ContentsActiveReading1CouchPotato:LifeasaFull-timeTelevisionWatcherListentotheaudioclipandgiveexplanationstothefollowingterms.WarmingUp1couchpotato2mousepotato3cabinfever4nesting/cocooning5leavethenest6emptynest/emptynesterScriptsCheckyouranswers.WarmingUp1couchpotato2mousepotato3cabinfeversomeonewholikestospendalotoftimesittingorlyingdownwhilewatchingtelevisionsomeonewhoenjoysworkingonacomputerasmuchasacouchpotatoenjoyswatchingtelevisionboredomandrestlessnesspeopleexperienceiftheyspendtoomuchtimeinsidetheirhomesWarmingUp4nesting/cocooning5leavethenest6emptynest/emptynesterthewaythatsomepeopleenjoyspendingalotoftimeintheirhomestomakethemniceplacestoliveWhenchildrenaregrown,theyareincollege,ortheyaremarriedandstartingfamiliesoftheirownfarawayfromtheirparents’houses.Whenchildrenleavethenest,theirparentsarelivingalonewithoutchildrenintheiremptyhouses.ScriptsSomeunusualwordsdescribehowapersonspendshisorhertime.Forexample,someonewholikestospendalotoftimesittingorlyingdownwhilewatchingtelevisionissometimescalleda“couchpotato”.Acouchisapieceoffurniturethatpeoplesitonwhilewatchingtelevision.RobertArmstrong,anartistfromCalifornia,developedthetermcouchpotatoin1976.Severalyearslater,helistedthetermasatrademarkwiththeUnitedStatesgovernment.MisterArmstrongalsohelpedwriteafunnybookaboutlifeasafull-timetelevisionwatcher.ItiscalledtheOfficialCouchPotatoHandbook.WarmingUpWarmingUpCouchpotatoesenjoywatchingtelevisionjustas“mousepotatoes”enjoyworkingoncomputers.Acomputermouseisthedevicethatmovesthepointer,orcursor,onacomputerscreen.Thedescriptionofmousepotatobecamepopularin1993.AmericanwriterAliceKahnissaidtohaveinventedthetermtodescribeyoungpeoplewhospendalotoftimeusingcomputers.Toomuchtimeinsidethehouseusingacomputerorwatchingtelevisioncancausesomeonetoget“cabinfever”.Acabinisasimplehouseusuallybuiltfarawayfromthecity.Peoplegotoacabintorelaxandenjoyquiettime.Cabinfeverisnotreallyadisease.However,peoplecanexperienceboredomandrestlessnessiftheyspendtoomuchtimeinsidetheirhome...