燕山大学 刘立军 编写
TRANSCRIPT
Today's 'Words to the Wise' may leave us a little tired, because our topic is exercise. I'm Ashley Thompson. And here with me in studio is Learning English reporter John Russell.
Hi Ashley. You're right. We're going to get a workout today thanks to Learning English fan Raphael Duarte. He posted a suggestion for us on our website. He wrote: I would like you guys to talk about working out at the gym, terms, routines or stuff related to it."
John, I have heard that you work out a lot. Do you belong to a gym?
First, let's explain that word - gym. Gym is the short form of the word gymnasium, a room or building with space and equipment for indoor sports activities. Most American schools have gymnasiums where students can exercise.
Right, and there are also private gyms. People pay money to belong to them. Private gyms might include trainers who can help you learn how to best use the gym's equipment - like weights, treadmills and rowing machines. So, do you belong to one of those gyms?
I belong to a rock climbing gym. It has wide, tall walls. You literally climb the walls - in a safe way, of course. It is a fun way to get some exercise. And it is a good way to get in shape.
So, when Americans use "shape" this way, it is related to fitness, or just overall health. If someone has not exercised much in a long time, they might describe themselves as "out of shape." Then when they start working out again, they might say they are "getting back in shape."
Right. So, before I start rock climbing, I make sure to "warm up." That means to prepare yourself for a difficult or intense activity by stretching.
"Work out" and "warm up" are phrasal verbs, everyone's favorite!
That's true. A phrasal verb is a group of words that act as a verb. It is made up of a verb as well as a preposition, adverb or both.
Hmm, there are a lot of phrasal verbs in the world of exercise, actually. Here is another one: some people exercise because they want to "bulk up." This is another way of saying you want to grow your muscles, or become more muscular and strong.
People who are trying to bulk up might do a lot of reps on the weights machines.
Reps... that sounds like it might be short for something!
Right! "Reps" is short for "repetition." As you might be able to guess, this means the act of repeating the same exercise a number of times.
Not everyone works out just to bulk up, of course. Some people might have a goal of "slimming down," this is another phrasal verb. "Slim" means to make smaller, or thinner.
So, to "slim down" means to lose weight. People who hope to "slim down" might run or swim as part of their workout routine.
"Routine" is actually one of the words that our friend Raphael asked us about. "Routine" in this case just means a usual way of doing things, in a set order. You might have a morning routine, a study routine, or, of course, a workout routine.
So, if you work out regularly, describe your workout routine to us in the comments section!
I can think of another phrasal verb that relates to what you should do after you work out.
I think I know it - "cool down!"
Exactly. To "cool down" means to do easy exercises after doing an intense exercise. This lets your heart rate drop slowly. It is always smart to cool down.
Well, I think this episode of Words to the Wise is cooling down, too.
Thanks everyone for listening, and as always, let us know if you have ideas for us for our next episode of Words to the Wise. Leave us a comment, and let us know where you are from.
I'm Ashley Thompson. And I'm John Russell.
Adapted from http://www.kekenet.com/broadcast/201909/593783.shtml
VOCABULARY
1. workout n. a period of physical exercise that you do to keep fit 锻炼。例如：She does a 20-minute workout every morning. 她每天早晨做运动20分钟。
2. routine n. (可数名词, 不可数名词) the normal order and way in which you regularly do things 常规；正常顺序。例如：
We are trying to get the baby into a routine for feeding and sleeping. 我们试着让婴儿按时进食和睡觉。
Make exercise a part of your daily routine. 让锻炼成为你日常生活的一部分。
We clean and repair the machines as a matter of routine. 我们定期清洗和修理机器。
3. treadmill n. (可数名词) an exercise machine that has a moving surface that you can walk or run on while remaining in the same place （锻炼身体的）跑步机，走步机
4. bulk up: to make sth. bigger, thicker or heavier 使某物加大（或加厚、加重）
QUESTIONS
Read the statements. Then listen to the news and check the true (ü) or false (û) statements.
1. Gym is the short form of the word gymnasium, a room or building with space and equipment for outdoor sports activities.
2. Most American schools have gymnasiums where students can exercise.
3. Private gyms might include trainers who can help you learn how to best use the gym's equipment - like weights, treadmills and rowing machines.
4. If someone has exercised much in a long time, they might describe themselves as "out of shape."
5. To "warm up" means to prepare yourself for a difficult or intense activity by running slowly.
6. To "bulk up" is another way of saying you want to grow your muscles, or become less muscular or strong.
7. To "slim down" means to lose weight.
8. To "cool down" means to do easy exercises after doing an intense exercise.
KEY
Read the statements. Then listen to the news and check the true (ü) or false (û) statements.
û 1. Gym is the short form of the word gymnasium, a room or building with space and equipment for outdoor sports activities. (正确表达) Gym is the short form of the word gymnasium, a room or building with space and equipment for indoor sports activities.
ü 2. Most American schools have gymnasiums where students can exercise.
ü 3. Private gyms might include trainers who can help you learn how to best use the gym's equipment - like weights, treadmills and rowing machines.
û 4. If someone has exercised much in a long time, they might describe themselves as "out of shape." (正确表达) If someone has not exercised much in a long time, they might describe themselves as "out of shape."
û 5. To "warm up" means to prepare yourself for a difficult or intense activity by running slowly. (正确表达) To "warm up" means to prepare yourself for a difficult or intense activity by stretching.
û 6. To "bulk up" is another way of saying you want to grow your muscles, or become less muscular or strong. (正确表达) To "bulk up" is another way of saying you want to grow your muscles, or become more muscular and strong.
ü 7. To "slim down" means to lose weight.
ü 8. To "cool down" means to do easy exercises after doing an intense exercise.