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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 72

TOPICS

In the News: The Nobel Effect, dangerous bicycle helmets; to talk someone out

of something vs. to have it out with someone; I’ll wait for you vs. I’ll be waiting for

you; mixture

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GLOSSARY

Nobel Prize – prizes given each year to people who have done outstanding work

in science, literature, economics, or promoting world peace

* This university is famous for having six Nobel Prize winners on its faculty.

to stick around – to stay in one place; to remain in the place where you are

* I know that you said he would be back in about a half hour, but I’m not sure I

want to stick around that long.

bragging rights – the right to boast (tell others with pride) about your

accomplishment because you feel you have earned it

* After beating the best team in the league, their team won bragging rights for an

entire year.

to be buffeted against – to have defense against; to be protected from

* The families living near the sea filled put boards over their windows and doors

to buffet themselves against the strong winds of the coming storm.

adversity – misfortune; bad luck; hardship; trouble

* Even though Martin grew up in poverty, he overcame adversity to become one

of the most respected men in this city.

subsequent – the next; following; future

* The first time Denise met her music teacher, she thought he was unfriendly.

But on subsequent visits, she changed her mind and now likes him a lot.

pinnacle – the highest point; the most successful

* When I reach the pinnacle of my career, I hope I’ll also be happy.

helmet – a hard hat worn to protect the head of soldiers, motorcycle and bike

riders, construction workers, and other people doing dangerous things

* Wearing the safety helmet on the construction site saved his life when the

heavy brick fell on top of him.

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 72

to be put at risk – to be placed in a dangerous situation

* The government report says that poor nutrition in childhood puts people at risk

for serious health problems later in life.

to be struck by – to be hit by

* During the storm, the school was struck by lightening and most of the

computers in that classroom were damaged.

to talk someone out of (something) – to convince someone not to do

something; to get someone to change their mind

* Don’t try to talk him out of getting married. If he says he’s ready, then he’s

ready.

to have it out with (someone) – to end or conclude something decisively

(finally); to reach a final agreement; to confront someone about some issue or

problem in order to find a solution or to make a decision

* I’m tired of the coach telling me that she’ll let me play soon. She never puts me

in and I plan to have it out with her before the next game.

I’ll wait for you – I will stay here while you go somewhere or do something

* If you want to go to the movie, I’ll bring a book to read and wait for you in the

park.

I’ll be waiting for you – I will be here after something else happens

* When the movie ends, I’ll be waiting for you in the parking lot to take you home.

mixture – something that is made after adding different things together

* The sauce on the chicken tastes weird. I think it’s a mixture of fruit, nuts, and

eggs.

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 72

WHAT INSIDERS KNOW

Darwin Award

The Darwin Award is an “honor” (award or prize) that is given as a joke to

people who have done stupid things to hurt themselves badly or to kill

themselves. It is given out each year. It was started by different people on the

Internet, and there is no official organization that gives out this award. One of the

most well known lists, however, can be found at www.darwinawards.com.

This award is named after Charles Darwin (1809–1882) who is best known for

his “theory” (general principles to explain something) about “evolution,” or how

people have changed over its long history on earth. One idea that came out of

Darwin’s theory is often called “survival of the fittest,” which is the idea that the

strongest and smartest people survive, and the weakest and dumbest don’t. As

a result, the weakest people do not pass on their “genes” (the characteristics that

a person passes onto his or her children) to future generations.

This award is a “tongue-in-cheek” (not serious) prize for the people each year

who has done the stupidest thing to kill themselves or to hurt themselves so that

they can no longer have children. For example, in 1996, the winners included a

man who wanted to prove how brave and strong he was by cutting off his head!

In 2000, one of the winners shot himself with his own gun while teaching his wife

about gun safety. In 2005, two men who had been drinking alcohol made a bet

while standing on an “overpass” (road or bridge over a freeway). They wanted to

know who was strongest. They decided that the winner would be the person who

could “dangle” (hang by one’s arms) over the freeway the longest. The winner

was too tired to climb back up and was killed when he fell.

No one is certain why most of the winners have been men.

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 72

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast's English Café number 72.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast's English Café episode 72. I'm

your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational

Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

On this Café, we're going to talk about some recent articles in the news, one of

them about “The Nobel Effect,” and other one about bicycle riding. We're also

going to, as always, answer some of your questions. Let's get started!

Did you know that we have a website? Well, we do! Go to eslpod.com and take

a look at the Learning Guide for this episode. While you're there, you can also

check out our new ESL Podcast Store with some interesting premium courses.

Our first topic today is based on an article that I read in one of the major

newsweeklies. There are three main news magazines in the United States; Time

is the name of one, US News and World Report is another. This article comes

from the third one, called Newsweek , “Newsweek.”

The article is called “The Nobel Effect.” The Nobel, “Nobel,” Prize, you probably

know, is a set of prizes given out every year, mostly to scientists and

researchers. There's also the Nobel Peace Prize, which is given to a person or

an organization that helps promote world peace.

The article talks about a recent study by some researchers in England, at the

University of Warwick, that found that people who win a Nobel Prize will often live

longer than other people. The quote from the article says that The Nobel Prize

winners “stick around about two years longer than colleagues who don't” win a

prize. The expression to stick, “stick,” around, or to stick around longer, means

to stay or to remain longer. In this case, they live longer.

Normally we use this expression, to stick around, when we are talking about

someone in a particular place. You might say, “I'm going to stick around and wait

for my brother to call me” - I'm going to wait here - I'm going to stay here. Here

they mean they stick around in life - they live longer.

There was a similar study of this phenomenon - this idea - done a few years ago,

about people who win Oscar movie awards. The Oscars are the most famous

movie awards in the United States for actors and actresses and movies. People

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 72

who win an Oscar live longer than people who don't win an Oscar - people, of

course who are nominated - the other people who lost.

Now, scientists have been trying to figure out why this is. One of the ideas - one

of the guesses they have - is that according to the article, simply having the

bragging rights of having won a Nobel Prize allows them to live longer - gives

them some advantage in living longer.

The expression bragging, “bragging,” rights, “rights,” comes from the verb to

brag, “brag.” To brag means to say something good about yourself - to say that

you have done something well - you have won a prize, or you have done

something that other people will be proud of you for. Usually, to brag is

considered a bad thing - at least in American culture - to say that you are the

best. Of course, this doesn't stop people from bragging, many Americans do!

The expression bragging rights means that you have the right to brag - you

deserve to brag. You really have done whatever you are bragging about and,

therefore, you have that particular right.

The idea is that people who win these prizes have a certain effect caused by the

winning of the prize that helps them, perhaps, psychologically. One researcher

says that they may live longer because they are “buffeted against subsequent

adversities.” That's an interesting expression. To be buffeted, “buffeted,” against

something means to be protected from - you won't be affected by a certain thing.

They're “buffeted” - or protected - “against subsequent adversities.” Subsequent,

“subsequent,” means something that comes after. Adversity, “adversity,” (the

plural is adversities) are bad things that happen to you. So, “buffeted against

subsequent adversities” means that the Nobel Prize winners are protected

against bad things that happen later on in life because psychologically they feel

very good about themselves, and that has an effect on their health.

Another scientist quoted in the article says that he thinks they live longer

because once “you've reached the pinnacle, you behave more carefully.” The

pinnacle, “pinnacle,” is the highest point that you can reach - the very top. It

could be a place, like the top of a mountain. We often use this expression in

talking about someone's career - their success in life. “They've reached the

pinnacle of their success” - the highest point of their success.

So, what this researcher is saying is that once you've reached the highest point,

and everyone knows you and you're famous, you behave more carefully. You

may not do things that would damage or hurt your health. You won't go out and

get drunk and drink too much alcohol every night because people say, “Hey!

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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

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