The A to Z English Podcast Jack McBain

Here are the meanings of the phrases "drop the ball" and "fall off":

Drop the Ball
"Drop the ball" is an idiom that means to make a mistake or fail to meet an obligation or responsibility. It suggests that someone has let something important slip through the cracks, leading to a failure or mishap. The phrase likely originates from sports, where dropping the ball can lead to a loss of possession or a missed opportunity.

Example:
"I really dropped the ball on that project. I forgot to submit the report on time."

Fall Off
"Fall off" can have a few different meanings depending on the context:

Literal Meaning: To physically fall from a higher place to a lower place.
Example: "Be careful on the ladder so you don't fall off."

Decrease or Decline: To experience a reduction in amount, quality, or intensity.
Example: "Sales have fallen off since the holiday season."

Lose Focus or Consistency: To stop maintaining a certain level of performance, attention, or engagement.
Example: "He was doing well in his studies, but his grades fell off after he started working part-time."

Both phrases are commonly used in everyday conversation and writing, and their meanings can often be inferred from the context in which they are used.

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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack answer more silly questions.
Transcript:
00:00:00
Jack
Hey, A is the English podcast listeners. It's Jack here and we just want to announce that we are now on WeChat. Our WeChat ID is A-Z English podcast that is A-Z English podcast, one word all lowercase.
00:00:17
Jack
And if you.
00:00:18
Jack
Join the group. You will be able to talk with me. You'll be able to.
00:00:22
Jack
Talk with social.
00:00:23
Jack
And we can answer your questions. We can read your comments on the podcast. So we'd love for you to join us and be active in our we chat group. Our WeChat ID is A-Z English podcast. Thanks. See you on the app.
00:00:48
Jack
Welcome to the Ados English podcast. My name is Jack and I'm here with my co-host social. And today we have a fun topic talk.
00:00:57
Jack
And this one is. These are just silly questions, social and.
00:01:02
Jack
We're going to do three of them, and if you join our English corner through the WeChat group, you can also discuss these. We we discussed these questions last week, but we will discuss questions like this in the future as well. And #1 is what are your most random pet peeves?
00:01:22
Jack
We we talked.
00:01:22
Jack
About pet peeves before, but what's your like most random one? That probably no one else is annoyed by, but only you?
00:01:30
Xochitl
My most random pet peeve.
00:01:35
Xochitl
The leading the chair not pushing, as we discussed before.
00:01:39
발표자
Mm-hmm.
00:01:41
Xochitl
What's another one?
00:01:44
Xochitl
I'm trying to think I'm not too much of A picky person, so it's kind of hard for me. I hate this is kind of a like a weird one. It's not really my business, but I just hate seeing like.
00:01:57
Xochitl
Like useless men like this sounds weird, but it's kind of a pet peeve of mine when there's, like, a a woman with like like this just happened in the airport. There's a woman was literally the she she and her husband were at the airport and she had like, seven kids. And I think she's pregnant with another kid and.
00:02:17
Xochitl
He the man just like there's he was supposed to get like dinner for all the kids and the wife with his oldest son, and they just disappeared for like 2 hours and then came back with nothing.
00:02:30
Xochitl
And the kids were, like, running around and screaming, and the lady looked, like, devastated. And it was like, oh, my God, I just, you know what I mean? I hate seeing stuff like that every time I see a man, a useless partner. That's a huge piece. And it's funny because it's not really my business, but it just makes me angry.
00:02:48
Jack
Yeah, it's kind of I'm. I'm just, I think.
00:02:50
Jack
It's funny that you were.
00:02:51
Jack
Just watching that whole scenario play out and just seething, just so angry.
00:02:57
Xochitl
Yes, I was sitting across from the waiting and I was just like, oh, my God, this poor lady. And this, like, older lady sitting next to her was like, helped ended up helping her with distract her kids for a while, which was really nice. Of the older lady to step in. But it was just.
00:03:12
Xochitl
Crazy that the woman has a whole husband. That's like doing nothing.
00:03:17
Jack
Yeah.
00:03:17
Xochitl
Just absolutely insane.
00:03:19
Jack
I wonder, I wonder if my wife would have stories. And then I thought fortunately there might be some examples of me checking out for a moment, but I I try not to. I I try to, you know, we we try to divide and conquer. You know, the best that we can.
00:03:34
Xochitl
I don't think he would have been that useless like this guy was a a new level. You know what I mean? From what I've seen of you, I have a hard time believing you would have been that.
00:03:39
발표자
Yeah.
00:03:43
Xochitl
Bad.
00:03:43
Xochitl
You know, so that's a.
00:03:45
Xochitl
Big Tip team of mine and I think.
00:03:49
Xochitl
Those are those are two big ones, I.
00:03:53
Xochitl
I don't think that I have another one. I guess another, maybe third

In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl explains why she may not want to have children.
Transcript:
00:00:00
Jack
Hey, A is the English podcast listeners. It's Jack here and we just want to announce that we are now on WeChat. Our WeChat ID is A-Z English podcast that is A-Z English podcast, one word all lowercase.
00:00:17
Jack
And if you.
00:00:18
Jack
Join the group. You will be able to talk with me. You'll be able to.
00:00:22
Jack
Talk with social.
00:00:23
Jack
And we can answer your questions. We can read your comments on the podcast. So we'd love for you to join us and be active in our we chat group. Our WeChat ID is A-Z English podcast. Thanks. See you on the app.
00:00:49
Jack
Welcome to the A-Z English podcast. My name is Jack and.
00:00:52
Jack
I'm here with my co-host social.
00:00:54
Jack
And today we have an interesting topic.
00:00:56
Jack
For you and social, I'm going to.
00:00:58
Jack
Let you introduce the topic today.
00:01:04
Xochitl
Today, we're going to talk about.
00:01:07
Xochitl
Societal pressures and expectations kind of in this upcoming generation, which includes, you know, people my age and younger, and we're going to talk about how I maybe don't want to have kids.
00:01:22
Jack
MHM.
00:01:24
Xochitl
Yeah. So I don't know what to say about that, except I guess I've gotten to an age finally.
00:01:29
Xochitl
There, you know one once people know like they ask me how old I am and once they know, you know, they they sometimes ask, you know, do I want to have kids or am I thinking about having kids? And the answer is kind of no. I mean whenever I hear screaming children, it just dries up, it dries.
00:01:50
Xochitl
The uterus right up, Jack to the side.
00:01:51
Xochitl
Of.
00:01:52
Xochitl
Something I just I hate. I I can't really stand the shrill shrieking of of joyous children. I'm just kidding. But it is it. It is really hard and and I just see there's so much responsibility. I admire people who are parents. Of course I know it's really hard.
00:02:01
Jack
Yeah.
00:02:10
Xochitl
But I do see there's so much responsibility and it kind of makes me feel like you just never know where things are gonna go. Like a lot of things are kind of out of your control when you have kids and.
00:02:25
Xochitl
It's scary because I I I I guess I always go to the darkest, you know, recess of my mind and think you know what? If someone murdered my kids or you know what? What kid murdered someone you know and and not just that. It's like every decision that you make for the rest of your life will revolve around your kids and even when your kids are adult.
00:02:36
Jack
Hmm.
00:02:49
Xochitl
You're going to worry about them every single day, and you're gonna.
00:02:54
Xochitl
Like put your energy into that bill. Never stop being your kids, you know.
00:03:00
Jack
Oh, I I know exactly what you mean. It's. But can I go back and back a little bit? Are you are you offended when people ask you that?
00:03:05
Xochitl
Oh yeah, Jack, rewind.
00:03:09
Xochitl
I don't really care but, but I know some people. Some people do get offended and I think that's their right because it's kind of like it's not really anyone's business, you know, and if.
00:03:19
Jack
Yeah, it's kind of an inappropriate question in some in some ways.
00:03:22
Jack
I feel like.
00:03:23
Xochitl
It's kind of a crazy question because it's like if I wanted kids and could have kids, wouldn't I have them right now? And then it's like, and if I didn't want kids, then why are you asking me and like?
00:03:29
Jack
You're right.
00:03:35
Xochitl
Like there's just or if I want kids and couldn't have them like, then we're just about to open a really uncomfortable can of worms, especially if you don't know me super well. Like, what if you asked me that and I have on my, like, fifth round of IVF and we know it's not gonna work anymore. And I'm like, I start sobbing my eyes out. And you just ask me, you know, if I want to have kids, you know what I mean? Li

In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack explain when to use play, do, and run with activities related to exercise.
Transcript:
00:00:00
Jack
Hey, A is the English podcast listeners. It's Jack here and we just want to announce that we are now on WeChat. Our WeChat ID is A-Z English podcast that is A-Z English podcast, one word all lowercase.
00:00:17
Jack
And if you.
00:00:18
Jack
Join the group. You will be able to talk with me. You'll be able to.
00:00:22
Jack
Talk with social.
00:00:23
Jack
And we can answer your questions. We can read your comments on the podcast. So we'd love for you to join us and be active in our we chat group. Our WeChat ID is A-Z English podcast. Thanks. See you on the app.
00:00:49
Jack
Welcome to the A-Z English podcast. My name is Jack and I'm here with my co-host social. And today we are doing a vocabulary builder and social. We're going to talk about sports and activities today and I think there there are some verb differences that we use when we're talking about.
00:01:08
Jack
Certain sports and then certain kind of.
00:01:10
Jack
Sport like activities.
00:01:13
Jack
And so, like, what would we use to to describe like, basketball, tennis, baseball, soccer? Which verb do we use with with those sports?
00:01:28
Xochitl
Uh, I would say we use play with those, right, with those sports.
00:01:32
Jack
Exactly. We say I play basketball. He plays basketball, they play basketball, I play soccer. Do you?
00:01:41
Jack
Do you play any sports?
00:01:44
Xochitl
UM.
00:01:46
Xochitl
I used to.
00:01:49
Xochitl
But I don't anymore.
00:01:51
Jack
What? What did you used to? I bet you used to be on the soccer team, right?
00:01:54
Xochitl
Yeah, I used to.
00:01:55
Xochitl
Play soccer I I did used to play soccer, but I have another one and and I realize it conflicts with R2 but I used to run track.
00:01:56
Jack
Yeah.
00:02:05
Jack
Ohh, nice. Well, there's a third one we could throw in there. Yeah. Run. Run track. Yes.
00:02:06
Xochitl
Press.
00:02:10
Xochitl
I ran track or you can go. I ran cross cross country as well.
00:02:15
Jack
Ohh I ran cross country one year but I was I finished last every time I was the slowest.
00:02:20
Xochitl
I also finished last every time so I don't feel bad. I live in two last places and now it's podcast. Ohh, that's funny. Running a podcast. You also kind of run a podcast.
00:02:26
Jack
Yeah.
00:02:32
Jack
Yeah, right. We run an English corner. We run an English business.
00:02:34
Xochitl
You can run. Yeah. You run a business as well, that's just.
00:02:38
Jack
Right, yeah.
00:02:40
Xochitl
Thing.
00:02:41
Jack
OK. Yeah. So I used to, I used to play play basketball in in high school and college. That was my, my, my big sport was was basketball. But after graduating from university, I I stopped playing basketball and I, but I continued to play tennis.
00:03:01
Jack
So when?
00:03:01
Jack
When I go home to America, I play tennis with my brother. I play with my dad and I play with my mom. They they all play tennis and my dad is 75. My mom is 74, but they still play tennis almost every day, so they're very into fitness and and well and health.
00:03:22
Jack
MHM.
00:03:23
Jack
What about do what? What kind of so do is the second one and what what do we use? What activities do we use do for?
00:03:33
Xochitl
Do hmm.
00:03:37
Xochitl
I.
00:03:41
Xochitl
I do Taekwondo. I used to do Taekwondo.
00:03:44
Jack
Oh, did you do a little around self-defense? Yeah.
00:03:45
Xochitl
I did like.
00:03:48
Xochitl
A little martial arts, yeah.
00:03:49
Jack
Yeah, watch out or social's going to spin kick you around the chin.
00:03:55
Xochitl
Yeah, I actually kicked my dad once. He asked me to. So it's it was not my fault. And I told him I wouldn't do it. And then he said I would be grounded if I didn't kick him. So then I did kick him. I was a kid. I was like 13. I think I did kick him. And then he said I was grounded cause I kicked him and my mom said no, she's not.
00:04:13

In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack ask each other funny questions.
Transcript:
00:00:00
Jack
Hey, A is the English podcast listeners. It's Jack here and we just want to announce that we are now on WeChat. Our WeChat ID is A-Z English podcast that is A-Z English podcast, one word all lowercase.
00:00:17
Jack
And if you.
00:00:18
Jack
Join the group. You will be able to talk with me. You'll be able to.
00:00:22
Jack
Talk with social.
00:00:23
Jack
And we can answer your questions. We can read your comments on the podcast. So we'd love for you to join us and be active in our we chat group. Our WeChat ID is A-Z English podcast. Thanks. See you on the app.
00:00:49
Jack
Welcome to the A-Z English podcast. My name is Jack and I'm here with my.
00:00:52
Jack
Co-host.
00:00:53
Jack
Social and today we're going to do some funny quiz questions. And so I'm going to ask social some questions. She's going to ask me. They're kind of silly, but I think it's it'll be fun to, you know, see what our answers are.
00:01:08
Jack
And so, uh, so. So the first one is.
00:01:12
Jack
If you could teach a dog your dog duende to do 1 human thing, what would it be?
00:01:21
Xochitl
Yeah.
00:01:22
Xochitl
Uh, Jack. That one's hard because initially I want to say I want to teach him to speak, but I think I would get annoyed like I love him to death, but he's like he's a little puppy and he has a lot of energy, so he just be talking my ear off, like how little kids do you know?
00:01:39
Jack
What's this? What's this? What's this? What's this you're like?
00:01:43
Xochitl
Yeah, constantly. Like, so you know.
00:01:47
Xochitl
But you know it's between.
00:01:49
Xochitl
Teaching them how to talk and this is kind of a cheating answer, but I'd like to teach him to be self-sufficient. That way I could just like go on trips without having to worry about him. I feel like he can feed himself and get himself water and take himself out for a walk or whatever if that was possible I would.
00:01:58
Jack
Yeah.
00:02:08
Xochitl
That would be great if you could just be self-sufficient and that.
00:02:10
Xochitl
Just.
00:02:10
Xochitl
Kind of that involves is kind of cheating because it involves a lot of human things under one umbrella.
00:02:16
Jack
You know, but I I just picture him sitting on the sofa like a human with, like, the remote control in his paw.
00:02:23
Jack
It's just kind of slipping through the channels looking for anything with dogs on TV.
00:02:24
Xochitl
Yeah, he would definitely.
00:02:30
Xochitl
Yeah, because there's some shoes he actually likes to watch. I think I was watching, like Sophia and the guard the other day. That's a YouTuber. And he was really intently watching the show. So he's very, yeah, there's some things he really likes. I think he likes Sophia and.
00:02:41
Jack
Wow, that's weird.
00:02:49
Xochitl
I don't know. There. Yeah. There's some things to seem to like more than others. I still haven't figured out the pattern yet with my other dog. He like to with Mouse, which is a dog. But my family had before I had went to. He liked The Walking.
00:03:01
Xochitl
Ed.
00:03:03
발표자
Ohh.
00:03:05
Jack
What? What does that mean?
00:03:05
발표자 2
And.
00:03:07
Xochitl
I don't know. You seem to like The Walking Dead and he like to watch the the show with like a a dog in it too. He would watch that, like, whenever we watched it, he would sit down.
00:03:18
Xochitl
And watch it.
00:03:18
Xochitl
The other shows and before him really quickly. So yeah, I think if if I could teach him to be self-sufficient, that's kind of.
00:03:25
Xochitl
What I would do?
00:03:26
Jack
Yeah. Yeah. Ohh.
00:03:27
Xochitl
Jack, how for your dog. Oh, sorry. Go ahead.
00:03:30
Jack
Oh, no. Yeah, Michael.
00:03:31
Jack
I was going to say the same thing that you said. I was going to say, like I wanted to teach my dog to speak, but actually I don't want.
00:03:37
Jack
My.
00:03:37
Jack
Dog to to talk because.
00:03:41
Jack
You know.
00:

In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack offer some tips for IELTS test takers and then each of them answer an IELTS speaking question.
Transcript:
IELTS Speaking Part 3 involves a two-way discussion with the examiner, typically lasting 4-5 minutes. This part requires you to express opinions, discuss abstract ideas, and provide detailed answers. Here are some effective strategies to excel in this section:
1. Expand Your AnswersDevelop Ideas: Don't give one-sentence answers. Expand your response by explaining your points, providing examples, and considering multiple perspectives.Structure: Use a clear structure. For example, start with a main point, provide a reason, give an example, and conclude with a summary.2. Use a Range of Vocabulary and GrammarLexical Resource: Use varied and precise vocabulary. Avoid repeating the same words.Grammar: Use a range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences, passive voice, and conditionals.3. Linking Words and PhrasesCohesion: Use linking words and phrases to connect your ideas smoothly. Examples include "however," "moreover," "on the other hand," "for instance," etc.Signposting: Indicate the direction of your thoughts with phrases like "to begin with," "another point to consider," "in conclusion," etc.4. Express Opinions and Justify ThemOpinion: Clearly state your opinion using phrases like "I believe," "In my view," "From my perspective."Justification: Justify your opinions with reasons and evidence. Use phrases like "because," "the reason is," "due to."5. Speculate and HypothesizeSpeculation: When discussing future scenarios or possibilities, use speculative language such as "might," "could," "it's possible that."Hypothesis: Use conditional sentences to talk about hypothetical situations. For example, "If I were in charge, I would..."6. Stay Calm and ConfidentCalmness: Stay calm and composed. Take a moment to think before you answer if needed.Confidence: Speak confidently, even if you're unsure. It's better to attempt an answer than to stay silent.7. Practice Common TopicsFamiliarity: Practice discussing common Part 3 topics such as education, technology, the environment, culture, and society.Current Affairs: Stay updated with current affairs as they can provide content for your answers.8. Engage in Real ConversationsPractice: Engage in conversations with fluent English speakers or join language exchange groups.Feedback: Seek feedback from teachers or peers to identify areas for improvement.9. Time ManagementBalance: Ensure your answers are long enough to show your language skills but concise enough to stay relevant to the question.Pacing: Maintain a steady pace to avoid speaking too fast or too slow.10. Active ListeningUnderstanding: Listen carefully to the examiner's questions to ensure you fully understand before answering.Clarification: If you're unsure about a question, don't hesitate to ask for clarification.
Question 1: "How has technology affected the way people communicate?"
Answer:
"Technology has profoundly transformed the way people communicate, making interactions more immediate and accessible. One major impact is the shift from face-to-face conversations to digital communications. Nowadays, people frequently use messaging apps, social media, and video calls to stay connected, even across vast distances. This immediacy allows for real-time communication, which is particularly beneficial for maintaining relationships with friends and family who live far away.
Moreover, technology has democratized information sharing. Social media platforms enable individuals to share their thoughts, experiences, and news with a broad audience instantly. This has led to a more interconnected world where people are more aware of global events and diverse perspectives.
However, there are downsides as well. The over-reliance on digital communication can lead to a decline in interpersonal skills. Many people, especially younger generations, may find it challe