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Level 5: Advanced Daily Audio Lessons

DailyStep-5_politics-American-002_GB-05

Doug: Another thing that contributes to the political polarisation that is

taking place in the US is the right-wing shock jocks that they have on the

TV and radio over there. The way they exaggerate, manipulate and

misrepresent the facts just to get better ratings and improved viewing

figures is shocking and cynical.

Monica: Yes, without a doubt they are poisoning people’s minds with

bigotry and intolerance and deliberately stirring up trouble. Let’s just

hope people are not that stupid. I mean, there are already signs of a

public backlash against the use of this type of inflammatory rhetoric.

Doug: Well, let’s also hope that America can stem the rising tide of

political extremism and opt for a more consensual political dialogue

because at the moment it looks like a powder keg that’s about to blow.

But aside from that I feel great sympathy for those people for whom the

shootings meant the loss of a loved one and have then had to put up with

the tragedy being used as a political football between the Right and Left.

Monica: Yes, so do I.

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Level 5: Advanced Daily Audio Lessons

Situation: Monica and Doug discuss how some sections of the American media
contributed to the extreme political situation in the US after the shooting of
congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. This conversation took place in 2011.
Style: General conversation
.

Functions:
1. Adding another point: Another thing that contributes to the political
polarisation that is taking place in the US is... (note: please copy the tone and
emphasis carefully here.)
2. Expressing certainty: Yes, without a doubt they are poisoning people’s minds
with bigotry and intolerance and deliberately stirring up trouble. (note: please
copy the tone and emphasis carefully here.)
3. Expressing hope: Let’s just hope people are not that stupid. (note: please copy
the tone and emphasis carefully here.)
4. Clarifying your meaning: I mean, there are already signs of a public backlash
(note: please copy the tone and emphasis carefully here.)
5. Expressing hope: Well, let’s also hope that America can stem the rising tide of
political extremism... (note: please copy the tone and emphasis carefully here.)
6. Changing the emphasis of a conversation: But aside from that I feel great
sympathy for those people for whom the shootings meant the loss of a loved
one... (note: please copy the tone and emphasis carefully here.)
7. Agreeing: Yes, so do I. (note: please copy the tone and emphasis carefully
here.)
.

Notes:
1. that contributes to = that adds to
2. political polarisation = situation in which both people on both sides of the political
argument become more and more divided
3. that is taking place = that is happening
4. shock jocks (slang) = TV or radio presenters that use inflammatory language with
the intention of provoking debate polarisation between people of differing political
opinion
5. on the TV and radio over there (we sometimes refer to the USA as being “over
there” or “across the pond”) = on the TV and radio in the USA
6. exaggerate = blow out of proportion (idiom)
7. manipulate = influence and control (unfairly or dishonestly)
8. misrepresent = describe falsely
9. to get better ratings = to get more listeners or viewers for their radio and TV
programs
10. improved viewing figures = more viewers of their programs
11. cynical = believing that people are only interested in themselves and are not
sincere
12. they are poisoning people’s minds (idiom) = they are making people think bad
thoughts / they are making people turn against (phrasal verb) each other
13. bigotry and intolerance = prejudice and refusal to accept other people as they are
14. stirring up (phrasal verb) trouble = deliberately causing trouble
15. backlash against = a negative reaction against
16. inflammatory rhetoric = language used in order to cause conflict
17. stem the rising tide of (idiom – more dramatic) = stop the increasing level of
18. political extremism = political fanaticism and intolerance

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Level 5: Advanced Daily Audio Lessons

19. opt for (phrasal verb) = choose

20. a more consensual political dialogue = a less polarised political debate, one that
seeks agreement
21. a powder keg that’s about to blow (idiom - this gives the image of a barrel of
dynamite that is about to explode) = a situation that is on the point of becoming
very serious and explosive
22. a powder keg = a barrel of gunpowder
23. that’s about to blow = that is going to explode very soon
24. But aside from that = But apart from that
25. I feel great sympathy for those people = I feel very sad and sorry for those
people / my feelings are with those people
26. a loved one = a family member
27. to put up with (phrasal verb) = to tolerate
28. a political football (idiom) = a contentious political issue that is passed around
(phrasal verb)
29. Yes, so do I (using only the auxiliary) = Yes, I do too / Yes, I also I feel great
sympathy for those people
.
Audio file name: DailyStep-5_politics-American-002_GB-05
.

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A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step