[ti:How Do You Stay 'In Shape'?]
[by:www.21voa.com]
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[00:08.60]And now, Words and Their Stories,
[00:11.04]from VOA Learning English.
[00:18.92]On this program,
[00:20.36]we explore words and expressions
[00:22.48]in the English language.
[00:24.64]We give you definitions,
[00:26.84]examples, and notes on usage.
[00:31.44]Today, we talk about fitness and exercise.
[00:36.68]Keeping in shape is a common expression
[00:40.04]for staying physically fit!
[00:43.48]What sort of exercise do you enjoy?
[00:46.48]How do you get in shape?
[00:49.04]If you are already in shape,
[00:51.80]how do you stay in shape?
[00:55.48]I used to walk a lot for work
[00:58.12]and that kept me in good shape.
[01:01.24]Five days a week I would walk to the train station,
[01:04.76]walk to the office and then climb stairs.
[01:08.32]At lunch, my coworkers and I would take a walk outside.
[01:13.40]Our office is in a beautiful area of Washington, D.C.,
[01:18.44]surrounded by museums and monuments.
[01:23.08]So that adds up to a lot of walking!
[01:27.44]But then, in 2020 like so many others,
[01:31.00]I started working from home.
[01:33.56]I became worried that without all that walking,
[01:37.08]I would quickly get out of shape!
[01:39.32]So, I made time for more swimming
[01:43.00]and short walks around my neighborhood.
[01:46.80]Those two kept me in shape.
[01:49.60]Using the word "shape"
[01:51.56]when talking about fitness and health makes sense.
[01:55.68]Sometimes, we can describe the human body
[01:59.32]in terms of size and shape.
[02:03.04]But we can also use the word "shape"
[02:05.76]to talk about our projects,
[02:08.44]our activities, our actions and behaviors.
[02:12.52]So, shape up also means to correct bad behavior.
[02:18.64]For example, a boss might warn
[02:21.72]an underperforming employee to shape up.
[02:26.08]The boss may take this expression one step further.
[02:30.00]She or he might add a threat
[02:32.56]by saying shape up or ship out.
[02:37.16]Talking about ships,
[02:38.88]we also describe things that are clean
[02:41.96]or running smoothly as shipshape.
[02:45.92]A ship that is orderly and clean
[02:48.24]runs more smoothly and is safer.
[02:52.08]Remember, on a ship, you can be very far away from help.
[02:56.68]So, keeping things in good order
[02:59.56]prevents accidents and big problems.
[03:04.28]So, what happens if a situation
[03:07.56]or a project was in trouble but is now going well?
[03:12.72]Well, we can say things are shaping up.
[03:17.76]If it's not going well,
[03:19.60]we can say the project is in bad shape.
[03:24.12]Now, let's hear two friends use some of these expressions.
[03:30.04]A: Hey, how's the project going?
[03:33.00]B: It's going well. Everything is shipshape now.
[03:38.20]A: What do you mean ‘now'?
[03:41.76]B: Well, last week we ran into some trouble.
[03:45.72]An employee wasn't pulling his weight
[03:49.48]and things weren't getting done.
[03:52.00]A: What did you do?
[03:54.40]B: I told him, "Shape up or ship out."
[03:57.76]A: That's pretty harsh!
[03:59.96]B: Maybe, but he shaped up.
[04:02.56]Now he's a valuable member of the team.
[04:06.00]I think he was overworked
[04:08.56]and dealing with some personal issues.
[04:12.48]A: We all run into trouble sometimes.
[04:15.24]Hey, talking about being overworked ...
[04:18.96]let's take a break in a bit. I need a walk!
[04:23.40]B: Sounds good. The project is in good shape.
[04:26.56]But I have to make sure I stay in good shape too!
[04:32.72]And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories.
[04:35.72]We hope you enjoyed learning
[04:37.68]some "shape" expressions and verbal phrases.
[04:41.88]Practice using them the next time
[04:44.32]you want to talk about getting
[04:46.52]or staying physically fit.
[04:49.20]Until next time ...
[04:51.12]I'm Anna Matteo.
[04:52.56]更多听力请访问21VOA.COM