0010 Relaxing, Reading the Mail, and the Trash

0010 Relaxing, Reading the Mail, and the Trash.pdf
0010 Relaxing, Reading the Mail, and the Trash.mp3

[Start of story]

With the dinner dishes done, my wife and I each sit down on the couch to chill out and watch the national news which comes on at 6:30. During the newscast, I sort through the day’s mail. Most of it is junk mail and bills. There are also several fliers for houses for sale in the area. I check the front stoop and see that there are no packages.

I like to watch TV and my wife likes to watch reality shows. One thing I hate is having to watch all of the commercials, so I turn the sound down when they come on. After the show is over, I thumb through the latest issue of the Atlantic Monthly, while my wife reads a novel by her favorite mystery writer.

At around 9, I remember that tomorrow is trash day, so I take the kitchen garbage out and dump the recycling bins as well. I roll the trash container out to the street ready for the garbage trucks, which come by early in the morning.

[End of story]

We begin with the sentence “With the dinner dishes done.” The dinner dishes are the dishes we use to eat our dinner, and when I say they are done, I mean that they are washed and dried. So, with the dinner dishes washed and dried, “My wife and I sit down on the couch to chill out.” “To chill (chill) out (out) – two words – means to relax. Sometimes we use this expression as a command. If someone is very excited, you may say, “Hey, chill out,” means relax, don't be so excited. You will also hear just the word chill. “Hey, chill,” that's informal for relax, don't be so excited. You will also hear people say, “I'm just chilling.” I am just chilling means I'm just relaxing. Again, that's very informal.

Well, my wife and I are chilling, and we're watching the national news. The “national news” is the news broadcast on television, and in Los Angeles, this is at 6:30 in the evening - it comes on at 6:30. When we say a television show “comes on,” we mean that that is when it begins - that is when you can watch it. The national news can also be called a “newscast” (newscast). A newscast is a news program. You could have a local newscast, with just news about Los Angeles, for me, or a national newscast.

Well, “During the newscast, I sort through the day’s mail.” “To sort (sort) through,” means that I am looking at today's mail and usually I am separating it so that I separate the different kinds of mail - the different kinds of letters - that I got that day.

Most of my mail - and this is true - is either junk mail or bills. “Junk (junk) mail” is mail that you get that you don't want. Usually it is advertisements, people trying to get you to buy something; we call that junk mail. Most of my mail is either junk mail or it's “bills.” And a “bill” is a statement - a piece of paper from some company that you have to pay money to. You get a bill for your electricity, for your phone, for your Internet access. You have to pay your bills. Well, you should pay your bills; maybe you don't.

“There are also several fliers for houses for sale in the area.” A “flier” (flier) – the plural is fliers, with an “s” – is an advertisement - it's an announcement or an advertisement. Usually it's one or two pages - one or two pieces of paper. Sometimes the advertisements, or the fliers, are folded up. And, it's very popular for people who are selling houses to use fliers that they mail you or they put on your house - outside of your house. These fliers are for houses that people are selling - “houses for sale in the area.”

“I check the front stoop and see that there are no packages.” “I check” - I look out at “the front stoop.” “A stoop” (stoop) is the stairs in front of your house. Often this word is used when we are talking about large buildings - apartment buildings or condominium buildings. In New York or Boston, some of the cities on the eastern coast of the United States, people talk about sitting on the stoop, that mean you're sitting on your stairs. But, you can also use the word to talk about your own stairs in front of your house. The top of those stairs is where you might find packages. A “package” (package) is usually a box or something that is bigger than just a regular letter that you receive in the mail or that is delivered to you by some private company.

Well, I look at my stoop and I see “there are no packages” - no one loves me; no one sent me a package. I then talk about how I like to watch television, and so does my wife. “My wife likes to watch reality shows.” A “reality show” (reality) is a type of television show where they have a competition or a contest. “Big Brother” and “American Idol” are two examples of popular reality shows. They take people - average people, they say - and they have a competition or a contest.

“One thing I hate” about watching television - something I don't like - “is having to watch all the commercials.” A “commercial” is the same as an advertisement on television or radio; it's an announcement from a company that wants you to buy what they are selling. Well, I don't like watching the commercials, “so I turn the sound down.” “To turn the sound down” means to lower the volume, to make it so that it is less loud - it is quieter. “I turn the sound down when” the commercials “come on.” Again, that verb, “to come on,” means that they are on the television - that they start.

“After the show is over,” - after the show is done - finished - “I thumb through the latest issue of the Atlantic Monthly.” “The Atlantic Monthly” is a monthly magazine in the United States. “To thumb through something” – (thumb) through – two words – means to look through something, but usually not to be paying too much attention. You're sort of looking but you're not necessarily reading very carefully. We use that expression – that verb – when we are talking about magazines in particular. You're looking at them, perhaps waiting in a doctor's office - in the waiting room of a doctor's office you thumb through the magazines. Well, I'm thumbing through the Atlantic Monthly, and my wife is reading a novel. A “novel” (novel) is a fictional book - a book that is not a true story.

“At around 9,” that is at 9 p.m., “I remember that tomorrow is trash day.” “Trash” (trash) is anything that you are getting rid of - that you are throwing out - that you don't want anymore, and trash day is the day that the garbage trucks come by and take the trash away. Now, in Los Angeles we have a public trash service, so that the government has trucks that it sends out, and it picks up your trash - it takes your trash and puts it into the truck, and then takes it away. That is trash day. In my neighborhood it is on Fridays and every neighborhood is different, they do a different part of the city each day.

So, this is trash day and I need to “take the kitchen garbage out and dump the recycling bins as well.” The “garbage” (garbage) is just another word for trash. We sometimes talk about garbage that is trash in the kitchen in particular. This is the kitchen garbage, and I have to take it out, meaning I have to take the bag and put it outside so that the garbage truck can come by and pick it up.

In Los Angeles, and in many cities, we also have recycling bins. “To recycle” (recycle) means to use again, and in Los Angeles, we have a recycling bin where you can put your newspapers and other things that they can use again - they can recycle. A “bin” (bin) is just another name for a box, usually a plastic box.

In my city, we have trash containers that you can roll; they have little wheels on them. A container is like a big box that you put something in, and so a trash container is a big, in my case, plastic box that has wheels that I can then put it down on the street. You have to put your trash containers on the street.

Each container has a different color. In my case, black is the color for trash; blue is the color for recycling trash, so newspapers, for example; and green is where you put things like leaves and grass, things that you have in your - outside of your house that you want to get rid of, that are plants, that sort of thing.

I put the trash containers out on the street because the garbage trucks “come by early in the morning.” They “come by,” a two-word verb, which means that they come to your house - they drive to your house. And, in my neighborhood, they come by very early, so at six o'clock on Friday morning I can hear the trucks outside my window. I don't like it, but I need to have my trash taken away, so one day of the week I wake up early because I can hear the garbage trucks outside.

Glossary
to chill out – to relax

• He chills out by listening to his favorite jazz CD and drinking a glass of wine.

national news – information about what happened in the country that day, usually found in a newspaper or on a TV news broadcast

• Did you know that the flooding in this area was on the national news last night? It must be more serious than I thought.

newscast – a news program on television or radio

• I heard in yesterday’s newscast that price of beef will probably go up in the next few months.

to sort through – to put objects in order; to look for one object in a group of objects

• The team thought of many great ideas during the meeting. Now they need to sort though them and select the best ones.

junk mail – unwanted mail that will be thrown away usually without being read

• I never give my address to companies but I still get a lot of junk mail.

bill – an invoice; a piece of paper that states how much money one needs to pay for something (such as a credit card, electricity, gas, or phone)

• When I saw the phone bill for this month, I knew that there was a mistake. I never called Peru!

flyer – a piece of paper that advertises an event or product

• The soccer club put fliers all over the school to let people know when its next meeting would be.

stoop – porch and stairs; the area in front of a home’s front door, with steps down to the sidewalk

• During the summer, their house gets really hot so they usually sit on the front stoop and drink lemonade in the evenings.

package – a box that contains a gift or something that one purchased

• His grandparents always send him Christmas packages that are full of cookies and gifts.

reality show – a television show with real people (not actors) in their daily life or in a special situation that is part of the show

• MTV’s “Real World” put strangers in a house to live together for several months and was one of the most popular early reality shows in the United States.

commercial – an advertisement on television or radio

• Although it was only a two-hour movie, it was on TV for three hours because there were so many commercials.

to thumb through – to quickly turn the pages of a book, magazine, or newspaper

• As I was thumbing through the magazine, I was surprised to see an article written by my cousin.

novel – a book with an imaginary story, such as a romance or a mystery

• He loves reading novels, but his wife only reads biographies.

trash day – a regular day of the week when trucks come to collect garbage from houses on a street

• I’m glad tomorrow is trash day since we have so much trash from moving over the weekend.

garbage – trash; waste; items that one doesn’t want and should be taken away

• After the party, her parents were shocked to see how much garbage people had left on the floor.

recycling – treating used items so that they can be used again

• Does this city have good plastic and glass recycling programs?

trash container – a tall, plastic container for storing garbage, often on wheels

• Last night some dogs opened the trash containers and now there is garbage all over the street.

garbage trucks – trucks that come to collect garbage from houses

• I don’t like driving behind garbage trucks because they are very slow and they smell bad.

Culture Note
Athletic Trainers

Overview

Athletic trainers specialize in “preventing” (keeping from happening), “diagnosing” (identifying the problem or illness), and “treating” (giving medical care to improve) muscle and bone injuries and illnesses. They work with people of all ages, from young children to “soldiers” (people whose job is in the military) and professional athletes. They follow instructions from doctors and other healthcare providers.

Athletic trainers are usually one of the first healthcare providers “on the scene” (at the location) when injuries occur. With a doctor, they often discuss specific injuries and treatment options or “evaluate” (examine to reach a decision) and treat patients. Some athletic trainers meet with a team of “physicians” (doctors) regularly.

Many athletic trainers work in educational facilities, such as high schools and colleges. Others may work in doctors’ offices or for professional sports teams. Some athletic trainers work in “rehabilitation” (course of treatment done to return one to normal health and activity) clinics, in the military, or with “performing artists” (people who perform in the arts, such as dancers). They may spend much of their time working outdoors on sports fields in all types of weather.

Education, Training, and Certification

Athletic trainers need at least a bachelor’s degree, although both bachelor’s and master’s degrees are common. In most states, athletic trainers need a “license” (piece of paper stating one’s qualifications) or “certification” (permission given after passing an exam or satisfying the requirements), although specific requirements “vary” ( are different) by state.

Nearly all states require athletic trainers to be certified. The independent Board of Certification (BOC) offers the standard certification examination that most states use to give licenses.

[故事开始]

晚饭的碗洗好了，我和妻子各自坐在沙发上发呆，看6点半播出的国家新闻。在新闻节目中，我整理了一天的邮件。其中大部分是垃圾邮件和账单。还有几张关于该地区出售房屋的传单。我检查了前面的门廊，发现没有包裹。

我喜欢看电视，我妻子喜欢看真人秀节目。我讨厌的一件事是不得不看所有的广告，所以当广告出现时，我把声音调小。节目结束后，我翻阅最新一期的《大西洋月刊》，而我妻子则阅读她最喜欢的神秘作家的小说。

9点左右，我想起明天是垃圾日，所以我把厨房的垃圾拿出来，把回收箱也倒掉。我把垃圾箱滚到街上，准备迎接垃圾车，垃圾车一大早就来了。

[故事结束]

我们以 "随着晚餐碗碟的完成 "这句话开始。餐具是我们用来吃晚饭的餐具，当我说它们已经完成时，我的意思是它们已经被洗干净并擦干。因此，随着晚餐碗碟的洗净和晾干，"我和我妻子坐在沙发上寒暄。" "放松（chill）出来（out）--两个词--意味着放松。有时我们把这种表达方式作为一种命令。如果有人非常兴奋，你可能会说，"嘿，放松点。"意思是放松，不要那么兴奋。你也会听到只用chill这个词。"嘿，冷静，"那是非正式的放松，不要那么激动。你还会听到人们说，"我只是在发呆"。我只是在寒暄，意思是我只是在放松。同样，这也是非常非正式的。

好吧，我和我的妻子正在寒暄，我们正在看国家新闻。国家新闻 "是电视上播放的新闻，在洛杉矶，这是在晚上6:30--它在6:30播出。当我们说一个电视节目 "开始 "时，我们的意思是，这就是它开始的时间--这就是你可以观看它的时间。国家新闻也可以被称为 "新闻广播"（newscast）。新闻广播是一个新闻节目。你可以有一个本地的新闻广播，对我来说，只有关于洛杉矶的新闻，或者是一个全国性的新闻广播。

好吧，"在新闻播报期间，我对当天的邮件进行分类。" "分类（sort）通过，"意思是我正在看今天的邮件，通常我把它分开，这样我就把不同种类的邮件--不同种类的信件--我那天收到的邮件分开。

我的大部分邮件--这也是事实--要么是垃圾信，要么是账单。"垃圾（junk）邮件 "是你收到的、你不想要的邮件。通常是广告，人们试图让你买东西；我们称之为垃圾信。我的大部分邮件要么是垃圾邮件，要么是 "账单"。而 "账单 "是一份声明--来自某些公司的一张纸，你必须向其支付金钱。你会收到电费、电话费、上网费的账单。你必须支付你的账单。好吧，你应该支付你的账单；也许你没有。

"还有几张该地区出售房屋的传单。" "传单"（flier）--复数是fliers，有一个 "s"--是一种广告--是一种公告或广告。通常它是一或两页--一或两张纸。有时广告，或传单，是折叠起来的。而且，对于卖房子的人来说，非常流行使用传单，他们把传单寄给你，或者放在你的房子上--你的房子外面。这些传单是为人们正在出售的房子准备的--"该地区出售的房子"。

"我检查前面的门廊，看到没有包裹。" "我检查"--我看了看 "前面的门廊"。"凳子"（stoop）是你房子前面的楼梯。通常这个词是在我们谈论大型建筑时使用的--公寓楼或共管楼。在纽约或波士顿，美国东海岸的一些城市，人们谈论坐在凳子上，那意味着你坐在你的楼梯上。但是，你也可以用这个词来谈论你自己房子前面的楼梯。这些楼梯的顶部是你可能找到包裹的地方。一个 "包裹"（package）通常是一个盒子或比你在邮件中收到的普通信件更大的东西，或由一些私人公司交付给你。

好吧，我看着我的凳子，我看到 "没有包裹"--没有人爱我；没有人送我包裹。然后我谈到我喜欢看电视，我妻子也喜欢。"我妻子喜欢看真人秀"。"真人秀"（reality）是一种电视节目，他们有一个竞争或竞赛。"老大哥 "和 "美国偶像 "是流行的真人秀节目的两个例子。他们带着人们--他们说的普通人--进行竞争或比赛。

关于看电视，"我讨厌的一件事"--我不喜欢的事--"是不得不看所有的广告"。"广告 "与电视或广播中的广告相同；它是一家公司的公告，希望你购买他们所销售的东西。好吧，我不喜欢看广告，"所以我把声音调小"。"把声音调低 "的意思是降低音量，使之不那么响--更安静。"当商业广告 "出现时，我就把声音调低。同样，这个动词，"来了"，意味着它们在电视上--它们开始了。

"节目结束后，"--节目结束后--"我翻阅最新一期的《大西洋月刊》。" "《大西洋月刊》"是美国的一本月刊。"拇指翻阅某物"--（拇指）翻阅--两个词--意思是翻看某物，但通常不会太注意。你有点在看，但你不一定会非常仔细地阅读。我们使用这种表达方式--这个动词--当我们特别是在谈论杂志时。你在看它们，也许是在医生的办公室里等待--在医生办公室的等候室里，你翻阅杂志。好吧，我正在翻阅《大西洋月刊》，而我的妻子正在阅读一本小说。小说"（novel）是一本虚构的书--一本不是真实故事的书。

"在9点左右，"也就是晚上9点，"我记得明天是垃圾日。" "垃圾"（trash）是指你要处理掉的任何东西--你要扔掉的--你不想要了，而垃圾日是垃圾车经过并带走垃圾的日子。现在，在洛杉矶，我们有一个公共垃圾服务，所以政府有卡车，它派出去，捡起你的垃圾--它把你的垃圾放进卡车，然后把它带走。这就是垃圾日。在我的社区，它是在星期五，每个社区都是不同的，他们每天做城市的不同部分。

所以，这是垃圾日，我需要 "把厨房的垃圾拿出来，把回收箱也倒掉"。"垃圾"（garbage）只是垃圾的另一个词。我们有时会说到厨房里的垃圾，特别是厨房里的垃圾。这是厨房的垃圾，我必须把它拿出来，意思是我必须拿着袋子把它放在外面，这样垃圾车就可以过来把它捡走。

在洛杉矶，以及在许多城市，我们也有回收箱。"回收"（recycle）的意思是再次使用，在洛杉矶，我们有一个回收箱，你可以把你的报纸和其他东西放在那里，他们可以再次使用 - 他们可以回收。宾"（bin）只是一个盒子的另一个名字，通常是一个塑料盒。

在我的城市，我们有可以滚动的垃圾容器；它们上面有小轮子。容器就像一个大箱子，你把东西放在里面，所以垃圾容器是一个大的，在我的例子中，有轮子的塑料箱，然后我可以把它放在街上。你必须把你的垃圾容器放在街道上。

每个容器都有不同的颜色。在我的例子中，黑色是垃圾的颜色；蓝色是回收垃圾的颜色，例如报纸；而绿色是你放东西的地方，例如树叶和草，你在房子外面的东西，你想扔掉的，是植物，诸如此类的东西。

我把垃圾箱放在外面的街道上，因为垃圾车 "一大早就来了"。他们 "路过"，是一个两个字的动词，意思是他们来到你的房子--他们开到你的房子。而且，在我的社区，他们很早就来了，所以在星期五早上六点，我可以听到窗外的卡车声。我不喜欢这样，但我需要把我的垃圾运走，所以每周有一天我都会早起，因为我可以听到外面的垃圾车。

文化说明
运动训练师

概述

运动训练师专门从事 "预防"（防止发生）、"诊断"（确定问题或疾病）和 "治疗"（提供医疗护理以改善）肌肉和骨骼的损伤和疾病。他们与所有年龄段的人一起工作，从幼儿到 "士兵"（工作在军队的人）和专业运动员。他们遵循医生和其他医疗保健提供者的指示。

当伤害发生时，运动训练员通常是第一批 "在现场"（地点）的医疗保健提供者之一。与医生一起，他们经常讨论具体的伤害和治疗方案，或 "评估"（检查以达成决定）和治疗病人。一些运动训练员会定期与 "医生 "团队会面（医生）。

许多运动训练员在教育机构工作，如高中和大学。其他人可能在医生的办公室或为专业运动队工作。一些运动训练员在 "康复"（为恢复正常健康和活动而进行的治疗过程）诊所工作，在军队，或与 "表演艺术家"（在艺术领域表演的人，如舞蹈家）一起工作。他们可能会花很多时间在户外运动场上，在各种天气下工作。

教育、培训和认证

运动训练员至少需要一个学士学位，虽然学士和硕士学位都很常见。在大多数州，运动训练员需要一个 "执照"（一张说明自己资格的纸）或 "证书"（通过考试或满足要求后给予的许可），尽管具体要求因州而异（不同）。

几乎所有的州都要求运动训练员获得认证。独立的认证委员会（BOC）提供标准的认证考试，大多数州都用它来颁发执照。