Episode 375
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Today, we’re going to talk about two systems of measurement that are used around the world: the Imperial system and the Metric system. These are important to know, especially if you plan to travel or communicate with people from different countries.
Many students find it confusing to understand measurements in English. Don’t worry! By the end of this episode, you’ll know when to use inches or centimeters, miles or kilometers. You’ll also learn grammar in context with a point of view story.
What Are the Imperial and Metric Systems?
Let’s start with the Imperial system. It’s mostly used in the United States, but also in countries like Myanmar and Liberia. In this system, people use inches, feet, pounds, and miles to measure things.
On the other hand, the Metric system is used almost everywhere else. Countries like France, Germany, China, and Brazil use the Metric system. Here, things are measured in meters, grams, and liters.
Let’s compare a little:
In the Imperial system, 1 foot = 12 inches, and 1 mile = 5,280 feet.
In the Metric system, 1 meter = 100 centimeters and 1 kilometer = 1,000 meters.
Simple, right?
How Do They Work?
The Metric system is easier to learn because it’s based on powers of 10. So, you just move the decimal point to change between meters, centimeters, and kilometers.
The Imperial system is a bit more complex. For example:
1 foot = 12 inches,
1 yard = 3 feet,
And 1 mile = 5,280 feet.
So, if you’re learning English in a country that uses the Metric system, you might find it a bit tricky at first.
Where Are These Systems Used?
The Imperial system is mostly used in the United States. If you visit the U.S., you'll see road signs measured in miles, people talking about their height in feet and inches, and weight in pounds.
But if you travel to other countries, you'll see the Metric system. In France or Brazil, for example, people measure distances in kilometers and weight in kilograms.
And here’s something interesting: In the U.K. and Canada, you’ll find a mix of both systems. They use miles on road signs but talk about weight in kilograms.
Everyday Examples
Let’s look at some real-life examples to help you understand these systems better.
If you’re in the United States, you might say:
I’m 6 feet tall,
The park is 2 miles away.
But if you’re in a country using the Metric system, you would say:
I’m 180 centimeters tall,
The park is 3 kilometers away.
Practice English with Measurements
Learning both systems helps improve your English and prepares you for conversations in different countries.
Here are a few examples to practice:
To talk about height, say: “I’m 5 feet 8 inches tall” (Imperial) or “I’m 173 centimeters tall” (Metric).
To talk about weight, say: “I weigh 150 pounds” (Imperial) or “I weigh 68 kilograms” (Metric).
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GRAMMAR MADE EASY
POV Story: Grammar in Context
Read the same story in two different verb tenses and notice how the grammar changes naturally.
Third Person Past
Carlos had always dreamed of owning land in the United States. After saving enough money, he flew from Spain to Texas, excited to finally make his dream come true. The only problem? Carlos only understood the Metric system, and the U.S. was about to throw him into the confusing world of miles and acres.
After landing in Houston, Carlos rented a car. The agent at the desk handed him the keys and said, “The property is about 200 miles away.”
Carlos smiled. 200 miles? He thought. That’s just like 200 kilometers, right? No problem!
He hopped into the car and set the GPS. An hour into the drive, he checked the GPS: 50 miles down, 150 to go. He frowned. Shouldn’t I be almost there? Confused but determined, Carlos kept driving.
Two hours passed, and he was still on the road. The Texas heat was getting to him, and he was thinking something was wrong. When he pulled over at a gas station to refuel, he asked the cashier, “Excuse me, how much longer is 150 miles in kilometers?”
The cashier, wearing a cowboy hat, chuckled. “That’s more like 240 kilometers, buddy.”
Carlos’ eyes widened. 240 kilometers? He had been expecting a short road trip, not an all-day marathon. Now he understood why this drive felt endless!
After another couple of hours, Carlos finally arrived in a small town where he was meeting his real estate agent, Bob. Tired but hopeful, he stepped out of the car.
“Howdy, Carlos!” Bob greeted him, tipping his hat. “Ready to see your land?”
Carlos nodded, even though all he wanted to do was sleep. “How far is it?” he asked.
“Oh, just two miles down the road,” Bob said casually.
Carlos’ heart sank. Miles again? He still didn’t know precisely how far two miles were, but after the 200-mile experience, he wasn’t taking any chances. “That’s like three kilometers, right?”
Bob chuckled again. “Yeah, something like that.”
They drove through the vast Texan countryside until they finally arrived at a massive plot of land. Bob spread his arms wide. “Here it is! Two acres of prime Texas land.”
He stared at the endless field in front of him. “Wait… this is two acres? How many meters is that?”
Bob scratched his head. “Well, an acre’s about the size of a football field.”
Carlos’ jaw dropped. A football field? I just wanted a small garden! He pictured himself planting a few tomatoes in this enormous field.
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” Carlos said. Bob laughed. “Son, this is Texas. We don’t do small!”
Now read the same story in the future tense. Notice how the verbs change.
Third Person Future
Carlos has always dreamed of owning land in the United States. After saving enough money, he will fly from Spain to Texas, excited to finally make his dream come true. The only problem? Carlos will only understand the Metric system, and the U.S. will throw him into the confusing world of miles and acres.
After landing in Houston, he will rent a car. The agent at the desk will hand him the keys and say, "The property is about 200 miles away."
Carlos will smile. 200 miles? He will think. That's just like 200 kilometers, right? No problem!
He will hop into the car and set the GPS. An hour into the drive, he will check the GPS: 50 miles down, 150 to go. He will frown. Shouldn't I be almost there? Confused but determined, Carlos will keep driving.
Two hours will pass, and he will still be on the road. The Texas heat will get to him, and he will think something is wrong. When he pulls over at a gas station to refuel, he will ask the cashier, "Excuse me, how much longer is 150 miles in kilometers?"
The cashier, wearing a cowboy hat, will chuckle. "That's more like 240 kilometers, buddy."
Carlos' eyes will widen. 240 kilometers? He will have been expecting a short road trip, not an all-day marathon. Then he will understand why the drive will feel endless!
After another couple of hours, Carlos will finally arrive in a small town to meet his real estate agent, Bob. Tired but hopeful, he will step out of the car.
"Howdy, Carlos!" Bob will greet him, tipping his hat. "Ready to see your land?"
Carlos will nod, even though all he will want to do is sleep. "How far is it?" he will ask.
"Oh, just two miles down the road," Bob will say casually.
Carlos' heart will sink. Miles again? He still won't know exactly how far two miles will be, but after the 200-mile experience, he won't take any chances. "That's like three kilometers, right?"
Bob will chuckle again. "Yeah, something like that."
They will drive through the vast Texan countryside until they finally arrive at a massive plot of land. Bob will spread his arms wide. "Here it is! Two acres of prime Texas land."
He will stare at the endless field in front of him. "Wait… this is two acres? How many meters is that?"
Bob will scratch his head. "Well, an acre's about the size of a football field."
Carlos' jaw will drop. A football field? He will have just wanted a small garden! And will picture himself planting a few tomatoes in this enormous field.
"I think there's been a misunderstanding," Carlos will say. Bob will laugh. "Son, this is Texas. We don't do small!"
Great! Stories like this are easy to remember, and humor makes learning English more enjoyable.
Review
Vocabulary
Review the most useful words and expressions before listening again.
Imperial system
a measurement system that uses units such as inches, feet, miles, and pounds.
Metric system
a measurement system based on powers of ten, using units such as meters, liters, and grams.
inch
a small Imperial unit of length; there are 12 inches in one foot.
mile
an Imperial unit used to measure longer distances.
acre
an Imperial unit used to measure an area of land.
powers of ten
a number system in which units increase or decrease by factors of ten.
refuel
put more fuel into a vehicle.
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