Listening - Daily Lesson

Listening - Daily Lesson:

American Authors

May 16 2014

Intro

Can you describe the best day of your life? Many people would say it was their wedding day. Or the day they had their first child. Or the day they graduated from school or college. Whatever event made that day extra special, it’s certain that you’ll remember it for the rest of your life.

The rock band American Authors has a hit single called “Best Day of My Life.” It’s a title that everyone understands, but the song’s music video has left many fansconfused. Is it about finding true love, or having a wild night out?

Even though the music video isn’t completely clear, the band is still popular for its electronic music and vibe. Band members Zac Barnett, Matt Sanchez, James Adam Shelley, and Dave Rublin sing and play in concerts all over the US. They like telling authentic stories through their music, and their fans like hearing them.

Why is there a teddy bear in American Author’s music video for “Best Day of My Life”? Listen to Jessica and Rafael’s answers in today’s English lesson about a rock band.

Dialogue

Jessica: So, Rafael, have you seen the American Authors video for their new song “Best Day of My Life”?
Rafael: My big question was what was with that weird teddy bear in that video?
Jessica: I know. I didn’t understand it.
Rafael: But I love that band. They’re awesome, and they have a nice sound. But I was wondering about that teddy bear.
Jessica: Yeah, it kind of creeped me out a little bit. It confused me quite a bit.
Rafael: Maybe it’s about the guy having a wild night out or something like that.
Jessica: Maybe. It starts with him drinking, so maybe he’s had a little too much? I do like the song. I mean, they kind of sound like a lot of the other bands that are out there right now.
Rafael: Yeah, but it just has a nice vibe. Because there’s not a lot of electronicinstruments, it all sounds pretty natural. It has that nice authentic quality to it.
Jessica: You know, I will say there was one part where they were all carrying their instruments, walking down the sidewalk. And Mumford and Sons have a video, and they do the same thing! So I felt like they completely stole that.
Rafael: I love the band, anyway, so I’m going to forgive them those slightindiscretions.

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Listening - Daily Lesson

Listening - Daily Lesson:

Circus

Feb 17 2014

Intro

Although they can be hard to find now, once upon a time, circuses were the main event of the summer. Posters of tigers andclowns would tell a town about the arrival of the annual circus months before it arrived. As soon as the circus truck or train rolled in, children would come by to stare at the large tents going up. They couldn’t wait for their turn to buy tickets and see the show. In the olden days, animals had a large role in the circus program. Lions, tigers, elephants, horses, and bears were all part of the show. The modern circus looks a little different, though. Today, humans do most of the entertaining. There aretrapeze artists, clowns, and other performers who try to make the audience happy. The circus has adapted to fit the times, and it’s still an extravaganza! Find out what Jeff is looking forward to this summer in this English lesson about live entertainment.

Dialogue

Jeff: You know how everybody can’t wait for summer for obvious reasons? I can’t wait for summer because every summer, I visit the circus. Lily: Really? They still have circuses? Jeff: Favorite part of summer. I mean, they’re a little different from the olden days. They’ve kind of adapted, still like three ring style circus. Lily: Like with animals and clowns and that sort of thing? Jeff: Yeah, a little bit. Not so much with the animals anymore because people aren’t into how they traditionally treated them. Lily: Yeah. Jeff: But it’s an extravaganza. Annual circus. Lily: So you go to the circus, to this arena, and you watch all of these amazing performers. Fill me in on what the modern parts of the circus are, then. Jeff: One I went to had guys and motorcycles in this cage doing loops and stuff. Lily: What? That’s awesome. Jeff: Yeah, it was pretty cool. I mean, it’s not quite the same as a Cirque du Soleil. That’s kind of the quintessential modern circus. Lily: Yeah. Jeff: I like the more traditional stuff: the trapeze artists, clowns, juggling, unicycles… Lily: You like clowns? Jeff: Oh, they’re great! They are great. Lily: Can I come with you to the circus this summer? Jeff: Sure thing. Lily: Awesome.

Discussion

Jeff tells Lily he can’t wait for the summer. Instead of looking forward to anobvious activity, like swimming or playing outside, Jeff is totally excited for theannual circus. It’s an event he goes to every year, and he knows this year will be as good as ever. Lily seems surprised that circuses still exist. For her, it’s a form of entertainment from the olden days. She asks Jeff to tell her about what makes the modern circus special. Jeff agrees that things have changed. For example, there are not as many animals involved in circuses today. Instead, people have a bigger role. Jeff tells Lily that trapeze artists and clowns are common at the circus. He’s also seen other performances, such as motorcycles. Lily’s sold on the circus and she asks Jeff if she can go with him this summer. She’s excited to see it for herself. Does Jeff’s description of the circus seem exciting to you? Have you ever visited a circus? What was it like?

Grammar Point

There, Their & They’re Talking about the modern circus, Jeff says, “They’re a little different from the olden days.” They’re is a homophone, a word that sounds the same as other words (there and their) but means something different. It can be very confusing to know when to use there, their or they’re. Here are some helpful tips: There is used to tell or show where something is, to refer to a place. For example, “There is a coffee shop down the street,” or, “The grocery store is overthere.” Their is a possessive adjective. Possessive adjectives are used to show ownership, or what belongs to whom. As an example, “The children are wearingtheir boots,” or, “They drink their tea with sugar.” They’re is a contraction of they + are. For example, “They’re going to Paris this summer,” or, “I don’t know if they’re coming with us.” Which is correct, “We’re going to their house tonight,” or, “We’re going to there house tonight”?

Quiz

1. What kinds of performances does Jeff mention?
   •  Trapeze artists.
   •  Clowns.
   •  Motorcycle drivers.
   •  All of the above.
2. Why are animals less common in modern circuses, according to Jeff?
   •  The animals were too much work to take care of.
   •  The animals were not always treated well in the past.
   •  The animals are too stinky.
   •  Humans performers are more exciting.
3. If something happened in the past, it happened in the __.
   •  future
   •  quintessential
   •  olden days
   •  annual
4. Which sentence uses “there” correctly?
   •  Their is a show next week.
   •  They’re is a show next week.
   •  There is a show next week.
   •  We’re going to there show.

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Listening - Daily Lesson

Listening - Daily Lesson:

Financial Aid

Feb 10 2014

Intro

With the astronomical cost of going to a college or university, more and more people ask for financial aid. Although having debt is no fun, many families choose to acceptloans so their children can have a good education. Many adults who go back to school are also taking loans so that they can get degrees that will get them better jobs.

A big student loan can be daunting, but it’s not much different from a loan for a house or a car. It’s a lot of money, but banks give you a long time to pay it back. If you’re lucky, interest rates will be low when you need to apply for financial aid. The rates can go up and down from year to year.

Do Jeff and Marni have loans to repay? Find out in this English lesson about the cost of education.

Dialogue

Marni: I just opened my mail, and I have my financial aid bill due again. Ugh! Every month. It’s such a burden.
Jeff: I’ve been trying to go back to school, and I can’t really do that without financial aid, so hearing stories like yours makes me a bit timid. All that debt...loans... it’s daunting.
Marni: It is. I mean, I’m really glad that I went to school and I have my education behind me. I couldn’t have done it without financial aid. But every month, getting that bill, it’s just… it’s astronomical. And interest rates have gone up. I just feel so bad for kids that are doing it now.
Jeff: So, I’m not hearing so many pros, only cons. Would you agree? Do you have any pros for me to do this?
Marni: The pros are definitely getting an education. I absolutely think it was worth it. But the cons are knowing you have that mounting debt, and that you’ll just be paying for it for ten, possibly fifteen, twenty years, depending on what your payments are.
Jeff: So, what I’m gathering is I should hang onto my job at the glue factory.
Marni: Well, if you can be self-reliant and pay for some of your education yourself, I think it’s really worth it.

Discussion

Marni has just opened her mail and found a bill for her financial aid. It’s very stressful to Marni because she knows that her debt is mounting, but she can’t pay it all right now. She also knows that school costs much more now than it did when she was a student. She feels badly for people in school today!

This isn’t good news for Jeff, who is thinking about returning to school himself. He wants to improve his education, but he doesn’t like thinking about how much money he’ll owe when he’s finished. Talking to Marni isn’t helping, either. She believes in getting a good education, but she’s very stressed about her loans.

Do you owe money for your education? Should people go back to school even if it costs a lot?

Grammar Point

Possessive Pronouns

Talking about financial aid, Jeff tells Marni that “hearing stories like yours makes me a bit timid.” He uses a possessive pronoun.

Possessive pronouns are words that replace nouns in a sentence and show ownership. The common possessive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, theirs, and ours.

Possessive pronouns are different than possessive adjectives, which come before the noun they are modifying. We use possessive pronouns to replace both a noun and its possessive adjective. Possessive pronouns are especially helpful when you want to avoid repeating an object’s name or when it is already clear what you are talking about.

For example, we could say, “That is my book.” This sentence uses a possessive adjective + a noun. Or, if we don’t want to say “book,” we can replace “my book” with a possessive pronoun, as in, “That is mine.”

We also use possessive pronouns to make comparisons. For example, “My car is faster than his.” In this case, we are comparing “my car” to “his car,” but we replace “his car” with the possessive pronoun “his.”

Which is correct, “That new computer is mine,” or, “That new computer is my”?

Quiz

1. How does Marni feel about financial aid?
   
   
   •  She thinks it’s worth getting an education.
   •  She thinks the cost is astronomical.
   •  She feels that interest rates are too high.
   •  All of the above.
2. Why is Jeff uncertain about going back to school?
   
   
   •  He likes his job.
   •  He doesn’t want to have debt.
   •  He’s worried that it will be too hard.
   •  He thinks he’s too old.
3. Which word does not belong?
   
   
   •  Burden.
   •  Bill.
   •  Self-reliant.
   •  Debt.
4. Which sentence is not correct?
   
   
   •  The green bowl is her.
   •  That jacket on the bed is mine.
   •  Is that apple yours?
   •  I think the book is hers.

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