Elementary Podcast Transcript Series 3 episode 15

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/elementary-podcasts/series-03-episode-15

Adam and Rob Adam: Umi also mentions risks to our

relationships and our privacy. Some of you
disagreed with Umi and some of you agreed. It
Rob and Adam: Hello! was a really interesting discussion and we
enjoyed reading it.
Adam: Welcome to Episode 15 of the
LearnEnglish Elementary Podcast. Im Adam. Rob: Now, weve already mentioned Tonya
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from Russia who lives in Germany. She says:

Rob: And Im Rob and its nice to be back here
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with you. There are not so many Russian people in

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Germany I can communicate with. I talk online

Adam: Were going to hear from Tess & Ravi
with my internet friends, some of them Ive know
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today; theyll be talking about a city the

for many years and these friends know me
biggest and most famous city in Britain Im
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better than some of my real friends in Germany.

sure you know where were talking about.
With some of my internet friends I have an
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Rob: First though, as usual, well look at some intense relationship and we write almost every
of your comments on the last podcast. In that
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week.
podcast we talked about social networking and
Adam: So, online friends can help you when
online friends. We asked you to tell us about
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youre away from home. And they can help you

your online friends and how you feel about
get in touch with people all over the world
social networking and, as usual, you gave us
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Amanda Clemente from Brazil has friends from

some very interesting answers.
Argentina to Kazakhstan. It's awesome how
Adam: The first thing that interested me was
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knowledge of other languages, especially

how many of you live in different countries not English, can connect you to different people.
or

the country that youre from. So, for example,

Rob: Thats true. Some of you did mention that
Ladna is from Somalia, but she lives in Alaska
g/

you have online friends that you dont know in

in America. And Mariami is from Georgia but
real life. Laia in Spain (whose username is
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she lives in Germany. Or Tonya shes

ahappylearner - nice user name, Laia!) says I
Russian but she lives in Germany too. Im
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have lots of "friends" on Facebook, but I don't

interested in what takes you to other countries.
even know half of them. I know most of them
Are you working? Studying? Something else? If
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only by sight, I see them around high school but

youre living in a different country, why not write
at the most we say hello, hows it going and
and tell us what youre doing there.
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bye! And then with some of them on Facebook

Rob: Anyway, someone else who lives in a we talk for hours, but face to face we only greet
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country that isnt where shes from is Umi, whos each other!
from Indonesia but lives in Hong Kong, and she
Adam: Thats strange, isnt it? In real life you
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had a lot to say this time about social

just say hello, how are you?, but online you
networking. Shes not a fan. She says:
chat like old friends. Maybe its a difference
Firstly, since we can make new friends very between younger people and older people.
easily on networking sites, it makes us lazy
Rob: Anyway, thanks for all your great
about making an effort to socialise in real life.
comments. Sorry we dont have time to read out
Secondly, we spend extra time on the computer
more of them. Its always good to hear what you
and it eventually leads to a lack of movement,
think so remember you can write to us at
which also leads to obesity.
www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish.

The British Council, 2012 Page 1 of 4

The United Kingdoms international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
 Elementary Podcast Transcript Series 3 episode 15
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/elementary-podcasts/series-03-episode-15

Adam: I also noticed this week that we have a London

listener called Ravi!
Rob: Welcome Ravi, and now lets listen to the
Tess: Hello again, everyone. Im Tess.
original Ravi, along with Tess, talking about a
special British city. Ravi: And Im Ravi.
Tess: And were here again to talk about the
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things you think you know about Britain and the

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things that you think are very British.

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Ravi: Weve talked about British food, British

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weather, drinking tea and lots of other things,

but today is a little bit different. We noticed that
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lots of you, when you talked about British

things, talked about places in London places
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youve visited or would like to visit or just places

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that you think are very British and were going

to take a look at some of them. What do you
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think people chose, Tess?

Tess: Big Ben?
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Ravi: Good guess. Yep, the first one was Big

Ben. If you dont know it, Big Ben is the name
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given to the really big clock tower right in the

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centre of London next to the Houses of

Parliament. It was finished in 18...
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Tess: How do you know that? Have you been

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studying?
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Ravi: Research, Tess, research. It was finished

in 1859 and its over ninety-six metres high.
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Actually, Big Ben is really the name of the bell

that rings every hour to tell you what time it is,
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but everyone says Big Ben for the clock and the
tower as well.
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Tess: Why do you think its so famous?

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Ravi: Well, its sort of the symbol of London,

isnt it? New York has the Statue of Liberty,
Paris has the Eiffel Tower and London has
Big Ben.
Tess: Its nice, isnt it, when you hear the bells
ringing for the hour, because you hear them on
TV or the radio, on the BBC? What other places
did people talk about in London?

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The United Kingdoms international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
 Elementary Podcast Transcript Series 3 episode 15
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/elementary-podcasts/series-03-episode-15

Ravi: Well, Buckingham Palace is another Adam and Rob

place lots of people mentioned.
Tess: Ah, the Queens home. Yeah, thats a
Adam: Its true that Big Ben is sort of a symbol
really popular place for tourists to visit and see
of London, isnt it? Ravi said that Paris has the
the changing of the guard and things. What
Eiffel Tower, New York has the statue of liberty
have you learned about Buckingham Palace?
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and London has Big Ben. How about you Rob -

How old is it?
do you have a favourite sight in London? Or
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Ravi: The oldest part was built in 1705, but new somewhere you take visitors when youre
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bits were added after that. Its got two hundred there?
and forty bedrooms, I think, and seventy eight
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Rob: I do like Big Ben, I think its a great symbol

bathrooms and ..
for London. But when I go there with friends, I
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Tess: Do you know what it means when you usually take them to a place called Borough
see the flag flying above Buckingham Palace? It Market. Its just in the centre, south of the river.
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means that the Queen is there, in the palace.

Adam: Why do you like it?
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Shes got lots of different homes, hasnt she?

Rob: Well, its a really authentic place with lots
Ravi: Hmm. Are you sure, Tess? I dont think it
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of great, great food from all over the world. And

does. I think the flag is flying all the time these
you can have something to eat, you can have
days. Anyway, when was the last time you went
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something to drink; its just got a really good

to Buckingham Palace?
atmosphere.
Tess: Inside the palace? Never. Actually, its a
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Adam: Sounds great. Ill have to go there next

real tourist attraction, isnt it? Lots of tourists go
or

time Im in London. How about you, listeners?

there, but if you live in Britain you dont go there
Have you been to London? Did you like it?
very often.
g/

Write and tell us what you know or think about

Ravi: No, not really. Theres always a big crowd London. We love hearing from you and you can
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there though for big royal events, like a wedding contact us at

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in the royal family or Princess Dianas funeral, www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish.

isnt there?
Rob: Right, thats almost all weve got time for.
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Tess: Yeah. Its sort of a symbol, isnt it? A But first, well remind you about the exercises
symbol of the royal family. youll find on our website. As usual, there are
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Ravi: Yeah. Actually, the royal family is another some useful tips to help you with your English.
thing on our list another thing that people said Listen to this:
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is typical of Britain. Lets talk about that next Ravi: It was finished in 18
time.
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Tess: How do you know that? Have you been

Tess: OK. What other things in London did studying?
people say were typically British?
Ravi: Research, Tess, research. It was finished
Ravi: Lets have a look. The London Eye, in 1859 and its over 96 metres high.
shopping in Oxford Street, the Houses of
Adam: Ravi gave two years: 1850 and 1859. If
Parliament, the London underground I think
you ever have problems saying the year in
we might have to come back to this one another
English, then the exercises on the LearnEnglish
time, OK?
site will help.
Tess: OK, then, lets do that.

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 Elementary Podcast Transcript Series 3 episode 15
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/elementary-podcasts/series-03-episode-15

Rob: Youll also find exercises on the different

kinds of sights you can see in cities, on passive
sentences, heights, weights and measures and
lots, lots more.
Adam: Do go to the website and try the
exercises and write and tell us what you think.
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Were going to meet our LearnEnglish

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colleagues in London next week, so well be

back in three weeks with more from Carolina.
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Until then
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Rob and Adam: Bye!

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hc
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or
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ar
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The United Kingdoms international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.