Expand your vocabulary! 
This episode covers ten B level words: 
consequences, negotiate, efficient, expand, significant, variety, analyze, perspective, reliable, occasionally.


Vocabulary with Maryam (B LEVEL)

Episode 1 

** This story contains graphic and explicit material it is not recommended for children. For mature audiences only. ** 18+
The Parrot and the Potbellied Pig from Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris Illustrations by Ian Falconer
Read by me Teacher Alyse. Listen and follow along.
Send me a message me for your free pdf copy of this book.

The way the pig is labeled based on his Vietnamese heritage, despite being born in the U.S., mirrors the real-world experiences of many immigrants and their descendants. Even when someone identifies as fully American, they can still be seen as "other" because of their background. The parrot's insistence on framing the pig's identity through an ethnic lens—rather than his actual achievements—reflects how media narratives and public discourse can shape (and sometimes distort) the way individuals are perceived.
This is especially important now, given the ongoing discussions about immigration in the U.S. Many immigrants and first-generation Americans face similar struggles with identity, belonging, and how they're portrayed in society. The story also highlights how insecurities—whether about identity, appearance, or status—can be exacerbated by external judgments.
Themes and Interpretation
•	Identity and Stereotyping: The pig’s frustration highlights how labels—whether about ethnicity or body image—can shape and limit a person’s self-perception.
•	Media Manipulation: The parrot, representing a journalist, distorts facts for a sensationalized story, raising questions about bias and ethics in reporting.
•	Self-Perception and Insecurity: The pig’s struggles with his body image illustrate how external judgments can create deep-seated insecurities.
•	Cultural Commentary: The story subtly critiques societal assumptions about identity and heritage, showing how people (or animals) can be boxed in by others’ perceptions.

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

The Parrot and the Potbellied Pig

Сегодня хороший день. На улице очень солнечно и свежо. Я решила выйти на прогулку. Я немного погуляла и вернулась домой. Дома я приготовила вкусный обед, выпила чай и помыла посуду. Мне нравится сидеть дома, когда идёт дождь. Но когда светит солнце, я всегда хочу выйти погулять и подышать свежим воздухом. А какая погода нравится тебе? Ты любишь, когда идёт дождь или когда светит солнце?

Russian for daily life with Lena 📖💫

Cегодня хороший день. 

¡Bienvenidos a Maria y Pablo Spanish! En los episodios anteriores, estuvimos hablando sobre supersticiones o creencias populares de nuestras culturas y ahora compartiremos con ustedes frases, refranes o dichos populares relacionados con animales en español.

1. Esta es la lista del episodio:
2. Cría cuervos y te sacarán los ojos
3. A otro perro con ese hueso
4. Camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente
5. Perro que ladra no muerde
6. Más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando
7. Aquí hay gato encerrado
8. A caballo regalado no se le mira el diente
9. Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda
10. La curiosidad mató al gato
11. El burro delante, para que no se espante

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

Maria & Pablo Spanish

9. Frases, refranes o dichos populares con animales en español

Lily:汤姆，我记得你有个弟弟是吧？

Tom:是的。

Lily:他多大了?

Tom:他9了。

Lily:9了？你是想说他9岁是吗？

Tom:是的，我的一个中国朋友说他35了，所以我弟弟9了。

Lily:其实在口语中，回答年龄时，1到10需要加“岁”，10以上可以不加“岁”。比如“我28”或者“我28了”，又或者“我28岁了”，都正确，所以你弟弟多大了？

Tom:嗯～他9了

Lily:  →_→  →_→ →_→


-----------------------------------------------
Lily:Tom ，wǒ jì dé nǐ yǒu gè dì dì shì ba ？

Tom:shì de 。

Lily:tā duō dà le ?

Tom:tā 9le 。

Lily:9le ？nǐ shì xiǎng shuō tā 9suì shì ma ？

Tom:shì de ，wǒ de yí gè zhōng guó péng yǒu shuō tā 35 le ，suǒ yǐ wǒ dì dì 9 le 。

Lily:qí shí zài kǒu yǔ zhōng ，huí dá nián líng shí ，1 dào 10 xū yào jiā “suì ”，10  yǐ shàng kě yǐ  bù  jiā “suì ”。bǐ rú wǒ 28 huò zhě wǒ 28le ，yòu huò zhě wǒ 28 suì le ，dōu zhèng què ，suǒ yǐ nǐ dì dì duō dà le ？

Tom: ～tā 9 le 

Lily:  →_→  →_→ →_→


-----------------------------------------------
Lily: Tom, I remember you had a brother, right?

Tom: Yes.

Lily: How old is he?

Tom: He's 9了.

Lily: 9了? Are you trying to say he's 9 years old?

Tom: Yes, a Chinese friend of mine said he was 35le, so my brother is 9了.

Lily: Actually, in spoken language, when answering age, 1 to10 need to add "years old", more than 10 can not  add "years old".For example  I'm 28 or I'm 28了, or I'm 28岁了，All right, so how old is your brother?

Tom: Hmm~ he's 9了

Lily: →_→ →_→ →_→

Lily-趣味中文-【Lily-中国 Italki Id:8877492 Chinese Tutor】

第2集-【岁】-with Lily-趣味中文 interesting Chinese

One of the most important parts of the IELTS exam is actually understanding what the examiner is looking for you to do in the exam. Lets have a look at speaking part 1, and learn to understand what its designed to test and what the examiner is listening for you to do in part 1.

IELTS 85 Speaking

IELTS speaking part 1 and what the examiner is looking for.

Come d'abitudine vi presento un monologo in un italiano spontaneo improvvisato al momento. Oggi si parla della gita di ieri e del minimalismo. Buono ascolto e buon inizio settimana a tutti!

The Italian Miscellaneous Podcast🖐 

Mio nonno 👴 era minimalista e non lo sapeva!!!

Ancient Egyptians loved and respected cats, believing they brought good luck.

Some families even dressed their cats in jewelry, and mummified them after death. They would mourn the death of their cat by shaving off their eyebrows, and continue to mourn until their eyebrows grew back.

Inspired by this ancient love for cats, the Shanghai Museum in China held a special event called Meowseum Nights.

Held 10 times during last summer and fall, the event invited 200 cats and 2,000 people to explore the exhibition On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt.

Some of the artifacts shown in the exhibition came from a temple discovered years ago in Egypt. The temple was for Bastet, an Egyptian goddess who could change into a cat. This gave the Shanghai Museum another reason to use cats as the theme for their event.

Museum director Chu Xiaobo said that the event was created to bring cat lovers to the museum, as in Shanghai, where there are over a million pet cats, cat-friendly public spaces are rare.

"There are dog parks, dog brunches, but not that much for cat parents to do with their pets," Wen Liuli, a visitor to the exhibition, told The Art Newspaper.

The museum took measures to keep all visitors and artifacts safe. Cats had to stay in strollers or bags, but there were certain areas where people could take their cats out for photos, such as in front of a statue of Bastet. All the other artifacts were kept behind glass.

The museum also had vets, doctors, and even an ambulance on-site, and over 80 animal welfare workers attended each night to help and give advice.

While the museum doesn't plan to hold another Meowseum Night, Chu hopes it might inspire other museums to try similar ideas.

"Cat people now have a special affection for the Shanghai Museum," he said.




Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Cats Take a Tour of Ancient Egypt at Chinese Museum

BUSINESS TALK: EXIT STRATEGY & DIVERSIFICATION