Ten Questions ESL Podcast

TQ Sven and Erna

Sven from Switzerland and Erna from Indonesia stayed with me in December 2018, just a month before I left China to live in the US. They were my last visitors there. Listen as they talk about their countries, how they met, and the trips they have taken. Sven is special, because he stayed with me nine years ago! It was such a thrill to see him again and to meet his wife.

If you are new to my podcast, this is a "Ten Questions (TQ) episode. That's where I interview people so that you can learn from them and also hear different English accents. Most of the time I post "Listen and Repeat (LnR) episodes, which can help you improve your pronunciation and intonation. Since I left China two years ago I have been posting old episodes. This is the first one that is new. Soon I will be making new podcast episodes for you, but I haven't decided what kind they will be!

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     "Thank God!" said my master. "You Beauty!" said John, and took the bridle and gently turned me round to the right-hand road by the river side. The sun had set some time; the wind seemed to have lulled off after that furious blast which tore up the tree. It grew darker and darker, stiller and stiller. I trotted quietly along, the wheels hardly making a sound on the soft road. For a good while neither master nor John spoke, and then master began in a serious voice. I could not understand much of what they said, but I found they thought, if I had gone on as the master wanted me, most likely the bridge would have given way under us, and horse, chaise, master, and man would have fallen into the river; and as the current was flowing very strongly, and there was no light and no help at hand, it was more than likely we should all have been drowned. Master said, God had given men reason, by which they could find out things for themselves; but he had given animals knowledge which did not depend on reason, and which was much more prompt and perfect in its way, and by which they had often saved the lives of men. John had many stories to tell of dogs and horses, and the wonderful things they had done; he thought people did not value their animals half enough nor make friends of them as they ought to do. I am sure he makes friends of them if ever a man did.

     At last we came to the park gates and found the gardener looking out for us. He said that mistress had been in a dreadful way ever since dark, fearing some accident had happened, and that she had sent James off on Justice, the roan cob, toward the wooden bridge to make inquiry after us.

     We saw a light at the hall-door and at the upper windows, and as we came up mistress ran out, saying, "Are you really safe, my dear? Oh! I have been so anxious, fancying all sorts of things. Have you had no accident?"

     "No, my dear; but if your Black Beauty had not been wiser than we were we should all have been carried down the river at the wooden bridge." I heard no more, as they went into the house, and John took me to the stable. Oh, what a good supper he gave me that night, a good bran mash and some crushed beans with my oats, and such a thick bed of straw! and I was glad of it, for I was tired.

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     So back we went and round by the crossroads, but by the time we got to the bridge it was very nearly dark; we could just see that the water was over the middle of it; but as that happened sometimes when the floods were out, master did not stop. We were going along at a good pace, but the moment my feet touched the first part of the bridge I felt sure there was something wrong. I dare not go forward, and I made a dead stop. "Go on, Beauty," said my master, and he gave me a touch with the whip, but I dare not stir; he gave me a sharp cut; I jumped, but I dare not go forward.

     "There's something wrong, sir," said John, and he sprang out of the dog-cart and came to my head and looked all about. He tried to lead me forward. "Come on, Beauty, what's the matter?" Of course I could not tell him, but I knew very well that the bridge was not safe.

     Just then the man at the toll-gate on the other side ran out of the house, tossing a torch about like one mad.

     "Hoy, hoy, hoy! halloo! stop!" he cried.

     "What's the matter?" shouted my master.

     "The bridge is broken in the middle, and part of it is carried away; if you come on you'll be into the river."

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     "I wish we were well out of this wood," said my master.

     "Yes, sir," said John, "it would be rather awkward if one of these branches came down upon us."

     The words were scarcely out of his mouth when there was a groan, and a crack, and a splitting sound, and tearing, crashing down among the other trees came an oak, torn up by the roots, and it fell right across the road just before us. I will never say I was not frightened, for I was. I stopped still, and I believe I trembled; of course I did not turn round or run away; I was not brought up to that. John jumped out and was in a moment at my head.

     "That was a very near touch," said my master. "What's to be done now?"

     "Well, sir, we can't drive over that tree, nor yet get round it; there will be nothing for it, but to go back to the four crossways, and that will be a good six miles before we get round to the wooden bridge again; it will make us late, but the horse is fresh."

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Chapter 12

A Stormy Day

     One day late in the autumn my master had a long journey to go on business. I was put into the dog-cart, and John went with his master. I always liked to go in the dog-cart, it was so light and the high wheels ran along so pleasantly. There had been a great deal of rain, and now the wind was very high and blew the dry leaves across the road in a shower. We went along merrily till we came to the toll-bar and the low wooden bridge. The river banks were rather high, and the bridge, instead of rising, went across just level, so that in the middle, if the river was full, the water would be nearly up to the woodwork and planks; but as there were good substantial rails on each side, people did not mind it.

     The man at the gate said the river was rising fast, and he feared it would be a bad night. Many of the meadows were under water, and in one low part of the road the water was halfway up to my knees; the bottom was good, and master drove gently, so it was no matter.

     When we got to the town of course I had a good bait, but as the master's business engaged him a long time we did not start for home till rather late in the afternoon. The wind was then much higher, and I heard the master say to John that he had never been out in such a storm; and so I thought, as we went along the skirts of a wood, where the great branches were swaying about like twigs, and the rushing sound was terrible.

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     "Steady, steady, my boy," he would say; "wait a bit, and we will have a good swing, and soon get the tickle out of your feet." Then as soon as we were out of the village, he would give me a few miles at a spanking trot, and then bring me back as fresh as before, only clear of the fidgets, as he called them. Spirited horses, when not enough exercised, are often called skittish, when it is only play; and some grooms will punish them, but our John did not; he knew it was only high spirits. Still, he had his own ways of making me understand by the tone of his voice or the touch of the rein. If he was very serious and quite determined, I always knew it by his voice, and that had more power with me than anything else, for I was very fond of him.

     I ought to say that sometimes we had our liberty for a few hours; this used to be on fine Sundays in the summer-time. The carriage never went out on Sundays, because the church was not far off.

     It was a great treat to us to be turned out into the home paddock or the old orchard; the grass was so cool and soft to our feet, the air so sweet, and the freedom to do as we liked was so pleasant--to gallop, to lie down, and roll over on our backs, or to nibble the sweet grass. Then it was a very good time for talking, as we stood together under the shade of the large chestnut tree.

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Chapter 6

     I was quite happy in my new place, and if there was one thing that I missed it must not be thought I was discontented; all who had to do with me were good and I had a light airy stable and the best of food. What more could I want? Why, liberty! For three years and a half of my life I had had all the liberty I could wish for; but now, week after week, month after month, and no doubt year after year, I must stand up in a stable night and day except when I am wanted, and then I must be just as steady and quiet as any old horse who has worked twenty years. Straps here and straps there, a bit in my mouth, and blinkers over my eyes. Now, I am not complaining, for I know it must be so. I only mean to say that for a young horse full of strength and spirits, who has been used to some large field or plain where he can fling up his head and toss up his tail and gallop away at full speed, then round and back again with a snort to his companions--I say it is hard never to have a bit more liberty to do as you like. Sometimes, when I have had less exercise than usual, I have felt so full of life and spring that when John has taken me out to exercise I really could not keep quiet; do what I would, it seemed as if I must jump, or dance, or prance, and many a good shake I know I must have given him, especially at the first; but he was always good and patient.

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     Our master had two other horses that stood in another stable. One was Justice, a roan cob, used for riding or for the luggage cart; the other was an old brown hunter, named Sir Oliver; he was past work now, but was a great favorite with the master, who gave him the run of the park; he sometimes did a little light carting on the estate, or carried one of the young ladies when they rode out with their father, for he was very gentle and could be trusted with a child as well as Merrylegs. The cob was a strong, well-made, good-tempered horse, and we sometimes had a little chat in the paddock, but of course I could not be so intimate with him as with Ginger, who stood in the same stable.

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James Howard, the stable boy, was just as gentle and pleasant in his way, so I thought myself well off. There was another man who helped in the yard, but he had very little to do with Ginger and me.

A few days after this I had to go out with Ginger in the carriage. I wondered how we should get on together; but except laying her ears back when I was led up to her, she behaved very well. She did her work honestly, and did her full share, and I never wish to have a better partner in double harness. When we came to a hill, instead of slackening her pace, she would throw her weight right into the collar, and pull away straight up. We had both the same sort of courage at our work, and John had oftener to hold us in than to urge us forward; he never had to use the whip with either of us; then our paces were much the same, and I found it very easy to keep step with her when trotting, which made it pleasant, and master always liked it when we kept step well, and so did John. After we had been out two or three times together we grew quite friendly and sociable, which made me feel very much at home.

As for Merrylegs, he and I soon became great friends; he was such a cheerful, plucky, good-tempered little fellow that he was a favorite with every one, and especially with Miss Jessie and Flora, who used to ride him about in the orchard, and have fine games with him and their little dog Frisky.

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When John went into the stable he told James that master and mistress had chosen a good, sensible English name for me, that meant something; not like Marengo, or Pegasus, or Abdallah. They both laughed, and James said, "If it was not for bringing back the past, I should have named him Rob Roy, for I never saw two horses more alike."

"That's no wonder," said John; "didn't you know that Farmer Grey's old Duchess was the mother of them both?"

I had never heard that before; and so poor Rob Roy who was killed at that hunt was my brother! I did not wonder that my mother was so troubled. It seems that horses have no relations; at least they never know each other after they are sold.

John seemed very proud of me; he used to make my mane and tail almost as smooth as a lady's hair, and he would talk to me a great deal; of course I did not understand all he said, but I learned more and more to know what he meant, and what he wanted me to do. I grew very fond of him, he was so gentle and kind; he seemed to know just how a horse feels, and when he cleaned me he knew the tender places and the ticklish places; when he brushed my head he went as carefully over my eyes as if they were his own, and never stirred up any ill-temper.

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The next day I was brought up for my master. I remembered my mother's counsel and my good old master's, and I tried to do exactly what he wanted me to do. I found he was a very good rider, and thoughtful for his horse too. When he came home the lady was at the hall door as he rode up.

"Well, my dear," she said, "how do you like him?"

"He is exactly what John said," he replied; "a pleasanter creature I never wish to mount. What shall we call him?"

"Would you like Ebony?" said she; "he is as black as ebony." "No, not Ebony."

"Will you call him Blackbird, like your uncle's old horse?"

"No, he is far handsomer than old Blackbird ever was."

"Yes," she said, "he is really quite a beauty, and he has such a sweet, good-tempered face, and such a fine, intelligent eye--what do you say to calling him Black Beauty?"

"Black Beauty--why, yes, I think that is a very good name. If you like it shall be his name;" and so it was.

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"Well, John, how does he go?"

"First-rate, sir," answered John; "he is as fleet as a deer, and has a fine spirit too; but the lightest touch of the rein will guide him. Down at the end of the common we met one of those traveling carts hung all over with baskets, rugs, and such like; you know, sir, many horses will not pass those carts quietly; he just took a good look at it, and then went on as quiet and pleasant as could be. They were shooting rabbits near the Highwood, and a gun went off close by; he pulled up a little and looked, but did not stir a step to right or left. I just held the rein steady and did not hurry him, and it's my opinion he has not been frightened or ill-used while he was young."

"That's well," said the squire, "I will try him myself to-morrow."

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The next morning he took me into the yard and gave me a good grooming, and just as I was going into my box, with my coat soft and bright, the squire came in to look at me, and seemed pleased. "John," he said, "I meant to have tried the new horse this morning, but I have other business. You may as well take him around after breakfast; go by the common and the Highwood, and back by the watermill and the river; that will show his paces."

"I will, sir," said John. After breakfast he came and fitted me with a bridle. He was very particular in letting out and taking in the straps, to fit my head comfortably; then he brought a saddle, but it was not broad enough for my back; he saw it in a minute and went for another, which fitted nicely. He rode me first slowly, then a trot, then a canter, and when we were on the common he gave me a light touch with his whip, and we had a splendid gallop.

"Ho, ho! my boy," he said, as he pulled me up, "you would like to follow the hounds, I think."

As we came back through the park we met the Squire and Mrs. Gordon walking; they stopped, and John jumped off.

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     "Well, I don't think she does find pleasure," says Merrylegs; "it is just a bad habit; she says no one was ever kind to her, and why should she not bite? Of course, it is a very bad habit; but I am sure, if all she says be true, she must have been very ill-used before she came here. John does all he can to please her, and James does all he can, and our master never uses a whip if a horse acts right; so I think she might be good-tempered here. You see," he said, with a wise look, "I am twelve years old; I know a great deal, and I can tell you there is not a better place for a horse all round the country than this. John is the best groom that ever was; he has been here fourteen years; and you never saw such a kind boy as James is; so that it is all Ginger's own fault that she did not stay in that box."

Chapter 5

     The name of the coachman was John Manly; he had a wife and one little child, and they lived in the coachman's cottage, very near the stables.

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"I beg your pardon," I said, "I have turned no one out; the man who brought me put me here, and I had nothing to do with it; and as to my being a colt, I am turned four years old and am a grown-up horse. I never had words yet with horse or mare, and it is my wish to live at peace."

"Well," she said, "we shall see. Of course, I do not want to have words with a young thing like you." I said no more.

In the afternoon, when she went out, Merrylegs told me all about it. "The thing is this," said Merrylegs. "Ginger has a bad habit of biting and snapping; that is why they call her Ginger, and when she was in the loose box she used to snap very much. One day she bit James in the arm and made it bleed, and so Miss Flora and Miss Jessie, who are very fond of me, were afraid to come into the stable. They used to bring me nice things to eat, an apple or a carrot, or a piece of bread, but after Ginger stood in that box they dared not come, and I missed them very much. I hope they will now come again, if you do not bite or snap."

I told him I never bit anything but grass, hay, and corn, and could not think what pleasure Ginger found it.

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He gave me some very nice oats, he patted me, spoke kindly, and then went away.

When I had eaten my corn I looked round. In the stall next to mine stood a little fat gray pony, with a thick mane and tail, a very pretty head, and a pert little nose.

I put my head up to the iron rails at the top of my box, and said, "How do you do? What is your name?"

He turned round as far as his halter would allow, held up his head, and said, "My name is Merrylegs. I am very handsome; I carry the young ladies on my back, and sometimes I take our mistress out in the low chair. They think a great deal of me, and so does James. Are you going to live next door to me in the box?"

I said, "Yes."

"Well, then," he said, "I hope you are good-tempered; I do not like any one next door who bites."

Just then a horse's head looked over from the stall beyond; the ears were laid back, and the eye looked rather ill-tempered. This was a tall chestnut mare, with a long handsome neck. She looked across to me and said:

"So it is you who have turned me out of my box; it is a very strange thing for a colt like you to come and turn a lady out of her own home."

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Squire Gordon's park skirted the village of Birtwick. It was entered by a large iron gate, at which stood the first lodge, and then you trotted along on a smooth road between clumps of large old trees; then another lodge and another gate, which brought you to the house and the gardens. Beyond this lay the home paddock, the old orchard, and the stables. There was accommodation for many horses and carriages; but I need only describe the stable into which I was taken; this was very roomy, with four good stalls; a large swinging window opened into the yard, which made it pleasant and airy.

The first stall was a large square one, shut in behind with a wooden gate; the others were common stalls, good stalls, but not nearly so large; it had a low rack for hay and a low manger for corn; it was called a loose box, because the horse that was put into it was not tied up, but left loose, to do as he liked. It is a great thing to have a loose box.

Into this fine box the groom put me; it was clean, sweet, and airy. I never was in a better box than that, and the sides were not so high but that I could see all that went on through the iron rails that were at the top.

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     My master often drove me in double harness with my mother, because she was steady and could teach me how to go better than a strange horse. She told me the better I behaved the better I should be treated, and that it was wisest always to do my best to please my master; "but," said she, "there are a great many kinds of men; there are good thoughtful men like our master, that any horse may be proud to serve; and there are bad, cruel men, who never ought to have a horse or dog to call their own. Besides, there are a great many foolish men, vain, ignorant, and careless, who never trouble themselves to think; these spoil more horses than all, just for want of sense; they don't mean it, but they do it for all that. I hope you will fall into good hands; but a horse never knows who may buy him, or who may drive him; it is all a chance for us; but still I say, do your best wherever it is, and keep up your good name."

Chapter 4

     At this time I used to stand in the stable and my coat was brushed every day till it shone like a rook's wing. It was early in May, when there came a man from Squire Gordon's, who took me away to the hall. My master said, "Good-by, Darkie; be a good horse, and always do your best." I could not say "good-by", so I put my nose into his hand; he patted me kindly, and I left my first home. As I lived some years with Squire Gordon, I may as well tell something about the place.

Note! I am sorry for the bad sound quality of the recordings in the past. I didn't realize until a couple days ago that the music at the beginning and end was really loud and my voice was soft. I am using an online program to even out the sounds to make it much easier to listen to. My podcasts will be better to listen to in the future; unfortunately, it is hard to change them after they have already been posted, so the older ones will have to remain as they are. I'm really sorry for that.

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I shall never forget the first train that ran by. I was feeding quietly near the pales which separated the meadow from the railway, when I heard a strange sound at a distance, and before I knew whence it came--with a rush and a clatter, and a puffing out of smoke--a long black train of something flew by, and was gone almost before I could draw my breath. I turned and galloped to the further side of the meadow as fast as I could go, and there I stood snorting with astonishment and fear. In the course of the day many other trains went by, some more slowly; these drew up at the station close by, and sometimes made an awful shriek and groan before they stopped. I thought it very dreadful, but the cows went on eating very quietly, and hardly raised their heads as the black frightful thing came puffing and grinding past.

For the first few days I could not feed in peace; but as I found that this terrible creature never came into the field, or did me any harm, I began to disregard it, and very soon I cared as little about the passing of a train as the cows and sheep did.

Since then I have seen many horses much alarmed and restive at the sight or sound of a steam engine; but thanks to my good master's care, I am as fearless at railway stations as in my own stable.

Now if any one wants to break in a young horse well, that is the way.

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And now having got so far, my master went on to break me to harness; there were more new things to wear. First, a stiff heavy collar just on my neck, and a bridle with great side-pieces against my eyes called blinkers, and blinkers indeed they were, for I could not see on either side, but only straight in front of me; next, there was a small saddle with a nasty stiff strap that went right under my tail; that was the crupper. I hated the crupper; to have my long tail doubled up and poked through that strap was almost as bad as the bit. I never felt more like kicking, but of course I could not kick such a good master, and so in time I got used to everything, and could do my work as well as my mother.

I must not forget to mention one part of my training, which I have always considered a very great advantage. My master sent me for a fortnight to a neighboring farmer's, who had a meadow which was skirted on one side by the railway. Here were some sheep and cows, and I was turned in among them.

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Next came the saddle, but that was not half so bad; my master put it on my back very gently, while old Daniel held my head; he then made the girths fast under my body, patting and talking to me all the time; then I had a few oats, then a little leading about; and this he did every day till I began to look for the oats and the saddle. At length, one morning, my master got on my back and rode me round the meadow on the soft grass. It certainly did feel queer; but I must say I felt rather proud to carry my master, and as he continued to ride me a little every day I soon became accustomed to it.

The next unpleasant business was putting on the iron shoes; that too was very hard at first. My master went with me to the smith's forge, to see that I was not hurt or got any fright. The blacksmith took my feet in his hand, one after the other, and cut away some of the hoof. It did not pain me, so I stood still on three legs till he had done them all. Then he took a piece of iron the shape of my foot, and clapped it on, and drove some nails through the shoe quite into my hoof, so that the shoe was firmly on. My feet felt very stiff and heavy, but in time I got used to it.

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I had of course long been used to a halter and a headstall, and to be led about in the fields and lanes quietly, but now I was to have a bit and bridle; my master gave me some oats as usual, and after a good deal of coaxing he got the bit into my mouth, and the bridle fixed, but it was a nasty thing! Those who have never had a bit in their mouths cannot think how bad it feels; a great piece of cold hard steel as thick as a man's finger to be pushed into one's mouth, between one's teeth, and over one's tongue, with the ends coming out at the corner of your mouth, and held fast there by straps over your head, under your throat, round your nose, and under your chin; so that no way in the world can you get rid of the nasty hard thing; it is very bad! yes, very bad! at least I thought so; but I knew my mother always wore one when she went out, and all horses did when they were grown up; and so, what with the nice oats, and what with my master's pats, kind words, and gentle ways, I got to wear my bit and bridle.

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Chapter 3: My Breaking In

I was now beginning to grow handsome; my coat had grown fine and soft, and was bright black. I had one white foot and a pretty white star on my forehead. I was thought very handsome; my master would not sell me till I was four years old; he said lads ought not to work like men, and colts ought not to work like horses till they were quite grown up.

When I was four years old Squire Gordon came to look at me. He examined my eyes, my mouth, and my legs; he felt them all down; and then I had to walk and trot and gallop before him. He seemed to like me, and said, "When he has been well broken in he will do very well." My master said he would break me in himself, as he should not like me to be frightened or hurt, and he lost no time about it, for the next day he began.

Every one may not know what breaking in is, therefore I will describe it. It means to teach a horse to wear a saddle and bridle, and to carry on his back a man, woman or child; to go just the way they wish, and to go quietly. Besides this he has to learn to wear a collar, a crupper, and a breeching, and to stand still while they are put on; then to have a cart or a chaise fixed behind, so that he cannot walk or trot without dragging it after him; and he must go fast or slow, just as his driver wishes. He must never start at what he sees, nor speak to other horses, nor bite, nor kick, nor have any will of his own; but always do his master's will, even though he may be very tired or hungry; but the worst of all is, when his harness is once on, he may neither jump for joy nor lie down for weariness. So you see this breaking in is a great thing.

Hi! I just uploaded episodes 2-10 in the Black Beauty series. They are each about five minutes long.

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     There was now riding off in all directions to the doctor's, to the farrier's, and no doubt to Squire Gordon's, to let him know about his son. When Mr. Bond, the farrier, came to look at the black horse that lay groaning on the grass, he felt him all over, and shook his head; one of his legs was broken. Then some one ran to our master's house and came back with a gun; presently there was a loud bang and a dreadful shriek, and then all was still; the black horse moved no more.

     My mother seemed much troubled; she said she had known that horse for years, and that his name was "Rob Roy"; he was a good horse, and there was no vice in him. She never would go to that part of the field afterward.

     Not many days after we heard the church-bell tolling for a long time, and looking over the gate we saw a long, strange black coach that was covered with black cloth and was drawn by black horses; after that came another and another and another, and all were black, while the bell kept tolling, tolling. They were carrying young Gordon to the churchyard to bury him. He would never ride again. What they did with Rob Roy I never knew; but 'twas all for one little hare.

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"His neck is broke," said my mother.

"And serve him right, too," said one of the colts.

I thought the same, but my mother did not join with us.

"Well, no," she said, "you must not say that; but though I am an old horse, and have seen and heard a great deal, I never yet could make out why men are so fond of this sport; they often hurt themselves, often spoil good horses, and tear up the fields, and all for a hare or a fox, or a stag, that they could get more easily some other way; but we are only horses, and don't know."

While my mother was saying this we stood and looked on. Many of the riders had gone to the young man; but my master, who had been watching what was going on, was the first to raise him. His head fell back and his arms hung down, and every one looked very serious. There was no noise now; even the dogs were quiet, and seemed to know that something was wrong. They carried him to our master's house. I heard afterward that it was young George Gordon, the squire's only son, a fine, tall young man, and the pride of his family.

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"Now we shall see the hare," said my mother; and just then a hare wild with fright rushed by and made for the woods. On came the dogs; they burst over the bank, leaped the stream, and came dashing across the field followed by the huntsmen. Six or eight men leaped their horses clean over, close upon the dogs. The hare tried to get through the fence; it was too thick, and she turned sharp round to make for the road, but it was too late; the dogs were upon her with their wild cries; we heard one shriek, and that was the end of her. One of the huntsmen rode up and whipped off the dogs, who would soon have torn her to pieces. He held her up by the leg torn and bleeding, and all the gentlemen seemed well pleased.

As for me, I was so astonished that I did not at first see what was going on by the brook; but when I did look there was a sad sight; two fine horses were down, one was struggling in the stream, and the other was groaning on the grass. One of the riders was getting out of the water covered with mud, the other lay quite still.

 LnR Black Beauty 7

     And soon the dogs were all tearing down the field of young wheat next to ours. I never heard such a noise as they made. They did not bark, nor howl, nor whine, but kept on a "yo! yo, o, o! yo! yo, o, o!" at the top of their voices. After them came a number of men on horseback, some of them in green coats, all galloping as fast as they could. The old horse snorted and looked eagerly after them, and we young colts wanted to be galloping with them, but they were soon away into the fields lower down; here it seemed as if they had come to a stand; the dogs left off barking, and ran about every way with their noses to the ground.

     "They have lost the scent," said the old horse; "perhaps the hare will get off."

     "What hare?" I said.

     "Oh! I don't know what hare; likely enough it may be one of our own hares out of the woods; any hare they can find will do for the dogs and men to run after;" and before long the dogs began their "yo! yo, o, o!" again, and back they came altogether at full speed, making straight for our meadow at the part where the high bank and hedge overhang the brook.

LnR Black Beauty 6

Before I was two years old a circumstance happened which I have never forgotten. It was early in the spring; there had been a little frost in the night, and a light mist still hung over the woods and meadows. I and the other colts were feeding at the lower part of the field when we heard, quite in the distance, what sounded like the cry of dogs. The oldest of the colts raised his head, pricked his ears, and said, "There are the hounds!" and immediately cantered off, followed by the rest of us to the upper part of the field, where we could look over the hedge and see several fields beyond. My mother and an old riding horse of our master's were also standing near, and seemed to know all about it.

"They have found a hare," said my mother, "and if they come this way we shall see the hunt."

LnR Black Beauty 5

There was a plowboy, Dick, who sometimes came into our field to pluck blackberries from the hedge. When he had eaten all he wanted he would have what he called fun with the colts, throwing stones and sticks at them to make them gallop. We did not much mind him, for we could gallop off; but sometimes a stone would hit and hurt us.

One day he was at this game, and did not know that the master was in the next field; but he was there, watching what was going on; over the hedge he jumped in a snap, and catching Dick by the arm, he gave him such a box on the ear as made him roar with the pain and surprise. As soon as we saw the master we trotted up nearer to see what went on.

"Bad boy!" he said, "bad boy! to chase the colts. This is not the first time, nor the second, but it shall be the last. There--take your money and go home; I shall not want you on my farm again." So we never saw Dick any more. Old Daniel, the man who looked after the horses, was just as gentle as our master, so we were well off.

LnR Black Beauty 4

Our master was a good, kind man. He gave us good food, good lodging, and kind words; he spoke as kindly to us as he did to his little children. We were all fond of him, and my mother loved him very much. When she saw him at the gate she would neigh with joy, and trot up to him. He would pat and stroke her and say, "Well, old Pet, and how is your little Darkie?" I was a dull black, so he called me Darkie; then he would give me a piece of bread, which was very good, and sometimes he brought a carrot for my mother. All the horses would come to him, but I think we were his favorites. My mother always took him to the town on a market day in a light gig.

LnR Black Beauty 3

One day, when there was a good deal of kicking, my mother whinnied to me to come to her, and then she said:

"I wish you to pay attention to what I am going to say to you. The colts who live here are very good colts, but they are cart-horse colts, and of course they have not learned manners. You have been well-bred and well-born; your father has a great name in these parts, and your grandfather won the cup two years at the Newmarket races; your grandmother had the sweetest temper of any horse I ever knew, and I think you have never seen me kick or bite. I hope you will grow up gentle and good, and never learn bad ways; do your work with a good will, lift your feet up well when you trot, and never bite or kick even in play."

I have never forgotten my mother's advice; I knew she was a wise old horse, and our master thought a great deal of her. Her name was Duchess, but he often called her Pet.

LnR Black Beauty 2

Black Beauty

The Autobiography of a Horse

 by Anna Sewell, 1877

http://www.cybercrayon.net/readingroom/books/blackbeauty/blackbeauty.html

     While I was young I lived upon my mother's milk, as I could not eat grass. In the daytime I ran by her side, and at night I lay down close by her. When it was hot we used to stand by the pond in the shade of the trees, and when it was cold we had a nice warm shed near the grove.

     As soon as I was old enough to eat grass my mother used to go out to work in the daytime, and come back in the evening.

     There were six young colts in the meadow besides me; they were older than I was; some were nearly as large as grown-up horses. I used to run with them, and had great fun; we used to gallop all together round and round the field as hard as we could go. Sometimes we had rather rough play, for they would frequently bite and kick as well as gallop.

LnR Black Beauty 1 (Replay)

This is a series I started 2 1/2 years ago. At the time, I had planned to make YouTube videos out of the recordings, but actually I only made two or three. It takes time to make YouTube videos! Normally these Black Beauty podcast episodes will be about five minutes long. This one is longer because I give a long introduction.

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Hi everyone, I'm changing the way I do the LnR Classic Literature podcasts. I will now make short recordings of about four minutes and 30 seconds, plus the time for the happy music at the beginning and end of the recording. I'm doing this because I am concerned that some listeners are not interested in listening to longer podcasts.

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Black Beauty

The Autobiography of a Horse

 by Anna Sewell, 1877

http://www.cybercrayon.net/readingroom/books/blackbeauty/blackbeauty.html

Part 1 Chapter 1

The first place that I can well remember was a large pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned over it, and rushes and water-lilies grew at the deep end. Over the hedge on one side we looked into a plowed field, and on the other we looked over a gate at our master's house, which stood by the roadside; at the top of the meadow was a grove of fir trees, and at the bottom a running brook overhung by a steep bank.

Hi! Here's another episode from about three years ago. I hope you find it useful.

LnR 130 (Casual Language) Praise

Good job!

Well done!

Way to go!

Great!

Wonderful!

Incredible!

Outstanding!

Excellent!

Terrific!

Superb!

Awesome!

Fabulous!

Fantastic!

Magnificent!

Marvelous!

Remarkable!

Spectacular!

Unbelievable!

Phenomenal!

You did a ______superb______ job on the project.

Last night we saw a _____fantastic _____ movie.

She's a ____marvelous_____ volleyball player.

My friend is a(n) ____outstanding _____ photographer.

My country is having a very difficult time right now. We have three problems happening at the same time. First, there is very poor leadership at the top. Second, the pandemic. Third, another (another!) black man was killed by a policeman, and protests have broken out all over the country. I support the peaceful protesters, because Black Lives Matter. Yes, I'm a white American, but the vast majority of us believe that all people have value, though blacks (and other minorities) have been treated unfairly at times. This is not right and should stop. Though things are not good in the U.S. now, I have hopes that the race relations will improve, a vaccine will be found for COVID-19, and that there will be a change of leadership at the top in November. In the meantime, here is a podcast episode from almost three years ago. I talk about how hot it it. Right now it's June and not very hot and humid yet. It will be soon, though. In this dialog two women are talking at work about the weather and other things.

nancy@missbuswell.com

LnR 128 (Casual Language) Hot and Humid

A: Hey, is it hot enough for you?

B: Yeah, no kidding! I can't believe how hot and humid it is today. I think it'll hit 100 this afternoon.

A: I'm sure it will. Most of the time I hate this boring office job, but in the heat of the summer I'm glad that I work in the air conditioning.

B: Yeah, it's not a great job, but it pays the bills and keeps us cool in the summer. Speaking of keeping cool, my kids and I are going to the local pool Saturday afternoon. Do you want to come?

A: Sorry,  I can't. My youngest has a softball game in the morning then my oldest has a baseball game in the afternoon. Saturdays are always busy for us in the summertime.

B: I guess I'm lucky that my kids don't like organized sports. My boy likes to play video games and my girl, believe it or not, loves to read.

A: That's nice. Say, I'm free Saturday night. You can bring your kids over to my place and we can cook some hot dogs on the grill.

B: That sounds great, but I'm busy Saturday night. Once a month my husband and I have a date night. We go out to eat and see a movie, just like when we were dating years ago. A babysitter comes over to watch the kids and we order a pizza for their dinner.

A: Oh, wow, that sounds so good. I wish I could do that, but my husband is working two jobs now to make ends meet and he's so tired when he finally has some free time at home. But that's life. You gotta do what you gotta do (You've got to do what you've got to do.) That's why I'm still working at this terrible job.

B: I hear you, sister! We've all got bills to pay.

Hi! This episode is almost three years old. I talk about how I enjoy driving when I'm home for the summer. Of course, things have changed, and now I live at home all the time. I haven't been doing much driving, though, because of the pandemic. I teach English online (Cambly, PalFish, Kouyuxia, and now Amazing Talker) and am just about to launch (that's business vocabulary for "start") a course on how to teach IELTS speaking. If you are an English teacher who is interested in learning how to teach IELTS, contact me at nancy@missbuswell.com for more information. My course is not cheap, but it's not expensive, either. Best wishes to all of you during this COVID-19 time. I hope that you and your family are all well.

LnR 126 (Casual Language) Driving

The word I couldn't spell is "demographics"! Dictionary.com says: " the statistical data of a population, especially those showing average age, income, education, etc."

A: Hi, Nancy! Are you having a good time at home?

B: Oh, yeah. It's great to be home. I love spending time with my mom and her cats. I like being in my country again, of course, and I like driving.

A: Driving? Really?

B: Yeah, I don't drive in China because I don't need to. Plus, I don't have enough money to buy a car, and it's hard for a foreigner to get a driver's license.

A: Ah, makes sense. Is it strange to drive again?

B: No, it feels natural. Like a lot of Americans, I've been driving since I was 16.

A: Did you take Driver's Ed in high school?

B: No, my dad taught me to drive. My sister also helped me. My high school had Driver's Ed as a summer school class, but I didn't take it. I think it's more common now to take Driver's Ed at school. I think the parents get a discount on their car insurance if their teenage children pass the class.

A: When did you get your first car?

B: I drove my parents' cars when I needed to. I didn't have my own car in high school or college.

A: Were you from a poor family? Oh, maybe that's a personal question!

B: No problem. No, we were middle class, but with four children Mom and Dad couldn't buy us everything we wanted. We had everything we needed, though, and that's what's important. I bought my own car when I started teaching.

Hi! This podcast episode is from almost three years ago. I made it in July in China, which is why it's about the summertime. Now, in 2020, it's early May and of course I live in the U.S. now. And things are very different than they were three years ago! I am doing well because I live in a small town, with few or no active cases of COVID-19. There are many other places in my country and around the world where people are still struggling against this illness. I hope that you and your family are doing well, wherever you are. I was listening to this recording a few minutes ago. There's a lot of good information in this episode, but I think I may have talked too much! So sorry!

LnR 124 (Casual Language) Summer Vacation

A: What are you doing for your summer break?

B: Well, for my summer vacation I'll be an intern at a local company. I'll get some practical experience to go with all the things I've learned in class.

A: Will you get paid?

B: No, darn it. It's hard to find a paid internship nowadays. What will you do during your summer holiday?

A: As you know, I failed my world history class. I don't like history as much as I like my other subjects, so I slacked off on studying for it and ended up failing the class. My parents said I had to take it again during the first summer school term.

B: Oh, that's too bad.

A: Yeah, what a bummer. It's only for six weeks, but I've got class for four hours a day. That'll be hard.

B: Drink lots of coffee! Or Cokes.

A: Yeah, I'll have to do something to stay awake. At least I have free time when the first summer semester ends. I'm going to spend that time relaxing at the local pool, until my family takes our annual summer vacation to California to see Grandma and Grandpa.

B: Sounds like a busy summer for you.

A: And sounds like a useful summer for you. I hope you learn a lot at your internship.

B: And I hope you learn a lot in your World History class.

A: Yeah, right.

Hi! Like most smart Americans, I'm staying at home most of the time, just going out to run errands for my mother or go shopping. I live in a small town that has only had five cases of COVID-19. I wear a mask when I go out, but most people don't. I want to be extra-careful because I live with my mother, who is 84. Today's podcast episode is from 2 1/2 years ago, talking about when I went home for the summer. Of course, my life is different now. I live at home full time!

LnR 122 (Casual Language) Insomnia

A: Hey, are you OK?

B: Yeah, so-so. I'm having trouble sleeping.

A: Oh, I've had insomnia before. It wasn't fun.

B: I seldom have insomnia. I mainly get it if I'm worried about something or if I've had too much caffeine.

A: Yeah, I get it when I'm worried or have a lot of stress. So why do you have it now?

B: Actually, it's jet lag, not true insomnia. I arrived from China three days ago and still haven't adapted to the time zone here. I can't get to sleep until very early in the morning, and then I’m so tired that I take a long nap in the afternoon. Which, of course, makes it harder to get to sleep at night. It's a vicious circle.

A: Oh, I see. That's too bad. But you'll get over it soon, right?

B: Yeah, in a few days. I'm glad to be back, though. It's always good to be home.

A: What do you miss the most when you're in China? Your mother?

B: I call my mother twice a week, so I can't really say that I miss her. What I miss the most are milkshakes and Mexican food. And driving. I really enjoy driving when I'm back home.

A: You don't drive in China?

B: Are you kidding!? First of all, I don't have enough money for a car. Second, I don't need a car because I live on campus and almost everything I need is close to me. And finally, I'd be too afraid to drive in China!

A: But you drove when you lived in Mexico.

B: I was younger then. I'm not as brave now.

Hi! This podcast episode is from 2 1/2 years ago, when I was still teaching in China. I've been back in the U.S. for almost a year and a half now, teaching online. If you want to talk with me, go to Cambly and sign up for a free trial. On Cambly I specialize in free talk and in IELTS preparation. Here in the U.S. most people are staying home, if they can, because of the coronovirus pandemic. It's very still very serious in many parts of the world, though the good news is that it seems like China is starting to get back to normal. I hope we can all get back to normal soon. I live in a small town, where we have only three cases of COVID-19. I go out once a week to go grocery shopping. Otherwise, I stay at home like we are supposed to. Best wishes to all my listeners, for health and happiness in this difficult time.

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LnR 120 (Casual Language) Heads up!

A: Wow, that's amazing! I've never seen a double rainbow before.

B: It's a first for me, too. That's why I sent messages to you and my other neighbors.

A: Yeah, thanks for the heads up, Nancy. I think I've got some good shots of it.

B: Great. I know you like to take pictures and play around with photo-editing software.

A: Yeah, I use a free online one now, but I want to buy Photoshop soon. Say, how are your classes going?

B: I'm almost finished for the term. I just have to give some oral English exams in a couple of days.

A: Lucky.  I've got lots of papers to grade, and then final exams. Speaking of papers, I'd better get back to work.

B: OK. Hey, heads up! A car's coming!

A: Oh, wow, thanks! I didn't see it.

LnR 118 (Casual Language) Side Hustle (Replay)

Hi, I hope that everyone is doing well. The U.S. is finally getting serious about trying to stop the spread of the coronavirus in the country. We are supposed to stay at home if we can. I'm in a small town, so we aren't very worried about it, though we are being careful. Other places in the country have more cases of the virus and are facing stricter rules about staying inside. I know that my listeners in other countries, particularly in Europe and Asia, have already faced many problems because of the virus. I wish all of you the best. This podcast episode is about having a "side hustle". Right now I am working on several side hustles, mainly involving selling online and writing ebooks. A couple years ago I tried selling bookmarks on Amazon. It was an interesting learning experience, but it was also a failure! I learned how to contact a Chinese company to make the kind of bookmark I wanted. That was good. But losing money because no one bought the bookmarks on Amazon was not good. I should have done more research before I chose that product. I liked giving bookmarks as a gift, so I thought other people did, too. Anyhow, I have boxes of unsold bookmarks under the bed in the guest bedroom of my mother's house, where I live. If you are thinking of doing a side hustle or two or three, I encourage you! Be sure to do enough research before you start, though. I learned the hard way! From Nancy at nancy@missbuswell.com.

LnR 118 (Casual Language) Side Hustle

A: Hey, do you want to go see a movie tonight?

B: Nah, I want to work on my side hustle.

A: Your what? What do you mean?

B: My side hustle. It means a part-time job, in addition to your full-time job. Usually it means starting an online business.

A: Oh, really. I've never heard that expression before. I guess I could say that I have a side hustle, too. I’m writing a short ebook about how to take care of hamsters. I love hamsters and know a lot about them. I’m going to publish the ebook on Amazon Kindle.

B: That sounds great. My side hustle is selling things online. I’m actually still doing research on the best way for me to do it.

A: I've heard you can make a lot of money as an affiliate seller.

B: What's that?

A: That's when you sell someone else's product, usually on your own website. You get a percentage of the sales price. You can sell real products, like things on Amazon, or digital products, like computer programs or online courses.

B: Wow, I need to do some more research! Thanks for telling me.

LnR 116 (Casual Language) Desert/Dessert  (Replay from 2 1/2 years ago)       

A: Teacher, how to pronounce this word?

B: This one, with two s's, is pronounced "dessert". It means sweet food after dinner.

A: Oh, like ice cream or chocolate cake?

B: Exactly. As a matter of fact, that's what we usually had for dessert when I was growing up. Though sometimes Mom made us have fruit instead of cake or ice cream.

A: And what about this word?

B: It's pronounced "desert". Like the Sahara Desert in northern Africa. Are there any deserts in your country?

A: No, but we have lots of hills and mountains.

B: That's nice. By the way, please don't call me "Teacher". Use my name, Miss Buswell. But don't call me only "Buswell", because it's not nice to call a lady only by her last name.

A: Oh, I didn't know that. In my language, we call our teachers "teacher" or "professor".

B: Oh, I see. Also, it's bad grammar to say, "How to pronounce." You should say, "How do you pronounce".

A: OK, thanks. I learned a lot with this question!

Hi everyone around the world! I love looking at my statistics each night, seeing all the countries where people who download my podcast episodes live. I get a kick out of it! Thanks for listening. I hope you find the podcast useful. Here's an episode I recorded 2 1/2 years ago. You'll learn some new things in it.

LnR 114 (Casual Language) Way to go! (Replay)

Parents talking to their child after a soccer game.

A: Hi, Mom and Dad! Did you see my goal?

B: Yeah, honey, it was great! Way to go!

C: It was so exciting. The score was tied for a long time, and I thought the game would end in a draw. Then Tracy kicked the ball to Robin, who kicked it to you and you headed it right into the goal between the arms of the keeper.

A: Yeah, we really had good teamwork on that play. We had a few chances earlier, but the ball wouldn't go in the net.

B: That's how it goes. You have to keep trying. And you did.

C: Yeah. Good job today. Really good job.

B: Yeah, way to go, Kelly. Are you hungry?

A: Yeah, I'm starvin' like Marvin! Can we have some pizza?

B: Sure. We'll go to that place that has the buffet. I like all the choices they have there.

A: I like it, too. Especially the pepperoni pizza. 

TQ 109 Jasmijn from Belgium

Finally I am giving you a new podcast episode! I've been using old Listen and Repeat episodes for over a year, but now I have a Ten Questions episode. When I started the podcast, the original idea was to interview people so that my listeners could hear many different types of accents in English. After a few months I realized that there was a need to help people improve their intonation (similar to accent), so I started making Listen and Repeat podcast episodes. Its been almost a year and a half since I posted a new interview, so newer listeners won't realize that I used to post them often. This interview actually was made back in the fall of 2018, when I was still living in China. I have three interviews on my old laptop that I have never edited and used in my podcast. Here is the first one. The others will come later.

Jasmijn, 26, is from the town of Hasselt, Belgium. At the time she was staying with me (from couchsurfing.org) she had already been traveling in China for two months and was about to go to Vietnam. Listen as she talks about how she studied to become a silversmith and jewelry designer, and about a festival for an alcoholic drink (Genever or Jenever) in her hometown, and about how she visited the Uyuni Salt Flats (Salar de Uyuni) in Bolivia. Also listen as I say that I lived in Xi'an, China for two years. That was obviously a slip of the tongue, because I lived in Xi'an for five years.

Here are some words and phrases that you may not know: internship, to work on my technique, coal, grottoes, pottery, porcelain, surrealist painter.

Happy 2019 Everyone! I'm still living in the U.S. with my mother . . . and now my brother is living with us while he's between jobs. He quit a terrible job teaching English at a high school in a very small town. His students weren't respectful and the school administration weren't helpful when he asked for help in disciplining his trouble-making students. I'm so fortunate that I spent the last 19 years teaching in China, with wonderful students. I"m still teaching, but only online now. I do mock IELTS exams on the two Chinese apps PalFish and Kouyuxia, And anyone in the world can find me on Cambly. I do Free Talk and IELTS preparation on Cambly. I use the same name on all three teaching platforms: Miss Buswell. Call me! I would be so excited to talk to one of my podcast listeners! By the way, people from 109 different countries listen to this podcast! The top ten countries in terms of downloads of my podcast episodes are: China, U.S., Japan, Brazil, Germany, Iran, Canada, Russia, Korea, and Spain. And then 99 more!

LnR 112 (Casual Language) As You Know (Replay from 2 1/2 years ago)

Two friends are talking

A:  Hey, good to see you again!

B: Yeah. Me, too. What have you been doing lately.

A: Well, as you know, I went on vacation to Disney World in Florida.

B: I didn’t know that. How would I know that? I haven’t seen you for two months!

A: I posted pictures on Facebook. Didn’t you see them?

B: I haven’t been on Facebook for a long time.  I had to give it up because I was spending too much time on it. Now I spend that time reading for pleasure and watching classic movies.

A: That sounds good, but I couldn’t do it. I like seeing what my friends are doing and looking at their pictures.

B: Well, I call my closest friends every week.

A: Hey, you don’t call me!

B: Oh, look what time it is. I’m going to be late! See you later.

Here's another episode from 2 1/2 years ago.

LnR 110 (Casual Language) What did I do? (Replay)

Ten questions starting with the word "what".

What did I do? What did he do? What did she want? What did they say? What are you doing? (Whatcha doin'?) What are you talking about? (Whatcha talkin' about?) What are you looking at? (Whatcha lookin' at?) What happened? What's happening? (as a greeting and as a question) What's the matter?

LnR 106 (Casual Language) Wikipedia (Replay)

Listen and Repeat:

A: Hi there, what are you doing? (Watcha doin'?)

B: Oh, hey. I'm working on my paper for World History class.

A: Oh, yeah. I finished mine three days ago. It's due tomorrow, you know.

B: Yeah, I know. I should've started it last week, but I just kept putting it off.

A: You mean you haven't started it yet?!

B: Well, I started it an hour ago. I've already written two pages.

A: You know we're supposed to write eight to ten pages and use three sources.

B: I've already taken notes from my three sources. I'm using two websites about history and also Wikipedia.

A: What? Our teacher told us clearly that we can't use Wikipedia as one of our sources!

B: What? That must have been the day I slept late and missed class. Oh, shoot, I'm in a lot of trouble. I'll have to stay up all night working on this.

A: Good luck! I'll go get you some coffee.

Hi! Thanks for downloading my podcast! I hope that you will find it useful. If you are new, my name is Nancy Buswell. When I recorded this podcast episode 2 1/2 years ago I was teaching in Nanning, China. This summer I moved home to the US and am now living with my 83-year old mother. She is still in good health, thank goodness. I work online. I give mock IELTS exams on two Chinese apps, and teach on the website/app Cambly Fridays and Saturdays. Most of my students there are from Saudi Arabie, Turkey and Brazil. If you use Cambly, please look me up! I'm Miss Buswell on Cambly, and I prefer giving mock IELTS exams or having interesting conversations. Call me and let's have an interesting conversation!

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LnR 104 Extracurricular Activities (Replay)

Listen and Repeat:

A: We had an interesting discussion topic in English class today.

B: Oh, yeah? What was it?

A: Our teacher told us to talk to our partner about our first jobs.

B: That's easy! My first job was working at a KFC when I was 18. It was the summer before I started university. I only worked there two months. Now I can't stand the smell of fried chicken!

A: Funny! As for me, I haven't had any kind of job yet. My parents wouldn't let me do anything except study, study, study. I wanna find a part-time job now, to make some pocket money, but my parents have forbidden it.

B: Why? You’re over 18 now and can make your own decisions.

A: Yeah, sure. Tell them that. As long as they are paying for my education, I have to do what they say. At least they send me pocket money when I need it. I just hate asking for it.

B: Yeah, I get it. I hate asking for money, too. But I don’t want a part-time job now. I’m too busy with my extracurricular activities. I’m in two clubs and play intramural volleyball with people from my dormitory.

A: Really? I’m no good at volleyball. I don’t know how to make the ball go the right direction. Which clubs are you in?

B: Well, one is a church club. They have a small house just off campus for the meetings. I go every Wednesday night for singing and Bible study. I usually get there early to talk with my friends. The other one is the chess club. I’ve played chess since I was a little kid. We meet in a classroom every other Monday night to talk about chess and then play a couple of games. I’m a pretty good chess player, but there are several others who are a lot better than me.

A: I can see now why you don’t have time for a part-time job!

Hello from the U.S. state of Arkansas, where fall weather has finally arrived! Many people like the fall, but I like hot weather, not cold weather. Fortunately, it's only cool now, not cold. Here's another podcast episode from 2 1/2 years ago. I think I talk about my YouTube channel in this. Ignore it. I haven't done anything with my YouTube channel in a couple of years. I started a series called "Ask Miss Buswell", but it only lasted three days! I didn't follow up on it. I tend to procrastinate on some kinds of work. "Procrastinate" means to delay, to do something later.

LnR 102 (Casual Language) Fast Food (Replay)

Listen and Repeat: A simple dialogue between a customer and a cashier at McDonalds

A: Welcome to McDonalds! How may I help you?

B: Hi, I'd like a double cheeseburger.

A: Would you like the combo or just the burger?

B: Pardon?

A: The combo includes fries and a drink.

B: Oh, OK.  Just the burger. And something to drink. What do you have?

A: The drinks are listed right here. We have Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Fanta.

B: I'd like a Sprite. A medium one. No ice.

A: No ice, sure. That'll be $2.75.

B: Here you go.

A: And 25 cents is your change. Here's your order. Have a nice day!

B: Thanks. Say, where is the WC?

A: The what?

B: Uh, the bathroom.

A: Oh, it's around the corner and down the hall.

B: OK. Thanks a lot.

I made this recording 2 1/2 years ago when I was still teaching in a classroom. Now I'm teaching at home, online. What a change! I miss being in front of my students, though it's nice to work at home, too. I hope you enjoy this podcast episode and that you learning something new about learning vocabulary.

LnR 100 (Casual Language) Vocab (Replay)

I talk about a good way to study vocabulary so that you will remember it.

 Dialogue between two students

A: Hi, Jack! How did you do on our vocab quiz this morning?

B: Oh, man, I bombed it!

A: What do you mean?

B: I mean I think I failed it.

A: How did that happen? Miss Buswell told us what to study. It was an easy quiz. I think I made a perfect score.

Jack: I'm really hacked off at myself. I waited until last night to cram for the quiz. But then I forgot most of the words in the morning.

Jill: Well, that's too bad. Maybe next time . . . .

Jack: Yeah. Next time I'll remember to start studying earlier. Cramming sure isn't the best way to prepare for a test.

Hello as usual from Arkansas, a small state in the American South! The weather is still hot, which I like a lot, though I know that fall is around the corner. Here is a dialog about computers that I made 2 1/2 years ago. Since then I had to replace that old computer. A different student helped me buy a much better new one. I really liked it, but couldn't take it with me when I left China because it was a desktop and much too big and delicate to transport to the US. I sold it to a friend when I left. Here at my mother's house I use a nice laptop, though I do miss the big monitor I had with my desktop in China. I hope you like the vocabulary in this dialog and that you find it useful.

LnR 098 (Casual Language) Are you serious? (Replay)

A: Hey, thanks for coming over!

B: Sure, no problem.

A: Like I told you on the phone, I've got a problem with my desktop computer.

B: What's wrong?

A: I need a new video card. The old one is finally kaput. My laptop is fine, but I use my desktop for most of my schoolwork.

B: OK. I'll check with a repairman on campus. [He speaks to a repairman in Chinese on the phone] Bad news. He said he couldn't replace it.

A: Are you serious? What's he talking about? He can't replace it?

B: Oh, wait, he just told me he figured out a way to fix it. I'll take your CPU to the repairman now.

A: Thanks. You're a lifesaver.

LnR 096 (Casual Language) Chores (Replay)

It's still warm and humid in Arkansas, USA now! I like hot weather, so I'm not in a hurry for fall to get here. I'm enjoying living in the US and teaching English online. I specialize in giving mock IELTS exams. If you want a mock exam you can contact me at nancybuswell@yahoo.com. If you are in China you can find me on PalFish or KouYuXia (Language Master). I'm pretty sure that some of my online students have been downloading my podcast episodes, since I recommend them to those who need to improve their intonation. Here's a replay of a podcast episode from 2 1/2 years ago. It's about the kind of chores that children have to do at home. By the way, I talk about my YouTube channel. I haven't done much with my channel in a couple of years. I just lost interest in it.

A: What kind of chores did you have to do when you were a kid?

B: I had to wash dishes after dinner, feed the dog twice a day, and take her for a walk. 

A: Is that all?

B: No, of course not. I also had to keep my room neat. You, know, make up my bed and put away my clothes and toys. When I was older, I had to vacuum the carpets and do my own laundry. 

A: What happened if you didn't do all of your chores?

B: Then I didn't get my allowance! But I always did all of my chores. My brother, on the other hand . . . .

A: What did he have to do?

B: He had to take out the trash, wash the cars once a week, and cut the grass. In the winter he had to use the snow shovel to clear snow from the driveway. What about you?

A: I was raised on a farm! I had so many chores to do. I had work to do before I left for school, and then when I got home. I had to wake up at 5:30 every morning. 

B: Did you get an allowance?

A: Shoot, no! My parents expected all of us to work on the farm. If we didn't do our chores, we didn't eat. They were very strict. We always did our chores!

B: Gosh, our childhoods were so different!

This podcast episode is from 2 1/2 years ago, just before I went on a two-week vacation in the country of Laos. I had a really great time there! Now, if you don't know, I'm living with my mother and working online. I don't live in China anymore. I teach for two Chinese apps, specializing in giving IELTS mock exams.

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LnR 092 (Casual Language) Vacation (Replay)

A: Hi, Miss Buswell. What are you going to do during the Spring Festival vocation?

B: "Vacation", not "vocation".

A: Oh, yeah. Sorry, I forgot.

B: Happens all the time! Anyways, I'm staying here for the first part, then I'm going to spend two weeks in Laos.

A: In Laos? That sounds interesting.

B: It should be. I'll stay at a nice place just outside the capital. I want to relax, read a lot, work on projects, and do some sightseeing.

A: That sounds great. Me, I'm going home tomorrow.

B: Will you travel during the holiday?

A: No. Usually we go to my grandparents' town in the countryside, but this year the family is coming to our place in the city.

B: Sounds good. Well, I hope you have a good trip home tomorrow and a great vacation!

A: You, too! Bye.

Hi! I'm back in the US now. I spent two weeks in China, clearing out my apartment. I sold a few things, gave away and threw away a lot of things, and sent some things home by slow boat. It was a busy two weeks, filled with visiting friends and students, and figuring out what to do with my things. I thought that I had one year to prepare to move, but when I found out that I wasn't being rehired (they kept the younger teachers, not me) I had to go to China from the US and clear my apartment quickly. It wasn't fun, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was good to see my friends and students again! I got back from China about ten days ago, had a few days to rest, then went with my mother and brother to a family wedding in another state. My niece (my sister's daughter) got married. We spent a lot of time with family during the weekend and then came back. We had a great time. I hadn't seen my sister for over a year. Yesterday my brother left to go to his home in Georgia. He took his two cats with him. Now there are only three cats at my mother's house. I am teaching online now, with PalFish and Language Master. These are both Chinese apps. I specialize in giving mock IELTS exams. Now, here's a podcast episode from a few years ago. I hope you find it useful.

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LnR 090 (Casual Language) Say and Hey (Replay)

1. Say, could I borrow your pen?

2. Say, could you turn the volume down a bit?

3. Say, I've got a question for you.

4. Say, can you stop by the store and get a dozen eggs on your way home?

5. Say, why is she so upset?

6. Hey, how are you?

7. Hey Mike, I haven't seen you in ages!

8. Hey, what are you doing?

9. Hey, watch out!

10. Hey, get off my lawn!

I'm in my old apartment in Nanning, China now! I came back for about 12 days to clear the apartment of my things because I won't be working here anymore. I have a lot of work to do, figuring out what to do with all my stuff! I taught English in China for 19 1/2 years. I also have a lot of people to say goodbye to, and that will be hard. I'm honored right now to have two of my former students from about 12 years ago come down from Xi'an to spend a couple days with me, to say goodbye and to help me pack. Here's a podcast episode from 2 1/2 years ago:

...............................

LnR 088 (Casual Language) Loan, Lend or Borrow

1. Could you loan me your pen for a minute?

2. I'd like to borrow your pen for a minute.

3. She borrowed my laptop last week.

4. I loaned her my laptop last week.

5. I'm going to the bank today to borrow money to start my business.

6. The bank is going to loan me money to start my business.

7. My daughter borrowed money from me.

8. I loaned money to my daughter.

9. Many American students borrow money from the government to pay for school.

10. The government loans money to college students.

This podcast episode is from December 2016. Now my brother Ken has two cats of his own, Lucy and Jackson. When he comes home at Christmas and for a couple weeks in the summer, there are five cats in my mother's house!

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LnR 086 I call Ken (Replay)

Nancy: Hey, Kenny, when did you (whendidja/whenja) get home?

Ken: Oh, about two hours ago.

N: Did you (didja) have a good drive?

K: Yeah, no problems. I drove through Atlanta before their morning rush hour, so that was OK. The highways through Alabama and Mississippi were fine, too. It rained a little when I hit Arkansas, but not for long.

N:That's good. Did you (didja) enjoy Mom's surprise?

K: Yeah, that was so funny! I couldn't believe that Mom had gotten a new cat! I was so surprised!

N: You've got to (gotta) send me some pictures.

K: Yeah, sure will.

N: Well, I'd better let you go (letcha) go.

K: Yeah, it's getting late here. Almost time for bed.

N: Sleep well. Tell Mom I love her. Love you, too. I'll call again on Christmas Eve.

LnR 084 Accent and Dialect (Replay)

A: Where are you from? I don't recognize your accent?

B: South Africa! What about you? You sound American.

A: Close. I'm from Canada, but I don't have a typical Canadian accent. I lived in the U.S. for several years when I was a kid.

B: OK, I see. I can't really tell the difference between Canadians and Americans.

A: Sometimes there's not a big difference. Unless the person is a French-Canadian.

B: I have trouble understanding people from Scotland. I have a friend from Glasgow, but sometimes I think he's speaking another language. It's Greek to me!

A: Have you heard that old saying? I think Mark Twain said it: "The U.S. and Britain are two countries separated by a common language."

Hi! Here's a podcast episode I made in December 2016. I hope you find it useful.

Nancy Buswell

www.missbuswell.com

nancy@missbuswell/com

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LnR 082 15 or 50? (Replay)

A: My son is 13 years old.

B: Oh, is he married?

A: I said, 13, not 30. 1-3.

B. Oh, of course! Sorry 'bout that. Say, how many orders did that company place for our new product?

A: 14.

B: 40! That's great!

A: No, 14. 1-4.

B: Oh, too bad. We need the business.

A: How many orders did you get for our older product?

B: 60.

A: 16. That's not too good, either.

B: No, 60. 6-0. They really like that product.

A: Is that the company that's been in business for 90 years?

B: No, they've been in business for 19 years. You are thinking of another company.

A: Oh, yeah. Right.

C: Hey, you two! Why are you late for the meeting?

A: We're not late. The boss said yesterday that it would start at 10:50.

C: No, he didn't. He told us it would start at 10:15. We are waiting for you two.

A: Oh, shoot! We are on our way.

Here's an episode from 2 1/2 years ago. It highlights a common problem: getting "too" and "very" mixed up.

Last week I experimented by posting six podcast episodes at the same time. I wanted to see how many people would download all six. Here's the result: As of today, May 18, there have been 322 downloads of the last one uploaded, Gift of the Magi 6; 213 of Gift of the Magi 5; and then down to 157 people who downloaded Gift of the Magi 1, which means that 157 people downloaded all six of the episodes, while twice that amount only got the last one uploaded. That's actually a bit better than I expected.

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LnR 080 Too or Very (Replay)

A: Let's go out to eat tonight.

B: Sounds good. Where do you want to go? (Where d'ya wanna go?)

A: How about that place on the corner? It's my favorite.

B: Yeah, but there's always too many people there.

A: There's a lot of (lotta) people, but I don't think there are too many.

B: Their food is also too spicy for me.

A: Their food is very spicy, but that's how I like it.

B: You know (Ya know) what, I've changed my mind. It's too cold outside to go out to eat.

A: What do you (Whaddaya) mean? It feels great outside!

B: What don't we stay here and order a pizza?

This is the last episode in this series. I have posted all six episodes tonight. I haven't done this before. I used to try to post three podcast episodes a week, but since I've been at home recovering from surgery I have changed to posting only once a week. For me this is an experiment to see how many people download all six of the episodes! Every night I check my podcast statistics. I love seeing where all of you live! The statistics tell me the country and state/province where each download came from. The top ten countries are: USA, China, Brazil, Iran, Japan, Russia, UK, Poland, Germany, and Korea. (It's very likely that many of the downloads that say they are from the USA are actually made by people using VPNs in China, Iran or other countries.) My statistics show the results from the last three months. In those three months I have had downloads from 109 countries! I love it! Thanks for listening and I hope you find my podcasts useful.

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LnR 087 Gift of the Magi 6

For there lay The Combs--the set of combs, side and back, that Della had worshipped long in a Broadway window. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jewelled rims--just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished hair. They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now, they were hers, but the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone. But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say: "My hair grows so fast, Jim!" And then Della leaped up like a little singed cat and cried, "Oh, oh!" Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit. "Isn't it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You'll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it." Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled. "Dell," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on." The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

LnR 085 Gift of the Magi 5

"You've cut off your hair?" asked Jim, laboriously, as if he had not arrived at that patent fact yet even after the hardest mental labor. "Cut it off and sold it," said Della. "Don't you like me just as well, anyhow? I'm me without my hair, ain't I?" Jim looked about the room curiously. "You say your hair is gone?" he said, with an air almost of idiocy. "You needn't look for it," said Della. "It's sold, I tell you--sold and gone, too. It's Christmas Eve, boy. Be good to me, for it went for you. Maybe the hairs of my head were numbered," she went on with sudden serious sweetness, "but nobody could ever count my love for you. Shall I put the chops on, Jim?" Out of his trance Jim seemed quickly to wake. He enfolded his Della. For ten seconds let us regard with discreet scrutiny some inconsequential object in the other direction. Eight dollars a week or a million a year--what is the difference? A mathematician or a wit would give you the wrong answer. The magi brought valuable gifts, but that was not among them. This dark assertion will be illuminated later on. Jim drew a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it upon the table. "Don't make any mistake, Dell," he said, "about me. I don't think there's anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less. But if you'll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going a while at first." White fingers and nimble tore at the string and paper. And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! a quick feminine change to hysterical tears and wails, necessitating the immediate employment of all the comforting powers of the lord of the flat.

LnR 083 Gift of the Magi 4

At 7 o'clock the coffee was made and the frying-pan was on the back of the stove hot and ready to cook the chops. Jim was never late. Della doubled the fob chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the door that he always entered. Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the first flight, and she turned white for just a moment. She had a habit for saying little silent prayer about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: "Please God, make him think I am still pretty." The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it. He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two--and to be burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves. Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail. His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror, nor any of the sentiments that she had been prepared for. He simply stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on his face. Della wriggled off the table and went for him. "Jim, darling," she cried, "don't look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. It'll grow out again--you won't mind, will you? I just had to do it. My hair grows awfully fast. Say `Merry Christmas!' Jim, and let's be happy. You don't know what a nice-- what a beautiful, nice gift I've got for you."

LnR 081 The Gift of the Magi 3

Where she stopped the sign read: "Mne. Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds." One flight up Della ran, and collected herself, panting. Madame, large, too white, chilly, hardly looked the "Sofronie." "Will you buy my hair?" asked Della. "I buy hair," said Madame. "Take yer hat off and let's have a sight at the looks of it." Down rippled the brown cascade. "Twenty dollars," said Madame, lifting the mass with a practised hand. "Give it to me quick," said Della. Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings. Forget the hashed metaphor. She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present. She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. There was no other like it in any of the stores, and she had turned all of them inside out. It was a platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretricious ornamentation--as all good things should do. It was even worthy of The Watch. As soon as she saw it she knew that it must be Jim's. It was like him. Quietness and value--the description applied to both. Twenty-one dollars they took from her for it, and she hurried home with the 87 cents. With that chain on his watch Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any company. Grand as the watch was, he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of the old leather strap that he used in place of a chain. When Della reached home her intoxication gave way a little to prudence and reason. She got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. Which is always a tremendous task, dear friends--a mammoth task. Within forty minutes her head was covered with tiny, close-lying curls that made her look wonderfully like a truant schoolboy. She looked at her reflection in the mirror long, carefully, and critically. "If Jim doesn't kill me," she said to herself, "before he takes a second look at me, he'll say I look like a Coney Island chorus girl. But what could I do--oh! what could I do with a dollar and eighty- seven cents?"

LnR 079 The Gift of the Magi 2

http://www.online-literature.com/o_henry/1014/

Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling--something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim. There was a pier-glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps you have seen a pierglass in an $8 flat. A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks. Della, being slender, had mastered the art. Suddenly she whirled from the window and stood before the glass. Her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds. Rapidly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its full length. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair. Had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy. So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her. And then she did it up again nervously and quickly. Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet. On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street.

Hi! I'm still n the US. I have recovered from the surgery I had in January and the complications in wound healing that followed it. However, it's too late for me to go back to my classes in China this term. Even worse, my university told me that they wouldn't rehire me for next term. Grrrrr. (That's a sound that means you are angry.) They have four teachers for next term but they only need three teachers. So they won't rehire me because I'm the oldest and because I missed this term. It's not fair, but sometimes life isn't fair! I'll really miss my students and teaching in a classroom. I have some ideas about what I'll do next, but I haven't quite decided yet. On the one hand, I hate losing my job, but on the other hand there are a lot of possibilities ahead of me.

Here is a podcast series from 2 1/2 years ago. I made these into YouTube videos and have used them in my classes. You can find them by going to YouTube and searching for Miss Buswell. I'm posting all of the "Gift of the Magi" podcast episodes tonight, since they are a series.

my website:http://www.missbuswell.com/

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LnR 077 The Gift of the Magi 1

http://www.online-literature.com/o_henry/1014/

The Gift of the Magi

by O. Henry, 1862-1910

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty- seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating. While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad. In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name "Mr. James Dillingham Young." The "Dillingham" had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, though, they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D. But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called "Jim" and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good.

This is a replay of a recording I made 2 1/2 years ago. It's about the American baseball championships, which we call the World Series. I made this in November of 2016. Right now it is May of 2019. It's the beginning of baseball season, and the end of basketball and hockey season.

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LnR 076 Like I Said

A: Hey, why do you (d'ya) look so tired?

B: I stayed up late last night watching the last game of the World Series.

A: Oh, was that last night? I'm not a sports fan.

B: Yeah, it was last night! The game was fantastic!

A: Why? Baseball seems so boring.

B: What are you (what'r ya/whatcha) talkin' about? It was the final game. The winner would be the champion.

A: So who won?

B: The Chicago Cubs. It was amazing. The last time the Cubs won the World Series was 108 years ago.

A: Really? I didn't know that.

B:: How come? Everybody knows that!

A: Like I said, I'm not a sports fan!

LnR 074 Long Time No See (Replay)

NOTE: This podcast episode is from October 2016! I say that I have just spent the summer in the US with my mother and her two cats (now she has three cats) and am now in China again. I am writing this in April 2019 and am not in China, but still in the US recovering from surgery. I am almost recovered, but it's probably too late for me to go back to China to teach this term, so I most likely will stay here with my mother and her three cats until August.

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Lnr 074 Long Time, No See!

I'm going to write the sentences the way that I pronounce them. Remember, never write the words this way for your teacher or in an email to your foreign customer, client or boss! For example, never write "gonna"; always write "going to". But when you speak, you can say "gonna".

1. I'm gonna go home now.

2. She's gotta go tuh the store.

3. They wanna see the movie tonight.

4. I like tuh watch football un basketball.

5. We need tuh have a meeting at 9:30.

6. Please buy some bread un milk.

7. My brothers un sisters are gonna go home for Thanksgiving.

8. Teenagers like tuh play games on their phones.

9. You've gotta pay attention in class!

10. He wants tuh go home, but his friends wanna stay.

This is a podcast episode from about two years ago. I'm still in the US at my mother's house, recovering from surgery. I'll be OK eventually, buy my wounds are healing slower than usual. I'm resting a lot, and enjoying being with my mother and her three cats. I really miss my students n China, but I can't return there until I am completely healed, and that will take some more time.

LnR 073 Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley (Replay)

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/poetrycompetition/article3228951.ece

For a change, I'm giving you a very short podcast episode. It's just one poem by a famous British poet.

Sometimes I wonder if you think my podcasts are too long. Maybe I talk too much. :-) This one has the text of the poem and very little talking.

I met a traveller from an antique land

Who said: “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.

And on the pedestal these words appear --

‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:

Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!’

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Here's a replay from 2 1/2 years ago! Right now I'm visiting my mother and her three cats. I had surgery three weeks ago and am having a slow recovery. I have to rest a lot. I'm supposed to return to China in two weeks for the beginning of the school term, but I'll have to arrive two weeks late, due to the slow recovery from surgery. I hope that all of you are well! I'll be fine, too . . . soon.

LnR 062 Give me = gimme

Never write "gimme" when you are writing for your English teacher or your job. I'm using this spelling below to show you how we pronounce it.

1. Can you gimme some advice?

2. Hey, gimme that! I'm not gonna give you that.

3. Please, gimme a chance! I won't do it again.

4. Can you gimme the money tomorrow? Can you give it to me tomorrow?

5. I'm almost ready. Just gimme three more minutes.

6. Oh, gimme a break! Give me a break!

7. Do you want some cookies? Yea, I'll take two. No, wait, gimme three. I love chocolate chip cookies.

8. My children always want something. All I hear is "Gimme, gimme, gimme."

I'm sorry I haven't made any new podcast episodes for you for a while! I actually have three TQ (Ten Question) interviews that I've recorded, but haven't edited yet. I'm such a procrastinator! Do you know that word? It means that I put things off, I delay them. It's a terrible habit, but a very common one! Here's a casual language podcast from 2 1/2 years ago.

LnR 060 Didja call 'im?

"Did you call him" sounds like "Didja call 'im" if you are speaking quickly and informally. Never write "didja" and never write "im". I'm doing that here to show you how they are pronounced.

1. Didja (Did you) call 'im? Didja call 'em? Didja call 'er?

2. What's 'e doing? What's she doing? What are they doing?

3. Is that his or hers? It's his. It's hers.

4. They gave 'im the wrong number. They gave 'em the wrong number. They gave 'er the wrong number.

5. Is 'e the one? Isn't 'e your friend?

6. I see 'im. I see 'em. I see 'er.

7. What's his name? What's her name?

8. I got an email from 'im yesterday. I got an email from 'er yesterday.

I made this podcast episode in December 2015, and then replayed it last year just before Christmas. It's time for it again, as Christmas is in a couple of days! I had a nice dinner with some foreign teachers last night. There were two Canadians, three Americans, three Brits, four Chinese, and two babies. The dinner was held at the apartment of my co-worker from Canada and his wife and baby. My other two Foreign Language College co-workers were there. along with a few other people we know. We had a nice time together. And now for the podcast . . . .

LnR (Classic) A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Listen and Repeat:

Once upon a time—of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve—old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal: and he could hear the people in the court outside, go wheezing up and down, beating their hands upon their breasts, and stamping their feet upon the pavement stones to warm them. The city clocks had only just gone three, but it was quite dark already—it had not been light all day—and candles were flaring in the windows of the neighbouring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms. To see the dingy cloud come drooping down, obscuring everything, one might have thought that Nature lived hard by, and was brewing on a large scale.

The door of Scrooge’s counting-house was open that he might keep his eye upon his clerk, who in a dismal little cell beyond, a sort of tank, was copying letters. Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk’s fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. But he couldn’t replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. Wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a man of a strong imagination, he failed.

“A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!” cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge’s nephew, who came upon him so quickly that this was the first intimation he had of his approach.

“Bah!” said Scrooge, “Humbug!”

He had so heated himself with rapid walking in the fog and frost, this nephew of Scrooge’s, that he was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again.

“Christmas a humbug, uncle!” said Scrooge’s nephew. “You don’t mean that, I am sure?”

“I do,” said Scrooge. “Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough.”

“Come, then,” returned the nephew gaily. “What right have you to be dismal? What reason have you to be morose? You’re rich enough.”

Scrooge having no better answer ready on the spur of the moment, said, “Bah!” again; and followed it up with “Humbug.”

“Don’t be cross, uncle!” said the nephew.

“What else can I be,” returned the uncle, “when I live in such a world of fools as this? Merry Christmas! Out upon merry Christmas! What’s Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in ’em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? If I could work my will,” said Scrooge indignantly, “every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!”

“Uncle!” pleaded the nephew.

“Nephew!” returned the uncle sternly, “keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine.”

“Keep it!” repeated Scrooge’s nephew. “But you don’t keep it.”

“Let me leave it alone, then,” said Scrooge. “Much good may it do you! Much good it has ever done you!”

LnR Around the World in Eighty Days 16

Chapter IV

Having won twenty guineas at whist, and taken leave of his friends, Phileas Fogg, at twenty-five minutes past seven, left the Reform Club.

Passepartout, who had conscientiously studied the programme of his duties, was more than surprised to see his master guilty of the inexactness of appearing at this unaccustomed hour; for, according to rule, he was not due in Saville Row until precisely midnight.

Mr. Fogg repaired to his bedroom, and called out, "Passepartout!"

Passepartout did not reply. It could not be he who was called; it was not the right hour.

"Passepartout!" repeated Mr. Fogg, without raising his voice.

Passepartout made his appearance.

"I've called you twice," observed his master.

"But it is not midnight," responded the other, showing his watch.

"I know it; I don't blame you. We start for Dover and Calais in ten minutes."

A puzzled grin overspread Passepartout's round face; clearly he had not comprehended his master.

"Monsieur is going to leave home?"

"Yes," returned Phileas Fogg. "We are going round the world."

Passepartout opened wide his eyes, raised his eyebrows, held up his hands, and seemed about to collapse, so overcome was he with stupefied astonishment.

"Round the world!" he murmured.

"In eighty days," responded Mr. Fogg. "So we haven't a moment to lose."

"But the trunks?" gasped Passepartout, unconsciously swaying his head from right to left.

"We'll have no trunks; only a carpet-bag, with two shirts and three pairs of stockings for me, and the same for you. We'll buy our clothes on the way. Bring down my mackintosh and traveling-cloak, and some stout shoes, though we shall do little walking. Make haste!"

Passepartout tried to reply, but could not. He went out, mounted to his own room, fell into a chair, and muttered: "That's good, that is! And I, who wanted to remain quiet!"

TQ 059 Lydia from the Netherlands (Replay)

I hosted Lydia two years ago. And then, a couple months later, I hosted her again as she headed back to Europe!

========

Lydia, 21, stayed with me for several days. She's been on the road for 15 months, cycling from the Netherlands to China and then on to Southeast Asia. She desired to see China because she lived here for two years when she was a little girl. Listen as we talk about how she learned English quickly by being put in an English school in Shanghai, why she is a vegetarian, and as she tells about the beauty of the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan. She also tells us about a Dutch holiday called Sinter Klaas.

Lydia has a very good English vocabulary. Here are some words that she uses that you may not know: biblical name, repetitive, baguette, to feel alienated, to integrate, refugee, densely populated, accessible, mode of transport, sleigh, communal feeling, controversial.

Her blog is www.thegoldenroadtosamarkand.com.

LnR Around the World in Eighty Days 15

Stuart, whose turn it was to deal, gathered them up, and went on: "You are right, theoretically, Mr. Fogg, but practically—"

"Practically also, Mr. Stuart."

"I'd like to see you do it in eighty days."

"It depends on you. Shall we go?"

"Heaven preserve me! But I would wager four thousand pounds that such a journey, made under these conditions, is impossible."

"Quite possible, on the contrary," returned Mr. Fogg.

"Well, make it, then!"

"The journey round the world in eighty days?"

"Yes."

"I should like nothing better."

"When?"

"At once. Only I warn you that I shall do it at your expense."

"It's absurd!" cried Stuart, who was beginning to be annoyed at the persistency of his friend. "Come, let's go on with the game."

"Deal over again, then," said Phileas Fogg. "There's a false deal."

Stuart took up the pack with a feverish hand; then suddenly put them down again.

"Well, Mr. Fogg," said he, "it shall be so: I will wager the four thousand on it."

"Calm yourself, my dear Stuart," said Fallentin. "It's only a joke."

"When I say I'll wager," returned Stuart, "I mean it."

"All right," said Mr. Fogg; and, turning to the others, he continued: "I have a deposit of twenty thousand at Baring's which I will willingly risk upon it."

"Twenty thousand pounds!" cried Sullivan. "Twenty thousand pounds, which you would lose by a single accidental delay!"

"The unforeseen does not exist," quietly replied Phileas Fogg.

"But, Mr. Fogg, eighty days are only the estimate of the least possible time in which the journey can be made."

"A well-used minimum suffices for everything."

"But, in order not to exceed it, you must jump mathematically from the trains upon the steamers, and from the steamers upon the trains again."

"I will jump—mathematically."

"You are joking."

"A true Englishman doesn't joke when he is talking about so serious a thing as a wager," replied Phileas Fogg, solemnly. "I will bet twenty thousand pounds against anyone who wishes that I will make the tour of the world in eighty days or less; in nineteen hundred and twenty hours, or a hundred and fifteen thousand two hundred minutes. Do you accept?"

"We accept," replied Messrs. Stuart, Fallentin, Sullivan, Flanagan, and Ralph, after consulting each other.

"Good," said Mr. Fogg. "The train leaves for Dover at a quarter before nine. I will take it."

"This very evening?" asked Stuart.

"This very evening," returned Phileas Fogg. He took out and consulted a pocket almanac, and added, "As today is Wednesday, the 2nd of October, I shall be due in London in this very room of the Reform Club, on Saturday, the 21st of December, at a quarter before nine p.m.; or else the twenty thousand pounds, now deposited in my name at Baring's, will belong to you, in fact and in right, gentlemen. Here is a cheque for the amount."

A memorandum of the wager was at once drawn up and signed by the six parties, during which Phileas Fogg preserved a stoical composure. He certainly did not bet to win, and had only staked the twenty thousand pounds, half of his fortune, because he foresaw that he might have to expend the other half to carry out this difficult, not to say unattainable, project. As for his antagonists, they seemed much agitated; not so much by the value of their stake, as because they had some scruples about betting under conditions so difficult to their friend.

The clock struck seven, and the party offered to suspend the game so that Mr. Fogg might make his preparations for departure.

"I am quite ready now," was his tranquil response. "Diamonds are trumps: be so good as to play, gentlemen."

TQ 058 Milena from Poland (Replay)

Milena and Alicja (TQ 056) stayed with me for two nights as they were on their way from China to Vietnam. Alexei (TQ 057) was also here at the same time - three house guests! Milena has a somewhat strong Polish accent, so this will be good listening practice for most of you. Listen as we talk about skiing, safety while hitchhiking, and Hong Kong.

Here are some words that Milena uses that you may not know: to be fit, downhill skiing, cross country skiing, adrenaline junkie, to be terrified, pepper spray, ethnology, internship, anthropology, thesis, to horseride (to ride a horse), trekking, hiking, hippies, populated, peak.

LnR the World in Eighty Days 14

Around

"Certainly," returned Ralph. "I agree with Mr. Fogg. The world has grown smaller, since a man can now go round it ten times more quickly than a hundred years ago. And that is why the search for this thief will be more likely to succeed."

"And also why the thief can get away more easily."

"Be so good as to play, Mr. Stuart," said Phileas Fogg.

But the incredulous Stuart was not convinced, and when the hand was finished, said eagerly: "You have a strange way, Ralph, of proving that the world has grown smaller. So, because you can go round it in three months—"

"In eighty days," interrupted Phileas Fogg.

"That is true, gentlemen," added John Sullivan. "Only eighty days, now that the section between Rothal and Allahabad, on the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, has been opened. Here is the estimate made by the Daily Telegraph:

     From London to Suez via Mont Cenis and

       Brindisi, by rail and steamboats .................  7 days

     From Suez to Bombay, by steamer .................... 13  "

     From Bombay to Calcutta, by rail ...................  3  "

     From Calcutta to Hong Kong, by steamer ............. 13  "

     From Hong Kong to Yokohama (Japan), by steamer .....  6  "

     From Yokohama to San Francisco, by steamer ......... 22  "

     From San Francisco to New York, by rail ............. 7  "

     From New York to London, by steamer and rail ........ 9  "

                                                          -------

       Total ............................................ 80 days."

"Yes, in eighty days!" exclaimed Stuart, who in his excitement made a false deal. "But that doesn't take into account bad weather, contrary winds, shipwrecks, railway accidents, and so on."

"All included," returned Phileas Fogg, continuing to play despite the discussion.

"But suppose the Hindoos or Indians pull up the rails," replied Stuart; "suppose they stop the trains, pillage the luggage-vans, and scalp the passengers!"

"All included," calmly retorted Fogg; adding, as he threw down the cards, "Two trumps."

LnR Around the World in Eighty Days 13

There were real grounds for supposing, as the Daily Telegraph said, that the thief did not belong to a professional band. On the day of the robbery a well-dressed gentleman of polished manners, and with a well-to-do air, had been observed going to and fro in the paying room where the crime was committed. A description of him was easily procured and sent to the detectives; and some hopeful spirits, of whom Ralph was one, did not despair of his apprehension. The papers and clubs were full of the affair, and everywhere people were discussing the probabilities of a successful pursuit; and the Reform Club was especially agitated, several of its members being Bank officials.

Ralph would not concede that the work of the detectives was likely to be in vain, for he thought that the prize offered would greatly stimulate their zeal and activity. But Stuart was far from sharing this confidence; and, as they placed themselves at the whist-table, they continued to argue the matter. Stuart and Flanagan played together, while Phileas Fogg had Fallentin for his partner. As the game proceeded the conversation ceased, excepting between the rubbers, when it revived again.

"I maintain," said Stuart, "that the chances are in favour of the thief, who must be a shrewd fellow."

"Well, but where can he fly to?" asked Ralph. "No country is safe for him."

"Pshaw!"

"Where could he go, then?"

"Oh, I don't know that. The world is big enough."

"It was once," said Phileas Fogg, in a low tone. "Cut, sir," he added, handing the cards to Thomas Flanagan.

The discussion fell during the rubber, after which Stuart took up its thread.

"What do you mean by `once'? Has the world grown smaller?"

TQ 057 Alexei from Belarus (Replay)

Here's an interview with a cyclist I hosted almost two years ago.

Alexei (also called Alex) stayed in my apartment several nights on his way from China to Vietnam. He had already been traveling for a long time by bike. He is from Minsk, the capitol of Belarus. His native language is Russian. Listen as we talk about his trip and the names of all the countries he has cycled in.

Here are some words you may not know: the road surface, brakes, to burn calories, vegetarian, Austria, the Alps, mountain pass, serpentine road (up a mountain), bicycle gears, equipment, and visa.

You can see his pictures on Instagram. His name is Alex_Landres.

LnR Around the World in Eighty Days 12

At the beginning of this recording, I invite you to visit my website http://www.missbuswell.com/. On the right side of the page you'll see a chance to subscribe to my email list and get a free copy of "How to Improve your English Speaking".

I talk quite a lot at the beginning of this podcast episode! If you want to only hear the Listen and Repeat part, you can start at 8:47.

-----------

It was Phileas Fogg, whose head now emerged from behind his newspapers, who made this remark. He bowed to his friends, and entered into the conversation. The affair which formed its subject, and which was town talk, had occurred three days before at the Bank of England. A package of banknotes, to the value of fifty-five thousand pounds, had been taken from the principal cashier's table, that functionary being at the moment engaged in registering the receipt of three shillings and sixpence. Of course, he could not have his eyes everywhere. Let it be observed that the Bank of England reposes a touching confidence in the honesty of the public. There are neither guards nor gratings to protect its treasures; gold, silver, banknotes are freely exposed, at the mercy of the first comer. A keen observer of English customs relates that, being in one of the rooms of the Bank one day, he had the curiosity to examine a gold ingot weighing some seven or eight pounds. He took it up, scrutinised it, passed it to his neighbour, he to the next man, and so on until the ingot, going from hand to hand, was transferred to the end of a dark entry; nor did it return to its place for half an hour. Meanwhile, the cashier had not so much as raised his head. But in the present instance things had not gone so smoothly. The package of notes not being found when five o'clock sounded from the ponderous clock in the "drawing office," the amount was passed to the account of profit and loss. As soon as the robbery was discovered, picked detectives hastened off to Liverpool, Glasgow, Havre, Suez, Brindisi, New York, and other ports, inspired by the proffered reward of two thousand pounds, and five per cent. on the sum that might be recovered. Detectives were also charged with narrowly watching those who arrived at or left London by rail, and a judicial examination was at once entered upon.

TQ 108 Arina and Aleksei from St Petersburg, Russia

I hosted Arina and Aleksei for three nights on near the beginning of their round-the-world hitchhiking adventure. They had already crossed Russia and Mongolia and most of China. Arina is a lawyer and Aleksei an engineer, and they are taking time out to travel for a year or so. Arina is originally from the Republic of Bashkortostan, while Aleksei grew up in St Petersburg. Listen as they talk about their names, their jobs, and their travels.

Some of you will have problems understanding Aleksei because he has a strong Russian accent. Others will enjoy the challenge! Arina said that English was her favorite subject in school, which is why she speaks so well. And even though Aleksei has a strong accent, his vocabulary is quite good.

Here are some words that we used that you may not know: nanny, puppet, diminutive, to be inspired by someone/something, saint, fortress, infrastructure, contractor, peninsula.

LnR Around the World in Eighty Days 11

Chapter III

IN WHICH A CONVERSATION TAKES PLACE WHICH SEEMS LIKELY TO COST PHILEAS FOGG DEAR

Phileas Fogg, having shut the door of his house at half-past eleven, and having put his right foot before his left five hundred and seventy-five times, and his left foot before his right five hundred and seventy-six times, reached the Reform Club, an imposing edifice in Pall Mall, which could not have cost less than three millions. He repaired at once to the dining-room, the nine windows of which open upon a tasteful garden, where the trees were already gilded with an autumn colouring; and took his place at the habitual table, the cover of which had already been laid for him. His breakfast consisted of a side-dish, a broiled fish with Reading sauce, a scarlet slice of roast beef garnished with mushrooms, a rhubarb and gooseberry tart, and a morsel of Cheshire cheese, the whole being washed down with several cups of tea, for which the Reform is famous. He rose at thirteen minutes to one, and directed his steps towards the large hall, a sumptuous apartment adorned with lavishly-framed paintings. A flunkey handed him an uncut Times, which he proceeded to cut with a skill which betrayed familiarity with this delicate operation. The perusal of this paper absorbed Phileas Fogg until a quarter before four, whilst the Standard, his next task, occupied him till the dinner hour. Dinner passed as breakfast had done, and Mr. Fogg re-appeared in the reading-room and sat down to the Pall Mall at twenty minutes before six. Half an hour later several members of the Reform came in and drew up to the fireplace, where a coal fire was steadily burning. They were Mr. Fogg's usual partners at whist: Andrew Stuart, an engineer; John Sullivan and Samuel Fallentin, bankers; Thomas Flanagan, a brewer; and Gauthier Ralph, one of the Directors of the Bank of England—all rich and highly respectable personages, even in a club which comprises the princes of English trade and finance.

"Well, Ralph," said Thomas Flanagan, "what about that robbery?"

"Oh," replied Stuart, "the Bank will lose the money."

"On the contrary," broke in Ralph, "I hope we may put our hands on the robber. Skilful detectives have been sent to all the principal ports of America and the Continent, and he'll be a clever fellow if he slips through their fingers."

"But have you got the robber's description?" asked Stuart.

"In the first place, he is no robber at all," returned Ralph, positively.

"What! a fellow who makes off with fifty-five thousand pounds, no robber?"

"No."

"Perhaps he's a manufacturer, then."

"The Daily Telegraph says that he is a gentleman."

You can contact me at Nancy@MissBuswell.com to tell me if you want the vocabulary part to be shorter, or if you have any other comments about my podcasts.

Fresh Off The Boat S 1 E 2

Dialog

Mr. Huang: Jessica, what brings you to Cattleman’s Ranch?

Mrs. Huang: I realized, why not have the boys do CLC here. That way I can also help you at the restaurant. Unless you don’t want me here.

Mr. Huang: Oh, no, of course I want you here.

Mrs. Huang: Good! Boys! CLC. This booth. If Mitch steals two croutons per hour, and a three-pound box costs five dollars, how many days until we are on the street?

Evan: How many croutons per box? What are we paying for rent? How can I solve for X when I don’t know Z?

Eddie: Nerd!

Evan: Student: Eddie Huang. Infraction: Slander.

Emory: He’s tough, but he’s fair.

Mrs. Huang: Nancy! What did I tell you about extra napkins? Also, why are we out of tea bags?

Mr. Huang: I don’t want you here!

Mrs. Huang: I knew it! As soon as you expressed emotions with words . . . .

Mr. Huang: Why do you micromanage everything?

Mrs. Huang: Why am I the only one who cares that we are losing money? I’m just looking out for our family.

Mr. Huang: So am I, but I’m doing it in a nicer way. You should treat people how you want to be treated.

Mrs. Huang: You think people are inherently good, but they are not.

Customer: I’m sorry, could I just get my check please?

Mr. Huang. I’m sorry. My son got straight A’s and I told my wife I love her. Please bear with us. We’re going through a rough patch.

Mrs. Huang: Look at that table, look at that table! They are about to dine and dash. They’ve ordered the most expensive items on the menu. They’ve been there a long time and they haven’t paid. And that one guy is pumping up his sneaker.

Mr. Huang: I’ll take care of this.

Mrs. Huang: How? By killing them with kindness? Showering them with napkins? No, you make them pay, then you kick them out!

Mr. Huang: I will handle this my way!

Vocabulary

to terrify: As a kid, there are things that terrify you. report cards: When do report cards come out? croutons to clog: Is that why you have clogged the pepper holes? forgery kit: I’ve got a forgery kit n my room. rookie: I’m not making the same rookie mistake I made last year. I’m rooting for you. slippery slope: It’s a slippery slope. teacher’s pet mama’s boy This sucks! You play the cards you’re dealt with. chubby: Mitch, when you’re at Cattleman’s Ranch, I want you to feel like you’re being hugged by a matronly woman with chubby arms. to micromanage: We showed our love through criticism and micromanagement. Nerd! Infraction: Slander. to dine and dash sappy: That’s how it was in my family. We didn’t do sappy “I love you’s”. We didn’t have to. We just showed it. Academic: Looks like we’ll be going for academic scholarships.

TQ 107 Kristina from Ukraine

Kristina and her two friends Kirill and Peter stayed with me in Nanning for four days. They had hitchhiked from Ukraine in Europe and were headed to Vietnam. Listen as we talk about how she thinks sometimes in Ukrainian and sometimes in Russian, and as she tells us about how fascinating it was to climb a volcano in Indonesia. Kristina has studied to be a doctor, so she uses some difficult medical words in this podcast episode!

Here are some words you may not know: split, empire, gap year, to trek, trekking, the harness, mountain peak, tropical, avocado, popcorn, to ripen, ripe, passion fruit, endorphins, oxytocin, hormone, acrobatic, volcano, crater, symbiosis.

LnR Around the World in Eighty Days 10

Mr. Fogg's wardrobe was amply supplied and in the best taste. Each pair of trousers, coat, and vest bore a number, indicating the time of year and season at which they were in turn to be laid out for wearing; and the same system was applied to the master's shoes. In short, the house in Saville Row, which must have been a very temple of disorder and unrest under the illustrious but dissipated Sheridan, was cosiness, comfort, and method idealised. There was no study, nor were there books, which would have been quite useless to Mr. Fogg; for at the Reform two libraries, one of general literature and the other of law and politics, were at his service. A moderate-sized safe stood in his bedroom, constructed so as to defy fire as well as burglars; but Passepartout found neither arms nor hunting weapons anywhere; everything betrayed the most tranquil and peaceable habits.

Having scrutinised the house from top to bottom, he rubbed his hands, a broad smile overspread his features, and he said joyfully, "This is just what I wanted! Ah, we shall get on together, Mr. Fogg and I! What a domestic and regular gentleman! A real machine; well, I don't mind serving a machine."

Fresh Off the Boat S 1 E 1

Vocabulary

Shaq narc: Shut up, you little Chinese narc! to haggle: Moms thought that everything was too much. She never understood that you couldn’t haggle at JC Penney’s. Tiger Mom: Moms was always hard on me – way before all that Tiger Mom stuff. anthem: see sentence below black sheep: If you were an outsider, hip hop was your anthem, and I was definitely the black sheep in my family. humidity: The humidity is not good for my hair. exotic: I was expecting something a little more exotic. to make waves: I want all of you to be polite, respectful, and don’t make waves. janitor: I had to eat behind the gym where the janitor flies his kite. hilarious: Mom, there’s a fat kid at school and he’s hilarious. filthy: That filthy music you listen to turned you into a poet, boy! numerous: I’ve told you numerous times . . . product: Your hair is terrible. So was mine. I fixed it using product. ch___: It’s my turn, ch_____. fishy: The school’s fine with that? Fishy! We’ll sue you so fast it will make your head spin. to stand up for oneself: You do your best to not make waves, but I will never be mad at you for standing up for yourself. At the end they use the word nut in a way that I’m not familiar with. It must have been some 1990’s slang that I never heard. You don’t need to know it.

Dialog

Mrs. Huang: I talked to my sister today. My brother bought a brand new Miata.

Mr. Huang: It’s not new. There’s no way that car is new.

Mrs. Huang: I think it’s new.

Mr. Huang: Nope.

Mrs. Huang: New

Mr. Huang: Nope. It’s not new.

Mrs. Huang: Eddie, why are you eating so much?

Eddie: I’m hungry.

Mrs. Huang: Didn’t you eat your lunch today?

Eddie. Yep. But I’m still hungry.

Mrs. Huang: How did you like the xiaolongbao I packed for you?

Eddie: It was really good.

Mrs. Huang: Liar! I did not pack xiaolongbao!

Eddie: OK. Fine. I threw my lunch away.

Mr. Huang: That’s wasteful, Eddie!

Mrs. Huang: I cannot believe you Eddie! This is good food I make. You love my food.

Eddie: I need white people lunch. That gets me a seat at the table. And then, you get to change the rules. Represent. Like Nas says. I’m not trying to eat with the janitor for the rest of my life. I’ve got big plans. First, get a seat at the table. Second, meet Shaq. Third, change the game, possibly with the help of Shaq.

Mr. Huang: Darn it, that was beautiful. That filthy music you listen to turned you into a poet, boy.

Fresh Off the Boat Introduction

This podcast is only me talking! There's no Listen and Repeat.

I introduce the TV series "Fresh Off the Boat to you. I tell you about the mom and dad, Louis and Jessica, who immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan. You learn about their three sons, Eddie, Emery, and Evan, who were all born in the U.S. Eddie is the main focus of the show. He's in junior high school, and he loves hip hop and the NBA. The show takes place in the 1990's, so the music is from that time and Eddie's favorite basketball player is Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal).

In the first episode of this sitcom, the family moves from Washington, D.C. to Orlando, Florida, where Louis is going to open a restaurant, a cowboy-themed steakhouse.

The main conflict in this TV show is seeing how this Taiwanese-American family adapts to living in the U.S. without losing their feeling of being Chinese. This is a similar conflict that many families face when they immigrate to new countries.

TQ 056 Alicja from Poland (Replay)

Alicja and her friend Milena stayed with me two nights. A cyclist from Belarus was also here at the same time. Alicja and her friend sometimes travel by hitchhiking. Listen as we talk about her favorite sport, ski jumping, and how the Poles have 12 dishes for their Christmas Eve dinner, and how she visited a beautiful place in Bolivia, South America. She also traveled across Russia on the Trans-Siberian Railway, which is one of the great train rides in the world.

Words that you may not know are: Mediterranean, beets, beetroot, Roman Catholic, the Pope, hitchhike, and pajamas.

LnR Around the World in Eighty Days 9

At half-past eleven, then, Passepartout found himself alone in the house in Saville Row. He began its inspection without delay, scouring it from cellar to garret. So clean, well-arranged, solemn a mansion pleased him; it seemed to him like a snail's shell, lighted and warmed by gas, which sufficed for both these purposes. When Passepartout reached the second story he recognised at once the room which he was to inhabit, and he was well satisfied with it. Electric bells and speaking-tubes afforded communication with the lower stories; while on the mantel stood an electric clock, precisely like that in Mr. Fogg's bedchamber, both beating the same second at the same instant. "That's good, that'll do," said Passepartout to himself.

He suddenly observed, hung over the clock, a card which, upon inspection, proved to be a programme of the daily routine of the house. It comprised all that was required of the servant, from eight in the morning, exactly at which hour Phileas Fogg rose, till half-past eleven, when he left the house for the Reform Club—all the details of service, the tea and toast at twenty-three minutes past eight, the shaving-water at thirty-seven minutes past nine, and the toilet at twenty minutes before ten. Everything was regulated and foreseen that was to be done from half-past eleven a.m. till midnight, the hour at which the methodical gentleman retired.

LnR 058 Words from Spanish (Replay)

Here are the words:

adios     cafeteria     canyon     Chihuahua (a city in Mexico and a small dog)     chili     El Nino (there should be a mark over the second "n", but I don't know how to make it in this podcasting program)     fiesta     jalapeno (mark over the "n")     macho     ole (mark over the "e")     paella     patio     plaza     pronto     siesta     tacos     tortilla     tequila     vanilla     vigilante

My voice sounds tired because I recorded this late at night!

LnR 056 Words from Chinese and Cantonese (Replay)

I said in the beginning that this podcast episode would be short, but it's not!

Here are the words:

tofu     kungfu     tai chi     typhoon     kowtow     wok     gung ho     wonton     dim sum     feng shui

Hello from Nanning in southern China! I arrived back home (I have two homes, in China and in the US) on Monday. I still have jet lag, which means I feel more tired than usual and I have trouble sleeping at the normal times.Here's a replay from a couple of years ago. This is part of a series I did using words from French, German, Chinese and Spanish. I'm going to post the podcast episodes about Chinese and Spanish words in the next two days, then next Friday I will start to make new recordings. I haven't made a new Casual English Listen and Repeat episode for about nine months! It's time that I started again. So look for a new Listen and Repeat Around the World in 80 Days episode on Monday, maybe an interview on Wednesday, and then a new Casual English episode on Friday. I'm in China now, so my Friday may be your Thursday!

LnR 054 Words from German (Replay)

Here are some words that the English language has borrowed from the German language. Some use the German pronunciation and some have been changed to an English pronunciation.

angst     edelweiss     gesundheit     kaput     wanderlust     verboten     waltz     autobahn     knapsack     doppelganger (should be two dots over the "a")     schadenfreude     blitz     diesel     flak/flack     kindergarten     hamburger     lager     lederhosen

LnR 052 Words from French (Replay)

>>> I'm in a hotel room tonight because I leave early tomorrow morning for China! My mother lives 2 1/2 hours from the airport, and my flight is early in the morning, so the easiest thing to do is spend the night in a hotel. That way we don't have to drive in the dark Here's an episode from two years ago. I think you'll learn some interesting words in this podcast!

In this episode I'll give you some French words that we use in English. You can see how to pronounce them and how they are used in a sentence. The words are below:

au contraire     au pair     ballet     blase (this word has a mark over the "e", but I don't know how to make it in this podcast program)     Bon voyage!     bouquet     cafe (mark over the "e")     charlatan     chic     cliche (mark over the "e")     clique     critique     decor     deja vu (marks over the "e" and "a")     entrepreneur     facade (there's a mark under the "c") faux pas     fiance (mark over the "e")     genre     nouvou riche     omelette

I ask the French people to please forgive me for pronouncing the words wrong in the podcast and for not using the correct marks in these notes. It seems that the program for the notes doesn't allow the extra marks . . . or I don't know how to use it.

LnR 050 If I were . . . (Replay) This was recorded two years ago. I'm still on vacation at my mother's house in the U.S.

The unreal conditional: If I were . . . , I would/could . . . .

I sing the song "If I were a rich man" from the movie "Fiddler on the Roof". I'm sorry if I hurt your ears!

1. If I were you, I would tell your girlfriend the truth. Otherwise, she'll be furious if she finds out from someone else.

2. If I had a son, I would teach him how to play football. But I have three daughters, who I take to ballet and gymnastics lessons on Saturdays.

3. If I won a million dollars, I would never have to work again. However, I don't gamble, so I'll just continue working hard.

4. If she hadn't gone to that college, she wouldn't have met her husband. Her future husband, I mean.

5. If he were taller, he'd be a better basketball player.

6. If we didn't live in a such a cold place, we could play outside more. As it is, in the winter I stay inside and play computer games. My older sister shops online.

7. If my students had listened to me, they wouldn't have failed the quiz. But I told them just before the bell rang, and they were all thinking about lunch!

8. If I had some extra money, I would buy that expensive bike I want. But it's too expensive for me right now, so I'll just keep riding my old bike.

TQ 106 Matthew from Shanghai, China

Matthew, age 14, will enter the 9th grade this fall. I interviewed him while he and his mother stayed with me and my mother in Arkansas. He came to the U.S. with a singing group to compete in the Golden Gate International Choral Festival. After that he and his mother traveled to several places in the U.S. to visit friends. Listen as we talk about his name, which classes he likes, and how Chinese students have to do lots of homework in the summer. In the summer!

Here are some words that we use that you may not know: maiden name, boarding school, algebra, geometry, spaghetti, landmark, bass (not the fish; the kind of sound), cockpit, aviation.

 LnR Around the World in Eighty Days 8

As for Passepartout, he was a true Parisian of Paris. Since he had abandoned his own country for England, taking service as a valet, he had in vain searched for a master after his own heart. Passepartout was by no means one of those pert dunces depicted by Moliere with a bold gaze and a nose held high in the air; he was an honest fellow, with a pleasant face, lips a trifle protruding, soft-mannered and serviceable, with a good round head, such as one likes to see on the shoulders of a friend. His eyes were blue, his complexion rubicund, his figure almost portly and well-built, his body muscular, and his physical powers fully developed by the exercises of his younger days. His brown hair was somewhat tumbled; for, while the ancient sculptors are said to have known eighteen methods of arranging Minerva's tresses, Passepartout was familiar with but one of dressing his own: three strokes of a large-tooth comb completed his toilet.

It would be rash to predict how Passepartout's lively nature would agree with Mr. Fogg. It was impossible to tell whether the new servant would turn out as absolutely methodical as his master required; experience alone could solve the question. Passepartout had been a sort of vagrant in his early years, and now yearned for repose; but so far he had failed to find it, though he had already served in ten English houses. But he could not take root in any of these; with chagrin, he found his masters invariably whimsical and irregular, constantly running about the country, or on the look-out for adventure. His last master, young Lord Longferry, Member of Parliament, after passing his nights in the Haymarket taverns, was too often brought home in the morning on policemen's shoulders. Passepartout, desirous of respecting the gentleman whom he served, ventured a mild remonstrance on such conduct; which, being ill-received, he took his leave. Hearing that Mr. Phileas Fogg was looking for a servant, and that his life was one of unbroken regularity, that he neither travelled nor stayed from home overnight, he felt sure that this would be the place he was after. He presented himself, and was accepted, as has been seen.

LnR 048 Throw under the bus (Replay)

My Chinese friend Lina and her son left yesterday. I hope you have listened to her interview. I'll post her son's interview next Wednesday.

=====

Two friends are talking on the phone:

A: Hi, Monica, this is Joanna.

B: Oh, hey, Joanna! What's up?

A: Nothing much. I haven't talked to you for a while, so I thought I'd give you a call.

B: Yeah, I've been busy with a project at work. Our team had four weeks to renovate ten rooms for a law firm downtown. 

A: Four weeks?

B: Right. The first three weeks were for designing the rooms and choosing the materials. We had meetings with a representative of the law firm twice a week to make sure we were on track. 

A: Then only one week to do the renovations? Is that enough time?

B: Yes, because we hire contractors to do most of the work, like painting the walls and putting in new carpeting. Some of the rooms got new office furniture, so we also had to hire movers. 

A: So, did you meet the deadline?

B: No! We forgot to order the curtains! The windows in that building are an unusual size, so the curtains had to be custom-made. That takes two weeks. I was the one who chose the color of the curtains and the team leader chose the place that would make them. I thought he would place the order and I guess he thought I would place the order. 

A: What happened?

B: When the law firm complained to our supervisor, my team leader totally threw me under the bus! He said I was supposed to order the curtains, so I was reprimanded by my boss. I was so hacked off. 

TQ 105 Lina from Shanghai, China

I met Lina 18 years ago when I taught in Hangzhou, China and she was getting a master's degree in English. After that she got a job at the best university in Shanghai, Fudan University. Fudan has sent her to the U.S. twice, and both times she visited my parents' house. She became like part of our family. She calls my mother "Mom", and Mom considers her to be one of her bonus daughters. In the interview we totally forgot to mention that Lina was a tour guide four years ago when my mom and sister came to China on vacation. She and her son Matthew spent three or four days showing my mom and sister around Hangzhou. (Lina, thanks so much for taking such good care of my mom and sister before they came to see me in Nanning!) Lina is in the U.S. this summer because her son participated in a choral festival in San Francisco. After the competition they have been traveling around the country, visiting friends of theirs in Minnesota, Michigan, and North Carolina. I have already interviewed her son and will post that podcast episode in a week. Listen as we talk about how to pronounce "Shanghai", how Shanghai is better than Beijing (just kidding, listeners in Beijing!), and we learn about a small but very interesting religious group in the U.S. called the Amish.

At the end, Lina gives three suggestions to English students. Later she told me two more: 4) Don't expect perfection; and 5) If you need to use your English for a test or a class or a trip, don't wait until the last minute to improve it.

Here are some words that we used in the interview that you may not know: revolutionary writer, pen name, rank, a seasoned teacher, Amish, grace, to be exempt, exemption, to forgive, gender, one academic year, personality, reluctant, to err is human, broccoli, cashew, cube, choral, choir, to deteriorate, to lag behind, tremendously, overemphasize, to interact with, dam.

LnR Around the World in Eighty Days 7

Chapter 2

IN WHICH PASSEPARTOUT IS CONVINCED THAT HE HAS AT LAST FOUND HIS IDEAL

"Faith," muttered Passepartout, somewhat flurried, "I've seen people at Madame Tussaud's as lively as my new master!"

Madame Tussaud's "people," let it be said, are of wax, and are much visited in London; speech is all that is wanting to make them human.

During his brief interview with Mr. Fogg, Passepartout had been carefully observing him. He appeared to be a man about forty years of age, with fine, handsome features, and a tall, well-shaped figure; his hair and whiskers were light, his forehead compact and unwrinkled, his face rather pale, his teeth magnificent. His countenance possessed in the highest degree what physiognomists call "repose in action," a quality of those who act rather than talk. Calm and phlegmatic, with a clear eye, Mr. Fogg seemed a perfect type of that English composure which Angelica Kauffmann has so skilfully represented on canvas. Seen in the various phases of his daily life, he gave the idea of being perfectly well-balanced, as exactly regulated as a Leroy chronometer. Phileas Fogg was, indeed, exactitude personified, and this was betrayed even in the expression of his very hands and feet; for in men, as well as in animals, the limbs themselves are expressive of the passions.

He was so exact that he was never in a hurry, was always ready, and was economical alike of his steps and his motions. He never took one step too many, and always went to his destination by the shortest cut; he made no superfluous gestures, and was never seen to be moved or agitated. He was the most deliberate person in the world, yet always reached his destination at the exact moment.

He lived alone, and, so to speak, outside of every social relation; and as he knew that in this world account must be taken of friction, and that friction retards, he never rubbed against anybody.

I'm still enjoying the summer with my mother in the US. Tomorrow I'm going to pick up an old friend from China, who is visiting the US with her son. By the way, if you are Chinese, you can find me on the English language learning app called PalFish. Search for Miss Buswell. I specialize in preparing people for the IELTS speaking exam. Actually, anyone can use PalFish, but I think it's more complicated for non-Chinese to pay for any lessons they want to buy. There are some free "Live" lessons that anyone can watch, however.

Here's an episode from two years ago. I know I should make some new ones, but I somehow seem to run out of time . . . even when I'm on vacation!

LnR 046 Hip Hop Slang (JK!) (Replay)

Slang - Jargon - Regional Expressions

A conversation between a student and a teacher (me!)

A: Miss Buswell, can you teach us some slang words?

B: Well, I have a short answer and a long answer. The short answer is "no".

A: What's the long answer?

B: Slang is for a certain group of people, in a certain place, sometimes in a certain time.

A: We want to learn some hip hop slang!

B: Well, you're talking to the wrong person! Few people of my generation listen to hip hop and rap. I don't even know the difference between the two!

A: How can we learn it?

B: Simple. Listen to the music and read articles about it online.

A: I've heard of the word "bling".

B: Yeah, that's an example of a slang word that is now commonly used. It means flashy, expensive jewelry.

A: Right.

B: Now, you know I'm from the South.

A: South America?

B: No, the southern part of the U.S. We have words in the South that others areas don't use. "Fixing to" means "about to" or "getting ready to". And "y'all" means "you all", or the plural form of "you". "Y'all" is very common in the South. But I don't use it when I talk to you and I don't teach it, because it's not useful to you unless you are going to live in the South.

LnR Around the World in Eighty Days 6

A young man of thirty advanced and bowed.

"You are a Frenchman, I believe," asked Phileas Fogg, "and your name is John?"

"Jean, if monsieur pleases," replied the newcomer, "Jean Passepartout, a surname which has clung to me because I have a natural aptness for going out of one business into another. I believe I'm honest, monsieur, but, to be outspoken, I've had several trades. I've been an itinerant singer, a circus-rider, when I used to vault like Leotard, and dance on a rope like Blondin. Then I got to be a professor of gymnastics, so as to make better use of my talents; and then I was a sergeant fireman at Paris, and assisted at many a big fire. But I left France five years ago, and, wishing to taste the sweets of domestic life, took service as a valet here in England. Finding myself out of place, and hearing that Monsieur Phileas Fogg was the most exact and settled gentleman in the United Kingdom, I have come to monsieur in the hope of living with him a tranquil life, and forgetting even the name of Passepartout."

"Passepartout suits me," responded Mr. Fogg. "You are well recommended to me; I hear a good report of you. You know my conditions?"

"Yes, monsieur."

"Good! What time is it?"

"Twenty-two minutes after eleven," returned Passepartout, drawing an enormous silver watch from the depths of his pocket.

"You are too slow," said Mr. Fogg.

"Pardon me, monsieur, it is impossible—"

"You are four minutes too slow. No matter; it's enough to mention the error. Now from this moment, twenty-nine minutes after eleven, a.m., this Wednesday, 2nd October, you are in my service."

Phileas Fogg got up, took his hat in his left hand, put it on his head with an automatic motion, and went off without a word.

Passepartout heard the street door shut once; it was his new master going out. He heard it shut again; it was his predecessor, James Forster, departing in his turn. Passepartout remained alone in the house in Saville Row.