapy after having a physical injury. 
But you might also need therapy to recover from something emotionally that has happened, so. 
Here she is experiencing culture shock, and she needs therapy to help deal with those challenges and problems she's facing. 
Well, I think Joanna is kind of using therapy in a comfort sense here. 
It's comfortable to just watch TV after a long day learning something new that can be tiring. 
Well, next she says: I lived this way from February until May. 
So that's quite a few months that she was just learning a new language, learning... different things. 
And now she's done this for a couple of months, February until May. 
That's right. 
And now it's time for us to learn a little bit about those months with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
Hi, friends. 
Have you ever wondered where the English names of the months come from? 
To answer that, we have to go back to ancient Rome. 
OK. Let's start with the first month of the year - January. 
This month was named after Janus, the Roman god of new beginnings, doorways and gates. 
Ancient statues show Janus is having two faces - one looking forward and one looking backward. 
Which is kind of what we do at the beginning of each year. 
That's right. 
February comes from Februra, which was an annual feast of purification when buildings and houses were given a thorough cleaning. 
March was named after Mars, the god of war. 
Now April's origin is a little uncertain. 
Either it comes from the Latin word aperire, which means to open like when new leaves on a tree blossom. 
Or it's named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. 
OK. May definitely comes from Maia, the goddess of growth - very appropriate for springtime. 
And June honors Juno, the queen of the Roman gods. 
Well, that's the first six. 
Join us tomorrow when we touch on the origins of the other six months of the year. 
(Chinese). 
All right. 
Thank you Steve and Ken. 
We have more to learn about month names in our next day here on Studio Classroom. 
But let's continue. 
Jo says: But as the weather warmed, I began to venture out more and explore. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "venture." What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if you venture to do something, that means that you are breathing some kind of danger. 
You need to have courage to overcome some sort of challenge or obstacle that you're facing. 
All right. 
So this could be kind of similar to the word "explore." Maybe you're going on an adventure. 
That means you know you're doing something that you haven't done before or you don't know what's going to happen. 
There are unexpected things when you venture out. 
Sometimes people talk about venturing out into the real world, 
getting out of their comfortable place, their comfort zone, and venturing out into the real world. 
That's right. 
Well, we want to continue in our article. 
The next section is An accessible Korea. 
So it is easy to access things going on in South Korea. 
Jo writes: Over that summer I learned that Korea has a lot to offer. 
It has a lot to offer. 
There are many things to do there, lots to learn, lots to experience, a lot to offer. 
And she continues: 
There are miles of beautiful mountains and ocean beaches, centuries of rich history and unique cultural experiences everyone should try. 
I like this that she talks about "miles," but then she also talks about "centuries" of rich history. 
Korea has been around for a long time. 
And so of course there are centuries that you can learn about. 
That's right. 
Well, right now it is time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.02.B

Well, today we are enjoying a lesson called "Exploring South Korea" by Jo. 
And of course, she has experienced some culture shock. 
She's had to get used to living in a place where she couldn't really speak the language and so of course there was a language barrier there. 
And so her therapy was basically just to sit at home after work and watch TV. 
She did this for a couple of months from February until May, and then she decided to venture out. 
And then she found out how accessible Korea is. 
And that's what we're learning about right now. 
So let's continue with our lesson. 
(Music). 
Exploring South Korea. 
But outside of Seoul, these are sometimes hard for foreigners to access. 
Only a few possibilities lay in the pamphlets at the train station and my old copy of Lonely Planet South Korea. 
The key to my adventures was networking. 
A friend of a friend knew how to book a hiking trip. 
Somebody was dating a GI who knew where to go deep-sea fishing. 
I learned that the longer someone lived in Korea, the better they knew how to plug into the fun activities. 
In a few months, I was plugged in, too. 
It sounds like she was able to get some help from her friends in exploring South Korea. 
Well, let's continue at the beginning of this section. 
But outside of Seoul, these are sometimes hard for foreigners to access. 
So before we were talking about exploring the beautiful mountains, the ocean beaches and the rich history and culture that South Korea has to offer. 
And she says that these are sometimes difficult for foreigners to access. 
That's right, because Seoul is a big city. 
And sometimes within Seoul, things are easier to access. 
The transportation is great there. 
And so it's easy to access. 
But outside of Seoul, it's not the same. 
Well, let's continue. 
Only a few possibilities lay in the pamphlets at the train station and my old copy of Lonely Planet South Korea. 
That's right. 
So she was using pamphlets that she found at the train station as well as her Lonely Planet South Korea guide book. 
Now "pamphlets" is one of the words from our Word Bank, so we'll look at that. 
A pamphlet is a printed piece of paper. 
Usually it's not a book; it's just a folded-up piece of paper that advertises something. 
Do you ever use pamphlets, Gabe, when you're traveling? 
Well, you know, Carolyn, I see pamphlets all over the place when I travel. 
Especially if you are at an airport, you might see pamphlets for a lot of different organizations or companies or amusement parks or parks. 
Lots of different kinds of pamphlets. 
And of course, you might see them at hotels, too. 
Usually if I walk into a hotel, I'll pick up a pamphlet for the amusement parks in the area. 
I love amusement parks. 
So there are many different kinds of pamphlets. 
But she says that the ones at the train station were limited. 
There really weren't that many of them; and it was hard to find things to do. 
But she continues to say: The key to my adventures was networking. 
So she was able to have adventures because of something called networking. 
That's right, networking. 
Now maybe you've seen this word, especially recently we talk about social networks. 
And that's basically connecting with people through various ways. OK. 
So maybe if you're online on Facebook or using something else, you are networking with people. 
And of course, you might be building connections for a job or something else as well. 
And if you're networking, then there are more opportunities for you. 
That's right. 
So she talks a little bit about her networking. 
She says: A friend of a friend knew how to book a hiking trip. 
So this person was not her friend but one of her friends' friends. 
So this is part of her network of people, her not-close friends but she has a connection with them. 
And she was able to book a hiking trip. 
And that sounds great. 
If you're going to visit another country, there are probably great places to hike. 
Let's continue. 
Somebody was dating a GI who knew where to go deep-sea fishing. 
Well, that sounds like networking to me, another friend of a friend or a boyfriend of a friend, this GI. 
That's another word for military or soldier, someone who is government-issued. 
That's what GI stands for. 
So anything that a soldier has might be government issue as well - GI. 
That's right. 
Well, she was able to go deep-sea fishing through this connection. 
And she learned something. 
She says: I learned that the longer someone lived in Korea, the better they knew how to plug into the fun activities. 
That's right. 
Well, let's take a look at some of these words here: the longer someone did something, the better they did something. OK. 
This phrase can be very useful. 
You might say the longer you run, the further you can go because the more energy that you might have. 
Or the longer I played, the more tired I became. 
That's right. 
Or maybe you are studying English. 
The longer you study English, the better your English will be. 
We hope that is true for you. 
Well, there is also another phrase in there, and this one is from our Word Bank. 
It's "plug into." Now if you plug into something, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, you're plugging in, you're getting connected. 
Think about it like the plug that you use to connect for electricity. 
You're getting connected so that you can maybe come alive in certain ways. 
I usually suggest that you plug into a community. 
If you move somewhere new, get plugged in quickly. 
Don't just sit and wait and watch TV for a couple of months. 
Well, this networking helped her to plug into fun activities. 
And she says: In a few months, I was plunged in, too. 
So she was able to make great connections and enjoy things in South Korea. 
And right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Well, I've been in South Korea a few months now. 
So, what do you think? 
There's a language barrier; and I still don't know anyone. 
Oh. That's too bad. 
Yes. 
Every night after work, I sit alone in my apartment and watch TV. 
That's all you do? 
Yes. It's kind of like therapy. 
Watching TV is therapy? 
How long have you lived this way? 
Since February. 
Wow, that's a long time. 
You know, it's time for you to venture out and explore. 
Explore? 
What does South Korea have to offer? 
A lot! 
There are miles of beautiful mountains and ocean beaches. 
There are? 
Yes! And Korea has a rich history and a unique culture with unique cultural experiences. 
Oh. Well, I should get out more. 
Yes, you should. 
I'll check the train station for pamphlets. 
Oh, and I'll look in my old Lonely Planet. 
No need. 
The key to adventures is networking. 
Networking? 
Yes. 
Hey, I have a friend who can book hiking trips. 
I like hiking. 
And another friend who knows where to go deep-sea fishing. 
Oh! I want to try that. 
Good. 
Remember, the longer you live in South Korea, the more you can plug into fun. 
Fun? Great! 
I can't wait to plug in the fun. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Let's get ready to learn more from the other teachers. 
In today's lesson we were talking about how Jo was able to plug into activities through her networking, through her connections in South Korea. 
Gabe, do you like to plug into certain activities when you go places? 
I certainly do. 
And actually, Facebook really is a big help in that. 
Sometimes people will post activities or events like Ultimate Frisbee or river tracing or going out to a jazz club. 
These are all activities I like to plug into. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn from Jo tomorrow in our lesson right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.07.03.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson, Exploring South Korea. 
Yesterday we were learning a little bit about how Jo got into South Korea, 
and how she was connecting in South Korea through some networking with a little help from her friends. 
And today we're going to be talking or learning a little bit about a summer getaway. 
She was able to get away for a little while. 
And that makes me wonder: 
What kinds of places do you like to go to get away from the busyness of it all? 
Carolyn? 
Well, it depends where I am. 
Back home in the United States, it was very easy for me to get away because I lived in an area that was surrounded by parks and rivers and mountains. 
So it was very easy to just go maybe a mile from my house, and I would be surrounded by trees. 
There wouldn't be any people. 
Now living in Taipei, it's a little bit different. 
It's a little harder to get away. 
But I think my favorite spot would have to be Yilan. 
Interesting. Yilan is very beautiful. 
I like to go to a waterfall in Neihu to get away. 
Well, I can't tell you where it is because then everyone might follow me there. 
But it's a beautiful waterfall. 
I love nature as well, Carolyn. 
I think I would do well in West Virginia where there certainly is plenty to see. 
Well, it's time for us to learn more about Jo's experiences in South Korea now. 
(Music). 
Exploring South Korea. 
Summer fun, Korean style. 
My favorite summer getaway was sunny Busan. 
It was easy to catch a morning train from Daegu to the seaside city. 
By noon my friends and I were stretched out on Haeundae Beach, sipping lemonades and getting sunburned along with throngs of other vacationers. 
In July we headed north to enjoy the Boryeong Mud Festival. 
Every July this filthy festival on Daecheon Beach celebrates mud. 
Mud slides, mud wrestling and muddy hugs from strangers - we enjoyed it all with no care for a shower. 
At night we lay on the beach and watched an impressive fireworks show. 
Well, fireworks are always pretty fun to watch. 
Now we're talking about Summer fun, Korean style. 
OK. So we're... we know that it's not something from somewhere else in the world; we're doing something Korean style. 
And Jo says: My favorite summer getaway was sunny Busan. 
All right. Earlier we talked about what your favorite place was to get away to. 
When you're trying to escape the busyness of the world, where do you like to get away to? 
Here we see this as a noun. 
Straight from our Word Bank, it is a "getaway." Carolyn, what's a getaway? 
Well, a getaway is exactly what it sounds like. 
It's a place that you like to go to get away from something, so. 
Maybe you live in a very busy city, and you just need a break from city life. 
You want to get away, so you need to go to a getaway. 
This is a noun. 
And my getaway would be the mountains, rivers, nature. 
I love being outside away from the city. 
What kind of getaway do you enjoy, Gabe? 
Well, Carolyn, I also enjoy nature. 
So often I will go to my favorite waterfall or somewhere like that. 
But you know what, you don't have to leave a city to go to your getaway. 
Maybe your getaway is just a nice coffee shop where you can relax and do something enjoyable. 
And so usually a getaway is a place where you can go and relax. 
Well, Jo continues: 
It was easy to catch a morning train from Daegu to the seaside city. 
That's right. 
And she says that by noon my friends and I were stretched out on Haeundae Beach, 
sipping lemonades and getting sunburned along with throngs of other vacationers. 
So it sounds like she was having a lot of fun with her friends as they were stretched out on the beach sipping lemonades. 
That's right. 
She says by noon they were doing this. 
That means she had most of the day ahead of her. 
She could relax for a big part of the day. 
Now when you're stretched out somewhere like this, that just means you are relaxing. 
You're relaxing on the beach. 
And you're sipping your lemonades or getting sunburned just like Jo was here with throngs of other vacationers. 
Carolyn, remind us, what is a throng? 
Well, a throng is a very large group of people. 
We've learned this word before. 
And so this was not an empty beach. 
This was a very, very crowded one where there were lots of people - other vacationers, and they were all getting sunburned together. 
So it must have been very hot and sunny. 
I think so, too. 
Well, in July, as we continue, in July we headed north to enjoy the Boryeong Mud Festival. 
This is interesting. 
OK. So it's July, and there's a festival where you throw mud at each other? 
Well, that's what it sounds like. 
This is a mud festival. 
And we read that every July this filthy festival on Daecheon Beach celebrates mud. 
And it is a filthy festival if it is celebrating mud. 
And that is a word from our Word Bank. 
The word "filthy" means to be very, very dirty. 
That's right, basically, just very dirty. 
You can use this word to talk about anything that is very dirty. 
Your hands. 
Your hands are filthy. 
Go and wash your hands. 
How did your face get so filthy? 
You need to wash your face. 
But you know what, you can also use this to talk about maybe language that is not clean. 
Someone might have filthy language. 
They're always using dirty words. 
That's right. Well, this is a filthy festival because it is celebrating mud. 
And mud, of course, is dirt that has become wet. 
And we see some of the activities during this festival: 
Mud slides, mud wrestling and muddy hugs from strangers - we enjoy it all with no care for a shower. 
So here they're doing mud slides, (so sliding through the mud) mud wrestling and muddy huggs, getting muddy huggs from strangers. 
Now we have a word from our World Bank here: wrestling. 
What is wrestle, Gabe? 
Well, wrestling can actually be a sport. 
It's an official sport where two people get together and they... well, they try to pin each other on the ground. 
That's a kind of wrestling. 
But this can just be a fun activity, too, when you get together with your friends and just try to wrestle and fight each other, for fun, on the ground. 
And I have done mud wrestling before. 
I think it's a lot of fun. 
If you just don't care how dirty your clothes get, how dirty or filthy you get, that can be a lot of fun. 
Carolyn, do you like a mud wrestling? 
Well, I have never participated in mud wrestling before, but I think that this sounds like a really fun festival to go to. 
And there are some pictures in the magazine that you can see where people are just covered in mud. 
They look very filthy. 
But as Jo and her friends have written, she says that they enjoy it all with no care for a shower. 
No care for a shower. 
Well, let's take a look... a little more closely at that phrase "no care for something" in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see how the writer and her friends have gone to a mud festival. 
She mentions: We enjoyed it all with no care for a shower. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the phrase: no care for something. 
That just means to not be interested in something or to not want something. 
So in the case of today's sentence, that writer is saying that she and her friends enjoyed being dirty in the mud festival and didn't really worry about getting cleaned up. 
Use this phrase "no care for something" when you want to talk about how the subject has no interest in something. 
For example: 
The woodcutter preferred to live alone and had no care for a wife. 
Or: Old Mrs. Hanson does not want a pet; she has no care for an animal to keep her company. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
And Jo continues to write: 
At night we lay on the beach and watched an impressive fireworks show. 
So it sounds like she had a really great time with her friends at the beach. 
Well, right now it is time for us to have a great time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.03.B

We're on the second day of our article Exploring South Korea. 
And today we have been talking all about a great summer getaway that Jo and her friends enjoyed. 
They went to the beach, which was not very far from where she was staying. 
She was able to enjoy a very filthy mud festival as well in another part of South Korea. 
And it sounds like she is having a really great time. 
There are many more activities and things that she enjoyed that we can read about in the next part of our article today. 
Exploring South Korea. 
In August my friends and I drove up into the mountains for a weekend of rafting. 
A Korean friend helped us book a private bus and an overnight stay at what Koreans call a "pension." Another weekend in August, 
my friends went bungee jumping off a bridge high up over a river. 
I watched from the shore! 
Each summer weekend seemed to hold a chance to see and do something new. 
But I only lived there for a year, so I barely scratched the surface. 
I look forward to returning one day and exploring more. 
Well, if you live somewhere for just a short period of time, you really do just scratch the surface. 
Well, friends, we're talking about Jo's experiences in South Korea; and this section begins: 
In August my friends and I drove up into the mountains for a weekend of rafting. 
Well, that sounds like a lot of fun. 
Have you ever been rafting, Carolyn? 
Well, I don't think I've actually been rafting, but it is a lot of fun. 
My sister loves to do it; and it is a word from our Word Bank today. 
If you go rafting, then you sit in a raft and you go down the river. 
It can be very exciting depending on which river you are in. 
That's right. 
Now rafting is uh... when you use something called a raft. 
And you can sometimes make rafts yourself. 
You use long pieces of wood, you put them together or tie them together so that they float on the water, and you can go rafting down the water. 
Usually, though, when we think of rafting, there are already tubes or big boats that you can use and sit in with a lot of other people, and you go floating down the river. 
It's a lot of fun. 
I especially love going rafting when there's just been a big rain and the waves are a little bit big and kind of scary. 
That's a lot of fun. 
I love rafting. 
It is a lot of fun. 
It's important to be careful when you're rafting. 
But she was able to go rafting with her friends. 
And she says that a Korean friend helped us book a private bus and an overnight stay at what Koreans call a pension. 
So she was able to have her own bus with her friends. 
It sounds like she had a really great trip. 
And they were able to stay at a place called a "pension," Gabe. 
That's right. 
Well, if you're confused about this, "pension" usually means something else. 
But if you look on page 15 in your magazine, you can see what a pension is there. 
It's what Koreans call a pension here. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: what someone calls something. 
So maybe it's not common knowledge, maybe not everybody knows that it's called this, but this is what someone calls it. 
Carolyn, how else could you use that phrase? 
Well, I was actually a little bit confused when I first came to Taipei because I wanted to order toast. 
And in the United States, toast is a piece of bread that has been toasted or put in a toaster. 
And here it's a little bit different. 
It's a very thick piece of bread that might have something on top of it or something inside it, but it doesn't have to be toasted. 
So it's what people in Taipei call "toast," not what Americans call "toast". 
That's right, so something that somebody else might call it something different. 
Uh, yesterday I shared about culture shock and about reverse culture shock. 
It's what I call or what some people call reverse culture shock when you leave a foreign country, 
and you go back to your own country, and it just seems a little bit different. 
So here we're learning about what Koreans call a pension. 
And we continue. 
Another weekend in August, my friends went bungee jumping off a bridge high up over a river. 
Well, that sounds like a lot of fun, Carolyn. 
Well, it sounds like a very exciting thing to do to go bungee jumping. 
And it's not something I have done, and it's not something I think I'm going to do in the future. 
But it says that her friends seemed to really enjoy it since that was what they wanted to do during this weekend in August. 
Jo, however, did something else, Gabe. 
That's right. 
And maybe you would have done the same thing, Carolyn. 
Jo says: I watched from the shore. 
Well, if we ever go bungee jumping, Carolyn, I guess it will be me going bungee jumping and you watching from the shore? 
Uh, that is probably true. 
I will take lots of pictures for you. 
Great! I love that. 
We always need someone to take pictures. 
All right. 
Well, friends, now it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Today let's continue looking at how English month names came about. 
Picking up from yesterday, our next month is July. 
July is named after the Roman ruler Julius Caesar, who was born in July. 
It was Caesar Augustus, Julius' successor, who decreed the month be named in honor of the dead leader. 
The same honor was later given to Augustus himself; and that explains the name of the eighth month August. 
OK. Now things get a little tricky because the original Roman calendar had just ten months, January and February were added later. 
Meaning the new year started on March 1. 
Right. 
Under that system, September, with its S-E-P-T prefix, meaning seven, was the seventh month. 
October, with its O-C-T-O prefix, indicating eight, was the eighth month of the year. 
November was the ninth. 
And you'll recognize the Latin D-E-C prefix in December, which was the tenth month. 
But you'll notice these months no longer correspond to their positions on the modern calendar. 
October isn't the eighth month anymore. 
It's the tenth month. 
And that's because when the old calendar was modified, the addition of January and February pushed forward the other months two places. 
(Chinese). 
We do always learn interesting things in the Information Cloud. 
Now continuing in our article, Jo writes: 
Each summer weekend seemed to hold a chance to see and do something new. 
So now that she is finally getting out of her apartment, no longer watching TV, each weekend held the chance to see and do something new. 
Yeah. That's a great way to phrase it, to hold the chance, or to hold the opportunity to do something. 
And she continues: 
But I only lived there for a year, so I barely scratched the surface. 
Let's take a look at that phrase there: to scratch the surface of something. 
Well, lots of things are very deep, not like the surface of this clipboard. 
Lots of things are very deep. 
And so when you just scratch the surface, you're not really getting to know much at all. 
That's right. 
So she feels like she didn't have enough time to really experience everything there was to do in South Korea. 
She continues to write: 
I look forward to returning one day and exploring more. 
So there's still a lot more that she wants to do and see in South Korea. 
That's right. 
She looks forward to doing this. 
Sometimes you can use the phrase "I look forward to something" as if you've already planned it. 
But I don't think Jo has planned another trip to Korea yet. 
Still, she looks forward to a day where she can go back and experience a little more than just the surface. 
Well, it's time for us right now to learn something else with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers now. 
Well, I've had a lot of fun learning from Jo's experiences in South Korea. 
And I especially enjoyed learning about the mud festival. 
I think that would be so much fun to just be free from worrying about staying clean and... and not getting filthy. 
Of course you're going to get filthy at a mud festival. 
But what kind of festivals do you like? 
Are there any unique festivals that you know about from your country or around the world? 
Carolyn? 
Well, there was a festival in my hometown called the Water Festival. 
And we didn't throw water at each other, but it was a big celebration because there are a lot of rivers and lakes in my hometown. 
And there would be boat races and rubber ducky races and pageants - and it was a lot of fun - all themed with water. 
That's so cool. 
I think there's something similar in Thailand. 
And in Spain, there's like a tomato festival where people throw tomatoes at each other. 
There are so many different kinds of festivals. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And we will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.07.04.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for a very special lesson: Christian Salvation Service Celebrates Life. 
Actually, we have a very special guest in the studio today. 
Welcome, Paula. 
Thank you so much. 
It's a pleasure to be here. 
It's very wonderful to have you here. 
We're so glad you could join us. 
Paula, would you like to tell us a little bit about Christian Salvation Service before we get started in the lesson? 
I would. 
Uh, Christian Salvation Service is a nonprofit Christian organization that helps babies and women in crisis situations. 
And believe me, there are a lot of crisis situations that can affect newborns. 
OK. So they're helping women and children in crisis situations. 
And Paula, I understand that the 30th anniversary is this week, right? 
That's right. 
And it's amazing; over 1,600 children and their families have been helped over the years. 
And we have a big group returning to celebrate. 
I sent them out a letter, and I said: Come home for the celebration of life and the celebration of the 30th anniversary, so. 
Many adults from Sweden, the Netherlands, Australia and even little... little kids are coming with their parents. 
So it's going to be a busy, busy week. 
Well, that sounds wonderful. 
It sounds like a great time to celebrate life. 
And that's exactly what this organization does. 
Let's get started learning about the Christian Salvation Service in the first part of our reading for today. 
(Music). 
Christian Salvation Service Celebrates Life. 
Remembering 30 years of service while looking to the future. 
What do Sweden, the United States, Australia and the Netherlands have in common? 
Nearly 1,700 kids from the island of Taiwan - all adopted with the assistance of Christian Salvation Service (CSS). 
Many others have stayed with their birth families with the help of CSS. 
Started in 1983, the organization was established to help women and children in crisis. 
Working together since the beginning, Paula Voigtmann and Hsieh Hui-Chen have seen the organization grow. 
It now includes 56 full-time staff, including 16 social workers and 24 child-care workers. 
(Music). 
The organization has certainly grown. 
And this week Christian Salvation Service is remembering 30 years of service while looking to the future. 
It's pretty incredible that it's been 30 years, Christian Salvation Service. 
Paula, I do wonder how things maybe have changed over the last 30 years. 
Maybe that's a big question? 
Well, Paula has certainly changed over the last 30 years. 
But, in all honesty, the... the mission is the same. 
However, um, the introduction of many good laws in Taiwan to protect against violence, to protect children's rights, 
these laws have been in place now for a number of years. 
And this has made it easier to intervene in cases where there really were not laws to protect, um, children and spouses from domestic violence in the early years. 
So that's a positive. 
Um, in a negative way, I would say that um, our... women and children that we help have more difficult problems today than in the past. 
In the early years it was mostly very young girls, uh, 15 or 16 years old who needed help. 
But now most of our referrals come from the government, from prisons as older women become involved with drugs, 
and continue to create the crisis in their life and the life of their newborn children. 
OK. Well, I'm glad that at least the laws have been a big help in this situation. 
But we're going to continue learning about this Christian Salvation Service. 
Now at the very beginning of our lesson we read: 
What do Sweden, the United States, Australia and the Netherlands have in common? 
And what is the answer here? 
Well, they have nearly 1,700 kids from the island of Taiwan - all adopted with the assistance of Christian Salvation Service. 
That's right. 
Well, before we continue learning about this, let's look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "assistance." Assistance basically means help. 
So how might you use that word? 
Well, if you need assistance, that means that you need help. 
You might ask: Can you give me some assistance to complete this project? I can't do it by myself. 
That's right. 
And with the help of Christian Salvation Service, these kids have been adopted. 
And these countries... or people from these countries have adopted them. 
Uh, Paula, I do wonder why these countries in particular, the United States, Sweden, Australia and the Netherlands? 
Well, you know, we have chosen very special families for our children. 
Um, we have a criteria that uh, is amazing really because we are very particular where these children go. 
And in the early years we did place many children in the United States because being an American, I was familiar with that. 
I was familiar with the legal system. 
But over the years we found that Scandinavia and these countries of Sweden and Norway that we're working with have wonderful social services, 
good security, free education through college. 
So we... we really see these children doing well in their communities, 
and the parents feeling secure that they can provide everything they will need either medically or educationally and socially. 
Well, it is good to know that so many families are willing to get involved from these different countries. 
So they have helped adopt some of these kids through the help or assistance of CSS. 
And many others have stayed with their birth families with the help of CSS. 
So not all of these kids are sent overseas to live with other families. 
Uh, some of them remain in Taiwan with their birth families. 
That's right. 
And we find out that started in 1983, the organization was established to help women and children in crisis, 
which is what Paula mentioned earlier in our introduction that they are trying to help women and children, babies that need help. 
That's right. 
And if you are in crisis, that means you're in a difficult time or things are hard, there is a lot of trouble. 
Maybe you need help from the outside. 
You're in a crisis situation. 
Well, we continue. 
Working together since the beginning, Paula Voigtmann and Hsieh Hui-Chen have seen the organization grow. 
She still works together with you, right, Paula? 
Absolutely. 
All right, so... 
We are bookends. 
Bookends? What do you mean by that? 
I think Georgie on the Chinese side and me on the international side, we hold the program together like bookends. 
That's great. 
Well, I'm sure it's helpful to have had a partner since the beginning, right? 
Yes. 
Well, the organization has grown, and what do we learn about it now? 
Well, it now includes 56 full-time staff, including 16 social workers and 24 child-care workers. 
So you have quite a large staff now and not just the two of you. 
That's right. That's right. 
In '83 it was just my friend Georgie, Hsieh Hui-Chen, and... and me. 
No way! 
And we hired our first uh... unwed mother was became our first secretary. 
So we've built from the ground up. 
Wow! That is an interesting... way the things have happened for the better. 
Sometimes things start out as a crisis, but as you can see, things turn out for the good. 
Well, we're very grateful for what CSS is doing, and we have more to learn over the next couple of days. 
But for right now, it's time for us to take a break. 
First, however, we have some special features, right? 
That's right. 
We need to spend some time with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud and join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Friends, be careful when using the word "staff." It's a collective noun, so we do not add an S after it. 
Just like a team, a staff refers to a group of people. 
That's right. 
A staff and a team are often thought of as a single group of people. 
For example, the staff was very kind. 
Other times "staff" implies a collection of individuals, as in most of the staff were American. 
If we use "staff" as a plural noun, we can put a number in front of it. 
Our lesson today mentions an organization that has 56 full-time staff. 
It's saying it has 56 full-time staff members. 
That's right. 
We cannot say 56 full-time "staffs." The word "members" is implied in that sentence. 
"Staff" can also be used as a verb. 
A restaurant might want to hire more cooks until it has staffed the kitchen fully. 
And when all the cooks are hired, we could say the kitchen is fully staffed, which means there are no more openings. 
A related word is staffer, which is an informal word that refers to a member of a staff. 
Staffer is often used in government circles referring to an assistant. 
You might talk about a White House staffer or a staffer in a congressional committee. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.04.B

Well, for the next couple of days we will be talking about Christian Salvation Service. 
They're celebrating their 30th anniversary this week. 
I would just like to read their statement of purpose. 
Christian Salvation Service endeavors to provide personalized support and service for women and children and other people experiencing pain, 
stress, isolation, abuse and other problems in their daily life. 
Christian Salvation Service will deliver this support in a manner that reflects God's love for all people, enabling them to enjoy a healthy and productive life. 
They do, indeed, celebrate life. 
Let's continue learning about them now. 
(Music). 
Christian Salvation Service Celebrates Life. 
Baby Rescue. 
In the 1980s, along with assisting women and teens with unwanted pregnancies, CSS led the way in premature baby rescue. 
Neonatal Intensive Care Units (ICU) were new and too costly for many. 
CSS assisted by taking financial responsibility for the babies' care, enabling many to live full lives. 
Changed lives. 
David - born in 1983, lives in the USA. 
Sports, band and singing in high school productions marked David's youth. 
His acting and singing were amazing. 
At 17 he visited his birth family with his adoptive parents, and they all found out why. 
His birth mother, a professional performer, was a member of a tribe noted for its performance abilities. 
Well, it sounds like David has been able to live a wonderful life. 
Going back to the beginning of this section we see the title "Baby Rescue." So we're going to be talking about rescuing babies. 
All right. 
And we see in the 1980s, along with assisting women and teens with unwanted pregnancies, CSS led the way in premature baby rescue. 
All right. 
Before we continue, we have some words we want to talk about there. 
The first is from our Word Bank: pregnancy. 
Now if you have a pregnancy, that means you are pregnant. 
There is a child growing inside of you; so a pregnancy. 
That's right. 
So maybe you might ask someone how far along they are in their pregnancy. 
When is your baby due? 
All right. 
That's a common question that people ask: How far along are you? 
So here we're talking about teens with unwanted... pregnancies. 
So maybe this means unplanned pregnancies or maybe it made things a little inconvenient for them. 
So they're unwanted for different reasons. 
But we continue. 
The CSS led the way in premature baby rescue. 
So when you "lead the way," that's a phrase we want to talk about. 
Carolyn, what does that mean when you lead the way in something? 
Well, if you lead the way, then you are the first to do something. 
You are breaking new ground, doing something that no one else is doing and doing it well. 
It's true. 
Actually, it kind of reminds me of Studio Classroom. 
There are many English teaching organizations out there. 
But I think many would agree that Studio Classroom has led the way for English teaching. 
Well, here we're talking about premature baby rescue. OK. 
Paula, could you tell us a little bit about premature baby rescue? 
What's a premature baby? 
Well, a premature baby is any baby born under 30 weeks gestation. 
So 40 weeks would be considered full-term. 
But the high risk infants are those that are born just barely able to be viable and have a chance at life but it's not sure. 
OK. 
So maybe 22 weeks of a pregnancy or 24 weeks. 
And they will only weigh as much as a hamburger from Chili's - a quarter of a pound. 
And so there's a lot of medical intervention needed. 
But rescuing these babies means that the best doctors have to take their cases, and the parents have to be willing to allow the doctors to treat them. 
OK. 
And this is where we really had to rescue a lot before there was universal insurance (OK...) because the cost to save a baby was high. 
Right. 
And the outcome is uncertain. 
And so many families were hesitant. 
And it was heartbreaking to see little babies in good hospitals just pushed into the corners with no treatment being done, 
and the light on their incubator turned out because no one was willing to pay to keep them going. 
All right. 
Well, I'm glad that CSS, that Christian Salvation Service stepped in and started helping these premature babies. 
They came to the rescue. 
Now we continue. 
Neonatal ICU units were new and too costly for many. 
Now "neonatal," that's kind of a word that we don't use every day. 
Uh, this is an intensive care unit for ill or premature infants. 
That's right. 
And they were very expensive. 
As Paula mentioned, it was very costly for many. 
And CSS assisted by taking financial responsibility for the babies' care, enabling many to live full lives. 
All right. 
Well, we need to look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "financial." This has to do with money. 
I think of money when I think of financial or finances. 
All right, maybe your income, your money. 
That's right. 
So it does have to do with money. 
And it was difficult for people to be able to afford these intensive care units. 
They were very expensive. 
Well, I would like to learn about some of these changed lives. 
We continue learning about David. 
Born in 1983, lives in the USA. 
Sports, band and singing in high school productions marked David's youth. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: production. 
This is basically another word for a show of some kind, like maybe a concert or drama. 
That's right. 
So it's some kind of performance that you put on. 
That's right. 
Well, we continue learning about David. 
His acting and singing were amazing. 
And at 17 he visited his birth family with his adoptive parents, and they all found out why. 
That's right. 
His birth mother, a professional performer, was a member of a tribe noted for its performance abilities. 
Well, hey, I just wanted to ask you to clarify. 
It mentions a member of a tribe here. 
Is that an aboriginal tribe here in Taiwan? 
Yes, it was. 
OK. That's great. 
Well, some of them are noted for their performance abilities. 
Let's continue learning something with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
And then we'll continue on to Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we read: 
His birth mother, a professional performer, was a member of a tribe noted for its performance abilities. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: noted for. 
It's another way to say famous for or known for. 
So today's sentence just means that his birth mother was a member of a tribe that is famous for its performance abilities. 
So if you want to talk about a certain quality that makes something or someone famous, consider using "noted for." For example: 
This spa resort is noted for its luxurious relaxation therapy. 
Or: The university's foreign language department is noted for its overseas exchange programs. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
That's all the time we have for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
Now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
We've been learning about a wonderful organization today, and some of you may be interested in how you can help. 
Paula, how can our viewers get involved if they're interested? 
Well, it would be great if viewers could check our websites for activities and events that are going on and see where their skill sets could help us. 
Well, that would be wonderful. 
Also, I think the viewer should help by really building up their friends and neighbors, their classmates. 
I think that if they can learn to value themselves and to improve self-esteem, they can pass that on. 
And I think self-esteem is the thing that makes less crisis in life. 
Value yourself, and that is one way to help. 
All right. 
That's very good advice. 
Well, we're so glad that you are able to join us here today on Studio Classroom. 
Thank you. 
It's a privilege to be with you. 
And of course, we will see everyone here again next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.07.05.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson about Christian Salvation Service and they are celebrating life, especially this week. 
It's their 30th anniversary this year, and so this week, they are celebrating. 
If you joined us yesterday, then you know who Paula is. 
She was here in the studio. 
And she is one of the founders of Christian Salvation Service. 
And of course, they are an organization that helps women and children in crisis or in difficult times. 
Now I wonder if you have ever considered adopting a child. 
That's what this organization does. 
They have children that need to be adopted sometimes. 
So Carolyn, would you consider adopting a child? 
Well, I'm not married, and I'm not expecting to have any children any time soon. 
But I think that adoption is a great option for parents who are looking for having their own family and they want to help children who are in crisis and need a good home. 
That's right. 
I know many friends who have adopted children, and I think it's a wonderful thing. 
I like the adoption option. 
Well, it's time for us to get started learning more about some of these people, 
some of these kids who were adopted out of Christian Salvation Service to various countries. 
Let's get started learning about Alison first. 
(Music). 
Christian Salvation Service Celebrates Life. 
Alison - born in 1984, lives in the USA. 
With a junior high school education, Alison's teenage mother left home to work and live in a factory. 
It was fun and exciting at first to be away from her parent's supervision. 
However, she soon found herself pregnant. 
With the help of a CSS counselor, the young mother and her parents placed her baby in a loving and prepared home. 
A common story in the 80s for many, including Alison's mom. 
Alison does social networking and design for a network of children's clinics and hospitals. 
Her passion for dancing has led to her involvement in many productions. 
One production in particular, coordinated by multiple dance studios, uses its proceeds to make the wishes of seriously ill children come true. 
Well, it looks like Alison is returning the favor that was given to her by Christian Salvation Service. 
Let's go back to the beginning here. 
Born in 1984, lives in the USA. 
So we're talking about Alison here. 
This is when she was born. 
With a junior high school education, Alison's teenage mother left home to work and live in a factory. 
That sounds normal so far. 
Yes, it does. 
It sounds like a pretty common situation. 
You need to make money working, and so you go to live and work in a factory so that you're very close to where you need to work. 
And we find out that it was fun and exciting at first to be away from her parent's supervision. 
So she was away from her parents. 
They couldn't supervise her or tell her what she should and shouldn't do to watch out for her. 
That's right. 
So she's away from their supervision. 
However, she soon found herself pregnant. 
OK. We have a key word in that sentence there: pregnant. 
Now we learned a similar word yesterday - pregnancy. 
That's the state of being pregnant. 
But here is an adjective. 
When you have a child growing inside of you, you are pregnant. 
That's right. 
So she is going to have a baby; and this can be very scary for a young teenager. 
We read on: 
With the help of a CSS counselor, the young mother and her parents placed her baby in a loving and prepared home. 
That's right. 
So they placed her in that home. 
OK. And this is a common story in the 80s for many, including Alison's mom. 
All right. So this didn't just happen once or twice. 
This probably happened a lot. 
It was a common story. 
Well, how does it continue, Carolyn? 
Well, we continue learning about what Alison is doing now. 
Alison does social networking and design for a network of children's clinics and hospitals. 
So she is really trying to help children who are in need now. 
Well, as I said before, it seems like Alison is returning the favor. 
That means that someone did something nice for her, and she's doing it for other people. 
She's paying it forward. 
She is involved in something great here. 
Now let's continue learning about Alison. 
Her passion for dancing has led her... has led to her involvement in many productions. 
So she's gotten involved in lots of shows. 
That's right. 
We learned that word "production" yesterday when we were talking about David who enjoyed singing in the high school productions. 
And here she is in dancing productions, so not singing. 
But dancing also can be a production. 
And one production in particular, coordinated by multiple dance studios, uses its proceeds to make the wishes of seriously ill children come true. 
This sounds like a very great cause, Gabe. 
I think so, too. 
So she's involved in some productions. 
And these productions are helping other people, especially children here. 
OK. Let's talk about this word from our World Bank. 
It is "multiple." We're talking about something that was coordinated by multiple dance studios. 
That means more than one. 
How could you use this word? 
Well, multiple does mean that there is more than one of something. 
You might say, "I have multiple pairs of shoes in my closet." I don't have just one pair. 
I have several pairs, or multiple pairs. 
And I believe you, Carolyn. 
I believe you do have multiple pairs of shoes. 
I have one pair. 
Well, how else could you use that word? 
Maybe it's the winter, and it's really cold. 
You should wear multiple layers when you go out. 
Or you could say: You know, I like your advice; actually, multiple people gave me the same advice. 
Many people gave me the same advice. 
That's right. 
Well, these dance studios, the multiple dance studios use the proceeds (so the money they make from these productions or performances), 
to help seriously ill children and make their wishes come true. 
So there are several organizations around the world and especially in the United States that try to help children who are sick, 
have their dreams come true or their wishes, something very special that they really wish would happen, come true. 
And I think this is a great cause, especially for a production company like this to do. 
Well, I want to talk about a sentence earlier in the lesson here. 
A common story in the 80s for many, including Alison's mom. 
I wonder if you notice anything special about that sentence. 
It doesn't seem complete. 
And that is OK. 
There is no verb in this sentence. 
But this sentence is emphasizing something. 
It's emphasizing that this is a common story. 
Sometimes it's OK to do that when you're writing, but not on a regular basis. 
Don't get used to writing without verbs. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.05.B

Today we are continuing our article on Christian Salvation Service, a wonderful organization that helps women and children in crisis. 
Today we've been learning a little bit about Alison, one of the many children that they helped to be adopted into a wonderful family. 
We found out that her mother found herself pregnant after going to live at a factory. 
And then Alison was adopted by a wonderful loving family and now helps children in her office, in her workplace. 
Well, we have another person we'd like to learn about in the next part of our article today - Susanna. 
(Music). 
Christian Salvation Service Celebrates Life. 
Susanna - born in 1987, lives in Sweden. 
One of five children in a single-parent family, the teenage girl was taken to the hospital by her mother. 
Only when premature labor began did the family realize the girl was pregnant. 
At birth, the hospital referred the 1600 gram baby, Susanna, to CSS for care. 
Adopted by a family from Sweden, Susanna grew up in a loving household with her brother, adopted from Vietnam. 
Now she seeks to tell her birth family how grateful she is. 
She feels they were brave, or desperate, to give her a chance. 
Well, I would be grateful as well. 
Let's go to the beginning here talking about Susanna. 
She was born in 1987 and lives in Sweden. 
Carolyn, have you ever been to Sweden? 
I have not been to Sweden, but my brother has. 
He actually went there on a mission trip. 
Well, that's really cool. 
I would be interested in visiting there as well. 
Susanna lives here. 
One of five children in a single-parent family, the teenage girl was taken to the hospital by her mother. 
All right, so a single-parent family. 
That means she was living with either her mom or her dad, not both of them. 
That's right. 
And we see that it was her mother who took her to the hospital. 
Only when premature labor began did the family realize the girl was pregnant. 
Well, this sounds like a very scary situation, especially when there is premature labor. 
We learned yesterday from Paula that if something is premature, then it is happening before its time. 
It's not time for labor to happen, and so it is called premature. 
And there's a really great phrase in this sentence: only when something did something happen. 
That's right. 
So they didn't realize that she was pregnant until they took her to the hospital. 
Only when premature labor began did this happen. 
Let's use this phrase in another way, OK? 
You could say we wanted to see the lion at the zoo. 
But only when we left did the lion come out into the area where you could see it. 
Only when we left did it come out. 
Oh, that's too bad. 
You missed seeing the lion. 
Well, you could also use this phrase: Only when it started raining did I remember I left my umbrella at home. 
Oh, goodness. 
You don't want to forget your umbrella if it's raining outside. 
Well, it's time for us right now to go and enjoy some time with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud because they have something they want to share with us about this word "realize". 
Hi, friends. 
Have you ever wondered how is realizing something different from knowing something? 
Good question, Steve. 
When translated into Chinese, both words have very similar meanings. 
But there is a difference between to know and to realize. 
And the difference is time. 
That's right, Ken. 
Knowing is long-term while realizing takes place in a very short instance. 
If I say, for example, I know who I love, then that means I've had this knowledge for a long time. 
Right. You've always perceived or understood this fact. 
But if I say I realize who I love, it's more of a revelation. 
Right. It's like you suddenly grasped or understood something clearly. 
It's like being hit over the head. 
It's what we call an "a-ha" moment, something dawns on you. 
I just realize she's the one I love after all these years working alongside her. 
Good example. 
It may take you a while to come to a realization. 
But you cannot actively realize something for a long period of time. 
Knowing something, on the other hand, you can. 
So knowing something describes a steady state. 
However, realizing something is to transition from a state of ignorance to a state of knowledge. 
Very well said. 
(Chinese). 
Well, I'm glad that we now know the difference between know and realize. 
Continuing in our article: 
At birth, the hospital referred the 1,600 gram baby, Susanna, to CSS for care. 
So this baby was very, very small - 1,600 grams. 
That's right. 
Now of course, she had an adopted family in Sweden. 
We're going to learn about that right now. 
Adopted by a family from Sweden, Susanna grew up in a loving household with her brother, adopted from Vietnam. 
So she's not the only one in this family who is adopted. 
She has a brother adopted from Vietnam. 
Let's take a look at a key word there. 
It is "household." Here we're talking about a loving household. 
And when you see a household written like this, it basically means family. 
That's right. 
It means the people who are living together as a family, so. 
You could ask: How many people are in your household? 
How many people are in your family that live with you? 
And I hope you have a loving family, that you grew up in a loving household. 
Of course, I think that is very important. 
And if someone is willing to adopt children, I think that is an act of love. 
Already there is love in that household. 
So now there's someone, Susanna from Taiwan and her brother adopted from Vietnam. 
That's right. And we find out a little bit more about Susanna. 
Now she seeks to tell her birth family how grateful she is. 
And we'll look at that word "grateful." It means that she is very, very thankful. 
She wants to show how much she loves them and how thankful she is. 
It's good to be grateful. 
It's good to have a grateful attitude, good to have a grateful spirit. 
And I do wonder what you are grateful for. 
What kinds of things in your life are you grateful for? 
I think you should talk about those in English. 
That would be good practice. 
Yes. So I am very grateful for God's love for me. 
And Susanna is very grateful to her birth parents. 
She feels they were brave, or desperate, to give her a chance. 
They really wanted her to have a good life. 
That's right. 
It says "brave or desperate." Maybe Susanna is not sure if they were really brave or if they were desperate. 
But either way, they wanted to give her a chance at life. 
So now she can celebrate life. 
Well, it's time right now for us to watch a special video about CSS. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
A child is not able to choose the family it is born into. 
Even though these adorable babies might face a very different fate from most people, "love" can change their future. 
Christian Salvation Service was established in 1983. 
It upholds the believes that "Every life is equally precious," and "Where there is love, there is home.". 
CSS helps repair the tremendous cracks in these children's lives with a far-reaching love. 
Due to constant efforts, more than 1,800 children have been rescued. 
The organization helps weak and vulnerable babies to face the many challenges of life and its imperfections. 
Christian Salvation Service Co-founder Hsieh Hui-chen. 
"The children in our Mu-En Hallway House came to us through different channels. 
Many were referred to us by the government or by social workers in hospitals. 
Some were referred to CSS by other social-welfare organizations. 
These children have various health conditions resulting from premature births or other illnesses including lung diseases and congenital defects. 
Some of them came from families with mental illness or retardation. 
Some with parents addicted to drugs. 
The various needs of these children must be met, such as 24 hour a day care, 
food and supplies as well as the need to go to the hospital for examinations, physical therapy or even surgery. 
(Music). 
The children's many needs can only be met with all of our support so that each and everyone of them can get the most appropriate assistance, 
a forever home and a bright future.". 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's return to our teachers now. 
Well, today we've learned about two kids who were adopted out with the help of Christian Salvation Service. 
And of course, this organization has been around for 30 years, and many things have changed over the last 30 years. 
Carolyn, do you know anything that has changed over the last 30 years? 
Well, one thing that has changed is the adoption law here in Taiwan. 
If you want to adopt, you have to go through a special organization like CSS. 
You can no longer do private adoptions through a court. 
OK. That is one very significant change. 
If you are interested in more about CSS, you can visit their website: csstaipei.org. 
You should do that if you are interested in learning more. 
And of course, we have more for you on this tomorrow, so please come back right here to Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.07.06.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the third day about our lesson about Christian Salvation Service, and they are celebrating life this week. 
And of course, we have learned a lot about this organization who helps women and children in crisis. 
Well, Carolyn, what's something that we have learned about Christian Salvation Service? 
Well, we were able to talk with Paula on the first day of this lesson. 
And she told us how she and her partner are like bookends, B-O-O-K-E-N-D-S, that they are able to be on either end of the organization and keep it together. 
That's right. 
So it's good to have a partnership like that. 
Now we were talking to Paula separately, and she told us a little bit about the adoption kind of process. 
And maybe, I don't know if you're interested in adopting, maybe in the future, 
but the adoption process is that you pick a family based on what the child needs. 
So many people think that maybe you can go to an adoption agency and just kind of pick which child you what. 
Actually, that's not the best way to do it. 
You need to pick a good family for the child. 
That's something to keep in mind. 
Well, it's time for us to learn more about some kids who were rescued, or helped, with the assistance of Christian Salvation Service. 
(Music). 
Christian Salvation Service Celebrates Life. 
Steve - born in 1988, lives in the USA. 
Steve and his twin sister, Emily, were adopted together by a family through CSS. 
As a result of birth trauma, Steve has cerebral palsy (CP). 
Sometimes at school kids bullied him, but he didn't give up. 
He trained for sports and has won medals in the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation World Games (IWAS). 
Steve's goal is to be a motivational speaker! 
Roel - born in 1991, lives in the Netherlands. 
Roel was born with no left arm and only three fingers and no elbow on his right arm. 
His birth parents did not feel capable of meeting his educational and medical needs, so at 1 1/2, Roel was adopted. 
(Music). 
Well, these are some very interesting cases that we're learning about with these adopted children. 
The first one we were reading about today is Steve - born in 1988, lives in the USA. 
So he was adopted by a family in the United States. 
We read that Steve and his twin sister, Emily, were adopted together by a family through CSS. 
And this is wonderful. 
He and his sister were able to stay together and be adopted by the same family. 
That's right, he and his twin sister here. 
And as a result of his birth... or as a result of birth trauma, rather, Steve has cerebral palsy, sometimes known as CP. 
Well, let's take a look at that. 
Cerebral palsy is a kind of disease that may affect or cause disability in certain movements. 
And many people are born with CP, and Steve was because of birth trauma. 
That's right. 
And "trauma" is a word from our Word Bank, so we'll look at that. 
Trauma is any sort of serious injury. 
It could be a physical injury or even a mental injury if you experience something that is very hurtful and you aren't quite sure how to deal with it emotionally. 
That's right. 
I think that's important to think about. 
It's not just falling down on the ground. 
That's not a trauma. 
Birth trauma is something serious or big that happened at birth. 
And it affects him maybe emotionally, like Carolyn said. 
It makes me think of the adjective of this word, T-R-A-U-M-A-T-I-C, traumatic. 
If you had a traumatic experience, you will never forget that bad experience. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing learning about Steve, we see that sometimes at school kids bullied him, but he didn't give up. 
So many times when someone has a disability or they look a little bit different, (he has cerebral palsy,) he might get bullied at school. 
But he didn't give up. 
What did he do instead, Gabe? 
Well, he trained for sports and has won medals in the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation World Games. 
OK. That's a long name for a big competition, an international competition - IWAS. 
Carolyn, what is an amputee? 
Well, an amputee is a person who has lost perhaps an arm or a leg, or even a finger. 
Just a part of their body has had to be removed. 
And so these are games kind of like the Olympics, but they are for people who are in wheelchairs or have uh, pieces of them missing. 
That's right, for these amputee competitors. 
Now Steve is one of these, and he has won multiple medals, which is great. 
We continue learning about him: Steve's goal is to be a motivational speaker! 
A wonderful goal. 
Let's talk about that wonderful word from our Word Bank: motivational. 
If you are a motivational speaker, that means you are speaking with the goal of encouraging others in their lives. 
That's right. 
So you want to help people to feel good about themselves, to know that they can reach their dreams. 
It is possible for them to succeed. 
If you are a motivational speaker, that's what you're doing. 
But you also might say: Wow! That speech was very motivational. I feel motivated. 
You know, you might recognize the name Nick V... I always forget his last name... Vujicic. 
He is a wonderful motivational speaker. 
He has no arms and no legs, and he says he has no worries. 
And he goes around; he is a motivational speaker. 
I also know of some other people with cerebral palsy who are motivational speakers. 
And they really are very encouraging. 
I think if you have something encouraging to say to other people, and maybe if you're good at speaking, you, too, can consider being a motivational speaker. 
That's right. 
Well, we have another person that we are talking about today. 
Roel - born in 1991, lives in the Netherlands. 
Roel was born with no left arm and only three fingers and no elbow on his right arm. 
So he would also be considered someone who could participate in the IWAS. 
All right. 
Well, his birth parents did not feel capable of meeting his educational and medical needs, so at 1 1/2, Roel was adopted. 
OK. I think this might be a common story for people. 
They don't feel capable of meeting someone's needs, and so they put them up for adoption. 
CSS helped out. 
Well, it's time for us to take a little break right now. 
But first, let's spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.06.B

Well, we've been talking and learning all about the Christian Salvation Service who has come... 
they have come to the assistance of many people, mothers and children in crisis. 
And of course, today we've been learning about two kids who were adopted out. 
One is Steve; he lives in the USA. 
He had cerebral palsy because of birth trauma, but he pushed through. 
He didn't give up, and he was able to compete in a big competition and win some medals. 
Also we learned about Roel. 
We're beginning to learn about Roel, and we still have more to learn. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
Christian Salvation Service Celebrates Life. 
He went to many doctors and received lots of treatment, and despite his handicap, he tried everything. 
Roel has a prosthesis for his left arm. 
He swims, plays table tennis and collects coins. 
Tiana - born in 1994, lives in Australia. 
In 1994 a young unwed mother gave up her premature daughter. 
Nineteen years later, Tiana's parents describe her as outgoing and self-confident. 
Upon finishing her chef apprenticeship, Tiana plans to open a Chinese tea house and restaurant. 
This glimpse of the past gives hope for the future! 
These children certainly do seem to have right futures thanks to the help of CSS. 
Well, let's go back to learn a little bit more about Roel who lives in the Netherlands. 
He went to many doctors and received lots of treatment, and despite his handicap, he tried everything. 
So if you remember, Roel was born with no left arm and only three fingers and no elbow on his right arm. 
But despite his handicap, he tried everything. 
And we want to look at the word "handicap" from our Word Bank. 
It means that there's something a little bit different that you aren't able to do things quite the same way as other people. 
That's right. 
So maybe not as effectively, or maybe you do things a little more slowly. 
So this is a handicap that he has. 
And if you are missing an arm, then yes, it would stop you from doing things the same way that other people do. 
So Roel tried everything. 
The doctors treated him. 
And we continue: 
Roel has a prosthesis for his left arm. 
So what is a prosthesis? 
Well, it means that he has a fake arm, so. 
He has something that looks like a real arm that allows him to function as if he had one, but it is not an actual arm. 
Well, we know that Roel is trying everything, and he's doing a good job. 
We continue learning about him. 
He swims, plays table tennis and collects coins. 
OK. So he's able to do a lot. 
Even though he wasn't born with a left arm, he now has help, he can do many things that other people with both arms can do. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something else with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud about this table tennis. 
And then we'll watch a video about CSS. 
A child is not able to choose the family it is born into. 
Even though these adorable babies might face a very different fate from most people, "love" can change their future. 
Christian Salvation Service was established in 1983. 
It upholds the believes that "Every life is equally precious," and "Where there is love, there is home.". 
CSS helps repair the tremendous cracks in these children's lives with a far-reaching love. 
Due to constant efforts, more than 1,800 children have been rescued. 
The organization helps weak and vulnerable babies to face the many challenges of life and its imperfections. 
Christian Salvation Service Co-founder Hsieh Hui-chen. 
The children in our Mu-En Hallway House came to us through different channels. 
Many were referred to us by the government or by social workers in hospitals. 
Some were referred to CSS by other social-welfare organizations. 
These children have various health conditions resulting from premature births or other illnesses including lung diseases and congenital defects. 
Some of them came from families with mental illness or retardation. 
Some with parents addicted to drugs. 
The various needs of these children must be met, such as 24 hour a day care, 
food and supplies as well as the need to go to the hospital for examinations, physical therapy or even surgery. 
(Music). 
The children's many needs can only be met with all of our support so that each and everyone of them can get the most appropriate assistance, 
a forever home and a bright future. 
Let's take a moment and talk about table tennis. 
Steve, is this a term that you normally use? 
No, not really, Ken. 
I've always used the term ping-pong rather than table tennis. 
So what's the difference? 
Well, if you're talking about the rules of the game, there's really no difference between table tennis and ping-pong. 
They're just different names for the same sport. 
And, like Steve, most people call it ping-pong. 
Which is actually an onomatopoeia, which is a word that imitates the sound associated with the action it refers to. 
In this case, it's the sound of a small bouncing plastic ball. 
Table tennis, on the other hand, sounds a lot more formal. 
It's the name used in the Olympics. 
Most competitive players prefer saying "table tennis." Ping-pong would be more of the recreational game name. 
So how did the game get two different names? 
The name ping-pong was in wide use before a British manufacturer trademarked it in 1901. 
This forced other manufacturers to call it table tennis. 
But as we mentioned last month, like many trademarked names, ping-pong has long been genericized. 
And the term is back in popular use. 
(Chinese). 
We have one more person we're going to read about today. 
Tiana - born in 1994, lives in Australia. 
In 1994 a young unwed mother gave up her premature daughter. 
Nineteen years later, Tiana's parents describe her as outgoing and self-confident. 
All right. 
She is outgoing and self-confident. 
Let's take a look at one of those words from our Word Bank. 
If you are outgoing, that means you are not shy. 
You enjoy interacting with other people and making new friends. 
Are you an outgoing person? 
I've met many outgoing people here in Taipei because as foreigners going to another place, it's good to be able to make new friends. 
And if you are outgoing and self-confident, that becomes much easier. 
That's right. 
So she is outgoing and self-confident. 
Well, we continue learning about her. 
Upon finishing her chef apprenticeship, Tiana plans to open a Chinese tea house and restaurant. 
That is really cool. 
So we know that she does enjoy learning about food. 
She is going to finish her chef apprenticeship. 
If you have an apprenticeship, that means someone is coaching you or mentoring you in something. 
You're learning about it. 
So she's learning how to cook. 
That's right. 
She is learning this great skill probably from another well-known chef so that she can open her own Chinese tea house and restaurant. 
Well, we finish the article. 
This glimpse of the past gives hope for the future. 
And it certainly does because we can see just how wonderful the lives of these children have become. 
Mmhm. 
Well, upon finishing this lesson today, I hope you are encouraged. 
And of course, we have more for you. 
We have a review skit right now. 
And then we will go to see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Happy birthday to you. 
Happy birthday to you. 
Wow! Look at all the babies. 
Are they all yours? 
No. 
This is Christian Salvation Services. 
Christian Salvation Services? 
Yes. This is an organization that helps women in crisis. 
Oh. What kind of crisis? 
Wh... what kind of help? 
Christian Salvation Services, or CSS, assists women and teens with unwanted pregnancies. 
Oh. So CSS assists with adoptions. 
That's important. 
That's right. 
And sometimes they help children be able to stay with their birth families. 
That's important, too. 
CSS has also led the way in premature baby rescue. 
Really? 
Yeah. They assist by taking responsibility for financial care. 
Oh. Taking care of premature babies is expensive. 
It sure is. 
But CSS has enabled many to live full lives. 
Wow! This is a great organization. 
Yes, it is. 
We want to offer support that reflects God's love for all people and babies. 
And now we're celebrating 30 years of life. 
That's wonderful. 
How can I help? 
Oh. You can help change diapers. 
Oops! Look at the time. 
I have to go now. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to get back to our teachers. 
The past three days we've been reading about a wonderful organization, Christians Salvation Service, that helps women and children in crisis. 
And many of the stories that we have read over the past few days have been very encouraging. 
Was there one that you found particularly encouraging? 
Gabe? 
Well, we did talk about Alison yesterday. 
She was born in 1984, and now she lives in the United States of America. 
And she loves dancing; that's her passion. 
And actually she's gotten involved in dance productions that actually donate, or give, to people or children who need it. 
And so that's pretty touching to see that she has returned this kind of favor to society. 
That is very true. 
And we want to make sure that if you are interested in helping CSS, you can go to their website at csstaipei.org. 
That's right. 
And of course we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
Until then. 
(Music).

2013.07.08.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for our lesson about handwriting. 
The question here is "Necessary or not?" Well, handwriting, 
that's writing something using your hand or writing something by hand, not with a keyboard at a computer. 
Well, I wonder how your handwriting is. 
Carolyn, how is your handwriting? 
Well, I think my handwriting is pretty readable. 
It's very neat. 
Lots of people actually tell me how nice my handwriting is. 
They give me a lot of compliments, uh, when I just write something out for them. 
Right. 
Well, how is my handwriting? 
I will write out the answer for you. 
And then see if you can read it and see how awesome my handwriting is, OK? 
How is my handwriting? 
Here is the answer, Carolyn. 
Pretty good, pretty good. 
Um... Gabe, I'm... I think you might need to work on your handwriting a little bit. 
I... I can't read your answer. 
What do you mean you can't read my answer? 
It says: My handwriting is amazing. 
OK. Well, I guess I need to work on my handwriting. 
Right now it's time for us to get started with our lesson - Handwriting: Necessary or Not? 
Here we go. 
Handwriting: Necessary or Not? 
Is the pen mightier than the keys? 
Jim writes down the name and address of a restaurant he is recommending to Jack and gives it to him. 
Thanks, Jim. 
I can't wait to go. 
Wow - your handwriting is so beautiful! 
Thanks! 
You know, many schools don't spend much time instructing students in handwriting anymore. 
It's kind of sad, isn't it? 
I've heard that, but handwriting isn't as valuable now that everything is done by computer. 
When I write, I use a keyboard much more often than a pen. 
I do use a keyboard pretty often as well. 
Well, let's look at the title here. 
Handwriting: Necessary or Not? 
Handwriting is a word from our Word Bank, so let's look at that for just a minute. 
Handwriting is what it looks like when you write something by hand. 
You use your hand to write out words. 
That's right. 
Maybe you are in a group project at school, and someone needs to write something by hand to make something look very nice. 
So you might ask a question: Who has nice handwriting? 
How's your handwriting? 
Well, if you have nice handwriting, maybe you can help and do the handwriting for that project, to make a poster look very nice. 
How's your handwriting? 
That's right. 
Well, we're talking about whether it is necessary or not. 
Do we need to practice our handwriting? 
Is it something that is important? 
Well, we see a great phrase here at the very beginning: Is the pen mightier than the keys? 
And this is kind of a play on another phrase, right, Gabe? 
That's right. 
There's a very popular phrase. 
It says the pen is mightier than the sword. 
The pen is mightier than the sword. 
That means the words are more influential than weapons or other things. 
Words have more influence. 
The pen is mightier than the sword. 
That's right. 
So you might think that soldiers are very strong, very powerful. 
But a writer could do even more damage with the words that they write because more people will read them than the soldier will be able to speak to or attack. 
That's right. 
And so we see this phrase here at the beginning of today's article: Is the pen mightier than the keys? 
OK, so we're going to be looking at the difference between handwriting and using the keyboard at your computer. 
Well, we begin here. 
Jim writes down the name and address of a restaurant he is recommending to Jack and gives it to him. 
OK. So here we're setting up the situation. 
And we see a word from our Word Bank: recommend. 
Carolyn, I recommend that you teach this word. 
Well, if you recommend something, that means that you give a suggestion, maybe some good advice. 
Oh, can you recommend any good restaurants? 
I highly recommend going to this restaurant if you want to enjoy a nice pizza. 
Well, what restaurant or what place would you recommend to your friends? 
Maybe reading a good book or watching a great movie, and you can say: 
I recommend you see this, or I recommend you read this. 
Well, we have a conversation here. 
Carolyn, can I be Jack? 
Oh, well, I guess that means that I will be Jim. 
Excellent! 
I'm sure you will be a wonderful Jim. 
Jack says: Thanks, Jim. 
I can't wait to go. 
Wow - your handwriting is so beautiful! 
Well, that's a good phrase to use: I can't wait to do something. 
I really want to; I'm really excited about it. 
Carolyn, I can't wait for you to be Jim. 
Oh. Well, thank you. 
Yes. I've just recommended a restaurant for you, and: Thanks! 
You know, many schools don't spend much time instructing students in handwriting anymore. 
Oh. Well, let's take a look at that key word. 
We see a word there: instruct. 
Now to instruct means to teach or coach something. 
So how could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, you might say the director is instructing the actors on where to stand on the stage. 
All right. 
And I also think of another word with the word "instruct," it's "instructor." I-N-S-T-R-U-C-T-O-R. 
Now you might be taking dance lessons or something, and you might have a dance instructor, 
someone who is instructing you or teaching you how to dance. 
So you can use that word "instruct" and "teach" in kind of the same way. 
That's right. 
Well, Jim was saying how many schools don't spend time instructing students in handwriting. 
It's kind of sad, isn't it? 
It is kind of sad. 
And that phrase, it just kind of stating a fact - the fact is it's sad. 
It's kind of sad. 
Well, Jack says: 
I've heard that, but the handwriting isn't as valuable now that everything is done by computer. 
When I write, I use a keyboard much more often than a pen. 
Well, that is very interesting, Jack, that... 
Hmm, it doesn't seem like Jack thinks handwriting is very important since he uses a keyboard more often than he uses a pen. 
That's right. 
He says handwriting isn't as valuable now that everything is done by computer. 
So if you do something by computer, that means you're using a computer to do it. 
It's done by computer. 
Well, is it very valuable, handwriting? 
Carolyn, what do you think? Is handwriting valuable? 
Well, I think that we'll listen to more of this conversation and get some more opinions on this topic. 
And until then, we will go learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.08.B

Well, we're talking all about handwriting today. 
And the question in our title is "Is it necessary or not?" So we're enjoying a conversation between two friends, Jack and Jim. 
And of course Jim recommended a restaurant to Jack. 
He wrote it down. 
And Jack thought that Jim had nice handwriting. 
Jim values handwriting. 
But Jack thinks that, well, everyone just uses computers these days, so he doesn't think handwriting is as valuable. 
What do you think? 
Well, let's continue enjoying this conversation between these two friends. 
Handwriting: Necessary or Not? 
Call me old-fashioned, but I still write letters and cards by hand. 
Besides, everyone needs to write things by hand sometimes, so it's important to make sure your writing is legible. 
Yeah, but I think most people's writing is legible already. 
At least it's good enough for the small amount they have to write. 
For anything long, printed papers usually look neater. 
Plus, when we type we can use spell check to make sure our spelling and grammar are correct. 
That's exactly why students should write by hand! 
How can they learn to spell if the computer always does it for them? 
Well, Jim is making some good points. 
It is important to know how to spell words. 
Now going back to the beginning of this section, Jim has the first line, so I... I will pick that up, Gabe. 
Good. 
Call me old-fashioned, but I still write letters and cards by hand. 
Wait, wait. 
Hold on a second, Carolyn. 
I know you would like to continue. 
Jim has a very good line here. 
He still writes letters and cards by hand. 
Let's take a look at a phrase from this sentence. 
It has to do with our topic today - handwriting. 
So when you write something by hand, that is called handwriting. 
However, the opposite, or something else you could do, is typing on a computer. 
So the verb is to type something out. 
But would you say that you handwrite, Carolyn? 
Well, I would say that I write by hand. 
So it's a little bit of a different way to express the idea. 
You have handwriting, which is writing that you write by hand. 
You need to use that phrase, not I handwrite. 
That's right. 
Handwriting is only a noun here. 
So you can type something; that could be a verb. 
But you write something by hand. 
Now if you have written something, then you can say it is handwritten. 
H-A-N-D-W-R-I-T-T-E-N. 
It's not typed on a computer. 
It's handwritten. 
That's right. 
So this is a little bit different. 
You have handwriting, write by hand, and handwritten. 
Well, I will continue on. 
Actually, there is a great phrase here that I think Liz would like to tell us some more about in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In our VIEWPOINTS article today we see this sentence: 
Call me old-fashioned, but I still write letters and cards by hand. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is at the beginning of the sentence: Call me old-fashioned, but... 
Now when we say "call me," we usually mean we're asking someone to pick up a phone and give us a call. 
But in today's sentence, "call me old-fashioned" means you can say I am old-fashioned. 
This phrase, call me + [a description], is usually at the beginning of a sentence. 
It is used in situations where a speaker admits to being a certain way but wants to explain himself or herself. 
For example: 
Call me conservative, but I just don't believe in putting my money in such risky investments. 
Or: Call me a coward, but I just don't feel comfortable going bungee jumping. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, please check out today's Grammar Tip section for more examples. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
OK. Let's continue. 
Jim says... well, what does Jim say anyway, Carolyn? 
Well, Jim continues: 
Besides, everyone needs to write things by hand sometimes, so it's important to make sure your writing is legible. 
Very good. 
Let's take a look at that key word there straight from our Word Bank. 
It is "legible." If something is legible, that means other people can read it easily. 
It's legible. 
Carolyn, you said people can read your handwriting easily. 
So you have legible handwriting. 
That's right. 
My handwriting would be legible for most people. 
Now my mom works for a doctor. 
And doctors are very well-known in the United States for having handwriting that is not legible. 
That's right. 
It's very difficult to read. 
That's right. 
Doctor's handwriting that... that's not legible. 
Well, if something is not legible, you could use this phrase. 
You're trying to read it, you say: You know, I can't make this out. 
That means I can't understand what's written here. 
I can't make this out. 
It's not legible. 
That's right. 
Well, uh, Jim values handwriting that is legible. 
He thinks it is very important. 
How does Jack respond to this, Gabe? 
Yeah, but I think most people's writing is legible already. 
OK. 
At least it's good enough. 
It's good enough for the small amount they have to write. 
That's what Jack thinks. 
You don't have to write very much. 
For anything long, he says, printed papers usually look neater. 
Well, that is true. 
If you print a document, you type it instead of handwriting it, then it does look a lot neater. 
And it might be more legible than people's handwriting. 
That's right. 
"Plus," Jack is not finished... 
Plus, when we use... or when we type we can use spell check to make sure our spelling and grammar are correct. 
So it's not important, Jack thinks, for your handwriting to be too legible or to focus too much on handwriting. 
We have things like spell check. 
Carolyn, what is spell check? 
Well, spell check is a computer program that a lot of word processors use, so. 
Maybe you use Microsoft Word or another program when you type your documents. 
And a lot of them have a function called spell check that helps to make sure that all of your words are spelled correctly. 
It's true. 
And I notice that when I'm using my smartphone and using different apps to text people or to communicate with people, a lot of those have spell check as well. 
So it's really easy these days to not even focus on your spelling. 
I don't know if that's a good thing or not. 
Well, it's time for us to continue now learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Hi, friends. 
Do you know what a typo is? 
A typo is a mistake, most often a misspelling, which occurs when a person using a typewriter, computer keyboard or smartphone accidentally hits a wrong key. 
Typos are definitely things we should avoid. 
They're unprofessional. 
They have the potential of being costly. 
And they can cause great confusion and embarrassment. 
Like when a North American newspaper once misspelled its own name on its own front page. 
The Valley News spelled "Newss" with two Ss. 
Oops! 
Well, thank goodness for spell checkers. 
They're a quick and easy way to check for misspelled words. 
They are, but don't put all your trust in spell checkers because they can't detect every error. 
Right. 
You may type a word correctly, but it may not be a word you intended. 
For example, you want to type the word "nuclear," but you mistakenly type "unclear" instead. 
Or you mistakenly type "abroad" instead of "aboard." There's no mistake in the spelling. 
It's just not the word you wanted. 
These are examples of atomic typos, which are tiny, undetected one-letter mistakes that change the meaning of a sentence. 
This name, atomic typos, comes from the fact that the typos are extremely hard to see, like atomic particles. 
Which are tiny. 
(Chinese). 
It's true, we do need to be careful when we're typing documents because sometimes spell check changes the word to a word we didn't want to use. 
And Jim continues about the importance of spelling: 
That's exactly why... students should write by hand. 
How can they learn to spell if the computer always does it for them? 
Hmm, how can they learn to spell? 
If a computer always does something for you, maybe you won't learn how to spell. 
Well, that raises a question: How important is spelling in today's world? 
What do you think, Carolyn? 
Well, I know that a lot of people don't really value spelling because it takes a really long time and a lot of space to type out words when you're texting or sending a message. 
But when I read a book, if there's a word that is spelled wrong, I can get really confused. 
That's right, especially maybe if it's an atomic typo like we learned about in the Info Cloud. 
Well, I think spelling is pretty important as well, but lots of people have different opinions about this. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's head back to our teachers. 
Well, today we've been enjoying a conversation between Jack and Jim on whether or not handwriting is necessary. 
I wonder, do you have to handwrite your assignments in school, or does your teacher have you type them instead? 
Gabe, what do you do more? 
Well, I remember in school, especially elementary school, my teachers had us take notes by hand. 
She emphasized handwriting, Carolyn. 
Yes. And I had the same experience, but as I got older, typing became more important. 
Well, we have more to learn in this lesson tomorrow here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then.

2013.07.09.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for the second day of our lesson about handwriting, and we're talking about if it is necessary or not. 
Well, what do you think? 
What do you do at school? 
Do you do a lot of handwriting? 
Or do you type by computer? 
And do you think that it's more important to teach handwriting or typing at school? 
Carolyn? 
Well, when I was growing up, it was really important for us to know how to write things by hand. 
And if we had one little line wrong, we would get points taken off because our handwriting was really important. 
But as I got older and went to junior high and high school, we had to start taking typing classes. 
And then we would be graded on whether or not our words were spelled correctly or if we had to look at the keyboard when we typed. 
That's right. 
I remember having to take typing classes as well to see how fast I typed as well. 
I think they're both important. 
I know some people complain about my handwriting. 
My dad does. 
He thinks I should work on my handwriting, and maybe I should. 
I know it's not very legible sometimes. 
But I do enjoy typing some things. 
And um, I think they're both very valuable to teach at school. 
Well, how is your handwriting? 
Is it necessary or not? 
Let's continue this conversation between Jack and Jim. 
Handwriting: Necessary or Not? 
I see your point. 
But is it really worthwhile to make kids practice a skill they'll hardly ever use? 
Wouldn't those hours spent copying letters every week be more profitably spent on a typing class? 
Not necessarily - I've read that writing can improve one's motor skills and coordination. 
(Music). 
There are other ways to improve those things. 
And what about the other benefits of typing? 
What other benefits? 
Well, a typed document is much easier to share with others - you can just attach it to an email. 
Plus, typing helps us keep in touch with people through text messages, emails and social networking sites. 
Ooh, very good. 
I'm seeing both sides of this conversation. 
And I can understand both Jack and Jim, where they're coming from. 
Well, Jack has the first line here. 
Jack says: I see your point. 
So yesterday we had learned about spelling. 
And Jim thinks that spelling is very important. 
Jack says: I see your point. 
When you say this, that means you understand what someone is saying; you get it. 
But Jack continues: 
But is it really worthwhile to make kids practice a skill they'll hardly ever use? 
Well, it is important that the things we do are worthwhile. 
And if something is worthwhile, then it means that it's worth your time or worth your energy. 
So he's wondering: Is it really worthwhile to spend time on handwriting? 
Is it something that we should focus on? 
Now how does Jack continue, Gabe? 
Well, he has another question. 
Wouldn't those hours spent copying letters every week be more profitably spent on a typing class? 
OK, I can see his point. 
I get it. 
He thinks that typing is more important. 
It's more profitable. 
Well, let's take a look at our Word Bank word. 
It is "profitably." Now this comes from another adjective - profitable. 
If something is profitable, that means it is for your benefit. 
You can get something good out of it. 
You spend time doing something, and then it is great for you in the long run. 
It's profitable. 
But this word from our Word Bank, what is it, Carolyn? 
How is it different? 
Well, profitably is a little bit different, but it still means something that is better used. 
So here your time is profitably spent on a typing class. 
Or is it more profitably spent on handwriting? 
So it is a little bit of a different use of the word. 
That's right. 
You could also rephrase this sentence: 
Every week they could be better spent on something; better or more profitably. 
It means the same thing. 
Well, let's spend some time with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
That will profit us. 
Sometimes we get a little flustered when we're asked a question posed in a negative way. 
How do we answer it? 
Like the question Jack asks at the beginning of today's dialogue. 
Right. 
Let's talk about answering negative questions using a short example sentence. 
Steve, how would you answer if I asked: Don't you want to go to Japan? 
Well, I've always dreamed of going to Japan, so should I say yes because I do want to go? 
Or should I say no because I don't not want to go? 
You would say "yes." Friends, here's a little secret. 
Always answer a negative question as if it were positively stated. 
So respond as if the question was asked in the positive form even if it's in the negative form? 
Exactly. 
So again, if it's "Do you want to go to Japan?" or "Don't you want to go to Japan?" your answer will be the same - Yes! 
And of course, if you feel your audience would benefit by having more information, go ahead and give it to them. 
Say: Yes, I do want to go. 
Or: No, I don't want to go. 
(Chinese). 
Well, Jim is answering a negative question here. 
Jack asked: Wouldn't it be more profitable... or wouldn't the time be more profitably spent on a typing class? 
And Jim responds: Not necessarily - I've read that writing can improve one's motor skills and coordination. 
So it can improve one's motor skills and coordination. 
So it sounds like writing is pretty important. 
That's right. 
Now your motor skills, that's your body movements or actions that you need to do to accomplish a task smoothly. 
Earlier this month we learned about someone with cerebral palsy. 
And that is something that affects your motor skills. 
Now here we're also talking about coordination. 
So coordination is how you use one or two or more things together - your coordination. 
Especially if you're playing a sport, you might need to have eye-hand coordination. 
Your eyes and your hands are working together to accomplish something. 
That's right. 
Now what does Jack say about this? 
Well, he says there are other ways to improve those things. 
And what about the other benefits of typing? 
Oh. What other benefits? 
What other benefits? 
Well, here we're talking about benefits. 
They are the pros, or you could say advantages of typing. 
And Jack says: Well, a typed document is much easier to share with others. 
I agree. 
You can just attach it to an email. 
Carolyn, can you tell us about that word from the Word Bank, attach? 
Well, "attach" means to connect something, to put two things together. 
Maybe you like to attach things to your backpack or your purse to have a little stuffed animal or a picture hanging off of it. 
You can attach those things. 
But here we're talking about attaching something to an email. 
What are some things that you can attach to emails, Gabe? 
Well, I often do this, especially here at Studio Classroom, I need to attach files of written documents, things that I typed. 
I would attach it. 
And I send it to other people like Carolyn and other people here in the studio so that they can have these files as well. 
Sometimes I like to attach pictures as well. 
And you can use this phrase "attached" to talk about other things in life, too. 
Maybe... maybe you feel attached to someone. 
You really love that person. 
You love being around them, you feel attached. 
You don't want to be apart. 
That's right. 
So you have a connection. 
Well, how does he continue with his point there, Gabe? 
Well, Jack says: Plus, or in addition, typing helps us keep in touch with people through text messages, emails and social networking sites. 
It's true, we do use these things, but they don't really help our spelling. 
In fact, sometimes we even shorten words. 
"Talk to you later" becomes TTYL. 
Or "laughing out loud" becomes LOL. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And then we will BRB - be right back. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.09.B

Today we are continuing a conversation between Jack and Jim on whether or not handwriting is necessary. 
Well, Jim thinks that it is very profitable to spend your time learning how to write things by hand. 
But Jack doesn't agree because typing things can make it much more convenient to share documents with other people. 
You can just attach it to an email, and then they have a copy, too. 
Well, let's continue this conversation in the next part of our reading for today. 
Handwriting: Necessary or Not? 
Certainly, typing has its uses, but teaching kids to type doesn't mean we can't focus on handwriting. 
And don't forget its historical significance. 
What do you mean? 
Well, if you aren't familiar with handwriting, it's difficult to read historical documents or even old letters from your grandparents. 
How often do we do that, though? 
You'd be surprised. 
Wouldn't it be a shame if that skill died out and no one could read them? 
I guess. 
But I still think typing should be the priority for students. 
I guess Jack and Jim are just going to have to agree to disagree. 
Well, what is Jim's first line here in this section, Carolyn? 
Well, Jim agrees at first about typing and Jack's point: 
Certainly, typing has its uses, but teaching kids to type doesn't mean we can't focus on handwriting. 
Well, yes. It doesn't mean we shouldn't focus on handwriting. 
I see Jim's point here. 
And how does Jim continue? 
And don't forget its historical significance. 
What do you mean? 
Well, that's Jack's line here. 
But we need to take a look at what that word means from our Word Bank: significance. 
That means how important something is, its importance, how unique it is. 
All right. 
So what is one way you could use that word "significance"? 
Well, what is this significance of handwriting? 
Or, what is the significance of the essay you have written? 
Why is it important? 
What is the point of your essay? 
What is the point? 
What's the significance? 
Maybe something is really important to you. 
Ah, maybe you love coffee. 
You can share with someone about the significance of coffee in your life and what it does for you. 
So, significance. 
How significant is something to you? 
And Jim is talking here about the historical significance of handwriting. 
Jack says: What do you mean? 
Well, if you aren't familiar with handwriting, it's difficult to read historical documents or even old letters from your grandparents. 
And I think this is pretty true. 
I know that when I read someone else's handwriting, if I'm not familiar with the way they write, it can be a little bit difficult for me to read. 
And actually, when I was learning Chinese, it's really hard for me to read handwritten Chinese. 
I can really only read it if it's been typed. 
Interesting. 
So you think that maybe if you had learned how to read handwritten Chinese better, you could recognize more things? 
Well, I didn't really learn how to write Chinese by hand. 
OK. 
I learned how to type Chinese. 
So maybe I should practice my handwriting for Chinese. 
And then you can be able to read written documents, documents that are written by a hand. 
Well, I can see Jim's point here a little better now. 
You need to be familiar with handwriting in order to read cool historical documents or things that maybe even your grandparents wrote. 
Well, Jack says: How often do we do that, though? 
You'd be surprised. 
Wouldn't it be a shame if that skill died out and no one could read them? 
It would be a shame if we couldn't read the letters that our grandparents wrote or their journals or diaries. 
But let's look at that phrase there: a shame, for something to be a shame. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that means that it would be a pity. 
It would be really sad. 
It would be a shame. 
For instance, you could use this to express disappointment in something. 
I... I invited you to the party. 
It would be a shame if you couldn't come to the party. 
I really want you to be there. 
It would be such a shame if you can't make it. 
That's right. 
It would also be a shame if you couldn't join me on this trip. 
I've been planning for so long to go on this vacation. 
It would be a shame if you couldn't come, too. 
And we've been talking about this phrase "to be a shame" so much, it would be a shame if you didn't know how to use it now. 
Well, I think you should try using it sometime today: to be a shame. 
Well, Jack continues: 
I guess. 
But I still think typing should be the priority for students. 
Oh, that Jack. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "priority." Carolyn, what's a priority? 
Well, a priority means that it is the most important thing. 
Maybe it's at the top of your list of things to do, number one on your list. 
But if something is a priority, it is the most important. 
So what are your priorities? 
Do you have priorities for your life? 
Maybe even just for today, what are your priorities, Gabe? 
What are my priorities? 
Well, of course you might have a list of priorities that you need to do every day, things that are important to do every day. 
Usually I write those out when I get to the office. 
I write a list of things that I need to do. 
At the very top is my first priority. 
I need to get that done first. 
So what is on your list of priorities? 
Of course maybe you don't like just talking about your day's priorities. 
Can you use this word in other ways? 
Well, you can talk about your priorities in life. 
What are your goals? 
What are the most important things for you to do with your life, or maybe important things for you to accomplish or go see? 
Maybe it is a priority for you to go to church each week. 
Mmhm. Well, what is a priority for you? 
Do you like to do things and accomplish things? 
Or many people are a priority in your life. 
You like to invest in relationships. 
Well, think about that. 
It's time for us to enjoy a review skit right now. 
And then spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
I am writing a letter by hand. 
I am typing a letter on the computer. 
Writing by hand is an important skill. 
Hmm, it's not as valuable as it used to be. 
Now everything is done by computer. 
Well, call me old-fashioned, but I like to write things by hand. 
OK. 
Old-fashioned, most people use a keyboard. 
Sometimes you need to write by hand. 
So be sure your writing is legible. 
Printed papers look neater. 
And you can use spell check. 
Learn to spell! 
Don't rely on the computer. 
Learning to write is a waste of time. 
What?! It improves motor skills and coordination. 
True, but there are better ways. 
Besides, typing has other benefits. 
Like what? 
Documents are easier to share. 
It's easier to keep in touch. 
OK, OK. Typing has its uses, but focusing on handwriting is important, too. 
Well, I think typing should be the priority. 
There. 
I finished writing my letter by hand. 
And I finished typing my letter. 
It's for you! 
Oh. 
Well, I'll attach it in an email. 
But I don't have a computer. 
Oops. 
Uh... oh, well, here's my letter to you. 
Wow! Your handwriting is beautiful. 
Yeah. 
But I can't read it. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
Well, we've enjoyed a great conversation between two friends, Jack and Jim, about how important handwriting is. 
Now what about you? 
Do you like to write things out more by hand? 
Or do you maybe type things more on the computer? 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Do you write more by hand or type? 
Well, I think that if I'm in a hurry, I like to type things because I can type faster than I can write things out by hand. 
But I think that I actually write things down more often than I type. 
Interesting. 
Well, I think I type more. 
But if I want to do something special for someone, then often I'll use... I'll use my hand. 
I'll write something out by hand. 
Make a nice card or something. 
Well, thank you for joining us for today's lesson. 
And of course, we'll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you.

2013.07.10.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for a very unique lesson about an actress, Carey Mulligan. 
We're going to be learning about this actress who had a dream, and she went for it. 
And we're going to see how she was able to achieve this dream. 
Well, I do wonder about you... I mean, do you have any dreams? 
Do you have anything you want to do in your life? 
Carolyn, do you have any dreams or have you had any dreams? 
Well, I did have the dream of traveling the world and moving to Asia. 
So that's actually a dream that I have achieved. 
But there are many other dreams that I also have like helping children in need. 
I... I really care about children, and I want to make sure that they're able to grow up. 
All right. 
Well, that sounds like a great dream, something that I could see you doing now and in the future. 
And one of my dreams growing up was to be an actor. 
And I love playing drums. 
I dream of playing with different bands and doing different things. 
And I think that that is very possible as well, for me, in the future. 
So what is your dream? 
Talk about that. 
But first, let's enjoy today's lesson. 
Carey Mulligan. 
This beautiful young actress never stops reaching for her goals. 
Charming and talented, Carey Mulligan appears almost everywhere these days. 
Magazine covers, TV interviews and the film The Great Gatsby all feature the rising star. 
For Mulligan, the fame is a dream come true. 
Her dream. 
Mulligan was born in London in 1985 but moved to Germany when her father transferred jobs. 
The 6-year-old caught the acting bug while performing in plays at her international school. 
According to Mulligan, that's all she wanted to do. 
(Music). 
Well, it sounds like Carey really knew what she wanted to do. 
At the beginning we see: 
This beautiful young actress never stops reaching for her goals. 
So no matter what challenges she faces, she doesn't give up. 
Now how does our article begin, Gabe? 
All right. 
We see some words that describe Carey Mulligan here. 
Charming and talented, Carey Mulligan appears almost everywhere these days. 
She appears almost everywhere these days. 
That means recently if you go out and look at magazine covers and different things, you could see her face. 
Well, let's take a look at a word there in that sentence. 
The word is "charm." So if you charm someone or if you are a charming person, that means people are attracted to you for some reason. 
Yes. It means that you are very likeable. 
People enjoy being around you, spending time with you, talking to you because you are very charming. 
And we learn that Carey Mulligan is a charming and talented young actress. 
Continuing we read that magazine covers, TV interviews and the film The Great Gatsby all feature the rising star. 
So she really does seem to be everywhere these days. 
That's right. 
Especially if you're in a big film like The Great Gatsby, magazines will be writing things about you. 
You might have some TV interviews, of course. 
And then so people will be starting to recognize you as well. 
That's what's happening with Carey Mulligan, this rising star. 
If you're a rising star, that means you're a celebrity that is getting better and better, more and more noticed by people around the world. 
That's right. 
And for Mulligan, the fame is a dream come true. 
So this was her dream, and it has come true. 
And this is a really great phrase. 
If something amazing happens to you that you never expected and it's so wonderful, you can say it's a dream come true. 
And I... I know some friends who use this phrase when they talk about a job that they wanted to have for a long time. 
Finally, they got the job. 
It was a dream come true for my friends. 
That's right. 
And in the next section, we read about her dream. 
Mulligan was born in London in 1985 but moved to Germany when her father transferred jobs. 
So we learn a little bit about her background, her family and her history. 
So she was born in London but moved to Germany because her father needed to transfer jobs. 
And "transfer" is a word from our Word Bank. 
What does it mean to transfer, Gabe? 
Well, here we're talking about transferring jobs, so he's changing jobs. 
To transfer could mean to change. 
Maybe you're in an office, and you're transferring responsibilities. 
That means you're giving your responsibility to someone else. 
So transfer can be used in different ways. 
Now this could also be a noun. 
You could talk about a job transfer as well, the change from one job to another. 
Yes. So he had to change jobs, and they needed to move from London to Germany. 
And we read on: 
The 6-year-old caught the acting bug while performing in plays at her international school. 
So because she moved, she went to an international school. 
And she was six years old when she caught the acting bug. 
Gabe, have you caught the acting bug? 
I certainly have, Carolyn. 
I do enjoy acting. 
And when I first learned how to act or when I first started acting, I got addicted. 
I really wanted to do more and keep improving. 
And of course you can always improve in something. 
Even if you love it so much and you're really good, there are always ways to improve. 
And if you're addicted to something, then you can call it a "bug," kind of like a sickness. 
Usually we use this to describe a sickness. 
Oh, he has... he has a cold. 
He has the bug. 
But here we're talking about it in a good way, the acting bug. 
That's right. 
So she didn't want to stop acting. 
And in the next sentence we see: According to Mulligan, that's all she wanted to do. 
So the only thing she wanted to do was to act. 
And this started at a very young age when she was just six years old. 
That's right. 
So she was six when she started to act, and she got addicted to this bug of acting. 
But what about you? 
Maybe there's something that you also started to really enjoy at a young age. 
Maybe it's dancing. 
Maybe it's painting or drawing or singing or something like that, and you are really good at it. 
What's your bug? 
Well, what kind of thing do you really enjoy doing? 
Well, you know, Carolyn, I think that we could also say that... that Carey transferred schools. 
We talked about her father transferring jobs. 
She went to an international school. 
So maybe she transferred schools? 
It's possible that she transferred schools, 
although at such a young age, she may have just moved and then started school when she got to Germany. 
I'm not sure that she actually transferred. 
OK. So her father transferred. 
And of course she changed, or she went to a new environment, a new place, and she got addicted to acting. 
Well, it's time for us now to learn something else with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.10.B

Friends, today we're learning all about Carey Mulligan, who is indeed a rising star. 
And of course she is a charming and talented actress. 
She has appeared in lots of different movies, and of course recently, is appearing in different TV interviews. 
And you can see her face on the covers of some magazines. 
She is a great actress. 
And we're also learning a little bit about her background and about her dream. 
So far we've learned that she moved to Germany and she started to get addicted to acting. 
Or she caught the acting bug when she was six years old. 
And we're going to continue learning more about this in the next section of our reading. 
Carey Mulligan. 
Her parents, however, were opposed to her acting and wanted her to go to university. 
When her father took a job in Vienna in 1999, Mulligan returned to Britain for school. 
Actor/director Julian Fellowes spoke at her school, and she told him about her dream. 
He responded by telling her to forget about acting and marry a banker. 
But that didn't discourage her. 
At 17, without her parents' knowledge, Mulligan applied to three drama schools. 
All rejected her, but she still wasn't ready to give up her dream. 
(Music). 
It sounds like Carey Mulligan really wanted to follow her dream despite the challenges she faced. 
And we see at the beginning of this section: 
Her parents, however, were opposed to her acting and wanted her to go to university. 
So her parents did not support her desire to act. 
They were opposed to it. 
And that is from our Word Bank. 
If you are opposed to something, what does that mean, Gabe. 
Well, I think you said it, Carolyn. 
It means to not support something. 
Actually, it's the opposite of supporting something. 
You are opposing it. 
You don't like the idea. 
If you've ever played a game, you might have an opponent. 
That is someone who's against you. 
And so they're against the idea. 
And Carey's parents weren't for this idea of acting. 
They opposed it. 
Carolyn, it doesn't sound very easy especially when your... your parents are opposing something that you really enjoy. 
That's right. 
It is very difficult if you don't have support to follow your dreams. 
Her parents opposed her acting and wanted her to go to university and study and get a college degree instead of focusing on this dream to become an actress. 
But it seems like she didn't want to give up. 
Now what happened in the next sentence here, Gabe? 
Well, when her father took a job in Vienna in 1999, Mulligan returned to Britain for school. 
OK. So it seems like they've been moving around a lot. 
Her father is in Vienna now. 
And now she's going back to England, or Britain, for school. 
That's right. 
So it must not have been very easy if she's moving around a lot trying to follow her dream of acting. 
But she had a great opportunity that we read about in our next paragraph here. 
Actor/director Julian Fellowes spoke at her school, and she told him about her dream. 
All right. 
Well, it seems like she's having... she has her foot in the door now. 
She's met this person Julian Fellowes. 
He spoke at her school, and she went and talked to him. 
That sounds like something that you would do if you have a dream. 
You don't just sit there and let someone come in and then walk away. 
You go and talk to that person about your dream. 
That's right. 
And he was an actor/director. 
And you see that word together with a slash between the two, so it means that he was both an actor and a director. 
He had two jobs. 
And so this is the perfect person for her to talk to about her dream of becoming an actress. 
But how did he respond to her, Gabe? 
Well, it seems like he was kind of opposed to her dream as well. 
He's... he responded by telling her to forget about acting and marry a banker. 
Well, that seems like the opposite of her dream. 
But let's take a look at this word from our Word Bank. 
It is to "respond." You do this every day. 
When you talk to somebody, you respond to what they are saying, especially if someone ask you a question, you can respond with an answer. 
That's right. 
So a... to respond to something is the way you react to it. 
Your answer to a question could be your response, the noun form of this word. 
And he responded by telling her to marry a banker, a person who works at a bank and probably makes a lot of money. 
And I think Steve and Ken have something they'd like to share with us about this in the Information Cloud. 
If Carey Mulligan had actually taken Julian Fellowes' advice and married a banker, she would probably not have become the actress she is today. 
I have to say that was pretty lousy advice. 
Marry a banker? 
The last thing she needed was to be seen as a gold digger. 
Yes, but that depends. 
If she married a banker mainly for his bank account, didn't run the household, didn't cook, didn't look after the kids, then she would be a gold digger. 
You left out the part about her love of socializing, lavish parties and shopping? 
Yes, there is that, too. 
I think we've summed up a gold digger pretty well. 
Ken, now let's turn the tables and see how a rich man might perceive his gold-digging wife. 
You mean how he likes to show off his wife like a trophy? 
That's right. 
A trophy wife, as the name suggests, is a young and very attractive wife who is like a shiny trophy that her older and wealthy husband has won. 
Right. 
A trophy is an object that a person keeps around to demonstrate some sort of achievement. 
So instead of being an equal partner in a marriage, the trophy wife is just a status symbol for the husband. 
So, good for Mulligan for not being a gold digger and becoming someone's trophy wife. 
(Chinese). 
Wow! Now we know about gold diggers and trophy wives. 
Thanks, Steve and Ken. 
Let's go back to that previous sentence. 
We're learning about Julian Fellowes who discouraged Carey Mulligan. 
He said forget about your dream. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: to forget about something. 
That usually means that you don't have memory about something, that you... that you forgot about something that happened in the past. 
But here it means something different, right, Carolyn? 
That's right. 
Here it means to give up on something, to stop trying, to change what you are wanting to do and just forget about it. 
Don't worry about it anymore because it's not something that's going to happen. 
But we find out that that did not discourage her in our next sentence: But that didn't discourage her. 
And actually, often you can use the words "forget about" in the same way that you use the word "discourage". 
I could say forget about that. 
Basically that means I'm discouraging you from thinking about it, to forget about something. 
That's right. 
But that didn't discourage her. 
And we find out that at 17, without her parents' knowledge, Mulligan applied to three drama schools. 
So her parents didn't know that she was going to be applying to these schools, but she applied to three different drama schools. 
And then what happened, Gabe? 
Well, that sounds like great news, right? 
She's applied to many different places, but all rejected her. 
But she still wasn't ready to give up her dream. 
All right. 
Well, Carey Mulligan has a dream and she is going for it. 
Even without her parent's knowledge, she is going for it. 
And She's not ready to give up her dream. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new or enjoy something in the review skit. 
And then learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Carey, look at this. 
You got three letters in the mail today. 
Three letters? Hooray! 
And all these letters are from dramas schools. 
Really, drama school? 
Yes, Carey. 
Is there something that I should know? 
Mom, I can't help it. 
I caught the acting bug. 
I already know that. 
You caught the acting bug when you were six years old. 
Yes. Dad was transferred to Germany. 
I attended the... international school there. 
I remember. 
And you performed in some plays. 
Right. After that, acting is all I ever wanted to do. 
I know. 
But your father and I are opposed to that. 
And that I know. 
Carey, we want you to go to university. 
I know. 
Once Julian Fellowes spoke at my school in Britain, afterward I told him my dream. 
And what was his response? 
Well, he said: Forget acting, marry a banker. 
Ah, marry a banker. 
Now that's good advice. 
Maybe. 
But I won't follow Fellowes' advice. 
I applied to three drama schools. 
Without our knowledge! 
Yes. And I can't wait to open the letters. 
Well, you don't have to because I already opened them for you. 
Rejected. 
Rejected. 
And rejected again. 
Now are you ready to give up on your silly dreams? 
No. I won't give up. 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our teachers are doing. 
Today we've been talking about Carey Mulligan and her dream of becoming an actress. 
She faced a lot of opposition. 
And she was even rejected from three different drama schools that she applied to. 
And I wonder, have you ever faced this kind of rejection before? 
Have you been rejected from something that you really wanted to do? 
Gabe, have... has this happened to you? 
Kind of. 
After I graduated high school, I really wanted to be in a position that influenced people. 
I thought I could work my way up at a restaurant to be a restaurant manage... manager and influence people that way. 
But I tried to get a job at many different restaurants in Taipei and couldn't because I didn't have the right type of work permit for that. 
But the doors opened for me to work at Studio Classroom. 
And so that's how I got a job at Studio Classroom. 
And of course, in the long... in the long run, I ended up influencing lots of people that way. 
So sometimes being rejected is not a bad thing. 
That's right. 
It can help you achieve your dreams in the long run. 
Well, we have more to learn about Carey Mulligan here tomorrow on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.07.11.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson about Carey Mulligan, this rising star who is following her dreams. 
And of course yesterday we learned about how she had a dream from early on. 
When she was six years old, she started to fall in love with acting. 
And then what else happened, Carolyn? 
Well, she was very discouraged by her parents and even an actor/director Julian Fellowes from pursuing her dream of becoming an actress. 
So she faced a lot of challenges, and she was rejected from three different acting schools. 
So it wasn't easy for her. 
No, it wasn't easy for her. 
She was rejected. 
That's how we ended our lesson yesterday. 
But we also ended by knowing that she didn't give up on her dream. 
She continued pursuing her dream. 
Well, we did learn that she moved around a lot when she was growing up, or at least a little bit. 
Carolyn, do you think this is helpful or harmful to somebody? 
Well, I think that moving around can help you to adapt to different situations very quickly. 
But it also makes it difficult to build friends. 
And having lasting friendships is very important. 
Yes, it is. 
I think we're going to learn about some friendships that she has in today's lesson. 
Well, let's get started learning with Carey... or about Carey Mulligan in our first reading of today. 
Carey Mulligan. 
Mulligan decided to write Fellowes, and his wife answered her letter. 
She invited Mulligan to a dinner with a few other young, hopeful actors. 
After meeting Mulligan, Fellowes' wife arranged for her to try out for the film Pride and Prejudice. 
She got the role of Kitty Bennet, and the rest, as they say, is history. 
Next she got parts on British TV and Broadway, followed by more film and TV parts. 
The young actress was quickly developing a long list of accomplishments. 
(Music). 
A long list of accomplishments, indeed. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of this lesson. 
Mulligan decided to write Fellowes, and his wife answered her letter. 
OK. So yesterday we learned that actor and director Julian Fellowes had kind of discouraged her from following her acting dream. 
He said, "Forget about it." But she went on and wrote him anyway. 
And who responded, Carolyn? 
Well, she wrote a letter to Julian Fellowes, but it was his wife who answered her letter. 
And we find out that she invited Mulligan to a dinner with a few other young, hopeful actors. 
So she was not the only one that Julian Fellowes' wife invited to this dinner. 
There were other hopeful actors as well. 
And let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "hopeful." If you are hopeful, that means you have hope for something, or maybe you have potential to do something. 
You are a hopeful actor - you have potential to be a good actor. 
That's right. 
And these young actors, hopeful actors, they really want to become actors. 
Maybe you are a young, hopeful scientist. 
You are studying very hard and working to become a great scientist that can change the world. 
Just as these young people are hopeful actors, and they want to become great actors in the future. 
And Carey Mulligan, she is an actor. 
Or is she an actress? 
Well, I think Steve and Ken are going to share a little bit more about these words in the Information Cloud. 
Today we continue to look at Carey Mulligan, the beautiful young actress, or is it "actor"? 
Well, Ken, in this day and age, it is perfectly acceptable, if not preferred, to call a female performer an actor. 
So never use the word "actress" anymore? 
Not exactly. 
Some women performers feel the term "actress" diminishes them somehow while others feel it separates them from male actors in a positive way. 
We know there has been a movement in different circles to go gender neutral. 
We've seen "stewardess" replaced by flight attendant, and "waitress" replaced by server. 
That's right. 
And since the word "actress" is a gender-specific word, some groups assert that the word is sexist. 
This has led to the emergence of the gender neutral usage of "actor," especially when referring to male and female performers collectively. 
However, "actress" remains the common term used in major acting awards given to women recipients. 
For example, she won an Oscar for Best Actress. 
And unlike stewardess, actress is still widely used and accepted in general usage. 
So there is really no consensus at this point. 
As a rule of thumb, use "actor" for both male and female performers. 
Use "actress" to refer to the name of an award. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
That is good to know since we are talking all about actors and actresses today in our lesson on Carey Mulligan. 
Continuing on in our article: 
After meeting Mulligan, Fellowes' wife arranged for her to try out for the film Pride and Prejudice. 
So it sounds like Fellowes' wife was impressed with Mulligan and decided to help her get a part, or at least try out for a part in a very big film. 
That's right. 
Pride and Prejudice is a film... or a couple of film adaptations, actually. 
And it was written by Jane Austin. 
It's a very popular, famous novel. 
And it seems like Julian was discouraging Carey Mulligan. 
But his wife maybe saw some hope for her, maybe saw something different in her that maybe Julian didn't at first. 
Well, we're going to learn a little bit more about this phrase "to try out for something" in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
And here's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
After meeting Mulligan, Fellowes' wife arranged for her to try out for the film Pride and Prejudice. 
Our focus today is on the phrase "try out." You may have heard of "trying something out," like: 
There's a new restaurant around the block; we should go try it out. 
But in today's sentence, "try out" has a different meaning. 
Here it means to go through a test in order to get a job. 
So today's sentence just means Fellowes' wife helped Mulligan get the chance to be tested for a part in the film Pride and Prejudice. 
And clearly, Mulligan passed that test. 
OK. 
Let's have a look at some example sentences. 
The coach encouraged Bobby to try out for the school basketball team. 
Or: Although Kim has no acting experience, she still wanted to try out for the lead role in the play. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Well, it sounds like when she tried out for the film Pride and Prejudice, she got a little bit of success. 
We find out that she got the role of Kitty Bennet, and the rest, as they say, is history. 
So she tried out for the film, and she got a role... she got a part in the movie as Kitty Bennet. 
Now there is a great phrase at the end of this sentence: the rest is history. 
And that is in our Word Bank. 
What does it mean if the rest is history, Gabe? 
Well, this phrase you usually use when you're talking about how something came to be or how someone became famous, how an organization came about. 
OK. So one thing that comes to my mind is the story of our boss Doris Brougham. 
She wanted to go to Asia to share God's love with people. 
She ended up coming to Taiwan. 
And people suggested that she started an English-teaching program on the radio as well as some music on the radio as well. 
And you could say, "The rest is history." Of course there's a lot more to that story, but the rest is history. 
You can learn about it. 
That's right. 
And as learners at Studio Classroom, you probably know that history, so. 
Maybe you didn't know the very beginning, but you know where it has gone, what it is now. 
So the rest is history. 
There is another great phrase in that sentence actually in between "the rest is history." And it is: as they say. 
"As they say" is just a phrase that means that lots of people think that way or lots of people know about something and talk about it. 
That's right. 
And usually I see this phrase paired with an idiom of some kind. 
Earlier we learned about Jo going to South Korea and she says she scratched the surface. 
Or you could say: She scratched the surface, as they say. 
Or as they say, laughter is the best medicine. 
So it's what a lot of people say. 
It's a common saying. 
That's right. 
So this is a common phrase. 
The rest is history - lots of people know that. 
And they use it when they're talking about things. 
So perhaps you know someone who is a famous actress like Carey Mulligan. 
You don't know much about her very beginnings... her very early history. 
But now that you know a little bit about it, you can say that she started out in the film Pride and Prejudice as Kitty Bennet, and the rest is history. 
That's right. 
And we continue. 
Next she got parts on British TV and Broadway (in New York), followed by more film and TV parts. 
The young actress was quickly developing a long list of accomplishments. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank. 
An accomplishment is what you get done, is what you accomplish. 
That's right. 
So this is a success that you've had after overcoming some difficulties. 
So there was something very challenging, something very difficult that you had to get past. 
And once you succeed, you have accomplished it. 
You have made an accomplishment. 
That's right. 
What have you accomplished? 
And do you like to tell others all about your accomplishments? 
Think about that. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.11.B

Today is the second day of our lesson on the young actress Carey Mulligan. 
We've been learning today about some of the struggles she overcame and the opportunity she was given as she tried out for the movie Pride and Prejudice. 
She was given this opportunity by Julian Fellowes' wife after she and other hopeful, young actors had dinner with them at their home. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn about Carey Mulligan in the next section of our reading. 
Carey Mulligan. 
Then 2009 brought overnight fame. 
Mulligan's memorable performance in An Education earned her an Academy Award nomination. 
A bright future. 
In April 2012, Mulligan married Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons. 
They got married on an English farm surrounded by friends Colin Firth, Jake Gyllenhaal and others. 
With over 20 roles to her credit, Mulligan says she is happiest when she's working. 
She must be very happy these days as her future looks bright and the opportunities are plentiful. 
(Music). 
Well, I agree, her future does look very bright. 
We're continuing to learn about Carey Mulligan here and her long list of accomplishments. 
And then 2009 brought overnight fame. 
OK. So before sometime in 2009, it... seemed like things were just ordinary for her, just normal. 
And then she became famous. 
Did this happen in one night, Carolyn? 
What does "overnight" mean? 
Well, overnight just means that it seemed to happen very quickly. 
Maybe it was not really expected, but it didn't happen in just one single night. 
It probably took more time than that, but it was a very quick way for her to get fame. 
OK. So you can use that word in that way - a quick way to do something or to get something. 
Mulligan's memorable performance in An Education earned her an Academy Award nomination. 
Very good, indeed. 
The Academy Awards, of course, people win Oscars and... and awards for accomplishments in lots of areas regarding movies. 
So she didn't get an award, but she was nominated. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that her name was on the list. 
It means that she gave an amazing performance in this movie An Education, and someone thought that she should receive an Oscar for her performance. 
That's right. 
Maybe you know some Academy Award nominees, people who were nominated. 
Someone wants them to get the Oscar really badly. 
They did a great job. 
Well, how do we continue? 
Well, our next section is "A bright future." And it does sound like she has a very bright future. 
In April 2012, Mulligan married Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons. 
Now you might remember last month, we were talking about this great band from London, Mumford & Sons. 
And Carey Mulligan married Marcus Mumford last year. 
That's right. 
Of course, he is the lead singer of this band. And he's very talented, too. 
He plays guitar, drums, mandolin and some other instruments. 
And of course, she is married now to Marcus Mumford. 
So Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford, they got married on an English farm surrounded by friends Colin Firth, Jake Gyllenhaal and others. 
Do those names sound familiar, Carolyn? 
Well, those are very familiar names because they are very famous actors. 
So it sounds like that while they had a wedding on a small farm, or on an English farm, there were many famous people who attended their wedding. 
That's right. 
So of course we're learning about how she has made friends with some other actors here in the field, or in the industry of acting. 
And with over 20 roles to her credit, Mulligan says she is happiest when she is working. 
Well, I think that's great. 
And I didn't realize she had over 20 roles to her credit. 
But what does that mean, Carolyn, to have something to your credit? 
Well, if you have something to your credit, it means that you have accomplished things. 
It's something that you can tell other people about that you've done all of these good things so they should believe in your abilities. 
And if she has 20 roles to her credit, then her acting abilities are probably quite good. 
I think so. 
Well, we continue. 
She must be very happy these days as her bright future... sorry, as her future looks bright and the opportunities are plentiful. 
So as I said, I think her future is bright, her bright future. 
I think she has a bright future ahead of her. 
"Bright" can also mean "hopeful." We talked about that word. 
If you have a hopeful future, you have a bright future. 
That's right. 
And there is a word at the end of this sentence from our Word Bank, the word "plentiful." If something is plentiful, that means that there are a lot of them. 
There are many, many things that you have or can do. 
Here the opportunities are plentiful, so it sounds like she will have no problem finding more roles in the future for her acting career. 
That's right. 
Now the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this word "plentiful" is Jesus said the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 
He was talking about many people who want to know the truth, but there are so few people willing to go out and share the truth with them. 
The harvest is plentiful. 
All right. 
But you can also use this in other ways. 
You could say there's so much food on the table; the food is plentiful. 
There is lots to eat. 
That's right. 
And the opportunities for you are plentiful as well as you continue to study English and improve your language ability. 
There are many resources for learning English. 
And we are very happy that you are here with us on Studio Classroom as we have plentiful resources for you to use. 
Well, yes. 
And one of those resources is the Language Lab right here on the show Studio Classroom. 
Michelle always has plenty to share with us there. 
Let's join her now. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to get back to the teachers. 
Well, we've enjoyed a great lesson here about Carey Mulligan and how she is pursuing her dreams. 
And one thing we learned about her was that she is happiest when she's working. 
I hope that's something that you can say about your life as well, that you're happiest when you're on the job, when you're working. 
Carolyn, does this describe you? 
Well, I am very happy when I'm working. 
I love having things to do. 
If I don't have something to do, a task or a job that needs to be done, I feel very bored. 
I... I love having things that I know I can do and have just a very full schedule to keep me busy. 
Well, I do think it is important to be happy on the job. 
But is your job the most important thing in your life? 
Well, it is very important. 
But of course, you have relationships, and maybe you have family. 
It's important to be happy in your family and in your relationships as well. 
But I do notice that it is often a choice. 
An attitude... a happy attitude can be a choice that we need to make. 
And I hope you're also happy learning English every day here at Studio Classroom. 
There is more to learn about Carey Mulligan. 
If you're interested, on page 25 there are some fun facts. 
Well, we will see you next time here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.07.12.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for a lesson all about the mind - the Mysteries of the Mind. 
And of course, one thing that many people think about when they think about the mind is their brains. 
Our brains are very important, of course. 
If we didn't have brains, we couldn't really live, could we? 
Well, I wonder what you know about the human brain. 
There are so many things we can learn. 
Carolyn, what's one thing that you know about the human brain? 
Well, I know a few interesting things about the human brain. 
One of them is that the brain is not completely grey. 
A lot of people think that the brain is only one color, but actually it is four. 
What?! 
It is grey, white, black and red. 
Really! Four different colors. 
Four different colors. 
I like... I like colors. 
Do you know anything else about the brain? 
Well, the human brain is about three pounds, and we use every part of it. 
All right. 
Hey, that's a good point because many people think that some humans only use 10 percent of their brains. 
Well, I do know that if you are a creative person, you use the right side of your brain more. 
And if you're a rational person, you use the left side of your brain a little bit more. 
Well, we're always figuring out new things about the brain. 
And in this lesson we're going to be learning some of the mysteries of the mind. 
Let's get started. 
(Music). 
Mysteries of the Mind. 
Scientists are still trying to discover the secrets behind human minds. 
Scientists have taught us astounding facts about the world. 
But they haven't been able to explain the things we experience every day. 
Laughter. 
Laughter is one form of communication that transcends culture and language. 
It's a natural response that even young children have. 
Yet scientists are not sure exactly what causes people to laugh or what function laughter plays. 
It may be a playful response to things that run contrary to people's expectations. 
Or laughter may have a social function of signaling that something is said in fun, not seriously. 
Well, laughter does sound like quite a mystery. 
Going back to the beginning of the page: 
Scientists are still trying to discover the secrets behind human minds. 
Science has told us a lot about the body and the brain, but there are still many things that we don't understand. 
And how does the article start, Gabe? 
All right. 
Well, scientists have taught us astounding facts about the world. 
It's true, that's what scientists are good at. 
That's what they want to do. 
They want to figure out how things work. 
So we know some astounding things about the world. 
Let's look at that astounding word. 
The word is, of course, uh... "astounding," or astound. 
If you astound somebody, that means you amaze somebody. 
So astounding means amazing. 
Amazing or surprising. 
It's something that you didn't expect, but it is wonderful, so. 
What is something that you find to be astounding, Gabe? 
Something I find to be astounding... oh, well. 
When I think about one of our coworkers, Simon, he has a lot of astounding facts. 
He always astounds me with the amount of knowledge that he has about almost every subject. 
That's one way you can use that word - astounding. 
Yes. So he is pretty astounding. 
Well, scientists have been able to tell us a lot of amazing or astounding things about the world. 
But they haven't been able to explain the things we experience every day. 
So there's still a lot that we don't know. 
That's right. 
There's still so much we don't know the things that we experience almost every day. 
OK. 
And we're going to be learning about some of these things in our lesson. 
The first one, of course, is laughter. 
This is a wonderful thing. 
Let's look at it a little more closely. 
Laughter is one form of communication that transcends culture and language. 
That's right. 
It transcends culture and language. 
And we'll look at the word "transcend" from our Word Bank. 
If you transcend something, then you go beyond it. 
There's more to it. 
And you might say that emotions transcend understanding. 
You don't understand why we have emotions, but we do have them. 
That's right. 
So those can transcend understanding. 
I also think about music as something that transcends language and culture as well. 
That's something that people of every culture and every country can appreciate. 
So it transcends, it goes deeper than the language barriers. 
That's right. 
So something that transcends culture and language is laughter. 
It's a natural response that every... that even young children have. 
So everyone has this response. 
That's right. 
Now I wonder what some people think when they laugh for the first time. 
It must be kind of a strange feeling. 
Sometimes you wonder why you laugh, but sometimes it is a great feeling. 
You might feel sore or tired afterwards if you have a good laugh. 
But of course, everyone laughs, and everyone needs to laugh. 
That's right. 
And we find out: Yet scientists are not sure exactly what causes people to laugh or what function laughter plays. 
So we know that everyone laughs, that it's a great feeling, that it can transcend culture and language. 
But we don't know why we laugh or why it's important, what function it plays. 
That's right. 
What function does it play? 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud about laughter, the best medicine. 
It's kind of funny. 
Scientists are still trying to discover the purpose of laughter. 
But it's really no mystery. 
Laughter exists for our physical, mental and emotional health. 
Physically, laughter relaxes our whole body. 
It helps us fight infections. 
It decreases pain and heart disease. 
And 15 minutes of laughter a day can actually help us lose weight. 
Mentally, laughter reduces stress, anxiety and fear. 
It improves our mood and energizes our brain. 
Emotionally, laughter helps us keep a positive outlook through difficult situations, disappointments and loss. 
Whoever invented the idiom "Laughter is the best medicine" certainly knew what they were talking about. 
Amazing, right? 
Another great thing about laughter is that its benefits stay with us long after the joke is over. 
Laughing by ourselves is good, but laughing with others is even better. 
Laughter strengthens relationships, enhances teamwork and helps defuse conflict. 
Look closely at any healthy marriage, and you're sure to find some laughter. 
Legendary actor Charlie Chaplin once said: A day without laughter is a day wasted. 
So friends, if you haven't laughed yet today, get out there and have a good laugh. 
It's good for you. 
(Chinese). 
Laughter is a great way to feel good. 
And we were just talking about how scientists are not quite sure why we laugh. 
And we see some of the reasons that they think laughter might be important. 
It may be a playful response to things that run contrary to people's expectations. 
So maybe we laugh because we aren't expecting something, and we feel a little bit surprised by it. 
That's right. 
I think that's one reason why people laugh. 
There are many reasons people laugh, though. 
But let's take a look a little more closely at that phrase "to run contrary to" in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
And here's our Grammar Tip sentence for today. 
It may be a playful response to things that run contrary to people's expectations. 
Our focus is on the phrase: to run contrary to. 
It's just a fancy way to say: to go against. 
So today's sentence can be changed to: 
It may be a helpful response to things that go against people's expectations. 
If you're in a formal situation and you want to talk about how something is not following certain expectations or that it's the opposite of those expectations, 
then consider using "to run contrary to." For example: 
The advertisement campaign had to be changed because it ran contrary to the company's core values. 
Or: Although everything the tourists did today ran contrary to their travel itinerary, they still had a wonderful time. 
If you want to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section for more examples. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Well, laughter might not be just a playful response that runs contrary to people's expectations, there are other functions it might play. 
Or laughter may have a social function of signaling that something is said in fun, not seriously. 
What do you think about this, Gabe? 
Carolyn, I think it's very true. 
Some of my friends have a... what you would call a dry sense of humor. 
So when they joke around, they don't laugh about their joke. 
Other people don't know if they're joking or not. 
So laughter really does communicate that you are joking, that you were not being serious. 
That's right. 
And it's important to laugh when you are joking to let other people know that you aren't being serious, that you're just playing. 
And they should be laughing, too, and having fun. 
I think so, too. 
Well, laughter is contagious. 
People would like to laugh. 
People like to know why other people are laughing. 
And I think that's why it transcends things like culture and language. 
Sometimes you might not understand everything that someone is saying in another language; sometimes you don't care. 
But Carolyn, if I hear other people laughing about something, then I'm more interested. 
Aren't you? 
I am very interested to know why other people laugh because it's a very happy feeling, and I enjoy laughing. 
Exactly. 
So that's one reason why people like to learn other languages as well so that they can join in on the fun. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And then we will see you later. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.12.B

Today we're learning about some of the mysteries of the mind. 
Of course scientists have taught us many astounding things about the world. 
And they've taught us many astounding things about ourselves. 
But there are some things that science just cannot explain. 
We're looking at some of those things. 
So far we've talked about laughter. 
We've talked about how it's a form of communication that transcends culture and language. 
Laughter is indeed very important. 
Now it's time for us to continue learning about something else: memory. 
Mysteries of the Mind. 
Memory. 
People have an amazing ability to recall everything from mathematical facts to their morning routines to the smell of their favorite meal. 
Scientists think memory storage involves connections between brain cells. 
Memories may even affect the physical structures of human brains! 
Human minds differentiate short-term and long-term memories. 
But scientists still don't have a complete explanation of how this process works. 
They also don't know how people retrieve their memories. 
When most people hear their best friend's name, they picture the person instantly. 
The ability to recall things so quickly is amazing - and unexplained. 
The memory is an amazing thing, so let's talk about that. 
Memory. 
People have an amazing ability to recall everything from mathematical facts to their morning routines to the smell of their favorite meal. 
So there are many things that we are able to remember. 
Gabe, are you able to remember these things? 
Hmm. Well, I'm able to remember morning routines. 
I do the same thing every morning. 
I'm able to remember the smell of my favorite meal, yes. 
And actually, I think smell is very connected with memories. 
But you know what, Carolyn, I'm not too good at remembering mathematical facts. 
Well, those are a little bit difficult if you don't use them all the time. 
One that has stuck with me, though, is the Pythagorean theorem. 
What? 
It's for triangles with a right angle, and it's A squared plus B squared equals C squared. 
Pretty easy. 
That's pretty good. 
Oh, I remember one now. 
MX plus B equals 2...? 
No, I can't remember mathematical facts, Carolyn. 
Well, maybe some of you can remember mathematical facts more easily than I can. 
So people have an amazing ability or an astounding ability to recall these kinds of things. 
OK, so memory is very amazing. 
Let's continue. 
Scientists think memory storage involves connections between brain cells. 
All right. 
So this is what science is trying to prove that it has connections between brain cells. 
Well, the memory storage might have to do with that connection. 
If things are connected well, then it would be easier to transfer ideas, to make those connections strong and be able to recall things quickly. 
So it kind of makes sense. 
But they're still not sure. 
Scientists think this is what happens. 
That's right. 
Now of course storage of any kind is where you keep something, where you store something, so where your memories are stored in your brain. 
OK? 
Memories may even affect the physical structures of human brains. 
That's something I have not really thought about before. 
I usually think of a brain as... or everyone's brain kind of looking the same. 
But maybe some people's brains are structured a little bit differently just because of memories. 
That very well could be one possibility. 
Human minds differentiate short-term and long-term memories. 
And we see that word "differentiate" from our Word Bank. 
If you can differentiate something, then you can tell the difference between two things, why they are different. 
That's right. 
You can differentiate. 
So let's use that word. 
Can you differentiate these two coffees just by tasting them? 
Or some people like to do the uh... the Coke test. 
They see if you can differentiate Coke and Pepsi. 
You'll have a blindfold, so you can't see which one you are drinking. 
Can you differentiate between the two flavors just by tasting them? 
That's how you can use this word. 
How else could you use that word? 
Well, I think that those are very good examples for the word "differentiate." And here we're talking about long-term and short-term memories. 
A long-term memory is something that happened a long time ago that you still remember. 
And a short-term memory is something that happened very recently that maybe you don't need to remember for a long time. 
That's right. 
Well, let's continue. 
But scientists still don't have a complete explanation of how this process works. 
Well, I guess that's not really new. 
Scientists don't have a complete explanation for many things. 
But this is a process, and it's interesting how it works. 
And we find out something else the scientists don't quite understand. 
They also don't know how people retrieve their memories. 
And "retrieve" is another word from our Word Bank. 
If you retrieve something, then you get it back. 
Maybe it went away. 
And now it has returned, you can retrieve it. 
And this word makes me think of a dog that many people love - the golden retriever. 
People used to go hunting with these dogs. 
And they would shoot things like ducks. 
And then the dog would go and retrieve these animals undamaged. 
So they were given the name "golden retriever." But of course, if you lose anything, then you can use this word to say you're getting it back. 
I went to the Lost and Found to retrieve my wallet. 
That's right. 
So scientists are not sure how we retrieve our memories, how we are able to get them back after they've happened. 
And we find out that when most people hear their best friend's name, they picture the person instantly. 
That's right. 
So there's no delay. 
That's right. 
I agree with this. 
When I hear any of my friends' names, I picture the person instantly. 
That's something amazing that our memory can do. 
And we continue. 
The ability to recall things so quickly is amazing. 
And what, Carolyn? 
What do we learn here? 
And unexplained. 
It is a mystery. 
Well, there's no mystery as to what we will do next. 
We're going to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
Now let's get back to our teachers. 
Today we've been talking about Mysteries of the Mind. 
First one was laughter. 
And the second one was memory. 
How good is your memory? 
I think that maybe I need to exercise my memory a little bit more. 
Gabe, how's your memory? 
Yes, Carolyn, that is correct. 
Um, Gabe, that's not the question I asked you. 
Wait. You... you asked me a question? 
Uh... yes, I asked you how good your memory was. 
Oh. 
Right. Uh, my memory. 
Well, my... my long-term memory is great, Carolyn. 
I guess my short-term memory needs a little bit of help. 
That's what it sounds like. 
Maybe you can do some memory exercises to try to strengthen those connections. 
Yes, yes. I will. 
Well, friends, thank you for joining us for today. 
And of course, we have more to learn about the Mysteries of the Mind next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.07.13.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson learning about the mind in our lesson called Mysteries of the Mind. 
Of course in yesterday's lesson, we learned that scientists want to explain a lot of things, 
and they know how to explain many things that happened in the world today. 
But of course we learned that there are some things that science just can not explain. 
There are limits to science. 
Carolyn, can you think of a limit to science, something that science can't explain? 
Well, there are a lot of things that scientists observe or that they see but they aren't sure why it happened or what caused it. 
One thing that I think of was in 1997, there was a large sound heard underwater called the bloop. 
And it could be heard by sensors 5,000 kilometers apart. 
What? 
And it was such a large sound that they have no idea what caused it. 
They don't know what caused it. OK. 
I think maybe some kinds of things happen in the world that scientists just don't know how to explain. 
I also think that maybe scientists know how something happens, but they can't explain why. 
Many scientists like to say that they know how the universe came into being, but they can't explain why or what purpose it has, or science cannot do this. 
Well, science can't explain some things that we experience every day. 
Today we're going to be learning about some more of those things. 
Let's start with sleep. 
Mysteries of the Mind. 
Sleep. 
It enhances one's ability to fight disease, improves memory and helps one cope with stress. 
Neglecting it can result in exhaustion, hallucinations and, in rare instances, even death! 
Sleep is important, but no one is quite sure why. 
Scientists do know that people alternate between two kinds of sleep. 
Rapid eye movement sleep, REM, is when most humans dream. 
Deeper NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep may help people rest and conserve energy. 
Scientists are still investigating the purpose of REM sleep and dreams. 
Some think dreams help people organize memories by selecting important short-term memories and converting them into long-term ones. 
Or dreams may exercise people's brains to prepare them for waking up. 
Well, I love sleep, so let's learn all about it right now. 
Let's go to the beginning of this section, it says: 
It enhances one's ability to fight disease, improves memory and helps one cope with stress. 
So here we're learning about sleep, and we see that it enhances our ability to fight disease. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: to enhance something. 
Carolyn, what does that mean? 
Well, if you enhance something, it means that you make it better. 
And a lot of times I think of using this word when we're talking about a picture or a digital image on the computer. 
Yes. 
You might try to enhance it so that it is clearer and it's easier to see what is in the picture. 
That's right. 
A lot of people have HDTV nowadays. 
And that enhances the detail on your screen. 
Of course, you could use this word in other ways. 
Eating will enhance your energy. 
It makes it greater or better, more effective. 
So use that word sometime today. 
We're talking about sleep and how it enhances one's ability to fight diseases. 
How do we continue, Carolyn? 
Well, we also find that neglecting it can result in exhaustion, hallucinations and, in rare instances, even death. 
So sleep is extremely important. 
That's right. 
It sounds kind of scary if you lose out on a lot of sleep, it could even result in death. 
Of course, that is a rare occasion. 
It's a rare instance. 
But let's look at that word at the beginning of that sentence: to neglect something. 
It's kind of like the word "forget," but it's forgetting something that you should do, something that is important for you to do. 
For example, don't neglect to water your plants every day, or at least every couple of days. 
That's right. 
If you do, they will die, which would be a shame. 
And another word in that sentence was "hallucination." If you hallucinate, that means that you see things that aren't actually there, so. 
Sleep is very important if you want to be able to function normally. 
That's right. 
You know, Carolyn, I hear, of course, that you shouldn't drink when you have... or you shouldn't drive when you've been drinking. 
But actually, I hear that it's even more dangerous to drive if you haven't had sleep recently. 
That could be very dangerous as well. 
It could be very dangerous. 
And I think Steve and Ken have some more information they'd like to share with us in the Information Cloud. 
Friends, prepare yourselves. 
Today's Info Cloud topic is completely different from yesterday's topic of laughter. 
Today's topic is death. 
Now this isn't a happy or popular topic. 
But since it is something we can't avoid, we sometimes need to talk about it. 
It's a sensitive topic, as such when we do talk about it, we should use language that is proper and accurate. 
OK. So let's start with a very great tragedy: when someone takes his own life. 
OK. The proper way to say this in English is he committed suicide. 
Now remember, "suicide" is a noun, not a verb. 
So it is incorrect to say he suicided. 
It's also incorrect to say a person committed suicide if that person failed to kill himself. 
If the person still lives, you have to say he attempted to commit suicide. 
Right. 
It's similar for when someone drowns. 
Right. 
If a person has a life-and-death struggle in the water but lives, we need to say he almost or nearly drowned. 
A person cannot drown and still be alive. 
OK, enough talk about death. 
Friends, remember, each day of life is a gift, so go out and enjoy it. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, we've learned that neglecting sleep can be very dangerous for you. 
And sleep is important, but no one is quite sure why. 
So scientists can't really explain this. 
They can't. 
But scientists do know that people alternate between two kinds of sleep. 
So we see that word "alternate." If you alternate something, it means that you go between two different things. 
And that is a word from our Word Bank. 
Gabe, how would you use this word "alternate"? 
Well, often, Carolyn, I go to teppanyaki for lunch. 
And I alternate between ordering chicken and ordering lamb. 
I love both, so I can't just stick with one. 
I alternate between the two. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
How would you use that word? 
Well, when I'm exercising, I try to alternate the kinds of exercises I do. 
So one day I'll do running, and then the next day I'll do some strength training, so maybe some push-ups. 
OK. So you alternate between these two things. 
Often you'll see this word used with the word "between," alternating between two things. 
Now let's continue learning about sleep. 
Rapid eye movement sleep, REM, is when most humans dream. 
And what is the next kind of sleep? 
Deeper NREM (or non-rapid eye movement) sleep may help people rest and conserve energy. 
So we know that there are two kinds of sleep but still not quite sure what the purpose of each of them are. 
That's right. 
Now this deeper non REM, non-rapid eye movement sleep, I think sometimes people call this... or they give it a nickname called a catnap. 
You're not really in a deep sleep, but you're just resting for a little while. 
It's helping you to conserve energy. 
Sometimes we call that a catnap. 
That's right. 
And we find out that scientists are still investigating the purpose of REM sleep and dreams. 
So scientists still aren't sure why we dream, either. 
No, they're not. 
So scientists can't explain everything. 
But some think dreams help people organize memories by selecting important short-term memories and converting them into long-term ones. 
Carolyn, I had not heard this before. 
What do you think about that? 
Well, I'm not really sure. 
This is a very interesting idea, but there are other ideas about dreams as well. 
Or dreams may exercise people's brains to prepare them for waking up. 
There may be very many different reasons that dreams are important that aren't listed here as well. 
That's right. 
Well, of course dreams can be very interesting. 
Sometimes I like to write down my dreams after I wake up. 
Do... do you ever do that, Carolyn? 
Uh, well, I usually don't remember my dreams, so I find it to be even more interesting. 
All right. 
Well, friends, we've learned a lot about sleep so far. 
And of course, we have more to learn about another mystery of the human mind later. 
But first, let's join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.13.B

In our lesson today we're on the second day of Mysteries of the Mind. 
And we have been talking about the importance of sleep. 
Sleep enhances the ability to fight disease, improves memory and helps you to cope with stress. 
These are all very important things that sleep provides. 
We also learned about REM and NREM sleep, two different kinds of sleep. 
Scientists aren't sure why we dream, either. 
Well, there are still more mysteries to discover in the next part of our lesson. 
(Music). 
Mysteries of the Mind. 
Aging. 
Aging is a part of human life, but it isn't universal to all life. 
One type of ocean polyp doesn't age and could theoretically live forever. 
So why can't people live forever? 
Some scientists see aging as a feature of human genes. 
It could be potentially beneficial, but they're not sure exactly how. 
Others see aging as cell damage that has built up gradually. 
Almost everyone takes these processes for granted, but to scientists, they are far from ordinary. 
(Music). 
Yes, it's true. These mysteries are far from ordinary. 
Well, the last mystery we've been learning about is aging. 
Aging is a part of human life, but it isn't universal to all life. 
Now this is very interesting. 
I think most of us understand that it's a part of human life. 
You don't have to grow too old to understand that you are growing older, you are aging. 
That's right. 
And when we think about aging, most things do age. 
We see animals as they get older, even plants as they get older. 
But reading on we find that one type of ocean polyp doesn't age and could theoretically live forever. 
That's interesting, Carolyn. 
I think this is probably very, very unique. 
It's a very rare case that something doesn't age, so rare indeed we have to teach this word, 
or look at this word "polyp." That's something or a word that I would never usually use. 
I think maybe scientists were looking for a long time before they found something that didn't age. 
So this... this thing is a very small thing that lives in the sea. 
But theoretically, it could live forever. 
That's right. 
And "theoretically" is a word from our Word Bank. 
If you can have something that is theoretically, then in theory, it is possible. 
It could happen, maybe. 
It could happen, but you can't really test it in every sense. 
So we don't know for sure if it's true in every case. 
For instance, you could say you can take the test online. 
So theoretically, people from very remote regions or very far away places can also take the test, but we don't know if they will have access to the test. 
So we can do this... or we can use the word "theoretically". 
That's right. 
We might also say that, well, we hope that there is a cure for cancer. 
And theoretically, we can't find the cure. 
But we aren't sure what it will be, so it is still a theory. 
It is still just an idea. 
That's right. 
Well, scientists have discovered this polyp that can theoretically live forever. 
So the question is: Why can't people live forever? 
I think that's something many people throughout history have wondered. 
Why can't we live forever? 
That's why people go chasing after what they call "the fountain of youth," or something that will keep them looking young forever, or maybe even living forever. 
That's right. 
But we do know that we age. 
And some... some scientists see aging as a feature of human genes. 
So this is something in our body that it's just part of the way we work. 
That's right. 
Now we continue. 
It could be potentially beneficial, but they're not exactly sure how. 
They're not sure exactly how this is beneficial. 
Well, let's take a look at this word "potentially." I think this could be beneficial for your vocabulary. 
If something is potential, that means it is possible maybe in the future. 
Yes. 
So this is the adverb form, potentially. 
And it does mean that it is in the future. 
The word "theoretically" means that it might be possible, but it doesn't really have any sort of time attached to it. 
But "potentially" means that something could happen in the future. 
That's right. 
For instance, you could say this is potentially a nice place for a picnic. 
All it needs is some grass. 
It looks pretty dirty now. 
But if you put some grass here, potentially it's a nice place. 
Or you could say something is potentially dangerous. 
It hasn't harmed anybody yet, but it could be dangerous. 
In the future, it is true. 
Well, we find out that others see aging as cell damage that has built up gradually. 
So some people think that aging could be beneficial, and other scientists believe that it is due to cell damage that has gradually occurred. 
That's right. 
And we see the word "see" here. 
Others see aging. 
So they're not looking at it, they are perceiving it. 
You can use the word "see" to mean "perceive." Some people perceive that aging is cell damage. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing into the next paragraph: 
Almost everyone takes these processes for granted, but to scientists, they are far from ordinary. 
So we're talking about these processes in the human body. 
That's right. 
Now let's take a look at a phrase at the end of that sentence. 
It's "far from" ordinary. 
If it's far from something, you might even say it's the opposite of something. 
So these processes are the opposite of ordinary. 
They're extraordinary. 
That's right. 
And if something is far from ordinary, then it is perhaps very unique or special. 
You might say that this is far from ordinary. 
But you might also use it in a different way. 
Maybe you don't like something. 
Maybe you get a new computer, but it's really not very good. 
You could say it is far from useful. 
It's not useful at all. 
That's a great way to use it. 
Or maybe you've heard that a book is boring, but your friend tells you: No. This is far from boring. 
This is a very interesting book. 
So try to use that phrase sometime today. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue enjoying a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Today you will learn astounding scientific facts. 
Excuse me, professor. 
Can you tell me about laughter? 
Laughter? 
Yeah, laughter. 
It transcends culture and language. 
So, why is that? 
Well, it's a natural response. 
But what causes it? 
And what function does laughter have? 
I don't know. 
Let's talk about... 
Uh, professor, what about memory? 
Yes. People have an amazing ability to recall every thing. 
So how does the process work? 
How do our minds differentiate short-term from long-term memory? 
How can we recall things so quickly? 
Hmm, I don't really know. 
Let's talk about... 
Oh, professor, I want to know about sleep. 
Sleep enhances one's ability to fight disease, improves memory and helps us cope with stress. 
Yeah! 
Neglecting it results in exhaustion and hallucinations. 
Right! 
So why is that? 
Hmm, I don't know. 
Why don't we talk about... 
Professor! 
Now what? 
Tell me about aging. 
Aging is a part of human life. 
Perhaps it's a feature of our human genes. 
Well, I know. But why isn't it universal? 
Why can't we all live forever? 
I don't know. 
These are things most people take for granted. 
I know. 
But they're far from ordinary. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
Well, we've been learning about some of the mysteries of the mind. 
Over the last couple of days we learned about laughter and sleep and aging. 
And uh, what was the other one, Carolyn? 
I believe that was memory, Gabe. 
Ah, right. 
Yes. I almost forgot, memory. 
Well, which one of these mysteries was most interesting to you? 
Or what did you learn from this lesson? 
Well, I thought that the mystery of sleep was very interesting because you know, a lot of people don't think that sleep is very important. 
They think that they can go without sleep and do more things. 
But we found out that sleep is actually very important. 
And if you don't get enough of it, it can really hurt your body. 
But there're still so many things we don't understand about it. 
That's right. 
We don't understand a lot of things about sleep. 
Something I found interesting was that little fact about polyps, a kind of ocean polyp that doesn't age and could theoretically live forever. 
It's hard for me to believe that something could possibly be around forever. 
Well, especially something living like a polyp. 
Well, it's time for us to say goodbye. 
But of course we hope to see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
See you.

2013.07.15.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for today's lesson. 
We're going to be talking about a certain country in the world - the Netherlands. 
We're going to enjoy the Netherlands. 
We're going to enjoy learning all about this country. 
Now what comes to your mind when you think of the Netherlands, Carolyn? 
Well, the first thing I think of would be tulips. 
I love tulips. 
And the Netherlands has many, many great flowers. 
And they're famous for growing tulips that are then sent all around the world. 
OK. Yes, they are very famous for tulips. 
I think something that comes to my mind is maybe the wooden shoes that they wear, or windmills. 
Also, you know, I visited the Netherlands. 
My sister lives in the Netherlands. 
She's working there, so of course I think of her as well. 
I also think of canals and... and little houses that line the streets. 
One word I could use to describe these streets or houses is it's "quaint." You can use this word to describe the Netherlands. 
Well, that's what I think of. 
What do you think of when you think of the Netherlands? 
Let's get started with our lesson: Enjoy the Netherlands. 
Enjoy the Netherlands. 
Take an exciting tour full of beautiful sights and European history. 
When most people think of the Netherlands, images of wooden shoes and windmills come to mind. 
While this may be a stereotype, it's correct! 
Spend a few days here and you'll see all that and more. 
Look for yellow rounds of cheese, blue-and-white ceramics and bright flowers everywhere you go. 
How can you explore this colorful country? 
Start with the capital. 
Touch down at Schiphol, one of the busiest airports in the world. 
There, you can hop on the train to Amsterdam Central Station. 
Well, let's go to the very beginning of our lesson today. 
This lesson is written by Naomi. 
And she is part Dutch, and she has some relatives in the Netherlands, so she knows all about the Netherlands. 
OK. 
We begin by reading a sentence: 
Take an exciting tour full of beautiful sights and European history. 
So that's what we're going to be doing when we're learning about the Netherlands. 
That's right. 
And at the beginning we talked a little bit about what we think of when we think of the Netherlands. 
And the article opens: When most people think of the Netherlands, images of wooden shoes and windmills come to mind. 
And those were two things that you mentioned, Gabe. 
That's exactly right. 
I think that's something... or those things are things that a lot of people think about when they think of the Netherlands, 
these images of wooden shoes and windmills. 
Well, let's take a look at those words. 
The first one is "image." OK. 
So if you have an image of something in your mind, that means you are picturing it. 
Of course it's... it's not really there, but you are thinking about it. 
This image comes to mind. 
How can you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, image is another word for a picture, so. 
"What image comes to mind when you think of the Netherlands?" is one question you could ask. 
You might also say: What image comes to mind when you think of the perfect date? 
Where would you go? 
What things would you see? 
OK. What things would you see? 
What image? 
You could also use another form of this word: to imagine. 
What do you imagine? 
What do you think about? 
OK. So we're talking about these images of wooden shoes and windmills. 
Carolyn, what is a windmill? 
Well, a windmill is a large structure, and it usually has four sides that spin around and around. 
And it's blown by the wind, and it creates power usually for some type of factory. 
But it could generate electricity. 
It could do many, many things or pump water. 
That's right. 
It... it can serve many different functions. 
That's right. 
So windmills are very useful. 
And of course, the Netherlands has many windmills. 
That's true. 
Well, let's continue. 
While this may be a stereotype, it's correct! 
So what is a stereotype? 
Well, it's maybe one thing that many people think about when they think about a country or a certain topic. 
They... they think of one thing that comes to mind, so that thing is a stereotype. 
What else can you... how else can you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, there are many... many stereotypes. 
And usually we think about them as being something that isn't very good. 
But it doesn't have to be something bad. 
Like windmills and wooden shoes, those sound like great things to have. 
Um, I think of one stereotype that a lot of people might have about Americans is that all Americans have white skin, blond hair and blue eyes. 
But that is not true. 
My sister's hair is brown. 
Her eyes are hazel, which is a green/brown color. 
And she is even fairer, her skin is even whiter than mine. 
So even though we're sisters, we look very different. 
OK. Well, most people do have stereotypes about different things. 
And of course, the stereotype here is correct. 
If you go to the Netherlands, you will see windmills and yes, wooden shoes. 
We continue. 
Spend a few days here and you'll see all that and more. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: all that and more. 
Carolyn, how could you use this phrase? 
Well, it means that you see things that you were expecting as well as things that you weren't expecting, so. 
Maybe you go to a new place and you thought: Oh, I'm sure I will see a giraffe. 
When I go to the zoo, and I saw a giraffe and more. 
I saw all that and more. 
That's right. 
Maybe you heard that the night market has good food and some nice clothes. 
Well, of course you can see good food, nice clothes, all that and more at the night market. 
Use that phrase sometime today. 
Well, we continue. 
Look for yellow rounds of cheese, blue-and-white ceramics and bright flowers everywhere you go. 
OK. 
Usually I use the word "round" as an adjective. 
But here it's used in a different way, right, Carolyn? 
That's right. 
Is... It is a round of cheese, not the cheese is round, but "a round of cheese" means a round piece of cheese. 
They come in big wheels. 
That's right. 
So they're called rounds of cheese. 
Well, let's take a look at a word from our Word Bank. 
It is "ceramics." Now this is a kind of material. 
And you can make ceramics. 
Well, it's kind of like making pottery. 
You can make ceramics. 
Uh, something about this word, as a noun, it always has an S. 
But if you are making something, then you could call it a ceramic pot or a ceramic vase. 
That's right. 
So here it is a noun, so it should have an S - ceramics. 
And they have blue-and-white ceramics here in the Netherlands. 
Well, continuing: How can you explore this colorful country? 
Oh. And we want to explore this country. 
And that is another word from the Word Bank. 
What does it mean if you explore a place, Gabe? 
Well, that means you have an adventurous spirit. 
You want to get out and know new things about your country or your city or where you are. 
You are exploring. 
Carolyn, I like to explore. 
Do you like to explore new places? 
I do like to explore new places. 
And if we want to explore the Netherlands, we can start with the capital. 
Touch down at Schiphol, one of the busiest airports in the world. 
There, you can hop on the train to Amsterdam Central Station. 
All right. 
So from there you can go to Amsterdam. 
It's really not that far away. 
I've been there. 
I've been to the Schiphol airport and to Amsterdam Central Station. 
It's actually quite lovely. 
It's quite a lovely trip on the way there. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.15.B

We've just started our first day of our article - Enjoy the Netherlands. 
And if you go to the Netherlands, there are many different things that you can see. 
Some of them are stereotypes that people think of like windmills and wooden shoes. 
But it is true, you can see those things there as well as many others, such as blue-and-white ceramics or rounds of cheese. 
Well, there are many other things that we can learn about and explore in the Netherlands with our second reading today. 
Enjoy the Netherlands. 
Going Dutch. 
From the station, rent a bicycle to explore the streets the Dutch way. 
Even if you don't pedal your way around town, take some time to watch the locals. 
You'll be amazed at how many items they can carry on two wheels! 
If you'd rather be on the water, you can take a cruise. 
Spend an hour or two gliding through the canals of this city, past historical buildings. 
Watch for the skinniest house in Amsterdam! 
All right. 
So this next section is called Going Dutch. 
And, wait a minute, that makes me think of something. 
What does it make me think of? 
Ah! The Info Cloud. 
Steve and Ken are going to share a little bit about this phrase there. 
Let's do that now. 
Hi, friends. 
Have you ever gone Dutch? 
No, we're not talking about going to the Netherlands here. 
Going Dutch, or a Dutch treat, is an expression that means each person pays his or her own expenses during an outing or a meal instead of having one person pay for everyone. 
And it's not just dividing the total bill by the number of people and having each person pay an equal amount. 
You only pay for what you order. 
Right. 
So if I ordered a big steak, and Ken, you just had a small salad, which is something you sometimes do, I would certainly be paying more than you if we went Dutch. 
I would hope so. 
But in that situation, I would probably not use the expression "going Dutch." I would just say let's pay for our own orders. 
"Going Dutch" is a term usually used in the context of a date. 
Right. 
When a man takes a woman on a date, and they split the bill instead of the man paying the complete tab, we call that going Dutch or Dutch treat. 
So why do people do that, Steve? 
Well, if a woman wants to be "just friends" with the man and not give the wrong impression that she's romantically interested, 
then she can make it clear before the date by insisting they go Dutch. 
(Chinese). 
Well, in the first sentence of this section Going Dutch, we see: 
From the station, rent a bicycle to explore the streets the Dutch way. 
So we are going Dutch a little bit differently from what we talked about in the Info Cloud, but we are going to be doing things the Dutch way. 
And to do that, you should rent a bicycle first. 
It's true. 
When I went to visit Amsterdam, and I was at Amsterdam Central Station, I did see many people on bicycles. 
Many different kinds of bicycles, too. 
That certainly is the Dutch way of doing things and traveling. 
Well, we continue. 
Even if you don't pedal your way around town, take some time to watch the locals... like I did. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "pedal." Here it's used as a verb. 
Carolyn, what does this mean? 
Well, if you pedal, that means that you are using pedals. 
So pedal is also a noun. 
And it's what you have on a bicycle. 
You use your feet to pedal the bicycle. 
That's right. 
It makes the wheels go round. 
So it's a verb and a noun. 
Well, can you pedal quickly, or do you pedal slowly? 
If you like to take your time and just enjoy the scenery, then you can pedal slowly. 
You can ride your bike slowly in that city that you want to explore. 
That's right. 
Well, or you could watch the locals. 
And Gabe said that he was watching the locals. 
And I'm sure you saw a lot of interesting things. 
In our article it says: You'll be amazed at how many items they can carry on two wheels. 
That's right, on two wheels, or... or even more. 
I saw a lady dressed all in blue with these ridiculous blue high heels. 
And she was... she was riding a blue bike with actually a tricycle - with three wheels. 
It's kind of interesting. 
Very many cool things you can see there. 
Well, you can watch the locals. 
And it's true, if you're riding your bike your whole life, then you can learn how to carry many items at the same time while riding. 
That's right. 
And I'm sure that if you were to watch, you would see their bicycles piled high with things, perhaps packages, baskets. 
It would be a very interesting thing to see. 
Can you ride your bicycle with lots of items? 
Or do you just pedal along slowly with only yourself? 
Ooh, good question. 
Or maybe you like to pedal with no hands? 
Because your hands are full of things, and so of course you have many items there. 
Well, let's continue. 
If you'd rather be on the water, you can take a cruise. 
So you don't just have to pedal around. 
There are actually many places that you might be able to take cruises in the Netherlands. 
That's right. 
And you can spend an hour or two gliding through the canals of this city, past historical buildings. 
So it sounds like you can take a very nice cruise down the canal. 
So this is not a huge cruise ship out in the ocean but a much smaller boat going down the canals, and you can glide through them. 
That's right. 
"Glide" is from our Word Bank. 
Usually when I think of gliding, I think of floating through the air very smoothly. 
It's not a bumpy trip. 
But here we're talking about gliding along or on top of the water. 
So you can use it to discuss this as well. 
That's right. 
So you can talk about gliding through the canal, through the water, very smooth ride, not a lot of waves. 
Or you can glide through the air when you're flying. 
Maybe you are going on a short flight, and you can say we... you're gliding through the air. 
And of course there are some sports that use the word "gliding" like hang gliding or paragliding. 
Now we continue learning about gliding through these canals. 
Watch for the skinniest house in Amsterdam. 
So if you are in Amsterdam, and you're on a boat on a little cruise just gliding along, you can see the skinniest house there in Amsterdam. 
And Carolyn, I saw it! 
And what did you think of this house? 
Was it very skinny? 
How skinny was it? 
Carolyn, it really was. 
It was really skinny. 
It was... it was a tiny little house. 
I didn't go inside, but it's really interesting. 
Like I said before, a lot of the buildings there are smaller. 
And so there... it wasn't a big surprise that there was a really skinny house there in Amsterdam. 
Well, I'm sure it was quite a sight to see. 
I would love to see a picture of it, Gabe. 
But right now it is time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Excuse me. 
May I ask you a question? 
Well, OK. 
OK. 
Well, think of the Netherlands, what comes to mind? 
Oh. That's easy. 
I see images of wooden shoes and windmills. 
Those are stereotypes, but correct. 
Oh. What comes to your mind? 
Ah. I see yellow rounds of cheese and blue-and-white ceramics. 
Oh, and bright flowers everywhere you go? 
Yes. The Netherlands is a colorful country. 
Would you like to explore it? 
Well, sure. 
But how? 
Well, just imagine. 
You touch down at one of the busiest airports in the world. 
Oh, that's exciting. 
Then you hop on a train to Amsterdam Central Station. 
I love trains! 
What's next? 
Then the real fun begins. 
You rent a bicycle to explore the streets the Dutch way. 
Oh, I'm not very good on a bicycle. 
Well, even if you don't pedal your way around town, you can watch the locals ride bikes. 
Watch the locals ride bikes? 
Yes. You'll be amazed at how many items they can carry on two wheels. 
Whoa! Imagine that. 
If you'd rather be on water, take a cruise. 
Take a cruise... 
Yes. Glide through the canals, past historical buildings. 
Watch for the skinniest house in Amsterdam. 
There it is! I see it. 
(Chinese). 
Don't go away. 
Keep watching as our program continues. 
All right. 
Well, we've started learning all about the Netherlands today. 
And one thing that we talked about was how you can enjoy pedaling through the city on a bicycle, or you can watch somebody else do it. 
Well, have you ever done that before? 
Have you ever explored a city on a bicycle? 
Carolyn? 
Well, when I first moved to Taipei, I did a lot of exploring on a bicycle. 
My friend was nice enough to give me a bike when I moved up here. 
And it was a lot of fun to just be able to bike around the city and become familiar with the area since I had just moved here. 
That's great. 
And I think it's great that a lot of cities are making it possible now for people to bike through the city. 
Sometimes they even have these bicycle stations where you can just rent a bike for a cheap price, and then ride around for a little while. 
I did that in Kaohsiung as well. 
And it was a great way to get to know that city. 
Well, it's time for us to say goodbye for today. 
But of course we will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom for more about the Netherlands. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.07.16.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for the second day of our lesson Enjoy the Netherlands. 
Now something that we're going to talk a little bit about today is the local culture. 
You can visit some art museums. 
You can learn a little bit about the history in Amsterdam or in the Netherlands. 
And I do wonder, if you are visiting a city, Carolyn, what do you like to learn about more, the art or the history? 
Well, I'm very interested in history, and I really love to learn about the history of the places I visit. 
So when I go to a new place or I go traveling, I really like to explore and learn more about the old buildings and the things that happened in that city that make it special. 
Interesting. 
I think that history is very interesting as well. 
But I think that I would usually prefer to go to an art museum or to learn a little bit about the art of a certain place. 
Well, you're in luck today, friends, because we're going to do both in our lesson Enjoy the Netherlands. 
Let's get started with the first section of our reading about local culture. 
(Music). 
Enjoy the Netherlands. 
Local culture. 
If you love art, visit the newly renovated Rijksmuseum with its collection of famous Dutch paintings. 
Look for Rembrandt's impressive Night Watch, which fills a whole wall. 
And check out the Vincent Van Gogh Gallery to view some of the world's best-loved paintings. 
For some history, wander through the Oude Kerk, a church that dates from 1306. 
Then, around the corner, visit the home of Anne Frank. 
This young Jewish girl penned a diary during World War II. 
Her family's hiding place is now a museum. 
Well, Gabe, since you like art, this first sentence seems to be just for you: 
If you love art, visit the newly renovated Rijksmuseum with its collection of famous Dutch paintings. 
So you can go to the newly renovated (it has had a lot of new changes and improvements done), in the Rijksmuseum, 
and it has a very wonderful collection of famous paintings. 
That's true. 
This does interest me, Carolyn. 
I did not visit this place when I was in the Netherlands visiting my sister. 
However, we find out here that it is newly renovated; you could also say recently renovated. 
But let's take a look at a word from our Word Bank. 
It is "collection." So there is a collection of famous paintings. 
A collection is not just one but many, many things that maybe these people have collected to put in this museum. 
That's right. 
And a collection is a group of things that go together, so. 
It's a collection of paintings, which means that everything there is a painting or some form of art. 
It wouldn't be something like a book and a painting. 
That would be two separate collections. 
So a library could have a collection of books while this museum has a collection of paintings. 
That's a good point. 
And there are many different kinds of collections, of course. 
A lot of people like to collect things as a hobby. 
So what kind of collection do you have? 
Maybe you like to collect baseball cards. 
Or maybe you like to collect shells or coins or stamps. 
That could be a shell collection, a coin collection or a stamp collection. 
That's right. 
Well, some of the paintings here: 
Look for Rembrandt's impressive Night Watch, which fills a whole wall. 
So this is a very impressive painting, and it takes up a whole wall. 
That's so cool. 
I really do want to see this. 
It fills up, or takes up the whole wall. 
I would like to see this especially because I like Rembrandt. 
I don't know if you've seen his art. 
You can look it up online if you haven't. 
But his art is very, very interesting. 
And I would suggest that you go and enjoy Rembrandt's art. 
That's right. 
And Rembrandt is not the only famous painter here. 
You can also see Vincent van Gogh, so. 
And check out the Vincent Van Gogh Gallery to view some of the world's best-loved paintings. 
And Vincent van Gogh's paintings are wonderful. 
And here he has his very own gallery in this museum. 
That's right. 
And let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "gallery." In a museum, a gallery is maybe a room that had... has an exhibition of paintings, 
probably by a certain artist or a collection of paintings that are very similar. 
So that is a gallery. 
I would be interested in seeing this Vincent Van Gogh Gallery. 
Um, Carolyn, what's something that you think of when you think of Vincent van Gogh? 
Is there a famous painting by him? 
Well, there is one that comes to mind right away. 
And that is Starry Starry Night, a beautiful nighttime painting. 
But he painted a lot of other things, a lot of landscape paintings. 
And we see that he has some of the best-loved paintings in the world. 
So let's take a look at that phrase: best-loved. 
If something is best-loved, then it is very popular among a large number of people and for a very long time. 
That's right. 
Maybe you could call these timeless paintings. 
They're best-loved for a long time. 
You could use this word to describe um, art of other kinds like songs or poems. 
I think of The Beatles. 
There are a lot of best-loved Beatles' songs that are still popular now. 
That's right. 
There are also a lot of best-loved books, very classic books that everyone enjoys reading no matter when they were written because they still are relevant to our lives today. 
People still like to read them. 
So they are best-loved classics. 
That's right. 
So here we're learning about Vincent van Gogh's best-loved paintings. 
Now we're going to go to history. 
For some history, wander through the Oude Kerk, a church that dates from 1306. 
Oude Kerk. 
Well, "oude" means old, and "kerk" means church. 
So it's an old church. 
And actually many cities in the Netherlands have an "oude kerk" that is the oldest church in that city. 
Well, this is a very old church if it was built in 1306. 
It dates from that year. 
Then, around the corner, visit the home of Anne Frank. 
And Anne Frank is very famous. 
Why, Gabe? 
What does the next sentence tell us? 
Well, this young Jewish girl penned a diary during World War II. 
And we call it The Diary of Anne Frank. 
Of course when she was writing her diary, she didn't know that her writings would become famous and that people would read them now. 
But it's very interesting writing about the Second World War. 
That's right. 
And she penned a diary, which is just another way to say that she wrote a diary. 
She kept a journal. 
Well, her family's hiding place is now a museum. 
So you can visit the place where she and her family were hiding during World War II. 
That's right. 
Well, I did not get a chance to go and visit the Anne Frank Museum, but I would like to do that next time I go to Amsterdam. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Since our lesson today is about the Netherlands, let's take a closer look at this nation where the tulips grow, the windmills turn and the sea tries to drown it all. 
Besides calling it the Netherlands, a lot of people call it Holland. 
So the question is: Are Holland and the Netherlands one and the same? 
Before we answer that, we might also consider the question: Are England and the United Kingdom one and the same? 
And the answer to both questions is "No." They are not the same. 
Holland is actually a small part of the Netherlands, just as England is one part of the United Kingdom. 
North Holland and South Holland are just two of 12 provinces of the Netherlands. 
So calling the Netherlands Holland might be like calling the United States Dakota. 
But unlike North and South Dakota, which are mostly empty, the two Hollands are the most populated provinces in the Netherlands. 
Major cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague are located in these two provinces. 
So if you have ever been to the Netherlands, chances are that you have also been to Holland. 
So, to review, the country is called the Netherlands. 
The people are Dutch. 
They speak Dutch. 
There is no country called Holland, but there are provinces of North and South Holland. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.16.B

So far today we've been talking about the local culture here in the Netherlands and especially in Amsterdam. 
You can go and visit the Rijksmuseum and take a look at some famous paintings by people like Rembrandt and Vincent van Gogh. 
And of course you can learn a little bit of history as well in this city. 
Visit the Oude Kerk, or the "old church," that dates from 1306. 
Or you can go to the Anne Frank Museum and learn more about the history and the experience of one person in the Second World War. 
Well, it's time for us now to learn more about Enjoy the Netherlands. 
Enjoy the Netherlands. 
Get out of the city. 
What about the wooden shoes and windmills? 
If you want to really see the Netherlands, take a bus. 
About 25 kilometers north of Amsterdam is the town of Marken. 
Even today, some of the residents can be seen sporting the Dutch costume. 
Look for ladies in long black skirts, striped aprons, lace caps and, yes, even wooden shoes! 
In fact, you can learn how the old-fashioned footwear is carved and buy a pair for yourself. 
That does sound like a very interesting thing to do while you're in the Netherlands. 
But this next section we have here is titled: Get out of the city. 
So we've spent some time exploring Amsterdam. 
And now it is time to leave the city because, what did we talk about yesterday? 
People think about wooden shoes and windmills. 
Right, Gabe? 
That's right. 
So what about the wooden shoes and windmills? 
This is what we've been wanting to talk about. 
What about that thing that is on your mind already? 
OK. So let's continue. 
If you want to really see the Netherlands, take a bus. 
All right. 
So of course we learned yesterday that one way of traveling is by pedaling on a bicycle. 
But what else can you do? 
You can take the bus if you really want to see the Netherlands. 
And about 25 kilometers north of Amsterdam is the town of Marken. 
So you can take a bus just 25 kilometers north. 
And even today, some of the residents can be seen sporting the Dutch costume. 
So if you want to see the more traditional clothing, the Dutch costume, you can go to this city Marken, where they might be sporting these clothes. 
Well, let's take a look that word from our Word Bank: to sport something. 
Usually I think of sporting clothes or something that you take with you like maybe a backpack. 
That means you are wearing it for... for other people to see you're... just because that's... that's what you wear. 
And so you might say he sported his new backpack. 
He wanted to show everyone his new backpack. 
That's right. 
Or maybe you really enjoy fashion, and you want to make sure that you are sporting this season's latest style so that you aren't behind in fashion. 
But here they are sporting the Dutch costume which is very traditional. 
And so because it's traditional, the people that live there or the residents are sporting these costumes. 
So a resident is someone who lives somewhere. 
And if you are new in a country, maybe you can become a resident of that country by living there for a long time. 
There are ways to become a resident of a certain country or a city. 
That's right. 
Well, if you go to Marken, make sure that you look for ladies in long black skirts, striped aprons, lace caps and, yes, even wooden shoes. 
All right. 
Well, I can just imagine these people right now. 
Long black skirts, striped aprons. 
Of course, an apron is what you might use when you are cooking or in the kitchen. 
Or maybe even someone who's making pottery will wear an apron to keep his clothes from getting dirty. 
But what else might they be wearing, Carolyn? 
Well, a lace cap. 
And a cap is a kind of hat. 
And these caps are made out of lace. 
And yes, they might even be wearing the wooden shoes that the Netherlands are so famous for. 
That's right. 
In fact, you can learn how the old-fashioned footwear is carved and buy a pair for yourself. 
So it's not just the residents who might be wearing these shoes. 
Of course tourists might also buy these shoes. 
Let's take a look at this word from our Word Bank. 
It is "carve." When you carve something, you are making it. 
You're using a knife, you are carving something out of maybe wood or stone or some other kind of material and... giving it a certain shape. 
That's right. 
So you can carve these pieces of wood and make them into shoes. 
Would you be interested in wearing these shoes, Gabe? 
Would you want to wear a pair of carved wooden shoes? 
You know, I have no idea, Carolyn. 
I've seen other people wear them. 
There's a picture of Naomi here wearing them. 
I don't know how comfortable they are. 
I really care about comfort, so. 
I don't know if I would buy one of these pairs of wooden shoes. 
But they do certainly look interesting. 
Well, maybe if you were to go there and they were to measure your feet, they could carve it just to fit your foot. 
Yeah. 
No one else could wear it because they would be your shoes. 
That's true. 
They could carve the shoes just for me. 
But I would have to make sure the inside had like... had something soft and comfortable so that my feet stay comfortable. 
I could wear them here on Studio Classroom. 
That would be kind of cool. 
Well, hey, Carolyn, what else could you carve? 
Do you ever carve pumpkins at Halloween? 
Well, actually yes, I really like to carve pumpkins. 
You could also carve things out of clay. 
Maybe you want to make a beautiful sculpture, you should carve it first. 
And then you can have some beautiful artwork. 
And maybe it will even be shown in a gallery. 
That's a great idea - Get your artwork shown in a gallery. 
Well, friends, it's time for us to enjoy a review skit now. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Oh. Thinking about the Netherlands is wonderful. 
It is. 
Well, if you like art, think about this. 
Think about what? 
Well, there is a newly renovated art museum with a collection of famous Dutch paintings. 
Oh! What should I look for? 
Look for Rembrandt's impressive Night Watch. 
It fills a whole wall. 
There it is. 
I can see it in my mind. 
Anything else? 
Oh, yes. 
Check out Vincent Van Gogh Gallery. 
View some of the world's best-loved paintings. 
I can just imagine. Wow! 
What about history? 
History? 
Well, think about this. 
There is an old church there that dates from 1306. 
Wow! That's 700 years of history to think about. 
Uh-huh. And around the corner is the home of Anne Frank. 
Oh, the young Jewish girl who penned a diary. 
Yes. 
Her family's hiding place is now a museum. 
I enjoy thinking about the Netherlands. 
But wait, what about the wooden shoes? 
What about the windmills? 
Yes, what about those? 
Well, take a bus to the town of Marken. 
You'll see residents sporting the Dutch costume. 
Oh, great. 
So what should I look for? 
Well, look for ladies in long black skirts, aprons, caps and wooden shoes. 
Yes. Oh, I can see it now! 
Thinking about the Netherlands is really fun. 
Yes. Well, you don't have to just think about it. 
You can actually go. 
What?! 
I'm a travel agent. 
I can sign you up for a trip to the Netherlands right now. 
What do you think? 
Well, since I've been thinking about it so much, I guess I really don't need to go. 
Thanks, anyway. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's return to our teachers. 
Well, on the second day of this article Enjoy the Netherlands, we've been learning a lot about culture and history, 
different kinds of art and different clothing that people wear in the Netherlands. 
Now Gabe, we talked a little bit about the traditional clothing worn in the city of Marken. 
And I wonder, do people from your hometown or in the United States still wear traditional clothing? 
In the United States? 
There are certain groups I'm thinking of. 
The Amish, maybe in Pennsylvania or Ohio. 
The people there still wear traditional clothes, very nice. 
The guys wear suits. 
The ladies wear dresses and some of these lace caps as well. 
What else can you think of, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times when I think of traditional clothing, I just think of blue jeans. 
Blue jeans were used by workers because they lasted a long time, and they're still quite popular today. 
It's true. 
They are quite popular. 
Well, how would you answer that question? 
Do you know of anybody who still wears traditional clothing in your country? 
We have more to learn about the Netherlands next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.07.17.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for the third day of our lesson Enjoy the Netherlands. 
And there certainly is a lot to enjoy in the Netherlands, and there are many ways to enjoy the Netherlands. 
Something that we discussed on the first day of this lesson was how you could take a bicycle and pedal through the streets of Amsterdam or actually many cities. 
Or you can watch others bicycle and carry many items. 
Something else that you might think of when you think of the Netherlands are windmills and wooden shoes. 
And of course you might see blue-and-white ceramics and other things like that. 
Well, Carolyn, what is something else we learned about the Netherlands? 
Well, yesterday we learned a little bit about culture and history in the Netherlands, so. 
We talked about beautiful paintings that you can see at museums or art galleries. 
And we also talked a little bit about people who are still sporting the Dutch costume, and they are wearing wooden shoes. 
So when you think of wooden shoes..., it is true, you can find them in the Netherlands, and there are people still wearing them. 
That's right. 
Well, today we're going to be talking about something a little bit different. 
Let's get started with our first section called Low Land. 
Enjoy the Netherlands. 
Low land. 
Marken used to be an island but is now a peninsula. 
For 2,000 years, the Dutch have been taking back land from the sea. 
Using a system of dikes and pumps, they have actually made the country bigger. 
In Marken, stand on top of a dike to see how much lower the land is than the sea. 
All right. 
We've been talking about low land here. 
Let's go to the beginning. 
Marken used to be an island but is now a peninsula. 
So what is an island and what is a peninsula? 
What's the difference here, Carolyn? 
Well, an island is a piece of land that is completely surrounded by water. 
But a peninsula is a piece of land that is only surrounded by water on three sides, not all four. 
So part of this island is now connected to the land. 
OK. So that is the difference, OK? 
I think of Florida, the state of Florida, when I think of a peninsula. 
A lot of it is surrounded by water, but of course it's connected to the mainland. 
And this place Marken used to be an island surrounded by water. 
But we found out something here. 
Carolyn, what does the next sentence say? 
Well, for 2,000 years, the Dutch have been taking back land from the sea. 
So they've been using something to get land back out of the sea and try to make the country bigger. 
That's right. 
What did they use? 
Well, using a system of dikes and pumps, they have actually made the country bigger, which is quite remarkable, quite incredible. 
Let's take a look at that key word. 
It is "system." A system is a method of doing something. 
So how else could you use that word "system"? 
Where could you use that word? 
Well, a system here is something that works together, a system of dikes and pumps. 
So they have to connect and work together. 
And I think of a computer system. 
Maybe you have lots of wires, lots of things are connected together so that you can do things easier. 
And those connections allow you to do many, many things. 
So if you have an advanced computer system, maybe you are connected to the Internet, you're connected to Wi-Fi. 
You don't have cords. 
You have a very new system. 
That's right. 
So that's one kind of system. 
I think of systems within our human bodies like the nervous system, the respiratory system, these things that work together for a purpose. 
And of course, sometimes if you work in an office, it can seem or act like a system. 
There is a system within your company. 
That's right. 
Well, this system of dikes and pumps have been used to make the country bigger. 
So they've removed water and put it outside of these walls, outside of the dikes so that the country has become larger. 
That's right. 
And of course, a dike is something that is used to prevent floods. 
And they have developed a way of using these things that is very effective, and that makes this country bigger. 
We continue learning about Marken. 
In Marken, stand on top of a dike to see how much lower the land is than the sea. 
Well, it's quite interesting. 
This is one of very few places in the world where the land is lower than the sea level. 
Yes. It would be very difficult in most places for the land to be below sea level since the water would come in. 
But they have this great system here that prevents it from happening. 
And you can see that the land is lower than the sea. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.17.B

We have just finished the first section of the third day, the last day of our article Enjoy the Netherlands. 
This section is called Low Land. 
And it is certainly a low land here in Marken where you can look from the top of a dike and look down and see how much lower the land is than the sea. 
The water is actually higher than the land here because they have been taking back land from the sea using a special system. 
Well, we have lots more to learn about the Netherlands in our last section of this article. 
Enjoy the Netherlands. 
Time for lunch! 
Being surrounded by the sea means that fish is on the menu. 
Try the most famous local delicacy if you dare: pickled herring. 
The Dutch way to eat these small fish? 
Tip your head back, dip the entire fish into your mouth, and eat it directly off the bone. 
Don't forget those wheels of cheese! 
You can see how they are made in Marken and perhaps buy a sample to take home. 
Treat yourself to some rich Dutch chocolate or a mouthwatering stroopwafel (a caramel wafer cookie) for dessert. 
Then continue on over bridges and through tiny alleys in this traditional town. 
Well, so far we've had a little taste of the Netherlands with this lesson. 
Let's take a look more closely at this last section, OK? 
It's called Time for Lunch! 
Of course if you're visiting a certain country or a certain area, you should try the local food. 
So it's time for lunch, time to get something to eat. 
Carolyn, how do we begin? 
Well, we see that being surrounded by the sea means that fish is on the menu. 
And we just talked about how this area has become a peninsula, although it used to be an island. 
And that means that you are surrounded by the sea, and fish is going to be on the menu. 
That right. 
And this phrase "on the menu" is kind of used as slang here, OK, because there's no S on the end of "menu." You can say that. 
It's on the menu. 
That means most restaurants have menus that will have fish or seafood. 
So it's on the menu, you can have it for lunch. 
That's right. 
And we are going to be talking about one of the most famous local foods: 
Try the most famous local delicacy if you dare: pickled herring. 
So, yes, it is "if you dare," you can try to eat this local delicacy. 
And let's look at that word from our Word Bank, the word "delicacy." What does it mean, Gabe? 
Well, a delicacy, I think of a kind of food, it's a very special food specific to a certain area. 
So if you're visiting the Netherlands or if you're visiting Marken especially, then they will have this delicacy: pickled herring. 
But what is a delicacy from where you are or where you live? 
I think that some places like sea cucumber. 
That's a delicacy. 
People like to eat it. 
I don't, but I know lots of people that like to eat sea cucumber. 
It's a delicacy in certain areas. 
What's another kind of delicacy, Carolyn? 
Well, I know that when I was in Japan, I was given a type of sushi that was considered to be a delicacy. 
It was sea urchin. 
Interesting. 
And my sister loves it, but I didn't think it was very good. 
But it is a delicacy because it is something that is very special and unique to a culture or a place. 
That's right. 
And we find out that pickled herring is a delicacy. 
Try it if you dare. 
So we see our author Naomi is telling us maybe it's not something that everyone likes to do because you need to dare or have courage to do it. 
Let's take a look at this phrase a little more closely in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article the writer states: 
Try the most famous local delicacy if you dare: pickled herring. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
And today we're looking at the phrase "if you dare." It's an expression that means "if you're not afraid to try." So going back to today's sentence, 
the writer is saying that if you're not afraid to try, you should sample pickled herring, which is the most famous local delicacy. 
Use this expression "if you dare" whenever you want to challenge someone or introduce them to something challenging or uncommon. 
For example: Sample the snack foods at the open market if you dare; it's where locals like to eat but the place is not clean at all. 
Or: Catch the night train if you dare; it is often crowded but the ticket is inexpensive. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Bye-bye. 
Well, would you dare to try this local delicacy, the pickled herring? 
Now how should we eat these? 
Naomi writes: The Dutch way to eat these small fish? 
So asking the question how do you eat these small pickled herrings. 
Gabe, how do you eat them? 
Well, what you need to do, Carolyn, is tip your head back, dip the entire fish into your mouth, and eat it directly off the bone. 
And that should give you a delicious, and maybe sour, pickled herring. 
Because if something is pickled, it might be sour. 
I think I would dare to eat it if I was in Marken but not otherwise. 
Oh, I see. 
Well, we do have some really great words there. 
You should tip your head back, and dip the whole fish in your mouth. 
Now if you dip something, then you make a downward motion with it. 
You put it down and then bring it back up. 
What are some things that you might dip, Gabe? 
Ooh, some things you might dip... You might dip your feet into the pool just for a second. 
You don't want to go swimming. 
You don't want to get your whole body wet. 
You just want to dip your feet in for a few minutes. 
This word can also be a noun because of that downward motion. 
You have a chip, and you are putting it into the dip. 
That's called dipping it. 
And so sometimes they call that the dip, the dip for your chips. 
That's right. 
Well, dip can be delicious. 
You can also dip things into a sauce. 
So maybe you have French fries, you can dip your fries into some ketchup. 
So there you have the word "dip." And here we are dipping the fish, the whole fish, into your mouth, and then eating it off the bone. 
That's right, directly, directly off the bone. 
You don't need any forks or knives, you just eat it directly straight off the bone. 
Sounds very interesting. 
Would you like to try pickled herring, Carolyn? 
Well, I don't think I will try it. 
But maybe if I were to go to Marken and it was a local delicacy, I might have to try it. 
Now don't forget those wheels of cheese. 
We had mentioned before that you can buy rounds of cheese. 
And here we have wheels of cheese. 
Wheels of cheese or rounds of cheese. 
Of course you get the idea or the image that these things are round, of course. 
Marken... well, we're talking about the cheese in Marken. 
You can see how they are made in Marken and perhaps buy a sample to take home. 
So if you've seen these rounds of cheese, well, Marken is one place where they make them, you can go and see how they make them and take a sample. 
This word can also be a verb. 
You can sample something. 
Maybe you like to sample things. 
Uh, Carolyn, where could you sample something? 
Well, a lot of fairs or expos will have stands that have little samples that you can try before you buy something. 
So maybe you are walking by and there are all sorts of different kinds of foods laid out, and you can sample a little piece of each one for free. 
That's right. 
And I think some supermarkets do the same thing. 
When they are trying to sell a certain product, they will have free samples for you to try. 
So you can buy a sample of this cheese and take it home. 
Well, how do we continue? 
It says to treat yourself to some rich Dutch chocolate or a mouthwatering stroopwafel (a caramel wafer cookie) for dessert. 
Oh. Well, these sound very delicious, Gabe. 
They do sound delicious. 
They sound like Dutch treats. 
Get it? Because treat is a kind of dessert and... well, we're talking about Dutch things like stroopwafels, which are caramel wafer cookies. 
Well, Carolyn, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: a wafer. 
What is a wafer? 
Well, a wafer is a kind of biscuit that's usually small and round and flat. 
And I usually think of vanilla wafers when I hear... (Mmm, those are delicious.) this word. 
They are very delicious, a kind of sweet vanilla cookie. 
Mmhm. Now when I think of a stroopwafel... I've had stroopwafels before. 
Actually, you can get them in many different countries. 
But I think they did originate in the Netherlands. 
And a stroopwafel usually has a waffle kind of shape. 
There are tiny little dents within or on top of these cookies, these wafers. 
And they're made with caramel. 
They are absolutely delicious, a great thing to have for dessert. 
Well, it does sound delicious. 
Perhaps I will have to go buy one. 
But until then, it is time for us to join Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Today we're going to talk about something that may seem insignificant, but it's still important. 
Steve, what happens when you see a pan of freshly baked cookies that was just pulled out of the oven? 
Well, if there are walnuts in them, my mouth would start to water. 
And what do we call that water? 
We call it saliva. 
Notice, friends, it's not "mouth water" even though we say our mouth is watering. 
That water has a name - saliva. 
Another word we can use to describe the mouthwatering process is salivate, S-A-L-I-V-A-T-E. 
And salivate comes from the word "saliva." Notice "water" is used as a verb when we say something is making our mouth water. 
Yes, it's something the mouth does. 
Your mouth waters when you smell the cookies. 
For the two words... I'm sorry, put the two words together and we get the adjective mouthwatering, meaning food that is pleasing to our sense of tastes. 
Right. 
I can say the cookies look mouthwatering. 
Or the aroma of the cookies is mouthwatering. 
Another word we often use is "appetizing." That means the cookies look and smell so good that we can't wait to eat them. 
Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, we're continuing to learn about Marken and what you can eat there. 
And then, of course, we finish: 
Then continue on over bridges and through tiny alleys in this traditional town. 
So there's lots to do in Marken, not just eat. 
Of course you can continue on through... over bridges and through these tiny little alleys. 
Of course like I said before, a lot of things in the Netherlands are built small. 
The houses are kind of small. 
They're not huge. 
And so the alleys would also be tiny. 
Well, this sounds like a really nice place to visit, a great place to enjoy local Dutch culture while you visit the Netherlands. 
Well, Marken does sound like a great place to visit. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's head back to our teachers now. 
The past three days we've been talking all about different ways to enjoy visiting the Netherlands and the many things that you can see and do while you're there. 
Now Gabe, you mentioned that your sister lives in the Netherlands and that you've been to the Netherlands. 
What are some of your favorite things to do there or to see? 
Well, let's see, I did get a chance to ride my sister's bicycle. 
And that was great because, one, it's great exercise and, two, the Netherlands really does have nice scenery. 
There are lots of trees along the sidewalks. 
And they... they come over the sidewalks, and so it's wonderful to bike through those um, lanes and those sidewalks. 
Another thing that I liked was visiting historic places with my sister. 
Of course she took me to Amsterdam, and I got to see some different things there. 
There's too much to say. 
You should go and visit the Netherlands, Carolyn. 
Well, I think I will have to put it on my list of places to go visit. 
And we're very glad that you have joined us here on Studio Classroom for this lesson on the Netherlands. 
We'll see you again here next time. 
Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.07.18.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And we're glad that you could join us for an interesting lesson today about how English is taking some words from a sport. OK. 
The title is Swing into Golf Idioms. 
OK. We're going to be learning about some English idioms today that come from the sport golf. 
Well, I do wonder if you have ever played golf. 
Carolyn, have you ever played golf? 
Well, I've played putt-putt golf, and I've walked around on a golf course. 
There were a lot of beautiful golf courses in West Virginia, and I've been on a few of them. 
But I have not actually played the game of golf. 
You know, neither have I. 
I like golf courses, too. 
I like riding around in the carts on golf courses. 
I, too, have played what Carolyn just called "putt-putt golf." It's not a real golf game. 
It's actually quite fun. 
It's similar. 
You can look it up sometime. 
But today we're going to be learning about some idioms that come from the sport of golf. 
So, let's get right into our lesson. 
Swing into Golf Idioms. 
Golf has introduced some interesting phrases into English. 
Today top golfers will compete in the sport's oldest major tournament, the British Open. 
Also called The Open, this year's tournament will take place over the next four days. 
Golf fan or not, you can still thank the sport for adding some colorful phrases to the English language. 
Par for the course. 
Golf courses set the number of strokes required to put the ball in each hole and to finish the entire course. 
To make par for the course, a player must finish the course within a set number of strokes. 
Well, how are you doing? 
Are you par for the course? 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of our article. 
Golf has introduced some interesting phrases into English. 
And it certainly has. 
We're going to be learning all about them. 
Today top golfers will compete in the sport's oldest major tournament, the British Open. 
Well, let's take a look at that good word there. 
It's from our Word Bank: tournament. 
If you enjoy sports and you enjoy competing against others, then maybe you have participated in a tournament of some kind. 
Usually it's held at one place. 
But it could be held at a place over many days. 
And what kind of sports do you like to play? 
I remember when I was in high school on the basketball team, we had basketball tournaments. 
Many schools would show up at our school and play basketball against each other. 
That's right. 
So a tournament is a big game between many different teams to see who is the best in the region. 
And here this one is talking about the British Open, and it is golf's oldest major tournament. 
They want to determine who is the best golfer. 
That's right. 
Well, you know there are other kinds of tournaments, too. 
If you enjoy playing card games or chess and there's the competition, that's also called a tournament - to determine who is the best. 
Well, let's continue learning about this. 
Also called The Open, this year's tournament will take place over the next couple of days... actually the next four days. 
So the British Open is also called The Open. 
That's right. 
And it is a very big tournament if it takes four days. 
Golf fan or not, you can still thank the sport for adding some colorful phrases to the English language. 
So whether or not you are a fan of golf, it doesn't matter, you can still thank this sport for some very interesting phrases that we use in English. 
Well, I think we need to look at a word from that sentence. 
The word is "colorful." Usually I use this word when I'm thinking about a painting or a drawing, something that I can see with my eyes. 
Oh, your clothes are very colorful. 
But how can you use this word in other ways, Carolyn? 
Well, here we're talking about colorful phrases in a language. 
You might also talk about emotions being colorful. 
Maybe someone has a lot of different emotions. 
They have colorful emotions. 
It's true. 
Maybe someone has a colorful personality. 
They're very interesting to spend time with because of their colorful personality. 
Or maybe someone is sharing a story. 
It's not boring at all. 
It's quite a colorful or interesting story. 
So what's the first idiom we're going to talk about here? 
Par for the course. 
Golf courses set the number of strokes required to put the ball in each hole and to finish the entire course. 
Now in that sentence we see a word from our Word Bank, the word "stroke." Now what is a stroke, Gabe? 
Well, a stroke is when you use your hand or arm in a sport. 
Many sports you might have some strokes, and then you hit something like a ball. 
So in golf, then you have a number of strokes. 
That means you swing your golf club. 
That is considered a stroke. 
That's right. 
And so if you swing your golf club once, that is one stroke. 
And each golf course will set their own number of strokes for that course, and that is called par. 
That's right. 
And let's continue learning about par. 
To make par for the course, a player must finish the course within the set number of strokes. 
So they tell you how many strokes you're allowed. 
And if you can do it in... under the number that they give you, then you make par for the course, which is a good thing. 
You want to do have less amount of strokes, not... not more amount of strokes. 
That's right. 
Well, right now it is time for us to go join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.18.B

We're swinging into golf idioms today. 
And of course we learned that the British Open is this week. 
This will take place over the next couple of days. 
I don't know if you have a chance to watch it or not, but it should be a pretty exciting tournament. 
OK. Now I don't know if you're a golf fan or not, but you can still thank this sport for giving us some English idioms. 
One we are looking at right now is "par for the course." We've learned what this means. 
And if you make par for the course, that means you finish the course within the set number of strokes. 
All right. Now we're going to learn what it means in the English language. 
Here we go. 
Swing into Golf Idioms. 
Likewise, in daily life, par for the course refers to things or people meeting expectations. 
For example, one could say, "Jane usually gets good grades. 
Her high score today is par for the course.". 
Above and below/under par. 
Let's assume par for an 18-hole course is 72. 
Using only 70 strokes would be two strokes under par while finishing in 74 would be two strokes over par. 
Finishing under par is good; above par is bad - in golf. 
In daily life, however, something that's below par has failed to meet expectations. 
So avoid restaurants with service that's below par, and pick ones with above par food. 
We are learning a lot about the word "par" and how it is used in idioms in English. 
So let's go back to the beginning of this section: par for the course in English. 
Likewise, in daily life, par for the course refers to things or people meeting expectations. 
Now in this sentence here we see the word "refer." And that is from our Word Bank. 
What does it mean to refer to something, Gabe? 
Well, that means you are talking about something. 
So maybe it's not right in front of you, but you're talking about something else in life. 
You referring to it. 
For instance, maybe you want to refer to something that was written in a book, something that was written in a famous book. 
You're referring to this when you're sharing a story. 
So it's not your own story. 
You're referring to something else. 
That's right. 
So you're talking about something that is related in some way and making a connection between the two things. 
So here par for the course refers to people or things that meet expectations, so. 
They do what you think they are going to do. 
For example, one could say: Jane usually gets good grades. 
So what does that mean, Gabe, if Jane usually gets good grades? 
How can you use this phrase? 
Well, if Jane usually gets good grades, then that means she is doing really well. OK. 
Her high score today is par for the course. 
That means it's expected of her. 
She always gets good grades, so of course her high score, her hundred percent is par for the course. 
Well, I want to take a look at a word earlier that we used. 
It is the word "likewise." OK. 
So likewise, in daily life, par for the course refers to this. 
Likewise means in the same way. 
In the same way that you use it in golf, it's used in daily life. 
That's right. 
And I think that in the example sentence we just used, "Jane usually gets good grades. 
Her high score today is par for the course," there's a little something that Steve and Ken would like to tell us about in the Information Cloud. 
As I talk with students, I sometimes make a mental note of words they mispronounce. 
If I hear them often enough, I'll write them down. 
Let's look at a few. 
The first is the adverb "usually," which I sometimes hear pronounced as your-ly. 
It's a tough word to say correctly, even for some native English speakers. 
"Usually" actually has two pronunciations. 
Right. 
You could say it with three syllables: usu-al-ly, or four syllables: us-u-al-ly. 
But the important thing is to enunciate that ZH sound. 
Right. 
OK. While we're on the topic, let's mention another frequently mispronounced word: ask. 
Too often I hear people say aks. 
Now we know it takes extra effort with the tongue to generate that K sound right after the S... 
We also know there are more and more people who are defending the X pronunciation saying it's acceptable. 
But as English teachers, we must insist on its standard pronunciation - ask. 
OK. Finally, the word practice. 
I sometimes hear it said pra-tiks. 
You know, my guess is people mix up the two Cs. 
You're probably right, Ken. 
The first C has a hard "k" sound while the second a "s" sound. 
Practice. 
(Chinese). 
All right. 
I hope you do go to a restaurant that is above par next time you go out. 
Let's take a look more closely at this idiom: above and below or under par. 
Let's assume par for an 18-hole course is 72. 
Before we continue this example, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: to assume something. 
Usually I use this word when I think about assuming something that I don't know for sure, like: 
I assume that our friend is coming soon. 
I'm not sure. 
But I assume he's on his way. 
Here it's used a little bit differently. 
It kind of means to pretend. 
Let's pretend or let's say, for example, that the par is 72. 
How could you use this word "assume," Carolyn? 
Well, here it is being used kind of like example. 
You can pretend that it is true, not that you actually think it is true, but let's just say, let's assume, so. 
Let's assume that we're going to the movies this weekend. 
If that were true, what movie would you want to see? 
Oh, good. I like that question. 
There are many movies I would like to see. 
And I like the phrase that Carolyn used just now. 
She also said "Let's say." You could say that here, "let's assume" or "let's say" when you're sharing an example about something. 
OK. So let's assume the... the par for an 18-hole course is 72. 
Using only 70 strokes would be two strokes under par while finishing in 74 would be two strokes over par. 
It seems simple enough. 
That does seem simple enough. 
And we find out which one is good and which one is not. 
Finishing under par is good; above par is bad - in golf. 
So only in golf you want to have a lower number of strokes. 
You want to be below or under par, not above par. 
That's right. 
You see that dash there. 
That means it's emphasizing. 
It's only this way in golf. 
You see, in daily life, however, something that's below par has failed to meet expectations. 
In golf, if it's below par, it's good. 
In real life, if it's below par, it's bad. 
That's right. 
So avoid restaurants with service that's below par and pick ones with above par food. 
So if you ask someone how the restaurant was: 
Oh. What did you think of their food? 
Well actually, it was a bit below par. 
Gabe, would you want to eat at that restaurant? 
No, I would not want to eat at that restaurant. 
The food was below par. 
This makes me think of another word that is very similar. 
Some people also say it was subpar because "sub" means below. 
S-U-B-P-A-R. 
The food was just so-so. 
It was subpar. 
That's right. 
So we want to make sure that we go to places with above par food or above par service. 
Gabe, what did you think of the movie you watched last week? 
Was it above or below par? 
Now see, Carolyn, that was a great movie. 
That movie was amazing. 
Of course it was above par. 
It met my expectations. 
I would recommend it to anybody. 
It was above par. 
Well, that is great. 
So if something is above par, then it is better than what you expected. 
If it is below par, then it does not quite meet what you thought it would be. 
That's right. 
Well, friends, if you are curious about the usage of this word par and what this means, there is more information in the sidebar on page 36 of your magazines. 
So you can go there for more information. 
Right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Hey! 
Isn't golf great? 
Well... yes. 
Are you a fan? 
No, not really. 
But golf has added some colorful phrases to the English language. 
Such as? 
Par for the course. 
Do you know what that means? 
Well, yes, of course. 
Every golfer knows that. 
Par for the course is the number of strokes it should take to play a game of golf. 
It's the expected number of strokes. 
That's right. 
And that phrase means the same in English. 
If someone does what's expected, it's par for the course. 
But wait. 
Even if you're not talking about golf? 
Right. 
For example, students have lots of homework. 
It's par for the course. 
Students are expected to have a lot of homework. 
Yeah, I get it. 
Hey, tell me another English phrase that comes from golf. 
OK. Under par and over par. 
In golf, under par means your score is lower. 
That's good. 
Yes. A lower score in golf is good. 
Over par means you took more strokes. 
And that's bad. 
Right. 
But in English, it's the opposite. 
The opposite? 
Yeah. 
Under par means you didn't do something as well as expected. 
Huh? 
And over par means you did better than expected. 
What?! 
Why is the meaning opposite in English? 
Because English is confusing. 
It's par for the course. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
Today we've been talking about a couple of different idioms in the English language that come from the sport of golf. 
We talked about something being par for the course as well as above or below or under par. 
But those aren't the only idioms in English that use the word "par," are they, Gabe? 
No. It's true. 
Another one that I can think of is the phrase up to par. 
That means if it is meeting someone's expectations just about right. 
It's not above par. 
It's not below par. 
It is up to par. 
That means it's OK. 
It can be used it meets our expectations. 
So it is right at where you expect it to be. 
You might also say on par. 
Is something on par with something else? 
That just means is it the same or does it also meet your expectations. 
That's right. 
Maybe they can compete each other if they're on par. 
I'm on par with you. 
That means we can compete with each other and maybe have a good match. 
Well, it's time for us to say goodbye. 
But we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.07.19.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And we're glad that you could join us for the second day of our lesson learning about golf idioms. 
We are swinging into golf idioms. 
Now I do wonder if you have ever seen a golf game, or maybe you've seen a golf tournament in person. 
Or maybe you've seen one on TV. 
Maybe you're watching the British Open this year. 
Carolyn, have you ever seen a golf match or a golf game? 
Was there anything unique about this? 
Well, I have seen golf matches on TV. 
And something very interesting that I noticed while I'm watching is that the people are usually behind some sort of barrier or fence so that they aren't getting in the way of the players. 
And when the player does well, they clap. 
But it's not a loud clap like maybe what you would have at a play, but a very soft clap just in the palm of their hand, very quiet, called a golf clap. 
A golf clap, very calm, very polite. 
You have good manners because you don't want to be too loud at a golf tournament. 
The golfers need to focus. 
OK. Well, of course we're going to learn some more idioms that come from the sport of golf. 
Actually, even in our title "Swing into golf idioms," that's kind of an idiom, too. 
So let's swing into the lesson right now. 
Swing into Golf Idioms. 
Tee off and tee somebody off. 
When a golfer begins a game, he places a golf ball atop a tee before hitting it. 
So teeing off refers to beginning a golf game, but it can also refer to starting other kinds of activities. 
For example, your boss might tee off a meeting by telling a joke. 
While teeing off refers to making a start both in golf and in life, teeing somebody off is quite different. 
When you tee somebody off, you make them angry. 
Causing a friend to miss a golf shot would undoubtedly tee her off! 
And you know what, if you clap louder than a golf clap... at a golf tournament, that would undoubtedly tee the golfer off. 
Well, let's take a little more close... a closer look at these idioms: to tee off and tee somebody off. 
When a golfer begins a game, he places a golf ball atop a tee before hitting it. 
There's a word there from our Word Bank. 
Carolyn, what does "atop" mean? 
Well, atop means to be on top of something. 
Yeah. 
So you see that word "top," T-O-P. 
Atop just to... just means to be on top of it. 
Mmhm. That's right. 
So if you can use a phrase "it is on top of" something, then you could also say it is atop that thing. 
Do you see that hat atop his head? 
It is quite a funny-looking hat. 
Oh! Look up in the tree. 
There's a little birdie atop the branch on that tree. 
That's right. 
So this is a very fun word that you can use, "atop," just means that it is on top. 
Well, the golfers place a ball atop a tee before hitting it. 
So teeing off refers to beginning a golf game. 
But it can also refer to starting other kinds of activities. 
So when you tee off in a golf match, it means that you start the game. 
You place the ball atop the tee or on top of the tee and you swing; the golf match has started. 
All right, with teeing off. 
Now you can use this in real life: 
For example, as our article says, your boss might tee off a meeting by telling a joke. 
OK. So he begins the meeting by telling a joke. 
Usually it's nice to tee off class or tee off meetings with something light or humorous like a joke. 
What are some other ways that you could tee off your class if you are teaching? 
That's right. 
So you can just give a fun introduction to make the students feel at ease. 
Or maybe you are having a meeting, you can tee off with a joke. 
Just begin with something easy and lighthearted to make everyone feel comfortable. 
Well, continuing on: 
While teeing off refers to making a start both in golf and in life, teeing somebody off is quite different. 
It's true. 
This is not a joke. 
It's not something lighthearted. 
When you tee somebody off, you make them angry. 
That's what it means. 
She really teed me off. 
I'm angry. 
Well, we don't want to make you too angry, Gabe. 
We do not want to tee you off. 
And continuing we see that when you tee somebody off, you make somebody angry. 
And causing a friend to miss a golf shot would undoubtedly tee her off. 
So if you make your friend miss their golf shot when they are swinging to hit the ball, it would undoubtedly tee her off. 
Let's look at that word. 
It's a very interesting word. 
Gabe, what does it mean? 
Well, that means there's no doubt about something. 
This will happen for sure; it's certain. 
Undoubtedly it will happen. 
For example, you could say Sampson is undoubtedly the strongest person in our class. 
There's no question about it. 
He's big. 
He's strong. 
He's undoubtedly the strongest person in class. 
That's right. 
And perhaps if you're watching the British Open this week, you will be able to undoubtedly find out who is the best golfer. 
He is undoubtedly the winner. 
He clearly won the match. 
That's right. 
Well, how else can you use this phrase? 
I think maybe your friend will undoubtedly be happy to see you. 
You haven't seen each other in a long time. 
Undoubtedly she will be very happy to see you. 
Well, I want to go back to that other phrase that we talked about earlier: teeing off. 
So to begin a process or begin something. 
Maybe there are different ways to tee off a class. 
I think a fun way to tee off class would be to play a game. 
Carolyn, do you like playing games? 
I do like playing games. 
And this can be a very great way to tee off a class. 
It could also be a great way to tee off a review session, so. 
Maybe you are studying for a test. 
But before you just start reading and trying to memorize facts, 
maybe you could tee off with a game that helps you to recall or remember some of the things you've learned. 
These are great ideas. 
Because when you're learning another language, like English, of course you want to learn and master the language. 
But you also want it to be fun. 
And if you're teaching another language or teaching anything for that matter, sometimes it's good to tee off class with something fun like a game or like a joke. 
That's right. 
Well, we do want to make sure that you are teed off things well and in a good way and not teeing someone else off. 
This is not something you want to do. 
Well, we are going to tee off the next part of our lesson by joining Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Earlier this month we introduced you to Janus, the ancient Roman god whose name forms the root of our English word January. 
His name Janus is also associated with special kinds of words - Janus words. 
Now a Janus word is a word that has opposite meanings, 
which is fitting because, if you remember, Janus is depicted as having two faces that look in opposite directions. 
So Janus words are also known as autoantonyms because they act as their own antonyms. 
OK. The word "off," which we see eight times in today's lesson, is a good example. 
Two of its meanings are contrary to each other. 
One meaning of "off" is deactivated, like when we turn something off. 
Its opposite meaning is activated, like when a bomb goes off. 
See? The same word, same spelling, same pronunciation but two meanings that contradict each other. 
Another example is the verb "clip." It can mean two separate as in clip the coupon from the newspaper. 
But it also means to join as in clip the music sheets together. 
There are dozens of Janus words like dust, bolt, can, fix and weather. 
Can you think of many others? 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.19.B

Today we are continuing our lesson on Swing into Golf Idioms learning all about idioms from the game of golf. 
We've already talked about tee off and tee somebody off today. 
Those are two very different idioms. 
If you tee off, that means that you start something. 
And we hope that you will tee off your next class with something fun. 
If you tee somebody off, then you make them very angry. 
And we hope that that is not something you will be doing anytime soon. 
Well, we have another great idiom coming up in the next part of our lesson: hole in one. 
Swing into Golf Idioms. 
Hole in one. 
Making a hole in one requires hitting the ball into the hole - 365 meters or so away - in a single stroke. 
Talk about accuracy! 
A hole in one can also describe something that is successful the first time. 
Someone who acquires a great job on their first interview just got a hole in one! 
Who knows? 
One of the golfers competing in The Open over the next few days might hit a hole in one, too! 
All right. 
We're making a hole in one here. 
We're going to do this in one shot, and we will succeed. 
OK. Hole in one. 
Making a hole in one requires hitting the ball into the hole - 365 meters or so away - in a single stroke. 
OK. So this is a wonderful thing when you're playing golf to make a hole in one. 
That's right. 
It is certainly not something that is easy to do because you only have one stroke, one stroke to hit a small ball into the hole 365 meters or so away. 
And we see that it says "or so" because it might be more than that or it might be less. 
That's right. 
You could use that phrase "or so" in other ways. 
You might talk about your class. 
You class has 30 people or so. 
There's probably a few more than 30. 
But you could say it just has 30 people or so. 
That's right. 
So it just means "about" or "approximately," words that we've talked about before. 
And this is done in a single stroke. 
The next sentence says: Talk about accuracy! 
And that is a word we want to talk about from our Word Bank. 
Accuracy means that it is very accurate. 
So this is not about a certain number. 
It is exact. 
Exactly. 
Very good. Accuracy. 
And Carolyn also used the adjective form of this word, accurate. 
A-C-C-U-R-A-T-E. 
If someone gives you a question or asks a question, and they want an exact answer, they might ask for an accurate answer. 
Especially in math, your answers need to be accurate or exact. 
That's right. 
So if something is accurate, then there are no mistakes. 
And if you are able to hit a small ball into a hole that is 365 meters away, you are very accurate. 
You have great accuracy. 
It's true. 
Now is accuracy important for everything in life? 
Well, not really. 
Some things don't need to be exact. 
If you're on stage and you're acting, it doesn't need to be accurate. 
You're just going with how you feel sometimes. 
Other things do need to have more accuracy. 
Like if you're playing music on a musical instrument, you need to hit the exact notes. 
Those need to be accurate. 
You have accuracy there. 
So think about the things in life that require accuracy and the things that don't. 
Well, in that sentence about accuracy, it was a very short one, only three words: Talk about accuracy! 
And I think that Liz has something she wants to talk about in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
And here's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Talk about accuracy! 
Our focus is on the phrase at the beginning of the sentence: talk about. 
Normally when we say "talk about," we mean having people share what they think about a subject, like: 
Let's talk about our weekend plans. 
But in today's sentence, the writer is not saying that readers should discuss the subject of accuracy. 
Instead, "talk about" is an informal expression we use to show something is a clear example. 
So, going back to today's sentence, the writer is commenting on how putting the ball into the hole with just one stroke is a great demonstration of accuracy. 
OK. Let's look at some more examples. 
I was shocked when I heard the awful news; Talk about tragedy! 
Or: The restaurant messed up our order and then blamed us for their mistake; talk about ridiculous! 
Be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
Bye-bye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, we're continuing to learn about a hole in one. 
A hole in one can also describe something that is successful the first time. 
So the very first time that you do it, maybe it's challenging, it's difficult, but you succeed. 
You did a great job. 
You got a hole in one. 
That's right. 
And the next sentence gives us an example of a hole in one. 
Someone who acquires a great job on their first interview just got a hole in one because it's not easy to get a good job on your very first interview. 
But if you are able to acquire one that way, then you got a hole in one. 
It's a great accomplishment. 
And of course this word "acquire" means to get something by working for it usually. 
You acquire something, but... and maybe it wasn't too easy to get. 
So for example, you could say: 
How did you acquire so much money? 
How did you get all that? 
How did you acquire it? 
Well, you must have worked very hard to acquire it. 
You can also acquire skills. 
Maybe you are learning how to play the piano, and you practice every day. 
You can acquire the skill of becoming a great pianist. 
Well, I... I wanted to acquire the skill of being a good piano player or a pianist, but I gave up after a few years. 
However, I still have the skill of playing drums. 
That's one skill that I acquired. 
Some people also talk about acquired tastes. 
You use this word kind of like an adjective. 
An acquired taste is a taste that maybe you didn't like it first, but you've grown to enjoy it and maybe even love it. 
It's an acquired taste. 
Carolyn, let's see, what is something that... ooh, have you ever had (Chinese), stinky tofu? 
I have eaten stinky tofu before. 
And it is not a taste I have acquired. 
No? 
Oh, OK. 
Well, it is a taste that some people have acquired. 
They have grown to enjoy it. 
It's not my favorite, but now I will eat it. 
I'm acquiring a taste for it. 
Oh. Now I remember! 
I was thinking about cilantro. 
There's a certain kind of herb that I didn't use to like but I've acquired a taste for it. 
So now I enjoy it. 
Well, that is great. 
You can acquire taste for many different things. 
And going back to our idiom here - a hole in one. 
Who knows? 
One of the golfers competing in The Open over the next few days might hit a hole in one, too. 
Have you ever hit a hole in one? 
Think about that. 
Talk about it in English. 
Have you ever made something on the first try? 
You were able to succeed after just one try. 
You got a hole in one. 
And of course you feel great after you hit a hole in one. 
Well, there is a question here. 
It says: Who knows? 
So who knows? 
That means we're not sure yet. 
One day we will know, especially when the British Open is done for this year. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
Well, we've learned a number of idioms here over the last couple of days. 
Of course our idiom in the title is swing into something. 
And of course we have par for the course, above and below or under par, tee off or tee somebody off, and a hole in one. 
Did you learn any new idiom these last couple of days, maybe some idioms that you will use in the future? 
Carolyn, what do you think about these idioms? 
Well, these are very useful idioms. 
I especially find myself using "above or below par" fairly often when I'm trying to describe things to my friends or give my opinion about something. 
You know, I do, too. 
And usually I'll say: Oh. That's... that's subpar, or it's not up to par. 
But you know what, some people also like to use these other idioms. 
See if you can slip it into your conversations sometime within the next week. 
Try using these golf idioms. 
Thank you for joining us here today. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.07.20.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
Thank you for joining us for today's lesson all about Beetle Bottles. 
Well, we're going to be learning about a little bug that is found in Africa, and how it is changing or influencing technology. 
And I wonder, how do animals influence technology? 
Do you think that animals can influence technology, Carolyn? 
Well, I think that a lot of the inventions that we have are inspired by animals. 
Maybe you look at armor that soldiers swear. 
Well, it kind of reminds me of armor that certain animals have. 
Uh, there is an armadillo, and it has plates along its skin that protects it. 
And it's very similar to old forms of armor. 
Now there was another animal that we talked about before, Gabe. 
Do you remember what it was? 
That's right, the cuttlefish, nicknamed the chameleon of the sea, that inspires fashion, the clothes that people wear, 
and maybe camouflaging yourself if you are in the military. 
And of course something else that was inspired by animals was airplanes - birds in the sky. 
We want to fly just like they do. 
And so people figured out how we, as humans, could also fly in airplanes. 
Well, of course I think animals can inspire and improve technology in many ways. 
Let's take a look at one example in today's lesson - the Beetle Bottle. 
(Music). 
Beetle Bottles. 
One little bug might be the start of a big change. 
In a bleak, lonely desert on Africa's southwestern coast, black insects push up their shells toward the sun. 
But these Namib Desert beetles aren't just trying to relax - this action gives them much needed water in one of Earth's driest areas. 
On their raised backs, the beetles collect moisture from the morning fog, which beads and rolls directly into their mouths. 
While these remarkable creatures are built for survival, some young scientists think that the beetles inspire a solution to human water stress today. 
NBD (Namib Beetle Design) Nanotechnologies is the name of this ambitious group, giving credit where it is due. 
(Music). 
This does sound like a very interesting little beetle. 
So let's go back up to the very top, it says: 
One little bug might be the start of a big change. 
So just a tiny bug could have a very big impact on a lot of things, it sounds like. 
Gabe, how does the article begin? 
Well, the scene is set here. 
In a bleak, lonely desert on Africa's southwestern coast, black insects push up their shells toward the sun. 
So you can imagine that here, these little insects, these beetles are pushing up their shells toward the sun. 
Now at the beginning of the sentence, we saw a word from our Word Bank. 
It is "bleak." And that's a great way to describe many deserts - bleak. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if something is bleak, then it's very empty and kind of lonely. 
There's really nothing around that you can see. 
And a desert landscape is usually pretty bleak. 
There aren't very many trees, if any at all. 
That's right. 
This word "bleak" makes me think of a Christmas carol or a song called In the Bleak Midwinter. 
It's true, sometimes winter can be described as bleak as well. 
It provides little encouragement. 
It's just cold and dark. 
It's bleak. 
Well, here we're talking about something cool actually, this Mamib Desert beetle. 
So we continue with the lesson. 
But these Namib Desert beetles aren't just trying to relax - this action gives them much needed water in one of Earth's driest areas. 
That's right. 
So the beetles are pushing their backs or their shells toward the sun. 
And that might seem like a relaxing position. 
But that is not what they're doing. 
They are trying to give themselves much needed water because they're in a desert, and it is one of Earth's driest areas. 
Now it is very interesting the way that they are able to get water by just raising up their shells. 
How does that happen, Gabe? 
Well, as we read here, on their raised backs, the beetles collect moisture from the morning fog. 
OK. So they are getting moisture. 
Every morning there is fog. Well, that's good. 
And they're collecting the moisture here. 
Now it's not like a collection of things that you get; you're trying to collect things. 
This just means that you get it... the beetles have this moisture from the morning fog. 
And it builds up. 
That's right. 
And the sentence continues. 
This morning fog, the moisture they collect from the morning fog, which beads and rolls directly into their mouths. 
So these drops of water turn into small beads. 
And the bead is just a very round drop of water, and it rolls right into their mouth. 
That's right. 
Now this word "bead" is used as a verb here. 
They bead and roll. 
But usually I see it as a noun. 
You might talk about little beads of sweat that form on your forehead when you're playing a sport or when you're exercising. 
Beads of sweat. 
But here, it's a verb as well. 
That's right. 
Well, in the next sentence we see: 
While these remarkable features are built for survival, some young scientists think that the beetles inspire a solution to human water stress today. 
So the beetles aren't doing this because it's something cool to do. 
They're doing it because they need to in order to survive because there's not much water for them to drink. 
That's right. 
And these remarkable creatures are built for survival. 
That means they're made for survivial. 
They're made like this just so that they can survive. 
It's very important for them. 
But of course, they inspire a solution to human water stress today. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
What is the human water stress today? 
Well, there are a lot of people in the world, which means that we need a lot of water to drink because it's important for our own survival to drink water. 
And we are putting stress on the amount of water in the world. 
There might not be enough fresh water for people to drink to support the population. 
So they're trying to find ways to increase the amount of available water. 
That's right. 
And maybe we can learn something from these little beetles. 
Well, we continue. 
NBD (or Namib Beetle Design) Nanotechnologies is the name of this ambitious group giving credit where it is due. 
OK. So these NBD Nanotechnology... (nano is something small), so Nanotechnology is a name of an ambitious group. 
They're very ambitious. 
They have a great task ahead of them, something important that they want to accomplish. 
That's right. 
And they give credit where it is due. 
And that is a really great phrase. 
"To give credit where credit is due" means that you don't take all of the credit for yourself if someone else helped you or gave you the idea. 
You say: Oh. Well actually, I was inspired to do this by someone else. 
We were inspired to do this by the Namib beetle. 
You give credit where something is due, or where credit is due. 
And you see at the end of movies, there's the list of credits, the people that you give credit to for making the movie. 
Giving credit where credit is due. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.20.B

We're talking all about Beetle Bottles today, and how they are helping to improve technology. 
Something that we can learn from beetle bottles is maybe how to collect water in a certain way that can maybe help the human water problem that we have today, 
especially in many countries, there is a shortage of water. 
How can we learn from these little creatures? 
Well, let's continue learning in the next part of our lesson for today. 
(Music). 
Beetle Bottles. 
Though the little Namibian creatures were the stimulus for the development of several water-collection materials or devices, 
NBD Nano is putting their own stamp on the idea. 
They want to create a portable bottle that will collect water from the air as the beetles do. 
To achieve this, they have created a nano-designed surface imitating the beetle's wings, made up of both water-attracting and water-resistant parts. 
Once they have a working prototype, it will likely first be sold to green consumers, military groups and greenhouses. 
However, NBD Nano really hopes these sales will allow "beetle bottles" to be donated to Third-World countries - a very honorable goal. 
(Music). 
That is a very honorable goal, something wonderful that they could be doing with these beetle bottles. 
Well, going to the beginning of this section: 
Though the little Namibian creatures were the stimulus for the development of several water-collection materials or devices, 
NBD Nano is putting their own stamp on the idea. 
Now that's quite a long sentence. 
And at the beginning of this sentence, we saw that these creatures were the stimulus for the development of some different things. 
Now "stimulus" is from our Word Bank. 
What is a stimulus, Gabe? 
Well, the stimulus for something is the initial or the beginning cause of something. 
So this is the stimulus, or it stimulated an idea for this kind of technology. 
Well, stimulus is the beginning cause for something. 
So it could inspire something that you do. 
It's the beginning cause. 
Now we learned about the cuttlefish earlier this year. 
And this was a stimulus. 
This creature in the sea was a stimulus for certain kinds of clothes that we might wear in the future - the cuttlefish fashion. 
This is a stimulus. 
That's right. 
Well, maybe you can think about what is your stimulus for learning English. 
What is the reason that you wanted to start learning? 
Maybe your stimulus is to travel abroad. 
You want to go abroad. 
You want to go to other countries. 
And learning English would be helpful. 
So it's kind of like a motivation as well, your stimulus for doing something. 
Well, later on in the sentence: 
NBD Technology... NBD Nanotechnologies is putting their own stamp on the idea. 
OK. So many people are trying to learn from the beetle bottle, but NBD Nano is putting their stamp on the idea. 
Let's take a look at this phrase and learn something new with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
And here's today's Grammar Tip sentence: 
NBD Nano is putting their own stamp on the idea. 
Our focus is on the phrase: to put one's stamp on something. 
A stamp is that little piece of paper we stick on an envelope to mail it. 
It can also be that thing we press to leave a print on something. 
But in today's sentence, "stamp" means a way to show that something belongs to you or has your unique quality. 
So in today's article, the idea of collecting water did not come from NBD Nano. 
However, NBD Nano has taken the idea and developed something that is uniquely their own. 
They have put own stamp on the idea. 
Use this phrase "to put one's stamp on something" when you want to talk about how something has a unique quality or belongs to someone in a special way. 
For example: 
The band put their stamp on a popular children's song, and the song became a hit overnight. 
Or: The restaurant put its stamp on a traditional Chinese dish by adding western ingredients to it. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Bye-bye. 
Have you put your own stamp on something just like NBD Nano? 
Well, they want to create a portable bottle that will collect water from the air as the beetles do. 
So they want to use this ability of the beetles to just collect water out of the air so that they can make a portable water bottle that can do the same thing. 
That's right. 
And of course water bottles should be portable. 
"Portable" just means you can take it with you from place to place. 
It's easy to do that. 
And of course, I think beetles... or these beetles can teach us how to do this. 
We continue. 
To achieve this, they have created a nano-designed surface imitating the beetle's wings made up of both water-attracting and water-resisting parts. 
So we're learning a lot from this animal. 
Of course there are water-attracting parts. 
That means it attracts water. 
And water-resisting. 
That means it keeps the water out. 
That's right. 
And this is a very interesting way to collect water. 
So it pulls the water in, it attracts it. 
And then pushes it away so that the beetles can drink it. 
And this company is using a nano-designed technology that... or a nano-designed surface to imitate the beetle's wings. 
Now it says that once they have a working prototype, it will likely first be sold to green consumers, military groups and greenhouses. 
That's right. 
Well, let's take a look at this word from our Word Bank. 
It is "prototype." And a prototype is like the first model that you make. 
Maybe it's not perfect. 
Maybe it doesn't look like the one you want to sell, but it is functional. 
You see how you can use it - the prototype. 
That's right. 
So it's the first version of something. 
And it's a good way to start a new invention. 
You need to have a prototype to see what needs to be improved. 
Now however, NBD Nano really hopes these sales will allow "beetle bottles" to be donated to Third-World countries - a very honorable goal. 
So they're going to sell them to many different people like green consumers, military groups and greenhouses. 
But it seems like in the end, they really want to donate the bottles to Third-World countries. 
It's true. And let's take a look at that word. 
The word is "donate." When you donate something, that means you have something of value and you're giving it to someone else who needs it. 
You donate something. 
Carolyn, do you ever donate anything like money or clothes to other people? 
Well, I do. 
I often make donations. 
I donate money to different organizations that I support. 
And here they want to donate bottles to people who maybe can't find fresh, clean water. 
And that is indeed a very honorable goal. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll join Michelle. 
When people talk about the poorest countries of the world, they often refer to them as Third-World countries. 
Steve, where does this description come from? 
Well, Ken, we have to go back in history a little to after World War II when the world split into two large spheres of influence with opposing views of government. 
One sphere consisted of the American-influenced democratic industrial countries, which became known as the First World. 
Right. 
The other sphere, the Second-World countries, were nations influenced by the Soviet Union like the communist-socialist states of Eastern Europe. 
And all the remaining nations not aligned with either the U.S. or the Soviet Union were regarded as Third-World countries. 
Today you might hear "Third World" to describe the developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. 
A Third-World country may be characterized by a high infant mortality rate, low economic development, 
high levels of poverty and heavy dependence on industrialized nations. 
Also, the terms First World and Second World are not used much anymore these days since the Soviet Union no longer exists. 
And we should also bear in mind that there is no official definition of Third-World country. 
So what's a better term to use? 
We can use "developing country" or "lower-income country". 
(Chinese). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
Today they've been talking about beetle bottles, a very interesting new technology that could really help with water stress in our world today, 
and could be donated to people in Third-World countries. 
Now would you want to buy one of these beetle bottles? 
What do you think about this, Gabe? 
Would you buy one? 
Well, Carolyn, it does sound very interesting, but I would want to make sure that these beetle bottles could also keep pollution out. 
You want to make sure you're living in a clean area if you're going to use a bottle that takes moisture from the air to drink. 
I think that's important to think about. 
Well, that is very important to consider. 
And I wonder, maybe you should write them a letter and tell them your suggestions, Gabe. 
That's a very honorable idea, Carolyn. 
Well, that is all for today here on Studio Classroom. 
But we will see you again next time. 
Think about these beetlebottles!

2013.07.22.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for a lesson I think is very important. 
The title is called "Why Community College?" Now a lot of people think that after they graduate from senior high school, the next step is university. 
Well, we're going to be learning about another kind of school - community college - and why someone thinks it could be a possibility, 
and it could be important or a good choice. 
Now what are some reasons why you think it's important to go to college? 
Or what are some things to consider when you are thinking about attending a university? 
Well, it is a good idea to go to college to further your education, continue learning. 
And it can help you to get a good job. 
But some of the things you want to think about when deciding which school to go to is what you are interested in. 
What major do you want to go into? 
What do you want to study? 
Another important one is how much will it cost. 
Will you be able to pay for that school? 
Or is there another school with a good program that is less expensive? 
Those are good things to think about. 
Something that I thought about when I was choosing between two universities was what had a better program for the things I was interested in. 
Also, who was close by? 
I ended up going to a university that was close to some relatives of mine. 
So there are many different things you might consider. 
But why community college? 
Let's get started with today's lesson. 
Why Community College? 
Do you have to start at a four-year university? 
Before we moved to the U.S., we did some research regarding the children's future studies. 
My elder daughter, Michelle, had just graduated from high school. 
What would be her best choice for a college education? 
After much discussion, we decided on community college. 
Why did we make this choice? 
Many think community colleges are only for senior citizens after retirement. 
Well, yes and no. 
Most community colleges provide lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. 
They offer some non-credit courses like art and computer skills for those interested in personal enrichment. 
Well, today's article does ask an interesting question: Why Community College? 
Sometimes you might see this question being asked "why something?" It's not really a full sentence or a full question. 
But it means: Why go to community college? 
Or why did you choose to go to community college? 
Many people respond to this question with "Why not?" Why not go to community college? 
Or why not do something else? 
That's right. 
So you could respond just by saying: Why not? 
It was a good choice. 
Well, we see another question there at the beginning: Do you have to start at a four-year university? 
Do you have to go and do something that most everybody else is doing or what everyone is telling you to do? 
Everyone encourages people to go to university after graduating from high school. 
But community college could be a good choice. 
That's right. 
And we start reading in our article: 
Before we moved to the U.S., we did some research regarding the children's future studies. 
Well, this is a very good idea. 
If you're going to be moving, you want to make sure that there are good education options where you are going. 
That's right. 
So they did some research regarding the children's future studies. 
Now when I see the word "studies," I usually use it as a verb. 
I am studying, or I'm doing my homework. 
But here we see it as a noun. 
So your studies can refer to your schooling of some kind or your education, future education. 
That's right. 
And we learn that the author says: My elder daughter, Michelle, had just graduated from high school. 
So it sounds like Michelle will be planning on going to college or university. 
But what would be her best option? 
Gabe, what does the next question say? 
Well, what would be her best choice for a college education? 
That's right. 
It is an option. 
She has many options to choose from. 
And we continue. 
After much discussion, we decided on community college. 
Carolyn, I like this. 
It's not just that her daughter Michelle decided or that her parents made the decision. 
It says "we" decided. 
That's right. 
So they discussed the options. 
They talked about them. 
Well, where would you like to go? 
What do you want to study? 
What are your goals? 
And also, what the parents' concerns were as well. 
So there was open discussion. 
They talked about the different options and decided on community college. 
And why did we make this choice? 
We continue. 
Many think community colleges are only for senior citizens after retirement. 
Well, I guess that's something that a lot of people think when they think about community colleges. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: retirement. 
And retirement is when someone is elderly, they're getting older and they no longer work. 
They are retired. 
They're in their retirement years. 
That's right. So retirement is what you do after you finish working. 
Usually it is related to age, or maybe you get hurt on the job and you need to retire. 
So a lot of people think that community college are for... community colleges are for people who are retired or for senior citizens after retirement. 
That's right. 
Now I want to correct myself. 
I said retirement is for elderly people. 
Actually, I know some people who have retired early. 
At an early age they just stopped working and they can retire. 
Well, we see a response here to this idea. 
Pauline writes: Well, yes and no. 
And I think we're going to learn more about this phrase or this kind of sentence in the Information Cloud. 
When we're young, our lives are simple, and we have simple ways of categorizing our life experiences. 
A behavior is either right or it's wrong. 
An event is either fun or boring. 
An answer is either yes or no. 
Never is it a little yes and a little no. 
Right. 
But as we grow older, the day arrives when we realize life really isn't as simple as that. 
For you, that day might be today - when our author tells us the correct response to a statement is both yes and no at the same time. 
So how does that work? 
OK. "Yes and no" sounds like a contradiction. 
But it's really just a phrase that indicates the topic being discussed is more misunderstood, ambiguous or complicated than it appears. 
Now if you ever use the "yes and no" response, you are signaling to your listeners or your readers that more clarification is coming. 
So after your yes and no response, be ready to do some explaining. 
Start by going through the yes reasons, and then move on to the no reasons - just as our author does in the remainder of the second paragraph. 
(Chinese). 
Yes and no. 
So while it may be true, there are some other things that need to be considered or thought about. 
And we continue reading: 
Most community colleges provide lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. 
So not just people who have retired or are senior citizens but people from all walks of life. 
And we see a nice phrase in there: It provides lifelong learning opportunities. 
So let's look at that. 
Gabe, what does it mean to have lifelong learning? 
Well, I like this idea. 
The idea is that we never stop learning. 
In a sense, we are students for life. 
I know some people don't like the idea of being called a student. 
I'm working now. I have a Ph.D. 
But hey, you might be a student for life because you can continue learning. 
And that's what this idea is, lifelong learning. 
That's right. 
So there are always opportunities to continue learning something new. 
It's not really possible for you to know everything there is. 
So you can continue to get an education at community colleges no matter what walk of life you are from. 
And this is a great phrase that Liz would like to tell us more about in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this sentence: 
Most community colleges provide lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase at the end of the sentence: all walks of life. 
It's an expression we use to mean people from all social, economic, or ethnic groups. 
So going back to today's sentence, the writer is saying that most community colleges provide learning opportunities for anyone. 
Use this phrase "all walks of life" when you want to talk about a situation that involves all kinds of people. 
For example: 
At any major international airport, you can see people from all walks of life. 
Or: Going to the public park is a great place to see people from all walks of life. 
If you want to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Bye-bye. 
Thank you. 
Well, we continue learning about community colleges. 
They offer some non-credit courses like art and computer skills for those interested in personal enrichment. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "credit." Now at a university, you are trying to accomplish and achieve something. 
And to do that, you need to have credits and pass your classes. 
And each of those classes has a certain amount of credits. 
That's right. 
So usually at a college or university, one hour of class is equal to one credit for that class. 
And many classes are three credits, so you have three hours of class in one week. 
And a lot of places, it's normal for you to have 15 credits for a semester, or you have 15 hours of class in one week. 
But these are non-credit courses, so you don't get a credit when you take them. 
That's right. It's just for personal enrichment. 
And enrichment is just something that makes you a better person, something that exercises your brain in some area. 
Well, it's time for us to take a break. 
But before that, let's visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.22.B

In our lesson today called "Why Community College?" Pauline is sharing about how her and her family decided that it was best for her daughter, 
Michelle, to go to a community college for her first college experience. 
And she's sharing about the pros of going to a community college. 
Why community college? 
Many people think that it's for senior citizens after retirement. 
And yes, it's true. 
There are many opportunities to learn things and to have enrichment in certain areas. 
But it's more than that. 
Let's continue learning about this in the next part of our lesson. 
(Music). 
Why Community College? 
But in America, a community college is also a perfect place to earn an associate's degree. 
You can also get a certificate for a career or improve your job skills. 
And you can transfer credits to a four-year university. 
My daughter's goal is to pursue a bachelor's degree. 
She plans to take the necessary general education courses in community college in two years. 
Then she will transfer to a four-year university. 
It sounds like her daughter Michelle has a very interesting and good plan for her own education. 
Now going to the beginning of this section: 
But in America, a community college is also a perfect place to earn an associate's degree. 
And this is very true. 
It is a great place to earn an associate's degree, which is a word from our Word Bank. 
An associate's degree is a two-year degree that you can earn from a college or university. 
That's right. 
And some associate's degrees can be very great for you, for your working future or for your career. 
For instance, if you get an associate's degree in the health care field of some kind, there could be good job security. 
And also, you have less student debt, of course. 
After studying for only two years, there is less debt to pay off. 
That's right. 
And there are many degrees that are very popular in nursing, accounting, business and learning many, many other things that you only need a two-year degree for. 
Well, continuing on: 
You can also get a certificate for a career or improve your job skills. 
And a certificate is just an official piece of paper that says that you have this skill or ability. 
Well, let's continue. 
And you can transfer credits to a four-year university. 
That's a great reason to go to a community college because from most community colleges, you can transfer to a four-year university of your choice. 
That's right. 
And that sounds like what Michelle wants to do. 
She says: My daughter's goal is to pursue a bachelor's degree. 
So Michelle wants to get a bachelor's degree, which is another word from our Word Bank. 
Now a bachelor's degree is a four-year degree from a college or university. 
So the associate's was two years, and a bachelor's is four. 
That's right. 
So you have to take a lot more credits. 
And you usually have a major, you can have a minor as well. 
Usually it takes four years. 
That's the average. 
Sometimes it takes some people longer, depending on the program or the pace of your learning. 
It could also take a lot shorter time as well, like three years. 
Some people decide to go through university in three years, and they do a lot in those three years. 
They're really, really busy. 
Yes, they are. 
Well, Michelle, we find out that she plans to take the necessary general education courses in community college in two years. 
So she will take the general education that she needs for a regular college. 
And she'll do that at a community college instead in just two years. 
That's right. 
And sometimes we refer to general education courses as "Gen Ed." G-E-N, and then E-D, Gen Ed courses. 
And then she will transfer to a four-year university. 
So that is the plan. 
Well, I think it's time for us to enjoy a little video. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers now. 
Today we've been talking about why community college and the education goals that we need to think about when we want to have more education, 
when we want to go to a college or university after high school. 
Now what are your education goals? 
Do you have things that you want to study in the future? 
Gabe, what about you? 
Do you have education goals? 
Well, see, I have so many different things in mind, things that I want to do and improve in. 
I've thought about going to get my MFA, master's of fine arts, in theater, and maybe even getting a teaching certificate to teach something like this. 
But I don't have to get further education at something big like a university. 
I love playing drums, too. 
My education goals is to continue learning with my drum coach or my drum instructor. 
Well, there are many things that you can continue learning. 
And we hope that you will continue learning with us right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you next time. 
(Music).

2013.07.23.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson titled Why Community College? 
We've started looking at this idea of going to community college and how it can be a good thing. 
There are great reasons to go to a community college. 
Carolyn, would you ever recommend that someone go to a community college, and why? 
Well, actually I think that community colleges can be really good, 
especially for people who are international students or they want to improve some of their skills before going to an actual college. 
I know that the school that I went to had a lot of international students, 
and they had to pay full tuition for classes that just helped them to learn English so that they could finish their other classes. 
But if you go to a community college to improve your English to prepare for real college classes or more advanced college classes for a bachelor's degree, it could be really helpful. 
OK. That's a great point. 
Price is definitely something you want to consider when you're thinking about going to a university, 
especially if you're an international student transferring to a university or going to a university in the West. 
Community colleges could be a good option for you. 
OK. Let's get started with today's lesson - Why Community College? 
Why Community College? 
There are several advantages to attending a community college. 
First, the tuition is lower than a four-year university, especially if you're a resident. 
Residents pay the in-county or in-state tuition rate. 
Second, the credits are mostly transferrable to a four-year university. 
You transfer in as a sophomore or junior. 
Last, smaller class sizes mean students have more chances to talk with their professors. 
After admission, Michelle, along with most other international students, took tests in English, reading and math. 
OK. We'll learn more about what happened after Michelle's admission later. 
But first, let's talk about some advantages to going to a community college. 
There are several advantages to attending a community college. 
And of course there are advantages to learning with Studio Classroom - you get to learn words like "advantage." This is from our Word Bank. 
An advantage is the way that something is better. 
It's a pro or a benefit to doing something, an advantage. 
That's right. 
It is a good thing, a good quality about something. 
And there are many advantages to going to community college as we will learn about in our lesson today. 
There are also many advantages to learning English. 
Maybe you want to go abroad and talk to people who speak English. 
Learning English has many, many good things that you can use it for. 
That's right. 
So these are some advantages. 
Of course, the opposite is a disadvantage. 
D-I-S, and then advantage. 
A disadvantage is something that isn't good about what you're doing. 
It's not helpful. 
So of course there are advantages and disadvantages to almost everything in life. 
With every coin, there are two sides, right? 
So here we're talking about the advantage of going to a community college, or the advantages. 
How do we continue, Carolyn? 
Well, we list several different advantages. 
First, the tuition is lower than a four-year university, especially if you are a resident. 
So if you are a resident, that means that you live there. 
And if you are a resident, it's very cheap, or less expensive, to pay for a community college than a four-year university. 
That's right. 
The tuition is lower, so you don't pay as much. 
Well, we continue learning. 
Residents pay the in-county or in-state tuition rate. 
OK. So these are the people that live there in the county or in the state. 
And it is a little bit cheaper for them. 
That's right. 
Second, the credits are mostly transferrable to a four-year university. 
So most of the credits, maybe not all of them, can be transferred from your community college to a four-year university to count toward your bachelor's degree. 
That's right. 
Now when I was a junior at my university, I made some friends with some transfer students. 
They were students who had just transferred to my university. 
And sometimes some of their credits didn't transfer. 
They didn't count in a four-year university. 
So again, you have to look at which university you are going to, and it really depends which community college you go to as well. 
That's right. 
But we find out that you can transfer in as a sophomore or junior. 
So if you transfer in as a sophomore or junior, that means that you are at the second or third year in the bachelor's program. 
You don't start at the very beginning. 
That's right. 
Now let's take a look at some of those words. 
If you're at a university, a four-year university, the first year is called freshman. 
The second year is sophomore. 
Third year is junior. 
And what's the fourth year, Carolyn? 
The fourth year is your senior year. 
That's right, senior year. 
Now in the United States, actually high schools go by the same system because there are four-year high schools. 
Freshman, sophomore, junior, and you could say I'm a senior in high school. 
I'm going on to university next year. 
That's right. 
And continuing in the article, she lists one more reason: 
Last, smaller class sizes mean students have more chances to talk with their professors. 
So if you have a smaller class, there are fewer students, which means that you can talk to your professors more often, 
and maybe get some more information from them that you wouldn't be able to if you went to a large university. 
That's true. 
That is one great advantage. 
This is often called a student/teacher ratio. 
You can take the numbers of... of the amount of students, and then compare to the amount of teachers. 
So that way you can see how many teachers there are per student. 
If it's not very many students per teacher, you have a greater chance of talking with your professors and getting help one-on-one. 
That's right. 
So it's always an advantage to go to a smaller school if you want to have that personal interaction with your professors and be able to talk to them. 
Well, we find out that after admission, Michelle, along with most other international students, took tests in English, reading and math. 
So they had to take tests after their admission. 
All right. Well, let's take a look at that key word. 
It is "admission." And this just talks about getting into a university or a school. 
It refers to getting into that higher education. 
If you want to go to community college, of course, you need to have admission. 
The school will admit you, A-D-M-I-T, you into their university. 
That's right. 
So there is an admission process. 
You have to apply to go to school there. 
And then if you are accepted, then you receive a letter of admission or an admission letter saying that Congratulations! You are now a student at our school! 
So after admission, Michelle and many other international students had to take tests in English, reading and math. 
Yes. Well, I like most of these subjects. 
I'm not very good at math. 
Maybe I would have to take another math test to get in to pass and have admission into my next school. 
But I do like English. 
I hope you do, too. 
And I know that you are improving, you're doing a great job here at Studio Classroom and learning with us. 
Right now it's time for us to do something a little different and watch a video. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.23.B

Today we are continuing our article: Why Community College? 
Today we've been talking about several of the advantages of attending a community college. 
First among them was that tuition is lower than going to a four-year university. 
You can also transfer credits so that you come in at a higher level as well as having smaller class sizes so you can talk to your professors. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn in the next part of our reading for today. 
Why Community College? 
The advising department then reviewed the test results. 
They then put the students in an English language program to prepare them for an American college. 
The courses include writing/grammar, reading, speaking/listening and note-taking. 
Registration is completed, the tuition is paid, and an official student ID card is in hand. 
What's next? 
Attending new student orientation! 
A good community college is Michelle's choice for her first-year experience in American higher education. 
We support her and wish her a successful college life! 
Well, we wish you a successful college life as well, Michelle. 
Let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
We read: The advising department then reviewed the test results. 
So admission is done; Michelle is admitted. 
Now the advising department is reviewing the test results. 
Let's take a look at those words: advising department. 
This is from our Word Bank. 
And these words have to do with your university or school. 
That's right. 
And the advising apartment is the group of people that gives you advice on what classes you should take and maybe what courses you should think about majoring in. 
Where should you place your interests, and what teachers should you have while you're at that school? 
That's right. 
Now some of the people that work in the advising department, you might be able to call them counselors. 
For example, an academic counselor. 
You could talk with your academic counselor to figure out which classes you should take. 
Maybe they can even help you decide what major you should declare. 
So these people, the counselors, will work in the advising department. 
They can also be called academic advisors because they are in the advising department. 
They give advice, very similar words. 
Well, continuing on: 
They then put the students in an English language program to prepare them for an American college. 
So they looked over these test results and decided that many of the students should be in an English language program to help them be better prepared for a four-year university. 
And that is a great idea, especially if you're an international student. 
Everyone is at a different level with their English. 
OK, let's continue. 
The courses include writing/grammar, reading, speaking/listening and note-taking. 
Well, that sounds about normal. 
If you're learning a new language, these are the different categories that you would need to improve in. 
That is very true. 
These are all very important skills that you want to build when you are learning a language. 
And you'll see that it is writing (slash) grammar. 
That means that those two go together. 
They are not separate but they're taught in the same class. 
You also see that with speaking and listening. 
So you could read that as writing grammar or writing and grammar. 
Mmhm. That's right. 
That's a great point. 
And there's a category here I want to talk about: note-taking. 
That is pretty important. 
Sometimes if you're in a class or you're taking a class, maybe you can't make it one day. 
You could ask this question. 
You could ask your friends: 
Can you take notes for me while I'm gone? 
That is note-taking. 
That's right. 
And it is important to take good notes when you are in school. 
Especially when you are going into college, you want to make sure that you have good notes. 
Continuing on: 
Registration is completed, the tuition is paid, and an official student ID card is in hand. 
So it sounds like Michelle is almost ready to begin her college education. 
That's right. 
Her student ID card is in hand. 
Now it's written "in hand." I guess I would be thinking it's in Michelle's hand. 
But this is kind of an idiom. 
If you have something in hand, that means it's in your control. 
You're not going to lose it; it's in hand. 
That's right. 
So she has her student ID. 
Registration is complete. 
The tuition has been paid. 
So what's next? 
Gabe, what's next? 
What's next? 
Well, attending new student orientation! 
This could be a scary part of going to a new university, or an exciting part. 
You're getting to know the campus. 
You're getting to know other students. 
Most universities try to make orientation somewhat fun. 
Anyway, what's next right now? 
Well, it's time for us to go and visit Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud to talk more about that phrase: What's next? 
If today is Tuesday, July 23, when is next Friday? 
Believe it or not, there's a lot of disagreement over the correct answer to this very simple question. 
Some would say: Well, obviously, next Friday is just three days away, July 26, because it's the next Friday on the calendar. 
But others would say no. The 26 is this Friday. 
Next Friday is August 2. 
Confusing? 
Consider another example. 
I ask my 36-year-old friend what he wants for his next birthday. 
So which birthday am I referring to, his 37th birthday or his 38th? 
Again, it could go either way. 
We really need more information and some context to be certain. 
OK, last one. 
When you tell a taxi driver "Take the next right," do you mean the first available right-hand turn or the second? 
Many people would say the first. 
But I know there are literalists out there who would insist it's the second. 
Well, it is frustrating, we know. 
The meaning of "next" can be ambiguous. 
So we suggest the next time you encounter the word "next," get as much information as possible, like dates and street names, to avoid possible confusion. 
(Chinese). 
Next, we are going to continue with our article. 
A good community college is Michelle's choice for her first-year experience in American higher education. 
So her first experience in American "higher education." Let's look at those words from our Word Bank. 
Higher education just means beyond high school. 
So it could be college. 
It could be a master's degree, another Ph.D. program as you continue to learn outside of high school. 
That's right. 
You might talk about being a post-graduate student. 
You've got your Ph.D. 
You're getting your doctorate. 
And eventually, finally, you end up working at Studio Classroom. 
That is higher education. 
It is higher education as you continue to learn. 
You continue to grow outside of your high school or required learning. 
This is another level. 
It is above normal education, so. 
When you go to college, you are a part of higher education. 
All right. 
Well, we're going to find out more about this. 
We support her and wish her a successful life! 
Again, there's this idea that it's not just Michelle making a decision, it's not just the parents making a decision. 
We support her and wish her a successful college life. 
Again, Carolyn, this is Michelle's choice, right? 
She wants to go to a community college. 
That is what it sounds like. 
She has decided that she wants to start at a community college, and then transfer to a four-year program at a university or another college later on. 
That's right. 
Well, it is helpful to have your parents' support. 
Anyway, it's time for us to continue learning now with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Uh, another Michelle... our Studio Classroom Michelle. 
Here we go. 
(Chinese). 
Don't go away yet. 
Keep watching as our program continues. 
Well, we've been talking all about community colleges these last couple of days and the advantages to going to a community college. 
Now I wonder, Carolyn, would you ever personally go to a community college? 
Well, when I was looking at colleges, this was not something I really thought about. 
I wanted to go to a four-year university. 
But after learning more about community colleges, I think that this sounds like a pretty good idea. 
They've actually improved a lot. 
They keep adding new programs, and now a lot of them have language programs, so. 
Maybe I should have gone to a community college for my studies first. 
Well, sometimes I also think about this. 
I went to a four-year university. 
But looking back, I guess I could have gone to a community college for the first couple of years. 
That would have saved a lot of money, anyway. 
There are many advantages to community colleges. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And we'll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.07.24.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for a lesson in our BUSINESS START-UP series. 
And our lesson today is called "New Employees?" Now I know that many of you are interested in business. 
Maybe you even have your own business. 
And sometimes you might have to ask the question: Should I hire? 
Maybe you need to hire some new people to work at your company or to work for you. 
Do you think it would be easier to hire people to work for you or just to work by or for yourself? 
Tell me about it. Carolyn? 
Well, I really think it depends on what kind of business you have. 
If it's something like a handicraft business where you're making things, then it might be easier to just work by yourself. 
Although you might want someone to help you with selling the things that you make, so you might want to hire a couple of employees. 
Uh, I really think it depends on your business. 
That's true. 
You know, I am not very good at math or working with numbers or... 
You know, I think if I had a business, I would probably need to hire an accountant, someone who could help me with that side of things. 
But what about you? 
Would you hire somebody or just work by yourself? 
Well, let's get into our lesson: New Employees? 
(Music). 
New Employees? 
Hiring new employees isn't as easy as it seems. 
With his company growing, Ben thinks it might be time to hire some employees. 
But hiring employees is a big step, and Uncle Bob has some important words of warning for him. 
Hi, Ben! 
How are you today? 
I'm great! Thanks for asking. 
How's the business coming along? 
Well, it's growing by leaps and bounds. 
In fact, I'm having a hard time getting all the work done, and I need help. 
I thought you had some help. 
Don't you have a few people working for you? 
Yes and no. 
We have a few freelancers we use on projects, but I need some full-time help. 
Wow. Hiring full-time employees is a big step for a young company. 
Are you ready for it? 
(Music). 
That is a big step, and you want to make sure that you are ready for it. 
We're, of course, talking about hiring new employees. 
And hiring new employees isn't as easy as it seems. 
There are a lot of challenges that come along when you are hiring employees. 
Now Gabe, we have a few sentences here that kind of set the scene for our conversation. 
Would you like to read those? 
Yes, of course. 
This is a little bit of background. 
With his company growing, Ben thinks it might be time to hire some employees. 
But hiring employees is a big step, and Uncle Bob has some important words of warning for him. 
Of course hiring employees, getting new workers is a big step. 
That's a very important step in your business. 
And this person - Uncle Bob - has words of warning for him. 
That's right. 
And this is a very fun phrase that you can use: words of warning. 
I like it because it has the two W's. 
And if you have words of warning, that means that you want to caution someone. 
You want to tell them to really stop and think, and maybe even warn them of potential problems. 
It's true. 
So those are words of warning to warn other people. 
You could use this word "words of..." or these two words in other ways. 
You could talk about having words of encouragement for somebody, or maybe words of advice for somebody. 
Or maybe someone really wise is giving you words of wisdom. 
That's right. 
But here we are talking about words of warning, and Uncle Bob has some of these for his nephew Ben. 
Well, let's start our conversation. 
Gabe, who would you like to be today? 
Oh, today I'll be Uncle Bob. 
I love Uncle Bob. 
So Uncle Bob begins. 
Hi, Ben! 
How are you today? 
I'm great! 
Thanks for asking. 
How's the business coming along? 
Well, it's growing by leaps and bounds. 
Hold on there a second, Ben. 
Let me interrupt you. 
We need to talk about this word from our Word Bank. 
Actually, it's a phrase: to do something by leaps and bounds. 
That means it gets larger very quickly when it does by leaps and bounds. 
That's right. 
So perhaps you are studying English and you are learning it so quickly. 
You are just learning new words every day, and you are enjoying it so much learning by leaps and bounds. 
You just take in all of that information and remember it. 
That's right. 
You could improve leaps and bounds in something. 
Or maybe you were really, really sick... and now you're getting better really quickly. 
You're getting better by leaps and bounds, or improving by leaps and bounds. 
And of course it's great news that Ben's business is growing by leaps and bounds. 
Ben, do continue. 
Oh, well. Thank you, Gabe... Uncle Bob. 
In fact, I'm having a hard time getting all the work done, and I need help. 
I thought you had some help. 
Don't you have a few people working for you? 
Uh, yes and no. 
Yes and no? 
Wait a minute. That sounds really, really familiar. 
If it sounds familiar to you, too, that's because we talked about this kind of phrase in an Information Cloud earlier this month. 
Yes and no. 
And if you hear this phrase, of course it means you need to explain. 
Or if you use this phrase "yes and no," you need to explain why yes and why no. 
Do continue, Ben. 
Well, thank you. Yes. So Ben explains: 
We have a few freelancers we use on projects, but I need some full-time help. 
Great. Great! 
It was great that you used one of our key words here, Ben. 
The word is "freelancer." And a freelancer is someone who's not hired full-time at a company, probably not even part-time at a company. 
They just use this person, freelancer, for their special talents every once in a while or when they need them. 
How might you see this word, Carolyn? 
Well, I know some people who are freelancers. 
And that means that they have a special skill or service that they provide to many different companies. 
The people I know are writers. 
So they write articles as freelancers, and then they can sell them to different magazines or businesses that want to use them. 
It's true. 
These are freelancers. 
And the job that they have you could describe it as being freelance. 
F-R-E-E-L-A-N-C-E. 
OK. 
I think it would be very interesting to try my hand at doing some freelancing, to be a freelancer. 
Now some common jobs that uh, that freelancers do maybe are acting or something that has to do with music or event management. 
Maybe if you're a translator or a writer of some kind. 
Maybe you write songs, or you're a singer. 
These can all be different kinds of freelancing or freelancer jobs. 
That's right. 
So you can use this word in many different ways. 
And Ben has hired some freelancers, but now he's thinking about full-time employees. 
Uncle Bob, you have the next line. 
Yes. Let me begin. 
Wow. Hiring full-time employees is a big step for a young company. 
Are you ready for it? 
Well, that is a good question. 
You do want to make sure that you are ready when there is a big change coming. 
And right now we are ready to spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.24.B

In our lesson today "New Employee?" Ben and his Uncle Bob are talking about Ben's growing business. 
Actually, it's growing by leaps and bounds, which is great. 
So Ben thinks he needs some help. 
He already has some freelancers working on some projects, but he thinks he needs some full-time help. 
However, Uncle Bob doesn't think that's necessarily a great idea, and he has some good questions for Ben. 
He has a question, "Are you ready for it?" And we're going to see how Ben responds and how this conversation plays out. 
So let's continue with our lesson. 
(Music). 
New Employees? 
Sure. 
How hard can it be to hire a couple of employees? 
I'm not saying it's hard. 
But employees can induce big changes in the way your company works. 
How? 
Well, there are lots of ways. 
Take costs for example. 
The cost of an employee goes far beyond pay. 
I guess that's true. 
I'll need to pay for things like benefits and payroll taxes. 
That's right. 
And there are other indirect costs, too. 
You'll need to buy office furniture, computers and a lot more stationery for your employees to use. 
And parking. 
I'll need to get more parking spots. 
Exactly. 
(Music). 
There are a lot of different things that need to be considered when hiring new employees, it sounds like. 
Well, at the beginning of this section, Ben has the first line, so I will begin if that's OK, Gabe. 
Of course, because I'm already Uncle Bob. 
Here you go, Ben. 
OK. 
Oh, well. Great. 
So responding to Uncle Bob's question about whether or not he's ready to hire new employees: 
Sure. How hard can it be to hire a couple of employees? 
I'm going to stop you right there, Carolyn. 
And I think that's a great sentence that Ben had: How hard can it be to do something? 
Usually you ask this question if you think something is easy or it seems like it's not too hard, you say: 
How hard can it be to do something? 
But sometimes this question is followed up with: Actually, it's... it's quite hard. 
Sometimes things might seem easy, but they are actually quite difficult. 
Anyhow, Uncle Bob does continue. 
I'm not saying it's hard. 
But employees can induce big changes in the way your company works. 
Great. 
You just used a word from our Would Bank, Gabe... Uncle Bob, the word "induce." If you induce something, 
then you cause it to happen, maybe before it was time to happen. 
That's right. 
OK, you're inducing something. 
Aw, the weather, it... it induced us to change our plans over the weekend. 
We couldn't have a picnic outside. 
We had to do something inside. 
It... it induced this. 
It caused this change. 
Well, and Uncle Bob is talking about big changes that can be induced when you hire new employees. 
It does change a lot of different things. 
And Ben asks: How? 
He's not quite sure what kind of changes it's going to create. 
Well, there are a lot of ways. 
Take costs for example. 
The cost of an employee goes far beyond pay. 
Oh, it goes far beyond pay. 
So it's not just you need to think about how much you're going to pay your employees, how much your payroll should be. 
P-A-Y-R-O-L-L, payroll. 
This is the amount of money that you pay each month to your employees. 
That's right. 
But it goes beyond that. 
Let's look at that phrase. 
"To go beyond something" means that there is much more to think about or much more to consider. 
It's true. 
For example, a teacher's responsibilities go beyond the classroom. 
Of course it's very important to teach well in the classroom, but there's a lot of preparation to do. 
And for that matter, a student's responsibilities go beyond the classroom as well. 
They have a lot of homework that they should do well. 
That's right. 
So there are many things that go beyond just what you might think about at first. 
Think about how you can use this phrase in your English. 
Try writing it down or using it in a conversation. 
Ben continues in his conversation: 
I guess that's true. 
I'll need to pay for things like benefits and payroll taxes. 
And that is very true. OK. 
It goes beyond these things, just simple pay. 
He needs to think about benefits and payroll taxes. 
You know, a payroll tax... 
It's taxes paid from the funds of an employer, like Ben, directly related to employing a worker. 
So if he is going to hire a worker, then he has to pay taxes. 
It's not the taxes coming from his employee. 
It's taxes coming from him. 
All right. So he has to think about these kinds of things if he's going to hire a full-time employee. 
That's right. 
And he also has to think about benefits, which is something Steve and Ken would like to talk about in the Information Cloud. 
Let's talk about benefits today. 
And by benefits, I mean employee benefits. 
"Perquisites" is another name for it. 
But the more common name is the abbreviated version "perks," P-E-R-K-S. 
You may also hear it referred to as fringe benefits. 
This is compensation provided to employees in addition to their normal salaries. 
Perks can range from little things like free stationery to lunch allowances, to a gym membership, to a vehicle. 
Or a vehicle with a driver. 
That would be a nice perk. 
Yes, it would. 
And do you know what job in the world has the best perks, Steve? 
Sure. That would have to be the President of the United States. 
He has his own jumbo jet, his own helicopter and limousines. 
He has a large staff that works for him in the White House. 
He has his own personal resort, Camp David, where he can go for a retreat. 
The president also receives a very large allowance to cover official entertainment and travel costs. 
These are all presidential perks. 
Sounds like a cushy job. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, the Info Cloud is certainly one of the perks at Studio Classroom. 
OK. We're going to continue this conversation, and Uncle Bob has the next line. 
That's right. 
And there are other indirect costs, too. 
You'll need to buy office furniture, computers and a lot more stationery for your employees to use. 
Great, Uncle Bob. 
You just came to a word in our Word Bank, the word "stationery." And stationery is office supplies, anything you need to write. 
So pens, paper, pencils, envelopes, those sorts of things. 
All of those kinds of things. 
And remember, this word is the same whether it's plural or singular. 
So there's no S at this... on the end of this word stationery. 
And of course you could go to a stationery store and pick up things there for your office or your homework. 
That's right. 
And Ben has the next line: And parking. 
I'll need to get more parking spots. 
Exactly. 
So these are a lot of things Ben needs to consider or think about if he's going to hire full-time employees. 
He's got to shell out a lot more money than he thinks. 
All right. 
It's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Well, hello, Ben. How are you today? 
I'm great! Thanks for asking. 
How's the business coming along? 
It's growing by leaps and bounds. 
That's great. 
Well, yes and no. 
I'm having trouble getting all the work done. 
I need help. 
I thought you already had help. 
Well, yes... and no. 
We have a few freelancers. 
But I need some full-time help. 
Oh, that's a big step. 
Are you sure you're ready for it? 
Well, yes! And... no. 
Employees can induce big changes in your company. 
Yes, like helping me do the work. 
Well, yeah. 
But the cost of employees goes far beyond the paycheck. 
Oh, like benefits and payroll taxes? 
Yes, and a lot of indirect costs as well. 
Indirect costs? Like what? 
You'll need to buy office furniture and computers and stationery items. 
Oh, I didn't think about those hidden costs. 
Of course you didn't. 
They're hidden. 
You can't see them. 
Very funny, Uncle Bob. 
Yeah, I am pretty funny. 
Yeah. You have hidden humor. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's go back and see what our teachers are doing. 
In our BUSINESS article today, we've been talking about hiring new employees and whether or not Ben should think about it or if he is ready to hire full-time employees. 
Uncle Bob has been giving him some advice. 
But what do you think? 
Do you think he should hire full-time employees? 
Gabe? 
Well, I don't know. 
See, if I were Ben, then I would probably need an accountant to help with my business because I'm not very good. 
Or I guess I could just go to school to learn how to do that kind of thing. 
Or marry someone nice like Sandy who could help me do it. 
No, I guess I wouldn't hire full-time employees, Carolyn. 
Oh. Well, Ben is still thinking about it, and we have a lot more to learn from the rest of this lesson tomorrow right here on Studio Classroom. 
So we'll see you then.

2013.07.25.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our BUSINESS lesson here at Studio Classroom. 
It's a question: New Employees? 
And so we're enjoying a conversation with Ben and Uncle Bob. 
And they're discussing whether or not Ben should hire some full-time workers. 
Well, what have we learned so far here, Carolyn? 
Well, yesterday we learned that Ben's business is growing by leaps and bounds. 
And he thinks that he's ready to hire some full-time employees because he needs help with his business. 
But that's not the only thing that is going on, he... 
Right now he does have some freelancers working for him, but they don't seem to be enough. 
Well, Uncle Bob has some words of warning. 
He thinks that hiring new employees will go far beyond pay. 
So he needs to think about things like benefits or the payroll taxes, and of course the furniture he's going to buy, 
the new stationery or all of the other stationery, some computers for his employees, and maybe some parking lots... or spots. 
So there are some things that he needs to consider. 
Well, let's continue this conversation with Ben and Uncle Bob. 
(Music). 
New Employees? 
OK, so there will be some hidden costs, but those won't change the company that much. 
They will mean huge changes to your job, though. 
Yeah, I hope they'll make my job a lot easier! 
They might. 
But remember, employees need to be managed. 
That's true. 
The time you'll spend doing the things you're used to doing will diminish. 
Instead you'll spend time overseeing employees. 
I guess that will be a big change. 
Ultimately, hiring employees is about growth. 
And good growth is done in a balanced and controlled way. 
(Music). 
OK, let's go to the beginning of this conversation. 
I liked how things were going yesterday. 
So Carolyn, would you please be Ben again? 
I will continue to be Ben, thank you. 
Well, we were just talking about in the previous conversation... 
Uncle Bob and Ben had discussed that there would be a lot of things that Ben would need to buy or make, 
make space for like parking lots or buying computers or stationery. 
And Ben responds: 
OK, so there will be some hidden costs, but those won't change the company that much. 
Hmm, I don't know about that. 
But first, let's take a look at that phrase there: a hidden cost. 
That's something that you don't really consider when you're buying something. 
You see the price for the item or for what you're buying, but then you don't really think about how much else you will have to spend. 
So if you are buying something, make sure you read the small print. 
Sometimes there will be some hidden costs listed in there. 
That's right. 
So when hiring employees, there are some hidden costs that you might not think of right away. 
Well, Uncle Bob, you have the next line. 
Yes, of course. Of course I do. 
They will mean huge changes to your job, though. 
Hey, you know what, I like this because um, Uncle Bob used the word "change" as a noun, but then Ben used it as a verb in his first line. 
I just wanted to point that out. 
OK, Ben, go on. 
Oh. Well, thank you. 
Yes, "change" can be both a noun and a verb. 
And there will be some changes. 
Ben responds: 
Yeah, I hope they'll make my job a lot easier. 
They might. 
But remember, employees need to be managed. 
Ah, so there is more than just hiring an employee, and then your job comes easier. 
Employees also have to be managed by probably a manager. 
That's right, manager. 
You talk about the management of a company. 
Well, Ben will probably be part of that management. 
Well, Ben continues. 
Things need to be managed. 
There is more to hiring an employee than just simply making your job easier. 
Those employees do need to be managed probably by a manager or the management. 
And Ben might become part of the management if he hires some employees. 
Well, Ben, what does... what does Ben say? 
Well, responding to this that they will need to be managed, he says: 
That's true. 
The time you'll spend doing the things you're used to doing will also diminish. 
Ah, great, Uncle Bob. 
It will diminish. 
And "diminish" is a word from our Word Bank. 
It is wonderful if you have something that becomes diminished, then it gets smaller. 
Or fewer. 
And so you could use this in other ways. 
You know the story of David and Goliath. 
When he saw the giant, his courage did not diminish. 
He was OK. 
And he went to kill that giant. 
So you can use this word in many ways. 
And if you are starting a business, you want to make sure that your money does not diminish. 
You want to make more money. 
But if you're hiring employees, it would be nice for your own jobs to diminish as you have more people to do them. 
Exactly. 
Well, Uncle Bob continues this line: 
Instead you'll spend time overseeing employees. 
Well, great. 
They will have to spend their time, probably Ben and his wife Sandy, spend their time overseeing their employees. 
And I think Steve and Ken have something they want to tell us about that word "oversee" versus "overlook". 
Let's take a look at two words today that can be confusing: oversee and overlook. 
Do they have the same meaning? 
Well, you may think they do as both "see" and "look" have similar meanings. 
But these two words are actually quite different. 
OK. For "oversee," we can think of a boss or supervisor in a factory who is seated at a high place watching over the workers. 
And maybe even giving out commands. 
When someone oversees you at work, they're making sure you're doing your job right. 
"Supervise" is another word for oversee. 
"Overlook," on the other hand, can have two different meanings. 
It can mean to look at something from a higher place. 
For example, the house overlooks the beach. 
So from the house, you could see the beach below. 
Right. 
But "overlook" can also mean to miss or fail to see, as in: 
The detective overlooked an important clue, and the suspect was released. 
Now the question is: What does the noun "oversight" mean? 
It can mean either supervision or an unintentional omission. 
Yes, but the more common definition is an unintentional omission. 
So we can say: 
Due to the detective's oversight, the suspect was released. 
Two different words with different meanings. 
Don't overlook them. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
I'm glad we didn't overlook that point. 
Well, Ben has the next line, and he is responding to Uncle Bob after he says that he will have to spend time overseeing his employees. 
I guess that will be a big change. 
Yeah. 
Ultimately, hiring employees is about growth. 
Oh, great, Uncle Bob. 
I'm going to stop you right there because you used another word from our Word Bank, the word "ultimately." Ultimately just means at the end of a process. 
So, in the end. 
In the end. 
Uncle Bob could also say: In the end, hiring employees is about growth. 
But let's use this word "ultimately" in other ways. 
Earlier this year, actually you learned about Mumford, Mumford & Sons, right? 
Well, they are great musicians. 
They're very talented, and they love to make great music. 
But ultimately, they are about people. 
That's what they care about most. 
That's right. 
And maybe you are studying a language. 
You are learning English right now. 
Perhaps that is not the only language you want to learn. 
Ultimately, you want to learn three languages or four. 
What is your ultimate goal? 
Ah, the ultimate goal, what you want to accomplish in the end or by the end. 
Well, let's finish this line. Uncle Bob says: 
And good growth is done in a balanced and controlled way. 
That's very good advice, Uncle Bob. 
You should balance and control the way that you do things. 
And if you want to have good growth, then you know what is growing and how fast it's growing. 
That's right. 
Well, I think we're doing a great job here today. 
I'm getting a little bit tired and a little bit hungry, but ultimately, Carolyn, I... I just need a break. 
You need a break? 
Yeah. 
Well, ultimately, we are going to spend some time with Michelle in the Langauge Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.25.B

We are continuing the second day of our article: New Employees? 
Ben and his Uncle Bob are talking about some of the hidden costs that might come along with hiring new employees for Ben's business. 
So far we've talked about how Ben thinks it will make his job much easier if he hires employees. 
But while his own responsibilities diminish, 
he's going to be taking on new responsibilities to manage these employees because we want to have good controlled and balanced growth. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn from Ben and his Uncle Bob in the next reading for today. 
(Music). 
New Employees? 
How do I do that? 
For starters, you need to realize that growth can make some things easier, but it also generates problems in other areas. 
I see. 
You mean hiring employees might make production easier, but it might make things like accounting and human resources harder. 
Maybe I should put some more thought into this. 
That's a good idea. 
But I'm not saying you can't do it. 
And hiring employees is a good thing... 
Because it means the company is growing? 
Exactly! 
Let's go celebrate your growing company with some coffee. 
You're on! 
(Music). 
OK. Well, we're on right now. 
It's time for us to look at this conversation in more detail. 
So before our break, Uncle Bob was talking about growth and how it should be done in a balanced and controlled way. 
Ben, it's your line. 
Yes. Ben is very curious. 
How do I do that? 
Good question. 
For starters, you need to realize that growth can make some things easier, but it also generates problems in other areas. 
Great, Uncle Bob. 
Thank you. 
That is a wonderful word that you just used from our Word Bank: generate. 
To generate something means to create it, to start it. 
And you might think of this word when you hear about electricity. 
You need to generate power so that you can turn on the lights. 
That's true. 
Or another thing I think of is income. 
You need to generate some income. 
That means you're making some money from somewhere or somehow. 
Or sometimes you like to get together with your friends and generate some good ideas for a project that you are doing. 
So these are different ways you can use that word. 
That's right. 
So you can generate problems, generate electricity, generate ideas or maybe even general happiness. 
What creates happiness in your life? 
Well, right now I think that Liz has something she wants to tell us about this sentence in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In our article today we see this statement: 
For starters, you need to realize that growth can make some things easier... 
Our Grammar Tip focus is at the beginning of the sentence: for starters. 
It just means "first of all." We use this expression whenever we want to begin explaining something to someone. 
In the case of today's sentence, Uncle Bob is telling Ben he needs to first realize that growth can make some things easier but also create problems in other areas. 
OK. Let's take a look at some other examples. 
Traveling overseas takes a lot of preparation; for starters you need to save up some money. 
Or: There are things you need to do before you go for a job interview; for starters, make sure your resume is up to date. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, then please take a look at today's Grammar Tip section for more examples. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, we just looked at a sentence that talks about growth and how it could generate problems in other areas. 
Actually, this makes me think of a phrase that we use when we talk about growing. 
Sometimes there are growing pains. 
And we talk about this when we're talking about a human who is growing up. 
A child might have growing pains. 
But of course in a company, if there is growth, there are some things you need to adapt to or adjust to. 
These are called growing pains. 
That's right. 
Well, I think that Ben... I have the next line. 
I see. 
You mean hiring employees might make production easier, but it might make things like accounting and human resources harder. 
Great. Let me interrupt you. 
That was very nice, very nice. 
Let's talk about those words from our Word Bank. 
Here Ben is talking about human resources. 
And this basically just means the workforce or people who make up the workforce at your job - your workers or employees, everyone who is working there. 
That's right. 
So these are the resources that are provided by your employees, your human resources. 
Well, maybe I should put some more thought into this. 
Excellent, excellent! 
I would like to put some thought into that sentence right there, Carolyn, because we have a good phrase here: 
to put some thought into something. 
All right. 
This just means that you are going to spend time thinking about something. 
But you can use this phrase in other ways, right, Carolyn? 
That's right. 
Maybe you're thinking about retirement after you are finished working. 
You should have put some thought into your retirement plan so that you know what you're going to do once you finish your job. 
All right. 
That's a great point. 
You could also put some thought into where you will go to study at... for university. 
Or you can put some thought into the relationship that you're in. 
Or hey, someone is... is having a birthday soon, and you want to buy a gift. 
You can put some thought into a good gift for your friend. 
That's right. 
So there are many things that you can put thought into. 
Try using that phrase today as well. 
Uh, Uncle Bob, I think that you have the next line. 
That's a good idea, Carolyn. 
Uncle Bob says: 
That's a good idea. 
But I'm not saying you can't do it. 
And hiring employees is a good thing. 
Because it means the company is growing? 
Exactly! Let's go celebrate your growing company with some coffee. 
You're on! 
I thought so. 
Yes! 
Excellent. 
You know, I love... I love the conversations with Ben and Uncle Bob because they almost always end by going to get some coffee. 
This does seem to be a trend, something that happens over and over. 
But in this last part of the conversation, it is true, Ben's company is growing. 
So his need, or his... just thinking about hiring new employees is probably a good thing so long as he thinks about all of the added costs that go with it. 
Exactly. 
Well, Ben says something here at the very end. 
Of course Uncle Bob suggests that they go get coffee. 
Ben says, "You're on." This just means I agree with you; let's do it. 
You can use this phrase in other ways, too. 
For example, I might say let's... let's race somewhere. OK? 
Carolyn, let's race to... where should we race to? 
Let's race to the basketball court. 
You're on! 
Excellent! 
And then we start... 
Hold on. 
Start running, yes? 
OK... great. 
Well, OK, later. 
So "you're on." It just means that you agree, you want to do whatever the other person suggests. 
Maybe you want to go out for coffee or you want to go out for dinner and a movie. 
Hey, would you like to go out Friday night? 
We can go watch this great movie. 
You're on! Let's go. 
You're on. 
Well, Carolyn, I have another racing idea. 
Let's... let's race to the Language Lab. 
You're on. 
I'm on. You're on. We're on. 
Let's do it. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
Well, we've enjoyed a great conversation here today between Ben and his Uncle Bob about whether or not Ben should hire new employees or full-time employees to work for him. 
I don't know what you think. 
Maybe there are some advantages or disadvantages to hiring full-time staff. 
What do you think about this, Carolyn? 
Well, I think that it can be a good thing. 
It does mean that his business is growing. 
But if you hire new employees, then there are many other things you need to consider like insurance and vacation leave and overtime pay, 
and maybe even writing up a formal contract for your employees. 
Those are definitely some things to consider. 
Well, these are things that Ben might also need to consider for his company. 
Right now it's time for us to say goodbye. 
But of course, we will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then.

2013.07.26.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for a very important article especially if you want to be eating healthy. 
Our lesson is called Healthy Eating on a Budget. 
Yes. If you like to eat healthy and you like to save money, not buy too many expensive foods, then today's lesson is just for you. 
Well, I do wonder, do you have a healthy diet, or do you think that you have a healthy diet? 
Carolyn? 
Well, my diet is pretty healthy. 
I eat a lot of vegetables and fruit, but I also eat a lot of carbs. 
I eat a lot of pasta, which is good for energy, but it doesn't always have enough nutrients that I need from vegetables, so. 
I think I could probably do some things to improve my diet. 
What about you, Gabe? 
Well, Carolyn, you're a vegan, and you eat healthy things like fruits and vegetables. 
And if you say that maybe your diet isn't as healthy as it could be, then I really need some help because I love all kinds of food and... 
Well, I think that... I think many people could probably use help in this area. 
Having a good diet, but also you can save money and not spend too much. 
That's what we're going to be learning about in our lesson today. 
So let's get started. 
(Music). 
Healthy Eating on a Budget. 
You can care for your body and your bank account at the same time. 
What can you do if you can't afford healthy food? 
If you want to save money, are you stuck eating instant noodles and fried rice? 
Actually there are several ways to get food that will preserve your health - and your savings. 
When eating out. 
Order wisely. 
In general, choose grilled, baked or steamed dishes instead of fried ones. 
And choose vegetables as side dishes in order to fill up on healthy foods rather than fattening ones. 
That is a good tip for trying to improve your diet when you are eating out at restaurants. 
Well, at the beginning of this article we see a phrase, a sentence: 
You can care for your body and your bank account at the same time. 
So a lot of times people think that if they're going to be able to eat nice food, then they're going to have to spend a lot of money. 
Or if they want to save money, they can't really buy healthy food. 
It's true, Carolyn. 
I kind of feel that way. 
Before reading today's article, I kind of felt that way. 
I thought that if I really wanted to have a healthy diet and only eat healthy foods that I would not have to... I wouldn't have a lot of money. 
I would have to spend a lot of money on healthy foods. 
Well, the article asks right at the beginning a very important question: 
What can you do if you can't afford healthy food? 
What can you do, Gabe? 
Well, we read on. 
If you want to save money, are you stuck eating instant noodles and fried rice? 
Well, this is kind of funny. 
Some people if they want to save money, they think they have to get rid of everything and just eat very basic foods. 
I know many of my college friends at university, sometimes they would eat instant noodles for dinner a lot. 
Not just once or twice, but they would just do this a lot to save money. 
That's right, because these foods are fairly cheap. 
They're not expensive foods. 
But are you stuck eating instant noodles and fried rice? 
Well, I think Liz has something she wants to tell us about that phrase in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article, the writer asks: 
If you want to save money, are you stuck eating instead noodles and fried rice? 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Notice the phrase: stuck eating instant noodles and fried rice. 
It just means eating instant noodles and fried rice is the only choice. 
When we want to informally talk about how a certain activity is the only thing that a person can do, consider this phrase: stuck + verb (in -ING form). 
For example: 
It rained every day, and we were stuck watching TV in our hotel room the whole time. 
Or: Both brothers got the same kind of education, but one became a businessman while the other was stuck earning minimum wage. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
All right. 
Well, let's not get stuck there. 
Let's continue moving along in our article. 
We continue. 
Actually there are several ways to get food that will preserve your health - and your savings. 
So you don't have to be stuck just eating instant noodles and fried rice. 
There is a way to afford healthy foods. 
That's right. 
And you can preserve your health and your savings at the same time. 
And we can take a look at that word from the Word Bank, the word "preserve." If you preserve something, then you save it. 
You prevent it from changing, and you make it last a long time. 
So if you preserve your health, then you take care of your health. 
You don't get sick. 
You stay healthy. 
That's right. 
You can preserve your health. 
Well, sometimes I see this word as a noun: preserves. 
So maybe strawberry preserves or other kinds of fruit that you keep in a jar, and you preserve that fruit. 
It stays good. 
That's called preserves. 
And of course, you want to try to preserve other things as well. 
You might try to preserve your energy. 
You don't want to do too much right now because you will do a lot later. 
You will use your energy a lot later. 
So preserve your energy for now. 
That's right. 
And here we want to preserve our health and our savings, our money. 
We want to make sure that we're able to have a healthy life but also be able to afford to buy other things. 
Now the next section is titled "When eating out." So when you go out to restaurants to eat. 
Especially in the United States, restaurants are very expensive. 
All right. 
So when eating out, there are certain things to keep in mind. 
And we're going to be talking about these things for the rest of today's lesson. 
The first one is order wisely. 
OK. That sounds simple enough. 
Be wise when you're ordering things at a restaurant. 
What does it say here, Carolyn? 
Well, we see that in general, choose grilled, baked or steamed dishes instead of fried ones. 
Now this is "in general," and we can look at that phrase right there. 
If something is done in general, then it's something that is usually true. 
It's usually true in general. 
For example, I could say: In general, I like to exercise in the afternoon, but sometimes I'll exercise in the morning. 
Or in general, I sleep at least eight hours. 
But of course sometimes I can't sleep a full eight hours, but I do it in general. 
So usually that is what you do. 
Well, in general, when you are going to a restaurant, it is a good idea to choose things that have been grilled, baked or steamed instead of eating fried foods. 
And why is this, Gabe? 
Well, we see the reason in the next sentence. 
And choose vegetables as side dishes in order to fill up on healthy foods rather than fattening ones. 
So the reason is so that you can fill up on healthy foods. 
A lot of side dishes are not healthy. 
So usually vegetables are. 
That's right. 
If the vegetables are not fried, they should be pretty healthy, and maybe if they aren't covered in butter, either. 
But we see a word from our Word Bank, the word "fatten." If something is fattening, then it makes you gain weight. 
So these are something... some things that you should avoid. 
You should avoid fattening foods or side dishes when you are eating out at a restaurant. 
That's right. 
I think a lot of desserts can be kind of fattening. 
So try to avoid those. 
Hey, Carolyn, what kind of sandwich isn't too fattening? 
Um, Gabe, I don't know. 
A half a sandwich. 
Do you get it? 
If you don't have the whole thing, it's less fattening. 
Um, I... I think I understand, Gabe. 
I'm not sure that... today is not National Joke Day. 
Oh, it isn't? 
No, no. 
Come on. You can joke around every day. 
Well, friends, you've learned some key words today. 
Think about how you can use them, and practice them today. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Come on! It was a funny joke. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.26.B

Today we are talking about Healthy Eating on a Budget. 
Do you want to have healthy foods? 
But maybe you also want to save money? 
You think that it costs a lot of money to eat healthy foods and maybe change your diet a little bit. 
Well, we're learning in our lesson that actually it is possible to spend wisely and also eat healthy foods. 
We're talking about when you eat out. 
And we've learned so far that you need to order wisely, order foods that are good for you. 
Well, we have more to learn in our lesson. 
So let's get started with the second section of our reading for today. 
(Music). 
Healthy Eating on a Budget. 
Know your limit. 
When you're full, stop eating - even if some food remains on your plate. 
Take the rest to go, and eat it later instead of purchasing an additional snack or meal. 
Drink to your health. 
Fortunately, the least expensive drink is also the healthiest - water. 
Sodas and even fruit juices are filled with sugar and may contain dangerous chemicals. 
So instead of paying for a drink, enjoy free water at most restaurants. 
Avoid desserts. 
At the end of your meal, skip the sweets. 
By not ordering dessert, you save money and cut down on calories and sugar. 
Well, that is some good advice to avoid having dessert if you want to save a little money and maybe not eat quite as much. 
Well, we're still talking about when we are eating out. 
And this next section is called "Know your limit." So it's important to know when you've had enough, when you don't need to eat anymore. 
Now Gabe, how does this start? 
Well, when you're full, stop eating - even if some food remains on your plate. 
I think this is good advice. 
In general, if you're at a restaurant, it's OK to just stop eating even if there's food still on your plate. 
But however, Carolyn, I think some countries might consider it rude if you don't eat everything that is placed before you, right? 
That is true. 
There are some cultures where it would be rude if you didn't eat everything that they put on your plate for you to enjoy. 
Because they want you to be able to enjoy all of the food, and you should eat everything. 
But there are also some cultures if you eat everything on your plate, they will bring you more food because they think you're still hungry. 
That's right. They keep adding. 
But here we're talking about when you are eating at a restaurant. 
That's right. 
Well, we have some good advice here. 
If you don't want to finish your food right then, take the rest to go, and eat it later instead of purchasing an additional snack or meal. 
I think that's great advice. 
You can have leftovers later. 
That's right. 
A lot of times when you go to a restaurant, they give you so much food. 
And maybe you don't want to finish all of it, you can just take it to go and eat it later instead of purchasing something more. 
So we have a word from our Word Bank there, the word "purchase." If you purchase something, it means that you buy it. 
Right, Gabe? 
That's right. 
And this can also be a noun. 
You can make a purchase. 
Well, what was your purchase today? 
What did you buy? 
What did you purchase? 
So of course you want to eat your leftovers instead of purchasing another expensive meal. 
But what is our next tip here, Carolyn? 
Well, we see it is called "Drink to your health." So we are going to be talking about things to drink that are healthy. 
And fortunately, the least expensive drink is also the healthiest - water. 
That's right. 
Of course. 
This is the least expensive drink in most countries. 
I think in some countries water is very valuable, and so it might be a little more expensive. 
But in general, it is the least expensive drink. 
Fortunately, you can have water. 
OK. Let's take a look at that word "fortunately." "Fortunately" means in good news or the good news is this, the good thing is this. 
That's right. 
So fortunately, the least expensive drink is also the healthiest. 
And that is water. 
And you can drink to your health. 
Now another way you might use this word "fortunately": 
Maybe you don't get enough sleep at night. 
Fortunately, you can go to bed early tonight. 
And then you won't have any problem being tired tomorrow. 
That's right. 
Fortunately, you can feel rested the next day. 
Well, fortunately, the cheapest drink is also the healthiest - water. 
Let's take a look at the Info Cloud because Steve and Ken have something special they want to share with us there. 
Last month we looked at a small punctuation mark called the hyphen. 
This month let's discuss the hyphen's big brother - the dash. 
The hyphen and the dash often get mixed up, and it's easy to see why. 
Not only did they look similar, the dash being a little longer than the hyphen... 
One of their functions is similar, too. 
You remember one of the hyphen's main responsibilities is to separate and connect individual words. 
Well, the dash separates and connects things, too. 
Not words, but phrases and sentences, like a comma does but stronger. 
Let's look at an example sentence first using a comma: 
Jack will go skiing in Switzerland this winter, if he gets a raise. 
Here we get the feeling Jack won't be bothered so much if he gets his raise or not. 
Now let's read the same sentence but replace the comma with a dash. Ken? 
Jack will go skiing in Switzerland this winter - if he gets a raise. 
Well done. 
I know it's subtle, but I wonder if you notice the difference. 
With the dash, we feel like Jack has his heart set on going to Switzerland. 
So getting that raise is very important. 
(Chinese). 
Well, we are emphasizing the importance of water here. 
Sodas and even fruit juices are filled with sugar and may contain dangerous chemicals. 
So what should we do, Gabe? 
Well, so instead of paying for a drink, enjoy free water at most restaurants. 
Again we see the word "most" here. 
"Most" restaurants will serve free water if you just ask. 
But of course there are some restaurants where you even have to pay for the water. 
But usually, it is free. 
It's the cheapest and the healthiest thing to drink. 
That's right, because sodas and fruit juices have a lot of sugar and maybe even dangerous chemicals that are very bad for your body. 
So instead of having those and you have to pay extra for them, you can have free water. 
Now what is the next tip here today? 
All right. 
When you're eating out, avoid desserts. 
OK, we talked a little bit about that before - avoid fattening foods. 
And here we read: 
At the end of your meal, skip the sweets. 
When you skip something, that's another way of saying you just don't do it. 
You get past it to the next step. 
You skip the dessert. 
That's right. 
So here we're going to skip the sweets. 
By not ordering dessert, you save money and cut down on calories and sugar. 
So it's more healthy for you to not eat dessert because you have fewer calories, less sugar. 
And you can even save some money because dessert is usually something extra that you have to pay for. 
That's right. 
And this is a phrase that we use when we talk about eating fewer things or doing something a little less: you cut down on it. 
Cutting down on the amount of calories you have. 
Cutting down on the amount of time you spend playing video games. 
You cut down on calories and sugar when you avoid desserts and other sweets. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are up to. 
Today we've gone over several different tips on how you can eat healthy and maintain a good budget. 
Well, we want to save money when we go out to eat at a restaurant. 
And there have been several tips like knowing your limit, avoiding dessert, drinking to your health and ordering wisely. 
Gabe, do you follow any of these tips when you eat out? 
Usually I do, especially knowing my limit. 
If there's too much and I can't eat it all, I will just take it to go and eat the leftovers later. 
I especially do that when I return to the United States. 
After living in Taiwan for so long where the meal portions are smaller, I go back there, and the meal portions are huge. 
So it's easy to do this. 
I only eat half my meal. 
And then I take the rest to go to eat it later. 
Well, that is a very good tip to follow. 
And I hope that you will also try to follow some of these money-saving, healthy tips. 
Well, we'll see you here again on Studio Classroom for the rest of this article. 
See you next time. 
(Music).

2013.07.27.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson: Healthy Eating on a Budget. 
Of course we've talked a little bit about how you can save or preserve your health and your savings when you go out to eat or when you are eating somewhere. 
Today we're going to be talking about cooking yourself, when you're at home cooking a meal. 
Now I do wonder what you think about this - healthy eating on a budget. 
Is it possible to eat very healthfully and not spend a lot of money? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I do think it's possible, but sometimes it takes more time and effort. 
You have to really plan what you want to buy, and make sure that you don't buy extra things, and maybe also look for things that are on sale. 
So it can take a lot of time to save money when you're buying healthy food. 
Well, I agree. 
It might just take a little bit of planning. 
I think that's something we're going to be talking about in our lesson today. 
So let's get started. 
What to do when you are cooking and you want to have a good budget? 
Here we go. 
(Music). 
Healthy Eating on a Budget. 
When cooking: 
Be prepared. 
Healthy, inexpensive meals require a little planning. 
Set a budget to determine how much you can afford to spend on food. 
Then make a list of what you can buy within that budget. 
Once you've made your list, stick to it! 
To avoid impulse purchases, don't shop when you're hungry. 
If you can't resist certain treats, stay out of the aisles where they're located. 
Go natural. 
Artificial flavors, colors and chemicals added to processed food may contribute to various health problems. 
Well, we do have more to learn about going natural. 
But let's go back to the beginning of this section: When cooking. 
Be prepared. 
OK. 
Healthy, inexpensive meals require a little planning. 
Be prepared, or being prepared might involve some planning, and that does take some time. 
That's right, it does. 
And right here in this first sentence we see a word from our Word Bank, the word "inexpensive." So if it is inexpensive, then it is not expensive. 
It is cheap. 
You can afford to buy it. 
That's right. 
And often when I want to buy inexpensive things, I'll go to places where I know they sell cheap things or cheaper things, maybe like a night market. 
Night markets do sell inexpensive clothes and shoes. 
You can get inexpensive things there. 
Well, let's continue. 
Set a budget to determine how much you can afford to spend on food. 
So we're talking about healthy eating on a budget. 
You want to set a budget. 
That's how you can use that word "budget." You set a budget. 
That's right. 
And if you set a budget, then you know how much money you are willing to spend on food. 
And then make a list of what you can buy within that budget, so. 
You set some guidelines. 
There are some rules for when you're buying food. 
I will only spend this much money, so what kinds of foods can I buy that are healthy that doesn't go over or outside of my budget? 
That's right, because you want to buy within the budget. 
That word "within," you can use it in other ways as well. 
You could say he will be here within the hour. 
That means it won't take him too much longer to get here. 
He'll be here within the hour. 
Well, we're talking about buying things within the budget. 
And once you've made your list, stick to it! 
This is great advice. 
Stick to it. 
Let's take a look at that phrase there, to stick to something. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if you stick to something, it means that you don't change, you stay with it. 
You don't want to change your mind about it. 
You follow the rules that you set for yourself. 
That's right. 
You set rules for yourself, you stick to it. 
You could make a plan for the day, and then let's stick to the plan. 
Let's not do something else. 
Let's just stick to the plan. 
Or maybe you have a diet you want to go on. 
Stick to the diet. 
Don't eat anything else. 
That's right. 
Or you are studying English, you are working hard. 
You should stick to it. 
Don't give up. 
Keep trying and keep practicing your English. 
OK. And we're talking here about sticking to your list, OK. 
Don't buy anything else. 
To avoid impulse purchases, don't shop when you're hungry. 
This is great advice for me because sometimes I do shop when I'm hungry, and I buy a lot of stuff. 
Oh. That can be very difficult because you are so hungry, everything looks good and you spend too much money. 
And then you aren't able to eat all of the food you buy because it was too much. 
So it is important to avoid impulse purchases. 
Now if you do something on impulse, that means that you do it right away. 
You didn't plan it, but when the opportunity came, you took it. 
That's right. 
You didn't plan it. 
And I like that phrase you used: 
You do something on impulse. 
So that's how you can use that word. 
We're here talking about impulse purchases. 
You could say it was an impulse buy as well. 
It was an impulse buy, an impulse purchase. 
I did something on impulse. 
I didn't plan it. 
Well, we can try to avoid those by sticking to our lists and not shopping for food when we are hungry. 
If you can't resist certain treats, stay out of the aisles where they're located. 
So maybe just sticking to your list isn't enough. 
There are some things that you just want to buy so badly, you should stay away from those aisles. 
That's right. 
Well, let's take a look at this word "aisle." Sometimes if you go to a supermarket, there are divisions inside the supermarket. 
Those are called aisles. 
There might be the meat aisle. 
There might be an aisle for drinks, an aisle for different kinds of cheeses, and an aisle for snacks, lots of different aisles in the supermarket. 
That's right. 
So if there is a particular food that you love to eat but maybe isn't too healthy for you, you should try to stay away from that aisle where the food can be found. 
Well, what other ways can you use this word "aisle"? 
Maybe you go to a concert. 
At a concert hall, there might be aisles that you walk down to get to your seat. 
Or if you've ever flown in an airplane, there are aisles in the airplane. 
And you can walk to get to your seat down the aisle. 
That's right. 
Well, we have another section here: Go natural. 
So when you are cooking, you can also go natural. 
Artificial flavors, colors and chemicals added to processed food may contribute to various health problems. 
Well, this sounds a little bit serious, Gabe. 
That's right. 
Processed foods, these are foods that are treated or converted by a special process. 
And these contribute to various health problems. 
Usually when I think of the phrase "to contribute to something," I think it's a positive thing. 
Here we see it's a negative thing. 
You can contribute to a negative thing as well. 
That's right. 
Well, someone who can contribute something good to our English learning today is Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.27.B

We're on our second day of the article Healthy Eating on a Budget. 
And so far we have talked about things to do when you are cooking at home, so. 
When you are cooking, it is important to be prepared. 
You want to plan out a budget and a list of foods that you can afford within that budget. 
It's also important to stick to that list once you have made it. 
Well, we have some more things to learn about going natural as well as some other tips in this article. 
(Music). 
Healthy Eating on a Budget. 
So instead of processed food, eat foods you prepare yourself from simple ingredients like fruit, vegetables, whole grains and meat without fat. 
These foods often cost less, too. 
Eat fruit and vegetables that are in season. 
They're cheaper, and they taste better because they're fresh and ripe. 
Have fruit for dessert. 
Healthy eating doesn't mean you can't indulge in something sweet. 
Fresh fruit can be sweet and delicious - but without the processed sugar and fat of cookies or ice cream. 
Following these tips will lead you to healthier - and cheaper - eating habits. 
Well, these are indeed great tips. 
And let's go back to learn more about going natural when you're cooking at home. 
So instead of processed food, eat foods you prepare yourself from simple ingredients like fruit, vegetables, whole grains and meat without fat. 
So there is a way to go natural and cook food at home that is healthy for you. 
That's right. 
And it is important to avoid these processed foods and just use simple ingredients. 
And "ingredient" is a word from our Word Bank. 
It's just something that you use to make something else. 
So usually you hear this word when you are cooking or baking. 
You might ask: Oh, what ingredients do you need to make this delicious cake? 
It is wonderful! 
That's a question I hear all the time. 
Of course, people aren't asking me that question because I don't know how to make really awesome food. 
But I ask other people: What ingredients did you use to make this? 
This is delicious. 
You know, ingredients can also kind of be slang. 
You might talk about the ingredients you need for a good English lesson. 
Of course it needs to be fun and educational. 
Those are the ingredients you need. 
That's right. 
So here we are using ingredients to talk about the foods you use when you cook, such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains and meat without fat. 
These are all very healthy ingredients that you can use at home. 
That's right. 
Well, let's continue learning about these kinds of foods. 
These foods often cost less, too. 
Well, that's good to know. 
It is possible to have healthy eating on a budget. 
That's right. 
And we see: Eat fruit and vegetables that are in season. 
So you eat things when they are in season. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, it's true, certain fruits are better at certain times of the year. 
Actually, maybe they don't even grow in other times of the year, they only grow in certain seasons. 
For example, my favorite fruit mango is in season now because it's in season during the summer. 
That's a great and delicious fruit, and it's in season. 
Well, great. 
That means that you should get some mangos and maybe use it as an ingredient in something you eat. 
I think that's a great idea, Carolyn - a mango smoothie, also perfect for this season because smoothies are nice and cool for this hot weather. 
That's right. 
Well, eating fruits and vegetables that are in season, we see, they're cheaper, and they taste better because they're fresh and ripe. 
So because they're in season, they don't have to travel very far. 
You can buy them locally. 
So they cost less, and they taste better because they're very fresh and ripe. 
That's right. 
Well, let's continue. 
We have one more tip for cooking at home: 
Have fruit for dessert. 
Well, this is a good idea. 
Healthy eating doesn't mean you can't indulge in something sweet. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: to "indulge" in something. 
Carolyn, what does it mean to indulge? 
Well, if you indulge in something, then it means that you enjoy something that you really wanted. 
Maybe you take some time to indulge in a good book. 
You really love to read. 
It's your favorite type of story, and you just take some time to enjoy it. 
But here you can also indulge in food. 
Maybe you have a sweet tooth, and you love to indulge in chocolate. 
But it's not something you eat all the time. 
So when you do have it, it is very special, and you can indulge. 
That's right. 
You can indulge in food like this. 
You might also indulge in the latest gossip. 
You want to know everything about everybody else, so you indulge. 
That's not a good thing. 
So indulging can be a good thing or it can be a bad thing. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Double negatives are when two forms of negation are used in the same sentence like in the first sentence of the last paragraph. 
Grammarians say we should avoid double negatives that they're bad English. 
Well, don't believe them. 
When used properly, double negatives can be a very effective tool in your language toolbox. 
Interestingly, not all languages have double negatives. 
And the ones that do, the double negatives may function in different ways. 
In French and Spanish, for example, two negatives in the same sentence intensify each other, making the object of discussion very, very negative. 
But in other languages like German, Chinese and English, two negatives cancel each other out, and so create an affirmative sense. 
For example, saying something is not bad means it's good or, at the very least, OK. 
Saying "I'm not opposed to going" means I'm willing to go. 
On rare occasions, you might encounter a sentence with triple or quadruple negatives. 
But try to avoid using these as they'll do nothing but puzzle people. 
So in English, two negatives equal a positive. 
But Steve, did you know there is an instance where the opposite is also true? 
You mean two positives equal a negative? 
Yeah, right! 
Exactly! 
(Chinese). 
So healthy eating doesn't mean you can't indulge in something sweet. 
So you can have something sweet if we look at that double negative there. 
Fresh fruit can be sweet and delicious - but without the processed sugar and fat of cookies or ice cream. 
Cookies and ice cream. 
Well, I guess I can just have some fresh fruit for my next dessert. 
Anyway, friends, following these tips will lead you to healthier - and cheaper - eating habits. 
So we see those dashes again, emphasis on healthy and cheap... or inexpensive eating habits. 
That's right. 
And so these are some really great tips to follow. 
Well, right now we can indulge in a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Instant noodles again? 
I'm trying to save money. 
So I'm stuck eating instant noodles. 
Actually there are ways. 
Ways? 
Yes, ways to get food that will preserve your health - and your savings. 
So what are the ways? 
Order wisely. 
Choose grilled, baked and steamed dishes, not fried ones. 
Choose vegetables as side dishes rather than fattening foods. 
And know your limit. 
Stop eating when you're full. 
Hey, I wasn't finished eating that. 
Take the rest to go, and eat it later. 
Oh. OK. 
Fortunately, the least expensive drink is also the healthiest - water. 
Yeah, fortunately. 
Avoid desserts. 
Save money and cut down on calories and sugar. 
Anything else? 
Cook at home. 
Sure it takes a little planning. 
So make a budget and stick to it. 
That won't be easy. 
Oh, and go natural. 
Prepare foods from simple ingredients. 
What if I want something sweet? 
If you must indulge, eat fruit. 
Right. 
Well, thanks for the advice, but I have to go. 
OK. Wait! Don't forget your noodles. 
Yeah. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's head back to our program. 
Healthy Eating on a Budget. 
We've learned a lot of great tips for how you can eat healthy things and save money at the same time. 
You don't have to spend too much on expensive food. 
Well, Carolyn, do you try to save money on food? 
Or how do you try to save money on food? 
Well, I do want to save money when I'm buying food, especially since I cook a lot at home. 
So I try to make a list of all the things I want to buy. 
And then when I go to the store, I try to look for fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season and on sale. 
A lot of times I buy fruit that is very, very ripe so it's on sale. 
And then I put it in the freezer to use in the smoothies later. 
Well, if you happen to make a mango smoothie, please let me know because I would love to indulge in a nice mango smoothie right now. 
Friends, thank you for joining us for this very important lesson. 
And we'll see you right here on Studio Classroom for the next important lesson. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.07.29.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for a lesson all about whales. 
The title is Whales: The Giants of the Sea. 
Yes, it's true. 
These are giants that live in the sea, or giant creatures that live in the sea. 
So I do wonder if you like to learn about animals. 
And sometimes in school, maybe you read books about animals. 
Carolyn, did you ever read any books about animals? 
Well, actually one of my favorite books growing up that I read probably 50 or 60 times was the Black Stallion. 
And it was a story about a horse. 
But I also loved reading lots of other books about animals: Misty of Chincoteague, Scruffy as well as just information about animals. 
National Geographic magazines, as much information as I could find. 
Well, I know you love animals. 
I haven't read many books about animals. 
I do know a poem called The Lion by Roaold Dahl. 
"The lion just adores to eat. 
A lot of red and tender meat..." Well, I can't share the whole thing with you. 
But I love that poem, and I do enjoy watching movies about animals, too. 
One movie about a whale is Free Willy. 
I love that movie. 
Well, today we're going to be learning about Whales: The Giants of the Sea. 
Here we go. 
(Music). 
Whales: The Giants of the Sea. 
Discover more about the world's biggest mammals. 
"There she blows!". 
That famous line from Herman Melville's famous 1851 novel, Moby Dick, evokes images of Captain Ahab and his sailors on their search for the great white whale. 
Today people still go in search of the great whales, hoping for a glimpse of them in their natural habitat. 
A mystery. 
These giant marine mammals have always fascinated humans because of their enormous size as well as their mysterious ways. 
The sperm whale, for example, is an elusive creature that lives in remote waters and has rarely been tagged with long-distance tracking devices by researchers. 
For that reason, not much is known about these whales. 
Yes, whales certainly are a mystery. 
Well, let's go back to the very beginning of our lesson: 
Discover more about the world's biggest mammals. 
Yes, they are the biggest. 
They can be called the giants of the sea. 
Now a mammal is a kind of animal. 
And it's a mammal where the female produces milk. 
That's just one thing that you can know about mammals. 
How do we continue, Carolyn? 
Well, the article begins "There she blows!" And this is a famous quote. 
Continuing: That famous line from Herman Melville's famous novel, 1851 novel, Moby Dick, 
evokes images of Captain Ahab and his sailors on their search for the great white whale. 
So this line brings to mind images, or it evokes images. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank, the word "evoke." If something evokes an image, then it brings that image to mind. 
That's right. 
You bring it out of somebody. 
It evokes something. 
For example, maybe you see a picture, and it makes you angry. 
So you could say this picture evokes anger. 
I am angry because I saw this picture. 
So you can evoke emotions. 
Maybe you go to see a show. 
The opera can evoke many emotions when you are watching. 
It can. 
And it... you can also have other things that are evoked, like memories. 
Maybe the smell of cinnamon or of cookies evokes the memory of your childhood at Christmastime. 
And it's a wonderful thing. 
So this famous line, "There she blows," is a very popular quote from... Herman Melville's book, Moby Dick. 
And it is about Captain Ahab searching for the white whale. 
How do we continue, Gabe? 
Well, today people still go in search of the great whales, hoping for a glimpse of them in their natural habitat. 
And I think it's true. 
Many people love to go on boats or cruises in hopes of seeing a whale swim by really close by. 
Let's take a look at a word from our Word Bank. 
It is "habitat." Someone's habitat, or actually usually an animal's habitat is where it lives. 
And a natural habitat is where these animals would be found in nature. 
That's right. 
So the natural habitat for a whale would be in the ocean. 
There are many other kinds of habitats around the world. 
We talked a little bit about a beetle this month that lives in the desert. 
That is its habitat. 
Actually that's its natural habitat, the Namib beetle. 
But sometimes things are not natural habitats. 
I think of many animals in zoos. 
Most of them are not living in their natural habitats. 
They might be OK for them, they'll survive. 
But it's not their natural habitat. 
Well, how do we continue, Carolyn? 
Well, our next section is "A mystery." So we're going to be talking about a mystery. 
These giant marine mammals have always fascinated humans because of their enormous size as well as their mysterious ways. 
That's right. 
Now earlier this month we talked about the mysteries of the mind. 
And now we're learning about mysteries in the deep blue sea. 
OK. So these have always fascinated humans. 
We're very excited and interested in whales because of their enormous size. 
"Enormous" just means very big or huge. 
You could talk about someone who has an enormous appetite. 
I think whales have an enormous appetite. 
They can be lots of things. 
That's right. 
And we'll be learning about those things later in our lesson. 
But they also have mysterious ways. 
So there isn't much that we really know about them. 
But right now we want to learn something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud about this short paragraph. 
It's interesting that in this day and age of science and discovery, there's still a lot of mystery surrounding whales. 
Well, there's still a lot of mystery surrounding the English language, too. 
You're right, Ken. 
In fact, there are many myths about English that we mistakenly take as fact. 
We mentioned one last week. Remember? 
Using double negatives is not proper English. 
Right. 
Now in today's lesson, you may have noticed the paragraphs are just one or two sentences long. 
And this brings us face-to-face with another English myth, which is, when writing, a paragraph must have a minimum of five sentences. 
Traditionally, the first sentence would introduce the topic. 
The next three sentences follow up with support. 
And the last sentence would summarize everything, making a tidy paragraph. 
Well, it may have some merit, but as one former journalism professor said: 
Imposing the five-sentence paragraph structure on students tends to make their writing mechanical and lifeless. 
And it does little to help enlarge their powers of argument and organization. 
Five-sentence paragraphs might be a good guideline for young writers, but is it a rule? 
No. It's a myth. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, let's go on to our next paragraph here. 
The sperm whale, for example, is an elusive creature that lives in remote waters and has rarely been tagged with long-distance tracking devices by researchers. 
OK. So this sperm whale... or the sperm whale isn't seen very often. 
It's pretty rare to see one of those. 
That's right. 
You could say that it is elusive. 
And that is a word for our Word Bank. 
If something is elusive, then it is difficult to find or difficult to catch. 
So you might have an elusive animal. 
Maybe you are trying to follow something through the wood. 
You see a deer. 
But it is elusive, and you can't find it. 
When I went to visit Australia with my sister, we saw the elusive cassowary. 
It's a big bird. 
Actually, it's a dangerous bird that they don't see very often. 
But on our tour that day, our guide said that they hadn't seen one for at least four or five months. 
So it definitely was an elusive animal, hard to find, but we saw it. 
That's right. 
Well, these whales are elusive. 
And it's difficult for researchers to tag them, to put something on them so that they can track where they go and learn more about them over long distances. 
Continuing: For that reason, not much is known about these whales. 
So we really don't know much about sperm whales because they're so difficult to find. 
Well, not much is known about sperm whales although researchers are still trying to discover new facts, new things they can share with us. 
But we will learn more later after our break. 
First, let's enjoy some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.29.B

Today we are talking about whales, the giants of the sea. 
And we have just learned a little bit about these elusive creatures and some things that we really don't know about them. 
There's so much we can learn about whales. 
We can learn more about what they are like in their natural habitat and what sort of emotions or images are evoked when you think of whales. 
Well, we're going to continue on reading about what researchers have to say about these animals. 
(Music). 
Whales: The Giants of the Sea. 
Researchers have discovered that sperm whales are the largest toothed animal, reaching 18 meters, and that they have the largest brain of any animal. 
It is believed that while foraging they can dive to a depth of 3200 meters and stay underwater for at least 90 minutes. 
Squid is their favorite food, and sperm whales have been known to fight fierce battles with giant squid. 
Battle scars in the form of permanent squid sucker marks provide the evidence of deep-sea battles. 
OK. We're continuing to learn here about the sperm whale. 
Of course we learned before the break that this creature is quite elusive. 
That's why we don't know much about this creature in the sea. 
Now researchers have discovered that sperm whales are the largest toothed animal, reaching 18 meters, and that they have the largest brain of any animal. 
OK. So at least we know that about the sperm whale: the largest toothed animal. 
Carolyn, usually I use the word "tooth" as a noun, but it's an adjective here. 
That's right. 
So here they're using it to describe a type of animal because not all animals have teeth. 
So here the sperm whale is the largest animal that has teeth. 
It is the largest toothed animal. 
And it also has the largest brain, which is very interesting since we've been talking about Mysteries of the Mind this month as well. 
That's right. 
Well, this is an interesting fact - the largest brain of any animal. 
And of course you saw how long it is, 18 meters, or they can reach 18 meters. 
Well, we continue learning about this sperm whale. 
It is believed that while foraging they can dive to a depth of 3,200 meters and stay underwater for at least 90 minutes. 
OK. Well, this giant of the sea sounds pretty impressive to me, Carolyn. 
It does. 
It can hold its breath for a very long time while it forages for food. 
And if it is foraging for food, that means it is looking for it. 
It is not easily found. 
It has to search for it and try to find it. 
And they dive very, very far down into the ocean, 3,200 meters. 
And they hold their breath for up to 90 minutes. 
So this whale is very impressive. 
It doesn't have to come to the surface too often. 
That's right. 
Now at the beginning of this sentence, we saw three words: it is believed. 
"It is believed that something..." when you see this, that means people don't know for sure about something. 
That means that many people believe this, but we don't know for sure. 
We don't know all of the facts for sure. 
Anyhow, Liz does want to share something with us in the Grammar Gym. 
So let's join her now. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this sentence: 
"... while foraging they can dive to a depth of 3200 meters... " That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
This sentence just means while sperm whales are foraging, they can dive to a depth of 3200 meters. 
But that's longer and wordier than what we have for today's Grammar Tip sentence. 
So when you have a subject that is doing something while in the middle of another activity, consider this sentence pattern: 
While + verb 1-ing (comma) subject + verb 2. 
For example: While shopping for grocery, Betsy looks for discounts. 
Or: While cleaning the house, Sam keeps his TV on. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, then please take a look at today's Grammar Tip section in your Studio Classroom magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Bye-bye. 
Continuing on with our article we learn a little bit more about these sperm whales. 
Squid is their favorite food, and sperm whales have been known to fight fierce battles with giant squid. 
So they are very large animals themselves being up to 18 meters, and they love to eat squid. 
And they are also giant squid, Gabe. 
Yeah. Well, I have something in common with sperm whales, Carolyn. 
I, too, enjoy eating squid. 
But usually the squid that I eat is small and it's barbecued on a stick, and I can buy it at the night market. 
That's a little bit different, I think, than the squid that the sperm whales might be eating, and especially the giant squid that they are fighting. 
This sounds like an intense battle. 
It does. 
And we see this phrase that "it has been known," so have been known to fight fierce battles. 
To be known to do something means that it's knowledgeable, like we have the knowledge that this does happen but maybe not all the time. 
That's right. 
For instance, you could say Milton's been known to eat a whole watermelon in under two minutes. 
Or you could say he's been known to have a bad temper. 
My friend has been known to have a bad temper. 
So everybody knows this about that person. 
It's been known for something. 
Or he has been known to be a good project leader, so I would recommend him to be in charge. 
So they... these sperm whales have been known to fight fierce battles with giant squid. 
And we find out what this battle results in. 
Battle scars in the form of permanent squid sucker marks provide evidence of these deep-sea battles. 
So that's how we know that they occur because there are battle scars. 
And "scar" is one of the words from our Word Bank. 
Gabe, what is a scar? 
Ooh, it's not a good thing. 
Usually if you get injured, you might have a wound and it will heal. 
But sometimes, sometimes it leaves a scar. 
That's a mark on your skin. 
And a lot of people have scars for the rest of their life. OK. 
These scars never go away. 
And so that's what we're talking about here. 
Now I like battle scars because this implies that you're on an adventure. 
Sometimes if you fall down when you're having fun and you get a wound, that can be called a battle scar. 
That's right. 
And here the battle scars result from an actual battle, from a fight with this giant squid. 
And the scars are in the shape of squid sucker marks. 
And squids have suckers on them that they use to attach themselves to the sperm whale while they are fighting. 
And these deep-sea battles occur. 
And this is the evidence we have of the deep-sea battles. 
That's right. 
Of course if you have a scar on your body, that's evidence that something happened to you. 
Someone might ask: Hey, how did that happen? 
Of course it's evidence that you can't ignore. 
All right. So we have evidence here that these sperm whales also flight with other underwater creatures. 
Let's continue learning something now with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what the other teachers are doing now. 
Well, we've been talking about Whales: The Giants of the Sea today. 
And we learned about one kind of whale, the sperm whale. 
And I do wonder... I mean, there are many kinds of whales out there. 
I wonder about you, if you would like to see one of these whales up close and personal. 
Carolyn, what about you? 
Well, you know how much I love animals, Gabe. 
So of course I would want to see a whale up close. 
I think it would be very, very cool to go out on a boat into the middle of the ocean and look for whales, to go on a whale-watching trip. 
I think, oh, that would be such a great vacation. 
Maybe that's what I will do for my next vacation. 
That's a good idea. 
You know, I'm interested in seeing whales up close as well. 
I think it would be fun, at a safe distance of course, to see one of these sperm whales and giant squid fight each other. 
Of course I would want to make sure that I was safe. 
But so much goes on in the ocean, it is fascinating. 
Well, we have more to learn about whales in our next few lessons here at Studio Classroom. 
So we'll see you next time. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.07.30.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
Thank you for joining us for the second day of our lesson called Whales: The Giants of the Sea. 
Well, we learned about one kind of whale yesterday - the sperm whale. 
And we're going to learn about some other whales today. 
But I wonder how much you know about whales already. 
Carolyn, what can you tell us about whales? 
Well, we're going to be talking about the blue whale today. 
And one thing that we aren't going to talk about are the blue whale babies. 
What? 
And blue whale babies are born 8 meters long. 
Wow! 
Did you know that, Gabe? 
I did not know that, Carolyn. 
Do you know anything else about whales? 
Well, these blue whale babies also weigh three tons. 
What?! 
And they gain 91 kilograms every day for the first year. 
Stop! That's a lot of weight. 
It is! 
Well, we're going to learn about just how big these blue whales get as adults in our lesson today. 
You know, you know some great things about whales. 
All I know is that... half of the brain sleeps at a time for some whales. 
They don't really sleep... The whole brain doesn't sleep at a time. 
I like Carolyn's fact. It's cooler. 
You know what, there are so many things to learn about whales. 
Let's get started with today's lesson. 
First, we're going to learn about blue whales. 
(Music). 
Whales: The Giants of the Sea. 
Blue whales. 
Blue whales are the largest animal in the world, many weighing up to 180,000 kilograms and reaching lengths of over 30 meters. 
They are long and slender with a bluish-gray color and a heart that weighs as much as a small car. 
These sea giants are baleen whales, meaning they have a comb-like ridge on the top and bottom of their mouths where teeth are normally found. 
These whales take in water as they swim, and the baleen, equipped with bristles, filters the water and catches small ocean creatures called krill. 
These whales eat around 40 million krill per day, totaling over 3,600 kilograms. 
These whales sound like they are very hungry. 
And we're talking about blue whales, of course. 
We talked a little bit about blue whale babies in the introduction. 
And here we have more facts about blue whales. 
Gabe, what is this first sentence? 
All right. 
Blue whales are the largest animal in the world, many weighing up to 180,000 kilograms and reaching lengths of over 30 meters. 
OK. 
So of course now you know, if you didn't before, this is the largest animal in the world. 
It is a very large animal if it is weighing up to 180,000 kilograms. 
This is not 180,000 pounds. 180,000 kilograms! So this is a very, very heavy animal. 
Yeah. It's a good thing they're swimming in the ocean. 
They wouldn't be able to move on land, I don't think. 
Well, these are very long creatures as well - at least 30 meters, some of them, or they can reach 30 meters. 
They are long and slender with a bluish-gray color and a heart that weighs as much as a small car. 
Well, if a creature has a heart that weighs as much as a small car, I don't usually think of it as slender. 
How can you describe these blue whales as slender, Carolyn? 
Well, because they are so long, they don't look like there are very wide. 
They look very slender because they are much longer than they are wide. 
OK. 
So if someone is very tall or something is very long, then you can describe it as being slender even if it is indeed very big as well. 
So their hearts weigh as much as a small car. 
That is a big heart. 
How do we continue, Carolyn? 
We continue with: 
These sea giants are baleen whales, meaning they have a comb-like ridge on the top and bottom of their mouths where teeth are normally found. 
So these whales do not have teeth. 
They have baleen. 
And it is a ridge, a comb-like ridge along the top and bottom of their mouths. 
And let's look at that word "ridge." Gabe, what is a ridge? 
Well, a ridge is kind of the edge of something. 
But I usually think of it as up and down, not like the edge of a cliff but like the edge of uh, maybe a mountain range, and there is a ridge. 
It's the tops of the mountains. 
So that is the ridge. 
Right. 
So a ridge is something that is raised. 
Maybe there is a ridge in front of your door. 
You want to make sure that you don't trip over the little part that sticks up in front of your door as you go in and out of your house. 
Yeah. Be careful around ridges in doorways. 
Well, we're talking about the comb-like ridge at the top and the bottom of these whales' mouths. 
And this is why they're called baleen whales. 
So they're not toothed whales like sperm whales are. 
Well, how do we continue, Carolyn? 
We see these whales take in water as they swim, and the baleen, equipped with bristles, filters the water and catches small ocean creatures called krill. 
Well, there is a lot in that sentence to talk about. 
First, let's look at the phrase: take in. 
They take in water. 
So if you take something in, then you bring it in. 
You can take in water here. 
But you could also take in information. 
If you are learning something new, you can take it in. 
Very good. 
You're taking it in. 
You're consuming it. 
You could also maybe take in a breath of fresh air. 
If you got out of the city, and you breathe in, you're taking in a breath of fresh air. 
And if you're walking up to the top of that mountain where there's a ridge, you can look out and take in some beautiful scenery, too. 
That's right. 
So there are many ways to use this phrase "take in," not just when you take something into your mouth but you can take something in with your eyes or with your mind. 
And here we have the whales, they take in water as they swim. 
And the baleen, these comb-like bristles, they are equipped with bristles, which is kind of like on a brush. 
And this filters the water and catches small ocean creatures called krill. 
Now the bristles filter the water. 
Let's look at that word from the Word Bank. 
Gabe, what does it mean to filter something? 
That means you're trying to strain the water, in this case, and try to get some things out of it. 
So it makes me think about coffee, actually. 
When you make coffee, you put the coffee grinds inside. 
And then you try to filter that out of the water. 
So you're not actually drinking the... the coffee beans and the coffee grinds. 
You're just drinking the coffee. 
So that's how you can use this word - as I just used it as a verb. 
But you know what, there could be a coffee filter as well. 
That's a noun. 
That's right. 
So they filter the water by using these bristles because they actually don't want the water. 
They want to catch these small creatures called krill so that they can eat them. 
Well, we're going to talk a little bit more about these bristles and these comb-like ridges on their mouths here in the Information Cloud with Steve and Ken. 
The baleen whales use bristles to filter the water and catch krill. 
This process reminds me of the expression: going over something with a fine-tooth comb. 
Well, it's easy to make that association as our lesson mentions a comb-like ridge in the whale's mouth that works pretty much like a comb. 
Right. 
But in this case, the comb is not used to comb hair. 
Rather it works like a filter, which is interesting because, for centuries, people used combs for the unglamorous purpose of removing lice eggs from their hair. 
And a fine-tooth comb, or one that has small narrow teeth that are set closely together is especially effective in this endeavor. 
Now the expression "going over things with a fine-tooth comb" was first used in detective or police work. 
Just as a person would use a fine-tooth comb to find and remove the smallest of filth from one's hair, 
investigators would carefully go over the details of a crime scene, looking for the smallest of clues to solve the case. 
Today, the expression can apply to a very detailed approach to anything. 
An editor might go over a book or article with a fine-tooth comb, checking for small mistakes. 
If your teacher uses a fine-tooth comb when he or she is examining your work, you'd better make sure everything is in order before you hand it in. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, we're continuing to learn about blue whales. 
These whales eat around 40 million krill per day, totaling over 3,600 kilograms. 
That's a lot of krill. 
These whales have an enormous appetite. 
Of course they need to because they are enormous creatures. 
As you'll notice, that word "krill" does not have an S, even as a plural. 
Now let's continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.30.B

Well, we've been learning all about whales in our lesson, and especially about blue whales earlier today. 
We learned that these are the largest animals in the world that many weigh up to 180,000 kilograms, and they can reach to a length of over 30 meters. 
That is a huge whale. 
And of course something else we learn is that they are baleen whales. 
So they don't have teeth. 
Instead they have that comb-like ridge in the top and bottom of their mouths. 
Well, we're going to continue learning about blue whales, and then about gray whales in the next part of our reading for today. 
(Music). 
Whales: The Giants of the Sea. 
Blue whales once numbered in the hundreds of thousands, 
but over hunting has nearly driven them to extinction; today it is believed that only a few thousand remain. 
Gray whales. 
Gray whales are another kind of baleen whale. 
They typically swim along the ocean bottom, using their mouths to suck up mud and their baleen to filter their prey. 
With heads usually covered in barnacles, gray whales are easy to recognize and not shy, often swimming alongside boats and watching the people aboard. 
Well, it sounds like seeing gray whales would be a very, very fun and exciting thing to do. 
Now continuing at the beginning of this section, we still have a little more information about blue whales. 
We see that blue whales once numbered in the hundreds of thousands, 
but over hunting has nearly driven them to extinction; today it is believed that only a few thousand remain. 
This seems a little bit sad, Gabe. 
It is really sad, Carolyn. 
There aren't that many blue whales left, at least compared to the way that it once was. 
We see that word "once" at the beginning of this sentence: Blue whales once numbered this amount. 
That means once upon a time, or a long time ago, or in the past at one time. 
OK. We also see it numbered in the hundreds of thousands. 
So when you use the word "in" to talk about a number, you can use it to talk about a huge number like hundreds of thousands. 
Or you could say it numbered in the millions. 
There were at least a million. 
That's right. 
And we see that over hunting has nearly driven them to extinction. 
So these are an endangered species, something we've mentioned before, to be on a threatened or endangered species list. 
And it has nearly driven them to extinction. 
We want to look at that phrase: to be driven to something. 
Gabe, what does it mean if you are driven to something? 
Well, that means that something happened in life, and it caused you to be a certain way. 
So something happened in nature, and it caused whales... or blue whales to almost be extinct. 
So how can you use this phrase in another way? 
You could say, "You drove me to anger." That means you made me get angry. 
Or you could say, "That news drove my friend into depression." It caused him to get really sad. 
Well, but you could also use this in other ways. 
Maybe your car is always breaking down, and it drove you to buy a new one. 
Not driving a car, but it made you need to buy a new car because it was always broken. 
That's right. 
So we see here that something drove whales to near extinction. 
Today it is believed that only a few thousand blue whales remain. 
I'm sad for these blue whales. 
But I am happy to learn about gray whales. 
Let's do that now. 
Gray whales are another kind of baleen whale. 
So again, they don't have teeth. 
That's right. 
And we find out they typically swim along the ocean bottom using their mouths to suck up mud and their baleen to filter their prey. 
So before when we were learning about blue whales, the blue whales were filtering water through their baleen to filter the prey. 
And here we have "they are sucking up mud." These gray whales suck up mud, and then use the baleen to filter their prey. 
And "prey" is a word from the Word Bank. 
Gabe, what is prey? 
Ooh, prey... Well, if you're searching for a meal, and you are an animal (of course searching for a meal), then you might catch your prey. 
That is anything that you catch to eat to make you stronger and healthier as an animal. 
That is your prey. 
So here we were talking about the blue whales eat a lot of krill. 
The krill would be their prey. 
And now we're talking about gray whales sucking up mud to filter their prey. 
All right. So we're talking about prey here. 
Now you notice that this word does not have an S. 
Again, krill and prey, they don't have an S in their plural forms. OK. 
Now this makes me think of another animal called a praying mantis. 
It's a little green insect that preys on other smaller insects. 
So the praying mantis, it is looking for other things to eat. 
So this word can be a verb as well - to prey. 
That's right. 
But this is P-R-E-Y, not P-R-A-Y. 
Yes. 
Those are two different kinds of PREY. 
Continuing learning about gray whales: 
With heads usually covered in barnacles, gray whales are easy to recognize and not shy, often swimming alongside boats and watching the people aboard. 
And "alongside" is also from our Word Bank. 
And it just means to be beside something, to go along the side of it. 
That's right. 
You could say walk alongside me, or come alongside, learn something with me. 
So these gray whales like to swim alongside boats. 
They watch the people on board. 
I think I like these gray whales. 
Well, I also like review skits. 
Let's enjoy one right now. 
And then we'll see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Ah! Here we are on a whale-watching adventure. 
Whales! I'm fascinated by these giant marine animals. 
Ah, yes. Their size is enormous, and their ways are mysterious. 
Yeah. 
I'm looking for sperm whales. 
Sperm whales are elusive creatures that live in remote waters. 
Oh. 
They can reach 18 meters and have the largest brains of any animal. 
Is that so? 
They can dive more than 3,000 meters and stay underwater for 90 minutes. 
Do you think we'll see any sperm whales? 
Not likely. 
Oh. 
Well, OK. 
I'll look for blue whales. 
Blue whales are the largest mammals in the world. 
Really? 
They can weigh 180,000 kilos and reach lengths of 30 meters. 
That is enormous. 
They take in water and catch small ocean creatures called krill. 
That is so interesting. 
There aren't many blue... whales, not as many as there used to be. 
Oh. Well, do you think we'll see any blue whales? 
Not likely. 
Too bad. 
Well, maybe I'll look for gray whales. 
Gray whales swim along the ocean bottom. 
Their heads are usually covered in barnacles. 
Barnacles? 
And they're not shy. 
They swim alongside boats and watch people. 
Wow. 
Do you think we'll see any gray whales today? 
Not likely. 
Too bad. 
Ah, keep looking. 
I'm sure you will see something. 
OK. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
It's time to go back to our teachers now. 
We've learned a lot of interesting facts about whales today. 
And I wonder which one you like the most. 
Gabe? 
Well, I really like the gray whales. 
I think it's interesting that they suck up mud, and then filter their prey. 
I kind of like the idea of sucking up water to filter prey. 
But I like the gray whales because they seem like friendly whales. 
They like to swim right alongside the boats, so you can see them up close. 
That is a pretty interesting fact about gray whales. 
What was your favorite fact today? 
Think about it. 
Talk about it in English. 
And we will see you here again tomorrow on Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.07.31.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the third day of our lesson about Whales: The Giants of the Sea. 
So far we've learned a lot about whales, especially sperm whales, blue whales and gray whales. 
I learned that sperm whales have the largest brain of any animal. 
And I also learned that blue whales are the largest animal in the world. 
And I know that Carolyn loves whales, and she loves all kinds of animals. 
Carolyn, can you give us any other facts about whales? 
Well, there's another kind of whale that we aren't going to be talking about in our article but I think it is so interesting. 
It's called a narwhal. 
And narwhals only have two teeth. 
What? 
The male narwhal has one tooth that sticks straight out through its lip. 
And it can grow to be 2.7 meters long. 
Wow! OK. The narwhals only have two teeth. 
OK. That's a very interesting whale. 
I think there are lots of different kinds of whales out there. 
We only have time to talk about so many in this lesson. 
But let's get started today learning about another kind of whale, another kind of giant sea creature called the orca. 
Here we go. 
(Music). 
Whales: The Giants of the Sea. 
Orcas. 
These stylish black and white mammals are probably the most easily identifiable whales in the sea. 
Also called "killer whales" because of their aggressive predatory style, orcas prey on seals, sharks and even other whales. 
Orcas often travel, live and hunt in groups called "pods," which are somewhat similar to a pack of wolves. 
Killer whales can be found in every ocean around the world and have no natural predator except humans. 
Whale-watching locations. 
Here are some of the best places to catch sight of these giant mammals. 
OK. Before we continue learning about those great whale-watching locations, let's go back and talk about those orca whales, OK. 
These stylish black and white mammals are probably the most easily identifiable whales in the sea. 
I like that word "stylish," Carolyn. 
It kind of is a word of judgment here. 
But would you agree that these whales look pretty cool and stylish? 
I would agree because these orcas are black and white. 
They have very distinct color patterns. 
And they look very stylish, almost like they're wearing a tux and going to a formal event. 
Wow. That's a great way to describe orcas as well. 
They are probably the most easily identifiable. 
That's probably because of how unique they look, that stylish look, so you won't confuse them with other whales. 
Maybe you might get confused about the blue whale or the gray whale or some other whale. 
You're not sure which kind of whale it is. 
But you always know when you're seeing an orca. 
That's right. 
And we find out that orcas have another name. 
Also called "killer whales" because of their aggressive predatory style, orcas prey on seals, sharks and even other whales. 
So they are called "killer whales" because they have an aggressive predatory style. 
And "predatory" is a word from our World Bank. 
We want to look at that word. 
If something is predatory, then it hunts. 
It likes to hunt other animals for food. 
And they hunt orcas... er... these orcas hunt seals, sharks and other whales. 
Yeah, maybe... maybe they even hunt other orcas. 
Who knows? 
But these are predatory animals. 
You could see those letters P-R-E, just like from the word "prey." So they're hunting prey. 
They're predatory. 
They are hunting for prey. 
What other animals are predatory, Carolyn? 
I can think of maybe a lion. 
A lion is a predator. 
That is true, it is a predatory animal. 
And any animal that needs to eat other animals for food and hunts them would be considered a predatory animal. 
OK. And Carolyn did just use the word "predator," P-R-E-D-A-T-O-R. 
That's the kind of animal that hunts for other food. 
So let's continue talking about orcas here, these predatory whales. 
Orcas often travel, live and hunt in groups called "pods," which are somewhat similar to a pack of wolves. 
That's right. 
So here we have this word "wolves" or "wolf" - W-O-L-F is the singular form of this word. 
And wolves are like large dogs that are wild. 
And they hunt in large groups called "packs". 
OK. So you might see a pack of wolves. 
Actually, I hope you don't see a pack of wolves unless you're at a zoo or some place like that where they will not attack you. 
Wolves, of course, are dangerous animals. 
Have you ever seen a wolf in the wild? 
I have not seen a wolf in the wild, fortunately, only at zoos and parks where they're kept in enclosures, where it is safe to see them. 
But learning more about killer whales that travel in these pods or groups: 
Killer whales can be found in every ocean around the world and have no natural predator except humans. 
Carolyn, you know, when I was preparing our lesson today, I... I drew a sad face on that fact because I think it's sad that so many people like to hunt these whales. 
As we found out about yesterday, blue whales, there are a lot fewer blue whales now than there used to be because of over hunting. 
So people are killing these whales. 
That is true, and it is very unfortunate. 
But we see that killer whales can be found in every ocean. 
So it sounds like their numbers are still OK. 
There are a lot of killer whales swimming around the oceans. 
And they don't have any other natural predators. 
So there aren't any other animals that are preying on orcas. 
They prey on the other animals. 
That's right. 
Well, I've had a lot of fun learning about these different kinds of whales. 
Now we're going to talk about different places in the world where you can see or spot some of these whales: Whale-watching locations. 
Here are some of the best places to catch sight of these giant mammals. 
Carolyn, what does that mean, to... to catch sight of something? 
Well, earlier we talked about a glimpse of something, to just see it for a moment. 
And because whales live in the water, they spend a lot of time under the water, and they aren't always easy to see. 
But you can catch sight of them, see them for a short moment while you're going on one of these trips. 
That's right. 
I caught sight of an unusual bird in Australia like I was sharing about before. 
I caught sight of this creature. 
So that's how you can use that phrase. 
Well, right now it's time for us to join Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll join Michelle afterwards. 
Since our lesson today is about whales, why don't we take a look at some idioms that use the word "whale". 
Good idea, Ken. 
Here's an example. 
You know, I had a whale of a time at Scarlet's birthday party yesterday. 
So you had an exciting and fun time at the party. 
"To have a whale of a time" means having a really good time. 
Well, Steve, I think you did a whale of a job playing the guitar at the rally last week. 
Thanks, Ken. 
I'm glad you liked it. 
Friends, "a whale of a job" means a very good job. 
OK. We know the whale is a very large animal. 
So the word "whale" can also be used to refer to something very big. 
That's another meaning of whales: something huge. 
We might talk about a whale of a problem or a whale of a difference. 
You know, there's a whale of a difference between learning English from Studio Classroom and learning English from a cheap cram school. 
Well, that's pretty obvious. 
If you learn English from the wrong person, you might have a whale of a problem. 
One final idiom: like a beached whale. 
Oh. I wish I'd never seen a beached whale, as that animal is in a pretty bad situation. 
Once a whale is on a beach, it cannot move and get back into the ocean easily. 
As if you are completely stuck somewhere and can't get away, you are stranded like a beached whale. 
Not a good situation to be in. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.07.31.B

We are on the third day of our article Whales: The Giants of the Sea. 
And today we've been learning all about orcas, or killer whales, these stylish black and white whales that are easily identifiable in the ocean. 
We learned that they live in all oceans throughout the world and that they are predatory hunters. 
They prey on many other different animals that live in and around the ocean. 
Well, right now we're going to talk about places that you can see whales throughout the world. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
Whales: The Giants of the Sea. 
Canada. 
Some of the world's best whale-watching can be done in British Columbia, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada. 
Orcas, gray whales, blue whales, sperm whales and others can all be spotted from May through October. 
Hawaii. 
Another great location is Hawaii, where more than 6,000 humpback whales migrate to the islands' warm waters to mate and give birth. 
Whale-watching season runs from November through early May. 
Alaska. 
With a season that begins in April and almost never ends, you'll spot orcas, minke and gray whales. 
Other places like Mexico, Iceland, Britain, Norway and the Arctic will also afford you once-in-a-lifetime views of these astonishing creatures of the sea. 
(Music). 
Well, Canada, Hawaii and Alaska, here I come! 
I'd like to see some whales, too. 
And here are some great whale-watching locations. 
The first one is Canada. 
Some of the world's best whale-watching can be done in British Columbia, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada. 
That's a lot of places in Canada. 
I don't know if you've been to any of these places. 
Have you been to any of these places, Carolyn? 
I have not. 
And well, this might be a good time for me to plan a trip to go whale-watching. 
But there are probably certain times of the year that would be better to go than others. 
It's true. 
And we do talk about this in our lesson. 
Orcas, gray whales, blue whales, sperm whales and others can all be spotted from May through October. 
OK. So that's when you can go and see these whales there in Canada, Carolyn. 
Well, May through October. 
That would be right now. 
Right. 
So... so I should plan a trip for next week to go to Canada. 
Exactly. I hope you get a nice, cheap plane ticket. 
Well, we do know that you can spot these whales at this time over there. 
And that kind... that word "spot" is kind of similar to "catch sight of," that phrase we saw earlier. 
Carolyn, I think you can use them in the same way, right? 
Yes, that is true. 
You can catch sight of whales or you can spot whales on one of these whale tours or whale trips here in Canada. 
And it sounds like a lot of fun. 
But there are many other locations you can go as well to go whale-watching. 
And the next one is Hawaii. 
What do we know about whale-watching in Hawaii, Gabe? 
Well, another great location is Hawaii, where more than 6,000 humpback whales migrate to the islands' warm waters to mate and give birth. 
This is a popular place for whales to mate, Carolyn. 
It is. 
It is a popular place for these humpback whales, 6,000 of them, to migrate to. 
And if you "migrate," that is a word from our Word Bank, it means to go from one place to another. 
And for animals, it means that they go from one area of the world to another part due to weather... 
That's right. 
... usually because they want to go wherever it is warm during that part of the year. 
I usually think of birds when I think of this word "migrating." We know that birds fly south for the winter. 
That's called migrating. 
You might even call it "migration." M-I-G-R-A-T-I-O-N. That's what they do. 
OK. So we're talking about humpback whales here. 
If you know what a hump is, it's kind of a... it's kind of a lump. 
So they look a little bit different, a humpback whale. 
All right. What else do we know about here? 
Well, in Hawaii, whale-watching season runs from November through early May. 
So now would not be a good time to go whale-watching in Hawaii. 
But it would be a good time to go to Canada. 
But we see a phrase there: runs through. So the season runs from one time to another. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that means it starts at this time, and then it ends at another time. 
So from November through May. 
You could use this phrase to talk about other things, too. 
I could say the show will run from this weekend all the way through next month. 
That's how long you can see the show. 
That's right. 
So it's a period of time. 
And whale-watching season runs from November through early May in Hawaii. 
Now there's one more great whale-watching destination - Alaska. 
With a season that begins in April and almost never ends, you'll spot orcas, minke and gray whales. 
So it sounds like there are lots of whales you can go see in Alaska. 
That's right. 
And unlike the other seasons... or other places like Canada and Hawaii, in Alaska, it seems like the season never ends. 
It seems like the whale-watching season never ends. 
So there are many times of the year you can see these whales. 
There's another kind of whale mentioned here - a minke. 
And this is also a baleen whale. 
Not like an orca whale, this is a baleen whale. 
That's right. 
And there are more places that you can go throughout the world as well, not just Canada, Hawaii and Alaska. 
Other places like Mexico, Iceland, Britain, Norway and the Arctic will also afford you once-in-a-lifetime views of these astonishing creatures of the sea. 
And they are "astonishing" - a word from our Word Bank. 
If something is astonishing, it is surprising, unexpected and amazing. 
That's right, astonishing. 
Earlier this month we talked about the word "astounding." And it's kind of a similar meaning, astonishing or amazing. 
For example you could say the performers of Cirque du Soleil were simply astonishing. 
Or: That was an astonishing piano performance. Great job! 
That's right. 
Well, we have something astonishing for you to enjoy right now - a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
I'm still watching for whales, but I haven't seen any. 
That's too bad. 
Keep looking. 
OK. Oh, I'll look for orca whales. 
Orcas are black and white. 
They're very stylish and easy to identify. 
OK, I'm looking. 
Orcas are also called killer whales. 
Killer whales? 
Yes, because of their aggressive predatory style. 
Do they prey on people? 
They prey on seals, sharks and other whales. 
They live and hunt in groups. 
Look for a pod. 
An iPod? 
No, a pod. 
A pod is a group of whales. 
Oh. 
Killer whales can be found all around the world. 
Except for here? 
Huh? 
Well, I don't see any whales here. 
Well, if you really want to see whales, you should go to Canada. 
Go to Canada? 
Yeah! Some of the best whale-watching can be done there. 
You'll see orcas, gray whales, blue whales, sperm whales... 
OK, OK. I'll go to Canada. 
Or go to Hawaii. 
More than 6,000 humpback whales migrate there. 
OK. I'll go to Hawaii. 
Or go to Alaska. 
Alaska has astonishing creatures. 
Hmm. I'll go to Alaska then. 
Well, just tell me where is the best place to watch whales! 
At the aquarium. 
Of course! 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our teachers. 
Well, I've enjoyed learning about many different kinds of whales as well as lots of places around the world where you can go whale-watching. 
Carolyn, would you enjoy going on one of these whale-watching trips? 
Well, I think that this would be great. 
As I've mentioned before, I think that this would be a very fun vacation to plan. 
And actually when we were talking about Alaska, it reminded me, my uncle went to Alaska and was in a kayak and was kayaking. 
And I think he saw a few whales during his trip. 
That is so cool. 
He got to see some whales from... from a little kayak! 
That sounds exciting and really cool. 
Well, I would like to go on one of these trips as well. 
I think I would choose Alaska as well. 
Carolyn, which one of these places listed would you choose? 
Well, I've never been to Alaska, Hawaii or Canada, but I really like warm weather. 
So I would probably go to Hawaii. 
All right. 
Well, what about you, friends? 
Would you like to go on a whale-watching trip, and where? 
Thank you for joining us for this lesson. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.08.01.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for a lesson about Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon. 
We're going to be joining our friend Nathanael as he shares his experiences in Hualien. 
Now Hualien is known for many things. 
It's a city on the east coast of Taiwan. 
Carolyn, what's something that Hualien is known for? 
Well, as soon as I think of Hualien, I think of Taroko Gorge, which is a beautiful marble gorge with rivers running through it and beautiful trees and cliffs and great hiking trails. 
And it's just a really wonderful place to go. 
I think so, too. 
Have you been hiking through the gorge before? 
I have been there many, many times. 
And I try to explore new trails when I go. 
That's a great idea. 
The gorge is very famous. 
Of course, Hualien is known for some other things as well. 
There's an aboriginal tribe there, the Taroko tribe, right near the Taroko Gorge. 
And of course many delicious foods come from Hualien, like (Chinese) and many different kinds of seafood. 
But is Hualien known for their hot air balloons? 
Not really. 
Let's get started in our lesson for today - Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon. 
Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon. 
You've never seen Hualien this way before! 
I'd always wanted to visit Hualien. 
The city is one of Taiwan's most pleasant, known for spectacular Taroko Gorge. 
But on this trip, my friends and I had another mission. 
We traveled there to participate in the county's first hot air balloon event. 
In a flat, open field, two colorful balloons lay in a bundle under white cloth. 
All visitors watched a platform where a red flag was standing. 
A barrier between us and the sky, red meant the weather would not allow flight. 
Well, we're going to continue learning about Nathanael's experiences. 
But let's go back to the beginning of our lesson. 
Nathanael wrote: 
You've never seen Hualien this way before. 
Maybe you've visited Hualien before, and you've experienced different things there. 
But you've never seen it from a hot air balloon. 
Right, Carolyn? 
That's right. 
This is something that is very special. 
And we will be learning more about that experience in our article. 
Now Nathanael writes: 
I'd always wanted to visit Hualien. 
And he'd always wanted to do something. 
So let's look at this phase: to always want to do something. 
It means that for a very long time, you've thought about doing something. 
It's something that you really want to do, but you just haven't had time or made plans to do it. 
That's true. 
I've wanted to visit many countries in my life. 
I've always wanted to visit Bali, Indonesia. 
Carolyn, have you been to Bali before? 
Actually I have, Gabe. 
I have been to Bali, Indonesia. 
I went there a couple of years ago. 
And it was a really wonderful experience getting to sit out on the beach and just enjoy the sunset. 
I love hearing people's stories about Bali. 
I've always wanted to go there. 
What have you always wanted to do? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I've always wanted to go scuba diving. 
I know it takes a lot of work and training and preparation, but it's something that I think would be a lot of fun. 
And I've always wanted to try. 
All right. 
Well, what have you always wanted to do? 
Talk about that today. 
Nathanael says he'd always wanted to visit Hualien. 
The city is one of Taiwan's most pleasant, known for spectacular Taroko Gorge. 
Of course we were sharing about Taroko Gorge earlier. 
It's one of the first things that comes to people's mind when they think about Hualien. 
It is spectacular or an amazing sight. 
It certainly is. 
And I do enjoy going there. 
But on this trip, my friends and I had another mission. 
So our writer Nathanael was not going to Hualien to visit Taroko Gorge. 
He and his friends had another mission. 
A mission, Gabe? 
That's right. 
Well, they had another purpose. 
They had something else they needed to do, that they wanted to get done. 
So they were not going to visit Taroko Gorge. 
Maybe Nathanael will find some other time to visit Taroko Gorge. 
But what was their mission? 
Well, we see: We traveled there to participate in the county's first hot air balloon event. 
And as we mentioned before, you've never seen Hualien this way before because this is the first time that the county has had a hot air balloon event. 
Now at the beginning of the sentence we saw a word from our Word Bank. 
The word "participate." Now Gabe, what does it mean if you participate in something? 
That means you join an event. 
You want to take part in that event. 
You're not just standing on the side watching. You're actually doing the event with other people. 
Now what kinds of things have you participated in? 
Often you'll see these words together: to participate in something. 
What kinds of things do you participate in, Carolyn? 
Well, I participate in a lot of different activities at my church. 
I'm in the choir, so I sing in the English choir. 
But I also help with the children's choir and lead a small group for young adults. 
So there are many different things that I participate in. 
That's right. 
So you can use this word to talk about things that you join. 
You're taking part in something. 
So this is what Nathanael is doing in this county's first hot air balloon event. 
And he continues: In a flat, open field, two colorful balloons lay in a bundle under white cloth. 
So he's setting the stage here. 
This is the beginning of this story. 
You don't see the hot air balloon standing straight up at first. 
They're just in a bundle. 
That's right. 
They're in a bundle. 
And they're even covered up because they are under white cloth. 
He continues to write: All visitors watched a platform where a red flag was standing. 
So there's a red flag on this platform, and everyone is watching this flag. 
Why are they watching the flag, Gabe? 
Well, everyone wants to know if you can fly in a hot air balloon that day or not. 
They're watching this flag. OK? 
We continue learning about this. 
A barrier between us and the sky, red meant the weather would not allow flight. 
OK. So people saw a red flag. 
And that red flag was between them and the sky. 
And if it's red, that means that you're not going to fly in a hot air balloon that day. 
That's right. 
As many of us know, red means stop. 
So you can't continue forward. 
You have to wait until the flag changes color. 
That's right. 
Now let's look at that word "barrier" at the beginning of this sentence. 
There was a barrier between us and the sky. 
This is kind of a negative word that Nathanael is using because of course you want to fly in the hot air balloon, but the red flag is stopping you. 
It's blocking you. 
That's what a barrier is - it blocks you from doing or enjoying something. 
That's right. 
Well, we do not have a barrier today between us and Michelle. 
So let's go over to the Language Lab and see what she has for us today. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.01.B

Today is the first day of our TRAVEL article, Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon. 
So far our author Nathanael has told us about his trip with a few of his friends to Hualien. 
But they didn't go there for the famous spectacular Taroko Gorge. 
They went for the county's first hot air balloon event. 
They went to participate in this great event. 
And we have much more to learn about it in the next part of our article. 
Let's get started. 
Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon. 
Still, the balloons were laid out next to their baskets. 
Fans were first used to fill the balloons until they looked like huge sofas. 
After that, burners on the baskets breathed fire to fill up the balloons with hot air. 
As they took shape, the balloons rose gradually to a standing position. 
Feeling no wind, we hoped that the red flag would soon be changed to a green one. 
Instead, a yellow flag was raised - proceed with care. 
All right. Well, that's a good sign. 
Yellow is better than red. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
Nathanael was talking about this barrier between the people and the sky - this red flag that meant that maybe you couldn't fly in a hot air balloon that day. 
But he continues: 
Still, the balloons were laid out next to their baskets. 
"Still," that means people were still planning or hoping to fly in a hot air balloon. 
That's right. 
They were definitely hoping. 
And the balloons were laid out next to their baskets. 
Now the use of this word "laid" or "lay" or "lie" can be very confusing. 
And I think Steve and Ken have something that they would like to tell us about in the Information Cloud. 
Hello, friends. 
If you're feeling tired, and we hope you're not, maybe you should go lay down, or is it lie down? 
Good question, Ken. 
A lot of people get "lie" and "lay" confused. 
We need to remember, the verb "lay" is an action. 
It describes the action of putting something somewhere. 
The verb "lie," spelled L-I-E, describes being in a flat, horizontal position of rest. 
OK. Here's an example. 
If you have a book in your hand, you can lay it down. 
And then you can say it's lying on the table. 
Another way to remember the difference is that "lay" always needs a direct object. 
You lay something down. 
But you lie down. 
Also remember that the present tense is "lay," but the past tense is "laid," L-A-I-D. 
So I might say last night after I finished reading, I laid the book on the table. 
Laid, L-A-I-D. 
So Ken, you didn't put the book down. 
You just left it lying around? 
Yes, I left it lying around. 
If something is lying around, it's just sitting there and not put away. 
A messy room would have many things lying around. 
And a person can be lying around, too. 
If I'm staying at home and doing nothing important, I'm just lying around. 
I think that just might be my plan this weekend. 
Not a bad idea. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, we continue. 
Fans were first used to fill the balloons until they looked like huge sofas. 
OK. So these balloons are laid out next to their baskets. 
Now they're using something - they're using big or giant fans to fill these balloons up with air. 
Which made them look like huge sofas. 
So they aren't big, smooth balloons yet. 
They're kind of lumpy and still laying on the ground. 
We read: After that, burners on the baskets breathed fire to fill up the balloons with hot air. 
So after they were filled with just regular air from the fans, buners on the baskets breathed fire to fill the balloons with hot air. 
Gabe, this is a great, very descriptive and expressive sentence. 
Well, there's a word at the beginning of this sentence: burner. 
A hot air balloon needs a gas burner. 
And of course the gas will produce fire. 
And that will make the hot air balloon rise. OK. 
So that's a gas burner. 
Now on the baskets, and they breathed fire. 
This is a very nice word to use for "breathing" fire or to make fire come out. 
It breathes fire. 
It's one of our key words from our Word Bank. 
Usually we use it to talk about how we or animals will breathe... in and out. 
But Carolyn, how is Nathanael using it here? 
That's right. 
Usually when I think of this word, I think of taking air into the body, and then letting air out of the body. 
But here it's talking about the burners, these gas burners breathing fire. 
So fire is being released from the burner into the hot air balloon. 
But it's not burning the balloon. 
It is helping to fill the balloon with hot air that will let it rise up. 
That's right. OK. 
So heat rises, of course. 
And you need hot air to make a hot air balloon rise. 
Well, we continue. 
As they took shape, the balloons rose gradually to a standing position. 
So we're talking about the balloons taking shape here. 
That means they're coming into their final shape, the shape that we all recognize when we think about hot air balloons. 
That's right. 
And this was done gradually. 
So let's look at that word from our Word Bank. 
The word "gradually" just means to do something very slowly, a little bit at a time. 
And here the balloons filled up with air gradually. 
So it wasn't right away the balloons were suddenly in the air. 
You had to wait. 
So a little bit of time for the balloons to fill up. 
That's true. 
I've been to Taitung before to watch the hot air balloons. 
And they gradually fill up with air. 
So not at one time, but over time, they gradually do this. 
You could also use this word in... in another way. 
His English improved gradually to the point where he could give a very good speech in English. 
And it does take time to learn a new language. 
So I hope that your English is gradually improving, that it is getting better a little bit at a time. 
Don't be discouraged or upset if it takes a while for you to learn English. 
It is not easy. 
Continuing on in the article: Feeling no wind, we hoped that the red flag would soon be changed to a green one. 
So green often means go. 
If you're driving a car, red means stop, and green means go. 
So they want the flag to be changed to green so that they can get in a balloon. 
That's right. 
Of course Nathanael doesn't need to write here that green means go because almost everyone around the world knows that red means stop, green means go. 
And of course there's another color here - yellow. 
It means be careful. 
Drive slowly or speed up if you're at a stoplight and you need to get through. 
We continue with our last sentence here. 
Instead, a yellow flag was raised. 
And if it's yellow, you need to proceed with care. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank: to proceed. 
When you proceed, that means you are going ahead with something. 
That's right. 
So you can go foward, you can continue to do something usually after you've had to wait for a while. 
OK, now you may proceed. 
Maybe you are at the airport, and you're waiting in line to go through security. 
You have to stop and wait at the waiting line, and then you can proceed to the next counter. 
All right. 
So so far today Nathanael is with his friends, and they want to go in a hot air balloon. 
They saw a red flag. 
It was a barrier between them. 
And then they were hoping for a green flag. 
Now what do they have, Carolyn? 
They have a yellow flag, so they can proceed with care. 
Well, right now I think it's... it's time for us to enjoy a video. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our teachers. 
All right. 
Well, I'm excited about learning more about Nathanael's story and to see if they actually rose into the air or not. 
But we'll learn more about that next time. 
First, I do have a question for you. 
If you're thinking about going into a hot air balloon, do you think you could do it? 
Are you afraid of heights? 
What do you think about this? 
Carolyn, could you do this? 
Well, I'm not sure. 
I am a little bit afraid of heights. 
And it's not because I'm afraid of going up. 
It's coming back down that worries me. 
I'm a little bit afraid of falling like going up a ladder and then having to come back down. 
But being up high at the top of a building, that's fine. 
That's OK, right? 
Well, I would agree. 
Sometimes I'm afraid of heights. 
I guess it depends where I am and how close I am to the edge of something. 
Well, thank you for joining us today. 
And of course we hope to see you next time to learn more about Nathanael's experience here on Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.08.02.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson: Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon. 
Now of course we joined Nathanael as he began this story yesterday. 
And he was with his friends, and they were waiting to see if they could even have the chance to go up in a hot air balloon. 
Of course the weather was kind of bad, and so there was a red flag at first. 
But by the end, there was a yellow flag, which meant proceed with care. 
Now they're going to go up into a hot air balloon, which is taking them pretty high off the ground. 
Carolyn, have you ever been up to a very high place? 
Well, I've been to a couple. 
I've been to some very tall buildings like the Empire State Building in New York, and also Taipei 101 here in Taipei. 
But I think probably the highest place I've been to was actually a mountaintop when I was hiking. 
Well, I love hiking to the tops of high mountains as well. 
You can get great views of the city below or whatever is below. 
Of course, if you've been in an airplane, then that is also very high up. 
If you're flying in a hot air balloon, it's not quite as high, but you'll get a great view, especially if you're in Hualien. 
Let's continue with our story - Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon. 
Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon. 
The first group boarded one balloon, which remained tied to the ground. 
Lifting off slowly, the white shape in motion was exciting to watch. 
Once it rose to a certain point, the wind suddenly started to carry it off. 
Many held their breath as it began to fall just as quickly. 
We soon relaxed as the balloon stabilized. 
After several minutes in the air, the balloon touched ground while a blue one rose. 
Oh, this sounds like a very exciting experience and maybe even making people feel a little bit nervous. 
But going back to the beginning of our reading for today: 
The first group boarded one balloon, which remained tied to the ground. 
So the first group of people got to go into a balloon as "they proceeded with care" as we learned yesterday. 
But they were able to go into the first balloon, which remained on the ground. 
So they weren't up in the air yet because we see that word from our Word Bank - the word "remain". 
That's right. And this word "remain," it means still. 
So the balloon is still on the ground. 
It remains on the ground. 
But you can use that word in different ways. 
Maybe there is a group of people, and four people leave, but then two remain. 
Two did not leave. 
They remained at the place. 
They didn't leave. 
That's right. 
So "remain" just means to continue to be that way or to stay that way. 
Maybe you put something on the shelf, and it has remained there for a very long time. 
You haven't used it since you put it on the shelf. 
Well, continuing on in our article, how... how do we do that, Gabe? 
All right. 
Well, lifting off slowly, the white shape in motion was exciting to watch. 
So Nathanael and his friends are not in the hot air balloon. 
They're observing from the side. 
They can see this white shape, and it's exciting to watch. 
It would be very exciting to see this white hot air balloon just rising into the sky. 
And Nathanael continues: Once it rose to a certain point, the wind suddenly started to carry it off. 
Now if something is carried off, then it is moved, and maybe you didn't expect it to happen. 
It leaves, and you didn't know that it was going to leave. 
So the wind started to suddenly carry off the balloon! 
That's right. 
So we see here the balloon is not remaining on the ground like before. 
It's being carried off. 
Now it rose to a certain point, and then it suddenly carried off. 
And Nathanael continues: 
Many held their breath as it began to fall just as quickly. 
OK. So it suddenly was carried off, and it began to fall just as quickly. 
So what did people do? 
They held their breath. 
So they were very nervous, they were very anxious. 
And this phrase is from our Word Bank. 
So if you hold your breath, maybe you take a big breath of air, and you're so nervous that you don't release the air. 
You just hold it inside. 
And this would be something that would make people very nervous to see if a balloon is suddenly falling from the sky. 
That's right. 
They're not sure what's going to happen. 
Maybe something dangerous will happen. 
They're not sure, so they... hold their breath. 
Well, what makes you hold your breath? 
You're kind of anxious or nervous about something, and so you forget to breathe. 
You hold your breath. 
What makes you do that? 
Well, maybe you're waiting to hear about your test results. 
You've taken a very big exam, and you are holding your breath waiting to hear your final score. 
That could be something that makes you very nervous. 
And I know I would be holding my breath. 
All right. 
Well, that's one thing that can make you hold your breath. 
But of course Nathanael continues: 
We soon relaxed as the balloon stabilized. 
All right. 
So relaxing is the opposite of holding your breath. All right. 
And if you see a balloon stabilizing, that means it's not going up and down. 
It's kind of level. 
It's calm. It's stabilized. 
This makes me think of uh, sometimes in a hospital room where you see a heart monitor. 
And the heart rate of someone stabilizes. 
It might be going very fast at first, or very slow, and now it stabilizes. 
That's right. 
So the balloon returned to normal. 
It was no longer being carried off by the wind or falling quickly. 
They were safe. 
And we continue reading: 
After several minutes in the air, the balloon touched ground while a blue one rose. 
So remember, there's more than one balloon, not just this white balloon, but there's also a blue one. 
Well, it seems like there are probably lots of beautiful different color balloons, hot air balloons here in Hualien. 
So after several minutes in the air, this blue one... the balloon touched ground. 
Now when a balloon touches ground, another word we could use is it "lands." It comes back down to earth. 
So it touches the ground. 
That's right. 
So the white balloon has finished its journey into the sky. 
Those people would be able to get off of the balloon. 
And hopefully they aren't too shaken by their experience of being carried off. 
And now the people that are in the blue balloon will get to go up in the air. 
That's right. 
Now of course we see this word "rose." That's the past tense of the word "rise". 
Right now it's time for us to learn something different with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
There are some idioms that have to do with air. 
And then we're going to watch a fun video followed by Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Prepositions in articles are very short and may seem insignificant, but they do make a difference. 
Let's take a look at some examples. 
Our lesson today mentions hot air balloons being in the air. 
So "in" is the preposition there. 
Change it to "on." "On the air" has a totally different meaning. 
Studio Classroom is on the air. 
It's being broadcast on the radio and television. 
OK. Now let's take out the definite article "the," and add the word "walk." Walking on air. 
This refers to a very happy and excited mood caused by the occurrence of something good. 
An example might be: Ever since she met Derek, she's been walking on air. 
Now let's change the preposition to "up." "Up in the air" can mean being in mid-air like a hot air balloon. 
But it can also mean that something is not yet decided. 
For example, my plans for the winter are still up in the air. 
I have not decided on what to do this winter. 
OK. Finally, back to "in the air." Besides the literal meaning, this phrase can also refer to something being in circulation or in people's thoughts. 
For example, there's a rumor in the air that they're going out of business. 
Or Christmas is in the air. 
(Chinese). 
(Music). 
(Chinese).

2013.08.02.B

Well, we've been learning about Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon in our lesson. 
And Nathanael and his friends, they are observing as people get in and out of hot air balloons. 
They rise into the air. 
And sometimes you never know what the wind is going to do, where the wind will take the balloon. 
Sometimes you will hold your breath because you're not sure what will happen next. 
Well, let's continue with this story: Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon. 
Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon. 
Then we were told to make our way to the white balloon. 
We were about to experience a balloon flight for ourselves! 
We traded places with its passengers one by one to maintain the balloon's weight. 
Our pilot Tawin fired the burners, which caused us to tip rather than rise! 
The ground crew pulled the other side of the basket down. 
The balloon corrected itself, and we were off. 
Our spirits rose with the balloon as we gazed below. 
Oh, this sounds like a very exciting journey going into the hot air balloon. 
And at the beginning of this section, we read what happened to the next group going into the white balloon. 
Before we learned that the white balloon landed, and the people got out. 
And now we find out what Nathanael and his friends got to do. 
Then we were told to make our way to the white balloon. 
All right. 
So they're making their way, they're heading or proceeding to the white balloon. 
They're going to get in this hot air balloon. 
We were about to experience a balloon flight for ourselves! 
That's great. 
Now if you experience something for yourself, that means you're not just watching other people do it and then enjoy it, you're doing it yourself. 
What have you experienced for yourself? 
Have you ever experienced a hot air balloon ride for yourself? 
I know many people like to watch hot air balloons rise into the air. 
But now Nathanael and his friends are able to experience it for themselves. 
Continuing: We traded places with its passengers one by one to maintain the balloon's weight. 
Interesting. 
So they're going up to this white balloon, there are still people inside. 
And to maintain the weight, not everybody can leave at one time, they need to trade places one by one. 
Trading places. 
Now that's a good phrase to know. 
Carolyn, um... let's trade places. 
Do you want to trade places? 
Yeah! Let's trade places. 
Oh. Well, OK, let's trade places. 
OK. 
All right. I'll stand right here. 
Hey, I kind of like this, Carolyn. 
Well, this is a very interesting point of view standing on this side. 
Um, I..., I think I'd like to trade places again, Gabe. 
You know what, I feel the same way, Carolyn. 
I like my original spot. 
Let's trade places again. 
OK, let's trade. 
OK. 
Great! 
Ah, this is better, so much better. 
This... this is much, much better, I must say. 
Well, we have just traded places like Nathanael did with the people in the white hot air balloon. 
And they did this one by one. 
So let's look at that phrase: to do something one by one. 
It means one at a time, so. 
One person gets out, one person gets in. 
And I think of this phrase, uh, I live in West Virginia or I used to, and there are a lot of wild turkeys. 
And wild turkeys in West Virginia do not cross the road in a large group. 
They cross one by one. 
So there is a long line of maybe 50 turkeys just walking one at a time across the road. 
Wow! That's great, Carolyn. 
Now I'm thinking about turkeys in West Virginia crossing a road one at a time, one by one. 
Now you might think of another phrase when you hear this phrase "one by one," a phrase "one on one." That means two people are competing against each other. 
That's one on one. 
But here we're talking about balloons taking off... or people getting out and trading places one by one. 
That's right. So it's a little bit different. 
Two different phrases. 
Have you ever seen someone do something one by one? 
What do you know that does something one by one? 
Well, we're going to learn about this balloon. 
And of course you have to maintain the balloon's weight, so you trade places one by one. 
And our pilot Tawin fired the burners, which caused us to tip rather than rise. 
So Nathanael is continuing this story. 
And he will have to fire the burners. 
That means you start these burners, make the fire come out. 
It breathes fire. 
But we have a key word there. 
Carolyn, what is this word? 
It is the word "pilot." And a pilot is a person that flies... usually, a plane is what I think of. 
But we can also use it to talk about someone who controls a hot air balloon. 
That's right, something that flies. 
And if you're controlling it, you are the pilot. 
So this guy, Tawin, he fired the burners. 
And he is probably a very good pilot. 
I think we're going to learn more about him later in this lesson. 
But sometimes when you fire these burners, it causes the balloons to tip rather than to rise. 
That's a little scary, Carolyn. 
That is a little bit scary. 
But don't worry. 
The ground crew pulled the other side of the basket down. 
So they stabilized. 
And it was OK. 
It's good to stabilize. 
And now we continue. 
The balloon corrected itself, and we were off. 
All right. 
So maybe sometimes it takes people to correct something. 
But here we see the balloon corrected itself. 
It's kind of like the balloon had an idea of its own. 
It made itself go straight. 
And they were off. 
Well, let's take a look at that word "off." What does that mean if you are off somewhere, Carolyn? 
Well, if you are off or to be off, that means that you have started to go somewhere. 
Maybe you've started your journey. 
So if you load all of the things in your car, and you start to drive, then you are off. 
And maybe you are off on a vacation. 
Mmhm. So you don't have to be off the ground in a hot air balloon to use this word. 
You can be off. 
Let's begin. 
Well, we have another sentence here. 
Our spirits rose with the balloon as we gazed below. 
So they're gazing below now. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
When you gaze, you are looking. 
You're taking things in with your eyes. 
That's right. 
And a lot of times I think that we gaze into the mirror to see what we look like. 
So you look at things in front of you. 
All right. 
Well, it seems like they will probably be enjoying this sight, the scenery below. 
They're gazing down below. 
Now it's time to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our teachers. 
Today we have entered into the hot air balloon with Nathanael and his friends. 
And it's very exciting. 
Now Gabe, would you want to ride in a hot air balloon? 
Yes. Actually I wish I could've gone with Nathanael and his friends in the hot air balloon. 
Well, it would have been a lot of fun to have joined them. 
But we have a lot more to learn about in the next part of our lesson here tomorrow on Studio Classroom. 
See you then.

2013.08.03.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for day three of our lesson about Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon. 
We've been enjoying Nathanael's experiences with his friends as they got to take a trip up into the air in a hot air balloon. 
What was the first part of his story about, Carolyn? 
Well, on the first day we talked about and learned what Nathanael and his friends were there to do. 
They were on a mission to participate in Hualien County's first hot air balloon event. 
So this is the first time that they had a hot air balloon event in Hualien County. 
And they wanted to participate. 
And it sounds very exciting with fire breathing into the balloons and just rising into the air. 
Now what did we discuss on the second day? 
Well, we learned about how some people went up into the air. 
And you could see that with the wind, you're not sure where the hot air balloon is going to go. 
So many people were holding their breath as the hot air balloon would come quickly down to the ground. 
And of course Nathanael and his friends were able to get into a white hot air balloon. 
And they enjoyed a beautiful view as they gazed down below. 
Well, it's time for us to continue with his story - Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon. 
Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon. 
Our view from the balloon can be summed up in one word - beautiful. 
Hualien's fields and mountain peaks shone bright green against the blue sky. 
And watching the people far below us was a relaxing moment in a busy day. 
The wind blew gently, causing us to sway a little from side to side. 
While in the air, Tawin told us of some of his experiences. 
He even told us of a close call he had experienced in Malaysia. 
Well, Tawin does seem like a professional. 
It seems like he's done this many times before. 
Let's go back at the top of our lesson here today. 
Nathanael writes: 
Our view from the balloon can be summed up in one word - beautiful. 
Well, let's take a look at those words from our Word Bank: sum up. 
When you sum something up, that means maybe you can describe something with a lot of words, but you only use a few. 
You sum it up. 
You make it short. 
That's right. 
So they just want to provide a short description of what this experience was like. 
And it was beautiful. 
So just one word can be used to express what they saw, and it was just beautiful. 
Well, sometimes your teacher might ask you to sum up your experiences, to say something in a very short way. 
Maybe you went on a vacation somewhere, and you have a lot to share, but you only have a little bit of time. 
You need to sum up your vacation for your friends. 
That's right. 
And maybe you had a very busy, busy weekend. 
There were so many things going on. 
But to sum it up, my weekend was just busy. 
All right. 
One word. 
I like that phrase, though, to sum it up. 
To sum it up, my weekend was busy. 
And of course, this is a beautiful sight in Hualien. 
Nathanael continues. 
Hualien's fields and mountain peaks shone bright green against the blue sky. 
I like that contrast - the bright green mountains against the blue sky. 
That would be very beautiful to sum it up in just one world... word. 
And Hualien has mountain peaks, but there are also fields. 
So they are in a big field right now where they are uh, enjoying this hot air balloon event. 
So the balloons are in a field. 
And there are mountains all around. 
The sky is blue. 
This would be just a wonderful thing to get to enjoy. 
That's true. 
And I love the word he uses here, too: shone. 
So it's like it's shining; it shone bright green. 
OK, Nathanael continues. 
And watching the people far below us was a relaxing moment in a busy day. 
So I didn't realize they were really busy until now in our lesson. 
I... I guess they were really busy. 
But this was a relaxing moment. 
Yes. So it must have been very peaceful to just be lifted up into the air, looking down as the people are getting smaller. 
Things are getting a little bit further away, and you can just relax. 
And hopefully they trust their pilot Tawin to take them where they are supposed to go. 
It's true. 
Well, I do like a phrase here in this sentence. 
It's a relaxing moment in a busy day. 
Sometimes we use these words to contrast two things, something in a something else. 
For instance, I might say Carolyn is a warm light in a sea of darkness. 
Carolyn, you are! 
You're... you're a beacon of light in a sea of darkness. 
Oh. Well, thank you, Gabe. 
Well, let us continue reading. 
The wind blew gently causing us to sway a little from side to side. 
So they weren't being carried away like the first group had, but they did sway a little bit from side to side. 
And let's look at that word "sway." Sway just means to move back and forth. 
So maybe you like to sway to music instead of just dancing, you just sway a little bit. 
How else can you use this word, Gabe? 
Well, yeah, I think of music and dancing. 
But of course I also think about some people who have a hard time making up their mind about something. 
They can't make decisions. 
They sway from side to side. 
They sway because they're not able to make a decision very easily. 
Well, we also want to make sure that you keep your balance. 
So if you sway from side to side, you might be about to fall. 
So we should be carefully if we begin... if we see someone begin to sway. 
Maybe we should reach out a hand and help them stabilize. 
I think so, too. 
I saw a friend actually swaying from side to side when I was younger. 
And then he fell forward, he fainted. 
I guess I could have stopped him if I knew what was going on. 
So, use that word "sway" sometime today. 
And let's continue with Nathanael's story. 
While in the air, Tawin told us of some of his experiences. 
So of course they're up there enjoying the scenery, but they're also hearing some cool stories as well. 
Yes. So the pilot Tawin is just telling about some of his experiences. 
He even told us of a close call he had experienced in Malaysia. 
So it sounds like there was something very exciting that happened while he was in Malaysia. 
But it was a close call. 
Now that is a very interesting word, isn't it, Gabe? 
I think so, too. 
A close call. 
That means it was a very near-death experience perhaps. 
We're not exactly sure what Nathanael means by this. 
I know Liz wants to share more about this phrase in the Grammar Gym. 
And then of course, we'll spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
And here's today's Grammar Tip sentence: 
Though he clearly enjoyed his job, he told us of a close call in Malaysia. 
Our focus is on the phrase: close call. 
It's an informal expression we use to talk about a dangerous situation that somebody almost did not escape from. 
For example, if a person is driving and almost gets hit by another car, we can say that that was a close call. 
Or we see in movies how secret agents try to get out of a building and barely escape without being noticed by the guards, that's a close call. 
Or if you're trying to hide something, and someone else almost finds out what you're doing, but you're still able to keep things hidden, then that is also a close call. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more examples. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.03.B

We are on the third day of our article Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon. 
And today we are reading about Nathanael and his friends as they are riding through the air in this white balloon. 
We found out that as they gazed from the balloon, what they saw could be summed up in one word - beautiful. 
And the breeze blew gently, and they swayed backward and forward from side to side and just enjoyed their trip. 
Well, we have a little bit more to learn in the rest of our article. 
Let's do that now. 
Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon. 
He had ballooned the world over, flying as high as eight or nine thousand feet. 
His shirt read "Hua Hin Ballooning," and he was indeed from Thailand. 
The burners heat air inside the balloon to take it up. 
A rope can be pulled to release air from the balloon. 
But there are no controls for direction - you go where the wind blows. 
Though difficult to pilot, hot air balloons are easy to enjoy. 
In what seemed like a moment, we found ourselves back on the ground. 
Well, it was over pretty quickly. 
There's an English phrase. 
This makes me think about "all good things must come to an end." Sometimes things just end too quickly. 
And we want to enjoy them for longer, but they're over, just like this hot air balloon trip. 
Well, how does this section begin, Carolyn? 
It begins with: He had ballooned the world over, flying as high as eight or nine thousand feet. 
And here we're talking about their pilot Tawin. 
And he had been talking about a close call he experienced in Malaysia. 
And he has ballooned the world over. 
Well, let's take a look at that phrase. 
I like this phrase: to do something the world over. 
That means to do it all over the world or worldwide, around the world. 
So he's ballooned the world over. 
That means he's flown in hot air balloons all around the world. 
And that would be very, very interesting to experience because you get a bird's-eye view. 
So you are high up in the air, looking down at the world below you. 
And I think it would be a very interesting way to experience different places in the world. 
Oh, man. I'm kind of jealous. 
I would like to do this for myself. 
Well, what else can you do the world over? 
Some people love to travel. 
They have traveled the world over. 
Some people like to go backpacking and hiking in many different countries. 
They can say: I've backpacked the world over. 
That's right. 
So perhaps you would like to explore the world over. 
Maybe you would like to do it in a hot air balloon. 
And Tawin has travelled to heights of eight or nine thousand feet. 
This is very, very high up in the air. 
And it makes me think of being in an airplane. 
I know! It's approaching that high, right? 
So a lot of airplanes fly at 35,000 feet. 
So this is also very, very high. 
Well, we continue learning about this. 
His shirt read "Hua Hin Ballooning," and he was indeed from Thailand. 
So Hua Hin is a place, a beach resort town in Thailand. 
I don't know if you've been there. 
But that's why Nathanael says, he was indeed from Thailand. 
So that's where he's from. 
Maybe Hua Hin is his hometown. 
It very well could be. 
Or at least he works there or has participated in ballooning events in Hua Hin, Thailand. 
Well, continuing: The burners heat air inside the balloon to take it up. 
So here we're learning a little bit more about how hot air balloon works. 
We've talked about before how the burners were turned on. 
They breathed fire into the balloons, and it filled them with hot air. 
So the heat... the heated air inside the balloon makes it rise up into the sky. 
That's right. 
And of course there's a phrase: heat rises. 
So if you want to be cool in a room, then you want to go down below so the air conditioning can be there below because heat rises. 
Well, we're going to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud all about hot air. 
So we've been talking about hot air balloons. 
And up to now, "hot air" means just that - air that is hot. 
But "hot air" is also an informal expression that means empty or exaggerated talk. 
Someone might make a lot of promises. 
But then after a while, you realize that their promises turned out to be a lot of hot air or empty talk. 
And if someone is in the habit of boasting or making exaggerated remarks, then we can say the person is full of hot air. 
I used to know such a person. 
He always told me how much money he had. 
He was just full of hot air. 
I stopped paying attention to him after a while. 
Because he was such a blowhard? 
Yes. He was a real blowhard. 
He loved to boast in an obnoxious way. 
And what he blew was a lot of hot air. 
Yes. You can say that again. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys, for those great idioms. 
Continue learning about how hot air balloons work and how to pilot them: 
A rope can be pulled to release air from the balloon. 
So a rope can be pulled. 
There's a rope in the balloon, and it is used to release air from the balloon. 
Now "release" is a word from our Word Bank. 
And what does that mean to release? 
Well, you let something go. 
You make it free. 
So it is released. 
There's a lot of hot air here in a hot air balloon. 
Sometimes you need to release some of that air. 
Maybe it will help make the balloon go down a bit. 
That's right. 
So if you release the air from a balloon, then it will go lower. 
If you turn up the burner, then more hot air will be put inside the balloon, and it will go higher. 
So here they can release air from the balloon by pulling on a rope. 
Now there are many other things that you can release. 
Maybe there is an animal who has been put in a cage, you can release the animal so that it is free. 
It's true. 
Some people will release their birds. 
They have the cage, but then they release the bird to fly around for a little while. 
Well, we continue with this story. 
Nathanael says: But there are no controls for direction - you go where the wind blows. 
That's a little different from flying in an airplane that has a direction. 
A hot air balloon just goes where the wind blows. 
That's right. 
So it would be very difficult to steer this balloon, to direct it or go in a particular direction. 
You're just being blown around by the wind. 
And continuing into the next sentence: 
Though difficult to pilot, hot air balloons are easy to enjoy. 
And we have another word from our Word Bank here, the word "pilot." Now before we had learned that a pilot is a person who controls a balloon or a plane. 
But here it's being used as a verb. 
And it means to just steer or direct. 
OK. So unlike an airplane, it's not easy to pilot a hot air balloon. 
You don't know exactly how to steer or direct this hot air balloon. 
But it might be difficult to pilot, but it's easy to enjoy. 
Well, we continue. 
In what seemed like a moment, we found ourselves back on the ground. 
And this is all too soon. 
It was very quick. 
That's right. 
This was a very short ride in a hot air balloon that Nathanael and his friends were able to enjoy. 
And it just seemed like a moment. 
So it was just so short. 
Maybe they were actually in the balloon for several minutes, or maybe even half an hour or an hour, but it seemed like a moment. 
It was just over far too quickly. 
And he said: We found ourselves back on the ground. 
So when you find yourself somewhere, that means maybe you were planning on being there, but it maybe happened suddenly. 
Maybe it didn't happen the way that you expect it. 
You find yourself somewhere. 
And we find ourselves now at the end of our lesson for today. 
It's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our other teachers are up to. 
Well, Nathanael and his friends have indeed enjoyed a very nice ride up into the air in a hot air balloon. 
And he's... he's written a very good lesson about his experiences in Hualien. 
Now I'm wondering if you would like to join this kind of activity. 
Would you like to ride in a hot air balloon sometime? Carolyn? 
Well, I think that it does sound like a really funny thing to do, although I do worry about how the wind can just below you in any direction and maybe you rise and then you fall. 
So I think that if it were very controlled and very safe and I had a good pilot like Tawin, then maybe I would join this activity. 
Well, I would suggest and recommend that you do try this sometime, Carolyn. 
Maybe we can fly in a hot air balloon together because it's something I've always wanted to do. 
Well, friends, we did... we did learn some key words today - sum up. 
And I want you to try to sum up this three-day lesson in a short paragraph, in a couple of sentences. 
All right. 
Thank you for joining us. 
And we'll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.08.05.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for today's lesson. 
It's called Adventures for a Cause. 
Well, we're going to be learning about a group of people who love to go on crazy adventures. 
What about you? 
Do you like going on adventures? 
Carolyn, what do you think about this? 
Do you ever go on adventures? 
Well, before reading this article, I thought I did. 
But I think that these might be a little bit extreme for me. 
I'm not sure. 
I really like going out and exploring new places, going out in the woods, on the mountains and just walking around. 
But these adventures are a little bit different. 
Gabe, do you like to go on adventures? 
I agree with you. 
I would say that I do enjoy adventures. 
We're going to be learning about some people who love going on very crazy and extreme adventures over these next couple of days. 
So let's get started with the first reading of today's lesson: Adventures for a Cause. 
(Music). 
Adventures for a Cause. 
These trips are exciting and charitable but not for the faint of heart. 
This Saturday, on the windswept plains of Mongolia, 35 riders will line up and then explode into action, galloping over the steppe. 
This is the beginning of the world's longest horse race, the Mongol Derby. 
Participants spend 10 days traveling its nearly 1,000-kilometer-long route - or rather, "un-route.". 
They choose their own path across the vast Mongolian wilderness, occasionally checking in at rest stations to change horses. 
Riders may choose to sleep in tents at the stations, enjoying the local hospitality. 
Or they may prefer to sleep in the open under a night sky sprinkled with stars. 
Well, that sounds exciting. 
I would love to sleep out under the stars again sometime. 
Let's go back to the beginning of our lesson... actually in the title: Adventures for a Cause. 
If you do something for a cause, it's for an honorable reason. 
You want to make the world a better place in some way. 
That is a cause. 
What's the first thing we read here today, Carolyn? 
Well, we first see: These trips are exciting and charitable but not for the faint of heart. 
And we are going to be reading about some very exciting journeys and adventures and the kinds of charities that they support. 
But they are not for the faint of heart. 
And let's look at that phrase from our Word Bank. 
If something is not for the faint of heart, then it is not for someone who is afraid of a challenge. 
That's true. 
Maybe if you are easily discouraged or if you give up easily, you might... be described as faint of heart. 
But usually I see this in the phrase - something is not for the faint of heart. 
For example, you might go to an amusement park, and there is a crazy roller coaster ride. 
Maybe a sign will say: This is not for the faint of heart. 
Go on this ride only if you want some real excitement. 
That's right. 
So these adventures are not for the faint of heart. 
You must be very brave and don't give up easily if you want to go on any of these adventures. 
Well, beginning with our article: 
This Saturday, on the windswept plains of Mongolia, 35 riders will line up and then explode into action, galloping over the steppe. 
Now that's a long sentence, so let's go back to the beginning, Gabe. 
Well, we see a word from our Word Bank. 
It is "windswept." And of course we're talking about the plains of Mongolia here. 
The plains are very wide and vast, and there's probably a lot of grass. 
And so tall grass, when the wind comes over it, it kind of sweeps over it, creating a shape. 
So all the grass is facing one direction or leaning in one direction. 
So you would call that a windswept plain, kind of like the wind came and swept the plain. 
That's right. 
You might also see a windswept hillside where there aren't very many trees. 
Most places that we describe as being windswept don't have a lot of tall plants. 
But here we have a grassy plain that the wind has swept across. 
Now on this plain in Mongolia, 35 riders will line up and then explode into action. 
And I love just the descriptive words here. 
It means that they're going to be going very, very fast if they explode into action. 
Yes, that's right. 
They'll be exploding into action. 
So you can use that word "explode" not just to talk about things that blow up but anything that can come into action and get exciting. 
So they gallop over the steppe. 
They're galloping over the steppe. 
And the steppe is kind of a mostly dry place or partly dry place. 
And it's a grass-covered plain, a steppe. 
That's right. 
And we see that they're galloping. 
Now the people are not galloping. 
And we find out that this is actually a horse race. 
So when you see things like riders and gallop, you know that they're talking about horses. 
That's right. 
All right. So now it's time for us to learn something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Uh, in this sentence we saw a word "Saturday." And you know that's a day of the week. 
Steve and Ken will be sharing with us about some of the names of our weekdays. 
Let's go and listen to them now. 
This month let's talk about the origin of the English names for the days of the week. 
OK, once again we'll need to visit Ancient Rome, which named the days after heavenly bodies. 
OK. The first two day names honor Sol, the sun, and Luna, the moon, creating the model for our Sunday and Monday. 
Right. Ancient Rome's third day was named for the Planet Mars. 
And the succeeding days, in order, were Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. 
Some of these Roman names are still reflected in the Latin-based Romance languages. 
For example, instead of Mars, the French say Mardi. 
But in English, because of its Germanic influence, the Roman god names were replaced by Norse god equivalents. 
So Mars, (Remember? the Roman god of war,) was replaced by the Norse god of war - Tiu. 
That's where we got Tuesday. 
The Norse god Woden gives us Wednesday. 
And Thursday comes from Thor, god of thunder. 
Venus, Roman god of love, was replaced by the Norse goddess of love named Frigg, giving us the word Friday. 
The lone Roman survivor is Saturn, who is memorialized in the English word Saturday. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Now earlier we were talking about riders galloping over the steppe. 
And in the next sentence we learn a little bit more about this horse race. 
This is the beginning of the world's longest horse race, the Mongol Derby. 
Now a derby is a kind of horse race. 
And I think maybe one of the most famous ones is the Kentucky Derby in the United States. 
But here we're talking about the Mongol Derby in Mongolia. 
That's right. 
And participants spend 10 days traveling its nearly 1,000-kilometer-long route, or, as it's written here, rather, un-route. 
I guess an un-route is a name that they maybe created because it's not an official route, or route. 
That's right. 
So this is something very special, and we find out why they change the name to un-route. 
They choose their own path across the vast Mongolian wilderness, occasionally checking in at rest stations to change horses. 
So usually if you are following a certain route or a certain path, then you know where you're going to go. 
But here, there isn't any marked trail. 
They have to choose their own way through the wilderness. 
That's right. 
Well, we see a phrase here in this sentence: to check in somewhere. 
These racers, they're checking in at these rest stations to change horses. 
So that means they're kind of... it's a place where they stop along the way. 
And maybe they rest or maybe they do other things. 
They check in somewhere. 
Maybe you've seen this phrase when you're using Facebook. 
You can use your smartphone and check in at certain places on Facebook. 
That's right. 
So you announce your arrival at a place like Facebook or an airport or a hotel. 
There are many places you can check in. 
Now riders may choose to sleep in tents at these stations, enjoying the local hospitality. 
So this is very special. 
They can meet local people and stay in tents there. 
I think that's one of the best parts about this adventure is meeting all sorts of different people. 
We continue: 
Or they may prefer to sleep in the open under a night sky sprinkled with stars. 
I like that imagery there. 
You can imagine the sky. 
And usually you use the word "sprinkle" to talk about maybe you have a handful of sugar or salt or something, you sprinkle it on top of food. 
The sky is sometimes sprinkled with stars. 
That's right. 
Well, right now it is time for us to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.05.B

Today we are learning all about Adventures for a Cause. 
And these adventures are not for the faint of heart. 
The first one is the Mongol Derby. 
And it is the longest horse race in the world going across the windswept plains of Mongolia. 
Now we have a lot more to learn about these great adventures, and we will do that in the next section of our reading today. 
Adventures for a Cause. 
These riders are following in the hoofprints of Genghis Khan and his ancient Mongolian warriors. 
Like those warriors, they have a mission. 
But instead of conquering the world, their goal is to save it. 
For Charity. 
The Mongol Derby is one of several events organized by the Adventurists, a team of courageous, eccentric adventure-lovers. 
The adventures are for fun, but a noble purpose can make any experience more exciting. 
So participants must raise at least 1,000 pounds for charity to enter. 
At least half of this goes toward rain forest conservation, "so future generations have somewhere to get stuck.". 
All right. 
Well, that's kind of a fun way to put it. 
Let's go back to the beginning of this section here. 
These riders are following in the hoofprints of Genghis Khan and his ancient Mongolian warriors. 
So we're talking about the people who are going on the Mongol Derby. 
They're riding their horses in the footsteps of this famous ancient person, this warrior, Genghis Khan. 
Now usually I... I see a phrase "in someone's footsteps," not hoofprints. 
But here, of course, they're on horse, and so we're talking about going in the hoofprints of someone. 
Carolyn, what does it mean to follow in the footsteps of somebody? 
Well, if you are following in someone's footsteps, then you are doing the same thing that they did before you. 
So someone has already done something, and now you are doing that same thing. 
Maybe it is literal, and you're walking along the same path that they took on the ground. 
But maybe you are following the same career path or the same dream that someone else followed before. 
That's right, so following someone's footsteps. 
Well, like those warriors, they have a mission. 
OK, but it's different. 
But instead of conquering the world, their goal is to save it. 
Well, I think it's time for us now to enjoy a video about this Mongol Derby. 
This is the toughest horse race in the world. 
We have a real problem. 
Saddle's gone, horse's gone. 
Horse's gone. 
What do we do? 
They're incredible horses. 
... these horses. Man! 
I've been strapped to yet another messiah. 
It's incredible. 
We rode through forests and rivers today, which is why when I take my boots off, I think I would pour some water out. 
A lot of mush and mud. 
Desert! We went through saltpans, we... everything. 
(Music). 
We've got to prepare for anything that happens in the fields. 
(Music). 
Well, there's a fuss you're into. 
I lost my GPS in the first hour of this whole race. 
So I'm depending on other people for the direction. 
It's going to be very, very long days in the saddle. 
We woke up chafing in the places where you shouldn't have chafed. 
This is probably the cool suffering chapter, really, of the derby. 
And then I still am not particularly familiar with the horses. 
They're probably still struggling with all that kit. 
And they've experienced 15 different types of weather and terrain already. 
Absolutely broken. 
These horses have just gotten amazingly well, wonderful, might be the first breed, a special beast. 
We've seen incredible things. 
Extraordinary. 
Fantastic. 
It's been an epic adventure. 
In the next section we're going to find out more about the causes that this derby helps to support. 
We see that it is for charity. 
The Mongol Derby is one of several events organized by the Adventurists, a team of courageous, eccentric adventure-lovers. 
So this is not the only adventure you can go on. 
There are many others. 
But these are organized by a group called the Adventurists. 
Now it sounds like they would be interested in adventures, right, Gabe? 
It's true. 
That's why they're called the Adventurists. 
But let's take a look at one of our Word Bank words there. 
It is "eccentric." These people are also very eccentric, which means that they like to do things that are not very normal. 
Actually, they usually prefer to do things that are not normal or common for people to do. 
That's right. 
Some people look at people who are eccentric as a little bit crazy because they like to do things that are so different. 
And here the Adventurists do go on many very interesting and different types of adventures. 
Now continuing: The adventures are for fun, but a noble purpose can make any experience more exciting. 
That's... I think that's very true, Gabe. 
It's true. 
They're doing these things for fun. 
But of course, they also have a cause or an honorable reason, a noble purpose, as we read here. 
And it makes things more exciting, and I would also say, more meaningful. 
That's right. 
So participants must raise at least 1,000 pounds for charity to enter. 
Well, it sounds like that is a very high entry fee. 
It does. 
Actually, that's about uh, one and a half thousand U.S. dollars. 
So um, that's a lot of money to raise to enter these races. 
But if you're interested, you should try it. 
At least half of this goes toward rain forest conservation, 
"so future generations have somewhere to get stuck." Well, let's first take a look at that key word there. 
It's the word "conservation." Carolyn, what does that mean? 
Well, conservation means that you try to protect, preserve or restore wildlife or the environment. 
So conservation here, they want to help the rain forest. 
They want to protect it, and maybe plant more trees and help it to grow and prosper. 
That's right. 
So that's a kind of wildlife conservation. 
But there are many kinds of conservations, maybe water conservation, um, different things that people are trying to save or maintain, protect. 
Now we see this phrase here at the end, it's a quote. 
They're trying to protect these places so that "future generations have somewhere to get stuck." Now this is a very positive thing, saving the rain forest. 
But it's kind of phrased in a negative way here I think just for fun. 
It's a negative way of perceiving something very positive. 
If you go into a rain forest, you might get stuck. 
But it's great that the rain forest is there. 
I think this is a very fun way to phrase it. 
And right now it's time to join Michelle for some fun in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
OK. 
So today we've been talking about the Adventurists. 
And they are some people with eccentric personalities. 
They... they love adventure and doing things out of the ordinary but for a good cause - rain forest conservation. 
Does this sound like a good cause to you, Carolyn? 
What do you think? 
Well, I think it sounds like a really great cause. 
The rain forests are quickly disappearing as they get torn down and destroyed to change things, to grow different crops and raise other animals. 
It's very, very sad that the rain forests are going to be gone soon. 
So I think that this is a really wonderful cause for them to support. 
I would agree. 
I think that we need rain forests for many reasons. 
So let's save the rain forests. 
And here's one way that you can know how - by supporting the Adventurists. 
I think what they're doing is great. 
Thanks for joining us today. 
We'll see you again tomorrow for more on Adventures for a Cause. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.08.06.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for the second day of our lesson Adventures for a Cause. 
Of course yesterday we began to learn about the Adventurists and how they raise 1,000 pounds each to go on these crazy, eccentric adventures. 
But it's all for a noble purpose - all for the wonderful cause of rain forest conservation. 
Now if you went to join something or participate in an activity for a cause, what kind of cause or reason would you do it? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I think I'd really like to raise money or support improving education. 
OK. 
There are a lot of schools that just don't have enough money to pay teachers enough so that they don't get good teachers, 
or they have to cut back on programs that would really help the students learn and enjoy learning. 
So I think that would be a really good cause to raise money for. 
That's a great cause. 
Another cause I can think of is helping people find jobs that are suitable for them. 
I think that people could be educated in that way as well. 
Well, what cause can you think of? 
What cause would you support? 
Get creative. 
Talk about it in English. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning about Adventures for a Cause. 
(Music). 
Adventures for a Cause. 
What if you want to experience an adventure for a cause, but horses aren't your thing? 
Never fear; there are others to choose from - after raising that 1,000 pounds. 
The Mongol Rally. 
What's more exciting than a 16,000-kilometer road trip across mountains, deserts and other rugged terrain? 
Doing it in a vehicle with an engine smaller than 1.2 liters! 
Mongol Rally participants follow another "un-route" that consists of a starting point in the U.K., a finish line in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and nothing in between. 
After all, it's an adventure, not a guided tour. 
(Music). 
They do seem to enjoy their "un-routes." Well, going back to the beginning of this lesson: 
What if you want to experience an adventure for a cause, but horses aren't your thing? 
So yesterday we talked about the Mongol Derby, the longest horse race in the world. 
But maybe you aren't very interested in riding a horse, or you think it would be too difficult to ride a horse that far. 
1,000 kilometers is quite a long way. 
So there are some other options. 
It's true. 
There are other options because horses may not be your thing. 
Let's talk about that phrase: to be one's thing. 
That means something that you are interested in, something that makes you excited. 
You could say: Yeah, that's my thing. 
Usually I hear this in a negative way, though. 
Oh, no, I don't want to do that because that's not my thing. 
That's right. 
Usually we use it to express things like: Oh, it's really not my thing. 
Maybe you want to go see a concert, and your friend says: Oh. Well, that type of music really isn't my thing, so I'm not going to go with you. 
But continuing in our article: 
Never fear. 
If horses are not your thing, there are others to choose from - after raising that 1,000 pounds. 
Yes, of course. 
That's a good reminder there at the end of this sentence. 
Our author reminds us: Of course it costs a little bit of money, actually quite a bit of money, you have to raise. 
But I see a phrase here: never fear. 
So that kind of means don't worry. 
Never fear, or don't worry. 
You can choose from other events... like what, Carolyn? 
Well, yesterday we had the Mongol Derby. 
And today we see the Mongol Rally. 
What's more exciting than a 16,000-kilometer road trip across mountains, deserts and other rugged terrain? 
Oh, this is a good question. 
It's a good question. 
Uh... the answer is supposed to be "Not much can be more exciting," but perhaps you can think of something more exciting. 
However, this will be definitely a crazy adventure. 
OK, so this is the Mongol Rally. 
And a rally is... is a race. 
But it's not a race on a track like you see in... in some races, some car races. 
It's a race through other places, maybe unplanned territory or un... undriven roads. 
That's right. 
And it is on rugged terrain. 
So let's look at the word "rugged" from our Word Bank. 
If something is rugged, then it's not smooth, and probably very difficult to get across. 
It's true. 
So you might talk about rugged terrain, which is kind of how the Earth is in a certain area. 
Or maybe a rugged road. 
OK, so they are driving these... these cars and the roads are not smooth. 
OK. It's rugged terrain. 
This is very exciting. 
Now doing it in a vehicle with an engine smaller than 1.2 liters! 
Carolyn, that's uh... that's not a very big engine. 
No. That is very small. 
So what could be more exciting than going on a 16,000-kilometer road trip across places that are very difficult to drive on? 
Doing it in a vehicle with an engine smaller than 1.2 liters! 
I think this will be very challenging. 
I do, too. 
Mongol Rally participants follow another un-route that consists of starting... of a starting point in the U.K., 
a finish line in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and nothing in between. 
OK, so this is an incredibly long distance. 
It is a very long distance going all the way from the United Kingdom in Europe to Mongolia. 
And oh, that sounds like a very difficult time because you are on another un-route. 
There's no path, no map. 
And we find out in the next sentence: 
After all, it's an adventure, not a guided tour. 
Well, I kind of like that, Carolyn. 
I like the way our author puts this: after all. 
Of course you already know that this is not something that you can do every day. 
It's not easy. 
It's an adventure. 
And she compares it to something, a guided tour, Carolyn. 
What's a guided tour? 
Well, a guided tour is what you might go on when you are traveling. 
So if you go to another country, you might get a tour guide or a person who is local to show you around so that you know the easiest way to go places and the best places to go. 
But this is not a guided tour, it's an adventure. 
That's right. 
So the idea is it's exciting, it's unplanned, not planned and safe. 
It might be a little bit dangerous, but it can be a good thing for you to try out. 
Maybe you are interested in doing something like this. 
Well, you should check out the Adventurists online and find out more. 
For right now it's time for us to enjoy a video about this Mongol Rally. 
Let's do that, and then join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Did you not cross the bridge? 
(Music). 
Yeah! 
(Background Noise). 
(Music). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.06.B

In our lesson Adventures for a Cause, we've been learning about different races that crazy or eccentric people are taking across long distances. 
And one we talked about yesterday was the Mongol Derby where they rode on horses for 1,000 kilometers. 
Today we talked about the Mongol Rally - driving in cars with engines of 1.2 liters, and then driving for 16,000 kilometers from the U.K. into Mongolia. 
Let's enjoy learning something about the next race called the Rickshaw Run. 
(Music). 
Adventures for a Cause. 
The Rickshaw Run. 
When asked how to travel across India, almost no one would say "drive a rickshaw." These three-wheeled, 
145.45cc vehicles were built for short trips on roads, not a 3,000- to 5,000-kilometer journey. 
Attempting this journey sounds utterly crazy - but it can be great fun. 
Just watch out for cows in the road. 
The Bajai Rally. 
Even more impractical than India's rickshaw is Indonesia's Bajai, or tuk-tuk. 
These motorized rickshaws are loud, poorly designed and prone to breaking down. 
But that didn't stop adventure-seekers from taking them through jungles and over mountains, finding their own routes across Indonesia. 
Although discontinued, this adventure lives on in people's memories. 
Well, these are two other very interesting adventures. 
The first one is the Rickshaw Run. 
Now Gabe, what exactly is a rickshaw? 
Well, when I think of a rickshaw, it kind of reminds me of some rickshaws that I have ridden in, 
where someone is in front pulling a cart that has two wheels, and you're in this kind of cart on a seat. 
That's not the kind of rickshaw we're talking about today, but we just wanted you to know there are different kinds of rickshaws. 
What about the rickshaws we're talking about today, Carolyn? 
Well, these rickshaws are small motorized vehicles that have three wheels. 
OK. 
And they're very interesting to look at. 
You should look at some pictures of rickshaws. 
Now learning about the Rickshaw Run: 
When asked how to travel across India, almost no one would say "drive a rickshaw". 
It's true. 
No one would suggest or no one would say to do this. 
Don't drive a rickshaw. 
That distance? 
But we continue. 
These three-wheeled, 145.45cc vehicles were built for short trips on roads, not a 3,000- to 5,000-kilometer journey. 
It's true. 
I've ridden in rickshaws before, these motorized rickshaws in India. 
And they're kind of fun to go on small roads for short distances. 
But you didn't ride one for three to five thousand kilometers? 
No, I certainly did not, Carolyn. 
We went on a freeway to the Taj Mahal, and it took about three hours. 
But that was in a car, or a nice van, not a rickshaw. 
I can't imagine going 5,000 kilometers in a rickshaw! 
That would be very challenging, but this is an adventure. 
And attempting this journey sounds utterly crazy, but it can be great fun. 
And there we have a word from our Word Bank talking about this adventure being "utterly" crazy. 
Now if something is utterly crazy, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, "utterly" basically means "completely." So it's completely crazy. 
There's nowhere you can get even crazier. 
It's utterly crazy. 
How else could you use that word? 
Well, maybe you're not just a little bit tired, you could say: I am utterly exhausted. 
That's right. 
Usually this word is to describe some sort of negative feeling, so. 
You might say: I feel completely fine. 
But you wouldn't say: I feel utterly fine. 
You would say: I feel utterly exhausted. 
I'm so tired. 
You're right. 
Most of the time it is used for negative words. 
But it can be great fun. 
It's crazy, but it's great fun. 
Just watch out for cows in the road. 
I like that our author Elizabeth put that in there. 
That's very true because in India, that's where they're traveling, that's where they are doing this Rickshaw Run, 
and there are a lot of cows that walk around on the roads. 
So you must be careful. 
That's right. 
Be careful of the cows, especially in India. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
In today's lesson, our author mentions vehicles that were built for short trips "on" roads. 
But then, two sentences later, she warns: Watch out for cows "in" the road. 
On roads and in the road. 
Does this mean "on" and "in" are interchangeable? 
Not exactly. 
If you remember, we touched on prepositions a bit last week. 
But because they're so difficult for ESL students, we thought they deserved another look. 
Now in order to really master them, you need to be aware of three pitfalls. 
The first is choosing the wrong preposition. 
This problem often surfaces because students translate prepositions directly from their native language. 
For example, Germans will say aspirin is good against headaches. 
But to use the same preposition translated into English would be a mistake because idiomatic English says aspirin is good "for" headaches. 
Right. 
The second pitfall is adding a preposition where one isn't needed. 
"They went to outside" is a good example. 
Here the preposition "to" is not needed. 
And then there's the opposite problem - not using a preposition when one is needed, as in: I like listening music. 
Here we do need that preposition "to". 
So how do we avoid these pitfalls and master prepositions? 
Sorry! No shortcuts. 
Just good, old-fashioned memorization. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
Now moving on to the next adventure - the Bajai Rally. 
Even more impractical than India's rickshaw is Indonesia's Bajai, or tuk-tuk. 
Now these are very interesting little vehicles. 
And we see a word in that sentence from our Word Bank, the word "impractical." You see the i-m at the beginning, so you know it means it is not practical. 
That's right. 
It's not something that... is reasonable, not something that most people would think about doing. 
It's not smart, maybe. 
Maybe it's impractical... actually not maybe, I know it's impractical for me to drink coffee with caffeine after four in the afternoon. 
If I do that, I won't sleep that night. 
That's right. 
So it is not a good idea. 
It doesn't make sense. 
And we learn about these little vehicles. 
These motorized rickshaws are loud, poorly designed and prone to breaking down. 
So they don't sound like very reliable vehicles. 
And we have another word from the Word Bank: prone. 
If something is prone to do something, then it is very likely that it will happen. 
That's right. 
Maybe you talk about someone who loves to... well, maybe they like to drink a lot. 
You might say they're prone to drink a lot. 
And that's kind of a negative thing. 
When you use this word "prone," it's usually talking about negative things. 
I also think of another word. 
Someone who maybe has accidents a lot, you would say that person is accident-prone. 
You put the word before "prone." He is accident-prone. 
That's right. 
Well, these vehicles are prone to breaking down. 
But that didn't stop adventure-seekers from taking them through jungles and over mountains, finding their own routes across Indonesia. 
And if you remember, a few months ago we talked about Komodo and Bali. 
And those places in Indonesia, there aren't a lot of great roads, and it can be very difficult to travel through. 
Which is why you have to create your own un-routes. 
Well, we continue here. 
Although discontinued, this adventure lives on in people's memories. 
Well, that's sad... this Bajai Rally is no longer going on. 
It is discontinued. 
Well, that is OK because we can continue to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
Keep watching as our lesson continues. 
The past two days we've learned about four different adventures organized by the Adventurists. 
Which one do you like the most so far, the Mongol Derby, Mongol Rally, the Rickshaw Run or the Bajai Rally which is no longer continuing? 
Gabe? 
Hmm, it's a great question because they all sound exciting to me. 
Um, I would probably choose either the Mongol Derby or the Mongol Rally because they sound like the greatest adventures. 
I would love to go horseback riding, um... in an adventure like that. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, I do like the idea of the Mongol Derby. 
But I think I would really have to practice horseback riding before going. 
Well, we still have a lot more to learn about this and the Adventurists tomorrow right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.08.07.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for day three of our lesson Adventures for a Cause. 
There are many causes out there, many great reasons to support something in the world, to make the world a better place. 
And the Adventurists we've been learning about, they have a cause to save the rain forests. 
And they go on these eccentric, crazy adventures of over great distances to do this. 
What was one of the adventures we learned about over the last couple of days, Carolyn? 
Well, we've learned about quite a few. 
The first one was the Mongol Derby, a 1,000-kilometer horse competition, or just a journey across the plains of Mongolia. 
And there was also the Mongol Rally, which is 16,000 kilometers between the U.K. and Mongolia in a very small vehicle. 
And those are both very exciting. 
We also talked about the Rickshaw Run and the Bajai Rally, both involving rickshaws, or tuk-tuks, or Bajais. 
There are different names for this kind of three-wheeled vehicle with a very small engine, but very exciting... very exciting adventures indeed. 
So let's continue now learning about the Ice Run. 
(Music). 
Adventures for a Cause. 
The Ice Run. 
Those willing to brave frigid temperatures can try the Ice Run, driving old Ural motorcycles across Siberia in February. 
Usually rusty, with a design that has remained unchanged since before 1939, these vehicles are sure to break down at some point. 
But to the Adventurists, that's part of the excitement. 
So is the weather, often with temperatures around -30 degrees Celsius, sometimes colder, with 40 mile-per-hour winds. 
The Mototaxi Junket. 
Continuing the trend of traversing the world's wildest terrain in the world's least reliable vehicles, the Adventurists present the Mototaxi Junket. 
All right. 
We'll continue learning about the Mototaxi Junket later. 
But first, let's talk about some English from this first section in the Ice Run. 
Those willing to brave frigid temperatures can try the Ice Run, driving old Ural motorcycles across Siberia in February. 
It sounds very cold to me, Carolyn. 
Well, it does sound extremely cold. 
And we even see in this sentence the word "frigid," which is from our Word Bank. 
And if something is frigid, then it is very, very, very, very cold. 
It is very, very, extremely cold. 
I honestly don't know if I can say I've ever experienced frigid temperatures anywhere. 
Carolyn, have you ever been in frigid temperatures? 
Well, I have been in negative temperatures. 
And it was very cold as walking outside was actually considered a bit dangerous, it was so cold. 
So I think that might be frigid. 
Yeah, maybe you could consider that frigid. 
Maybe if it's... if it's not just a little bit cold, and maybe it's even like Carolyn said even dangerous to walk outside because it's so cold, you could say that is frigid temperatures. 
Well, we're continuing to talk about this uh... this uh... adventure across Siberia, which of course is very cold in February. 
Usually rusty, with a design that has remained unchanged since before 1939, these vehicles are sure to break down at some point. 
These are old vehicles. 
They are very old. 
Well, the vehicles themselves might not be too old, but the design of them hasn't changed since 1939. 
You think about our cars, the first car was invented over 100 years ago. 
But the designs have changed every year. 
And so of course if the design hasn't changed, maybe it's sure to break down at some point. 
If something breaks down, that means it's broken. 
You can't use it, and you have to fix it. 
So we continue. 
But to the Adventurists, that's part of the excitement. 
Carolyn, does that sound exciting to you, going in one of these vehicles that will break down at any point? 
Well, I don't really enjoy the idea of being out in the middle of nowhere in frigid temperatures in Siberia in the month of February in a broken-down vehicle. 
But, for these Adventurists, it is part of the excitement. 
Well, if you love adventure like this, this would be exciting for you. 
Maybe you can give it a try. 
So, well, the excitement is there. 
And uh, it's... the weather is also exciting here. 
We see: So is the weather, often with temperatures around negative 30 degrees Celsius, sometimes colder, with 40 mile-per-hour winds. 
Oh, that... that would be below frigid, I think. 
It's very, very, very cold, 30 degrees below zero, or 30 degrees Celsius below zero. 
Now that... that would be far too cold. 
And there are 40 mile-per-hour winds, which means it probably feels even colder. 
That's right. 
And that brings us to our next point. 
We want to share with you a phrase called "the wind chill factor." And of course, it might be really cold outside. 
It's cold enough without the wind. 
And then you add the wind, it becomes even colder. 
That's the wind chill factor. 
That's right. 
So many times getting ready for school in the morning in the middle of winter, the school buses would not run because of the wind chill. 
It was just too cold to ask students to wait outside for the bus. 
And so that's why some people take jakcets that are special called windbreakers. 
Maybe it's not very thick, but it blocks the wind, and it keeps you warm. 
Well, it's time for us now to learn more with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
I never thought we'd ever see both metric and U.S. customary unit measurements mentioned in the same sentence. 
That is a rare occurrence, indeed. 
It reminds me of Americans who more and more are living and working among both systems of measurements. 
Right, even though the United States is one of three countries in the world that hasn't made the metric system mandatory. 
The other two countries being Liberia and Myanmar. 
There is evidence that metrication in the U.S. is happening albeit very slowly. 
One statistic tells us 30 percent of products in the U.S. are now manufactured using the metric system. 
Most of these products displayed both U.S. customary units and metric units, like on a car's speedometer and information on food product labels. 
My water bottle has both measurements, as does my ruler. 
Other American products are manufactured in metric units only. 
There are fewer examples of this, but they do exist like the two-liter soda bottle and medicines from the pharmaceutical industry. 
OK. American opposition to enforce metrication is strong. 
So using both systems at the same time, like we just saw in today's lesson, will likely continue for some time. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, now let's continue learning about another kind of adventure: the Mototaxi Junket. 
And a junket is a journey that's just taken for pleasure. 
And of course these adventures are all just for fun. 
They're not competitions or races. 
What do we learn about this, Carolyn? 
Well, we see: Continuing the trend of traversing the world's wildest terrain in the world's least reliable vehicles, the Adventurists present the Mototaxi Junket. 
So this sounds like a very exciting adventure. 
And we see that they are continuing the trend of traversing the world's wildest terrain. 
So let's look at the word "traversing." It just means to cross, to go across an area. 
That's right. 
And so these people are going to be using another kind of motorized vehicle to traverse these different terrains. 
Um, you don't have to use a vehicle like a car to traverse something. 
You could just maybe go on foot. 
We traversed the mountains on foot. 
That's right. 
Well, right now it is time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.07.B

We are on the third day of our article Adventures for a Cause. 
And today we started out learning about the Ice Run, which is a journey through frigid temperatures in Siberia on an old Ural motorcycle. 
It sounds very exciting. 
And we just learned a little bit about the Mototaxi Junket. 
We have a lot more to learn about this great adventure next in our reading. 
Adventures for a Cause. 
Peru's mototaxis resemble 125cc scooters with a wide seat on the back and minimal steering and brakes. 
Riders take them across Peru, traversing mountains so high that the mototaxis' motors sometimes struggle to start, then plunging into the Amazon rain forest basin. 
So there you have it - six of the craziest journeys ever. 
Do you have a taste for adventure, a disregard for comfort or safety and a desire to help save rain forests? 
Then join the Adventurists in their quest to make the world a better - and more exciting - place. 
We're continuing to learn about the Mototaxi Junket here, a pleasurable journey in these little vehicles. 
We're in Peru now. 
Peru's mototaxis resemble 125cc scooters with a wide seat on the back and minimal steering and brakes. 
Wait a minute, 125cc scooter? 
Like mine! I have a scooter that's 125 cc's. 
Maybe I could take my scooter to Peru. 
Well, does it have a large seat on the back like a mototaxi? 
Huh, no. No, it doesn't, Carolyn. 
Maybe I can't take my scooter to Peru. 
Well, maybe not for this adventure, anyway, because it has minimal steering and brakes as part of the excitement. 
And we see that word "minimal" from our Word Bank. 
If something is minimal, then it is extremely small. 
There is very little of it. 
And here the steering and brakes are minimal. 
That's right. 
They're minimal, the least that you can survive with. 
It's the least of something, minimal. 
So for instance, um, my... my friend Joanie, she works really hard. 
She gets minimal sleep every night. 
She doesn't sleep very much. 
Well, we want to "minimize," which is the verb form of this word, our delay. 
We want to continue on with our lesson. 
Riders take them across Peru, traversing mountains so high that the mototaxis' motors sometimes struggle to start, then plunging into the Amazon rain forest basin. 
Wow! This sounds like quite a journey. 
That sounds so cool, Carolyn. 
You're taking your scooter up there, up these mountains, and then sometimes it's so high that the motors struggle to start. 
It's a struggle. 
And that means it's not easy. 
There's trouble. 
It's a struggle to start, but then you go down the mountain. 
And our author uses a word here "plunge." What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if you plunge into something, then you go down very quickly. 
And a lot of times I think about using this word with water. 
"You plunge into the water" means that you just jump in and go down very fast. 
But here they're plunging into the rain forest basin. 
So they're going down into the jungle. 
Well, that does sound exciting. 
Now it's time for us to watch an exciting video introducing this Mototaxi Junket. 
Seriously impressive how far you could see. 
... is absolutely kicking, and I still got it. 
We found the problem, we're going to fix it. 
(Music). 
And the drop-off, it's about 6 to 8 inches from the right wheel. 
Basically at any point in time, anything can happen! 
(Music). 
Probably the most difficult thing any of us have ever gone through... in life, I would dare say. 
It was about 100 yards of concrete. We got very excited. 
There's 105 kilometers of roads that the locals say will swallow uh... um... the mighty beast. 
(Music). 
(Music). 
We're very high, and it's very, very cold! 
(Music). 
We're literally stuck in the middle of the Amazon with no way out. 
(Music). 
Well, that does look like a very exciting adventure through Peru. 
Continuing on to the next papragraph: 
So there you have it - six of the craziest journeys ever. 
And these are very exciting and eccentric vacations or trips to be taking. 
It's true. 
And there's a phrase at the beginning of that sentence "so there you have it." And I think we should let Liz talk about this in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
We see this sentence in today's article: 
So there you have it - six of the craziest journeys you could possibly take. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the phrase at the beginning of the sentence: So there you have it. 
It is an expression that means that's it. 
Native speakers usually use this expression when they've just finished talking about something, and they want to let their listeners know that they're done. 
If you're giving a speech, it's a great way to begin your conclusion with. 
You can also use this expression to put focus on something. 
For example, introducing a famous artwork like: 
There you have it, ladies and gentlemen, the Mona Lisa. 
If you look at today's Grammar Tip section, you'll find more examples there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
OK, so let's continue. 
Do you have a taste for adventure, a disregard for comfort or safety and a desire to help save rain forests? 
OK. Let's look at that sentence there. 
If you have a taste for adventure, that just means you have an excitement when it comes to adventure. 
You're interested in doing this. 
But what's our key word here, Carolyn? 
Our key word is "disregard." And that means to not pay attention to something or not really care about it or think that it is important. 
That's right. 
So maybe in a positive way, you might regard something as important. 
But here it's disregard, it's kind of negative. 
You might say to somebody um... you know, I... I shared my thoughts with you but you just disregarded my opinion. 
You didn't think it was very important. 
Right. 
Well, we do not want to have disregard for other people or for their safety. 
But here the Adventurists are talking about themselves. 
And if you have a disregard for comfort or safety and a desire to help save rain forests, 
then join the Adventurists in their quest to make the world a better - and more exciting - place. 
All right. This is their quest. 
That's another word for mission or purpose. 
Their purpose is to make the world a better and more exciting place. 
And of course I know someone else who also likes to make our worlds a better place - Michelle. 
She is in the Language Lab waiting for us now. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
Well, over the last couple of days, we've learned about some exciting adventures that some people are crazy or eccentric enough to go on. 
And of course they raise a little bit of money, but they have a great cause in mind - saving the rain forests. 
Now I wonder which one of these adventures you would like to participate in, if there are any that you would. 
Carolyn, would you like to participate in any of these? 
Well, I would first have to raise 1,000 pounds to participate because this is for charity. 
But I think that I really like this last one we talked about, the Mototaxi Junket. 
I've driven a scooter before, so I know how to do that. 
And I think it would be very interesting to be going through Peru on this adventure. 
I agree! And Carolyn, I just thought of something! 
Maybe I could take my scooter, give it a wide seat, make the steering and brakes really bad, and then take it to Peru. 
We can do the Mototaxi Junket together. 
Well, that would be quite an adventure. 
Well, we will see you here next time on Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.08.08.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for a lesson called The Great Train Robbery. 
Of course a robbery is when one or more people go in and steal something from somewhere. 
Sometimes people might go to a bank and steal money from the bank. 
But this is a famous robbery in history - the Great Train Robbery. 
Are there any other famous robberies that you know about? 
Carolyn? 
Well, there are a lot of famous robberies. 
And sometimes people decide to steal things because they want to be known for doing something like this. 
Now one that occurred a little more recently was in 1987 on July 12. 
A group of men went into the Kingston Bank. 
They went uh, to Kingston, England, and they went to a bank there, and they wanted to open a safety deposit box. 
But instead of opening an account, they stole $111 million! 
Shoo! That a lot of money. 
That is a big robbery! 
Of course some movies are made about robberies. 
Ocean's Eleven, The Pink Panther, these are movies about robberies. 
And there are other famous robberies you can find out about in your magazine on page 20. 
But let's get started with our lesson right now - The Great Train Robbery. 
(Music). 
The Great Train Robbery. 
50 years ago to the day... 
1963, at about 3:00 in the morning. 
The Night Flyer rolled to an unexpected stop. 
The train was traveling from Glasgow, Scotland, to London, England, but had been halted by a red signal light. 
Seeking an emergency phone, a fireman stepped off the train only to be seized by robbers dressed as track workers. 
The men then entered the cab of the train and hit the driver over the head. 
Once they had unhooked the train's engine and first two cars from the rest, the Night Flyer moved on. 
Well, this is a very interesting tale, a very exciting story. 
But let's go back to the top before we hear anymore about it. 
50 years ago to the day... 
So this is the Great Train Robbery, and it occurred 50 years ago to the day. 
I think that's a really great phrase, Gabe. 
Let's take a look at it. 
All right, to the day. 
That means we're not talking about approximately or it's not just nearly 50 years ago or around 50 years ago. 
No. To the day. 
So today is August 8. And 50 years ago in 1963 on August 8, the Great Train Robbery occurred. 
So you could use this phrase in other ways. 
Thirty years ago and one month to the day, I was born. 
Wow! That is impressive, Gabe. 
Well, you can use this phrase "to the day" to show how exact something is. 
You could also change "day" to another time word. 
You could say "to the hour," or "to the minute." So you can use this phrase in a couple of different ways. 
But getting into our article, how do we start, Gabe? 
All right. 
In 1963, at about 3:00 in the morning. 
That's how we start this story. 
It's 3 a.m., and the Night Flyer rolled to an unexpected stop. 
The Night Flyer is the name of this train. 
And it came to an unexpected stop. 
It was an unplanned stop. 
That's right. 
So they didn't think they would be stopping here. 
And they rolled to this stop. 
Now Liz has something she wants to tell us about that word in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
And here's our Grammar Tip sentence for today. 
The Night Flyer rolled to an unexpected stop. 
Our focus today is on the word "rolled." Normally we use "roll" to talk about how something round moves from one place to another, like: 
The ball rolled across the floor. 
But in today's sentence, the writer is not saying that the Night Flyer was moving like a ball. 
Instead, the word "rolled" is used to mean to move smoothly. 
In other words, the Night Flyer was moving smoothly, and it came to an unexpected stop. 
We normally use "roll" like this when we want to describe how something big is moving smoothly, like transportation. 
Besides trains, we can use it to talk about cars, like: 
We jumped into our car and rolled down to the beach. 
Or: The truck rolled into the parking lot. 
If you'd like to see some more examples, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, we're continuing to learn about this train, the Night Flyer, it came to an unexpected stop. 
The train was traveling from Glasgow, Scotland, to London, England, but had been halted by a red signal light. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "halt." If something is halted, that's another word for stopped. 
That's right. 
So the train came to a stop, or it was stopped by this red light. 
That's right, so it was halted. 
Now uh, you might hear this word... someone might yell this word to someone if they want them to stop. 
They might say, "Halt!" Don't move any further. 
I don't usually hear this word very much. 
I would hear the word "stop" more often. 
But this is still a common word in the English language. 
So the train was halted, it was stopped by a red signal light. 
And then how does the story continue? 
Well, we see: Seeking an emergency phone, a fireman stepped off the train only to be seized by robbers dressed as track workers. 
So the fireman got off the train, 
trying to find the emergency phone so he could find out why the train was stopped when he was seized by these robbers who were pretending to be workers at... on the railroad. 
That's right. 
And there's another word in that sentence that kind of means halt or stop. 
It's the word "seized." And if you are seized, that means you're stopped by people, maybe kind of captured in a way, and you can't move any further. 
You can't do anything else. 
You're seized. 
But there's another word here, the word "fireman." Now I don't want you think about firefighters when you think about this word fireman. 
The fireman, in this case, on this train, is the person who is in charge of the fire. 
Of course in that time, trains used coal and fire to get going. 
That's right. 
So this is a different kind of a fireman. 
He is in charge of keeping the fire going so that the train will continue moving. 
Well, the men then entered the cab of the train and hit the driver over the head. 
So they've seized the fireman, and they've knocked the driver out. 
So no one is controlling the train anymore. 
That's right. 
I like that phrase you use, Carolyn: They knocked the driver out. 
That's kind of an idiom to say that someone was knocked so that they're not awake anymore. 
They were hit so that they're not awake. 
They were knocked out. 
Well, this driver's knocked out. 
He was hit over the head. 
And once they had unhooked the train's engine and first two cars from the rest, the Night Flyer moved on. 
All right. It seems like they're... they're getting away with it so far. 
It seems like nothing is going to happen to them. 
But first, let's take a look at this word from our Word Bank. 
It is "unhook." If something is unhooked, that means it is detached. 
It was attached before, but now it is detached. 
It's unhooked. 
That's right. 
So it could also mean to release something or to separate it. 
Maybe you like to wear necklaces. 
And before you go to bed, you need to take it off. 
So you should unhook your necklace so that the chain is separated. 
It is no longer closed but opened. 
And of course the opposite of this word is hooked. 
When you attach something, like your necklace, then it is hooked. 
So in this story, once these people had unhooked the train's engine from the first two cars... from the rest, then the Night Flyer moved on. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
You might have seen that word "cab" and "engine" and the word "car." These could have different definitions. 
Let's go see the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll go to the Language Lab. 
Hi, friends. 
When you look up a word in the dictionary, are you paying attention to all the definitions? 
You should because a lot of times, the first definition is not the one you're looking for. 
Let's take a look at three words in today's lesson: car, engine and cab. 
Now you probably think they're so familiar that there's no need to look them up. 
But in the lesson, the word "car" is not referring to an automobile, which is the first definition of car in most dictionaries. 
Instead, it's referring to a railway carriage. 
And that's the fourth definition of "car" in my dictionary. 
Likewise, the word "engine" is not referring to a machine, which is the first definition of "engine" in most dictionaries. 
The engine in our lesson today is actually the locomotive that pulls a train. 
And finally, the word "cab" does not mean a taxicab in the lesson, but is referring to the enclosed compartment of a locomotive. 
So remember to always look through all the definitions when looking up a word to make sure you grasp its real meaning. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.08.B

Well, 50 years ago to the day, the Great Train Robbery occurred. 
We're talking about that today. 
And we're enjoying an interesting story that started at 3 a.m. in 1963 on August 8. 
And they were boarding a train, these robbers got on the Night Flyer, and they were starting to rob this train. 
So far we've talked about how they hit the driver over the head, 
how they unhooked the engine and the first two cars from the rest of the train, and the Night Flyer is rolling on. 
Let's continue this story. 
(Music). 
The Great Train Robbery. 
3:15 a.m. 
It soon stopped at Bridego Bridge, where the thieves removed 120 mailbags from the High Value Package car. 
The driver and fireman were then tossed into the car with its five mail sorters and were told not to move. 
By 3:45, the thieves' mission was complete, and all 15 of them made off with their goods without a trace. 
A stolen total of about 2.6 million pounds (US$50 million today) earned the crime its name - the Great Train Robbery. 
But though the robbery was successful, there are no clean getaways.... 
Oh, I'm so excited to find out what happens next. 
But before we can learn more about this story, we need to go back to the beginning of this section. 
It is now 3:15 a.m. 
So this is just 15 minutes later. 
We're talking about the Night Flyer. 
It soon stopped at Bridego Bridge, where the thieves removed 120 mailbags from the High Value Package car. 
Now I usually don't think of mail being very valuable, but this is a very special car on this train, isn't it, Gabe? 
That's right, the High Value Package. 
If something has high value, it's probably very expensive, so. 
I don't know what's inside this mail, but there is a lot of expensive things inside this mail. 
So the thieves removed these 120 mailbags. 
And the "thief" is another name for a robber. 
You can kind of use these words in the same way. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing in the story. 
The driver and fireman were then tossed into the car with its five mail sorters and were told not to move. 
So there were five mail sorters in this car already. 
Then they took the fireman and the driver of the train, and put them all in the same car in this High Value Package train car and told them not to move. 
But they took all of the valuable bags out first. 
I think so. 
So these seven people are sitting in this car, they're not moving. 
And we continue. 
By 3:45, so just half an hour later, the thieves' mission was complete, and all 15 of them made off with their goods without a trace. 
So just within 45 minutes, 15 robbers get away with these goods without a trace. 
Wow. 
Well, there are a lot of good phrases and words in this sentence. 
The first one that I want to talk about is "make off with." So to make off with something means to steal or to get away with something. 
A lot of times we hear this phrase when talking about robberies. 
You could say: Oh, the thief made off with the diamon necklace. 
It was worth a lot of money, and he got away with it! 
That's right. 
When I was traveling in Greece with some friends, a robber... or a thief came and made off with my friend's purse. 
So she lost a lot of her money and some of her other important items. 
The thief made off with this. 
And of course these robbers on the Night Flyer, they made off with their goods without a trace. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: goods. 
Now what are goods, Carolyn? 
Well, goods are things that are valuable, usually talking about things that you can buy or sell. 
But here they're talking about things that the robbers desired. 
So the goods were the mailbags that I think were either filled with valuable things or cash because they were carrying money to be deposited in a bank. 
That's right. So that could be a kind of goods. 
You might talk about imported goods - goods that come into your country. 
Or exported goods, you're shipping them to another country for sale. 
And they made off with these goods without a trace. 
Now what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, that is another very good phrase. 
"Without a trace" means that you have no idea where they went. 
You can't find them. 
So they just disappeared. 
That's right. 
So a trace is kind of a path you can follow, something that gives you some kind of direction or clue. 
So if there is no trace, we don't know where to go to find them. 
They made off without a trace. 
There's some great English in that sentence, some good phrases that you can use. 
All right. 
So a stolen total of about 2.6 million pounds (US$50 million today) earned the crime its name - the Great Train Robbery. 
So Carolyn, why is there something in parentheses there? 
Well, it's separate from the rest of this sentence because they didn't steal US$50 million, they were stealing pounds. 
So this is British money that they use in the United Kingdom in Great Britain. 
And it's not the same as what it is today because 2.6 million pounds back then is worth a lot more than 2.6 million pounds today. 
That's right. 
Maybe 2.6 million pounds today is only worth about US$5 million today, but back then it was worth US$50 million. 
It was equivalent to that amount today. 
That's a lot of money they made off with on the Great Train Robbery. 
But though the robbery was successful, there are no clean getaways.... 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: a getaway. 
And a getaway is when some people, maybe who wanted to steal something or they did something bad, they got away with something. 
That means that nobody could find them. 
They're... they're OK. 
They're not going to get in trouble. 
That's what happens when you get away with something. 
That's right. 
So they escaped. 
The police didn't catch them. 
But we see that there are no clean getaways, which means that maybe there was a trace that was left, 
some sort of clue that people could use to find them later. 
That's right. 
So there was some kind of a trace. 
Now usually you would see this as a whole phrase. 
There are no clean getaways. 
It's just something that people believe. 
It's true. 
If someone wants to get away with something, usually there's some kind of a trace. 
Well, we hope that these robbers... actually, you'll find out in the rest of the story what happened to these robbers. 
It is an exciting story. 
We'll learn more about that tomorrow and in the next lesson. 
But for now, let's learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And let's return to our teachers now. 
Today we've been learning about a very exciting event in history - the Great Train Robbery. 
And this is just a wonderfully written tale. 
And I'm very curious to know what will happen next since there are no clean getaways. 
Gabe, what do you think will happen to these robbers? 
Hmm, well, before I read the story, what I thought might happen to these robbers was that they would maybe go travel somewhere. 
They'd go to some other country and try to get away from the United Kingdom. 
They just get away from that scene altogether and go live their lives with the money or with the valuable things that they got from the Great Train Robbery. 
Um, that's not what happens. 
But what do you think would happen, or what did you think would happen, Carolyn? 
Well, just from reading today's lesson, I was a little bit nervous because we do see that there are no clean getaways. 
So I think something very bad might happen to these men. 
But we will find out all about it tomorrow right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.08.09.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson about The Great Train Robbery. 
So far we have learned about how some robbers got on a train called the Night Flyer, and they tried to get away with 2.6 million pounds. 
Back in 1963, of course that was a lot of money. 
That's almost US$50 million today. 
So we're going to continue this story. 
Now a train... a train might transport lots of different kinds of things, of course. 
We learned about the High Value Packages on the train yesterday. 
What other things might trains transport? 
Carolyn? 
Well, they can really transport anything. 
They can transport people, of course. 
Lots of people like to ride on trains to get from one place to another very quickly. 
But you know, trains can also be used to carry anything from toys to chemicals, to coal, to even car parts. 
I know that the company Porsche uses trains to transport a lot of their car parts, not a full car but pieces of it. 
That's a good point. 
Trains carry a lot of different kinds of cargo, not only people but food, liquids, gases... 
Lots of different kinds of things are transported by train. 
What are some things that you can think about? 
Well, we're going to continue this story - The Great Train Robbery. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
The Great Train Robbery. 
The Hunt. 
In response to Britain's biggest train robbery, Scotland Yard assembled a team of detectives called the Flying Squad. 
They received a call about suspicious activity at a place called Leatherslade Farm. 
It turned out to be the thieves' hideout. 
"The whole place is one big clue," one detective said. 
They made the first arrest the following day, but the last wasn't made until 1968, when mastermind Bruce Reynolds was finally caught. 
Most of the robbers received 25 or 30 years of jail time, though all were released by 1978. 
(Music). 
OK. Most of these robbers were caught by this time. 
But we're going to learn later about someone else who got away for a little bit longer. 
First, let's go back to the beginning of this section called The Hunt. 
Now we're not talking about hunting animals, right, Carolyn? 
That's right, Gabe. 
Today we are talking about hunting for people. 
Now it's not quite the same as hunting for an animal. 
Here we are using this word to mean to look for, to be very serious about trying to find something. 
That's right. 
So these people, the police, the government is very serious about hunting for these 15 robbers. 
All right. 
In response to Britain's biggest train robbery, Scotland Yard assembled a team of detectives called the Flying Squad. 
OK. So let's go back to the beginning of this sentence. 
We see the phrase "in response to." OK. 
So the biggest train robbery happened, and now there is a response. 
I might also use this phrase in another way. 
I could say, "In response to my new request for a pay raise, my boss just laughed." That was her response. 
Well, that is one response. 
But this response was to send out detectives. 
And "detective" is a word from our Word Bank. 
Now a detective is a person who investigates or tries to solve a crime by gathering clues. 
And this person is usually a police officer, doesn't have to be, but here we're talking about Scotland Yard. 
So these would be very well-trained police officers. 
And it makes me think of Sherlock Holmes, who was a very great detective in a series of books. 
That's right. 
That's probably the most famous detective in fiction - Sherlock Holmes. 
But of course it also makes me think of a TV show now called Monk. 
He is a detective trying to solve different problems. 
I think stories involving detectives are quite popular. 
There are so many out there. 
So a team of detectives called the Flying Squad went after these 15 robbers. 
And how does the story continue? 
Well, it does continue, but the Flying Squad is also one of the most famous British detective groups. 
So they handle some of the most dangerous crimes and trying to catch the most dangerous criminals. 
Now we do continue. 
They received a call about suspicious activity at a place called Leatherslade Farm. 
So they got a call about suspicious activity, Gabe. 
Yeah. I wonder what's going on there. 
Maybe you see something suspicious, and you are curious about that. 
OK, let's look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is the word "suspicious." If something is suspicious, that means you're not sure about it. 
You're not sure if it's good or bad. 
Maybe it seems bad, but you're not sure, so it's suspicious. 
That's right. 
So it's something that you question because you don't know what is going on. 
I was a little bit suspicious of Gabe the other day because I could hear him saying my name. 
But it turned out to be nothing. 
He was actually just trying to get ahold of one of my friends. 
Exactly, Carolyn. 
Nothing suspicious was going on. 
Well friends, you might see signs at certain public places if you go traveling to the West. 
And they might say: Report anything suspicious to the police. 
For example, if you see a bag just sitting around and nobody is with it, that might be a suspicious bag. 
It might be a bomb or something else. 
Report that to the police. 
It is a suspicious item. 
Well, we do want to make sure we pay attention when things seem suspicious. 
And so these detectives got a call about suspicious activity happening on this farm. 
It turned out to be the thieves' hideout. 
So this is where the thieves were staying. 
And what happened next, Gabe? 
Well, we see a phrase there in that sentence: it turned out. 
Let's look at that. 
You're not sure about something, but then in the end, you find out the real reason. 
So you could say it turned out to be this way. 
They thought it was suspicious. 
And as it turned out, it was the thieves' hideout. 
But you could use this in other ways, too. 
I knew that Marty was smart. 
Well, as it turns out, he's the smartest guy in our class. 
Well, we will continue on in the story. 
"The whole place is one big clue," one detective said. 
So they're very excited to have found this farm because the whole house, the whole grounds is a clue. 
It was one clue. 
And so they made the first arrest the following day. 
It didn't take them long. 
They made the arrest the following day, but the last wasn't made until when? 
Until 1968 when mastermind Bruce Reynolds was finally caught. 
So they caught most of the robbers, but the mastermind, maybe the person who organized the robbery, he was finally caught in 1968. 
So it took them almost five years to find the person who organized the robbery - Bruce Reynolds. 
Now most of the robbers received 25 or 30 years of jail time, though all were released by 1978. 
So even though they received rather lengthy sentences, 25 to 30 years in the court, they were actually let out of jail by 1978. 
That's right. 
If you remember, the robbery happened in 1963. 
If they were caught and they were given 25 to 30 years in jail, then they were actually let loose only... well, only within 15 years. 
So I think the government was actually being a little bit nice to them. 
They were released by 1978. 
Now it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.09.B

In the second day of our article on The Great Train Robbery, we've been talking about The Hunt. 
A group of detectives from Scotland Yard are now looking for the robbers. 
And they got a report about some suspicious activity happening on Leatherslade Farm, which turned out to be the thieves' hideout. 
Now I'm very excited to hear how this story concludes in the next part of our reading. 
Let's read it now. 
(Music). 
The Great Train Robbery. 
The Man Who Ran. 
The exception was Ronnie Biggs, who escaped from prison in 1965 and ran from one country to another. 
Hiding behind plastic surgery, he was discovered in Brazil but avoided capture several times. 
Finally in 2001, over 30 years after his escape, an unhealthy Biggs turned himself in to serve his jail time. 
In 2009, he was released for compassionate reasons a day before his 80th birthday. 
He happens to share the date with the anniversary of his famous crime. 
(Music). 
OK, now we're learning about The Man Who Ran. 
Of course most of these robbers were caught, put in prison for a time and let loose by 1978. 
But now we're talking about this man Ronnie Biggs, who ran, he got away... at first. OK. 
The exception was Ronnie Biggs, who escaped from prison in 1965 and ran from one country to another. 
OK, so he was caught at first, but he escaped within a couple of years and went from one country, one place to another. 
That's right. 
And he was the exception. 
So there were 15 men who were involved in the robbery. 
All of them were caught eventually after some time. 
But Ronnie Biggs was an exception because he escaped. 
Now let's look at the word "exception." It's from our Word Bank. 
And if something is an exception, that means that it is different. 
It doesn't follow the rules and do things the way that everything else is being done. 
That's right. 
So maybe you could use this phrase like this: 
You're not supposed to eat in class. 
But you could say: Oh, teacher, could you please make an exception for me? I'm really hungry! 
So you could use that phrase like that. 
Or you might say that there is no exception for this thing. 
There's no exception. 
Everyone must do the things the exactly the same way. 
Well, he did escape. 
And we will find out how he was able to hide for so long. 
We read: Hiding behind plastic surgery, he was discovered in Brazil but avoided capture several times. 
So he had plastic surgery done so that he looked different from the pictures that the police had. 
It's true. And that's... that's what happens. 
Many people get plastic surgery done for different reasons. 
They want to look different in some way. 
Usually people might want to look better in some way, and so they'll get plastic surgery. 
Um, but this man, Ronnie Biggs, he wasn't doing it so that he could look better. 
He really just wanted to hide and get away from the government. 
But he was discovered several times and avoided capture several times, so. 
People knew that he had changed his appearance, the way that he looked. 
And they tried to catch him, but he was able to escape each time. 
That's right. 
This kind of reminds me of a movie that came out a couple years ago with Leonardo DiCaprio - Catch Me If You Can. 
He also got away several times after being discovered. 
Well, we're learning about Ronnie Biggs here. 
And finally in 2001, over 30 years after his escape, an unhealthy Biggs turned himself in to serve his jail time. 
I can't imagine the kind of things that this guy has experienced, trying to run from one place to another to another just to get away from the police for over 30 years! 
That is a very long time to be running and hiding. 
And I'm sure that it was really not easy. 
So he decided to turn himself in. 
And Steve and Ken have something they'd like to tell us about that phrase in the Information Cloud. 
Hi, friends. 
Here's a piece of advice. 
If you often feel tired during the day, maybe you should turn in early. 
Yes, turn in early, or go to bed early. 
"Turn in" is just an informal way to say go to bed. 
So what time do you turn in, Steve? 
Well, Ken, I normally turn in at 11 o'clock on most nights. 
Now let's play with this phrase a little and add a direct object: turn someone in. 
It's now a new phrase with a very different meaning. 
Ken, if you don't go to the police and make a confession, I'll turn you in. 
No. Don't turn me in. 
I will turn myself in. 
Friends, we hope you got that. 
The phrase "turn oneself in" means to give yourself up to the authorities. 
Now let's change the direct object to a thing. 
Do you have a paper to turn in to your teacher tomorrow? 
Or do you have homework to turn in? 
When you turn in your homework or paper, you are handing it in to your teacher. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
So just before the Information Cloud, we saw that Biggs turned himself in to serve his jail time. 
"Serving" used in this way, that means you are doing something that you should do that the police have... or the government says that you need to do. 
You're serving your jail time, or you're doing something that they require. OK. 
So we're continuing learning about Ronnie Biggs. 
In 2009, he was released for compassionate reasons, a day before his 80th birthday. 
Well, that was just a couple of years ago that he was in jail, and he was released for compassionate reasons. 
What does it mean to be compassionate? 
Well, if you are compassionate, that means that you are very caring, that you are concerned about other people. 
And I have a feeling that these compassionate reasons had to do with his health. 
Because if he was almost 80 years old, just the day before his birthday, he might not be in the best health. 
Especially since he's been trying to run and hide from the police for so long, he might have had some difficulty taking care of his body. 
That's right. 
And he did humble himself, he turned himself in. 
Maybe that has something to do with these compassionate reasons, too. 
So he was let out the day before his birthday. OK. 
And he happens to share the date with the anniversary of his famous crime. 
OK. Let's talk about this word "anniversary." This is from our Word Bank. 
An anniversary is something that happens every year. 
You celebrate something once every year on its anniversary. 
That's right. 
So an anniversary could be something like a wedding anniversary, the day that you got married. 
You celebrate that day on the same day every year. 
So if you were married maybe in 2010 on August 10, then in 2011, August 10, you would also celebrate. 
And this year 2013, August 10 would be the anniversary, and you would celebrate again. 
That's right. 
And so this guy, Ronnie Biggs, he came out of jail on the same day as his famous crime, the anniversary of this crime. 
So he shares a birthday with this crime. 
That means he was robbing on his birthday, Carolyn. 
Uh, maybe he was hoping to get a nice big birthday gift on the train. 
Well, it very well could be. 
August 8 was the anniversary and his birthday. 
And he was let out the day before. 
Well, right now it is time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Today is the anniversary of the Great Train Robbery. 
Yes! Our robbery was so successful! 
Yes, but too bad there are no clean getaways. 
Yeah, too bad. 
I remember it all. 
It was about 3 in the morning, the Night Flyer rolled to a stop. 
Yeah. It was halted by a red signal light. 
Yes. And when the fireman stepped off the train, we seized him! 
We sure did. 
We were dressed as track workers. 
Remember? 
I do. 
We entered the cab and hit the driver over the head. 
And then unhooked the engine and the first two cars, and the Night Flyer moved on. 
Next stop - Bridego Bridge! Ha... 
Unloading 120 mialbags wasn't easy. 
But we did it, and then tossed the driver and others into the car. 
Mission complete! 
The 15 of us made off with the goods without a trace. 
Yep, about 2.6 million pounds! 
Our crime earned its name - The Great Train Robbery! 
Oh, our robbery was successful. 
Yeah. Too bad there was no clean getaway. 
No! Too bad. 
Well, we've got to go now. 
Yeah. See you in 25 or 30 years. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
Well, I did enjoy learning about Ronnie Biggs here in this last section. 
And actually, if you're curious about him, there is a book that he wrote, an autobiography. 
It's called Odd Man Out - The Last Straw. 
Carolyn, what was something that you really enjoyed learning about this Great Train Robbery or these robbers? 
Well, it was a very exciting story just reading about it. 
And I'm sure that Ronnie Biggs' book is probably also very interesting to read and get an inside look at what happened. 
That's right. 
Well, friends, thank you for joining us for this exciting lesson about a big historical event. 
And we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.08.10.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the 10th day of August. 
We have a special lesson today all about August. 
Of course we do this every month. 
There are interesting facts that you can find out about every month. 
Well, what about August? 
You're going to learn a lot today. 
I wonder if you have a favorite day in August, something you like most about August. 
Carolyn? 
Well, I do have a favorite day in August for many reasons - August 8. 
Hmm? 
And well, we talked about previously this month about the Great Train Robbery that took place on August 8. 
August 8 was also the start date for the Summer Olympics in Beijing. 
And most importantly, August 8 is my brother's birthday. 
What?! It's your brother's birthday? 
No way! 
Well, happy... Well, what's his name again, Carolyn? 
Kyle. 
Happy birthday, Kyle. 
You know, August 8 is also my favorite day in August. 
Really! 
Yeah, because it's one month after my birthday to the day, so. 
Well, that's a good reason. 
Yeah, it is. 
Birthdays are wonderful. 
Happy birthday, Kyle. 
And happy late birthday, me. 
And of course, happy birthday to you if your birthday is in August. 
Let's get started learning all about August. 
(Music). 
August. 
"If the first week of August be unusually warm, the winter will be snowy and long.". 
The dog days of summer remain in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere. 
As the month progresses, the evenings become cooler in northern regions and mountains. 
But in the Southern Hemisphere, August means winter's end is fast approaching. 
Festivals can be found worldwide this month. 
One of the more outstanding ones is La Tomatina in Spain. 
If you like tomatoes, then you'll like this one because people throw them at one another! 
That does sound like a very special festival in Spain. 
But before we get too much into the festivals of August, let's go back to the beginning of the article. 
We see "If the first week of August be unusually warm, the winter will be snowy and long." And this is a saying or a quote. 
And many people believe that it's true. 
If the first week of August is very hot, maybe hotter than it usually is, then the winter will be very cold and have lots of snow. 
Well, perhaps that is true. 
Of course you could say if the first week of August "is" unusually warm. 
But this is kind of poetic the person says if it "be" unusually warm. 
Anyway, it's time for us now to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
They're going to be talking about expressions about the weather. 
For thousands of years, we humans have tried to accurately predict the weather. 
Because it's important for us to know the best time to plant and harvest crops, when to take an ocean voyage or when to go on a picnic. 
Over the years we've accumulated dozens of English sayings which help us to determine whether tomorrow's weather will be fair or foul. 
They're not what we call scientific, but many of them are surprisingly accurate. 
Perhaps the most well-known saying is... 
Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning; red skies at night, sailor's delight. 
Right. 
If the sky is red in the morning, then expect rain. 
If the sky is red at night, expect the next day's weather to be pleasant. 
Now predictions about the weather are not just made by looking at the sky. 
They're also made by observing the behavior of animals. 
Here's an example. 
A cow's tail to the west makes the weather the best; a cow's tail to the east makes the weather the least. 
Hmm... Who needs weatherman when you have a cow? 
Other age-old weather predictors include rings around the moon, clogged salt shakers and aching bones. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
Continuing on in our article: 
The dog days of summer remain in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere. 
Now the dog days of summer. 
Gabe, what are dog days? 
Are there lots of dogs around? 
That's a very good question. 
This is kind of a weird phrase that we use to talk about the hottest days of summer. 
When does that usually fall, Carolyn? 
Well, the dog days of summer are usually between early July and early September. 
So if it's August, then the dog days of summer are definitely in full swing. 
Well hey, I think that's a great phrase we should talk about. 
It's from our Word Bank: in full swing. 
If something is in full swing, that means it is going, and it's not about to end anytime soon. 
It's very exciting. 
It's... it's the top of something. 
It's in full swing. 
That's right. 
So it's gotten started, and it's not stopping anytime soon. 
It's probably right in the middle. 
And August would be in the middle of July and September. 
So they are in full swing. 
You might also say that the holiday season is in full swing. 
Maybe Christmas is approaching, and lots of people are out busy shopping. 
The holiday season is in full swing. 
And some people believe this idiom comes from bells ringing. 
When bells are swinging back and forth, they're in full swing. 
They're not stopping anytime soon. 
Well, it's time for us to continue this lesson. 
We are in full swing. 
We're not stopping now. 
So as the month progresses, as the month of August progresses, the evenings become cooler in northern regions and mountains. 
That's right. 
So in areas in the Northern Hemisphere, or above the Equator, north of the Equator, areas become cooler because winter is approaching. 
And we're finding out not only about the Northern Hemisphere. 
But in the Southern Hemisphere, August means winter's end is fast approaching. 
So of course, in the north, the summer is coming to an end. 
But in the Southern Hemisphere, the winter is fast ending... or the winter's end is fast approaching. 
It will be getting warmer soon. 
That's right. 
And that is very interesting that the Northern and the Southern Hemisphere have completely opposite seasons, so. 
Many people have ideas, like I know in the United States, we think of summer being June, July, August, maybe part of September and then it's fall. 
But if you're from Australia, those months would be winter, not summer. 
That's right. 
And that's where my sister lives. 
She is experiencing the end of winter right now. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning something with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article the writer mentions "... winter's end is fast approaching." That's our Grammar Tip sentence for today. 
Our focus is on the phrase at the end of the sentence: fast approaching. 
It's another way to say how something is coming quickly or happening soon. 
So today's sentence just means that the end of winter will be here soon. 
When you want to talk about how something is going to be here soon, consider using this phrase - fast approaching. 
For example: 
We need to hurry to the station; I see a bus is fast approaching. 
You can also use this phrase to talk about how an event will happen very soon. 
For example, 
James has been very busy with his assignment because the due date is fast approaching. 
So give this phrase a try. 
Think of something that is coming soon or happening soon, and practice using this phrase. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
We are fast approaching our first festival for the month of August. 
We read that festivals can be found worldwide this month. 
One of the more outstanding ones is La Tomatina in Spain. 
And this festival is outstanding. 
And that word is from our Word Bank. 
Gabe, what does it mean if something is outstanding? 
Well, if it's outstanding, it's amazing. 
It stands out to you as special or more special than the other things around it. 
It's an outstanding festival. 
And it's very true. 
If you like tomatoes, then you will like this festival. 
Carolyn, how else could you use that word "outstanding"? 
Well, I can use it to describe many things that are just amazing or special in a very good way. 
Maybe you are at a wedding, and the wedding cake is outstanding. 
The detail and the icing, the decorations and the taste of the cake are fantastic or amazing. 
It's an outstanding cake. 
Or maybe someone had an outstanding performance. 
They did such a great job, singing or acting or dancing. 
Their performance was outstanding. 
Of course you're doing an outstanding job as you continue to improve in your English. 
Well, we're continuing to learn about La Tomatina in Spain. 
If you like tomatoes, then you'll like this one because people throw them at one another! 
Carolyn, would you like to go to La Tomatina? 
Well, I'm not so sure if I would enjoy having tomatoes thrown at me, Gabe. 
I think it would be pretty fun to attend this. 
I know my dad would hate this festival because he hates tomatoes. 
I think it would be pretty fun. 
What about you? 
Have you ever been to Spain or participated in La Tomatina? 
Right now it's time for us to continue with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.10.B

Well, we've been talking about some things that are special or outstanding in August. 
Of course, one of those things I mentioned before is it's exactly a month after my birthday. 
August 8, that's one of my favorite days in August. 
But of course in the lesson, if the beginning of August is unusually warm, people think the winter will be long and snowy. 
There are some special festivals around the world in August. 
We've already talked about La Tomatina, where you can participate in a tomato-throwing festival. 
That sounds like fun. 
Let's continue learning about more about August. 
(Music). 
August. 
Is music more to your taste? 
Then head to the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago. 
Although it's primarily a music festival, crafts and comedy get mixed in as well. 
The world's largest arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland is on, too. 
Or perhaps you like horses. 
Then head to Siena, Italy, where a bareback horserace is held. 
It only lasts about a minute and a half! 
"Evening emeralds," August's birthstone, the peridot, was called this by the Romans because of the way the peridot reflected lamplight. 
"Love at first sight!" August's flower, the gladiolus, held this hidden meaning during the Victorian era. 
Well, it seems the flowers can have hidden meanings. 
But before we talk about that, let's go to the beginning of this section and learn some more about festivals in August. 
So we talked about La Tomatina in Spain, a tomato-throwing festival. 
But we continue on: Is music more to your taste? 
Gabe, is music more to your taste? 
Well, I do enjoy the idea of throwing tomatoes at other people, but I do also love music. 
So music is to my taste. 
Well, it is to your taste. 
Then head to the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago. 
And this sounds like a really fun festival just from the name. 
It's called Lollapalooza. 
Lollapalooza... how exciting! 
Yes. If you've never been, maybe you should go. 
I've heard of this festival but I have never been. 
We continue learning about this. 
Although it's primarily a music festival, crafts and comedy get mixed in as well. 
So we're going to be talking about that word "primarily." It's from our Word Bank. 
That means that it is mainly about something. 
The festival is mainly about music. 
But it's about other things, too. 
That's right. 
So mainly or mostly, most of the festival is about music, but it also has comedy in it and crafts as well. 
Well, maybe you work at a company and the primary purpose, or your company primarily deals with people who can't find a job. 
And your company helps them to find jobs. 
But maybe you do other things, too. 
You primarily help people who don't have jobs, but you do other things, too. 
And of course here at Studio Classroom, we primarily teach English. 
But of course in the Information Cloud, Steve and Ken teach other information as well. 
Well, we're going to be learning about comedy and other things that get mixed in to the Lollapalooza Festival. 
The world's largest arts festival, however, is in Edinburgh, Scotland. 
And that is on, too. 
So we're already talking about many different kinds of festivals. 
That's right. 
So we have La Tomatina in Spain, we have the Lollapalooza Music Festival in Chicago, 
and the world's largest arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, which is on, too. 
And "it's on." What does it mean if something is on, Gabe? 
Well, that means it's happening right now. 
That means you can go and take part in the event now. 
It is on. 
Well, maybe these festivals are not quite to your taste, so we have some more. 
Or perhaps you like horses. 
Then head to Siena, Italy, where a bareback horserace is held. 
What do you think of this one, Gabe? 
Would you like to go to a bareback horserace? 
Carolyn, I've ridden on the back a horse before, but it had a saddle. 
It was not bareback horse riding. 
If it's bareback horse riding, that means there's nothing between you and the horse. 
You're just riding on its bareback. 
That does sound pretty exciting to me, actually. 
Well, it only lasts about a minute and a half. 
Oh, man! 
It's really exciting but only for a short amount of time, kind of like Nathanael going up in the hot air balloons. 
It only lasts about a minute and a half? 
That's right. 
But, OK, there are so many festivals to enjoy. 
Now let's learn a little bit about symbols of August. 
The first one - evening emeralds. 
What are evening emeralds, Gabe? 
How does it continue? 
Well, evening emerald is something that some people call August's birthstone. 
And the birthstone, the peridot, was called this by the Romans because of the way the peridot reflected lamplight. 
All right. 
So that's why it's called the evening emerald. 
Well, let's take a look at one of our Word Bank words: reflect. 
Now when you reflect something, I usually think of standing in front of a mirror and looking at my reflection, to see how the light reflects me. 
But how else can you use that word? 
Well, here the light is reflected off of the peridot. 
So this is a little bit different. 
And you might say that the snow reflected the sunlight, and it just shown brilliantly, so. 
It was just beautiful to see the way the snow reflected the sun. 
It's true. 
I also think that for people that know about God's love, they should reflect God's love to other people. 
And so you can use this word in different ways. 
Well, we continue learning about something else in August. 
"Love at first sight!" August's flower, the gladiolus held this hidden meaning during the Victorian era. 
Wow, we were talking about God's love, and here we have a flower that means love at first sight. 
And I think it's a very interesting that it had this hidden meaning. 
So people knew that it meant love at first sight, but it was kind of a secret as well. 
That's right. 
And this was during the Victorian era when Queen Victoria was on the throne between 1837 and 1901. 
That was the Victorian era. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our teachers. 
We've been learning all about things that occur in the month of August and festivals all over the world. 
I wonder, which festival that we talked about today was your favorite or would you be most interested in participating in? 
Gabe? 
La Tomatina in Spain! 
I've never been to Spain before, first of all. 
And this seems like a very unique and outstanding festival. 
I'd love to get messy throwing tomatoes at a bunch of people. 
That sounds like fun. 
It does sound like a lot of fun. 
But I think that music is more to my taste. 
I enjoy going to music festivals, so I would like Lollapalooza in Chicago. 
Well, which one would you like? 
Talk about it. 
And we will see you here next time on Studio Classroom. 
Goodbye.

2013.08.12.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for a great lesson: Back to School. 
This is something that excites... well, it excites some people. 
And some other people aren't very excited about going back to school. 
Personally, I enjoy learning things about many different things in life. 
And so I enjoyed going back to school at the end of summer. 
But what about you? 
Do you like this idea? 
Do you look forward to going back to school at the end of your summer? 
Well, you know, the summer is a lot of fun; it's a really great break. 
And you can do a lot of things, maybe go on vacation with your family. 
But I really missed hanging out with my friends at school and being able to talk about our lessons and learn things together. 
So I always really enjoyed the beginning of the new school year. 
Well, it can be exciting. 
Maybe you see some old friends. 
Maybe you'll meet some new friends. 
You never know what's going to happen when you go back to school. 
Well, we're going to join Pauline as she writes about this experience that her daughter has going back to school. 
Let's get started. 
Back to School. 
Summer vacation is coming to an end. 
Despite warm days and laughter from the poolside, summer vacation is ending. 
And everyone knows it. 
The review packet for summer - still not opened - suddenly appears. 
Sale signs at the malls, supermarkets and bookstores remind students and parents. 
Notebooks, folders, pencils and something special called binders are piled up in stores. 
In American schools, students must keep their book bags in their lockers. 
So, most carry binders between classrooms. 
A 3-hole binder holds handouts, homework and a pencil pouch. 
Well, it sounds like there are a lot of things that we need to think about when preparing to go back to school. 
But going back to the beginning of this article: 
Summer vacation is coming to an end. 
And it is August, so this is very true. 
Summer vacation will soon be over. 
And we see that phrase "coming to an end." Gabe, what does that mean? 
Well, if it's coming to an end, that means the end is approaching. 
That means you will be doing something different very soon because the end is here, it's coming to an end. 
For instance, uh, you're at an exciting party. 
But it's almost 12 o'clock, almost time when everyone should go home. 
The party is coming to an end. 
You could also say that once you go back to school, and oh, well, the school day is almost over. 
The day is coming to an end, or class is coming to an end. 
But we are far from the end of this lesson, so let's look at the first part here. 
Despite warm days and laughter from the poolside, summer vacation is ending. 
That's right. Despite. 
That means "even though there are." So even though there are warm days and laughter from the poolside, still, summer vacation is ending. 
It's coming to an end, and everyone knows it. 
All right. Our author says this because you can kind of sense when something is happening or sense when something is about to change. 
Everyone knows it. 
That's right. 
And she tells us why everyone becomes aware of this. 
The review packet for summer - still unopened... still not opened - suddenly appears. 
So they had a review packet that they were supposed to be working on during summer vacation to prepare them to keep them thinking about their lessons, 
and it is not opened yet. 
But now it has appeared, and you can begin working on it. 
Yeah. Perhaps this packet of information, these couple of sheets or whatever were lying under some other things at home. 
And now they suddenly appear on the top because I need to look at this before I go back to school. 
Well, sale signs at the malls, supermarkets and bookstores remind students and parents. 
You can see it everywhere. 
Students are going back to school. 
That's right. 
And you can see these signs at the mall. 
And "mall" is one of the words from our Word Bank. 
A mall is a place with many, many stores. 
It's usually a large building or several buildings that contain many different kinds of stores, restaurants and maybe even a movie theater. 
That's right. 
Actually my favorite mall has a movie theater. 
And um, sometimes you can call these shopping malls. 
Or you could just say I'm going to the mall to go shopping or just to look around. 
Well, there are supermarkets and bookstores and a lot of places reminding people that it's time to go back to school. 
And we see some of the things that they are selling. 
Notebooks, folders, pencils and something special called binders are piled up in stores. 
So these are all things that students will be buying to go back to school for the new year. 
Well, let's take a look at our Word Bank word there. 
It is "binder." And a binder is something that you might use, if you're a student, to keep many different things together. 
They're not your textbooks. 
There may be your notes, and notes from different classes even, you can keep in one binder. 
And maybe you'll have some... maybe... some binders come with pencil cases inside as well. 
They're actually quite useful and practical for students. 
They certainly are. 
And in American schools, students must keep their book bags in their lockers. 
So, this is a little bit different from schools in other parts of the world. 
But the U.S. students all have "lockers," which is another word from our Word Bank. 
Now a locker is just a closed-off space probably with a lock on it that only one person should have the key or combination to. 
And you can store your things inside it for a short period of time. 
Exactly. 
So you have many textbooks for all your different classes. 
You don't want to carry them around all over with you, so you keep them in your lockers. 
Carolyn, what else did you put inside your locker in high school? 
Well, I definitely put my books and my book bag and all of my papers. 
But I also kept maybe shoes and a change of clothes for gym class, and maybe a picture or two to remind me of my family. 
Yeah. So there are different things, sometimes fun things, you can keep inside your lockers. 
Well, it's time for us now to join Steve and Ken with more about high school in the United States. 
Hello, friends. 
Have you ever wondered what it's like to attend an American high school? 
How is it different from attending a high school in Asia? 
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is that in the U.S., 
students go from classroom to classroom instead of staying in one classroom throughout the day. 
So you must be wondering then: Where do I leave my stuff? 
Well, the answer is "In your locker." That's where you keep all of your books and personal effects. 
You might also be wondering: Isn't there a classroom where I belong? 
And the answer is homeroom, which is a very short period. 
This is a time when teachers take attendance and make announcements. 
In some schools, students are permitted to socialize, to do group activities or watch television news during homeroom. 
I have some fond memories of homerooms. 
So do I. 
And there is one final difference. 
In the U.S., there tends to be longer but fewer periods in a day. 
And school ends earlier than it does in Asia. 
But that doesn't mean everyone just goes home at three o'clock. 
There are lots of after-school activities involving music, sports, drama, student government and other various clubs. 
(Chinese). 
Now earlier we had mentioned that students must put their book bags in their lockers, and that a lot of students carry around binders. 
And in our next sentence we see that so, most carry binders between classrooms. 
So a lot of students take these binders with them and leave the rest of the things in their lockers. 
Now can you tell us a little bit about the binder, Gabe? 
Yes. Here's a good description here. 
A 3-hole binder holds handouts, homework and a pencil pouch. 
So there is a place where you can keep your pens and pencils and erasers, 
and even some other stationery and some homework and handouts that your teachers give you. 
That's right. 
So binders are very useful for students to carry around instead of carrying a very heavy backpack or a book bag to each of their classes. 
Well, right now it's time for us to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.12.B

In our lesson Back to School, we're learning about how everyone can sense when the summer is coming to an end. 
Because wherever you go, the mall, the... the stores, there are different notebooks and binders and things that remind people, especially students, that school is about to start. 
And we even got to learn a little bit about high school in the United States in the Information Cloud. 
Well, we have lots more to learn. 
So let's continue with our lesson. 
Back to School. 
Students also must complete the student-service learning (SSL) requirement in summer. 
Most schools in Maryland require students to complete at least 75 hours of community volunteer work. 
They must do this before graduating from high school. 
Students devote their time to libraries, school clubs, summer camps and community organizations. 
My daughter Irene has been working at a library to earn her SSL hours. 
She helps check out books, make posters and clean up the environment. 
This experience is helping her not only contribute to society but also enhance her communication skills. 
Well, I do think community service is a very good thing to do. 
And at the top of our reading here: 
Students also must complete the student-service learning (SSL) requirement in summer. 
So this is something that all of the students going to this school must do during the summer. 
Now can you tell us a little bit about this, Gabe? 
Well, yeah. 
Most schools in Maryland require students to complete at least 75 hours of community volunteer work. 
So this is something that is particular to the United States. 
It's very special. 
Uh, many students have to complete 75 hours. 
And this is before they graduate, as we will see. 
But first, let's take a look at our key word here. 
It is "volunteer." What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if you volunteer, that means that you do something of your own free will. 
You do it because you want to do it. 
And here it's also talking about being helpful. 
So usually if you volunteer to do something, that means that you really want to help someone else. 
All right. 
And often you do it... actually most of the time you do it without getting paid. 
That's kind of what volunteer means, too. 
And so Carolyn just used this word as a verb as well: You might volunteer to do something. 
Here in our lesson we're talking about community volunteer work. 
So it's a verb or a noun. 
That's right. 
Well, students must complete this service, this volunteer community work. 
And this is particular to the state of Maryland. 
Many other states also have programs like this. 
They must do this before graduating from high school. 
So you don't have to do 75 hours in one summer, but it must be done before you finish your high school career. 
Well, I think that's possible. 
And I think it's a great idea for students not to just learn things inside school in their classes, 
but also to learn something through the experience of serving their community in some way. 
Well, students devote their time to libraries, school clubs, summer camps and community organizations. 
And there are lots of different kinds. 
There certainly are. 
And I think that these are really great things to spend time doing to help out your local library, 
your local school clubs or even summer camps and other community organizations that are around. 
Well, that phrase there "devote your time to something," I think Liz has something she'd like to share about that in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
The writer of today's article mentions: 
Students devote their time to libraries, school clubs, summer camps and community organizations. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: to devote [one's] time to... 
It's just a fancy way to say or describe how someone uses most of his or her time to do something. 
So today's sentence just means that students spend a lot of their time on activities at libraries, school clubs, summer camps and community organizations. 
Use this phrase when you want to talk about how someone spends a lot of time at a place to work on something. 
For example, 
Dennis really cares a lot about animals and devotes his time at the animal shelter. 
Or you can use this phrase to talk about a specific activity that a person could be focused on. 
For example, 
Paula dreams of becoming a skater and devotes her time to training at the ice rink. 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section, you'll find more examples there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Garmmar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
So students have an opportunity to devote their time to lots of different things. 
Summer camps was one possibility. 
I remember devoting my time to helping out with summer camps as well. 
I thought it was a lot of fun. 
Now all of these things, helping out in this way, there's also another phrase you could use. 
You could call this community service. 
That's right. 
It can also be called community service or volunteer service. 
There are a couple of different names for it. 
Now we're going to learn about Pauline's daugher. 
My daughter Irene has been working at a library to earn her SSL hours. 
So she chose the library to do her volunteer service. 
All right. That sounds like fun. 
Well, of the things mentioned here, Carolyn, which one would you rather do? 
Work at a library, school club, maybe join a summer camp or help out or some other community organization? 
Well, I do like the library, so I wouldn't mind volunteering there. 
But back home when I did community service, I usually helped out at my church because they had a lot of different programs. 
OK. So there are many different options for you to maybe do your SSL hours or community service. 
Well, Irene, she helps check out books, make posters and clean up the environment. 
So the person working at a library can check out a book, too. 
They check it out to the person who wants to borrow it. 
That's right. 
And this experience is helping her not only contribute to society but also enhance her communication skills. 
So this is very beneficial not only for the people that she is serving but also for herself. 
And we see a word in this sentence, the word "contribute." What does it mean to contribute, Gabe? 
Well, when you contribute to something, that means you are giving to that thing. 
I usually use this word in a... in a positive way. 
So you might contribute to a cause, for example. 
We learned about the Adventurists earlier this month. 
And they contribute to the cause of rain forest conservation. 
They're contributing to a great thing. 
That's right. 
So you can contribute money by having charity or doing fun events like the Adventurists. 
Or you could contribute your time like Pauline's daugher Irene. 
She is just giving her time to help the library when they need it. 
That's right. 
And this word can also kind of be a noun. 
There's another form, to... to make a contribution. 
C-O-N-T-R-I-B-U-T-I-O-N. 
You are making a good contribution for your society. 
That's right. 
Well, you can also make a contribution to your class. 
You can participate in class discussions in English. 
And right now it is time for us to join Michelle and enjoy her contribution in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
Well, today we are talking about going back to school. 
And some of the things that we've talked about today included: 
Well, there are lots of things that we need to do to prepare to go back to school like buying binders and notebooks and pencils, 
but there are also things that we do in the summer like volunteer work. 
And I wonder: Do you like to volunteer? 
What sort of volunteering do you do, Gabe? 
Well, I remember in high school, we had one class that taught us all about leadership. 
And one of the things we did was we went out and picked up trash in the community. 
One way to develop yourself to be a good leader is by also learning how to serve in ways that maybe aren't very pleasant. 
I think that is very true. 
And you can learn great skills in serving your community by doing volunteer work. 
Well, we have more to learn in our lesson tomorrow here on Studio Classroom. 
So we'll see you then. 
(Music).

2013.08.13.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson Back to School. 
Many students are coming back to school. 
It's the end of the summer. 
And of course we had the beginning of this lesson yesterday. 
And we're going to learn some more about going back to school and what you can expect. 
Well, when you are going back to school or thinking about going back to school, is there anything that you need to prepare for? 
What did you do to prepare for going back to school? 
Carolyn? 
Well, there are a lot of things that I used to need to do like go shopping for clothes because I had grown taller. 
Maybe go shopping for new notebooks or binders or pencils because the ones I had from the previous school year are finished. 
They're all used up, so I need new ones. 
But sometimes I would also have summer homework that I needed to finish before the new semester. 
All right. 
So there are many things that you might need to do to prepare for going back to school. 
Well, of course some people didn't take a break the entire summer. 
They went to summer school. 
And that's what we're going to be talking a little bit about in today's lesson. 
Let's get started. 
Back to School. 
Many students attend summer school for two sessions, each for three weeks. 
It usually runs five days a week for four hours a day, plus homework and exams. 
Most high schools provide intensive courses in summer. 
Students can take a course and move to the next level when the school year officially starts. 
The perfect place to say goodbye to summer vacation is the annual county fair. 
All kinds of carnival rides attract entire families. 
Traditional American food is served everywhere - hot dogs, pretzels, cotton candy, barbeque.... 
Be sure to go when you're hungry! 
Well, the county fair sounds great. 
And we'll continue learning more about that later. 
Let's go back to the top of our lesson for today's English. OK. 
Many students attend summer school for two sessions, each for three weeks. 
OK. So you have an opportunity or a chance to attend summer school for a couple of sessions. 
That's right. 
So there are two sessions, and that's just a division of time. 
Here the sessions are three weeks each, so you could take classes for a total of six weeks. 
All right, if that is something you wish to do. 
Now it usually runs five days a week for four hours a day, plus homework and exams. 
So four hours a day... I guess that's about half as much as you would have during a regular school year on top of homework and exams. 
So it's a little... a bit of a lighter load. 
It is, but I don't know that it's really any easier as we see in her next sentence: 
Most high schools provide intensive courses in summer. 
And that word "intensive" tells us that this is not going to be easy. 
It is from our Word Bank. 
If something is intensive, then it is very focused, it is very difficult even. 
And it can take a lot of effort in order to complete it. 
That's right. 
Um, I've never taken any intensive courses like this. 
My brother recently took an intensive language course in Chinese. 
Carolyn, didn't you do that, too? 
I did. 
I took a very intensive language course in Chinese. 
And there was a lot of training and teaching in a very short amount of time. 
And it was actually four hours a day, five days a week, plus homework and exams and papers. 
So it sounds very similar to this. 
But even with just four hours a day, I really didn't have any free time. 
Oh, I can imagine. 
Yes. That kind of homework can be quite difficult. 
You need to prepare for exams. 
Intensive courses like this can be quite a challenge. 
Well, students can take a course and move to the next level when the school year officially starts. 
So that's why people do this. 
They just want to get something done so they can move on to the next level. 
That's right. 
So this helps them to get a little bit ahead of maybe other students who will just prepare themselves better for their next year of school. 
And especially in high school, it's important to try to learn as much as you can so you're ready for college entrance exams and getting ready for college classes as well. 
But at the end of this sentence, we do see a word from our Word Bank. 
And what is that, Gabe? 
It is "officially." The key word is officially "officially." Yes. That is our key word. 
Now sometimes uh, you might have an idea of something, but it might not be official. 
Maybe everyone's just talking about it. 
But then someone comes out and says: No. This is what's really happening. 
It becomes an official thing. 
So officially, this is when the school year starts. 
That's right. 
So if something has become official, if it is officially starting, that is a formal way of announcing that something has begun. 
And it's usually coming from someone who is in power. 
So the principal, the school board, someone with authority is saying that this is the official day for school to start, 
and all the students should be there - and all the teachers. 
That's true. 
And when the school year officially starts, I guess the summer officially ends. 
Or it officially comes to an end. 
Well, the perfect place to say goodbye to summer vacation is the annual county fair. 
That sounds like fun, Carolyn. 
Have you ever been to a county fair? 
Well, I've been to a county fair. 
But actually I really enjoy going to the state fair at the end of the summer. 
It's much bigger, and there are so many rides and good things to eat and lots of games to play. 
It's... it's so much fun. 
Yeah. Fairs can be fun. 
And Carolyn mentioned the state fair. 
Of course if something is state, it is a lot larger than just the county. 
So all kinds of carnival rides attract entire families at the county fair. 
And a carnival is just kind of an exciting mix of activities all in one area, a carnival. 
Actually in my high school, every junior class puts on a junior carnival. 
It's a way for them to raise money. 
Well, that would be a pretty good way to raise money since lots of people like carnivals. 
And for many different reasons, there are lots of things there. 
As we can see in our next sentence a few of those things: 
Traditional American food is served everywhere. 
So there are hot dogs, pretzels, cotton candy, barbeque.... 
Oh. And then we see a dot, dot, dot. 
So there's not just these things but many other great foods to enjoy. 
That's right. 
Well, these foods do look delicious. 
Um, I like cotton candy and barbeque. 
And actually pretzels are quite delicious, too. 
Carolyn, what is a pretzel? 
Well, a pretzel is a piece of dough that has been baked, but they are usually in a very unique shape. 
They kind of go around, and it's a pretzel shape. 
There isn't really any other name for the shape that they are in. 
That's right. It kind of looks like a little butterfly. 
Those are delicious, too. 
And uh, so be sure to go when you're hungry! 
Go to the county fair when you're hungry. 
Right now it's time for us to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.13.B

We are on the second day of our lesson Back to School. 
And today we've been talking about things that students do in the summer during high school. 
One thing we learned about was that they can attend intensive summer courses to help them get ahead before the school year officially starts. 
And many people like to celebrate the end of the summer by going to a county fair and enjoying the carnival rides and the great good there. 
Well, we're going to learn a little bit more about that in the next part of our article. 
Let's read that now. 
Back to School. 
The fair is also a place for displays of farm produce. 
Many farmers also attend the farm-animal competitions. 
Kids love the horse shows and goat-milking contest. 
Fun contests like watermelon-seed spitting and tricycle races interest the younger children. 
Women and girls go to exhibitions of quilts and flowers. 
Soon the fairground will be quiet. 
Instead, kids will gather at the school-bus stop. 
Summer vacation is over. 
Aw, summer vacation is over. 
But our lesson isn't! 
OK. Let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
We're talking about the county fair. 
And of course, you should go when you are hungry. 
But we read here: The fair is also a place for displays of farm produce. 
OK. 
So you could eat things like hot dogs and pretzels and barbecue, and you can also buy maybe healthier things like farm produce. 
That's right. 
So these are things that farmers have grown and brought to display at the county fair. 
Maybe you can buy them. 
But also many farmers have competitions, different kinds of competitions like produce competitions to see who can grow the largest watermelon. 
Really! 
So that's the kind of competition that they have. 
Have you seen this kind of competition before? 
I have seen this kind of competition before. 
And it's very interesting, but that's not the only one. 
And we read on: 
Many farmers also attend the farm-animal competitions. 
And we've been using that word "competition" from our Word Bank. 
It means to compete some sort of event in which you are trying to get a prize. 
That's right, a competition. 
Have you ever joined a competition before? 
Maybe you've participated in some kind of competition. 
We've talked about hot dogs earlier at the county fair. 
You can buy hot dogs. 
And sometimes there are hot dog-eating competitions. 
We might call those contests as well. 
A hot dog-eating contest or competition to see who can eat the most hot dogs within a certain amount of time. 
Some people can eat quite a few hot dogs. 
It is very true. 
So there are many kinds of competitions. 
And these usually do occur at these fairs or carnivals. 
And here the farmers are competing against one another with their livestock or their farm-animals. 
Livestock, L-I-V-E-S-T-O-C-K. 
Now I know that my mom actually used to participate in these competitions. 
And she showed cows. 
Wait. She showed cows? 
What does that mean, like she... she showed people how awesome her cows were? 
Well, she had to make sure that her cow was very clean and beautiful and well-behaved. 
And then judges would go around and give scores for different cows. 
And she won a few times. 
Interesting! I like that. 
Does she still do this at county fairs or state fairs? 
No, not anymore. 
Oh, man. I can't see Carolyn's mom's cows. 
Well, that sounds like an interesting thing. 
If you've never been to one of these fairs, maybe you should go and give it a try. 
Well, we continue learning here. 
Kids love the horse shows and goat-milking contests. 
Actually I would enjoy seeing a goat-milking contest as well. 
But you wouldn't want to participate, Gabe? 
You wouldn't want to be part of it? 
Hey, that's a good idea. 
I could participate and learn how to milk goats. 
I guess it's to see who can milk the most, right? 
Probably. Yeah, that sounds about right. 
But continuing on: 
Fun contests like watermelon-seed spitting and tricycle races interest the younger children. 
So to see who can spit watermelon seeds the furthest or the farthest and just racing tricycles. 
That sounds like something fun for young kids to do. 
A tricycle is a... well, it's kind of like a bicycle, but it's got three wheels. 
You see that... those letters T-R-I, that means three. 
So tricycles. 
Do you like to ride around on tricycles? 
Well, you could participate in this competition. 
And that's not the only thing. 
Women and girls go to exhibitions of flowers... or of quilts and flowers. 
And quilts are something that are very special and can be found in a lot of places in the United States. 
But let's look at that word from our Word Bank. 
A quilt is two layers of cloth that have been sewn together, and they usually have something in between like feathers or cotton. 
It's a very warm blanket. 
That's true. 
And actually often the quilts that I see are very beautifully designed. 
And sometimes you might even have many designs on one quilt, many things put together to make these different designs on a quilt. 
So they can be quite nice. 
They certainly can be. 
And they can also have competitions, not just an exhibition or a display of the quilt. 
But maybe they can also win prizes for the skill and the beauty of the designs. 
Well, right now it is time for us to learn something with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud on that word "exhibition". 
Let's talk about the difference between exhibition and exhibit. 
Now you must be thinking, "Simple!" Exhibition is a noun, and exhibit is a verb. 
Very true. 
But the word "exhibit" can also be a noun. 
Exhibit can be defined as something that is displayed or shown to the public. 
So what's the difference? 
The answer is scale. 
An exhibit is a public showing of an object, usually a work of art or an object meant to educate or a small collection of objects. 
And exhibition, on the other hand, is a public showing of a large selection of such items, often united by a theme. 
For example, a dinosaur skeleton in the lobby of a museum is an exhibit. 
And a collection of dinosaur skeletons in a wing of the museum might be called an exhibition. 
Other times an exhibition is regarded as an event with limited duration and a separate admission fee. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
All right. 
We continue learning about this county fair. 
But we see here "Soon the fairground will be quiet." That's kind of sad. 
But let's take a look at that key word. 
It is "fairground." That's kind of what it sounds like. 
It's the ground or the area where the fair is held. 
Often there will be a certain place where the fair is. 
That's... that's the fairground. 
That's right. 
So fairs are held usually in the same place each year on the fairground. 
Gabe, is there a fairground in your hometown? 
Hmm, fairground in (Chinese)? 
Uh... not that I remember. 
There might be a fairground now. 
But I know some cities do have one. 
Was there a fairground in your hometown? 
There was not. 
We had to travel quite a way to get to the nearest fairground. 
Well, the fairground will be quiet. 
And instead, kids will gather at the school-bus stop. 
Summer vacation is over. 
Oh, summer vacation is over. 
Well, don't be sad, Gabe, because right now we get to watch a review skit. 
And then we can go join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Well, everyone knows it. 
Yeah. Summer vacation is coming to an end. 
And you know what that means. 
Say goodbye to summer camp and swimming pools. 
Say goodbye to summer school and volunteer work. 
Yeah! Say hello to extra work. 
It's time to open our review packets. 
But it's not all bad. 
Think about the sales. 
Oh, at malls, supermarkets and bookstores. 
I... I like shopping for school supplies - notebooks, folders, pencils, binders. 
And new clothes! 
The school year officially starts next week. 
Hey! I know the perfect place we can go. 
The ocean! 
No. 
The mall. 
No. 
Well, where? 
The annual county fair. 
Yeah. The fair has all kinds of carnival rides. 
And all kinds of food! Hot dogs, pretzels, cotton candy, barbecue.... 
Great! I'm really hungry. 
Then this is the best time to go. 
Yeah! This week we'll gather at the fair. 
And next week we'll gather at the school-bus stop. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to go back to our teachers. 
Well, I've enjoyed learning about a lot of different things that happened as the summer comes to an end and as people start going back to school. 
What was something that you found interesting in our lesson? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I didn't realize that summer school was so popular in the United States. 
It wasn't something offered at my high school, and I didn't really know anyone who had attended summer school. 
But I guess in different areas, it is popular, and lots of students do go because each school in the U.S. is different. 
Mmhm. I also find it cool that people do their community service. 
They have to do 75 hours of it before they graduate high school. 
I think that's a great way to learn by serving other people. 
And I would also love to visit the county fair and try my hand at that goat-milking contest. 
Well, it would be a lot of fun. 
I hope you have enjoyed this lesson. 
And we will see you here next time on Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.08.14.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for a lesson about currencies. 
It's called Dollars, Euros and Funny Hats: The Rise of Unusual Currencies. 
Well, a currency is money in any form that you can kind of exchange. 
And of course you've heard of the dollar, you've heard of the euro. 
But funny hats? 
Hey, what other kinds of currencies are there? 
Carolyn, let's play a game and see who can list more currencies. OK? 
Oh, OK. That sounds like fun. 
OK, you begin. 
OK. Uh, the yen. 
Oh. The yen is good. OK. 
Uh, pesos. Pesos is good. 
OK. Um, the mark. 
The mark. Uh, the franc. 
Oh. That's a good one. 
Um... rupiah. 
I was going to say that! 
OK. How about rubles? 
Oh! How about baht? 
Uh, baht. 
How about the Armenian dram? 
Oh. Um... how about the yuan? 
The yen? 
No, no, no. 
Oh, the yuan. 
Yuan. 
Yeah, the yuan is good. 
How about the dinar from Algeria? 
That's a kind of currency. 
Gabe, I... I think you're cheating. 
No. I'm not cheating. 
And then there's... there's the pula in Botswana. 
And then of course, the pound. 
And of course we have Makkies and bitcoins and... 
Um, I think you're reading off of your paper, Gabe. 
I'm not. 
Oh, well. Let's get started with our lesson today and learn about some unusual currencies. 
(Music). 
Dollars, Euros and Funny Hats: The Rise of Unusual Currencies. 
Money has more forms than you think. 
The exchange rate tables in banks and airports include many currencies but probably not Makkies or bitcoins. 
That's because governments do not back these alternative currencies. 
But all over the world, people are making purchases with alternative currencies, and if current trends continue, this may become more and more common. 
Community currencies. 
Your country probably has its own currency, but does your neighborhood? 
Local currencies are appearing in communities in the Netherlands, the United States, South Africa and elsewhere. 
For example, residents of Makassarsquare, a neighborhood in Amsterdam, 
can earn "Makkies" for actions like cleaning up a public space or assisting an elderly neighbor. 
Well, this is a very interesting idea, these Makkies. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning first. 
Money has more forms than you think. 
And it's true. 
Many times when we think of money, we think of the currencies that Gabe and I were naming earlier. 
Maybe you think of pounds or dollars or... or euros or your own local currency. 
But apparently, there are many more. 
Now how does the article begin, Gabe? 
All right. 
We're talking about the exchange rate here. 
The exchange rate tables in banks and airports include many currencies but probably not Makkies or bitcoins. 
Indeed. I have never heard of these two currencies before. 
But let's take a look at some words from our Word Bank: the exchange rate. 
The exchange rate is how much one currency is worth in another currency or the value in another country's currency. 
So how could you use this phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, I know when I go traveling, it's always important to check the exchange rate before you go and see which place offers the best exchange rate. 
Where can you get the most for your money? 
So, you want to travel to another country, and they use a different kind of money. 
You want to go and exchange the money that you have for the money that they use in another country. 
That's right. 
So you check the exchange rate. 
Or you could ask: What's the exchange rate? 
And this word "rate" kind of implies that it might be changing. 
It might not be the same today as it was yesterday or tomorrow. 
The exchange rate. 
And there's a popular site that I go to to check the exchange rate. 
It is XE.com. 
You can go and check the exchange rate for most currencies. 
Well, exchange rates are important if you are traveling. 
But moving on we see that Makkies and bitcoins are probably not part of the exchange rate tables that you would see in an airport or in a bank. 
And that's because governments do not back these alternative currencies. 
So governments don't back these alternative currencies. 
And we see a word from our Word Bank, the word "alternative." Now if something is an alternative, then it is a different choice. 
It can be used in place of something else, but it is not the same as something as well. 
That's right. 
So maybe you guys are deciding on a restaurant to choose or to eat at, and you really want to eat at this one restaurant. 
But there are too many people there. 
There's no room for you. 
So what is your alternative? 
What's your alternative choice? 
You must find another restaurant. 
Find an alternative restaurant. 
That's right. 
Now also in this sentence, we see the word "back." The governments don't back these alternative currencies. 
And Liz is going to tell us about that word in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
And here's our Grammar Tip sentence for today. 
That's because governments do not back these alternative currencies. 
Our focus is on the word "back." Normally we use back to mean the opposite of front. 
But in today's sentence, "back" is a verb that means support. 
So today's sentence just means governments do not support these alternative currencies. 
Let's have a look at some example sentences. 
Gina's family has backed her ever since she decided to go into politics. 
Or: Timothy is not afraid to accept the difficult task because he knows his team will back him. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Garmmar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
So we were just learning about the Makkies and bitcoins and how most banks or countries don't accept these currencies. 
But all over the world, people are making purchases with alternative currencies, and if current trends continue, this may become more and more common. 
All right. 
So maybe they're not a recognized officially, but common people are using these kinds of currencies. 
That's right. 
And we have another section coming up here: Community currencies, where we learn a little bit more about the Makkie. 
Your country probably has its own currency, but does your neighborhood? 
And this is a very interesting question. 
I know my neighborhood does not have its own currency. 
Yeah, mine neither, Carolyn. 
Actually, no. My neighborhood doesn't have its own currency. 
This is an interesting question, I guess. 
We continue. 
Local currencies are appearing in communities in the Netherlands, the United States, South Africa and elsewhere. 
"Elsewhere" just means in other places. 
So neighborhoods or local communities, we're seeing other currencies rise in these places and in these countries. 
And now we have an example. 
For example, residents of Makassarsquare, a neighborhood in Amsterdam, 
can earn "Makkies" for actions like cleaning up a public space or assisting an elderly neighbor. 
So you can earn a type of currency that is very unique to just this area for doing good things. 
That's right. 
This place, Makassarsquare in Amsterdam, this place has Makkies, kind of named after that area, Makassarsquare, Makkies. 
So you can get Makkies for doing something nice for other people. 
Remember we talked about community service? 
Well, I think that's what they're talking about here in this lesson as well. 
Cleaning up a public space is definitely a kind of community service - and you could get a Makkie. 
Yes, it is. 
So this is more than just a volunteer work because you were actually earning a form of money, although you wouldn't be able to use it outside of Makassarsquare. 
That's right. 
Well, it's time for us right now to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.14.B

So far today we're talking about Dollars, Euros and Funny Hats: The Rise of Unusual Currencies. 
And we're talking about one in particular so far, the Makkie. 
If you live in Amsterdam or this place called Makassarsquare, then you might get a Makkie for doing something nice for other people. 
It's not a common or usual kind of currency. 
But we're learning about how local communities might have their own currencies. 
Let's continue learning now. 
(Music). 
Dollars, Euros and Funny Hats: The Rise of Unusual Currencies. 
For these good deeds, they receive "money" that can buy library subscriptions, movie and sport tickets, swimming pool visits and more. 
Residents also pay each other Makkies for favors like baby-sitting. 
The Makkie's inventors hope it will promote cleaner public areas, increase interaction among neighbors and encourage unemployed residents to use their skills. 
In Belgium, the regions of Limburg and Diest have developed a similar system - the "e-wallet.". 
It rewards residents for eco-friendly actions by giving them electronic points to spend on public transportation, sporting events and other things. 
(Music). 
Well, it sounds like Makkies are not the only alternative currency being used. 
But before we learn about a few more, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
And we are talking about ways that people earn Makkies by doing community service. 
For these good deeds, they receive "money" that can buy library subscriptions, movie and sport tickets, swimming pool visits and more. 
So it sounds like there are a lot of things that you can buy with these Makkies. 
That's right. 
So for doing these good deeds, you receive "money." And that word is in quotes because it's not a usual or common currency. 
And you could buy something like a library subscription, for example. 
So that word "subscription" is from our Word Bank. 
And a subscription is something that you purchase. 
Maybe you might sign your name because you sign up for something for a period of time. 
You subscribe to something. 
That's right. 
Well, when I think about the word "subscription," oftentimes I think of a magazine subscription. 
Maybe you subscribe to Studio Classroom magazine, and you receive an issue every month. 
Or you are subscribed online and can access all sorts of fun things on the website. 
Well, how do we continue, Gabe? 
All right. 
Well, residents also pay each other Makkies for favors like baby-sitting. 
So it's not just uh, the government, the local communities... government or leaders paying these Makkies, 
but you could pay each other in Makkies for little favors like baby-sitting or maybe walking your friend's dog or watching your friend's plants, little things. 
And you can pay in Makkies. 
That is a very interesting idea since a lot of times these services are paid for with real money. 
But using Makkies could be another way to pay people to help you around your house when you don't have time or you go away on vacation. 
Now the Makkie's inventors hope it will promote cleaner public areas, increase interaction among neighbors and encourage unemployed residents to use their skills. 
So they have a lot of really great goals that they hope the Makkie will help with. 
That's right. 
So they hope to promote cleaner public areas. 
They want to encourage this and make people aware that they need to make public areas clean. 
OK, and also they want to encourage unemployed residents to use their skills. 
Everybody's got a skill whether you're working or not. 
Let's take a look at this word "unemployed" from our Word Bank. 
If you're unemployed, that means you're not employed. 
You're not an employee. 
You're not working and making money at a job. 
You are unemployed. 
That's right. 
So these people don't have jobs, but they do still have skills. 
And they could earn Makkies with those skills by serving in their community. 
I know that my brother serves in his community by volunteering at the YMCA and assisting them with their computers because it's very expensive to pay someone to come in and do computer work. 
So he volunteers for free. 
And if he did this, I guess, in Makassarsquare, then he could be earning Makkies. 
Well, hey, he might... maybe he should move over there so he can earn some Makkies for his community service. 
Well, what about you? 
Now in your local community, is there any other kind of currency that people use? 
In Belgium, the regions of Limburg and Diest have developed a similar system - the "e-wallet." And what do we know about the e-wallet, Carolyn? 
Well, it is similar but not quite the same. 
It rewards residents for eco-friendly actions by giving them electronic points to spend on public transportation, sporting events and other things. 
So it's a little bit different. 
The Makkie is a printed piece of paper, but these are electronic points that you can earn. 
That's right. 
And we see that you can do something uh, eco-friendly actions. OK? 
What is an eco-friendly action? 
Well, it's going green. 
It's doing something good for the environment or for the ecology. 
"Eco" is short for ecology or the environment. 
That's right. 
So if you help your environment, if you clean things up around town or around your city and neighborhood, then you could be earning points in your e-wallet. 
And it sounds like you can also use them on many great things. 
You can spend them on public transportation, sporting events and many other things. 
I know it would be really great if I could just go out and do some community service, try to clean things up a little bit, 
and use that work to pay for my public transportation cost. 
You know, it's true. 
A lot of people pay lots of money just for transportation. 
You have to pay for gas. 
Hey, that's a good idea, too. 
Maybe I could use my e-wallet points and go and pay for gas at a gas station. 
I can think of lots of possibilities for ways these currencies can be helpful. 
I certainly can as well. 
Well, right now we're going to learn a little bit with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
They want to tell us something about loanwords. 
In its relatively short history, English has borrowed thousands of words for more than 300 different languages. 
They're what we called loanwords. 
Now which language loaned English the most words? 
One source has French and Latin in a tie for first place, with Germanic languages not too far behind in second place. 
Combined these three languages account for over three quarters of the words we use in everyday English. 
Meaning a majority of the words you see in today's lesson are not original authentic English words. 
They're loanwords, like the word dollar. 
To trace this word's origins, let's go back 500 years to a little Bohemian town called Joachimsthal, a place that still exists in today's Czech Republic. 
Joachimsthal had some silver mines. 
And when it came time to think up a name for their freshly-minted silver coins, the Joachimsthalers shows the word dollars. 
And in 1533, "dollar" was first used in English. 
Today there are close to 50 countries and territories that use dollar as their official currency unit, 
including Ecuador, Liberia, Hong Kong and New Zealand just to name a few. 
So let's thank the Bohemian people for loaning us the dollar. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, it is very interesting to see how languages are influenced from other languages, and how languages are influencing each other. 
Well, right now it's time for us to go to the Language Lab where Michelle is waiting for us. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to get back to our teachers. 
Today's lesson we've been learning about community currencies, a couple of different alternative currencies used in Europe. 
One was the Makkie, and the other was the e-wallet. 
Now what do you think about the use of alternative currencies? 
Do you think that they are a good idea? 
Gabe, what do you think? 
Actually, I do. 
I can't think of anything negative about them right now. 
I especially like the idea of helping people who are unemployed, who are maybe looking for a job or can't find a job. 
But they're still doing favors for people. 
They should still get paid somehow. 
And the Makkie is a good way, or something like this. 
Alternative currencies can be good. 
What do you think? 
Well, I think that they can be good. 
They can be very helpful for the local economy. 
But I also think that probably the government of the country might be a little bit concerned since they control the actual currency that is supposed to be used there. 
So there may be a little bit of a conflict between the two governments. 
Well, we're going to be learning about more currencies tomorrow right here on Studio Classroom. 
We'll see you then. 
(Music).

2013.08.15.A

Hey, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson about currencies - Dollars, Euros and Funny Hats: The Rise of Unusual Currencies. 
"The rise of something," that means something is becoming more and more popular. 
We talk about rising stars - celebrities that are becoming more famous. 
Now we're talking about currencies that are used more and more in different places in the world. 
Well, aside from our usual currencies like the dollar and the euro, have you ever used something other than money to buy something? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I remember when I was in junior high school, I would trade cards for other cards. 
So that's kind of trading. 
And sometimes a card would be more valuable than the ones that I had, so I would have to give them many cards for just one. 
All right. So you might trade cards. 
I think I would say that I've also done that kind of thing as well - trading something for something else that I liked, like shirts, for example. 
I gave one of my shirts to a friend; he gave his to me. 
So you can use... or you can buy things in different ways. 
And we're continuing to learn about alternative currencies in our world. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
Dollars, Euros and Funny Hats: The Rise of Unusual Currencies. 
Online currencies. 
The world's most popular alternative currency, the bitcoin is used in online transactions by over 100,000 people worldwide. 
Any online company can choose to accept them, so bitcoins can buy video games, books and even socks! 
Bitcoins are generated through "mining," a process in which computers run complex programs to record bitcoin transactions and keep the network secure. 
Mining is regulated to produce the coins at a predictable, limited rate. 
This avoids creating too many bitcoins, which would decrease their value. 
(Music). 
We're talking all about online currencies here. 
And our first sentence is: 
The world's most popular alternative currency, the bitcoin is used in online transactions by over 100,000 people worldwide. 
So all around the world, over 100,000 people are using the bitcoin. 
They are! And we see a Word Bank word in our sentence right there, the word transaction. 
Now if you are making a transaction, that means that you are either buying or selling something. 
You might hear someone say, "To complete your transaction, please click 'Confirm'," if you are buying something online. 
All right. 
And I like the phrase that Carolyn used: to make a transaction somewhere. 
Often you might do this in business, negotiating with someone. 
You have a business transaction to do something. 
Or you might go to the bank to make some kind of transaction. 
Of course you can do this online as well. 
So any online company can choose to accept them, so bitcoins can buy video games, books and even socks! 
You can buy lots of different kinds of things with bitcoins. 
And it is very popular if over 100,000 people are using them. 
So it might be a good idea for companies that have their business online to agree to accept bitcoins. 
Now you might be a little uncertain about what a bitcoin is, so it is explained in the next sentence. 
Bitcoins are generated through "mining," a process in which computers run complex programs to record bitcoin transactions and keep the network secure. 
So they're trying to keep track of how many bitcoins are out there, how they're being spent and where they're being spent. 
That's right, so that this is a secure process. 
It's safe. 
They're watching over it. 
They're monitoring it. 
And this is a complex program. 
So it's not simple. 
It takes a lot of work. 
We're continuing to learn about mining. 
Mining is regulated to produce the coins at a predictable, limited rate. 
So again, it's regulated. 
It's monitored. 
It's checked on often so that things are... are produced at a predictable, limited rate. 
Let's look at a word from our Word Bank: predictable. 
If something is predictable, that means you know what will happen next, you can predict it. 
That's right. 
So something that might be predictable might be an answer that someone gives you. 
You might ask them just a very simple question, and their answer was very predictable. 
You already knew what they were going to say. 
For example, Carolyn, I know what you're going to say next. 
You do? 
I knew you were going to say that! 
I knew you were going to say "You do?" Very predictable. 
Very predictable, Gabe, yes. 
Well, these coins are mined at a predictable, limited rate. 
So they are limited in how many are produced or mined by these computers. 
And this avoids creating too many bitcoins, which would decrease their value. 
And this is the same way that money works. 
Governments need to control how much money is printed or coined each year. 
That's right. 
Of course, otherwise, this might decrease the value. 
If there are too many bitcoins being made, of course their value would be decreased. 
The opposite of decrease, of course, is increase. 
And so if there are fewer bitcoins, then the value is increased. 
That's right. 
Well, right now it is time for us to increase our knowledge, not decrease it, with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.15.B

We are on the second day of our article Dollars, Euros and Funny Hats: The Rise of Unusual Currencies. 
And today we are talking about online currencies like the bitcoin. 
Now bitcoins are mined by computer programs that are very complex at a limited, predictable rate so that there aren't too many of them. 
And you can use to buy them... you can use them to buy all sorts of things online. 
Now there are other alternative currencies online that we're going to talk about. 
So let's start the next part of our reading. 
(Music). 
Dollars, Euros and Funny Hats: The Rise of Unusual Currencies. 
Other Internet users exchange stranger things, like hats from the video game Team Fortress 2. 
The hats were originally intended to make characters look distinctive. 
But players must pay for chances to find hats, and some unique ones are very rare. 
Thus, players trade hats among themselves for money, bitcoins or in-game items. 
Since people agree on the hats' value and trade them for other things, they arguably count as currency. 
By one estimate, items traded within the game are worth a total of US$22 million. 
That equals almost 60 percent of island nation Tuvalu's GDP! 
Alternative currencies probably won't replace official ones, but they are changing society and economics. 
(Music). 
They certainly are changing society and economics. 
Well, in this part of our lesson, we finally get to the idea presented in our title - Dollars, Euros and Funny Hats, right? 
OK. So at the beginning of this section we read: 
Other Internet users exchange stranger things, like hats from the video game Team Fortress 2. 
I've never played Team Fortress 2, but I guess there are lots of cool hats in that video game. 
Well, there are many, many different kinds of hats all through out the game for different characters. 
And apparently, they are being used as a type of currency online. 
But before we get into that too much, we need to join Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud to talk about the word Internet. 
Here's a question for you, friends. 
The word "Internet," should it be capitalized or not? 
Well, it's a place that people visit. 
And since place names are proper nouns, it should be capitalized, right? 
You would think. 
But now some writers are taking a different view of the word. 
They're saying the Internet has become so common that it no longer warrants the capital I. 
Some prestigious publications like The Economist and The Times of London have already demoted the word "Internet" from proper noun to common noun, 
now spelling it with a lower case i. 
So how would we know when we should do the same? 
When stylebooks tell us. 
Stylebooks are the accepted standard for proper English writing. 
They uphold conventional usage, yet they're flexible, too, as is reflected in their annual updates and edits. 
Part dictionary, part encyclopedia and part textbook, stylebooks tell us things like the difference between a robbery and a burglary, 
which words are politically incorrect, and when you should spell out numbers. 
Check a bookstore or the Internet for English style guides like the Chicago Manual of Style or The Associated Press Stylebook. 
If you're serious about English writing, they're essential. 
(Chinese). 
Wow, English certainly is changing all the time. 
Stay tuned here at Studio Classroom if you want to stay up-to-date. 
Well, we continue learning about these hats and other strange things that are used online as alternative currencies. OK. 
The hats were originally intended to make characters look distinctive. 
So they had an original purpose. 
It wasn't to be a currency online, it was just to make characters look distinctive. 
And that is a great word from our Word Bank. 
And it just means to make something look different, to stand out so that it is easier to see. 
I might say: Gabe, you know, that shirt makes you look very distinctive because it has that nice pattern. It's very unique. 
Nice. Thank you. 
I will take that as a compliment. 
Actually, you could take that kind of comment as a compliment. 
You could say something looks distinctive or makes you look distinctive. 
There's a similar word "distinct." We don't have time to talk about the differences here. 
They're quite different. 
You use them differently. 
But they can be confusing. 
Look that up in a dictionary sometime the word distinct. 
And of course here we see the word "distinctive." These characters look distinctive. 
But these hats are not just for making characters look distinctive, right, Carolyn? 
Not anymore. 
And we learn in the next sentence why these hats are considered to be so valuable. 
But players must pay for chances to find hats, and some unique ones are very rare. 
So you actually have to pay money for the chance to find one of these hats. 
And some of them can be very difficult to get. 
That's right. 
So if something is rare, that means it's hard to find. 
They might be difficult. 
That makes me think some of these hats must be worth a lot of money. 
They're really valuable. 
Do you think any of these hats are worth a lot of money, Carolyn? 
Well, I think to maybe people who play this game (Team Fortress 2) that the hat could be very valuable to them, 
because they think that it is a great thing to have that it'll make their character look very distintivce. 
And they might be willing to pay a lot of money for it. 
Interesting. 
Well, we continue. 
Thus, players trade hats among themselves for money, bitcoins or in-game items. 
All right. 
So they're using this currency and just buying all sorts of things within the game, their in-game items. 
That's right. 
So it's not expanding to other games or other parts of the Internet. 
It is only within this game. 
And they do trade them for real money or even bitcoins that we talked about earlier. 
Now since people agree on the hats' value and trade them for other things, they arguably count as currency. 
Interesting. 
They arguably count as currency, a kind of currency. 
Let's take a look at our word from the Word Bank here. 
It is "arguably." If something is arguable or if you can do something arguably, that means you can argue about it. 
You can argue about whether something is one way or not. 
For example, Brad Pitt. 
I like Brad Pitt a lot. 
Brad Pitt is arguably the best actor out there. 
Many people think he's a great actor. 
You can argue about this. 
Is he the best actor or not? 
It's arguable that he is the best actor. 
But it is also arguable that he is not, so you can discuss it. 
Now, so we're looking at these hats and talking about them. 
And since they are traded in the game and even for real money that people use that... that's issued by actual governments, then it... arguably counts as currency. 
Now by one estimate, items traded within the game are worth a total of US$22 million. 
Wow! That is a lot of hats. 
That is certainly a lot of hats. 
That's a lot of money. 
Things within this game are worth a lot of money. 
That is one estimate. 
OK. So we see that word "estimate." It's here as a noun. 
But you can also use it as a verb. 
You could say they estimated that these hats are worth a total of $22 million, or other things in this game are worth that much money. 
And we see an interesting comparison here. 
OK, compare to the gross domestic product of Tuvalu. OK. 
This next sentence says: That equals almost 60 percent of island nation Tuvalu's GDP. 
And it's quite interesting that... that you can get so much money from something online. 
That's right. 
And Team Fortress 2, of course, is not the first game to have this type of situation occur. 
But it is on such a big scale, with US$22 million, that it's a big deal, and it could count as a currency. 
Now alternative currencies probably won't replace official ones, but they are changing society and economics. 
It's true. 
It seems like they are. 
And of course, alternative and official, those two words are... are a little bit different here. 
So an alternative currency is something other. 
It's something different. 
It's not common or usual, and certainly it is not official. 
Of course we have official currencies like the dollar and the euro. 
Well, it's time for us to enjoy a review skit right now. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
May I help you? 
Yes. I want to open a bank account. 
All right. 
How many dollars do you want to deposit? 
Oh, I don't have dollars. 
I have Makkies. 
Makkies? 
Yes! Makkies are an alternative currency. 
Hey, I can't accept these. 
Why not? 
Uh, the government doesn't back these. 
Well, they should. 
People earn Makkies for doing good deeds. 
You approve of good deeds, don't you? 
Well, yes, but... 
People use Makkies for library subscriptions and movie tickets and other things. 
Yes, but... 
People even pay each other using Makkies. 
That's nice. 
But we don't accept them. 
Well, never mind. 
I'll open an account using bitcoins. 
Oh, we don't accept those, either. 
But the bitcoin is used by over 100,000 people for online transactions. 
Well, that's nice, but... 
People can buy video games, books and even socks! 
We don't accept them. 
Any online company... can choose to accept them. 
But we're a bank, and we choose not to. 
So you don't accept Makkies or bitcoins. 
That's correct. 
We do not. 
Well, what do you accept? 
Cash! Now come back when you have some. 
(Chinese). 
Well, let's get back to our lesson now. 
Well, this has been an interesting article learning about alternative currencies like Makkies, bitcoins, and yes, funny hats online that you can trade. 
And I wonder if you would be interested in using one of these kinds of currencies. 
Carolyn? 
Well, I think it would be pretty interesting to try maybe something like the Makkie where you go out into your community, 
and you perform helpful tasks just trying to make it a better place to live. 
I think that would be a pretty good system. 
And I know that things like Team Fortress 2 and the hats that they have on that video game, 
some people make a lot of money selling them for actual official currency. 
That is really interesting. 
This... this is a creative way to make money if you get involved in games like this. 
Well, what about you? 
Would you consider using alternative currencies, or maybe you do already? 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And of course we will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.08.16.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for a lesson called Tips for Souvenir Shopping. 
Many of you like to go traveling. 
And sometimes when people go traveling, they like to buy souvenirs to bring back for their family and friends. 
And actually, my question for you is: 
Do you ever buy souvenirs for people? 
Carolyn? 
I usually do buy souvenirs for people. 
And sometimes I buy too many souvenirs. 
I think of "Oh, I could get this bracelet for this person, and I can get this for another person." And then I just end up with too much stuff. 
Well, Carolyn, I understand. 
You know what, I went to the United States recently, and I brought back some souvenirs. 
I was wondering if maybe you wanted this souvenir. 
It's a cute little uh... it looks kind of like bunny ears. 
Oh. Yeah, little rabbit years. 
Um, this... this is a very nice souvenir, Gabe. 
Yeah. Maybe you don't want that one. 
Maybe... maybe you like this one instead. 
It keeps your drink nice and warm. 
Oh, it's... Oh, so it's not... it's not for... OK. It's for drinks. 
Actually, you know what I think you really like is this. 
It makes a cute noise. 
(Background Noise). 
Yeah? You like that? 
Um... sure, Gabe. 
Thanks. 
Oh, you're welcome. 
Actually you can... you can have all three. 
Here you go. 
Oh, it's... I think I have too many souvenirs from the U.S. 
They're wonderful souvenirs. 
Now let's get started with our lesson: Tips for Souvenir Shopping. 
Tips for Souvenir Shopping. 
Avoid collecting vacation junk with these helpful tips. 
One of the fun parts of traveling is shopping for souvenirs. 
But I go to a lot of different places, and how many T-shirts, mugs and keychains from everywhere do I want? 
Plus, those things aren't usually cool or unique to me. 
With a bit of effort, I can find something better that will really awe my friends back home. 
Here's what I do: 
Pick and choose. 
Think: Do I really want this? 
I don't need a ton of things to help me remember my vacation. 
Well, that is a very good first tip. 
And our article is called Tips for Souvenir Shopping. 
And right there in our title, we see a word "souvenir." And let's look at that word from our Word Bank. 
What is something that is a souvenir, Gabe? 
Well, if you go traveling, you might go shopping. 
You might buy something for your family or friends. 
Of course at the beginning of our lesson today, I offered Carolyn some souvenirs, some things that I bought while I was overseas. 
Carolyn, I think, really enjoys these souvenirs. 
Yes, Gabe, I especially enjoy the rabbit ears. 
Yeah. 
But you know, I... I don't want to wear them for the whole lesson. 
OK. 
So I will pass on that souvenir for now. 
But a souvenir is something that you buy in a special place. 
Maybe you travel to another country, and you buy something to help you remember that trip or experience. 
And you could also buy souvenirs for other people who weren't with you on the trip so that they can also enjoy it. 
And of course here Jo has another name for souvenirs, kind of a negative name. 
She says avoid collecting vacation junk with these helpful tips. 
So souvenirs are great, but sometimes people might think of them as just junk. 
What am I supposed to do with this gift that you gave me? 
It's just your vacation junk! 
That's right. 
So I can't really use it, I don't know what to do with it, and it's just taking up space in my house. 
It is junk. 
But it doesn't have to be vacation junk. 
You can buy souvenirs that are great if you follow these helpful tips. 
In our first sentence, "One of the fun parts of traveling is shopping for souvenirs." And it's true. 
I know that when I go to different places, I really like shopping and thinking about things that I can buy for myself as well as other people. 
And so you might go to a place that sells souvenirs. 
Sometimes there are places that sell lots of souvenirs. 
That's because lots of tourists go there. 
Those are called tourist traps - the places where lots of tourists go, maybe souvenirs are even more expensive. 
Let's learn more about tourist traps with Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
As we ponder souvenir shopping, we need to be aware of tourist traps. 
As the name suggests, a tourist trap is not a place you want to visit. 
While it's a place that's designed to attract tourists and help them spend their money, 
the products and souvenirs sold at tourist traps are generally more expensive than those sold at other places. 
That's why it's considered a trap for tourists. 
You might end up spending more money on things than you need to. 
You could probably find it cheaper somewhere else. 
So how do you avoid tourist traps? 
Here's a good tip: 
Talk to the locals, and go where they go. 
This may involve some extra walking but the idea is to get away from the touristy places. 
Right. 
Touristy places are ones that are designed to attract tourists, especially in an inauthentic way. 
Now I usually avoid touristy places when I visit a city. 
Instead, I like to discover the real deal. 
You know, those places that only the locals go to. 
Yep, I'm with you there. 
(Chinese). 
Well, I do try to avoid tourist traps when I am traveling. 
So we were talking about how shopping can be a very enjoyable part of your travel experience. 
And Jo continues to write: 
But I go to a lot of different places, and how many T-shirts, mugs and keychains from everywhere do I want? 
And this is a good question, especially if you do travel a lot, it can be very easy to just buy too many things. 
Mmhm. 
And she's asking this question like this because she means that her answer is "not a lot." She doesn't want a lot of these kinds of things. 
She continues. 
Plus, those things aren't usually cool or unique to me. 
They're not outstanding. 
There's nothing really special about most of those souvenirs. 
That's right. 
So she doesn't really want to buy a lot of T-shirts or mugs or keychains because they're pretty common, 
and they aren't very special and reflect how she enjoyed her trip. 
Well, she continues. 
With a bit of effort, I can find something better that will really awe my friends back home. 
And she uses this word "awe," which is from our Word Bank. 
To awe someone means to impress them or make them feel very special. 
Or, oh, I can't believe it! That's amazing. 
That's right. It makes your friends say: Wow! 
You awe your friends. 
So you can use this as a verb. 
You can awe somebody and make them amazed about something. 
It can also be a noun. 
Your friends could be in awe about something. 
We were in awe when we saw how beautiful it was. 
We were in awe. 
It awed us. 
That's right. 
Well, I am constantly awed by God and His great power and His great mercy and just all of His creation. 
It is very awing. 
"I am in awe," as Gabe said. 
Well, continuing she says: 
Here's what I do. 
So she's going to give us some tips on what she does when she is shopping for souvenirs. 
What is the first one, Gabe? 
Well, it's simple: Pick and choose. 
Think: Do I really want this? 
I don't need a ton of things to help me remember my vacation. 
OK. So that's the question you need to ask yourself: Do I really want a certain thing? 
That's right. 
And this is a very good question to ask. 
Many times when you're traveling, you're just looking at so many things, 
especially if you get caught in a tourist trap, and you think: Oh. Wow! I can use all of these things. 
But it's good to just stop and think for a minute. 
Do I really want this, or do I only want to buy it because the person selling it has convinced me that I need it? 
Oh, that happens so much. 
Well, Jo uses a word here. 
I like the way that Jo writes. 
She uses the word "ton." I don't need a ton of things to help me remember my vacation. 
I don't think she really means 2,000 pounds. 
That's what a ton is. 
It's 2,000 pounds of something. 
But she just means here a lot. 
She doesn't need a lot of things to help her remember her vacation. 
That's right. 
Well, right now it's time for us to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.16.B

Today we're enjoying a lesson by Jo: Tips for Souvenir Shopping. 
And of course if you go traveling somewhere, you don't have to go overseas. 
You could even just go to a museum nearby and buy some souvenirs for people. 
But you don't want to just buy everything that is there. 
You want to think about the things that you are buying. 
Jo has some tips so that you don't just collect junk when you go shopping in other places. 
So let's continue learning about these tips. 
The first one is pick and choose. 
Let's continue learning about this. 
Tips for Souvenir Shopping. 
I buy myself two or three small things that I really like. 
They won't weigh me down on my trip, and they won't clutter up my room when I get home. 
Use it. 
I get so many compliments on clothes and jewelry I bring back from trips. 
I love saying, "Oh, I bought this at a little market in Thailand!" For you it might be wall art, bags or maybe music. 
Buy things you'll use; don't spend money on something that will just collect dust! 
Well, continuing talk about Jo's first tip to pick and choose, she says: 
I buy myself two or three small things that I really like. 
And I think that this is pretty good advice. 
You don't need to buy five or ten things, and especially not big things but just two or three small things that you really like. 
And is this something that you do? 
For me, it is something that I do. 
I will usually buy something that I really like, that I really enjoy. 
Jo continues. 
They won't weigh me down on my trip, and they won't clutter up my room when I get home. 
All right. 
So that's a great thing about just buying some small things. 
They won't weigh you down. 
Liz will share more about this in the Grammar Gym in a moment. 
But for now, let's take a look at our Word Bank word there. 
It is "clutter." Carolyn, what does that mean? 
Well, it means that there are too many things in one area. 
So there are just so many things. 
Maybe you have a lot of clutter, or your desk is very cluttered. 
That means that there are just too many things on your desk, and you don't really have any space to work. 
All right. 
So you can use this word as a noun - you have a lot of clutter. 
Or as a verb - it is... or an adjective - it is cluttered. 
There's too much clutter. 
And some things will clutter up your room when you get home from a vacation if you buy too many things. 
Right now it is time for us to learn more with Liz in the Grammar Gym about something that weighs you down. 
Hi, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We see this statement in today's article: 
They won't weigh me down on my trip... 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the phrase: weigh me down. 
To weigh someone down means to feel the trouble of carrying or dealing with something. 
In the case of today's sentence, the writer is saying that she just buys a few little things while on vacation. 
They're not big and heavy. 
Big and heavy things will weigh her down on her trip. 
OK, let's have a look at some other examples. 
If you have to carry something heavy, it will certainly weigh you down, like: 
Janet is carrying a lot of shopping bags and they are weighing her down. 
You can also use this phrase to describe difficult situations that are hard to deal with, like: 
The stress from having three jobs and going to school every night is weighing Scott down. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
It is a good idea to keep things from weighing us down. 
We don't want to be weighed down. 
And Jo doesn't want to be weighed down by vacation junk or things that she won't actually use that she buys when she's on vacation or traveling. 
And her first tip was to pick and choose. 
But she has another tip for us. 
She says: Use it. 
Now Gabe, what does she mean by "use it"? 
Well, she's talking about souvenirs that she gets for herself, right? 
So you want it to be useful. 
Use it. 
So she says, "I get so many compliments on clothes and jewelry I bring back from trips." So she is using these things. 
She has... she's going to buy something that she's going to put on, maybe clothes or jewelry. 
And Carolyn, she has compliments on these things. 
She does get compliments. 
And that word is from our Word Bank. 
If you... if you receive a compliment from someone, it means that they said something very nice to you. 
So I might give Gabe a compliment by saying: Gabe, you know, you're really nice to work with. 
Oh, Carolyn, thank you. 
What a nice compliment! 
You know, that's... that's wonderful. 
And Carolyn, I just have to say, the way you explain the word "compliment" was outstanding. 
Oh, well, thank you, Gabe. 
That was a very nice compliment. 
Thank you for complimenting me. 
Well, it's nice to compliment people. 
Sometimes I think we don't compliment other people enough. 
We don't say nice things enough. 
It's important to compliment others on the good things that they do or the good things that you notice about them. 
That's right. 
So if you see someone and you think that maybe they have a really nice smile, 
and it makes you feel so happy and wonderful when you see them because they are happy, 
you might compliment them and tell them that you know, you have a really wonderful smile, and it makes me feel a lot of joy. 
Thanks, Carolyn. 
Anyway, friends, as you can see, you can use this word as both a noun and a verb. 
You can compliment someone, give them a compliment. 
Well, Jo continues. 
I love saying: Oh, I bought this at a little market in Thailand. 
So that's, for example, just one place she might have bought something, bought a souvenir. 
Of course it's nice to be able to say you bought it overseas at some special place. 
It is always very nice when someone compliments you. 
And then you can tell them: 
Oh. Well, actually this is something very special. 
Let me tell you about it. 
There is a story behind this T-shirt, or this bracelet or this necklace or anything that you buy as a souvenir. 
That's right. 
And for Jo, it's clothes and jewelry. 
But she says for you, it might be wall art, bags or maybe music, or something completely different. 
Carolyn, what is wall art? 
Well, wall art would be a piece of art that you hang on your wall. 
And actually, I bought some wall art while I was in Thailand. 
You did not. 
I did! I bought a beautiful picture of a tiger painted on black velvet. 
Hey, that looks... that sounds pretty nice. 
It sounds like it's very interesting. 
Some of you like wall art as well. 
Well, Jo continues. 
Buy things you'll use. 
Don't spend money on something that will just collect dust. 
And Carolyn, there's a good phrase that has to do with collecting dust, right? 
Yes. It is a dust collector. 
And let's look at that phrase. 
A dust collector is exactly what it sounds like - something that sits on your shelf, and you can't use it but it just collects dust. 
That's right. 
Maybe you've put it there and it remains there for a long time, just collecting dust. 
You could call that a dust collector. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle right now in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are doing. 
Well, today we've been learning a little bit from Jo about some tips for going souvenir shopping when you're on vacation or traveling around the world. 
And I just kind of wonder what kind of souvenirs do you like to buy. 
Do you like to buy useful things or do you prefer to buy things that you can just enjoy looking at? 
What about you, Gabe? 
Hmm... actually, I enjoy buying things like shirts and sunglasses. 
I bought this cardigan in the United States recently. 
I like to buy things that are useful so that other people can look at them. 
Well, I certainly understand that. 
I also like to buy things that are useful. 
But sometimes it's also nice to just buy something that's very beautiful or unique, maybe some handmade craft that you can just enjoy looking at. 
That's right. 
There are some things that are just good for decoration. 
Well, thank you for joining us today. 
And of course we have more to learn, more Tips for Souvenir Shopping in our next lesson here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.08.17.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson about souvenir shopping. 
Jo has some good tips for souvenir shopping. 
So when you go overseas or if you go somewhere special, you might buy some souvenirs. 
Well, Carolyn, what was one of the tips that Jo shared with us in our last lesson? 
Well, first she told us to pick and choose, so. 
When we're looking at souvenirs, we should stop and think if we really want to buy it or not. 
Is it something that's going to clutter up my space - maybe my room at home, my apartment, my house? 
Wherever you live, is it just going to clutter it up and become a piece of junk? 
Or is it something that, you know, you can actually use, Gabe? 
That's right. 
That is the second tip: Use it. 
You want to get something that you can use or that your friends will use. 
And if they use it, like clothing or jewelry or art, they might get some compliments on those things that you bought for them. 
Well, we're going to continue learning about some more tips for souvenir shopping in today's article. 
Tips for Souvenir Shopping. 
Get personal. 
Think of your friends and family. 
I recently went to Indiana and bought my mom a bracelet made out of seashells. 
It wasn't expensive, but I had my mom in mind when I bought it. 
And she loved it! 
Small, colorful, unique. 
Perfect. 
If you're buying a gift for someone, think about who they are and what they like. 
Now get impersonal. 
You need to take something back for your class or office, but you can't buy something special for everyone. 
Buy a tasty snack or candy from the place you're visiting, and bring it back to share. 
OK, let's get personal with our first tip of today, which is um... ah! Get personal! 
Very good. 
All right, so. 
Think of your friends and family. 
Well, that's pretty personal. 
Who are the most personal people in your life, Carolyn? 
Well, those would be my friends and family. 
They're the ones that I talk to the most. 
I don't make a habit of talking to strangers or buying them souvenirs. 
So when you are buying souvenirs, you should get personal and think specifically of the people you want to buy something for. 
That's right. 
Now Jo continues with her experience. 
She said: I recently went to India and bought my mom a bracelet made out of seashells. 
And I was actually there in India with Jo during that vacation when she bought these things. 
And so she bought a bracelet made out of seashells. 
What is a bracelet, Carolyn? 
Well, bracelet is a word from our Word Bank, so we'll take a look at that. 
A bracelet is a piece of jewelry that you wear on your wrist. 
So I am not wearing a bracelet today, but many people do like to wear bracelets, especially women. 
That's right. 
Now there are some things you can wear around uh, parts of your body, like a bracelet goes around your wrist. 
I noticed Carolyn is wearing a necklace, a very nice necklace. 
Now something else you can wear around part of your body is around your ankle. 
And that is called an anklet, A-N-K-L-E-T. 
Do you ever wear anklets? 
Well, I do not wear anklets, but sometimes I do wear bracelets. 
And that is the word we're talking about today. 
So Jo bought her mom a bracelet made out of seashells. 
And seashells are small shells that you usually find on the beach that used to belong to a sea creature. 
But now you can just find them on the beach. 
And they're very beautiful. 
And some people actually like to make collections out of seashells. 
Like my mom, for example. 
She loves to collect seashells. 
And every time she goes to the beach, she's always looking for a nice new seashell. 
Anyway, Jo continues. 
She says: It wasn't expensive, but I had my mom in mind when I bought it. 
So when you're shopping for souvenirs, maybe someone will cross your mind when you see something. 
Maybe you should get that souvenir for your friend. 
That's right. 
And we find out her mom's reaction to this bracelet - And she loved it! 
So it was something that she was really excited to receive from Jo. 
Small, colorful, unique. 
Perfect! 
That's right. 
"Small, colorful, unique and perfect," great words to describe this gift. 
Now if you're buying a gift for someone, think about who they are and what they like. 
That is what it means to get personal when you're buying souvenirs. 
That's right. 
And it is a good idea if you are buying things for other people, especially friends and family, to think about what they like and not about what you like. 
Nice point, Carolyn. 
It's true. 
Sometimes we like to buy things because we love them. 
But then when we give the person the gift, they're like: Why? Why did you get this for me? 
Well, because I love it! 
Now, yeah. That does not always work, Gabe. 
Nope. 
But, so our first tip was to get personal. 
And our second tip is "Now get impersonal." Now that's a very big change. 
Mmhm. It's a little bit different, impersonal. 
So we're not talking about close friends and family now. 
"Impersonal" is from our Word Bank. 
And if it's impersonal, it's not something that is really close to you or it doesn't really mean a whole lot to you. 
That's right. 
So here you are not think of... thinking of any one person specifically. 
Maybe you are thinking of a group of people, so you might say: 
Oh, well, the get-well card he sent was a bit impersonal. 
It didn't even have my name on it. 
So there was nothing personal about it. 
Mmhm. That's not a very personal get-well card. 
Maybe an impersonal gift might be um, some... some keychains that you might buy at some store somewhere. 
It doesn't really mean a lot. 
You don't really think about any one person. 
You just want to buy something little for a lot of people. 
Or maybe you might get chocolate to share around the office. 
That's right. 
And Jo gives us some tips on how to do this. 
She says: You need to take something back for your class or office, but you can't buy something special for everyone. 
And it's very true. 
If you have a large class or you work in a large office with many other people, 
it would be very impractical or not practical to buy something special for each person. 
But you know what, most people do enjoy food. 
So Jo says: Buy a tasty snack or candy from the place you're visiting, and bring it back to share. 
Most people enjoy eating foods from different places or at least trying different kinds of food. 
So you can never go wrong bringing back food. 
That's right. 
And it can be something special to that country or that culture, the place that you visit so that they can also enjoy your trip with you. 
That's right. 
It might be something that will awe them, or make them go "Wow!" Ha, ha. 
Well, hey, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.17.B

Today we are continuing with the second day of our article Tips for Souvenir Shopping. 
And Jo has given us two more tips today. 
The first one was to get personal, to really think about the person that you want to buy a souvenir for. 
Her second tip, though, was to get impersonal, to buy a general gift that a large group of people would enjoy, like food. 
Well, we still have some more tips from Jo. 
Let's read in the next part of our article. 
Tips for Souvenir Shopping. 
Make an exception. 
I do collect one useless thing: flag patches. 
I like to buy one for every country I visit. 
Collecting the same thing from each place you visit is fun, and big collections are impressive. 
But pick something small and interesting. 
The last tip? 
Enjoy the hunt! 
Shopping for souvenirs should be an entertaining part of your travel adventure, not a chore! 
No, you don't want to make anything during your vacation or travels a chore. 
Well, let's go back up to the top here in this section. 
Our next tip is "Make an exception." OK. 
So Jo says: I do collect one useless thing: flag patches. 
Well, why is this an exception, Carolyn, a useless thing? 
Well, because her previous tip told us to buy something that is useful. 
Buy something that you're going to use and that maybe you can get compliments on from other people as you use it in your daily life. 
But here she does make an exception. 
So this is going against her other tips. 
She buys a useless thing - flag patches. 
And "patch" is one of the words from our Word Bank. 
Now Gabe, what is a patch? 
Well, a patch is something flat that usually you can use to sew on to your clothes or maybe your backpack or something like that. 
And a flag patch is... well, it's a patch in the shape of a country's flag. 
The shape and the color, and it just looks like a country's flag. 
And she maybe sews it on something. 
Well, I'm not exactly sure what she does with it, but she does collect these patches. 
She does collect flag patches. 
And when I think about collecting patches, I often think of girl scouts or boy scouts who work very hard to earn patches that they then sew on to their clothes and wear very proudly. 
Well, it's very true. 
You might have to earn these patches as well. 
Well, Jo says, "I like to buy one for every country I visit," so. 
She likes to buy a flag... flag patch from every country that she visits. 
She probably has a lot of different flag patches by now. 
I'm sure she does because she has visited many different countries. 
And she continues with an explanation why she makes this exception. 
Collecting the same thing from each place you visit is fun, and big collections are impressive. 
It's true. And it can be fun. 
Do you have something that you like to collect from everywhere you go? 
And if you have a big collection, that could be something to show off to your friends or other people. 
It can be very impressive. 
It can be very impressive. 
And even if it's not a collection of things that you buy when you visit another place like a souvenir, maybe you have a very impressive stamp collection or card collection. 
I know lots of people who like to collect baseball cards. 
That's true. 
Many people love collecting baseball cards. 
But Jo says pick something small and interesting. 
All right, so not something that is too big that will weigh you down on your trip. 
Well, what is the last tip here, Carolyn? 
Well, we do have one more, and Jo writes: The last tip? 
So she's asking the question: What is the last one? 
She says: Enjoy the hunt. 
You should enjoy this hunt. 
Now that's kind of an interesting way to phrase it. 
Is she going hunting, Gabe? 
No. You're... you're right, Carolyn. 
Usually when I think of this word "hunt," I think of maybe taking a gun and going out to hunt for some animals. 
But... I've never done that before, and that's not what Jo is talking about. 
That is right. 
That is not what Jo is talking about. 
Here she's talking about looking for something or searching for it. 
So she is hunting in a sense that she is looking for something very seriously. 
She wants to find it. 
But you should enjoy it. 
And she says that shopping for souvenirs should be an entertaining part of your travel adventure, not a chore. 
It's true. 
Well, let's take a look at that word "entertaining." If something is entertaining to you, that means it is fun. 
That means it's something that you enjoy. 
It is entertaining. 
Carolyn, what is entertaining to you? 
Well, when I think of this word, I think of things like going to the movies. 
Movies are very entertaining. 
Or maybe you go to watch a play. 
Those are also very entertaining. 
I usually think of performances. 
I do, too. 
And sometimes I also think of little kids. 
I think that kids can be very entertaining sometimes when they're running around and playing. 
There are many different things that are entertaining in life. 
What entertains you, or what do you think is enjoyable and fun? 
Well, I think that treasure hunts can also be entertaining. 
We just learned about the word "hunt." Carolyn, do you ever go on treasure hunts? 
Well, I don't usually go on treasure hunts because I don't know of any treasure that I am looking for. 
It's true. 
Niether do I. 
But there is another kind of hunt like a scavenger hunt. 
Have you ever been on a scavenger hunt where you have to go and look for different things that are all planned out? 
Oh, I have done that, and that is very fun. 
And many times it's a competition to see who can find all of the things the fastest. 
Well, we do want to make sure that you enjoy this hunt, that you enjoy looking for your souvenirs and that it is not a chore. 
Now I think Steve and Ken have something they want to tell us about that word in the Info Cloud. 
Then we'll watch a review skit, and join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, friends. 
What exactly is a chore? 
If your mom wants you to go to the grocery store to pick up some milk, is that a chore? 
I wouldn't call that a chore. 
Going to the grocery store is an errand, which is a short trip you take to accomplish something. 
Going to the post office, going to the bank and buying groceries are all considered errands, not chores. 
OK. 
A good way to remember the difference is chores are tasks done inside the home while errands are accomplished outside the home, hence the expression household chores. 
And that's the narrow definition of chore. 
But you know, Steve, sometimes a task that is not a chore by that definition is still called a chore. 
That's right, Ken. 
Sometimes a difficult or unpleasant task can be called a chore even if it's not a kind of housework. 
For example, I could say solving our company's computer virus problem was quite a chore, or filing my taxes was a real chore. 
Very unpleasant, indeed. 
(Chinese). 
Hey, today let's shop for souvenirs. 
I want T-shirts, mugs, keychains. 
I don't want any of those things. 
You don't? 
No. Those things aren't cool. 
They're not? 
No! And with a little bit of effort, I think I could find something better, something unique. 
You can? 
Yes. And so can you. 
Really! How? 
Well, first, you can pick and choose. 
Pick and choose? 
Yes. Think: Do I really want this? 
If it'll weigh me down or clutter my room, then I don't want it. 
Good thinking. 
Second, buy things that you can use, not things that just collect dust. 
Uh, like what? 
Like clothes or jewelry. 
I bet you get lots of compliments. 
Well, I like that. 
And get personal. 
Think about your family and your friends - who are they? 
And what do they like? 
Yes. And get impersonal. 
Huh? 
Well, buy tasty snacks for your co-workers to share. 
Oh, yeah. They love snacks. 
Most people do. 
And remember, it's OK to make exceptions. 
Exceptions? 
You can always buy something small and interesting. 
I like to collect patches. 
Patches? 
Good idea. 
And remember to have fun. 
I always do. 
Let's go shopping! 
Great. 
Did you bring any money? 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our lesson. 
Well, we've learned about tips for souvenir shopping in this lesson with Jo. 
And we've learned some very good tips. 
You want to buy something that is useful for people. 
You want to buy things that are personal for some people, and of course some things you could just take back to your office and share with your friends there. 
Well, do you like to collect anything when you go traveling? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I actually usually collect a special item of clothing from each place I visit, so. 
When I went to Indonesia, I bought a batik, which is a traditional clothing there. 
And when I was in Japan, I bought a yukata, which is also a traditional style of clothing. 
That is cool, collecting different kinds of clothing. 
Well, I brought a bunch of playing cards here today because I love to play cards with other people. 
And I... I have these cards that my sister bought me from Williamsburg, Virginia, 
and of course some cards from Greece and... and from the Grand Canyon and many different places. 
We can play cards later. 
But for now, it's time for us to say goodbye. 
And we'll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then.

2013.08.19.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for a lesson about elephants today; actually, How to Raise an Elephant. 
I don't think many people have experienced personally raising elephants, but we're going to learn about someone who has raised an elephant. 
Now elephants are very interesting animals. 
Lots of people love elephants. 
I love going to the zoo and looking at the elephants and watching them interact with each other. 
They look like very friendly, big animals. 
What do you know about elephants? 
Carolyn, is there anything interesting you know about elephants? 
Well, you said that they were big. 
And in fact, they are the largest mammal on Earth. 
So they are among one of the biggest animals in the world and the largest that lives on land. 
We talked before about the blue whale in the sea, and that is the biggest. 
But elephants are so big, they weigh 3,200 to 5,900 kilograms, and can be as tall as 3.3 meters. 
Wow! They certainly are large animals. 
Of course, a common phrase is uh, elephants never forget. 
They have very good memories. 
Well, there are some other facts you can find out about elephants in your magazine on page 37. 
But for now we're going to find out how to raise an elephant. 
(Music). 
How to Raise an Elephant. 
The Jumbo Foundation aims to help large orphaned animals. 
Think about caring for a baby. 
Mothers can tell you all about the considerable amount of time it takes to feed, change, comfort and care for a helpless infant. 
Now what if that infant is an elephant calf? 
Instead of weighing 3 to 4 kilograms at birth, he weighs 100! 
And he needs to be fed every two hours, 24 hours a day for four years! 
Would you want to take on that kind of responsibility? 
Jenny Webb did. 
She lives in the African country of Malawi. 
(Music). 
OK. So we know a little bit about Jenny Webb now. 
But let's go back to the top of our lesson. 
The title is How to Raise an Elephant. 
Well, actually by now you probably know you're not going to be learning how you can raise an elephant, 
but we're learning about someone's experience when they took in an elephant. OK. 
So we see here the Jumbo Foundation aims to help large orphaned animals. 
Let's take a look at a word there from our Word Bank: a foundation. 
What is a foundation, Carolyn? 
Well, a foundation is an organization that helps to support a certain cause. 
Maybe they raise money for a charity, or to improve something. 
And I can think of one foundation in the U.S. called Make-A-Wish Foundation. 
And they help to grant the wishes or the dreams of small children who are sick. 
All right. 
That's a great foundation, a great cause. 
Of course another famous one is the American Red Cross, and uh, World Vision International. 
Those are different kinds of foundations. 
So you don't have to have the word "foundation" in your title to be a non-profit organization. 
You could even call it a charitable foundation. 
OK. This foundation aims to help large orphaned animals. 
And uh, Carolyn, what is an orphaned animal? 
Well, it's an animal that no longer has its parents to take care of it, so similar to children who don't have parents being called orphans. 
And it's the same for animals. 
Animals can also be orphaned. 
Exactly. OK. 
So we begin here with the sentence - we want you to think about something, to imagine a situation, OK? - Think about caring for a baby. 
Mothers can tell you all about the considerable amount of time it takes to feed, change, comfort and care for a helpless infant. 
So now you're thinking about this in your mind, right? 
That's right. 
And there is so much to do when you are trying to care for a helpless infant. 
And "infant" is a word from our Word Bank, so we'll look at that. 
And infant is just a baby or a small child. 
And they are a lot of work. 
It's true. 
A lot of times you might think of an infant as being between uh, being born and 12 months old, so a very small child. 
And of course, "helpless" is a good way to describe infants. 
They need help from the outside - their moms and dads, older brothers and sisters - because they are helpless infants. 
That's right. 
So someone else does need to feed, change, comfort and care for them. 
They can't do these things for themselves, so. 
We are imagining this. 
Imagine trying to care for this baby or this infant. 
Now, what if that infant is an elephant calf? 
And "calf" is the word used to describe a baby elephant. 
It's true. 
The word "calf" can actually be used to describe baby animals of other kinds as well, certain other animals like... like cows, baby cows or even whales. 
A baby whale is called a calf. 
So instead of weighing 3 to 4 kilograms at birth like a human infant, he weighs 100, weighing 100 kilograms! 
At birth! So this isn't after a while. 
This is what the starting weight is of this little baby elephant calf. 
Well, that would be a big challenge to take care of. 
And he needs to be fed every two hours, 24 hours a day for four years. 
That's right. 
Whoa! 
Yeah. Talk about a considerable amount of time, right? 
That's a very significant amount of time, every two hours, 24 hours a day for four years! 
Would you want to take on that kind of responsibility? 
That's our question here in the lesson: Would you like this kind of responsibility? 
Well, it is a very big responsibility because you know, you think of all the time and energy it takes to take care of just a baby. 
Now if you have to do that same amount of energy and same amount of time, 
but actually it's even more because it's 24 hours a day every two hours. 
That's... whoa! I don't know if I could do that. 
Well, I don't know if I could, either, Carolyn. 
Um, we have full-time jobs teaching English. 
But you know, everyone's busy. 
But somebody did take this responsibility. 
Her name is Jenny Webb. 
Jenny Webb did. 
She took the responsibility. 
She lives in the African country of Malawi. 
All right. 
So she's not an African herself, but she lives in this country of Malawi. 
And the country of Malawi is southeast in Africa. 
That's right. 
And it sounds like they probably have a lot of elephants there. 
Well, right now it is time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.19.B

We've just read the first part of our lesson on How to Raise an Elephant, talking about the Jumbo Foundation which helps large orphaned animals. 
And we've also been discussing how much responsibility and time it takes to care for a baby elephant, or an elephant calf. 
And we learned that Jenny Webb took on this big responsibility. 
Let's learn some more about her experience in the next part of our reading. 
(Music). 
How to Raise an Elephant. 
She took in Moses when he was a week old after his mother was killed, probably by poachers. 
No one else would take him in as elephants are very expensive and time-consuming to care for. 
But Jenny was willing and said, 
"Humans caused this problem, so humans must fix the problem." She spent as much time as she could caring for Moses. 
She also hired two employees to be with him during the day so he wouldn't be lonesome. 
She works as the Director of the Malawi Division of Food Products. 
(Music). 
All right. So we can see here Jenny Webb has a full-time job as well. 
And she, of course, has a heart for these elephants... or for Moses, and so she is taking care of him. 
So we see here at the beginning of this section: 
She took in Moses when he was a week old after his mother was killed, probably by poachers. 
Well, let's take a look at something at the beginning of this sentence here. 
She took in Moses. 
This is a good phrase to know. 
When you take in something, what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that you provide shelter for it. 
So you "take something in" means you're going to protect it and take care of it. 
All right. So you're taking it in. 
I can use this phrase in another way. 
For instance, one of my cats was found at Costco. 
And so we named the cat Costco because my friends took in this cat. 
And now we take care of this cat. 
So you can take in different animals. 
Um, and they took in Moses when he was a week old after his mother was killed, probably by poachers. 
A poacher is... well, if you are poaching, that is illegally killing or capturing or hunting animals. 
That's right. 
So this is a person that does that. 
And this is very sad because it actually takes an elephant 22 months before it is born. 
So it's not nine months like a person but 22 months, almost two years, before the baby elephant will be born. 
All right. 
So Moses was... was born. 
He was a week old. 
They think the mother was killed by poachers. 
No one else would take him in as elephants are very expensive and time-consuming to care for. 
All right. It's... it's true. 
It's a big elephant. 
It would be time-consuming to care for Moses. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank: time-consuming. 
All right. 
If something is time-consuming, what does that mean? 
Well, it takes a lot of time. 
It means that you're going to be spending lots of time with that thing. 
And you definitely have to spend a lot of time with a baby elephant if they need to be cared for 24 hours a day. 
All right. 
Other things could be time-consuming as well. 
Maybe you have a time-consuming project to do for school. 
Now just because it's time-consuming doesn't always mean it's difficult. 
It could be an easy task, but it just takes a long time to do or a lot of time. 
Right now it's time for us to go visit Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud. 
They're going to be talking about uh, white elephants. 
White elephants are very rare animals. 
In many cultures in Southeast Asia, they're a sign of justice, power, wealth and peace. 
Years ago, kings from this part of the world would sometimes give white elephants as gifts to government officials - not to officials they liked, but officials they didn't like. 
Right. 
The elephants were extremely expensive to keep. 
Any unlucky official who received one couldn't refuse it, nor could he get rid of it later. 
That would be insulting to the king. 
And because the elephant was sacred, he couldn't put it to work to make money. 
So the official was stuck. 
Unless he was super wealthy, that white elephant would quickly cause him financial ruin. 
Today we use "white elephant" as an idiom to describe a costly project, plan or business venture that is without any use or value. 
And since we're on the topic, let's mention the popular holiday party game called the white elephant gift exchange. 
It's more for entertainment than anything else. 
This game is based around giving gifts whose maintenance and cost exceed their usefulness. 
Check the Internet for rules on how to play. 
It can be a lot of fun. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys, for that very interesting information on the different kinds of white elephants. 
Now we were talking about things being time-consuming, about taking care of baby elephants being very time-consuming. 
But Jenny was willing and said: Humans caused this problem, so humans must fix the problem. 
And I agree with Jenny here. 
I think this is a great thing that we can learn from. 
Humans caused a problem, so humans should fix the problem, even though Jenny didn't poach any elephants. 
She didn't kill any elephants. 
It was another human being that did. 
And so she's kind of taking responsibility for other human beings. 
But this is a very good thing that we can learn from as well. 
We're continuing to learn about Jenny Webb. 
She spent as much time as she could caring for Moses, probably many hours a day. 
Probably. And she also hired two employees to be with him during the day so that he wouldn't feel... so he wouldn't be lonesome. 
Now that is a great key word from our Word Bank - the word "lonesome." And this is a little bit different from lonely. 
When you are lonesome, then you know that you are alone, and you really wish someone would be there with you. 
You want company. 
And if you're lonely, maybe you are just sad that you're alone. 
OK. So they're a little bit different, these words. 
This word "lonesome" makes me think of a country song: I'm so lonesome I could cry. 
Sometimes you feel that way. 
You want company. 
And you feel like you could cry if you're not around people soon. OK? 
So Moses could sometimes be lonesome. 
He wants company around. 
And so Jenny Webb, we found out more about her, she works as the Director of the Malawi... Division of Food Products. 
All right. So she has a full-time job. 
She's a very busy person. 
Yes, she is. 
It sounds like she has a full-time job, and she's trying to take care of a baby elephant, which is already very time-consuming. 
So she decided to hire a couple of extra people to help her. 
I think that was a really good idea. 
I do, too. 
And I think we can learn something from her here as well because if you're so busy but you need to get something done, 
maybe what you need to do is hire someone else to do the job. 
Well, right now it's time for us to watch a nice video about this. 
And then we'll visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
You love elephants. 
We know because everybody loves elephants. 
Even cats love elephants. 
So, you want to help elephants. 
Good news! It's easy. 
Here are some things you don't have to do. 
(Music). 
Unfortunately, Moses died in Jenny's arms shortly after this was filmed. 
The Jumbo Foundation are building a barn at this moment for future orphans. 
Moses will show you how you can help. 
Firstly, click "Like" below and share this film. 
Then "Like" Jumbo Foundation on Facebook for stories about Moses and updates on the barn. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And I guess we'd better go back to our teachers now. 
Well, today we've been learning about the elephant Moses and how Jenny Webb has been raising this elephant. 
And she spends a lot of time helping Moses. 
She also hired some people to come and help him as well. 
But I wonder about your life, maybe what is something that is time-consuming for you. 
Carolyn, is there anything in your life that is really time-consuming? 
Well, work is fairly time-consuming. 
I spend a lot of time working, doing research and writing and preparing. 
But it's a lot of fun, too, so I don't really mind. 
You know, me, neither. 
I don't mind it either. 
We do spend a lot of time preparing our lessons and writing features and doing other things here at Studio Classroom. 
It is time-consuming. 
Whatever is time-consuming for you, I hope that you also can enjoy it as well. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
We hope you enjoyed the lesson. 
And we have another enjoyable lesson all about how to raise elephants, Jenny Webb, Moses and this great foundation tomorrow. 
So come back then. 
(Music).

2013.08.20.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for the second day of our lesson How to Raise an Elephant. 
Already we learned about Jenny Webb and how she rescued Moses. 
His mother was probably killed by poachers. 
But Jenny helped him, and she hired some other people to help him as well. 
And then she started this wonderful foundation that aims to help large orphaned animals. 
Hey, I wonder what kind of large animals you like. 
Or maybe if you had a chance, you could raise a large animal, what animal would that be? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I would actually... wouldn't mind caring for a tiger. 
Whoa! 
Tigers are dangerous, yes. 
But they are so beautiful. 
And people also poach them. 
The poachers hunt these tigers, and it's very sad. 
And I love tigers. 
I love tigers, too. 
They're very beautiful creatures. 
I love lions. 
Maybe I would think about raising a cheetah. 
Cheetahs are very beautiful big cats as well. 
I like penguins, too... and kangaroos. 
Ah, there's too many large animals I would be interested in caring for. 
But I... I guess I don't have time. 
And I'm not in the correct countries. 
Anyway, we have a lot more to learn about How to Raise an Elephant and this wonderful foundation. 
(Music). 
How to Raise an Elephant. 
To help with the costs of caring for Moses, Jenny started the Jumbo Foundation Elephant Orphanage. 
It's the first organization of its kind in Malawi. 
The foundation will take in other orphaned large animals. 
"Our orphanage is not only for elephants but all large animals like hippos, buffalos, rhinos, as no one will take them in," said Jenny. 
The foundation's goal is to care for the orphaned animals and prepare them to be released into the wild. 
(Music). 
Well, it sounds like the foundation has a very wonderful goal. 
But let's go back to the beginning of our reading for today. 
To help with the costs of caring for Moses, Jenny started the Jumbo Foundation Elephant Orphanage. 
So it's the Jumbo Foundation Elephant Orphange. 
And it sounds like a pretty great cause and a really good thing to start. 
And at the end of that sentence, we see a word from our Word Bank - the word orphanage. 
Now that's a place where animals or even people without parents would go. 
Exactly. 
If you're talking about humans, an orphan is someone who has no mom or dad. 
As an animal, actually, even if they just lose their mom, they're considered an orphan. 
Even if the dad's still around, an animal without a mom is already considered an orphan. 
So Moses is definitely an orphan. 
And so he's in this orphanage - the Jumbo Foundation Elephant Orphanage. 
And it's the first organization of its kind in Malawi. 
It means Malawi has never seen anything like this organization before. 
But maybe there are similar organizations in other countries that also try to help large animals. 
But Jenny has started one here in Malawi, and it sounds like a really wonderful cause. 
Let's read some more about it. 
The foundation will take in other orphaned large animals. 
So not just elephants, but also other large animals that are without their mothers. 
It's true. 
She says... "Our orphanage is not only for elephants but all large animals like hippos, buffalos, rhinos, as no one will take them in," said Jenny. 
And actually, if you look in your magazine, there are some pictures of these animals. 
Well, let's take a look at one of these words. 
It's a kind of large animal, large wild animal, the rhino, or rhinoceros. 
R-H-I-N-O-C-E-R-O-S. 
Yes. So the rhinoceros is another very large animal with gray thick skin. 
And it also usually has a horn on the end of its nose. 
So a lot of poachers are trying to get the horn from the rhino or the tusks from the elephant. 
And that's why they are hunted. 
So it's quite possible that Jenny will have many baby rhinos in her orphanage as well. 
It's true. 
So she can take care of lots of different large animals there. 
Uh, that sounds like a place that I would enjoy visiting, actually. 
Does this sound interesting to you, Carolyn? 
It definitely does sound very interesting. 
And I would love to go visit and see what it's like. 
Maybe I could even help her take care of some of the animals. 
Well, I'm sure she would appreciate the help; her and her workers would probably appreciate help of any kind. 
And I'm sure there are many ways to help. 
Well, we continue here. 
The foundation's goal is to care for the orphaned animals and prepare them to be released into the wild. 
All right. 
So Carolyn, is she trying to raise these animals and then just keep them there for the rest of their life? 
Not at all. 
They are not trying to keep these animals as pets because they are wild animals and they want to help with the animal population in Malawi. 
They don't want to keep them contained at the orphanage. 
They want to be able to release them into the wild so that they can live the lives that they were supposed to have perhaps had they not been orphaned. 
And so this is a great foundation with a great cause, a great mission, and they're preparing these animals to be free to go into the wild. 
And perhaps by doing this, they are saving some of these animals from death. 
Perhaps some of these animals would have died if this organization didn't save them. 
That's right. 
And this is not a very easy thing to do, trying to release animals that have been in captivity or kept by humans and raised for a long time and putting them back into the wild. 
That's very difficult because the animals can very easily start to rely on humans for everything. 
And they don't know how to take care of themselves. 
It's true. 
So I'm sure that these people, Jenny Webb and her friends and co-workers, have had to do a lot of research to figure out how best to prepare these animals to be released into the wild again. 
They have something great going on there. 
Well, I say we watch another video, and then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
You love elephants. 
We know because everybody loves elephants. 
Even cats love elephants. 
So, you want to help elephants. 
Good news! It's easy. 
Here are some things you don't have to do. 
(Music). 
Unfortunately, Moses died in Jenny's arms shortly after this was filmed. 
The Jumbo Foundation are building a barn at this moment for future orphans. 
Moses will show you how you can help. 
Firstly, click "Like" below and share this film. 
Then "Like" Jumbo Foundation on Facebook for stories about Moses and updates on the barn. 
(Music). 
(Chinese).

2013.08.20.B

In our lesson How to Raise an Elephant, we are learning about Jenny Webb and her co-workers and the foundation that she started to help large animals survive. 
This foundation is called the Jumbo Foundation Elephant Orphanage. 
And it's a place where not only elephants can go. 
Of course if many orphaned animals are in the wild and they need help, then they can also go to this orphanage for help. 
Their goal is to prepare these animals to be released into the wild someday in the future. 
Let's continue learning about this now. 
(Music). 
How to Raise an Elephant. 
Jenny quickly learned that an elephant baby needs more than just a special formula every two hours. 
Elephant mothers provide not only food but also shelter under their big bellies. 
Elephants can get sunburned, and Moses didn't have his mother's large size to protect him. 
He needed sunscreen and creams applied to his skin every day. 
A blanket was tied over his back during the day to protect him from the harsh African sun. 
Moses needed company, especially at night, so Jenny would sleep next to him on a mattress on the floor. 
(Music). 
Well, this is a very big time-consuming responsibility. 
Now going to the beginning of this section: 
Jenny quickly learned that an elephant baby needs more than just a special formula every two hours. 
So trying to take care of Moses, this baby elephant, giving him a formula every two hours was not quite enough. 
Now Gabe, what is a formula? 
Well, a formula is kind of like a milk mixture or substitute for human infants. 
Usually we're talking about a formula that you feed to a small baby. 
But of course, you can't just use a simple formula to feed a 100-kilogram elephant. 
That's right. 
And we see what else Moses the elephant needed. 
Elephant mothers provide not only food but also shelter under their big bellies. 
And it's true. 
An elephant is very, very large. 
So if the small baby elephant goes underneath it, it would be provided with shelter. 
And "shelter" is a word we want to talk about. 
It's from our Word Bank. 
If you have shelter, that means you have something over your head, something to protect you from the rain or storms. 
Or even if it's really sunny and the sun is beating down, you have shelter. 
Shelter is one of our basic needs in life like food and water, we have shelter. 
It can also be a verb, to shelter someone. 
That's right. 
So it's very important for a baby elephant to have its mother there to protect it from many different things. 
Now I think Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud have something that they want to tell us about: not only... but also. 
Twice in today's lesson we see the basic English sentence pattern: not only... but also. 
Widely used in writing and speaking, this pattern is used to present two related pieces of information. 
The first piece of information comes after "not only" while the second piece comes after "but also". 
Right. 
And here's the twist: 
Both pieces of information are presented as somewhat surprising or unexpected with the second piece being even more surprising than the first. 
From our lesson, we learn about an orphanage for elephants - that's somewhat surprising, not something you hear about too... too often. 
Right. 
But the second piece of information - the orphanage taking in other large animals like hippos and rhinos - is even more surprising. 
When using the "not only... but also..." structure, be sure that the two pieces of information are parallel. 
In other words, if the first piece of information is a preposition or phrase, the second piece should be as well. 
Right. 
Finally, be aware that in this sentence structure, the "but" is sometimes omitted, and other times the "also" is omitted, like in today's text. 
But that doesn't change the sentence pattern's function. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, let's continue learning about how important shelter is. 
Of course a mother elephant is very important providing shelter for the baby elephants. 
"Elephants can get sunburned," as we read here, "and Moses didn't have his mother's large size to protect him." OK. 
So I guess it's not only humans that can get sunburned. 
Carolyn, do you think about animals as getting sunburned? 
I usually don't think about this. 
It's something that is very surprising actually because usually animals have lots of fur that cover their skin. 
But elephants have just a little bit of hair, actually kind of like a human, just a little thin layer of hair that covers their bodies. 
And it doesn't really protect them from the harsh sun, especially the sun in Africa where it can be very, very intense, and it can really hurt your skin. 
It's true. 
So maybe even Moses needed to put on some sunblock. 
Indeed! As we read on, he needed sunscreen and creams applied to his skin every day. 
So it's kind of like us. 
When we go to the beach or somewhere where it's very hot, we have to put on sunscreen or different kinds of creams. 
And Moses is doing the same thing. 
He needs these things to protect him. 
Well, it is very important to protect your skin. 
And it sounds like elephants also need that same protection to make sure that it stays moisturized, 
that it doesn't get too try and that the sun doesn't harm it with all of those rays. 
All right. Well, we continue learning about him. 
A blanket was tied over his back during the day to protect him from the harsh African sun. 
OK. So it's not only sunscreen and creams that are protecting him from sunburns, but he also has a nice little blanket. 
Wow, they really are caring for Moses. 
They are really trying to take care of this little elephant by putting sunscreen on him and all these creams and a blanket. 
And all of these things help to protect him from the harsh sun. 
And "harsh" is one of the words from our Word Bank. 
Now if something is harsh, then it is very difficult, it's a challenge. 
Maybe it's very uncomfortable as well. 
Yes. A harsh something - you could use this word to describe other things as well. 
Maybe there was a harsh punishment. 
You did something wrong. 
It wasn't just a simple punishment. 
It was a harsh punishment. 
Or maybe someone said something to you that was really mean, you could say he had harsh words. 
Or of course in a storm, there might be harsh winds outside. 
There's a harsh typhoon. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing on in our article: 
Moses needed company. 
We talked earlier about how he might be lonesome. 
So Moses needed company, especially at night, so Jenny would sleep next to him on a mattress on the floor. 
Wow! Jenny sounds like she really cares about this little elephant. 
Oh, I think she certainly does. 
She understands that elephants are very emotional creatures. 
There are some animals that are emotional, and elephants certainly are emotional. 
They get lonesome. 
They need company. 
They need someone to be there with them. 
And she is right there - has a mattress on the floor, and she sleeps on this mattress. 
What's a mattress, Carolyn? 
Well, a mattress is something comfortable that you sleep on, and it goes on your bed. 
So she is sleeping on this mattress on the floor next to this little elephant so that he won't be lonesome, and he'll be able to sleep at night. 
Well, right now it is time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what the other teachers are doing. 
Today we've been continuing to learn about Jenny Webb and the Jumbo Foundation, where she helps to take care of very large animals that have been orphaned. 
And I wonder if you think that this is a good idea. 
Do you think it is important to save these large animals like elephants? 
Gabe, would you want to save an elephant? 
Well, yeah, if I had a chance and... and the time, I would like to save an elephant. 
I have taken in kitties before, little puppies and kittens. 
And I think if I had a chance to save a large animal, I would. 
Of course, I would need some help. 
But I think it's great that foundations like Jenny's and other ones like it are doing just that. 
They are helping many wild animals. 
They are certainly doing a wonderful job, trying to solve these problems that humans have caused. 
Well, we still have more to learn tomorrow all about How to Raise an Elephant here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.08.21.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for the third day of our lesson How to Raise an Elephant. 
Of course Jenny Webb started this foundation, the Jumbo Foundation Elephant Orphanage, actually. 
And uh, we're finding out that she took in an elephant calf named Moses, or she took him in and then named him Moses. 
And then she also started to help other animals as well. 
What was another thing that we learned about this foundation or about Jenny? 
Well, she did start this, and this is in Malawi, a country in Africa. 
And she does take in other large animals like hippos and rhinos that also need to be cared for because they have lost their mothers. 
Well, we also learned that elephants provide shelter to their babies by protecting them from the harsh African sun. 
The baby can go underneath the mother elephant and be protected there. 
But Moses didn't have this, so he needed to have lots of sunscreen and different kinds of creams to protect him. 
And they even used a blanket. 
That's right. 
Well, they really care for larger animals like Moses. 
We're going to talk a little bit more about how Jenny found Moses here at the beginning of our lesson today. 
Let's get started. 
(Music). 
How to Raise an Elephant. 
When Jenny took in Moses in February of 2012, she believed he had only a 20 percent chance of survival. 
Without the immunities he'd get in his mother's milk, Moses frequently got sick. 
Thankfully, veterinarians and people from the Elephant Orphanage Project in nearby Zambia helped out a lot. 
But sadly, in November 2012, he got severe diarrhea and could not get over it, and Moses died. 
Jenny and her many friends continue to mourn the little elephant who touched their lives in such a special way. 
(Music). 
Well, there you have it - Moses didn't survive. 
I thought maybe this would be a happier ending here, but... but Moses didn't survive. 
However, Jenny and her friends are doing something great here at this organization. 
They will continue to help large orphaned animals. 
Let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
When Jenny took in Moses in February of 2012, she believed he had only a 20 percent chance of survival. 
So we found out, of course, that she found him when he was a week old, and she figured that his mother was probably killed by poachers. 
And she thought that he only had 20 percent chance to survive. 
That is not a very good chance. 
So it's pretty amazing just how long he did survive and was able to be cared for by Jenny so wonderfully for such a long time. 
And we find out why she thought that he had such a small chance of survival. 
Without the immunities he'd get in his mother's milk, Moses frequently got sick. 
So he didn't have those immunities. 
And immunities are something within your body that help to prevent you or fight off diseases. 
And it's very important for baby animals as well as people to get those immunities from their mothers' milk. 
It's true, from their own mothers' milk. 
So of course Jenny and her co-workers are trying the best they can with different kinds of formulas and different food, 
but it's not quite the same as the immunities that Moses would have had from his own mother's milk. 
And so he frequently got sick. 
Let's take a look at that key word "frequently." If something happens frequently, it happens often. 
And that's a very simple explanation - it just happens often, so. 
Perhaps you frequently need to practice your English. 
You should practice that every day at least ten minutes. 
I think that's a great idea. 
I could also say I frequently drive my scooter to lots of places. 
I drive it often. 
Well, this animal, this elephant, Moses, frequently got sick. 
Thankfully, veterinarians and people from the Elephant Orphanage Project in nearby Zambia helped out a lot. 
Well, that is really wonderful. 
And we find out here that there is another organization very similar to her... to Jenny's foundation that also helps out elephants in the country of Zambia. 
Now we saw a word there, "veterinarians." And those are animal doctors, doctors who help animals when they are sick. 
Now Gabe, how do we continue? 
Well, first of all, a veterinarian - you could also just call that person a vet. 
You might say I'm taking my dog or my cat to the vet's, the vet's office. 
V-E-T, OK. 
So we continue by learning about Moses further. 
But sadly in 2012, he got severe diarrhea and could not get over it, and Moses died. 
And that was very sad. 
And it was in November, 2012. 
So he had lived for quite a few months, from February to November. 
And it was very sad that he could not get over this severe diarrhea. 
Well, let's take a look at that word. 
The word from our Word Bank is "severe." It kind of reminds me of the word we learned yesterday - harsh. 
If something is severe, it's really extreme. 
It's not just simple or easy to deal with. 
How else could you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times I use this word to describe the weather. 
If the weather is very severe, that means you probably don't want to go outside. 
If there's a big snowstorm or if it's way too hot, then the weather would be considered severe. 
That's right. 
Or if you have a disease and it's really extreme or harsh, you would use the word severe. 
So Moses had severe diarrhea, which is definitely not a very comfortable thing at all. 
Sometimes people get diarrhea, sometimes animals get this as well. 
And so Moses had diarrhea, could not get over it. 
What does that mean, to get over something? 
Well, it means that he didn't get better. 
If you get over something, then it isn't bothering you anymore. 
It's no longer a problem. 
But this remained a problem for him, which probably meant that he didn't have enough water in his body. 
And that is what caused him to die. 
All right. 
So Moses couldn't get over this. 
Jenny and her many friends continue to mourn the little elephant who touched their lives in such a special way. 
All right. 
We see here they're not just her co-workers, not just the people that she works with, they are her friends. 
They were Moses' friends as well, and Moses touched their lives in a special way. 
Yes, he did. 
And they continue to mourn the little elephant. 
So we want to look at that word from our Word Bank. 
The word is "mourn." Now if you mourn something, that means that you are very sad about it. 
You express that you are sad about it. 
And it's something that you are sad because it is gone. 
Mmhm. That's right. 
So you might be in mourning for something. 
That's kind of a phrase we use - I'm in mourning. 
Or maybe Jenny said, "I'm in mourning for Moses" - in M-O-U-R-N-I-N-G. 
And so of course her and her friends have been mourning Moses. 
And maybe they still do sometimes. 
I know it takes a long time to get over something like this. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.21.B

Today we are on the third day of our article - How to Raise an Elephant. 
And today we found out some very sad news about Moses and his story. 
We learned that he frequently got sick because of severe diarrhea, and he just wasn't able to get over it. 
So Jenny and her friends still mourn this little elephant that touched their lives. 
But we don't need to be sad about Moses because it has led to the formation of a wonderful foundation that will continue to help other animals. 
Let's read some more about that now. 
(Music). 
How to Raise an Elephant. 
"Elephants are very sensitive and pick up on your emotions, 
if you are sad they comfort you, if you are stressed they are tense, if you are ill they are loving," Jenny said. 
At the moment, the Jumbo Foundation has no elephants to care for. 
But as elephant poaching remains a serious problem, Jenny will no doubt take in more orphans in the future. 
What Jenny learned from caring for Moses will help her when the next orphan comes along. 
(Music). 
Well, you know, life is all about learning. 
We're constantly learning from our experiences, sometimes from our mistakes as well as our successes. 
Let's go back to the beginning of this section here. 
"Elephants are very sensitive and pick up on your emotions, 
if you are sad they comfort you, if you are stressed they are tense, if you are ill they are loving," Jenny said. 
OK. So Jenny and her friends who are... have been mourning Moses, she is describing elephants now. 
She's describing Moses for us. 
Yes, she is. 
And it seems like elephants are very caring animals. 
When you think about an elephant, you think about this huge animal that might be a little bit scary to be around because it is so large. 
But actually, elephants are very "gentle and loving," as Jenny has said. 
They are very sensitive and they pick up on your emotions. 
Now if they pick up on something, what does that mean, Gabe? 
That's a great question. 
When you pick up on someone's emotions, that means you can sense that there's something going on. 
You're not sure because... because they haven't said anything. 
But you can sense it, you can pick up on someone's emotions. 
If you're a very sensitive person, then you can also pick up on your friends' emotions around you. 
That's right. 
Well, apparently when elephants are around you, they can tell when you feel sad, and they want to comfort you. 
They want to make you feel better. 
And if you are stressed, they are tense. 
Now if you feel stressed, you might also be tense, and they feel tense with you. 
So let's look at that word from our Word Bank. 
If you are tense, then you are nervous. 
You're a little bit upset and not sure what to do. 
Exactly. You're a little bit tense. 
This is exactly the opposite of the word "relaxed." Of course you like to feel relaxed, not nervous. 
But sometimes you might be working on something or have no free time, you're very busy and you just get very tense. 
If this happens, maybe you need a massage. 
Maybe you have tense shoulders. 
And someone might say: Ooh, your shoulders are very tense. 
You should relax more. 
Yes. 
So don't worry. 
Relax, don't be tense. 
But this little elephant would know if you were, and he would be tense with you. 
Now Jenny said also that if you are ill, so if you're sick, something is wrong, they are very loving and they care about you. 
And that brings us to the topic that Steve and Ken would like to share with us in the Information Cloud on sympathy versus empathy. 
Elephants might be emotionally sensitive animals, but are they capable of sympathy? 
How about empathy? 
Sympathy and empathy. 
Most English speakers would be hard-pressed to make the distinction between these two words. 
Both share the same Greek root "pathos," meaning emotion. 
But there is an important difference in their emotional meaning. 
Right. 
To help explain things, let's pretend your best friend loses her job. 
A sympathetic response would be acknowledging your friend's emotional suffering by comforting her with kind words and deeds. 
The empathetic response, however, would be stepping into your friend's shoes, so to speak, and imagining what it would be like to lose your job even for just a brief moment. 
Sympathy says: I'm sorry for you. 
What can I do to help you through this difficult time? 
Empathy says: I'm sorry with you. 
I totally understand what you're going through. 
Sympathy says: You poor dear, I see that you're hurting. 
While empathy says: I feel what you feel. 
I'm in this with you. 
So then, with this in mind, we can conclude that elephants are capable of sympathy and empathy with humans. 
They can comfort us and feel what we feel. 
That's amazing! 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
So of course we know that elephants sympathize and empathize with people. 
Well, we continue learning about this. 
At the moment, the Jumbo Foundation has no elephants to care for. 
OK. 
So aside from Moses, I don't know if they had other elephants. 
They have lots of other large animals. 
But right now they have no elephants to care for. 
Let's learn something about this sentence with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We see this sentence in today's article: 
At the moment, the Jumbo Foundation has no elephants to care for. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the phrase: at the moment. 
It's just a nice way to say "right now." In other words, right now the Jumbo Foundation has no elephants to care for. 
Use this phrase "at the moment" when you want to describe a situation happening now. 
For example: 
At the moment, the restaurant is full and we will have to wait an hour. 
Or: The manager is not here at the moment but will return to the office this afternoon. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
That's all the time we have for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
At the moment, we are going to continue learning about this organization. 
And right now they don't have any elephants to care for. 
But as elephant poaching remains a serious problem, Jenny will no doubt take in more orphans in the future. 
So it is very possible that they will have many more elephants in the future. 
But for right now, they don't have any. 
And maybe that is OK since taking care of a baby elephant is very, very time-consuming. 
That's right. 
It is a lot of work. 
But there is still a problem. 
Poaching still remains a problem. 
If it remains a problem, that means the problem is still there. OK. 
Poaching is a problem in many countries. 
There are tons of poachers out there illegally hunting and killing and capturing animals. 
So we see a sentence here - Jenny says that she will no doubt take in more orphans in the future. 
Let's take a look at that phrase "no doubt." OK. 
No doubt. That means there is no doubt about this. 
There's no question about this. 
It will happen. 
Yes. So it will definitely or certainly occur in the future. 
There is no doubt because it is still a problem. 
And Jenny has started this organization for baby elephants. 
It is even called the Jumbo Foundation Elephant Orphanage. 
So I'm sure she is very eager and excited to be able to take care of more elephants in need. 
I think so, too. 
She will do this without a doubt. 
So of course I hope that they can help many other animals as well. 
Now we continue here. 
What Jenny learned from caring for Moses will help her when the next orphan comes along. 
Of course we always can learn from our experiences in the past. 
And she's going to be able to help out even better when the next large animal orphan comes along. 
And that is a very wonderful thing especially since Moses was the first elephant she'd ever tried to care for. 
I'm sure that she and the people that she works with, her friends, everyone that she has hired to help with the organization have all learned a lot from caring for this baby elephant Moses. 
It's true. 
Well, friends, I've enjoyed learning about Jenny Webb and her organization about how she cared for Moses and cares for other large animals. 
And of course, if you are curious about elephants and you haven't yet, you can open up your magazine and read those elephant facts on page 37. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And it's time to go back to our teachers. 
OK. Well, we've had a great time learning about the Jumbo Foundation Elephant Orphanage and everything that Jenny and her friends do there. 
They're protecting and helping to save young large animals. 
And of course some of these animals are there because their parents were poached. 
A lot of large animals, or a lot of animals are poached. 
This is not a good thing. 
I wonder what other animals out there are being poached. 
Carolyn, can you think of any other animals? 
Well, there are quite a few, and many of them are large animals. 
Actually, the animals that we wanted to take care of are among them - tigers, cheetahs, lions and even sea turtles, giant turtles, rhinos... 
There are so many animals that are just being hunted when their numbers are already so few. 
It's true. 
Actually, about rhinos, I found out that last year, just last year in 2012, 668 rhinos were hunted and killed. 
And actually already this year, it's almost at a rate of two per day. 
So this is still a serious problem. 
It remains a problem even today. 
What can we do to help? 
Well, there are many organizations that you can go and find out how you can help. 
Maybe you can even send in money or funds. 
There are different ways to help. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.08.22.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And we have a very special lesson for you today. 
It's called Drawings Come to Life with 3Doodler. 
What is a 3Doodler? 
Well, that's something that will help you to draw, but it will help you to draw in 3-D. 
This sounds very interesting. 
Maybe you don't know what this means. 
We're going to learn a little bit about this in our lesson today. 
Well, I do wonder if you like drawing. 
Carolyn, do you ever draw anything? 
Well, I really don't think I'm much of an artist. 
I don't do much drawing for other people to see. 
But after reading this article, I think that this would sound awesome and that I might start drawing more if I had a 3Doodler. 
Well, I think so, too. 
3Doodlers. 
Drawings will come to life with 3Doodlers. 
Let's get started with our lesson right now. 
(Music). 
Drawings Come to Life with 3Doodler. 
Turning doodles into 3-D objects. 
In their spare time millions enjoy doodling, which, up till now, has usually involved drawing on paper. 
But now, folks can try doodling in the air, thanks to 3Doodler, the world's first 3-D printing pen! 
As one draws, hot plastic comes out of the pen, cools and becomes a solid strand. 
Would-be artists can draw flat forms or separate parts and then join them together. 
Lifting the pen up into the air adds a strand that can stand on its own! 
Created by toy and robotics company WobbleWorks, this pen is quite different from a 3-D printer. 
Well, this does sound like a very cool pen to use. 
And at the beginning we see "Turning doodles into 3-D objects." And this pen is called a 3Doodler. 
And so let's look at that word "doodle" from the Word Bank. 
A doodle is just a small drawing. 
Maybe you weren't really thinking about it when you were drawing, 
but you decided to sketch something on a piece of paper, and it's not a very serious picture. 
That's right, a doodle. 
Well, many people like to make little doodles in their spare time. 
Or maybe you're sitting in class and you're a little bit bored. 
And while your teacher is talking, you might be doodling on your paper, drawing little pictures of things. 
Of course you can use this word as a noun and a verb. 
You can doodle something, and that is your doodle. 
That's right, so. 
We are talking about the 3Doodler. 
And at the beginning of the article: 
In their spare time millions enjoy doodling, which, up till now, has usually involved drawing on paper. 
Now it's true. 
Millions of people... it just says millions, but we know they are talking about people who enjoy doodling. 
And up till now, this has usually involved drawing on paper. 
That's certainly what I think when I think of doodling. 
Exactly. 
Up till now - so things are changing now. 
Well, let's take a look at that phrase: up till now. 
So you could use this phrase in another way as well. 
Up till now, he's been the fastest runner in our class, but there's someone new in class who can run even faster. 
That's right. 
So up to this point in time, this has been true. 
But that is changing. 
Something is happening. 
And we see in our next sentence: 
But now, folks can try doodling in the air thanks to 3Doodler, the world's first 3-D printing pen. 
Now this just sounds amazing. 
Instead of drawing on paper, you can draw in the air. 
Yeah, this is kind of hard to imagine. 
I think we have a special video about this later in our lesson, so... so stay with us for that. 
But for now it's time for us to learn something with Liz in the Grammar Gym about this word "folks". 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this sentence: 
But now, folks can try doodling in the air... 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the word "folks." It's an informal way of saying "people," so. 
What the writer is saying is that now people can try doodling in the air. 
"Folks" is used in casual situations. 
If you need to get everyone's attention at a party, for example, 
instead of saying, "Everybody, may I have your attention please?" you can say: Folks, may I have your attention please? 
Or if you want to describe how people in your neighborhood like being outside in the evenings, you can say: 
The folks in my neighborhood like to come out in the evenings and hang out. 
So give this word a try. 
Think of something that people in general like to do and try using this word "folks." And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you later. 
Thanks, Liz. 
Well, now let's learn a little bit about how this pen works. 
As one draws, hot plastic comes out of the pen, cools and becomes a solid strand. 
And this word "strand" is from our Word Bank. 
What is a strand, Gabe? 
Well, a strand, that is one small line of something, like a string, a strand. 
Or maybe... maybe you might talk about a strand of hair. OK? 
Uh, one small line of something. 
I think of something from the Bible that says a cord of three strands is not easily broken. 
So if you have one string, you might be able to cut it easily. 
But if you tie three together, that means it's not easily broken. 
That means that people should come together on their ideas more. 
Their ideas will not be easily broken. 
That's right. 
And here we're talking about the 3Doodler. 
When you draw with this pen, a piece of plastic comes out as a single strand. 
Now we continue. 
Would-be artists can draw flat forms or separate parts and then join them together. 
And oh, they can join these pieces together, Gabe. 
It sounds kind of interesting. 
I think I need to see a video to really understand this, and that is coming later. 
But for right now it's time for us to join Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
There are artists and there are would-be artists, both love art. 
So what's the difference? 
OK. A would-be artist may love art but does not have the experience of an established artist. 
"Would-be" is an adjective that describes someone who has the desire and, usually, the potential to do or be something, like a would-be artist or a would-be politician. 
OK. Here's an example. 
There was an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in the early 1980s. 
We can call the person who shot him a would-be assassin. 
He intended to kill the President. 
Now fortunately he failed, so he never became an assassin. 
A related word is wannabe. 
I might say so-and-so is a wannabe artist. 
So now the question is: How is wannabe different from would-be? 
OK. 
Wannabe is, first of all, slang. 
It's a slurrying of "want to be." Also, wannabe can be either an adjective or a noun whereas would-be is always an adjective. 
Right. But the biggest difference between the two is that wannabe often has a negative connotation. 
A wannabe artist is someone who might imitate an artist or pretend to be one. 
A would-be artist does not have this connotation. 
I agree, Ken. 
A would-be artist will likely work hard and will actually take the necessary steps to become an artist while a wannabe artist will just dress and speak like one. 
And probably look a little silly trying to be one. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
And learning a little bit more about how this pen works: 
Lifting the pen up into the air adds a strand that can stand on its own. 
So you don't have to draw on paper, you can draw this strand up in the air and it will stand by itself. 
That's right. 
Again, stay tuned because there is a video that will demonstrate this later. 
Well, we continue. 
Created by toy and robotics company WobbleWorks, this pen is quite different from a 3-D printer. 
So we've learned about 3-D printers earlier this year. 
Now this is a little bit different. 
But let's take a look at one of these words from our Word Bank, "robotics." And this is the science of robots or machines. 
That's right. 
So they make robots, and they also make toys. 
Now you might say, "I want to study robotics in school." You wouldn't say that I want to study robots in school. 
OK, good point. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.22.B

Drawings Come to Life with 3Doodler. 
Today we're talking about the 3Doodler. 
And it's something that you can use to doodle, but it's not just like doodling with a pen or pencil. 
No. With the 3Doodler, hot plastic comes out and cools and then becomes hard. 
And you can... you can create different drawings that can actually stand like they're in 3-D. 
I think we need to see a video of this later in our lesson. 
But for now, let's continue learning in our article Drawings Come to Life with 3Doodler. 
(Music). 
Drawings Come to Life with 3Doodler. 
For example, this pen requires no computers or image files, and it can be used to create anything a person can dream up. 
How about a bicycle or a bird? 
Or what about a miniature Eiffel Tower? 
The 3Doodler website features these and other examples of 3Doodles! 
Initial interest in 3Doodler has been extraordinary. 
In the first 30 hours of the 3Doodler Kickstarter campaign, WobbleWorks raised more than US$500,000 to make the product a reality. 
Now with more than US$2 million in support, WobbleWorks plans on shipping the finished version of 3Doodler in late 2013. 
Get your drawing hand ready! 
Now perhaps you were thinking that this does sound similar to the 3-D printer. 
But as we read in the previous sentence, this pen is quite different from a 3-D printer. 
And in this next section we find out why. 
For example, this pen requires no computers or image files, and it can be used to create anything a person can dream up. 
Well, this does sound very different from the 3-D printer. 
It's true. 
And if you dream up something, that means you are imagining it. 
You're creating it in your mind. 
Well, we continue. 
How about a bicycle or a bird? 
Anything that you're thinking about. 
What about a bicycle or a bird? 
Or what about a miniature Eiffel Tower? 
Wow, you could make a miniature Eiffel Tower. 
And there are some pictures going on behind me that you can see of the Eiffel Tower. 
And we're talking about something that is miniature. 
So if it's miniature, then it is smaller. 
It is much smaller than the real thing. 
That's right. 
But it is based on something that is real. 
And when I think of this word "miniature," I think of a golf game called miniature golf. 
It's not... it doesn't take place on a big field or a big golf course, but it takes place in a much smaller area - miniature golf. 
Or something miniature can also be called mini. 
You can shorten that word to M-I-N-I, mini. 
That's right. 
Well, you could make a miniature Eiffel Tower. 
Maybe you could make a miniature car, anything that you can think of. 
The 3Doodler website features these and other examples of 3Doodles! 
And I did go to the website. 
And it is very amazing some of the things that they're able to make with this pen. 
It's true. 
Well, we're learning more about how this started. 
Initial interest in 3Doodler has been extraordinary. 
So there's a lot of interest in this special pen, and it's very extraordinary. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank - extraordinary. 
It kind of reminds me of a word that we learned earlier this month - outstanding. 
If it's extraordinary, it's not common or ordinary. 
It's more than that; it's extraordinary. 
That's right. 
So it's something that is unusual or unexpected but in a good way. 
So it is extraordinary. 
Maybe the number of tickets sold for the play or the theater performance was extraordinary. 
No one thought that they would sell that many tickets. 
Or that person has extraordinary talent. 
Well, we continue. 
In the first 30 hours of the 3Doodler Kickstarter campaign, WobbleWorks raised more than US$500,000 to make the product a reality. 
And that was just within the first 30 hours. 
Just a little more than a day, they raised more than half a million dollars. 
That's right. 
Now, with more than US$2 million in support, WobbleWorks plans on shipping the finished version of 3Doodler in late 2013. 
And you know what that means, Gabe. 
What does it mean? 
Get your drawing hand ready! 
Your drawing hand! 
Wait, is that my right hand or... uh, I'm right-handed, so my drawing hand is my right hand. 
Yes, that... that would be correct. 
You would draw with your right hand. 
But maybe you can try using your left hand with the 3Doodler. 
Hey, that's not a bad idea. 
Well, friends, if you do want to know more about Kickstarter or the Kickstarter campaign, there is a sidebar on page 43 of your magazine. 
You can find out more there. 
Right now it is finally time to watch that video of the 3Doodler. 
Let's enjoy that, and then go spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
What if you could draw things exactly as you imagined? 
What if you could lift your pen off the paper and create real objects? 
The 3Doodler is the world's first and only 3-D drawing pen. 
It's been designed to be compact and easy to use. 
No software, no computers. 
You just plug it in and can start drawing anything within minutes. 
The beauty of 3Doodler is how simple it is. 
Everyone knows how to use a pen. 
So we designed a 3-D printing pen. 
If you can scribble, trace or wave a finger in the air, you can use a 3Doodler to create simple or complex objects. 
And we're making 3-D creation accessible to everyone. 
A 3Doodler is the most affordable way to 3-D printing. 
So how does it work? 
3Doodler uses cutting-edge, patent-pending technology to heat and cool plastic as it passes through the body of the pen. 
Just like a 3-D printer, plastic cools rapidly and becomes hard. 
The possibilities are endless - including 3-D models, jewelry, decorative art, toys, fridge magnets or scale model of the Eiffel Tower. 
It can even be used for basic repairs. 
3Doodler represents a whole new media for artists, makers, 3-D enthusiasts - in fact, anyone wanting to express their creative side. 
Hi. I'm Max. 
And I'm Pete. 
And we're WobbleWorks. 
Pete and I met years ago in Hong Kong when I was working for a toy company. 
And Pete was an independent inventor from MIT. 
I brought to market such products as Rovio and RS Media. 
And at MIT, I worked on a number of fun projects including a walking dinosaur robot and a transforming motorcycle called Uno. 
3Doodler is the result of a year's worth of R&D. 
And after a number of prototypes, we feel like we're finally ready to take it to the next level. 
Pete and I have already been to China. 
And we're working with a factory that's capable of producing thousands of 3Doodlers. 
All we need is your support to make this a reality. 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
And let's return to our teachers now. 
In our article today, we discussed some of the differences between the 3Doodler and the 3-D printer that we had learned about previously. 
Now I wonder which one do you think would be more useful, a 3-D printer or a 3Doodler. 
Gabe? 
Hmm... Well, I think that a 3-D printer might be more useful. 
It also might be a lot more powerful. 
You can make more things with a 3-D printer. 
Just a couple months ago, people even made the first 3-D gun with a 3-D printer. 
I don't like that idea, but that's just how powerful this 3-D printer can be. 
That is true. 
But you know, I think the 3Doodler might be a little bit more fun and interesting to use. 
Yeah, and probably a little bit cheaper, too. 
Hopefully. 
Well, that is it for today on our lesson in TECHNOLOGY, but we will see you again here on Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.08.23.A

Hi, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for an interesting VIEWPOINTS lesson today. 
It is called Travel Troubles. Hmm. 
Well, many people love to go traveling. 
I knew we talk about traveling a lot here at Studio Classroom. 
And I do wonder if you prefer going other places traveling by yourself or maybe with a group of other people. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, I don't like traveling by myself just as one person. 
I mean, I've traveled back and forth between places going to visit people, but to actually travel by myself I don't think I would like. 
But I do like to take one or two other people, not a big group. 
Not a big group of people, I'm... I'm with you. 
I agree. 
I like to go with a couple of good friends or family members, and sometimes do things with a tour group, and sometimes do things just by ourselves. 
So that's kind of what our lesson is about today. 
Let's get started. 
Travel Troubles. 
Travel Troubles. 
Should you try to plan your trip yourself or take a tour? 
Michael is sitting in a coffee shop doing research on his computer. 
His classmate Jade walks over and starts a conversation. 
(Music). 
Hey, Michael! 
You're really focused. 
Are you working on homework? 
No, I'm researching hotel prices. 
Oh! Where are you going? 
I'm going on a trip to Europe with some friends in a few months. 
I'm in charge of finding hostels or hotels for us to stay in. 
Can't you ask a travel agent to do that for you? 
Oh, we're arranging the trip ourselves. 
That sounds really stressful. 
I always travel with a tour group. 
You're kidding me! 
Why would you want to go with a tour group? 
(Music). 
All right, a good conversation so far. 
Let's go back to the beginning of our lesson. 
We see a question here. 
It's kind of what the lesson is about. 
Should you try to plan your trip by yourself... or plan your trip yourself or take a tour? 
OK. This is the options that we have today - planning a trip yourself or taking a tour, letting someone else help you plan. 
That's right. 
And so we are going to listen to this conversation, go through it. 
And we see that Michael is sitting in a coffee shop doing research on his computer. 
Well, that seems pretty normal. 
Lots of people go to coffee shops to do research. 
And his classmate Jade walks over and starts a conversation. 
And this is what Jade says: 
Hey, Michael! You're really focused... 
Um, Gabe. Gabe, Gabe... 
I think maybe I should read Jade's part. 
Oh. Hey, that's a good idea! You know why? 
Why? 
Because you're wearing a green shirt, and jades are green. 
Well, that's... that's true. 
Jade is a green stone, and I'm wearing green, maybe got a little jade on my necklace. Yes, OK. 
I will be Jade, this beautiful girl's name. 
Hey, Michael! 
You're really focused. 
Are you working on homework? 
A great question. 
I love Jade's question - Are you working on homework? 
And of course you can ask this in other ways. 
What are you working on? 
That means, what are you busy with? OK? 
Michael says: 
No, I'm researching hotel prices. 
Oh. Well, that's some interesting research that he's doing, not homework or researching information but researching hotel prices. 
So, Jade's response: 
Oh, where are you going? 
I'm going on a trip to Europe with some friends in a few months. 
I'm in charge of finding hostels or hotels for us to stay in. 
Wow. That sounds pretty interesting, don't you think? 
They're going on a trip to Europe. 
Well, that's very exciting. 
And he has to find hostels or hotels for his friends and himself to stay in. 
So let's look at that word "hostel." Now a hostel and a hotel are a little bit different, but they are both places that you stay. 
Usually a hostel is some place very cheap and usually for younger people that are traveling. 
That's true. 
Sometimes in a hotel you might rent a whole room. 
It might cost a little bit of money, but that's OK. 
In a hostel, actually you maybe just rent a bed. 
And you might be in a room with other people that you don't even know at some hostels, especially youth hostels. 
So there are different kinds of hostels and hotels. 
There are. 
But hostels can also be very nice. 
I stayed in a very beautiful one in Bali, Indonesia. 
And it was just gorgeous and not expensive. 
Well, right now we're going to learn something with Steve and Ken in the Information... in the Information Cloud about those words: 
hostel, hotel and a third one. 
Today let's talk about word triplets, which are three distinct words that come from the same place but enter the English language at different times and by different means. 
OK. Today's lesson mentions two words of a triplet set in the same sentence: hostel and hotel. 
The third missing member of the triplet is hospital. 
These three words come from the same Latin root, but each entered English at a different time. 
Hostel was first. 
It arrived in the early 13th century via old French. 
It meant inn, lodgings or shelter. 
And it still does. 
A few years later came "hospital," which meant shelter for the needy. 
Its modern usage of "institution for sick people" came later in the mid-16th century. 
OK. Finally, "hotel" from modern French. 
When it first entered the English language in the early 17th century, it meant public official residence. 
We know it by its more common definition: lodgings of a nicer sort. 
The common thread running through these words is obvious, right? 
They're all places that provide people temporary shelter. 
Another example of an English triplet are the words captain, chef and chief - three distinct words that all come from the Latin word "cap," meaning head. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
So far in our conversation we know that Michael is in charge of finding or booking hotels or hostels for him and his friends. 
Now Jade, what is the next line? 
Oh. Well, she says: 
Can't you ask a travel agent to do that for you? 
Travel agent? 
That's a good word. 
We should all know this word. 
It's from our Word Bank. 
Your travel agent is someone that you hire or you ask, sometimes actually often you don't have to pay them money, you ask them to help you plan a trip. 
You can organize a trip for yourself, or you might ask a travel agent to do that for you. 
Carolyn, sometimes do you have to pay a travel agent? 
There are times when you do need to pay a travel agent. 
Although a lot of times, if they help you to book the trip, 
the fee will be included in your booking expenses or in the amount of money you have to pay for your tickets. 
OK. Usually I think of a travel agent as helping someone book a flight. 
But they can do a lot more than that. 
And of course, a travel agent might work at a place called a travel agency. 
A-G-E-N-C-Y. 
That's right. 
Well, I think uh, Michael, you have the next line. 
OK, great. 
Oh, we're arranging... (I change my voice a little bit). 
Oh, I see. 
Oh, we're arranging the trip ourselves. 
Oh, you're doing it by yourself? 
Mmhm. 
Oh, well. Jade's response: 
That sounds really stressful. 
Well, hold on a second. 
We need to look at that word, Jade. 
It is "stressful." If something is stressful for you, that means you don't really... really enjoy doing it. 
It means you have a lot of pressure when you're doing it. 
And uh... yeah. 
Are things stressful for you, Carolyn? 
Well, right now I don't think things are very stressful because I enjoy what I'm doing. 
But sometimes maybe you have deadlines approaching, you have so much work to do and no time to do it, it might be really stressful for you. 
It could be a stressful situation. 
Now here is an important English point. 
People are stressed. 
They're not stressful. 
Situations are stressful. 
But if you have a lot of pressure, you could say: Oh, I'm really stressed or stressed out. 
OK. So Jade uh, is... finds this really stressful. 
And what does she say? 
Yes. She says it's really stressful. 
I always travel with a tour group. 
Hmm. All right. 
She always travels with a tour group. 
And we'll find out why, but first: "You're kidding me!" I love that. 
You're kidding me. 
You could also say: You're joking, or: Are you really serious? 
Michael says: Why would you want to go with a tour group? 
Well, we will find out in the next part of the reading. 
But right now it is time to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.23.B

Well, today we are reading a conversation between Jade and Michael in this POINT OF VIEW article. 
And Michael is busy researching prices on hostels and hotels for his trip to Europe. 
And Jade is a little bit confused because she always uses a travel agent to help her arrange her trips. 
Michael can't believe this and wonders why. 
Well, we will find out in the next part of our reading right now. 
Travel Troubles. 
Because the tour company takes care of all of the travel arrangements. 
I don't have to worry about anything or waste time doing my own research. 
That's true, but you really pay for that service. 
You can save a lot of money making your own arrangements. 
That might be true, but doing everything yourself can be difficult. 
You have to monitor so many sites to catch the best prices. 
We don't mind doing that since we can save money. 
And by planning ahead, we shouldn't encounter too many difficulties. 
We can also set our own schedule and not have the problems you get with a group. 
Such as? 
(Music). 
Such as? 
Oh, there's more in tomorrow's lesson. OK. 
But let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
We're continuing this conversation with Jade and Michael. OK. 
And Jade uh... 
Michael just said: Why would you want to go with a tour group? 
That's right. 
Well, Jade has an answer. 
Because the tour company takes care of all the travel arrangements. 
I don't have to worry about anything or waste time doing my own research. 
That's a very good point. 
I like that, Jade. 
Michael says: 
That's true, but you really pay for that service. 
I also like this line a lot: when you really pay for something. 
He means, of course, that you have to pay for a service. 
When you really pay for it, that means it must be pretty expensive. 
Right. So you might say that Michael is really paying for his trip, though, in time. 
So you can really pay for something in different ways. 
It can be money. 
It can be time. 
It can be energy. 
Maybe it's very difficult to do and you need to use a lot of energy, and then you're very tired afterward. 
That's a great point. 
So Michael continues saying: 
You can save a lot of money making your own arrangements. 
Ah! So it sounds like Michael is trying to research the prices because he wants to save money on this trip with his friends. 
And if he's looking at hostels and hotel prices, hostels are usually cheaper. 
So that would also probably save him some money. 
Well, I think Jade has the next line. 
That might be true, but doing everything yourself can be difficult. 
You have to monitor so many sites to catch the best prices. 
Excellent. 
And that is an excellent word from our Word Bank - to monitor something. 
And if you are monitoring something like Jade says here, monitoring many sites or many websites to catch the best price, 
that means you keep your eye on something. 
You don't just look at it once and go away. No. 
You have to keep looking at it, keep checking to see what is there. 
That's right. 
So you're looking to see if anything has changed. 
And a lot of times I think about new parents who need to monitor their children. 
They like to monitor their babies. 
So maybe they put a monitor (also a noun and not just a verb). 
You can use it as a noun. 
They put a baby monitor in the baby's room so that they can monitor the child. 
It's true. 
Or maybe you went to the hospital, and the doctor says that you have to monitor something about your health or your body. 
So to keep your eye on it, not just to check it once but to make sure that you are OK. 
You're monitoring something. 
And here we're monitoring the best prices... or monitoring these hotels to catch the best prices. 
That's right. 
Well, I think, Michael, you have the next line. 
Oh, yes, of course. 
We don't mind doing that since we can save money. 
So of course, you want to try to save money. 
And Michael might not be saving time, but he's saving money right now. 
And he might save time later. 
Anyway. 
And by planning ahead, we shouldn't encounter too many difficulties. 
Well, those do sound like pretty good points. 
Michael is making a good case for the time that he is spending monitoring these sites and doing research. 
Now I think you have a little bit more there, Michael. 
We can also set our own schedule and not have the problems you get with a group. 
Oh. So, OK, Michael has several reasons why he is deciding to plan this trip himself instead of using a travel agency. 
And Jade has a question for him: Such as? 
And uh, that's it. 
Well, yes. 
That's it for the day. I man... 
That is where it stops today. 
It ends with a question? 
It does. So we will have to wait and find out tomorrow how this conversation continues. 
But Jade is very curious to know what kinds of problems you can encounter with a group since that's what she always goes with. 
Uh-huh. Well, I'm looking forward to seeing what Michael will respond with. 
For now it's time to enjoy a review skit and then some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Hey, what are you doing? 
Hey, I'm planning my vacation. 
Oh. You know, I need to plan my vacation, too. 
Yeah. Planning a vacation takes a lot of work. 
You know, maybe we could plan something together. 
Good idea. 
Let's take a trip to Europe. 
Oh, great idea! 
I've always wanted to go there. 
I'll call my travel agent. 
Travel agent? 
What for? 
Well, to get a group tour. 
No... I think we can plan this trip ourselves. 
That's a lot of work. 
Why bother? 
Well, by making our own arrangements, we can save a lot of money. 
And waste a lot of time! 
I'll call my agent. 
No. If we take a tour, we won't see what we want to see. 
Of course we will. 
We can visit 16 countries in one week. 
That's too rushed. 
Let's set our own schedule. 
We'll encounter too many difficulties. 
But we'll avoid the problems you get with a group. 
Like what problems? 
Like people that can't agree on things. 
Like you. 
No, like you. 
Like you! 
Let's call. 
No. We don't need to call. 
(Chinese). 
And now, back to our lesson. 
We've been enjoying a good conversation between two friends, Michael and Jade. 
And of course, today's lesson is called Travel Troubles. 
You might encounter some troubles if you plan things by yourself or if you go with a group of people. 
There are pros and cons to both. 
Now I wonder if you've ever had any travel troubles... travel troubles. 
Carolyn, have you had any travel troubles? 
Well, that is a mouthful, those two words together. 
And actually, I did have some travel troubles earlier this year. 
I wanted to change my flight date, and I had used an online booking agency. 
And it was so difficult to change the date. 
It took me three weeks from the time I first started calling to the time that it was finally changed. 
And it was really expensive. 
No way. 
That does sound like a lot of travel troubles. 
The beginning of travel troubles... I hope your trip was good. 
The trip was pretty good. 
I was very happy. 
Good. At least the trip was good. 
Well, you might encounter travel troubles of different kinds. 
We're going to continue this conversation next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.08.24.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for the second day of our lesson Travel Troubles. 
We joined Michael and Jade, two friends, yesterday in a conversation about which is better, 
going... or planning a trip by yourself with your friends or letting someone else plan it for you and maybe doing some kind of tour event or going with a tour group. 
Now what's one of the things that we talked about yesterday, Carolyn? 
Well, we've talked about many things. 
Michael is planning this trip himself. 
And he is researching information on prices for hostels and hotels. 
We learned the word "hostel." But Jade thought that this would be a very stressful process. 
Yes, it seems kind of stressful. 
She thinks that you have to keep monitoring these websites to make sure that you catch a good price. 
But Michael thinks that there are problems with going with a group of people or planning with a tour group. 
Jade's last question yesterday was: Such as? 
So we're going to continue this conversation now. 
What are these problems? 
Travel Troubles. 
There's always someone that you end up waiting for which slows down the whole tour. 
And in Europe you get dragged around to 16 different countries in one week and only get to visit tourist traps. 
That's a slight exaggeration. 
There are some great tours out there. 
I choose ones that go to the places I want to go and do off-the-beaten-path things. 
But there's still the problem of following a strict itinerary. 
I really appreciate that the tour company plans everything out. 
They help you make the most of your time. 
(Music). 
Well, there are good points all around here between Michael and Jade. 
Now Michael, you have the first line today, answering Jade's question from yesterday. 
What kind of problems are there with going in a group? 
There's always someone that you end up waiting for which slows down the whole tour. 
I like Michael's point here, something that slows down the whole tour. 
If you go with a tour, it might be nice in some ways. 
But there might be someone who's always late, and this will slow down the whole process of the tour. 
That's right, because you have to wait until everyone in the group arrives. 
You can't leave someone behind because the travel agent and the agency is responsible for each member of the group. 
And they don't want to lose anyone on the trip. 
Yeah. 
Unfortunately, Michael's comment makes me think of uh, well, me. 
I'm usually the one that's late somewhere. 
I might slow down the whole tour. 
Anyway, Michael continues. 
And in Europe you get dragged around to 16 different countries in one week and only get to visit tourist traps. 
Well, that would be very tiring to be drug around or to get dragged around to 16 different countries in just one week. 
That seems almost impossible. 
Yeah. It does seem kind of impossible. 
Well, this phrase is not impossible to talk about. 
If you get dragged around, that means you're unwilling to do something but you kind of have to do it because of other reasons. 
So you're dragged around. 
That's right. 
So you don't really want to go. 
And he says that you only get to visit tourist traps. 
Now tourist traps are something that we've kind of talked about in other lessons. 
And it's a place where you get a large group of tourists, and they just buy really expensive things or they go to places that all tourists go to, to very famous sights. 
And maybe it's not quite as interesting as other places in the city. 
It's true. 
Well, Jade, you continue. 
Your response to Michael is? 
Oh, yes. 
That's a slight exaggeration. 
That's a great word, a great word there from our Word Bank: exaggeration. 
OK. If you exaggerate, that means you are making a situation bigger than it really is. 
So that is an exaggeration. 
That's right. 
So Michael said that you get dragged around to 16 different countries in a week. 
And that is an exaggeration. 
Maybe you go to five or six or maybe seven or eight countries in a week, but not 16. 
So that is an exaggeration. 
And maybe people will say things like: I have been waiting in line for a million yeas. 
When are we going to move? 
But that is an exaggeration. 
You can't be waiting in line for a million years. 
That's right. 
That's an exaggeration. 
You're exaggerating. 
That's the verb form of this word. 
My dad would always say, "I've told you a thousand times!" Stop exaggerating. 
He's funny, my dad. 
Well, that is an exaggeration, yes. 
Well, Jade continues. 
There are some great tours out there. 
I choose ones that go to the places I want to go and do off-the-beaten-path things. 
Well, Jade, or Carolyn, I like off-the-beaten-path things. 
If you're doing something off-the-beaten-path, or a beaten path, that just kind of means it's a trail or something that lots of other people have already done before. 
So if you're off the beaten path, you're doing something new or different or exciting. 
I recently went hiking with one of my friends. 
And we didn't go on the main trail. 
We literally went off the beaten path. 
It was difficult and challenging but a lot of fun. 
Well, it can be a lot of fun. 
And it allows you to really explore places that you want to go instead of going to tourist traps. 
Well, Michael, you have the next line. 
Of course. 
But there's still the problem of following a strict itinerary. 
Oh, great. 
You have to follow a strict itinerary if you go with a group. 
And that is true. 
But "itinerary" is a word from the Word Bank. 
It's just a plan or a schedule that is laid out so that you know where you need to be and when you need to be there. 
It's a plan for each day. 
And a lot of tour groups will have itineraries. 
That's right. 
I usually think of this word when I think of traveling somewhere. 
Often my family will ask me to send them my itinerary just so that they know where I am and what I'm doing. 
I will often receive an itinerary from my parents if they travel somewhere as well. 
And it's good for other people to know the itinerary if they're traveling with you. 
That's right. 
So tour groups do use itineraries. 
And Michael thinks that this is not really a good thing because it is so strict. 
You must follow it, and you have to be exactly in a certain place at a certain time. 
And you don't have a lot of free time to do things you might want to do. 
That's right, if you stick to this itinerary, the strict itinerary. 
All right, Jade, your line. 
Yes. Well, Jade: 
I really appreciate that the tour company plans everything out. 
They help you make the most of your time. 
Hmm, "make the most of your time," a wonderful phrase. 
I think Liz has something to share about that in the Grammar Gym. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We find this sentence in our POINT OF VIEW article today: 
They help you make the most of your time. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Jade is telling Michael she likes having the tour company plan her trip because she can do a lot of things without wasting any time. 
Notice the phrase: to make the most of. 
It's an expression native speakers use to mean to get the most out of something. 
And besides talking about time, you can use it to talk about money. 
If you are a student and you get a small allowance from your parents, then you would need to budget carefully so you can make the most of your allowance. 
Or you can use it to talk about experiences. 
For example, if you get the chance to study abroad for three months, you would probably want to make the most of your opportunity while you are overseas. 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine, you'll find more example sentences there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.24.B

So far today we're talking about some of the troubles Michael thinks that people have when they travel with a tour group. 
The first thing he thinks is that there's always someone in the group who is late and who might make other people just have to wait. 
And it slows down the whole process. 
The other problem he thought about was that people have to follow a strict itinerary. 
Well, Jade doesn't think so. 
Jade kind of likes this. 
She thinks that tour companies will help you make the most of your time when you are traveling. 
Well, let's continue this conversation now. 
Travel Troubles. 
True. But we want to explore on our own schedule. 
Exploring at your own pace is nice, but what if you run into trouble? 
We won't. 
I've traveled alone to many different places without any problems. 
Traveling on my own seems dangerous to me. 
Besides, don't you get kind of lonely traveling and going sightseeing by yourself? 
Not really. 
I've met a lot of very interesting people on my travels. 
Maybe you should join the trip that I'm planning with my friends. 
Then you can try traveling without a tour group. 
Thanks for the invitation. 
But I'll have to think about it. 
(Music). 
Well, that was very nice of Michael. 
But going back to the beginning of this section of the conversation, 
Jade had just been talking about how the travel agency can really help you make the most of your time. 
Now Michael, how... how do you respond? 
True. But we want to explore on our own schedule. 
Ah, I see. 
So following a strict itinerary is not something that Michael really wants to do, even if it is a good plan, because he wants to have his own schedule. 
That's right. 
Some people like going at their own schedule or with their own schedule at their own pace. 
Hey, Jade, it's your line here. 
It is. And she says: 
Exploring at your own pace is nice, but what if you run into trouble? 
Excellent, excellent. 
I love this sentence. 
There are many things we want to talk about. 
The first is from our Word Bank: pace, your pace. 
That's how fast or slow you are doing something. 
That's right. 
So pace could be the amount of time you spend in a place when you are traveling. 
You can spend a long time or a short time or you can just not go at all. 
But you can go at your own pace. 
Now you could also talk about walking being at a certain pace. 
Maybe you would like to walk very quickly, you have a fast pace. 
Or maybe you don't like to hurry, so you have a slower pace. 
Or in another way, maybe you're in school, your teacher gives you a project. 
It's due. 
The thing is due in a couple of months. 
You can go at your own pace. 
You can work at your own pace, whether you want to do it right away or pace yourself. 
Sometimes in English we say "pace yourself." Don't do everything all at the same time. 
That's right. 
It can make you feel very stressed as we learned yesterday. 
We learned the word "stressed." Now there's also another phase in this sentence. 
Jade says: Explore at your own pace is nice, but what if you run into trouble? 
And we want to look at the phrase: to run into something. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, here that means encounter. 
You run into trouble, you encounter trouble. 
You could also say we are running into some problems, we're having some problems. 
So you can run into these kinds of things uh, usually. 
Well, it doesn't have to be negative. 
It could be positive or negative. 
But often you might talk about some of these things like running into trouble. 
That's right. 
Well, you can run into a problem. 
You can run into trouble. 
It means that something happened, you didn't expect it. 
So it's not something that you planned to do or to run into. 
But yes, we usually say to run into a problem or trouble, so. 
What happens if you run into trouble, Michael? 
We won't. 
I've traveled alone to many countries... actually many different places without any problems. 
So that's what Michael thinks. 
He's had the experience. 
He won't have any problems. 
Well, he seems very confident with his short statement: We won't. 
We won't. 
And "I've." Do you notice something about those words? 
Won't? 
I've? 
Those are called contractions. 
It's time for Steve and Ken to share something about those with us in the Info Cloud. 
Contractions play an important function in language. 
They're a kind of linguistic oil that helps to keep conversations running smoothly. 
OK. Contractions happen in lots of languages, including Chinese. 
In English, they occur when a word or phrase is shortened by dropping one or more letters and replacing those letters with an apostrophe. 
In today's dialogue we find a handful of contractions such as there's, that's, I've, don't and won't. 
"Won't" is a unique contraction for two reasons. 
The first is because "won't" doesn't really match the two words it's bringing together - will and not. 
Why, you ask, isn't this contraction spelled W-I-N'T? 
It only makes sense after you learn that years ago, "will not" was spelled W-O-N-N-O-T. 
That's interesting. OK. 
The second unique feature of "won't" is that if you forget the apostrophe, you get the completely different, although archaic, word - wont, which means accustomed to. 
Though they tend to be avoided in more formal writing, contractions are very common in English speech and informal writings. 
So it's important that you know how to spell them correctly, read them correctly and... 
And if you want to sound more like a native English speaker, say them correctly. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, I think Jade has the next line. 
She says: 
Traveling on my own seems dangerous to me. 
So Michael said that he wouldn't have any problems traveling by himself. 
He's done it before many times. 
But Jade is a little concerned it would be a little dangerous. 
Besides, don't you get kind of lonely traveling and going sightseeing by yourself? 
Hmm, good question. 
Well, let's talk about that word from our Word Bank - sightseeing. 
Now when you go sightseeing, that means you are seeing famous sights around the world or in your travels. 
Do you like to go sightseeing? 
And what kind of sightseeing have you done? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I do like to go sightseeing. 
Usually when I visit a place that I've never been before, I like to go to the most famous places to visit them, to say that I've been there and go sightseeing. 
But those areas that are very popular also usually have a lot of tourist traps. 
So I try to include other places as well. 
That's a good idea, to kind of have a balance, to do some popular sightseeing as well as going to other places. 
I went to the Taj Mahal recently in India. 
Actually it was a tourist trap, but of course it's a beautiful sight. 
That was good sightseeing. 
Well, would you feel lonely going sightseeing by yourself, Michael? 
Uh... Oh, Michel! Yes. 
Not really. 
I've met a lot of very interesting people on my travels. 
Oh. Maybe you should join the trip that I'm planning with my friends. 
Then you can try traveling without a tour group. 
Uh, thanks for the invitation. 
But I'll have to think about it. 
OK. Jade's going to think about it. 
But I like Michael's point here. 
He's met a lot of interesting people everywhere he has gone. 
So that's something for you to think about as well. 
Do you like traveling by yourself? 
There are pros and cons to this because you can meet new people everywhere you go. 
That's right. 
Well, right now it is time for us to meet with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's go back to our program. 
Well, we have enjoyed this conversation between Michael and Jade on different opinions about travel. 
And I wonder, who did you agree with more? 
Do you think it's better to travel with a tour group and a lot of people that maybe you don't know and follow an itinerary? 
Or would it be better to arrange the trip yourself? 
Gabe? 
Hmm... Well, I do know it's easier just to let a travel agent help me plan my trip. 
But I also like the idea of doing something off the beaten path, something a little bit different. 
And I think you can meet new people whether you go by yourself or with a tour group. 
And I enjoy doing that. 
Well, that is very true. 
After my recent travel troubles, I think I might try a tour group next time. 
Well, I want you to think about that. 
Talk about it in English. 
And we will see you here next time on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.08.26.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for a lesson called Managing Difficult Workers. 
All right. We're going to be looking more at that word "difficult" in our lesson. 
But sometimes it's true, sometimes it's hard to work with other people. 
Sometimes their behavior makes it difficult to work with them. 
What kinds of behavior make it difficult to work with the people that you know? Carolyn? 
Well, there are a lot of different things. 
Maybe they always have a bad attitude. 
It doesn't matter what happens, it's always something bad or negative. 
And they just look at the glass half-empty instead of half-full. 
OK, that could be one problem. 
I can think of another problem. 
Maybe some people just think they know all of the answers, and they don't listen to anything that anybody else says. 
And so it's really hard to communicate with them or to present your ideas. 
It can be difficult working with those kinds of people. 
Well, there are many different kinds of behavior that make it difficult to work with people. 
Right now we're getting started in our lesson Managing Difficult Workers. 
(Music). 
Managing Difficult Workers. 
Dealing with difficult workers can be... difficult. 
Hi, Uncle Bob. 
Can I ask your opinion on something? 
Sure. My door is always open. 
You know I hired a few employees last month, right? 
Yes, I remember. 
How are they working out? 
In two cases just fine - better than fine, actually. 
Terry and Angela are great. 
But... 
Well, in Ralph's case... things aren't so good. 
What's the problem? 
He definitely has the requisite skills. 
In fact, he's quite talented. 
But I'm having a problem with his attitude. 
I see. 
For starters, he calls at the last minute to say he can't come in. 
Then when he does come in, he's chronically late. 
(Music). 
Well, it does sound like there is a little bit of a problem with one of the employees. 
But let's go up to the beginning of the lesson: Dealing with difficult workers can be... difficult. 
Now this is a lesson on how to deal with difficult workers. 
And it's interesting to see a person being described as difficult. 
So let's take a look at that word for a minute. 
Gabe, what does it mean if a person is difficult? 
Well, this basically means that they are difficult to work with or difficult to be around. 
It's true, usually we think of a situation as being difficult, like maybe your homework is difficult. 
But you can use this word to describe people as well, those who are just hard to be around, difficult to be around. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing on: 
Last month Ben hired new employees for his company. 
So yes, if you remember from our lesson last month, Ben was going to hire some employees because he needed some help with his business. 
Now how do we continue, Gabe? 
All right. 
Well, this month he needs advice on dealing with employee problems. 
So, he hired somebody. 
But every time you hire somebody, you're not sure how it's going to work out. 
Sure enough, there are problems with his new employees. 
That's right. 
And Uncle Bob had warned him that he would be facing some new challenges if he desired to bring on new people into his company. 
Well, let's start our conversation. 
Would you like to be Ben or Uncle Bob? 
Can I be Uncle Bob today? 
Um... oh, OK. Sure. That means I will be Ben. 
So I get to start. 
Hi, Uncle Bob. 
Can I ask your opinion on something? 
A great question, great question there, Ben, asking someone's opinion on something. 
That means you're just asking for their opinion. 
You can... you can ask the same question: Can I ask your opinion on something, or opinion "about" something? 
Great. OK. 
Here's Uncle Bob. 
Oh, sure. My door is always open. 
Oh. Wow, your door is always open? 
Yeah. 
Um, that's kind of an interesting phrase. 
Really? You left your door open all the time? 
No, no, no. 
No, no, no, no, Carolyn. 
No? No? 
You know what, I think... I think that Steve and Ken should probably help explain this phrase in the Information Cloud. 
Sounds like a good idea. 
Let's do that now. 
Hi, friends. 
You must be wondering, why is Uncle Bob's door always open? 
I mean, Ken, why doesn't he just shut it? 
Well, I'm sure he shuts it sometimes. 
But "my door is always open" is actually an expression that means you should feel free to go to a person to discuss any issues that may come up anytime without hesitation. 
Right. 
You can imagine if the door of someone's office is always open, you can simply walk right in and talk to the person inside anytime you feel like it. 
And that's talking about the door being opened in a physical sense. 
However, when used as an expression, "my door is always open" is idiomatic, meaning I'm accessible. 
You can always feel free to approach me and talk to me. 
This expression is especially useful if you're a boss or a teacher. 
You can say to either your employees or students, "My door is always open." It basically means that you will always be there for them if they need you. 
In the business world, we sometimes talk about an open-door policy, 
which is a management style that encourages employees to ask questions, share opinions or concerns with members of senior management. 
Right. 
An open-door policy promotes communication within businesses and helps lower-level employees feel more comfortable about approaching their superiors. 
(Chinese). 
Well, thank you, guys. 
I'm very glad to know that Uncle Bob did not actually leave his door open, that he is just very happy and willing to talk to Ben at anytime. 
Now I think I have the next line as Ben. 
You know I hired a few employees last month, right? 
Yes, I remember. 
How are they working out? 
I'd like to interrupt myself here. 
How are they working out? 
Well, you can ask this question. 
If something is working out, that means it implies there's a result of some kind. 
So you made a decision, and of course there's a result or consequence. 
You can find out what the consequences are by asking this question, "How is that working out?" So how was that working out? 
Oh, well. And yes, that does mean that what is happening now after you've made that decision. 
And talking about hiring employees: 
In two cases just fine - better than fine, actually. 
Terry and Angela are great. 
But... 
Ooh. Yes. You see that "but" there. 
There is obviously something not quite right because only two of the employees he hired are working out great. 
That's right. 
Of course, as we could see earlier, Ben was probably a little negative. 
Uncle Bob could probably tell, he could sense it. 
And then so Ben is sharing something positive here. 
Two employees are great, but he's not finished yet. 
That's why Uncle Bob says, "But..." So you can kind of do that too when you're speaking with your friend. 
Well, I will continue. 
Mmhm. 
Well, uh, in Ralph's case... things aren't so good. 
Hmm, interesting. 
In Ralph's case. 
So we're seeing this word "case" here. 
In two cases just fine. 
But in a Ralph's case, things aren't so good. 
So a case here means a situation. 
In this situation, things aren't so fine. 
Uncle Bob says: What's the problem? 
He definitely has the requisite skills. 
Ooh, that is a great word, the word "requisite." It is from our Word Bank. 
It means that something is required in order to complete a task or a job. 
All right. 
So required, or they are the necessary skills. 
You have the requisite skills for working at our company. 
Please come and join us. 
This reminds me of another word that I saw when I was in school, actually. 
The word "prerequisite," P-R-E and then the word requisite. 
That means you needed to already have completed something or already took... taken some kind of class before you can take this class. 
It's a prerequisite course. 
That's right. 
So you might have to take some prerequisite classes for upper-level math. 
You need to make sure you have all of those requisite skills in math before you can take advanced mathematics. 
Well, continuing. 
In fact, he's quite talented. 
But I'm having a problem with his attitude. 
I see. 
So Uncle Bob understands. 
But what does Ben say? 
For starters, he calls at the last minute to say he can't come in. 
Then when he does come in, he's chronically late. 
OK. Let's look at that word from our Word Bank: chronically. 
If you are chronically something, that means it happens a lot or frequently. 
But unlike the word "frequently," chronically is usually a negative thing. 
So of course, being late is not good. 
If someone is chronically late, that means they're always late. 
Well, we do not want to be chronically late, or late at all, for the Language Lab, where Michelle is going to teach us something great. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.26.B

In today's lesson we're joining Uncle Bob and Ben. 
Of course Uncle Bob is always happy to see Ben. 
And Ben is happy to see his uncle, too. 
But Ben is not happy about a situation at work. 
As we know, he hired some employees. 
Two of these employees are great. 
But one has some problems. 
One of those problems is that he is chronically late. 
He's frequently late. 
That's not a good thing. 
Let's continue to see how this conversation plays out. 
(Music). 
Managing Difficult Workers. 
Dealing with difficult workers can be... difficult. 
Did you talk to him about it? 
Sure, but he always has some dubious excuse. 
And there are other problems, too. 
Like what? 
He won't follow instructions. 
So other people often have to redo his work. 
That is a problem. 
So what are you going to do? 
Well, I know I have grounds to terminate him, but I can't help but feel that might not be the best solution. 
Go on. 
It's just that I put so much effort into hiring him, and I really do need the help. 
Well, it sounds like Ben is having a bit of a conflict and can't decide what to do. 
Now Gabe, I think Uncle Bob has the first line here. 
Of course! 
Did you talk to him about it? 
Sure, but he always has some dubious excuse. 
Excellent! Excellent. 
You said one of our Word Bank words: dubious. 
I love this word: dubious. 
If something is dubious, that means it is questionable, or maybe you have reason to doubt about something. 
That's right. 
So you're not quite sure if it is true. 
So here if Ralph has a dubious excuse, then Ben doesn't always believe the reasons he gives for being late. 
It's true. 
Well, other things can be dubious as well. 
Maybe someone has a questionable reputation, they have a dubious reputation. 
Some of the things they do aren't very good. 
That's right. 
Well, I think I can continue with Ben's line. 
And there are other problems, too. 
Like what? 
He won't follow instructions, so other people often have to redo his work. 
That does sound like a problem. 
If you have people working for you, your employees, of course it's important that they follow instructions or directions to do what you want them to do. 
But this guy is not doing that, so other people have to redo his work. 
What does that mean to redo something? 
Well, it means to do it again. 
So you see that R-E means to repeat something usually. 
And if you have to redo it, then that is kind of a waste of money because Ben has hired Ralph to do a job. 
And if he's not doing it the way he's supposed to and someone else has to go back and fix it or do it all over again, 
then it seems like there's really no point in having Ralph as an employee. 
That's true. 
So Uncle Bob says: 
That is a problem. 
So what are you going to do? 
Ah. That is a good question. 
And Ben has his response: 
Well, I know I have grounds to terminate him, but I can't help but feel that might not be the best solution. 
Interesting. I like this. OK. 
So Ben is trying to see something good in Ralph. 
But Uncle Bob, of course, realizes that Ben has responsibilities. 
He has to do something. OK. 
Ben says he knows he has grounds to terminate Ralph. 
If you have grounds for something, that means you have good reasons to do something. 
That's right. 
So he has a good reason to terminate Ralph. 
If he's paying him to do a job and the job isn't getting done the way it should be, that is a pretty good reason. 
Now there's also another word in that sentence from our Word Bank: terminate. 
To terminate here does not mean to end or get rid of, but it does mean to fire someone. 
So I guess you could say you could get rid of an employee, terminate their contract so that they are no longer working there. 
That's right. 
It's a proper or official way to say "fire" - to terminate someone's contract. 
OK. So maybe Ben has to be a terminator here. 
He will terminate Ralph's contract. 
But he doesn't think that's the best solution. 
Before we continue this conversation, let's learn something about this sentence with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
We find this statement in today's BUSINESS START-UP article: ... but I can't help but feel that might not be the best solution. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
And it just means that the speaker really feels that might not be the best solution even if he tries not to feel that way. 
Notice the phrase in the sentence: can't help but [verb]. 
We use this phrase when we want to talk about how someone's thoughts or feelings are a certain way, and there's no way he or she can change it. 
For example, 
Clarence's homework is not in his book bag, and he can't help but wonder if it is at home. 
Or: Even though Wanda insists she is too sick to work, her boss can't help but think she is lying to him. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Well, Ben can't help but feel that maybe terminating Ralph is not the best solution. 
Uncle Bob? 
Uh... well, yes, go on. 
Thank you. Thank you. 
It's... it's just that I put so much effort into hiring him, and I really do need the help. 
Yes, I know. 
Ben does need help. 
That's why he hired some new employees. 
He put a lot of effort into this. 
Let's take a look at that phrase. 
Before earlier this year we talked about a phrase "to put thought into something." That means you were thoughtful when you did something. 
Here we see putting effort into something. 
That means it was a lot of work. 
You put a lot of work into doing something. 
For example, you could say I put a lot of effort into my project for school. 
That's right. 
So you worked really hard to complete it, and maybe it turned out great. 
But for Ben, his hard work in hiring Ralph did not turn out so good. 
Now it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our teachers are up to. 
Well, today we've been listening to a conversation between Ben and his uncle Bob about some problems that Ben is having with one of his employees. 
He's a bit of a difficult person to deal with, and he isn't always doing his job the way he should be. 
Now I wonder, have you ever had to work with someone that is very difficult? 
Gabe, have you ever had to work with a difficult person? 
Are you serious, Carolyn, that's the question you have for us at the end of our lesson? 
That's a really silly question. 
I'm not going to answer it. 
Um, Gabe, are you OK? 
You're being kind of difficult. 
Well, of course I'm OK! You... you're calling me difficult? 
I'm a difficult person? 
Well, your reaction... it's not very positive. 
You don't have a very good attitude. 
OK. OK. Let me try this again. 
All right. 
Have I ever worked with a difficult person? 
No! How's that? 
Well, that's better. But you still need to work on your attitude. 
Well, I hope that you will join us again tomorrow for more on our lesson Managing Difficult Workers here on Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.08.27.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson Managing Difficult Workers. 
Uncle Bob and his nephew Ben are talking about some people that Ben recently hired. 
One of these workers, Ralph, is quite a difficult person to be around. 
What else did we learn about yesterday's lesson, Carolyn? 
Well, we learned that Ralph has the requisite skills that he needs to complete his job, but he doesn't always do it the way he should. 
And oftentimes the other workers will have to redo what he was supposed to have done. 
It's true. 
And of course another problem that Ralph has is that he is chronically late. 
So he's good at what he does, but he's chronically late, he doesn't really follow instructions. 
So maybe, maybe Ben might have to terminate him. 
That's not a good thing. 
Ben doesn't really want to do this. 
Well, we're going to continue this conversation with Uncle Bob and Ben. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
Managing Difficult Workers. 
You need to figure out how to make this a win-win situation. 
How do I do that? 
Well, problem employees often behave the way they do because their behavior has helped them get what they want in the past. 
There's definitely a kernel of truth in that. 
So making this a win-win situation will depend on making sure that bad behavior is no longer an effective way for Ralph to get what he wants. 
But I already have rules. 
It's just that he won't abide by them. 
Then you need to have clearly defined consequences for rule breaking. 
And use them. 
Uncle Bob does have some very good ideas. 
OK. Let's go back to the beginning of this conversation. 
Uncle Bob... well, I'll be Uncle Bob... again. 
You need to figure out how to make this a win-win situation. 
Oh. I really like that phrase there, actually, Uncle Bob. 
To be a win-win situation means that no one loses. 
Ben gets something good; Ralph gets something good. 
And nothing bad really happens, but the problem is solved. 
It's true. 
So that's a great solution. 
Sometimes it's the other way around. 
Sometimes things happen, and it's a lose-lose situation where nobody wins. 
Sometimes it's a win-lose situation. 
Of course the best is if it's a win-win situation. 
OK. 
Yes. And that is not always easy, so Ben asks: How do I do that? 
Well, problem employees often behave the way they do because their behavior has helped them get what they want in the past. 
Now there's something I like here from this sentence: problem employees. 
So we've talked about the word "difficult" and how it can be used to describe people. 
The word "problem" can also describe people. 
That's right. 
So Ralph would be a problem employee. 
And Uncle Bob is giving some pretty good advice here just really telling something that is true. 
And Ben sees that as well. 
He says: There's definitely a kernel of truth in that. 
That's great. 
I love that Ben says this. 
OK. He's kind of using something figurative, something that we can picture in our minds - a kernel of something. 
That's from our Word Bank, actually. 
A kernel is a small part of a seed that is edible. 
Usually I think about a kernel of corn. 
But how else could you use this word? 
Well, here it's talking about being the center or the main idea of something. 
So when Uncle Bob said that problem employees do what they do because it has helped them to get what they want in the past, then Ben agrees. 
He thinks that that statement is very true. 
It's not just a little bit true, but there's a kernel, something great and very true about that statement. 
That's right. 
So you can use that phrase, too. 
Usually you see it in those three words: it's a kernel of truth. 
Uncle Bob says: 
So making this a win-win situation will depend on making sure that bad behavior is no longer an effective way for Ralph to get what he wants. 
Very wise words from Uncle Bob. 
They are. 
They sound like a pretty good idea. 
Now it's not always easy to figure out how to change this type of behavior or change rules, 
or make new rules or maybe even talk to the problem employee about what is going on. 
It can be quite a challenge. 
It can be. 
And it can be difficult to really change someone's behavior. 
He wants to do something effective though, something that will really work so that Ralph doesn't keep doing what he wants, especially if it's bad behavior. 
That's right. 
And Ralph is not doing what he's supposed to be doing. 
He is behaving badly and has become a problem employee despite all of his great skills. 
Now Ben continues. 
But I already have rules. 
It's just that he won't abide by them. 
Hmm, very interesting. 
Well, I think Ralph should be abiding by the rules at the office. 
Let's take a look at this phrase straight from our Word Bank: to abide by something. 
That means you submit to the rules or you go along with those rules. 
That's right. 
So you should obey the rules or abide by them. 
And those two words should go together - abide by, not just the word abide. 
Now it's very important to follow the rules, and it sounds like Ralph is not doing that. 
Uncle Bob, you have the next line. 
Then you need to have clearly defined consequences for rule breaking. 
And use them. 
Oh. Well, this is quite a good idea, and you can probably find a kernel of truth in this statement as well. 
If you have rules, they need to be enforced. 
There must be consequences. 
Otherwise, people really aren't going to try to follow them or abide by them. 
That's right. 
Let's talk about that word Carolyn just used. 
It's not in the magazine, but she just used the word: enforce. 
If you have rules at your office, and you're the manager or boss, you should enforce those rules. 
E-N-F-O-R-C-E. 
That means when people break them, there will be consequences. 
So you enforce those rules. 
And that is a very good idea for any employer or teacher, manager, any position where you have people working under you. 
And teachers, that also is good for you because you have students who are working, and they need to follow rules as well. 
Make sure that you are abiding by the rules. 
Yes. Well, right know it's time for us to go and learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.27.B

We're on the second day of the article Managing Difficult Workers. 
And today Ben and his Uncle Bob are discussing how to make this difficult employee situation into a win-win situation so that both sides will be happy. 
Now we've heard a lot of words of wisdom that had a kernel of truth in it from Uncle Bob. 
And we have a lot more to learn from this conversation in the next part of our reading. 
Let's get started. 
(Music). 
Managing Difficult Workers. 
OK, so I need a plan. 
That's a start, but don't just sit around lamenting the situation and planning a response. 
Once the rules and consequences have been communicated, the main thing is to confront problems head-on. 
And if problems continue? 
Make sure that consequences match the magnitude of the problem. 
And ultimately, I need to act in the best interest of my business. 
Right. 
And a time may come when it's no longer worth tolerating the problem. 
Then you'll have to let him go. 
Thanks for the advice. 
Well, I hope things work out. 
(Music). 
All right. 
Let's go to the beginning of this conversation. 
And Uncle Bob had just told Ben about enforcing rules. 
If you have someone who breaks the rules, you should probably enforce the rules even more. 
So Ben... how does Ben respond, Carolyn? 
Well, he says: OK, so I need a plan. 
That's a start, but don't just sit around lamenting the situation and planning a response. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: to lament something. 
That means to just feel sorry for yourself about something. 
That's right. 
So you really aren't doing anything to improve the situation. 
You're just sitting there feeling sad and wishing something could be done. 
It's true. 
This reminds me of a word we learned earlier, the word: mourn. 
We talked about how Jenny Webb at the elephant foundation... the Jumbo Foundation Elephant Orphanage, they mourned for Moses. 
You could also say that they were lamenting Moses's death. 
That's right. 
So you can use this word in a few different ways. 
But here... uh, Uncle Bob says that Ben should not lament the situation. 
This should not be a problem because he can't come up with a plan. 
Now Uncle Bob, how do you continue? 
All right. 
Once the rules and consequences have been communicated, the main thing is to confront problems head-on. 
OK. So once these things have happened, you want to confront problems head-on. 
Confrontation is not easy, is it, Carolyn? 
That is very true. 
It can be very difficult to point out problems to other people. 
You worry about how they will react. 
Especially if the employee is already a difficult person to work with, it could turn into an even bigger problem. 
But Uncle Bob's advice is to confront it head-on, to not go around the situation and just kind of pretend that maybe something is happening that shouldn't be but to just say it directly. 
That's right. 
It's good to be direct, not indirect, in the situation. 
OK. Ben, Uncle Bob said confront the problem head-on. 
And if the problems continue? 
Hmm, make sure that consequences match the magnitude of the problem. 
They're good advice here, Uncle Bob. 
The magnitude of the problem. 
"Magnitude" is from our Word Bank as well. 
It's a very big word. 
Actually, it's talking about the size of something. 
The magnitude of something. 
Yes. So that is how big something is. 
You don't use this word to describe how small something is. 
It's only for large things. 
So the magnitude of the problem. 
If the problem is very large, then the consequence should match it. 
But if it's not too big of a problem, then it shouldn't be as harsh of a consequence. 
That's good. 
Of course, some things should have harsh consequences. 
We don't know what the situation is for Ralph. 
Well, Ben has the next line here. 
What does he say? 
Oh, yes. 
And ultimately, I need to act in the best interest of my business. 
And that is great, to act in the best interest of somebody. 
Let's take a look at that phrase. 
If you're doing something for someone's best interest, that means you really have them in mind. 
It's not just for yourself, it's not selfish. 
It's doing it for someone else's best interest. 
In this case, Ben is talking about the best interest of his business. 
That's right. 
And it's very true because while Ralph is important, he is a person, he is one of Ben's employees, the business is Ben's most important priority right now. 
That's what he wants to focus on. 
It's true. 
So Uncle Bob, what does he say? 
Right. And a time may come when it's no longer worth tolerating the problem. 
Then you'll have to let him go. 
And terminate him. 
Oh. Well, "let him go." That is an interesting phrase right there. 
And Steve and Ken are going to talk to us all about it in the Information Cloud. 
In the context of an employer/employee relationship, "to let someone go" is, in fact, a euphemism for dismissing that person. 
And there are two possible ways of being let go. 
One is getting fired, and the other is getting laid off. 
When a company doesn't have enough work for their employees, it may decide to lay people off. 
Layoffs can be temporary or permanent. 
If the company anticipates positive changes in the future with more work and opportunities, employees who are laid off may be called back. 
But when an employee is let go because of poor work performance, repeated tardiness or other reasons, he's being fired. 
And how is a person fired? 
When the company decides that an employee should leave, it will give that person a discharge notice called pink slip. 
Why is it pink, Steve? 
Well, Ken, in the old days, when employees were paid in cash, the paymaster came around and handed out envelopes with money in them. 
If an employee was being let go, a discharge notice was included in the pay packet. 
And it was often printed on pink paper so it wouldn't get thrown away as junk mail. 
The term "getting a pink slip" has outlived the actual practice. 
Nowadays, the discharge notice is most likely white, not pink. 
(Chinese). 
Well, that is some very good advice, I think, from Uncle Bob about maybe letting him go. 
And Ben says in his next line: Thanks for the advice. 
Well, Ben is always thanking his Uncle Bob for some kind of advice, right? 
This is a great way to thank someone for the suggestions they gave. 
Uncle Bob says: Well, I hope things work out. 
Well, I hope things work out for Ben as well. 
This is a very important company from both Ben and his wife Sandy. 
So I hope that everything will turn out just fine. 
And right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we can learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Hello, Uncle Bob. 
I need your opinion on something. 
Well, my door is always open. 
Thanks. 
You know I hired new employees last month. 
Yes. 
How is that working out? 
Two of them are great, but one isn't. 
Does he have the requisite skills? 
Yes. He's quite talented. 
The problem is his attitude. 
Ooh, I see. 
He's chronically late and always has dubious excuses. 
Hmm, anything else? 
He won't follow instructions. 
Others have to redo his work. 
Oh. Well, you have grounds to terminate him. 
Yes. But I really need the help. 
What can I do? 
Hmm... oh! Make this a win-win situation. 
But... but how? 
Maybe he uses his bad behavior to get what he wants. 
There's a kernel of truth in that. 
So don't let him do it. 
He needs to follow the rules. 
Yes. And if he doesn't abide by them, there are consequences. 
So should I confront the problem head-on? 
Yes. That's my advice. 
Thanks, Uncle Bob. 
Yeah. Well, remember, my door is always open. 
Right. 
So, would you please close the door on the way out? 
Oh... sure. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now we have to get back to our teachers. 
Well, I want to talk about something that Uncle Bob said here in today's conversation. 
Once the rules and consequences have been communicated for someone like Ralph, the main thing is to confront problems head-on. 
Carolyn, do you think that people all around the world find this an easy thing to do or maybe difficult? 
What do you think? 
Well, I think it's very difficult to confront problems head-on. 
But if a manager or the owner of a company is very concerned about the success of their business, then they're not going to tolerate these problems. 
They aren't just going to let them go. 
But they're going to talk about them very directly, very straight with their employees so that it is clear that their behavior is not acceptable. 
It's true. 
Confrontation is not an easy thing, but it is very important to learn how to confront people with problems head-on and not just be indirect about it. 
I know that's not easy for people of every culture in the world, but it's something we should learn how to do. 
Right now it's time for us to say goodbye. 
But of course, we will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.08.28.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for a very special lesson about a young lady named Quvenzhane Wallis. 
Now that is quite an interesting name. 
I don't know if you've heard of this young actress before. 
Let's say her name together. 
Carolyn, you want to help me out? 
Absolutely. 
Quvenzhane. 
That's right. 
Quvenzhane Wallis is her name, and she is quite talented. 
And we've... we will find out in this lesson about how she started getting famous as early as the age of five years old when she auditioned for a role. 
Now what were you doing when you were five years old? 
Do you remember anything special that you did, Carolyn? 
Well, I wasn't doing very much when I was five. 
I was in kindergarten and probably learning my ABCs and how to write my name. 
But I was also in my church choir. 
So even though I was just five years old, we had a children's choir. 
Nice. 
And I really liked singing at church. 
That's great. 
That's a good thing to do at any age. 
I think when I was five years old, I was probably just following my big sister around because she was my hero. 
Well, what were you doing when you were five? 
Think about that. 
Let's get started with our lesson learning about Quvenzhane Wallis. 
Quvenzhane Wallis. 
Happy 10th birthday to this rising young star. 
Most actors search for years to find the ideal role that will make them famous. 
For Quvenzhane Wallis, however, the role found her while she was still in kindergarten! 
Opportunity came knocking. 
The young girl, known as Nazie, from Houma, Louisiana, was living the life of a normal 5-year-old. 
Then one day her mother received a call from a friend. 
The friend reported that a movie director was auditioning young girls to star in his movie. 
Well, this sounds like a very special story about this young girl. 
At the very beginning we see: Happy 10th birthday to this rising young star. 
And today is Quvenzhane Wallis' 10th birthday, August 28. 
Well, happy birthday, Quvenzhane. 
And she, of course, is a rising young star. 
Does this remind you of anybody? 
Well, of course, last month we learned about Carey Mulligan who is also a rising celebrity or a rising star. 
They're becoming famous. 
That's right. 
They certainly are. 
Now let's get started with our article. 
Most actors search for years to find the ideal role that will make them famous. 
And it's very true. 
Most actors are trying to get into movies and auditioning for parts for many years before they find that ideal role. 
And right there is a word from our Word Bank, the word "ideal." What does it mean, Gabe? 
Well, your ideal is the best possibility for something or maybe the best situation for you. 
So many people talk about uh, finding the ideal job. 
They want to find a job that best suits them. 
Or of course people talk about finding the ideal husband or the ideal wife, something that is the best for them. 
That's right. 
So the best of its kind or the perfect one that really just suits everything you were looking for. 
So they search for many years to find the ideal role that will make them famous. 
But that is not what happened in this case. 
For Quvenzhane Wallis, however, the role found her while she was still in kindergarten. 
So she didn't look for it, she didn't work hard for it, although it says that the role found her. 
So it wasn't her own effort, but I'm sure that she did have to work very hard afterward. 
It's true, but this all happened while she was just in kindergarten. 
Well, her name is a very special name, Quvenzhane Wallis. 
And I think Steve and Ken have a little bit to share about this in the Information Cloud. 
Today it's popular for expectant parents in America to sidestep traditional baby names and choose names that are unique, that are oddly spelled or have a distinctive sound. 
Everyone is doing it, but it seems black American parents are doing it the most. 
Consider this statistic: 
One year in California, 30 percent of black female newborns were given names that were unique among all the names of every other female baby born that year. 
For black Americans, this naming trend really took off in the 1960s when the black community discovered a newfound pride in their African heritage. 
Many black Americans boldly distanced themselves from the white culture, a culture they felt to be bland, conformist and oppressive. 
Mmhm. 
And so, black parents began to shun traditional white names like George and Carol in favor of names from African languages as well as Muslim and Arabic culture. 
They also began favoring made-up names based on a special meaning or on how pleasant the name sounded. 
Now these naming trends continue today. 
The first half of the made-up name Quvenzhane is based on Quvenzhane's parents' names while the second half comes from the Swahili language. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
It is very interesting to learn about the different naming styles of different people groups, especially in the United States. 
Well, we're still learning about Quvenzhane Wallis. 
And in our next section here it says: Opportunity came knocking. 
So earlier we talked about how the role found her in kindergarten. 
Now how does this section continue, Gabe? 
Well, first I wanted to talk about that phrase: the opportunity came knocking. 
Carolyn, I thought that only... only humans could do something like knock. 
Well, usually, yes, we say that. 
But we also talk about doors being opened when there is an opportunity. 
So if an opportunity comes knocking, that means maybe you should open the door. 
It's just a figurative way to express that idea. 
And I like that. 
Friends, don't be afraid to use your English like this - to make other things do things that usually only humans do. 
Humans knock, of course. 
They knock on doors. 
But here you can see that opportunities can come knocking on your door. 
Well, we do continue. 
The young girl, known as Nazie, from Houma, Louisiana, was living the life of a normal 5-year-old. 
Yes, she was just living the life of this normal 5-year-old girl. 
And "normal" is a word from our Word Bank. 
If something is normal, then it is usual. 
There's not too much that's special about it. 
There's nothing strange. 
It's just the way that things usually are. 
Yeah. 
How's your day? 
You might say: Well, I'm just having a normal day. 
Nothing special is going on. 
It's not my birthday. 
There's nothing good or bad happening. 
It's just a normal day. 
That's right. 
And so Quvenzhane was just living the life of a normal five-year-old, 
so probably playing with her dolls or playing with other toys, enjoying time with her family and maybe going to kindergarten or going to school. 
Then one day her mother received a call from a friend. 
Now what kind of call was this, Gabe? 
Interesting. 
Well, the friend reported that a movie director was auditioning young girls to star in his movie. 
This is a very special call from a friend, indeed. 
Maybe this section should be called "Opportunity came calling," right? 
Well, instead of knocking, since it didn't actually knock on their door, it called them on the phone. 
So one of her mother's friends knew about this audition for a movie and that they were looking for young girls. 
Hmm, I wonder what Quvenzhane's mother will do in this case because I don't know if everyone would want their five-year-old girl to be in a movie. 
It's true. 
But we do see a word there - when you're "auditioning" for something, like this movie, this director is auditioning these girls. 
That means he's letting them try out. 
And when you want to be in a show or a movie or a play, you go and audition for the role. 
You try out for that role. 
That's right. 
Well, right now it is time for us to spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.28.B

We're learning today about this young talented actress Quvenzhane Wallis. 
And she was just living the life of a normal 5-year-old girl when opportunity came knocking. 
Or actually opportunity came "calling" when her mother's friend called her about this role to star in a movie. 
Well, we're going to continue learning about Quvenzhane in the next part of our lesson right now. 
Quvenzhane Wallis. 
The caller thought Quvenzhane would be perfect for the role, but Mrs. Wallis wasn't sure. 
It was true that people always said her daughter had a special gift. 
But Nazie's parents considered her just a normal, active, imaginative child. 
When Mrs. Wallis asked her daughter if she would like to audition, Nazie said yes. 
They went to the library where auditions were being held for the movie Beasts of the Southern Wild. 
It turned out to be a trip that would change Nazie's life forever. 
I think auditioning for a movie would be a life-changing experience. 
Now earlier we were talking about someone called Quvenzhane's mother, or Nazie's mother, and told her about a part that she could addition for in a movie. 
And we read in this section: 
The callar thought Quvenzhane would be perfect for the role, but Mrs. Wallis wasn't sure. 
And I can certainly understand why. 
Well, it's true. 
Actually, the people that were auditioning for the role, they said we want girls between six and nine years old to audition. 
But Nazie was only five years old, and so her mother wasn't sure about taking her daughter in. 
Actually, Nazie says they snuck in and she ended up getting the role. 
Well, we continue. 
It was true that people always said her daughter had a special gift. 
So people told Nazie's mom that her daughter had a very special gift. 
Now let's take a look at that word "gift." Here in this sentence, what does it mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it does not mean it is a present that you give to someone else. 
Here it means that it is a special ability that you have. 
Maybe you have a gift for music. 
You are just very talented. 
And it doesn't take much effort for you to learn how to play an instrument or sing a song. 
It just comes naturally. 
You have a gift. 
A special gift. 
Of course this is a noun. 
But you might use it as an adjective to talk about someone who has that gift - a gifted actor, a gifted singer, a gifted dancer or a gifted artist. 
And of course Nazie, or Quvenzhane, is a very gifted girl. 
That's right. 
She has a special gift. 
Continuing. 
But Nazie's parents considered her just a normal, active, imaginative child. 
So while other people said she had a special gift, they thought she was just normal and imaginative. 
Now imaginative is another word from our Word Bank. 
If you are imaginative, then you are very creative. 
You think very interesting thoughts that might be different from other people, and it's a lot of fun. 
And maybe you have a world of your own. 
You're thinking of so many different things going on inside of your head. 
Maybe you're very good at telling stories because you have a very creative imagination. 
You are imaginative. 
Well, are you? 
Are you an imaginative person? 
Yes. Do you come up with new or creative ideas that other people just don't seem to have? 
Well, Nazie was an imaginative 5-year-old child. 
And they thought that this was very normal. 
Now continuing into the next paragraph. 
When Mrs. Wallis asked her daughter if she would like to audition, Nazie said yes. 
Nazie, of course, said yes. 
She seemed pretty excited about this. 
They went to the library where auditions were being held for the movie Beasts of the Southern Wild. 
Now maybe you have heard of this movie or even seen this movie Beasts of the Southern Wild. 
But first, let's take a look at the word there in that movie title, the word "beast." A beast is something big. 
It's kind a big animal, maybe a dangerous or scary animal, not normal or cute and cuddly - a beast. 
That's right. 
And maybe you've heard of the movie Beauty and the Beast that it... There is a huge beast in the movie. 
And this is the movie Beasts of the Southern Wild. 
Now you can also use this word "beast" to describe a person who acts like an animal. 
And actually I watched this movie recently, and they do kind of act like animals in the movie. 
They are people, most certainly. 
But there are times when they roar or yell or run, and it's a lot like an animal. 
Hmm, it sounds kind of wild. 
Maybe you talk about wild beasts sometimes. 
Well, this sounds like a movie that I would want to see. 
I haven't seen it yet. 
But of course, we see here that she auditioned for this role for this part in this movie. 
Now you saw that word "audition" in the sentence in another way. 
You see it as a noun as well. 
They went to the library where auditions were being held. 
So it can be a noun or a verb. 
That's right. 
And we find out in this last sentence: 
It turned out to be a trip that would change Nazie's life forever. 
So this is something very special. 
This is just a simple trip to the library where she could audition for a movie. 
It doesn't seem like too big of a deal because there are so many other girls auditioning, but it changed her life forever. 
That's right. 
And if something changes your life forever or maybe it changes your friend's life forever, 
that means their life was heading in one direction, but something happened and it made the direction change a lot. 
So it changed the course of Nazie's life. 
That's right. 
So she went from being a normal child to a rising young star as we mentioned previously in the article. 
Well, right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. Bye-bye. 
Isn't that just wonderful? 
What's wonderful? 
Our little Nazie has been nominated for an Academy Award. 
Little Nazie from down the street? 
Yes, Quvenzhane Wallis has been nominated. 
Well, for an Academy Award? 
Yeah. 
But she's only nine years old. 
Well, I know. 
She's the youngest actress to ever be considered. 
Well, we always said she had a special gift. 
I know. But her parents considered her just a normal, active, imaginative child. 
So how did she get into show business? 
Well, she has me to thank for that. 
You? 
Yes, me! 
No. 
Yes. A movie director was auditioning girls to star in his movie. 
And? 
And I called Mrs. Wallis, and I told her Nazie would be perfect for the role. 
You did? 
I did. 
At first, Mrs. Wallis wasn't so sure. 
She said Nazie was just a normal 5-year-old. 
And? 
Well, and I said no, no, no. 
Your daughter has a special gift. 
So Mrs. Wallis took Nazie to the auditions? 
Yes, she did. 
And she got the part. 
And now she's nominated for an Academy Award. 
That's right, thanks to me. 
Wow, little Nazie. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to go back to our teachers. 
Well, in our article today we talked about Quvenzhane and her mother going to this audition for a movie. 
And she was only five years old. 
Now I don't know how many parents would be comfortable with allowing their 5-year-old child who is just in kindergarten to audition for a movie. 
Gabe, how would you feel if you had a child in kindergarten and they wanted to audition for a movie? 
Well, I was just thinking about that recently, Carolyn. 
I have a cousin who is not much older than five, and she's very expressive. 
And I think she would be a great actress. 
But it's kind of scary to think about what happens to some children when they become celebrities. 
Sometimes their life doesn't really go in a good direction. 
That is true. 
But I think that Quvenzhane is doing very well. 
I know that if my child really wanted to audition, then I would probably let them. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn about Quvenzhane and her story next time here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.08.29.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for our second day learning about Quvenzhane Wallis, this talented and gifted young actress. 
Of course her nickname is Nazie. 
And Nazie had auditioned for a show... or a movie called Beasts of the Southern Wild. 
Now we're going to be learning more about her audition in today's lesson. 
And she went up against almost 4,000 other young girls. 
That is quite a competition. 
I wonder what kind of competitive environment you have been in in your life. 
Carolyn, have you been in any really competitive environments? 
Well, I've been in a few different kinds of competitive environments. 
I was uh... trying to get a scholarship, and it was a very big scholarship that many other people wanted. 
So that was very competitive. 
And I was also in marching band, and we went to competitions all over the state and competed against other bands. 
Well, those are two very different kinds of competitions where you can feel the competition. 
Everyone wants first place, and everyone is fighting for that position. 
I think that Nazie really got to experience that as well. 
Let's continue learning about Quvenzhane Wallis right now. 
Quvenzhane Wallis. 
Director Ben Zeitlin immediately saw the special quality in Nazie that others had seen. 
He chose her from among 4,000 others who had auditioned for the role of Hushpuppy. 
It was Nazie's first acting role and Zeitlin's first full-length film. 
In the film, Nazie plays a courageous little girl. 
She tries to save her dying father and her neighbors. 
Audiences fell in love with Beasts and especially with its young star. 
The film won awards at Utah's 2012 Sundance Film Festival and France's Cannes Film Festival. 
Zeitlin was pleasantly shocked, but the praise didn't stop there. 
Well, we're going to continue learning about more praise later, but for now, let's go to the beginning of our article. 
Director Ben Zeitlin immediately saw the special quality in Nazie that others had seen. 
So again, he's auditioning a bunch of girls for this role, and he saw this quality. 
He saw it immediately. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
What does that mean, "immediately"? 
Well, immediately means that it is right away. 
There's no delay. 
He sees it as soon as he sees Nazie. 
There's no question that she has this special gift for acting that other people have seen. 
Now there are many ways that you can use this word: immediately. 
Maybe you go home and you immediately call your parents to let them know that you arrived safely because they aren't home yet. 
That is a good idea. 
Or maybe you did something wrong, and your mom says: Come here immediately! 
Come here right now. 
I'm going to talk to you about that. 
Well, you can use that word in different ways. 
And of course, this director Ben Zeitlin, who is less than a year older than me, is a pretty good director. 
And he saw the special quality in Nazie others had already seen. 
He chose her from among 4,000 others who had auditioned for the role of Hushpuppy. 
That's quite a lot of other people auditioning for one role, Carolyn. 
That's right. 
So this is a very big competition. 
It's very competitive to audition for just one role and there are 4,000 other young girls who want this part in his movie. 
Well, it was Nazie's first acting role and Zeitlin's first full-length film. 
So neither of them have much experience when it comes to making a movie. 
That's right, or at least a full-length movie. 
I know that he had done a short film called Glory at Sea. 
And so he's done other things, he has experience. 
But I know that Nazie... well, it says here that this is her first acting role, which is incredible. 
Most people have to spend years training for a big role like this. 
That's right. 
And we find out a little bit about Nazie's character in the movie. 
In the film, Nazie plays a courageous little girl. 
And courageous is one of the words from our Word Bank. 
Someone who is courageous has a lot of courage. 
They are very brave. 
I like that. You used the word "courage." That's the noun form of this word. 
Are you a courageous person? 
Of course I think most people want to be courageous people. 
So what does that take? 
Well, Nazie, or for Quvenzhane, she went to this audition, and she was a very courageous little girl. 
And actually the role she tried out for is also a courageous girl. 
That's right. 
And talking about her character Hushpuppy: 
She tries to save her dying father and her neighbors. 
And she is a little girl in the movie, so she must be very courageous if she's trying to save all of the people in her life: 
her father who is very sick, he's dying, and all of her neighbors who are in big trouble. 
And it says here that audiences fell in love with Beasts and especially with its young star. 
Sometimes people just shorten movie titles. 
They just say a key word from it. 
So here we see people fell in love with Beasts. 
That means Beasts of the Southern Wild. 
And they especially fell in love with its young star. 
I personally have not seen this movie yet. 
Carolyn, have you seen Beasts of the Southern Wild? 
Yes, I have, as I mentioned yesterday. 
I have seen this movie, and it is just wonderful. 
It does seem like a wonderful movie. 
Did you fall in love with this young star? 
Well, I was very impressed as she is such a young actress but she was amazing. 
It seems like she was amazing. 
And I think many people think that. 
That's why we find out here: 
The film won awards at Utah's 2012 Sundance Film Festival and France's Cannes Film Festival. 
So let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "award." An award is something like a prize, something that you get for something good that you did, an award. 
That's right. 
So maybe you have received an award for something you have done. 
Maybe you are very good at playing sports, and you have been recognized for that talent or your gift and you have received an award. 
Maybe you have been working very hard on your English, and you won a competition. 
And they gave you an award afterward, so. 
She... uh, won... or the film won many awards at these different film festivals around the world. 
That's right, the Sundance Film Festival, which is an independent film festival, 
and of course France's Cannes Film Festival, which is probably the most famous film festival in the world or around the world. 
Well, Zeitlin was pleasantly shocked, but the praise didn't stop there. 
I guess that means that he complimented Quvenzhane, and he was very happy with her performance, but that's not all the praise she got. 
That's right. 
And he was pleasantly shocked. 
So it's not something he was expecting, but it was something he was very happy about. 
Well, right now I think Liz has something that she would like to share with us in the Grammar Gym. 
Then we'll learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In our profile article today, we see this statement: but the praise didn't stop there. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus is on the pattern: [something] didn't stop there. 
This is an expression native speakers use to talk about how something does not end but continues on. 
In the case of today's sentence, the writer is saying that even though the movie Beasts of the Southern Wild got a lot of praises, 
it didn't just get them at the two film festivals mentioned in the article. 
So when you want to talk about how a situation is more than what is being said or described, you can try using this pattern. 
For example: Tiffany had a lot of problems at work: her computer broke down, 
she lost her files and got yelled at by her clients and her boss; but her problems didn't stop there. 
Or: On her birthday, Annie's friends took her out to breakfast and gave her lots of presents; but the surprises didn't stop there. 
If you want to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.29.B

We are on the second day of our article on Quvenzhane Wallis, a young actress who won a part in a big movie. 
Now we saw today that the director Ben Zeitlin immediately saw her special gift, her special talent for acting. 
And she competed against 4,000 other girls for the role of Hushpuppy. 
They won many awards with this movie. 
And we still have a lot more to learn in the next section of our reading. 
Let's do that now. 
Quvenzhane Wallis. 
The film continued to receive many more awards. 
In addition, it received four Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Actress. 
The nomination made 9-year-old Quvenzhane the youngest actress to ever be considered. 
Even though she didn't win, movie offers still came pouring in. 
Audiences got just a taste of Quvenzhane's talent as Hushpuppy. 
And now they are anxious to see more from this talented, young actress. 
Well, I'm anxious to see this movie and see Quvenzhane's performance. 
Well, let's continue at the beginning of this section. 
We're learning about the awards that the movie won. 
And the film continued to receive many more awards. 
It's true, by now there are at least 18 awards for this movie. 
And that is a lot. 
That is very impressive, especially since this was the director's first full-length film and Quvenzhane's first role in anything. 
That's right, first acting role ever. 
Well, we continue. 
In addition, it received four Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Actress - which is great! 
Quvenzhane was nominated for the award of Best Actress. 
And this is also a very competitive award. 
Many women work so hard to just get this nomination. 
And here Quvenzhane was so young when she was nominated for this Academy Award for Best Actress. 
And we read on in the next sentence: 
The nomination made 9-year-old Quvenzhane the youngest actress to ever be considered. 
Now I read that there were boys who were also nine that had been nominated for Best Actor. 
Really? 
But she was the youngest to ever be nominated for this award. 
For the Best Actress. 
Well, of course there are other young actresses that have been nominated like Ellen Page for Juno, Keira Knightley, many other actresses, 
and of course many wonderful actresses who have been acting for years that have gotten the award for Best Actress. 
But nine years old? 
Man, that is young! 
She must be really talented, indeed. 
Yes. And I'm sure that her parents are very excited that they allowed her to audition since this is the sort of praise she is getting for this movie. 
Now the next sentence says: Even though she didn't win, (so she was nominated but didn't win) movie offers still came pouring in. 
All right. Well, I want to take a look at that phrase there. 
These things, these movie offers came pouring in. 
That means it is coming in very quickly. 
Kind of like liquid or kind of water when you pour it into a bucket, it just comes in very quickly. 
You don't know what to do with it. 
It just came pouring in. 
And this phrase also means that it comes in in large amounts. 
So it's not just a little bit that comes in very quickly, but there are just so many offers that she might not know what to do with them. 
And there are many other things that could come pouring in. 
Maybe you want to go see Beasts of the Southern Wild, and it's the premiere showing. 
People are just pouring in through the theater doors. 
And it's hard to find a seat. 
Well, I imagine that that's how it's going to be at some theaters. 
I also... I also imagine that maybe Quvenzhane is getting some fan mail. 
Maybe the fan mail is pouring in. 
Many people appreciate what she did in the movie. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning something with Steve and Ken right now in the Information Cloud. 
There's almost nothing certain about English pronunciation. 
Consider one of the more extreme examples - the four-letter sequence O-U-G-H. 
Now years ago, during the Middle English era, the O-U-G-H sound was pronounced as oak. 
Today, these four letters have around ten different pronunciations, six of which are commonly found in American English. 
The O-U-G-H in "though," the word in today's text rhymes with toe. 
Add a T to the end of "though" for "thought." And the O-U-G-H sequence now rhymes with awe. 
If we were to add an R to "though," creating the word "through," the O-U-G-H pronunciation changes to rhyme with true. 
Next, by taking through's first two letters away, we get the new word "rough," which rhymes with buff. 
Then change the R in "rough" to a C for "cough," giving the sequence the same sound as the word off. 
And finally, let's replace the C in "cough" with a B, forming the word "bough," which rhymes with wow. 
Six English words with the O-U-G-H letter sequence, all of them useful and worth remembering but no two sound the same. 
Unpredictable pronunciations - another reason why English is so quirky. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, we continue at the very end of our lesson here. 
Audiences got just a taste of Quvenzhane's talent as Hushpuppy. 
That's true. 
This is her first big acting role. 
But you know what, it doesn't seem like just a little taste. 
She was the main star in this movie. 
That means people were watching her for a lot of the movie. Right, Carolyn? 
That's right. 
She is the star of the Beasts of the Southern Wild. 
And the whole movie focuses on her and how she reacts and changes throughout the movie. 
It is quite interesting. 
I really want to see this movie and have a taste for her talent as well. 
Well, what's our last sentence here, Carolyn? 
It says: And now they are anxious to see more from this talented, young actress. 
So people really can't wait to see what she's going to do next. 
What movie will she be in? 
What role will she play and how will that change the way she is perceived by the acting community? 
Maybe she will do so well in her next film that she won't just be nominated for Best Actress but she could win. 
Well, that would be great. 
I would love to hear about that. 
Now I see a phrase in this sentence: People are anxious to see more from this talented, young actress. 
Usually when I think of the word "anxious," it's kind of a negative thing. 
But here it's... it's positive. 
We're anxious to see more from this. 
Actually, I might choose another word. 
I might see... I might say that I am eager to see more from this talented, young actress. 
That's right. 
So you just can't wait to see what she's going to do next and what film she's going to be in and how she will work in that character. 
That's right. 
It seems like she's very talented. 
So she could not just do one role but maybe many different kinds of roles, this Quvenzhane Wallis. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to go back to our lesson. 
Well, I've enjoyed learning a little bit about Quvenzhane Wallis over these last couple of days. 
And she is definitely a rising young star. 
I think she's got a very promising future. 
She has a very special gift, indeed. 
And of course, she was nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards. 
I wonder if her life would be any different if she actually won the award for Best Actress. 
Well, what do you think, Carolyn? 
Well, I guess it's possible that it would change her life. 
But she's already won so many other awards, 
and she's really been recognized for her talent that I don't think it would have changed too much since she still has movie offers pouring in. 
I agree with you, Carolyn. 
I think that a nomination is really good enough for her right now. 
She would probably get the same amount of movie offers even if... no matter what, even if she did win the Academy Award. 
Well, you can find out more about Nazie on page 48 of your magazine if you want to know more facts about her. 
But for now it's time for us to say goodbye. 
And we will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.08.30.A

Hi, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for today's lesson - Bluetooth Fashion. 
Well, Bluetooth is becoming more and more popular in the technology world. 
Lots of people are using things with Bluetooth technology. 
What kinds of things do you use that have Bluetooth technology? 
Carolyn, do you use anything with Bluetooth? 
Well, I do know a lot of people who use Bluetooth with their phones. 
Yeah. 
So their phones have Bluetooth in it. 
And they also have headset or a set in their car so that they can answer their phone without using their phone. 
They just push a button on the headset or a button in their car, and they can use their cell phone. 
I love that, Carolyn. 
I love watching people walking around with their little Bluetooth in their ear. 
Sometimes it looks like they're just talking to themselves, and then you see that thing in their ear. 
Bluetooth can be quite fun. 
Of course, I use Bluetooth with my iPhone. 
I have to have a hot spot sometimes, and I need to turn on the Bluetooth. 
Well, it's time for us to learn about Bluetooth Fashion now. 
What is this all about? 
Let's get started. 
Bluetooth Fashion. 
Technology is getting a new look. 
Bluetooth is a leader in wireless technology. 
It is built into cars, phones, computers and more. 
It allows you to share information between two devices. 
But with a focus on function, Bluetooth-enabled devices haven't always looked "cool." That's changing, though, thanks to some creative designers. 
Here are a few cool, trendy gadgets you may see on the market soon. 
Bluetooth clothing. 
Clothing designer Asher Levine has released a line of clothing that contains Bluetooth microchips. 
These chips connect to your iPhone. 
Wow, Bluetooth clothing. 
Now that is an interesting idea. 
But first, let's get started at the top of the article: Technology is getting a new look. 
And if Bluetooth is getting into fashion, I can see why technology would be getting a new look. 
Right, Gabe? 
I think so, too. 
A new look - that means there's a new kind of style to something. 
So technology is now getting a new look. 
Well, let's begin. 
Bluetooth is a leader in wireless technology. 
Well, there are many companies out there that deal with technology, but Bluetooth is among the leaders, maybe the top in wireless technology. 
What is... what is wireless? 
Well, it means that there aren't any wires. 
So signals are sent through the air instead of through cables like traditional electricity or signals. 
This is wireless, kind of like the Wi-Fi that you might use on your computer. 
That's right. 
So you might talk about having wireless Internet. 
You don't have to use a cable to connect to the Internet. 
Well, it is built into cars. 
We're talking about Bluetooth technology. 
It's built into cars, phones, computers and more... and lots more. 
That's very true. 
And it allows you to share information between two devices. 
So you can share information. 
It's not just one way. 
You can share it between two different devices. 
And let's look at that word from our Word Bank - device. 
What is a device, Gabe? 
Well, it's a kind of another word for tool, something that you use to help you in your life, a device. 
And often I think of this word when I think of electronic devices. 
Of course you might have some different devices to help you, your phone, your computer, these different electronic devices. 
That's right. 
So you can call your phone a device. 
Your computer is a device. 
Even your TV is a device, and maybe even something as simple as your hair dryer. 
Usually things that are electric, that use electricity, those can be called devices. 
And they are things that help you to do something or allow you to enjoy something. 
And so Bluetooth does this - it allows two or more things to kind of share information. 
But with a focus on function, Bluetooth-enabled devices haven't always looked "cool." I couldn't agree more. 
Yeah, it's true. 
This doesn't always look "cool," and so now they're thinking about fashion. 
That's very true. 
Sometimes the headsets that were used before were very large or didn't look very good. 
And maybe the set in the car, it... it worked but it was kind of hard to install or it took up too much space. 
But it might not look cool. 
But we see that that's changing, though, thanks to some creative designers. 
And here are a few cool, trendy gadgets you may see on the market soon. 
Well hey, let's take a look at some of those words from that sentence. 
trendy. 
I like this word. 
If something is trendy, that means many people are doing it recently. 
Or lately, lots of people are wearing something, doing something, it's trendy to do something. 
That's right. 
You might also call it fashionable. 
Something that is very popular right now, it is trending. 
If you add I-N-G, you can make that into a verb. 
It can be trendy. 
Or right now something is trending. 
It's very popular at the moment. 
So here are a few cool, trendy gadgets that you might see on the market soon. 
Now there's another great phrase in this sentence, Gabe, isn't there? 
Yes, there is - something is on the market. 
If something is on the market, that's kind of an idiom. 
That means that you can see it in many places where you shop. 
All right, so it's on the market, they're selling it. 
And this is an idiom. 
So it's... it's a little bit different from saying "it's in a market." Of course it might be in a market or a supermarket. 
But if it's on the market, that means many places are selling it. 
That's right. 
So it is available for purchase - you can buy it. 
And it's not just in a store. 
If it's on the market, then maybe it is on the global market. 
You can buy it anywhere in the world. 
Or it could be on the Internet. 
It could be on the market there as well, so. 
These things could be on the market very soon. 
It's true. 
And right now I think it's time for Steve and Ken to tell us a little bit something about this "R" we see next to the Bluetooth in the Information Cloud. 
A trademark is something that distinguishes a product or service of one particular business from that of another. 
More than just a logo, a trademark can be a word, a design, a smell or even a sound, like the sound your computer makes when you turn it on. 
The trademark letters TM on a product's package mean the trademark's owner is alerting the public of his or her claim on that trademark, 
and his or her intent to defend the trademark against infringement. 
The capital R with a circle around it, as we see scattered throughout this month's FASHION feature, 
means the trademark, in this case, the word Bluetooth, has been officially registered with the national patent office. 
Registered trademarks have a higher level of legal protection than unregistered trademarks. 
A trademark can theoretically last forever if the owner maintains it by 1. continually using it, 
2. properly using it, and 3. regularly filing the necessary renewal applications with the government. 
OK. The words escalator, aspirin, zipper and trampoline all began as trademarks. 
However, due to poor maintenance by their owners, the trademarks became generic. 
Now any company can legally use these words to describe their products. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
OK. Now let's start talking about Bluetooth clothing, a very interesting idea. 
Clothing designer Asher Levine has released a line of clothing that contains Bluetooth microchips. 
OK, a line of clothing. 
That's kind of a series or maybe a set of clothing, lots of different clothes, not just one shirt but a line of clothing. 
And usually a line of clothing all have a similar theme. 
The clothes in that line have similar themes. 
And this particular line of clothing has the theme of containing Bluetooth microchips. 
So a small chip that you might find in a computer or in a phone - but this is in the clothing. 
That's right. 
It's actually kind of cool. 
So a microchip can sometimes just be called a chip. OK. 
These chips connect to your iPhone. 
And we're going to learn more about this later. 
But first, let's go and see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.30.B

We're talking about Bluetooth Fashion today. 
And of course, technology is getting a new look. 
Many things use Bluetooth technology, but not all of those things always look cool. 
And so we're going to see how some things can be made to look more trendy, to have a better fashion sense to them. 
And the first thing we're looking at is Bluetooth clothing. 
Let's continue learning about this. 
Bluetooth Fashion. 
If you lose an item of clothing, there's an app to help. 
Push a button, and your clothing will "ring" if it's nearby. 
If it's too far away, you can use Google Maps to locate it. 
The Ripple. 
Ladies, are you tired of wireless headsets that make you look like a character from Star Trek? 
Ilya Fridman was thinking of you when he designed the Ripple, a Bluetooth headset that looks like an earring. 
This circular device slides open to reveal a microphone. 
When closed, the Ripple stays on so you can listen to music. 
Well, this certainly sounds like a cool idea, the Ripple. 
But before we get too much into that, let's go back and learn a little bit more about this Bluetooth clothing. 
So, if you lose an item of clothing, there's an app to help. 
Well, let's look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "app." And an app, actually, you might know what this word means. 
If you have a smartphone, you might download apps all the time. 
It's... that word is short for "application." It's something that you can download and put on your smartphone or tablet, and it helps you. 
You can do lots of different things with all of the different apps out there. 
That's right. 
So there are many different kinds of apps. 
Maybe you play games. 
Maybe you use them to help practice English or learn another language. 
I know I have a Chinese translation app on my iPod that helps me out a lot, and many other apps as well. 
So here we have an app for your clothing if you lose it. 
And this connects to your iPhone, so. 
There's a microchip in your clothes. 
That chip connects to your phone. 
And there's an app to help you. 
Now how is that possible, Gabe? 
Well, it's possible. 
If you have an item of clothing or an article of clothing, you push a button, and your clothing will "ring" if it's nearby. 
OK. So ringing kind of like a... a phone or something kind of like that, a sound, so you can tell where your clothes are. 
Oh. But that is only if it's nearby. 
So... and that's true, if it's too far away, you won't hear it ringing. 
So the next sentence says if it's too far away, you can use Google Maps to locate it. 
So the app will start up the Google... Google Maps app perhaps, or go to the website, and it will show you where you left your clothing. 
Well, this sounds like a really cool piece of technology where you can find your clothes if you ever lose your clothes. 
I don't know if that happens to you very often, but... but now there's a way to find your clothes. 
OK. Let's go to the next section, the Ripple. 
Uh, ladies, this is for you. 
The Ripple. 
Ladies, are you tired of wireless headsets that make you look like a character from Star Trek? 
Oh, well, this is quite an interesting question since we talked about earlier how Bluetooth has not always been fashionable. 
And I mentioned headsets earlier where there's a little earpiece that it goes over your ear or in your ear, and it doesn't look very good. 
It's kind of bulky. 
It kind of glows as well. 
And maybe you feel like a character from Star Trek where they wear very unique clothing. 
That's right. They do have unique clothing. 
But perhaps, perhaps you like Star Trek. 
Perhaps you want to look like someone from Star Trek, ladies. 
Well, then don't worry about this Bluetooth fashion. 
Just stick with your original Bluetooth pieces. 
But if it is a concern for you, Ilya Fridman was thinking of you when he designed the Ripple, a Bluetooth headset that looks like an earring. 
Interesting. 
Well, Ilya Fridman designed this. 
And he designed the Ripple. 
It's a Bluetooth headset. 
It looks like an earring. 
It's very fashionable. 
You can kind of see a picture there in your magazine. 
It's kind of cool. 
It's a little better than the Star Trek one. 
It is. It's a little bit big, but it looks very interesting and fashionable. 
Now this circular device slides open to reveal a microphone. 
So it looks like an earring, but it has a microphone inside it. 
And we see this word here "circular" from our Word Bank. 
What is circular, Gabe? 
Well, it's round like a circle, but it's not just round. 
I mean, it really has to be like a circle shape. 
So other things are round, like an oval or a track or an egg, but those are not circular. 
A circular thing is really like a circle, completely like a circle. 
That's right. 
So this is like a circle, just a circular-shaped earring, and it has a microphone inside it. 
Now when closed, the Ripple stays on so you can listen to music. 
So it's not just a Bluetooth headset that allows you to have a phone conversation with someone, 
but you can also use it as a speaker or as headphones to listen to your music. 
Well, it seems like a pretty cool idea. 
If you wear earrings, then of course you might want to buy the Ripple. 
And... I don't know if you want to buy a Ripple only or maybe you want to buy some of this Bluetooth clothing as well. 
Does either of this sound interesting to you, Carolyn? 
Well, they both sound like pretty neat ideas. 
I mean, it is possible if you are in a car or you go to a restaurant and you leave your jacket there. 
It would be really nice to be able to find it with this Bluetooth microchip in your clothes. 
And I think that this Ripple headset sounds pretty neat. 
It does. 
Well, now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Oh, no! I don't have my jacket. 
You must have left it somewhere. 
Right. I'll call and find out. 
Good. First, call the restaurant. 
Shh. 
And then call the movie theater. 
I don't need to call those places. 
Well, then who will you call, the police? 
I'll call my jacket directly. 
You're calling your jacket? 
Yes. It contains Bluetooth microchips. 
You jacket is Bluetooth-enabled? 
Wow! That's a trendy item. 
Yes. 
Hello? Hello, jacket... Hello! 
Pick up, please. 
Where are you? 
Oh, excuse me. 
I have to answer this. 
Answer what? 
My Ripple. 
Your what? 
My earring! 
Huh? 
My wireless headset, it looks like an earring. 
Wow! That's a trendy gadget. 
Yeah. 
Oh... my jacket is calling back. 
Oh. 
It's his... your jacket's calling. Hmm. 
It wants to talk to your earring. 
Really? 
OK. 
Wow! This Bluetooth thing is really crazy. 
I wonder what they're talking about. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And back to our lesson now. 
Today we've been enjoying a lesson on Bluetooth technology and how it is getting into fashion. 
Now talking about these fashion items like the Bluetooth microchip that can go in your clothing and the Bluetooth headset, the Ripple, 
I wonder what other pieces of everyday life could we improve by adding Bluetooth. 
Gabe, what do you think would be better if we had some Bluetooth in it? 
Hmm, Bluetooth technology. 
Well, I like the idea of helping you find things. 
So I wouldn't limit it to just clothing. 
Maybe you can use Bluetooth technology to help you find lots of other kinds of things, too. 
Well, that is an idea. 
I know lots of people misplace items every day. 
And maybe if you had a Bluetooth microchip in it, you would be able to find it much easier. 
Well, we are going to continue learning about Bluetooth in our article tomorrow here on Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.08.31.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you are joining us for the second day of our lesson about Bluetooth Fashion. 
That's right. Technology is getting a new look. 
We already talked about some ways it's getting a new trendy look. 
It's looking cooler. 
Carolyn, what is one thing the Bluetooth is doing to look cool? 
Well, yesterday we were talking about Bluetooth clothing. 
We learned that a fashion designer Asher Levine has just released a new line of clothing that uses Bluetooth technology. 
There are microchips inside the clothes that connect to your iPhone so that if you lose your phone... or if you lose the clothes, you can use an app on your phone to find them. 
It's very cool. 
And of course, there's also the Ripple, designed by Ilya Fridman. 
And this is kind of a little circular device that is actually the same function as talking to someone on your phone, but it also plays music. 
If you don't feel like talking to your friends, you can just play music and leave that thing that looks like an earring in your ear. 
It's pretty cool. 
Well, it's now time for us to continue learning about Bluetooth Fashion with Spray Bluetooth Speakers. 
Bluetooth Fashion. 
Spray Bluetooth Speaker. 
Clothing label Ecko UNLTD is making its technology debut with a Bluetooth speaker that looks like a can of spray paint. 
The Spray Bluetooth speaker also contains a microphone, which you can pair with your smartphone for hands-free calling. 
The speakers have up to 10 hours of battery life. 
Twist the top to skip songs or control volume. 
Pros? 
Its clever design will impress urban artists and geeks alike. 
Cons? 
Users will look like they are talking and listening to a can of spray paint. 
Those are definitely some pros and cons. 
OK. We're talking about the Spray Bluetooth Speaker here. 
And "speaker" happens to be from our Word Bank. 
What is a speaker, Carolyn? 
Well, a speaker is a piece of equipment or a device (that we've learned that word before) that produces sound. 
So you might have a speaker on your computer that lets you listen to music. 
Or maybe you have a nice speaker system in your car. 
You have very good speakers, and you can listen to very high-quality music. 
That's right. 
The music might be very loud through your speakers or the speakers might be playing very soft music. 
You can say turn the speakers up or turn your speakers down, please. 
OK. So Spray Bluetooth Speakers. 
Clothing label Ecko UNLTD is making its technology debut with a Bluetooth speaker that looks like a can of spray paint. 
Very cool. 
Well, that is certainly a unique way to make your debut. 
So this is their first time doing something like this if it's a debut. 
And they are actually a clothing label. 
So they aren't used to using a lot of technology. 
They're used to producing clothes. 
That's right. 
I used to have a pair of shorts by Ecko UNLTD. 
You see those words U-N-L-T-D. 
That's just kind of short for unlimited. 
Um, and it's making its debut with this Bluetooth speaker. 
It looks like a can of spray paint. 
And I think that Steve and Ken are in the Information Cloud waiting for us. 
They want to share about that word debut. 
OK, friends, let's take a look at this word debut, spelled D-E-B-U-T. 
Now upon first seeing it, you may think it's pronounced de-but. 
But no, it's pronounced debut. 
That's right, debut. The T is silent. 
That's because this word was originally a French word, meaning to begin. 
Now you might be wondering, what about debut's past tense? 
Should I say something debued or debuted? 
Again, the T is silent, so you should read it as if the T is not there. 
The product debuted five years ago. 
And by the same reasoning, the progressive form should be pronounced debuing. 
And the plural form is debuts. 
You pronounce all of them without the T sound. 
However, there is a related word that is pronounced with the T sound - debutant. 
That's right. 
A young woman who is making a formal debut into society is a debutant, not debuan. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, it is good to know how to say different words in English. 
Some of them can be very tricky. 
Continuing talking about this new speaker: 
The Spray Bluetooth speaker also contains a microphone, which you can pair with your smartphone for hands-free calling. 
So it's not just a speaker that produces sound, but it also has a microphone so that it can take the place of just holding the phone to your head. 
You can just leave your phone sitting down and use this speaker instead. 
Interesting. 
So... so the spray paint can speaker thing is sitting on your desk and you're talking to this spray paint can. 
Well, um, we see a word here in the sentence: You can pair your smartphone with this thing. 
So oftentimes, if your smartphone has Bluetooth, then you pair it with something else so that you can use that other thing. 
That's the word we use. 
You pair it when two or more things come together. 
That's right. 
So you can pair it with your phone so that you can use the Bluetooth instead of using your phone to make calls or answer calls. 
Now the speakers have up to 10 hours of battery life, which is great. 
That means that you can use it for a long time. 
And we see a word from our Word Bank: battery. 
Now a battery is something that holds energy or produces energy so that you can power something. 
I'm sure that there is a battery in your laptop and your cell phone. 
And you need to make sure that your battery is charged, otherwise you won't be able to use any of your electronics. 
OK. So those are batteries that you can recharge. 
But of course, there are many batteries out there that you can only use once and then you have to throw those batteries away. 
All right. So use batteries for energy for all of your electronic devices. 
Of course sometimes you might want to plug it into a wall so you don't use your battery so much. 
But here we see that this thing has up to 10 hours of battery life, which is not bad. 
It isn't bad. 
And it's interesting that it says battery "life." A lot of times we say when the battery can't provide any more power, we say that the battery is dead. 
So we use these words to describe batteries, I guess, because they do produce energy and kind of bring electronics to life. 
That's right. 
Well, we're talking about these speakers here. 
You can twist the top to skip songs or control volume. 
That's cool. 
So you're listening to music, and then you take your can of spray paint and just twist the top a little bit to control the volume or skip some songs. 
That's right. 
Well, we have a question word: "Pros?" So good things with a question mark. 
Its clever design will impress urban artists and geeks alike. 
So there are some good things about this. 
Both groups will be impressed. 
Urban artists are people in cities who are into art. 
And there are also geeks. 
Now let's look at that word from our Word Bank. 
Gabe, what is a geek? 
Ah, geek. 
That's kind of a fun word to say to talk about someone who just loves technology, 
just loves working with technology, learning about new things in technology. 
Um, often it... has to do with technology. 
And yeah, they just know a lot about technology. 
And they would certainly, or many, would certainly be impressed with this speaker. 
That's right. 
So a geek is someone who knows a lot of... about technology, is very interested in it. 
But it could also be someone who is very interested in science or some other subject that is just very intense. 
Science, math, computers are all very complicated, so they need to study it. 
And that is the pro. Now... 
That's right. 
How do we continue, Gabe? 
Well, we're talking about pros and cons here. 
Users will look like they are talking and listening to a can of spray paint. 
Yeah, that's what I was thinking earlier. 
You're just talking to this can of spray paint. 
That... that can be kind of cool, or maybe a little geeky as well. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue learning with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
And then we'll see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We find this in today's FASHION article: 
Pros? 
Its clever design will impress urban artists and geeks alike. 
Cons? 
Users will look like they're talking and listening to a can of spray paint. 
Our Grammar Tip focus is on the two words: pros and cons. 
It comes from the idiom "pros and cons," which means the reasons why something should and shouldn't be done. 
In the case of today's article, the writer takes the idiom apart in order to first mention the good qualities and then the not-so-good qualities. 
You can do the same when you are giving a report on something and you want to mention the good side and bad side of your subject. 
For example: 
What are the pros to this new gadget? 
It is waterproof and lightweight. 
Cons? 
It needs to be recharged every four hours. 
Or, I don't know whether to buy these shoes or not. 
Pros? They're pretty and they fit comfortably. 
Cons? They're very expensive. 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section, you'll find more example sentences there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.08.31.B

Today we are continuing our lesson on Bluetooth Fashion and how Bluetooth technology is being used in many different ways now. 
Today we've been talking about the Spray Bluetooth speaker, which is a speaker that uses Bluetooth technology and produces sound. 
And you can also pair it with your phone to use as a hands-free device so that you don't need to hold your phone. 
Well, there are pros and cons to it. 
And we have another interesting device to learn about - the Smart Watch. 
Bluetooth Fashion. 
Smart Watches. 
EZIO has created a line of Bluetooth-enabled watches that connect to your smartphone. 
The EZIO Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Watch beeps and vibrates when you get a call, text or email. 
It also lets you know any time your phone is more than 5 to 10 feet away from you. 
Although this isn't the first smart watch on the market, it's sure to be a favorite. 
Why? 
It's designed to look like a high-fashion watch, not a piece of technology. 
These new accessories show that fashion is getting smarter, and technology is looking better. 
Technology is looking better and better all the time. 
Let's start learning about Smart Watches here. 
EZIO has created a line of Bluetooth-enabled watches that connect to your smartphone. 
All right, that's cool. 
So we've talked about some speakers that can connect with your smartphone, 
some little earring pieces that you can use to talk and now these watches, these Smart Watches. 
And that is very interesting that they are Bluetooth-enabled. 
So if something is enabled, that means that it can be used. 
So these watches are Bluetooth-enabled. 
And they can use Bluetooth technology with your smartphone. 
Very interesting. 
Now the EZIO Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Watch beeps and vibrates when you get a call, text or email. 
So this sounds very interesting, Gabe. 
Yes, it does. 
It kind of vibrates. 
You can... you can tell when someone is calling just... just from you watch. 
That's great. 
You can tell time and when someone's calling. 
Let's take a look at this key word: vibrate. 
Now if something vibrates, that means it... it moves a little bit. OK? 
So it's not uh... it's not like when I'm walking around, not that kind of movement but just a little bit. 
You can feel it. 
It moves. 
Well, vibrate is a very small, fast motion, so. 
Maybe if you don't want your phone to ring, you can put it on vibrate so that the phone will vibrate when you get a call. 
Now it can still make noise if it is against something, but usually you would just feel it. 
I know a lot of other things that we use can also vibrate. 
I use a toothbrush that vibrates back and forth to help me clean my teeth a little bit better. 
Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's a good thing. 
There are lots of things that might have that vibration setting that... that vibrates. 
So actually, yeah, my phone was just ringing a minute ago. 
It was set on vibrate mode, though, so it was only vibrating. 
But I can hear it because, like Carolyn said, it was on a desk. 
OK, so we're talking about this Smart Watch. 
It also lets you know any time your phone is more than 5 to 10 feet away from you. 
Well, that is very interesting, so. 
It could be very helpful if you are traveling... if you're walking quickly, you can't feel your phone vibrate. 
But you're wearing a watch, you could feel your watch vibrate and know that someone is trying to get a hold of you. 
And it also lets you know when your phone is more than 5 to 10 feet away from you. 
So if you forget your phone, maybe you're in a taxi and your phone slips out of your pocket. 
Well, your watch will start vibrating, and you'll know that you left your phone. 
So this could be very helpful as well. 
I think this is extremely useful. 
I think that maybe I should buy something like a Smart Watch because sometimes I do lose things. 
I did lose my iPhone once. 
Maybe it would've been good for me to have a Smart Watch on me. 
Well, we're continuing to talk about this. 
Although this isn't the first smart watch on the market, it's sure to be a favorite. 
So there are other smart watches out there? 
Well, that's what it sounds like. 
There are other companies that have made smart watches before. 
But this one is sure to be a favorite, which means that lots and lots of people are going to like this one more than the others. 
Why? 
Why, Gabe? 
Tell me why. 
Well, it's... it's designed to look like a high-fashion watch, which is really cool, not a piece of technology. 
So as we talked about before, of course some Bluetooth technology, it just looks like a piece of technology. 
This is designed to look cool, a high-fashion watch. 
Ah! So I think a lot of smart watches or watches of this design, they're kind of big or bulky and they don't look very good. 
Maybe they aren't very comfortable. 
But they're useful because they have good functions that help you, but they don't look good. 
However, this one from EZIO is a high-fashion watch. 
So it's probably very expensive and looks great. 
I think so. 
Well, these new accessories show that fashion is getting smarter and technology is looking better. 
OK. So we see a word there - these accessories. 
Carolyn, what's an accessory? 
Well, an accessory is something that goes along with something else. 
And a lot of times we use this to refer to things in fashion. 
So your shirt, your shoes, your pants, those aren't really accessories. 
But if you wear a bracelet or a necklace, earrings, a watch, any rings on your fingers, those would all be accessories. 
Even a belt would be an accessory. 
Oh, I was just going to say I'm not wearing any accessories today. 
Like Carolyn, she's got a necklace and some beautiful earrings. 
But Carolyn's right, this belt could also be considered an accessory. 
Now there are some stores... there's actually a store called Accessorize, and they sell accessories. 
So do you like to wear accessories? 
Do you use accessories? 
And would you want technology to be a part of those accessories as we've been talking about in this article? 
Well, think about it. 
Talk about it in English. 
And for now, we're going to go join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our lesson now. 
Well, I've enjoyed learning about Bluetooth Fashion. 
And we've talked about four different kinds of things or items that use Bluetooth, or are Bluetooth-enabled. 
Which one of these was most interesting to you, or maybe interests you most, you... you might buy it? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I actually really like the idea of the Ripple. 
I think that a lot of Bluetooth headsets don't look that great and aren't something that I really want to be wearing on my head. 
But the Ripple looks really cool and very fashionable. 
And as someone who likes to wear earrings, I could see myself using the Ripple. 
What about you, Gabe? 
Yeah. Well, I could see you using the Ripple, too, Carolyn. 
That would look good. 
For me, um, an accessory like the Smart Watch. 
That sounds pretty cool and useful and helpful. 
As like I said, I might lose my smartphone sometimes. 
The Smart Watch will help me remember where it is. OK. 
Well, thank you for joining us today. 
And of course we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.09.02.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
It's our first lesson here this September, and it's a good one. 
It's called The Tale of Tolkien. 
Tale. Well, a tale is a kind of story. 
And Tolkien. 
Who is Tolkien? 
Well, you might know him by the name J.R.R. Tolkien. 
And he wrote some very popular, very famous books: The Lord of the Rings, (that's in three parts,) and the Hobbit. 
Now these books have also been made into movies. 
Maybe you have seen these movies. 
They're... they're very long. 
Each of them are very long movies. 
And I think they're wonderful movies. 
Carolyn, have you read these books or seen these movies? 
Well, I've read The Hobbit. 
I didn't read The Lord of the Rings, but those books are on my list-to-read. 
But I did watch all of the movies that have come out so far - the three Lord of the Rings movies and the first Hobbit movie that only tells part of the story. 
That's right. 
It only tells the first part of the story Now The Hobbit, of course, is only in one book. 
But The Lord of the Rings was in three books. 
I enjoyed them all. 
Actually, I'm thinking about reading them again. 
But I also think that this lesson is very important. 
It's also very interesting. 
It talks about Tolkien's background. 
Let's get started with The Tale of Tolkien. 
(Music). 
The Tale of Tolkien. 
Learn the story behind the stories of Middle Earth. 
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings delight book and movie lovers alike. 
These great stories sprang from the mind of one man - J.R.R. Tolkien. 
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in 1892. 
He spent much of his childhood in the beautiful English countryside. 
He enjoyed studying and learning languages from a young age. 
And his mother taught him the strong Christian faith that he believed his whole life. 
(Music). 
It sounds like J.R.R. Tolkien had a very nice childhood growing up in the English countryside. 
But before we discuss that any further, let's go back to the beginning. 
And we see right with our title: 
Learn the story behind the stories of Middle Earth. 
And that's a very interesting way to phrase this. 
"Learn the story behind the story." Let's look at that phrase. 
Gabe, what does that mean, "the story behind something"? 
Well, of course you might know these stories of Middle Earth. 
And Middle Earth is the place that J.R.R. Tolkien created for The Hobbit and for The Lord of the Rings characters. 
But "the story behind these stories." That means we're figuring out or finding out how these stories were created and the life of the author. 
Of course he has a great imagination, so he thought of these stories. 
We're going to learn about him. 
That's right. 
So we will learn his story, not the stories he wrote. 
And we begin with a couple of the books that he did write. 
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings delight book and movie lovers alike. 
And it's true, I do feel a lot of delight from reading and watching these movies. 
Well, I found these books great, too. 
They delighted me. 
And I think they delight many people. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: delight, or to delight someone. 
If you are delighted, if something delights you, that means it makes you happy, it pleases you. 
And I think many people are delighted when they win an award. 
If you get recognized for something great that you've done, you might feel delighted, you're so happy. 
I hope that you are delighted to be studying English with us today here on Studio Classroom because I know I am delighted to be here. 
Well, I am also delighted to be teaching as well. 
And I think something else that delights me is when I hear from someone that I haven't heard from in a long time. 
Or maybe when I receive a letter in the mail - that delights me. 
Well, what delights you? 
Here we're talking about how the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings delight book and movie lovers alike. 
So it doesn't delight books, it doesn't delight movies. 
It delights the lovers of these books and movies. 
And we can find out that all kinds of people love these movies and books. 
It is true. 
They are very popular. 
And these great stories sprang from the mind of one man - J.R.R. Tolkien. 
Well, that brings us to a great phrase in the sentence that Liz would like to tell us about in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In our article today, we find this sentence: 
These great stories sprang from the mind of one man - J.R.R. Tolkien. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Notice the word "sprang." It comes from the word "spring," which means to appear. 
So today's sentence just means these great stories all appeared from the mind of one man - J.R.R. Tolkien. 
Of course the writer could have said these stories came from the mind of one man - J.R.R. Tolkien. 
But to say "came" just doesn't sound as active. 
To make the sentence livelier, the writer uses "sprang" instead. 
Here are some examples. 
Mandy sprang through the doorway to show us her new outfit. 
Or: The pond was nice and quiet, but all of a sudden some ducks sprang out of nowhere and the whole place became noisy. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Bye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, of course all of these stories sprang from the mind of the imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien. 
What's his full name? 
Well, we see it right here in the next part. 
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in 1892. 
Wow. That was quite some time ago. 
And that is his full name - John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. 
That's right. 
So he actually has two middle names. 
That is very interesting since most people in the West have one middle name, and a lot of people in Asia have no middle name. 
That's true, so quite a unique name here as well. 
And we continue. 
He spent much of his childhood in the beautiful English countryside. 
Well, I would love to travel there someday. 
But first, let's take a look at this word from our Word Bank. 
It is "childhood." Carolyn, what is your childhood? 
Well, your childhood is the time you spend growing up as a child. 
OK. 
So what are some things that you do during childhood? 
I spent much of my childhood going to my grandparents' farm and playing with the baby animals. 
You did? 
Oh, yes. 
Wow! That is quite a different childhood from mine. 
I grew up kind of in the city. 
I would play games with my neighbors and my... my brother and my sisters. 
That's what I did in my childhood, and I loved it. 
What about your childhood? 
Talk about your childhood. 
Describe it in English. 
That would be great practice. 
It would be great practice. 
And we learn that Tolkien spent his childhood growing up in the English countryside, a very beautiful place to raise children. 
And we learn that he enjoyed studying and learning languages from a young age. 
Gabe, when did you start learning Chinese? 
Well, from a young age, from when I was a little kid in my childhood, I started learning Chinese. 
And I've been continuing to learn. 
I'm always learning new things every day. 
And I think that's important when you're learning a language is that you try to improve every day. 
Friends, you are doing a great job learning English. 
That's right. 
And we learn a little bit more about Tolkien. 
And his mother taught him the strong Christian faith that he believed his whole life. 
So he was able to grow up in the countryside, he loved languages, and his mother taught him his strong Christian faith. 
So he believed in God and salvation through Jesus Christ. 
That's right. 
Actually, I do, and Carolyn does as well. 
Many people at Studio Classroom have a strong Christian faith. 
Well, Tolkien did. 
And his mother... well, he has his mother to thank for that. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.02.B

Well, today in our lesson The Tale of Tolkien, we're learning about the story behind the stories of Middle Earth. 
We're talking about the person who authored the books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. 
And of course they were made into movies as well. 
And we're learning a little bit about his background. 
Of course, he grew up in the beautiful English countryside. 
And that's where he spent his childhood. 
Well, let's continue learning more about Tolkien's background in the next part of our reading for today. 
(Music). 
The Tale of Tolkien. 
But Tolkien's early life was also touched by tragedy. 
His father died when Tolkien was 4. 
Then Tolkien's mother passed away when he was 12. 
Love, War and Studies. 
As a teenager, Tolkien fell in love with a girl named Edith Bratt. 
But his guardian forbade him to contact her until he turned 21. 
Tolkien obeyed and focused on school. 
But he didn't forget Edith, and he contacted her on his 21st birthday. 
His patience paid off. 
They were married in 1916. 
(Music). 
Wow, he certainly didn't have an easy life. 
It started out so wonderful with his childhood in the English countryside. 
But here we learned something a little bit sad about his childhood. 
We read: But Tolkien's early life was also touched by tragedy. 
And that word "tragedy" from our Word Bank, Gabe, what is a tragedy? 
Well, a tragedy is something sad that happens in your life. 
Of course you have many happy moments, I hope. 
But then sometimes tragedies happen, things that are not that great, things that affect your life in a bad way. 
And of course, death is a tragedy. 
If you know someone close to you who has died, you could call that a tragedy. 
And that is what happened to Tolkien. 
We learn: His father died when Tolkien was 4. 
So he was only four years old, and that is certainly a tragedy. 
It's true. 
Now you could also use the word "tragic" to describe this kind of situation. 
It was a... it was a tragic situation. 
Well, his father died when Tolkien was 4, but... but that's not all. 
Now we learn here that then Tolkien's mother passed away when he was 12. 
So just within, you know, 8 or 9 years, both of his parents passed away. 
That really is a kind of a tragic thing to happen in someone's childhood. 
It is. 
And we see a phrase there, the phrase "passed away." And that is a nice way to say that someone has died. 
And I think that Steve and Ken have something that they want to share with us about this situation in the Information Cloud. 
Last month we talked about a euphemism for dismissing someone: letting someone go. 
Let's take a look at another popular euphemism: passing away. 
"Passing away" is just one of many euphemisms for the "D" word. 
Others include having gone home, having gone to meet one's maker, having departed or being in a better place. 
Now besides "pass away," we can also use "pass on." But don't say "pass out." That means something else. 
Right. "Pass out" means to faint and become unconscious. 
So why all the euphemisms for death? 
Well, sometimes saying "he died" is just too blunt. 
And people will use "he passed away" as a more sensitive way to say the same thing. 
You know, that's especially true in Chinese culture, which has an abundance of euphemisms. 
That's true, Ken. 
I know that Chinese people are particularly sensitive to any mentioning of death, and to say "he died" is very blunt and can sound harsh. 
But unlike the Chinese, a lot of Westerners don't mind speaking about it. 
Yes, they feel it is a serious matter, but no euphemism is needed. 
I agree. 
But there are always some people who prefer a euphemism, especially the family of the deceased. 
And especially on occasions such as a funeral. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, let's continue with the next section of Tolkien's life, his background here. 
It's called Love, War and Studies. 
OK. So we read here: As a teenager, Tolkien fell in love with a girl named Edith Bratt. 
Well, he fell in love with this girl. 
Have you ever fallen in love with somebody? 
Well, that is an interesting question. 
And we see that Tolkien fell in love when he was a teenager, and the girl was named Edith Bratt. 
However, it was not an easy situation for him. 
We read: But his guardian forbade him to contact her until he turned 21. 
Now we just learned that both of Tolkien's parents died when he was quite young. 
And so he had a guardian looking after him. 
And that's a word from our Word Bank. 
The word "guardian" is... means a person who looks after someone that needs to be taken care of, 
usually someone who is an orphan or doesn't have someone there to watch them. 
That's right. 
And my parents actually had planned if something happened to them, some tragedy happened and took their lives, 
they had planned for me and my siblings to also have a guardian. 
My aunt Mary Alice would have been our guardian. 
But of course now we're adults. 
If something happens, we don't need a guardian. 
But you can use this word kind of like that. 
That's right. 
So Tolkien had a guardian looking after him because both of his parents were gone. 
And his guardian forbade him from contacting this young girl Edith until he turned 21. 
And that word "forbade," or forbid, means to not allow someone to do something. 
All right. 
So he wasn't allowed to contact this girl that he fell in love with until he turned 21. 
All right. 
Well, Tolkien obeyed (very good) and focused on school. 
All right. Well, maybe that's what his guardian was encouraging him to do, was to just focus on his studies and not just think about love or romance. 
He needed to focus on studies for that time. 
That's right. 
But he didn't forget Edith, and he contacted her on his 21st birthday. 
So he remembered her throughout his teenage years. 
And when he turned 21, he was ready to talk to her. 
Which is really interesting - he had something to look forward to, and maybe it even helped him in his schoolwork. 
Does that describe you sometimes? 
You have a reward, you're looking forward to something, and so it can help you in whatever you're doing right now. 
I think this can be a great way to help you in life. 
It certainly can. 
And we learn that his patience paid off. 
And "pay off" is a great phrase. 
What does that mean, Gabe, if something pays off? 
This is a great phrase, yeah. 
If something is paid off, that means you worked hard for something. 
Or here, patience. 
You were waiting for a long time for something, and then it was worth it. 
It paid off. 
It was worth it. 
It's OK in the end. 
Actually, you're so happy that you waited, or you're so happy that you worked so hard. 
That's right. 
And his patience paid off because they were married in 1916. 
So the girl that he fell in love with as a teenager became his wife later in life. 
Well, right now it is time for us to join Michelle in the Language... Lab and learn something with her. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's return to our teachers. 
We've just finished the first lesson in this article on J.R.R. Tolkien - The Tale of Tolkien. 
Now at the end, we read that his patience paid off. 
So waiting really worked out for him. 
It was a good thing. 
Has patience ever paid off for you? 
I know it has for me. 
Gabe, have you ever had being patient work out? 
Yeah. I was thinking about that, Carolyn. 
Um, I think maybe getting my job here at Studio Classroom was a case of having my patience pay off. 
Because my father was in the United States for a little bit of time, I was in Taiwan and I was thinking about going back to the States at that time. 
I decided to wait for him to come back before I moved to the U.S. 
And during that time, people introduced me to Studio Classroom. 
So in that way, my patience paid off and I got a job I really enjoy. 
Well, that is great. 
Your patience did pay off. 
We are glad that you are here. 
And I'm happy to be here. 
And we hope that you are, too. 
Continue learning English with us here at Studio Classroom. 
And we'll see you next time. 
See you next time. 
(Music).

2013.09.03.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're going to the second part of our lesson The Tale of Tolkien. 
And of course, we already learned a little bit about the history of Tolkien, his background, 
how his parents died at an early age... or when he was very young, 
and also how he fell in love with somebody and married Edith Bratt, who he fell in love with. 
And we're going to continue learning about his life today and a little bit about his art or what he did, what he wrote, how he studied. 
Now I wonder about your experiences. 
I know many of you also like art or poems or writing songs or things like that. 
How do your experiences shape your art? 
Carolyn? 
That is a great question, Gabe. 
And actually, I do like to write poems. 
And a lot of my poems have to do with nature and beautiful things outside. 
And I think that's because of my experiences growing up enjoying spending time outdoors on the farm, going hiking. 
I think that they have a big influence on what I write. 
Interesting. 
Well, I also like to write poems. 
I think the best poem that I wrote was when I was in Romania in a completely different culture. 
I think I was just really excited about being in that place. 
And uh... but sometimes something sad could influence your art. 
And I think that's what happened in Tolkien's life. 
Let's continue learning about his tale today. 
(Music). 
The Tale of Tolkien. 
But soon Tolkien faced his darkest trial - fighting in World War I. 
Life as a soldier was difficult, painful and dangerous. 
Tolkien became sick and had to return to England. 
Others were not so lucky. 
"By 1918, all but one of my close friends were dead," Tolkien later wrote. 
Back in the England, Tolkien became a scholar. 
He taught literature classes at Oxford University, did research and wrote several influential papers. 
He continued to love languages, studying Greek, Anglo Saxon, Finnish and more. 
(Music). 
Yes, he knew many languages. 
Let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here today. 
We're talking about Love, War and Studies. 
OK, so that part of Tolkien's background. 
We read here: But soon Tolkien faced his darkest trial - fighting in World War I. 
I think if you have fought in a war somewhere, anywhere, or even if you've just fought, it can be a dark time in your life. 
I would agree with that, Gabe. 
It is very difficult. 
And we find that in the next sentence how this shaped his life. 
Life as a soldier was difficult, painful and dangerous. 
So this would be a very trying time in Tolkien's life. 
And we learn Tolkien became sick and had to return to England. 
So his war experience was not very good at all. 
And World War I was a very scary time. 
It's true. 
And uh, Tolkien became sick here, we read in the previous sentence that life as a soldier was painful. 
Now I think that painful is not just talking about if he was sick or if he was injured. 
We read here in the next sentence that others were not so lucky. 
OK. So he lost some friends. 
I think that is a very painful experience for anybody. 
We read here: 
"By 1918, all but one of my close friends were dead," Tolkien later wrote. 
So this is something that Tolkien told people that most of his friends were dead by 1918. 
That is a lot of tragedy in his young life. 
And it is a very painful experience to lose someone close to you, especially friends, family. 
That would be very painful. 
And it's a little interesting - we read that Tolkien became sick and had to return to England. 
Some people might think that that is kind of sad that he wasn't able to continue fighting for his country, that he had to go back because he was ill. 
But we learn that others were not so lucky. 
So actually, him getting sick was a good thing. 
That's right. 
Well, it took him out of the war. 
Um, I think that I would consider that lucky as well if some sickness took me away from war. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
So Ken, have you finished all the books I lent you? 
All but one. 
I'm still in the middle of the Spy Catcher. 
OK, friends, did you catch that exchange? 
So then let me ask: Did Ken finish one book or does he have one book to finish? 
And the answer is the latter. 
The phrase "all but one" means all except one. 
Steve lent me five books in total. 
I've read four so far. 
I finished all but one book. 
You can replace the word "but" with the word "except" - all except one. 
Now the phrase "all but" can have another meaning: almost or very nearly. 
Right. Here's an example. 
In some places, bus service has all but disappeared. 
And that means bus service has almost disappeared. 
You might see just one or two buses a day in those places. 
Or we might talk about a dying language that's all but forgotten. 
Hardly anyone speaks it anymore. 
Hmm, what a shame! 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Now continuing to learn about Tolkien's life after the war, 
we read: Back in England, Tolkien became a scholar. 
And that's a word from our Word Bank, the word "scholar." Someone who is a scholar is someone who studies a certain subject. 
They know a lot about it and they can probably teach other people about that subject as well. 
That's right. 
And of course we learned here in today's lesson that Tolkien was a scholar that he learned about literature. 
And of course he taught literature, and he learned many different languages as well. 
So he learned these specific subjects. 
You could also use kind of an adjective here. 
He was a scholarly person. 
S-C-H-O-L-A-R-L-Y. 
Or maybe you have read some scholarly literature. 
There are different things. 
That's an adjective you can use to describe um, what a scholar does or things that are written by scholars. 
So if you want to continue to study English, perhaps you can become an English literature scholar. 
You study that subject very deeply. 
Well, continuing learning: 
He taught literature classes at Oxford University, did research and wrote several influential papers. 
So he became a scholar and he did teach classes. 
He taught literature at a very famous university. 
That's right, Oxford University, probably one of the most famous universities around the world. 
OK. We see another word from our Word Bank here. 
It is "influential," because he wrote some influential papers, some influential things. 
What does it mean to be influential? 
That means you are influencing other people through what you do. 
That's right. 
So you have a big impact or a big effect on other people, maybe what they do or the way they think. 
And he wrote papers that kind of changed the way that people thought about different things. 
Well, who else is influential in your life? 
A thing can be influential like his papers or his books. 
Uh, but what else? 
Who can be influential? 
Think about someone who is influential in your life, someone who maybe changed the way you think about something. 
Well, Tolkien here, he continued to love languages, study Greek, Anglo Saxon, Finnish and more. 
I know that Finnish is one of today's most difficult languages to learn. 
But Anglo Saxon? 
What is Anglo Saxon? 
Well, another word is Old English, English that people used a long time ago, centuries ago. 
That's right. 
And he was also studying Greek. 
So he continued to learn many, many different languages. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.03.B

Today we are continuing to learn more about J.R.R. Tolkien and his life. 
We've talked about some of his war experiences when he fought in World War I and that by 1918, all but one of his friends had died because of the war. 
There was a lot of tragedy in his life, but he became a scholar and taught literature classes at Oxford University and continued to study languages. 
We're going to learn more about what he studied in the next part of our reading today. 
(Music). 
The Tale of Tolkien. 
But Tolkien didn't just study languages; he invented his own! 
They added to the rich setting of the fantasy stories he had been writing for years. 
The Hobbit. 
One day while grading tests, Tolkien found a blank page. 
He wrote the sentence, "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." This began his children's story The Hobbit. 
When it was finished, a friend gave it to publisher Stanley Unwin. 
Unwin's 10-year-old son, Rayner, loved the book, so Unwin published it in 1937. 
(Music). 
Very interesting. 
So that's kind of how The Hobbit came about. 
But let's go back to talk about what other things Tolkien was studying. 
We read here that but Tolkien didn't just study languages; he invented his own. 
We would actually probably say he didn't just study languages; he invented his own. 
You would emphasize that word "study." OK. 
So he invented many of his own languages for his books especially. 
That's right. 
We continue reading that they added to the rich setting of the fantasy stories he had been writing for years. 
So he studied all of these languages in school, and then he went on to create or invent his own languages that he put into his stories. 
And what kind of stories were these? 
Fantasy stories. 
From our Word Bank, the word "fantasy," what is a fantasy, Gabe? 
Well, if you're talking about a story, a fantasy is a kind of fiction that involves or include something supernatural, 
or things that just don't happen in everyday life - actually, things that are nearly impossible. 
So of course The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are examples of fantasy stories. 
But I can think of some other popular fantasy stories that are movies now, like Harry Potter. 
What about Percy Jackson? 
Or maybe the Twilight series, the Hunger Games. 
These are all different fantasy stories. 
They are fantasy stories because they are not based on real events, and the things that happen in them are very different from what happens in real life. 
So we can call them fantasy stories. 
Well, certainly The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are both in that category of fantasy. 
And the next thing on our article today, the next title we have is The Hobbit. 
So let's learn about that story. 
Gabe, what happened with The Hobbit? 
Well, we were talking about how J.R.R. Tolkien started writing The Hobbit here. 
One day while grading tests, Tolkien found a blank page. 
Actually it wasn't just any old day, it was in the middle of the summer, and he had to grade a lot of tests. 
He got kind of bored with it. 
And so he turned one of these pages over, and he... he started writing something. 
And what did he write here, Carolyn? 
Well, he wrote this sentence: 
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. 
And if you're familiar with the story of The Hobbit, this is a very familiar line to you. 
This began his children's story The Hobbit. 
So if you've read The Hobbit, you might recognize this sentence. 
All right. Well, this is considered a children's story according to our author here today. 
But of course people of all ages enjoy reading The Hobbit. 
We continue here. 
When it was finished, a friend gave it to publisher Stanley Unwin. 
All right. 
So a friend of Tolkien, he knew the publisher Stanley Unwin. 
And a publisher is someone who publishes books or helps to publish books. 
You might also talk about a publishing company. 
That's right. 
So they will produce or print the books for the author or the person who wrote it. 
Now he gave it to his friend who was a publisher, but that doesn't mean that the book would be printed. 
Stanley Unwin, we learn a little bit about him. 
Unwin's 10-year-old son, Rayner, loved the book, so Unwin published it in 1937. 
That's right. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It's the verb: to publish something. 
Of course we're talking about Stanley Unwin, he was a publisher. 
And when you publish something, that means you put it in print so that the public can see it. 
You publish it for the public. 
That's right. 
So is there something that you would like to have published? 
Are you writing anything, a story, a poem, maybe even a song that you would like to have published? 
You want other people to be able to read it and enjoy it. 
That's right. 
That's a great question. 
Is there anything that you hope to have published one day? 
Now Carolyn also mentioned songs. 
Well, we talk about publishing companies for books. 
But if you have a song, and you want to record it and maybe let the public hear it, you would take it to a record company or a record label, a recording company. 
OK. So it's a little bit different from a... from a publishing company, but it's the same idea - taking your idea to the public. 
That's right. 
And so it was because Rayner, the publisher's son, loved the book, he enjoyed reading The Hobbit so much that the book became published in 1937. 
Well, right now it is time for us to enjoy a great review skit. 
And then we'll spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab and learn something with her. 
(Music). 
Hello, professor. 
You look busy today. 
Yes, I am quite busy. 
Teaching literature, doing research and writing papers requires a lot of time. 
Yes. And I've heard you study languages, too. 
Yes. I love languages. 
I not only study them, I even invented one. 
What! You invented your own language? 
Yes, languages add to the settings of my fantasy stories. 
Oh, professor, you are amazing! 
And busy! 
So what are you working on now? 
Right now I'm grading tests. 
Oh, that's not very exciting. 
Actually, it is. 
Look at this. 
It looks like a blank piece of paper. 
Yes. But it won't be blank for long. 
I'm going to write a sentence on it. 
What sentence? 
Here it is. 
Read it for yourself. 
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. 
So? What do you think? 
Professor, I think you... you misspelled "rabbit." It's R-A-B-B-I-T. 
No... it's not a rabbit, it's a hobbit. 
I don't understand. 
What's a hobbit? 
You'll have to read my new book to find out. 
Well, where is your new book? 
You're holding it. 
Huh? This? 
One sentence? 
Yes, of course. I still have more to write, though. 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our lesson. 
Well, as we continue learning about the background of J.R.R. Tolkien, we found out how he began the story called The Hobbit. 
Of course he was grading tests one day, and he found a blank page and wrote this sentence: 
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. 
And he didn't just stop there. 
He continued to write and write and developed this wonderful fantasy story. 
I wonder about you. 
Did you ever start something, you were inspired to do something, you had a great idea but maybe you didn't finish it like Tolkien did? 
Carolyn, did this ever happen to you? 
Well, you know, I really like to listen to music and just sing. 
And sometimes I'll come up with my own songs, but then I don't write them down and I don't remember them. 
Oh, Carolyn, you know, I'm kind of the same way. 
I think of songs as well sometimes. 
And I... I still have the melodies and the lyrics in my head, I just need to do something with them. 
And I want to encourage you as well to do something with your great ideas. 
Don't just let them sit there on a blank piece of paper. 
Well, thank you for joining us today. 
And we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.09.04.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today with the third part of our lesson called The Tale of Tolkien. 
Of course we've already talked about a lot of Tolkien's history, about his childhood in the beautiful English countryside. 
And we also learned about some tragedies that happened when he was only a child. 
Both of his parents had passed away by the time he was only 12 years old. 
But we also started to learn about love, war and what he studied. 
We learned that he fell in love with a girl named Edith Bratt, and they were married by 1916. 
What else did we learn about Tolkien here, Carolyn? 
Well, we learned that he did fight in World War I. 
And that was a very dangerous and dark trial in his life. 
But after the war, he became a scholar. 
He continued to teach literature, to study languages. 
And he also wrote a story. 
He began to write a book called The Hobbit while he was grading some test papers. 
So he has a very interesting life, a very interesting history. 
And I am very interested in learning more about this story. 
Well, let's do that right now. 
We're going to continue learning about The Hobbit and of course a little bit about Tolkien's legacy. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
The Tale of Tolkien. 
The Hobbit enjoyed instant success, and the publishing company asked for a sequel. 
So Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings, a longer, more complex tale. 
Rayner Unwin, now an adult, helped publish The Lord of the Rings. 
It was so long that it came out in three parts in 1954 and 1955. 
Tolkien's Legacy. 
Tolkien died 40 years ago this month. 
He was a committed father to his four children. 
He received an honorary degree from Oxford for his studies. 
But his greatest legacy is his stories. 
(Music). 
Well, his stories are what people do remember him for. 
So let's talk about them. 
The Hobbit. 
The Hobbit enjoyed instant success, and the publishing company asked for a sequel. 
So if you remember from yesterday, he gave his book, The Hobbit, to his friend Stanley Unwin, a publisher. 
And the book was published after Stanley's son Rayner told his father how much he loved the book. 
And of course it wasn't just his son that loved this book. 
But this book The Hobbit enjoyed instant success. 
Wait a minute. I thought only humans or animals could enjoy something. 
But here a book enjoys something. 
Well, you can kind of have fun with English like this. 
This book, The Hobbit, enjoyed instant success. 
OK. So people loved this book instantly. 
Right. So right away everyone loved this book, and the publishing company asked for a sequel. 
They wanted a second book because people loved the first one so much. 
So Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings, a longer, more complex tale. 
And it certainly was much longer and more complex. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is the word "complex." And I think of many things being put together or used together. 
Many things used together, that makes something complex. 
Yes. So it is made up of many different parts. 
It is not simple. 
It's very complex. 
Perhaps you have a complex computer program. 
You're trying to program something or just trying to figure out how to use your computer. 
But it's very complex because there're so many things to try to remember. 
Or maybe you're working on something, like a big project or working for an event, 
and there are so many different parts to this event, it is a very complex event. 
It will take a lot of planning. 
OK. So this story was a very complex tale. 
That means there are a lot of relationships inside, lots of things affecting other things. OK. 
This is a complex tale. 
And it, of course, was the sequel, something he wrote after The Hobbit. 
That's right. 
And we learn a little bit more about Rayner, who was the publisher's son, from yesterday's lesson. 
Rayner Unwin, now an adult, helped publish The Lord of the Rings. 
So he was no longer a child when The Lord of the Rings was written. 
He was now helping to publish the book. 
And so you could say that his father's profession, his father's job, maybe rubbed off on him. 
Maybe he was also good at publishing, he knew something about that. 
Maybe that describes you in some way. 
Your parents are good at something, and then so you also know how to do it, know how to help other people in that way. 
That's right. 
Well, we learned about this book The Lord of the Rings. 
It was so long that it came out in three parts in 1954 and 1955. 
And if you've read The Lord of the Rings, you know that there are three very large books or three parts to this story. 
It's true. 
So we see this phrase here: it was so long that it came out in three parts. 
OK. You could also use the word "publish." It was published in three different parts. 
And those were in 1954 and 1955. 
Actually, there was a year between the books The Twin Towers and The Return of the King - the second and third book - there was a year. 
And so when the third book came out, people were wondering what happened to the main character Frodo. 
He was taken behind enemy lines. 
People were wondering what happened to him. 
When the third book came out, the newspapers read "Frodo lives!" People were so excited to hear that Frodo was alive and OK. 
Well, then those were very popular books at the time, and they continue to be. 
Well, in the next section here we learn about Tolkien's Legacy. 
Tolkien died 40 years ago this month. 
Well, that was quite a while ago. 
But it is the anniversary of his death. 
And he was a committed father to his four children. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It's "committed." If you are committed to something, that means you give your life to it. 
That means you don't just kind of give half of your heart to something, you give your whole heart to something. 
A committed father or a committed mother is someone who is very committed to their children. 
They'll give their lives to their children. 
That's right. 
So they work very hard. 
That is the focus of their life. 
That's what they want to do. 
And so he was very committed to his four children. 
Maybe you are committed to something yourself. 
You could be committed to another person or committed to your studies. 
Are you committed to studying English? 
You can practice every day. 
That's a great question. 
What are you committed to? 
Well, we read here that Tolkien received an honorary degree from Oxford for his studies. 
So this is a degree that you give to someone just to honor them for something. 
That's right. 
But his greatest legacy is his stories, not this degree. 
And we have more to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Let's go there now. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.04.B

Well, we're learning today about Tolkien's background and history, but specifically about how The Hobbit enjoyed instant success. 
We talked about how people wanted more from Tolkien, and so of course he wrote a sequel in the story The Lord of the Rings. 
And these are his main legacy, what he leaves behind us... with us today. 
We found out also that Tolkien died 40 years ago this month. 
And he does leave quite a legacy. 
I was watching a video on YouTube about someone visiting his grave. 
And they were crying visiting his grave. 
This person did not even know Tolkien personally, but they have been affected by his stories. 
He does leave quite a legacy. 
Let's continue learning about this in the next part of our reading right now. 
(Music). 
The Tale of Tolkien. 
Tolkien wrote many tales besides The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. 
They tell about good and evil, the importance of friendship and making right decisions. 
Tolkien's life shaped his stories. 
The peaceful, beautiful Shire resembles the English countryside where Tolkien grew up. 
Some think the evil land of Mordor came from Tolkien's war experiences. 
His relationship with his wife inspired the love stories he wrote. 
Through his work, Tolkien has brought joy, hope and encouragement to millions. 
(Music). 
Tolkien's life has had an impact on many people through his books and the movies that have been based on those books. 
Well, let's continue learning about those stories because those are his legacy. 
Tolkien wrote many tales besides The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. 
So those might be the most popular or the most famous books right now. 
But they aren't the only ones he wrote. 
What do his other stories talk about, Gabe? 
Well, actually there is a story that I'm thinking about right now. 
It's the background for Middle Earth. 
It's called The Silmarillion. 
If you're interested in finding out more about that, you can look that up, or maybe even get a copy for yourself. 
The Silmarillion. 
And he wrote these stories The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings first. 
And then he created this big background, this big history for this place Middle Earth. 
Wow. Well, I haven't read that. 
I will have to add that to my book list as well. 
And we read some more about what his stories talked about. 
They tell about good and evil, the importance of friendship and making right decisions - all very good themes. 
I think so, too. 
I think many fantasy stories kind of talk about these themes as well. 
Of course, there's always a fight between good and evil in many stories. 
Well, Tolkien's life shaped his stories. 
And we learned about that over the last couple of lessons. 
We learned about his love life. 
We learned about the war that he was in. 
And we also learned about what he studied. 
These things shaped his stories. 
They did. 
And some people think that other experiences from his childhood also got written into his stories. 
The peaceful, beautiful Shire resembles the English countryside where Tolkien grew up. 
And we have a word from our Word Bank in that sentence: resemble. 
And resemble means to look like something or to be similar to the way something looks. 
So if the Shire or the place where a lot of the story takes place in The Hobbit looks like the English countryside, so they resemble each other. 
Well, I also think of this word when I'm talking about how someone looks like someone else. 
Someone might ask you: Who do you resemble more, your mother or your father? 
Carolyn, let me ask you that. 
Who do you resemble more, your mother or your father? 
Well, I think I resemble my mother more than my father, but my sister resembles my father more. 
Interesting. 
Or maybe in some ways you resemble you mother, in some ways you resemble your father. 
Well, talk about that with someone today in English. 
Who do you resemble more? 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue. 
We're talking about how this place, the Shire in Middle Earth, resembles where Tolkien grew up. 
Some think the evil land of Mordor came from Tolkien's war experiences. 
I can understand that as well. 
Yes. So that very scary, dangerous part of his life kind of resembles the evil land of Mordor, a very dark place in his stories. 
And we continue. 
His relationship with his wife inspired the love stories he wrote. 
And we have another word from the Word Bank: inspire. 
Now what does it mean for something to be inspired, Gabe? 
Yeah. Well, you inspire someone to do something. 
That means you give them an idea. 
You did something or you set an example, and so someone else wants to do something with your example. 
Or because of your example, they're going to do something great with their life. 
For instance, I'm thinking about Mother Teresa. 
She was a wonderful woman who worked with the poor in India, the poor and sick people in India. 
And she inspired many people to do similar work today. 
That's right. 
So she inspired many people. 
And Tolkien inspired people through his stories. 
We continue reading: 
Through his work, Tolkien has brought joy, hope and encouragement to millions. 
So there are millions of people who have been able to read his books and be inspired by them to have joy, hope and encouragement. 
Well, you know what, I think there are millions of people right now who would love to learn something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Let's do that. 
And then we'll enjoy a review skit, and then visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Today let's take a look at the word "million." Steve, can we add an S at the end of million? 
Well, if we look at today's text, we see that yes, we can. 
Tolkien's work has brought joy, hope and encouragement to millions. 
So that would be millions of people. 
What about three millions? 
Can I say I hear you have three millions in your bank account? 
Well, I wish you could say that, Ken. 
But sadly, you can't. 
Now first of all, when there's a number in front of the words dozen, hundred, thousand and million, we cannot add an S to them. 
Second of all, there's a lot less than three million in my bank account. 
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. 
Now if we don't have an exact number, like two million, and we just want to say there's a large amount of something, 
we could use "millions," like the sentence in our lesson. 
That's right. 
And the same thing can be said for the other words: 
Dozens of cars were stolen. 
Hundreds of people attended the meeting. 
Thousands of flowers were in bloom. 
But there are all estimates, not exact numbers. 
(Chinese). 
Hello, professor. 
You look like you're busy again today. 
Yes, I am quite busy. 
Are you grading papers? 
No, no. I'm working on another book. 
Oh. Are you writing another book about rabbits? 
Not rabbits. Hobbits. 
My book is about hobbits. 
Oh, right. 
So did anyone read your first book? 
Yes. The Hobbit enjoyed instant success. 
Really? 
Yes. And the publishing company asked for a sequel. 
So this is the sequel? 
Wow! 
This book seems very long. 
Yes. It's longer and more complex. 
Well, maybe it can come out in three parts. 
That's a good idea. 
Yeah, The Hobbit, part two and part three and part four! 
No... This book is called The Lord of the Rings. 
Hmm, sounds interesting. 
Of course. 
I write other tales, too. 
What do you write about? 
I write tales about good and evil, the importance of friendship and making right decisions. 
Those are all important topics, sir. 
Yes. My life has shaped... was shaped by many of these stories. 
I'm committed as a father and as an Oxford scholar. 
But your greatest legacy will be your stories. 
Yes. I want my writing to bring joy, hope and encouragement to others. 
Oh. Maybe I should read this. 
Be careful. 
(Chinese). 
And let's head back to our lesson now. 
The past three days we've been learning all about The Tale of Tolkien, J.R.R. Tolkien's background, his history. 
And we've learned a little bit about the fantasy stories he wrote, which are still very popular. 
Why do you think fantasy stories are so popular? 
Gabe? 
Well, I love fantasy stories, and I think one reason is because there are common themes in these stories that we can all relate to. 
Like the fight between good and evil, and of course how important friendship is and of course love, we all relate to those themes. 
But fantasy is also fiction. 
It's not real. 
And so it lets us escape from our lives. 
I think that's one reason why these things are so popular. 
I think that very well may be true. 
Well, what do you think? 
Talk about it in English. 
Why are fantasy books and movies popular? 
We've enjoyed learning with you here on Studio Classroom. 
And we'll see you again next time. 
(Music).

2013.09.05.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for our lesson called Life in Nepal: Part 1. 
Of course Jo, our author, has traveled to many different places, and she loves to share her experiences with us here at Studio Classroom. 
So I'm excited to learn about what she learned in Nepal, or her... her experiences in Nepal. 
Well, Carolyn, this lesson is called Life in Nepal: Part 1. 
What does that tell us? 
It is. 
And that tells us that this is not the only article that she will be writing about her experience in Nepal. 
There will be at least one more in this series, part 2. 
That's right, at least one more. 
So here we're talking about part 1. 
And we're going to learn that she was curious about Nepal because of something. 
I wonder if there are any countries that you are curious about. 
Carolyn, is there any country that you are curious about, you want to know more about? 
Well, I'm quite curious about Somalia. 
I heard on the news a few months ago that they are talking with United Nations about starting a mail system because they haven't had mail delivered there in over 20 years. 
Well, that makes me curious as well. 
What countries are you curious about? 
Of course, Jo was curious about Nepal. 
We're going to find out why in our lesson. 
So let's get started right now. 
(Music). 
Life in Nepal: Part 1. 
I jumped at the opportunity to visit this interesting country. 
The first time I remember hearing about Nepal was in 2007. 
I was browsing through odd Internet news. 
One of the Nepal Airlines' jets was having technical problems. 
So the airline sacrificed two goats in front of the jet to satisfy the Hindu god of sky protection. 
I admit I thought that was strange. 
But the news also made me curious. 
What was life like in this foreign country? 
What was the country like? 
What were the people like? 
I never completely forgot that incident or my desire to learn more about the place. 
(Music). 
Well, that is quite an interesting incident to read about in a newspaper or in the Internet news. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here. 
Jo says: I jumped at the opportunity to visit this interesting country. 
Carolyn, what does that mean if you... if you jump at something? 
Well, it means that you don't wait, you are so excited. 
And here she jumped at the opportunity, so she took the opportunity when it came. 
She didn't wait and let it go by but decided to go for it and visit this interesting country. 
All right. 
Well, what do you jump at? 
What opportunities or chances do you really want to have? 
Maybe you're studying in school, but this chance to be a singer or to make some music comes to you, and your jump at the opportunity. 
Maybe you have to sacrifice one thing so that you can do something else. 
You jump at this new chance. 
Well, Jo is not going to miss this opportunity to visit Nepal. 
She says, "The first time I remember hearing about Nepal was in 2007." OK. 
So that's the first time she heard about this country in Asia in 2007. 
Well, that was several years ago. 
So it wasn't too recently that she read this news article. 
We read: I was browsing through odd Internet news. 
Now she was browsing through it, this odd news. 
And "browsing" is a word from our Word Bank. 
So let's take a look at that word. 
If you browse through something, then you look through it. 
You have a long list of results. 
Maybe you did an Internet search, and you need to go through each one just quickly, not studying it too much. 
That's right. 
I also think about this word when I think about visiting a library. 
Maybe you're not just looking at one book, but maybe you're browsing through the books at a library. 
You need to do some research, and so you're browsing there. 
So you're just looking from one place to another. 
Of course, one way we use this word is when we're talking about the Internet because you use Internet browsers. 
They help you. 
They... they help you look for different things on the Internet. 
That's right. 
So she was just looking through or browsing odd Internet news, so not news that you would normally read but strange things that were happening in the news. 
And we find out what that was. 
One of Nepal Airlines jets was having technical problems. 
Well, that sounds pretty normal. 
That's right. 
It's normal for a plane to have technical problems. 
What other things have technical problems? 
That's when some kind of machine has problems or something goes wrong. 
It's not a human problem. 
It's a technical problem. 
And I think many machines these days do have technical problems. 
They do. 
But this seems like pretty normal news to read. 
However, what happened next was a little bit odd. 
So the airline sacrificed two goats in front of the jet to satisfy the Hindu god of sky protection. 
Now this is very interesting, Gabe. 
And we have a word from our Word Bank. 
Yes. It's the word "sacrifice." OK. 
Now this word "sacrifice" can mean different things. 
But here we're talking about sacrificing animals. 
And in some religions, people sacrifice animals. 
They think this will please the gods. OK. 
So when you're sacrificing, that means you are killing these animals. 
So they're killing these goats to sacrifice the Hindu god of sky protection. 
Yes. They wanted to satisfy the god with this sacrifice. 
But I think of a very important sacrifice - Jesus Christ, who died for our sins. 
That's right. 
I'm glad you mentioned that. 
That is the biggest sacrifice in history when God sacrificed his own son so that we, people like you and me, can have a relationship with Him when we believe in His son. 
That is a big sacrifice. 
So you can see this word "sacrifice" is used in different ways. 
It's a verb and a noun. 
And of course, there were people that sacrificed two goats to satisfy the Hindu god of sky protection. 
Jo says: I admit I thought that was strange. 
So she admits it. 
That means maybe she was uncomfortable saying it at first, but she did think it was kind of strange. 
And it is a little bit strange. 
But... but the news also made me curious. 
And I think it would make many people curious. 
And she goes to ask some questions: 
What was life like in this foreign country? 
What was the country like? 
And Gabe, what's the next question? 
And what were the people like? 
So she has all these questions, of course, after she saw this incident in the news. 
I never completely forgot that incident or my desire to learn more about the place. 
So let's take a look at this word from our Word Bank. 
It is "incident." This simply means something that happened. 
That's an incident. 
If something happens, that could be an incident. 
And of course there are many incidents that we read about in the news. 
Yes. So usually it's something that happens that is not normal, it's something a little bit unusual or strange or different from what you expect. 
Maybe you see an incident when you are buying your groceries at the store. 
A child is screaming and causes an incident. 
It's not normal. 
Everyone stops to look and see what is wrong. 
Yes, that would be quite an incident. 
Well, it's time for us to learn more with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
They'll be talking about something called demonyms. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Today let's talk about demonyms. 
A demonym is a word we use to describe a group of people who live in a particular place. 
There are demonyms for people in cities. 
For example, people from Los Angeles are called Angelenos. 
And there are demonyms for people who live in states, countries on continents and planets, too. 
People from Florida are Floridians. 
People from Italy are Italians. 
People from Asia are Asians. 
And we are all Earthlings. 
OK. Often a demonym is the same as a country's name adjective. 
For example, we describe things from France as being French. 
And when we talk about the people of France, we use that same word has a demonym. 
But this isn't always the case. 
For instance, when describing things from Nepal, we use the adjective Nepali. 
But when discussing the people of Nepal, we would use the preferred demonym - Nepalese. 
Right. 
As puzzling as they seem, there actually are established models for creating English demonyms. 
For example, if a country's name ends in "O," like Mexico, remove the O and add the letters A-N for the demonym Mexican. 
But again, there are exceptions. 
So check a style guide if you're not sure about a people group's proper demonym. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.05.B

We've just begun our article Life in Nepal: Part 1. 
So far we've learned a little bit from Jo about how she found out about the country of Nepal. 
She was browsing through some Internet news, 
some odd news and read a very interesting incident where some people at the airport in Nepal sacrificed two goats to satisfy the Hindu god of sky protection. 
She thought it was a little bit strange. 
But it also made her very curious to learn more. 
Well, we want to learn more as well in the next part of this article. 
(Music). 
Life in Nepal: Part 1. 
A few years later I was in my second year of graduate school. 
I needed an internship overseas to graduate. 
I wasn't having much luck finding a good position even though any country but the U.S. would do. 
My professor mentioned a possibility she knew about. 
She had a friend who was a director at a nonprofit organization in Nepal. 
Nepal! That place where they sacrificed goats at the airport! 
I remembered. 
I couldn't miss this chance; I had to go. 
(Music). 
Well, I can understand why Jo had to go to Nepal. 
Let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
She says: A few years later I was in my second year of graduate school. 
So she had read this Internet news about the sacrificing of two goats at the airport, and then a couple years later, she's in graduate school. 
Yes. So she was in her second year of graduate school. 
And she writes: I needed an internship overseas to graduate. 
So she couldn't just get any internship; it needed to be overseas. 
That's right. 
So she says: I wasn't having much luck finding a good position even though any country but the U.S. would do. 
So she could go anywhere in the world outside of the United States, but she wasn't having much luck. 
Well, I want to take a look at that phrase: if you're not having much luck. 
If you're trying to do something, someone might ask you: Hey, are you having any luck? 
Or they could just say two words: Any luck? 
That's right. 
So maybe you are trying to do something, but you aren't really succeeding. 
It's very difficult. 
You could say this in many different situations. 
Maybe something as simple as trying to find a new pair of pants: 
Are you having any luck? 
Or are you having much luck buying them? 
No, I can't find any that I like. 
All right. 
Any luck? 
Are you having much luck? 
Maybe you're trying to convince someone of something, but it's really hard. 
You could ask your friend, "Are you having any luck?" in that conversation. 
Are you having any luck in that relationship? 
Well, Jo is not having much luck even though she could go anywhere outside of the U.S. 
Well, let's take a look at what Liz has to say about this sentence in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In our article today, the writer mentions: 
I wasn't having much luck finding a good position even though any country but the U.S. would do. 
Our Grammar Tip focus today is on the phrase: [something] would do. 
It just means that something is good enough or sufficient. 
So the writer is saying that she was having trouble finding a good position even though she is open to working in any country but the U.S. 
Use this phrase "something would do" when you want to talk about how something is good enough for a certain situation. 
For example, if you need to get a cup and you don't care what kind of cup you get, you can say: 
May I have a cup, please? 
Any cup would do, thank you. 
But if you want to let someone know that something specific is needed, just add a "not" at the beginning of the phrase. 
For example: You need sugar to make this kind of candy - but not just any kind of sugar would do; you must use brown sugar. 
If you look at today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine, you'll find more examples there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Now continuing on with our article, Jo writes: 
My professor mentioned a possibility she knew about. 
So Jo's professor in graduate school knew about one possibility. 
And we see a word from our Word Bank. 
The word is "professor." Now Gabe, what is a professor? 
Well, it's basically another word for teacher. 
But there is a different usage especially in the West. 
Or in the United States, I would call my high school teachers teachers. 
But when I went on to college or university, I would call those teachers professors. 
So you... you profess something. 
You went to school to study how to be a teacher, especially in a university, and you are a professor. 
That's right. 
So usually professors have a higher level of education with either a master's degree or a doctorate. 
So they have studied a lot, very deeply into the subject that they teach. 
They are not just a general teacher but have special qualities and special skills for teaching that subject. 
And so Jo's graduate school professor mentioned the possibility. 
And what was this possibility? 
She had a friend who was a director at a nonprofit organization in Nepal. 
All right. 
Well, we see that word, nonprofit. 
And a nonprofit organization we learned about, the Christian Salvation Service, a couple months ago, and that is also a nonprofit organization. 
That's right. 
And Jo writes: Nepal! 
So she's very excited. 
There was an exclamation mark there. 
Nepal! That place where they sacrificed goats at the airport! 
Oh. I think she is very excited to have this opportunity to go to Nepal. 
It's true. 
And I like the fact that she writes that sentence - that place where they sacrificed goats at the airport. 
Because that's one of the only things that she knows about Nepal was that one incident she heard in the news. 
Of course Nepal has so many more things that are interesting about it. 
There are so many other things you can learn about this country than just that they sacrifice goats at an airport. 
But this is what Jo remembers. 
She says this, and then she says: 
I remembered. 
I couldn't miss this chance; I had to go. 
That's right. 
So she had no choice but to go. 
She jumped at this opportunity as we mentioned earlier. 
And I think I would, too. 
This is a very exciting opportunity to go and experience firsthand, to really go there and learn about some place that you were curious about before. 
It's true. 
And if you use the phrase "I had to go" or "I have to go," that means you really want to go. 
Oh, you must try this; you have to try this food. 
You have to do this. 
That means it's a really good thing. 
Sometimes you feel like you don't really want to do something. 
I... I need to do something. 
But here "I had to go!" That means Jo was really excited about this. 
Well, it's time for us to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
Well, in today's lesson we learned about how Jo found out about the country of Nepal, the incident she heard about on the news, 
and of course, the opportunity that she had to go and visit Nepal, or even work in Nepal. 
Well, I wonder have you ever heard any news about a place that makes you want to visit it. 
Carolyn? 
Well, I heard some interesting news about the country Turkey. 
And we've kind of been talking about airlines, and this was news about their airline. 
They are not allowing their flight attendants... their female flight attendants to wear red lipstick or red nail polish. 
What? 
And this makes me very curious and interested in being on one of these flights and going to Turkey to see what it's like to be a woman there. 
Interesting. 
Well, you hear a lot of interesting news, Carolyn. 
Very good. 
Friends, what about you? 
What kind of news have you heard about a country and makes you want to visit? 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.09.06.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second part of our lesson called Life in Nepal: Part 1. 
So Jo will write more about her experience going to Nepal. 
Of course yesterday we learned about how Jo found out about Nepal through this incident in the news. 
And of course, she had this opportunity to visit Nepal. 
But just like every time you might travel overseas, maybe you have some concerns, maybe there are some things that you are worried about. 
I wonder what kind of concerns you have about traveling. 
Or maybe you have the opportunity to study abroad. 
What concerns do you have? 
Carolyn, did you ever have any of these concerns? 
Well, I've done a little traveling and some studying abroad as well. 
And my first concern is always, where am I going to stay? 
OK. 
So long as I have a nice place to stay that is safe, then I feel much more relaxed. 
And after that, you know, I wonder about other safety things. 
How can I keep myself safe in this unfamiliar environment? 
That's right, safe and healthy. 
I think about what happens if I get sick. 
I might get sick in this other country. 
I'm not sure what I will do. 
So everyone has different kinds of concerns about traveling or going abroad. 
Well, we're going to get started with our lesson. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
Life in Nepal: Part 1. 
The director of the nonprofit in Nepal was named Colleen. 
By phone and email she interviewed me and helped prepare me for the experience of an 11-week stay in Nepal. 
She warned me that it would be difficult and that I'd have moments of pure frustration. 
She advised me that being flexible would be the key. 
Nepal is a developing country in South Asia - little to nothing there is similar to life in the U.S. 
Things are unorganized. 
I couldn't let it bother me. 
(Music). 
Well, it certainly can be frustrating and difficult when trying to adjust to another culture. 
Now here at the beginning of our article: 
The director of the nonprofit in Nepal was named Colleen. 
So if you remember from yesterday's lesson, we learned that Jo has been put in contact with the director of a nonprofit organization in Nepal. 
And here we find that the director was named Colleen. 
And sometimes you can shorten this to just say "nonprofit." You don't have to say I'm working for a nonprofit organization. 
You could say, "I'm just working for a nonprofit." People will understand you're talking about a nonprofit organization. 
Well, by phone and email she interviewed me and helped prepare me for the experience of an 11-week stay in Nepal. 
So Colleen got in touch with Jo. 
And they communicated through phone and email about this 11-week stay in Nepal. 
Carolyn, does that sound like a long time or a short time to stay in Nepal? 
Well, to go to a place that you don't really know that much about, 11 weeks can be quite a long time. 
Yeah, I think so, too. 
Yeah. A lot of times when people study or go abroad, it's just for six weeks. 
But here this is almost twice as long. 
It's 11 weeks. 
It's quite a while. 
And again, this is a place that is very, very unfamiliar to Jo. 
So Colleen... Jo says that she warned me that it would be difficult and that I'd have moments of pure frustration. 
OK. So if you have moments of something, that means you experience these things for maybe a little bit of time. 
You have moments of happiness or moments of pure joy. 
And here Jo was talking about maybe having moments of pure frustration. 
And that is a great word straight from our Word Bank, so let's take a look at it. 
If you have frustration, then you are very upset because you can't do something that you want to do. 
It can be very frustrating - the verb-ING. 
That's right. 
It's frustrating. 
Maybe you feel frustrated. 
Well, my question for you is, what frustrates you? 
What makes you really frustrated or gives you frustration? 
For me, it's communication problems. 
If I'm trying to talk to somebody about something, and they don't understand me or I don't understand them, that can cause frustration. 
I just want to give up sometimes. 
That's right. 
Well, I felt a lot of frustration a few months ago when I was trying to change the date for one of my flights. 
Oh, yeah. 
I wanted to go back to the U.S. to visit my family. 
And I just felt so much frustration because it was really complicated and took such a long time to just change the date on my ticket. 
I remember that. 
It was very frustrating for you, Carolyn. 
Well, of course everyone experiences times of frustration. 
Let's continue with this lesson. 
Jo says: She advised me that being flexible would be the key. 
And this is very important. 
We have a key word right there. 
From our Word Bank, it is "flexible." And if you are flexible, in this situation, it's talking about being able to do different things or adapt, being able to be OK with changes. 
That's right. 
And it's really important to be flexible when you are in a new environment or even when you're working. 
Sometimes your responsibilities at work or at school can change very quickly, and you need to be flexible. 
I know one of the most important things for me here at Studio Classroom is to be flexible and allow for changes to happen because things are always changing for the better. 
It's true. 
Actually, one of the first questions that people at Studio Classroom are asked is, are you a flexible person? 
Flexibility - that's the noun - flexibility is key when you're working for many companies. 
Well, what does it mean to be the key? 
Let's talk about that. 
If it is the key or if it is key, that means it is very important. 
That's right. 
And many people wonder, what is the key to success? 
How can I be successful? 
What is the secret behind it? 
That's right. 
Or many people wonder, what is the key to a good marriage? 
I'm just having a lot of frustrations in my marriage. 
What is the key? 
I want to know. 
Well, let's continue with this lesson. 
Nepal is a developing country in South Asia - little to nothing there is similar to life in the U.S. 
That's right. 
And we find that things are unorganized. 
Now also from our Word Bank, if something is unorganized, then it is not organized. 
So it is the opposite of being organized. 
Perhaps it is very messy, like my room when I moved apartments. 
Oh, man. 
Or sometimes like my desk at work - I let it get unorganized sometimes. 
Of course it's nice to clean things up and make things organized. 
Well, Jo says, "I couldn't let it bother me." So things will be very different in Nepal, but she remembers: 
I couldn't let it bother me. 
OK. 
Let's continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.06.B

Well, we're enjoying this lesson learning about how Jo got involved at this nonprofit organization in Nepal. 
And in the first part of our lesson, we were talking about how the director Colleen got in touch with Jo. 
And she was just telling Jo, she was telling her that of course life in Nepal is very different, 
that little resembles anything in the U.S., that things are unorganized in Nepal, but that she should not let these things bother her. 
So we're going to continue learning about Jo's experience in the next part of our lesson. 
(Music). 
Life in Nepal: Part 1. 
My professor gave me advice, too. 
She had never been to Nepal but had experience living in Southeast Asia. 
Take lots of stomach medicine and some antibiotics. 
Get vaccines before you go. 
Watch out for mosquitoes and dirty water. 
But I think the most valuable advice she gave me was this - take a jar of peanut butter. 
It's a familiar taste when the homesickness gets bad. 
With their words in mind, I packed my backpack, took a deep breath and boarded the plane to Nepal. 
(Music). 
Well, I think Jo must have a lot of courage to be getting on that plane. 
But let's get back to the beginning of this section. 
She writes: My professor gave me advice, too. 
So her professor was friends with Colleen, the woman that she's been contacting in Nepal. 
And her professor had some advice for her as well. 
And that reminds me of something we want to talk about here when you're talking about advice. 
Sometimes you can use the phrase: a piece of advice. 
So her professor gave her a piece of advice. 
But you can use that phrase in other ways. 
You could talk about maybe a piece of information that you found helpful. 
That's right. 
So I could say: Let me give you a piece of advice - don't let your desk get unorganized, Gabe. 
Oh, yes. That is great advice, Carolyn. 
I like that piece of advice. 
So you can use this word to talk about many things. 
Maybe you could talk about music as well - a piece of music. 
All right. That's something that you would perform. 
So a piece of advice, piece of information, piece of music. 
Use that word in different ways. 
OK. So Jo had some advice from her professor. 
She had never been to Nepal but had experience living in Southeast Asia. 
So maybe she would have some good advice. 
It's quite possible. 
She had been to Southeast Asia before but not Nepal. 
But since she'd been in the area, she knew some things that Jo should probably think about and have in mind before going to this new country. 
And her first piece of advice? 
Take lots of stomach... stomach medicine and some antibiotics. 
Well, that's some interesting advice. 
It's true. 
And an antibiotic is a substance that is used to treat diseases. 
And there's another word similar to it here in the next sentence: Get vaccines before you go. 
And so a vaccine is something that will help you avoid diseases. 
And especially if you're going to another country, maybe a country that is known for some diseases, you want to get some vaccines before you go. 
So it sounds like her professor is giving her a lot of medical advice. 
Well, Gabe, maybe you should talk to her professor before you travel since that was one of your concerns. 
Well, it's true. 
Maybe I should think about these - antibiotics and getting vaccines - before I go. 
Well, we continue. 
Another piece of advice is watch out for mosquitoes and dirty water. 
Interesting. 
That's good advice because mosquitoes carry diseases sometimes in some countries. 
So watch out for mosquitoes. 
And of course, dirty water, that can make you feel sick for sometimes weeks. 
That's right. 
But that was not the most important advice. 
Jo writes: But I think the most valuable advice she gave me was this - take a jar of peanut butter. 
Some interesting advice. 
Yeah, take a jar of peanut butter. 
Well, we're going to learn more about what she means in a few minutes. 
But first, let's take a look at what Steve and Ken have to share with us in the Information Cloud. 
The words "bring" and "take" have almost identical meanings, but they are different. 
Which word you use will depend on your point of reference. 
Right. 
If I'm the point of reference, I might say: Please bring me a cup of coffee. 
Using "bring" shows movement towards the speaker. 
"Take," in contrast, shows movement away from the speaker's position. 
That's why I cannot say: Please take me a cup of coffee. 
However, I could say: Please take this coffee to the boss. 
Put another way - You bring things here; you take things there. 
OK. Now this can get tricky when the movement has nothing to do with you. 
For example, does a waitress bring or take coffee to a customer? 
Again, who is the point of reference? 
If it's the waitress, it's "take." If it's the customer, then it's "bring". 
Good. 
Now one more thing to consider. 
The speaker isn't always the point of reference. 
For example, I might ask the host of an upcoming party: What can I bring to the party? 
Here I'm using "bring" instead of "take" because I've made the host the point of reference as a way of being polite. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
Well, we were talking about taking a jar of peanut butter. 
And we read: It's a familiar taste when the homesickness gets bad. 
Now "homesickness" is from our Word Bank. 
And that is what you feel when you miss home. 
You really want to go back to your home because you miss it. 
That's right. 
You have homesickness. 
Now there are some other words that kind of sound like this word. 
Maybe if you have trouble riding in cars, especially through winding mountain roads, you get carsick or car sickness. 
You experience car sickness. 
Or what happens, Carolyn, when you're in the ocean on a boat? 
What might you get? 
Well, you might get seasick or experience sea sickness. 
So here you want to take a jar of peanut butter if it is a familiar taste to you so that when the homesickness gets bad, you have that familiar food. 
Well, Jo continues. 
With their words in mind, (her professor and Colleen in Nepal,) I packed my backpack, took a deep breath and boarded the plane to Nepal. 
All right. 
Well, she took a deep breath. 
That means she didn't know what to expect. 
Maybe it would be kind of scary. 
You're not sure what will happen. 
You take a deep breath. 
And then she boards the plane to Nepal. 
Right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Ah... 
Remember, you're in Nepal. 
I know. 
This is the place where they sacrifice goats. 
And things here are difficult. 
That's for sure. 
And I'm having a moment of pure frustration. 
Remember, being flexible is the key. 
I know. 
Flexible is the key, but... 
Keep in mind, Nepal is a developing country. 
I know. 
Little to nothing here is similar to the States. 
Uh, things are so unorganized. 
Just calm down. 
Don't let it bother you. 
Well, right now it does bother me. 
Are you OK? 
Are you sure you're feeling all right? 
I'm feeling fine. 
I'm not sick, OK? 
But I'm feeling frustrated. 
I know. But how is your health? 
Are you feeling OK? 
Well, yes. 
And if I do get sick, I'm prepared. 
I have stomach medicine and antibiotics. 
Good. 
Now did you get vaccines before you came? 
Yes! And I'm watching out for mosquitoes and dirty water. 
That's good. 
So your health seems fine. 
But you feel... 
frustrated! 
Yes. And uh, homesickness is getting bad, too? 
Yeah, homesickness. 
I know just what you need. 
Really? 
A plane ticket home! 
No. You need a jar of peanut butter. 
Peanut butter? 
Yes! A taste of home. 
Yes, a familiar taste from home! Yes! 
You'll feel better in no time. 
I feel better already just thinking about it. 
Peanut butter. 
I love you. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now, back to our lesson. 
Well, we've enjoyed a great two-day article from Jo on Life in Nepal: Part 1. 
And we were talking about homesickness and things to bring when you feel homesick. 
Gabe, do you take anything with you when you travel? 
Well, if I travel, I might take some beef noodles, (Chinese) or maybe some (Chinese) or some (Chinese). 
I love these things. 
And it makes me... well, I miss Taiwan sometimes, so I'd like to have these things when I'm traveling. 
Well, that is great. 
And I hope that you all enjoyed today's lesson and will join us again tomorrow right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.09.07.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Our lesson is call Popcorn Time! 
Well, popcorn is a very popular snack around the world. 
Yes, it's a popular snack, popular popcorn. 
Many people love to eat popcorn. 
Well, hey, Carolyn, do you enjoy eating popcorn? 
Well, I do like eating popcorn, especially when I'm watching a movie. 
It's become a very popular movie snack, especially in the United States. 
What's your favorite kind of popcorn, Gabe? 
There are so many different flavors. 
You're right about that. 
There are... well, there's butter-flavored popcorn, there's salty popcorn. 
Sometimes I like to have garlic on my popcorn, garlic-flavored popcorn. 
But you know what, my favorite kind is salty popcorn. 
I eat that almost every time I watch a movie. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, I don't like things that are too salty, and I don't really like putting butter on my popcorn. 
OK. 
I do enjoy a sweet kind of popcorn, though, called kettle corn. 
And it's delicious. 
It's a little sweet, a little salty but no butter. 
That's right, kettle corn, the sweet kind of popcorn. 
Well, what's your favorite kind of popcorn? 
Think about that. 
Right now it's time for us to learn a lesson about festivals that have to do with popcorn in the United States. 
Let's get started. 
Popcorn Time! 
Fall is the season for popcorn-centered activities and festivals. 
If popcorn tops your list of favorite snacks, then you're in luck because September and October have lots of popcorn festivals to enjoy. 
Valparaiso, Indiana. 
Today the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival celebrates its 35th year by kicking off the festivities with their Popcorn Panic five-mile run. 
Games, handicraft booths and more provide lots of family fun. 
The highlight of this festival is its Popcorn Parade, featuring floats decorated with painted kernels and popped corn. 
Marion, Ohio. 
Marion, Ohio's Popcorn Festival, which occurs the first weekend after Labor Day, is the largest popcorn festival in the world and typically draws over 250,000 people. 
(Music). 
All right. 
Let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here. 
We see a sentence just underneath our title. It says: 
Fall is the season for popcorn-centered activities and festivals. 
All right. 
So if you enjoy popcorn and these kinds of activities, fall is the perfect time. 
It is the season for these things. 
It sure is in the United States. 
And right here we see: 
If popcorn tops your list of favorite snacks, then you're in luck because September and October have lots of popcorn festivals to enjoy. 
So you are in luck. 
You have something going on that you want to enjoy. 
It is a wonderful time, September and October, for popcorn festivals. 
That's right. 
And I like this phrase: you're in luck. 
OK. If you're looking for something and someone has it, they might tell you: 
You're in luck. 
We have just what you are looking for. 
And of course if you want to improve your English, you're in luck. 
You can do that right here at Studio Classroom. 
Join us every day. 
Of course at the beginning of this sentence, "if popcorn tops your list," so something can top your list. 
This is a common phrase. 
We wouldn't say something bottoms our list. 
We would just say something is at the top of our list. 
That's right. 
And if it's at the top of your list, then it is something that you either really want to do or hear something that you really enjoy, so. 
If you like popcorn and it tops your list, or is at the top of your list, then you're in luck because September and... October have lots of festivals. 
And the first one we're looking at today takes place in Valparaiso, Indiana, which is in the United States. 
Today the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival celebrates its 35th year by kicking off the festivities with their Popcorn Panic five-mile run. 
Well, this sounds like a very interesting festival. 
Well, it's a five-mile run. 
It's called the Popcorn Panic five-mile run. 
If you're panicking, that means you're kind of nervous about something. 
Maybe you're running away from something, you're scared about what will happen. 
I don't think they're trying to encourage people to be scared. 
But Popcorn Panic, they both start with P. 
And well, when you're panicking, sometimes you are running. 
This is a five-mile run. 
Is this something that you would enjoy? 
Well, it is five miles, and it has popcorn. 
So I'm sure it's a lot of fun. 
There are other things going on, though. 
Games, handicraft booths and more provide lots of family fun. 
And right there we see a word from our Word Bank: handicraft. 
Now a handicraft is something that you craft or make by hand. 
That's right. 
So what kind of things might be handicrafts? 
Well, I think of accessories like necklaces or bracelets, anklets, these kinds of things, um, lots of things can be made by hand. 
Actually, there's a nice place in Taipei called the Handicraft Mart. 
And it's about four or five floors just full of things that are made... some of them are made by hand; some of them are handicrafts. 
Well, you can buy lots of different handicrafts here. 
Maybe you can find some handmade baskets, paintings or even a necklace made out of popcorn or other handicrafts made from this food. 
Well, the highlight of this festival is its Popcorn Parade, featuring floats decorated with painted kernels and popped corn. 
Now this is pretty interesting. 
Usually when I think of a parade with floats, they're covered in flowers, not kernels of popcorn. 
That's right. So this is very unique. 
Of course, if you're going to a popcorn festival, the float should be decorated with popcorn. 
Well, we see another word here from our Word Bank. 
It is "kernel." And a kernel is the smallest part of corn, or the corn before it is popped. 
You might eat corn that's cooked. 
But before, it was kernels of corn. 
That's right. 
So before the corn is popped. 
It is not popcorn yet. 
It is just a kernel. 
You also might have a kernel of wheat or a walnut kernel. 
It's that small centerpiece of something... some kind of grain or nut. 
Well, right now it is time for us to enjoy a video of this festival. 
Let's do that now. 
Hi, this is Valparaiso Mayor, Jon Costas. 
The 33rd Annual Festival is a tribute to a community steeped in tradition. 
Each year the festival is an opportunity for friends and neighbors to reunite for a day filled with food, fun and entertainment in beautiful downtown Valparaiso. 
This year's theme speaks to the pride we have in our community and the individuals, organizations and businesses that make us pop. 
The morning starts off with a bang as individuals prepare for the Popcorn Panic five-mile run and 5K walk, 
followed by the Lit'l Kernel Puff Race for our mini participants. 
Following the race, families begin to gather for the nation's first and only Popcorn Parade. 
Children and adults cheer from the sidelines as they watch marching bands, youth organizations and amazing floats made almost entirely of popcorn. 
Music lovers have an abundance of options and a wide variety of music featured on the two unique stages. 
The Front Porch Music Stage features the talents of budding musicians with a variety of musical talents. 
The Main Stage boasts an afternoon of multiple professional acts at the newly constructed Porter House Amphitheater in downtown Central Park Plaza. 
This year's main stage culminates with the sounds of the nationally recognized band Cracker, who played for a packed park of excited fans. 
Hungry visitors will find a wide array of food options from classic festival food to gourmet treats prepared by local restaurants. 
Unique products, handmade items and fabulous gifts are abundant among the arts and crafts vendors present at the festival. 
We're thrilled to showcase our community to the more than 50,000 festival-goers who descend on our downtown Valparaiso each September. 
The Popcorn Festival itself continues to grow and evolve from year to year. 
And we're proud to be one of the many things that make Valparaiso pop. 
Well, that was a cool video of the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival 2011. 
Of course, every year is just as exciting. 
OK, let's move on now to Ohio. 
Marion, Ohio. 
Marion, Ohio's Popcorn Festival, which occurs the first weekend after Labor Day, is the largest popcorn festival in the world and typically draws over 250,000 people. 
Wow, that is a lot of people for this popcorn festival. 
Well, it is the largest. 
And right there we have another word from our Word Bank: Labor Day. 
Now this is a holiday in the United States. 
It is the first Monday of September, and it celebrates people who work. 
It's a national holiday, so a lot of places close and workers can have the day off. 
It's true. 
It's kind of like International Workers' Day which we talked about in May on May 1. 
But the United States has chosen to keep it on September... or in September, on the first Monday in September. 
And most schools actually start school the day after Labor Day. 
So if you're in the United States, you will start school on a Tuesday. 
Right now it's time for us to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.07.B

It's Popcorn Time! 
We are talking all about a lesson on popcorn festivals in the United States. 
So far we've mentioned two - the first one in Valparaiso, Indiana. 
And they have popcorn-covered floats, covered in kernels of popcorn as well as popped corn that has been painted. 
The second one we talked about was in Marion, Ohio. 
And it is the largest popcorn festival. 
Well, we have a little bit more to talk about this festival. 
Let's get started with the next part of our article. 
Popcorn Time! 
Festival-goers can watch the annual parade with over 300 floats and performers, 
enjoy free entertainment on four different stages or choose from over 250 food and game exhibits. 
Clay County, Indiana. 
The Popcorn Festival of Clay County honors its native son Orville Redenbacher with an annual popcorn festival held in October. 
Redenbacher became famous for developing a corn hybrid considered superior to other varieties of its time. 
Festival events include the Orville Redenbacher Look-Alike Contest, judged by Redenbacher's family members, 
tours of the Redenbacher Family Memory Lane Museum and popcorn-eating contests. 
If October ends and you still haven't gotten your fill of popcorn activities, you'll be happy to know that National Popcorn Day explodes on the scene January 19. 
(Music). 
Well, let's continue talking about Marion, Ohio's Popcorn Festival. 
We read here that festival-goers can watch the annual parade with over 300 floats and performers, 
enjoy free entertainment on four different stages or choose from over 250 food and game exhibits. 
It sounds like there's a lot to do there. 
Well, it is the largest one in the world, so there is a lot to enjoy at this festival in Ohio. 
Now we do have another one going back to the state of Indiana. 
This one, however, is in Clay County, Indiana. 
Now the Popcorn Festival of Clay County honors its native son Orville Redenbacher with an annual popcorn festival held in October. 
Now you may recognize this name, Orville Redenbacher, because there is a very famous and popular kind of popcorn named after him. 
It's true. 
And he is the native son. 
That means he is from this place. 
OK. So Redenbacher became famous for developing a corn hybrid considered superior to other varieties of its time. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "hybrid." A hybrid is a mixture of two things. 
It's not pure, it's two or more things combined to make something new. 
That's right. 
And many foods today are hybrids of two or more different kinds of foods. 
I just had a very interesting fruit called a (Chinese) this past year. 
And it seemed to be a new hybrid of a couple different kinds of fruit, a plum and something else, I'm not quite sure. 
Hmm, that sounds interesting. 
I should try a (Chinese). 
I also know that some animals are hybrids. 
They have a zebra and a horse together. 
It's called a zebroid. 
Of course when they put a lion and a tiger together, it's called a liger. 
Some of these animals actually exist. 
Well, we're continuing to learn about this popcorn hybrid. 
And let's continue here. 
Festival events include the Orville Redenbacher Look-Alike Contest, judged by Redenbacher's family members, 
tours of the Redenbacher Family Memory Lane Museum and popcorn-eating contests. 
Wow! There are a lot of events themed around this man Orville Redenbacher and his great contribution to popcorn. 
Now if October ends and you still haven't gotten your fill of popcorn activities, you'll be happy to know that National Popcorn Day explodes on the scene January 19. 
So if you don't have enough popcorn this fall, you can wait. 
And on January 19, you can celebrate Popcorn Day. 
That's right. 
You'll be happy to know. 
This reminds me of the phrase we talked about at the beginning of this lesson, "you're in luck." All right. 
You'll be happy to know about something. 
Well, it's time for us to end this part of the lesson. 
But you'll be happy to know that Liz and Steve and Ken are all waiting for us. 
And of course, Michelle is as well. 
Let's go learn from what they have to share. 
How are you, friends? 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We see this in today's article: 
If October ends and you still haven't gotten your fill of popcorn activities... 
Today our Grammar Tip focus is on the phrase: to get one's fill of [something]. 
It means to get enough of what someone needs. 
So in today's sentence, the writer is talking about what to do if you aren't satisfied with the various popcorn activities. 
Let's have a look at some example sentences. 
After being in the art museum all day, Molly has gotten her fill of paintings and wants to go home. 
Or: Before her 12-hour flight was even over, Amy felt she has gotten her fill of movies. 
So give this phrase a try. 
Think of something that you or someone else has gotten enough of and practice using this phrase. 
And that's all the time we have for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
Bye-bye. 
Hi, friends. 
Did you catch the metaphor in the last sentence of our lesson today - National Popcorn Day "explodes" on the scene January 19? 
OK, what's a metaphor, you ask? 
It's a literary device in which an implied comparison is made between two unlike things that actually have something important in common. 
So what are we comparing? 
National Popcorn Day and popcorn. 
The comparison is established with the verb "explode." Normally we might say someone comes or arrives on the scene. 
But in the lesson, our writer picked the word "explode" that setting up a nice little metaphor. 
Right. 
We know that explode is what popcorn does when you heat up the corn kernels. 
But Ken, there are other options besides explode, like pop. 
Pop, right. 
That's what you do when you want some popcorn - you pop it in the microwave. 
And the popcorn explodes. 
So either way, a metaphor is established to give the writing a bit of flavor. 
Just like popcorn after you add some salt to it. 
(Chinese). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's return to our teachers. 
Well, I've enjoyed learning about popcorn festivals in the United States. 
And my friend Tom gave me this delicious popcorn. 
Hey, Carolyn, would you like some? 
Oh, sure, Gabe. Thanks. 
Oh, but this popcorn has butter on it. 
Yeah, and salt. 
Oh, but I don't really like salty, buttery popcorn. 
I like sweet popcorn, kettle corn. 
Yes. Yes, I remember. 
Well, you know what, Carolyn? 
That means I'm in luck because there's more popcorn for me. 
Well, friends, thank you for joining us today. 
And we'll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.09.09.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Our lesson is about September. 
Of course every month we talk about what is special about that month. 
So do you have anything special planned for this month? 
What will you do this September? 
Carolyn, is there anything special that you have planned? 
Well, I'll probably spend a couple of weekends going hiking. 
I enjoy spending time outdoors. 
And you know, if the weather is nice, I think that would be a great thing to do - plan a couple of hiking trips. 
I also plan to wish both of my sisters a happy birthday because both of them are born in September. 
Well, happy birthday, Carolyn's sisters. 
You know, my dad's birthday is also this month. 
It's in three days! 
I'll be celebrating with him. 
So what about you? 
What do you have planned for this September? 
Well, it's time for us to get started learning some interesting things about September. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
September. 
"By all these lovely tokens September days are here With summer's best of weather And autumn's best of cheer." Helen Hunt Jackson. 
What does September mean to you? 
For students, it means the start of school. 
For others, it means fall is in the air, if not immediately, then soon. 
September 19 this year will be a time to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival. 
People will celebrate with delectable moon cakes - both traditional and unusual! 
September 8 was the official day to celebrate grandparents this year. 
In 1978, U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation, urging "each citizen ... to reflect on the influence his grandparents have had in shaping his own destiny." (Music). 
Well, you know September 8 was yesterday. 
So if you haven't called your grandparents yet, you can do that now. 
It's good to celebrate their life as well. 
Let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here. 
We see this kind of poem. 
Here it says: By all these lovely tokens September days are here. 
With summer's best of weather And autumn's best of cheer. 
Carolyn, what are the tokens we're talking about here? 
Well, this is an interesting word - tokens. 
And those are just things that maybe symbolize something else that stand for it. 
And if we have "summer's best of weather," so it's not too hot. 
It's kind of cool, but it's comfortable. 
It's not raining too much. 
Maybe there's a breeze. 
And "autumn's best of cheer" - so the leaves are changing colors. 
It's beautiful outside. 
It's very cheerful. 
So these are the tokens that we have in September. 
All right. 
And of course this was by someone named Helen Hunt Jackson. 
Well, what does September mean to you? 
That's the first question here. 
For students, it means the start of school. 
Yes. If you're a student, raise your hand. 
That means you are starting to go to school again this year. 
That's right. 
And most schools do start either the end of August or the beginning of September. 
But for others, it means fall is in the air. 
You can smell it. 
You can feel it. 
It's the change of the season, and if not immediately, then soon. 
OK. So maybe the weather won't start changing yet. 
But if it doesn't happen now, it will happen soon. 
"If not immediately, then soon." That's a great phrase or sentence pattern to know. 
Well, September 19 this year will be a time to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival. 
Yes, it is coming up, the Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival. 
And that's something that I enjoy celebrating every year. 
Do you celebrate this, Carolyn? 
Well, since coming to Taiwan, I have celebrated it each year. 
And it's a very interesting festival, and it's very different from what people do in the U.S. 
It's not something that really people think about. 
It's an Asian holiday. 
That's right. 
But of course, you can do many things at this time. 
Well, we continue here. 
People will celebrate with delectable moon cakes - both traditional and unusual! 
So that's just one of the things that people do during the Mid-Autumn Festival. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank - delectable. 
If something is delectable, Carolyn, what does that mean? 
It means that it is very, extremely delicious. 
Oh, it is so tasty. 
It's wonderful to eat. 
It's delectable. 
Maybe someone makes you a wonderful dinner, and you could say: Oh, that dinner was delicious. 
But if you really, really enjoyed it, you could say it was delectable. 
And maybe there was one thing that you really liked out of the whole meal. 
You could say that was definitely delectable. 
That's right. 
Actually, this makes me think of Jo - our co-worker here at Studio Classroom who writes many of our TRAVEL articles. 
She's not only good at writing, she's also good at baking and cooking. 
And the things she makes are delectable. 
I love the cookies that they make. 
She makes delectable cookies. 
Well, these moon cakes are delectable. 
And you can eat them during the Mid-Autumn Festival. 
Continuing: 
September 8 was the official day to celebrate grandparents this year. 
So as Gabe mentioned, if you have not called your grandparents, you can call them up, say hello to them, thank them. 
And what do we read in the next sentence, Gabe? 
All right. 
In 1978, U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation, 
urging "each citizen ... to reflect on the influence his grandparents have had in shaping his own destiny." OK. 
So President Jimmy Carter said this. 
And of course, it was a proclamation. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank - a proclamation. 
That's an official public announcement of some kind. 
That's right. 
So he made this public announcement, this proclamation that people should honor their grandparents. 
They should thank them and think about the way that their lives have changed because of their grandparents. 
All right. 
So that was that kind of proclamation. 
But of course, if you proclaim something or if you make an official announcement of some kind, that can also be a kind of proclamation. 
Well, we see another word here in the sentence: urge. 
He urged each citizen to do something. 
That means he really, really encouraged them to show love to their grandparents, to reflect on the influence that their grandparents had on their lives. 
And we have another great word "shape" that we can talk about. 
It says that we need to think about the influence grandparents have had in shaping his own destiny. 
And if you shape something, that means that you influence. 
There's some sort of impact that you have on it. 
Maybe it was one way before, and then you shape it to be something different. 
And the people that we meet can definitely shape our lives. 
I think so, too. 
You might talk about someone shaping your understanding of something. 
For instance, my favorite drummer, Vinnie Colaiuta, he shapes how I learn how to play the drums. 
He shapes what I want to do when I'm trying to play the drums. 
Or you could talk about someone who shapes your life. 
Jesus Christ shapes my life, the way that I think about life and the way that I view other people. 
So you can use this word "shape" in many ways. 
That's right, you can. 
And right now it is time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.09.B

Today we are enjoying the article on September. 
What does September mean to you? 
Are you starting school soon? 
Are you getting ready to enjoy the great fall festivals that happen in September? 
Will you eat delectable moon cakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival? 
There are so many things to do. 
Well, I hope that you have appreciated your grandparents and thanked them for the way that they have shaped your destiny. 
We're going to continue learning about more festivals and things to celebrate in the month of September. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
September. 
Do you like cookies? 
Fortune cookies? 
Well, eat them to your heart's content on the 13th to celebrate Fortune Cookie Day! 
If you prefer animals, then Elephant Appreciation Day on the 22nd may be more to your liking. 
On the 28th show your teachers how much you appreciate their hard work. 
And speaking of teachers, U.S. teachers in the 1980s wanted to encourage students to ask more questions, 
so they created "Ask A Stupid Question Day." So go ahead - ask that question. 
Popular since the Middle Ages, the sapphire is September's birthstone. 
Folklore says it keeps you and your loved ones from harm. 
Symbolizing valor, the aster, this month's flower, is named for the Greek word for star, which refers to the shape of the flower. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
We have a question here: Do you like cookies? 
Yes. That's my answer. 
Fortune cookies? 
Well, I like chocolate chip cookies better. 
I like the cookies that Jo makes. 
They're delectable. 
Fortune cookies... well, some people do like fortune cookies. 
Carolyn, do you like fortune cookies? 
I do like fortune cookies, and so I am very excited to read this next sentence. 
Well, eat them to your heart's content on the 13th to celebrate Fortune Cookie Day! 
I'd like to eat fortune cookies. 
So being able to eat them to my heart's content, oh, that sounds wonderful. 
So let's look at that phrase from our Word Bank: to your heart's content, or to one's heart's content. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, if there's something that you really enjoy doing, then you could say you want to do it to your heart's content. 
That means you will do it as much as you like, as much as possible. 
So what do you like doing? 
Maybe you're on vacation and you're at a beach resort somewhere, then you can swim to your heart's content. 
Or you can play on the beach to your heart's content. 
Or maybe you've had a very long and busy week, and you are excited it's Saturday so that you can sleep to your heart's content. 
But if you like fortune cookies, you can eat them to your heart's content on Fortune Cookie Day. 
However, Gabe, maybe this holiday isn't for you. 
If you prefer animals, then Elephant Appreciation Day on the 22nd may be more to your liking. 
And Carolyn, that is more to my liking. 
Indeed, I do enjoy animals. 
And I think elephants are wonderful animals. 
So September 22nd might be a good day for me to celebrate elephants. 
Well, that sounds like a great idea, Gabe. 
You can enjoy celebrating elephants on the 22nd because it's more to your liking. 
And Liz has something to share with us in the Grammar Gym about that. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
And here's our Grammar Tip sentence: 
" ... elephant appreciation day on the 22nd may be more to your liking." Our focus is on the phrase: to be more to one's liking. 
It means to be more like how someone likes something to be. 
So in today's sentence, the writer is mentioning Elephant Appreciation Day as a something the reader might prefer. 
This phrase "to be more to one's liking" is a very polite way to talk about someone's preferences. 
For example: 
Tom and Tara are so different; Tom likes to eat at fast food restaurants while fancy Italian restaurants are more to Tara's liking. 
Or: Chloe hates camping; vacationing at a five-star resort is more to her liking. 
So give this phrase a try. 
Think of a situation where you would prefer one thing more than another, and practice using this phrase. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, moving on, we read here: 
On the 28th show your teachers how much you appreciate their hard work. 
All right. 
So we're moving from fortune cookies to animals to teachers. 
Show them how much you appreciate what they do for you. 
And I think that is a great idea. 
You should honor your teachers, tell them just how much you appreciate all of their hard work because being a teacher is not easy. 
There's a lot of responsibility. 
And they do work very hard. 
And I would have to say that I appreciate some of the things that my students have done for me over the years. 
I remember a video that some kids made for us teachers here at Studio Classroom to appreciate us. 
And we want to thank you so much for doing that. 
We appreciate any encouragement from you. 
We love encouraging you, and we love to be encouraged by you. 
That's right. 
And speaking of teachers, U.S. teachers in the 1980s wanted to encourage students to ask more questions, 
so they created "Ask A Stupid Question Day." I don't know if you've ever heard of this before. 
But sometimes people say, "Oh, don't ask stupid questions." But here, there is Ask a Stupid Question Day. 
And I would say I have to agree with teachers here because I don't think that students ask enough questions. 
I love it when students ask questions in class. 
Don't be shy. 
Don't be afraid about what other people are going to think about you. 
Don't think, "Oh, everyone's going to think that I just want to be the teacher's pet." No. Ask your question. 
Ask good questions in class, and maybe even ask a stupid question. 
And we read here... also we read: So go ahead - ask that question. 
Right now it's time for us to spend some time in the Information Cloud. 
Our lesson today mentions no fewer than five observances within this month of September. 
In America, there are literally hundreds of observances ranging in seriousness, duration and legitimacy. 
OK. 
As far as seriousness goes, a day of observance could be noble and honorable, like Grandparents Day, or downright silly, like Blame Someone Else Day. 
Observances also vary in duration. 
Consider these real examples: 
Wear Brown Shoes Day, National Metric Week, Mold Awareness Month and Year of Water Conservation. 
OK. The last quality that an observance has is its legitimacy, or lack of it. 
Right. 
Anyone can make up their own observance. 
But for an observance to be official, a proposal needs to be written and approved by the government at the local, state or national level. 
Now people create observances for all kinds of reasons. 
Some do it for profit, others as an excuse to throw a party. 
Still, others do it to remind us of an important person, group of people or event that took place in history. 
And then, there are those who create observances just to be goofy. 
For example, today in America, some people will celebrate Wonderful Weirdos Day. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
We have a lot more to learn about September. 
We read: Popular since the Middle Ages, the sapphire is September's birthstone. 
And sapphire is a beautiful blue stone. 
Folklore says it keeps you and your loved ones from harm. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: folklore. 
And folklore is any kind of story that is passed down from generation to generation, especially uh, by talking, through word of mouth. 
That's right, so a traditional saying, custom or story that gets passed from one generation to the next. 
Well, it can also have other things going on. 
So folklore says it keeps you and your loved ones from harm, to keep you from harm. 
And symbolizing valor, the aster, this month's flower, is named for the Greek word for star, which refers to the shape of the flower. 
And let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: valor. 
This is a kind of courage, but a special courage that you would see on a battlefield. 
So a soldier from any country would have valor when he is fighting. 
That's right. 
So you would need to be very brave if you're fighting; you need to have valor. 
And that is what the aster symbolizes. 
Well, right now it is time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our teachers are up to now. 
Well, we've learned a lot about September. 
Now I wonder which of these facts is most interesting to you. 
Carolyn? 
Well, you know, I would really like to honor and thank my teachers. 
I had really great teachers growing up. 
And I think that they helped shape me to become the person that I am now - to be teaching you here at Studio Classroom. 
I agree with you. 
I think they influenced our lives a lot. 
Well, it's time for us to say goodbye. 
But of course we will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.09.10.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Today our lesson is called Cellphones in School. 
Cellphones in School? 
Well, this is something that people have different ideas about. 
Should you be able to carry your cellphone to school or... or use it in school or not? 
Well, that's what our lesson is about. 
Do you have a cellphone? 
And if so, when did you get your first cellphone? 
Carolyn, when did you get your first cellphone? 
Well, I actually didn't get my first cellphone until my senior year of high school. 
I needed it because I needed to stay late after school and let my parents know what time I'd be coming home because I was in the band and we had to practice. 
Well, it's a good reason to have a cellphone; you want to get in touch with your parents. 
I think our lesson talks about that a little bit. 
I didn't get my first cellphone... I didn't buy this cellphone until I was a junior in college, my third year at university. 
Now many people today have cellphones even as young as elementary school. 
People are carrying around cellphones all the time. 
Well, what do you think about this idea? 
Is it OK to have a cellphone at school or to use your cellphone at school? 
Let's get started with our lesson for today. 
(Music). 
Cellphones in School. 
Does having access to cellphones at school help or hurt students? 
Mrs. Lee's son Jake is in high school. 
His teacher Mr. Brown caught Jake taking his cellphone out during class and took it away. 
Now Mrs. Lee is at the school to get her son's phone. 
Thank you for coming, Mrs. Lee. 
Here's Jake's cellphone. 
Thank you. 
What was Jake doing with this in class? 
I don't know, but as you know, our school has a zero tolerance policy for cellphones. 
If I see one during school hours, I'm supposed to take it away and ask a parent to pick it up. 
(Music). 
Well, Mr. Brown does make an interesting point there. 
But first, let's go back to this opening question: 
Does having access to cellphones at school help or hurt students? 
And right there in our opening question, we have a word from our Word Bank: access. 
If you have access to something, then you can use it, you are able to do something. 
Now Gabe, do you have Internet access? 
I do have Internet access. 
Actually, on my smartphone I have 3G, so I can access the Internet all the time. 
I don't need to wait till I'm in a place with Wi-Fi. 
But that brings up another question. 
Do you have Wi-Fi access? 
Do you have access to Wi-Fi? 
Maybe you're staying at a hotel somewhere and you need to use your computer to get online. 
Do you have access to Wi-Fi at that hotel? 
That's something you should check out maybe even before you book a room at the hotel. 
It is important. 
And here we're talking about having access to your cellphone while you're at school. 
Now we have a conversation here. 
Mrs. Lee's son Jake is in high school. 
His teacher Mr. Brown caught Jake taking his cellphone out during class and took it away. 
So now what is happening, Gabe? 
All right. 
Well, now Mrs. Lee is at the school trying to get her son's phone. 
Well, this is a very interesting situation. 
I think this happens quite often at schools. 
Has it ever happened to you? 
Has your teacher ever taken something away from you because you were abusing it or you weren't using what you should be using or you weren't doing what you should be doing? 
Well, so now Mrs. Lee is at the school to get her son's phone. 
So I guess I should be Mrs. Lee, and you can be Mr. Brown. 
You know I'd be very happy with that, Carolyn. 
OK, great. 
Well, then I will let you begin. 
Oh, right. Of course, Mr. Brown. 
Mr. Brown probably has a deep voice. 
He's very handsome. 
He says: Thank you for coming, Mrs. Lee. 
Here's Jake's cellphone. 
Thank you. 
What was Jake doing with it in class? 
I don't know, but as you know, our school has a zero tolerance policy for cellphones. 
Oh, great, Mr. Brown. 
Let's stop right there. 
There are a couple of phrases in that sentence we want to look at. 
The first one: as you know. 
As you know. 
Well, this phrase means that you expect the other person to already know that something is true. 
And you want to make it very clear that they should be aware of this fact. 
That's right. 
So of course if you do something, maybe... maybe you cheat on a test, and your teacher gives you a zero. 
And you go and talk to the teacher and complain. 
But your teacher might say: I'm sorry, but as you know, there is no cheating allowed. 
You're not supposed to do that, as you know. 
That's right. 
Or maybe you want to go swimming but it is raining outside. 
And there's thunder and lightning. 
As you know, we can't go swimming during a thunderstorm. 
It's too dangerous. 
And as we see Mr. Brown says here: As you know, our school has a zero tolerance policy for cellphones. 
Well, let's take a look at those words from our Word Bank: zero tolerance. 
Well, let's look at the word "tolerance" for a minute. 
If you tolerate something, that means you're OK with it. 
Maybe you don't really like it, but you're not going to argue about it. 
Now what does it mean to have zero tolerance, Carolyn? 
Well, if you have zero tolerance, then you have no tolerance. 
Zero - you don't have any of it. 
So here they're talking about not being able to stand or not allowing any cellphones in the school or in class. 
You might also have a zero tolerance policy for cheating on tests as Gabe mentioned earlier. 
As you know, that's not allowed. 
Maybe your school has a zero tolerance policy for clothes that are not part of the school uniform. 
That's right. 
I think schools... many schools have a lot of these kinds of rules - zero tolerance policies for different things. 
Well, I have no tolerance for some things, too. 
I don't like it when people gossip. 
I don't like to tolerate that. 
So I have no tolerance for that. 
Well, Mr. Brown is talking about how the school has a zero tolerance policy for cellphones. 
And he continues: 
If I see one during school hours, I'm supposed to take it away and ask a parent to pick it up. 
So it seems like that's what's happening. 
Yes. So he is just following the rules, not quite sure what Jake was doing with it in class. 
But they have this policy at the school. 
And Mr. Brown is following the school's rules. 
Actually, my high school had a rule like this. 
If a teacher caught you using your cellphone in class, they were supposed to give you a warning. 
And if you'd already been warned, they were allowed to take your cellphone and take it to the principal's office. 
And your parents would have to talk to the principal to get it back. 
Interesting. 
Well, I think these rules can be very helpful. 
They can be very good. 
But we're going to continue this conversation later and see what Mrs. Lee says. 
First, let's take a break. 
And actually, first we're going to see what Michelle has to say in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.10.B

Well, in today's lesson Cellphones in School, we're asking the question: 
Does having access to cellphones at school help or hurt students? 
So in this conversation between a teacher, Mr. Brown, and Mrs. Lee, 
they're talking about Mrs. Lee's son Jake who was caught in class using his cellphone. 
And they're having this dialogue. 
Of course Mr. Brown reminds Mrs. Lee that there is a zero tolerance policy for cellphones in school. 
Well, let's see what Mrs. Lee has to say about this. 
(Music). 
Cellphones in School. 
That seems a little extreme. 
Why do you have such a strict rule? 
Well, one reason is that cellphones make it hard for students to pay attention. 
Because students are tempted to play with them and not pay attention? 
That's part of it. 
Also, if a phone makes noise during a lesson, it distracts the whole class. 
But students can just put their phones on silent mode. 
As a parent, I feel better knowing my children have cellphones with them. 
It allows them to contact me if they need something. 
Or I can call or text them if there's an emergency at home. 
(Music). 
Well, Mrs. Lee does seem to be making some good points here as a parent who has children in school. 
And here her son Jake has had his cellphone taken away, and she's getting it back from his teacher. 
Now it looks like Mrs. Lee has the first line. 
So I'll start if that's OK, Gabe. 
Well, of course it is. 
You are Mrs. Lee. Go ahead. 
OK. Well, thank you. 
That seems a little extreme. 
Why do you have such a strict rule? 
Hmm, it is a little extreme to Mrs. Lee. 
If something is extreme, that means maybe it's unreasonable. 
Maybe it's hard for her to really understand why there's such a strict rule. 
Well, Mr. Brown says: Well, one reason is that cellphones make it hard for students to pay attention. 
They make it hard. 
And that is a great phrase that we're going to look at right now. 
If you make it hard, then it becomes more difficult for something to get done. 
We don't want to make it hard for teachers to do their job. 
So it's important to sit in the class quietly to listen, take lots of notes. 
I know I take a lot of notes even at church. 
I'm not in school. 
But anytime I go and listen to someone speak, I like to make it easy for them, not make it hard for them and try to learn as much as I can. 
That's right. 
Well, what other things can make life difficult or make life hard? 
Maybe there are some people that you know that are just hard to get along with. 
They make it hard for you to enjoy life. 
Maybe you're learning another language. 
Maybe something about that language makes it hard to really enjoy learning that language. 
Well, of course it's important to press on and not give up even though there are difficult moments. 
That is true. 
Well, here apparently having a cellphone in school will make it hard for students to pay attention. 
And many times that is true. 
Now let's see... uh, Mrs. Lee has the next line. 
And she has kind of an idea about why this might be true. 
Because students are tempted to play with them and not pay attention? 
Exactly. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
We see the word "tempt" here. 
And if you're tempted to do something, that means the idea crosses your mind, and you really want to go and do it. 
It's tempting for you. 
So how can you use that word, Carolyn? 
Well, Gabe, I... I bought this box of chocolates for my friend. 
Whoa. 
And I was really tempted to eat all of them. 
But I didn't. 
I resisted. 
I did not give in. 
And I gave them to my friend as a gift. 
So I was tempted, but I resisted. 
Well, I'm tempted to find out who your friend is, and maybe I can ask for some chocolates. 
Well, that is possible. 
It is possible. 
Well, how else can you use that word? 
You know, maybe... maybe you're tempted to do something bad to somebody because they were mean to you. 
Well, you might want to do that and get revenge. 
But it's good to just be patient and stay calm and try to do something else. 
Don't do something bad back to that person. 
Mmhm. 
Well, Mr. Brown continues here. 
He says: That's part of it. 
Also, if a phone makes noise during a lesson, it distracts the whole class. 
Well, I think that's pretty true. 
I know that if I hear a phone going off, I look around. 
It doesn't really matter if I'm in class or in a restaurant. 
I'm curious to know whose phone is ringing. 
Maybe I like the ringtone or it's just a little bit distracting because it's too loud. 
It's true. 
And actually, this is one of the reasons why I don't even use a ringtone. 
My... my phone is always on silent mode, so it vibrate so I can feel it. 
I know when someone is calling me. 
But it doesn't bother or distract anybody else, especially in a movie theater or church or someplace like that. 
That's right. 
And you used a great word that Mrs. Lee mentions in her next line. 
She says: But students can just put their phones on silent mode. 
And "mode" is from our Word Bank. 
It's just a function or a setting that you can put something on. 
Maybe if you're traveling, you put your phone on airplane mode so that it doesn't receive any signal. 
That's right. 
That's also called flight mode, F-L-I-G-H-T. 
Sometimes you put it on flight mode. 
And speaking of traveling, we use this word "mode" to talk about transportation as well. 
What was your mode of transportation? 
That means, how did you get from one place to another? 
Did you take a car, taxi, fly in an airplane? Or a train? 
What was the mode of transportation? 
Well, here we're talking about a setting on your cellphone. 
And students can put their phone on silent mode. 
As a parent, I feel better knowing my children have cellphones with them. 
It allows them to contact me if they need something. 
Well, I can understand Mrs. Lee. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
As an English teacher, I come across various English mistakes. 
And one common mistake I see more often than others is contact with someone. 
As in "feel free to contact with me." Now that is not correct. 
The correct way to say it is: Feel free to contact me. 
Right. 
Leave out the preposition "with" because "contact" is a transitive verb. 
However, if you use "contact" as a noun, then you need that preposition "with." I want to keep in contact with you. 
Now that's a grammatically correct sentence. 
But saying "keeping in contact with someone" sounds a little formal. 
Most people would probably say: I want to keep in touch with you. 
That's right. 
Or just: Stay in touch. 
Right, stay in touch. 
Now if you fail to stay in touch with someone, you lose touch. 
Or you lose contact with that person. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, of course you can get in contact with us over email or going on Facebook or other ways like that. 
Check out our website. 
There are many ways to get in contact with us. 
Well, how does Mrs. Lee finish her line here? 
Well, she says: Or I can call or text them if there's an emergency at home. 
Well, Mrs. Lee has a lot of good points. 
And right now it is time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Oh. Hey, man, are you a new student here? 
Yeah. This is my first day. 
How did you know? 
Well, uh, because you have a cellphone. 
Whoa. Don't most kids have cellphones? 
Yeah, but they don't use them in school. 
Why not? 
Our school has a zero tolerance policy for cellphones. 
Zero tolerance? What do you mean? 
Well, it means if a teacher sees you with a cellphone, they, uh, take it away. 
Take it away? 
When do you get it back? 
You don't. 
One of your parents has to pick it up. 
Wow. 
Why is the school so strict about cellphones? 
Cellphones make it hard for students to pay attention. 
Yeah, because we're tempted to play with them? 
That's one reason. 
Also, if the phone makes noise during a lesson, it distracts the whole class. 
Yeah. It's funny when cellphones make noise in class. 
Yeah, but teachers don't like it. 
Why can't we just put our cellphones on silent mode? 
Then we can get texts. 
It's not allowed here. 
You have to follow the rules. 
Not me, man. 
I can still use my cellphone. 
I just won't let the teacher catch me. 
Too late. 
Huh? 
I'm a teacher. 
Give me your cellphone. 
Dude! 
Sorry. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to go back to our teachers. 
Today we were talking about silent mode and cellphones being a distraction. 
Now Gabe, do you ever think that cellphones are a distraction? 
Yeah, actually I do. 
Some things we mentioned during today's lesson were during church and when you're watching a movie at a movie theater. 
Or anytime people are trying to focus on one thing, and then a cellphone goes off. 
That can be a distraction. 
It is true, or you see the light from a cellphone in a movie theater. 
Well, we have more to learn from this lesson tomorrow right here on Studio Classroom. 
We'll see you then. 
(Music).

2013.09.11.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing our lesson called Cellphones in School. 
Already we've been enjoying this conversation between Mr. Brown and Mrs. Lee because Mrs. Lee's son was caught pulling his cellphone out in the middle of class. 
So Mr. Brown took it away. 
And then Mrs. Lee had to go and get it back from Mr. Brown. 
So they're in this conversation talking about whether or not you should be allowed to have cellphones in school. 
Well, many of you have cellphones. 
Uh, what do you usually use your cellphone for? 
Carolyn? 
Well, my cellphone is not a smartphone, so I use it to call people, text people. 
And actually, I use it a lot for math because I'm used to things like Fahrenheit instead of Celsius or feet instead of meters. 
So I change those and do some math on my cellphone so I understand what people are talking about. 
Well, you know what, Carolyn? 
If you had a smartphone, then you could just go to the Internet and do that really quickly, 
and... and figure out what pounds are and kilograms and Celsius and Fahrenheit. 
Yeah, my... my cellphone can do that. 
It's not a problem. 
OK. Well, we'll continue talking about that some other time, Carolyn. 
For now it's time to continue this lesson - Cellphones in School. 
(Music). 
Cellphones in School. 
True. 
There are some good reasons for students to have cellphones at school. 
But students abuse them too, by using them to cheat on tests. 
Cellphones don't cause cheating, though. 
Long before cellphones, students found ways to cheat. 
There are already rules against cheating, and surely that includes cheating with cellphones. 
It does. 
But banning cellphones helps prevent that form of cheating. 
Perhaps, but cellphone use during breaks isn't harmful. 
It's good to let students take their minds off schoolwork occasionally. 
Or they can use smartphones to look up class-related information online. 
(Music). 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of this conversation. 
Of course at the end of yesterday's lesson, Mrs. Lee was talking about how important it is for a student to have a cellphone. 
If there's an emergency, they can contact their parents at home. 
Well, Mr. Brown says: True. 
There are some good reasons for students to have cellphones at school. 
But students abuse them too, by using them to cheat on tests. 
Well, Carolyn, what does that mean, to abuse your cellphone? 
Well, it means that you are not using it the way that you're supposed to. 
So you might say that you are abusing your privilege to have access to your cellphone. 
So if you abuse something, then you're taking advantage of it in a way. 
That's right. 
Actually Carolyn just said a very common phrase: to abuse your privilege. 
P-R-I-V-I-L-E-G-E, abusing your privileges or abusing your rights. 
A privilege is a good thing. 
Your rights are great. 
But don't abuse them, OK. 
Use your things in the right way. 
Well, Mrs. Lee continues. 
Oh, yes, she does. 
Cellphones don't cause cheating, though. 
Long before cellphones, students found ways to cheat. 
Yes, I couldn't agree more, Carolyn. 
It's true, cellphones don't cause cheating. 
Actually, cheating is a horrible thing. 
Uh, lots of other things are bad, too: stealing, killing. 
Things don't cause you to steal or to kill. 
They might... they might help you, but they don't cause you... actually people do that. 
They don't need these things in order to cheat, steal or kill. 
That's right. 
Well, right now we have seen a phrase in this sentence that Liz would like to talk... to us about in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this sentence: 
Long before cellphones, students found ways to cheat. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase at the beginning of the sentence: long before. 
It's a sure way of saying a long time before something. 
So today's sentence just means: 
Long before cellphones were invented, students found ways to cheat. 
We use "long before" to point out how there was a long period of time before something happened. 
The point is not how much time but rather the fact that there was a very long period of time. 
For example: 
Benny cleaned up the whole house long before his parents got home. 
Or: The art thieves were already out of the country long before the museum discovered their paintings were missing. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thanks, Liz. 
Now Mrs. Lee was talking about how long before cellphones were even around, students were finding ways to cheat. 
And she continues her line: 
There are already rules against cheating, and surely that includes cheating with cellphones. 
It does. 
But banning cellphones helps prevent that form of cheating. 
Well, let's take a look at one of these words, the word: ban. 
And if cellphones are banned from school, that means you're not supposed to bring them in to your school. 
That's right. 
So a ban is an official rule against something. 
It is not allowed. 
If you are traveling, you need to make sure that you are not bringing any banned items with you on the plane. 
There is a long list of items that you are not allowed to have with you, like certain kinds of liquids. 
You can only have a small bag of liquids, and everything else is banned. 
You are also not allowed to bring any kind of weapon onto an airplane. 
That's right. 
Those things are banned. 
When I was in high school, playing cards were banned. 
We weren't supposed to bring cards to play with at school. 
So different things could be banned in different areas. 
Now Carolyn also mentioned this word as a noun. 
There is a ban on something. 
That means something is banned. 
Of course banning cellphones helps prevent this kind of cheating. 
And Mrs. Lee continues: 
Perhaps, but cellphone use during breaks isn't harmful. 
It's good to let students take their minds off schoolwork occasionally. 
Wait! I need to interrupt you here, Carolyn... Mrs. Lee, because we have some things we want to talk about from that sentence. 
It's good to let students take their minds off something. 
Let's look at that phrase: to take your mind off of something. 
That means you're thinking about something, maybe you're studying, 
maybe you're really stressed and you're trying to figure something out, it's good to take your mind off and do something else. 
That's right. 
So maybe you are very busy; you have a lot of thoughts in your mind. 
It's good to take your mind off of them by taking a walk. 
You can just go for a nice walk outside to take your mind off of your work. 
That's right. 
Sometimes we take our mind off of pain as well. 
Something is really difficult for us emotionally. 
We need to do something lighter to take our mind off the pain. 
Well, let's take a look at another word here from our Word Bank. 
It's the word "occasionally." If you do something occasionally, that means you do it every once in a while. 
Yes. So not often, just sometimes, like, I drink coffee occasionally. 
I don't drink it every day, only when I need a real extra boost of caffeine. 
I don't like to drink coffee every day. 
And for me, I swim occasionally. 
It's not something I do every day or often, but I like to swim occasionally. 
We can also use the phrase "on occasion." It means the same thing. 
I... I swim on occasion. 
OK. Well, how does Mrs. Lee continue her line? 
Oh, yes. 
She says: Or they can use smartphones to look up class-related information online. 
So here she's saying that smartphones, if the student has that kind of cellphone, could actually be very helpful to the student when they're trying to learn things at school. 
Well, I agree with Mrs. Lee here. 
And you can use this phrase "class-related." Maybe you could replace the word class with work. 
Sometimes your supervisor or boss might come by and say: Is that work-related? 
Are you doing something that is work-related? 
That's right. 
Well, right now it is time for us to do something English-related and learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Then we'll visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
You know, Steve, I think it's great being an English teacher here in Asia. 
Why do you say that, Ken? 
Because students look up to me. 
They respect me. 
That's true. I agree. 
Friends, let's take a look at that simple phrase: look up to someone. 
When you look up to someone, you respect or admire that person. 
I hope you all look up to your teachers. 
OK. Let's now change that a little. 
"Look someone up" has a different meaning. 
Very different. 
When my friends from the U.S. plan on visiting Asia, I always tell them be sure to look me up. 
If you look someone up, then you go visit that person when you're in the area they live in. 
OK. Now let's to replace a person with a word - look up a word. 
When you come across an unfamiliar word, you can look it up. 
When you look up a word, you search for information on that word. 
You find out what it means and how it is used. 
When I ask Ken what a certain word means, he usually tells me... 
Look it up. 
Look it up where? 
Look it up in the dictionary, the encyclopedia or on the Internet. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.11.B

We are continuing our lesson Cellphones in School, a conversation between Mr. Brown and Mrs. Lee. 
Today Mr. Brown has made the point that having cellphones banned in school make students less likely to be able to cheat on their tests. 
But Mrs. Lee makes another good point that cheating has been around long before cellphones. 
Well, let's see how this conversation continues in the next part of our reading. 
(Music). 
Cellphones in School. 
I wish all students were that responsible with their cellphones. 
But before we made the rule against cellphones, they were often used for bullying. 
Students would take embarrassing pictures of each other and post them or send hurtful text messages. 
That's very sad, but you don't need a cellphone to bully someone. 
Besides, don't teachers have enough to do without trying to enforce a rule against cellphones? 
They do, indeed, but I still think cellphones in school do more harm than good. 
Well, I must be going. 
Thank you for your time. 
(Music). 
All right. 
Well, just before the break, Mrs. Lee was talking about how students could possibly use their cellphones or smartphones to look up class-related information online. 
Well, let's see what Mr. Brown has to say here. 
He says: I wish all students were that responsible with their cellphones. 
But before we made the rule against cellphones, they were often used for something else - they were often used for bullying. 
Oh, my. 
Well, that is a big problem. 
And that is also a word from our Word Bank, the word "bully." If someone is bullied, 
to be bullied means that someone is making fun of another person or they're being very mean to them. 
Maybe walking down the hall, just minding your own business and someone knocks the books out of your hand. 
Oh, that could be a form of bullying. 
That's right. 
Well, there are many forms of bullying, especially in schools. 
Um, now this word can be a noun or a verb. 
You can bully somebody. 
And if you do that, people will call you a bully. 
They might say: Please don't bully me, or stop bullying me. 
Carolyn, do you think that maybe cellphones or smartphones can be used to maybe help go against bullying or flight bullying? 
Well, that is a very good point, Gabe. 
I was reading a news article about a school in the U.S. 
They are going to be uh... they're going to begin using a program to help students report bullying using their cellphones. 
If students see someone being bullied, they can send a text message to a phone in the school. 
OK. 
And the school won't know who sent the message, but they will be able to contact the student again to get more information. 
Well, bully reporting sounds like a great idea. 
You can report a bullying incident to your principal or to authorities at the school. 
That could be a help in fighting against bullying. 
Mr. Brown continues his line here. 
He says students would take embarrassing pictures of each other and post them or send hurtful text messages. 
Yes, it's true. 
Now with cellphones, you can bully in another way by doing these kinds of things, sending embarrassing pictures or... or hurtful text messages. 
Well, that is a shame that they are taking this really wonderful technology that can be so helpful and using it to do bad things. 
Well, Mrs. Lee continues with the next line. 
That's very sad, but you don't need a cellphone to bully someone. 
Besides, don't teachers have enough to do without trying to enforce a rule against cellphones? 
All right. 
Well, I kind of agree with Mrs. Lee here. 
Again, she says that you don't need cellphones to do this. 
We talked about cheating before. 
You don't need a cellphone to cheat. 
Here you don't need a cellphone to bully somebody. 
But we also see a key word from this sentence. 
The word is "enforce." And if there's a rule and you really take the rule seriously, then you should enforce that rule. 
That's right. 
So here Mr. Brown is just trying to enforce the rule of banning cellphones. 
They are not allowed in school. 
And you might think of a police officer as someone who also enforces rules. 
Police officers will give out tickets or fines to people who break the law. 
It's true. 
So you could force rules; you enforce the laws of a city. 
Now sometimes a city might have so many laws and so many rules, and some of them are more serious than others. 
So sometimes police won't stop you from doing something. 
You could say they aren't really enforcing that law. 
Or maybe they should enforce this law even more. 
That is true. 
Well, so Mr. Brown is trying to enforce this rule and explain how important it is to Mrs. Lee. 
Now Mr. Brown, would you like to continue? 
Ah, yes. So of course the question was: Don't teachers have enough to do without trying to enforce this kind of rule? 
Now Mr. Brown says: 
They do, indeed, but I still think cellphones in school do more harm than good. 
Well, Carolyn, what do you feel about this? 
Well, Mrs. Lee has her closing line here: 
Well, I must be going. 
Thank you for your time. 
So it sounds like Mrs. Lee still does not really agree with the teacher's point of view. 
That's right, she doesn't. 
So she just says she's going to give up arguing and leave. 
Thank you for your time. 
Well, Mr. Brown says: I still think that cellphones in school do more harm than good. 
If you use the word "still" like this, that means maybe you've been arguing or discussing something for a long time, and you feel the same way that you did. 
You still feel this way. 
I still think cellphones in school do more harm than good. 
That's right. 
So Mr. Brown has not changed his mind. 
Mrs. Lee hasn't changed her mind, either. 
They still have their own opinions on this matter. 
Well, right now it is time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are up to. 
What an interesting lesson today. 
Should you have access to a cellphone in your school or not? 
Well, after listening to this conversation from this lesson between Mr. Brown and Mrs. Lee, what do you think about this? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I remember before I had a cellphone, I was in school for many years. 
And it was never really a problem trying to get ahold of my parents or someone. 
If there was an emergency, I would just go to the office and use the phone there. 
But now that everyone has cellphones and there are even programs to use them to prevent bullying, I think that maybe it would be OK. 
Yeah, I kind of agree with you. 
I think that having a cellphone in school is helpful or can be helpful. 
Of course, it's up to each individual student, that might be you, to be responsible with your cellphone in school. 
Well, thank you for joining us today. 
And of course we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.09.12.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for our lesson called Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise. 
Well, I have some friends who have been to these places. 
And they say that it is gorgeous there, that I must visit. 
And of course our author Ruth Devlin has also been to visit beautiful Banff and Lake Louise. 
These are outdoor places and nature. 
And of course you can have adventures in these kinds of places. 
There are many things to see. 
Carolyn, do you enjoy outdoor adventures? 
I do enjoy going on outdoor adventures. 
I like hiking and exploring different areas and going to parks. 
And I went on a small adventure trying to find the perfect picnic spot. 
And it was a lot of fun. 
And we found a beautiful shady area to have lunch. 
Well, I notice you have some flowers as well. 
Is that from when you went on a picnic? 
Well, no. The picnic was a while ago. 
But these flowers are quite lovely. 
Yes. 
Well, I also enjoy outdoor adventures. 
I love rock climbing. 
And so if there are places with large rocks, I love to climb on those rocks and see how high I can get. 
Of course it can be exciting. 
Well, we're going to be learning about beautiful Banff and Lake Louise and some of the different things you can experience there. 
Let's get started. 
(Music). 
Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise. 
Enjoy some of the finest nature has to offer in Banff National Park. 
What can be more beautiful than brilliant blue water or snowy mountains? 
If that's your idea of beauty, put Banff, Alberta, at the top of your travel list. 
Banff and beautiful Lake Louise lie in the majestic Canadian Rockies in Banff National Park. 
The park, Canada's oldest, offers 6,641 square kilometers of wild land to explore. 
Within the park, you'll find not only mountains but meadows, lakes, hot springs, waterfalls and wild animals. 
(Music). 
With so many things to see, this sounds like a really wonderful place to visit, a little something for everyone. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning. 
Here we see a little section: Enjoy some of the finest nature has to offer in Banff National Park. 
And there's a really great phrase right there: some of the finest. 
Let's take a look at that. 
It means that it's some of the best among the best. 
That's right. 
Of course nature has a lot to offer anywhere in the world. 
But nature also has some really fine things to offer at Lake Banff... or at Banff and Lake Louise. 
And of course you can enjoy some of the finest there. 
You can use that phrase in other ways to talk about other things. 
Enjoy some of the finest food or some of the finest steak at this restaurant. 
That's right. 
You also might say this city has some of the finest art. 
Maybe you can go to Europe and travel around, and they will have many fine things to see because so much history has taken place there. 
That's right. 
So enjoy some of the finest that nature has to offer in Banff National Park. 
And it's true, many people love to go to this national park. 
There are more than four million visitors that go every year. 
So it's a very popular place. 
It is a very popular place. 
Now let us get started with our article. 
What can be more beautiful than brilliant blue water or snowy mountains? 
And oh, that is a great question - What could be more beautiful than brilliant blue water? 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
If something is brilliant, it is bright and clear and beautiful. 
A lot of times I think of people having brilliant colored eyes, brilliant green or brilliant blue eyes. 
Well, Carolyn, speaking of this word "brilliant," I think that you're wearing a very brilliant shirt today. 
It's not a dark shirt that Carolyn is wearing. 
This orange is very nice on you. 
It's a brilliant color. 
Oh, well. 
Thank you very much, Gabe. 
Yes, it is a very brilliantly colored shirt. 
It is brilliant. 
Well, this water here is brilliant. 
So it is blue, it is clear. 
And it is just beautiful, not cloudy or dark. 
Now this is a question. 
And I think that Steve and Ken have something they'd like to tell us about that in the Information Cloud. 
In ancient times, rhetoric was an art form to be studied and practiced. 
It was communicating for the purpose of persuading others to identify with your interests. 
Now today our author asks a question not because she is looking for an answer. 
She asks it rather to persuade us to identify with her interests. 
This kind of question is called a rhetorical question. 
As figures of speech, rhetorical questions are asked to make a point, 
create emphasis and subtly challenge an audience's assumptions while arousing their curiosity. 
And when you make an audience curious, you are more likely to hold their interest and, hopefully, persuade them to see things as you do. 
So how can you know whether a question is rhetorical or not? 
Years ago, it was pretty easy. 
People used a rhetorical punctuation mark which looked like a backwards question mark. 
Unfortunately, people stopped using those in the 17th century. 
Today the simplest way to know is if the author or speaker gives you a real opportunity to respond to the question. 
If not, the question is probably rhetorical. 
So everybody, what are you waiting for? 
Go out and ask someone a rhetorical question. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, who better to tell us about rhetorical questions than Steve and Ken? 
Let's continue with our article. 
If that's your idea of beauty, put Banff, Alberta, at the top of your list. 
So if your idea of beauty is this brilliant blue lake, then put Banff in Alberta, Canada, at the top of your travel list. 
And that is a great idea. 
And we see an interesting phrase at the beginning of this sentence that Liz wants to tell us about in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In our article today the writer mentions: 
If that's your idea of beauty, put Banff, Alberta, at the top of your travel list. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
And today we're looking at the phrase: one's idea of [something]. 
It just means one's view or opinion of what something is all about. 
So today's sentence just means: If that is your opinion of what natural beauty is all about, then put Banff, Alberta, at the top of your travel list. 
This phrase "one's idea of something" is often used to talk about personal opinions. 
For example: 
Being out on a beach in the sun was Stanley's idea of fun; unfortunately, it rained the whole time while he was there. 
Or: Going to a baseball game is not Lola's idea of a perfect weekend; she prefers staying indoors. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more examples. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
So of course you must put Banff at the top of your travel list. 
And I have heard it is a beautiful place. 
I do want to travel there one day. 
Well, we continue with our lesson. 
Banff and beautiful Lake Louise lie in the majestic Canadian Rockies in Banff National Park. 
All right. 
So we see that this place can be described as majestic. 
We're talking about the Canadian Rockies and the Rocky Mountains. 
You can also call them the Rockies. 
That's a long chain or range of mountains that goes from Canada all the way down through the United States. 
So here we're talking about the Canadian part of these mountains - the Canadian Rockies. 
That's right, because this national park is in Canada. 
And we continue on. 
The park, Canada's oldest, offers 6,641 square kilometers of wild land to explore. 
That is quite a big park. 
That sounds great. 
It sounds like a great outdoor adventure. 
Lots of things to do, lots of places to explore and of course, lots of beautiful sights to see. 
Well, within the park you'll find not only mountains but meadows, lakes, hot springs, waterfalls and wild animals and probably a lot more. 
But let's take a look at one of these words from our Word Bank. 
It is the word "meadow." When I think of a meadow, I think of a big grassy area outside. 
It's... it's not hills or mountains. 
It's mostly flat, but it's something that maybe goes on for a while. 
You can walk through a meadow, run through a meadow. 
What do you like to do in meadows, Carolyn? 
Well, actually those flowers I had earlier could be found in a meadow, a large grassy field where wild flowers grow. 
And you can also probably see a lot of these great wild animals in the meadow because they would be out there eating the grass or the flowers. 
Well, these things sound interesting. 
Of course meadows can be found here at Banff National Park, and lakes, hot springs, waterfalls, wild animals. 
I would love to see it all. 
Right now it's time for us to take a break. 
But first, we're going to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And then we have a lot more to learn about Banff later on. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.12.B

Today we're beginning to learn about Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise. 
And of course we got a good introduction here to our lesson. 
We know that you can see meadows and lakes and hot springs and waterfalls and wild animals at Banff National Park. 
And of course something else that comes to mind for people that have visited is the beautiful, the brilliant blue water of the lakes there. 
Well, we have more to learn. 
So let's get started with the second part of our lesson for today - Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise. 
(Music). 
Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise. 
You can find plenty of outdoor adventure all year round. 
You can explore the park using a car or bicycle, hiking boots, skis or a canoe. 
Stop first in the delightful town of Banff, which was designed as a tourist town. 
The first street was laid out to give visitors a great view of Cascade Mountain. 
Grab breakfast and coffee at one of the many small cafes before heading out to explore the park. 
Or finish your day by looking around in the small shops along Banff's main street. 
(Music). 
Well, this does sound like a lovely little town to visit in Alberta, Canada. 
Now going back to the beginning of this section in the reading: 
You can find plenty of outdoor adventure all year round. 
So it's not just a place with a particular season, one season that you should go visit. 
You can go anytime of year and have a great outdoor adventure. 
That's right. 
And I heard that probably the best time to go or a wonderful time to go and visit is just after Labor Day in September when there aren't as many crowds, 
but you can still see a lot of the scenery that people love in Banff National Park. 
So right now is a great time to go and visit. 
Well, let's continue. 
You can explore the park using a car or bicycle, hiking boots, skis or a canoe. 
Well, you can just about do anything in Banff National Park. 
That's right. 
And probably depending on the time of year would be which one you use to go exploring. 
So a canoe, which is one of the words from our Word Bank, would probably be great during the summer. 
Now a canoe is a long, small boat. 
It is very thin with pointed ends on each uh... end. 
And you usually use a paddle to move along the water. 
That's right. 
You remember learning about paddles with our dragon boat article, right? 
Of course many boats use paddles. And a canoe certainly does. 
Now have you ever been canoeing? 
This word can also be a verb. 
You can go canoeing somewhere in a lake or down a river. 
Maybe you could do something similar - you go kayaking. 
That's a smaller boat. 
It's a little bit faster, too. 
So there are different kinds of boats. 
But I think canoeing does sound like a lot of fun. 
It does. 
And there are many other ways that you can see Banff National Park. 
You can hike, use your hiking boots. 
Maybe if it's winter, you can use skis and ski down the mountains. 
It sounds very beautiful. 
But before you do any of that, stop first in the delightful town of Banff, which was designed as a tourist town. 
Interesting. 
This was designed as a tourist town. 
I don't know how many cities or places in the world are designed just for tourists, but Banff is one of these places. 
It's a delightful town. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
If something is delightful, it is pleasing, it makes you happy. 
It's the opposite of sad. 
It's a delightful town, this town of Banff. 
That's right. 
And many things could be described as delightful. 
Perhaps you eat something very delicious, you could also say that it is delightful. 
You could also say that the weather is delightful in the fall. 
It's not too cold, not too hot. 
It doesn't rain too often. 
The weather is just delightful. 
Well, I just had a delightful conversation with a friend I haven't seen in a long time. 
It was great chatting with this friend. 
It was a delightful conversation. 
So here we see: Stop first in the delightful town of Banff, which was designed as a tourist town. 
And the first street was laid out to give visitors a great view of Cascade Mountain. 
So everything about this town was planned so that you can have the best views and the best everything. 
Wow! That is a really nice way to lay out the town because I think a lot of tourist destinations are not designed for tourism, so. 
Sometimes buildings are built in the way of the best view, and you can't enjoy everything quite the way you'd like. 
It's true, Carolyn. 
But that doesn't seem to be true in Banff. 
You're right. 
That's not true about Banff, everything you can see very clearly from this place in Banff. 
And Cascade Mountain, I'm sure, is very beautiful. 
Well, we continue. 
Grab breakfast and coffee in one of the many small cafes before heading out to explore the park. 
All right, grab. 
When you... when you grab breakfast, Carolyn, what does that mean? 
Well, it doesn't mean that you're going to grab it with your hand. 
It just means that you're going to eat breakfast, maybe not spend too much time on breakfast. 
Just get a quick one. 
Eat it quickly and then go explore the park because you want to make sure you eat before going out in this 6,000-kilometer park. 
It's huge! 
That's right. 
So when you grab something, that means it's not the most important thing in your day. 
You're going to do that quickly, and then go do something even more important. 
OK, let's go to the next sentence here. 
Or finish your day by looking around in the small shops along Banff's main street. 
So you can do lots of things before and after you go into the great outdoors. 
And I think that sounds like a really great way to spend your day. 
You can begin by enjoying some of the small coffee shops, which I'm sure are very lovely in this delightful tourist town of Banff. 
And you can enjoy the views of the town as well as the surrounding areas while you have your breakfast and coffee. 
Then you can you go explore the park and end your day by looking at all of the nice little shops. 
I would love to do this. 
That's right. 
I would love to visit as well. 
Well, we see that phrase: to finish your day by doing something. 
You can use that phrase in different ways. 
Maybe it's been a long week, and you want to finish your week with something simple and relaxing. 
I like to finish my week with a movie sometimes. 
That is a good way to finish your week. 
How do you finish your day? 
Is there something that you do every day to show that your day is done? 
Maybe you finish your day by doing your homework. 
It's the last thing you do before you go to bed. 
All right. 
Well, these are great questions. 
Think about them. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our teachers are doing now. 
We have just enjoyed the first day of our article Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise. 
And we have learned a lot about this beautiful area that you can explore. 
And there are so many things in Banff National Park to enjoy. 
We learned that there were mountains, meadows, lakes, hot springs, waterfalls, wild animals, 
adorable little coffee shops that you can enjoy your breakfast at as well as shops along the main street to enjoy at the end of your day. 
Now Gabe, which of these things would you enjoy the most or would be most excited to see? 
Well, I would love to see the different kinds of waterfalls there. 
I love going to waterfalls. 
I love it if you have an opportunity even to jump off a waterfall into deep water. 
That's wonderful as well. 
But I also like the idea of seeing wild animals. 
I think there are so many different kinds of wild animals I could see at Banff. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
I would love to go to any of these places where I could see the wild animals. 
I love seeing animals. 
I enjoy learning more and more about them. 
And Canada is not a place that I've been to before. 
So I'm sure that they have many animals that I'm not that familiar with. 
I think it's true. 
And I think Banff is a great place where you could see a lot of these things. 
Well, thanks for joining us today. 
And of course, we will see you next time to learn more about Banff and Lake Louise here at Studio Classroom.See you then.

2013.09.13.A

Welcome to Studio Classroom, everybody. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson called Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise. 
We already took a look at this place and what it has to offer. 
Of course lots of beautiful scenery from the waterfalls to the hot springs to the lakes and mountains, 
and of course even the little coffee shops and the things you can see there. 
What kind of places have you been to in the world like this, maybe a national park? 
Carolyn, have you ever visited any big national parks? 
Well, I've been to a few national parks and other park areas. 
One near where I grew up is the New River Gorge. 
And it's a national river area that is 70,000 acres because it follows the river. 
And that's only part of where the river runs. 
And it's absolutely beautiful. 
In fact, they usually have a big celebration in the summer. 
Interesting. 
Well, that sounds... that sounds cool. 
I've been to some national parks in the United States uh... like Yosemite National Park. 
I've talked about it before, but I love Yosemite, I'd love to go back. 
Of course another famous one is the Grand Canyon National Park. 
And probably the most famous is Yellowstone National Park. 
But I've also been to other places in Taiwan like Kenting National Park is a wonderful place to visit as well. 
Well, what about you? 
What national parks have you been to? 
Maybe it'll be a little bit like Banff and things you can see around Lake Louise. 
So let's get started with the second part of our lesson today. 
(Music). 
Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise. 
Be sure to ride the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain. 
You can see six mountain ranges from the top. 
Take the easy 1-kilometer walk around the top of the mountain. 
You can enjoy the view from every direction. 
Have your camera ready to shoot not only the views but also the animals. 
Rocky Mountain big horn sheep and other animals frequent the gondola area. 
But mosquitoes also frequent the area, so keep moving. 
When you stop, they attack! 
You can ride the gondola down or hike down the 5.3-kilometer switchback trail. 
(Music). 
All right. 
Let's go back to the top of our lesson here. 
We read: Be sure to ride the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain. 
All right, so. 
Have you ever been in one of these? 
Carolyn, have you ever been in a gondola? 
Gondola, or I've heard it also said as a "gondola..." and I have. 
I have been in one here in Taipei. 
There's one that goes up to a tea-growing area. 
But there's also one in West Virginia that is at this river that I mentioned earlier - the New River Gorge. 
Well, gondolas (or gondolas) are quite fun. 
They can be a great way to see things below, to see what is in that area. 
So you can take the Banff gondola (or gondola) up Sulphur Mountain. 
Well, Carolyn, sulphur makes me think of hot springs or Hsin Beitou. 
Have you ever been to Hsin Beitou? 
I have been there once, but I've been to other hot springs in Taiwan in Jiaosi. 
OK. 
And oh, it's wonderful. 
But there's not very much sulphur in the ones that I've been to. 
OK. Well, sulphur does have a very distinct or unique smell. 
It kind of smells like rotten eggs. 
And so I'm sure you might smell a little bit of that at Sulphur Mountain in Banff National Park. 
Well, how does this lesson continue? 
Well, we see: You can see six mountain ranges from the top. 
Wow. So if you go to the top of this mountain, you can see six different mountain ranges. 
And "range" is one of the words from our Word Bank. 
Let's take a look at that. 
Now this is just kind of a measure word for a group of mountains, a mountain range. 
That's right. 
Probably the most famous or one of the most famous mountain ranges in North America are the Rocky Mountains. 
Of course we talked about the Canadian Rockies. 
But this mountain range goes all the way through the United States as well. 
So it is indeed a very big... or long range of mountains. 
That's right. 
And there are many other mountain ranges in the United States. 
One that runs through my home state of West Virginia would be the Appalachian Mountains, 
or "Appalachian" as some people say it from different areas. 
There's also the Shenandoah Mountain range. 
All right. 
And from here at the top of Sulphur Mountain, you can not only just see one mountain range but six different mountain ranges. 
It seems like you could see for quite a ways. 
That sounds really cool. 
It does. 
Now continuing on. 
Take the easy 1-kilometer walk around the top of the mountain. 
So it's not too difficult, and it's not too long, either. 
It's not. 
It's only one kilometer. 
If you like hiking but you don't like long hikes, try that. 
And we continue. 
You can enjoy the view from every direction. 
I like it when you get to the top of a mountain. 
It's... it's worth the effort, right, Carolyn, because you can see many different things. 
That's right. 
And we also see: Have your camera ready to shoot not only the views but also the animals. 
Now this word "shoot" is from our Word Bank as well. 
And here we're not talking about shooting a gun. 
Oh, no. 
No, no, no. 
What are we talking about, Gabe? 
Well, you see the word "camera" here. 
Have your camera ready. 
So of course you use the word "shoot" when you're using a camera as well. 
You take your camera out and you shoot things. 
So you can take pictures. 
It just means to take pictures or capture pictures. 
And actually, you can use a phrase - great shot. 
If you see a picture that you really like, you can say: 
Wow! That is really great shot! I like that shot. 
That's right. 
So here we are using this word to describe taking a picture or just filming things. 
It could also be video. 
You can shoot video somewhere as well. 
Well, continuing. 
Rocky Mountain big horn sheep and other animals frequent the gondola area. 
Oh. Well, this sounds like a pretty good area for me to go visit. 
Well, yes. You enjoy learning about wild animals. 
And I would enjoy seeing this as well. 
I'd love to see the Rocky Mountain big horn sheep. 
This kind of sounds majestic to me. 
We talked about that word "majestic" yesterday - something that is grand and really big and nice to look at. 
A big horn sheep sounds kind of majestic. 
It does. 
And we see in this sentence that animals frequent the area - another word from our Word Bank. 
If you frequent a place, then you go there often. 
So here animals often go to this area. 
All right. 
Well, how else can you use this word "frequent"? 
I used to frequent the Shilin Night Market. 
I used to go there often. 
I don't go there as often now. 
I don't frequent it very often anymore. 
But what is something that you frequent? 
Well, there's an Indian restaurant that I like to frequent on the weekends. 
I go there almost every week. 
Well, that is something that you can frequent. 
You can frequent restaurants, places, something that you go and enjoy often. 
Well, you can frequent this place. 
But mosquitoes also frequent the area, so keep moving. 
You're not the only one that's going there. 
When you stop, they attack. 
All right. So when you stop, these mosquitoes will attack you and start biting you, sucking your blood. 
Not very pleasant. 
No, it's not, so you should keep moving. 
And you can ride the gondola down or hike the 5.3-kilometer switchback trail. 
So it's not too long of a trail if you don't mind the hike. 
But it is a switchback trail, so it goes back and forth on itself. 
That's right. 
It's a lot easier to hike up a switchback trail than to go straight up a steep mountain. 
Well, it's time for us to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.13.B

We are on the second day of our article Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise. 
Today we've been talking about some beautiful views from the top of one of the mountains. 
From that point you can see six different mountain ranges. 
You can also enjoy walking along the trail up there at the gondola area and see animals that frequent the area. 
Be sure to bring your camera with you so that you can shoot a few photos of them from the top. 
Well, it's time to continue learning some more about this beautiful area. 
Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise. 
Another popular trail takes you through Johnston Canyon. 
Take an easy hike to enjoy the Lower Falls, but don't stop there. 
The trail will take you past seven waterfalls. 
You can walk through a wet tunnel and enjoy a close-up look at the Upper Falls. 
They are more than twice as high as the Lower Falls. 
Keep your eyes open, and watch for birds, too. 
Many species live and nest in the canyon. 
(Music). 
Well, at the beginning of this section, we're talking about another popular trail here in Banff National Park. 
We read: Another popular trail takes you through Johnston Canyon. 
OK. So we've already talked about a 1-kilometer walk and a 5.3-kilometer switchback trail. 
And here's another one that takes you through Johnston Canyon. 
Well, that sounds like a really great place to go. 
Canyon is one of the words from our Word Bank. 
And a canyon is just a big, open area between a mountain usually, a big hole. 
And it makes me think of a very famous canyon in the United States, Gabe. 
What is that, Carolyn? 
Oh, I think you know. 
Yes. I think I mentioned it earlier - the Grand Canyon. 
Of course "grand" is another name for big. 
It is a really big canyon in the United States. 
I had a chance to visit the Grand Canyon at night. 
But I only saw it after the sun went down. 
It was kind of sad. 
I would love to see the Grand Canyon early in the morning and see from every direction how beautiful it is. 
Well, I will have to put that on my list of places to go. 
I think my list keeps getting longer and longer the more places we talk about. 
But so here is a canyon, so it's a valley with steep sides made out of rock. 
And it sounds like a really great place to go. 
We continue reading. 
Take an easy hike to enjoy the Lower Falls, but don't stop there. 
Why shouldn't we stop, Gabe? 
Don't stop there. There's more to do. 
The trail will take you past seven waterfalls. OK. 
So you could stop at the Lower Falls if you really wanted to. 
But if you do that, then you'll miss the chance to see seven more waterfalls. 
Well, then you should keep going so you can enjoy all of those waterfalls, Gabe. 
And you can walk through a wet tunnel and enjoy a close-up look at the Upper Falls. 
All right. 
You're going to go through a wet tunnel. 
Well, there are many kinds of tunnels. 
Some tunnels people make through mountains so that cars can drive through them. 
A wet tunnel... Carolyn, what do you think this is? 
Well, I would guess that it's a tunnel that has been made by water. 
So there are many waterfalls here and lakes. 
There's Lake Louise. 
But it sounds like there's such a large amount of water in this area. 
It is quite possible that water has formed this tunnel and there is still water dripping from the sides. 
Yeah, that's what I imagined as well - water dripping down the sides of these tunnels. 
So you can get a close-up look at Upper Falls. 
And we learn more about this. 
They are more than twice as high as the Lower Falls. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn something new with Ken and Steve in the Information Cloud. 
The magnificence of the Canadian Rockies wasn't fully known until the 1880s when the Canadian transcontinental railway was being built. 
The president of the Canadian Pacific Railway was so impressed with the scenic beauty of one mountainous area in Alberta that he named it Banff, after his birth place of Banffshire, Scotland. 
So one way a place can get its name from another place. 
Another way is by something a place has. 
So we would expect Sulphur Mountain to have a lot of sulphur. 
And indeed, it does. 
OK. Next is Johnston Canyon. 
Well, who was Johnston? 
Good question. 
Johnston was a prospector. 
In the 1880s, he was wandering around the Banff area looking for gold and other things prospectors looked for. 
Well, he didn't find anything that made him rich, but he did discover a beautiful canyon. 
So we see a place sometimes gets its name from the person that discovers it. 
Finally, in our lesson we have the Upper Falls and Lower Falls. 
Here we find names based on their relationship to something else in the area. 
That makes sense. 
There can't be an upper falls if there are no lower falls, right? 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
It is always interesting to know where places got their names. 
Continuing on. 
Keep your eyes open and watch for birds, too. 
So there aren't just big horn sheep and elk and other animals. 
There are also birds that you can be watching for. 
And Gabe, this... this phrase here, keep your eyes open, reminds me of another phrase we have in English. 
Carolyn, I think I know the phrase you're thinking about. 
Is it "keep your eyes peeled"? 
It is! 
And that is a great phrase that we want to talk about today - to keep your eyes peeled. 
Now if you peel something, usually that means to take the outside layer off. 
And if you keep your eyes peeled, then they are not closed; they are open. 
Carolyn, this reminds me of my scooter helmet. 
It was stolen recently. 
Someone took my scooter helmet. 
And I would like to ask you, Carolyn, to keep your eyes peeled for my helmet, to see if anybody is wearing this helmet, OK? 
Well, I will be sure to keep my eyes peeled. 
And if I see your helmet, I will be watching for it, and I'll let you know. 
Thank you. 
I would love to have my helmet back. 
So you, too, keep your eyes peeled. 
I want to have my scooter helmet back. 
Well, you can keep your eyes open or keep your eyes peeled at Banff National Park, and you can see birds and other kinds of animals. 
Many species live and nest in the canyon. 
So we're talking about birds here. 
Many species or many different kinds of birds live in the canyon. 
And they build their nests there, which means that you might be able to see baby birds, depending on the time of year that you go. 
If it's a time when the eggs are hatching, then you can see their nests and the small baby birds in those nests. 
I would really enjoy seeing those kinds of nests as well, baby birds because they might not just be little birds. 
It could be like eagle nest, which the babies would be really amazing to see. 
So you could see one of these things in the canyon. 
Right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Ah! Here we are in beautiful Banff. 
Yes. This place is at the top of our travel list. 
And here we are! 
Hey, let's grab breakfast and coffee before we head out to explore. 
Good idea. 
And then we can decide how to explore. 
Should we use a car, bicycle, hiking boots, skis, canoes? 
Oh, yes. We should use them all and ride the gondola, too. 
Where will that take us? 
Up Sulphur Mountain. 
We can see six mountain ranges from the top. 
That's great. 
What will we do there? 
Walk around and enjoy the view from every direction. 
I've got my camera ready. 
Whoo! You can shoot not only the views but also the animals. 
What, animals? 
Yes. Rocky Mountain big horn sheep frequent the area. 
And mosquitoes. 
Oh. Then we'll have to keep moving. 
We can take the gondola back down or hike down the switchback trail. 
Another popular trail will take us through the Johnston Canyon. 
The trail will take us past seven waterfalls and walk through a wet tunnel. 
What else will we see? 
Birds! 
So keep your eyes open. 
I'll keep my eyes open and my camera ready. 
How's it going? 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are doing. 
Well, today we learned about some things that you can see in Banff National Park. 
You might be able to spot a Rocky Mountain big horn sheep, or you could see all different kinds of birds there as well. 
Carolyn, what kind of interesting wildlife have you seen? 
Well, I have seen quite a few different kinds of animals. 
I've seen deer and black bear, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, foxes... 
Whoa... Carolyn, I think you've seen a lot of different kinds of wildlife. 
You're... you're pretty happy about that, aren't you? 
I am. I love seeing wildlife... and eagles and different kinds of... 
You're too lucky, Carolyn. 
Carolyn, it's great. 
Well, you grew up in West Virginia, you could see all those kinds of things. 
Well, what is your answer? 
What kind of wildlife have you seen, friends? 
I hope you've seen some different kinds. 
And of course we have more to learn about Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise in tomorrow's lesson right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.09.14.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the third day of our lesson Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise. 
Well, we've learned a lot about this beautiful place in Alberta, Canada. 
Banff is a town, but it was built, or designed, for tourists so they can see things like Cascade Mountain and Lake Louise and different things like that. 
Beautiful Banff is truly a beautiful place. 
There is a beautiful lake with brilliant blue water and of course many things like meadows and waterfalls and hot springs and lots of different kinds of wildlife that you can see there. 
What's something else that we have talked about here, Carolyn? 
Well, if you go to the top of one of these trails, you can see six different mountain ranges. 
And it would be such a beautiful view, you should be sure to bring your camera along to shoot some photos. 
You can also see a lot of wildlife from that area. 
And there are also canyons. 
There's one called the Johnston Canyon. 
And you can go through there and see a bunch of different waterfalls. 
They have the Lower Falls, the Upper Falls and many, many others. 
It just sounds like a really beautiful area. 
Well, we're going to start out learning a little more about Johnston Canyon here in our lesson. 
And we have more to learn about Banff National Park. 
So let's get started. 
(Music). 
Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise. 
From Johnston Canyon, drive up the Bow Valley Parkway to lovely Lake Louise. 
Along the road, you may glimpse deer, elk or even a black bear. 
When you arrive at Lake Louise, you'll notice its unusual color. 
That color and the snow-covered mountains make it the subject of countless photographs. 
Lake Louise's water is about 4 degrees Celsius and too cold for swimming but perfect for boating. 
Rent a canoe and glide peacefully across the water. 
Or ride around the lake on horseback to enjoy the views! 
(Music). 
There are so many different ways that you can enjoy the beautiful views in Banff National Park. 
Well, going back to the beginning of our lesson today: 
From Johnston Canyon, drive up the Bow Valley Parkway to lovely Lake Louise. 
Oh. Wow! There are so many places to go through. 
They all have such interesting names. 
And a parkway is a place that you drive. 
So this is kind of just an area that you drive along. 
And you can go to lovely Lake Louise. 
So many "L" sounds. 
So many "Ls." Hey, you know what. I think Steve and Ken have something to say about this kind of sentence or this kind of phrase. 
Let's go and join them in the Information Cloud. 
Here's another tasty spice from the English language spice rack: alliteration. 
It's the repetition of the same sound at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables. 
You need two or more words to create alliteration. 
And if it's no longer string of words, not every word needs to be alliterative. 
Adding prepositions or pronouns to maintain the alliterative effect is allowed. 
Again, alliteration depends on sounds and rhythm, not just similar letters. 
So while there is alliteration in the phrase "know-nothing," there is no alliteration in the phrase "climate change". 
Now most tongue twisters are alliterations. 
In "Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers," we hear the P sound starting most of the words. 
But equally important is the stress at the proper syllables creating that catchy linguistic rhythm. 
Similar sounds plus rhythm make alliterative phrases easy to remember. 
That's why you'll often find alliteration in pop songs, newspaper headlines and in the world of business. 
For example, PayPal is an alliterated company name. 
Coca Cola is an alliterated product name. 
Alliteration is a great stylistic device that adds interest to your writing. 
But remember, it works best when it's used sparingly. 
(Chinese). 
Well, I do enjoy alliteration, do you, Gabe? 
You know, I do. 
And you know what, that was an awful lot of alliteration in the Information Cloud. 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Yes. 
Well, there are many repetitive sounds there, lots of sounds that repeat over. 
And we were talking about lovely Lake Louise. 
We are finally getting to the lake that is in the title of our article. 
Along the road, you may glimpse deer, elk or even a black bear. 
So there are many large animals that you can see when you drive along this parkway. 
All right. 
You might be able to see them or catch a glimpse of them. 
Let's take a look at this word from our Word Bank. 
It is to "glimpse" something. 
So when you glimpse something, that means you can see it. 
Maybe not for a really long time, maybe you just see it for a short time. 
You get a glimpse of something. 
That's right. 
So just a small look since you continue moving, driving along, 
and these animals are probably not staying to still because they are wild and are probably afraid of people. 
So you might catch a glimpse of them through the trees. 
You only see part of them for a short time. 
All right. 
Well, it's fun if you do get a chance to catch a glimpse of one of these kinds of animals - deer, elk, perhaps even a black bear. 
It might seem kind of dangerous. 
But yeah, keep your distance. 
Maybe you can catch a glimpse of these things. 
We continue. 
When you arrive at Lake Louise, you'll notice its unusual color. 
What is its unusual color? 
Well, it has been described previously before in our earlier lesson that it's a brilliant blue color. 
And that color and the snow-covered mountains make it the subject of countless photographs. 
So many people want to take pictures of this lake with its unique brilliant blue color. 
And we see a word from our Word Bank - countless. 
The photographs taken of this lake are countless. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that means there are so many or too many to count, to many to keep track of. 
Maybe you started to count, but you... really there's no way to count all the photographs that have been taken. 
Perhaps there are millions or hundreds of millions of photographs just of this lake. 
Well, how else can you use that word "countless"? 
You could say: I spent countless hours doing this project for school. 
I don't even know how many hours I spent. 
You might also say, "Well, I frequent that place each week," right? 
Remember that word "frequent" we've learned. 
So if you frequent a place, you could also say that I've been there a countless number of times. 
I go there so often, I don't know how many times I've been there. 
Well, this place, Lake Louise, is something that people have frequented or people like to go and visit, and there are many photographs taken of it. 
Lake Louise's water is about 4 degrees Celsius and too cold for swimming (yes) but perfect for boating. 
Well, four degrees does sound a bit too cold for swimming. 
Yes. I think that would be far too cold, but it is perfect for boating, so. 
Rent a canoe and glide peacefully across the water. 
We talked about canoes the other day. 
And here you can rent them at the lake and glide peacefully. 
Now that word is also from our Word Bank. 
If something is peaceful, then it is calm. 
You can relax while doing it. 
So if you peacefully go across the water, you are not in a hurry. 
You're not trying to go quickly, but you can just enjoy it. 
That's right. 
Sometimes I use this word in another way. 
If I have an argument with somebody or I disagree with someone about something, I try to resolve that disagreement peacefully. 
I don't want to fight to get an answer. 
I want to resolve it peacefully. 
So you can glide peacefully across the water or ride around the lake on horseback to enjoy the views. 
So I'm sure there are many spots that you can stop and enjoy the many different views around this lake while riding a horse. 
Well, right now it is time for us to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.14.B

We've been talking more about Banff National Park today. 
And of course one thing that you can do is visit Lake Louise. 
Along the road to Lake Louise, you might see some wildlife like deer or elk, or maybe even catch a glimpse of a black bear. 
And once you get to Lake Louise, you'll notice the color of the lake. 
It's very unique; it's a brilliant blue. 
And of course, there are things that you can do at Lake Louise. 
One thing you might want to do, of course, is take a photograph. 
Well, we have more to learn in the next part of our lesson for today. 
(Music). 
Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise. 
The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise sits regally near the lake. 
Since 1890 the grand luxury hotel has welcomed ordinary as well as famous visitors. 
Don't miss afternoon tea in the dining room. 
You can enjoy fine tea and little sandwiches and cakes. 
And you have a great view of the lake. 
You can appreciate the mountain views in many ways. 
So enjoy all that Banff and Lake Louise have to offer. 
(Music). 
There are so many different ways to enjoy the beauty of this area. 
Now let's go back to the beginning of this section and see where you can stay when visiting Lake Louise. 
We read: 
The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise sits regally near the lake. 
Wow, this sounds like a very nice place to stay. 
That's right. 
Well, this place, the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, we see it described here as sitting regally near the lake. 
This reminds me of a word we learned before - majestic. 
They're kind of similar, used to describe great or grand things. 
If something is regal, it makes me think of royalty like a king or a queen or prince or princess. 
And so if you're looking at this place, it makes you go: Wow! That does look majestic. 
It is regally sitting there near the lake. 
That's right. 
So it could look like a king or queen upon their throne, it's just something very beautiful overlooking such a beautiful lake, so. 
This hotel we find out: Since 1890 the grand luxury hotel has welcomed ordinary as well as famous visitors. 
And oh, it is a grand luxury hotel. 
This sounds very expensive, Gabe. 
It's true. 
Every time I hear the word "luxury," I think it doesn't cost just a little bit of money. 
Let's take a look at this word from our Word Bank - luxury. 
If you have something that is a luxury, that means you don't really need it. 
It might cost a little bit of extra money to have it, but it is very nice. 
Yes, so usually it is something that is very expensive. 
Right now many people find luxury cars to be something that they want to buy. 
And a luxury car is one that is quite expensive like a BMW or a Porsche, 
or something with leather seats, really nice steering, and it's just a lot of fun to drive but very expensive. 
It's true. So there are luxury cars. 
Maybe you want to go on a luxury holiday someday, not just a normal holiday where you're trying to save money. 
Maybe you want to spend more money on a luxury holiday. 
So you could, maybe on your luxury holiday, go and visit Lake Louise and stay at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing on. 
Don't miss afternoon tea in the dining room. 
So it sounds like this is a place that you can not only go to stay for the night or however long you want to visit but you can also go there for afternoon tea. 
And what do you do there, Gabe? 
Well, you don't want to miss this. 
Let's take a look at this phrase. 
If you don't miss something, that means you're encouraging someone to take the opportunity or take the chance to do something. 
I remember when radio had one of my favorite bands came to Taiwan last year, I was so excited. 
I told myself: Don't miss this concert. 
And it was great. 
It was an amazing concert. 
I'm glad I did not miss it. 
That's good. 
So you don't want to miss out on anything. 
You don't want to let the opportunity go by. 
And if you remember, we had an article from Jo earlier this month about Nepal. 
She didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to go to that country. 
She was so curious to go, she didn't want to miss it. 
Well, continuing. 
You can enjoy fine tea and little sandwiches and cakes. 
Oh, this sounds like a very nice tea time. 
Yeah. So maybe you don't want to stay at the hotel because, after all, it is a luxury hotel, very expensive. 
But maybe you just want to go and enjoy tea and little cakes. 
And we continue. 
And you have a great view of the lake. 
So this all sounds great. 
You can enjoy a lot of things at the same time. 
That's right. 
And you can appreciate the mountain views in so many ways. 
So there are a lot of different ways. 
And depending on the season, you could canoe or ski or hike, or you can go to this hotel and enjoy the view. 
So enjoy all that Banff and Lake Louise have to offer. 
All right. 
Well, let's take a look at that sentence there. 
If you enjoy all that something has to offer, that means there are so many things you could do and you don't want to miss any of them. 
So for instance, maybe... maybe you've been to Disneyland. 
You should enjoy all that Disneyland has to offer, not just go on one or two rides but go on many. 
What other things could you enjoy a lot of, Carolyn? 
Well, if you're staying at a luxury hotel, you're paying a lot of money, so you enjoy... 
you should enjoy everything that the hotel has to offer because luxury hotels usually have many special services. 
It's true. 
Well, we do have something special for you today. 
It's a video about Alberta, and it does show a little bit of Banff National Park and Lake Louise and other things. 
It's quite an amazing thing to see. 
Let's take a look at that now. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
Now let's get back to our lesson. 
We have enjoyed a wonderful 3-day article on Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise. 
But how much do you remember from this article, Gabe? 
I have a quiz for you. 
Oh, boy. A quiz? 
Yes. 
OK. What's your quiz question? 
Well, first, true or false? 
In Johnston Canyon, the Upper Falls are the same height as the Lower Falls. 
The Upper Falls are the same height... No! 
No... That... that's... that is false. 
Did you get the answer, friends? 
That's false. 
The answer is the Upper Falls is more than twice as high as the Lower Falls. 
Am I right? 
You are correct, Gabe. 
Congratulations. 
Now how did you do on the quiz? 
I hope you did all right. 
And we will see you here again next time on Studio Classroom.

2013.09.16.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Our lesson is called The Psychology of To-Do Lists. 
Well, I wonder if you do to-do lists or if you make to-do lists. 
A lot of people like to write out to-do lists. 
That's a list of what you need to do on a certain day or maybe in a certain week, or it's just what you need to do in your life. 
So we're going to be talking about how to-do lists can help or maybe how they're not so helpful. 
Well, what about you? 
Do you use to-do lists? 
Carolyn, do you ever make to-do lists? 
I actually make to-do lists fairly often. 
I find them to be very helpful, so. 
This article is pretty interesting because I do a lot of things that they talk about and I really like to write to-do lists. 
It helps me to stay organized and to remember everything that I need to do. 
Well, I think they can be helpful. 
I also write to-do lists sometimes. 
I don't write them all the time. 
But I did learn something interesting from today's lesson... or from these two days' lessons. 
And I think that you will, too. 
So let's get started with The Psychology of To-Do Lists. 
(Music). 
The Psychology of To-Do Lists. 
Here's why to-do lists work... or don't work. 
As I write this, a long list of tasks sits on the desk beside me, reminding me what to work on. 
Many people like me use to-do lists to organize work and manage time. 
So what makes this method effective? 
Psychologists have observed that people usually focus on tasks that aren't finished. 
This tendency may sound helpful - but it isn't always. 
In one study, people who didn't finish a warm-up activity struggled with later tasks. 
Their minds were still occupied with the warm-up. 
Planning how to finish the warm-up removed this distraction even if they couldn't complete the task. 
Well, it sounds like to-do lists were pretty helpful in that study. 
But before we get too far into our article, we should look at the title: The Psychology of To-Do Lists. 
And we have a word right there that we want to talk about, the word "psychology." Now what is psychology, Gabe? 
Well, it's a good question. 
That's the study of our mental processes or behaviors. 
So of course many people are studying how humans behave, why they behave a certain way and maybe in our relationships to other people how we behave. 
So that is psychology. 
And if you study this at a university or somewhere, maybe you want to go on to become a psychologist. 
C... oh, P-S-Y-C-H-O-L-O-G-I-S-T, a psychologist. 
Yes. It's a very interesting word. 
The P is silent. 
You don't make a "p-" sound at the beginning of this word, just psychologist. 
Now there's also just the whole phrase in our title here - the psychology of something. 
Now if it's the psychology of something, then it's trying to look at how that thing works, to really understand it. 
And this is actually a kind of common phrase. 
You see it on a lot of book titles. 
That's right, the psychology of, maybe, books. 
Why do people read books? 
How do books affect us? 
That's the psychology of books. 
What about a certain book, like uh, Harry Potter? 
It's a very popular book... very popular series. 
The psychology of Harry Potter. 
Why do people read Harry Potter as much as they do? 
Why is it so popular? 
So you can talk about the psychology of lots of different kinds of things. 
You might also have a book on the psychology of raising children or the psychology of how you can do something better. 
Well, our author writes: Here's why to-do lists work... or don't work. 
So sometimes to-do lists can be helpful, and other times they really don't do any good. 
That's right. 
Well, let's look at our first sentence here. 
Our author says: 
As I write this, a long list of tasks sits on the desk beside me, reminding me what to work on. 
OK. So even as she is writing this, she's thinking about her to-do list. 
Yes. So her mind is not completely focused on writing the article. 
She's also thinking about this list of other things she's supposed to do sometime maybe today or this week, sometime in the future. 
But she needs to get those things done. 
And she continues. 
Many people like me use to-do lists to organize work and manage time. 
Well, I think that's one of the main reasons why we use to-do lists. 
Now I'm not a very organized person. 
I don't have great time management. 
And so sometimes to-do lists do help me to do these things. 
I really like to-do lists. 
I find them to be very useful. 
And she asks a question: 
So what makes this method effective? 
Why are to-do lists helpful? 
What makes them effective? 
And psychologists have observed that people usually focused on tasks that aren't finished. 
And well, that's usually what I write on my to-do list. 
I don't write down things I've already done. 
No. That's right. 
But of course, when you're writing a to-do list, you want to be able to check off what you've already done from the to-do list. 
Well, she continues. 
This tendency may sound helpful - but it isn't always. 
So the tendency to focus on what you haven't done yet. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank: tendency. 
Carolyn, what is someone's tendency? 
Well, it is what you want to do or what you will probably do, something that you tend to do or do often. 
So you might have the tendency of being on time. 
That means that you are usually on time. 
It's a habit that you have. 
OK. Or you could use it in other ways. 
I love to play the drums. 
And it's true - a lot of drummers have the tendency to speed up while we're playing. 
If you're a drummer, you probably know what I'm talking about. 
Of course you shouldn't speed up, you should stay the same speed in a song. 
But how else could I use this word? 
Well, I have a tendency here at Studio Classroom to talk a lot. 
I just keep talking and talking and talking... 
Yes, Gabe, you do have that tendency. 
Oh, right. Yeah... I do. 
Your turn, Carolyn. 
You can talk. 
Yes. Well, I... I appreciate that. Thank you. 
Well, let's continue in our article talking about why it isn't always helpful. 
In one study, people who didn't finish a warm-up activity struggled with later tasks. 
Their minds were still occupied with the warm-up. 
So they had trouble moving on because they hadn't finished what they started earlier. 
That's right. 
So in this study, these people were given a warm-up activity. 
And maybe it wasn't long enough. 
But they had to do something else, right? 
Well, they kept thinking about this warm-up activity they didn't finish. 
They were occupied with this. 
Let's... let's look at those... that word "occupied" with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
A person can be either occupied or preoccupied. 
Now Ken, what's the difference? 
Well, occupied means filled up or in use. 
If a seat is occupied, someone is sitting there. 
If a person is occupied, he or she is involved in some kind of activity or work. 
You can keep yourself occupied by working on a project. 
So if somebody is occupied, he's busy. 
Preoccupied, on the other hand, describes a mental condition. 
If a person is preoccupied, he or she is engrossed or absorbed in thought. 
If you're planning a wedding, you may get preoccupied with all the details. 
And those details occupy your mind. 
That's right. 
So there is some overlap between the two words, especially if you talk about one's mind being occupied. 
But generally speaking, occupied is concerned about the physical; preoccupied is concerned about the mental. 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
We will try not to be too preoccupied during our lesson. 
So let's continue reading the next sentence. 
Planning how to finish the warm-up removed this distraction even if they couldn't complete the task. 
So they had this warm-up activity that they needed to do. 
And they didn't get to finish it. 
But if they could plan how they would finish it, then they could move on and not be distracted. 
And that is how to-do lists can help us. 
But right now it's time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
She is also very helpful. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.16.B

Today we're beginning to talk about The Psychology of To-Do Lists, how they work and why they work, 
and how sometimes they might not be as helpful as we think they are. 
Of course we learned about the tendency for a lot of people to focus on the things they have not yet finished. 
But is this always helpful? 
Well, it's... it's not always a helpful thing. 
But a very interesting study was done to show that people who planned something were able to concentrate and get things done in a better way. 
OK. And to-do lists can help you plan your days. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning more about The Psychology of To-Do Lists. 
(Music). 
The Psychology of To-Do Lists. 
Similarly, to-do lists let people plan when to complete tasks not yet finished. 
That frees their minds to concentrate on the task at hand. 
But writing a to-do list doesn't guarantee success. 
This technique has several limitations. 
Problem: A long list of tasks that need to be done can be overwhelming. 
When faced with too many choices, people may find it difficult to do anything. 
Solution: Prioritize the items on the list, and start with the most important tasks. 
Before we get into some of the problems and solutions on to-do lists, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
Talking about this study, this is related to it. 
Similarly, to-do lists let people plan when to complete tasks not yet finished. 
So the study showed that when people were able to plan out how they would finish something even if they didn't get to, they were able to move on to another task and focus. 
And so to-do lists can help you do that as well. 
That's right. 
We continue here - because that frees their minds to concentrate on the task at hand. 
All right. 
So when you write out what you need to do, you can kind of forget about it for a little while and then concentrate on what you need to do right now. 
Let's look at our word from the Word Bank: to concentrate on something. 
For me, this basically means to focus on something. 
How could you use that word? 
Well, maybe you're really busy or there are lots of things going on around you. 
Maybe someone is playing very loud music or having a loud conversation, but you need to concentrate. 
You're trying to do your homework. 
You want them to be quiet so you can concentrate on what you need to do. 
And I think what you could say in that situation is: 
I'm sorry. I can't concentrate with all of that noise. 
Can you please turn it down or... or go somewhere else? 
You could say: I can't concentrate right now. 
All right. So here we're talking about concentrating on the task at hand. 
And what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, that is a great phrase: the task at hand. 
And that's the thing that you need to do right now. 
That's where you should be focusing or concentrating your energy, what you need to be doing. 
That's right. 
So that is the task at hand, what you need to do. 
You could also say: I'm... I'm trying to work on the job at hand. 
But other things can be at hand as well. 
They're immediate. 
They are something you will do right now. 
Everyone is excited about the wedding at hand. 
We're all going to a wedding. 
It's starting pretty soon. 
We're excited about the wedding at hand. 
Ah. That is another great way to use that phrase - something at hand. 
And there is another phrase here in this sentence that Liz would like to tell us about in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In our article today, we see this sentence: 
That frees their minds to concentrate on the task at hand. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
And notice the word "frees." When "free" is used as a verb, we normally think of letting go, like: 
After the war, the prisoners were freed from prison. 
But in today's sentence, "free" means to make something available for another purpose. 
And in today's sentence, their minds can then concentrate on the task at hand. 
Let's look at some example sentences. 
Jan decided to quit her second job; this frees her time to be with her kids more. 
Or: Benjamin needs to free his schedule before he can say yes to any new commitments. 
So give this word a try. 
Think of something that is now available for other purposes and practice using this word "free." And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, 
then check out today's Grammar Tip section for more examples. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Bye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, we're continuing to learn here about to-do lists. 
We see a "but" here. 
It says: But writing a to-do list doesn't guarantee success. 
So of course to-do lists can be helpful, but they won't guarantee a success. 
Maybe you won't necessarily be successful. 
That's right. 
And we read that this technique has several limitations. 
And let's look at that word from the Word Bank: limitation. 
That means that it has some limits to it. 
It cannot... uh... it has some weak points that make it less effective. 
So it has a limitation. 
That's right. 
What are other things in life that have limitations? 
Well, you're learning a new language, right? 
You're learning English. 
Of course if you just stick to reading books, that will help you improve, but that has its limitations. 
You also need to get out and practice speaking your English. 
So different things can have limitations. 
That's right. 
And we find our first limitation right here. It says: 
Problem: A long list of tasks that need to be done can be overwhelming. 
And I think that's very true. 
It can be "overwhelming" - another word from the Word Bank. 
What is it if something is overwhelming, Gabe? 
Well, if you feel overwhelmed, if something is overwhelming, that means it is deeply affecting your emotions. 
Maybe it's too much to handle, so it's overwhelming. 
And I just used an adjective, overwhelmed, O-V-E-R-W-H-E-L-M-E-D. 
People often say "I'm so overwhelmed right now," or "I feel overwhelmed" because things are so overwhelming. 
That's right. 
So maybe you have so much work to do. 
You have projects and homework and all of these things; it can be very overwhelming. 
And a to-do list with many tasks on it could also be overwhelming. 
When faced with too many choices, people may find it difficult to do anything. 
Well, I agree with that, Carolyn. 
When I walk into a restaurant and the menu has so many things on it, I just want to go to a different restaurant where the menu is simpler. 
Well, that could be one thing. 
But this is a to-do list. 
And there is a solution for this problem. 
Prioritize the items on the list, and start with the most important tasks. 
All right. 
Well, we have a very important task that we need to do right now. 
And that is... ah, yes, let me check my to-do list... good! 
We're going to visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
Today we've been talking a little bit about to-do lists and how you might feel overwhelmed or having a long to-do list can be overwhelming. 
Gabe, do you ever feel this way? 
I feel overwhelmed sometimes. 
But it's usually because I'm thinking about all the things I need to do in my life at one time. 
I feel less overwhelmed when I'm just focusing on one task at a time. 
Ah, so you need to prioritize your tasks. 
Well, I hope that you prioritize your tasks as well. 
And join us again tomorrow right here on Studio Classroom. 
We'll see you then. 
(Music).

2013.09.17.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Thank you for joining us for the second day of our lesson called The Psychology of To-Do Lists. 
So far we've talked about how to-do lists can be very helpful but sometimes maybe they're not so helpful. 
With each to-do list, there might be some limitations. 
There might be a problem. 
And of course we have some solutions that we will continue learning about in today's lesson. 
Now if you have a to-do list, often you will have some difficult tasks and maybe some easier ones. 
Which ones do you usually do first, the difficult ones or the easy ones? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I usually try to do the easier ones or the shorter ones first, but it also depends on the amount of time I have available. 
So if I only have a short amount of time, I'll try to do as many easy tasks as I can. 
But if I have a long amount of time or a lot of time, then I might go ahead and try to do one of the longer or harder tasks and get it done. 
Yeah. You feel better getting a more difficult task finished. 
That is for sure. 
If I have a difficult task, I might try to do a little bit of it, and then take a break and do an easy task. 
Well, what about you? 
Right now it's time for us to get started with today's lesson The Psychology of To-Do Lists. 
(Music). 
The Psychology of To-Do Lists. 
Problem: Most people have a preference for short, easy tasks. 
But this can lead to the easy jobs getting checked off while long ones remain. 
Solution: Divide long assignments into smaller parts. 
For example, don't write Plan trip to Japan; write Check plane-ticket prices online. 
This makes long tasks seem easier. 
You can also use "fun" tasks as rewards when you finish difficult ones. 
Problem: Writing the list itself can be a form of procrastination. 
It gives you a sense of accomplishment - without doing any real work. 
(Music). 
All right. 
So with each problem we have a solution. 
And we're going to get to the solution for this problem after our break. 
But for now let's go back to the beginning of this lesson. 
We read about a problem. 
Most people have a preference for short, easy tasks. 
Carolyn, do you find that to be true? 
I think that's pretty true. 
A lot of people do have a preference for short or easy tasks. 
And that is a word from the Word Bank: preference. 
Now if you have a preference, then that is a thing that you prefer or something that you like to do more than something else. 
That's right. 
You have a preference for something. 
Of course I have a preference to do easier things. 
Nobody usually has a preference to do more difficult things. 
Of course life is full of things that we need to do, and some of them are difficult. 
Now a preference, well, you can use this in other ways. 
You need to go to dinner tonight. 
Do you have a preference for steak or for salmon? 
What will you choose? 
What is your preference? 
That's right. 
So you could have a preference for food, a... a preference for things that you like to do. 
Maybe you have a preference for certain sports. 
You could watch the basketball game or the baseball game. 
What is your preference? 
Which one do you want to watch more? 
And Carolyn used a word earlier, the word "prefer." This is the verb form. 
P-R-E-F-E-R. 
I prefer the easier tasks. 
But let's continue. 
But this can lead to the easy jobs getting checked off while the long ones remain. 
OK. So that can be a problem. 
You just focus on the easy tasks, and then you just forget about the more difficult tasks. 
I think we talked about that a little bit in our introduction today. 
Yes. But don't worry. 
There is a solution right here. 
Divide long assignments into smaller parts. 
And we have a word from the Word Bank, the word "assignment." Now an assignment is a task or a job that you are given to do. 
So an assignment could be homework at school or a project at work. 
All right. 
So what about your homework assignment? 
Are you finished working on your assignment? 
It's something that your teacher assigns for you to do. 
Or if you're working in a company or at a job, then your boss will assign you to do certain tasks. 
Some of them are difficult; some of them are easier. 
So you can divide your long assignments or maybe your more difficult assignments into smaller parts. 
That's right. 
So for example, don't write Plan trip to Japan. 
Oh, that is a lot to do. 
Write Check plane-ticket prices online. 
Well, that does seem a lot simpler. 
That's right. 
It breaks up your bigger assignments into smaller parts. 
So this makes long tasks seem easier. 
We read here: 
You can also use "fun" tasks as rewards when you finish difficult ones. 
All right. 
So here we see the word "fun," and it's kind in quotes here. 
So maybe a task is not really that fun, but it's easier than other ones. 
So it might be kind of fun compared to the more difficult ones. 
And they are kind of rewarding. 
I would also put the word "rewards" in quotes as well. 
But it might be that it is an actual fun task. 
Maybe one of the things to do on your list is write your friend a birthday card. 
And that would be very fun, but first you must finish your math or English assignment. 
Once you get that done, then you can write the card. 
OK. So so far we have seen one problem and one solution. 
Now here's another problem. 
Writing the list itself can be a form of procrastination. 
Yes. I think many people understand this. 
Let's look at that word "procrastination." It's a big word. 
It means that you are putting off your work until another time, sometime in the future. 
You don't want to do it now; you'll do it later. 
That's right. 
So many times I know I tend to have a problem with procrastination. 
I will know that I need to be doing something right now. 
But oh, that task is too difficult, it will take too much time. 
I'll just do it later. 
But then later comes, and I have to do it right away. 
Oh, it can make you very nervous, so you don't want to get into the habit of procrastination. 
That's right. 
Well, there's a famous phrase that says: Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today? 
But procrastinators like to turn it around. 
They say: Why do today what you can do tomorrow? 
However, I think it is very important. 
I think Carolyn would agree we should try to get things done as fast as possible. 
Don't procrastinate. 
Well, to-do lists can be a form of procrastination because writing it gives you a sense of accomplishment - without doing any real work. 
And that can be a problem because you feel like you've done so much just writing the list. 
But you haven't done any real work. 
Well, let's talk about that phrase: real work. 
What is real work at the office? 
Well, for me, it requires some creativity. 
It's not just mind list work. 
For me, real work is kind of... it involves creativity of some kind. 
But what about you? 
What is real work for you? 
Well, you might have a task that you need to get done. 
That would be your real work. 
But instead, you are checking your Facebook. 
That is not real work. 
That is procrastination. 
Yes, it certainly is. 
Well, it's time for us not to wait any longer. 
Let's continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.17.B

We are on the second day of our article The Psychology of To-Do Lists. 
And so far we have talked a little bit about some of the problems and their solutions with to-do lists. 
The first one was that most people have a preference to do short tasks first. 
But there is a solution. 
You can divide those longer assignments into shorter parts so that they seem easier. 
The second problem we talked about today was that writing the list itself can be procrastination. 
But the solution is coming up in the next part of our lesson. 
Don't worry. 
Let's not procrastinate any longer. 
(Music). 
The Psychology of To-Do Lists. 
Solution: Don't just list tasks; decide when and where to do them. 
This will help you follow through. 
Some experts recommend a method called if/then planning. 
For example, rather than writing Call Steve, write Monday after lunch, call Steve. 
Others abandon to-do lists altogether because they prefer scheduling tasks on a calendar. 
Remember, to-do lists are tools. 
They won't solve all your time-management problems. 
But if used well, they can make you more effective at work and at home. 
(Music). 
Well, before the break we were talking about a problem. 
The problem is writing the to-do list could be itself a form of procrastination. 
All right, here is the solution. 
Don't just list tasks; decide when and where to do them. 
So be specific. 
That's right. 
List when and where to do them. 
And this will help you follow through. 
Now that is an interesting phrase: to follow through with something. 
Let's look at that. 
If you follow through with it, that means that you complete it. 
You continue the task until it is done. 
That's right. You follow through. 
So if you start to do something, don't just finish before it's... it's done. 
You need to follow through in order to make sure that it is really good. 
And this reminds me of something we talked about earlier this month. 
If you started a poem or a song or something else creative, don't just put it to the side and not think about it. 
Follow through! 
Finish something that you started. 
That's right. 
So make sure that you follow through with your work and as well as with your fun projects that you have. 
Now some experts recommend a method called if/then planning. 
If something happens, then something else will also happen. 
For example, rather than writing Call Steve, write Monday after lunch, call Steve. 
So if it's Monday... if it's Monday after lunch, then call Steve. 
That's right. 
There is some good if/then planning. OK. 
Others abandon to-do lists altogether because they prefer something else. 
They prefer scheduling tasks on a calendar. 
OK, so that's another kind of solution here. 
They want to schedule on a calendar instead. 
But let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: to abandon something. 
That means to just leave it. 
You're not finished with it. 
Uh, you... you shouldn't leave it, but you're just going to leave it. 
You abandon it. 
That's right. 
So abandon or to leave something to ignore it and just walk away from it. 
You don't want to abandon your work. 
You need to get it finished. 
Don't procrastinate. 
Don't get in the habit of procrastination. 
And you don't want to abandon your teammates. 
So if you are working on a project with someone, don't abandon them. 
Make sure that you follow through and finish what you start. 
I think that's great advice. 
Of course it's possible to just abandon a project. 
But what's even worse is abandoning other people that you're supposed to be working with. OK? 
So don't do that. 
However, you might find it more helpful to schedule tasks on your calendar. 
So it's OK to just abandon to-do lists altogether. 
Well, it's time right now for us to learn something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud about that word: altogether. 
Hi, friends. 
How do you spell "all together"? 
Is it one word or two words? 
Well, that will depend on what you want to say. 
Each spelling brings with it a different meaning. 
OK. First, "altogether" spelled as one word. 
This is used as an adverb, meaning completely or to the full extent. 
Here's an example. 
That test was altogether too difficult. 
In other words, when all is said and done, the test was a difficult one. 
So altogether, there is one word. 
Now let's look at "all together" as two words. 
The word "all" indicates a group of something. 
So the phrase "all together" means everyone or everything in a group acting together. 
Can you think of an example, Ken? 
Sure. 
The last time we were all together was in 2001. 
So that's "all together," two words. 
If it's still not clear, try this little trick. 
If you can rephrase the sentence by breaking up "all" and "together," then you should write all together as two words. 
So instead of saying the last time we were all together was in 2001, you might rephrase it and say... 
The last time all of us were together was in 2001. 
(Chinese). 
Let's say that word all together now: 
Altogether. 
Well, that was altogether wonderful. 
That was. 
It really was, Gabe. 
Well, let us continue reading. 
Remember, to-do lists are tools. 
They won't solve all your time-management problems. 
And this is true, they will not solve your time-management problems. 
Yes. So they are just tools. 
You can't use something like this to solve all your problems. 
But if used well, they can make you more effective at work and at home. 
All right. 
So we saw some problems in this lesson, and we saw some solutions. 
And of course if you know how to use these to-do lists, then you can be more effective wherever you are. 
Well, we want to continue being effective in learning English, and enjoy a review skit. 
Then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Feed the dog. 
Go grocery shopping. 
Clean the house. 
No... 
What are you doing? 
I'm going over this to-do list. 
That's good. 
A list reminds people what to work on. 
Yeah, but look how long it is. 
These tasks are overwhelming. 
Oh, that is a long list. 
What should be done first? 
I don't know. 
I'm faced with so many choices, and I'm finding it hard to do anything. 
That's a problem. 
Yeah. 
So what should I do? 
Prioritize the items on the list. 
Start with the most important tasks first. 
But I have a preference for the short, easy tasks. 
I'll do those first, then... then I can check them off. 
But then the long jobs remain, right? 
Yeah, right. 
That's a problem. 
So what should I do? 
Divide the big parts into smaller assignments. 
Oh... hmm. 
And then use "fun" tasks as rewards when you finish difficult ones. 
Yeah! OK. 
Well, first, I'm going to add some more items to my to-do list. 
It gives me a sense of accomplishment. 
That's a form of procrastination. 
It's a problem. 
What should I do? 
Don't just list tasks. 
Decide when and where to do them. 
OK, yeah. Good idea. 
Done! 
Great. 
Now you're ready to start. 
No. You are. 
This to-do list is for you. 
Oh... 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And I guess we have to go back to our teacher now. 
Well, it's been a great article - The Psychology of To-Do Lists. 
And we saw three problems and three solutions that have to do with to-do lists. 
So does this lesson change your opinion about to-do lists at all? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I hadn't really considered all of these problems before that were mentioned in the article about to-do lists. 
But I think that these solutions will help me to make my to-do lists much more effective. 
And I will not uh, be procrastinating quite as much. 
Well, I agree with you. 
I found that one very helpful, too, not to just write out a to-do list but to be specific about when and where I will do something. 
Well, thank you for joining us today. 
And we hope to see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.09.18.A

(Music). 
Almost Heaven, West Virginia. 
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River. 
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for a lesson called Country Roads, Take Me Home. 
Actually it's kind of based on the song Take Me Home, Country Roads. 
That's the actual title for this song. 
And they sing a little bit about West Virginia, which is where Carolyn is from. 
What do you think about this song, Carolyn? 
Well, I really like this song, Gabe. 
It's very popular in West Virginia. 
Most of the people who live there know it. 
But some of the lyrics, the words in the song are a little odd. 
Um, the Shenandoah River, there's only a small part that goes through one area of West Virginia. 
Really? 
And the Blue Ridge Mountains... well, you can see them from West Virginia. 
But they are mostly in the state of Virginia, which is the neighboring state. 
Oh, interesting. 
Yes, West Virginia and Virginia, indeed, are two different states. 
But actually, Pauline, who wrote today's lesson, is talking about her experiences in Virginia. 
And she will experience some of these places that the song sings about. 
Well, let's get started in our lesson for today. 
(Music). 
"Country Roads, Take Me Home". 
"Almost Heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River". 
Fall is probably the most beautiful season of the year. 
The cooler temperatures make it perfect for people to enjoy nature. 
For Asians, Moon Festival makes autumn a unique season. 
But here, not much attention is given to Moon Festival. 
Instead, Americans appreciate this season in a different way. 
As the tree leaves change color, it is time for a fall leaf tour. 
One of North America's most popular spots is Shenandoah National Park. 
Fall is a beautiful time of year. 
And Pauline is spending it in Virginia at Shenandoah National Park. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of our article, and we see the line that Gabe and I sang at the beginning here. 
"Almost Heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River" - beautiful, beautiful area. 
That's right. It does sound pretty beautiful. 
And Pauline will be sharing about some of these places. 
Uh, just another note about West Virginia, it is a separate state from Virginia. 
These things - Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River - they would be found in western Virginia. 
So there's another state, Virginia. 
It's in the west part of that state. 
We could call it the western part of Virginia. 
Right. 
But well, she is in western Virginia, not West Virginia my home state. 
Beautiful, both are beautiful. 
And we read here: Fall is probably the most beautiful season of the year. 
And as you can see in some of these pictures, fall is a beautiful season. 
And what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, what that means it's going to be a little bit cooler outside. 
We read here: 
The cooler temperatures make it perfect for people to enjoy nature. 
It's true, sometimes you get out on a summer day to enjoy nature. 
But you can't really enjoy it because it's too hot and humid outside. 
But the fall is perfect to enjoy nature. 
It certainly is. 
And for Asians, Moon Festival makes autumn a unique season. 
So if you live in Asia, if you... if you celebrate the Moon Festival, then this is a unique season for you. 
And we have a key word right there: unique. 
What is unique, Gabe? 
Well, it means special, different, set apart, not like anything else. 
So of course something that you hear often, especially in schools growing up, is you are a unique person. 
Carolyn, you are unique. 
Oh! Well, thank you, Gabe. 
You are also a unique person. 
And I think that your pants are very unique. 
Oh, thank you. 
Yes. Thank you. 
These are very unique pants. 
Well, how can everyone be unique? 
Wouldn't that mean that none of us are unique? 
Ah, this is a question that some people have. 
But it's true, everyone is unique. 
Everyone is special. 
And here we're talking about the special or the unique season of autumn. 
But we continue. 
But here, not much attention is given to Moon Festival. 
OK. So of course Asians like to celebrate Moon Festival. 
We're not talking about Moon Festival in this lesson. 
That's right. 
And you said a great phrase that we want to look at: give attention to something. 
So let's look at that - to give attention to something. 
All right, to give attention to. 
That means your attention is focusing on one thing. 
So you might say in class, you should give attention to your teacher. 
Or someone is giving a speech in your class. 
Give your attention to the speaker. 
But maybe outside of class you want to give attention to other people. 
Maybe uh, the government is encouraging people to give attention to the poor in your neighborhood or people who need help. 
Give attention to those people. 
And here we read "attention is given to." Either way is fine to use. 
And you might say that the artist uh... has given great attention to detail in his painting. 
Or attention was given to the detail in this painting. 
There are many ways to use this type of phrase. 
Well, continuing on: 
Instead, Americans appreciate the season in a different way. 
So it's not special because of the Moon Festival, there is another reason. 
There is another reason. 
And we have another word from our Word Bank here. 
It's the word "instead." And so you use this word when you're talking about replacing one thing with another. 
So you might say, "Use this instead." Or you could say, "Use this instead of that one." Often we... we just use the word "instead." But it's short for "instead of," so. 
For example, this sentence could read: 
Instead of giving attention to Moon Festival, Americans give attention to fall in another way. 
That's right. 
Well, perhaps you are trying to plan a trip, and you wanted to go hiking. 
But instead, you are going to go to the beach. 
You change your plans. 
Instead of going hiking, you go to the beach. 
All right. 
Well, we're going to continue learning about how Americans celebrate autumn, especially in this part of Virginia. 
As the tree leaves change color, it is time for a fall leaf tour. 
Carolyn, what is a leaf tour? 
Well, a tour is when you go around and look at different things. 
And here they are going to be going around and looking at the leaves on trees. 
This might sound a little bit strange. 
But here in Virginia and many parts of the United States, the leaves on the trees change color in fall. 
And they are beautiful to go look at. 
Yes. 
Well, we're going to continue here. 
One of North America's most popular spots is Shenandoah National Park. 
And actually Shenandoah includes part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 
So just like we heard about in the song, I guess Pauline is going to experience some of this as well. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.18.B

In our lesson Country Roads, Take Me Home, we're learning about what makes America unique in the season of autumn. 
Of course our author mentions that many Asians celebrate the Moon Festival in autumn. 
Why would she say that, or why would she mention that? 
Well, because she herself is Asian. 
So she's used to celebrating the Moon Festival. 
But now she's in Virginia, and they're going to visit the Shenandoah National Park. 
We're going to learn a little bit more about this in the next part of our lesson. 
So let's get started right now. 
(Music). 
"Country Roads, Take Me Home". 
John Denver described it in his song "Take Me Home Country Roads." Skyline Drive, 
which runs through the park, attracts over 2 million visitors every year. 
They go to admire the fall leaves. 
Like most leaf peepers, we left early on a Saturday. 
A long line of cars was already waiting to enter the park. 
We drove at a leisurely pace and enjoyed the gold, orange and red leaves. 
Overlooks provided places to take pictures. 
Around bends, valleys of different shades of colors caught our eye. 
(Music). 
Sounds like Pauline and her family are enjoying a beautiful view of these leaves in Shenandoah National Park. 
Well, let us begin at the beginning of this section of the reading. 
John Denver described it in his song "Take Me Home Country Roads," so. 
She's getting ready to describe some of the things that she got to enjoy that are also included in the words or the lyrics of John Denver's song. 
Are you familiar with this song, Gabe? 
Yeah, I was just going to say that is a very famous singer. 
And I am very familiar with this song Take me Home Country Roads. 
Actually it's a popular or a famous song in many different areas of the world. 
Um, I know that the President of Taiwan loves this song Take Me Home Country Roads. 
And you were mentioning something about going to Japan, and people like it there, too? 
It's true. 
When I went to Japan, I went and sang some karaoke with my friends. 
And they all knew this song. 
I was very surprised. 
And when I introduced myself as being from West Virginia, they knew that West Virginia was a state because of this song. 
Interesting. 
So it is world-famous. 
It's got a very catchy tune and very positive message. 
Well, let's continue learning. 
Skyline Drive, which runs through the park, attracts over 2 million visitors every year. 
So not a few people go to this park. 
No. It is very popular, and I think especially in the fall. 
Now it's time for us to go see Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
The writer mentions in today's article: 
The Skyline Drive, which runs through the park, attracts over 2 million visitors every year. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Today our focus is on the word "to run." In the sentence we're not talking about moving with your feet in a very fast way, no. 
Instead, "run" is used to describe how something long and skinny goes through an area. 
In today's sentence, what is long and skinny? 
It's Skyline Drive, and it goes through the park. 
It runs through the park. 
We can also use "run" to describe a river, like: 
A river runs through the middle of the jungle. 
We can use "run" to describe a power line, like: 
The power lines run along the east side of the building. 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section, you'll find more example sentences there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, before the Grammar Gym, we were talking about Skyline Drive. 
And we're talking about people - 2 million people that go every year. 
Or this place attracts over 2 million visitors. 
They go to admire the fall leaves. 
OK. That's what they're doing. 
And we are going to talk about that word from our Word Bank - admire. 
Carolyn, what does it mean to admire something? 
Well, if you admire something, then you really enjoy it. 
You think it's beautiful, and perhaps you want to look at it. 
Maybe you go outside on a clear night to admire the stars. 
You just look up and enjoy watching them. 
OK. So you can admire things like leaves and... and stars in the sky. 
I love admiring the clouds if they're going by really quickly at night. 
I also use this word to talk about people. 
When I admire somebody, that means I look up to them. 
I respect them for some reason. 
I admire that person. 
That's right. 
So maybe you think they are beautiful, but maybe you think that they have a good heart. 
They are a good person, and you really like them. 
So you want to let them know that you think that they're a great person. 
That's right. 
Well, we're learning more about these fall leaves and the people that like to admire them. 
And we continue here. 
Like most leaf peepers, we left early on a Saturday. 
That's kind of fun, Carolyn, that she refers to her and her family as leaf peepers. 
Yes. So to peep is not a sound here, like a small animal might make a peep, a small bird. 
But here we're talking about using your eyes to peep - means to take a look at something. 
And so they are leaf peepers, they are looking at the leaves. 
So looking at the leaves, and everyone else is getting up early on Saturday morning to go look at the leaves as well. 
Let's take a look at what Steve and Ken have to share with us in the Information Cloud right now. 
Leaf peepers are people who travel some distance to look at and take pictures of fall foliage. 
And because of the unusual scenic beauty, I would imagine peepers would want to take their time peeping. 
Which means the word "peep" isn't exactly the best word choice because, according to the dictionary, peep means to take a quick look at something. 
So why was this word ever chosen to be paired with the word "leaf"? 
One reason could be meaning. 
Generally when people peep, they do it because they're curious. 
And I think curiosity is one reason people spend time and money to go look at colorful leaves. 
True. But there's also the issue of sound. 
When combined with "leaf," peep really rolls off the tongue, which means it's easy to say. 
Right. 
Both words have the long E sound: leaf, peep. 
If we were to choose better verbs that suggest a leisurely look at something, verbs like stare or gaze in place of peep, 
the phrases become more complicated to pronounce. 
They may be more accurate in meaning, but listen - leaf starers and leaf gazers. 
These phrases don't quite roll off the tongue like leaf peeper does, do they? 
(Chinese). 
Thanks, guys. 
It's always great learning new things with you. 
Now continuing on with the article. 
A long line of cars was already waiting to enter the park. 
Now you remember over 2 million visitors come to this area each year. 
So it's not surprising that there was already a line of cars waiting when Pauline and her family arrived. 
That's right. 
So they had to wait for a little while. 
But she says: We drove at a leisurely pace and enjoyed the gold, orange and red leaves. 
All right. 
So even before going into this park, there's already a lot to enjoy on the way. 
On the road there, they could see these beautiful different-colored leaves. 
And that area is very beautiful. 
We read on: 
Overlooks provided places to take pictures. 
And an overlook is a great place to stop and rest, take lots of pictures and enjoy the view. 
And sometimes when they're making roads, they will make a special place so that you can pull off to the side of the road and take pictures or just enjoy the scenery. 
Well, we continue here. 
Around bends, valleys of different shades of colors caught our eyes... or caught our eye. 
So let's take a look a word here from the Word Bank. 
It is "shade." And when we're talking about colors, maybe a color has many different shades. 
That's right. 
So it might be a light shade of a color or a darker shade. 
My shirt has many shades of pink. 
That's right. 
There is light pink and dark pink and hot pink, many different shades, so. 
They had different shades of leaves. 
OK. 
And of course these things caught their eye. 
Let's take a look at that word "caught." If something catches your eye, that means you focus on it. 
Maybe you're focusing on something else. 
But then you see it once, and you maybe look at it again. 
It catches your eye, and you just want to keep looking at it. 
That's right. 
Well, right now it is time for us to go to the Language Lab and learn something with Michelle. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And keep watching as our lesson continues. 
Today we've been enjoying a great article by Pauline about her family's trip to Shenandoah National Park. 
And while they were there, they enjoyed many different shades of leaves that were changing color. 
Now Gabe, have you ever been to a place where the leaves change color? 
Hmm, yeah, actually many places in the world where it's not so dry that it's like a desert. 
Actually in Taiwan, there are some places where the leaves do change color. 
But I'd say also Maryland; I spent some time in Maryland, really close to Virginia, right next to Virginia actually. 
And the leaves there do change color in the fall. 
Carolyn, it seems like all up and down the East Coast in America, the leaves do this and... during the fall. 
They do. 
They do, indeed. 
And it is a beautiful thing to see. 
If you have time, go somewhere and enjoy the colors changing on the trees, so. We will learn more from Pauline in our next lesson here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.09.19.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Of course our lesson, we're continuing to learn from Pauline as she experiences Virginia and some of the wonderful things there in the season of fall. 
But actually, since it is fall, many Asians celebrate a very special holiday. 
Carolyn, what is that holiday? 
It is the Moon Festival. 
And we mentioned that yesterday. 
And actually, today is Moon Festival. 
That's right. 
So Carolyn and I wanted to tell you... 
Happy Moon Festival! 
Well, we hope you enjoy the Moon Festival. 
And of course, we hope you enjoy learning more about Pauline's experiences in Virginia. 
Let's get started with today's part of our lesson: "Country Roads, Take Me Home". 
(Music). 
"Country Roads, Take Me Home". 
After leaving Skyline Drive, we visited a well-known cave, Luray Caverns. 
Found in 1878, this cave is one of the most spectacular caves in the world. 
We were amazed by the limestone shapes inside. 
The most famous one is the world's largest musical instrument, the Great "Stalacpipe" Organ. 
Fortunately, we were able to hear a piece of music. 
Other famous formations include Dream Lake, Totem Poles and Saracen's Tent. 
Dream Lake is a mirror-like surface which reflects the stalactites above the lake. 
OK, so let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here. 
We read: After leaving Skyline Drive, we visited a well-known cave, Luray Caverns. 
Luray Caverns. 
Well, I've never been there, but it is a well-known cave in Virginia. 
That means a lot of people know about this. 
And a lot of people do know about it. 
The last time I was in the United States, I drove past Luray Caverns. 
And actually, I've gone past the caverns almost every year that I've been alive because... 
Really? So Carolyn, did you go in? 
Oh, no. I... I haven't been in. 
But that road, there's a road that goes past Luray Caverns, and that's the road that my family always use when we go to visit my grandparents. 
That is really cool. 
So if you go in the fall, I guess you have a chance to see the changing of the colors of the leaves as well. 
I do. But you know, the leaves change color in West Virginia as well. 
It's all mountains there, too. 
But Luray Caverns is very special and very big and well-known. 
Continuing in the article: 
Found in 1878, this cave is one of the most spectacular caves in the world. 
And I think it's very true. 
We can look at some of the pictures of the cave, and they are very impressive. 
All right. 
It looks like an impressive cave, a very spectacular cave. 
If something is spectacular, that means you can see a lot that makes you go "Wow!" It amazes you. OK. 
So maybe you might talk about a spectacular show that you saw. 
And you will see some spectacular things in Luray Caverns. 
Well, she continues. 
We were amazed by the limestone shapes inside. 
All right. 
So we know what's inside of this cave now, and they amazed Pauline. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank: amazed, or amaze. 
Carolyn, what amazes you? 
What does that mean? 
Well, if something amazes you, then it surprises you but in a good way. 
You think something is just so wonderful. 
You might say that you are amazed by someone's language skill. 
Your Chinese is amazing, Gabe. 
It just amazes me. 
(Chinese). 
(Chinese). 
Anyway, it's true with English as well. 
You could say your English amazes me. 
You have really good English. 
OK. So what are you amazed by? 
Well, we're learning from Pauline and her family. 
And they were amazed by these limestone shapes inside Luray Caverns. 
That's right. 
And we've learned that the most famous one is the world's largest musical instrument. 
There's a musical instrument inside the cave. 
And it is called the Great "Stalacpipe" Organ. 
Now this is a very unique name. 
It's the stalacpipe organ. 
Why is this special, Gabe? 
It's really, really special. 
I would love to see this stalacpipe organ. 
Actually in your magazine, there's a sidebar talking about stalac... stalacpipe, stalactites and stalagmites. OK. 
Here this is kind of... they're having fun with the word stalactite. 
And a stalactite is one of those things that hangs from the ceiling. 
It's a rock formation hanging from the ceiling, especially inside of a cave. 
Now how is that different from a stalagmite, Carolyn? 
Well, so a stalagmite comes up from the ground. 
And actually, it's not growing out of the ground but water drips from the top of the cave down, and some of that deposits limestone on the top. 
And when the water falls, there's also some limestone left on the bottom of the cave, 
which is why a lot of times you see a stalactite right above a stalagmite. 
All right. 
Well, it's good to remember how these words are different. 
One way you can do that is to see that right in the middle of stalactite is a C. 
Think of the word "ceiling." A ceiling is above you. 
Stalagmite, right in the middle is the letter G, so that's the ground. 
The ground is underneath. 
Stalactites from above, and stalagmites from below. 
That's right. 
Well, here we are talking about the stalacpipe, stalacpipe organ made of stalactites and stalagmites. 
And fortunately, we were able to hear a piece of music. 
So this isn't just something that looks like an organ, you can actually hear someone play music on this organ. 
Well, would you like to hear some of the music from this stalacpipe organ? 
You're in luck. 
Fortunately, we're going to do that right now. 
You'll be able to enjoy some pictures from inside Luray Caverns as well as hear a piece of music. 
Here we go. 
(Music). 
Well, I can understand why Pauline was really amazed by these caves and the formations inside. 
Now we want to talk about that word from our next sentence. 
Other famous formations include Dream Lake, Totem Poles and Saracen's Tent. 
And we do have that word from our Word Bank: formations. 
Now what does it mean if something is a formation? 
Well, it's a natural something that was formed outside. 
So it was not created by humans like a sculpture. 
It's formed by nature somehow. 
And of course there are many rock formations around the world. 
And of course in Luray Caverns, there are these stalactites and stalagmites and other rock formations. 
That's right. 
And we learn that it doesn't have to be made of rock to be a formation. 
Dream Lake is another formation. 
And Dream Lake is a mirror-like surface which reflects the stalactites above the lake. 
So this is a body of water. 
Well, I certainly would like to see Dream Lake and some of these other places mentioned here. 
For now it's time for us to learn something else with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.19.B

In our article today "Country Roads, Take Me Home," Pauline and her family have left Skyline Drive to go visit a spectacular cave called Luray Caverns. 
She and her family were amazed by the limestone rock formations inside this cave. 
And they have been able to enjoy many of the wonderful things that they can see inside these natural formations. 
Let's learn some more about what they saw in the next part of our reading. 
"Country Roads, Take Me Home". 
The Totem Poles are columns of various shapes and colors. 
Saracen's Tent is considered the best well-formed drapery in the world. 
Walking around this underground natural wonder is an unforgettable experience. 
On the way back home, we rolled down the windows and enjoyed the autumn breeze. 
Suddenly, the winding road looked like the road we had often taken on Yang-Ming Mountain in Taipei. 
As the song says, these country roads are taking me home - to the place I belong! 
Well, allow me to take you back to the beginning of this section. 
We're reading here about Totem Poles. 
And the Totem Poles are columns of various shapes and colors. 
All right. Let's look at that word from our Word Bank - a column. 
A column is something that goes up and down; it's a solid something. 
Carolyn, what might a column in the Totem Poles be? 
Well, here we're talking about columns in a cave. 
And those form when a stalactite from the ceiling and a stalagmite from the ground meet in the middle, and they form one single column, one formation. 
They are no longer separate. 
All right. 
So that's this kind of column. 
Of course you might see different kinds of columns around the world. 
In ancient Greece, buildings were made with columns. 
They were called pillars, but actually you could call them columns as well. 
So what do we find out here, Carolyn? 
Well, we learn about one of the other formations. 
Saracen's Tent. 
Now Saracen's Tent is considered the best well-formed drapery in the world. 
So it is something very special, a drapery - something that goes across. 
And it's made of rock. 
That's right. 
Usually I think of drapery as kind of like a curtain or a kind of... or drapery is hanging cloth, cloth that hangs down from something. 
And usually you use it to talk about curtains. 
But here we're talking about these rocks that kind of look like well-formed curtains in these caves. 
That's right. 
So it would be very amazing to walk around Luray Caverns. 
And Pauline writes: 
Walking around this underground natural wonder is an unforgettable experience. 
So this is a place with natural rock formations. 
People did not make it. 
It was found or discovered. 
That's right. 
Of course there are many natural wonders in the world. 
But we don't usually think of them as being underground. 
We think of them as being something you can see when you're walking outside. 
This is an underground natural wonder. 
She writes: 
On the way back home, we rolled down the windows and enjoyed the autumn breeze. 
OK. So they've enjoyed a great time in Shenandoah National Park, and maybe now they're leaving the national park. 
That's right. 
And they rolled down their windows to enjoy the autumn breeze. 
A word from our Word Bank: breeze. 
It means a light wind, a very comfortable wind. 
And when it's hot outside, a breeze can be very welcome. 
Oh, exactly. 
I feel that way, too. 
Especially in the middle of summer, and it's really hot, you just want a light breeze or a cool breeze to pass on by. 
Well, here we're talking about the autumn breeze, which would be a little cooler. 
She continues: 
Suddenly the winding road looked like the road we had often taken on Yang-Ming Mountain in Taipei. 
So now she's beginning to think about home. 
Well, this fits well with her theme of Country Roads, Take Me Home. 
This song Take Me Home Country Roads is all about thinking about where you're from and missing your home. 
And here she is reminded of the mountain road that they used to drive on here in Taipei. 
And so she writes: 
As the song says, these country roads are taking me home - to the place I belong! 
This sounds like she really is missing Taipei. 
She's been in the United States for a couple of years. 
Of course you would miss your hometown every once in a while, especially if you see something that reminds you of home. 
That's right. 
And now she and her family are driving back to their home in the United States on these beautiful country roads that you can find in many parts of the U.S. 
Now there's a great phrase in there, Gabe. 
Would you like to talk about it? 
Yeah, actually this phrase, uh, it... it says "as the song says," but it reminds me of the phrase: as the saying goes. 
You might hear that sometimes. 
As the saying goes, and then your share a popular or a famous saying. 
For example, you might say: 
You know, it's good to work hard even if it's difficult; as the saying goes, "No pain, no gain." I know many of you love that idiom. 
And many times me want to give up because we have to do things over and over and over. 
But as the saying goes: Practice makes perfect. 
If you make a mistake the first time, the second time, it's OK. 
Just keep practicing because you will get it eventually. 
That's right. 
And as the saying goes, we have more to learn with Steve and Ken... 
Well, I guess that's not really a saying, but... but it's true. 
We have more to learn with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll enjoy a review skit, followed by Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Last week we looked at how some places get named. 
Let's pick up this theme again today in this month's Life in America feature. 
We first encountered Skyline Drive. 
Now with a name like that, I'm expecting a road high up in the sky. 
Right. 
Normally the word "skyline" is used to describe the view of a city's buildings and structures against the sky. 
In this case, however, it's the view of mountain scenery from a road. 
OK. Luray Cavern is simply named after the nearest town, Luray, Virginia. 
The next three things mentioned in the lesson are formations, not places, but it's easy to guess how they got their names. 
Dream Lake is named for the feeling you get when you see it. 
When you look at it, you feel like you're... dreaming. 
Formations might also be named for the things they resemble like Totem Poles and a tent. 
Saracen is an ancient word used to describe people who lived in and around the Arabian Desert in tent. 
And finally, places are named in honor of other people, like Yang-Ming Shan, 
which was named in honor of the Chinese Ming Dynasty philosopher Wang Yang Ming. 
(Chinese). 
Ah... fall. 
Yes. Fall is probably the most beautiful season of the year. 
I agree. 
The cool temperatures make it perfect for people to enjoy nature. 
Yeah, but not much attention is given to Moon Festival. 
No. But we can appreciate fall in a different way - as leaf peepers. 
Yeah. We can admire the fall leaves - all shades and all colors, gold, orange, red. 
Yeah. We can enjoy nature above ground and underground. 
Underground? Where? 
At Luray Caverns. 
It's one of the most spectacular caves in the world. 
Really? What makes it so spectacular? 
The limestone shapes inside, including the world's largest musical instrument. 
Wow! I'm amazed. 
What else is there? 
Another formation is Dream Lake. 
It's a mirror-like surface which reflects the stalactites above. 
Oh. That sounds peaceful. 
What else? 
Uh, the Totem Poles. 
They're columns of various shapes and colors. 
Oh, that sounds fun. 
What else? 
Uh, Saracen's Tent. 
It's considered the most well-formed drapery in the world. 
Wow! Walking around in that underground natural wonder must be... 
Unforgettable! 
Yeah! Well, what else do you remember? 
I remember everything. 
Luray Caverns, they're unforgettable. 
Ah, fall. 
Yeah. I love it. 
(Chinese). 
And let's return to our teachers now. 
Well, I've enjoyed this lesson about Pauline and her experiences in Shenandoah National Park. 
She got to experience and see a lot. 
And some of it, especially the ride home, reminded her of her home in Taipei. 
Well, have you ever been somewhere or visited a place that reminded you of home? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I actually found it very interesting that Pauline says that the country road she was driving on reminded her of her home in Taipei... 
because there are places in Taiwan that remind me of West Virginia. 
Really? 
Yes. 
Like... like what kind of places? 
Well, when I go out hiking in the mountains, the trees are a little different because it's subtropical or tropical, 
but it's so beautiful and peaceful, and there are just lots of plants everywhere. 
It reminds me of West Virginia and the mountains there. 
Hmm. Well, the climate is a little bit similar. 
It does get humid during the summer and cold in the winter. 
Well, how would you answer this question? 
Thank you for joining us here today. 
And of course, we'll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you.

2013.09.20.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for a lesson today called The Speed of Cities. 
Well, every city has a different speed or a different pace of life. 
I wonder about your city, where you are from. 
Is the pace of life in your city fast or is it kind of slow? 
Carolyn, where you're from, is the pace of life fast or slow? 
Well, I'm from West Virginia. 
It is more rural. 
It's out in the country... countryside, and it's pretty slow paced. 
We don't do things too too quickly. 
People walk fairly slow. 
And we just kind of go along with our lives. 
All right, just kind of go along; it's a very comfortable pace. 
Well, where I grew up in (Chinese), it was OK. 
It wasn't too fast; it also wasn't too slow, but certainly slower than where I live now in Taipei. 
The... the pace of life or the speed of this city is quite a bit faster. 
Well, what about where you are living? 
Is the pace of life in your city fast or slow? 
We're going to be learning about this and how the speed of life can affect your life wherever you live. 
Let's get started with our lesson for today. 
The Speed of Cities. 
A city's pace of life reveals a lot about its size, success and culture. 
Are you a fast or slow walker? 
Is your city or town wealthy or poor? 
Believe it or not, research suggests walking speed and a city's prosperity may be related! 
Citizens of bigger, affluent cities tend to walk faster, while residents of poorer cities tend to take things a little slower. 
Why is that? 
A social psychologist named Robert Levine wanted to know, so he went out into the streets to get answers. 
A worldwide experiment. 
With help from all over the world, Levine conducted an experiment. 
What's the average speed of a pedestrian over a distance of 18.29 meters? 
(Music). 
Well, that is some interesting information and an interesting experiment that he will be working on. 
Well, going back to the beginning of our article, we see: 
A city's pace of life reveals a lot about its size, success and culture. 
Now the name of the article is The Speed of Cities. 
But here we're talking about a city's pace of life. 
Mmhm, the pace of life - so how fast people are within that city and doing something. 
And it reveals something about the city's size, success and culture. 
So if something reveals something about your city, that means it tells you something. 
You can observe the pace of life and learn something about the size, success and culture of where you are. 
That's right. 
But we do want to take a look at those words - speed and pace - with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
The title of our article today is The Speed of Cities. 
But if you look below the title, you'll notice the word "pace." The deck of the article says: 
A city's pace of life reveals a lot about its size, success and culture. 
So you may be wondering, are the words "speed" and "pace" synonymous? 
Are they interchangeable? 
Hmm... Well, why don't we talk about this as it relates to a car? 
Would you say your new car has a very good pace or a very good speed? 
I would choose "speed" because a car is a mechanical object. 
If we're talking about an animate object like a man, a dog or a horse, "pace" would be more appropriate. 
That's right. 
A man or an animal might walk or run at a fast pace. 
But your car or motorcycle travels at a certain speed. 
Also, the word "pace" is usually used in expressions like the pace of life or work at a slow pace. 
It's more related to human activities. 
Right. 
OK. Let's get more technical. 
If you're a runner, you can focus on either your pace or your speed. 
Your pace is the time it takes to cover a certain distance such as four minutes. 
But your speed is indicated by the ratio kilometers per hour. 
So if I run at a speed of 10 kilometers an hour, I would be running at a pace of six minutes per kilometer. 
Well, that sounds like a good workout. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
That was a great explanation. 
Now you know the difference between speed and pace. 
Well, the first sentence here in our lesson is: Are you a fast or slow walker? 
We have some questions here. 
Are you a fast or slow walker? 
Is your city or town wealthy or poor? 
I wonder how these are related. 
Well, believe it or not, research suggests walking speed and a city's prosperity may be related. 
So how fast you walk might also be related to how wealthy or poor a city is. 
That's right. 
We see that word "prosperity." It... that means how successful a city is or how well it is doing - the prosperity. 
Maybe you think of economy or money when you think of prosperity. 
Well, citizens of bigger, affluent cities tend to walk faster, while residents of poorer cities tend to do things a little slower. 
Actually it says here they tend to "take" things a little slower. 
But it kind of means the same thing as doing something slower. 
That is some interesting information. 
Now at the beginning of this sentence, we saw a word from our Word Bank, the word affluent. 
Now if a place or city is affluent, then it... a lot of the people living there have a lot of money. 
And many times I think of a neighborhood as being affluent. 
Or to go to an affluent community to live means that you and your neighbors all have a lot of money. 
All right. 
So that is the adjective form of this word, an affluent city or affluent people or an affluent neighborhood. 
But it could also be a noun, A-F-F-L-U-E-N-C-E. 
You talk about the affluence of a certain area or the affluence of a city. 
So we're talking about citizens of bigger, affluent cities tend to walk faster, while residents of poorer cities take things a little slower. 
Let's take a look at what Liz has to share with us in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
We see this statement in today's article: ... while residents of poorer cities tend to take things a little slower. 
Our Grammar Tip focus today is on the phrase: to take things. 
In today's sentence, "to take things" does not mean to use hands and reach out to hold things. 
Instead, "to take things" means to handle or respond to situations. 
So the writer is saying that residents of poorer cities tend to do things and respond to situations in a slower way. 
OK. Let's have a look at some example sentences. 
If Edward doesn't like to plan ahead but would rather just handle things one at a time as they happen, we can say: 
Edward likes to take things one at a time. 
Or let's say Sam doesn't do a good job whenever he's hungry and tired, so we can say: 
Sam doesn't take things too well whenever he's hungry and tired. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more examples. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thanks, Liz. 
Well, now it's time to continue taking a look at our lesson. 
Why is that? 
It continues asking about, why do people in more affluent cities walk faster and people in poor areas walk slower? 
Why is that, Gabe? 
Well, we read on. 
A social psychologist named Robert Levine wanted to know, so he went out into the streets to get answers. 
So he didn't just stay in his office trying to do research. 
He went into the streets to try to get some of these answers. 
And he's a social psychologist, so he studies the way that people live and interact with each other and the world. 
Well, it sounds like a very interesting job to have. 
And we have another section here titled "A worldwide experiment," so. 
He's going to do a worldwide experiment. 
With help from all over the world, Levine conducted an experiment. 
That's right. 
He conducted this. 
That's the word we use when we're talking about experiments. 
Do you like to conduct experiments? 
You're trying to figure out an answer to something, and so you conduct an experiment. 
Well, what's the average speed of a pedestrian over a distance of 18.29 meters? 
That's the question that he has. 
What's the average speed here? 
And of course, the key word is "pedestrian." Carolyn, what's a pedestrian? 
Well, a pedestrian is a person who is walking. 
And usually we refer to pedestrians when they are going around cars, so. 
It's important for pedestrians to use the crosswalk when they are crossing the street. 
And they should wait for the light to turn green for them to walk safely across. 
That's right. 
So pedestrians have a responsibility. 
But drivers also have a responsibility. 
If you ever take your driver's test in the United States or you're trying to get her driver's license, they will tell you pedestrians have the right of way. 
That means if you ever come across a pedestrian, you're to let the pedestrian go across first before you drive on. 
Pedestrians have the right of way. 
So he wanted to know the average speed of pedestrians walking a distance of 18.29 meters. 
Now that's kind of an odd distance. 
Probably originally it was in feet. 
And that is 60 feet. 
Well, right now it is time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.20.B

Well, today we're talking about The Speed of Cities. 
How fast or slow do people walk in your city? 
Believe it or not, a city's prosperity and the speed of walking could be related. 
Maybe you've noticed, people in bigger cities tend to walk faster, and people in smaller cities or poorer cities might walk a little bit slower. 
Some of these things are related. 
A social psychologist Robert Levine wanted to find out exactly how, so he conducted an experiment with this question: 
What's the average speed of a pedestrian over a distance of 18.29 meters? 
Well, we're going to figure out what the answer is in the next part of our lesson for today. 
(Music). 
The Speed of Cities. 
Volunteers in big cities in 31 countries timed pedestrians as they covered this distance and submitted their results. 
The fastest pedestrians lived in Ireland, crossing the distance in an average of 11.13 seconds. 
The slowest walkers hailed from Brazil, where they got from point A to point B at a more leisurely 16.76 seconds. 
Levine found that these results were strongly related to economic success. 
Residents of cities that struggled or were still developing moved at a slower pace, and residents of wealthy cities moved faster. 
The motto "Time is money" seems to be true! 
(Music). 
Well, this is a very interesting study. 
So let's get right in and see how Robert Levine constructed his experiment. 
We read: Volunteers in big cities in 31 countries timed pedestrians as they covered this distance and submitted their results. 
Well, it seems like a pretty straightforward study. 
Yeah. That's right. 
They timed pedestrians. 
That means they probably had some kind of a stopwatch with them to see how fast these pedestrians were walking. 
So they timed them as they covered this distance. 
And then they came up with some results for Robert Levine. 
That's right. 
And we see the fastest pedestrians lived in Ireland, crossing the distance in an average of 11.13 seconds. 
Well, this is kind of surprising to me. 
I didn't realize people in Ireland walked that fast. 
I didn't, either. 
I had no idea. 
I... Ireland is not the first country that comes to my mind when I think of really wealthy countries or people that walk very fast. 
But this is the result - Ireland! 
OK. So they crossed this distance in an average 11.13 seconds. 
But the slowest walkers hailed from Brazil, where they got from point A to point B at a more leisurely 16.76 seconds. 
Well, that doesn't seem like too big of a difference. 
But I guess when you are crossing this distance of 18.29 meters, or about 60 feet, it is a little bit of a difference, those five seconds or so. 
Well, in that sentence we see words from our Word Bank: hailed from. 
Now these people hailed from Brazil. 
If you hail from a place, then that's where you're from. 
That's right. 
That's another way to say where you're from. 
You could say, "I hail from this city," or "I hail from this country." Usually I don't hear that. 
I don't hear people saying that. 
I hear people say I come from this place. 
Where are you from? 
Where do you hail from? 
You could use that both ways. 
That's right. 
So I hail from the United States. 
And I hail from the state of West Virginia. 
So someone in the United States might ask me where I hail from, and I would tell them the state, not the country. 
All right. 
Well, we're talking about people that hailed from Brazil here. 
And they are slower walkers than those in Ireland. 
OK. They got from point A to point B at a very leisurely pace. 
Let's take a look at this phrase: to get from point A to point B. 
Carolyn, how could we use that phrase? 
Well, a lot of times I go online and use online maps, like Google Maps, to see how to get from point A to point B. 
I want to start at one place - point A - and end at another place - point B. 
But I don't know how to get there. 
So I use an online map search. 
All right. 
So you could use it to talk about distance or going from one place to another. 
You could also use it to talk about your goals. 
Point A is where you are now; point B is your goal, where you want to be. 
Maybe how much money you want to have, how much weight you want to lose. 
How do you get from point A to point B? 
So you can use that phrase to talk about different things. 
That's right. 
Well, going back to our study: 
Levine found that these results were strongly related to economic success. 
Very interesting. 
Residents of... of cities that struggled or were still developing moved at a slower pace, and residents of wealthy cities moved faster. 
It's true. 
And I shared with you that I was surprised that people in Ireland walked faster. 
But the reality is Ireland is a very wealthy country. 
It's a very wealthy place. 
And so I guess it is related. 
People there do walk faster. 
That's right. 
Now we see the motto "Time is money" seems to be true. 
And we have another word from our Word Bank, the word: motto. 
Now if you have a motto, then that this just a common phrase that you use to express an idea. 
That's right. 
And many people live by mottos. 
You could talk about someone's life motto. 
What is your life motto? 
What's something that you always remember, it helps you in your life? 
For some people, it's the phrase "Never give up!" You won't give up on anything. 
For me, it's "Seize the day." Don't let any opportunity go by. 
I don't want to miss good opportunities. 
I want to seize the day and take those opportunities. 
What's another good life motto, Carolyn? 
Well, there are a lot of them. 
But one that I remember I learned in high school was: If you are 10 minutes early, you are 5 minutes late. 
Whoa. That's a good motto for those who need to be on time. 
Let's continue learning about this other phrase here. 
It's the phrase "Time is money." Do we have time to talk about this, Carolyn? 
Not really, Gabe, because time is money, we must keep going on and learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. (Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our teachers. 
Well, today we've been talking about the relationship between fast walking in a city and how affluent that city is in this study that Robert Levine conducted. 
Now I wonder, how fast do you walk? 
Are you a fast walker or a slow walker? 
Gabe? 
Am I a fast walker? 
I think I am a fast walker, actually. 
Unless I'm enjoying a conversation with somebody and I want to enjoy the scenery, usually I'm a fast walker. 
I like to get from point A to point B very quickly. 
Actually, usually I'll just drive my scooter. 
I don't even like walking. 
Carolyn, what about you? 
I think that I'm a very fast walker. 
I don't like to waste time and get where I am going, so. 
Well, what about you? 
We will see you here next time on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.09.21.A

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson The Speed of Cities. 
So in yesterday's lesson, we talked about how Robert Levine, a social psychologist, 
wanted to figure out how related the speed of people walking in a city was to that city's prosperity. 
Maybe a richer or bigger city had people that were walking faster. 
And maybe people of poorer cities, the people there walked slower. 
Well, I do wonder about other things. 
Also time; time could also be affected. 
Maybe you have a watch or a clock. 
Do you set your clock fast or slow? 
Maybe that could also reveal something about your city. 
Carolyn, how accurate is your watch? 
Well, I actually don't wear a watch. 
Ah, yes. I see that. 
Yes, yes. But, um, all of my clocks have different times on them. 
One clock is about 17 minutes fast, and the other one's two minutes fast, and... 
Wait. Why is that? 
And then my computer is synced with the satellite, so. 
What!? 
It's... it's actually on time. 
Is that to help you be on time or maybe be early in some cases? 
It's so I'm always early. 
OK. That's a good idea. 
I used to have a watch that was set 17 minutes fast. 
I always hoped I would forget how fast it was so that I could actually be on time. 
Anyway, how accurate is your watch or how accurate are your clocks or whatever you use to tell time? 
That could reveal something about your personality. 
Right now it's time for us to get started with our lesson for today. 
Let's look at the pace of life. 
The Speed of Cities. 
Pace of life. 
Walking speed is only part of the pace of life in any city. 
The pace of life also includes how fast people talk, how quickly a bank teller gives out change and how accurate everyone's watch is. 
Levine also researched some other factors and found that the pace of life was fastest in Western Europe and Japan. 
East Asian economic powers like Hong Kong and South Korea landed in the middle, along with Canada and the U.S. 
The slowest pace seemed to be in Central and South America and in Indonesia. 
(Music). 
OK. Let's look at this section called Pace of life. 
So walking speed is only part of the pace of life in any city. 
Of course there are other components, other parts to the pace of life. 
That's right. 
And we see what those are. 
The pace of life also includes how fast people talk, how quickly a bank teller gives out change and how accurate everyone's watch is. 
So earlier we were talking about how accurate our watch is or our clocks are, and mine are pretty fast. 
Uh, Gabe, how accurate is yours again? 
Well, it was 17 minutes fast to help me to be on time or to help me to be early. 
Right now, of course, I have no watch. 
I don't use a watch. 
But my cellphone is synced with satellite, so it's exactly on time. 
So we're talking here about these different things, and they can reveal a lot about a city or the pace of life. 
Let's take a look at a key word here. 
It is "teller." We're talking about a bank teller. 
What is a bank teller? 
Well, the bank teller is the person sitting at the counter of the bank that you go to talk to if you want to withdraw money or make a deposit or discuss something about your account. 
And it's very important to be nice to the bank teller because he or she is holding all of your change. 
That's a good point. 
Be nice to your bank teller. 
Now there is this word "teller" in the letters ATM. 
You don't always have to go to a bank to withdraw money. 
You can go to the automated teller machine, the ATM. 
That's something that you can work with to get your money. 
That's right. 
Now there is a word in this sentence, the word "change." And it has many different uses. 
So let's go to the Information Cloud and see what Steve and Ken have to say about this. 
As you may know, the word "change" can be used to describe money. 
But be careful how you use it. 
Steve, are coins the same as change? 
Yes, Ken. That's one definition of change. 
Even though we say "coins" with an S, we cannot add an S to "change." So I might have five coins in my pocket, 
but together they are called change or loose change. 
Also we use "change" to mean not just coins but when we need to break a large bill for smaller bills. 
For example, I might have a $20 bill, but I need to make a phone call, so I can ask someone if they have change for 20. 
"Change" can also refer to the money returned to you after you pay for something with more money than it costs. 
If I hand over a $10 bill on a $9 purchase, I will get $1 in change. 
And then there's exact change. 
To have exact change means to have the exact amount of money that an item costs. 
In some places, public buses require passengers to have exact change. 
The bus driver does not give money back. 
People must pay exactly what the cost is. 
And if you don't have exact change, you can, of course, pay more, but you won't get any change in return. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, change is good. 
Let's continue talking about this pace of life. 
Levine also researched some other factors and found that the pace of life was fastest in Western Europe and Japan. 
OK. So Robert Levine discovered this. 
The pace of life is faster in Western Europe and the Asian country of Japan. 
Well, that is very interesting. 
But as we learned yesterday, Ireland had the fastest walkers. 
And that would be part of Western Europe. 
So I guess that whole area, people have a very fast-paced lifestyle. 
They do things very quickly. 
And also in Japan. 
I know I've been to Tokyo, and things definitely move very quickly there. 
Well, you know, I've never been to Western Europe, but I've been to countries in Eastern Europe where the pace of life is a little slower. 
And I've also been to some countries where they're known for not having great economies. 
Their economy is a little poorer. 
And it's a little more comfortable to live there because I like that slower pace of life. 
But I guess it... it is related to the economy a little bit. 
That's what we are learning today. 
And we see that East Asian economic powers like Hong Kong and South Korea landed in the middle, along with Canada and the U.S. 
So they don't have quite such a fast-paced lifestyle. 
They're in the middle. 
Now where is the slowest pace, Gabe? 
Well, we see here the slowest pace seemed to be in Central and South America and somewhere else - and in Indonesia. 
So they're not just in the same part of the world. 
We saw the fastest walkers were in Western Europe and in Japan. 
We see the slowest walkers are in South and Central America and in Indonesia. 
Well, South and Central America and Indonesia, many of those countries are still developing. 
They don't have very strong economies. 
And a lot of their economy is based on farming. 
So it's a little bit difficult for them to catch up in this technology age where everything is done so quickly in these larger cities, 
especially in the West and in Japan, where everything is so fast-paced. 
It is done immediately (That's true...) because of our technology. 
Yeah. Well, you know, I find it interesting that some of the countries that I like visiting or that I want to visit are these countries that have a slower pace of life. 
I think that something that attracts me to these countries is that it's more laid-back, more relaxed. 
People aren't going as fast. 
And I kind of like that. 
Uh, but it is kind of interesting to see how it's related to these countries' economies. 
Well, that is something that we will be talking about in our next section. 
But first, we want to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.21.B

We are on the second day of our article The Speed of Cities. 
And today we're talking all about the pace of life. 
In Robert Levine's experiment, his worldwide experiment looking at how fast people walked, he realized that there are also other factors, 
things like how fast people talk, how quickly a bank teller gives out change and how accurate everyone's watch is. 
Well, those are things to think about when talking about the speed of a city and its pace of life. 
Now to continue on with our article, we'll be learning something a little bit different. 
The Speed of Cities. 
Along with wealth, population size and culture also affect the pace of life. 
But how does pace affect the well-being of people in the fast lane? 
Studies show that "time urgency" predicts heart disease. 
People who move fast and feel stressed about time are more likely to die of heart disease than those who live slower lives. 
So does walking fast make people ill? 
Or is the fast-paced, stressed lifestyle the culprit? 
While some people thrive under stress, most don't and should slow down. 
What's your city's speed? 
Is it better to be fast and pursue economic success or to move more slowly and live a healthier life? 
(Music). 
OK. At the beginning of this section we read: 
Along with wealth, population size and culture also affect the pace of life. 
So there's lots of things that will affect the pace of life. 
It's not just how wealthy a country is. 
But how do we continue here? 
Well, but how does pace affect the well-being of people in the fast lane? 
Now this sentence is great... this question. 
And there are many things from it we want to talk about. 
The first is the key word "well-being." Now what does that mean, Gabe, well-being? 
Well, your well-being is really your health. 
But we're not just talking about physical health. 
We're talking about emotional, intellectual, mental, spiritual health, your well-being as a whole person. 
That is what we mean when we talk about someone's well-being or a country's well-being. 
That's right. 
So along with wealth and all of these other things - population size, culture - we also talk about how the pace of life affects a person's well-being, 
and not just the well-being of someone who is enjoying a nice, relaxed life but someone who is living in the fast lane. 
And that is a great phrase that we also want to look at: in the fast lane. 
If you live in the fast lane, that means that you are under a lot of stress, a lot of pressure. 
You must do things very quickly. 
It's true. 
I think this phrase or this idiom is kind of from driving, maybe driving on a freeway. 
On a lot of freeways you will have a fast lane. 
And that is, in the United States, it's the very far left lane. 
That's where you can go the fastest. 
And so slower drivers, you should not drive in the fast lane. 
You should let faster drivers drive in that lane. 
Well, many people live like this. 
They live life in the fast lane. 
They just want to get from point A to point B as quick as possible. 
And they don't slow down. 
Now we will see whether or not this is a good thing because usually we think of doing things as quickly as possible, getting them done so we can do more, that's good. 
However, studies show that "time urgency" predicts heart disease. 
This sounds very serious, Gabe. 
Yes, it does. It predicts heart disease. 
Studies show. 
Yesterday we saw a phrase, "research suggests." You can kind of use these phrases in the same way. OK. 
Studies show that "time urgency" predicts heart disease. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank: urgency. 
If you have the urgency to do something, that means you need to do it now. 
It's very important. 
Do it as quick as possible. 
That's right, so something that is very important. 
You might have a project that you need to finish. 
There is urgency to finish this project. 
The deadline is tomorrow. 
That's right. 
It's urgent. 
That's the adjective form: U-R-G-E-N-T. 
I need to get in touch with the boss. 
It's urgent! 
OK. So these things, uh... time urgency, predict heart disease. 
And we continue. 
People who move fast and feel stressed about time are more likely to die of heart disease than those who live slower lives. 
Well, so. 
Does walking fast make people ill? 
Now I don't know about that since a lot of doctors recommend that people walk faster to get good exercise. 
It's better for you to walk quickly. 
But maybe this fast-paced lifestyle... we have another question there, Gabe. 
Read that for us. 
That's right. 
Or is the fast-paced, stressed lifestyle the culprit? 
And if you're the culprit, that means you are to blame. 
We can blame you for the problem. 
You know, Carolyn, I was reading recently about the lifespan of celebrities - people who like to live where everyone knows what they are doing. 
Actually, they don't live as long as other normal people. 
And maybe they have a more stressed lifestyle. 
Well, that very well could be the culprit. 
Continuing on: 
While some people thrive under stress, most don't and should slow down. 
So we see a word from our Word Bank there, the word "thrive." If you thrive doing something, then you are very successful at it, perhaps even prosperous. 
You do very well. 
OK. Well, do you thrive under stress? 
That means you thrive and do really well with a lot of pressure. 
You have to get something done really quickly, and you thrive. 
You think it's wonderful to have this kind of stress. 
I do well under stress, but I can't imagine having stress all the time. 
Every once in a while, it's good to have stress. 
And I do thrive under that kind of stress. 
Well, that... that means that maybe you should slow down at other parts of your work schedule. 
Well, what's your city's speed? 
Is it better to be fast and pursue economic success or to move more slowly and live a healthier life? 
Think about that. 
For right now, we are going to go watch a review skit, and then join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK, everyone. Walk faster... Walk faster, please. 
OK. Thank you. 
What's happening here? 
Is there an emergency? 
No. Now walk. 
Hurry up and walk faster. 
Walk, walk, walk. 
Why should I walk faster? 
Because the speed that people walk is strongly related to economic success. 
It is? 
Yes. Research shows that residents in struggling cities move at a slower pace. 
Is that so? 
It is. 
And residents in wealthy cities move faster. 
So time is money. 
Exactly. 
Now, hurry up. 
And could you please try to talk a little faster? 
You want me to talk faster, too? 
Yes. Your pace of life should be faster. 
Bank tellers should be quicker. 
Watches should be accurate. 
Hurry up and make our city rich. 
Will speeding things up really make our city wealthy? 
Maybe. 
So why not try? 
Well, because a fast pace can affect our well-being. 
What... what do you mean? 
Studies show that people living in the fast lane are more likely to die of heart disease. 
Oh! That's not good. 
No. So is it better to be fast and pursue economic success or move more slowly and live a healthier life? 
Hmm... OK, everyone. Slow down. 
(Chinese). 
Slow down, not so fast. 
Slow. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our lesson. 
Well, we've been talking about The Speed of Cities. 
And we find out that sometimes people have heart disease because of their high stress or the stress in their lives. 
Well, my question is: 
Do you think that people can live a fast-paced life and care for their personal well-being at the same time? 
What do you think? Carolyn? 
Well, I think it is possible, but it's a very difficult balance to maintain. 
I think that if you have a fast-paced lifestyle but also take the time to enjoy those benefits, perhaps the extra money, 
the other things that you can enjoy from having that type of life, then it should be OK. 
It's true. I agree. 
Well, thank you for joining us for today's lesson. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.09.23.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Our lesson is called Answer That Telephone! 
Well, do you answer the telephone often? 
Do you make phone calls often to other people? 
Of course, lots of people have cellphones and smartphones. 
And maybe you even use your home phone and your office phone to talk or communicate with other people. 
But usually you do that in your own language. 
Do you ever get nervous if you have to answer the telephone in another language? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I used to get very nervous if I had to talk on the telephone in something that wasn't English. 
And since I have moved to Taiwan, a lot of people here speak Chinese, and sometimes I get phone calls in Chinese. 
And at first I was very nervous, and I would hand the phone off to one of my friends. 
But now it's OK. 
All right, so you're getting better. 
You're getting used to it. 
I would agree. 
I think that I improve as time goes on. 
And I would also say it depends on who the other person is, who I'm talking to. 
If they are a very important person, I might get a little more nervous. 
Well, you might have this question. 
You might feel nervous sometimes talking on the phone in English. 
Don't worry about it. 
We're going to learn about what you can say in English in today's lesson. 
(Music). 
Answer That Telephone! 
How to say what you need to say on the telephone. 
When the telephone rings and you know you have to answer it in English, do you get nervous? 
Maybe you do because you have to depend only on your ears to understand. 
When you talk to someone in person, you can use body language to help interpret the meaning. 
In reality, though, you don't have to be fluent in English to use the phone. 
Let's try to calm those nerves by looking at some of the verbs you'll hear - or use. 
All right. 
So the lesson title is Answer That Telephone! 
And we see here: How to say what you need to say on the telephone. 
So that's it. 
That's what we're going to be talking about for the next couple of days is learning what you need to say on the telephone. 
That's right. 
And we begin our article. 
When the telephone rings and you know you have to answer it in English, do you get nervous? 
We discussed this a little bit earlier. 
It can make you feel very nervous if you know you must speak a different language when you answer the phone. 
And there's a reason for this, right, Gabe? 
Well, we read here: 
Maybe you do because you have to depend only on your ears to understand. 
Well, why is this a special reason? 
Because usually you have your sight to help you out a little bit. 
Of course communication is 90 percent nonverbal. 
And so if you're talking with somebody, you can kind of see how they're feeling by how they're standing. 
You can... you can pick up on different things if you're talking with them face-to-face. 
But here on the phone, you're just using your ears. 
You're depending only on your ears to understand. 
That's right. 
And we go into that a little bit more in the next sentence. 
When you talk to someone in person or face-to-face, you can use body language to help interpret the meaning. 
So you were talking about those nonverbals, the body gestures, body language. 
It's what motions you do when you're talking, so. 
Lots of people talk with their hands, and it can be very helpful when you're trying to understand what a person is saying. 
Well, I think we need to look at some words from this sentence. 
The first one is a phrase: to do something in person. 
And if you do something in person, we also use the phrase "face-to-face," that means you're not on the phone, it's not over email, you're with the other person. 
That's right. 
So sometimes it is best to do things in person. 
Maybe you want to have an interview for a new job, you have the option of doing an in-person interview or an interview on the phone. 
If you have trouble talking to people on the phone, you may want to go with the in-person interview so that you can be more comfortable. 
That's right, a face-to-face interview. 
Well, it's sometimes more important do things in person. 
Here's my question. 
When is it important to talk about something in person? 
Think about that. 
Talk about it in English with somebody. 
But first, let's talk about this word from our Word Bank: to interpret something. 
If you are interpreting a meaning of some kind, that means you are trying to figure out what something means. 
That's right. 
And usually we use this to talk about two different languages. 
You are interpreting from one language to another to try to understand the meaning - so what the other person is saying. 
Now some people have a profession of being an interpreter, I-N-T-E-R-P-R-E-T-E-R. 
And they are translating, but they're doing it verbally, OK, orally, with their mouth interpreting from one language to another. 
How is interpreting different from translating? 
Well, if you're a translator, you are writing, you're translating from one language to another in writing of some kind. 
That is generally true. 
But here we have the word "interpret." And it's important to understand the other person's meaning. 
Now moving to the next sentence: 
In reality, though, you don't have to be fluent in English to use the phone. 
And I think this is very true. 
You don't need to be fluent - a word from our Word Bank. 
If you are fluent in a language, that means that you have a very high skill level, you are very comfortable speaking that language and you have little difficulty doing it. 
That's right. 
Now these jobs I was talking about earlier, if you're a translator or want to be an interpreter, then of course you need to be fluent in at least two languages. 
So what languages can you speak? 
Well, I know you're fluent in at least one. 
But are you fluent in at least two languages? 
Many of you are here learning with Studio Classroom because you want to be fluent in English. 
Well, keep up the good work. 
That's right. 
We want you to be fluent, too. 
So keep studying here with us. 
And perhaps one day you could have that job as an interpreter and interpret for other people. 
Well, you don't need to be fluent to answer the phone in English, so. 
Let's try to calm those nerves by looking at some of the verbs you'll hear - or use. 
All right. 
We see a phrase here: to calm those nerves. 
That means to relax somehow. 
But I think Liz wants to share more about those words with us in the Grammar Gym. 
And of course, Michelle is with us every day. 
She does a very good job explaining and interpreting the meaning of some things as well. 
So let's go and visit Liz and then Michelle. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We see this statement in today's article: 
Let's try to calm those nerves by looking at some of the verbs you'll hear... 
That's our Grammar Tip focus. 
Today we're looking at the phrase: to calm nerves. 
It just means to make someone feel not so nervous. 
So the writer is inviting readers to take a look at some verbs so as in to not feel so nervous. 
Let's look at some example sentences. 
You can use this phrase to talk about how a person calms himself or herself down, like: 
Before John went to take his test, he listened to some music to calm his nerves. 
You can also use this phrase to talk about helping someone else feel less nervous about something. 
For example: Tony brought Mina a glass of water to calm her nerves. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, you can find them in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.23.B

Today we are talking about Answering That Telephone, how to answer the phone in English, 
and some of the common words or phrases that you will hear or need to use when you are talking or answering the telephone. 
We're going to be getting into that in the next part of our lesson here. 
So far we've already talked about how you do not need to be fluent in English to answer the phone. 
So let's calm those nerves and learn some about what you might hear when you answer the phone. 
(Music). 
Answer That Telephone! 
People use the word call a lot. 
But by adding different prepositions, you get different meanings. 
You can call someone or call someone up to reach them by phone. 
They mean the same thing. 
When someone is not in, you call them back later. 
In England, you phone someone rather than call them. 
Or you phone them up. 
You can also ring or ring up someone. 
So call, phone and ring all mean to use the phone to get in touch with someone. 
Well, these are all great words to know for when you're speaking English on the phone. 
Let's go back to the beginning of this section here. 
We see the sentence: 
People use the word call a lot. 
All right, it's true. 
You make a phone call. 
I need to call my friend. 
But we continue here: 
But by adding different prepositions, you get different meanings. 
That's right. 
And we've got that great word from our Word Bank, the word preposition. 
Now a preposition is a word that usually goes with a noun or a pronoun to tell you the direction or the relationship it has with another part of the sentence. 
So prepositions could be things like at, before, behind, on, below, under. 
Those are all different kinds or different prepositions that you can use with nouns and pronouns. 
That's right, or in, by, with, around. 
There are so many different prepositions. 
OK. Where can you find this thing? 
Well, it's on top of the table or it's under the table. 
It's behind the bush. All right. 
We... we use prepositions all the time in English. 
And there are more than 100 prepositions in English, and they're all very useful. 
And of course you use prepositions with the word call as well. 
That's right. 
And when you do that, you get different meanings. 
We read on: 
You can call someone or call someone up to reach them by phone. 
And they mean the same thing. 
They do mean the same thing. 
"I need to call my friend," "I need to call my friend up," OK, has the same meaning. 
Now we continue. 
When someone is not in, you call them back later. 
But hold on a second. 
In? When someone is not in, what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, here it means that someone was not there when you called them. 
So you know, not everyone has a cellphone or maybe their phone is off or you're trying to call them at the office. 
If they do not answer their phone, that means that they might not be in. 
They aren't there at the place where the phone is. 
All right. 
So if you call, looking for your friend but someone else answers, they would say: 
I'm sorry. Your friend is not in right now, or your friend is not available right now. 
Well, we see here: In England, you phone someone rather than call them or you phone them up. 
So I guess there's a difference between English in England and English in the United States when it comes to making phone calls. 
Yes, there are certainly some differences between American English and British English. 
And you know, that's what Steve and Ken want to tell us about today in the Information Cloud. 
Let's go see them now. 
There was a time when the languages of England and America were spoken and written the same way. 
Well, not anymore. 
For years, linguists have predicted British and American English would one day become mutually unintelligible. 
Well, it's happening. 
So let's take a quick look and see how these two languages are diverging. 
OK. First, pronunciation: No question, very different. 
Second, spelling: Many differences. 
For example, "jail," in America, is spelled J-A-I-L. 
In England, it's spelled G-A-O-L. 
OK. Next is vocabulary. 
"Crisps" in England are chips in America, while "chips" in England are French fries in America. 
Well, you get the idea. 
Words are used differently as we see in today's lesson. 
Right. 
You'll never hear an American using "phone" as a verb. 
OK. 
Other smaller, less obvious differences between American and British English involve grammar, verb usage, punctuation and preposition choice. 
So you can see these two English languages are slowly diverging. 
But right now, at least, the differences aren't really that big. 
However, they are big enough that should you ever do some formal English writing, you'll want to choose one version and stick to it for the sake of consistency. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, it is good to know the difference between U.S. English and English English, or British English. 
Anyway, moving along here: 
You can also ring or ring someone up. 
You can ring someone or ring them up. 
So call, phone and ring all mean to use the phone to get in touch with someone. 
Wow. 
Well, there are so many ways to say that you want to get in touch with someone by using the phone. 
And here we have a great phrase: get in touch. 
So if you get in touch with someone, that means that you contact them. 
Maybe you write them a letter, you send them an email or a text message or you call them on the telephone. 
And it's good to get in touch with people, especially people, good friends or family that you have not talked with in a long time. 
Is there someone that you need to get in touch with, someone that you need to contact? 
I feel that way sometimes, so I recently got in touch with a friend from college. 
I contacted him recently, and soon we will be talking on Skype. 
That's great. 
And there are so many ways that you can get in touch with people. 
Lots of people stay in touch by using Facebook or other social media like that. 
And of course we want you to get in touch with us. 
And you can do that on Facebook as well. 
You can find Studio Classroom there. 
You're right. 
Now Carolyn used some different words here. 
She talked about staying in touch with somebody. 
We can also use another word: to keep in touch. 
Hey, let's keep in touch. 
I don't want to lose touch with you. 
That means I want to stay in contact with you. 
Well, right now it's time for us to get in contact with Michelle. 
She's waiting for us in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
And keep watching as our lesson continues. 
Well, in our lesson today Answer The Telephone, you learned about the word call and how to use the word call or ring or phone to get in touch with somebody. 
But we also talked about how important body language is. 
And if you're talking on the phone with somebody, you can't see their body language. 
You can't tell how they're feeling from their body language. 
All you have is... is their voice. 
You're depending only on their voice. 
So let's play a game. 
Carolyn, how about this, let's... let's pretend we're on the phone. 
OK. We'll play a game on the phone. 
That means... that means you can't see me. 
Oh, OK, I can't... I can't see you. 
OK, good. You can't see me. 
And you have to guess how I'm feeling just by listening to my voice. OK? 
Oh... that sounds kind of difficult, but that's like being on the phone. So, OK. 
OK, good. So our viewers on television, they can see how I'm feeling. 
OK. You can see my body language, all right. 
Hello... here we go. 
Hello, Carolyn. 
Uh... I want to invite you to a party tomorrow night. 
Um, Gabe, you don't sound very excited. 
Are you sure you want me to come to your party? 
Ah, Carolyn, I wish you could see my face. 
I'm really excited about this. 
You don't believe I'm excited? 
Uh, no. Gabe, do you want me to come? 
Well... of course I want you to come, Carolyn! 
Well, Carolyn, do you agree, is body language important? 
I think body language is very important. 
But you know, if you are listening closely, then you know what someone sounds like when they're excited. 
And he did not sound excited! 
It's true. I didn't sound very excited. 
But I was having fun with that little game. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And of course we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. See you. 
(Music).

2013.09.24.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're on the second day of our lesson Answer That Telephone! 
So far we've talked about some words you can use when you're on the telephone and talking to someone in English. 
But hey, let... let's look at that title for a minute. 
To answer a telephone? 
Carolyn, can you answer something like a telephone? 
Did it ask you a question? 
Well, no. The telephone doesn't ask you a question. 
But the telephone does ring when someone is calling you, and you want to answer the person on the other end of the phone. 
All right. 
So we see here that you can use the word "answer," and it means here to act in response to something, not just to a question that someone asks. 
Well, what are some other things that we answer? 
Well, you can answer the phone. 
You can also answer the door. 
If someone knocks on the door, you can open it. 
And that is answering the door. 
OK. Or maybe if someone rings the doorbell, you could answer the doorbell. 
So you're acting in response to something that you hear. 
Well, of course today in our lesson, we're talking about answering the telephone. 
So let's begin right now. 
(Music). 
Answer That Telephone! 
When you are finished with a call, you hang up. 
If you need to interrupt a call for a moment or two, you can ask the other party to hang on or hold on. 
Sometimes when the phone rings, someone may demand that you pick up the phone. 
That's the same thing as answering the phone. 
After your pick up the phone, the person may ask you a question. 
If you don't know the answer, you can promise to get back to them with the answer. 
That means you will find out the information and call them again. 
Well, these are some very good phrases to know when we are talking about answering a telephone. 
So let's go ahead and get started with today's lesson. 
When you are finished with a call, you hang up. 
So you take the phone and you hang it up. 
OK. So those are some other good words for us to know. 
Please hang up the phone. 
Actually you might hear someone say that to you if both of you are on the phone talking to somebody else, 
but they're having a private conversation, they might tell you to hang up the phone. 
Oh. So you can hang up the phone. 
It means that you have finished your call. 
And we say "hang up" the phone because phones before cellphones would hang on the wall, and you would hang the phone up on the wall. 
Ah, very interesting. 
It is good to know the history of these kinds of things in order to understand English even better. 
OK, hanging up the phone. 
We continue here. 
If you need to interrupt a call for a moment or two, you can ask the other party to hang on or hold on. 
That's right. 
And there's a great word in that sentence from our Word Bank: the word "party." Now this is not the kind of party that Gabe was trying to not invite me to yesterday. 
This is a person or a group of people. 
They are considered a party. 
That's right. 
We don't use the word a lot to talk about a person. 
But especially if you're talking on the telephone, 
actually, one definition of the word "party" is someone who is talking on the phone. 
So you can ask the other party to hang on or hold on. 
Another way that we often see this word "party" is if you are at a restaurant and you go and you want to make a reservation, 
the person might ask you, "How many are in your party?" You would tell them, "Oh, we have a party of four." That means we have four people. 
We have a party of 15. 
That means we have 15 people. 
That's right. 
So here we're using "party" to refer to a person and specifically a person on the phone. 
Well, if you need them to wait, you can tell them to please hang on or hold on a moment, "I need to do something." Continuing in the article: 
Sometimes when the phone rings, someone may demand that you pick up the phone. 
All right. Someone might demand. 
And I demand that we look at this word from our Word Bank. 
It's the word uh... demand. 
If you demand something, that means you really want it to happen. 
There's no other option or possibility; you demand that it is done right now. 
That's right. 
So you tell someone to do something; you demand that they do it. 
And the title of our article "Answer That Telephone!" that could be considered a demand because you are telling someone to do a specific action. 
All right. 
Well, what are some other kinds of demands? 
Someone might say: You know, I demand that you apologize. 
You did something wrong. 
I demand an apology. 
I really want that apology. 
So use this word sometime today when you're talking with your friends. 
Well, Carolyn, I demand that you say something now. 
Oh! Well, I will continue reading. 
Thank you. 
I will... I will answer your demand and continue speaking, yes. 
That's the same thing as answering the phone. 
So if someone demands that you pick up the phone, they want you to answer the phone. 
And again, we say pick up not because you need to push a button on your cellphone but because older phones would be on the wall or on a desk, 
and you have to actually pick up the phone to answer it. 
There isn't a button that you push. 
That's right. OK. 
So here we continue. 
After you pick up the phone, the person may ask you a question. 
All right, that's fine. 
Maybe you have an answer. 
You can answer their question. 
But if you don't know the answer, you can promise to get back to them with the answer. 
So to get back to somebody. 
That's right. 
And that means you will find out the information and call them again. 
So if you're going to get back to someone, first, you will find the answer to their question. 
And then you will call them back. 
All right. 
Well, hey, let's do a little quiz right now. 
I have... I have a little quiz for you. 
I want to see if you know the difference between these words. 
Carolyn, you can give me the correct answer here. 
Oh, OK. 
All right. 
If I'm on the phone and I need to interrupt the phone call, do I say please hang on or please hang up? 
Oh, you should say please hang on. 
Don't hang up. 
If you hang up, then your call is over. 
You want the person to hang on and wait. 
That's right. OK. 
So these words can be confusing, but I hope you know how to use them in the right way. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
In today's lesson we read the word "you" almost 20 times. 
Imagine if it were spelled y-u. 
Well, it sounds crazy but it nearly happened. 
At various times in history, people have made attempts to reform English spelling. 
Why? 
Well, they simply wanted their words to look the way they were pronounced. 
At the top of everyone's list were words that ended in GH. 
The spelling of the word "laugh" was to become the more phonetically correct l-a-f-f. 
And the spelling of "through" would be simplified to t-h-r-u. 
There were hundreds of other words in the crosshairs too, including you and philosophy. 
Now imagine seeing that word spelled f-i-l-o-s-o-f-y. 
The biggest push for spelling reform came in the 1800s. 
Maybe you'll recognize some of these influential people who've invested considerable time, energy and money to simplify English spelling. 
OK. We have British naturalist Charles Darwin and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes. 
American President Theodore Roosevelt and industrialist, philanthropist Andrew Carnegie who gave huge sums of money to establish the Simplified Spelling Board. 
Well, Carnegie's Spelling Board began to languish around the time of World War I, but spelling reform still is a hot topic. 
Perhaps someday we will spell "you" Y-U after all. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.24.B

In our lesson called "Answer That Telephone!" we're learning some useful phrases that you can use when you're on the phone talking in English. 
Well, one of these phrases that you can use is to hang up the phone. 
If you're finished with a call, you hang up the phone. 
But if you are just needing to interrupt your phone call, you could tell the other party to hang on or to hold on. 
And then you'll continue talking in a minute. 
Another thing that you could do is demand that someone pick up the phone. 
That's another way for saying you answer the phone. 
So there are many things we can use, many phrases to know when you're talking on the phone in English. 
Right now let's continue our lesson. 
(Music). 
Answer That Telephone! 
If you are calling a business, sometimes you can't reach the person you wish to talk to. 
Then you can say, "I couldn't get through." Or a receptionist may answer the phone and say they will put you through to your party. 
Or, if the person is not available, you will be put through to voice mail. 
By learning these phrases, you will find that answering the phone in English won't be so nerve-wracking. 
(Music). 
That's right. 
We want to calm your nerves, so. 
Let's go back and talk some more about these very useful phrases. 
If you are calling a business, sometimes you can't reach the person you wish to talk to. 
And it's true. 
Sometimes the person that you want to talk to isn't in; they aren't there. 
And so you can't reach them. 
Another... that's another word for not being able to get in contact with. 
You can't get in touch with that person. 
So we continue here. 
Then you can say, "I couldn't get through." All right. That's a good phrase to know. 
I can't get through to that person. 
That's right. 
So you could use that if the line is busy. 
If someone is already talking on the phone and you hear a... busy signal, you can't get through. 
Or, if the person just doesn't answer the phone, you could also say I couldn't get through. 
OK. Well, we see another situation here. 
Or a receptionist may answer the phone and say they will put you through to your party. 
There are some good things to learn from this sentence. 
The first is our key word "receptionist." That is someone who works at a company or an office receiving visitors and answering phone calls. 
What else does a receptionist do? 
Well, maybe you want to be a receptionist someday. 
That's right. 
So the receptionist will usually sit at a front desk so that when people come into the office, 
they can greet them and tell them where they need to go so that they can find the person they want to meet with. 
Also, if you call the business, the receptionist will answer the phone and put you through to the person you want to talk to and to put you through to your party. 
You remember the word "party" just means a person. 
All right. So this is a great phrase to know: to put you through. 
I'm sorry. Well, who do you want to talk to? 
Ah, yes, I can put you through to him right now. 
Or, if the person is not available, you will be put through to voice mail. 
And voice mail is another word from our word list, so let's look at that as well. 
Voice mail is a computerized system that allows you to record a message or to listen to a message that has been recorded on your phone. 
It's kind of like an answering machine, but it's actually a part of your phone, not something separate. 
And so if you are using your smartphone or your cellphone, then maybe you can check your voice mail. 
I often use that phrase. 
I need to check my voice mail. 
I need to see if there's anything in my voice mail box. OK. 
So here we're talking about being put through to voice mail. 
A receptionist might put you through to somebody or you will be put through to someone's voice mail. 
And then you can leave them a message, and they can get back to you or get in touch with you later. 
Now, by learning these phrases, you will find that answering the phone in English won't be so nerve-wracking. 
And it's true. 
These phrases will be very helpful when you answer the phone in English. 
OK. You will find or you will discover that answering the phone isn't so nerve-wracking. 
Well, what does it mean to be nerve-wracking, Carolyn? 
Well, if something is nerve-wracking, then it makes you very, very nervous. 
And oh, to wrack something means to have a lot of it, and it gets more and more and more. 
And talking in another language on the phone can be very nerve-wracking. 
But don't worry. 
Just remember these helpful phrases. 
Yes, that's right. 
Well, this word nerve-wracking actually can be spelled another way. 
You see a "W" in that word. 
You could also spell it without the W. 
It's correct either way. 
Nerve-wracking or nerve-racking. 
They both sound the same but spelled differently. 
Right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Are you OK? 
I'm... I'm very nervous. 
Why? Is there a problem? 
Hmm... Yes. 
(Background Noise). 
That's... that's the problem! 
No. That's just the phone ringing. 
Well? Aren't you going to answer it? 
No. I might have to answer it in... in English... and I can't. 
Good! It stopped ringing. 
Don't worry. 
Your English is great. 
You're talking to me. 
Yes. But I depend on body language. 
On the phone, I have to depend on my ears. 
Just calm your nerves. 
Hey, maybe I can help you. 
Oh, will you answer the phone for me? 
Uh, no. 
But I can help you know what to say. 
Oh... OK. 
What if someone calls for a person that is not in the office? 
Just say he's not in. 
He's not in. 
OK. Uh, what if I need to interrupt a call? 
Oh. Ask the other party to hang on. 
Hang on. 
Or hold on. 
Hold on. 
What if someone has a question but I don't know the answer? 
Promise you'll get back to them. 
Oh... I'll get back to you. 
OK. Um... what if I can't reach the person who the call is for? 
Tell the other caller you can't get through. 
I can't get through. 
That's a lot to remember. 
I know. 
But learn these phrases, and answering the phone won't be so nerve-wracking. 
(Background Noise). 
Hello. He's not in. 
Hold on. 
I'll get back to you. 
I can't get through. 
Goodbye. 
Yeah, that was easy. 
Yeah. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And it's time to go back to our teachers now. 
Well, we've learned some really wonderful phrases the past two days in our lesson Answer That Telephone! 
And I wonder how much you remember from our lesson. 
So Gabe, I'm going to give you a little quiz. 
Uh-oh. 
I love quizzes. 
OK. What's your quiz? 
Well, don't be nervous. 
This is not a nerve-wracking quiz. 
It's just... Uh, let's start with a true or false. 
OK. 
OK, so. 
True or false? You need to be fluent in English to answer the telephone. 
You need to be... No. 
No! No, Carolyn, that's false. 
That is false. 
Why, Gabe? 
Because you don't need to know everything about another language to answer the phone. 
You just need to know a few common verbs and phrases, phrases like the ones we talked about in our lesson. 
Well, that is correct, Gabe. 
OK, another question. 
Bring it on. 
What should go in the blank? 
Gabe, the phone won't stop ringing, could you please... 
Receptionist! 
No, not receptionist, Gabe. 
Could you... 
Could you please pick it up? 
Yes! Could you please pick it up? 
Yes, I will. 
Thank you, Gabe. 
Well, it is the end of our lesson today. 
I hope you did well on this quiz. 
And we will see you next time on Studio Classroom. See you then. 
(Music).

2013.09.25.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're talking about The History of Pencils in our lesson today. 
And I don't know about you, but I didn't know about the history of pencils before I read this lesson. 
But pencils go way back into history. 
It is a very interesting lesson. 
But I do wonder about the many different kinds of things today that people use to write. 
I know that I often write with pens. 
What's something else that people write with, Carolyn? 
Well, pens are very popular for writing. 
But you know, many teachers in schools, they might have a whiteboard. 
And if they have a whiteboard, they could use markers. 
Or, if they have a blackboard, chalk. 
All right, so pens, markers, chalk. 
I think some people like to even paint. 
They're artistic when they write. 
So they might paint with some kind of paint. 
You know what? You can even write with coins. 
Have you ever noticed that if you take a coin and put it against a wall, it makes a little mark? 
Well, you want to be careful, though. 
Don't mark up the wall. 
Yeah... don't do that. 
But uh... but hey, I noticed that you can write with a lot of different kinds of things. 
Today we're talking about The History of Pencils, so let's get started. 
The History of Pencils. 
A truly international writing instrument. 
Pencils, pencils, everywhere! 
Most of us have so many of them that we take them for granted. 
But these common writing tools have a long and interesting history. 
It started in Rome. 
The first example of a pencil-type instrument probably came from ancient Rome. 
There, a thin piece of metal was used to scratch words onto an early form of paper. 
Long, skinny pieces of lead were also used to make marks on the page. 
But writers had to wait until the 16th century for a much better writing instrument. 
Well, I'm very thankful for the writing instrument that we call the pencil today. 
Let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here. 
We read: A truly international writing instrument. 
So this is something that is used around the world. 
Now let's take a look at the word "instrument" real quickly here. 
Carolyn, I usually think of a musical instrument when I hear the word instrument. 
Well, I think that is what most people think of. 
But instrument just means a tool. 
And here we are talking about a tool that you use for writing, a writing instrument. 
You might also have a medical instrument, a tool that a doctor uses. 
Or maybe you're a scientist, and you have lots of different kinds of science instruments. 
Uh, you know what? 
Many tools can be described as instruments. 
But if you're eating with something like a fork or knife or spoon, we would call that a utensil, a little bit different. 
U-T-E-N-S-I-L. 
But here we're talking about the writing instrument, the pencil. 
And it does have an international history. 
It does. And at the beginning we see: 
Pencils, pencils, everywhere! 
And pencils are everywhere! 
They are. 
So most of us have so many of them that we take them for granted. 
Well, I think this is a great phrase to know, and it's from our Word Bank: to take something for granted. 
What do you take for granted? 
Well, if you take it for granted, that means you use it, maybe you use it often, 
but you don't really think about where it came from, and you don't even think to really appreciate it, you just use it. 
That's right. 
And so many people today might take the Internet for granted. 
They don't realize that the Internet is actually kind of new. 
It hasn't been around that long. 
But they've grown up with it, they can't imagine life without it. 
You might also take a friendship for granted. 
It means that you really don't think about how valuable that person is in your life. 
Don't take your friends for granted. 
That's right, or your family, for that matter. 
I think most people take their parents for granted up until a certain age. 
And then you realize: Wow! My parents really did a lot for me. 
I can't take them for granted. 
So show your appreciation. 
Well, we're continuing to learn about pencils here. 
Don't take them for granted. 
But these common writing tools have a long and interesting history. 
So Carolyn, let's get started with the history. 
Yes. It started in Rome. 
The first example of a pencil-type instrument probably came from ancient Rome. 
And we learn there that there, a thin piece of metal was used to scratch words onto an early form of paper. 
All right. 
Well, this came from Rome. 
It makes me think of the phrase "All roads lead to Rome." Rome influenced a lot of history, 
a lot of different things around the world and of course, even the pencil. 
Let's take a look at a word from our Word Bank. 
It is the word "scratch" here. 
A piece of metal was used to scratch words on an early form of paper. 
When you scratch something, that means it's maybe kind of rough, it's not really smooth, but you can use something to scratch words on a piece of paper. 
Yes. So they were marking the surface of this paper with something - a thin piece of metal. 
So you can scratch words out. 
And actually, we even continue to use that to describe writing by hand. 
Oh, let me just take a piece of paper and scratch out what you said - just to write very quickly. 
That's true. 
And actually, even when we're not using pencils, but when we go to a place, maybe... maybe inside of a cave or on the wall, 
you could even see some people who have scratched their names into the rock. 
So we still use this word. 
But usually I use the word "scratch" when I'm talking about having an itch on my body and I want to scratch it. 
And of course people tell you: Don't scratch it. 
That will only make it worse. 
Yes, Gabe. Don't scratch. 
Right. 
Now... well, continuing on in the reading: 
Long, skinny pieces of lead were also used to make marks on the page. 
So not just pieces of metal but also pieces of lead. 
OK, so pieces of metal, pieces of lead. 
And we continue. 
But writers had to wait until the 16th century for a much better writing instrument. 
So we were talking about ancient Rome, a long time ago, many, many centuries ago. 
But the 16th century, that was only four or five centuries ago. 
So they had to write until then... wait until then for a better writing instrument. 
They did. 
But we don't have to wait too long to join Michelle in the Language Lab and learn something new with her. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.25.B

Today we have a great lesson on The History of Pencils. 
Many of us have so many pencils lying around that we take them for granted. 
We don't really think about how important they are in our lives. 
Now we learn today that the pencil probably started in Rome. 
At least an early form of a writing instrument made out of metal or even a piece of lead was started in Rome. 
But the pencil continues to improve; writing instruments get better in England. 
Let's read about that now. 
The History of Pencils. 
England's find. 
Around 1564 a huge deposit of graphite was discovered near Cumbria, England. 
The solid graphite was mistakenly considered to be a type of lead. 
Locals happily realized it provided a perfect way to mark their sheep. 
The graphite was also easily sawed into sticks but was very soft. 
People tried wrapping them in string or other materials to provide a covering. 
But then a couple from Italy thought of a better idea. 
Well, what is that better idea? 
We'll learn more about that in tomorrow's lesson. 
But for now, let's go back to England's find. 
We see that heading there "England's find." Carolyn, usually I... I use the word "find" as a verb. 
When you're looking for something, and you find it. 
But what does this mean? 
Well, here it is something that they found. 
It is the thing that they discovered, so "England's find," or maybe even an invention, something great that they have found. 
OK, so this word can be a noun. 
Well, around 1564 a huge deposit of graphite was discovered near Cumbria, England. 
Hmm, I wonder what they would do with this. 
Let's take a look at that word "deposit," a deposit of something. 
That means there was a lot of something in one place, a deposit. 
That's right, a large amount of something. 
And here they're talking about something natural that was in the soil, in the ground or in a rock. 
A lot of people look for gold deposits or diamond deposits, an area that has a large amount of those metals or resources, the gems. 
Well, let me tell you, Carolyn, you will not find a large gold or diamond deposit in my bank account. 
But it's... it's true, we sometimes use the word "deposit" to talk about what you do at a bank as well. 
It can be a verb. 
You can deposit your money into the bank or into your bank account. 
Well, we're continuing here. 
There was a deposit of graphite, and it was discovered here. 
So graphite is another kind of material. 
That's right. 
And this is a very special kind of material that is used in pencils. 
Now we read on. 
The solid graphite was mistakenly considered to be a type of lead. 
And as we read before, in Rome, lead was sometimes used for writing. 
So what did they do with this lead, or graphite? 
OK. Well, locals happily realized it provided a perfect way to mark their sheep. 
So to answer your question, they used this graphite, they thought it was lead, they used the graphite to mark their sheep. 
Well, that's a creative thing to use with graphite. 
It is a very interesting way to use it, an interesting thing to write on your sheep. 
But they wanted to make sure that they knew whose sheep was whose and how many they had. 
Well, I think that Steve and Ken have something they would like to share with us about sheep. 
It's become something of a tradition here that whenever a lesson mentions an animal, that animal is featured in Info Cloud. 
So let's carry on the tradition today and talk about the sheep. 
Now there are lots of things we can talk about when it comes to the sheep, but why don't we talk about the difference between sheep and goats? 
OK. If we look at the words themselves, the biggest difference between sheep and goat is that sheep is uncountable and goat is countable. 
And on the menu, there is also a difference. 
It's not very common to eat goat meat. 
Usually we eat lamb, which is the meat of young sheep. 
Some people prefer mutton. 
And that's the meat from an older sheep. 
It has a much stronger flavor than lamb, but it's not very popular in North America. 
An adult male sheep is called a ram, and a female is called a ewe, E-W-E. 
Which are both raised for wool and eating. 
But goats are usually used for milk. 
And from goat milk, we get really, really delicious cheese. 
And what are goat adults called? 
An adult male goat is called a billy goat, and a female is called a nanny. 
Hmm, you learn something new every day. 
(Chinese). 
Sheep go to heaven... 
Oh! Thank you very much, gentlemen. 
That was wonderful. 
You know, I used to have a nanny. 
Well, let's continue learning about this. 
The graphite was also easily sawed into sticks but was very soft. 
So people discovered graphite and that you could use it to mark sheep. 
But it's also a very soft material. 
It is. 
And if you touch the graphite that is in your pencil, it will probably get on your hands. 
It's quite soft and easy to break. 
Now people tried wrapping them in string or other materials to provide a covering. 
So they didn't want the graphite to be on their hands, they tried to wrap it. 
And let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: wrap. 
Now when I see this word, I think of wrapping a present. 
So you cover it with something else. 
Maybe you cover it with paper or other materials. 
But you can use this word to talk about lots of things that are wrapped. 
There are some foods that are wrapped, right? 
Anytime you have sushi or sometimes there'll be the seaweed that's wrapped around the rice and other things on the inside. 
Or like a (Chinese). 
Sometimes people call that a rice wrap because it's wrapped with bamboo leaves. 
That's right. 
And the rice is inside. 
So the rice is wrapped by the leaves. 
Now they were still trying to find a covering for this graphite so that it wouldn't be all over their hands since it's so soft. 
Continuing: 
But then a couple from Italy thought of a better idea. 
So a better idea than string or some of these other materials. 
And of course we will find out more about this couple from Italy in the next part of our lesson. 
But I wanted to talk about something here from today's lesson. 
You know, often when I'm talking about pencils, I'll hear it referred to as a lead pencil. 
Do you ever hear that phrase, Carolyn? 
Actually, I used to say that all the time. 
Oh, my pencil is out of lead. 
I need to go buy some more. 
Or, oh, I broke the lead on my pencil. 
But actually it's graphite, not lead. 
That's right. 
The stuff we use today is graphite. 
But now I understand why we sometimes call them lead pencils because people used to use lead for writing more. 
Well, it's time for us now to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Actually, first, we have a special review skit, and then we'll join Michelle. 
Look, it's a pencil! 
You love pencils? 
I love pencils! 
But pencils are everywhere. 
You're right. 
Most of us have so many of them that we take them for granted. 
Yeah. They're so common. 
They're nothing special. 
Actually these common writing tools have a long and interesting history. 
Pencils? You're kidding. 
No. The first example of a pencil-type instrument probably came from ancient Rome. 
Ancient Rome? 
Yes. A thin piece of metal was used to scratch words onto an early form of paper. 
That's a lot of work. 
Long, skinny pieces of lead were also used to make marks on a page. 
Whoo, that's not convenient. 
Not until the 16th century did a better writing instrument come along. 
Finally. 
Around 1564 a huge deposit of graphite was discovered in England. 
Graphite? 
Yes. It was mistakenly considered lead, but actually it was graphite. 
So what did they do with it? 
Well, at first, they used it to mark their sheep. 
It was perfect. 
And then? 
And then they sawed it into sticks, but the graphite was very soft. 
So what did they do? 
They wrapped it with string and other materials. 
To provide a covering? 
That's right. 
Finally, a couple from Italy thought of a better idea. 
Using wooden sticks? 
Yes! And the rest is history. 
The history of the pencil... Wow! 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's return to our teachers now. 
Well, we learned about a bit of The History of the Pencil today. 
We learned how it started in ancient Rome, and of course that people in England found something different, a deposit of graphite. 
So we're learning all about the pencil, which we love to use today. 
And sometimes we forget about the eraser - the pencil's very close friend. 
Do you know anything about the eraser, Carolyn? 
Well, actually there's a very interesting sidebar in your magazine. 
And it is about how the eraser became rubber. 
Originally people in England used bread to erase their mistakes. 
What?! 
And one day an engineer discovered that he could used rubber instead by mistake. 
Well, it's very interesting learning about the history of some of these things. 
And of course, we have more to learn tomorrow. 
So do come back. 
We'll see you right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.09.26.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today, especially as we learn to talk about The History of Pencils. 
We're continuing to learn about The History of Pencils. 
And so far we know that it has a very international background. 
Many countries have been involved and many places have been involved in the development of the pencil. 
We learned about Rome and England. 
And today we'll learn a little bit about Italy. 
But I wonder, why do pencils have such an international history? 
What do you think, Carolyn? 
Well, I think it probably has to do with people want to be able to write down their thoughts. 
They want to be able to express ideas to other people without speaking because maybe that person is not in the same place as them, like you need to write a letter. 
Or maybe you have trouble remembering something and you need to make a to-do list. 
All right. That's not a bad idea. 
Well, an international history for pencils, I mean, I... I think that many countries are different; things set every country apart. 
But one thing is sure that everyone has in common - and that is that people like to communicate, just like Carolyn said, to express ourselves. 
And the written word is very powerful. 
So of course this instrument would have an international history. 
Let's get started continuing to learn about The History of Pencils. 
The History of Pencils. 
Italian and German changes. 
The Italian couple hollowed out a wooden stick and then placed a graphite stick inside it. 
This created a wooden holder for the graphite. 
In the late 1500s, someone in Germany glued two wooden halves together around a graphite stick. 
The concept is still used today. 
German improvements. 
In 1839 Germany's Lothar von Faber devised a way to make graphite sticks all the same width. 
He also invented a machine to cut the pencil wood. 
We are making a lot of progress in learning about The History of Pencils. 
And here in this section we see Itanlian and German changes. 
So we'll be learning a little bit more about the international history of the pencil. 
How do we begin this section, Gabe? 
OK. Well, we were talking or beginning to learn about an Italian couple in yesterday's lesson. 
So the Italian couple hollowed out a wooden stick and then placed a graphite stick inside it. 
OK. So when you hollow out something, that means you make it empty inside. 
If something is hollow (that's an adjective), if it's hollow, that means it's empty on the inside like uh... like one of my favorite vegetables - (Chinese). 
It even has a name that means hollow. 
That's right. It means hollow vegetable. 
Well, this Italian couple hollowed out a wooden stick. 
Now this sounds very similar to our modern pencil - it's graphite inside a wooden stick. 
But continuing: 
This created a wooden holder for the graphite. 
So this was probably a better way to cover or wrap the graphite than using string. 
I think so. 
It's a nice way to wrap it. 
Well, in the late 1500s someone in Germany glued two wooden halves together around a graphite stick. 
So this is being creative as well. 
They're trying to figure out a better way to make a pencil or a pencil that people can use easily. 
They glued these two wooden halves together. 
That's kind of like a prototype for this kind of pencil. 
That's right. 
And this sounds like a very good idea. 
And we learn in the next sentence: 
The concept is still used today. 
And that word from our Word Bank will help us to understand this sentence. 
If you have a concept, then you have an idea of something or you understand something. 
That's right. 
You might have an idea for an invention, something that you want to make. 
Like this pencil, you have a concept for it. 
Well, if you do have a concept, then don't just let it sit in your mind. 
Do something about it. 
Maybe make a plan for it, draw it out so that other people can see your idea and can understand this concept as well. 
So a concept could be something new that no one has thought of before. 
Or it could be a very common idea that people think about all the time or they are aware of, they know about it, 
like the concept of how to make a pencil or the concept of the wheel. 
That has been around for a very long time. 
All right, the concept of the wheel. 
Of course you see wheels all over the place. 
What about concepts used for language learning? 
Well, of course repetition is a very important concept. 
If you want to learn any kind of language, then you need to hear something repeated or maybe see it again and again. 
That's a good language-learning concept. 
That's right. 
So here we're talking about the way that people make pencils. 
And here we were talking about in Germany where someone took two wooden halves and glued them together with a piece of graphite in between. 
And that is still very similar to how we make pencils today. 
That's right. 
Well, of course there have been improvements throughout history, and one of them happened in Germany. 
So we're talking here about German improvements. 
We read: In 1839 Germany's Lothar von Faber devised a way to make graphite sticks all the same width. 
OK. Well, this is a great improvement in the technology of the pencil - to make everything the same. 
Well, that is a very good idea. 
And this is something that he "devised" - a word from our Word Bank. 
Let's look at that. 
If you devise something, then you invent a way to do something. 
So he devised a way to make pencils all the same width or to make the graphite sticks inside the pencils the same size. 
And I also use the word "devise" to talk about maybe having a plan or coming up with a plan. 
You could talk about devising a plan so that you know what you will do. 
OK. You're creating it. 
But this word can also be a noun, which means tool, a device, something that you use. 
It can be very useful. 
That's right. 
But there is a little bit of a difference in the pronunciation of those two words. 
Devise is the verb, and device is the noun. 
And actually, device, the noun, is spelled with a C, D-E-V-I-C-E. OK. 
You can devise a device to use. 
And of course, we're talking about how people devised this pencil, this... international instrument that we use every day. 
That's right. 
And we learn a little bit more about von Faber. 
He... he also invented a machine to cut the pencil wood. 
So not just trying to make the graphite the same size but also a way to cut the pencil wood to make it easier and work with that size of graphite. 
Well, it seems like uh, Lothar von Faber's mission in life was very productive. 
It seems like he gave us something that we can use every day. 
I'm very grateful for him. 
I don't take him for granted. 
Right now it's time for us to go and see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Let's not take her for granted, either. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.26.B

So far in today's lesson about The History of Pencils, we've been learning about the Italian and German contributions to the pencil, to what we have today as a pencil. 
Of course there was an Italian couple there who hollowed out a wooden stick and then placed graphite inside of it. 
And in Germany, later two halves of wood were put together around graphite. 
And that concept is still with us today. 
But of course, there was a very important man, Lothar von Faber. 
And he had an idea that we still use today as well to make pencils the same width. 
Well, let's continue learning about how other countries contributed. 
Let's go to the second part of our lesson right now. 
The History of Pencils. 
American production. 
By the late 1860s in America, pencils were in great demand. 
American companies began designing machines to mass-produce them. 
It helped meet the need and cut the cost of pencils by 50 percent. 
Japanese ideas. 
Several people are said to be responsible for inventing the mechanical pencil. 
In 1915, however, Japan's Tokuji Hayakawa created a mechanical pencil similar to the one used now. 
Today both kinds of pencils are very popular with the wooden pencil being number one. 
More than 6 billion wooden pencils are manufactured in 40 different countries each year. 
Wow! That is a lot of pencils. 
But before we talk about that, let's go to the beginning of this section and learn some more about American production. 
By the late 1860s in America, pencils were in great demand. 
So everyone wanted a pencil, Gabe. 
That's right. They were in great demand. 
Let's look at that phrase from our Word Bank. 
If something is in demand, that means lots of people are demanding it, or lots of people want it. 
They want to see more of it. 
That's right. 
So it's very popular. 
And pencils were very popular at this time. 
Something that is in great demand or in high demand now would be smartphones. 
It seems like everyone wants to have a smartphone or a tablet or other pieces of technology. 
I would have to agree with you, Carolyn. 
Lots of people think smartphones are wonderful. 
I do, too. 
And I think that, Carolyn, you should have a smartphone. 
They're in great demand. 
They are in great demand. 
I will think about that one, Gabe. But... 
You know what? People can also be in great demand sometimes. 
I mean, we talk about things that are in great demand, but maybe there's someone who's really famous - a pop singer. 
And they're in high demand all around the world. 
That's right. 
So many people want to watch that person perform. 
Well, here we are talking about pencils. 
And in America during the late 1860s pencils were in great demand. 
American companies began designing machines to mass-produce them. 
And what does it mean if you mass-produce something? 
That means you create a lot of them, especially all at one time or really close together. 
You mass-produced something. 
So we're talking about mass-producing pencils here. 
And it helped meet the need and cut the cost of pencils by 50 percent, which is quite a lot. 
It cuts it in half... cuts the cost in half. 
That's right. 
And that is a great phrase that we can talk about: to cut the cost. 
If you cut the cost of something, then it means that it will be cheaper. 
You cut it. 
That's right. 
So when you cut the cost, maybe you talk about cutting the cost of production somewhere. 
And some companies need to do that. 
They need to cut the cost of production because it costs a lot to make something. 
Figure out a way where you can cut the cost. 
A question that your boss might ask is "How can we cut costs?" Well, maybe that's what they're asking about pencils. 
And they figured out a way to cut the cost by 50 percent. 
And that is a word from our Word Bank, the word "percent." Now if you have a percent, that means it's just part of the total or part of the whole. 
Fifty percent would be half. 
Fifty is half. OK. 
So what's 100 percent? 
Well, that's the whole thing. 
I think you know what this word means. 
But it also has another form, maybe the word "percentage." P-E-R-C-E-N-T-A-G-E. 
You might talk about the percentage of something. 
So 50 percent, that's about half. OK. 
Well, when do we continue learning about? 
What country contributed to the pencil? 
Well, we're going to talk about Japan. 
But first, we should go see what Liz has to say about another great phrase in this sentence in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this statement: 
It helped meet the need... 
Our Grammar Tip focus today is on the phrase: to meet the need. 
It means to satisfy the need. 
We use this phrase "to meet a need" or "to meet the need" when we want to talk about solving or taking care of a problem. 
For example: 
The school encourages students to volunteer and help meet the different needs in the community. 
Or: After a natural disaster strikes, relief organizations will send helpers to meet the different needs of the disaster victims. 
If you want to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, let's continue learning about Japanese ideas now. 
Of course the Japanese do have a lot of ideas when it comes to inventing things. 
We read here "Several people are said to be responsible for inventing the mechanical pencil." OK. 
Lots of people maybe had the idea. 
But Japanese, of course, invented this, or they had a big help in inventing this. 
Let's talk about the word "mechanical." If something is mechanical, it has to do with machines somehow. 
But here we're not talking about machines. 
Carolyn, what's a mechanical pencil? 
Well, mechanical just means that there are moving parts that connect and work together. 
And a mechanical pencil is just that. 
Instead of having a wooden pencil that you need to sharpen, you have a mechanical pencil where you push on the end or on some sort of button, 
and parts move together and push more lead toward the front. 
Well, I often see the word "mechanical" when I hear the word mechanical engineering. 
Maybe someone want to study how to become a mechanical engineer. 
But of course, here we're talking about mechanical pencils which have graphite or lead. 
We often call them lead pencils; of course they do usually have graphite. 
We continue reading here. 
In 1915, however, Japan's Tokuji Hayakawa created a mechanical pencil similar to the one used now. 
Well, he had a very great idea with the mechanical pencil. 
And today both kinds of pencils are very popular with the wooden pencil being number one. 
So there are still more wooden pencils than mechanical pencils. 
And more than 6 billion wooden pencils are manufactured in 40 different countries each year. 
That's a lot of pencils. 
Yes, it is. 
That's what's happening now. 
And we see this word, "today both kinds of pencils..." at the end of the previous sentence: similar to the one used now. 
So now and today, of course, you can use those both in the same way. 
Right now, today, it's time for us to continue learning with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll go to the Language Lab. 
Now that we've learned all about pencils, let's take a look at the word "pencil" used as a verb. 
Ken, I'll pencil you in for Monday at 10 o'clock. 
And I'll do likewise, Steve. 
Friends, if you want to arrange for something to happen or for someone to do something and you know that it may have to be changed later, 
then you can pencil in the event the or person on your calendar. 
Right. 
The idea is that when you write with a pencil, you can always erase what you write. 
It's just a tentative arrangement. 
So you'd have to confirm it later. 
This is a good phrase to use for people who are busy. 
Two people may pencil in a date with the understanding that one of them may have to rebook the appointment if something urgent comes up. 
Now you don't have to use an actual pencil when you pencil something in. 
You could still say "I'll pencil you in" in a figurative sense even if you're using a computer. 
That's right. 
The point is that it is a tentative arrangement until it has been confirmed. 
The actual device you use - a pencil, pen, chalk, reminder on your cellphone or computer - is not crucial to the meaning. 
(Chinese). 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
Well, we have learned a lot about The History of Pencils in our lesson the past two days. 
But what about the future of pencils? 
Gabe, what do you think of the pencil's future? 
Hmm, I think that we will use pencils for a long time in the future because we still need to write notes. 
And we have Post-it notes, so if we don't use pencils, then, um, maybe we won't write these notes and we won't have to-do lists. 
Well, that is a good point. 
But I do think pencils will stay pretty popular despite the growing use of technology. 
Well, I hope that you have learned something new about pencils here on Studio Classroom. 
I do. 
And we will see you next time. 
See you later. 
(Music).

2013.09.27.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And thank you for joining us for today's lesson called Customer Troubles. 
Of course we've been joining Ben and his Uncle Bob as they are discussing how to help Ben's business, his and Sandy's business. 
And of course in any business, if you have customers, you might come across some customers who are a little bit difficult to work with. 
That's what we're going to be talking and learning about in this lesson Customer Troubles. 
Well, I do wonder, have you ever felt maybe cheated in some business deals where you were trying to sell something, 
or maybe you wanted to buy something and you felt cheated? 
Maybe it wasn't worth the trouble. 
Carolyn? 
Well, there was one time that I was at a fruit market and you know, you can negotiate the prices, you can discuss the prices and haggle a little bit. 
Well, this man wanted to sell me some very ripe bananas for NT$80. 
Wow! 
OK, very ripe bananas. 
Is that expensive or cheap? 
That is very expensive for bananas. 
Yeah. Yeah, it is. 
You know, my friend, uh, was in China. 
They were on the Great Wall of China, and he bought a scroll for RMB$200. 
And he found the same one somewhere else for RMB$20. 
So of course, he felt a little bit cheated. 
Well, there are many ways you might feel cheated in business deals. 
And I think every country has this problem. 
And at every business deal, you want to try to be fair and honest. 
Let's get started with today's lesson Customer Troubles. 
(Music). 
Customer Troubles. 
Negotiating skills are an important part of customer service. 
Hey, Uncle Bob. 
Hi, Ben. 
How's business? 
OK, but I'm having trouble with some customers. 
What kind? 
I feel like they are taking advantage of me. 
I keep getting pushed into doing more work for less pay. 
Give me an example. 
OK. 
When I give one of my customers a price quote for a job, he'll agree to the price. 
But then when we're about to sign the contract, he'll say something like "Technical support is part of this package, right?". 
So what do you do? 
All right. 
Let's go to the top of this lesson. 
We read: Negotiating skills are an important part of customer service. 
So we're talking about negotiating skills, the skill of negotiating with people. 
This is an important part of serving your customers. 
It is. It's very important to be able to talk to them, to be able to discuss prices and services, so. 
It is a very important part. 
And this month Ben Johnson needs Uncle Bob's help to deal with customers who want too much for too little. 
All right. 
They want too many things, too much, uh, maybe in the way of services, for too little money. 
They don't want to pay that much for these services. 
Of course you could turn that phrase around, right, Carolyn? 
You could also say you're asking too little for too much. 
That's right. 
So you could do it the other way as well. 
Usually when I hear this phrase, it's too little and there's just too much. 
So you can reverse them. 
All right. 
Well, let's get started with this conversation. 
I'll be Ben for today. 
Ben says: Hey, Uncle Bob. 
Hmm. Uh, hi, Ben. 
How's business? 
OK, but I'm having trouble with some customers. 
Well, hey, I want to talk about that phrase there. 
When you're having trouble with something, that means it's giving you problems. 
You could say I'm having trouble with my homework. 
My car is giving me some problems. 
I'm having trouble with my car. 
And it seems like Ben is having some trouble with some customers. 
These are some difficult customers. 
We talked before about difficult workers. 
Well, here are some difficult customers. 
And Uncle Bob has a question for you, Ben. 
What kind? 
Hmm... what kind of trouble? 
Well, I feel like they are taking advantage of me. 
I keep getting pushed into doing more work for less pay. 
Oh, that's great. 
There are some words there that we can talk about, Ben. 
Now, "getting pushed into something" - that is from our Word Bank. 
And if you are pushed into doing something or you push someone into doing something, that means that they have to do it. 
They are forced to do it and don't really have a choice. 
That's right. 
Maybe they're pressured to do something. 
You could say... well, actually I would encourage you: Don't let your friends push you into doing something that is not wise. 
Or don't let your friends push you into making bad decisions for your life. 
Of course it's easy to listen to your friends and to want to please them. 
But sometimes they might push you into doing something you shouldn't do. 
That is true. 
They might also try to take advantage of you, or other people might try to take advantage of you. 
And that is a phrase that we had learned before in one of our POINT OF VIEW lessons. 
A girl's friend Veronica seemed to be taking advantage of her and telling secrets. 
Well, we want to make sure that you do not get taken advantage of and that you do not get pushed into doing anything you don't want to do. 
But that does not seem to be the case for poor Ben. 
That's right. 
Well, Uncle Bob, he says: Give me an example. 
He wants an example of how customers are pushing him to do something he doesn't want to do. 
Well, what does Ben say here? 
Oh, are we going to switch? 
I can be Ben now. 
Sure. 
Oh, great. 
OK, well. 
OK. 
When I give one of my customers a price quote for a job, he'll agree to the price. 
Well, so far so good. 
Of course in a business deal, you want to negotiate a price. 
And so here we want to talk about a word "quote" - the word "quote." We're talking about a price quote for a job. 
That means Ben is offering a price, this quote. 
Yes. So a quote is how much someone is going to pay. 
And they use the word "price" to make sure that we understand that it is about money and not about what someone says... 
because other times you can use this word "quote" to refer to words that a person has said. 
There are many famous quotes out there that people like to quote. 
But here, prices. 
So he'll agree to the price. 
But then when we're about to sign the contract, he'll say something like "Technical support is part of this package, right?". 
Hmm, very interesting. 
So it seems like the price quote is already said and everything is negotiated, but then at the very last minute, the customer wants something extra. 
So he'll say something like this. 
Maybe he doesn't say these words. 
Maybe he doesn't say "Technical support is part of this package." He says something like that. 
And Uncle Bob has a question. 
So what do you do? 
Very good question. 
Well, we're going to find out more about this conversation. 
We're going to see what... what Ben does after the break. 
But for now, let's learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.27.B

We've just finished the first half of our first day of this BUSINESS article Customer Troubles. 
And we've been listening to a very serious conversation between Ben and his Uncle Bob, talking about negotiating with customers. 
Ben feels like some of his customers are taking advantage of him, 
and he is getting pushed into lowering his prices or giving them extra things that were not part of the original deal. 
Well, we'll find out what Ben does about this in the next part of our reading. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
Customer Troubles. 
What can I do? 
I basically agree to whatever he's asking. 
It sounds like you're having trouble with negotiations. 
Negotiations? 
Yes. 
Your customer is using a negotiating strategy called "the nibble.". 
The nibble? 
It's called the nibble because each of those little requests is like a little bite. 
It's effective because you've already made the deal in your mind, and the extra concessions seem small compared to the bigger deal. 
What can I do to stop the nibble? 
There are many ways to counteract the nibble. 
The easiest is probably just to show your customer a written price list that lays out the cost of additional features or services. 
OK. So just before the break, Uncle Bob was asking Ben what he did when a customer said something like technical support is part of the package. 
He wanted something extra. 
Well, what does Ben say here? 
OK. I will be Ben again. 
What can I do? 
I basically agree to whatever he's asking. 
Hmm, what can I do? 
Maybe you feel like this sometimes. 
You feel like you don't really have a choice in something. 
So you can ask: What can I do? 
Well, Uncle Bob says here: It sounds like you're having trouble with negotiations. 
Oh. That is a great word right there, Gabe... Uncle Bob - negotiations. 
It is from our Word Bank. 
A negotiation is to make a deal, to discuss something. 
One side wants something; another side wants something different. 
And you need to negotiate or have a negotiation so that both people will be happy. 
It's true. 
So maybe you can use this as a verb as well. 
You negotiate a deal or you're negotiating something so that you can agree on something. 
Carolyn, you know, we didn't really negotiate well today on who was going to be Ben and who was going to be Uncle Bob, did we? 
No, we didn't have a very good negotiation. 
We keep switching back and forth. 
Maybe we should decide that now. 
OK. 
Well, how about you be Uncle Bob and I'll be Ben? 
OK, OK. 
Is that a good... good deal? 
I will agree to that deal. 
So I am now Ben. 
Sure. All right. 
Yes. 
Oh... right! Well, I'll be Uncle Bob. 
OK. Here we go. 
Uncle Bob says uh... he says: Yes. Your customer is using a negotiating strategy called the nibble. 
Oh, the nibble. 
So Ben asked: Negotiations? 
He's not quite sure what he means about this word. 
And it is a strategy called "the nibble." Now the nibble is a word from our Word Bank. 
To nibble something just means to take a small bite out of it. 
Maybe a mouse nibbles a piece of cheese. 
Or a fish nibbles some bait when you're trying to go fishing. 
It doesn't actually eat the whole thing, just a little bite. 
But is that what we mean here, Gabe? 
Well, no, it's not. 
But sometimes I like to nibble, too, Carolyn. 
I mean, if there's a really delicious dessert and I only have one, I won't eat the whole thing really quickly. 
I'll just take little nibbles here and there. 
Of course, this can be a verb or a noun. 
You can nibble on something or take a little nibble. 
But here in this lesson, we're talking about something else. 
Uncle Bob, he describes this. 
He says it's called the nibble because each of those little requests is like a little bite. 
Ah, so you have answered Ben's question. 
The nibble? 
Oh, yes. So each one is a little bite. 
And how does that continue, Uncle Bob? 
Well, it's effective because you've already made the deal in your mind, and the extra concessions seem small compared to the bigger deal. 
Great, Uncle Bob. 
You've just used another word for the Word Bank, the word "concessions." Now if you make a concession, it means that you give something up. 
It's not really something that you want to do but you decide to let it go. 
That's right. 
Maybe you're arguing about something with a friend and... and just to settle the argument, you agree to do something that you don't really feel like doing. 
OK. That's making a concession of some kind. 
So it can also apply to these little things that your customers want. 
They could be concessions. 
You just give it to them just because you like the bigger deal. 
That's right. 
So Ben asks: What can I do to stop the nibble? 
Good question. 
And a great place for us to go and visit Ken and Steve in the Information Cloud. 
They have a lot to say about questions. 
English punctuation is sometimes likened to the notation on a music score. 
It instructs us how to read and speak with appropriate rhythms and melodies, showing us when and how to navigate transitions and accents. 
Now one of those notations is the question mark. 
Born in the 8th century, it originally looked like a lightning bolt striking from right to left. 
Eventually, it morphed into what we know it as today - a symbol that looks something like a seahorse. 
Right. 
You often see question marks in dialogues and narratives. 
In formal articles, not so much. 
Question marks are used to express surprise, skepticism and uncertainty. 
Mostly, though, they're used for direct questions like: Are you hungry? 
But be ware, they are not needed for indirect questions as in: She asked if I was hungry. 
Right. 
Question marks are also used when there is uh, missing or unknown information. 
For example, since we're not really sure when Joan of Arc was born, we might see her date of birth written January 6th, 1412, then a question mark in parentheses. 
That's right. 
Finally, except for very informal situations like, say, texting, avoid using more than one question mark at a time. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
I no longer have any questions about question marks. 
Now Uncle Bob, how do we continue? 
Ah, yes. 
There are many ways to counteract the nibble. 
Counteract. 
Great, Uncle Bob, you keep using all of our Word Bank words. 
Now to counteract something means to stop something from happening. 
It was going to happen, but you do something to stop it. 
It's true. 
For example, many people want to lose weight. 
Maybe you went on a vacation and you gained a lot of weight. 
Well, you can counteract that by exercising as well. 
So there are things you can do to counteract something you don't want. 
That's right, so. 
If you like to eat, enjoy eating lots of different kinds of food, you can exercise to counteract gaining weight. 
Well, how do you continue, Uncle Bob? 
Yes. Thank you. 
The easiest is probably just to show your customer a written price list that lays out the costs of additional features or services. 
I like this advice because a written price list is kind of like a list of rules. 
The customer can't argue with the rules. 
Right now it's time for us to continue enjoying a review skit. 
And then we'll learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
What's wrong, Ben? 
Are you OK? 
Well... 
Oh. How's business? 
Is that the problem? 
Yes. I'm having trouble with some customers. 
What kind of trouble? 
They are taking advantage of me. 
What do you mean? 
I'm getting pushed into doing more work for less pay. 
Oh, no. 
Give me an example, Ben. 
I gave one customer a quote for a job. 
And he agreed to pay the price. 
So what happened? 
Then just before he signed the contract, he asked for more. 
Oh, no. 
So what did you do? 
I agreed to what he wanted. 
Oh, you're having trouble with negotiations. 
Negotiations? 
Yeah. Your customers are using a negotiating strategy. 
It's called the nibble. 
The nibble? 
Yeah. All of those requests, they make them just a little at a time, like a little bite. 
Yeah. I think I've already made a big deal, and that makes the concessions seem small. 
So you need to counteract the nibble. 
But how? 
Show your customer a written price list of additional features and services. 
So I should show customers the cost before they nibble? 
Yeah. Oh, hey, while you're here, can you help me move some furniture? 
Uncle Bob, no nibbling. 
Yeah. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's head back to our teachers now. 
Well, I'm enjoying this conversation between Ben and Uncle Bob. 
And I wonder, have you ever negotiated a good deal with someone, either a customer or an owner of a business or a business? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I usually don't sell a whole lot of things, but I did negotiate a pretty good deal when I was traveling in China. 
I got a very good price on some of the things that I wanted to buy there. 
All right. 
Well, I hope that was a win-win situation, good for everybody. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And of course we have more to learn about Customer Troubles next time here on Studio Classroom. Goodbye. See you. 
(Music).

2013.09.28.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And you're joining us for the second day of our lesson Customer Troubles. 
Of course we've been enjoying a conversation with Ben and his Uncle Bob. 
And we know that Ben has some customers who are a little bit difficult to work with. 
What's an example of a customer who is difficult to work with? 
Carolyn? 
Well, yesterday we were learning about one negotiation strategy called the nibble. 
They would... his customers would agree to a price quote, so they would agree on the amount they were going to pay. 
And right when they're about to make the deal, they'll ask for additional services. 
They'll ask questions like: Oh, well, this is also included in this price, right? 
And poor Ben didn't know what to do and he would make the deal anyway. 
Oh. 
That's right. 
Well, Uncle Bob had good advice for him. 
He said: Well, maybe you need to show your customer a written price list that shows the cost of additional services and things like that. 
That's good advice. 
And Uncle Bob has more good advice for Ben in today's lesson. 
Let's get started now. 
(Music). 
Customer Troubles. 
I have another example. 
OK. 
One of my customers always responds to a price quote by saying, "You'll have to do better than that!". 
And you respond by lowering the price? 
Right, but I always feel like I've lowered it too much. 
That strategy is called the "vise." The best way to handle it is to ask how much better you'll have to do. 
That way, you don't end up in the downward spiral of negotiating against yourself by offering lower prices than necessary. 
I see. 
I also have a customer who always responds to my prices by claiming he doesn't have that much money. 
Well, this is an interesting conversation between Ben and his Uncle Bob. 
Now Gabe, before we start reading their lines, why don't we have a negotiation on who will be who? 
OK. That sounds like a great idea. 
OK, Carolyn... 
I will be Ben if you'd be Uncle Bob. 
Well, I guess I can make that concession. 
OK. OK. OK. 
Good, good. 
Good use of those words, Carolyn. OK. 
Who starts here? Ah, me. 
Ben says: I have another example. 
OK. 
Nice job, Carolyn. 
Nice job. Uncle Bob had one line. That's great. 
That's right. 
Ben says: One of my customers always responds to a price quote by saying, "You'll have to do better than that!". 
Oh, my. 
That doesn't sound like a very nice customer if all they say is: Oh, you'll have to do better than that! 
And that brings us to the Information Cloud. 
Steve and Ken have something they would like to share with us on being cheap versus being frugal. 
Cheap people and frugal people have one thing in common - they don't like to spend more money than they have to. 
On the surface, these two adjectives appear interchangeable. 
But digging deeper, we find they're really quite different. 
OK. First, we should know that when we describe a person as cheap, it's not really a compliment. 
No. Cheap people are miserly and stingy. 
The thing they care about most is, how much is it? 
Cheap people haggle, which comes across as being pushy and demanding. 
In contrast, frugal people are concerned with price and quality. 
Frugal people bargain. 
If they don't get the price they want, they just won't buy the item. 
Perhaps the biggest difference between cheap people and frugal people is how their desire to save money affects other people. 
That's right. 
Cheap people usually influence those around them in a negative way. 
Their cheapness makes friends and family members feel annoyed, resentful and embarrassed. 
In contrast, frugal people put others above saving money. 
Many frugal people are actually frugal with themselves so that they have more opportunities to be generous with others. 
So what kind of person are you, cheap or frugal? 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, which one are you? 
Are you cheap or frugal? Or neither? 
Well, right now it's Uncle Bob's line. 
Uncle Bob? 
Oh, yes. Thank you. 
And you respond by lowering the price? 
Right, but I always feel like I've lowered it too much. 
Oh, that could be a problem if you're in this situation where a customer says: Oh, you need to lower your price. 
And he's not sure how much he needs to lower it, so he lowers it too much. 
That's right. 
Now Uncle Bob explains what that's called. 
It's true. 
Actually, this is called the "vise." And when you lower the price that much, you're not making a lot of money. 
You're not making any profits. 
So that's not good for your business. 
Uncle Bob says, "That strategy..." Wait a minute, you're Uncle Bob today. 
I am. 
Now I... I don't know what your strategy is there, Gabe, but this is my line. 
Thank you. 
That strategy is called "the vise." And vise is a word from our Word Bank. 
Gabe, would you like to explain it? 
Yes, of course. Thank you, Carolyn. 
A vise, actually, is a kind of tool that you use to clamp things together. 
It's very tight. 
It clamps them together very tight so that it stays together. 
Now the idea here is that you're lowering your price so much that it's so close... maybe so close to the bottom - it's the vise. 
You're lowering their price much more than you want to. 
Yes. So you're in a position and you're really not able to move. 
You want to make the deal, and you have to lower the price but you don't want to lower it too much. 
Oh, it's very difficult. 
Now Uncle Bob continues. 
The best way to handle it is to ask how much better you'll have to do. 
That way, you don't end up in the downward spiral of negotiating against yourself by offering lower prices than necessary. 
That is very good advice from Uncle Bob. 
OK. The question that you should ask is "How much better do I need to do?" So then you let your customer say a price. 
All right. 
Then you can avoid this downward spiral. 
Let's take a look at those words from our Word Bank: a downward spiral. 
So a spiral is... is like a shape, I think, of a tornado, actually. 
Um, it's kind of got a spiral shape, OK, round and kind of going down or up. 
But what's a downward spiral here, Carolyn? 
Well, if you are in a downward spiral, that means that things keep getting worse and worse and worse as they go on. 
Maybe the economy is in a... downward spiral. 
The economy keeps getting worse as time goes by. 
Now you could also have an upward spiral where things keep getting better. 
It's true. 
But I usually hear the phrase "downward spiral" more often. 
I use... I sometimes think about people who are depressed or struggling with depression. 
Sometimes it's a downward spiral because things keep causing them to get more and more depressed. 
OK. So now you know how to use this phrase in different ways. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
And here's today's Grammar Tip sentence: 
That way, you don't end up in the downward spiral of negotiating against yourself by offering lower prices than necessary. 
Notice the phrase at the beginning of the sentence: that way. 
Normally we use "that way" to talk about directions like: Do I go this way or that way? 
But in today's sentence, we're not talking about giving or asking for directions. 
Instead, "that way" is a short way of saying if you follow what was just mentioned. 
In other words, Uncle Bob is telling Ben: 
If you do what was just mentioned, you won't end up in the downward spiral of negotiating against yourself by offering lower prices than necessary. 
Let's look at some examples. 
Pack your book bag before you sleep; that way, you will have one less thing to worry about in the morning. 
Or: Always keep an extra umbrella at work; that way, you will be prepared in case it suddenly rains. 
Be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
I see. 
I also have a customer who always responds to my prices by claiming he doesn't have that much money. 
All right. 
So it seems like Ben has a lot of customer problems here, a lot of difficult customers. 
This is his next example of one - a customer who always responds to his prices by saying he doesn't have a lot of money. 
Sounds to me like this person is trying to get Ben to feel sorry for him. 
That could be one strategy trying to explain to someone: Well, you know, I really can't afford this service. I need you to give me a lower price. 
Now sometimes it is true. 
Sometimes it is very true that a customer may not have enough money to afford that service, but they still want it. 
And they think it's very important. 
And maybe you can give them a special price. 
Other times, though, people just say this, and it may not be true. 
It's true. 
Well, I think that Uncle Bob has some good advice for Ben. 
But we're going to hear that after the break. 
For now, let's join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.28.B

Well, in today's lesson about Customer Troubles, Uncle Bob is giving his nephew Ben some very good advice. 
Of course, Ben has some problem customers. 
One of these customers always wants Ben to lower the price. 
And to lower the price is something that Ben does not think is a good idea at all, but he often lowers the price anyway. 
And he gets himself into this downward spiral with his customers. 
Well, Ben has some more problems, but Uncle Bob always has good advice. 
Let's see what their conversation is like now. 
(Music). 
Customer Troubles. 
Do you remember the game hot potato? 
Sure. 
You have to pass the hot potato to someone else before time runs out, right? 
Right. 
That's what your customer is trying to do to you. 
He's trying to manipulate you by passing his problems on to you. 
How can I prevent that? 
Don't become hostile. 
Just pass one of your problems right back to the customer. 
Explain that you won't be able to complete the project for the money he's offering or that you need the money for your children's education. 
That's great! 
Thanks, Uncle Bob. 
Glad to help, Ben. 
Well, this is a very interesting conversation on negotiations. 
I hope Ben has learned something from his Uncle Bob. 
Now let's go back to the beginning of this section in our conversation. 
And it's my line... 
Do you remember the game hot potato? 
Before I say Ben's line, let's take a look at that phrase or that game - hot potato. 
Carolyn, have you ever played this game hot potato? 
Uh, I have played the game hot potato. 
It's where people have a potato usually that's quite hot, or you don't have to use a potato, you can use a ball or something. 
But there's music playing, and you pass the ball from one person to another, trying to get rid of it. 
And whoever is holding it when the music stops is out. 
You lose. 
OK. So that person is the loser if you're holding the hot potato. 
So your goal is not to have the hot potato. OK. 
Well, Ben also explains this here. 
He says: Sure. You have to pass the hot potato to someone else before time runs out, right? 
Right. 
That is another good way to explain the game hot potato. 
So there's only a certain amount of time, and you want to get rid of that potato as quickly as possible so that you don't have it when time runs out. 
Now Uncle Bob continues. 
Right. That's what your customer is trying to do to you. 
He's trying to manipulate you by passing his problems on to you. 
Hmm, very interesting. 
I think this is a common thing that people do. 
They like to manipulate. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: to manipulate. 
Now to manipulate something means to get your way by maybe controlling a certain situation. 
It's not always a good thing, though. 
To manipulate usually has a negative connotation. 
That's right. 
It usually means something a little bit bad. 
It can be good, but usually we think of it in a negative or dishonest way. 
You might say: Don't let others manipulate you. 
It could also be a way of taking advantage of someone. 
That's right. 
And often people manipulate us by playing with our emotions somehow. 
They... they say: Well, wouldn't you feel better doing this? Or you should do this because of this reason. 
Even though you know it's not a good thing to do, they make you feel like you should do it. 
OK. So there are many ways that people manipulate others. 
And especially if you're doing business deals, this can be something that happens frequently. 
It is very true. 
Well, I think you have the next line, Ben. 
Yes, of course. 
Well, how can I prevent that? 
Oh, well. 
Don't become hostile. 
It's very important. 
Well, that word from our Word Bank is also very important. 
The word is "hostile." If you're hostile, that's kind of the opposite of friendly. 
Maybe you get angry or upset at the other person. 
You become hostile. 
That's right. 
So you might start to argue with the other person. 
Actually, I use this example a lot when I was trying to change the date for my flight. 
The person I was talking to, the customer service representative, was very hostile toward me (Really?) and started arguing with me. 
Well, that's not very good customer service. 
If you do have a job that involves customer service, of course it's not a good thing to be hostile. 
Try not to do that at all. 
There are other options, other ways you can deal with your customers that are not hostile. 
That's right. 
So Uncle Bob says, "Don't become hostile" because that's not a good way to deal with your customs. 
Just pass one of your problems right back to the customer. 
Explain that you won't be able to complete the project for the money he's offering or that you need the money for your children's education. 
Nice! That's... that's pretty good advice, Uncle Bob. 
OK. So like hot potato, you're passing the problem back to your customer. 
Of course he has emotions, he has needs. 
But you also have needs, things that need to be done. 
Well, what does Ben say? 
That's great. 
Thanks, Uncle Bob. 
Glad to help, Ben. 
And I always enjoy these conversations between Ben and Uncle Bob. 
Ben has several problems in trying to start his new business with his wife, and Uncle Bob is able to give him a lot of good business advice. 
It's true, and often over coffee. 
It's a great conversation. 
Well, I like Uncle Bob's last line here. 
He says, "Glad to help." So if you just helped somebody with their homework or project or something else, 
you gave them advice, you could also use these words. 
I'm glad to help or very happy to help. 
That's right. 
So it was no problem. 
I don't mind at all. 
I was happy to help you; glad to help. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn from Michelle in the Language Lab. 
She is always happy to help. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
Now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
Well, today we've been talking about Customer Troubles and we talked about a game called hot potato. 
And I have a sweet potato right here, and it's still a little bit warm. 
We're going to play a little bit of a different version of the game hot potato. 
So Gabe, what I'm going to do is hand you this sweet potato. 
And then I'm going to ask you a question. 
You think of the answer. 
If you get it right, you can pass me the potato and then ask me a question. 
OK, sounds good. 
OK. Here you go. 
All right. Ooh... it's hot. 
Let's go, so... 
A customer starts to yell at the salesperson, is this manipulation or is it being hostile? 
Um, that is... that... that is being... that's being very hostile. 
Carolyn, am I right? 
You're right! 
They are not trying to manipulate. 
They are being hostile. 
Hey, wait a minute. 
This sweet potato looks really good. 
I think I'll take a nibble. 
But first, we should say goodbye. 
Oh, well, yes. 
Thank you for joining us here on Studio Classroom for our lesson. We will see you next time. 
(Music).

2013.09.30.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Our lesson is called The Benefits of Sports. 
Of course, people love to play sports. 
People love to watch sports. 
And in today's lesson, you're going to learn how sports can be good for you in many ways. 
But my question for you, first, is: What kind of sports do you like to play and what kind of sports do you like to watch? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I don't play a lot of sports. 
I don't think that I'm a very athletic person. 
But one sport that I would love to try and I really love to watch is ice skating. 
Hmm, ice skating. 
Well, that can be quite fun. 
I'm not a very good ice skater myself. 
I enjoy watching baseball sometimes. 
I love watching basketball games. 
They can get very exciting. 
For playing, I enjoy a game called ultimate Frisbee. 
And of course, I love playing badminton with some friends. 
What about you? 
Think about that. 
Talk about it. 
Share it with your friends later. 
But for now, let's get into our lesson The Benefits of Sports. 
The Benefits of Sports. 
Seven good reasons to start playing your favorite sport today! 
Hitting a tennis ball, throwing a baseball or kicking a soccer ball bring hours of enjoyment. 
But did you know that participating in sports has lots of benefits, too? 
The benefits include: 
Greater confidence: Winning helps you feel a sense of accomplishment and feel good about yourself. 
Becoming a good sport: 
Winning feels great, but losing teaches you how to deal with disappointments in life while still maintaining a positive attitude. 
Improved math skills: Players use math skills as they calculate team scores, etc. 
New friends: Playing on a team gives you the chance to meet people with the same interests. 
Those sound like some pretty good benefits to me so far. 
And at the beginning we see: 
Seven good reasons to start playing your favorite sport today! 
So we will be talking about seven great benefits that you can get from playing sports. 
And at the very beginning here: 
Hitting a tennis ball, throwing a baseball or kicking a soccer ball bring hours of enjoyment. 
That's right. I couldn't agree more. 
I think that playing sports, especially with other people or when you're just doing it for exercise, it can be very enjoyable. 
We continue. 
But did you know that participating in sports has lots of benefits, too? 
OK. So aside from being enjoyable (I think that's a benefit), but aside from that, there are other benefits. 
That's right. 
It's not just fun. 
Playing sports is very good for you. 
Other than being fun, it has other benefits. 
And these benefits include... or the benefits include greater confidence. 
The first one is confidence. 
And that's a word from our Word Bank. 
If you have confidence, then you believe that you can do something, that you are able to do it and do it well. 
And I think that many people want to have more confidence. 
And you know what someone looks like when they have confidence. 
The adjective form of this word is confident, C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T. 
They are a confident person. 
Of course we all know what that looks like. 
And I hope that you are being... or becoming more and more confident every day, 
that you have more confidence especially when it comes to learning English and using your English. 
That's right. 
Well, it is one of the benefits of sports: greater confidence. 
Winning helps you feel a sense of accomplishment and feel good about yourself. 
So when you succeed in doing something, you have more confidence, or you feel more confident, as Gabe said earlier. 
And you feel a sense of accomplishment here. 
Now we see another benefit here. 
I like this one a lot. 
Becoming a good sport. 
Carolyn, what does it mean to be a good sport? 
Well, if you are a good sport, that means that when you win, you are very happy but you don't make fun of the other team. 
And when you lose, you accept that you lost and you don't get upset. 
That's right. 
Now we're learning the word or the phrase "to be a good sport" today. 
But I also want to share with you the opposite - it means to be a sore loser. 
If you lose and you're not a good sport, you could call that person a sore loser, S-O-R-E loser. OK. 
Don't be a sore loser. 
No matter whether you win or lose, you want to be a good sport. 
And we read here: 
Winning feels great, but losing teaches you how to deal with disappointments in life while still maintaining a positive attitude. 
And I think that's very true. 
So if you play sports and you win, you can have more self-confidence. 
You can be more sure of your ability to do something. 
But if you lose, you can still be a good sport and learn how to accept when things don't go the way you want them to. 
Well, right now it's time for us to enjoy time with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
She has something important she wants to share with us there. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We find this statement in today's article: ... losing teaches you how to deal with disappointments in life while still maintaining a positive attitude. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Today our focus is on the patter: [Situation 1] + while still maintaining [situation 2]. 
So in today's sentence, we have situation 1: losing teaches you how to deal with disappointments in life, and then situation 2: a positive attitude. 
Put the two together and then add in "while still maintaining" in between the two situations, 
and this is a good pattern to use to describe how a subject can still be doing something even with another situation going on at the same time. 
Here are some examples. 
Let's say Robert was able to study well and play lots of tennis, so we can say: 
Robert was able to compete in several tennis tournaments while still maintaining good grades in school. 
Or, let's suppose Miriam had two jobs but was still able to go to school during the day, so we can say: 
Miriam was able to attend classes during the day while still maintaining two jobs. 
So give this pattern a try. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, we will continue maintaining our positive attitude throughout this lesson as we go to our next point - Improved math skills. 
So if you play sports, you can improve your math skills. 
And how can they do that, Gabe? 
Well, players use math skills as they calculate team scores, etc. 
Well, let's look at that word from our Word Bank: calculate. 
When you calculate something, that means you're trying to figure it out. 
And often we use this word with math. 
Adding and subtracting, multiplying, dividing, you are calculating these numbers in your head. 
That's right. 
So you might want to calculate the total number of games that you've won this season or the number of points that you scored in the last game. 
You can calculate your winnings, how often you have won. 
So you can improve your math skills. 
And this is a great point since many people think that athletes don't do well in other subjects in school. 
That is very interesting and very true. 
A lot of people feel that way about athletes, but many of them are quite smart. 
Well, this word "calculate" kind of makes me think of the word "calculator" because many of us know how to use a calculator. 
C-A-L-C-U-L-A-T-O-R. 
That's the machine that you use. 
And many smartphones have these now, too, and cellphones. 
Carolyn, does your cellphone have a calculator on it? 
It does. 
As I have mentioned before, I use my cellphone to do math. 
I use it to calculate numbers. 
Very good, very good. 
Well, you can calculate with a calculator or calculate just inside your head. 
Of course another benefit here we're talking about is new friends. 
Playing on a team gives you the chance to meet people with the same interests. 
And I think that's a great benefit for playing sports. 
That's right. And it's very true. 
If you are on a team sport and you are playing with other people, then you meet people that are like you. 
And they also enjoy playing that sport, so. 
Join a baseball team, a basketball team, any kind of team sport where you can meet people who enjoy playing it as well. 
Well, I know someone else who has the same interests as Carolyn and myself, someone who wants you to improve in your English. 
And that is Michelle waiting for us in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.09.30.B

Today we're talking about The Benefits of Sports. 
And of course, people love to watch sports. 
Maybe you love to play different kinds of sports, and I hope you enjoy it. 
But of course, there are many benefits to playing sports. 
Some that we've talked about so far are greater confidence, becoming a good sport, improved math skills and developing or making new friends. 
And of course, we have more to learn in the next part of our lesson for today. 
The Benefits of Sports. 
Disease prevention: 
Playing sports helps prevent cancer, heart disease, depression and other diseases. 
Playing also helps to build healthy bones. 
A healthy lifestyle: 
Kids who play sports are less likely to smoke or take drugs because of the negative effects on their performance. 
Reduced stress: 
Playing sports helps to reduce stress. 
Exercise releases a chemical in the brain that makes you feel happy and less anxious. 
Whether playing competitive sports or just a social game, you should have fun. 
So get up and get active because there are lots of good reasons to go out and play! 
There are many good reasons to be playing sports. 
And in our lesson, we are talking about seven of the benefits of playing sports. 
We have three more to talk about in this section. 
The first one: Disease prevention. 
And that's one of the words from our Word Bank. 
Gabe, what is prevention? 
Well, when you prevent something from happening, that means you stop it from happening. 
So disease prevention is stopping a disease from happening to you or stopping yourself from getting a disease. OK. 
So the word "prevention" can be used in other ways. 
We're talking a lot today about cancer prevention, ways to stop cancer from happening around the world. 
Well, that is one disease that we do want to prevent. 
Another topic we've talked about this month was cellphones in schools and how that can be affected by... or how bullying can affect that, so. 
You might have bullying prevention. 
You want to prevent other students from being bullied. 
That's right. 
And of course, we're talking about pollution prevention today as well. 
Around the world, there are many cities that are being polluted. 
Let's try to prevent that from happening. 
OK, so we're talking about... disease prevention. 
Playing sports helps prevent cancer, heart disease, depression and other diseases. 
So playing also helps to build healthy bones. 
Wow! It sounds like there are a lot of health benefits to playing sports. 
If you want to prevent these different kinds of diseases, then maybe you should get out and play. 
Go do something. 
Join an active sport. 
And we have another great benefit here on our list: a healthy lifestyle. 
And lifestyle just means the way that you live. 
That's right. 
So do you have a healthy lifestyle? 
Well, we read more about this here. 
Kids who play sports are less likely to smoke or take drugs because of the negative side effects... or the negative effects on their performance. 
I said "side effects." Actually, that's true. 
These are often called side effects. 
There might be something that you do, and you think it's OK for you, but it has bad side effects. 
That's right. 
And usually we use that when talking about drugs. 
What are the side effects of this drug? 
But here we're talking about the benefit of sports and how they can help you lead a healthier lifestyle. 
Because if you smoke or drink or take other kinds of drugs, it can really affect your performance and you're not able to play as well as you should be. 
And I know some people who think about this when they are playing sports. 
Actually, their lifestyles. 
They are tempted sometimes to smoke or drink or do drugs. 
But they remember it will have a negative effect on their performance while they play some sports. 
And so it helps them to say no to those things. 
Let's look at our last tip for today. 
The last benefit here is reduced stress. 
Well, that sounds great. 
We all want to reduce the stress we have in our lives, and playing sports helps to reduce stress. 
I think I might need to pick up a sport, Gabe. 
Well... why? 
What... what does that mean? 
Carolyn, are you stressed out a lot? 
Well, you know, sometimes there's just... life happens, and there's a lot of stress. 
I think we all need to be playing more sports. 
You know, I agree with you. 
And I think that if you do have a lot of stress, if you experience a lot of stress, sports would be great for you. 
Playing sports helps to reduce stress. 
Exercise releases a chemical in the brain that makes you feel happy and less anxious. 
And this chemical is actually... it's called an endorphin, E-N-D-O-R-P-H-I-N. 
And exercise releases this in your brain. 
Well, that sounds great. 
And in our last little paragraph here: 
Whether playing competitive sports or just a social game, you should have fun. 
And we have another word from our Word Bank: competitive. 
That means that you are competing against someone else, another company, business, a person or another team. 
And some people in life are very competitive. 
Other people don't like to compete very much. 
When they realize that you are a competitive person, they say: It's OK. I don't want to take part. 
So what about you? 
Are you a competitive person? 
Or are you not a competitive person? 
Personally, I like competition. 
I love to compete with other people. 
Sometimes I can be a very competitive person. 
Oh, well. 
Then I will probably not play sports with you, Gabe. 
No... You just need to play on my team, Carolyn. 
This is true, this is true. 
Well, so get up and get active because there are lots of good reasons to go out and play! 
So you don't need to be sitting inside all day. 
Go outside and play. 
Well, let's take a look at a phrase there. 
Actually we see the word "get" twice: get up and get active. 
And if you get something, like getting active, that means you are going to start doing that. 
But how else could you use that word? 
What other words could you use with this word, Carolyn? 
Well, you might say get up and get moving. 
OK. 
Get out and get working. 
So you can use this "get something, get something," two verbs after the word get. 
Well, I think we need to get going. 
It's time for Steve and Ken to take over. 
And then we'll visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Now that you know all the benefits of playing sports, there is one more thing we'd like to talk about when it comes to the word sport. 
And that is sport, the verb. 
Hey, Steve, have you seen the funky hat people are sporting these days? 
Yeah, Ken. It looks really cool. 
I'd love to sport one of those. 
OK, friends, did you catch that? 
You can sport a hat. 
Now even though it's basically used as a noun, sport can be a verb. 
To sport means to display or show off. 
So if you're sporting that funky hat like Ken is, you're wearing it so that everyone can see it. 
Some men like to sport a mustache, a goatee or a beard because they think they look good with it. 
Maybe I'll grow a goatee and sport it. 
I like to see that. 
(Chinese). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Now get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
Today we've enjoyed learning about seven of the benefits that you can get from playing sports. 
But you know, some sports are very specific in what they can help you do. 
There is a sidebar on specific benefits for certain sports. 
Gabe, which one is your favorite? 
Well, actually I like the one for basketball. 
Many people want to be taller. 
Well, sometimes if you play basketball a lot, that will help to stretch out your body because you're doing a lot of jumping. 
And actually, some people do get taller through playing basketball. 
Yes, but I think you would probably need to start at a young age when you are still growing. 
Yeah, you're right. 
Well, I hope that you have learned a lot here on Studio Classroom today about The Benefits of Sports. 
And we'll see you next time. 
See you later. 
(Music).

2013.10.01.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Our lesson is called Make Your Brain Smarter. 
So, yes, as you improve your English, your brain is getting smarter. 
Well, what kinds of things do you do to keep your brain active? 
Carolyn, what about you? 
I think that one really great way to keep your brain active and thinking is to read, 
and not just read something that is basic or a children's book but to read something that will get your brain thinking like the Bible. 
There are so many things that people discuss about it and really have to concentrate and think about. 
I agree with you there, Carolyn. 
I also think something else to make your brain active is to study another language - just like you are doing. 
You're learning English, and I have also studied Chinese. 
Carolyn, does studying or speaking in Chinese help make your brain active as well? 
I think it certainly does. 
And we will be talking about that in our lesson today, the benefits of learning a language and how that can make your brain smarter. 
Well, let's get started with our lesson Make Your Brain Smarter. 
Make Your Brain Smarter. 
Tips for developing an exercise plan for your brain. 
You know that eating a sensible diet and getting plenty of exercise help make your body healthy and strong. 
But did you know that there are ways to make your brain healthier and smarter? 
Studies show that when the brain is compelled to do something new, it creates new neural pathways. 
The more pathways you have, the faster you can think and the better memory you will have. 
Ten steps toward a smarter brain. 
Limit your TV viewing. 
Watching an average TV show requires very little brain power and brings the same result as neglecting physical exercise. 
Your brain will become weak just as your muscles do. 
If you watch TV, choose something educational and informative. 
That is a very good first tip. 
But now let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here. 
We read: Tips for developing an exercise plan for your brain. 
Now Carolyn, what is an exercise plan? 
Well, an exercise plan is a plan that you make to help yourself exercise, so. 
Maybe you write out a weekly schedule of what exercises you're going to do and what times you'll do them and how much you'll do so that you can become healthier. 
OK, so that's an exercise plan. 
Maybe you have a weight loss plan, a plan that helps you lose weight. 
Or maybe you have a savings plan, a plan to help you save money in the bank or somewhere else. 
So here we're talking about an exercise plan but not for your body, for your brain! 
That's right. 
So this is a different kind of exercise plan. 
And we get into our article: 
You know that eating a sensible diet and getting plenty of exercise helps make your body healthy and strong. 
And I think that's pretty true. 
That's what everyone agrees on - exercise and diet will help your body to be healthy and strong. 
That's right. 
But did you know that there are ways to make your brain healthier and smarter? 
So of course, if you have a sensible diet, that will make your body strong. 
But there are ways to make your brain healthier as well. 
This is very interesting. 
And we see that studies show that when the brain is compelled to do something new, it creates new neural pathways. 
And this is a fantastic sentence with one of our Word Bank words, a key word today: compel. 
What does it mean if you are compelled to do something, Gabe? 
Well, if you're compelled to do something, you're kind of inspired to do something. 
Something is driving you to do something. 
And so if you are studying something new, you're doing something that makes your brain active, well, that's compelling these things in your brain - the neural pathways. 
It creates new neural pathways. 
That's right. 
So if you feel compelled to do something, then you must do it, you have to. 
Maybe you don't even have a choice. 
Maybe you run into a foreigner and they don't speak any Chinese. 
You will be compelled to use your English. 
You must use it because they don't speak any other language. 
Well, I love to compel my brain to speak... er.. to think in Chinese because it does develop these new neural pathways to help my brain. 
Well, let's talk about those words: neural pathways. 
Of course, anything neural has to do with the nerves or the brain. 
And so there are new pathways in the brain that come out when you are learning something new, when you're making your brain smarter. 
Well, we see here that the more pathways you have, the faster you can think and the better memory you will have. 
So this has many benefits. 
If you have more pathways, you can think faster. 
We might say "thinking on your feet." That means you didn't plan to say something or think something, but you can think faster now. 
And of course, your memory will improve. 
That's right. 
So it's a good idea to make these new neural pathways and to help encourage your brain to be more active. 
Now in our exercise plan for the brain, we have 10 steps toward a smarter brain. 
Ten steps toward a smarter brain. 
Let's take a look at a phrase in that sentence there: steps torward something. 
If you have a step toward something, that means you have a goal in mind at the end, and you might have to take one or more steps to get there. 
That's right. 
So this is a kind of plan. 
You are taking a plan, and each step is just one part of the plan. 
Maybe you want to take a step toward a brighter future or a step toward a better tomorrow. 
Usually when we use this phrase, a step toward something, it is very positive, and it shows an improvement in the future. 
That's right. 
You want to take steps toward being a better you. 
Take steps toward having better grades or having a healthier lifestyle. 
OK. Here we're talking about 10 steps toward a smarter brain. 
And the first tip here is limit your TV viewing. 
OK, I think you've heard this from many adults especially. 
Don't watch TV so much. 
Watching an average TV show requires very little brain power and brings the same result as neglecting physical exercise. 
Well, that sounds pretty serious. 
Who thought... who would have thought that just watching a TV show would be the same as not exercising at all? 
Because when you're watching something, your brain seems to be active. 
But really if it's just an average TV show, there's nothing really special about it, it's not educational in any way, then it's really not helping your brain. 
That's right. 
We see "requires little brain power." Of course brain power is like... is like exercise for your brain. 
And I've actually heard that you get more activity in the brain while you're sleeping than you do watching some TV shows. 
So well, it's time for us to learn something new with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
And then of course we will continue learning about this tip. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We see this sentence in today's article: 
Watching an average TV show requires very little brain power and brings the same result as neglecting physical exercise. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the sentence pattern: 
[doing something] requires [something] and brings the same result as [doing something else]. 
This is a good sentence pattern to use when you want to talk about how you don't need too much of a certain thing to do activity A and it can have the same result as activity B. 
For example: 
The new kind of artificial lawn requires very little care and brings the same result as having real grass. 
Or: Taking care of a cactus requires very little effort and brings the same result as having other kinds of plants. 
So give this pattern a try. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, please check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Bye. 
Thank you, Liz, for that great tip in the Grammar Gym. 
Continuing talking about our tip in this exercise plan to limit TV viewing, we learn your brain will become weak just as your muscles do. 
So it's just like your brain is being lazy like your body. 
All right. 
So if you watch TV, choose something educational and informative. 
Of course it's nice to be a couch potato sometimes. 
But you do want to exercise your brain if you have that opportunity while watching TV. 
Let's look at our word from our Word Bank: informative. 
If something is informative, it's giving you some information of some kind. 
That's right. 
So it's helpful, it's useful. 
You can use it later. 
And maybe it is even educational. 
You can describe it as being educational or informative providing that information. 
And you know, I think that the articles that we have in our Studio Classroom magazine are very informative. 
I always learn a lot of them just reading it. 
It's true, Carolyn. 
I agree. They are very informative. 
If you want an even bigger challenge, you can try Advanced magazine. 
I find those lessons very informative as well. 
Well, Michelle always has a lot of information in the Language Lab. 
Let's go and learn something with her now. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.01.B

It is October 1 and we are starting with the article Make Your Brain Smarter, 
a great way to start the month because we want to compel you to use your brain as you think in English. 
Today we've talked a lot about how studies show that the more you use your brain and open up new neural pathways, the smarter your brain can become. 
And our first tip toward a smarter brain was to limit your TV viewing. 
If you do watch TV, watch a show that is educational and informative - like Studio Classroom. 
Well, let's continue with the rest of our lesson and learn some more about these tips. 
Make Your Brain Smarter. 
Travel. 
Traveling to a new country forces you to see and do things in a new way, providing stimulation to the brain. 
Learn a new language. 
Acquiring a new language involves different learning methods. 
Learning a language sharpens your brain and helps prevent memory problems in later years. 
Master a new subject. 
Each week, select an animal, a bird or a fish, and read everything you can about it. 
Stretch your brain as you become an expert on the subject. 
All right. 
Well, you're becoming an expert in English here today. 
Let's go back to this other step toward making your brain smarter. 
We start out with travel here. 
Traveling to a new country forces you to see and do things in a new way, providing stimulation to the brain. 
Well, I like traveling. 
Carolyn, do you like traveling? 
I do love to travel. 
And this is very encouraging - if I travel more, then my brain will be smarter. 
Yes, you will if you travel more. 
That's a great reason to travel. 
Of course, if you love traveling already, here's another reason to add toward why you should travel. 
Go somewhere new in the world. 
This is good stimulation for your brain. 
And that's another word... it kind of means excitement, stimulation or excitement for your brain. 
That's right. 
So stimulation will help you to think of things in a new way. 
It will fill your... your brain with new ideas. 
So when you travel, don't simply travel to some place that is familiar or some place that has the same language. 
When I travel, I love to go to countries where I don't speak the language. 
Well, then maybe you would have to learn that language if you wanted to speak to the people on the streets. 
Here's another tip here: Learn a new language. 
Acquiring a new language involves different learning methods. 
And of course if you're watching or listening to Studio Classroom, you already know that this is making your brain smarter. 
That's right. 
And here we see a word from the Word Bank, the word "involve." Now if something involves something, then it is part of the action or the process. 
Right now you are involved in learning English. 
You are in an English class right here at Studio Classroom. 
That's right. 
But of course we want to encourage you to also be involved in your community somehow. 
You want to make yourself useful and contribute. 
Do good things for your community; see how you can get involved. 
That's right. 
And we learn some other benefits about learning a language. 
Learning a language sharpens your brain and helps prevent memory problems in later years. 
Well, I think I need to learn about five more languages. 
You need to learn five more languages! 
Well, that will really sharpen your brain, Carolyn. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "sharpen." If you sharpen something, that means it may get sharper. 
So it's the opposite of to make something dull. 
That's right. 
And if you sharpen your brain, then you can think very quickly. 
You knew exactly what to say, when to say it. 
And you can think and process things more clearly, more quickly. 
And if you learn a new language, then you can start using that same fast, quick speed in... in another language. 
And that's fantastic. 
It's true. 
And you can sharpen other things. 
If you have any kind of talent or skill, you can sharpen those skills. 
You can sharpen your mind. 
That's another way to say you're sharpening your brain. 
This reminds me of a part of the Bible, actually, that says: As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. 
That means we are supposed to be helping each other in life to be sharper in a lot of ways. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn more with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
They, of course, always help us to sharpen our brains. 
As we go through today's lesson, I'm sure we all hope to have a healthy and smart brain. 
But maybe you are already a brain. 
Ah, there's something for thought. 
We all have a brain, but can we also be a brain? 
Well, if you're super smart, get straight A's in school, then people will probably call you a brain. 
Or even a superbrain, which is a highly intelligent person like Albert Einstein. 
Yes, Einstein was definitely a brain. 
But if you're not a brain, don't worry. 
Most of us aren't. 
You may still have the brains. 
Changing brain to the plural form "brains," we get a different meaning - intelligence. 
That's right, Ken. 
And brains, with an S, is often used in the context of brains versus brawn. 
Now Ken, what is brawn? 
Brawn refers to strong, well-developed muscles. 
So in the case of brains versus brawn, you're deciding between the use of intellect or brute strength to solve a problem. 
And finally, a no-brainer. 
Ken, do you feel like having Japanese food or Italian food for lunch today? 
That's a no-brainer, Steve. 
Italian, of course. 
Nothing beats Casa Della Pasta. 
So a no-brainer is just an informal expression that means something is so obvious that a person shouldn't even have to think about it. 
OK, pasta it is. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, our last tip for today on steps toward a smarter brain is to master a new subject. 
Each week, select an animal, a bird or a fish, and read everything you can about it. 
This sounds great. 
Well, I know it sounds great. 
Carolyn loves animals. 
I think that you could definitely do this. 
And of course we continue here reading: 
Stretch your brain as you become an expert on the subject. 
So if you stretch your brain, you're... you're stretching yourself. 
You're becoming better at something. 
That's right. 
Well, I hope that you will continue to stretch your brain as we go join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's return to our teachers now. 
Well, one of our tips for today for Making Your Brain Smarter, one of our steps was to master a new subject. 
Of course our lesson encouraged us to maybe get a new subject every week... or think of a new subject every week and become a master at that subject. 
What would you like to become a master of? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I'm still working on my Chinese language skills. 
And I would really like to master that especially since it was one of the other steps. 
That's two steps done in one. 
Well, I think that's a great idea. 
For me, I think I would like to know more about snakes and spiders. 
I want to know which ones are poisonous and which ones are not. 
Oh. Well, I can tell you all about that, Gabe. 
Carolyn knows all about that. 
Thank you, friends, for joining us today. 
And we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.10.02.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today as we continue learning about making our brains smarter. 
Well, of course in yesterday's lesson, we learned some tips... some steps toward making your brain smarter. 
Now maybe you are curious about this, maybe you are a little doubtful. 
Can we actually make our brains smarter? 
Well, that's a good question. 
Carolyn, what do you think about this? 
Well, a lot of people think that oh well, there are very smart people in the world, and then there are people who are not as smart. 
But you know, it might just take you a little bit longer to learn it. 
I think that if you continue to work at it, you try to learn things, then you can still improve your brain. 
You can make it faster. 
You can make it stronger. 
And there are a lot of good memory tricks in games that you can do to even just help you remember people's names when you first meet them. 
That's right. 
So even beyond today's lesson, you can go online and look up some of these memory tricks, ways to improve your memory. 
Well, I agree. 
I think it's kind of like physical exercise. 
For some people, it will take a lot to get physically fit. 
For other people, it's a little bit faster. 
But it's always possible to improve. 
Let's get started with the second part of our lesson for today, Make Your Brain Smarter. 
Make Your Brain Smarter. 
Use your non-dominant hand. 
If you are right-handed, use your left hand for everyday activities, or use your right hand if you are left-handed. 
Doing familiar things in a new way will cause your brain to create new neural networks. 
Read often. 
As you read, take the time to look up people or places that aren't familiar. 
Reading expands your vocabulary if you search for words and definitions that you don't know. 
Do puzzles. 
According to the Mayo Clinic, doing sudoku and crossword puzzles keeps the brain sharp into your senior years. 
Well, I do enjoy doing puzzles to keep my brain sharp. 
But let's go to our first step for today. 
It is use your non-dominant hand. 
And that is a word from our Word Bank. 
Non-dominant means not dominant or not the main one. 
So a lot of times we do use this term when talking about hands. 
Are you right-handed or left-handed? 
Which one is your dominant hand? 
Well, for me, it's my right hand. 
That's my dominant hand. 
I use my right hand to write. 
And I also lead with my right hand more when I'm playing drums. 
So if I want to make my brain smarter, maybe I should lead more with my... with my left hand. 
Do more with my left hand on the drums. 
Hey, that's great for drummers out there. 
This is a great tip: Lead more with your non-dominant hand. 
And that's great. 
You can practice writing as well. 
And in our first tip right here: 
If you are right-handed, use your left hand for everyday activities, or use your right hand if you are left-handed. 
And so everyday activities, that could just mean writing your name. 
So instead of using my right hand to hold a pen, I would use my left hand and try writing with it. 
I've done that before. 
It's... it's not a very good idea. 
My handwriting is not very clear when I do that. 
But maybe I should just practice more. 
Well anyway, it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Good to see you, friends. 
I'm glad we get to see each other almost every day. 
That's right, every day except Sunday. 
Hey, Steve, how is "every day" spelled? 
Is it one or two words? 
Well, good question, Ken. 
The answer is it depends. 
In today's lesson we see the sentence: Use your left hand for everyday activities. 
Now "everyday" is one word here. 
And that's because it's an adjective, meaning common and ordinary. 
So everyday activities are ordinary daily activities like brushing your teeth or locking the front door. 
We might also talk about everyday people. 
And that means ordinary people. 
Right. 
So when do we use "every day" as two words? 
When we're using it as an adverb phrase, meaning each separate day. 
If I write I get up every day at 7, I should write "every day" as two words. 
So in that example, every day, two words, serve the function of an adverb, modifying the verb phrase get up. 
So, let's go back to Ken's initial question, in the sentence "We see each other almost every day," is "every day" one or two words? 
Well, it should be every day, two words. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Every day you have great English tips for us. 
Well, let's continue here learning about using our non-dominant hands. 
Doing something familiar... or doing familiar things in a new way will cause your brain to create new neural networks. 
Now in yesterday's lesson, we saw the phrase "neural pathway." Here we see neural networks. 
Actually, it kind of means the same thing. 
It's a connection of some kind. 
That's right, although I think a network might be a little bit more complicated than just a pathway. 
So a pathway would be a single path. 
And a network, everything is coming together. 
And that's great. 
If you use your non-dominant hand, you can create these networks in your brain. 
That's right. 
Well, we see another thing, another step towards having a smarter brain. 
And that is to read often. 
Of course your parents and your teachers and lots of people encourage you to read. 
And here you see that it can be helpful for your brain. 
As you read: Take the time to look up people or places that aren't familiar. 
Do you do that? 
That is a great tip. 
And to look something up, to look up, that is from our Word Bank as well. 
If you look something up, then you look for more information about it. 
So if you come across a name of a person or a place that you aren't really familiar with, you can do a quick search on the Internet. 
Now it's very easy to look up information about the place. 
Actually I frequently do that with my smartphone. 
If I'm not sure about something, I'll just go to the online dictionary or encyclopedia and look it up. 
Of course, it's kind of funny that the words "look up" are in this sentence as Word Bank words. 
If you didn't know what those words meant, you could look them up in a dictionary. 
That's right. 
Well, we continue. 
Reading expands your vocabulary if you search for words and definitions that you don't know. 
So again, it's not just people and places that you're not familiar with but words as well. 
So look up those definitions and learn some new words in English or in Chinese. 
That's right. 
These will expand your vocabulary, or stretch your vocabulary. 
Now let's see another tip here - Do puzzles. 
According to the Mayo Clinic, doing sudoku and crossword puzzles keeps the brain sharp into your senior years. 
Well, that is great because I love to do sudoku and crossword puzzles. 
They are so much fun - although crossword puzzles can be very difficult. 
They can be a little difficult. 
But actually, I find them more challenging than sudoku. 
I prefer doing crossword puzzles. 
Carolyn, do you like sudoku or crossword more? 
I think that sudoku puzzles are usually easier for me because they're set up on just the grid and they give you a few numbers, 
and then you just have to play this number game, trying to figure out which number goes in which square. 
But a crossword puzzle, you have all these different clues... and it can be very tricky. 
That's right. 
But it can be a great way to improve your knowledge of the English language especially, doing a crossword puzzle. 
Actually, I think many newspapers include crossword puzzles and sudoku puzzles. 
Try them out if you haven't yet. 
That's right. 
And in this sentence here, we do have another word from our Word Bank: senior. 
Talking about your senior years, that just means when you are older. 
You're older. 
Well, past retirement age. 
Usually you talk about a senior citizen as someone who is past their age of retirement. 
And of course someone who is older like this, maybe 60 or 70 or older are in their senior years. 
And if you play these games, keep your mind sharp, then you will not have as many memory problems during your senior years. 
Well, right now it is time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.02.B

Well, in our lesson today, Making Our Brains Smarter, we learned some steps toward making our brains even smarter. 
And of course one of these steps was to use our non-dominant hand. 
So if you are right-handed, start using your left hand more. 
Another tip, of course, was to read often. 
Don't neglect reading. 
And if you don't know what something means, look it up. 
If you're not sure what a place is or if you want to find out more about a place while you're reading, look those things up. 
These will make your brain smarter. 
Well, of course we have more steps to learn. 
Let's do that now. 
Make Your Brain Smarter. 
Calculate while you shop. 
As you put things in your grocery cart, total everything in your head. 
See how close you get to the actual total. 
Play video games. 
Studies have found that certain video games force you to use critical decision-making skills and can even improve students' math scores. 
Tweet! 
Read messages from people who represent a wide range of interests. 
And some say that learning to express yourself in just 140 characters is a great brain challenge! 
So get in the habit of challenging your brain, and make yourself smarter. 
Let's continue learning about these steps to make our brains smarter. 
The next step is to calculate while you shop. 
Now if you calculate something, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, you're kind of doing math in your head. 
OK. So of course you could have a machine called a calculator that can help you calculate. 
But even without a calculator, you can try to calculate things in your head. 
Do this while you shop. 
That's right. 
And we continue. 
As you put things in your grocery cart, total everything in your head. 
So if something is $0.99 and something else is $0.59, can you total that in your head? 
Try and see. 
All right. 
So try to do this. 
Now see how close you get to the actual total. 
All right. 
You added those things in your head. 
You did your own calculating. 
How close are you to the total? 
Well, here we see the word "total" used in different ways, right? 
These two sentences - you can total everything in your head and see the actual total. 
So that word can be a noun or a verb. 
That's right. 
So can you do this? 
Do you try to calculate things in your head as you shop? 
I know sometimes I try to just so I know how much I'm spending. 
Well, I think it's a good idea. 
I don't usually do it that often. 
I try, but I... I try to maybe estimate. 
I don't go with the exact number. 
Carolyn, do you do this when you shop so that you can save money? 
Yes. I do it so that I know how much I'm spending. 
And if I think I'm spending a little bit too much, maybe I will reconsider what I'm buying. 
All right. 
Well, I think it is a good idea. 
Right now it's time for us to go on to the next tip here, the next step - play video games. 
Wait a minute. 
I thought we should read more often and... and maybe play games less? 
Well, we didn't say to play games less. 
In fact, we had puzzles that are great ways to improve your memory. 
And some video games can be good for your brain. 
Studies have found that certain video games force you to use critical decision-making skills and can even improve students' math scores. 
All right. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: critical. 
If you have critical decision-making skills, that means you are using your brain. 
You're being thoughtful and careful in judging something. 
That's right. 
So you can think about them very carefully. 
You think about something critically. 
You look at all aspects of it. 
And you can take a critical look at a book that you want to discuss. 
You can take a critical look at a puzzle that you are trying to solve. 
Or here, you can have critical decision-making in certain video games. 
And sometimes you might hear the phrase "critical thinking skills." It's important to have critical thinking skills, 
not to just read everything and listen to everything and then just put it in your brain, no. 
You should think about those things that are in your brain. 
Think about the things that other people are telling you. 
Even the things that your teachers are telling you, you should be able to ask questions about those things. 
Have critical thinking skills. 
Those are great to develop. 
And they will help make your brain smarter. 
Now our last step here is very interesting: Tweet! 
And here it's talking about Tweeter, one of the social media sites. 
And you tweet on this site. 
Now Gabe, how do we continue about this tweeting? 
Well, there is a benefit to tweeting. 
I don't do it, but here's the benefit: 
Read messages from people who represent a wide range of interests. 
OK, so you're learning about lots of different kinds of people with many different backgrounds. 
That's right, and many different opinions so that you can form your own opinions and have new ideas. 
Maybe you will find something that you've never even thought about. 
And some say that learning to express yourself in just 140 characters is a great brain challenge! 
How can I say this idea with only 140 characters? 
It's like a puzzle! 
It's true. 
And it's... it's great. 
Actually a lot of advertising is good at this. 
People who are into marketing and advertising know how to say something big or complicated in a short way, 140 words or less on Tweeter. 
OK. So get in the habit of challenging your brain and make yourself smarter. 
Well, this is great. 
And we do want to get in the habbit of doing things; a great phrase. 
If you are in the habit, then you are used to it. 
You do it often. 
Are you in the habit of going to bed early? 
Hmm, no, I'm not in the habit of doing that. 
I'm in the habit of getting up late. 
I should get out of the habit and get into the habit of getting up early. 
So you can get into the habit of something or get out of a bad habit. 
Right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Eat a sensible diet and get plenty of exercise. 
Yeah. Keep your body healthy and strong. 
Right. 
But don't forget about your brain. 
Right. 
Here are 10 steps to make your brains healthier and smarter. 
Follow these 10 steps. 
One, two, three, four. 
Number 1: Limit TV viewing. 
And watch educational and informative shows. 
Number 2: Travel. 
It provides stimulation to the brain. 
And you can see and do new things. 
Number 3: Learn a new language. 
New learning methods will sharpen your brain. 
Number 4: Master a new subject. 
Learn something new and stretch your brain. 
Number 5: Use your non-dominant hand. 
Right. 
Left. 
Do familiar things in a new way. 
Number 6: Read. 
Look up things. 
Expand your vocabulary. 
It will make you smarter. 
Number 7: Do puzzles. 
They will keep your brain sharp. 
Yeah. And finally, do something fun. 
Number 8 is calculate. 
When you shop, calculate the amount in your head. 
And try to guess the total. 
Number 9 is fun - Play video games. 
They're fun. 
Oh, yeah! 
And they will force you to use critical skills. 
Number 10 is tweet. 
Tweet? 
Tweet! Express yourself in just a few words. 
It challenges your brain. 
So, those are the 10 steps? 
Yes. 
One, two, three, four... Oh, come on. 
Follow these steps. 
Five, six, seven, eight... 
(Chinese). 
And let's see what our teachers are up to. 
The past two days we've talked about 10 different tips or steps toward a smarter brain. 
Now which one do you think is the most beneficial to you? Gabe? 
Well, the most beneficial one I think is learning another language because I'm making my brain smarter and I'm also learning how to communicate with someone who speaks another language. 
What do you think, Carolyn? 
Well, I really like the idea of mastering a new subject. 
And that could include languages. 
But I love to learn; I want to be a student for life. 
Well, I think that's a great thing to do. 
We are all students for life. 
Thank you for joining us here, students for life. 
And we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
Bye-bye. 
(Music).

2013.10.03.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're going to be talking all about October. 
Yes, there are many things that are special about October. 
Well, what does October make you think about? 
Is there anything that you are looking forward to this month? 
What is special about October for you? 
Carolyn, is there anything special about October? 
Well, I love October when I'm in the U.S. because, well, the leaves are beautiful. 
They're still on the trees. 
It's not too cold yet. 
And my hometown has a great festival - the second and third weekends of October. 
Wait. What is that festival, Carolyn? 
It is Railroad Days. 
Railroad Days? Wait, can you explain a little more about Railroad Days? 
Well, my hometown is a railroad town, or it used to be, and there used to be a lot of train traffic going through. 
Oh. 
So we have a festival to celebrate our railroad heritage. 
Well, that is a cool thing to celebrate in West Virginia. 
Well, what about you, friends? 
What is special about October for you? 
What does it make you think about? 
It's somebody's birthday this month - so happy birthday! 
Let's get started with our lesson all about October. 
(Music). 
October. 
The tenth month of the year has a lot to offer. 
O - Opal is the traditional birthstone for this month. 
The Greek meaning is to see a color change. 
The stone occurs in several colors such as white or black. 
It can even be transparent with flashes of color. 
C - The calendula, or marigold, is this month's flower, which represents sympathy. 
T - Top names in theater, music and dance will appear at the Melbourne Festival. 
It runs from October 11 to 27. 
If you are headed to Australia, don't miss it. 
OK, let's learn all about October. 
Actually, the month October, the word starts with O-C-T. 
And that is a prefix for eight. 
You know other words that begin with "oct," right? 
Octagon has eight sides. 
An octopus has eight arms. 
So why is October the tenth month of the year? 
Carolyn? 
Well, it does seem a little bit strange. 
But October used to be the eighth month of the year, and then two more months were added later. 
OK. Well, that's a good history lesson. 
And in case you didn't know, January and February were added later to the calendar. 
So now October is the tenth month of the year. 
And the tenth month of the year has a lot to offer. 
Carolyn, get us started with O. 
All right. 
Yes, the first letter in October is O. 
And our lesson today uses each letter in the word to describe something special about the month. 
So, O - Opal is the traditional birthstone for this month. 
So if you are born in the month of October, your birthstone is the opal. 
OK. So were you born in October? 
Well, the opal is your birthstone. 
And let's learn a little bit about the meaning of this word. 
The Greek meaning is to see a color change. 
Well, it's fun to learn about the meanings of words. 
So opal in Greek means to see a color change. 
What about opal in Chinese? 
(Chinese). 
That's egg white stone. 
It kind of looks like egg white if you look at it. 
Some opals have that color. 
That's right. 
But we learn a little bit more about this stone. 
The stone occurs in several colors such as white or black. 
So you can have white opals like the (Chinese). 
Or you could have a black opal. 
And there are even more colors, right, Gabe? 
That's right. 
That's why we see this phrase "such as." That means it includes more than those colors. 
OK. It can even be transparent with flashes of color. 
OK, so not just white or black, it could be transparent sometimes. 
If something is transparent, that means you can see through it, like the windows of your car or house, or maybe your glasses or a glass that you're drinking out of. 
Those things are transparent. 
And if an opal is transparent, then it will have flashes of color. 
And "flash" is a word from our Word Bank. 
Let's take a look at it. 
If something flashes, that means that it's very bright. 
You only see it for a short amount of time. 
That's right. 
So you just use the word as a verb. 
So flash can be a noun or a verb. 
Something could flash like lightning or your camera, if you have your flash on. 
Of course here it is used as a noun. 
So there are flashes of color. 
The flashes that pop out; you can see the color for a second or two. 
So you could talk about something like lightning that has a flash as well. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
They're going to tell us a little bit more about the kind of lesson we have here today. 
It's called an acrostic. 
In this month's MONTH FACTS feature, our author presents her information in a very creative way. 
She uses the word October as an acrostic. 
An acrostic is formed when the first letters in a series of lines or verses are arranged in such a way that they spell out a word or phrase. 
Over the centuries, acrostics have been used to highlight people's names, to conceal a message and to remember information. 
Right. 
By associating something with each of the seven letters of the word October, 
the author is helping us remember the seven points she makes about the month of October. 
OK. Here's an acrostic that helps us remember the colors of the rainbow. 
ROY G. BIV. 
Now this acrostic is made up. 
Roy is the fictitious man's first name. 
G. is his middle initial. 
And Biv, B-I-V, is his last name. 
ROY G. BIV helps us remember the colors in order: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. 
Here's another acrostic to help us remember the planets of our solar system. 
The sentence: My Very Excellent Mom Just Served Us Nachos. 
Good one, Ken. 
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune for nachos. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, let's get back to our acrostic here for the month of October. 
We are on C. 
The calendula, or marigold, is this month's flower, which represents sympathy. 
So the marigold can also be known as a calendula, and it represents sympathy. 
And I like a flower that represents sympathy. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank: sympathy. 
If you have sympathy for someone, that means you provide care for that person. 
You care for them, especially if they're going through a difficult time. 
You sympathize with that person. 
So this word can also be a verb. 
S-Y-M-P-A-T-H-I-Z-E. 
Do you sympathize with people? 
That's right. 
So this is just a very natural feeling of caring for someone who seems to have some problem, and you feel bad and you want to help them even. 
So if you remember our lesson on Moses the elephant, uh... we read about a woman who had a lot of sympathy for orphaned animals, 
so she started this special orphanage for them. 
That's right. That's a good reminder. 
So you can use this word in a way like this. 
You could say you have my sympathy. 
If you care for somebody, you want to let them know you're there for them, you could say you have my sympathy. 
This is a little different from the word empathy, E-M-P-A-T-H-Y. 
And that is if you have experienced something that someone went through, you understand their pain exactly; you can empathize with that person. 
But if you just want to show them you care, you sympathize with that person. 
That is great. 
Those two words are different but share that same feeling of caring. 
Well, moving on in our acrostic, the letter T. 
Top names in theater, music and dance will appear at the Melbourne Festival. 
Well, hey, let's look at some words from that sentence there. 
We see top names. 
If something is at the top, that means it is the best or maybe the most popular, the most well-known. 
So you could use that word in other ways. 
You want to find the top doctor if you need to have surgery. 
That is a very good idea. 
You might also look at the music charts to see which song is the top song or the number one song right now. 
And of course here we're talking about top names or celebrities that will appear at the Melbourne Festival. 
It runs from October 11 to 27. 
If you are headed to Australia, don't miss it. 
Yes, if you have a chance to be in Australia at this time, don't miss this festival. 
It will be a great one with those top names there. 
Well, right now it is time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.03.B

Today we are learning all about the month of October and some of the great things that go on during this month. 
Today our lesson is an acrostic. 
And so far we have looked at the first three letters, O, C, T - oct, which means eight. 
O is for opal. 
C is for calendula. 
And T is for the top names in theater at the Melbourne Festival in Australia. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn about this month. 
So let's continue with our next letter, O. 
(Music). 
October. 
O - The Old City in Jerusalem will hold the Jerusalem Knights Festival the last four Thursdays this month. 
Visitors will get a taste of the Middle Ages with entertainment from that time period. 
B - Blindness awareness marks this month. 
World Sight Day occurs October 10 this year. 
It focuses on educating people about blindness and raising money for blindness prevention programs. 
E - Every year, October ends on the same day of the week as February does! 
R - The Regent's Park in London hosts the Frieze Art Fair in mid-October. 
Contemporary art galleries from around the world will be featured along with a sculpture park. 
OK. Let's go back up to that first letter O in this section. 
The Old City in Jerusalem will hold the Jerusalem Knights Festival the last four Thursdays this month. 
All right. 
So we already had an O where we talked about the opal. 
Here we're talking about the Old City in Jerusalem. 
OK. So this place dates back a long, long time. 
That's right. 
And this sounds like a very fun festival. 
Visitors will get a taste of the Middle Ages with entertainment from that time period. 
So it will be a very interesting festival with people dressed as medieval characters. 
OK. So have you ever seen a knight? 
Well, I would be interested in seeing a knight and other things like this from the medieval time period. 
The Jerusalem Knights Festival does sound pretty interesting. 
So visitors will get a taste of the Middle Ages with entertainment from that time period. 
What about other time periods? 
Do you know about other time periods in history? 
Well, we learned a little bit about Victorian time periods before, or like the Renaissance. 
These are different ages or time periods in history. 
That is right. 
Well, moving right along in our lesson, we have the letter B for blindness awareness marks this month. 
So this is a very special month because it tries to raise awareness about blindness. 
Well, this raises awareness about blindness. 
But awareness can be used in other ways. 
You might talk about cancer awareness, people... making people aware of cancer and what we can do to maybe help find a cure for cancer. 
Different kinds of awareness, making people aware of something so that they know about something. 
They know that there's a problem; maybe they can help. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn more with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
Hope you're all doing well today. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this sentence: 
Blindness awareness marks this month. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
It just means blindness awareness makes this month special. 
Our focus today is on the word "marks." Here it means to characterize or to make something special or different. 
So today's sentence just means blindness awareness makes this month special. 
This use of "mark" is most often found in formal situations to talk about how something is distinguished or made unique by an event or a situation. 
For example: 
A fireworks display marks the evening. 
Or: The opening ceremony was marked by a special performance from a children's choir. 
So give this word a try. 
Think of an event or situation that makes something special and practice using "mark" to describe it. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
And blindness... awareness does mark this month. 
And World Sight Day occurs October 10 this year. 
So on October 10, look up some more information, try to learn more about blindness, its causes, what you can do to be more helpful to people who have this illness. 
That's right. 
Well, let's read more about World Sight Day. 
It focuses on educating people about blindness and raising money for blindness prevention programs. 
Prevention. 
If you prevent something from happening, that means you stop it from happening. 
If there's a way to stop someone from becoming blind, wouldn't you want to know how? 
Well, World Sight Day will help to focus on educating people about things like this. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: educate. 
Carolyn, what does that mean? 
Well, if you educate someone, then you are teaching them something useful, something that they can use later and perhaps teach to other people. 
So you can educate somebody. 
You give them information about something. 
Um, this word can also be used in another way. 
You can add an -ed to this word. 
Someone is educated. 
That means they learned a lot. 
They learned something. 
If you're learning English here at Studio Classroom, you are educated. 
And you're becoming more and more educated every day as you get more and more knowledge. 
That's right. 
And "educated" begins with E, which is the next letter in our lesson. 
Every year, October ends on the same day of the week as February does. 
Well, that's an interesting fact to know about October. 
Well, there are a couple of months that are paired like this. 
October and February end on the same day of the week. 
March and June end on the same day. 
April and December, August and November end on the same day. 
Now here May and September don't ever end on the same day as other months. 
So those... those are just some interesting facts about months. 
That is a very interesting way that our calendar works. 
Well, we have one more letter, the letter R. 
The Regent's Park in London hosts the Frieze Art Fair in mid-October. 
So if you're in London, you can go to an art fair. 
That's true. 
This sounds interesting to me. 
I love art. 
And this is in mid-October, actually October 17 through 20. 
And contemporary art galleries from around the world will be featured along with a sculpture park. 
If something is contemporary, that means it is modern. 
You might talk about contemporary music. 
That's music that people listen to now. 
That's right. 
And in that sentence we have a word from the Word Bank: sculpture. 
Now a sculpture could be made of wood or metal or stone. 
But it is something that is carved, and it is considered art. 
That's right, or maybe even sand sculptures or ice sculptures. 
If you are working on a sculpture, you are called a sculptor. 
S-C-U-L-P-T-O-R, a sculptor. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
Well, we've talked about many different things about October here today. 
Now which one of the things that were mentioned here today would you like to celebrate most? 
Carolyn, is there anything that you want to celebrate, any festival you want to attend? 
Well, I think I would really like to go to the Jerusalem Knights Festival. 
I've never been to Jerusalem. 
I think it'd be a beautiful city to visit. 
And it sounds like a very interesting festival with a lot of history. 
Well, Carolyn, let's go together. 
I've never been to Jerusalem, either. 
I'd love to go, especially for this festival. 
OK. Thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.01.04.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're going to be learning about someone very young and very talented. 
His name is Kieron Williamson, and he is the art world's youngest star. 
We're going to learn about this young artist, and he is indeed very skilled at what he does. 
Even at a very young age, his parents could tell he had a special talent. 
Well, I wonder about you. 
Do you have a special ability or skill in something? 
Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of people have told me that I am pretty good at learning languages. 
I... if I don't practice them, it's harder for me to remember. 
But when I'm first learning, I pick them up very quickly, so. 
High school I took uh, French and Spanish. 
And then I went to Japan and studied Japanese. 
And now I'm learning Chinese. 
Ah, Carolyn, I'm kind of jealous of people like you who can learn languages so quickly. 
It takes me a long time. 
For me, though, maybe a natural ability or talent is stuff that has to do with rhythm or playing drums. 
I can learn pretty quickly. 
Well, what about you? 
What are you naturally talented in? 
We're going to be learning about Kieron Williamson in these couple of days' lessons. 
So let's get started. 
(Music). 
Kieron Williamson: The Art World's Youngest Star. 
This talented young boy is being compared to some of the world's best-known artists. 
Many parents display their children's artwork on the refrigerator. 
But Kieron Williamson's paintings have been on display in professional galleries since he was 6 years old. 
Kieron's artwork, though, extends far beyond child-like stick figures or finger painting. 
In fact, the child from Norfolk, England, has been called "the boy who paints like an old master.". 
Discovering his gift. 
According to his parents, Kieron was a typical toddler who liked finding bugs and playing in the mud. 
But on a 2008 family vacation to the beach, the 5-year-old was inspired by the boats and scenery and asked his parents for a sketch pad. 
Well, he sounds like a pretty normal little boy, but there is something very special about Kieron Williamson. 
And we see at the beginning of the article: 
This talented young boy is being compared to some of the world's best-known artists. 
And he's just a child. 
That's right. 
So he's very young. 
And as we could see in our title, he is the art world's youngest star. 
So here we're talking about the art world. 
But of course you could talk about other areas of life, too, that require creativity like the music world or the movie world. 
You could talk about the movie world's youngest star, someone very young who is very talented, like Quvenzhane who you learned about earlier this year. 
That's right. 
And today we are learning about the art world's youngest star - Kieron Williamson. 
And we see that many parents display their children's artwork on the refrigerator, 
but Kieron Williamson's paintings have been on display in professional galleries since he was 6 years old. 
Now Gabe, did your parents ever put your artwork up on the fringe? 
Yes. Yes, Carolyn, they did. 
They put mine and of course my brother and my sister's artwork all on the fridge even though it was, I don't know, kind of childish artwork. 
But they thought it was cute. 
Did your parents do this, too? 
Oh, yes. 
And I had a brother and two sisters, and we all had pictures all over the fridge and all over the kitchen, really. 
Right. 
I think a lot of parents like to show off what their kids are doing. 
It's a good way to encourage their children to keep... keep it up, to keep going on. 
Now we're talking about Kieron Williamson here. 
His artwork has been on display in professional galleries since he was 6 years old. 
Let's take a look at our key word: artwork. 
Well, what is artwork? 
It's art, art that you have worked on, it's your artwork. 
That's right. 
So this could be anything like drawings, paintings, sculptures, a collage, something that you put together, some piece of art that people can enjoy looking at. 
That's your artwork. 
OK. And you... you might know some people who are very good at art. 
You could say I love your artwork. 
I love what you do. 
Well, here we're talking about Kieron Williamson. 
He was only 6 years old, or actually even younger when he first started painting. 
But let's take a look at this. 
He was very young. 
Sometimes we call people like him child prodigies. 
A prodigy is someone who... who has a very good gift, a natural talent at doing something, 
kind of... kind of really amazing, actually, more than most people have. 
Now Carolyn, what is a child prodigy? 
Well, as you said, a prodigy is someone who is naturally talented at something. 
A child prodigy is someone who is also naturally talented or gifted at one particular thing, but they are able to display that talent at a young age. 
So Kieron would be a child prodigy in the art world. 
That's right. 
In the art world, he is a child prodigy. 
Maybe you know someone who has been really good at music or piano since they were really, really young. 
Maybe they also were child prodigies. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue learning with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
We all know what a gallery is. 
It's a place that exhibits works of art. 
But let's talk about a different gallery that has nothing to do with art - a peanut gallery. 
In this case, gallery refers to be uppermost section of seating in a theater balcony where the seats are cheapest. 
And who would sit in those seats? 
People who can only afford the cheapest seating, of course. 
And what do these people purchase when they wanted some snacks? 
The cheapest snack, of course. 
And that would be... 
Peanuts. 
Now bear in mind we're not talking about the most cultured or refined folks here. 
So what happens when they see something in the performance they didn't like? 
They would throw the peanuts onto the stage. 
Right. 
Now this was in the old days, of course. 
Nowadays, peanut gallery has taken on a new meaning, referring to a social network audience that passively observes a syndicated web feed or chat room. 
Right. 
They're not exactly lurkers because you know that they're there, you just don't hear from them very often. 
Kind of like a lot of my "friends" on Facebook. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, let's continue learning here. 
Of course we were talking about how many parents like to display their children's art on their refrigerators. 
But Kieron's artwork has been in professional galleries since he was a young child. 
Here we read: 
Kieron's artwork, though, extends far beyond child-like stick figures or finger painting. 
Well, in case you're wondering what a stick figure looks like, I have drawn a picture of two stick figures right here. 
This is my artwork. 
Carolyn, what do you think? 
Oh. Well, that's very nice, Gabe. 
I'm sure your parents would love to put it on their refrigerator. 
Yeah. Hey, now I drew two guys. 
Uh, did they remind you of anybody? 
Well, the only two guys I know would be Steve and Ken. 
But Gabe, that doesn't really look like them. 
Carolyn, that's a great idea. 
Steve and Ken, this is for you. 
I'm going to give this to Steve. 
I'll make a copy for Ken, too. 
OK. Well, those are my stick figures. 
Um, I hope you enjoy them. 
Right now Liz has something she was to share with us in the Grammar Gym. 
I should draw one of her, too. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article, the writer mentions Kieron's artwork, though, extends far beyond child-like stick figures or finger painting. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: to extend far beyond. 
It basically means "is more than just." So the writer is saying that Kieron's artwork is more than just child-like stick figures or finger painting. 
Use this phrase "to extend far beyond" when you want to talk about the quality of something being more than what most people would assume. 
For example: 
Dr. Shea's math class deals with everyday situations and extends far beyond numbers and basic math problems. 
Or: Sarah's responsibilities extend far beyond the usual job requirements of any worker in an office and she has to travel constantly. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, they are available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. Bye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
And it sounds like you can look forward to getting a picture from Gabe. 
Continuing in our article: 
In fact, the child from Norfolk, England, has been called "the boy who paints like an old master." So even though he is a young boy, he still has the skill of an old master. 
Well, what is an old master here? 
This is a saying that refers to a painting or a painter that goes back earlier than the 1800s. 
So an old master is a famous, old painter who's not around anymore. 
Well, let's continue learning about Kieron - Discovering his gift. 
According to his parents, Kieron was a typical toddler who liked finding bugs and playing in the mud. 
Let's look at this word: toddler. 
Carolyn, what is a toddler? 
Well, a toddler is a very young child that is just learning how to walk. 
So they can't really walk very well. 
They kind of toddle. 
That's right. 
That's a verb. 
If you toddle, you're walking but kind of in an awkward way, like a lot of young kids learning how to walk. 
OK. So he was a typical toddler who just liked doing typical toddler things. 
But on a 2008 family vacation to the beach, the 5-year-old was inspired by the boats and scenery and asked his parents for a sketch pad. 
What do you do with a sketch pad, Carolyn? 
Well, you draw pictures. 
And he was inspired by the scenery and wanted this sketch pad so he could draw. 
This is very unusual for a 5-year-old. 
But he seems like he's a very special child. 
Well, before we continue learning about Kieron, we should join Michelle and learn something with her in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.04.B

Well, today we're learning about Kieron Williamson, and he is the art world's youngest star. 
That's right. 
Of course most parents like to display their children's artwork on the refrigerator or other places at home, 
but this young star has had his artwork displayed in professional galleries since he was 6 years old. 
So many would call him a child prodigy. 
He is from Norfolk, England, which is about 160 miles... or kilometers northeast of London. 
And of course, he started drawing at a very young age. 
He saw some boats and some scenery while they were on a family vacation in 2008, and he asked for a sketch pad. 
Well, let's see how this story continues. 
(Music). 
Kieron Williamson: The Art World's Youngest Star. 
His initial drawings could've been done by any young child, 
but after the family returned home, Kieron continued drawing and began to display an aptitude for art. 
When he started asking about the process of putting a painting together, Kieron's parents realized he needed professional instruction. 
Soon after, he began taking lessons, and his progress amazed everyone as the young boy produced impressive landscapes and watercolors. 
In 2009, when the 6-year-old had the chance to exhibit his work in a gallery, he sold 19 paintings for 14,000 pounds, becoming a global sensation! 
Wow! He is a very successful 6-year-old. 
Well, going back to the beginning of this section of the reading: 
His initial drawings could have been done by any young child, 
but after the family returned home, Kieron continued drawing and began to display an aptitude for art. 
So he asked his parents for a sketch pad, and they gave him one. 
And his drawings really weren't that special at first, right, Gabe? 
That's right. 
We're... we read here that any young child could have drawn the way that he did then. 
But that didn't happen when he got home. 
Things began to change. 
He continued to draw and sketch, and he developed an aptitude for art. 
Well, let's take a look at our word there from the Word Bank: aptitude. 
An aptitude is your ability to do something. 
So how could you use that word? 
Well, if you have an aptitude for something, that means that you are naturally good at it. 
Maybe you have an aptitude for languages. 
As we discussed earlier today, many people say that I have an aptitude for language. 
Do you have an aptitude for English? 
Or maybe you're like my sister - she has an aptitude for math. 
Ooh, she has an aptitude for math. 
I don't have an aptitude for math. 
Maybe you have a musical aptitude. 
You can learn music pretty quickly. 
You can do it very well. 
So what do you have an aptitude for? 
Of course, Kieron Williamson displayed an aptitude for art. 
And we continue reading here: 
When he started asking about the process of putting a painting together, Kieron's parents realized he needed professional instruction. 
So maybe a lot of kids might ask their parents how to do something. 
They would be able to respond in an OK way. 
But Kieron was a little better than most children at art. 
That's right. 
Oh, this kind of reminds me of my brother who had an aptitude for electronics at a young age and asked my mother how a computer worked. 
Really? 
He didn't... and what did your mom do? 
How did she respond? 
Well, let's see, she explained to him because she was pretty good with computers. 
And then he continued to learn by taking things apart like VCRs. 
Nice! I'm sure your mom loved that. 
Well, as long as he could fix them again in the future, I'm sure that's good. 
And of course you might have an aptitude for something like that as well. 
Well, we read on here: 
Soon after, he began taking lessons, and his progress amazed everyone as the young boy produced impressive landscapes and watercolors. 
OK, so he was taking lessons from professional instructors. 
And of course, he was impressing everybody. 
It would be very impressive. 
And we find out something amazing. 
In 2009, when the 6-year-old had the chance to exhibit his work in a gallery (he was 6), he sold 19 paintings for 14,000 pounds, becoming a global sensation! 
Wow! 
OK. That is definitely quite a young age to start selling your paintings like this. 
He got 14,000 pounds! 
That's quite a bit of money. 
Now of course he had a chance to exhibit his work in galleries. 
You see that word "exhibit." We've talked about that word before. 
But usually we use it as a noun, or we talked about it as a noun before. 
You have an art exhibit. 
Here you see it as a verb. 
He's exhibiting his work in a gallery. 
That's right. 
And we have a word from our Word Bank at the end of that sentence: sensation. 
If something is a sensation, then it gets popular very quickly, and it's very big, lots of people are talking about it. 
All right. 
So maybe someone is a singing sensation. 
That means they have a wonderful voice. 
Everyone loves to hear their voice. 
Or maybe someone is a... a surfing sensation, someone who surfs really well. 
Everyone is talking about that person. 
That's right. 
Well, I know who can cause a sensation. 
Who? 
Michelle! 
All right. 
Let's go to the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Now get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
Today we've learned about Kieron Williamson and how he displayed his art in a gallery and sold his paintings when he was only 6 years old, becoming a global sensation. 
Now being that young, how can he avoid becoming too caught up in this fame, Gabe? 
Well, that's a good question. 
You know, a lot of kids they become famous early on, and then they end up getting carried away with that and making bad decisions with their life. 
I think it's important to have a good community around you, good role models, good people as examples for you on how to have a balanced life. 
I think that is a very good idea. 
And he can stay involved in normal activities for children. 
Well, we have more to learn about Kieron Williamson. 
So we will see you again tomorrow on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
Oh, I... I added Liz from the Grammar Gym right here... 
(Music).

2013.10.05.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to learn about the art world's youngest star Kieron Williamson. 
We learned yesterday about how he got started with his artwork at a very young age. 
And... by the time he was 6 years old, his artwork was already being displayed in professional galleries. 
Some would call him a child prodigy. 
Well, do you know of any other child prodigies, kids who were very gifted at something from a very young age? 
Carolyn, can you think of any? 
Well, I can think of a boy in Indiana, Akrit Jaswal, who was 7 years old when he performed his first surgery. 
Whoa! 
He had an aptitude for medicine and being a surgeon. 
Wow! I can't stand the sight of blood. 
I can't imagine someone doing a surgery at that young age. 
For me, who can I think of? 
Well, speaking of art, we're learning about art, Arkiane, she was another artist who started at a very young age. 
She has an incredible aptitude for art. 
Well, can you think of anybody who was maybe a child prodigy? 
Right now let's continue learning about Kieron Williamson. 
(Music). 
Kieron Williamson: The Art World's Youngest Star. 
Benefiting from his artwork. 
From that point on, Kieron was besieged by international requests, 
with buyers in France, Japan, Greece and other countries eager to own a genuine Kieron Williamson painting. 
The young artist held another exhibit three months after the first one and sold 16 paintings for over 17,000 pounds, 
followed by a third sale, earning 150,000 pounds. 
For his fourth exhibit, Kieron took the day off from school but ended up returning to school early. 
His entire collection had sold out in 10 minutes to collectors from around the world. 
Wow! Not bad for a kid. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of this section: Benefiting from his artwork. 
From that point on, Kieron was besieged by international requests, 
with buyers in France, Japan, Greece and other countries eager to own a genuine Kieron Williamson painting. 
OK. So from as soon as people found out or discovered Kieron Williamson and what he could do, he was besieged by people. 
Carolyn, what does that word mean? 
It's from our Word Bank, the word besiege. 
It is from the Word Bank. 
And if you are besieged, that means that you are surrounded, overwhelmed even. 
And here he is being besieged by requests. 
He has so many of them that he can't escape. 
You might also say that the movie star was besieged by fans asking for autographs. 
Well, actually that's what happens to me sometimes, Carolyn. 
After we teach here at Studio Classroom, I'm often besieged by people who want my autograph. 
Doesn't that happen to you? 
Um, I have not noticed that happening, Gabe. 
Well, um... continuing on here in our lesson... 
People from, you know, France and Japan, Greece and other countries were eager to own a genuine Kieron Williamson painting. 
A genuine... meaning one that he created by himself. 
It's not a print or another copy. 
It's one that he painted himself. 
Let's continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud about this word eager. 
Let's talk about two words today that seem to have the same meaning but are, in fact, different. 
They are eager and anxious. 
Although anxious has been used as a synonym for eager since the 18th century, we should use anxious only when we're worried or feel uneasy about an anticipated event. 
For example, you can be anxious about an upcoming exam. 
But you probably shouldn't tell your friends that you're anxious to see them this weekend. 
Instead, you should say you're eager to see your friends this weekend. 
That's right. 
It's not that it's wrong, but it runs the risk of confusion because anxious is more related to the word anxiety. 
And anxiety is definitely a negative-sounding word. 
Exactly. 
Anxious and eager, both mean looking forward to something, but they have different connotations. 
Eager suggests enthusiasm about something. 
If you are really looking forward to some cool weather, for example, you're eager for it. 
And that has a positive connotation. 
Anxious, on the other hand, has a negative connotation. 
It implies worry about something. 
Right. 
So if your daughter, for example, doesn't come home on time, you won't be eager; you'll feel anxious. 
Oh, yes. 
Something like that would definitely make me anxious. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Now I hope that you are eager to continue with our lesson and do not feel anxious about learning English. 
Continuing reading: 
The young artist held another exhibit three months after the first one and sold 16 paintings for... for over 17,000 pounds, 
followed by a third sale, earning 150,000 pounds. 
I think he's ready for college now. 
Yeah, I... I think so, too, Carolyn. 
Well, of course we will learn later he is still in school, he's not quitting his education. 
So he's still learning while he's finding the time to do all of these paintings, 
and go to these galleries and exhibit his artwork and selling so many paintings, getting a lot of money. 
That's right. 
He is earning quite a bit from his paintings and selling just a few. 
He also seems to be painting very quickly since there was only a month between his exhibits. 
And he sold 14 at the first one and then 16 at the second one. 
So he is putting a lot of work and time into these paintings. 
That's right. 
And that's not it! 
We continue here. 
For his fourth exhibit, Kieron took the day off from school but ended up returning to school early. 
I love reading about this. 
I mean, everyone was so eager to see and buy Kieron's artwork. 
His entire collection had sold out in 10 minutes to collectors from around the world. 
That's very amazing, the entire collection, so. 
It doesn't say how many pieces, but a collection would be a fairly large number of paintings. 
And it sold out in just 10 minutes. 
Everyone was so eager to own their very own genuine Kieron Williamson painting. 
That's right. 
If something... if something sells out, that means there are no more of them. 
Maybe the movie tickets sell out. 
You can't buy that showing anymore. 
Maybe you want to go to a concert but the tickets have sold out because the performer is so famous. 
Well, of course Kieron Williamson is a young art star, and so his paintings sold out very quickly. 
Collectors from around the world bought them. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
Who is a collector, Carolyn? 
Well, a collector is a person who collects things. 
So they like to get many things that fall into the same type of category. 
So you might have a stamp collector or a rock collector. 
Many people enjoy collecting different kinds of stones that are very beautiful. 
And here we have art collectors, people who collect paintings or photos or sculptures, different works of art. 
That's right. 
So what kinds of things do you like to collect? 
Well, I know someone who loves to collect. 
My uncle collects toys. 
He is a toy collector. 
He has so many unopened toys in his garage and bedroom and all over the place. 
He hopes that some way these toys will be collector's items. 
A collector's item is something very valuable to certain collectors. 
They hope to have these things. 
My uncle hopes to sell these toys one day. 
Well, it sounds like Kieron Williamson's paintings have already become very valuable to these art collectors. 
And right now we have a valuable lesson to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.05.B

We are on the second day of the article learning about Kieron Williamson who is this young star... the youngest star in the art world. 
Now we learned today that after his first exhibit in a gallery and selling his paintings, 
he was besieged by requests from people around the world wanting to buy his paintings. 
He put on four different art shows to sell his paintings, and the fourth one was sold out in 10 minutes to collectors all around the world. 
Well, we still have a lot to learn about this very special young boy, Kieron Williamson. 
(Music). 
Kieron Williamson: The Art World's Youngest Star. 
All of the attention prompted local gallery owner Adrian Hill to state, 
"Kieron has probably become one of the most collectible artists currently exhibiting worldwide.". 
What does Kieron think? 
He has a waiting list of more than 5,000 people who have ordered paintings, 
he has appeared in interviews before millions, and he's been compared to Pablo Picasso. 
Yet Kieron doesn't seem to be fazed by all the attention, still making time for football and maintaining excellent grades at school. 
He does have one goal he gets excited about: 
"I'd like the Queen to have a collection of my work." With his popularity soaring, this young artist may realize his wish one day. 
Well, I would love for Kieron to realize that dream. 
Let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
We were talking about Kieron Williamson's fourth art exhibit, in which all of his art sold out within 10 minutes. 
OK. Here we read: 
All of the attention prompted local gallery owner Adrian Hill to state, 
"Kieron has probably become one of the most collectible artists currently exhibiting worldwide." Wow, Carolyn, that is quite a statement, 
quite an impressive thing for someone to say that Kieron is becoming one of the most collectible artists worldwide. 
That is a very impressive statement. 
And that means that Kieron truly is a very popular artist if he is becoming one of the most collectible artists worldwide. 
And it's even more impressive because he's what, about 10 years old now, Gabe? 
That's right. He's... he's 11 years old, actually. 
He's still very young and probably still one of the most collectible artists worldwide. 
So, he has quite a lot of attention on him now. 
I wonder what he thinks about all of this. 
Well, let's read about this. 
What does Kieron think? 
He has a waiting list of more than 5,000 people who have ordered paintings, 
he has appeared in interviews before millions, and he's been compared to Pablo Picasso. 
Sounds pretty famous to me. 
He does sound very famous, especially if people are comparing him to Pablo Picasso, who is a very famous, 
well-known artist who painted many pictures that you would probably recognize because they are so unique in style. 
That's right. 
I think one of the reasons why he was compared to Picasso was because Picasso also started at a really young age. 
He was a Spanish painter. 
And his mother said one of his first words was piz, which is short for lapiz, which is "pencil" in Spanish. 
He wasn't like most children who said Mama or Papa. 
He said piz, pencil! 
He was an artist at a very young age just like Kieron Williamson. 
I've also heard Kieron Williamson being compared to Monet, Claude Monet. 
He's been called Mini Monet. 
So he's being compared to incredible artists. 
He certainly has. 
And we continue reading: 
Yet Kieron doesn't seem to be fazed by all the attention, still making time for football and maintaining excellent grades at school. 
Well, it sounds like he is still on the right track with his childhood and his education despite all of this fame. 
That's right. 
So he is not fazed by all of this stuff. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: faze. 
If something fazes you, that means it bothers you in some way or it disturbs your process of doing something. 
It makes you unsettled in some way. 
That's right. 
So if you are fazed, you might become very confused for a little while. 
You're not quite sure how to react. 
Perhaps uh, he keeps a positive attitude and isn't fazed when challenges arise would be a good way to use this word. 
That's right, because he remains unfazed. 
If you're not fazed by something, you could say I'm unfazed or that person is unfazed. 
Well, he is unfazed by all the attention. 
He still makes time for things he enjoys, like football. 
Let's take a look at this phrase: to make time for something. 
What does that mean? 
Well, if you make time for something, that means it's... that thing is very important to you, 
and you want to take the time, set it aside so that you're able to do that thing. 
I think it's very important to make time for your family. 
Don't let work or schoolwork, homework become so important that you don't spend time with your family. 
Make time for them. 
That's a good point. 
Make time for your family. 
Make time for other important things in life. 
You might say: Oh, I don't have time for that. 
That's just an excuse. 
You can always make time for the things that are really important to you. 
Kieron Williamson wanted to make time for football. 
Um, Carolyn, is this American football we're talking about? 
Well, he is from England, so no. 
We are talking about what Americans call soccer. 
Yes. That's right. 
So he wants to make time for football or what some people would call soccer. 
He actually said he wants to be a professional footballer. 
So if you want to be a person who plays football, you could be a footballer. 
Well, we're continuing to learn here. 
He does have one goal he gets excited about: 
I'd like the Queen to have a collection of my work. 
What do you think about that, Carolyn. 
Well, that is a great goal to have. 
And we continue: With his popularity soaring, this young artist may realize his wish one day. 
Now let's look at that key word "soar" in that sentence. 
When I think of the word "soar" or "soaring," I think of birds soaring in the sky. 
But that's not what we're talking about here, is it, Gabe? 
No. Someone's popularity could soar high as well, like a bird it goes high. 
I also hear people talking about their dreams soaring, OK. 
So we can use this word to talk about these kind of things. 
Right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hello, Kieron. 
Tell everyone what you like to do. 
I like bugs, and I like playing in the mud. 
You are a typical toddler. 
And I like the beach, and I like the scenery. 
Oh, that's so nice. 
Anything else? 
I like to draw. 
I know you do. 
That's why Daddy got you a sketch pad. 
Hooray! Yes! I like to draw. 
Yes, most kids do. 
So, show me your pictures. 
Hmm... I drew this one, and I drew this one. 
Oh, and I drew these. 
You drew these? 
Mmhm. 
Kieron, you have an aptitude for art. 
An aptitude for art? 
Is that good? 
Yes. You'll become a global sensation. 
A global sensation? Is that good? 
Yes! Yes! 
Hooray! But I don't want to draw anymore. 
You don't? 
No. I want to paint. 
Great! I'll get you professional instruction. 
Is that good? 
Yes. And someday, you'll have exhibits in the gallery. 
Oh! Is that good? 
Yes. 
Maybe you'll be famous. 
Maybe you'll be rich. 
Rich! I know that's good. 
(Chinese). 
Don't go yet. 
Keep watching as our program continues. 
Well, I've enjoyed learning about Kieron Williamson, this child prodigy. 
And I wonder if you would be interested in collecting his art. 
What does that sound like to you, Carolyn? 
Would you buy his artwork? 
Well, his paintings are really nice. 
But it sounds like he's becoming so popular that they're getting very expensive, and I'm not really an art collector. 
Ah, right. 
Well, I guess if you were to buy one, you should buy it soon before it gets even more expensive. 
I would love to have one of his pieces of artwork. 
I think they're incredible. 
But I don't know if I have enough money, either. 
However, if you're a collector, maybe you should think about this. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you.

2013.10.07.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're talking about Reaching for Records. 
Well, world records is what our lesson is about. 
Many people like to do things to break world records - to be the best at something or the first at doing something or the greatest at something. 
Now if you could break a world record, what would it be? 
Carolyn? 
Well, that is an interesting question there, Gabe. 
I think if I were to try to break a world record, I'm not... I'm not very fast or really strong, but maybe I could try to text the fastest text message. 
OK. That's very interesting, very creative answer there, Carolyn. 
For me, I think I would want to be the only Gabriel Harbour in the world to teach the most English lessons on TV. 
Well, I think you are well on your way to breaking that record, Gabe. 
Sweet! I certainly hope so, Carolyn. 
Well, what about you? 
What world record would you like to break if you had the chance? 
We're going to get started with our lesson for today Reaching for Records. 
Reaching for Records. 
What drives people to set and break world records? 
At the Pyramids of Giza in 2005, visitors may have seen a strange sight. 
A man named Ashrita Furman walked 11.33 kilometers balancing a pool cue on his finger. 
That day he set a world record, which he later broke by walking 14.40 kilometers with the pool cue. 
Furman has set over 450 records in his lifetime according to the Guinness World Records book. 
He currently holds more than 150, including one for holding the most records. 
OK, let's go back to the top of our lesson for today. 
We see a question here: 
What drives people to set and break world records? 
OK. 
Earlier this month we learned a word "compel," right? 
You could also say what compels people to set and break world records? 
Well, it is an interesting question. 
And we will be discussing it in our article over the next two days. 
But first, we're going to learn about a very interesting sight. 
At the Pyramids of Giza in 2005, visitors may have seen a strange sight. 
Now we have a word there from our Word Bank: pyramid. 
And this will help you get an idea of where this is in Egypt. 
A pyramid. 
What is a pyramid, Gabe? 
Well, basically, a pyramid is a kind of shape. 
And it has three or four corners or edges on the base. 
But then of course it goes to the top to make one point. 
That's a pyramid. 
Now in Egypt, there are some very famous pyramids. 
They were built centuries ago, the pyramids of Egypt. 
That's right. 
And here he is at the Pyramids of Giza, which are in Egypt. 
And we see that a man named Ashrita Furman walked 11.33 kilometers balancing a pool cue on his finger. 
This is quite interesting, OK. 
You could probably... you probably saw that picture just now behind Carolyn - the man Ashrita Furman was balancing this cue tip on his finger. 
And right now I'm balancing my notes on my... 
Well, it's not a pool cue. 
That's right. 
So it might be a little bit different. 
It's... it's true. 
But have you ever tried balancing something on your finger? 
A couple of years ago, Billy and Andrea, they were teaching Let's Talk in English. 
Billy was balancing his clipboard on his hand. 
And it fell forward and hit Andrea in the mouth. 
OK. So be careful if you're trying to balance something on your finger or on your hand. 
Make sure that everyone is safe around you. 
That's right. 
But as you see in the pictures, he has many people walking around with him, watching him, recoding this. 
And we learned that day he set a world record, which he later broke by walking 14.40 kilometers with the pool cue. 
So he broke his own world record. 
And that's kind of a long way to walk, balancing a pool cue on your finger. 
Wow! Actually, if you saw that picture, you probably noticed his arms, too. 
They are very strong. 
Well, Furman has set over 450 records in his lifetime according to the Guinness World Records book. 
And that is quite a lot of records. 
That is. 
You see he has four... over 450 records in his lifetime. 
And he does not look like someone who is very old, so. 
He seems to really enjoy setting and breaking world records. 
And what is uh... one of these records, Gabe? 
Well, it's very interesting. 
He currently holds more than 150, including one for holding the most records. 
OK. So he's broken many records, he's set many records. 
And of course, now one of his records is one for holding the most records. 
Let's take a look at our Word Bank word here. It is "currently." That means right now. 
Right now he has the record for holding the most records. 
That's right. 
And he also has 150 records now, currently. 
he's had 450 in his lifetime. 
He sets records, and then he breaks them and sets a new record. 
And so he has set over 450. 
But currently, right now, he just holds 150. 
That's right. 
Now you might see this word "current" in other ways. 
You might talk with your friends or classmates about current events. 
OK. Those are things that are happening in the world these days, recently, or even today. 
They are current events. 
So currently, what is going on? 
Well, currently Carolyn and I are talking about the Guinness World Records book. 
And Carolyn, what is this book? 
Well, it is a book that's filled with all of these records, so. 
Who has walked the furthest balancing a pool cue on their finger? 
If you want to know the answer to that question, you can find it in the Guinness World Records book. 
Now we've been talking a lot about this word "record," Gabe. 
And we've been using all these different verbs - to set a record, to break a record. 
How does this work? 
Well, a record, of course, is something that you do. 
It goes on record as being the most or the greatest of something. 
So of course you see the words "to set a record," OK. 
If you set a record, that means you are the one to do that thing. 
What if you break a record, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that someone did it before, and they set the record, but then you do it even better, faster, longer than they did. 
So you break their record and set a new one. 
And of course the last word we see here, the last verb is to hold a record. 
That means you set a record, nobody else broke it, so you are holding that record. 
Nobody is better than you. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.07.B

We've just begun our article Reaching for Records. 
And so far we've been talking about Ashrita Furman, who has set over 450 world records and currently holds 150 records including one for holding the most records. 
And one of the records we talked about that he set recently was that he balanced a pool cue on his finger, walking around the Pyramids of Giza in 2005. 
This was quite amazing. 
Well, we have many more records and a little bit of history we want to talk about next in our lesson. 
Reaching for Records. 
Guinness World Records. 
Guinness World Records began with a question. 
While hunting, Sir Hugh Beaver, then chairman of the Guinness Brewery, wondered what the fastest game bird in Europe was. 
Beaver couldn't find a book that answered his question, so he decided to create one. 
In 1954 Beaver asked two sports journalists to help him collect records. 
And in 1955 The Guinness Book of Records, as it was then called, was published. 
That very year, it became a bestseller. 
Later editions have sold over 130 million copies and have been translated into more than 25 languages. 
(Music). 
All right, that's great. 
Now we have a little bit of the history of the Guinness World Records book. 
So let's go back to the top of this section here. 
We read: Guinness World Records began with a question. 
So someone had a question, OK. 
While hunting, Sir Hugh Beaver, then chairman of the Guinness Brewery, wondered what the fastest game bird in Europe was. 
So his question: What is the fastest game bird in Europe? 
Well, that is a good question. 
And he wanted to know the answer. 
But we learn a little bit about this man, Sir Hugh Beaver. 
He was then chairman of the Guinness Brewery. 
And chairman is a word from our Word Bank. 
If you are chairman, then you are in charge of an organization or a committee or a group of people. 
You lead them and you sit in the chair. 
Well, that's right. 
And so often you will start the meetings. 
When you all come together, the chairman will begin the meeting. 
And of course, you're in charge. 
OK. So he's the chairman of the Guinness Brewery. 
Have you ever been there? 
That is in Dublin, Ireland. 
And of course Guinness is famous not for their record books at first. 
They were first famous for their beer or their Guinness draft. 
That's right. 
But here they're talking about a world records book, the Guinness World Records book, that was started because of this question wondering what the fastest game bird in Europe was. 
And a game bird, of course, is just a type of bird that you hunt. 
That's right. 
And so there was a question this man had because there was a debate. 
Was it the golden plover or was it the grouse? 
Which one was the faster game bird? 
And of course he found out the golden plover was faster. 
I'm not sure what the fastest game bird is now. 
But at least at the time, he found out which one was faster. 
And of course, this inspired him to create a book of world records. 
That's right. 
And right now Steve and Ken have something they want to tell us a little bit about this man's name in the Information Cloud. 
In medieval England, men were knighted by a king or queen in recognition for special service to their country, especially outstanding military service. 
It was a great honor. 
Knights were given all the rights and privileges of nobility and a good measure of military authority. 
Knights were allowed to put the honorable title "Sir" before their names. 
Then beginning in about the late 1500s, kings and queens began knighting civilians as a way of honoring their contributions to society. 
The man in today's lesson, Sir Hugh Beaver, was knighted in 1943 for his service to the British government. 
Today, people from all over the world are being knighted by the British monarchy for achievements in science, entertainment, politics and other fields. 
However, only knighted citizens of British Commonwealth countries may place the title "Sir" before their name. 
Knighted non-Brits, like Americans Steven Spielberg and Bill Gates, have to settle with placing the letters KBE, signifying Knight of the British Empire, after their names. 
By the way, women can also be knighted. 
They can receive the honors of knighthood, too. 
However, instead of Sir, their title is Dame. 
Judi Dench, the famous British actress, for example, is a Dame. 
(Chinese). 
Well, thank you, gentlemen. 
I suppose I won't call you "sir," but we are talking about Sir Hugh Beaver right now. 
And Beaver couldn't find a book that answered his question. 
So what did he do? 
He decided to create one! 
He made his own. 
All right, the Guinness World Records book. 
It's been called by different things in history, but today it's called the Guinness World Records. 
And in 1954 Beaver asked two sports journalists to help him collect records. 
All right. So he wasn't just working on his own, he had the help of some other people. 
That's right. 
And these people just happened to be journalists, a word from our Word Bank. 
And a journalist is someone who reports on the news. 
They are very good at gathering information. 
So I'm sure they would be very helpful in collecting these records. 
That's right. 
Actually, if you're a news reporter, then you're probably also a journalist of some kind. 
And if you want to do this for a job or career, maybe in university you would study journalism. 
J-O-U-R-N-A-L-I-S-M. 
You might want to study journalism. 
Now of course Beaver asked two sports journalists to help him collect records. 
OK, so these people already knew a lot about sports. 
They're the best people for this job. 
That's right. 
And in 1955, so a year later, the Guinness Book of Records, as it was then called, was published. 
So it's been through some name changes. 
And it was originally the Guinness Book of Records. 
That's right. 
It was then called the Guinness Book of Records. 
You... we could say it's now called the Guinness World Records. OK. 
And this was published in 1955. 
That very year, it became a bestseller. 
So right away it was a bestseller. 
It was one of the most bought books of the year. 
That's right. 
Well, it sounds like many people had questions that they wanted answered. 
And this book provided those answers in a very convenient location. 
Later editions had sold over 130 million copies and have been translated into more than 25 languages. 
Well, this sounds like a very popular book. 
Well, it certainly is. 
Actually, the 2009 issue of the Guinness World Records book was the bestselling copyrighted book ever in history. 
So of course this is a very popular book. 
Right now it's time for us to go and enjoy a review skit, followed by Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Ah, it's a fine day for hunting, Sir Beaver. 
Indeed, yes. 
Look at all the game birds! 
Now which one should I shoot first? 
Ah, yes, Sir. Slow birds are easier to hunt. 
I'll... I'll shoot uh, that one. 
Oh... missed. 
Those game birds are really fast. 
Yes, Sir. They are very fast, Sir. 
I wonder if those game birds are fastest in Europe. 
That's a good question, Sir. 
I'll look it up, Sir. 
Look it up? Where? 
Yes, um... at the library, Sir. 
I'll find a book about fast birds. 
I've already looked. 
There isn't one. 
Well, that's a pity, Sir. 
Why don't you make one? 
Yes, I can write a book about the fastest game birds. 
Oh, and the fastest dogs and the fastest cars and the fast everything else! 
Yes! That's brilliant. 
I'll create a book of records. 
Very good, Sir. 
But how will you get the information? 
I'll get sports journalists to help me collect records. 
Oh, that would be a wonderful book, Sir. 
No doubt about it, it will be a bestseller. 
Indeed. 
Now let's hunt for more birds. 
Yes... uh, slow birds, Sir. 
Oh, there's one! 
Oh, that one's already dead. 
(Chinese). 
Now it's time to go back to our teachers. 
Today we're talking about Reaching for Records. 
And we've already learned about somebody who has set and broken and holds many records. 
And of course this is all recorded in the Guinness World Records book. 
Have you ever used the Guinness Book of World Records to answer one of your own questions? 
Carolyn, do you ever use this book? 
Well, I think it can be a very helpful book. 
And I did use it actually for a Studio Classroom article... 
What? 
... in January. Yes. 
What is... or The largest snowflake in history. 
Oh, yeah. That's right. 
Carolyn wrote that article. 
And of course we learned about the largest snowflake in history. 
And you found that answer where? 
In the Guinness World Records. 
All right. 
Well, you can use this book to find out lots of interesting information. 
Of course, we have more to learn about Reaching for Records next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.10.08.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing our lesson Reaching for Records. 
And of course in our last lesson we talked about Ashrita Furman, who has set many world records. 
We also learned about the history of the Guinness Book of World Records, or the Guinness World Records, as it is now called. 
Now I wonder about recent records. 
Do you know of any recent world records? 
Maybe something that was set this year. 
Carolyn? 
Well, there was a record set this year for the oldest man alive, and then the oldest man who has been living in recent history. 
His name was Jiroemon Kimura, and he was from Japan. 
He was 116 years old. 
And his birthday, I think, was May. 
And then he passed away in June. 
Wow! 116 years old! 
Hey, that's a lot of green tea probably. 
Those kinds of things can keep you healthy. 
Well, what other things have you learned about recently? 
Talk about them with your friends in English. 
And of course, right now let's get started in our lesson for today. 
The topic is Pursuit of Records. 
Reaching for Records. 
Pursuit of Records. 
Breaking a world record requires extraordinary skill. 
But why spend time developing extraordinary skill at crushing eggs with one's toes or balancing a ladder on one's chin? 
Fame: According to two-time world-record breaker Larry Olmsted, 
"Everyone wants to be famous." Breaking a record is a way to gain some recognition even if you don't become a household name. 
Fortune: Alastair Galpin has made a career of breaking records. 
He gives school presentations about his experiences and offers companies publicity for sponsoring his record-breaking attempts. 
(Music). 
Well, there are many reasons why people want to break these world records. 
And here our section is titled Pursuit of Records. 
And pursuit is one of the words from our Word Bank. 
Now what is a pursuit, Gabe? 
Well, if you're in pursuit of something, that means you're chasing after something. 
So the verb form of this word is pursue, P-U-R-S-U-E. 
What are you pursuing? 
Well, some people are in pursuit of records. 
They are pursuing breaking some kind of world record. 
Or trying to make a new record or set a new record, like yesterday we were learning about a man named Ashrita Furman. 
And he seemed to set some very interesting records like balancing a pool cue on his finger. 
Perhaps no one had ever done that before. 
That's right. 
Well, why do people pursue these kinds of records? 
We read here: Breaking a world record requires extraordinary skill. 
But here's a good question. 
But why spend time developing extraordinary skill at crushing eggs with one's toes or balancing a ladder on one's chin? 
Actually, those things were things that Ashrita Furman did. 
The man from yesterday's lesson, he did these things. 
Carolyn, have you ever crushed eggs with your toes? 
Uh, no. That is not a skill I have developed. 
No? 
Gabe, can you balance a ladder on your chin? 
Hmm, no. 
But I guess I could try. 
I'll go get a ladder right now. 
Well, I... I don't know if we have time for that because, well, we want to spend some time with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this question: 
But why spend time developing extraordinary skill at crushing eggs with one's toes or balancing a ladder on one's chin? 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Notice the phrase at the beginning of the sentence: why spend time. 
It's a shorter way of saying why should one spend time. 
So we can say: But why should one spend time developing extraordinary skill at crushing eggs with one's toes or balancing a ladder on one's chin? 
Use this phrase "why spend time" when you want to talk about why something should or shouldn't be done. 
For example: 
Why spend time sitting in your car in a traffic jam when you can save time and money riding public transportation? 
Or: Why spend time going from store to store looking for a gift when you can just shop online and have the gift delivered to your friend? 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Bye-bye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Yes, why spend time doing those things? 
Now Gabe, I'm glad to see that the time you spent with that ladder, you didn't hurt yourself. 
That's good. 
I didn't hurt myself, but my chin is a little bit sore. 
Anyway, here we're learning about some reasons why people want to break records. 
And one thing is fame. 
OK. We read here: 
According to two-time world-record breaker Larry Olmsted, "Everyone wants to be famous." Do you agree with that? 
Well, I don't know if everyone wants to be famous. 
But people do like it when other people know who they are, maybe not famous but at least to be popular or liked by other people. 
I think that's pretty true. 
It's true. 
And he continues... or we continue reading: 
Breaking a record is a way to gain some recognition even if you don't become a household name. 
All right. A household name is just a name that everyone knows. 
You don't have to be... you can go anywhere and everybody knows who you're talking about, like a famous actor or actress. 
Now let's talk about this word from our Word Bank. 
It is recognition. You have recognition. 
What does that mean? 
Well, it means that people recognize what you've done, that they know about you. 
Or they give you praise or adoration. 
They... they tell you how much they appreciate or enjoy the things that you've done. 
They recognize your accomplishments. 
Well, if you have accomplished something, do you like to get recognition for what you have done? 
It's a good question. 
Well, another reason why people pursue records is fortune. 
Alastair Galpin has made a career of breaking records. 
He's made a career of this. 
Let's take a look at that phrase. 
What does it mean to make a career of something? 
Well, it means that you take something, some sort of task and you turn that into your job. 
So here instead of having a regular job, maybe at an office, his career, or what he wants to do for his work for his life, is to break world records. 
That's all he does. 
That's right. 
He made a career of this. 
What do you want to make a career of? 
Well, we continue here learning about Mr. Galpin. 
He gives school presentations about his experiences and offers companies publicity for sponsoring his record-breaking attempts. 
Great. 
And we have another word there, the word publicity. 
Now publicity means that you get attention from the media - so magazines, newspapers, TV, reporters, journalists. 
We learned about journalists in one of our lessons this month. 
And so if you get publicity, then people will know more about you. 
That's right. 
And some people say no publicity is bad publicity. 
Even if they're showing you doing something kind of strange, at least you're in the news, at least you're becoming a little bit famous. 
Well, anyway, it's time for us to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And then we'll see you later. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.08.B

Today we're talking about the Pursuit of Records. 
Why do people want to be in a book of world records? 
Why do they want to break records and set new records? 
Well, one reason is fame. 
Everyone wants to be famous. 
Another reason that was suggested in our lesson is fortune. 
Or another way to say that is money. 
You want to make money by doing something. 
Actually, the person who said that, Alastair Galpin, he made a record by placing 8 snails on his face in 10 seconds. 
He also licked 57 stamps in one minute. 
These are very strange things to do just to break a record or to set a record of some kind. 
But he might be making a fortune. 
Right now let's continue learning about two other reasons people might want to break world records. 
(Music). 
Reaching for Records. 
Accomplishment: Grete Eliassen broke a record for ski jumping over a 31-foot platform called a hip. 
Her hip jump was the world's highest. 
She wanted to show her skill, proving that women could ski as well as men. 
A compelling message: Jon Pritikin uses feats of strength during anti-bullying presentations in schools. 
He's even strong enough to roll a frying pan up like a wrap! 
Pritikin broke a record for rolling two together tighter than anyone before, hoping this would gain him more speaking opportunities. 
Whatever their motivations, people have done some crazy things in pursuit of world records. 
(Music). 
All right. 
Let's look at these two other reasons that people might try to break a world record. 
The first one, accomplishment. 
Grete Eliassen broke a record for ski jumping over a 31-foot platform called a hip. 
That's right. 
This is also called a hip jump, the kind of jump that she was doing. 
Let's learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Many of us are familiar with heteronyms, words with the same spelling but different pronunciations and different meanings. 
But are you familiar with suprafixed heteronyms? 
Suprafixing simply describes the process of verbs morphing or becoming nouns. 
And as they do, their stress shifts from the second syllable to the first. 
Right. 
Let's look at an example we find throughout today's lesson - the noun "record." It comes from the verb record. 
Using both noun and the verb in a sentence, we might say the officials arrived to record the man's attempt at breaking the record. 
There are dozens of these kinds of heteronyms in English, including present and present, permit and permit, 
produce and produce, which is a vocabulary word we'll encounter later this month. 
OK. So again, if it's the noun, put the stress on the first syllable. 
If it's the verb, place the stress on the second syllable. 
Now suprafixing doesn't just happen to verbs morphing into nouns. 
It happens to verbs that morph into adjectives, too. 
That's right. 
As an example, we could say it took the man several years to perfect his novel. 
Finally, last month, he decided it was perfect. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Now continuing to learn about Grete and her jump... or her hip jump, we read: 
Her hip jump was the world's highest. 
She wanted to show her skill, proving that women could ski as well as men. 
Yes. And you can find video footage of this hip jump on YouTube if you want. 
Let's continue learning about another reason people like to pursue records: A compelling message. 
And compelling is a word straight from our Word Bank. 
We talked about the word "compel" before, the verb. 
Here it's an adjective. 
If something is compelling, it's kind of... it kind of means it's inspiring. 
It gets you to want to do something. 
That's right. 
It might also be something that keeps your attention. 
You want to focus on it. 
And here we see a very compelling message from a man named Jon Pritikin. 
He uses feats of strength during anti-bullying... during anti-bullying presentations in schools. 
And we have a video to show you of one of his presentations. 
My little girl, Jaden, she's my buddy. 
When she was five years old, I had an idea to take her back to my school. 
So, we got to the school that day and we got to campus. 
I said, Jaden, this is the classroom where the teacher told me all those mean things. 
This is the spot in the hall where the boys tripped me and... and I was bleeding. 
And I showed her the scar on my chin... one more time. 
And then we went outside to the field where the tree is. 
It's still there. 
And I said this is where Daddy ate lunch by himself every day. 
We got to go home; we started walking back to our car. 
I didn't want her to see me cry because I was pretty depressed, 
because I wish I could've showed her where my jerseys retired, my name on the wall for my accomplishments. 
But I... I don't have a story like that. 
We got to the... as we were walking, she... she grabbed my hand. 
She stops me from walking. 
I looked down, and she said, "Daddy?" I said, "Yeah, Jaden?" She said, 
"I'm so sorry that happened to you." Aw, It's OK. 
It's all right. 
But what she said to me next, I will never forget to the day I die. 
She looked at me with her big, brown eyes, her curly hair. 
She said, "Daddy..." I said, "Yeah, baby girl?" She said, 
"I, I would have eaten lunch with you." Ah. 
Sorry. 
That touched my heart; still touches my heart. 
(Background Noise). 
You know what I would like to adopt today? 
Every school that's represented here, I would like to adopt this - that no one is allowed to eat lunch by themselves anymore on campus. 
But we're going to watch out for one another. 
We're going to watch out for people like me. 
We're going to go back to school, we're going to go back to campus, and we're going to watch out. 
And we're going to be there. 
We're going to defend people. 
We're going to be heroes this year. 
We're going to end this year strong and learn at this Character Combine to be heroes. 
As you can see, that was quite a touching video. 
And yes, he deals with bullying. 
He promotes anti-bullying. 
So he's against bullying in schools. 
OK, let's continue learning about Jon Pritikin here, how strong he is. 
He is even strong enough to roll a frying pan up like a wrap! 
OK. That's... a wrap, like a burrito wrap, some kind of food. 
So you can roll this up just like that. 
That's pretty impressive. 
And we learn that Pritikin broke a record for rolling two - so that's two frying pans - together, tighter than anyone before, hoping this would gain him more speaking opportunities. 
That would be very strong. 
That's right. 
Well, Jon Pritikin continues talking in this talk about his coach, Coach Edwards, 
who was a very inspirational man for him, someone who helped him especially when he needed it most. 
Let's continue learning with another video about Jon Pritikin. 
And in this video, you'll see him roll up that frying pan like a wrap. 
I've had the privilege now to speak to over 4 million students around the world. 
And everyone I get to talk to, everyone I get to encourage, I trace it back to my high school teacher, my special ed teacher, Mr. Edwards. 
Coaches, thank you for all the sacrifice you put into these young men and young ladies. 
Thank you for all the times you feel like giving up, you still come to practice. 
Thank you for... for believing in us. 
Thank you for being that support system in our lives. 
So from Mr. Edwards and from me, coaches, thank you for everything you do. 
Players, let's give a big hand for all the coaches that are here today. 
You guys are awesome! 
You're going to give me a countdown from 10? 
All ready to go, baby. 
I'm going to roll this up. 
You guys, it was an honor to be here today. 
Let's remember to be heroes. 
Let's watch out for one another. 
Let's see lots of one another. 
And thank you for being here with me today. 
I love you. 
I believe you. 
Give me a countdown from 10. Here we go. 
10, 9, 8... Stand up! 7... 
5, 4, 3, 2, 1! 
Come on, Jonny. 
(Music). 
Like a burrito. 
(Music). 
Unbelievable... Unbelievable. 
(Music). 
Wow! That was very impressive to see him roll that. 
Well, continuing with our last line: 
Whatever their motivations, people have done some crazy things in pursuit of world records. 
And I think it's very true. 
It is. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our lesson. 
One of the very interesting world records we learned about today was a man who could roll a frying pan like a wrap. 
Gabe, do you think you can make this frying pan into a wrap? 
Carolyn, come on. Are you kidding me? 
Of course I can. 
This is going to be... 
Um. 
... easy. 
Well, I don't think it's going to work, Gabe. 
Don't... don't hurt yourself. 
Don't hurt yourself. 
Well, I deserve something for trying. 
Well, I guess I can let you have some of my wrap. 
Yes. That would be very nice. 
Well, we will see you next time here on Studio Classroom. 
See you later. 
(Music).

2013.10.09.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Our lesson is called Too Much Money? 
Hmm, what a good question! 
Do you have this problem or do you know someone who has this "problem," who has too much money? 
Well, speaking of money, what is a good thing to do with your money? 
What are some good ways to use your money? 
What do you think, Carolyn? 
Well, I think that money can be used for a lot of good things. 
You could use it to support a group, an organization, maybe a charity that you like, that you think they are doing a good job. 
You could also use your money toward education. 
You could spend it on learning a new skill to improve your own knowledge or to get a better job. 
I like those suggestions. 
This also makes me think of what my older sister says. 
She says any money spent on other people is good. 
It's not wasted. 
I agree with her. 
If you spend money on other people, taking them out to meals or buying gifts for them, that is something good to do with your money. 
Well, let's get started in our lesson today: Too Much Money? 
Too Much Money? 
What should a business do with all its profits? 
Hi, Uncle Bob. 
Sorry I haven't been around much lately. 
Sandy and I have been really busy. 
That's OK, Ben. 
I figured that meant things were going well. 
As a matter of fact, business is booming. 
And to be honest, I'm starting to get a little worried that I might become a victim of my own success. 
What do you mean? 
Well, the company is flush with money right now. 
I know that it's import to keep your money actively working for you, but I can't figure out what to do with it fast enough. 
Well, I guess having too much money could be a problem. 
Well, let's go back to the very beginning of this conversation. 
What should a business do with all its profits? 
Carolyn, what is a profit? 
Well, a profit is the money that you make. 
So after you've paid all of your employees and yourself, and you've paid off all of your expenses, all your bills, you pay for the lights, the machines, 
all of the supplies that you need to run your business, all of the money that you have left over, that is your profit. 
OK. So what should your business do if you have these kind of profits? 
Well, Ben is asking his Uncle Bob about this because their business is doing pretty well and they have a lot of money left over. 
OK, let's get started with this conversation. 
I will be Ben today. 
So you can be Uncle Bob. 
Oh, great. All right. 
So I'll be Uncle Bob. 
Well... Ben, you start. 
Hi, Uncle Bob. 
Sorry I haven't been around much lately. 
Sandy and I have been really busy. 
Well, I guess that's a pretty good reason to not be around if you're busy. 
You know, you don't have a lot of time, so. 
Uncle Bob responds: 
That's OK, Ben. 
I figured that meant things were going well. 
Well, that's a good word that Uncle Bob uses here. 
He figures that means things were going well. 
So if you figure something, that means you thought about it for a while, that's the answer you came to. 
OK. Well, Ben says: 
As a matter of fact, business is booming. 
Great! Great job, Gabe... Ben. 
Booming. 
Booming is a word from our Word Bank. 
And if something is booming, then it is doing really, really well, almost exploding. 
That's right. 
So usually I hear this word when I'm talking about a business of some kind. 
Someone's business is booming. 
It's doing really well. 
What about the economy? 
You could talk about the booming economy. 
That means it's starting to get really, really good. 
It's doing OK now. 
So the business is booming. 
That's right. 
Well, uh, it's still your line, Ben. Continue. 
Yes. Yes, of course. 
Booming... 
And to be honest, I'm starting to get a little worried that I might become a victim of my own success. 
Well, that is a great phrase there, Gabe. 
To be a victim of your own success. 
Let's look at that. 
What does it mean? 
To be a victim of your success. 
Well, of course, success is a great thing, right? 
Everyone wants success. 
Everyone wants to succeed. 
Now maybe you're doing really, really well. 
You're really successful. 
But then you're so successful that troubles start to come, troubles you did not plan. 
If those things happen to you, then you become a victim of your own success. 
That's right. 
And people that I think of that can easily become a victim of their only success are businessmen who work really hard, 
but they spend so much time at the office that they don't really get to spend time with their family. 
They make plenty of money, but the relationship they have with their wife and children gets pretty terrible. 
And that can make you a victim of your own success. 
I think that is a very common way that people become a victim of their success. 
So if that is happening to you, watch out! 
Make sure that doesn't happen. 
Do something about it. 
Don't become that kind of victim of your success. 
OK, Uncle Bob, carry on. 
Oh, yes. 
Uh, Uncle Bob has a question for you. 
What do you mean? 
Well, the company is flush with money right now. 
Great! Great. I will stop you there, Ben. 
Gabe, I'm sorry for interrupting, but you said a word from our Word Bank, the word "flush." If something is flush, that means it is full. 
There is so much of something. 
So you might say that the company is flush with new employees. 
There are many, many new employees in the company right now. 
OK. It's flush with employees. 
Usually I hear this when you're talking about money as well. 
Maybe you are flush with cash. 
You have a lot of cash. 
Or maybe someone is flush with power. 
They are a very powerful person. 
So Ben and Sandy Johnson, they have a good company and it's flush with money right now. 
That's a great thing, right? 
Well, it is a great thing. 
But Ben seems to be having a little bit of a problem. 
So why don't you continue with his line? 
Yeah. 
I know that it's important to keep your money actively working for you, but I can't figure out what to do with it fast enough. 
This is a great point that Ben has. 
Actually, if you have money, you want to keep it working for you. 
What does that mean if your money is working for you? 
Well, that means that you have invested it somewhere that somehow, without much effort, you're making more money. 
It's like the money is working for you. 
That's right. 
So instead of just letting the money sit around, maybe in a drawer or under your mattress, you invest it so that it is gaining interests. 
You are making more money from the money you already have. 
That's right. 
And if you're doing that, maybe if you're making a lot of money, you don't know what to do with your money fast enough. 
You have Ben's problem. 
Well, maybe you have too much of a good thing. 
Let's learn something about that phrase with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll join Michelle. 
Hi, friends. 
Have you ever had the problem that Ben and Sandy are having? 
They're making so much money that they don't know what to do with it. 
Well, I'm not sure I would call that a problem, Ken. 
Having too much money, personally, I wouldn't have a problem with that. 
But this situation reminded me of an expression: too much of a good thing. 
Ah, yes, too much of a good thing. 
That means something pleasant becomes unpleasant because you have too much of it. 
This phrase was actually coined by Shakespeare in the 17th century when he wrote the play As You Like It. 
Of course we can apply this expression to anything that might be bad for you when you have too much of it. 
For example, we all love chocolate, right? 
But too much chocolate can actually make you sick. 
Perfect example. 
So moderation is key when we have too much of a good thing. 
But Steve, I've always thought too much of a good thing is wonderful! 
You're not the only one, Ken. 
"Too much of a good thing is wonderful" is a purposefully humorous or irreverent variation of the traditional saying. 
So the conventional message is reversed. 
That's right. 
The original saying is an appeal to moderation while the modified saying suggests that people should enjoy themselves more and worry less. 
Well, maybe on your birthday you can allow yourself to be spoiled and pampered with whatever you want no matter how much of it there is. 
Right, because too much of a good thing can sometimes be wonderful. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.09.B

Today we are discussing a topic with Uncle Bob and Ben on the issue of money - Too much money? 
Is that possible? 
Well, what do you do when you have a lot of money and you're not sure how to invest it? 
Ben and his wife's business is booming. 
But they're not quite sure what to do with all of their profits. 
What do you think they should do? 
Well, we're going to get some advice from Uncle Bob in the next part of our lesson. 
Let's continue. 
Too Much Money? 
What are your options? 
To be honest, I don't know. 
I know that big companies often use extra money to pay dividends. 
That's true. 
Sometimes they'll even buy back some of their own stock. 
But you're not a big company, and you don't have any shareholders. 
Exactly. 
That's why I'm at a loss about what to do. 
There are lots of ways that smaller companies handle extra cash. 
Give me some examples. 
Well, one option is to pay down debt. 
We don't really have any. 
We used our savings to start the company, and we've already recouped our expenses. 
Well, I think it's a great thing not to have any debt. 
You're out of debt. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of this section here. 
Ben was just telling Uncle Bob he's not sure what to do with this money fast enough. 
What does Uncle Bob say? 
Well, he has another question for Ben. 
What are your options? 
Nice. 
Your options or your choices. 
Well, Ben says: To be honest, I don't know. 
I know that big companies often use extra money to pay dividends. 
That's what big companies do. 
Well, he has a phrase here at the beginning: to be honest. 
And if you're talking with someone, and you want to share how you honestly feel, this is a good phrase to know. 
"To be honest," and then you share your thoughts. 
That's right. 
So he's really not sure what to do because he's not really a big company, and the only things he knows deal with big companies. 
Well, Uncle Bob says: That's true. 
Sometimes they'll even buy back some of their own stock. 
Ben is talking about big companies here. 
They buy back their own stock. 
What is stock? 
That's one of our key words. 
Stock is the funds that a company raises through the sale of shares. 
Of course if there's a big company, you might want to invest in that company. 
And so you buy into that company. 
You own part of the company. 
That is called stock. 
That's right. 
Well, Gabe, do you invest in stocks? 
If you want to know the price of a stock, you should check out the stock market. 
That's right. 
There are many words that include this word "stock." And to answer your question, I don't invest in stocks right now. 
But I have considered it. 
Maybe I will one day. 
I hear that is a good way to invest your money. 
Well, you do have to be careful. 
You want to make sure you invest in a good company, reliable stock. 
Well, Uncle Bob continues. 
But you're not a big company, and you don't have any shareholders. 
Hmm, no shareholders for this small company? 
A shareholder is someone who owns part of that company through stock. 
You could also call a shareholder a stockholder. 
That's right. 
So if you buy stocks, then you are a stockholder or a shareholder, you own a share of that company. 
Well, Ben, would you like to continue? 
Of course. 
Exactly. 
That's why I'm at a loss about what to do. 
He's at a loss because they have no shareholders - nobody else owns the company here. 
So he's at a loss about what to do. 
Well, I think Liz has something to share with us in the Grammar Gym about that phrase: if you're at a loss about something. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In our article today, we see this statement: 
That's why I'm at a loss about what to do. 
Our Grammar Tip focus today is on the phrase: at a loss. 
It's an idiom that means uncertain. 
So today's sentence can be rewritten as: 
I really don't know what to do. 
Use this idiom "at a loss" when you want to describe how someone is really uncertain about something. 
For example, if Tony has a problem that he has never dealt with before and he doesn't know what to do about it, we can say: 
Tony has never had to deal with such a problem - now he is really at a loss. 
Or: When the patient wasn't getting any better after all the treatments, her doctors were at a loss. 
Now it's your turn. 
Think of something that is very confusing or hard to figure out, and practice using this idiom. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, you can check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
We are never at a loss when you are helping us understand these grammar patterns. 
And now we can continue with Uncle Bob's next line. 
There are lots of ways that smaller companies handle extra cash. 
Hmm, give me some examples. 
Well, one option is to pay down debt. 
Pay down debt? 
What does that mean? 
Well, if you pay down debt, that means you have a debt, and you need to pay it off, 
but you can't pay it off completely at one time, you can do it little by little. 
You can pay down your debt, to decrease your debt. 
That's right. 
So you just make some payments on your debt to make the amount smaller. 
You pay it down; you don't pay it up. 
And so Uncle Bob says: You can pay down debt. 
But Ben says: We don't really have any. 
That's a good thing. 
It's good not to be in debt. 
Ben says: We used our savings to start the company, and we've already recouped our expenses. 
OK. 
As you remember, they had some seed money, some savings, some money that they already owned, and they used that to start their company. 
That's right. 
And we read that they've already recouped their expenses. 
And recoup is a word from the Word Bank. 
Let's take a look it. 
If you recoup something, that means that you get back what you spent initially or at first, or what you invested or had to give up before. 
You now have it back. 
That's right. 
You regain it. 
Maybe you were at a loss of something. 
You lost something, but you gained it back. 
And they have recouped their expenses, which is great. 
Friends, if you have a debt, you can say you are in debt. 
And I hope that doesn't describe you. 
But if it does, I hope you find a way to pay that debt off, and you can recoup your expenses. 
Right now it's time for us to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
Now let's see what our teachers are doing. 
Well, in today's lesson, Ben has a problem. 
He has too much money. 
His business is doing really well, and he's worried that he has become a victim of his own success. 
So what about you? 
Are you ever a victim of your own success? 
Or how do people become a victim of their own success? 
Carolyn, what do you think about this? 
You shared earlier about how some business people don't spend enough time with their families. 
Is that true? 
Well, I do think it's true. 
And if you become a victim of your own success, then you're doing very well in one area, but something else is suffering. 
So maybe someone might try to take advantage of you. 
If you are very successful in business, in money, they might try to take that money from you. 
And then you become a victim of that success. 
All right. 
Well, there's different ways that people might become a victim of their success. 
So be careful about that. 
Watch out. 
Observe what's going on around you. 
Make sure that doesn't happen. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we will see you next time to learn more from this conversation right here at Studio Classroom. See you. 
(Music).

2013.10.10.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing our lesson: Too Much Money? 
In yesterday's lesson, Ben and his Uncle Bob were having a conversation about Ben and Sandy Johnson's business. 
And of course the problem is now they're making so much money, they don't know what to do with it. 
What else did we learn about yesterday's lesson? 
Well, they are very concerned, so Ben wanted to ask his Uncle Bob for help because he doesn't want to become a victim of his own success. 
The company is flush with money. 
And he really wants to know how he could invest that since they don't have any stock for their company. 
They're just a small business. 
That's right. 
So they don't have any shareholders because they don't have any stock. 
And of course, they have paid everything off. 
They have recouped all of their expenses. 
So they're doing great. 
Now let's continue to see how this conversation plays out. 
Let's get started with today's part of our lesson: Too Much Money? 
Too Much Money? 
Do you think we should just reinvest in the company? 
That might be a good option, but you should be prudent. 
Why? 
We've talked about how successful businesses need to grow in a balanced and controlled way. 
As far as I can tell, your business is already growing pretty quickly. 
That's true. 
So what am I going to do with this extra cash? 
Well, it seems that hiring employees was the right decision. 
They've definitely helped your company grow. 
That's true. 
They've been extraordinarily helpful in expanding the business. 
We wouldn't be where we are without them. 
Well, that is very good to hear, very encouraging because Ben had been having some employee troubles. 
If you remember, there were some problems with some of his employees before. 
But now it seems that that has all worked itself out. 
And Ben gets to start this conversation today. 
So let's go back to the beginning. 
And Gabe, would you like to continue as Ben? 
Of course. 
He says: Do you think we should just reinvest in the company? 
Now that's an interesting word that Ben uses: to reinvest. 
You know what "to invest" is - you put something somewhere. 
You invest into a stock, for instance, hoping that it will grow. 
Now you can reinvest. 
That means you do it again. 
You can reinvest into your company. 
That's right. 
So he's thinking: 
What options do I have as a small business? 
What can I do with this extra money, all of these profits? 
Reinvest in the company could be one option. 
Uncle Bob says: That might be a good option, but you should be prudent. 
Ah, well, that is a good word straight from our Word Bank: prudent. 
If you are prudent, that means you have common sense. 
You are wise in handling the things that you own. 
It's good to be prudent. 
It is good to be prudent. 
So when you are thinking about investing, be prudent. 
Use good judgment, and your money will begin to work for you. 
So you won't be a victim of your own success. 
That's right. 
So if you are prudent, you can make prudent decisions. 
Of course, you can be a prudent person. 
That's very important. 
And the noun form of this word is prudence, P-R-U-D-E-N-C-E. 
It's good to have prudence. 
That's right. 
Well... Ben, so Uncle Bob just said that you should be prudent. 
And you have the next line. 
Ah, yes, it's a very long, important line here. 
Why? 
Ah, yes, very long, indeed. 
Well. 
We've talked about how successful businesses need to grow in a balanced and controlled way. 
Mmhm. That's good. 
Can I interrupt you for a minute there? 
OK. 
All right. 
A balanced and controlled way, yes. 
You learned about this before, but it's a good reminder. 
If you have a business, you don't want things to get out of control. 
Even if you're making a lot of money, you should still try to balance and control your growth. 
Do go on, Uncle Bob. 
Oh, well, thank you. 
As far as I can tell, your business is already growing pretty quickly. 
This is great. 
Uncle Bob has a lot of good lines here. 
"As far as I can tell," I like that phrase. 
That means he's not sure about things exactly, but it looks to him a certain way. 
It seems to be a certain way. 
If you're not sure, but it seems to be a certain way, you can use this phrase - as far as I can tell. 
As far as I can tell, well, your business is improving. 
How else can you use that phrase? 
That's right. 
So you understand something to be true. 
It's just your understanding. 
There might be other things that you don't know about. 
So as far as I can tell, the project will be finished by next week. 
But maybe some other factors come in; maybe someone needs to take a vacation. 
Well, that could push the project back another week or two. 
That's right. 
And of course here, as far as I can tell, we're making pretty good progress today. 
And I think you are, too. 
As far as I can tell, your English is improving. 
Well, Ben has another line here. 
He says: That's true. 
So what am I going to do with this extra cash? 
Well, it seems that hiring employees was the right decision. 
They've definitely helped your company grow. 
Well, that's true, Ben says. 
They've been extraordinarily helpful in expanding the business. 
And that's a great word we want to talk about from our Word Bank: extraordinarily, kind of a big word. 
But you know the word "extraordinary." If something is extraordinary, it's amazing, beyond normal. 
If it's... if something is done extraordinarily, that's the adverb form of this word. 
So how could you use this word? 
Well, it is a modifying word, extraordinarily. 
You might say that building is extraordinarily tall. 
You can't believe how tall it is. 
Maybe you feel that way when you first look at Taipei 101. 
Oh, that's how I feel sometimes - extraordinarily short, compared to the building. 
You could also talk about a person. 
That person is extraordinarily smart. 
Or she is extraordinarily lazy. 
Or you could talk about your day. 
I had an extraordinarily great day. 
Well, that is a fantastic day if it is extraordinarily great. 
Wonderful. 
Well, um, Ben, you still have another line there. 
Ah, yes. 
Ben's not finished. 
He says: We wouldn't be where we are without them. 
He's talking about the people that he hired and their company has grown to a great place. 
It's got a good foundation. 
And he wouldn't be where he is without his new employees. 
That's right. 
Well, it is time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
We wouldn't be where we are without her. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.10.B

Today we're continuing a conversation between Ben and his Uncle Bob in our lesson: Too Much Money? 
Well, Ben and Sandy Johnson have a business that is growing, and they have a lot of money. 
Uncle Bob reminds them that you want to make your business grow in a balanced and controlled way. 
And as far as he can tell, their business is doing pretty well. 
He just reminds Ben to be prudent with what he has. 
Ben, of course, is very grateful for the people that he's hired. 
They have been extraordinarily helpful. 
Well, let's continue this conversation between Ben an Uncle Bob. 
(Music). 
Too Much Money? 
Then one good option for you might be to give employee bonuses. 
It isn't the end of the year, but I guess that doesn't really matter. 
No, it doesn't. 
Giving bonuses is a great way to show your employees you value them and their hard work. 
I suppose we could also use some of the money in support of a charitable cause or community project. 
That's another great idea. 
It never hurts to be generous or to show your community you care. 
Thanks, Uncle Bob. 
I'll let you know how things work out. 
(Music). 
Well, those are some good options, so. 
Let's go back to this part of the conversation and learn something from it, so. 
Let's see, um... oh, Uncle Bob has the first line. 
That is... me today. 
Then one good option for you might be to give employee bonuses. 
Hmm, that's a good idea. 
Of course Ben was just talking about how helpful his employees are. 
Maybe he should give them bonuses. 
Let's look at that word - a bonus. 
That's an amount of money that your boss might give you, maybe just to show that he appreciates you. 
Or for some other reason, he might give you a bonus. 
That's right. 
So a bonus is something extra. 
It's not something that is required by someone to give to another person, but it's a little bonus. 
You can get bonuses when you go shopping. 
If you buy so many items, maybe the store will give you a bonus item, something extra. 
But here we're talking about extra money that a boss gives his or her employees. 
Now a lot of times in the U.S., companies will give their employees Christmas bonuses. 
That's right. 
So Christmas bonuses in the United States. 
But around the world, that might happen at different times. 
Of course in Taipei, you might receive your bonus around Chinese New Year. 
So this is a bonus, something undeserved. 
It's different than a raise, of course. 
If you get a raise, that means your salary every month is going up. 
A bonus could just be one time. 
It's a special occasion. 
Well, Ben continues here. 
He says: It isn't the end of the year, but I guess that doesn't really matter. 
So it's not around Christmas time, but I guess that doesn't matter. 
Right. So those bonuses usually come out around the end of the year, Christmas, New Year's, the end of the year. 
So it could be Western New Year, Chinese New Year. 
But you know, it doesn't really matter. 
And Uncle Bob agrees. 
He says: No, it doesn't. 
Giving bonuses is a great way to show your employees you value them and their hard work. 
And I think that's a good point. 
If you have a company, you're running a business and you have people working for you, it's good to keep the morale up. 
It boosts people's morale. 
M-O-R-A-L-E. 
And you want there to be a good morale among your employees. 
That's right. 
So you want them to be happy to work for you, not to come into work every day, 
feeling like they aren't going anywhere or they aren't appreciated for all that they do at your company. 
So if you give them a bonus, whether it's the end of the year or not... 
It doesn't have to be a special occasion, but do reward them with something nice. 
That's true. 
Well, Ben says: I suppose we could also use some of the money in support of a charitable cause or community project. 
So now he's getting creative. 
Now he's thinking about what to do with his money. 
Let's take a look at our key word: charitable. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if you are charitable, that means that you want to support people who are in need. 
Maybe you want to be charitable toward a hospital and support the doctors who work there, the sick people that they treat. 
You could be charitable toward many nonprofit organizations and help support them, like the Jumbo Foundation that we learned about earlier this year. 
That's right. 
Or the Christian Salvation Service. 
There are so many charities out there. 
Sometimes a nonprofit organization that helps people in need or animals are called charity. 
C-H-A-R-I-T-Y. 
A charity or many charities. 
So it's good to be charitable to help with money or in other ways. 
Right now Ken and Steve are going to help us explain what a cause is in the Information Cloud. 
It's always a good idea to support a charitable cause. 
It's even better if you believe in a cause. 
So what is a cause? 
"Cause" here has a special meaning. 
It's a goal or principle that you feel strongly about. 
What would be a good cause, Steve? 
How about ending world hunger? 
Good one. 
If you believe in a certain ideal, you can call it a good cause or a worthy cause. 
And to Steve, ending world hunger is a good cause. 
Another good cause might be reducing carbon emissions. 
Nice. 
Once you've discovered a good cause that you believe in, you might ask people to donate money to that cause because it's a worthy cause. 
Now we need to be careful and not confuse a good cause with having good cause to do something. 
If we use "cause" as an uncountable noun, cause takes on the meaning of reason. 
So if you have good cause to do something, you have good reason to do it. 
That's right. 
We should not be absent from work without good cause. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
There are many good causes out there that Ben could be donating to or be charitable toward. 
Now Uncle Bob continues. 
That's another great idea. 
It never hurts to be generous or to show your community you care. 
Yes. And it's a good idea for us to talk about that phrase he uses: 
It never hurts to do something. 
That means it can never be bad to do something. 
Let's use that phrase in another way. 
You could say it never hurts to try something new. 
Even if you don't do it for a long time, it never hurts to try. 
You might fail, but it never hurts to try. 
How could you use that phrase? 
Well, it never hurts to tell your family how much you love them. 
Many times we don't tell our family members, our parents just how much they mean to us. 
But it never hurts to tell someone I love you. 
All right. 
And of course it never hurts to be generous or to show your community that you care. 
Ben says: Thanks, Uncle Bob. 
I'll let you know how things work out. 
He always likes to let Uncle Bob know about his business. 
They have a great relationship. 
Well, now it's time for a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Well, hello, Ben. 
Long time no see. 
I know. I've been really busy. 
Busy doing what? 
Busy making this... money. 
Whoa... So business is booming. 
It sure is. 
The company is flush with money. 
Woo-hoo! Well, that's a lot of cash. 
Yes. But what should I do with it? 
Well, what are your options? 
I could pay dividends or buy back some of our stock. 
But your company doesn't have stockholders. 
Yeah. That's why I'm at a loss of what to do. 
Oh, why don't you pay down debt? 
We don't have any debt. 
Hey, maybe we should reinvest. 
Ooh, only if you're prudent. 
Businesses need to grow in a balanced and controlled way. 
Right. So what should I do with this extra cash? 
Oh. How about employee bonuses? 
Oh, our employees have been extraordinarily helpful. 
Yeah. Show them you value them and their hard work. 
Good idea. 
And maybe we can support a charitable cause. 
Yes. Another great idea - show the community that you care. 
Thanks, Uncle Bob. 
I'll let you know how things work out. 
Uh, Ben? 
Yes? 
Don't forget your money! 
Oh, yeah. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our teachers. 
We've had a great conversation the past two days between Ben and his uncle Bob trying to decide what Ben and his wife should do with their profits. 
One thing they talked about was that Ben could donate to a charitable organization or be charitable toward something. 
Now do you agree that it never hurts to be charitable? Gabe? 
Hmm, that's actually a pretty good question. 
Of course you want to be a generous person. 
But we also learned another word in today's lesson - prudent. 
It's good to be prudent with what you have as well as be generous. 
You want to find a good balance between the two. 
That is very true. 
Well, think about that question. 
What are some good things and bad things about being charitable? 
And we thank you for joining us today. 
We'll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
We'll see you then. 
(Music).

2013.10.11.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're talking about Five Funny Inventions (We Don't Really Need). 
All right. 
So people are inventing things all the time, making things that are useful. 
But sometimes inventions are not that useful. 
Well, what are some inventions or some things that we don't really need? 
We're going to be talking about those in our lesson. 
But I wonder, have you ever bought something that you thought you might use but you never ended up using? 
Carolyn? 
Oh... so many things, Gabe. 
They look so useful in the store. 
And then you take them home and forget that you really wanted to use them. 
Like I buy hangers for my closet that... that will help save space, and then I never use them. 
And so they end up taking up more space. 
Hmm, for me, actually there are some DVDs that, you know, I see on sale for a very cheap price. 
And so I buy them. 
Then I haven't seen them yet, and I've bought them for a couple of years. 
I've had them for a couple of years. 
So sometimes we do that. 
What about you? 
Have you ever bought something and not yet used it? 
Well, today we're talking about inventions that maybe aren't as useful as we hope they could be. 
Let's get started with our lesson. 
Five Funny Inventions (We Don't Really Need). 
Not all inventions are very useful. 
People say "Necessity is the mother of invention." Humans are always looking for ways to make life easier for themselves. 
Some inventions like light bulbs, cars and computers are terrific. 
But many inventions are just, well, silly! 
The Noodle Fan. 
A bowl of hot noodles is delicious. 
But sometimes you're too hungry to wait for them to cool. 
So when you eat them, you burn your mouth! 
The noodle fan solves that problem. 
(Music). 
OK. Well, before we continue learning more about the noodle fan, let's go back to the top of our lesson. 
We read a sentence here: 
Not all inventions are very useful. 
It's true. 
But we do have a very useful word there. 
It's actually in our title, the key word "invention." An invitation is something that someone makes, hopefully, to be helpful in the world. 
That's right. 
And if it's an invention, then it is created for the first time. 
It hasn't been made before. 
So one recent new invention is the smartphone. 
It's very popular now, but it hasn't been around very long. 
Well, yes, the smartphone has only been around for about 10 years or so. 
And so it's a recent invention. 
It's a very useful invention, too. 
Well, what if you are someone who makes inventions, who creates things? 
What are you called? 
An inventor. 
I-N-V-E-N-T-O-R. 
Are you an inventor? 
Do you ever invent things? 
Well, many people do. 
And in our article, we read people say "Necessity is the mother of invention." And this is a very common phrase that you will hear. 
Necessity is the mother of invention. 
And there we have a key word from our Word Bank: necessity. 
Now if something is a necessity, then you need it. 
It is necessary. 
Those are all very similar words. 
That's right. 
If it's necessary, (that is the adjective form of this word; a necessity, of course, is a noun) you need it. 
What are the necessities in your life? 
Well, many people believe that English is a necessity in our world today. 
It's becoming more and more of a necessity. 
That is true. 
Another necessity that has come about recently is the computer. 
The computer is now a necessity for many people to do their jobs. 
If you don't have a computer at work, it will be very hard for you to do the things that you need to get done. 
That's right. 
Many people also think that their smartphones are a necessity. 
Before I had a smartphone, I didn't really think I needed it. 
But now I use it all the time. 
It's becoming a necessity for me. 
Well, we see here a phrase: Necessity is the mother of invention. 
Actually, this goes all the way back to Plato, a Greek philosopher. 
Now he said it's the mother of invention. 
So the mother of something, that means it... it was the first; if you don't have this, you can't have what follows. 
That's right. 
So if you don't have a necessity or a need, then you won't invent anything to fulfill or satisfy that need. 
And you can use that phrase in other ways. 
People have taken that phrase from Plato and changed it. 
Many people say that creativity is the mother of art. 
If you don't have creativity, then you won't have any art. 
That's right. 
Creativity is the mother of art. 
There's a similar phrase. 
People say that patience is the mother of all virtues. 
That's used a little bit differently. 
When you add the word "all," that means it's the most important of everything else. 
So patience is the mother, or the most important, of all virtues. 
But here we see necessity is the mother of invention. 
Without necessity, you wouldn't invent something. 
And I think that's true. 
We read in our article: 
Humans are always looking for ways to make life easier for themselves. 
Some inventions like light bulbs, cars and computers are terrific. 
It's true. Those are all very useful inventions. 
And light bulbs are terrific. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
A light bulb is... well, it's... it's a light. 
It gives you light. 
It's something that you can install so that you have light. 
You turn on the light and turn it off. 
And sometimes you need to change light bulbs. 
That's right. 
So before the light bulb, people used lamps or candles. 
They had to use fire as a source of light. 
But now we have light bulbs that we can just simply flip a switch on and off, and then there is light in the room. 
So, so far we're talking about inventions that are very useful. 
But we see a sentence here: 
But many inventions are just, well, silly! 
Our author includes that word "well" before she has "silly" because it's kind of like she's saying: 
I don't really want to be negative here, but "silly" is the only way to describe these following inventions. 
And the first invention is the noodle fan. 
A bowl of hot noodles is delicious. 
But sometimes you're too hungry to wait for them to cool. 
Does this happen to you, Gabe? 
Well, uh, not really, Carolyn. 
I mean, I'm... I'm usually pretty patient. 
Patience is the mother of all virtues. 
I enjoy waiting for my noodles to cool so I can eat them. 
Oh. Well, that's good. 
But if you don't wait, this will happen. 
So when you eat them, you burn your mouth. 
Oh, that is not good. 
But don't worry. 
The noodle fan solves that problem. 
Interesting. 
Well, have you ever burnt your mouth? 
Sometimes I burn my tongue if I eat something that is too hot, or I burn my mouth. 
OK. Well, we're going to learn more about this noodle fan. 
But first, let's join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.11.B

Today we are on our lesson Five Funny Inventions (That We Don't Really Need). 
And we've been talking about inventions that are useful like the light bulb or the car. 
And we learned that necessity is the mother of invention. 
However, we have started learning a little bit about the noodle fan, a very interesting and funny invention. 
If your noodles are too hot and you don't want to burn your mouth or wait for them to cool, the noodle fan will solve this problem. 
Well, let's learn a little bit more about this silly invention. 
Five Funny Inventions (We Don't Really Need). 
Just attach the tiny fan to your chopsticks. 
It will blow on your noodles while you eat. 
The Portable Chin Rest. 
People lead busy lives these days, and lots of them don't get enough sleep. 
Wouldn't it be nice if you could sleep standing up? 
Now you can! 
The portable chin rest looks a little like a coat rack. 
It has the perfect soft space for your chin. 
Take it with you. 
On your way to work, rest your head on it, and take a quick nap. 
(Music). 
Wow, that is uh, quite a silly invention here, the portable chin rest. 
Well, let's continue learning more about the noodle fan, another silly invention here. 
We read: Just attach the tiny fan to your chopsticks. 
OK. So there's a little fan, and you can just attach it to your chopsticks. 
It will blow on your noodles while you eat. 
Well, if you don't have a lot of patience, if that is not a virtue you have, and you don't want to wait for your noodles to cool, 
then you can use this little fan and attach it to your chopsticks to blow on your noodles for you. 
Exactly. 
You don't have to blow on the noodles, the fan will do that for you. 
Now that word "blow" can be used in another way. 
You could blow out something. 
So if there's a candle and there's a fire, you can blow out the candle... like the candles on your birthday cake. 
You blow the candles out or you blow on your soup to cool it. 
That's right. 
Well, we do have another very interesting, silly invention - the portable chin rest. 
And portable is a word we want to talk about from our Word Bank. 
If something is portable, then it is easy for you to take from one place to another. 
That's right. 
So some people have little portable TVs that they like to carry with them. 
I've heard of portable air conditioners. 
Now there are air conditioners small enough that you can take them with you and just put them in whatever room you're in. 
Of course if your chair is light enough, it could be a portable chair. 
You could pick it up and put it somewhere else. 
And I think a very great invention that people may not realize just how wonderful it is because it's so common is the portable computer. 
What!? 
It's called a laptop. 
Yes, it's true, a laptop is a computer you can take with you everywhere. 
It's, by definition, a portable computer. 
So here we're talking about the portable chin rest. 
People lead busy lives these days, and lots of them don't get enough sleep. 
It's true. 
Well, let's take a look at a phrase in that sentence: to lead busy lives, or to lead a life of some kind. 
Maybe you're very busy, you lead a busy life. 
How else can you use this phrase? 
Maybe your life is kind of boring. 
You might say, "I lead a boring life." Well, how else could you use that phrase? 
Well, you could say that I lead a peaceful life. 
OK. 
There is a lot of peace in my life. 
There aren't a lot of conflicts or problems, and it's very peaceful. 
Or I lead a happy life. 
I don't let problems bother me. 
All right. 
So you can see you can use this phrase in so many different ways. 
What adjective can you use to describe your life? 
Well, put it in this phrase. 
I lead this kind of life. 
So some people lead busy lives, and they don't get enough sleep. 
Carolyn, has anyone ever told you you... you look really tired today? 
I have heard that before. 
People have said that to me, and it doesn't really make me want to talk to them. 
Yeah. It's kind of a conversation killer. 
Let's take a look at what Steve and Ken have to share about conversation killers in the Information Cloud. 
We're all familiar with which topics to avoid when meeting foreigners for the first time, right? 
How old are you? 
How much money do you make? 
Are you married? 
Not the best questions to start a conversation. 
Now besides questions, there are also comments that we might make that, while said with good intentions, can kill a conversation. 
OK. For example, let's pretend you're on the subway and you see someone using a portable chin rest. 
It's pretty obvious that that person is tired, right? 
That's right. 
So there's really no need to say "You look tired." Now again, we know it's said out of kindness and concern. 
But if the person is tired, they already know it. 
What's worse is saying "You look tired!" to someone who is actually feeling pretty energetic. 
Now you might as well say "You look terrible." And no one wants to be told that. 
So it's probably best not to say it. 
Unless your relationship with the person you're speaking to is pretty close, you'll want to keep away from comments like: 
You look tired. 
What are all those red marks on your face? 
And you've gained weight! 
They're conversation killers. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
So it's important; don't say things that will kill a conversation. 
Well, continuing learning about the portable chin rest: 
Wouldn't it be nice if you could sleep standing up? 
Um, Gabe? 
Um... Gabe, did you get a portable chin rest? 
Oh... oh! Oh, yeah. 
Oh yeah, I... I got my portable chin rest here. 
Carolyn, do you like it? 
Well, I'm not sure that it's really a portable chin rest... maybe one version of one. 
Yeah! Well, it's very nice. 
I was getting a little bit sleepy, and so I decided that I should be able to rest. 
And now I can rest while standing up. 
Well, that is what we see in our article. 
Do you want to sleep standing up? 
Now you can! 
Well, this is an interesting invention. 
And the portable chin rest looks a little like a coat rack. 
And Gabe's looks a little like an easel. 
Yes, it does. 
But it's just as comfortable. 
See, it has the perfect soft space for you chin. 
Take it with you! 
On your way to work, rest your head on it, and take a quick nap. 
Well, that sounds wonderful, Gabe. 
You take a nap, and we'll go watch a review skit. 
And then we'll learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
I am an inventor. 
Oh, inventors are always looking for ways to make life easier, right? 
Right. 
You know what people say... 
Necessity is the mother of invention. 
And that's why we have light bulbs, cars and computers. 
Exactly. 
So what useful things did you invent? 
Well, one of my most important inventions is the noodle fan. 
Uh, what does it do? 
How does it work? 
Well, sometimes you get a delicious bowl of noodles but they're too hot to eat. 
Oh, right. 
And you have to wait for them to cool. 
Not if you have a noodle fan! 
Simply attach the fan to your chopsticks... 
And it blows on your noodles while you eat. 
That's right. 
Cool. 
Very cool. 
Now look at my next invention. 
Oh, is that a... a coat rack? 
No. It's a portable chin rest. 
Uh... what for? 
Well, for busy people that don't get enough sleep. 
So... how does it work? 
Well, it has a soft space perfect for your chin. 
Take it with you and rest your head on it to take a quick nap, uh... like this. 
Oh! Is that comfortable? 
Not really. 
Oh... 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's return to our teachers. 
Well, we've learned about some silly inventions today - the noodle fan and the portable chin rest. 
Are there any other silly inventions you can think about? 
Well, there are several. 
One that I found was cockroach swatting slippers. 
The slippers are specially designed to have a little handle that you can pull out of the back so you can take off your slipper and swat a cockroach with it. 
Wow! That's... maybe a little bit useful but definitely kind of silly. 
Well, if you're curious about other silly inventions, go to chindogu.com, C-H-I-N-D-O-G-U.com. 
It's a Japanese word that kind of means weird tool. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And we have more to learn about silly inventions next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.10.12.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to talk about Five Funny Inventions (That We Don't Really Need). 
Already yesterday we've talked about some silly inventions. 
The noodle fan. 
And we had one other invention, right, Carolyn? 
What was that other silly invention? 
The portable chin rest. 
It was very silly. 
We tried to use it, and I... I'm not sure that I would really want to take that places with me. 
No. I think other people might stare at you kind of strangely. 
Um, well, there are some things that are very useful in the world, very useful inventions. 
Well, do you have any ideas for what you might possibly invent? 
What could be a useful invention? 
And why do you think that we need that thing? 
Carolyn, do you have any cool ideas? 
Well, I had this idea for an invention... 
Well, I was talking to one of my friends, and he came up with this idea for an app that you take a picture of an animal... 
Yeah? 
... and then the app will tell you the name and all the information about that animal. 
Interesting! That's a really good idea. 
You know, someone might steal that idea after they watch Studio Classroom today. 
That is a great idea for an app. 
I would download that app, Carolyn. 
Great! Now if they... if they take that idea and make the app, then I can use it. 
Exactly. 
Well, that's a good idea for a useful invention, a good app for your smartphone. 
Well, today we're continuing to learn about some more silly invention ideas. 
Let's get started with the telephone dumbbell. 
Five Funny Inventions (We Don't Really Need). 
The Telephone Dumbbell. 
The battle between doing work and working out continues. 
You are gaining weight, but you work in an office all day! 
Who can spend valuable time exercising? 
Meet the telephone dumbbell. 
This telephone is attached to a weight. 
You can answer the phone and exercise your arms! 
The DVD Rewinder. 
Years ago, people had to rewind a videotape after watching a movie. 
What a pain! 
But it's the modern age of DVDs now. 
And with a new era comes new technology. 
The DVD rewinder is a great time-saver. 
(Music). 
We will continue learning about the DVD rewinder in a little bit. 
But first, let's look back at the telephone dumbbell. 
Now Gabe, it looks like you're... doing a little workout there with the dumbbell. 
Yes. Yes, it's true. 
This is good exercise, Carolyn. 
I'm working out my right arm with this dumbbell. 
As you can see, a dumbbell is a kind of weight. 
And usually you just use one hand to carry. 
You lift a dumbbell. 
Another kind of weight is a barbell. 
It's longer, and you use two hands to lift it. 
But this is my big dumbbell. 
Well, we're talking about the telephone dumbbell. 
Oh, yes. 
So, the battle between doing work and working out continues. 
You are gaining weight but you work in an office all day. 
And that is a very common battle that many people face. 
It's true. 
Now we saw a phrase there... actually, a couple phrases in that first sentence: doing work and working out. 
Both of the phrases use the word "work." But what's the difference? 
Well, you know what doing work is. 
You're doing your homework. 
Or you're at your office and you're getting your job done, you're doing work. 
Carolyn, what is working out? 
Working out is what you're doing now, Gabe - exercising, working your muscles, trying to stay healthy and strong. 
That's right. 
So you can go to the gym or a special place like that to work out. 
So you're gaining weight, you work in an office all day. 
Who can spend valuable time exercising? 
Well, let's take a look at that key word there. 
It is "valuable." If something is valuable, it's precious. 
You don't want to lose it. 
You don't want to waste it. 
It is valuable. 
It is worth a lot. 
Gold is very valuable to most people. 
They think that it is a very valuable or worth a lot of money. 
Now some other things that are valuable are diamonds, other gems, these birthstones that we've been talking about each month. 
October is the opal. 
That is also a valuable stone. 
That's right. 
That's a valuable stone. 
Many jewels, of course, are valuable. 
Well, think about the things that you have in your house. 
What things do you own that are valuable? 
What valuable things do you have? 
Talk about them in English. 
Right now it's time, of course, for us to talk about the dumbbell, the telephone dumbbell. 
We see this sentence: Meet the telephone dumbbell. 
And yes, I have my dumbbell here. 
And of course I have my smartphone. 
And so if I need to work out while I'm talking on the phone, I can just answer the phone, lift the dumbbell up and start talking to my friend. 
Hello! 
Well, that is a very interesting invention, Gabe. 
And we saw this phrase: meet the telephone dumbbell. 
And right now it is time for us to meet Liz in the Grammar Gym to learn more about this phrase. 
Hi there, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article, the writer says: Meet the telephone dumbbell. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the word at the beginning of the sentence: meet. 
Normally we use "meet" to talk about seeing someone for the first time like: 
I'm so glad to meet you. 
And when we are introducing someone new, we can say: I would like you to meet our special guest. 
But in today's sentence, the writer is not introducing a person. 
Instead, the writer is using "meet" to introduce the telephone dumbbell. 
This is a great word to use when you want to introduce something new to your audience. 
For example, if you're at a computer convention, you might hear: 
Ladies and gentlemen, meet the latest tablet computer! 
Or, if you're at a local amusement park and there's a new rollercoaster ride, you might hear: 
Friends, meet the fastest rollercoaster ride in the history of this city! 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Bye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
So of course, you saw what the telephone dumbbell kind of looks like. 
Now this telephone is attached to a weight. 
Just like I was carrying before, the phone is attached to a weight. 
And you can answer the phone and exercise your arms. 
It's a great way to get a good workout, Carolyn. 
While you are at work! 
You can work out while you work. 
Well, that sounds useful but a little bit silly. 
Now we do have another invention, a very interesting one, the DVD rewinder. 
And a rewinder is something that goes back. 
You use it to return something to the beginning. 
That's right. 
You usually use this word when you're talking about maybe a videotape, VHS. 
Do you remember? VHS is videotapes? 
Ah, so many of you have never even seen a videotape. 
Now all we use is DVDs when we're watching movies. 
But before, we had videotapes, and we would rewind them in a rewinder. 
Actually, there was always a sticker that video stores had. 
They said: Be kind. Please rewind your videotapes. 
That's right. 
And we read here: 
Years ago, people had to rewind a videotape after watching a movie. 
What a pain! 
It could take a while, especially if it was a long movie. 
That's right. 
But it's the modern age of DVDs now. 
And with a new era comes new technology! 
There's a phrase there in that sentence: with a new something comes new something else. 
OK, so you could use it like this: 
With a new job comes new responsibilities. 
How else could you use that phrase? 
That is a great example. 
You might also say: With a new house comes new expenses. 
You have to spend money on things that you didn't spend money on before when you were renting an apartment. 
And of course, with a new era comes new technology. 
Now we have DVD rewinders. 
Let's take a look at our key word: technology. 
Of course people are making more and more things these days that are very useful. 
Computers, new kinds of cellphones and smartphones, all the technology that is around us is very helpful. 
That's right. So these are things made with scientific knowledge, machines, things that we use. 
And it's hard to say how much technology will improve or change over the next few years. 
And the DVD rewinder is a great time-saver. 
It's true. 
We have more to learn about how to use the DVD rewinder. 
But first, let's take a look at the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.12.B

Well, today we're continuing to learn about some funny inventions that um, we don't really need in life. 
And of course the first one we talked about today was the telephone dumbbell. 
Of course everyone is leading busy lives, right? 
You have to go to work, you have no time to exercise, so why not attach a dumbbell to your office phone? 
So whenever you answer a call, you will be working out at the same time. 
Of course another thing we're talking about is the DVD rewinder. 
What a very, very... ah, it's kind of a silly invention. 
Who needs to rewind DVDs, right? 
Well, we're going to continue learning how to use this DVD rewinder. 
Let's do that now. 
Five Funny Inventions (We Don't Really Need). 
After you finish your movie, just pop the DVD into the rewinder! 
It will rewind back to the beginning in no time! 
The Sweetheart Sweatshirt. 
How close are you to your girlfriend or boyfriend? 
Whatever your answer is, it's not close enough. 
You need a 2-person sweatshirt. 
This sweatshirt has four arms and an extra-big hood. 
Show your loved one how much you care. 
Invite them to join you in your two-person sweatshirt. 
These inventions are intended to be "useful." But sometimes it's easier to do things the old-fashioned way! 
(Music). 
Well, inventions should be useful. 
And let's learn a little bit more about this DVD rewinder to see just how useful it is. 
After you finish your movie, just pop the DVD into the rewinder. 
Well, that sounds pretty easy. 
Yes, it sounds pretty easy, but not something that we really need to do with a DVD. 
But we do need to look at those key words: to pop into. 
Of course you can pop the DVD into the rewinder. 
That means you are putting it in place so that the rewinder can do its job. 
You also pop the DVD into the DVD player when you want to play it. 
You can pop a CD into the CD player when you want to play your music. 
That's right. 
So pop something into something just means to fit it in or place it or snap it so it doesn't move, and then you can use it. 
Maybe you could say: 
Just pop your head into the theater. 
You just stick it in there very quickly and then pop out. 
So there are different ways that you can use this phrase. 
All right. 
So after you finish your movie, pop the DVD into the rewinder. 
What will it do? 
Something magical. 
It will rewind back to the beginning in no time! 
Well, I think we need to take a look at that phrase: in no time. 
Carolyn, what does that mean? 
Well, it means that it won't take very long. 
It will just take a short amount of time. 
You could say that oh, don't worry, your computer will be fixed in no time. 
It will be fixed very soon. 
OK. It's uh, kind of a long trip, but we will be there in no time. 
We'll be there very soon. 
Or, my homework will be finished in no time. 
I will finish my homework very soon. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
If you noticed, our author is writing in a way that kind of seems serious. 
But is she really serious about this stuff? 
Let's listen to what Steve and Ken have to say. 
Does today's author really think the five inventions in this lesson are things we should go out and buy? 
At a quick glance, it might seem that way. 
But no, she really doesn't. 
This article was clearly written tongue-in-cheek. 
And by that, I mean it was not written to be taken seriously. 
Right. 
Things that are said or written tongue-in-cheek are done so for the purpose of being humorous, subtly humorous. 
In the second paragraph of today's lesson, our author is just raving about the DVD rewinder. 
She seems quite excited about it. 
But actually, she thinks it's ridiculous. 
It's not that the author is being dishonest or insincere, she's attempting to be humorous. 
And I think it works to good effect. 
Right. 
And if you haven't caught them already, the author does give us a few clues that what she's writing is not intended to be taken at face value. 
Can you find them? 
Friends, if you're writing an e-mail or text message containing subtle humor and you want to be sure your reader knows you're kidding, 
use the tongue-in-cheek emoticon - a colon, a hyphen and then the capital letter J. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Yes, our author does seem to be using a little tongue-in-cheek when writing this article. 
And we have one more invention to look at: the sweetheart sweatshirt. 
Now pay attention to those words there, sweetheart and sweatshirt, two different sounds. 
That's right. 
The sweetheart sweatshirt, what is this? 
Well, let's first take a look at that word, sweatshirt. 
It's a kind of clothing that you can use. 
Especially when it's cold outside, you might wear a sweatshirt to keep yourself warm. 
Often athletes will use a sweatshirt. 
It makes them sweat. 
They want to sweat a little bit. 
And so this helps to do that. 
That's why it's called a sweatshirt. 
That's right. 
So if it is cold where you are right now, put on a sweatshirt and you will be warmer. 
Well, let's learn about this sweetheart sweatshirt. 
How close are you to your girlfriend or boyfriend? 
Hmm, that's an interesting question. 
How close or how intimate are you with your boyfriend or girlfriend? 
Her answer is whatever your answer is, it's not close enough. 
OK, I just want to say here now that out author is joking. 
Don't do anything that you shouldn't do. 
If you're dating someone, remember to keep good boundaries with that person. 
That is very true. 
But here we're talking about an interesting invention, and our author is using tongue-in-cheek to make fun of these things. 
So it's not close enough, you need a two-person sweatshirt. 
Interesting. 
OK, a two-person sweatshirt. 
This sweatshirt has four arms and an extra-big hood. 
Aw... how cute! 
People can snuggle together inside one sweatshirt. 
Well, if it is with your sweetheart, perhaps! 
And you can show them your love. 
And we read: Show your loved one how much you care. 
Invite them to join you in your two-person sweatshirt. 
OK, all right. 
Well, how do you show your loved ones how much you care? 
There are many ways. 
Today we have an odd suggestion - to invite someone into your two-person sweatshirt. 
Well, friends, these inventions are intended to be "useful." But sometimes it's easier to do things the old-fashioned way. 
I agree with that. 
These things seem kind of silly to me, Carolyn. 
These inventions do seem a little bit silly, Gabe. 
But, never know! 
You might find one or two of them to be at least a little useful. 
Well, I know something that is always useful - learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Let's do that now. 
(Chinese). 
And now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
We've learned about some very interesting and silly inventions the past two days. 
And I wonder, do you think any of them are useful? 
Would you want to use any of these inventions? 
Gabe, what do you think? 
Hmm... Well, I do think that the telephone dumbbell is kind of interesting. 
Actually, if I really got into that, I would be having someone call me maybe every 10 minutes so that I could exercise while I was at the office. 
Well, I don't know if that's really helpful to getting any work done. 
But it would certainly help with your arms. 
It's true. 
Well, what about you, Carolyn? 
What invention would you like, or is any of this useful? 
Well, I don't think any of them are really too useful. 
What do you think? 
Talk about it in English with your friends. 
And we will see you next time here on Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.10.14.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Our lesson is Kazakhstan - The Land of Wonders. 
Hmm, Kazakhstan. 
Have you ever been there before? 
Do you know any friends who have traveled there before? 
Well, there are many countries in the world that end with these letters S-T-A-N, -stan. 
Uh, Carolyn, can you think of any other countries that end with those letters? 
Well, a lot of the countries around Kazakhstan all end in S-T-A-N. 
Let's see, there's... Afghanistan. 
OK, Afghanistan. 
Pakistan. 
Right. 
Kyrgyzstan. 
Good. 
Um, Tajikistan. 
Wow! You're good. 
Um, Turkmenistan. 
And... and Uzbekistan. 
Oh, my goodness! That... that's a lot of them. 
I can think of one more - Hayastan. 
Uh, but yes, there are some countries that end with the letters S-T-A-N, which, Carolyn, mean what? 
Well, "stan" is a Persian word, and it means the place where you stay or home of something. 
So a home of a type of people, like the Kazakhs, live in Kazakhstan. 
That's right. 
And if you're curious about what Kazakh means, that's independent or a free spirit. 
So the people that live in Kazakhstan are maybe very independent and free-spirited. 
Let's learn about this together: Kazakhstan - The Land of Wonders. 
(Music). 
Kazakhstan - The Land of Wonders. 
Adventure is waiting for you in this central Asian country. 
Kazakhstan, the world's largest land-locked country, may seem like an out-of-the-way destination for tourists. 
It is. 
But those who travel to the Central Asian nation are rewarded with great natural beauty. 
Kazakhstan's snowy peaks, wide deserts, grassy plains and beautiful lakes beg to be explored. 
Start your adventure in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, a city with wide, tree-lined streets and numerous parks. 
Panfilov Park is home to Holy Ascension Cathedral. 
Although it doesn't look like it, the entire cathedral is made of wood! 
(Music). 
Well, this sounds like a very interesting place to go. 
And we read about Kazakhstan that adventure is waiting for you in this central Asian country. 
So it is located in Central Asia. 
And what do we learn about Kazakhstan, Gabe? 
All right. 
Well, Kazakhstan, the world's largest land-locked country, may seem like an out-of-the-way destination for tourists. 
OK. So that's one thing we learn is that it's the world's largest land-locked country. 
That means around this country is nothing but land. 
It's not surrounded by ocean or anything else. 
It is land-locked. 
What else is land-locked in the world, Carolyn? 
Well, there are a lot of places that are land-locked. 
Many of the states in the United States are land-locked. 
Only a few that are along the coast are near the ocean. 
Everything else would be considered land-locked. 
OK. 
Or maybe the country of Switzerland, Rwanda, countries like this are land-locked. 
Well, this country is the world's largest land-locked country. 
And it seems kind of out of the way. 
Let's take a look at that phrase from our Word Bank: out-of-the-way. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if something is out of the way, then it's not really close to anything. 
It's not near any major cities or places that people like to go, and maybe you really have to travel a long time before you arrive there. 
Kind of like my hometown. 
Really? 
Oh, yes, it's pretty out of the way. 
OK. So it might be inconvenient to travel there, unless you're going there for that purpose. 
OK. Well, if it's out of the way, it's inconvenient to get to. 
But the opposite is on the way. 
Let's... let's go by my house. 
It's on the way to the movie theater. 
Oh, let's... let's not go to my house. 
It's out of the way. 
It would be... it will take a long time to get there. 
So now you know how to use the phrase: out of the way. 
That's right. 
Or on the way. 
It's on the way, so it is very convenient. 
No problem. 
Well, this country may seem like an out-of-the-way destination for tourists. 
It is. 
Very short sentence - "It is." But those who travel to this Central Asian nation are rewarded with great natural beauty. 
Well, I think I might be willing to go there. 
I think so, too. 
I would love to go visit Kazakhstan, especially after reading this lesson. 
Now you might be rewarded with great natural beauty. 
Well, if you go somewhere and it's wonderful, then you're rewarded with that wonder or that beauty. 
So let's continue. 
Kazakhstan's snowy peaks, wide deserts, grassy plains and beautiful lakes beg to be explored. 
So we're talking here about the snowy peaks. 
OK. That's from our Word Bank. 
A peak is the top of a mountain. 
That's right. 
So you could say, "I can see the peaks in the distance." It means that you can see the tops of the mountains. 
That's right. OK. 
Or maybe you are driving in your car and sometimes you might go over the peaks. 
You are going through the mountains and going over the peaks. 
That can be very exciting. 
So we're talking about Kazakhstan's snowy peaks. 
There's snow covering these mountains. 
And the grassy plains and beautiful lakes, they all beg to be explored. 
And Carolyn and I want to talk about that phrase: beg to be something. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that it looks very inviting that you really want to go and see more of it or do more with it or maybe eat more of it, 
because you could say, oh, that cake just begs to be eaten. 
It looks so delicious. 
I'm going to have to eat it now. 
All right. 
It begs to be eaten. 
OK. Maybe you're hiking in one of these mountains and you see a trail. 
That trail begs to be hiked. 
Let's go explore that trail. 
So you can use that phrase in different ways. 
Now start your adventure in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, a city with wide, tree-lined streets and numerous parks. 
This city sounds pretty beautiful. 
It does sound very beautiful. 
And here we get to learn a little bit about one of those parks. 
Panfilov Park is home to Holy Ascension Cathedral. 
It's home to this cathedral. 
Let's look at that phrase. 
For something to be home to it, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that means you can find this thing in that place. 
For example, we learned about the Pyramids of Giza earlier this month, right? 
Well, the pyramids... or Egypt is home to these pyramids. 
Or uh... Taipei! Taipei is home to Shilin Night Market. 
It's one of the best night markets I've ever been to. 
Taipei is home to this night market. 
It is also home to Taipei 101, the very, very tall building, 101. 
Well, it is home to the Holy... Holy Ascension Cathedral. 
And although it doesn't look like it, the entire cathedral is made of wood. 
That's right. 
It is made of wood. 
Well, let's take a look at that phrase: made of. 
Actually, Steve and Ken are going to help us with that phrase in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll spend some time with Michelle. 
Hey, Steve, that's one huge pencil you've got there. 
Is it made of wood? 
Uh... yeah. It looks like it's made of wood. 
Uh, Ken, what are you eating over there? 
Ice cream. 
Ice cream. Is that made from milk? 
Yes. Ice cream is made from milk or cream. 
Hey, Steve, why don't we explain the difference between made of and made from? 
That's a good idea, Ken. 
Friends, if we say a pencil is made of wood, then that means you can still see the wood in the pencil. 
The wood didn't undergo any physical change. 
And my ring is made of silver because the silver that went into making it hasn't changed. 
With "made from," however, there has been a physical change. 
For example, wine is made from grapes. 
You can't see the grapes anymore. 
They have become wine. 
And my ice cream is made from milk. 
I can't see any milk in it, but I can sure taste it. 
So remember, friends, we say "made from" when the original material can no longer be recognized, like the milk in Ken's ice cream. 
And we use "made of" when you can still see the material in the finished product, like the wood in this pencil. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.14.B

Today we're learning about Kazakhstan - The Land of Wonders. 
And although this place, this land-locked country may seem kind of an out-of-the-way place for tourists, that's OK. 
Actually, there are so many things there that draw people to Kazakhstan. 
Of course they have snowy peaks, grassy plains, wide deserts and lots of other things that beg to be explored. 
And we were just talking about a big church called the Holy Ascension Cathedral in the city of Almaty. 
We're going to continue learning about this church right now. 
(Music). 
Kazakhstan - The Land of Wonders. 
Built between 1904 and 1907, it is one of the largest wooden churches in the world. 
At the east end of the park stands the Museum of Kazakh Musical Instruments. 
There, you can see and hear a nice collection of traditional Kazakh instruments. 
Near the park you'll find the Green Bazaar. 
Visit it for a real taste of Kazakhstan. 
Try kazy, a special kind of horse-meat sausage. 
Horse meat is considered a delicacy in Kazakhstan. 
(Music). 
Well, that sounds like a very interesting delicacy to have. 
I don't know how many people would want to eat it. 
But we will continue learning about that later. 
First, let's go back and learn a little bit more about the Holy Ascension Cathedral in the city of Almaty. 
Built between 1904 and 1907, it is one of the largest wooden churches in the world. 
And if it's entirely made of wood, that's very impressive. 
Yes, it is. 
And I've heard that this church was actually built without any nails. 
So that is very impressive. 
It has survived some earthquakes as well, this large wooden church in Almaty. 
OK. Well, we continue reading here about something else. 
At the east end of the park stands the Museum of Kazakh Musical Instruments. 
So if you're a musical person, if you like music and you like learning about different kinds of instruments, then maybe this is a place for you to visit. 
Well, it sounds like a good place for us to go, Gabe. 
We both like music and musical instruments. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank, the word "musical." Now if something is musical, that means it is related to music. 
So these instruments are not instruments that a doctor uses. 
They're not a tool. 
But they're something that you play and make music with. 
Yes. And of course you know many different kinds of musical instruments - guitars, drums, basses, violins, pianos. 
These are all different kinds of musical instruments. 
Those are very common instruments, the ones that I just said. 
But you'd find some uncommon ones or very unique ones at this museum in Kazakhstan. 
Yes. I am sure that you would. 
And I would be very interested to go and visit this Museum of Kazakh Musical Instruments. 
Well, continuing: 
There, you can see and hear a nice collection of traditional Kazakh instruments. 
So not only can you see the instruments on display, but you can also listen to some of them being played. 
And that is what I would look forward to, Carolyn. 
I would, of course, want to see these instruments. 
But to hear them being played would be a very unique experience. 
Well, we see a phrase there. 
It's a nice collection of traditional Kazakh instruments. 
You could use that phrase in other ways, too. 
You have a collection of something. 
For instance, some people have a nice collection of stamps. 
Yes. So they have a nice collection, meaning it's not a small one. 
It's a fairly good size. 
To... so to say something is a nice collection means that it's not just good quality but that there is a good number of it as well. 
That's right. 
So Carolyn, I think uh, maybe our next trip should be to Kazakhstan. 
We can go and visit this museum while we're there. 
I think that sounds like a great idea, Gabe. 
Well... talking about this park, so. 
The cathedral that we've just discussed is in Panfilov Park. 
And we read a little bit more. 
Near the park you'll find the Green Bazaar. 
The Green Bazaar. 
Well, why would they name a place the Green Bazaar? 
Well, a bazaar is a kind of like a place that sells lots of different kinds of things, kind of like a market of sorts. 
A green bazaar. 
Well, they called it the Green Bazaar because originally, they sold lots of vegetables, which, of course, are green. 
Yes, they are. 
Well, so you can visit to the Green Bazaar. 
And we see what you can enjoy there. 
Visit it for a real taste of Kazakhstan. 
So there must be something very special in this bazaar if it's going to be a real taste of this country. 
Mmhm. Well, I think our author Ruth is kind of having fun here in this sentence. 
When we see the phrase "you can have a taste of something," that means you can experience it. 
So you can get a taste of a country's culture. 
You can experience it. 
But here's she's actually talking about a taste of the things that you can eat in Kazakhstan. 
Let's continue. 
Try kazy, a special kind of horse-meat sausage. 
So you can really get a taste of something special here in Kazakhstan. 
That's right. 
It is horse-meat sausage. 
And sausage is a word from our Word Bank. 
Now a sausage is a kind of meat. 
It's lots of small chopped-up pieces of meat that are all put together into a long tube. 
Oh, yeah! Delicious! 
I love all kinds of sausage. 
Well, not all kinds of sausage, but I like lots of different kinds of sausage. 
And sometimes you might talk about sausage links because it looks like a long tube, 
and so you have to separate it into small links of sausage, or links of sausage-s. 
Now here we're talking about horse-meat sausage. 
I'd like to try this. 
Carolyn, what about you? 
Uh, I'm not so sure about this, Gabe. 
No? 
But horse meat is considered a delicacy in Kazakhstan. 
All right. It is a delicacy there. 
So if you're visiting this place, be sure to try some kazy. 
You'll go crazy... krazy... 
Ah, anyway, right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
Then we'll visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
So this is Kazakhstan. 
Yes. It's the world's largest land-locked country. 
Isn't it great? 
Well, it seems a little out of the way. 
Yes, it is out of the way. 
But don't worry, we will be rewarded with great natural beauty. 
Like what? 
Look around! 
There are snowy mountain peaks, wide deserts, grassy plains and beautiful lakes, all begging to be explored. 
Explore me! Explore me, please! 
Well, so where should we start our adventure? 
Uh, let's begin in Almaty. 
It's Kazakhstan's largest city. 
It's got tree-lined streets and numerous parks. 
Oh, that sounds nice. 
What else does Almaty have? 
Oh! An entire cathedral made of wood. 
It's the oldest and largest wooden church in the world. 
The oldest and largest wooden church! 
That's right. 
And then at one of the parks, there is the Museum of Kazakh Musical Instruments. 
A museum of instruments? Now that's music to my ears. 
You can see and hear a nice collection of traditional Kazakh instruments. 
Well, sounds good! 
So, but before we go, we should start out with a little snack. 
Oh. Well, now that's a good idea. 
What do you have in mind? 
A special kind of horse-meat sausage. 
Horse-meat sausage?! Oh, that's crazy! 
No, no. That's kazy. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's head back to our program now. 
Well, today we've been learning a little bit about the country of Kazakhstan and some of the things that you can see there. 
It is home to the Holy Ascension Cathedral. 
And I wonder, Gabe, what is your hometown home to? 
What is my hometown home to? 
Hmm. Well, I did spend a lot of my childhood in Taichung. 
Taichung is home to the Taichung Jazz Festival every year. 
Wow! 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Oh. Well, that sounds like a pretty good festival. 
Yeah, it is. 
My hometown is home to the Big Bend Tunnel that was built by John Henry, a very famous person in American folk history. 
Interesting. All right. 
Well, what is your hometown home to? 
Talk about that in English. 
And of course we'll see you next time learning more about Kazakhstan - The Land of Wonders right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.10.15.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to learn about Kazakhstan - The Land of Wonders. 
And I do wonder if you like to travel to out-of-the-way places. 
We talked about how Kazakhstan is not a place that many tourists go to because it is out of the way. 
But maybe you like traveling to things that are out of the way. 
What do you think, Carolyn? 
Well, I think it can be pretty fun if you plan your trip well and you know where you're going that's out of the way. 
Or maybe you really like an adventure, so you don't really plan. 
You just go, and you find a wonderful destination that is very out of the way. 
But for me, I like to know exactly where I'm going, especially if it's out of the way. 
OK. So you want to make sure that you're traveling safely whenever you travel. 
I like to visit out-of-the-way places but not too often. 
So every once in a while, it's good to get out and do something a little bit different. 
That's a little bit inconvenient, but it can still be an exciting experience. 
Well, it's time for us to learn more about Kazakhstan in today's lesson. 
(Music). 
Kazakhstan - The Land of Wonders. 
Six miles south of Almaty in the foothills of the Alatau Mountains sits the Sunkar Raptor Sanctuary. 
Here you can discover Kazakhstan's ancient hunting tradition - falconry. 
The sanctuary has hundreds of raptors, including the golden eagle that Kazakhs favor for hunting. 
During the daily falconry show, watch these magnificent birds fly high above you. 
Continue watching as they swoop down to the ground. 
These eagles can spot a target from 3.22 kilometers up in the air. 
And then they dive down upon it at over 190 kilometers per hour! 
(Music). 
Well, falconry sounds really cool. 
Sounds like something that I would like to try some day. 
Let's go back at the top of our section here. 
It says: 
Six miles south of Almaty in the foothills of the Alatau Mountains sits the Sunkar Raptor Sanctuary. 
OK. So we're leaving the city of Almaty, and we're going to the foothills of these mountains. 
The foothills are like the small hills that surround a big mountain or a mountain range. 
That's right. 
And at this particular mountain range, there is the Sunkar Raptor Sanctuary. 
Now a raptor sanctuary would be a place where they take care of large birds, and uh, very, very large birds, not uh... 
not like your little small birds that you see eating seeds but birds that hunt other animals. 
That's right. 
We call those birds of prey, birds that prey on other animals. 
Birds like eagles or falcons or hawks, or even many owls are birds of prey. 
These are raptors that you might find at this raptor sanctuary. 
Well, here you can discover Kazakhstan's... ancient hunting tradition - falconry. 
And this is something that I would love to do. 
Falconry, what is this, Carolyn? 
Well, they train falcons to hunt for them. 
So to find animals to... 
Because falcons have very good eyesight and are very fast, 
they can fly long distances and find animals, report back to the hunter or even catch the animal if it is small. 
All right. 
So this activity is called falconry. 
And if you're a person who is good at this, you can be called a falconer. 
F-A-L-C-O-N-E-R, falconer. 
Now the sanctuary has hundreds of raptors, including the golden eagle that Kazakhs favor for hunting. 
Well, they favor the golden eagle, which would be a much larger bird and probably has fantastic eyesight. 
Now if you go to the raptor sanctuary, you can enjoy something very fun. 
We read: During the daily falconry show, watch these magnificent birds fly high above you. 
So they have a daily show when you can watch this falconry take place. 
That's right. 
Now you've probably noticed by now that falconry doesn't just involve falcons, as we read here. 
We're talking about the golden eagle. 
So falconry is an activity where you can use all kinds of birds of prey to hunt for other things. 
Falconry. 
Now we see a word from our Word Bank here. 
It is magnificent. 
Magnificent, what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, if something is magnificent, it is very impressive. 
There's a lot of skill involved, and it's probably very beautiful or even amazing. 
That's right. 
So you could talk about a magnificent show that your friend was in. 
Of course, there was a lot of skill involved in that show. 
Or maybe you're talking about the magnificent scenery everywhere around you. 
It is magnificent. 
That's right. 
And here the birds are described as being magnificent. 
And I'm sure that they put on a magnificent show as well. 
Now you can continue watching as they swoop down to the ground. 
And swoop is another word from our Word Bank. 
That is an action word, a verb. 
And it means to fly from a high place and go down very quickly, like an owl or an eagle or a falcon would swoop down when they see a small animal that they want to catch. 
That's right. 
And usually I use this word when I'm talking about birds doing that very thing. 
They swoop down to the ground. 
OK. So these birds of prey, they do this. 
And we read on: 
These eagles can spot a target from 3.22 kilometers up in the air. 
All right, 3.22 kilometers above the ground, and they can see their target from that distance? 
It's very impressive. 
They have amazing eyesight or magnificent eyesight. 
It's hard to believe that they can see over three kilometers from the air. 
That's right. 
And so what did they do? 
They don't just stay up in the air, of course. 
And then they dive down upon it at over 190 kilometers per hour. 
OK. So now these birds are diving. 
And diving is a word that I usually use when I'm talking about swimming in the water. 
I dive into the water. 
But here it's used in another way, Carolyn. 
It is used in another way, because when we talk about coming from the air down to the ground, if you swoop, you're going to go back up into the air. 
But if you dive, you're only going down, and then you will probably stop. 
You're going to reach your destination. 
That's right. 
So these birds are diving down at over 190 kilometers per hour. 
That's very fast. 
Well, you see that word there, "at." Usually this is followed by a place of some kind. 
You're talking about a place. 
But here in our lesson, we're talking about a speed. 
So you can use the word "at" to describe a certain speed. 
So you could say, um, during our vacation, we were driving at around 75 kilometers per hour. 
We were driving at that speed. 
That's right. 
Well, right now it is time for us to go to a place. 
We are going to the Language Lab to learn something with Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.15.B

We are continuing with the second day of our article Kazakhstan - The Land of Wonders. 
And today we are leaving the city of Almaty to go to the foothills of a mountain range. 
And at this mountain range, there is the Sunkar Raptor Sanctuary where you can see falconry shows, this amazing art of hunting, in Kazakhstan. 
You can watch as these magnificent birds swoop down from great heights at 190 kilometers per hour. 
They are very fast, very impressive birds to watch. 
Well, we still have some more that we want to learn about this land of wonders - Kazakhstan. 
(Music). 
Kazakhstan - The Land of Wonders. 
Next, experience the natural beauty that Kazakhstan is famous for - on horseback. 
Many believe that this area was where people first rode horses thousands of years ago. 
Ride through the remote area of the Central Tien Shan. 
You'll see forests and cross rivers and mountain passes. 
You'll also spot flocks of sheep, horses and the nomads who care for them. 
It's an unforgettable experience. 
(Music). 
All right. 
If you have your magazine, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
We read here: 
"Next..." so before the break we were talking about falconry. 
We were talking about something that you could experience. 
You could watch these magnificent birds. 
Next, experience the natural beauty that Kazakhstan is famous for - on horseback. 
So this is what you can do now. 
Wow! Wow! That sounds like a great thing to do. 
And here "Kazakhstan is famous for," that's a nice little phrase to know how to use. 
If something is famous for something, that means it is known for it. 
That's what you know about it, you... and many people know about it. 
It is famous, so. 
Kazakhstan is famous for its kazy. 
That's right. It's famous for its kazy. 
We learned about the horse-meat sausages in yesterday's lesson. 
But of course you could use that phrase: some place is famous for something. 
For instance, if you go to... if you go to Tainan, that city is famous for its Coffin Bread. 
I think it's (Chinese). 
OK, so famous for its Coffin Bread. 
I grew up in a city called Chingshui. 
And that is famous for its (Chinese), which is a kind of rice... uh, sticky rice snack. 
So what is your hometown famous for? 
That's right. 
You can think about that. 
Talk about it in English. 
Now Kazakhstan is famous for its natural beauty, and you can experience it on horseback. 
Many believe that this area was where people first rode horses thousands of years ago. 
So this would be a great place to ride a horse if this was perhaps the very first place that people ever rode horses. 
That's right. 
So if you love riding horses or if this sounds interesting to you, you can ride a horse here. 
We read: Ride through the remote area of the Central Tien Shan. 
OK. So you're riding through this area, and it's... it's kind of remote. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank. 
If something is remote, that means it's kind of far away. 
It's not close by, it's... it's far. 
That's right. 
There's a large distance between maybe the next big city. 
It's very remote. 
Perhaps you want to go to a remote place so that you can take beautiful pictures of the scenery. 
You want to get away from people. 
Now this is a little bit different from what we learned yesterday with "out of the way." If a place is remote, then it's really not close to anything. 
If some place is out of the way, it's not close to where you are or where you're going. 
OK, so remote. 
You might also see this word when you're talking about a remote control. 
Put down that remote control. 
Don't change the channel. 
You're watching and enjoying Studio Classroom. 
OK, but you see that word in different places in life. OK? 
So we're talking about the remote area of Central Tien Shan. 
And you'll see forests and cross rivers and mountain passes. 
Well, this sounds really cool. 
I would love to go through a forest on horseback and also go across mountain passes. 
What's that, Carolyn? 
Well, that would be a path that goes through the mountains, between the mountains, kind of like a valley but it's not very wide. 
It's just a narrow space between these beautiful big mountains. 
It's just a small pass. 
OK. Well, that does sound really beautiful, especially if you're going through the valley between these mountains, these magnificent mountains. 
Well, you'll also spot flocks of sheep, horses and the nomads who care for them. 
So even though this is kind of remote, there are still people that live in these places. 
These people are called nomads. 
And what is a nomad? 
Well, a nomad is a person who wanders from place to place. 
They don't live in one spot. 
They continue to move. 
And here they have flocks of sheep, horses and then the people who care for them. 
So if you're caring for these animals, you need to keep moving so that they have plenty of things to eat. 
And we see a word from our Word Bank, the word "flock." Now a flock just means a group of animals. 
But what kinds of animals do we group into flocks, Gabe? 
Well, the animals that we care for or the animals that you might see on a farm, for example, like sheep. 
Sheep are in flocks. 
Or goats, you might talk about a flock of goats. 
But you also might talk about other animals that go together like flocks of birds. 
You might see flocks of birds flying through the sky. 
That's right. 
But that is not the word we use when we talk about horses or cows. 
We call those a herd. 
Now there is more that we want to learn about that word "sheep" with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
You may recall we discussed sheep last month. 
And what do you know? 
Sheep reappear in our lesson today. 
So in keeping with this Info Cloud tradition, let's talk about this animal some more. 
Ken, can we count sheep? 
Sure we can, Steve. 
I count sheep whenever I can't fall asleep. 
Uh... yeah. Well, that is one cure for insomnia. 
But I meant counting sheep using a plural form. 
Oh, that kind of counting sheep! 
No, we cannot count sheep using a plural form. 
The plural of sheep is sheep. 
There is no such word as sheeps. 
This type of word is what is called an irregular plural. 
Most irregular plurals are the names of animals. 
These irregular plural nouns are always spelled the same as when they are singular. 
So what are some other examples besides sheep? 
Buffalo, deer, moose, salmon, trout and squid, just to name a few. 
So never, ever put an S after any of these words. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, we have been learning a lot about Kazakhstan, about falconry today as well as about going somewhere on horseback. 
And we read here: 
It's an unforgettable experience. 
If you do this, you won't forget it. 
You'll remember it forever. 
Let's continue learning... well, actually, enjoying a review skit. 
And then we'll go learn something with Michelle. 
So now what do you think about Kazakhstan? 
Well, I'm enjoying it more and more... oh, especially the raptor sanctuary. 
Yeah. We discovered Kazakhstan's ancient hunting tradition - falconry. 
The sanctuary has hundreds of raptors. 
Yeah. The golden eagle is my favorite. 
The Kazakhs favor them, too, for hunting. 
Watching those magnificent birds fly high above us was amazing. 
Especially when they swoop down to the ground. 
You know, eagles can spot a target from high up in the sky and dive down at amazing speeds. 
Yeah. 
But now it's time to experience the natural beauty of Kazakhstan - on horseback. 
On horseback? 
Yes. That's what Kazakhstan is famous for. 
On horseback? 
Yes! 
Many people believe this was where men first rode horses thousands of years ago. 
Oh. On horseback. 
Uh... so where will we ride? 
We'll ride through remote areas. 
We'll see forests and cross rivers and mountain passes. 
On horseback? 
Well, that's nice. 
We'll spot flocks of sheep (Background Noise), horses and nomads. 
It's an unforgettable experience. 
Yeah.. but on horseback! 
What if the horse runs away or... what if I fall off? 
What if the horse bites me? 
Oh, that's good! 
Then our ride will be even more unforgettable. 
On horseback... 
Hello, little horsey. 
Be nice. 
(Chinese). 
And now get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
Well, in our lesson about Kazakhstan today, we've talked about two main things - falconry and going somewhere on horseback. 
Which would you rather do, try falconry or go somewhere and visit some place on horseback? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I think I'd really like to try falconry or watch the show because I really like raptors. 
I really like seeing birds of prey. 
I think they're beautiful. 
They are beautiful. 
If I had a choice, I would like to try falconry while on the back of a horse. 
I could do both things. 
Well, what about you, friends? 
What would you rather do? 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.10.16.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
It's the third day of our lesson about Kazakhstan - The Land of Wonders. 
And if you've joined us over the last couple of days, then you'll know that it certainly is a land of wonders. 
It may seem out of the way for a lot of tourists. 
And it is kind of out of the way, but you will be rewarded with awesome natural beauty, magnificent things that you can do in Kazakhstan. 
One of those things, of course, is to visit that Holy Ascension Church, the... one of the largest wooden churches in the world. 
And of course you could try out the Green Bazaar and maybe try some kazy, some special horse-meat sausage there. 
What else could you do in Kazakhstan? 
Well, if you leave the city of Almaty, you could go to the raptor sanctuary, the Sunkar Raptor Sanctuary, and enjoy watching the falconry show. 
So you can learn more about this traditional hunting style in Kazakhstan and watch these magnificent birds swoop down out of the sky. 
You could also go horseback riding because Kazakhstan is believed to be one of the first places where people rode on horses. 
It's pretty amazing. 
That's right. 
And of course, there is more to Kazakhstan. 
So let's get started with today's lesson. 
(Music). 
Kazakhstan - The Land of Wonders. 
The famous Silk Road passes through Kazakhstan. 
You can travel parts of it through ancient cities and towns. 
See what's left of the ancient cities of Otrar and Taraz. 
Centuries ago they were major trade centers between Europe and China. 
In southern Kazakhstan, see the beautiful scenery, animals and birds in the Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve. 
Created in 1926, it's the oldest nature reserve in Central Asia. 
There you'll find 239 species of birds. 
More than 50 species of mammals, including the snow leopard, also live in the reserve. 
(Music). 
Well, I think that this may be my favorite place so far because there are so many animals. 
Well, but first we... before we talk about the animals, let's go back to the beginning of today's lesson. 
The famous Silk Road passes through Kazakhstan. 
And many of you have probably heard of the Silk Road, this very famous trade route going through Asia. 
That's right, between China and the Mediterranean Sea, a very long trade route. 
Now this passes through Kazakhstan. 
So you can travel parts of it through ancient cities and towns. 
All right, these ancient cities and towns. 
If a city or town is ancient, then maybe it's not very... well, it doesn't look modern, and maybe there's not much left to these cities or towns. 
That's right. 
And in the next sentence, we do read: 
See what's left of the ancient cities of Otrar and Taraz. 
So there isn't much left of them, but you can see the remains of these ancient cities. 
That's right. 
See what's left of these cities. 
I like that phrase: what's left of something. 
So there used to be a lot, and there's a little bit left that you can still see. 
You could use this phrase in another way. 
You could say uh... well, um, this is your dessert, or what's left of it. 
I ate most of it. 
This is what's left of your dessert. 
Yes. 
Well, that's uh... not very much there, Gabe. 
Well, you might also say, "What's left to learn in class?" What hasn't we finished learning about yet? 
What's left in this lesson? 
Well, there's still a lot left in our lesson on Kazakhstan, so let's continue reading. 
Centuries ago (talking about these cities,) they were major trade centers between Europe and China. 
So they were very important cities along the Silk Road. 
That's right. 
They were major trade centers. 
Let's talk about that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "major." If it's major, it's big or important. 
It's the opposite of minor, M-I-N-O-R. 
That's small. 
But if a major city is there, that means it's very important or very big. 
How else could you use that word "major"? 
Well, I can think of many major cities around the world. 
Beijing is a major city. 
Hong Kong, New York, those are all major cities, very important, large cities with lots of people. 
That's right. 
London, Tokyo... all these major cities. 
Well, let's look at something else from this sentence here: centuries ago. 
Centuries ago, a time ago. 
So a century is 100 years. 
"Centuries ago" is more than 200 years. OK. 
So you could replace this word with other words. 
You could say "years ago." Years ago I visited Beijing. 
How else could you use the word "ago"? 
Well, you could say "months ago." Months ago I went to the U.S. 
Mmhm. 
And I did! I went traveling. 
That's right. 
Months ago, years ago I did this. 
Oh, I did that only days ago. 
OK. So you can use the word "ago" with time like this. 
OK, let's continue learning about Kazakhstan here. 
In southern Kazakhstan, see the beautiful scenery, animals and birds in the Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve. 
Very interesting name, that. 
But that is a nature reserve. 
It is. 
And "reserve" is a word from our Word Bank, so let's look at that. 
Now when you're talking about a reserve, here specifically a nature reserve is a place where animals and plants are protected by law. 
That's right. 
So people are not allowed to pick the flowers. 
They're not allowed to hunt the animals or take them home. 
Everything is protected there so that the animals and the plant life is free to grow and live there without humans disturbing them. 
OK. So humans, it's true, sometimes humans will come and destroy wildlife. 
And so this is a nature reserve. 
Some national parks in many countries are considered nature reserves as well. 
You're not supposed to hunt in nature reserves or in national parks. 
Well, we're learning about this nature reserve, the Aksu-Zhabagly. 
Now this was created in 1926 and is the oldest nature reserve in Central Asia. 
That's good. 
That is very good. 
That's very impressive that it's been around for such a long time. 
And there you'll find 239 species of birds. 
Oh, I love birds. 
Well, I know you do, Carolyn. 
You love all sorts of animals. 
It seems like this place would be the perfect place for you to travel in Kazakhstan. 
I... I really think so because in the next sentence we find out that more than 50 species of mammals, including the snow leopard, also live in the reserve. 
And snow leopards are beautiful, big cats. 
Yes, that's true. They are very beautiful cats. 
And I would love to see a snow leopard up close. 
I know they're kind of dangerous, but I just want to see one in the wild. 
That would be very beautiful. 
It would be wonderful to see all of these wonderful animals. 
I think uh, yes, I will have to go to this nature reserve. 
Well, before you do that, let's enjoy some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And then you can go. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.16.B

So far in today's lesson, we've learned about a couple of interesting places that you might want to visit. 
One, if you're interested in history, are the ancient towns of Otrar and Taraz. 
These are ancient cities along the Silk Road. 
And of course if you are interested in history, this might be the place for you. 
But you could also visit beautiful scenery and see animals and birds in the Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve. 
And this is the oldest nature reserve in Central Asia. 
I think that's somewhere I would like to visit. 
Well, what about you? 
Of course we have more to learn about Kazakhstan in the next part of our lesson. 
(Music). 
Kazakhstan - The Land of Wonders. 
The area is also called the Kingdom of Tulips. 
It is believed that tulips grew here long before they appeared in Holland. 
Stay in a guesthouse in the nearby village of Zhabagly. 
Or you can sleep like a Kazakh in a traditional yurt! 
Traveling to Kazakhstan is definitely for those looking for adventure and the road less traveled. 
But it's well worth the effort to enjoy the wonders of this jewel of Central Asia. 
(Music). 
Well, this does sound like a very beautiful and very special place to go. 
Now we were still talking about this nature reserve, the Zhabagly Nature Reserve. 
And the area is also called the Kingdom of Tulips. 
Now "tulip" is from our Word Bank. And that is a kind of beautiful flower. 
A tulip is a very colorful flower. 
And it's shaped like a cup. 
Mmhm. 
When it opens, it's shaped like a nice little cup. 
And they bloom in spring. 
That's right. 
And actually, when I think of tulips, I think of Holland because Holland is famous for their tulips. 
But we read here: 
It is believed that tulips grew here long before they appeared in Holland. 
I did not know that. 
I thought that maybe they were... you could find them most in Holland. 
But they first appeared here in Kazakhstan. 
Yes, that is what many people believe. 
But Holland still sells and grows the most tulips in the world. 
That is one of their major products that they send out to other places. 
OK, so that's probably why I thought that they came from Holland mostly because they still do sell them to other places. 
But if you want to see some tulips, then you don't only have to go to Holland. 
You could visit Kazakhstan as well, the Kingdom of Tulips here. 
And you could stay in a guesthouse in the nearby village of Zhabagly. 
Interesting. 
Would you like to stay in a guesthouse there, Carolyn? 
Well, that sounds like a very good idea, very inviting. 
Or you can sleep like a Kazakh in a traditional yurt! 
Now that does sound exciting. 
Friends, maybe you saw a yurt behind Carolyn just now. 
There was a picture of one of these traditional yurts. 
It's a portable kind of home that people use when they're traveling from place to place. 
If you're a nomad living here in Kazakhstan, then maybe you have one of these yurts that you travel with. 
That's right. 
And we see an interesting phrase there: to sleep like a Kazakh. 
And we can use that phrase in other ways. 
To do something like a something else. 
Gabe, what is one example you can think of? 
Well, sometimes people say: I lived like a king. 
I lived like a king when I was traveling overseas. 
Or you might say: Man, that person eats like a horse! 
It's kind of an idiom that means that person eats a lot. 
He eats like a horse. 
Perhaps you hear someone singing, and it is beautiful, you might say that that person sings like an angel. 
Nice. OK. So there are different ways to use that phrase. 
And here we read: You can sleep like a Kazakh in a traditional yurt. 
Well, we've learned a lot about Kazakhstan, the many different things that you can do and see there. 
Travelling to Kazakhstan is definitely for those looking for adventure and the road less traveled. 
I think that is very true. 
And there is a lot in that sentence. 
We see: It is definitely for those looking for adventure and the road less traveled. 
These are both great phrases. 
And we have a couple of... people who would like to tell us about them. 
We have Liz in the Grammar Gym waiting for us. 
And then Steve and Ken have something they would like to share as well in the Information Cloud. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this sentence: 
Traveling to Kazakhstan is definitely for those looking for adventure and the road less traveled. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
It just means traveling to Kazakhstan is definitely for those people who are looking for adventure and the road less traveled. 
Our focus today is on the pattern: [something] is for those [verbing]. 
This is a good pattern to use when you want to explain how something is appropriate for a certain group of people. 
Let's have a look at some example sentences with this pattern. 
The newest comedy show is definitely for those looking for a good laugh. 
Or: The new department store is definitely for those looking for a good bargain. 
Now it's your turn. 
Think of something that is perfect for a certain group of people and practice using this pattern. 
And if you turn to today's Grammar Tip section, you'll find more example sentences there. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
You may recall that earlier this year we talked about getting off the beaten path. 
And that means don't go to a place where there are already thousands of tourists. 
Visit a place where there aren't so many people around. 
We see a similar idea in our lesson today. 
Our author tells us to take the road less traveled. 
The result of getting off the beaten path or taking the road less traveled is the same - more excitement and a greater sense of adventure. 
Right. 
Taking the road more often traveled may be more stable and easier to walk on, but it's a little boring. 
Mmhm. 
Now the phrase "the road less traveled" comes from a poem written by American poet Robert Frost in 1916, titled The Road Not Taken. 
Many people mistakenly think the title is The Road Less Traveled, but it's not. 
The phrase actually comes from the second to the last line of the poem: 
I took the one less traveled by. 
Again, the correct title is The Road Not Taken. 
OK. The road that Frost describes is a metaphor for life. 
Someone who takes the road less traveled is acting independently, 
freeing themselves from the conformity of others who choose to take the road more often traveled. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, let's get back into this lesson here. 
We just read that traveling to Kazakhstan is definitely for those looking for adventure and the road less traveled, a road that people don't usually take. 
We read here: 
But it's well worth the effort to enjoy the wonders of this jewel of Central Asia. 
So it's worth the effort. 
Let's look at that phrase. 
What does that mean, Carolyn, it's worth the effort? 
Well, if it's worth the effort, then all of the time, all of the money or anything that you put into it, 
the struggle that you have to go through, it's worth it in the end. 
So you might say that something is worth the time, it's worth the money. 
You could say that it's worth the stress. 
Raising children is very difficult, but it is worth it in every way. 
That's right. 
So it's worth the stress. 
Usually you think of these things as being bad. 
Maybe something is very painful, and you cry a lot. 
Well, it could be worth the pain. 
You worked hard on a show or a project. 
And it was very difficult, it was painful. 
But in the end, the magnificent show was worth the pain. 
That's right. 
And there is another word in that sentence, jewel, from our Word Bank. 
Now a jewel is something that is very precious. 
Usually we use it when talking about stones like a diamond or a sapphire. 
But here we're talking about something that is very valuable like this place here. 
Kazakhstan is a jewel of Central Asia. 
I like that our author used this word "jewel" to describe Kazakhstan. 
It could be a very valuable place somewhere that you might want to visit. 
I certainly do! 
Well, now it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to hear more from our teachers. 
We've learned so many amazing things about this land of wonders, the country of Kazakhstan. 
And today we talked a little bit about living in a yurt when you are going to this nature reserve or you could go to the reserve itself. 
Now Gabe, would you want to stay in a nearby yurt or go see the animals at the nature reserve? 
Oh, Carolyn, that's a hard question. 
I can't have both? 
Well, it would be nice to have both, certainly. 
But, uh, only choose one! 
If I had to choose one, I would see the animals in the nature reserve. 
But of course I would try to take my yurt with me into the nature reserve. 
Well, I don't know if they'll let you do that. 
But maybe you can talk about it to debate with your friends in English. 
What would you rather do? 
We'll see you here next time on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.10.17.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're talking about computer programming skills, and they are in demand. 
Our lesson today is about how maybe it might be a good idea to learn some computer programming skills or how to write code. 
Well, what about your school? 
Or maybe your high school or university or whatever school you're going to. 
Do they offer any computer programming classes? 
Did you ever take any of these classes? 
Did you learn anything in those classes? 
Carolyn, did your school teach computer programming? 
Well, my college definitely did. 
But my high school actually offered a few classes in computer programming when I was there. 
And my brother took them, and it gave him a great start for his major - computer science - in college. 
Ah, very nice. 
Well, I... I never took any computer programming classes, so I have no computer programming skills. 
None at all. 
I know how to work with a computer, to start it, to shut it down and to write some things using the keyboard. 
But maybe after today's lesson, I might be inspired to take some computer programming courses. 
And maybe you will, too. 
Let's get started with our lesson. 
Computer Programming Skills in Demand. 
Learn to write code. 
Everywhere you look these days, it's clear: There's no shortage of people using smartphones and tablets. 
Of course, users don't need to know how to write the programs their devices use. 
In the opinion of nonprofit foundation Code.org however, it's probably time they consider learning. 
The group claims that a shortage of computer programmers could lead to 1 million programming jobs being left empty in the next decade. 
Not a good thing for a world that runs on technology. 
In the long run, Code.org hopes to increase the number of high schools offering computer programming classes. 
Well, let's go back to the top of our lesson here today. 
Our title is Computer Programming Skills in Demand. 
And we have some words from our Word Bank right there: computer programming. 
That is creating programs for computers. 
Did you ever learn computer programming or study computer programming? 
Well, if you did, that means that you know how to tell a computer what it should be doing. 
You can program it. 
Now there's a good little phrase or sentence right there with the title: Learn to write code. 
So if you study computer programming, then you will need to learn to write codes for that computer. 
That's right. 
And that is the process of creating a computer program from the very first step. 
I've never learned this, but it does sound interesting. 
Let's get started here. 
Everywhere you look these days, it's clear: There's no shortage of people using smartphones and tablets. 
That's true. 
I see people with smartphones and tablets all over the place. 
Me, too. 
They are very popular. 
And a lot of people like to use them. 
And right there in that sentence, we have another key word: shortage. 
Now if there's a shortage of something, that means there's not enough of it or there's a lack of it. 
You could say that in the summer, there was a water shortage. 
There was not enough water. 
OK, so a shortage of water or a water shortage. 
Or maybe a country has a food shortage or a shortage of food. 
So you can use this word in different ways. 
A shortage of water, or you could just say a water shortage. 
There is a shortage of people. 
Or there's no shortage of people using smartphones and tablets. 
That's right. 
There is no shortage of those people or those devices. 
There's also no shortage of how much we enjoy spending time with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Let's see what they have for us today. 
As readers, we need to develop good discernment skills because sometimes writers will intentionally stretch the truth. 
Today's article begins with the phrase: everywhere you look. 
The word "everywhere" should be a signal to you that our author is using hyperbole. 
Now also known as overstatement or exaggeration, hyperbole is a legitimate and useful language tool. 
It evokes strong feelings and emphasizes what's being said. 
But it is not to be taken literally. 
Right. 
Everywhere we look? 
No. Our author deliberately exaggerates to express his surprise over the incredible popularity of smartphones and tablets. 
Now listen, everyone. 
We must have said this a million times already: 
Don't overuse exaggeration. 
Just like alliteration, which we highlighted last month, the more you exaggerate, the less effective it becomes as a stylistic device. 
That's right. 
If you use it too much, people won't pay attention to you when you really do need to emphasize a point. 
Here are a few other examples of hyperbole you might hear in everyday speech like: 
I'm so hungry I could eat a horse! 
My backpack weighs a ton! 
And that joke was so funny, he laughed his head off. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
So of course, there's no shortage of people that use smartphones and tablets. 
But we read here: 
Of course, users don't need to know how to write the programs their devices use. 
And that's true. 
I have a smartphone and a tablet and a computer. 
I don't need to know how to write these programs. 
No, you don't need to. 
However, in the next sentence we read: 
In the opinion of nonprofit foundation Code.org however, it's probably time they consider learning. 
So most people don't know how to write the codes that are needed to run the devices that they use every day. 
But in the opinion of Code.org, they should start learning. 
All right. 
"In the opinion of something or someone or a company," that's a good phrase to know. 
In my opinion, there's lots to learn here at Studio Classroom. 
But I think a lot of people feel the same way. 
I hope that's your opinion as well. 
Yes, I hope that is your opinion. 
And we continue to learn a little bit more about why they have this opinion on why people should learn how to write code. 
The group claims that a shortage of computer programmers could lead to 1 million programming jobs being left empty in the next decade. 
Wow! That is a lot of jobs that don't have anyone trained to fill them. 
Exactly, Carolyn. 
So this could be kind of a big issue. 
This could happen within the next decade - a million jobs just left empty. 
Well, I hope that doesn't happen. 
And we read here: Not a good thing for a world that runs on technology. 
No, of course it's not good because our world does use a lot of technology, and we need people that understand how to write code. 
I like the way the sentence is worded here: a world that runs on technology. 
Actually we use the phrase "to run on something" when we talk about electricity. 
This runs on batteries, or this runs on electricity. 
And of course, our world sometimes runs on technology. 
It does, indeed. 
Well, right now it is time for us to look a little bit closer at that sentence with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this sentence: 
Not a good thing for a world that runs on technology. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Notice how the sentence begins with "not a good thing." It's a short way of saying: That is not a good thing. 
In other words, what was just mentioned is not a good thing for a world that runs on technology. 
You can begin a sentence or clause with this phrase "not a good thing" when you are in an informal situation, 
and you want to make an immediate comment on how something is not good for a situation. 
For example: 
The only way to get to the restaurant is by walking up a stony path - not a good thing for female guests who're wearing high heels. 
Or: The weather forecast says it will rain this weekend - not a good thing for anyone with outdoor plans. 
So give this phrase a try. 
Think of something that is not a good thing for a situation and practice using this phrase. 
That's all the time we have for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
It's always a good thing to learn something with you in the Grammar Gym. 
Continuing: In the long run, Code.org hopes to increase the number of high schools offering computer programming classes. 
Well, that sounds pretty good. 
That does sound good. 
In the long run, this is what their goal is. 
So it's not happening right now, but in the long run. 
Those are words from our Word Bank. 
That means this is your plan in the end. 
It's your end goal, what will happen in the long run. 
So you are planning for the future, a long time in the future. 
Not within the next year even, but within the next 10 years since the next decade could have 1 million empty programming jobs. 
That's right. 
Well, you could use that phrase in other ways, too. 
You could say we're spending a lot of money now. 
But in the long run, don't worry, we will be saving the money. 
Well, it's time for us to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.17.B

We have a very interesting article today - Computer Programming Skills in Demand. 
Do you know anything about computer programming? 
Can you write in code? 
If not, you might want to start learning because Code.org says that there could be 1 million programming jobs open within the next decade. 
There's a shortage of people trained on how to program the technology that the world runs on now. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn about how they're going to complete their task in the long run. 
What is their plan? 
Let's read that now. 
Computer Programming Skills in Demand. 
They want computer programming to become part of the main curriculum. 
In the short run, students whose schools lack such classes can choose from online courses. 
A good starting place is Codeacademy.com, which offers free courses in programming languages such as JavaScript and Python. 
Often, students assume that coding skills are only necessary for computer professionals. 
But, nearly all professions - from teaching to business - involve some work related to computers and the Internet. 
Resumes that list programming skills will stand out from ones that don't. 
So give that resume a boost, and learn to code today! 
Well, let's continue learning what Code.org has in mind for the long run. 
We read here: 
They want computer programming to become part of the main curriculum. 
That is the main curriculum in schools. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank. 
The curriculum - that is all of the courses or all of the classes that a school offers. 
That's right. 
So what is the curriculum at your school? 
What classes are available for students to take? 
Maybe the curriculum at your school includes a foreign language class like English, or it could include other languages as well. 
French, Spanish, German. 
There are many out there. 
What was included in your high school curriculum, Gabe? 
Well, what was included? 
Well, actually, we did have the option of taking Chinese, Spanish or German when I was in high school. 
We had some art classes and music classes, some of which I took. 
There was a journalism class in the curriculum after I graduated, but not while I was in high school. 
So sometimes a school's curriculum will change. 
That is very true. 
And that is what Code.org hopes to do. 
They want computer programming to become part of the curriculum or be added to it. 
Just along with math and science and languages, they want computer programming in there, too. 
And we continue reading: 
In the short run, students whose schools lack such classes can choose from online courses. 
All right. 
So we talked about the phrase "in the long run." We use that phrase more often. 
But here they're just having fun, "in the short run." That means quickly or something that you can do soon, here is what you can do. 
You can go and take some online courses. 
And we read: 
A good starting place is Codeacademy.com, which offers free courses in computer... or in programming languages such as JavaScript and Python. 
Maybe you've heard of these before, JavaScript, Python, or maybe other ones like C+ or C++, different computer programming courses. 
Those are very common ones and very good ones to know when you are just starting out, 
fairly basic and easy to learn computer programming code languages. 
And we see that they're called programming languages. 
You have to use them and learn them just like you would any other language. 
That's right. 
So it might take some time. 
As you know, it's not that easy to learn another language. 
It takes time. 
You would have to learn the language of writing code as well. 
We read here: 
Often, students assume that coding skills are only necessary for computer professionals. 
I would add that not only students feel that way, but I mean, I feel that way sometimes, too. 
This is only necessary for computer professionals. 
Well, you might think that. 
But, nearly all professions - from teaching to business - involve some work related to computers and the Internet. 
So some point during your day, your workday, you are probably going to be using a computer. 
If you are writing a research paper, you're going to need the Internet in order to do some of your research. 
And I would add that this could help you be creative. 
If you're a teacher and you want to come up with a creative lesson in the classroom, you could create something with a computer program or writing in code. 
Create something fun for your students. 
Well, let's continue here. 
Resumes that list programming skills will stand out from ones that don't. 
Let's look at our key word there - a resume. 
Carolyn, what's a resume? 
Well, a resume is a document, usually a printed piece of paper that lists all of your work experience, 
everything that you've done in the past, when you did it and where you worked. 
And so if you want to apply to work somewhere, that company might ask for you to send in your resume. 
Maybe you feel like your resume needs a new look. 
Well, you can update your resume. 
These are different ways to use that word. 
Another word is in the next sentence. 
You could give your resume a boost. 
We read: So give that resume a boost and learn to code today! 
Something else you may want to do to that resume from the previous sentence is make it stand out from other resumes. 
So if you make something stand out, then it is easily noticed or seen. 
It gets the person's attention. 
All right. 
So what stands out to you? 
If you are going to update your resume, then maybe you want to do something that makes it stand out from the other resumes that the company might get. 
They want to look at the resume and say, "Wow! This is pretty special." It stands out. 
Well, what makes you stand out? 
Right now it's time for us to join Michelle. 
She always has something very good for us to learn in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are up to. 
Well, today we found out that writing in code could be very valuable. 
It could be a very valuable skill to have. 
Well, have you ever written in code? 
Do you know how to do computer programming? 
Carolyn, have you ever written in code? 
Actually, Gabe, I have. 
I have written a code for you in HTML. 
Whoa... What does it say? 
Oh, it says: This text is bold. 
But... what are the other letters about, Carolyn? 
Well, Gabe, you will see. 
Watch what this code can do. 
Wait for it... 
Wait a... 
Whoa! It says "This text is bold." And it's actually bold! 
It is bold. 
I mean, it's bolder! 
Yes, yes! 
So those little symbols on the end with the letters combined makes the text in between them bold. 
Interesting! 
Well, Carolyn can write in code. 
Very nice! 
What about you? 
Thanks for joining us today. 
And we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.10.18.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're going to learn more with Jo about her experiences - Life in Nepal. 
And today's lesson is Life in Nepal: Part 2. 
Do you remember learning from her experiences last month? 
What was something that we learned about Jo's Life in Nepal last month, Carolyn? 
Well, we had a little bit of an introduction about why she went to Nepal. 
She had heard about it as a very interesting country in the news that sacrificed goats at the airport. 
But she ended up a few years later going to Nepal as part of an internship with a nonprofit organization. 
OK, so she was going to go and work with this nonprofit organization in Nepal. 
And of course, her professor had some advice for her. 
Of course when you're overseas, you might get homesick sometimes. 
And her professor said the most important thing... 
or her most important advice that Jo remembers was to bring peanut butter because it would remind her of home whenever she got homesick. 
So of course we're going to continue learning more about what she actually experienced when she got to Nepal. 
So let's get into our lesson right now. 
(Music). 
Life in Nepal: Part 2. 
This South Asian country proved to be a world away. 
"Look at the view! It's very beautiful," my translator encouraged me. 
Rolling hills and valleys stretched out before us, dotted with trees and tiny huts, but I could barely manage to glance at it. 
I clutched her arm instead. 
We were in a bus on an unpaved, single-lane mountain road, mere feet away from the edge of a cliff. 
I didn't want to watch when we plunged to our deaths. 
We were on our way to Dolakha, a mountain village in Nepal where the nonprofit I was interning with had a field office. 
Well, it sounds like she is having a very exciting beginning to this journey. 
And we read here at the top: This South Asian country proved to be a world away. 
Now that's an interesting way to describe a place that's still on Earth. 
It's still part of this world, but it's a world away. 
What does she mean, Gabe? 
Well, actually, I think there might be two meanings here. 
If something is a world away, that could mean it's very far away. 
But it also means that the lifestyle and everything about life in that place is completely different from anything she's used to. 
I think that's more what she means here. 
It's a world away. 
She's really not used to it. 
It's a very foreign place to her. 
It is certainly very different from her life in the U.S. 
Well, we are going to learn all about how she felt during her experience in Nepal. 
And here at the beginning we see a quote. 
"Look at the view! It's very beautiful," my translator encouraged me. 
Well, the way the sentence is written, the way that she uses the word "encourage," she could have said my translator "told" me. 
But we can see here that maybe Jo needed some encouragement. 
And we'll find out more as we read along. 
So you can use this... or you can tell how someone might be feeling by the way something is written. 
Jo needed some encouragement. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Let's say you are traveling in a foreign land like the author of our lesson today, and you come to a beautiful place. 
How do you describe what you see? 
Well, you can say what the translator in our lesson says: Look at the view! It's very beautiful. 
Or, you can say the scenery is beautiful. 
That's right. 
Both view and scenery can be used to describe a beautiful place. 
However, there is a big difference between the two. 
Yes, there is. 
Scenery is an uncountable noun, so it cannot be plural. 
You can say the scenery is really beautiful, or an area has some really beautiful scenery. 
View, on the other hand, is a countable noun. 
For example, the views from the summit are spectacular. 
So don't say: What a beautiful scenery. 
It should be: What a beautiful view. 
Or: What beautiful scenery. 
Another difference is that a view is what you see from a particular location. 
If you talk about a restaurant with a view, you're referring to the particular view as seen from that restaurant. 
Scenery, on the other hand, is the whole picture, so to speak. 
I love mountain scenery. 
Whenever I go up to the mountains, I'm struck by how beautiful the mountains are. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Now let's continue reading on and learn a little bit more about this view that her translator was so excited about. 
Rolling hills and valleys stretched out before us, dotted with trees and tiny huts, but I could barely manage to glance at it. 
Well, that is another well-written sentence here. 
We're talking about rolling hills and valleys that stretch out. 
That means it is in front of you in a big way. 
It goes on for a long time. 
You could say the meadows stretched out before me, or the field stretched out before us. 
That's right. 
And we have wonderful descriptive words in this sentence. 
But Jo could barely manage to glance at this beautiful scenery. 
We read, "I clutched her arm instead." So it sounds like Jo might be a little bit afraid. 
That's right. That's what you do. 
When you're afraid sometimes, you... you clutch onto something close by for safety. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank: to clutch. 
It means you're grabbing something tightly or eagerly for some reason. 
That's right. 
So many times when we are scared or upset about something, we will clutch or grab onto something very firmly, and we won't let go. 
And here Jo is clutching the arm of her translator. 
And we find out why, Gabe. 
That's right. 
We were in a bus on an unpaved, single-lane mountain road, mere feet away from the edge of a cliff. 
OK, so you can imagine this in your mind now. 
It's unpaved. 
That means the road is kind of rough. 
So it already is a little bit dangerous. 
What else do we find out? 
It's a single-lane road. 
That's already a little bit dangerous. 
You never know when another car might be coming towards you, and you have to go to the side a little bit. 
But where are they, Carolyn? 
Are they in a field or... where are they? 
If they were in a field, I don't think she would be quite as worried. 
But they're on a mountain. 
This road is on a mountain. 
And they are mere feet away from the edge of a cliff, which means that they would fall off the side of the mountain. 
OK. So that's all that Jo can think about being so close to the edge of a cliff. 
I can understand why she's clutching her translator's arm. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue learning something with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article, the writer mentions: 
We were in a bus on an unpaved, single-lane mountain road, mere feet away from the edge of a cliff. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the word "mere." It is an adjective we use to describe how something is so small or is in such small amounts. 
So in today's sentence, the writer is saying that her bus was just a few feet away from the edge of a cliff. 
She's not so interested in the actual number of feet, she uses "mere" to simply emphasize how her bus was that close to the edge of a cliff. 
So when you're in a situation where you want to describe how there just isn't too much or too many of a certain thing, consider using "mere." For example: 
Mere seconds after Julia came home without her umbrella, it started raining. 
Or: This cake is a great low-calorie dessert - it only has a mere spoon of sugar in it. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. Bye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, let's continue learning about Jo's reaction from being mere feet away from the edge of this cliff. 
She says: I didn't want to watch when we plunged to our deaths. 
And this is a very interesting sentence. 
And there's a key word there, the word "plunge." Now to plunge means to go down, usually very quickly and very far. 
OK. And often I think of water. 
Maybe you're plunging down into the water. OK. 
So maybe you remember learning a phrase earlier this year: to take the plunge. 
That means you're going to jump into something knowing that you can't go back up. 
OK. So you take the plunge, you're getting into something. 
Here we're talking about... or Jo was saying she didn't want to watch when we plunged to our deaths. 
Now it's interesting, Carolyn, she uses the word "when" as if this is going to happen. 
Yes, she does. She doesn't say "if" we plunge to our deaths. 
She says "when." It is going to happen! 
There's no way around it. 
And I think she's being a little bit overdramatic. 
Hmm... that's true. 
Well, let's talk about that word. 
It's not in the lesson, but "overdramatic" is a good word to describe how Jo is writing and describing things. 
Of course she's not going to plunge to her death. 
It's not a matter of when. 
It could just be a matter of if. 
And of course she did not plunge to her death, she was just being overdramatic. 
Are you ever overdramatic? 
Well, if you are overdramatic, that means that you have a lot of expression and maybe you do too much. 
Like you are in a play or in a movie, and you're trying to express things too much. 
It's true. 
Well, sometimes it's good to be overdramatic. 
But I think Jo is being too overdramatic. 
She says: We were on our way to Dolakha, a mountain village in Nepal where the nonprofit I was interning with had a field office. 
So it's not the main office, it's somewhere overseas, a field office. 
OK, let's continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.18.B

So far in our lesson today, we're learning about Jo's experience as her and her translator were in a bus on the way to Dolakha, a place in Nepal where she would be interning. 
And of course she describes her experience. 
She was definitely very scared. 
Her translator tried to tell her to look at how beautiful everything was around them, but they were on an unpaved, single-lane mountain road. 
And so she was clutching the arm of her translator. 
OK. We get a good taste of how Jo was feeling as she first arrived there in Nepal. 
Let's continue learning with her experience. 
(Music). 
Life in Nepal: Part 2. 
They were teaching local women how to read and write, how to tend to their families' basic needs and how to use and pay back a microloan. 
I was excited and terrified. 
The bus ride alone was making me have second thoughts. 
People crowded into the seats and aisles, and chickens and goats rode on the luggage rack on top. 
There was no door on the bus, but a man stood in the opening to watch how close we got to the edge of the cliff. 
The 8-hour journey passed to the sound of old Hollywood love songs that crackled over ancient speakers. 
(Music). 
Well, this does not sound like the most enjoyable way to experience a country for the first time. 
But let's go back to the beginning of this section and learn a little bit about this nonprofit organization. 
We read: They were teaching local women how to read and write, how to tend to their families' basic needs and how to use and pay back a microloan. 
Well, these all sound like very helpful things for this organization to do. 
That's right. 
Well, let's take a look at some words there. 
They're being taught how to tend to their families' basic needs. 
If you... if you tend to something, that means you are caring for it in a specific way. 
Maybe you need to tend for your crops. 
Or maybe you need to tend to your business at work. 
You need to tend to these things. 
Now a microloan, we see that word, a microloan is a small, short-term loan that you are given. 
That's right. 
And many people in countries that are still developing, like Nepal, will use microloans to help them to start their own business. 
And many times those deal with agriculture or farming. 
So they can start their own little farm and be independent. 
And so that is a great thing. 
These people are being trained to be independent like this. 
Well, Jo continues with her story. 
She says: I was excited and terrified. 
Well, both of those things in the same sentence, I think it's possible to be both. 
You're excited about something, and also terrified. 
Have you ever felt that way? 
Maybe when you move somewhere or maybe when you're going to high school or your first day at university, you might feel excited and terrified. 
That's right. 
You are eager to start something great, something new, but there is also a lot of uncertainty. 
You don't know what's going to happen. 
And here Jo is on this bus and is not sure if she will make it to the city. 
We read: The bus ride alone was making me have second thoughts. 
All right. 
Well, let's take a look at her second thoughts here. 
What does that mean to have second thoughts? 
That means you decided to do something, but now maybe you're regretting it. 
Maybe you made the wrong decision. 
Yes. You're not so sure about what you decided to do, so. 
If you have second thoughts about something, then maybe you regret the decision you made before. 
Maybe you aren't sure about grad school. 
You don't really know; you applied and you got in. 
And now you're working really hard, but you're having some second thoughts about it. 
Maybe you aren't actually interested in the subject. 
Or maybe you just hired someone new to your company. 
But now you see how lazy they are. 
Now you're having second thoughts about hiring that person. 
OK. So you can have second thoughts for a lot of different things. 
Jo is having second thoughts. 
We read: People crowded into the seats and aisles, and chickens and goats rode on the luggage rack on top. 
It seems like a very crowded bus. 
It does sound like a very crowded bus. 
And here we see a word from the Word Bank: luggage rack. 
And that is where they put the goats and chickens on this bus. 
However, a luggage rack is usually a place where you put your suitcase or your luggage to store it and get it up out of the way. 
That's right. 
Of course you could put chickens inside of your suitcase and then put it on the luggage rack. 
Um, but it seems like this luggage rack on this bus had a lot of animals up there as well. 
Well, she continues. 
There was no door on the bus, but a man stood in the opening to watch how close we got to the edge of the cliff. 
So there's no door, but there's an opening. 
You could say there's a doorway but there's no door. 
That's right. 
And this man had a very interesting job. 
He would watch to see how close they were to the edge of the cliff so he could tell the driver that they were getting too close. 
And we continue reading: 
The 8-hour journey passed to the sound of old Bollywood love songs that crackled over ancient speakers. 
OK. Well, that does sound like something... like an interesting experience there. 
Well, let's look at that word: to crackle. 
If something is crackling, it's making that kind of cracking sound in a way. 
I usually use this word when I'm talking about wood that is burning in a fire because it makes that kind of sound, that it crackles. 
That's right. 
So you can use that to describe the sound of a fire burning. 
The fire is crackling. 
And here if a sound is not very clear, you're listening to speakers, maybe you need to get new speakers because the ones you have are old and are crackling. 
You can't really hear very clearly. 
It's just a lot of noise. 
And she describes these speakers as ancient speakers. 
That's kind of being overdramatic as well. 
It's kind of exaggerating a little bit. 
I don't think speakers are ancient. 
But here they are very old, of course, and they're crackling. 
Well, let's continue learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's go back to our teachers. 
In our lesson today, we've been learning about Jo's journey to the city of Dolakha, where she is supposed to be interning. 
Now this was an 8-hour journey for her on this bus. 
What's the longest journey, car ride or bus ride, that you've ever been on? 
Hmm, good question. 
My family drove twice across the United States from Maryland to California. 
And there were seven of us in a minivan that had eight seats. 
But of course we had all of our luggage. 
It was a good experience, but it was... it was hard at times. 
That would take a very long time, several days probably. 
It's true. 
It did take quite a long time. 
Well, friends, how will you answer that question? 
What is the longest road trip or road transportation you have ever been on? 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.10.19.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're going to join Jo in the second part of her lesson Life in Nepal: Part 2. 
Of course Jo went to Nepal to work for a nonprofit organization. 
She went there to help. 
In some ways, she was volunteering. 
She was volunteering her time; she went for this experience. 
Well, have you ever volunteered somewhere? 
Life has many opportunities where you can volunteer. 
Carolyn, do you ever volunteer? 
What do you do? 
Well, sure, I love to volunteer. 
When I was in the U.S., I would volunteer a lot of my time at church or with after-school programs, so. 
I would help with music programs at church and with a local drama group. 
Oh, cool. 
So you volunteered your time there. 
I also did some after-school programs, um, helping some kids as they were trying to learn English. 
Well, there are many different ways to volunteer. 
Have you ever volunteered somewhere? 
If so, what did you do? 
Talk about that in English, of course. 
And of course, let's get started with today's lesson Life in Nepal: Part 2. 
(Music). 
Life in Nepal: Part 2. 
Thankfully, the bus made it to Dolakha safely. 
Our accommodations consisted of a humble farmhouse that was a combination of cement, wood, tin and packed mud. 
The nonprofit's office occupied the first floor, the kitchen and our bedrooms the second floor. 
A family of five lived in a loft above. 
Both the second and third floors were accessible only by wooden ladders. 
As an intern, my job was to take photos, conduct interviews and write articles. 
I would then send them to the nonprofit's headquarters in New York to be used on their website. 
(Music). 
Well, we will continue learning more about her experience later. 
But first, let's go back up to the beginning of this lesson. 
We read: 
Thankfully, the bus made it to Dolakha safely. 
All right. 
That's a great way to start today's lesson because you remember Jo's experience on the bus at the end of yesterday's lesson was a little bit scary. 
Yes. It was very scary hearing about how she was taking this 8-hour bus ride on this single-lane mountain road. 
And they were just feet away, mere feet away from the edge of a cliff. 
That would not be very enjoyable. 
But thankfully, the bus made it there safely. 
So there were no problems. 
And she goes on to describe where she stayed. 
She says: 
Our accommodations consisted of a humble farmhouse that was a combination of cement, wood, tin and packed mud. 
All right. 
Well, let's take a look at one of those words from our Word Bank: accommodations. 
Your accommodations are where you're staying. 
It describes what you have, where you are living. 
So you notice there's an S at the end of this word. 
That's because this is talking about the place that you stay or live, especially if it's not your home. 
OK. So what could describe your accommodations? 
Well, I think of a hotel. 
When you're traveling, you need to make sure that you book accommodations so that you have a place to stay. 
So that could be a hotel, a hostel, a bed and breakfast or even a humble farmhouse. 
That's right. 
So a humble farmhouse might have something different than a hotel would. 
Their accommodations are slightly different or very different. 
Well, she is in a humble farmhouse, and it was a combination of cement, wood, tin and packed mud. 
A combination - that means there are many different things combined. 
Well, right now it's time for us to listen to Steve and Ken and what they have to share with us about this humble farmhouse. 
We usually associate the word "humble" with people. 
A humble person is someone who is modest. 
But humble, as we see in today's lesson, can also be used to describe a place. 
Our lesson talks about a humble farmhouse. 
And that's just an unpretentious or lowly farmhouse. 
If you invite friends into your house for the first time, you can greet them at the door and say: Welcome to my humble abode. 
And you can say that even if you live in a not-so-humble abode, like a mansion. 
And that's often when it's used. 
"Welcome to my humble abode!" is often said as an ironical understatement because the abode in question is far from humble. 
Right. 
This apparent modesty is actually a way of saying "Look at what I've got!" without appearing offensively boastful. 
However, you can also find this statement being used by people who are a bit self-conscious about their home. 
Right. 
Some people will say this because they truly feel that their home is nothing special. 
So the correct response when somebody welcomes you to their "humble abode" is to compliment them with restraint but genuine sincerity about how pleasant their home is, 
whether the place is a single-room shack or a vast mansion. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
It is good to know how to use that word "humble." And welcome to my humble studio. 
Ha.. yes, our very... our very humble studio. 
Thank you. 
Welcome. 
Make yourself at home. 
Yes. Well, let us continue reading in our lesson today. 
The nonprofit's office occupied the first floor, the kitchen and our bedrooms the second floor. 
So there's more than one floor in this farmhouse. 
And she's actually living above the nonprofit office that she's going to be working for. 
That's right. 
Now notice the way the sentence is worded: 
The nonprofit's office occupied the first floor, the kitchen and our bedrooms the second floor. 
Well, you could say the nonprofit's office occupied the first floor, and the kitchen and our bedrooms occupied the second floor. 
If you don't have that "and" after the comma, you can take out the second "occupied." You don't need to say "occupied" again. 
So it's understood that the bedroom occupied the second floor. 
You don't have to say it again. 
All right. Well, let's continue here. 
She says a family of five lived in a loft above. 
OK. What is a loft? 
Well, that's something... it's an open space under a roof. 
And usually it doesn't have any partitions. 
It's not separated by any walls of any kind. 
You might just walk up from the second floor up the stairs to a loft. 
And you can see the room of the loft above from the second floor. 
Mmhm. So this is a very special house. 
And we also learn both the second and third floors were accessible only by wooden ladders. 
So you didn't go upstairs, you went up a ladder in order to get to the second and third floors. 
That's right. 
They were accessible by these wooden ladders. 
Well, how else can you use that phrase, accessible by? 
Well, you could say the office is accessible by elevator, or you can walk up the stairs. 
So we're learning about this place where Jo was living. 
She continues: As an intern, my job was to take photos, conduct interviews and write articles. 
We learned a little bit about the place where she stayed, her humble abode, this humble farmhouse. 
Now we're learning a little bit about her job. 
And part of that job was to conduct interviews. 
So let's look at that word from our Word Bank: conduct. 
Now if you conduct something, that means that you lead it. 
You're in charge of it. 
You get to direct it. 
So if you conduct an interview, that means that you're the one asking all the questions. 
And that can be kind of fun. 
If you have to do something like this, it requires some creativity. 
You must think of some good questions during your interview. 
You could also conduct a survey. 
If you are thinking of the questions, you're handing out the pieces of paper with all these questions for people to answer, you are conducting that survey. 
That's right. 
And we learn a little bit more about what she did with those interviews and the articles she wrote. 
She says: I would then send them to the nonprofit's headquarters in New York to be used on their website. 
That's right. 
Well, we have more to learn about this later. 
But for now, let's join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.19.B

We are continuing with the second day of the article, Life in Nepal: Part 2. 
Today we're learning a little bit about Jo's accommodations while she was in Nepal. 
She lived in a humble farmhouse on the second floor. 
The first floor was the nonprofit organization's office. 
And the third floor was a loft where a family of five lived. 
We've also learned a little bit about her responsibilities. 
She would conduct interviews, write articles and then send them back to New York to be used on the nonprofit's website. 
Well, we have some more about her experiences coming up in the next part of our lesson. 
Life in Nepal: Part 2. 
But I had a difficult time conveying my experience there. 
What words could I use to describe something so foreign to me? 
Village life was slow, simple and mostly disconnected from the rest of the world. 
There were a few electric lights, but no indoor plumbing, no Internet, and cellphone reception was poor. 
The locals were curious about the foreign girl and stared openly, but they were also friendly. 
I was living a world away from everything I was used to. 
But out on those terraced hillsides, soaking in the sun and sipping tea with my Nepali neighbors, I didn't really mind. 
OK. Well, let's go back up to the beginning of this section where Jo was still sharing about her time at her internship at the nonprofit organization. 
She says: But I had a difficult time conveying my experience there. 
OK. So we know that her job was to conduct interviews and write articles, and then she had to send these articles to New York. 
But it's hard to know what to share with the office in New York. 
That's right. 
And she continues: 
What words could I use to describe something so foreign to me? 
And it can be difficult to find the right words to use when we're talking about something that we really aren't familiar with. 
Exactly. 
So Jo has actually expressed this idea to me in person. 
How can I really share about this in the best way? 
Her experience there in Nepal is so different from anywhere else she was before. 
So it can be hard to express herself. 
Well, she continues. 
Village life was slow, simple and mostly disconnected from the rest of the world. 
OK, so it's a little different than what she has experienced in other places in the world. 
And we see why it was so different. 
There were a few electric lights, but no indoor plumbing, no Internet, and cellphone reception was poor. 
Wow! That sounds like a very difficult place to live when you are used to having all of those things. 
I... completely agree, Carolyn, especially... well, all three of those things - plumbing, Internet and cellphone reception. 
I'm actually... I'm glad that she had some cellphone reception even though it was poor reception. 
But let's take a look at one of these words here from our Word Bank. 
It is "plumbing." Now plumbing has to do with the water and the gas and the sewage. 
And it's that stuff that is set up inside your house or your office or wherever you are. 
That's right. 
And so usually we think of it as a system of pipes that transport liquids throughout your house usually. 
It could also include uh, the gas, but usually just liquid. 
How do you get the water from the first floor to the second floor? 
You need plumbing. 
And you might need a plumber. 
Some people have special jobs. 
Their job is to help with plumbing. 
P-L-U-M-B-E-R. 
Is there a plumber that never goes to your house to fix things if you need that? 
Well, they help with plumbing. 
So Jo had no indoor plumbing. 
And that would make for a very interesting experience. 
It would. 
And we learn some more about this interesting experience she had. 
The locals were curious about the foreign girl and stared openly, but they were also friendly. 
OK. So the people there were very friendly, but they weren't ashamed to just stare at you because you were a little bit different. 
Now some countries are like this. 
You go and visit, and people just stare openly because you look a little bit different. 
Other countries, it's not like that. 
People feel it's rude to stare openly. 
But not in Nepal; you can do that. 
You can stare openly at anything you want. 
That's what it seems like. 
And she gives us a little bit of a conclusion to this experience. 
I was living a world away from everything I was used to. 
And she uses that phrase again: a world away. 
But out on those terraced hillsides, soaking in the sun and sipping tea with my Nepali neighbors, I didn't really mind. 
Well, it sounds really beautiful. 
Yeah, exactly. It is beautiful. 
I wouldn't mind talking about that word there from our Word Bank: terrace. 
Now a terrace is a kind of... is the way that the land is made. 
So it's different levels. 
Now usually land is terraced for farming purposes. 
And so it's easier or better for the crops if the land is terraced one level after another. 
That's right. 
It's also much easier when you are in a hilly or mountainous area like Nepal. 
There's not a lot of flat land. 
If you don't use the mountainside and terrace it, you can't really plant your crops. 
That's right. 
So she was on these terraced hillsides, which does sound beautiful, soaking in the sun. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: to soak in something. 
That means you are absorbing it like a sponge. 
You're enjoying it. 
What else can you soak in, Carolyn? 
A lot of times we talk about soaking in information when you learn things quickly and well. 
So we hope you do that. 
You soak in information every time you study here with us at Studio Classroom. 
Right now it's time for a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Please stop staring at me. 
Oh... sorry. 
But I'm curious because you are a foreign girl. 
Yes, I am. 
And I'm living in a world away from everything I'm used to. 
What is so different about Nepal? 
Everything! Oh, like the buses. 
How are the buses different? 
Here buses travel on unpaved, single-lane mountain roads, mere feet away from the edges of cliffs... How scary! 
Why is that scary? 
Well, I'm afraid I'm going to plunge to my death. 
I'm used to it. 
People crowd into seats and aisles, and luggage racks are filled with chickens and goats! 
I think the chickens like it. 
Some buses don't even have doors. 
Well, but they do have music. 
Yeah. It... crackles over ancient speakers. 
Yeah. Well, I like it. 
And accommodations here are different, too. 
What do you mean? 
I'm staying in a humble farmhouse. 
Uh, humble farmhouse? 
Yeah. Some floors are only accessible by ladders. 
Oh, yeah, ladders. 
And a family of five lives in the loft. 
Oh! How cozy! 
How crazy! 
It has few electric lights, no indoor plumbing and no Internet. 
So Nepal really is different from the United States. 
Yes. And that's what I'm writing about. 
So, why aren't you writing? 
Nepal is just too different! 
I can't even describe it. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's return to our teachers. 
Well, in our lesson these last couple of days, we really got to experience with Jo this world that is... or this place that is a world away from what she is used to. 
Now I wonder if you are curious about Nepal now. 
Would you like to visit Nepal, Carolyn? 
I would love to visit Nepal, and especially now that I know what to expect that it is different and there are things that I will have to get used to. 
That's right. 
Of course visiting a new culture, there are many things you might have to get used to. 
Well, we have more to learn from Jo's experience next month - Life in Nepal: Part 3. 
But for now, it's time to say goodbye. 
We'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.10.21.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Today we're talking about Skipping School. 
That's the kind of school you go to to learn how to skip like this. 
Uh, no, no, Gabe, not that kind of skipping. 
This means to miss school. 
Oh... Oh, right, OK! 
Well, "skip" can have uh, lots of meanings. 
It could be the way that you go from one place to another. 
That's skipping. 
But here, of course, Carolyn is right. 
We're talking about missing school for some reason or another. 
Well, do you think it's OK to skip school? 
That's what we're going to be talking about in today's lesson, especially for a test. 
Maybe you think it's OK to skip school for a test or to study for a test. 
Well, I think it's really important to make sure that you study well ahead of time before the test so that you don't need to miss your other classes. 
It's important to know how to budget your time wisely. 
Hmm, good point. 
I see how you feel about this. 
Well, we'll see how we feel about this after our lesson about skipping school. 
Let's enjoy this conversation now. 
(Music). 
Skipping School. 
Is it ever OK to skip school? 
Miranda is at Violet's home, studying for a test. 
(Music). 
Hey, Miranda, would you please help me with this last problem? 
Sorry, Vi. It's pretty late. 
I'd better head home. 
But I really need your help. 
That algebra test is tomorrow at 1:00. 
Here's an idea. 
Why don't we both skip school until lunch, so we can study more tomorrow? 
Skip school! 
Where did you get the idea that it's OK to skip? 
Well, we'd be skipping for a good reason. 
We're going to study for a test, and it's not like we're doing poorly in the other classes. 
We can miss a class period or two. 
We'll continue that conversation later. 
But first, let's go back to the beginning of our lesson. 
We see a question here: 
Is it ever OK to skip school? 
It's kind of what I asked Carolyn earlier. 
Is it OK to do this for a special reason? 
The reason is you're studying for a test. 
Well, that's a good question to ask: Is it OK to do something? 
Many things we know are wrong. 
But is it ever OK to do them? 
Carolyn, is it ever OK to hit someone? 
What do you think? 
Well, it is not very nice to hit someone, Gabe. 
Even if they hit you first, it's still not a good thing. 
OK, good, good. 
What about lying? 
Lying is wrong, right? 
Is it ever OK to lie, Carolyn? 
That gets very tricky, Gabe. 
But you know it's very important to tell the truth. 
Even if it's something small, you want to be honest and truthful so that people can trust you. 
All right. 
Well, friends, what... what do you think about these questions? 
You can ask this kind of question. 
Is it ever OK to do something? 
OK. Well, what is going on here? 
Miranda is at Violet's home, studying for a test. 
Now I am going to be Violet. 
Is that OK with you? 
Is that ever OK? 
Oh, well, I think today it will be OK for you to be Violet. 
It's a very nice name. 
And I will be Miranda. 
Excellent! Excellent. 
By the way, I like... I like Violet. 
I think that she is very nice. 
Anyway, let's get started here. 
Violet says: Hey, Miranda, would you please help me with this last problem? 
Well, and then Miranda responds: 
Sorry, Vi. It's pretty late. 
Oh, I just called you Vi. 
Why did I call you Vi? 
Your name is Violet. 
Well, I know. But I like that. 
I like having a nickname like Vi. 
Vi is short for Violet, of course. 
And many names can be shortened to something else. 
My full name is Gabriel. 
People call me Gabe. 
Carolyn... Carolyn. Maybe I can shorten your name to Car. How about that? 
Uh, most people would shorten it to Carol or maybe Lynn. 
But uh, you can just call me Carolyn. 
Very nice. 
All right, I'll call you Carolyn. 
But it's true. 
Violet, maybe her nickname could be Vi. 
Please continue. 
Oh, yes. 
It's pretty late. I'd better head home. 
Hmm. But I really need your help. 
The algebra test is tomorrow at 1:00. 
Great, Vi. 
We have a word from our Word Bank, the word algebra. 
Now algebra is a type of math, or mathematics, that uses letters and symbols instead of numbers. 
Yes. 
And like most kinds of mathematics, I'm not very good at algebra. 
But I did remember having algebra homework in high school. 
It took me a long time to finish my algebra homework for my algebra class. 
Are you taking algebra now? 
What do you think about it? 
Or maybe you have to take it in the future. 
It's a good skill to know. 
That's right, it is. 
It can come in... in handy. 
It can be very useful. 
And I know my sister loves algebra. 
She loves math. 
But here uh... our friends Violet and Miranda, their algebra test is tomorrow at 1:00, so. 
Miranda continues: 
Here's an idea. 
Why don't we both skip school until lunch, so we can study more tomorrow? 
Eh, skip school! 
Where did you get the idea that it's OK to skip school? 
Where did you get that idea? 
That is a great question. 
Where did you get that idea? 
What made you think that something like this was OK? 
That's a good question to ask. 
Where did you get that idea? 
Maybe one of your friends has an idea that you think is really silly or crazy, and you could ask: 
Where did you get that idea? 
Now I heard someone wanted to go bungee jumping. 
That sounds crazy! 
Where did they get that idea? 
That's a... that's a good question, Carolyn. 
I do want to go bungee jumping. 
Yes, maybe you think it's a crazy idea. 
I don't know where I got that idea. 
Well, Miranda has another line here. 
What does she say? 
Oh, yes! 
Well, we'd be skipping for a good reason. 
We're going to study for a test, and it's not like we're doing poorly in the other classes. 
We can miss a class period or two. 
Hmm, I see how Miranda is thinking here. 
She's giving herself a good reason to skip classes in the morning. 
She says: It's not like we're doing poorly in the other classes. 
When you use the phrase "it's not like," that means you're explaining that it's not a certain way. 
So you are doing well in those classes. 
It's not like you're doing poorly in those classes. 
Right. 
So she's trying to justify missing class that, you know, really, it's OK. 
It's not going to hurt anything if we miss a couple of classes tomorrow. 
Well, we will continue this conversation shortly. 
But first, let's learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.21.B

Today we are enjoying a conversation between two classmates, two friends, Miranda and Violet. 
They are talking about skipping school. 
Their algebra test is tomorrow at 1:00, and they are not quite ready. 
They still need to study some more. 
And Miranda suggests that they both skip school until lunch. 
Violet is very surprised and wonders where she got that idea. 
Well, we will see how this conversation continues in the next part of our lesson. 
Skipping School. 
But if we do skip, we might miss a lot of really important information in the other classes. 
We can just get the notes from our study partner, Tessa. 
You know she takes really thorough notes. 
I know she does, but our absence would be noticeable. 
I don't want our teachers to get upset. 
They won't get upset. 
It's not like we skip school all the time. 
After all, sometimes there are good reasons to skip. 
What about when someone has a family emergency? 
I think teachers understand when someone has to miss class. 
(Music). 
Hmm, yes. 
Well, I can see Miranda's point here. 
What do you think about this? 
Let's go back to the beginning of this part of our conversation. 
Violet says: 
But if we do skip, we might miss a lot of really important information in the other classes. 
That is a great point, Violet. 
You used a key word, a word from our Word Bank: information. 
Now information is knowledge or facts about a certain topic. 
You go to school to learn lots of great information in many different subjects. 
It's true. 
Teachers inform you. 
That's the verb: I-N-F-O-R-M. 
They inform you on many things. 
Of course you can get information in other ways, too. 
Especially now in the information age where many people have smartphones and computers with them all the time, we have information all around us that we can access. 
Now there's a phrase in English we sometimes use to let someone know some kind of information. 
We might say "for your information," or you could just use the letters FYI. 
That means for your information. 
That's right. 
That is something that you might hear, so. 
If you are learning something, that means that you are getting information. 
And Violet doesn't want to miss any important information in their other classes. 
But Miranda has her response ready: 
Well, we can just get the notes from our study partner, Tessa. 
You know she takes really thorough notes. 
Excellent! Excellent! 
Let's look at our key word there. 
Miranda says that their friend takes thorough notes. 
Well, what does it mean to be thorough? 
That means to do everything... that means to do something in the best way, the complete way so that you don't miss anything. 
You do a thorough job. 
Whatever you're doing, it's important to do a thorough job. 
Don't miss any details. 
That's right. 
So you do all that is possible or necessary. 
If you are a journalist and you are asking lots of questions, 
you want to make sure that your questions are thorough so that you won't miss any important information. 
And you want to do some thorough research if you need to write a paper about something. 
You can do it thoroughly, T-H-O-R-O-U-G-H-L-Y. 
Do everything you do thoroughly. 
Well, that is great advice. 
Now Violet, you have the next line. 
Ah, yes. They're talking about Tessa. 
I know she does, but our absence would be noticeable. 
Great! I will stop you there, Vi. I'm sorry. 
But we have a key word: noticeable. 
If something is noticeable, then it is obvious. 
It can clearly be seen. 
It is not hidden or a secret. 
That's right. 
Now here we're talking about their absence being noticeable. 
If you're absent, that means you're not there, you're not present. 
And so sometimes it's noticeable when people are not there in the class. 
They're usually there. 
It's noticeable when they are not. 
But you could also talk about things that are noticeable. 
Maybe someone has a noticeable mark on their face. 
Usually you can see my birthmark right up here. 
It's noticeable most of the time when it doesn't have makeup on it. 
That is true as well, Gabe. 
Now you could also say that someone's behavior is noticeable. 
There is a noticeable change in student behavior when there is a holiday. 
Students get very excited. 
And there's usually a lot of talking or chatter going on in the classroom. 
All right. That's a noticeable change. 
OK, so there are many ways to use that word. 
Well, Violet continues here. She says: 
I don't want our teachers to get upset. 
Well, that's a good point. 
But Miranda says: 
They won't get upset. 
It's not like we skip school all the time. 
After all, sometimes there are good reasons to skip. 
Hmm, interesting. 
After all, sometimes there are good reasons to skip. 
If you're in a conversation, you could use that phrase "after all" to prove your point somehow. 
So Miranda thinks there are good reasons to skip? 
Like what? 
Well, she gives you an example. 
What about when someone has a family emergency? 
I think teachers understand when someone has to miss class. 
Interesting. 
OK. Teachers might understand when you have to miss class. 
But my question here is: Do these girls have to miss class just to study for a test in another class? 
Well, this is something for us to think about. 
But for now, it's time to join Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll enjoy a review skit and some time with Michelle. 
As humans, when we feel like someone is challenging or criticizing us, we tend to want to justify ourselves. 
Right. 
And what better way to do that than to compare ourselves to people we think aren't as good as we are? 
And this is what Miranda does in today's dialogue two times. 
And she does it using the phrase: it's not like. 
Miranda feels like Violet is challenging her, so she tries to justify herself by saying: It's not like we skip school all the time. 
Here, what she's really saying to Violet is: 
If we did skip school all the time - like the bad students do - then, and only then, would you have reason to challenge my idea. 
Now let's pretend a man is dieting, and his wife catches him eating a piece of chocolate cake. 
So she scolds him. 
The man, wanting to justify himself, might say: Well, it's not like I ate the whole cake. 
Similar phrases which are used for the same purpose include "at least" and "it's not as if". 
Right. 
At least, I'm not like them. 
And it's not as if I did what he did. 
(Chinese). 
Oh, no. It's just too much! 
Too much? 
What's too much? 
All the schoolwork! 
We have too much to do. 
Hmm, we have been working hard. 
Yeah! Homework, reading, reports! 
Yeah, you're right. 
It is too much. 
And tomorrow is the big algebra test! 
Oh! That's right! 
And there's no time to study! Oh... 
Hey, I have an idea. 
What's that? 
Let's skip school tomorrow morning. 
Skip school! 
What do you mean by that? 
We'll study tomorrow morning and take our test in the afternoon. 
Skip school and miss our morning classes? 
Why not? 
We'll just miss a period or two. 
Skip school! 
We might miss some important information. 
We'll get the notes from our study partner. 
She takes thorough notes. 
Skip school! 
Our absence would be noticeable, and our teacher will be upset. 
It's not like we do it all the time. 
Besides, we have a good reason. 
Skip school! 
There is no good reason to skip classes. 
Yes, there is! 
It's an emergency. 
An emergency? 
Yes, a study emergency. 
A study emergency. 
Well, I never thought of it like that before. 
Well, think about it now. 
Hello, 119? We have a study emergency. 
Wow! 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
Well, what do you think about this lesson so far? 
Of course, we've been enjoying a conversation between Miranda and Violet about whether it's OK to skip class ever at school. 
Well, what do you do if you have to miss a class somehow? 
Carolyn, have you ever had that problem? 
Well, there are times when you do have to miss class. 
And when that happened to me, I would always make sure I told my teacher why I wouldn't be there and ask what work I would be missing so that I wouldn't get behind in my class. 
Hmm, that's good. 
I should be taking notes here. 
That was... that was a very good point, Carolyn. 
That's what I'll do next time I have to miss a class. 
Make sure to communicate well with the others that it will affect. 
All right. 
Communication is important. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.10.22.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing this lesson called Skipping School. 
Is it ever OK to skip school? 
Well, in yesterday's lesson we joined Violet and Miranda in their conversation. 
And they were kind of uh... discussing, or maybe even arguing a little bit, about whether or not it's OK to miss morning classes to study for a test. 
What else did we learn yesterday, Carolyn? 
Well, it was an algebra test, and they were going to skip school until lunch time so they could study. 
And Violet wanted to know where her friend got that idea. 
It was so strange to her. 
She didn't want to miss any important information in her other classes. 
And she would worry... she worried that their absence would be noticeable. 
And of course Miranda thought that it would be OK to skip morning classes. 
Their study partner Tessa could help take notes because she takes thorough notes. 
Well, what do you think about this so far? 
Let's get started with today's part of our lesson about Skipping School. 
Skipping School. 
Well, we don't have a family emergency or anything urgent going on. 
And I don't think our teachers would appreciate us skipping to study for a test. 
Besides, the only reason I would ever feel OK about missing school is if I were sick. 
OK, OK. 
But for me, other things take priority over school attendance. 
Like what? 
Sometimes people want to stay home for a mental health day or because they're dealing with some emotional problem. 
Maybe they're being bullied and have to get out of the situation. 
Just because someone skips school doesn't mean they don't think their classes are worthwhile. 
(Music). 
Well, Miranda is making a good case here. 
And if you remember yesterday, she made the point that teachers understand when students have to miss class. 
So we begin our article today with Violet's response to her statement. 
Violet? 
Yes. 
Well, we don't have a family emergency or anything urgent going on. 
Great, great. 
There is nothing urgent going on. 
But it is urgent that we talk about the word "urgent." Urgent means that it is very important, it can't wait. 
It must be done now. 
So if there is an emergency, then there is something very urgent happening. 
All right. 
So how could you use this word? 
Maybe you get a phone call, and the person says it's urgent. 
I need to talk to you. 
What else in life can be urgent? 
Maybe you need to go to the hospital to have an urgent operation. 
It's urgent. 
It's an emergency, something that you need to do. 
Yes. So you can't wait. 
It is urgent. 
It must be done right now. 
Well, uh, we can let you continue, Vi. 
Of course. 
So nothing urgent is going on. 
And I don't think our teachers would appreciate us skipping to study for a test. 
Besides, the only reason I would ever feel OK about missing school is if I were sick. 
Well, those are some pretty good points there, Violet. 
Uh, I think that most teachers would agree that you shouldn't skip one class to study for a test in another class. 
That's not quite what you should be doing. 
Exactly. 
And Vi, or Violet, makes a very good point here. 
She says: I don't think our teachers would appreciate us doing this. 
I think it's good for us to think about how other people would feel about our decisions. 
It's good to put yourself in someone else's shoes, not just to care about your fellow students or classmates, 
but also to think about how your teachers might feel, the principal, how other people might feel about your decision. 
That's right. 
It is important to take others into consideration. 
And Miranda responds to this: 
OK, OK. 
But for me, other things can take priority over school attendance. 
Wait a minute, wait a minute. 
We have a lot to talk about there. 
Thank you, Miranda, for mentioning that phrase: to take priority over something. 
That means there are a list of things that are important in your life. 
Which one is most important? 
Well, that takes priority over the other things. 
That's right. 
So what takes priority in your life? 
Do you put your family first? 
Or does work take priority over your family? 
You should think about what you put the focus on in your life. 
It's important! 
It's true. 
I remember there was a time in my life when I put friends first. 
Friends always took priority over my family. 
But the older I got, I realized, you know, my family is very important, very valuable to me. 
They take priority over a lot of other things now. 
Well, what else do we find out about here in this sentence? 
We have a key word: attendance. 
And Carolyn, what is attendance? 
Well, attendance means that you attend something. 
You are there. 
You are present. 
So how is your school attendance? 
Are you there every day? 
Do you have perfect attendance? 
Or have you missed a few days of school so you have good attendance? 
Or maybe your attendance record is not very good at all because you don't go to school. 
Well, I think you should try to get better attendance. 
OK. Well, what does Violet say next? 
She says: Like what? 
Ah... so asking about what things could take priority over school attendance. 
Miranda says: 
Some people want to stay home for a mental health day or because they're dealing with some emotional problem. 
All right. 
She says sometimes people want to do this. 
Well, let's take a look at an emotional word here. 
The word is "emotional." If you're emotional, or the word emotional has to do with your emotions. 
So here's an emotional problem. 
You have something going on. 
It's affecting your emotions. 
That's right. 
So maybe you watch a very touching movie. 
It's so romantic. 
And it makes you feel very emotional. 
Maybe you're just so touched. 
Maybe you feel sad or angry or happy. 
There are many emotions you could feel. 
And sometimes people describe life as being an emotional roller coaster. 
Like a roller coaster goes up and down, our emotions also go up and down. 
Happy, sad. 
Glad, angry. OK. 
We have emotional roller coasters sometimes. 
I think it is Miranda's line, right? 
Uh, yes, she continues. 
Maybe they're being bullied and have to get out of the situation. 
Just because someone skips school doesn't mean they don't think their classes are worthwhile. 
Very good point there. 
And we have something we want to talk about from that sentence. 
It is the idea of double negatives. 
You read these words: Just because someone skips school doesn't mean they don't think their classes are worthwhile. 
How else can you use double negatives, Carolyn? 
Well, if you have a sentence with a double negative, that means that the sentence is actually positive. 
So this sentence actually means that someone who skips school still cares about their classes. 
They still think their classes are worthwhile. 
That's right. 
Well, how else could you use a double negative sentence? 
You could say: Well, just because I didn't invite you to my party doesn't mean I don't like you. 
Ah, so you still like that person even though they weren't invited. 
Well, right now it is time for Liz to share some information with us in the Grammar Gym. 
Then we'll join Steve and Ken in the Info Cloud to learn a little bit about what English really needs. 
Then we'll visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We see this sentence in today's article: 
Just because someone skips school doesn't mean they don't think their classes are worthwhile. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
And for today, we're looking at the pattern: just because... doesn't mean... 
It just means if you have situation A, you should not think that situation B must be true then. 
So today's sentence just means we should not assume that if a person skips school, it's simply because they don't think their classes are important. 
This is a great sentence pattern to use when you want to tell someone not to assume something. 
For example: 
Just because a person looks tired when you're talking to them doesn't mean he isn't interested in what you're saying. 
Or: Just because your friend forgets your birthday doesn't mean he doesn't care about your friendship. 
Now it's your turn. 
Think of a common assumption and practice using this pattern. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
With all its rich vocabulary and fun, quirky slang, there's still one thing that's sorely missing in the English language: a singular gender-neutral pronoun. 
OK. 
We're reminded of this deficiency again in today's lesson when the singular "someone" gets paired up with the two plural words - they and their. 
If we were to rewrite the sentence, keeping all the pronouns consistent, it would read: 
Just because someone skips school doesn't mean he or she doesn't think his or her classes are worthwhile. 
Now that solves the problem. 
But communicating like this is just really awkward. 
So for many years, the solution was to use "he" and "his" as the default gender-neutral pronoun. 
The thinking was inaccuracy in gender was less troublesome than inaccuracy in number. 
That's why you've heard it said: When someone helps you, tell "him" thanks. 
But today, this style is considered prejudiced. 
How can we be so sure the person who helps us in the future will be a male? 
Right. We can't. 
So until something better comes along, we'll continue to make "they, them and their" work double duty. 
That's why it's still OK to say when someone helps you, tell "them" thanks. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.22.B

In today's lesson we're continuing this conversation between Violet and Miranda. 
And of course, Violet doesn't think it's a good idea to skip morning classes to study for a test. 
But Miranda thinks, well, maybe there are some good reasons. 
Maybe something urgent will come up. 
And maybe they need to skip class for some reason. 
There are some good reasons to skip classes. 
But Violet doesn't think that they have any good reasons to skip. 
Well, let's continue to see how this conversation plays out. 
Skipping School. 
Maybe for some people those are good reasons, but I think it's good to be in class as much as possible. 
Besides, what if we have a pop quiz in one of the classes we skip? 
That wouldn't be good. 
Well, that's true. 
OK, if you really feel uncomfortable missing school, I guess I can stay awhile longer before going home. 
Thanks! 
We might not agree on whether or not to skip school, but we can always agree to help each other. 
(Music). 
Well, that is a pretty friendly conclusion to this argument, but we still have some great points that these girls make with each other, so. 
Let's see, uh, Violet, you begin this part of the conversation. 
Ah, yes. OK. 
So Miranda was just sharing with Violet some reasons why people might need to skip class or miss school. 
You might need to have a mental health day or take off for some emotional reasons. 
Violet says: 
Maybe for some people those are good reasons, but I think it's good to be in class as much as possible. 
Now there's a phrase there: as much as possible. 
Of course, Carolyn, you know the phrase "as soon as possible," right? 
What can you shorten that to? 
Well, if you have as soon as possible, that means that you want to do something right away. 
You don't want to wait. 
That's right. 
And you could say... or you could shorten it to ASAP. 
Here we read "... as much as possible." But you can't shorten that to AMAP. 
That's not a saying. 
We say ASAP if you want to do something as soon as possible. 
Now Violet continues here. 
Besides, what if we have a pop quiz in one of the classes we skip? 
Well, what's a pop quiz, Carolyn? 
Well, that is a great question. 
A pop quiz is a quiz that you did not know you were going to have. 
You arrive in class, and your teacher says: 
Today we are going to have a pop quiz. 
Put away your books and take out your pencils. 
It means that you didn't have extra time to study. 
This was not a planned test. 
And pop quizzes are usually very short and not too difficult. 
It's just to see how well you remember the information that you've been studying without the extra preparation time of preparing for an exam. 
And I didn't like pop quizzes too much. 
Well, Violet continues here. 
She says that wouldn't be good. 
It wouldn't be good to miss a pop quiz. 
"Well, that's true," says Miranda. 
And it is true. 
You don't want to miss a pop quiz because you can't make that up later. 
OK, if you really feel uncomfortable missing school, I guess I can stay awhile longer before going home. 
Wait a minute! Hold on a second. 
Let's take a look at that word "awhile." If you're staying awhile longer, that means you're going to stay for some time longer. 
Well, how could you use that word "awhile"? 
You might say I need to sleep awhile before dinner because I'm a little bit tired. 
Yes. So awhile, as one word, means just for a short time. 
But if you separate that into two words - a (space) W-H-I-L-E, and make it two words, a while - that means for a longer period of time. 
It took me a while to get to work today because there was so much traffic. 
That means it took a very long time. 
So it's important to look and see if it's one word or two. 
That's right. 
I can stay for a while (That's two words). 
Or I can stay awhile (That's one word). 
Awhile simply means for a while. 
OK, let's continue. 
What does Violet say next? 
Well, thanks. 
We might not agree on whether or not to skip school, but we can always agree to help each other. 
Well, that's good. 
They're study partners. 
It's good to help each other, right? 
That is very true. 
It is good for them to be helping each other. 
And Miranda seems to decide that even though she thinks it would be OK for them to skip classes in the morning to study then and get some extra sleep tonight, 
she is willing to stay and help her friend Violet study for this test. 
And actually I like her reasoning here as well because she knows it makes her friend uncomfortable. 
If you're a good friend to somebody, then you notice what makes them uncomfortable, what makes them feel not so good about making a decision. 
They might feel uncomfortable. 
You could say: You know, this idea just makes me feel uncomfortable. 
Oh. Well, then let's do something else, Gabe. 
I really don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. 
And since we've finished this conversation, we can spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Are you comfortable with that? 
Yeah, I'm very comfortable with that. 
Let... let's go enjoy some time with Michelle. 
(Chinese). 
Don't go away yet. 
Keep watching as our lesson continues. 
In our two-day article on Skipping School, we listen to a conversation about two girls debating whether or not it was OK to skip school. 
Now they were giving reasons why it might be OK to miss class. 
But is there a difference between missing a class and skipping a class? 
Gabe, what do you think? 
Actually, I think there is a slight difference between these two words. 
If you tell your friends, "I'm going to skip class," usually you don't have a really good reason for skipping class or for missing that class. 
If you tell your friends, "I need to miss class," or if you tell your teacher, "I need to miss class," usually there's a good reason that you have for missing class. 
That's right. 
So if you skip class, that's because you don't want to go - want! 
If you miss class, then you can't go. 
You need to do something else. 
Maybe you are sick and you need to sleep. 
But if you just want to sleep, that would be skipping. 
All right. 
Thanks for joining us today. 
We'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.10.23.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're talking about New Ways to Shop for Clothes. 
Well, of course many people go shopping. 
We all need to wear clothes, right? 
You have to go out and buy your clothes. 
Do you enjoy shopping for clothes? 
Carolyn, do you like shopping for clothes? 
Well, in the U.S., I love to go shopping for clothes. 
I love looking for great deals and... and finding clothes that are really nice and not expensive. 
But in Taiwan... Taipei, I don't really like clothes shopping. 
Wait a minute. 
Why don't you like clothes shopping? 
Is it just more expensive here? 
Well, it's more expensive, the styles are very different, and it's harder to find things in my size. 
OK. Well, there are different reasons why you might like shopping somewhere but not somewhere else. 
For me, do I like shopping for clothes? 
You know, I like buying new clothes, but I don't like the time that it takes. 
I don't like going through every shop and trying on all these different clothes. 
I think it could take a lot of time. 
Well, what about you? 
Maybe you like shopping for clothes. 
We're going to be learning about New Ways to Shop for Clothes. 
Let's get started. 
New Ways to Shop for Clothes. 
Some retailers are creating new in-store experiences. 
More and more shoppers are buying things online these days, allowing them to avoid aggressive salespeople and long lines at checkout counters. 
In spite of online convenience, however, there are some items - like clothes - that customers prefer to examine before buying. 
In light of this, two companies are finding ways to modernize stores and bridge the gap between online and in-store retail. 
A software company that also happens to sell designer jeans, Hointer has created a fast and painless shopping experience for its customers. 
The company is led by Dr. Nadia Shouraboura, a former tech executive at Amazon. 
OK. Well, let's go back to the beginning of our lesson. 
We read a sentence: 
Some retailers are creating new in-store experiences. 
And right away we have a word from our Word Bank: retailer. 
Retailer sells things. 
Now a retailer, whether it's a company or a person, they sell products in small quantities directly to customers. 
That's right. 
So if you want to go shopping, you might go to the mall. 
There are many retailers in the mall. 
Each store is a retailer. 
That's right. 
Now where do retailers get their products to sell? 
Often they get them from wholesalers. 
W-H-O-L-E-S-A-L-E-R. 
And wholesalers sell in large quantities. 
They might sell to many different retailer stores. 
OK, so we're learning about retail stores now and stores that sell clothing. 
Let's read our first sentence here. 
More and more shoppers are buying things online these days, allowing them to avoid aggressive salespeople and long lines at checkout counters. 
Well, Carolyn, do you like those things, uh, aggressive salespeople, long lines? 
I like avoiding them. 
I don't really like people telling me what things I should buy or hovering next to me or waiting in a long line to pay for my purchase. 
Yeah. I... I think that most of us would agree, these things are kind of unpleasant. 
Well, Steve and Ken are waiting in the Information Cloud for us right now. 
Let's go and see what they have to say. 
You know, one thing in life that I absolutely hate is waiting in line, or as the British would say, waiting in a queue. 
Me, too. 
Either a line or a queue, it's no fun to wait in one. 
And what's even worse than waiting in line? 
Seeing someone cut in line, or as the British would say, jump the queue. 
Line-cutting is considered rude and selfish. 
If you cut in line, you'll be regarded as having no manners. 
We also need to be aware of how people line up. 
Sometimes in a bank, post office, pharmacy or airport, there might be several service points for customers. 
But instead of forming a separate line in front of each of the service points, everyone just waits in one single line. 
And then when a service point opens up, the next person in line can leave the line and go to that service point. 
That's right. 
In places like airport immigration or check-in counters, there's often a sign that says: Please wait here for the next available agent. 
And that's where you should wait. 
When a service point opens up, the agent will either call you out or wait for you to go up to him or her. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, you know, you don't have to line up online. 
You don't have to wait. 
And we continue reading. 
In spite of online convenience, however, there are some items - like clothes - that customers prefer to examine before buying. 
Well, like me, I prefer to examine or try on my clothes before I buy them. 
Let's look at a phrase at the beginning of this sentence: in spite of online convenience. 
That means even with online convenience, I'm still going to do something else. 
I could say, uh, we're planning to go hiking, and there's a storm outside. 
OK. It's stormy weather. 
In spite of the storm, we're still going to go hiking. 
Yes. 
So it means that even though one thing is true, that doesn't mean that you won't do something else. 
You won't let that prevent you from doing something else. 
And here we're talking about the convenience of online shopping. 
It's great, it's easy. 
But even though you can buy clothes online, a lot of people still prefer to go to retail stores. 
OK. And we continue. 
In light of this, two companies are finding ways to modernize stores and bridge the gap between online and in-store retail. 
There's a lot to look at from that sentence. 
Let's take a look at our key word: modernize. 
If you modernize something, that means you're doing something in a way that is modern, that people can access that's easy for people living in today's world. 
That's right. 
So if you modernize your kitchen, you bring it up-to-date with the latest appliances, the latest technology. 
Maybe you get a new microwave, a new stove, one that is electric or gas, but very new and modern. 
I know modern washing machines often play music. 
You don't have to scrub your clothes by hands any... by hand anymore. 
You can use a modern washing machine. 
Well, maybe I should get myself a modern washing machine. 
I could modernize my apartment. 
Well, you can modernize different things in life. 
Well, we also see the phrase here: to bridge the gap. 
That means there's kind of a space. OK, and you need to bridge that. 
You need to create a bridge. 
That's what these retail stores are trying to do. 
That's right. 
And right now it is time for Liz to bridge a gap for us and look at this phrase: in light of this. 
Hi there, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In our article today, we see this statement: 
In light of this, two companies are finding ways to modernize stores... 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
And today we're looking at the phrase at the beginning of the sentence: in light of. 
It's an idiom that means considering or because of. 
So today's sentence just means because of this, two companies are finding ways to modernize stores. 
Here are some more example sentences. 
In light of the investigation, witnesses have been asked not to say anything to the media. 
Or: In light of the recent discoveries in the laboratory, scientists are positive they can find a cure for the rare disease. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your Studio Classroom magazine. 
That's all the time we have for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Now let's continue. 
A software company that also happens to sell designer jeans, Hointer has created a fast and painless shopping experience for its customers. 
This place, this company, happens to sell designer jeans. 
Well, let's take a look at that phrase. 
Now Hointer is a software company. 
They don't usually or they didn't sell jeans, but now they... they happen to sell designer jeans. 
That's right. 
So if something happens to do something else, then it's not really expected. 
You wouldn't think it to be very logical. 
So here you have a software company that happens to sell... jeans? 
It's a little bit strange. 
They don't seem to go together. 
It just happens to be true. 
That's right. And we're learning about Hointer here. 
Now they have a fast and painless shopping experience. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank: painless. 
Well, you can kind of guess what this means. 
It's without pain. 
Sometimes when people are shopping and there are rude salespeople or long lines, you might hear someone say: Oh! This is such a pain. 
Well, this is a painless experience at Hointer. 
That's right. 
And here it's not talking about physical pain, it's talking about effort. 
Is it difficult? 
So if something is not difficult, you can say it is painless. 
That's right. 
Well, we're continuing to learn here about the company's leader. 
The company is led by Dr. Nadia Souraboura, a former tech executive at Amazon. 
This is Amazon.com, where you can buy things online. 
Well, we have more to learn about Hointer after our break. 
But first, let's learn something with Michelle. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.23.B

Today we're talking about New Ways to Shop for Clothes and how technology will be changing your shopping experience in the future. 
Well, today we've been talking about retailers and how they're trying to change that in-store experience. 
Do you feel frustrated by aggressive salespeople or waiting in long lines? 
Hointer is a company that may have a solution for your shopping needs. 
We will continue learning more about this online software company that happens to sell designer jeans. 
New Ways to Shop for Clothes. 
Shoppers walk into a Hointer store and select one of the many pairs of jeans hanging down from bars. 
Then they point their smartphones at the tag and activate the Hointer app, 
after which they select the size and press "try on." The app then directs them to a specific dressing room. 
German-made robots retrieve the desired jeans and deliver them through a chute to the dressing room in about 30 seconds. 
Immediately after unwanted pairs of jeans are dropped through another chute, the "outbox," they disappear from the list in the app. 
(Music). 
Well, this is certainly a unique shopping experience. 
Let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
We're learning about Hointer and what you can do there. 
Shoppers walk into a Hointer store and select one of the many pairs of jeans hanging down from bars. 
What kind of bars? 
Well, of course if you walk into a clothing store, clothes will usually be hanging from hangers from bars. 
That's right. 
But this is very different from a normal store. 
Instead of having the clothes all together, you can't really see them; they're spread out very clearly each with their own space. 
Now when you walk in and you see these jeans hanging, then the next step. 
Then they point their smartphones at the tag and activate the Hointer app, after which they select the size and press "try on". 
All right. 
So you're not just taking your wallet shopping with you, you're also taking your smartphone. 
And you point your smartphone at the tag because there's a QR Code. 
Many things have QR Codes these days. 
And you can download the QR Code app or the QR Reader onto your smartphone. 
And you can point it at the tag to activate the Hointer app. 
Let's look at our key word there: activate. 
When you activate something, well, it means you make it become active so that you can start using it. 
That's right. 
So if you activate it, then you start it. 
It can begin. 
And here you want to activate the app so that the app will start working, and you can begin this process of trying on these jeans. 
I'm not sure how you're supposed to try on jeans with your phone, Gabe. 
Well, I think we're going to continue learning about this. 
But... but first, I want to say you can use the word "activate" in other ways. 
For instance, if you get a new debit card or credit card, often your bank will tell you you need to get in online, sign up online or call so that you can activate your card, so you can begin using it. 
But Carolyn, yes, let's continue learning about how all of this works. 
We continue here. 
The app then directs them to a specific dressing room. 
OK. So still, you don't have your clothes in your hand. 
You're just being told to go to a certain dressing room. 
That's right. 
And we find out what is waiting for you in the dressing room. 
German-made robots retrieve the desired jeans and deliver them through a chute to the dressing room in about 30 seconds. 
So maybe the time it takes you to walk from the jeans you were looking at, and you clicked your little phone so that it read the QR Code, pressed try on. 
By the time you get to the dressing room, your jeans are waiting for you. 
That's right. 
Now those Germans, they think of everything. 
There are these German-made robots that retrieve your desired clothes. 
They get these clothes, the clothes that you want, and they're waiting for you. 
They send them through a chute. 
This is an interesting word I don't use every day. 
But it's kind of a passageway of some kind, a chute. 
Actually, there's a game that I used to play when I was a kid called Chutes and Ladders. 
Did you ever play that game, Carolyn? 
I didn't really play it very often. 
But I find it interesting that they use a chute for these jeans because some houses in the U.S. have laundry chutes. 
You put your dirty clothes in the laundry chute. 
And they come out next to the washer and dryer instead of having to carry your laundry from one room to another. 
My grandfather's house had laundry chutes in different places in the house. 
It's very convenient. 
Well, we're talking about the chutes that send the clothes to your dressing room in about 30 seconds, very fast. 
And we read here: 
Immediately after unwanted pairs of jeans are dropped through another chute, "the outbox..." OK. 
The unwanted or the undesired clothes are tossed into the "outbox." They disappear from the list in the app. 
Well, that sounds very cool. 
So it sounds like all of the jeans in this store have a special chip in them as part of this system, 
so that your phone, when you activate the Hointer app, it knows which jeans you are trying on. 
And then when you decide that you don't want them, you don't actually tell anyone. 
You just put them in the outbox or another chute. 
And then they are no longer on your list on your phone. 
Well, it sounds like Hointer is really trying to bridge the gap. 
People love using their smartphones, and they love shopping online. 
Here you can take your smartphone and also go to the store to shop. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And then we'll be right back. 
(Chinese). 
And now, back to our lesson. 
Well, today we've talked a lot about Hointer, a software company that also happens to sell designer jeans. 
And we learned a lot about the process of what happens when you go to shop at Hointer. 
It sounds very convenient. 
Carolyn, does this sound interesting to you? 
Would you like to shop in this way? 
Well, I think that this is a very interesting way to shop. 
Now first, I would need to uh, get a smartphone. 
But, after I do that, I think that this would be a very interesting experience. 
And I would like to at least try it. 
It sounds like something that I would like to try as well. 
Yes, you do need to modernize your lifestyle and get a smartphone so that you can shop at Hointer. 
Well, thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we have more to learn about New Ways to Shop for Clothes next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.10.24.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing a lesson called New Ways to Shop for Clothes. 
Already we talked about one company, Hointer, where you can walk in with your smartphone and shop for clothes in a very unique way. 
We're going to continue learning about Hointer in our lesson today and even watch a little video. 
But for right now, do you ever go shopping? 
And uh, what kinds of things do you shop for when you go shopping? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I used to go clothes shopping a lot. 
Now I don't go too often. 
But usually I just go shopping for groceries for things that I want to use right away like food. 
OK, I... I'm there with you. 
I go grocery shopping. 
I need things like toothpaste and toilet paper and that kind of stuff, stuff that's not too expensive. 
Sometimes when I go shopping, I might buy a gift for somebody. 
But a lot of people like to buy clothes. 
And if that's you, well, we're going to continue learning about Hointer and another company here that will give you a very unique shopping experience. 
Let's get started. 
(Music). 
New Ways to Shop for Clothes. 
Purchases at Hointer are made with a swipe of a credit card. 
And interacting with a salesperson is optional! 
This allows Hointer to hire fewer people and focus on their ultimate goal: developing technology that supports a retail revolution. 
Men's clothing retailer Bonobos has come up with a more personalized shopping experience. 
Although it is - in fact - an online retailer, Bonobos has decided to open a handful of brick-and-mortar stores called Guideshops. 
Shoppers make an appointment online before arriving at a Guideshop, where they receive one-on-one attention from a fitting guide. 
(Music). 
We will continue learning about Bonobos soon. 
But first, let's go back and finish up about Hointer, this very interesting software company that happens to sell designer jeans. 
We read: Purchases at Hointer are made with a swipe of a credit card. 
So there's no cash; you don't use any money. 
But you do swipe your credit card. 
Let's look at that word right there from our Word Bank: a verb, swipe. 
What does it mean if you swipe something, Gabe? 
Well, that means you're taking it in a very fast motion. 
So if you swipe your credit card, that means you're just taking your credit card and putting it through the slot when you are making your purchase. 
This word can be a noun or a verb. 
We see it here as a noun: the swipe of a credit card. 
Or you can swipe something. 
You might swipe something off your desk really quickly that you need. 
That's right. 
So when you get on and off of a bus, you need to swipe your travel card, your "easy pass" in Taipei. 
That's right. 
Now here we're talking about purchases that are made. 
So you can make purchases at Hointer. 
Let's continue here. 
And interacting with a salesperson is optional! 
OK, it's easy, all you have to do is swipe your credit card. 
And you don't even need to interact with a salesperson if you don't want to. 
That's right. 
It is optional. 
And that is another word from our Word Bank. 
If something is optional, that means that it is not required. 
You can do it if you want to, but you don't need to. 
That's right. 
Sometimes it's encouraged to take a certain test. 
But some of those tests are optional. 
Maybe you are filling out a piece of paper with information about yourself. 
Some things are required, like your name and your social security number and your email address. 
And maybe it'll say telephone number is optional. 
You don't need to write that down if you don't want to. 
That's right. 
And many times when you're buying clothes, it might be an option to gift-wrap your purchase. 
Or it is optional. 
You don't have to, but you can if you want. 
Well, right now it is time for us to watch a great video to see just how buying clothes at this store works. 
OK. So we're walking in. 
And here's a store. 
Wow! Immediately I'm hit with a bunch of jeans. 
I can see what's going on here, the different finishes, the different brands. 
I can see different pockets. 
Wow, this is great. 
And uh, and I believe I have to download an app for this, so let me just actually take out my phone. 
And uh... 
OK, here it is! I already have it. 
Now go ahead and scan. 
All right. Let's do this. 
This looks good. 
Right here. 
There it is. It's scanned. 
And then I'm going to hit that I want this size. 
And I'm going to go ahead and try it on. 
And it's going to be in fitting room number 3. 
Let's go to fitting room number 3. 
Fitting room number 3. 
Look at that! 
Those are the very pants that I just scanned and in the size that I selected. 
That's amazing! 
OK. Now if you can give me a moment, I'll try these on. 
I would um... I would be ready to buy these. 
The most amazing moment was when you walk into the... 
It tells you which fitting room, and they're there. 
They're there! 
Well, actually I had a pretty fantastic experience. 
I was skeptical at first because I'm actually the kind of guy that enjoys uh, sort of meandering around a big, comfy store that's softly carpeted with piano music... 
Well, thank you, video. 
That was a very interesting and informative video we saw about Hointer. 
And we saw the guy as he took us through Hointer, took us through these steps that we learned about in yesterday's lesson. 
Well, before the video we were saying that interacting with a salesperson is optional. 
And let's continue here. 
This allows Hointer to hire fewer people and focus on their ultimate goal: developing technology that supports a retail revolution. 
Well, this is a very big idea and not something that is easy, but they are certainly trying. 
And they seem to be very popular among customers so far. 
Well, right now it is time for us to look a little bit closer at that sentence with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Yesterday we talked about how people line up in America. 
And one place that you'll often see lines of people is in the supermarket. 
Mmhm. 
Now there is a way to move faster than others in the supermarket checkout lines - use the express lane. 
Grocery stores often have a sign to identify this lane, and it reads: Ten items or less. 
But that's just wrong - at least from a grammatical standpoint. 
The sign should say: Ten items or fewer. 
Why is that, Steve? 
Because items are individual things. 
They're countable things. 
And when we deal with countable nouns like apples, frozen chicken, soda bottles and carrots, we should use the word "fewer," not less. 
And when we deal with uncountable mass nouns like water, heat, money, we should use "less." I have less money than you. 
But I have fewer bills in my billfold than you. 
So as you can see, friends, the words "fewer" and "less" are commonly confused in English even to native English speakers. 
But we hope you'll be less confused and make fewer mistakes after today's lesson. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, we found out what Hointer's ultimate goal is. 
They want to support a retail revolution. 
A revolution is a big change of some kind. 
People are used to walking into stores, dealing with salespeople. 
They want to change that maybe for the future. 
That is a pretty big thing. 
Well, let's continue learning about another company here. 
Men's clothing retailer Bonobos has come up with a more personalized shopping experience. 
Great. 
And we see a word there from our Word Bank, the word "personalize." Let's take a look. 
To personalize something means to make it special or unique to one person. 
It becomes very personal. 
You might personalize your clothing. 
Maybe you get a very nice suit, and you have your initials, the first letters of each of your names placed on that piece of clothing. 
That's right. 
It's very personalized. 
Someone gave a nice mug to my friend Steve, our friend from the Information Cloud. 
It's a personalized mug. 
It has his Chinese name on it. 
That's a very nice gift if you can get a personalized something for someone. 
Here we're talking about a personalized shopping experience that Bonobos has come up with. 
They came up with it. 
That means they thought about it. 
It was their idea. 
That's right. 
And we learn a little bit more about this store. 
Although it is - in fact - an online retailer, Bonobos has decided to open a handful of brick-and-mortar stores called Guideshops. 
Well, let's take a look at something from this sentence: a handful of something. 
A handful - that means several something. 
But Carolyn, can you hold this in your hand necessarily? 
Well, it does not mean that your hand is full of brick-and-mortar stores. 
No. 
No. But it does mean that there are a few, not many but some. 
That's right. 
Maybe you're thinking about going to university. 
There are a handful of universities that you can choose from. 
That means there are several to choose from. 
Now brick-and-mortar, that is a physical, actual store. 
It's another name for a store that you can walk into, not an online store. 
That's right. 
And they call their stores Guideshops. 
Shoppers make an appointment online before arriving at a Guideshop, where they receive one-on-one attention from a fitting guide. 
Gabe, have you ever made an appointment to go shopping? 
No, I haven't, Carolyn. 
This uh, would be very different for me. 
I would have to get used to this idea. 
But one-on-one attention is great. 
And right now we will be getting some one-on-one attention with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.24.B

So far in our lesson today, New Ways to Shop for Clothes, we learned a little bit more about Hointer, this software company that also sells designer jeans. 
And we also learned about Bonobos when we began learning about this store that gives you a more personalized shopping experience. 
Of course it's an online store, but they have some brick-and-mortar stores as well that have some Guideshops. 
They are called Guideshops. 
And of course we have more to learn about this in the next part of our lesson for today. 
(Music). 
New Ways to Shop for Clothes. 
Because these shops have limited inventories, shoppers aren't able to take home the outfits they select. 
But guides help shoppers make online purchases before they leave, after which the items will be delivered to customers in one or two days. 
Following the purchase, the Bonobos customer service database keeps a record of each shopper's size, making future online purchases easier. 
While Hointer focuses on convenience, Bonobos Guideshops focus on customer service. 
But both efforts have one thing in common: giving clothing retailers a new look for the 21st century. 
(Music). 
These do give shops a very new look for this new time period. 
But before we conclude, we want to go back to the beginning of this section and learn a little bit more about Bonobos and how this store is set up because it is not quite the same as Hointer. 
Now we read: 
Because these shops have limited inventories, shoppers aren't able to take home the outfits they select. 
So you have your one-on-one appointment with a guide at a Guideshop, but you can't actually take home your purchase with you that day. 
That's right, because they have limited inventories. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank. 
An inventory is what you or a company has right there with them. 
OK. So what do you own? 
What do you have with you? 
That is your inventory of things. 
That's right. 
So usually we talk about stores having an inventory. 
It means that it is in stock, it is available for sale right now. 
Now many shops will have things that are out on the shelves as well as things that are stored in a back room. 
Those things are all part of the store's inventory. 
But if something is sold out - there isn't any left in the inventory, they will have to order more. 
And sometimes your job might be to make an inventory. 
That means you're making a list of the things that the store has or doesn't have. 
You're making an inventory. 
So there's a limited inventory here. 
But guides help shoppers make online purchases before they leave, after which the items will be delivered to customers in one or two days. 
Well, that's pretty good. 
So there are salespeople there; they're called guides. 
And they help you make your online purchase. 
That's right. 
And you only have to wait one or two days. 
So while you can't take it home with you right away, you don't have to wait very long before it will be waiting for you at your house. 
And so, following the purchase, the Bonobos customer service database keeps a record of each shopper's size, making future online purchases easier. 
OK, so that's good. 
They keep a record of something. 
So following the purchase or after the purchase, they do this. 
That's right. 
And it's stored in a database, which is a word from our Word Bank. 
Now a database is just all of this information that is stored in one place. 
The Internet is filled with databases. 
Maybe you like to use an online database like a cloud. 
Oh, yes, a cloud that can store all of your information. 
Of course, Steve and Ken are always in the Information Cloud. 
They are a database in and among themselves. 
Well, what kinds of databases do you use? 
Here we're talking about the database at Bonobos. 
They keep a record of each shopper's size. 
That way, the next time you go, it will be easier to shop there. 
I like this part of shopping at Bonobos: the fact that they can remember what my size is, I don't have to spend that time looking for my size later. 
That's right. 
And that means that you don't need to go back to the store again. 
You only need to make an appointment once, then you know exactly which size you should order if you want to get something else online later. 
That's right. 
Well, let's do a little review of these two companies. 
We read here: 
While Hointer focuses on convenience, Bonobos Guideshops focus on customer service. 
But both efforts have one thing in common: giving clothing retailers a new look for the 21st century. 
And they sure are. 
And I like that phrase right there: they have one thing in common. 
So if they have something in common, that means that two things are very different or not quite the same, but they have at least one thing that they share. 
That's right, one thing in common. 
Well, you might talk about the things that you have in common with someone else. 
Uh, for example, Carolyn and I have many things in common. Right, Carolyn? 
Uh, I think we do. 
Let's see, we're both American. 
We're both American. That's right. 
And we both have spent time learning Chinese. 
Yes, yes. 
And we both live in Taipei. 
That's right. 
And of course, we both love eating hamburgers. 
Uh, no, we don't have that in common, Gabe. 
Oh... Oh, right. 
We do have some differences. 
Yes, we do. 
Well, now it is time for us to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are up to. 
In this two-day article, we have learned about two very interesting stores, Hointer and Bonobos, who are trying to revolutionize the way we shop for clothes. 
Now I wonder which one you prefer. 
Would you like to have a personalized experience with a fitting guide? 
Or would you rather have something that is fast and convenient? 
Gabe? 
I'd like to try both, but I'd like to try Bonobos first because then I can go to the Guideshop, and then never have to go again. 
They would have a database with my record. 
I can just do all my future shopping online. 
Well, that is a good point. 
Which one would you prefer? 
Talk about that in English. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And we'll see you next time on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.10.25.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're talking about Making Old Sports New. 
You are going to learn about some sports in our lesson over the next couple of days. 
And they're very unique sports. 
They look like traditional sports like basketball and volleyball and soccer, but they're kind of new. 
They're very different. 
People have changed the rules, or they've even added new rules. 
Now do you ever play games and maybe change the rules to make it more interesting? 
Carolyn, do you ever do that? 
Well, it can make games more interesting. 
And I think a lot of times people will change the rules to card games most often. 
But sometimes my siblings, my brother and sisters and I, we would change the rules to games like hide-and-seek, 
where we would add rules from the game tag where you had to hide from the person, 
and then run to the base where the person had been counting while they were gone. 
And if they see you, it's not just you have to get back to the base, you have to get there before they tag you. 
OK. Well, that's a good rule to make it very interesting and very challenging. 
I like that rule, that addition. 
Well, what do you do to games to make them more interesting? 
Talk about that with somebody in English. 
But of course, let's get started now. 
Open up your magazine - Making Old Sports New. 
Making Old Sports New. 
New ways to play your favorite games. 
Basketball, baseball and soccer are classic sports that people will always enjoy. 
And yet we keep changing popular games like these in new ways to keep them fresh. 
Underwater hockey. 
This game is played in swimming pools with two teams of six players. 
Each player has flippers, a snorkel and a stick used for hitting a puck. 
Each team earns points by hitting the puck into its underwater goal. 
Well, we're going to continue learning about underwater hockey. 
But first, let's go back to the top of this section here. 
We read: Making Old Sports New. 
OK, so you're making something new. 
There are new ways to do things in life, right? 
Make something new, do something in a new way. 
And here we read: New ways to play your favorite games. 
And that's what we're going to be talking about. 
That's right. 
And we start off with some very common popular games. 
Basketball, baseball and soccer are classic sports that people will always enjoy. 
And it's true, lots of people enjoy playing those sports. 
And they will be enjoyed for many years to come. 
But we continue. 
And yet we keep changing popular games like these in new ways to keep them fresh. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "popular." Yes. 
If something is popular, that means many people enjoy it. 
If someone is popular, that means many people like that person. 
That's right. 
So maybe you are a popular person at school or you know who the popular people are. 
But these sports are also very popular. 
And we're going to be talking about some sports that are combining a few different elements from other sports to make these old sports new. 
And they are becoming very popular new sports. 
That's right. 
And we are keeping these sports fresh. OK. 
These are some fresh things we're talking about. 
Let's look at that word "fresh." New ways to keep these sports fresh. 
Well, how else could you use that word? 
You could talk about fresh ideas. 
It's good to have fresh ideas. 
Maybe you want to invite someone new onto your team so that you have some fresh ideas. 
So fresh is not just an adjective we use to talk about food or air. 
But you could talk about other things, too. 
What else could be fresh, Carolyn? 
Well, anything that you want to be new or exciting or interesting, you can make it fresh, even your hairstyle. 
You could get a very fresh hairstyle. 
And it could be new to you and very unique. 
OK. And today, of course, we're talking about ways to make these old classic sports fresh. 
Well, the first one here is underwater hockey. 
We're very excited about this. 
As you can see, I'm dressed like a hockey player... kind of. 
I have my hockey stick and this hockey helmet, or it's a helmet, anyway, and then this jacket to look like a hockey player. 
Now Carolyn, what do you have with you? 
Well, you're ready for hockey, but I am ready for something underwater. 
I have... I have my nice yellow flippers. 
And I have these swimming goggles here on my little owl right here... Yes, yes. 
It's very important if you're going to be underwater to have your flippers... (Yep!) ... and your goggles. 
Yep, flippers, goggles, good for underwater. 
And underwater is a word straight from our Word Bank... underwater. 
Well, it's what it sounds like - you're under or in the water. 
So an underwater sport is played in the water, like a swimming pool. 
That's right. 
So instead of being on ice like you usually would be for hockey and you'd be skating across the ice, here you need to wear flippers and go underwater. 
Now we learn a little bit about how this game is played in our lesson here. 
This game is played in swimming pools with two teams of six players. 
So we don't have enough players today, Gabe. 
No. No, we don't. 
We only have two people. 
It would be one team of... or two teams of one player each. 
And um, so you're playing in a swimming pool. 
And each player has flippers (like Carolyn is wearing on her feet), a snorkel, 
(we don't have a snorkel here. But you use a snorkel to breathe near the surface of the water. 
It's kind of like a tube) and a stick (like I have here) used for hitting a puck. 
This is a hockey stick. 
But in underwater hockey, the stick is much smaller, maybe like the end or the head of this stick. 
That's right. 
And each team earns points by hitting the puck into its underwater goal. 
So remember, all of this is going on under the water. 
That's right, all underwater. 
It's very interesting. 
This sport, underwater hockey, is also called Octopush, kind of interesting. 
Octopus, of course, is an animal; it's underwater. 
But Octopush - you're pushing this puck from one end to the other into the goal. 
Well, this does sound like an interesting combination of a couple of sports. 
Right now it's time for us to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And then we'll continue talking about underwater hockey. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.25.B

We are on the first day of our lesson Making Old Sports New. 
And today we have talked about a very interesting new sport called underwater hockey. 
It is hockey played under the water. 
You have two teams with six players each, and they all have a hockey stick. 
But it is much shorter than this one, perhaps just this top part. 
And they are underwater. 
They have flippers on their feet. 
It is quite an interesting sport to watch. 
Well, we have more to learn about this and other sports in the next part of our lesson. 
Making Old Sports New. 
Other team members must be ready to take the puck when a team member goes up for air. 
That makes underwater hockey a true team sport. 
Chessboxing. 
A sport can also be revised by mixing it with another game. 
In chessboxing, two players compete on the chess board and in the ring. 
First, their minds are tested in a game of chess. 
Then they use their strength in a round of boxing. 
They repeat this for 11 rounds. 
The winner beats the loser in chess, knocks him out while boxing or gets more boxing points. 
Well, we're going to talk about chessboxing. 
But first, let's finish talking about underwater hockey. 
We're learning the rules of underwater hockey here. 
Other team members must be ready to take the puck when a team member goes up for air. 
All right, to go up for air. 
That means you're playing underwater, you only have so much air in your lungs, you need to go up for air sometimes. 
That's right. 
So you have to go back up to the surface so you can breathe. 
And that makes underwater hockey a true team sport because even the best player still has to go up for air at some point. 
OK. A team sport, of course, is a sport where you're not just playing yourself against somebody else. 
You're playing with a team. 
And this is a true team sport because you really do rely on your teammates to come and help you when you need to go up for air. 
Well, now it's time for us to see a special video about underwater hockey. 
Carolyn, let's stand next to each other so everybody can see us. 
We look like underwater hockey players together. 
Yes. 
Let's watch this video. 
What's so exciting under the surface? 
It's underwater hockey played by dozens of teams throughout the United States and in more than 20 other countries around the world. 
In underwater hockey, two teams of six face off on the floor of a pool, trying to put the puck in the trough-like goal. 
Players use short sticks to slide, zigzag and shoot the 3-pound puck around the pool. 
With fins and fancy stickwork, this non-contact sport is all about speed, finesse and the flip. 
The special underwater hockey puck is heavy and coated in plastic to protect the bottom of the pool and let it glide like an air hockey does. 
With some practice, players can maneuver it tactfully and launch it high up above. 
Most sports go back and forth. 
But underwater hockey is also played up and down in a three-dimensional playing area. 
When one player comes up to the surface for a breath, someone else has to be on the bottom. 
Teamwork is crucial as even the best players have to come up for air eventually. 
Meanwhile, player's constantly transitioning from offense to defense and back again, testing player's individual fitness and team's energy. 
Underwater hockey is fun and safe for players of all ages and skill levels. 
In the United States, co-ed teams play weekly pick-up games and also travel to regional and national tournaments to compete. 
Then, every two years, countries send their junior, masters and elite national teams to the world championships, 
which showcases the best underwater hockey on Earth. 
At local clubs, new players are always welcome to attend weekly practices. 
Most clubs even have equipment to borrow, including ear protectors, mouth guards and special gloves. 
Come check out an underwater hockey team near you. 
To find a club or get more information, visit our website at usauwh.com. 
We'd love to see you on the bottom. 
Hmm... so if I understand this correctly, in chessboxing, you're playing chess. 
Uh, one person is playing chess. 
And the... the other person is... is um, boxing? 
Uh, yes, I think that's right. 
Wait. Wait, Carolyn... 
Because it's chessboxing. 
So there's chess and there's boxing. 
Right. Well, Car, I think... I think we're wrong. 
I think that maybe both people are playing chess at the same time, and then they both start boxing each other in the ring. 
Oh. Well, that might make more sense. 
It would be very distracting if somebody hitting on you when you're trying to move your chess pieces. 
Right. Yes, I... I'd appreciate if you stop hitting me um, while I'm playing chess here. 
OK, friends. 
Oh, sorry, sorry. 
Let... let's take a look at this game a little more closely, OK. 
Chessboxing. 
As you can see, there's a chess set here with chess pieces. 
And Carolyn has boxing gloves. 
And I still have my helmet because this is a dangerous sport. 
So this idea was actually taken from a French artist named Enki Bilal in his comic book. 
He had a comic book. 
And a sport inside was chessboxing. 
Now it's a real sport that people play. 
Well, this is a very interesting sport that people can play, combining chess and boxing. 
But learning about this sport: 
A sport can also be revised by mixing it with another game. 
So before, we had underwater hockey, which is taking a game and putting it in a different environment, a different place, moving from ice to water. 
But now we are taking two games and putting them together to revise this game. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: revise. 
When you revise something, that means you change it to make it better in some way, or at least make it different. 
That's right. 
So you change it. 
And you can use this word not just talking about combining two sports or combining two things together, you may also need to revise your English paper. 
If you have written something for a class, you might need to go back and revise it, make some changes and make it better before you turn it in. 
That's right. 
You might make some revisions. 
There's the noun form of that word - a revision. 
R-E-V-I-S-I-O-N. 
I need to make some revisions on my English paper before I hand it in to my teacher. 
So here we're talking about a sport that is revised, or two sports revised to make a completely different game. 
That's right. 
And in chessboxing, two players compete on the chess board and in the ring. 
OK, on the chess board and in the ring. 
So there are two places. 
Of course if you are a boxer and you like boxing, like Carolyn looks like she likes boxing, you would box in the ring. 
That is actually not round. 
It's a square area where people box each other, OK. 
They're fighting against each other. 
Now the chess board is where you play chess. 
And you compete on the chess board during chess. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: to compete. 
You compete against somebody else. 
And that means that you are going against them in something. 
It's a sport or an activity. 
That's right. 
So you might have heard of a competition. 
That is when you are competing against someone else, usually for a prize. 
You want to achieve something or gain something. 
Maybe you go and compete in an English speech competition. 
That is one way you can compete. 
OK, so in chessboxing, there are two players. 
First, their minds are tested in a game of chess. 
That's why I'm wearing a helmet - to protect my mind. OK. 
Their minds are tested in a game of chess. 
Then they use their strength in a round of boxing. 
They repeat this for 11 rounds. 
OK. What that means is that there are six rounds of chess and five rounds of boxing, 11 rounds in total. 
That's right. 
And the winner beats the loser in chess, knocks him out while boxing or gets more boxing points. 
OK. Well, let's take a look at that phrase there: to knock someone out. 
OK. This starts with K, knock, and out, O. 
Maybe you're playing video games. 
In some video games you might see the letters KO. That is a knockout. 
And if you're boxing, you might knock someone out. OK. 
And uh, what does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that the other person is down. 
They are done and cannot continue. 
But right now we can continue learning with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud, then with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
This month's SPORTS feature gives us a good excuse to discuss how to cheer on a sports team. 
Knowing how to cheer a team on to victory in English isn't as easy as it might be in certain other languages. 
The reason is the cheer depends on who it is exactly you want to cheer for. 
That's right. 
You could cheer the whole team on or just the team's offense or just the defense. 
Or you can cheer on an individual player. 
Or if you and your friends feel like it, you can cheer against the other team. 
But again, each cheer will be different, depending on who you're cheering for. 
Also, the cheer you use will depend on which sport is being played. 
If we use basketball as an example, a good cheer to use at the game would be... 
Defense! 
Defense! 
But that's not something you'd hear at a baseball game. 
OK. Here's a good all-purpose cheer you can use in any sport, including underwater hockey and chessboxing. 
Insert the team's name or player's name between the phrases "Let's go." The cheer would sound something like this: 
Let's go, Ken! Let's go! 
Let's go, Ken! Let's go! 
OK, got it. 
(Chinese). 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are up to. 
Hey, Gabe. 
Yes? 
Which of these sports would you like to play? 
Carolyn, I... I like the idea of chessboxing, but I still don't think that you understand it. 
And if you keep on hitting me, uh... 
Well, friends, thank you for joining us here today. 
And of course, we have more to learn about Making Old Sports New right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you! 
Checkmate! 
What?! Gabe... 
Ha... Yes, I win. 
I win! Let's go do underwater... 
(Music).

2013.10.26.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to talk about Making Old Sports New. 
And already we talked about underwater hockey in yesterday's lesson, and chessboxing. 
That's combining, or putting together, chess and boxing. 
Today we have a couple of more sports to talk about. 
But first, I have a question for you. 
What sports do you think should go together? 
What two or more sports should go together to form a new sport? 
Do you have any ideas, Carolyn? 
Well, I don't know that it's really new since it's traditional in a lot of cultures... 
Yeah? 
But, like in the Olympics, you have horseback riding and you also have archery. 
I think they should do archery from the back of a horse. 
Whoa! I like that idea, kind of like earlier this month I was talking about falconry from the back of a horse. 
Horseback archery sounds cool, too. 
Well, what about this? 
We talked about underwater hockey. 
What about underwater ping pong? 
Does that sound like a good idea? 
Well, it would be really hard to hit the ball with a paddle over the net. 
And it's only two people, hmm. 
Well... 
I'm not... we'll have to revise the rules. 
OK. Well, I guess I could think about this a little bit more. 
But for now, let's get started with our lesson for today. 
We're going to be learning about bossaball and cycleball. 
Here we go. 
Making Old Sports New. 
Bossaball. 
This exciting sport is part volleyball and part soccer. 
But unlike both of those sports, players jump up and down throughout the game. 
That's because it's played on an inflatable volleyball court with a trampoline on either side of the net. 
One player bounces on the trampoline while up to four others stand around it. 
A team can touch the ball six times before sending it back across the net. 
Each player may touch the ball once with arms or twice with other body parts. 
Well, this is a very exciting sport and very demanding. 
It is not easy. 
This is bossaball. 
And this exciting sport is part volleyball and part soccer. 
So they have revised this sport... these two sports and put them together. 
Bossaball. 
Actually, the word "bossa," it's a Portuguese word. 
It means a flare of attitude. 
So maybe you've heard the kind of music - bossa nova. 
That's a kind of music, Latin music. 
And it certainly has a flare of attitude. 
When you're listening to it, you can feel it. 
So bossaball. 
Here let's get started. 
This exciting sport is part volleyball and part soccer. 
Interesting. 
It is! 
And we see that phrase: part something and part something else. 
So clearly, two things that were separate have been taken and put together to make something new, which makes me think of some new fruits. 
It's part apple and part grape. 
It's a grapple. 
A grapple! Interesting. 
Mmhm. You can buy them. 
I'd like to try a grapple. 
Carolyn, have you ever seen a liger? 
A liger. I think that that would be part lion and part tiger. 
Exactly! Part lion, part tiger, that is a liger. 
Have you ever had "k-ea"? 
I have not. 
It's... it's part coffee and part tea. 
Anyway, it's not a real drink. 
But you can mix them together and... and see what it tastes like. 
Now if you're talking about a person who is part something, maybe... maybe they're part German, part Chinese and part English. 
There's three or more different races put together in a person. 
But of course, here we're talking about a sport that is part volleyball and part soccer. 
That's right. 
It is part soccer. 
And here I have a red-colored soccer ball and part volleyball, Gabe. 
That's right. 
Now we continue here. 
But unlike both of those sports, players jump up and down throughout the game. 
Interesting. 
That's fantastic. 
And it is unlike both of those sports. 
That's a word from our Word Bank. 
If something is unlike something else, then it's very different. 
That's right. It's different. 
Unlike the dessert that you made yesterday, I had dessert that was very salty today. 
You made some very sweet dessert. 
But I had something today that was unlike what I ate yesterday. 
So it was very different, not the same. 
And that's true because here we're talking about this bossaball game where you have volleyball and soccer ball, or soccer. 
But unlike both of those sports, the players are jumping throughout the game. 
And that's because it's played on an inflatable volleyball court with a trampoline on either side of the net. 
OK, so there's an inflatable volleyball court. 
Most volleyball courts, of course, you're playing on the ground or... or in the grass or on the beach. 
But there's an inflatable one here. 
If you inflate something, that means you're pumping air into it. 
Just like you pump air into a volleyball, you can inflate this volleyball court. 
That's right. 
And so you can actually jump on the court. 
It's filled with air. 
And you can jump into the air on this court. 
There's also a trampoline on either side of the net. 
And a trampoline is something that is very fun to bounce on. 
You can bounce very high on it as you could see in that picture that was just behind me. 
That's right. 
And of course one player bounces on the trampoline while up to four players stand around it. 
So let's take a look at one of our key words here, the word "bounce." I just bounced this volleyball. 
Now you can bounce different things. 
It goes up and down. 
You could bounce maybe on a trampoline, or you could bounce a ball like I just did. 
Whoa. 
Bouncing a ball. 
That's right. 
So the players are bouncing up and down on this inflatable court and on the trampoline. 
And they get a lot of air. 
They can go very high up into the air to hit the ball over the net. 
Now we see another phrase there: They can have up to four players not on the trampoline. 
Now "up to" just means that they can have no more than that number. 
They can have less than it. 
They can have equal to, but no more than four. 
So you could use that phrase "up to" in another way. 
Maybe you're playing a game, a board game. 
And really, you can't have more than six people. 
So you could say up to six people can play this game. 
Or maybe you're taking a class, or you want to take a class. 
But only up to 35 people can take that class. 
The classroom is not big enough for more. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing learning about this fun game. 
A team can touch the ball six times before sending it back across the net. 
So each player may touch the ball once with arms or twice with other body parts. 
That's right. 
Now this is a little bit different from regular or classic volleyball. 
You can only... the team can only touch the ball three times. 
Here in bossaball you can touch the ball six times. 
And as far as serving, you can serve any way you want. 
So just get creative. 
Something else about bossaball is that there is a referee. 
He's called a samba referee. 
And he's also a DJ, providing music - maybe bossa nova music or other kinds of music like that - while you are playing. 
Well, it sounds very, very fun. 
And right now it is time for us to have some fun by going to the Information Cloud to see Steve and Ken. 
And then we'll go to the Language Lab with Michelle. 
(Music). 
This lesson about sports gives us good reason to review the difference between the words win and beat. 
Now some people, even native English speakers, use these two words as if they were synonymous. 
But they're not. 
So let's try to clear up the confusion. 
OK. Use "win" when you want to focus on the competition. 
For example, you win a game or you win a race. 
Using "beat," on the other hand, puts the focus on the person or the team that loses. 
You beat your opponent. 
Your opponent beat you. 
Or your team beat the other team. 
Now when using "win," you don't need an object because it's understood or unstated. 
That's why you can say we will win, but you can not say we will win you. 
Right. 
However, when using "beat," you do need that object. 
For example, we will beat you. 
Unless you're trying to gain a person's affection or support. 
Used in this way, a boy might try to win a girl's affection by sending her flowers. 
That is the only time "win" is followed by an object. 
But again, to summarize, you win a competition, but you beat a person. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.26.B

So far in our lesson today about Making Old Sports New, we talked about a special sport called bossaball, where you combine soccer and volleyball. 
But unlike both of those sports, players are jumping up and down throughout the game. 
And that's because there's an inflatable volleyball court and a trampoline involved. 
So somebody is jumping up and down on the trampoline, and up to four players are around on the volleyball court. 
This is a very exciting sport. 
If you don't really understand what it's like, you can go to YouTube and watch a video of bossaball for yourself. 
Right now it's time for us to continue our lesson, learning about another interesting sport - cycleball. 
(Music). 
Making Old Sports New. 
Cycleball. 
Another fun game to watch, cycleball is like indoor soccer on wheels. 
Each player rides a special bike designed for the game. 
Like soccer, a team must put the ball in a goal. 
However, there is a catch. 
The ball can only be touched with the bike's wheels or the players' heads. 
This game requires a lot of practice to learn the skills needed. 
Though these sports may not be common, give them a look or even a try. 
Uh, Gabe? Gabe, where did you go? 
Carolyn, I am here. 
Oh. Um, are you wanting to play cycleball? 
Yes, Carolyn! How did you know? 
Well, I hate to tell you, Gabe, but I don't think you can use that for cycleball. 
What? I can't use my awesome bicycle for cycleball? 
Well, cycleball bicycles are very special. 
They don't have any brakes. 
Oh... Really? 
Yes. And they only have one gear. 
Oh. Well, I guess I'll have to buy a smaller bicycle for cycleball. 
Well, I am here to ask you, Carolyn. 
Do you believe... do you believe in cycleball? 
I... do believe. Cycleball is a sport, and we're going to learn about it today. 
OK. Well, let's start talking about it. 
Here we read: 
Another fun game to watch, cycleball is like indoor soccer on wheels. 
Yes. The soccer ball is a little bit smaller. 
And of course the bicycle is a little smaller. 
Yes. So this ball and that bike are not really suitable for cycleball, but it is OK. 
We're going to continue learning about this fun sport. 
It is indoor soccer on wheels. 
Now we have a word from our Word Bank right there, the word "indoor." Let's look at that. 
Now if something is indoor, it is inside. 
That's right. 
You play it inside like indoor soccer. 
Have you ever played indoor soccer? 
It's quite a fun sport to play. 
Now if you do something indoor, you describe it as being indoor. 
The opposite is outdoor, of course. 
You could play something outdoors. 
That is an outdoor sport. 
That's right. 
And you may have heard Gabe just add an S to that word, outdoor and outdoors. 
There is a little bit of a difference between the two words, just like indoor and indoors. 
That's right. 
OK. Well, let's continue learning about cycleball. 
Each player rides a special bike designed for the game. 
Not like my big bike here - this is not designed for cycleball. 
No. But it is a nice bike, Gabe. 
It just is not right for this game because cycleball bikes do not have any brakes, and they're smaller. 
And well, this ball does not really work for the game, either. 
It's true. 
Now we see here: Like soccer, a team must put the ball in a goal. 
Yeah. That's what you do in soccer. 
We read here: However, there is a catch. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
Carolyn, what is a catch? 
Well, a catch is a difficulty or problem that you didn't expect. 
Everything is going very well. 
And suddenly, there is a catch. 
Some problem has come up. 
Maybe you hear a great deal; something is just too good to be true. 
You might ask the person: What's the catch? 
I think that's a good thing to ask if something does seem like it's really good, maybe too good to be true, maybe it's even free. 
Well, very few things in life are free. 
"What's the catch?" you might ask. 
That happened to me once. 
I was online, and there was an advertisement for a free iPhone. 
And so I continued, and... and it said I had to sign up for many things and I had to subscribe to a lot of things. 
So of course, there was a catch. 
There's no such thing as a free iPhone. 
Of course not, Gabe. 
Well, there was a catch. 
And here there is a catch in this game. 
The ball can only be touched with the bike's wheels or the players' heads. 
That is very different from soccer because you can use your feet in soccer. 
But here the wheels on the bike are like your feet. 
That's right. 
So this game requires a lot of practice to learn the skills needed. 
Of course if you are a soccer player, you already have great skills using your feet to kick the soccer ball. 
But this game here, cycleball, requires a lot of other skills so that you can play this game. 
That's right. 
And though these sports may not be common, give them a look or even a try. 
All right. Give it a look or even a try. 
Hey, Carolyn, I'd like to give it a try. 
Oh? 
How about you throw that ball at my wheel here? 
Well, why... why don't we first see what Liz has waiting for us in the Grammar Gym. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. That's a good idea, but still, throw the ball at the wheel here. 
OK. 
Let's try it. 
OK? Ready? 
Yeah... 
Go. 
That's pretty good. 
Yeah! I could play cycleball! 
I could play cycleball! Oh, yeah! 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We find this statement in today's article: 
Though these sports may not be common, give them a look or even a try. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: to give something a look. 
It's an expression that means to look at something with attention. 
Usually we use it to talk about dealing with something new and trying to learn something about it. 
For example, Jerry saw a strange statue not far from him and he decided to walk over and give it a look. 
Or: The manager handed the report to a secretary and asked her to give it a look. 
Now it's your turn to practice. 
Think of something that is new, something that a person can give some attention to and learn something about and practice using this phrase. 
And if you turn to today's Grammar Tip section, you'll find more example sentences there. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. Bye-bye. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's return to our lesson. 
Well, I've really enjoyed learning about these different sports - Making Old Sports New. 
So we've talked about underwater hockey and chessboxing. 
And of course we've talked about bossaball and cycleball. 
Now would you like to play one of these sports, or do you just like playing the old classic sports like basketball and volleyball and soccer? 
What do you think, Carolyn? 
Well, I think that these sports are pretty interesting, and I'd like to give them a try. 
Maybe chessboxing could be my sport. 
Yeah. Well, we tried that, and we found out that you don't really understand how to play because you keep hitting the person playing chess. 
Well, you're not playing chess now. 
No. I'm cycling. 
Oh, you want to create a new one - cycleboxing. 
Is that... 
That sounds really fun! 
OK. Well... 
Let's try it. 
Before we start playing this, friends, thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you! 
(Music).

2013.10.28.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're going to be talking about something I think is very unique - The Whistlers of Mexico. 
We're going to find out, in our lesson today, about this language that is composed of whistles. 
People whistle, and that is their language. 
That's how they communicate with each other. 
Well, I wonder what kind of languages you have heard or maybe heard about that you find very interesting or unique. 
Carolyn? 
Well, there are many, many languages in the world, but really, I think Taiwanese is a very interesting language. 
I hear it a lot here in Taipei, but I don't really know that much about it. 
I know it has a lot more tones than Chinese, which is what I've been studying. 
And it just... it's very nasally and tonal and very unique. 
That's right. And there are a lot of idioms in Taiwanese that you need to understand in order to really get ahold of the language. 
Another language I think is interesting is some of the South African languages that actually have kind of a click sound that you really have to get used to using. 
Well, we're going to be learning about another language here in The Whistlers of Mexico. 
Let's get started. 
The Whistlers of Mexico. 
For the Chinantec people, whistling is a language. 
If you find yourself in Mexico's Sierra Madre del Sul mountains, listen for a whistle floating across the rugged peaks. 
Then listen for an answer - you may overhear a conversation in a rare and unusual language. 
For centuries, the Chinantec people have lived in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico. 
They established villages and planted crops on the steep slopes. 
But the rough landscape made travel - and communication - difficult. 
Well, let's get right into our article here on The Whistlers of Mexico. 
For the Chinantec people, whistling is a language. 
Did you know that whistling could be a language, Gabe? 
Did I know that? 
No, I didn't - not before reading this article. 
But it is for the Chinantec people. 
And we're going to find that actually they can whistle almost anything in this whistled language. 
Let's get started here. 
If you find yourself in Mexico's Sierra Madre del Sul mountains, listen for a whistle floating across the rugged peaks. 
Oh, that is such a beautiful sentence, Gabe. 
It is very eloquent. 
It just... it flows. 
You can hear... listen for a whistle floating across the rugged peaks. 
You can imagine that you're there. 
That's right. 
Now usually when I see this word "floating," I think of something um... like on the water, like a boat that floats on the water. 
Or maybe a feather floating in the wind. 
But here we're talking about a sound, a sound that floats over the mountains. 
Mmhm. That is right. 
And you know, there is a nice little phrase at the beginning of this sentence: if you find yourself in a place. 
And right now we are about to find ourselves in the Grammar Gym with Liz. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In our article today we read this statement: 
If you find yourself in Mexico's Sierra Madre del Sol mountains... 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Notice the phrase "find yourself." It doesn't mean you got lost and then you're found, no. 
Instead, "to find yourself" just means you are. 
So in today's sentence, the writer is just commenting: If you're ever in Mexico's Sierra Madre del Sul mountains... 
Usually we use this phrase "finding oneself" or "to find oneself" when we're commenting on how someone is in a particular situation. 
For example: If you find yourself wondering what the tour guide is saying, please don't hesitate to ask for clarification. 
Or: After studying chemistry for two years, Dennis found himself feeling bored in his classes. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, just before the Grammar Gym, we were talking about this sound floating through the mountains and over the peaks. 
OK, we read here: 
Then listen for an answer - you may overhear a conversation in a rare and unusual language. 
All right. 
Let's take a look at a word here from our Word Bank: to overhear something. What does that mean? 
Well, if you overhear something, that means that you are listening to something that's being said, probably a conversation, but you are not part of the conversation. 
You're listening to other people talking about something. 
And actually, my desk here at Studio Classroom is really close to my boss's office. 
Sometimes I overhear conversations. 
I don't mean to, but sometimes I hear something that, well, I think is kind of interesting. 
So do you ever overhear conversations? 
You could say: I overheard an interesting conversation yesterday. 
That's right. 
So you are not part of it, but you can still hear what is being said. 
Now continuing on. 
For centuries, the Chinantec people have lived in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico. 
So there's a very interesting pronunciation of this word. 
You see it's spelled O-A-X-A-C-A, but it's pronounced wa-ha-ka. 
That's right. 
Oaxaca. Say that. 
Oaxaca. Nice. 
But then the next word, Mexico, it also has an X. 
Carolyn, why is that pronounced [mek-si-ko], but then the city, or the place is called wa-ha-ka? 
Well, actually in Spanish, Mexico is not pronounced with the hard X sound. 
It's me-hi-ko, with a more of an H sound, so. 
The country here, we say Mexico in English, but we still use the Spanish word for the city. 
That's right. 
Well, actually it's more proper to say me-hi-ko. 
All right. 
So that is better - Oaxaca, Mexico. 
And we're talking about this place. 
The Chinantec people live there. 
They established villages and planted crops on the steep slopes. 
Let's talk about that word: to establish something. 
If you establish something, that means you put it there, you make it secure. 
You establish it. 
That's right. 
And it means that you are starting it. 
There wasn't something there before. 
So many times we think of establishing a company. 
But here we are talking about establishing a place to live. 
That's right. 
Actually, I like that you said we establish a company sometimes. 
Maybe you've seen shirts about a company, and it'll say EST, period, and then since a year - established since 1999. 
"EST." is short for established. 
OK. So you can establish a company. 
You can establish your reputation for people. 
You can establish a relationship of some kind. 
That's right. 
So they established the villages in this mountainous area. 
But the rough landscape made travel - and communication - difficult. 
They had to find a solution for it. 
But before we learn what that solution is, we need to visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.28.B

What is the most interesting language that you have ever heard? 
In our lesson The Whistlers of Mexico today, we're learning about a certain group of people who whistle... to communicate with one another. 
And of course we learned a little bit about how the Chinantec people... the Chinantec people of Oaxaca, Mexico. 
They established villages and planted crops on steep slopes. 
But of course, they live in the mountains. 
And sometimes, in order to communicate, it's easier to whistle. 
Well, let's continue learning about this now. 
(Music). 
The Whistlers of Mexico. 
Shouting over the mountains can strain one's voice, but whistling does not. 
So some Chinantecs developed a language composed entirely of whistles. 
It can express almost every word in their spoken language. 
Some scholars think this form of communication dates back to the time of the first languages. 
Chinantecs use different styles of whistling at different distances. 
The shortest is used face to face. 
A medium-range style can be heard up to 200 meters away. 
And for long-distance communication, they place their fingers in their mouths and let out a piercing whistle. 
In some circumstances, it can be heard over a kilometer away. 
Let's learn some more about this whistling and why they chose it over just talking. 
We read: 
Shouting over the mountains can strain one's voice, but whistling does not. 
Do you ever feel like when you need to speak very loudly or for a long time, your throat gets tired, you just don't want to talk anymore? 
Oh, totally, Carolyn. 
I feel that way sometimes after I'm cheering for a basketball team or something or if I've spoken a lot. 
I can strain my voice if I'm not careful. 
And that's a good point for those of you who want to be actors or singers. 
There's a proper way to train your voice so that you don't strain it. 
So you can see this word "strain" is a noun or a verb. 
That's right. 
So you don't want to strain your voice or put strain on your voice. 
But if you whistle, then you don't have to worry because whistling does not strain your voice. 
And the Chinantecs realize this. 
So some Chinantecs developed a language composed entirely of whistles. 
Well, this sounds like an interesting language. 
Let's take a look at this phrase from our Word Bank: something is composed of something else. 
That means you have the whole, and it has many parts. It is composed of these different parts. 
For example, America is composed of many different ethnic groups, many different kinds of people. 
Or you could say this dish is composed of rice, meat and sauce. 
That's right. 
And here they have this language that is composed of whistles. 
Very, very unique. 
Now we continue reading. 
It can express almost every word in their spoken language. 
Now that is very impressive. 
They have a system of whistles that they can use to express almost every word in their spoken language. 
That's right. 
And so some scholars think this form of communication dates back to the time of the first languages, the first languages ever on Earth. 
Maybe it dates back all the way to that time. 
Well, let's take a look at a phrase in that sentence: if something dates back to another time. 
How can you use that phrase? 
Well, if it dates back to something, that means that it goes back to an earlier time period. 
You might say that this clay pot dates back 2,000 years. 
That means that the pot is 2,000 years old. 
Two thousand years old. 
You know, the Christian religion dates back about 2,000 years. 
Now we just said it dates back. 
But you can also say "dates back to" in another way like this: 
The Internet dates back to the 1960s, but the World Wide Web dates back to about 1990. 
OK. So something could date back so many years or it dates back to a certain time period. 
That's right. 
So there are two different ways you can use this phrase, date back or date back to. 
Well, right now it is time for us to learn with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Oh, I'm so close! 
Uh, so close to what, Ken? 
Well, I'm trying to make an anagram using the words chinantecan whistlers. 
And what have you got so far? 
When a rich cat listens... but that doesn't make sense. 
Plus, I have an extra N I don't know what to do with. 
Hmm, keep trying. 
Friends, an anagram is a type of word play. 
You make one by rearranging the letters in a word or phrase to produce an altogether new word or phrase. 
Now the tricky part is each letter from the original word or phrase may only be used once. 
And it needs to make sense. 
Anagrams have been around for centuries. 
They've been used by scientists and diplomats to create secret messages. 
They've been used by psychiatrists to test patients' memories. 
But mostly, anagrams have been used for fun. 
The best anagrams have, in some way, a connection with the original word. 
For example, dormitory can be turned into dirty room. 
See the connection? 
Good one! 
How about the anagrams "two plus eleven" and "one plus twelve"? 
Not only do both use the same letters, they give the same mathematical result - 13! 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Moving on: 
Chinantecs use different styles of whistling at different distances. 
And we see here the shortest is used face to face. 
And a medium-range style can be heard up to 200 meters away. 
So a pretty good distance. 
And for long-distance communication, they place their fingers in their mouths and let out a piercing whistle. 
All right. 
If something is piercing, it is high-pitched, difficult to listen to. 
In some circumstances, it can be heard over a kilometer away. 
Special circumstances, indeed. 
Let's take a look at this word: circumstance. 
Now a circumstance is a special situation that you are in. 
That's right. 
So due to the weather circumstance, we cannot go hiking today. 
Or you might say, "Under these circumstances, we can't go hiking." All right. 
Well, thank you for joining us now. 
And actually, we have something special. 
There's a special video about the Chinantec whistling. 
Let's take a look. 
And then we'll learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Ha... 
He said: Dude, what are you going to do tomorrow noon? 
Then he replied: Well, nothing. 
He eats his lunch and he's going to take a nap. 
I'm going to take a nap in the middle of the day. 
This is the same sentence, um, whistled. 
And this is the same sentence spoken. 
Oh, my goodness. 
So it's as if they're using the same tone structure speaking and whistling. 
Yeah. So this is the whistled speech, and this is the spoken speech. 
And you can see how parallel they are. 
Um, they even rise, fall in the same place, and the timing is all the same. 
And you can actually count the syllables because they're not just whistling the pitches. 
There's um... there's the pitch, there's how many syllables or the structure of the syllables that there is. 
And then there's the stress, um, that's being whistled. 
This really simplifies it and shows you why they're able to whistle it. 
But also, you can see that they are, in fact, whistling the speech. 
That... that demonstrates it. 
Gee, in English, if I want to whistle, "I have a dog," I can't do it. 
(Background Noise). 
Well, that could be anything in the world. 
That could be a lot of things. 
It can be just anything in the world in Chinanteco. 
(Background Noise). 
It works this well in tonal languages like this. 
And Chinantec is... is very tonal. 
It has seven different tones, plus all these stressed contrasts and everything. 
There's... there's more than 20 different, um, a lot of contrasts that... that are being whistled. 
Which make all of this impossible for a person like me to learn. 
(Background Noise). 
Even at this age, they can take what they know about the... the melody of the language and put it into whistles. 
What does the future hold for Sochiapam whistled speech? 
I've learned in my interaction with the community here that whistled speech has gone from something which was everyday and um, 
pervasive throughout the community and used all the time, what was normal, 
to now being something that could be considered um, ritual or special or something that's... that... that you hear in much fewer contexts. 
Um, how long will it be around? 
It'll be around a little while longer. 
And how the community responds to valuing whistled speech will determine whether it's a long while or a little while. 
But the way it looks now, it may be gone in this community within 10 years. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to go back to our teachers. 
OK, I'm going to communicate by whistling to Carolyn. 
(Background Noise). 
Uh, Gabe, I don't understand what you're saying. 
I said: Did you enjoy today's lesson, Carolyn? 
Oh! Well, yes, I did. 
But I'm afraid I don't speak whistle. 
Right. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
We have a lot more to learn about the Chinantec people and their whistled language tomorrow here on Studio Classroom. 
We'll see you then. 
(Music).

2013.10.29.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Thank you for joining us for the second part of our lesson about The Whistlers of Mexico, 
or as we learned how to pronounce it yesterday - The Whistlers of Mexico, these people, the Chinantecs, in Oaxaca, Mexico. 
Now they have a very unique language - whistling, and it's very rare. 
And many people think that we should try to protect a language like this. 
Do you think that there are any advantages to protecting a language like this? 
Carolyn? 
Well, it is very unique and very interesting to study. 
I love learning languages, so I think it would be a good idea to protect it. 
But I also know, as we are going to read more in our article, that it becomes more and more difficult to protect these rare languages, 
and keep them in use when there're so many other languages and technology being made now that make it really not necessary to use these old languages. 
That's right. 
But it is, of course, a very rare and unique kind of language. 
And today we're going to be learning a little bit about the Chinantec lifestyle, how these people live, how these whistlers live. 
Let's get started. 
The Whistlers of Mexico. 
The Chinantec lifestyle. 
Over 104,000 Chinantec people live in northern Oaxaca, Mexico, mostly in small villages where their traditional languages are spoken. 
Some temporarily move to Mexico City to work, but most return home afterward. 
Most Chinantecs farm maize and beans. 
They also produce coffee, timber and chili peppers as well as pottery and baskets. 
Most of them no longer wear traditional clothing except on special occasions, but they may make and sell it. 
The whistled language is mostly used by men, and while women usually can interpret it, they don't "speak" it. 
All right. 
Let's go back to the beginning here and look at this a little more closely. 
The Chinantec lifestyle. 
Over 104,000 Chinantec people live in northern Oaxaca, Mexico, mostly in small villages where their traditional languages are spoken. 
OK, so that's not a little amount of people. 
104,000 people live in this area. 
That's right. 
It is not just a few people but quite a few - 104,000! 
And they live in small villages. 
So we even know there is a fairly large number of them. 
They live in small villages where their traditional languages are spoken. 
And you see that it is "languages," with an S. 
So more than one language is spoken in Oaxaca. 
All right. 
Well, I wonder what it would be like to visit this place and hear people speaking in these slightly different languages. 
Well, some temporarily move to Mexico City to work, but most return home afterward. 
OK, so some people go there temporarily. 
Let's look at that word. 
It's one of our key words. 
If you do something temporarily, that means you do it for a short period of time. 
You're not there forever. 
That's right, so. 
When I went back to the U.S. this past year, I said: Oh, no, don't worry. I will only be there temporarily. 
I will be back to Taiwan in no time. 
In no time. 
And of course you could use this in other ways. 
Maybe you have a job, but you don't want it for a long time. 
You find a job temporarily so that you can get prepared or be ready for the job that you want. 
OK. So the opposite of this word "temporarily," do you know it? 
Permanently. P-E-R-M-A-N-E-N-T-L-Y. 
If you do something permanently, that means you're doing it forever. 
That's right, so. 
We hope that you will permanently be learning English. 
It is a great thing to do - not just temporarily but to learn it for your whole life and to use it as you master this language. 
Well, continuing on about the Chinantec people, we learn: 
Most Chinantecs farm maize and beans. 
So that's what they do. 
They are farmers. 
That's right. They farm maize. 
Have you ever seen this word before? 
M-A-I-Z-E. 
For me, I... you know, I don't know if I've seen maize in person before. 
But from what I understand, it kind of looks like corn. 
It's a kind of corn, right, Carolyn? 
Yes, it is very similar to corn. 
And a lot of times you might see maize flour or corn flour that you use for baking. 
All right. So most of these people farm maize and beans. 
Well, let's take a look at what Steve and Ken have to share with us in the Information Cloud about these words: some, most. 
OK. Let's take a look at what they have to share. 
Quantifiers are, as the name suggests, words that express the quantity of something. 
They're different from numbers and that they don't give a precise amount. 
They are approximate. 
Some of the most common quantifiers are all, some, much and most. 
And quantifiers normally come before nouns. 
In today's lesson, our author writes: 
Most Chinantecans farm maize and beans. 
"Most" is the quantifier here, and it modifies the noun Chinantecan. 
And so, we learn that not all Chinantecans are farmers who raise maize and beans. 
Quantifiers can sometimes act as pronouns, though. 
Let's look back to the previous sentence for an example. 
OK. In it we read: 
Some temporarily move to Mexico City to work, but most return home afterward. 
Here the quantifiers "some" and "most" are acting as pronouns. 
OK. Finally, we should know that certain quantifiers only work for certain kinds of nouns. 
Right. 
The quantifier "most," for example, works for both uncountable nouns, like maize, and countable nouns, like beans. 
Others like "a little" work only with uncountable nouns - a little maize. 
While other quantifiers like "each" work only with countable nouns - each being. 
Now the best way to keep quantifiers straight? 
Practice. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Now continuing to learn about the Chinantec people's lifestyle, we learn that they are farmers. 
They farm maize and also beans. 
And we learn something else. 
They also produce coffee, timber and chili peppers as well as pottery and baskets. 
So they really do a lot. 
Yes, they do. 
I love coffee. 
And sometimes I like chili peppers in my food. 
Let's take a look at those words: chili peppers. 
Carolyn, do you enjoy chili peppers? 
I do not like chili peppers in my food. 
Chili peppers are a long, thin pepper. 
They are very spicy. 
And I do not like very spicy food. 
Well, I also shouldn't eat chili peppers too often. 
But every once in a while it does add a nice flavor to my food, nice spicy flavor. 
Well, they produce coffee, timber (wood) and chili peppers as well as pottery and baskets. 
Now most of them no longer wear traditional clothing except on special occasions, but they may make and sell it. 
This sounds like a lot of people around the world who have traditional clothing. 
They still wear modern clothing. 
But sometimes on special occasions, you might see them wearing traditional clothes. 
That's right. 
So usually for festivals, people that have a clothing tradition or the style, they will wear it for the festival. 
And of course it is very popular to sell traditional style clothing to people who are visiting, to tourists. 
We continue learning: 
The whistle language is mostly used by men, and while women usually can interpret it, they don't "speak" it. 
Very interesting. 
Yeah... OK, so the men speak this language, the whistled language. 
But uh, Carolyn, I guess you would be able to understand it but not speak it if you lived there. 
That's right. 
And I guess that's why I didn't understand you yesterday, Gabe, because women don't really speak the language. 
And I haven't learned how to interpret it yet. 
(Background Noise). 
Uh... Oh, really! I understand. 
(Background Noise). 
I think what you were trying to say is it's time to join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Exactly right! 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.29.B

We are on day two of the lesson The Whistlers of Mexico. 
We have been learning about the lifestyle of the Chinantec people. 
We learned that they are mostly farmers who grow maize and beans as well as timber, coffee, chili peppers. 
And they still make pottery and traditional clothing. 
Now if you are interested in buying that clothing, you could probably find it for sale, but you might not see very many people wearing it. 
Well, we still have another section to learn about this whistled language and the people who use it: 
A threatened lifestyle. 
The Whistlers of Mexico. 
A threatened lifestyle. 
Chinantec whistling has ancient roots, but can it survive in a changing world? 
Modern inventions like cellphones are replacing whistling as a form of long-distance communication. 
And the Chinantec languages themselves may be in danger. 
As Spanish becomes more and more prevalent, even within Chinantec communities, some fear that traditional languages will disappear. 
Linguists are studying this unique and fascinating language while they have the chance. 
Yet they hope that Chinantec whistles will fly over the mountains for years to come. 
All right. 
Well, let's go back to the top of this section. 
It's called A threatened lifestyle. 
If something is threatened, that means it's in danger somehow. 
Maybe something bad might happen to it. 
Well, we certainly hope that nothing bad will happen to this whistled language. 
But there is danger. We read: 
Chinantec whistling has ancient roots, but can it survive in a changing world? 
This is a very good question that many people ask about traditional cultures around the world. 
That's right. 
Can they survive in a changing world? 
If you survive, that means you live, you keep going. 
Can this culture survive in a changing world? 
Many people... actually, many languages are disappearing around the world because they are not major languages. 
They're starting to speak things like Spanish and English and Chinese, but then these little languages start to disappear. 
That's right. 
And we learn about one of the threats that face this whistled language... that this whistled language faces. 
We read: 
Modern inventions like cellphones are replacing whistling as a form of long-distance communication. 
So you remember before, one of the reasons they use whistling as a language was because it was very difficult to communicate in this landscape. 
But now there are cellphones. 
So it's much easier to just call someone. 
(Background Noise). 
Uh, Gabe, I don't think they're going to whistle on the phone. 
I think it would be very difficult to understand. 
Oh, no. But Carolyn, I'm just proving that you can still whistle even if you have a cellphone. 
I... I see your point, but uh, I think it might just be easier to speak. 
Yeah. Yeah, you might be right. 
The article does have a very good point here. 
Well, we read here: 
And the Chinantec languages themselves may be in danger. 
OK. So cellphones are replacing whistling, and these languages could be in danger or threatened. 
And we see why. 
As Spanish becomes more and more prevalent, even within Chinantec communities, some fear that traditional languages will disappear. 
All right. These languages might disappear as Spanish becomes more prevalent. 
Let's take a look at that word: prevalent. 
If something is prevalent, that means it is very common and widespread among at a certain place or at a certain time. 
It is prevalent. 
That's right. 
So you could say that Spanish is very prevalent in Mexico. 
It is a major language. 
English is prevalent in the United States. 
It's not the only language, but it is the one spoken by the majority of the people. 
But you could also use this to talk about other things, like you might say wildflowers are prevalent in this field. 
OK. They're prevalent in this field. 
Or... or maybe pop music is prevalent among teenagers. 
They love to listen to all sorts of pop music. 
OK. So now you know how to use that word prevalent. 
And Spanish is becoming more prevalent. 
That's a good thing. 
But some of these smaller languages might disappear. 
That's right. 
And we continue reading: 
Linguists are studying this unique and fascinating language while they have the chance. 
Now a linguist is a person who studies languages. 
And they are studying this unique and fascinating one. 
Fascinating is a word from the Word Bank. 
Let's look at it. 
If something is fascinating, Gabe, what does that mean? 
Well, it means it makes you interested in something; you really want to know more about it. 
It's fascinating. 
It's amazing. 
You might talk about a culture that you think is fascinating. 
Or maybe you saw a video that you thought was fascinating, and you want to share it with your friends. 
Actually, the video we saw about this whistling, I thought, was very fascinating. 
I would agree. 
What do you think is fascinating? 
We'll continue reading the rest of our lesson here. 
Yet they hope the Chinantec whistles will fly over the mountains for years to come. 
They don't want them to stop anytime soon. 
No. But let's take a look at that phrase: to do something for years to come. 
That means for years in the future. 
If it's coming and hasn't come yet, it's in the future. 
But you could use this phrase in other ways. 
You could talk about doing something for decades to come, or even just doing something for days to come. 
That's right, or for generations to come. 
So you can use any sort of time period there. 
Well, right now it is time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Listen! 
(Background Noise). 
Do you hear what I hear? 
I hear a whistle floating across the rugged peaks. 
(Background Noise). 
Listen carefully. 
You may overhear a conversation. 
(Background Noise). 
For centuries, the people here have lived in the mountains of Mexico. 
(Background Noise). 
They established villages, but the rough landscape made traveling and communicating difficult. 
(Background Noise). 
But they developed the language composed of whistles. 
Whistles for short distances. 
(Background Noise). 
Medium distances. 
(Background Noise). 
And long distances. 
(Background Noise). 
Ouch! Hey, I'm right here! 
Most of these people are farmers. 
They plant crops, and they make pottery and baskets. 
Most of them don't wear traditional clothing anymore. 
And usually, the language is only whistled by men. 
(Background Noise). 
Hey, that's not fair. 
Why don't women whistle your language? 
Because women are too busy talking. 
Hey! You can talk, too! 
Yes. Who needs whistling? 
That's true. 
It's a changing world. 
But I hope whistles fly over the mountains for years to come. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Now get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
Well, I've certainly enjoyed learning about the fascinating language that the Chinantec people use when they are whistling. 
And I loved watching that video and seeing someone whistle to communicate like that. 
What do you think are some advantages or disadvantages to having a language like this? 
Well, I think it's great that it can be heard... by many people over long distances. 
But I also think it would be difficult to really express all of your thoughts. 
There are only so many whistle sounds you can make. 
Right. Well, maybe we would be surprised. 
Well, thank you for joining us here. 
And of course, we hope to see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.10.30.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Our lesson is called Fall Festivals in Maryland. 
And we're going to be joining Pauline as she shares with her experiences her and her family doing something special this fall. 
Well, do you ever celebrate festivals in the fall? 
What kind of fall festivals have you been to? 
Carolyn, have you ever celebrated any fall festivals? 
Well, I mentioned before in uh... when we were talking about October because we are in October right now though it is almost over. 
But October is the time when my hometown has a great festival, Railroad Days, or Train Days. 
And it's a really fun one. 
Oh, yeah! That's right. 
You did say something about that. 
That sounds interesting. 
I... for me, I don't really celebrate many fall festivals. 
Oh! There's the Moon Festival, I do celebrate that. 
And at my high school, the junior class of every high school year, every junior year had a junior carnival. 
And that was kind of fun. 
Well, what kind of fall festivals have you attended? 
Let's get started with today's lesson: Fall Festivals in Maryland. 
(Music). 
Fall Festivals in Maryland. 
Fun in the fall. 
In October, a variety of produce is ripe and ready for people to enjoy. 
The pick-your-own fruit and vegetable farms and orchards are open to the public. 
Apples, pumpkins and other vegetables wait! 
Haystacks are built for children to jump on. 
This is family fun during the harvest season. 
When we arrived at the apple orchard, we saw many people pushing handcarts from the parking lot to the orchard. 
But we just grabbed two big baskets, which we filled up quickly. 
(Music). 
Well, that sounds like they're having a wonderful time with those apples. 
But before we get into that, let's go back to the beginning of the article: Fun in the fall. 
We have some great "F" words there - fun in the fall. 
And it is a lot of fun; fall is a wonderful season. 
Pauline writes: In October, a variety of produce is ripe and ready for people to enjoy. 
And I think that word is ripe and ready for us to talk about, the word from our Word Bank: produce. 
What is produce? 
Well, usually it's just talking about fresh fruit and vegetables, so produce from a farm or farm products. 
That's right. 
And you might notice that this word is spelled the same as another word you might know: produce. 
Now produce is a verb, and it means to make something. 
But produce is a noun and refers to what a farm produces. 
That's right, or what God made out there with the fruits and vegetables. 
So here we're talking about produce, and it's ripe and ready for people to enjoy. 
If something is ripe, that means that's the best time for you to eat it. 
It's ripe and ready for you to enjoy. 
That's right. 
And the pick-your-own fruit and vegetable farms and orchards are open to the public. 
So this is a great place to go if you want to pick your own fruit and vegetables this fall. 
And so we here talk about orchards. 
OK. So what is an orchard? 
Well, it's an area of land where there might be trees, fruit trees or nut trees all together, and that is an orchard. 
For instance, like a cherry orchard. 
That means there are a lot of cherry trees there. 
You can walk among the trees and maybe pick some cherries in a cherry orchard. 
You could also go to an apple orchard. 
Apples are in season in the fall. 
And we read about that in the next sentence. 
Apples, pumpkins and other vegetables wait. 
So you could be picking apples, you could be picking pumpkins, or you could be picking a variety of vegetables. 
They are all waiting for you. 
And I think that Liz is waiting for us in the Grammar Gym. 
Let's go see what she has to say. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article, we see this very interesting sentence: 
Apples, pumpkins and other vegetables wait. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
And our focus today is on the word wait. 
Normally we use "wait" to talk about that difficult thing we do before something happens, like: 
I need to wait for the bus. 
But in today's sentence, "wait" has a different meaning. 
Here it means to be ready or available. 
In other words, the writer is saying that apples, pumpkins and other vegetables are available. 
OK. Let's have a look at some example sentences. 
When the kids got home, they found dinner waiting on the table. 
Or: The manager has a stack of reports waiting on his desk as well as several phone calls to return. 
If you would like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
That's all the time we have for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
So we know that fruit and vegetables and other produce, they're waiting for you. 
And we read here: 
Haystacks are built for children to jump on. 
So Pauline is just describing this picture for us. 
We see that there are fruit and vegetables and of course, haystacks. 
Carolyn, what is a haystack? 
Well, a haystack is a stack of hay. 
Or hay, which is dried grass that's usually fed to animals like cows, it's piled up so that people can jump on it or children can jump on it. 
And it can be very fun. 
But you should wear long sleeves and long pants because hay can be very itchy. 
I agree with you there, yes. 
Wear long sleeves and pants if you're going to jump in a haystack. 
Well, Pauline continues. 
This is family fun during the harvest season. 
Of course, it's fall. 
That's when many people, many farmers are harvesting their crops and produce. 
This is family fun during that season. 
That's right. 
And Pauline continues to write about her own family's experience. 
She says: 
When we arrived at the apple orchard, we saw many people pushing handcarts from the parking lot to the orchard. 
So she and her family went to pick their own apples. 
OK. And she saw people, other people, pushing handcarts. 
Well, another word similar is a shopping cart. 
If you go to a shopping mall of any kind, usually there are shopping carts that you can push around. 
And they have wheels to make it easier for you to shop. 
A handcart, a shopping cart, kind of the same thing. 
They are similar. 
But they aren't shopping, they are picking. 
So here they have a handcart that they can easily put the apples or other produce into. 
Now she continues to write. 
But we just grabbed two big baskets, which we filled up quickly. 
So she didn't have a handcart. 
They grabbed two baskets. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
When you grab something, that means you take it suddenly, OK, or quickly. 
You grab something like grabbing some baskets to go and fill up with fruit. 
That's right. 
So they took hold of those baskets. 
And it's usually done in a quick motion and very strong if you grab something. 
Maybe you're trying to get someone's attention so you grab their arm because they aren't listening. 
But you should do it gently. 
OK. So you can grab someone's arm. 
Maybe you're hungry. 
You didn't have any breakfast, but you don't have time to sit down and eat breakfast. 
And so you just grab an apple off the table as you go out the door. 
You pick it up quickly. 
That's right. 
Well, we don't need to grab anything right now. 
But we do need to take some time to visit Michelle in the Language Lab so that we can learn something new with her. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.30.B

Well, in today's lesson, Fall Festivals in Maryland, 
we're learning about Pauline and how she and her family went through vegetable and fruit gardens and farms and orchards picking out fruit. 
It was pick-your-own fruit and vegetables. 
And she noticed that many people were walking around with handcarts. 
But her and her family, they just grabbed a basket as they went walking through the trees and the orchards. 
Well, we're going to continue learning about this experience in the next part of our lesson. 
(Music). 
Fall Festivals in Maryland. 
After walking around the orchard with two baskets of apples, I knew why people had chosen the handcart! 
Our next stop was the pumpkin patch. 
We could choose pumpkins from piles or pick our own. 
Many Americans put pumpkins on their front steps at Halloween. 
Some carve a face in a pumpkin and put a candle in it. 
They call this decoration a jack-o'-lantern. 
We couldn't leave without buying some homemade apple desserts. 
Fresh hot or cold apple cider is also perfect for the season. 
(Music). 
That does sound delicious. 
Well, before we get into too much about how tasty apple cider is, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
She was talking about how her family just grabbed two baskets to fill up with apples instead of a handcart. 
And we read: 
After walking around the orchard with two baskets of apples, I knew why people had chosen the handcart! 
Gabe, why did people choose the handcart? 
Well, other people probably expected that they would be picking a lot of apples. 
But maybe Pauline and her family, maybe this is one of their first times going, 
they didn't think they would pick that many apples, so they just took a couple of baskets. 
What do you think? 
Well, they also might not have realized just how heavy a basket of apples can be. 
It can be very heavy. 
Like, if you just go to the store and buy a bag of apples - even that can weigh a lot. 
So a whole basket? 
It's probably very difficult to carry around. 
And so it's good to have a handcart. 
Well, Steve and Ken are waiting in the Information Cloud for us. 
They want to share with us about compound words like handcart. 
Today let's highlight one of the ways English words come into existence through the formation of compound words. 
OK. Compound words are made up of what we call primary words, what we might call the basic "building blocks" of English. 
Primary words are simple nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs, prepositions and pronouns like the words sun, run, fun, so, in and you. 
Now two or more primary words in any combination can produce a compound word. 
Compound words come in three forms. 
Let's look at each form in the order it appears in today's lesson. 
The first is the hyphenated form like pick-your-own. 
In this example we see three primary words brought together but separated by hyphens to form one new word. 
The second compound form is the closed form, which are two primary words stuck together back to back. 
We see a few of these in today's lesson, like haystack and handcart. 
The third form is the open form: two primary words separated by a space. 
A little further along in the lesson we see an example: parking lot. 
OK. Knowing how compound words are created will enable you to create some new English words of your own. 
Hey, who says you can't? 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
There are many different kinds of compound words in English. 
So pay attention to those. 
Continuing in our article, Pauline writes: Our next stop was the pumpkin patch. 
So first they went to the apple orchard. 
And now they are in the pumpkin patch. 
So it's not a pumpkin orchard, Gabe? 
No. That's a good question, Carolyn. 
Actually, with each different kind of fruit or vegetable, you might use a different measure word to talk about where you will find them. 
OK, so yeah, an apple tree. 
Or if you're growing pumpkins, that would be a pumpkin patch, a patch of pumpkins. 
That's right. 
So pumpkins grow along the ground with vines. 
So like watermelons; watermelons would also be a watermelon patch. 
So if you have trees, that's an orchard. 
Things that grow on a vine are in a patch. 
Well, so they went to the pumpkin patch. 
And she writes: We could choose pumpkins from piles or pick our own. 
So there were already pumpkins that had been picked that you could choose from. 
Or you could go into the pumpkin patch and find your own special pumpkin. 
And she describes what the people there do. 
She says many Americans put pumpkins on their front steps at Halloween. 
Well, this is some... a very common sight, actually, if you're in the United States around Halloween. 
You will see some pumpkins sitting on people's front doorsteps. 
That's right. 
And some carve a face in a pumpkin and put a candle in it. 
Now this is something very special, right, Gabe? 
It's true. 
Have you ever done that, Carolyn? 
I've done that activity with people before, pumpkin carving. 
It's a great thing to do around Halloween. 
Did you ever carve pumpkins, Carolyn? 
I did carve pumpkins. 
And Pauline explains what that is actually called. 
They call this decoration a jack-o'-lantern. 
So if you carve a face into a pumpkin and put a candle in it, that is known as a jack-o'-lantern. 
And it's a great decoration. 
Yes, it is. 
Well, let's talk about that word: decoration. 
A decoration is something that you put up just to make something look more special or make something look brighter or different. 
A decoration. 
That's right. 
So it looks really nice. 
I know a lot of people in Taiwan, they... and in China and many places throughout Asia, 
they put up decorations for Chinese New Year, lots of things that are red decorations. 
That's true. 
So they put up these decorations. 
We could also use the verb form of this word. 
We could say they decorate their houses with these red decorations. 
OK. So you decorate, or you can put up some decorations. 
That's right. 
Well, Pauline continues to write about their trip. 
She says: We couldn't leave without buying some homemade apple desserts. 
Well, let's take a look at something from that sentence, OK. 
The first is a phrase: we couldn't leave without doing something. 
You can't leave without doing something. 
That means you need to do it. 
It's important that you do it. 
For example, you could say something like this: 
Please don't leave without saying goodbye. 
I want to say goodbye before you go on your trip. 
That's right. 
Well, and many times when you are traveling, there are things that you really need to try or do before you leave. 
So someone might say: 
You can't leave until you go to the gift store. 
There are so many great souvenirs there. 
You should take some home. 
That's right. 
Actually, earlier this month we talked about double negatives, remember? 
This is an example... example of a double negative. 
You can't leave without doing something. 
That means you must do it. 
OK, and here we see you need to buy some homemade apple desserts. 
Homemade. 
What is that, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that it wasn't made in a factory; it was made at home or someone made it personally. 
So even if you go to a shop, those things still might be homemade if they make them there, 
like I know a lot of people enjoy buying homemade cupcakes. 
They are made in the store in small amounts. 
OK. So do you enjoy making things at home? 
Do you enjoy homemade things? 
Well, my roommate Angus is actually very good at making homemade fruit juice. 
That's quite delicious. 
Well, that sounds delicious. 
And there's another delicious drink. 
Fresh hot or cold apple cider is also perfect for the season. 
Well, friends, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to go back to our teachers. 
In our lesson today, Pauline described how she and her family went to a pick-your-own farm where they could pick their own produce like apples and pumpkins. 
A great activity in the fall. 
I wonder, have you ever done this? 
Have you ever been able to pick your own produce? 
Gabe? 
Hmm? Yeah! Actually, when I was a kid, we would pick mulberries. 
There was a mulberry bush right around the corner from our house. 
And in New Jersey, we picked blueberries. 
There was a great place where we could pick blueberries. 
Have you ever done this? 
I have. I have gone blueberry picking and apple picking. 
And I actually used to have a garden, so I could pick fresh produce anytime. 
Nice! 
Well, what about you? 
Have you ever picked fresh produce? 
It can be a good experience. 
Well, we have more to learn about fun festivals in the fall. 
So come back next time right here to Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.10.31.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today as we continue talking about Fall Festivals in Maryland. 
Yesterday we already learned about how Pauline took her family and they went to pick some apples and vegetables and other things like that. 
Well, today we're going to be learning about festivals that take place in Maryland. 
I'm sure you've been to many festivals. 
I wonder, what makes a good festival? 
Or what's important to include if there is a festival? 
What do you think, Carolyn? 
Well, I think there are a lot of things that should be included in a festival. 
Let's see, there should be good food, lots of good food. 
There should also be music. 
It's nice to have performances at festivals, some sort of entertainment. 
And... games! Games are a fun thing to have at a festival. 
I agree with you there, Carolyn. 
Actually, I think food, for me, that... that's the best thing about any kind of festival. 
But of course, there are so many things that you could see at festivals. 
And we're going to learn about a special festival right away here: the Maryland Renaissance Festival. 
Let's get started. 
(Music). 
Fall Festivals in Maryland. 
The wonderful Maryland Renaissance Festival takes place every weekend in the fall. 
Workers and actors dress like people from the Middle Ages and welcome all visitors. 
Comedies, talk shows, children's plays and stage dramas are performed throughout the day. 
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a big production as well. 
In addition, magic shows, sword fights and more attract audiences in every corner of the "village." You can spot the king and queen greeting people or pausing for photos. 
Several sports and games are demonstrated in the arena. 
(Music). 
All right. 
Let's go back to the beginning to learn about this wonderful festival. 
The wonderful Maryland Renaissance Festival takes place every weekend in the fall. 
That's not just one weekend or two weekends, every weekend in the fall. 
And it's the Renaissance Festival. 
What is the Renaissance? 
Well, that's the period of time between the 14th and 16th centuries. 
Actually, it's a transition between medieval and our modern times. 
Wow! So this is a very special festival, a very special time period. 
And they are celebrating this in Maryland, the Maryland Renaissance Festival, every weekend this fall. 
Workers and actors dress like people from the Middle Ages and welcome all visitors. 
Well, this sounds very fun if people are wearing dresses and costumes to make them look like they're from the Middle Ages. 
I know. 
I would enjoy going to this festival just to see everyone dressing up like this. 
We continue learning about it here: 
Comedies, talk shows, children's plays and stage dramas are performed throughout the day. 
So it's a lot of different kinds of performances here. 
Let's talk about one of these kinds of performances - a comedy. 
Carolyn, comedies always make me laugh. 
Well, comedies are very funny because that is what they are supposed to do. 
They're supposed to make you laugh. 
And a comedy is any funny play, TV show or movie - they could all be called comedies. 
That's right. So you could see a stage comedy. 
That's a play at a theater. 
Or of course, you could watch one on your TV at home. 
Now the opposite, or maybe another kind of theater or play that you could see is a drama. 
That's a little more serious. 
But I guess two main types of plays are comedies and dramas. 
Another popular type is a tragedy. 
And usually when we talk about comedies, we refer to tragedy as it's opposite. 
That's right, T-R-A-G-E-D-Y. 
Is it a comedy or tragedy? 
Well, we're going to read about a comedy here next written by William Shakespeare. 
He wrote many comedies and tragedies. 
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a big production as well. 
What do you think about A Midsummer Night's Dream? 
Have you ever read this or seen this performed? 
I did read it in high school. 
And it's kind of difficult to understand why it's funny because Shakespeare has a very unique writing style, and it's not always easy to understand his jokes. 
But this is a comedy. 
And Steve and Ken have something they want to tell us in the Information Cloud about this author, Shakespeare. 
Our lesson today mentions a play without mentioning the playwright - who wrote it. 
There's no need because we already know who wrote it - William Shakespeare. 
And Shakespeare is a name that needs no introduction. 
He's the greatest English writer ever. 
Four hundred years after his death, we're still reading his poetry, staging his plays and making movies based on his works. 
Shakespeare's contribution to the English language was massive. 
He introduced over 1,700 new vocabulary words into English, many of which we still use today. 
From A Midsummer Night's Dream, for example, came the words flowery, rival and mimic. 
And then there are the many words and phrases and common expressions that Shakespeare coined. 
From the same drama came the now familiar words and phrases: pale-faced, swift as a shadow and fancy-free. 
Shakespeare was also good at taking an existing word and creating a new form of it. 
An example which also comes from A Midsummer Night's Dream is the word moonbeam. 
OK. Shakespeare had a tremendous vocabulary. 
He used almost 18,000 different words in his writings, a tenth of which had never been used before. 
Now imagine, if every tenth word you used was an original word! 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Shakespeare certainly did contribute a lot to the English language. 
Continuing on here: 
In addition, magic shows, sword fights and more attract audiences in every corner of the "village." OK. 
So you can go and see performances like plays and maybe some tragedies and different kinds of drama. 
Or you can see people kind of fighting, in a playful way. 
That's right. 
And they're all in this "village." So it's not a real town or real village. 
But it's part of this festival setup. 
Now we saw a phrase there: in every corner of. 
That means in all parts, right, Gabe? 
It's not that the village is a square. 
That's right, so every corner. 
Sometimes a corner is hard to reach into, right? 
If something is in the corner, it might be difficult to grasp. 
But we're talking about things from every corner of the village. 
That means even those things you can find here. 
So you might use this phrase in other ways. 
You could talk about people from every corner of the world. 
That means all over the world, every corner of the world. 
That means that they are everywhere. 
So here, in every corner of the village, you can find these types of performances. 
That means that they are all over the village, not just in one single place. 
Now continuing: 
You can spot the king and queen greeting people or pausing for photos. 
And there's another word from the Word Bank, the word pause. 
Now if you pause, that means that you stop but only for a short time, right, Gabe? 
Yes... there! 
That... that was a nice pause, Gabe. 
You waited for a moment, and then you answered. 
And actually, it is good to pause before you say something to make sure that you really want to say it. 
That's right. OK. 
So maybe you want to pause to think for a little while before you continue speaking about something. 
Or maybe you want to pause in the middle of your speech to... to thank certain people. 
So you can use "pause" in different ways. 
Actually, there is a pause button on your remote control. 
If you're watching a DVD or something, you could just pause it, go to the bathroom and come back and press play. 
That's right. 
Well, several sports and games are demonstrated in the arena. 
So you can watch games, sports in the arena in the village. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.10.31.B

We are on the second day of the article Fall Festivals in Maryland. 
And today we are learning all about the Maryland Renaissance Festival. 
It's a very fun festival, and it goes on every weekend in the fall. 
So if you are free this weekend, you could go and attend this festival. 
Now we learned that there are comedies, talk shows, children's shows in every corner of the village. 
You can go to any part and enjoy some form of entertainment. 
You could also go to the arena for sports demonstrations. 
Well, we still have a lot more to learn about this great festival. 
Let's continue with our lesson. 
Fall Festivals in Maryland. 
We actually tried using the bows and arrows while others participated in the tug of war game. 
The high point is the jousts. 
Two teams compete for the highest honor and rewards from the king and queen. 
The knights ride horses and use spear-like weapons to knock their opponents down. 
The audience is divided into two groups to cheer for their teams. 
The food is traditional and tasty. 
We loved the big turkey legs and barbeque ribs. 
No forks or knives are needed. 
(Music). 
OK, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
Pauline was just telling us about how they observed several sports that were being demonstrated in the arena. 
And they actually got to try their hands at some of these. 
She says: We actually tried using the bows and arrows while others participated in the tug of war game. 
Well, first of all, Carolyn, what is a bow and arrow? 
Well, a bow and arrow means that you're going to be shooting something. 
So you have a bow, which is kind of tall and long, it has a string attached to a curved piece of wood. 
And the arrow is a straight piece of wood with a sharp point, and you pull it back and let it go. 
Have you ever used a bow and arrow, Gabe? 
Yes, I have. 
I'm pretty good at using a bow and arrow. 
It can be pretty fun. 
But of course, I just do it for fun. 
I'm not fighting against anybody; I'm not trying to kill anybody. 
Well, another game is mentioned here, the game of tug and war... or tug of war. Sorry. 
And actually, this game requires a rope and two teams, two teams of however many players each, 
and you have to try to pull the line in the middle of the rope across to your side. 
Tug of war. 
Have you ever played that? 
I have played tug of war many times during different festivals. 
And my team always did pretty, Gabe. 
Well, interesting. 
Maybe we could be on the same team in the future sometime for tug of war. 
Well, we're continuing to talk here about this festival. 
The high point is the jousts. 
OK. So Pauline has actually mentioned a lot of really wonderful things about this festival. 
But in her opinion, this is the high point or the best part. 
That's right. And that is the joust. 
And this is a very exciting sport. 
We read: Two teams compete for the highest honor and rewards from the king and queen. 
So this is pretty important if they get the highest honors from the king and queen for winning it. 
It's true, so. 
Who else is involved? 
Well, a knight, or a couple of knights. 
The knights ride horses and use spear-like weapons to knock their opponents down. 
All right. 
Well, let's take a look at some words in this sentence. OK. 
The first is "spear." A spear is a kind of weapon that you use. 
Well, you don't use it. 
But some people, and some cultures even now, use spears maybe to hunt for animals sometimes. 
It's a long stick with something sharp at the end. 
That's right. 
So you could say that the knight or the hunter held his spear tightly before throwing it. 
But here in the joust, they're using spear-like weapons. 
They don't have a sharp tip, but they kind of look like a spear. 
Now let's take a look at that word there: a hyphen and the word "like." What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that means you're trying to describe something, but you're not exactly sure what to say, 
and so you choose something else to help you. 
OK. So everyone knows what a spear is. 
Well, here's a spear-like weapon. 
It's kind of like a spear. 
So maybe you could use this in another way. 
I used a glue-like substance to help stick these two pieces of paper together. 
It wasn't glue. 
It was kind of like glue. 
That's right. 
So if you have something and you're not quite sure how to describe it, you could take something that is similar and then add the word "like" at the end. 
You can use that hyphen between to show that there is something similar about them but they aren't quite the same. 
Now they use these spear-like weapons to knock their opponents down. 
And the audience is divided into two groups to cheer for their teams. 
Excellent! OK. 
So we see that there are opponents, people who are opposed to each other. 
That means they're fighting against each other. 
And of course, they're divided into groups. 
The audience is divided into groups. 
And we can cheer for our teams. 
"Cheer" is one of our key words. 
When you cheer for someone, you're saying, "Go! Go! You can do it!" and other things like that to encourage your team. 
That's right. 
You want to cheer, so you want to make sure that... that your team knows that you support them. 
So you can cheer for your team and support them. 
And continuing she writes: 
The food is traditional and tasty. 
We loved the big turkey legs and barbeque ribs. 
So these are great foods that they got to enjoy. 
And she says no forks or knives are needed. 
They just ate with their hands! 
Yes. It sounds a little bit messy, but it's certainly a fun experience. 
Well, it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Ah, Maryland, my Maryland. 
Who are you? 
Are you the king of Maryland? 
No. This is the Maryland Renaissance Festival. 
Ah, and that's why you're dressed like a king? 
Right you are. 
We're dressed like people from the Middle Ages. 
So what happens here? 
Lots of things! 
Actors perform dramas throughout the day. 
Everyone loves stories. 
Yes! In addition, we have magic shows, sword fights and more. 
Wow! Where? 
In every corner of the village. 
Just look around. 
I will! Thank you for the kind greeting, Your Majesty. 
You're welcome. 
But wait. 
Please pause for a photo. 
OK. 
One, two, three, smile. 
Oh, that's a good picture. 
Yes. The king and I. 
But wait, wait. 
Over in the arena, there are sports and games being demonstrated. 
Oh, well... That sounds fun. 
Yes! You could try using bows and arrows. 
Fun! 
Or... you could participate in a tug of war game. 
Fun! 
Yes! And of course, the high point is jousting. 
The knights ride horses and use spear-like weapons. 
Fun! I want to try. 
Ah, sorry. You can't ride the horses, but you can cheer for your team. 
Oh... fun! 
Uh, wait! Don't forget to try the traditional foods. 
They're really tasty. 
Food? 
Yes. You'll love the big turkey legs. 
Wow! I would love one! Thanks. 
You'll have to get your own. 
(Chinese). 
And now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
Well, we had a lot of fun learning about Fall Festivals in Maryland. 
And to end the lesson, Carolyn and I are going to have a match of tug of war. 
Carolyn, are you ready? 
Uh, I think I'm ready. 
But I... I'm not sure it's really fair. I'm wearing heals. 
That's great. 
OK, let's get started. 
On your mark, get set, go! 
(Background Noise). 
Carolyn, why are you so strong? 
It's all those apples... or carving all those pumpkins. 
I give up! 
I'm just going to take my spear and go. 
Oh, I'm sorry, Gabe. 
But first, I guess we should say goodbye. 
All right. 
Well, thanks for joining us here at Studio Classroom. 
And we'll see you next time. 
See you! 
(Music).

2013.11.01.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're talking about Jo's experiences in Nepal. 
Of course all throughout this year, you've read many articles about travel. 
And Jo has written many of those articles. 
She has done a lot of traveling. 
And especially, we've learned about her experiences in Nepal. 
She went there to work for a nonprofit organization. 
Carolyn, what kind of work did she do? 
Well, Jo's job was to interview local people and to write articles about those interviews and send them back to the nonprofit's headquarters in New York. 
Now the nonprofit itself, we learned, was actually trying to help women learn how to read and write, 
take care of their families and how to use and pay back microloans. 
OK, so this is what Jo was doing. 
She volunteered to do this, and she had a good time doing it. 
But of course, she also experienced homesickness. 
Well, we're going to learn more about her experiences in today's lesson. 
So let's get started. 
Life in Nepal: Part 3. 
(Music). 
Life in Nepal: Part 3. 
My challenges continued in Katmandu. 
I returned to Katmandu from Dolakha a bit worse for wear. 
I had planned to stay in the village only one week. 
But a political strike halted public transportation, which forced my translator and me to stay longer. 
Then the day the strike ended I got food poisoning, which delayed by return another two days. 
"Flexibility is key." That advice from the nonprofit's director seemed like ages ago. 
All right. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here. 
We read: My challenges continued in Katmandu. 
All right. So we already learned about some of Jo's challenges from last month's lesson, her life in Nepal. 
And she returned to Katmandu in today's lesson. 
Of course, earlier she was at a little village called Dolakha. 
Now Dolakha and Katmandu, they're quite different, I'm sure. 
Dolakha is a little village. 
Carolyn, what is Katmandu? 
Well, Katmandu would be the capital city, the major city in Nepal. 
And these two cities are about an eight-hour bus ride apart if you remember from our previous lessons. 
Jo enjoyed an eight-hour bus ride to the sound of wonderful Bollywood love songs, right, Gabe? 
Yes. She was in a crowded bus, listening to Bollywood love songs among other things. 
Well, let's get started here. 
She writes: I returned to Katmandu from Dolakha a bit worse for wear. 
We're going to continue learning about why in a moment. 
But first, let's look at that word from our Word Bank. 
Three words actually: worse for wear. 
If you're worse for wear, it means you're worn out. 
How could you use this phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, you can use it to describe people, or you can use it to describe things. 
Most often I hear this phrase used to talk about clothing, so. 
If someone's clothes are maybe starting to get worn out, or they have holes in them, you could say: 
Your clothes are looking a little bit worse for wear, or a little worse for wear. 
Uh, you might want to buy some new ones. 
Let's go shopping! 
Hey, that's a good idea. 
If your clothes are a bit worse for wear, maybe you need to, well, go shopping, get some new ones. 
Maybe you have a car or some kind of machine that's a little bit old. 
You could say it's kind of worse for wear. 
You might need to replace some parts or get a new one. 
Well, Jo was a little bit worse for wear after her experience in Dolakha. 
We continue here. 
I had planned to stay in the village only one week. 
All right. 
She was just going to be there for one week, but she ended up being there for a longer time. 
Why? 
Well, we find out: 
But a political strike halted public transportation, which forced my translator and me to stay longer. 
So she was only going to be there for a week, but there was a political strike. 
Gabe, that's something very interesting there, a political strike that halted public transportation. 
That's right. 
Well, sometimes people come together; they form unions. 
And then they might go on strike. 
They're trying to make a stand against something. 
Or sometimes people get together... there was a writers' strike a couple of years ago in Hollywood. 
And so they stopped writing. 
They just stopped doing their work because they wanted more pay. 
They wanted something. 
And that's why people go on strike. 
Steve and Ken will explain a little bit more about a strike in the Information Cloud. 
But first, let's take a look at our word from the Word Bank here: the translator. 
Jo's translator. 
Carolyn, who is a translator? 
Well, a translator is a person who changes one language into another language. 
So they translate. 
Many times if you're talking about a person who is doing this orally or speaking, we would call them an interpreter. 
And translator is usually someone who writes. 
So they take a written document and change it from one language to another. 
But you can also use that word to talk about someone who speaks two languages. 
Exactly. 
And so Jo, well, while she was in Nepal, she didn't speak the language there. 
So of course she needed a translator to be with her. 
Now it's time for us to learn more with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud about strikes. 
When employees get really upset with their employer, they may decide to stop working. 
And sometimes the result is a strike action, or more commonly known as a strike. 
That's right, Ken. 
What usually happens is employees just walk out of their workplace. 
And so a strike can also be called a walkout. 
But there is a difference between the two. 
Right. Walkout is normally used to refer to a strike in its earliest moments. 
A strike that is in the second or third month is not called a walkout because everyone has, well, walked out. 
And then there are also times when workers choose to do the opposite of walking out. 
They refuse to leave their workplace until a settlement is reached. 
And that is called a sit-down strike. 
Which can also be called a sit-in. 
But a sit-in usually refers to a type of demonstration, in which participants occupy a space by sitting down and refusing to move until certain demands are met. 
OK. And then there are hunger strikes. 
That is when people protest by not eating. 
Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. were two famous people who went on a hunger strike. 
And there's one other type of strike. 
When moms are fed up with household chores, they may decide to go on strike by not cooking a meal or not doing the laundry. 
This is, of course, an informal usage of strike. 
Moms who go on strike often do so because they don't feel appreciated. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Now we were talking about a political strike that halted public transportation, so Jo was not able to return to Katmandu on time. 
And we continue reading. 
Then the day the strike ended I got food poisoning, which delayed my return another two days. 
Oh, she is not having very good luck here, Gabe. 
No, she's not. 
She had to stay in Dolakha longer than she expected, and then she got food poisoning. 
I don't know if you've ever had food poisoning. 
But of course it's a terrible experience. 
So she wasn't able to return for another two days. 
But she remembered something here, and we see it in quotations. 
"Flexibility is key." Why is it in quotations? 
Because someone told her this. 
It was a word of advice: Flexibility is key. 
And what does that mean? 
Well, it means that the most important thing for her to do while on this trip doing this internship is to be flexible. 
She needs to be able to respond to changes quickly and easily. 
That's right. 
You know what? 
When a lot of people apply to work at Studio Classroom, that's one of the things that we hear: Flexibility is key. 
It's important to be flexible. 
Well, Jo says that advice from the nonprofit's director seemed like ages ago. 
So she really wasn't there for ages; she wasn't there for many years. 
But still, she was there long enough for it to seem like a long time ago. 
That's right. 
Well, right now it is time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Let's go there now. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.01.B

We continue our adventure with Jo in her article Life in Nepal: Part 3. 
Today we've learned that she returned from Dolakha to Katmandu a bit worse for wear. 
She's not doing very well after her trip to Dolakha. 
She was going to be there only a week. 
But her return was delayed because of the political strike. 
Then she got food poisoning and had to wait another two days with her translator. 
They were both delayed on their return trip. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn about her experience when she does arrive in Katmandu. 
Let's read about it now. 
(Music). 
Life in Nepal: Part 3. 
I finally arrived at Summit Girls Dormitory, my home away from home in Katmandu. 
Thirty Nepali girls lived here, all students at a local university. 
Few of them spoke English, but we still connected right away. 
When I arrived, a thin girl about 18 years old came up to me, took my arm and said, 
"I love you!" She then whisked me upstairs to show me the room she shared with three other girls. 
But our budding friendship was short-lived. 
That evening the dorm "father" told me I couldn't hang around the other girls anymore. 
Why? 
I was too fascinating and would distract them from their studies. 
(Music). 
Well, that's really sad. 
It seems like what Jo needs right now especially is some good friends, some good company. 
Well, we're going to learn more about her experiences in our next lesson. 
But let's go back to the beginning of this paragraph here. 
Jo writes: I finally arrived at Summit Girls Dormitory, my home away from home in Katmandu. 
Carolyn, what is a dormitory? 
Well, a dormitory is a word from our Word Bank. 
And that is a building that you usually see at a school that houses a large number of people. 
So I lived in a dormitory for four years in college. 
I had roommates, and I lived at the school that I went to. 
Nice. OK. 
Well, I did as well. I lived in the dorms. 
Sometimes you can shorten the word dormitory to just dorm. 
And you could say you lived in the dorms. 
I lived in the dorms for two years in university. 
I was also in the dorms in high school for one year. 
Carolyn, at your university, did you have dorms for both guys and girls? 
Or was it only girls' dorm and only guys' dorm? 
We had a lot of different dorm options. 
We had a dorm that was all girls, which is where I lived. 
And then there was another all-girls dorm and an all-guys dorm. 
And then there was a dorm where guys were on one side of the building and girls were on the other. 
OK. Well, and sometimes you might call that kind of dorm a co-ed dorm, C-O, hyphen, E-D. 
C-O, slash, E-D, a co-ed dorm, or guys and girls are living in the same dormitory. 
Well, here she's in a girls' dormitory in Katmandu. 
She continues: Thirty Nepali girls lived here, all students at a local university. 
Well, how did she continue? 
Well, she writes: 
Few of them spoke English, but we still connected right away. 
So she didn't let the language barrier get in her way of connecting with these girls. 
So even though they didn't speak English, or just a few of them did, and she didn't really speak any of the local language, they were still able to connect right away. 
That's right. 
And she says: When I arrived, a thin girl about 18 years old came up to me, took my arm and said, "I love you!" Well, that sounds really sweet. 
Just as soon as she arrived, this is one of the first people that she encounters. 
Then this girl, she whisked Jo upstairs. 
She writes: Then... or she then whisked me upstairs to show me the room she shared with three other girls. 
So Carolyn, this girl really wants to get to know Jo. 
Yes. We can see from the language that Jo uses to write this to describe the event that this young girl, this Nepali girl is very excited to meet Jo. 
She says, "I love you!" And she grabs her arm and then whisks her upstairs. 
And whisk is a great word from our Word Bank. 
If you whisk something, then it is done very quickly but usually not very hard. 
It's not a harsh action. 
It's very light. 
That's right. 
Maybe someone whisks you away. 
They need you for some reason, and so they grab you and take you away, just like this girl did with Jo. 
Maybe there's a lot of trash on the table. 
You need to whisk the trash off the table and into the garbage can. 
OK, so, this girl whisked Jo upstairs to meet three other girls. 
But Jo says: But our budding friendship was short-lived. 
Well, let's take a look at that word "budding." What does that mean, Carolyn, something is budding? 
Well, when you think of a bud, that's kind of like a flower before it has bloomed, right? 
So if something is budding, then it is just beginning to grow. 
It hasn't fully developed or opened yet, but it's starting. 
That's right. 
And I usually see this word used to talk about relationships when they're just starting. 
A budding relationship, maybe a budding romance between a guy and a girl, or here a budding friendship. 
And Jo says it was short-lived. 
We'll talk more about that later. 
For now, let's learn something with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In our article today we see this sentence: 
But our budding friendship was short-lived. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: short-lived. 
We use this phrase to describe something that doesn't last for a long time. 
So in today's sentence, the writer is saying the friendship was a short one. 
Now friends, this phrase "short-lived" is usually used when you want to describe how something ended quickly, usually because it was interrupted by something else. 
For example, 
Wendy's dream to become a vet was short-lived when she realized she was allergic to dogs and cats. 
Or, Spencer's plan to study abroad was short-lived when his mother became ill and he had to take care of her. 
So give this phrase a try. 
Think of something that didn't last long and practice using "short-lived" to describe the situation. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Bye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
We were talking about Jo's budding friendship with these young girls being short-lived. 
And we find out why. 
That evening the dorm "father" told me I couldn't hang around the other girls anymore. 
Now Gabe, that word "father" is in quotation marks. 
Yeah. That's because he wasn't their actual biological father. 
He was just in charge. 
He was responsible for these girls. 
And why couldn't they hang out with or hang around Jo? 
Well, she says: I was too fascinating and would distract them from their studies. 
That's really sad. 
So she lost this opportunity to get to know these girls more. 
Let's take a look at that word "fascinating." At the end of this word, you see -ing. 
Now Carolyn, when should you use -ing, and when should you use -ed? 
Well, if you want to describe the way that you are feeling, then you should use -ed. 
So if you think something is very interesting, then you are interested in it. 
If you think something is fascinating, then you are fascinated by it. 
OK. So another thing that Jo could say is that these girls were fascinated with her or fascinated by her. 
So she was fascinating to them. 
That's why she says: I was too fascinating and might distract them from their studies. 
Well, let's take a look at what Michelle has to say here in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
Well, I am always fascinated with Jo's traveling experiences. 
Aren't you? 
Yes, Gabe, I am. 
I love reading the articles that she gives us for these PASSPORTS. 
And I particularly enjoy this Life in Nepal series. 
And we'll be continuing Part 3 tomorrow on Studio Classroom. 
So we'll see you then. 
(Music).

2013.11.02.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to learn with Jo, Life in Nepal: Part 3. 
Now there was a very important sentence in yesterday's lesson: 
Flexibility is key. 
It's important to be flexible when you're doing something new or when you're traveling to a place that is completely foreign to you. 
Well, what kinds of ways did Jo need to be flexible during her time in Nepal? 
Can you think of any? 
Carolyn? 
Well, we learned yesterday that she was only supposed to be in Dolakha for one week. 
But she ended up staying much longer because of things that she couldn't control. 
She experienced food poisoning that delayed her return. 
And there's not much you can do if you eat something bad. 
You just have to wait for it to pass. 
There was also a political strike. 
And she has no control over that. 
So she has to be flexible with her schedule and wait. 
That's right. 
She had no control over these things. 
Of course another way she had to be flexible was she wanted to make some new friends, but something stopped that from happening as well. 
The dormitory "father" wouldn't allow these girls to hang around Jo too much. 
Well, let's continue learning with her experiences in today's lesson - Life in Nepal: Part 3. 
Life in Nepal: Part 3. 
Living at the dorm was uncomfortable. 
My bed was like a rock and too short for my 165 cm frame - my feet hung over the end. 
Lentils and rice were served twice a day, but my problems with food poisoning kept me from eating any. 
We had no shower, so I washed my hair twice a week in a bucket. 
My roommates made my stay bearable and even fun. 
They were Nepali sisters who had grown up in Singapore. 
They bridged the language and cultural gaps I experienced daily. 
I'm very glad to learn that Jo was able to make some friends while she was in Nepal. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of today's lesson. 
Living at the dorm was uncomfortable. 
And well, many dorms are uncomfortable, but this one, I think, was especially uncomfortable. 
That's right. 
And we read why here. 
She says: My bed was like a rock and too short for my 165-centimeter frame - my feet hung over the end. 
They hung over the end of her bed. 
Well, her bed was like a rock. 
If someone describes something and they say it's like a rock, usually that means it's uncomfortably hard. 
That's right. 
But it could also mean that it is very, very strong. 
So if you say that person is like a rock, that means that you can trust them. 
They will always come through for you and they're a very strong person. 
But you don't want your bed to be like a rock because it would be very difficult to sleep on a rock. 
It's true. But I know some people enjoy sleeping on beds that are a little more hard. 
Hey, that's a good question. 
Do you like sleeping on beds that are soft or hard? 
Do you like sleeping on something that is like a rock, Carolyn? 
I do not. 
I prefer a softer bed, so I have a mattress pad on top of my bed. 
Well, me too. 
But Jo here was sleeping on a mattress like a rock. 
And it was too short for her frame. 
Let's take a look at that word "frame." Now a frame is the outside of something. 
Usually I think of a picture frame. 
Don't you? 
Yes, usually you would think of a frame that goes around the edge of something. 
You could also talk about your bed frame. 
That is what the mattress is on top of. 
But here, this is Jo's frame. 
And that means the size and shape of her body. 
So Jo seems to be a little bit taller than the other girls in this dormitory. 
And so her bed is just too short because Jo's frame is larger than the bed. 
That's right. 
Jo's frame is larger, or longer than the bed frame is. 
Well, and that's why her feet hung over the end. 
Jo, I completely understand. 
I've slept in similar beds where my feet just hang over the end. 
Has that ever happened to you? 
Well, it has not happened to me, Gabe. 
But we continue learning from Jo's article here. 
Lentils and rice were served twice a day, but my problems with food poisoning kept me from eating any. 
So she had food poisoning before, and she still seems to be having some stomach problems. 
That's right. 
Well, lentils, we see that word at the beginning of this sentence. 
Lentils and soup, that's what she ate. 
Now lentil is a kind of uh, little bean. 
And actually, I enjoy eating lentils in soups or different kinds. 
Um, but if you have it every day, I guess it might get a little bit boring. 
It could get boring. 
And if you're having stomach problems, it's hard to eat anything really if you have food poisoning. 
Continuing: 
We had no shower, so I washed my hair twice a week in a bucket. 
Now this would be very difficult to get used to if you are accustomed or used to having a shower. 
Here she had to wash her hair twice a week in a... in a bucket. 
She couldn't shower every day. 
And you know what? 
Sometimes we call that a bucket bath. 
If you don't have access to a shower or bathtub um, in a bathroom somewhere, then you might have to just fill a bucket with water and take a bucket bath. 
And of course you don't get your whole body inside. 
It's not that kind of bath. 
You're just washing yourself with the water from the bucket. 
That's right. 
Well, this would be very difficult. 
But we learn, as Jo writes: My roommates made my stay bearable and even fun. 
So, well, that's very good to know. 
They made her stay bearable, Gabe. 
That's right. 
Well, I'm glad that it was bearable for her. 
Let's take a look at that word. 
If something is bearable, that means you can stand it. 
That means you can bear it. 
You're OK with it. 
It might be a little bit difficult, but you can push through. 
How else could you use that word? 
Well, you could talk about something being unbearable. 
That means you can't stand it. 
You don't know what to do. 
You can't finish it. 
It's unbearable. 
But you know what? 
If you have fun, if you can enjoy life, perhaps there is something that makes a difficult situation you are facing bearable. 
Maybe it's the people around you; the love and support from your family makes it bearable. 
I think that... I think love from friends and family make a lot of things bearable in life. 
Well, Jo continues. 
They were Nepali sisters who had grown up in Singapore. 
So they're very multicultural as well. 
And they bridged the language and cultural gaps I experienced daily. 
That's right. 
And we see a great phrase there: they bridged the gap. 
So bridging a gap means to connect things that are very different. 
So the culture and language in Nepal is very different from Jo's experience in the United States. 
And she needed something to make a connection. 
And it sounds like her roommates from Singapore are able to do that. 
That's right. 
Well, what else could bridge the gap? 
Sometimes people think that Let's Talk in English is very easy; Studio Classroom may be too hard. 
Well, Cyber Fun... or Cyber Village online can bridge the gap between the two. 
There are many things in life that might have a gap. 
How do you bridge that gap? 
Well, Michelle is also very good at bridging the gap. 
Let's go and learn something with her now. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.02.B

Well, we've been learning about Jo's interesting and somewhat difficult experiences during her time in Nepal. 
She was staying in a dormitory on a bed that was really hard. 
She says it was like a rock. 
And the bed frame was a little bit too short. 
Her feet hung over the end. 
And of course she was able to eat lentils and soup. 
But she had problems with food poisoning still, so she couldn't enjoy everything that came her way. 
Well, we also learned that she had good roommates. 
And this was very important. 
It made her stay in Nepal bearable. 
Let's learn more right now in the second part of our lesson. 
(Music). 
Life in Nepal: Part 3. 
They came from the developed world but navigated the rough edges of Katmandu with learned ease. 
We shared stories, sighed over pop stars and watched Korean dramas into the night together. 
Without their help and humor, I would have probably cried myself to sleep every night. 
Now years later, I remember my stay in Nepal as a time of homesickness. 
I was so relieved to go home. 
It wasn't until much later that I realized the full value of my experience and all it had taught me. 
These types of experiences can teach you a lot. 
And it can give you something great to write about and share with people later. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
Jo writes: They came from the developed world but navigated the rough edges of Katmandu with learned ease. 
Now these people that she uh... is talking about happen to be her roommates who grew up in Singapore. 
That's right. 
And so Singapore is part of the developed world. 
We're talking about developed as opposed to maybe a third world or underdeveloped country like Nepal. 
And so Singapore is... is part of the developed world, but they were able to navigate through Nepal in Katmandu with learned ease. 
Let's take a look at our Word Bank word here: navigate. 
That means you are guiding your way through something. 
That's right. 
And so if you move to another place, you need to learn how to navigate that city. 
It might be set up very, very differently from what you are used to. 
I come from a very small town, so navigating a city like Taipei is very difficult for me at first. 
Now I don't have much problem. 
That's right. 
So you can navigate through a new city. 
Or you can navigate even online. 
You can navigate around a certain website and find your way around that website and learn new things there. 
So these people, these girls, they helped... they helped Jo navigate around the rough edges of Katmandu, I'm sure. 
And these rough edges, that means it's kind of difficult to live there in some ways. 
That's right. 
And they did it with learned ease. 
Now you'll notice that here this word has two syllables. 
It's not with "learned" ease, it's "learn-ed" because this is a different part of speech, right, Gabe? 
That's right. 
This is used as an adjective here. 
It's learned ease. 
All right. 
There are a couple of other words in English that can kind of be said the same way. 
Well, we continue here. 
We shared stories, sighed over pop stars and watched Korean dramas into the night together. 
Well, it looks like she's having a really good time with her roommates. 
They were able to even sigh over their favorite celebrities. 
Yes, they were, Gabe. 
It sounds like they are able to bond and take their budding friendship and let it develop as they sigh over these pop stars. 
Now if you sigh over something, that means that you just look at it and you admire it and... 
You just think it's wonderful, Gabe. 
So wonderful that it makes you... sigh. 
OK. So they're sighing or they're talking about their favorite pop stars. 
And she says that without their help and humor, I probably would have cried myself to sleep every night. 
I would have probably cried myself to sleep every night. 
Carolyn, have you ever cried yourself to sleep? 
Well, Gabe, that is a very difficult question to answer. 
You know, sometimes you feel very upset about something and you can't help but cry. 
Now if you cry yourself to sleep, that means that you are still crying as you fall asleep. 
So something is very upsetting. 
And Jo was facing a very difficult situation. 
And so if she hadn't had such wonderful friends, she probably would have cried herself to sleep. 
That's right. 
Maybe she did sometimes, but they made the stay more bearable. 
She says: Now years later, I remember my stay in Nepal as a time of homesickness. 
All right. 
Sometimes when you're in the moment, you don't know what to think. 
But now she's thinking back, and she remembers: 
Yeah, I was homesick the whole time. 
Yes. So it was a time of homesickness. 
And Steve and Ken have something they want to tell us about, about that word "homesick." Or is it "home sick"? 
Hmm... Let's learn with them right now. 
Hello, friends. 
Have you ever felt homesick? 
When you're homesick, you are not sick in the usual way, like with a cold or chickenpox. 
Homesick means you're upset, sad and maybe scared because you're away from home and badly miss it. 
Maybe you've never felt homesick, but I'm sure you've been home sick. 
That is when you take the day off to stay at home when you are not feeling well. 
So what's the difference? 
Well, homesick is one word whereas home sick is two words. 
But you don't have to see the words to tell them apart. 
Listen to where the stress is. 
Johnny felt homesick after he moved out of the house. 
The stress is on the first syllable, homesick. 
But Johnny is also home sick with the flu. 
In this case, the stress is on the word sick. 
Of course being home sick may also lead to being homesick. 
After graduating from high school, Jonny went off to college. 
But one day he fell sick and couldn't go to class. 
So he was home sick. 
And when he was lying in bed, he realized how great it was when his parents were there to take care of him. 
And so he felt... 
Homesick. 
Poor Johnny. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, Jo was experiencing some homesickness in Nepal. 
And she continues here. 
I was so relieved to go home. 
That's a word from our Word Bank. 
Carolyn, when do you feel relieved? 
Well, when I'm really worried about something, I don't know what's going to happen. 
And then it all turns out OK; there are no problems. 
I feel very relieved. 
That's right. 
So maybe you're worried about a person. 
They got lost. 
Everyone's looking for them. 
And they finally are found. 
You could say: I was so worried about you. 
I'm relieved that you're OK. 
I'm OK now because you're OK. 
Well, Jo says: It wasn't until much later that I realized the full value of my experience and all it had taught me. 
Sometimes you don't know what to think in the moment. 
And years later or a long time later, you realize your experience has taught you something. 
Well, we want to continue learning with a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Ah, foreign girl! 
How are you doing? 
Actually, I'm a bit worse for wear. 
Oh? Why is that? 
Well, because of a political strike, I couldn't travel. 
Oh, too bad. 
And then I got food poisoning. 
Aw. No worries. 
Flexibility is key. 
Yeah, easy for you to say. 
I've heard that before. 
How do you like Summit Girls Dormitory? 
Well, I connected with some friends right away. 
Really? 
Yes. But those friendships were short-lived. 
Why? 
I couldn't hang around them. 
I was told I'm too fascinating and I might distract them. 
Oh, I understand. 
Tell me about dormitory life. 
Oh! It is so uncomfortable. 
And my bed is like a rock, and it's too short. 
Oh? What about the food? 
Lentils and rice, but I can't eat. 
I'm still sick. 
Oh, that's too bad. 
There isn't a shower. 
I have to wash my hair in a... in a bucket! 
How do you survive? 
Well, my roommates make my stay bearable. 
And... and even fun. 
Your roommates? 
Yes. They bridge the language and cultural gaps. 
That's nice. 
We share stories. 
And we watch Korean dramas late into the night. 
And that helps you? 
Yes. 
Oh, without them, I would cry myself to sleep every night. 
Oh, how sad! 
Yeah... The bed is so uncomfortable. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our lesson. 
In our lesson that Jo has written Life in Nepal: Part 3, she told us a little bit about her experiences and how difficult it was to live in this dormitory. 
But her friends from Singapore, her roommates made her stay bearable. 
Gabe, has this ever happened to you? 
Have you had people help you through a difficult situation? 
Hmm, sure! 
Yeah. Actually, a while ago, after I broke up with somebody, it was difficult for both of us. 
And I had a very important friend, Aaron, who was there with me, and he helped me through that difficult time in my life. 
Um, but I'm sure that that's happened to you as well. 
Maybe someone has helped you through a difficult situation. 
We all face them, and we all need good friends to help us. 
And here at Studio Classroom, we are your friend for life. 
So we will see you again next time. 
See you then. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.11.04.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're talking about the month of November. 
Yes, of course we do this every month. 
We talk about things that are special about that month. 
Well, what kinds of things are special about November? 
Can you think of any? 
Carolyn, what is special about November? 
Well, in the United States, November is pretty special because that's when we celebrate Thanksgiving. 
But Gabe, I noticed something very special about your appearance today. 
You noticed? 
You have a mustache. 
You're right about that, Carolyn. 
I have a mustache, a nice, thick, black mustache. 
And do you know why? 
Well, I've heard that November has also been called Movember, Mustache November. 
Mustache November, beginning with an M. 
That's right. 
Many guys grow out of their mustaches to raise awareness about prostate cancer, a certain type of cancer that some men get. 
They want to change the face of men's health. OK. 
So if you want to raise awareness and help in this way, then you can also grow out your mustache. 
All right. 
Well, we have a lot to learn about the month of November. 
So let's get started. 
(Music). 
November. 
There is a lot to celebrate in November! 
In the north, cold winds blow. 
The rich colors of autumn have faded, and winter is not far away. 
But in the Southern Hemisphere, summer is just heating up! 
Whatever the weather, there is plenty to celebrate in November! 
Britain celebrates Guy Fawkes Day on November 5. 
They remember the plot to blow up the English parliament and King James I in 1605. 
Thankfully, the plot did not succeed. 
The English remember this day and celebrate it with big fires and fireworks. 
(Music). 
Guy Fawkes Day sounds like a very exciting holiday. 
But before we talk about it, let's go back to the beginning of our article. 
There is a lot to celebrate in November! 
And as we read: 
In the north, cold winds blow. 
The rich colors of autumn have faded, and winter is not far away. 
So the seasons are changing. 
That's right. 
Of course our first sentence here, we read: Cold winds blow. 
Now you see an S at the end of the word "wind." That's OK. 
You could talk about the wind blowing or the cold winds that are blowing. 
And of course here we see a word from our Word Bank. 
It is faded, or to fade. 
The rich colors of autumn have faded. 
Now if something fades, that means it used to be a nice, rich color, but now it's kind of turning a little bit maybe white or dead, maybe a little bit pale. 
It fades. 
Well, what else can fade? 
Well, your clothes can fade. 
If you leave your black clothes in the sunlight, they will fade. 
So be careful where you put your clothes so that they don't become faded. 
Oh, that's a great point, Carolyn. 
I have some T-shirts at home that have faded. 
They were... they are not now the original nice color that they were before. 
Well, what else could fade? 
Maybe you could talk about someone's popularity fading, or someone's fame fading. 
So they're not as famous as they were before. 
Well, we continue here. 
Winter is not far away. 
But in the Southern Hemisphere, summer is just heating up. 
OK. Well, for most of us in the Northern Hemisphere, winter is approaching. 
But in the Southern Hemisphere, it's just heating up. 
Let's take a look at that phrase. 
What does that mean if something is heating up? 
Well, if it's heating up, then it is getting started. 
It is just beginning. 
You could say that the game, the basketball game is just starting to heat up. 
So the players are getting ready to start playing. 
All right. It's heating up. 
Of course here in our lesson, it means it's getting started as well as it's getting hotter. 
But it could also mean getting more intense. 
For example, a conversation could be heating up. 
People might start to discuss and argue about things if something is heating up. 
That's right. 
Well, whatever the weather, there is plenty to celebrate in November. 
And that is true. 
We will be talking about so many things that are celebrated this month. 
Well, let's get started. 
But first, let's learn something with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article the writer states: 
Whatever the weather, there is plenty to celebrate in November! 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
It just means no matter what the weather is, there is plenty to celebrate in November. 
Notice the phrase at the beginning of today's sentence: whatever the [something]. 
It means no matter what something is. 
You can begin a sentence with this phrase "whatever the something" when you want to talk about how a situation is a certain way no matter what something may be. 
For example: 
Whatever the outcome, the contestants are all glad they have this chance to compete in this tournament. 
Or: Whatever the material, this style of dress is very comfortable. 
Now it's your turn. 
Think of a situation that is a certain way no matter what, and practice using this phrase at the beginning of your sentence. 
That's all the time we have for today. 
Thanks for joining me here. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
I'll see you next time. 
Bye-bye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Now let's learn about some of these great holidays, celebrations that happen in November. 
We read: Britain celebrates Guy Fawkes Day on November 5. 
They remember the plot to blow up the English parliament and King James I in 1605. 
Well, this is a very interesting holiday to be celebrating. 
Well, I think so, too. 
Guy Fawkes Day. 
This is about a plot to blow up parliament. 
Let's take a look at that word "plot." You have a plot to do something. 
That means you have a plan in mind, but it's not just any old plan. 
This kind of plot or plan is usually illegal. 
It's kind of illegal to do. 
And it's usually kept a secret. 
You don't want other people to know what you are plotting. 
So for example, you might say, if you remember, in August we learned about the Great Train robbery, the men plotted to rob the train. 
They didn't tell anyone that they were going to do it. 
That's right. 
And Carolyn just said they plotted to do this. 
As you can see, this word can be a noun or a verb. 
We're learning about the plot to blow up parliament, or they plotted to blow up the English parliament and King James I. 
OK. Well, let's take a look at this "parliament" word. 
Well, parliament is the law-making of a country, especially a country like England. 
Now this plot was pretty interesting. 
Carolyn, what do you know about this plot? 
Well, it's been made into a movie. 
So if you're interested in that, you can look up a movie about Guy Fawkes. 
And there's actually a popular poem that goes along with this day. 
Really! 
Yes, so that no one will forget. 
All right. 
Remember, remember, the Fifth of November, 
the Gunpowder Treason and Plot. 
I know of no reason the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot. 
I like that. 
Very good! Nice, Carolyn. 
I can appreciate that kind of poem. 
Well, Guy Fawkes, he tried to do this. 
And I think that uh... well, it did not succeed, we find out here. 
Thankfully, the plot did not succeed. 
The English remember this day and celebrate it with big fireworks. 
All right. 
So we remember Guy Fawkes Day with big fireworks. 
That's also another word from our Word Bank: fireworks. 
Well, you can use fireworks to celebrate something like the Fourth of July or the New Year. 
Fireworks. 
That's right. 
And they're a lot of fun. 
And people do use them for many different holidays, so. 
People use fireworks on Guy Fawkes Day, Chinese New Year and the Fourth of July in the United States. 
And here we learn that the British don't only use fireworks, they also celebrate with big fires and fireworks. 
So this is quite an exciting holiday. 
That's right. 
Well, there's another word that's similar to fireworks. 
It's the word firecracker. 
Now what's the difference? 
Kind of the way they sound - firecrackers are loud and kind of annoying to me. 
Fireworks, they usually make a sound that goes up into the sky... (Background Noise) and then they explode. 
Kind of like that, except a lot louder. 
That's right. 
OK, so fireworks and firecrackers. 
Well, thank you, Gabe. 
Right now it is time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.04.B

Today we're talking about things that are special in November, or things that you can remember in November. 
And yes, of course, you noticed that I am wearing a mustache. 
I'm just going to remind you: 
That's because it's Movember, beginning with an M, Mustache November. 
And that is to raise awareness for prostate cancer or about prostate cancer. 
And of course, we want to change the face of men's health. 
All right. 
So if you want to do that as well, you can grow your mustache. 
Well, we also learned about Guy Fawkes Day so far. 
It's a celebration on November 5, especially in England. 
OK, we have more to learn about November. 
So let's do that now. 
(Music). 
November. 
November 11 is celebrated as Veterans Day or Remembrance Day. 
This day honors soldiers who have fought for their countries. 
On November 17, celebrate Electronic Greeting Card Day by sending your friends ecards! 
World Hello Day is November 21. 
Say hello to 10 people on this day to promote peace. 
Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. 
It's a time to be thankful and to have a turkey dinner with family and friends. 
November's birthstone is the topaz or citrine, and its flower is the beautiful chrysanthemum. 
Enjoy November - no matter what the weather is like! 
(Music). 
There are many ways that we can enjoy the month of November. 
And we go back to the beginning of this section of the reading to continue learning about another holiday. 
We read: November 11 is celebrated as Veterans Day or Remembrance Day. 
So this is 11 - 11, November 11. 
All right. And what is a veteran? 
Well, that is someone who has served as a soldier or someone in the military. 
Now usually when I hear the word veteran, I think of a war veteran, someone who has actually not only been a soldier but been a soldier in war somewhere. 
So Veterans Day is also called Remembrance Day, remembering the people who fought for your country. 
That's right. 
And on that day, many people in the United States will go to different memorials, 
especially near Washington D.C. because there are many veterans' memorials, 
and people like to put flowers there and wreaths to remember the people who have protected the country. 
And so of course as we read here: This day honors soldiers who have fought for their countries. 
All right. 
Well, I think it's a great thing to do to honor the people who have done something like this, who have gone out and fought for your country. 
It's not easy to be a soldier to get involved in a war or a battle of some kind. 
So it's good to have this kind of Remembrance Day. 
That's right. 
And we continue learning about more holidays. 
On November 17... or on November 17, celebrate Electronic Greeting Card Day by sending your friends ecards. 
So this is a very fun holiday that you can celebrate by sending ecards to your friends. 
And we see a word from our Word Bank in this sentence, the word electronic. 
Now if something is electronic, then it means that you probably need electricity to use it and usually refers to something you do on the computer. 
That's true. 
So for example, you see the word "ecard" here. 
Well, that's short for electronic card. 
Maybe email as well, electronic mail, something you don't write out by hand and send through the mail, but you can just do it with your computer. 
But what else is electronic? 
Well, of course some games are electronic. 
Some toys are electronic as well. 
That's right. 
They need electricity in order to work. 
You can put a battery in them, and then they will be able to be used. 
Well, we continue learning about another very friendly holiday. 
World Hello Day is November 21. 
Say hello to ten people on this day to promote peace. 
Well, we want to promote peace. 
And of course we also want to talk about this word "promote." It's from our Word Bank. 
Now if you promote something, that means you encourage the idea somehow by doing something or by saying something. 
You can promote people; you can promote ideas. 
That's right. 
So you might say we should promote peace. 
This is a very common idea. 
But you could also promote love. 
You could promote a cause. 
Maybe you want to promote a charity. 
Or you want to promote the company that you work for or promote something that you want someone to buy. 
Well, actually there is a coffee shop in this neighborhood called Kooka Coffee. 
I love their coffee, so I'd like to promote them. 
Of course you can promote your friends' businesses or... or a company, just like Carolyn said, the company that you work for. 
Well, Carolyn, since it is Hello Day, we should say hello to at least ten people. 
Um, hello! 
Oh, well, it's not... it's not today, Gabe. 
Oh! 
No. No, no. No... November 21. 
Oh, November 21. 
Yes. 
Well, I'm going to get started by saying hello to someone every day. 
Ah, well, you could say hello to someone every day this month. 
That would probably also help to promote peace. 
Well, we do want to continue to say hello to other people. 
Let's say hello to Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
When we begin to study a foreign language, one of the first things we normally learn about is greetings. 
They're in the first chapter of every good and respectable language phrase book. 
In English, the most common greeting is, of course, hello. 
It's simple to say and easy to remember. 
And everyone knows what it means. 
Now sometimes problems arise when students experiment with more formal and complex English greetings, particularly with the phrase: Nice to meet you. 
It's a great greeting to use when you meet someone for the first time. 
However, it's not a phrase you should use when you meet someone you've already met. 
Right. 
Time and again I've run into acquaintances, some I've known for one, two, or even five years who, when they see me, say: Nice to meet you. 
Friends, the phrase "Nice to meet you" should only be used when you meet someone for the very first time. 
Appropriate greetings to use when you meet someone for a second or third time could include the word "again." So for example, you might say: 
It's good to see you again. 
Or: It's nice to run into you again. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, let's continue learning about something very special in November. 
Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. 
And what is Thanksgiving all about? 
Well, it's a time to be thankful and to have a turkey dinner with family and friends. 
And I know I celebrate Thanksgiving this way by spending time with my friends and Skyping with my family. 
I think that's a great thing to do. 
If you're living overseas, you can always communicate with Skype or something like that. 
And of course, Thanksgiving is a time to share what you are thankful for in life. 
All right. 
Well, we learn something here about the November stone and the flower as well. 
November's birthstone is the topaz or citrine, and its flower is the beautiful chrysanthemum. 
Well, that is a wonderful flower and a wonderful stone. 
And you can enjoy November no matter what the weather is like. 
All right. 
Well, we've enjoyed this lesson learning about November. 
And of course we always enjoy time with Michelle. 
Let's go visit her now in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's head back to our lesson. 
We've learned a lot about different ways to celebrate November. 
And one of those ways is to remember veterans on November 11, which is coming up pretty soon. 
Now Gabe, do you know any veterans or soldiers? 
Actually, yeah, I do. 
My little sister Frances recently married a soldier. 
Now he hasn't experienced a lot of difficulties in war like a lot of veterans, but it's good to know someone who works as a soldier. 
That is very true. 
And we want to appreciate him and say thank you to all of the veterans out there. 
Well, thank you for joining us here at Studio Classroom. 
And we will see you next time. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.11.05.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Our lesson today is called Google Glass is a Promising Innovation. 
Of course if you know anything about Google, they're inventing things all the time. 
They are a prominent, a very important company, an organization in today's world. 
If you use the Internet, you use Google all the time. 
Well, today we're talking about Google Glass, which is a product that they've been working on. 
It's a promising innovation. 
It's a kind of technology. 
Now what kinds of technology do you find really useful? 
Carolyn, do you find any kind of technology especially useful? 
Well, I don't have too much technology. 
I might be a little behind the times, Gabe. 
But I love my laptop computer. 
OK. 
I... I find it very convenient. 
I can take it lots of places with me. 
But I'm thinking about getting a tablet because it would be much easier to transport to and from different places. 
And it's smaller and lighter. 
And... and you have touchscreen. 
Yeah! 
Oh, yeah! 
I think that might be a good idea for you, Carolyn. 
Get a tablet, or at least get a smartphone. 
I enjoy my smartphone. 
I also enjoy using things like USBs and... I mean, I think there are a lot of great technology items out there. 
And of course, in today's lesson we're going to be learning about a new one called Google Glass. 
So let's get started. 
(Music). 
Google Glass is a Promising Innovation. 
Putting the Internet right before your eyes. 
With the arrival of smartphones, our computers moved from our desktops into our pockets. 
Now, tech giant Google is betting that people will warm up to the idea of wearing computers on their faces in the form of Internet-connected eyewear. 
This new device, called Glass, looks like a pair of sunglasses from a science-fiction movie, minus the lenses. 
The computer that powers Glass is built into the arm of the glasses frame, which also contains a touch pad, microphone and front-facing camera. 
Glass connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi or to the user's smartphone by means of a Bluetooth link. 
(Music). 
Well, so far Google Glass sounds like a pretty interesting, exciting new piece of technology. 
Well, let's go back to our title here. 
We have a word from our Word Bank: innovation. 
Google Glass could be a promising innovation. 
An innovation is something new that Google is coming up with - Google Glass. 
That's right. 
Now an innovation is a little bit different from an invention. 
An invention is a thing that you can use, that you can see or hold or feel or touch. 
But an innovation could just be a new idea or a new way or a method of doing something. 
But it can also include new things. 
It can include new inventions. 
That's right. 
So do you remember learning about Bluetooth fashion? 
Well, that was a new kind of innovation as well. 
Of course people have been using Bluetooth for years. 
Now there's a way to make Bluetooth look cool. 
That's a... an innovation of a different kind. 
Well, today we're talking about Google Glass. 
It's a promising innovation. 
What does promising mean? 
That means there's probably a good future with Google Glass. 
That's right. 
And it is putting the Internet right before your eyes. 
And let's look at that phrase: right before your eyes. 
That means it's right in front of you. 
And you can see it very clearly. 
Now usually I use this phrase or I see it when something happens right in front of you. 
It happened right before my eyes. 
Oh, you heard about the accident? 
Well, the accident happened right before my eyes! 
I saw everything as it happened. 
Here we're talking about it in a literal way. 
You can actually have something right in front of your eyes. 
You're putting the Internet right before your eyes. 
That's right. 
So we have these glasses, this Google Glass. 
Let's learn about it right now. 
With the arrival of smartphones, our computers move from our desktops into our pockets. 
Uh, Gabe, do you have a computer in your pocket? 
Well, actually I do because my smartphone is a kind of computer. 
And I like the way that this sentence is worded. 
It's kind of cute. 
Our computers moved from our desktops, from on top of our desks, into our pockets like with this smartphone. 
Now, tech giant Google is betting that people will warm up to the idea of wearing computers on their faces in the form of Internet-connected eyewear. 
Carolyn, what is a giant? 
What is the tech giant Google? 
Well, usually when we hear the word "giant," it's talking about something that is very, very big. 
But let's look at this word a little bit closer. 
A tech giant or a something giant describes something that is a major player or very influential in a certain area. 
That's right. 
So of course Google is a tech giant, or a technology giant, this big company. 
Now what are some other giants out there? 
Well, Facebook is a social networking giant, a company that everyone knows about when it comes to social networking. 
What about the fast food giant McDonald's? 
Everyone knows about that company. 
That's right. 
And we're talking about the tech giant Google and some of their new innovations. 
And they think that people will warm up to wearing computers on their faces. 
This phrase is from our Word Bank: to warm up to something. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that means maybe you're not sure of it at first, but you like the idea more and more. 
I could use this phrase like this. 
Actually when I first got my cat (Chinese), he was a little uncomfortable with me. 
But over time, he warmed up to me. 
So that's how you can use that phrase. 
That's right. 
So you can warm up to an idea. 
You can also warm up to a person. 
I was not very comfortable with the person I was assigned to work with on this project. 
But I'm starting to warm up to them because we have to get along to complete the work. 
That's right. 
It's good to warm up to people you need to work with. 
Well, let's continue here. 
This new device, called Glass, looks like a pair of sunglasses from a science-fiction movie, minus the lenses. 
Of course a science-fiction movie, maybe like Star Wars or After Earth, Avatar, those kinds of movies might have glasses like that. 
And they look very unique. 
And we learn about these glasses. 
The computer that powers Glass is built into the arm of the glasses frame, which also contains a touch pad, microphone and front-facing camera. 
OK. So all of this is in the arm of the glasses frame. 
That means they connect to your ears. 
That's the arm, part of the glasses. 
All right. 
And Glass connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi or to the user's smartphone by means of a Bluetooth link. 
So this pair of glasses includes a whole lot. 
I didn't know you could fit that much just into a single pair of glasses. 
But this is a new innovation. 
Right now it's time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.05.B

Today we are learning about Google Glass, a promising innovation from tech giant Google. 
Well, they are betting that people will warm up to the idea of wearing glasses on their face so that they can see the Internet right before their eyes. 
This is a very interesting idea. 
And these glasses have a small computer in the arm of the glasses frame. 
They're very small and pretty cool-looking. 
And we have a lot more to learn about this great new innovation in our lesson. 
Let's continue reading now. 
Google Glass is a Promising Innovation. 
Users view Glass's display by glancing up at a small prism in the upper right corner of their field of vision. 
The prism displays the user's timeline, which appears as a row of cards featuring such things as current time, calendar appointments or email notifications. 
Users communicate with Glass by using voice commands or by tapping the touch pad. 
All voice commands begin with the phrase "OK, Glass" followed by specific instructions such as "Take a picture," or "Get directions to Gino's Pizza.". 
Thanks to the use of bone conduction, users can hear Glass giving turn-by-turn directions or reading emails to them. 
(Music). 
All right. We're learning about all the different things you can do with Google Glass. 
Let's go back to the beginning of our section here. 
Users view Glass's display by glancing up at a small prism in the upper right corner of their field of vision. 
All right. 
So if you're wearing this pair of glasses, you can see on the little screen or the glasses on the right side, you can see a little display. 
That's all the information that you need. 
Which is very cool. 
And it has a prism. 
It describes it as a prism. 
Now that's just a small area that refracts or reflects light. 
And it's usually shaped with many, many different triangles. 
Now when I think of a prism, sometimes I do think of glasses... 
because eye doctors will use prisms in glasses to help you focus on certain things so that your eyes don't get distracted. 
Oh, very interesting. OK. 
Well, here we're talking about the use of a prism in another way. 
Actually, there's a tiny little glass prism that reflects this image onto the screen that you can see in the right hand corner of your field of vision. 
Carolyn, what's your field of vision? 
Well, your field of vision is the things that you can see. 
So someone might ask you: Oh, can you... can you see that out in the distance? 
It's kind of far. 
But, oh, no, I can't. It's beyond my field of vision. 
It's too far away for me to see. 
All right. Well, it sounds like Google Glass is useful in the same ways that a smartphone is useful. 
Now we see here, we're learning about a user's timeline that appears on the display. 
A timeline. 
Well, maybe if you have a Facebook account or you use LINE, there is a timeline there. 
It's the kinds of things that people are doing. 
What are your friends doing or what are you doing that is listed in your timeline? 
That's right. 
So it's just a list of events or things that are happening, and it appears as a row of cards. 
So this is a very interesting setup or format for this display. 
And one of the things it displays are email notifications. 
And notification is a word from our Word Bank. 
Now that's an announcement. 
It tells you that something has happened. 
And if you use some sort of social media, you might get a notification that your friend sends you a message or they updated their status. 
Oh, my goodness. There are so many different kinds of notifications. 
Every time I log in to Facebook, I get so many notifications. 
And most of them are not personal to me, things that maybe I don't even really care about. 
Would you like to add this game or start playing this game? 
There are all sorts of notifications. 
Carolyn, do you always check all of your notifications? 
I look to see what is happening and then I ignore most of them. 
Right. 
I think there are so many now these days. 
Well, there are notifications on Facebook. 
And as you can see, if you have Google Glass, you might get notifications about all sorts of things. 
Well, let's continue here. 
Users communicate with Glass by using voice commands or by tapping the touch pad. 
OK. So you can use voice commands just by speaking. 
And do you remember where the touch pad is? 
That's right! It's on the arm of your glasses. 
And all voice commands begin with the phrase "OK, Glass" followed by specific instructions such as "Take a picture," or "Get directions to Gino's Pizza.". 
So you can talk to the glasses and tell them what to do. 
Well, that sounds very useful. 
I might be interested in purchasing a pair of Google glasses. 
Well, thanks to the use of bone conduction, users can hear Glass giving turn-by-turn directions or reading emails to them. 
Well, it sounds very useful. 
If something is turn-by-turn, that means you say one thing, and then it's turn for the next thing. 
So turn-by-turn directions, that means turn right, OK, now go straight, now turn left, OK, now keep going straight. 
That is turn-by-turn directions. 
Well, this does sound like a great innovation, a very useful one. 
And we need to learn some more with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud about emails. 
And then we'll enjoy a review skit, and join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
If you're a regular Info Cloud listener or viewer, you'll know how often we stress the difference between countable and uncountable nouns. 
Well, today we have another uncountable noun for you - mail, M-A-I-L. 
As a mass noun, mail is never countable. 
If you want to count it, you can use the word "piece." I received seven pieces of mail today. 
Or if you want to use a countable word, you can use the word letter. 
But seven pieces of mail is not necessarily the same as seven letters. 
Seven pieces of mail may have only one real letter, the rest might be junk mail or bills. 
OK, so that's mail. 
And then there's email, which has both countable and uncountable usages, depending on the context. 
For example, we don't say we have seven pieces of email, we can simply say we have seven emails. 
And that's the countable usage. 
But you can also say you received a lot of email today. 
And that's uncountable. 
OK. So how did the countable usage come about? 
The word email has developed as a shorthand reference to email message, which is countable. 
So instead of saying you have seven email messages, you can shorten it by saying you have seven emails. 
(Chinese). 
Technology! I love it! 
Me, too. 
Computers move from desktops into our pockets - the smartphone! 
And now, Google has invented computers you can wear on your face. 
A computer for your face? 
No thanks. 
Google is betting that you'll warm up to the idea. 
I don't think so. 
But how does it work? 
The new device is called Glass. 
Ha... It looks like sunglasses from a sci-fi movie. 
Built into the frame is a touch pad, microphone and a camera. 
What about Internet? 
It links to your smartphone. 
Where is the display? 
This small prism in the upper right of my field of vision. 
It's so tiny. 
It is! But it displays time, calendar appointments and email notifications. 
All that? 
Users can communicate by tapping the touch pad. 
It's so tiny! 
Or by using voice commands. 
Really? 
Yes. 
OK, Glass, take a photo. 
1, 2, 3, smile! 
Wow! 
OK, Glass, get directions to Bob's party. 
Can you hear it? 
Oh, yes. 
It has bone conduction. 
I can here turn-by-turn directions. 
Wow! 
Oh, it can also read my emails. 
Hey, I want Google Glass. 
I knew you'd warm up to it. 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are up to. 
Well, Google Glass sounds really interesting. 
I really like learning about the bone conduction, actually. 
I heard that if you cover your ears, you can actually hear because of the sound waves. 
You can hear what the directions are even more clearly. 
This is a really cool innovation. 
Well, Carolyn, how would you feel about wearing something like Google Glass and talking to this thing out in public? 
Well, that would be kind of difficult. 
I have to get used to it. 
I'm not used to really talking to myself. 
I know when I see people wearing Bluetooth headsets, 
I always feel a little bit odd because I don't know if they're talking to me or if they're talking to someone on their Bluetooth speaker, trying to have a phone call. 
Yeah, I feel the same way sometimes. 
Well, this does sound very interesting. 
I... I think I would like to purchase Google Glass if I had the money. 
And actually, it gives me an idea for an innovation of my own. 
Well, we have more to learn in our next lesson about Google Glass. 
And so we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.11.06.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to learn about Google Glass. 
And of course, it is a promising innovation. 
As you can see, I also have something cool here on my head. 
I call it "Cool Helmet." And I think it's a promising innovation. 
It's my own idea. 
Carolyn, what do you think about this? 
Well, it's certainly special, Gabe. 
Um, what... what can Cool Helmet do? 
Well, Cool Helmet can do lots of things. 
"What can't Cool Helmet do?" is a better question. 
For example, I don't need to use my hands, I can just say, "OK, Cool Helmet," and then do something, like um... 
OK, Cool Helmet, call Carolyn. 
Carolyn, is your phone ringing? 
Uh, no, it's not, Gabe. 
Oh! Um... well, I still need some work on Cool Helmet. 
Well, you continue working on Cool Helmet, and we will continue learning about Google Glass is a Promising Innovation. 
Google Glass is a Promising Innovation. 
Where Glass began. 
Glass originated as a special project at Google X, Google's top-secret research lab. 
The first prototype for Glass was a 10-pound, head-mounted display. 
Later versions looked like swimming goggles with cellphones connected to them. 
The current version is a slim visor that weighs about the same as a pair of sunglasses. 
First impressions. 
The first group of Glass testers, called Explorers, shared their experiences with Google this past spring. 
Several users enjoyed using Glass to take hands-free pictures and hear turn-by-turn directions while walking. 
It would be very exciting to be one of these first people who get to try out Google Glass for the first time and experiment with it. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of our article and learn a little bit about where Glass began. 
Glass originated as a special project at Google X, Google's top-secret research lab. 
Have you heard of Google X before, Gabe? 
You know, I haven't, Carolyn. 
But this is where this research originated. 
Hmm, I would like to learn more about Google X. 
But let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank here: originate. 
That means it began here. 
You could use this word like this: 
Rock music originated in the United States in the 1950s. 
Or some people say that (Chinese) originated in Taichung. 
So you could talk about originating at a place or at a certain time. 
That's right. 
You might say that the story in this book originated as a family folk tale. 
So it was just a story that people in this family told, and someone decided to write it down. 
That's right. 
And of course here we're talking about the origin of Google Glass, where it originated. OK. 
The first prototype for Glass was a 10-pound, head-mounted display. 
That sounds really heavy and awkward and something that I would not like to put around my eyes or on my face. 
Well, if it's mounted on your head... oh, no, 10 pounds! 
That's almost the same as what your head weighs. 
Yeah. My head weighs 10 pounds. 
That would be very difficult to wear. 
Yeah! That's 20 pounds on your shoulders. 
Ah, good exercise! 
Good exercise for your neck muscles, but not fun to wear. 
So later versions looked like swimming goggles with cellphones connected to them. 
Also an interesting idea. 
Yeah, that is very interesting idea. 
I'm going to have to remember that. 
All right. Well, let's continue here. 
The current version is a slim visor that weighs about the same as a pair of sunglasses. 
All right. 
So some sunglasses, they are... uh, split in the middle so it's two lenses. 
A visor, that kind of sunglasses is... it has no part in the middle. 
So it's just one piece of glass all the way across. 
That's right. 
So it's a slim visor, so this is very thin. 
It's not this heavy 10-pound, head-mounted display. 
It's just a small pair of glasses. 
But the lenses are a little bit different. 
That's right. 
Now of course everyone has a different impression, different thoughts about Google Glass. 
Let's learn about the first impressions here, how it impressed people. 
The first group of Glass testers, called Explorers, shared their experiences with Google this past spring. 
So that means they went out, they took Google Glass, and they went to do lots of different things with Google Glass. 
They shared their experiences just recently. 
That's right. 
And we see "this past spring," not this last spring or something like that, right, Gabe? 
That's right. 
So this past spring, that means the most recent spring. 
Now as you can see, there are other words like this, and they mean different things. OK. 
So if you're talking about last spring, Carolyn, now it's 2013, when was last spring? 
Well, if you said last spring, I might think you were talking about 2012. 
So the spring in 2012. 
If you say past spring, then I would think that you were talking about the spring in 2013. 
That's right, this past spring. 
And of course you can talk about things in the future as well. 
Next weekend - that means the weekend after this coming weekend. 
It can be a little bit confusing. 
You have to listen to what your friend is saying. 
I can say I did something this last weekend. 
Or what will you do this weekend? 
It all depends on what your friend is saying, whether they're talking about the past or the future. 
That's right. 
And sometimes it might not be clear, so you can just ask. 
Oh, do you mean a few days from now, or are you talking about a few days ago? 
All right. 
So it's good to ask these kinds of questions. 
OK. So we're talking about how these people, the Explorers, shared their experiences with Google this past spring in 2013. 
Several users enjoyed using Glass to take hands-free pictures and hear turn-by-turn directions while walking. 
What does that mean, hands-free pictures? 
Well, it means that you don't need to use your hands to push a button on a camera or to click something on your smartphone. 
You don't need to use your hands. 
It's hands-free. 
And we learned yesterday that Google Glass is operated by voice commands. 
So you can say: OK, Glass, take a picture. 
And wherever you are looking, Glass will take a picture for you. 
You don't need to use your hands to touch any buttons. 
That's right. 
And actually, I can think of another benefit to Google Glass. 
Do you remember learning about text neck? 
Well, a lot of people like to look down at their smartphones while they're walking. 
And it's bad for your neck. 
This is another benefit to Google Glass. 
You don't have to keep looking down. 
That is a great benefit. 
And right now it is time to continue with benefits by learning something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.06.B

Well, today we're continuing to learn about Google Glass, and it sounds like a promising innovation. 
We talked about the origin of Google Glass, or where it originated - in this top-secret lab at Google called Google X. 
And of course, the very first version, this prototype, was very heavy and kind of awkward. 
And then of course it became something that looked kind of like swimming goggles that you wear around your eyes. 
And now the current version is a slim visor that weighs about the same as this pair of sunglasses, this visor... these visors that I am wearing. 
Well, we have more to learn about the Google Glass. 
Let's do that now. 
Google Glass is a Promising Innovation. 
Negative experiences included low battery life and the awkward feeling of talking to Glass in public. 
Major concerns. 
Despite the hype surrounding Glass, many are worried that the device's video recording function could endanger privacy. 
In response, a handful of U.S. lawmakers requested Google CEO Larry Page to disclose how Google will add privacy protection functions to Glass. 
Supporters of Glass respond by saying that Glass can't do anything beyond what smartphones can already do. 
Glass will become available to the public sometime later this year or next. 
Then users can decide whether Glass is a potential spying device or an innovative tool for connecting with others and the Internet. 
(Music). 
We were talking about the Explorers and their experiences that they shared with Google this past spring. 
We talked about some of the positive experiences like taking hands-free pictures or getting turn-by-turn directions. 
But now we are reading about some of the not-so-good points. 
Negative experiences included low battery life and the awkward feeling of talking to Glass in public. 
Yeah. I can understand that - why some people would feel that way. 
That's how I felt when I'm looking at people who have Bluetooth, that little piece of technology on their ear. 
It looks like they're talking in public to themselves. 
But really, they're talking with a Bluetooth. 
Now you might have the same experience if you are having... if you're wearing Google Glass in public. 
But the low battery life... I don't know, I think there's a way to solve that. 
Maybe if you took your... your wire, and you connected it to an outlet at a cafe in public, that would be OK, right? 
Well, I think that might be even more awkward since you would be charging your glasses. 
Yeah. 
But you said in public, and I think Steve and Ken have some information they want to share with us about the public. 
When you do something in public, you do it in a place or in a way so that other people can see it. 
For example, it is illegal to smoke in public. 
Notice it's not in "the" public. 
"In public" is an idiom. 
"The public" refers to the people as a whole. 
Now the next question is, should we use a singular or plural verb with "the public"? 
Should I say the public is not allowed in or the public are not allowed in? 
And the answer? Both could be used depending on who you talk to. 
If you talk to Americans, the word "public" is singular because it refers to the public as one entity. 
But in British English, the public is often regarded as plural as it refers to different members of the community, not organized together. 
So someone from England would say the public are not allowed in because he sees the public as a set of individuals. 
And public is considered a collective noun. 
Some other examples of collective nouns include corporation, team and government. 
Now as an American, I would say the team is having a winning season, whereas the British might say the team are having a winning season. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
You should go public with that idea. 
OK. Let's continue here learning about major concerns. 
Despite the hype surrounding Glass, many are worried that the device's video recording function could endanger privacy. 
So despite the hype here. 
That means there is a lot of hype. 
Let's talk about that word from our Word Bank. 
You have hype. That means that people are excited about something. 
That's right. 
So there's a lot of advertising, a lot of publicity going on, and it's getting people talking about this new item. 
Many times if a famous author has just written a new book, there will be a lot of hype about the book's release. 
And people will wait in line for hours to buy one of the first copies. 
Or maybe not just a book or the author, but maybe there's a lot of hype over a new actor or actress or singer. 
OK, and maybe a question you can ask - people are really excited about something, you could say: 
What's all the hype about? 
That means, why are people so excited? 
That's right. 
Well, there is a lot of excitement, a lot of hype about Google Glass. 
But some people are concerned about privacy issues because Google Glass can take videos and pictures. 
And in response to this concern, we continue to read: 
In response, a handful of U.S. lawmakers requested Google CEO Larry Page to disclose how Google will add privacy protection functions to Glass. 
Well, I think that's important, privacy protection functions. OK. 
Of course it's important to protect your privacy. 
And you don't want other people to be taking pictures of you or doing things that... that will, um, affect your privacy. OK. 
So it's important to protect your privacy. 
Now the CEO Larry Page, he's been pressured to disclose how they will add these functions. 
Let's talk about that word "disclose." That means to reveal something. 
That's right. So make that information public. 
What are your plans? 
Sometimes people will ask you to disclose your plans. 
Not that you are hiding anything major, but oh, just tell me what you're planning on doing. 
Can you disclose my uh, Christmas present there, Gabe? 
No... Carolyn, that is a secret, of course. 
I can't disclose what that is. 
Now there are some things in life that you don't want to disclose, maybe. 
Some people are uncomfortable disclosing their salary, for instance. 
Or they don't want to disclose their age to make a lot of people know how old they are. 
OK. So what kinds of things are OK to disclose? 
And what kinds of things do you want to keep private? 
That's right. 
Well, supporters of Glass respond by saying that Glass can't do anything beyond what smartphones can already do. 
So smartphones and Glass have all the same functions, so there shouldn't be extra concern. 
It's true. 
So Carolyn, like right here... Ah, very nice. 
I got a nice picture of Carolyn. 
I didn't ask her for permission, but I got the picture. 
I'm very glad. 
Now it's time for us to learn more with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
Here's today's Grammar Tip sentence: 
Supporters of Glass respond by saying that Glass can't do anything beyond what smartphones can already do. 
It just means that supporters of Glass are saying that Glass cannot do more than what smartphones can already do. 
In other words, Glass can only do what smartphones can do. 
Notice the sentence pattern: [something] + not [verb] beyond what [something else] + [verb]. 
This is a good pattern to use when you want to describe how A isn't better or greater than B because A can only do what B is able to do. 
For example: 
It's useless asking the nurse about the test results; she doesn't know anything beyond what we already know. 
Or: This hotel isn't any better than the last one; it doesn't provide any free services beyond what the previous hotel can provide. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Continuing: Glass will become available to the public sometime later this year or next. 
Then users can decide whether Glass is a potential spying device or an innovative tool for connecting with others and the Internet. 
Well, I think it's an innovative tool. 
Let's look at that word "innovative." It sounds like the key word we learned yesterday - innovation. 
An innovative person is someone who has a lot of these good ideas. 
That's right. 
And Google likes to... hire people who are very innovative so that they can come up with great new innovations like Google Glass. 
Well, my innovative idea is that Google Glass should be solar power, powered by the sun. 
That way, you don't have to worry about battery life. 
Well, that is a great innovation, Gabe. 
And right now it is time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's continue our lesson. 
Well, we have enjoyed learning all about Google Glass the past two days. 
And we are inspired with our own innovations, aren't we, Gabe? 
That's right, Carolyn. 
I added a special feature to Cool Helmet. 
These goggles and they will meet to use Cool Helmet underwater. 
Carolyn, what is special about your new innovation? 
Well, this is Cool Helmet Part 2. 
Oh, yeah! 
And instead of having a cellphone, I can stare directly at the sun. 
So cool! 
Well, thank you, friends, for joining us today learning about Google Glass and their promising innovation. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
Stay cool, like us! 
(Music).

2013.11.07.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Today we are going to Singapore. 
OK, no. We are not traveling to Singapore. 
But we will be talking about some fun things that you can do if you have a chance to visit Singapore. 
Well, of course there are fun things to do in any country. 
All over the world there are fun things to do. 
What kinds of fun things can you do in your home country? 
Carolyn, what kinds of fun things do you do where you're from? 
Well, I'm from the United States. 
So it's a very big country, and there's a lot of different things that you can do. 
It really depends on what you're interested in. 
If you like beaches or history or going outdoors and exploring national parks, there's something for everyone, really. 
Now Gabe, I think you might enjoy visiting battlefields from the Civil War. 
Actually, you're right. 
I would enjoy doing that, learning about things in history and places where wars... uh, took place. 
That sounds kind of interesting to me. 
Now I am American, but I grew up in Taiwan, so Taiwan is kind of my home country. 
And something fun to do here is go to the night markets. 
There are night markets in almost every city in Taiwan. 
Well, what are some fun things you can do in your home country? 
Talk about that in English. 
Right now let's get started with our lesson: Ten Fun Things to Do in Singapore. 
Ten Fun Things to Do in Singapore. 
This country may be small, but its possibilities are endless. 
A bustling city. 
Historical sites. 
Amusement parks. 
Tropical beaches. 
You can find all this and more packed into the 715-plus square kilometers of Singapore. 
If you visit this small but impressive country, here are some sights you won't want to miss. 
Night Safari. 
One of Singapore Zoo's most famous attractions, Night Safari lets you see nocturnal animals in their natural environment. 
Walk through the park at night for up-close views of animals from seven different geographical zones. 
Or take a tram ride with a guide who will share fascinating facts and stories. 
(Music). 
Well, I've been to the Night Safari, and it is quite fun. 
Let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here today. 
We read a sentence there. 
This country may be small, but its possibilities are endless. 
What does that mean if something's possibilities are endless? 
That means that the things that you can do there, the things that you can experience, there's just no end to them. 
There's no limit. 
There are so many, many different things that you can do or ways that you can do something. 
And it's true about Singapore. 
And it's a small country, but there are lots of things to do. 
The possibilities are endless. 
And the first thing we read here is about a bustling city. 
We're learning about Singapore. 
A bustling city. 
Historical sites. 
Amusement parks. 
Tropical beaches. 
All these short sentences, they're short for emphasis. 
But we have something to learn from that first sentence: bustle. 
Straight from our Word Bank, the word "bustle." That means there's a lot of activity going on. 
That's right. 
So it's a very busy city, a bustling city. 
You could also use this to describe other places. 
Maybe you want to go shopping, and it's a Saturday right before a holiday. 
The mall is bustling. 
There are so many people there. 
All of the stores are very busy. 
And of course, I was talking about night markets before. 
Sometimes the night markets can be very bustling. 
Or you could talk about a bustling party. 
There was a lot of activity. 
Lots of people were having fun. 
Here we're talking about Singapore; it is a bustling city. 
There are historical sites. 
I love amusement parks and of course tropical beaches. 
Do you like going to visit beaches, Carolyn? 
I do. They are very nice for relaxing. 
And you can find all this and more packed into the 715-plus square kilometers of Singapore. 
So it's just a small island, but there is a lot to see and do. 
That's right. 
So there are some things listed here in our lesson. 
You can do all this and more. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: all something and more. 
All this and more or all that and more. 
If you just listed some things you want to do, you can add this phrase. 
For example, you need to buy some shaving cream and some fruit. 
Well, if you go to the supermarket, you can buy all that and more. 
That's right, you can. 
And maybe you want to take a vacation, and you're working with a travel agent to plan your trip to Singapore. 
Well, they might tell you all of the different things you can do there and give you a list. 
But that's not all. 
There are so many things to do. 
You can do everything on the list and more. 
That's right. 
OK. So there's a lot to do in Singapore. 
And we continue here. 
If you visit this small but impressive country, here are some sites you won't want to miss. 
But before we take a look at some of those sites, there's a little word we want to talk about in that sentence. 
It's the little word "but." This is a great way to use it. 
You see this... the phrase: this small but impressive country. 
Adjective but adjective. 
Carolyn, how else could you use this phrase? 
Well, you could say this car is small but expensive. 
Or this car is very fast but cheap. 
So you can use it to describe a car or anything, really. 
That's right. 
Or maybe the car has a tiny but powerful engine. 
Or you could talk about the basketball player. 
He is a short but powerful basketball player, or short but fast basketball player. 
OK, so comparing two things. 
Now it's time for us to learn something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Hello, friends. 
What's the difference between spoken and written language? 
Lots of things. 
For example, when a language is spoken, we usually get to see the speaker's facial expressions and body gestures. 
We get to hear the speaker's tempo and tone of voice, all of which add meaning to what's being said. 
Spoken language is more informal, too. 
Sentence structures change, grammar rules are relaxed and words get slurred. 
Why? 
Because it saves time and effort. 
As an example, let's use the two words "want to" from this sentence in the first paragraph of today's lesson. 
Here are some sights you won't want to miss. 
Now when we speak, the words "want to" often get slurred together so that they sound something like this: 
Here are some sights you won't wanna miss. 
Did you hear it? 
Listen carefully and you'll also hear English speakers say "gonna" instead of going to. 
They'll say "gimme" instead of give me. 
And "what are you" when spoken gets slurred into "watcha" as in: Watcha doing? 
Because they are so informal, slurred words aren't usually taught in the classroom. 
But you need to be aware of them and train your ear to listen for them because English speakers love to slur their words. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
We're "gonna" continue with our lesson and look at our first thing on the list. 
Number one, the Night Safari. 
One of Singapore Zoo's most famous attractions, Night Safari lets you see nocturnal animals in their natural environment. 
Well, Gabe, have you been to the Night Safari in Singapore? 
I have, Carolyn. 
And I loved visiting the Night Safari. 
I especially loved the Bat Enclosure. 
They just flew all around you, big, giant bats. 
And of course the flying squirrel. 
You didn't know where it was, and all of a sudden, you see this thing coming flying over you, gliding over across the path. 
It was very exciting. 
Did you like the Night Safari when you went? 
I did like the Night Safari. 
It was a wonderful experience. 
And the bats were very cool. 
Some people don't like bats flying around their head, but I think it's nice. 
I grew up with that kind of environment, lots of animals. 
And it was really neat to see all of the nocturnal animals in their natural environments outside instead of behind a glass wall. 
That's right. 
And of course, a nocturnal animal is one that is awake or active mostly at night. 
Well, we continue reading here. 
Walk through the park at night for up-close views of animals from... seven different geographical zones. 
OK. That word is from our Word Bank: geographical. 
It's talking about geography. 
And of course the world has many different kinds of terrain or geography. 
That's right. 
So you might ask someone what the geographical location is like. 
Are there a lot of mountains or rivers? 
Is it flat? 
You can ask them about the geography or what type of geographical zone they live in. 
That's right. 
And of course, if you visit the Night Safari, there are animals from seven different geographical zones. 
So we see here you can take a tram with a guide who will share fascinating facts and stories. 
All right. 
This tram could be on rails or it could be kind of like a bus. 
At the Night Safari, it's more like a bus. 
OK. Right now it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.07.B

Today we are talking about the bustling city of Singapore and ten fun things that you can do in this small island country. 
So far we have talked about the Night Safari, which is part of the Singapore Zoo where you can see nocturnal animals in their natural habitat. 
We have two more things to talk about today and much more to learn as we continue this lesson. 
So let's get started with the next reading. 
(Music). 
Ten Fun Things to Do in Singapore. 
Chinatown. 
This area gets its unique flavor from the wide variety of Chinese people who live there. 
Beautiful historical buildings and classy restaurants line its streets. 
You can watch people practice traditional arts from calligraphy to dance. 
And Food Street offers many delicious snacks. 
Universal Studios. 
Enter the world of your favorite movies! 
This amusement park includes seven zones based on real or imaginary places. 
Enjoy roller coasters, live shows and street entertainment. 
You can even meet your favorite characters from Shrek, Transformers and more! 
Hmm, I have not yet been to Universal Studios in Singapore. 
I'll do that next time I go. 
Let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
We're talking about the second fun thing you can do in Singapore - Chinatown. 
Visit Chinatown. 
This area gets its unique flavor from the wide variety of Chinese people who live there. 
Now it gets its flavor. 
Are we talking about the taste of Chinese food here, Carolyn? 
No, we're not talking about the taste. 
We're talking about the environment, what it's like there. 
"It has a very unique flavor" means that it's a special place to go and it's different from other parts of the city. 
That's right. 
And of course there are a lot of people. 
There's a wide variety of things you can see there. 
Maybe you can see wide variety of... of sights in Chinatown. 
Now beautiful historical buildings and classy restaurants line its streets. 
You can watch people practice traditional arts from calligraphy to dance. 
Well, let's take a look at our word from the Word Bank there. 
It is "calligraphy." Basically, this is the art of handwriting. 
Yes, and particularly when we're talking about Chinese characters, so. 
I know lots of people who enjoy collecting calligraphy and treating it as art. 
Now, wow! I would like to see some of that art. 
Yes, some people can write characters very beautifully. 
That is good calligraphy. 
I had a calligraphy book when I was a child to help me with my calligraphy in English to write beautifully. 
But I don't think it helped me very much. 
Anyway, you can see some of this when you go to Chinatown in Singapore. 
And Food Street offers many delicious snacks. 
Another great reason to visit. 
Well, what's the next fun thing to do here, Carolyn? 
Well, our third one on the list is Universal Studios. 
Enter the world of your favorite movies. 
So this is a very special place that you can feel like you are inside your favorite movie. 
This amusement park includes seven zones based on real or imaginary places. 
OK, so again, another seven zones here, based on real or imaginary places. 
Imaginary. Well, that's a good word to talk about from our Word Bank. 
That means you use your imagination to think of it or to create it. 
So it's not real. 
That's right. It's not real. 
Maybe you had an imaginary friend when you were younger. 
Or the little boy has an imaginary dog because his parents won't let him have a real one. 
Hmm? Oh, yes. 
Yeah... No, I... I completely agree with you! 
No, I... I think it's great. 
Gabe, do you have an imaginary friend? 
Uh, imaginary? 
Yes. 
Carolyn, you don't see Philip? 
Uh, no, Gabe, I don't see Philip. 
Oh! Well, I... I guess, yes, he is imaginary. 
Um, goodbye, Philip. 
We need to keep on teaching. 
OK, see you! 
He's gone. 
Oh, OK. 
Well, let's continue with our lesson here. 
So you can enjoy roller coasters, live shows and street entertainment. 
Well, that sounds like something I want to do next time I go to Singapore because Universal Studios, 
well, in any place in the world, is a great theme park or amusement park. 
OK. You can even meet your favorite characters from Shrek, Transformers and more. 
Did you see either of those movies, Carolyn, Shrek or Transformers? 
I did. I have seen both of those movies. 
And there's more than one movie in that series. 
There are several Shrek movies as well as several Transformers movies. 
And you can meet your favorite characters at Universal Studios. 
All right. 
Well, speaking of favorite characters, now it's time to see some of your favorite characters from here at Studio Classroom in a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Singapore! 
It's a bustling city. 
It's a small but impressive city. 
Yeah. 
Historical sites. 
Amusement parks. 
Topical beaches. 
It's all here. 
So, what should we do first? 
Hmm... How about the Night Safari? 
It's one of the zoo's most famous attractions. 
The Night Safari? 
Yeah. Walk through the park for up-close views of animals. 
It sounds like fun, but... 
Or take a tram ride with a guide who shares fascinating facts. 
But we can't take the Night Safari now. 
It's not night yet. 
Oh, yeah. 
Well, then what should we do first? 
We could go to Chinatown. 
Chinatown. 
A wide variety of Chinese people live there. 
Oh. That area must have a unique flavor. 
Yes. And beautiful historical buildings and classy restaurants line the street. 
And don't forget Food Street. 
Everyone loves snacks! 
Hey, let's go. 
Wait, wait, wait. 
Let's enter the world of our favorite movies. 
Universal Studios! 
Yeah. There are roller coasters, live shows and street entertainment. 
We can meet our favorite characters. 
That's great. 
Why wait? 
Singapore offers so many things, too. 
Yeah! Well, we'd better get started then. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
Now let's see what our teachers are up to. 
So far today we've talked about three fun things you can do while you're in Singapore: 
the Night Safari, Chinatown and Universal Studios. 
Now if you only had maybe a day or an afternoon to go to Singapore and do one of these things, which would you choose? 
Carolyn? 
Well, if I had a night, I wouldn't mind going back to the Night Safari. 
OK. 
It was a lot of fun. 
But you know, I didn't go to Universal Studios when I was there before. 
So maybe I should do that next time. 
I agree with you, Carolyn. 
I like amusement parks. 
I would like to visit Universal Studios in Singapore. 
Well, what about you? 
Where would you like to go? 
We're going to learn about more fun things to do in Singapore next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.11.08.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing our journey through Singapore, learning about the fun things that you can do there. 
Already we learned about the Night Safari and Chinatown and Universal Studios. 
And today we have more to talk about. 
Have you ever been to Singapore? 
What did you do in Singapore? 
What was memorable about your trip? 
Carolyn, I know you've been to Singapore. 
What did you remember about Singapore? 
Well, I happened to be in Singapore for Chinese New Year. 
Oh? 
So a lot of things were closed. 
But it was a very exciting time because all of the streets were open, and it was very... it was definitely a bustling city. 
Everyone was selling things, and there was great food. 
And I did get to enjoy the Night Safari and exploring Little India. 
What did you do, Gabe? 
Oh, what did I do? 
I was there at a time when they were preparing for the F1 race. 
And so they were getting the roads ready for this big car race. 
I also really enjoyed the Hawker Centres. 
They are everywhere with delicious and reasonably priced food - not too expensive there. 
OK. Well, we have more to learn about fun things to do in Singapore. 
So let's get started. 
(Music). 
Ten Fun Things to Do in Singapore. 
Pulau Ubin. 
Take a small boat into Singapore's past. 
A 10-minute ride will take you to this island where life has remained unchanged since the 1960s. 
Walk through the streets, lovely forest paths and along quiet beaches. 
Chek Jawa, the "jade of Singapore," lies on the island's southeastern tip, an area filled with plants, animals and natural beauty. 
Underwater World. 
Underwater World is more than just another aquarium. 
It offers rare opportunities to interact with sea creatures. 
Sign up in advance to swim with dolphins or dive among sharks. 
I always enjoy getting to see animals up close. 
But before we talk about the aquarium, let's look at number 4 on our list. 
Pulau Ubin. 
Take a small boat into Singapore's past. 
A 10-minute ride will take you to this island where life has remained unchanged since the 1960s. 
Wow. That's pretty impressive. 
That's right. 
It has remained unchanged. 
That means that things still look the same way they did more than 50 years ago or around 50 years ago in the 1960s. 
Now it says here: 
Take a small boat into Singapore's past. 
You can kind of use English like this. 
You can travel into the past or maybe talk about traveling into the future. 
Can you see into your future? 
What is there? 
Well, of course you can travel into Singapore's past by going to Pulau Ubin. 
That's right. And you can walk through the streets, lovely forest paths and along quiet beaches. 
So this is a very beautiful area. 
It's not the developed bustling city like the main part of Singapore. 
It's a smaller island near the main one. 
That's right. 
And we're learning about something else here. 
Chek Jawa, the "jade of Singapore," lies on the island's southeastern tip, an area filled with plants, animals and natural beauty. 
So again, not the main part of the city, not the bustling part with lots of crowds of people. 
This is more natural. 
And this is called the jade of Singapore. 
So it's very precious. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank: 
jade. 
That's a kind of precious stone. 
That's right. 
And it's a beautiful green color. 
So when you see or when you hear something being described as the jade of something, 
then it's probably very rich in wildlife - lots of plants, very lush and green, and also very precious or valuable. 
Many times people will get jewelry that is made out of jade. 
And depending on the quality of the stone, it can be quite expensive. 
That's right. 
Now if you are interested in purchasing things made of jade, there is a jade market in Taipei that you can check out if you are here. 
Well, let's continue learning about something else fun to do in Singapore: 
Underwater World. 
We read here: 
Underwater World is more than just another aquarium. 
All right. 
I don't know if you've been to other aquariums in the world. 
Carol, have you been to any other aquariums? 
I have been to several aquariums. 
And I love to go there because I love seeing animals. 
And aquariums give you a very great opportunity to see sea life up close, 
which you don't usually get to do because going out into the ocean, it can be a little bit difficult. 
That's right. 
OK. So you can go and visit an aquarium and see big, giant animals even from the sea at an aquarium. 
But this is more than just another aquarium. 
That's a good phrase to know, by the way. 
It's more than just another something. 
Um, one of my favorite places is Sappho. 
It's a restaurant. 
But it's more than just a restaurant. 
They play live jazz music there. 
So you know how to use that phrase now. 
Now Underwater World is more than just another aquarium. 
What is it, Carolyn? 
Well, it offers rare opportunities to interact with sea creatures. 
So you don't get to just see these animals. 
You can interact with them. 
So let's take a look at that word from the Word Bank: 
interact. 
If you interact with something, that means that you are working with it, talking to it, maybe even touching it or communicating with it in some way. 
And of course, in life we need to interact with lots of people, first of all. 
And you might have a chance to interact with animals at a zoo, or even your home pets. 
Of course it's important to interact with your own pets. 
And if you want to be a public speaker in the future, you need to learn how to interact with large crowds as well. 
OK. So there are many different ways to use that word. 
There are. 
And here at Underwater World, you can interact with sea creatures. 
And you can sign up in advance to swim with dolphins or dive among sharks. 
Well, this sounds like a very exciting opportunity. 
But you need to make sure that you sign up for these activities in advance. 
And what does that mean? 
If you do something in advance, that means you do it ahead of time or before the actual day you will do it. 
For some amusement parks, the price might be kind of expensive. 
But if you buy the tickets in advance, there is a big discount. 
OK. So think about things you need to do in advance to prepare for something special like this. 
Carolyn, have you ever gotten this close to dolphins or sharks before? 
Uh, I have not had the opportunity to swim with dolphins or dive among sharks. 
But I did go to an aquarium where they had small sharks in a tank, and you could pat them. 
That is so cool. 
You got to pat a shark! 
Was it a dangerous shark? 
Uh, no, it was... it was not a dangerous shark, Gabe. 
OK, good. 
Well, there are many different kinds of sharks. 
Be careful around sharks; make sure it's not dangerous. 
OK. Right now it's time for us to do something safe. 
We're going to visit Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. 
I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.08.B

We're learning all about fun things to do while you are in Singapore. 
And today we've talked about two so far. 
You can visit Pulau Ubin. 
This is a great place away from the crowds of the city. 
It's a place where you can walk through streets and lovely forest paths and along quiet beaches. 
And of course you can also visit Underwater World. 
That's another place in Singapore where it's not just like any other aquarium with sea creatures. 
But in this place you can actually interact with some sea creatures. 
You can swim with dolphins, dive among sharks, and we're going to learn more about Underwater World right now. 
(Music). 
Ten Fun Things to Do in Singapore. 
Be sure to feed the stingrays! 
Extend your hand into the water holding a piece of fish between your fingers. 
Then watch as the huge, gentle animals swim up and suck the food into their mouths! 
Singapore Flyer. 
The world's largest observation wheel stands 165 meters tall and looks over all of Singapore. 
You can ride it around or pay more to enjoy a 4-course meal in a special capsule. 
Or you can bring a new meaning to the phrase high tea by enjoying tea, sandwiches and pastries during your ride. 
Well, that does sound like a very enjoyable time to be able to see the city from such a high place. 
But first let's learn a little bit more about Underwater World. 
You have many opportunities to interact with sea creatures there. 
And we continue to read: 
Be sure to feed the stingrays! 
Gabe, you can feed the stingrays. 
Well, I don't know about that, Carolyn. 
I know that some stingrays are pretty dangerous. 
You want to be careful because they do sting after all if you're not careful. 
Well, um, it does sound interesting. 
I just want to make sure I'm going with the right people. 
Well, I will go with you, Gabe. 
And I'm sure you will be very safe because as we continue to read, 
you simply extend your hand into the water holding a piece of fish between your fingers. 
Then watch as the huge, gentle animals swim up and suck the food into their mouths! 
So they are gentle, Gabe. 
OK. 
Well, these creatures do seem to be pretty gentle. 
And they are quite beautiful. 
When you see them swimming, it's kind of like they have wings and they're flapping underwater. 
Well, let's take a look at one of our key words here. 
It's the word: extend. 
As you read here, you can extend your hand. 
So you make it longer, or you make it its full length. 
That's right. 
So usually you have your hand probably pretty close to your body. 
But if you want to feed the stingrays, you'll have to take a piece of fish into your hand and extend it into the water so it would get longer. 
And Gabe has just extended his arm over to where I was. 
Here, you can have it again. 
Oh, oh, there... there you go. 
There you go. 
All right. 
Extend your arm. 
You can extend your arm. 
Some animals, well, they like to keep their necks kind of short like a... like a turtle. 
Maybe it can keep its neck inside its shell. 
Sometimes you'll see a turtle extend its neck outside of its shell. 
So that's how you use this word: extend. 
Of course, you can extend other things too. 
You could extend an invitation to someone to come to your party. 
That means you are inviting them. 
You can extend a warm welcome to someone when they come and visit. 
That's right. 
So there are several different ways you can use this word: extend. 
Practice using it with your classmates or with your family. 
Now, number 6: The Singapore Flyer. 
This is the world's largest observation wheel, which stands 165 meters tall and looks over all of Singapore. 
So this would be a great view of the city. 
I think it would be. 
And I saw the Singapore Flyer when I was there, but I didn't get a chance to ride it. 
Now this is an observation wheel. 
Actually, that's another name for Ferris wheel. 
Ferris is, of course, the name of the person who created or invented this kind of wheel. 
But all around the world, you can also call Ferris wheels observation wheels. 
Especially if that particular wheel is specially designed to let you see what is around it. 
Not just for a ride but to really observe the surrounding area. 
That's right. 
And you know, there are other famous observation wheels or Ferris wheels. 
This is the tallest. 
Now can you guess? 
What about the London Eye? 
That's another very famous one. 
What ranking is that, Carolyn? 
Do you know? 
I do not know, Gabe. 
What is the London Eye? 
It's number three in the world. 
I used to think it was the tallest. 
But here I learn Singapore Flyer is the tallest observation wheel. 
Well, there are other wheels you can go on around the world. 
And there are other things you can do in the Singapore... the Singapore Flyer. 
What can you do? 
You can ride it around or pay more to enjoy a 4-course meal in a special capsule. 
Or you can bring a new meaning to the phrase high tea by enjoying tea, sandwiches and pastries during your ride. 
OK. Well, that's great. 
There are some things you can do in the Singapore Flyer and some things we want to talk about from this sentence: 
to bring a new meaning to something. 
Well, first of all, high tea, that's some... an afternoon tea that they have in England or other places in the world. 
Now we bring a new meaning to this because you're having tea in a very high place. 
How else could you use the phrase: to bring a new meaning to something? 
Well, if you are trying something for the first time, a new food, and you think it is so tasty, so delicious, 
you might say this food brings a new meaning to the word delicious. 
It has a completely new meaning to me. 
I didn't know something could taste this good! 
All right. 
Or maybe, what about smartphones? 
Smartphones brought a new meaning to convenience. 
Now we really know what convenience means because we can do everything with our smartphones. 
Or if you get Google Glass, you'll feel the same way. 
Well, we see another word here from our Word Bank. 
It's the word pastry. 
And this is something sweet or delicious, usually made of bread. 
That's right. 
So you can eat many different kinds of pastries. 
Cakes, muffins, cupcakes, those would all be considered pastries. 
Now Gabe, what kind of pastries should I bring to your birthday party? 
Oh, my goodness. 
Pastries. 
You know, I really, really like the kinds of pastries that have the little fruit in the middle. 
Mmhm. 
Yeah, I love that. 
Or frosty pastries. 
Anything sweet. 
Oh, OK. 
Well, then that's pretty easy. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Then we'll enjoy a review skit and join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Traditionally, high tea is the meal British working-class people eat after they get home from work. 
Many believe the term comes from the fact that the meal was served on a high table. 
OK. But our point today isn't the origin of the phrase high tea. 
It's the fact that the author uses the phrase as a pun, right? 
That's right. 
Generally speaking, puns are words or phrases that are alike, or nearly alike, in sound or meaning used for humorous effect. 
So then we can expect the phrase high tea to have two distinct meanings. 
And it does. 
The first meaning is the traditional British meal Steve described a moment ago. 
The second meaning of high tea comes from the fact that guests on the Singapore Flyer can drink their tea 165 meters above the ground. 
"High" tea. 
Get it? 
Got it. 
Now some people absolutely love puns while others feel puns are the lowest form of humor. 
Listen to this pun and decide for yourself if you are a fan. 
How do you stop a charging bull? 
I... don't know, Ken. 
How? 
You take away his credit card! 
Uh, Ken, I think that's more like two thirds of a pun: PU. 
Ah, nice one. 
(Chinese). 
Ah, Singapore. 
It's a bustling city. 
It's a small but impressive city. 
Right. 
And I want to travel into Singapore's past. 
How do you do that? 
A 10-minute boat ride will take us to an island where life has remained unchanged. 
Unchanged? 
Since when? 
Since the 1960s. 
There are lovely forest paths and quiet beaches. 
The jade of Singapore is filled with plants and animals and natural beauty. 
Well, I'm ready for some underwater beauty. 
Let's go to the Underwater World. 
With sea creatures? 
Yes! 
You can swim with dolphins or dive with sharks. 
Hmm. I'll take the dolphins, thanks. 
And you can even feed the stingrays. 
Oh, how fun. 
Ow! 
Wait, we could visit the world's largest observation wheel, the Singapore Flyer. 
Oh, cool. 
Can you ride around in it? 
Sure. 
And you can see all of Singapore. 
It's 165 meters tall. 
Whoa, that's tall. 
Hey, that would give us an amazing view! 
And you can also enjoy a 4-course meal or high tea. 
Ha... 
High... 
Sandwiches and pastries. 
Yeah. 
Mm. 
And I'm getting hungry. 
Well, me too. 
Let's go there first. 
Singapore! 
There are so many fun things to do! 
Yeah. 
Come on! 
Uh... Campbell, here. 
Oh, this way? 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
Now let's return to our teachers. 
There are so many things to do in Singapore. 
We've talked about three today. 
Gabe, which of these would you like to do? 
I'd love to enjoy a 4-course meal in the Singapore Flyer with appetizers and a main course and soup and dessert. 
That sounds wonderful. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, that does sound delicious. 
And I want to learn more about the things that we can do in Singapore tomorrow. 
So we'll see you next time right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.11.09.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to learn about fun things you can do in Singapore. 
Already we've learned about six fun things to do in Singapore. 
Well, what were some of those things? 
Of course you learned about the Night Safari, where you can see nocturnal animals. 
And you can interact with sea creatures at Underwater World. 
Now what else can you do in Singapore? 
Carolyn? 
Well, there's a lot to do. 
You could go to Chinatown and enjoy the wonderful streets there. 
You could also go to Universal Studios and meet some of your favorite movie characters. 
Well, something I really like to do, Gabe, is to go to Pulau Ubin and explore this area from Singapore's past. 
Well, I would like to go into the Singapore Flyer and maybe see Pulau Ubin from up top, in the top of the observation wheel, while enjoying a nice meal. 
Well, there's lots to do in Singapore. 
And we have lots more to learn in today's lesson. 
So let's get started. 
(Music). 
Ten Fun Things to Do in Singapore. 
Fort Siloso. 
This fort stands as a reminder of Singapore's past. 
It contains Singapore's largest collection of items from World War II. 
Its old tunnels and original weapons will give you a close-up view of history. 
Jurong Bird Park. 
At Jurong Bird Park you can encounter 5,000 birds of 380 species and even feed some of them by hand! 
If feeding birds makes you hungry, you can join the park's parrots for lunch. 
Don't miss the High Flyers Show, where birds demonstrate their talents. 
(Music). 
Well, both of these places sound fun. 
Let's go back to talk about the first one listed here: 
Fort Siloso. 
OK. Well, right there in this place we see a word from our Word Bank: 
fort. 
Now this is something, an area that was created for military purposes. 
But now of course a lot of old military areas are used by tourists. 
You can go and visit these areas called forts. 
That's right. 
And there are many forts around the world that you can visit. 
If you're in the United States, you might try Fort Knox, a very famous fort in Kentucky. 
That is famous for housing the gold supply in the United States. 
Now they don't give tourists there, but you can see the building. 
But there are plenty of other forts that you can go inside and look around, and it's very interesting. 
There are even forts in Taiwan like the Anping Fort. 
All right. 
And of course, around the world, in lots of countries, there are forts. 
I went to India recently. 
And in Agra, we went by the Red Fort there. 
It's a huge fort. 
It's quite impressive. 
Now there are lots of different kinds of forts. 
You can even make a fort in your living room with the couch cushions. 
We call that a fort. 
It's not really a military fort, but sometimes we just call that a fort for fun, like a little house in your living room. 
That's right. 
Well, number 7 on our list, Fort Siloso, we learn a little bit about it. 
This fort stands as a reminder of Singapore's past. 
So it is also a part of Singapore's past, right, Gabe? 
That's right. 
OK. This fort reminds us of Singapore's past. 
So, I think we need to take a look in the Grammar Gym and see what Liz has to share with us there. 
It stands as a reminder of something. 
Let's go to the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
So we've been talking about Singapore in today's article, and we see this sentence: 
This fort stands as a reminder of Singapore's past. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Notice the phrase: stands as a reminder. 
It just means: helps people to remember. 
So today's sentence just means that this fort helps people to remember Singapore's past. 
This phrase "stands as a reminder" is usually used to talk about how something is there to remind people of something in the past or something important. 
For example, Uncle Kenneth's bookshelf full of books stands as a reminder of his days as a professor. 
Or, this roadside memorial stands as a reminder to the community not to drink and drive. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
There are many things that stand as reminders in our lives from history. 
Now talking about Fort Siloso, it contains Singapore's largest collection of items from World War II. 
So this is a pretty impressive fort. 
Hmm. Yes, items from World War II. 
That sounds like some weapons. 
Maybe there are some weapons or tanks, things like that that you can find in this fort. 
Wow. 
Well, its old tunnels and original weapons will give you a close-up view of history. 
A close-up view of history. 
So, maybe if you haven't participated in a war, I hope not, 
well, here you can kind of get a taste for what it was like by seeing these weapons up close. 
That's a close-up view of history. 
That's right. 
So it's not just reading about it or learning about it but being able to see these items up close. 
Maybe they even have some that you can touch. 
Well, moving on to number 8 in our list: the Jurong Bird Park. 
At Jurong Bird Park you can encounter 5,000 birds of 380 species and even feed some of them by hand! 
Oh, well, I think I'm going to have to go here, Gabe. 
Yeah, I think so too, Carolyn. 
This sounds like something you would really enjoy - feeding birds by hand. 
Have you ever done that before? 
I have fed birds by hand, but they weren't 5,000 of them, and they weren't 380 different species. 
So I think that this would be a very special encounter. 
All right. 
Well, if you like birds, then maybe this is something for you - the Jurong Bird Park. 
And we read here: 
If feeding birds makes you hungry, you can join the park's parrots for lunch. 
What does that mean? 
Well, that means there's more to do than just feed the birds. 
There's also things to eat at this place as well. 
That's right. 
So they have a special event that you can sign up for where you can enjoy lunch while some of the people that work there bring out parrots. 
What? 
And you can spend time with the parrots while you eat. 
That is so cool. 
Well, lots of different kinds of parrots are very friendly birds. 
I've been to, um, a wildlife sanctuary in Australia where they had parakeets just flying all over the place. 
And they would land on you, on your shoulder, on your hand, in my hair... 
We got to interact with these birds. 
It was a lot of fun and also very noisy. 
Birds are noisy, Carolyn. 
Well, they do like to talk to each other. 
They like to tweet and sing and chirp. 
Oh, it's just wonderful. 
Ha, ha, ha. 
Yes. Wonderful. 
Well, there's lots to do here. 
And we continue reading here: 
Don't miss the High Flyers Show, where birds demonstrate their talents. 
All right. 
I don't know if you've ever been to a bird show before, but birds can be very talented. 
They can. 
And at the High Flyers Show, they demonstrate those talents. 
And "demonstrate" is from our Word Bank. 
It means to show how you can do something. 
So the birds demonstrate their talents by doing all sorts of different tricks. 
But what other things can you demonstrate, Gabe? 
Well, for example, you can demonstrate how to warm up or stretch before you go for a run. 
I gave a demonstration speech when I was in high school. 
That's a kind of speech where you demonstrate how to do something. 
I demonstrated how to... how to stretch and... and warm up before I went for a run or a jog. 
Well, that is very important to know. 
If you see a demonstration, then you get a better idea of how to do something as well. 
Perhaps you need to know how to do a proper push-up. 
You need to watch a demonstration so you know the correct form. 
That's right. 
And of course you can watch a lot of these kinds of demonstrations online. 
On YouTube there are many different videos. 
And of course if you're applying for a job, you need to demonstrate your ability to do something. 
OK. Right now it's time for us to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. 
I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.09.B

We are continuing to learn all about fun things to do in Singapore. 
Today we've talked about two so far. 
The first one was Fort Siloso, where you can see the largest collection of items in Singapore from World War II. 
And then you can go to Jurong Bird Park, where you can see 5,000 birds of 380 different species. 
And if you're hungry, you can even have lunch with the parrots in the park. 
Well, we have a few more things to learn about fun things to do in Singapore. 
Let's continue. 
(Music). 
Ten Fun Things to Do in Singapore. 
Forest Adventure. 
Seeking a thrill or a physical challenge? 
Try Forest Adventure's obstacle courses. 
Its Grand Course contains 34 obstacles, including four ziplines. 
A separate kids' course is available for children ages 5 to 10. 
Malls and Markets. 
Wander through Orchard Road's modern malls that connect underground and stretch for almost 2.2 kilometers. 
Then try an open-air shopping experience at the Thieves' Market. 
There you can buy inexpensive clothes, toys and even antiques. 
With all these possibilities, Singapore is sure to impress you! 
Singapore is sure to impress you. 
It impressed me when I visited, and it made me want to go again. 
Actually, reading this article made me want to go and visit again and see some of these places. 
Well, let's talk about these last couple of places here. 
The first is Forest Adventure. 
So, seeking a thrill or a physical challenge? 
A thrill? 
What's a thrill? 
Well, a thrill is a word from our Word Bank. 
A thrill is something that makes you feel very excited. 
So you can go to an amusement park to get a thrill by riding the roller coasters. 
OK. That can be very thrilling. 
All right, so you add the letters -ing. 
It becomes a thrilling ride. 
That's an adjective. 
OK. Do you like thrills? 
I love thrills. 
I love going on, ooh, the pirate ships at amusement parks. 
They just go back and forth, back and forth. 
That is quite a thrill for me. 
Well, you can do many thrilling things. 
And you can get a thrill here at Forest Adventure. 
Or you can have a physical challenge. 
And we read: Try Forest Adventure's obstacle courses. 
So they have many obstacle courses. 
And its Grand Course contains 34 obstacles, including four ziplines. 
That is so cool! 
The Grand Course - that means the biggest one. 
And it has 34 obstacles. 
OK. What's an obstacle? 
And what's an obstacle course? 
Well, an obstacle is something that is in your way. 
It's stopping you or maybe it's in between you and your goal. 
So you have to overcome these obstacles. 
And there are many obstacles in life, not just physical obstacles. 
Maybe something is stopping you from reaching your dream. 
That's an obstacle you need to overcome. 
That's right. 
Well, if you want to experience these physical obstacles, then you can go to an obstacle course. 
You have to find a way to get around them. 
And going on ziplines is always very fun. 
A zipline is that line above the ground and you zoom down it over, over a large area. 
It's a lot of fun. 
Carolyn, have you been on many ziplines? 
I have not, but I've always wanted to try. 
Really? You haven't tried yet? 
Uh, no. 
Carolyn, it's a lot of fun. 
And actually, it's quite safe. 
If you're interested in going on a zipline somewhere, it's safe. 
They keep you protected. 
And you can just zoom from the top across maybe a lot of trees. 
And you can see a lot of beautiful scenery while you're zooming down that zipline. 
Well, that sounds like a lot of fun, and I do want to try it. 
So I'll have to put Forest Adventure on my list as well. 
Hmm. My list keeps getting longer, Gabe. 
Well, continuing learning about Forest Adventure: 
A separate kids' course is available for children ages 5 to 10. 
So the Grand Course might be a little bit too difficult for children, but they have a separate course for them. 
And of course, if you're going to any of these places in Singapore, you want to remember to take your camera. 
Take lots of pictures of your experiences. 
Actually, Steve and Ken have something they have to share with us in the Information Cloud about taking pictures. 
Something called a selfie? 
Let's join them now. 
Should you ever visit Singapore with all its fun places to go and fun things to see, 
you'll have lots of opportunities to take a selfie with something interesting in the background. 
A selfie is a self-portrait people take using a small digital camera either at arm's length or in front of a mirror. 
And don't think it's just teenagers who take selfies. 
The selfie phenomenon crosses many generations and cultures. 
Right now there are an estimated 93 million uploaded pictures on Instagram alone with a hashtag selfie. 
Yes, we really, really love taking pictures of ourselves. 
Many feel the selfie craze is an indication that society has become too narcissistic. 
In other words, we love ourselves too much. 
In response to this and for a laugh, many daring people started posting intentionally unattractive selfies. 
The word "selfie" was first coined in 2005, so it's still fairly young, not yet an official English word. 
But that could change soon. 
Editors at Oxford English Dictionary are seriously considering including it in its next online edition. 
By the way, friends, a selfie with more than one person in it, it's called a group selfie. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
I will have to practice taking selfies more often. 
Well, we have one more wonderful thing to do in Singapore, so much fun: 
The malls and markets. 
Wander through Orchard Road's modern malls that connect underground and stretch for almost 2.2 kilometers. 
Well, that sounds really cool. 
If you love shopping, you should check this out. 
I was in Singapore, but I didn't do this. 
Carolyn, is this something that you did? 
Does it really go for 2.2 kilometers? 
Well, a lot of that was closed because I was there during Chinese New Year. 
So I didn't get to go shopping in the malls. 
But I did get to enjoy the markets. 
So the next time I go to Singapore, I'll have to be sure to check out these malls that are connected underground for 2.2 kilometers. 
Yeah, me too. 
Well, there's something else you can do here. 
We read: 
Then try an open-air shopping experience at the Thieves' Market. 
Well, there you can buy inexpensive clothes, toys and even antiques. 
That's right. And antique is from our Word Bank. 
An antique is something that is old but also valuable. 
Do your grandparents have a lot of antiques in their house? 
Things that are worth a lot of money but are rather old. 
Hmm. It's a good question. 
Well, there are some old things in their house, but I don't know how much money it's worth. 
Now there are different standards for antiques. 
For instance, an antique car has to be at least 25 years or older to be an antique. 
But actually, in other areas, other things have to be much older to be considered antiques. 
That's right. 
Well, there's a lot to do in Singapore. 
And with all these possibilities, Singapore is sure to impress you! 
I know it impressed me while I was there. 
It certainly is. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
She is also very impressive. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's continue our lesson. 
Well, I've enjoyed learning about some of the fun things you can do in Singapore. 
And I'm sure there's a lot more that we couldn't even talk about in our lesson. 
Well, if you had a chance to visit Singapore, what would you rather visit, the historical places or some of the more modern ones? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I'm very interested in the history of a place. 
So I really want to try out going to, uh, Pulau Ubin and Fort Siloso and learning more about Singapore's history. 
OK. I would be interested in visiting those places as well. 
But you know, I do love doing all kinds of things. 
I'd love to try out one of these obstacle courses at the Forest Adventure. 
Well, there's lots to do in Singapore. 
What will you do if you visit? 
Right now it's time for us to say goodbye. 
But of course, we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.11.11.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Today we are saying goodbye. 
Well, no, not really. 
We're saying hello to everybody, but our lesson is called Saying Goodbye. 
Of course over the last couple of months, you've gotten to learn with Ben and his Uncle Bob as we learned about Ben's business. 
Of course over the months, he has hired people to come work for him. 
In today's lesson we're going to learn about maybe one of his employees having to say goodbye. 
I don't know what's going to happen, but he has to say goodbye. 
He might be leaving the company. 
Well, what kind of job do you have? 
Have you ever had to say goodbye to a company you were working for? 
Carolyn? 
Well, actually, I have, Gabe. 
I've had several jobs in the past. 
And when you have more than one job, that means that you had to say goodbye to the previous one. 
So before I came to Taiwan, I worked in a restaurant for a while because I was in school. 
And I had to say goodbye to my co-workers and that workplace. 
Well, Carolyn, was it easy or difficult to say goodbye to your friends there? 
Well, it was difficult to say goodbye to my friends, but I was very excited to be coming to Taiwan. 
Well, I'm happy you're here as well. 
Friends, what about you? 
Have you ever had to say goodbye or quit working somewhere? 
Let's learn something new in our lesson today: Saying Goodbye. 
(Music). 
Saying Goodbye. 
Losing employees can be tough. 
Hey, Uncle Bob. 
I'm glad to see you. 
I'm glad to see you, too, Ben. 
You look tired. 
Are you sleeping OK? 
No, I've been having a rough time lately. 
What seems to be the problem? 
I'm losing one of my best employees Terry. 
It's not really a problem, I guess. 
It's more of an annoyance. 
But it's still keeping you up at night. 
Right. 
He's been with the company for less than six months, and by leaving, he's depriving me of a great worker. 
All right. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here today. 
We read something here: 
Losing employees can be tough. 
And Ben is going to be losing one of his best employees here as we find out in the conversation. 
Well, what is Ben's first line? 
And Carolyn, would you like to be Ben today? 
Oh, sure! I can be Ben today. 
He seems like a very important character. 
Of course. 
Yes. He says: Hey, Uncle Bob. 
I'm glad to see you. 
I'm glad to see you, too, Ben. 
You look tired. 
Are you sleeping OK? 
Now let me just interrupt myself and this conversation. 
Are you tired? Or you look tired. 
Are you sleeping OK? 
Now Carolyn, do you like it when anybody says you look tired? 
I do not really like it when people tell me that I look tired. 
Because if I feel tired, I don't want to look tired. 
Exactly. I feel the same way. 
However, Ben and Uncle Bob have a very good relationship. 
Of course, Uncle Bob is concerned about Ben. 
So he says this: You look tired. 
Are you sleeping OK? 
Well, that shows how concerned he is for his nephew. 
Now when Ben said his first line, he said, "Hey!" Hey. 
Well, I think we should say hey to Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Hey, friends. Good to see you again. 
Welcome to the Info Cloud. 
Steve, you just said, "Hey, friends." Don't you usually say, "Hi, friends" or "Hello, friends"? 
I do, Ken. 
But today I felt like being more casual. 
That's why I said hey instead of hi. 
I know it's very common for young people to say hey to a friend rather than hi. 
But if we're meeting someone for the first time, especially someone much older than us, then we should probably not say hey. 
You're right, Ken. 
That would be impolite. 
That would be considered impolite. 
So in that situation, say hi or hello. 
Now a related topic is how to greet someone when we're writing an email. 
Traditionally, the word "dear" is used. 
But nowadays it's very common to see people use hi, hello and even hey. 
I know some people feel the word "dear" is old-fashioned and out-of-date. 
But in your initial correspondence with someone you've never met, still a good idea to use "dear". 
After you've established a relationship with the person, you can then switch to hi or hello. 
Also, be sure to include the person's name along with your greeting. 
Don't just write "Hi," but write "Hi, Ken," or even "Hi, Mr. Lee" if Ken hasn't given you permission to use his first name. 
But with friends, you may be as informal as you like. 
When I email Ken, I usually write: Yo, man. What's up? 
Hey, peace, bro. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, hey, let's continue with this conversation between Uncle Bob and Ben. 
I believe it's Ben's line. 
Yes, yes. So Uncle Bob had asked if I was sleeping OK. 
No, I've been having a rough time lately. 
Aw, that's too bad. 
That's why he's not sleeping OK. 
He's been having a rough time lately. 
Let's take a look at that word: rough. 
Now there's another word similar to it right next to our title. 
The word: tough. 
Losing employees can be tough. 
Life is rough; life can sometimes be tough. 
Sometimes these words can mean a similar thing. 
That's right. 
They have very similar meanings. 
Both mean that something is difficult. 
But usually if I hear the word "rough," I think that there are lots of problems that keep coming up. 
"Tough" just means that something is really hard. 
But "rough" means that it's hard and there are lots of problems. 
All right. 
So is anything rough in your life? 
Maybe you're having a tough time at work with some kind of situation. 
All right. 
So there are different ways and places in life that you can use these words. 
Or maybe someone thinks that your job is actually kind of easy compared to theirs. 
They might say: 
You think you have it rough? 
Well, look at my job. I have it even more rough. 
That's right. 
Well, Uncle Bob, you have the next line. 
All right. 
What does he say? 
Well, what seems to be the problem? 
It's a good question to ask if you're concerned for someone. 
What seems to be the problem? 
Well, I'm losing one of my best employees Terry. 
It's not really a problem, I guess. 
Well, hang on a second there, Carolyn... uh, Ben. 
Ben says that he is losing one of his best employees. 
Uh, when I think of losing, I think of maybe playing a game and there's a winner and there's a loser. 
But is that what he means here? 
No, no. That is not what he means. 
He means that one of his employees is leaving. 
He won't be working at the company anymore. 
But he says, "It's not really a problem, I guess." Well, let's take a look at that phrase "I guess" in the Grammar Gym. 
Liz has something she wants to share about that. 
How are you doing today, friends? 
My name is Liz, and thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
We see this sentence in today's article: 
It's not really a problem, I guess. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
And today we're focusing on the phrase at the end of the sentence: I guess. 
Normally when we "guess," we're not sure about something, like: 
If you don't know the answer, you can just guess. 
But in today's sentence, "I guess" has a different meaning. 
The speaker starts out by saying "It's not really a problem," but then adds "I guess" at the end of the sentence. 
Here "I guess" means that the speaker is not really sure about what was just said. 
In other words, we can say: 
I suppose it's not really a problem. 
This use of "I guess" at the end of the sentence is usually in informal conversations. 
For example: 
I'm not sure what the plan is for this evening, but we can go watch a movie, I guess. 
Or: It's strange how Karen just started crying; she must be upset about something, I guess. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section for more examples. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Now Ben continues with his line. 
It's not really a problem, I guess. 
It's more of an annoyance. 
An annoyance. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
Well, if something is an annoyance, that means it kind of bothers you or it annoys you in some way. 
That's right. 
So if you are studying, loud noises might be an annoyance. 
They prevent you from doing your work. 
OK. Well, what annoys you? 
When do you feel annoyed about something? 
There are different forms of this word annoyance. 
Well, how does this continue? 
Uncle Bob says: 
But it's still keeping you up at night. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: to keep you up at night. 
Well, what keeps you up at night? 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that something is bothering you. 
You really can't stop thinking about it. 
And maybe it's not really keeping you up at night, but it's on your mind and you can't think about anything else. 
That's right. 
And of course, maybe it doesn't really keep you awake at night. 
But in Ben's situation, actually he can't sleep because it is keeping him up at night. 
Well, what does Ben say to this? 
He says: 
Right. He's been with the company for less than six months. 
And by leaving, he's depriving me of a great worker. 
Well, he's being deprived of a great worker. 
But we are going to learn something new right now from the word: deprive. 
If you are deprived of something, that means you lost it. 
It was taken away from you. 
That's right. 
So don't deprive your friends of your smile. 
Yes. 
Go join them, have fun together and smile. 
And sometimes you might feel like you're deprived of important things like sleep. 
Sometimes people say they are sleep deprived. 
Maybe Ben is sleep deprived as well. 
He needs more sleep. 
Right now we need to go and join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.11.B

Today our lesson is about Saying Goodbye and losing good employees can be very tough. 
Ben is having a rough time because one of his best employees is going to be leaving, and it's depriving him of a great worker. 
All of this stress is keeping him up at night. 
So he's asking Uncle Bob for some advice on this situation. 
Let's continue reading and listening to this conversation. 
(Music). 
Saying Goodbye. 
He's also creating a lot more work for you. 
Now you'll have to retrain people or get a replacement for him. 
Exactly. 
It makes me wonder if I shouldn't have all my employees sign contracts or something. 
Contracts don't keep employees from leaving, Ben. 
And if you aren't careful, they can cause a lot of resentment. 
I can see that. 
But if contracts don't keep employees from leaving, why do so many companies use them? 
One reason is that contracts can help keep your employees from leaving to work for your competitors. 
How do they do that? 
Many contracts include a clause that prevents employees from working for a competitor for a period of time. 
(Music). 
OK, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
Uncle Bob... he says here: He's also creating a lot more work for you. 
OK. So Terry is going to leave. 
He's depriving Ben of a great worker. 
Terry is that great worker. 
Uncle Bob says: He's creating a lot more work for you. 
Now usually creating is a good thing. 
But as we can see here, this is kind of a negative thing to create more work for somebody. 
Uncle Bob says: Now you'll have to retrain people or get a replacement for him. 
And that is a lot more work. 
If you have responsibilities, you want to make sure that you fulfill them so that you don't make more work for other people. 
Exactly. 
So what does Ben say? 
"Exactly!" Wait! That's your line, Carolyn. 
Yes, Gabe, that is my line. 
Exactly. 
Mm. 
It makes me wonder if I shouldn't have all my employees sign contracts or something. 
Hmm... it makes me wonder about something. 
It's a good phrase to know. 
Well, Uncle Bob says: Contracts don't keep employees from leaving, Ben. 
And if you aren't careful, they can cause a lot of resentment. 
They certainly can cause a lot of resentment. 
And that is a word from our Word Bank. 
Resentment is a very unhappy feeling that occurs when you feel like someone has done something wrong to you or that you haven't been treated fairly. 
That's right. 
So you might start to resent that person. 
That's the verb form. 
What do you resent, or what causes resentment in your life? 
Or my life - what causes resentment is when I don't know how to say no up front right away when I need to. 
It's important to know how to say no to people. 
Because if you just say "OK, yeah, sure. Do whatever you want," then later you will start to feel resentment towards people... 
because you didn't know how to say no in the first place. 
That's right. 
So having employees sign contracts can cause some resentment. 
Maybe they feel like you don't trust them as an employee. 
And Ben continues. 
I can see that. 
But if contacts don't keep employees from leaving, why do so many companies use them? 
That's a very good question, Ben. 
Lots of companies, of course, use contracts. 
You have to sign one as soon as you enter the workplace. 
Well, Uncle Bob says: One reason is that contracts can help keep your employees from leaving to work for your competitors. 
So of course if you need to leave, that's OK, but you might go and work for a competitor. 
What is a competitor, Carolyn? 
Well, that is someone that you are competing against. 
So Ben has his company that makes apps. 
So if any of his employees decide to leave and work for another company that makes apps, then they have gone to work for one of his competitors. 
All right, so. 
Did you have to sign a contract like this when you started working at your company? 
Well, what does Ben say here? 
Well, he asks: How do they do that? 
How do they do what? 
Well, Uncle Bob says many contracts include a clause that prevents employees from working for a competitor for a period of time. 
OK. So there's something within the contract that says you can't work for a competitor for a certain amount of time. 
Let's take a look at this word from our Word Bank, this word "clause." Now Carolyn, what is a clause? 
Well, it's an official statement that is included in a legal document like a contract that states something very clearly. 
And it usually prevents you from doing something or requires you to do something. 
And so a contract might have all sorts of clauses, things uh, like rules. 
They tell you what you can and cannot do, what you should expect about the company or about working for the company. 
Now this particular clause prevents employees from working for a competitor for a period of time after you quit. 
I know that a lot of companies are like this. 
I know that Studio Classroom is also like this. 
We had to sign that kind of contract. 
That's right. 
But maybe you had to sign a contract when you rented your house or your apartment. 
Maybe there was a clause that said no pets allowed. 
You may not have any pets in this apartment. 
I know many places that have that rule. 
Well, I think it's time for us now to learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
Well, it's time to go back to our teachers. 
Well, in our conversation today, Ben and Uncle Bob have been talking about Terry, one of Ben's best employees who is quitting. 
He has to leave the job for some reason. 
Uncle Bob did suggest that maybe Ben has a contract that he has his employees sign. 
Well, of course if you go to work at a company, you might have to sign a contract. 
But that's only one kind of contract. 
Can you think of other kinds of contracts you might have to look at and sign in life? 
What other kinds of contracts are there? 
Well, earlier I mentioned that if you want to rent a house or an apartment, you need to sign a contract, some sort of a leasing agreement. 
And if you get married, you are making a contact with another person that you are going to be with them for the rest of your lives. 
Well, that is a pretty serious and important contract. 
Friends, what other kinds of contracts can you think about? 
Talk about them in English. 
And of course, we will see you next time to learn more with Ben and Uncle Bob right here at Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.11.12.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to learn with Ben and Uncle Bob in a lesson called Saying Goodbye. 
In yesterday's lesson, we learned that Ben will be losing one of his best employees Terry. 
He's being deprived of this great worker at his company. 
What else did we learn from yesterday's lesson, Carolyn? 
Well, he doesn't think it's really a problem but more of an annoyance. 
But it's still keeping him up at night. 
So it does sound like it has become a problem for Ben. 
That's right. 
So Uncle Bob does have a suggestion, or at least he presents an idea, the idea of having your employees sign a contract of some kind. 
But of course, he also says that it could cause some resentment. 
A contract could sometimes make people resent you or resent the idea. 
But what else did we learn from yesterday's lesson? 
Well, when signing a contract or making your employees sign contracts, you do want to be careful, 
and you can include a clause that prevents them from going to work for your competitors. 
And of course, many companies have that kind of contract with lots of different clauses like this. 
OK. We have more to learn from today's conversation. 
So let's get started. 
(Music). 
Saying Goodbye. 
That seems like a good idea, but it won't solve the problem of Terry leaving. 
He's not going to work for my competition. 
He's leaving because of family problems. 
There isn't much you can do about him leaving then. 
But there are still things you can do to make your company more resistant to problems when employees do leave. 
Like what? 
Well, for starters, you could cross-train your employees. 
What does that mean? 
It just means you train your employees to do several different jobs. 
For example, you might train Angela to do Ralph's job, but also train Ralph to do Angela's job. 
Uncle Bob is always full of good ideas. 
Well, Ben begins this section of today's lesson. 
He is responding to something that Uncle Bob said yesterday. 
Uncle Bob said that he could include a clause saying that his employees can not work for his competitors for a certain amount of time. 
And uh, Gabe, do you want to be Ben today, or should I continue? 
Well, of course, I would love to be Ben here. 
Ben, he says: That seems like a good idea, but it won't solve the problem of Terry leaving. 
He's not going to work for my competition. 
He's leaving because of family problems. 
So we see here that Terry is not just going to leave to go work for the competitors. 
He's leaving because he has family issues or family problems. 
That's right. 
So a lot of times people might leave a company because they find a job that is similar with a competitor that might offer them more benefits or a higher salary. 
But that is not what is happening here with Terry. 
Exactly. 
Now does that ever happen to you? 
Have you ever had to stop a project or quit doing something because of problems that you couldn't control? 
It seems like this is what's going on in Terry's life. 
That's right. 
So Uncle Bob responds: 
There isn't much you can do about him leaving then. 
But there are still things you can do to make your company more resistant to problems when employees do leave. 
Well, those sound like wise words, as usual, from Uncle Bob. 
Now let's look at his first line there. 
He says there isn't much you can do about him leaving. 
Terry is going to leave because of family problems. 
There's not much you can do about that. 
Sometimes that's just the... the situation. 
The case is you can't do much about a certain situation. 
That's right. 
And Uncle Bob also used another word from our Word Bank, the word "resistant." So let's take a look at that. 
If you are resistant to something, that means that you aren't harmed or affected by something. 
Or when something bad happens, it doesn't bother you. 
That's right. 
So, well, how could you use this word "resistant"? 
This makes me think of cameras that can go underwater or watches that you can take underwater. 
Those are often called water-resistant watches. 
Or if something is water-resistant, that means that water does not destroy it; it does not ruin it. 
That's right. 
So you could have something that is water-resistant. 
If it gets wet, it will still continue working. 
But you probably shouldn't put it in the water for too long if it's resistant and not waterproof. 
That's right. 
Now what else can be resistant? 
Well, sometimes we describe people who may be a little rebellious, they might be resistant to discipline. 
They don't like to hear anything that anybody tells them. 
They are resistant. 
They resist those things. 
People can also be resistant to disease. 
So if you do not get sick easily, if you are a very healthy person, then you are resistant to illness. 
All right. So there are so many ways you can use this word. 
And of course, Uncle Bob is talking about employees being resistant to problems. 
Ben says: Like what? 
Well, what can you do to make your company resistant to these problems? 
Uncle Bob says: Well, for starters, you could cross-train your employees. 
Ah, you could cross-train the employees. 
That means you are... well, we'll get to what that means later. 
But first, let's take a look at a phrase here: for starters. 
OK. This means to begin with or the first suggestion is this. 
That's right. 
So if you are thinking about starting a company, what should you do for starters? 
Well, you should probably think about your goals. 
So for starters, think about what you hope to achieve with your company. 
Or maybe you have a lot of housework to do around the home. 
Where should you get started? 
Well, for starters, you could clean your room, and then you could do something else. 
Or maybe you're at a restaurant. 
Maybe the server will come and ask: What can I get you for starters? 
That means to start out with, would you like something to eat or drink? 
That's right. 
So, uh, Ben, I think you have the next line asking about cross-training employees. 
That's right. 
Well, my question is just like Ben's question - What does that mean? 
Carolyn, what is cross-training? 
Well, it just means you train your employees to do several different jobs. 
So, pretty simple. 
You cross-train them so you train them across different areas. 
And so Uncle Bob, he continues here and says: 
For example, you might train Angela to do Ralph's job, but also train Ralph to do Angela's job. 
And I think that we do that here at Studio Classroom as well. 
There's a little bit of cross-training so that different people are able to do other people's jobs. 
That's right. 
It is very helpful to cross-train employees. 
Well, right now it is time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.12.B

Have you ever had to say goodbye to a company you were working for? 
Or maybe you're the boss, and one of your employees, one of your best employees had to say goodbye. 
Well, we find out here that Ben's best employee Terry had family problems. 
And so that's why he had to leave the company. 
But Uncle Bob says there are ways to be resistant to problems in case one of your employees has to leave. 
And one of the things he suggests is to cross-train your employees. 
That way, they might be able to do each other's work if necessary. 
We have more to learn from this conversation. 
So let's get started. 
(Music). 
Saying Goodbye. 
That would give me a lot more flexibility and make it easier to maintain continuity if someone does leave. 
Exactly. 
It also makes employees more versatile. 
You wouldn't have to worry about things like vacation and sick leave, for example. 
Cross-training is probably good for employees, too. 
It would help them learn new skills and keep them from getting bored with their jobs. 
That's true. 
And having happy employees will help keep people at the company. 
Those are great ideas, Uncle Bob. 
Just remember, you can't prohibit employees from leaving, but you can make losing employees more tolerable. 
(Music). 
Such wise words from Uncle Bob. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
Uncle Bob has just explained what it means to cross-train employees and how it would be very helpful when you have someone leave. 
Uh, Ben... Gabe, you have the next line. 
Yes. Ben Gabe, that's me. OK. 
He says: That would give me a lot more flexibility and make it easier to maintain continuity if someone does leave. 
That is a fantastic word, Gabe. 
Which one? 
Continuity. 
I love this word. 
If you have continuity, that means that something doesn't change for a long time. 
It's very stable. 
That's right. 
There is an uninterrupted flow. 
If you don't have continuity, it can seem maybe kind of broken. 
So if your employee leaves and nobody else is trained to do his job, 
that means things might go slower for a while because you have to train that new person. 
If you can cross-train, then there might be more continuity. 
But you know, there are other ways you can use this word continuity. 
What about continuity on a television show? 
You know, sometimes Carolyn and I make mistakes, and we have to cut. 
It's not always as smooth as it seems. 
But it's important to have continuity so that when you cut, it seems smooth. 
That's right. 
So it's very important to maintain continuity. 
And if you have a business, you want to make sure that your supplier maintains continuity with the supplies so that you don't have to wait for the things that you need to run your business. 
Well, it seems like there are so many ways to use this word continuity. 
It's very important in a company. 
Well, Uncle Bob, please continue. 
Oh, yes. Thank you. 
Exactly. 
It also makes employees more versatile. 
Versatile. 
Wait a minute. 
That's a very good word to know, and it's from our Word Bank. 
Versatile. What does that mean? 
That means one person or thing can do lots of different kinds of tasks. 
That's right. 
Something that I think of as being very versatile is duct tape. 
What? 
It's a wonderful silver tape. 
And you can use it to fix just about anything. 
It is very versatile. 
That's really true. 
And it's kind of funny. 
A lot of people love duct tape for that reason. 
If you ever go on a trip, take duct tape with you. 
It could come in handy. 
Well, what else is versatile, or who is versatile? 
Maybe you know some musicians who are very versatile. 
Not only can they play many different kinds of instruments, but they can also play lots of different kinds of music very well. 
They are versatile musicians. 
Or a versatile performer could sing, dance, play instruments and act. 
They could do all sorts of different things. 
They are very versatile in their performance. 
Well, of course here we're learning about how employees at a company can learn to be versatile. 
And what else does Uncle Bob say? 
Ah, yes. He continues: 
You wouldn't have to worry about things like vacation and sick leaves, for example. 
Hmm, very good. 
Ben says: Cross-training is probably good for employees, too. 
It would help them learn new skills and keep them from getting bored with their jobs. 
OK. So this would give Ben more freedom to go on vacation if he needs to. 
And of course, it would give his employees more freedom, and it would keep their jobs interesting. 
And Uncle Bob responds: 
That's true. 
And having happy employees will help keep people at the company. 
Having happy employees. 
Well, I think that's a very good insight. 
Often you think: Am I happy at my company or should I go somewhere else? 
But actually, maybe one of the reasons why you're happy is because the people around you are also enjoying the company. 
Well, it's time now for us to learn something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
In our lesson today Ben says he's losing one of his best employees. 
Steve, let's take a look at this word employee. 
An employee is someone who is employed. 
That's right. 
When we add the suffix "-ee" to some verbs, we get words that refer to people who are the passive recipients of the action of the verb. 
For example, an examinee is someone who receives or takes an exam. 
A trainee is someone who receives training. 
And again, an employee is someone who is being employed. 
And the person who does the employing is the employer. 
The suffix "-er" refers to the person giving an action. 
That's right. 
The suffixes "-er" and "-or" indicate a person initiating an action. 
So an employer employs an employee. 
A trainer trains a trainee. 
And an interviewer is the person conducting an interview. 
When you have an interview, the interviewer is the person asking the questions. 
And the interviewee is the one who has to answer the questions. 
Of course, we can't use this construction with all verbs. 
For example, you cannot say a murderer murders a murderee. 
You can only use this construction with certain verbs. 
Good point. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, Ben, I think you have the next line. 
Well, of course. 
Uncle Bob just said that having happy employees might keep people at your company. 
Well, Ben says: Those are great ideas, Uncle Bob. 
Just remember, you can't prohibit employees from leaving, but you can make losing employees more tolerable. 
And I think we need to take a look at that word "prohibit" from our Word Bank. 
That means it's forbidden by some kind of authority. 
Or you stop someone from doing something; you prohibit them. 
That's right. 
So many areas around schools, smoking is prohibited. 
You are not allowed to smoke cigarettes near a school. 
And of course, in some schools, in some classrooms, cellphones might be prohibited. 
Or using your cellphone could be prohibited by your teacher. 
Well, we've learned a lot in today's conversation. 
And of course we have more to learn with a review skit. 
And then we'll see Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, Uncle Bob. 
Well, hello, Ben. 
You look tired. 
Are you sleeping OK? 
No. I'm losing sleep because I'm losing one of my best employees. 
Oh, that's a problem. 
Well, it's more like an annoyance. 
Now I'll have to get a replacement for him. 
Oh. 
Maybe I should have employees sign a contract. 
Well, that may cause resentment. 
Yeah. Sometimes employees just have to leave. 
Right. Oh, but you can do something to make your company more resistant when people do leave. 
Really? Like what? 
You can cross-train your employees. 
What does that mean? 
Train employees to do different jobs. 
Oh. That would give the company more flexibility and more continuity when someone leaves. 
Exactly. 
Ooh. And it makes employees more versatile. 
So you won't have to worry when employees take vacation or sick leave. 
My employees would learn new skills and keep them from getting bored. 
They like that. 
And having happy employees will help keep them at the company. 
And that will keep me happy, too! 
And me happy three. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
Well, we have been talking about saying goodbye and losing good employees. 
Uncle Bob has offered some good advice to his nephew Ben about ways to make this change more easy for his company... or easier for his company. 
Well, what things can you do to encourage your employees to stay? 
Gabe, do you have any ideas? 
Hmm... Well, I'm not the boss or the CEO of a company. 
But yes, I think that if I were the boss, I would have foosball tables and air hockey tables and lots of games in a game room. 
That would encourage my employees to stay. 
Well, that would certainly encourage you to stay, Gabe. 
And we want to encourage you to stay with us and continue learning next time here at Studio Classroom. 
We'll see you later. 
(Music).

2013.11.13.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're talking about Good Habits to Have. 
And this is a good thing to talk about. 
Well, everybody has habits. 
Many of us have good habits. 
Of course, most people also have some bad habits that maybe need to be changed. 
So in our lesson today, we're going to be learning about some habits that will be helpful in your life. 
Well, speaking of habits, can you name any good habits that you have right off the top of your head? 
Do you have any good habits? 
Carolyn, what are some of your good habits? 
Well, let's see. I wash my hands before I eat. 
That's a good habit. 
Yes. 
Um, I... I brush my teeth at least twice a day. 
That's a good habit. 
Another good habit. 
Um... I don't go to bed early. 
That's a bad habit. 
Ah, hmm. 
Yes. Uh, Gabe, do you have any good habits? 
Well, you know, I forgot all of my good habits until you mentioned some. 
Washing my hands before I eat, brushing my teeth before I go to bed. 
You know, I just do them so often that I don't even think about them. 
I guess that's what it means to have a habit. 
You do it so often you don't even think about it. 
Well, right now it's time for us to get started with our lesson learning about some good habits to have. 
Good Habits to Have. 
Sixteen habits to live by. 
Philosopher Aristotle once said, "Good habits formed at youth make all the difference." It's true that the habits we form early usually stay with us. 
But it is never too late to learn new ones. 
Habits worth developing. 
1. Establish a daily schedule. 
It's easier to face the day if you know what to expect. 
Plus, new habits are easier to follow if they are part of your normal day. 
2. Eat breakfast. 
Breakfast provides the fuel your body needs to get started each day. 
All right. 
Well, those are some good habits so far. 
Let's go back to the top of our lesson here today. 
Right next to our title, we see the phrase: Sixteen habits to live by. 
All right. 
We're going to learn about six of those habits today, and we have more to learn about in tomorrow's lesson. 
These are great habits to live by. 
That's a good phrase to know, right, Carolyn? 
It is a great phrase to know. 
If you live by something, then you do it every day. 
Maybe it's your life's motto. 
What are some things that you live by, Gabe? 
Hmm, something that I live by... 
Well, I think it's important to accept people for who they are and not judge them just based on how they look. 
I think that's something important, a good rule to live by. 
Don't judge a book by its cover. 
What's something else... what's another rule that you could live by? 
Well, I try to live by the rules or the standards put forth in the Bible. 
I think that it's filled with really wonderful things and really good guidance on how we should be living our lives. 
OK, so those are also very important, great things to live by, to live our lives by. 
So here we're talking about sixteen habits that you can live by. 
They can help in your life. 
And we read: 
Philosopher Aristotle once said, "Good habits formed at youth make all the difference." Well, Carolyn, what's a philosopher? 
Well, a philosopher is a word from our Word Bank. 
It's a person who studies something very closely, and they try to explain big questions about life or religion. 
That's right, or the meaning of life, why we are here. 
Philosophy is the study of these things. 
And Aristotle is indeed a very famous philosopher from the past. 
When I think about philosophers, I think about Greek philosophers like... like Plato. 
Or here we're learning about Aristotle. 
And if you are interested in something like this, then maybe you are taking a philosophy class. 
Did you ever take philosophy classes, Carolyn? 
I did not have to take a philosophy class, but I took a class that was in the category of philosophy. 
It was an ethics class. 
OK, all right. 
Well, again, those kinds of classes deal with the meaning of life and things like that. 
Um... so I enjoy philosophy, although I'm not very good at it. 
And this is a very famous philosopher. 
He said, "Good habits formed at youth make all the difference." Well, Liz also makes a difference in our life here at Studio Classroom. 
Let's learn with her now. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In our article today, the writer mentions: 
Good habits formed at youth make all the difference. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Notice the phrase: to make all the difference. 
It means to be the most important thing in bringing a result. 
So going back to today's sentence, what it means is the kind of result a person gets depends on whether good habits were formed at youth or not. 
This phrase "makes all the difference" is a great one to use to describe how important a certain thing is in getting a certain result. 
For example: 
Using pure cocoa powder to make this chocolate cake makes all the difference! 
Or: Making a good first impression when you walk into the interview makes all the difference. 
So give this phrase a try. 
Think of something that is absolutely important to have in order to achieve a certain result and practice using this phrase. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Having good grammar in the English language can make all the difference. 
Well, continuing in our article. 
It's true that the habits we form early usually stay with us. 
So if you learn to do something good at a young age, it can stay with you through the rest of your life. 
That's right, for better or for worse. 
That means if you form bad habits early on, they might stick with you. 
So it's good to form good habits early on. 
But here we read: 
But is it... it is never too late to learn new ones. 
It's never too late to learn new good habits. 
That reminds me of the phrase: You can't teach an old dog new tricks. 
That means some people assume that the older you are, you can't learn new things. 
Do you think that's true, Carolyn? 
Well, it can be more difficult as you get older to learn something new, but it is not impossible. 
That's right. 
Especially in our modern age today where technology is constantly changing. 
I know plenty of people like our boss Doris Brougham, who is able to keep up with technology better than I am. 
Well, it's true. She is very sharp, and that's something that she can do very well. 
I think it's important to try to stay up with the times. 
Well, let's get started learning about these habits. 
The first habit here - Habits worth developing. 
1. Establish a daily schedule. 
And before we talk about this more, let's look at that word from our Word Bank: your schedule. 
That is your plans for the day or for the week or the month, your schedule. 
That's right, so. 
I like to keep track of what things I need to do and when. 
You could make a to-do list as part of your schedule. 
And you can schedule things into your list. 
Ah, very nice! So this word can also be a verb. 
You can schedule something onto your schedule. 
Well... what are we reading about this? 
It's easier to face the day if you know what to expect, so. 
Plus, new habits are easier to follow if they are part of your normal day. 
Well, what kinds of things can you follow in life? 
You might want to follow good habits. 
That's right. 
So we have another good habit for you to learn. 
2. Eat breakfast. 
Gabe, do you eat breakfast? 
Yes, most of the time, Carolyn. 
Well, it is a good habit to have. 
And we read why. 
Breakfast provides the fuel your body needs to get started each day. 
So if you're not eating breakfast, you're not going to have enough energy to get started with your day. 
It's true. 
And you may think that only cars use fuel. 
Fuel is from our Word Bank. 
And actually here it's used in kind of a fun way. 
It basically means energy for your body. 
Of course usually you use it to talk about filling up your gas with fuel or something like that. 
But here it's just talking about food. 
Food is fuel for your body. 
And gas is fuel for your car. 
It gives it energy to go. 
It's true. All right. 
Well, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. 
And of course it's also very important for us to spend time with Michelle every day. 
Let's do that now. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.13.B

Our lesson today is Good Habits to Have. 
And so far we've discussed just a few good habits. 
We read in the beginning of our article that philosopher Aristotle said that good habits formed at youth make all the difference. 
And so far we've talked about the habits of establishing a daily schedule and eating breakfast to give your body the fuel it needs to get through the day. 
Well, we have a few more habits that we're going to learn about today. 
So let's get started with the next part of our reading. 
(Music). 
Good Habits to Have. 
3. Drink lots of water. 
Water is good for your skin and helps you lose weight. 
4. Exercise. 
It provides energy, reduces stress and keeps you healthy. 
But the key to making this a lasting habit is finding an exercise you enjoy. 
5. Practice cleanliness. 
Make sure your hands, teeth, hair, body and clothes are clean. 
This habit will help you feel better and prevent disease. 
6. Take time for your appearance. 
People judge you based on the way you look. 
Before you leave the house, take a few minutes to be sure you look your best. 
Oh! Uh... hello, everyone. 
Yes, it is very important to take care of your appearance. 
It's good to look good on the outside as well as on the inside. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
We're learning about point number three here. 
And that is drink lots of water. 
Is that a good habit to have? 
It is a good habit because water is good for your skin and helps you lose weight. 
So if you're drinking lots of sugary drinks, sodas, juices, those can make you gain weight. 
But water will help you lose it. 
And it's good for your skin. 
That's right. OK. 
So drink plenty of water. 
4. Exercise. 
Well, that's just one word - exercise. 
It's very important to exercise. 
That's right. 
And we see why. 
It provides energy, reduces stress and keeps you healthy. 
Well, these seem like some pretty good reasons to start exercising. 
Well, I think so, too. 
Nobody likes to be stressed out about anything. 
And if you exercise and laugh a lot, that will keep you healthy. 
Actually, some people think that laughing is kind of a form of exercise. 
Now we read here: 
But the key to making this a lasting habit is finding an exercise you enjoy. 
All right. 
Well, what is an exercise that you enjoy? 
Do you enjoy any form of exercise, Carolyn? 
Well, I... I don't really like running too much, but I need to run more. 
I do enjoy doing push-ups, though, Gabe. 
Oh? You do push-ups? 
Yes. 
Excellent! Push-ups are very good. 
I also enjoy doing push-ups. 
Um, I like playing badminton. 
I love going swimming. 
And like Carolyn, I don't really enjoy running or jogging that much. 
But I do some push-ups. 
Do you do push-ups on a regular basis? 
I do push-ups every other day. 
Oh, very nice. 
So it's good to exercise. 
It's good to exercise regularly. OK. 
Find something that you enjoy doing. 
All right. What's our next tip here, Carolyn? 
It is our 5th tip for the day. 
Practice cleanliness. 
So be clean. 
Make sure your hands, teeth, hair, body and clothes are clean. 
Well, that's some pretty good advice, right, Gabe? 
Well, it's true because it's good to be clean. OK. 
You will like yourself more. 
Other people will like you more. 
And cleanliness. 
Actually, if you practice cleanliness, there's a phrase, it says: Cleanliness is next to Godliness. 
So they go together. 
If you want to be a good person on the inside, it will show itself by you being clean on the outside. 
That's right. 
And we read: This habit will help you feel better and prevent disease. 
So you'll feel better because you will be clean. 
And it also helps prevent disease, which is from our Word Bank. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
Oh, man. A dis-ease, some kind of discomfort, something bad that happens to your body. 
Of course if you get a cold, that's a common kind of disease. 
Or maybe even the common flu, something that a lot of people get every year. 
But then of course there are more serious diseases like cancer or AIDS, all kinds of diseases. 
That's right. 
So it's a type of illness that affects your body; you don't feel very well. 
But you can prevent disease by taking better care of yourself, by making sure that you stay clean. 
Wash your hands before you eat. 
Brush your teeth. 
Those are all very good ways to do that. 
Well, right now it is time for us to remain in the good habit of learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
The author of today's lesson uses a special format to present her information. 
She uses a listicle. 
Listicle is something of a new word. 
It's actually a blend of the words list and article. 
Now most often seen on blogs and in magazines, listicles are articles made up of a list of facts, tips, examples or quotations based around a common theme. 
This lesson's theme? Developing habits for a better life. 
People love listicles because they're quick to read and easy to digest. 
This makes them great for readers who are too busy to read lengthy articles or readers who have short attention spans. 
Well, if readers love listicles, publishers love them even more. 
They know if they include a listicle on the magazine's cover, sales will go up. 
I'm sure you've all seen listicles vying for your attention at the local grocery store: 
Five worst foods to eat before bedtime, or ten ways to lose five pounds in a week. 
Of course, Studio Classroom isn't opposed to making listicles of its own. 
Last week's TRAVEL feature was a listicle. 
And later this month we'll see another listicle based around the theme of being thankful. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, we are enjoying a good listicle today. 
Let's take a look at number six, the sixth habit listed here. 
Take time for your appearance. 
That's very important. 
That's what I was doing at the beginning of this section, just checking myself out in my smartphone and the camera that is in there. 
Now it's good to take time for your appearance. 
Yes, it is, because people judge you based on the way you look. 
A lot of times we say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. 
It's not about the outside appearance. 
But people do judge you based on your appearance. 
So before you leave the house, take a few minutes to be sure you look your best. 
And I think that's probably why a lot of houses have big mirrors right next to the front door. 
You can check yourself out the last minute before you leave to make sure everything is OK. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
I'm tired. 
Well, today we learned about some many good habits, and one of them was to exercise. 
So Carolyn told me maybe I should start practicing with a jump rope. 
And I... I did that a couple of times, but it is tiring, Carolyn. 
Well, exercise is very tiring. 
It's supposed to get your body moving. 
Uh, Gabe, you know, another tip we learned today was to drink lots of water. 
So maybe you need some water. 
Well, hey. You have some water right here. 
Carolyn, you're always thinking ahead. 
Well, you know, another good habit to have is to always be prepared. 
That is a good habit to have. 
Be prepared for whatever you are about to do. 
Well, it's time for us to say goodbye for today. 
But of course, we hope you come back next time right here at Studio Classroom for more about good habits. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.11.14.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to look at our lesson called Good Habits to Have. 
And already in yesterday's lesson, we learned some very good habits that will help us in life. 
Well, Carolyn, what was one of those good habits that you really like? 
Well, I like the idea of making breakfast an important part of your day. 
It's very easy to skip breakfast because you're in a hurry to get out the door. 
You need to get ready and then get to school or get to work. 
And you might think that breakfast is not that important; you can just wait till lunch. 
But it is a very good habit to eat breakfast because it gives you the energy you need for your day. 
And so you might want to schedule "Eat breakfast" into your daily schedule. 
Of course another one of our good tips here, a good habit, is to establish a daily schedule. 
And of course it's important to exercise. 
And maybe something that you don't think about too often is how important it is to look nice, to be clean and to spend some time on your appearance as well. 
Well, we have more to learn in today's lesson. 
Are you ready? 
Let's get going. 
Good Habits to Have. 
7. Avoid cigarettes, drugs and alcohol. 
They affect your health, and even worse, they can make your life shorter. 
8. Practice good manners. 
Please and thank you are magical words. 
They make people happy to help you. 
9. Arrive on time. 
This shows people that you are responsible and that you respect their time. 
10. Volunteer. 
Volunteer your time and/or your money, placing importance on others and their needs. 
11. Manage your money. 
Good money habits will reduce stress and bring financial freedom. 
12. Be honest. 
People will discover that you always tell the truth. 
We start off our lesson today with some very good habits to have. 
And yesterday we talked about six good habits to work on. 
And today we are beginning with number seven. 
Avoid cigarettes, drugs and alcohol. 
That is some very good advice and a very good habit to be in to avoid these things. 
That's right. 
That means you're not doing it. 
You're not smoking cigarettes. 
You're not doing drugs. 
You're not drinking alcohol. 
Avoid these habits. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is "alcohol." And alcohol is a kind of liquid. 
And it has... well, it has alcohol in it. 
There are many different kinds of alcohol, of course. 
Beer, wine, whisky, just to name a few. 
And here we're learning about how you should avoid drinking alcohol. 
That's right. 
These things are not good for your body. 
They do not help to keep you healthy or to think clearly. 
And we read here: 
They affect your health, and even worse, they can make your life shorter. 
So it has a very negative or bad effect on your body and your life. 
That's right. 
So of course many people like to have alcohol at parties and things like that. 
If you do have alcohol, don't make a habit of drinking it all the time. 
Of course wine can be good at some times if you might be sick or something like that. 
But don't make a habit of drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes or doing drugs. 
All right, number eight here. 
Practice good manners. 
Well, I think this is something that everyone should do - practice good manners. 
Yes. And please and thank you are magical words. 
They... they're magical words, Gabe? 
I don't know about that. 
Yeah, I know. I like the use of this word "magical" here. 
It's not like they are magic, but they do have a good effect on people just like magic does. 
If you have good manners, if you say please a lot and thank you, if you're grateful for things, then people will like you more. 
That's right. 
If you use these words, they make people happy to help you. 
People will be very happy if you say, "Oh, could you please open the door for me? Thank you." Then they feel like you really appreciate what they have done. 
Well, thank you, Carolyn. 
Thank you for helping to explain that here. 
That was very good. 
Oh, well, thank you, Gabe. 
Yeah. Well, it's time for us now to learn with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
They have a little something they want to share about those words: thank you. 
(Music). 
Hello, friends. 
Here's a question a lot of you have asked: 
What's the best way to respond to the phrase "thank you"? 
Well, there are many options: 
Not at all. 
Don't mention it. 
My pleasure. 
Anytime. 
And the import from Australia - No worries. 
To be sure, each response carries with it a slightly different meaning. 
Right. Often the one we choose will depend on the circumstance and who it was that said thank you. 
Now we should mention that some people have a big problem with the response "no problem". 
They feel it's dismissive and diminishes the appreciation of the person who said thanks. 
I can understand that. 
Hearing someone respond "no problem" to my thank you, I sometimes feel like my expression of thanks was wasted. 
And when people say "no problem," does it mean that if it were a problem, they wouldn't have done it? 
Well, since some people are sensitive to such things, it's probably best to stay away from "no problem" unless you are among friends. 
Right. 
Friends, if someone tells you thanks, the best response is still the old-fashioned "you're welcome". 
But whatever response you do choose to use, be sincere and say it with a smile. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen, for your help in explaining how to respond to thank you. 
Well, moving on to number nine. 
Arrive on time. 
This shows people that you are responsible and that you respect their time. 
I think this is very good advice. 
It is very good advice, Carolyn. 
I think our author was thinking about me when she put this into the lesson. 
It's true. 
Sometimes I struggle with this - being on time. 
But it's a good reminder. 
If you're on time, it shows you're responsible and that you respect other people and their time. 
After all, if everyone agrees on a certain time, then some people will be waiting if you're not on time. 
That's right. 
Well, we do not want to waste time, so we will move on to number ten - Volunteer. 
And volunteer is a word from our Word Bank. 
Let's take a look at that word, Gabe. 
Well, if you volunteer, that means you're doing something because you want to, and you know you probably won't get paid for doing something. 
This word can also be a noun. 
You might be a volunteer for something, a volunteer who volunteers to do something special for somebody. 
That's right. 
So we read: Volunteer your time and/or your money, placing importance on others and their needs. 
Well, I think we need to take a look at a phrase here: and/or. 
We see your time and/or your money. 
So this is encouraging you to do one or both of these things. 
How else could you use and/or? 
Well, you could say: I'm going exercising. I'm going to go running and/or swimming tonight. 
I'm not sure if I'll do one or the other or both, but I'll do swimming and/or running. 
That's right. 
So you can use this if you want to recommend that someone try both things or they could just do one, or if you're not sure what you're going to do. 
Maybe I will do both, maybe I will only do one of these things. 
So volunteer your time and your money or volunteer your time or your money. 
All right. 
And it's good to place importance on other people's needs. 
All right. 
Number 11 here, the 11th habit: Manage your money. 
This is very good habit to have. 
Good money habits will reduce stress and bring financial freedom. 
So far we've learned about something else that reduces stress - exercise. 
And of course if you know how to manage your money, then you don't have to think or stress out about how much you have. 
That's right. 
And number 12: Be honest. 
People will discover that you always tell the truth. 
And this is very good. 
You want people to trust you and know that you are an honest person. 
Well, I know someone who is honest - Michelle! 
Let's go and join her in the Language Lab now. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.14.B

Do you have good habits in your life? 
Well, that's what we're talking about in today's lesson. 
It's important to have good habits. 
And in today's lesson, there is a list of good habits to have. 
The first one we read about was to avoid cigarettes, drugs and alcohol. 
Another one here is to practice good manners. 
You want to arrive on time to show respect to other people that you are involved with. 
You can also volunteer at various places. 
These are all great habits to have. 
Let's learn about some more now. 
(Music). 
Good Habits to Have. 
13. Practice the golden rule. 
Treat others the way you hope they will treat you. 
14. Become a regular reader. 
Reading increases your vocabulary and stretches your mind. 
15. Learn to relax. 
Your mind and body both need times of relaxation. 
A hot bath or good music can take away stress and help you relax. 
16. Get a good night's sleep. 
Sleep is important because it helps to restore the brain, making your thoughts clearer. 
Develop some of these good habits, and you'll lead a happier and more successful life. 
Well, these are some great habits to have. 
And I hope that you think about them. 
Which ones do you need to develop? 
Right now we're talking about habit number 13. 
Practice the golden rule. 
Now Gabe, if I tell you to practice the golden rule, do you know what I'm talking about? 
I know exactly what you're talking about, Carolyn. 
But I think many people don't know what this golden rule is. 
Actually, I think you do know the idea, but maybe you don't know what the rule says. 
Basically, it's what's written here. 
Treat others the way you hope they will treat you. 
It's a very positive thing. 
You want to act in a way... in a way that you hope others will also treat you. 
That's right. 
So you should be nice to people. 
And then people will also be nice to you. 
Follow the golden rule. 
Now if someone isn't nice to you, should I not be nice to them, Gabe? 
Interesting, Carolyn. 
Well, for me, I want someone to forgive me if I did something wrong. 
So with that idea in my mind, I will also try to forgive that person for doing something wrong to me. 
Does that make sense? 
That's right. 
So, you should follow the golden rule. 
So even if someone is not nice to you, you should still try to be nice to them so that they will understand that they should be nice, too. 
It can become their habit. 
It's true. 
This can be very helpful. 
OK, let's go to the next one here. 
14. Become a regular reader. 
Hmm, someone who reads regularly or often. OK. 
Reading increases your vocabulary and stretches your mind. 
So it does a couple of things. 
Of course you can learn new vocabulary the more you read. 
What does it mean to stretch your mind? 
Well, you can't actually stretch your mind like you might stretch your clothes. 
But it means that you can expand or just learn new things, learn more information about things that maybe you hadn't thought of before. 
That's right. 
Well, Carolyn, do you enjoy reading? 
Are you a regular reader? 
Well, I do enjoy reading, but sometimes it's hard for me to make time to read. 
So being a regular reader is a little bit difficult. 
Yeah. I can agree. 
Well, as in any of these habits, you want to make time for the ones that are important to you. OK. 
You might think you have no time, but you can make time. 
What's the next one here, Carolyn? 
Well, it is 15th: Learn to relax. 
And "relax" is a great word from our Word Bank. 
What does that mean, Gabe, to relax? 
Relax! It means I'm not teaching right now. 
I'm not thinking about anything. 
I just want to go and sit somewhere with a nice drink, and just rest and relax. 
That's right. 
So you can just be calm. 
And sometimes it's difficult to learn to relax. 
We're so used to being busy all the time, to always looking at something. 
We... we like to look at our smartphones and our tablets and surf the Internet, but we need to just relax. 
And we read: Your mind and body both need times of relaxation. 
OK. And we continue here. 
This is a good suggestion. 
A hot bath or good music can take away stress and help you relax. 
Well, I enjoy a good hot bath every once in a while. 
And actually, I usually have a hot bath while listening to good music. 
Well, maybe you could also read a book while you take your bath. 
And then you can be a regular reader. 
Nice! And exercise and avoid drugs, cigarettes and alcohol and everything. 
Yeah, of course, these are good habits to have. 
Maybe you need to have separate times to do them. 
Yes. That is true. 
Well, our last habit to practice, number 16: Get a good night's sleep. 
Sleep is important because it helps to restore the brain, making your thoughts clearer. 
And that sounds like a very good thing. 
It is. 
And restoring, that's one of our key words. 
To restore your brain, that means you bring it back to the way it's supposed to be. 
Maybe you're worn out and really tired, you need to be restored and refreshed somehow. 
Mmhm. You can also restore things. 
Maybe an old painting has been ruined; it looks terrible. 
But it can be restored. 
It can be returned to look like it originally did. 
And sometimes people do something wrong; they lose your trust. 
Well, that trust can be restored as well. 
All right. 
Develop some of these good habits, and you'll lead a happier and more successful life. 
Right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Good habits make all the difference. 
That's right. 
Rabbits are adorable. 
They are so cute. 
Uh, not rabbits! Good habits. 
Oh, good habits. 
Well, uh, I have a problem, though. 
I already have bad habits. 
Well, it's never too late to learn good habits. 
Like what? 
Avoid cigarettes, drugs and alcohol. 
Oh, those are bad for you. 
Practice good manners. 
Say please and thank you. 
Yes! Those are magical words. 
Show people you are responsible. 
Arrive on time. 
That shows respect. 
Also, volunteer your time and money. 
Other people's needs are important. 
And remember to manage your money. 
Hmm. That can reduce stress and brings financial freedom. 
Always be honest. 
That's the best policy. 
Practice the golden rule. 
Treat others like you want to be treated. 
Hmm. 
It's not easy. 
Become a regular reader. 
Oh, yes. Reading increases vocabulary and stretches the mind. 
And remember to relax. 
Take a hot bath. 
Listen to some good music. 
Oh, yeah. 
Get a good night's sleep. 
Oh, yes. Sleep and restore your brain. 
And remember, good habits can help you lead a happy and successful life. 
Hooray! 
Thanks for teaching us about rabbits. 
They're adorable. 
Habits, not rabbits. 
Oh, right. Sorry! I get my words all mixed up. 
That's a bad habit. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And keep watching as our lesson continues. 
Well, we have learned about 16 good habits that you can start working on, you can get in the habit of. 
Gabe, which one do you think you need to work on? 
Well, I think I need to work on managing my money. 
Actually, that reminds me, a lot of people need help in this area. 
Check out Dave Ramsey online. 
He's written a lot of good books about how you can manage your money. 
Well, that is a very good habit to work on. 
What habit do you need to practice more? 
Well, think about that. 
Talk about it in English. 
And we will see you next time on Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.11.15.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're talking about Mae Whitman. 
That's right. 
Mae Whitman. 
You know her, but you may not know her name. 
Maybe you've seen her in some movies. 
She is an actress. 
Now speaking of actresses, who do you like to watch in movies? 
Who's your favorite actor or actress? 
Carolyn, do you have a favorite? 
Well, actually, Gabe, it was really hard for me to think of a favorite actor or actress because I don't really follow movie stars. 
I just like to watch movies. 
OK. 
But if I had to choose one, I would probably say Sandra Bullock. 
She was in Miss Congeniality. 
And it's a really good movie, and she does a very great job with the character. 
Yeah. Sandra Bullock is a sweetheart. 
I like her, too. 
I also really like Meryl Streep. 
She's always been one of my favorite actresses. 
I like Philip Seymour Hoffman, too. 
And they were in a movie together called Doubt. 
It was wonderful. 
I love watching my favorite celebrities in movies. 
Well, maybe you've heard of Mae Whitman. 
Maybe not. 
But we're going to learn all about her in this lesson. 
Let's get started. 
(Music). 
Mae Whitman. 
You know her, but you may not know her name. 
"What are you, some kind of knucklehead?" Bored at Mom's acting test, a 3-year-old responded as such to a director's empty admiration of her dress. 
With those words, the impressive career of actress Mae Whitman was born and defined. 
Child Actor. 
With a voice-artist mother and a father who builds sets, it's no surprise Whitman ended up in acting. 
Such parents also knew to prepare her for adult exposure early on. 
Hmm. They sound like wise parents. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here, learning about Mae Whitman. 
And we see something written here: 
You know her, but you may not know her name. 
Carolyn, after learning this word "know," we know what the word "know" means. 
But what does it really mean? 
Well, that is an excellent question, Gabe. 
And I think that Steve and Ken have some information waiting for us in the Information Cloud about knowing someone. 
Hello, friends. 
Can you know someone without knowing their name? 
Well, that would depend on what definition of "know" you're using. 
If you know someone in the sense of recognizing that person, then sure, you can know someone without knowing their name. 
You may see Steve on the street one day and you might say, "Hey, I know that face. What's his name?". 
Well, whether or not you know my name, I hope you'll come up to me and say hi. 
Now another definition of "know" is to be acquainted with. 
If you've met someone, you know them. 
Or you may not know your neighbor even though you see him every day. 
And then there's the definition of having information about a person. 
Steve, I'm looking for a plumber. 
Do you know any plumber? 
Hmm. Let me think. 
I know of a good one that helped with my neighbor's renovation. 
I can ask my neighbor. 
So Steve doesn't know the plumber, but he knows of him. 
He has heard of him from his neighbor. 
So he knows of that person. 
OK. Now let's change the preposition to "about." If I say I know about the plumber, 
then there's something about the plumber which I know, but the rest of the world doesn't know. 
Right. 
It might be a secret. 
Or maybe it's something that has happened to the plumber. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
It's great to know that you always have the information we need. 
Well, continuing to learn about Mae Whitman, we see a quote at the beginning. 
She says, "What are you, some kind of knucklehead?" Well, that's a very interesting way to start this lesson. 
That's right. 
What are you, some kind of knucklehead? 
Actually, that sounds a little bit like an insult. 
It's kind of a mean thing to say, especially for a 3-year-old. 
But it's also kind of cute. 
And now a knucklehead, that's just kind of a fun way of saying someone is maybe a little bit stupid. 
They're not thinking clearly. 
What are you, some kind of knucklehead? 
Well, we... we find out when this was said and who said it. 
We read: 
Bored at Mom's acting test, a 3-year-old responded as such to a director's empty admiration of her dress. 
Well, there's a lot going on in that sentence. 
So first let's look at that phrase: as such. 
She responded as such. 
Now, this just means: in that way. 
That's the way that she responded. 
That's right. Now how else might you use this phrase: as such? 
Well, I could say, "You told me to write down my full name, so I wrote down my name as such." I didn't just write Gabe. 
I wrote Gabriel Harbour. 
I wrote down my name as such. 
Great. 
So you might also say, "Oh, well, our teacher gave us this assignment, so I did it as such." I did it the way the teacher told me to do it. 
So you can use that phrase "as such" to describe something being done in a way already stated. 
That's right. 
Well, we see here that Mae was kind of bored at her mom's acting test. 
I'm not exactly sure the details of this acting test. 
You might also call this a screen test. 
They were trying to see maybe what she would be like in a movie she was trying out for. 
Anyway, we see another word here from our Word Bank. 
She was talking about the director's empty admiration of her dress. 
OK, admiration. 
That's when you admire something. 
That's right. 
So you appreciate it; you enjoy the way it looks or acts. 
So you might look at your hero in admiration. 
Or maybe you admire a movie star, and you have admiration for that person. 
OK. 
So who do you have admiration for? 
Who do you really admire in life? 
Think about that. 
Talk about it in English with somebody. 
And of course, here we're talking about a director's empty admiration. 
What does that mean, empty admiration, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that he didn't really like her dress. 
His words were empty. 
So instead of saying, "Oh, I really like your dress. It's so beautiful," he might have said, "Oh, yes, that's a very nice dress.". 
That's right. 
His words were kind of empty and meaningless. 
Well, it's important to mean what you say in life. 
Make sure your words are not empty like this person. 
OK, so we're continuing here. 
With those words... 
Remember her words? 
What are you, some kind of knucklehead? 
With those words, the impressive career of actress Mae Whitman was born and defined. 
OK, the impressive career. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank. 
Now this is a little bit different from a job, right, Carolyn? 
Yes. 
So a job is the work that you do. 
But a career is a job or a specific type of field that you work in for a long time. 
So you could be a teacher, and that is your career. 
You want to teach for thirty years. 
That's a career, not just a job. 
All right. 
And of course if you're in university, you're in high school, sometimes you might have a career fair. 
People from different companies come and they tell you what their company is like. 
Maybe you want to have that kind of career in the future. 
OK. Well, let's continue learning here about actress Mae Whitman. 
Child Actor. 
With a voice-artist mother and a father who builds sets, it's no surprise Whitman ended up in acting. 
Both of her parents were involved with the theater or film in some way. 
That's right. 
So it's no surprise that she ended up also in acting. 
We continue reading: 
Such parents also knew to prepare her for adult exposure early on. 
And there we see a word from our Word Bank: 
exposure. 
Now what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, in our lesson here, exposure is appearance in the public or in mass media. 
OK. So when someone is becoming famous, a singer or an actor or actress, then that is exposure in some way. 
All right. 
Well, we're talking about preparing her for adult exposure early on. 
That means early on in life. 
You could use that phrase in other ways. 
You could say we needed to talk about something. 
Well, we talked about the topic early on in lunch, not at the end of our lunch. 
OK. Well, let's continue learning about Mae Whitman in a moment. 
But first let's go see what Michelle has for us in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
Hi, everyone. 
I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.15.B

Today we are learning about actress Mae Whitman and how her career as an actress started. 
We learned that her mom was taking an acting test while she was bored as just a 3-year-old. 
And that defined and started her career as an actress herself. 
We also learned that her father built sets. 
So both of her parents were involved in movies and theater. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn about this child actor, Mae Whitman. 
Let's get reading. 
(Music). 
Mae Whitman. 
In her first film role, she played the daughter of Meg Ryan in When a Man Loves a Woman. 
Calling George Clooney father in One Fine Day and Sandra Bullock mother in Hope Floats, she won two Young Artist Awards. 
Through these family dramas, her true parents supported her but were concerned when a certain alien invasion movie came knocking. 
At first, they were uncomfortable about letting her accept such a role, but they changed their minds after reading the script. 
Not yet 10, Whitman then added the president to her list of "parents" due to her part in Independence Day. 
All right. 
Well, let's go back to the top of this section here. 
We're learning about this child actor, Mae Whitman. 
All right. We read here: 
In her first film role, she played the daughter of Meg Ryan in When a Man Loves a Woman. 
And maybe you've seen that film, or maybe you've even heard that song. 
When a man loves a woman... 
Should I keep singing? 
Uh, no, that's OK, Gabe, but thank you for that wonderful introduction to the song and the movie. 
So she got her start in this movie When a Man Loves a Woman, but she didn't stop there. 
Calling George Clooney father in One Fine Day and Sandra Bullock mother in Hope Floats, she won two Young Artist Awards. 
So she wasn't just in these movies, she was a very great child actor and even won awards. 
That's right. 
And of course we see at the beginning of this sentence: 
She called George Clooney father and she called Sandra Bullock mother. 
All right. 
So they weren't, of course, her real parents, but this is what the character was calling these other actors. 
OK. Well, through these family dramas, her true parents supported her but were concerned when a certain alien invasion movie came knocking. 
OK. Now we're learning about her true parents or her real parents. 
That's right. 
And they supported her throughout this child acting career. 
It's not always easy to be a child actor, but her parents supported her. 
However, they were not so sure about an alien invasion movie. 
And we see a word from our Word Bank: invasion. 
Now an invasion is when a large number of something, or it could be a group of people, it could be insects or aliens, come to one area at the same time. 
So if you go on a picnic, you need to be careful that your picnic is not invaded by an invasion of ants. 
Oh, that's true. 
I hate ant invasions while I'm at a picnic. 
They're unwelcome and they make you feel uncomfortable. 
That's when you know it's an invasion of something. 
Now this reminds me of war times as well. 
Maybe a group of people will go and attack and invade another country. 
That's another kind of invasion. 
Well, right now it's time for us to join Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
She's not invading. 
She's waiting patiently for us. 
(Music). 
Hi, friends. 
My name is Liz, and thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
Here's today's Grammar Tip sentence: 
Through these family dramas, her true parents supported her but were concerned when a certain alien invasion movie came knocking. 
Our focus today is on the phrase at the end of the sentence: came knocking. 
Normally when someone is knocking and it's usually on a door, they're showing that they're here. 
So this phrase "came knocking" is an expression we use to talk about how something is available. 
And in the case of today's sentence, the writer is talking about this alien invasion movie being available for Mae Whitman to be a part of. 
This phrase "came knocking" is usually used to describe opportunities. 
For example: 
As soon as Mr. Lee was ready to sell his house, offers came knocking. 
We can also use this phrase to describe a situation that is near or about to happen. 
Ron smokes all the time and doesn't watch what he eats, so it is no wonder health problems came knocking. 
That's all the time we have for today. 
Be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Bye! 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, we were talking about Mae Whitman and this alien invasion movie that came knocking and how her parents responded to it. 
At first, they were uncomfortable about letting her accept such a role, but they changed their minds after reading the script. 
So they weren't so sure about letting their young daughter be in this alien movie. 
But they decided after reading the script that it would be OK. 
That's right. 
And of course, what is a script? 
If you're in theater or maybe you want to be in a film, of course there is a script. 
It's the lines of the movie. 
It's the lines you will be saying and other actors will be saying. 
And of course, it's all the action involved as well. 
OK, so they read the script and they changed their minds. 
They weren't uncomfortable anymore. 
So we read here: 
Not yet 10, Whitman then added the president to her list of "parents" due to her part in Independence Day. 
Carolyn, have you seen that alien invasion movie? 
I have. It was very popular when I was younger. 
And I find it very interesting that here, as a child actor, she's adding this list of famous people to her "parents." So she called... 
Uh, let's see. 
She called George Clooney her father, Sandra Bullock her mother, Meg Ryan her mother, and then the president was her father. 
So she has a lot of big names for her parents. 
That's right. 
Well, we read here that Whitman added the president to her list of "parents" due to her part in Independence Day. 
I like that phrase: due to something. 
That means because of something. 
For example, you could say, "My friend failed our class due to his poor study habits." So he didn't do very well in class. 
Oh, that is very unfortunate. 
And another common place that we hear this phrase used is the weather. 
So you might say: 
Due to the rain, our trip has been canceled. 
We will not be able to go hiking this weekend. 
Due to the ant invasion, we had to finish our picnic early. 
Well, due to reasons concerning time, it's time for us to end right now and join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And of course, we will see you in a few moments. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are up to. 
Well, today we've been learning all about Mae Whitman's past, and especially her experiences as a child actor. 
Of course she called a lot of people mom or dad in movies growing up. 
Now I don't know if you have ever done any acting. 
Maybe you're an actor or an actress. 
Maybe you're... 
Maybe you're not. 
But if you were, what would you like to accomplish? 
Maybe what are some of your goals? 
Carolyn, how would you answer this question? 
Well, I don't really follow actors or actresses very much, but I do think that they are very influential because the media focus is on them so often. 
So I think that I could be a very great role model for women and gives them some very high standards to live up to. 
I think that would be a great thing to try to accomplish as an actress. 
For me, I just want to communicate truth in truthful acting. 
Whether it's a big role or a small role, I think it's important to go along with a good script, a good story, 
and to communicate some good things to people who will watch these movies or TV shows. 
Well, these are some good things to think about. 
And of course, we have more to learn about Mae Whitman in next time's lesson here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.11.16.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to learn about the actress Mae Whitman. 
Already yesterday we learned about how she kind of followed in her parents' footsteps. 
She did the same thing that her parents were doing by working on film or in the theater. 
She became an actress. 
Well, today we're going to continue learning a little bit about this idea - doing what her parents are doing. 
Now I wonder about you and your parents. 
What did they do? 
What is their career? 
What is their job? 
Does that sound interesting to you? 
Do you want to do the same thing? 
Would you like to do the same thing your parents are doing, Carolyn? 
Well, not really. 
I enjoy traveling and learning languages and meeting new people. 
And my parents, let's see. 
My dad works in the post office, so he does get to meet a lot of interesting people. 
And then my mom works for a doctor, so she has a lot of responsibilities. 
That's good. 
But I like to travel, so... 
I see. 
Yeah. No. 
Ha, ha, that... 
Those jobs are not for you. 
Right. 
Well, for me, my parents, well, they work in the church. 
My dad is a pastor and he loves telling people about God's good news. 
I like to do that, too. 
But I don't know if I want to be a pastor, or at least work in that way. 
Well, friends, what about you? 
Would you like to follow in your parents' footsteps and do what they are doing? 
This is kind of what Mae Whitman is doing. 
Let's learn a little bit more about this now. 
(Music). 
Mae Whitman. 
Voice Actor. 
Following in her mother's footsteps, Whitman also acts with her voice alone. 
She also started this at a young age, but her best voice roles came later. 
In her teens she provided the voice for Katara in the popular cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender. 
And she is the first person to ever voice classic Disney character Tinker Bell. 
Current Actor. 
Now 25, Whitman continues to pursue both screen and vocal performances. 
Though she is in some films like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, she is much more established on TV. 
(Music). We will learn more about her TV career in a little bit. 
But first let's learn about Mae Whitman as a voice actor. 
We read: 
Following in her mother's footsteps, Whitman also acts with her voice alone. 
So this is not on screen in a movie but just the sound of her voice. 
That's right. 
OK, and we read here that she is following in her mother's footsteps. 
What does that mean? 
This is a good phrase to know. 
When you follow in someone's footsteps, it's kind of the idea that they've already created a path by what they've done in life, 
and you're just following behind them, doing the same thing. 
That's right. 
So if you follow in someone's footsteps, then you do the same thing or something very similar to what they did before you. 
And a lot of people do follow in their parents' footsteps. 
That's true. 
Well, what about you? 
Do you follow in your parents' footsteps? 
Or here's another question: 
In whose footsteps do you follow? 
If it's not your parents, do you follow in anyone else's footsteps? 
Maybe someone that you admire, someone that you have admiration for. 
Well, that is a good question. 
Now continuing learning about Mae Whitman and her voice acting: 
She also started this at a young age, but her best voice roles came later. 
So if you remember before, her acting career started when she was three after she made a rather rude comment to a director. 
But she got a lot of parts as daughters in many different movies, including an alien invasion movie. 
And here she also started her voice acting career at a young age. 
That's right. 
But her best roles came later. 
We read here: 
In her teens she provided the voice for Katara in the popular cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender. 
Well, I haven't seen Avatar: The last Airbender. 
But have you seen this, Carolyn? 
I have seen it and it is wonderful. 
Yeah. 
And I didn't realize that she was the voice of Katara. 
She does a very good job. 
OK. Well, that sounds like I should watch this cartoon. 
So we see she is a talented voice actor. 
And we continue reading here: 
And she is the first person to ever voice classic Disney character Tinker Bell. 
OK. Who is Tinker Bell? 
Well, you probably know the story of Peter Pan. 
Tinker Bell is his little fairy friend. 
Yes, she is. 
And if you're familiar with Peter Pam, you also know that Tinker Bell doesn't talk until now. 
And Mae Whitman was the first person to ever give Tinker Bell a voice. 
That's right. 
She gave her a voice. 
Or as we can see here in our lesson, voice is a verb. 
She voiced this classic character Tinker Bell. 
All right. 
Now we're talking about her as a little bit older. 
Current Actor. 
Now 25, Whitman continues to pursue both screen and vocal performances. 
That's an interesting way to start the sentence, talking about her age first. 
That's right. 
Well, we've moved from her being a child actor to a voice actor and now to her current acting career. 
So she started her acting career in movies at a very young age as well as her voice career. 
And now she is 25. 
So things are beginning to change for her. 
And so she is pursuing screen and vocal performances. 
What's a screen performance? 
Well, movies, TV shows, that kind of thing - anything you might see on your television screen. 
And a vocal performance. 
Well, actually, vocal has to do with the voice, so she might be working on her singing voice. 
Maybe she will be a good singer, or maybe she is continuing to perfect her talent with voice acting. 
Yes. I think it is referring to her voice acting, these vocal performances. 
But vocal performance can also refer to singing. 
Now we continue reading. 
Though she is in some films like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, she is much more established on TV. 
So she's been in a few movies, a few films, but her fame right now is in TV series. 
All right. She's more established on TV. 
That's where people know her more. 
They see her in these TV shows. 
Well, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. 
Carolyn, is that a movie that you saw? 
I have seen that movie, Gabe, and it's actually based on a book. 
But the movie is pretty good, and she does a very good job with the character in that movie. 
That's right. 
Well, a lot of movies, of course, are based on books or other stories. 
And so she did a great job, and of course she's doing a good job in TV shows as well. 
We're going to learn about some of those TV shows, some of her characters that she plays on TV. 
But first let's take a look at what Michelle has to share in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.16.B

So far today we're learning about how Mae Whitman, the famous actress, was following in her mother's footsteps. 
She was following in her mother's footsteps by becoming a voice actor. 
And of course, she voiced the character Katara in Avatar: The Last Airbender. 
And also, she voiced the classic character Tinker Bell from Peter Pan. 
Well, she also did more. 
She was in some movies as well, but she was more established in TV. 
And even today she is more established in TV shows. 
Let's continue learning about Mae Whitman. 
(Music). 
Mae Whitman. 
She has a substantial part in Parenthood, now in its fifth season, and is featured in the returning series Arrested Development. 
Her voice is also being used in a new TV version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 
Making good on her parents' advice, she's invested in every role, whether live-action or cartoon, with love and hope. 
"Hopefully that communication has maybe made some people feel less alone," she says of her roles. 
Someone's grown up since waiting for Mom. 
Well, her career is moving right along. 
She's gone through a lot of changes. 
And right now we're learning all about her career as a TV actor. 
We read: 
She has a substantial part in Parenthood, now in its fifth season, and is featured in the returning series Arrested Development. 
So she's very popular in these TV shows. 
That's right. 
Parenthood and Arrested Development. 
Well, let's take a look at a word from our Word Bank here: 
substantial. 
If you have a substantial part in a show, that means it's not a small part; actually, it makes quite a big difference. 
That's right. 
So she has a very important role in this show - Parenthood. 
You could also say that other things are substantial as well. 
You might say studying for the test made a substantial difference in my score. 
I didn't study before and I got a very bad score. 
But this time I studied and it was much better. 
It made a substantial difference. 
Yes, it is important to study. 
Or you could talk about a substantial paycheck. 
You don't want to make just a little bit of money. 
You want to have a substantial paycheck; make a substantial amount of money. 
Well, here we're talking about acting. 
And maybe if you're acting, you want to have a substantial role. 
You don't just want to be an extra with a few lines. 
You want to have a substantial role that makes a difference. 
And Mae has a substantial role in Parenthood. 
And she said... It says she is featured in the returning series Arrested Development. 
If she's just featured, that means the role is not as big. 
That's right. 
So she doesn't have a substantial role in the other show. 
Just one. 
Continuing: 
Her voice is also being used in a new TV version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 
Now that was a very popular series when I was growing up, and I think even before then. 
They have movies and cartoons and video games about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 
And it sounds like they are making a new TV series featuring Mae Whitman's voice. 
Well, I think this should be quite interesting and fun to watch and listen to, of course. 
Well, we continue here. 
Making good on her parents' advice, she's invested in every role, whether live-action or cartoon, with love and hope. 
All right. There's a lot to look at there in that sentence. 
First, we want to talk about the phrase: to make good on something. 
Usually this means you made a promise and you followed through with your promise. 
Or you owed someone money and you paid them back. 
Here it means that she followed her parents' advice. 
That's right. 
So there are lots of ways that you can use this phrase. 
You might say he made good on his promise that he would help me move all of my furniture. 
It was very heavy and I needed some help. 
He said he would do it and he made good on it. 
Or my dad made good on his promise that he would come to my baseball game. 
He said he was going to be there and he showed up. 
So he made good on that promise. 
So we see here that Mae has also made good on following her parents' advice that she's invested in every role with love and hope. 
Let's take a look at our Word Bank word: invest. 
What does that mean? 
How can you use it? 
Well, if you invest in something, that means you put a lot of work into it or a lot of money or time into it. 
So it's not something that is worthless to you. 
It's something very important and you work hard to make it do its very best. 
And if you are an actor or actress, you want to pursue this kind of career. 
It's important to invest into every role. 
Don't just go in with 50 percent of your energy and heart. 
You want to invest fully; be fully committed. 
OK. It's very important. 
Whatever you do, be fully invested into it. 
Well, here we're talking about being invested in every role, whether live-action or cartoon, with love and hope. 
So she's investing all of these roles... into all of these roles with love and hope. 
That's right. She is. 
And she did good with following her parents' advice. 
And we want to learn more about advice with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
In our lesson today, we see that Mae Whitman is making good on her parents' advice. 
Why don't we take a look at this word: advice? 
It is uncountable. 
So even if Mae's parents had given her several suggestions, we would not say advices. 
No, we wouldn't. 
We should never add an S at the end of advice. 
However, the word "suggestion" is countable. 
So we could say Mae's parents have given her lots of helpful suggestions - plural. 
OK. So how do we count something that's uncountable? 
Well, we know we cannot say one advice, but we can say a piece of advice or a word of advice. 
Also, be aware of the pronunciation. 
We need to remember that advice, A-D-V-I-C-E, is a noun. 
Advice. 
But the verb A-D-V-I-S-E is pronounced advise. 
The end of the word has a "z," Z sound. 
OK. Thanks for advising our students, Ken. 
Good advice. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, let's continue with something that Mae said. 
She says, "Hopefully that communication has maybe made some people feel less alone." She says of her roles. 
All right. 
So, of course she has a plan. 
She's not just acting with half of her heart. 
She's invested and she wants her roles to make a difference in people's lives. 
That's right. 
And she uses that word "communication," a word from our Word Bank. 
Now communication is the way you communicate with someone. 
So communication could be through words, actions... 
Maybe you write a letter or an e-mail or even a text message. 
Those are all forms of communication. 
That's right, forms of communication. 
People communicate in so many different ways. 
And animals communicate with each other. 
We can communicate in so many different ways. 
Now it's good to have good communication skills. 
That's something that your employer might look at if you're applying for a new job. 
You need to have good communication skills. 
OK. Right now it's time for us to... 
Well, actually, there's one more line here. 
I like this line a lot. 
Someone's grown up since waiting for Mom. 
Now who is that someone? 
Well, that his Mae Whitman. 
Remember? We started with a quote, and now we have ended with a quote. 
And there is a big difference between the two. 
Mmhm. 
She has certainly grown up. 
Well, right now it is time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
What are you, some kind of knucklehead? 
Excuse me? 
I said, "What are you, some kind of knucklehead?". 
No. And don't call me that again. 
I'm not calling you a knucklehead. 
I'm practicing, uh, to become a voice artist. 
That's a strange line to practice. 
Well, not really. 
With those words, Mae Whitman's impressive career was born and defined. 
Mae Whitman? 
Yes. She is the daughter of Meg Ryan in When a Man Loves a Woman. 
Mae Whitman? 
George Clooney is her father in One Fine Day. 
Mae Whitman? 
Sandra Bullock is her mother in Hope Floats. 
Mae Whitman? 
Daughter of the president in Independence Day! 
Mae Whitman! Oh, she's a good screen actor. 
Yeah. And she is following in her mother's footsteps as a voice actor. 
Her real mother. 
Yes. 
Mae provided the voice for Katara in Avatar, oh, and Disney's Tinker Bell. 
Oh, that's impressive. 
She does film and TV, too. 
She's invested in every role. 
That's very impressive. 
And it all started with "What are you, some kind of knucklehead?". 
What are you, some kind of knucklehead? 
Yes. 
I... I mean no. 
I mean maybe. 
OK. (Chinese). 
And now let's continue our lesson. 
The past two days we've been enjoying learning about Mae Whitman and her career as a young actor. 
Well, have you seen her in any of these movies or TV shows or heard her voice and anything? 
I've seen Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Independence Day. 
Gabe, have you seen anything that she's been in? 
Well, Carolyn, I really did enjoy Independence Day. 
It was one of the first movies I saw in the theater when I was twelve years old. 
And she did a great job. 
Of course, she's always doing a great job. 
Thank you, friends, for joining us today, learning all about Mae Whitman. 
And of course, we hope to see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.11.18.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Our lesson is called Consumer Conflicts. 
Of course if you are a consumer, that means you are buying things, you are buying products from someplace. 
You could do this by going into a store and buying products. 
Or maybe you like to shop online. 
Hey, that's a good question. 
Do you like to shop outside in the streets and in stores or do you shop online? 
Carolyn, what about you? 
Well, that is a good question, Gabe. 
Um, I really like to shop in stores, actually. 
I like to be able to look at things and hold them and see if it's good quality, whether or not I really like all the functions it has. 
So, not just clothes but really anything. 
And if I really like it, then I'll go home and see if I can find a cheaper price online. 
That's really funny that you said that. 
All right. Um, I can understand that. 
Sometimes you might see something you like, but then maybe you can find something better and cheaper online. 
Well, usually I like to shop in stores, but I also shop online sometimes. 
We have some things to learn from today's lesson as two girls will be talking about this idea: 
Is it better to shop at a store or to shop online? 
Let's get started. 
Consumer Conflicts. 
(Music). 
Consumer Conflicts. 
Is shopping online better than buying things in a store? 
Laura and Nellie are hanging out at Nellie's house. 
Nellie is browsing some online stores from her laptop. 
What are you looking for, Nellie? 
I'm shopping for a new pair of jeans, Laura. 
And maybe I'll buy some shoes. 
You buy your clothes online? 
Aren't you afraid they won't fit? 
It seems pretty risky to me. 
Not really. 
If they don't fit, I'll just send them back. 
That sounds really troublesome. 
You have to pay the cost of shipping both ways. 
I would rather try on clothes in the store. 
Then I'll know right away if they fit or not. 
(Music). 
Well, our conversation is off to a very good start. 
But before we get to discussing it, we want to look at our title: Consumer Conflicts. 
It's a nice "C. C." We have some great alliteration. 
But the word "consumer" is from our Word Bank. 
So let's look at that. 
Now Gabe, you did a very good of explain... good job of explaining consumer earlier. 
Well, yes. 
If you are buying something, you need to buy some products, you are a consumer. 
Any kind of product, any kind of buying. 
You walk into a convenience store and get something - you're a consumer. 
So consumer conflicts. 
What do different people think about buying and how should you buy your things? 
That's right. 
And so we see this question: 
Is shopping online better than buying things in a store? 
This is a very good question especially as buying things online becomes easier and more and more popular. 
I think you're right about that. 
It is becoming more convenient. 
And... you might be a consumer online. 
Well, actually, you could go online and check out consumerreports.org and see what other consumers are saying about certain products. 
That's a good website to check out. 
It is very good because we are all consumers, and we want to make sure that things that we buy are good quality or helpful or necessary. 
Well, getting into our conversation here, we learn about two friends. 
Laura and Nellie are hanging out at Nellie's house. 
Nellie is browsing some online stores from her laptop. 
All right. 
So these two friends, these ladies are just hanging out. 
Do you ever use that phrase? 
That means you are just spending time with somebody, not doing anything too stressful. 
You're just hanging out, maybe chatting. 
Or in this case, Nellie is browsing something on her laptop. 
Well, let's get started with this conversation, shall we? 
Carolyn, how about you be Laura today? 
Oh, great. Yes. I will start as Laura. 
Uh... what are you looking for, Nellie? 
I'm shopping for a new pair of jeans, Laura. 
And maybe I'll buy some shoes. 
Um, Nellie, Nellie, your voice is very deep. 
Oh, I have a cold. 
Don't worry about me. 
Oh, OK. 
Nellie is a girl's name. 
Yes. 
Yes. 
Yes, it is. 
But as Nellie says here, she's shopping for a pair of jeans. 
Now that's a very interesting word. 
It's something that you use maybe every day. 
You wear jeans. 
But let's have Steve and Ken talk about this word more in the Information Cloud. 
A toponym is the name of a place. 
Boston, Spain, Ontario are all toponyms. 
A toponym can also be a word derived from the name of a place. 
There's one word in today's dialogue that comes from a location's name. 
It's the word jeans. 
This English word has its origin in the old French word "Jannes," which is what the French call the Italian city, Genoa. 
Genoa is where the special cotton jean material was first manufactured in the mid-1500s. 
Other places that gave their names to things people wear include tuxedo, formal clothing for men, from Tuxedo Park, New York. 
And bikini, that two-piece bathing suit for women, named after the Bikini Islands, which are located in the Pacific Ocean. 
There are dozens of toponyms. 
If you remember earlier this year, we talked about marathon, a Greek town's name that's become the English word for long-distance foot races. 
The word china with a lower case "c" is also a toponym. 
Originally, chinaware, or ware is made in China. 
The shortened version "china" now refers to fine porcelain bowls, cups and plates that are made not just in China but all over the world. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
That is very important to know about all of these different words and where they came from. 
Now Nellie was talking about looking for jeans online. 
She's browsing these online stores. 
And Laura responds: 
You buy your clothes online? 
Aren't you afraid they won't fit? 
That seems pretty risky to me. 
It seems pretty risky to Laura. 
Well, those are some good questions that she is asking. 
OK. They might not fit. 
If you buy something online, you're not sure if it will fit. 
It might be risky to do that. 
And that's a good word from our Word Bank. 
If something is risky, that means you are taking a chance. 
You don't know for sure how something will turn out. 
How could you use that word? 
Well, it means that there's a little bit of danger and uncertainty. 
So if you go hiking during a storm, that can be very risky. 
You could easily fall. 
Maybe the path will become too muddy, and you can't get back down the mountain. 
OK. Or maybe you go hiking at night without a flashlight. 
That could also be pretty risky. 
Another way you could use this word is when you're buying a ticket for something. 
Well, don't wait till the weekend at the bus station to get your ticket. 
There might be a lot of people there. 
It's risky to wait that long. 
You might want to get your ticket in advance. 
That's right. 
Well, Nellie, would you like to respond to Laura's line? 
Ah, yes, of course. 
Not really. 
If they don't fit, I'll just send them back. 
Oh. Well, that's one way to do it. 
You can just send the clothes back to the company in the mail. 
And Laura says: 
That sounds really troublesome. 
Troublesome. 
Well, that's a good word. 
It's a troublesome word. 
Well, it's from our Word Bank. 
If something is troublesome, that means it bothers you or it's kind of inconvenient. 
You don't really want to do it. 
That's right, so. 
It causes a lot of problems. 
Now people can be troublesome as well. 
And you want to make sure that you are not troublesome. 
You want to help people, not cause more problems. 
Of course sometimes you might need some help. 
But you might say: I'm sorry. I don't want to trouble you. 
I don't want this to be troublesome for you. 
However, you might be a gentleman or someone very nice, and you want to help. 
You can say: Don't worry. 
It's my pleasure. 
It's not troublesome at all. 
That's right. 
Well, Laura is worried about how troublesome it is to send clothes back. 
She says: You have to pay the cost of shipping both ways. 
I would rather try clothes on in a store. 
Then I'll know right away if they fit or not. 
OK. Well, I can understand where both of these girls are coming from and how they both feel. 
And if you have to get the clothes and they don't fit, you have to pay for shipping both ways. OK. 
Let's go learn more with Liz... I mean, not Liz, Michelle, in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.18.B

Well, do you prefer shopping online or going to a store to do your shopping? 
That's what today's lesson is all about - answering this question. 
And of course we're joining a conversation between Nellie and her friend Laura. 
They're talking all about this. 
Nellie loves to do shopping online. 
But Laura thinks it's kind of troublesome. 
It's a little bit troublesome to do that. 
Because if something doesn't fit, then you have to ship your clothes or your items back. 
Well, let's continue learning what they have to share with us in the next part of our conversation. 
(Music). 
Consumer Conflicts. 
That's true. 
But the mall is pretty far from there. 
It takes gas to get there, and that's expensive. 
If I buy something online, it comes right to my house. 
Yes, but you have to wait for it. 
When I buy something, I want to have it right away! 
I'd rather drive to the mall and pay for the gas than have to wait a week or longer! 
But I feel so excited when my things finally arrive! 
And a lot of sites offer free shipping. 
Not to mention, when I go to the store, I end up buying things on impulse. 
I just buy what I need online. 
(Music). 
Well, both girls seem to have pretty strong opinions on how they like to do their shopping. 
Now Laura had just talked about how it is really troublesome to have to ship your clothes back and pay for shipping both ways and waiting for them in the mail. 
But Nellie, how do you respond? 
That's true. 
But the mall is pretty far from here. 
It takes gas to get there, and that's expensive. 
If I buy something online, it comes right to my house. 
I can understand what Nellie is saying here. 
And I like something she says. 
She says it takes gas to get to the mall. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: it takes something. 
Well, what does it take to do something? 
It could take gas. 
It could take time. 
It could take energy. 
How else could you use this phrase? 
Well, it takes money to do a lot of things. 
And money is something we will be talking about this month. 
It takes money to buy a house or to buy a car. 
It takes money to get to work because you need to pay for gas or public transportation. 
That's right. 
It could also take courage to do something. 
Maybe your friend is doing something that is harming their life. 
It's not easy to tell your friend that what they're doing is wrong. 
It takes courage to do that. 
Well, what does it take courage for you to do? 
Laura, I think it's your line. 
Ah, yes. Well, she says: 
Yes, but you have to wait for it. 
When I buy something, I want to have it right away! 
I'd rather drive to the mall and pay for the gas than to have to wait a week or longer! 
Well, I can understand that as well. 
I like going to get something and being able to wear it right away. 
And that's what Laura says. 
She says: I'd rather drive to the mall and pay for the gas than have to wait a week longer. 
Let's take a look at that phrase. 
You know how to use this, I think. 
You've probably used it many times: I'd rather do something than something else. 
How else could you use that phrase? 
It is a very popular sentence structure. 
You might say: 
Well, I would rather go hiking than go swimming. 
But it is really hot today, so I guess we could go to the pool. 
All right. 
Well, how else could you use this phrase? 
You're going to lunch. 
You know, I'd rather have dumplings than hamburgers. 
I had western food yesterday. 
Let's have some Chinese food today. 
Or what else could you say? 
You know, I'd rather go to bed late than wake up early. 
I don't like waking up early. 
Ah, well. So you'd rather go to bed early than wake up early. 
Well, no. I'd rather go to bed late than wake up early. 
I like going to bed late and not waking up early. 
Oh, well. Oh. 
Yeah. 
But you could get more sleep if you went to bed early as well. 
Oh, Carolyn, you're right! 
You know, we should have another lesson about this sometime. 
But for now, let's continue this conversation between Nellie and Laura. 
It's Nellie's line. She says: 
But I feel so excited when my things finally arrive. 
You know, I understand that. 
Carolyn, do you ever feel that way, you know something is going to happen soon, and so when it happens, you get excited? 
I do, and especially when I know I'm expecting something in the mail. 
So if I do order something online or I know someone is sending me something, I get really excited and I can't wait for it to arrive. 
And when they do, I'm very happy. 
Well, I understand. 
And actually, you could have the opposite feelings. 
If you're excited about something to happen, and then it never happens, you feel really disappointed. 
That happened to me once when I ordered something online. 
Well, Nellie continues here. She says: 
And a lot of sites offer free shipping. 
Not to mention, when I go to the store, I end up buying things on impulse. 
I just buy what I need online. 
Well, that is a very good point there, Gabe... Nellie. 
Yes. 
Um, she buys things on impulse. 
And that is a word from our Word Bank. 
If you do something on impulse, then you don't really think about it. 
You just do it suddenly. 
So it's important if you don't want to buy things on impulse that you make a list, and then you can avoid doing that. 
That's a good idea because sometimes I do make impulse purchases or impulse buys. 
I do things on impulse. 
Or you could use the adjective: impulsive. 
Are you an impulsive person? 
Do you do things on impulse often? 
Well, we don't want to be too impulsive or do too many things on impulse. 
But it is time for us to continue learning with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this statement: 
Not to mention, when I go to the store, I end up buying things on impulse. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Today our focus is on the phrase: end up. 
It's another way to say in the end or resulting. 
So today's sentence just means even though the speaker doesn't want to buy on impulse, that's what usually happens in the end. 
We usually use "end up" to describe how a situation results. 
A situation may start out one way, but then things change. 
For example: 
Although Kim and her roommate had agreed to divide the house chores, Kim ended up doing all the house chores herself. 
Or: Ellie's original plan was to be in town for three days, but she ended up staying for a week. 
So give this phrase a try. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's go back to our lesson. 
These girls are having a great conversation on the pros and cons of shopping online or shopping in a store. 
And one thing that they mentioned was that if you go to a store, you might buy something on impulse. 
Gabe, does that ever happen to you? 
Yes, it does, especially when I'm hungry, Carolyn, I'll be shopping at the supermarket and I'm shopping on an empty stomach. 
An empty stomach means I'm hungry. 
And then so of course I buy more food than I should. 
I shop on impulse. 
Well, you should make a list. 
And don't shop when you're hungry. 
Then you won't buy things on impulse. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn from our lesson tomorrow right here on Studio Classroom. 
And we'll see you then. 
(Music).

2013.11.19.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing our lesson called Consumer Conflicts. 
It's the idea that some people like to go to stores to shop, and others would prefer to shop online. 
And so there's this conflict, which one is better? 
Well, what did we learn from yesterday's lesson, Carolyn? 
Well, we learned that Nellie likes to shop online. 
Right now she's looking at a pair of jeans. 
Maybe she'll buy some shoes. 
And her friend Laura was very surprised because she thinks that buying clothes online can be very risky and troublesome. 
That's right. 
And so of course she would prefer to go to a mall to a store to shop for clothes and other things like that. 
All right. Well, we have more to learn from their conversation here today. 
So let's get started - Consumer Conflicts. 
(Music). 
Consumer Conflicts. 
I also like to shop in stores to support local businesses and the people who work in them. 
However, I have purchased a couple things from online auction sites. 
Online auctions are so exciting! 
What did you buy? 
One time I bought an old book of myths that's not sold in stores anymore. 
I couldn't find it anywhere! 
When it came, it was just what I was expecting. 
I was so pleased. 
That's the great thing about online shopping! 
You can find practically anything! 
(Music). 
Yes, you can find practically anything anywhere on the Internet. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of this conversation. 
Laura has a line here. 
Let's continue being our characters, OK. 
So I will be Nellie. 
And can you be Laura? 
Oh, yes. I shall continue being Laura. 
I also like to shop in stores to support local businesses and the people who work in them. 
Well, let me interrupt you here for a moment, Carolyn... Laura. 
She says that she likes to shop in stores to support local businesses. 
All right. So what is a local business? 
It's not a really big or popular or famous business sometimes. 
It's... it could be just a store that is opened only in your neighborhood. 
Maybe there isn't a store like it anywhere else. 
That's right. 
So it is local; it is only in that place. 
And Steve and Ken have something they want to tell us about local in the Information Cloud. 
Let's go there now. 
The Internet has revolutionized our lives in many ways, one of which is how we shop and buy stuff. 
In today's lesson, Laura makes an interesting statement that I think could be expanded upon. 
She says she likes to support local businesses and the people who work in them. 
We call this going local. 
Going local helps a community because every time you shop locally, that's more money that stays in the community. 
This means more money for local parks, schools and things like community events. 
Another good reason to go local is that independent local businesses create jobs for you and your neighbors. 
And they're the largest contributors to local charities. 
So if going local helps your community, then is the opposite also true? 
When you don't go local, when you buy things online, for example, do you hurt your community? 
If every purchase you made was outside the community, then yes. 
But studies show if you go local just once every five times, that's enough to offset the other four non-local purchases. 
So friends, if your community is important to you, then whenever you shop, eat or have fun, go local. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
It is a good idea to buy local when you can. 
So Laura is talking about how she likes to buy local when she can, and she likes to support local businesses. 
She continues saying: 
However, I have purchased a couple things from online auction sites. 
Hmm, so she also has bought things online. 
Well, hey, let's take a look at something from that sentence here. 
Laura has purchased a couple of things. 
Um, Carolyn, does that mean she has purchased two things? 
No, Gabe, it doesn't mean that she has only purchased two things. 
Here "a couple" just means some. 
So one, two, three, four, not very many, but not a lot. 
So just a couple. 
It doesn't mean "two" here. 
That's right. OK. 
And of course she's talking about online auction sites like eBay. 
That's an example of an online auction site. 
OK. Well, Nellie continues here. She says: 
Online auctions are so exciting. 
What did you buy? 
That is a very interesting voice there. 
Nellie, I forgot how deep and manly your voice was. 
Yes, of course. I do have a cold. 
Well, what did Laura buy here? 
Ah, yes. She says: 
One time I bought an old book of myths that's not sold in stores anymore. 
Well, let me interrupt you here. 
We need to talk about that word "myth." All right. 
A myth is a kind of story, but the story is not true. 
But it's popular. 
People tell these stories for many years and many generations. 
Now what kinds of myths are there, Carolyn? 
Well, there are many different kinds of myths. 
Most popular are probably the Greek and Roman myths, which talk about different gods and their interactions with people. 
Now of course these stories are not true, but they are traditional stories that have been passed down from one generation to the next. 
That's right. 
And you could call the study of these kinds of myths mythology, M-Y-T-H-O-L-O-G-Y, OK, or the idea of these myths. 
So Laura is interested in myths, in these kind of stories. 
Now what does she say next? 
Ah, yes, I shall continue, so. 
Talking about how this book was not sold in stores anymore, she says: 
I couldn't find it anywhere. 
When it came, it was just what I was expecting. 
Hold on a second. 
"Just what I was expecting." And that's just what I want to talk about here, Carolyn. 
That's a good phrase to... to know: just what you are something. OK. 
So just what Laura was expecting. 
Well, you can use this phrase in other ways. 
It means it's exactly what you want. 
For example, you said something. 
Well, hey, that's just what I was thinking! I was going to say that. 
How else could you use that phrase? 
Well, you could say: 
That's just what I was wanting! 
How did you know I wanted that pair of shoes, Gabe? 
Well... um, I don't think you want this pair of shoes. 
Are you sure these shoes are just what you want? 
No... not that pair. 
Oh, right. Well... anyway, it could be just what you want, exactly what you want. 
And this is just what Laura was expecting. 
She got something, and she couldn't find it anywhere. 
It was just what she was expecting. 
And she was what, Carolyn? 
She says: I was so pleased. 
That's the great thing about online shopping. 
You can find practically anything. 
And it's true. 
If you are shopping online or doing some online shopping, you can find almost anything. 
That's right. 
And we have that word "practically," which does mean almost or close to. 
So you might go shopping and there's a huge sale. 
And the clothes are so cheap that the store is practically giving them away. 
That's right. 
We're practically just giving them away for free. 
Or you could talk about being so tired, you are practically asleep. 
Well, I'm not really asleep right now, no. 
We are learning more, and there's more to learn later. 
But first, we're going to go and learn what Michelle has for us in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.19.B

We are continuing our conversation between Laura and Nellie in the article Consumer Conflicts. 
Today we learned that Laura has bought a few things online. 
She has used online auction sites. 
And she bought a book of myths. 
And it was just what she was expecting. 
She was so excited to have this book. 
And Nellie agrees that you can find practically anything online, so. 
If you can't find it in a store, shopping online could be a good solution. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn from this conversation. 
Let's continue. 
(Music). 
Consumer Conflicts. 
Yes. But not all my online shopping experiences have been good. 
Another time I bought a CD from an individual. 
On the website he said it was new, but it was all dirty and scratched when it arrived! 
I tried to return it, but the person never replied to any of my emails, so I never got my money back. 
What a scam artist! 
You do have to be careful when buying things online. 
I only buy from stores with good reputations. 
And when I buy from an auction, I only buy from sellers who have a lot of positive reviews. 
Good advice. 
Now let me give you some advice - fashion advice! 
Let's go to the mall, and I'll drive! 
(Music). 
Aw, I think Laura is very nice. 
She's offering to drive them to the mall. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of this part of the conversation. 
What is Laura's first line? 
Well, she's responding to Nellie, saying that you can find practically anything if you shop online. 
And she responds: 
Yes. But not all my online shopping experiences have been good. 
Another time I bought a CD from an individual. 
On the website he said it was new, but it was all dirty and scratched when it arrived. 
Well, OK. I know Laura has a very long line here. 
But I need to interrupt you because she says some important things. 
She bought a CD from an individual. 
That means an individual person, one person, OK. 
On the website he said it was new. 
Well, website is an important word for us to learn and talk about. 
Of course, anywhere you go online, there are websites. 
What you're looking at when you're online, that is a website of some kind. 
That's right. 
So if you open an Internet browser and you type an address into the little search bar or the address bar, then it will take you to that website. 
And there are many websites out there. 
Studio Classroom also has a website. 
Have you visited it? 
It's very interesting. 
Yes. If you have not visited our website, please go there sometime. 
www.studioclassroom.com. 
That's our website. 
That's one of our web pages. 
Well, we have more to learn here from Laura's line. 
She was a little disappointed with this dirty and scratched CD. 
Yes. Well, I would be, too. 
The website said it was new, but it was dirty and scratched when it arrived. 
She continues: 
I tried to return it, but the person never replied to any of my emails, so I never got my money back. 
Aw, that's too bad. 
OK. She tried to return something. 
When you return something to a store that you don't want, you do hope that you can get your money back, 
or at least be able to buy something else with that money. 
But this didn't happen to Laura. 
She tried to return it, but did not get her money back. 
Nellie says: What a scam artist! 
Oh. Well, that is a very interesting thing to call someone. 
A scam artist? 
Yeah. 
So he can do art. 
Um, no. Usually art is a good thing. 
I know you'd like to be an artist of some kind. 
A scam artist, of course, is not a good thing. 
It's lying to people. 
That's basically what a scam artist does - lying to people and getting their money. 
Ah! So we want to avoid scam artists. 
And it's very difficult when you're online and looking at different websites to know if the person is being truthful or not about the item they're trying to sell. 
That's right. 
And of course, scam artists could be uh, many different kinds of people. 
Maybe they're lying about themselves on a dating website. 
Or maybe they're calling you. 
They're telemarketing and want you to buy something. 
But really, they're trying to get your money. 
And by answering the phone call, you're actually paying some money. 
Has that ever happened to you before? 
Well, these are all different kinds of scam artists. 
OK, so Nellie says: You do have to be careful when buying things online. 
I only buy from... what kinds of online sites? 
She only buys from stores with good reputations. 
Well, that is very good advice right there, Nellie, to buy from a store with a good reputation. 
Now a reputation is what you know about something, and it's common knowledge. 
So people can have good reputations or bad reputations as well as websites and stores. 
So what kind of reputation do you have? 
Do you have the reputation of being an honest person, someone that people can trust and talk to? 
I think that is a great reputation to have. 
Maybe having a reputation of being a very friendly and open person. 
Or maybe, what's a negative or bad reputation someone might have? 
Maybe someone has a reputation for always being late. 
Of course, that's a habit you might need to change. 
But what kind of reputation do you have? 
Now someone may have heard about you even before meeting you. 
And here's a common phrase, they might say: 
Your reputation precedes you. 
That means I knew about you before I met you. 
Yes. So think about what kind of reputation you have and talk about that. 
Learn a little bit more about your reputation. 
Well, would you like to continue, Nellie? 
Of course! 
I only buy from stores with good reputations. 
And when I buy from an auction, I only buy from sellers who have a lot of positive reviews. 
Good advice! 
Now let me give you some advice - fashion advice! 
Let's go to the mall, and I'll drive. 
Well, again, Laura is being very friendly here. 
She's offering to use her gas, which costs money, to drive to the mall. 
Maybe Nellie needs some fashion advice. 
Maybe Laura will help her dress a little more stylishly. 
Well, right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit, and then join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hey, let's shop. 
OK. I'll get out my laptop. 
Why? 
For online shopping. 
No, no, no. Online shopping is troublesome. 
No, it's not. 
When you buy something, it comes right to the door. 
But it's risky. 
You might order something that doesn't fit. 
Then you send it back. 
And pay for the shipping? 
No. Thank you. 
Let's shop at the mall. 
You can buy what you want and have it right away. 
But the mall is far away, and gas is expensive. 
I'd rather pay for gas than wait a week! 
But it's exciting when things finally arrive. 
But I like to shop in stores, oh, and support local businesses. 
However... 
Yes? 
Online auction sites are pretty exciting. 
Yeah, and you can find practically anything. 
But sometimes you buy things and you're disappointed. 
And sellers don't always reply to your emails. 
Look out for scam artists. 
Only buy from stores with good reputations. 
I know that now. 
And if you buy from an online auction, be sure the seller has good reviews. 
That's good advice. 
Now let's go to the mall. 
But I want to shop online! 
No problem. 
The mall has WiFi. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are up to. 
Well, today in our conversation Laura shared about a bad experience buying something online. 
Carolyn, has that ever happened to you? 
Did you ever have this kind of experience? 
Well, I have, actually. 
I ordered a book online. 
And when my book arrived, it was not the book I ordered. 
Huh? Whoa, it wasn't? 
No. I received the wrong book in the mail. 
So what happened? 
Did your return it or what? 
Well, I think I ended up selling it. 
Well, hey, you made some money off of it. 
That's good. 
Well, what about you? 
Have you ever had a bad experience buying something online? 
Talk about it in English. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you! 
(Music).

2013.11.20.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're very glad and thankful that you could join us for today's lesson, which is called Give Thanks. 
Well, it's very important to give thanks no matter where you are and no matter what is going on in your life, 
even if you're in a foreign country just like our author. 
Of course she is experiencing Thanksgiving with her family. 
In this lesson she's going to be sharing about that. 
And it's important to give thanks. 
And that's what Thanksgiving is all about. 
Many countries celebrate Thanksgiving. 
Do you celebrate Thanksgiving? 
Carolyn, do you celebrate Thanksgiving? 
Well, I do. 
And when I was in the U.S., I would celebrate it with my family. 
But now that I live in Taiwan, I celebrate it with my friends. 
We get together and we make lots of food, 
lots of American traditional Thanksgiving food like pumpkin pie and green bean casseroles and wonderful delicious things, Gabe. 
Aw, that sounds delicious. 
Well, I want to celebrate with you and your friends if that's what you guys will be eating. 
How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? 
Well, maybe you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but you can learn about some people that are celebrating Thanksgiving. 
Let's get started in our lesson - Give Thanks. 
(Music). 
Give Thanks. 
The fourth Thursday in November welcomes the holiday season. 
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. 
This holiday not only involves football and turkey but also helps us remember to be thankful. 
Traditionally Americans go home for Thanksgiving. 
So people start preparing weeks before the holiday. 
Excited moms are eager to have their children come home. 
Thanksgiving is also a season for giving. 
Irene's school has a "Turkey Trot" race every year around Thanksgiving. 
You can give small amounts of money for charity to run in the race. 
I do enjoy Thanksgiving and all of the events that occur that time of year. 
And we begin our article: 
The fourth Thursday in November welcomes the holiday season. 
And it's true because the fourth Thursday in November is Thanksgiving Day every year. 
Every year, that is a national holiday in the United States. 
Thanksgiving might be another day in other countries. 
But this idea of celebrating and giving thanks is actually celebrated in many countries around the world. 
OK, so let's get started here. We read: 
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. 
That's right. 
It's coming up very quickly. 
That's right. 
And that phrase "around the corner" means just that. 
It means that it is not far away. 
It will happen very soon. 
And you can use this when you're talking about time and events, not just distance and places. 
That's right. 
So Thanksgiving is just around the corner. 
Actually, Christmas is not too far away. 
Christmas is just around the corner as well. 
That may be what Pauline means when she says the fourth Thursday in November welcomes the holiday season. 
After Thanksgiving up through Christmas, that's considered the holiday season. 
It is. 
And well, talking about Thanksgiving: 
This not only involves football and turkey but also helps us remember to be thankful. 
So if you are in the United States on Thanksgiving Day, 
there are some very exciting football games that occur, and a lot of people eat turkey. 
That's right. 
So that's what many people think about when they think of Thanksgiving because the Super Bowl football games are actually happening around Thanksgiving. 
People get really excited about that. 
And of course they also think about turkey because that's what a lot of people eat at Thanksgiving. 
But it's also important to remember to be thankful. 
That's right. 
And we read: 
Traditionally Americans go home for Thanksgiving. 
So if you're a student, then you would go back home. 
Or maybe you move far away for a job, you would return to your hometown and spend the holiday with your family. 
OK, so that's kind of what home means here. 
Maybe home has a different meaning. 
People... Americans go home for Thanksgiving. 
Well, where is home to you? OK. 
Well, we continue here. 
So people start preparing weeks before the holiday. 
All right. 
That means they're getting ready for Thanksgiving far in advance, many weeks before the actual day comes. 
That's right. 
And that phrase right there, "weeks before," I think Liz has something she would like to share with us about that in the Grammar Gym. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article the writer mentions "So people start preparing weeks before the holiday." That's today's Grammar Tip sentence. 
And for today, we're looking at the phrase "weeks before." It is short for several weeks before. 
So today's sentence just means people start preparing several weeks before the holiday. 
So friends, when you have something happening several weeks before a certain day, then you can consider using this phrase. 
For example: 
Zack finished his report weeks before the due date. 
Now we can also switch weeks to days, or hours, or minutes. 
For example: 
Sharon's suitcase was already packed days before her Christmas break. 
Or: Janice's friends came to see her hours before her surgery. 
Or: Minutes before her train arrived, Martha realized she had lost her ticket. 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section, you'll find more example sentences there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
OK, so people start preparing for Thanksgiving weeks before. 
Now we read: 
Excited moms are eager to have their children come home. 
All right. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: eager. 
I am eager to talk about this word. 
I'm eager to hear Carolyn use this word. 
How can you use this word? 
Well, if you are eager, that means that you are very excited, you can't wait for something. 
Perhaps you like to celebrate Christmas, and you are very eager for Christmas to arrive. 
You can't wait to go to church and spend that time with your family and give each other gifts and open presents. 
It's very exciting, and you are eager for it. 
Well, I think many people are also eager around their birthdays. 
They're eager to do something with their friends and maybe receive gifts then. 
What are you eager to do? 
This is a little similar to the word anxious. 
You might be anxious about something. 
But usually anxious has a negative meaning where eager is positive. 
That's right, so. 
Are you eager about Thanksgiving? 
Do you get to go on vacation? 
Many people in the United States have a Thanksgiving break that they are eager for. 
They can't wait. 
And we continue reading: 
Thanksgiving is also a season for giving. 
Well, it is called Thanksgiving. 
That's right. 
So the idea is that you should be giving thanks and maybe even giving other things as well, giving good things to people who are in need. 
Well, we read about Pauline's daughter here. 
Irene's school has a "Turkey Trot" race every year around Thanksgiving. 
OK, this Turkey Trot. 
I was looking this up; I wasn't sure what it was. 
Actually it could be a dance. 
There's a special dance called the Turkey Trot. 
But that's not what it means here. 
It means a special kind of race that people run to raise money for something. 
That's right. 
And you can give small amounts of money for charity to run in the race. 
So if you want to be in the race, you should donate some money for a charity. 
That's right. 
And you know what? 
Another good reason to run this race, the Turkey Trot: 
People do this before the big Thanksgiving meal, hoping that maybe they will burn off some calories before they enjoy a big meal. 
Well, let's take a look at our word from the Word Bank. 
It is charity. 
And if you do something for charity, you volunteer, you give money to somebody or an organization that needs it. 
That's right. 
So this is a good cause that you want to support. 
And they're going to help other people who are in need. 
So giving money to a charity is a great thing to do. 
Well, right now it is time to give our time to Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.20.B

Well, in our lesson today called Give Thanks, 
our author Pauline is writing about her experiences in the United States around the season of Thanksgiving. 
Of course Thanksgiving is just around the corner. 
It's coming up. 
And so there are many things that people do to celebrate Thanksgiving. 
They might watch football games, eat lots of turkey. 
And of course, it's important to remember to give thanks. 
Think about the things that you are thankful for. 
What are you thankful for? 
Well, I'm thankful for you. 
Thank you for coming every day to enjoy learning at Studio Classroom. 
Now let's get started with the second part of our lesson today. 
Give Thanks. 
In our neighborhood, the Boy Scouts go door to door asking for canned food for the needy. 
Churches and charities sponsor coat drives for families who need winter coats. 
Some teen groups volunteer at homeless shelters on weekends. 
They either prepare food or help serve it. 
What does our family do? 
We usually go to our church potluck. 
The dishes are mostly Chinese, but the church prepares turkeys and pumpkin and apple pies. 
Afterward, we sing and share what we are thankful for in the past year. 
There are so many things to be thankful for. 
And this time of year is a great way to remember it. 
Well, we begin this section of our reading: 
In our neighborhood, the Boy Scouts go door to door asking for canned food for the needy. 
So here they are trying to help people who are in need. 
OK. So that's another word for someone who is in need, people who need something. 
You could just shorten that and say the needy. 
OK, needy people. 
Well, they're talking about in their neighborhood the Boy Scouts, they go door to door asking for food. 
Well, what does it mean to go door to door? 
Well, that is a great phrase. 
If you go door to door, then you go from one house to the next. 
So you are knocking on the doors at these people's houses. 
And they are asking for canned food to give to people who don't have enough to eat. 
That's right. 
So Boy Scouts might do this. 
Girl Scouts also do this. 
They sell Girl Scout cookies. 
They go door to door as well. 
And of course sales people might go door to door trying to sell you something. 
Maybe this has happened to you before. 
That's right. 
It happens many times. 
And I was a Girl Scout who went door to door selling those cookies, Gabe. 
Oh, you did? 
Oh, yes. 
But right now it is time for us to learn a little bit about that word "neighborhood" with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
What is a neighborhood? 
When we talk about a neighborhood, we're usually talking about an area with distinctive characteristics. 
And that's quite different from, say, a district, borough or township, which are basically administrative areas. 
Right. 
Those are official designations. 
But when the word neighborhood is used, it conveys a certain character. 
And that's why when we see the word neighborhood, there's often an adjective that describes it. 
You might hear about a safe neighborhood or a friendly neighborhood, a rough neighborhood, or even a leafy neighborhood. 
Ah, leafy because it has a lot of trees. 
Now when I hear a leafy neighborhood, I immediately think of a nice, quiet, middle-class neighborhood in the suburbs. 
I do, too. 
A rough neighborhood, on the other hand, is often dirty, noisy and has a high crime rate. 
Not a place to raise kids if you have any. 
Now let's take a look at an informal usage of the word neighborhood. 
Steve, how much rent would you be willing to spend on an apartment? 
Well, somewhere in the neighborhood of $800. 
Now friends, here the word neighborhood is used to mean "approximately". 
In the neighborhood of $800 means approximately $800. 
I know exactly what you mean. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
It's always good to have you in the neighborhood. 
Well, let's continue here. 
Churches and charities sponsor coat drives for families who need winter coats. 
OK. So if you need winter coats, maybe you are in need of something. 
Um, but... but Carolyn, what is a drive? 
I thought that was something you do with your car. 
You drive a car. 
Well, no... it is not to drive a car. 
This is a coat drive. 
Yeah. 
So that means that they are collecting coats from lots of people. 
So you can have many different kinds of drives. 
You could have a toy drive for children around Christmas time for kids who maybe don't have parents, like orphans we've talked about before. 
You might have a toy drive for them. 
So people in your neighborhood can donate toys to them. 
Very good idea. 
So a drive like this is something organized. 
It's an organized effort to accomplish something, like giving clothes or coats to people in need. 
Of course another one could be a food drive. 
You could help get food for people who need to eat. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing learning about this: 
Some teen groups volunteer at homeless shelters on weekends. 
So they can help people who are homeless and live in these shelters. 
Now let's look at that word there, homeless shelter. 
What is a shelter, Gabe? 
Well, it's a basic need, actually. 
People need food. 
They need water, and they need shelter. 
A roof over our heads is what I usually think. 
If you're living in a house or an apartment, you have a shelter of some kind. 
But if you're homeless, that means you're without a home. 
Then you might not have a shelter. 
You might not have a roof over your head to stay in. 
So this is a place where they can go for a short period of time to be safe, to have a safe place to live for a little while. 
And these teens go there to help the homeless and volunteer on the weekends. 
That sounds like a very good thing to do, especially at Thanksgiving. 
Well, it's true. 
It's a great way to express your gratitude for life. 
One good way is to volunteer to help other people. 
OK. Well, we read here: 
They either prepare food or help serve it. 
So if you don't know how to cook, that's OK. 
You can still help to serve the food to homeless. 
That's right. 
Well, "What does our family do?" Pauline asks. 
She answers: We usually go to our church potluck. 
And a potluck is a great dinner where everyone brings one or two dishes and then shares it with everyone else. 
Yeah. That's a potluck. 
I love potlucks because it involves food. 
One way to remember this word is that you might get lucky at a potluck. 
You never know what other people are going to bring. 
Maybe they will bring your favorite dish. 
That's right. 
So do you go to potlucks? 
Pauline is going to her church potluck. 
And the dishes are mostly Chinese, but the church prepares turkeys and pumpkin and apple pies. 
So these are traditional Thanksgiving foods in the United States. 
Turkey, apple pie, pumpkin pie. 
But most of the people who bring their own dish to this potluck, uh, bring Chinese food. 
Yeah, that's right. 
Well, that's what happens at her church. 
Well, afterward, we sing and share what we are thankful for in the past year. 
All right. 
Let's look at that word from our Word Bank: afterward. 
You see the word "after" here. 
So this is an adverb to talk about what you do after something. 
That's right. 
So you've already talked about it, and now you are moving on. 
So what you do after that first thing. 
That's right. 
We will sing at KTV. 
And afterward, we'll go to have dinner somewhere. 
OK, you know how to use this word. 
Right now it's time for us to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's head back to our teachers. 
In our lesson today, Give Thanks, we were talking about the potluck dinner that Pauline and her family attend at their church. 
Now Gabe, what is something that you would bring to a potluck? 
Hmm... well, I can't cook very well. 
I usually go out and buy drinks or snacks to bring to the potluck. 
I know that's kind of lame. 
What do you bring to a potluck, Carolyn? 
Well, it's important to have drinks, Gabe. 
So that is very, very good. 
But I usually make something like crouton cheese chicken or almond bars. 
Oh, my goodness! 
Or M&M bars! 
I... I am going to your potluck, Carolyn. 
Invite me? 
Oh... sure. Of course, Gabe. 
You can come to my Thanksgiving potluck. 
Awesome! Cool! 
Well, thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom to learn more about giving thanks. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.11.21.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to learn in our lesson called Give Thanks, which is all about Thanksgiving. 
Now do you remember when Thanksgiving is? 
What day of the month is Thanksgiving? 
Carolyn? 
Oh! I know, Gabe, I know. 
It is, well, in America, the fourth Thursday of November. 
That is right. 
The fourth Thursday of November. 
And in today's lesson, we're talking about a little bit about what people do after Thanksgiving. 
And the next day is called Black Friday. 
And lots of people get to go out and they go shopping on Black Friday. 
It can be very crowded. 
Well, would you like to shop during a time where you knew there would be lots of people? 
Carolyn, how does that sound? 
Well, I don't really like to go shopping if there're going to be a lot of people. 
But I do like to go shopping if there is a sale. 
Ah, yes. Well, there is a sale on Black Friday. 
And that's why so many people go out on Black Friday. 
Let's learn more about this in our lesson right now. 
Give Thanks. 
The next day is a big sale day called Black Friday. 
The Christmas season officially begins then, and people want to buy Christmas gifts as early as possible. 
Also, Black Friday successfully tempts consumers to spend their money on discounted or hot sale items. 
Some stores open as early as midnight. 
You can hardly find a spot in the parking lot in front of a mall or a big retail store. 
OK, let's go back up to the beginning of this section here. 
We're learning about Black Friday. 
We read: The next day is a big sale day called Black Friday. 
Of course Thanksgiving is on a Thursday, so every year this big sale is on a Friday called Black Friday. 
Well, that is a very interesting name. 
I wonder where it came from. 
I think Steve and Ken have that information waiting for us in the Info Cloud. 
Let's go there now. 
Hi, everybody. 
You might be wondering how Black Friday got its name. 
Now if you ask people, they might tell you that the name stems from retailers using the day's huge receipts as their opportunity to get in the black and become profitable for the year. 
You may recall an Info Cloud lesson earlier this year in which we discussed what it meant for a business to be in the black. 
If it's creating more income than expenses, then it is in the black. 
This expression comes from accounting. 
It just means having made a profit. 
However, that's not how Black Friday got its name. 
The name actually dates back to Philadelphia in the mid-1960s. 
The Friday in question falls between Thanksgiving and the traditional Army-Navy football game that's played in Philadelphia on the following Saturday. 
So the city was always bustling with activity on that day. 
Now the hordes of people were great for businesses. 
But they were a nightmare for police officers, cab drivers and anyone who had to drive in the city that day. 
The police started referring to the annual day of chaotic traffic as Black Friday to reflect how irritating it was. 
So if that was the case, where did the whole get-in-the-black story come from? 
Well, apparently, store owners didn't want to have their biggest shopping day associated with such a negative name. 
So in the early 1980s, someone came up with the accounting angle to put a more positive spin on the big day. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, let's continue here learning about Black Friday. 
The Christmas season officially begins then, and people want to buy Christmas gifts as early as possible. 
Well, that sounds sensible buying something as early as possible. 
And it's true, many people think that whenever Thanksgiving ends, that's when the Christmas season begins. 
When I was growing up, my mom would always put up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving or somewhere around that time. 
Well, so she would put up the tree on Black Friday. 
Yep. 
So she was not out shopping. 
No. No. Actually we weren't out shopping. 
Carolyn, did you go out shopping on Black Friday ever? 
Well, actually I did go once, Gabe, and... 
Well, we'll talk a little bit more about why I might have gone out. 
OK. 
But Black Friday is a very interesting day to go shopping because it is very, very crowded. 
And people can get a little bit angry if they can't find the item that they want to buy. 
Huh. Well, I can imagine that. 
It's so crowded. 
There are so many people there who maybe want to buy the exact same things. Hmm. 
Well, we learn here that people want to go shopping as early as possible. 
That's a good phrase to know: as something as possible. 
You want to do something as early as possible. 
Maybe you want to do something as little as possible. 
Or maybe you want to make something as big as possible. 
Well, people want to spend as little money as possible on their Christmas gifts. 
So we continue reading: 
Also, Black Friday successfully tempts consumers to spend their money on discounted or hot sale items. 
So things are on sale, and it successfully tempts consumers or people who buy things to come out and spend their money. 
That's true. They're very successful at this. 
That's why there are so many crowds on Black Friday. 
Of course they have many discounted and hot sale items. 
Let's take a look at those words. 
The first one here from our Word Bank is discounted, or discount. 
If something has a discount, that means it is on sale. 
It... has a cheaper price ... some discount. 
That's right, so. 
You might ask someone when you are trying to buy something. 
Oh, can you give me a discount? 
You know, I want to buy five of them. 
So surely you can give me a lower price! 
Uh, just a little discount. 
And I think that's OK. 
It doesn't hurt to ask for a discount. 
They might not agree to give you a discount, but you can always ask. 
Well, here we see another word. 
That's a word we use almost every day: hot. 
It could be hot or cold. 
But here it has a little bit of a different meaning. 
What does it mean here, Carolyn? 
Well, if something is hot, that means it is popular, not that the temperature is very high, like the summer is hot, but that everyone wants to buy it. 
So you might say that the new iPhone is very hot. 
Or Google Glass is very hot. 
Lots of people want to buy that item. 
All right. So those are hot sale items. 
But maybe other things are hot. 
Maybe everyone's talking about something. 
You can say that's a hot topic. 
A hot topic. 
Or maybe a lot of people like to go to that place for their vacation. 
That's a hot spot for vacation. 
That's right. 
So there are many ways you can use that word hot. 
Now these are discounted items, so lots of people want to buy them, which makes them very hot. 
They go quickly. 
Now continuing: 
Some stores open as early as midnight. 
Wow! So you can start shopping on Black Friday at midnight, just as soon as Thanksgiving is over. 
That's right. 
And I think a lot of people will go. 
Those stores are opening at that time, and they want to go as soon as they can to buy their Christmas gifts. 
We read here: 
You can hardly find a spot in the parking lot in front of a mall or a big retail store. 
Even at midnight, it's hard to find a parking spot in the parking lot. 
Let's look at that key word... or that phrase: a parking lot. 
That's where you park your cars. 
That's right. 
So do you have a parking lot at your office? 
Can you park your car in the parking lot at the grocery store? 
There are lots of parking lots around now because lots of people drive cars, and they need a place to park. 
And sometimes if you're driving around and it's hard to find a spot, you could say that: 
I can't find a parking spot. 
I'll be there as soon as I can! 
I'm trying to find a parking spot. 
Well, Carolyn, Black Friday sounds interesting. 
You said you have gone shopping on Black Friday before? 
Yes, I have. 
And we went, I think, at 4:00 in the morning because the store we wanted to go to open at 6 a.m. 
Wow! So you guys went there and waited in line for a couple of hours so you could shop? 
Yes. But we had our shopping done by 10 a.m. 
Well, that's not bad. Very interesting. 
Black Friday can be a very interesting day. 
Well, it's time for us to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And then we'll see you later. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.21.B

Today we are continuing the article Give Thanks. 
And we are learning all about Black Friday, which is the day after Thanksgiving. 
Thanksgiving is on a Thursday. 
And Black Friday is a big sale day for stores because everyone wants to buy their Christmas gifts as early as possible. 
Many items are discounted or they're on sale so that you can buy them at a cheaper price. 
And many stores open at midnight, so you have plenty of time to shop. 
But make sure you get there early, or you might not be able to find a spot in the parking lot. 
Well, we're going to learn about another shopping day after Thanksgiving. 
Let's read that now. 
(Music). 
Give Thanks. 
After Black Friday, people are given another chance to "Shop 'til You Drop" - Cyber Monday. 
Cyber Monday is designed for shoppers who prefer to shop online. 
Just click, and your order will arrive within a couple of days. 
We are very thankful for our family and friends back home. 
They have supported and encouraged us over the past year. 
We are also thankful for the new friends we have met in the U.S. 
They have welcomed us, helped us and taken us in. 
With gratitude in our hearts, we wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. 
Well, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, too, Pauline. 
OK, friends, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
We're learning about another day that you can shop and look for things at discounted prices. 
OK. We read: 
After Black Friday, people are given another chance to "Shop 'til You Drop" - Cyber Monday. 
Shop 'til you drop? 
When I drop something, it goes out of my hands, maybe onto the ground and then maybe will break. 
Is that what "drop" means here? 
No. It means that you are so tired that you just fall on the ground, you can't keep going. 
So if you shop 'til you drop, that means that you are shopping for a very long time, and you just get so tired you can't move anymore. 
And a lot of people shop till they drop on Black Friday. 
But you have another chance on Cyber Monday. 
All right, Cyber Monday. 
If something is cyber, it's virtual. 
You can do it online or with a computer. 
Maybe you've heard of Cyber Village or Cyber Fun. 
Those are some things that we at Studio Classroom created for you if you are interested. 
Well, Cyber Monday. 
We read here: 
Cyber Monday is designed for shoppers who prefer to shop online. 
Does that sound like you? 
That's right. 
Not everyone likes to fight the crowds on Black Friday, so they just wait until Cyber Monday. 
And we read: 
Just click, and your order will arrive within a couple of days. 
Well, this sounds great. 
But a lot of people also wait for Cyber Monday, so things sell out very quickly. 
So you will have to click very quickly as well. 
Well, let's take a look at that word very quickly: click. 
This is something that you do with your mouse at your computer. 
Of course there's that sound. 
And it sounds like the word - click. 
You are clicking with your mouse. 
Some words in English sound like the sound that they make. And "click" is one of those words. 
So, actually this reminds me of a movie that I saw. 
It's called Click. 
And I would recommend it to you. 
Watch the movie Click. 
Ah. Well, yes. 
So if you click your mouse, then you are selecting it. 
Maybe you can click something on your computer. 
You can click the picture to make it bigger. 
Or you can click the arrow to go to the next page. 
You can click on many things. 
So here you can just click. 
And with one click, you can buy all sorts of things that are discounted or on sale. 
Well, continuing on, Pauline writes: 
We are very thankful for our family and friends back home. 
Well, that's great. 
Of course around Thanksgiving, around the nice, big holiday, you would be thinking about your friends and family back home. 
Now what does that mean? 
Of course your home is where you live. 
It might be your house or your apartment. 
But back home here, the idea is a little bit different. 
It's actually the idea of your home country or your home city or your town, not only your house. 
That's right. 
So she's thinking about her home here in Taipei because she is in the United States. 
So she's thinking of back home. 
When I think about my family back home, then I am thinking about my family in West Virginia. 
All right. 
And so you can use this phrase "back home." People will know you're not just talking about your house but about where you come from. 
Well, she says: They have supported and encouraged us over the past year. 
Well, they've probably been writing letters and emails and different things to support and encourage Pauline and her family as they are overseas. 
That's right. 
And she continues to write: 
We are also thankful for the new friends we have met in the U.S. 
They have welcomed us, helped us and taken us in. 
So they've been very fortunate with their life in the United States. 
And if you remember, if you take someone in, that means you make them feel at home. 
You make them feel comfortable. 
OK. And she continues: 
With gratitude in our hearts, we wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. 
She has gratitude in her heart. 
Let's take a look at that word: gratitude. 
If you have gratitude, that means you are thankful for things. 
That's right. 
So you are thankful or grateful. 
I have a lot of gratitude for my parents. 
They have supported me in my life in Taiwan. 
Well, I am also grateful for my friends and my family. 
It's important to have an attitude of gratitude. 
That's an easy way to remember this word - have an attitude of gratitude. 
Well, I have gratitude for review skits and for Steve and Ken and Liz, and of course Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Right now it's time to review with a review skit. 
And then join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. 
Where? 
It's coming soon. 
Oh, right! Thanksgiving. 
People watch football and eat turkey. 
Oh, yes. 
But the holiday involves more than that. 
Like what? 
Well, Thanksgiving is a family time and a time for giving thanks. 
Oh, Thanksgiving, giving thanks... I get it. 
That makes sense. 
Yes, yes. And it's a time for charity. 
Oh. Cool. 
Well, thanks for telling me about Thanksgiving. 
Now I know more about it. 
OK. No... The day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. 
Black Friday? Is it really dark? 
No, no. The Christmas season officially begins then. 
And people begin shopping for Christmas gifts. 
That early? 
Yes. Consumers are tempted by hot sales. 
Who shops on Black Friday? 
Oh, everyone. 
Some stores open at midnight. 
You can hardly find a spot in the parking lot. 
Wow! Sounds like a great night... or day for shopping. 
Yes. 
And after Black Friday is Cyber Monday. 
Cyber Monday? 
Yes. You can shop 'til you drop... online! 
Oh, really? 
Yes. Just click and place your order. 
Just click and spend your money. 
Yes. That's true, too. 
Anyway, Thanksgiving is right around the corner. 
That's great. 
Oh! I see it over there. Look! 
Where? Where? 
I don't see it. 
Very funny. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
Now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
Well, we've learned a lot with Pauline and her experiences at Thanksgiving in the United States. 
And of course there are some great times you can go shopping for things at discounted prices, Black Friday, Cyber Monday. 
Of course it's always important to give thanks. 
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. 
What are you thankful for? 
Carolyn, you mentioned you're grateful for your family. 
What else are you thankful for? 
Well, I'm very thankful for all of the opportunities that I've been given in Taiwan. 
God has blessed me with a lot of really wonderful friends and relationships here. 
Well, I'm glad you think of me as a wonderful friend, Carolyn. 
Right? 
Yes, Gabe, yes. You are part of that. 
Good! I'm also very grateful for you as well. 
Friends, what are you thankful for? 
Talk about that in Chinese or English, whatever. 
Talk about the things you're thankful for. 
And join us again next time here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.11.22.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're talking about Charity Engine. 
What is Charity Engine? 
Well, it's an organization that we will be learning about in our lesson. 
Now you know what a charity is - something good that you do for somebody else, maybe someone in need. 
Now Charity Engine uses computers. 
That's part of what they do. 
Well, what do you use your computer for? 
How many computers do you have? 
What do you use them for? 
Carolyn, what do you use your computer for? 
Well, let's see, I use my computer to, uh, write things (I like to write), and surf the Internet, check my email, uh, check my Facebook. 
Um, yeah... that's about it. Do some work. 
Yeah. That sounds like what I use my computer for, or my smartphone for that matter - checking email, checking Facebook, sending text messages. 
Well, that's my smartphone. 
I guess for a computer, I use it for other things like writing certain articles or... or preparing for lessons here. 
I don't really use my computer for a whole lot, actually. 
And that's the case with a lot of people and their computers. 
Charity Engine hopes to help people use their computers in a better way. 
And we're going to find out all about that. 
So let's get started. 
Charity Engine. 
Your computer can solve scientific puzzles and raise money for charity. 
Millions of personal computers across the world are running at this moment, 
but most are using just a fraction of their full capacity to process information. 
Imagine what could happen if the spare power of these millions of machines were harnessed to solve global problems. 
The organization Charity Engine attempts to do just that. 
It enables researchers and companies to use the extra computing power of thousands of personal computers. 
These companies pay a usage fee that goes to carefully selected charities. 
Well, this does sound like a very interesting idea. 
So, learning about Charity Engine, go back to the beginning: 
Your computer can solve scientific puzzles and raise money for charity. 
This is a very interesting concept. 
Don't you think so, Gabe? 
Well, yeah. I mean, I love solving puzzles. 
Puzzles are kind of fun. 
Um, I don't think we're talking about your regular Sudoku or crossword puzzles here, though. 
These are scientific puzzles, things that may be a little bit more difficult for a person to figure out. 
OK, so your computer can solve these kinds of puzzles and raise money for charity, of course raise money for organizations that help people in need. 
That's right. 
And we continue reading: 
Millions of personal computers across the world are running at this moment, 
but most are just... or most are using just a fraction of their full capacity to process information. 
So there are lots of computers running right now, probably like my computer, but it's really not doing anything since I'm not using it right now. 
It's true. 
Wait a minute. Your computer's running. 
I have a question for you, Carolyn. 
Is your um... is your refrigerator at home running? 
Um, well, yes, I'm pretty sure it's still running. 
Well, then Carolyn, you'd better go out and catch it! 
Oh, Gabe. 
Because it's running. It's... 
It's running. I see it. But... but running doesn't mean like running. 
It means that it's working. 
Yes. Yes, I know. 
It was my little joke. 
Yes. So of course you can use the word "running" to talk about something electronic that is working or it's on. 
Your computer is on; it is running. 
Well, save electricity. 
Turn it off if you're not using it. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
And here's today's Grammar Tip sentence: 
... but most are using just a fraction of their full capacity to process information. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: just a fraction of. 
It's a fancy way to say a very small part of. 
So another way to say today's sentence would be: 
Most are using a very small part of their full capacity to process information. 
A fraction of or just a fraction of is a great phrase to use when you want to describe and emphasize how something is really a very small part of a bigger thing. 
For example: 
This assignment was very easy and only took a fraction of our time. 
Or: Ned's new apartment is huge; his belongings take up only a fraction of the space. 
Now it's your turn to practice. 
Think of something that requires or uses a very small part of something else. 
And if you want to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
I wonder, is there anything that you are using just a fraction of? 
Many people think that we use just a fraction of our brain power. 
So get to thinking. 
Use all of your brain power, and maybe you can solve complex puzzles as well. 
That's right. 
Well, we continue here learning about Charity Engine. 
Imagine what can happen if the spare power of these millions of machines were harnessed to solve global problems. 
OK, so we're talking about the spare power of these computers. 
We're just using a fraction of what they can do. 
Now let's harness all of that power to solve global problems. 
And that is a great word, harness, from our Word Bank. 
If you harness something, that means that you get control of it so that you can use it for something. 
So here they are trying to harness the power of the machines to solve these complex scientific puzzles. 
All right. Well, what else can you harness? 
It's good to harness your energy to do something good. 
Of course it's good to harness your emotions as well. 
You don't just want to be really angry, really sad, super happy. 
You want to be able to control your emotions, harness them in a way that is good for you and others. 
That's right. 
And continuing learning how we can harness this energy. 
The organization Charity Engine attempts to do just that. 
So they want to control or harness all of this unused energy from these millions of computers. 
That's just what they're going to do. 
And I like this phrase: They attempt to do just that. 
That's not the only thing that they will do. 
That's not what "just" means here. 
But it does mean this is exactly what their plan is. 
They will do just that. 
How else can you use that phrase? 
Well, if you have an idea for something, maybe you say: Oh. Well, what do you want to do this weekend? 
Well, I'd really like to go hiking. 
That's a great idea! 
Let's do just that. 
Let's do just that. 
Or that's just what I'd like to do. 
Hmm, what are my plans for this weekend? 
I'm going to go bungee jumping. 
I will do just that. 
That is my plan. 
So now you know how to use this phrase. OK. 
So the organization Charity Engine attempts to do just that to harness these... the computer power to solve global problems. 
It enables researchers and companies to use the extra computing power of thousands of personal computers. 
Do you have a personal computer? 
Well, maybe Charity Engine might use some of that power. 
That's right. 
And we see another word from the Word Bank, the word computing, or to compute. 
If you compute something, that means that you use a computer, usually, to solve something. 
That's right, or figuring something out with a computer. 
So the extra computing power here. 
Your computer, of course, only a fraction of it is being used. 
So what else can your computing power be used for? 
Charity Engine knows. 
And these companies pay a usage fee that goes to carefully selected charities. 
All right. 
So what is a usage fee? 
Well, it's the money that you pay to... to use something. 
That's right, so. 
Researchers for these companies pay a usage fee to use these... this extra power that Charity Engine is harnessing. 
And then that money goes to carefully selected charities. 
Well, right now it is time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.22.B

Today in our lesson Charity Engine, we're learning about this organization and what it does to help charities around the world. 
Now what about you? 
Charity Engine uses computers like yours and the power from computers to do this. 
So how much do you use your computer? 
Well, how much power does your computer have? 
What can it do? 
Maybe you can be a part in helping Charity Engine and helping charities in various places around the world. 
Because what can happen if you can harness all of that extra energy to solve global problems? 
This is a very good thing to do. 
Let's continue learning about Charity Engine. 
Charity Engine. 
The computers. 
Charity Engine offers a free app that has the user's computer do research as a background task. 
The program runs automatically, without direction from the user. 
Each computer works on a small chunk of a larger project and sends back its results. 
The results are combined to answer the researchers' questions. 
The researchers. 
Charity Engine mostly uses its computing power for companies doing scientific, medical or commercial research. 
For example, Rosetta@home attempts to help find cures for serious diseases by discovering the shapes of proteins. 
Another project, Einstein@Home, tests scientific theories. 
And another helps establishments in Africa such as universities search for ways to fight the spread of malaria. 
Those are some very good things to be researching. 
But before we talk about the researchers and their work, let's go back to the beginning of this section and learn about the computers. 
Charity Engine offers a free app that has the user's computer do research as a background task. 
So if you have a background task running, then you don't really need to do anything with it, right, Gabe? 
That's right, because it's just going on in the background. 
You're doing your work, the things that you need to do and concentrate on, but something else is going on with your computer. 
That's right. 
There's a free app that you can use or download. 
And that way, Charity Engine can use some power on your computer to do something in the background. 
What else can you use this word "background" to talk about? 
Well, maybe you have some background music. 
Maybe you're doing your work and listening to some background music. 
That's right. 
And we continue reading that the program runs automatically without direction from the user. 
So once you download this, it will continue to run without you doing anything. 
It runs automatically. 
Well, that sounds easy enough. 
It sounds like something that any of us can take part in. 
Well, we continue here. 
Each computer works on a small chunk of a larger project and sends back its results. 
OK. Well, before we continue learning about the results, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: chunk. 
Chunk is a piece or a mass of something. 
Maybe you have a chunk of ice in your glass of water. 
That's right. 
Usually I hear this where talking about food, so a chunk of meat, a chunk of cheese. 
But it can also just mean a large part or a piece of something. 
So you could also use it to describe money. 
It cost a large chunk of money to fix my car. 
That's right. 
When you're talking about money, a chunk is a substantial amount. OK. 
It makes a difference. 
It costs of large chunk of money to fix my expensive car. 
Well, the results here, we're learning about the results um, that the computers can produce. 
The results are combined to answer the researchers' questions. 
So again, researchers are using your computer or the power from your computer, and they're getting the results from your computer. 
That's right. 
And now it is time to learn about the researchers. 
Charity Engine mostly uses its computing power for companies doing scientific, medical or commercial research. 
So your computing power can be used to help these companies with their research. 
And they all seem like pretty good things to be doing research for, right, Gabe? 
Well, yeah. 
Scientific... scientific research, um, promoting or advancing science, OK. 
What about medical research? 
Maybe they're trying to figure out the cures to certain diseases like cancer or AIDS. 
And commercial research! Well, this is good for a lot of people. 
That's right. 
And we have an example. We read: 
For example, Rosetta@home attempts to help find cures for serious diseases by discovering the shapes of proteins. 
And your computer could help with that project. 
OK. Well, we see another project here. 
Another project, Einstein@Home tests scientific theories. 
All right. 
So there are many scientific theories out there. 
And of course Einstein@Home is going to help to test these theories to see if they can actually be proven to be true. 
That's right. 
Well, these names are very interesting. 
And Steve and Ken have something they want to share with us about those names in the Information Cloud. 
On occasion, we at the Info Cloud like to look deeper into the origin of English words because knowing where words come from helps us to remember their meaning better. 
Today let's look at another way words enter the English language - through people's names. 
OK. They're called eponyms, words that come from a person's name, either real or mythical. 
In today's lesson we see the name Einstein. 
Now years ago, seeing this name, we would assume it to be a reference to the man Albert Einstein, 
the famous and incredibly intelligent scientist with crazy-looking hair. 
And today, not necessarily. 
The name Einstein has since become a word to stand for the genius that a certain person, 
or in today's case, a scientific research company possesses. 
Right. 
If I said Ken's an Einstein, I mean he's super intelligent. 
Uh, thanks. But I think "intelligent" will do just fine. 
Besides Einstein, there are hundreds of eponyms like braille, diesel, guillotine and silhouette. 
One of my favorites is the word sandwich, named after a British nobleman. 
OK. Eponyms are very similar to illusions. 
And so like illusions, if an eponym you use is too obscure, no one will understand your reference. 
However, if it's too common, it might be regarded as cliche. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, we're learning about certain projects here. 
We read: And another helps establishments in Africa such as universities search for ways to fight the spread of malaria. 
All right. 
Of course we're trying to find the cure for diseases like malaria, and we want to fight the spread of malaria. 
Now at the beginning of this sentence, we read another helps establishments. 
What we mean here is another project or another organization helps to do this. 
That's right. 
And the last word of that sentence "malaria" is a word from our Word Bank. 
It means it's a kind of disease. 
Right, Gabe? 
It's a type of illness that is spread by mosquitoes, and it's very serious. 
It's true. 
Malaria can be found in different parts of the world that are especially humid, 
uh, some places in South America, lots of countries in Africa and India and other places in the world. 
You might need to be careful. 
If you're traveling to these countries, you might need to get malaria shots. 
That's right. 
So be careful if you are traveling to those areas. 
But you can also contribute the power of your computer to help fight the spread of malaria. 
Well, right now it is time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And now, back to our lesson. 
We've been learning a lot about Charity Engine today and how they are trying to help charities and help solve these different problems that researchers are working on. 
Now I wonder, do you know of any organizations that also try to help charities? 
Gabe? 
Well, organizations that maybe help a couple of different groups of people at the same time... uh, Studio Classroom. 
Another name that we go by is ORTV. 
And ORTV does help churches as well as, of course, teach English. 
So I think that there are a lot of organizations like this. 
Can you think of any? 
Well, one that I think of is Kiva. 
And it's a microlending website. 
We've talked about microlending before. 
And they take small loans and give them to people to help them buy things like... cars or building materials or farm supplies, and you just need a little bit of money. 
OK. Well, I think that there are some other organizations like this who are trying to help multiple people at the same time. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we have more to learn about Charity Engine right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.11.23.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to learn about Charity Engine, 
an organization that helps lots of charities around the world with the power from your computer and computers just like yours. 
So, have you heard of Charity Engine before? 
Do you know there's a way that you can help out? 
There is! 
You can download an app that will enable Charity Engine to use your computer's extra power to support charities like this. 
Now have you downloaded this app? 
Would you be interested in helping out in this way? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I do like the idea. 
I think it's quite interesting, very fascinating that my computer that's on a lot of the time whether I'm using it or not, 
maybe I'll just be listening to music on my computer, it could be running this app in the background, 
helping to solve these research puzzles and generating money for charity. 
That's right. And of course it seems like just a really easy thing to do. 
All you need to do is download the app, get it running, and you don't even have to really think about it much. 
And maybe a lot of people will be helped if you do this. 
OK, let's continue learning about Charity Engine in today's lesson. 
Charity Engine. 
The charities. 
Charity Engine gives 50 percent of the proceeds from renting out computing power to various charities. 
Each organization it supports has a good reputation for working in an area of vital importance. 
Most of them seek to address the underlying causes of poverty while bringing short-term relief. 
These include Oxfam, a network of organizations in 94 countries. 
Another is CARE International, one of the three largest international aid agencies, which works in 87 countries. 
Charity Engine also supports Doctors Without Borders, which supplies medical care, 
and WaterAid, which provides safe water and promotes hygiene in developing countries. 
OK, let's go back to the top of our lesson here today. 
This part is labeled "The charities." All right. 
Charity Engine, of course, supports many different charities. 
We read here: 
Charity Engine gives 50 percent of the proceeds from renting out computer power to various charities. 
"Various" meaning lots of different charities and lots of different kinds of charities. 
That's right. 
And they rent out this computer power. 
And... they use the word "proceed." So they rent out or they give 50 percent of the proceeds from this rented power. 
Now proceed is a word from the Word Bank. 
And proceed is the money that a company or a person makes after having some sort of special event. 
Yeah, like a fund raiser of some kind. 
Maybe you have a party... Uh, my uncle, his name is Major. 
He would always have Major Ragers. 
They were these parties. 
And people would have to pay to come into the party, but the money would go to missionaries around the world. 
So that money is called the proceeds. 
The money that was raised, it would go to these different people in different parts of the world. 
A good question you could ask about a fund raiser is, where are the proceeds going? 
What will happen to my money? 
That's right. 
So a lot of times there will be a race. 
And you have to pay an entry fee to get into the race. 
Many times the proceeds from the race will be donated to a local charity or some sort of organization that will be helping people in some way. 
That's right. 
Well, of course Charity Engine is all about doing this. 
Each organization it supports has a good reputation for working in an area of vital importance. 
An area of vital importance, what does that mean? 
Well, if something is a vital importance, that means it's not just a little bit important, no. It's really important what these companies are doing. 
That's right. 
So this is crucial that they are able to help these people. 
And a lot of times you might hear this phase: 
This issue is a vital importance or this matter is a vital importance. 
That means it can't wait; it has to be taken care of now, and it's one of the biggest problems we are facing. 
That's right. 
What else is a vital importance? 
Your life is a vital importance. 
Truth is a vital importance. 
It's important to learn the truth about life. 
And of course here there are many companies with great reputations that are working in areas of vital importance. 
That's right. 
And we learn what they are doing. 
Most of them seek to address the underlying causes of poverty while bringing short-term relief. 
So they are trying to stop poverty and bring some relief to people who are suffering. 
But they use a word here from our Word Bank, the word underlying, the underlying cause of poverty. 
What does it mean, Gabe, if something is underlying? 
Well, that means maybe it's not obvious. OK. 
So there are many causes to poverty. 
Maybe you lost your job, and so now you're in poverty. 
You don't have much money. 
But maybe there's another reason that's not so obvious. 
That is the underlying reason. 
Why did you lose your job? 
What happened? 
OK, there are underlying reasons to poverty and why there's so much poverty in the world. 
How else could you use that word underlying? 
Well, you might say the underlying cause for her illness was lack of sunlight. 
She needed to spend more time outside. 
OK. Or maybe you're angry about something, and the underlying cause is your jealousy. 
There is underlying jealousy there, which makes you kind of mean towards other people. 
So think about the underlying cause for stuff. 
Sometimes it's not as obvious as it seems. 
Well, now we're going to learn about some of these charities. 
And they include... or these include Oxfam, a network of organizations in 94 countries. 
So Oxfam is a very big organization or group of organizations. 
And they're located all over the world. 
That's right. 
And Oxfam said they have respect for human rights, and they believe that respect for human rights will help lift people out of poverty. 
So Oxfam is wonderful. 
Another is CARE International, one of the three largest international aid agencies, which works in 87 countries. 
So again, another very big organization. 
That's right. 
And Charity Engine also supports Doctors Without Borders, which... which supplies medical care, 
and WaterAid, which provides safe water and promotes hygiene in developing countries. 
Now Doctors Without Borders is a very great organization. 
And my cousin's husband actually served with Doctors Without Borders because he's a doctor. 
No way! Well... what was his experience like? 
Did he help people with their hygiene? 
Well, he did help people to improve their health. 
And I'm not sure, I'll have to ask for more stories from him. 
All right. Well, for now we need to take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
It is hygiene. 
And this is the science of how to have better health in life, or it's the habit and behavior of keeping yourself clean and healthy. 
That's right. 
So hygiene is very important. 
Basic things like washing your hands, brushing your teeth, even just taking a bath, very simple things all include... are included in hygiene. 
Well, right now it is time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.23.B

We are continuing to learn about Charity Engine and how it uses the proceeds from renting out this computer power to different charities. 
And many of those charities are trying to solve the underlying causes of poverty around the world. 
Organizations like Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders are just a few. 
Well, we have more to learn about these charities in the next part of our reading. 
So let's continue. 
Charity Engine. 
Another of its charities, Sightsavers, works to prevent and reverse blindness through medical treatments and provides training for the blind. 
Charity Engine helps many other organizations as well. 
An added bonus. 
Charity Engine returns the other 50 percent of its earnings to the people who made it all possible. 
The app users are entered into draws. 
Chosen at random, the winners receive thousands of dollars in prizes! 
Thanks to Charity Engine, computing power that would have gone to waste is fighting poverty and bringing healing and hope. 
All right. Well, let's go back to the beginning of this section here. 
We've been learning about certain charities that Charity Engine sponsors... or that Charity Engine helps around the world. 
Of course we mentioned Oxfam, CARE International, Doctors Without Borders, WaterAid. 
And we read here: 
Another of its charities, Sightsavers, works to prevent and reverse blindness through medical treatments and provides training for the blind. 
Well, this sounds like another very helpful organization. 
Yes. All of these charities that Charity Engine is trying to support and help with these proceeds all seem very worthwhile. 
We continue reading: 
Charity Engine helps many other organizations as well. 
So these are just a few of the charities that they try to support with these proceeds. 
Well, we've talked a whole lot about Charity Engine. 
We've already learned a lot about what it does. 
But I want to see a little video about Charity Engine. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
Ten years ago, the $350,000,000 Earth Stimulator was the ultimate super computer. 
It was about as fast as a dozen of today's PCs. 
There are now around two billion PCs in the world, many of them idle. 
Think of all that wasted ability. 
So we built the Charity Engine to tap into the spare power and create the world's biggest supercomputer for use in cutting-edge research. 
The money it raises goes to charity. 
Download and learn it today and help change the world one bit at a time. 
Well, that video, Gabe, is a very clear idea of what Charity Engine does, so. 
If you think that this is a good idea, download that app. 
Help them out a little bit with that extra power from your computer. 
We continue on to the next section: An added bonus. 
Charity Engine returns the other 50 percent of its earnings to the people who made it all possible. 
So you remember before, earlier in our lesson, we said that 50 percent of the proceeds go to charities. 
And now we're finding out what happens to that other 50 percent. 
It goes to the people who made it all possible. 
Well, who made all of this possible? 
People like you and me, people who have PCs. 
And they want to help uh, charities around the world with the extra power from their computers. OK. 
We are the people that can make this possible. 
The app users are entered into draws. 
OK, the app users. 
You just saw a video. 
It encouraged you to download the app. 
And you can do that. 
If you do this, you will be entered into a draw, and maybe you can win some prizes. 
Well, that sounds like a great idea. 
But before we continue learning about these draws, we need to go see Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud, 
where they can give us a little more information about that word app. 
Back in 2010, a group of linguists, editors, writers and historians voted "app" as the Word of the Year. 
App is a great example of a clipped word, that is words that are reduced, shortened or clipped down to a component part. 
Why do words get clipped? 
Because compared to their original, clipped words are easier to pronounce and spell. 
Clipped words save our time and our breath. 
OK. Most clipped words remain in the slang category, but many do, over time, graduate to become official English vocabulary words. 
Now sometimes a word gets clipped off at the end, like the word application got its end clipped off, giving us app. 
Examination got clipped to exam. 
And gasoline got clipped down to gas. 
Right. 
Sometimes the beginning of a word gets clipped. 
The word airplane got clipped to plane; telephone to phone. 
And the omni in omnibus got clipped off, giving us bus. 
Other times the end and the beginning of a word gets clipped off, like refrigerator, shortened on both ends, giving us fridge. 
And influenza got reduced to the more manageable word flu. 
Clipped words are another unique way words enter the English language. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
OK. So we've just learned about how app users, the Charity Engine app users are entered into draws. 
Now we're continuing here to learn about maybe how you can win some money or some prizes. 
Chosen at random, the winners receive thousands of dollars in prizes. 
OK. So this is chosen at random. 
Well, that's a good phrase to know. 
If something is chosen at random, that means there was no real plan involved. 
They just kind of happen by chance. 
That's right. 
And so if a number is chosen at random, that means that you cannot predict or know what the number will be. 
There's no way to control what the number will end up being. 
So this sounds like a pretty good system and very fair to the people who are in the draw. 
I think so, too. 
Well, what else can be chosen at random? 
Maybe in your high school years you had to give speeches, right? Of some kind? 
And the teacher might have chosen at random who would go in what order. 
Kevin's going to go first. 
Bart's going to go second. 
And then Monica. 
It's chosen at random. 
You don't know who's going to go first or last. 
That's right. 
And we continue reading: 
Thanks to Charity Engine, computing power that would have gone to waste is fighting poverty and bringing healing and hope. 
So they're using something that would have gone to waste to make a big difference in people's lives. 
And I think that's a really great phrase. 
If something goes to waste, Gabe, what does that mean? 
Well, if it goes to waste, that's another way of saying it is wasted somehow. 
So of course you don't want anything to go to waste. 
Don't let your food go to waste. 
Eat it or keep it to have later as leftovers. 
Don't let it go to waste. 
That's right. 
You might also say, "Don't let your time go to waste." Use your time wisely so that you can get as much done as possible. 
Well, I think that you shouldn't let your computing power go to waste. 
Download that Charity Engine app now and help save people around the world. 
Now it's time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
Well, we've learned all about how you can help people around the world by downloading the Charity Engine app. 
And of course there are many charities around the world. 
We've only talked about a handful in our lesson today and yesterday. 
But what other charities are there? 
Can you think of any other important charities? 
Carolyn, what can you think of? 
Well, there is one based in Ohio in the United States called CoEd or Cooperative for Education. 
And they help schools in Guatemala by creating sustainable textbook, computer, reading and scholarship programs with the money that they receive. 
And it's very important that it's sustainable. 
So even when people stop donating, these programs can continue. 
All right. Well, I'm all for charities or organizations that help with education. 
Can you think of any other charities that can help around the world? 
Well, thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
Download the Charity Engine app, by the way! 
OK. See you later.

2013.11.25.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Today we're learning about Pearls of Wisdom in Proverbs. 
OK, Pearls of Wisdom in Proverbs. 
Well, proverbs are kinds of sayings that have a common truth among people of all cultures. 
And of course, a pearl is something very precious, very valuable. 
So we're going to be learning about all sorts of proverbs and how valuable they are to us. 
Well, speaking of proverbs or... sayings, what is one saying that you really like? 
Carolyn, do you have a saying you really enjoy? 
I do! 
It is "Two wrongs don't make a right," which means if someone does something bad, 
you should not do something bad back to them because that does not fix the problem, so. 
Doing two wrong things does not fix the situation or make it right. 
Ah, I like that one, too. 
OK. Well, one of my favorite sayings is... ah! Kill two birds with one stone. 
I know it's wrong to kill birds. 
But what this means, of course, is that if you're going to do one task, 
you might as well do another one at the same time so that... or make it at least convenient to do two tasks. 
OK. Well, we have plenty of proverbs to learn about, plenty of things to learn. 
So let's get started. 
(Music). 
Pearls of Wisdom in Proverbs. 
Do too many cooks really spoil the broth? 
Out of sight, out of mind. 
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. 
Don't put all your eggs in one basket. 
Have you heard any of these proverbs before? 
Each phrase teaches a common truth. 
But what exactly is a proverb? 
It's a short statement that contains a general truth. 
It is popularly known and often repeated. 
Every culture has proverbs, and while some are special for one culture, there are common themes. 
OK. Well, before we continue learning about some of those proverbs, let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here. 
There are lots of proverbs to talk about. 
Right here at the very beginning, we read something: 
Do too many cooks really spoil the broth? 
What?! Do too many cooks really spoil the broth? 
What does that mean? 
Well, there is a proverb that says too many cooks spoil the broth. 
And that means if you have too many people or leaders (because the cook is in charge of the kitchen), 
if you have too many leaders working on one task, it's not going to get done because they all try to do it their way. 
OK. And usually this is in the form of a sentence. 
Too many cooks spoil the broth. 
Well, hey, we are talking about proverbs today. 
And actually, proverb is one of our key words. 
What is a proverb? 
Well, it's a saying that lots of different people know and say to one another, and it means something unique or special or important. 
And actually, it communicates an idea that people from many cultures can understand. 
Isn't that right, Carolyn? 
That is right. 
And there are many proverbs in English as we will read on later. 
One proverb that I can think of is "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," which means things look beautiful to different people. 
That's right. Different things might be beautiful to different people. 
Well, of course if you are in search of good proverbs, you can open up the Bible. 
There's a book called Proverbs, and it's full of great things. 
Great proverbs can be found there. 
OK, let's get started here. 
We read: Out of sight, out of mind. 
What does that mean? 
It means that if someone's not near you or in your atmosphere or in your environment, then you're not thinking about that person. 
That's right. 
And the next one: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. 
So if you eat an apple every day, you will stay healthy. 
Well, that is a very common proverb. 
Another one we see here is "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." Of course if you invest everything into just one basket or one thing, 
then you don't have any other options. 
So if that thing doesn't go well, if the basket drops, then all of your eggs will be broken. 
OK. Well, have you heard any of these proverbs before? 
Carolyn, have you heard these proverbs? 
I have heard all of these proverbs before. 
They are very common in English. 
And each phrase teaches a common truth. 
But what exactly is a proverb? 
Gabe, how does the lesson explain it? 
Well, it's a short statement that contains a general truth. 
OK. So a common truth, a general truth, something that can be understood by many people of many cultures. 
It is popularly known and often repeated. 
OK, so you might hear it more than once in life. 
That's right. 
And because they are so common, I have heard these many times, and I know people who use them pretty often. 
Well, you may be wondering: 
What's the difference between a proverb and an idiom? 
Well, Steve and Ken have that information for us in the Info Cloud. 
Let's go there now. 
Our lesson today is about proverbs. 
And maybe some of you are wondering: How is a proverb different from an idiom? 
OK. The biggest difference between a proverb and an idiom is that one makes sense and the other doesn't. 
Are you confused? 
Let us explain. 
A proverb is an old saying which usually gives advice. 
You can easily understand the meaning of the statement. 
For example, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. 
That's a very clear piece of advice. 
Right. It's telling us we should eat apples. 
That's a good proverb, by the way. 
Now an idiom is a phrase that seems to make sense when you first read it, 
but it has a totally different meaning that you cannot guess just from looking at the words. 
Ken, a penny for your thoughts. 
Perfect example! 
Most people will know that a penny for your thoughts is asking someone what they're thinking about. 
But few people know why it involves a penny. 
Do you have another example? 
Let me think... 
Ah, yes! 
It's raining cats and dogs. 
That's an idiom that describes a heavy rain. 
But most people don't know why cats and dogs are involved. 
Steve, I'm feeling a little under the weather. 
Well, Ken, if you had heeded the proverb "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," you wouldn't be feeling ill. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
OK. Well, let's continue here. 
Every culture has proverbs, and while some are special for one culture, there are common themes. 
OK. So some cultures have very unique proverbs that maybe basically only their people will understand. 
But there are some common themes in all of these proverbs, OK. 
What is a theme? 
That's one of our words from our Word Bank. 
What is a theme? 
Well, a theme is a recurring idea throughout a story or a movie or through life. 
There are many different kinds of themes, common ideas. 
Now a common theme in science fiction movies is aliens coming to Earth and having to fight against them. 
That is a very common theme. 
OK. So that's a common theme you might see in science fiction movies. 
Well, what about other stories? 
Well, a common theme in many stories is love, of course. 
Or maybe friendship. 
In the Lord of the Rings, that was a big theme in that movie - friendship. 
Or trust; it's import to trust people. 
These are all very common themes. 
And some proverbs talk about them. 
They certainly do. 
And right now it is time for us to talk to Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Let's see what she has for us today. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.25.B

Today we are learning all about the pearls of wisdom that can be found in proverbs. 
There are so many proverbs that are used in the English language like: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. 
Don't put all your eggs in one basket. 
Have you heard these common proverbs before? 
Well, many cultures have proverbs, and they have common themes. 
So we are going to be able to learn more about proverbs from other languages. 
Let's get started with the next part of our reading. 
(Music). 
Pearls of Wisdom in Proverbs. 
For example, many cultures value old people for their wisdom and experience. 
This idea can be found in proverbs. 
A Chinese proverb says, "An old horse will never get lost." And a Portuguese proverb states, 
"An old pan is the one that makes good food." Many cultures also agree that acting in haste is not a good idea. 
The English say, "Good and quickly seldom meet.". 
The Chinese say, "Think three times before you act.". 
A Russian proverb exclaims, "Take your thoughts to bed with you, for the morning is wiser.". 
Well, these are great proverbs. 
All right. 
Let's go back to the beginning of this section to see some examples of some of these proverbs. 
We read: For example, many cultures value old people for their wisdom and experience. 
They value old people for their wisdom and experience. 
This is a good phrase to know: if you value someone or something for something else. 
How else could you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, in our modern world with so much technology, we value computers, or we value smartphones for their convenience. 
Yes, we certainly do. 
Now, let's see, you can also value people for something. 
For example, Carolyn, I value you for your friendship. 
I value you for your honesty. 
I also value you for the way that you like to do things, you want things to be done right. 
I value you for these things. 
Oh. Well, thank you, Gabe. 
I value your friendship as well. 
Well, you can value people for many different things. 
And here we are talking about cultures valuing old people for their wisdom and experience. 
We read: This idea can be found in proverbs. 
A Chinese proverb says: An old horse will never get lost. 
All right. An old horse will never get lost. 
Have you heard that proverb before? 
Well, what does that mean? 
That means someone who is older is wiser, and they know the way better, of course. 
Well, the next one is a Portuguese one. 
And the Portuguese proverb states: An old pan is the one that makes good food. 
What does that mean? 
Well, that is a very interesting one. 
So someone who has lots of experience produces good things. 
They are able to have good results. 
And this is a very common theme. 
I know a lot of cooks who like to keep their pans not too, too clean. 
They don't wash them thoroughly because they like the taste that is left after you cook many different meals. 
Hmm... that's why the meals taste so delicious. 
Wow! OK, I'm going to stop thinking about food here. Continuing on: 
Many cultures also agree that acting in haste is not a good idea. 
Well, it's not a good idea to do everything quickly. 
Let's take a look at that word "haste." OK. 
If you do something in haste, that means you do it quickly. 
And there is a common phrase: Haste makes waste. 
If you do something really quickly, well, that's kind of a wasted product. 
It's not going to be that great. 
That's right. 
So if you rush through something, you don't give it enough time to develop and to really do a good job, then it's just a wasted effort. 
So haste, we learn some proverbs about that issue. 
The English say, "Good and quickly seldom meet." So good things and things that are done quickly are usually not found together. 
That's right. 
Do you agree with that? 
If you want to have a really good product, that's going to require you to invest your time, energy. 
It might make you tired. 
You might need to work a long time on something. 
But it will be a good product, not something you can do quickly. 
That's right. 
And we continue. 
The Chinese say: Think three times before you act. 
So you should take time to really think about something before you decide whether or not to do it. 
That's right. 
Now I've heard the English phrase: Think twice... or think before you speak. 
But this is something similar - Think three times before you act. 
All right. Next, Russia. 
A Russian proverb exclaims, "Take your thoughts to bed with you, for the morning is wiser." I like that a lot. 
Sometimes if you say something right away in your anger, you might say something hurtful to somebody else. 
So just think about it overnight. 
You might feel better in the morning, or at least be wiser. 
That's right. 
And we see a word there from our Word Bank, the word exclaim. 
Now if you exclaim, then you say something very loudly, very firmly. 
You believe what you are saying. 
You believe it. 
I heard someone exclaim something a couple of years ago. 
I went to a church and saw some people get baptized. 
This person was sharing his story, how he came to know God. 
And he said... just before he got baptized, he said, "I have no shame." His life was changed. 
Of course we feel shame sometimes for the things we've done. 
But now he has a relationship with God. 
"I have no shame!" And that's such an encouraging thing to know. 
And he exclaimed it. 
He did not hide it. 
He said it loudly and firmly, just like this Russian proverb. 
Well, right now it is time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Proverbs are like pearls of wisdom. 
Proverbs? 
That's right. 
A short statement that contains a general truth. 
Oh, yeah. OK. 
Proverbs are popularly known and often repeated. 
Oh, yeah, like uh... like uh... 
Like out of sight... 
Out of mind! 
And an apple a day... 
... keeps the doctor away. 
Don't put all your eggs... 
... in one basket! 
Hey, I know more proverbs than I thought. 
Yes. You hear them often. 
Does every culture have proverbs? 
Yes. Some are special for one culture, but some have common themes. 
Oh, like what? 
Well, here is a Chinese proverb. 
An old horse will never get lost. 
Old horse. 
And a Portuguese proverb: An old pan is the one that makes good food. 
Old pan? Oh, oh! Those show value for the wisdom of older people? 
Yes. Listen to some others. 
An English proverb says: Good and quickly seldom meet. 
Hmm. 
A Chinese proverb says: Think three times before you act. 
And a Russian proverb: Take your thoughts to bed with you, for the morning is wiser. 
Oh. Oh, oh, those proverbs value taking time to think about things carefully. 
That's right, and to do things carefully. 
Yeah. 
I really enjoy proverbs. 
I can see that. 
(Music). 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And now back to our lesson. 
Whoa... 
Well, we've been talking all about proverbs here today. 
And we thought it would be fun to bring some of these proverbs to life. 
So as you can see, I'm dressed up like a doctor going to visit Carolyn because she's sick. 
Oh, no, no, Gabe. 
No need to come. 
I have this apple. 
And an apple a day keeps the doctor away. 
So you can go back over... over there. Yes, away... away. 
Oh, man. 
Yep. There you go. 
Well, I noticed you have some baskets there. 
What's that all about? 
I do! Well, I have a bunch of eggs. 
And I can't put all of my eggs in one basket. 
So I have two baskets of eggs. 
Oh, very nice. 
That's very wise. 
And as you can see, I have an old horse. 
An old horse will never get lost. 
So, horse, which way should we go? 
Uh, to the apple? 
You... you want the apple. 
OK! Well, here you go. 
Oh, well. Uh, we still have lots to learn about proverbs tomorrow here on Studio Classroom. 
So we'll see you then. 
Well, not so fast, not... Haste makes waste... 
(Music).

2013.11.26.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to learn about the pearls of wisdom that are found in proverbs. 
Of course yesterday we already learned about some proverbs. 
We learned about a very important theme that old people are valued for their wisdom and experience. 
Well, every culture is different. 
Hmm, I wonder what kinds of things your culture really values. 
Carolyn, how would you answer this question? 
Well, I know that, let's see, American culture really values independence. 
Yes. 
Gabe, can you think of a proverb that fits this? 
Ah, independence... Well, yes. 
People like to make sure that things are done in a good way. 
Um, you know, if you... if you want the job done right, you need to do the job yourself. 
That's what a lot of people say. 
So you need to learn how to do something the right way. 
Well, Carolyn, what else can you think of? 
What's another good proverb here? 
Well, another thing that Americans value is money and saving money. 
So we have one that is: A penny saved is a penny earned. 
Ah, yes, that's a very famous proverb. 
It's important to save your money. 
Don't waste it. 
Well, let's get started talking about some more proverbs. 
Pearls of Wisdom in Proverbs. 
There is a saying: To truly know a people, learn their proverbs. 
Proverbs contain a culture's values and morals, and so you can learn what is esteemed in different cultures through their proverbs. 
People in Saudi Arabia value books and learning. 
One of their proverbs says, "A book is a garden carried in the pocket.". 
The French say, "There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience." So that culture thinks that being honest is important. 
Well, let's continue learning about these different proverbs from around the world. 
We read: 
There is a saying: To truly know a people, learn their proverbs. 
So if you want to get to know about a person, a people or a culture, you should learn their proverbs. 
And that is a good saying. 
Of course there are many different words for proverbs, like a saying, idiom. 
Maybe you've even heard the word adage, A-D-A-G-E. 
It kind of means a similar thing. 
Well, of course there's always something new we can learn in the Information Cloud. 
And Steve and Ken are waiting there for us now. 
We all know the word "people" is a plural noun. 
Its singular form is "person." So how come our lesson today talks about getting to know a people? 
Can there be one people or two peoples? 
Well, as Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, the British and Americans are two peoples divided by a common language. 
So yes, we can say two peoples. 
But the people there refers to the persons living in a country and sharing the same nationality. 
So, the French are a people. 
The British and Americans are two different peoples. 
In this usage, people is a singular noun. 
Now there is also what's called a people person. 
Can you help explain what this confusing phrase means? 
It does sound a little confusing, doesn't it? 
Well, people person is a phrase that became popular in the 1990s. 
It was first used in corporations as a way to describe friendly people who are good at sales and customer service. 
Now it just means someone who likes being with other people and who is good at working with people. 
If you want to be a flight attendant, for example, you'd better be a people person. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, we do not want to have a people divided. 
We want to learn about this people and their proverbs. 
We continue reading. 
Proverbs contain a culture's values and morals, and so you can learn what is esteemed in different cultures through their proverbs. 
And we see a word from our Word Bank there, the word esteem. 
What does it mean if something is esteemed, Gabe? 
Well, if something is esteemed, it is valued in some way. 
So if something is really esteemed, you could say it is highly esteemed or highly valued. 
Now we use this word "esteem" to talk about other things. 
How do you value yourself? 
That's your self-esteem. 
Do you have high self-esteem? 
That means you're probably pretty confident. 
Or maybe you have a low self-esteem, and... and you... you don't really value yourself. 
Well, it's important to have a high self-esteem. 
That's right. 
And things that are esteemed are things that are valued. 
I can think of something like hard work is esteemed in all walks of life. 
So no matter what you're doing, if you work hard, people will value that. 
And I think that there are definitely some proverbs that talk about hard work and how important it is to work hard. 
Well, proverbs contain a culture's values and morals. 
You can also see what a culture esteems by reading what they write in their books and articles and things like that. 
Well, we have more to learn here. 
People in Saudi Arabia value books and learning. 
So one of their proverbs says: A book is a garden carried in the pocket. 
I like that. 
What does it mean? 
Well, that is a very beautiful proverb. 
A book is a garden carried in the pocket. 
So that means that if you continue reading, then you will continue growing. 
And it will be beautiful and flourish and just produce lots of wonderful things, flowers, fruit. 
And a book is something that you can take with you easily, so. 
It's a very good way to learn something new. 
Well, I would love to have a garden growing out of my pocket. 
Anyway, let's continue. 
The French say, "There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience." I really like this. 
First, let's take a look at that word "conscience" from our Word Bank. 
conscience. 
That's what's inside of you. 
It tells you what is right and wrong to do. 
OK. The words "con" and "science," it means with knowledge. 
So everyone has a conscience. 
Everyone knows what is right and what's wrong. 
That's right. 
So, do you listen to your conscience? 
Do you follow it so that you can feel good about what you are doing? 
Or do you have a guilty conscience? 
That is the opposite of having a clear conscience. 
Now when you're going to bed at night, and you know you did something wrong, 
you might not be able to sleep well no matter how soft your pillow is or how comfortable your bed is. 
But if you have a clear conscience, then of course that is the most... that is the softest pillow, the most comfortable thing ever. 
And that's what the French believe - There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience. 
And we read on: 
So that culture thinks that being honest is important. 
So if you've done something wrong against someone else, 
you should apologize or try to fix whatever has happened so that you can go to bed with a clear conscience. 
Actually, you know the French aren't the only ones that value honesty. 
I think this is something valued by most cultures around the world. 
Maybe you've heard the phrase: Honesty is the best policy. 
So if you're... if you have a decision, you're going to choose whether to do right or to do wrong, 
whether to tell the truth about something or to lie about something, well, honesty really is the best policy. 
Carolyn, you mentioned one the other day. 
Two wrongs don't make a right. 
I think that's kind of similar. 
That is very similar. 
So if something bad happens, then you should not do something bad as well. 
You should try to fix it. 
So be honest. 
Try to correct the wrong and not do another wrong because that does not help the situation. 
That's right. 
Maybe you broke something. 
And you have a choice. 
You can tell the truth about it or lie about it. 
Well, if you lie about it, that's another wrong. 
So tell the truth. 
Two wrongs don't make a right. 
Well, let's continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.26.B

What do you want to know about someone else's culture? 
Well, of course you're here at Studio Classroom learning English, 
maybe you're curious about the American culture or British culture or maybe uh, Australian culture. 
What do you want to know? 
Well, proverbs can tell you a lot about someone's culture because different things are esteemed by different people. 
And so we have more to learn about in the next part of our reading here today. 
Pearls of Wisdom in Proverbs. 
Egyptians know the value of friendship. 
One of their proverbs says, "Friendship doubles joy and halves grief." In Africa, many proverbs also use images familiar to Africans. 
For example, "The best way to eat an elephant in your path is cut him up into little pieces.". 
In other words, the best way to solve a problem is to work on it bit by bit. 
Or "A roaring lion kills no game." This means that one cannot achieve anything by sitting around and talking about it. 
One must get out and strive for it. 
These are great proverbs. 
So let's go back to the beginning of this section and continue learning about one from Egypt. 
Egyptians know the value of friendship. 
One of their proverbs says: Friendship doubles joy and halves grief. 
Hmm, what does that mean? 
If you have a good friendship, you will be doubly happy - that means more than twice or twice as happy as you are - and it halves grief. 
That means it's... it cuts your grief in half. 
But let's take a look at that word "grief," OK. 
What is grief? 
Well, that is the sad or depressing times that we experience in life. 
That's right. 
So grief usually is something that you feel after some great tragedy, after something terrible has happened, so. 
The family was filled with grief after their dog died. 
That is a very... very difficult time, a very sad time, and you will experience a lot of grief. 
All right. 
Of course life is full of joy, and life is full of pain as well. 
Everyone experiences grief. 
I know I have. 
And sometimes you call that the grieving process, G-R-I-E-V-I-N-G, the time that it takes to get over or get through a really difficult situation. 
That's called the grieving process. 
Everyone needs that kind of time. 
But if you have friends, it will double your joy and halve your grief. 
So get lots of friends around you. 
If you are feeling sad, don't go off to be alone. 
Try to talk to someone. 
That is a very good point. 
All right. 
Well, so far we've learned about Egypt here. 
And now we continue into Africa. 
In Africa, many proverbs also use images familiar to Africans. 
All right. 
So of course with a lot of proverbs, there might be an image that comes into your mind. 
OK. So here, for example, the best way to eat an elephant in your path is cut him up into little pieces. 
Well, that is a very interesting proverb. 
And I think it would be unique to areas that have elephants. 
Since the United States does not have elephants, we would not have this type of proverb. 
Yeah. Well, we do have some elephants in zoos. 
But don't go to the zoos to cut up the elephants there, please. 
That's not very nice. 
And actually, most Africans are not also just going around cutting up elephants into little pieces. 
This proverb means something special. 
In other words, the best way to solve a problem is to work on it bit by bit. 
Bit by bit. 
What does that mean? 
Well, that is a great phrase that we want to look at. 
And it means to do something a little bit at a time. 
And you see that word "by." So you could say little by little, bit by bit, inch by inch. 
Or step by step. 
Don't do everything at once. 
You will feel overwhelmed if you think about it like that. 
Just do it bit by bit, one step at a time. 
OK. Well, we move on here. 
Or "A roaring lion kills no game." I like games. 
Well, this is not that kind of game. 
It's not a game that you play. 
Here, "game" means other animals, animals that you hunt. 
So a roaring lion kills no game. 
And this, again, would be unique to an area that has lions. 
That's true. 
And this also has a very special meaning. 
This means that one cannot achieve anything by sitting around and talking about it. 
I think there are proverbs that talk about laziness. 
You can't just expect something to happen if you're just sitting there lazy. 
Or if you're just talking about something happening, you need to go and do something about it. 
That's right. 
And we see something there. 
It says "to sit around and talk about it." And Liz has something she wants to share with us about that word in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
I hope you're all doing well today. 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
In today's article we see this sentence: 
This means that one cannot achieve anything by sitting around and talking about it. 
Notice the word "around." Normally we use "around" to talk about all the sides of something, like going around the outside of a building. 
But in today's sentence, "around" is used to describe how activities or things are done with no real purpose. 
So sitting around means people are relaxing and not really doing anything in particular. 
If you're waiting for someone, you might just start playing around with your smartphone. 
Or if there's a place you like to go often but you don't really do anything when you're there, people might say you're just hanging around. 
And if you're at a playground, you might see kids climbing around on the playset. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Well, we're continuing to learn about this African proverb: A roaring lion kills no game. 
OK. So don't just sit around talking about doing something. 
We read here: One must get out and strive for it. 
All right. What does that mean? 
Well, strive is a word from our Work Bank. 
If you strive for something, that means you are putting forth effort into doing something. 
That's right. 
So you have to work really hard to achieve it. 
You can't just sit around. 
You must do some work. 
So you might say you should strive for success. 
You should work really hard if you want to succeed. 
All right. 
And there are many areas in life that you might want to succeed. 
If you're a student, maybe you are striving to get good grades. 
If you're working, maybe you're striving for a promotion or to do really well at your job. 
Um... some people like to strive for perfection. 
I don't think it's possible to be perfect, but it's good to strive to be the best that you can be. 
That is right. 
And we have learned so many great proverbs today. 
From Africa, let's see, Gabe, which one do you like more, 
uh, the best way to eat an elephant in your path is to cut him up into little pieces or a roaring lion kills no game? 
Well, I like all kinds of animals. 
Hmm, I think the one about the elephant is really interesting, Carolyn. 
I wonder what that would look like. 
Hmm. Well, you continue to think about that while we join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's head back to our lesson. 
Well, we've talked about many proverbs here today. 
And now it's time to bring some of them to life. 
One you heard was the best way to eat an elephant in your path is to cut him up into little pieces. 
And so, that's what I'm going to do because I'm hungry enough to eat an elephant. 
Carolyn, what do you have there with you? 
Well, I have this book because we talked about a proverb that says a book is a garden carried in the pocket. 
So I have a little pocket garden and... Gabe, are you really going to eat the elephant? 
Well, I... I'm hungry enough, Carolyn. 
But... no, that's not very nice. 
It's not? 
No. No, you shouldn't eat the elephant, Gabe. 
Oh! Well... friends, it's time for us to say goodbye. 
But we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom to learn more about proverbs. 
See you then. 
Aren't you hungry? 
No. 
Carolyn! 
(Music).

2013.11.27.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to learn about proverbs and the pearls of wisdom that you can find in so many proverbs around the world. 
Now we've talked about a lot of different proverbs over the last couple of days. 
We even had fun trying to bring some of these proverbs to life. 
Now what are some of the proverbs that you can remember from the last couple of lessons? 
Carolyn? 
Well, one that I really liked was from Egypt that says that friendship doubles joy but halves grief. 
So if you have lots of friends around, you won't be as upset. 
And friendship is really important. 
All right. Friendship, of course, is really important. 
One I liked from Africa says, "A roaring lion kills no game." OK. 
That means you can't just sit around talking about doing something. 
No! Go and do it. 
Talk the talk is not very good. 
You need to walk the walk. 
All right. 
Well, we have more proverbs to learn in today's lesson. 
So let's get started. 
Pearls of Wisdom in Proverbs. 
Many proverbs are ancient, but some are contemporary. 
Here are some English language proverbs that have been coined since 1900. 
"Wake up and smell the coffee." This warns you to be attentive to a situation and find out the truth. 
Someone may also tell you to "Get your ducks in a row." This means you should get organized. 
"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." So if you can't deal with the pressure of a situation, you should leave. 
"Labels are for cans, not for people." This tells you that you should not decide what people are like before you really know. 
OK, let's go back to the top of our lesson here. 
We read: Many proverbs are ancient, but some are contemporary. 
Well, what's the difference there, Carolyn? 
Well, if something is ancient, then it has been around for a very long time. 
But if it's contemporary, then it is modern or recent. 
So we're going to be learning about some other... proverbs that have come about in recent history. 
They're much more contemporary. 
And we read here: 
Here are some English language proverbs that have been coined since 1900. 
All right. 
Well, you're here at Studio Classroom learning English, so here are some proverbs just for you. 
They were coined since 1900. 
So that's pretty recent. 
Now what does it mean to coin something? 
That means you come up with the phrase or you invent the proverb. 
You invent a saying. 
For example, you know that William Shakespeare has coined many English words and some English phrases. 
Another person who coined many English phrases is William Tyndale. 
Look him up online if you get the chance. 
That's right. 
And there are many phrases. 
We see one right there: Wake up and smell the coffee. 
This is a very popular one since coffee has also gained in popularity. 
And if you hear someone tell you, "Wake up and smell the coffee," this warns you to be attentive to a situation and find out the truth. 
Well, we need to be attentive to that word. 
The word is "attentive" straight from the Word Bank. 
If you are attentive to something, that means you are paying attention to it, you're focusing on it, you're not ignoring it. 
That's right. 
So you're listening closely, trying to learn as much about something as you can. 
So if you are in class right now, you should be attentive to your teacher, or you should be attentive to the lesson. 
If you are at work, then you should be attentive to your work or to what your boss tells you to do. 
It's true. 
You don't want your boss or your teacher saying, "He's not a very attentive person." Right? 
OK. So it's important to pay attention to a situation to find out the truth. 
Wake up and smell the coffee. 
It could also mean that you stop living in a dream world or a fantasy world. 
Get back to the real world! 
That's right. 
Well, we continue learning about some more proverbs. 
Someone may also tell you, "Get your ducks in a row." Um, Gabe, what if I don't have any ducks? 
Uh, well, then I guess you can't get them in a row, Carolyn. 
You can't put anything in a row if you don't have that thing. Now can you? 
Well, no. 
But it's not actually talking about putting your ducks in a row right next to each other, 1, 2, 3. 
No, it's not... it's not like that. 
This means you should get organized. 
That's right. 
So get your ducks in a row. 
Well, that word "row"... Row? Row? Hmm. 
I guess there are different ways to say that. 
Let's take a look at what Steve and Ken have to share with us in the Information Cloud. 
Today let's talk about the pronunciation of a very simple word, R-O-W. 
We all know that it should be pronounced... 
Row. 
Little kids often sing a nursery rhyme "Row, row, row your boat." We also see this word in our lesson today in the proverb: 
Get your ducks in a row. 
However, row is not the only pronunciation of this word. 
No, it's not. 
There's one definition of R-O-W that refers to a dispute or an argument. 
And when it's used in that meaning, the word should be pronounced row. 
As in "He had a row with his wife," meaning he had a quarrel or an argument with his wife. 
Now Steve, I have to admit that I was not aware of this definition when I was living in the United States. 
I don't blame you, Ken. 
It's a definition most Americans are not familiar with. 
But it's a common word to the British, and so we should know its proper pronunciation. 
But if you're speaking to Americans, it might be a good idea to use a word other than row when you want to describe a dispute or a quarrel. 
Like dispute or quarrel, to avoid getting blank looks from people. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, it is good to get your ducks in a row. 
If you're not an organized person, you can become more organized. 
Now let's continue here with another proverb. 
If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. 
Well, I wasn't in the kitchen, Carolyn. 
Well, I know you weren't in the kitchen, Gabe. 
But this phrase means that if you can't deal with the situation, then you should leave. 
So we read here: So if you can't deal with the situation, you should leave. 
Or if you can't deal with the pressure of a situation, you should leave. 
All right. 
Well, maybe this describes you and a situation you're involved with that might give you a lot of pressure. 
Maybe in the classroom or at work or somewhere else, and maybe you shouldn't be involved. 
You should just leave the situation. 
Well, what's our next one here? 
Well, you know if you work in a kitchen, it does get very hot. 
Yeah. 
So if you can't take the heat that is in the kitchen, then you should leave. 
But the next one says that labels are for cans, not people. 
What does this mean, Gabe? 
Yeah, it's very interesting. 
First, we need to take a look at this word: label. 
A label tells you what is inside of something. 
For instance, a can or a jar, you can read the label and see what is inside. 
It has the title, what the thing is, and it also shows you the ingredients and other things like that. 
That's a label. 
That's right. 
But this word actually has two meanings. 
If you use it to describe a person, if you label a person or put a label on a person, that means that you are describing them unfairly. 
It's true. 
Or maybe sometimes people just have a label for you; they just call you something. 
For example, my friend labeled me "the class clown" when I was in 8th grade, I guess because I like to do silly things and make people laugh. 
So that was a kind of label. 
That's an OK label. 
But there are some mean labels that you don't want to label other people with. OK. 
Labels are for cans, not for people. 
And what does this tell us? 
This tells you that you should not decide what people are like before you really know. 
So you need to take time to get to know the person and not just put a label on them. 
All right. 
Well, right now it's time for us to enjoy some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.27.B

We are continuing our lesson Pearls of Wisdom in Proverbs. 
Now today we are focusing on some English language proverbs that have been coined since the 1900s, 
like Wake up and smell the coffee or Get your ducks in a row. 
Well, we still have some more proverbs to learn about and how they influence other languages. 
Let's do that now. 
(Music). 
Pearls of Wisdom in Proverbs. 
Learning proverbs in another language is fun. 
You can make a good impression with your language ability. 
But remember, proverbs are usually used in spoken language. 
They are rarely used in writing. 
If you use a lot of proverbs when you write, people will think you don't have original thoughts. 
So use your creativity, and make up your own proverbs. 
There is more than one way to skin a cat! 
Well, we've already talked about a lot of proverbs. 
And here we have a bit of advice for how to use proverbs. 
Let's read what this says. 
Learning proverbs in another language is fun. 
It's true. 
If you can learn a proverb in another language, you kind of feel good about yourself. 
You feel like you know a little bit more about that language and culture. 
That's right. 
And it is a lot of fun because then you feel like that you are really learning the language. 
You're using something that is commonly used and it's a common truth for the people of that culture. 
Well, we continue reading. 
You can make a good impression with your language ability. 
And we see a word from the Word Bank there, the word impression. 
Now an impression is what someone thinks about something, so. 
You can have good impressions or bad impressions. 
And of course, when you first meet somebody or a group of people, you might be concerned about your first impression. 
You want to make a good first impression when you meet somebody. 
That way, they will have a lasting impression of you. 
OK. That's an impression that they will remember. 
It's a lasting impression. 
That's right. 
So, when you have your first impression, when you first meet someone, try to make a lasting impression with your impressive language ability. 
But don't be unnatural. 
And our author here warns against this. 
There is a way to use language in an unnatural way where it seems kind of strange. 
So you want to make a good impression. 
Our author says: But remember, proverbs are usually used in spoken language. 
What is spoken language? 
Well, it's the language that you speak to other people, not written language. 
That's right. 
We continue to read: They are rarely used in writing. 
So it's very important to remember that if you want to use proverbs and practice them, you should be using them when you are speaking, not when you are writing. 
All right. 
But we continue here, and I really like this next point: 
If you use a lot of proverbs when you write, people will think you don't have original thoughts. 
All right. It's important to be creative in life. 
It's important to communicate your own thoughts, your own original thoughts. 
If you just fill up your writings with a bunch of English proverbs, that's not a very good thing. 
No, it's not. 
Now that doesn't mean that you can't use any proverbs. 
Sometimes proverbs are very good to use, and they really help you to make a point. 
Especially if you are writing a conversation, proverbs can be very helpful to move the story along. 
But if you're just writing an essay or doing some research, you should probably leave the proverbs out. 
That's right. 
OK. So there are different ways that you can help improve your English writing. 
And of course, your spoken language is important as well. 
So learn some of these proverbs and practice them when you are speaking English sometimes. 
Now we read here: 
So use your creativity and make up your own proverbs. 
Now there's a new idea - making up your own proverbs. 
That is a very creative thing to do. 
And we see a word from our Word Bank: creativity. 
Now if you have creativity, that means that you are able to use your imagination or think of things for yourself and come up with new ideas. 
Many artists are very creative people, so they have a lot of creativity. 
That's right. 
They have creativity. 
They are creative people. 
Actually, I just want to say I think everyone has creativity - just in different ways. 
You might not think you're a very creative person, but I disagree. 
I think everyone has creativity just in different ways. 
And you should exercise your creativity. 
Use it just like you would exercise your body. OK. 
So exercise that creativity. 
And you can try to do that by making up your own proverbs. 
Can you think of any on your own? 
It would be very interesting to know, especially since you are learning another language. 
Try making up your own proverb in English! 
Actually, you know what, Carolyn? 
I did try to make up my own proverb when I was a kid. 
I tried to make up a proverb that said... or it went like this: The egg is in the basket. 
Now you learned another proverb like that yesterday. 
But I created this proverb. 
And what it meant was the job is already done. 
Carolyn, I told my mom this when she told me to do something, I said: Oh, don't worry, Mom. The egg is in the basket. 
She was like: What?! What does that mean? 
Well, while you made up your own proverb or your own saying, it was not commonly known what you meant, so it didn't really work. 
But we see one more proverb here at the very end. 
Our author writes: There is more than one way to skin a cat. 
There is more than one way to skin a cat? 
What does that mean? 
Well, that means there is more than one way to do something. 
And what that means here in our lesson is that there is more than one way to say the same thing. 
There are many different ways you could say something. 
And that's what proverbs are all about. 
Well, let's enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
I love the ancient proverbs. 
I know you do. 
But not all proverbs are ancient. 
Some are contemporary. 
Contemporary? 
Yeah. Many English language proverbs have been coined after the 1900s. 
Oh, like uh... uh... 
Like Wake up and... 
... smell the coffee! 
Yeah. 
Be attentive to a situation. Find out the truth. 
I understand. 
Oh! Here's a fun idiom. 
Get your ducks... 
... in a row. 
But I don't have any ducks. 
Well, it means get organized. 
Oh... I understand. 
Oh! Here's one more. 
Labels are for cans... 
Uh... 
Not... 
Not... 
For... 
For... 
People! 
People! 
What does that mean? 
Um, it means don't decide what people are like before you really know them. 
Oh, I see. 
Yeah. Learning proverbs is fun. 
And you can make a good impression by using proverbs. 
That's right. 
I can use proverbs when I write papers and letters and email. 
Well, actually, proverbs are usually used in spoken language. 
Are they used for writing? 
Rarely. 
When you write, you can be creative. 
You can make up your own proverbs. 
Oh, good idea. 
After all, there's more than one way to... 
To skin a cat? 
That's right. 
To skin a cat. 
I don't get it. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And it's time to go back to our teachers. 
Well, I've enjoyed learning about all these proverbs. 
And maybe you can think of some other proverbs in English. 
What's another good one, Carolyn? 
Don't count your chickens before they hatch. 
And what does that mean? 
Well, it means that your plans might not work out. 
So don't think about what you'll do next until you have actually succeeded. 
Ah, that's a good one. 
Don't count your chickens before they hatch. 
Well, I like chickens, and I like ducks. 
And one I really enjoyed from today was, of course, get your ducks in a row. 
And so I have my ducks here in a row. 
Um, Gabe, you only have one duck, not a row of ducks. 
Well, that's OK. 
He's a cute duck. 
Well, friends, thank you for joining us here today. 
And of course, we have more to learn next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.11.28.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Today we're talking about The Benefits of Being Thankful. 
Yes, it's very important to have a thankful spirit, to have an attitude of gratitude. 
Well, how can you show that you are thankful? 
There are so many ways. 
Carolyn, what comes to your mind when you think of how to express your gratitude? 
Well, I think the easiest thing that you can do is simply to say thank you. 
Just tell someone that you really appreciate the things that they have done. 
But of course, there are actions that you can do, ways that you can express this, right, Gabe? 
I think you're right, Carolyn. 
Sometimes it's nice to do acts of service for other people to show that you appreciate them. 
I do that sometimes. 
I also think it's important to show others how much you... how much they mean to you by writing something out for them, like a thank-you card. 
Thank-you cards can be very helpful and encouraging. 
Well, how can you show your thankfulness in life? 
Right now it's time for us to get started. 
The Benefits of Being Thankful. 
(Music). 
The Benefits of Being Thankful. 
Discover how a thankful spirit benefits you and others. 
With bad news all around us, it's sometimes easy to feel discouraged. 
Yet according to experts, it's much healthier to maintain a positive attitude. 
But how can you do it? 
Stop and think of all the things you are thankful for. 
You may be surprised how many things you can think of. 
Being aware of your many blessings makes it easier to have a thankful attitude. 
Why is that important, though? 
The benefits: 
Grateful people are kinder and more likely to feel loved. 
(Music). 
We will learn about why it is important in a little bit. 
But first, let's go back to the beginning of this article. 
Discover how a thankful spirit benefits you and others. 
So if you have a thankful attitude or an attitude of gratitude, it can benefit you as well as the people around you. 
It's true. And we read here: 
With bad news all around us, it's easy... or it's sometimes easy to feel discouraged. 
And there is bad news all around us. 
Maybe it's not around you in your room, but this means in the world or maybe in the newspapers or online. 
You can read about bad news all over the place. 
That's right. 
Well, they report on bad news because people think it's more interesting, maybe more exciting. 
But good news is always wonderful to hear. 
And with bad news all around us, we can get discouraged sometimes. 
But we don't want to do that. 
We do want to look at the word discourage, though. 
And if you are discouraged, then you're not really happy, right, Gabe? 
That's right. 
Maybe you have been working really hard to do something, or maybe you really want to have a good attitude, but you just feel discouraged. 
Something is stopping you from having a good attitude. 
Maybe you have been looking for a job for a long time. 
You've applied to many different places, sent in your resume to lots of different companies, and nobody is hiring. 
You might feel discouraged. 
Well, don't give up. 
That's right. 
Don't be discouraged. Be hopeful. 
You can do it. 
You can move past this. 
And we read that having a good attitude is a good place to start, so. 
Continuing: Yet according to experts, it's much healthier to maintain a positive attitude. 
Well, of course. 
This makes sense to all of us. 
We know that in our heads, but sometimes it's hard to actually do, to maintain a positive attitude. 
That means it can be a choice. 
You can maintain or keep a positive attitude. 
That's right. 
But how can you do it? 
This is a very good question. 
We know that we should be happy, that we should not be discouraged and just keep hoping that things will turn out OK. 
But how can we do that, Gabe? 
Well, we read here: Stop and think of all the things you are thankful for. 
This is just the beginning. 
You can stop thinking about whatever you're thinking about and think about things that you are thankful for. 
Think about positive things. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: to stop and do something. 
Maybe you want to stop and consider before you buy something. 
That's right. 
Or you want to stop and listen to what someone else has to say before you make a decision. 
Or maybe a common phrase I hear is: Stop and smell the roses. 
That means don't just rush through life busily, but actually take time to enjoy it. 
Stop and smell the roses. 
And here we're reminded to stop and think of all the things we are thankful for. 
We read on: You may be surprised how many things you can think of. 
Can you think of many things you are thankful for? 
Well, we've been talking about thankfulness and Thanksgiving this month. 
And there is a lot to be thankful for. 
Being aware of your many blessings makes it easier to have a thankful attitude. 
OK. So it's important to be aware about many things in life, right? 
You want to be aware of your blessings here. 
That's a word from our Word Bank. 
Your blessings. 
Those are the good things that are happening in your life, things that happen to you or maybe just good things that you have in life. 
That's right. 
And for me, coming to Taiwan, moving to Taipei was a very big blessing. 
I love my life here, and I love working at Studio Classroom. 
And it's wonderful all of the people that I have been blessed with as co-workers. 
Right, Gabe? 
That's right, Carolyn. 
You do have some wonderful co-workers right here. 
And you are... you are a blessing as well. 
You're a wonderful co-worker. 
It's good to count your blessings, friends. 
That's a phrase we use in English - to count your blessings. 
That means to list them out, to think about them and talk about them. 
Now sometimes something bad might happen in life, and you think it's horrible. 
But that could just be a blessing in disguise. 
That's another good phrase. 
D-I-S-G-U-I-S-E. 
That means it looks bad on the outside, but really in the long run, you look back and you're thankful for it. 
It was a good thing. 
That's right. 
And we continue reading. 
Why is that important, though? 
Why do we need to be thankful for these things and count our blessings? 
And right now it is time for us to learn with Liz in the Grammar Gym about that phrase. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym, friends. 
I hope you're all doing well today. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this sentence: 
Being aware of your many blessings makes it easier to have a thankful attitude. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the pattern: Being [adjective] makes it [adjective] to [do something]. 
Being a certain way can make a situation turn out a certain way. 
So in the case of today's sentence, if you are aware of your many blessings, then having a thankful attitude is easier. 
OK, let's have a look at some more example sentences. 
Being sensitive to the needs of other people makes it easier to not be so selfish. 
Or: Being quick to listen and slow to speak makes it easier for you to understand what others are trying to communicate. 
Or: Being the first to apologize makes it harder for others to stay mad at you. 
So give this sentence pattern a try. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
OK. Now let's start to talk about the benefits of being thankful. 
OK. Number one. 
Grateful people are kinder and more likely to feel loved. 
Well, those are two great benefits. 
You are a kinder person, and you will feel like you are more loved. 
Well, that sounds like two really great benefits, actually. 
I know that if you feel thankful, if I feel thankful about something, then I want to express that thanks to other people by being nice to them. 
That's right. 
And if you have a positive attitude, then of course it's easier to feel like other people love you, and you will be a kinder person. 
Well, this is something that maybe sounds easy but you need to practice it. 
Be thankful. OK. 
Now it's time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And then we'll come back and talk about other benefits. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.28.B

Well, today we are talking about The Benefits of Being Thankful. 
Are you a thankful person? 
What are you thankful for? 
It's important to think about the positive things in your life. 
Especially with all the bad news that is around us every day, you want to think about the good things, the blessings in your life. 
And of course there are many benefits to being thankful. 
We already talked about one. 
If you're a thankful person, you will be kinder and feel more loved by others. 
But there are more benefits. 
Let's learn what those are now. 
(Music). 
The Benefits of Being Thankful. 
Thankful people have higher levels of optimism. 
People who practice gratitude can increase their happiness by 25 percent! 
Grateful people have lower levels of depression and stress. 
People who are grateful place a low value on material goods. 
Therefore they don't waste their time and energy desiring what others have. 
Thankful people express greater satisfaction in life and more hope for the future. 
The biggest benefit, though, is that a thankful attitude is contagious. 
You might be surprised by how good it makes you and those around you feel! 
(Music). 
Well, being thankful does make you feel great, so. 
Let's continue learning all about these benefits of being thankful. 
Our next one here, thankful people have higher levels of optimism. 
Now that is a big word there, the word optimism. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
That means you usually see things in a positive way. 
OK. 
You are an optimist. 
O-P-T-I-M-I-S-T. 
Now the opposite, Carolyn, what's the opposite of optimism? 
Well, that would be pessimism. 
And that means that you think about things in a very negative way. 
You always look at the bad points of things. 
But if you are a thankful person, then you are more likely to be an optimist and have lots of optimism to look at things... as the better part of the issue. 
So you might say that, uh, the glass is half full, Gabe. 
Hey, that's right. 
That's a good phrase. 
The glass is half full. 
If you have a glass half full of water, a pessimist will think the glass is half empty. 
An optimist will say the glass is half full. 
OK. Well, let's look at another benefit here. 
People who practice gratitude can increase their happiness by how much? 
Twenty-five percent! 
All right. 
Maybe you think you're an unhappy person. 
You should start being thankful about things in life. 
You can increase that happiness by 25 percent. 
Well, that's a pretty big increase. 
And all you need to do is be thankful. 
Think about the many blessings that you have in your life, and maybe even make a list. 
And then you can look at them if you're having a bad day and remind yourself just how lucky you are. 
All right. 
And the next tip we have here, the next benefit is that grateful people have lower levels of depression and stress. 
Well, that's great. 
We've already learned this month about how different things can help with stress, right? 
Exercise can help to reduce stress. 
And of course if you are a grateful person, that can help reduce stress as well. 
It also helps to reduce levels of depression. 
And that is a word from our Word Bank. 
Depression is that terrible, sad, overwhelming feeling that you just can't get over. 
But if you are thankful, then it can help lessen those feelings. 
Then you won't be depressed or upset. 
That's right. 
Now many people have different reasons for why they feel depression or why they are depressed. 
Sometimes someone might... be depressed for a long time. 
Maybe the doctor will say this is a kind of illness that you have that is called clinical depression. 
Sometimes people experience depression just for a short time, maybe every once in a while. OK. 
There are different kinds of depression. 
But if you have a thankful spirit, this can help to fight against depression. 
That's right. 
And we want to help you fight against depression by giving you some time with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud, 
where they will share with us about stinking thinking. 
Hello, everyone. 
First off, we should say to all of you: 
Happy Thanksgiving! 
We're learning that being thankful, not just during Thanksgiving but all year round, is very beneficial. 
I like the fourth benefit our author mentions because it points to a fascinating phenomenon that we often overlook. 
And it's this - how you think has an effect on your physical health. 
We all know that when we're not getting enough sleep or when we... when our bodies don't feel well, it can put us in a bad mood. 
A sick body often affects our emotions and attitude in a negative way. 
That's right. 
But it works the other way, too. 
When we let ourselves get discouraged or stressed out, when we complain and dwell on being angry and critical, 
what some people call stinking thinking, those negative thoughts will actually have a harmful effect on our bodies. 
Stinking thinking can manifest itself physically through stomach ulcers, chest and back pain and dizziness, just to name a few. 
So cultivating a thankful heart that is intentionally and frequently counting our blessings is a good way to ward off the dangers of stinking thinking. 
It'll help keep our bodies healthy. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
That's right. 
It's important not to have stinking thinking. 
You want to be a thankful person. 
Let's look at our next benefit here. 
People who are grateful place a low value on material goods. 
All right. Well, what is a material good, Carolyn? 
Well, that is something that you buy, so something that you can't take with you when you die, a material good. 
So lots of people put emphasis on having a really nice car or a big house or expensive computers or clothes. 
But those are just material goods. 
That's right. 
And if you're thankful, a really thankful person, you don't place a really high value on those things. 
You place a high value on your friendships and your family, those kinds of things. 
So therefore they don't waste their time and energy desiring what others have. Hmm. 
Do you ever really desire what other people have? 
Carolyn, I think there's a word for that, when you just really want what someone else has. 
Yes. I think that might be envy. 
Mmhm. That's right. 
You envy something that someone else has. 
You envy other people. 
Maybe you covet or you are greedy. 
Of course that's not a good attitude to have. 
Don't waste your time or energy desiring what other people have. 
Be thankful for what you have. 
That's right. 
And we continue reading that thankful people express greater satisfaction in life and more hope for the future. 
Well, that is great. 
And there's a great word from the Word Bank: satisfaction. 
If you have satisfaction, that means that you are happy with the way things are. 
Yeah. You're satisfied; you're content. 
Of course if you are working in business or you're a salesperson, it's important to have customer satisfaction. 
You want your customers to be satisfied with your product. 
That's right. 
And we continue. 
The biggest benefit, though, is that a thankful attitude is contagious. 
So if you are thankful, other people will be thankful as well. 
And I think this is very true. 
I know many thankful people, and I love being around them. 
It affects my attitude as well. 
OK. So you might be surprised by how good it makes you and those around you feel. 
It's so important to be thankful. 
It is. And I am very thankful that we can spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's get back to our lesson. 
It is Thanksgiving. 
So what will you do to show people that you are thankful? 
Well, actually, Carolyn, I... um, I wrote a thank-you card here just for you to show you I'm thankful. 
For me? Oh, thank you! 
You can read it now if you want. 
Oh, thank you, Gabe. 
Well, let's see. 
It says thank you. 
Uh, dear Carolyn, thank you for being good friend. Your friend, Gabe. 
Um, Gabe, you're missing a word. 
I am? 
It should say thank you for being a good friend. 
Oh, yeah! Thank you for being a good friend. 
And for being a good teacher. 
Ah, well, thank you, Gabe. 
And thank you for joining us today on Studio Classroom. 
We'll see you next time. 
Goodbye. 
(Music).

2013.11.29.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Today we will be talking all about money. 
Yes, something that we all need when we want to buy something, anyway. 
We're going to be talking about the history of money, Money Down Through the Ages. 
All right. 
Well, every country has a different currency. 
The United States uses Dollars. 
But do you know all of the different units of your country's currency and the money? 
For example, Carolyn, in the United States, we use Dollars, but that can be broken down into other things, right? 
That's right. 
We have coins, and they represent cents. 
So one cent is called a penny; five cents is called a nickel; ten cents is a dime; 25 cents is a quarter. 
Yes. 
And we even have a half dollar, which is 50 cents, but it's not used very often anymore. 
That's right. 
And of course we have $10 bills, $20 bills, $50 bills. 
Well, what about the currency in your country? 
What are all those different units called? 
Of course we're going to be learning about the history of money, so let's get started. 
(Music). 
Money Down Through the Ages. 
Money has changed a lot over the centuries. 
Money has been essential throughout history, but it hasn't always come in forms we would recognize today. 
Before money. 
The earliest civilizations didn't use money. 
Instead, they bartered, agreeing to swap everyday objects like food, clothing or animals. 
It sounds a little strange today. 
How many chickens would you trade for a smartphone? 
But bartering worked surprisingly well for some ancient cultures. 
The Incas built a mighty empire without money. 
All men were required to work on constructing roads, public buildings and palaces. 
The Inca royalty then provided these people with all they needed to survive - food, clothing, tools, etc. 
Well, that was fun. 
We learned about the Incas today. 
OK, let's go back to the top of today's lesson Money Down Through the Ages. 
Money has changed a lot over the centuries. 
OK. It's changed a lot over the centuries, over hundreds of years. 
Or you can also say money has changed a lot through the centuries. 
That's right, or "through the ages," as we see in our title. 
Well, getting into our article: 
Money has been essential throughout history, but it hasn't always come in forms we would recognize today. 
So money has not always looked like pieces of paper or small coins that we carry around. 
That's true. 
It has many different forms. 
Now this first section is called Before money. 
And we read, "The earliest civilizations didn't use money." All right. 
Well, there've been many civilizations throughout history. 
It's hard to imagine a time that didn't use money, Carolyn. 
It is difficult to imagine, but we read that the earliest civilizations didn't use money. 
Instead, they bartered, agreeing to swap everyday objects like food, clothing or animals. 
So if you barter, that means that you just trade things; you trade one thing for another. 
And we see a word there, swap, from our Word Bank. 
And swap simply means to trade. 
That's right. 
You're swapping something for something else. 
You're trading it with your friend and what they have. 
How else could you use this word swap? 
Well, maybe you were in a competition. 
And you got a prize; your friend also got a prize. 
He likes your prize, and you like his prize. 
Well, you can just swap prizes. 
Then you can have each other's things. 
That's right. 
Or you know, maybe you meet someone and you want to get their phone number. 
You could say: Let's swap phone numbers. 
So I'll give you my phone number, and you give me yours. 
That's right. 
Of course that doesn't mean you're switching phones with the other person but you're just getting each other's phone numbers. 
Now I like this idea of bartering because, actually, it implies a little bit more of an importance on relationship. 
If there's just a set price and you use money, the relationship doesn't really matter. 
But you can barter with people that you know. 
It could become something that friends do. 
That's right. 
And you can barter for animals, food, clothing, many different kinds of objects. 
We continue reading. 
It sounds a little strange today. 
How many chickens would you trade for a smartphone? 
Gabe, if I gave you 10 chickens, would you give me your iPhone? 
I'm sorry, Carolyn. 
I think you need to buy your own iPhone with um... money. 
This is a great question, though. 
How many chickens would you trade for a smartphone? 
Carolyn, I just... I don't know what to do with chickens. 
And they would be kind of annoying in my living room, and I have two cats... 
But Gabe, if we're doing the barter system, that means that if you want food, like if you wanted to eat a chicken, you would need to trade for it. 
Oh, you're right. 
And you don't eat meat. 
I guess I would find chickens more useful. 
This is a great question. OK. 
If you have some chickens, Carolyn, I'll consider trading my smartphone for your chickens, 20 of them. 
Twenty. OK. Well, I will get back to you on that. 
But first, let us continue reading in our article. 
But bartering worked surprisingly well for some ancient cultures. 
So even though it sounds kind of strange, it worked surprisingly well. 
And we read about a certain culture here. 
The Incas built a mighty empire without money. 
All right. 
So even big empires and kingdoms were built without the use of money. 
Well, empire, this makes me think of the Roman Empire. 
That was another big empire in history. 
And we learn how the Incan Empire was able to build such a great civilization without money. 
All men were required to work on constructing roads, public buildings and palaces. 
The Inca royalty then provided these people with all they needed to survive - food, clothing, tools, etc. 
All right. 
So the Inca royalty would provide these people with everything they needed. 
Let's look at that word royalty. 
Royalty has to do with royal people, people living in palaces, kings, queens, princes, princesses, dukes, the royalty. 
That's right. 
So now we don't really hear about the royalty too often unless of course you're talking about Great Britain and the Queen and her son, 
the Prince who recently got married and is having a baby. 
But of course sometimes you might feel like royalty. 
If someone treats you really well as a guest in their home, you could say: We really felt like royalty living there, or staying there. 
Well, we see another phrase here in this sentence: all they needed to survive. 
All you need to do something, that's a good phrase to know. 
You could use it like this: Sunscreen, sunglasses and a good book was all I needed to enjoy the beach. 
That's a great way to use that phrase. 
You might also use it talking about work. 
The company will provide all you need to complete the project. 
Just give them a list. 
And of course, Michelle has all we need to help understand this part of our lesson today. 
Let's go enjoy some time with her now. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.29.B

Today we're talking about Money Down Through the Ages. 
So far we've learned that money has not always been used. 
There was a time before money. 
That's quite surprising. 
But empires were built, like the Incan Empire, and they didn't use any money. 
They had all they needed provided by the Incan royalty in exchange for service. 
So the men would work, and then the Incan royalty would give them all that they needed. 
Well, we still have a lot more to learn about the history of money. 
Let's continue on to the next section: Shell it out. 
(Music). 
Money Down Through the Ages. 
Shell it out. 
People around the world used cowrie shells as currency. 
This began in China, possibly as early as the 16th century B.C. 
Cowrie shells were still used in Africa in the 20th century, making them the world's longest and most widely used currency. 
Moving to metal. 
Many ancient civilizations used precious metals like gold and silver as money. 
At first they measured the metals by weight, but then they began creating coins. 
The earliest known coins, which were unearthed in modern-day Turkey, date back to the 7th century B.C. 
OK, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
It's called Shell it out. 
And before we continue, that's a phrase from our Word Bank. 
To shell out something, that means to pay for something. 
What else can you shell out? 
Well, you usually hear this phrase talking about money. 
So you might say: I had to shell out a lot of money in order to get these great concert tickets. 
They were worth it, but they were expensive. 
I shelled out over $1,000 for my flight to Mexico just last month. 
But it was a great trip. 
And of course you might shell out a lot of money to repair something like your car or your scooter. 
The idea of shelling out is the idea of paying, but it seems kind of negative. 
Nobody likes to shell out a lot of money. 
That's right. 
But that is not what we are talking about here. 
We are talking about actual shells. 
And we read: People around the world used cowrie shells as currency. 
Well, that is a very interesting form of money. 
Yeah, that's right, a cowrie shell. 
Some are big, some are a little smaller. 
These little cowrie shells, maybe you've seen them before. 
There are so many, I guess so many so you could use them as currency. 
Well, this began in China, possibly as early as the 16th century B.C. 
That's a long time ago, 16... 1600 B.C., that's almost 3,600 years ago. 
Yeah. 
Well, it is quite a long time ago. 
And you see those letters there: B.C. 
They are very important in telling you when this happened. 
And Steve and Ken have some more information for us about that in the Info Cloud. 
B.C. is an abbreviation for Before Christ. 
And A.D. is short for Anno Domini, which is Latin for year of our Lord. 
It's the Western world system of keeping time based on Jesus Christ's life here on Earth. 
OK. A few centuries back, some people decided that using this notation wasn't fair to people outside the Christian faith. 
They felt there should be a system of marking time that was religiously neutral. 
And so came the B.C.E. and C.E. system. 
B.C.E. means Before the Common Era. 
It corresponds to B.C. 
C.E. means Common Era. 
And it corresponds to the A.D. notation. 
This religiously neutral notation has gained wide approval but it, too, is controversial. 
Right. 
Some argue that other religious belief systems are still heavily represented in the Western calendar. 
Remember all the Pagan gods in the names of our months and days? 
So if we really want to be fair to people of other religious beliefs, shouldn't we neutralize those as well? 
Well, today, the two systems co-exist. 
You'll find the neutral notation in almost all American textbooks and scientific literature. 
However, guides like my AP Stylebook still endorse the traditional B.C. and A.D. notation. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, Jesus certainly did have a big impact on history and the way we see time. 
Well, let's continue here learning about cowrie shells. 
Cowrie shells were still used in Africa in the 20th century (just last century), making them the world's longest and most widely used currency. 
OK. So 3,600 years, that's how long cowrie shells were used. 
That's very impressive for just one single form of currency to be used and not just in one place. 
Africa, China, many different places used cowrie shells. 
Continuing on to the next section: Moving to metal. 
Many ancient civilizations used precious metals like gold and silver as money. 
At first they measured the metals by weight, but then they began creating coins. 
So they started out just measuring them, weighing them. 
And eventually they made them into coins so they were all about the same size, and you didn't need to weigh them anymore. 
That's right. 
Well, of course this makes a little more sense. 
We still know the idea and the value of silver and gold today. OK. 
So of course people would be using metals like this as currency. 
Now the earliest known coins, which were unearthed in modern-day Turkey, date back to the 7th century B.C. 
All right. 
Let's take a look at a word from our Word Bank: unearth. 
Unearth, that means to dig something up. 
It was, well, it was in the ground or in the earth, and now you've dug it up. 
That's right. 
So it has come out of the ground. 
And we usually hear this when we're talking about artifacts or things that are very old that get unearthed somewhere after they've been buried for a long time. 
Well, right now it is time for us to enjoy a review skit about this lesson. 
And then we'll spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Wow! Look at that! Laptops. 
Hey, that's pretty cool. 
I think I want one. 
Yes. Everyone wants a laptop. 
They are very popular. 
All right! I'll take one. 
I'll give you... er... oh, 50 chickens for it. 
50 chickens? 
What will I do with 50 chickens? 
All right, all right. I'll get it for just 40 chickens. 
No... I... I don't want any chickens. 
You don't want my chickens? 
Well, uh, how about a cow? 
I got one outside. Or goats? 
No, no. I don't want to barter. 
I don't want to trade things. 
You won't swap something? 
No. I don't barter. I'm sorry. 
OK, OK. How much is it? 
How many shells? 
Oh, so now you want to give me shells? 
Yes, cowrie shells. 
How many do I have to shell out for the laptop? 
I don't want any. 
You can't pay with shells. 
But these are cowrie shells. 
Cowrie shells are accepted around the world. 
Well, not here. I'm sorry. 
All right. 
Oh! Well, then take this. 
(Background Noise). 
This... this bag is heavy. 
What's in here? 
Metal. This bag is filled with iron. 
I don't want iron. 
I want money! 
Money? 
What kind of money? 
Cash, dollar bills. 
Oh... But I don't have any of that. 
Then give me your credit card, like... this. 
You take a plastic card? 
I think you should take my chickens. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are doing. 
Well, I've enjoyed learning a lot about today's money, Money Down Through the Ages. 
Hey, Carolyn. 
OK, Gabe, um... 
What are you doing? 
Well, we've been talking about bartering today. 
And I think that we should swap. 
Swap? 
Um, yes, yes. You see I have um, these shells. 
And I was wondering if I could trade these shells for that smartphone. 
Oh, no, no, no. Carolyn, I said 20 chickens for this smartphone. 
Well, how about the shells and a chicken leg? 
Nope, not doing it. 
No? What about if I add a fish? 
Nope. 
Um... a dinosaur? 
A dinosaur? 
A dinosaur. 
Yeah, maybe. No. 
Gabe, come on now. 
Dinosaurs are so ancient. 
I have a sheep. 
A sheep? 
A sheep! I will add a sheep, plus the dinosaur, the fish, the chicken leg and the shells. 
Carolyn, I'm sorry. 
Twenty chickens or no deal. I'm not... 
Or a cow! 
A cow?! Carolyn, you brought everything. 
Yes. 
I'm sorry. Um, listen, we're going to continue talking about this in a moment. 
Thank you for joining us here today, friends. 
We will continue learning about Money Down Through the Ages next time at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.11.30.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to talk about money and the history of money - Money Down Through the Ages. 
Now I did say something yesterday. 
I said everybody uses money, and we need money to buy things, and people like to make a lot of money. 
People like to get jobs that earn them a lot of money. 
But just how important is money? 
What do you think? 
Carolyn, what do you think about this? 
How important is money in our lives? 
Well, I think it depends on the way you look at it. 
If money is the most important thing in your life, then that's probably not good because money really isn't that vital to your happiness. 
If you want to have a happy life, you should just make more friends, spend time with your family, your loved ones and build relationships. 
But money is important to buy food and clothing, to buy shelter (we learned that word), so you need a house, you need a place to live. 
So money is important. 
It is important. 
The Bible does say, though, the love of money is the root of all evil. 
So be careful how much you love money. All right. 
Let's get started learning more about the history of money, Money Down Through the Ages. 
(Music). 
Money Down Through the Ages. 
Flying money. 
Metal currency has many practical advantages. 
It's durable and pretty hard to fake. 
But it has one drawback - it's heavy. 
During China's Tang Dynasty, merchants and government officials alike grew tired of carrying around large numbers of heavy coins. 
So the government started issuing certificates that could be exchanged for cash. 
These certificates were called "flying money," possibly because of their light weight or their tendency to blow away. 
But "flying money" wasn't official currency. 
The first official paper bills were printed around 200 years later during the Song Dynasty. 
Well, this is a very interesting way to look at money. 
I had never heard of "flying money" before. 
But that is what we are talking about today. 
Yesterday we talked about metal currencies like gold and silver being made into coins. 
But we will learn a little bit why they didn't want to continue using those coins. 
We read: Metal currency has many practical advantages. 
It's pretty durable... or it's durable and pretty hard to fake. 
So there are some good things about using metal for your money. 
That's right. 
And as you can see here, the word "fake" is a verb. 
Usually I use it as an adjective. 
This money is fake. 
But here this... er... hard money metal is hard to fake. 
Now what do you call fake money? 
That is called counterfeit money. 
C-O-U-N-T-E-R-F-E-I-T. 
Is it real? 
Is it a real $1,000 bill or is it just a counterfeit bill? 
That's a good question to ask. 
And it's easier to fake paper money. 
So, we're learning about metal money here. 
But it has one drawback - it's heavy. 
That's one drawback to metal money. 
It is a drawback. 
And drawback is a word from our Word Bank. 
A drawback is something that makes something that is probably really good not quite as good as it could be, so. 
One drawback to metal money is that it's really heavy. 
But there are lots of other good things about it. 
It's true, but it does have some drawbacks. 
Well, what are some other things that have drawbacks? 
Maybe... maybe you really want to go to a private school, and everything about this school is great. 
But the drawback is it costs a lot of money. 
So lots of things in life have positive sides. 
But then of course, they also have drawbacks. 
That's right. 
Now this is a very interesting sentence that begins with the word: but. 
And Steve and Ken have something they want to share with us about that in the Information Cloud. 
There are things about English grammar, usage and punctuation that we've been told are rules when actually they're not. 
Welcome, everybody, to another installment of English rule or English myth. 
Today's topic deals with starting a sentence with a conjunction. 
If you've been taught that this is wrong, unlearn it. 
Conjunctions are words like and, however, because and therefore that link sentences, clauses, phrases and words together. 
In today's lesson, our author uses the conjunction "but" three times to start a sentence. 
Now many high school English teachers will frown upon this, but really, there's no rule against it. 
In regard to this practice, the only thing that professional writers and editors warn against is placing a comma after the but. 
Right. Now to be sure, as a writer, you'll want to do this carefully and sparingly. 
But when done right, a "but" at the front lends a sentence impact and emphasis. 
And starting a sentence with "and" is useful for writers who want to keep a narrative moving along. 
Using "however" highlights the starkness of a contrast that the author is making. 
And "because" and "therefore" at the beginning of a sentence make very effective transitions. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Now let's continue here. 
During China's Tang Dynasty, merchants and government officials alike grew tired of carrying around large numbers of heavy coins. 
And maybe they had these coins in large bags. 
Either way, it was very heavy, so people grew tired of carrying these things around. 
What do you grow tired of? 
You could also say: I got tired of doing something, so I just wanted to stop. 
That's right, so. 
You can grow tired of doing something or become tired or get tired of doing something, so. 
They grew tired of carrying around these heavy coins. 
And I'm sure it actually made them tired to carry these coins. 
That's right. 
And so what happened? 
So the government started issuing certificates that could be exchanged for cash. 
Exchange. 
Well, that means to swap. 
You can swap certificates for cash. 
But let's take a look at this word from our Word Bank: a certificate. 
This is something that has value. 
Now there are many different kinds of certificates, right, Carolyn? 
There are. So it is an official document that represents something. 
And here we're talking about certificates that represent an amount of money. 
We still use certificates, actually, called gift certificates. 
Maybe you don't want to write a check or give someone cash, so you go to a store and you get them a gift certificate as a gift. 
That's a great idea, especially if someone enjoys reading, you could give them a gift certificate to a bookstore. 
And then they can buy whatever they want with that gift certificate. 
There are other kinds of certificates. 
If you want to be a teacher, you might need to have a teacher's certificate or get certified. 
If you want to be a diver, you need to have your diving certificate to dive alone. 
That's right. 
Well, talking about these certificates that represented the money they were using: 
These certificates were called "flying money," possibly because of their light weight or their tendency to blow away. 
So heavy coins turned into flying money. 
And why? 
I love this reason, and this is a great name for this because money... or paper money really does have a tendency to... to blow away if you're not careful. 
So what do we see here? 
But flying money wasn't official currency. 
It wasn't official yet. 
The first official paper bills were printed around 200 years later during the Song Dynasty. 
So I like to learn about the history of money, how it became... how it started with flying money but now became official paper bills. 
That's right. 
And it's very interesting that it was not official currency. 
So even though you could use these bills, you could trade them with other people and they did represent an amount of money, 
you still needed to go to a bank or an official building to exchange the bills for coins before you could buy anything with them. 
All right. 
Well, we have more to learn about Money Down Through the Ages in the next part of our lesson. 
But first, let's spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
She's waiting to teach us some things there. 
(Chinese).

2013.11.30.B

In our lesson today, Money Down Through the Ages, we're learning a little bit more about the history of money. 
And the first section was called flying money. 
Do you have any flying money? 
It was called flying money because that's what it did when the wind blew it away; it looked like it was flying away. 
Nobody wants their money to fly away from them. 
Well, we have more to learn about the history of money in our next section called Fur tax. 
(Music). 
Money Down Through the Ages. 
Fur tax. 
In 17th-century Russia, hunters and trappers flooded into Siberia in search of fur, which they hoped would earn them great wealth. 
Some say fur accounted for over 10 percent of Russia's revenue at this time. 
To take advantage of this trend, Russia's czars set a tax that could only be paid in fur. 
Today money comes mostly in the form of bills or coins. 
But as we look toward the future, some speculate that electronic money will come to replace coins and bills. 
Who knows where the future of money is headed? 
This section is all about fur. 
So as you can see, I have my fur right here. 
And Gabe, you have your fur as well, yes? 
Yes. It's wonderful. 
It looks like leopard print fur. 
Um, just so you know, this is not real animal fur. 
It just looks like animal fur. 
Yes. But it is all about fur. 
We are learning about the fur tax. 
So we are wearing a little bit of fake fur. 
Well, let's continue reading the fur tax. 
In 17th-century Russia, hunters and trappers flooded into Siberia in search of fur, which they hoped would earn them great wealth. 
Well, fur can be worth a lot of money. 
As you probably know, people will spend a lot of money for the fur of certain kinds of animals. 
They make fur coats and things made out of fur like this. 
Um, so we're talking about the 17th-century Russia and how these hunters and trappers, they went into Siberia. 
Now where is Siberia? 
That's a big chunk of the earth in North Asia. 
Actually, it makes up 77 percent of the Russian territory. 
Ah, so they flooded into Siberia. 
This is a very interesting word to use. 
And Liz has more information for us waiting in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article, the writer mentions: 
In 17th-century Russia, hunters and trappers flooded into Siberia in search of fur. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
And today our focus is on the word flood. 
Normally when we're talking about floods or flooding, we're talking about how there's so much water in an area that normally is dry. 
But in today's sentence, the writer is not talking about water. 
Instead, she's describing how there were so many hunters and trappers going into Siberia that it's like rivers of people going into Siberia in search of fur. 
So whenever you want to be creative and you want to describe how so many people or things are going into a certain place and filling up the area, you can consider using flood. 
Like: Before the actress appeared at the hotel, the lobby was already flooded with reporters. 
Or: Mike left his candy jar opened in his drawer, and he found the drawer flooded with ants the next day. 
If you check out today's Grammar Tip section, you'll find more example sentences there. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. Bye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Now where were we? 
Um... right. 
Well, we were talking about these hunters and trappers that would flood into Siberia in hopes that they could get some fur that would earn them great wealth. 
Now some say fur accounted for over 10 percent of Russia's revenue at this time. 
All right. 
If something accounts for something, that means it makes up. 
So this money, this fur accounted for over 10 percent of Russia's revenue. 
Well, that's very impressive. 
And revenue is a word from our Word Bank. 
Let's look at that. 
Revenue is the amount of money that you take in. 
And usually this is in reference to taxes. 
That's right, or the government, the money... the income that a government might make off of its people. 
OK. Well, maybe you've heard of the letters IRS. 
In the United States, that is the Internal Revenue Service. 
And they're in charge of figuring out our taxes. 
Well, that's revenue. 
And fur accounted for a lot of revenue in Russia. 
That's pretty impressive. 
That's right. 
So to take advantage of this trend, Russia's czars set a tax that could only be paid in fur. 
Well, it's good to take advantage of good things like this. 
And there was a trend. 
That means a lot of people were doing this. 
So they decided to tax people in fur, not money or... or other kinds of coins or certificates but fur. 
They wanted to take advantage of this trend. 
Let's look at that phrase. 
Now when is it OK to take advantage of something, and what should we take advantage of, Carolyn? 
Well, if you take advantage of something, that means that you make good use of it. 
So you should take advantage of opportunities, good opportunities that come your way. 
Take advantage of good business deals. 
But there are things that we don't want to take advantage of, right, Gabe? 
It's true. 
You want to take advantage of good things in your life, but don't ever talk about taking advantage of someone, another person. 
If you take advantage of another person, that means you're treating them in a bad way somehow. 
You're using them, possibly. 
So take advantage of things, but don't take advantage of people. 
That's right. 
Well, they wanted to take advantage of the trend where hunters and trappers were flooding into Siberia to get fur, so they set a fur tax. 
We continue reading: 
Today money comes mostly in the form of bills or coins. 
And that's true. 
That's usually what I see. 
But as we look toward the future, some speculate that electronic money will come to replace coins and bills. 
Interesting. 
So some people are looking toward the future and speculating about the future of money. 
What does that word "speculate" mean? 
Well, that's a word from our Word Bank. 
That means you're not sure about something, but you're still considering it, you're still thinking about it and the possibilities that could happen. 
That's right. 
So you can continue to discuss that idea. 
You can also speculate on history. 
You can look at past events and think: Well, what actually made that event occur? 
You can speculate and discuss it. 
Now speculating can be a good thing because it's good to discuss these kinds of topics. 
But is it always good to speculate? 
Well, no. It could turn into worry. 
For example, if your friend is lost and you don't know what happened to them, 
you could start speculating and imagining all these terrible things that happened to your friend. 
Don't do that. 
That's a kind of worry, and you shouldn't worry. 
That's right, so. 
You can speculate on good things. 
Perhaps you can speculate as well on the future of money. 
What do you think is going to happen? 
And we read our last sentence here: 
Who knows where the future of money is headed? 
Well, that's a good question. 
Who knows? 
Only one knows - God! 
God knows the future of everything. 
But of course in the future, we might be using electronic money. 
That could be kind of... well, kind of fun for everyone. 
Well, let's continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's continue our lesson. 
Gabe, I've had a very interesting idea after talking about money the past two days. 
You have, have you? 
What is your interesting idea? 
Well, you see, there's something called trading up. 
And I think I'm going to try to trade up this pushpin for your smartphone. 
Good luck, Carolyn! 
Trading up, what does that mean? 
Well, if you trade up, then it's kind of like doing something bigger and better. 
So you take something small to start with. 
And then you try to see if you can get someone to trade something with you or swap it with you for something bigger, 
like a guy took a paperclip, and he traded it up all the way to a house. 
Well, I heard about that guy. 
And that is pretty impressive. 
But it's going to take you a long time to trade up to this smartphone. 
I'm sorry, I'm only accepting 20 chickens. 
Really? Because Gabe, you're... in luck. 
I have drawn 20 chickens right here! 
Are you serious? 
One, two, three, four... 
Whoa! Carolyn! Those are beautiful chickens. 
Of course I'll make the swap. 
Oh! I got 20 beautiful chickens! 
Friends, thank you so much for joining us here at Studio Classroom today. 
And of course, we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
I got my chickens. 
I hit jackpot! 20 chickens! 
(Music).

2013.12.02.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're beginning our month of December with a lesson about December. 
Now of course it's the holiday season. 
Anytime from Thanksgiving through Christmas is considered the holiday season. 
And so of course we have a lot to learn today about the month of December and different things you can learn around the world and enjoy. 
Now what do you like about December? 
Carolyn, is there anything you especially like about this month? 
Well, in the United States, a lot of times there will be snow in December. 
And it's very cold, so you can go outside and play in the snow. 
And then come back in, spend time with your family where it's nice and warm and have a nice cup of hot chocolate. 
Ah, that does sound nice. 
I'm a little envious of you because I did not grow up in a place where I could see snow any time of the year. 
And I love the idea of looking at snow or playing in snow, especially in the winter or December. 
Well, have you ever seen or had a white Christmas? 
That's when there is snow all around at Christmastime. 
OK, we have a lot to learn from today's lesson, so let's get started. 
(Music). 
December. 
The last month of the year is filled with joy and celebration. 
"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." This popular song's title and lyrics reflect the happiness many people feel during the holiday season, 
which lasts the whole month of December. 
Stores are filled with lights, decorations - and sales signs. 
Businesses and families hold parties. 
The smell of baking cookies and other holiday treats fills homes. 
Geneva, Switzerland, holds a chocolate festival called l'Escalade on December 11 to commemorate the defeat of an attacking army. 
According to one story, a woman poured soup on a soldier's head, hit him with her cauldron and then ran to warn her neighbors. 
This stopped the attack, so now people smash and eat chocolate cauldrons in her honor. 
(Music). 
Well, there are very many interesting festivals in December, and they have very interesting origins. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of our lesson. 
We read: 
The last month of the year is filled with joy and celebration. 
And it's true, December is one of the most wonderful months of the year for many people because of the holidays. 
That's right. 
So it fills people with joy. 
And of course they like to celebrate. 
Well, you could be filled with something else, too, another kind of emotion. 
Maybe something happened, and you're filled with happiness or filled with excitement. 
Maybe something terrible happened, and you are filled with sadness. 
Well, of course December, people are filled with joy and celebration. 
That's right. 
And we continue reading: 
"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." And those are lyrics from a very popular song, aren't they, Gabe? 
It's true. Maybe you've heard it before. 
It's the most wonderful time of the year. 
And of course the song is singing about different things that happen during the holiday season or the Christmas season. 
That's right. And we read: 
This popular song's title and lyrics reflect the happiness many people feel during the holiday season, which lasts the whole month of December. 
Well, let's take a look at something from this sentence. 
We're talking about the popular song's title and lyrics here. 
What are lyrics? 
Well, that's a good word from our Word Bank. 
The lyrics are the words to a song. 
So do you like listening to songs for their melodies or for their lyrics, Carolyn? 
Well, I like to listen to songs many, many times so that I can first enjoy the melody, 
just listening to the music and enjoying the harmonies and the different elements of the song, and then really focusing on the lyrics. 
What are the lyrics saying? 
Are they positive lyrics? 
Are they negative lyrics? 
I really like Heavenly Melody's song lyrics. 
Interesting. 
Yes, Heavenly Melody, they work here with Studio Classroom. 
And of course, they always have positive lyrics. 
Now sometimes it's true, you might like a song for the melody or the music, but then you listen to the lyrics, and you change your mind. 
That happens to me sometimes. 
I think lyrics are very important. 
It's important to have positive lyrics. 
All right. Well, let's continue here. 
This popular song's title and lyrics reflect the happiness that many people feel. 
Well, let's take a look at that word "reflect." Usually a mirror reflects something. 
Carolyn, how do we use it here? 
Well, that's not what it means here. 
Here we're talking about it makes the idea very clear or apparent; it represents something. 
So you might say that the movie reflected the importance of friendship. 
So from watching the movie, you could tell that the main message was friendship. 
All right. 
Or maybe you walk outside and you look around and you can see that nature reflects God's creativity or it reflects God's beauty. 
Or maybe you listen to a song. 
And you didn't write it, but you could say that the song reflects your love for somebody. 
And of course here we're talking about a song, It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. 
That's right. And we continue reading: 
Stores are filled with lights, decorations - and sales signs because this is a very busy shopping time as well. 
And so businesses and families hold parties. 
And the smell of baking cookies and other holiday treats fills homes. 
All right. Well, has that ever happened to you? 
Have you ever experienced a smell of some kind when you're walking into a mall or a home? 
Something can fill a home. 
A smell can fill a home. 
And the smell of baking cookies fills many homes during the holiday season. 
Now we continue and we learn about our first festival: 
Geneva, Switzerland, holds a chocolate... festival called l'Escalade on December 11 to commemorate the defeat of an attacking army. 
Well, this sounds like a delicious festival. 
I would love to attend this festival because Swiss chocolate is delicious. 
Well, let's take a look at a word from our Word Bank here: commemorate. 
Now this is remembering something by celebrating it. 
How could you use that word? 
Well, a lot of things are commemorated, especially in December. 
On December 25, people commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, and we have Christmas. 
That's right. 
Now what else can you commemorate? 
Well, many countries commemorate their independence or the day they became their own country. 
They do this once a year. 
Well, you can commemorate the defeat of an attacking army if you visit Geneva, Switzerland, in December. 
That's right. And we continue reading: 
According to one story, a woman poured soup on a soldier's head, hit him with her cauldron and then ran to warn her neighbors. 
And Gabe, was this helpful? 
Well, it... it was, because we read: This stopped the attack, so now people smash and eat chocolate cauldrons in her honor. 
All right. Well, it sounds quite painful. 
Cauldrons are big, heavy pots. 
All right. Now it's time for us to take a break. 
But first, we need to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.02.B

Well, what do you like about the month of December? 
Is it the most wonderful time of the year? 
That's the way many people feel about December because it is considered the holiday season. 
And indeed, there are many things to celebrate in December. 
Now how would you feel if you had a big cauldron dropped on your head? 
Well, that's what happened in history in the country of Switzerland. 
And this was to stop an attack from an attacking army. 
And of course this stopped the attack, and so people now celebrate by eating and smashing chocolate cauldrons. 
Well, we have more to learn about the month of December. 
So let's do that now. 
(Music). 
December. 
From December 6 to 14 this year, the Dubai International Film Festival will show fabulous films from around the world. 
Some important medical issues are remembered this month. 
December 1 is World AIDS Day, and December 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. 
This month in Oslo, Norway, Nobel Prizes will be awarded to people who have made outstanding contributions to the world. 
The awards recognize scientific discoveries, profound literature and peace efforts. 
The flower associated with December is the narcissus. 
December's gemstone, the turquoise, symbolizes happiness, success and prosperity. 
Those are things everyone hopes for during this wonderful time of year. 
We have great festivals to learn about in this part of the reading as well, so let's look at it. 
From December 6 to 14 this year, the Dubai International Film Festival will show fabulous films from around the world. 
And we need to take a look at that fabulous word straight from our Word Bank - it is fabulous. 
Now fabulous is another one of those words that means wonderful or great or amazing. 
You could talk about a show as being a fabulous show. 
Or you did a fabulous job in the show. 
That's right. 
So it just means something that is extremely good. 
What is fabulous for you? 
Did anything fabulous happen today? 
I hope you are having a fabulous day. 
And maybe you want to check out some of these fabulous films from around the world at the Dubai International Film Festival if you have a chance to visit this month. 
OK. Well, let's continue here. 
We're learning about something other than festivals here. 
Some important medical issues are remembered this month. 
All right. Now we just used the word remember. 
We learned the word commemorate before. 
But you shouldn't use the word commemorate here. 
When you commemorate something, you are celebrating something. 
But here we are remembering something important about medical issues. 
That's right. 
And the first one we have is on December 1. 
We read: December 1 is World AIDS Day, and December 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. 
So these are days specifically set aside to remember people who have these issues. 
That's right. 
Well, we have something more to learn with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Let's go there now. 
An abbreviation is any shortened form of a word or phrase. 
However, we need to be aware that there are two different types of abbreviations: acronyms and initialisms. 
An initialism, as the name suggests, is a group of initial letters used as an abbreviation for a name or expression. 
For example, USA is an initialism for the United States of America. 
BBC is an initialism for the British Broadcasting Corporation. 
An acronym is also made from the first letter, or letters, of a string of words, but the difference is that an acronym is pronounced like a word. 
For example, the abbreviation for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, should be pronounced NASA, not N-A-S-A. 
So it has to be one or the other. 
Nobody pronounces USA "oo-sa" because it's an initialism. 
And we should not pronounce the acronym AIDS A-I-D-S. It should be AIDS. 
That's right. 
It should be pronounced like a word, AIDS, not spelled out because it's an acronym, 
which, by the way, stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. 
Now another mistake I often hear is A-P-P, which is not even an abbreviation. 
No. It's a clipped word that comes from the word "application" as we mentioned last month. 
Therefore, A-P-P should always be pronounced app. 
I just downloaded a new app on my cellphone. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
It is important to know the difference between an acronym and an initialism. 
Well, continuing with our article: 
This month in Oslo, Norway, Nobel Prizes will be awarded to people who have made outstanding contributions to the world. 
And I think it's very important to think about contributing. 
How do you contribute to your society? 
Of course if you contribute, then you could say you're making a contribution of some kind. 
So how do you contribute to your neighborhood or to the society where you live? 
That's right. 
And these are very special awards, not just for people who are helping their community but helping the entire world. 
The awards recognize scientific discoveries, profound literature and peace efforts. 
Well, we can recognize many of these kinds of things in the Nobel Prizes. 
Well, what else can you recognize? 
Well, I need you to recognize that word "recognize." And we're going to learn more about this with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this sentence: 
The awards recognize scientific discoveries, profound literature and peace efforts. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
And today our focus is on the word recognize. 
Normally we use "recognize" to talk about seeing something and remembering that you do know what it is, like for example: 
I recognize the man's face but I can't remember his name. 
But in today's sentence, to recognize means to officially say or show that somebody did a good job. 
So today's sentence just means that these awards are for the purpose of officially showing how some people did a good job in literature and peace efforts as well as scientific discoveries. 
This use of recognize is most often used in formal situations, like, in a speech: 
Ladies and gentlemen, we want to thank and recognize all of you who put in so much energy and time to help us with this project. 
We can also see this word "recognize" on certificates, like: 
This certificate recognizes the outstanding achievements of Peter Sanders. 
So try practicing using this word. 
And that's all the time we have for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Continuing with this last part of the article: 
The flower associated with December is the narcissus. 
So each month we've been talking about the flowers for the month, and this month is the narcissus, which is very similar to a daffodil. 
Daffodils are actually in the same plant family. 
That's right. And these flowers are, of course, very beautiful. 
And we continue here learning about the stone. 
December's gemstone, the turquoise, symbolizes happiness, success and prosperity. 
All right. 
Well, those things go together most of the time, happiness, success and prosperity. 
Let's take a look at our word from the Word Bank: symbolize. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
How can you use that word? 
Well, if something symbolizes something, that means it represents it very clearly or it is a perfect example of something. 
So you could say wedding rings represent or symbolize happiness, they symbolize commitment, and they symbolize true love. 
It's true. 
And something else that symbolizes true love is a heart. 
Anytime you see the shape of a heart, that symbolizes love. 
Of course you know that. 
So of course December's gemstone, the turquoise, symbolizes happiness, success and prosperity. 
And those are things everyone hopes for during this wonderful time of year. 
All right. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
There are so many wonderful things to enjoy in the month of December. 
Today we talked about festivals, holidays and different things that are remembered or commemorated during this month. 
So, what holidays do you know about? 
Are there any holidays that you know of in December, Gabe? 
Why, yes, there are, Carolyn. 
One holiday I can think of is Hanukkah, celebrated by many Jewish people around the world. 
Another holiday... well, it's not a holiday, but my mom's birthday is this month. 
So of course I'll just say right now: Happy Birthday, Mom! 
Oh, that's so nice, Gabe. 
Now of course one of the biggest holidays in the U.S. is Christmas. 
And that is Jesus' birthday. 
So many birthdays this month. 
And there's another interesting holiday in the U.S. called Kwanzaa, which celebrates African-American heritage. 
So what other holidays can you think of? 
Talk about it in English. 
And we will see you here next time on Studio Classroom. 
We'll see you then. 
(Music).

2013.12.03.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're talking all about holiday movies, Holiday Movies for Everyone. 
Well, of course there are movies coming out all the time, but today we're talking about holiday movies. 
Is that films about holidays, Carolyn? 
No, Gabe, it does not mean that they are films about holidays but they're films that come out during the holiday season, so. 
November, December, January, those are very busy holiday times because of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. 
That's right. 
And of course some people will get winter break, or if you're in Australia, you will get summer break. 
And so you can watch one of these movies during the holiday season. 
Carolyn, which movie are you looking forward to seeing? 
Well, I'm really looking forward to seeing the second part of The Hobbit because it's a three-part series and the second one will be coming out this month. 
Well, I'm also looking forward to The Hobbit Part 2. 
I love The Hobbit. 
I'm also looking forward to a movie called Anchorman 2. 
We will be talking about it over the next couple of days. 
We'll be talking about many other movies, so let's get started. 
Holiday Movies for Everyone. 
Holiday films really bring in the crowds. 
Alien enemies, icy adventures, Middle Earth... the 2013 holiday film season offers it all! 
Many people watch films at home or online. 
But there is still nothing like seeing a film in a theater with other people. 
What awaits moviegoers this holiday season? 
Science-fiction fans are excited about Ender's Game. 
The people of Earth must work together to save themselves after an alien war. 
They choose Ender Wiggen, a smart, quiet boy, and send him to battle school. 
Everyone hopes he will be the one to save them all. 
OK, let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here today. We read: 
Holiday films really bring in the crowds. 
All right. 
We see that phrase: they bring in the crowds. 
That means they kind of get everyone together to enjoy something. 
That's right. 
And so it's the holiday season, what movies are you going to enjoy with the people around you, with your family and friends? 
So they bring in the crowds. 
The movie theaters will be very crowded this holiday season. 
Now we read in our article: 
Alien enemies, icy adventures, Middle Earth... the 2013 holiday film season offers it all. 
Well, let's talk about this sentence. 
There's a lot to look at here. 
First we see that word "alien." You know what this means, right? 
Someone from outside of our world - an alien. 
Of course sometimes we talk about maybe feeling like an alien in some place because it's very strange to us. 
OK, but here we're talking about alien enemies and icy adventures. 
Well, icy is from our Word Bank. 
What does that mean, Carolyn? 
Well, icy means that it's very cold or covered in ice. 
A lot of times in winter, if you live in a place where there is snow, you might tell someone: 
Be careful. The sidewalk is very icy today. 
Don't slip and fall. 
That's true. 
There are icy sidewalks. 
Or maybe it's in the summer, and you want a nice, icy treat to cool you off because it's so hot outside. 
So you might eat something icy like a Popsicle or some kind of ice cream. 
OK, so we have icy adventures and Middle Earth. 
Well, what is Middle Earth, Carolyn? 
Well, Middle Earth is where The Hobbit takes place. 
So, that gives you a clue about some of the movies we will be talking about in our lesson Holiday Movies for Everyone. 
All right. 
And of course it's this film season, and the season offers it all. 
Well, let's take a look at what Liz has to share with us in the Grammar Gym. 
And then of course, we will visit Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
There's a lot to learn here today. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Our article today begins with this statement: 
Alien enemies, icy adventures, Middle Earth... the 2013 holiday film season offers it all. 
Notice the three dots in the middle of the sentence. 
We actually don't say "dot, dot, dot." Instead, there's actually a name for this: ellipses. 
And it acts like an em dash to show that an additional idea is coming up. 
So in the case of today's sentence, the writer begins with a list of movie themes, 
and then suddenly makes a statement that the 2013 holiday film season has so much to offer. 
The ellipses is great to use when you're writing a statement and you want to add an extra thought to that statement. 
For example: I would like to take a trip... anywhere is fine. 
Or: You can put all kinds of fruit on your shaved ice: strawberries, peaches, pineapple... anything you like. 
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
In the late 1990s, many people worried that on January 1, 2000, all of our computers would shut down and civilization would come to a standstill. 
Equally worrisome was what we would call the coming decade spanning from 2000 to 2010. 
Some suggested the ohs, the zeros, the zips, the nadas, and the most creative suggestion of all - the naughties. 
But we never could come up with a term. 
Right now it seems the name we use most to refer to the first decade of the 21st century is "the first decade of the 21st century." Lame! 
Well, it's not very often that English fails to accommodate our need for a simple descriptive word, but this time it did. 
And it was painful! 
Was this language not rich enough or flexible enough to provide a word for the trivial linguistic problem? 
We were all reminded that yes, English does have its limits! 
Well, what are people going to call this decade? 
The teens? 
If we take our cue from last century, we might call it the twenty-tens. 
But that sounds weird, right? 
I just can't wait for the 20s to get here. 
Well, we'll just have to wait a few years. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
We are in a very interesting situation not knowing what to call these years. 
Now continuing with our article: 
Many people watch films at home or online. 
And I think that's pretty true. 
Gabe, do you watch films online? 
No, actually, I don't watch films online, but I do watch films at home. 
Or I watch TV series. 
I go out and buy some DVDs, and I'll watch it on my TV. 
But we continue here: 
But there is still nothing like seeing a film in a theater with other people. 
All right. 
So many people watch films at home or online, but there's nothing like doing something with other people, watching a movie in a theater. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: there's nothing like something. 
How else could you use this phrase? 
Well, it means that nothing can compare with it. 
So there's nothing like a cup of homemade hot chocolate on a cold day. 
OK. Or maybe it's during the summer, and there's nothing like a nice, cold, icy mango smoothie on a hot summer day. 
Well, how else could you use this phrase? 
You know, there's... there's nothing like being woken up at 4 a.m. by chickens, Carolyn. 
Well, I'm sure there is nothing quite like that. 
Yes, I remember having a rooster crowing outside my room around four and five and six. 
Yep. Yeah, very unpleasant. 
So it could be good or it could be bad, but nothing can compare to it. OK. 
Use that phrase sometime today. 
Well, we continue here. 
What awaits moviegoers this holiday season? 
A good question, and a good word from our Word Bank: await. 
If something awaits you, that means it is waiting for you. 
That's right. 
So something will happen in the future, but you might not know what it is. 
You might say: A wonderful dinner awaits you at home. 
So dinner is waiting for you, and it will be delicious! You should hurry home. 
All right. 
And of course we see a question here: What awaits moviegoers this holiday season? 
And of course we learned that word "moviegoer" earlier this year that someone who goes to watch a movie at the movie theater. 
All right. Let's continue learning about the first one here. 
Science-fiction fans are excited about Ender's Game. 
All right. Well, what is science-fiction, Carolyn? 
Well, science-fiction means it's not real, and it probably has something to do with aliens or technology in the future. 
So it's not really based on reality, but it's a lot of fun. 
That's right. 
And of course some famous or popular science-fiction movies include The Matrix or Avatar, Inception, The Fifth element. 
These are great science fiction movies. 
And maybe if you love these movies, you'll be excited about Ender's Game. 
The people of Earth must work together to save themselves after an alien war. 
They choose Ender Wiggen, a smart, quiet boy, and send him to battle school. 
Well, that is an interesting choice, someone who is smart and quiet, and then sending him to battle school. 
But we read: 
Everyone hopes he will be the one to save them all. 
So he is their hope. 
And well, I have a lot of hope for you and your language learning, so let's continue with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.03.B

We are on the first day of the article, Holiday Movies for Everyone. 
And there are many adventures waiting for you in the theaters this holiday season. 
What awaits you in the movie theater? 
Well, so far we have talked about one film coming out - Ender's Game. 
Have you seen this movie yet? 
It is a science-fiction film about a boy who is chosen to save the world. 
Well, we have many more movies to discuss, so let's continue with our reading. 
Holiday Movies for Everyone. 
Chris Hemsworth is back as the powerful Thor in Thor: The Dark World. 
A young woman, Jane Foster, is threatened by evil beings. 
Thor must battle to save her. 
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire finds Jennifer Lawrence returning as Katniss. 
She must go on a victory tour after winning the 74th annual Hunger Games. 
Preparations begin for the 75th annual Hunger Games. 
Those games could change Panem forever. 
All right. Both sound like exciting movies. 
Have you seen them yet? 
Well, let's talk about Thor here, first of all. 
We read here: 
Chris Hemsworth is back as the powerful Thor in Thor: The Dark World. 
All right. Did you see the first movie about Thor? 
I did. 
I watched it, and it was pretty interesting the way they portrayed this superhero character who is an alien from another planet. 
And here we read a little bit about what Thor: The Dark World is about. 
A young woman, Jane Foster, is threatened by evil beings. 
So again, these are evil beings, not humans. 
Hmm, evil beings or evil creatures. 
OK, they have bad intentions. 
All right. Let's take a look at our word from the Word Bank here. 
It's "threaten." All right. 
If someone threatens you with something, that means they are going to do something dangerous or they say they will do something bad to you. 
Maybe they don't actually do it, but you still kind of have that feeling they might do this to you. 
That's right. 
And it's not something that just a person can do. 
You might feel threatened by an animal. 
Or you could say that the Earth is threatened by something. 
In many movies the Earth is threatened by aliens or a meteor, something from outer space. 
That's true. 
Well, here's a question for you: When do you feel threatened? 
Everyone feels threatened at different times in life. 
Maybe something is threatening you. 
Maybe your... your job, not doing a very good job and your boss threatens to fire you. 
OK, you can use this word in many different ways. 
I hope that doesn't actually happen, by the way. 
I hope you keep your job. 
That's right. 
Well, continuing to learn about this second movie about Thor, we read: 
Thor must battle to save her. 
So Thor is on a mission to save Jane Foster from these evil beings. 
Now we have another movie that I think many people are excited to see or have already been to see several times. 
Gabe, what is this movie? 
Of course it's the Hunger Games: Catching Fire. 
We read here: 
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire finds Jennifer Lawrence returning as Katniss. 
And Carolyn, I just have to say I have not seen this movie yet, but I love Jennifer Lawrence. 
I think she's a wonderful actress. 
She is a wonderful actress. 
And this is a very popular movie and a very popular book series that these movies are based on. 
And of course Katniss' character is the main character in the first movie. 
That's right. 
And so of course we see here that this actress, Jennifer Lawrence, is returning as Katniss. 
So you can see the word "return" is not just used to talk about going back to a place but she's returning to her role as Katniss. 
That's right. 
And we read what her character must do. 
She must go on a victory tour after winning the 74th annual Hunger Games. 
So she was the winner of the Hunger Games, the 74th annual Hunger Games. 
So they've been going on for 74 years. 
That's right. 
And of course she won, so now she has a victory tour. 
What's a victory tour? 
Well, that's when you go around to maybe very different places and you celebrate your victory with other people. 
Now you maybe have seen a race, maybe a racecar race. 
And then after the winner wins, they might do a victory lap. 
They drive around the track one more time to show and to celebrate that they have won. 
That's right. 
Well, we continue reading here. 
Preparations begin for the 75th annual Hunger Games. 
So that was not the last year; they are doing it again, the 75th year. 
And we see a word from our Word Bank: preparation. 
Now that means that you are preparing for something, you are getting ready. 
OK, so you're preparing. 
Maybe you're talking about wedding preparations. 
That means you're getting prepared for a big wedding. 
Or maybe there's another kind of party, and there are preparations that they're... need to be done for this party. 
What kind of event do you need to prepare for? 
You maybe have a lot of preparations to do. 
Or maybe you are working on a big project, and there are a lot of preparations that need to go into it before you can really start. 
There's a lot of discussion, organization that has to happen. 
So there are a lot of preparations, and you must take time to prepare. 
And so of course every year there are the Hunger Games. 
So a lot of preparations need to be made for the 75th annual Hunger Games. 
We read here: Those games could change Panem forever. 
All right. That means they're very important. 
They will make a big difference. 
That's right. 
And so this very well could change the way Panem's life turns out forever. 
Well. Right now it is time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our lesson. 
Well, so far today we've talked about the science-fiction film Ender's Game, 
Thor: The Dark World, and of course, the Hunger Games: Catching Fire. 
Now some of these movies originally were books. 
Actually, lots of books are made into movies. 
Have you ever seen movies that were originally books, and how do you feel about that? 
Carolyn? 
Well, many movies that are coming out this holiday season and are already out are based on books. 
Now I think it's important that if you enjoy the book, then you go to watch the movie with an open mind because the director's imagination may be very different from yours, 
and he may imagine an entirely different world in this book. 
That's very true. 
Now sometimes I'll watch a movie and love it so much that I want to go and read the book. 
That's what happened with Great Expectations. 
I loved it, and so I read the book. 
And of course, as usual, the book was better. 
Well, thank you for joining us here today. 
And of course we have more to learn about holiday movies next time right here at StudioClassroom. See you.

2013.12.04.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to talk about Holiday Movies for Everyone. 
And already we learned about some movies that came out this season. 
Maybe you've already seen some of them - Ender's Game, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and the new Thor movie. 
Well, today we're going to be learning about more movies that you might see this holiday season. 
Now Carolyn and I just wanted to share about some other classic Christmas movies with you. 
They're old. 
They were made a long time ago. 
But we think that you should see them if you have a chance. 
What is one movie that you could think of, Carolyn? 
Well, there are a lot of classic movies that play 24 hours a day in the U.S. during the Christmas season because they're so popular. 
One of those movies would be Miracle on 34th Street, which is about Santa Claus trying to prove that he is real. 
All right. That's a great movie. 
One of my favorites is It's a Wonderful Life. 
You should really see that movie. 
I also really like White Christmas. 
What's another good classic Christmas movie? 
Well, I really like A Charlie Brown Christmas. 
There are a lot of great values in that short animated movie. 
And of course there are other ones that have been made recently over the last couple of years. 
The Grinch, Elf... a lot of cool Christmas movies. 
OK, we're going to continue learning about holiday movies right now, movies that you could see during this holiday season. 
Let's get started. 
Holiday Movies for Everyone. 
In the animated film Frozen, the kingdom of Arendelle lies trapped in winter. 
Anna's sister Elsa is responsible for the spell. 
Anna teams up with tough mountain man Kristoff and his reindeer Sven. 
They must find Elsa and save the kingdom before it's too late. 
In The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Bilbo and his friends have crossed the Misty Mountains. 
Now they must travel through Mirkwood Forest. 
But they must go without the wizard Gandalf. 
Will they make it to Lonely Mountain where the dragon Smaug guards the dwarfs' gold? 
(Music). 
Two very exciting films that are very different from each other but wonderful. 
And I want to see both of them. 
So, let's get started. 
In the animated film Frozen, the kingdom of Arendelle lies trapped in winter. 
Now this is a great sentence that tells me a lot about the movie. 
The movie's name is Frozen. 
It sounds very icy, Gabe. 
That's right. 
I also imagine a lot of white - blankets of snow everywhere. 
And of course we read here that the kingdom of Arendelle lies trapped in winter. 
Carolyn, I thought that if something was trapped, it was in a certain place and could not get out. 
Well, usually we would think of it being trapped, maybe enclosed in something, in a cage, and it can't get out. 
But here, this city or this kingdom cannot escape winter. 
It's trapped in winter, so the whole kingdom is frozen. 
It's frozen. OK. 
And of course, this is an animated film. 
That means it was drawn or animated by a group of people. OK. 
They are animators, A-N-I-M-A-T-O-R. 
Animators made this film. 
Well, what else do we know about this film? 
Well, we continue reading: 
Anna's sister Elsa is responsible for the spell. 
So they aren't just... trapped in winter, they are under a spell, and Elsa is responsible. 
All right. She's responsible for it. 
That means she caused it. 
Maybe there was an accident, and you caused the accident. 
You could say that you are responsible for that accident. 
Well, we read here that Anna teams up with tough mountain man Kristoff and his reindeer Sven. 
I love these names, Carolyn. 
A reindeer named Sven? 
Sure. These are some really great names that we're seeing here, Kristoff and Sven. 
And they have very interesting spellings because they are in this kingdom of Arendelle. 
Well, we see some really great words and phrases there. 
Let's take a look at "team up with." If you team up with someone, then you join them. 
You become a partner, a part of their team. 
Gabe, how could you use this phrase? 
Well, Carolyn, I enjoy teaming up with you to teach English together. 
All right, so I could team up with Carolyn. 
Or maybe you want to ask someone. 
You might say something like this: Hey, let's team up! Let's do this project together. 
Great, Gabe. Those are some great ways to use that phrase. 
And we also have a word from our Word Bank in the sentence: tough. 
Now here "tough" does not mean difficult. 
"Tough" means strong or very difficult to injure or hurt. 
That's right. 
So of course this mountain man Kristoff is a tough guy. 
He is not hurt easily. 
Maybe someone has told you to be tough before. 
That means it's easy for you to get hurt, but someone is encouraging you, you have to be a little tougher. 
That's right. 
Well, we continue reading about this movie. 
They must find Elsa and save the kingdom before it's too late. 
So they are trying to save the kingdom. 
Now moving on, we learn about our next movie, Gabe. 
Oh, I love this movie. 
Well, it's coming out soon. 
I haven't seen it yet. 
In The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Bilbo and his friends have crossed the Misty Mountains. 
All right. 
Carolyn, you remember the first movie, right? 
Oh, yes. 
It was very enjoyable. 
Did you enjoy that movie? 
I did! I... I really, really liked it, and I'm very excited for the second. 
I am, too. OK. This one is called The Desolation of Smaug. 
Now desolation can have different meanings, right, Carolyn? 
What could desolation mean? 
Well, desolation could mean complete destruction. 
What else could it mean, Gabe? 
Well, if you're desolate, that means you are lonely or abandoned. 
And of course this dragon lives alone. 
So actually this is a very clever title. 
We're not sure whether this dragon will be destroyed or if he is just... 
or if this is just a story of him and his loneliness and being there guarding all of that treasure. 
All right. 
Well, this sounds like a very exciting movie. 
It does. And we continue: 
Now they must travel through Mirkwood Forest. 
So these great names that Tolkien has come up with: the Misty Mountains and the Mirkwood Forest. 
But they must go without the wizard Gandalf. 
What?! Without the wizard Gandalf? 
But he's... he's like the most important part. 
Well, they really do need his help, but I think they can survive without him. 
Let's take a look at this word, though. 
It's from our Word Bank: wizard. 
And of course, Gandalf is a famous wizard. 
How else could you use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, a wizard usually refers to a man who can perform magic. 
And there are lots of wizards in fairy tales. 
So wizards and witches are common characters in fantasies. 
And so what's another famous wizard? 
Well, Merlin, the Merlin... the wizard Merlin from King Arthur's tales. 
And of course recently many people have read the books and seen the movies about Harry Potter. 
He is also a wizard. 
Well, we read here: 
Will they make it to Lonely Mountain where the dragon Smaug guards the dwarfs' gold? 
Well, I don't know if they will or not. 
I'll have to watch the movie to find out. 
But I do know it is time for us to spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.04.B

Well, would you rather join a group of people as they try to save a kingdom that is trapped in winter, 
or would you rather join a group of men as they travel to find out about their treasure that is covered and hidden by this dragon Smaug? 
Well, we have two movies that we've talked about so far today. 
The first is Frozen, and the second is The Hobbit Part 2: The Desolation of Smaug. 
And of course we have more holiday movies to learn about in the next part of our reading. 
Holiday Movies for Everyone. 
The film The Monuments Men is based on a true story. 
A group of art historians and museum people must work together. 
They race against time to get back some stolen artwork before Hitler can destroy it. 
What was life like when dinosaurs walked on Earth? 
Find out in Walking with Dinosaurs. 
Viewers will feel like they are part of the dinosaurs' world. 
And some things in that world are very dangerous! 
(Music). 
Two more great movies. 
And the first one is a little bit historical. 
So let's get into this. 
The film The Monuments Men is based on a true story. 
Well, it is based on a true story, Gabe. 
What does that mean? 
Well, that means, of course, that there are a lot of historical elements in this movie. 
It's based on a true story. 
That means the director maybe had some liberties. 
He took the freedom to maybe create his own new story here. 
But of course you can also find some facts in this story. 
Ah, so it's based on a true story, but maybe not the whole movie is true but a similar story occurred in history. 
Great, very interesting. 
Well, we continue reading. 
A group of art historians and museum people must work together. 
Interesting. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: historian. 
This is a group of art historians, so people who study art and the history of art. 
All right. A historian is someone who studies history of some kind. 
Now there's something interesting about this word. 
It starts with an H. 
Usually if something starts with an H, you say it's a history or a H-something, right? 
But sometimes people use the word "an" to talk about historian, an historian. 
You can say either: a historian or an historian. 
Or you can say "historians" in general so you don't have to worry about the article a or an. 
Historians need to spend a lot of time doing research to write books and share knowledge with other people. 
And of course here we're talking about art historians. All right. 
These people must work together. 
We read here: 
They race against time to get back some stolen artwork before Hitler can destroy it. 
All right. Let's take a look at a phrase right there in that sentence: race against time. 
What does that mean, Carolyn, if you're racing against time? 
Well, it means that you don't have a lot of time. 
Yeah. 
There's just a little bit. 
And that means if you don't finish what you're trying to do, something bad will happen. 
So they're racing against time. 
Many... many firefighters must race against time when a building is on fire. 
They try to get as many people out as possible, and they have a very limited amount of time to do it. 
It's true. 
So they race against time. 
This is a verb phrase. 
It can also be a noun phrase. 
You could talk about the race against time. 
Sometimes Carolyn and I feel like we are racing against time here at Studio Classroom. 
We only have so much time to teach a lot of things. 
And let's talk about the next important thing here from our Word Bank. 
It's the word "destroy." How do you use this word, Carolyn? 
Well, if you destroy something, that means it either is no good, you can't use it anymore or it's completely gone, so. 
Many things get destroyed when there's a fire. 
As we said earlier with firefighters, they are racing against time to save as many things as possible from being destroyed. 
And of course who is going to destroy these pieces of artwork? 
Who's going to destroy these things? 
Hitler. 
And if you don't know much about Hitler, well, I'm sure you do know about Hitler, you can look him up on the Internet. 
He did not just destroy things, he destroyed lots of people's lives. OK. 
So this movie, it sounds like it should be an interesting movie about The Monuments Men. OK. 
And what's the next movie we learn about here? 
Well, we have a question. 
What was life like when dinosaurs walked on Earth? 
Interesting. 
Find out in Walking with Dinosaurs. 
Find out in Walking with Dinosaurs. 
You're going to discover what life was like. 
Viewers will feel like they are part of the dinosaurs' world. 
Well, that's great! 
I'd like to go see this movie just so I can feel what it was like to be walking with dinosaurs. 
Yes. I think this is Walking with Dinosaurs 3D, so I'm sure it will be very realistic. 
And of course we see something here: 
And some things in that world are very dangerous! 
So you can see that, all that dangerous activity happening up close in 3D. 
That does sound exciting. 
It does sound very exciting. 
Well, Gabe, I think that we'll have to go see all of these movies. 
I think so, too. 
But first, we need to see what Steve and Ken are up to in the Information Cloud. 
Then we'll enjoy a review skit. 
And then what else do we have here today? 
We have Michelle waiting for us in the Language Lab. 
That's right. 
I appreciate how our author writes about all the movies in the lesson today. 
She gives us just enough information to arouse interest but not too much that she spoils the film should we want to go see it ourselves. 
That's a fine line. 
Have you ever talked to friends about a new and exciting movie you wanted to see? 
Then, as you're talking, one of them starts to tell you which character dies, who the murderer is, how the plot takes a surprising twist, or even how the movie ends. 
Yeah. There's no need to see the movie after that. 
That would be a good time to shout: Spoiler alert! 
Now this handy phrase alerts people within earshot that crucial information about a movie or a book is about to be revealed. 
Say "Spoiler alert!" as a friendly warning to others if you think they're getting dangerously close to revealing too much information about a movie. 
Or if it's you that's talking about a film, and you're about to say something that could spoil the movie for others, 
say "Spoiler alert!" to give others a chance to cover their ears or quickly leave the room. 
Or protest. 
(Chinese). 
The holiday film season is just around the corner. 
Oh. So what awaits moviegoers this December? 
This holiday season offers it all! 
Offers it all? 
Yes. One movie is Ender's Game. 
It's a movie about aliens. 
Oh, science-fiction fans will like that. 
Yes, they will. 
And then there is the movie Thor: The Dark World. 
The Dark World? 
Is that about evil beings? 
Yes. And Thor must battle against them. 
Hunger Games: Catching Fire is also coming to theaters. 
(Music). 
Will Jennifer Lawrence win another victory? 
Watch it and find out. 
OK, maybe I will. 
What about animated films? 
Look for Frozen. 
Frozen? Like ice cream? 
A kingdom is trapped in winter and must be saved. 
Oh. I hope it's not too late. 
Another movie, of course, is The Hobbit. 
Oh, with Bilbo and the wizard Gandalf? 
This adventure is without Gandalf's help, though. 
Oh, no. 
Oh, yes. 
The Monuments Men is based on a true story. 
Historians race to get back stolen artwork. 
Oh, I like true stories and, ooh, they'd better hurry. 
But my favorite is Walking with Dinosaurs. 
Hey, dinosaurs don't exist. 
How can you walk with dinosaurs? 
Well, you can do almost anything at the movies. 
Oh, yeah. I love the movies. 
Let's go get some popcorn. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are up to now. 
Today we've talked about four great movies that are just filled with different kinds of adventures. 
Now Gabe, which one of these adventures would you want to place yourself in? 
We talked about Walking with Dinosaurs or traveling with the dwarfs to the... the mountain where Smaug the dragon is. 
There are so many. 
Which one would you want to be in? 
Well, Carolyn, I love the author J.R.R. Tolkien and everything that he writes about. 
I would love to be in one of his adventures. 
So I think my answer is I'd love to go with The Hobbit and the dwarfs to see Smaug. 
Ah, I see. 
Well, I think I would really like to be in The Monuments Men. 
I'm very interested in history, especially World War II and Hitler. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn tomorrow continuing this lesson Holiday Movies for Everyone. 
We'll see you then.

2013.12.05.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're going to continue learning about Holiday Movies for Everyone. 
We've already talked about a lot of holiday movies the last couple of days. 
Some movies have already come out. 
Maybe you've seen some of them. 
And of course, we have more to learn about. 
Some movies are completely fiction, and some movies are based on real events in history. 
Hey, what kind of movie do you like to watch more, completely fiction or movies that are based on true stories? 
I really like movies that are based on true stories. 
I think that it adds a very exciting element to history and helps to get people more interested in that subject, 
because so many times history class can be very boring, but movies that are based on historical events bring it to life. 
And I really enjoy history now. 
You know, me too. 
And that's why I love The Hobbit because that was based on a true story of these Hobbits and dwarfs going to fight this dragon... 
Gabe, Gabe, I... I don't think that was a true story. 
Oh. 
No. 
All right. 
I was wrong. 
Well, friends, we do have a lot more to learn today, so let's get started. 
Holiday Movies for Everyone. 
Action adventure 47 Ronin is set in 18th-century Japan. 
A group of samurai must avenge their master's death. 
Adventure finds a most unlikely person in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. 
Walter, a timid magazine photo manager, lives a quiet life. 
Exciting things only happen to him in his dreams. 
But when a negative disappears, Walter finds himself in a real-life adventure! 
OK, let's get started here talking about 47 Ronin. 
Action adventure 47 Ronin is set in 18th-century Japan. 
So not very recently. 
47 Ronin. 
Now what's this about? 
Well, we read: 
A group of samurai must avenge their master's death. 
So that is what this movie is about. 
A group of samurai which... 
What are samurai, Gabe? 
Well, that's a good question. 
They are warriors. 
They are Japanese warriors, but not just like any old soldier, they are the top of the line. 
They're the best, OK, these samurai warriors. 
Maybe you've seen the movie with Tom Cruise called The Last Samurai. 
Well, that was another samurai movie. 
That's right. 
Now these ronin are dedicated as servants, as protectors to a master. 
And here, their master is killed. 
So they want to avenge their master's death. 
Now that word is from our Word Bank, the word "avenge." What does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, that's a good question. 
Avenge means to take revenge on something or on somebody. OK. 
That means you are going to have your revenge. 
Someone hurt you, and now you're going to hurt them. 
Someone hurt your master, and so now you're going to hurt that person or do something to them. 
Carolyn, what do you think about revenge or avenging people? 
Well, I don't really think it's a very good idea. 
I think that we're supposed to be able to forgive people and find more peaceful ways to get around these problems and wrongs that are done to us. 
But here in this movie, these samurai want to avenge the death of their master. 
Now we have many other movies to talk about today, so let's continue. 
Gabe, what is the next movie in the article? 
All right. Here we're going to learn about another adventure. 
Adventure finds a most unlikely person in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. 
An unlikely person. 
Maybe he will be considered a hero, so he's an unlikely hero. 
And why is he unlikely? 
Well, we find out more about that as we read further. 
What does it say here, Carolyn? 
We read: Walter, a timid magazine photo manager, lives a quiet life. 
So yes, he would be a little bit unlikely to go on an adventure if he is a timid magazine photo manager living a quiet life. 
And we have that word from the Word Bank: timid. 
Let's take a look. 
If you are timid, then you are very shy, not very outgoing, kind of loud, and maybe a little bit frightened of things. 
OK. So if you are timid, then maybe you could use another word to describe yourself. 
You have timidity, T-I-M-I-D-I-T-Y. OK. 
Well, I think it's important to try not to be timid, to try to be a little more brave, a little more courageous. 
OK, so don't timid. 
But we, of course, see that Walter Mitty was a timid guy, and so that's what makes him unlikely. 
Now you understand what that word "unlikely" means as well. 
You don't really expect this person to do something, so it's unlikely that he will be the hero. 
That's right. 
But we do read that he doesn't just live a quiet life, but he does think very exciting things. 
So exciting things only happen to him in his dreams. 
So he dreams about having an exciting life filled with adventure. 
But when a negative disappears, Walter finds himself in a real-life adventure. 
All right. And of course we have some things to talk about here. 
Of course Walter Mitty is a photo manager, OK. 
And so he deals with negatives. 
And that's a kind of photo. 
When you're developing the film, you're developing pictures, of course you have to have the negatives. 
All right. So he has a negative, and this negative disappears or is stolen. 
But then what happens here, Carolyn? 
Well, he finds himself in a real-life adventure. 
So he's not dreaming about them anymore. 
But we see a phrase there: he finds himself. 
Let's take a look at that. 
If you find oneself, find yourself doing something, that means that you become a part of it or some action is taking place. 
So after the movie, I found myself discussing every detail with my friends because we enjoyed it so much. 
Well, after the movie and after discussing the movie, I was hungry. 
So I found myself walking, and eventually I found myself at the kitchen in the refrigerator, eating all sorts of things there. 
Well, that is a good place to find yourself when you are hungry. 
So where do you find yourself? 
Do you find yourself enjoying something? 
Maybe you find yourself enjoying your English class or enjoying speaking English and practicing with other people. 
Well, wherever you find yourself, I hope you find yourself enjoying yourself right now as we continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.05.B

We're on the third day of our lesson Holiday Movies for Everyone. 
Today so far we've talked about two adventure movies: 
The first one, 47 Ronin, about samurai who must avenge their master's death. 
And the second one, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, about a timid magazine photo manager who finds himself in a real-life adventure. 
Well, we have more movies to talk about today, so let's continue with our lesson. 
(Music). 
Holiday Movies for Everyone. 
Audiences loved Mary Poppins, but the film almost didn't get made! 
The film Saving Mr. Banks tells the story of Walt Disney and author P.L. Travers. 
Disney talked her into allowing him to make a movie of her story. 
Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson star. 
Movie star Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco and became Princess Grace. 
Grace of Monaco tells how she helped save Monaco from a looming French invasion in the early 1960s. 
These are a few of the films that offer you the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful story this winter. 
Don't miss them! 
Well, we don't want you to miss this part of our lesson. 
Let's get back to the beginning of this section. 
Here we're learning about Mary Poppins, or the making of Mary Poppins. 
OK. We read here: 
Audiences loved Mary Poppins, but the film almost didn't get made! 
Carolyn, what did you think about Mary Poppins? 
Oh, that is such a wonderful movie. 
I loved watching it growing up, and I still enjoy watching it now. 
It's a wonderful story and really great music as well. 
It's true. 
It's a family film, but people of all ages still enjoy watching this movie. 
OK. Audiences loved this movie. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: the audience. 
That is people who enjoy watching something or listening to something. 
That's right. 
And so many movie theaters are crowded because there are so many people sitting in the audience. 
So you can say audiences, meaning a large group of people who enjoy the same thing, 
or the audience, which means the group of people that are in a specific place enjoying the same thing. 
Now if you are a performer of some kind, you're an actor or a singer, or maybe you give a speech, 
or you have to do something with a large crowd, an audience, 
then it is important to know how to have audience interaction. 
How you can interact with the audience can make that a really enjoyable time. 
That's right. 
Now here we read that audiences really enjoyed Mary Poppins, but it almost didn't get made. 
That would have been so sad because it's such a wonderful movie that so many people love. 
Now how do we continue, Gabe? 
Well, the film Saving Mr. Banks tells the story of Walt Disney and author P.L. Travers. 
OK, so Saving Mr. Banks. 
Well, "Who is Mr. Banks?" you might wonder. 
Actually, he was a very important character in Mary Poppins. 
He was the father of Jane and Michael Banks. 
That's right. 
So this new movie is not called Saving Mary Poppins, it is Saving Mr. Banks. 
And we continue: Disney talked her into allowing him to make a movie of her story. 
So if he had to talk her into it, does that mean that she was really excited about it, Gabe? 
No! And that's the point. 
He had to persuade her. 
Let's take a look at this phrase: to talk someone into something. 
That means you're trying to convince someone or persuade them to think the way you do or to do something. 
So how else could you use that phrase? 
Well, Gabe, I might try to talk you into paying for lunch today. 
Oh, really! 
Well, you're going to have to work really hard to talk me into paying for lunch. 
Hmm... Or you might talk someone into joining you for a movie. 
They say they have a lot of homework to do or a lot of things they need to do, and you try to talk them into joining you for a movie. 
So how else could you use that phrase? 
Use it sometime today. 
That's right. 
Well, and we read continuing here: Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson star. 
So very big names are in this new movie. 
OK, they star. 
We see that word as a verb, but of course you've seen it before as a noun. 
They, of course, are movie stars. OK. 
And we continue here learning about another movie star. 
Movie star Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco and became Princess Grace. 
Now of course this is actual history, this really happened. 
That's right. 
So this is again based on a true story. 
And we read: Grace of Monaco tells how she, Grace, helped save Monaco from a looming French invasion. 
So, and it was in the early 1960s, not too long ago. 
Exactly, OK. 
Well, let's take a look at this word from our Word Bank: loom. 
We're learning about this looming French invasion. 
That means it was kind of a threat. 
People were scared about this because it was almost certain to happen. 
It was just looming there. 
What else can be looming? 
I often think about thunder clouds in the distance. 
If a storm is coming, you talk about the looming thunder clouds overhead. 
That's right. 
So looming is not a positive thing. 
If something is looming, that means that something bad is coming and may happen, so. 
If there are looming clouds, that means that it might rain soon, and there will be a big storm. 
Or you might talk about the financial crisis. 
If the economy is not very good, there is a looming crisis coming. 
All right. 
Well, Grace Kelly or Grace of Monaco was an interesting woman. 
I don't know if you've seen her movies. 
I really loved the movie Rear Window with Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart. 
You should watch that sometime. 
But right now it's time for us to learn something else with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Sometimes right before a movie begins, a short message will appear on the screen: 
Based on a true story or inspired by actual events. 
Well, four of the movies in this month's ENTERTAINMENT feature are based on real-life stories. 
But just how much of each movie is real life is hard to say. 
That's because sometimes directors will add fictional elements to non-fiction movies to make them more interesting to the audience. 
This is called artistic license, which is basically special permission artists, like directors, have to distort the facts. 
Take the new movie, Grace of Monaco, as an example. 
It's based on an actual historical figure, Princess Grace, who tragically died in 1982. 
After a private screening, Princess Grace's family wrote a letter of concern to the film's director claiming that historically, the movie had many glaring inaccuracies. 
In response, the director agreed that yes, the movie does have many fictionalized scenes. 
But then he said: I'm not a historian. I'm an artist. 
See? As an artist, he has a free pass to distort reality. 
Remember that the next time you watch a movie based on a true story. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Many directors do like to take artistic license with their films. 
Now continuing our article: 
These are a few of the films that offer you the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful story this winter. 
Don't miss them! 
Don't miss these movies! 
And don't miss our review skit and time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Let's go and enjoy those now. 
Holiday movies! This season offers it all. 
I know. You told me about all the holiday movies. 
No, I didn't. 
Yes, you did. 
You talked about Ender's Games, Hunger Games, Frozen Games, historians and dinosaurs, you know. 
You said this season offers it all. I know. 
Yes, but that's not all. 
It's not? 
No. There is the action adventure 47 Ronin. 
Is it about math? 
No. It's about a group of samurai set in the 18th-century Japan. 
Wow, cool! Samurai! What an adventure. 
And another adventure is most unlikely. 
An unlikely adventure? 
Right. It's about a timid photo manager who finds himself in a real-life adventure. 
Oh, cool. 
Hey, do you remember Mary Poppins? 
Ah, sure! 
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, right? 
And a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down... 
Right. 
Yeah. 
Well, there's not a sequel, but there is a movie called Saving Mr. Banks. 
And it tells us more about that movie. 
So it's a movie about a movie? 
Cool! I want to see that one, too. 
Me, too. 
And there's one more you don't want to miss. 
What's that? 
It's the story of Grace Kelly. 
Oh, Grace Kelly, the movie star? 
Yes. She married the Prince of Monaco and helped save the country. 
Wow! So there's a movie about a movie and then a movie about a movie star. 
Whoa, there are so many movies to see! 
Yes! This holiday movie season really does have it all. 
Well, what are we waiting for? 
Let's go to the movies. 
OK! 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And now it's time to get back to our teachers. 
Well, we've talked about all sorts of movies these last couple of days. 
And some movies, of course, are great to watch in the theater. 
And sometimes you might want to just wait till you're at home to watch it on your TV or you rent a DVD or you can watch it online. 
Is it better to watch a movie in the theater or at home? 
What do you think? 
Well, I think it really depends on the kind of movie. 
If it's a wonderful movie with lots of great detail and action sequences, then I really like to watch it in theaters. 
Like the movie Pacific Rim, I saw it three times. 
Yes, you did. I remember that, Carolyn. 
Well, another movie I loved watching in the theater was Life of Pi. 
I saw that twice in the theater, but I don't think I would watch it on a small screen at home. 
OK, what about you? 
What kind of movies do you like to watch in the theater, and what kind do you like to watch at home? 
Talk about that in English. 
And we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.12.06.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Today the name of our lesson is To Tell or Not to Tell. 
And the idea is that if someone cheats on a test, should you tell the teacher or keep it to yourself? 
Well, I'm sure this is something that many of you have thought about before. 
Well, how would you feel if someone cheated on a test? 
Carolyn, how would you feel about this? 
Well, I would be pretty upset because I would have spent so much time preparing, studying for the test, getting ready for it, 
and then someone else just cheats and maybe even makes a better grade than me after I work so hard. 
And if someone cheats in a class, it might result in the teacher enforcing stricter rules on the whole class. 
So it's really not fair to anyone. 
I agree with you there, Carolyn. 
It's not fair to anyone. 
In my mind, it's kind of like stealing. 
If someone steals something of mine, that's kind of how I feel about someone cheating on the same test that I'm taking. 
Well, how do you feel about this? 
How would you feel if someone cheated on a test? 
Well, let's get started with our lesson today - To Tell or Not to Tell. 
To Tell or Not to Tell. 
Should you keep cheating a secret or tell a teacher? 
Angela and Nick just finished a history test. 
They stop outside the classroom to talk. 
That was such a difficult test! 
It's a good thing I studied so hard for it, or I probably would have failed. 
Me, too. 
You go on ahead. 
I need to talk to Mr. Brown about something. 
Oh, what about? 
I saw a guy peering at a piece of paper under his desk during the test. 
Really? 
Yeah. I think it was a cheat sheet. 
And you're going to tell the teacher? Why? 
He probably had a really busy week and didn't have time to study. 
Well, Nick and Angela do not seem to be agreeing on what to do in this tricky situation. 
We see at the very beginning: Should you keep cheating a secret or tell a teacher? 
This offers a very interesting question, Gabe, 
because even though you see someone cheating, it's not always easy to tell someone about it. 
Well, exactly. 
Of course you see someone doing something wrong; it's not easy to go and tell that person what they did wrong. 
And of course you feel even worse about telling someone else that they did something wrong. 
So of course it's not an easy decision; it's not something that you can do very easily. 
But should you keep it a secret or should you tell? 
It's a good question. 
Well, what other things can you keep a secret in life? 
You might keep your age a secret. 
Sometimes people don't like to reveal their age. 
What about your salary? 
You might want to keep your salary a secret as well. 
Or you can tell your friend to keep your secret and don't tell anybody else. 
That's right. 
So there are many different kinds of secrets that can be kept. 
And here we have two friends that are wondering what to do about cheating. 
Do you keep that a secret or not? 
We read: 
Angela and Nick just finished a history test. 
They stop outside the classroom to talk. 
So these two classmates have just finished a very difficult test in their history class. 
And now they're taking a moment to just chat afterward. 
And that's what we're doing right now, of course. 
We're having a fun, little chat here. 
Well, hey, um, Carolyn, I think you should be Angela today and I'll be Nick. 
Well, that makes sense, Gabe. 
Let's... let's do that. 
OK. 
Yes. Well, I... that means I start. 
Yeah. 
Yes. 
That was such a difficult test! 
It's a good thing I studied so hard for it, or I probably would have failed. 
Hmm... You know what? I understand the way Angela feels right now. 
Do you ever feel that way, you studied so hard for something and it's a good thing, too? 
Because maybe otherwise, you would not get a good score. 
Well, what could help you to get a good score? 
Of course studying is a good thing. 
Good study habits will help you to get a good score in class. 
And cramming, sometimes people think that cramming can help, too. 
What do you feel about that, Carolyn? 
Well, cramming is a very interesting phenomenon where you try to get as much information as possible in such a short amount of time. 
And actually, I think Steve and Ken have something they want to share with us about cramming in the Information Cloud. 
Most students in Asia know very well what cramming for an exam is like, and it's no fun. 
The word "cram" means to pack something into a space very, very tightly. 
If you have a full suitcase, you can try to cram in one more pair of jeans. 
And so if you try to cram right before an exam, it means that you try to pack all the information into your head at the last minute. 
And the last minute is often the night before the exam. 
So ill-prepared students often end up burning the midnight oil. 
This expression calls to mind images of a person sitting at a table, working late into the night by the light of a candle or oil lamp, hence the word oil. 
And if you burn the midnight oil all night, then you end up pulling an all nighter. 
I really like that word "pull." It implies some sort of hardship. 
So if you burned the midnight oil until the sun comes up the next morning, then you'd have pulled an all nighter. 
Needless to say, cramming is not a good way to study because by the time you take the exam, your mind is no longer at its sharpest, 
and you'll likely forget a lot of the things you try to cram into your head. 
So don't put off studying until the last minute, friends. 
Keep a consistent study schedule and get a good night's sleep before every exam. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
OK, so now you know, of course, how important it is to have good study habits, to review on a regular basis and not just cram the night before a test. 
All right. Well, Nick continues here. He says: 
Me, too. 
You go on ahead. 
I need to talk to Mr. Brown about something. 
All right. 
So so far we know that Nick and Angela have both studied really hard for this history test. 
And Angela responds to him saying that he needs to talk to Mr. Brown: 
Oh, what about? 
I saw a guy peering at a piece of paper under his desk during the test. 
Great! Well, not... not great, but there is a great word in that sentence from our World Bank: peer. 
Now to peer at something means that you look at it very closely. 
Maybe you're getting ready in the morning and you peer at yourself in the mirror. 
You want to make sure that your hair is just right. 
OK. So of course you would peer at yourself in the mirror. 
Or maybe you want to peer over the wall or peer over the fence to see what is on the other side. 
Or maybe you are peering out across a field or a lake. OK. 
So you are looking intently at something. 
And of course this guy... or Nick saw this guy peering at a piece of paper under his desk. 
Really? 
Yeah. I think it was a cheat sheet. 
Great again... well, again, not great, but a cheat sheet. 
Cheat sheet is a word from our Word Bank. 
And so that means that it's a piece of paper with answers on it or information that is related to the test. 
Now sometimes teachers will allow cheat sheets to be used in their class if they meet certain guidelines. 
There are certain rules. 
I remember I took a math test, and we were allowed to have one 3x5 card and we could write whatever we wanted on it front and back. 
But it was for a very big test. 
And you needed to write very small if you wanted to get all of the equations on there. 
Carolyn, I like the way your teacher was thinking. 
Actually, I had similar teachers in high school. 
And they would also allow us to have a 3x5 card that we could write on. 
So sometimes cheat sheets or cheat cards are OK. 
But of course, if the teacher doesn't say you can have a cheat sheet, then a cheat sheet is not OK. 
And usually a cheat sheet is not OK. 
OK, so of course we know that. 
We know that it's not OK to cheat. 
And Nick is upset about this. 
He saw a guy looking at a cheat sheet. 
And Angela responds: 
And you're going to tell the teacher? Why? 
He probably had a really busy week and didn't have time to study. 
Hmm, didn't have time to study. 
I don't know how I feel about that. 
Well, we could talk about that a little bit later. 
For now, let's learn something new with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.06.B

Well, what would you do if you know that someone in your class cheated on a test? 
Would you tell the teacher or would you keep it to yourself? 
That's what our friends Nick and Angela are talking about today. 
Nick saw someone peering at a cheat sheet under his desk during their history test. 
And he thinks he should tell their teacher Mr. Brown. 
Angela doesn't feel the same way. 
She thinks maybe this guy just didn't have time to study. 
Well, we're going to continue this conversation now. 
To Tell or Not to Tell. 
You and I were busy this week, too, but we still made time to study. 
If someone else didn't, that doesn't justify cheating. 
It seems to me that this is really none of our business. 
After all, his cheating doesn't affect our grades on the test. 
Maybe not directly, but it will affect the class ranks. 
It's not fair to hard-working students if someone else gets a high rank by cheating. 
True. But I really feel that we shouldn't take matters into our own hands. 
What if he wasn't cheating? 
Well, I'm just going to report what I saw to someone in authority. 
The teacher can take care of it. 
Nick and Angela both seem to have pretty strong opinions about what to do in this situation. 
Now Angela just had her line saying that maybe the student didn't have time to study. 
So Nick, it is your line now. 
Yes. And Nick says: 
You and I were busy this week, too, but we still made time to study. 
What do you think about that, Carolyn? 
Angela says that he didn't have time to study. 
Nick says that, well, of course he could just make time to study. 
Ah, I think that is a very good point, Gabe. 
And let's compare those two: to have time or to make time. 
Well, we all know that there are only 24 hours in a day, so it's difficult to have time to do everything. 
But if something is really important to you, then you will make time to get it done. 
Exactly, and so that is the difference. 
Sometimes people say: I just... I don't have time. 
Well, really if something is important, then you can make time. 
Whether it's something fun or something serious like studying for a test, you can make time for things if you really want to do them most of the time. 
And of course it's very important to study for a test. 
You should make time for that. 
That's right. 
It is very important to make time for things that are worthwhile. 
So make time to spend with your family, and make time to study and finish all of your work. 
Uh, Nick, I think you still have some more there to read. 
Yes, of course, we still made time to study. 
If someone else did it, that doesn't justify cheating. 
And I want to talk about this word "justify" from our Word Bank. 
If you justify something, that means you did something and now you're giving a reason for it. 
Usually maybe you did something you shouldn't have done, and now you have to give a reason for doing that thing. 
Or if someone disagrees with something that you've done, then you need to be able to justify your actions, to defend why you did something. 
So right now it sounds like Nick is trying to justify why he wants to talk to their teacher. 
And what kinds of things do you justify in life? 
Well, maybe sometimes you need to justify your behavior. 
Something you did seems kind of mean to somebody else. 
You need to justify why you did something. 
Or I think of a phrase: The ends justifies the means. 
Sometimes people think that if it turns out OK in the end, it doesn't matter what you did to get that result. 
How do you feel about that, Carolyn? 
Well, I would disagree with that. 
I think that the means or the way you get something done is very important. 
If you go about doing something in an unethical or a bad way, even if the end result is good, it's still not good. 
Exactly. OK. 
Well, cheating, of course, I think we can all agree cheating is not good. 
What can you do or say to justify cheating? 
OK, Angela, it is your line. 
Yes. Thank you. 
Angela says: It seems to me that this is really none of our business. 
Wait a minute. Wait a minute. 
It seems to me like we should talk about that phrase. 
The first phrase there in that sentence: it seems to me. 
Of course this is a conversation. 
And this is a good phrase to know in a conversation especially when maybe two people might disagree about something. 
That's right. 
So Angela is stating that her opinion is different. 
She has a different point of view. 
And she says it seems to me that that is not quite right, so. 
You might say: It seems to me that you need to make more time to study. 
Mmhm. 
It seems to me like maybe this guy needs to justify his actions in class. 
OK. Well, it seems to me like uh, you need to continue. 
Ah, yes. Thank you. 
After all, his cheating doesn't affect our grades on the test. 
Maybe not directly, but it will affect the class ranks. 
It's not fair to hard-working students if someone else gets a high rank by cheating. 
Hmm, true. But I really feel that we shouldn't take matters into our own hands. 
Wait a minute, taking matters into your own hands? 
That's also a good phrase to know. 
That means you decide to do something and not tell somebody else to take care of it. 
That's right. 
And Angela makes another point. 
What if he wasn't cheating? 
Hmm, that is a good question, a very good question. 
And what does Nick say? 
Well, I'm just going to report what I saw to someone in authority. 
I think he's doing the right thing. 
Let's take a look at this word from our Word Bank: authority. 
If you have authority, that means you are in control or on top of other people. 
That's right. 
So you have the control or the power in a situation. 
So at schools the principal would have the most authority, but teachers also have authority in their classrooms. 
Uh, let's see, Nick, would you like to finish your line? 
Ah, yes. The teacher can take care of it. 
OK, so he's not going to take matters into his own hands. 
He'll let the teacher take care of it. 
All right. Mr. Brown, I'm sure, will make the right decision. 
Right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit, and then join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Oh, I'm so glad that test is over. 
Me, too. I don't like tests. 
Nobody does, especially history test. 
There's too much to remember. 
Yeah. 
You know, I saw something during the test. 
What did you see? 
I saw a guy peering at a paper under his desk. 
During the test? 
Yes. I think it was a cheat sheet. 
A cheat sheet! 
What are you going to do? 
Well, I'm going to tell the teacher. 
You are? 
But maybe he was busy and didn't have time to study. 
Well, that doesn't justify cheating. 
We were busy, too, and we made time to study. 
Yeah. But this is none of our business. 
It doesn't affect our grades. 
But it could affect class ranks. 
It's not fair for hard-working students like us if someone gets a high rank by cheating. 
True. But you shouldn't take matters into your own hands. 
What if he wasn't cheating? 
Well, I'm just going to report what I saw. 
Then the teacher can take care of it. 
Fine, whatever. 
But I have a different point of view. 
Yeah. I can see that. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
Now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
Well, at the end of our lesson here today, we talked about reporting things to people in authority. 
Nick just wants to let the teacher take care of things. 
Well, what other things should you report to someone in authority? 
Gabe? 
That's a good question. 
The first thing I think about is maybe a bag or some kind of item that someone left in a public place, 
especially these days that could be dangerous in certain cities. 
And so you should report those things to someone in authority. 
Maybe tell a police officer or someone like that. 
That is very good advice, Gabe. 
Well, we will continue learning from this conversation tomorrow. 
And we will see you then right here on Studio Classroom. 
See you later.

2013.12.07.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English is going to improve today. 
Now we're continuing our lesson To Tell or Not to Tell. 
A very good question. 
Of course in yesterday's lesson we learned through Angela and Nick's conversation that someone cheated on their history test. 
Nick wants to tell the teacher Mr. Brown, but Angela doesn't really feel the same way. 
Now I wonder about cheating... and of course nobody thinks cheating is a good idea, 
but who does cheating hurt more, the cheater or everybody else in the class? 
What do you think about this, Carolyn? 
Well, Nick made the point that it will hurt the class ranks, that it will influence the other students in a negative way. 
But I also think it really hurts the person who does the cheating because that means that they didn't actually learn the information, 
and it's not going to be helpful to them in the future. 
They can't build upon the knowledge because they don't have it to begin with. 
That's exactly right. 
I also think it hurts the cheater because especially if they get away with it, 
then they're also learning that you can get away with cheating and doing things like that that are not helpful in life, actually things that are harmful to you. 
All right. 
Well, we have more to learn from today's conversation, so let's get started. 
To Tell or Not to Tell. 
But this is Mr. Brown. 
Everyone knows what a strict teacher he is. 
He might call the student's parents or even have him suspended! 
Mr. Brown can't suspend the student yet. 
He'd need more evidence than just my word. 
He'll probably just give him a warning and keep an eye on him. 
And what if our classmates find out you told on him? 
Everyone in the class will call you a tattletale. 
I don't care. I'm doing the right thing. 
But I'll ask Mr. Brown not to mention my name. 
OK, so Nick is trying to protect himself as well. 
OK, let's go back to the beginning of our conversation here. 
Angela has the first line. 
If you remember, Nick was talking about talking to someone in authority about this problem. 
What does Angela say? 
Well, she says: But this is Mr. Brown. 
So Nick isn't just going to talk to someone in authority, he's going to talk to their teacher Mr. Brown. 
And everyone knows what a strict teacher he is. 
He might call the student's parents or even have him suspended. 
That's exactly right. OK, so this seems kind of scary to Angela. 
She says everyone knows what a strict teacher he is. 
Everyone knows what a something someone is. 
This is a kind of phrase you... you use if you want to talk about someone's reputation. 
What is someone known for? 
Well, everyone knows that this person is like this. 
OK. Well, what else does Angela say here? 
Mr. Brown might suspend this kid? 
That's right. 
And that is a key word from our Word Bank. 
If you suspend or get suspended from something, that means that you're not allowed to work at your job or attend classes for a certain period of time. 
You could also be suspended from a sports team. 
Maybe a player gets suspended because he was yelling or being too aggressive toward the other team. 
So he's not allowed to play in the next game. 
OK, so suspension, that's the noun form, S-U-S-P-E-N-S-I-O-N. 
Suspension is a very serious thing. 
I can think of something a little more serious, and that is getting expelled. 
That means you're kicked out of the school, you can't go to that school anymore. 
You get expelled. 
OK, I'm glad it's not that serious in this situation. 
Maybe this guy might get suspended, though. 
Well, we are very concerned about this. 
Angela is very worried because Mr. Brown is a strict teacher. 
But what does Nick say? 
All right. 
Mr. Brown can't suspend the student yet. 
He'd need more evidence than just my word. 
Ah, that is true. 
He would need more evidence. 
And that is from our Word Bank as well. 
If you have evidence, that means that you have proof that something has happened. 
So many police officers, detectives, they will gather evidence at a crime scene so that they can figure out what happened. 
OK. So maybe you're in court, and someone is being tried. 
They're not sure if he's guilty or innocent. 
And so of course you need to find evidence to prove that he is guilty or evidence to prove that she is innocent. 
But what else might need evidence? 
You know, sometimes we talk about how old the Earth is. 
Some people think that there is evidence that it's billions of years old. 
Actually there's quite a lot of evidence that it could just be 10,000 years old or younger. 
What kind of evidence do you know about? 
Well, there is a lot of evidence. 
And Nick says that he would need more evidence than just my word. 
Now "word" is an interesting word here in this sentence. 
And Liz wants to tell us more about it in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Now in today's article we see this statement: 
He'd need more evidence than just my word. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Notice the word at the end of the sentence: word. 
Normally we use "word" to mean a letter or a group of letters that are just put together and mean something. 
But in today's sentence, "word" means a comment or statement from someone. 
So in today's sentence, it just means he'd need more evidence than just my statement. 
This use of "word" to mean statement or comment is often used in spoken situations. 
For example: What Henry said sounded very strange; it's hard to believe his word. 
Or: The manager had trouble settling the dispute; there were no witnesses and it was simply one employee's word against another. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
And that's all the time we have for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
OK. Well, Nick continues here. 
He says: He'll probably just give him a warning and keep an eye on him. 
So of course Mr. Brown can't suspend him yet. 
He doesn't have enough evidence. 
But Mr. Brown will keep an eye on that guy in their history class. 
And that is probably a good thing. 
It will help prevent cheating in the future. 
If you keep an eye on something, that means that you are watching it very closely to see if there are any changes or odd behaviors. 
OK. So what else could you keep an eye on? 
Well, maybe someone wants you to take care of their dog for a few minutes. 
Could you please keep an eye on my dog while I go into the store? 
Or what else? 
Keep an eye on that TV. 
Keep an eye on the news. 
I want to see what happens. 
Tell me what happens. 
Ah, very good things to keep your eye on. 
And let's see, Angela has the next line. 
And what if our classmates find out you told on him? 
And there is a great phrase in there: told on, to tell on. 
What does that mean, Gabe? 
That's right. 
You can tell about something. 
But to tell on? 
That phrase put together, that means you are talking about something bad someone did to somebody else, especially someone in authority. 
You tell your teacher on your classmate who cheated. 
That's right. 
Or brothers and sisters will often tell on each other to their parents. 
So they will say that "Oh, but Tommy took my toy, Mommy. That's why I hit him." So telling on the other person to justify their own actions. 
That's right. 
There was a funny story. 
I knew of a friend who told her little brother to dump a bucket of water on her head. 
And he refused. 
He said, "No, I don't want to do that." And she said, "No, please, please do that." And so finally he dumped a bucket of water on her head. 
And she said, "Mommy, he dumped a bucket of water on my head." And she told on him. 
It was her idea. 
That was not a very nice thing for her to do. 
But we learn what to call someone like that in the next sentence. 
Everyone in the class will call you a tattletale. 
That means that you tell on people. 
OK, that's right. 
If you're a tattletale, you're telling on somebody. 
Well, Nick says, "I don't care. I'm doing the right thing. But I'll ask Mr. Brown not to mention my name." OK. 
So that way, he can protect his reputation. 
Other people won't think he is a tattletale. 
Well, that is a good idea. 
And right now it is time for us to learn something more with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, friends. 
So what do you think of Nick in our lesson today? 
Do you think telling the teacher about the cheater is the right thing to do? 
There's always a Nick in every classroom, and we've all known him growing up. 
He may not be the most popular kid. 
More likely, he's the teacher's pet. 
A teacher's pet is someone greatly favored by a teacher. 
He or she is usually nicely dressed, asks a lot of questions in class, always comes prepared with homework done, 
helps the teacher out with classroom chores, always says hello and goodbye to the teacher and sometimes brings a gift to the teacher. 
Wow, Ken, it sounds like you really know how to become a teacher's pet. 
Were you a teacher's pet? 
Who, me? 
Uh... no, of course not! I, uh... I just read a book about a teacher's pet. 
Well, one thing you left out is that a teacher's pet is also a tattletale, which is someone who tattles or tells on somebody. 
So in the lesson, Nick is planning on tattling or telling on the cheater to the teacher. 
Not the most popular thing to do in school. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.07.B

We are continuing our conversation between Angela and Nick on whether or not Nick should tell Mr. Brown about the cheating during the history test. 
Angela doesn't think that Nick should tell, and everyone will think that he is a tattletale if they find out that he told on another student. 
But Nick doesn't agree with her. 
He thinks that it's important to tell the teacher even if the teacher is strict because he does not have enough evidence to suspend the other student yet. 
He'll just keep an eye on him. 
Well, let's continue this conversation and see what these two friends decide to do. 
To Tell or Not to Tell. 
I still don't see why this is such a big deal to you. 
It's pretty naive to think only one person cheated on the test. 
The fact is that lots of students cheat. 
But that doesn't make it right. 
And I didn't see them all. 
I just saw one, and I feel I should take some action. 
Furthermore, I don't think school is just about getting good grades. 
It's about learning things that we'll use later in life. 
And, more importantly, doing it in an honest way. 
Maybe. But if I were you, I still wouldn't tell. 
I really need to get going. 
See you tomorrow. 
Bye, Angela. 
(Music). 
OK. Well, we'll see what happens in the future with this guy. 
Maybe he won't cheat in the future. 
OK. Well, let's go back to the beginning of this conversation. 
What does Angela say here? 
Ah, yes. Well, she responds to Nick: 
I still don't see why this is such a big deal to you. 
It's pretty naive to think only one person cheated on the test. 
Yes. Well, maybe. 
And I think maybe we... we need to take a look at that word from our Word Bank: naive. 
If you're naive, that means maybe you don't know all the facts about something, 
and you just kind of believe something without knowing all the facts. 
That's right. 
So you might not have a lot of life experience and you get fooled very easily by other people. 
You believe them even if what they say isn't true. 
So it's important to not be too naive. 
But Angela thinks that Nick is being naive. 
That's right. 
She says he's being naive in the way that he thinks that maybe this guy is the only one that cheated on the test. 
OK, so that's how she thinks he is naive. 
But who else is naive? 
Well, many people think that small children, of course, are naive. 
Or maybe someone has naive optimism. 
They just have such a happy outlook on everything, but maybe they're a little bit naive. 
That could be the case. 
Well. She also used a very interesting phrase in the sentence before that. 
She said "big deal." And if something is a big deal, that means that it's really important. 
And so Nick is very concerned about this, but Angela doesn't think it's really that much of a problem. 
That's right. 
Well, big deals! I mean, sometimes things really are a big deal. 
Other times it's just a small deal, not something you should get upset about. 
Well, what is a big deal to you? 
What is something that you think is worth getting upset about and making a difference about? 
Ah. Well, continue to think about that. 
Talk about it in English. 
And I will continue Angela's line. 
The fact is that lots of students cheat. 
So don't be naive, Nick. 
Lots of students probably cheated on that test. 
All right. 
But that doesn't make it right. 
And I didn't see them all. 
I just saw one, and I feel I should take some action. 
OK. Well, do you agree with Nick here? 
Sometimes, of course, you can't catch everyone's problem. 
You can't see all of the problems happening in the world. 
But if you do see something wrong, what should you do about it? 
Maybe you have some responsibility there. 
And you could be like Nick and take some action. 
You can do something about it. 
Just because you can't catch everyone who is doing something wrong doesn't mean you can't do something about the bad things that you are aware of. 
That's right. 
I'm sure policemen think about this all the time. 
Well, let's continue with Nick's line here. 
Furthermore, I don't think school is just about getting good grades. 
OK. Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: furthermore. 
This is one of those words that means moreover and there's more to this. OK. 
So furthermore, school is not just about getting good grades. 
Well, how else could you use that word here, Carolyn? 
Well, Nick is wanting to continue a point from a previous sentence. 
So you need to have a situation set up where you are already talking about something, and then you want to add additional information on top of that. 
Good. 
So furthermore, I don't think school is just about getting good grades. 
I agree with Nick here. 
And he says: It's about learning things that we'll use later in life. 
And, more importantly, doing it in an honest way. 
So it's kind of what I was talking about earlier. 
I think it's very important to be able to have integrity, to be honest. 
Because if you're not, you could develop harmful habits for yourself. 
That is very true. 
It is very important to learn how to be honest, to know that what is right and what is wrong, 
and how to just live an honest life in everything that you do even if it's something that maybe someone considers to be small like cheating on a history test. 
OK. Well, how does Angela continue here? 
Oh, yes. Well, she says: Maybe. 
But if I were you, I still wouldn't tell. 
And I really like that phrase: if I were you. 
So she's trying to give Nick some advice by saying: Well, if I were in the same situation, this is what I would do. 
And there are many ways to use that phrase: if I were you, this is what I would do. 
You've... you haven't been eating breakfast? 
If I were you, I'd eat a big breakfast every day. 
How else could you use that phrase? 
Well, Gabe, if I were you, I would have worn a different color tie. 
Oh, really? 
You don't like my tie? Oh. 
No, no. It's just an example. I like your tie. 
Oh, good. OK. Yeah, a good example. 
All right. 
Well, if I were you, OK. Use that phrase sometime today. 
Yes. Well, Angela has her line here. 
Let me continue. 
I really need to get going. 
See you tomorrow. 
Bye, Angela. 
OK. Well, they disagree, of course, as our VIEWPOINTS articles usually end in maybe disagreements. 
But that's OK. They're still friends. 
And of course we have more to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are up to. 
All right. 
Well, we've enjoyed a conversation between Nick and Angela about someone who cheated in their class on a test. 
And this was just a guy; we don't even know his name in the lesson. 
But here's my question for you. 
What would you do if your friend cheated? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I would try to find out why they cheated first. 
And then tell them that it was really wrong and try maybe to ask them to tell the teacher themselves so that no one else needs to tell on them. 
That's right. 
Well, it's not an easy thing to confront your friend about something like this, but I think it's important. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.12.09.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today, especially as we learn to talk about something in Europe - Things to Do in Madrid. 
Now where is Madrid? 
Carolyn, where is Madrid? 
Madrid is in Spain, a wonderful, popular country to travel to in Europe. 
Europe. 
Well, Europe is amazing. 
There are many countries in Europe. 
Have you ever traveled to Europe? 
If so, what did you do? 
Carolyn, have you ever been to Europe? 
I have not, Gabe, but I would love to go. 
I have a lot of European heritage in my family. 
So it would be very interesting for me to go and explore some of that history. 
You really do need to take a chance to visit Europe sometime. 
And of course, every country in Europe is so different. 
I've only been to a few. 
I've been to Holland; I've been to Greece and Romania. 
I've seen a little bit of Rome. 
But I still want to do so much more, and I would love to, I would absolutely love to visit Madrid! 
And we'll be learning all about Madrid in our lesson today, so let's get started. 
Things to Do in Madrid. 
From art to entertainment, the Spanish capital has something for everyone. 
Look at a map of Spain and point at the center. 
You've located the country's capital and one of Europe's most beautiful cities: Madrid. 
This popular destination is considered a city of contrasts because it abounds with historic sites resting in the shadows of modern skyscrapers. 
History. 
This city of over 3 million people boasts Western Europe's largest royal palace, and some consider it to be Madrid's most beautiful building. 
Inside the Royal Palace 2,800 rooms are decorated in splendor, with museum-quality furniture and artwork. 
Tourists can tour 50 of these lavish rooms. 
OK, let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here today. 
From art to entertainment, the Spanish capital has something for everyone. 
When you see the phrase "it has something for everyone," that means there is a lot to do at a certain place. 
Maybe it can appeal to everyone. 
People of all walks of life can visit Madrid and enjoy it. 
That's right. 
And we continue reading in the article: 
Look at a map of Spain and point at the center. 
So just find a map of Spain and point at the center of the country. 
You've located the country's capital and one of Europe's most beautiful cities - Madrid. 
And I think this is a good idea. 
For those of you have trouble... who have trouble with geography and remembering where cities are, well, you can remember that Madrid is right in the middle of Spain. 
All right. 
And this popular destination is considered a city of contrasts because it abounds with historic sites resting in the shadows of modern skyscrapers. 
Now it's a city of contrasts. 
That means that things are very different within the city. 
That's right. 
And we see a word from our Word Bank, the word abound. 
Now if something abounds, that means you have it in large numbers or there is a lot of something. 
I know that when I go to church and when I read the Bible, I am certain that God's love abounds for the people of this world. 
It's true. 
So you could say God abounds in love. 
That's describing how much love he has. 
You could also use the word "abound" with the word "with." So you could talk about a field that abounds with flowers. 
There are many flowers in the field. 
It abounds with flowers. 
Well, here it abounds with historic sites resting in the shadows of modern skyscrapers. 
And if you have something that is resting in the shadows, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, if something is resting in the shadows, that means that there is something very big and obvious that people can see, like these skyscrapers, 
but there's also something important close by or in the shadows. 
But how else could you use this phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, a lot of times you might hear that someone is in the shadow of someone else. 
That means that they aren't able to achieve everything they want to do because there is someone over them that they just can't live up to or can't impress. 
And that's kind of how I was growing up a little bit. 
I felt like I was walking in the shadows of my older sister. 
Of course I think my sister Grace is very smart, and I would want to be like her in many ways. 
I walked in her shadows. 
Well, you... we're learning here about how this story Madrid abounds with historic sites resting in the shadows of modern skyscrapers. 
So now let's start talking about the history of Madrid. 
What do we read here? 
Well, we see: 
This city of over 3 million people boasts Western Europe's largest royal palace, and some consider it to be Madrid's most beautiful building. 
Well, I would love to visit this building. 
And of course this building... or this city of over 3 million people boasts Western Europe's largest royal palace. 
And I want to take a look at that word "boast." I want to learn something with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
So let's go there now. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article on Madrid, we read: 
This city of over 3 million people boasts Western Europe's largest royal palace. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Notice the word "boasts." Normally, to boast means to talk with too much pride about something. 
And people don't like to hear others boast. 
But in today's sentence, boast has a different meaning. 
Here it is used to talk about how a certain place has something special or wonderful in that area. 
In other words, when a place is famous for something, we can use "boast" to describe it. 
For example: 
This restaurant boasts the best steaks in town. 
Or: 
This amusement park boasts the scariest roller coaster rides. 
Now it's your turn. 
Think of a place that is famous for something in particular, and practice making sentences using boast. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, they're available in today's Grammar Tip section in your Studio Classroom magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. See you next time. Bye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
And you know, Studio Classroom boasts a great team of English teachers. 
Don't you think so, Gabe? 
Well, yes, I would agree with that, Carolyn. 
And we also, of course, boast a very smart audience. 
Well, let's continue here learning about the Royal Palace. 
Inside the Royal Palace 2,800 rooms are decorated in splendor, (with what?) with museum-quality furniture and artwork. 
Well, 2,800 rooms. 
I would love to visit this palace. 
Well, it is a huge palace, and it is beautiful. 
You can find pictures of it. 
And it is just splendid. 
And we see that word from our Word Bank: splendor. 
Now splendor means that it has impressive beauty. 
So Gabe, how could you use this word? 
Well, I did visit Greece before. 
And I was in a train looking out the window, and I noticed the impressive mountains. 
I was impressed by the splendor of the mountains in Greece. 
They were amazingly huge and beautiful. 
I thought they were splendid, S-P-L-E-N-D-I-D. 
That's an adjective you can use to describe something that has splendor. 
And there are 2,800 rooms in this splendid palace, and tourists can tour 50 of these lavish rooms. 
Well, right now it is time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.09.B

Today we are learning all about the capital city of Spain - Madrid. 
Now this city is a city of contrasts because it boasts historic sites as well as modern skyscrapers. 
One historic site that we've talked about so far is the Royal Palace. 
And the Royal Palace has 2,800 rooms that are just filled with splendor, or they are splendid, lavish rooms. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn about this great city and its history in the next part of our lesson. 
Let's continue. 
Things to do in Madrid. 
In the Royal Palace Gardens, people can gaze on statues and sculptures or relax by the reflecting pond. 
Art. 
The internationally respected Prado Museum is the largest and most impressive art gallery in Spain. 
Opened in 1819, it is filled with works of art that feature the world's most comprehensive collection of Spanish paintings. 
Shopping. 
Madrid has some of Europe's best shopping, and potential buyers love to browse the stores looking for bargains. 
But for 500 years, shoppers have flocked to an immense outdoor flea market known as the Rastro, where they find everything from antiques to CDs. 
Well, of course you can experience some art and shopping in Madrid. 
But let's continue learning about history here really quick. 
Let's go back to the beginning of this part of our reading. 
We read more about the Royal Palace. 
In the Royal Palace Gardens, people can gaze on statues and sculptures or relax by the reflecting pond. 
All right. Well, what do you do when you're gazing on statues? 
You're looking at these statues and admiring the artwork. 
This sounds like a very beautiful garden, and it is! 
I've seen many pictures of it. 
And you can see that beautiful pond, the reflecting pond that you can just sit by and relax. 
Well, we look at the next section of our reading here: Art. 
The internationally respected Prado Museum is the largest and most impressive art gallery in Spain. 
And it is "internationally respected," as we read here. 
That means people from all over the world really respect what they have done with this museum, this art gallery. 
Well, opened in 1819, it is filled with works of art that feature the world's most comprehensive collection of Spanish paintings. 
Comprehensive. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank. 
That means it includes a lot of different kinds of details. 
Many things you might need to remember if it is comprehensive. 
That's right. 
So you can describe many different kinds of things as being comprehensive. 
So here we have a collection of art - means that it contains many pieces. 
So it has a wide variety and great details in art. 
But you could also say that a test is comprehensive. 
That means that it will cover the majority of the material that you have been learning in that class. 
That's right. 
For example, if you have an English class, of course you learn vocabulary. 
You might also learn grammar. 
And you might also learn how to read, and you need to listen, OK. 
There are different parts to each test. 
It's a comprehensive exam. 
All right. Well, what else can be comprehensive? 
Well, maybe you're traveling to a city like Madrid, and you have a comprehensive travel guide of that city. 
It's a book that describes all the different things that you can do in that city. 
Well, there are many things to do in Madrid. 
And right now we are going to watch a video about this city of art. 
(Music). 
With unique works of renowned prestige, Madrid's most important art galleries and museums are a reference for world art. 
The Prado Museum has the finest collection in the world of Spanish painting from the 11th to the 18th centuries: 
El Greco, Velazquez, Goya, with other major Spanish artists from the Century of Gold and painting of other nationalities such as Flemish, Italian, German, French or British. 
The Reina Sofia Museum has 20th-century Spanish painting and sculpture. 
Picasso, Miro, Dali, Juan Gris, Pablo Gargallo, Julio Gonzalez, Chillida. 
Among the works on exhibit is Picasso's Guernica. 
A panoramic view of paintings since the 14th century can be seen in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. 
Early Italian and Dutch, German Renaissance, landscapes, impressionism. 
The Sorolla Museum exhibits numerous works by this brilliant painter together with other popular art objects and sculptures by different artists. 
(Music). 
Countless museums of all kinds from all periods with all kinds of content for all tastes. 
(Music). 
Wow! This makes me really want to visit Madrid and especially enjoy the art there. 
If you were listening carefully, you noticed that there were many museums mentioned in that video. 
So there's lots to do, lots of art to see. 
Well, let's continue learning about shopping in Madrid. 
Madrid has some of Europe's best shopping, and potential buyers love to browse the stores looking for bargains. 
Carolyn, I know what a buyer is. 
What is a potential buyer? 
Well, a potential buyer is someone who is just looking around. 
Maybe they'll buy something; maybe they won't, so. 
There's potential that they will buy something, but we're not quite sure yet because they are looking for bargains. 
And of course it's good to look for bargains. 
It's good to buy something at a reasonable price. 
Some places have a fixed price, but in other places you can bargain for a cheaper price. 
Well, but for 500 years, we read, shoppers have flocked to an immense outdoor flea market known as the Rastro, 
where they can... or where they find everything from antiques to CDs. 
I would love to visit this immense flea market. 
And that is a word from our Word Bank: immense. 
If something is immense, then it is very, very large. 
This is a word that you might use to describe an elephant as being an immense animal. 
Now there are other things that could also be immense like this flea market or a shopping mall. 
It seemed like the stores never ended. 
The mall was immense. 
That's right. 
So these things are concrete, things that you can feel or see or sense, those that can be immense, very large. 
You could also talk about immense suffering that someone experiences. 
That means they're going through a lot of deep suffering that is immense. 
Or you could experience immense satisfaction with the product that you bought, or immense pleasure with something. 
That's right. 
Well, it is time for us to continue learning with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
These days it's really popular and convenient to sell things you don't want anymore over the Internet. 
That's right. 
There are many sites that will help you sell your secondhand stuff. 
Musical instruments, books, old shoes, electronic gadgets... anything, really. 
Well, before the Internet, people sold their used stuff at markets like a flea market. 
Now the origin of flea market is disputed. 
But the best guess we have comes from Paris, France. 
In French, it's called "marche aux puces" or market where one gets fleas because it was thought that the secondhand articles people sold, 
things like used clothing and old upholstered furniture contained or attracted fleas. 
You know, those tiny little insects that sucked your blood. 
Hmm. 
In England, you're more likely to hear the phrase "bring and buy sale." Or if the market is in a big parking lot or empty field, 
it might be called a car boot sale, which means that people are selling stuff from the boot or trunk of their cars. 
In Australia, these markets go by a different name: trash and treasure markets. 
Very nice, because one man's trash is another man's treasure. 
(Chinese). 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And keep watching as our lesson continues. 
Well, I've enjoyed learning about Madrid so far. 
And of course we have more to learn in our lesson next time. 
But we did learn about something here today. 
A large or immense outdoor flea market called the Rastro. 
Now have you ever been to a flea market? 
Carolyn, have you ever had an interesting experience at a flea market? 
Well, flea markets can be a lot of fun, and they are very popular around the world. 
And I have been to a few, and you can find some really great things there secondhand. 
I found a beautiful vase for my flowers. 
Well, I agree. 
You can find lots of cool things at flea markets, and of course probably for a cheaper price as well. 
Well, we have more to learn in our lesson next time, so please do come back and join us here at Studio Classroom. See you then. 
(Music).

2013.12.10.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to learn about the beautiful city of Madrid. 
And of course there are many things you can do in Madrid. 
You can learn about the history of Madrid. 
You can enjoy the art of Madrid. 
And of course, you can even go shopping in Madrid. 
In today's lesson, we'll start by learning about a taste of Egypt. 
Interesting. 
A taste of Egypt in Madrid. 
Well, have you ever traveled to a place and seen something that seemed like it didn't belong there? 
Carolyn, has that ever happened to you? 
Well, yes, actually. 
Well, I'm from West Virginia, and West Virginia is covered in mountains. 
It is just beautiful, and you'll be driving along, and suddenly you'll see like um, a big mansion on top of a mountain. 
It's like... wait! But... but that's supposed to be a mountain, not a house! 
And it's a little bit out of place because it's very different from the styles of other houses in the state. 
That's right. 
Well, I live near Neihu, Taipei. 
And I'm going through the city of Neihu. 
And on the ride, all of a sudden, I see this church with pillars that look like it was built in Greece. 
It had Greek pillars. 
That seemed a little out of place. 
But of course it adds to the style there. It adds to the city. 
Well, of course we're going to learn about something that adds to the city of Madrid here with our part of the lesson called A taste of Egypt. 
Let's get started. 
Things to do in Madrid. 
A taste of Egypt. 
Visitors strolling through the Parque del Oeste will come upon a little bit of Egypt in the heart of Spain - the Debod Temple. 
Originally located in southern Egypt, the structure was donated to Spain in 1968, rebuilt and opened to the public in 1972. 
Entertainment. 
No trip to Madrid is complete without seeing a performance of Spain's famous art form, flamenco. 
Every day, flamenco performers sing, dance or play the guitar in small cafes and grand theaters alike. 
Over the years, famous celebrities have traveled to Madrid to see this famous folk art. 
There are so many wonderful things to enjoy in this great city of Madrid. 
Well, we will begin this lesson with A taste of Egypt. 
And we find something very interesting in this city. 
We read: 
Visitors strolling through Parque del Oeste will come upon a little bit of Egypt in the heart of Spain - the Debod Temple. 
Well, this is very interesting. 
There is an Egyptian temple in Madrid. 
That's right. 
And so people who are strolling along might see this temple. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: stroll. 
Of course when you're strolling, you're not in a hurry. 
It's another word for walking. 
You could stroll. Or you could use it as a noun. 
You could take a stroll through a park. 
That's right. 
And so you might go strolling through the woods on a beautiful summer day. 
But now it is a little bit too cold to be doing that. 
It's true. 
But of course it's very nice to take a stroll outside in nature. 
And of course if you're in Madrid, then you might be strolling through the Parque del Oeste, and you'll come upon a little bit of Egypt. 
Well, let's take a look at a phrase there. 
The phrase: to come upon something. 
What does that mean? 
Well, that means that you weren't expecting to see it, so, but it's right there. 
Maybe you are taking a stroll in the woods, and you come upon a baby deer. 
There's a little fawn. 
You didn't know it would be there, but you came upon it during your walk. 
And so maybe the baby deer joins you on your hike. 
And then you come upon a waterfall. 
You didn't know the waterfall was there, but you came upon this waterfall. 
It was a very enjoyable time, of course, for you and this baby deer. 
Of course. 
Well, continuing to learn about the Debod Temple. 
Originally located in southern Egypt, this structure was donated to Spain in 1968, rebuilt and opened to the public in 1972. 
All right, so Egypt and Spain have a pretty good relationship here. 
Egypt is donating things to Spain. 
Sometimes countries do that. 
You might see or hear about a country that donates something to another country. 
Like in America, the Statue of Liberty was actually donated by France to the United States. 
That's right. 
So that is also the case with the Debod Temple. 
It was donated to Spain by Egypt. 
So this is a great way for the countries to maintain good relations. 
Now we have another section here: Entertainment. 
Gabe, what do we learn in this section? 
Well, of course no trip to Madrid is complete without seeing a performance of Spain's famous art form, flamenco. 
I don't know how to dance flamenco style or play guitar flamenco style, 
but I think I would agree that I would want to see one of these kinds of performances if I visit Madrid. 
That's right. 
And at the very beginning of this sentence, we see a phrase: no something is complete without something else. 
And you could use this in many different ways. 
Perhaps you are looking to fulfill your home. 
You want to complete every room, and your kitchen is not quite done. 
No kitchen is complete without an oven. 
OK. Well, that's what you think. Very good. 
You could use this in other ways. 
Let's see... maybe if you visit Studio Classroom. 
Well, no trip to Studio Classroom is complete without a trip to the studio here where you can watch people film. 
No something is complete without something else. 
No trip to Grandma's house is complete without trying her delicious chocolate chip cookies. 
Well, that sounds like a very true statement, Gabe. 
Now continuing to learn about flamenco. 
Every day, flamenco performers sing, dance or play the guitar in small cafes and grand theaters alike. 
All right, so you can see this kind of art form all over the place. 
Well, let's take a look at that word "performer." A performer is someone who performs, someone who does a show of some kind. 
Do you like to perform? 
What kind of performer are you? 
Well, that is a very good question, Gabe. 
I used to do theater when I was younger, so I was a performer on stage. 
Now you could also... say that the performers were very talented, or use a word we have already learned: splendid. 
The performers were splendid. 
That's right. 
Performers did a splendid job. 
Well, over the years, famous celebrities have traveled to Madrid to see this famous folk art. 
And this is something that I would love to do if I ever have a chance to visit Madrid. 
Would you like to see flamenco? 
I would love to. 
It would certainly be on my list of things to see. 
Well, before we go and see flamenco in Madrid, it's time for us now to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.10.B

Oh! Hello again, everybody. 
Uh... that was nothing. 
I was just practicing my flamenco. 
As I learned in today's lesson, no trip to Madrid is complete without seeing a performance of this famous Spanish art form, flamenco. 
That is one of their many different kinds of entertainment there. 
And of course something else we learned so far is about a taste of Egypt in Madrid. 
Well, we have more to learn about this wonderful, fabulous city of Madrid. 
So let's do that now. 
Things to Do in Madrid. 
Food. 
Madrid has a wide assortment of restaurants, 
but because the Spanish typically eat late - around 9 or 10 p.m. - it's difficult to find good dinner food earlier. 
If you get hungry before then, the best solution is to try a tapas bar where light snacks are served. 
Be sure to try the jamon, dry-cured ham; Spain is famous for it. 
Time for a break. 
After a day of touring, relax in 350-acre Retiro Park, with its beautiful gardens, fish pond and lake. 
It is the perfect place to reflect on all you've enjoyed in this marvelous Spanish city. 
There is certainly a lot of splendor in this city of Madrid. 
Now it is time to discuss a very important part when you are visiting any city - food. 
Madrid has a wide assortment of restaurants, 
but because the Spanish typically eat late - around 9 or 10 p.m. - it's difficult to find good dinner food earlier. 
Hmm. Well, I would love to try this food, but maybe earlier in the day, not at 9 or 10 p.m. 
I don't know why I have to wait that long, but let's talk about a word here from our Word Bank. 
It is the word "assortment." Now of course there's a wide assortment of restaurants. 
Another word you could use is "variety." There are many different kinds of something. 
That's right. 
Now if you remember before, we had talked about a flea market. 
There is a wide assortment of items that you can buy and look at and find at a flea market. 
Or maybe you buy a box of chocolate for somebody. 
But it's not just one kind of chocolate. 
There is an assortment of chocolates inside that box. 
Or how many clothes do your own? 
Do you have an assortment of different kinds of clothes? 
There are many ways you can use this word assortment. 
And of course if you visit Spain and visit Madrid, you'll notice that the Spaniards eat a little later in the day, around 9 or 10 o'clock at night. 
That's right. 
And you might find this strange, but don't worry. 
Steve and Ken are going to explain how and when Spaniards eat for us in the Information Cloud. 
If you ever visit Spain and you want to blend in with the locals and get an authentic feel for the culture, 
you will need to be very flexible about when you eat your meals. 
Right, because the Spaniards have unquestionably one of the most unusual eating schedules in the world. 
OK. A typical Spanish day starts at 8 a.m. with breakfast... nothing unusual there. 
But then around 11:30, they have a mid-morning snack, bigger than a coffee break but smaller than a proper sit-down meal. 
Two hours after that, lunch. 
Now the two-hour lunch break isn't necessarily for napping. 
It's to give workers plenty of time to go home, make lunch and eat it. 
At 4 o'clock, it's back to work. 
Then around 6, there might be another little snack to hold them over until dinnertime. 
Now a 9-o'clock dinnertime is considered early. 
A 10-o'clock dinnertime is more the norm. 
But because it's so late in the day, dinner isn't normally a big, heavy meal. 
So that's how the Spanish do it! 
They have five meals a day instead of three. 
I think I could get used to that. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, I am getting hungry just thinking about eating. 
And you know, this also reminds me of my trip to Greece. 
I was playing in the beach with some kids, and it was around 12:30 noon. 
I was getting hungry. 
And I was like, "Well, when are we going to have lunch?" They laughed at me and they said, "We don't eat until 2:30 or 3:00.". 
So it seems like a lot of European countries are similar in that they eat at different times throughout the day than I'm used to. 
That's right. 
So it's important if you are traveling that you make sure you understand the food culture of that country. 
Now don't worry. 
We will continue with our lesson. 
If you get hungry before then, the best solution is to try a tapas bar where light snacks are served. 
So even if you are hungry and it's not quite 9 or 10 p.m., don't worry, you can go to a tapas bar. 
And what should they try there, Gabe? 
Well, of course "tapas" is another word for snack or a light snack. 
Now what should you try? 
Be sure to try the jamon, dry-cured ham; Spain is famous for it. 
So maybe you could say it's a delicacy in Spain, this jamon. 
Now notice that word. 
It's spelled with a "J." But of course in Spanish, J is pronounced like an H, jamon. 
And now we come to the part of our lesson where we get to relax. 
We've done so much exploring in this city, and it is time for a break. 
After a day of touring, relax in 350-acre Retiro Park, with its beautiful gardens, fish pond and lake. 
And with all those things, it does sound like a very beautiful place to just relax. 
That's right, relax, or rest, as the name Retiro Park implies. 
Retiro kind of sounds like the word "retire," which is another word for to rest or take a break. 
And I would love to visit this place. 
Three hundred and fifty acres! 
That is not a small park. 
That is quite large. 
Yes. So there is plenty of space for everyone to go and relax. 
And we read: 
It is the perfect place to reflect on all you've enjoyed in this marvelous Spanish city. 
All right. Well, we have a lot to reflect on here in our lesson. 
And what does it mean to reflect on something? 
That means maybe you take time to think about something, and you're considering it. 
Maybe if you like to write your thoughts down in a journal, that could also be reflecting. 
You're reflecting on your life, and you write your thoughts down. 
That's right. 
And in this sentence we see a word from our Word Bank: marvelous. 
Now if something is marvelous, then it is extremely enjoyable or exciting. 
So you might say my Spanish dinner at 9 p.m. last night was marvelous. 
It was so wonderful. 
It was marvelous. 
It was wonderful. 
It was a splendid dinner. 
Now this word marvelous it sounds like the word marvel, or the word marvel is in that word. 
And a marvel is, of course, a wonder of some kind. 
You might marvel at something. 
Or you could describe it as being marvelous. 
You had a marvelous dinner. 
Well, we are going to continue learning about this wonderful city, this marvelous Spanish city of Madrid by watching a video. 
And then we'll continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Get ready to learn more from our marvelous teachers. 
Well, the past two days we have been learning all about Madrid, the Spanish capital. 
Now what would you do if you only had one day to visit this marvelous city? 
There are so many things to do! Gabe? 
Hmm, good question. 
Well, I love art. 
I would be tempted to visit the art museums. 
But if I could only choose one thing, I would love to go see a flamenco performance because that's something that seems very unique to Spain and Madrid. 
I would love to see that kind of performance. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, I would definitely like to spend some time at a cafe seeing a flamenco performance. 
I'd also really like to visit the Royal Palace and see those lavish rooms. 
Well, what about you? 
What would you like to do if you only had one day in Madrid? 
Thank you for joining us for our lesson about Madrid. 
And of course, we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.12.11.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today as we learn about Happy Facts. 
All right. We have a lot of facts in today's lesson. 
Now facts may not make you happy, the idea of thinking about facts. 
But these are happy facts. 
These are things that are sure to make you smile. 
Well, what kinds of things make you happy? 
That's a good thing to think about. 
It's a good thing to talk about, too. 
What makes you happy? Carolyn? 
Well, learning new things does make me happy, so I enjoy articles that are filled with facts. 
But I also feel very happy when I get to spend time with my friends and just sit down and talk and enjoy time together. 
You know, I agree with you. 
I love spending time with friends and family. 
I also love it when I see a friend I have not seen in a really long time. 
That happened recently. 
A friend came back to visit Taipei, and I was surprised to see him. 
I was really happy to see him and spend time with him. 
Of course I... I love playing drums. 
That makes me happy, too. 
What kinds of things make you happy? 
Talk about that. 
Well, let's get started learning about some Happy Facts. 
Happy Facts. 
These fun facts are sure to make you smile. 
Here are some things you can be happy about even if you're having a bad day. 
Cartoon romance: Wayne Allwine was the voice of Mickey Mouse in many cartoons. 
He married Russi Taylor, who supplied Minnie Mouse's voice. 
Friendly cows: Cows form close bonds with other cows. 
They have best friends and feel stressed if they are separated from their friends. 
Rabbit sports: In a Swedish sport, rabbits hop through courses with jumps of different heights and lengths. 
The sport has spread throughout Europe, the U.S., Canada and even Japan. 
Well, these facts are very random, but they do put a smile on my face. 
OK, let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here today. 
We read: These fun facts are sure to make you smile. 
All right. They're sure to do something. 
That means it's certain that you will smile just from reading these facts. 
That's right. 
And so you can use that in several different ways. 
If something is sure to do something, then there's no question about it. 
You could say this dinner is sure to fill you up. 
There's so much food here. 
You are sure to be full after you finish. 
And you'll probably be very happy as well. 
You need to watch this movie. 
It's sure to make you laugh. 
And you really need to laugh. 
OK. Well, let's get started here. 
Here are some things you can be happy about even if you're having a bad day. 
Are you having a bad day? 
Are you having a bad day? 
I am not having a bad day, Gabe. 
We are here! We're at Studio Classroom, and we are reading a very happy article. 
Yep. So if you are having a bad day - and I hope you're not - well, these facts will make you smile, we hope. 
OK. The first one here is cartoon romance. 
Romance. 
Hey, that's a word from our Word Bank. 
What is romance, Carolyn? 
Well, romance is that feeling that people have when they love each other, so. 
When a man and a woman are in a romantic relationship, they feel romance, or they have romance. 
Is there romance in your life? 
Many people like to talk about it, make movies about it, write stories about it. 
It's a very common topic. 
That's right. 
It's a common theme. 
Maybe you've read romance novels. 
That's right, books that are written with their romantic themes. 
Maybe you talk about your friendship with someone that turns into a romance. 
You didn't like them before, but now you have romantic feelings for that person. 
All right. 
Well, here we're talking about cartoon romance. 
And we read here: Wayne Allwine was the voice of Mickey Mouse in many cartoons. 
And who did he marry, Carolyn? 
Well, he married Russi Taylor, who supplied Minnie Mouse's voice. 
So Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse were married in real life. 
And that is pretty cool. 
I didn't know that, but that puts a smile on my face. 
Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse, of course, are romantic cartoon characters. 
And I never knew they were really married in real life - the voice actors were. 
All right. Well, what's the next thing that we can be happy about here? 
Oh. Well, I really like this one, it's about animals. 
Friendly cows. 
Cows form close bonds with other cows. 
Did you know that, Gabe, that cows form close bonds with other cows? 
No, I had no idea. 
I mean, I like cows, but I didn't know they liked each other that much. 
Carolyn, did you know this fact? 
Well, I knew that cows were very close to each other, but I didn't realize that they had such strong bonds, 
which is a word we want to look at from our Word Bank. 
And a bond is the relationship, the strong connection that one person has with another or one cow has with another cow. 
That's right. And I'm sure other animals also feel bonds with their friends. 
Well, what kinds of bonds do you have? 
We talk about the bonds of friendship that are not easily broken. 
That's a good thing. 
If you have good bonds with somebody, that means something bad could happen but you will be there for that person. 
Maybe they might hurt you, but you still have a good friendship because of that bond. 
That's right. 
So many families have strong bonds that keep them together even when times are hard. 
And we learn that cows form strong bonds with other cows. 
They have best friends and feel stressed if they are separated from their friends. 
So these cows have friends and best friends. 
So it doesn't really... it's very important for them to be with their friend cow and not another cow. 
Yeah. That's a very interesting idea that I never thought about before. 
Well, way to go, cows! 
OK, let's move on to another animal - rabbits. 
OK, rabbit sports. 
Rabbit sports? 
Well, we read here: 
In a Swedish sport, rabbits hop through courses with jumps of different heights and lengths. 
Well, that sounds adorable to see little bunny rabbits hopping around this course, going over these different gates and hurdles, jumping. 
Oh, that sounds very cute, Gabe. 
It is! It's quite a cute thing to imagine, actually. 
I haven't seen this yet, but I would be interested. 
Maybe I can watch this on YouTube. 
But right now it's time for us to learn something with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this sentence: 
In a Swedish sport, rabbits hop through courses with jumps of different heights and lengths. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the pattern: [something] of different [description 1] and [description 2]. 
This is just another way to say different kinds of something. 
So today's sentence just means that when these rabbits hop through the courses, the jumps are all different in heights and in lengths. 
OK, let's have a look at some other example sentences with this pattern. 
At the hair salon, I saw pictures of models with hairstyles of different colors and cuts. 
Or: It was hard for Sarah to pick out a bike at the bike shop; there were bikes of all styles and sizes for her to choose from. 
Or: When you walk into the candy store, you are surrounded by these delicious treats in different shapes and flavors. 
Now it's your turn. 
Think of a situation where you can see a variety of something, and try using this pattern to describe that situation. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
Now continuing to talk about this rabbit sport, we read: 
The sport has spread throughout Europe, the U.S., Canada and even Japan. 
So it's a worldwide sport. 
Mmhm, that's right, it's worldwide. 
And we see some countries listed here, some that seem kind of connected because they're in Europe or maybe they're English-speaking like Europe, the U.S., Canada. 
And we see the phrase "and even Japan." So it's even reached across to Asia. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: and even. 
You use this phrase "and even" when you want to talk about something that is unexpected. 
That's right. 
So you're emphasizing that this is not really something that belongs with the rest of the group; it's kind of surprising. 
So even Japan has this sport now. 
Well, right now it is time for us to join Michelle and learn something with her in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.11.B

Today we are learning all about happy facts that are sure to put a smile on your face. 
So far we've talked about three great ones: 
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse's voice actors were married in real life. 
Cows have best friends and want to be close to them. 
And there is an adorable sport where rabbits jump over little hurdles and try to go through an obstacle course. 
Well, we have more facts to learn in the next part of our lesson. 
Keep smiling. 
(Music). 
Happy Facts. 
Hanging on: Otters hold hands when they sleep. 
This stops them from drifting away from each other. 
Hugs heal: When you touch another person, your body produces a hormone called oxytocin. 
Studies suggest that oxytocin actually helps heal physical wounds. 
Superheroes visit sick children: Sometimes window washers at children's hospitals wear superhero costumes. 
The kids love these visits from their favorite characters. 
Remember these facts, and you'll always have a reason to smile. 
All right. 
Well, I'm sure there are many other reasons to smile as well. 
But let's take a look at some of these fun facts. 
So the first one we read here is hanging on. 
Hanging on could mean different things. 
I get the idea of security if you're hanging on to something. 
Is that what you think of, Carolyn? 
Well, that is one way. 
Another thing might be that you're afraid of something and you just need to hang on so that you don't give up. 
Well, let's see what "hanging on" here means. 
We read: Otters hold hands when they sleep. 
Oh. So they're hanging on to each other, Gabe. 
Yeah. I had no idea otters did this. 
Maybe I've seen a picture or two of them doing this, but this is kind of cute as well. OK. 
So these otters hold hands when they sleep. 
And we read here: This stops them from drifting away from each other. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: to drift. 
If you're being carried away on the water or in the air, then you are drifting away. 
That's right. So you might say that the raft drifted down the river. 
It's not necessarily a bad thing. 
It's good that your raft is going down the river. 
That's what it should be doing so that you can enjoy the water. 
But here the otters do not want to drift apart from each other. 
They want to stay with their otter friends. 
That's right. OK. 
So what other things can drift away? 
Well, like I said before, it could drift away in the air. 
Maybe you are holding a helium balloon. 
But then you accidentally let it go, and now it is slowly drifting away into the air. OK. 
So these things drift away. 
And uh, you can see a picture of an otter in your magazine, and you can see a picture here as well. 
Otters are quite cute animals. 
They are, and especially when they're holding hands while they're sleeping. 
Well, we have another very happy fact - Hugs heal. 
When you touch another person, your body produces a hormone called oxytocin. 
So hugs heal, Gabe. 
Why do we say that? 
Well, because it's true, hugs can heal. 
They can have the healing effect, especially for someone who maybe is not used to hugging at all. 
They're not used to being physical. 
It's important to know that hugs actually can heal. 
Now there's this... a hormone that's produced called oxytocin. 
What's a hormone? 
Well, there are different kinds of hormones. 
I think of men as having the hormone of testosterone and women having a lot of estrogen. 
There are different kinds of hormones. 
There are a lot of different kinds of hormones, and they all serve different functions. 
Now this hormone, oxytocin, that is produced with physical touch, we read: 
Studies suggest that oxytocin actually helps heal physical wounds. 
So if you are hurt in some way and someone gives you a hug, then your body will start to produce this hormone, which can help your body heal. 
All right. 
So it's so important to know how to hug people and know when to hug people. OK. 
Don't shy away from hugs. 
All right. 
Right now it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Our lesson today tells us that hugs heal. 
Well, giving a hug is a pretty simple thing to do, isn't it? 
After all, that's how we usually greet friends in America - with a hug. 
To most Americans and Westerners, yes, hugging is an everyday behavior. 
But to most people in Asia, hugging someone can be an awkward thing to do, especially hugging in public. 
And I found that out the hard way. 
When I was leaving China and tried to give a female friend a hug, she stiffened up and... and tried to duck away. 
And I bet she had a look of horror on her face. 
Yes, she did. 
So now, hugging is something I think twice about before I do it when I'm in Asia. 
But friends, if you ever visit the U.S., you'll find that people not only hug, but they even kiss when they see each other. 
And when they write a letter or a card, they sometimes put two circles and two Xs at the end to indicate hugs and kisses. 
Or they might write out "Big hugs" instead of "Sincerely" at the end of a letter as a way of showing affection. 
So friends, maybe you don't feel the need to hug and kiss to show affection, but if you go to America, that's something you'll see Americans do. 
So don't be shy. 
Give a friend or family member a hug. 
Maybe you'll find that you like it. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Hugs are very important. 
Well, who can you hug today? 
Maybe you can go home and give your parents a hug. 
Continuing in our article with our next happy fact: 
Superheroes visit sick children. 
Now Gabe, this is a very nice, happy fact. 
It makes me feel very warm. 
Well, yeah, me, too - superheroes visiting children. 
And of course we read how here. 
Sometimes window washers at children's hospitals wear superhero costumes. 
OK. So of course it's not really Superman outside, or Spiderman. 
But of course they're wearing these costumes and they are becoming the superheroes for these kids. 
And they are window washers. 
So they are on these little platforms outside the window. 
And it looks like they are flying or being suspended from a rope. 
So they seem like real superheroes from movies and comic books. 
And they are wearing costumes, a word from our Word Bank. 
A costume is an outfit or clothing that is worn by someone in a play, some kind of performance, and they're trying to become a character. 
All right. 
So that's one time you would wear a costume is if you are performing. 
And of course these window washers, they become these superheroes. 
And they put on these costumes like Spiderman, Superman, Batman. 
Who is your favorite superhero? 
Who would you love to have come and visit you at the hospital? 
Well, these kids love it. 
And we read: The kids love these visits from their favorite characters. 
It's a really special time for them. 
Well, remember these facts, all of these happy facts, and you'll always have a reason to smile. 
All right. Well, it's time for us to learn something new with Michelle. 
She always gives us a new reason to smile. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
Now I'll give the time back to our teachers. 
Well, we've learned some happy facts today. 
And they're very important to think about if you are ever feeling sad or having a bad day. 
It's good to think about something happy. 
Well, what do you do to make yourself feel better if you are having a bad day? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I like to take time to talk to my friends about what is making me upset. 
And if my friends are busy and maybe that's why I'm having a bad day, 
I'd take time to read the Bible because there's always something in there that is encouraging from God. 
You know, I feel the same way. 
He understands our pain more than anybody, and so He can encourage us in the best way. 
Sometimes I also write a letter to a friend that I haven't got in touch with in a long time. 
That might also make me feel happy. 
Well, what do you do when you are sad to make yourself feel happy? 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.12.12.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We have a new lesson for you: All About Bikes. 
Yes, we're going to be learning all about the different kinds of bikes. 
Hey, do you like to ride bikes? 
Do you have a bicycle? 
And how often do you get out to ride it? 
Carolyn, do you like to ride bicycles? 
Well, I do, Gabe, although recently I haven't been able to ride my bike very much because I live so close to work. 
But before I moved, I rode my bike every day when I was attending class at (Chinese). 
Oh, you did! 
So you rode your bike through the city. 
Do you like riding the bike through the city? 
It's actually a little bit scary, Gabe. 
I don't really like using my bike to go to and from places in the city. 
I would prefer to go out on a trail or in a park and just ride. 
Yeah, I think that's a little more enjoyable. 
But I do enjoy riding bikes as well. 
And I think there are many different kinds of bikes. 
I enjoy riding on level ground. 
But of course sometimes it's great exercise to go riding up a hill or a mountain of some kind. 
Well, what about you? 
Do you ride a bike? 
And where do you ride your bike? 
Let's get started with our lesson All About Bikes. 
(Music). 
All About Bikes. 
Grab your bike and hit the road! 
When did you first learn to ride a bike? 
Even if it was long ago, chances are you still remember how. 
With bikes available for many different styles of riding, there's no excuse not to get out and ride! 
Bikes for commuting. 
For getting to work, you'll want a bike that's comfortable and sturdy. 
Choose one that can handle going across holes in the road. 
Well, I am very familiar with commuting using a bicycle. 
Let's go back to the beginning of the article. 
Grab your bike and hit the road! 
Well, that is a great phrase right off the bat. 
To hit the road means to get started. 
To get started, OK. Hit the road. 
Maybe you and your friends are planning a trip somewhere, and you've done all your preparations. 
You're ready to go. 
So now what can you say? 
Let's hit the road! 
Let's get in the car and get going. 
Let's hit the road. 
All right. Or maybe you have a project and you need to get started. 
Well, you'd better hit the road and get started right away. 
That's right. So it just means to begin something. 
And it's a great way to encourage your friends to hurry up. 
Let's hit the road! We're going to be late. 
Well, we continue reading here. 
When did you first learn to ride a bike? 
An excellent question. 
Even if it was long ago, chances are you still remember how. 
Now Gabe, how is that possible? 
Well, you might remember how to ride a bike even if you first learned a long time ago because of muscle memory. 
And we want to talk about this. 
Muscle memory. 
This is when you do an activity over and over again, and eventually your body knows how to do it without much thought. 
That's muscle memory. 
That's right. 
So many people who are athletes, they play sports. 
They practice so often that their body just knows how to react when they're in certain situations. 
And the same for musicians. 
They practice their scales. 
They practice how to play their instrument so much that they no longer really need to think. 
They can play without really thinking. 
And even if you don't play that instrument or play that sport for many years, you can go back to it and pick it up right away. 
That's right, because you have muscle memory. OK. 
So think about what other things in life involve muscle memory. 
Well, bike riding is one of those things. 
Hey, let's spend some time with Liz in the Grammar Gym right now. 
She wants to talk about that word: chance. 
Hello, friends. 
How are you doing today? 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
In today's article we see this sentence: 
Even if it was long ago, chances are you still remember how. 
Notice the phrase in the middle of the sentence: chances are. 
It's another way to say "probably." In other words, the writer is saying "Even if it was long ago, you probably still remember how." OK. 
Let's have a look at some more examples. 
If the weather looks like it's probably going to rain, you can say: 
Chances are it's going to rain. 
Or if you're waiting for your friend at the movie theater, and you think he's probably still on his way, you can say: 
Chances are he's still on his way. 
Or if you hesitate to call your friend at night because he's probably already in bed, you can say: 
I don't think I should call my friend; chances are he's in bed already. 
If you'd like to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
OK, we have a lot more to talk about here. 
We read: With bikes available for many different styles of riding, there's no excuse not to get out and ride! 
OK, especially because you have muscle memory, you already know how to ride your bike. 
So get out and ride. 
There's no excuse for not doing this. 
Well, how else could you use that phrase: there's no excuse for something? 
Maybe you have a bad attitude. 
Well, someone might tell you: There's no excuse for your bad attitude. 
There's no excuse for you being rude. 
You should be polite. 
That's right. You should be polite. 
And there's no excuse not to get out and ride. 
So we have that double negative which we've learned about before, which means you should be out riding your bike! 
And here we learn about bikes for commuting. 
And that is a word we want to talk about: commute. 
Now commute is how you get to and from work or to and from school. 
That is your commute. 
That's right, your travel from one place to another. 
All right. 
So this word can be a noun or a verb. 
Here we're talking about bikes for commuting. 
You're commuting from one place to another. 
Or you can talk about maybe a long commute. 
It was a long ride from (Chinese) to (Chinese). 
That is a long commute. 
Well, I hope that your commute is not that long. 
And if it is, I hope you are not commuting by bicycle. 
That is a very far distance to be traveling on a bike every day. 
It's true, but it does sound like good exercise. 
Well, we read something here: 
For getting to work, you'll want a bike that's comfortable and sturdy. 
OK, so now your goal is to get to work, to get to the office, and comfort is your main goal. OK. 
Let's take a look at our word from the Word Bank: sturdy. 
What does this mean, and how can you use it? 
Well, if something is sturdy, that means it is strong. 
It's not going to break easily and you can rely on it to work. 
So you might want to have a sturdy table in your dining room. 
You don't want one that shakes and is uneven. 
When you put your dishes down, it might collapse and break. 
So you want something that is sturdy. 
OK, what else should be sturdy? 
Well, of course, your desk. 
You're working on a desk and you want it to be a sturdy desk. 
Maybe you need to use a ladder to get up high to fix something. 
Of course the ladder should be sturdy. 
Or maybe you're walking up some stairs and... and they're not sturdy. 
You want to make sure that those steps are sturdy. 
You don't want to hurt yourself. 
That's right. 
So it's important when you are commuting to work every day, to and from, or if you're commuting to school on a regular basis. 
Then you want a bike that is both comfortable and sturdy. 
And we read here that you should choose one that can handle going across holes in the ground. 
It's true, so many roads have holes in the ground. 
Sometimes we call these potholes. 
That's right. 
So you want a bike that can handle going across holes in the road. 
And there are a lot of holes that you need to be careful of. 
It would also be helpful for the bike to be able to handle going across rocks or other things that might be in the street. 
That's right. 
Well, there is something we want to talk about. 
Earlier in today's lesson, there's this question: 
When did you first learn to ride a bike? 
You can use that phrase in other ways. 
When did you first learn to play the piano? 
When did you first learn to speak English? 
Think about other ways you can use this question. 
It is a great question. 
And if you have questions, don't worry. 
It is time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.12.B

All right. 
Grab your bike and hit the road. 
Well, wait, not yet. 
Of course we have our lesson to finish here today. 
But we're learning all about bikes. 
And of course I think it's a great idea. 
If you haven't in a long time, then you should go for a nice bike ride. 
Don't let your bike just sit there. 
Of course we're learning all about how to talk about bikes here in English today. 
And we have more to learn in the second part of our lesson. 
So let's get started. 
(Music). 
All About Bikes. 
Popular choices include mountain bikes and hybrid bikes, also known as cross bikes. 
Of the two, hybrids offer a more comfortable ride since they are lighter and have smoother tires. 
A cheaper alternative is a city bike. 
It may be less attractive, but it offers a more comfortable seat. 
Bikes for exploring. 
For riding through mud and over rocks and surfaces that aren't paved, nothing beats a mountain bike! 
These bikes are designed to be ridden on dirt or rocky trails. 
They have low gears that help riders handle steep trails. 
Nearly all mountain bikes offer a front shock. 
Bikes with both front and rear shocks can handle large bumps. 
Well, let's continue learning about these bikes for commuting. 
We read: Popular choices include mountain bikes and hybrid bikes, also known as cross bikes. 
So we have lots of bikes here, very popular ones, right, Gabe? 
That's right, mountain bikes and hybrid bikes. 
Now we talked about hybrids earlier this year. 
That means you are combining or mixing two different things. 
OK. These are also called cross bikes. 
Sometimes we use that word "cross" when we talk about mixing something. 
That's right. 
And we read: 
Of the two, hybrids, or cross bikes, offer a more comfortable ride since they are lighter and have smoother tires. 
So mountain bikes are quite heavy because you need them to be able to go up and down mountains. 
They need to be very strong. 
But these cross bikes are lighter and have smoother tires. 
So of course you will have a more comfortable ride. 
As you can see, that word is a noun. 
You can also use it as a verb, of course. 
You go riding your bike, and then you have a comfortable ride, we hope. 
And we continue here. 
A cheaper alternative is a city bike. 
Uh, Carolyn, let's review. 
What is an alternative? 
Well, an alternative means another option, something else that you can choose instead of the first thing. 
So, actually, a mountain bike could be an alternative to the hybrid bike. 
And the city bike is an alternative as well. 
It's just another choice. 
OK, so we're learning about this city bike. 
And we learned here: 
It may be less attractive, but it offers a more comfortable seat. 
It's true. What are you concerned about? 
If you're concerned about style and looking good, well, then maybe a city bike is not for you because often it will be less attractive. 
That's right. 
But if you are commuting every day and you're not too concerned about how nice your bike looks, 
but you really want to have that comfortable seat - it could be a long and difficult commute going through traffic, 
then a city bike might be the right one for you. 
All right. 
Well, now it's time for us to learn something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
They have an interesting phrase they want to talk about there. 
Today we're learning that life has its tradeoffs. 
If you want a bike that's fast, you're probably going to sacrifice some comfort. 
And if you want a bike that's strong and durable with a comfortable seat, it's likely to be heavy and look uncool. 
So we learn again that you can't have your cake and eat it too. 
In other words, you can't have it both ways. 
Very often in life we find that we can't have it all, so we're forced to give something up in order to get something else that we think is more desirable. 
Now this idiom is quite common and worth knowing, but to many people, it's confusing. 
It is! So try reversing the idiom's order and see if that helps. 
You can't eat your cake and have it too. 
Still doesn't make sense? 
Let's look at this idiom in some other languages. 
Most languages seem to have a version of this. 
In Chinese, for example, you can't have a good horse that eats no hay. 
And in France, you can't have both the butter and the money you get from selling the butter. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
It is a little bit challenging to have your cake and then also eat it. 
Um, then you don't have your cake anymore... it is true. 
Well, right now we have another section in our bike... article: Bikes for exploring. 
So we had bikes for commuting, and now we are exploring, Gabe. 
I love exploring, and I love watching movies about people who are exploring. 
And I think it's fun to get out on your bike or even just to walk around and explore different things. 
Do you like exploring? 
Well, let's read this part here. 
For riding through mud and over rocks and surfaces that aren't paved, nothing beats a mountain bike. 
If something is not paved, Carolyn, what does that mean? 
Well, it means that there isn't an actual road. 
It's not covered in asphalt like most roads that have... that are black. 
It's probably just dirt. 
All right. And if it's not paved, you can use a word "unpaved." This road is unpaved. 
It's kind of rough. OK. 
Well, nothing beats a mountain bike. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: nothing beats... 
Earlier this month we talked about the phrase "there's nothing like..." That means you can't compare it with that thing. 
But here nothing beats a mountain bike. 
What does that mean? 
Well, it means that nothing is better than it. 
You... Again, you can't compare the two because this is the best thing for a certain situation. 
So you might say that nothing beats going to the hot springs on a cold day. 
Or nothing beats eating (Chinese) at the end of a long day. 
I just love that snack. 
Well, what else? 
Oh, you love the sunset! 
Well, of course you can't really see the sunset in the city. 
Nothing beats watching the sunset from that beach. 
All right. So now you know how to use that phrase. 
Use the phrase "nothing beats..." today. 
That's right. Well, continuing: 
These bikes are designed to be ridden on dirt or rocky trails. 
So these are mountain bikes, and they're designed to be ridden on mountains. 
And that's great, so. 
They have low gears that help riders handle steep trails. 
And gears are very important for many bikes. 
That's also an important key word. 
Your gears. 
Now you might need to change gears when you are riding your bike up and down a mountain. 
That means you can pedal easier or more easily, or maybe it will be a little more difficult at some point. 
So you need to change your gears. 
That's right. 
So when you're buying a bike, you might need to think about: 
How many gears do you want your bike to have? 
What types of riding will you be doing? 
Do you want a bike that just has one gear? Two? Five? 
There are many different kinds of bikes that you can get with different numbers of gears. 
And of course this kind of bike will be great for going up steep trails. 
Nearly all mountain bikes offer a front shock. 
All right. And shocks, of course, help absorb the shock. 
OK. So it makes it not as rough when you're going over those potholes in the road. 
Or those rocks on that trail. 
Yep. 
Now bikes with both front and rear shocks can handle large bumps. 
So think about what kind of riding you're doing and what kind of bike you might need. 
Right now it's time for us to join Michelle for something more in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are doing. 
Now Gabe, you and I both like riding bikes. 
And today we talked about bikes for commuting and bikes for exploring. 
But I wonder, have you ever had a bad experience on a bike? 
Yes, of course. I've fallen off my bike many times. 
There was one time when I was trying to ride my bicycle with no hands, 
which I think is fine sometimes except for my little brother thought it would be funny to put a brick in the middle of the road. 
So when I hit the brick, I fell over. 
Ah, yeah. That is not a good experience. 
Although maybe if you had a mountain bike with front and rear shocks, you would have been able to handle that brick. 
Maybe you're right, Carolyn. 
Anyway, I had some interesting experiences riding bikes. 
What about you? 
Have you ever had a bad experience riding a bike? 
Well, we have more to learn all about bikes next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.12.13.A

(Music). 
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today as we continue to learn All About Bikes. 
All right. We've learned about how some bikes are great for riding uphill or up mountains. 
Those are mountain bikes. 
Some bikes are built for comfort to get you from your home to work or school. 
Those are city bikes. 
And of course, there are hybrid bikes, also called cross bikes. 
Now what kind of bike do you have, or maybe what kind of bike do you want to ride? Carolyn? 
Well, I have a city bike. 
It's pretty useful, fairly comfortable, but it doesn't look very nice. 
But I think I would like to get a mountain bike so that I can go on all of the amazing trails here in Taiwan. 
Well, I have to say, I really enjoy having a mountain bike because the shocks are great for the mountain roads, 
and especially you never know what kind of holes will be in the roads. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning All About Bikes in today's lesson. 
So let's get started. 
All About Bikes. 
Bikes built for speed. 
If going fast is your goal, you'll want to choose a road bike. 
These bikes are lighter than other bikes, so riders can go faster. 
The downside is that their frames aren't made to handle riding over small holes in the road. 
But for pushing the limits of speed, nothing beats a road bike. 
The style of handlebars normally used on road bikes forces riders to bend forward while pedaling. 
This position offers less wind resistance and makes faster speeds possible. 
Road bikes come with more gears than other bikes, so riders can go up and down steep mountain roads more easily. 
Well, maybe a road bike is more what you need. 
Let's learn all about this. 
Let's talk about it together and read this together. 
If going fast is your goal, you'll want to choose a road bike. 
All right. 
These are bikes built for speed as we can see in the title of this section. 
Would you be interested in having a road bike, Carolyn? 
Well, it would certainly get me where I want to go faster, but there are some disadvantages to road bikes that I'm not so sure. 
But there are a lot of good things as well. 
We read: These bikes are lighter than other bikes, so riders can go faster. 
So the bike that I have right now is pretty heavy, so it wouldn't go near as fast as a road bike. 
Well, road bikes are built for speed. 
They're built to go very fast. 
And so of course they can be quite expensive because they are light. 
It costs more money to make a lighter bike. 
I have a friend who has a bike made of titanium, very expensive material, but it's very fast, a very convenient bike if you like speed. 
That's right. And those are some good points. 
The bike is much lighter; it can go faster. 
But we continue reading. 
The downside is that their frames aren't made to handle riding over small holes in the road. 
So there are some very good points about it, but some not so good points as well like the downsides. 
Let's look at that word: downside vs. upside. 
Now what's a downside, Gabe? 
Well, that's the negative aspect of something or something that is not positive. 
So of course the positive thing about a road bike is that it can go fast. 
That's the upside. OK. 
That's the positive side. 
The downside is that it's not built for going over holes in the road. 
All right. Well, how else can you use the word "downside," Carolyn? 
Well, you can use it when you are just describing lots of positive things about something, and then you say: 
Oh, but the downside is... and then something negative, so. 
Maybe you find a great deal shopping online (if you remember our online shopping article), and you get a great deal. 
But the downside is you have to wait three weeks before your items will arrive. 
That's a great point. 
Or maybe you have just been working at a job that keeps you in an office all day long. 
The upside is that you have a good salary. 
The downside is that you don't have as much free time as you would like. 
All right. So there are upsides and downsides to almost everything in life. 
Well, we have an upside to this sentence. 
Of course we have a key word there straight from our Word Bank. 
It is "frame." We're talking about a bike frame here. 
As you learned last month, frame could also refer to the frame of your body. 
But here it's a bike frame. 
That's right. 
So this gives the bike its shape, its structure. 
It holds everything together. 
And so bikes can have different shape frames depending on the type of bike you are interested in getting. 
So we'll learn a little bit more about the road bike here. 
That's right. It has a nice frame. 
Now what else in life has a frame? 
Well, I can think of bed frames. 
They kind of keep the shape of the bed. 
They keep the bed sturdy. 
Your bed frame is very important. 
Of course here we're talking about bike frames. 
And the bike frame for a road bike isn't made to go over small holes in the road. 
Well, let's continue. 
But for pushing the limits of speed, nothing beats a road bike. 
And we see that phrase again: nothing beats... 
If you remember yesterday, we used that to describe a mountain bike going over rocky trails. 
But here we're using it to describe this road bike because nothing beats a road bike when it comes to speed. 
Now there's another great phrase in this sentence: pushing the limits. 
To push limits, what does that mean, Gabe? 
Well, everything has limits or boundaries. OK. 
And so if you want to push the limits of speed, that means you want to go faster than what people may expect. 
All right. You want to push the limits. 
What else can you push the limits of? 
Well, I think sometimes we as humans like to push our own limits. 
We think we can only do so much, but it's good to challenge ourselves, to push our own limits. 
That's right. 
So many athletes push their limits when they go to the Olympics. 
It's very demanding, very challenging, and they have to push themselves to the limit. 
Well, talking about speed and road bikes, we continue reading: 
The style of handlebars normally used on road bikes forces riders to bend forward while pedaling. 
So you aren't sitting up straight like you might on a normal bike. 
You are forced to bend forward, over top of the bike. 
That's right, using your handlebars. 
And you use your handlebars to control or handle the bike. 
Of course you've seen that verb "handle" in today's lesson and yesterday's lesson many times. 
That is to control something. 
And you control your bike with the handlebars. 
That's right. 
Now why would you want to be bent over your bike? 
This position offers less wind resistance and makes faster speeds possible. 
And this is a good thing if you want a speedy bike. 
OK. What is wind resistance? 
That is when the wind makes it hard for you to go fast. 
All right. So if you have a bike like this, there is less wind resistance. 
All right. Now let's continue. 
Road bikes come with more gears than other bikes, so riders can go up and down steep mountain roads more easily. 
All right. So that is a great thing about having a road bike. 
Well, let's continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Friends, today's Info Cloud lesson is for all of you who just can't seem to get excited about learning English. 
May we introduce to you the sticky language ball? 
For its core, pick something you enjoy doing, a hobby, a sport, anything that gets you excited. 
The idea is to take the passion you feel for one thing and transfer it to something that you don't feel so passionate about, like maybe English. 
Right. And it was this biking article that reminded me of when one of my teachers first challenged me to make a sticky language ball. 
I loved biking, so I made the names of bicycle parts the core of the ball. 
Then as the next layer, use those words to create simple sentences. 
With tire, for example, you might say the tire is round, or the tire is flat. 
Exactly. 
Then, after mastering those, I began to stick on the next layer. 
Studying a foreign language isn't easy. 
But if you connect it with something you enjoy, I think you can make some real progress. 
So friends, what are you passionate about? 
Use that passion and create your own sticky language ball. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.13.B

We are continuing our lesson All About Bikes. 
And today so far we have talked about bikes built for speed, road bikes that have a much lighter frame than other bikes. 
But they aren't made to handle going over small holes that you might find in roads. 
These bikes are good, however, because they have more gears to help you go up steep mountain roads. 
Now we want to make sure that you're able to take care of whatever bike you happen to have, so let's continue learning with the next part of my lesson. 
(Music). 
All About Bikes. 
Bike care and maintenance. 
Whatever bike you choose to ride, bike company Merida suggests doing a few things before every ride. 
These include checking and greasing the chain, checking the tire pressure and testing the brakes. 
For new bikes, Merida recommends an inspection after three to six weeks of riding. 
The reason? 
Several parts on the bike will shift and change, so fixing them will help your bike last longer. 
All right. It's good to know how to take care of and maintain your bike. 
Well, let's go back to the beginning of this section, and we see a key word right there: maintenance. 
Maintenance, how to maintain something. 
That means you are taking care of something and keeping it in good shape. 
That is very important, especially when it comes to your transportation. 
A lot of times we talk about having regular car maintenance. 
It's important to take your car to the mechanic to make sure that everything is working properly. 
That is also true for your bike, which is why we have a section here: Bike care and maintenance. 
Well, I have a scooter. 
And of course that needs maintenance as well. 
I need to make sure it has good oil. 
I need to change the oil every once in a while. 
I need to make sure the tires are good, too. 
That's very important. 
Now we talk about high-maintenance and low-maintenance people as well. 
If you're a high-maintenance person, that means you need a lot of things done for you, you need people to take care of you, and it's hard to please you. 
But if you're a low-maintenance person, that means you're easy-going, you're laid-back. 
It doesn't take much to please you. 
That's right. 
Well, we continue reading in our article: 
Whatever bike you choose to ride, bike company Merida suggests doing a few things before every ride. 
So it's important to take care of your bike. 
So what things do they recommend, Gabe? 
Well, I'm really glad that this is in our lesson, Carolyn, because I don't usually think about doing some of these things before I ride my bike. 
OK. Some of these things include checking and greasing the chain, checking the tire pressure and testing the brakes. 
All right. 
So those are all different parts of your bike that you need to check before you go for a bike ride. 
And that's right. 
And it says to do this before every ride. 
Yeah. 
I know I do not check these things before every time I ride my bicycle. 
But they recommend it. 
And that first one right there, checking and greasing the chain, I think that's something a lot of people forget. 
And we have a word from our Word Bank: grease. 
To grease something just means to put oil on something. 
Now if you're greasing your chain, that means that you're putting some oil on the chain of your bike so that it will turn properly through all of the gears. 
That's right. It will go smoother. 
What else do you need to grease? 
Well, sometimes I talk about greasing the hinges of a door. 
If you open a door and there's not enough oil in the hinges, then it will make a creaking sound. 
And you need to grease the hinges or grease other things so that it doesn't make that sound. 
Now Carolyn, when you're cooking, do you ever have to grease a pan? 
Well, sometimes if you are baking something or if you want to cook something in oil, 
it's important that you grease the pan first before putting in the rest of the food to cook. 
All right. 
So there are different ways you can use this word "grease." Now I don't usually think about greasing my bike chain. 
But something I do do is check the tire pressure. 
And I think I do that before every ride. 
So at least I did one of these things. 
Well, that's good. 
I always check my brakes because regardless of what anything else is doing on my bike, I want my brakes to work. 
That is true. 
It could be quite dangerous if your brakes are not working. 
All right. Well, what else does Merida recommend? 
Merida recommends an inspection after three to six weeks of riding. 
That's right. 
And that is for new bikes, not just for any bike but for new bikes, they recommend an inspection after three to six weeks. 
And that is very interesting. 
We have that word "inspection." Let's look at that first. 
What does... what is an inspection, Gabe? 
Well, that means you are carefully checking something. 
And it usually means someone with a little more professional experience is checking something. 
All right. So you need to have someone come in and inspect. 
That's the verb form, I-N-S-P-E-C-T. 
They're... inspecting to make sure that everything is all right. 
That's very important. 
And as we said earlier, with cars and scooters, you want to maintain them, have their maintenance checked. 
It means that you also want to take those in for an inspection as well. 
Now where else in life might you have an inspection? 
Well, if you ever were in the army, then maybe you had your room inspected. 
Someone came in and did a room inspection. 
They check to make sure everything was very clean. 
OK. Here we're talking about the inspection of a bike. 
And the reason? 
Well, several parts on the bike will shift and change, so fixing them will help your bike last longer. 
Carolyn, what does it mean to shift? 
Well, it means to change positions, so. 
Things on a new bike might change positions as you ride it, so it's important to take it in for an inspection. 
Well, right now it is time for us to enjoy a review skit, and then learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Wow! Look at all the bicycles. 
Yes. You should buy a bike and hit the road. 
Well, I haven't ridden a bike in years. 
Well, chances are you still remember how. 
Yes, I suppose so. 
Then there's no excuse not to get out and ride! 
Maybe you're right. 
So what kind of bicycle should I get? 
Well, some bicycles are for commuting. 
Like getting to work? 
Yes. Bikes for commuting are comfortable and sturdy. 
And expensive. 
A cheaper alternative is a city bike. 
But those are not very attractive. 
And I really don't plan on commuting. 
For riding on dirt and rocky trails, nothing beats a mountain bike. 
Oh, a mountain bike. 
But I really don't plan on riding in the mountains. 
Well, some bikes are built for speed. 
Road bikes are lighter, so you can go faster. 
But the handlebars look different. 
Yes. Road bikes force the rider to bend forward while pedaling. 
Oh. That's uncomfortable. 
Besides, I really don't plan to ride fast. 
Well, then what kind of bike do you want? 
Hmm... Oh! How about a red one? 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And let's head back to our lesson now. 
So far today we've talked about road bikes. 
Those are bikes built for speed. 
We've also talked about how important it is to take care of your bike, to have bike maintenance. 
Now something else that's very important is how else you can protect your bike. 
What's another way you can protect your bike, Carolyn? 
Well, locking your bike properly to prevent it from being stolen is very important. 
And a lot of bike companies and lock companies recommend that you use a U-lock instead of a chain lock because roadblocks or chain locks can be cut very easily. 
A U-lock is much more difficult. 
All right. And what is a U-lock? 
Well, it's easy. You can remember it by the shape. 
It looks like a U and is very sturdy. 
All right. It's important to lock your bike. 
You don't want it to get stolen. 
We have more to learn All About Bikes next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.12.14.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to discuss All About Bikes today. 
Now what is something that we learned over the last couple of days? 
Do you remember? Carolyn? 
Well, we have learned a lot about many different kinds of bikes. 
We've talked about road bikes and city bikes and cross bikes and hybrid bikes and mountain bikes and wow, Gabe, we've just talked a lot about bikes. 
Exactly. Well, we've talked all about bikes. 
We've even talked about taking care of your bike, the proper bike maintenance. 
All right. 
Well, speaking of bikes, what about bike rides? 
Have you ever had a really awesome or enjoyable bike riding experience? 
Carolyn? 
Well, let's see. 
I had a really wonderful ride just going by the river and enjoying the wonderful views. 
It was very, very nice, Gabe. 
Have you ever had a nice bike ride? 
I had a similar bike ride. 
My aunt took me on a bike ride for 24 miles. 
And I wasn't used to riding a bike, so it was kind of difficult for me. 
But she does that kind of bike riding all the time. 
I thought it was very beautiful, though. 
I think if you go to the right spot, bike riding can be an awesome experience. 
Well, it's time for us to continue learning All About Bikes. 
Let's get started. 
(Music). 
All About Bikes. 
Getting the appropriate fit. 
Choose a bike with a frame height that fits your body. 
When you are standing over the bike, there should be a comfortable distance between the top bar and your body. 
The recommended distance is 25 to 50 millimeters for road bikes and 40 to 100 millimeters for mountain bikes. 
Next, adjust the seat height. 
Getting the right height will help you feel comfortable while pedaling. 
It is very important to make sure you are comfortable when you are riding a bike. 
So let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
Getting the appropriate fit. 
And right there we see a word we want to talk about: appropriate. 
If something is appropriate, then it is right, it is suitable. 
It's something that you should have or do. 
OK. So maybe if you are going in for a job interview, you want to wear the appropriate clothes. 
Don't just wear anything. 
You want to wear something nice and appropriate for the occasion. 
Maybe if you're having dinner with some friends, you don't want to talk about things that are kind of bad or disturbing. 
You want to have an appropriate dinner conversation. 
Sometimes we talk about that. 
Don't share jokes that are dirty over dinner. 
That's not appropriate. 
That's right. 
So you want to make sure that your conversation is appropriate, your clothes are appropriate for the occasion, for the event. 
And you also want to make sure that you have the appropriate bike and that that bike is the appropriate fit. 
There are many things that you need to consider. 
So how do we start, Gabe? 
Well, we read here: Choose a bike with a frame height that fits your body. 
OK, that's simple enough. 
You want to have a bike that is good for your size. 
And when you are standing over the bike, there should be a comfortable distance between you... between the top bar and your body. 
That's right. 
It's very important that the distance between the top bar of the bike and your body is comfortable. 
You don't want a bike that is too tall or too short. 
You want a comfortable distance. 
Now that might be different depending on the type of bike that you buy. 
We read here: The recommended distance is 25 to 50 millimeters for road bikes and 40 to 100 millimeters for mountain bikes. 
So there's a big difference between that distance depending on the type of bike you get. 
And of course this is a recommendation by certain companies or maybe by Merida. 
Well, what is a recommendation or when someone recommends something? 
That means they suggest it. 
Maybe you go to the doctor and you have a recommended diet. 
The doctor recommends that you only eat certain things. 
Or maybe you have a recommended exercise routine, certain exercises that you should do that will be good just for you. 
That's right. 
And we continue reading what to do about this bike when you are trying to get the appropriate fit. 
Next, adjust the seat height. 
So the seat needs to be the right height as well. 
And we see a word we want to talk about: adjust. 
Now if you adjust something, that means that you change it. 
That's right. 
Or maybe you need to adjust as well. 
Sometimes when you visit another country or you're going to a completely different culture, you need to adjust to that culture. 
Sometimes we talk about adjusting to the environment, doing what the people around you do normally. 
That is adjusting your lifestyle or adjusting your habits or behavior. 
That's right. 
And here we are talking about adjusting a physical thing instead of behavior. 
So here, you need to adjust the seat height. 
And we read: Getting the right height will help you feel comfortable while pedaling. 
And this is very important because that's the whole point of riding your bike - being able to pedal the bike comfortably. 
OK. Well, we have lots more to learn later. 
But for now, let's join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.14.B

Well, do you want to buy a bike? 
If you're going to buy a bike, you need to consider some things. 
And one of those things you should consider is getting a bike that is just the right size and height for you. 
You want to make sure that the... the handlebars are the correct distance from your body, that the seat is adjusted properly so that you can pedal comfortably. 
Well, there are more things we need to talk about when you're considering the appropriate fit. 
Let's continue learning about that now. 
(Music). 
All About Bikes. 
Move the seat until your leg is slightly bent when the pedal is at its lowest point. 
Finally, adjust your bike's handlebars so that you can reach them with your elbows slightly bent. 
Supporting the biking community. 
If you're eager to start riding, Merida sponsors several community activities that help spread the love of biking. 
This past summer, they sponsored a bike DIY camp for youth in Taipei. 
Participants gained experience in bike assembly and maintenance as well as learned proper riding techniques. 
The company also encourages bicyclists to ride in 1919's annual charity bike event. 
Whether you're young or old, there's nothing like biking. 
Get out and pedal today! 
Biking is great for people of all ages. 
But before we get into our last section there, let's go back up and finish our section on getting the appropriate fit. 
We read: Move the seat until your leg is slightly bent when the pedal is at its lowest point. 
So we were talking about adjusting the seat. 
And here it's telling you how much to adjust. 
Move the seat until your leg is slightly bent. 
OK. Well, let's take a look at that word: slightly. 
That means just a little bit. OK. 
So you don't want your leg to be completely straight. 
It should be slightly bent. 
There should be a little bend in your knee. 
That's right, so not a large bend, either. 
You don't want your entire leg to be bent so that your knee is at a 90-degree angle. 
You want it just a little bit bent. 
You might use this in other different ways because it means a little bit, slightly. 
You could say he is slightly taller than his sister. 
So only a little bit taller. 
Or he is slightly out of shape. 
He needs to start exercising more. 
I'm slightly nervous. 
I have a speech I need to give, and I'm slightly nervous about that. 
Well, your leg should be slightly bent when the pedal is at its lowest point. 
And we see that word at the beginning of the sentence, to "move" the seat. 
I would probably use the word "raise" the seat or "lower" the seat. 
You can move it up and down. 
You raise it or lower the seat. 
That's right. 
And we continue reading. 
Finally, adjust your bike's handlebars so that you can reach them with your elbows slightly bent. 
So you want your leg to be slightly bent as well as your arms at the knees and at the elbows. 
And what else can we learn about biking? 
Of course we've learned all about different kinds of bikes, how to take care of your bike, getting the appropriate fit. 
And here we're talking about something completely different: Supporting the biking community. 
What is this all about? 
Well, it's very important. 
If you love to bike, you can do great things to support the biking community, 
which means other people who are out there riding and doing great things while they are riding their bikes. 
Now we continue reading here. 
If you're eager to start riding, Merida sponsors several community activities that help spread the love of biking. 
OK, so this company Merida, they sponsor all of these activities so that you can spread the love of biking. 
I like that phrase: the love of something. 
What do you love to do? 
You can turn that into a topic - the love of cooking. 
What else can you have the love of? 
Well, I have the love of animals. 
I love animals. 
And I love to learn about them. 
I love to talk about them and share the love of animals with others. 
Well, I enjoy acting. 
I love sharing about the love of acting with other people as well. 
What do you like to do? 
You can probably use this phrase to describe your love for it. 
All right. Do you have the love of biking? 
Well, Merida will sponsor activities so that you can spread the love of biking. 
That's right. 
And we have a great example of how they do this. 
This past summer, they sponsored a bike DIY camp for youth in Taipei. 
So they had this camp so that you could learn all about how to make your own bike. 
OK. DIY, of course, that stands for do it yourself. 
And we learn more here. 
Participants gained experience in bike assembly and maintenance as well as learned proper riding techniques. 
Well, let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: assembly. 
That means you are putting different pieces together. 
You're assembling them. 
That's right. 
So you can be educated in bicycle assembly. 
Maybe you want to learn about how to assemble a car. 
So you can take a class on car assembly. 
How do you put it together? 
OK. So of course if you are going to ride a bike, it's great to know how to ride a bike. 
But it's even better to know how that bike was made and how you can maintain it. OK. 
Maybe you want to take a course in bike assembly. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud all about bike etiquette. 
Sometimes in life when you go certain places or do certain things, you're expected to behave in a certain way. 
This is called etiquette. 
Now believe it or not, one of those things in life is exercising on your bicycle. 
Yes, there's a certain way to ride. 
It's called bike etiquette. 
At its core, bike etiquette means being mindful of others who share the road with you, including pedestrians, motorists and other bicyclists. 
Bike etiquette is very similar to driving etiquette. 
So whether you're biking in a park or on the street, obey the rules of the road just as you would if you were driving a car. 
Like look before making a turn. 
And where I live, one should always keep to the right so others can pass. 
Also, while you're riding, don't ever suddenly stop in the middle of the path. 
If you absolutely need to stop, pull off the path completely. 
That's the polite thing to do. 
And if you ride with a friend, you should ride in a single file, not side by side so others can pass you easily. 
Parents, teaching your kids bike etiquette is a good way, a great way to prepare them for driving a scooter or car. 
So start early. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
It's important to know how to ride with proper etiquette. 
And it's important to know the etiquette for many different activities. 
Well, we continue reading in our article. 
The company also encourages bicyclists to ride in 1919's annual charity bike event. 
So this is a very wonderful event that you can participate in each year. 
Well, are you a bicyclist? 
Do you enjoy riding your bike? 
Maybe you can also participate in 1919. 
And we're going to learn more about that later this month. 
But first, let's continue and finish this lesson here. 
Whether you're young or old, there's nothing like biking. 
That is great, Gabe. 
I love that phrase right there in this sentence: whether you're something or something. 
Whether you're young or old. 
Whether you're fast or slow. 
Whether you're a man or a woman, you can do many different things. 
That's right. 
Usually you use this phrase to compare two opposites: young and old, fast or slow, male and female, rich or poor. 
Whether you're rich or poor, you can still enjoy this. 
Whether you're happy or sad, you can still do this. 
Of course we hope that you are happy, but we want you to know how to use this phrase. 
Use it sometime today. 
That's right. 
And so, whether you're young or old, there is nothing like biking. 
There's nothing like it. 
Nothing can compare to it, so get out and pedal today. 
Well, before you get out and pedal today, we, of course, have more we want to do here at Studio Classroom. 
We have a review skit to enjoy and uh, something else. 
Uh, yes, Gabe. 
Do not forget! 
Michelle wants to continue teaching us in the Language Lab. 
So are you going to buy a bike or not? 
I'm still thinking. 
Oh, but I do have a question. 
Yes? 
If I do buy a bicycle, how do I take care of it? 
Oh, you mean bicycle maintenance? 
Yes. How much maintenance does a bicycle require? 
Well, before every ride, you should grease the chain. 
Well, OK. 
And check the tire pressure. 
Oh. OK. 
And test the brakes. 
Oh, all right. 
And if you do buy a new bicycle, bring it in for an inspection after several weeks. 
Well, OK. 
And if I do buy a bicycle, how do I get an appropriate fit? 
Choose a frame height that fits your body. 
Yeah! Good idea. 
Adjust the seat height so you feel comfortable while pedaling. 
Yeah. I want to be comfortable. 
Finally, adjust your... bike handlebars. 
Oh, handlebars. OK. 
Anything else? 
Yes. Join a biking community. 
A biking community? 
Yes. You can participate in activities that help spread the love of biking. 
That sounds like fun! 
It is! 
Whether you're young or old, there's nothing like biking. 
Hooray! I'll get out and pedal today... 
Great. 
... if I buy a bicycle. 
(Music). 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
Now let's see what our teachers are doing. 
We've been enjoying a great three-day article All About Bikes. 
And our article opened with a question: When did you first learn how to ride a bike? 
Gabe, how old were you when you first learned to ride a bike? 
I forget how old I was. 
I was probably 5 or 6 years old. 
I remember the bike, though. 
It was a little blue bike with blue tires, everything was blue. And it was really cool. 
When did you first learn how to ride a bike? 
Well, let's see, I don't remember how old I was, either. 
But I started off with training wheels on this red bike. 
And getting rid of those training wheels was very scary. 
In fact, I... uh... crashed into a telephone pole as I was learning how to ride without them. 
What, you did? 
Oh, yes. 
Oh. Wow! OK. Well, it can be kind of an exciting experience learning how to ride a bike for the first time. 
Well, when was the first time you rode a bike? 
Share about that experience. 
Thank you for joining us today and for this lesson All About Bikes. 
And of course, we have more to learn about 1919 next time here on Studio Classroom. 
See you.

2013.12.16.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
The name of our lesson is called 1919. 
It's a number. And this is actually a project or an event. 
It's a fundraising event that is put on every year by an organization that is out to save lives. 
Well, in this event 1919, actually it's a biking event. 
Have you ever participated in a biking event of any kind? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I actually haven't, but after reading this article, I would like to. 
They have a lot of different kinds of events for people who have all sorts of biking experience. 
So I think that I would be able to participate in at least one of these events, and it's for a great cause. 
Yes, it is. And actually I've actually participated in 1919's biking events before. 
And I love the idea of working alongside of them and helping them as they are out to save people who are in need. 
OK. Well, we're going to learn all about how they do this in our lesson. 
So let's get started. 
(Music). 
1919. 
Their motto - To save, to save. 
"Instead of just giving money, you can see how it's used and meet the people it helps. 
It doesn't take that much to be a blessing to others," says Steven Pan. 
Steven is one of the bicyclists in the "1919 Ride for Love" campaign. 
Started in 2002 as a project of the Chinese Christian Relief Association, the "1919 Ride for Love" serves the poorest of the poor. 
Three yearly biking events enable 1919 to raise awareness and funds. 
(Music). 
They do put on a lot of events that are very worthwhile. 
Now going back to the beginning here we see: Their motto - To save, to save. 
And you might be wondering, what kind of a motto is that, "To save, to save"? 
But Gabe, what does 1919 mean? 
Well, "1919" could sound like (Chinese) as well. 
And of course that, in Chinese, means to save or I need to be saved. 
(Chinese). 
So this organization is out to save. 
That's their motto - To save, to save. 
Ah, so they are trying to save people from the bad situations that they might find themselves in in life... 
because there are lots of bad things that happen, and they need to be saved. 
Well, before we get too far into our article, why don't we watch a video about the Chinese Christian Relief Association? 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
OK. So that was just a little introduction to this organization, the CCRA, or the Chinese Christian Relief Association. 
Well, we see a quote here right at the beginning of our lesson. 
"Instead of just giving money, you can see how it's used and meet the people it helps. 
It doesn't take that much to be a blessing to others," says Steven Pan. 
Wow! That is a great quote. 
And I think it is so true. 
It doesn't take that much to be a blessing to others. 
Now let's take a look at that phrase right there in the beginning of this sentence: 
It doesn't take much to do something. 
So if it doesn't take much, that means it's very easy, it's not hard or difficult or complicated. 
Right, Gabe? 
That's right. 
And you can add other words to this phrase. 
It doesn't take much time to do this task. 
It doesn't take much energy to get out and do that. 
It doesn't take much gas to drive from here to there. 
Think about other ways you can use this phrase. 
It doesn't take much to do something. 
Well, it doesn't take much to show you care. 
And it doesn't take that much to be a blessing to others. 
And blessing is another great word that we want to look at. 
Something that is a blessing is something good, something that you are very grateful to have. 
And it makes me think of blessings from God, the good things that He gives us. 
That's right. 
And of course we often talk about counting our blessings. 
If ever you're having a bad day, and you're not sure what's going on in life, well, of course it's important to count your blessings. 
Think about the good things that are going on in your life. 
And of course this word can also be an adjective. 
You could talk about being blessed or feeling blessed. 
And you know, I think it's really important to pray that you will be a blessing to other people wherever you go. 
I think that is very true as well. 
And this was a quote. 
And we learn a little bit about the person who said it. 
Steven is one of the bicyclists in "1919 Ride for..." in the "1919 Ride for Love" campaign. 
Well, hey, we have a word right there from our Word Bank: campaign. 
Now what is a campaign? 
There are many different kinds of campaigns. 
That is a joint effort to do something or to promote some kind of idea. 
It makes me think of The One campaign, which was started by Bono, the lead singer of U2. 
And this is a campaign to fight extreme poverty. 
So that's one kind of campaign. 
But there are many different kinds of campaigns out there. 
There are many kinds of campaigns. 
And a campaign could be political as well as social. 
Politicians will start a campaign. 
Maybe they want to raise money for their election or they want to raise awareness about a certain issue that is important to them. 
Well, we saw a word in that sentence there: bicyclist. 
And Steve and Ken have some information for us about that in the Info Cloud. 
If you ride a bicycle, you can call yourself a bicyclist. 
But don't say you're a biker. 
Why not? 
Isn't bike a short form of bicycle, you ask? 
Well, bike is also a short form of motorbike. 
So a biker, to most people, is a motorcycle rider. 
Now there's also the term cyclist, which refers to someone who's into cycling. 
And cycling is a short form of bicycling. 
So by definition, bicyclist and cyclist are the same. 
But there is a certain connotation that comes with the word cycling. 
When I hear "cycling," I think of Tour de France or very serious bicycling. 
Me too, Ken. 
Now most everyday people who ride a bike tend not to think of themselves as cyclists. 
More often, it's a word that applies to professionals and people more serious about riding than they are. 
Right. 
A cyclist refers to a roadie or someone who rides a road bike. 
And he's always dressed in a skin-tight jersey covered in logos and wears a teardrop helmet. 
Bicyclist, on the other hand, is more encompassing. 
It includes anyone who rides a bicycle for transportation or pleasure. 
A bicyclist may be wearing street clothes when he rides his bike, but not a cyclist. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, are you a bicyclist or a cyclist? 
OK, let's continue here learning about 1919. 
Started in 2002 as a project of the Chinese Christian Relief Association, the 1919, or "1919 Ride for Love" serves the poorest of the poor. 
The poorest of the poor, OK. 
So they serve people in need. 
Yes, they do. 
And we have a great video with Steven Pan in it. 
Let's watch that now. 
(Background Noise). 
I'm ready to go. 
(Chinese). 
(Music). 
All right. Well, in case you're wondering who Steven Pan is, he was the one that looked in the camera and said: I'm ready to go. 
OK, so that's who we have been quoting so far today in our lesson. 
Now let's continue learning about 1919. 
Three yearly biking events enable 1919 to raise awareness and funds. 
OK, so this is a fundraising event. 
It raises funds. 
That's right. 
And right now it is time for us to raise our awareness and our English-speaking ability by learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.16.B

Today we're beginning a lesson called 1919. 
And we have a lot to learn about this project, this fundraising event put on by the Chinese Christian Relief Association. 
And of course this organization is out to help the poorest of the poor. 
So far we've learned from one person who takes part in the 1919 events, Steven Pan. 
And of course he says it doesn't take much to be a blessing to others. 
Well, let's continue learning right now. 
(Music). 
1919. 
"Accompany Riding". 
On eight Saturdays from October through December, "Accompany Riding" events take place. 
Each event is around 25 kilometers. 
A total of 10,000 people participate. 
The entire family can join the fun. 
"The Challenge". 
The first Saturday in October around 1,000 riders bike 30 kilometers and engage in activities from rope climbing to scavenger hunts. 
The "Ride for Love". 
From December 22 to January 4, 38 people will ride around the island. 
These biking enthusiasts raise at least NT$75,000 each to participate. 
Plus, they pay NT$30,000 for food and hotels. 
They stop twice a day at supported villages and are always met with a hearty welcome. 
"Meeting kids in countryside villages with basically nothing is a very moving experience," states Steven. 
Well, these are some wonderful events that are put on by 1919 each year. 
And the first one we see here is Accompany Riding. 
Now right there in that title, "accompany" is a word from our Word Bank. 
Now if you accompany something, that means you go along with it. 
You are part of doing that event or participating in some way. 
Now sometimes you might use this word to mean go with me somewhere. 
So for instance, I'm going to the store, I need to get some groceries. 
Can you accompany me to the store? 
Can you go with me to the store? 
Or who will accompany you in 1919's Accompany Riding event? 
We read: On eight Saturdays from October through December, "Accompany Riding" events take place. 
OK, so these events happen. They take place. 
And each event is around 25 kilometers. 
So that's not a short distance, but it's something that I think you can do. 
A total of 10,000 people participate. 
It's also not a small event. 
Lots of people are joining in the fun. 
That's right. The entire family can join the fun. 
So this is a huge event that everyone can enjoy. 
And a lot of people do enjoy if there are 10,000 participants each year. 
OK, so that was the Accompany Ride. 
And now there's something a little more difficult - The Challenge. 
The first Saturday in October around 1,000 riders bike 30 kilometers and engage in activities from rope climbing to scavenger hunts. 
So it's not just a simple bike ride, there are a lot of other things involved. 
And that is why it is the challenge. 
It is not just riding a bike. 
And they're not riding for a short distance, either. 
They are going 30 kilometers, and then there's rope climbing and scavenger hunts. 
This is not an easy activity, so you need to be prepared if you want to join "The Challenge". 
And actually last year I did join "The Challenge." It wasn't just a 30-kilometer ride. 
It was 80 kilometers on top of these other activities. 
We did a scavenger hunt and we built a raft out of big tubs and ropes and bamboo poles. 
And we had to ride across a lake on a raft that we made. 
It was a lot of fun! 
And it also sounds very challenging. 
Well, we have another one here, another great event: the Ride for Love. 
From December 22 to January 4, 38 people will ride around the island. 
So all around the island of Taiwan. 
OK, so 38 people. 
That's not a large amount of people, but it seems like these people are up for a challenge. 
These biking enthusiasts raise at least NT$75,000 each to participate. 
All right. They raise this money each to participate. 
That's a lot of money they need to raise. 
It is. Plus, they pay NT$30,000 for food and hotels. 
They stop twice a day at supported villages and are always met with a hearty welcome. 
Well, let's talk about that hearty word there. 
The word is "hearty." And that is something that describes you putting your whole heart into something. 
It's not half-hearted. 
It's not like they're saying: Oh, hi. Welcome to our town. 
No. It's a hearty welcome. 
Welcome to our town! 
We're so glad you're here. 
That's a hearty welcome. 
It is. It should be friendly and enthusiastic. 
And we have another quote: 
"Meeting kids in countryside villages with basically nothing is a very moving experience," states Steven. 
And it would be a very moving experience. 
Well, right now it's time for us to continue learning with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym, friends. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article we see this sentence: 
Meeting kids in countryside villages with basically nothing is a very moving experience. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the phrase: moving experience. 
Here the word "moving" means with very strong feelings, often times to the point of crying. 
So a moving experience is an experience that involves strong feelings. 
And in the case of today's sentence, 
it just means meeting kids in the countryside villages with basically nothing is an experience that can make a person feel very sad. 
Where else can a person have a moving experience? 
Sometimes you see people cry in movie theaters because the story or message is very powerful. 
Then we can say: Watching movies can be a moving experience. 
Or: It was a moving experience watching the bride and groom express their gratitude to their parents. 
If you turn to today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine, you'll find more examples there. 
And that's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
(Chinese). 
And now, back to our lesson. 
We've talked about three great events today that are all part of the 1919 campaign. 
Now I wonder, do any of these events interest you? 
Would you want to participate? Gabe? 
Well, as I shared before, I have participated in The Challenge, and I really enjoyed it. 
I want to do it again and maybe do some different activities in the future, like rock climbing... maybe that's an option. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, I really like the idea of Accompany Riding. 
It sounds like a really fun experience with 10,000 other people. 
Well, if you are interested in participating, you can find the dates and locations for those events on page 33 of your magazine. 
All right. 
Well, of course we have a lot more to learn about 1919 next time, so please return and join us here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then.

2013.12.17.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today as we continue to learn about 1919, 
this project, this fundraising event that the Chinese Christian Relief Association puts on every year. 
Actually, they put on many of these events every year. 
And it is a bike riding event that is put on basically to help poor people or people who are in need. 
Now have you ever been involved in any of this kind of work, any relief work? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I was involved in some relief work that's similar to what we'll be talking about in our lesson today. 
After the big tsunami that hit Japan, there was a big call for donations and fundraising to help the people that were suffering, 
who had lost their homes and were just dealing with so many different things. 
And so I actually put on a bake sale and helped raise money to donate to that effort. 
All right. 
That is a creative way to get involved in some kind of relief work, a way to help make people's lives easier after a disaster. 
That's what relief work is. 
OK, so 1919 does this, 1919. 
So let's get started. 
Let's continue to learn about 1919. 
(Music). 
1919. 
The "1919 Relief and Service Network" can be found throughout the island of Taiwan. 
All of the 1,000 churches involved help with one or more of the following programs. 
Disaster relief program. 
In a matter of minutes, earthquakes and floods can destroy not only people's homes but everything they have. 
In times of disaster, people have found help and support through this program. 
Emergency family relief program. 
What does an already poor family do when it doesn't qualify for government help but runs into an emergency situation? 
(Music). 
All right. Let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here. 
We read: 
The "1919 Relief and Service Network" can be found throughout the island of Taiwan. 
All right. 
So it's not just in one city, not just Taipei where you can read or know about 1919, but it's all over the island of Taiwan. 
That's right. 
It can be found throughout, so not just in one place but throughout the whole island. 
All of the 1,000 churches involved help with one or more of the following programs. 
So this is a huge network that assists with the 1919 programs. 
And there are many different programs that they can be involved with. 
And I think this is great - all of these churches are getting involved. 
Well, one of these programs is disaster relief. OK. 
We read about the disaster relief program. 
And right there in that little title, we see a word from our Word Bank: disaster. 
This is something horrible, something terrible that happens. 
Often it is unplanned, it's unexpected - a disaster. 
That's right. 
And a lot of times the news we will hear about natural disasters: 
forest fires that are burning down areas or earthquakes that hit or tsunamis or hurricanes, typhoons... 
Those are all natural disasters. 
OK, so that's a natural disaster. 
But this word can be used to talk about other smaller things as well. 
Maybe you planned a party, and you thought it would be really great. 
But it didn't go as planned. 
Actually, it turned out horrible. 
You could say it was a disaster. 
The party was a disaster. 
Nothing went as planned. 
Well, I hope that does not happen to you. 
And if you are faced with a disaster, 1919 may be there to help. 
We read: 
In a matter of minutes, earthquakes and floods can destroy not only people's homes but everything they have. 
This is very true. 
When a natural disaster strikes, something you don't plan, it can destroy everything in just a matter of minutes. 
And that's something we want to talk about, that phrase: in a matter of something (a period of time). 
You could say: In a matter of seconds, something happened. 
Or as we read here: in a matter of minutes. 
This reminds me of what happened on 911 in the United States. 
When planes crashed into the Twin Towers, they came down in a matter of minutes. 
That means it didn't take that long for them to crash down. 
That was a big disaster. 
But how else can you use this phrase: in a matter of something? 
Well, it's used to show that something didn't take very long to happen. 
And so maybe something might usually take 10 years, but it only took 2 or 3. 
So you could also use it to say in a matter of years. 
So if you think about maybe starting a business, you might think it takes 5 years to really get established. 
But in a matter of years, maybe just two years, he was able to get everything under control. 
All right. And of course that's a great thing to have something under control in just a matter of years. 
But it's a horrible thing to have your lives destroyed by natural disasters in a matter of seconds or minutes. 
Well, it's time for us to learn something with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud about unforeseen circumstances like disasters. 
Whether or not you believe in God, we need to understand what acts of God are, especially if you own property. 
"Acts of God" is, in fact, a legal term that's mostly found in contracts. 
It covers any unpredictable event caused by natural forces that cannot be controlled, like earthquakes or floods. 
Right. Acts of God is often a clause in an insurance policy. 
It basically deals with unforeseen circumstances or unpredictable events. 
If your home suffers damage as a result of an act of God such as an earthquake, 
you should immediately contact your home owner's insurance company to determine whether the damage will be covered. 
Another term we often hear is contingency, which refers to an accident or emergency. 
It's a good idea to always have a contingency plan, a plan or procedure that we can put into action if an emergency occurs. 
So a contingency plan is an emergency plan, which is something that we might use as a backup should a worst-case scenario occur. 
A scenario is like a story. 
But in this case, a scenario refers to an outline of a sequence of events. 
And a worst-case scenario is a situation where everything that can go wrong does go wrong. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
It is always difficult when we are faced with unforeseen circumstances. 
But as we continue reading: 
In times of disaster, people have found help and support through this program - so the disaster relief program that 1919 puts on. 
All right. And of course this is in times of disaster. 
You could use that phrase "in times of" in other ways as well. 
Often I hear this phrase when people are talking about times of war, when there are a lot of battles going on and people and countries are fighting each other. 
And of course we all hope and love the times of peace in our lives. 
OK. But of course sometimes there might be times of disaster. 
And that's when 1919 steps in. 
That's right. 
And we learn about another great relief program that they have: the emergency family relief program. 
And we are faced with a question. 
What does an already poor family do when it doesn't qualify for government help but runs into an emergency situation? 
It can be very serious. 
And we see a word there from our Word Bank: qualify. 
Now if you qualify for something, that means that you meet the requirements to get something. 
OK. For example, in a positive way, maybe you are running in a race or you want to participate in a race. 
But you need to run at a certain speed in order to qualify for that race. OK. 
So you want to qualify to enter the race or to enter into the Olympics. 
You need to qualify. 
That's right. 
Well, we will get back to answering this question after we spend some time with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.17.B

Today we are continuing to learn all about 1919 and the programs that they put on. 
Today so far we've talked about two: 
the disaster relief program which helps people when they are in need after a disaster strikes, 
and the second one, the emergency family relief program. 
And what... what do they do? 
How can they help? 
Let's read a story and finish up our lesson for today. 
(Music). 
1919. 
Ming-chung owns a small steamed-bun business in the south. 
He developed diabetes and then had several heart operations. 
As a result, he ended up with countless medical bills to pay, as well as rent and his children's tuition. 
Thankfully, 1919 stepped in and helped this family survive for several months while Ming-chung was unable to work. 
The food bank. 
The 1919 Food Bank opened in 2011 and now serves nearly 4,000 families. 
Everyday staples such as soap, rice and oil are donated by individuals, factories or companies. 
Volunteers package these items, which are then distributed every two months to those in need. 
(Music). 
Well, I'm grateful for what the food bank here does. 
OK, let's go back to the beginning and look at this story more closely. 
We're learning about a person named Ming-chung. OK. 
Ming-chung owns a small steamed-bun business in the south. 
All right. 
Well, I enjoy steamed buns, and I hope that his business is going well. 
But what happened to him? 
Well, tragedy struck. We read: 
He developed diabetes and then had several heart operations. 
So this is a very difficult thing to go through. 
When you develop diabetes, it can be very serious. 
And then having several heart operations on top of that would make life very difficult, especially if you're trying to run your own business. 
All right. So what happened? 
Well, as a result, he ended up with countless medical bills to pay, as well as rent and his children's tuition. 
All right. So he's responsible for a lot of things. 
He needs to pay for a lot of things. 
Um... and he ended up with countless medical bills. 
If you use the phrase "to end up" like this, it's kind of a negative thing. 
I ended up with these bills. 
Or I ended up paying the bill at the restaurant for everybody. 
Or maybe you could say, uh, she was hoping for a ride home, but she ended up walking home after school. 
Yes. So it's the end result is not something good. 
But we do see a word there from our Word Bank in the sentence: tuition. 
He had to pay his children's tuition. 
And tuition is the money that you pay for classes, usually college or high school if you go to a school where you must pay tuition. 
But many schools are also free. 
OK. So what's one question you might need to consider or something you need to think about when you want to go to a school? 
You need to ask the question: 
What is the tuition? 
Can you afford the intuition? 
Can you pay to go to that school? 
All right. 
And so Ming-chung, he has his own business, he has medical bills to pay and he also has to pay for his kids' tuition. 
He's got a lot of things to take care of. 
But we continue reading: 
Thankfully, 1919 stepped in and helped this family survive for several months while Ming-chung was unable to work. 
So this is really great news - 1919 was able to help him during this very difficult time. 
That's right. 
We read here an interesting phrase: they stepped in. 
All right. Let's take a look at that. 
When you step in somewhere, that means you get involved. 
You weren't involved before, but now you stepped in. 
You got yourself involved, and hopefully you're helping people. 
That's right. 
So usually when you step in, it is to be helpful. 
Maybe two of your friends are arguing, and you step in before it becomes a fight. 
You want to help them come to a peaceful conclusion so that they aren't arguing anymore. 
And here 1919 stepped in to help Ming-chung and his family when they were trying to pay for so many expensive bills. 
That's right. So they stepped in to help the family survive. 
Now survive can mean many things. 
Sometimes it means that you might live or die, you need to survive. 
But here, I don't think they're going to die. 
I just think they were having a really difficult time and they needed to survive through this time, uh, with positive spirits. 
And that's what 1919 helped to do. 
Well, right now it's time for us to watch a video. 
I think many people are very thankful for 1919. 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
It's wonderful to express thanks for something that is just so helpful and so wonderful. 
Well, we continue learning about another program that 1919 includes: the food bank. 
The 1919 food bank opened in 2011 and now serves nearly 4,000 families. 
So not 4,000 people but families. 
That's right. They serve a lot of people. 
All right. Well, you know what a bank is, right? 
It's a place where you can save your money. 
But of course here we're talking about a food bank. 
There's lots of food to provide many families with. 
And we read here: 
Everyday staples such as soap, rice and oil are donated by individuals, factories or companies. 
Um, staple, Carolyn. 
I use a stapler to um, keep my pieces of paper together? 
No, no. A staple is something that is just a basic need. 
So these are all things that people need on a daily basis in order to have a healthy life. 
And we continue reading who is involved. 
Volunteers package these items, which are then distributed every two months to those in need. 
All right. Well, I'm grateful for volunteers. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: volunteer. 
That is someone who helps to serve in some way without getting paid. 
This can be a noun or a verb. 
You can volunteer to do something. 
That's right. 
So volunteers help with a lot of different events, especially relief programs or charities. 
There are lots of volunteers involved. 
Are you a volunteer? 
Would you like to be one? 
Think about it. Talk about it in English. 
And right now it is time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And it's time to hear more from our teachers. 
So far today we've learned about different ways that 1919 helps people in need. 
We've learned about their disaster relief program, emergency family relief program. 
And of course, they also have a food bank. 
Well, what other ways can you help people who are in need? 
Get creative. 
What are some other ways that you can help? 
Carolyn, can you think of any? 
Well, I think if you personally want to help, being a volunteer is a great way to start. 
And then it can connect you to other organizations and maybe give you your own ideas of how you can help or start your own organization. 
All right. So get creative. 
Think of your own ways that you can help people who are in a bad situation. 
Well, we have more to learn about 1919 next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you then. 
(Music).

2013.12.18.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We continue learning about 1919. 
We have a lot more to learn from today's program. 
But so far, what do you remember about 1919? 
Of course it is a program, a fundraising event put on by the Chinese Christian Relief Association. 
And their goal is to help save the poorest of the poor, people who are in need. 
And so of course they have these biking events arranged every year - the Accompany Ride, the Challenge, and of course, the Ride for Love. 
All right. What else did we learn about 1919? 
Well, yesterday we learned all about their relief programs and the way that they use those funds to help people in need. 
So they have a disaster relief program, an emergency family relief program when you're faced with an emergency situation. 
And they even have a food bank to help those who can't meet basic needs. 
And we're going to learn about one other program in today's lesson, so let's get started. 
(Music). 
1919. 
After-school program for disadvantaged children. 
These young children are usually on their own after school. 
They come from broken homes, homes with working parents or no parents and homes with only a grandparent. 
Homes like these can provide only the basic necessities, meaning no after-school programs. 
These kids find hope in one of 1919's 204 after-school programs conducted in churches around the island. 
The program's first goal is to help the children finish their homework. 
The teachers found that the program raises kids' confidence and helps them stay in school. 
(Music). 
We are learning all about a very wonderful program that is designed for disadvantaged children. 
We read: After-school program for disadvantaged children. 
And right there in the title of this section we see a word from our Word Bank: disadvantaged. 
Now if you are disadvantaged or someone is disadvantaged, 
that means that there's something going on that puts them at a not-as-good of a place as other people. 
Maybe they don't have as much money, so they don't have the same opportunities as their peers. 
All right. Well, you might notice "disadvantage" in that word disadvantaged. 
So this word can be a noun as well. 
You might have a disadvantage, which stops you from being as successful as other people in a certain area. 
So we're talking about people have a disadvantage in some way. 
Or maybe you need to overcome some things and overcome your disadvantages in some ways so that you can be more successful. 
That's right. 
So this is a program that is directed toward disadvantaged children. 
Now before we continue talking about it, we want to watch another video. 
Let's start that now. 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
OK, so let's get started learning about this after-school program. 
These young children are usually on their own after school. 
All right. They're on their own. 
That means that they have to take care of themselves. 
There's nobody else there to take care of them. 
Now how do we continue? 
Well, we read why this happens. 
They come from broken homes, homes with working parents or no parents and homes with only a grandparent. 
So these are children from very difficult situations. 
And we see this phrase right there, two words: 
a "broken home." Now a broken home is one in which the mother and father have gotten a divorce and no longer live together, 
so there's probably just one parent that the child is able to see on a regular basis. 
OK, so that is one of these situations. 
Some kids come from broken homes. 
But there are other situations listed here. 
Maybe uh, the homes where the parents are both out working very late. 
Or maybe there's a home where there's only a grandparent living there when the child comes home from school. 
OK, so there are different situations that this after-school program tries to help. 
That's right. And we continue reading: 
Homes like these can provide only the basic necessities, meaning no after-school programs. 
It's very common for students in Taiwan to attend after-school programs, 
but those cost money, and these families can't afford to send their kids there. 
OK. So what do we find out? 
These kids find hope in one of 1919's 204 after-school programs conducted in churches around the island. 
OK, so all around the island of Taiwan there are 204 churches that are helping 1919 with this after-school program. 
And that is great news because they're able to help these kids who can't afford to go to other after-school programs. 
Now before we continue learning about all of the wonderful things that this program includes, 
let's join Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud for a little more insight on latchkey kids. 
Our lesson today mentions young children who are on their own after school because their parents have to work. 
We actually have a name for these children: latchkey kids. 
This term refers to the latchkey of a door to a house. 
And the key is often strung around the child's neck like a necklace or it's left hidden outside the house. 
And the child would use this key to open the front door and let himself into the house where he'll wait for the return of a parent. 
Now there are both positive and negative effects to being a latchkey kid. 
On the positive side, latchkey kids tend to be more independent and self-reliant at a younger age. 
But on the flip side, latchkey kids may feel lonely and depressed, leading to lower levels of self-esteem than other students. 
It all depends on the age of the latchkey kid and the length of time he or she is home alone. 
So if you're a parent and you can't be home for your child when he or she comes home from school, 
you should think twice before you allow your child to become a latchkey kid. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. OK. 
So as we have just learned, many kids find hope in 1919's after-school programs. 
OK, it's good to find hope in these kinds of things when life is difficult. 
Well, the program's first goal is to help the children finish their homework. 
I'm sure the program has many goals, but that's their number one priority - helping you to finish your homework. 
And that is great, especially if they don't have parents at home that are able to help them do that, 
parents who are out working or a single-parent home or grandparents who might not be able to assist them with their homework. 
And they have teachers here that are able to do just that. 
And we continue reading about the teachers. 
The teachers found that the program raises kids' confidence and helps them stay in school. 
Very important. 
OK. So many teachers are involved in these programs. 
And they've been doing this for a while, so long that they have found or discovered something. 
They found that these programs raise children's confidence. 
Well, have you ever experienced that when you watch someone's confidence go from being very low to being good, being high or a high level of confidence? 
It's important to help people raise their confidence. 
It is. 
And it's also very important to encourage students to stay in school, especially kids who are coming from homes where maybe their parents didn't finish school. 
It's great to be able to encourage them, to give them hope and show them that they can do this and that they have more opportunities and options. 
OK. Well, right now it's time for Michelle to teach us something in the Language Lab. 
But we have more to learn about 1919 later. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.18.B

Have you ever wondered how you can help with relief work? 
Maybe they... maybe there's a skill that you have, some way that you can volunteer to help other people who are in need. 
Maybe you are really good at a certain subject, and you can help to tutor someone in an after-school program. 
Well, 1919 has this kind of after-school program in 24... or 204 different churches around the island of Taiwan. 
They're doing a great thing. 
Let's continue learning now. 
(Music). 
1919. 
Basic life skills such as bathing and good character traits, including honesty and respect, are also taught. 
Music, arts and crafts are included. 
The community helps by donating vegetables or rice to ensure the students receive a nutritious meal. 
The kids wash the dishes afterwards. 
The teachers visit each child's home to offer help if needed. 
In 2010, this program was extended to junior high students. 
"Collecting donations of any amount from friends and relatives is fulfilling. 
People give $1,000, $5,000 or more or less. 
Put together, it all adds up and helps tremendously," states Steven. 
(Music). 
There is a lot that can be done to help people who are in need. 
So let's continue reading about this program. 
We read: 
Basic life skills such as bathing and good character traits, including honesty and respect, are also taught. 
So not only our students help with their homework but they learn a lot of very important things like good character traits. 
Now that is from our Word Bank. 
Gabe, what are character traits? 
Well, anything that describes your character is character traits. 
And of course, we hope to develop good or positive character traits. 
Some great character traits I think that we should all have are patience, diligence, responsibility, humor, courage. 
You want to have enthusiasm about the things that you're doing. 
These are all great character traits. 
Those are good character traits. 
And some of the character traits that are taught in this program are honesty and respect. 
But that is not all that is taught here. 
They do homework. 
They do character traits. 
Bathing, good hygiene, those are important. 
And we read: Music, arts and crafts are also included... or are included. 
So there are a lot of activities for these students to enjoy in this after-school program. 
All right. And we read here: 
The community helps by donating vegetables or rice to ensure the students receive a nutritious meal. 
The community. 
Now I'm not sure if this just means the community of the people inside the churches, 
or maybe the community in those neighborhoods are also giving to these kids in need. 
That's right. 
And we see a word from our Word Bank in that sentence, the word ensure. 
Now if you ensure something, then you guarantee that it will happen. 
There's no question. 
You want to make sure that something happens. 
And here they want to ensure that these kids are able to get a good, nutritious meal, that they won't be lacking in their nutrition. 
OK. And what else can you ensure in life? 
Well, of course if you order something online, the company will usually ensure that it will arrive safely at your house within a certain number of days. OK. 
So there are different ways to... use that word ensure. 
And of course, this program ensures that students receive nutritious meals, meals with a lot of nutritional value. 
That's right. 
So these kids will be able to stay healthy. 
And we continue reading. 
The kids wash the dishes afterward. 
So not all of the work is placed on the teachers. 
They're also teaching these children how to be responsible and clean up after themselves by washing the dishes after the meal. 
But that's not all. OK. 
We continue learning about these teachers and their big hearts. 
The teachers visit each child's home to offer help if needed. 
All right. So it seems like these teachers really do care a lot for these kids. 
They don't just help them at the church in an after-school program. 
They also go to the kids' homes to see if they need help there. 
This is very impressive considering many of these teachers are actually volunteers. 
Now we continue reading: 
In 2010, this program was extended to junior high students. 
So this isn't a program that's just for young children. 
It's also including junior high students now. 
OK. And we have one more quote here from Steven Pan: 
Collecting donations of any amount from friends and relatives is fulfilling. 
People give $1,000, $5,000 or more or less. 
And put together, it all adds up and helps tremendously. 
All right, so it adds up. 
Let's take a look at that phrase. 
If something adds up, that means maybe you have just a little bit here, a little bit there and a little bit there, but added together, it makes a difference. 
That's right. 
So a lot of times I think of this when you save your change. 
If you collect your change in a jar throughout the year, it can really add up. 
You can save a lot of money that way, and then treat yourself to something nice. 
Now that is a great thing to do. 
Now of course you might also be in the habit of spending a lot of money but you don't even know it. 
Maybe you buy a cup of coffee every day, and you think it's not much money. 
But then it all adds up after you think about the whole year and how much you spend on the coffee. 
So you want to make a positive difference in your life, not a negative difference. 
That's right. 
And we see another word there in this sentence from our Word Bank: tremendously. 
Now tremendously means extremely, greatly, a lot. 
So here it means that the donations people make help a lot or in an extreme way. 
And I am tremendously encouraged by what the CCRA, the Chinese Christian Relief Association, does with the 1919 programs. 
And of course I think many people are also encouraged. 
Let's watch a video right now, and then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Chinese). 
Pay it forward with love. 
(Chinese). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what the teachers are doing. 
We have read a lot about 1919 and all of the programs that it includes: 
bike programs, after-school programs and relief programs. 
Now I wonder, would you be interested in getting involved in any of these? Gabe? 
Well, yeah! You know, I've already done some of the bike programs. 
I really enjoyed that. 
I have not done the Ride for Love. 
And that's when Steven said he got to meet a lot of people who were helped through 1919. 
I would be interested in doing that and also helping out with the disaster relief program. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, I wouldn't mind getting involved in the after-school program for disadvantaged children. 
I think it seems like a really worthwhile way to spend my time. 
I think so, too. 
Well, what about you? 
Which one of these programs seems most appealing to you? 
There are so many ways to get involved to help people who need it. 
Thank you for joining us today. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.12.19.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're going to be talking all about coffee. 
Our lesson is called Coffee Culture. 
And there are some different things you need to learn, different words you need to know if you're going to order coffee the correct way. 
All about coffee culture. 
Well, do you like coffee? 
Many people love coffee; some people don't. 
Carolyn, do you like coffee or not? 
Well, I think it's OK occasionally. 
I don't drink it every day, but my dad drinks an entire pot of coffee every morning and my sister can't stand the smell. 
OK. Well, everyone has different opinions about coffee. 
You know, I think your dad and my dad would get along really well because my dad also loves coffee. 
There was a point in time where he was a little addicted to it. 
It's not good to be addicted to anything, but I know lots of people are addicted to coffee. 
They love coffee. 
What about you? 
Do you like coffee? 
Well, it's important to learn the language that you need to know to order coffee. 
Let's get started with our lesson for today. 
(Music). 
Coffee Culture. 
Learn the language you need to order coffee. 
Could you order coffee in English or would you become tongue-tied? 
If you would, you might need a lesson in coffee language. 
Size. 
If you order a small, medium or large coffee, they'll know what you mean. 
But you'll be considered an amateur. 
Instead, ask for a "tall," "grande" or "venti.". 
Coffee names. 
Espresso: a strong coffee made by forcing hot water through ground coffee beans. 
Espresso Creme: espresso served with an ounce of cream. 
(Music). 
Those kinds of coffee sound delicious. 
We have more to learn, of course, later. 
But let's go back to the top of the lesson for today. 
We read: Learn the language you need to order coffee. 
The language that you need... 
We're speaking English, right, Carolyn? 
Yes. Well, when you are speaking in any language, 
there are certain terms and phrases that can be very specific to doing certain things like ordering coffee. 
Coffee has its own language. 
And if you don't speak the language of coffee, people might find it a little bit strange. 
That's right. 
Well, you could talk about the language of other areas of life, too, like music. 
Musicians from around the world need to know musical terms. 
Or science. 
If you're going to be a good scientist, you need to learn lots of things in Latin. 
All right. So you need to learn the language that you need to order coffee, if you want to know about coffee. 
Well, we have more to learn with Steve and Ken right now in the Information Cloud. 
Just like when you order a cold drink at a tea stand, you need to answer a few questions when you order a coffee at a coffee shop. 
Right, because you'll likely be asked: How do you take your coffee? 
And that just means what you'd like to put in your coffee, if anything. 
Do you take sugar, milk or cream? 
If you're like me, you can say you prefer your coffee with cream and sugar. 
How about you, Ken? 
I prefer nothing. 
Just give it to me black so I can enjoy everything the bean has to offer. 
Then you're a purist. 
Drinking it black is an acquired taste, and I, for one, haven't acquired it. 
No worries. 
There are as many ways to take your coffee as there are kinds of people. 
Some people even take it with a dash of salt. 
OK, let's look at another frequently asked question when we order coffee. 
Would you like regular or decaf? 
In this case, regular means coffee that has caffeine in it, while decaf does not. 
And decaf is short for decaffeinated, meaning the caffeine has been removed from the coffee beans. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, Gabe, I have a question for you. 
How do you take your coffee? 
Well, it's a good question, Carolyn. 
Actually, I take my coffee black. 
I usually don't like to add anything to my coffee. 
Of course, as was mentioned in the Information Cloud, it's an acquired taste. 
That means you have to get used to it. 
But that's how I take my coffee, Carolyn. 
Ah, well, very good, Gabe. 
I also take my coffee black when I drink it. 
Now continuing in the article: 
Could you order coffee in English or would you become tongue-tied? 
You aren't sure what to say and you stutter over your words. 
That's a good question, and that's a good word to know if you're tongue-tied. 
Well, this reminds me of an idiom that we use in English sometimes. 
If you notice that someone is having a hard time speaking - they're not sure what to say, you can say: Cat got your tongue? 
I'm not sure where this idiom came from, but the idea is that a cat has your tongue. 
You're not sure what to say. 
Cat got your tongue? 
Or are you tongue-tied? 
You're just very nervous, and you can't get the words out of your mouth. 
So, if you would, you might need a lesson in coffee language. 
So if you think you would be tongue-tied, then this lesson will be very helpful for you. 
Well, let's get started here. 
The first section is called Size. 
And we read here: 
If you order a small, medium or large coffee, they'll know what you mean. 
But you'll be considered an amateur. 
Well, they'll know what you mean if you use the words small, medium or large. 
But what do we read here, Carolyn? 
Well, you'll be considered an amateur. 
So they'll understand what you're talking about, small, medium, large, but you are an amateur. 
That means that you are not a professional. 
Amateurs lack skill or knowledge. 
It's true. 
Now you are an amateur in maybe different areas of life. 
Maybe you don't really know much about something. 
Of course if you have a lot of skill, then you are a professional. 
So what about you? 
Are you an amateur in something or do you need to learn more about something? 
Well, you could use this word amateur, you can add "i-s-h," and then it becomes an adjective, amateurish. 
You could talk about something being amateurish. 
It was an amateurish performance, not a professional performance. 
Ah, very good, well. 
We don't want you to be amateurs when you are ordering coffee. 
So instead, ask for a "tall," "grande" or "venti," so. 
These are small, medium and large become tall, grande and venti. 
Well, let's continue now learning about coffee names. 
And the first one here is espresso. 
Do you know what espresso is? 
A strong coffee made by forcing hot water through ground coffee beans. 
Now when you say this word espresso, make sure you don't make that sound like an X. OK. 
It's not expresso, it's espresso. 
That is right. 
And you may hear a lot of people, a lot of native speakers of English make that mistake and they say expresso. 
But it is not. There is no X, only an S. So it is espresso. 
Now right there describing espresso: ground coffee beans. 
And ground, we see the word "grind" in our Word Bank. 
If you grind something, that means that you make it into a very fine powder. 
You take something and you grind it up. 
And I usually think of coffee when I think of grinding. 
OK. You grind these coffee beans, and so it becomes what we call coffee grounds. 
Now what else can you grind? 
Well, you could grind wheat into flour. 
Flour is basically just wheat that has been ground. 
That's right. 
You could also grind cinnamon so that you have cinnamon powder to put in your coffee or put on top, and maybe nutmeg powder as well. 
Well, what else can you see? 
What other words can you use when you're ordering coffee? 
Espresso Creme. All right. 
This is espresso served with an ounce of cream. 
Creme, cream. OK. 
You can see it's easy to remember here. 
It's served with an ounce of cream. 
An ounce is one sixteenth of a pound, so it's really not very much. 
That's right. 
It is just a small amount of cream added to your espresso, your very strong coffee. 
Well, right now it is time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.19.B

Today's lesson will give you the language you need to order coffee. 
We don't want you to sound like an amateur when you are ordering your favorite drink, 
so we are giving you some very common terms for ordering coffee. 
So far we've learned two: espresso and espresso creme. 
Well, there is much more to learn about ordering coffee and the language that you will need. 
So let's continue with the next part of our lesson. 
(Music). 
Coffee Culture. 
Shot: a measure of espresso. 
You can add an "extra shot" to any coffee drink. 
Cappuccino: espresso made with foamy milk on top. 
Cappuccino Mochaccino: cappuccino with chocolate. 
Latte: espresso made with steamed milk. 
Latte Granita: espresso made with frozen milk and sugar. 
Latte Mocha: latte with chocolate. 
White coffee: coffee beans that aren't roasted as long as regular beans, resulting in a lighter coffee. 
Decaffeinated: no caffeine in your coffee. 
Skinny: espresso made with skim milk and sugar-free syrup. 
The next time you order coffee, use some of your newly acquired language. 
If you order a "grande decaffeinated cappuccino mochaccino," you're certain to sound impressive! 
(Music). 
You're certain to sound impressive, indeed. 
Well, let's go and continue learning more about some of these terms you need to know when you're ordering coffee. 
OK, the next one we learn about is shot. 
And we read here: 
It's a measure of espresso. 
A measure of espresso. 
You can add an extra shot to any coffee drink. 
That's right, so. 
Maybe you don't think that the regular coffee is strong enough, 
so you want to add an extra shot of espresso to give you an extra boost with caffeine. 
And I think that some people love to do this. 
People love to drink coffee. 
Maybe it really wakes them up. 
They will add an extra shot or two extra shots to their drink. 
Well, what's the next one we talk about here? 
It is cappuccino. 
Espresso made with foamy milk on top. 
Ah. And cappuccino is a very popular drink. 
And you see that it's two Cs in that word cappuccino, but it sounds like a "ch" sound because this is an Italian word. 
It's true, like many of these words are Italian. 
OK. Well, let's take a look at one of our words here from our Word Bank: foamy. 
Something is foamy. 
Well, we're talking here about foamy milk on top of your coffee. 
That means it's not just straight or flat. 
It's foamy. 
And this is created by steaming the milk. 
That's right. 
And so if something is foamy, that means that it has lots of bubbles. 
So maybe you finish your coffee, and now you need to wash the cup. 
You will be using some soap, and you want to make sure your soap is foamy. 
There's lots of foam. 
Or if you've ever had a bubble bath, then that is a bathtub that is filled with foamy water because of all the soap that is inside. 
All right. Now you know how to use the word foamy. 
And we're going to continue learning about another kind of coffee here. 
What is this? 
It is the cappuccino mochaccino. 
So this is a very special kind of cappuccino. 
And we read: cappuccino with chocolate. 
You might recognize in the word mochaccino the word "mocha," which is associated with chocolate. 
That's right. 
And we'll see that word later in our lesson as well. 
But let's continue learning with the word latte. 
This is what many people love to order. 
And it's espresso made with steamed milk. 
That's right. 
It is very popular. 
But there are many different versions of the latte. 
Here we have the latte granita - espresso made with frozen milk and sugar. 
So instead of steamed milk like a regular latte, the milk has been frozen and sugar is added. 
Interesting, a latte granita. 
You know, I have to be honest with you. 
I did not know this term before our lesson today because I don't order this drink ever. 
A latte granita... Maybe I should give it a shot. 
Oh. Maybe you could give it two shots. 
Ooh, very nice. 
Well, maybe we could look at this next kind of coffee here called the latte mocha. 
Again you see that word "mocha." Latte with chocolate. All right. 
Well, that's pretty simple, easy to remember. 
A latte mocha. 
That's right. 
So if you're thinking about that mochaccino, you could also think about getting a latte mocha. 
Now our next word here is white coffee. 
And this is a very special kind of drink made with coffee beans that aren't roasted as long as regular beans, resulting in a lighter coffee. 
And we need to take a look at that word from our Word Bank: roast. 
This means you are cooking something with dry heat. 
Often if you use your oven in your kitchen, you are roasting something. 
Maybe you're roasting a turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas. 
That's right. 
So you can use this to describe roasting meats like turkey, ham or beef. 
You might also roast nuts. 
Do you like to get roasted nuts or raw nuts? 
That's a good question. 
Of course there's that song: 
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire... 
All right. You know how to use this word now. 
Let's look at another word in that sentence: light. 
Now of course you know what this means, but usually I think of this word as talking about the weight of something. 
If it's not heavy, it's light. 
That's right. 
But here it means that the flavor is not as strong. 
So you remember, espresso is a very strong flavor, but white coffee is lighter. 
It is not as strong. 
And of course you can use the word to describe colors, too. 
Carolyn is wearing a very light shirt. 
It's not dark red. 
It's pink. 
It's a light color. 
Or maybe you could talk about a topic of conversation. 
It's not a very serious conversation. 
It's a light conversation that we're having. 
That's right. 
Well, our next one, our next term here is decaffeinated, which means no caffeine in your coffee. 
So if you want to stay away from caffeine like me, order decaffeinated. 
Or you could also say decaf, D-E-C-A-F. 
The next one here is skinny - espresso made with skim milk and sugar-free syrup. 
Skim milk is the milk without the cream. 
And of course, syrup is from our Word Bank. 
Now how else can you use syrup? 
You might have chocolate syrup on your ice cream, for example. 
Or you might put syrup on your pancakes or waffles. 
Well, the next time you order coffee, use some of your newly acquired language. 
If you order a "grande decaffeinated cappuccino mochaccino," you're certain to sound impressive! 
Well, that would sound impressive. 
Something else that's impressive is Liz. 
She's waiting for us in the Grammar Gym. 
And then we'll join Michelle. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article, the writer mentions: 
If you order a "grande decaffeinated cappuccino mochaccino," you're certain to sound impressive! 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
It just means that if you order a "grande decaffeinated cappuccino mochaccino," you will certainly sound impressive. 
Notice the phrase: certain to. 
It's just another way to say certainly or definitely. 
So if you know you will get in trouble, if you're late for work, then you can say: 
If I show up late, I am certain to get in trouble. 
Or if a company is definitely introducing their newest product to the market next month, then you can say: 
The company is certain to launch their new product next month. 
Now it's your turn. 
Think of something that is definitely going to happen and practice using this phrase: certain to. 
Keep on practicing, and your English is certain to improve. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. Bye. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
OK. Let's return to our lesson now. 
Well, we've learned lots of different coffee names here today, the terms you need to order coffee. 
Now that you know some of these words, what kind of coffee will you order the next time you go to a coffee shop? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I think I will order a tall decaffeinated skinny with soy milk instead of skim milk. 
Whoa... I think we still have more to learn about coffee. 
And you can do some research, friends. 
Learn other things that you need to learn to order coffee. 
Thank you for joining us here today. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.12.20.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
OK, we're talking about Planning for the Future. 
We're going to enjoy a conversation between Ben and his Uncle Bob as they talk about this important topic - planning for the future. 
Well, the future is the great unknown. 
Nobody knows the future. 
Nobody knows what's even going to happen in the next hour. 
So how can you plan for the future? 
Or maybe you are already planning for the future. 
What kinds of plans do you have for your future? 
Carolyn, do you have an answer for this? 
Well, I do have a few plans. 
Right now my plan is to stay in Taiwan. 
I love living here, and so my future plans are to stay here. 
And those plans might change in the future. 
I don't know, because I make my plans depending on where I think God is sending me. 
OK. So how do you make your plans? 
What do I plan on doing in the future? 
Well, I do plan on continuing to study Chinese. 
I think that's very important. 
I also plan on continuing to learn drums and acting and investing in those things that I enjoy. 
Well, what are your plans for the future? 
Right now it's time to plan on learning something from today's lesson. 
Let's get started. 
(Music). 
Planning for the Future. 
Plan for all the possibilities. 
Hey, Uncle Bob. 
How are you today? 
I'm doing well, Ben. 
Actually, I have some big news to share with you. 
What is it? 
Well, your Aunt June and I are moving to Hawaii. 
Hawaii? Why Hawaii? 
We've always loved Hawaii, and now that we're retired there's nothing to stop us from spending more time there. 
We've been contemplating a change of scenery for some time. 
Wow. That is big news. 
Are you planning to keep your place here? 
Sure. We've purchased a condo in Hawaii, but we're only planning to live there during the winter. 
(Music). 
Well, those plans were a bit unexpected. 
I did not realize that this would be happening in our article today. 
But as we see at the very top there, plan for all the possibilities. 
So even ones you don't expect, you need to try to plan for them anyway. 
OK, all the possibilities. 
That means what could possibly happen? You need to think about everything. 
OK. Well, we do have a conversation here. 
How are we going to decide who plays Ben and Uncle Bob here, Carolyn? 
Let's do rock, paper, scissors. 
Oh. Uh, OK. 
If I win, I'll be Uncle Bob. 
Oh. All right. 
OK. 
Let's do this. 
Rock, paper, scissors. 
You didn't... 
I have a rock. 
You have a rock? 
I win! 
You wanted to be Uncle Bob? 
Yes. 
OK, Uncle Bob, uh... Oh, Ben has the first line. That's me. Great! 
Ben. He goes: 
Hey, Uncle Bob. 
How are you today? 
I'm doing well, Ben. 
Actually, I have some big news to share with you. 
What is it? 
Well, it's... it's big. It's big news. 
It's... it's big news. 
Yes. 
Well, great. 
Actually, keep that thought in mind, friends. 
We're going to learn more about big news later in today's lesson. 
But Ben's question is "What is it?" What is the big news? 
Well, your Aunt June and I are moving to Hawaii. 
Hawaii? Why Hawaii? 
Oh, you're so upset, Ben. 
It's... OK. It's OK, Ben. 
It won't be OK. 
Hawaii is very far from where Ben lives, so I can understand why Ben sounds a little bit upset here. 
Yes, it does make sense if his Uncle Bob and Aunt June are moving to Hawaii, very far away, out in the middle of the ocean. 
But Uncle Bob says: 
We've always loved Hawaii, and now that we are retired there's nothing to stop us from spending more time there. 
Great, excellent! 
Now I like this line that Bob says here: We've always loved Hawaii. 
We've always loved something. 
Well, what's an activity that you've always enjoyed or always loved? 
I've always loved acting. 
I've always loved singing. 
Maybe you enjoy cooking. 
You've always loved cooking. 
Yes. So think about those things that you've always loved. 
Or maybe you've always loved a place like Hawaii. 
Or you've always loved the countryside and you love to go visit it. 
Well, Uncle Bob has always loved Hawaii. 
And now that he and his wife are retired there's nothing to stop them, which is a great phrase. 
If there's nothing to stop you, that means that you really don't have any reason not to do something. 
Exactly. So they're going to move to Hawaii; they made up their minds. 
That's what they're planning for the future. 
OK. Well, what else does Uncle Bob say here? 
Ah, yes. 
We've been contemplating a change of scenery for some time. 
Great. Excellent. 
We see our first key word here. 
The word is contemplate. 
That means you are considering something or seriously thinking about something. 
You're contemplating. 
How can you use that word? 
Well, there are a lot of things that you want to make sure you take time to contemplate. 
You don't want to just rush into a big decision. 
Like if you are thinking about starting a company, you should really contemplate all of the possibilities and everything that will be involved in starting the company. 
Or maybe you're working at a certain place or an organization, and you think that maybe it's not appropriate for you. 
You need something different, so you're contemplating a job change. 
You're contemplating the future. 
You're thinking about how things will change for you. 
OK, so this is great. 
Uncle Bob has been contemplating a change of scenery for some time. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: a change of scenery. 
Well, that means you're going to change your environment. 
And sometimes we humans need a change of scenery. 
That's right. 
So if he is moving from a big city to a tropical island, that is quite a change of scenery. 
Have you ever thought about going for a change of scenery? 
Or what other things might you want a change of, Gabe? 
Well, sometimes we talk about having a change of pace. 
You're really busy in the office or doing something that keeps you very stressed. 
And then you do some activity that is a little more laid-back. 
That's a change of pace. 
You're not as stressed. 
Great. Well, I think, Ben, you have the next line. 
Right. 
Wow. That is big news. 
Big news? 
Well, I have great news for you. 
Steve and Ken are waiting in the Information Cloud here to talk to us all about news. 
Welcome to Info Cloud. 
If you're a regular viewer or listener, you'll know that one topic we focused on more than a few times is uncountable nouns. 
And today we have yet another uncountable noun for you: news. 
First of all, don't let the S at the end of "news" fool you. 
It may look like it's plural, but the word "news" is, in fact, a mass noun, which is uncountable. 
Being uncountable means it can never take the indefinite article A. 
That's right, because A means one. 
And one implies it's countable. 
And as we mentioned time and time again, uncountable nouns take singular verbs. 
For example, is there any news? 
No. There is not much news. 
Or, yes, there is a lot of news. 
Notice we cannot say "many" news. 
But you can use the word "some," which can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. 
Like Uncle Bob says in today's lesson: I have some big news to share with you. 
So how do you count it? 
Once again, there's that convenient word we can use for most uncountable nouns: piece. 
Here's a piece of news for you. 
Or if you want to refer to something on the TV news or in the newspaper, you can say a news item, a news report or a news story. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, let me continue Ben's line here. 
His question is: Are you planning to keep your place here? 
"Place" means apartment or house, wherever you live. 
Are you planning to keep your place here? 
Sure. We've purchased a condo in Hawaii, but we're only planning to live there during the winter. 
So, no, you don't need to worry. 
We'll... we'll be back, Ben. 
Of course Uncle Bob will be back. 
All right. 
Well, we have more to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
And then we will be back as well. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.20.B

In today's lesson called Planning for the Future, Ben and his Uncle Bob are talking about some plans that Uncle Bob and Aunt June have. 
They plan to move to Hawaii, or at least to spend a lot of time each year in Hawaii. 
They bought a condo in Hawaii. 
But of course they will be seeing some of Ben later. 
And of course we have more to learn in the next part of our lesson today, so let's continue with their conversation. 
(Music). 
Planning for the Future. 
That's great, Uncle Bob. 
I can see Hawaii is beckoning, but I don't know what I'll do if you aren't around. 
Thanks, Ben, but I doubt you'll need me that badly. 
Seriously, Uncle Bob, I'm pretty sure my business will go under without your advice. 
That's a bit premature. 
You've built that business with a lot of time and hard work. 
I have put a lot of work into it, but there are still so many things I'm unsure of. 
Like what? 
Well, I still have lots of questions, and I'm really not sure which direction the company is headed. 
Well, Ben always does have more questions for Uncle Bob, who always gives him great advice. 
Now Uncle Bob just said that yes, they would be keeping their place here and also living in Hawaii during the winter. 
Now Ben, you have the next line. 
Well, yeah, actually Ben's a little relieved here. 
He's happy. 
That's great, Uncle Bob. 
I can see Hawaii is beckoning, but I don't know what I'll do if you aren't around. 
All right. So he's happy for Uncle Bob, but he's not sure what he's going to do if Uncle Bob is not there to give good advice. 
Yes. I can see just how reliant Ben has become on his uncle's advice. 
But we see a great word there in your line, Ben: beckoning. 
If something beckons to you, then it calls to you. 
It's very attractive, and you want to get it. 
OK, so what else can beckon to you? 
Maybe an opportunity is beckoning you. 
That means it seems really attractive to you. 
It's something that you really want to do in life. 
Well, here's a funny way to use this word. 
The light beckoned the mosquito. 
So the mosquito flew towards the light. 
Ah. And then the mosquito was in trouble because lights are very hot. 
But another way you might hear this phrase used fairly commonly: 
If someone is very tired, and you ask them to join you for an activity, they might say: Thanks, but I can hear my pillow beckoning. 
Nice. 
My pillow is calling out to me; I need to sleep. 
OK. So you can use this word in kind of fun ways as well. 
All right. So of course Hawaii is beckoning; it's really attractive to Uncle Bob and Aunt June. 
They really want to go. 
OK. Well, Uncle Bob, what do you say next? 
Ah, yes. 
Thanks, Ben, but I doubt you'll need me that badly. 
Hmm... I don't know about that. 
If you need something badly, that means you really, really need it. 
OK. Well, Ben says: 
Seriously, Uncle Bob, I'm pretty sure my business will go under without your advice. 
Why does he say "seriously" there? 
Well, he wants to emphasize that he is not joking, that he thinks it's really a shame that his Uncle Bob will not be there anymore and he's very worried. 
OK, so he is a little worried. 
This is serious for him. 
He's afraid his company might go under. 
I'm not really worried about that, Ben. 
I think you'll be fine. 
But we do need to take a look at these words from our Word Bank: to go under. 
What does that mean? 
Well, it means to go financially bankrupt. 
It means that the business has failed. 
And it's not a very good thing if Ben is concerned that Uncle Bob moving to Hawaii will result in his business failing. 
Exactly. 
Now this phrase can be remembered like this: 
You can think of a ship that is on the surface of the water but it sinks, it goes under. 
It fails. You can't use that ship anymore. OK. 
So sometimes companies go under. 
Like this, this is what Ben is worried about. 
But what does Uncle Bob say? 
Well, Uncle Bob is telling him not to worry. 
He says: That's a bit premature. 
And that is a word from our Word Bank: premature. 
It means it's too early to really be thinking about it or coming to that sort of conclusion. 
OK. So what else could be premature? 
Sometimes... actually, often I think of babies who are born early. 
Those are premature babies. 
And of course you can use this in other ways. 
Maybe your company makes an announcement. 
But they made the announcement a bit too early. 
It was a premature announcement. 
That's right. 
So be careful about when you announce things. 
Make sure it is not premature but fully mature. 
That's right. 
It is ready. 
Now uh, let's see, I'll continue the line. 
You've built that business with a lot of time and hard work. 
I have put a lot of work into it, but there are still so many things I'm unsure of. 
He's unsure of some things. 
But I'm sure we can talk about this sentence: to put a lot of work into something. 
To put a lot of something into something else. 
Maybe you need to put a lot of energy into your project. 
Or you need to put a lot of time into your work. 
You can use this phrase in many different ways. 
You can put a lot of time, a lot of energy or a lot of effort into something. 
That's right. 
Well, Uncle Bob's question here is really fast. 
Like what? 
Well, Ben says: 
Well, I still have lots of questions, and I'm really not sure which direction the company is headed. 
All right. Well, I know which direction we're headed. 
Do you know where we're headed, Carolyn? 
We are headed to see a review skit, and then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hey, Uncle Bob. 
How are you? 
Aloha! 
Aloha? 
What do you mean? 
Aloha is Hawaiian. 
It means hello. It also means goodbye. 
I know that. 
Then why did you ask? 
But why did you say "Aloha"? 
And why are you wearing a Hawaiian shirt? 
Because... surprise! 
I'm going to Hawaii. 
On a cruise? 
No! Your Aunt June and I are moving there. 
You are? Why? 
Well, why not? 
We love Hawaii, and we're retired. 
There's nothing to stop us. 
But it's... it's so sudden. 
Not really. We've been contemplating a change of scenery for some time now. 
Wow. That's big news. 
Will you keep your house? 
Yes. And we purchased a condo in Hawaii, too. 
We'll live there in the winter. 
So Hawaii is beckoning. 
But what will I do without you? 
Oh, you'll be fine, Ben. 
My business will go under without your advice. 
That kind of thinking is premature. 
There are so many things I'm unsure of. 
Like what? 
I still have lots of questions. 
I'm not sure which direction the company is headed. 
Well, I know which direction I'm heading - aloha! 
Aloha. 
(Music). 
(Chinese). 
OK, get ready to learn more from our teachers. 
Uncle Bob is heading for a change in scenery. 
Now Gabe, where would you go for a change in scenery? 
South America. 
I've never been there before. 
I love that kind of a change in scenery. 
What about you? 
Well, I've already experienced a change in scenery by coming to Taiwan. 
It's very different and wonderful. 
Well, we have a lot more to learn tomorrow from the rest of our lesson right here on Studio Classroom. 
We'll see you then. 
(Music).

2013.12.21.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today as we continue talking about Planning for the Future. 
Of course we've already learned something from our lesson with Ben and Uncle Bob in yesterday's lesson. 
And of course Uncle Bob and Aunt June are going to move to Hawaii. 
They've purchased a condo there. 
Ben will really miss having Uncle Bob around. 
But Uncle Bob does talk about planning for your future. 
As a company or organization, it's very important. 
Now can you think of any companies that have been very good at changing with the times? Carolyn? 
There are many companies that are still around and have become huge because they were successful at changing with the times. 
One that I can think of is Facebook. 
Facebook used to only be open to college students. 
You needed an email address that ended with ".edu" to even sign up to be a member. 
I remember that. 
But now they've expanded to everyone. 
And they are a very successful company. 
And I think that is a prime example of how you can change with the times. 
And they continue to change with the times, to be relevant to what people need. 
OK, we have more to learn from Uncle Bob and Ben in today's lesson. 
(Music). 
Planning for the Future. 
What? I've read your business plan, and it was very clear. 
Right. 
It was clear, but you'd be stunned by how much my industry has changed in the last year. 
That's just the way business is, Ben. 
I know, but what can I do about it? 
Well, Ben, you need to take some initiative. 
You need to refocus on your business plan. 
Refocus? 
Sure. 
When we first talked about business plans, I told you that they need to evolve over time. 
I get that. 
That's why I've worked hard to stay abreast of changes that are happening in the industry. 
OK, let's go back to the beginning of our conversation here. 
Ah... you're Uncle Bob still, Carolyn? 
You want to be Uncle Bob? 
Yes, I will continue being Uncle Bob. 
Good. 
Yes. Well, Uncle Bob starts with: 
What? I've read your business plan, and it was very clear. 
So Ben does not need to worry about his business going under. 
"Right." Ben says. 
It was clear, but you'd be stunned by how much my industry has changed in the last year. 
OK, just like we were talking about earlier in our introduction, times change, and you need to change with the times. 
And your company needs to change with the times. 
Well, let's take a look at a word from our Word Bank here. It is stun. 
If you are stunned by something, that means you're surprised by it or amazed. 
Mmhm. And it means that you can't react right away. 
There's no immediate reaction. 
You're just, "Whoa! I don't know what to do to respond to that." So you might be stunned by many different things. 
Maybe you are stunned by what someone says. 
Wow! I can't believe you said that. 
It could be good or bad. 
OK. So you might respond and say: I'm stunned. 
Or maybe someone did something and people don't know how to react. 
When Lady Gaga first started performing, she stunned audiences around the world by some of the things that she would wear. 
Remember? OK. So you can use this word "stun" in different ways. 
That's right. 
And Uncle Bob responds to Ben's comments. 
That's just the way business is, Ben. 
So he shouldn't be worrying about it. 
He shouldn't be stunned by the way things change because that's just the way business is. 
That's just the way it is. 
And I like that phrase. 
It's just the way something is. 
That's the nature of something. 
You can't change it. 
That's just how it is. 
How else could you use this phrase? 
Well, maybe you're talking about life and some of the difficulties that you're experiencing in life. 
And you need to have patience. 
And you need to have courage. 
Well, that's just how life is. 
It can be difficult sometimes. 
That's right. 
Or maybe you're facing some frustrations at work or at school, and you want to know why it is that way. 
Someone might respond to your complaints by saying: That's just the way it is. 
There isn't anything we can do to change it. 
That's right. 
That's just how it is or that's just the way it is. 
Well, Ben says: I know, but what can I do about it? 
Ah. Well, Ben, you need to take some initiative. 
Great. I will take some initiative to talk about that word from our Word Bank. 
If you take initiative, that means you are doing something before other people told you to do it, before it was even a really big problem. 
You are taking care of something first. 
How else could you use that word? 
Well, talking about business, he developed the business model using his own initiative. 
So it was not a project that was assigned to him, but he did it. 
And he did it successfully. 
And I think sometimes in life you need to take the initiative. 
Do something before you're asked. 
Maybe you can help out by washing the dishes before someone asks you to do them. 
You can take the initiative and do something that needs to be done. 
And many times people will appreciate and recognize when you take the initiative. 
They really like people who are active and proactive in getting things done. 
OK. Well, I think you need to be proactive here, Uncle Bob, and finishing your line. 
Ah, yes. 
You need to refocus on your business plan. 
Refocus? 
Sure. When we first talked about business plans, I told you they need to evolve over time. 
Evolve, another key word. 
What happens when something evolves? 
That means it changes gradually from one thing to another. 
So what could evolve? 
Well, many things can evolve. 
Maybe your friendship is evolving. 
You start out as friends; you just meet. 
And then you get to know each other more, and you get closer. 
Your friendship evolves into best friends. 
And maybe if you are a guy and a girl, and you are best friends, that friendship will evolve into dating. 
All right. It could evolve from just a simple friendship into romance. 
Well, I think Studio Classroom has actually evolved a lot over the years. 
It started out as just a simple idea of teaching music... or sharing music and teaching English over the radio. 
And now it's a TV show, a TV program. 
And it's very different from the way it first started. 
So it's certainly evolved. 
Yes, it has. 
Now Ben, I think you have the next line. 
OK. 
I get that. Uh, I do. 
I get that. 
I understand that. 
And I understand right now it's time for us to learn something new with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
I hope you're all doing well today. 
My name is Liz. 
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
In today's article we see this statement: 
I get that. 
The word "get" can mean many things. 
And so this little statement, "I get that," can mean different things depending on the situation. 
But in the case of today's article, it means I understand that. 
This little statement "I get that" is usually found in informal conversations. 
If you're coming out of a meeting and you didn't understand a single thing that was mentioned in that meeting, you can say: 
I didn't get one single thing in that meeting. 
Or if a friend tells you a joke but you don't understand why it's funny, you can say: 
I'm sorry, I don't get that joke. 
Or if you're trying to solve a puzzle and you want to let people know that you have figured out the answer, you can say: 
I got it! 
So next time when you're chatting with your friends and you want to let them know that you understand or don't understand something, try using "get" instead. 
And if you check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine, you'll find more example sentences there. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
We got that. OK. 
Well, Ben's line continues here: 
That's why I've worked hard to stay abreast of changes that are happening in the industry. 
He's staying abreast. 
That means like staying on top. OK. 
Let's continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.21.B

We've been continuing our conversation between Ben and Uncle Bob on Planning for the Future. 
Ben is very concerned about the direction of his business and still has many questions. 
He's stunned that just how much the industry has changed since he first opened his business. 
But Uncle Bob just gives him the advice to refocus his business plan and just to be aware that things will change. 
That's just the way business works. 
Let's continue learning with this conversation in the next part of our reading. 
(Music). 
Planning for the Future. 
I know you have. 
But sometimes being aware of changes isn't enough. 
Sometimes you need to get ahead of the changes in order to stay relevant. 
How do I do that? 
I think the main thing is to look at prospective changes in your industry and consider how you might deal with them. 
You mean I should plan for things that might happen and not just react to things that have happened. 
Exactly, Ben. 
You see, you don't need me at all! 
I'll always need you, Uncle Bob. 
Then you'll have to come and visit Hawaii. 
Now that's good advice! 
That is great advice and a great idea. 
I would love to visit Hawaii as well. 
But first, we need to review from the end of this conversation. OK. 
Uncle Bob has the first line here. 
Uncle Bob? 
Ah, yes, that would be me. 
Yes. Well, talking about Ben trying to stay abreast of changes happening in his industry, Uncle Bob responds: 
I know you have. But sometimes being aware of changes isn't enough. 
Wait a minute. Being aware of something. 
What does that mean? 
Well, Steve and Ken are waiting in the Information Cloud to talk all about this phrase. 
Let's go there now. 
Today let's talk about something quite basic but which can still be confusing to some people: the difference between be aware and beware. 
OK. Let's first talk about be aware. 
Being aware means to be conscious or having knowledge of something. 
When you're aware, you take notice of your surroundings and keep a watchful eye on things. 
Here's an example. 
We should be aware of the traffic rules when we drive. 
That means we should be mindful of them. 
Beware, on the other hand, is one word. 
And it means to be cautious or careful. 
When we drive, we should not only be aware of the traffic rules, but we also need to beware of the police. 
Yes, beware. 
When I hear "I need to beware," I think of something potentially threatening, dangerous or even scary that I need to watch out for. 
If you see a sign in front of a house that says "Beware of the dog," you should be on your guard and brace for a vicious barking dog. 
However, if you're walking around the house and there's a dog sleeping on the floor, you should be aware of the dog, 
not because the dog might attack you but because you don't want to step on its tail. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Sometimes we need to be aware, and other times we need to beware. 
It's important to know the difference. 
Now let's see... Uncle Bob continues his line. 
Sometimes you need to get ahead of the changes in order to stay relevant. 
So don't just be aware of the changes but get ahead of them. 
And actually, we want to talk about that phrase: to get ahead of something. 
That means you're not just staying where you are. 
You're not just doing what everybody else is doing. 
No. You are one step ahead of everyone else. 
You're getting ahead. 
So how else could you use this kind of phrase here, Carolyn? 
Well, it can be very challenging to get ahead in the workforce, especially when things are changing so quickly. 
I know like this company that Ben has, making apps, it will be very difficult to get ahead because it's in the technology industry, 
and everything is changing so frequently. 
OK. So if you're going to get ahead, another phrase I think of is maybe to have an edge, 
to have something about yourself or your company that makes you stand out, that makes you unique. 
And of course it's good to be ahead of your time, to be on top of these kinds of things. 
All right. Well, we do have a key word here in this sentence. 
The word is relevant. All right. 
It's important to be relevant to your customers and what they need. 
That's right. 
So being relevant means that it is directly related to that topic, so. 
If you are running a business, you do want to make sure that your business is relevant to your customers' needs. 
Are you producing things that people actually want, or do you need to refocus your business plan and make some changes? 
And I often think about this word "relevant" when I'm thinking about giving a speech. 
I need to think about my audience and what is important to them. 
I want to give a speech that is relevant to them, that they can enjoy and maybe be challenged by, and that can be useful for them. 
I don't want to give a speech about makeup to a group of old men. 
That's not relevant at all. 
No, that would not be relevant at all. 
Now Ben has a question for his Uncle Bob about staying relevant. 
Yes, he does. 
How do I do that? 
I think the main thing is to look at prospective changes in your industry and to consider how you might deal with them. 
All right, the main thing here. 
Or maybe he could say the key is to look at prospective changes. 
And we need to look at that key word: prospective. 
OK, so a prospective change. 
That means it's a potential change. 
It could happen, and you might need to plan for it. 
That's right. 
So it's something that's likely to occur or something that could happen in the future. 
So you might be looking for prospective employees, people that could work for your company in the future but maybe you aren't hiring yet. 
Or maybe someone is looking for prospective buyers. 
They're interacting and communicating with people who might buy their products. 
They are prospective buyers. 
Now if you need to use this word "prospective," maybe you can use it in another way. 
You can talk about the prospects. P-R-O-S-P-E-C-T. 
What prospects do you have? 
Do you have any prospects? 
That means, is there anybody who might buy something? 
Is there anybody who might work for you? 
Do you have any prospective employees? 
What are the prospects? 
Ah. Well, a very good question. 
And Ben, you have the next line. 
Of course, I do. 
You mean I should plan for things that might happen and not just react to things that have happened. 
What's the difference here, Carolyn? 
Well, if you are planning for things that might happen, then you are looking for the future and you will be prepared. 
But if you are just reacting to things that have happened, then it's very hard for you to get ahead. 
And Uncle Bob says: Exactly, Ben. 
You see, you don't need me at all! 
What?! I'll always need you, Uncle Bob. 
Then you'll have to come and visit Hawaii. 
And I think that is a great idea, something Ben should definitely do in the future. 
But right now it's time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now keep watching as our lesson continues. 
Well, I've enjoyed our conversation with Ben and Uncle Bob today. 
And actually it kind of makes me sad. 
I think the fact that Uncle Bob is going to Hawaii means that maybe in the future there might not be any more Ben or Uncle Bob, 
or any more lessons about Ben and Uncle Bob. 
But I've learned a lot this year from them. 
What have you learned from their lessons this year? 
Carolyn, what's something important that you will remember? 
Well, I will remember how important it is to make a detailed business plan, 
and to make sure that you keep your money working for you that you don't finance too early or take out a loan so that it hurts your business. 
These are all very important things that we've learned this year. 
That's right. 
I've also learned a little bit about confrontation skills, how important it is to know how to set boundaries. 
OK. Well, what have you learned? 
Talk about it in English. 
And of course, we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you.

2013.12.23.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Today we're talking about Where Dreams Come True. 
Well, it's a special place where dreams come true. 
And what is this place? 
Carolyn, what could our author be talking about? 
Well, I think she is talking about Walt Disney World. 
And it is a place where dreams come true for children and adults alike. 
All right. 
This is a place where dreams come true. 
That's how people describe Disneyland or Disney World. 
Disney World, of course, is in Florida. 
Disneyland is in California. 
Now I wonder about Disney, and what do you know about Disney? 
Do you have a favorite Disney character or favorite Disney song or movie? 
Carolyn, what about you? 
Well, they have so many great characters and songs and so many movies. 
But I think my favorite was one I watched a lot growing up called The Brave Little Toaster. 
Did you ever watch that, Gabe? 
No, I didn't. 
I should watch The Brave Little Toaster. 
Carolyn, did you ever see Pete's Dragon? 
Ah! I love Pete's Dragon, Gabe. 
Actually, that would have been my second choice. 
All right. Those are great movies. 
I need to see The Brave Little Toaster. 
But what about you? 
What's your favorite Disney cartoon or movie or character? 
Talk about it in English. 
Right now let's get started learning about Disney World - Where Dreams Come True. 
Where Dreams Come True. 
Christmas at Disney World. 
Every child has a dream. 
Little girls daydream about marrying Prince Charming and living happily ever after. 
Boys dream about staying in "Neverland," where they never grow up and can play all day. 
Is there a place where dreams come true? 
Well, for at least one or two days? 
The answer is yes - Disney World in Orlando, Florida. 
This is definitely our most unique trip to Disney World because we are going to celebrate Christmas here. 
Mickey, Buzz Lightyear, Snow White and others will join us in the celebration. 
(Music). 
OK, let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here. 
We're talking about Christmas at Disney World. 
So it's not just going to Disney World at any time of the year. 
It's extra special during Christmastime. 
How so, Carolyn? 
Well, there are so many things that you can experience at Disney World during Christmas. 
And we read: Every child has a dream. 
Little girls daydream about marrying Prince Charming and living happily ever after. 
Wait a minute. Wait a minute. 
Daydreaming about marrying Prince Charming and living happily ever after. 
Happily ever after. 
That sounds look the closing lines to the cartoon Cinderella. 
Am I right? 
Uh, yes. That would be correct, Gabe. 
And a lot of stories. 
Especially stories involving princes and princesses end with "And they lived happily ever after." The end. 
That's right, the end. 
Well, here of course we're talking about little girls that daydream about marrying their Prince Charming. 
That's the name of the prince in the cartoon Cinderella. 
And of course we need to take a look at a word from our Word Bank: daydream. 
All right. Well, what happens when you're daydreaming, Carolyn? 
Well, it means that you are thinking about something that is just so wonderful and pleasant and nice when you should be doing something else. 
So you should be paying attention or focusing on your homework or doing real work while you're at work and not staring out the window just thinking of things that are so nice. 
Uh, Gabe... are you daydreaming? 
Hmm? 
Gabe? Gabe! 
Yes? 
Yes. 
Yes? Um... yes, Carolyn. I'm here. 
Oh, good. 
What was the question? 
Um... well, I asked if you were daydreaming. 
Oh! Right, uh, no, no... I'm... I'm paying attention now. 
I'm focused. 
Um... What was the question? 
Well, Gabe, what do boys dream of? 
We talked about girls; they dream of marrying their Prince Charming. 
What do boys dream about? 
Ah, right. Good question. 
I'm sorry, I must have been daydreaming. 
Well, boys dream about staying in "Neverland," where they never grow up and can play all day. 
Hmm, Neverland. Isn't that from the cartoon Peter Pan? 
Uh, yes. That is from the story of Peter Pan. 
He lived in Neverland, where little boys and girls never grew up. 
And that is a word from our Word Bank: to grow up. 
What does it mean if you grow up, Gabe? 
Well, that means you're getting older, especially from childhood to adulthood. 
You are growing up. 
A question that I might ask somebody is: Where did you grow up? 
That means, where did you spend a lot of your childhood? 
Well, I grew up in a little city called Chingshui. 
It's close to Taichung. 
I grew up there until I was 10 years old, and then I moved to Taichung. 
Wow. So you actually grew up in Taiwan. 
Right. 
Wow. Well, I grew up in West Virginia. 
So where did you grow up? 
Did you grow up somewhere different from maybe your brothers and sisters? 
Did you move... around a lot? 
All right. 
Where did you grow up? 
You know, you could use this phrase to tell someone to be more mature. 
Someone might say: Oh, grow up! 
That means stop acting so immature. 
So there are different ways to use this phrase. 
Well, here we're talking about boys dreaming about Neverland, where they never have to grow up. 
Now is there a place where dreams come true? 
And here's another question. 
Well, for at least one or two days? 
And those are great questions, Gabe. 
But before we answer them, we should go see Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud because they have something to tell us about those questions. 
You may recall a few months ago we looked at rhetorical questions. 
Today let's look at a different kind of question called hypophora. 
It describes the practice of asking a question and then immediately answering that same question. 
Hypophora is a simple stylistic device, but it's very effective because it creates the feeling that the speaker is having a dialogue with his or her audience. 
Also, like rhetorical questions, hypophora grabs an audience's attention because, remember, anytime you ask a question, you raise an audience's curiosity. 
Good speakers, and authors, will anticipate questions their audiences will ask, 
and then very often use the answers to those questions as the main point of their speech, 
which is how we see hypophora used in today's lesson. 
Many of history's great speakers were great in part because they were masters of hypophora. 
Winston Churchill used it to great effect as he rallied the English during World War II. 
And Martin Luther King Jr. included hypophora in his famous and very powerful "I Have a Dream" speech. 
Friends, whether you're writing or speaking, hypophora is a great tool to have in your language tool kit. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Well, are Steve and Ken great at explaining things in the Information Cloud? 
Yes, they are. 
And we have an answer to these questions in our lesson here. 
Is there a place where dreams come true? 
Well, at least for one or two days? 
The answer is yes - Disney World in Orlando, Florida. 
That is right. 
This is a place where dreams can come true, where adults who don't want to grow up can enjoy being a child again because it is such a fun place to go. 
And we continue reading: 
This is definitely our most unique trip to Disney World because we are going to celebrate Christmas here. 
All right. 
Well, it sounds like maybe Pauline and her family have been to Disney World before. 
So this is a very unique trip celebrating Disney... or celebrating Christmas at Disney World. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: to celebrate. 
That means you're throwing a party of some kind or you're getting excited about something with lots of other people. 
That's right. 
So there are many events that you celebrate. 
Many people like to celebrate their birthday. 
They have a birthday party. 
You can celebrate other holidays and festivals like Christmas. 
What things do you celebrate? 
That's a good question. 
What kinds of holidays or festivals do you celebrate? 
Well, of course you can celebrate Christmas at Disney World. 
And we find out who is going to be there. 
Mickey, Buzz Lightyear, Snow White and others will join us in the celebration. 
So you can celebrate - that's a verb. 
And here is celebration as a noun. 
All right. It's time for us to continue with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.23.B

Is there a place where dreams come true? 
At least for one or two days? 
Yes, there is. 
It is Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. 
We've learned today that girls daydream of marrying their Prince Charming. 
And little boys dream of going to Neverland, where they never grow up. 
And here our author Pauline and her family are celebrating Christmas in that place. 
They are going to Disney World for Christmas. 
Well, let's learn a little bit more about their experience in the next part of our lesson. 
Where Dreams Come True. 
All four theme parks are decorated with lights and Christmas trees and decorations. 
Holiday joy is in the air. 
In addition to the regular entertainment, special Christmas parades and performances celebrate the season. 
On our Animal Kingdom ride Kilimanjaro Safaris, we glimpse giraffes and elephants in their natural environments. 
The live Festival of the Lion King show combines singing, dancing and acrobatics. 
The audience takes part in the program as if we were at the festival with the animals. 
(Music). 
Well, how would you like to take part in something like this? 
It sounds pretty exciting. 
All right. Let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
We're talking about Disney World and how many different characters will be there to celebrate Christmas with you. 
And we read here: 
All four theme parks are decorated with lights and Christmas trees and decorations. 
OK. Carolyn, I thought Disney World was one place, but here it says it's four places, four theme parks? 
Well, Disney World is huge. 
It is an immense park. 
And it actually contains four theme parks. 
And we see that word "all" right at the beginning of the sentence. 
That means that each of the parks is involved, so not three of the four, but all four, and there aren't five. 
That's right. 
There are not five, so all of them, all four. 
Well, how else can you use this word "all"? 
We talk about the total number of something. 
For example, have you ever heard the sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"? 
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. 
That includes all 26 letters of the English alphabet. 
Wow! So all of the letters, not just 25 of them. 
And there aren't 27 letters in English. 
So all 26 letters are used in that phrase. 
That's right. 
Now there is one exception to how you can use this word. 
If you're just talking about two people, for instance, Carolyn and myself, we would just say both of us. 
We wouldn't say all two of us. 
It has to be three or more for you to use the word: all. 
Yes. 
Well, right now it is time for us to continue learning about this sentence with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
In today's article the writer mentions: Holiday joy is in the air. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
The writer is not saying that holiday joy is really floating around in the air that people are breathing in. 
Instead, when we say that something is in the air, we mean that something is what everyone is thinking about. 
So in the case of today's sentence, the writer is saying that everyone is thinking about holiday joy. 
OK, let's have a look at some example sentences. 
Some say love is in the air during Valentine season. 
Or: After the great earthquake, there were several huge tremors and fear was definitely in the air. 
Now it's your turn. 
Think of something that everyone's thinking about and try using this phrase to describe that situation. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section in your magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
We do read that holiday joy is in the air. 
There is so much joy in the air we are just surrounded by it. 
And we continue reading: 
In addition to the regular entertainment, special Christmas parades and performances celebrate the season. 
Well, parade is one of our words from the Word Bank. 
What is a parade? 
That's kind of a celebration. 
It's when a lot of people walk down or march down a street. 
And maybe it's not just people walking, but maybe there are cars... or they're called floats. 
They're decorated in a special way. 
And it's to celebrate a certain thing. 
So here we're talking about celebrating Christmas. 
But actually at Disneyland, almost every night there is the Electrical Parade. 
That's when all of the characters from Disney go marching down the street and there's lots of great music. 
It's a lot of fun. 
That's right. So there are many parades. 
Maybe your hometown has its own parade where they celebrate a festival every year. 
I know my hometown has a parade for the Water Festival in the summer. 
The Water Festival, celebrating water? 
Oh, yes. Well, there are three rivers in my hometown, and a lake. 
Ah, very good. 
Well, another famous parade in the United States is Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thanksgiving Day. 
Well, you can do a lot here at Disney World as we can see. 
And we continue reading here: 
On our Animal Kingdom ride Kilimanjaro Safaris, we glimpse giraffes, elephants... giraffes and elephants in their natural environments. 
I'd like to see these animals in their natural environments. 
I would, too. 
Actually, if I were to go to Disney World, the Animal Kingdom would be the first park I would want to visit. 
Really! Well, that doesn't really surprise me. 
I know you love animals, Carolyn. 
Well, we continue here. 
You can actually do other things with animals. 
The live Festival of the Lion King show combines singing and what else? 
Dancing and acrobatics. 
All right, so you could see a lot at this Lion King show. 
Have you seen the movie The Lion King? 
Did you like that, Carolyn? 
I have seen the Lion King. 
And they made some sequels to it as well. 
And I really enjoyed all of those movies but especially the first one. 
Now this live show is very special because we read: 
The audience takes part in the program as if they were at the festival with the animals. 
So this is a very unique opportunity. 
That's right. 
And our author says the audience takes part in the program as if we were at the festival. 
So you could use the word "they" or "we." The audience could be them. 
Or since we're part of the audience, we also say we were at the festival with the animals. 
Well, let's take a look at those words from our Word Bank: to take part in something. 
All right. That means you participate in something. 
So what kinds of events or shows do you take part in? 
Well, you can take part in a lot of different things. 
Maybe you want to audition for a performance. 
You want to take part in that play. 
Or maybe you are signing up for a new class or a seminar or to be part of a project at work. 
You want to take part in that activity. 
And of course at Disney World during Christmas, the audience can take part in the program here as if you're live... or as if you're there with the festival with the animals. 
Well, let's take a look at those words: as if. 
That means like in this situation. 
So how else can you use these words? 
You could say she acted as if she were the queen. 
She acted as if we were all beneath her. 
Ah. Well, if you go to an amusement park and you go on a roller coaster, you might think it was as if we were flying. 
So it was like flying, but you were not actually in a plane. 
All right. Well, now you know how to use that phrase. 
Let's continue learning something with Michelle right now. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's head back to our lesson. 
We've learned all about what you can do at Disney World at Christmastime. 
Have you ever been to a Disney theme park? Carolyn? 
Actually, Gabe, I have. 
There are many throughout the world. 
And I went to Tokyo DisneySea. 
What?! 
So it was not Disney World or Disneyland. 
It was DisneySea. 
And there were lots of water-themed rides and performances. 
Interesting! 
Well, I think there's also a Disney theme park in Hong Kong and in Paris and one very soon in Shanghai. 
Well, what about you? 
Have you been to one of these places? 
Join us again next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.12.24.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to learn with Pauline and her experiences as she takes her family to Disney World to celebrate Christmas. 
Disney World, this place where dreams come true. 
And they are there at Christmas. 
I wonder, have you ever been to an amusement park or a theme park during the holidays? 
Carolyn? 
I have not, Gabe. 
But this does sound like a very interesting way to celebrate Christmas, 
because Disney is not just a place where you enjoy their movie-themed rides with all of their characters, 
but they actually put on a lot of special performances for the holidays. 
It's true. 
And we're going to learn more about that in today's lesson. 
I would really like to visit Disneyland or Knott's Berry Farm - that's another big amusement park during Halloween. 
They make everything really scary as well. 
All right. So there are different times of the year where you can celebrate in different ways at amusement parks. 
Let's continue learning with Pauline as she shares about this place - Where Dreams Come True. 
Where Dreams Come True. 
Movie lovers won't want to miss The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios. 
We are excited to watch some classic movie clips. 
Our all-time favorite - Star Wars. 
Star Tours, a motion-simulated space flight, gives us a chance to experience adventure in 3-D. 
On Christmas Eve, Epcot holds a special celebration - the Candlelight Processional. 
A full orchestra with a mass chorus holding candles performs traditional Christmas music and songs. 
A famous person reads the Christmas story from the Bible. 
(Music). 
I think it'll be great to get to hear the Christmas story being read at Disney World. 
Now we go back to the beginning of our lesson here: 
Movie lovers won't want to miss The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios. 
So this is a big, exciting time for Pauline and her family because they love this ride. 
Well, I don't want to miss that Great Movie Ride as well. 
If I visit Disney World, I want to enjoy that ride. 
We are excited to watch some classic movie clips. 
OK. That's what you can do on this ride. 
And I really am interested in enjoying that ride sometime. 
Well, let's take a look at our word from the Word Bank: clip. 
Here we're talking about a movie clip. 
That means it's not the full movie, it's just a little segment of it. 
That's right, so just a small part of something. 
And usually we use this word to describe a small part of media. So a movie clip. 
Maybe a clip from a song, so a music clip. 
Or it could be a clip from a TV show or a cartoon. 
You can clip media and just play a short part of it. 
Or maybe even with the newspaper; you can have a clip from the newspaper. 
You just cut it out. 
That could be a clip from the newspaper. 
OK, so this is a short clip of something. 
And she continues here: 
Our all-time favorite - Star Wars. 
All right. That's her all-time favorite show. 
Well, let's take a look at that phrase. 
What does it mean, all-time something? 
Well, if something is all-time, that means that nothing else can compare to it. 
You try to make a comparison between one thing and all of the other things that are like it in history, and they just don't compare. 
So if you say all-time favorite movie, that means that that is the best movie and no other movie is even worth watching compared to that one. 
And another way you could use this phrase "all-time" is maybe to talk about the economy. 
Maybe the economy is at an all-time low. 
So that means the economy is doing very poorly. 
It's never been worse in history. 
It's at an all-time low. 
But let's stay positive here. 
We're talking about their all-time favorite - Star Wars. 
That's right. 
And we see a play on words here. 
Star Tours, a motion-simulated space flight, gives us a chance to experience adventure in 3-D. 
So Star Wars has become a ride called Star Tours. 
And I have been on this ride, not at Disney World but at Disneyland. 
It's quite an interesting ride. 
As we can see here, it's a motion-simulated space flight. 
Simulated, that means they make something to feel similar to the real thing. 
They make something to feel like you're actually in outer space in this motion-simulated space flight. 
And it's in 3-D, so I'm sure it seems very real. 
Well, we continue reading about other special Christmas events at this time of year. 
We read: 
On Christmas Eve (the night before Christmas), Epcot holds a special celebration - the Candlelight Processional. 
Well, that's kind of a big word, processional. 
You're proceeding with something. 
The Candlelight Processional. 
Well, I think you have to be there to experience it to really know what this is. 
But Pauline does describe it a little bit here. 
She says a full orchestra with a mass chorus holding candles performs traditional Christmas music and songs. 
Well, let's take a look at the word from our Word Bank: chorus. 
Now a chorus is a group of people who come together and sing as one body, so not individual people singing but they all sing together. 
And it's something that a lot of people go to church for. 
People will sing in a chorus at church or even at school. 
And maybe you've heard the word "choir." It's kind of similar. C-H-O-I-R. 
Carolyn, have you ever sung in a choir or in the chorus somewhere? 
I have. I am actually a member of the choir at church. 
And I have been singing with the church choir or chorus since I was uh... maybe five. 
Wow! You've been singing for a long time. 
I started singing in the choirs at my schools since I was in junior high or so. 
I also enjoy singing. 
Well, do you ever take part in the chorus or the choir somewhere? 
Now you can hear a mass chorus. 
That means there's a lot of people here at Disney World. 
And a famous person reads the Christmas story from the Bible. 
All right. So every year, famous people read the Christmas story from the Bible. 
And it's not just one night, it's over maybe a couple of weeks. 
So many different famous people or celebrities will read the story. 
That's right. 
And we have a key word, the word Bible. 
Now the Bible is the book that Christians use because it is the word of God. 
And it is made of 66 different books that tell us all about God and His love for His people. 
And of course, where can you find the Christmas story? 
The real meaning of Christmas is actually found in the Bible, and you can find it in the Book of Luke. 
It tells a very good story, a very full story of Jesus' birth. 
OK. Now if something is in the Bible, you can use an adjective to describe it: biblical; B-I-B-L-I-C-A-L, a biblical story. 
But you don't use the capital B. 
However, if you're talking about the Bible, there's always a capital B there. 
That's right. 
And we want to talk about biblical references with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
Then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Regardless of your religious beliefs, you can't deny the impact the Bible has had on almost every facet of Western society. 
Not only does it form the core of big holidays like Christmas, it has dramatically shaped politics, literature, law and science. 
And the arts! 
Leonardo da Vinci's well-known painting The Last Supper and George Handel's musical masterpiece Messiah both came from the Bible. 
A more current example is DreamWorks animated movie Prince of Egypt. 
It, too, came from the Bible. 
Well, the Bible is also responsible in part for shaping the English language. 
There are lots of familiar idioms, phrases and sayings that come from this book. 
Right. 
Just the other day, I picked up a secular magazine published here in Asia with a biblical reference right on the front cover. 
It was, in fact, a direct quote from Jesus. 
Flipping through the magazine, I discovered another biblical reference to a poem written by Israel's most famous king, David. 
So the point is the more we're able to recognize and understand biblical references, the better our English will become, right? 
Exactly. 
If you truly want to master English, you've got to become familiar with the Bible. 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.24.B

Well, if you had a chance to visit Disney World at Christmastime, what would you like to experience? 
So far we've learned about how you can enjoy The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios. 
And of course our author, she has an all-time favorite ride. 
And it's based off of the movie Star Wars. 
This ride is called Star Tours. 
Or maybe you'd like to enjoy something else - a mass chorus and someone famous reading the Christmas story from the Bible. 
Well, there's... it seems like there's a lot to do at Disney World during Christmastime. 
Let's continue learning right now. 
Where Dreams Come True. 
At Magic Kingdom, the magnificent fireworks above Cinderella's castle light up the sky. 
And now, this dreamland is about to come to an end. 
Have your dreams come true yet? 
My children will grow up. 
We will get old. 
But the sweet memories our family is creating together here and now will stay in our hearts forever. 
My dream is to enjoy time with my family. 
And, today, my dream has come true. 
Merry Christmas! 
(Music). 
It is wonderful when dreams come true. 
And that is what we are reading about today. 
Now let's read a little bit more about the Christmas celebration in Disney World. 
We read: 
At Magic Kingdom, the magnificent fireworks above Cinderella's castle light up the sky. 
And I'm sure that would be really beautiful, right, Gabe? 
Well, right! I love fireworks. 
I would go out and buy my own fireworks when I was a kid. 
And now, of course, there are professional or great, big fireworks shows at Disney World and Disneyland. 
And these fireworks light up the sky. 
That means it's night, but of course it seems like the sky is lit with these fireworks. 
What else lights up the sky? 
Lightning. 
That will light up the sky during a storm. 
It certainly will. 
And here the fireworks are lighting up the sky. 
Pauline continues to write: And, now, this dreamland is about to come to an end. 
And that is so sad, but that is a phrase from our Word Bank: to come to an end. 
That means that something is about to finish; it is almost done. 
So how could you use this, Gabe? 
Well, actually this makes me think of a phrase that goes like this: 
All good things must come to an end. 
That's kind of... kind of gives you a negative feeling sometimes. 
But sometimes it's true. 
You're... you're enjoying something so much, but then even that has to end sometime. 
So we say all good things must come to an end. 
And her time here in Disney World is coming to an end. 
And many other things come to an end. 
Maybe you're watching a movie, and it is almost over. 
That means that the movie is coming to an end. 
Well, we have another question here for you. 
Have your dreams come true yet? 
Hmm, have your dreams come true yet? 
Is this a type of hypophora... hypophora? 
Does this question have an answer? 
Have your dreams come true yet? 
Well, Pauline says: 
My children will grow up. 
We will get old. 
It's true. 
We talk about getting older in life. 
But she says: 
But the sweet memories our family is creating together here and now will stay in our hearts forever. 
Well, that is a very beautiful sentiment, a very beautiful way to look at things. 
And she says "here and now," which is a great phrase to know because many times you might hear this used. 
If we are talking about the here and now, that means we are talking about the present moment. 
So not in the future, not in the past, you're not concerned about either of those things. 
You are just focusing and enjoying what is happening right now. 
And I often hear that phrase. 
Don't think about the future. 
Just focus on the here and now. 
Enjoy this moment. 
And that's what Pauline is doing. 
And of course when you can really enjoy the here and now, then you will have some great memories later in life. 
That's right. 
And she says that those memories will stay in their hearts forever. 
And that's really beautiful to have something stay in your heart forever. 
That means that it is a very important cherished memory that you will never forget. 
All right. Well, what kinds of things stay in your hearts forever? 
What stays in your heart for a long time? 
Maybe in elementary school or junior high, you had a teacher who was really kind, 
who made a big difference in your life, and they did things and gave you a lasting impression. 
So of course that teacher might stay in your heart forever. 
That's right. 
Well, Pauline was asking: 
Have your dreams come true yet? 
And she answers that question for herself. 
She says: 
My dream is to enjoy time with my family. 
And Gabe, what has happened? 
Well, she says: 
And, today, my dream has come true. 
All right. Well, what kind of dream do you have? 
And has your dream come true yet? 
What kinds of things do you dream about? 
If you dream about only making money and being really successful in life, 
well, you might keep on chasing after that dream and never get it because you'll always want more. 
So what kinds of things do you dream about? 
Maybe you're like Pauline, your dream is to enjoy time with your family. 
I think that's a dream worth having. 
I think so, too, Gabe. 
And it is a beautiful dream that has come true for Pauline. 
And these are memories that her family will cherish forever. 
They will just keep them in their hearts. 
And you know, today is December 24, which means it's Christmas Eve, Gabe. 
Well, it's Christmas Eve, the night before Christmas. 
Hey, I think we should wish our students a merry Christmas. 
I think that sounds like a great idea. 
And Pauline wants to do that as well in our article, so... 
Let's say it together. 
Merry Christmas! 
All right. Right now it's time for us to enjoy a review skit. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Every child has a dream. 
That's right. 
And this is a dream come true - celebrating Christmas at Disney World! 
Yeah. This is definitely a unique trip. 
This whole place is decorated with lights and Christmas trees. 
Oh! Look at all the decorations. 
Holiday joy is in the air. 
There are Christmas parades and holiday performances. 
I like the safari. 
You can glimpse giraffes and elephants. 
Merry Christmas, giraffes. 
Merry Christmas, elephants. 
I like the Lion King show. 
It combines singing, dancing and acrobatics. 
Yeah! Oh, I wish we could join in. 
We can! 
We can? 
Yeah. 
Hooray! I'm also excited about The Great Movie Ride. 
Me, too. We don't want to miss it. 
Ooh, we can watch some classic movie clips. 
That's right, like our all-time favorite... 
Star Wars. 
And we can experience a space flight in 3-D. 
Star Tours! 
Oh, don't forget the special celebration - the candlelight procession. 
Yeah. We can hear the Christmas story read from the Bible. 
Mmhm. It will remind us of the true meaning of Christmas. 
Oh! And then it's followed by magnificent fireworks. 
(Background Noise). 
Every child has a dream. 
And Christmas at Disney World is a dream come true. 
Yay! 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's get back to our teachers. 
Our lesson is coming to an end, 
but we have had such a wonderful time learning about what it's like to spend Christmas at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. 
Now Gabe, we talked about so many different things. 
What was your favorite event? 
Hmm. Well, there's a lot. 
I would really like to see the Christmas parades that are mentioned in this article, and of course also to see the live animals. 
You can see these elephants and... and different giraffes and things like that. 
Now, uh, Carolyn, what about you? 
What would you really like to experience at Disney World's Christmas? 
Well, for Christmas specifically, I really want to go see the Candlelight Processional. 
I love Christmas music, and I'm sure that it would be a beautiful performance. 
And getting to hear famous people read the Christmas story sounds like a fantastic way to spend Christmas Eve. 
I agree with you there. 
Now just a little note about that Candlelight Processional, you have to pay a little extra to see it at Christmas, but I think it would be worth it. 
All right. 
Well, it's time for us to say goodbye. 
But of course, we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
And once again... 
Merry Christmas! 
(Music).

2013.12.25.A

Hello, everyone, and... 
Merry Christmas! 
Of course, welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
On this Christmas Day, we will be talking about a famous Christmas song called "What Child is This?" That's right. 
This song comes with a title that is a question: What child is this? 
I love this song. 
Actually, there are many Christmas songs that I love. 
Carolyn, what's a Christmas song that you like to sing at Christmastime? 
Well, I think a lot of people really enjoy singing Silent Night, 
but my favorite song is a little bit less common called Child So Lovely, so also talking about this child. 
Yes, this child. And what child is this? 
One of my favorite songs is O come, O come, Emmanuel. 
And there are so many other Christmas songs and tunes that you might recognize during the Christmas season. 
Well, let's get started learning about this song. 
(Music). 
"What Child is This?". 
The answer is in this favorite Christmas song. 
In his beautiful Christmas carol, William Chatterton Dix asks a question people down through the centuries have asked, "What child is this?". 
Even today people wonder about this baby who was born in a manger in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. 
Dix provides some answers in this well-loved Christmas song. 
The setting. 
Dix wrote the lyrics for the song in 1865 during a time when Christmas was not a large, commercial, materialistic celebration. 
Some religious people remembered the day and celebrated it in a quiet, solemn way. 
Others didn't celebrate the day at all. 
(Music). 
All right. Let's go back to the beginning of our lesson here. 
We read: 
The answer is in this favorite Christmas song. 
All right. The answer to what, Carolyn? 
Well, the answer to our question in the title - What child is this? 
And you see in your article the lyrics to this song. 
That's right. 
And Steve and Ken would like to talk about some of these lyrics. 
Liz also has something to say. 
All right. So maybe if you have your magazine, you can read along. 
First, let's go visit with Liz in the Grammar Gym. 
And then we'll see Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. So pay attention. 
Hello, friends. 
I hope you're all doing well today. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Our article today is about a song that we often hear during the Christmas season. 
And here's today's Grammar Tip sentence: 
While shepherds watch are keeping? 
Notice the word watch. 
Normally we use "watch" to mean that time piece we wear on our wrists. 
But in today's sentence, watch has a completely different meaning. 
Here it means the duty or period of time of guarding something. 
In other words, today's sentence just means while shepherds are doing their job of guarding. 
We use "watch" to mean duty or period of time of guarding something when we're talking about people who have to guard something. 
For example: Hank is a security guard at a museum, and during his watch, he enjoys walking around the exhibits. 
Or: The soldiers claimed that during their watch, they saw a mysterious aircraft fly over them. 
Want more example sentences? 
Then check out today's Grammar Tip section in your Studio Classroom magazine. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Hi, friends. 
If I say to you "Who did you meet this morning?" would you say there's something wrong with that sentence? 
Most of you would probably say no, it's a perfectly good sentence. 
But if we really want to be picky, Ken should have said, "Whom did you meet this morning?" Why? 
Because the person you met is the object of that sentence. 
OK, here's the rule: 
Use "whom" when you are referring to the object of a sentence. 
Use "who" when you are referring to the subject of a sentence. 
And how do you tell which is which? 
Just look at the verb. 
Here's a sentence that might help you remember: 
Who throws the ball to whom? 
"Who" is the person throwing the ball or initiating the action, and "whom" is the one receiving the ball or being acted upon. 
So with this rule in mind, we should say, "Whom did you meet this morning?" But let's be honest, very few people talk like that these days. 
When someone calls, we are far more likely to answer "Who do you wish to speak with?" rather than the grammatically correct sentence: 
With whom do you wish to speak? 
So what should we do? 
Well, if it's spoken, don't bother using "whom" unless you are already using a formal phrase like: To whom am I speaking? 
But if you're writing, especially if it's something formal like a thesis or a legal contract, then stick to the grammar rules. 
(Chinese). 
The song does contain some very interesting words. 
So thank you for giving us a little explanation and insight into this song. 
Well, let's continue with the lesson here. 
The answer is in this favorite Christmas song - so answering the question "What child is this?" And we read: 
In his beautiful Christmas carol, William Chatterton Dix asks a question people down through the centuries have asked: What child is this? 
And we need to take a look at an important word in our lesson today. 
It has everything to do with this kind of song. 
It's the word carol. 
Now a carol is a song of joy or of rejoicing in something. 
And especially we use the word "carol" talking about Christmas songs or Christmas carols. 
That's right. 
So many people like to sing Christmas carols during Christmastime. 
You might also hear people say that they enjoy going caroling. 
It can be turned into a verb. 
Now this is not the same as my name. 
My name is Carolyn, not Caroling. 
That's right. OK. 
But sometimes I'm sure Carolyn goes caroling on Christmas Eve. 
Am I right? 
Uh, yes, Gabe. You would be correct. 
OK, good. 
And then if you do enjoy caroling, then you are a caroler. 
You can go caroling with other people singing in front of people's houses or in front of department stores or at open public spaces during Christmastime. 
That is caroling. 
And it is a lot of fun. 
Well, people have always asked this question down through the ages. 
They have wondered, "What child is this?" And we read: 
Even today people wonder about this baby who was born in a manger in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. 
So this has been quite a long time that people have been asking this question. 
Hey, he was born in a manger. 
That reminds me of another Christmas carol: "Away in a manger..." OK. 
Now little Baby Jesus didn't have a crib for a bed. 
He rested in a manger, which is actually a feeding place for animals like cows and goats. 
That's what they would eat out of. 
That's kind of strange. 
It is kind of strange, but that is all part of the Christmas story that we find in the Bible. 
They did not have a crib to place this baby in, the dear Baby Jesus, so they laid him in the manger. 
Now in asking "What child is this?" Dix provides some answers in this well-loved Christmas song. 
So many people love this song. It is well-loved. 
All right. 
Well, let's take a look at the setting of the song - the time and the place. Here we go. 
Dix wrote the lyrics for the song in 1865 during a time when Christmas was not a large, commercial, materialistic celebration. 
And Carolyn, I love the way our author describes Christmas now. 
Sometimes it is a large, commercial and materialistic celebration. 
It is. 
So it has gone from being something that was very small, something that very few people celebrated to this very large event that focuses a lot on gift buying and giving. 
And it kind of has lost the true meaning that it originally had. 
It's true. 
And that's kind of what materialistic means. 
You focus on material things. 
The things that you have, the clothes that you wear, your cars and houses and those kinds of things, how much money you have. 
That's all materialistic. 
So do you focus on materialistic things? Or do you focus on other more important things in life? 
That's right, so. 
We continue reading here: Some religious people remembered the day and celebrated it in a quiet, solemn way. 
So it wasn't a large celebration. 
It was done in a quiet, solemn way, which is a word from our Word Bank: solemn. 
Now if something is solemn, then it is very respectful. 
There's not a lot going on. It's done kind of in a quiet way. 
OK, maybe kind of serious. 
Maybe you have a solemn conversation with somebody, something that is not really too happy. 
You're having a serious conversation, but it's important to discuss that topic. 
OK. You might be having a solemn time. 
And this carol kind of sounds a little bit solemn. 
It does. 
And we continue to read that others didn't celebrate the day at all. 
So this was not even a widely celebrated holiday, just a few people solemnly celebrating it. 
Well, right now it is time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.25.B

Today our lesson focuses on a well-loved Christmas carol: What Child is This? 
And the writer of this song, William Chatterton Dix asks this question and, in the song's lyrics, provides some answers to this question that people have been asking for over 2,000 years. 
Well, let's continue learning a little bit about the hymn's meaning in the next part of our lesson. 
"What Child is This?". 
The hymn's meaning. 
Dix was moved to write about witnesses at the manger scene who knew that this was no ordinary birth yet didn't really fully understand its significance. 
The writer described an infant who sleeps on his mother's lap, is guarded by shepherds, greeted by angels with sweet songs and worshiped by kings. 
Dix then answers his initial question by declaring that the baby is "Christ the King," who brings salvation to all people. 
He concluded that for this reason, we should sing about Christ, worship him and be filled with joy! 
Jesus indeed gives us cause for celebration on this, His birthday, Christmas day! 
(Music). 
OK. Well, we certainly do have a great reason to celebrate on Christmas Day and all year round because of what Jesus Christ has done for our lives. 
Now let's go back to the beginning of this section: The hymn's meaning. 
The hymn. 
You see that word H-Y-M-N, but it just sounds like you're saying H-I-M. 
However, the hymn, we're talking about the hymn's meaning here. 
What do we find out? 
Well, we read that Dix was moved to write about witnesses at the manger scene who knew that this was no ordinary birth yet didn't really fully understand its significance. 
So there was a lot going on here in this song and in the lyrics and what Dix wanted to capture when he wrote it. 
OK, he was moved to do this. 
Let's take a look at that word "move." Usually I think of uh, well, maybe moving from one house to another. 
Or I'm moving something from the table over to somewhere else. 
Is that what this word means here, Carolyn? 
No, this is a different kind of move. 
And you saw there, how are people moved? 
So you can be moved to do something. 
It means that you have this emotion, this feeling that you just... oh, you feel overwhelmed by it. 
So maybe you are moved to tears by something that is so sweet. 
It doesn't have to be something sad. 
It can be just a beautiful song or story, and it moves you in some way. 
All right, so you're moved to tears. 
Emotionally you have a reaction. 
Or maybe you're moved to do something like Dix here. 
He was moved to write about these witnesses, the shepherds and the wise men, everybody that surrounded Jesus Christ when he was born. 
So he was moved and inspired to do this. 
Well, how do we continue here, Carolyn? 
Well, we read: 
The writer described an infant who sleeps on his mother's lap, is guarded by shepherds, greeted by angels with sweet songs and worshiped by kings. 
So there is a lot going on in this song. 
That's right, all of these things that surround this little infant, this little Baby Jesus. 
Well, let's take a look at our word from the Word Bank here. 
It is worship. 
And this means to respect and honor, but it means a lot more than that too, right, Carolyn? 
How would you use this word "worship"? 
Well, worship is a pretty serious word. 
And we use it when we, like, bow down and give ourselves wholly to something. 
So like bowing down before God and worshipping Him. 
And because Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that is happening here in this song. 
That's right. 
Now I often think of this word when I think about going to church. 
And maybe you're in church and everybody is singing - they're singing praise and worship songs. 
They're worshipping God with their voices. 
But I also think it's a lot more than that. 
Just like Carolyn said, you can worship God with your whole life. 
Everything you do, everything you say can be an act of worship. 
That's right. 
And that is what many Christians aspire to do, to turn their entire lives into a life that worships and honors God. 
Now we continue reading that Dix then answers his initial question by declaring that the baby is "Christ the King," who brings salvation to all people. 
And that's very important. 
We need to take a look at some things here. 
He is Christ the King. 
You see Christ is underlined. It's a More Information word. 
And Christ is a word that means anointed, but it also means that God has specially chosen this person to bring salvation to people. 
And now let's talk about that word "salvation." What does that mean and how can you use it? 
Well, salvation means that you are saved by God from evil in this world, from our sins. 
And well, salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone. 
So if you are seeking salvation, then you should be reading the Bible, getting to form a relationship with Jesus Christ and God. 
That's right, for Him to save us that gives us a relationship with God himself. 
All right. Well, we continue here. 
He concluded, the writer concluded that for this reason, we should sing about Christ, worship him and be filled with joy. 
Well, of course our salvation is a great reason to be filled with joy all the time. 
Yes, it is. 
And Jesus indeed gives us cause for celebration on this, His birthday, Christmas day! 
All right. Well, of course many people think that December 25 is when Jesus was born. 
We don't really know for sure, but we can always have a reason to celebrate Jesus. 
All right. Now it's time for us to learn more with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's head back to our teachers. 
Well, we've learned all about the history of this famous Christmas carol. 
And Carolyn and I would now like to sing this song for you. 
But not only us two! We found our friends Nathanael and Rebecca to help. 
It's good to have you guys. 
Hello. 
Long time no see. 
All right. Let me find my pitch pipe here. 
One, two. 
What child is this, who, laid to rest on Mary's lap, is sleeping? 
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping? 
This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing: 
Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary! 
And with that, we would like to wish you all a... 
Merry Christmas! 
And of course, we will see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
OK, verse two, you guys! 
So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh. 
Come peasant king to own Him! 
The King of kings, salvation brings... 
(Music).

2013.12.26.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We are going to learn about a really cool group of musicians, a group of singers, actually. 
And their name is O-Kai. 
Now we have lots to learn over the next couple of days, but we just wanted to give you a little introduction to this group of musicians. 
Carolyn, do you know anything about these musicians? 
Well, O-Kai is a group of five musicians, three of which are actually siblings. 
And they sing together in a beautiful musical style without any instruments. 
That's right. They don't have any instruments. 
They sing a cappella style. 
But they do have one member who knows how to beatbox quite well. 
Their music is really cool. 
They blend the aboriginal style or the aboriginal spirit of Taiwan with jazz. 
And we're going to learn a lot about them in our lesson, so let's get started. 
(Music). 
O-Kai. 
This group captures Taiwan's native spirit in an unexpected way. 
When I hear Taiwanese aboriginal music, I imagine the kind, dark face of an old man singing memories. 
Yet, when O-Kai sings the Atayal song "Lahuy ta riax soni" ("We gather together"), it produces a very different effect. 
Looking closely. 
O-Kai's first album is in part a government-funded attempt to preserve aboriginal music, particularly lesser-known songs. 
But where you might expect traditional performances of folk songs, you get O-Kai's original blend of styles. 
We have a lot to talk about in our lesson today about this great musical group O-Kai. 
And we read: This group captures Taiwan's native spirit in an unexpected way, 
which I think is very true because they have a very unique musical style. 
All right, so it captures their native spirit or Taiwan's native spirit. 
Now you're going to see this word "spirit" used throughout the lesson over the next couple of days. 
And it can mean different things, but it's kind of the feeling you get about something. 
And so there is a unique Taiwanese spirit that is captured in this music. 
It's a unique feeling. 
It is a very unique feeling. 
And we continue to read here in the lesson: 
When I hear Taiwanese aboriginal music, I imagine the kind, dark face of an old man singing memories. 
So this is what our author writes that he imagines when he hears aboriginal music. 
But I like that phrase a lot: when I hear something, I imagine something else. 
OK, so you can use this phrase in different ways. 
When I hear the word baseball, I imagine a crowded baseball stadium with lots of fans and lots of excitement. 
How else could you use that phrase, Carolyn? 
Well, when I hear Christmas songs, I imagine spending time with family and eating a delicious Christmas dinner. 
All right, so there are different ways to use that phrase. 
Now here our author is talking about hearing Taiwanese aboriginal music. 
Now there are several different aboriginal tribes all around Taiwan. 
And we continue reading here: 
Yet, when O-Kai sings the Atayal song "Lahuy ta riax soni" ("We gather together"), it produces a very different effect. 
So Atayal music, well, Atayal is one of the tribes here in Taiwan. 
It is. 
And their music, they have their own unique style. 
But when O-Kai sings some of these songs, it is very different from what you might be used to hearing. 
And so we move on to the next section here in the lesson: Looking closely. 
We're going to learn a little bit more about O-Kai. 
We read: 
O-Kai's first album is in part a government-funded attempt to preserve aboriginal music, particularly lesser-known songs. 
And I think this is a really great project to be a part of. Don't you, Gabe? 
I do, too. OK. 
So this is not just something that a group of singers wanted to produce. 
Actually, this was in part a government effort. 
OK, so the government took part in this project. 
OK. And they wanted to preserve aboriginal music. 
That means to save it from being completely destroyed or lost. OK. 
They wanted to do this particularly the lesser-known songs, the songs that are not as famous or popular. 
Well, you can talk about other things that are lesser known. 
Actually, many musicians and bands, they... they create so many songs. 
Some of them are very popular, but of course they also have their lesser-known songs. 
Yes, they do. 
And well, O-Kai is trying to make these lesser-known songs more popular. 
And we continue reading: But where you might expect traditional performances of folk songs, you get O-Kai's original blend of styles. 
So this is a very unique way to be singing these traditional songs that you might have heard people singing as a folk song. 
But that is not the way O-Kai performs them. 
That's right. 
You expect one thing, but you get something else, a very unique blend of styles. 
And we need to take a look at that word from the Word Bank: blend. 
A blend of something is a mixture or combination of two or more things. 
So here we're talking about a blend of musical styles. 
There are many bands that blend musical styles. 
Actually, one of my favorite bands is from Japan. 
And they blend the Japanese language and the English language with reggae and hip hop musical styles. 
What? No way! 
That... sounds like it would be really cool. 
OK. So you can blend musical styles. 
I enjoy uh, blending music... or I enjoy music groups that blend different styles, like jazz and funk or pop and rock. 
There are different musical styles that you can blend, and it could have a completely different effect. 
Well, it's important to have a good blend when you are making music. 
Especially when you're singing together with other people, right, Carolyn? 
How important is blend? 
Well, it is important to blend your voices together so that it sounds pleasant to the people listening. 
You want to make sure that everything blends smoothly. 
It is combined very easily and nicely. 
And so as you can see, this word can also be a verb. 
You have a blend of styles or you can blend your voices together with others to create very nice music. 
Well, we have lots more to learn about O-Kai. 
And of course, we always have more to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.26.B

When you think about Taiwanese aboriginal music, what do you think of? 
Do you think of the kind, dark face of an old man that is singing memories? 
Well, that's what a lot of people think of, and that's what our author of today's lesson also usually thinks of. 
But now he thinks of something completely different when he listens to the music that the music group O-Kai produces. 
We've been learning about them and their unique blend of musical styles. 
Let's continue learning right now. 
O-Kai. 
You'll notice that the entire album is sung a cappella. 
O-Kai's members prove that they are very capable of complex harmonies and creative voice techniques. 
And beyond a cappella, O-Kai has also planted itself in the world of jazz. 
Of course, it is far from the first group to perform a cappella jazz. 
In fact, O-Kai marvels at many such groups, especially gospel group Take 6, which uses both jazz and R&B. 
However, O-Kai may be first to put a lively jazz stamp on the warm, joyful music of Taiwan's native people. 
Let's keep learning about this great group O-Kai and their music. 
We continue reading here after we talked about their blend of styles. We read: 
You'll notice that the entire album is sung a cappella. 
And a cappella just means without accompanying music. 
So there's no instruments, it's just voices. 
And I love listening to a cappella music. 
Well, I love listening to good singers sing a cappella music. 
Carolyn, have you ever sung a cappella before? 
Uh, yes, Gabe. 
I believe that we were singing a cappella just uh... yesterday. 
As a matter of fact, you're right. 
What we were singing yesterday is a cappella. 
We sang along with Nathanael and Rebecca "What Child is This?" We had no instruments. 
We were singing a cappella style. 
OK. Well, we have more to learn with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud right now about a cappella and other Italian music terms. 
Not to be outdone by the French, the Italians have graciously contributed a good many words of their own to the English language. 
Remember last week's Coffee Culture lesson? 
Much of English's coffee vocabulary comes from Italy. 
Now where would we be without words like espresso, cappuccino, latte, venti and Americano? 
We'd be drinking a lot more tea. 
Now another area where the Italian language just dominates is music. 
For example, take the word "a cappella" from today's lesson. 
It literally means "in chapel style." But we know it today as meaning singing without any musical accompaniment. 
And whether or not you've studied music, I'm sure you'll recognize some of these other Italian words. 
Like piano, timpani and viola. 
The names of many musical instruments are Italian. 
For musical voices, speed, volume and style, English borrows heavily from Italian. 
I'm sure you've heard the words soprano, tempo, crescendo and ad-lib before, right? 
Thank the Italians. 
Grazie. 
Why does English contain so many Italian music-related vocabulary words? 
Well, one theory is that most of the important composers during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the periods when Western music was born and matured, were Italian. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
There are a lot of musical terms that are in Italian. 
Now we continue reading in the article: 
O-Kai's members prove that they are very capable of complex... harmonies and creative voice techniques. 
Now we were talking about blending of styles earlier. 
And here we see the word "harmony." Now harmony is a word from the Word Bank. 
And that's when you blend voices together or musical notes to create a pleasant sound to the person listening. 
That's right. So there are many different kinds of harmonies. 
Of course you might sing harmony if you are in a choir or in the chorus of some kind. 
Someone sings the melody, and that's usually the... the part or the melody that everybody can recognize. 
But then there are also beautiful harmonies that people sing to back up the melody. 
And here we're talking about complex harmonies. 
If you've ever taken music courses, then you've probably learned that jazz involves some augmented and diminished chords. 
These are some of the chords that are involved in complex harmonies. 
Yes. So these are not easy parts to learn. 
And they do this without instruments, with just their voices. 
Sometimes it's easier to just be looking at a piece of music and make an instrument that you are playing produce those notes. 
But to use your own voice can be quite a different challenge. 
And I think it's a great challenge. 
If you like to sing, try to sing harmony with someone else while they're singing the melody. 
It's cool to try to create your own harmonies as well. 
OK, let's continue here learning about O-Kai. 
And beyond a cappella, O-Kai has also planted itself in the world of jazz. 
All right. They've planted themselves there, like a plant, Carolyn? 
Uh, no. That just means that they have arrived there. They are established. 
And people in the world of jazz or the jazz community know about them. 
They are an established jazz group as well as an a cappella group. 
That's right. OK. 
So they've planted themselves in the world of jazz. 
And that is quite a big world. 
There is lots of different kinds of jazz music. 
And of course, as we read here, it is far from the first group to perform a cappella jazz. 
I can think of many other groups that perform a cappella jazz. 
They are far from the first group to do that. 
And that is a great phrase that we want to look at: far from. 
If you are far from something, well, you're not close to it or there's no real similarity between two things. 
That's right. 
So this is not just talking about the distance from one place to another. 
No! You can use this phrase to talk about so much more. 
Maybe you talk about your... your project, maybe something that you are trying to create. 
You might say: You know, it's... it's far from perfect, but I got a good start. 
I'm going to continue improving even though it is far from perfect. 
That's right. 
So you could even just replace the phrase with the word "not." It is not perfect. 
Or they are not the first group. 
But if you want to really emphasize it, then you can say far from. 
And of course this group O-Kai is not the first group to perform a cappella jazz. 
In fact, O-Kai marvels at many such groups, especially gospel group Take 6, which uses both jazz and R&B. 
OK. So they marvel at this gospel group Take 6. 
Let's take a look at our word here. 
It's the word "marvel." If you marvel at something, that means you're amazed, and you really wonder at something. 
That's right. 
So maybe the first time you hear O-Kai's music, you will marvel at them. 
You will be so surprised and just really admire their amazing musical abilities. 
Well, what else can you marvel at? 
Every time I go out and it's a really clear night sky, I marvel at the amount of stars I can see in the sky. 
And it's good to marvel at these things that... that amaze us. 
Well, this group O-Kai marvels at groups like Take 6. 
I like the group Take 6. 
Have you ever heard of Take 6, Carolyn? 
I have not, Gabe. 
But they are a gospel group. 
And that is a word from our Word Bank that we want to talk about. 
Gospel - it's a style of Christian music that was based a little bit on R&B and soul music, and it's very popular in a lot of churches. 
And I really do enjoy listening to gospel music because there's always a positive message in gospel music. 
Well, let's continue here. 
However, O-Kai may be the first to put a lively jazz stamp on the warm, joyful music of Taiwan's native people. 
So many people have done a cappella jazz before, but they'll be the first to put a jazz stamp on Taiwan's native people's music. 
And that is very impressive. 
And right now we're going to watch a video of O-Kai singing a Christmas song. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
OK, let's see what our teachers are up to. 
We've had a wonderful day learning about O-Kai and even getting to hear them sing a wonderful Christmas song, so. 
What do you think of their musical style? 
Is it one that interests you? 
Gabe, do you enjoy O-Kai's music? 
Yeah. I bought their album, and I love listening to it. 
Actually, I have one of their songs in my head right now. 
If you have a chance to buy their album or listen to their music, please do. 
They have a lot more that they have to sing about. 
They do. And it is wonderful music to listen to. 
Go out and buy their videos. 
Listen to some of their songs. 
And of course, join us again tomorrow as we continue learning all about this group on Studio Classroom. 
We will see you then. 
(Music).

2013.12.27.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And I'm Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're going to continue learning about O-Kai, this group of singers that has a very incredible, unique blend in their style of music. 
And of course, something we learned in yesterday's lesson is that it is a cappella music, 
but it is definitely very unique and influenced by jazz and gospel and R&B. 
Well, are you interested in music? 
And if so, when did you first get interested in music? 
Why are you interested in music? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I am interested in music. 
I can play an instrument. 
I play the flute. 
And I love to sing. 
And I think it was my mother who really got me interested because she sings at church in the choir, and I wanted to sing in the choir, too. 
So I did! 
So you did. 
Well, I've been singing in choirs since I was a kid as well. 
I've always loved music. 
And we're going to learn a little bit about the history of O-Kai and why they got started. 
So let's get started with today's lesson. 
(Music). 
O-Kai. 
Looking back. 
The spirit of aboriginal Taiwan is quite personal to O-Kai. 
In 1995, JC Lai felt that spirit at just the right time in Hsinchu's Jianshi Village. 
Feeling no purpose, JC's own spirit was fading away in hopelessness until he found this simple place. 
He had loved music since childhood, and he found others with an equal affection for it there. 
Many villagers sang in the local church as he played piano at their request every night. 
A fire of purpose, sparked by God, took flame in JC's heart at those get-togethers. 
All right. And we're going to learn how that flame became even brighter later in today's lesson. 
But first, let's look back to the beginning of our lesson. 
The title of this section is Looking back. 
And the idea when you're looking back is you're thinking about the history. 
You're going to talk about the history of something. 
That's right. 
And here we are talking about the history of O-Kai and how they got started. 
We read: The spirit of aboriginal Taiwan is quite personal to O-Kai. 
And in 1995, JC Lai felt the spirit at just the right time in Hsinchu's Jianshi Village. 
OK. So JC, or (Chinese), he felt this spirit when he went to this village at just the right time. 
And it's quite personal to O-Kai. 
OK, that means it means a lot to him. 
And he is the leader, this guy who goes by JC. 
OK, we read here: Feeling no purpose, JC's own spirit was fading away in hopelessness until he found this simple place. 
So his own spirit was fading away. 
I get the idea that maybe he was kind of losing sense of his purpose in life. 
Yes. It could be that he was becoming depressed or he just didn't know what he was supposed to be doing. 
He didn't have a lot of direction or hope, and his spirit was fading. 
But he found hope in this simple place in this village. And we read: 
He had loved music since childhood, and he found others with an equal affection for it there. 
So he was able to find people who had that same affection for music. 
And I think we should talk about that word: affection. 
It's from our Word Bank. 
If you have affection for something or somebody, that means you have feelings for it, that means you have a connection with it. OK. 
You like it. 
What do you have affection for? 
Well, it means that you care about something, so. 
Maybe you have affection for your pet. 
You love your pet. 
You want to take care of it. 
And you worry about it if you aren't home and it's by itself. 
Or you might have affection toward other people. 
You can feel affection for your best friend. 
You really enjoy spending time with that person. 
Or maybe you want to win the affection of somebody. 
You want someone to like you more than they do, so you want to win their affection. 
Sometimes when I go to visit people's homes, and I notice they have pets like dogs or cats. 
I love cats! 
And I like to win the affection of their cats. 
Ah. Well, it is not always easy to do that, especially if you only meet them the one time. 
But here we're talking about JC going to this village and finding people with the same affection for music that he had. 
That gave him a sense of hope. 
And we read: Many villagers sang in the local church as he played piano at their request every night. 
So he did this at their request every night. 
So he was generous with his time. 
And of course he would go to this church, and people would request for him to play songs. 
Let's take a look at this phrase: to do something at someone's request. 
So you know that request is a verb. 
You can request someone to do something. 
How do you use this phrase: at someone's request? 
Well, it means that someone has asked you to do something for them - at their request. 
So you might say: 
I made dinner for my mother at her request. 
She asked me to do it, so I did. 
Or I did a project at my boss's request. 
Of course my boss asked me to do something, and so I did it at her request. 
All right. So use that phrase sometime today. 
Well, right now it's time for us to learn something new with Steve and Ken in the Information Cloud. 
(Music). 
In English, when we talk about playing instruments, we can use one simple word, the verb play. 
That's right. 
We play the guitar, play the flute and play the drums. 
Regardless of the action we use to produce sound from each instrument, it's the same word: play. 
Which makes it really easy to ask others: Do you play the piano? Or can you play the violin? 
Friends, notice we don't need any prepositions in these sentences. 
That's good point, Ken. 
If I said I play on the piano, that would mean I'm literally on top of the piano doing something like playing cards or playing basketball with my friends. 
And we don't want that. 
Of course if we dig deeper, we'll find that English does have some instrument-specific playing words. 
For example, instead of "play the guitar," you might hear people say strum or pick the guitar. 
And one fun way to describe playing the piano is tickling the ivory. 
Right. This phrase originated many years ago when piano keys were made of real ivory. 
When a skillful pianist tickles the ivory, he's making a beautiful sound on the piano. 
A beautiful sound like laughter. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
Those are all helpful terms to know when talking about instruments. 
And here we have JC who is tickling the ivories at church every night. 
We continue reading: 
A fire of purpose, sparked by God, took flame in JC's heart at those get-togethers. 
And I love the imagery of this sentence, Gabe. 
Well, I do, too. 
You see the imagery of a flame in the different words here, like fire, spark, flame. OK. 
Well, let's take a look at this word from our Word Bank. It is spark. 
And you need a little spark to get a fire going. 
That's what creates many fires. 
That's right. 
And here it was sparked by God. 
So it's not a noun; it's not a spark but sparked - to start something, to get it going. 
And you could say that the conversation was sparked by a small comment that was made. 
So something small ended up producing this big discussion. 
OK, so that's one way you could use this word spark. 
But do remember, it can also be a noun. 
It takes a spark to start a fire. 
And then as Nathanael says, or he writes: It took flame in JC's heart. 
OK. So that means the fire became brighter, and it became a full fire. 
That's right. 
And right now it is time for us to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Then we will continue with our lesson. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.27.B

Today we are looking back at the history of O-Kai. 
So far we've been learning about JC Lai, who went to Jianshi Village. 
And while he was there, he found a common affection for music among the people there who went to church. 
And he played for them each night at their request on the piano. 
Now we have a lot more to learn about O-Kai and how it started in the next part of our lesson. 
(Music). 
O-Kai. 
The three children of the church's piano player and choir leader struck up a relationship with JC. 
This chemistry led them to practice and perform together even though Jen, Sean and Anton were in school. 
Determined to work together, JC taught piano lessons for several years until they finished their studies. 
Out of patience, passion and a love for music, the four formed O-Kai in 2004. 
Later the group added alto Tanya, performed internationally, won awards at various contests and produced an album. 
Well, it seems like they've accomplished quite a lot over the years. 
OK, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
We're continuing to learn about the history, the story of the origins of O-Kai. 
OK, so the three children, now who of... who are the three children? 
The three children of the church's piano player and choir leader struck up a relationship with JC. 
OK, so they were a part of the choir. 
Let's talk about this word from our Word Bank: choir. 
Now we learned a word earlier this month, chorus. 
Is that kind of similar, Carolyn? 
It is pretty similar. 
A choir is also a group of people that get together to sing. 
And a lot of times I think of a choir as being a very official group like at a church or a school. 
OK, so this is a church choir that we're talking about here. 
And uh, the leader of this choir had some kids who struck up a relationship with JC. 
When you strike up a relationship, we've talked about striking up conversations before. 
That means you initiate something, you start something. 
So they're starting this relationship with JC. 
And that makes a lot of sense. 
If JC was there playing the piano, then, sure, of course the piano player, the leader of the choir, they would of course have their children talking to JC. 
All right. And so they struck up this relationship. 
They have a relationship now. 
And this chemistry led them to practice and perform together even though Jen, Sean and Anton were in school. 
OK, so we see another word here. 
This is the word "chemistry." So all of these people have chemistry. 
I usually think of chemistry as a subject in school. 
Is that what we're talking about here? 
Well, this is not a science class. 
Here, chemistry is talking about the relationships between people. 
You can have good chemistry or bad chemistry. 
And that means that you have a good relationship right away or a bad relationship right away. 
It's that initial feeling. 
And of course you can develop chemistry over a period of time. 
Maybe at first you don't have good chemistry, but you can develop good chemistry over time. 
So this chemistry that they initially had led them to practice and perform together even though these three were still in school. 
All right. Well, how do we continue here? 
We read: Determined to work together, JC taught piano lessons for several years until they finished their studies. 
So JC and these kids had a great relationship. 
And he saw so much potential that he decided to teach piano lessons while he waited for them to finish school. 
And I think that this says a lot about his dedication and his sacrifice. 
He was willing to take a lot of time to do this because he saw potential in these three people. 
I really admire JC for that. 
I do, too. And we continue reading: 
Out of patience, passion and a love for music, the four formed O-Kai in 2004. 
Now I really like that phrase at the very beginning: out of. 
We see "out of patience, out of passion." That means because of these things that something else was able to occur. 
You might also say out of kindness or out of compassion. 
How else could you use this, Gabe? 
Well, I was thinking about doing something out of compassion. 
Or I was thinking about the idea that God, out of love and out of compassion, he wanted to come and save us so we can have a relationship with Him. 
That's what we talked about a couple of days ago in our lesson about What Child is This? 
So God does a lot of things out of his kindness, compassion and love. 
He certainly does. 
And here we continue reading about O-Kai: 
Later the group added alto Tanya, performed internationally, won awards at various contests and produced an album. 
They did a lot of things after forming this group. 
That's right. 
So remember, in 2004, they formed the group, and then later added an alto named Tanya. 
Alto. Well, what is that, Carolyn? 
Is that uh, some kind of musical term? 
It is. An alto is a woman who sings a lower part, which is usually the harmony. 
And the soprano, the higher female voice, would sing the melody. 
But in O-Kai, that is not always true. 
That's right. 
OK. They might sing many different parts. 
In case you're curious, the parts that men sing, the high man's voice is a tenor, and low man's voice is bass. OK. 
Well, we have a key word to talk about here. 
It is the word "contest." So O-Kai has won different contests. 
That is a kind of race or competition. 
That's right. 
And so they have participated in many singing contests or singing competitions, and they have won many awards. 
Well, right now it's time for us to watch another video of O-Kai singing, performing a wonderful medley of songs. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
(Music). 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And don't go away yet. 
Stay tuned for more. 
Well, in today's lesson we learned about how JC found a feeling of purpose after he went to visit this little village near Hsinchu. 
Now what gives you a feeling of purpose and hope? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I think it's very easy to get discouraged and to lose focus on what we're supposed to be doing in our lives, so I turn to God. 
I pray, I read the Bible, and I find direction there. 
Well, I think that is a great thing to do as that is God's direction for our life. 
It's like a map for our lives in the Bible. 
OK, so we can get a sense of feeling... or a feeling of purpose and hope there. 
Well, what about you? 
Where do you get a feeling of purpose or hope? 
We have more to learn about O-Kai in next time's lesson here at Studio Classroom. 
We'll see you then. 
(Music).

2013.12.28.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English is going to improve today. 
We're continuing to learn about O-Kai, this group of incredibly talented musicians. 
They are singers. 
They sing a cappella, and their style is quite unique. 
We already looked... at the history of O-Kai yesterday. 
And of course we're going to be talking a little bit about their future today and where they get their inspiration from. 
But they are a team of people that are working together with a single goal. 
Now I wonder about you. 
Have you ever had any interesting teamwork experiences? 
Carolyn? 
Well, teamwork is not always easy, and it's difficult to depend on people if you don't really know them that well. 
So I remember I had a class project, and we had to work as a team to complete it. 
And in order to do that, part of our assignment was to make a contract so that if one person did not fulfill their obligation to the team, 
they would be the only one that lost points on the project. 
That's good. That's very clever. 
It is a good way to make sure everyone is doing their jobs. 
I have been involved in different kinds of teamwork in the past. 
And I think it is wonderful to have that kind of experience - to work together. 
Everyone is working together with one goal, just like O-Kai. 
Let's continue learning about them today. 
(Music). 
O-Kai. 
Looking up. 
There's no doubt that things have been going well for O-Kai. 
Some of their favorite foreign professional arrangers were happy to arrange songs for their album after the group approached them. 
O-Kai A Cappella was named one of the top 10 Taiwanese albums of 2012 because it brought something new to the table. 
Now their hard work and creativity has been rewarded with three Golden Melody Awards, Taiwan's highest honor for music. 
Rather than dwell on their own achievements, though, O-Kai thank God for His guidance and give honor to Him. 
They have been a very successful group. 
And as we see at the beginning of this section, things are looking up. 
Looking up. 
That means that things are looking good. 
They are positive. 
And it looks like the future is bright. 
And I think it's true. 
O-Kai's future is bright. 
OK, things are looking up. 
We read here: There's no doubt that things have been going well for O-Kai. 
There's no doubt about something. 
That means even if you have a little question in your mind: How is O-Kai doing? Are they really doing OK? 
Well, there's no doubt things are going great for them. 
That's right. And we continue reading: 
Some of their favorite foreign professional arrangers were happy to arrange songs for their album after the group approached them. 
And that's amazing. 
These are big-name, professional arrangers that just agreed to arrange songs for their album because they asked them to. 
And they were happy to do this. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: professional. 
Are you a professional in some way? 
Or did you just begin to learn how to do something? 
If you're a professional, chances are you're making money doing that thing. 
Well, maybe you want to be a professional singer. 
Maybe you want to be a professional a cappella singer like O-Kai's members. 
But you could also be a professional at anything, really. 
Whatever you do for work, you can make that your profession, your job, and become a skilled professional. 
And so just like these professional arrangers, you can do something at that level and even make money doing something that you really enjoy and love. 
OK. Well, we continue here. 
O-Kai A Cappella was named one of the top 10 Taiwanese albums of 2012 because it brought something new to the table. 
All right. So already they're named one of the top 10 a cappella groups or top 10 groups. 
They brought something new to the table. 
What does that mean? 
Well, it means that there was really nothing like it before. 
It was a very new sound and a new approach to Taiwanese aboriginal music. 
So their album O-Kai A Cappella got named one of the top 10 Taiwanese albums of 2012. 
OK. So when can you bring something new to the table? 
What does that mean? 
Do you ever bring new ideas to the table? 
Maybe you have a project, you're working together with other people, and you bring your ideas to the table. 
That means you... you mention your ideas to discuss so everybody knows what you're thinking. 
Great. Well, we continue learning about O-Kai. 
Now their hard work and creativity has been rewarded with three Golden Melody Awards, Taiwan's highest honor for music. 
So not only... was their album named one of the top 10 albums in Taiwan but they've also received three Golden Melody Awards. 
And so their creativity and hard work has paid off. 
Creativity is straight from our Word Bank. 
Are you a creative person? 
Well, I think we all have creativity in different ways. 
That's right. 
So if you have creativity, that means that you are able to use your imagination to come up with something new. 
What do you do with your creativity? 
Do you write music? 
Do you paint pictures? 
Do you come up with stories or new ideas? 
How do you use your creativity? 
All right. Well, let's continue here. 
We read about O-Kai: 
Rather than dwell on their achievements, though, O-Kai thank God for His guidance and give honor to Him. 
All right, so they're not just thinking about all the great things that they have done. 
They're not just dwelling on their achievements. 
But that's a phrase from our Word Bank. 
When you dwell on something, that means you think about it a lot. 
You can dwell on the past or the future. 
How else could you use this phrase? 
Well, it's important not to dwell on failures. 
You should continue looking forward, looking up and focus on the positive or dwell on the positive things in your life. 
I think that's a great reminder. 
Don't dwell on the negative things happening in your life. 
Dwell on the positive things. 
And I think that we all have many blessings in our lives that we can dwell on. 
OK. So here we're talking about how O-Kai doesn't just dwell on their past achievements. 
That means they're not just really happy and boasting about everything they've done in the past. 
No. They continue to look forward with grateful hearts. 
Yes. And so they give thanks to God and honor Him. 
So that is a wonderful way for them to show their achievements that these aren't things that they have done themselves, 
but something that they have done because of God's blessings on them. 
Well, O-Kai is a good example of a group of people who don't just rest in what they are doing. 
They're not just happy and content with their past achievements. 
They may be... reinventing themselves. 
And I think that Steve and Ken are going to talk a little bit about this idea in the Information Cloud. 
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab. 
In ancient Greece, before the days of Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals, there were laurel wreaths. 
That's right. 
Symbols of great honor and status, laurel wreaths were awarded to successful athletes in recognition of a well-earned victory. 
It is this custom that is at the root of the idiom: resting on one's laurels. 
And it means that a person is so content with his past successes and achievements that he doesn't feel the need to improve anymore. 
People who rest on their laurels are so satisfied with what they've accomplished, they decide to just rest and live off their reputation. 
Knowing this, we can understand how resting on one's laurels became associated with laziness. 
Today, this idiom goes beyond the world of sports and can be applied to talented but a little lazy people in any field, including business, politics, academics and the arts. 
Sometimes in the entertainment business, we hear of people who refuse to rest on their laurels. 
Rather, they are more concerned with reinventing themselves, which means they are striving to improve, always learning, always changing. 
So how about you, friends? 
Are you resting on your laurels or are you reinventing yourself? 
(Chinese). 
Hi, everyone. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.28.B

We're continuing to learn about O-Kai today. 
And we've also learned a little bit about how things are looking up for them. 
They've already achieved many things in their musical careers. 
And things are looking up; they have a lot to look forward to as well. 
And we have more to learn in the next part of our lesson for today. 
O-Kai. 
Looking forward. 
O-Kai continue to push forward with more performances and projects with no signs of their energy running low. 
As I am talking to them, Sean even uses spare moments to practice his vocal percussion. 
Before I hear them sing, they create a zoo of musical sounds to warm up, caring little if anyone hears. 
Though their schedule is packed, they still gather around their music like carefree children. 
Perhaps their hearts are still back in that village church around the piano. 
O-Kai is certainly looking forward as many other musical groups should. 
They should focus on the positive. 
And we read: O-Kai continue to push forward with more performances and projects with no sign of their energy running low. 
And this is great news for those of us who really enjoy their wonderful, unique and new sound that they bring to aboriginal music in Taiwan. 
And it's true, there are no signs of their energy running low. 
I like that phrase. 
There's no sign of something. 
That means there's nothing that tells you that their energy is running low. 
There's no indication. 
How else can you use this phrase? 
Well, you could talk about the fact that they have no signs of exhaustion. 
There's no sign that they are getting tired. 
How else can you use that phrase? 
Well, you might hear someone say that there's no signs of stopping. 
So you are going to continue doing whatever it is you are doing. 
There are no signs of stopping, no signs of slowing down. 
Maybe no signs of letting go. 
You're going to work through whatever challenges you are facing. 
Or maybe you're waiting for your friends to show up. 
They're not here. 
And they're not even calling. 
You could say: There are no signs of my friends anywhere. 
OK, so... there are different ways to use this phrase. 
And of course with O-Kai, there's no signs of their energy running low. 
And we continue reading here: 
As I am talking to them, Sean even uses spare moments to practice his vocal percussion. 
So Nathanael, our author, got to interview O-Kai. 
And then he noticed that Sean liked to practice his vocal percussion. 
And that is something that you had mentioned before, Gabe, that they can do beatboxing, 
or vocal percussion, using your mouth, your voice, your vocal chords to produce sounds that sound like instruments. 
(Background Noise). 
Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt you, Carolyn. 
I just wanted to use my spare moments and practice my vocal percussion. 
I see, Gabe. 
Well, that was very good. 
Maybe you can talk to Sean and get some tips from him. 
I think I should. 
I really enjoy his beatboxing. 
And I have heard him do it before. 
And it's true, he is always practicing his beatboxing. 
OK. Well, Nathanael continues here. 
Before I hear them sing, they create a zoo of musical sounds to warm up, caring little if anyone hears. 
Well, that is very impressive. 
I think a lot of people are a little bit nervous about warming up in front of an audience or warming up in front of other people. 
They like to do that in private. 
But here they are not just warming up, they are creating a zoo of musical sounds, and they don't mind if people hear them do it. 
Interesting. 
A zoo of musical sounds? 
I think Liz wants to share a little bit about this word in the Grammar Gym. 
Hi there, friends. 
Welcome to the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
Here's today's Grammar Tip sentence: 
Before I hear them sing, they create a zoo of musical sounds to warm up, caring little if anyone hears. 
Our focus is on the word "zoo." And no, we're not talking about that fun place where you can see all kinds of animals. No. 
Instead, the word "zoo" in today's sentence simply means a situation where there is a lot of confusion. 
So in today's sentence, the writer is describing how there were all kinds of musical sounds being made in an unorganized way. 
It was a zoo of musical sounds. 
OK, let's have a look at some more examples of how we can use zoo. 
The teacher had only left her classroom for five minutes, but when she got back, it was a zoo. 
Or: Brent avoids going to the mall during the holiday season in order to stay away from the zoo of shoppers. 
Now it's your turn. 
Think of a situation that is very disorganized and very confusing, and try using "zoo" to describe it. 
And if you'd like to see some more example sentences, then check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
That's it for today. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Thank you, Liz. 
And it is very interesting to know that they create a zoo of musical sounds during their warm-up. 
Now continuing here: 
Though their schedule is packed, they still gather around their music like carefree children. 
And I like that phrase there: Their schedule is packed. 
That means that they really don't have a lot of free time, right, Gabe? 
It's true. 
Now usually you use the word "pack" when you're talking about maybe packing up your suitcase for a trip or something like that, or unpacking. 
But here we're talking about a schedule that is packed. 
And your schedule, that is your time schedule, what you need to do. 
So if your schedule is packed, that means you don't have much free time. 
That's right. 
So it's not that you can pack it in your suitcase, like our question here: Do you pack your schedule? 
But if you write it out, you could pack your schedule and take it along with you. 
It's true. But make sure you don't pack your schedule too tight. 
If you're going on vacation or something like that, you want to make sure that you can also just relax and have some free time. 
I think that is very good advice. 
And you know, there's another word in this sentence from our Word Bank: carefree. 
They're described as carefree children gathering around their music. 
What does this mean, Gabe? 
Well, I wish I could be more carefree sometimes. 
That means you have little to no responsibilities for things in life. 
You're carefree. 
It's not that you don't care about things, but it's just that you don't have too many responsibilities and you can just be free. 
And so usually children are described as being carefree because while, yes, they are very busy studying, 
they do not have the same responsibilities that adults do, which are much more demanding. 
It's true. 
How often do you feel carefree? 
Maybe you never feel carefree. 
You always have to think about paying bills and getting your work done and things like that. 
I think it's important sometimes to also feel carefree. 
Well, we continue here. 
Perhaps their hearts are still back in that village church around the piano. 
Well, I... I would agree. 
I think they had a great way that they started their relationship and this group, and so it's good to be refreshed by that memory. 
It is a wonderful memory as well. 
Well, I hope that you have enjoyed learning with us today. 
And now it is time to continue learning with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's head back to our program. 
The past three days we have been learning all about the musical group O-Kai that works so hard to put their music together, to create these a cappella songs. 
But they still feel like carefree children. 
Now I wonder, do you have anything in your life that creates that kind of passion, you feel so strongly about something that it's not work anymore? 
Gabe, do you ever feel that way? 
Well, that's kind of how I feel about playing drums. 
I mean, I love to play drums. 
And so even though it takes work to know what to play with a certain group of people, it's a lot of fun for me. 
I also enjoy working with the kids at my church to the point where it doesn't seem like work because I'm enjoying these relationships. 
What about you, Carolyn? 
Well, I really love learning languages. 
And learning a new language is not easy. 
It takes a lot of work and practice and time, but it's so much fun. 
It's true. 
OK. Well, what kinds of things do you have a passion for that make it kind of fun to do? 
Thank you for joining us here today and learning about O-Kai. 
It has been quite fun. 
And we have more to learn next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
See you. 
(Music).

2013.12.30.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
Our lesson is called Moving Forward. 
And this is a great thing to think about in life. 
Are you just thinking about your past? 
Are you just thinking about your present? 
Or are you moving forward? 
Are you looking to the future? 
It's good to move forward. 
Well, our author Jo is going to share some experiences about how she moved forward in life and how she chased her dreams. 
Well, what kind of dreams do you have? 
Are you chasing those dreams? 
Carolyn, do you have any dreams that you're chasing? 
Well, I really like helping people in need. 
And so I'm... very involved with my church and assisting people there, helping the volunteer for different activities. 
But, you know, I also have a dream of having a beautiful family and... just being able to fulfill my life the way that my dreams have... I've set my dreams, so. 
We'll... we'll see if that becomes fulfilled or not, but I will be chasing it. 
All right. 
Well, I think I see a beautiful family in the future for you, Carolyn. 
Well, what about you? 
Are you chasing your dreams? 
Let's learn with Jo today as she moves forward. 
Moving Forward. 
I chased my dreams east, to Taipei. 
My present life in Taipei commenced with a bit of a gamble. 
After Nepal, I knew I wanted to write, and I wanted to live in East Asia. 
I searched for jobs throughout the region and found a few promising options in Taipei. 
I had just enough money saved for a month-long trip. 
If I couldn't find work, I'd have to return home broke. 
Then I'd live with my parents awhile until I could save up enough money to try again. 
So I took the plunge and bought a plane ticket to try my luck in the job market in Taipei. 
(Music). 
Well, Jo is very brave as she continues her adventures. And we read here: 
I chased my dreams east, to Taipei. 
So she is moving east. 
Before she was in Nepal. 
And now she is moving forward. 
How do we begin, Gabe? 
My present life in Taipei commenced with a bit of a gamble. 
All right. So she's talking about her present life. 
That means how things are right now currently. 
And this commenced with a bit of a gamble. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: to commence. 
That's a fancy way of saying something began or it officially began. 
That's right. 
So you might say the meeting commenced when the chairman sat down and began to speak. 
That was the official start or beginning of the meeting. 
Or maybe the ceremony commenced. 
Or maybe you're in school and the semester officially commenced last week, or it will commence next week. 
You could talk about the commencement, the official beginning of something. 
Well, her present life in Taipei commenced with a bit of a gamble. 
I thought gambling was bad, Carolyn. 
Well, generally yes, Gabe, because you can lose a lot of money. 
But here she's not talking about money, she's talking about taking a chance. 
So she's not quite sure what will happen in the end, so she describes it as a gamble. 
All right. And of course you can use this word as a noun or a verb. 
We see it's a noun here. 
It's a bit of a gamble. 
After Nepal, I knew I wanted to write, and I wanted to live in East Asia. 
All right. So she did not want to leave this part of the world and go back to the United States. 
She wanted to continue traveling. 
That's right. 
And we learn she says: I searched for jobs throughout the region and found a few promising options in Taipei. 
So she found a few promising options. 
Now if something is promising, that means that it has potential to be good but you're still not sure what will happen. 
That's right. 
Maybe someone talks about a promising career that is in their future. 
OK, so she has a few promising options in Taipei. 
A few or few? 
Well, let's take a look at what Steve and Ken have to share about this word "few" in the Information Cloud. 
Hello, friends. 
If you're looking for a job and you found a few promising options, should you be happy or not? 
I would be happy since there are a few, maybe three, four or five promising options. 
But what if you found few promising options? 
Then I would not be very happy. 
Friends, did you hear the difference? 
I first said "a few" options. 
And then the second time I said "few" options. 
Yep. That one letter "A" made a big difference. 
The phrase "a few" has a positive connotation while "few" has a negative connotation. 
The difference is pretty subtle. 
When we say a few, we're talking about a handful. 
It's not an overwhelmingly large number, but it's not an insignificant small number, either. 
Now "few," on the other hand, means there are barely any. 
That's right. 
Few means almost zero. 
If I say few people in history were as evil as Hitler, I'm saying there's almost no one who was as evil as Hitler. 
He was likely the most evil. 
Now here's another example. 
If you say I have a few friends, it's positive. 
It implies you are happy about the number of friends you have. 
But if you say I have few friends, that's negative. 
It implies you would like to have more friends. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, gentlemen. 
Well, she had a few promising options, not few. 
And we read: I had just saved enough money... I had just enough money saved for a month-long trip. 
So she had enough money only to last her for one month for her trip to Taipei. 
OK. And she says: If I couldn't find work, I'd have to return home broke. 
What does that mean, broke? 
I know you can break your arm. 
Here she's talking about having no money. 
There's no money in your bank account; you are broke. 
And we see what happens if she were to be broke, if she returned home broke. 
Then I'd have... then I'd live with my parents awhile until I could save up enough money to try again. 
So she wouldn't give up. 
She wouldn't just go to Taipei, live there for a month, and then go back to the U.S. if she didn't find anything and stay there. 
But she would get another job, save up some more money and try again. 
I like that! I like her spirit here. 
She really wants to do this. 
OK, so she's going to keep trying. 
So she says: So I took the plunge and bought a plane ticket to try my luck in the job market in Taipei. 
All right. She took the plunge, she tried her luck. 
Let's take a look at some of these phrases. 
The first one is from our Word Bank: to take the plunge. 
What does that mean? 
Well, it means that you've thought about something very seriously probably for a long time, 
and you have decided to take a chance to try, to just see what happens. 
You take the plunge. 
And it could be a little bit risky. 
Maybe you really like someone, and you've been thinking about asking them out on a date. 
You take the plunge and ask them out. 
You don't know what their answer will be, but you want to try. 
All right. And I think it is usually good to try and take the plunge and be daring, do something exciting. 
Now just picture you're on a cliff, and you're going to jump into water, you're taking the plunge. 
That means there's no way back up or it won't be the same when you go back up, OK. 
So this is a big gamble. 
Jo took the plunge and bought a plane ticket to try her luck. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: to try your luck. 
That means you're not sure what will happen - there's a chance you will succeed; there's a chance you won't succeed. 
You're going to try your luck. 
That's right. 
So maybe you will be lucky and you will be successful. 
You might try your luck at a career. 
Maybe you want to be an artist, a performer, a musician, some... something in the fine arts field. 
You can try your luck. 
But it's a very competitive field, and it's difficult to get into. 
Well, where else can you try your luck? 
Maybe you're looking for some chips, your favorite kind of chips, but they're not at 7-Eleven. 
Well, maybe you can try your luck at another convenience store. 
You can try your luck in many different ways. 
Yes, you can. 
Well, we don't have to worry about trying our luck when it comes to learning English because we have a great team here. 
And it's time for us to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.30.B

Well, have you ever taken the plunge in life? 
Have you ever done something uncertain of the future, you weren't sure what was going to happen in the future but you decided to try anyway? 
Well, that's what our author Jo did in today's lesson. 
It's called Moving Forward. 
And that's what she's doing. 
She's moving forward to Taipei. 
She's going to try her luck in the job market there. 
Let's continue her story right now. 
(Music). 
Moving Forward. 
To save money, I split my time between hostels and Couchsurfing. 
In doing so, I got to know Taipei's Couchsurfing community. 
They were a hospitable bunch, and I was relieved to meet so many new friends right away. 
Everyone was helpful when they heard I was looking for a job, offering advice and suggestions. 
I always felt encouraged. 
Only one man had some negative things to say. 
I'll call him George, and we met on one of the Couchsurfing forums. 
George was a foreigner like me, and he offered to meet me for coffee. 
(Music). 
Well, this is a very interesting experience. 
Jo went Couchsurfing. 
Well, let's get into this section here. We read: 
To save money, I split my time between hostels and Couchsurfing. 
Now we've learned about hostels before. 
They're cheaper than hotels usually, and it's smaller quarters, smaller rooms. 
And you pretty much just rent a bed. 
But what's Couchsurfing, Gabe? 
Do... do I take a couch into the ocean? 
No, very uh... that's a good image, though. 
I like that picture. 
No. Couchsurfing is actually an online website. 
It's a... it's a service where you can actually stay at people's houses around the world, 
or in their apartments on their couches or in their spare bedroom for free or for a really little price. 
OK, you are Couchsurfing. 
Have you ever been Couchsurfing? 
I have not. 
But I know several people who have been Couchsurfing. 
And most of them had pretty positive experiences. 
Yeah. Of course you might need to be careful if you are going Couchsurfing. 
You want to make sure that your person... your host has good reviews, OK, before you decide to stay at that person's house. 
OK. But this is a great way to save money because it's free. 
And that's what Jo is doing. 
She's splitting her time between hostels and Couchsurfing. 
Let's take a look at that phrase: to split your time between or to split your time among something. 
How could you use that phrase? 
Well, if you split your time, that means you aren't doing one thing, you're doing a few different things, so. 
I might say I split my time between my friends and my family. 
Or if I want to have more things than just two, I would say I split my time among spending time with my family, friends and at church. 
Or maybe you're on vacation somewhere. 
You can split your time among the beach, shopping and hiking. 
OK, there are many different things that you can do. 
You split your time doing those things. 
Well, how do we continue here, Carolyn? 
Well, we learn a little bit more. 
In doing so, I got to know Taipei's Couchsurfing community. 
So there's a whole community of people involved in Couchsurfing. 
All right, all these couchsurfers living right here in Taipei. 
And they were a hospitable bunch, Jo writes, and I was relieved to meet so many new friends right away. 
Well, let's take a look at that word right away. 
It's the word "hospitable." I like this word. 
It's good to be hospitable. 
That means you know how to entertain your guests. 
You know how to be a good host. 
That's right. So you are very generous, very welcoming to your guests or visitors. 
You are hospitable. 
And you might say that the owners of the bed-and-breakfast were very hospitable. 
They greeted us every morning with a wonderful breakfast. 
Something you might say to your guests to show your hospitality, to show that you're a hospitable person is: Make yourself at home. 
That's a phrase I hear quite frequently when I'm visiting someplace. 
Make yourself at home. 
That means make yourself comfortable, treat this place as if it was your own home. 
And that is a way to show that you are hospitable. 
Now these Couchsurfers were a hospitable bunch. 
And that word "bunch" is something that Liz would like to tell us more about in the Grammar Gym. 
Hello, friends. 
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym. 
My name is Liz. 
We see this sentence in today's article: 
They were a hospitable bunch. 
That's our Grammar Tip sentence. 
Our focus today is on the word: bunch. 
You may already know that "a bunch" is a casual way of saying "a lot," like: 
I have a bunch of things to do. 
But in today's sentence, bunch is an informal way of saying a group of people. 
In other words, the writer is talking about a group of hospitable people. 
OK. Here are some more examples of using "bunch" to mean a group of people. 
I couldn't sleep on the train because there were other passengers and they were a noisy bunch. 
Or: The teacher was tired at the end of the day; her students were certainly an energetic bunch to teach. 
Now it's your turn to practice. 
Think of a group of people and a certain characteristic that they have, and practice using "bunch" to describe this group of people. 
And if you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences. 
That's it for today. 
Thanks again for joining me here. 
You're a great bunch. 
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. 
See you next time. 
Bye. 
Thank you, Liz. 
All right. Well, we've just learned that Jo met some hospitable people, a very hospitable bunch among those Couchsurfers. 
And she continues: 
Everyone was helpful when they heard I was looking for a job, offering advice and suggestions. 
Well, of course it's great to be able to offer your suggestions if someone needs help. 
Give them some good advice on what they should do. 
That's right. And she continues: 
I always felt encouraged. 
So she didn't feel like she needed to worry too much. 
Maybe this chance that she was taking would be successful. 
But we continue: 
Only one man had some negative things to say. 
Hmm. OK, everything's really... everything seems really positive so far. 
But here's a little bit of negativity in her story, this man who has some negative things to say. 
I'll call him George, she wrote, and we met on one of the Couchsurfing forums. 
I'll call him George. 
Why did she write this, Carolyn? 
Well, his name is not actually George. 
She is just giving him a name so that she will be able to continue telling her story without any confusion. 
But George is not his real name. 
That's right. 
And sometimes if you're writing an article or a story and you want to protect someone's identity, you can use this kind of phrase: 
I'll call this person Peter. 
Or I'll call her Lisa. 
It's not their real name, but you're protecting that person. 
Well, we see a word from our Word Bank in this sentence. 
It's the word "forum." And what does that mean? 
Well, here we're talking about a website forum. 
So this is a website where people come together, ask questions and have those questions answered. 
So there are many different kinds of forums because people have all kinds of questions. 
This one is specific to Couchsurfers. 
That's right. 
But there's another forum I know of, an online forum. 
If you're visiting Taiwan especially and you want to get in touch with other foreigners, or maybe you know someone who's coming to Taiwan, 
you can direct them to this site: forumosa.com, f-o-r-u-m-o-s-a.com. 
That's right. And we continue reading: 
George was a foreigner like me, and he offered to meet me for coffee. 
Well, we will continue this story later. 
But right now it's time to learn with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
All right. 
(Chinese). 
And now keep watching as our program continues. 
Well, today in our lesson we learned about how Jo took the plunge. 
She tried her luck at finding a job in Taipei. 
Now Gabe, have you ever done anything like this, just taking a chance? 
Taking a chance? Honestly? 
I wish I took more chances in life. 
I usually step out from one secure place to another secure place, but I think it's good to take the plunge every once in a while. 
I think so, too. 
You can try your luck at something that you really feel strongly about. 
Well, talk about that in English. 
And we will continue this story tomorrow on Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

2013.12.31.A

Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom. 
My name is Gabe. 
And my name is Carolyn. 
And your English will improve today. 
We're continuing to learn with Jo in our lesson called Moving Forward. 
And already in yesterday's lesson, we learned about how Jo was welcomed by hospitable Couchsurfers in Taiwan. 
And many of them had great advice and suggestions for her as she was looking for a job. 
But of course it can be difficult to find a job. 
What are some common difficulties that you might face when you look for a job? 
Carolyn, can you think of any? 
Well, each job has different difficulties depending on the field that you are looking at. 
But most of them involve a resume, which is very important, 
a cover letter that might need to go with your resume explaining why you want the job, 
and then an interview and being prepared for that. 
And then all the other people applying for that same job can make it really difficult. 
All right. Those seem like some challenges you might have to face. 
Of course another difficulty might be the fact that there aren't many jobs available, not the kinds that you want. 
Maybe a difficulty is your own pride. 
I think that's the case for some people. 
They don't want to get a job that is "beneath them," they would say. 
Well, what is a difficulty? 
What's another kind of difficulty you might face in looking for a job? 
Jo had a kind of difficulty. 
It was someone who was very negative about the job market in Taipei. 
Let's continue learning with her story. 
(Music). 
Moving Forward. 
Our conversation began normally but headed south when we began discussing my job search. 
George's pessimism showed immediately. 
He informed me that he didn't think there were many jobs available in Taipei. 
I told him I wanted to be a writer. 
He told me that the competition would be too vicious for me to succeed; everybody wanted to write. 
According to George, everything was hopeless. 
I was doomed. 
If I were lucky enough to find a job, it wouldn't be the one I wanted. 
(Music). 
Well, George doesn't seem like a very happy person. 
Anyhow, we do have some good things to learn from this part of our lesson. 
So let's go back to the beginning here. We read: 
Our conversation began normally but headed south when we began discussing my job search. 
OK, so everything's just kind of normal, just as you would imagine any conversation. 
And then they started talking about her job search. 
And then what happened? 
It headed south? What does that mean? 
Yes, they started to drive to the south. 
What?! 
No... Gabe, that's not what it means. 
It means that their conversation started to become very negative, or that it just turned into a bad conversation. 
It was no longer a good conversation that they were having. 
And remember, George is not his real name but he is a foreigner who is part of this Couchsurfing community. 
That's right. 
Well, their conversation headed south. 
What else could head south in life, it... starts to turn bad? 
Maybe a meeting starts out OK, but then it heads south after a while and nothing gets accomplished. 
Maybe you're in a relationship, and it seems OK at first, but then it starts heading south after a while. 
You start not respecting each other. 
You start being mean to each other. 
It could head south in different ways. 
That's right. 
But heading north does not mean that it becomes good. 
So you don't use the other directions to indicate a change, only heading south. 
Mmhm. That's right. 
Well, our lesson today is not heading south, of course. 
We have a lot more to learn. 
George's pessimism showed immediately. 
So this is as soon as they began discussing Jo's job search, then his pessimism came out. 
Let's take a look at that word from our Word Bank: pessimism. 
Well, we learned a word earlier this month, optimism. That means you're positive. 
Pessimism means that you have a negative outlook about something. 
That's right, so. 
It means that you just have negative feelings toward everything. 
And pessimism is very bad because it kind of turns you into a miserable person. 
If you look at everything in a negative way, then you can't be happy. 
And it makes the people around you feel unhappy as well. 
And so what happens if you have pessimism? 
Well, people might start calling you a pessimist, P-E-S-S-I-M-I-S-T. 
Are you a pessimist or an optimist? 
I hope you're an optimist. 
I hope so, too. 
But that is not the case for George in our lesson today. 
We continue reading: 
He informed me that he didn't think there were many jobs available in Taipei. 
Hmm. Well, that's OK if it's just being realistic. 
But I think George is little more pessimistic than that, OK. 
He says... or Jo says: I told him I wanted to be a writer. 
But he told me that the competition would be too vicious for me to succeed; everybody wanted to write. 
Well, that is very discouraging, oh, to be told that everyone wants to write and the competition is too vicious, you cannot succeed. 
Now let's... take a look at that word from our Word Bank, the word vicious. 
If something is vicious, that means it is very mean and aggressive and angry and violent. 
And it reminds me of some animals. 
There are many wild animals you could describe as being vicious animals. 
The vicious dog chased after me while I was running. 
Or you could talk about someone's comment being very vicious. 
That means it was a mean comment. 
He gave a vicious remark the other day about my clothes. 
Which means he was trying to purposely hurt you. 
That's right. 
And I'm sorry, Gabe. 
Your clothes look fine. 
Well, thank you. 
Thank you. Your... your words are very kind, not vicious. 
Oh, well. Let's continue with our lesson. 
According to George, everything was hopeless. 
I was doomed. 
Oh, and doomed is a word from the Word Bank. 
If you are doomed, that means there's no hope. 
Doomed. 
Doomed. 
When do you feel doomed? 
Sometimes I hear the phrase "doomed to fail." That means it's going to happen, there's no question about it, you're going to fail at something. 
But of course it's not good to think like this. 
Don't think that you are doomed to fail. 
That's right. 
You are not doomed. You are doing a wonderful job. 
Do not listen to people who are pessimists or filled with pessimism. 
Don't let that take control of your life. 
And we continue reading: 
If I were lucky enough to find a job, it wouldn't be the one I wanted. 
So George is clearly not very hopeful for Jo's job prospects in Taipei. 
That's right. 
Of course these are not Jo's own thoughts. 
These last couple of sentences are kind of the attitude that George is feeding Jo. 
All right. Well, Jo is very discouraged at this point. 
We're going to learn more from the rest of her story. 
But first, let's learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab. 
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle. 
(Chinese).

2013.12.31.B

We are continuing the lesson Moving Forward. 
And Jo is having a conversation with a foreigner she calls George, who she met in a Couchsurfing forum. 
Well, George has a lot of pessimism, and it is showing when he is giving her advice on finding a job. 
He thinks that the job market is too vicious because everyone wants to be a writer, 
and that she is doomed with no chance of success in finding a job that she actually wants. 
Well, let's see how Jo responds in the next part of our lesson. 
(Music). 
Moving Forward. 
At first my heart sank. 
But I decided not to listen to his negative predictions. 
What kind of person says such discouraging things to someone they just met? 
Obviously, life in Taipei had not been good to George. 
We parted ways after that and haven't met since. 
In life there are always "Georges" trying to pull us down. 
Will we believe them and give up? 
Or will we ignore them and chase our dreams anyway? 
I'm pleased to say none of George's predictions came true. 
I did find a job I was looking for - in Taipei - and I decided to stay. 
(Music). 
Well, I'm glad this story has a good ending. 
OK, let's go back to the beginning of this section. 
Of course Jo is discouraged here, and she writes: 
At first my heart sank. 
My heart sank. 
What does that mean, Carolyn, if your heart sinks? 
Well, that is a very interesting phrase to look at. 
And it means that you become very discouraged, you just don't have any hope. 
You feel like you're just at a complete lost, so. 
You might say: My heart sank when I found out that I did not get into my top choice for university. 
Well, I think a lot of people probably feel that way. 
Their heart sinks at that point. 
Well, when does your heart sink? 
When do you feel really discouraged about something? 
Maybe when you don't make it into a show that you really wanted to be a part of. 
Maybe if you don't make it into a class or maybe if you don't get the job that you really want, maybe your heart sinks. 
Well, Steve and Ken have more they want to share about this word "heart" in the Information Cloud. 
When you see or hear the word "heart," chances are it's not referring to the organ in your chest, 
because this word has more than a dozen meanings and is used in many, many idioms. 
So let's get straight to the heart of the matter. 
Let's talk about some of the different usages of the word heart. 
OK. First of all, heart can mean center. 
Ken just mentioned the heart of the matter. 
That's using "heart" to mean the center or the core of something. 
If we talk about the heart of a city, that's the center of a city. 
In our lesson today, our author said her heart sank. 
That's using "heart" to refer to an emotional mood. 
That's right. 
Now if I say my heart sank, I'm really saying I was not in a good mood. 
I probably felt depressed or in despair. 
And what do we say to someone whose heart sank? 
You can tell them don't lose heart or take heart. 
In those idioms, "heart" means courage. 
Heart can also refer to your mind. 
If I say I had a change of heart, I didn't undergo heart surgery, I just changed my mind. 
You can also have a heart-to-heart with someone. 
A heart-to-heart is a very honest and intimate conversation. 
You might talk about your personal life during a heart-to-heart or maybe your hopes and dreams. 
And speaking of dreams, you might say you have your heart set on something. 
That means you really, really want it. 
Now when I was little, I had my heart set on having my own bicycle. 
And one day, my parents finally got one for me. 
(Chinese). 
Thank you, guys. 
The heart is used in so many different ways in the English language. 
Well, we were just talking about how when Jo heard all of this terrible, negative news that her heart sank. 
But we continue reading: But I decided not to listen to his negative predictions. 
Negative predictions. Well, let's take a look at that word: prediction. 
That's something that you think will happen in the future. 
You predict it will happen. 
How could you use that word "prediction"? 
Well, when you're trying to decide what the weather might be doing this weekend, you look at the weather forecast. 
But the forecast is a kind of prediction. 
You don't actually know what the weather will be like, but you have an idea of what you think will happen. 
So you can predict it. 
All right. 
And of course you can predict what someone might do in the future. 
Maybe they'll make one decision, and you predicted it. 
You make a prediction about something. 
All right. So George, or this person that Jo calls George, has a lot of negative predictions for Jo. 
That's right. And Jo writes: 
What kind of person says such discouraging things to someone they just met? 
And this is just a rhetorical question that she is asking herself. 
What kind of person would say this? 
That's right. What kind of person does this? 
Obviously, not a very optimistic person, OK, someone who is a pessimist. 
OK. And she says: Obviously, life in Taipei had not been good to George. 
So life has not been good to George. 
That's another way of saying that he's not really enjoying himself where he is in life. 
Life is not good to somebody. 
That's right. 
So he's faced a lot of challenges, probably, while living in Taipei. 
We continue: We parted ways after that and haven't met since. 
So Jo was not surrounding herself with this pessimistic person. 
And I think that's good for her. 
They parted ways after that. 
OK. When you use the phrase "to part ways," that means one person is going one way, another person is going another way. 
And maybe you will cross paths again, maybe not. 
But for now, you part ways. 
That's right. And she continues to write. 
In life there are always "Georges" trying to pull us down. 
They're trying to make us unhappy or discourage us. 
And she asks: 
Will we believe them and give up? 
Or will we ignore them and chase our dreams anyway? 
That's right. 
Well, I like that phrase: to be pulled down by something. 
Carolyn, do you know what really pulls me down? 
What, Gabe? 
Gravity. 
Hahahaha. 
Ah, yes. 
Get it? Yeah, gravity pulls me down. 
Yeah, gravity will pull... pull you down, yes, Gabe. Yes. Well. Ah. 
Jo writes that she was not pulled down. 
She says: I'm pleased to say none of George's predictions came true. 
And I'm pleased to talk about this phrase. 
The phrase is: I'm pleased to say something. 
That means you're really happy about the outcome of something. 
I'm pleased to say it. 
So maybe you did get into your top choice for university. 
I'm pleased to say that I got in. 
Or maybe on the letter that says you are accepted: I'm pleased to say that you have been accepted into the class of 2014. 
And of course, none of Jo's predictions came true. 
Well, we read here: I did find a job I was looking for - in Taipei - and I decided to stay. 
Well, I'm pleased to say we have a review skit coming up. 
And then we'll join Michelle in Language Lab. 
Excuse me. Are you the girl from the Couchsurfing forum? 
Yes. You must be George. 
Yes! 
Well, I split my time between hostels and Couchsurfing. 
That's a great way to save money. 
Besides, the Taipei Couchsurfing community is a hospitable bunch. 
They are. 
I'm relieved to meet so many new friends here. 
So you took the plunge and came to Taipei. 
Yes. And now I'm looking for a job. 
Oh, too bad. 
I'm afraid there aren't jobs available here. 
Really? Well, other friends have been very encouraging. 
Take it from me, it won't be easy. 
Oh. 
What kind of job are you looking for? 
I want to be a writer. 
Oh, no! You're doomed! 
Doomed? 
Yeah. Everybody wants to be a writer. 
The competition is too vicious. 
Oh! 
You'll never succeed. 
George, your pessimism is showing. 
Well, even if you're lucky enough to find a job, it won't be one that you want. 
Well, why should I listen to your negative predictions? 
That's just the way it is. 
I'm just telling you. 
No. You're trying to pull me down. 
But... but I won't give up! 
Fine. Go ahead. 
Chase your dreams. 
I will... just as soon as I finish my latte. 
OK. 
(Chinese). 
And now let's see what our teachers are doing. 
In our lesson today, Jo wrote: In life there are always "Georges" trying to pull us down and discourage us in life. 
Well, have you ever been discouraged in life? 
Has someone ever tried to pull you down? 
How did you react? 
Carolyn? 
Well, I come from a very small town, and a lot of people don't understand the love of travel or wanting to go to another part of the world. 
So, not everyone was very excited when I told them I was going to be traveling to Asia and looking for a job there and studying. 
And some of them were a little discouraging. 
But I didn't let that stop me, either. 
I continued to chase my dreams as well. 
And I'm glad you decided to chase your dreams and that those people didn't kill your dreams. 
Well, friends, what about you? 
Have you ever felt pulled down in life, and how do you react? 
Talk about that in English. 
And we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom. 
(Music).

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