节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-01-10
难易度:Medium
关键字:take (something) for granted, partnership, philosophy, fuel, humanitarian,
donate
(Music).
Hello, friends.
Welcome back.
Today we are talking about TOMS Shoes, his "one to one" company and how he is
serving the world through selling and giving away shoes.
Maybe you would like to be involved in this organization, but right now can't
buy a pair of shoes.
That's OK.
You can join TOMS fans around the world and One Day Without Shoes.
You can check out their website and find the date.
It happens every year, and it's a great way to raise awareness.
Well, joining us now as we continue learning about TOMS Shoes on line 12 on page
22 in your Studio Classroom magazine.
TOMS: One for One.
Mycoskie's special philosophy is all about giving.
This has attracted a lot of media attention, saving them money on marketing.
When people hear about TOMS' mission, they buy the shoes and then share the
story.
TOMS - with a slogan of "shoes for a better tomorrow" - has now donated more
than a million pairs of shoes!
"Giving is what fuels us," says Mycoskie.
"Giving is our future. It's the core of our business, and it's time we celebrate
it.".
TOMS Shoes is really a special company that is based out of Mycoskie's special
philosophy that is all about giving.
That's right.
And since they started his company, they've given shoes in Asia, Africa, and in
South America.
And it's great that he's able to use his new philosophy.
And a "philosophy" is your system of beliefs, what you believe and how you do
them.
So his beliefs about giving away to people in need really are part of his
company.
Yes. Now it is all about giving.
And we're going to learn all about this phrase with Liz in Grammar on the Go.
Greetings from Argentina, friends.
How are you today?
My name is Liz, and it's time for Grammar on the Go.
In today's article, we read about how Mr. Mycoskie came here to Argentina on
vacation and returned home with a business plan to help children.
According to the writer: Mycoskie's special philosophy is all about giving.
Notice the phrase at the end of the sentence, is all about giving.
It's a more casual way of saying: the main focus is on giving.
We use this expression when we want to simplify something for our audience so
they can understand what the main focus or reason is.
In the case of today's sentence, the writer is simply informing the readers that
Mycoskie's special philosophy is based on this one idea - giving.
Let's have a look at some example sentences.
Although the company's new agenda appears to care about the environment, the
boss' real agenda is all about making more money.
Or: Even though the medical team had a wide variety of medical responsibilities,
the team members know that their mission is all about showing love to people in
need.
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out
today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences.
That's it for today.
This is Liz with Grammar on the Go, signing off, in Argentina.
Bye-bye.
Well, this is a special philosophy.
And this special business philosophy has attracted a lot of media attention.
Yeah, and it makes sense.
It's very unique.
It's very unconventional.
No one has really done this before.
And what's great about the media attention, Ryan, he... gets to save all kinds
of money on marketing.
Exactly. Yeah, because media they're interested and talking about it.
It's something that's so special; they're spreading word.
And people even can talk about it with each other, and so they don't have to
spend a lot of money on things like commercials.
That's right. Even events like A Day Without Shoes and Decorating Your Own
Soles,
those are great opportunities to market without them having to spend money.
Right. And marketing is just that.
You're having commercials, having ads and spreading the name of your company
around.
When people hear about TOMS' mission, they buy the shoes and then share the
story because this is a wonderful story to share.
Yeah, it's... it's really something you would want to share with people.
If you buy a pair of shoes with TOMS, you know that they're going to give
another pair to someone in need, and so you would want to tell people.
Ryan, would you want to buy a pair of TOMS?
Well, I actually did, Kaylah.
The pair that we have on our set is the pair that I bought.
That's right. You bought a pair because you heard about this story and wanted to
be a part of it.
That's exactly how the company works.
Exactly. And I'm very excited to tell people that I have bought a pair of TOMS,
and I'm excited for when they give another pair away.
Well, with a slogan of "shoes for a better tomorrow" - has now donated more than
one million pairs of shoes.
Now that's incredible.
So over one million people have purchased a pair of shoes, so now they have been
able to give away over one million pairs of shoes.
Now Kaylah, let's talk about their slogan for a minute.
That's right, a slogan. That's what they associate with.
It's their idea. And it's what we can remember to go with it.
We... everybody has slogans.
Our slogan here at Studio Classroom is: A friend for life.
That's right.
Now TOMS has been able to donate millions of pairs of shoes... or a million
pairs of shoes.
And the word "donate" means to give away.
Of course, we know they give one for one.
That's right.
"Donate" is his... the second one in our "one for one" philosophy.
Exactly. So you buy a pair of shoes and they donate a pair.
Well, "giving is what fuels us," says Mycoskie.
Giving is our future.
Yes. Now "fuel" is what you use for energy.
And so they love to give.
It gives them more energy.
And they say it's our future.
That's right.
It's where he is headed, where they want to be going, where he wants his
business, the direction he wants them to go in.
Well, it's the core of our business, and it's time we celebrate it.
Yeah. I think it's great that giving is the core of their business.
Now the word "core" means the very center of something, like the core of an
apple is in the middle.
That's right. And it is time we celebrate giving, giving away to people.
That's what TOMS does, both with their shoe line as well as their new glasses
line.
You can check that out.
They give away everything.
And it's definitely a celebration every time.
Yes. Now this is a wonderful business idea.
You buy a pair of shoes, and you know that you are able to give another pair to
someone who desperately needs it.
Thank you for joining us in our celebration of TOMS Shoes.
Join us at the Chat Room before you go.
Hey, Ken.
Oh. Hi, Bryan.
Anything good in the news today?
Nothing, really.
Hey, Bryan, here's something I don't understand.
The President blames the media for his ordeal.
The media?
Isn't that the plural of "medium"?
Yes, the word media comes from the Latin plural of medium.
So should I use a singular or a plural verb when I use the word media?
That's a good question, Ken.
The traditional view is that "media" should be treated as a plural noun,
especially when you want to emphasize the different aspects of the press.
So you can say the media are covering the trial in different formats.
So that's the traditional view?
Right. In practice, if you're using "media" to refer to television, radio and
the press collectively, it behaves as a collective noun, and you'd use a
singular verb.
You might say: The media is not showing much interest in covering the trial.
So it's kind of like the word staff.
Right, or the word "data," which is often used collectively and not as the
plural form of datum.
Or bacteria and bacterium.
Yep, you got it.
What about the preposition?
Should I say "on" the media or "in" the media?
I know what you're thinking, Ken.
You're thinking that since we say something is "on" TV, we should say on the
media, right?
Right, exactly.
But the answer is "in" the media.
So I should say that pop star has been in the media a lot lately?
Yes, you got it.
Well, thanks for the explanation.
You bet.
(Chinese).
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).
And I guess we have to say goodbye now.
I'll see you soon. Bye-bye.
Friends, do you know what it's like to live without shoes?
Millions of children around the world grow up without them, and so they risk
getting cuts and scrapes that can result in infection and disease.
In an effort to help us understand how important a pair of shoes really is,
TOMS invites us to take the TOMS' challenge and go one day without wearing any
shoes.
The idea is that taking the challenge will lead to conversations that will,
hopefully, lead to positive change.
Visit "onedaywithoutshoes.com" to learn more.
OK, everyone, join Studio Classroom tomorrow when we find out who the Swazis
are.
Until then, have a great day. Bye-bye.