Leaving home to start life at university is an exciting time for many young people but very challenging for some. Alice and Neil discuss the psychological pressures of making this big transition. They also teach some related vocabulary.

This week's question

In a survey of students at Imperial College London, how many students said they suffered from high levels of stress or a mental health condition during their time at college? Was it…

a) 1 out of 4?

b) 2 out of 4?

c) 3 out of 4?

You can hear the right answer at the end of the programme.

through rose-tinted spectacles
seeing a situation as better than it really was

out of your comfort zone
being in a situation that you aren't familiar with and which makes you feel nervous

counselling
professional help with personal or psychological problems

homesick
missing your family and friends when you're away from home

stress
pressure or worry caused by a difficult situation

balancing act
where you try to give your attention to two or more things at the same time

look after yourself
be responsible for or take care of yourself

budgeting
planning how much money you have and how you will spend it

stressed
anxious and worried

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Alice
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Alice…

Neil
… and I'm Neil. Hello.

Alice
Hello, Neil. You went to university, didn't you?

Neil
Yes. University – the best days of my life. I made fantastic friends, went to great parties…

Alice
Did some work?

Neil
Well, yeah, I did some work, but probably not enough.

Alice
Well, the subject of today's show is student mental health. So, Neil, do you think you're looking back at your university days through rose-tinted spectacles? And that means looking at a situation as being better than it really was.

Neil
I did feel out of my comfort zone when I arrived. Yes, everyone seemed to know everyone… knew where to go.

Alice
Yes, well, being out of your comfort zone means being in a situation that you aren't familiar with and which makes you feel nervous. Did you talk to anyone about your feelings, Neil? Did you get any counselling? And that means professional help with personal or psychological problems.

Neil
What? No, not me. I'm one of those men who isn't good at talking about their feelings, Alice. I just felt a bit homesick that's all – I missed my friends and family. But let's move on, shall we! Why don't you ask me today's quiz question?

Alice
Alright then. So here it is: In a survey of students at Imperial College London, how many students said they suffered from high levels of stress or a mental health condition during their time at college? Was it…
a) 1 out of 4?
b) 2 out of 4?
or c) 3 out of 4?

Neil
Well, I'm going to go for c) 3 out of 4 because I do think that university life can be more stressful than people realize.

Alice
Yes. And stress means pressure or worry caused by a difficult situation. OK, we'll find out if you're right or wrong later on. Now in the UK, there has been a rise in students using counselling services.

Neil
Why's that, Alice?

Alice
Well, let's listen to Kirsty, a student at Exeter University, talking about why she has had problems. And here's a question for you while you listen: Did she enjoy her first days in college?

INSERT
Kirsty McMurron, student at Exeter University
No. The thing is… it… is a real balancing act. When I first got to university I don't think I'd really realized that I'd forgotten how to make friends you know, I'd been with the same school friends for seven years, and so I was trying to balance you know social success with academic success whilst learning how to look after myself at quite a young age. And I think that's the experience of a lot of young people. And people really struggle with it.

Neil
What's a balancing act, Alice?

Alice
It's where you try to give your attention to two or more things at the same time. So here, Kirsty is trying to balance making new friends with doing her academic work and learning to look after herself.

Neil
What does Kirsty mean when she says she's learning to look after herself?

Alice
Well, to look after someone means to protect or take care of someone – and in this case, Kirsty's learning to take care of herself – for example doing her own shopping and cooking.

Neil
OK, let's listen to Dr Ruth Caleb of the counselling service at Brunel University in London talking about what practical stuff students could learn before leaving for university that might make life easier for them.

INSERT
Dr Ruth Caleb, Head of the counselling service at Brunel University, London
Certain things that I think it would be very very helpful for students to have put in place are an ability to do the practical things of life – to do the washing, to do the cleaning and so on – being able to cook. Budgeting is extremely important in university life. And also spending time on your own comfortably.

Neil
Yes, that's excellent advice. I couldn't boil an egg when I arrived at uni.

Alice
Oh, really? Can you do it now, Neil?

Neil
Just about, just about.

Alice
Yeah? Great. And what about budgeting? This means planning how much money you have and how you will spend it.

Neil
I'm still pretty bad at that. However, I am very good at spending time on my own

comfortably.

Alice
Yes, I can believe that – feet up, watching TV with a takeaway.

Neil
Takeaway, of course a takeaway cause I can't cook anything…

Alice
No.

Neil
… not even an egg. You know me so well. So how about the answer to today's quiz question, Alice?

Alice
Alright then. I asked: In a survey of students at Imperial College London, how many said they suffered from high levels of stress or a mental health condition during their time at college? Was it…
a) 1 out of 4?
b) 2 out of 4?
or c) 3 out of 4?

Neil
And I said c) 3 out of 4.

Alice
Yes. And you are correct – well done, Neil! The survey, completed by over a thousand students, also found that almost 70% of those that suffer from stress do so at least once a week, and 9% of students feel stressed constantly. Stressed means anxious and worried.

Neil
Well, I feel anxious just thinking about all that stress. Can we hear today's words again?

Alice
We certainly can. They are:
through rose-tinted spectacles
out of your comfort zone
counselling
homesick
stress
balancing act
look after yourself
budgeting
stressed

Neil
Well, that brings us to the end of today's 6 Minute English. We hope you've had a stress-free time. Please do join us again soon. You know where to find us, don't you? Go to www.learningenglish.com , where you'll find grammar points, vocabulary and more editions of 6 Minute English.

Both
Bye.

تولید شده در بی بی سی در تاریخ یازدهم دسامبر ۲۰۱۵ مصادف با جمعه ۲۰ آذر ۱۳۹۲

روش صحیح استفاده از مطالب این کانال
6 minutes English
۱- یک برگ کاغذ بردارید.
۲- لغات جدید متن را در آن بنویسید. افزایش دامنه لغات( vocabulary)
۳- معنی آن را در دیکشنری جستجو و بنویسید.
۴- متن کامل موضوع را ترجمه کنید و در برگه بنویسید.
مهارت ترجمه(translation)
متن فارسی شده موضوع را به دقت مطالعه کنید.
افزایش درک متون (comprehension)
۵- صدای متن را دانلود،و به تعداد زیاد در صورتی که به متن انگلیسی موضوع نگاه می کنید،گوش فرا دهید.
افزایش مهارت شنیداری (listening)
*تا زمانی که حس می کنید،کلمات و جملات گوینده،نا مفهوم و غیر قابل فهم است،به متن انگلیسی موضوع نگاه کنید.
۶- به تعداد زیاد به صدای گوینده متن،بدون مشاهده متن موضوع،گوش فرا دهید.
افزایش مهارت شنیداری (listening)
بعد از مدت کوتاهی،به مرور وابستگی شما به مشاهده موضوع های بعدی کم می شود.
اکنون شما در مرحله بسیار خوبی از مهارت شنیداری قرار دارید.
۷- متن مورد مطالعه را با صدای بلند و تلفظ صحیح،به تعداد زیاد و تا رسیدن به نقطه مطلوب سرعت بخوانید.
افزایش مهارت خواندن( reading)
۸-سعی کنید به صورت گروهی(حداقل دو نفره)از مطالب کانال استفاده کنید،تا بعد انجام مراحل بالا،متن مکالمه را با هم اجراء کنید.
افزایش مهارت مکالمه ( speaking)
* تعویض شخصیت مکالمه حین اجراء فراموش نشود تا speaking شما به نحوه مطلوبی با کیفیت شود.

Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of the social media platform Facebook, has announced he will give away most of his fortune. Neil and Sophie talk about robber barons, industrialization in America, and what it takes to be a modern-day philanthropist.

This week's question

Who was the most generous philanthropist in the US in 2014? Was it…

a) Bill Gates

b) Mark Zuckerberg

c) Warren Buffett

You can hear the right answer at the end of the programme.

pledged
made a serious promise

philanthropy
helping others, especially by giving large amounts of money to good causes

well off
wealthy

human potential
people's ability to develop or achieve things

equality
(in this context) a situation where all children are equal with the same rights and opportunities as each other

unethical
morally wrong

ruthless
cruel

average Joe
ordinary person

donating
giving

a tidy sum
a large number

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Neil
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Neil…

Sophie
And I'm Sophie…

Neil
Sophie, I can't get out of my head what Mark Zuckerberg, you know, the guy who created Facebook, said recently.

Sophie
Oh, I know, he pledged – or made a serious promise – to give away 99% of his shares in Facebook over the course of his lifetime. The shares are currently worth around $45bn.

Neil
Why, oh why did he decide to give his fortune away? It's puzzling to me.

Sophie
It's an act of philanthropy – which means helping others, especially by giving large amounts of money to good causes.

Neil
And philanthropy is the subject of this show.

Sophie
But don't worry about Zuckerberg, it's probably fair to say that he will remain extremely well off – or wealthy – even after giving away his fortune.

Neil
Well, that's true. Let me ask you then today's quiz question: Who was the most generous philanthropist in the US last year? Was it…
a) Bill Gates
b) Mark Zuckerberg
Or c) Warren Buffett

Sophie
I'm going to say… c) Warren Buffett.

Neil
Well, we'll find out if you were right or not later on in the show. Now, Zuckerberg was inspired to give away his fortune by the birth of his daughter Max. In a letter to Max – posted on Facebook. In his post, he talks about using the money to advance human potential and promote equality for all children in the next generation. Equality – in other words, with the same rights and opportunities.

Sophie
Zuckerberg is the latest in a long line of billionaire entrepreneurs to turn philanthropist and use his money for good causes. Did you know that some of the earliest American philanthropists were robber barons?

Neil
Robber barons? What's … ? Hang on, what're robber barons?

Sophie
They're business people who use unethical - or morally wrong - business tactics to gain large personal fortunes. Nineteenth-century entrepreneurs like Rockefeller, Carnegie and Ford were robber barons. They built up huge empires in industry – oil, steel, railways, and cars – and were largely responsible for transforming the United States from an agricultural nation into an industrial one.

Neil
Henry Ford – he's the one who said you can have any colour you want as long as it's black. I like that kind of thing.

Sophie
Focus, Neil!

Neil
OK. OK.

Sophie
But as the barons got older, they decided they wanted to give back to society, and turned to philanthropy. Andrew Carnegie believed that wealth should be spent to make the world a better place.

Neil
That sounds too warm and fuzzy for a ruthless – or cruel - robber baron.

Sophie
People change, Neil! When he died, Carnegie had given away a total of $350m to the state to spend on public works. That's around $8bn in today's money.

Neil
Well, let's listen to Hugh Cunningham, a Professor of History at the University of Kent here, in the UK. He talks about what the average Joe – that's you and me, folks – thinks about big business and philanthropy today.

INSERT
Hugh Cunningham, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Kent
The very word philanthropy does not necessarily have 100% positive connotations for the public at large given where we are in terms of the public's attitude towards business or the banks and that kind of stuff. So I think it's in everyone's interests to try and broaden out the concept of philanthropy into a wider notion of giving, making a contribution, making a difference.

Neil
Yes, banks and big businesses can easily afford to give away millions of dollars for the public good if they choose to. It is not so easy when you're an individual struggling to pay the rent.

Sophie
That's right, Neil. But a lot of people in the UK are super-rich compared to those in the developing world. And we can make a big difference by donating – or giving – smaller amounts of money to help improve their lives.

Neil
And that's what Professor Cunningham means when he says we should broaden out the notion – or idea – of philanthropy. It's not only robber barons who can afford to be philanthropic. Let's listen to Toby Ord, a gradua

te student from Oxford University talking about how he makes a difference.

INSERT
Toby Ord, moral philosopher, Oxford University
I worked out that over my life I'd be able to earn about £1.5m and that I could maintain my current standard of living as a graduate student and still donate about £1m of that.

Sophie
So Toby actually gives away any money that he earns above £18,000 a year. He feels that he doesn't need more than this amount to maintain his standard of living.

Neil
I'm impressed by Toby's pledge but I don't think I could live like a student my whole life!

Sophie
I thought that would suit you extremely well, Neil! Now why don't you give us the answer to today's quiz question?

Neil
I asked: Who was the most generous philanthropist in the US last year? Was it… a) Bill Gates? b) Mark Zuckerberg? Or c) Warren Buffett?

Sophie
I said Warren Buffett.

Neil
Good guess, Sophie! Well done! Buffett, who made his $73bn fortune from investments, donated $2.8bn to charity in 2014 bringing his lifetime total to almost $23bn, according to Forbes. That's a tidy sum – and that means a large number! OK let's hear those words again, Sophie.

Sophie
Here they are:
pledged
philanthropy
well off
human potential
equality
unethical
ruthless
average Joe
donating
a tidy sum

Neil
Well, that's the end of today's 6 Minute English. Please join us again soon!

Both
Bye.

BBC Learning English
کانال رسمی آموزش زبان بی‌بی‌سی
https://telegram.me/BBC_Learning_English

Neil and Sophie talk about the hopes and risks of gene editing. Is it going to cure diseases? Or be used to create designer babies? And Neil wonders how many errors he might have in his genetic code.

This week's question

Which science fiction film anticipates gene editing in a dystopian society where humans are genetically engineered? Is it…

a) Robocop

b) Gattaca

c) Blade Runner

You can hear the right answer at the end of the programme.

gene editing
the ability to modify DNA

manipulate
modify or control

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
a substance in the cells of animals and plants that contains genetic information

gene
a part of the DNA in a cell that controls the growth and behaviour of a living thing and is passed on from its parents

dystopian
an imaginary society where people are unhappy and afraid

scanning
searching carefully

snip
cut

faulty
not working properly

catch
problem, often a hidden problem

embryo
an animal developing in its mother's womb

designer babies
babies whose genes have been selected to have certain desirable characteristics

open the door
make possible

enhanced
improved

discrimination
treating some people less fairly than others

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Sophie
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Sophie…

Neil
And I'm Neil. I was watching the news the other day, Sophie.

Sophie
Learn anything interesting?

Neil
Yes, actually. UK scientists have been authorised by the government to genetically modify human embryos for research. What they can't do though is implant modified embryos into women. They talked a lot about gene editing...

Sophie
Can you explain to us what gene editing is?

Neil
Mmm… I think this means there are these letters in a code – A-B-C something… I can't remember exactly…

Sophie
Gene editing is the ability to manipulate – or control – DNA. And in case you didn't know, DNA is short for deoxyribonucleic acid – this is a substance in the cells of animals and plants that contains genetic information. And a gene is part of the DNA in the cell that controls the physical development and behaviour of a plant or animal and is passed on from its parents.

Neil
Phew! Thanks for the science lesson, Sophie.

Sophie
You're welcome. Now here's a question for you, Neil: Which science fiction film anticipates gene editing in a dystopian society where humans are genetically engineered? Is it…
a) Robocop
b) Gattaca
or c) Blade Runner

Neil
Mmm… I don't really understand the question but I'm going to say c) Blade Runner. What's dystopian?

Sophie
Dystopian means an imaginary society where people are unhappy and afraid. Well, moving on, let's listen to BBC journalist Fergus Walsh talking about how gene editing works.

INSERT
Fergus Walsh, BBC journalist
Think of gene editing as a molecular sat nav. It scans the DNA searching for the error. Then it uses molecular scissors to snip through both strands, which switches off the faulty gene. Or it can repair the code by inserting a healthy copy of the gene. These techniques raise the prospect of treating – even curing – some genetic diseases – and it's not science fiction.

Sophie
So DNA is a set of instructions for how our bodies work written using a chemical code of four letters – A, T, C, G. But sometimes the code contains mistakes.

Neil
Yes. You find spelling mistakes by scanning – or searching – through the DNA. Then you snip – or cut out – the mistake or faulty gene from the code using molecular scissors. Faulty by the way, means something that isn't working properly – like the faulty brakes on my bike.

Sophie
That sounds really dangerous, Neil!

Neil
Yeah, but I'm more worried about my faulty genes. I might have all sorts of genetic mistakes inside me.

Sophie
That wouldn't surprise me. But you've actually touched on a serious point. Latest research suggests all our bodies do contain genetic mistakes, some of which could cause disease. And as reporter Fergus Walsh said at the end of the clip, gene editing could be important for treating or even curing inherited genetic diseases. For patients with blood, immune, muscle or skin disorders it offers the possibility that their faulty cells could be removed, or changed in the lab, and then put back.

Neil
That sounds amazing. But is there a catch?

Sophie
And that means a problem or drawback. Yes. Some people think that if editing the genes of a human embryo is allowed for curing disease, this will lead to editing the genes of embryos for reasons other than health. Let's listen to Marcy Darnovsky, executive director of the Centre for Genetics and Society in California talking about her concerns.

INSERT
Marcy Darnovsky, Centre for Genetics and Society
It's too risky, we don't need it, there are other ways to have healthy children, and it would open the door – possibly – to a world of genetic haves and have nots. We don't need more inequality, we don't need more discrimination in the world.

Neil
An embryo by the way is an animal or human starting to develop inside its mother. Marcy Darnovsky is against gene editing because it may be used to create designer babies – or babies whose genes have been selected to have certain desirable characteristics.

Sophie
She says it may open the door – or make it possible – a situatio

n where embryos are genetically enhanced – or improved – to be more intelligent or physically stronger, for example.

Neil
And this will lead to more discrimination in the world – which means treating some people less fairly than others…

Sophie
…which is something that science fiction has been predicting for many years. It's that dystopian society we were discussing earlier, Neil! Which science fiction film anticipates gene editing in a dystopian society where humans are genetically engineered? Is it… a) Robocop b) Gattaca or c) Blade Runner?

Neil
And I said c) Blade Runner.

Sophie
Sorry, Neil! It was b) Gattaca. This 1997 sci-fi film centres on the character Vincent Freeman, who wasn't genetically engineered, but is able to buy the genetic identity of another man in order to pursue his dream of travelling into space. The film's title uses the letters G, A, T and C, which are the four chemical codes making up DNA.
Now here are today's words:
gene editing
manipulate
DNA
gene
dystopian
scanning
snip
faulty
catch
embryo
designer babies
open the door
enhanced
discrimination

Neil
Well, that's the end of today's 6 Minute English. Please do join us again soon!

Both
Bye.

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