As the big day approaches, I'll share valuable advice to boost confidence and perform at their best during the IELTS test. From managing test anxiety to optimizing time allocation in each section, I'll guide students to success. We'll also discuss post-test strategies, like reviewing answers and learning from mistakes.

Language Power-Up: Business English & IELTS Mastery

IELTS Test Day Tips: Boosting Performance Under Pressure

Join me on a short journey to my young life where we will see several common idioms in action that make use of the verb 'to hit'.

A Stone's Throw Podcast

A Snapshot From My Childhood

This is a reading from the Aozora Bunko "Yubi (Finger)" with some expressions changed to easy Japanese for learners of Japanese.
The reading is followed by explanations of the story and vocabulary. Please use it to study Japanese listening comprehension.

.｡.:*･ﾟ＋.｡.:*･ﾟ＋.｡.:*･ﾟ＋.｡.:*･ﾟ＋.｡.

青空文庫「あめだま」より、日本語学習者向けに一部の表現をやさしい日本語に変えて、朗読しています。
朗読の後にストーリーや語彙の解説があります。日本語のリスニングの勉強にお役立てください。

OYASUMI にほんご

#5　Finger（Yubi）

挑战病毒，中国的“清零”政策。
“新冠（(Corona Virus）”病毒在整个世界的传染已经超过三年了。面对如此厉害的传染病，世界上仅有5个国家没有疫情（epidemic situation）。如今，“新冠病毒”对很多国家的人来说，早已是过去式（Past tense）。他们几乎把这种病毒当作一种感冒，所以，中国显得与众不同。因为我们还在跟病毒打仗，仍然坚持“清零”的政策那中国是怎么做的呢？
第一，及时主动发现传染源（source of infection）。核酸检测是最常用的方法。如果你去了其他省，其他国家或者一些边境地区，政府都会要求你做多次的核酸检测。现在，很多外国人或者住在国外的中国人都被限制进入中国了。

第二，一旦核酸检测是阳性（positive），这个人就会被隔离治疗。医生和警察也会检查和这个人有密切来往的人，并且，对他们进行居家隔离和多次的核酸检测。
第三，出入公共场所，你得出示健康码和行程码。健康码和行程码是一种二维码（Quick Respond Code）。在你健康的情况下，他们常常是绿色。健康码和行程码可以告诉我们你有没有感染新冠病毒或者你有没有和感染新冠病毒的人接触过。

第四，鼓励更多人打新冠疫苗。中国人打的国内疫苗主要有三种。3岁以上的孩子；没有特殊疾病的人都可以打。
中国坚持“清零政策”，主要是因为人口较多，医疗有限。一旦中国打开国门，放弃抗疫，那70%的人会感染病毒。那时，医疗系统会崩溃，身体不好的人可能会因为治疗不及时而死。这对中国社会来说，绝对是一件非常糟糕的事情。所以，中国政府一直坚持着严格的防疫政策。
Tiǎozhàn bìngdú ， Zhōngguó de “ Qīnglíng ” zhèngcè 。 
“Xīnguàn” bìngdú zài zhěnggè shìjiè de chuánrǎn yǐjīng chāoguò sān nián le 。 Miànduì rúcǐ lìhai de chuánrǎnbìng ， shìjiè shàng jǐn yǒu 5 gè guójiā méiyǒu yìqíng 。 Rújīn ， "Xīnguàn" bìngdú duì hěnduō guójiā de rén láishuō ， zǎoyǐ shì guòqùshì。Tāmen jīhū bǎ zhèzhǒng bìngdú dàngzuò yì zhǒng gǎnmào ，suǒyǐ ，Zhōngguó xiǎndé yǔzhòngbùtóng。 yīnwèi wǒmen hái zài gēn bìngdú dǎzhàng ， réngrán jiā chí " Qīnglíng " de zhèngcè。 Nà Zhōngguó shì zěnmezuò de ne ？ 

Dìyī，jíshí zhǔdòng de fāxiàn chuánrǎnyuán 。 Hésuān jiǎncè shì zuì chángyòng de fāngfǎ。Rúguǒ nǐ qù le qítā shěng，qítā guójiā huòzhě yìxiē biānjìng dìqū ， zhèngfǔ dōu huì yāoqiú nǐ zuò duōcì de hésuān jiǎncè 。 Xiànzài，hěnduō wàiguórén huòzhě zhù zài guówài de Zhōngguórén dōu bèi xiànzhì jìnrù Zhōngguó le 。 
Dìèr ， yídàn hésuān jiǎncè shì yángxìng ， zhège rén jiù huì bèi gélí zhìliáo 。 Yīsheng hé jǐngchá yě huì jiǎnchá hé zhège rén yǒu mìqiè láiwǎng de rén，bìngqiě ，duì tāmen jìnxíng jūjiā gélí hé duōcì de hésuān jiǎncè。 
Dìsān ， chūrù gōnggòng chǎngsuǒ ， nǐ děi chūshì jiànkāngmǎ hé xíngchéngmǎ 。 Jiànkāngmǎ hé xíngchéngmǎ shì yìzhǒng èrwéimǎ 。 Zài nǐ jiànkāng de qíngkuàng xià ，tāmen chángcháng shì lǜsè 。

Learn Chinese through stories - HSK5 / HSK6   （more podcast：https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk_Q-vfEdpBJCRJviEEY0KQ）

挑战病毒，中国的清零政策

Breve biografia sobre a escritora e ativista brasileira Djamila Ribeiro.

Português Pindorama

Djamila Ribeiro

Common Greek expressions and phrases that do not literally translate that well into English but are extremely common in Greece, especially in Millennial/ Gen Z audiences. Slang phrases are always informal and even though they are not negative in meaning you should never use them when speaking to an elder, a person like your boss, doctor, professor etc and in general with people you do not know. 



it's all Greek to me!

Greek Slang 

A passenger was arrested at an Australian airport after he left a parked airplane through an emergency exit, walked along a wing, and then climbed down a jet engine to the ground.

Jetstar Flight JQ507 arrived at Melbourne Airport from Sydney on August 22. It was parked at a terminal gate when the man left the plane by the right-side exit, officials said.

Opening the exit deployed a slide from the back of the wing to the ground, a Jetstar statement said. But instead of going down the slide, the man walked along the wing and climbed down one of the Airbus A320's two engines.

Passenger Audrey Varghese said passengers screamed as the man started behaving erratically shortly before he opened the door.

She told Melbourne radio 3AW that as soon as the plane had started coming to a stop, the passenger went straight to the emergency exit row, pushing people out of the way, and opened the emergency door.

Another passenger told 9News that the man had been vaping — which is not allowed — during the 90-minute mid-morning flight and had unsuccessfully demanded the air crew provide him with alcohol.

Melbourne Airport said the man was detained by aircrew and ground staff before police arrested him.

"Melbourne Airport is proud of the exceptional response from ground crew, which meant there was no immediate danger to other passengers or airport staff," an airport statement said.

He was assessed by paramedics and taken to a hospital, a police statement said. Police will continue to investigate and charges are likely to be laid at a later date.