English Recordings

If you are a woman :
My name is Susan. I’m Scottish and my husband is Irish.
I am 48 years old and my husband is 53.
We have got twin sons : they are 17. They like eating and playing but they don’t like school.
They always play video games with their cousins on weekends.

My name is Betty. I am 63. I live in Dublin but I’m not Irish. I’m from the USA. I am divorced and I have got three daughters. They all live in London with their husbands. My grandchildren come to visit me every year during the summer holiday. They love my house because there is a big garden with lots of animals.

If you are a man :
My name is Brian. I’m Scottish and my wife is Irish.
I am 48 years old and my wife is 53.
We have got twin sons : they are 17. They like eating and playing but they don’t like school.
They always play video games with their cousins on weekends.

My name is Mike. I am 63. I live in Dublin but I’m not Irish. I’m from the USA. I am divorced and I have got three daughters. They all live in London with their husbands. My grandchildren come to visit me every year during the summer holiday. They love my house because there is a big garden with lots of animals.

Music can arise happy or sad memories, for example the souvenir of a particular person I met and loved at one time
-- Music is the best way to not forget anything from our past and to relate to happy or sad events.

“As far back as I can remember, Music has always been a major part of my life. It plays so many important roles for me such as bringing back emotional memories, and highlighting mixed feelings such as joy, sadness and pleasure. Music really magnifies 'visceral sensations' in me, taking control of my body.

It is a question of method. Whether to rush you up to the girls pellmell, leaving you to become acquainted as best you can; or, with elaborate slyness, to slip you so casually into their family life that they will not even glance up when you enter the room, or leave it; or to present the three of them in solemn order according to age, epoch, and story. This last would mean beginning with great-aunt Charlotte Thrift, spinster, aged seventy-four; thence to her niece and namesake Lottie Payson, spinster, aged thirty-two; finishing with Lottie's niece and namesake Charley Kemp, spinster, aged eighteen and a half—you may be certain nobody ever dreamed of calling her Charlotte. If you are led by all this to exclaim, aghast, "A story about old maids!"—you are right. It is.

At Greenhill Academy, Sussy, a brave biology teacher, and William, a quiet but loyal chemistry teacher, worked together on a special project about how computers could help save the environment. They spent many days and nights working hard, sharing ideas, and helping each other. One day, a big organization noticed their work and offered Sussy a scholarship to study abroad. Sussy was happy, but she saw that William felt sad because he didn’t get anything, even though he worked just as hard.

Bangladesh Pollution, Told in Colors and Smells

On the worst days, the toxic stench wafting through the Genda Government Primary School is almost suffocating. Students often become lightheaded and dizzy. A few boys fainted in late April.

The odor rises off the polluted canal — behind the schoolhouse — where nearby factories dump their wastewater. Most of the factories are garment operations, textile mills and dyeing plants in the supply chain that exports clothing to Europe and the United States. Students can see what colors are in fashion by looking at the canal.

“Sometimes it is red,” said Tamanna Afrous, the school’s English teacher. “Or gray. Sometimes it is blue. It depends on the colors they are using in the factories.”

Bangladesh is the world’s second-leading clothing exporter, after China, and a favorite of companies like Walmart, J. C. Penney and H & M. The industry depends on paying the lowest wages in the world and, at some factories, spending a minimum on work conditions and safety.

But it also often means ignoring costly environmental regulations. Bangladesh’s garment and textile industries have contributed heavily to what experts describe as a water pollution disaster, especially in the large industrial areas of Dhaka, the capital. Many rice paddies are now inundated with toxic wastewater. Fish stocks are dying.

Bangladesh is already one of the world’s most environmentally fragile places. Even as pollution threatens agriculture and public health, Bangladesh is acutely vulnerable to climate change, as rising sea levels and changing weather patterns could displace millions of people and sharply reduce crop yields.

Here in Savar, an industrial suburb of Dhaka some factories treat their wastewater, but many do not have treatment plants or chose not to operate them to save on utility costs. Many of Savar’s canals or wetlands are now effectively retention ponds of untreated industrial waste.

“Look, it’s not only in Savar,” said Mohammed Abdul Kader, who has been Savar’s mayor. “The whole country is suffering from pollution. Industrial pollution is damaging our fish stocks, our fruit produce, our vegetables.”

by Jim Yardley, published in the New York Times on July 14, 2013

INSIDE THE FACTORY
Nasima and Sonia were the fastest finishing team at Millennium, […] Nasima had followed her mother into the factory as soon as Sonia was old enough to attend school. Sonia had joined them when she was thirteen, though her employment documents recorded her age as fifteen, the legal minimum in Bangladesh. The hours were brutal, the influx of overseas orders relentless, and the wages subsistence level and often paid late. But it was honest work, steady work, and with three of them collecting paychecks, the money had multiplied, allowing the boys to stay in school. […]  Nasima […] slid another waistband and label into the machine. The pants were bright red and sized to fit a girl about six years old. How much would the child’s parents pay in America? Five dollars? Ten? Fifteen? It was a guessing game she sometimes played to break the monotony. The fabric was nice. Twelve, she guessed. At her current wage of forty-two cents an hour, Nasima had to work four days to earn such a sum, but she felt no bitterness. Nor did she wonder—as she had when she was younger—how Americans could afford such luxuries. The West had grown rich, while much of the world remained poor.
Corban Addison, A Harvest of Thorns, 2017

Discovered by the Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala in 1775, Alcatraz Island was named ‘alcatraces’, meaning ‘pelicans’ in Spanish, because of all the seabirds that lived there. It was then anglicized and called Alcatraz.
Also known as the Rock, the island is located in the bay of San Francisco, California, 2.4 kilometers from the city.
Opened in 1934, the maximum security federal prison became one of the most famous prisons in America.
The prison usually held between 260 and 275 convicts, never reaching its maximum capacity of 336.
The jail was designed for the most recalcitrant criminals including bank robbers, gangsters and murderers and all of them were considered violent, dangerous and escape-risks. Even though most of its inmates were not well-known, .Alcatraz incarcerated notorious figures like Al Capone, George ‘Machine-Gun’ Kelly and Robert Stroud, known as the birdman of Alcatraz.
Unlike most federal prisons, at Alcatraz, inmates had their own cell, warm showers were provided, and the best food in the prison system was served: prisoners were well-fed with good meals because the warden believed most trouble in prison was caused by bad food.
Despite all this, daily life at Alcatraz was harsh, and inmates were given only four fundamental rights: food, clothes, shelter and medical care. All the other privileges, including work, family visits, library access and leisure activities, had to be gained.
Alcatraz was closed in March 1963 because the prison was too expensive to operate: food, supplies, fresh water, gasoline, had to be carried by boat.
In 1972, Alcatraz was added to the Golden Gate National Park and the following year, it became a public museum.
Since then, it has been one of San Franscico’s major tourist attractions, drawing more than one million visitors a year.
Over the years, the prison has appeared in popular culture and media including novels, video games, TV shows and films exploring the different aspects of its history.
Among them , The Rock and Escape from Alcatraz are two films that show how hard it is to escape from the island.
Indeed, due to cold water, strong currents and the distance to the shore, Alcatraz was considered the most unescapable prison in America.
However, during its 29-year operation, a total of 36 convicts were involved in 14 escape attempts. Of them, twenty-three were caught alive, six were killed during their escape and two drowned. Five have been listed as ‘lost and believed drowned’.

The helicopter is a versatile aircraft used for various purposes, including transportation, search and rescue, and military operations. A key feature of modern helicopters is their fuel system, which includes a fuel sump drain. This component ensures that any accumulated water or impurities in the fuel tank can be easily removed, thus maintaining optimal engine performance.

When on the ground, helicopters require efficient ground handling wheels to facilitate movement and positioning. These wheels allow ground crews to maneuver the helicopter safely and easily without needing to start the engine.

Another important feature is the oleo legs, which are part of the landing gear. These hydraulic shock absorbers help cushion the helicopter during takeoff and landing, providing a smooth ride for both the pilot and passengers.

Engine access is crucial for maintenance and inspections. Helicopters are designed to allow easy access to the engine, enabling technicians to perform routine checks and repairs efficiently.

The static port is another vital component located on the helicopter's exterior. It measures atmospheric pressure, which helps the altimeter function accurately, ensuring safe flight at various altitudes.

Modern helicopters are equipped with all-metal bonded blades of the rotor, enhancing durability and performance. These blades are designed to withstand harsh flying conditions while providing optimal lift.

To maintain proper rotor balance, helicopters feature tracking tabs. These are small adjustments on the rotor blades that help refine the flight characteristics and ensure smooth operation.

Lastly, the helicopter's stability is addressed by the fixed stabilizer with negative incidence. This design helps improve control and stability, especially during forward flight maneuvers, allowing for smoother handling and enhanced pilot confidence.

In conclusion, helicopters are complex machines with various sophisticated components that contribute to their functionality and safety. Understanding these parts is essential for anyone involved in aviation or helicopter maintenance.

Friends are important!
People often make friends at school.
What do friends do together?
They spend time together. They eat lunch together, they laugh and talk.
They go to the movies and hang out. They listen to music and dance.
They just love being together. They accept you. They listen to you.
They sometimes give gifts, flowers, and hugs.
On Valentine's Day, they give you a beautiful card.
Friends play together. People often make friends at sports. They play tennis or football.
They sometimes just go to the park and practice skateboard. They have fun!
Friends are important when you are happy, and they help you when you are sad.
Sometimes, your friends are for life.