[ti:What's the Matter]
[ar:Jonathan Evans & Anna Matteo]
[al:Words and Their Stories]
[by:www.21voa.com]
[00:00.00]Now, the VOA Learning English program, Words and Their Stories.
[00:10.77]The English language has a number of hard-working words.
[00:15.79]People use these words in many different ways
[00:19.67]and in many different expressions.
[00:22.91]One such example is the word matter.
[00:26.85]As a matter of fact,
[00:29.19]matter can mean just about anything.
[00:32.17]When talking about science,
[00:34.66]matter is the material or substance that things are made of.
[00:39.60]In fact, matter could be one of the most useful words
[00:44.87]in the English language.
[00:46.78]But that is just a matter of opinion.
[00:50.51]Actually, it is more than that.
[00:54.04]Matter is one of those words that matter a lot.
[00:59.02]Let us take a minute
[01:01.06]and really get to the heart of the matter ¨C
[01:03.60]in other words, let's get to the most important part.
[01:07.69]Or it could be what we call a matter of principle.
[01:12.46]Let's say someone claims that you owe them $50.
[01:18.00]But you don't.
[01:20.09]A friend might say, "Well, you could pay him the $50.
[01:25.92]It's not that much money.
[01:28.02]Then you won't have to hear him complain anymore.
[01:31.86]But if you do not owe him the money,
[01:35.05]do not pay him the money.
[01:38.23]It's a matter of principle."
[01:40.37]Your friend raises a good point.
[01:43.60]It's not the amount of money that is important.
[01:46.79]It's a matter of principle.
[01:49.28]Now, let us get back to two more scientific meanings of matter.
[01:55.31]Scientists say that dark matter makes up most of our universe.
[02:01.78]And when people talk about gray matter,
[02:05.61]they are talking about the brain.
[02:08.76]There is another way to use the word matter.
[02:13.00]But be careful with your choice of words.
[02:16.09]If you ask someone "What's the matter?"
[02:19.62]it shows you are concerned about the other person.
[02:24.20]You usually ask someone "What's the matter?"
[02:28.39]if the person looks angry or worried.
[02:32.37]But saying, "What's the matter with you?"
[02:35.98]has a completely different meaning.
[02:38.63]And it usually sounds rude or offensive.
[02:42.88]In fact, when you say, "What's the matter with you?"
[02:47.31]you are not really asking what is wrong with the person.
[02:52.04]You are suggesting
[02:54.08]that the individual did something wrong or stupid.
[02:59.16]So be careful with that one!
[03:01.55]Another expression that could sound rude is to say,
[03:05.74]"It doesn't matter to me."
[03:07.48]Here, it depends on the context,
[03:11.32]or situation, and how you say it.
[03:14.06]Here are two examples.
[03:17.24]Let's say you tell someone
[03:20.58]that a friend just got a big raise at work
[03:25.26]and will be making a lot more money.
[03:28.29]That person answers with,
[03:31.08]"It doesn't matter to me."
[03:33.47]Here, it means he or she does not care.
[03:38.11]And it sounds rude.
[03:40.84]But saying, "Oh, you pick where we eat dinner.
[03:45.87]It doesn't matter to me." does not sound rude or offensive.
[03:50.46]In this context and tone of voice,
[03:53.74]"it doesn't matter" shows you are easy-going
[03:57.53]and are willing to do what the other person wants.
[04:00.82]No matter how you slice it ...
[04:03.90]no matter how you look at it ...
[04:06.40]no matter what you say ...
[04:08.94]matter is a very hard-working word.
[04:12.42]Now, it is time to take matters into your own hands.
[04:17.15]Try using these expressions with the word matter.
[04:21.03]It's only a matter of time
[04:23.83]before you will become an expert on the use of matter.
[04:28.36]And as for this program ... this matter is closed.
[04:32.74]You can find more Words and Their Stories on our website,
[04:37.76]51voa.com. I'm Jonathan Evans.
[04:43.89]And I'm Anna Matteo.
[04:46.37]Go to our website and practice using these matter expressions
[04:51.66]in the comment section.
[04:53.25]Or simply practice by saying what matters most to you.
END OF TRACK. "END OF TRACK." The two men bowed. "Whoever was that person you were talking to?" she enquired, as soon as they stood together. The took of triumph faded from her eyes, she had grown worn and weary. The roses were wilting on the walls, the lights were mostly down now. Hetty, looking in to see if anything was wanted, found herself driven away almost fiercely. I only saw Master Jervie once when he called at tea time, The year 1747 was opened by measures of restriction. The House of Lords, offended at the publication of the proceedings of the trial of Lord Lovat, summoned the parties to their bar, committed them to prison, and refused to liberate them till they had pledged themselves not to repeat the offence, and had paid very heavy fees. The consequence of this was that the transactions of the Peers were almost entirely suppressed for nearly thirty years from this time, and we draw our knowledge of them chiefly from notes taken by Horace Walpole and Lord Chancellor Hardwicke. What is still more remarkable, the reports of the House of Commons, being taken by stealth, and on the merest sufferance, are of the most meagre kind, sometimes altogether wanting, and the speeches are given uniformly under fictitious names; for to have attributed to Pitt or Pelham their[112] speeches by name would have brought down on the printers the summary vengeance of the House. Many of the members complained bitterly of this breach of the privileges of Parliament, and of "being put into print by low fellows"; but Pelham had the sense to tolerate them, saying, "Let them alone; they make better speeches for us than we can make for ourselves." Altogether, the House of Commons exhibited the most deplorable aspect that can be conceived. The Ministry had pursued Walpole's system of buying up opponents by place, or pension, or secret service money, till there was no life left in the House. Ministers passed their measures without troubling themselves to say much in their behalf; and the opposition dwindled to Sir John Hinde Cotton, now dismissed from office, and a feeble remnant of Jacobites raised but miserable resistance. In vain the Prince of Wales and the secret instigations of Bolingbroke and Doddington stimulated the spirit of discontent; both Houses had degenerated into most silent and insignificant arenas of very commonplace business. "It certainly will be. Miss Widgeon," answered Maria, with strictly "company manners." "One who has never had a brother exposed to the constant dangers of army life can hardly understand how glad we all feel to have Si snatched from the very jaws of death and brung back to us." "Just plug at 'em as you would at a crow, and then go on your way whistlin'?" persisted Harry. "Hurroo!" echoed Hennessey; "that's the ticket." "Come forward, keeper," continued the baron, "and state how these arrows came into your hands!" "Yes." HoMEJULIA¾©Ïã2018ÏÂÔØ
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