English Recordings

A．How do you take your coffee?
B．Just a little bit of sugar, please.
A．Sure.

I Remember How He Was Last Autumn

His name is still John even though he is no longer my friend. He was my friend before last autumn arrived. Yet things suddenly changed between us; more suddenly than a change of season in a tropical country might portend.

In the Caribbean, summer actually lasts all year long. It is warmer in August than in April, but the difference would be meaningless to a person from a country of temperate climate where seasons are clearly defined not only by what the temperature is like, but also by what the eyes can see. Here, the vegetation is dense and the trees are leafy throughout the year; the landscape never loses the greenery of its hills.

Yet I remember last autumn as it not only a new season but a whole new life had come with it as well. The winter we met, a year ago, was a new beginning of everything for me. We first met at a mutual friend's house and knew from the beginning that we couldn’t, let alone wanted, to be far from each other. We intuitively knew that we should spend some good time together and that were both ready to fight whatever came our way.

We were young, painless, inexperienced and whimsical, but nonetheless we managed to move in together before the next spring. Our life back then was basically a movie: we didn't have any kitchen appliances or any money to eat, let alone to pay the rent. If my aunt hadn't sent us food each midday Monday through Friday, we would have starved to death. On top of that, there was John and his past: a horror movie-like past that every night came to hunt him even though I slept beside him to protect him from his ghosts and devoted all my thoughts and movements to comforting and bringing relief to his sufferings.

Even though we were quite close and showed love to each other every day, I knew we were too different to stay together all of our life. John was like a son I have thought I would never have. I took complete care of him and gave my soul so profoundly to him as I never thought I would give my soul to anyone, probably because I had never found a person who needed that kind of love and appreciation as desperately as he did.

Yet the autumn arrived and one day I woke up fully to the reality that had long been growing inside me. John had been getting back to the reality of this past, lured by the idea that it was where he really belonged, and was trapped again under the spell of his own fate.

I remember how he was like when the wind got just a little colder. Now he has left without saying anything and has probably forgotten all what we shared together. I look for him sometimes in my mind and go out there into the darkness. Now, when we are only halfway through another winter.
 

My name is Mary. I’m 30 years old. I’m American. I was born in New York. But I live in Russia now. I teach English here. I’m not married and I don’t have kids. But I have a boyfriend. We have been dating for 2 years now. My boyfriend’s name is Carlos. He is Spanish and he lives in Spain, but he speaks English very well. We use English to communicate because my Spanish is very poor. I have many hobbies. I like reading, listening to music, playing the piano, cooking, etc. But I can’t dance. I want to learn how to dance. My favorite dance is Tango. I think it is very beautiful and passionate. I would like to take Tango classes in the future. I hope my dream will come true.

To me this cartoon is not amusing at all. Well... I mean it is based on stereotypes only. Well... Let’s take the example of the Queen: She is viewed as arrogant, aloof, unable to share feelings. And we all know this is not the truth!
She has to follow a very strict protocol and cannot behave as she likes. I remember all the big hype after Princess Diana’s sudden death. All she wanted was to protect the young princes from the media and she ended up being accused of being too distant! I don’t think it’s fair! It seems to me this cartoon gives a negative image of British people. Foreign people are convinced that the Scots are stingy or English cooking is disgusting. I’m fed up with all these clichés! I didn’t even smile.

there is an alligator under my bed
where is the little boy?
the little boy is in his bedroom. it’s time to go to sleep.
He is scared. Why is he scared?
“There’s an alligator under my bed! Go away alligator!”
Look! The alligator is under the little boy’s bed. Can you see the alligator? We can see the eye of the alligator looking from under the bed
“Mum! Dad! There’s an alligator under my bed!”
Mum and Dad can’t find the alligator!
So the little boy goes into the kitchen and opens the fridge and he gets some food all alligators like to eat; carrots, grapes, bananas, oranges, cookies, peanut butter sandwiches.
The little boy puts a peanut butter sandwich in the garage, cookies in the hall, vegetables on the stairs, a soda and some candy next to his bed.
Now, the little boy is waiting and watching
Out the alligator comes to eat the candy and drink the soda.
The little boy hides in the hall closet and here comes the alligator and he eats the cookies!
Look! The alligator is crawling down the stairs eating the vegetables
The alligator is now in the hall and crawls into the garage
“let’s close the door now!’ the little boy says. And he goes to bed
“Now, the alligator is in the garage! Can Dad get his car tomorrow morning?”
“Dear Dad, watch out! There’s an alligator in the garage. Wake me up if you need help!”

One stormy night, a taxi driver was driving down a small, lonely road when he saw a girl standing under a bare tree.
He opened the door and said to the girl, «Do you want a lift?»
The girl said yes, so they went off in the car.
The taxi-driver said, «I can take you home. Where do you live?»
The girl said, «I live in that house on the hill.»
So the taxi driver took the girl to the hill. When they got to the house, the taxi driver knocked on the door. An old woman opened the door.
The taxi driver said, «Is this your daughter?»
The woman said, «My daughter died five years ago under that tree.»
When the taxi driver turned around, the girl was gone.

My grand mother told me that story.

London

I wander thro' each charter'd street.
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe,

In every cry of every Man,
In every Infants cry of fear.
In every voice; in every ban,
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear

How the Chimney-sweepers cry
Every blackning Church appalls.
And the hapless Soldiers sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls

But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlots curse
Blasts the new-born Infants tear
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse

(January 19, 2014)Right now, it is snowing at midnight.
It seems like it will be very cold tomorrow morning.
Right now, it is midnight and snowing.
It seems that it will be very cold tomorrow morning.

I've got a toothache.
I've got a headache.
I've got a cold.
I've got a stomach ache.
I've got a sore throat.
I've got a temperature.

Britney Spears was born in Mississippi, USA on December, the second, 1981. She is one of the world’s best-selling singers, She has sold over 100 million records worldwide. She also writes songs and acts. She is also famous for her problems with drugs and alcohol.
Britney Spears grew up in Kentwood, Louisiana. She has got two siblings: one sister and one brother. Her mother was a teacher and her father was an estate agent. Spears was very good at gymnastics when she was a child and competed in many tournaments. She also sang and danced in her local church shows. She spent several summers developing her talent at a performing arts school in New York. When she was 11, she appeared in the Disney Channel’s New Mickey Mouse Club. She signed a recording contract at the age of 16.
Spears released her debut single "Baby One More Time” in 1998. It was an instant international success and ranks as the 38th best song of all time. The album of the same name sold 28 million copies. Spears has won many awards. She had established herself as a pop phenomenon.
Her personal life has been less successful. Her four-year relationship with Justin Timberlake ended in 2002. She married dancer Kevin Federline in 2004 and divorced him in 2007. She has got two sons.