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English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ENGLISH CAFÉ – 253
TOPICS
Chinatown; famous songs: “Home on the Range”; that way versus in that way
versus in such a way; neither here nor there; suffer versus suffer from
_____________
GLOSSARY
to be inspired by (something) –
to be created as a result of something; to have
made someone feel like doing something
* The artist said that these paintings were inspired by his years living in Asia.
conspiracy –
a secret plan that many people are involved in to do something
wrong or illegal
* The newspaper reporter investigated a conspiracy among the major drug
companies to hide the serious negative effects of this medication.
corruption –
illegal and immoral behavior by people who have a lot of power and
authority, especially in government
* How will we build a new nation when the government is full of corruption?
to reveal –
to show others new information; to show others secret or private
information
* In Li’s book, she revealed the reasons for her controversial career decisions.
to flee –
to run away from someone or something; to try to get away from
someone or something as quickly as possible
* In the movie, the people tried to flee from the killer, but he caught them all.
warrant for (someone’s) arrest –
a document allowing law enforcement
agencies to look for someone and to arrest that person when he or she is found
* Paul didn’t appear in court when he was supposed to and now there is a
warrant for his arrest.
range –
a large area covered with grass used for raising cows and horses
* Even though Ethan works in the city, he spends his vacations riding horses on
the range near his ranch.
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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2010). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ENGLISH CAFÉ – 253
antelope –
an animal that is very similar to a deer, but a little smaller and more
slender
* It’s not common to see antelope in these woods at this time of year.
seldom –
rarely; not very often
* Although all parents are invited to school events, Anna’s parents seldom attend.
discouraging –
doing or saying something that makes another person not want
to do something, or makes another person think that he or she won’t be able to
do something
* It’s discouraging to be told that you don’t have the qualifications for a good job,
but getting more education should solve that problem.
to idealize –
to show others that someone is perfect and that he or she can do
no wrong; to say that something is perfect or better than in reality
* Do you think children often have idealized views of their parents?
state song –
a song chosen by the people who live in a particular state as
something that represents them musically; the official song of a state
* Every year, we sing our state song at the start of the new baseball season.
that way –
a phrase used to describe the manner or actions used to do
something or the way something is right now
* Don’t raise your voice and talk that way to your mother.
in that way –
a phrase used to describe the manner or actions used to do
something when the action being done is already known because was talked
about recently or it is of a type that is well known by the people one is talking to
* - Lionel always leaves his tools dirty after work.
*
- If he treats his tools in that way, they won’t last long.
in such a way –
a phrase used to mean how something happens, usually
followed by “that” or “as to” and the likely result of such action
* If you ride a horse in such a way as to hurt it, it will not allow you to ride it again.
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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2010). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ENGLISH CAFÉ – 253
neither here nor there –
having no importance or meaning; not being useful or
meaningful to something else
* Whether he decides to come to the meeting is neither here nor there. We don’t
need him to discuss these important matters.
to suffer –
to experience or undergo something that is unpleasant or painful; to
go through something one can’t get away from or avoid
* Oscar suffers from a toothache and can’t go to work.
to suffer from –
to experience or undergo something that is unpleasant or
painful and that continues to happen over a period of time; to go through
something one can’t get away from or avoid for a period of time
* Pei suffered from bad dreams for most of her life, causing her to sleep poorly.
_____________
WHAT INSIDERS KNOW
Los Angeles Cultural Neighborhoods
One of the benefits of visiting a large city like Los Angeles is its cultural “diversity”
(having many kinds; having a lot of variety). This diversity comes mainly from the
immigrants who have “settled in” (come to live in) the Los Angeles area in the
past, and who continue to make this city their home.
This diversity has created a city with many cultural neighborhoods with shops,
restaurants, services, and other businesses. If you visit Los Angeles, you may
want to spend some time in or near “downtown,” the business and governmental
center of the city with a large number of “skyscrapers” (tall business buildings).
Spending some time downtown will allow you to see several of Los Angeles’
most famous cultural neighborhoods.
Perhaps the most well known cultural neighborhood in Los Angeles is
Chinatown, a place where Chinese businesses and restaurants can be found.
Although far fewer Chinese immigrants move to Chinatown these days, it is still a
lively area to visit, to eat, and to shop for “souvenirs” (objects bought to
remember a place one has visited).
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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2010). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ENGLISH CAFÉ – 253
Near to Chinatown is El Pueblo Historic Monument. Today, this area is mainly
for tourists to see a Mexican-style “marketplace” (place to buy and sell), where
they can find small “stalls” (stands used for selling things) selling souvenirs. On
many weekends, visitors can also to hear Mexican music being played and see
folk dancing performed in the outdoor “pavilion” (a shelter with a top, usually
found in parks). Not far from Chinatown and El Pueblo is Little Tokyo. Although
not as “vibrant” (full of life) as it once was, this neighborhood still has Japanese
restaurants offering “authentic” (real; genuine) Japanese food and stores offering
goods popular in Japan.
With immigrants from over 140 countries, it is not surprising that new cultural
neighborhoods continue to emerge. More recent cultural neighborhoods include,
Little Ethiopia, Thai Town, and Little Armenia.
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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2010). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
www.eslpod.com
ENGLISH CAFÉ – 253
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
You’re listening to ESL Podcast’s English Café number 253.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast’s English Café episode 253. I’m
your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational
Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Visit our website at eslpod.com. Download this episode’s Learning Guide, an 8-
to 10-page guide we provide for all of our current episodes that will give you
some additional help in improving your English.
On this Café, we’re going to talk about the movie Chinatown. We’re also going to
continue our series on famous American songs, we’ll be talking in this Café about
a song known to most Americans called “Home on the Range”. And, as always,
we’ll answer a few of your questions. Let’s get started.
This Café begins with a discussion about a famous American movie called
Chinatown, which was released in 1974. When we say a movie was “released,”
we mean that it was distributed so that you could see it, at that time, in a movie
theater. Sometimes movies are released on DVD a few months after they are
released for the movie theaters. Chinatown is part mystery and part drama, and
was inspired by disputes here in Southern California over land and water rights.
When we say something was “inspired” we mean that it was created as a result
of or it got the idea from this other thing, in this case from these political and legal
disputes or arguments about land and water in Southern California. Southern
California, as you may know, is basically a desert that has been watered and
made to look greener than it naturally would be, and that water has to come from
somewhere.
First, let’s take a moment to talk about the title, since this movie has nothing to
do with China; it’s not related to the country of China in any way. The word
Chinatown in the United States refers to a neighborhood in which there are many
Chinese people living and many Chinese-owned or Chinese American-owned
businesses. Many large cities have a Chinatown. San Francisco has the most
famous Chinatown; New York has a Chinatown; Los Angeles, of course, also has
a Chinatown.
Other national groups – other ethnic groups often have their own part of the city.
An American city is really a mixture of different cultures. Here in Los Angeles,
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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2010). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

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