Meteo - Lettura - Trascrizione
Hello everybody! Welcome to the EnglishBlog. In this podcast, you’ll be learning some interesting survival English on how the weather affects our moods.
Before starting, let me first explain that the lesson is divided into two parts:
PART ONE: you’ll be listening to some useful English expressions; you’ll then hear a short explanation of these words, followed by an example of how they are used.
PART TWO: you’ll be listening to information about S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder,) a diagnosed medical condition, that proves people are affected by the weather.
So let’s start!
Woman: Does the weather ever affect your mood? When you’re happy, it is sunny, or when it is raining do you feel “down in the dumps?” Listen and learn:
Woman: The weather.
Man: This is a noun, which means the climate at a certain place and time, and how much wind, rain etc. there is, and how hot or cold it is.
Listen to this short conversation:
Man: I can’t believe the weather today, it’s awful; my umbrella has blown inside out.
Woman: I think it’s all to do with global warming
Man: That, and the amount of pollution we pump into the ozone layer.
Woman: Maybe, but shall we go and get a coffee, in a nice warm bar,
Man: Good idea. Maybe this storm will blow over.
Woman: Affect
Man: This is a verb, which means to influence somebody or something. (N.B. do not confuse it with the noun “Effect.”)
For example
Woman: Mmm, this coffee and chocolate cake is good.
Man: I’m sure it is, I’ve heard how chocolate affects women.
Woman: Mood
Man: A mood is the way you are feeling at a particular time. Are you in a good mood? (happy), or a bad mood? (sad or angry.)
For example:
Woman: The weather looks as though it’s clearing up now & I’m certainly in a better mood.
Man: Is that the chocolate or the rain stopping, that has affected your change of mood?
Woman: Both I think…..
Woman: S.A.D
Man: S.A.D. is a contraction of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Which has been finally proven as an illness which affects some people with depression during the winter, due to the lack of sunlight.
For example:
Woman: Are you OK? It’s November, nearly time to start preparing for Christmas. Why do you look so sad?
Man: I’m ok, but I’ve just spent 4 weeks working in Finland, where it was dark and very cold. I think I’ve got S.A.D.
Woman: Now let’s listen to some information about S.A.D. adapted from www.essortment.com.
Can the weather affect our mood? This controversial question has been discussed by scientists and sociologists for a long time. When it is extremely hot, people may feel irritated or moody for no apparent reason; on a cold, rainy day you may feel melancholy or even depressed. There are studies that link high temperatures to increase in crime. It is believed that people get irritable when it is very hot. The fact that the weather may have an influence on our mood is documented by a disorder called ‘Seasonal (stagionale) Affective Disorder’, (S.A.D.) which affects some people during winter the lack of sunlight may also alter certain hormonal levels in the body. The symptoms of SAD are sadness, fatigue, loss of appetite, apathy, irritability.
Woman: If you wish you can hear this lesson again. In the meantime we hope we have helped you to be more confident with your English. Watch out for the next topic. Thank you for using the EnglishBlog.
Hi,
I would like to know the mining of those expressions:
"The weather looks as though it’s clearing up now"
"to be down in the dumps"
"my umbrella has blown inside out"
Thank you very much for your useful service.
Bye, Francesca
Ciao Francesca
La prima espressione significa più o meno "Sembra che il tempo si stia schiarendo adesso"
La seconda significa "essere depressi / essere giù di corda"
Per la terza non ne sono molto sicuro ma dovrebbe significare più o meno "il mio ombrello si è rotto"