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ESL Podcast 1002 – An Unwelcome Business
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1
GLOSSARY
tenant – renter; a person or business that pays money each month to use an
apartment, home, or business space
* The tenants are responsible for the garbage service, but the owner pays for the
yard work.
to think again – to rethink something; to reconsider something; to question what
one previously thought and possibly reach a new conclusion
* Hearing about how animals are treated on large farms made Monte think again
about his eating habits.
strip club – a place of business where women remove some or all of their
clothing while dancing in a sexual way in front of an audience
* It’s completely inappropriate to take a business client to a strip club.
residential neighborhood – a part of city where there are many homes and few
or no businesses
* They’re looking for a small home in a quiet, residential neighborhood far from
the airport.
violation – an instance of lawbreaking; when laws, rules, or regulations are not
followed
* Smoking near the building entrance is a violation of the city’s ban on smoking in
and near businesses.
ordinance – an official rule or regulation, especially at the city level
* The city passed an ordinance against using car horns unnecessarily near
hospitals and schools.
to object to – to express one’s disapproval and dislike of something, and to
protest against it or show one’s opposition to it
* I object to girls not being allowed to join the football and soccer teams.
injunction – a warning or an official order to stop doing something
* During the drought, failure to obey the injunction against watering your lawn for
more than 10 minutes a day could result in a fine of $500.
pro-business – in favor of businesses and doing things to encourage the
establishment and growth of businesses
* As a pro-business politician, he wants to lower business taxes and provide free
services for the city’s largest employers.
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ESL Podcast 1002 – An Unwelcome Business
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to shut down – to make something stop or to make a business close so it is no
longer in operation
* The health inspector has the power to shut down our restaurant if she finds
major problems in the kitchen.
revenue – income; money coming in, especially money from the sales of
something
* On average, how much revenue does each salesperson bring in per month?
to channel – to focus something in a particular direction or for a particular
purpose
* I wish Gerald could channel his anger into something productive rather than just
drinking and getting into fights.
to make a stink – to complain and create problems for other people so that one
cannot be ignored
* Some of the parents made a stink when they saw the teacher’s negative
comments on their children’s report cards.
media coverage – publicity; how information or a story is presented in
newspapers, television, radio, magazines, and on the Internet
* Having a celebrity speaker would increase the media coverage of our event.
protest – a public gathering of people expressing their disapproval of something
and their desire to change it; a demonstration
* The students organized a protest about the firing of their favorite professor
outside the president’s office.
nude – naked; without any clothing on one’s body
* Have you ever posed for a nude photo?
picketing – a protest, strike, or demonstration where people walk around an
area while holding signs with images and/or text that express their disapproval of
something
* Picketing doesn’t seem like a good way to change the law. Wouldn’t it be better
to talk to your congressional representative?
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ESL Podcast 1002 – An Unwelcome Business
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3
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. Why does Patricia object to the strip club?
a) Because she doesn’t think it’s appropriate for children to see.
b) Because she doesn’t think it will create new jobs.
c) Because she thinks it will harm the natural environment.
2. What might they do to “make a stink and get media coverage”?
a) Refuse to pick up the garbage for a few weeks.
b) Send stink bombs to local journalists.
c) Complain loudly in a public way.
______________
WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
to shut down
The phrase “to shut down,” in this podcast, means to make something stop or to
make a business close so it is no longer in operation: “The city may have to shut
down the public transit system if ridership doesn’t increase.” When talking about
a computer, “to shut down” means to turn off the device: “Don’t forget to back up
your files before you shut down the computer.” The phrase “to shut down” can
also mean to stop sharing one’s feelings and/or stop communicating with others:
“After his wife died, Spencer seemed to shut down and didn’t want to see
anyone.” Finally, the rude phrase “to shut up” means to be quiet or to stop
talking: “Will you please shut up? I’m trying to sleep.”
to make a stink
In this podcast, the phrase “to make a stink” means to complain and create
problems for other people so that one cannot be ignored: “The customer made a
stink about the slow customer service.” The verb “to stink” means to smell bad:
“Your gym bag stinks!” And the phrase “to stink to high heavens” means to smell
extremely bad: “The animal waste from the farm stinks to high heavens!” Or,
“Wow, that blue cheese stinks!” The phrase “to stink of” means to smell like
something: “His breath stank of beer.” Finally, the phrase “to stink” can also
mean that something is unfair or bad: “You lost your job? That stinks!” Or, “It
stinks that I have to study while all my friends are playing outside.”
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ESL Podcast 1002 – An Unwelcome Business
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4
CULTURE NOTE
Minsky's Burlesque
American “burlesque” is a kind of “variety show” (entertainment on a stage with
live actors, singers, and dancers performing many “acts” (small parts or short
scenes)). Minsky's Burlesque was a type of burlesque created by the four Minsky
brothers in New York City. The shows began in 1912 and “lasted” (continued)
until 1937. At the time, the shows were considered “obscene” (vulgar;
inappropriate) and they were “outlawed” (forbidden or prohibited under law).
The brothers owned a theater and soon “turned to” (began using or relying on)
burlesque to attract a larger audience. The poor “immigrants” (people who come
from another country) liked “risqué” (shocking, especially in a sexual way) shows,
and the Minsky brothers “obliged” (did what the audience wanted them to do).
Their theater was the first one in the United States to have a “runway” (a long
walkway that goes from the stage into the center of the audience, often used in
fashion shows), where the brothers “featured” (put a lot of attention on) attractive
young women. They advertised their shows as “Burlesque as You Like It – Not a
Family Show,” meaning that audiences would see things that are not appropriate
for children.
The audiences loved the shows, but other people were shocked to learn that
women were removing their clothes in front of the audience and walking around
“topless” (without a shirt on). Citizens’ groups began “rallying” (protesting)
against the theater, and in 1937 the theater lost its “license” (permission to
operate) and had to “close its doors” (go out of business).
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – c
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ESL Podcast 1002 – An Unwelcome Business
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5
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1002 – An
Unwelcome Business in the Neighborhood.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1002. I’m your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.
We have a website. Yes, we do. We have a website. How about you? Well, our
website is ESLPod.com. If you go there, you can become a member of ESL
Podcast and, yes, download a Learning Guide for this episode.
This episode is called “An Unwelcome Business in the Neighborhood.” Let’s get
started.
[start of dialogue]
Patricia: Finally! That empty building has a new tenant. That’s great for the
neighborhood.
Francois: Think again. The new tenant plans to open a strip club.
Patricia: A strip club in the middle of a residential neighborhood?! That must be a
violation of city ordinances. The city won’t allow that.
Francois: I’m not so sure. The tenant has already started moving in, and there is
no sign that the city is going take action.
Patricia: Then we have to do something to let the city know that we object to a
strip club going into that space.
Francois: Good luck getting the city to do anything, much less file an injunction.
The mayor is very pro-business, and it won’t look good if he tries to shut down
any business that could bring revenue and jobs to this dying town.
Patricia: But at what cost? Our kids will have to walk past the strip club every day
to and from school. That’s outrageous!
Francois: I suggest channeling that energy into action. If we make a stink and get
media coverage, maybe we’ll get some action.
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ESL Podcast 1002 – An Unwelcome Business
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Patricia: Good idea. How can we get the local media to cover a neighborhood
protest?
Francois: How about nude picketing?
Patricia: I think that would send the wrong message.
[end of dialogue]
The dialogue for this episode is entitled “An Unwelcome Businesses in the
Neighborhood.” When we say a business or a person is “unwelcome,” we mean
they are not welcome. The prefix “-un” in English means “not.” To say someone
is a “welcome visitor” or a “welcome business” means you want them there. You
are happy that the person or the business is there. So, if you have an unwelcome
business, you have a business that you don’t want in your neighborhood – the
area where you live in your city or town.
Patricia begins our dialogue by saying, “Finally!” – at last! – “That empty building
has a new tenant. That’s great for the neighborhood.” A “tenant” (tenant) is a
business or a person who rents a certain house or building. A tenant is someone
who pays rent, who pays money, to usually live in or work in a certain area. So, if
you have an apartment, you will have to pay rent, and that makes you a tenant.
Patricia is happy that the empty building near their house has a new tenant.
Francois doesn’t think this is good news. He says to Patricia, “Think again.”
Patricia says it’s great news, but Francois says, “Think again.” “Think again”
means you should consider this situation again. You should think about it again.
Usually, it means the other person is wrong. The conclusion that the other person
has reached is incorrect in your view.
So, if someone says to you, “Oh, I’m going to go to Minnesota” – in the northern
part of the U.S., where I’m from – “for a winter vacation. I’m going to bring my
bathing suit and my sunglasses because I expect it will be very warm and
sunny,” someone from Minnesota would say to you, “Think again,” meaning
you’re wrong. The way you are thinking is not correct, or you have reached an
incorrect conclusion.
Francois says, “The new tenant plans to open a strip club.” A “strip club” is a
place where, typically, women take their clothes off for men. Patricia says, “A
strip club in the middle of a residential neighborhood? That must be a violation of
city ordinances. The city won’t allow that.” Patricia is surprised that this kind of
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business – which of course you would not want near your house, if anywhere – is
opening up in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
A “neighborhood” is an area of a town or a city. “Residential” (residential) refers
to homes and apartments and condominiums. A “resident” is a person who lives
in a certain area. “Residential” refers to an area where there are mostly houses
and apartments. The opposite of “residential” is “commercial.” A commercial area
has mostly businesses and stores, but residential areas have mostly houses and
apartments.
Patricia says that they can’t open this kind of business in the middle of a
residential neighborhood. She says, “That must be a violation of city ordinances.”
A “violation” is when you break the law or you break some rules. You don’t follow
some regulation. That would be a violation. “Ordinances” (ordinances) are laws,
usually laws for a city or a town. It could be laws for a county, I suppose, also.
Normally, the word “ordinance” is used to refer to a law of a city or a town.
Patricia says, “The city won’t allow that.” The city won’t permit that. Francois
says, “I’m not so sure. The tenant has already started moving in, and there is no
sign that the city is going to take action.” Francois says the tenant has already
started “moving in.” The person has already started to bring things into the
building. He also says there is no sign, there is no indication, that the city – the
government of the city – is going to take action. “To take action” here means to
do something.
Patricia says, “Then we have to do something to let the city know that we object
to a strip club going into that place.” “To object (object) to” something is to
express your disagreement about something, to protest about something, to let
people know that you don’t like something.
If you watch a crime show in English, a television program about the law and
courtrooms and judges, you will probably hear this word “object.” It’s something
that the lawyers say when they don’t like what the other side has said or they
don’t think what the other side has said should be part of the legal case. The
lawyers will often stand up and say, “I object, Your Honor.” “Your Honor” here
refers to the judge. Well, here we’re talking about “objecting to” something –
objecting to this business coming into the neighborhood.
Francois says, “Good luck getting the city to do anything.” When he says, “Good
luck,” he’s not actually wishing Patricia good luck. What he’s really doing is
indicating that what she wants will not happen, or that what she is hoping to
happen probably won’t happen. Francois says, “Good luck getting the city to do
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ESL Podcast 1002 – An Unwelcome Business
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8
anything, much less file an injunction.” An “injunction” (injunction) is when the
government, often the court, will tell someone or some business that they can’t
do something. They stop someone from doing something that they’ve believed to
be illegal.
That’s what Francois is referring to here. He doesn’t think the city is going to file
an injunction. The verb “file” (file) here means simply to try to get an injunction
from a judge. An injunction has to come from a judge, from a court. But the city
government – the mayor or other people who work for the city – can ask the
judge to stop a business from doing something. That would be “filing an
injunction” – asking the judge to stop this person from doing something.
Francois says, “The mayor,” who is the leader of the city or town, “is very pro-
business, and it won’t look good if he tries to shut down any businesses that
could bring revenue and jobs to this dying town.” The mayor is very “pro-
business.” When we say someone is “pro (pro) – something,” we mean they are
in favor of, or they support, that thing.
So, someone who is “pro-business” is someone who is in favor of business, who
tries to help companies. Someone who is “pro-labor” (labor) would be someone
who is trying to help workers, especially labor unions. So, you’ll see that prefix
“pro-” in front of a word when someone is in favor of that or supports that. The
mayor is “pro-business,” Francois says, and it won’t look good if he tries to “shut
down” this business. “To shut down” is a two-word phrasal verb meaning “to
close.”
The mayor is interested in the “revenue and jobs” that the business can bring to
this dying town. “Revenue” (revenue) refers to money, specifically taxes that the
business will pay the city. Patricia says, “But at what cost? Our kids will have to
walk past the strip club every day to and from school. That’s outrageous!”
“Outrageous” means that’s crazy. That’s a terrible thing.
Francois says, “I suggest channeling that energy into action.” “To channel
(channel) your energy into” something means to put your energy into something.
“To channel” anything means to take it and use it for a specific purpose. He
continues, “If we make a stink and get media coverage, maybe we’ll get some
action.” “To make a stink” (stink) is an interesting expression. It means to create
problems so that other people notice that you don’t like something. You complain
or you do something to get attention so that other people will realize that you’re
not happy and, you hope, do something about it.
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ESL Podcast 1002 – An Unwelcome Business
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“Media coverage” refers to newspapers, television stations, radio stations,
magazines, or Internet websites talking about your issue or talking about you.
Media coverage is when the press, the media – the newspapers and television
stations – talk about your story. They tell other people about what you are doing.
Patricia says, “Good idea,” meaning that’s a good idea; we should make a stink.
“How do we get the local media to cover a neighborhood protest?” Patricia is
thinking of an idea to get the local media – the newspapers and television
stations in that town or city – “to cover,” that is to report on, the neighborhood
protest. A “protest” is when you get together in public to indicate your belief about
something, often your unhappiness about something.
Now remember, they’re protesting a strip club, a place where usually men pay
money to see women take their clothes off. So, Francois suggests “nude
picketing.” “To picket” (picket) means to walk back and forth on the sidewalk with
signs in the air that indicate what you are angry about, what you are protesting
about. “Nude” (nude) means without any clothing on.
Francois is suggesting that they could get attention from the local media if they
picketed without wearing any clothing. Of course, they’re nude because that’s of
course the kind of business that a strip club is. So, they are calling attention to
this issue. Patricia says, however, “I think that would send the wrong message.”
The expression “to send the wrong message” means you are doing something
that will give people the wrong idea about what you want or what you are trying
to accomplish.
Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
[start of dialogue]
Patricia: Finally! That empty building has a new tenant. That’s great for the
neighborhood.
Francois: Think again. The new tenant plans to open a strip club.
Patricia: A strip club in the middle of a residential neighborhood?! That must be a
violation of city ordinances. The city won’t allow that.
Francois: I’m not so sure. The tenant has already started moving in, and there is
no sign that the city is going take action.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ESL Podcast 1002 – An Unwelcome Business
in the Neighborhood
These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2014). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
10
Patricia: Then we have to do something to let the city know that we object to a
strip club going into that space.
Francois: Good luck getting the city to do anything, much less file an injunction.
The mayor is very pro-business, and it won’t look good if he tries to shut down
any business that could bring revenue and jobs to this dying town.
Patricia: But at what cost? Our kids will have to walk past the strip club every day
to and from school. That’s outrageous!
Francois: I suggest channeling that energy into action. If we make a stink and get
media coverage, maybe we’ll get some action.
Patricia: Good idea. How can we get the local media to cover a neighborhood
protest?
Francois: How about nude picketing?
Patricia: I think that would send the wrong message.
[end of dialogue]
The script for this episode, like all of our episodes, was written by the wonderful
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.
English as a Second Language Podcast was written and produced by Dr. Lucy
Tse, hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan. This podcast is copyright 2014 by the Center
for Educational Development.