Fun English Lessons

English Learning Conversation

A:  Hey, you look great.  Did you just get back from vacation? B:  No.  Why? A:  What do you mean why?  It’s the middle of winter and everyone else is as white as a ghost.  You look like you’ve been lying on a beach somewhere. B:  Alright, I’ll tell you.  But I don’t want to hear any of your negativity.  I’ve been hitting the tanning salon once a week. A:  I don’t see anything wrong with that.  I’d actually like to try it.  What’s it like? B:  The place I go you have to pay by the minute.  It costs about 75 cents per minute and you really just need to go for one, twelve-minute session per week.  You can get 20% off if you buy their $25 VIP card.  A:  What do you think about the safety of them? B:  Many experts warn of the cancer causing risks of tanning.  They say that overexposure to UVA and UVB rays cause genetic mutations that lead to skin cancer.  I try to play it fairly safe and make sure I don’t go too often.  I also don’t go in for longer than 12 minutes.  A:  That’s a good idea.  How long do some people go? B:  Some people seem to get addicted to it.  I’ve met several people who go 5 times a week and tan for 20 minutes per session.  I’d personally be afraid to do that much, not only because of the cancer risk, but also because of the pre-mature aging of the skin. A:  Are there any health benefits associated with tanning indoors? B:  Your skin does absorb some vitamin D from the UVB rays, but many experts say that the risks outweigh the benefits.

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What do you mean why?:  This is a rhetorical question (which means a question you don’t expect to be answered).  If someone asks you “why”, and you think they should already know the answer, then you could ask back, “what do you mean why?”  This is basically like saying, “I can’t believe you need to ask me why when you should already know the answer”.

White as a ghost:  During the winter when there isn’t as much sunlight, we sometimes joke with each other as “looking white as a ghost”.  Many people believe that looking too white or pale skinned is not very attractive or healthy looking.  It makes people want to get a suntan.

I don’t want to hear any of your negativity:  If you say this sentence to someone, it means that you don’t want to hear any bad or negative opinion that they have.  For example, if you got back together with your ex-girlfriend and you thought that some of your friends might judge you or say something negative, you could say to them, “I don’t want to hear any of your negativity”.  It is similar to saying, “it is none of your business, so if you disagree with me, don’t say anything”. 

Hitting the tanning salon:  The tanning salon is a small business with indoor tanning beds.  These tanning beds are made with special lights that simulate the sun’s rays.  You can go there to get an artificial suntan.  “Hitting the tanning salon” means “going to the tanning salon”.

Overexposure:  If you are “exposed” to something it means that you are in the presence of that thing.  If you are “overexposed” to something it means that you are in the presence of that thing too much and it is unhealthy.  Overexposure to second hand smoke from cigarettes can cause cancer.

Genetic mutations:  Genetic mutations are changes in the genes or DNA.  Genetic mutations can sometimes lead to cancer.

Pre-mature aging:  If something is “pre-mature” it means that it is happening before it is supposed to.  If someone’s skin has aged pre-maturely, it means that their skin looks older than it really is.  For example, a 25 year old person might have skin that looks like the skin of a 40 year old.

The risks outweigh the benefits:  This means that there are more dangers or risks than there are potential benefits.  For example, most people agree that smoking isn’t a good idea because the risks of cancer and other harmful health concerns are far more severe than the benefits of enjoying smoking. 

 

 

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