(Reading Practice (Improve your pronunciation in English
Summary
TLDRThe script presents a series of personal anecdotes and experiences, ranging from adjusting to new living environments, overcoming fears, and dealing with various life situations. It touches on themes of enjoying nature, city pollution solutions, travel mishaps, and interpersonal relationships. The narrative offers insights into personal growth, cultural observations, and the pursuit of a balanced and fulfilling life.
Takeaways
- 🏡 The speaker moved to a countryside house seeking a more nature-oriented lifestyle, but struggles with physical activity due to being out of shape.
- 🚴♂️ The city implemented measures to reduce air pollution, such as special bicycle lanes, carpool rules, and pollution-free electric buses.
- ✈️ The speaker's initial fear of flying was alleviated by understanding the engineering principles that keep airplanes aloft.
- 🏠 Neighbors' children playing baseball in the speaker's yard resulted in property damage, with the parents showing no responsibility for the incident.
- 🏊♀️ Overcoming a childhood fear of water through swimming lessons led to a newfound love for water activities and beaches.
- 🗂 The speaker's shift from collecting baseball cards to stamps reflects a desire for collecting beautiful items akin to art.
- 💼 Frequent business travel can be lonely, but the speaker finds comfort in a hotel with healthy food options and friendly staff, despite some drawbacks.
- 🚗 A disappointing trip to the lake was marred by poor hotel accommodations and service, highlighting the importance of advance reservations.
- 🎉 A spring break trip to the beach was less than ideal due to a family-oriented hotel and slow service, but the room's size and view were redeeming qualities.
- ❄️ A snowstorm delay led to an overnight hotel stay with expensive dining options, but the speaker appreciated the attentive staff and luxurious room amenities.
- 🐍 A childhood encounter with a snake instilled a lasting fear in the speaker, who remains unable to touch or interact with snakes.
- 🤝 The speaker values a roommate with a good sense of humor and intelligence, but wishes for more social interaction and study-friendly habits.
Q & A
What was the main reason the speaker moved to a house in the country?
-The speaker moved to enjoy nature and spend their free time outside, as opposed to their previous lifestyle which involved sitting in cafes and surfing the internet.
What is the speaker's concern about engaging in outdoor activities?
-The speaker is not in very good shape and does not like doing sports or activities that involve a lot of exercise. They also had a negative experience with hiking which resulted in an injury.
How did the city attempt to reduce air pollution?
-The city implemented special bicycle lanes, a rule requiring at least two people in a car to drive downtown during the week, and introduced pollution-free electric buses.
What was the speaker's initial fear about flying?
-The speaker was terrified of flying and couldn't understand how a heavy airplane could stay up in the air.
How did the speaker overcome their fear of flying?
-The speaker spoke to an airplane engineer who explained how airplanes stay in the air, which helped them understand and eventually love flying.
What problem did the speaker have with their next-door neighbors?
-The speaker's next-door neighbors' children played baseball in the speaker's yard, accidentally breaking a window, and the parents did not offer to pay for the damages.
What change in attitude did the speaker experience after learning to swim?
-After learning to swim in high school, the speaker went from being afraid of water to loving it and feeling safe, especially at the beach.
Why did the speaker start collecting stamps instead of baseball cards?
-The speaker felt that baseball card collectors were only interested in money, and they wanted to collect something beautiful, like paintings, which led them to start collecting stamps.
What is the speaker's complaint about the hotel they are staying at during their job trips?
-The speaker's complaint is about the room; the bed is very hard, and they suggest the hotel should buy a softer mattress.
What was the main issue during the speaker's trip to the lake?
-The main issue was the lack of proper accommodation arrangements. The hotel's restaurant only served small snacks, the room was dirty and tiny, and the kids had to share a bed.
What was the speaker's experience with their roommate?
-The speaker found their roommate to be neat, humorous, and smart, but wished the roommate would take more time off to make friends and be more social.
Outlines
🏡 Embracing Nature and Overcoming Fears
The narrator moved to a quaint country house and desires to enjoy nature but is not physically fit for sports or strenuous activities. They recount a hiking mishap and express a love for the outdoors, despite their limitations. They also discuss city air pollution solutions, such as bicycle lanes and pollution-free buses, and share an experience of overcoming fear of flying through understanding airplane mechanics. Additionally, they mention dealing with inconsiderate neighbors and a newfound passion for stamp collecting, appreciating its beauty akin to a mini art museum.
🏨 Hotel Experiences: Disappointments and Comforts
This paragraph details various hotel stays with mixed experiences. The narrator recounts a disappointing trip to a lake with an unprepared husband, leading to poor accommodation choices and a disorganized hotel stay. They also describe a spring break trip marred by family-oriented hotels and slow service but highlight a room with a great beach view. Another experience involves a snowstorm delay leading to a luxurious hotel stay, albeit with expensive restaurants. The narrator also shares roommate anecdotes, from a studious and humorous roommate to others causing disturbances or being difficult to live with.
🌐 Travel Tales and Cultural Encounters
The narrator shares a series of travel stories, including a memorable encounter with a generous family in Korea, a theft experience during a crowded bus trip in Italy, and a bout with the flu in Australia that limited sightseeing but was softened by a cousin's kindness. They also express excitement about upcoming social events, such as parties and soccer matches, and the joy of making new friends during their travels.
🏘 Life in Different Living Spaces
This section covers the narrator's experiences living in various types of accommodations, from suburban homes with quiet weekends to apartments with nosy neighbors and cheaper rent. They discuss the advantages and disadvantages of suburban living, the challenges of adjusting to apartment life, and the delight of living in a well-located, albeit expensive, apartment. The narrator also shares their design business's ups and downs and the comfort of having a spacious home for their family.
🎉 Cultural Celebrations and Personal Reflections
The narrator describes their experience of the Day of the Dead in Guatemala, appreciating the festive atmosphere and the way it embraces both life and death. They contrast this with the somber American approach to cemeteries and express a preference for the Guatemalan celebration. They also reflect on their plans for a relaxing weekend at home after a busy week of physical activities and social engagements.
🤝 Greetings and Social Interactions
This paragraph explores different cultural practices of greeting, from formal handshakes to casual hellos, hugs, and even the Thai tradition of placing hands together with a bow. The narrator discusses personal preferences and variations in greetings among friends and in formal situations, highlighting the importance of context and cultural norms in social interactions.
🚗 A Tale of Misjudgment and Loss
The final paragraph tells a story of Carlos, who, after purchasing an expensive blue car, tries to impress a girl on a bicycle. Despite his attempts to invite her to dinner, she proposes a deal for his car in exchange for a surprise. Carlos agrees, only to be left with a kiss on the cheek as the girl drives away with his car, leaving him with the bicycle and a lesson in not being too trusting.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Nature
💡Air Pollution
💡Fear
💡Collecting
💡Travel
💡Accommodation
💡Cultural Experience
💡Social Interaction
💡Lifestyle
💡Adaptation
💡Community
Highlights
Relocation to a country house led to a newfound appreciation for nature and desire for outdoor activities despite initial physical limitations.
Government initiatives to reduce air pollution included special bicycle lanes, carpool rules, and pollution-free buses.
Overcoming the fear of flying by understanding the engineering principles that keep airplanes aloft.
Dealing with inconsiderate neighbors who allowed their children to cause damage on one's property.
Learning to swim in high school transformed a childhood fear of water into a love for swimming and the beach.
A shift from collecting baseball cards to collecting stamps for their beauty and artistic value.
The benefits of staying in a hotel with healthy food options and friendly staff, despite some drawbacks like a hard bed.
A disappointing trip to the lake due to lack of planning, poor hotel service, and unmet expectations.
The contrast between a hotel's suitability for families and the narrator's preference for an adult-only environment during spring break.
A positive experience staying in a hotel with luxurious amenities, despite expensive dining options.
Childhood fear of snakes transformed into a lasting terror after a close encounter during a hike.
Appreciation for a roommate with a good sense of humor and intelligence, but a desire for more social interaction.
Challenges of living with a roommate who loves to party and the impact on study habits.
Difficulties of living with a roommate who has strong opinions, is inactive, and has a quick temper.
The benefits of sharing a room with someone considerate, quiet, and academically supportive.
A memorable encounter with a generous family in Korea that led to a lasting friendship.
The experience of theft during a crowded bus trip in Italy and its impact on a vacation.
A bout of flu during a vacation in Australia and the kindness of a cousin that made the trip memorable.
A busy upcoming weekend with work, a party, writing a paper, and a movie night with friends.
A weekend plan that includes attending a birthday dinner and looking forward to catching up with a friend.
The pros and cons of suburban living, including the inconvenience of distance and the peace of quiet weekends.
Adjusting to apartment living with neighbors and appreciating the cheaper rent despite the challenges.
The enjoyment of friendly neighbors and great parties, despite the desire for more personal space.
The drawbacks of an apartment's poor maintenance despite its convenient location for shopping.
The desire to stay in a perfect apartment with a beautiful view and convenient location, if not for the high rent.
The growth of a small design company and the optimism for business improvement in the coming year.
Living in a spacious, old house that requires maintenance and updating of appliances.
Contentment with having two children despite a spouse's desire for a larger family.
Enjoying the small-town atmosphere with its pretty downtown area, cafes, restaurants, and approachable community.
The unique Guatemalan celebration of the Day of the Dead, embracing both remembrance and celebration of life.
A relaxing weekend planned after a busy previous weekend, focusing on reading and enjoying solitude.
Excitement for a weekend filled with soccer finals, beach time with friends, and a favorite restaurant dinner.
Planning a road trip to Los Angeles with friends, anticipating beach time, a fire, and singing songs.
The importance of context in greeting etiquette, from formal handshakes to casual hugs and cultural variations.
A humorous tale of a man who loses his car and only gains a kiss on the cheek after offering it to a beautiful stranger.
Transcripts
listen
and practice
a few months ago i moved to this cute
little house out in the country
before i moved all i did was sit in
cafes and read or surf the internet
boring now i want to spend all my free
time outside
enjoying nature the only problem is i'm
not in very good
shape so i don't like doing any sports
or anything that involves a lot of
exercise
i tried hiking once but i fell down a
hill and hurt my leg
don't get me wrong i love the outdoors
but what i
really want is something i can do
quietly in nature
listen and practice
air pollution in our city was a huge
problem
and we really needed to lower it i guess
that's why the government started
putting special bicycle lanes on the
streets downtown
that way people can ride their bikes to
work instead of using their stinky cars
they also made a rule that says there
must be at least two people in your car
if you want to drive downtown during the
week they also ordered these amazing new
pollution-free buses
they use electricity so they don't put
anything bad into the air
listen and practice
the first time i got on an airplane i
was
terrified i just couldn't understand how
a big heavy thing like a plane could
stay up in the air
after we were in the air for a while i
spoke to the man next to me
he was an airplane engineer and
explained how airplanes stay in the air
that really helped because i understand
how planes work
i was still a little nervous on the next
few flights but now
i really love flying
listen and practice
i bought this house last year and i love
it
my next-door neighbors are the only
problem they have two young boys who
like to play baseball in my yard
last month they accidentally broke my
window the boys apologized
but their parents didn't even offer to
pay for the damages can you believe that
listen and practice
i was always afraid of the water as a
kid i would never go into the pool or
swim at the beach
i was sure i would drown then i took
swimming lessons in high school
once i learned how to swim i felt
different now i love the water and
especially the beach
i feel totally safe because now i know
how to take care of myself in the water
listen and practice
i like collecting things i collected
baseball cards when i was a kid
but i don't anymore these days baseball
card collectors are only interested in
money
i wanted to collect things that are
really beautiful
so that's why i started collecting
stamps
some of the stamps i have are really
really beautiful
i think they're like paintings what i
like best
is looking at my collection it's like
walking through a tiny museum
full of wonderful paintings
listen and practice
i travel a lot for my job too much i
think
sometimes i'm away from home for three
weeks or more
it can be pretty lonely that's why i'm
so happy about the hotel where i'm
staying now
first of all the restaurant serves light
healthy food that gives me a lot of
energy
for my work then there's the staff
they're very friendly to me
my only complaint is with the room the
bed is very hard
they should buy a softer mattress and
the rates are expensive
but the company pays for it so i don't
mind
listen and practice
our trip to the lake has been pretty
disappointing so far
it takes two days to drive there so of
course we have to stay in a hotel for
one night on the way
my husband forgot to make a reservation
though
we found a hotel but the restaurant was
only serving small snacks
when i complained about it to the hotel
manager he just laughed at me
they should get a new manager the room
is dirty
and tiny it's really bad the kids have
to share a bed
and they're unhappy about that of course
the rates are very cheap
so that's good we'll have to be sure to
make reservations from now on
listen and practice
my friends and i flew down here to the
beach for spring break
of course we're really excited about
swimming and partying and meeting other
college students
our hotel is full of families and little
kids though the restaurants are terrible
really crowded with kids and noisy
and they're really slow too
the hotel should have one restaurant
that's just for adults i think
another problem is the service
the staff is too busy running activities
for the little kids
so sometimes they don't bring us new
towels or clean the
room one good thing is the room
it's really big and it has a great view
of the beach
the price is great too i guess
most college students don't want to stay
here so the room rates are low
listen and practice
my flight was delayed by a big snowstorm
so i had to stay overnight in this hotel
my only complaint is the restaurants
there are three of them
and they are all way too expensive for
me because the airline isn't paying for
my dinner
they should have at least one cheap
casual restaurant
the staff is so friendly though whenever
i call the front desk to ask for
something
they always remember my name and they
work so quickly
the room is huge with a giant bathroom
that is bigger than my whole apartment
it's got everything a refrigerator a
microwave
even a flat screen tv the rates
are very expensive i am so glad that the
airline
is paying for the room
listen and practice
i was afraid of snakes when i was a kid
i remember going to the zoo
and seeing them there and i thought they
were kind of cute
but once when i was out hiking i nearly
stepped on one
and he tried to bite me it was really
ugly and i'm sure it was poisonous
since then i've been pretty terrified of
them
i could never touch one now
listen and practice
i have a great roommate she's neat and
she makes me laugh a lot
she's got a wonderful sense of humor
she's really smart too
she studies all the time i sometimes
wish she'd take more time off to make
friends
because she hardly knows anyone she
doesn't seem to feel comfortable when
she's around
people
listen and practice
bob and i get along pretty well he keeps
the place really clean and neat
the only thing is he loves to party he's
always inviting friends over and they
sit around and talk
really loudly until it's very late it
makes it really hard for me to study
i've asked him not to do it when i'm
studying but he still does
i guess it doesn't bother him because he
never studies
listen and practice
anne is difficult to live with because
she has very strong opinions
she always has to be right about things
and she just sits around
all day watching tv she never does
anything active the worst thing is she
loses her temper very quickly
i think i need to find a new roommate
listen and practice
i like sharing a room with greg he's
very quiet and always asks me if it's
okay for him to listen to the radio or
watch tv
he likes to keep the room nice and clean
just like i do
he helps me a lot with homework too he's
really smart and is always happy to
check over my assignments
listen and practice
i met this really nice family when i was
in korea last year
i was in a restaurant and i was having
trouble understanding the menu
the wife came over and asked me what i
wanted to eat
and told me all about korean food
then they asked me to join them at their
table and they paid for my dinner
they also invited me to their house we
became friends
and we keep in touch now by email
they'll take me to a famous temple the
next time i go back
isn't that fabulous i can't wait to see
that temple
listen and practice
once when i was in italy i took a bus
trip from rome to florence
the bus was very crowded and i had to
stand most of the way
i had a couple of small bags with me one
was a backpack that had my wallet in it
i kept it in front of me for the entire
trip but when i got to florence
i couldn't believe what had happened
someone had
cut a hole in my backpack put in their
hand
and removed my wallet then they took the
money out
and put the wallet back inside my
backpack
i never noticed a thing it really ruined
my vacation
because i couldn't pay to get into any
museums
so now i want to go back again next
summer and see all the museums i missed
listen and practice
i was on vacation in australia last
summer when i got a terrible case of the
flu
i had to stay in bed for four days
i have a cousin in sydney who was really
kind
and spent a lot of time with me until i
was better
by then i only had three days of
sightseeing left before i had to leave
i saw the sydney opera house and that
was about it
the most awful thing is i didn't have
the chance to go scuba diving
i want to go back and scuba dive there
they have the best coral reefs in the
world
listen and practice
i have a really busy weekend ahead of me
i have to work about 10 hours on
saturday
i'm really excited about saturday night
though i'm going to my friend alex's
party
he always has great parties i don't have
to go to work on sunday
but i do have to spend all morning and
afternoon writing a paper for my history
class
then on sunday night i'm going to the
movies with some friends
listen and practice
i plan to study most of this weekend but
on saturday evening
i'm going over to my friend's house it's
her birthday
so she's having a few friends over for
dinner i'm really looking forward to
seeing her
we haven't seen each other in two months
i knew i wouldn't have time to go
shopping on saturday
so i bought her a birthday gift on
friday i got her a sweater
i hope she likes it
listen and practice
there are advantages and disadvantages
to living out here in the suburbs
it's not really the most convenient
place to live
it takes forever to get into town
especially during rush hour
and there aren't any good stores out
here on the other hand
it's nice and quiet on the weekends
listen and practice
i recently moved into an apartment
building for the first time
i've always lived in houses it takes a
while to get used to having neighbors
right next door i feel like they're
always listening to me
like they want to know everything i do
it's annoying
but the rent is much cheaper than my old
place and i like that
listen and practice
my neighbors are fantastic they're
really friendly
and some of them have great parties too
i'd like more space though
there's hardly enough space for all my
stuff
i guess i should throw some of it out
but i just can't
listen and practice
the apartment i rent is okay it's near a
lot of stores
so it's convenient for shopping the
problem though
is that the owner hasn't spent any money
on the place in years
the furniture is falling apart and the
carpet in the living room is stained in
places
listen and practice
i love my apartment i wish i could
afford to stay here
the location is perfect it has huge
windows with a beautiful view
and i love being able to step outside
and walk to cafes and shops
the only problem is the rent it's just
too high now
so i can't stay
listen and practice
i have a small design company we design
menus
calendars and things like that there are
just
three of us in the company last year was
a very
quiet year for us but it looks as if
business is really improving this year
listen and practice
my place is huge it has room for all my
stuff
and there's a big kitchen too of course
it's really old so it needs a coat of
paint and some new
appliances the refrigerator and
dishwasher are really
ancient and i think the stove is about a
hundred years old
listen and practice
i have two children a girl and a boy
my husband comes from a big family and
would love to have more children
but i think two is enough
listen and practice
i really enjoy living here so far
everything has been fine
the downtown area is really pretty and i
love all the cafes and restaurants there
the other thing i like is that the
town's small so it's easy to get to know
people
listen and practice
day of the dead
i arrive in guatemala on the day of the
dead
november 1st i'm curious about this
holiday
so i go to the cemetery to see what's
happening
what i find is quite interesting the
atmosphere is like a party
there are people everywhere families are
sitting around the graves of their
dead ancestors they clean the graves and
add fresh flowers
i walk through the cemetery and admire
the beauty of all the colorful flowers
there's also color in the sky because
many kids are flying kites
some families are having a picnic next
to the graves
they eat drink and chat together
people laugh and smile
in the united states cemeteries are
always somber
we certainly never have festivals or
parties next to graves
we don't laugh or play music or fly
kites in cemeteries either
i find that i prefer the guatemalan
approach i like the way they remember
and celebrate
those who have passed away i like that
they acknowledge death
instead of denying it the way americans
do
i like that there is life as well as
death in their cemeteries
guatemalans call it the day of the dead
but it is also a day to appreciate life
listen and practice
i don't really have a lot going on this
weekend i was so busy last weekend that
i didn't want to make any big plans for
this weekend
i played soccer and went hiking last
saturday then went for a long bike ride
on sunday
this weekend i'm just gonna stay home
and read a book
i'm excited about being home by myself
and relaxing all weekend
listen and practice
i've been having a great time since i
arrived
everyone's been very helpful and i've
made some wonderful new friends
i still have a few more days here so i'm
thinking of renting a car
and driving up to the mountains
listen and practice
this is gonna be a great weekend i can't
wait for sunday afternoon
my soccer team is playing in the finals
i hope we win
on saturday i'm going to the beach with
my friends
and on saturday night we're going to
have dinner at my favorite restaurant
listen and practice
my friends and i are taking a road trip
to los angeles this weekend
we're planning on leaving on friday
after class
we'll get to la around seven in the
evening just in time for dinner
on saturday we'll probably hang out at
the beach during the day
we're going to have a fire and sing
songs all night
it's going to be fantastic
listen and practice
i greet people differently depending on
the situation
in formal situations i usually shake
hands
and when i meet someone for the first
time
i almost always shake hands
it's important to shake hands firmly
when i greet casual friends i just say
hi
for close friends i usually give them a
hug
it's a little different for men though
where i live it's not very common for
male
friends to hug each other they do other
things like
the fist bunk that's when two people
touch
fists sandra us
listen and practice
in formal situations or when i meet
someone for the first time
i shake hands it's important to shake
hands
firmly and look the other person in the
eye when you greet them
i always hug my friends hugging is
perfectly acceptable
it's okay for men to hug other men
for men to hug women and for women to
hug
other women kamal turkey
listen and practice
in a formal situation or when i meet
someone for the first time
i always shake hands when i greet a male
friend i give him a hug and a pat on the
back
when i greet a close female friend
i give her a small hug and a kiss on the
cheek
my female friends greet each other in
this way too
octavio venezuela
listen and practice
when i meet a friend i greet them with a
i put my hands together in front of my
chest
and bow slightly and say sawadi
which means hello in formal situations
some people still use this traditional
thai greeting
but these days more and more business
people
shake hands times are changing
noi thailand
listen and practice
carlos buys a new car it's a very
expensive car it's a huge
blue fast car while driving down the
street
carlo sees a girl on a bicycle she has
long blonde hair
and is beautiful he yells to her what's
up
she ignores him he yells how's it going
she keeps going and ignores him
he yells hey why won't you talk to me
i want to go to dinner with you i'll
take you to an
expensive restaurant
the girl turns gets off the bike
and looks at him she says
i don't want to go to dinner but
if you give me your car i will give you
a surprise
carlo says okay
he jumps out of the car he gives her the
keys and says
here are the keys the beautiful blonde
takes the keys
and then kisses carlos on the cheek then
she jumps into the car
and drives away carlos stands on the
sidewalk
now he has no car and no girl
he says that's it just a kiss on the
cheek
he gets on her bike and rides home
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