Views #1444 | Low-Intermediate 4

TV Remote Wars

Mark and Todd talk about old TVs and the good and bad of remote controls.
Todd: OK, Mark, I thought we would talk about television. The theme this week will be TV.

Mark: OK.

Todd: First of all, how much television do you watch a day?

Mark: Per day? In Japan?

Todd: Yeah.

Mark: Not so much because my Japanese is not so good so recently I've been watching TV via the internet on a PC.

Todd: Oh, really.

Mark: Yeah, but if I for example have SKY TV, satellite TV maybe five or six hours per day.

Todd: Whoa!

Mark: Yeah, especially news. I love watching news programs.

Todd: OK, so you watch five to six hours of television.

Mark: If I am free. On a Saturday. One the weekends.

Todd: A weekend type thing. And the thing you enjoy watching most is news?

Mark: I like news programs also sports. Yeah.

Todd: Sports! What kinds of sports?

Mark: Any sports really, I watch on TV. Yeah, football, basketball, baseball, American football.

Todd: Right. Here's a question, so you think it's better to watch sport on TV or to watch it live?

Mark: Oh, definitely live.

Todd: Oh, you think so.

Mark: Yeah, but it's pretty expensive to watch live.

Todd: Right.

Mark: Definitely live.

Todd: I don't know. I'm kind of the other way. Like, except for baseball, cause I'm a huge baseball fan, but every other sport in America, basketball and American football, I think it's better to watch on TV.

Mark: Actually, I prefer both. So I go to the game and watch it live and then afterwards I can watch the replay on TV to look at the main place of the game. Obviously when you are watching it on TV you are a lot closer to the action.

Todd: Right. Well, you have the thrill of the crowd and all of that, but especially like American football, there's so many close plays and this and that, plus American football is terrible to watch live because during the commercial breaks there is just nothing going on. You know? So you are better off being home and watching a commercial I think.

Mark: Right. Yeah, and you can go for a beer or maybe a cup of tea at commercial. Actually, a few.. about a year ago I recently got contact lens because my eyes weren't so good, but when I was going to the football stadium, I couldn't see. You were so far away. But I didn't realize that my eyes were so bad. I thought they were just very far away until I got contact lens, and then suddenly I could see all the game. So that was a big improvement.


Learn vocabulary from the lesson!

watch it live

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So you think it's better to watch sport on TV or to watch it live?

When you 'watch a sport live,' it means that you are there to witness it as it happens.

Notice the following:

  1. I always prefer to watch sports live as I like the atmosphere.
  2. She said that we can watch it live over at her house.

I don't know

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Todd says, "I don't know".

Used like this, 'I don't know' means more that Todd doesn't agree with what Mark is saying.

Notice the following:

  1. I don't know what time the movie is supposed to start.
  2. I don't know if I like the color of the drapes anymore.

I'm kind of the other way

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When it comes to watching live baseball Todd says, "I'm kind of the other way".

When you are 'kind of the other way,' it means that you have an opposite way of thinking to someone else.

Notice the following:

  1. I'm kind of the other way to you, I prefer to go shopping with other people.
  2. I'm kind of the other way, I eat a lot more fruit than candy.

the thrill of the crowd

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You have the thrill of the crowd and all that, especially with American football.

The 'thrill of the crowd' is the excitement and atmosphere that being in a large group of people brings.

Notice the following:

  1. I love the thrill of the crowd when I go to concerts.
  2. The thrill of the crowd is what makes it really exciting.

you are better off

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You are better off being home and watching a commercial I think.

When 'you are better off' being home, it means that it is preferred to be home. Whatever you are better off doing is the preferred option.

Notice the following:

  1. You are better off saving your money.
  2. You will be better off if you walk to work, rather than get the train.

Vocabulary Quiz

there • stay-at-home • financially
wouldn't • as far as
  1. She was a mom for 5 years after her kids were born.
  2. If you would prefer to come over a little earlier, I mind at all.
  3. How are you feeling energy?
  4. When you have difficult times in life, it's good to have someone for you.
  5. One of the best things about graduating from college is being more stable.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

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763 The Future of TV
763 The Future of TV
The latest in television technology.

762 TV Remote Wars
762 TV Remote Wars
Using old TVs and remote controls.

761 TV Life
761 TV Life
Mark talks about TV shows he likes.

 

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