节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2013-08-06
难易度:High
关键字:rugged, utterly, impractical, prone, rally, rickshaw
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.