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ESL Podcast 945 – Using Electronics While Traveling

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1

GLOSSARY

packed – ready for a trip, with all the things one will need placed in a suitcase or
other bag
* How long did it take you get packed for the trip?

wall charger – a device that connects to an outlet (see below) in the wall, usually
with three metal pieces that fit into small holes of the same size, used to transfer
power to the battery in a larger device
* I can’t find the car charger for my cell phone, but at least I still have this wall
charger.

device – a tool or small machine that does something in particular, especially
referring to electronic devices
* Hank is trying to create a device that will brush and floss teeth automatically,
leaving the user’s hands free for other things.

memory card – a small, flat piece of plastic and metal that is inserted into a
digital camera, cell phone, or other electronic device to store digital information
* If the memory card is full, just transfer the files to your computer, and then you’ll
be able to take more pictures.

noise-canceling – blocking out the surrounding noise by producing a small,
uninteresting noise
* Lynn always flies with noise-canceling headphones, because otherwise she
becomes too distracted by the noise of the airplane and cannot fall asleep.

headphones – a device worn over one’s head, with pieces that go into one’s
ears or cover one’s ears, connected by a cable and sometimes a piece of plastic
that goes over one’s head, used to listen to music or other recordings without
disturbing other people
* Some runners use special headphones so that they can listen to music without
having the headphones fall out of their ears as they move around.

to dig (something) out – to pull something out of a bag or containers, especially
when there are a lot of items and it may be a little bit difficult to find what one is
looking for
* With so many things in her purse, she had a hard time digging out her keys.

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ESL Podcast 945 – Using Electronics While Traveling

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

2

portable battery – a small, lightweight battery that can be carried around easily,
often used together with other portable batteries so that one battery can be
replace with another to make a device continue to work even when one cannot
charge the device
* We won’t be able to charge the laptop computer all day, so be sure to bring a
few portable batteries.

to run out of – to not have enough of something because the items have already
been used
* We’ve run out of milk and can’t make pancakes for breakfast.

en route – on the way; along the way
* We’re going to see some beautiful scenery en route to Utah.

power strip – surge protector; a long, rectangular device with many outlets
(holes for electronics to attach to for charging)
* Let’s put a power strip in the garage so we can connect all the Christmas lights.

outlet – a place on a wall with small holes, where one can connect an electronic
device to get electricity to it
* The stereo is plugged into an outlet behind the couch.

gadget – an electronic device or small tool that does something interesting and
clever, especially something that was invented recently
* When going through airport security, it’s important to take all gadgets out of
your pockets and place them through the x-ray scanner.

to plug in – to connect an electric device to the supply of electricity in the wall
* You only have 4% power remaining on your cell phone. Do you want me to plug
it in for you?

cable – an electric wire covered with plastic, used to connect devices to each
other or to a source of electricity
* This black cable is for the keyboard, and this grey one is for the mouse.

to hook up – to connect
* Was it hard to learn how to hook up your camper to water and electricity at the
campsite?

overkill – too much of something; an extreme
* Justin cooked enough food for 40 people, but it was just a small dinner with a
few friends. It was overkill!

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ESL Podcast 945 – Using Electronics While Traveling

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

3

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Which of these things plug into an outlet?
a) Memory cards.
b) Portable batteries.
c) Power strips.

2. Why did Marsh pack a power strip?
a) Because the hotel might not have enough electricity.
b) Because the hotel uses a different voltage.
c) Because the hotel doesn’t have enough outlets.

______________


WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

outlet
The word “outlet,” in this podcast, means a place on a wall with small holes,
where one can connect an electronic device to get electricity to it: “How many
outlets are in each bedroom?” When talking about a lake, an “outlet” is where
water leaves the lake, going into a stream or river: “The outlet from this lake
leads to some beautiful waterfalls.” An “outlet” can also be a way to get rid of
strong feelings: “For Hal, running is an outlet for all the stress of his work and
family life.” Finally, when talking about a store, an “outlet” is a store that sells
things from a particular brand less expensively than they are normally sold: “Let’s
go to the outlet malls to get some new shoes.”

to hook up
In this podcast, the phrase “to hook up” means to connect two or more things:
“Can you help me hook up the TV and the DVD player?” The phrase “to hook
(something) onto (something)” means to hang something from something else:
“Just hook the worm onto the line, and then you’ll be ready to go fishing.” The
phrase “to hook (someone) up with (something)” means to get something for
another person, especially when that thing is difficult to get: “Could you hook me
up with tickets for the concert tomorrow night?” Or, “Jason hooked me up with
front-row tickets for the championship game!”

English as a Second Language Podcast

www.eslpod.com

ESL Podcast 945 – Using Electronics While Traveling

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

4

CULTURE NOTE

Traveling with Electronics

People are traveling with more “electronics” (electronic devices) than ever before.
Most of the devices are expensive, and some contain “irreplaceable” (cannot be
found again if lost) information, such as photographs, or “sensitive” (not wanting
to be shared with other people) and “confidential” (not to be shared with other
people) information, such as business documents. Therefore, travelers must be
extremely careful to keep their electronics “safe” (not damaged or stolen) during
their trips.

One of the best ways to keep electronics and data safe is simply to limit the
number of devices while traveling, and to make sure they contain only the
“necessary” (required) information. Don’t travel with a “laptop” (portable notebook
computer) that contains all of a company’s files. Instead, take a “memory stick”
(portable file storage) that contains only the files you need. Also, make sure that
all devices and files are “password-protected” (requiring that a specific word or
phrase be typed in before something can be used).

Travelers should avoid using “Wi-Fi hotspots” (shared Internet connections that
are accessed without wires or cables) and should always make sure that their
internet connections are “encrypted” (with information sent in codes so that it is
difficult for others to read). They should also avoid using public computers, which
could have “malware” (software that does bad things, like copying data
unknowingly or harming computers) or other problems.

Finally, travelers should never leave electronics or “proprietary” (owned by one
company or individual and should not be shared with others) data “unattended”
(far from the person who owns it). For example, these items shouldn’t be left in a
hotel room or a rental car, where they can be stolen easily.

______________

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – c

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ESL Podcast 945 – Using Electronics While Traveling

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

5

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 945 – Using
Electronics While Traveling.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 945. I'm your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.

Go to ESLPod.com and become a member of ESL Podcast today. Don't wait.
Hurry! If you do, you'll be able to download a Learning Guide for this episode.

This episode is a dialogue between Justin and Marsha about using electronic
equipment while you are traveling. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Justin: Are you nearly packed?

Marsha: Almost. Let’s see, I have wall chargers for my cell phone and other
devices, extra memory cards for my camera, and noise-canceling headphones
for the airplane.

Justin: Oh, yeah, I forgot to pack my headphones. I’d better dig them out right
now.

Marsha: I’ve also packed portable batteries for our devices in case we run out of
power en route. I’ve also brought a power strip to use in our hotel room.

Justin: Why?

Marsha: Hotel rooms never have enough outlets.

Justin: That’s true. I hadn’t thought of that. Maybe I should bring one, too.
Between the two of us, we have a lot of gadgets to plug in.

Marsha: And I’m bringing some cables in case we want to hook up our devices to
the TV.

Justin: Don’t you think that’s overkill?

Marsha: Not at all. How else will we entertain ourselves for an entire week?

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ESL Podcast 945 – Using Electronics While Traveling

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

6

[end of dialogue]

Our dialogue begins when Justin asks Marsha, “Are you nearly packed?” “To be
packed” (packed) here means to be ready for a trip, to be prepared to go
somewhere. We also use the word “packed” when something is very crowded. If
there are too many people in a small room, we might say, “It was packed.” Justin
asked if Marsha is nearly packed, meaning has she almost completed the task of
packing. Marsha says, “Almost. Let's see I have wall chargers for my cell phone
and other devices, extra memory cards for my camera, and noise-canceling
headphones for the airplane.”

Marsha lists a couple of popular things that you might take with you on a trip.
One of them is a “wall charger.” A “wall (wall) charger (charger)” is something
you plug into the wall, usually with small holes or a cord that allows you to
provide power to a cell phone or some other electronic device, some other
electronic piece of equipment. They’re called “wall chargers” because you plug
them in, or put them into, what are called “outlets” that are usually found on a
wall or in the wall.

An “outlet” (outlet) is a place where electrical wires have been run and connected
to, so you can plug in a power cord or a wall charger in order to use some sort of
electronic piece of equipment. A “memory card” is a small, flat piece of typically
plastic and metal that you put into something like a digital camera, that provides
additional digital storage – a place where you can put more digital information,
such as a digital photograph.

Marsha is also bringing with her “noise-canceling headphones.” “Headphones”
refers to something you wear, usually over the top of your head, that has things
that go over your ear so that you can hear music, for example, from an iPod or
from a smart phone. When we say the headphones are “noise-canceling,” we
mean they have special technology that helps block out noise around you that
you probably don't want to hear. “Noise-canceling” means it reduces or tries to
eliminate that noise.

Justin says, “Oh yeah, I forgot to pack my headphones. I'd better dig them out
right now.” “To dig (dig) something out” is a two-word phrasal verb meaning to
take something out of a bag or container, especially where there may be a lot of
other items that make it a little difficult to find what you are looking for. “To dig
something out” means to go into a place here where something is stored and
take it out so you can use it.

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ESL Podcast 945 – Using Electronics While Traveling

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

7

Marsha says, “I've also packed portable batteries for our devices in case we run
out of power en route. I've also brought a power strip to use in our hotel room.”
So, Marsha is really prepared here, isn’t she? She’s bringing portable batteries.
When we say something is “portable” (portable), we mean it's easy to carry from
one place to another. So, these are small batteries. She's taking them because
she wants to be prepared in case they “run out of power en route.”

“To run out of” something is to no longer have enough of something, usually
because you've used it all up. “We’ve run out of milk” means we no longer have
any milk. We did, but then we drank it. So, now we don't have any more. We've
run out. “En route” (en route) – two words – is an expression that means “on the
way” or “along the way” while you are going from one place to another.
Sometimes people will pronounce this term “en” route instead of “on” route. It's
not quite as acceptable, but it's becoming more popular and probably is
considered acceptable in most circumstances.

Marsha says also that she has brought a power strip to use in their hotel room. A
“power strip” (strip) is a long rectangular device that has different outlets – places
you can plug in a cord to get power for your electronic device. Power strips
sometimes, but not always, are also what is called a “surge protector.” They
protect your electronic devices in case there is a sudden “surge” (surge) or
increase in power. If you have lightning strike the building where you are, that
could cause a power surge that might damage or hurt your electronic equipment.
That's one reason why people use power strips – to prevent that from happening.

Justin asks Marsha why she brought the power strip, and notice – Marsha
doesn't mention anything about protecting their equipment. She doesn't mention
anything about using the power strip as a surge protector. She instead says,
“Hotel rooms never have enough outlets.” She wants the power strip so she can
plug more things in because the hotel rooms don't usually have very many
outlets in the wall where you can plug things in.

Justin says, “That's true. I hadn't thought of that.” Justin didn't think about that
idea. Clearly, Justin is not the smart one here in this marriage. Justin says, “I
hadn't thought of that. Maybe I should bring one too. Between the two of us, we
have a lot of gadgets to plug in.” A “gadget” (gadget) is another word for a small
electronic device. An iPhone or mobile phone or a digital music player – these
could all be called gadgets. “To plug in” means to connect a cord, an electrical
cord, between your electronic device and the outlet so that you can get power to
the device.

English as a Second Language Podcast

www.eslpod.com

ESL Podcast 945 – Using Electronics While Traveling

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

8

Marsha says, “And I'm bringing some cables in case we want to hook up our
devices to the TV.” A “cable” (cable) is an electric wire, typically covered in
plastic, that's used to connect to electronic devices. If you have an external hard
drive for your computer, you would connect it to your main computer with a cable.
If you have a television set and a DVD player, you will connect the TV to the DVD
player with a cable. Marsha is bringing some cables “in case we want to hook up
our devices to the TV.” “To hook up” is a two-word phrasal verb meaning here to
connect – to link or connect one thing to another.

Justin says, “Don't you think that's overkill?” The word “overkill” (overkill) means
too much of something, more than what is necessary for a given situation. If the
temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit, it's probably overkill to wear a big heavy
winter coat. It's just not that cold out. That's more than what you need to keep
warm. It's overkill. Justin thinks it's overkill for Marsha to bring all of these
different things with her on the trip.

Marsha doesn't agree. She says, “Not at all. How else will we entertain ourselves
for an entire week?” We imagine that Justin and Marsha are going on vacation.
Normally vacations are times where you get away from some of your electronic
devices, but some people, like Justin and Marsha, want to bring everything with
them so they will be connected all the time.

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

[start of dialogue]

Justin: Are you nearly packed?

Marsha: Almost. Let’s see, I have wall chargers for my cell phone and other
devices, extra memory cards for my camera, and noise-canceling headphones
for the airplane.

Justin: Oh, yeah, I forgot to pack my headphones. I’d better dig them out right
now.

Marsha: I’ve also packed portable batteries for our devices in case we run out of
power en route. I’ve also brought a power strip to use in our hotel room.

Justin: Why?

Marsha: Hotel rooms never have enough outlets.

English as a Second Language Podcast

www.eslpod.com

ESL Podcast 945 – Using Electronics While Traveling

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

9

Justin: That’s true. I hadn’t thought of that. Maybe I should bring one, too.
Between the two of us, we have a lot of gadgets to plug in.

Marsha: And I’m bringing some cables in case we want to hook up our devices to
the TV.

Justin: Don’t you think that’s overkill?

Marsha: Not at all. How else will we entertain ourselves for an entire week?

[end of dialogue]

We’ll never run out of interesting dialogues as long as we have our wonderful
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.

English as a Second Language Podcast was written and produced by Dr. Lucy
Tse, hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan. Copyright 2013 by the Center for Educational
Development.