Today we're talking about questions or issues that have only two possible solutions. Today's word is "binary" and I hope you find it useful.

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DAILY Business English VOCABULARY builder

Should we fire him or promote him?

ɡǔ shí hòu yǒu ɡè zhù mínɡ de yīn yuè jiā， 
古时候有个著名的音乐家，
mínɡ zì jiào ɡōnɡ mínɡ yí 
名字叫公明仪。
tā tán qín tán de fēi chánɡ chū sè。 
他弹琴弹得非常出色。
yǒu yì nián chūn tiān， 
有一年春天，
tā dài zhe qín dào jiāo wài de tián yě sàn bù， 
他带着琴到郊外的田野散步，
zhǐ jiàn yuǎn shān rú huà，hé liú qīnɡ chè， 
只见远山如画，河流清澈，
yì tóu niú zhènɡ zài hé biān chī cǎo。 
一头牛正在河边吃草。
zhè měi lì de jǐnɡ sè rànɡ tā xīn qínɡ shū chànɡ， 
这美丽的景色让他心情舒畅，
tā tū rán xiǎnɡ dào，yào wéi zhè tóu niú yǎn zòu yì qǔ。 
他突然想到，要为这头牛演奏一曲。
jǐn ɡuǎn qín shēnɡ yuè ěr dònɡ tīnɡ， 
尽管琴声悦耳动听，
kě shì nà tóu niú hǎo xiànɡ méi yǒu tīnɡ jiàn yí yànɡ， 
可是那头牛好像没有听见一样，
rénɡ rán dī zhe tóu jì xù chī cǎo。 
仍然低着头继续吃草。
ɡōnɡ mínɡ yí jiàn zhè měi miào de qín shēnɡ 
公明仪见这美妙的琴声
bìnɡ bù nénɡ dǎ dònɡ zhè tóu niú， 
并不能打动这头牛，
fēi chánɡ wú nài， 
非常无奈，
ɡuò le yí huìr，tā yòu xiǎnɡ chū yí ɡè bàn fǎ。 
过了一会儿，他又想出一个办法。
ɡōnɡ mínɡ yí tán chū yí duàn duàn qí ɡuài zá luàn de shēnɡ yīn， 
公明仪弹出一段段奇怪杂乱的声音，
yǒu de xiànɡ wēnɡ wēnɡ de wén yínɡ shēnɡ， 
有的像嗡嗡的蚊蝇声，
yǒu de xiànɡ mí lù de xiǎo niú dú fā chū de jiào shēnɡ。 
有的像迷路的小牛犊发出的叫声。
zhè shí hòu，zhè tóu niú cái xiànɡ tū rán mínɡ bái le shén me sì de， 
这时候，这头牛才像突然明白了什么似的，
yáo yáo wěi bā，shù qǐ ěr duǒ tīnɡ le qǐ lái。
摇摇尾巴，竖起耳朵听了起来。

CHINESE STORY中文故事

对牛弹琴

Este es el primer episodio y sinceramente la conversación del día de hoy ha sido grabada de una manera muy natural, imaginando que estoy hablando con mis amigas y mis amigos sobre este tema de una manera breve. ¡Dime que pensabas y que piensas ahora! ¿en tu país las familias son grandes?

Conversando en Español

Are families really large in Latin America? / ¿Las familias realmente son TAN grandes en LATAM? 

[ — Audio description, listen and read along for greater understanding. — ]

— Oi! Você gosta de animais?

— Sim, gosto! Eu tenho um cachorro chamado Bob. E você?

— Eu tenho uma gata chamada Luna. Ela é muito fofa. Como é o seu cachorro?

— O Bob é brincalhão e adora correr no parque. Ele é meu melhor amigo.

— A Luna adora dormir e brincar com bolinhas de papel. Animais de estimação são bem divertidos, não são?

— Sim! Eles nos fazem felizes. Como você pegou a Luna?

— Adotei ela de um abrigo de animais. Ela era muito pequena na época.

— Legal. O Bob também é um cachorro resgatado. Eles merecem todo o amor do mundo.

— Com certeza! Animais de estimação nos ensinam sobre amor incondicional. Fico feliz em te conhecer… e ao Bob.

— Igualmente. Até mais!

PORTUREAD - Listen to small texts and conversations samples in portuguese!

Você gosta de animais? — SMALL TALK IN PORTUGUESE (A1-A2 LEVEL)

Verónica es una persona con parálisis cerebral, de nacimiento, pero nunca ha tenido una parálisis emocional, nunca una “parálisis de corazón” y eso se lo notaba en cada mili segundo que he compartido con ella.  

AUDIO-ARTÍCULOS (Nivel B2-C1)

"V" de "Victoria"... de Verónica

とても日本の夏らしい歌をAIで作りました。お楽しみください。

（Verse 1）
朝からアスファルトが　ジリジリ焼ける
影をさがして歩く　旅人みたいに
セミのシャウトは止まらない！
「ミーンミーンミーーーン！」命がけ！

Asphalt’s burning from 8 a.m.
I walk like a lost man, seeking shade
The cicadas scream with all their soul—
Nature’s heavy metal parade!

（Chorus）
これが日本の夏だ！
サウナより熱い、湿気の嵐
でも祭りはやめられない！
浴衣と金魚、夜空の花火！

THIS is JAPAN’s crazy summer!
Hotter than hell, and 100% humid
But festivals call, I can’t resist—
Yukata, goldfish, and fireworks kissed

（Verse 2）
Tシャツが3分で　汗だく地獄
コンビニの冷気に　心から感謝
かき氷のためなら1時間待つ
それが日本の　プライドだ！

My shirt is soaked in just three minutes
Thank you, dear konbini air!
I’d wait an hour for shaved ice joy—
That’s summer pride, we dare!

（Chorus）
これが日本の夏だ！
エアコンより強いのは友情！
夜風にゆれる風鈴の音
暑くても、忘れたくない季節

THIS is JAPAN’s burning season!
Stronger than A/C is human connection
Wind chimes sing in the warm night breeze
A season we sweat through, yet never forget

（Bridge）
外国の友よ　覚悟して来てね
日本の夏は　甘くないよ
でも一度体験したらもう
恋に落ちるんだ、この暑さに！

Dear friends from abroad—be warned!
Japan’s summer shows no mercy
But once you’ve lived it, through the heat—
You’ll fall in love with its crazy beauty!

（Final Chorus）
これが日本の夏だ！
太陽も空も本気のバトル
また来年も、この地獄で
君と笑っていたいんだ！

THIS is JAPAN’s full-power summer!
The sky and sun are in a blazing duel
But next year too, in this hot-hot hell—
I wanna laugh with you again!

日本語聞いてみよう！

【SUMMER IN JAPAN】日本語の歌

The cutting of huge figures or ‘geoglyphs’ into the earth of English hillsides has taken place for more than 3,000 years. There are 56 hill figures scattered around England, with the vast majority on the chalk down lands of the country’s southern counties. The figures include giants, horses, crosses and regimental badges. Although the majority of these geoglyphs date within the last 300 years or so, there are one or two that are much older.

The most famous of these figures is perhaps also the most mysterious — the Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire. The White Horse has recently been re-dated and shown to be even older than its previously assigned ancient pre-Roman Iron Age* date. More controversial is the date of the enigmatic Long Man of Wilmington in Sussex. While many historians are convinced the figure is prehistoric, others believe that it was the work of an artistic monk from a nearby priory and was created between the 11th and 15th centuries.
The method of cutting these huge figures was simply to remove the overlying grass to reveal the gleaming white chalk below. However, the grass would soon grow over the geoglyph again unless it was regularly cleaned or scoured by a fairly large team of people. One reason that the vast majority of hill figures have disappeared is that when the traditions associated with the figures faded, people no longer bothered or remembered to clear away the grass to expose the chalk outline. Furthermore, over hundreds of years the outlines would sometimes change due to people not always cutting in exactly the same place, thus creating a different shape to the original geoglyph. The fact that any ancient hill figures survive at all in England today is testament to the strength and continuity of local customs and beliefs which, in one case at least, must stretch back over millennia.

The Habits of Highly Effective English Communicators

Cambridge 16 Reading Test 2.   The White Horse of Uffington

MEG: Well, hello there, Julia! Long time no see!

JULIA: Meg! Hi! What a coincidence! I haven’t seen you in ages! What are you doing here?

MEG: I just got a new job in the city, so I’m shopping for some clothes. Hey, what do you think of this shirt?

JULIA: Hmmm … well, you know how much I love blue. See? I’ve got the same shirt!

MEG: You always did have good taste! What a small world.

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Coincidences 

Amy & Curtis talk about going to the doctor, medical visits, symptoms, and how to explain them in English in this episode of The Real English Conversations Podcast.

Learn English On Italki with the host of this Podcast: 
Book a lesson with Curtis - https://www.italki.com/teacher/4672521/english 

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