Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English.
I'm Dan and joining me today is Catherine.
Hey Catherine.
Hey Dan.
So Catherine, do you prefer a brew or a cup of joe in the morning?
Well, if you are referring to whether I prefer a cup of tea, which we sometimes call ‘a
brew’, or a cup of coffee, sometimes called ‘a cup of joe’, I prefer my coffee in
the morning.
I only drink coffee when I really need to wake up quickly.
And, why are you asking, Dan?
Because it’s part of this 6 Minute English.
Coffee.
I see.
So how do you take it then, Dan?
Well, I’m an instant coffee kind of guy.
And I like mine with a dash of milk.
How about you?
A dash of something is a small amount of something, especially liquid.
Personally, I prefer freshly-ground coffee beans, and I like my coffee dark and strong
- preferably Colombian or maybe Brazilian.
Wow.
A coffee aficionado, eh?
An aficionado is a person who’s very enthusiastic about, or interested in, a particular subject.
Well, let me test your knowledge with this week’s quiz question.
The specialty coffee, Kopi luwak, is made from coffee beans which have already passed
through an animal’s digestive system.
But which animal?
a) an elephant
b) a cat
c) a weasel
I’m always going to answer b) a cat.
Did you say this coffee actually goes through the animal?
As in, it eats it and then it comes out the other end, and that’s what we use for the
coffee?
Well, yes.
It is actually one of the most expensive coffees in the world.
Anyway, we’ll find out if you’re right or not later on.
So, talking of expensive, do you tend to pay more for your coffee or are you happy with
the cheap as chips stuff?
Cheap as chips means very cheap.
And personally, I do actually like a quality product, and I am willing to pay a bit more
for it.
Would you be willing to pay even more than you already do if it meant that the farmer
who grew the beans was getting a fairer price?
I would because I think that that sort of thing is important.
And you aren’t alone.
There is a growing trend among many Western customers of artisan cafes to be willing to
pay more for ethically produced coffee.
Ethical means morally right.
So, Dan, why is this trend happening at the moment?
Well, it’s probably been going on for a while, but a new report from the UN’s World
Intellectual Property Organisation has observed the effect that smarter processing, branding
and marketing has had on the farmers and their communities.
And because of this, coffee drinkers are better able to choose ethically produced coffee that
puts more money in the hands of the farmers.
But, Dan, do the farmers actually see any of this money?
Well, it’s complicated.
The price of the coffee is relatively cheap until it’s been roasted – or cooked in
an oven.
As a result, roasters take most of the profits.
But there is still a difference.
I’ll let Johnathan Josephs, a business reporter for the BBC News explain.
Jonathan Josephs , Business reporter, BBC News
For a pound of coffee beans that end up in the instants (section) sold in supermarkets,
the roaster can get over $4.
But the export price is just $1.45.
The farmer gets most of that.
But when the new wave of socially-aware customer pays a premium for higher standards, the roaster
can get $17.45, but the export price also rises to $5.14.
A premium is an amount that’s more than usual.
So the farmer makes three-and-a-half times as much money.
Which means a better quality of life for the farmer, their family and their community.
That’s good news!
I will definitely look for the ethically produced coffee from now on.
As long as, Dan, it doesn’t come out of some animal!
Yes, actually that reminds me.
Our quiz question.
I asked you which animal the speciality coffee Kopi luwak comes from.
a) an elephant
b) a cat
c) a weasel
And I said a cat.
And you are wrong I’m afraid.
Kopi luwak comes from a type of weasel.
I’m kind of relieved about that.
Let’s try not to think about it, and have a look at the vocabulary instead.
OK.
So, first we had dash.
A dash of something is a small amount of something, usually a liquid.
Where might we talk about a dash of something, Dan?
Well, I like my tea with a dash of milk.
My gin with a dash of tonic, and my soup with a dash of salt.
Then we had aficionado.
An aficionado is someone who is very interested or enthusiastic about a subject.
What are you an aficionado of?
I’m working on becoming a bit of an accordion aficionado actually, Dan.
Wow, cool!
Yeah!
After that, we had as cheap as chips.
Is something as cheap as chips?
Then it is very cheap indeed.
Like my shoes!
I bought them at a market for next to nothing.
They were as cheap as chips.
Then we had ethical.
Something which is ethical is morally right.
Do you consider yourself to be an ethical person, Catherine?
Well, I try, Dan.
I don’t always get it right, but I do attempt to be.
After that we heard roasted.
Roasted means cooked in an oven.
Like our coffee beans!
And of course our very famous English roast.
Finally, we had a premium.
If you pay a premium, you pay more than usual - usually for a better quality or service.
Can you think of an example?
If you’re going to the cinema, you might pay a premium to get more comfortable seats.
And that’s the end of this 6 Minute English.
Don’t forget to check out our YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, and we’ll see
you next time.
Goodbye.
Bye!
Hello.
This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
I’m Neil.
And I’m Sam.
Have you always wanted to learn to dance the tango, do a magic trick, or skydive?
If so, perhaps you need a bucket list – a list of all the things you want to do before
you die – that’s the topic of our programme.
Bucket lists have been called ‘the greatest hits of your life’ and have helped some
people overcome anxiety and fear of following their dreams.
But they’ve also been accused of limiting the imagination by encouraging people to follow
someone else’s idea of the perfect life.
So, what would be on your bucket list, Neil?
Are you a skydiving kind of person?
Not really!
Bungee-jumping maybe - as long as someone checked the elastic rope!
How about you?
One thing I’ve always wanted to do is swim with dolphins.
Well, you’re not alone there, Sam, because swimming with dolphins is one of the most
commonly included personal goals on bucket lists.
But which of the following things do you think tops the list?
That’s my quiz question for today.
Is it:
a) swimming with dolphins
b) getting a tattoo, or
c) seeing the northern lights
I’ll go for a) swimming with dolphins – one, because it’s something I really want to
do and two, because I’ve heard so many stories about how it improves your mental health.
Well, that was certainly true in the case of blogger Annette White.
She listed hundreds of things she wanted to accomplish - from learning Spanish to hanging
out with penguins in Antarctica - as a way of improving her psychological wellbeing.
Here she is talking to Claudia Hammond for BBC Radio 4’s programme All in the Mind:
You said that you started all this to try to help you overcome your anxiety – has
it done that?
It definitely has and I feel that the reason is because that promise to live my bucket
list really continuously pushes the comfort zone to its limits and beyond it.
So every time I can have a chance to step out of my comfort zone, a little piece of
that fear of the unknown is removed and replaced with a little piece of empowerment, and by
continuously doing that, the size of my fear bubble has gotten smaller.
Annette feels that choosing adventurous goals for her bucket list helps her step outside
her comfort zone – the situations where she feels safe and comfortable but where her
ability and determination are not really being tested.
Moving out of her comfort zone has helped Annette replace her feelings of fear with
feelings of empowerment – the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially
in controlling her life.
Well, that all sounds pretty good to me.
But not everyone is convinced that bucket lists can really help people like Annette
in the long run.
Here’s clinical psychologist Linda Blair to explain why:
I’m not really in favour of bucket lists.
There are a couple of reasons.
Most of all, you’re kind of fooling yourself with a bucket list.
We fear death, more than I think we fear anything else in our existence, because we can’t
predict it, and because we don’t know what it’s like because nobody comes back and
tells us.
And when you create a bucket list – something to do before you ‘kick the bucket’,the
idea that you’re giving yourself is that you can somehow control when and what death
is going to be all about.
We only make sense of our lives at the end of it.
A bucket list takes you away from the chance to be spontaneous and I think it’s so delicious
to be able to say, ‘that’s an opportunity?
– oh, I’ll do that!’
Linda thinks some people use bucket lists as a coping strategy to try to control something
uncontrollable – death.
In this way they are fooling - or deceiving - themselves - trying to make themselves believe
something they know is not really true.
And by having a checklist of adventures to tick off before they die, people might lose
the chance to be spontaneous – to act in a natural and impulsive way without planning.
Linda also uses an unusual expression which gave ‘bucket list’ its name in the first
place.
A bucket list is all the things you want to do before you ‘kick the bucket’ – an
informal way of saying, ‘die’.
‘Kick the bucket’ is an old English expression that was even used by Shakespeare.
It refers to kicking the bucket away from under the feet of a hanging man, leaving him
to drop to his death.
Well, anyway, I hope I don’t kick the bucket before I’ve had a chance to tell you the
correct answer to today’s quiz.
Remember, I asked you which personal goal was most often included in bucket lists?
I said, a) swimming with dolphins
But the actual answer was c) seeing the northern lights
Well, maybe we could combine the two in a single trip…
And then get a tattoo!
That would be spontaneous!
Today, we’ve been discussing bucket lists – lists of all the things you want to do
before you ‘kick the bucket’ – an informal way of saying ‘die’.
Bucket lists can be a great way to feel empowered – stronger and more in control of your life,
because they take you out of your comfort zone – comfortable situations which are
safe but not challenging.
But others think you’re fooling – or deceiving yourself – if you think bucket lists can
really help you control your life.
In fact, they might even make you less spontaneous – less able to act in natural, sudden and
impulsive ways.
That’s all from us for now.
Why not go and make some plans for all the things you’d like to do in your life?
And start having adventures before we see you next time here at 6 Minute English from
BBC Learning English.
Bye.
Goodbye.
Hello, and welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Neil and joining me today is Rob.
Hello.
So Rob, what's the most dangerous thing you've ever chosen to do?
Mmm.
Tricky question.
I've done many risky things, but probably the most risky thing is bungee jumping in
New Zealand.
Oh wow, bungee jumping.
You'd never catch me doing that.
Did you enjoy it?
Not really, no.
I won't do it again!
OK, well today our topic is risk and how different people react to different levels of risk in
different ways.
For example, would you be happy to be in a driverless car?
Absolutely not!
No, I don't trust anybody's driving - even a computer.
So no, I wouldn't go in a driverless car.
OK, I won't offer you a lift!
Driverless cars are the topic of today's quiz.
The question is: When was the first driverless car demonstrated on a public road?
Was it:
a) 1970s
b) 1950s
c) 1920s
I think they are quite modern, so I'm going to say 1970s.
OK, well we'll find out if you're right at the end of the programme.
Joe Kable is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.
In a recent BBC science programme, All in the Mind, he talked about the psychology of
risk and whether there was anything physically in our brains that could predict how much
risk we are prepared to accept.
Here he is, first talking about a number of different ways people see risk.
How many different types does he describe?
Some people are quite risk-averse and really don't want to take any decisions where there's
risk involved at all, whereas others are fairly risk-tolerant and in some cases even risk-seeking
so they seek out decisions that have an aspect of risk to them.
How many different types of people did he mention, when it comes to attitudes to risk?
Well, there were three.
The first group was those who are risk-averse.
If you are averse to something, you are against it, you don't like it.
So risk-averse people don't like to take risks.
The second group are those who are risk-tolerant.If you are tolerant of something, you accept
it, you don't mind it, it's not a problem for you.
So someone who is risk-tolerantis not worried by an element of risk in what they choose
to do.
The third group he mentioned are those who are risk-seeking.
If you seek something, you actively look for it, you try to find it.
So risk seekers are those who enjoy risk and want to take risks in their life.
Associate Professor Kable carried out research on risk-taking and discovered that there were
differences in brain structure and the way parts of the brain worked together between
those who are risk-averse and those who are risk-tolerant or risk seekers.
So it seems as if this is something that could be measured.
You could put someone in a brain scanner and tell if they like risk or not.
I wonder how useful that would be though – is there any practical application for this knowledge?
Good question and one that was put to Kable.
What area does he say this could be applied to?
Definitely something that I can see coming out of this is using these associations to
help develop better assessments of who's likely to take risks versus not.
This is exactly the thing that financial advisors want to assess when you come to them and say
'I want to put my money away for retirement'.
Exactly the aspect of your personality that they want to know is what's your tolerance
for taking risk?
In which area does he say knowledge of someone's attitude to risk might be useful?
Financial planning.
He says that financial advisors, who are people that give advice on what to do with our money,
would find this information very useful.
It would help them to assess what to do with your money, which means it would help them
to decide, to make an intelligent decision about your money in certain situations.
For example, if you are planning for your retirement.
Retirement is the time when are able to or you have to stop working.
He also used an interesting expression there, to put your money away, which means 'save
your money', 'put it somewhere where you can't spend it and where it can grow'.
You know I think my financial planner could just ask me about how I feel about risk rather
than giving me a brain scan.
I heard brain scans can be risky!
Mmm, not sure that's true but anyway, what is true is the answer to this week's quiz
question.
I asked you when the first driverless car was demonstrated on a public road.
The options were a) the 1970s, b) the1950s and c) the 1920s.
What did you say Rob?
I said the 1970s.
And you were wrong, I'm afraid.
Apparently it was the 1920s, so a long time ago.
Well done if you got that right.
Now before we drive off into the sunset, let's recap today's vocabulary.
Yes right, first we had three words describing different attitudes to risk.
There was risk-averse, for people who don't like risk.
People who don't mind risk are risk-tolerant.
And people who like risk and want risk are risk seekers.
Next we had the verb to assess.
This means 'to make a judgement or a decision based on information'.
A phrase meaning 'to save money' is to put money away.
And finally, we had retirement.
That time of life when you are too old to work anymore or you have enough money that
you don't need to work anymore.
Are you looking forward to your retirement Rob?
Cheeky.
I'm neither old enough nor rich enough to even think about that Neil.
Same here.
Well that's all from us today, and you don't have to be a risk seeker to find us on Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, and of course on our website bbclearningenglish.com!
Thank you for joining us and goodbye.
Bye!
Hello, I'm Rob and welcome to 6 Minute English– the show that brings you an interesting topic
and authentic listening practice…
...and don't forget vocabulary to help you improve your language skills.
I'm Neil by the way and today we're off on an adventure.
But not a very big adventure Neil – it's just a mini or microadventure – but if you
have wanderlust – a strong desire to travel – I think it may appeal.
It will appeal to you Rob because you love to travel – haven't you circumnavigated
the globe – I mean go all the way round the world?
Almost Neil – but today's mini-adventure doesn't involve travelling too far from home.
We'll explore the topic more in a moment but not before we've set today's quiz question.
So Neil do you know how far it is around the world measured at the equator – in other
worlds the circumference?
It is approximately…
a) 30,000 km b) 40,000 km, or
c) 50,000 km
Well, I haven't walked it but I know it's a long way – so I'll go for c) 50,000 km.
I shall keep you in suspense and tell you the answer at the end of the programme.
Our topic for discussion won't be travelling so far – it's about a new trend for small
adventures.
Neil What you mean are shorter breaks, closer to
home.
They're less expensive of course but also instil a sense of adventure – that's the
feeling of doing a new, exciting and sometimes dangerous activity.
Well, adventurer, Alastair Humphreys has coined the phrase 'microadventures' to describe this.
'To coin' here means to use a word or phrase that no one has used before.
Now he's someone who goes on big trips and expeditions to the four corners of the globe
and writing books about his adventures.
But he wanted to prove you don't have to go far to find adventure.
Let's hear from him now – speaking on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme – about
what he did.
How did he describe his first microadventure?
I'd been doing big adventures for years and I had this hunch that you didn't need to go
to the ends of the world to have some sort of adventure.
You didn't need to be in beautiful Patagonia to have the spirit of adventure.
So I decided to try and prove my theory by doing the most boring, ugly adventure I could
think of.
And I came up with the idea of walking a lap of the M25 in the snow in January.
And time and again as I walked round the M25 I just kept thinking to myself this experience
is exactly the same as the four years I spent cycling round the world.
Smaller, of course, a bit silly, but definitely felt like an adventure And that's when I really
started to come up with the idea of microadventures.
So a microadventure is a boring, ugly adventure?
No Neil.
It may not be glamourous but it is an adventure.
He walked around the London orbital motorway – called the M25 – to prove his hunch
that you don't need to go far to find adventure.
A hunch is an idea you have based on feelings but there's no proof.
Well his hunch was right.
But walking alongside a motorway isn't my idea of adventure.
It doesn't have to be Neil.
Just getting out on your bike and exploring somewhere in your locality that you haven't
visited before is an adventure.
And how about camping?
Ah yes, I do like to camp out – that's a phrasal verb to mean sleep outside in a tent.
You can be so close to nature and breathe in the fresh air.
Yep and you don't need to go far for a camping adventure – and being out a night really
adds to the sense of adventure.
That's what Alastair Humphreys believes…
We humans are so boring these days – we so rarely spend time out in the darkness to
see the stars and to see how the world feels different by night.
I get a little bit nervous still – I still imagine ghosts – but that's part of the
charm of making a little frisson of adventure.
And then in the morning the sun comes up, the birds sing, jump in a river, back on the
bus, back to your desk for 9.00.
Seeing how the world feels at night is a nice idea.
Getting a bit nervous – anxious maybe – is part of the pleasure or enjoyment – what
Alastair calls 'charm'.
I agree – and he used another word 'frisson' meaning a sudden, strong feeling of excitement,
or fear.
My biggest fear would be returning to my desk for 9.00!
But Alastair is right, there is an adventure to be had on your doorstep – that means
close to where you live.
But only a small adventure Rob!
Unlike an adventure round the circumference of the Earth.
Yes that was my question earlier: how far it is around the world measured at the equator
– in other worlds the circumference?
It is approximately…
a) 30,000 km b) 40,000 km, or
c) 50,000 km
I said c) 50,000 km.
Sorry Neil – too far.
The Earth's circumference has been calculated to be 40,075km.
To travel that distance would be a major adventure.
OK, I think we should remind ourselves of the some of the words and phrases we've discussed
today – starting with wanderlust – a strong desire to travel.
"Rob has wanderlust, he's never at home!"
That's because I have a sense of adventure.
That's the feeling of doing a new, exciting and sometimes dangerous activity.
"Neil has no sense of adventure because he likes his holidays to be planned out with
no surprises!"
That's a little unfair Rob – I just like to be 'holiday happy' – that's a term I've
just coined, which means used a word or phrase that no one has used before.
You can also say 'to coin a phrase' after using an expression that is well known and
possibly used too much.
Next we heard hunch – that's an idea you have based on feelings but there's no proof.
"I have a hunch Neil wants to go to the pub – he's packing his bag!"
Your hunch is correct Rob.
But not before we recap our next word charm – that's part of the pleasure or enjoyment
of something.
"Part of the charm of going to the seaside is eating ice cream and walking down the pier."
And finally we heard on your doorstep - that means close to where you live.
"There's a pub right on your doorstep, so why don't you make the most of it!"
I intend to Rob but first let me to remind you that you can learn English with us at
bbclearningenglish.com.
That's it for today's 6 Minute English.
We hope you enjoyed it.
Bye for now.
Bye.
Hello, I'm Rob and welcome to 6 Minute English– the show that brings you an interesting topic
and authentic listening practice… ...and don't forget vocabulary to help you
improve your language skills.
I'm Neil by the way and today we're off on an adventure.
But not a very big adventure Neil – it's just a mini or microadventure – but if you
have wanderlust – a strong desire to travel – I think it may appeal.
It will appeal to you Rob because you love to travel – haven't you circumnavigated
the globe – I mean go all the way round the world?
Almost Neil – but today's mini-adventure doesn't involve travelling too far from home.
We'll explore the topic more in a moment but not before we've set today's quiz question.
So Neil do you know how far it is around the world measured at the equator – in other
worlds the circumference?
It is approximately…
a) 30,000 km b) 40,000 km, or
c) 50,000 km
Well, I haven't walked it but I know it's a long way – so I'll go for c) 50,000 km.
I shall keep you in suspense and tell you the answer at the end of the programme.
Our topic for discussion won't be travelling so far – it's about a new trend for small
adventures.
What you mean are shorter breaks, closer to home.
They're less expensive of course but also instil a sense of adventure – that's the
feeling of doing a new, exciting and sometimes dangerous activity.
Well, adventurer, Alastair Humphreys has coined the phrase 'microadventures' to describe this.
'To coin' here means to use a word or phrase that no one has used before.
Now he's someone who goes on big trips and expeditions to the four corners of the globe
and writing books about his adventures.
But he wanted to prove you don't have to go far to find adventure.
Let's hear from him now – speaking on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme – about
what he did.
How did he describe his first microadventure?
I'd been doing big adventures for years and I had this hunch that you didn't need to go
to the ends of the world to have some sort of adventure.
You didn't need to be in beautiful Patagonia to have the spirit of adventure.
So I decided to try and prove my theory by doing the most boring, ugly adventure I could
think of.
And I came up with the idea of walking a lap of the M25 in the snow in January.
And time and again as I walked round the M25 I just kept thinking to myself this experience
is exactly the same as the four years I spent cycling round the world.
Smaller, of course, a bit silly, but definitely felt like an adventure And that's when I really
started to come up with the idea of microadventures.
So a microadventure is a boring, ugly adventure?
No Neil.
It may not be glamourous but it is an adventure.
He walked around the London orbital motorway – called the M25 – to prove his hunch
that you don't need to go far to find adventure.
A hunch is an idea you have based on feelings but there's no proof.
Well, his hunch was right.
But walking alongside a motorway isn't my idea of adventure.
It doesn't have to be Neil.
Just getting out on your bike and exploring somewhere in your locality that you haven't
visited before is an adventure.
And how about camping?
Ah yes, I do like to camp out – that's a phrasal verb to mean sleep outside in a tent.
You can be so close to nature and breathe in the fresh air.
Yep and you don't need to go far for a camping adventure – and being out a night really
adds to the sense of adventure.
That's what Alastair Humphreys believes…
We humans are so boring these days – we so rarely spend time out in the darkness to
see the stars and to see how the world feels different by night.
I get a little bit nervous still – I still imagine ghosts – but that's part of the
charm of making a little frisson of adventure.
And then in the morning the sun comes up, the birds sing, jump in a river, back on the
bus, back to your desk for 9.00.
Seeing how the world feels at night is a nice idea.
Getting a bit nervous – anxious maybe – is part of the pleasure or enjoyment – what
Alastair calls 'charm'.
I agree – and he used another word 'frisson' meaning a sudden, strong feeling of excitement,
or fear.
My biggest fear would be returning to my desk for 9.00!
But Alastair is right, there is an adventure to be had on your doorstep – that means
close to where you live.
But only a small adventure Rob!
Unlike an adventure round the circumference of the Earth.
Yes, that was my question earlier: how far it is around the world measured at the equator
– in other worlds the circumference?
It is approximately…
a) 30,000 km b) 40,000 km, or
c) 50,000 km
I said c) 50,000 km.
Sorry, Neil – too far.
The Earth's circumference has been calculated to be 40,075km.
To travel that distance would be a major adventure.
OK, I think we should remind ourselves of the some of the words and phrases we've discussed
today – starting with wanderlust – a strong desire to travel.
"Rob has wanderlust, he's never at home!"
That's because I have a sense of adventure.
That's the feeling of doing a new, exciting and sometimes dangerous activity.
"Neil has no sense of adventure because he likes his holidays to be planned out with
no surprises!"
That's a little unfair Rob – I just like to be 'holiday happy' – that's a term I've
just coined, which means used a word or phrase that no one has used before.
You can also say 'to coin a phrase' after using an expression that is well known and
possibly used too much.
Next we heard hunch – that's an idea you have based on feelings but there's no proof.
"I have a hunch Neil wants to go to the pub – he's packing his bag!"
Your hunch is correct Rob.
But not before we recap our next word charm – that's part of the pleasure or enjoyment
of something.
"Part of the charm of going to the seaside is eating ice cream and walking down the pier."
And finally we heard on your doorstep - that means close to where you live.
"There's a pub right on your doorstep, so why don't you make the most of it!"
I intend to Rob but first let me to remind you that you can learn English with us at
bbclearningenglish.com.
That's it for today's 6 Minute English.
We hope you enjoyed it.
Bye for now.
Bye.
Hello.
This is 6 Minute English, and I'm Rob.
I'm Sam.
Hello!
Now, Sam, we’re going to be talking about tattoos.
Are you a fan?
Of tattoos?
Well, I don’t have one, but they can be quite impressive works of art.
Well, I’m not that keen on tattoos – I mean, who wants things drawn on their body?!
It sounds like you need some convincing, Rob!
Maybe our discussion today will change your mind.
Maybe.
But as you’re a fan of them, here’s a question for you to answer.
According to the Guinness World Records, the record for the most tattooed person in the
world goes to Lucky Diamond Rich from New Zealand.
Do you know how much of his body is covered by tattoos?
Is it…
a) 80%?
b) 90%?
Or
c) 100%?
What do you think, Sam?
Well, it’s got to be 100% if he is the most tattooed man, surely?
Not necessarily, but, we’ll see if you’re right at the end of the programme.
Now let’s talk more about tattoos.
I know many people have them.
Sometimes it’s a picture of an animal, like a small gecko, sometimes it’s words like
‘I love you’ or the name of a loved one.
And then there are the huge designs spread across someone’s back, chest or arm - like
footballer David Beckham has.
Well, he’s no stranger to a tattoo parlour.
A parlour is the name of the shop where a tattoo artist draws a tattoo on you with ink
and a needle.
Needles!
Ouch!
OK, you need some convincing, so let’s hear from Lucie Parfitt, YouTuber and tattoo fan.
Here she is speaking on the BBC’s Smart Consumer podcast…
I’m quite a creative person and ever since I first discovered tattoos, I thought it was
a really cool way of expressing yourself.
I’m quite a visual person as well, so for me it really, like, just looked really cool
and it made me think more about my own, like, personality and how I could express that in
creative ways.
Right, so, Lucie describes herself as a creative person.
When you’re creative you imaginative and like to experiment with new ideas.
Yes, Rob.
And tattoos are a good way to be creative – trying out different designs and colours
- it’s a good way to express yourself.
Here, to express yourself means 'to show how you feel in a particular way'.
OK, so some people express themselves through singing or wearing particular clothing, but
here she’s expressing herself through the images on her skin.
But what happens if you want change what you want to express?
Well, then it’s time for a new tattoo!
OK, well I know that the tattoo industry is big business now – which means it's 'popular
and making lots of money'.
I’ve heard that one in five people now have a tattoo.
Not you yet, Rob!
But it has certainly become a trend in recent years and it’s something tattoo artist Lee
Clements has noticed.
Also speaking on the BBC’s Smart Consumer podcast, he explains why he thinks that is….
The thing for me that has obviously changed massively over the last, possibly, ten years
is you see a lot of celebrities getting tattooed.
With that comes the fact that you’re going to get people who want to copy them or it
becomes almost like a fashion thing, so we do see certain tattoos, sort of , becoming
a trend and… yeah, so I guess it kind of dilutes that value a little bit, yeah.
Ah so it’s celebrities – famous, well-known people from TV, film and fashion – that
have possibly driven the trend.
People want to copy them – or it’s what he says is ‘a fashion thing’, so you have
a tattoo because it’s fashionable, which means it’s 'popular at a particular time'.
And one of the downsides – the negative things – about just having one to be fashionable
is it dilutes the individuality of having one.
Dilute means to 'make something less strong or less valuable'.
Well, I’m not going to get one anytime soon – except maybe a big six on my arm to remind
me that we only have 6 minutes for this programme so I’d better reveal the answer to the question
I asked you earlier.
According to Guinness World Records, the record for the most tattooed person in the world
goes to Lucky Diamond Rich from New Zealand.
Did you know how much of his body is covered by tattoos?
And I said 100%.
Well done, Sam.
That is correct.
He has held the certified record since 2006 of being 100% tattooed.
This includes tattoos inside his eyelids, mouth and ears.
Wow!
I wonder who gets to see those!
OK well, now it’s time to recap the vocabulary we’ve discussed today starting with a parlour.
That’s the name for a shop or room where certain businesses carry out their trade – such
as a tattoo parlour, a massage parlour or an ice cream parlour.
A creative person is someone who uses imagination and experiments with new ideas.
And when you express yourself, it means you 'show outwardly how you feel and what you’re
thinking'.
If something is big business it is an activity that is currently popular and making lots
of money.
And something that is fashionable is popular.
And when something becomes popular it can dilute its value or uniqueness – so it becomes
less strong or less valuable.
OK, thank you, Sam.
That’s all for now but there’s plenty more on our website at bbclearningenglish.com.
If you can’t remember the address, why not tattoo it on your arm?!
You can also find us on social media and on our app.
Goodbye for now!
Bye!
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English.
I'm Neil.
Hi!
And I'm Catherine.
Now, Catherine, when was the last time you went for a walk in the country for fun, for
exercise or relaxation?
People do that?
Well, believe it or not, they do.
Interesting, people are strange.
Well, it sounds like you should pay close attention to today's programme because it's
all about how fewer and fewer people are venturing out into the country.
Well, I wonder if that word is part of the problem.
To venture out somewhere suggests that it's a big challenge, or even a risky activity.
I don't think a walk in the country is a particularly dangerous activity, even in bad weather.
It's not one of the reasons people gave in a recent survey for why they don't do it.
In fact, one of the biggest reasons people gave was that it wouldn't look good on their
social media.
Well, of course, why would you go for a walk in the rain in the country if you couldn't
get good snaps for your social media account?
Interesting you should say that because it's the topic of this week's quiz question.
In the survey, what percentage of people gave the poor social media photo opportunity as
their reason for not wanting to venture out into the countryside?
Was it: a) around 10%,
b) around 30% or c) around 50%?
What do you think?
To be honest, I don't think that would be a good excuse at all, so I'm going to say
it's just 10%.
Listen out for the answer at the end of the programme.
Annabel Shackleton is from an organisation called Leaf – Linking Environment and Farming.
They want to encourage more people to visit the countryside.
She recently appeared on the BBC's Farming Today radio programme.
She gave her response to the survey we mentioned which revealed that many of us prefer to stay
indoors.
What does she say a quarter of people in the survey know and believe?
I can’t believe that 4 in 10 millennials think they should spend more time in the countryside
and a quarter of them know and believe that it's much better and easier to relax in the
countryside but they’re just not going out.
It's phenomenal.
She was talking about a group in the survey which she called millennials.
This term refers to people who are young adults now, people who were born in the 1980s and
1990s.
Are you a millennial, Neil?
No, I'm actually Generation X, the age group before millennials.
We were born in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s.
Shackleton said that a quarter of millennials know and believe that it's better and easier
to relax in the country, but they just don’t go.
She thought it was phenomenal.
Now this adjective means that something is incredible, unbelievable.
It's often used for something that is positive, something that is very impressive or amazing.
In this case though she is using it to say how shocked and surprised she is that people
know going out in the country is good and a great way to relax but they still don't
do it.
So what explanation does she have for this phenomenal behaviour.
Here's Annabel Shackleton again.
There are just so many other distractions and it's just so easy for people to stay indoors.
You know and they're using excuses like they haven't got the right clothing, it's not instagramable,
would you believe it?
And yes, it's a shame.
She said that there are many other distractions.
A distraction is something that takes your attention away from doing something.
Usually, we think of a distraction as something that delays us from doing something more important.
These days we have a lot of distractions or things that offer us easy entertainment.
So it's very easy to come up with an excuse for not taking the time to go outside.
Another very good excuse of course is the weather.
It's not a lot of fun to go out if it's cold and pouring with rain.
Well, a very wise person once said that there is no such thing as the wrong weather, just
the wrong clothing!
True, Neil, but you have to have the right clothing in the first place and if the weather
is terrible you might not be able to get good pictures for your Instagram account.
They might not be instagramable.
Now you're not going to find that word in the dictionary, but you probably know that
the suffix able means 'possible'.
So put able on the end of Instagram and you get instagramable.
And that brings us neatly back to our question.
What percentage of people in the survey said that they wouldn't go out in the country because
they wouldn't get good pictures for social media?
Was it around 10%, 30% or 50%.
What did you say, Catherine?
I said 10.
And the answer was about 30%!
What is the world coming to?
I don’t know what the world is coming to, but we are coming to the end of the programme,
so time to review today's vocabulary.
We started off with to venture out somewhere, which simply means to go out somewhere, but
usually when the conditions are bad, for example – it was pouring with rain but I still decided
to venture out to the shops.
We heard about millennials and Generation X. Different age groups, millennials are those
who became adults in the early 21st century, and Generation X are from the previous generation,
who became adults in the 1980s and 1990s.
Something phenomenal is amazing, surprising and unbelievable.
And then we had distractions for activities that prevent us from doing more important
things.
And one of the biggest distractions is social media.
Put the suffix able onto the end of the name of a social media platform and you create
a word that describes something that is suitable for posting, so instagramable.
BBCLearningEnglish is certainly instagramable, facebookable, tweetable and youtubeable.
You can find us on all those platforms as well as on our website.
So do check us out there before joining us again for more 6 Minute English.
Goodbye.
Goodbye!
Welcome to 6 Minute English, the programme where we explore an interesting topic and
bring you some useful items vocabulary.
I'm Rob.
And I'm Neil.
Now Neil, I know you're a keen swimmer.
I am.
I try to get to the pool once a week and do a few lengths, yes.
That's good to hear because swimming is one of the best sports for keeping fit.
It's an aerobic exercise – aerobic means a very active type of exercise that makes
your heart and lungs stronger.
The opposite of this is anaerobic – and for my question today Neil, I wonder if you
know which of these activities is an example of anaerobic exercise?
a) weightlifting
b) kickboxing
c) dancing
I don't have a clue but I'll pick my favourite sport – a) weightlifting.
Is that really your favourite sport?!
Anyway, we'll find out the answer at the end of the programme.
So what about you Rob – do you visit the swimming pool very often?
Only to use the cafe!
I don't like anything aquatic – I mean connected to water.
I just don't like getting wet - and swimming up and down a pool is just boring!
Well there are alternatives to plain swimming.
There's synchronised swimming…
Synchronised – that's moving together at the same time or speed as someone else.
Like dancing in water I suppose?
Hmm, I'm not a good dancer either.
How about the new craze of 'mermaiding' which is making a splash at the moment – in other
words becoming very popular.
The idea originated in America but is now popular in the UK and Europe.
OK.
Tell me more!
Let's hear from an expert – Emma Longden, who's founder of Fin2Fit – which runs classes,
teaching the skills of swimming safely like a mermaid…
Mermaiding is putting a monofin on your feet.
Putting a beautiful tail on and getting in the water and swimming like a mermaid.
OK, so I would need to wear a monofin – the prefix 'mono' means 'only one or single' – so
a single fin –that's like a mermaid's tail - then I just get in the water and swim like
a mermaid – I'm not so sure about that Neil – I don't really know how mermaids swim!
There's more to it than that Rob.
It's actually good for your fitness as Emma can explain…
It gives children's confidence in water a boost, it improves their water strength, it
gives you an entire body workout.
It works your cardiovascular system, it works your legs, your core – it improves the children's
swimming technique, flexibility, balance, co-ordination – you get the reward, you
get the social aspect – and alongside all of that, they're learning vital life skills
along the way.
So there are many benefits to mermaiding Rob.
Improving confidence, strength, technique and it's good for your cardiovascular system
– cardiovascular relates to your heart and blood vessels.
I like the sound of the social aspect – and by that Emma means being with other people
and having fun.
It's an activity that's sociable.
And it teaches life skills – useful skills that help you deal with everyday challenges.
Well that's great for kids – and that's the problem.
What's that?
Mermaiding is for kids – so I can't get involved – even if I wanted to… can I?
You can Rob.
According to Emma, it's growing in popularity with adults too – any excuse to live out
your fantasies hey!
There are so many adults that actually kind of want to live out their childhood dreams
that they wanted to be a mermaid when they were children and they didn't get the opportunity
and now it's here and now it's available and...
So yes, we do a lot of adult classes as well.
There you go Rob – living out your childhood dreams – that doing things you wanted to
do when you were a child.
Like being a mermaid!
Sorry Neil, that wasn't a dream for me – although I did dream of swimming like a shark once!
Anyway, mermaiding is a good form of aerobic exercise – but earlier I asked you what
an example of anaerobic exercise is.
Is it…
a) weightlifting
b) kickboxing
c) dancing
I said weightlifting.
Was I right?
You were Neil, well done.
Any exercise that consists of short exertion, high-intensity movement is an anaerobic exercise
– such as weight lifting, sprinting and jumping.
I won't go into scientific detail – but aerobics exercise is done over a longer period
of time and strengthens the heart and lungs, thereby improving the body's utilisation of
oxygen.
Thanks for that Rob.
Now I think we should sprint through our recap of some of the words we've talked about today
– starting with 'aerobic', which you just explained.
"Mermaiding is a good aerobic workout."
Assuming you don't mind dressing up!
Next we had 'aquatic' which refers to something connected with water.
"Synchronised swimming is an example of an aquatic sport."
Ah, you slipped in another of our words there – 'synchronised' – which means 'moving
together at the same time or speed as someone or something else'.
"We synchronised our watches so that we all arrived at the same time."
Good idea – you're always late Neil.
Then we mentioned 'mono' which means 'one' or 'single' and is used as a prefix on words
such as 'monochrome' – one colour – or 'monorail' – a train running on a single
track.
Then we heard the word 'cardiovascular' - a word that relates to the effect on your heart
and lungs.
"Experts say those who quit smoking could also quickly reduce their risk of cardiovascular
disease."
Finally, we also mentioned 'social' – this adjective relates to activities that you do
with other people and are usually fun.
"Now I live in London, I have a great social life."
Well you never invite me out Rob!
Anyway, that's it for this edition of 6 Minute English.
Before you rush off to fulfil your dream of being a mermaid, don't forget to visit our
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube pages, and of course our website!
Yes and that's at bbclearningenglish.com.
Bye for now.
Goodbye
Goodbye.
Welcome to 6 Minute English, where we introduce a colourful topic and six suitable items of
vocabulary.
I’m Tim…
And I’m Neil.
Why are you wearing a policeman’s hat, Tim?
To get me in the mood for our topic today – uniforms!
Well, the hat certainly suits you!
And if something suits you it looks good on you!
Well, thanks, Neil.
And funnily enough, I have a question for you on the subject of police hats!
In the 19th century, police officers' top hats could be used…
a) to stand on, b) as a weapon or
c) to protect their heads from the sun?
Well, they're kind of pointy so I’m going to say as a weapon.
OK.
Let’s consider what the point of a uniform is.
Why do some jobs have them while others don’t?
Well – The police, and other emergency services, like the fire brigade, and ambulance service
– they need practical clothes to help them do their job.
People need to recognize them too, don’t they?
Yeah, that’s right.
A uniform makes people stand out from crowd.
If something stands out it’s noticeable or easy to see.
But uniform also allows you to fit in – it shows you belong to a particular group or
organization – and people often enjoy that sense of community at work.
Do you think we should get some 6 Minute English T-shirts made, Neil?
Well, we share a sense of community without team T-shirts, Tim.
Let’s listen to cultural historian, Joe Moran, talking about why wearing a uniform
can also allow you to behave differently to the way you normally behave.
It’s a role and a genre that you adopt and it’s kind of – it’s something that’s
not quite you.
It’s kind of a persona that you can put on.
In Germany they call it ‘maskenfreiheit’, which is the freedom conferred by masks.
There’s something about taking on what is very clearly a persona or professional role,
that can be liberating, I think.
So when you put on a uniform you are adopting a role or genre.
Genre means a particular style.
And a persona is a character you present to the outside world – as opposed to the person
you feel like inside.
Joe Moran compares putting on a persona to putting on a mask.
And he says this can be very liberating.
But do you really think putting on a uniform liberates – or frees – us from the person
we really are?
Maybe.
If you’re shy, for example, a uniform might feel liberating because it allows you to behave
more confidently.
So, if you could choose a uniform and a new persona, what would it be, Tim?
Hmm.
An airline pilot, I think.
I’d look great in a blazer with brass buttons – and with the cap and mirror sunglasses.
Hello, this is your captain speaking.
We’ll shortly be arriving at LAX airport in sunny Los Angeles.
Local time is 12.55 and it’s hot hot hot outside, so I hope you’ve packed plenty
of sun cream.
OK Tim, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!
I can see you’d love being a pilot – or at least you’d love talking to your passengers!
What about you, Neil?
What would you like to try on for size?
A surgeon’s scrubs?
A nun’s habit?
To try something on for size means to decide whether it’s what you want or not.
No Tim…
I’d go for a chef’s apron, checked trousers, a tall hat.
I think the uniform would suit you, but are you good at cooking, Neil?
I’m an excellent cook.
Now, I think we should have the answer to today’s quiz question, Tim.
Yes, I asked what a police officer’s hat could be used for in the 19th century.
And I said as a weapon.
Wrong, I’m afraid.
From 1829 to 1839, Metropolitan Police officers wore a cane-reinforced top hat, which could
be used as a step to climb or see over walls.
I wonder if modern police hats are strong enough to stand on?
We’ll try yours later and find out.
But now let’s go over the other key words we learned today.
OK.
If something ‘suits you’, it looks good on you.
For example, “Does this pilot’s uniform suit me, Neil?”
It suits you down to the ground, Tim!
And that means it suits you very well!
Number two – If something ‘stands out’, it’s noticeable or easy to see.
“My colourful suit really stood out at the party.”
In a good way, I hope!
OK, next item – ‘to fit in’ – means you belong to a particular group and are accepted
by them.
“I never fitted in with the cool kids at school.”
I’m sorry to hear that, Tim!
Maybe you weren’t wearing the right uniform?
Number four is ‘persona’ – the character you present to the outside world – as opposed
to the person you feel like inside.
“My work persona is confident and chatty but I’m actually rather shy.”
I’m learning a lot about you today, Tim!
They’re just examples, Neil.
I don’t have a work persona – that’s the nice thing about our job – there’s
no need to put on masks or personas.
Just the occasional hat…
Indeed.
And a very nice hat this is too – I think I’ll keep it.
Now, let’s finish the vocabulary!
Number five – ‘liberating’ means feeling you can behave however you like.
For example, “Talking openly about your problems can be very liberating.”
And finally, ‘to try something on for size’ means to test something to decide whether
you want it or not.
Our listeners can try these new vocabulary items on for size and decide whether they’ll
be useful or not!
And if not, then please let us know by visiting our Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages and
telling us what you think!
Goodbye!
Bye!
Hello and welcome to Six Minute English!
I'm Catherine.
And I'm Rob – and today we bring you a techy topic along with six up-to-date vocabulary
items.
And today's techy topic is smartphones.
So Rob, can you tell me which age group have been buying smartphones at the fastest rate
over the last five years here in the UK?
Is it… a) 15-35 year olds,
b) 35-55 year olds or c) 55-75 year olds?
It's got to be the youngsters.
It's got to be the 15-35 year olds.
Oh well we'll see whether you got that right or wrong later on in the show.
Now Rob, a question: how old is your smartphone?
OK mine, I bought it a couple of years ago.
And are you happy with it?
Yes, I am.
It works just fine – it does everything I need it to do.
So you're not worried about not having the latest model?
Not at all.
My phone works really well – it has all the functionality I need.
And I'm not convinced that the latest model offers any more than the one I've got, to
be honest.
Functionality refers to the range of functions a computer or other electronic device can
perform.
So, let's listen now to Andrew Orlowski, from the tech news website The Register.
He explains why people are holding onto their phones longer – instead of rushing out to
buy the latest model of phone.
What's happened is that prices have gone up at the high end.
And it's kind of a cycle where people hang onto their phones for longer, therefore manufacturers
charge more.
Then people hang onto them longer to justify that higher purchase.
So big brand names like iPhone and Samsung make phones at the high end of the market
– meaning the expensive ones.
So once people have bought a handset, they hang on to it!
If you hang onto something, you keep it.
I've been hanging onto my phone for a couple of years – and am hoping I won't need to
change it for another year or so, at least.
But what happens is, if people aren't replacing their phones, the phone manufacturers don't
make a big enough profit.
So they start charging more…
… and this, in turn, makes people hang onto their phones even longer!
So that's why Andrew Orlowski calls it a cycle – that's where one event leads to another,
and then often repeats itself.
So where will the cycle end?
Good question!
Let's listen to Andrew again, talking about where he thinks the smartphone market is heading.
I think it's a very mature market now.
And you have to compare, say, a £900 Galaxy Note or a £1000 iPhone with a spectacular
TV you can… a 49 inch TV you can get for £450.
It no longer has that kind of must-have lustre that it might have had 4 or 5 years ago.
What does 'mature' mean, Rob?
Mature means fully-grown – we're mature adults for example, Catherine!
And in a business context, a mature market is where supply is equal to demand.
And if something has 'must-have lustre'?
What's that?
A must-have item is something you feel you must have.
And lustre means shine.
I love shiny new things, especially when it's a piece of new tech.
But £1000 is a lot of money for a phone.
A spectacular 49-inch TV for only £450 sounds like a bargain though!
My TV only has a 30-inch screen.
Stop there, Catherine!
It's time for the answer to today's question.
OK: Which age group have been buying smartphones at the fastest rate over the last five years
here in the UK?
Is it… a) 15-35-year-olds, b) 35-55-year-olds, or c) 55-75-year-olds?
Rob I said 15-35-year-olds.
And you were wrong, I'm afraid, Rob!
The answer is 55-75 year olds!
Although research also highlighted that this age group tended to use their smartphones
less than younger people.The study was based on a sample of 1,163 people questioned between
May and June in 2017.
Interesting.
OK, I think it's time we looked back at the words we learned today.
Our first word is 'functionality' – which refers to the range of functions a computer
of other electronic device can perform.
'These two computers are similar in terms of both their price and functionality.'
Good example Catherine.
Number two – if you hang on to something, you keep it.
For example, 'You should hang onto your old TV, Catherine.
There's nothing wrong with a 30 inch screen!'
Thanks for the advice, Rob.
And our next word is 'cycle' – that's where one event leads to another, and then often
repeats itself.
For example, 'I'm in a bad cycle of going to bed late, then oversleeping in the morning.'
You need to sort yourself out, Catherine!
You're spending too much time on social media – and all that blue-screen time makes it
very hard to fall asleep.
The last thing you need is a bigger TV!
You're probably right.
OK – the adjective 'mature' means fully grown or fully developed.
Here's an example of the verb form– 'My investments have matured and they're worth
a lot of money now!'
Right moving on, a 'must-have item' is something you feel you must have!
For example, 'Check out the latest must-have tech bargains on our website!'
And finally, 'lustre' – which means shine.
For example, 'I polished my brass doorknob until it shone with a pleasing lustre.'
OK before Rob heads off to polish his doorknob, and I nip out to buy a new big-screen TV,
please remember to check out our Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.
Bye!