ESL Podcast 402 - Buying Back-to-School Supplies
junior high - middle school; a school that one goes to after elementary school and before high school, usually for grades 7 and 8 or 6, 7, and 8
We studied American history in junior high.
supplies - things that one needs to have and use in order to do something; things that one needs to get something done
What supplies do we need for this project?
A pair of scissors, some paper, and tape.
backpack - a thick cloth bag with many pockets and zippers that has long, narrow pieces of fabric that are worn over one's shoulders so that the bag rests on one's back, often used for carrying books to and from school
If your backpack is too heavy, you might hurt your back.
folder - a large piece of thick paper that is folded so that it makes pockets to protect other pieces of paper that are put inside it
He has a folder where he keeps all of his credit card bills.
three-ring binder - a large piece of plastic that is folded like a large book and has three metal rings in the middle to hold and protect pieces of paper that each have three holes cut in them
Kamisha has a very well-organized three-ring binder where she keeps all of the papers that her teachers give her.
pen - a small tool used for writing with ink; a small tool made of plastic or metal that has ink inside and is held in one's hand and moved to make marks on a piece of paper
I couldn't find a pen to write down her phone number.
glue - a white or clear liquid or paste that is used to make things stick together; a white or clear, thick liquid or paste that is put between two objects so that, when it dries, the two objects cannot be pulled apart
Sharon accidentally broke a plate, but she used glue to put the pieces back together.
crayon - a small, long piece of colored wax, similar to a pen or pencil, that is used to draw or make other marks on a piece of paper
Marion was mad when she saw that her son had drawn on the walls with crayons.
construction paper - large, thick pieces of paper that are sold in many colors and are used by children for art projects
Heather made a heart-shaped present for her mom with red and pink construction paper.
pencil - a small tool used for writing with graphite; a small tool made of wood that has graphite inside and an eraser on top that is held in one's hand and moved to make marks on a piece of paper
He likes to use a pencil instead of a pen, because that way he can change what he has written.
eraser - a small piece of rubber or plastic, often pink, used to remove the marks that one has made with a pencil
Paulina used the eraser so much while she was doing her math homework that she accidentally made a hole in the piece of paper!
highlighter - a pen with a brightly colored ink inside so that one can draw a thick line over the words on a page and still be able to read those words, finding them more easily the next time one wants to read them
As you read, use a highlighter to mark the most important parts of the text.
ruled - paper with horizontal (side to side) lines showing where one should write, so that the writing is straight
If I don't have ruled paper, my writing isn't straight on the page.
notebook - many pieces of paper that are held together at one end, so that one can easily tear one page out after writing on it
Wendy wrote a note on a piece of paper and then tore it out of her notebook to give it to her friend.
index card - a small piece of thick paper, usually 3 inches x 5 inches and usually white with blue lines, that is used to write down information, especially when one is doing research or preparing to give a speech
Whenever he has to make a presentation, he writes down what he wants to say on index cards and looks at them while he is speaking.
calculator - a small electronic machine that one types numbers into and can be used to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and do other mathematical things
She used a calculator to figure out how much she needed to pay.