A short explanation of what phrasal verbs are and their variations.

The English Toolbox

Phrasal Verbs


古(gǔ)时候(shí hòu)有(yǒu)个(gè)音乐家(yīn yuè jiā)，名字(míng zì)叫(jiào)公明仪(gōng míng yí)。他(tā)擅长(shàn cháng)音乐(yīn yuè)，琴(qín)声(shēng)非常(fēi cháng)美(měi)，人们(rén men)听(tīng)到(dào)他(tā)的(de)琴(qín)声(shēng)都(dōu)很(hěn)享受(xiǎng shòu)。
有(yǒu)一(yī)年(nián)春天(chūn tiān)，他(tā)带(dài)着(zhe)琴(qín)来(lái)到(dào)城(chéng)外(wài)散步(sàn bù)，天气(tiān qì)和(hé)环境(huán jìng)都(dōu)很(hěn)好(hǎo)。他(tā)发现(fā xiàn)在(zài)不(bù)远(yuǎn)的(de)地方(dì fāng)有(yǒu)一(yī)头(tóu)牛(niú)在(zài)吃(chī)草(cǎo)，突然(tū rán)想(xiǎng)为(wèi)这(zhè)头(tóu)牛(niú)演奏(yǎn zòu)音乐(yīn yuè)，于是(yú shì)他(tā)弹(tán)了(le)一(yī)首(shǒu)非常(fēi cháng)高雅(gāo yǎ)的(de)曲子(qǔ zi)。虽然(suī rán)他(tā)的(de)音乐(yīn yuè)非常(fēi cháng)好听(hǎo tīng)，但是(dàn shì)牛(niú)却(què)根本(gēn běn)不(bù)理(lǐ)他(tā)，继续(jì xù)低头(dī tóu)吃(chī)草(cǎo)。公明仪(gōng míng yí)发现(fā xiàn)好听(hǎo tīng)的(de)音乐(yīn yuè)不(bù)能(néng)打动(dǎ dòng)这(zhè)头(tóu)牛(niú)，就(jiù)开始(kāi shǐ)弹(dàn)一些(yī xiē)奇怪(qí guài)的(de)声音(shēng yīn)，有的(yǒu de)像(xiàng)小(xiǎo)虫(chóng)，有的(yǒu de)像(xiàng)小(xiǎo)牛(niú)。这(zhè)时候(shí hòu)这(zhè)头(tóu)牛(niú)好像(hǎo xiàng)听(tīng)明白(míng bái)了(le)，认真(rèn zhēn)听(tīng)起来(qǐ lái)。
后来(hòu lái)人们(rén men)用(yòng)“对牛弹琴(duì niú tán qín)”这(zhè)个(gè)成语(chéng yǔ)形容(xíng róng)对(duì)愚蠢(yú chǔn)的(de)人(rén)讲(jiǎng)深刻(shēn kè)的(de)道理(dào lǐ)，或者(huò zhě)是(shì)对(duì)外行(wài háng)人(rén)说(shuō)内行(nèi háng)话(huà)，都(dōu)是(shì)白白(bái bái)浪费(làng fèi)时间(shí jiān)，也(yě)用(yòng)来(lái)嘲笑(cháo xiào)说话(shuō huà)不(bù)看(kàn)对象(duì xiàng)的(de)人(rén)。


Listening & Speaking (Mandarin)

对牛弹琴     Play music to a cow    HSK 5-HSK6

天冷了、跨年了，需要放松一下，你想去哪里？It's cold, New Year's Eve and you need to relax. Where do you want to go?
相信很多广东人的第一反应就是：“泡汤、泡温泉去。” I believe the first reaction of many Cantonese people is: "Soak in hot springs."
找一个安静的地方，让身体泡在温柔的泉水里、洗尽疲惫，这是一段美好的时光。It is a wonderful time to find a secret place where you can soak your body in a gentle warm spring water and wash away your exhaustion.


新鲜事儿（Anecdote）

汤汤水水的生活

Welcome to our latest episode, where we dive into the dynamic world of online advertising! Join us as we unravel the intricacies of digital marketing strategies tailored specifically for business English learners. From deciphering Google Ads to crafting compelling social media campaigns, we've got you covered. Tune in to gain invaluable insights and elevate your marketing game in the digital realm!

New English US

Master Business English: The Basics of Online Advertising

4-Year-Old Signs Book Deal to Publish Poems
A 4-year-old boy from the UK has signed a book deal to publish his collection of poems.

Nadim Shamma-Sourgen was discovered by poet and teacher Kate Clanchy, who won the 2020 Orwell Prize for political writing. Clanchy knew Shamma-Sourgen's mother, who teaches the study of poetry at the University of Reading.

Clanchy began sharing Shamma-Sourgen's poems on Twitter, where they became popular with her followers. Speaking to The Guardian, Clanchy said that she didn't share them because they were like an adult's poems, but because they were so much like a child's way of thinking.

The young poet has now signed a book deal with Walker Books, a children's book company, making him one of the youngest writers to get a book deal.

According to Guinness World Records, Dorothy Straight from the US is the youngest female to publish a book. She wrote a book in 1962 when she was 4 years old. It was published in 1964.

The youngest male writer is Thanuwana Serasinghe from Sri Lanka, who wrote a book when he was 4 years and 9 months old. It was published nine days before his 5th birthday.

In an interview with Sky News, Shamma-Sourgen's mother said that he's still learning to read and write, so he speaks his poems out loud and she writes them down for him.

"I like writing poems especially about nature. I feel happy that my poems will be in a book," Shamma-Sourgen told The Guardian. As well as nature, Shamma-Sourgen's poems talk about things like love, being lonely and bugs in his garden.

The book of poems will be published in summer 2021.

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

4-Year-Old Signs Book Deal to Publish Poems

Learn how 'hopeful' changes your voice and your message from 'I’m hopeful about the future' to 'We’re hopeful that things will get better.' A confidence-building mini lesson with shadowing.

BrightStep: One Word

Hopeful

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Bedside Italian

Bedside Italian #29 - Il mio compleanno e il copyright

One Minute Speaking Challenge - Promotion at work!

Since my goal is to help you develop spoken English fluency one minute at a time - in this podcast you'll find some A2-B2 questions that will assist you in expressing your ideas more.

Remember - it's not about how good your grammar is, it's about how well you are using it when speaking... Right? 

So I am here to assist you in developing spoken English confidence one minute at a time.

Enjoy and see you in my classes.

🎙 One-Minute Speaking Challenge by Anatoly Glazkov – Voice Unlock Method™

One Minute Speaking Challenge - Promotion at work

こんばんは！Atsushiです。
昨日ポッドキャストを取れなかったので、2本取っています。


今日は、47都道府県シリーズ3つ目を話します。
今日は、秋田県です。
秋田県の場所は日本の北の方です。
青森の下にあります。

面積、大きさは、約11,600㎢
人口は、約934,000人です。

平均気温は高い時は28℃、低い時は−2℃ぐらいまで下がるようです。

県の木は、秋田杉
県の花は、フキノトウ
県の鳥は、ヤマドリ

特産物は、
日本酒、お酒ですね。
きりたんぽ、鍋にするみたいです。きりたんぽはお米をかために炊いて、それをすりつぶしてちくわのように形を作り、鍋に入れるそうです。食べたことないので、これは食べてみたいですね。
あと、がっこというものがあります。がっこは漬物ですね。
これも有名だそうです。

観光では、
秋田竿燈(かんとう)まつり、というものがあります。毎年、8月にしていました。コロナ禍でこの2年はしていませんでしたが、今年2022年は開催するようです。

東北三大祭りのひとつで、約270年の歴史があります。
光の稲穂(いなほ)に見立てた竿燈という約10メートルぐらいの高さの大きな竿を持ち上げます。持つ人はただ持つのではなく、手のひら、ひたい、かた、こし、など体のいろんな場所で持ち上げます。秋田の夏をたくさんの灯りできれいにいろどります。

お米が生活で大切な地域だったので、お米の豊作を願ったり、祝ったりする祭りだったのかもしれません。

今日は秋田県について簡単に紹介しました。
青森や秋田の祭りはおもしろそうですね。

ということで、今日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！

