bàn tú ér fèi

指半路上就停下来了。比喻做事不能坚持到底，有始无终。

Chinese idioms (中国成语)

半途而废

Today I will read out an article that I came across and found very interesting. Its an article by Chiara Leone-Ganado. It discusses three studies that show that we are less willing to help others when we do not get good sleep. I always talk about how sleep is connected to all aspects of health and wellness but who knew it could affect our sense of generosity?

Matcha & Meditation

Poor Sleep Makes People More Selfish

¡Bienvenidos a Maria & Pablo Spanish! 

En los episodios 7 y 8 de Consejos de la abuela para tener buena suerte, hablamos de diferentes supersticiones de nuestras familias y en esta ocasión les traemos otras más, pero teniendo en cuenta las creencias y costumbres de varias culturas del mundo. Esperamos que disfruten el episodio y nos digan qué les parecieron estas supersticiones y si creen en ellas.

Te invitamos a conocernos más en: 
📍 María: https://linktr.ee/spanishwithmariap  
📍 Pablo: https://linktr.ee/pabloalejos 

Maria & Pablo Spanish

22. Supersticiones del mundo (Parte 1)

Read and follow along:. 

The Youth in Asia
"THAT'S IT," MY MOTHER SAID AFTER HAVING SADIE PUT TO SLEEP. "MY CAT DAYS ARE OVER."

In the early sixties, during what my mother referred to as the "tail end of the Lassie years," my parents were given two collies they named Rastus and Duchess. We were living in upstate New York, out in the country, and the dogs were free to race through the forest. They napped in meadows and stood knee-deep in frigid streams, costars in their own private dog-food commercial. According to our father, anyone could tell that the two of them were in love.

Late one evening, while lying on a blanket in the garage, Duchess gave birth to a litter of slick, potato-sized puppies. When it looked as though one of them had died, our mother placed the creature in a casserole dish and popped it into the oven, like the witch in "Hänsel and Gretel."

"Oh, keep your shirts on," she said. "It's only set on 200. I'm not baking anyone; this is just to keep him warm."

The heat revived the sick puppy and left us believing our mother was capable of resurrecting the dead.

Faced with the responsibilities of fatherhood, Rastus took off. The puppies were given away, and we moved south, where the heat and humidity worked against a collie's best interests. Duchess's once beautiful coat now hung in ragged patches. Age set in and she limped about the house, clearing rooms with her suffocating farts. When finally, full of worms, she collapsed in the ravine beside our house, we reevaluated our mother's healing powers. The entire animal kingdom was beyond her scope; apparently, she could resurrect only the cute dead.

The oven trick was performed on half a dozen peakish hamsters but failed to work on my first guinea pig, who died after eating a couple of cigarettes and an entire pack of matches.


Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk and other stories from David Sedaris ( Adult 18+) 

The Youth in Asia

Plastic packaging is hurting our planet!
Angela reads the basic text from this lesson, (transcript available when you take this lesson).

This topic is also available for intermediate and higher-level learners.


English with Angela -  conversation 

TASK 24 - TOO MUCH RUBBISH FOR PLANET EARTH 

Vidéo avec sous-titres et images: 
https://youtu.be/HB2M7qk6xHw

French Stories For All

Compréhension Orale - Paris me rend Malade -

When you are listening to someone with a problem speak gently and in a low tone. 
Oh dear, that's not fair
OK, OK, Calm down
Don't worry
Everything will work out

Follow me for more English tips.
https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/13365914

Everyday English with Teacher Alyse

Speak gently

Oi gente, aqui é Aneleh, sua tutora de português favorita. No podcast de hoje, vou contar para vocês mais uma lenda do folclore brasileiro chamada "A Lenda do Saci Pererê", que fala sobre um ser mítico que habita as florestas e prega peças nas pessoas. No final, trarei algumas palavras com seus significados em inglês para ajudar caso vocês tenham dificuldade com o vocabulário.
Se quiserem acompanhar o script do podcast é só clicar nesse link: 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17tfnJzU7oKnqg8ihkev7Bx24WbOAqzWgficO-vnXel8/edit?usp=sharing 
Vamos lá?

Portuguese Drops 

Lendas do Brasil - Saci Pererê

"... А сколько раз уже он клялся себе, что завтра же с нею порвет, придумывал без труда нужные выражения, но никак не мог себе представить вот ту последнюю минуту, когда пожмет ей руку и спокойно выйдет из комнаты. Вот это движенье-- повернуться, уйти-- казалось немыслимым. Он был из породы людей, которые умеют добиваться, достигать, настигать, но совершенно неспособны ни к отречению, ни к бегству,-- что в конце концов одно и то же. Так мешались в нем чувство чести и чувство жалости, отуманивая волю этого человека, способного в другое время на всякие творческие подвиги, на всякий труд, и принимающегося за этот труд жадно, с охотой, с радостным намерением все одолеть и всего достичь.
      Он не знал, какой толчок извне должен произойти, чтобы дать ему силы порвать трехмесячную связь с Людмилой, так же как не знал, что именно должно случиться, чтобы он мог встать со стула. Очень недолго продолжалось подлинное его увлечение, то состояние его души, при котором Людмила ему представлялась в обольстительном тумане, состояние ищущего, высокого, почти неземного волненья, подобное музыке, играющей именно тогда, когда мы делаем что-нибудь совсем обыкновенное -- идем от столика к буфету, чтобы расплатиться,-- и превращающей это наше простое движенье в какой-то внутренний танец, в значительный и бессмертный жест..."