ESL podcast 893 sports related injuries

English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 893 – Sports-Related Injuries

GLOSSARY
to limp – to walk with difficulty, leaning heavily on one leg because the other leg
or foot is painful
* You’ve been limping for almost a week. Don’t you think you should go see the
doctor?
to pull a muscle – to strain (put too much force on) a muscle, stretching it and
possibly tearing it
* I think I pulled a muscle when weeding the garden.
to aggravate – to make something worse, or more serious or troublesome
* The flight delays were aggravated by bad weather and engine trouble.
runner’s knee – pain in the knee caused by using it too much, often by running
* Painful runner’s knee forced Hal to stop training for the marathon.
sprained ankle – twisted ankle; rolled ankle; pain caused by having moved
one’s ankle (the part that connects the foot to the leg) in an unusual way, tearing
the internal pieces
* Tracy got a sprained ankle when her high-heeled shoe became caught in a
crack in the sidewalk.
concussion – a temporary period of unconsciousness; a short period of time
when one is unaware of one’s surroundings, almost as if asleep, usually caused
by hitting the head against something
* When the baseball hit Jamie in the head, it caused a concussion.
strain – a muscle that hurts because it has been pulled or stretched too far, or
because it has been used too much
* My shoulder hurts, but the doctor says it’s just a mild strain and it will get better
in a few days.
to sit out – to not participate in something, especially one of many events

* Lola decided to sit out one dance because she needed to get something to
drink.
injury – damage or harm to part of one’s body
* Ricardo was in a car accident, but fortunately, there weren’t any serious
injuries.

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ESL Podcast 893 – Sports-Related Injuries

ligament – a type of tissue that connects bones or cartilage (other tissues) in the
body
* Which ligament connects the femur and the tibia in a human leg?
tendon – a type of tissue that connects a muscle to a bone in the body
* When Gracie types too much, the tendons in her wrist start to hurt.
joint – a point where two body parts connect and can move toward and away
from each other
* Yesterday we went kayaking, and today my shoulder and elbow joints are really
sore and stiff.
don’t start with me – a phrase used to show that one does not want to hear
what another person is saying and feels annoyed, nagged, or pressured by it
* Don’t start with me! I had a terrible day at work and I don’t want to hear
anybody else telling me what I’m doing wrong.
in the prime of (one’s) life – in the best years of one’s life; at the age when one

has great mental and physical health
* You should travel now, while you’re in the prime of your life. Don’t wait until
you’re too old to enjoy it.
over the hill – old; too old; more than halfway through one’s life
* Meg wants to have children while she’s young so that she will be able to play
with them and even see them graduate from college before she’s over the hill.

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ESL Podcast 893 – Sports-Related Injuries

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1.
a)
b)
c)

What happened to Paul’s runner’s knee?
It started when he pulled a muscle in his back.
It cost him a lot of money in medical bills.
It became more painful.

2.
a)

b)
c)

What would be the most likely way to get a sprained ankle?
By sitting.
By standing.
By laying down.

______________
WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
strain
The word “strain,” in this podcast, describes a muscle that hurts because it has
been pulled or stretched too far, or because it has been used too much: “Many
people experience eye strain if they look at a computer screen all day.” The word
“strain” can also mean facing a lot of pressure or stress: “Teruhisa has been
under a lot of strain at work lately.” Or, “Having little kids can put a lot of strain on
a marriage.” When talking about plants and animals, a “strain” is a type of
organism: “Have scientists found an antibiotic for this strain of bacteria?” Finally,
a “strained” relationship is a tense, uncomfortable relationship: “Reyad has
always had a strained relationship with his mother-in-law.”
joint
In this podcast, the word “joint” means a point where two body parts connect and
can move toward and away from each other: “As we get older, we lose a lot of
flexibility in our joints.” A “joint” can also refer to the point where two objects meet
in a building: “We need to seal the joints around the doors, because a lot of cold
air is entering the house there.” The phrase “out of joint” means not working
properly or not fitting in: “Ever since we hired that new manager, things have
seemed out of joint in his department.” Finally, a “joint” is an informal way of
calling a cigarette filled with marijuana: “Did you ever smoke a joint when you
were a college student?”

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ESL Podcast 893 – Sports-Related Injuries

CULTURE NOTE
Treating Injuries
Many people have memorized “acronyms” (words made from the first letter of
each word in a longer phrase) to help them remember how to “treat” (provide
care for) injuries until they can “seek” (obtain) proper medical attention. For
example, the main acronym for treating injuries is P.R.I.C.E. This acronym is
used to remember the way to reduce bleeding and pain, but it does not focus on
fixing the actual problem, which would be the responsibility of a doctor.
P – “Protect” (don’t allow additional injuries to occur)
R – Rest
I – “Ice” (put ice on or against the injured part)
C – “Compress” (put pressure on the injured part)
E – “Elevate” (raise up above the heart)
S – “Stabilize” (put in a position and do not let it move)
People who are studying “Cardiopulmonary resuscitation” (CPR; techniques to
help someone who is not breathing) memorize the acronym A.B.C.:
A – Airway
B – Breathing
C – Circulation

The A.B.C. acronym reminds “first aid providers” (people who provide emergency
medical care) to first “clear” (remove any objects that might be blocking) the
“airway” (the passage in one’s neck or throat that allows air to move from one’s
nose to the lungs). They might do this by “tilting” (changing the angle of) the neck
to open the airway, or by using the “Heimlich maneuver” to apply force to the
individual’s “abdomen” (stomach area) to push out any object or piece of food
that might be causing the person to “choke” (not be able to breathe). Then they
need to check to see whether the injured individual is breathing. Finally, they
check for “circulation” (a heartbeat and the movement of blood throughout the
body).
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – b

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ESL Podcast 893 – Sports-Related Injuries

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 893: SportsRelated Injuries.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 893. I'm your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Our website is ESLPod.com. Become a member of ESL Podcast by going to our
website. This episode is a dialogue between Grace and Paul, about getting hurt,

getting physically injured, while playing sports. Let’s get started.
[start of dialog]
Grace: What happened to you?!
Paul: I had a little accident at the game today.
Grace: Little accident?! You’re limping and obviously in pain!
Paul: I just pulled a muscle in my back and aggravated my runner’s knee, that’s
all. It’s nothing to worry about.
Grace: And you’re still recovering from the sprained ankle, concussion, and neck
strain from three weeks ago. Don’t you think you should sit out of the game for
the next few weeks?
Paul: I might have to, but these aren’t serious injuries. They’re just part of
playing sports.
Grace: I hate to bring this up again, but you’re not 20-years-old anymore.
Maybe your ligaments, tendons, and joints aren’t what they used to be.
Paul: Don’t start with me. I’m in the prime of my life and in perfect physical
condition. Don’t try to tell me I’m over the hill just because I get an injury or two
now and then.
Grace: I’m not saying you’re over the hill. I just worry that you can’t sit, stand, or
lay down comfortably.
Paul: Who says I can’t...ow!
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ESL Podcast 893 – Sports-Related Injuries

[end of dialog]
Grace begins our dialogue by saying to Paul, “What happened to you?” That's a
question we would ask, especially in that excited or shocked tone of voice, in that
surprised way, when you see something that you don't expect, something is
wrong with the other person. Grace says, “What happened to you?” And Paul
says, “I had a little accident at the game today.” An “accident” is usually
something that goes wrong. It could be you did something wrong and you hurt
yourself, or it could be someone hit you and you got hurt. Paul had a “little”
accident. Grace says, “Little accident? You’re limping and obviously in pain.”
Grace says this is no little accident. It's not a small or minor accident because
Paul is limping. “To limp” (limp) means to walk with difficulty, not to walk
normally. When you hurt your leg, for example, you usually will limp. You will
walk in a funny way, in a strange way.
Paul says, “I just pulled a muscle in my back.” “To pull a muscle” means to put
too much force on a muscle, to strain it, to stretch it in such a way that you hurt it.
Paul says he pulled a muscle in his back and aggravated his “runner’s knee.” “To
aggravate” (aggravate) means to make something worse, typically something
that is already bad. You do something to make something that's already bad,
even worse.
Paul had a bad knee. He had what is called sometimes “runner’s knee.” Your
knee is that part of your body in the middle of your leg that connects the top of
your leg to the bottom of your leg. “Runner's knee” is an injury that your knee can
have, especially if you do a lot of running. You might hurt it by running. That's
why I never run. Never run! If you never run, you'll never hurt your knee. That's
my philosophy. So I never run.
Anyway, Paul, not as smart as I am, obviously, was a runner and he hurt his
knee. By playing in the game yesterday, or I guess it was today, Paul aggravated
his runner’s knee. He made it worse. Paul says, “It's nothing to worry about.” You
don't have to be concerned. Grace says, “And you're still recovering from the
sprained ankle, concussion, and neck strain from three weeks ago.” Grace says,

“Wait a minute, you already had all of these other problems that were caused by
playing in your sports game three weeks ago.” What are these problems?
The first is a sprained ankle. Your “ankle” (ankle) is the part that connects your
leg to your foot. “To sprain” (sprain) means to injure, to hurt. A sprained ankle,
then, is when someone hurts their foot or that part of their foot, usually, the
muscles or some other part of the body that is around the ankle.
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ESL Podcast 893 – Sports-Related Injuries

A “concussion” (concussion) is a temporary period, a short time, when you are
unconscious, when you are not aware of what is happening to you. Why does
this happen? Well, because usually you are hit, hit in the head. If you get hit in
the head hard, you might lose consciousness. It's almost like falling asleep. It can
however, be a very serious problem. You might have damaged or hurt something
when you were hit in the head. That would be to have a concussion. It happens a
lot in certain sports where the players get hit in the head. That's why you should
never play sports where you get hit in the head. Just a little advice from me to
you.
Grace talks about Paul's injuries and includes a “neck strain” in her list. A “neck
strain” is when you hurt a muscle in your neck. This can happen if you are sitting
at your computer all day and you keep putting your head in a certain position.
You could eventually get neck strain. You could hurt your neck. This is why I
always advise people, “Never sit in front of a computer!” Grace continues by

saying, “Don't you think you should sit out of the game for the next few weeks?”
“To sit out” is a two-word phrasal verb meaning not to participate in something,
not to be involved in something, usually a game of some sort. “I'm going to sit out
this evening of baseball.” I'm not going to play. I'm going to sit it out, I'm not going
to participate. Paul says, “I might have to,” meaning I might have to sit out the
next game, “but these aren't serious injuries.” An “injury” (injury) is when you hurt
part of your body.
Paul says these are not serious injuries. They're just part of playing sports. Grace
says, “I hate to bring this up again,” I hate to mention this again, “but you're not a
twenty-year-old anymore.” You're not twenty years old and you don't have a body
that will be able to do the kinds of physical activities that you have been doing.
That's what Grace is saying. She says, “Maybe your ligaments, tendons and
joints aren't what they used to be,” meaning these parts of your body are not as
strong as they were when you were younger. What parts of the body?
Well, she begins with “ligaments.” “Ligaments” (ligaments) are things in your
body that connect bones or bones and other what are called “tissues” – other
substances in your body. A “tendon” (tendon) is something in your body that
connects a muscle to a bone. So tendons connect muscles to bones. The most
famous tendon you have is called your “Achilles tendon.” That's the tendon that
connects your lower leg muscle to your foot. The third thing that Grace mentions
is “joints.” A “joint” (joint) is when two parts of the body come together, for
example, the top of your arm and the bottom of your arm – your upper arm and
lower arm are connected together at your elbow. That's an example of a joint. So
we have ligaments, tendons, and joints.
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ESL Podcast 893 – Sports-Related Injuries

Paul says, “Don't start with me.” This is an expression that means you don't want
to hear what the other person is saying because they’ve said it to you before over
and over again, many times. “Don't start with me,” meaning, “Don't start criticizing
me the way you usually do.” It's something that a husband might say to a wife, for
example – just an example, not me!
Paul says, “I'm in the prime of my life.” The “prime (prime) of your life” are the
best years of your life. Some people consider their younger years to be the prime
of their life. Other people consider their middle years to be the prime of their life.
Some people consider their older years as the prime of their life. I think of
whatever age I am right now as the prime of my life. Paul says, “Don't try to tell
me I'm over the hill.” “To be over the hill” means to be old, to be too old, to be
more than halfway through your life. So, if you expect to live until you're 80, once
you become 40, you are over the hill. I think I'm over the hill right now. I think I'm,
I'm beyond the halfway point in my life, maybe.
Paul says, “Don't try to tell me, Grace, I'm over the hill, just because I get an
injury or two now and then” – every once in a while. Grace says, “I'm not saying
you're over the hill. I just worry that you can't sit, stand, or lie down comfortably.”
Paul says, “Who says I can't?” This is an expression you use when you are trying
to tell the other person they’re wrong. Paul says, “Who says I can't?” And then he
says, “Ow,” meaning he obviously can't sit, stand, or lie down without being in
pain.
Now let’s listen to the dialogue this time at a normal speed.
[start of dialog]
Grace: What happened to you?!
Paul: I had a little accident at the game today.
Grace: Little accident?! You’re limping and obviously in pain!

Paul: I just pulled a muscle in my back and aggravated my runner’s knee, that’s
all. It’s nothing to worry about.
Grace: And you’re still recovering from the sprained ankle, concussion, and neck
strain from three weeks ago. Don’t you think you should sit out of the game for
the next few weeks?
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ESL Podcast 893 – Sports-Related Injuries

Paul: I might have to, but these aren’t serious injuries. They’re just part of
playing sports.
Grace: I hate to bring this up again, but you’re not 20-years-old anymore.
Maybe your ligaments, tendons, and joints aren’t what they used to be.
Paul: Don’t start with me. I’m in the prime of my life and in perfect physical
condition. Don’t try to tell me I’m over the hill just because I get an injury or two
now and then.
Grace: I’m not saying you’re over the hill. I just worry that you can’t sit, stand, or
lay down comfortably.
Paul: Who says I can’t...ow!
[end of dialog]
She’s in the prime of her scriptwriting life. I speak of our wonderful Dr. Lucy Tse.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Come
back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,

hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan. Copyright 2013 by the Center for Educational
Development.

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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.