Welcome back to the second season of English In A Teacup!

Today we will be learning about the five senses as well as idiomatic expressions that use them. To help us with the topic, Miss Finesstocrat will be telling us of her first day at her new job working as a tea quality control inspector. How did she get on? Let's put the kettle on and find out!

ENGLISH IN A TEACUP

ENGLISH IN A TEACUP EP11: THE FIVE SENSES

        在前面我们介绍的二十四节气中，现在处于立夏和小满之间，就是农谚所说的：“立夏之后是小满”。 立夏表示春天结束、夏天开始了。这个时节气温将明显增高，雷雨增多，庄稼进入生长旺期。民间有很多应节的活动。

四季人生（The Four Seasons of Life）

立夏之后是小满Grain Buds comes after The Start of Summer

In this episode, we talk about the pleasure we get from hearing stories, and I share with you a beautiful tale about the joy that comes from helping others. Listen now, and then read the (shortened) transcript below to check your understanding.

This story takes place in a hospital, many years ago. And there was a room where there were two men, both seriously ill. One of those men was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend of all his time lying flat on his back. He couldn’t see anything, except the ceiling.

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke about their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, where they’d been on vacation, and the things they’d learned in their lives. And every afternoon, when the man in the bed next to the window, could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the wonderful things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods when his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and the colour of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every colour of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all of this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.......... 

If you'd like to read the rest of the transcript, send me a message on italki and I will gladly send you a copy. Or better still, book a lesson with me now, so that I can help you on your English learning journey. 

Learn English with Cambridge David

The one about storytelling

speaker: 
            莫言 Mò Yán 中国当代作家，首位中国籍诺贝尔文学奖获得者
          Chinese novelist and short story writer, Mo was the first Chinese who awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. 

代表作： 《红高粱家族》《生死疲劳》《丰乳肥臀》《檀香刑》《蛙》
Notable works: 	Red Sorghum Clan,Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out, Big Breasts & Wide Hips, Sandalwood Death, Frog
 
script:
      我刚刚有了微信，我会用了。我在微信里面也看到了很多莫言创作的，但不是我写的，非常好的作品。在北京有一次吃晚饭，有一个非常漂亮的优雅的一个女士就说“莫言老师，我要朗读一首你的诗歌献给你，《你若懂我该有多好》”她朗读得声情并茂，是吧。目光里边就是闪闪的含着泪光。我听了也很感动，是吧。后来他读完了，我就说如果是我写的该有多好。

translation: I only just downloaded Wechat, and I can use it now. I've seen a lot of nice works on Wechat credited to Moyan, but actually a lot of them weren't written by me. Once, I was at a dinner party in Beijing, during the dinner a very beautiful and elegant woman said to me ‘Moyan laoshi*,I will read one of your masterpieces for you—'It would be wonderful if you really understood me’ She reads with the full force of her emotions. I can see her eyes begin to well up with tears, and I was touched. When she finished reading, I said to her 'It would be wonderful if it was me that had written that'.

*here ‘laoshi’is not teacher,refers to respectful title for masters of their field*


One Minute Chinese—— Celebrity speeches & interviews with Chinese & English script

01.莫言：网上很多莫言的文章，如果是我写的该多好Moyan :a lot of articles  online credited to Moyan, but actually a lot of them weren't written by me.

Welcome to the first episode of OET Roleplay Practice with Kev, The English Native.

In this episode, you’ll hear a complete OET Speaking roleplay between a doctor and a patient recovering from a mild heart attack. The consultation covers building rapport, gathering information, explaining safe exercise, returning to work, and giving lifestyle advice.

Kevin also shares strategies for using these recordings to study effectively:

Listen once to get the flow of the consultation

Read the transcript to notice useful OET phrases

Shadow the doctor’s lines to improve pronunciation and intonation

What you’ll learn in this episode:

How to reassure patients naturally in OET roleplays

Useful phrases for explaining medical recovery and lifestyle changes

Why memorised templates lower your score

How to map your responses to the OET clinical communication criteria

Practical shadowing techniques to improve fluency and confidence

This episode is designed for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals preparing for the OET Speaking sub-test.

👉 Download the transcript at theenglishnative.com
 and follow Kevin for more OET practice and exam strategies.

Kev's English Podcast

OET Speaking Roleplay Practice: Episode 1 – Heart Attack Recovery Consultation

Today we're talking about the phrase far fetched. Do you know this piece of vocabulary already? If not, maybe you'll find today's podcast useful. This can be useful at work, or more generally in life for describing things that are difficult to believe.

DAILY Business English VOCABULARY builder

I hope this podcast doesn't sound too far fetched!

Is there an art to voicing frustration with poise? Smith delves into this very question. In his discussion, he unravels the subtleties of expressing oneself when vexed. Through clear and accessible language, Smith emphasizes the importance of using well-chosen phrases to communicate frustration effectively, fostering understanding and resolution.

LEARN BY LISTENING

Listen To This if You're Frustrated

映画「Wonka」が公開されましたね！みなさんはもう見に行きましたか？

SeikaのPodcast🎧

Ep.64 「Wonka🍫✨」にハマりました🥺

News Report about Public Housing in the UK