Chicken soup for the soul - The Perfect American Family

It is 10:30 on a perfect Saturday morning and we are, for the moment,
the perfect American family. My wife has taken our six-year-old to his
first piano lesson. Our 14-year-old has not yet roused from his slumber.
The four-year-old watches tiny, anthropomorphic beings hurl one
another from cliffs in the other room. I sit at the kitchen table reading
the newspaper.
Aaron Malachi, the four-year-old, apparently bored by the cartoon
carnage and the considerable personal power obtained by holding the
televi
sion's remote control, enters my space.
"I'm hungry," he says.
"Want some more cereal?"
"No."
"Want some yogurt?"
"No."
"Want some eggs?"
"No. Can I have some ice cream?"
"No."
For all I know, ice cream may be far more nourishing than processed
cereal or antibiotic-laden eggs but, according to my cultural va
lues, it is
wrong to have ice cream at 10:45 on a Saturday morning.
Silence. About four seconds. "Daddy, we have very much of life left,
don't we?"
"Yes, we have lots of life left, Aaron."
"Me and you and Mommy?"
"That's right."
"And Isaac?"
"Yes."
"And Ben?"
"Yes. You and me and Mommy and Isaac and Ben."
"We have very much of life left. Until all the people die."
"What do you mean?"
"Until all the people die and the dinosaurs come back."
Aaron sits down on the table, cross-legged like a Buddha, in the center
of my newspaper.
"What do you mean, Aaron, 'until all the people die'?"
"You said everybody dies. When everybody dies, then the dinosaurs
will come back. The cavemen lived in caves, dinosaur caves. Then the
dinosaurs came back and squished 'em."
y, a resource
I realize that already for Aaron life is a limited econom
with a beginning and an end. He envisions himself and us somewhere
along that trajectory, a trajectory that ends in uncertainty and loss.
I am faced with an ethical decision. W
hat should I do now? Should I
attempt to give him God, salvation, eternity? Should I toss him some
spiel like, "Your body is just a shell and after you die, we will all be
together in spirit forever"?
Or should I leave him with his uncertainty and his anxiety because I
real? Should I try to make him an anxious existentialist or
think it's
should I try to make him feel better?
I don't know. I stare at the newspaper. The Celtics are consistently
losing on Friday nights. Larry Bird is angry at somebody, but I can's see
who, because Aaron's foot is in the way. I don't know but my neurotic,
addictive, middle-class sensibility is telling me that this is a very
important moment, a moment when Aaron's ways of constructing his
world are being formed. Or maybe my neurotic, addictive, middle-class
sensibility is just making me think that. If life and death are an illusion,
then why should I trifle with how someone else understands them?
On the table Aaron plays with an "army guy," raising his arms and
balancing him on his shaky legs. It was Kevin McHale that Larry Bird
was angry at. No, not Kevin McHale, it was Jerry Sichting. But Jerry
Sichting is no longer with the Celtics. Whatever happened to Jerry
Sichting? Everything dies, everything comes to an end. Jerry Sichting is
playing for Sacramento or Orlando or he has disappeared.
because I
I should not trifle with how Aaron understands life and death
want him to have a solid sense of structure, a sense of the permanence
of things. It's obvious what a good job the nuns and priests did with me.
It was agony or bliss. Heaven and hell were not connected by long
distance service. You were on God's team or you were in the soup, and
the soup was hot. I don't want Aaron to get burned, but I want him to
have a strong frame. The neurotic but unavoidable anxiety can come
later.
Is that possible? It is possible to have a sense that God, spirit, karma,
Y*H*W*H, som
ething—is transcendent, without traumatizing the
presentness of a person, without beating it into them? Can we have our
cake and eat it too, ontologically speaking? Or is their fragile
sensibility, their "there-ness," sundered by such an act?
Sensing a slight increase in agitation on the table, I know that Aaron is
ng bored with his guy. With an attitude of drama benefiting the
becomi
moment, I clear my throat and begin with a professional tone.
"Aaron, death is something that some people believe ..."
"Dad," Aaron interrupts, "could we play a video game? It's not a very
violent game," he explains, hands gesticulating. "It's not like a killing
game. The guys just kind of flop over."
"Yes," I say with some relief, "let's play video games. But first there's
thing else we have to do."
some
"What?" Aaron stops and turns from where he has run, already halfway
to the arcade.
"First, let's have some ice cream."
Another perfect Saturday for a perfect family. For now.

Michael Murphy

Funny - Dancing Cow

Heroes Season 2 Episode 02 - Lizards

ESLPodcast 59 - Teamwork

Jeff: So, does that sound okay with you?

Lucy: What? Oh, I sorry. I didn't hear what you said.

Jeff: You seem preoccupied today. What's up?

Lucy: Oh, it's this guy I know from this class I'm taking. His name is Richard. I think I've mentioned him before.

Jeff: Yeah, sure, the guy you're working on a project with. Right?

Lucy: Yeah, that's him. The four of us are supposed to be working as a team on this project and I'm having a lot of trouble dealing with him.

Jeff: What do you mean?

Lucy: Well, he doesn't know how to express his opinion without putting other people down. And, he always has to be right.

Jeff: He sounds a little immature.

Lucy: Yeah, I think it's partly that. He doesn't know how to be diplomatic with people.

Jeff: He doesn't know how or he doesn't want to.

Lucy: I don't know, but I do know that sometimes he really gets the better of me.

Jeff: Well, he sounds pretty hard to get along with. Are the other people in your group feeling the same way?

Lucy: Yeah, in fact, they're fed up with him. I keep having to run interference when our discussions get too heated. Actually, I feel really sorry for the guy. He doesn't seem to have too many friends and he always seems so unhappy.

Jeff: Well, I think you're helping just by putting up with him.

Lucy: Thanks for trying to make me feel better. Ok, now what were you saying?

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

E-Books-Cambridge Practice Test For IELTS 6

Cambridge Practice Test For IELTS 6

Size:55,1 MB

File Type: PDF+ Audio Books>> RAR

Link Download:

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ESLPodcast 58 - Getting Ready to Go

I guess I'm just like everybody else. I could do without Mondays. On the weekend, I can kick back and relax, but I dread going back to work when the weekend is over.

This morning was particularly hectic. On weeknights, I set my alarm for 7 a.m. That's what I did last night. But, when I woke up this morning and looked at my alarm clock, it was 7:30! The alarm clock was on the fritz and it didn't go off. Oh no, I was going to be late again.

I washed my face, put on my make-up, got dressed, and ate a small bowl of cereal. I had one foot out the door when I realized I didn't have my keys. I went back into my bedroom and looked on the shelf where I kept them. No luck. Maybe I left them in my purse. I hunted around for them. Finally, I just dumped out everything from my purse onto my bed. I had my wallet, sunglasses, compact, lipstick, eye drops, aspirin, tissues, and my PDA. But, no keys.

I looked around the living room. Maybe they fell behind the couch cushions. I picked up each one and looked. No keys. I went into my closet and checked the pockets of my coat. Still, no keys. By this time, I was pretty frantic so I tried to calm myself down. I decided to get a drink of water. I opened the refrigerator and what did I see? My keys. They were sitting on the shelf right next to the milk. I must have left them there when I got the milk for my cereal. It served me right for being so absent- minded.

Oh, how I hate Monday mornings!

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Ebooks - Ship or Sheep? - An Intermediate Pronunciation Course - Third edition (2006)

Author: Ann Baker
Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2006
File size: 133 MB
File type: MP3 160k

Ship or Sheep?
An Intermediate Pronunciation Course

• Third edition


This fully revised edition of the classic pronunciation title is now in full colour with updated artwork. Faithful to the original style, the book retains its simplicity, with the emphasis on minimal pairs, and makes pronunciation practice light-hearted and accessible. Each unit offers comprehensive practice of sounds, with additional work on stress and intonation, and the accompanying audio CDs give lots of listening and pronunciation practice.

The book is available in a pack (comprising book and 4 audio CDs) for self-study, or separately for classroom use. Unlike the original edition, there is no separate Teacher's Book.


For Ship or Sheep?

• EASY TO USE Full teaching rubrics allow the material to be used both for self-study and classroom use. Stand-alone units allow you to focus on sounds which you find difficult.
• SYSTEMATIC Each unit offers comprehensive practice of sounds, with additional work on stress and intonation.
• MORE AUDIO Four audio CDs give lots of listening and pronunciation practice.
• FULL COLOUR Attractive full colour artwork aids understanding and makes the material memorable.

Download Book (color)

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Download Audio CDs:

RAPIDSHARE

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ESL Podcast 57 - Bad Attitude

E-books - English Pronunciation in Use - Intermediate (2003)

Author: Mark Hancock
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
File size: 32.6 MB or 45 MB
Pages: 201
File type: PDF

Download BOOK:

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(PDF, Color, 201p, 32.6 MB)

Download AUDIO:

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English Pronunciation in Use Intermediate
Self-Study and Classroom Use

English Pronunciation in Use is a comprehensive reference and practice book for learners of intermediate level and above and can be used by individual learners working alone, or in class. The book focuses on pronunciation for listening as well as speaking and includes both receptive and productive practice. There are 60 easy-to use units with key pronunciation points presented on the left-hand page with a range of exercises on the facing right-hand page. All units are supported with audio material which is available in cassette or CD format. The audio material uses a clear model of a standard British accent for presentation and repetition exercises. In receptive exercises different accents used to give learners the opportunity to listen to a range of English accents. There is a useful reference section including phonemic symbols and sound pairs, a self-diagnostic test, a guide for speakers of specific languages and glossary.

Chicken soup for the soul - The Dolphin's Gift

I was in about 40 feet of water, alone. I knew I should not have gone alone, but I was very competent and just took a chance. There was not much current, and the water was so warm, clear and enticing. When I got a cramp, I realized at once how foolish I was. I was not too alarmed, but was completely doubled up with stomach cramps. I tried to remove my weight belt, but I was so doubled up I could not get to the catch. I was sinking and began to feel more frightened, unable to move. I could see my watch and knew there was only a little more time on the tank before I would be out of air. I tried to massage my abdomen. I wasn't wearing a wet suit, but couldn't straighten out and couldn't get to the cramped muscles with my hands. I thought, "I can't go like this! I have things to do!" I just couldn't die anonymously this way with no one to even know what happened to me. I called out in my mind, "Somebody, something, help me!" I was not prepared for what happened. Suddenly I felt a prodding from behind me under the armpit. I thought, "Oh no, sharks!" I felt real terror and despair. But my arm was being lifted forcibly. Around into my field of vision came an eye—the most marvelous eye I could ever imagine. I swear it was smiling. It was the eye of a big dolphin. Looking into that eye, I knew I was safe. It moved farther forward, nudging under and hooking its dorsal fin below my armpit with my arm over its back. I relaxed, hugging it, flooded with relief. I felt that the animal was conveying security to me, that it was healing me as well as lifting me toward the surface. My stomach cramps went away as we ascended and I relaxed with security, but I felt very strongly that it healed me too. At the surface it drew me all the way into shore. It took me into water so shallow that I began to be concerned that it might be beached, and I pushed it back a little deeper, where it waited, watching me, I guess to see if I was all right. It felt like another lifetime. When I took off the weight belt and oxygen tank, I just took everything off and went naked back into the ocean to the dolphin. I felt so light and free and alive, and just wanted to play in the sun and the water in all that freedom. The dolphin took me back out and played around in the water with me. I noticed that there were a lot of dolphins there, farther out. After a while it brought me back to shore. I was very tired then, almost collapsing and he made sure I was safe in the shallowest water. Then he turned sideways with one eye looking into mine. We stayed that way for what seemed like a very long time, timeless I guess, in a trance almost, with personal thoughts from the past going through my mind. Then he made just one sound and went out to join the others. And all of them left. Elizabeth Gawain

Season 2 - Heroes - Episode 01: Four Months Later

Episode 01: Four Months Later…

Funny - Ali Cat

Ebooks - Phonetics and Phonology (Peter Roach)

Phonetics and Phonology
Author: Peter Roach
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
File size: 123 Mb + 3.2 Mb
File type: mp3 128 Kbs

Book

Phonetics and Phonology

Audio

CD 1

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CD 2

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Recognised as the most practical and comprehensive text in the field of phonetics, this new edition of English Phonetics and Phonology includes revised transcriptions, a wider discussion of different varieties of English and an updated treatment of intonation.

Contents

1.Introduction;
2.The production of speech sounds;
3. Long vowels, diphthongs and triphthongs;
4.Voicing and consonants;
5.The phoneme;
6. Fricatives and affricates;
7. Nasals and other consonants;
8.The syllable;
9. Strong and weak syllables;
10. Stress in simple words;
11.Complex word stress;
12. Weak forms;
13. Problems in phonemic analysis

ESL Podcast 56 - Hard to believe

Story

Andrew I went to a movie with my friends the other day. We got there early so we could get good seats and make sure we all sat together. Just as the movie was about to start, some tall woman with huge hair sat right in front of me. I could barely see a thing. She was absolutely hideous and reeked of cheap perfume. I would have changed seats but by that time the theatre was full. I needed to come up with a plan. There was no way I was going to sit for two hours staring at that hair. Luckily a friend of mine had a pair of scissors in her purse. I knew it was risky but the perfume and the whole situation was making me lose control. I felt I did what anyone in my situation would do. I started cutting. Naturally, she noticed immediately, and screamed, “What the hell are you doing?” I was caught red-handed. I wasn’t in much of a position to deny anything considering the fact that I had the scissors in my hand. I said, “I know this is going to sound hard to believe but it wasn’t me”. She was so angry and confused she just got up and left. I was able to watch the rest of the movie in peace. It was great! It’s too bad she missed it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Key vocabulary and phrases that are discussed in the podcast:
The other day - Some day not long ago but you can’t remember the exact day. Usually sometime within the past week

Hideous – Very ugly

Reeked – Smelled very bad. A very strong bad smell

What the hell are you doing? - Very strong and harsh language. Not good to use very often unless someone is really doing something horrible, like stealing your money.

Considering the fact that…- This means thinking about the situation. Here "I wasn’t in much of a position to deny anything considering the fact that I had the scissors in my hand. Hard to deny I did it because she saw me do it."

Caught red-handed – Caught while doing something. For example, if you steal something from a store and a policeman watches you steal it. You are caught red-handed.

I know this is going to sound hard to believe but… You are showing the listener that you admit it is not an easy thing to believe. You hope that by admitting this, it will give the listener more chance to believe you.

E-Books-Cambridge Practice Test For IELTS 5

Cambridge Practice Test for IELTS 5

Size:32,5 MB

File type: PDF+Audio books >> RAR

Link Download :

http://www.mediafire.com/?w8l3mxytdm9

ESL Podcast 55 -Misunderstanding

Story

Addison I have just moved in with a new roommate a little while ago named Tony.
He is pretty hilarious and a really cool guy but the problem is that he is an absolute pig.
He is the biggest slob I have ever met.
The other day I had cooked dinner for us and he went out as soon as we were finished eating.
I thought that he could at least share with the dishwashing afterwards.
I was getting really tired of this and knew I had to do something.
The problem was that I didn’t really know how to bring this up to him. I didn’t want to seem like one of those guys who is a neat freak or anything but this was getting out of control.
.I decided that I would just come clean with him and tell him what I was thinking the next time I saw him.
I said, “I don’t want to be annoying or anything but would you mind helping me with the cleaning around here?”
He said “oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize you were doing the cleaning, I thought this place came with a maid service”.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Key vocabulary and phrases that are discussed in the podcast:


Pig/slob - very dirty or messy person



getting really tired of this – the feeling of being annoyed or bothered by something. In this story the roommate was getting annoyed because Tony is a slob.



to bring this up - to talk to someone about something. Here, the roommate wanted to “bring up” the idea that he didn’t like the place to be messy to Tony.



neat freak - someone who really needs things to be neat and organized at all times



getting out of control - was a problem here that was getting larger and larger. Here, the problem was of Tony’s habit of not cleaning anything.



come clean – telling someone the truth and what you are thinking. In this story, the roommate “comes clean” with Tony about his feelings towards Tony’s cleaning habits.



be annoying or anything - this phrase here meant that the roommate didn’t want to annoy Tony or make him feel uncomfortable or bother him.

Collocation - Preposition Collocations with nouns and verbs 4

Hi,

Preposition Collocations with nouns and verbs 4

Try it.

English I.

Chicken soup for the soul - Lesson from a son

My son Daniel's passion for surfing began at the age of 13. Before and
after school each day, he donned his wet suit, paddled out beyond the
surf line and waited to be challenged by his three- to six-foot
companions. Daniel's love of the ride was tested one fateful afternoon.
"Your son's been in an accident," the lifeguard reported over the phone
to my husband Mike.
"How bad?"
"Bad. When he surfaced to the top of the water, the point of th
e board
was headed toward his eye."
Mike rushed him to the emergency room and they were then sent to a
s office. He received 26 stitches from the corner of his
plastic surgeon'
eye to the bridge of his nose.
I was on an airplane flying home from a speaking engageme
nt while
Dan's eye was being stitched. Mike drove directly to the airport after
they left the doctor's office. He greeted me at the gate and told me Dan
was waiting in the car.
st have been
"Daniel?" I questioned. I remember thinking the waves mu
lousy that day.
"He's been in an accident, but he's going to be fine."
A traveling working mother's worst nightmare had come true. I ran to
the car so fast the heel of my shoe broke off. I swung open the door, and
my youngest son with the patched eye was leaning forward with both
arms stretched out toward me crying, "Oh, Ma, I'm so glad you're
home."
I sobbed in his arms telling him how awful I felt about not being there
when the lifeguard ca
lled.
"It's okay, Mom," he comforted me. "You don't know how to surf
anyway."
"What?" I asked, confused by his logic.
"I'll be fine. The doctor says I can go back in the water in eight days."
t allowed to go
Was he out of his mind? I wanted to tell him he wasn'
near water again until he was 35, but instead I bit my tongue and prayed
he would forget about surfing forevermore.
For the next seven days he kept pressing me to let him go back on the
board. One day after I emphatically repeated "No" to him for the 100th
time, he beat me at my own game.

"Mom, you taught us never to give up what we love."
Then he handed me a bribe—a framed poem by Langston Hughes that
he bought "because it reminded me of you."
Mother To Son
Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it.
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor-
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back,
Don't you set down on the steps
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin'
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
I gave in.
Back then Daniel was a just a boy with a passion for surfing. Now he'
s a
man with a responsibility. He ranks among the top 25 pro surfers in the
world.
I was tested in my own backyard on an important principle that I teach
audiences in distant cities: "Passionate people embrace what they love
and never give up."

Danielle Kennedy

Funny - Mentos Prank

Heroes Season 1 Episode 23 How to Stop an Exploding Man

ESL Podcast 54 - Frustration

Story
Andrew I worked really hard all week on a marketing proposal for work.
I wanted to impress the boss with all the effort I’d been putting in.
I wanted him to realize that I am the most valuable member of the staff, and that the other people just sit around the office all day accomplishing next to nothing.
One guy Jeff, just talks to girls all day on his MSN messenger account and when the boss comes around, is somehow able to convince the boss that he isn’t totally worthless.
Anyway, I didn’t care, I was just about ready to show the boss what I’d done but I noticed he was on the phone.
I printed out my proposal, left it on my desk, and took a bathroom break.
When I came back I saw the boss with his arm around Jeff congratulating him for a job well done.
While I was in the washroom, Jeff had apparently taken the proposal off my desk and shown the boss.
He took credit for my work.
I was so pissed off. That was incredibly frustrating.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Key vocabulary and phrases that are discussed in the podcast:
Frustrating – you try hard at something and you feel that all your time and energy are wasted. Ex. working for 4 hours writing something on the computer and you forget to save it. Another example is Inviting your friends to a great restaurant and when you get there it is closed.

Accomplishing – getting something useful done. Mom used to always ask “what have you accomplished today?”

next to nothing – almost nothing or very little. I accomplished next to nothing today.

totally worthless – means to have no value. Jeff is somehow able to convince his boss that he isn’t totally worthless. This is funny here because if you are working for someone, you should try and show your boss that you have a lot of value and skills, not just better than being totally worthless.

Apparently – obvious, evident or easy to have seen. Here Jeff had apparently taken the proposal off my desk and shown it to the boss. We didn’t seen him take the proposal but we think it is obvious that he did.

Took credit – say or show that you did something(even if you didn’t do it). Here Jeff took credit for my work. He said he did the proposal even though he didn’t.

Pissed off – angry at someone or something.

E-Books - The Mind Map Book - Tony Buzan

The Mind Map Book - Tony Buzan

Product Description

The Mind Map Book, part of Tony Buzan's revolutionary 'Mind Set' series, introduces you to a unique thinking tool which allows you to accomplish more than you could ever imagine your brain was capable of.

The Mind Map, which has been called the ‘Swiss army knife for the brain’, is a ground-breaking note-taking technique that is already used by more than 250 million people worldwide and has taken the educational and business worlds by storm.

You'll be amazed as your creativity and concentration increase dramatically. You'll remember more than you ever thought possible and recall of important information, even under stress, will be vastly improved.

Synopsis

The Mind Map Book, part of Tony Buzan's revolutionary 'Mind Set' series, introduces you to a unique thinking tool which allows you to accomplish more than you could ever imagine your brain was capable of. The Mind Map, which has been called the Swiss army knife for the brain', is a ground-breaking note-taking technique that is already used by more than 250 million people worldwide and has taken the educational and business worlds by storm. You'll be amazed as your creativity and concentration increase dramatically. You'll remember more than you ever thought possible and recall of important information, even under stress, will be vastly improved.

Collocation - Left Collocates with some Common Words 3

Hi,

Left Collocates with some Common Words 3

Try it.

English I.

ESL Podcast 53 - Dare 2

Dialogue
We hear the sequel to the dare

Andrew Although Tony is usually a bit of a wimp when it comes to approaching girls, the buzz from the 6 beers he’d had was starting to give him some confidence.
Not to mention that he hates backing down from a good dare.
He didn’t have a lot of money either, so free drinks for the rest of the evening sounded like a good idea.
He chugged the rest of his beer and stumbled over to the 2 girls.
Without looking back to see my reaction, he grabbed a chicken wing and slowly started eating it.
When he finished the wing he even had the audacity to ask one of the girls for a napkin to wipe the sauce from his face.
To everyone’s surprise, the taller of the two girls handed Tony a napkin and told him he seemed like a sweet guy and asked him to pull up a chair.
Tony didn’t even have to explain why he took the wing without asking.
They talked and laughed for a while and eventually exchanged phone numbers.
I expect that this event will work wonders for his self-esteem.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Key vocabulary and phrases that are discussed in the podcast:
Buzz

The good feeling after drinking alcohol. Not too drunk but feeling the effects.

Backing down

Not accepting the challenge. Back down from a fight, back down from a dare.

Chugged

Drink quickly. Drink the beer all at one time without putting the glass down.

Stumbled

Walked like a drunk person. Almost falling down walking.

Audacity

After doing something rude, like taking the wing, he didn’t apologize and just did something rude again. No shame.

That man stole $1000 from the girl and had the audacity to ask if she would be his girlfriend.

Pull up a chair

Sit down with us, or join us at the table.

Work wonders

Do a lot of good for something.

That investment will work wonders for your bank account.

If you find a beautiful girl who likes you it will work wonders for your confidence.

Self-esteem

Confidence or belief in yourself.

If you have a high self-esteem then you think you are a capable person and like yourself.

If you have a low self-esteem you get discouraged easily and don’t have a lot of self-confidence.

Collocation - Right Collocations with Common Verbs 2

Hi,

Right Collocations with Common Verbs 2

Try it.

English I.

ESLPodcast 52 - At the Art Exhibit

I really wanted to see the new exhibit at the art museum and invited Lucy to come along. We both like contemporary art and this was an exhibition for an artist that we've both liked, ever since she was an up and coming artist 10 years ago. This was a retrospective so there was going to be a lot of different types of work by the artist. There would be some of the artist's paintings, her early work. There would also be some of her sculptures. Her most recent work is mixed media. This is very versatile and that's one of the reasons I like her work so much.

We were going to the opening of the exhibition, with a wine and cheese reception for the artist. When we arrived in the main gallery , there were already a lot of people there. Looking around, I could see that some were artists themselves and some were art critics. I'm sure there were collectors there, too. I knew the curator and looked around for him. I spotted him talking with a group of people in the corner, probably trying to talk up the gallery and the artist. After a little while, the curator said a few words and then introduced the artist. We got a chance to meet her briefly and she was very gracious. I'm glad that someone with her talent has made it in the art world. That's not easy to do. And, I think her best work is still to come.

Chicken soup for the soul - Try something different

When we first read the following story, we had just begun teaching a course called "The Million Dollar Forum," a course designed to teach people to accelerate their income up to levels of a million dollars a year or more. Early on we discovered people get locked into a rut of tryirg harder without trying smarter. Trying harder doesn't always work. Sometimes we need to do something radically different to achieve greater levels of success. We need to break out of our paradigm prisons, our habit patterns and our comfort zones. ——— I'm sitting in a quiet room at the Milcroft Inn, a peaceful little place hidden back among the pine trees about an hour out of Toronto. It's just past noon, late July, and I'm listenirg to the desperate sounds of a life-or-death struggle going on a few feet away. There's a small fly burning out the last of its short life's energies in a futile attempt to fly through the glass of the windowpane. The whining wings tell the poignant story of the fly's strategy: Try harder. But it's not working. The frenzied effort offers no hope for survival. Ironically, the struggle is part of the trap. It is impossible for the fly to try hard enough to succeed at breaking through the glass. Nevertheless, this little insect has staked its life on reaching its goal through raw effort and determination. This fly is doomed. It will die there on the windowsill. Across the room, ten steps away, the door is open. Ten seconds of flying time and this small creature could reach the outside world it seeks. With only a fraction of the effort now being wasted, it could be free of this self-imposed trap. The breakthrough possibility is there. It would be so easy. Why doesn't the fly try another approach, something dramatically different? How did it get so locked in on the idea that this particular route and determined effort offer the most promise for success? What logic is there in continuing until death to seek a breakthrough with more of the same? No doubt this approach makes sense to the fly. Regrettably, it's an idea that will kill. Trying harder isn't necessarily the solution to achieving more. It may not offer any real promise for getting what you want out of life. Sometimes, in fact, it's a big part of the problem. If you stake your hopes for a breakthrough on trying harder than ever, you may kill your chances for success.
Price Pritchett

E-books - How to teach Pronunciation

How to teach Pronunciation
Author: Gerald Kelly
Publisher: Longman
File size: 15.49 MB
File type: PDF

A straightforward primer on the theory and teaching of pronunciation, this text offers detailed analysis and teaching techniques for vowels, consonants, stress and intonation, and the features of fluent speech.

Book

http://rapidshare.com/files/132363038/http.rar
password: englishtips.org

AUDIO added

http://rapidshare.com/files/118795572/YBSH_Pronun_audio.rar

Funny - Horse Prank

Heroes Season 1 Episode 22 Landslide

ESL Podcast 51 - Staying In

It's Friday night and my roommate and I feel like staying in. We've both had a tough week at work and decided to have a low-key evening. On my way home, I stopped at the video rental store and rented a couple of movies. I got a new release and a classic. I thought I had left my membership card at home but found it at the last minute. I like going to my local rental store because it doesn't charge late fees. That's handy when I don't have time to return the DVDs the next day.

My roommate and I were feeling too tired to go out to eat so we decided to order in. We mulled over the take-out menus from restaurants that had delivery service and couldn't decide which restaurant to order from. The trouble was that we had never eaten at the two restaurants nearby. Ordering from either one would be crapshoot. In the end, we just decided to order a pizza. I called the restaurant and placed our delivery order.

About a half hour later, the delivery person came to the door. I asked him if I could pay with a credit card and he said, "Sure." I handed him my card and he wrote down the number. Then, I signed the slip and I added a tip to the total. He gave me a copy of the slip as a receipt and then handed me the pizza. I was really glad to get it. I was starving.

With our movies and the pizza, we were all set. There's nothing like a night at home vegging out to get over a hectic week.

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Collocation - Collocations with Common Verbs 1

Hi,

Collocations with Common Verbs 1

Try it.

English I.

ESL Podcast 50 - Dare

Dialogue
Andrew I was out at a bar last week with my friend Tony.
He’s a decent looking guy but he’s really shy around girls for some reason.
He was standing there for about 15 minutes holding his beer with a nervous look on his face.
Finally I realized why.
He was gazing at a couple of hot girls eating chicken wings.
I asked him, “Tony, what are you waiting for? Go over there and say something”.
He said, “I have no idea what to say. I suck in these situations”.
I said, “Oh don’t be such a wimp, I dare you to go over there, take a chicken wing off one of their plates, eat it, smile, and say. You girls are so beautiful, I just wanted to make sure they were safe enough for you to eat”.
If you do it I’ll buy your drinks for the rest of the night.

Hopefully they will think you are cute or funny and want to talk to you.
If it backfires you can just tell them it was my fault.
What’s the worst that could happen?
It’s a win-win situation.

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Key vocabulary and phrases that are discussed in the podcast:
Decent looking guy – Good looking or handsome guy, often guys describe other guys in this way. They don’t want to sound gay.

Gazing – Staring for a long time

Hot girls – Great looking or incredibly sexy girls. We often say hot to describe girls. Girls also use hot to describe great looking guys.

Dare – A challenge that you give to someone. It’s a kind of challenge that they normally would be scared or embarrassed to do. It’s a fun kind of thing between friends.

This can also be used as a characteristic to describe someone. We can call someone “daring”. That means the person is willing to take chances, bold or courageous.

Wimp – Weak man. Scared, babyish, not strong.

Backfires – If a plan backfires it means that it did not turn out the way you hoped that it would. It went the opposite of how you hoped it would go.

What’s the worst that could happen? –This is a question to ask yourself or someone else if they are considering not doing something. The idea is that if the worst thing that can happen isn’t really that bad, then you should do it.

Win-win situation – A situation where no matter what the result is, there is something still good about it. Here, if the girls like Tony, he wins. If they don’t like him, he will get free drinks for the rest of the night, so he wins again.

Thông báo điểm tuyển sinh đại học 2008 (DHNN - DHQG HN)

Hi there,

FYI.

Thông báo điểm tuyển sinh đại học 2008

Cheers,

English I.

Listening Practice Through Songs (11) - Pretty Boy M2M

Hi,

Enjoy the song.

Pretty Boy

In order to hear the song, you need download Flash Player at http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash&P5_Language=English

Cheers,

English I.

Chicken soup for the soul - Make It Come True

In 1957 a ten-year-old boy in California set a goal. At the time Jim Brown was the greatest running back ever to play pro football and this tall, skinny boy wanted his autograph. In order to accomplish his goal, the young boy had to overcome some obstacles. He grew up in the ghetto, where he never got enough to eat. Malnutrition took its toll, and a disease called rickets forced him to wear steel splints to support his skinny, bowed-out legs. He had no money to buy a ticket to get into the game, so he waited patiently near the locker room until the game ended and Jim Brown left the field. He politely asked Brown for his autograph. As Brown signed, the boy explained, "Mr. Brown, I have your picture on my wall. I know you hold all the records. You're my idol." Brown smiled and began to leave, but the young boy wasn't finished. He proclaimed, "Mr. Brown, one day I'm going to break every record you hold!" Brown was impressed and asked, "What is your name, son?" The boy replied, "Orenthal James. My friends call me O. J." O. J. Simpson went on to break all but three of the rushing records held by Jim Brown before injuries shortened his football career. Goal setting is the strongest force for human motivation. Set a goal and make it come true. Dan Clark

ESL Podcast 49 - Car Trouble

I was driving down the Santa Monica freeway yesterday, headed towards downtown, when all of a sudden I see my engine light come on. Needless to say, that's not the sort of thing one likes to see. So I immediately pull over to the side of the road and park on the shoulder . I pop the hood and look to see what the problem might be. I'm no mechanic. I barely know how to change the oil and the wiper fluid‚ but perhaps something would pop out at me.

The car didn't overheat, since there was no steam coming out of the radiator . I checked the battery cables, and the battery was definitely not dead. I didn't know quite what else to do, so I pulled out my cell phone and called AAA for a tow to the nearest repair shop. I started worrying about all the things. It could be the fuel pump, the transmission, the electrical system. Who knows? I just had new brakes put in a month ago, so I knew it couldn't be that.

The tow truck finally arrived and we went to a nearby mechanic. He checked everything, and then told me that he had found the problem: the engine light sensor was broken! I now had to take it into the dealer to get it fixed. Well, at least it didn't end up costing me an arm and a leg.

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Funny - Funny Dogs

Heroes Season 1 Episode 21 The Hard Part

ESL Podcast 48 - Job Interview

Dialogue

Andrews monologue about a job interview.

Andrew Yesterday afternoon I went for that job interview.
It was the worst experience in my life.
For some reason I put on my resume that I could speak Japanese, which is a total lie.
The job had nothing to do with Japanese so I guess I thought I would just put it down to make myself look more well-rounded.
I never thought that they would actually test me on it.
It turns out that the guy interviewing me had lived in Tokyo for 8 years.
His Japanese was great.
The first thing he said to me was something in Japanese, which I obviously didn’t understand.
I felt so nauseous.
I had absolutely no idea what to do so I just replied in English, “hey, your Japanese is pretty good”.
He said “thanks, but what about you? It says here on your resume that you speak it.”
I said, “what can I say” he shook his head and said “get the hell out of here!”

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Key vocabulary and phrases that are discussed in the podcast:
"For some reason"

if you don’t know why you did something, that was usually a mistake, you can say "for some reason"

Example: I was holding my money in my left hand and the garbage in my right. For some reason I threw my money in the garbage instead of the garbage bag.

"I put on my resume that I could speak Japanese, which is a total lie."

By saying it was a total lie, you are saying that it is completely untrue. In this case you don’t speak any Japanese at all. If it was a little lie we often say that you embellished a little or you stretched the truth. Most people embellish a little on their resume. They stretch the truth to make themselves sound better.

"The first thing he said to me was something in Japanese, which I obviously didn’t understand"

Why does he say obviously?

Because the speaker already said that he didn’t understand any Japanese so it is very clear that he didn’t understand Japanese. It kind of gives the listener some respect because the speaker knows that the listener is smart enough to already know that.

The idea is that it should be clear or obvious to the listener.

One person could say, “I found a wallet with 1000 dollars in it so I obviously kept it”.

Another person could say “I found a wallet with 1000 dollars in it so I obviously tried to find the owner to give it back”

These are obviously different kinds of people.

"Well rounded"

Well rounded is a term to describe someone who is good at many things. Most employers want to see that you have more than one skill and lead a balanced life. You don’t just do only one thing. So if you are good in school, play sports, and do other hobbies you are well rounded. If you just study you aren’t very well rounded.

"Nauseous"

The feeling you get when you are almost going to throw up. Sick stomach.

“What can I say?”

It’s a question to use when you really have nothing to say. It’s a rhetorical question meaning that the other person doesn’t need to answer you. It’s almost like saying. “There is nothing for me to say”.