Nick discusses the advantages and disadvantages of zoos. This could be an IELTS Writing Part 2 or Speaking Part 3 question. 

IELTS with Nick - World Knowledge 

Do you think zoos are important?

We all have our dark hours when learning a language becomes frustrating and no longer seems appealing. To keep you motivated and to support you during those hours, I started recording episodes with successful learners - my subscribers and students from all over the world! This is the first episode of the Lingua Motivator thread of the Russian Bridge Podcast and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Meet Erva, a 19 year old girl from Turkey!


RUSSIAN BRIDGE PODCAST

Lingua Motivator. Эрва (B1-B2)

People who travel a lot will know the feeling — you've just landed in a country on the other side of the world, ready to explore and see the sights, but you're too tired to do anything!

Jet lag is usually linked with travel and changing time zones. But a new study has found that even small changes to our daily schedules can change our sleeping patterns.

And it's not just sleep that gets affected by a disrupted schedule — our bodies work differently when our daily patterns change.

The study, published in iScience, looked at how our bodies respond to a five-hour time change — similar to the kind of jet lag you'd feel after traveling from New York to London, for example.

It looked at people's circadian rhythm — our body's natural clock that controls when we sleep, when different hormones are released, and how our bodies use energy.

During the study, scientists observed 14 people in a lab for eight days.

On the first two days, the participants followed their normal daily schedules. But from the third day, the participants' meals, sleep and light exposure were changed to five hours later than normal.

The researchers tested the participants' blood and checked their digestion, energy use, and levels of melatonin — a hormone that helps control sleep by making you feel tired when it gets dark — to see how their bodies reacted to the time change.

The results showed that the five-hour time change made digestion slower, changed blood sugar levels, and affected how the body used fat. The body also burned less energy from food.

These things started to go back to normal after two or three days as the body adjusted to the new schedule.

One of the study's researchers, Jonathan Johnston, told StudyFinds this shows how sticking to a regular schedule can make a big difference to our health.

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

How Jet Lag Affects More than Just Your Sleep

In today’s Chillchat, Karen and Baiwei chatted about taking a leave, asking for sick leave, paid maternity leave, and other company benefits!

Chillchat (Learn Chinese and Chill)

请假 Asking For Leave (from the dreaded work...)

A cover letter from James Bond applying to be Special Agent 007.

James Bond
12 Adelaide Street
C/O Connections @ St. Martin’s
London WC2N 4HW
23rd October 2018
Dear Sir or Madam,
Please consider me for the position of Special Agent
007.
I was educated at Eton College, England and studied
Oriental languages at Cambridge University. As well
as Cantonese, Mandarin and Japanese I speak
French, German and Italian fluently.
I believe the world is heading for disaster if we do
not act fast to save it. In my opinion, the most
important work of all is the safety and security of the world and especially the protection of
our children. However, although a pacifist at heart, I am able to assassinate quickly and
quietly, if needed.
I have served as a British Intelligence Officer since 1998 and have been living and working in
many dangerous environments around the world.
I trained with the Special Boat Service in the UK. As a commando I have served in Iraq,
Afghanistan, and Bosnia where I saved 100 men single-handedly. I also served with the
Special Forces in Indonesia, China and North Korea.
I am fully computer literate and can multi-task, completing many tasks simultaneously. I am
skilled with all types of weapons including machine guns, sub-machine guns, sniper rifles
and pistols. Furthermore, I am an expert in all kinds of martial arts including Judo, Jujitsu
and Kung Fu. In addition, I am a qualified pilot. I can also drive cars and motorbikes very
fast.
In my spare time I enjoy running, swimming, diving, sky diving, skiing, jet skiing and rock
climbing. I also enjoy playing poker.
I attach my C.V for your attention and look forward to hearing from you soon,
Yours sincerely,
James Bond

Listening Skills

James Bond cover letter

朋友们你们好！
 
 随着圣诞节进入倒计时，节日氛围越来越浓厚了。 
 对圣诞节我们每个人都有充满期待，对吧？ 
 今天为大家准备的零食，你们试一下，边听边猜, 怎么样？ 

 我前几天在一个商店里，听到有人说她每年都会很期待圣诞节。 
 我想，我今年听过对圣诞节最好的期待理由就是她所说的那个。 
 
为什么呢？
 
 她说圣诞节跟春节不一样。春节跟家人一起，又热闹又开心。 
 圣诞节呢，在这么寒冷的冬天，很难离开被窝出门。不过，一想到圣诞节可以跟心爱的人一起度过，我们就会选择出门感受一下城市的圣诞气息。 

 很简单对不对？ 

 你呢？你期待圣诞节的理由是什么？ 
 希望大家都有一个温暖，快乐的圣诞节！

词语：
随着 [suí zhe] along with; in the wake of; following
圣诞节 [shèng dàn jié] Christmas time; Christmas season; Christmas
倒计时 [dào jì shí] to count down; countdown
节日 [jié rì] holiday; festival
氛围 [fēn wéi] ambience; atmosphere
浓厚 [nóng hòu] dense; thick (fog, clouds etc)
充满 [chōng mǎn] full of; brimming with; very full; permeated
期待 [qī dài] to look forward to; to await; expectation
猜 [cāi] to guess
理由 [lǐ yóu] reason; grounds; justification
春节 [chūn jié] Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)
寒冷 [hán lěng] cold (climate); frigid; very cold
离开 [lí kāi] to depart; to leave
被窝 [bèi wō] quilt wrapped around the body as a tube 
出门 [chū mén] to go out; to leave home
度过 [dù guò] to pass; to spend (time)
选择 [xuǎn zé] to select; to pick; choice; option
感受 [gǎn shòu] to sense; perception; to feel (through the senses)
气息 [qì xī] breath; smell; odor; flavor
简单 [jiǎn dān] simple; not complicated
温暖 [wēn nuǎn] warm


解馋小零食

2022年12月21号 - 圣诞节倒计时开启 (Intermediate)

En kort episode om musikkens udvikling gennem historien!

Daglig Dansk

Musikkens udvikling gennem menneskets historie

Olá, tudo bem? Seja muito bem-vindo a mais um episódio do podcast Aprenda português. 

Como será que a República Federativa do Brasil se organiza política e administrativamente? Temos um Parlamento? Há primeiro-ministro e presidente ou apenas presidente? Por quanto tempo governam? Vamos descobrir esses e outros fatos interessantes sobre o Brasil neste episódio.

Segue o link para acessar o texto com a transcrição do episódio: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cQXu-nBAc3ANCYtNSlsn0gGMbRr3S-XN/view?usp=sharing

Venha aprender português comigo!
Até breve!


Aprenda português

Episódio 15 - Os Poderes no Brasil

Bu bölümümüzde Türk mutfağına özgü günaşırı yapılabilecek en güzel yemeklerden biri olan Menemen'den bahsediyoruz. İlgili tarif için aşağıdaki linki kullanabilirsiniz.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajdSDri1c-U