In modern Chinese, 佛系fó xì refers to a relaxed and non-competitive attitude. It originated from young people’s response to life’s stress, symbolizing an acceptance of "whatever happens, happens."

Learn Chinese with Hot Topics

佛系fó xì

IELTS Success Tips" offers practical advice on improving fluency and coherence in the speaking section. Join us for expert strategies on regular practice, self-review, using linking words, and expanding vocabulary to boost your IELTS speaking scores.

IELTS Success Tips

IELTS Speaking Tips: How to Improve Fluency and Coherence

CONNIE: Oh! What a beautiful cat. What do you think?
GARY: I think I’d rather get a dog. Dogs are more loyal than cats.
CONNIE: Yes, but they’re so much work! Would you be willing to walk 
it every single day? And clean up after it?
GARY: Hmm. Good point. What about a bird? Or a fish?
CONNIE: We’d have to invest a lot of money in a cage or a fish tank. 
And I don’t really know how to take care of a bird or a fish!
GARY: Well, we’re obviously not ready to get a pet yet.
CONNIE: Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go grab some coffee and talk 
about it.


LANGUAGE NOTES
• Oh! What a beautiful cat “Oh!” is used to show surprise or excitement. “What a …” is 
an expression that means “I think this is a very …” “What a(n) …” is followed by an 
adjective, which is usually emphasized. Notice the emphasis on “beautiful” here.
• Dogs are more loyal than cats. Two things are being compared here (dogs and 
cats). Notice the structure of the sentences: (noun/s) plus “is/are more” plus 
(adjective) plus “than” plus (noun/s). The nouns and the adjective are content words 
here, so they are all emphasized.
• Every single day Notice that each word here is stressed. The speaker wants to make 
a point, so she emphasizes each word equally. “Every single day” is a lot!
• Good point here means “I agree with you.”
• Take care of This phrase is used with animals, people and things. It can mean 
“watch a child while her parents are away,” “feed and house someone or 
something,” or “make sure things work properly.” (I always take care of my baby 
brother./ I take care of my bird by feeding it and cleaning its cage./ I need to take 
care of the broken sink.)
• Yeah, you’re right. Notice the pronunciation of this expression — the words all 
blend together here. This casual expression is used to agree with someone that you 
know well.

English Conversation practice (30-day challenge)

Day 26: At the pet store

In this story, a piece of toast named Buttersy has an uncomfortable bus ride to work. How will she deal with the terrible smell? This is Part 3 of 5. 

The bus kept going as the morning sun rose higher and higher. The candy passengers begun to seem uncomfortable. They wiped sweat off their foreheads and fanned themselves using their wrappers. The temperature was rising. 

Buttersy had a painful look on her face as she sniffed. “What’s that smell?” 

She scanned the bus and found the offender. 

In the middle of the bus was a middle-aged piece of cheesecake. He sat at the window and almost took up two seats because of his size. He was sweating, breathing heavily and groaning. The passenger next to him left her seat and decided to stand at the front. 

“Ugh, it’s disgusting,” said Buttersy, now holding her nose, not worried about what others will think. “How can he be so inconsiderate? A thing like that shouldn’t leave the house without a wrapper!” 

Choco laughed, knowing that Buttersy wasn’t serious, but only expressing her frustration. He said, “This is public life. Just keep breathing through your mouth; we’re not far from our stop.” 

Buttersy held her nose, getting angrier and angrier. She noticed the bus was equipped with a huge air conditioning system, but it was only blowing a tiny breeze. 

“What’s going on!? Are these candies all crazy?” she said, noticing how the others just tolerated the sour smell that filled the bus. “I’d prefer to have a bird peck out my eyes than this.” 

As the journey continued, the smell only got worse and worse. 


Being a Cloud

Buttersy the Piece of Toast

Similarites between English and Russian (fun facts)

Russian vs English facts and much more

In the episode "How to Remember Any English Word," Teacher Smith emphasizes the importance of feeling confident while speaking English. They suggest that confidence is key to remembering words easily and provide a simple way to boost confidence instantly. Teacher Smith illustrates the concept by comparing it to rescuing a little girl from a pool, highlighting the idea that the value you bring to a conversation is more significant than any fear you may have.

The episode advises against focusing too much on fears, such as pronunciation or translating phrases, during conversations, as it can lead to forgetting words. Instead, Teacher Smith encourages listeners to focus on listening actively, as simply being present in a conversation is valuable. Additionally, they reassure listeners that making mistakes is natural, even for native speakers, and emphasize the importance of relaxing and letting speech flow naturally.

Overall, the episode offers two key points for speaking confidently: valuing participation in conversations and embracing imperfection. By prioritizing these principles, listeners can boost their confidence in speaking English.

LEARN BY LISTENING

HOW TO Remember ANY ENGLISH Word

¿Y si pudieras comer plástico? 
¿Y si las cirugías fuesen una nueva forma de expresión artística?
¿Y si tu cuerpo desarrollara nuevos órganos nunca antes conocidos?
¡Tienes que ver esta película! 



Películas de todo el mundo que me emocionan 😃🌅

Crímenes del futuro (2022) David Cronenberg ¡Terror corporal!🛑👅🧠🦠

Transcript: https://saracasalino-books.weebly.com/blog/scarlet-darkness-part-8

Learn English with Stories

Scarlet Darkness- Chapter 8 (last chapter)

In this episode, I explain how to ask your friends "Forget it." "Never mind." in Japanese. It's very negative in Japanese. So take a listen to pick a proper situation to use it! Otherwise, you might get someone med at you. Check it out!