英语播客 A Cup of English Get the setting right.

It was only this evening, after a busy day, that I realised that my phone had not rung all day. That is unusual. I checked my messages, and there were twelve! How come I hadn't heard the phone ring? I checked the setting, and it said 'silent'. "Oh, great!" I said to myself as I scrolled through the numbers that had called me. There was one particular one that had tried calling me eight times. Thankfully, it wasn't an emergency. It was the automated telephone system for the substitute teachers. It had called me all those times to offer me a morning job for tomorrow. I have already subbed in that class, which happens to be where one of my sons is. It would have been a perfect job, but it just so happens that I have two appointments in the morning, so I can't make it. I'm lucky, though, to have the teacher request me. Young students like to have a familiar face, instead of a different sub each time. The trouble with my phone is that it's an old design which has buttons on the outside. When I put the phone in my handbag, which I do often during the day, sometimes the buttons get pushed. The settings get changed without me even knowing anything about it. So, sometimes a call will come in, and my handbag will start vibrating, or music will play that I don't recognize. I never know what to expect from my phone. I should probably upgrade to a decent model that doesn't change its settings so easily. Come to think of it, my husband has an old Blackberry that he used to use. It has been sitting around, gathering dust because he has upgraded and no longer needs it. I actually think I understand why I have stuck with my little, old phone. It's because it is cheap, beaten-up, and not important. If I lose it, it's no great loss. However, if I were to lose a Blackberry, I would probably feel bad about losing something expensive. So, for now, I'll just have to double-check my settings, and put up with my comfortable old model.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: to scroll, it just so happens, decent, come to think of it.

1. You scroll on a phone or a computer when you go up and down the page using the side bar or the cursor.

2. It's your birthday today? It just so happens that I have a present for you.

3. Those shoes look worn out and yucky; why don't you buy yourself some decent ones?

4. He hasn't called me this month. Come to think of it, he's never called me!