    Nǐ nǚ’ ér jǐ suì le?
A：你女儿几岁了？
    Tā jīnnián sì suì le. 
B： 她今年四岁了。
 

HSK Standard Course Level 1 Audio of the textbook

Lesson 5 text 2

MARGARET: Mr. Wilson, I’d like you to meet 
Dr. Edward Smith.
MR. WILSON: It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Smith.
DR. SMITH: Pleasure to meet you, too.
MARGARET: Dr. Smith is an economist. He just finished
writing a book on international trade.
MR. WILSON: Oh? That’s my field, too. I work for the 
United Nations.
DR. SMITH: In the Development Program, by any chance?
MR. WILSON: Yes. How did you guess?
DR. SMITH: I’ve read your articles on technical assistance. 
They’re excellent

LANGUAGE NOTES
• Mr. Wilson, I’d like you … Notice the rising intonation on “Mr. Wilson,” which is used 
to address someone. Listen for the “d” in “I’d like.” This means I would like, which is 
very different from I like. (“I’d like” means the same as “I would like” or “I want.”)
• Dr. Smith is an economist. Notice the stress on “economist.” This content word has 
new information, so it is emphasized. There are four syllables in “economist,” with the 
stress on the second syllable (e-CON-o-mist).
• He just finished writing … “just” means the very recent past. “Just” is usually used 
with a simple past verb because the action is complete. However, it can also be used 
with the present perfect (He’s just finished writing …).
• Development program. Since these two words make a compound noun, the main 
stress falls on “development.”
• By any chance? Means the same as “possibly.” Notice the rising intonation, which is 
used in yes/no questions to confirm that something is true.

English Conversation practice (30-day challenge)

Day3: Formal Introduction in English

This episode introduces three idioms that use the word egg. Listen to the examples to hear how to use them. Please send me a message if you would like a copy of the audio script.

Idiom Corner

Why Do Americans Hate the Sound 'T'?

Have you heard Americans do this? Check these words for more ideas:

Silent T- The letter T is not pronounced in some words (you need a dictionary to learn which words):

castle
whistle
chestnut
Christmas
fasten
listen
often

(With T)

soften
mortgage
mustn’t
thistle
mistletoe…

(In the cluster TCH)

catch
watch
kitchen

Final T in many modern words with a French origin:

beret
ballet
buffet
chalet
gourmet
valet
depot
debut… (the final French -et is pronounced /eɪ/ )

I hope it brings more clarity and check my classes types for more information on how I can help you privately.

🎙 One-Minute Speaking Challenge by Anatoly Glazkov – Voice Unlock Method™

Why Do Americans Hate the Sound 'T'? American Pronunciation.

¿Sabes que es el desgaste laboral conocido como Burnout? ¿Alguna vez lo has padecido?

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https://www.italki.com/teacher/6844238/spanish
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No Manches Que Bacano

Burnout and Mental Health

You've just gotten a new job! That means you'll be earning a bit more — so you go out to celebrate and buy yourself that nice car you've been looking at.

Or perhaps you've finally finished paying off your mortgage, so you let yourself eat at restaurants more often, and start getting a nicer coffee on the way to work every day.

Then you look at your bank account and wonder where all the money went!

Something called "lifestyle creep" might be to blame.

Lifestyle creep, also called "lifestyle inflation," is when you find yourself with some more money — for example, after getting a new job or paying off a mortgage — but then spend more as a result.

You find a new lifestyle creeping up on you like a monster from behind the sofa!

It's easy to do: you feel you've earned the right to enjoy yourself and treat yourself to some small luxuries.

But experts warn that this can quickly get in the way of your financial goals — if you're saving for retirement, for example.

And if you get used to the changes you've made to your lifestyle, you could even end up in a worse position than you were in before.

Of course, we all need to treat ourselves from time to time. But if you find you're not saving any more even as your income has increased, that may be a sign that you need to make a change, according to finance expert Robin Aiken.

The trick is to stick to a budget, even as you begin to earn more.

You can still enjoy nice things, says financial planner Paco de Leon, but try to avoid too much impulse buying — that's buying something without giving it much thought.

With some smart saving, you can make that extra income go a long way — and keep the monster behind the sofa!

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Spend and Save: How to Beat 'Lifestyle Creep'

Hablemos en muy resumidas palabras (muy resumidas, en serio) de algunos de los mundos mitológicos más importantes de la historia. En este episodio hablaré sobre los kamis, entidades de a mitología japonesa y otros detalles de esta.