ESL Aloud

Podcast #52 Phrasal verbs with GET

admin@esl-aloud.com — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:08:00 GMT

Powerpoint slides help me to get across my ideas.

Powerpoint slides help me to get my ideas across.

She got ahead by working long hours.

A business will never get ahead if it doesn't please its customers.

My brother and his father-in-law get along very well.

Paul doesnt get along with his supervisor.

My friend gets along without any financial support from home.

Don't leave! I can't get along without you.

She gets around town in a 20-year-old car.

His grandfather gets around the city by bus.

Charlie gets around a lot. He's been everywhere.

My cousin gets around. Everyone knows her.

"I don't get around much anymoreâ is the title of a song.

Bad news gets around fast in this town.

It got around that he was in trouble with the law.

I couldn't get around having to serve on the jury.

She tried to get around going into work on Saturday.

After putting the kids to bed, he finally got around to reading the paper.

When are you going to get around to doing your tax return?

What are we actually trying to get at in this discussion?

What are you really getting at when you say I'm too kind?

No matter where you hide, I'll get at you.

You can get at him by writing to his wife.

He tried to get at me but my friends held him back.

We try to get away for two weeks in August.

The police responded too slowly, so the robbers got away.

He never does what he promises, but he gets away with it.

How do you get away with not paying a penny in taxes?

We got back from Chicago late last night.

I got back my tools from my brother-in-law.

I got my tools back from my brother-in-law.

Paul swore he would get back at his sister for lying about him.

If you make trouble for me, I'll get back at you.

She got back into acting when her children got older.

I wonder if I should get back into the stock market.

Podcast #51 Fear of Flying

admin@esl-aloud.com — Mon, 8 Jun 2009 23:26:00 GMT

Yesterday an Air France airplane disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean. It was flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. There were severe storms along the flight path. Automated messages reported damage to the electrical system. Today they spotted debris and jet fuel off the coast of Brazil. The 228 people aboard are presumed to have perished.

They say that flying is safer than driving. I'm sure there are statistics to support this. Still it is not what I feel in my gut. When I"m driving a car I donât think about dying. But itâs different in a plane. The possibility of a fatal crash is something I am aware of. This doesnât mean I am shivering from fear. The term "mindfulâ is a better description In any case, I continue to fly. At some point I may decide not to.

Yesterday an Air France airplane disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean.

Yesterday an Air France flight went missing over the Atlantic.

It was flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

It was en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

There were severe storms along the flight path.

The flight path went through areas of severe turbulence.

Automated messages reported damage to the electrical system.

The planeâs automated message system reported electrical damage.

Today they spotted debris and jet fuel off the coast of Brazil.

Today, wreckage and jet fuel was identified off the coast of Brazil.

The 228 people aboard are presumed to have perished.

The 228 passengers and crew are presumed dead.

They say that flying is safer than driving.

Flying is supposed to be safer than driving.

Iâm sure there are statistics to support this.

No doubt this is supported by statistics.

Still it is not what I feel in my gut.

Nonetheless itâs not what I experience emotionally.

When Iâm driving a car I donât think about dying.

When Iâm in a car my mind isnât on dying.

But itâs different in a plane.

But itâs not the same in a plane.

The possibility of a fatal crash is something I am aware of.

The possibility of dying in a crash is lodged at the back of my mind.

This doesnât mean I am shivering from fear.

This isnât to say I am quaking in my boots.

The term âmindfulâ is a better description.

It is more mindfulness than fear.

In any case, I continue to fly.

Regardless, I still keep getting on planes.

At some point I may decide not to.

The day may come when I decide not to.

Podcast #50 University Lectures and Classrooms

admin@esl-aloud.com — Tue, 5 May 2009 18:43:00 GMT

Does it make sense to have students attend lectures? A lecturer can make his presentation before a camera. The lecture can be distributed live via the Internet. It can also be made available on demand. Thousands can view the lecture around the world. What is the advantage of having a live audience?

Let's take this a step further. How much better is a real classroom than a virtual one? A virtual classroom can accommodate students wherever they are. If a student is speaking, everyone else can see his or her image. Is it important to actually be in the same room?

Here is what the question comes down to: Except for laboratories, do we really need university buildings? By closing them, expenses can be dramatically reduced. Higher education could be made more affordable Distance learning is becoming increasingly popular. Is it time for the physical university to start shrinking?

Does it make sense to have students attend lectures?

Is it sensible for students to attend lectures?

A lecturer can make his presentation before a camera.

A lecturer can do his presentation in front of a camera.

The lecture can be distributed live via the Internet.

The lecture can be broadcast over the Internet in real time.

It can also be made available on demand.

It can also be made accessible for on-demand viewing.

Thousands can view the lecture around the world.

The lecture can be viewed worldwide.

What is the advantage of having a live audience?

What is the advantage of a live audience?

Let's take this a step further.

Let's go a step further.

How much better is a real classroom than a virtual one?

To what extent is a real classroom superior to a virtual one?

A virtual classroom can accommodate students wherever they are.

Students can attend a virtual classroom no matter where they are.

If a student is speaking, everyone else can see his or her image.

A student speaking can be viewed by all the other students.

Is it important to actually be in the same room?

Does it matter whether they are in the same physical space?

Here is what the question comes down to:

Here is the issue in a nutshell:

Except for laboratories, do we really need university buildings?

With the exception of labs, are university buildings truly necessary?

By closing them, expenses can be dramatically reduced.

Eliminating them would result in significant cost savings.

Higher education could be made more affordable

More people would be able to afford a higher education.

Distance learning is becoming increasingly popular.

The popularity of learning over the Internet is growing.

Is it time for the physical university to start shrinking?

Has the time come for university campuses to contract?

Podcast #49 Spelling Clearly

admin@esl-aloud.com — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:04:00 GMT

C as in cat

H as in happy

U as in uncle

N as in Nebraska

G as in George

E as in every

S as in Samuel

L as in long

A as in after

L as in long

O as in other

U as in under

D as in David

A as in apple, Alabama

B as in begin, Boston

C as in camping, Colorado

D as in dentist, Dallas

E as in eagle, Everest

F as in face, Florida

G as in German, Georgia

H as in happy, Hawaii

I as in island, Idaho

J as in jam, Jefferson

K as in keep, Kansas

L as in laugh, Louisiana

M as in mouse, Maryland

N as in noodle, Nevada

O as in often, Ohio

P as in price, Pennsylvania

Q as in quiz, Queens

R as in rooster, Rhode Island

S as in silly, South Dakota

T as in tall, Texas

U as in under, Utah

V as in very, Virginia

W as in wish, Wisconsin

X as in x-ray

Y as in young, Yellowstone

Z as in zebra

Podcast #48 Two-part Verbs with BLOW

admin@esl-aloud.com — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:29:00 GMT

The wind blew away the leaves.

The wind blew the leaves away.

The leaves blew away.

This new model DVD player will blow away the competition.

This new model DVD player will blow the competition away.

That video on YouTube will blow you away.

The song she sang at the audition just blew them away.

She had her gun out, but he came at her, so she blew him away.

The hurricane winds blew down the radio tower.

The hurricane winds blew the radio tower down.

Hundreds of trees were blown down in the cyclone.

The steam pressure blew off the safety cap.

The steam pressure blew the safety cap off.

Are you going to be there at 5 or are you going to blow me off again?

He blew off his homework assignment.

I blew off at her but immediately apologized.

Grandpa blew out the candles on his cake.

Grandpa blew the candles on his cake out.

The storm blew over in just a couple of hours.

It took a while for the scandal to blow over.

I'm sure this economic slump will eventually blow over.

The fireworks warehouse blew up last night.

We'll blow up the bridge to prevent the enemy from using it.

We'll blow the bridge up to prevent the enemy from using it.

I blew up 35 balloons for the party.

I blew 35 balloons up for the party.

Podcast #47 Disagreeing

admin@esl-aloud.com — Mon, 9 Mar 2009 23:21:00 GMT

I can't really agree with that.

I can't go along with that.

I don't see quite eye-to-eye with you on this.

I have a slightly different take on this issue.

I have to disagree with you on that.

I have to disagree with you.

That's not how I see it.

That's a good idea, but needs some refining.

That's a good idea, but it could use some development.

I beg to differ.

You've made a good point, but I don't quite see it that way.

I don't go along with that at all.

I don't agree with that.

I don't know how you can think that.

That's just one way of looking at it.

It's clear we don"t see this the same way.

I think you're wrong.

I don't believe thatâs accurate.

I don't believe thatâs right.

I think that's way off the mark.

I can't believe you just said that.

How can you possibly think that?

How can you say that?

That's simply not right.

Where did you get that idea?

That's the most ridiculous thing Iâve ever heard.

You can't really mean that.

That's just off the wall.

You really believe that?

Podcast #46 Visit to Costa Rica

admin@esl-aloud.com — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 23:42:00 GMT

My wife and I recently made a trip to Costa Rica. We traveled in a group for the first time in 40 years. Luckily everyone in the group got along with one another. We spent a good deal of time in the rain forests. Parts of Costa Rica get 20 or more feet of rain each year. We saw three types of monkeys. The howler monkeys sounded like a cross between a lion and a seal. We took several river trips. One boat ride was through a mangrove forest. Mangrove trees have external roots that take in oxygen. The roots also serve as supports. We saw tree-dwelling iguanas. The bird population of Costa Rica is fantastic. I got a neck ache from watching them through binoculars. We got pretty close to a couple of crocodiles. We were more interested in them than they were in us. We were given a tour of a pineapple plantation. We ate pineapple picked right from the field. I cannot describe how delicious it was. Some of the fruit in Costa Rica we had never heard of. Surprisingly, the food was not too spicy. The roads in Costa Rica are not the best in the world. Our bus had one flat tire and one blowout. But that could have happened anywhere. I would recommend Costa Rica to anyone who appreciates nature.

My wife and I recently made a trip to Costa Rica.

My wife and I recently took a trip to Costa Rica.

We traveled in a group for the first time in 40 years.

We hadn't traveled in a group for 40 years.

Luckily everyone in the group got along with one another.

Fortunately all the members of the group got on with one another.

We spent a good deal of time in the rain forests.

A lot of our time was spent in the rain forests.

Parts of Costa Rica get 20 or more feet of rain each year.

Sections of Costa Rica have an annual rainfall of 20 or more feet.

We saw three types of monkeys.

We encountered three varieties of monkeys.

The howler monkeys sounded like a cross between a lion and a seal.

The howler monkeys sounded like a combination of a lion and a seal.

We took several river trips.

We had several river boat rides.

One boat ride was through a mangrove forest.

One boat ride took us through a mangrove forest.

Mangrove trees have external roots that take in oxygen.

Mangrove trees have external air-breathing roots.

The roots also serve as supports.

The roots also function as supports.

We saw tree-dwelling iguanas.

We saw iguanas who live in trees.

The bird population of Costa Rica is fantastic.

The population of birds in Costa Rica is mind-boggling.

I got a neck ache from watching them through binoculars.

Watching them with binoculars gave me a neck ache.

We got pretty close to a couple of crocodiles.

We approached a couple of crocodiles pretty closely.

We were more interested in them than they were in us.

Our interest in them was greater than their interest in us.

We were given a tour of a pineapple plantation.

We toured a pineapple plantation.

We ate pineapple picked right from the field.

We were given fresh picked pineapple to eat.

I cannot describe how delicious it was.

It was indescribably delicious.

Some of the fruit in Costa Rica we had never heard of.

Some of the fruit in Costa Rica was totally new to us.

Surprisingly, the food was not too spicy.

The food was not overly spicy, which was a surprise.

The roads in Costa Rica are not the best in the world.

The roadways in Costa Rica leave a lot to be desired.

Our bus had one flat tire and one blowout.

Our bus got a flat tire and also suffered a blowout.

But that could have happened anywhere.

But that could have occurred anywhere.

I would recommend Costa Rica to anyone who appreciates nature.

Anyone with a feeling for nature would enjoy a trip to Costa Rica.

Podcast #45 Prepositions Used with Adjectives (2)

admin@esl-aloud.com — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:27:00 GMT

ashamed of

I was ashamed of my behavior last night.

Aren't you ashamed of what you did?

Don't be ashamed of who you are.

She was ashamed of her family.

He has nothing to be ashamed of.

ashamed for can replace ashamed of when it is followed by the -ing form of a verb.

You should feel ashamed for posting those nasty e-mails.

He was ashamed for having sexy thoughts about his teacher.

ashamed for is also used when the speaker feels shame because of the actions of another

I was ashamed for the policies of my country.

She was ashamed for her father's impoliteness.

aware of

I am very aware of the importance of the Internet.

He wanted to make me aware of the danger I was in.

There is something important I want you to be aware of.

bad at : to be bad at something means to be ineffective or unskillful.

My brother is bad at expressing his feelings.

Some people are bad at learning foreign languages.

I am really bad at tennis.

bad for : if something is bad for a person or situation, that means it worsens the condition of the person or situation.

Smoking is bad for you.

Outdoor fires are bad for the air quality.

Having too much government control is bad for business.

Watching too much news may be bad for your mental health.

bored with: use bored with when referring to an activity the bored person finds unexciting to engage in.

She was bored with her job, so she quit.

He got bored with watching sports on TV.

Some people are already bored with Facebook.

Are you bored with your life?

bored by : use bored by when referring to something that bores a person other than an activity he or she is engaged in.

I am bored by all the talk about the economy.

Many people are bored by news articles about movie stars.

Were you as bored by the lecture as I was?

capable of can mean having a positive ability to do something in the future.

I think that horse is capable of winning the race.

At what age is the mind capable of understanding how to read?

Podcast #44 Prepositions with Adjectives

admin@esl-aloud.com — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:37:00 GMT

accustomed to

My mother was accustomed to eating in fine restaurants.

His eyes slowly became accustomed to the dark.

In war you become accustomed to the smell of death.

afraid of

Some people are afraid of thunder and lightning.

I am afraid of swimming in deep water.

What are you afraid of?

She is afraid of that boy.

afraid about is close in meaning to afraid of, but afraid about always refers to some event in the future

Aren't you afraid about the spread of nuclear weapons?

He is afraid about going to college in the fall.

They were afraid about running out of water in the desert.

afraid for means being worried about what might happen to someone or something

My brother-in-law is violent. I am afraid for my sister.

In a bad economy people are afraid for their jobs.

I am afraid for the future of the country.

angry with and angry at have almost exactly the same meaning

I am angry with my parents.

I am angry at my parents.

She was angry with the school administration.

She was angry at the school administration.

People are angry at the banks for making so many bad loans.

People are angry with the banks for making so many bad loans.

angry about means angry concerning

He was angry about the delayed flight.

Don't be so angry about everything!

annoyed with, annoyed by, and annoyed at are pretty much interchangeable

I am annoyed at her bad manners.

I am annoyed by her bad manners.

Are you annoyed with the rising cost of living?

Are you annoyed by the rising cost of living?

Iâm not annoyed at you.

Iâm not annoyed with you.

annoyed over emphasizes the state of mind

The general was annoyed over the delay in funding.

The gymnasts were annoyed over the poor lighting.

anxious about and anxious over mean the same thing, but anxious about is much more common

Many people are anxious about the global economy.

Many people are anxious over the global economy.

She is anxious about meeting new people.

She is anxious over meeting new people.

anxious for means impatient

He is anxious for the first game of the season.

The children are anxious for Christmas to come.

Podcast #43 Looking for a Job

admin@esl-aloud.com — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:53:00 GMT

Conversation between William and Andrew.

W: Hey, Andrew, how have you been?

A: To tell the truth, not great. I lost my job four months ago and I'm looking for work.

W: I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?

A: My company laid off about 20% of its employees.

W: How are you doing with the job search?

A: I've sent out over 100 resumes...and I've had three interviews.

W: Any hot prospects?

A: Yeah, there's a pretty good position in Cincinnati...but that means moving away from my family and my social network.

W: Well, the job market is not very good right now.

A: I understand that. but I never thought I would have to move.

W: Are you sure there's nothing closer to home?

A: Only if I want to take a serious pay cut.

W: Yeah, but say you got in with a good company. If you performed really well you could always advance.Taking less pay to start would be a kind of investment.

A: You know, I think you're making a good point. I'm going to give a lot of thought to what you said.

Hey, Andrew, how have you been?

Hey, Andrew, how have things been?

To tell the truth, not great.

Truth is, things aren't going very well.

I lost my job four months ago and I'm looking for work.

I got canned four months ago and I'm on the job market.

I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?

I'm really sorry about that. What happened?

My company laid off about 20% of its employees.

My company down-sized by about 20%.

How are you doing with the job search?

So how is the job search going?

I've sent out over 100 resumes.

I've got over 100 resumes out there.

...and I've had three interviews.

...and I've gotten three interviews.

Any hot prospects?

Anything really good?

Yeah, there's a pretty good position in Cincinnati.

Yeah, there's quite a good job in Cincinnati.

...but that means moving away from my family and my social network.

...but that means relocating away from all my friends and family.

Well, the job market is not very good right now.

Well, jobs are in short supply right now.

I understand that. but I never thought I would have to move.

I understand that, but I never imagined I'd have to change cities.

Are you sure there's nothing closer to home?

Are you positive there's nothing doing closer to home?

Only if I want to take a serious pay cut.

Not unless I'm willing to make a heck of a lot less.

Yeah, but say you got in with a good company.

Yeah, but let's say you started with a good company.

If you performed really well you could always advance.

If you gave it your best you could always move up in the organization.

Taking less pay to start would be a kind of investment.

Working for a lower salary would be like an initial investment.

You know, I think you're making a good point.

You know, I think you've got something there.

I'm going to give a lot of thought to what you said.

I'm going to seriously think over what you said.

Podcast #42 Two-part verbs with BRING

admin@esl-aloud.com — Mon, 6 Oct 2008 02:49:00 GMT

bring about

He did a lot to bring about change in his school.

He did a lot to bring change about in his school.

bring along

I brought along a friend to the party.

I brought a friend along to the party.

My weekend guest brought along some work.

My weekend guest brought some work along.

bring around

I brought around my new scooter for my parents to see.

I brought my new scooter around for my parents to see.

What can I say to bring you around to my point of view?

His letter brought me around to make a contribution to the museum.

bring off

She brought off a successful campaign for reelection.

How did you manage to bring that off?

bring on

You are so angry. What brought that on?

All that noise brought on an awful headache.

bring out

You bring out the best in me.

Having serious responsibilities brought out their best behavior.

That new scarf brings out the green in your eyes.

When are they bringing out the next edition of her book?

When are they bringing the next edition of her book out?

bring over

Weâll be home. Why donât you bring over your friend?

Weâll be home. Why donât you bring your friend over?

Do you always have to bring up my former behavior?

Do you always have to bring my former behavior up?

bring up

My parents brought me up to respect authority.

Maria was brought up in Ecuador.

Podcast #41 -- A Family

admin@esl-aloud.com — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:16:00 GMT

My family is pretty much average sized. I've got one brother and one sister. They are both married and I am single. My brother Frank is the oldest and I am the youngest. He has had a fairly successful life. He's an executive in a solid company and makes a good living. His wife has decided to stay at home with their two kids for now. When their youngest is in high school she hopes to start a doctoral program. I think she really has her head on her shoulders. My sister Debbie is another story. She has never thought well of herself. Her husband isn't good at anything. He has had more jobs than you can count. He does not treat my sister very well. Luckily he is not interested in having children. He would be a terrible father. My folks and I think it is just a matter of time before they get divorced. As far as Iâm concerned, the sooner the better. I hate to see my sister trapped in a dead-end situation. Once she's on her own again, she can start building a future. She can count on her family for support. But the responsibility to make good choices will be hers.

My family is pretty much average sized.

I would say my family is just about average in size.

I've got one brother and one sister.

I have two siblings, a sister and a brother.

They are both married and I am single.

They are both married and I am still a bachelor.

My brother Frank is the eldest and I am the youngest.

My brother Frank is the eldest and I am the baby of the family.

He has had a fairly successful life.

His life has been a fairly successful one.

He's an executive in a solid company and makes a good living.

He's in the executive ranks of a prosperous company and he makes big bucks.

His wife has decided to stay at home with their two kids for now.

His wife is at home with their two kids for the time being.

When their youngest is in high school she hopes to start a doctoral program.

When their youngest child reaches high school she plans to go for a PhD.

I think she really has her head on her shoulders.

I think she is a very level-headed individual.

My sister Debbie is another story.

My sister Debbie is a completely different story.

She has never thought well of herself.

She has never had a good self-image.

Her husband isn't good at anything.

Her husband is a real loser.

He has had more jobs than you can count.

He bounces around from job to job.

He does not treat my sister very well.

His behavior towards my sister is not at all good.

Luckily he is not interested in having children.

Fortunately he has no interest in having children.

He would be a terrible father.

He would make a terrible father.

My folks and I think it is just a matter of time before they get divorced.

My parents and I think that they are headed for a divorce.

As far as I'm concerned, the sooner the better.

For my money, the sooner the better.

I hate to see my sister trapped in a dead-end situation.

It hurts me to see my sister in a hopeless situation.

Once she's on her own again, she can start building a future.

Once she is independent, she can start putting her life together.

She can count on her family for support.

The support of her family is a given.

But the responsibility to make good choices will be hers.

But the burden of making good choices will be all hers.

Podcast #40 The 2008 Olympics

admin@esl-aloud.com — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:13:00 GMT

China was the host country for the 2008 Olympics. The effort made to prepare Beijing for the Olympics was massive. The cost was close to $50 billion. One big issue was air quality. Some factories had to stop operating. Automobile traffic came under strict controls. The efforts seem to have succeeded. The training for Olympic competition is rigorous. It is a years-long commitment made by the competitors and their families alike. For example, a teenage swimmer has to be driven to daily practice at 5 in the morning. Families adapt their schedules and budgets to support young athletes. Everyone feels a thrill when a fellow countryman wins an Olympic medal. In the Olympics big countries and rich countries have an automatic advantage. In a sense, competitors from smaller and poorer countries are the true heroes. One thing I donât like is the television coverage in the United States. Commercials and commentary take up at least half the time. I usually end up recording the broadcast so I can skip over the parts I donât like. To be honest, I can only watch so many dives before I nod off. As you can probably tell, I am not a fanatic about sports. Is it possible that love of sports is a genetic variable?

China was the host country for the 2008 Olympics.

China was host to the 2008 Olympic games.

The effort made to prepare Beijing for the Olympics was massive.

A massive effort was made to prepare Beijing for the Olympics.

The cost was close to $50 billion.

The expense was in the neighborhood of $50 billion.

One big issue was air quality.

One of the biggest challenges was air quality.

Some factories had to stop operating.

Some factories had to suspend operations.

Automobile traffic came under strict controls.

Strict controls were imposed on automobile traffic.

The efforts seem to have succeeded.

The efforts seem to have been a success.

The training for Olympic competition is rigorous.

Competing in the Olympics requires rigorous training.

It is a years-long commitment made by the competitors and their families alike.

The families of the competitors share in the years-long commitment.

For example, a teenage swimmer has to be driven to daily practice at 5 in the morning.

For instance, a teenage swimmer has to be given a ride to daily practice at 5 a.m.

Families adapt their schedules and budgets to support young athletes.

Families adjust their schedules and budgets in the support of young athletes.

Everyone feels a thrill when a fellow countryman wins an Olympic medal.

It is thrilling to see someone from your own country win an Olympic medal.

In the Olympics big countries and rich countries have an automatic advantage.

In the Olympics big and rich countries automatically have an advantage.

In a sense, competitors from smaller and poorer countries are the true heroes.

In a way, it is competitors from smaller and poorer countries who are the true heroes.

One thing I don't like is the television coverage in the United States.

One thing that rubs me the wrong way is the TV coverage in the U.S.

Commercials and commentary take up at least half the time.

The commercials and commentary account for half the time at a minimum.

I usually end up recording the broadcast so I can skip over the parts I don't like.

I usually end up taping the broadcast so I can skip the stuff that annoys me.

To be honest, I can only watch so many dives before I nod off.

To be candid, after watching fifteen or so dives I am ready for a nap.

As you can probably tell, I am not a fanatic about sports.

As you have probably figured out, I am not a sports fanatic.

Is it possible that love of sports is a genetic variable?

I wonder whether there is a genetic marker for love of sports.

Be sure see the links to music videos with displayed lyrics on the home page of www.esl-aloud.com

Podcast #39 Global Warming and Automobiles

admin@esl-aloud.com — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:51:00 GMT

There is no doubt that the earth is getting warmer.

It is beyond question that the earth is becoming warmer.

The reasons for this are complex.

The causes of this are complicated.

Magnetic energy and geothermal energy play a part.

Magnetic and geothermal energy figure into the equation.

The earth went through climate changes before man ever existed.

The earth underwent climatic changes before the advent of the human species.

So humans are not totally responsible for the phenomenon.

So the phenomenon cannot be totally blamed on human activity.

Nevertheless we are a major contributing factor.

All the same, our contribution to global warming is a major one.

Our use of energy increases every day.

Our consumption of energy rises daily.

People create heat pollution with their automobiles.

Automobiles play a large part in heat pollution.

In the U.S. the auto industry fights every attempt to raise mileage standards.

The auto industry in the U.S. is resistant to raising mileage standards.

Toyota has lead the way in efficient engines with the Prius.

Toyota's Prius has been a revolutionary advance in efficient engines.

The Prius is a hybrid car with a gasoline motor and an electric motor.

The combination of a gas and electric motor makes the Prius a hybrid car.

People have become increasingly interested in all-electric cars.

The interest in an all-electric car has gained considerable ground.

A battery charge that lasts for 20 miles is enough for local streets.

A charge thatâs good for 20 miles is sufficient for local travel.

Such a car can be relatively inexpensive.

A vehicle like this shouldn't be expensive to produce.

You can get a 400% efficiency gain using no new technology.

There is a low-tech way to get a 400% gain in fuel efficiency.

You just need four people to drive together instead of separately.

It just takes having four people driving together instead of separately.

We're sure to be seeing all types of innovations.

We can confidently look forward to a slew of new approaches.

Note: It is important for me to have an idea whether people are using the audio flashcards. Please leave a Comment on the podcast screen or write to me at info@esl-aloud.com. You just have to write a simple sentence like: "I use the cards." or "I do not use the cards." Thank you.

Podcast #38 Two-part verbs with TAKE

admin@esl-aloud.com — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:02:00 GMT

For an explanation about two-part verbs, see www.esl-aloud.com

take after

Her behavior is like her mother's.

She takes after her mother.

take apart

The mechanic disassembled the motor.

The mechanic took apart the motor.

The mechanic took the motor apart

take back

I retract what I said about Mr. Foster.

I take back what I said about Mr. Foster.

Did you return the car to the dealer?

Did you take back the car to the dealer?

Did you take the car back to the dealer?

That song makes me think of my childhood.

That song takes me back to my childhood.

take down

I wrote down everything he said.

I took down everything he said.

I took everything he said down.

They lowered the flag at sunset.

They took down the flag at sunset.

They took the flag down at sunset.

Mario dismantled his tent after breakfast.

Mario took down his tent after breakfast.

Mario took his tent down after breakfast.

take for

What kind of person do you think I am!

What do you take me for!

take in

Greg lost 20 pounds and had his pants made smaller.

Greg lost 20 pounds and had his pants taken in.

He was a stranger and they let him stay in their home.

He was a stranger and they took him in.

She spoke so fast my mind couldn't absorb what she was saying.

She spoke so fast I couldn't take in what she was saying.

The old lady was deceived by the false advertising.

The old lady got taken in by the false advertising.

We spent the day looking at the sights of the city.

We spent the day taking in the sights of the city.

The widow did sewing for people in her home.

The widow took in sewing.

take off

We removed our shoes before entering the mosque

We took off our shoes before entering the mosque.

We took our shoes off before entering the mosque.

They reduced the price of the table by 20 percent.

They took 20 percent off the price of the table.

They took off 20 percent from the price of the table.

She left without saying good-bye to anyone.

She took off without saying good-bye to anyone.

The sales of his book increased rapidly after his TV interview.

The sales of his book took off after his TV interview.

At exactly 2:15 the plane rose into the air.

At exactly 2:15 the plane took off.

Iâm going on vacation for a week in July.

Iâm taking off a week from work in July.

Iâm taking a week off from work in July.

Podcast #37 Theme Parks

admin@esl-aloud.com — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 01:36:00 GMT

My house is less than two hours from several theme parks.

Where I live is no more than two hours from several theme parks.

The most famous of these is Disneyland.

Disneyland is the best known of these.

I have to admit I've never gone there.

I hate to say it, but I've never been there.

It strikes me as being one big ad for the Disney corporation.

To my mind, it is a massive ad for the Disney organization.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Disney films.

Don't misunderstand me, Iâve got no problem with Disney films.

But I find the intensity of the marketing by Disney to be offensive.

But I am put off by the intensity of Disney's marketing.

Especially because it is aimed at children.

Particularly because children are the target audience.

Also, I have heard that the lines for rides are endless.

Also, people say that the wait times for rides are not to be believed.

The one theme park I have been to is Legoland.

Legoland is the one theme park I have been to.

The park features exquisite constructions made with Lego blocks.

A main feature of the park is beautiful Lego block constructions.

Sometimes they have a cityscape like that of New York or Las Vegas.

Sometimes they have the model of a city like New York or Las Vegas.

My visit there was seven years ago.

My visit there was seven years back.

Now rides and entertainment are the big attraction.

These days it's rides and entertainment that are the big draw.

Tickets for theme parks are not inexpensive.

Theme park tickets don't come cheap.

You can expect to pay $40 to $60 per person for an all-day admission.

An all-day admission goes for upwards of $40 to $60.

Plus the cost of food, drinks, and souvenirs.

Add to that the outlay for food, drinks, and souvenirs.

Many of the parks have annual tickets.

A good number of the parks offer yearly tickets.

I think theme parks will suffer if the economy goes bad.

My guess is the parks will not do well in a down economy.

People will look for cheaper family entertainment.

People will seek out less expensive family entertainment.

Podcast #36 Two-part verbs with BREAK

admin@esl-aloud.com — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:58:00 GMT

Croatia separated from Yugoslavia in 1991.

Croatia broke away from Yugoslavia in 1991.

The automobile racer left the pack behind him.

The automobile racer broke away from the pack.

The ice cream making machine stopped working.

The ice cream making machine broke down.

She lost control of herself and started crying.

She broke down and started to cry.

We can divide this project into three phases.

We can break down this project into three phases.

We can break this project down into three phases.

Someone smashed a window and got into my house.

Someone broke into my house.

It took two days to make these shoes comfortable by wearing them.

It took two days to break in these shoes.

It took two days to break these shoes in.

It takes three weeks to train a new employee.

It takes three weeks to break in a new employee.

It takes three weeks to break a new employee in.

China and Japan suddenly ended their talks.

China and Japan broke off their talks.

China and Japan broke their talks off.

A fire started burning in the driest part of the forest.

A fire broke out in the driest part of the forest.

When you get the measles, you become covered with spots.

When you get the measles, you break out in spots.

The murderer escaped from jail.

The murderer broke out of jail.

Maria is no longer Ken's girlfriend.

Maria and Ken have broken up.

The meeting ended at 4 o'clock.

The meeting broke up at 4 o'clock.

Podcast #35 Making Friends in Santa Monica

admin@esl-aloud.com — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:37:00 GMT

Two older women went on trial last month.

Two women in their seventies stood trial last month.

Here is their story.

Here is what happened.

They made friends with a homeless man.

They befriended a homeless man.

They helped him find a place to live.

They helped him with finding a place to live.

They gave him money for rent and food.

They contributed toward his rent and food costs.

The man considered the women to be friends.

The man looked upon the women as friends.

He wasn't at all suspicious of them.

He didn't harbor any suspicions about them.

The women took out several insurance policies on his life.

The women insured his life with a number of policies.

For two years they stayed close friends with him.

They were good friends to him for two years.

One night he was struck by a car that fled the scene.

One night he was run down by a hit-and-run driver.

The injuries were fatal.

He died from his injuries.

The women collected on the insurance policies.

The women got the proceeds of the insurance policies.

Because the policies were two years old, no one took particular notice.

Since the policies had been in force for two years, no eyebrows were raised.

Six years later, another man died in a similar accident.

Six years later, another man had a similar fatal accident.

The same two women collected on his life insurance policies.

The same two women were the beneficiaries of his life insurance policies.

An investigator found out about the similar accident six years before.

An investigator heard about the similar accident six years previously.

As a result of his work the women were arrested and charged with murder.

His work led to the women's arrest on a charge of murder.

They were tried and the jury arrived at a verdict of guilty.

They stood trial and the jury found the women guilty as charged.

They will spend the rest of their lives in jail.

They will be imprisoned for the rest of their lives.

Podcast #34 The Verb TO FALL

admin@esl-aloud.com — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:09:00 GMT

I love to see the autumn leaves coming down from the trees.

I love to see the autumn leaves falling from the trees.

She spoke more softly when she described the accident.

Her voice fell when she described the accident.

Last week the value of my stocks went down quite a bit.

Last week my stocks fell sharply.

Has the baby gone to sleep yet?

Has the baby fallen asleep yet?

As the airplane climbed, I could feel a decrease in the air pressure.

As the plane climbed, I could feel the air pressure fall.

Over 3,000 soldiers were killed or wounded in that battle.

Over 3,000 soldiers fell in that battle.

I was attracted to her the moment I saw her.

I fell for her the moment I saw her.

I'm surprised you were tricked by that e-mail scam.

I'm surprised you fell for that e-mail scam.

At the last minute, the contract did not get signed.

The contract fell through at the last minute.

Fewer people went to the movies when television became popular.

Movie attendance fell off when television became popular.

After his wife died, he could hardly function.

After his wife died, he fell apart.

When he lost his job, he started using his savings.

When he lost his job, he fell back on his savings.

Karen had a quarrel with her supervisor.

Karen fell out with her supervisor.

He was very lucky and found a great job.

He fell into a great job.

She was not getting her work done on time.

She fell behind in her work.

Several countries now have better health care than the U.S.

The U.S. has fallen behind several countries in health care.

Podcast #33 Introduction to Two-Part Verbs

admin@esl-aloud.com — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:26:00 GMT

To read the content of this podcast, go to www.esl-aloud.com and click Two-Part Verbs at the top of the screen.

Podcast #32 Reading

admin@esl-aloud.com — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:27:00 GMT

I try to do some reading every day.

I try to get in some reading every day.

Iâm talking about reading a book.

Iâm referring to reading a book.

Reading makes me feel like my brain is working.

Reading gives me the feeling that my brain is on the job.

No two people experience a book exactly the same way.

No two people have exactly the same experience with a book.

The reader and the writer are sort of partners.

The reader and writer are kind of partners.

The writer plants a garden and invites the reader in.

The writer opens the gate to a garden he has planted.

How to enjoy the garden is up to the reader.

It is the reader's decision as to how to enjoy the garden.

Some of the plantings in the garden he hardly notices.

He hardly takes note of some of the plantings in the garden.

Others he slows down for to really enjoy.

Others he slows down for to savor.

The reader should feel like an explorer.

The reader should have a sense of being an explorer.

Every book is a new adventure.

Every book represents a new adventure.

To access the audio flashcards for this podcast go to www.esl-aloud.com.

Podcast #31 The Rain in Los Angeles

admin@esl-aloud.com — Tue, 5 Feb 2008 00:58:00 GMT

After going through this podcast, you can get further practice with the same sentences in a free online program. For all the details, go to www.esl-aloud.com

Today was a rainy day in Los Angeles.

Today it was rainy in Los Angeles.

Last year we got under three inches of rain.

Last year we had less than three inches of rain.

That makes rain a pretty unusual event.

So rain is a pretty uncommon occurrence.

LA is actually supposed to be a desert.

In point of fact, LA is supposed to be a desert.

Our water is brought in from about 400 miles north of here.

Our water reaches us from about 400 miles to the north.

With global warming, the water situation is getting serious.

Thanks to global warming, the situation with water is getting serious.

The cost of water to households is going up.

The per household cost of water is on the rise.

Pretty soon there may be laws about watering lawns.

Before long we may see laws about watering lawns.

Lawns are a terrible waste of resources in this climate.

Given the climate here, lawns are a terrific waste of resources.

A few people have replaced lawns with plants that flourish in dry soil.

A few people have taken out their lawns and put in plants that do well in arid soil.

Many of these plants are native to California.

A good number of these plants are California natives.

About 80% of the water used in California goes to agriculture.

Agriculture accounts for about 80% of water use in California.

In my opinion, the production of food is more critical than grass.

What I think is that producing food is more important than having a lawn.

Maybe genetic engineering will provide a solution.

Perhaps genetic engineering can deliver a solution.

It may be possible to develop plants that require less water.

Developing plants that need less water is thinkable.

It may even be possible to develop humans who require less water.

Breeding humans who can live on less water is also conceivable.

I'm joking and I'm not joking.

I'm joking and I'm not.

In any case it is something to think about.

At any rate it is something to ponder.

Special Notice: New Flashcard Program

admin@esl-aloud.com — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:03:00 GMT

Beginning with Podcast #30, you will be able to get further practice with the sentences using a free flashcard program.

For complete details, go to: www.esl-aloud.com

Podcast #30 The verb GET

admin@esl-aloud.com — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:27:00 GMT

What did you get for your birthday?

I have to get some fish for dinner.

He only got $50 for the work he did.

He became nervous about the driving test.

He got nervous about the driving test.

She became sleepy.

She got sleepy.

If you want to become rich, you have to work hard.

If you want to get rich, you have to work hard.

I always become hungry around 6 o'clock.

I always get hungry around 6 o'clock.

These days it becomes dark around 4 o'clock.

These days it gets dark around 4 o'clock.

Are you becoming tired?

Are you getting tired?

It's going to become pretty warm today.

It's going to get pretty warm today.

She became fat from eating candy all the time.

She got fat from eating candy all the time.

My cousin becomes discouraged easily.

My cousin gets discouraged easily.

The store becomes busy at lunchtime.

The store gets busy at lunchtime.

The student who was sick was sent home.

The student who was sick got sent home.

The mail is usually delivered by noon.

The mail usually gets delivered by noon.

He was dropped off at work by his wife.

He got dropped off at work by his wife.

She was admitted into the Spanish program.

She got admitted into the Spanish program.

The boy was taken to the hospital.

The boy got taken to the hospital

Were you invited to the party?

Did you get invited to the party?

The meeting was postponed until Tuesday.

The meeting got postponed until Tuesday.

Make sure the books are returned to the library.

Make sure the books get returned to the library.

The furniture was ruined in the flood.

The furniture got ruined in the flood.

I am sure his complaints will be ignored.

I an sure his complaints will get ignored.

He received the highest grade in the class.

He got the highest grade in the class.

Children today seem to become bored very easily.

Children today seem to get bored very easily.

The soldier was wounded in the arm.

The soldier got wounded in the arm.

The meal was ruined by the loud music.

The meal got ruined by the loud music.

I am sure you will find a good job.

I am sure you will get a good job.

Why do you become so annoyed all the time?

Why do you get so annoyed all the time?

My letter was returned by the post office.

My letter got returned by the post office.

Podcast #29 A Bank Robbery

admin@esl-aloud.com — Sun, 6 Jan 2008 21:21:00 GMT

A bank robber walked into a bank.

A bank robber entered a bank.

He looked around.

He took a look around.

He saw there weren't many customers.

He saw the place was pretty empty.

He walked up to a teller.

He went to a teller's window.

The robber gave the teller a piece of paper.

The robber handed the teller a slip of paper.

The teller read what was on the paper.

The teller read what was written there.

She looked up at the man.

She raised her eyes and looked at the man.

She could see he was serious.

She could see he meant business.

She opened a drawer.

She opened up a drawer.

She began putting money on the counter in front of her.

She started placing money on the counter in front of her.

Every few seconds she moved the money toward the man.

Every few seconds or so she slid the money toward the man.

The robber dropped each batch of bills into a briefcase.

The robber slid each batch of bills into a briefcase.

After a little while he told the teller to stop what she was doing.

After a bit he told the teller to stop.

He turned and headed for the front door of the bank.

He turned around and moved toward the front door of the bank.

A bank guard started walking toward the robber.

A bank guard began moving toward the robber.

The robber started walking faster.

The robber picked up his pace.

The guard called out to him to stop.

The guard called out for him to hold up.

The robber reached into a coat pocket.

The robber placed a hand into a coat pocket.

The guard extended a hand toward the robber.

The guard reached out a hand toward the robber.

The guard said: "I think you dropped this."

The guard said: "Here is something I think you dropped."

In the guard's hand was a $20 bill.

The guard was holding a $20 bill.

The robber took the bill, thanked the guard and left.

The robber accepted the bill, said thanks, and exited the bank.

Podcast #28 Borrowing Money

admin@esl-aloud.com — Tue, 4 Dec 2007 03:22:00 GMT

Directions

In this lesson you will hear two dialogs about borrowing money and paying interest. The second dialog contains all of the ideas in the first dialog but uses different words.

After you hear each dialog, it will be repeated three times with a pause after each sentence so you can repeat it.

Dialog 1

A: I took out a loan for $1500 (fifteen hundred dollars).

B: What rate of interest are you paying?

A: I got it for 8 % (8 percent).

B: Eight percent interest sounds high. Couldn't you do any better?

A: I looked everywhere. It's the best I could do.

Dialog 2

A: I got a $1500 (fifteen hundred dollar) loan.

B: What rate of interest did you get?

A: Iâm paying 8% (percent) interest.

B: Eight percent interest doesn't sound so

good. Couldn't you find a better deal?

A: I called around. It's the best deal I could make.

Podcast #27 Job Application

admin@esl-aloud.com — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 04:13:00 GMT

Spoken directions:

In this podcast you will first hear a short monolog about a job application and references. References are people who can describe what kind of person you are or what kind of work you have done. After listening to the monolog, you will hear it again, one sentence at a time. Repeat each sentence. We will do the whole monolog this way three times, so that the language can really plant itself in your brain. The idea is that it will still be there when you want to use it sometime in the future.

Monolog:

I'm filling out an application for a new job.

I'm not sure who to give as a reference.

They usually get in touch with at least one reference.

So you want references to say good things about you.

But a reference on an application shouldn't be just a friend.

References on applications should be people who know how you work.

And the longer a reference has known you, the better.

Podcast #26 Las Vegas

admin@esl-aloud.com — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 21:53:00 GMT

Las Vegas is one of the most ridiculous places anywhere. It is a make-believe world for adults. People go there determined to have a good time. There is more than one definition of a good time.

Gambling is naturally the big attraction. For some people gambling is an addiction. They are just unable to stop. The ads for Las Vegas show everyone laughing as they win money. The reality is unsmiling people who are losing money.

The entertainment is first-class. There are many excellent restaurants. Many of the hotels represent foreign places. France is a couple of blocks from Egypt and across the street from Italy. That's the general idea.

Prepare yourself if you are planning to visit Vegas. Calculate the exact amount of money you want to gamble. Don't expect to win. Understand that much of what you experience there is fake. Get ready to empty your mind and have a good time.

Las Vegas is one of the most ridiculous places anywhere.

Las Vegas has to be among the silliest places on the face of the earth.

It is a make-believe world for adults.

It is a fantasy-land for grown-ups.

People go there determined to have a good time.

People travel there intent on enjoying themselves.

There is more than one definition of a good time.

Of course, the words "good time" donât meant the same to everybody.

Gambling is naturally the big attraction.

It goes without saying that gambling is the big attraction.

For some people gambling is an addiction.

Some people are addicted to gambling.

They are just unable to stop.

They are simply incapable of stopping.

The ads for Las Vegas show everyone laughing as they win money.

The ads for Las Vegas are filled with laughing people winning money.

The reality is unsmiling people who are losing money.

What you see there are somber people losing money.

The entertainment is first-class.

The entertainment is world-class.

There are many excellent restaurants.

There is an abundance of good places to eat.

Many of the hotels represent foreign places.

A lot of the hotels have a foreign theme.

France is a couple of blocks from Egypt and across the street from Italy.

France is two blocks from Egypt, with Italy right across the street.

That's the general idea.

That is more or less what it is like.

Prepare yourself if you are planning to visit Vegas.

Be prepared if you are planning on visiting Vegas.

Calculate the exact amount of money you want to gamble.

Figure out exactly what your limit is for gambling.

Donât expect to win.

Donât have any expectations about winning.

Understand that much of what you experience there is fake.

Be aware that much of what you encounter there is not genuine.

Get ready to empty your mind and have a good time.

Look forward to giving your brain a rest and enjoying yourself.

Podcast #25 My Trip to Canada

admin@esl-aloud.com — Tue, 7 Aug 2007 22:44:00 GMT

Three weeks ago my wife and I went on a trip to Canada. We rented a house in a town named Canmore, in the province of Alberta. Canmore is located just outside Banff National Park. We were in the Rocky Mountains of Canada. The house was spacious. Five members of our family were with us there. So there were seven of us altogether. My grandson got the largest room. We could see mountains through the living room window. Wild rabbits ate the grass on the back lawn. The trash cans were all designed so that bears cannot get into them. We could walk into town. The town has several nice restaurants. One night we had dinner in a Chilean restaurant. Canmore has over 100 kilometers of trails and paths within the town and nearby. A 10-minute drive took us onto mountain roads. There were signs everywhere warning about bears. The two kinds of bears living there are black bears and grizzly bears. There are also mountain lions in the area. On one hike we caught sight of a male deer. We took a gondola ride to the top of a mountain. The view was fantastic. The food they served in the restaurant up there was not very good. We split up into different groups depending on the activity. My son and brother-in-law went white water rafting. I went with my wife and sister-in-law to a rodeo in Calgary. My grandson spent time with everyone. The eight days we spent there seemed too short.

Three weeks ago my wife and I went on a trip to Canada.

Three weeks ago I went with my wife on a trip to Canada.

We rented a house in a town named Canmore, in the province of Alberta.

We took a house in a town by the name of Canmore in Alberta.

Canmore is located just outside Banff National Park.

Canmore lies right outside Banff National Park.

We were in the Rocky Mountains of Canada.

We were in the Canadian Rockies.

The house was spacious.

The house was roomy.

Five members of our family were with us there.

Five family members joined us there.

So there were seven of us altogether.

So we were seven in total.

My grandson got the largest room.

My grandson ended up with the largest room.

We could see mountains through the living room window.

We had a view of mountains from the living room window.

Wild rabbits ate the grass on the back lawn.

Wild rabbits nibbled on the grass of the back lawn.

The trash cans are all designed so that bears cannot get into them.

All the trash cans in the area are bear proof.

We could walk into town.

We could get into town on foot.

The town has several nice restaurants.

The town has a number of good restaurants.

One night we had dinner in a Chilean restaurant.

One night we dined in a Chilean restaurant.

Canmore has over 100 kilometers of trails and paths.

Canmore offers over 100 kilometers of trails and footpaths.

A 10-minute drive took us onto mountain roads.

It was just 10 minutes to mountain roads.

There were signs everywhere warning about bears.

Signs warning about bears were posted all over.

The two kinds of bears living there are black bears and grizzly bears.

The two species of bears there are the black bear and the grizzly bear.

There are also mountain lions in the area.

There are also mountain lions living in the area.

On one hike we caught sight of a male deer.

On one hike we saw a stag.

We took a gondola ride to the top of a mountain.

We rode a gondola up to the top of a mountain.

The view was fantastic.

The view was superb.

The food they served in the restaurant up there was not very good.

The food in the restaurant there was nothing to write home about.

We split up into different groups depending on the activity.

Depending on the activity we divided into different groups.

My son and brother-in-law went white water rafting.

My son and my wifeâs brother went on a white water rafting excursion.

I went with my wife and sister-in-law to a rodeo in Calgary.

My wife, sister-in-law and I attended a rodeo in Calgary.

My grandson spent time with everyone.

My grandson did things with everyone.

The eight days we spent there seemed too short.

Our eight days in Canada was far too short a time.

Podcast #24 Sarah is Number One

admin@esl-aloud.com — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 01:18:00 GMT

This lesson is a kind of experiment. You should do this lesson before and/or after watching the May 1 video podcast of a program called The Daily English Lesson. The video podcast is the creation of Sarah. Sarah is from New Zealand. She lives and works in Japan, where she teaches English.

Here is the link to the May 1 edition of The Daily English Show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfzPshMpF1Y

Sarah achieved her dream.

Sarah reached one of her highest goals.

She was voted the number one video podcast.

Her video podcast was voted number one.

She voted for herself.

She cast a vote for herself.

Thank you very much. That's very cool.

I can't thank you enough. That's really nice.

Sarah printed out the list.

Sarah made a printout of the list.

Some people left some very nice comments.

Some people wrote very nice comments.

A woman emailed to ask if she could get broadband service.

A woman emailed to see about getting broadband service.

The word gay has several uses.

The word gay has a number of different meanings.

The word gay can mean a homosexual person.

The word gay can be used to mean a homosexual person.

A woman named Gay received an automated reply email.

A woman named Gay got back an automated reply email.

The company apologized. [missing in audio]

The company made an apology.

You heard that Gay received an automated reply email. The prefix AUTO- in the word automated means "by oneself" or "by itself" or "self acting."An automated email reply program studies the words in the email you write. It matches your words against a list of words and uses those matches to decide what message you should receive back. In the case Sarah describes, the filter saw the word GAY and decided that it was an inappropriate word for a business email, because it can mean homosexual. Now here are some sentences to help practice words that have the prefix AUTO

ATM stands for Automated Teller Machine.

I took out 50 dollars from an ATM.

I got 50 bucks at an automated teller machine.

Can you tell me where the nearest ATM is?

Can you point me to the nearest ATM?

Some restaurants automatically add a tip to the bill.

If you are born in the USA you are automatically a citizen.

If someone writes the story of your life, it is called a biography. If you write your own life story it is called an autobiography.

I wonder if anyone would read my autobiography?

Have your read any good biographies lately?

I read the autobiography of Charles Darwin.

Reading biographies is a good way to study history.

Podcast #23 SOME and ANY

admin@esl-aloud.com — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 19:46:00 GMT

I went to the beach with some friends.

I bought some tea.

She sang some songs in Russian.

Do you have any black markers?

Haven't any packages arrived for me?

Are there any ripe tomatoes in the garden?

We don't have any instructions yet.

They couldn't find any wood to make a fire.

Please don't send me any more emails.

Would you like some cookies?

Is there some way I can get a ticket to the football game?

Is there any more coffee in the pot?

Is there some more coffee in the pot?

Somebody has stolen my wallet.

Has anybody called in the last half hour?

I don't have anybody I can really trust.

Wasn't there anywhere to go for help?

Somewhere there is a girl for me.

He put something in his pocket.

Did they say anything about me?

Some of the apples were rotten.

Have any of you heard a weather report?

I don't like any of his new songs.

He took some shirts to the cleaners.

Do you have any shirts for the cleaners?

No, I don't have any shirts for the cleaners.

Some of us are going to play tennis today.

Are any of your friends playing tennis tomorrow?

No, I don't think any of them will be doing that.

Would you like to see some really nice websites?

Didn't you like any of those websites?

I won't show you any more websites.

Can you think of anything more to add to your presentation?

No, I can't think of anything more.

Maybe you'll think of something tomorrow.

I'd like to go somewhere warm this winter.

Is there anywhere special you might want to go?

No, I don't have anywhere special in mind.

I didn't get any of my grades yet.

I think some of my grades will be quite good.

Did you find out any of your grades yet?

Do you want to download some more songs?

Do you want to download any more songs?

Podcast #22 The indefinite use of THEY

admin@esl-aloud.com — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 23:47:00 GMT

I talked with my parents last night. They are not very happy.

She bought three chairs. They were very expensive.

Look at those mountains. They are so beautiful.

They say it's going to rain tonight.

They eat a lot of fish in Japan.

They don't let you bring food into the theater.

There was a fire at the university.

They had a fire at the university.

Smoking is not allowed in that restaurant.

They don't allow smoking in that restaurant.

I have heard that airfares are going up.

They say that airfares are going up.

The staff in that store are not very pleasant.

They are not very pleasant in that store.

People eat dinner very late in Spain.

They eat dinner very late in Spain.

The road was closed because of the storm.

They closed the road because of the storm.

Outdoor fires are going to be banned.

They are going to ban outdoor fires.

Will this bridge ever be repaired?

Will they ever repair this bridge?

Someone from the bank will call you.

They will call you from the bank.

A terrorist was arrested in Rome.

They arrested a terrorist in Rome.

The prices in that store are low.

They have low prices in that store.

My car was recalled because of a steering problem.

They recalled my car because of a steering problem.

Podcast #21 Question Word Followed by TO + Verb

admin@esl-aloud.com — Tue, 5 Jun 2007 23:05:00 GMT

He forgot how to start the engine.

I didn't know where to go.

We couldn't decide whether to sell the car.

He explained what to do.

She asked who to see about the problem.

I told her when to come.

Question words that are used in the pattern:

who what where when how whether

Most common verbs used in the pattern:

know understand remember forget

wonder decide ask explain show tell

I explained to him what he should do.

I explained to him what he was supposed to do.

I explained to him what to do.

They could not decide when they should end the party.

They could not decide when to end the party.

How do I know when I am supposed to take the chicken out of the oven?

How do I know when to take the chicken out of the oven?

Show me how I am supposed do this problem.

Show me how to do this problem.

I wonder where I should put this table.

I wonder where to put this table.

Tell me what I should do next.

Tell me what to do next.

She asked how high she should raise the window shade.

She asked how high to raise the window shade.

Do you understand where you are supposed to go for your next class?

Do you understand where to go for your next class?

He couldn't remember who he was supposed call.

He couldn't remember who to call.

He couldn't remember whom he was supposed to call.

He couldn't remember whom to call.

I think I know what I should tell my girlfriend.

I think I know what to tell my girlfriend.

Please show me how I should set the alarm on this clock.

Please show me how to set the alarm on this clock.

The recipe told me how much milk I should use.

The recipe told me how much milk to use.

Why should we wait any longer?

Why wait any longer?

What is the sense in buying so many bananas?

Why buy so many bananas?

Why should we walk if we can take the bus?

Why walk if we can take the bus?

Let's talk to him tomorrow instead of today.

Why not talk to him tomorrow instead of today?

Let's get an order of fried clams and share it.

Why not get an order of fried clams and share it?

We should tell him what we really think.

Why not tell him what we really think?

Podcast #20 Reflexive Pronouns with -SELF and -SELVES

admin@esl-aloud.com — Thu, 24 May 2007 17:55:00 GMT

I myself

you (singular) yourself

you (plural) yourselves

he himself

she herself

it itself

we ourselves

they themselves

My father cut himself when he was shaving.

I blame myself for my son's actions.

Mrs. Jones drove herself to the beach.

Did you teach yourself how to sew?

She told herself that everything would be OK.

You did not give yourself enough time to make a decision.

The elephants hid themselves among the trees.

The graffiti artists got themselves into trouble.

She went to the movies by herself.

The child learned how to ride a bike by himself.

We should encourage children to solve their social problems by themselves.

Greg cannot do that job by himself.

I sat in the room for two hours by myself.

Rebecca filled out the form by herself.

He bought a coat for himself.

He bought himself a coat.

I found myself a good doctor.

We bought ourselves a home in the mountains.

They got themselves a lawyer.

He always sets himself high standards.

The president himself spoke to the tourists.

You yourselves are responsible for your success or failure.

My mother herself had to help fight the fire.

I myself do not believe in arranged marriages.

The cook himself agreed that the soup was bad.

You yourself said I could come to work at 10 a.m.

They wanted to do it themselves.

Anton has a pretty high opinion of himself.

He hurt himself skateboarding.

Maria wrote herself a reminder and put it near the phone.

The bus driver himself was not injured in the accident.

I think I'll buy myself a new computer.

I forced myself to be nice to the customer.

We should not fool ourselves about the real dangers.

This law itself is not the problem.

Do yourself a favor and get more sleep.

She herself thought the joke was quite funny.

The monkey scratched himself for two minutes.

I put the blanket over myself.

You should get yourself some new friends.

She stood by herself on the beach.

He helped himself to some cookies.

We have to prepare ourselves for any emergency.

Don't trouble yourself about the dishes.

God helps those who help themselves.

He burned himself making a campfire.

Write to: info@ESL-Aloud.com

Podcast #19 The many meanings of GO

admin@esl-aloud.com — Mon, 21 May 2007 14:44:00 GMT

The teacher was very angry.

The car was moving very fast.

I like to sing very much.

She is walking to the store.

She is going to the store.

John is driving to the supermarket.

John is going to the supermarket

They are traveling to Canada next year.

They are going to Canada next year.

She will wash her dog on Monday.

She is going to wash her dog on Monday.

He is becoming mentally ill.

He is going crazy.

We walked on the sand without shoes.

We went barefoot on the sand.

The baby fell asleep.

The baby went to sleep.

He did not use his real name.

He went by a false name.

Most of her money is spent on clothes.

Most of her money goes for clothes.

Who won the football game?

How did the football game go?

Her blue blouse looks nice with her black skirt.

Her blue blouse goes well with the black skirt.

Is your new job OK?

How is your new job going?

The cookies got eaten quickly.

The cookies went fast.

This dead tree must be removed.

This dead tree has to go.

The dam can break at anytime.

The dam can go at anytime.

People in that family do whatever they want.

Anything goes in that family.

You must do what I say.

What I say goes.

I would like to have an Italian meal.

I could go for some Italian food.

I cannot agree with your plan.

I cannot go along with your plan.

He worked hard to get the new job.

He really went after the new job.

Time passes.

Time goes by.

She always follows the rules.

She always goes by the rules.

The stocks decreased in value.

The value of the stocks went down.

He is trying to win first prize.

He is going for first prize.

I don't like fast dancing.

I don't go in for fast dancing.

Let's not discuss the details right now.

Let's not go into the details right now.

Podcast #18 The -ING Verb Form Used as a Noun

admin@esl-aloud.com — Thu, 1 Mar 2007 22:42:00 GMT

I like bread.

I like swimming.

Robert was tired of Italian food.

Dorothy was tired of eating in restaurants.

I like to read in the morning.

I like reading in the morning.

It is easy to buy books over the Internet.

Buying books over the Internet is easy.

I think it is a bad idea to go to that girl's house.

I think going to that girl's house is a bad idea.

After I finished my assignment, I took a little walk.

After finishing my assignment, I took a little walk.

I hate to shop for clothes.

I hate shopping for clothes.

I cannot stand it when people smoke.

Smoking is something I cannot stand.

She didn't want to work on weekends anymore.

She was tired of working on weekends.

They discussed whether to sell the house immediately.

They discussed selling the house immediately.

He regretted that he got so angry at the grocery clerk.

He regretted getting so angry at the grocery clerk.

She won't let anyone help with the dishes.

She insists on doing the dishes herself.

He wrote about when he was a child and grew up on a farm.

He wrote about growing up on a farm.

It is hard work to pick tomatoes in the hot sun.

Picking tomatoes in the hot sun is hard work.

She didn't want to appear to be too strict with the children.

She was afraid of appearing to be too strict with the children.

I couldn't believe you weren't allowed to race in the swimming pool.

I couldn't believe that racing was not allowed in the swimming pool.

Podcast #17 Answering questions that begin with IS, ARE, DO or DOES

admin@esl-aloud.com — Tue, 6 Feb 2007 15:28:00 GMT

Is he working very hard? Yes he is.

Is he working very hard? No, he isn't.

Is he working very hard? No, he's not.

Are the police going to close off the road? Yes, they are.

Are the police going to close off the road? No, they aren't.

Are the police going to close off the road? No, they're not.

Are you taking a long vacation this year? Yes, I am.

Are you taking a long vacation this year? No, I'm not.

Do the people in the next house have a swimming pool? Yes, they do.

Do the people in the next house have a swimming pool? No, they don't.

Does this restaurant have a good reputation? Yes, it does.

Does this restaurant have a good reputation? No, it doesn't.

Is my car ready to pick up at the repair shop? Yes, it is.

Is my car ready to pick up at the repair shop? No, it isn't.

Is my car ready to pick up at the repair shop? No, it's not.

Are your friends from out of town having a good time visiting here? Yes, they are.

Are your friends from out of town having a good time visiting here? No, they aren't.

Are your friends from out of town having a good time visiting here? No, they're not.

Are you happy with your new television set? Yes, I am.

Are you happy with your new television set? No, I'm not.

Does my son have to bring three notebooks on the first day of school? Yes he does.

Does my son have to bring three notebooks on the first day of school? No, he doesn't.

Is your teacher giving a test tomorrow? Yes, she is.

Is your teacher giving a test tomorrow? No, she isn't.

Is your teacher giving a test tomorrow? No, she's not.

Are we supposed to meet in front of the store? Yes, we are.

Are we supposed to meet in front of the store? No, we aren't.

Are we supposed to meet in front of the store? No, we're not.

Is it going to be as hot today as it was yesterday? Yes, it is.

Is it going to be as hot today as it was yesterday? No, it isn't.

Is it going to be as hot today as it was yesterday? No, it's not.

Are you afraid to tell your boss what you think? Yes, I am.

Are you afraid to tell your boss what you think? No, I'm not.

Does this store stay open late on Mondays? Yes it does.

Does this store stay open late on Mondays? No, it doesn't.

Is that your brother standing in front of the restaurant? Yes, it is.

Is that your brother standing in front of the restaurant? No, it isn't.

Is that your brother standing in front of the restaurant? No, it's not.

Does Jack want to bring his girlfriend to the company picnic? Yes he does.

Does Jack want to bring his girlfriend to the company picnic? No, he doesn't.

Are your in-laws enjoying the beach house they rented? Yes, they are.

Are your in-laws enjoying the beach house they rented? No, they aren't.

Are your in-laws enjoying the beach house they rented? No, they're not.

Do you want to see the new film about King Henry the Eighth? Yes, I do.

Do you want to see the new film about King Henry the Eighth? No, I don't.

Are we going to be able to stay three nights in Kyoto? Yes, we are.

Are we going to be able to stay three nights in Kyoto? No, we aren't.

Are we going to be able to stay three nights in Kyoto? No, we're not.

Podcast #16 Maggie the Complainer

admin@esl-aloud.com — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 23:05:00 GMT

Some people are never satisfied. They just have to find fault. Here is a little story about a person like that. Her name is Maggie.

Maggie is always complaining. If she sits near a window in a restaurant, it's too cold. If she is in the center of the restaurant, it's too noisy. Close to the kitchen there's too much activity. If the table is away from the kitchen, the food comes too cold. And so on, and so on, and so on.

One time Maggie went to a wedding. Afterward she told her friend that the wedding was a big disappointment.

Her friend asked, "Was there something wrong with the ceremony?"

Maggie replied, "No, the ceremony was lovely."

Her friend asked, "Was the food bad?"

Maggie responded, "No, the food was delicious."

Her friend asked, "Did the band play poorly?"

Maggie replied, "No, the music was excellent."

Her friend asked, "Was someone nasty to you."

Maggie replied, "No, everyone was very nice to me."

Finally her friend said, "Everything sounds so nice. Why were you disappointed?"

Maggie replied, "The bride was far too beautiful."

If you know someone like my Maggie, you may want to tell your Maggie this story. Or maybe not.

Some people are never satisfied.

Some people are never happy with things.

They just have to find fault.

They just have to find something to complain about.

Here is a little story about a person like that.

Here's an anecdote about a person who is like that.

Her name is Maggie.

The name of this person is Maggie.

Maggie is always complaining.

Maggie always finds fault with things.

If she sits near a window in a restaurant, it's too cold.

If she is at a table near a window in a restaurant, it's too chilly.

If she is in the center of the restaurant, it's too noisy.

The center of the restaurant is too noisy for her,

Close to the kitchen there's too much activity.

A table near the kitchen means too many people running about.

If the table is away from the kitchen, the food comes too cold.

Away from the kitchen, and the food comes too cold.

And so on, and so on, and so on.

Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

One time Maggie went to a wedding.

Once Maggie was a guest at a wedding

Afterward she told her friend that the wedding was a big disappointment.

She told her friend that the wedding was a big let down.

Her friend asked, "Was there something wrong with the ceremony?"

Her friend asked, "Didn't you like the ceremony?"

Maggie replied, "No, the ceremony was lovely."

Maggie answered, "No, the ceremony was quite nice."

Her friend asked, "Was the food bad?"

Her friend asked, "Was the food a disappointment?"

Maggie responded, "No, the food was delicious."

Maggie answered: "No, the food was grade A."

Her friend asked, "Did the band play poorly?"

Her friend asked, "Did the band do a bad job?"

Maggie replied, "No, the music was excellent."

Maggie answered, "No, the band played very well."

Her friend asked, "Was someone nasty to you."

Her friend asked, "Did someone act unfriendly toward you?"

Maggie replied, "No, everyone was very nice to me."

Maggie answered, "No, people were really friendly."

Finally her friend said, "Everything sounds so nice. Why were you disappointed?"

Her friend finally said, "It all sounds so nice. What made the wedding a disappointment?"

Maggie replied, "The bride was far too beautiful."

Maggie answered, "The bride was much too gorgeous."

If you know someone like my Maggie, you may want to tell your Maggie this story.

If you know a Maggie, maybe your Maggie should hear this story.

Or maybe not.

Or perhaps not.

Podcast #15 Lesson 1 on 2-Part Verbs

admin@esl-aloud.com — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 01:25:00 GMT

She put on her coat.

She put her coat on.

She put on her coat after she paid the bill.

Don't put me on.

She didn't feel like putting out a lot of effort.

She placed the coat on her body.

She put on her coat.

She put her coat on.

He added the numbers and got a total.

He added up the numbers

He added the numbers up.

She raised four children all by herself.

She brought up four children all by herself.

She brought five children up all by herself.

He started talking about the situation in the Middle East.

He brought up the topic of the Middle East.

They decided that it was raining too hard to play the game.

They called off the game because of rain.

They called the game off because of rain.

They continued their work in spite of the difficulties.

The carried on in spite of the difficulties.

She just kept on talking about how terrible her family was.

She carried on about her terrible family.

Don't be sad.

Cheer up.

They postponed the party until July.

They put off the party until July.

They put the party off until July.

I really did not like her.

She really put me off.

I am quite dependable.

You can rely on me.

You can count on me.

She cleaned the dust from the top of the table.

She wiped off the table.

She wiped the table off.

Let's review the budget for next year.

Let's go over the budget for next year.

We spent too much money this year.

We ran over the budget this year.

They said they would not do what I requested.

They turned down my request.

They turned my request down.

Podcast #14 Movies Through the Mail

admin@esl-aloud.com — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 00:33:00 GMT

I have a subscription with a company called Netflix. They send me movies on DVD through the mail. I can have three movies out at one time. As soon as Netflix receives a movie back from me, they send out another one. Netflix has a catalog with about 50,000 films and TV shows.

At their Internet site you have several ways of finding films. You can search by the title of a film, by director or by actor. In fact, you can put in any name. If that person had a part in making a film, the film will come up. Netflix also has categories of films that you can browse and choose from. The films you select go onto your personal list. They are sent to you in the order of the list. You can go into the list and delete a film. Or you can change the order of priority.

The DVDs are delivered by regular mail. Each one comes in an envelope that you also use to return it. The cost to have three DVDs out at a time is $20 per month. A ticket to a movie theater is 7 dollars to 9 dollars. So for about the cost of two seats in a movie theater you can watch, say, 20 films a month. That is one heck of a savings. Of course, watching a film at home is not the same experience as going to a movie theater. For one thing, there are fewer germs. Also, you don't have to listen to other people talking away. Finally, you don't have to go out in bad weather.

Of course, I am joking here. In a theater you have a shared experience with other people. And the screen is much bigger than anything you see in a home. But the convenience and price of movie DVDs by mail can't be beat. I am hooked on Netflix. There are worse habits.

I have a subscription with a company called Netflix.

I have a subscription with a company whose name is Netflix.

They send me movies on DVD through the mail.

They provide me movies on DVD by mail.

I can have three movies out at one time.

I can have three movies out at any given time.

As soon as Netflix receives a movie back from me, they send out another one.

The minute they get a video back, out goes another one.

Netflix has a catalog with about 50,000 films and TV shows.

Their catalog has upwards of 50,000 films and TV shows.

At their Internet site you have several ways of finding films.

There are a few ways to look up films at their Internet site.

You can search by the title of a film, by director or by actor.

You can use title, director, or actor as a search term.

In fact, you can put in any name.

Actually you can put in any name.

If that person had a part in making a film, the film will come up.

If the name is associated with a film in any way, the film will get listed.

Netflix also has categories of films that you can browse and choose from.

Netflix also has categories of films you can look through and pick from.

The films you select go onto your personal list.

The films you choose go onto your personal film queue.

They are sent to you in the order of the list.

They go out to you in the order of the queue.

You can go into the list and delete a film.

You can access the list and delete a film.

Or you can change the order of priority.

Or you can promote or demote a film in the list.

The DVDs are delivered by regular mail.

The DVDs come to you via regular mail.

Each one comes in an envelope that you also use to return it.

You use the envelope a DVD comes in to return it.

The cost to have three DVDs out at a time is $20 per month.

The cost of having three DVDs at one time is $20 a month.

A ticket to a movie theater is seven to nine dollars.

A movie ticket runs seven to nine dollars.

So for about the cost of two seats in a movie theater you can watch, say, 20 films a month.

For the cost for two seats in a movie theater you're seeing, maybe, 20 movies a month.

That is one heck of a savings.

That is some savings.

Of course, watching a film at home is not the same as going to a movie theater.

Now, watching a film from your couch isnÃ?ÃÂ??t the same as seeing it in a theater.

For one thing, there are fewer germs.

To begin with, there are fewer germs.

Also, you don't have to listen to other people talking away.

Also, you don't have to hear other people yakking.

Finally, you don't have to go out in bad weather.

Finally, you don't have to venture out when the weather stinks.

Of course, I am joking here.

Naturally, I'm just trying to be funny.

In a theater you have a shared experience with other people.

In a theater you share the movie experience with others.

And the screen is much bigger than anything you see in a home.

Also the screen is way bigger than what you have at home.

But the convenience and price of movies by mail can't be beat.

But in terms of convenience and price, movies by mail is unbeatable.

I am hooked on Netflix.

Netflix has become a habit.

There are worse habits.

There are worse addictions.

Podcast #13 Eating in a Restaurant

admin@esl-aloud.com — Fri, 6 Oct 2006 15:07:00 GMT

I like to eat in a restaurant once a week. It gives me a chance to try different types of foods. Also it gives me a break from cooking. Last Friday I went with a friend to an Italian restaurant. We didn't have to make a reservation. We were seated immediately. There were many choices on the menu. The prices were reasonable. We ordered a red wine from California. We decided not to get an appetizer. We ordered our main courses. The food came in just a little while. It was delicious. We ate slowly. We drank a whole bottle of wine. The waiter brought a dessert menu. We both decided on the featured dessert and coffee. The bill came to under eighty dollars. The tip rounded that off to a hundred dollars.

I like to eat in a restaurant once a week.

I like to eat out once a week.

It gives me a chance to try different types of foods.

It allows me to become familiar with different cuisines.

Also it gives me a break from cooking.

Also it gives me a night off from cooking.

Last Friday I went with a friend to an Italian restaurant.

Last Friday a friend and I went out for Italian food.

We didn't have to make a reservation.

There was no need to reserve a table.

We were seated immediately.

We were shown to a table right away.

There were many choices on the menu.

The menu was extensive.

The prices were reasonable.

The prices looked good.

We ordered a red wine from California.

We ordered a California red.

We decided not to get an appetizer.

We decided to skip the appetizers.

We ordered our main courses.

We ordered our entrees.

The food came in just a little while.

In no time at all the food appeared.

It was delicious.

It was very tasty.

We ate slowly.

We took our time eating.

We drank a whole bottle of wine.

We finished off a whole bottle of wine.

The waiter brought a dessert menu.

The waiter came with the menu for dessert.

We both decided on the featured dessert and coffee.

We both went for the dessert of the day and coffee.

The bill came to under eighty dollars.

The bill amounted to less than eighty dollars.

The tip rounded that off to a hundred dollars.

We made that an even hundred dollars with the tip.

Focus on Vocabulary

soft boiled egg

hard boiled egg

boiled potatoes

mashed potatoes

garlic mashed potatoes

whipped potatoes

boiled lobster

boiled shrimp

boiled crabs

boiled carrots

boiled cabbage

boiled peas

boiled green beans

steamed carrots

steamed Chinese vegetables

steamed broccoli

steamed artichoke

Podcast #12 Working Out at the Gym

admin@esl-aloud.com — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 00:17:00 GMT

I went to the gym for a workout today. I try to go there at least three times a week. The best time to hit the gym is mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Most people are working at those times, so the gym is pretty empty. People go to the gym for different reasons. Some people want to lose weight. Other people want to build up their muscles. Most people who go want to improve their health. I'm in that category. I spend half my time on a treadmill. The idea is get my heart working hard. The other half of the time I work out with weights. There are about 10 to 12 exercises I do with weights. On days I feel strong I do a higher number of repetitions. Some days I don't feel like going to the gym. But I go anyway. I always feel better after a session in the gym.

I went to the gym for a workout today.

I got to the gym for a workout today.

I try to go there at least three times a week.

I try to make it there a minimum of three times a week.

The best time to hit the gym is mid-morning or mid-afternoon.

The best time to visit the gym is mid-morning or mid-afternoon.

Most people are working at those times, so the gym is pretty empty.

That's when most people are at work, so the gym is quite empty.

People go to the gym for different reasons.

There are different reasons why people go to the gym.

Some people want to lose weight.

Some people want to get their weight down.

Other people want to build up their muscles.

Others go for strength training.

Most people who go want to maintain their health.

Most are concerned with staying healthy.

I spend half my time on a treadmill.

The treadmill takes up half my time.

The idea is to get my heart working hard.

The goal is to get my heart rate up.

The other half of the time I work out with weights.

The other half of the time I do weights.

On days I feel strong I do a higher number of repetitions.

On days I feel strong I increase the number of reps.

Some days I don't feel like going to the gym.

Some days I don't feel up to going to the gym.

But I go anyway.

But I go in any case.

I always feel better after a session in the gym.

A session in the gym always leaves me feeling better.

Focus on Vocabulary

I don't get it.

I don't get what the movie is all about.

I get mail every day.

I get that magazine every two weeks.

I got to the gym today.

I got to do some shopping.

I get tired around 4 o'clock.

I get depressed when I read the news.

What are you getting at?

What is she getting at with that remark?

Get out of here!

Let's get out of here.

Podcast #11 Not Just a Simple Question!

admin@esl-aloud.com — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 16:36:00 GMT

Sentences

Can you help me clean the house?

Can't you help me clean the house?

Is $40 a high price for a belt?

Isn't $40 a high price for a belt?

Shouldn't we call and make a reservation?

Wouldn't you like to come in the house for a while?

Won't you be coming to the family party?

Isn't that Robert's wife?

Wouldn't you like to see a movie tonight?

Doesn't she have a sister in New York?

Shouldn't you write to your mother?

Can't you be a little less noisy?

Won't you have a second helping of dessert?

Don't you like using the Internet?

Isn't he being too strict with the children?

Couldn't you stay a little longer?

Can't you see my side of the story?

Wouldn't you rather read than watch TV?

Podcast #10 Asking Questions

admin@esl-aloud.com — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 22:53:00 GMT

Question words: Who, What, Why, When, Where, How

Patterns:

Question word + is/are/am/was/were

Question word + helping verb (do-does-did, have-has-had, may-must-might, can-could, will-would, shall-should)

Examples:

When can you come over for dinner?

Why does he talk so loudly?

Who is that man over there?

Where should I plan to meet you?

How will he pay for the car?

What might you tell her?

am, are, is, was, were

do, does, did

have, has, had

may, must, might

can, could

will, would

shall, should

Why doesn't she pay her bills?

How do you save so much money?

How do you put so much money away?

Why can't he be here on time?

Why can't he be here punctually?

What can they do to help me?

What can they do to help me out?

Where should I put the flowers?

Where should I place the flowers?

Why don't they visit us any more?

Why don't they come over any more?

Who can tell me where the library is?

Who can tell me where the library is located?

Where is he mailing that package?

Where is he sending that package?

How can I reach you?

How can I get in touch with you?

Why won't you help me?

Why won't you give me a hand?

When will they make a decision?

When will they come to a decision?

Why couldn't she stay a little longer?

Why couldn't she stay a bit longer?

Who are they going to give the prize to?

Who are they going to award the prize to?

How do they live on so little money?

How do they get by on so little money?

When can we start up the project?

When can we get the project going?

Where did you learn how to cook?

Where did you develop your cooking skills?

What do think is the right thing to do?

What do think is the right course of action?

Why does he refuse to look for a job?

Why does he refuse to look for work?

When will he return?

When will he get back?

Why must you be so cruel?

Why do you have to be so cruel?

Podcast #9 Retirement

admin@esl-aloud.com — Thu, 18 May 2006 19:43:00 GMT

In the old days, you were employed by one company your whole working life. In return for your loyalty, the company paid you a pension when you retired at age 65. The combination of the company pension, social security payments from the government, and personal savings enabled many to have a reasonably comfortable retirement.

Those days are gone for the majority of workers. Today, companies have switched from fixed benefit programs to fixed contribution programs. In a fixed contribution plan, a company will match a certain percent of the money an employee places into a retirement investment account. That matching money is the fixed contribution by the company. When the employee retires, however, there is no fixed monthly benefit. The amount of money in the retirement investment account will depend largely on how much money the employee contributed. Instead of being a fixed benefit, it is a variable benefit. It varies depending on how much money was contributed. Of course, it also varies on how well the investment account is doing.

If you regularly contribute the maximum allowed into a retirement account, around 15% of your salary, and you do it for enough years, there is a good chance that you will have enough for a comfortable retirement. However, many people do not contribute the maximum amount and many people contribute nothing. But no matter how much you do or do not contribute, there is no guarantee that the combination of the retirement account, social security payments, and personal savings will finance a comfortable retirement.

If you do not have enough money when it comes time to retire, you only have a few options. You can retire at a later age. You can work a part-time job instead of retiring completely. Or you can reduce your expenses. Expenses can be reduced by spending less on a day-to-day basis or even by moving to a less expensive part of the country.

Jonathan:

I am working for a company that has a fixed contribution retirement plan. I am allowed to put up to 15% of my pretax earnings into the plan each month. That money does not get taxed until I start drawing from it when I retire. The company matches the first 4% that I save dollar for dollar. The plan offers over 20 stock and bond funds. Because my wife has a good job, we can afford to sock away the full 15% every month. I figure my investments will average 7% growth each year. That means they should be worth over 1 million dollars when I retire in 25 years.

If I decide to leave the company, all the money I have invested is still mine. If I have worked at the company at least 5 years, all the money the company put in also stays in my account. A traditional pension benefit was better in some ways. But it was worse in other ways. The good part was that the company did 100% of the funding. Also, you knew exactly what your monthly pension would be. It depended on how much you earned and how long you were at the company. The bad part was that if you left the company, you would lose a big portion of the benefit. Or you could even get no benefit at all.

I prefer this new system. But I worry about my best friend at work. He says he cannot afford to put any money away. Not even the 4% that gets matched. He is up to his nose in credit card debt. He doesn't seem able to cut back on his spending. He will be in a bad way if he doesn't change his habits. He could end up having to work past age 65. He may have to work until he drops dead.

I am working for a company that has a fixed contribution retirement plan.

I'm employed by a company that offers a fixed contribution retirement plan.

The company matches the first 4% that I save dollar for dollar.

The company makes a dollar for dollar match for the first 4% that I save.

The plan offers over 20 stock and bond funds.

Over 20 stock and bond funds are offered in the plan.

I figure my investments will average 7% growth per year.

I am figuring that my investments will have an average annual growth of 7%.

A traditional pension benefit was better in some ways.

The kind of pension benefit they used to have was better in some ways.

But it was worse in other ways.

But it had disadvantages in other ways.

The good part was that the company did 100% of the funding.

On the plus side, it was 100% company funded.

I prefer this new system.

I like the new system better.

I worry about my friend at work.

I'm concerned about my friend at work.

He is up to his nose in credit card debt.

He is over his head in credit card debt.

He doesn't seem able to cut back on his spending.

He can't seem to scale down his spending.

He will be in a bad way if he doesn't change his habits.

He'll be up the creek if he doesn't start behaving differently.

He could end up having to work past age 65.

He may be obligated to work after he hits 65.

He may have to work until he drops dead.

He may have to work until the day he dies.

Podcast #8 A Bad Trip Home

admin@esl-aloud.com — Fri, 5 May 2006 17:00:00 GMT

Last week my wife and I flew from Los Angeles to New York City for a wedding. Everything went well except for the flight home. We got to the airport in plenty of time. We got boarding passes and checked our bags with no trouble. The security lines weren't bad. We had enough time for a relaxing meal in a fairly nice restaurant.

The plane started boarding at 3:30 for the 4 o'clock flight. The plane was packed. Right at 4 o'clock the captain's voice came over the loudspeaker. He said there was something wrong with the plane and everybody had to get off.

It was almost impossible to get any information about what to do. We went over to a gate where there was a 5 o'clock flight to Los Angeles. We discovered that that plane also had a mechanical problem. They announced that our original 4 o'clock flight would leave at 8:45 pm. We signed up as stand-bys for a 6 o'clock flight and were given seats. We got into Los Angeles at 9 pm Pacific Time. Our luggage was on the original plane. The luggage was delivered to our house the next morning.

Last week my wife and I flew from Los Angeles to New York City for a wedding.

Last week my wife and I made the trip from Los Angeles to New York City for a wedding.

Everything went well except for the flight home.

Everything went smoothly until the flight home.

We got to the airport in plenty of time.

We arrived at the airport with time to spare.

We got boarding passes and checked our bags with no trouble.

Getting boarding passes and checking our bags was no problem.

The security lines weren't bad.

The lines for the security check were not overly long.

We had enough time for a relaxing meal in a fairly nice restaurant.

There was time for a leisurely meal in a not-bad restaurant.

The plane started boarding at 3:20 for the 4 o'clock flight.

They started boarding our plane at 20 past three for the 4 o'clock flight.

The plane was packed.

Every seat in the plane was taken.

Right at 4 o'clock the captain's voice came over the loudspeaker.

On the dot of 4 the captain made an announcement.

He said there was something wrong with the plane and everybody had to get off.

He said the plane had a problem and everyone had to disembark.

It was almost impossible to get any information about what to do.

Information about travel alternatives was very scarce.

We went over to a gate where there was a 5 o'clock flight to Los Angeles.

We walked to a gate where there was a 5 o'clock flight to Los Angeles.

We discovered that that plane also had a mechanical problem.

We found out that that plane also had mechanical trouble.

They announced that our original 4 o'clock flight would leave at 8:45 pm.

The announcement came that our original 4 o'clock plane was rescheduled for 8:45 pm.

We signed up as stand-bys for a 6 o'clock flight and were given seats.

We got listed as stand-bys for a 6 o'clock plane and were able to board.

We got into Los Angeles at 9 pm Pacific Time.

We landed in Los Angeles at 9 pm Pacific Time.

Our luggage was on the original plane.

Our bags were on the original plane.

The luggage was delivered to our house the next morning.

The bags were brought to our house the next morning.

Focus on Vocabulary

We packed our bags for the trip

We packed a lot of activities into the weekend.

The nurse packed Jennie's swollen ankle with ice.

We packed our tents over a five mile trail.

That rock band always packs them in.

He packs a gun when he hikes in the back country of Alaska.

Please send your comment or suggestion to:

admin@esl-aloud.com

Podcast #7 A Day at the Beach

admin@esl-aloud.com — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 16:07:00 GMT

I went with my two children to the beach last week. It was not too crowded there. I was able to park right by the beach. We set up our umbrella and opened our chairs. The sun was extremely strong. The kids ran straight into the water. I watched them from the beach. The waves were not too rough. I had told the kids not to stay in too long. Of course, I had to wave to them to come out. We got lunch at a cafe right on the beach. Then the three of us read for a while.

After that we took a walk along the edge of the water. The rest of the afternoon we divided between the water and taking it easy under the umbrella. By 5 o'clock we had more than enough sun. The kids both fell asleep on the ride home.

I went with my two children to the beach last week.

Last week I took my two kids to the beach.

It was not too crowded there.

The crowds weren't bad.

I was able to park right by the beach.

I found a parking spot close to the beach.

We set up our umbrella and opened our chairs.

We put up our umbrella and set up our chairs.

The sun was extremely strong.

The sun was blazing hot.

The kids ran right into the water.

The children charged straight into the water.

I watched them from the beach.

I kept an eye on them from the beach.

The waves were not too rough.

The waves were fairly gentle.

I had told the kids not to stay in too long.

The kids had been told not to stay in too long.

Of course, I had to wave to them to come out.

Of course, I had to signal to them to come out.

We got lunch at a cafe right on the beach.

We had lunch at a little place right on the beach.

After that we took a walk along the edge of the water.

Then we went for a walk along the water's edge.

The rest of the afternoon we divided between the water and taking it easy under the umbrella.

The rest of the afternoon we split between the water and relaxing in the shade of the umbrella.

By 5 o'clock we had more than enough sun.

By 5 o'clock we were all sunned out.

The kids both fell asleep on the ride home.

Both of the kids dozed off on the ride home.

Focus on Vocabulary

I believe that girl.

Don't believe everything you hear.

I can't believe you just said that!

I believe it is 10 o'clock.

The president believes in a global free market

My mother believes in angels.

Podcast #6 Could've Would've Should've

admin@esl-aloud.com — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 23:13:00 GMT

I could've run another mile.

I would've given my friend a ride home.

I should've listened to my father.

Last Saturday my friend called and asked me to help him cut down a tree. I should've told him I wasn't feeling well. He would've understood. He could've called someone else to help.

I should've told him I wasn't feeling well.

I should've said I was feeling a little sick.

I should've said I was under the weather.

He would've understood.

He would've been understanding.

He would've accepted that.

He could've called someone else.

He could've called up someone else.

He could've phoned someone else.

You should've told me what you and Dad had in mind for Saturday. I could've told you what my plans were. We could've figured out a good schedule for everyone. I would've changed my date with Frank to Sunday night. I'm sure he would've agreed.

You should've told me what you and Dad had in mind for Saturday.

You should've informed me what you and Dad had in mind for Saturday.

You should've let me know what you and Dad had planned for Saturday.

I could've told you what my plans were.

I could've told you what I had planned.

I could've told you how I had the weekend blocked out.

We could've figured out a good schedule for everyone.

We could've worked out an acceptable schedule for everyone.

We could've worked out a schedule to suit everyone involved.

I would've changed my date with Frank to Sunday night.

I would've moved my date with Frank to Sunday night.

I would've shifted my date with Frank to Sunday night.

I'm sure he would've agreed.

I'm sure he would've been OK with that.

I'm sure he would've gone along with that.

Podcast #5 Changing Jobs

admin@esl-aloud.com — Thu, 6 Apr 2006 02:48:00 GMT

Susan heard about a new opening in her company.

Susan heard about a position opening up in her company.

Susan heard about a job opening where she works.

She read the job description.

She read through the job description.

She went over the job description.

She thought the job sounded good.

The open position appealed to her.

She liked what she read about the position.

Her experience was quite suitable.

The job seemed to be a good fit for her experience.

Her experience was a good match for the responsibilities listed.

She liked the salary range.

She was happy to see the pay range.

She thought the money they were offering was pretty good.

She applied for the job with the personnel department.

She put in an application with the human resources department.

She applied for the job with the HR department.

She interviewed with the person who would be her immediate supervisor.

She interviewed with the person she would be working for directly.

She had an interview with the person she would be working directly under.

They liked each other immediately.

They really hit it off.

There was really good chemistry between them.

Susan was offered the job.

Susan got the job offer.

Susan was told the position was hers.

She starts the new job next month.

She begins her new responsibilities next month.

She moves into her new position next month.

Susan heard about a position opening up in her company. She went over the job description. She thought the job sounded good. Her experience was a good match for the responsibilities listed. She liked the salary range. She applied for the job with the HR department. Then she had an interview with the person she would be working directly under. They really hit it off. Susan was offered the job. She moves into her new position next month.

Podcast #4 My Sad Friend

admin@esl-aloud.com — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 22:26:00 GMT

I dropped in on my friend Gregory. He was feeling pretty down.
I asked him," What is it that's bothering you?"
He said, "It's hard to describe. I can't seem to get anything done."
I said, "Do you think you should see someone about this?"
He answered, "I'll give it some thought."

I dropped in on my friend Gregory.
I paid a visit to my friend Gregory.
I went over to my friend Gregory's.

He was feeling pretty down.
He was quite downcast.
He was pretty depressed.

What is it that's bothering you?
What's bothering you?
What's troubling you?
What's going on with you?

It's hard to describe.
I can't put my finger on it.
It's difficult to put it into words.

I can't seem to get anything done.
I can't get my act together.
I can't get myself organized.

Do you think you should see someone about this?
Do you think you should seek professional help?
Do you think you could use some counseling?

I'll give it some thought.
I'll have to think about that.
I'll consider that idea.

I paid a visit to my friend Gregory. He was pretty depressed.
I asked him, "What's troubling you?"
He said, "It's difficult to put into words. I can't get my act together."
I said, "Do you think you could use some counseling?"
He answered, "I'll have to think about that."

Podcast #3 Expressing Obligation

admin@esl-aloud.com — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 21:10:00 GMT

You must arrive here no later than 5 o'clock.
You have to arrive here no later than 5 o'clock.
You have got to arrive here no later than 5 o'clock.

You must be careful what you say around children.
You have to be careful what you say around children.
You have got to be careful what you say around children.

The contract must be signed by a witness.
The contract has to be signed by a witness.
The contract has got to be signed by a witness.

Laura has to pick up her son at school.
Then she has to call several people to arrange a meeting.
After that, she has to prepare dinner.
After dinner she has to pay some bills.

She always has to ask her husband to do something three times.
Mr. Fisher often has to do work on the weekend.
I hope I never have to move again.
He sometimes has to react very quickly.

Next year, Peter has to work very hard.
Next year, Peter will have to work very hard.

Tomorrow, you have to wash the car.
Tomorrow, you will have to wash the car.

Someday soon I have to talk to my brother.
Someday soon I will have to talk to my brother.

Two years ago I had to spend a week in the hospital.
Last Wednesday I had to work late.
This morning I had to get up quite early.

I don't have to answer the phone if I don't want to.
The students did not have to review Chapter 14.
My friend will not have to appear in court.

You must not smoke inside the building.
You must not spend more than 30 minutes for lunch.
You must not lie to me when I ask you a question.

This must be the worst snowstorm in 30 years.
This has to be the worst snowstorm in 30 years.
This has got to be the worst snowstorm in 30 years.

You must be kidding.
You have to be kidding.
You have got to be kidding.

I have got to call my friend Susan.
She must be really angry with me.
I have to explain why I didn't call for so long.
I'll have to be very careful about what I say.
I don't have to tell everything that's on my mind.
But I've got to be basically honest with her.

Podcast #2 Talking About Movies

admin@esl-aloud.com — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 23:12:00 GMT

The action is non-stop.
That movie is action from beginning to end.
The action never lets up.

The special effects are very well done.
The special effects are out of this world.
The special effects blew my mind.

The movie really has something to say.
The movie gives you something to think about.
The movie really opens your eyes.

It was hysterically funny.
It was a riot.
It was one laugh after the other.

It didn't appeal to me at all.
It didn't speak to me at all.
It didn't grab me at all.
I just could't get into it.

It's not worth seeing.
Don't waste your time seeing it.
I wouldn't bother with it.

I can recommend it.
It's worth seeing.
I think you'll find it entertaining.

I went to the movies last night.
I saw a film called Fists of Gold.
It's a martial arts movie from Hong Kong.
The action is non-stop.
The special effects are outstanding.
Some of the scenes are hysterically funny.
I think you'll find it entertaining.

Podcast #1 In the Supermarket

admin@esl-aloud.com — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 00:46:00 GMT

ESL-Aloud is a podcast program aimed at people who already know some English and who wish to expand that knowledge through listening and speaking.

The sentences shown below are the ones included in this podcast. You may want to have them in view while you are listening to the podcast. Or you may want to print them out for when you are away from a computer. Different people have different learning styles, so you have to decide when it is best to see the sentences and when it is best to practice speaking the sentences without seeing them.

Sentences in Podcast #1

Excuse me, where can I find the rice?
Excuse me, can you tell me where the rice is?
Excuse me, which aisle is the rice in?

Excuse me, where can I find the bread?
Excuse me, can you tell me where the bread is?
Excuse me, which aisle is the bread in?

Would you like me to show you?
Would you like me to show you where the bread is?
Do you want me to show you?
Do you want me to show you where the bread is?

Yes, thank you.
Thanks, I appreciate that.
Thanks, that's very kind of you.

No, that's OK.
No, that's fine.
No, I'll be able to find it .
Thank you, but that's not necessary.

How are you today?
How are you doing?
How's it going?

Not bad, and you?
Not bad at all, thanks.
Can't complain.
Pretty good, thanks.

Yesterday I went to the supermarket.
I picked out a few things, but I couldn't find the bread.
I asked one of the people there where the bread was.
He told me it was on aisle number 9.
He asked if I wanted him to show me.
I said that was not necessary.
I got the bread by myself and went to the checkout counter.
The clerk asked how I was doing.
I said that I couldn't complain.