WEBVTT 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:04.379 Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast, 00:00:04.940 --> 00:00:16.640 Number 20. Hello and welcome to today's English 00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:21.379 as a Second Language Podcast. My name is Dr. 00:00:21.480 --> 00:00:25.760 Jeff McQuillen, Senior Researcher at the Center 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:30.000 for Educational Development. here in Los Angeles, 00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:34.200 California. If this is your first time listening, 00:00:34.939 --> 00:00:44.479 please go to our website at www .eslpod .com 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:47.460 for more information on how to listen to this 00:00:47.460 --> 00:00:52.700 podcast and for the text of today's first section. 00:00:53.479 --> 00:00:57.000 As usual, we will have two parts of our podcast. 00:00:57.420 --> 00:01:01.719 First, a short discussion and then an explanation 00:01:01.719 --> 00:01:06.359 of vocabulary and expressions. Today's topic, 00:01:07.879 --> 00:01:13.159 Lucy will talk about buying a new computer. Now 00:01:13.159 --> 00:01:20.760 let's get started. My computer has been acting 00:01:20.760 --> 00:01:26.099 up on me. It's a pretty old model and I need 00:01:26.099 --> 00:01:30.859 to replace it So I decided to call up my friend 00:01:30.859 --> 00:01:36.859 Kevin to ask for his two cents Kevin is a computer 00:01:36.859 --> 00:01:42.780 whiz He knows PC really well since he worked 00:01:42.780 --> 00:01:47.599 on them for years But in his heart of hearts 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:52.870 He is a big Mac fan so I thought he would be 00:01:52.870 --> 00:01:57.769 a good person to ask. I have always used a PC. 00:01:59.409 --> 00:02:03.849 I do mostly word processing, so I don't need 00:02:03.849 --> 00:02:09.650 anything fancy. But I see people I know doing 00:02:09.650 --> 00:02:15.689 cool things with photos and video, so I'd like 00:02:15.689 --> 00:02:19.229 to take a crack at some new programs in the future. 00:02:20.849 --> 00:02:25.300 Well, I called up Kevin to tell him what I needed. 00:02:26.840 --> 00:02:30.560 He immediately started throwing out specs. He 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:35.379 said, you need at least a two gigahertz processor 00:02:35.379 --> 00:02:40.900 and one gig of memory and make sure it has a 00:02:40.900 --> 00:02:46.819 writable DVD drive. Whoa, I said. All of that 00:02:46.819 --> 00:02:52.530 is way over my head. Let's back up for a minute." 00:02:52.530 --> 00:02:55.830 Then he laughed and said he had gotten carried 00:02:55.830 --> 00:03:00.789 away. Okay, he said, let's start at the beginning. 00:03:01.729 --> 00:03:06.789 Now, the processor determines how easily and 00:03:06.789 --> 00:03:10.610 how fast you can use the programs on your computer. 00:03:11.330 --> 00:03:16.909 Got that? I said that I did. Then he continued. 00:03:17.639 --> 00:03:21.360 How much RAM memory you have is very important, 00:03:21.580 --> 00:03:25.960 too. Your computer will go faster the more you 00:03:25.960 --> 00:03:31.219 have. So I recommend getting at least one gigabyte 00:03:31.219 --> 00:03:36.599 of RAM memory. I think I'm following you so far, 00:03:36.780 --> 00:03:41.719 I said. Great, he said. Another thing you want 00:03:41.719 --> 00:03:48.159 is a drive that handles both DVDs and CDs. Some 00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:53.319 drives can just read DVDs, and some can record 00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:57.439 onto blank ones. If you want to burn your own 00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:03.659 videos, you'll want a writable DVD drive. Remember 00:04:03.659 --> 00:04:07.919 though, that's just the computer itself. Don't 00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:13.000 forget that you'll need a monitor, a keyboard, 00:04:13.960 --> 00:04:20.470 a mouse, and speakers. Okay, I said, I think 00:04:20.470 --> 00:04:25.269 I've got all that. Now, here's the burning question. 00:04:26.089 --> 00:04:32.810 Mac or PC? He said, now that's a whole different 00:04:32.810 --> 00:04:44.850 thing. Do you have a couple of hours? Now let's 00:04:44.850 --> 00:04:47.790 talk about some of the vocabulary and expressions 00:04:47.790 --> 00:04:52.810 that Lucy used Lucy started by saying that her 00:04:52.810 --> 00:04:59.009 computer was acting up To act up means to cause 00:04:59.009 --> 00:05:03.930 you problems We can use this expression for a 00:05:03.930 --> 00:05:10.310 computer We can also use it for Say your stomach 00:05:10.310 --> 00:05:14.339 my stomach is acting up meaning It's causing 00:05:14.339 --> 00:05:19.379 me problems. Or we can use it for children. The 00:05:19.379 --> 00:05:22.759 children are acting up. They're making noise. 00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:26.899 They're causing problems. So anything that starts 00:05:26.899 --> 00:05:31.339 to cause problems can be said to be acting up. 00:05:33.259 --> 00:05:37.899 Lucy said she had an old model of computer. The 00:05:37.899 --> 00:05:44.490 model of a computer is sort of like the type 00:05:44.490 --> 00:05:49.509 of computer. For example, I have a Macintosh 00:05:49.509 --> 00:05:54.689 computer. The model of my computer is a PowerBook 00:05:54.689 --> 00:06:03.310 G4. Or you could have a PC computer and the model 00:06:03.310 --> 00:06:11.100 is the company is Dell and the model is a inspiron. 00:06:11.579 --> 00:06:16.560 Model is another word for type. Lucy said she 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:21.199 called up her friend Kevin. To call and to call 00:06:21.199 --> 00:06:26.620 up mean the same thing. She asked Kevin for his 00:06:26.620 --> 00:06:31.740 two cents. To give someone your two cents or 00:06:31.740 --> 00:06:36.240 your two cents worth means to give your opinion. 00:06:37.180 --> 00:06:41.420 Sometimes it just means an opinion. Sometimes 00:06:41.420 --> 00:06:47.459 the expression is used to indicate some humility 00:06:47.459 --> 00:06:53.160 or some modesty about your opinion. For example, 00:06:53.879 --> 00:06:58.519 well, I don't know for sure, but here's my two 00:06:58.519 --> 00:07:01.579 cents worth. And then you give your opinion. 00:07:04.389 --> 00:07:09.110 Kevin her Lucy's friend Kevin is a computer whiz 00:07:09.110 --> 00:07:12.430 To be a whiz at something means to be very good 00:07:12.430 --> 00:07:16.350 at it to be an expert Sometimes with computers 00:07:16.350 --> 00:07:21.870 we use the term geek a Computer geek is someone 00:07:21.870 --> 00:07:26.329 who is an expert at computers however This is 00:07:26.329 --> 00:07:31.050 often a negative term To use the term geek can 00:07:31.050 --> 00:07:36.819 be an insult because it also implies that you 00:07:36.819 --> 00:07:42.339 do not have very good social skills. You don't 00:07:42.339 --> 00:07:46.399 relate well to other people. You have problems 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:49.480 communicating with other people. So be careful 00:07:49.480 --> 00:07:52.800 about using the word geek. It's sometimes an 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:58.100 insult. Lucy said that Kevin in his heart of 00:07:58.100 --> 00:08:02.680 hearts is a big Mac fan. the expression heart 00:08:02.680 --> 00:08:09.019 of hearts means a deep down what you really truly 00:08:09.019 --> 00:08:12.660 believe or what you are really and truly like 00:08:12.660 --> 00:08:18.459 I live in California but in my heart of hearts 00:08:18.459 --> 00:08:24.779 I still feel I am from Minnesota meaning that's 00:08:24.779 --> 00:08:29.589 that that is where my most Strongest feelings 00:08:29.589 --> 00:08:34.490 rather lie Lucy said she was going to use her 00:08:34.490 --> 00:08:38.230 computer to do some word processing word processing 00:08:38.230 --> 00:08:43.950 is as you probably know typing documents letters 00:08:43.950 --> 00:08:47.990 Microsoft Word for example is a word processor 00:08:47.990 --> 00:08:53.370 She said that she wanted to take a crack at new 00:08:53.470 --> 00:08:57.750 programs to take a crack at something means to 00:08:57.750 --> 00:09:03.669 try something usually something that maybe you 00:09:03.669 --> 00:09:06.529 having difficulty with or someone else is having 00:09:06.529 --> 00:09:10.970 difficulty with for example you could say here 00:09:10.970 --> 00:09:16.570 let me take a crack at that television set that 00:09:16.570 --> 00:09:20.529 isn't working and you are going to try in other 00:09:20.529 --> 00:09:24.360 words to fix it So to take a crack at something 00:09:24.360 --> 00:09:28.779 means to try something When Kevin started explaining 00:09:28.779 --> 00:09:34.820 to Lucy what she needed He started throwing out 00:09:34.820 --> 00:09:40.440 specs To throw out something in this context 00:09:40.440 --> 00:09:46.139 means to give someone information he started 00:09:46.139 --> 00:09:50.039 throwing out information usually means he's giving 00:09:50.039 --> 00:09:55.259 us information very fast very quickly the phrase 00:09:55.259 --> 00:10:01.059 to throw out also means to put in the garbage 00:10:01.059 --> 00:10:07.039 to get rid of throw out and throw away are used 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:14.570 for garbage and for Junk or trash, but here to 00:10:14.570 --> 00:10:18.629 throw out means to give to another person information 00:10:18.629 --> 00:10:25.409 very quickly Specs are specifications the specs 00:10:25.409 --> 00:10:30.610 of a computer are its processor speed its RAM 00:10:30.610 --> 00:10:37.330 its It's a hard drive and how big the hard drive 00:10:37.330 --> 00:10:41.639 is all of these are specifications and the word 00:10:41.639 --> 00:10:48.059 we use sometimes informally is specs. Lucy was 00:10:48.059 --> 00:10:51.159 told by Kevin that she should get a writable 00:10:51.159 --> 00:10:56.659 DVD drive. A writable drive for computers is 00:10:56.659 --> 00:11:01.679 a drive that you can make a disk on, such as 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:08.360 a CD or in this case a DVD. Some DVDs are ROM 00:11:08.360 --> 00:11:13.029 or ROM. Meaning you can only read a disc you 00:11:13.029 --> 00:11:17.370 can't make a disc a writable disc is one where 00:11:17.370 --> 00:11:22.450 you can make a disc Lucy said that the information 00:11:22.450 --> 00:11:26.990 Kevin was giving her was way over her head She 00:11:26.990 --> 00:11:30.629 said it was way over my head To be over your 00:11:30.629 --> 00:11:33.950 head means to be too difficult Something you 00:11:33.950 --> 00:11:39.529 don't understand is way over your head She asked 00:11:39.529 --> 00:11:44.070 Kevin to back up for a minute. To back up physically 00:11:44.070 --> 00:11:49.110 means to go backwards, to move backwards. But 00:11:49.110 --> 00:11:53.830 here, to back up means to go over it again, to 00:11:53.830 --> 00:11:58.529 go back to a certain point and start over again. 00:12:00.549 --> 00:12:05.210 Kevin had gotten carried away. To be carried 00:12:05.210 --> 00:12:09.649 away means you get so excited and so interested 00:12:09.649 --> 00:12:15.090 in something that you begin to talk too fast 00:12:15.090 --> 00:12:19.889 or start talking over someone's head. That is 00:12:19.889 --> 00:12:23.710 when you get carried away. Anytime you get very 00:12:23.710 --> 00:12:27.669 excited, too excited that it starts to cause 00:12:27.669 --> 00:12:32.460 problems is getting carried away. After explaining 00:12:32.460 --> 00:12:37.960 something to Lucy, Kevin asked her, got that? 00:12:39.100 --> 00:12:42.759 This is an informal way of saying, do you understand 00:12:42.759 --> 00:12:48.700 that? You can respond by saying, yes, I get it, 00:12:48.919 --> 00:12:54.659 meaning I understand it. Lucy said later that 00:12:54.659 --> 00:12:59.580 she thought she was following Kevin so far. she 00:12:59.580 --> 00:13:04.419 said I'm following you to follow someone has 00:13:04.419 --> 00:13:08.299 two meanings physically it means to go behind 00:13:08.299 --> 00:13:13.580 someone to walk or drive behind someone but here 00:13:13.580 --> 00:13:18.320 it means to understand do you follow me means 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:23.019 do you understand me Lucy also used a couple 00:13:23.019 --> 00:13:30.789 of terms blank and burn a blank CD or a blank 00:13:30.789 --> 00:13:38.950 DVD is an empty DVD a CD or DVD or cassette can 00:13:38.950 --> 00:13:42.690 all be blank sometimes we use the expression 00:13:42.690 --> 00:13:48.149 my mind is blank or my mind went blank meaning 00:13:48.149 --> 00:13:53.870 I forgot something it escaped it's empty my mind 00:13:53.870 --> 00:13:58.850 is empty that's the expression to burn something, 00:13:59.450 --> 00:14:04.070 a DVD or a CD as many of you know means to record 00:14:04.070 --> 00:14:08.370 something. It's the same as to write something 00:14:08.370 --> 00:14:13.149 to a DVD or to write something to a CD means 00:14:13.149 --> 00:14:18.750 to record it, to burn it. A burning question 00:14:18.750 --> 00:14:25.110 is a question that is very important, that is 00:14:25.110 --> 00:14:29.769 extremely interesting. It is not related to the 00:14:29.769 --> 00:14:34.690 term burn in the sense that it's hot. A burning 00:14:34.690 --> 00:14:38.789 question means that it's a very important question. 00:14:40.090 --> 00:14:45.070 Finally, Kevin told Lucy that choosing between 00:14:45.070 --> 00:14:50.570 a Mac or a PC is a whole different thing, meaning 00:14:50.570 --> 00:14:54.350 it's a completely different topic that would 00:14:54.350 --> 00:14:59.299 require much more explanation. That's going to 00:14:59.299 --> 00:15:02.039 do it for today's English as a Second Language 00:15:02.039 --> 00:15:05.840 podcast. Once again, we urge you to email us. 00:15:06.059 --> 00:15:08.539 Tell us who you are and where you are listening 00:15:08.539 --> 00:15:18.019 to us. eslpod at eslpod .com is our email address. 00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:21.960 My name is Dr. Jeff McQuillen from Los Angeles, 00:15:21.960 --> 00:15:25.100 California. Thank you for listening. We'll see 00:15:25.100 --> 00:15:32.779 you next time. ESL Podcast is produced by the 00:15:32.779 --> 00:15:35.259 Center for Educational Development in Los Angeles, 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:39.440 California. This podcast is copyright 2005.