Listening 10

Listening English 10.

NỘI DUNG NGHE TIẾNG ANH 10

UNIT 1: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF …

Hello everyone, my name is Lam. I’m a cyclo driver in HCM City. I usually have a busy working day. I get up at five thirty in the morning. I start work at six. My first passenger is usually an old man. I take him from District 1 to District 5. After I drop him at a cafe near HCM City College of Education, I pedal to Thai Binh Market. My next passenger is a lady who does shopping there every two days. I help her put all her purchases into the cyclo and then take her to her shop in THDao Street. At about ten thirty I ride off toward NTMKhai School. There I park my cyclo, chat with some of my fellows and wait for my third passengers. They are two school pupils, a girl and a boy. I take them home. At twelve I have lunch at a food stall near BT Market. After lunch, I park my cyclo under a tree, take a short rest and then continue my afternoon’s work.

UNIT 2: SCHOOL TALKS

UNIT 3: PEOPLE’S BACKGROUND

Bob: Congratulations! You are now the Olympic Champion.

Sally: Thanks. Yes, I’m very happy.

B: Our readers want to know all about you. S: That’s nice! Well, ask me your questions.

B: First of all, tell me something about yourself.

S: Well, I was born in 1980. I got a general education at local schools and when I was 15, I

joined the Star Sports Club near my home. B: Where is your home?

S: In Manchester.

B: I see. And do you live alone?

S: No, I live with my family, my parents and two brothers. B: What do you like to do in your free time?

S: Well, I don’t have much free time, but I like different sports-basketball and swimming, for example- and just sitting at home and reading.

B: What sorts of books do you like? S: Oh, love stories-romantic books.

B: And what do you want to be in the future?

S: I want to be a sports teacher. I’m a student at college. I want to get my teacher’s diploma. B: I see. Now tell me…

UNIT 4 : SPECIAL EDUCATION

If you ask any member of the VTK Club which time of day they enjoy most, and they will all agree:

their photography lesson.

The VTK Club’s members come from the Nhan Chinh School for Deaf Children, Xa Dan Secondary School for Deaf and Mute Children, and the Hanoi Literature and Art Club for for Mentally Retarded Children.

“Whenever we hold a camera, wandering around and taking in our surroundings through a lens, we can forget the sorrow of our disabilities,” says club member Nguyen Minh Tam.

The six-month-old photography club, which comprises 19 deaf, mute or mentally retarded children, is now having its first exhibition in Hanoi.

More than 50 colour photos are on display at the exhibition room featuring the beauty of daily life through the eyes of these disabled children. The subjects are simple and peaceful: old men reading books on the sides of Hoan Kiem Lake, labourers hard at work, or chickens looking for food.

The children’s passion for taking pictures has stimulated them and helped them escape their sorrow.

UNIT 5: TECHNOLOGY AND YOU

Well, I wasn’t worried when my son bought a computer. After all lots of children have parents who don’t understand computers. But when my secretary asked me for a computer in the office, I really became worried. So I decided to take some lessons in computing and my son became my teacher. He was very helpful. He invited me to sit down in front of the computer screen. I did not know what it was called. When asked him what it was, he said that it was a VDU. I still didn’t know what a VDU was, but I was too shy to ask him any more. From that moment my memory refused to learn because he told me a lot of things that I really didn’t understand at all. After a few lessons I began to feel tired. I made an excuse, saying that I had a headache. I suggested we should leave the lesson for another day. Since then I haven’t said anything about the computer to my son and my secretary.

UNIT 6: AN EXCURSION

The weekend picnic I enjoyed most was just a few weeks ago. My class decided to pay a visit to the Botanical Garden. It was a glorious Sunday. We met at the school gate on time and travelled to the Botanical Garden by bus. It was a long way to destination and we sang merrily all the way.

The Botanical Garden was a very beautiful place. We make a short tour round the garden and took some pictures of the whole class. Then we played a lot of games on a spacious piece of grassland. One of the boys brought along his guitar and we sang our favourite songs. We laughed, talked and danced, too. After a delicious meal with various kinds of food that we brought, we all took a rest. Some of us slept very soundly because it was so peaceful and quite there. In the afternoon, we went on playing some more games. Then we packed up the left-overs and returned home. We all felt happy.

UNIT 7: THE MASS MEDIA

The time is 7 o’clock and here is the news summery.

Heavy rain during the night has caused floods all over the country today. Many people have left their homes because rivers have risen. Some roads in the north-west are under two metres of water. The rain has stopped at the moment, but it’s sill cloudy and there is a strong wind. Because of the bad weather people can’t go out to work.

A ninety – year-old woman has climbed Mount Whitney in California for the twenty – third times. At 4,418 metres, Mount Whitney is the highest mountain in California. The woman says the view from the top is wonderful. She also says that the mountain has kept her young and healthy. In spite of her old age, the woman tries to climb the mountain very often.

UNIT 8: THE STORY OF MY VILLAGE

Popffero used to be a small quiet town on the sound coast of England. But it has become a crowded

and busy tourist resort now. They’ve completely destroyed its old atmosphere. The small old houses have been pulled down, and tall buildings have been put there instead. They’ve also built a big hotel in the middle of the town. The narrow streets have been widened and resurfaced, so the big trees on the two sides of the streets have been cut down. The large area of grass land in the suburbs of the town has been turned into an ugly car park. Even the old corner shop isn’t there anymore. It has been replaced by a big department store. And there is an expensive restaurant where there used to be an old tea shop. Many people in Popffero are happy with the changes as there are more jobs for them. But some people don’t like the changes, they miss the quiet and peaceful life of the old town.

UNIT 9: UNDERSEA WORLD

Whales are mammals that live their entire lives in the water. Some whales are huge. The blue whale, for example, grows to 30 meters in length and over 200 tons in weight. It is the largest animal that has ever lived on earth. Whales may also be the most intelligent animals in the ocean.

Whales like to feed in the cold oceans where there is a lot of krill- their favorite food. Cold water in the North and South Atlantic Ocean and the North and South Pacific are good feeding grounds for whales. Some whales are known to migrate into warm waters to bear their calves.

Whale populations decrease quickly due to heavy hunting pressure. Conservation groups asked the International Whaling Commission to stop whaling. However, Native American hunters, such as the Eskimo, are still allowed to hunt a limited number of whales to feed their communities. If no effective measures were taken to protect whales, these wonderful animals would disappear forever.

UNIT 10: CONSERVATION

Have you ever seen a forest destroyed by fire? A great forest fire is an awful thing to see. Once a

fire started, it spreads quickly. Foresters say that late summer is the season when the fire is the greatest danger to woods and forests. They are very dry then. Sometimes when the danger of fire is very great, foresters will not allow anyone to go into the forests.

If people leave a camp-fire burning near a heap of leaves, this often causes a forest fire. Campers must always remember to put out the camp-fire and cover the place with earth. It is the duty of every camper to take the greatest care not to start a forest fire.

Anyone careless enough to start a forest fire has done something, which make life more difficult for all of us. Every fire destroys valuable wood, wildlife and good soil. Everyone of us must know how important it is to care for out great forest and save them from fire.

UNIT 11: NATIONAL PARKS

Cuc Phuong, the first national park in Vietnam, was officially opened in 1960. it is located 160 km south west of Hanoi spanning Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa provinces. The 200 square kilometre

park attracts tourists and scientists alike. In 2002, nearly 100,000 visitors made their way to Cuc Phuong. Many come to see the work being done to protect endangered species. According to scientists, there are about 2,000 different species of flora and 450 species of fauna.

Cuc Phuong National Park has many caves. Quen Voi, also part of the park, is where Nguyen Hue’s army was stationed before it made its surprise attack on Thang Long and defeated the Quing invaders in the spring of 1789.

Cuc Phuong is also home to the Muong ethnic minority, who live mainly on bee keeping and farming.

UNIT 12: MUSIC

Lan Huong: Hello, I’m Lan Huong. Our programme is “My Favourite Musician”. Now our guest tonight

is Quang Hung, a well-known actor. Welcome to the programme, Quang Hung. Quang Hung: Thanks. Lan Huong.

Lan Huong: Now Quang Hung, can you tell us about the Vietnamese musician you like best, please? Quang Hung: Sure. Recently, there have been quite a few good musicians. Their songs are very popular and easy to listen to.

Lan Huong: Do you like them?

Quang Hung: Well, I do like some of them. But I think the best Vietnamese musician of all times is Van

Cao. He’s really my favourite musician.

Lan Huong: Van cao, the author of Tien Quan Ca? Well, can you tell us why you like him?

Quang Hung: He’s a great musician. Just listen to Tien Quan Ca. whenever I hear it, I want to stand up and sing out as loud as possible. It’s hard and solemn. And I always feel great, feel proud of my country when I hear it.

Lan Huong: That’s true. It’s very rousing. Do you know when he wrote it? Quang Hung: In 1944.

Lan Huong: Do you like any other songs by Van Cao?

Quang Hung: Oh, yes, lots of them. Especially the songs about rural life in Vietnam. They are sweet and gentle, and very lyrical.

Lan Huong: Well, let me see if we can play one of the songs for you.

UNIT 13: FILMS AND CINEMA

Lan : Hi, Huong, Titanic is on at Thang Tam Cinema next week. Can you go with me on Wednesday?

Huong: Wednesday? Sorry Lan. I have lots of work to do during the day and I’m going to the singing Club at night. Can we go on Thursday instead.

Lan: I don’t think so. I’m going to visit my grandparents on Thursday.

Huong: Well, what about Monday? I suppose you are free on Monday.

Lan: No, sorry. I’m going to see a play with Tuyet on Monday. What about Friday?

Huong: Sorry Lan. Friday is not a good time for me. I’m taking Chinese classes on Fridays. How does your weekend look like, Lan?

Lan: Um …, I’m busy on Saturday. But I’m free the whole day Sunday.

Huong: I’m going on a picnic to Hoa Lu with some of my friends on Sunday. I’ll be back late at night.

Lan: Well, I guess that we just leave …. Uh, wait a second, what day are we both free, Huong?

UNIT 14: THE WORLD CUP

Pele’ is considered one of the greatest football players of all time. He was born in 1940 in Brazil. As a football player, Pele’ was famous for his powerful kicking and cotrolling the ball. He joined a Brazilian football club in 1956, and in 1962 he led the team to its first world club championship. Pele’ became the only player to participate in three World Cups in 1958, 1962, and 1970. By 1974, Pele’ had scored 1,200 goals and became a Brazilian national hero. He played for an American football club for two years before he retired in 1977. Later Pele’ became an international ambassador for the sport, working to promote peace and understanding through friendly sport activities.

UNIT 15: CITIES

The Statue of Liberty, one of America’s most familiar image, is on island in New York Harbour. It is a symbol of freedom. Its formal name is Liberty Enlightening the world. It was a gift to America people from the French to show the friendship between the two nations. This is the statue of a woman who is wearing a loose robe and a crown on her head. Her right hand holds a burning torch, and her left hand holds a tablet with the date July 4, 1776 on it. The statue weighs 205 tons and is 46 m high, it stands on a stone and concrete base. The base and pedestal increase the height of the monument to 93m. The outside is made of copper. Inside, it has an iron frame. The statue was completed in 1884 in France, and then transported to America in 1886. Tourists can visit the statue from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Christmas Day.

UNIT 16: HISTORICAL PLACES

The ancient town of Hoi An lies on the Thu Bon River, 30 km south of Da Nang. It was formerly a major trading centre in Southeast Asia between the 16th and 17th centuries. Hoi An was also an important port for Dutch, Portugese, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and other merchant vessels from the Far East.

Hoi An is famous for its temples, pagodas, small tile-roofed houses and narrow streets. All the houses were made of wood and their pillars were carved with ornamental designs.

One of the main attractions of Hoi An is the Japanese Covered Bridge, which was built in the 16th century and is still well-preserved. All visitors to Hoi An are recommended a visit to the Assembly Hall of Cantonese Chinese Congregation. This house was built in 1855 and still keeps many precious objects that belonged to the Chinese community of Hoi An. Another attractive address to tourists is Tan Ky House, which was constructed nearly two centuries ago as a house for the Vietnamese merchant. The house now looks almost exactly as it did in the early 19th century.

Words and Their Stories - Mouth Expressions

Words and Their Stories - Mouth Expressions

Words and Their Stories - Losing It.

Words and Their Stories - Losing It.

Words and their Stories - Color's

Words and their Stories - Color's expressions

Words and Their Stories: Chickenfeed.

Words and Their Stories: Chickenfeed I'm Susan Clark with WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, a program in Special English on the Voice of America. Almost every language in the world has a saying that a person can never be too rich. Americans, like people in other countries, always want more money. One way they express this is by protesting that their jobs do not pay enough. A common expression is, "I am working for chickenfeed." It means working for very little money. The expression probably began because seeds fed to chickens made people think of small change. Small change means metal coins of not much value, like nickels which are worth five cents. An early use of the word chickenfeed appeared in an American publication in nineteen thirty. It told about a rich man and his son. Word expert Mitford Mathews says it read, "I'll bet neither the kid nor his father ever saw a nickel or a dime. They would not have been interested in such chickenfeed." Chickenfeed also has another interesting meaning known to history experts and World War Two spies and soldiers. Spy expert Henry S. A. Becket writes that some German spies working in London during the war also worked for the British. The British government had to make the Germans believe their spies were working. So, British officials gave them mostly false information. It was called chickenfeed. The same person who protests that he is working for chickenfeed may also say, "I am working for peanuts." She means she is working for a small amount of money. It is a very different meaning from the main one in the dictionary. That meaning is small nuts that grow on a plant. No one knows for sure how a word for something to eat also came to mean something very small. But, a peanut is a very small food. The expression is an old one. Word expert Mitford Mathews says that as early as eighteen fifty-four, an American publication used the words peanut agitators. That meant political troublemakers who did not have a lot of support. Another reason for the saying about working for peanuts may be linked to elephants. Think of how elephants are paid for their work in the circus. They receive food, not money. One of the foods they like best is peanuts. When you add the word gallery to the word peanut you have the name of an area in an American theater. A gallery is a high seating area or balcony above the main floor. The peanut gallery got its name because it is the part of the theater most distant from where the show takes place. So, peanut gallery tickets usually cost less than other tickets. People pay a small amount of money for them. (MUSIC) This Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jeri Watson. This is Susan Clark.

Words and Their Stories: Feel The Pinch.

Words and Their Stories: Feel The Pinch

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I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

 In the nineteen thirties, a song, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?," was very popular in the United States. It was the time of the big Depression. The song had meaning for many people who had lost their jobs.

A dime is a piece of money whose value is one-tenth of a dollar. Today, a dime does not buy much. But it was different in the nineteen thirties. A dime sometimes meant the difference between eating and starving.

The American economy today is much better. Yet, many workers are concerned about losing their jobs as companies re-organize.

Americans have special ways of talking about economic troubles. People in businesses may say they feel the pinch. Or they may say they are up against it. Or, if things are really bad, they may say they have to throw in the towel.

A pinch is painful pressure. To feel the pinch is to suffer painful pressure involving money.

The expression, feel the pinch, has been used since the sixteenth century. The famous English writer William Shakespeare wrote something very close to this in his great play "King Lear."

King Lear says he would accept necessity's sharp pinch. He means he would have to do without many of the things he always had.

Much later, the Times of London newspaper used the expression about bad economic times during the eighteen sixties. It said, "so much money having been spent ... All classes felt the pinch."

Worse than feeling the pinch is being up against it. The saying means to be in a lot of trouble.

Word expert James Rogers says the word "it" in the saying can mean any and all difficulties. He says the saying became popular in the United States and Canada in the late nineteenth century. Writer George Ade used it in a book called "Artie." He wrote, "I saw I was up against it."

Sometimes a business that is up against it will have to throw in the towel. This means to accept defeat or surrender.

Throwing in the towel may mean that a company will have to declare bankruptcy. The company will have to take legal steps to let people know it has no money to pay its debts.

Word expert Charles Funk says an eighteen seventy-four publication called the Slang Dictionary explains throwing in the towel. It says the words probably came from the sport of boxing, or prizefighting. The book says the saying began because a competitor's face was cleaned with a cloth towel or other material. When a boxer's towel was thrown, it meant he was admitting defeat.

Most businesses do not throw in the towel. They just re-organize so they can compete better.

(MUSIC)

This WORDS AND THEIR STORIES was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Susan Clark.

Words and their stories - Saying.

Words and Their Stories: Some of Our Listeners’ Favorite Sayings

Now, the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

A proverb is a short, well known saying that expresses a common truth or belief. Many proverbs give advice about the best way to live. Recently, we presented a program about proverbs. We asked our listeners to send us their favorite proverbs. A short time later, we received suggestions from around the world. We heard from listeners in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.

The top proverb among these listeners is this one: "Where there is a will, there is a way." This means that you can rise above your problems if you have a goal and work very hard.

Some listeners liked another proverb: "Strike while the iron is hot." This means it is best to take action quickly and at the right time. Another favorite proverb was, "God helps those who help themselves."

Xu Da-ju from China wrote that his country has thousands of proverbs. Several of them are also used in the United States. One example is "Birds of a feather flock together." This means that people who are alike often become friends or spend time together.

Another proverb is "Blood is thicker than water." This means family ties are stronger than other relationships. A similar proverb states "Charity begins at home." A person should help his family or close friends before helping others.

Alina from China sent us this proverb: "He who would climb a ladder must begin at the bottom." That is good advice when working around your home or looking for a job.

Antonio Jose from Brazil says his favorite proverb is "Tell me who walks with you, and I'll tell you who you are." Didier Vermeulen of France sent us this one: "It does not matter the speed you go. The most important thing is to never stop."

Wafaa from Egypt says her favorite proverb is, "Think twice, act wise." She also says she is making an effort to use this saying in her life.

Another favorite proverb among our listeners is "Practice makes perfect." This means you will become good at something if you keep doing it. Another popular proverb is: "If you want something done right, do it yourself."

Najeeb from Afghanistan sent us this proverb: "If you risk nothing, then you risk everything."

And, here is the favorite proverb of Marius Meledje in Ivory Coast: "Your defeat now is your victory in the future." He says it means you can learn from your mistakes. This will help you do better when facing similar situations in the future.

(MUSIC)

This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus. We will present more programs about proverbs in the future. And you can find more WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

Words and Their Stories - Down to Earth.

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Every week at this time, we tell about popular American words and expressions. Some of these are very old. Some are new. Together, they form the living speech of the American people. Today we tell about the expression "down to earth."

Down to earth means being open and honest. It is easy to deal with someone who is down to earth. A person who is down to earth is a pleasure to find. He or she accepts other people as equals. A down to earth person is the opposite of someone who acts important or proud. Down to earth people could be important members of society. But they do not consider themselves to be better than others who are less important. They do not let their importance "go to their heads." Someone who lets something go to his head feels he is better than others. He has a "big head." A person who is filled with his own importance and pride is said to have "his nose in the air." Often the person who has a big head and his nose in the air has no reason to feel better than others. He surely is the opposite of someone who is down to earth.

Americans use another expression that is similar in some ways to down to earth. The expression is "both feet on the ground." Some one with both feet on the ground is a person with a good understanding of reality. She has what is called "common sense." She may have dreams. But she does not allow them to block her understanding of what is real. The opposite kind of person is one who has his "head in the clouds."

 Someone with his head in the clouds is a person whose mind is not on what is happening in real life. Such a person may be called a "daydreamer." Sometimes a person with his head in the clouds can be brought back to reality. Sharp words from a teacher, for example, can usually get a daydreaming student to put "both feet on the ground."

The person who is down to earth usually has both feet on the ground. But the opposite is not always true. Someone with both feet on the ground may not be as open and easy to deal with as someone who is down to earth.

When we have both our feet firmly on the ground, and when we are down to earth we do not have our noses in the air. We act honestly and openly to others. Our lives are like the ground below us – solid and strong.