Friday, February 23, 2007

Show 296 Friday 23 February


Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.

Hi, I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show.
Tomorrow night we’re having a party to celebrate the 300th show of The Daily English Show.

Back last month, I said that I might ask Heineken to sponsor the event ... and I did – I emailed them. And they replied ... actually the head of Heineken in Japan replied and he asked me to send more information about the event.
And I did – I sent a two page proposal of my great plan to have their product featured on one of the best shows on the internet.
And they never replied – so it guess it was a no. Oh well.

Anyway ... the party is tomorrow night and you should come if you live in NIseko.
I know that at least 2 people who live here watch the The Daily English show – because I’ve had emails form them. So that’s at least 2 people that might be coming. I tell you what man, Heineken will be kicking themselves to have missed this great opportunity.

The video I recommend watching today is called The Spelling Bee.
A spelling bee is a spelling competition – I think they’re quite popular in America.
They’re not so common in New Zealand ... but I think we had one once at my primary school for a fundraiser. Anyway, in this video, the word they ask how to spell is sphincter.
A sphincter is a muscle in the body. It’s hard to spell and it’s quite a funny word – but you don’t need to remember it ... I can’t think how it would be useful in a conversation.

So this video gives you a bit of an idea of what a spelling bee is like ... kind of ... and I just think it’s funny.



STICK NEWS

Kia ora, in Stick News today, a popular New Zealand-made TV advertisement has been banned in Australia because people think it might cause car accidents.

Last year Hyundai promoted one of their cars with a TV ad featuring two toddlers driving to the beach for a surf.
The boy toddler gets out of his cot, grabs the keys and starts driving. He picks up a girl toddler who is hitchhiking, they then go to the beach and he has a surf.
The ad was popular in New Zealand and was even voted New Zealand’s favourite TV ad.
71 people complained to New Zealand’s Advertising Standards Complaints Board about the underage driving in the ad. In September 2006, the complaints were dismissed, because the board said that the commercial was clearly fantasy and was not shown during children’s programmes.
But it was a different story across the Tasman.
The Advertising Standards Board in Australia received more than 80 complaints and they decided to ban the ad.
They said: “The Board certainly acknowledged that the notion of a toddler driving a car was unrealistic and fanciful, but under the Advertising for Motor Vehicles Voluntary Code of Practice, fantasy cannot be used when it contradicts, circumvents or undermines the Code.”
“Many of the complaints were from parents concerned that the advertisement would encourage copy-cat behaviour in young children and might lead to accidents.”


And that was Stick News for Friday 23rd of February.
Kia Ora.



the snow report

Kazuki made a cave today. It’s very cool.



conversations with sarah
#181 Do you think the ad should be banned?

Step 1: Repeat Maki’s lines.
Step 2: Read Maki’s lines and talk to Sarah.

Maki Do you think the ad should be banned?

Sarah I don’t really see how it could cause copy-cat behaviour.

Maki What does copy-cat behaviour mean?

Sarah It means they think toddlers could copy the ad.

Maki They would try to drive a car? But ... how?

Sarah Exactly. I don’t know how they would put the keys in the lock for a start.

Maki And their feet can’t reach the pedals.

Sarah Yeah. Still ... I guess if they were already in the car they could climb over the seat and turn the key and that could cause an accident.

Maki But the parents should make sure the car is safe if they leave the kids in there.

Sarah True.