The Environment: Game Zero 2

The Environment: Game Zero (Part 2)

Introduction

Jack: Hello my name’s Jack

Rowan: My name’s Rowan

Rich: and I’m Rich and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast.

Jack: In the Premier Skills English podcast, we talk about football and help you with your English. 

Rowan: Don’t forget you can find the transcript for all our podcasts on the Premier Skills English website.

Rich: This week we are returning to our series of podcasts connected to the environment.

Jack: We will be talking about a football match called Game Zero. This is a Premier League match played between Tottenham and Chelsea and it’s quite a special match.

Rowan: It’s special because it is the world’s first major football match to be carbon neutral or carbon zero. Its aim is to not have any negative environmental impact on our planet.

Rich: In our roleplays this week, Rowan gets three tickets for Game Zero and we have to decide how we get to the match and what we do when we are there while thinking about how our actions affect our planet.

Jack: This week’s podcast comes in three parts. After each part, we have a task for you to do which will give you a chance to talk about the topic and the language connected to the environment which we will introduce.

Rowan: On the Premier Skills English website, you’ll be able to find all these podcasts and the transcripts and extra activities that go with them. 
 
Rich: So if you are listening to us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or any other podcast platform,  check out our website!

Jack: And don’t forget to listen to the end of the podcast because we have a new football phrase for you to guess!

SOCIAL

Jack: Before we start this week’s roleplay we’d just like to thank everyone for all their comments on the Premier Skills  English website. It’s great to know that you’re enjoying the podcasts and all of the free learning materials we have on the site.

Rich: We’d like to give a shout-out to some of our listeners and tell everyone what they’ve been saying.

Rowan: The first person I’d like to say a big hello to is Priscila who sent us big hugs all the way from Brazil. Priscila wrote her first comment on the website this week and told us that she really enjoys listening to the podcasts. Thanks for listening, Priscila and we send big hugs back to you!

Jack: I’d like to say hi to Amirreza_goal7 from Iran who has been telling us about some of the extreme weather in his country and how the environment has been changing. Thanks for your comments Amirreza!

Rich: Finally I’d like to say thanks to AdlRhmn from Egypt, HSN from Turkey and Douglas from Brazil for their comments and tips about evaluating what they read online.

Rowan: This was the task about fake news which was the topic of last week’s podcast. You can find this podcast and task in the podcast section on the Premier Skills English website.

Jack: OK, I think it’s time to reveal last week’s football phrase and see who got the right answer.

Last Week’s football Phrase

Rich: Right, our football phrase. If you’ve not listened to the podcast before, every week we set our listeners a challenge. We explain a football phrase or word and you have to guess what it is.

Jack: Last week’s football phrase was one game at a time. This phrase is a very common cliche and is often used in interviews by managers after winning a match. The journalist asks if the team are going to do well this season, or win the league or cup and the manager says something like ‘we can’t look that far ahead … we just need to take one game at a time and see where that takes us. The cliche is used by managers because they don’t want their team to get too confident and lose concentration in matches that, in theory, should be easy.

Rowan: Thanks for all your answers and guesses last week. The first listener with the correct answer was AbdlRhmn from Egypt. Well done Abdlrhmn!

Rich: Congratulations also go to Tiago Delazari from Brazil, HSN and Mobeckham from Turkey, Emmanuel from France, Mycpro from Hong Kong, and Gerardo94 from Cuba.

Jack: Later on, at the end of the podcast, we’ll have this week’s football phrase for you.

Introduction to Roleplay

Rich: As we said earlier, in this week’s podcast we’re talking about the environment and the world's first net-zero carbon football match - the Premier League match between Tottenham and Chelsea.

Jack: You are about to hear this week’s second roleplay. Rowan and Rich are cycling to Tottenham’s stadium but I’m nowhere to be seen. 

Rowan: While you listen we want you to answer a question:

Rich: The question is: Why is Jack late? 

Roleplay  

Rich: I don’t know why we’ve never cycled to a match before - getting some fresh air, being healthy. The cycle paths are really good, too. I hate driving in London.

Rowan: It definitely beats getting stuck in traffic and I think it lowers the tension and stress before an important match. 

Rich: The next Liverpool match I go to I’m going to cycle - it would definitely help me deal with pre-match anxiety.

Rowan: Let’s stop for a breather and grab a drink.

...

Rich: Game Zero is a great idea - look at these water bottles on our bikes - we reuse these and refill them again and again. If I’d got the bus I’d probably have bought a bottle of coke or something in the shop next to the bus stop.

Rowan: I think that’s what game zero is all about - getting us to think a bit more. We’re lowering carbon emissions not only by using our bikes. We’re also cutting down on the plastic we use, which lowers emissions as well.

Rich: Yeah, single-use plastics are really not good. I’ve been taking my own cup to work and I can even take it to my local coffee shop and I can use it there. I’ve been using it for years and I hardly ever wash it! 

Rowan: Are you thinking about the environment and your carbon footprint or are you just lazy? 

Rich: Probably a bit of both.

Rowan: We’ll be at the stadium in about 15 minutes. I’m going to give Jack a call and see where he is.

Jack: Rowan! I’m running a bit late. 

Rowan: Where are you?

Jack: Hyde Park?

Rowan: Hyde Park? What are you doing there?

Jack: I was on my way to Stamford Bridge and then I realised that …

Rowan: Really? 

Jack: Yeah, I know. I’ll meet you in the ground. I won’t miss too much. I need to get going.

Language Focus

Rowan: Before the roleplay, we asked you a question. The question was: Why is Jack late? 

Jack: I went the wrong way. Well, I didn’t think I was going the wrong way because I thought the match was at Chelsea’s stadium but then I realised it was at Tottenham’s ground.

Rich: And now Jack is going to miss the start of the match - maybe he did it on purpose because he’s an Arsenal fan and doesn’t want to watch Chelsea or Tottenham.

Rowan: OK, it’s time to look at some of the language we used connected to the environment and game zero.

Jack: Much of the language we want to focus on is connected to using less energy. In the first part of this podcast, we spoke about what carbon emissions are.

Rich: In this part, we spoke about things that can reduce carbon emissions. Reduce means to make something less. We want to reduce carbon emissions.

Jack: We used two other verbs in the roleplay that can be used in the same way: lower and cut down on. Listen to this part of the roleplay again:

Rowan: I think that’s what game zero is all about - getting us to think a bit more. We’re lowering carbon emissions not only by using our bikes. We’re also cutting down on the plastic we use, which lowers emissions as well.

Rich: So, what things did we say can reduce carbon emissions? Getting on our bikes and using less plastic.

Jack: In the roleplay, Rich and Rowan cycled to Tottenham’s stadium. They were on a cycle path.

Rowan: A cycle path is a track that only bikes are allowed to use. They’re often on the side of the road. There are lots of them in London. Are there lots of cycle paths in your city?

Rich: We also spoke about using less plastic and used the phrase single-use plastics. These are things that are intended to be only used once and then thrown away. Things like plastic cups, bags and bottles.

Jack: It’s good to avoid these and use reusable bottles and bags as long as you use them for a long time. You can buy a bag and take it with you when you go shopping.

Rowan: These are often called bags for life because they can be used many many times.

Rich: Yes, plastics and other things that are reusable are usually a good idea.

Jack: Reusable means that something can be used again. We often see the prefix re in front of words connected to the environment. This prefix usually means again or again and again.

Rowan: Some of these words include reuse, refill, renew, recycle, and reduce. Do you know what they all mean?

Rich: OK, I think that is enough language for now. You can look at this vocabulary in more detail on the Premier Skills English website. You’ll also find free activities,  the transcript and a quiz to help you understand.

TASK

Jack: Right, it’s time for your task. In the roleplay, you just heard how we can use less energy and reduce our carbon emissions in different ways.

Rich: Your task is to tell us three things that you can use or buy that will lower carbon emissions the next time you go shopping.

Jack: Doing these things will help our planet but they might benefit you in other ways, too. How?

Rowan: Write all your answers in the comments section on the Premier Skills English website.

Football Phrase 

Rich: OK, it’s time for our football phrase. If you’ve not listened to the podcast before, every week we set our listeners a challenge. We explain a football phrase or word and you have to guess what it is.

Jack: When you know the answer, go to the podcast page on the Premier Skills English website or the review section on Apple Podcasts and write the word or phrase in the comments. If you’re correct we’ll announce your name on next week’s podcast. So what is this week’s football phrase, Rich?

Rich:  This week’s football phrase is just a word and it’s a *****. Generally, this word is used to describe two of the same thing and comes from shooting – a ***** of pistols means two pistols, a ***** of birds are two birds that have been shot for food. In football, you can score a ***** - two goals in one match. Last weekend, Cristiano Ronaldo and Odsonne Edouard both got a ***** for their clubs.

Jack: If you have a football phrase that you would like us to use in the podcast, just get in touch and let us know.

Rich: Before we finish we just wanted to say that we hope you found this lesson useful and we hope all of you stay fit and healthy.

Rowan: Bye for now and enjoy your football.