ESL podcast 858 – donating an organ

English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 858 – Donating an Organ

GLOSSARY
sticker – a piece of paper with an image and/or text on one side and sticky glue
on the other side so that it can adhere to other objects
* The teacher puts a star-shaped sticker on the top of the test if the student gets
all the right answers.
driver’s license – a small card that fits in one’s wallet and is an official document
stating that one has legal permission to drive in the state, often used as
identification
* The bank teller looked at the photo and the signature on my driver’s license
before cashing the check.
to indicate – to show; to state; to make something clear and understood
* The map indicates that we should turn left here, but that doesn’t feel right.
organ donation – the process of allowing one’s internal body parts to be used
after one’s death to save or improve the life of someone else
* It’s important to speak with your family about organ donation, so that they can
respect your wishes when you die.
recipient – a person who receives something; not the giver
* Maria Louisa was the recipient of four scholarships while she was a student at
Montana State University.
heart – the internal organ (body part) in one’s chest that pumps or moves blood
throughout one’s body, adding oxygen to it
* Jelissa felt like her heart stopped beating when she heard the bad news.
liver – the internal organ (body part) in one’s abdomen (stomach area) that filters
blood as it passes through the digestive tract (path that food moves through while
it is processed), taking out bad chemicals
* Many people who abuse alcohol suffer from diseases of the liver.

kidney – one of two internal organs (body parts) in the back part of the abdomen
(stomach area) that filter blood, removing waste products and creating urine
(liquid body waste)
* Did you know that you can donate one kidney and still function normally?

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ESL Podcast 858 – Donating an Organ

to transplant – to move an organ (body part) from one person’s body to
another’s so that it can function in the other body
* The doctors want to transplant a cornea into Stamford’s eye so that he will be
able to see again.
to consent – to agree to do what someone wants one to do; to provide
permission for something to happen
* How did you get your father to consent to letting you stay out until 2:00 a.m.?
waiting list – a long list of people who are waiting to have, receive, or do
something when there are not enough things for everyone on the list
* We don’t have any openings in our preschool this fall, but we can put your
daughter on our waiting list.
eye bank – a facility that stores corneas (parts of an eye) that were taken from
the bodies of people who have died, and keeps those corneas healthy until they
can be used to restore sight for another person
* How long can a cornea be preserved in an eye bank?

registry – an official list or record
* Our wedding registry has a list of items that our wedding guests can buy for us
as wedding gifts.
the difference between life and death – something that plays an important role
in a situation, determining whether another person lives or dies; something that is
extremely important
* Wearing a seatbelt can be the difference between life and death in a car crash.
brain – the internal organ (body part) inside one’s head that allows one to think
and process information, and controls the heart and other functions of the body
* Scientists are researching which parts of the brain are involved in
understanding language.
come to think of it – a phrase used to mean that one has thought about
something and had a realization or a new understanding of something
* A: Are you sure you don’t want to go to the party? Brad will be there.
B: Come to think of it, I do want to go!
me neither – neither do I; a phrase used to mean that one agrees with the other
person’s negative response to something
* A: I didn’t understand anything from Dr. Nygen’s lecture today.
B: Me neither.
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ESL Podcast 858 – Donating an Organ

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.
a)
b)
c)

What will happen to Saul’s organs after he dies?
They will be donated to scientists for research.
They will be put in other people’s body.
They will be studied by medical students.

2. Why are there long waiting lists at eye banks?
a) Because the number of corneas available is greater than the number of
people who need them.
b) Because the number of people who need corneas is greater than the number
of corneas available.
c) Because it is very hard to get an appointment at the eye bank.
______________
WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
heart
The word “heart,” in this podcast, means the internal organ (body part) in one’s
chest that pumps or moves blood throughout one’s body, adding oxygen to it: “As
soon as he saw Olga, his heart began beating more quickly.” The “heart” also
refers to where one feels very strong emotions, especially love: “Look in your
heart to understand what you really want.” Or, “When Craig broke up with Lola, it
broke her heart.” The phrase “to put (one’s) hand on (one’s) heart” means to lay
one’s hand flat against the left side of one’s chest: “At the beginning of baseball
games, everyone stands up, puts their hand on their heart, and sings the national
anthem.” Finally, the phrase “from the bottom of (one’s) heart” means sincerely:
“Form the bottom of my heart, I wish you all the best in your new job.”
bank

In this podcast, the phrase “eye bank” means a facility that stores corneas (parts
of an eye) that were taken from the bodies of people who have died, and keeps
them healthy until they can be used to restore sight for another person: “Does the
eye bank thank the families of people who have donated their corneas?” A “blood
bank” is a similar facility that stores donated blood until patients need it: “The
blood bank is looking for donors with the A-positive blood type.” Finally, a “piggy
bank” is a small container, traditionally in the shape of a pig, with a small opening
on top, used to store coins to save up one’s money: “At the end of the day,
Chuck takes whatever coins are in his pocket and puts them in a piggy bank.”
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ESL Podcast 858 – Donating an Organ

CULTURE NOTE
The History of Organ Donation
Organ donation has a long history, dating back to 1869 when the first skin
transplant was performed. The first cornea transplant was performed in 1906 and
the first kidney transplant was performed in 1954, between “twins” (two people
who are born at the same time to the same mother). The “medical community”
(doctors and other healthcare professionals) began “recovering” (getting;
collecting) organs from “deceased” (dead) “donors” (people who give something)
in the early 1960s.
In 1968, a committee at Harvard University established the first definition of
“brain death” (the condition where a body is still functioning and the organs are

still alive, but the brain is no longer responsive and the person is considered
dead). That same year, the first organ “procurement” (the process of getting
and/or buying something) organization was opened in Boston, Massachusetts.
In 1983, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a drug to
improve “transplant outcomes” (whether a transplant is successful) by reducing
the “potential” (the likelihood or probability that something will happen) of organ
“rejection” (when the recipient’s body fights against the transplanted organ).
The following year, the U.S. Congress passed the National Organ Transplant
Act, which “prohibits” (does not allow) the sale of organs and “ensures” (makes
happen) the “equitable” (just; fair) distribution of organs to the patients who need
them.
In 2003, April was “designated” (named and intended for a particular purpose)
National Donate Life month. In recent years, many government agencies and
nonprofit organizations have launched initiatives in that month and throughout
the year to increase interest and participation in organ donation.
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – b; 2 – b

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ESL Podcast 858 – Donating an Organ

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 858: Donating an

Organ.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast number 858. I’m your host, Dr,
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Visit our website at ESLPod.com. Become a member of ESL Podcast and help
support this podcast and improve your English as fast as possible by
downloading a Learning Guide for this episode.
This episode is a dialog between Christine and Saul, about donating a part of
your body to someone else. Let’s get started!
[start of dialog]
Christine: What is this sticker on your driver’s license?
Saul: This sticker? It indicates that I’ve signed up for the organ donation
program. If anything bad happens to me, I want my organs to go to recipients
who need them.
Christine: You mean you want somebody else to have your heart, liver...
Saul: ...eyes, kidneys, or anything else that can be transplanted into someone
else. Don’t you want to donate your organs?
Christine: Me? No way. I’ll never consent to doctors cutting up my body after I
die. Those organs are a part of me.
Saul: But you won’t need them when you’re dead, and there are long waiting
lists at eye banks and organ registries. Your organ donation might be the
difference between life and death for somebody, you know.
Christine: That might be true, but I can’t imagine somebody else walking around
with my brain.
Saul: Hmm, come to think of it, me neither.
[end of dialog]
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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

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ESL Podcast 858 – Donating an Organ

Our dialog begins with Christine asking Saul, “What is this sticker on your driver’s
license?” A “sticker” (sticker) is a small piece of paper, usually with a word or a
picture on it that you put on something and it sticks to it. The verb “to stick”
means to adhere, to stay on something so that it won’t come off. A sticker is
used, for example, on the back of your car. You can put a, what we would call a
“bumper sticker” on the back of your car. Basically, it’s a piece of paper with a
little bit of glue or some sort of substance on the back that will allow it to be
placed on another object.
Saul has a sticker on his driver’s license. A “driver’s license” is usually a small
plastic card with your name and your picture on it that shows that you have
permission to drive in a certain state. Each state has its own driver’s license in
the United States but if you have a driver’s license from one state, you can drive
in any state.
Saul says, “This sticker? It indicates that I’ve signed up for the organ donation
program.” Saul says the sticker “indicates,” meaning it shows. It makes
something clear. It makes something understood. It indicates that I’ve signed up;
that is, I’ve become a member of the organ donation program. An “organ” (organ)
is a part of your body like your lungs, your kidney, your heart, your pancreas – all
of these would be organs in your body. They’re parts of your body. “Donation”
means a gift – to give something to someone. The verb is “to donate” (donate).
“Organ donation,” then, is when you give a part of your body to another person.
You can do this while you are living. For example, you can donate a kidney to
someone because most people are born with two kidneys and so, you can give
one to someone else. It might be something that happens after you die. You may

donate part of your body to someone else who is living because after all, if you’re
dead, you don’t need your organs anymore, probably.
Saul says that “If anything bad happens to me” – that is, if he gets injured or
killed – “I want my organs to go to recipients who need them.” A “recipient”
(recipient) is someone who receives something. Someone who is given
something is a recipient. We might talk about someone being a recipient of an
award. “He was a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.” “He was a recipient of an
Oscar Award.”
You can also be a recipient, in this case, of an organ. Christine says, “You mean
you want somebody else to have your heart, liver” – she starts naming some of
the organs. Your heart, you probably know, is the organ in your chest that pumps
or moves blood throughout the body. Your “liver” (liver) is something near your
stomach that filters blood as it goes through your body. Saul says, “… eyes,
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ESL Podcast 858 – Donating an Organ

kidneys and anything else that can be transplanted into someone else.” Your
kidney, as I mentioned earlier, is something that you actually have two of. You
have two kidneys and it also is involved in filtering your blood. I’m not a doctor –
not a real doctor – so I don’t have a good explanation for what all the organs do.
But you studied biology, right? You know what organs are.
Saul wants his organs to be transplanted into someone else. “To transplant”
means to move something from one place to another. We talk about organ

transplants. The verb is “to transplant.” You can also talk about transplanting
plants, trees, people – those things can all be transplanted, moved from one
place to another.
Saul then asks Christine, “Don’t you want to donate your organs?” Christine
says, “Me? No way!” – absolutely not, she says. “I’ll never consent to doctors
cutting up my body after I die.” “To consent” (consent) means to agree to do
something. Someone says, “I will not consent to that,” meaning I will not agree to
that. I will not say “yes” to that. Christine says she’ll never consent to doctors
cutting up her body after she dies. “To cut up” means to cut into, to open up your
skin and take things from the inside of your body.
Christine says, “Those organs are part of me.” Saul says, “But you won’t need
them when you’re dead and there are long waiting lists at eye banks and organ
registries.” A “waiting list” is a long list of people who want something but there
isn’t enough of that something. So they have to wait for it. You can have a
waiting list for all sorts of things. At our colleges and universities, sometimes
there aren’t enough spaces in the classroom, and so some courses have waiting
lists. You have to wait and hope that there will be room in the class for you.
Many people need organs and so, there are waiting lists for organ transplants.
One kind of place where people put their name down, we might say – where they
join a waiting list – is an eye bank. An “eye bank” (bank) is a place that stores
what are called “corneas,” parts of an eye that are taken from the bodies of
people who have died. And they use these to help people who are living see
better. An “organ registry” (registry) is an official list of people waiting for organs.
A “registry” is any sort of official list or record. We also use this term when we are
talking about legal matters. We might talk about an official registry with the
government – an official list of people.
Saul says, “Your organ donation might be the difference between life and death
for somebody.” The phrase “the difference between life and death” here means
that something is so important, it could decide whether someone lives or dies. It
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ESL Podcast 858 – Donating an Organ

is something that very important. Here, we’re talking about a case where
someone could actually die if they did not get an organ.
However, the expression is also used in cases where we’re trying to say
something is extremely or very important. A related expression is a “matter
(matter) of life and death,” which means the same thing. However, I should point
out that the original expression, back before the 19th century anyway, was “a
matter of life or death,” which makes more sense. Either you live or you die. You
can’t live and die. It can’t be life “and” death. It has to be life “or” death. However,
most people use the expression “life and death.” You will still hear the original
expression but they both mean the same thing.
Christine says, “That might be true.” It might be true that it’s a matter of life and
or death. “But I can’t imagine somebody else walking around with my brain.” Your
brain is the organ in your head. Most people have a brain. I know some people
who I don’t think have brains, but most people have brains. My neighbor?
Hmm…
Saul says, “Hmm, come to think of it, me neither.” So, Christine is worried that
they might transplant her brain into someone else. And, of course, as of 2012, we
don’t transplant people’s brains. But Saul agrees with Christine. He doesn’t think
Christine is very smart, and so he says “Hmm, come to think of it, me neither.”
The expression “come to think of it” is used to mean that you’ve thought about
something and you now have a different opinion or a new understanding about

something. “Me neither” is a slightly ungrammatical way of saying “Neither do I.”
In common conversation however, people don’t say, typically, “Neither do I.”
They’ll say something like, “Me neither,” even though “me” is not a subject
pronoun. It should be “I” but we say it anyway. Saul is saying, “I don’t think
anyone would want your brain either, Christine, because you’re stupid.” That’s
really what Saul is saying, isn’t he?
Now let’s listen to the dialog this time, at a normal speed.
[start of dialog]
Christine: What is this sticker on your driver’s license?
Saul: This sticker? It indicates that I’ve signed up for the organ donation
program. If anything bad happens to me, I want my organs to go to recipients
who need them.
Christine: You mean you want somebody else to have your heart, liver...
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ESL Podcast 858 – Donating an Organ

Saul: ...eyes, kidneys, or anything else that can be transplanted into someone
else. Don’t you want to donate your organs?
Christine: Me? No way. I’ll never consent to doctors cutting up my body after I
die. Those organs are a part of me.
Saul: But you won’t need them when you’re dead, and there are long waiting
lists at eye banks and organ registries. Your organ donation might be the
difference between life and death for somebody, you know.

Christine: That might be true, but I can’t imagine somebody else walking around
with my brain.
Saul: Hmm, come to think of it, me neither.
[end of dialog]
I would be much, much smarter if I had our scriptwriter’s brain. I speak, of
course, of the wonderful Dr. Lucy Tse.
From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan, thank you for listening. Come
back and listen to us again, here on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,
hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan. Copyright 2012 by the Center for Educational
Development.

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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.