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Nydja	Todd

Views #1026 | Intermediate (B1)

Grades

Nydja talks about grades and whether we need them in education.

Script
Vocab
Quiz

Todd: What about the idea that some people think that maybe there should be no grades? That there is just maybe you achieve or don't achieve. It's more binary. Either yes or no.

Nydja: I don't really know how I feel about that. I went to a school when I was younger that actually didn't have ... everybody was just put together in a large room and different teachers worked with different students according to their abilities and there were no grades. As an adult now, I'm not really sure how I feel about that system. I wasn't there long enough to see what I could do with that environment. If it benefited me, or if it was to my detriment, so I really don't have an opinion on that.

Todd: How about when you were younger, were you often stressed about your grades?

Nydja: Yes. Yes, I was. I was very stressed. I used to stay up until three or four o'clock in the morning trying to complete projects. Studying all the time. I also did track, so I was very worried. You're in competition with your classmates because later on you have to go and get into college and then you have to get a job and it all starts in primary and secondary school, so it's important to do well there.

Todd: So, you're very young but later in life with children, would you want your children to worry about grades, or would you want to be a parent that tell them "huh, not so much!"

Nydja: No, they will definitely be ... if I have children, they will definitely be concerned about the grades that they're earning, and I will not be easy on them in that regard at all. So, they have a lot coming to them.

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson

binary

It's more binary.

Binary refers to a system of only two. For example, yes and no make a binary system. On and off make a binary system. There is only one choice between two things. Notice the following:

Most computers are made of binary code using either one or zero.
Baseball is very binary. You are either safe or out.

benefit

It benefitted me.

If something benefits someone or something, then they gain something because of it. Notice the following:

The trees benefitted from the rain.
I benefitted from the long holiday.

detriment

It was to my detriment.

Detriment refers to something or some action that causes damage. Detriment is the opposite of benefit. Here are a few examples:

He continues to smoke to the detriment of his health.
Some people feel the process of learning suffers to the detriment of testing.

be easy on

I will not be easy on them.

When someone is easy on another person, that means they are very kind and nice and careful not to be strict or hurt their feelings. The opposite of being easy on someone is being hard on them, or tough with them or strict with them. Study the examples below:

Please be easy on Bob today. He is feeling very sad.
My coach was always easy with us after a loss, but tough with us after a win.

have a lot coming to them

They have a lot coming to them.

Here the phrase, 'have a lot coming to them' means that the recipient, or person being talked about will have a lot of accountability or judgement later on. They will be held to higher standards or judgement even though maybe they don't expect it. The phrase 'another thing coming to them' means the same thing. Notice the following: