Conversation:

Barb:    It’s too hot in here.  How do you turn on the air conditioning?

Bob:    It’s easy as pie.  Just push the button marked ‘start.’  Then turn the dial up to maximum.

Barb:    Okay.  But when we checked in, the desk clerk said it takes about half an hour to cool the room down.  I think I need something cold to drink now.

Bob:    Speak up.  I can’t hear you over that noisy air conditioner.

Barb:    I’m going to the vending machine in the lobby to get some pop.  Would you like anything?

Bob:    No thanks.  I’ll stick with ice water.  You could bring up some more ice, if you don’t mind.  I don’t want to run out.

Barb:    [Later]  I couldn’t get any pop.  The vending machine broke down, and they shut down the ice machine for servicing.  Let’s just check out of here and find a better motel.

Click on the audio recording  below to hear the lesson.

Pronunciation Exercise:  Listen and repeat the vocabulary on the audio file below.

Vocabulary:

• maximum:   the highest setting
• desk clerk:   the person you talk to when you register.
• vending:   selling
• lobby:   the big room inside the front door of a motel or hotel
• if you don’t mind:  if it isn’t a problem for you
• servicing:  fixing and cleaning a machine

Pronunciation Exercise:  Listen and repeat the idioms on the audio file below.

Idioms:

turn on                start the operation (of a machine, lights, etc.)
easy as pie         very easy to do
turn up                increase (sound, light, or heat) / arrive
check in (to)     register (at a motel or hotel)
speak up             speak more loudly / say something (at a meeting/in class)
stick with           continue using (something) / stay with (someone)
run out (of)       not have any more
break down       stop working (machine)
shut down          stop (a service or business) for a short time or permanently.
check out (of)   leave (a motel or hotel) / borrow (something) from a library

Notes:

Easy as pie and a piece of cake mean the same thing.

Turn up has 2 meanings.  The other one is “arrive.”
Example:  How many people turned up at the meeting last night?
It has the same meaning as show up. (Unit 03)

Speak up has 2 meanings.  The other one is “say something (at a meeting/in class).”
Example:  There are a few students who speak up in class, but most of them don’t usually say anything.

Stick with has 2 meanings.  The other one is “stay with (someone).”
Example:  When we go into the mall, stick with me.  I don’t want you to get lost.

Run out and be out are closely related.  Run out is an action, and be out is a condition (no action).
Example:  I ran out of milk, and if there’s one thing I don’t like, it’s to be out of milk.

Break down and out of order (Unit 01) are closely related.  Break down is an action, and out of order is a condition (no action).

Check out, meaning “leave (a motel or hotel),” is not followed by of if there is no object after it.
Example:  What time do we have to check out?

Check out has 2 meanings.  The second meaning is “borrow (something) from a library.”
Example:  You can’t check out reference material from the library.

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

Conversation:

Alice:    You look awfully tired today.  What happened?  Did you stay out late last night?

Judy:    No, but I stayed up till one-thirty finishing my English homework because I misplaced my textbook and looked for it for almost an hour before I found it.  You look a little tired yourself.

Alice:    I am.  I didn’t turn in till nearly two o’clock.  I was out until ten.  Then when I got home,  an old friend dropped in on me, and we talked for a long time.  She was pretty upset, but I think I helped her calm down.  You see, she was engaged, but called it off  when she found out her boyfriend was already married.

Judy:    What a jerk!  Is she alright?

Alice:    Yes.  The guy showed up the next day with a bouquet of flowers, but she told him it was over and he left.

Judy:    What a story!  I guess sooner or later you hear everything.

Pronunciation Exercise:  Listen and repeat the vocabulary on the audio file below.

Vocabulary:

•  awfully:  very
•  misplaced:   put in the wrong place and lost
•  engaged:  promised in marriage
•  jerk:   a bad man
•  bouquet:   a lot together
•  over:  finished, ended
Pronunciation Exercise:  Listen and repeat the idioms on the audio file below.

Idioms:

stay out                                 not come home
stay up                                  not go to bed
look for                                 try to find
turn in                                   go to bed / give to the teacher or boss
be out                                    be gone from home or work / not have any more
drop in on (someone)          visit by surprise
calm down                            relax
call off                                   cancel (an event)
show up                                arrive
sooner or later                    at some time in the future

Notes:

Turn in has 2 meanings.  The other one is “give to the teacher or boss.”
Example:  Did you remember to turn in your keys before you left your last job?

Be out has 2 meanings.  The other one is “not have any more.”
Example:  Oh no!  We are out of ice, and the party just started.

Drop in on (someone) and drop by are similar, but drop in on is followed by a person.
Example:  Let’s go drop in on my brother tonight.

Drop by is either followed by a place or by no object.
Example:  My door is always open.  Why don’t you drop by (my office) sometime.

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

Conversation:

Peter:         Hey George.  Let’s take a break.  I’m starting to get tired.

George:     Me too.  It’s not an easy job fixing up this old car.

Peter:         It sure isn’t.  My advice is to get rid of it and buy a nice used one.

George:     But I love this car.  It was my first.  Let’s keep on working till dinnertime.  Then we can eat out somewhere and finish the job afterwards.

Peter:         Okay.  What about that new Mexican restaurant on West Broadway?  I hear the food is really good.

George:      I don’t care for Mexican food.  It gives me heartburn.

Peter:          Then let’s go pick up some Chinese food and eat it here.

George:       In the meantime, could you give me a hand with this jack?

Peter:           Sure.  Let me turn off the engine first.

George:       I’ll be glad when this is done.  I’m sure looking forward to having a car that works.

Pronunciation Exercise:  Listen and repeat the vocabulary on the audio file below.

Vocabulary:

•  heartburn:  a burning feeling in the chest
•  in the meantime:  while waiting to do something else
•  jack:  a tool that lifts part of a car so you can change a tire

Pronunciation Exercise:  Listen and repeat the idioms on the audio file below.

Idioms:

• take a break (from)         stop working for a short time
• fix up                                       repair, make better
• get rid of                                not keep
• keep on                                   continue without stopping
• eat out                                     eat at a restaurant
• don’t care for                      don’t like
• pick up                                   go and get (someone or something) / lift
• give (someone) a hand  help / clap hands to show approval
• turn off                                   stop the operation (of a machine, lights, water, etc.)
• look forward to                  await with excitement

Notes:

Take a break is followed by from if there is an object.
Example:  Let’s take a break from studying and go get some coffee.

Keep on and go on are similar, but keep on means continue without stopping and
must be followed by an -ing verb.  Go on means continue after stopping and can be used alone without anything following.

Eat out is at a restaurant, but eat in is at home.
Example:  I’m a little tired tonight so let’s eat in.

Pick up has two meanings.  The other meaning is “to lift.”
Example:  Please pick up the garbage you dropped on the floor.

Give (someone) a hand has two meanings.  The other meaning is “clap hands to show approval.”  Example:  Let’s all give him a hand for a job well done.

Turn off and shut off have the same meaning.

© 2004 Ambien Malecot