英语口语对话（中级）Lesson 4：Crock Wrestling
Dialogue:
NICK: Our next live report is from Australia, home of the late Steve Irwin the famous Crocodile Hunter.
VANESSA: And also home of many adventurers like Patrick who’s a biologist specializing in crocodiles. Lyn, what can you tell us. I believe you have a special guest with you.
LYN: Hi guys. Our guest for today is a New Yorker, Patrick Quiney, who has been involved for many years in the study of crocodiles in Australia. Patrick, have you worked as a crocodile trapper?
PATRICK: Yeah. I had ants in my pants since I was a child and the first job I got here was to trap crocks and remove them from populated areas where they posed a danger.
VANESSA: Patrick, have you ever wrestled with a crock?
PATRICK: Yeah. Since coming to Australia croc wrestling has become my favorite way of blowing off steam!
Now answer the following question… What is their guest talking about? About his career as a crocodile hunter. Now listen again to the dialogue. Afterwards there will be 3 questions on the details...
NICK: Our next live report is from Australia, home of the late Steve Irwin the famous Crocodile Hunter.
VANESSA: And also home of many adventurers like Patrick who’s a biologist specializing in crocodiles. Lyn, what can you tell us. I believe you have a special guest with you. . LYN: Hi guys. Our guest for today is a New Yorker, Patrick Quiney, who has been involved for many years in the study of crocodiles in Australia. Patrick, have you worked as a crocodile trapper?
PATRICK: Yeah. I had ants in my pants since I was a child and the first job I got here was to trap crocs and remove them from populated areas where they posed a danger.
VANESSA: Patrick, have you ever wrestled with a croc?
PATRICK: Yeah. Since coming to Australia croc wrestling has become my favorite way of blowing off steam!
Now get ready to answer the questions.
1. Patrick says “I had ants in my pants since I was a child …” What does he mean? He was extremely restless.
2. Patrick says “… they posed a danger.” What does he mean? The crocodiles were dangerous.
3. Patrick says “…croc wrestling has become my favorite way of blowing off steam!” what does he mean? It is his way to relax.
GLOSSARY
1.Ants in your pants (old fashioned, humorous idiom): to not be able to keep still because you are very excited or worried about something
E.g. The little boy was so excited about meeting Santa he had ants in his pants 2.Blow / let off steam: to do or say something that helps you to get rid of strong feelings or energy.
E.g. He lifts weights after work to let off steam.
3. Involve (verb): to include someone or something in something, or to make them take part in or feel part of it.
E.g. The accident involved two cars and a lorry.
4. Populate (verb, usually passive): If an area is populated by people or animals, they live in that area.
E.g. The river is populated mainly by smaller species of fish.
5.Pose a danger/ threat (verb): to cause something, especially a problem or difficulty:
E.g. Nuclear weapons pose a threat to everyone.
6.Specialize in (verb): to spend most of your time studying one particular subject or doing one type of business:
E.g. a restaurant that specializes in seafood
7.Trap (noun): a device or hole for catching animals or people and preventing their escape.
E.g. The fox got its foot caught in a trap.
8.Trap (verb): to catch an animal in a trap.
E.g. She survived in the forest by eating berries and trapping small animals and birds.
9.Trapper (noun): a person who traps wild animals, usually to sell their fur:
e.g. a fur trapper Wrestle (verb): (1) to fight with someone (especially as a sport) by holding them and trying to throw them to the ground. E.g. He has wrestled professionally for five years. (2) to try very hard to deal with a problem or to make a difficult decision: e.g. The government is wrestling with difficult economic problems.
Practice using the words in the glossary. Choose the most appropriate word or phrase from the glossary to complete the following sentences.
1. He went to __the party to after failing the exam.
2. I enjoy working in general medicine, but I hope to be able to__ in the future.
3. She's been __with animal rights for many years.
4. The children had __, so we took them outside for some exercise.
5. The inner cities are no longer densely__ .
6. The police officer tackled the man and _-him to the ground.
7. The surgeon decided that operating__ no special threat to the patients safety.
8. The undercover agents went to the rendezvous knowing that it might be a _-.
