ELEMENTARY - Australia Network - English Bites

Subject: ELEMENTARY - Australia Network - English Bites Sun Jul 06, 2008 2:21 pm

These are my collection of Elementary English Vodcasts from Australia Network for you. After conversation, you can check your new vocabulary rearwards and download media files for listenning and testing pronounciation.
Feeling free and enjoy it. Nitey!!!
SmallPig

Australiana Auction

Meet a man who has spent most of his life collecting books and other documents about early Australia.

JONATHAN WANTRUP (AUSTRALIAN BOOK AUCTIONS): It's very easy, in dollar terms and in terms of the numbers of rarity, to say that it's the greatest and the best in private hands. I don't think there'd be much dispute about that. But what makes this collection special is that there is an intelligence behind it. Rodney set out decades and decades ago to form a collection which told a story.

RODNEY DAVIDSON (AUSTRALIANA COLLECTOR): It was over 55 years of collecting, but it was just a great and wonderful adventure.

GEOFF HUTCHISON: Rodney Davidson is surrounded by leather and gold leaf, browsing a collection he began 55 years ago as a schoolboy in Mrs Gill's second-hand shop. Back then, he would comb the illustrated 'London News' for engravings or plates of early Australiana, and for 20 pence, he could walk out with an armful.

With money in his pocket and an eye for the aesthetic, the young Rodney Davidson began to build something truly remarkable.

It's a sordid subject, but what is this collection worth, do you think?

RODNEY DAVIDSON: I haven't the faintest idea. We'll just have to see what happens at the auctions.

GEOFF HUTCHISON: But when people say $6 million to $8 million, is that some kind of fair reflection on what it might fetch?

RODNEY DAVIDSON: Well, that's what my advisers say.

GEOFF HUTCHISON: And this is why they say it. It's estimated that Rodney Davidson has collected nearly 1,000 books, manuscripts and maps which tell the pioneering story of Australian discovery and exploration, the most precious of which rest not here but in bank vaults.

Down the years, Rodney Davidson has both collected and saved. For 19 years, he was the Victorian head of the National Trust and, in the 1960s and '70s, fought some spectacular battles to protect the old from the new.

RODNEY DAVIDSON: If it wasn't for the National Trust, these things wouldn't be here.

GEOFF HUTCHISON: Did you get into some really good blues with people?

RODNEY DAVIDSON: Oh, yes, some really stinking blues, and it became very, very emotional at times. I mean, when St Patrick's College - we were fighting to try and save that, the Archbishop and I used to get into quite strong discussions, I suppose is the best way of putting it, and in the end, he wrote me a letter and said, "I will not discuss anything further with you."

GEOFF HUTCHISON: It has been a most rewarding life of collecting and saving, but today, at 70, this most traditional Melbourne gentleman is preparing to disperse his library of a lifetime.

How would Rodney Davidson describe Rodney Davidson?

RODNEY DAVIDSON: Oh, a mixture. A mixture of loving life and at times being a little bit like a larrikin; being even stuffy at times.

It's a complete mixture, and I think most humans are.

Vocabulary

the greatest

Notice that we use 'est' on the end of an adjective and 'the' before it to form the superlative.

the best

The best is the irregular superlative form of good.

told

Here, told is the past tense of the irregular verb tell.

began

Began is the past tense of the irregular verb begin.

Australiana

The term Australiana refers to a collection of items that are from or about Australia.

The suffixes 'ana' or 'iana' can be used to talk about any collection of items that relate to a certain person or place.

Example: Americana refers to a collection of items that are about America.
And Victoriana are things that relate to the Victorian era.

an eye for the aesthetic

Aesthetic means beauty and to have an eye for something means to be good at noticing or judging a particular type of thing.

I haven't the faintest idea.

The phrase I haven't the faintest idea is used to emphasise that you don't know anything. He doesn't know how much his collection is worth.

National Trust

The National Trust is an organisation that works to protect the country's history and environment.

fought

Here , fought is the past tense of the irregular verb fight.

blues

In Australian slang, a blue is a fight or argument. To have a blue with someone means to argue with them.

Example: We had a blue about who was doing most of the houswork.

stinking blues

Rodney uses the word stinking to emphasise that he had some really terrible arguments.

You might also hear someone describe the weather as stinking hot to mean very hot or unpleasantly hot.

became

Became is the past tense of the irregular verb become.

more information: become

mixture

A mixture is a combination or a variety of things.

larrikin

Larrikin is Australian slang. A larrikin is someone loud and rough. It's often used playfully rather than as a negative term.

stuffy

Stuffy means old fashioned and conventional.

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Subject: Royal Flying Doctor Service Sun Jul 06, 2008 3:04 pm

Royal Flying Doctor Service

The Australian Royal Flying Doctor Service was started in 1928 to help people who live far away from cities and towns. Find out more by watching today's story on the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

MAUDE FORSHAW, YELDHAM STATION: You can get in touch with the flying doc any time of the day and night with the emergency button, and they're very good.

PETER LEWIS: Maude Forshaw and her husband Elton raised 7 kids here at Yeldham station, and despite their isolation, especially during the wet season when roads to the outside world might be cut for weeks, they've always appreciated their top-flight medical cover.

MAUDE FORSHAW: Well to be honest with you we have a doctor quicker than you get if you're in Mt Isa or in any of the cities.

We can get on and we've got a doctor within 5 minutes, talking to us, telling us what to do and course you don't see a doctor but at least they're there and they tell you and we've got the medical chest with all this stuff in it, that's in, they give you medicals out of the medical chest.

So you're able to handle things, and so we get attention within about 15 minutes they're taking the medication and that's a lot quicker than you'd get in most hospitals.

PETER LEWIS: For families like the Forshaws, HF radios were the lifeline of the outside world, and the first contact point between flying doctor and patient in an emergency.

MAUDE FORSHAW: They've got to calm people down and they do that a lot just by talking to them.

DON BOWLEY, DOCTOR, RFDS: It's a very different way of doing medicine, I guess. It's something that most people when they come, most doctors when they come here, are not used to and I think there's a bit of a rapid learning curve to become familiar with it.

MAUDE FORSHAW: They're pretty good, they just seem to be able to do it, that's all. They ask you a lot of questions, you answer their questions, and 9 times out of 10, they can tell you what's wrong.

DON BOWLEY: I guess there's a degree of educated guessing in it, but the majority of the time you get familiar with the people, you've met them before, and you get a pretty good idea from the stories you're given what's wrong with them.

NIC WALDRON, NURSE, RFDS: It's interesting when people, if I tell someone I'm a nurse they go "oh yeah, you're a nurse", and then you say "I'm a nurse and I work for the RFDS", and immediately everybody's interested but I'm still doing the same job. I'm just doing in a plane.

I like the variety, the fact that you're working in rural areas, meeting rural people. I like flying. My father had his pilot's license and so I used to fly in small aircraft as a child. Just the whole bit, really, and the fact that you can use all your skills in the one place.

JOHN O'HALLORAN, PILOT, RFDS: Being a pilot for the Royal Flying Doctor Service is different to a lot of aviation's jobs. It's not everyone's cup of tea.

There's a lot of hard work involved with it, but I don't think that there is a job in aviation that will give you the kind of rewards this will.

This job is one of those jobs where you have to think on your feet, you're given a lot of responsibility and because of that, you get great rewards at the end of the day, and it's nice to be in a job where you make a difference.

DON BOWLEY: The people out here really appreciate your efforts, they're very thankful for what you do, they make you feel part of the community and you are their friend.

You're not their doctor, you're their friend and I think that's a very good thing and I get a lot of satisfaction out of my job because I'm working with people I know very well. I grow old with them as they grow old, and I see them through their ups and downs, and they see me through my ups and downs. It's like a long-term friendship.

Vocabulary

get in touch with

To get in touch with means to contact or communicate with.

Example: I must get in touch with my parents.

doc

Doc is a common shortening of doctor.

top-flight

first class; superior; the best

Example: He's a top-flight surgeon.

Mt Isa

This branch of the RFDS is based in Mt Isa in Queensland.

They have branches all over Australia. For example in Queensland, the have bases in Mt Isa, Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Brisbane, Bundaberg and Charleville.

medical chest

A medical chest is a container with lots of things they might need in an emergency.

handle things

To handle things means to cope with things, to know what to do to help the sick person.

rapid learning curve

learning a lot in a very short time

This is a variation of the expression steep learning curve

Example: I was on a steep learning curve when I started this job.

interesting/ interested

Interesting, interested. They are both adjectives, but what's the difference between them?

Well ing adjectives describe how something is and ed adjectives describe how someone feels.

Something is interesting, but a person feels interested.

Example: I hope you are interested in this interesting distinction.

For more: see today's spotlight.

cup of tea

thing that you like

Example: Working on the weekends is not my cup of tea.

think on your feet

think very quickly; think under pressure

Example: You have to think on your feet when a student asks an awkward question.

appreciate

are very thankful for

ups and downs

times of happiness and times of sadness

Example: Every marriage has its ups and downs.

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Subject: Occupations Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:27 pm

Occupations

Emma
OK. I'm actually a swimming instructor, so I teach children from babies up until 8, 9 year olds. Yeah, so a normal day is having five, six lessons in a row, half hour lessons and teaching them just the different strokes. Obviously it varies depending on their age, but yeah so that's a normal day of just yeah five or so lessons of teaching the kids.

Yep. In the beginning it was just an interview and you had to have a First Aid Certificate so that's all I really needed and I had that, but now the actual qualifications have changed and everyone has to have an Auswim certificate. So since having the job I've had to have an Auswim certificate, so I've gone through a course for that, but yeah basically it was just an interview and just - they wanted to find out my background and what experience I've had with children and because I've got an interest in teaching, I'm studying teaching, that obviously helped as well, because I love kids. So, yeah.

Jessica
Yeah, well for four months I was actually waiting for an application to rock up in the paper. I made all the correct ties with business solutions companies, you know, trying to find out if there were traineeships available, which is what I need to do - a traineeship. Then I found an advertisement in the paper, went for it. Out of 30 applications they had 30 interviews. Then they narrowed it down to five second interviews. I've had my second interview and now I'm actually waiting for a response. Today, one of my friends rang up saying they've actually rung him for a character reference, so it must be getting really close, so I'm really looking forward to finding out in the next couple of days.

Vocabulary

swimming instructor

Emma is a swimming instructor. Instructor is another work for teacher. Emma instructs, or teaches people to swim.

interview

The noun interview means a meeting where people ask questions. Interview can also be a verb. To interview someone is to ask questions.

In a job interview, you are asked questions to find out if you are suitable for a job. You are usually asked questions about your experience and qualifications.

First Aid Certificate

First aid refers to basic medical treatment. And a certificate is an official qualification or piece of paper that shows that you are qualified.

qualifications

Qualifications refer to official records showing that you have finished a certain training course, or that you have a certain skill. If you have a qualification, you’re qualified, and you have certain skills and training.

Auswim certificate

That’s a special certificate to say that you are qualified to teach swimming.

gone through

To go through here means to do all of the things that are required.

Example: You'll have to go through a passport check at the airport.

For more meanings of the phrasal verb go through, follow the link.

more information: go through

background

Background refers to things you have done in the past.

experience

Experience refers to things you have done in the past. Background is another word you might hear used to mean the same.

application

An application is an official written request for something. In this case it’s a job application.

To apply means to request something.

Jessica is an applicant. That’s a person applying for a job.

traineeships

A traineeship is a period of time in training. It’s the time when someone is being trained in a certain field.

If Jessica gets offered a traineeship, she’ll be a trainee.

narrowed it down

To narrow down means to make more specific. They’ve chosen only 5 people to interview a second time. They’ve narrowed down the number of applicants.

response
A response is an answer or a reaction.

rang up

To ring up is to use the telephone. Follow the link for another use of the phrasal verb ring up.

more information: ring up

rung

Rung is the past participle of the irregular verb ring.

more information: ring

reference

A reference is a statement about someone and what they can do. An employer or teacher could give a written or verbal reference, saying that you are a very hard worker.

An employer often asks for references from people who you have worked with in the past. These are called professional references.

A character reference is a statement about someone’s personal qualities. It’s not about their work or academic skills, but about what kind of person they are.

Referees are the people who give you references.

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Subject: Holidays Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:40 pm

Holidays

PETER and AUDREY: We began in New Zealand, spent 10 days there, did both islands, the North and the South, and we loved the South Island best. Then we came across to Melbourne and spent some time driving around and also visiting the whole of the city. Do you want to carry on?

And from Melbourne, we then took a car and drove all the way along the Great South Road, the coastal road, through all the pretty little towns and villages on the way until we finally got to Adelaide here. Unfortunately the weather wasn't too kind at times, but nonetheless it was a marvellous trip.

And I guess the highlight of our time in Adelaide was yesterday and we went up to the Cleland Park, was actually able to walk with kangaroos and stroke some koalas and that was absolutely fantastic.
Yes, it was a wonderful experience.

SIMON: We left on the 1st of February. We flew from Heathrow and spent two days in Singapore, which was quite good. It was really quite hot. Yeah, that was good, and then we flew into Adelaide. We had a stop at Darwin just to refuel the plane.

We've been staying in a hostel just down the road and we stayed two nights in a hotel as well.

Yeah, it's been really, really hot. We got burnt actually a couple of days ago because we didn't have any sun tan cream on and we got really quite burnt, but yeah it's been really nice. A bit too hot in Singapore, but here it's quite nice.

EMMA: Yeah, the last holiday was actually just two weekends ago. Sarah and I went down to Port Lincoln in the - on the Yorke Peninsula and we drove there, seven or took us eight hours to drive there. We did a lot of sightseeing, sitting on the beach and swimming and eating and yeah, it was a really good time, yeah.

MEG: We've been here - we were in Melbourne last week for the bad weather and we're here for two weeks and then we go from here to Christchurch, New Zealand and we've been hoping to lay out a little bit, but we had the bad weather in Melbourne. So then we came here and it's cloudy and I'm cold and so I have my towel on, but my husband's here for golf. So we're doing that too, but you know, just shopping and walking around and sightseeing and going to the beach.

Vocabulary

began

Peter and Audrey use the simple past tense to describe their holiday. Began is the past tense of the irregular verb begin.

more information: begin

spent

Spent is the past tense of the irregular verb spend.

more information: spend

did

Did is the past tense of the irregular verb do.

more information: do

then

They use the word then to help order things in time. They began in New Zealand and then they came across to Melbourne.

drove

Drove is the past tense of the irregular verb drive.

more information: drive

went

Went is the past tense of the irregular verb go.

more information: go

flew

Flew is the past tense of the irregular verb fly.

more information: fly

plane

People might travel by plane, train, tram or bus. Or maybe even bicycle.

hostel

A hostel is a large house where people can stay cheaply. We often talk about a ‘youth hostel’ where young people can stay for a small amount of money. In a hostel, you usually pay for a bed in a shared room.

hotel

A hotel is a place where you pay to have a room to sleep in. A hotel is usually more expensive and offers more privacy than a hostel.

Hotels and hostels are different forms of accommodation. Accommodation refers to a place to live, or stay.

burnt

Here, burnt refers to being sunburnt. The adjective sunburnt describes the condition of skin that is sore and red after spending too much time in the sun. The noun is sunburn.

Example: I'm suffering from sunburn.

When your skin becomes brown from exposure to the sun, we say you have a ‘sun tan’ or a ‘tan’. You are ‘suntanned’.

sun tan cream

Suntan cream is a substance you put on the skin to stop it from being burnt by the sun.

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Suntan cream can also be called ‘suntan lotion’, ‘sunscreen’, sun cream’ or ‘sun block’. That’s because it screens, or blocks out the sun.

sightseeing

Sightseeing means visiting interesting places, especially when you’re on holiday.

A person who goes sightseeing is called a sightseer.

lay out

She means that they were hoping to lie in the sun to get a suntan.

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