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The Earth

The Environment: The Three Rs - Reuse

The Environment: The Three Rs - Reuse

In this week's Premier Skills English Podcast, Rowan and Jack are on the way back from the shops. They are talking to Rich about the present he has bought his son. The language focus is on words and phrases we can use to talk about reusing things. In our task, we want you to tell us about something you have bought second-hand. Don't forget to listen to the end of the podcast because we have a new football phrase for you to guess.

Transcript

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The Environment: The Three Rs - Reuse

Introduction

Jack: Hello my name’s Jack

Rowan: My name’s Rowan

Rich: and I’m Rich and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast.

Jack: In the Premier Skills English podcast, we talk about football and help you with your English. 

Rowan: Don’t forget you can find the transcript for all our podcasts on the Premier Skills English website.

Rich: We are changing our weekly podcast. From this week, you will hear our weekly podcast in three parts.

Jack: Yes. We asked you for your opinions on the ideal podcast length and the majority of our listeners say that the ideal length is a bit shorter than our normal podcasts. We are going to split the podcast into three shorter parts which will make things easier to understand. 

Rowan: Not too much will change. We will always have a roleplay for you, a language focus, a task for you to complete and a weekly football phrase for you to guess.

Rich: Please let us know if you are happy with the changes either in the comments section or on Apple Podcasts.

Jack: This week’s podcast is connected to the environment. It’s Rich’s son’s birthday and we’ll be talking about birthday parties, presents and tidying up afterwards!

Jack: This is part two of this week’s podcast which is about protecting the environment. It’s Rich’s son’s birthday and we’ll be talking about birthday parties, presents and tidying up afterwards!

Rowan: In this second part, the three of us are in the car on the way back from the supermarket and we’re talking about what Rich has bought his son for his birthday.

Rich: I’ve bought him a new bike. Well, new for him anyway.

Jack: After the roleplay, we’ll look at some words and phrases connected to reusing things. 

Rowan: Your task is to tell us about second-hand things you have bought and something that you would never buy second-hand.

Rich: If you are listening to us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or any other podcast platform, you should also check out our website.

Jack: On the Premier Skills English website, you’ll find the transcript, examples and activities to help you understand the language, and a task for you to complete with other listeners.

Introduction to roleplay 2

Jack: As we said earlier, this podcast is in three parts - this is the second part of this week’s podcast and there will be three in total. 

Rich: We’re talking about the present I’ve bought for my son. I’ve got him a bike.

Rowan: While you listen, we want you to answer a question:

Jack: The question is: Where did Rich buy his bike?

Roleplay 2

Rich: Thanks for helping me with the shopping, guys. I actually bought a lot less than I usually do.

Rowan: That’s a good thing, right?

Rich: Yes, it is, of course. Good for the environment and good for my wallet.

Jack: So what have you bought Alex then?

Rich: Salt and vinegar, ready salted, cheese and onion.

Jack: Not the crisps. I know he likes crisps but that’s not what you’ve got him for his birthday, is it?

Rich: Oh, a present. I’ve got him a bike.

Rowan: Brilliant! Did you get it from that new bike shop in town?

Rich: No, actually. I got it online on eBay, actually. It’s second-hand.

Jack: Second-hand - I thought you’d have got him a brand new bike - is that not what he wanted?

Rich: No, not really and getting the second-hand one I could afford a better bike. It’s in good condition - the brakes were a bit worn out, but I’ve changed them.

Rowan: You can get lots of bargains online - especially bikes. You can sell them as well, because kids grow out of them so quickly. 

Jack: Yeah, I hate to think about used bikes ending up in landfills like a big bike graveyard. Most bikes can have another life.

Rowan: I’m sure he’ll love the bike.

Rich: I hope so.

Language Focus 2

Jack: Before the roleplay, we asked you a question. The question was: Where did Rich buy his bike?

Rich: I bought the bike online. I bought it on eBay where you can buy and sell second-hand items.

Rowan: I think eBay is quite global; I know that it’s big in the UK and Spain but I’m not sure about the rest of the world.

Jack: I buy lots of things on eBay and sell things, too. Sometimes, I need to buy something that is new but I often buy things that have already been used. As Rich said in the roleplay. It’s good for the environment and for my wallet.

Rich: Let’s look at some of the language that we used in the roleplay. Let’s start with the word second-hand. 

Rowan: Rich bought a second-hand bike in the roleplay. If something is second-hand it’s not new, it’s been used before. The website eBay specialises in selling second-hand items.

Jack: Rich decides against buying a brand new bike because he thought it wasn’t necessary. 

Rich: We use the phrase brand new when we want to emphasise something is completely new and has never been used before. This is straight out of the box - it’s brand new.

Rowan: In the roleplay, we gave lots of reasons to buy a second-hand bike rather than a brand new one. 

Jack: Listen to this part of the roleplay again. What reasons do we give for buying a second-hand bike?

Rich: No, not really and getting the second-hand one I could afford a better bike. It’s in good condition - the brakes were a bit worn out but I’ve changed them.

Rowan: You can get lots of bargains online - especially bikes. You can sell them as well, especially because kids grow out of them so quickly. 

Jack: Yeah, I hate to think about used bikes ending up in landfills like a big bike graveyard. Most bikes can have another life.

Rowan: One reason that Rich gave was that second-hand bikes are cheaper which meant he could get a better bike.

Rich: Rowan said that second-hand bikes are good because kids grow out of them so quickly.

Jack: To grow out of something means to become bigger so something doesn’t fit you anymore. For example, a child grows out of clothes very quickly.

Rowan: And it’s the same with bikes so a second-hand bike is always a good option.

Rich: Jack also thought about an environmental reason, he doesn’t like the idea of lots of bikes ending up in a landfill.

Jack: There are a couple of interesting bits of language here. To end up somewhere is a useful phrasal verb which means to be somewhere at the end of a process.

Rowan: And the other word I want to look at is landfill. Landfills or a landfill site is the area of land where rubbish is taken and lots of it is buried under the ground.

Rich: If nobody buys second-hand bikes they often end up in a landfill which is not very environmentally friendly.

Rowan: But if you decide to buy something second-hand, especially, if it’s for a present you probably want to make sure that it’s in good condition.

Jack: Yes, in good condition is a useful phrase that you often see next to second-hand things that are being sold online. In good condition means that the item is in a good state and it works well.

Rich: But sometimes there might be a few things that you have to change or improve when you buy something second-hand. I described the brakes on the bike as being worn out.

Rowan: If something is worn out it means it is damaged or not useful anymore. 

Jack: OK, we’ve looked at lots of language connected to reusing things. You can find the transcript and more activities on the Premier Skills English website to help you understand what we’ve been speaking about.

TASK

Rich: In this task, we’d like you to think about something that you have bought that was second-hand.

Jack: Maybe you have bought a second-hand bike or car? Or maybe you have bought some second-hand clothes or a second-hand computer or mobile phone?

Rowan: Tell us why you decided to buy this second-hand thing.

Rich: And tell us some of the things that you would happily buy second-hand and something you would never buy second-hand and why?

Rowan: Write all your answers in the comments section on the Premier Skills English website or on Apple podcasts if that’s where you listen to us.

Football Phrase

Rich: It’s time for this week’s football phrase. Remember that you will hear this football phrase in all three parts of this podcast and we’ll have the answer for you in part one of our next podcast as well as in This Week which you can also watch on YouTube. 

Jack: Have you got this week’s football phrase, Rowan?

Rowan: I have. This week’s football phrase is ******* ********. On the BBC website, it says that Premier League clubs are able to have fans watch matches, but the stadiums can only open with ******* ******** because of Covid-19 restrictions. This is better than having no fans at all, but I’m looking forward to the atmosphere you get when a stadium is full.

Rich: Me too. There’s nothing like the sound of Anfield at full ******** singing You’ll never walk alone.

Jack: If you have a football phrase that you would like us to use in the podcast, just get in touch and let us know.

Rowan: Right, that’s all we have time for now but we will be back soon with the second part of this podcast connected to the environment.

Rich: Don’t forget to write your answers to our questions and make a guess at our football phrase in the comments below. If you get it right, we’ll announce your name on next week’s podcast and live on YouTube. 

Jack: If you have a question for us about football or English you can email us at premierskills@britishcouncil.org

Rowan: or you can leave your questions and comments on the website in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

Rich: or you could give us a rating and a fantastic review on Apple Podcasts.

Jack: Bye for now and enjoy your football!

Vocabulary

How much did you understand?

Here is some of the vocabulary you might have heard in the roleplay. Do you know the words in bold?

Good for the environment and good for my wallet.

The brakes were a bit worn out, but I’ve changed them.

You can get lots of bargains online - especially bikes. 

Kids grow out of them so quickl

I hate to think about used bikes ending up in landfills like a big bike graveyard.

Activity 1

Activity 1: Match the definitions to the words and phrases from the roleplay.
Do you know these words and phrases?

Rich has bought a second-hand bike.

Vocabulary

The Three Rs: Reuse

When we talk about what we can do to help the environment and being more environmentally friendly we often hear the phrase the three Rs. The three Rs are: reduce, reuse and recycle. In this podcast, Rich, Jack and Rowan spoke about the importance of reusing items which we buy. Do you understand the phrases in bold?

Jack: Second-hand? I thought you’d have got him a brand new bike - is that not what he wanted?

Rich: No, not really and getting the second-hand one I could afford a better bike. It’s in good condition - the brakes were a bit worn out but I’ve changed them.

Rowan: You can get lots of bargains online - especially bikes. You can sell them as well, especially because kids grow out of them so quickly. 

Jack: Yeah, I hate to think about used bikes ending up in landfills like a big bike graveyard. Most bikes can have another life.

Activity 2

Activity 2: Look at the sentences and choose the correct word.
Can you choose the correct word?

Have you ever bought clothes second-hand?

Learn More

Further resources connected to reusing things and the environment:

Task

Buying second-hand

There are lots of things which you can buy second-hand instead of buying brand new.

In this task, we’d like you to think about something that you have bought that was second-hand.

  1. Have you ever bought a second-hand bike or car?  Have you ever bought some second-hand clothes or a second-hand computer or mobile phone?
  2. Why did you decide to buy this thing second-hand thing?
  3. What second-hand things would you happily buy? What things would you never buy second-hand and why?

Write your answers below and don't forget to make a guess at this week's football phrase!

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Comentários

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
21/07/2021
TR
6539
points

1. Well , the first time for me to use eBay was a few years ago as I bought a United 1999 Beckham classic kit from a guy called Adam Parker from Manchester UK.
The shirt was in a very good condition and a reasonable price too whereas there was two issues , the first is that it was delivered after a month of purchasing it online which is a very long period of time and the second is that it was too loose for me to wear it :)
I realized that kits in the late nineties were loose even on players.
I was very happy by it though with Beckham and 7 on the back and the famous sponsor , Vodafone and umbro on the front of it :)

2. I've bought a second hand MacBook Air laptop recently from a famous app here in Turkey called Letgo. It is in a very good condition with affordable price and the keyboard is in English with is a big bonus for me as the guy brought it from his last visit to the UK.
I couldn't agree more that buying second-hand things are cheaper and good for environment plus you don't care much about them.
I mean when we buy brand new things , we care so much as if they were our babies , you know , but if it's a second-hand object , we care too but not that much :)

3. I think I would happily buy almost everything second-hand as far as they are in good conditions as I'm a picky person so I would check every single detail before buying any item :)


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
21/07/2021 10:41
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

1. Well , the first time for me to use eBay was a few years ago as I bought a United 1999 Beckham classic kit from a guy called Adam Parker from Manchester UK.
The shirt was in a very good condition and a reasonable price too whereas there was two issues , the first is that it was delivered after a month of purchasing it online which is a very long period of time and the second is that it was too loose for me to wear it :)
I realized that kits in the late nineties were loose even on players.
I was very happy by it though with Beckham and 7 on the back and the famous sponsor , Vodafone and umbro on the front of it :)

2. I've bought a second hand MacBook Air laptop recently from a famous app here in Turkey called Letgo. It is in a very good condition with affordable price and the keyboard is in English with is a big bonus for me as the guy brought it from his last visit to the UK.
I couldn't agree more that buying second-hand things are cheaper and good for environment plus you don't care much about them.
I mean when we buy brand new things , we care so much as if they were our babies , you know , but if it's a second-hand object , we care too but not that much :)

3. I think I would happily buy almost everything second-hand as far as they are in good conditions as I'm a picky person so I would check every single detail before buying any item :)

Kazu
12/07/2021
JP
38
points

1. I've bought a second-hand bike before. But unfortunately, It was stolen in 8 months.

2. Because I was a foreign student at that time and I couldn't keep it for a long time.

3. My second-hand microwave was good buy. I bought it 2 years ago and still working. I've never bought second-hand football shoes. Because If someone has used them before, they won't fit my feet.

The football pharese is "home fans".


Kazu
12/07/2021 03:47
Japan
Aston Villa
38

1. I've bought a second-hand bike before. But unfortunately, It was stolen in 8 months.

2. Because I was a foreign student at that time and I couldn't keep it for a long time.

3. My second-hand microwave was good buy. I bought it 2 years ago and still working. I've never bought second-hand football shoes. Because If someone has used them before, they won't fit my feet.

The football pharese is "home fans".

hsn's picture
hsn
09/07/2021
TR
5560
points

TASK
Once, I bought a second-hand computer in good condition.It wasn’t worn out. I’d used it for many years before it ended up in a landfill.
2- Because I had to learn how to use computer and improve my knowledge after course.
3- According my experience; the items which is aimed to use for a long time at least more than five years should be brand new things instead of second hand.That is beneficial because repairing fees could get much. Second-hand clothes aren’t being recommended because of hygiene.
PHRASES
• A person who has intended to do something against rules have to be warned straight out .
• The puppy grew out of doghouse.We should put it in a bigger one.


hsn's picture
hsn
09/07/2021 10:33
Turkey
Tottenham Hotspur
5560

TASK
Once, I bought a second-hand computer in good condition.It wasn’t worn out. I’d used it for many years before it ended up in a landfill.
2- Because I had to learn how to use computer and improve my knowledge after course.
3- According my experience; the items which is aimed to use for a long time at least more than five years should be brand new things instead of second hand.That is beneficial because repairing fees could get much. Second-hand clothes aren’t being recommended because of hygiene.
PHRASES
• A person who has intended to do something against rules have to be warned straight out .
• The puppy grew out of doghouse.We should put it in a bigger one.

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
08/07/2021
TR
6539
points

I reckon this week's football phrase is ( limited ********)


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
08/07/2021 22:06
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

I reckon this week's football phrase is ( limited ********)

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Level

3
Average: 3 (1 vote)

Goals

Skills: Listening

Vocabulary: Words and phrases connected to reusing things

Task: Tell us about something you bought second-hand