Man Retires, Moves, Discovers his Doppelganger

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Audio Time: 3 min 57 sec

Level: Intermediate and up

A man in Briton, retires, moves to a new town, and discovers his doppelganger (a person that looks and acts like another person) lives in this town too.

Why Do We Believe In Unbelievable Things?

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TED Radio Hour

Based on TED Talks given by very interesting speakers, each show is centered on a common theme – such as happiness, innovation, power, or unexplainable connections – and includes in depth conversations with the speakers of the TED Talks. See more at the TED Radio Hour website .

Audio Time: 9 min 28 sec

Level: Advanced  

Vocabulary:  To help learners fully understand the audio and transcript, most vocabulary that might be unknown for this lesson’s level is provided. Vocab in bold is more useful for learners at the lesson’s target level. Try to choose 8 to 10 new words to learn from the story (in general, it’s best to try to learn no more than 8-10 new words a day).

Definitions are written with the help of various sources including Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary

Susceptible: easily affected, influenced, or harmed by something.

Hominid: A group of animals that include apes and humans.

Rustle: to make a soft, light sound because parts of something are touching or rubbing against each other.

Darwin award: An award for removing yourself from humanity’s gene pool by not reproducing (either by death or intentionally not having children), and therefore, helping humanity’s evolution. This usually includes people who kill themselves by doing very stupid things.

Propensity: a strong natural tendency to do something.

Gene pool: all of the genes in a particular group of people or animals.

Default: used to describe something that happens or is done when nothing else has been done or can be done.

Primate: any member of the group of animals that includes human beings, apes, and monkeys.

To con: a dishonest trick that is done to get someone's money.

Psychic: used to describe strange mental powers and abilities (such as the ability to predict the future, to know what other people are thinking, or to receive messages from dead people) that cannot be explained by natural laws.

Tell: (noun) an unconscious behavior that can give information to an observant opponent, usually used in card games like poker.

Kick in: to begin to work or to have an effect.

Stand point: a way in which something is thought about or considered; point of view.

Bias: a tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly.

To exaggerate: to think of or describe something as larger or greater than it really is.

To muffle: to make (a sound) quieter.

To bombard: to hit or attack (something or someone) constantly or repeatedly.

Temporal lobes: a part of the brain.

Wacky: amusing and very strange.

Curmudgeon: a person (especially an old man) who is easily annoyed or angered and who often complains.

Eccentric: tending to act in strange or unusual ways.

Language Tips: Useful expressions

To connect the dots:  to join (two or more things) together; to think of (something or someone) as being related to or involved with another person, thing, event, or idea; or to prove or show that one thing is related to another thing.

“…we are pattern seeking primates. We connect the dots - A is connected to B, B is connected to C and sometimes A really is connected to B and that's called association learning. We find patterns. We make those connections.”

It was hard solve the robbery, but, with the evidence they had, the detectives connected the dots and caught the thief.

To a certain extent: used to indicate the degree to which something exists, happens, or is true.

“…life is full of failure. And the entrepreneur is never going to exceed if he doesn't deceive himself to a certain extent in what's called the optimism bias where you tend to think things are going to go better than they really will.”

To a certain extent, other hominids like apes are our relatives, since we share a common ancestor that lived millions of years ago.

Order of magnitude: the approximate size of something, especially measured in powers of 10.

“…entrepreneurs…. They all exaggerate by like an order of magnitude how likely they are to be successful and in a way you sort of have to do that because most people that start businesses - they fail.”

Our galaxy is bigger than our solar system by many orders of magnitude.

Discussion questions:

1. What are some kinds of unbelievable things that people believe?

2. Do you or someone you know believe any of these things?

3. Do you agree with the speaker’s theory about why people believe unbelievable things?

4. What are the advantages and disadvantages to easily believing things and being more open minded?

5. What the most interesting thing you learned from this story?

6. Is it important to have some skepticism towards beliefs?

7. How can we practice skepticism and examine beliefs?

8. What the right balance between being open minded and being skeptical?

The Merits Of Income Inequality: What's The Right Amount?

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Audio Time: 5 min 12 sec

Level: Upper Intermediate

Vocabulary:  To help learners fully understand the audio and transcript, most vocabulary that might be unknown for this lesson’s level is provided. Vocab in bold is more useful for learners at the lesson’s target level. Try to choose 8 to 10 new words to learn from the story (in general, it’s best to try to learn no more than 8-10 new words a day).

Definitions are written with the help of various sources including Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary

Head Start, food stamps, Medicaid: US government programs to help people with very low incomes.

To cover: to have (something) as a subject: to relate to or provide information about (a particular subject).

Vast: very great in size, amount, or extent.

Gap: a space between two people or things.

To pocket: to take or keep something.

To undermine: to make (someone or something) weaker or less effective usually in a secret or gradual way.

Reward: money or another kind of payment that is given or received for something that has been done or that is offered for something that might be done.

Output: the amount of something that is produced by a person or thing.

Elite: the people who have the most wealth and status in a society: the most successful or powerful group of people.

To Dominate: to have control of or power over (someone or something).

Privilege:  the advantage that wealthy and powerful people have over other people in a society.

Incentive: something that encourages a person to do something or to work harder.

To stagnate: to stop developing, progressing, moving, etc.: to be or become stagnant.

Inadequate: not enough or not good enough: not adequate.

Great depression: The worst economic crisis in modern history lasting from 1929 through the late 1930s.

Distribution: the act of giving or delivering something to people.

Union: (labor union) an organization of workers formed to protect the rights and interests of its members.

To bargain: an agreement in which people or groups say they will do or give something in exchange for something else.

Stake: something (such as money) that you could win or lose in a game, contest, etc.

To advocate: a person who argues for or supports a cause or policy.

Stock: a share of the value of a company which can be bought, sold, or traded as an investment.

Substantial: large in amount, size, or number.

Estate tax: a tax that you pay on the money and other property that comes to you because someone has died: a tax on an estate that you inherit.

Language Tips:

Useful phrases:

To set in motion: to start something moving.

“We already have the plans and budget for the new project. We just waiting for approval from the city government to set it in motion.”

“The collapse of the major stock markets around the world set in motion the events that would lead to the great depression. “

Political discourse: communication and debate about political and social issues.

“In undemocratic countries, the people have little power to influence the political discourse of the nation.”

“Some people feel that the rise of the internet and social media has changed the political discourse in most countries.”

Difference between opportunity and possibility

Incorrect: I will have the possibility to go to the conference next year.

Correct: I will have the opportunity to go to the conference next year.

Remember that possibility means that something might be capable of happening or might be true. Opportunity means (often favorable) circumstances that make it possible to do something or the chance for advancement or promotion.

“There is a possibility that it will rain tomorrow, so you will have an opportunity to use your new umbrella.”

“There is a possibility that we will have enough funding for another research assistant position. If so, you will have an opportunity to apply for this position.”

Discussion questions:

1. Do you think your society has the right amount of equality?

2. How much inequality is best for a society?

3. Why do some economists think it wouldn’t be best if everyone had the same level of economic equality?

4. Do you agree that some inequality is best for society?

5. Would you rather live in a society with more or less income inequality?

6. What can be done to limit income inequality?

7. Is income inequality increasing or decreasing in your society? In the world?

8. What’s the difference between economic opportunity and economic inequality?

Lessons from the Language Boot Camp for Mormon Missionaries

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Audio Time: 7 min and 17 sec

Level: Intermediate and up

Vocabulary:  Vocab probably unknown to intermediate speakers is provided to help with comprehension of the text. Vocab in bold is more useful for the intermediate to upper-intermediate level. Try to choose 8 to 10 new words to learn from the report (in general, most learners should try to study no more than 8-10 words per day for optimal learning)

Definitions are written with the help of Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: (Mormonism) Christian church that was founded by Joseph Smith in the U.S. in 1830.

Missionary: a person who is sent to a foreign country to do religious work (such as to convince people to join a religion or to help people who are sick, poor, etc.).

Institute: an organization created for a particular purpose (such as research or education).

Enthusiastic: strong excitement about something: a strong feeling of active interest in something that you like or enjoy.

Gospel: the teachings of the Christian religion — usually used with the; any one of the first four books of the Christian Bible that tell of the life of Jesus Christ.

Roughly: not exactly but close in number, quality, meaning, etc.

Hymn: a religious song: a song that praises God.

In the context: the situation in which something happens: the group of conditions that exist where and when something happens.

Recite: to read (something) out loud or say (something) from memory usually for an audience.

To have something down: to learn in a complete way.

Pair off: to form pairs: groups of two people.

Role-play: an activity in which people do and say things while pretending to be someone else or while pretending to be in a particular situation.

Potential: a chance or possibility that something will happen or exist in the future.

Convert: a person who has changed to a different religion, belief, political party, etc.

Flashcards: a card that has words, numbers, or pictures on it and that is used to help students learn about a subject.

Oh, my goodness: (idiom) Used to express surprise, shock, or amazement.

Deer in the headlights: (idiom) Used to refer to a state of fear, panic, or confusion so extreme that it is impossible to act or think normally.

Motto: a short sentence or phrase that expresses a rule guiding the behavior of a particular person or group.

Traction: the force that causes a moving thing to stick against the surface it is moving along.

Act out: to perform (a play, a character in a movie, etc.).

Provost: the head or an official of high rank at a university.

Conjugate: to list the different forms of a verb that show number, person, tense, etc.

Dropout: a person who stops going to a school, college, etc., before finishing: a person who drops out of school.

Efficiency: the ability to do something or produce something without wasting materials, time, or energy.

Replicate: to repeat or copy (something) exactly.

Language Tips:

Useful phrases:

 In the context: 1: the words that are used with a certain word or phrase to explain its meaning. 2: the situation in which something happens: the group of conditions that exist where and when something happens.

In the context of this sentence, this idiom can have different meanings.

To have something down: to learn something in a complete or total way.

Wow! You really have your knowledge of verb tenses in English down. You hardly ever make any mistakes.

Whole thing: all of something; everything.

Let’s just forget the whole thing and start again.

Discussion questions:

1. What are some language learning tips you’ve gotten from this story?

2. What’s the best way to learn a language?

3. What is your main goal or motivation to learn English?

4. What the best way for you to learn a language?

5. How important is it to learn grammar when learning a foreign language?

6. How important is the context-based method (trying to learn language by using it in real life situations)?

7. One of the best ways to study a language is to visit a country where it is spoken, but not everyone can do this. What are some alternatives for people that cannot do this?

8. How important is it to have a supportive environment to learn a language?

This I Believe: Made for Walking

This I Believe

This I Believe was a five-minute radio program hosted by journalist Edward R. Murrow in the 1950s. The show encouraged both famous and everyday people to write short essays about their own personal motivation in life and then read them on the radio. This I Believe became a cultural phenomenon that stressed individual belief rather than religious or ideological dogma. The show has continued in different forms on public radio. –adapted from Wikipedia

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Transcript

Audio Time: 3 min 11 sec

Level: Pre-intermediate and up

Vocabulary:  To help learners fully understand the audio and transcript, most vocabulary that might be unknown for this lesson’s level is provided. Vocab in bold is more useful for learners at the lesson’s target level. Try to choose 8 to 10 new words to learn from the story (in general, it’s best to try to learn no more than 8-10 new words a day).

Definitions are written with the help of various sources including Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary

To stretch: to put your arms, legs, etc., in positions that make the muscles long and tight.

To slip: to move easily across or over something.

Bubble: a very light ball of air inside a thin layer of soap.

Cricket: a small black insect that jumps high and that makes loud, high-pitched noises.

To ease: to free someone or something from trouble or worry.

Alertness: able to think clearly and to notice things.

Trail: a path through a forest, field, etc.

Appalachian Trail: A marked hiking trail in the eastern USA over 2000 miles long (3000 Km) going through the Appalachian Mountains from the state of Georgia to the state of Maine.

Pack: (backpack) a bag or bundle of objects that is carried on a person's or animal's back.

To survive: to remain alive: to continue to live.

Hiking:  to walk a long distance especially for pleasure or exercise: to go on a hike.

Tuna: a large fish that lives in the ocean and is eaten as food.

Instant: of food: able to be made very quickly: partially prepared by the manufacturer so that final preparation is quick and easy.

To crawl: to move slowly on, across, or through something.

Exhausted: to be very tired.

Sleeping bag: a warm, long bag that is used for sleeping outdoors or in a tent.

To embrace: to surround; to hold someone in your arms as a way of expressing love or friendship.

To crackle: to make a series of short, sharp noises.

Addiction: a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble).

To cling: to hold onto something or someone very tightly.

Clutter: a large amount of things that are not arranged in a neat or orderly way: a crowded or disordered collection of things.

Noodles: a thin strip of dough that is made from flour, water, and eggs and that is cooked in boiling liquid.

Steak: a thick, flat piece of meat and especially beef.

To soothe: to cause (someone) to be calmer, less angry, etc.: to cause some to feel better.

Back-breaking: Involving very difficult physical work or effort.

To reap: to get something, (such as a reward) as a result of something that you have done.

Rewards: payment that is given or received for something that has been done or that is offered for something that might be done.

Vista: a large and beautiful view of an area of land or water.

Language Tips:

          Grammar reminder: Comparatives and Superlatives

“The vistas are prettier, the water always cooler…”

Remember that we form the comparative and superlative in English in two ways:

1: For words with one (or two syllables if they end in y), we use –er and –est.

Big, bigger, biggest;  pretty, prettier, prettiest; Cool, cooler, coolest

2. For words with two or more syllables, we use more and most.

Important, more important, most important; interesting, more interesting, most interesting

Useful phrases:

To ease one’s mind

“The sounds of crickets, birds, and the morning wind ease my mind into quiet alertness.”

Just spending a few minutes in nature, even a park, can help to ease our minds.

Reap the rewards

“But if you work, if you put in good, honest, back-breaking…leg-tiring work, you will reap the rewards.”

It was very hard to grow the vegetables in the garden. We had to work hard to do it. But after a few months we reaped the rewards: fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and salad.

Discussion questions:

1. Have you ever gone hiking? If so, where and when?

2. Do you enjoy hiking, walking, or just spending time in nature? If so, where do you usually go to take a hike or walk?

3.  Why does spending time in nature make us feel better?

4. How do you like to relax from the stresses of modern life?

5. Do you sometimes like to live more simply and easily? How do you do this?

6. Do you have a special place you go to relax from stress and the problems of life?

7. Do you agree with the author that  “The vistas are prettier, the water always cooler, when you earn it instead of buy it.”?

This I Believe: Introduction to the Original This I Believe

This I Believe

This I Believe was a five-minute radio program hosted by journalist Edward R. Murrow in the 1950s. The show encouraged both famous and everyday people to write short essays about their own personal motivation in life and then read them on the radio. This I Believe became a cultural phenomenon that stressed individual belief rather than religious or ideological dogma. The show has continued in different forms on public radio. –adapted from Wikipedia

Listen to Story 

Transcript

Audio Time: 4 min 25 sec

Level: Intermediate and up

Vocabulary:  To help learners fully understand the audio and transcript, most vocabulary that might be unknown for this lesson’s level is provided. Vocab in bold is more useful for learners at the lesson’s target level. Try to choose 8 to 10 new words to learn from the story (in general, it’s best to try to learn no more than 8-10 new words a day).

Definitions are written with the help of various sources including  Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary

Thoughtful: serious and quiet because you are thinking.

From all walks of life: used to refer to people with different jobs and positions in society.

Butcher: someone who cuts and sells meat in a shop.

Social worker: the work done by someone who works for a government or private organization that helps people who need basic social services to help with financial, family, or other social problems.

Integrity: the quality of being honest and fair.

Bitterness: feeling or showing a lot of unhappiness, dislike or anger.

Cynicism: cynical beliefs: beliefs that people are generally selfish and dishonest.

Despair: the feeling of no longer having any hope.

Quivering: to shake because of fear, cold, nervousness, etc. 

Hysteria: a state in which your emotions (such as fear) are so strong that you behave in an uncontrolled way.

Commodity: something that is bought and sold.

Fortitude: mental strength and courage that allows someone to face danger, pain, etc.; bravery.

Alarming: to cause someone to feel a sense of danger; to worry or frighten someone.

Short supply: When the supply (amount) of something is not enough to meet the demand or need for it.

Thunderhead: a very large cloud appearing before a thunderstorm.

To choke: to become unable to breathe usually because something gets stuck in your throat or because the air is not good for breathing.

Intimacy: emotional warmth and closeness.

To envelop: to completely cover someone or something; to completely enclose or surround someone or something.

To drive: to cause someone to behave in a particular way.

To flee: to run away from a place or person usually because of danger.

To burrow:  to make a hole or tunnel in the ground by digging.

Prairie dog: a small animal that lives on the prairies of the central and western.

Fury: violent angry: rage.

A-bomb: An atomic bomb: a bomb that produces an extremely powerful explosion when atoms are split apart.

Provoke:  to cause the occurrence of a feeling or action, often anger; to make something happen.

Stampede: an occurrence in which a large group of frightened or excited animals or people run together in a wild and uncontrolled way to escape from something.

To creep: to move slowly and quietly especially in order to not be noticed.

Validity: the quality of being real or correct.

To take for granted: to fail to properly notice or appreciate someone or something that is helpful or important to you.

Durable: staying strong and in good condition over a long period of time.

To distinguish: to notice or recognize a difference between people or things.

Afford: to be able to pay for something.

To furnish: to provide a room or building with furniture. 

Cluttered:  to fill or cover something with many things often in a disorganized way.

Lease: a legal agreement that lets someone use a car, house, etc., for a period of time in return for payment.

Broadcast: to send out (signals, programs, etc.) by radio or television.

Delicate: easily broken or damaged.

Pious: deeply religious : devoted to a particular religion.

Platitude: a statement that expresses an idea that is not new.

Dogma: a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted.

Prejudice: an unfair feeling of dislike for a person or group because of race, sex, religion, etc.

Invasion: the act of entering a place in an attempt to take control of it.

Privacy:  the state of being alone;  the state of being away from other people.

To embarrass: to make someone feel confused and foolish in front of other people.

To disrobe: to remove your clothes; undress.

To unveil: to show or reveal something to others for the first time.

To hesitate: to stop briefly before you do something especially because you are nervous or unsure about what to do.

To engrave: to cut or carve lines, letters, designs, etc., onto or into a hard surface.

Lord’s Prayer: a prayer that Jesus Christ taught to his followers.

On the head of a pin: To waste time debating topics or questions of no practical or intellectual value.

Distinctive: having a quality or characteristic that makes a person or thing different from others; different in a way that is easy to notice.

Contribution: something that is given to help a person, a cause, etc.

To inspire: to make someone want to do something; to give someone an idea about what to do or create.

Pat: something said or done without any real thought or effort to be truthful or original.

Patent: Obvious or clear.

Medicine chest: a cabinet on a bathroom wall that is used for storing medicine and small items.

To swallow: to take something into your stomach through your mouth and throat

Aspirin: a medicine that reduces pain and fever.

To banish: to force someone to leave a country or place as punishment.

Flux: a series of changes; continuous change.

To enumerate: to name things one after another in a list.

Perspective: a way of thinking about and understanding something such as a particular issue or life in general.

To face: to deal with something bad or unpleasant in a direct way.

To tackle: to deal with something difficult.

Usage Tip: Idioms and useful collocations

Idiom: (How many angels can) dance on the head of a pin? An idiom used for useless intellectual thinking or speculation that has no value.

For some people, debating intellectual topics, like whether or not there is intelligent life on other planets, is like counting how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. For others, it’s a useful intellectual exercise.

Invasion of privacy:

Many people think that the information that internet companies collected from our internet searches is an invasion of privacy.

Short supply:

Today, with the information revolution, we have access to great amounts of knowledge, but wisdom still is in short supply.

A lease on the future/ life:

After almost dying in a car accident, Steve felt like he had a new lease on life.

Personal philosophy:

Developing a personal philosophy can take time, but it can help us know what goals and values are most important for us in life.

 Rich life:

“The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings that endings”- Dave Weinbaum

State of flux:

As that old Greek philosopher observed, change is the only thing that stays the same, and life is a state of flux.

To be of assistance:

If I can be of any more assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

To come to realize/know/ understand:

“As I reflect back on my life, I have come to realize that my greatest triumphs have been born of my greatest troubles.” - Steve Maraboli

Discussion questions:

1. What are your most important beliefs and values?

2. If you wrote an essay about your own personal motivation(s) and basic values in life, what would you write about?

3. Do you agree with the author that we live in an age of confusion and anxiety?

4. Are your beliefs fixed or are they in a state of flux?

5. Why is it useful to hear about other people’s beliefs and basic values?

6. How have your basic values and beliefs changed throughout your life?

7. Can learning how others face their problems help us to tackle our own problems?

8. How free should people be to express their beliefs in society?