BBC 6分钟英语学习 对数字的恐惧

English from BBC Learning

English. Hello. This is

six minute English from BBC Learning English.

I'm Sam, and I'm Neil Neil.

Would you describe yourself as a numbers person?

If you mean, am I someone who understands numbers and is good at using them and interpreting data, then No.

Okay,

so maybe you like me, you weren't good at math at school.

No, I wasn't. Algebra, geometry, times tables.

It was all very confusing. Yeah, we're not alone now, but the fear of numbers might just be in our heads, and we might have enough number knowledge to get back by with.

That's what we'll be exploring in this program, while looking at some relevant vocabulary.

But sorry, neil, I'm going to start with a mass question.

It's thought the largest number in the world is called a Google.

It's written with a one. and how many zeroes is it?

A-A? Hundred zeros. B-A, thousand zeros, or C, 10000 zeros?

I'll guess 10000 zeroes. OK, I'll reveal the answer later on.

But let's talk more about the fear of numbers.

Now. Now, of course, numbers are important in our lives, but one bad experience at school can put us off them for life.

Push off means make someone dislike something.

What put me off maths was it was not only complicated, but very theoretical, not very practical, useful for real life situations.

And the problem now is it's easy to be fooled by fancy figures that we get told about.

This is something the Y Factor program on BBC World Service has been exploring.

They spoke to Charles Safe, who is an author and professor at New York University, who explained why were at the mercy of people who throw numbers at Because we are primed not to question numbers.

Certain people have learned that numbers are perhaps the most powerful tools for deception.

Advertisers, marketers, politicians who try to convince the public through spurious oratory have learned that the one thing that they can't get challenged on is numbers, or a challenge is ineffective.

Interesting words from Charles Sife There.

He explains that numbers might be a powerful tool for deceiving people.

Many of us are prime so told to behave in a certain situation and in a certain way, not to question numbers, accept them as fact.

Yes. And this is dangerous. So when politicians, E.G., do good and effective public speaking, known as oratory, the information they give could be serious.

That means false, not correct or inaccurate.

But numbers are more persuasive. They are make you believe something is true.

So unless you're confident with numbers, you're unlikely to challenge the facts and figures that you are given.

So Sam, if I said to you that 10% of the 10 million people who eat meat have a 20% chance of being 5% overweight, would you challenge that?

Um, I'd have to go away and work that out.

As I said, neil, I'm not a numbers person.

Even talking about numbers makes me anxious.

Well, interestingly, the Why Factor program explain that girls are more anxious about learning math, but even if they feel more nervous about mass, they aren't any worse with numbers than they're more confident classmates.

It's just the fear that's stopping you.

Well, maybe, but one bad experience can knocker confidence, an ability to use mass Take comfort from Paula Miles, who teaches statistics to psychology students at St.

andrew's University. She told the wife Factor that she thinks there's no such thing as a numbers person.

There is no such thing as someone who's a number of person or not.

If we're taught in the right way, then I think we all have the potential to be a numbers person.

I'm not saying we're all gonna grow up to be mathematicians, but we're all going to get to a point where we have the basic numeracy skills that we need to be able to cope in our environment.

I feel a little better now.

We all have the possibility within us, or potential, to be a numbers person.

Yes, I think it's about survival.

We want to develop numeracy, basic mathematical skills to use numbers in a particular situation that we are in.

We might not be a genius like Einstein, but we know enough to work things out.

I wonder if you worked out the answer to my question correctly, neil, early I asked about what's thought to be the largest number in the world, called a Google.

How many zeroes does it have?

A hundred zeros? A thousand zeroes, or 10000 zeroes?

I said 10000 zeroes.

Sorry, neil, google is ten to the 100th power, so a mere 100 zeros.

I don't think I'll be using that number any time soon, but I might be using some of the vocabulary weve discussed today, including a numbers person.

that's someone who understands numbers and is good at using them and interpreting data.

Not like us. If you're put off something,

it means you are made to dislike something, and to be primed means to behave in a certain situation.

The skill of effective public speaking is known as oratory, and serious means false, inaccurate or not correct.

And when we have the possibility within us to do something, we describe it as our potential.

And having numeracy means having basic mathematical skills.

But now we ve reached the number six.

6 min of English. Thanks very much for listening.

Goodbye. Good Bye.

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