English Recordings

M r and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were
proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank
you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be
involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just
didn’t hold with such nonsense.
Mr Dursley was the director of a fi rm called Grunnings,
which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly
any neck, although he did have a very large moustache.
Mrs Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the
usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent
so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the
neighbours. The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and
in their opinion there was no fi ner boy anywhere.

The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also
had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would
discover it. They didn’t think they could bear it if anyone
found out about the Potters. Mrs Potter was Mrs Dursley’s sister, but they hadn’t met for several years; in fact, Mrs
Dursley pretended she didn’t have a sister, because her sister
and her good- for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it
was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the
neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The
Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they
had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason
for keeping the Potters away; they didn’t want Dudley mixing
with a child like that.

Here are 10 ways to look shredded for your best swimsuit body!
The skirt fits tightly over the hips and flares just below the knees.
There's an increasing market for the cheaper cuts of beef such as skirt.
Ever since the day they were married, her husband was off chasing every bit of skirt he could see.
The government has been accused of skirting round the issue of torture.
What time are you heading off?
The film meanders along with no particular story line.
The TV series continues its haphazard meander around the globe - this week in Portugal.
Hikers can meander along the path next to the river for several miles.
The children were tired and whiny.
As well as putting up his own cash, he persuaded others to pony up.
You could be asked to pony up hundreds of dollars for a replacement.
She wrung out the shirt and hung it out to dry.
More political shenanigans were exposed in the newspapers today.
He was gutted when she finished the relationship.
The book's a little scuffed along the spine, but it was the only copy left on the shelf.
Most claims are for scuffed tires, paint scratches and other minor cosmetic damage.
She wears sweatpants, thin white socks and scuffed red shoes.
I feel lousy - I'm going home.
All he offered me was a lousy 20 bucks!
The internet is lousy with this kind of stuff.
We spent the weekend grouting the bathroom.
We had to take the front door off its hinges to get our new sofa into the house.
Both Democrats and Republicans are getting their dander up over this issue.
It's bad when phones garble conversations.
The discovery rules out a link between the suspect and the scene of crime.
We would not rule out the possibility of re-entering the B2C market if conditions change.
Unanimous consent simply means the bill passes without all the usual Senate procedural folderol.
There is an unbelievable amount of merchandise out there with her face or name on it. T-shirts, stickers, dolls, and all sorts of folderol.
I don't believe he is given to folderol and overly ceremonial celebrations.
Haggling between the company and investors over valuations will continue until the price is announced.
Some of the member states find themselves involved in endless haggling about their voting rights within the EU.
the plaintive sound of the bagpipes
"What about me?" came a plaintive voice.
The accident forged a close bond between the two families.
Just 100 metres from the finishing line Jackson forged ahead.
Their conversations were taken down in shorthand by a secretary.
Today's secretaries are just as likely to tell their boss how to use a laptop as to take a letter in shorthand.
We had frosted glass put in the bathroom window.
According to local lore, the water has healing properties.

Dear Santa,

My name is Paul and I am 11 years old. I live in Los Angeles, California.
Christmas is coming and I am very excited. This year, I have been a good boy.
This is a list of presents for my family. For Christmas,
- I would like a basketball hoop because I love playing basketball. I would like new shoes, and a book of Harry Potter. And can I have a scooter too?
- my little sister Lisa would like a bike and a princess costume. And a cat! She is 5 years old.
- my brother is 15 years old. His name is Jerry. He would like an I-pad.
Thank you for bringing me my presents. I wish you a merry Christmas.

Lots of love xxx

India

Location: south Asia, capital city New Delhi
Population 1,352 billion inhabitants. Population distribution: 1,079 males / female.
GDP: $ 2, 713billion
Birth rate: 2.2 children/woman
Mortality rate: 36 children per 1,000 births
Life expectancy: 69 years old
Medical density: 0.78 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants.

The United Kingdom

Location: western Europe.
Population 66, 46 million inhabitants. Population distribution: 0.99 males / female.
GDP: $ 2, 860 billion
Birth rate: 1.7 children/woman
Mortality rate: 4 children per 1,000 births
Life expectancy: 81 years old
Medical density: 2.81 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants.

1. Christmas singers
2. a reindeer
3. crackers
4. a Christmas wreath
5. a stocking
6. baubles
7. a Christmas elf
8. a pudding
9. a Christmas tree
10. a star
11. a chimney
12. a mince pie
13. a snowman
14. a candy cane
15. a tinsel
16. a sleigh
17. a turkey
18. presents
19. snowflakes
20. toys
21. a candle
22. Santa Claus
23. holly
24. mistletoe
25. Father Christmas

Pretoria is the capital of South-Africa, but the largest city is Johannesburg.
It’s the country’s financial center.
Soweto is another big city in South Africa with more than 2 million people.
It’s a well-known black district and resistance movements started here in the 1960s.
Cape Town is famous for its beaches and people say it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Kruger National Park is home to a huge number of species and is well-known all around the world.
Robben Island is a national monument and museum but in the 20th century it was a prison for political prisoners.

Are you ready for ”Your school’s got talent” ?
Here’s what you must do if you want to participate to the show :
Shoot a video and tell us about yourself !
Who are you ? What are your passions ? Be creative and persuasive !
We hope to see you soon on the stage !
Good luck !

Questions :
What’s your name ?
How old are you ?
Where do you live ?
Where are you from ?
How are you ?
What are your passions ?
What are your hobbies ?

Who said oink?

There is a little puppy, named Joy. He is very cheerful and joyful.
One night he hears a very strange sound,"Oink, oink, oink". Joy doesn't know whose sound it is, and he decides to find it out.

Next morning little puppy goes to the garden and sees a kitten, named Belle. 🐱
"Did you say "Oink, oink, oink" last night?",asks Joy.
"No, I never say "Oink". My sound is "Meow". Bye!"
"Bye!"

Next he goes behind the garage and sees there our old friend Red Rabbit. 🐰
"Did you say "Oink, oink, oink" last night?",asks Joy.
"No, I never say "Oink". My sound is "Sniff". "Bye!"
"Bye!"

Then Joy goes up the attic and sees there a spider. 🕷
"Did you say "Oink, oink, oink" last night?",asks Joy.
"No, it wasn't me. I don't make any sounds at all. Bye!"
"Bye!"

After that he goes into the cattle shed and sees there 3 piglets, named Niff-Niff, Naff-Naff and Nuff-Nuff.
"Did you say "Oink, oink, oink" last night?",asks Joy.
"Yes, we did! Oink, oink, oink!", say 3 piglets, "Why?"
"I don't like your sound. It's loud and ugly. Be quiet tonight, please!", says little puppy and goes to his kennel to sleep.

Proud of our son Tarantino

When Quentin Tarantino was a child, he was not very nice. He tried to shave the heads of his classmates Danya and Kirill. The principal called Quentin's parents and complained, "Your son tried to shave the heads of his classmates during their ballet class!" Quentin's father, Zubenko Mikhail Petrovich, said, "We are proud of our son," and hugged him.

Another time Tarantino tried to drink some beer in P.E. The principal called Quentin's parents and complained, "Today your son tried to drink some beer. Thank god, the gym teacher stole the beer and drank it himself!" Mikhail Petrovich said, "We are proud of our son," and hugged him.

Another time Tarantino tried to sell his younger brother on eBay. His father called the principal and complained, "You teach my son very badly in your school! Today he tried to sell his younger brother on eBay! The principal said "I am very proud of Quentin," and gave him straight A's.