Episode 384
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Hi! I’m back with a new episode.
It’s really hot outside, so today we’re going to talk about something refreshing:
ice and air conditioning.
Yes, ice and air conditioning.
Visit my website and get the transcript.
SpeakEnglishPodcast.com/podcast >
Ok, let’s start!
If you’ve ever visited the United States in the summer, you probably know what I mean.
Imagine this.
You’ve been walking outside for twenty minutes.
The sun is shining. It’s hot. You’re thirsty.
You think, “I can’t wait to have a nice, cold drink.”
So you walk into a restaurant.
And suddenly… you’re freezing.
Five minutes ago, you were sweating.
Now you’re looking for a sweater.
Welcome to summer in America!
One thing that surprises many visitors is how much Americans love ice.
Not just a few ice cubes. Lots of ice.
In many countries, if you order a glass of water, you get… water.
In the United States, you often get a glass full of ice with some water hiding underneath.
The same thing happens with lemonade, iced tea, and soft drinks.
Sometimes you look at your glass and think, “Did I order a drink... or a small iceberg?”
And then comes another surprise. A free refill.
In many American restaurants, after you finish your drink, the waiter asks,
“Would you like a refill?”
Many visitors are surprised. “A refill? For free?”
Yes, in many restaurants.
So now you have another giant glass full of ice.
In fact, you may drink so much cold liquid that you forget it is hot outside.
For about thirty seconds.
Then you leave the restaurant, and the heat reminds you immediately.
Now let’s talk about air conditioning. Americans don’t just like air conditioning.
Sometimes they seem to love it. Outside, it may be 38 degrees Celsius.
Inside, it feels like 18. You enter a building to cool down.
But after five minutes, you are almost looking for gloves.
The air conditioning is not just on. It is blasting. You leave one building because you’re freezing.
Thirty seconds later, you’re outside again, sweating.
Then you enter another building...and you’re freezing again.
It’s like living on a temperature roller coaster: summer outside, winter inside.
Restaurants, supermarkets, shopping malls, hotels, buses, offices… many places are very cold in the summer.
Of course, there is a reason for this.
In many parts of the United States, summer is not only hot. There is also a lot of humidity.
That means the air feels heavy and wet. So when people enter a building, they want to cool down fast.
For Americans, strong air conditioning can feel wonderful.
But for visitors, it can be a shock to the system. You are prepared for summer outside.
But you also need to be prepared for winter inside. Many visitors quickly learn an important lesson.
If you want to survive an American summer, don’t forget your sunglasses...your sunscreen...
and a light jacket. Yes. A light jacket. In July. It sounds strange, but you’ll probably use it.
So today, in our Point of View lesson, we’ll meet Frank.
Frank is visiting the United States for the first time.
He thinks he’s ready for an American summer.
He has no idea what’s waiting for him.
Let’s see what happens.
Speaking Practice
POV Story: Grammar in Context
Notice how the verbs, pronouns, and time perspective change naturally.
First version
Past Tense
Frank visited the United States in the middle of summer.
It was almost 40 degrees outside.
After walking for twenty minutes, he was hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.
He saw a restaurant and ran inside.
Immediately, he started shivering.
He looked around and thought, “Did I enter a restaurant or the North Pole?”
A waiter brought him a glass of lemonade.
Frank looked at the glass.
He looked again.
Then he looked at the waiter.
“Excuse me,” Frank said. “I ordered lemonade.”
The waiter smiled.
“Yes.”
Frank pointed at the glass.
“I can only see ice.”
The waiter smiled again.
“The lemonade is under the ice.”
Frank spent almost a minute moving ice cubes with his straw.
Finally, he found the lemonade.
“There you are!” he said. “I was starting to worry.”
A few minutes later, the waiter came back.
“Would you like a refill?”
Frank laughed.
“A refill? I haven’t even finished the treasure hunt for my first drink!”
After lunch, Frank went outside.
Thirty seconds later, he was melting again.
So he walked into a shopping mall.
Immediately, he was freezing.
He bought a hoodie.
When he walked outside, he took it off.
When he entered another store, he put it on again.
Outside, he took it off.
Inside, he put it on again.
Outside.
Inside.
Outside.
Inside.
By the end of the afternoon, Frank had put on his hoodie so many times that his smartwatch congratulated him for finishing a workout.
His arms were so tired that he needed five minutes to wave goodbye to a tourist.
That evening, he returned to his hotel.
The room was freezing.
Of course.
Frank looked at the air conditioner.
Then he looked at his hoodie.
Then he looked at his glass of ice water.
He smiled.
“At least,” he said, “the penguins will make me feel at home.”
Second version
Future Tense
I will visit the United States in the middle of summer.
It will be almost 40 degrees outside.
After walking for twenty minutes, I will be hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.
I will see a restaurant and run inside.
Immediately, I will start shivering.
I will look around and think, “Did I enter a restaurant or the North Pole?”
A waiter will bring me a glass of lemonade.
I will look at the glass.
I will look again.
Then I will look at the waiter.
“Excuse me,” I will say. “I ordered lemonade.”
The waiter will smile.
“Yes.”
I will point at the glass.
“I can only see ice.”
The waiter will smile again.
“The lemonade is under the ice.”
I will spend almost a minute moving ice cubes with my straw.
Finally, I will find the lemonade.
“There you are!” I will say. “I was starting to worry.”
A few minutes later, the waiter will come back.
“Would you like a refill?”
I will laugh.
“A refill? I haven’t even finished the treasure hunt for my first drink!”
After lunch, I will go outside.
Thirty seconds later, I will be melting again.
So I will walk into a shopping mall.
Immediately, I will start freezing.
I will buy a hoodie.
When I walk outside, I will take it off.
When I enter another store, I will put it on again.
Outside, I will take it off.
Inside, I will put it on again.
Outside.
Inside.
Outside.
Inside.
By the end of the afternoon, I will have put on my hoodie so many times that my smartwatch will congratulate me for finishing a workout.
My arms will be so tired that I will need five minutes to wave goodbye to a tourist.
That evening, I will return to my hotel.
The room will be freezing. Of course.
I will look at the air conditioner.
Then I will look at my hoodie. Then I will look at my glass of ice water.
I will smile. “At least,” I will say, “the penguins will make me feel at home.”
Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Review
Vocabulary from This Episode
Review the most useful words and expressions before listening again.
01 cool down
to become less hot.
05 survive an American summer
manage or deal with a hot American summer.
02 blasting
working very strongly. If the air conditioning is blasting, the cold air is very strong.
06 humidity
wetness in the air that makes the weather feel heavier and hotter.
03 a shock to the system
something that feels sudden, surprising, or difficult for your body or mind.
07 light jacket
a thin jacket, not for very cold weather.
04 temperature roller coaster
a funny expression for many fast changes between hot and cold.
08 free refill
another drink after your first one, usually without paying extra.
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