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Transcript here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-PSR1dGgYqfa1OKO1xdJOT9wAFii1der/view?usp=sharing

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Lisa's Podcast

Benefits of online learning 

In this episode, we explore the difference between "идти" and "ехать" through a short, simple story told in the present continuous, using third-person examples to clarify when and how to use these essential Russian verbs. Perfect for beginners and intermediate learners looking to master these common Russian verbs!

Story Bits in Russian

Идти vs Ехать in third person

US President Donald Trump has doubled down tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50%, following his earlier implementation of 25% tariffs less than three months ago.


The Short And Sweet English Learning Podcast

Episode 11, Trump raises tariffs 50%

Es el primer episodio de este canal... disfrútalo 

Hablar por hablar (Listening)

Bienvenidos

The transcript:

Мы жили в деревне. Однажды отец взял меня в город.
Помню, мы искали обувь, и по дороге зашли
в книжный магазин. Там я увидел книгу.
Я взял её в руки. На каждой странице книги
были большие картинки.
Но отец посмотрел на цену и сказал:
«В другой раз купим».
Книга была дорого́й.
Дома я целый вечер говорил только о книге. И вот
через две недели отец дал мне деньги. Когда на другой
день мы шли к магазину, мне было страшно: «А вдруг
книгу уже продали?» Нет, книга лежала на месте.
Когда мы сели в вагон дачного поезда, все сразу
заметили, какую книгу я везу. Многие садились рядом,
чтобы посмотреть картинки. Весь вагон радовался моей
покупке. И на полчаса я стал центром внимания.
Поезд отошёл от Москвы. Побежал мимо окон лес.
Я поставил книгу на открытое окно и стал смотреть на
лес, на поля, которые бежали за окном. И вдруг, о ужас!
Книга упала между двойными окнами вагона. Ещё не
понимая серьёзности положения, я испуганно смотрел на
отца, на соседа-лётчика, который пытался достать книгу.
Через минуту уже весь вагон помогал нам.
А поезд бежал, и вот уже скоро наша станция.
Я плакал и не хотел выходить из вагона. Лётчик обнял
меня и сказал:

– Ничего, поезд ещё долго будет идти. Мы достанем
книгу и обязательно пришлём. Где ты живёшь?
Я плакал и не мог говорить. Отец дал
лётчику адрес.
На другой день, когда отец вернулся с
работы, он принёс книгу.
– Достал?
– Достал, – засмеялся отец.
Это была та самая книга . Я засыпа́л с
книгой в руках.
А через несколько дней к нам пришёл почтальон и
принёс большой пакет. В пакете была книга и записка от
лётчика: «Я же говорил, что мы достанем её».
А ещё через день опять пришёл почтальон и опять
принёс пакет, а потом ещё два пакета и ещё три – восемь
одинаковых книжек.
С того времени прошло почти 30 лет. Книжки
в войну потерялись. Но осталось самое главное – хорошая
память о людях и уверенность: хороших людей больше,
чем плохих. И жизнь движется вперёд не тем, что
в человеке плохого, а тем, что есть в нём хорошего.

Ruski Nomad

Russian! A short story about kindness.

Learn about the origin of Santa Claus and the magical idea behind it!
Happy New Year!

English Syndicate

Learn English through Stories - A Santa Claus Story

The European Union (EU) has encouraged citizens across the continent to stockpile food, water and other essentials to last at least 72 hours as war, cyberattacks, climate change and disease increase the chances of a crisis.

The call to action for the EU's 450 million citizens comes as the 27-nation bloc rethinks its security, especially after Donald Trump's US administration warned that Europe must take more responsibility for it.

In recent years, the EU has been forced to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, and the threat from Russia, including its attempts to exploit Europe's dependence on its natural gas to weaken support for Ukraine.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has warned that Russia could be capable of launching another attack in Europe by 2030.

"Today's threats facing Europe are more complex than ever, and they are all interconnected," said Preparedness and Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib as she shared a new strategy for dealing with future disasters.

While the commission is keen not to be seen as alarmist, Lahbib said it's important "to make sure people have essential supplies for at least 72 hours in a crisis." She listed food, water, flashlights, ID papers, medicine and radios as things to stock.

Lahbib said the EU should build up a "strategic reserve" and stockpile other critical resources including firefighting planes; medical, energy and transport equipment; and specialized assets against chemical, biological and nuclear threats.

The EU's plans are similar to those in France, Finland and Sweden.

Last year, Sweden updated its civil emergency advice "to better reflect today's security policy reality" such as what to do in case of nuclear attack.

Not all EU countries have the same level of crisis preparedness, and the commission also wants to encourage them to coordinate better in case of emergency.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: "New realities require a new level of preparedness in Europe."



Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

EU Asks People to Gather Supplies in Case of Crisis

Narrator: Malala Yousafzai was born in 1997 in the Swat Valley in northern Pakistan. Her father was a social activist and educator, and he named his daughter after a female hero who led the Afghan people to victory in an 1880 battle against the British.

Narrator: Malala attended the girls’ school that her father had founded, but when the Swat Valley came under the control of the Taliban in 2007, the family, including her two younger brothers, had to leave. The Taliban is a political and religious group that follows a strict form of Islam. They do not believe that girls should attend a school or that women should play an active part in society. Upon the family’s return in 2008, Malala gave her first public speech, called “How dare the Taliban to take away my basic right to an education?” As the Taliban continued with their violent campaign of closing and destroying girls’ schools, Malala started to blog for the BBC under a different name. During the next few years, she made two documentaries with a US filmmaker about the local situation and met with United Nations workers. Her activism attracted global attention, including a nomination from South African archbishop Desmond Tutu for the International Children’s Peace Prize.

Narrator: On the ninth of October 2012, Malala was traveling home from school when a Taliban gunman got onto her bus and asked, “Who is Malala?” She was shot in the head and had to be transferred to the UK for medical care. She and her family stayed in that country with relatives, and she continued her studies thereafter she got better. She did not visit Pakistan again until 2018.

Narrator: The Taliban’s violent actions led to a new international focus on and action for girls’ educational rights, and Malala’s work was right at the heart of these efforts. In 2013, on her sixteenth birthday, she gave a speech at the United Nations in New York. She was also named one of Time magazine’s most influential people of the year and published her life...