节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-08-11
难易度:Low
关键字:soft drink, confused, root beer, play it safe, server, carbonated


























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OK. Welcome back, everybody.
Speaking of difficulties when ordering a drink, imagine being a foreigner in
Asia and going to a tea stand for the first time.
You get asked the normal questions like large or small.
But then they ask you how much ice you want, and you have three choices.
And then they ask you how much sugar you want.
And for that, you have five choices.
That's a real challenge.
OK, let's wrap up our lesson now on line 11.
What Would You Like to Drink?
In the Southwest and Northeast, order a "soda." In the Northwest and Midwest,
you can say "pop." In the South, a "Coke" can get you Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Dr.
Pepper, root beer or something else!
It's no wonder there are so many names for soda or pop in the U.S.
There are hundreds of different brands to choose from!
In order to be sure you're getting what you want, play it safe when you order.
Just ask what kinds of soft drinks they have!
All right, friends.
We're pretending that you are on vacation in the southern part of the United
States,
and you went to a local restaurant and you wanted to order a Coke.
So you asked the server: I'd like a Coke, please.
But that didn't work, did it, Kaylah?
That's right.
The sever said: What kind?
Well, you ordered a Coke.
You want a soft, sweet, carbonated drink.
Hmm. How are you going to order what you want?
Right. Well, we know you are in the southern United States.
And in the Southwest and even in the Northeast of the United States, if you want
a Coke, then you need to order a soda.
That's right.
So Southwest would be closer to the southern Texas and Nevada areas.
And then the Northeast, that's New York and New Jersey.
So if you're in these different parts, order a soda.
OK, Kaylah, I am from California, which is the Southwest, and I know I have to
ask for a soda.
Is it the same way in Colorado?
Well, we're going to find out.
We'll get to my region of the United States in a minute.
OK.
Well, in the Northwest and in the Midwest, you can actually say: pop.
Now I am from the Midwest area, so we say "pop." But you can also say "soda." So
the Northwest,
you're looking into Washington and Oregon and Montana.
And then the Midwest, Colorado and New Mexico, all of us right in there, we say:
pop.
I think that's so weird.
I'm so used to saying "soda." Now friends, if you remember,
you tried asking for a Coke, and they asked you "What kind?" So what should you
actually say?
Well, in the South, where you're visiting, a Coke can get you Coca-Cola, Pepsi,
Dr. Pepper, root beer or even something else!
OK. So people in the South usually just say "Coke" instead of saying soft drinks
or soda or pop.
And so that's why they ask you which one of those would you like, Pepsi, Dr.
Pepper, root beer, any of those.
Now we need to be a little bit specific here, Ryan.
We say that in the Southwest United States that you say "soda." But here we just
say "the South." Now does that include the Southwest?
Or what do we mean when we talk about "the South" when we refer to the United
States?
That's a good question, Kaylah.
Like you said before the break, we learned that the South includes states such
as Texas and Louisiana and Mississippi.
Those are in the South, but not the Southwest.
That's right.
Also Tennessee, where teacher Pam is from - you may recognize her.
Now she would use this word to describe any kind of soft drink she would
probably say "Coke," even though she means Pepsi, Coke or root beer.
Ah. Actually, root beer is my favorite type of soda, or Coke, if you will.
"Root beer" is a type of soft drink that is very sweet, and it's flavored with
the flavor of roots.
That's right. Different roots are put together to create an extremely sweet
soda.
Now I am not a big fan of root beer.
It's a little too sweet for me.
I like Dr. Pepper, which has a bit of a spicy flavor to it.
Well, you know I like sweet things, so I should probably stay away from root
beer.
But it is very delicious.
So you know, we're talking about traveling in the United States depending on
where you are depends on how you order a drink.
You know, there's no wonder there are so many names for sodas and pop in the
United States.
That's true.
There are so many different ways to ask for a drink.
And there are many different ways to use tons of words in English, friends.
So if you visit the United States, learn where you're traveling and try and find
out the way that they speak there.
Well, not only are there different words depending on where you're visiting,
there are hundreds of different brands to choose from.
And a brand, we know, is... what is made, the kind or the company that makes
that specific drink.
Yeah. "Brand" is the name of the company.
So if you order a Coke, then really maybe instead you want a Pepsi or a Dr.
Pepper.
Those are brand names.
Now in order to be sure you're getting what you want, play it safe when you
order.
All right.
Now if you're "playing it safe," that means you are being careful, you're not
taking any risks.
So if you're ordering soda and you want to play it safe, what can you do?
Well, a great option is to just ask what kind of soft drinks they have.
Because no matter where you are, soft drinks means the same thing.
Exactly.
So even though there are different ways to order soda in the United States,
friends, or soft drinks,
you can always say "soft drinks" no matter where you are in the United States.
And they will understand you.
That's right.
They'll know what you're looking for.
And then you can order the specific brand of which drink you would like.
Well, that last sentence is our Grammar on the Go.
That's right. So let's visit Liz, and then stay tuned for the skit.
Hello, friends.
Welcome to Grammar on the Go.
My name is Liz.
Our Grammar Tip focus today is on how you can talk about something that comes in
a wide variety.
You can simply begin your essay or speech with: There are many kinds of
whatever.
But that is not very interesting, and it won't grab your audience's attention.
Our article today is on how ordering a drink in the U.S. can be confusing.
It is confusing because there are so many brands to choose from.
And the fact that the U.S. is a large country with regional differences makes it
even more complicated.
But instead of just going straight into a statement like "There are so many
kinds of soft drinks in America..." the writer begins with an imaginary
situation.
You're on vacation in the southern part of the U.S., and you want to order a
drink at a local restaurant.
Now the writer then continues on to describe how things turn complicated.
After she sets up the introduction, she explains why things are confusing and
tells us about the regional differences as well as the number of brands
available.
Then in conclusion, she offers a suggestion to readers so they can have a way to
order soft drinks without getting confused.
So next time when you have to talk about something that comes in a wide variety,
don't just jump in with a statement about how they are so many kinds of this
kind of thing.
Create an imaginary situation instead to introduce your subject.
Then explain the basic categories of your subject.
And don't forget to offer a conclusion at the end.
That's it for today.
This is Liz with Grammar on the Go signing off.
Bye-bye.
Hello.
May I take your order?
Yes. I'd like a Coke, please.
A Coke?
Mmhm.
What... what kind of Coke?
Cold Coke with ice.
What kind of cold Coke with ice?
A large cold Coke with ice.
Sir, I think you... you're just a bit confused.
Con... confused?
Did I pronounce it wrong?
I mean, Coke, right?
Is it Cok-ee, Coo-ke?
No... You said it just right.
But around the USA, folks have different names for soft drinks.
OK. So what should I say?
Well, do you want a sweet, carbonated drink?
Yes. That's what I want.
OK.
In the Southwest and Northeast, order a soda.
OK, Southwest, Northeast, soda.
Yessiree. And in the Northwest and Midwest, you can order a pop.
Northwest, Midwest, pop.
And here in the South, a Coke can get you a Coca-Cola, a Pepsi, a Dr. Pepper,
root beer, or even something else.
OK. Now that's just confusing.
Why are there so many names?
Because there are so many brands, I reckon.
OK. So how do I make sure I'm getting exactly what I want?
Better play it safe.
Just ask what kind of soft drinks we have.
OK, good idea.
Yessiree.
Now, may I take your order?
Yes. What kind of soft drinks do you have?
We have Coke.
Just Coke is what we have.
(Music).
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).
And that's it for today.
Goodbye and take care.
In a place as large as the United States, it makes sense that there would be
some variation in the way people speak English.
People from the Northeast, the Midwest, the Southeast, and even Southern
California, are going to express themselves in slightly different ways.
One of the more striking examples of these differences is in the way Americans
order a soft drink.
Friends, I hope you have a chance this weekend to relax, maybe with a refreshing
can of pop.
And then we'll see you all on Monday.
Bye-bye.