ESL Podcast 720 - Buying Office Furniture
catalogue - a printed book with many pages containing photographs and written descriptions of items that are sold by a particular company
If you order clothes through a catalogue, it's really important to know the correct size since you can't try things on before you buy them.
to furnish - to purchase furniture and place it in a room that previously did not have any furniture
Maggie is really excited about furnishing her college dorm room.
desk - a large piece of furniture like a table, but with drawers, used for studying or working, often with room for a computer
When Shane is busy, he has papers spread out all over his desk.
file cabinet - a metal or wooden piece of furniture with large drawers that usually lock, used to organize and store many pieces of paper
This file cabinet contains files on all our clients, in alphabetical order.
bookcase - a large, tall piece of furniture with many shelves and an open front, used to store books and objects that one wants to display
Let's put these heavy encyclopedias on the bottom of the bookcase, and put your awards and trophies at eye level on these higher shelves.
you name it - a phrase used when one has finished listing several items to show that many other things could be included in that list
Uncle Ron has worked as a carpenter, a lawyer, a school bus driver, a bank
teller, an accountant - you name it!
office chair - a chair used in front of a desk at work, usually with wheels and a back and arms that can be moved for greater comfort
With the right office chair, you're less likely to get an injury from typing all day long.
casters - small wheels placed underneath heavy pieces of furniture to make them easier to move
Louisa wants to buy a piano with casters so that she can move it from room to room whenever she wants.
adjustable - able to be moved into a different physical position to become more comfortable for someone to use
This backpack is adjustable. Just pull here to make the shoulder straps longer or shorter.
keyboard tray - a small, flat piece of wood or metal underneath the top of a desk that holds a keyboard and rolls out when one wants to type, but then can be pushed back under the desk when one does not want to use the keyboard
Older desks don't have keyboard trays, but you can buy a separate one and install it with just a few screws.
drawer - a box that does not have a lid and slides in and out of another piece of furniture, like a desk or dresser
Pens and pencils are in the top drawer, blank paper and cards are in the second drawer, and computer cables are in the bottom drawer.
lateral files - files and folders that are stored in a wide drawer so that they all face toward the right or left of the piece of furniture, not toward the person who opens the drawer
These lateral files are in chronological order, so the oldest files are on your left and the newest files are on the right.
hutch - a piece of furniture that sits on top of a desk, with several cupboards or shelves that can store books or other papers above a computer
Jake keeps reference materials like dictionaries and thesauruses in his hutch, where he can reach them easily while writing.
optional - something that can be chosen or used, but does not have to be chosen or used; not mandatory or required
This travel package describes several optional sightseeing trips that are available for an additional fee.
solid - firm and stable; strongly built; made with strong materials
These bookcases aren't very solid. The shelves fell down when I started putting books on them.
sturdy - strong and well-built; not likely to fall down or fall apart
Before I bought a new chair, I sat in it and made sure it was sturdy.
to be cut out for - to be well qualified or prepared to do something
Doran's parents don't think he's cut out for the military, since he isn't very good at following instructions.