节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2013-07-09
难易度:Medium
关键字:profitably, attach, significance, priority, motor skills, coordination
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.