ISG 0329 Listening Comprehension - NPR News

[technobabel]

I think maybe I have found the problem. I spent this weekend in my parents-in-law's house and seemed that my laptop was not "acquainted" with the internet environment in Hsinchu (Don't laugh. That’s the only explanation I could find). The connection was not very good. Sometimes I could get online, sometimes it kept cutting me off, and sometimes just part of the online functions worked. Now I am back home and my puppy runs smoothly now. I believe things will goes smooth next week, since I am not going anywhere then.

Perhaps the Goddess of Internet wants you to spend more "quality time" with your in-laws.

[technobabel]

Unless you are a policy wonk, NPR News isn't likely to be music to your ears.
So, I wouldn't force myself to "enjoy" it, if I were you.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/policy_wonk
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-pol1.htm

[Sherry Liao]

I think maybe I have found the problem. I spent this weekend in my parents-in-law's house and seemed that my laptop was not "acquainted" with the internet environment in Hsinchu (Don't laugh. That’s the only explanation I could find). The connection was not very good. Sometimes I could get online, sometimes it kept cutting me off, and sometimes just part of the online functions worked. Now I am back home and my puppy runs smoothly now. I believe things will goes smooth next week, since I am not going anywhere then.

Perhaps the Goddess of Internet wants you to spend more "quality time" with your in-laws.

That's definitely true.

I could tell from the face of my mother-in-law that she was thrilled for our coming back. I should have spent more time keeping company with her.

[Sherry Liao]

Unless you are a policy wonk, NPR News isn't likely to be music to your ears.
So, I wouldn't force myself to "enjoy" it, if I were you.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/policy_wonk
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-pol1.htm

Haha, I beg to differ.

The news reporters really speak a mile a minute and I can hardly follow what they said, so I have to listen repeatedly to try to catch on the meaning of each sentence. however, that's what makes this practice so mesmeric. For me, listening to such news is much more exciting than listening to music.

[technobabel]

Unless you are a policy wonk, NPR News isn't likely to be music to your ears.
So, I wouldn't force myself to "enjoy" it, if I were you.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/policy_wonk
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-pol1.htm

Haha, I beg to differ.

The news reporters really speak a mile a minute and I can hardly follow what they said, so I have to listen repeatedly to try to catch on the meaning of each sentence. however, that's what makes this practice so mesmeric. For me, listening to such news is much more exciting than listening to music.

Just to be on the safe side, for those whom haven't figured it out, the phrase "music to your ears" is in fact an idiom. Is it okay to perceive idiomatic expression literally? In some cases, smart people do like to play dumb and pretend not to know that an expression is in fact idiomatic. On top of that, pointing out an obvious idiom could be mistaken as being condescending. Potentially this is a dilemma.

http://www.englishclub.com/ref/esl/Idio ... rs_662.htm

[Sherry Liao]

Just to be on the safe side, for those whom haven't figured it out, the phrase "music to your ears" is in fact an idiom. Is it okay to perceive idiomatic expression literally? In some cases, smart people do like to play dumb and pretend not to know that an expression is in fact idiomatic. On top of that, pointing out an obvious idiom could be mistaken as being condescending. Potentially this is a dilemma.

http://www.englishclub.com/ref/esl/Idio ... rs_662.htm

Honestly, I didn't know the usage, so I have nothing to do with those smart people.

I would say that the attempt at explaining the meaning of an idiom is not to be considered condescending. Also, since this is an English forum, I am pretty sure elaborating on an English usage here is always "politically correct".

Thanks.

[Kooper]

I agree with the part kooper in charge, I think is nearly 100% correct.

My transcript (with unsure words highlighted in reddish-purple):

According to Administration officials, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is expected to unveil as soon as next week, a plan that would get toxic assets off banks books. That's according to a published report as NPR (Reporter's name) reports:

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Treasury Secretary perhaps as soon as Monday will unveil a three-pronged plan to use resources about the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, to expand existing programs and create new mechanisms to deal with banks' bad assets, which reportedly include creating an entity, backed by the FDIC, to purchase and hold some loans. Treasury would also expand the capacity to handle older so-called legacy assets and finally, which include a plan matched by Geithner last month, set up public-private investment funds to purchase mortgage-backed security. It’s not clear how much money the government would contribute to the program, so it would appears to sign also how to make resources, the Obama administration’s seven hundred billion dollar bailout fund, stretch further.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Treasury Secretary perhaps as soon as Monday will unveil a three-pronged plan to use resources about the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, to expand existing programs and create new mechanisms to deal with banks' bad assets, will reportedly include creating an entity,

Or:

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Treasury Secretary perhaps as soon as Monday would unveil a three-pronged plan to use resources about the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, to expand existing programs and create new mechanisms to deal with banks' bad assets, would reportedly include creating an entity,

Two "will" or two "would"

When the reporting verb is simple present, present perfect, or future, the verb tense in the quotation does not change. - Writing Academic English, 3rd version
Ex: He says, "I can finish it today." = He says that he can finish it today.
So we should use "will" here since the reporting verb "has reported" is of present perfect tense.