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  1. 1d ago

    Vol357.日常英语学习Advanced News English

    获取全部文本资料公众号搜索：yymaster888 Hi, I'm Lisa. Let's learn some advanced vocabulary and expressions from a news article so that you can take your already advanced English to the next level, the final level of fluency. My goal is to teach you to communicate with educated native speakers on any subject just like you can in your native language. One of the best ways for you to achieve that is to learn the vocabulary and the expressions that native speakers are using and to be able to use those words yourself. For example, do you know the meaning of the adjectives "precarious" and "disconcerting" or the verbs "to soar" and "to tumble"? In this video, you will learn to use these words and many more. You will also have a chance to practice your accent. I will read parts of the article and I will pause to give you a chance to repeat after me. This news article is about Wall Street, the stock market, and its impact on the economy. The title of the article isIntel's best day since the 1980s helps drive Wall Street to more records. Let's look at the verb "to drive." Of course, you know the meaning of to drive a car, but "to drive" can be used in other ways. It means to cause something to happen or to make it move in a certain way, to make it act in a certain way. In this context, it means that Intel's strong performance caused the stock market to rise. We can use "to drive" this way: "His speech drove the team to work harder." "Rising oil prices drove inflation higher." "The noise is driving me crazy." (meaning it's making me crazy) We can also say, "He has a lot of drive." What does that mean? It means he's very motivated. He's motivated to work hard. He has a lot of drive. Or we can say, "He is very driven." I believe that you are driven to improve your English and that's why you're watching this video. You have a lot of drive. Okay, let's look at the first two paragraphs of the article to learn some more words. First, I will read it and you listen. "Wall Street rolled to more records on Thursday as Nvidia and Intel led a rally for technology stocks after announcing a deal that includes a $5 billion investment. The S&P 500 index rose 0.5% and is on track for a third straight winning week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 124 points or 0.3% and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.9%. All three set all-time highs." Let's look at the word "rally." A rally can be a noun or "to rally" is a verb. The article states, "Nvidia and Intel led a rally for technology stocks." To rally is to recover, to become stronger again after a period of weakness. In this case, it means a sudden increase in the price of stocks after a decline. You can also use the verb "to rally" this way: "The stock market rallied." "The team rallied in the second half and won the game." In case you don't know, let's learn about the Standard & Poor's 500 index. It's commonly called the S&P 500. The article says the S&P 500 index rose 0.5%. The S&P 500 is a list of 500 large companies whose stock prices are tracked together to show how the US stock market is performing. If the S&P 500 goes up, it usually means that the economy is doing well. When the S&P 500 goes down, it often means the economy is slowing down. The S&P 500 index rose 0.5%. "Rose" is from the verb "to rise," which means to go up (rise, rose, risen). Don't confuse this verb with the verb "to raise." To rise is to go up, but to raise is to make something go up. They're similar, but they're used differently: one is a transitive verb and one is an intransitive verb. "The sun rose," but "I raised my hand." "They raised prices," but "The prices rose." (That's an intransitive verb.) Let's look at "to be on track for." The article states that the S&P 500 is on track for a third straight winning week. These are tracks—they are train tracks. So to be on track means to be moving in the direction to reach a goal, to be likely to achieve something. For example: "She's doing very well at work. She's on track for a job promotion." "This project is on track for completion by the end of the year." The opposite of on track is "to get off track." That's when you start going in a different direction, in the wrong direction. Let's listen: "When I do those things, I'm on track mentally, emotionally, and physically." "And I knew that as long as I stayed on track, my career was secure." "I apologize. I completely got off track." You know the meaning of the word "straight," right? A straight line or straight hair, but the article talks about a third straight winning week—on track for a third straight winning week. In this case, straight means happening one after another without interruption, without stopping. For example: "I've worked late for three straight nights." (The same thing as three nights in a row.) "I've worked for 15 days straight without a day off." "I can't believe I slept for 10 hours straight." (And that means I didn't wake up at all during that time. 10 hours straight.) Let's listen to how some other people used it: "We were traveling three days straight from Turkey by bus." "They worked 20 hours a day for 100 days straight." "Literally just been laying down for the last 24 hours straight pretty much." Let's look at "all-time." In this article, it says "all-time high." All three set all-time highs. An all-time high means the highest level ever reached. "Temperatures hit an all-time high this summer." (That means a record was broken. Temperatures were never higher than this summer. It was an all-time high.) "The city's population is now at an all-time high." We can also say "all-time low": "The temperatures hit all-time lows last January." We can say "all-time favorite": "That movie is my all-time favorite." Or "all-time best": "She gave an all-time best performance." (It was her best performance ever.) Or "all-time great": "Michael Jordan is considered an all-time great in basketball." Okay. Now, we're going to read the paragraphs again so that you can practice your accent. I will pause to give you a chance to repeat. Repeat after me: "Wall Street rolled to more records on Thursday" "as Nvidia and Intel led a rally for technology stocks" "after announcing a deal that includes a $5 billion investment." "The S&P 500 index rose 0.5%." "And is on track for a third straight winning week." "The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 124 points or 0.3%." "and the NASDAQ Composite climbed 0.9%." "All three set all-time highs." Now, let's look at two more sentences: "Intel soared 22.8% for its best day since 1987 after Nvidia said it would buy $5 billion of the chipmaker stock. Nvidia climbed 3.5% and was by far the strongest force lifting the S&P 500 because it's Wall Street's most valuable company." Let's look at the verb "to soar." Intel soared 22.8%. To soar is to rise or to increase very quickly. For example: "Gas prices soared after the hurricane." "Sales of the new phone soared during the first week." "My confidence soared when I got the promotion." "The eagle soared high in the sky." (A bird can soar; an airplane can soar.) You know the meaning of "far," but let's look at "by far." Nvidia was by far the strongest force lifting the S&P 500. We say "by far" when we want to emphasize that something is much better, much stronger, or much greater than anything else. "She is by far the best singer in the group." "This was by far the most difficult test I've ever taken." "This is by far the best pizza I've ever eaten." Or we can use "far" with a comparative adjective. For example, "far bigger than": "Is the United States bigger than Switzerland? Yes, it's far bigger." "This restaurant is far better than the other one." "Is your English far better today than it was last year?" Okay, let's read that part again to practice your accent. Repeat after me: "Intel soared 22.8% for its best day since 1987" "after Nvidia said it would buy $5 billion of the chipmaker stock." Notice how I connected the two S's. I didn't pronounce both of those S's; I blended them into one sound: "chipmaker stock." You say it: "chipmaker stock." Anytime we have two consonants that are the same—one is at the end of the word and the other one is at the beginning of the next word—we only pronounce one sound. For example: "She speaks Spanish." (We wouldn't say she speaks Spanish; she speaks Spanish.) "I'm married." (We blend those two M's into one sound. Don't say I'm married; it's I'm married.) Let's continue. Repeat after me: "Nvidia climbed 3.5%." "And was by far the strongest force lifting the S&P 500" "because it's Wall Street's most valuable company." Let's continue with some more sentences from the article: "Fewer US workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than expected. That could indicate the pace of layoffs is slowing and it was a relief after the prior week's data showing a disconcerting leap to a 4-year high." Let's look at "unemployment benefits." Fewer US workers applied for unemployment benefits last week. Unemployment benefits are the money that the government gives to people who lose their jobs and are looking for a job.

  2. 3d ago

    Vol356.日常英语学习Stuck in the Rabbit Hole

    获取全部文本资料公众号搜索：yymaster888 Okay, I need to admit something that still makes me cringe when I think about it. Oh, no. Is this worse than the ceiling stairs story? Much worse. So, for 3 months, 3 months, I watched every single video on YouTube about becoming a digital nomad, packing lists, best laptops, which countries have the fastest Wi-Fi, how to work from a hammock in Bali. Okay, that actually sounds fun, though. Jake, I don't even like working from coffee shops. I get distracted by the music. I hate packing, and I get motion sickness on planes. So, you spent 3 months researching a life you wouldn't even enjoy. Exactly. And the worst part? I never applied for a single remote job. Not one. I just watched and imagined and felt bad that I wasn't doing it. Okay, I'm genuinely curious now. Why do we do that? Why do we research things we know we'll never actually do? That's exactly what I want to dig into today. Because I don't think it's just me. I think a lot of people do this. So, what's actually happening when we fall into these rabbit holes? I think it's what psychologists call fantasy planning. Your brain gets a little hit of dopamine just from imagining the change. It feels like you're making progress, but you're not actually moving anywhere. Like, the research itself becomes the reward? Yes, and that's the sneaky part. Your brain goes, "Look, we're being productive. We're learning." But deep down, you know you're just avoiding the scary part. And what's the scary part? Actually doing it. Applying. Failing. Being bad at something new. Research is safe. Research doesn't reject you. Research doesn't say, "We went with another candidate." Oh, that hit close to home. Right? So, the fantasy becomes a comfortable place to live. You can stay there forever and never have to face the discomfort of real change. Okay, but here's my question. Is that always bad? Is all fantasy planning a waste of time? No. Actually, I don't think so. And this is where it gets interesting. Okay, I'm ready. Convince me. Sometimes, the research phase is actually your brain testing the idea. You're asking, "Does this actually fit me?" And you won't know that without exploring it. But you said you didn't even like coffee shops or planes. Right. And that's exactly why the research was useful. I spent 3 months watching those videos. And somewhere in month two, I realized I don't actually want this life. I want the idea of it, the freedom, the adventure. But the reality? Not for me. So, the 3 months weren't wasted? Not at all. They saved me from quitting my job, buying a one-way ticket, and realizing on day three that I hate tropical humidity and unreliable Wi-Fi. Okay, that's a really good point. So, the rabbit hole actually protected you. Exactly. But here's the key. I had to be honest with myself. I had to stop and ask, "Am I actually going to do this? Or am I just enjoying the fantasy?" And if the answer is just enjoying the fantasy? Then you can enjoy it, but without the guilt. You can say, "This is a fun daydream. I'm not going to do it. And that's okay." Wow, that takes so much pressure off. It's like giving yourself permission to just explore without commitment. Exactly. The problem isn't the rabbit hole. The problem is when you stay in it and beat yourself up for not taking action you never really wanted to take. Okay, let's slow down and look at some of the words we just used because I think they're really useful. Let's do it. This comes from Alice in Wonderland. She falls down a rabbit hole into a strange world. Now it means getting deeply into something and losing track of time. I fell down a YouTube rabbit hole last night. You can use it for anything. Research, social media, even old photos. I looked at one old photo and fell down a rabbit hole of memories. This is when you plan something. Usually a big life change, but you never actually do it. I spent months fantasy planning my move to another country. It's planning as entertainment. Exactly. It's not real planning. It's dreamy planning. Dopamine is a chemical in your brain. It makes you feel good. So a dopamine hit is a little burst of that good feeling. Scrolling through travel videos gives me a quick dopamine hit.

  3. 5d ago

    Vol355.日常英语学习Whispers of Real Life

    获取全部文本资料公众号搜索：yymaster888 Hello, honey. You came home early today. I'm making lunch. Hello, babe. Yeah, I arrived early. I need to talk to you. Something happened. Really? Oh, my love. Here I am for you. Tell me. But wait a minute. I have to check the oven. By the way, Mario wants to talk to you. Why don't you talk to him while I finish cooking lunch? I'll be right back, okay? No, wait a minute. Martha. Oh, God. Hello, dad. It's good that you came home early. Wasn't there much work today? Yeah, I had some problems in the office, but everything is fine, son. How are you? I'm great. I'm so happy. I talked to the teacher and she told me that I am doing great. She told me that if I keep trying, I can be the best student. I mean, I am one of the best students now, but I want to be the best in the school. I am so happy to know that. I am sure you can achieve that goal. I trust you. Thanks, Dad. And I'm talking about that if I want to be the best, I have to have the best. And we have a science project this week. I need some material for my project. I will make a volcano. It will be amazing. I am sure I can win that contest. I will need some special paper and other things. I know they can be expensive. George, my best friend, told me we couldn't do it because it was very expensive. But I told him we can do it. You told me I had to do my best always. And you have a good job. George's father is an assistant and he doesn't earn much money. I understand that. But you are the boss in your area. I told him you could pay for those things. So we are making the volcano anyway. I just need $100, Dad. If you can give me that money today because we will go to buy the things later. $100? Well, that's kind of expensive. Do you really need it? Yeah, I also thought it was a little expensive at the beginning. But you are the boss, Dad. So I thought you wouldn't have any problem giving me $100. Am I right? Yeah, sure. I will give you the money later. First, I need to talk to your mother. Thank you. You are the best father. Uh my mom? I think she's cooking. She's making that delicious chicken stew. She says she has a surprise for you. I think she wants to talk to you about something important. And she prepared your favorite food. By the way, it's George's birthday next week. I will need $50 to buy him a present. I was thinking about a new protector for his cell phone. But I'm not sure. What do you think? But a new protector for his cell phone doesn't cost $50. That's too much. I know that. But I will also buy a cake. Chocolate cake. It's his favorite. So I will give him a chocolate cake and a new protector for his cell phone. I was planning to buy something else, but I can't think about it. Maybe a pair of socks? No, son. I am sure it's enough with his chocolate cake. That's all. Yeah, you're right. Dad, I will also need $200 to buy new shoes. New shoes? But I bought those shoes you have last year. What happened? Yeah, but all my friends have new shoes. There are some great sneakers on sale. We can go to the mall later to see them. Mom can go, too. And then to the movies. I think we will have to talk about it. Now, why don't you call Mom? I need to talk to her. Sure. Thank you, Dad. I will tell my mom you're calling her. Mom! Honey, what happened? Oh, George already told you I'm making your favorite chicken stew. I didn't want to tell you anything before lunch because I wanted it to be a surprise. I found it. Do you remember we were talking about that trip to Disneyland? Well, Mary, my cousin, knows a person who has this travel agency. He can help us. I was talking to him, and the trip will cost only $20,000. Approximately. 15 days in Orlando and Disneyland, all included. Isn't it amazing? We can pay for that, right? I will talk to him to coordinate. All right. What is that thing you wanted to tell me? I got fired, Martha. The company had problems and many workers have been fired. That is a big problem because now we won't have enough money. What will we do? Our son needs many things and he deserves it because he's one of the best students. You're also an excellent partner and the best mother ever. You deserve everything. I'm really sorry. I didn't want to disappoint you, but I think I've let you down. What are you talking about? You are the best father and the best husband a woman can ask for. You work hard every day to give us everything. We will be fine. I am here for you. Let's figure this out together, okay? I love you, honey, and I will talk to our son. Wait, Martha. Don't tell him anything. He will be very sad. Oh, God. Hello, Dad. Mom told me what happened. Uh don't worry. We will be fine. I will make my project anyway, but I will find other kind of material. And about George, I will make a cake with my own hands. Mom will help me. So, don't worry, okay? We'll be fine. Wow, you are the best son ever. I have the best family. Thank you so much. I love you.

  4. Aug 13

    Vol354.日常英语学习Gym Tour Conversation

    获取全部文本资料公众号搜索：yymaster888 Hello everyone. Welcome back to Listen Speak Academy. A while ago, we started a video following David and his visit to a new gym. This is part two. In this video, we will learn about some sports and gym vocabulary and casual conversation. Will David join this new gym? Let us continue the tour of the new gym you want to join. Yes, please. What is this big room? Welcome to the VIP training zone. Who can exercise in this room? This is for personal training sessions. Do I get my own coach? Yes, a coach helps you exercise for extra fee. That sounds very useful for me. Now let us see cardio area. There are many treadmills here. Yes, we call them joggers too. We also have these elliptical machines. Ellipticals are great for the knees. Exactly. They give a smooth workout. Let us look at the martial arts room. Wow, there are many black boxing bags. Yes, we have professional boxing equipment here. Do members need their own gloves? No, we provide gloves for everyone. This is great for a hard workout. Boxing is very popular at our gym. This is our indoor cycling studio. The stationary bikes look very modern. We play loud music during classes. Is it a difficult workout? It is fast but very fun. I like cycling inside and outside. Here is the large weights area. Look at all these heavy dumbbells. We also have modern strength machines. Are the machines easy to use? Yes, instructions are written on them. That is perfect for new members. Let us walk back to reception. Thank you. The gym is amazing. We have three different membership plans. The basic plan is $40. The VIP plan is $80. What does the VIP plan include? It includes the spa and pool. I choose the VIP plan, please. Great choice. Please sign this contract. Okay, I am signing it now. How would you like to pay? Can I pay with credit card? Yes, just tap your card here.

  5. Aug 11

    Vol353.日常英语学习Master Word Reduction

    获取全部文本资料公众号搜索：yymaster888 If you would like to improve your accent when you're speaking English, in this video I'm going to give you a very important tip that will definitely transform your accent. You cannot neglect the melody of English. Even if you're pronouncing all of the individual words and the consonant and the vowel sounds correctly, but you're not paying attention to the rhythm and the melody of your words, your speech is going to sound choppy and unnatural, and you even might sound less fluent. In this video, I will teach you the secret to having a better accent and sounding more like a native speaker. I will also teach you some common everyday expressions that native speakers use, and I will teach you how to say them with the perfect American accent. And even if you prefer a British accent, this video will also help you. One of the fastest ways to reduce your foreign accent is for you to focus on these three things: Word stress Word reduction Connecting words, not pausing between thought groups In this lesson, we will focus on word reduction. This is such an important topic and it's not commonly taught in English classes. Maybe you've already thought about word stress or maybe you've watched lessons on word stress. But have you thought about word reduction? That topic is just as important as word stress for having a natural sounding and a native sounding flow. Native speakers don't pronounce every word clearly and fully. If you don't reduce some words in your sentences, your speech will sound choppy and robotic. You will speak like this with each word stressed the same way:"Please pass the salt and pepper." "Hello, I'm Mike. I am a robot. I am here to serve you. How can I help you?" When we reduce words, the vowel sounds almost disappear. They become the schwa sound. It's the /ə/ sound. And the consonants are also sometimes eliminated. Let's look at this pronoun. You have probably learned that the pronunciation is "our", but let's listen to how native speakers are saying "our house", "our children", and "our school". Listen carefully. "And so, we had tons of people over to our house.""There's hospice at our house. What will happen to our house?""We have to talk to our children about it.""The sort of planet we're going to leave behind for our children and grandchildren... but to really ingrain within our school." Notice that the O and the U are reduced. They're not saying "our", they're saying "er" — it becomes a schwa sound. "Our house." "This is our house." Let me practice that together. Repeat after me: This is our house. Do you like our new car? You say it. They're our friends. So "they are our friends" sounds very similar to "they're our friends". Remember, in natural sounding speech, pronouns are reduced and they're connected to the words around them. For special emphasis, we make an exception and we don't reduce the pronoun:"This is ours. It's not yours. It's ours."But otherwise, we would simply say,"This is our house. This is our car." Let's talk about the two ways to pronounce the conjunction and. In the strong form, it's pronounced as /ænd/. But it's usually not pronounced that way in most situations. You can pronounce it that way only in these cases: When you need to speak especially slowly or when you're pausing to think. For example:"I would like to order a sandwich... and... a salad." When you want to emphasize the fact that there's another thing. For example:"You had pasta AND pizza.""You speak Italian AND Japanese." Otherwise, we say and in its weak form, and it sounds like this: /ən/ or /n/. The 'a' becomes a schwa sound and the 'd' disappears. Let's practice: Black and white (Black 'n' white). We wouldn't say "black AND white". Bacon and eggs (Bacon 'n' eggs). Connect all of those three words and say them as one. Don't pause. Let me say that again: Bacon and eggs. These words are one unit and they belong together. Now it's your turn. How would you say these words? You say them: In and out -> I went to In-N-Out. Have you ever gone to In-N-Out Burgers in California? It's a really popular place. Again and again Better and better -> Your English is getting better and better. Husband and wife -> Husband and wife. I didn't say husband AND wife. That D disappeared. 'N' wife. It's just a little N. Husband and wife. Are they husband and wife? Okay, let's keep practicing. You will see some words on the screen and you say them as one unit. Don't pronounce the 'd' and reduce the 'a' of "and". How would we say this? You say it: Mom and dad -> Have you met my mom and dad? Salt and pepper -> Please pass the salt and pepper. Sweet and sour -> I ordered sweet and sour chicken. Trial and error -> Notice I'm primarily reducing the "and", but I'm saying "trial and error". I'm saying those words clearly and fully. Let's make a sentence: We figured it out by trial and error. Peace and quiet -> I went to the mountains for some peace and quiet. Thunder and lightning -> We had thunder and lightning last night.

  6. Aug 9

    Vol352.日常英语学习The Measure of a Man

    获取全部文本资料公众号搜索：yymaster888 Hey, Dad. How are you doing? Is lunch ready? I am really hungry. No, it's not ready. And what is this mess? Why haven't you cleaned your room? Me clean my room? Why would I do that? Jenna does it for me. Jenna the housekeeper. No, you have to clean your room, Brian. Why? It's her work and she's a woman. Men don't clean. Relax that. What? Men don't clean? Where did you get that from? Who told you something like that? Oh, calm down, Dad. Forget it. I have to tell you something. Listen. I met this beautiful girl. She's in fourth grade. I like her a lot. She's my new girlfriend. Well, not yet, but she will be. I told her to go out with me. We will go to the movies. That's why I want to ask you for something. I need money, please. Just $50. You met a beautiful girl. You're talking about Patty, right? Your girlfriend. Patty? No, of course not. She's not my girlfriend anymore. I haven't told her yet, but she will know. I don't care. I like the other girl. Wait a minute. Patty is still your girlfriend then. And you're cheating on her? That's what you mean, right? You are dating a different girl and Patty doesn't know it. Well, kind of. But yeah, it's normal. We are men. We usually do that. You told me I have to start behaving like a man. Well, I did it. Are you proud of me? Are you kidding? That's not what being a man means. You are wrong. I never told you to do those kind of things. I don't do those kind of things. Don't get angry, Dad. I read that in a book. I thought I was doing the right thing. Oh my god. All right. I will have to tell you what being a real man means, son. A real man is a man with genuine self-confidence and true masculinity. He's a man who knows his own mind and knows what he's about in life and he's not afraid to stand up for what he believes in. And very important, it's not all about looks, money, and his status. If you ask a guy to describe a real man, he will often begin to imagine a handsome man with a high-paying job, a chiseled jaw, and a great sense of fashion. That's what is fed to us via the media. TV commercials, glossy magazine ads, billboards, and Hollywood movies in general all send out the message that success with women comes down to being a good-looking guy who earns a lot of money. Most women are interested in who a guy is on the inside, not just how he presents himself on the outside. If a rich, good-looking guy approaches a woman and then struggles to string a sentence together because he's shy and nervous, most women aren't going to be interested. Fighter spirit. Failures are nothing but great stories to be told once you are successful. Real men fall. They fail, but they never stop. No matter how hard life punches you, a real man strikes back even harder every time until he succeeds. A real man is a survivor. Standing up for your beliefs. A real man isn't ashamed of who he is. He embraces himself and wouldn't compromise his beliefs for any acceptance from the world around. He has the guts to stand against all odds to support what he truly believes in. Integrity. A real man doesn't demand respect. He commands it. He always keeps his words. When he makes a promise, he keeps it. He knows the importance of words and chooses them carefully. That's what builds his character. Also important, mental strength. It is hard to break a man. He may be sensitive, but he's strong enough to not let his emotional breakdowns get the better of him. His mind is his superpower. Every rough race in life only makes him stronger than ever before. Taking what is yours. Nobody in this world has the power to rob a man of what he truly deserves in life. A real man never lets anybody take him for a ride. He knows how to take what belongs to him. Accepting failure. A real man doesn't play the blame game. He has the courage to own up to his mistakes. He knows that his problems are consequences of his own doings. Yeah. Rather than talking about how unfair life is, he accepts his failure and works towards taking life by the horns. Knowing your worth. A real man always knows his true worth. He knows what he's good at and he knows what he deserves in life. He knows what he's born to do and he excels at it. Knowing what is right. A real man is wise enough to separate his personal bias from what is right. He's always informed enough to take the right decision. A real man is not defined by brawn. You don't need to have a killer body to be macho, neither a beard. It's the attitude that counts. Being violent with people or abusing them is not a sign of strength. It is in fact a proof of your weakness as a man. You know how they say boys don't cry? Well, that's nonsense. You know why? A real man is never insecure about being judged for his sensitive side. Men aren't heartless. A real man respects everyone, including, of course, his girlfriend. He takes care of her. He never makes her cry and he protects her all the time. That's what a real man does. So stop saying you are a real man because you can be with more than one girl at the same time. That's for cowardly and stupid people. Do you understand what I'm talking about? Yes, Dad. I'm sorry. I thought I was a real man, but now I know. Don't worry, son. You're still a teenager. You will learn with time, I am sure. We all make mistakes. Now, go talk to this girl and to Patty. Tell them the truth. Tell her to forgive you and face the consequences. That's what a real man does. Go. What a sunny day. I think I will make some lemonade. Do you want some? Yes, Dad. Thank you. By the way, why do you always wear a suit? What do you mean? I always wear like this. Don't you like it? It's a nice suit. Yeah, it's nice, but it's not cool. It's sunny, Dad. Don't you think you should be wearing a t-shirt, shorts, or sandals? You don't work today. Yeah, I don't work today, but I always wear like this. Well, not always. There was a time I didn't use to wear formal, when I was studying at the university. Really? I don't believe you. I always remember you wearing this suit. Oh, it was before you were born. Before I met your mother. In fact, there is a good reason why I always wear formal. It all started in the university with your mom. Seriously, you never told me about your story. My mom and you. Tell me. It was a long time ago when your mother and I studied at the university. We studied together. The first day of classes, I didn't notice her. I met a lot of people, my partners. But I don't know where your mother was. She said she was there, but I don't remember. Anyway, as I told you before, I used to wear jeans, baggy pants, and t-shirts. Soon I met your mother in one of our classes. We were friends, not best friends—at least not immediately. I had other friends. I spent time with them and with your mom. I talked to her, but only about the classes, homework, projects, and exams. The first time I saw her, I thought she was a nice person. But just that. I didn't find her so beautiful. I mean, she was beautiful and I knew it, but there was nothing special about her that made me fall in love with her. She used to wear glasses to study. I called her "Glasses." That was her nickname. Soon we became good friends. We used to talk a lot. We studied for the exams together at the library. We sat together. With time, we became best friends. We loved to spend time together, but only as friends. One day she had a problem. She said her glasses were broken, and they were. So she wasn't wearing her glasses that day. That's when I noticed something. I could see her eyes. I had never seen her eyes like that before. She was always wearing glasses. Man, she had the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen in my life. Seriously, I don't know what had happened, but I liked her as a woman. I started to see her as a woman, not like a friend anymore. I liked her a lot. And she was an awesome girl. I knew it. She was very intelligent. I had to study hard to pass my exams, but she didn't have to do it.

  7. Aug 6

    Vol351.日常英语学习The Danger of Aimlessness

    获取全部文本资料公众号搜索：yymaster888 Let me tell you about the worst year of my life. I had no job, no plan, no direction. I woke up every morning with nothing to do and nowhere to be. And at first, I convinced myself that was freedom. But it wasn't freedom, was it? No, it was the loneliest I've ever felt, surrounded by endless time and absolutely no purpose. I know that feeling. I went through something similar. That hollow emptiness that just sits in your chest and won't leave. Welcome back. I'm Bob. And I'm Helen. Today, we're talking about something that destroys more lives than failure ever could. The cost of having no goal. And we're not talking about money. We're talking about something much more dangerous. I graduated top of my class. Everyone expected big things. My parents were proud. Professors wrote recommendations before I even asked. Sounds perfect on paper. Exactly. But inside, I had no idea what I wanted. So, I did nothing. Told myself I was taking a break, a few months to figure things out. I did the same after my first job. Told myself I needed to find myself. Looking back, I was just running away. First month felt amazing. Slept until noon. Watched entire seasons in 2 days. Met friends whenever. Felt like a vacation. So, when did it stop feeling like a vacation? Third month. Woke up at 2:00 p.m. Sunlight pouring through my window. Just lay there staring at the ceiling thinking, "What's the point of today?" What did you do? Nothing. Scrolled my phone for hours, ordered food, watched more TV, went back to sleep, did that again the next day. That's not living. That's just existing. Exactly. Just breathing. Just taking up space. Waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever did because I wasn't doing anything. Did anyone notice? My mother called one day. Normal conversation. Then she said something I'll never forget. What? Bob, you sound like a stranger. Not my son. A stranger who borrowed my son's voice. That's terrifying. Your own mother not recognizing you. I couldn't breathe because I knew she was right. I had become someone hollow. Someone who'd given up. What did you say? Nothing. Just sat there holding the phone. Tears running down my face. Did she hear you crying? Yes. She started crying, too. Said, "I don't care if you have a job or a plan. I just want my son back." It's heartbreaking. It was the first time I realized my aimlessness wasn't just hurting me. It was hurting the people who loved me. I had that moment, too. Not with my mother. With my best friend. She said, "I don't recognize you anymore." And I thought, "I don't recognize myself, either." Friends, now it's challenge time. Vocabulary learning part. Are you ready? Yes. You have to find the correct synonym for the word. Let's see how you do. Our first word is pouring. Remember our dialogue? Third month. Woke up at 2:00 p.m. Sunlight was pouring through my window. Here are your options. Which one is the correct synonym for pouring? What do you think? Pause for a moment. Think carefully. Time's up. The correct answer is B, flowing strongly. Yes. Pouring means flowing strongly and continuously, like rain pouring from the sky. Here are two examples to help you remember. Example one: rain was pouring down, so we couldn't go outside. Example two: people were pouring out of the stadium after the match. So remember, pouring entails strong, continuous flow, not dripping, not falling gently, flowing strongly. That's it. When you lose your goal, you lose your identity. You become invisible to yourself. But I didn't have a mother who called. No one checked on me. So I stayed there much longer. How long? Almost two years. Two years? Two years of nothing. Two years of watching everyone move forward while I stood still. How did you survive? Honestly, I almost didn't. What do you mean almost didn't? One night at 3:00 a.m., I had this thought: what if I just disappeared? Would anyone even notice? Helen... I'm not saying this for sympathy. I'm saying it because that's where aimlessness leads. It's not about failing to achieve things, it's about not wanting to exist. Did you try? Came close. Had a plan. Everything ready. Then something stopped me. What? My cat jumped on my lap and started purring. I thought, "If I'm gone, who will feed her?" A cat saved your life. A stupid fluffy cat, but she gave me one reason to wake up the next morning. That's not stupid. That's everything. It taught me something. We think goals have to be big, but sometimes the smallest thing keeps you alive. What happened the next day? Woke up, fed my cat, went back to bed. But the next day, I did it again. Slowly added things. A walk, a shower, a meal I actually cooked. So, you understand. You really understand.

  8. Aug 4

    Vol350.日常英语学习15 Everyday English Proverbs

    获取全部文本资料公众号搜索：yymaster888 Have you ever understood every word an American said, but you still had no idea what they meant? It could be that they were using a proverb. In this video, you will test your knowledge of 15 very common English proverbs. Proverbs are short sayings that native speakers use all the time, and they're part of the culture. They express common wisdom or life lessons, and often they're passed down through generations. Maybe your grandmother used them when she was giving you advice. Rather than stating something directly, proverbs often use figurative language or imagery to communicate a deeper meaning. For example, make hay while the sun shines isn't talking about hay on a farm. And the sunshine in this case means good times or when things are going well. Or for example, another proverb is save it for a rainy day. It's not talking about actual rain. It's talking about problems or trouble in life. For example, you can say I have a rainy day fund. And that means I have money for an emergency. When you understand these expressions, you will not only improve your listening, but you will also gain a deeper understanding of English-speaking culture. Let's see how many English proverbs you already know. Let's look at this proverb. Do you know what the two words that are missing are?Every cloud has a blank blank. Do you know the answer? The answer is silver lining. Every cloud has a silver lining. A silver lining is when a dark cloud has a bright silvercoled edge when the sun shines behind it. So a silver lining represents hope, something positive in a difficult situation. So even when there are dark clouds, meaning when things seem really bad, there is often something good that can come from the situation. For example, you can say losing my job led me to start my own business. Every cloud has a silver lining. Or the cancelled trip gave us time to visit family instead. Every cloud has a silver lining. Native speakers often use it this way. Look for the silver lining. There's always a silver lining. Let's look at the next proverb. Do you know the word that's missing?Don't put the cart before the what? The answer is horse. Don't put the cart before the horse. And that means don't do things in the wrong order. A horse should go in front of the cart because a horse pulls the cart. The horse should not be behind the cart. So that means don't put things in the wrong order. Start with the most important steps first. You can say we need to finish the business plan before designing the website. Let's not put the cart before the horse. Or you can say let's wait to buy the furniture first. We have to buy the house. Let's not put the cart before the horse. Do you have a similar proverb in your language? And let's look at the next proverb. And you might learn a new verb with this one. The proverb is don't count your chickens before they what. What's the verb? Before they hatch. To hatch means to come out of an egg. We can say the chicks hatched after 21 days. So, don't count your chickens before they hatch means don't assume that something will happen before it actually does. Don't be so sure that it will happen. You can say you haven't gotten the job yet, so you shouldn't count your chickens before they hatch. Don't spend your bonus money before you receive it. Don't count your chickens before they hatch. And the past tense is hatched. Hatched with the T sound. Do you have a similar proverb in your language? I think I heard that in some languages it's don't count your chickens before fall, before autumn, something like that. Okay, let's look at the next one. A bird in the hand is worth two in the what? What's the answer? In the bush. So, one bird in my hand is worth two birds in the bush. And that proverb means it's better to keep something that is certain than risk losing it while chasing something that is not certain. For example, you can say I accepted the job offer instead of waiting for another interview. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. I'm happy that I would at least have a job. Let's look at another proverb. And this one is also about birds. The early bird catches the what? The worm. The early bird catches the worm. This is a worm. Let's make sure that you're pronouncing it correctly. A lot of my students mispronounce this word and they say it like this word. Are you saying them differently? This one is worm and this one is warm. It's a warm day. They're commonly confused. Let me practice this pronunciation pattern a little bit more. So, we say war. Warm. So this word war and this word war have the exact same pronunciation and we say warn. Warn or warning. Warning. I gave them a warning. So these words have the or war. However, this word is spelled with an o, but the o is not pronounced. I know English pronunciation is crazy. We don't say warm. We say worm. Worm. It sounds like this. Were. Were. And then you add an M. Worm. Another word that sounds like that is work. Have you been saying work? That's not correct. It's work. And now let me say the two words worm. Warm.

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