I'm Tammam, a Syrian med student and a Levantine Arabic tutor with more than two years of experience.  I'm here to help and I'm happy to share my thoughts and language teaching experience with you!


Real Syrian Arabic

Un porcellino riesce a intrufolarsi dentro un gregge di pecore e inizia a vivere con loro. Un giorno il pastore prende il porcellino e quest'ultimo inizia a dibattersi e a urlare. Le pecore non capiscono il motivo del suo atteggiamento spaventato, ma il porcellino sa che cosa potrebbe succedergli...

Vittorio per Voi

Il porcellino e le pecore

《水》
        科学证明，人一星期不吃东西还能存活，而缺了水却不能生存。禾苗、花草、树木没有水的滋润，就要枯萎，动物离开了水，就会灭亡。所以无论是生活用水、生产用水、农田灌溉，水都与我们的生活息息相关。
　　地球上的水源似乎取之不尽，但是你知道吗，地球上的水虽然很多，据估计水的总体积约为13.8亿立方公里。但是十分可惜，这些水98%是咸水，主要分布在海洋中。淡水只占地球水总量的2%，而这2%的淡水也不能全为人类所饮用，因为它的88%被冻在两极的冰帽和冰川里，剩下的12%即河流、湖泊和能开采的浅层地下水才可为人类饮用，其中绝大多数又为地下水，不能开采不能饮用，可直接饮用的河流湖泊中的水，只占淡水总量的0.04%。
　　地球上的水，总是处在变化之中，海洋和陆地上的水蒸发到大气中，再形成雨或雪落回大地，滋养万物，补充河流、湖泊或注入大海。水还会渗入地下，汇入地下蓄水层。极深的地下水不能补充，也不能开采，被称为原生水，因为不能再生。正因为水资源的这种流动性质，因而形成陆地的水涝或干旱，造成水资源分布不均衡。所以，地球上可供我们饮用的水资源非常非常少，大家可一定要珍惜每一滴水！

1）关于可以直接饮用的水，下面哪项正确？
    A 资源很丰富
    B  只占总体水资源的小部分
    C  河流湖泊中有很多
    D  地球上的淡水都能饮用

2）根据这段话，“原生水”是什么意思？
   A  蒸发到大气中的水
   B  雨水
  C  地下深层的水
   D  可以再生的水

3）根据短文，为什么会有水涝或干旱？
    A  水是流动的
    B  有的地方不会下雨
    C  有的地方离海很远
    D  水向低处流

4）根据短文，可以知道什么？
    A  水资源会越来越多
    B  水是不变的
    C  水资源很平均
    D  没有水就没有生命

Merry's voice (HSK六）

HSK 六 《水》

When we feel we have had a "setback" in our language learning - we often tell ourselves stories that keep us stuck. In this podcast episode, I will offer some ideas for how we can prevent that from happening, and when it does, how we can start to move forward again.

In summary, what I say is that first we need to assess what has REALLY happened. And we need to look at the STORY we are telling ourselves - about what happened. (We can do this by writing or talking to a coach or a friend or to ourselves using the questions below). 

If we can question the stories we have told ourselves about this setback - it becomes easier to take action to get ourselves moving again. Byron Katie is an author who created 4 questions that are helpful in changing our beliefs. The questions are: 1. Is it true? 2. Can I absolutely know that it’s true? 3. How do I react when I believe that thought? 4. Who would I be without that thought? 

Turning the setback into an opportunity to take action - any action - can help us get moving again. Getting support is also very helpful. 

Writing or speaking exercise (talk into your phone!) -- take 7-10 minutes and see what you discover!:

1. Think of a time when you were trying something new (learning to play a musical instrument, starting a new routine, exercise or diet) - and you had a "perceived setback" - or when you felt you hit a wall/were blocked/"failed." What did you tell yourself at that time? Was that "story" really true? What happened after that? Did you continue doing the thing? 

2. Now think of a skill you have mastered. Maybe it's cooking something or riding a bike or being a professional or an entrepreneur. Did you ever have any "setbacks" along the way? (I am sure you did!) What steps did you take to keep going forward? Did you get support to move past these obstacles - or how did you help yourself to continue? What happened next? 

If you want - save your words and share them with me! I would love to hear what you think!  


Hear and There

3. "Setbacks," the stories we tell ourselves, and getting unstuck

Muchas veces nos encontramos antes oraciones que no pueden traducirse literalmente y que nos confunden, esta, probablemente, es una de ellas. 

Curiosidades sobre el español y su cultura

No hacer vida en + lugar

Family members
我的家
我 家 人 有 还有 爱 也
爸爸 妈妈 爷爷 奶奶 妹妹
Questions: 我家有几口人？我家谁最小？

Simple Chinese

My family

❥ In this podcast, Melo reads from The Aesop for Children found for free online at: https://www.read.gov/aesop/001.html
❥ Listen and learn the moral of each story.
❥ Practice listening and reading comprehension by answering the quiz questions.
❥ Today's fable is called “The Crow & the Pitcher” and can be found here:
https://www.read.gov/aesop/012.html
❥The moral of today’s fable is: 
“In a pinch, a good use of our wits may help us out.”

❥ 在这个播客中，梅洛朗读了《儿童伊索》，可在网上免费找到：https://www.read.gov/aesop/001.html
❥聆听并学习每个故事的寓意。
❥ 通过回答问答问题练习听力和/或阅读理解。
❥ 今天的寓言叫"乌鸦和投手"，可以在这里找到：
https://www.read.gov/aesop/012.html
❥今天的寓言故事的寓意是： 
"在紧要关头，好好利用我们的智慧可能会帮助我们解决问题" 。

Life Lessons from Aesop's Fables

Episode 11: The Crow & the Pitcher

op universities in California like Stanford and the University of Southern California will no longer be able to favor the relatives of alumni and school donors during the application process.

That's after state governor Gavin Newsom signed a law banning all private nonprofit colleges from giving preference to so-called "legacy" applicants and those with links to donors.

Newsom said the law already applied to public universities in the state. The law will now apply to all universities from September 2025.

The governor said: "In California, everyone should be able to get ahead through merit, skill, and hard work. The California Dream shouldn't be accessible to just a lucky few, which is why we're opening the door to higher education wide enough for everyone, fairly."

California is the second US state to ban both public and private universities from favoring legacy applicants. Maryland was the first, earlier this year, although the state's top school — Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore — had already ended the practice independently.

Virginia, Illinois and Colorado have banned public universities from giving preferential treatment to those with links to former students or donors.

Admissions to US universities are very competitive. And legacy admissions policies give an advantage to applicants whose — often wealthy, often white — family members previously attended the university, or who have donated money to the school.

A 2022 study looked at one unnamed US university and found that, over a 16-year period, 34% of legacy applicants were accepted — compared to just 14% of non-legacy applicants.

A group representing private colleges in California said it was "uncomfortable" with the state getting involved in the universities' admissions processes, but said the institutions would follow the new law.



Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

California Bans 'Legacy' College Admissions

こんにちは！Atsushiです。
今日は大阪でとっています。
気温は30℃！暑そうです。まだ外に出てないのでわかりませんが。天気はきれいに晴れています。


さて、今日はビールについて？コーヒーについて？
両方を話します。

わたしのレッスンを受けてくれている方で、本当に、とても、めっちゃ、ビールを好きな方がいます。毎回必ずビールな話が出てきて、たくさん笑います。

その方とビールの話をしていました。日本のビールもクラフトビールが人気がありますが、海外ではもっとバリエーションがたくさんあるようです。

そしてスタウトビールの話になりました。スタウトは黒ビールのことですね。なぜ少し黒いのか、という話をしていて、スタウトはローストモルト、焙煎したモルトを使うから、という話を聞きました。コーヒーではよく使う焙煎、という言葉がビールの工程の話に出てきて、ビックリしました。

調べてみると、普通のビールでは、焙煎して、乾燥させるの焙燥ばいそう、というようです。スタウトビールは、このばいそう、という工程がより高い温度で、麦が色が変わるまで、香ばしくなるまで焙煎する為、黒い色になるようです。

知らないことを知れるととてもおもしろいですね！

赤ワインやコーヒーも寝かせる、熟成させる場合もあり、飲み物の作り方は、似ている部分があるなと感じました。


といいことで、今回も最後まで聞いていただき、ありがとうございます！ではまた！
