ESL Podcast 1002 - An Unwelcome Business in the Neighborhood

tenant - renter; a person or business that pays money each month to use an apartment, home, or business space

The tenants are responsible for the garbage service, but the owner pays for the yard work.

to think again - to rethink something; to reconsider something; to question what one previously thought and possibly reach a new conclusion

Hearing about how animals are treated on large farms made Monte think again about his eating habits.

strip club - a place of business where women remove some or all of their clothing while dancing in a sexual way in front of an audience

It's completely inappropriate to take a business client to a strip club.

residential neighborhood - a part of city where there are many homes and few or no businesses

They're looking for a small home in a quiet, residential neighborhood far from the airport.

violation - an instance of lawbreaking; when laws, rules, or regulations are not followed

Smoking near the building entrance is a violation of the city's ban on smoking in and near businesses.

ordinance - an official rule or regulation, especially at the city level

The city passed an ordinance against using car horns unnecessarily near hospitals and schools.

to object to - to express one's disapproval and dislike of something, and to protest against it or show one's opposition to it

I object to girls not being allowed to join the football and soccer teams.

injunction - a warning or an official order to stop doing something

During the drought, failure to obey the injunction against watering your lawn for more than 10 minutes a day could result in a fine of $500.

pro-business - in favor of businesses and doing things to encourage the establishment and growth of businesses

As a pro-business politician, he wants to lower business taxes and provide free services for the city's largest employers.

to shut down - to make something stop or to make a business close so it is no longer in operation

The health inspector has the power to shut down our restaurant if she finds major problems in the kitchen.

revenue - income; money coming in, especially money from the sales of something

On average, how much revenue does each salesperson bring in per month?

to channel - to focus something in a particular direction or for a particular purpose

I wish Gerald could channel his anger into something productive rather than just drinking and getting into fights.

to make a stink - to complain and create problems for other people so that one cannot be ignored

Some of the parents made a stink when they saw the teacher's negative comments on their children's report cards.

media coverage - publicity; how information or a story is presented in newspapers, television, radio, magazines, and on the Internet

Having a celebrity speaker would increase the media coverage of our event.

protest - a public gathering of people expressing their disapproval of something and their desire to change it; a demonstration

The students organized a protest about the firing of their favorite professor outside the president's office.

nude - naked; without any clothing on one's body

Have you ever posed for a nude photo?

picketing - a protest, strike, or demonstration where people walk around an area while holding signs with images and/or text that express their disapproval of something

Picketing doesn't seem like a good way to change the law. Wouldn't it be better to talk to your congressional representative?