节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2013-05-17
难易度:High
关键字:longevity, prioritize, tangible, lengthy
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.