Daily English 1281 Going to the Playground

Dialogue/Story

Slow Speed begins at: 1:14
Explanation begins at: 3:23
Normal Speed begins at: 18:48

Complete Transcript

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,281 – Going to the Playground.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,281. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

This episode is a dialogue between Patrick and Mary about going to a place where children can play – called a “playground,” of course. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Patrick: Hi, do you mind if I sit on this bench with you?

Mary: No, be my guest. We’ve just moved to the neighborhood and we love having a playground around the corner.

Patrick: It’s nice, isn’t it, to be able to bring the kids here to get some exercise and to burn off some energy?

Mary: Definitely. I’m watching my daughter on that spring rider. It’s her favorite. Is that your son on the slide?

Patrick: It is. Over there, I have two other sons playing on the merry-go-round. They’re the ones wearing green.

Mary: Oh, yeah, I see them. Do you have other kids?

Patrick: My son Frankie and daughter Terese are on the jungle gym hanging on the monkey bars. See them?

Mary: Oh, sure. Are those two on the seesaw yours, too?

Patrick: They are, and those three boys on the swings are mine, too. Over there, you’ll see another one of my sons swinging on the trapeze rings, and right here is my youngest playing in the sandbox.

Mary: Wait, how many children do you have?

Patrick: Only 11.

[end of dialogue]

A “playground” (playground) is an outdoor area where children can play, usually on large pieces of equipment, some of which we’ll be talking about in this episode. Our dialogue begins with Patrick saying to Mary, “Hi, do you mind” – meaning is it okay, or does it bother you – “if I sit on this bench with you?” A “bench” (bench) is a long, flat seat that usually three or four people can sit on. You find benches in parks, in bus stations, in other public areas. They are places where you can sit down. The bench here has room for at least two people, since Patrick is asking to sit next to Mary.

Mary responds to Patrick by saying, “No, be my guest,” meaning no, it doesn’t bother me. I don’t mind. “Be my guest” (guest). The phrase “Be my guest” is used when someone is asking something from you or requesting something from you. Often it involves allowing the person to use something or to do something that is involved somehow with that person. For example, you’re sitting at a table, at a dinner table, and someone says, “Can I have that last piece of apple pie” or “that last piece of cake?” The other person may respond “Be my guest,” meaning “Go ahead, that’s fine. I don’t mind.”

So Mary says to Patrick, “Be my guest,” meaning yes, you can sit next to me. She then says, “We’ve just moved to the neighborhood and we love having a playground around the corner.” Mary is talking about, we are guessing, herself and her family who have just moved to this neighborhood, this area of the city. She says they “love having a playground around the corner.” “Around the corner” means very close to where you live.

Patrick says, “It’s nice, isn’t it, to be able to bring the kids here to get some exercise and to burn off some energy.” “Exercise” (exercise) is things you do with your body, usually to make yourself healthier or stronger, or perhaps for some people to lose weight. That’s called “exercise.” It could be running. It could be doing other sorts of activities that require you to work your body hard.

“To burn (burn) off some energy (energy)” means, in this case, to have the children do some physical activity so that later, they’re calmer or perhaps tired and want to go to sleep. Sometimes parents will take their children somewhere so that the children will run around, will do a lot of activity or a lot of exercise, so that later the children are quiet because they’re tired. Mary agrees with Patrick that it’s nice to be able to bring the kids to this playground to get some exercise.

She says, “I’m watching my daughter on that spring rider.” A “spring (spring) rider (rider)” is something that you may find in a playground. It often looks like an animal, or perhaps a car. It moves around and goes up and down when a child sits on it. It’s often made from wood or plastic. The important thing in a “spring rider” is that it is attached to or connected to a metal spiral – something made of a very strong, long tube of metal that goes around and around in a circle. That’s called a “spring.”

A “spring” is made out of a long, thin or thick piece of metal that is curled around. It goes around in a circle. We would call it a “coil” (coil). If you push a spring down and then remove your hand, the spring will come back up. Well, a “spring rider” isn’t so much about the child moving up and down, but more side to side, I think. To be honest, we didn’t have spring riders when I was a child at the playgrounds I used to go to, but I think that’s what it is. Mary says that her daughter is on a spring rider and that it’s her “favorite,” meaning it’s the ride or it’s the thing at the playground she likes the most.

Then Mary asks Patrick, “Is that your son on the slide (slide)?” A “slide” can best be compared to a hill. When you go skiing, at least downhill skiing, you go from the top of the hill to the bottom of the hill. A “slide” is like an artificial hill except it isn’t wide. It’s very narrow and is usually made of just a piece of metal that one person can slide down or go down from the top to the bottom. To get to the top, you have to climb what is called a “ladder” (ladder), which is like a series of steps that you go up.

Patrick says that it is his son on the slide. He continues, “Over there, I have two other sons playing on the merry-go-round. They’re the ones wearing green.” A “merry (merry) – go (go) – round (round)” is a large, flat circle usually made of metal, and into the circle there are things that you can hang onto with your hands. This circle is attached to a pole in the middle of the circle, and it goes around in a circle. In order to make it go around, you have to push it so that it moves around. That’s a “merry-go-round.” Sometimes is called a “roundabout.”

Now, if you go to a circus – a place that has animals, for example, and other games to play – you will also see a merry-go-round, but that’s a little different. That’s a merry-go-round that is operated electronically. You don’t have to push it. And often, instead of just hanging onto a pole with your hands, there are things that you sit on that are shaped like horses. That’s a little different kind of merry-go-round. A playground merry-go-round is just typically a large round disc that goes around in a circle if you push it.

Patrick says his two sons are on the merry-go-round. Mary says, “Oh, yeah, I see them. Do you have other kids?” “Do you have other children?” Mary is asking. Patrick says, “My son Frankie and daughter Terese are on the jungle gym hanging on the monkey bars. See them?” A “jungle (jungle) gym (gym)” is something that kids can climb on. It is usually made of wood or metal and it can take a variety of different forms or shapes. “To hang” (hang) means to hold on to something, usually with your hands, while the rest of your body is not touching anything else.

A “jungle gym” has high bars that kids can grab onto or hang onto with their hands and arms. “Monkey (monkey) bars (bars)” is another piece of playground equipment. It’s basically a ladder that is up in the air, and horizontal rather than vertical. What you do is you jump up and you put your hand on one of the bars. I guess we could call it one of the “rungs” (rungs). A ladder has what are called “rungs.” Those are basically the steps that you put your feet on when you go up the ladder.

A “monkey bar” is not a vertical structure, but rather a horizontal one. So you have two other structures usually made out of metal or wood that hold the monkey bars up in the air. So the monkey bars are basically on top of these other structures. Monkey bars allow you to go from one end of the ladder, if you will, one end of the monkey bars to the other.

Mary sees Patrick’s two children and says, “Are those two on the seesaw yours, too?” meaning “yours, also?” A “seesaw” (seesaw) is sometimes called a “teeter (teeter) – totter (totter).” A “teeter-totter” (say that 10 times fast), or a “seesaw,” is basically a flat piece of wood or metal that is balanced in the middle, allowing one child to go up and the other child to go down. So one child goes up and the other one goes down. In fact, we have a verb “to seesaw,” which means to go up and down constantly.

Patrick says yes, the two on the seesaw are his children. And he says, “Those three boys on the swings are mine, too.” “Swings” (swings) are basically seats – things you sit on – that are connected to long chains, long thin ropes, or chains that are themselves connected to a high bar above you. The swing allows you to go back and forth in the air while sitting down.

Patrick says, “Over there, you’ll see another one of my sons swinging on the trapeze rings.” A “trapeze (trapeze) ring (ring)” is a metal ring that is connected to a long piece of rope or a long chain that you can swing from, back and forth, by holding onto it with your hands. Patrick also mentions his youngest son “is playing in the sandbox” (sandbox). A “sandbox” is a large box that is filled with, not surprisingly, “sand” – something that you would find, say, on a beach by the ocean.

Mary says, “Wait, how many children do you have?” Patrick responds, “Only 11.” Well, 11 is not that big of a family. I am the youngest of 11 children. And by coincidence, by chance, my parents were named Patrick and Mary.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Patrick: Hi, do you mind if I sit on this bench with you?

Mary: No, be my guest. We’ve just moved to the neighborhood and we love having a playground around the corner.

Patrick: It’s nice, isn’t it, to be able to bring the kids here to get some exercise and to burn off some energy?

Mary: Definitely. I’m watching my daughter on that spring rider. It’s her favorite. Is that your son on the slide?

Patrick: It is. Over there, I have two other sons playing on the merry-go-round. They’re the ones wearing green.

Mary: Oh, yeah, I see them. Do you have other kids?

Patrick: My son Frankie and daughter Terese are on the jungle gym hanging on the monkey bars. See them?

Mary: Oh, sure. Are those two on the seesaw yours, too?

Mary: Wait, how many children do you have?

Patrick: Only 11.

[end of dialogue]

There’s no playing around when it comes to writing our scripts. Thanks to the wonderful work by our scriptwriter, Dr. Lucy Tse.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.

Glossary

bench – a long, flat seat that can accommodate typically three or four people, usually placed outside at bus stations or parks

* Would you like to sit on this bench while we wait for the bus?

be my guest – a phrase used to respond positively to someone’s request to have or do something

* A: Do you mind if I eat the last piece of pie?

B: Be my guest. I’m already full.

playground – an outdoor area where children can play on large pieces of equipment, usually inside a park or next to a school

* It’s a beautiful day! Let’s go to the playground instead of sitting at home and watching TV.

exercise – physical activity that increases one’s heart rate, especially when done to improve one’s health or strength, or to lose weight

* Most doctors recommend getting exercise at least three days per week.

to burn off some energy – to get rid of one’s urge to be active through physical activity and exercise, especially to calm active children

* Jerome can’t sit still. Tell him to go outside and play to burn off some energy.

spring rider – a small structure, often made to look like an animal or vehicle, that moves and bounces when a child sits on it, made from a wooden or plastic structure attached to a metal spiral that is fixed to the ground

* The boys love playing on that spring rider, pretending they’re flying an airplane.

slide – a smooth, sloped (inclined) surface that children sit on, letting gravity pull them down to the ground

* The school doesn’t allow students to go head-first down the slide. They have to sit on their bottom.

merry-go-round – a round, flat platform that spins in circles when someone runs and pushes it, with room for children to sit or stand on it while holding onto bars for safety

* Sometimes parents need to remind the older kids to push the merry-go-round more slowly when little kids are sitting on it.

jungle gym – a climbing structure; a piece of outdoor playground equipment with many metal or wooden bars or poles that are connected to each other so that children can climb up them and hang from them

* We need to put this jungle gym over a soft surface so that children don’t get hurt if they fall from it.

to hang – to dangle; to have one part of a person or thing be holding onto an object in the air, so that the rest of the person or thing is suspended in the air, with nothing supporting the person or thing from below

* The outdoor wedding was beautiful, with ribbons and flowers hanging from the tree branches.

monkey bars – a piece of outdoor playground equipment with a horizontal ladder placed a few feet up in the air so that children can hang from it and travel along it by using their hands

* If you practice every day, you’ll soon be able to move with your hands from one end of the monkey bars to the other end without having your feet touch the ground.

seesaw – a teeter-totter; a flat board or piece of metal balanced on a single point in the middle so that one child can sit at each end, alternately lifting each other into the air by pushing their feet against the ground

* Seesaws work well only if the two children have approximately the same weight.

swing – a simple seat hung between two ropes or chains, so that a child may sit on it and move back and forth through the air by swinging his or her legs and leaning forward or backward

* Bobbie loves to play on the swings, pretending he can fly into outer space.

trapeze rings – two or more circular objects hung from ropes or chains so that a child can play by holding them with his or her hands and then swinging his or her body through the air

* At first, Greta could only hang from the trapeze rings, but now she is stronger and can do flips and hold her body upside down.

sandbox – a large box, hole, or container filled with sand so that children can dig and play in it

* The little boys spent hours in the sandbox, pushing the sand around with their toy trucks.

Comprehension Questions

1. Which of these toys requires the most arm strength?
a) A spring rider
b) A merry-go-round
c) Monkey bars

2. Which of these toys involves the fastest movement?
a) A slide
b) A jungle gym
c) A sandbox

Answers at bottom.

What Else Does It Mean?

bench

The word “bench,” in this podcast, means a long, flat seat that can accommodate three or four people, usually placed outside at bus stations or parks: “On nice days, office workers walk to the park and eat their lunch while sitting on benches near the fountain.” A “workbench” is a long, heavy, plain table used for projects, especially for building something: “The workbench was covered with hammers, nails, screwdrivers, and small pieces of wood.” In sports, the bench is where athletes sit while they are watching their teammates play the game: “Janelle is injured, so she spent most of the basketball game sitting on the bench.” Finally, the phrase “to bench (someone)” means to not allow an athlete to play one or more games: “If coach finds out what you did, he’ll bench you as a punishment.”

swing

In this podcast, the word “swing” means a simple seat hung between two ropes or chains, so that a child may sit on it and move back and forth through the air by swinging his or her legs and leaning forward or backward: “Don’t jump off of the swings! You might break your legs.” The phrase “to swing by” means to visit a place for a short period of time: “I swung by Heather’s apartment after work to return her books.” The phrase “to swing into action” means to begin working on something very intently and seriously: “We all have to swing into action as soon as we get the assignment if we’re going to finish it by Friday.” Finally, the phrase “to swing (something) at (someone)” means to move one’s arm through the air while holding something in order to hit another person: “She swung her purse at the thief who was trying to steal her packages.”

Culture Note

Waterparks

During the warm summer months, many Americans love going to “waterparks” (large, outdoor theme parks where people can play in the water and enjoy exciting water rides). Waterparks usually have swimming pools, “wave pools” (swimming pools that imitate ocean waves), “splash pads” (flat surfaces with small fountains where young children can play and get wet), “water slides” (slides that water runs down, landing in a pool), and “roller coasters” (rides that involve rapid movements while sitting in a small car or a “raft” (a floating object)).

Schlitterbahn waterparks in Texas and Kansas “boast” (say something good about themselves) having some of the country’s biggest waterparks. They include “lazy rivers” (river-like paths of water that move fairly slowly while visitors float on “inner tubes” (rubber or plastic circles filled with air)), “extreme” (very exciting) roller coasters in the water, “themed rides” (mechanical features that entertain people, often allowing them to imagine they are exploring an unusual place or time), and multiple pools and splash pads.

Evergreen Wings and Waves Waterpark in McMinnville, Oregon, is a much smaller water park, but it “features” (has as a main attraction) water slides that let people slide out of a Boeing 747 airplane that sits on the building’s roof.

Most water parks are found in warm southern states, where they can be open for most of the year. But a few water parks are indoors. In colder areas, Great Wolf Lodges are popular “destinations” (places to go) and the largest “chain” (a group of related businesses) of indoor water parks. They can stay open “year-round” (all year, without being closed in one or more seasons), even when the weather is cold.

Comprehension Answers

1 - c

2 - a