Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
Silence
简体
Silence
沉默

Learn the Zero Conditional

Date: Sep 07 2011

Themes: Travel

Grammar: Zero Conditional

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

The expression “silence is golden” isn’t true for everybody. Some people can’t stand a lot of noise and like nothing better than a little peace and quiet. But others find silence uncomfortable. They prefer a little background noise at all times, and would rather it be too loud than too quiet.

But whether or not you think it’s golden, true silence is pretty rare. If you live in a big city, you’re constantly surrounded by noise from the street like car horns, sirens, buses and trains. Finding a few moments of silence can be a challenge at home, too, especially if you have children, a big family, or a lot of roommates.

It’s easier to find silence in remote places. But if you head out to the country in search of a little peace and quiet, don’t forget to silence your cell phone!
If you can stand a little noise now, listen to Ella and Marni chat about silence.

俗语“沉默是金”并不适合于每一个人。有些人无法忍受太多的噪音,而衷情于平和与宁静。可其他人却会感觉沉默令人不舒服。在任何时候,他们都喜欢略微吵闹的环境,而且他们认为过于吵闹总要好于过分安静。
但是,不管你是否认为“沉默是金”,真正的沉默是极为罕见的。如果你居住在大城市中,你将持续被街上的各种噪音包围,比如汽车喇叭、警笛声、公交车和火车的声音。在家中寻求片刻宁静也是一种挑战,尤其是如果你有孩子、有一个大家庭或者有很多室友时,更是难上加难。在偏远的地方能比较容易地找到安静。但是,当你去郊外寻找些许平和与安宁的时候,不要忘记将手机静音!
如果你现在还能忍受些许噪音,就来听艾拉和玛尼聊聊沉默吧。

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Marni

Ella

Ella

Marni:  You know, Ella, that old expression “silence is golden”?

Ella:  Sometimes, maybe, but I don’t mind a little background noise.

Marni:  I just want some peace and quiet. I just want, you know, ten minutes of silence.

Ella:  For me, the house I live in is pretty old, so all the creaks and stuff like that kind of creeps me out. So for me, I love to have like background noise going on.

Marni:  I wonder if it’s my profession, you know, teaching. I just talk all day, I don’t shut up all day, so it just hits that point when I come home, I just want it to be quiet. I just want some peace and quiet. Just a little me time.

Ella:  Yeah, for me I feel like if it’s too quiet, then my thoughts just keep running and running and running. So it helps me relax when there’s some noise around.

Marni:  All that noise helps you relax? That’s fascinating. Yeah, I’m totally the opposite. I really, I think it sounds like a racket, so much background noise. Just shut up, you know?

Ella:  As soon as I get home I turn my laptop on, I have my stereo going, I throw on the TV. That just helps me relax.

Marni:  So you probably don’t really like going camping or getting out into the woods where it’s just quiet and still.

Ella:  Yeah, I usually bring a stereo if I go camping.

Marni:  Wow. Remind me to never go camping with you.

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Zero Conditional" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Marni loves silence. She is a teacher, so she has to talk all day and is always around noisy children. When she gets home, she just wants a little peace and quiet.

Ella, on the other hand, doesn’t like silence. If it is too quiet, she can’t relax. Sometimes silence even creeps her out. At home, she always turns on her stereo or TV for background noise.

It’s hard for Marni to understand how Ella can stand all that noise. Ella even likes to bring a stereo with her when she goes camping. Marni says she could never go camping with Ella. She loves the peace and quiet of remote places.

Do you like silence, or do you prefer to have some background noise? Is there a lot of noise where you live?

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

cool dreams

Yemen

In the place that i live in ,people and everything is so quiet, sometimes this situation makes me feel bored.



therefor,i love background noise,because it makes me feel that i still alive.

05:22 PM Sep 07 2011 |

elixandra

Dominican Republic

for me it all depends on the situation, for instance if im happy most likely i will need an extra noise to celebrate,on the other hand if i feel sad silence will be my choise at that very moment

04:40 PM Sep 07 2011 |

esraa draz

esraa draz

Egypt

WE CAN KEEP GUIET FOR A MOMENTS ,SILENCE IT’S VERY A GOOD THING :))


BUT FOR ME I DON’T LIKE SILENCE ,CUZ I LIKE MUSIC AND WATCH TV TOO


CUZ IT’S BORING WHEN WE SILENCE ALL THE TIME 



 

04:09 PM Sep 07 2011 |

nicoleyani

nicoleyani

Indonesia

It depends on the place and situation i guess.. but when I go to bed I like to be silent in a dark room. .

03:38 PM Sep 07 2011 |

Tracyleung

Tracyleung

China

For me, it depends on the situation and mood. When there is no one at home and I am very exciting, the noice, like music, TV, will make me feel happy and relax. Opposite, if I feel sad, I would not want to talk and hate the racket. I want to be alone.

02:58 PM Sep 07 2011 |

jmeel

Iraq

my jobe have alot of nois and iwork in my company since 22years old therfore isuffer from machinery noise when icome back my home isleep 2hours to become relax

02:54 PM Sep 07 2011 |

zamalek

zamalek

Egypt

the photo of lady in the head of the lesson is like ascary movies

02:24 PM Sep 07 2011 |

riyaskoleth

India

To me i need silence in skleeping time. I get angry if there is a little noise. But the rest of the time, it is ok to have noise

02:10 PM Sep 07 2011 |

Alcira0412

Colombia

I agree with Marun, when I have had a difficult day at work and University, I like quiet places, just to get some R AND R, and recover energy and get relaxed.

01:56 PM Sep 07 2011 |

Murun

Mongolia

It depends on the situation. If I had a crazy long day at my work, I definitely wanna be alone and prefer peace and quiet. In a other hand, a little background noise is best because of the sad long day I had at the house for long time.

01:30 PM Sep 07 2011 |

a chinese boy

China

I want to become friends with some foreign friend, we may use the mail relation, my 17 years old, you can be the friend of mine?
You may send the mail also to be possible to send to or

01:27 PM Sep 07 2011 |

m.ania

m.ania

Poland

Sometimes I need  a few minutes of silence :-)

01:14 PM Sep 07 2011 |

amado

amado

Jordan

To me, all men need business up front, and a party in the back.
So, we need all noise around us to servive.


 

12:54 PM Sep 07 2011 |

ziad10

ziad10

Egypt

Salam really is interesting topic 4 me i prefer silence in my dialy life i felt comfortable but not all me times sometimes why not taste noise In order to make our lives a balanced , i sleep in the same room with my brother he like noise and watch TV loudly til late at night  really recently he make me crzay lol but i will change the room soon  ;)

11:55 AM Sep 07 2011 |

wwongsapun

wwongsapun

Thailand

That’s depend with situation when I read a book  so I like to silence. If another situation I think some background noise is very good.

11:43 AM Sep 07 2011 |

ELANGO

ELANGO

India

silence is very pleasant word,its no meaning of keep quit,pleasnt of love

11:43 AM Sep 07 2011 |

魅雪

魅雪

China

silence of love

11:33 AM Sep 07 2011 |

samirah

samirah

Saudi Arabia

actually , my attitude  of background noise and silence is inconsistent sometimes i   can stand noise and i have fun when i hear salesmen quarrel , steamship horns and so on Laughing  but at another time , i would rather to stay in silent placesSmile 

11:17 AM Sep 07 2011 |

Madline

Madline

Jordan

actully. I like the silence but I live down town and it’s so rarlely to find it ….............so background noise always follows me :(

09:47 AM Sep 07 2011 |

Nylia

Nylia

Philippines

Actually, In this case it is reliable to every one of us, sometime there are people who would really like racket and they’re also people who can’t stand a lot of noise.    Although we are in different approach of lifestyle specifically to our each sensations


Well for me, depends of what  the circumstances and sensations it is, I don’t  like  much  silence it would probably can provide me of uncomfortable feelings which is I hatred not just of  that,  it feels really lonely and boring without any background noise. It should creep me out particularly at night of being unaccompanied.


Otherwise, I’d like to be shut up some peace of quite if I’m something feel terrible and that method it does deserve and prefer to be silence of my relaxation or lounging.


 

09:41 AM Sep 07 2011 |

Likes (34):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast