English Recordings

(August 24, 2011) Hi,~~ how are you?
Today I was a little busy/ I`ve been busy.
How were you? [Alternative:
-How was it for you?
-How was the day for you?]
Today, I took some pictures, and I would like to explain them to you now,but I can`t, because I’m too sleepy to explain now. Therefore I’ll talk very, very briefly about them.
1- Today`s b-l-u-e-sky and w-h-i-t-e clouds.
2- A new puppy. My friend adopted this puppy. Really cute!
3- A special lunch menu as a Vietnamese rice wrap.
I ate/had it with two of my friends.
4-The place where I met my friend today in the evening. She is going to Yantai China tomorrow.
Ooo…I can`t stand it anymore. I should go to bed RIGHT NOW!! Bye~~ Good night!

Transport, the activity or process of moving things or people from one place to another.

Early humans dreamed of going faster and further than they could on foot. They probably first achieved this in northern countries before 3,000 BC (before Christ) using skis. The wheel was invented around 3,500 BC but carts were very slow without roads. So for many centuries the fastest and more popular means of transport was the horse, which can run at about fifty-five kilometres an hour. This record for speed was unbroken until the end of eighteenth century when the hot-air balloon and the railway both began to develop.
The hot-air balloon made its first free flight in 1783. Two Frenchmen, the Montgolfier brothers, were working as papermakers when they had the idea for the balloon. A fire heated the air, making the balloon rise. During the first flight, the two passengers were admiring the view when they suddenly saw smoke! The balloon was burning but, luckily, they managed to put the fire out and land safely.
The railway developed gradually from carts on tracks. The first vehicle with an engine to run on tracks was developed in 1803 by an Englishman, Richard Trevithick.
In 1804, he took the first passengers, although they didn't have to buy a ticket. Unfortunately, they were travelling in the train when it began to fall off the tracks and Trevithick realised that the tracks were no strong enough to take the weight of the train. The passengers escaped unharmed, but it was another example of how dangerous the development of transport can be.
Perhaps unexpectedly, the bicycle didn't appear until around 1840, when a Scotsman, Kirkpatrick McMillan, created the first one to have pedals. People rode bicycles without pedals before then, but they were slow and not very popular. It took around 140 years for McMillan's design to develop into modern mountain bikes.
The twentieth century saw the development of many other means of transport, including the hydrofoil and the hovercraft. The petrol-driven car (invented in 1885 in Germany) completely changed the way people thought about transport, and so did the aeroplane. People always dreamed of flying. One day, in 1903, that dream became a reality. Two American brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, managed to make a short flight in their aircraft, the Flyer. From there, a huge industry grew that allowed, and still allows, people to visit the whole world, easily and cheaply.
The challenge for the twenty-first century is transport in space. Since the first Moon landing in 1969, technology has developed to give us the space shuttle (1981) and even the space tourist (2002). The future of transport will probably be as exciting as its past.

immediately

at once

right away

this minute

soon

shortly

before long

sometime soon

in a little while

later

in a while

at a later

time

after a while

eventually

ultimately

sometime

someday

one of these days

sooner or later

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Learn to Manage Your Time

My name is Rebecca Stone. I work for a big corporation in New York. I used to be late for every meeting. I admired my co-workers who were always prompt. So I enrolled in a time management course at Peterson Institute.

This course has changed my life. Now, I finish my work on time.

When my boss asks me to write a report, I immediately begin to make plans. I think about those things I will do right away and those tasks I can do sometime soon. I ask myself, "Can I do some things at a later time?"

Then I write down my plans. I write in my daily planner the tasks I must do at once, those I can do shortly and those I will do after a while.

Someday I will become a vice-president of this corporation. Or maybe I will eventually own my own company. Thanks to Peterson Institute I have learned to manage my time. Now I am a successful, on-time person.

Be Still.

Post written by Leo Babauta.

Be still.

Just for a moment.

Listen to the world around you. Feel your breath coming in and going out. Listen to your thoughts. See the details of your surroundings.

Be at peace with being still.

In this modern world, activity and movement are the default modes, if not with our bodies then at least with our minds, with our attention. We rush around all day, doing things, talking, emailing, sending and reading messages, clicking from browser tab to the next, one link to the next.

We are always on, always connected, always thinking, always talking. There is no time for stillness — and sitting in front of a frenetic computer all day, and then in front of the hyperactive television, doesn’t count as stillness.

This comes at a cost: we lose that time for contemplation, for observing and listening. We lose peace.

And worse yet: all the rushing around is often counterproductive. I know, in our society action is all-important — inaction is seen as lazy and passive and unproductive. However, sometimes too much action is worse than no action at all. You can run around crazily, all sound and fury, but get nothing done. Or you can get a lot done — but nothing important. Or you can hurt things with your actions, make things worse than if you’d stayed still.

And when we are forced to be still — because we’re in line for something, or waiting at a doctor’s appointment, or on a bus or train — we often get antsy, and need to find something to do. Some of us will have our mobile devices, others will have a notebook or folder with things to do or read, others will fidget. Being still isn’t something we’re used to.

Take a moment to think about how you spend your days — at work, after work, getting ready for work, evenings and weekends. Are you constantly rushing around? Are you constantly reading and answering messages, checking on the news and the latest stream of information? Are you always trying to Get Lots of Things Done, ticking off tasks from your list like a machine, rushing through your schedule?

Is this how you want to spend your life?

If so, peace be with you. If not, take a moment to be still. Don’t think about what you have to do, or what you’ve done already. Just be in the moment.

Then after a minute or two of doing that, contemplate your life, and how you’d like it to be. See your life with less movement, less doing, less rushing. See it with more stillness, more contemplation, more peace.
Then be that vision.

It’s pretty simple, actually: all you have to do is sit still for a little bit each day. Once you’ve gotten used to that, try doing less each day. Breathe when you feel yourself moving too fast. Slow down. Be present. Find happiness now, in this moment, instead of waiting for it.

Savor the stillness. It’s a treasure, and it’s available to us, always.
—
From the Tao Te Ching:
It is not wise to dash about.
Shortening the breath causes much stress.
Use too much energy, and
You will soon be exhausted.
That is not the Natural Way.
Whatever works against this Way
Will not last long.

---

This is an article from zenhabits.net. You can find it here http://zenhabits.net/be-still/

a brief guide to life

‘A few strong instincts and a few plain rules suffice us.’ ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Post written by Leo Babauta.

Life can be ridiculously complicated, if you let it. I suggest we simplify
.
Thich Nhat Hanh’s quote, which I’ve stolen as this site’s subtitle, is the shortest guide to life you’ll ever need:

“Smile, breath, and go slowly.”

If you live your life by those five words, you’ll do pretty well. For those who need a little more guidance, I’ve distilled the lessons I’ve learned (so far) into a few guidelines, or reminders, really.

And as always, these rules are meant to be broken. Life wouldn’t be any fun if they weren’t.

the brief guide

less TV, more reading
less shopping, more outdoors
less clutter, more space
less rush, more slowness
less consuming, more creating
less junk, more real food
less busywork, more impact
less driving, more walking
less noise, more solitude
less focus on the future, more on the present
less work, more play
less worry, more smiles
breathe

---

This is an article from zenhabits.net. You can find it here http://zenhabits.net/brief-guide/

Hawkridge Wood House
Thatcham
Berkshire
Hi Mom and Dad,
What do you think of my new address? There are no numbers on houses in this little village in England, only names! It's very confusing. If you are trying to find a specific house, you usually have to ask people for directions. But, you have to be very careful how you ask. The English speak more politely than we Americans do! Once I approached an Englishman and asked: "Which way is Charing Cross station?" He looked at me a bit strangely but then he politely gave me directions. Of course, the problem was how I asked because I should have begun like this: "Excuse me, I'm sorry to disturb you but could you please...?
Driving in England is a pretty scary experience! Here they drive on the left side, can you imagine? I frequently enter the car from the passenger side by mistake. I must concentrate very hard when I'm driving. It helps if there are other cars on the road because then I simply follow one of them, but if the road is empty, I am in big trouble! Sometimes, it's easier to walk.
By the way, did you know, walking is a popular English pastime? The weather here is great for good walks. It is usually very mild, but still, English people complain loudly about the weather. "Horrible weather!" they will shout to you on a day when there is a slight wind and a bit of rain. They should try Boston in the winter!
It's an education and I love it.
Love,
Sam

Did you head-butt Master Matthew?

And of course, once you head-butt him, you gain sacred knowledge, but you also take a serious injury on your head!

I don't blame you.
I can't blame you.

Don't blame me.
You can't blame me for getting upset.
It's always me that gets the blame.

He buried the box in the back garden.

The faucet is leaking.

Kumquats are a group of small fruit-bearing trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae.

Small apricots are often the tastiest. They tend to be apricots that have not been forced to grow larger with over watering.

Don't be so rough or you'll break it.

Slower or More slowly, please
Not so fast

Please behave yourselves when we visit grandma.

Behave yourself!

Behave yourself or you won't get any pocket money.

Behave! Stop being so naughty!

If you throw the ball thus, as I’m showing you, you’ll have better luck hitting the target.

I have all the tools I need, thus I will be able to fix the car without having to call a mechanic.

Don't make me come down there!

And if all your friends jumped off a cliff... Would you jump too?

Grab your coat and your gloves and your scarf and hat.

She thinks her poop doesn't stink.

9. Never leave the mind vacant

An empty mind is devil's workshop. All evil deeds start in the mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile. Actively follow a hobby. You must decide what you value more - money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even if you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God's name (japa).

10. Do not procrastinate and never regret

Do not waste time in wondering "should I or shouldn't I?" Days, weeks, months and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Always remember God has His own plan too. Value your time and do things. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can rectify your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET! Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Take it as the will of God. You do not have the power to alter the course of God's will. Why cry?