Today I want to talk about a particular group of English adjectives.  These adjectives start with the prefix, "a-".  This prefix comes from Middle English.  It attaches to verbs and nouns and it changes them into adjectives.  An example would be "sleep" and "asleep." 

Find a transcript at:  https://www.difficultenglishexplained.com/blog/adjectives-that-start-with-a

Difficult English Explained

Adjectives that start with a-

LOUISE: Hey, Julia … Look at those desserts! How about baking 
some cookies today?
JULIA: Hmm … Yeah, that’s a great idea! While we’re here, let’s 
pick up the ingredients.
JULIA: OK, what do we need?
LOUISE: The recipe calls for flour, sugar and butter. Oh, and we 
also need eggs and chocolate chips.
JULIA: Why don’t you get the dairy ingredients? You’ll find those 
in the refrigerated section in the back of the store. I’ll get 
the dry ingredients — they’re in aisle 10.
LOUISE: Great! Let’s meet at the checkout.
JULIA: OK. See you there.



LANGUAGE NOTES
• How about is a casual way to suggest doing an activity. Notice that “how about” is followed 
by an “-ing” verb.
• Hmm … Notice that Julia pauses for a moment. “Hmm” is an expression used to think about 
something first before speaking.
• That’s a great idea! Notice the emphasis on “great.” Julia has thought about it and then 
decided that she really does want to bake cookies.
• The recipe calls for is a way of saying “the recipe says we need.” The phrase “call for” can 
also be used to talk about the weather forecast. (They’re calling for rain.)
• … flour, sugar and butter. Notice that this is a list, so there are short pauses between each 
item. Notice also that each ingredient is stressed because this information is important.
• Why don’t you … This expression is used to ask someone to do something. It can also be 
used to give advice — but in this case two friends are deciding on who does which task.
• Aisle Notice the silent “s” in aisle. An aisle is an orderly lane in a supermarket, with shelved 
products on both sides. Each aisle has a number, so that it is easy to find what you need.

English Conversation practice (30-day challenge)

Day 14: At the supermarket

In this episode, we’ll dive into the subtle differences between two commonly used Chinese words—“交流” (exchange) and “沟通” (communicate). While both involve the transfer of information, their focuses are quite different. By the end of this episode, you'll be able to understand the distinctions between these terms and know when to use each one correctly. Tune in to improve your Chinese expression and enhance your language skills!

Learn Chinese and Have Fun!

Which One is Communicate? 交流 or 沟通？

Listen to this podcast, convince your friends and family you did something productive with your day!



The Jerome Meadows Experience

Idioms: The more the merrier, Not my cup of tea, On the rocks 

DONDE FESTEJAR 3.

Si hay algo que ha maravillado a locales y viajeros, es el Centro Histórico de Ciudad de México donde se encuentra, por un lado, el Palacio Nacional, la Catedral Metropolitana al frente y al fondo, los vestigios del Imperio Azteca. Llegar a cada uno de ellos es algo muy sencillo, ya que tan sólo los separan unos cuantos metros, por lo que solo necesitarás de tiempo y ganas para conocer su historia.
 
Antes del whatsapp, el correo electrónico, el fax o el telegrama, el servicio postal era la principal vía de comunicación. Muchas personas se mantuvieron en contacto y esperanzadas de recibir noticias desde prácticamente cualquier parte del mundo, gracias a este sistema. México, “Ciudad de los Grandes Palacios” y su auge porfirista de principios del Siglo XX, no podían quedarse atrás. Así fue como se mandó construir un Palacio Postal en el número 1 de la calle de Tacuba.
 
Si conoces la capital mexicana, recordarás de inmediato el edificio, pero si es tu primera vez por el rumbo, estamos seguros de que lo has visto antes. Su fachada de Cantera de Chiluca es inconfundible y elegante. Pero, la opulencia no termina ahí, continúa al interior, donde su mármol italiano y revestimientos en bronce te invitarán a mandar una carta como a la vieja usanza, porque efectivamente sus servicios continúan en operación.
 
Continuando por la zona, pero cruzando el Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas, se localiza el Palacio de Bellas Artes, un recinto cultural que alberga exposiciones temporales y permanentes de pintura y escultura. Su teatro es tan versátil que ha sido escenario de conciertos de la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional, Ópera y danza clásica, así como de presentaciones de cantantes como Juan Gabriel, quien supo ganarse un lugar en el preciado sitio.
 
Si avanzas por dentro de la Alameda Central te encontrarás con el Hemiciclo a Juárez, con su deslumbrante color blanco, cortesía del mármol de Carrara con el que fue hecho. Puedes mirarlo de cerca para observar cada uno...

Spanish México

DONDE FESTEJAR 3.

Learn English Through Listening – Perfect for Kids & O-Level Students! 🌟🎙️ "Kickstart your English journey with our playful and engaging podcast! Tailored for young learners.


DIALOGS FOR EVERYDAY USE 🎧📚

Dialogue for Beginners 📚 (Day # 22)

A children's story for the International Day of Peace.
A story with some fun moments, about appearances, the importance of the person inside and being nice!

The Social Evolutionary

How the Dove became the Symbol of Peace

Сегодня читаем отрывок из пьесы Александра Островского “Гроза”. Вечная история про разницу поколений, про то, как они, дети, выглядят в глазах своих родителей.

Слова из эпизода: мо́лодость - период в жизни, когда человек молод и энергичен - youth, early adulthood; смешно́ - то, что вызывает смех, что-то забавное - funny, amusing, comical; кабы не - то же самое, что "если бы не" - if it weren't for; насмеялась бы до́сыта - означает "смеялась бы много" или "смеялась бы до конца" - would have laughed heartily, would have laughed to the fullest; никако́го порядка - отсутствие организации или системы - no order, disorder, chaos; проститься - расстаться - say goodbye, bid farewell; путём - с помощью или с использованием какого-либо способа; здесь: нормально - by means of, through, using; держаться - оставаться стабильным или поддерживаться - stay, remain, hold up; воля - свобода или способность делать что угодно - will, freedom; путаться на покор да смех - здесь фраза образно описывает беспорядок и смех - getting tangled up in chaos and laughter, getting confused amidst hilarity, mixing up in disorder and laughter; пожалеть - испытывать сожаление или жалость к кому-либо - regret, feel sorry for; гляди - в данном контексте используется для выражения ожидания или предположения - behold, look, see; позабыть - забыть - forget, neglect, overlook; родные - родственники, члены семьи или близкие люди - family, relatives, loved ones; смех, да и только - смех и ничего больше - laughter, and nothing more, just laughter; старина - старые, пожилые люди - old men, elderly people, seniors; взойти - войти, подняться - come in, rise, climb; вон скорее - означает "уходить отсюда как можно быстрее" - get out of here quickly, leave promptly, depart immediately.

Спасибо, что слушаете мои подкасты! И помните, что чтение по-русски углубляет ваши знания языка! Хороших вам книг, друзья!

Reading Russian

Отрывок из пьесы “Гроза” А.Н. Островского

In this episode we are going to learn a Real Chinese Conversation【 Talking about work 】. 
--------------------------------------------------
Step 1: Listen and catch the words you know already, have a guess about the content.
Step 2: Check the script to learn one by one. 
Step 3: Listen and repeat after it.
Step 4: Practice until you can perform the dialogue. 
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A: 你最近工作忙不忙？
nǐ zuì jìn gōng zuò máng bù máng ？
Have you been busy at work lately?
B: 忙死了，每天都加班。
máng sǐ le ， měi tiān dōu jiā bān 。
Terribly busy, working overtime every day.
A: 怎么这么忙啊？
zěn me zhè me máng a ？
Why are you so busy?
B: 有个项目月底要完成，不加班根本做不完。
yǒu gè xiàng mù yuè dǐ yào wán chéng ， bù jiā bān gēn běn zuò bù wán 。
I have a project to finish by the end of the month. can't finish it at all without overtime.
A: 那等项目做完可以好好休息下。
nà děng xiàng mù zuò wán kě yǐ hǎo hao xiū xī xià 。
Then you can have a good rest when it's done.
B: 是啊，下个月我准备休几天年假，出去玩一下。
shì a ， xià gè yuè wǒ zhǔn bèi xiū jǐ tiān nián jià ， chū qù wán yí xià 。
Yeah, I'm going to take a few days‘ annual leave next month to go on a trip.
A: 不错不错。要注意休息，劳逸结合。
bú cuò bú cuò 。 yào zhù yì xiū xī ， láo yì jié hé 。
That's good. Take care of your rest. Alternate work with rest and rest.
B: 你呢？最近在忙什么呢？
nǐ ne ？ zuì jìn zài máng shén me ne ？
What about you? What have you been up to?
A: 最近忙着找新工作呢。
zuì jìn máng zhe zhǎo xīn gōng zuò ne 。
I've been busy looking for a new job.
B: 为什么？现在的工作不好吗？
wèi shén me ？ xiàn zài de gōng zuò bù hǎo ma ？
Why? What's wrong with your current job?
A: 现在的公司太“卷”了，我想找个轻松点儿的。
xiàn zài de gōng sī tài “ juǎn ” le ， wǒ xiǎng zhǎo gè qīng sōng diǎn ér de 。
The involution in the company is fierce. I want to find a relaxing job.
B: 哎，没办法，很多公司都很卷。
ài ， méi bàn fǎ ， hěn duō gōng sī dōu hěn  juǎn 。
Well, That's the way it is. There's fierce competition in many companies.
A: 找找看吧。
zhǎo zhao kàn ba 。
I will try to look for it.
B: 祝你好运。
zhù nǐ hǎo yùn 。
Good luck.