节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2013-12-31
难易度:High
关键字:pessimism, vicious, doom, prediction, head south
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).