Dinosaur
| Helen: | Hello, Welcome to The English We Speak from BBC Learning English. I'm Helen. |
| Rob: | And I'm Rob. |
| Helen: | Rob, can I ask you something? |
| Rob: | Yes, of course. Go ahead. |
| Helen: | My son's friends came to visit at the weekend. They were all in the bedroom playing with dinosaurs. |
| Rob: | Oh right. Sounds fun. |
| Helen: | Yeah, I even let them watch a dinosaur film and play a computer game. Then I heard one of them say his parents were dinosaurs. |
| Rob: | Oh, dear. |
| Helen: | I'm a mum, I don't think I look anything like a dinosaur, do I? |
| Rob: | No, you don't look like one at all. You are 100% human! What did the boy say about his parents? |
| Helen: | He said that they don't have a TV at home, and that his parents don't have mobile phones either. I was quite surprised by that. |
| Rob: | No wonder he thinks his parents are dinosaurs. When we call someone a 'dinosaur', we mean they're living in the past, they're not very modern, and probably don't use a lot of technology. |
| Helen: | I see. So, if I don't have a mobile phone or have a computer, I could be ... a dinosaur. |
| Rob: | Exactly. Let's hear some examples. |
| My grandfather just bought his first digital camera. I've been telling him to get one for years! He's a dinosaur when it comes to modern technology. | |
| A: Have you met Jane's new husband?
B: Yes, he talks like someone from the 1930s. Really old-fashioned! A: I know, he said he hates modern technology. B: Oh, he's such a dinosaur. |
| Rob: | Yes, a bit old-fashioned, maybe conservative in their thinking, and not keen for new challenges. |
| Helen: | Well, I love modern technology. |
| Rob: | Are you on Facebook? Twitter? Instagram? |
| Helen: | No, what are these? |
| Rob: | Oh dear, Helen! You really are a dinosaur!
(sfx roar!) |