English Recordings

If you've ever been to Europe, you'll know that the countries there have their own special dishes and style of cooking. Here are some examples.

France is famous for its unusual food and fine wines. If you go to France, don't forget to try the snails in garlic butter. They're delicious. So are the frogs' legs. They taste a little bit like chicken.

Italy has some wonderful food. My favorite is pizza. Spaghetti is delicious too. Did you know that spaghetti came from China? Marco Polo first brought it to Italy more than seven hundred years ago after visiting China.

Germany is famous for its sour cabbage and sausages, and its beer, of course. England is proud of its fish and chips and hot tea. Spain grows some juicy oranges.

Feeling hungry? Time for a piece of Swiss cheese and bread and some delicious hot chocolate.

In Western cultures, some colors show not only the "color" but also another meaning such as fear, anger or sadness.

When people see the color "red", they think of anger, danger or caution. This is why many dangerous signs are red. The color "blue" sometimes means that someone is sad. "Blue" music is usually quite slow and sad.

Green is the color for jealous people. There is a saying "green with envy", which means that someone really wants to have something which belongs to another person.

Yellow is the color which shows fear. People who are not brave or are always afraid are called "yellow". Sometimes people call them "chicken". Chickens are yellow too, aren't they?

Even black and white have other meanings. White means "good" and "clean". A bride usually wears a white dress. But black often shows that something is bad or evil. I wonder why bridegrooms usually wear black?

You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
That's Why I'll Always Stay Around
You Are The Apple Of My Eye
Forever You'll Stay In My Heart

I Feel Like This Is The Beginning
Though I've Loved You For A Million Years
And If I Thought Our Love Was Ending
I'd Find Myself Drowning In My Own Tears

You Must Have Known That I Was Lonely
Because You Came To My Rescue
And I Know That This Must Be Heaven
How Could So Much Love Be Inside Of You

There's a hero if you look inside your heart
You don't have to be afraid of what you are.
There's an answer if you reach into your soul
and the sorrow that you know will melt away

And then a hero comes along
with the strength to carry on
and you cast your fears aside
and you know you can survive.

So, when you feel like hope is gone
look inside you and be strong
and you'll finally see the truth
that a hero lies in you.

It's a long road when you face the world alone,
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold.
You can find love if you search within yourself
and the emptiness you felt will disappear.

Lord knows dreams are hard to follow,
But don't let anyone tear them away.
Hold on, there will be tomorrow,
In time you'll find the way

Little Frank is a real foodie. He is crazy about / adores spicy food, pizza and all sorts / kinds of desserts. And he also likes hamburgers, French fries and other junk food. Frank’s grandmother cares about his health and doesn’t allow him to eat everything. She thinks that Frank’s parents could give more attention to their son’s diet. However, Frank’s parents are too busy.
“Granny, I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse!”
“I have made / cooked soup and stewed vegetables.”
“But I want a dessert!”
“Eat up your soup and stewed vegetables and you’ll get your dessert.”
“When I eat my soup, you will give me an extra serving. I’m fond of eating out / I like to eat out! Mum and Dad take me to a café every month. There are so many sweets on the menu! I adore cheesecakes!”
“Cheesecakes have a short shelf life.”
“Last Saturday we went to MacDonald’s and I ate five hamburgers there. I could have eaten even six, but Dad didn’t allow me. Could you make a hamburger instead of soup for me?”

Traditional foods are an important part of every Korean celebration. Rice is eaten with all meals in Korea. Kimchi, which is pickled cabbage and strong spices and pulgolgi, which is thinly sliced broiled beef that is eaten with spicy sauces are a large part of the Korean diet. Fish, shellfish, seaweed, and other products of the ocean are prepared in many different ways to serve on Korean tables.

Korean Americans are one of the fastest-growing Asian groups in the United States. Although Children's Day is not a national holiday in the U.S., it is celebrated within Korean Families on May 5. Korean American communities celebrate with performances, special foods, and activities, and Korean cultural schools hold day-long programs to celebrate children.

Children of all ages are celebrated during Children's Day and the entire community is involved in the festivity. Many cities have parades and public activities and museums, zoos, amusement parks, and movie theaters offer free admission to children. Traditional games, such as yut are played. Gifts are given to children from their parents and from stores that the children visit during Children's Day.

Tae kwon do demonstrations are often part of the Children's Day activities. Tae kwon do is a form of self defense that originated in Korea more than two thousand years ago and is a commonly taught martial art in the United States. It involves more sharp, quick kicking than the Japanese style karate, and was showcased for the world in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Tae kwon do is both a physical and mental discipline. Students studying tae kwon do often will practice more than an hour each day.

Children's Day (orini nal) is a South Korean national holiday celebrated on May 5. It was founded by the Korean children's writer Pang Chong-hwan in 1923 as a way to instill in the children a sense of independence and national pride. Children's Day highlights the dignity of children and their need for love, care, and respect. It is also a day to honor adults that have contributed to improving the lives of children.

Although Children's Day was founded in 1923, a May fifth holiday was celebrated by Koreans more than five hundred years ago. Suri-day or dano day, meaning the first five days, was one of the four great Korean national holidays. People dressed in new clothes and set out food to worship their ancestors. Swinging and ssireum wrestling were some of the activities enjoyed on this day. Many of the suri-day activities are also parts of other Korean celebrations, but this holiday is no longer celebrated in Korea.

South Korea's official name is Taihan-Min-quk (tie-HAHN min-GUK), or the Republic of Korea. More than forty million people live in South Korea, most of them descendants of the tribes that came to the Korean Peninsula thousands of years ago. South Korea is about thirty-eight hundred square miles, about the size of Virginia. Korea is a mountainous land and known by its people as Choson, the "Land of the Morning Calm," because of the beautiful misty mornings in the mountains.

Education is highly valued by Koreans. All South Korean children attend the first through sixth grade, and ninety percent attend a three-year-long high school. South Korea has worked hard to build a strong educational system since the Korean War. Free education from first grade to high school are provided by the government. The government also supports many college students and airs educational television.

The Korean people celebrate many holidays. The Korean calendar is based on lunar months, and there is at least one major celebration during each moon. Traditional clothing and food are a part of every Korean celebration. Many Korean celebrations honor ancestors, elders, and religious figures.

Dialogue 3

A) Are you interested in movies?
B) Yes. I like thrillers.
A) What films have you seen recently?
B) I have seen “Avatar”.
A) Did you like it?
B) Yeah, it wasn’t bad.
A) Do you have any favourite actors?
B) I like Gwyneth Paltrow.