Fun English Lessons

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A: What do you think about all the coverage of the Royal Baby?

B: It makes me sick ! I really don't see what the big deal is.

A: I think mostly women care about it from what I've seen. Maybe they fantasize about marrying a prince or something. They get all emotional about this kind of fairy tale life . It also helps that Kate is pretty hot. William, on the other hand, looks terrible, but at least he has a good sense of humor about it and said he was glad the baby takes after his mom in terms of how he looks.

B: Well, I guess if it's just girls who care about it then it's not too bad. I certainly wouldn't want to be friends with any guy who genuinely gives a damn about this.

A: Do you think we should let the cat out of the bag about our new website?

B: I think we're ready to tell our China232 audience of what we've got so far and what's in store for www.LearnEnglish232.com .

A: What do you want to say about it?

B: Well, we should at least tell them to check out all the free lessons and videos as well as enourage them to get in the habit of frequenting the site.

A: What about getting them to join the new VIP community?

B: Well ya, that goes without saying . I was taking it as a given that they'd find it once they got on the site and started checking on some of the lessons. I don't think we need to push it too hard . It will sell itself .

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In this ESL podcast we talk about "Stitcher". This is a great way to listen to our podcast. Also, we talk about learning English for real life conversations.

Dialog:

A: I just picked up a new Samsung Galaxy S IV. What is the best way to listen to you guys on China232?

B: There are certainly no shortage of options. You've got the 232 Android and Apple apps for example. You can listen directly on the site. You can also download the Stitcher podcast App and use that. Stitcher is an awesome way to get at the free ones.

A: I'm a complete tool with technology. How do I do that?

B: All you've gotta do is search the Android or iTunes app store for "STITCHER". It's free. Just download it and search for "fun English lessons" directly on the app. We'll be at the top of the list. You'll figure it out.

A: I think I can pull that off. I'm going to give that a go as soon as I get to a wifi hotspot.

B: They have free wifi here. Why don't you just do it now?

A: Ok..... Oh, there you guys are. Why do you have such a stupid looking logo?

B: Negligence I guess. That was from a long time ago. Neither of us have an artistic bone in our body. We're going to get a pro designer to work on that soon. It's one of many things on our priority list. We finally gave in to the fact that we can't do any proper design with Add at the helm. I'm even more useless. A: Better late than never I guess!

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In this ESL podcast we talk about our plans for 2013 and about getting out of a long relationship and getting a fresh start on life.

Dialog:

A: How's single life?

B: It's ok. It's relaxing. It's nice having the place to myself , but it can be kind of lonely at times. I don't have any "friends with benefits " anymore either.

A: Why don't you go hit up some clubs this weekend? This city is flooded with tons of hot single girls.

B: Clubs aren't my scene at all. I always seem to get too wasted and strike out when I go.

A: Come on man, everyone gets rejected sometimes. Don't think too much. You've just got to put yourself out there and things will be fine.

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In this ESL podcast we get back into the free section and talk about some major life decisions we’ve been making. Learn English for real life!

Dialog:

A: Yo, what up homie?

B: Not much bro . Just firing off an email to some retard at work.

A: Is it an important one or can it wait ?

B: It’s not important at all. I just feel like taking this one guy down a peg . His new job title went straight to his head and now he’s just being a loser to everyone.

A: Why are you wasting your time on that kind of thing?

B: Just for the hell of it really.

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This Free ESL podcast is about Facebook. Learn English for slang daily conversation in English.

Dialog:

A: Hey, what’s your facebook?

B: I forget. It should be easy to find though. We’ve got a lot of mutual friends on there. I don’t use it much anymore though.

A: Really? I love it. I find it helps me stay in touch with people I don’t see on a regular basis . It really keeps me from drifting apart from old friends.

B: It’s great for that but I find it to be a bit much . Anyone can upload any photo of you and tag you in it. Then everyone can see that photo whether you want them to or not.

A: I agree it can be a bit of an invasion of privacy . Anyway, I still like it overall .

B: Well, you’re not alone . Over 600 million people use it and the international growth is amazing.

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In this English podcast we talk about relationships and some problems guys and girls have in them. Listen and learn English for daily life and relationships.

Dialog:

A: What are you doing later?

B: My girlfriend is dragging me to the opening of the new Apple store in Shanghai. Her birthday is in a week and I know she’d love a new laptop.

A: The stores on the mainland are super expensive. You can save a lot if you buy one in Hong Kong.

B: I’m not looking to save a couple of bucks. Our relationship is on the rocks and I can feel I need to shell out for a decent birthday gift if I want to save it. I’ll probably take her on a trip too.

A: What happened? I thought you guys were doing really well.

B: I’ve been a bit distant lately and she can feel it. We’ve been going out for 2 years now and it’s gotten a bit stale . She says it feels like I don’t have both feet in the relationship . A lot of other guys are after her and I can feel I need to start giving her more attention if we’re going to make it .

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We just got back from a trip to Thailand and we wanted to share some great vocabulary and phrases for life on the beach. We have a lesson here with some terms and phrases that we found were used often on our trip by many native English speakers. Have a listen and let us know what you think!

Dialog:

A: You feel like going out for dinner later? My treat.

B: I appreciate the offer but I think I’ll pass . I went to town on the buffet last night and feel like a fat hungover cow.

A: What happened to your diet?

B: I fell off the wagon last night but I’m gonna get back on track starting today.

A: I should do the same actually. My bod isn’t exactly beach worthy at the moment and our trip is only a month away.

B: It’s not easy during the holiday season. I’ve gotta drop a good 5 pounds of pure lard in the next month. Let’s hit the gym and just eat something small after.

A: Good idea.

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This ESL podcast is about learning new business ideas and improving your life.

Dialog:

A: Who do you think will be the big winners in business over the next couple of years?

B: I don’t have a crystal ball but I really believe that people who are adaptable, can speak English and another language well, people who understand the internet, and people who can network well will be at a huge advantage. Moreso now than ever before.

A: What is it about the current landscape of the global economy that values these skillsets?

B: Rapid technological change and a massive transfer of wealth from rich to poor countries are two major trends that will continue well into the foreseeable future . People who take advantage of these trends will be ahead of the game and become rich, while those who sit around hoping that change won’t happen will be left in the dust .

A: Can you give any specific examples?

B: Take education for example. Because of technology, it’s now possible for a professor to give a high quality video lecture to anyone around the world who has an Internet connection. That was unheard of less than 20 years ago. There is so much untapped business potential it’s ridiculous.

A: Why is learning English more important now than ever before?

B: There are many reasons but one is that English is the international language. The majority of new cutting edge ideas will be talked or written about either first or second in English. People with a decent understanding of English as well as business, will be able to stay ahead of the curve and apply these new ideas to make a fortune in their own country.

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In this ESL podcast we talk about getting a job and networking. Learn English vocabulary for daily life and the workplace

A: What are you up to later?

B: I’m going to ask Scott for a job at his company.

A: Are you serious?

B: Ya, why not?

A: I think you are barking up the wrong tree .

B: What are you talking about?

A: I think you blew your chances when you offended his girlfriend last week. She was really upset.

B: I apologized the next and and we’re good now . It’s all water under the bridge .

A: Well, I don’t know…

B: You don’t know about what?

A: Umm. Where was I?

B: You were trying to explain why I couldn’t get a job at Scott’s company.

A: Sorry. I forget. I lost my train of thought .

B: Thanks for the advice.

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A: Don’t mention it.

This ESL podcast is about keeping a conversation private. Learn great phrases for your daily English conversations!

Dialog:

A: Well, I’ve gotta hand it to you Add, This place is really something .

B: I hate to say I told you so but … To be honest I wasn’t sure this place would be your cup of tea .

A: Are you kidding? I love it! I heard this place sucked. I wonder why anyone would say that.

B: I started that rumor .

A: What possessed you to do that?

B: I wanted to keep it on the D.L . If everyone knew about it, this place would be a zoo .

A: You’ve got issues .

B: Whatever. You’d do the same thing if you were in my shoes.

A: Ya, probably.

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This ESL podcast is about giving a presentation and how to relax while giving one.

Dialog:

A: You look like you saw a ghost . What’s up with that ?

B: I’ve got to give a huge presentation for work today in front of 20 top execs from the company.

A: What’s the big deal? You know your stuff .

B: Ya but I have bigtime stagefright . At the end of my presentation the execs will asking me all kinds of questions. I freeze up when I have to think on my feet .

A: Don’t psych yourself out . You’ll be fine.

B: That’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one who has to give the speech.

A: If you get nervous just picture the audience in their underwear. Aparantly that helps.

B: I’ll do that only as a last resort .

A: Why?

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B: The execs are mostly men in their 50′s..

This ESL podcast is about China232 changing business models. Learn English for daily conversation and learn about us.

Dialog:

A: Add, I’m glad we finally decided to take our heads out of the sand and go ahead with the VIP section.

B: Me too. I know you wanted to keep everything free and were on the fence for quite a while about switching business models .

A: I guess part of me didn’t want to face reality.

B: I think it’s better now anyway. Now we have more time to make the site way better. Anyone who is really serious about improving their English will only have to cough up $75 per year to get full access to the new and improved site. Anyone who signs up won’t regret it.

A: Ya. When you put it that way it’s actually a pretty sick deal.

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This ESL Podcast is about going back to school and getting your MBA. Also, we discuss the new VIP section at china232.com

Dialog:

A: What are you doing tomorrow?

B: I’m starting my MBA.

A: I thought you hated business. What changed your mind?

B: I do hate it, but I need to start making more money.

A: MBA’s are a dime a dozen these days. Are you sure that is the best route to take ?

B: I want to ask my boss for a big pay raise. I don’t think I’ll be able to get much of a pay raise without an MBA.

A: Why not?

B: An MBA will justify my request.

A: Don’t sell yourself short . Your boss knows how valuable you are to the company. You’ve been there for years. You don’t need a piece of paper to prove anything. It’s all in your head .

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B: I think

This English learning podcast is about shopping for someone and buying them a gift.

Dialog:

A: What are you getting dad for his birthday?

B: I don’t know yet. He’s really hard to shop for . He seems to already have everything he wants.

A: How about we get him a joint gift . I saw these really cool noise cancellation headphones that I think he’ll like for the airplane or to use when mom is cleaning the house.

B: A joint gift is a good idea, but isn’t that noise cancellation thing a gimmick ?

A: No. I tried them on in the store and they really work. I checked into it though and I saw that they had the same ones for much cheaper on amazon . If we order them now they will arrive before dad’s birthday.

B: Are they the ear buds or the big ones that cover the whole ear?

A: I think we should get the big ones. Dad’s weird about putting things in his ears.

B: Sounds good. How about you put them on your credit card and I’ll give you the cash for them.

A: Ok.

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This ESL Podcast is about sleep and insomnia Learn about some sleeping problems and learn English.

Dialog:

A: I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I’m tired all day but I can’t seem to fall asleep at night.

B: Have you had problems with insomnia before?

A: I’ve always been a light sleeper but I’ve never experienced anything like this. It’s been like this for over 2 months now. It started after I got my new job.

B: Is the job causing you much stress? Worrying or thinking too much can negatively affect people’s sleep.

A: I don’t think so. It’s a really relaxing job and I don’t think about it too much when I’m home. The only thing I can think of is that I drink more coffee now than I used to. I didn’t think that would be much of a problem since I don’t drink any after I get home.

B: Caffeine stays in the system for a long time. Try not drinking any coffee past noon. You might also want to do some yoga or other relaxation techniques before bed. You want to be in a relaxed state well before you get into bed. It will make falling asleep much easier.

A: What about drinking alcohol before bed. I find it helps me sleep.

B: You can if you want, but don’t have too much. Too much alcohol will decrease the quality of REM sleep .

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This ESL podcast is all about the health benefits of drinking green tea.

Reading:

- Green tea contains high levels of antioxidants . Antioxidants are particles that remove the charge from the free radicals moving around the body. Over time, free radicals damage the body. Free radicals are said to cause cancer, heart disease, aging, and many other problems.

– Green tea helps boost the immune system . The immune system is the body’s own natural defence system against viruses and bacteria. If we didn’t have an immune system, we would die from a common cold. A healthy immune system helps us to get sick less often.

– Green tea helps to suppress appetite. This indirectly helps people to maintain a healthy weight.

– Green tea helps to stabilize blood sugar levels. Maintaining stable blood sugar levels reduces the risk of aquiring type 2 diabetes .

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This ESL podcast is about sleeping in.

Dialog:

A: Hello

B: Hey. Why haven’t you been picking up ? I’ve been trying to reach you for the past 3 hours. I guess you forgot our tennis match.

A: What time is it?

B: It’s already 9:30.

A: Really? I guess my 20 minute power nap turned into a good three hours . I even slept through my alarm .

B: What were you so tired from?

A: I only got 2 hours sleep last night . I felt fine all day but I just crashed as soon as I got in the door. Sorry about that. Let’s reschedule for tomorrow.

B: Ok

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This ESL podcast is about a guy who desperately needs to make a lifestyle change.

Dialog:

A: I’ve finally come to grips with the fact that I’ve gotta make some major changes in my lifestyle.

B: What’s going on?

A: These past few months I’ve been staying up late and then sleeping in. Then I feel guilty when I wake up so I usually eat a comfort food like pizza to make myself feel better. Then I feel bad from eating the pizza so I have a few beers to relax. Then because of the beers I can’t go to the gym. At 10 pm or so I finally start to feel good and watch several hours of TV while thinking about how the next day will be different.

B: That’s quite a vicious cycle. We’ve all been there though.

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This ESL podcast is about learning how to negotiate to get what you want.

Dialog:

Add and I were outside the other day on the starbucks patio near our apartment. We were both in great moods while enjoying our coffees and the sunshine. We were minding our own business when all of a sudden our landlord rudely interrupted our peaceful afternoon with a phonecall. She wanted to jack up our rent by 25%. I tried to bargain with her but it was no use. In the back of my mind I knew I was fighting a losing battle . The rent in the city had been going up for quite a while and we knew that sooner or later this was bound to happen . A: I’m trying to renegotiate my salary with my boss.

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This ESL podcast is about a reality TV show about 5 gay guys. It's called, "Queer Eye for the Straight guy"

Dialog:

Last night, Add and I watched an episode of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy ". It is a TV show staring 5 gay guys. Each episode they take a typical straight guy who needs tips on fashion, grooming, and interior design. Yesterday’s episode was hilarious! A guy from Colorado and a girl from New York City were dating online for 6 months. This show was about preparing both of them for their first meeting. Everyone was expecting fireworks .
When they finally met in person it was a total disaster. The guy was acting really awkward and there was no chemistry whatsoever. It was obvious that he was interested in her but she didn’t feel the same way. There was a lot of awkward silence during the date and his lame attempts at humour only made the situation worse. You could easily tell from her body language that the date wasn’t up to her expectations.

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This ESL podcast is about strict parents and how a couple of young guys might deal with them.

Dialog:

A: Are you going to Sara’s party this weekend?

B: I can’t. I’m grounded .

A: What did you do this time?

B: My mom lost it on me when she found out I had a porno magazine in my room. She told me I’m not allowed to watch TV or meet any friends for a week.

A: Your mom is pretty strict. Do you think there is any way you can get her to make an exception for the party?

B: No way. My mom is a total psycho about these things. She’s so stubborn when she makes her mind up about something.

A: Well, you can’t miss the party. It’s going to be amazing. You should sneak out of your bedroom window when she’s asleep and go to the party for at least a couple hours.

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This ESL podcast is a dialog between two co-workers about making a tv commercial.

Dialog:

A: Would you mind helping me with a tv commercial for a new expensive anti-aging cream ?

B: Who are we targeting ?

A: Wealthy housewives in their late 20′s and early 30′s.

B: What angle are you going for?

A: I was thinking about making the woman feel self-conscious about looking older, and then showing that our product would make them feel young again.

B: Ok. What about also making them feel that the reason their husband hasn’t been spending as much time with them as before is that their skin is looking older?

A: Perfect!

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This ESL podcast talks about friends loaning money to each other.

Dialog:

A: Hey, would you mind loaning me a couple bucks ?

B: Ya sure. No problem. How much do you need?

A: 50 would be great!

B: Ok here. So now I guess you owe me 100 right?

A: From what?

B: I spotted you 50 bucks a couple weeks ago. Remember? You needed it to chip in for your share of the rent .

A: I remember that but I figured we were even after I bought the new flat screen .

B: I told you I wasn’t pitching in for that. I don’t even watch TV.

A: Well, what do you call what you were doing last night?

B: What are you talking about?

A: Was it just me, or did I see you curled up on the couch last night watching some stupid chick flick on HBO ?

B: I think it was just you. (ha ha)

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This ESL podcast is the second part of the dialog about getting tickets to the tennis match in Shanghai.

Dialog:

A: How did it go last night?

B: It was an emotional roller coaster. At first we were excited to go because we thought we’d get in no problem. Then when we got there we found out the tickets were selling for a lot more than we’d planned, which almost made us leave. We finally made a deal with someone to get cheap seats, but after waiting around and freezing our butts off for 25 minutes, that deal fell through for some stupid reason that I still haven’t figured out.

A: So did you guys end up leaving?

B: We were going to. After the deal fell through we started walking back to the car and heard a voice shout out, “Who wants free box seats?” We were obviously skeptical of that so we just kept walking. All of a sudden, a guy ran up to us, handed us the tickets, and said, “Go enjoy the game guys, my girlfriend got food poisoning all of a sudden and I need to take her to the hospital”. Before we even had a chance to thank him, he was gone. His tickets were amazing too. Box seats!

B: That’s unbelievable!

A: I know, the only annoying thing was that the match ended up being really short. Federer absolutely smoked Roddick in straight sets.

B: That’s still awesome though!

A: I know, it was quite the night.

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This ESL podcast is about a guy who is refusing to go to a concert because he is still upset with his friend for something he did in the past.

Dialog:

A: Great news! U2 is coming to town in a couple months. Tickets go on sale next week. I say we all pony up and get some good seats.

B: I’m not much of a concert guy so I really can’t see myself “ponying up”.

A: What do you mean, “you’re not a concert guy”. That’s a pretty lame excuse .

B: To each his own I guess. I can’t remember you ponying up when we all went to watch the NBA game last year.

A: You’re not still bitter about that are you? I wanted to go but I was sick.

B: You had a sore throat and a little sniffle .

A: Wow. You are still bitter. I can’t believe you are still holding a holding a grudge . Ok. How about this? I’ll pay for the concert tickets this time if you promise never to mention the NBA thing again.

B: Deal.

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This ESL podcast is about a bet between two friends. One guy quit smoking. Can he keep off his cigarettes?

Dialog:

A: What are you doing with that cigarette? I thought you quit cold turkey .

B: I did quit. I just have the odd one when I’m out drinking with my friends. I never buy them anymore.

A: How long have you been doing this?

B: I didn’t have any at all for 2 months. This past week I started smoking just on weekends when I’m out. It’s no big deal.

A: I don’t buy it at all. You know how addictive smoking is. It’s easier to have none at all then it is to try to limit yourself to a few. It’s a really slippery slope .

B: You sound like my mother . Let’s make a bet. I bet you 200 bucks that I don’t have a cigarette outside of a bar for the next six months.

A: You’re on . But, how will I know whether or not you are cheating.

B: We’ll have to use the honor system .

A: Fine. This is a real bet then. 200 bucks. 6 months. No cheating and no backing out .

B: No problem. This is going to be the easiest 200 bucks I’ve ever made.

A: Hey, I hope you win.

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This ESL podcast is about a hilarious cartoon called "The Simpsons".

Dialog:

The Simpsons is a revolutionary animated sitcom , which has won several awards and become a major part of mainstream television in North America. It is intended to portray the typical working class American family. The show exaggerates and jokes about many of the stereotypes in America, which often offends people. Marge, the stereotypical housewife and mother, is married to her overweight husband Homer who works as an inspector for a nuclear power plant. He hates his job but only does so to support his wife and three kids. He’s always looking for shortcuts to get ahead in life and is gullible enough to get involved with get-rich-quick schemes . Homer and his son Bart, a mischievous kid, have drawn criticism for being poor role models . Several parents have decided to not allow their children to watch the show. Despite that, millions of people love The Simpsons and tune in every week.

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This ESL podcast is about a guy who is really excited to find out that a supermodel wants to contact him. Is he going overboard? Does he have a chance?

Dialog:

A: You’ll never guess who added me on Facebook .

B: Who?

A: Megan Smith.

B: As in the multi-millionaire super model?

A: Yup.

B: How do you know her?

A: She used to live 3 doors down from us when we were kids. She left home to model when she was 14 and has been on the road ever since. I’m surprised she still remembers.

B: If that’s the case its not that surprising she remembers. I’m sure she’s just trying to connect with everyone from her past. A lot of people do that.

A: I’m the only one I know of who she’s added. Anyway, she’s coming back for our 10-year high school reunion . I know she’s single too. I’m thinking of making a move .

B: I can’t believe my ears . You’re just going to end up making a fool of yourself . She could get anyone she wants. Besides, you don’t want to get mixed up with a celebrity. I’m sure all the fame has gone to her head and she would be a nightmare to deal with.

A: Whatever man. I saw her on Letterman . She seemed really cool. She even said that she’s looking for a “normal” guy. She’s had bad luck dating movie stars and just wants to settle down with someone out of the limelight.

B: You’re unbelievable. You haven’t seen her in over 10 years and you’re imagining settling down with her.

A: I’m just saying I’m looking forward to the reunion that’s all.

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This ESL podcast is about a wedding that might not happen. What went wrong?

Dialog:

A: I’m hoping the wedding will be fun on Saturday.

B: The wedding is a no-go . Shirley apparently called the whole thing off last night.

A: What happened?

B: No one really knows. Her decision seemed to come right out of the blue . Scott thinks she might just be having cold feet .

A: I hope her girlfriends will be able to talk her out of this . I just forked out a lot of dough for my tux . I wouldn’t mind meeting an available bride’s maid either.

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This ESL podcast is another podcast about losing weight. Here we discuss which kinds of foods to avoid and how to lose weight in a healthy way.

Dialog:

There are several different strategies and methods to lose weight, but here are some of the most common ideas. It’s important to control your total caloric intake . Calories are the energy found in food and this energy will be stored as fat if the body doesn’t use them up. You should try to keep the amount of saturated fats to a minimum and also not eat so many simple carbohydrates . You should exercise regularly and do both strength training exercises as well as cardio-vascular exercise . A Big Mac at Macdonald’s has 492 calories and would take you almost an hour of moderate bike riding to burn that. If you have a daily caloric deficit of 500 calories, it would take you about 13 days to lose a kilogram of body fat.

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This ESL podcast is about what to look for when buying a new computer. As always, there is a lot of very useful vocab which can be used in daily life.

Dialog:

A: What’s going on?

B: I’ve had it with my old computer. It’s a total piece of junk . I’m getting a new one.

A: Are you getting a Mac or staying with the PC ?

B: I know a lot of people swear by the Mac, but I’m so used to a PC that I think I’ll just stick with it .

A: I like the Mac because it crashes a lot less and has a lot less viruses.

B: I don’t blame you. I can definitely see how it would be better. I just can’t be bothered to learn how to use one. I also know there’s less software for the Mac.

A: I hear you . What specs are you getting?

B: I want a huge hard drive for all my downloads. I need to get a big monitor to watch movies on.

A: What about RAM and processor ?

B: My needs aren’t too great for those. I don’t use too many applications simultaneously . I pretty much just do word processing and surf the net.

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This ESL podcast is about two friends making plans on the telephone. A lot of great slang in this one.

Dialog:

A: AB , what’s going on?

B: Not much, just taking it easy today. Work’s been killing me lately.

A: What do you say we head downtown and grab a coffee at the Starbucks near plaza 66.

B: I’ve had way too much caffeine lately. I wouldn’t mind grabbing something to eat though. Would you be up for that?

A: It’s a nice day today, so we could get something at Element Fresh near the Portman. They’ve got a patio so we could sit outside.

B: Sure, do you want to workout after?

A: I’ve already gone. Wasn’t great though. 6 out of 10 at best.

B: Just come with and do some cardio. I think you could afford to shed a few more pounds.

A: We’ll see. Let’s meet at Element at 2.

B: K, later.

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This ESL podcast is about a guy wanting to cancel his plans for a birthday party but feels he can't because a girl put a guilt trip on him. Lot's of good stuff here.

Dialog:

A: So are you almost ready to go?

B: You’re not going to believe this but I’m not going to be able to make it. I just remembered that I have to go to Jill’s birthday. It’s her 30th so it’s a bit of a milestone for her. I promised her a month ago. I can’t back out now.

A: Well you seem to have no problem backing out of our plans.

B: I know. Sorry about that. It was really careless on my part. I’d obviously rather hang out with you but I know I’ll never hear the end of it from Jill if I miss her B-day .

A: She’s not even a close friend of yours. What’s the big deal?

B: You don’t know Jill . She’s weird about these things. She told me that she’d be really upset if I didn’t make it.

A: So you’re going to let her put a guilt trip on you? I don’t remember her at your birthday. You are one sorry man you know that?

B: So how do you suggest getting out of it ?

A: Make some excuse.

B: Lie to her?

A: A white lie . Just do it to spare her feelings .

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This ESL podcast is a post job interview conversation. Another great episode from China232.com. Listen up.

Dialog:

Add: How’d the interview go today?

And: Great! I think I got the job.

Add: What kind of job is it?

And: It’s selling life insurance. They said the top guys earn over a quarter million dollars per year in commission .

Add: Ya, that’s how they hook you . Did they happen to mention the industry average ? Also, how are you supposed to find business?

And: They have a list of people and you are supposed to phone them.

Add: Oh, cold calling ? That’s horrible. I did that before. It’s really easy to get discouraged. I couldn’t handle all the rejections . You are always interrupting people while they are at work and stuff. They often get angry and it’s just a really difficult way to do business.

And: I spoke with a few guys who did it and they said it was tough at first, but later on you get a lot of business from referrals so you don’t have to rely on cold calling.

Add: that’s not too bad I guess. Do they pay you a salary as well?

And: They do for the first 6 months and then after that its all commission based. I’m going to try it out. I’ve got a feeling I can be pretty persuasive .

Add: It’s a lot harder than you think, but good luck, I don’t want to discourage you. I’m sure it will be a good experience at the very least.

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www.china232.com esl podcast 16 - In this conversation we hear a casual phone conversation between two people. Learn to speak like native speakers in a casual and relaxed way while learning helpful vocabulary

Dialog:

Otis: Hello,

Andy: Hey what’s up?

Otis: Not much . I’m in the office right now but I’ve got a few minutes to kill before my boss gets back.

Andy: Cool. What are you up to this weekend?

Otis: Not sure yet. I’ve got no plans as of now but I’m definitely up for something .

Andy: How about a round of golf Saturday afternoon and then we’ll hit the town later.

Otis: Sounds perfect. Oh no, that’s right, I think I have some kind of boring work function I have to go to.

Andy: That sucks , is there any way you can get out of it?

Otis: I’ll try to think of something.

Andy: You better. It’s going to be a great afternoon.

Otis: I’ll see what I can do. I’ll keep you posted .

Andy: Alright. Make sure you get back to me by Thursday.

Otis. Will do .

Andy: Ok. Later

Otis: Later

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This ESL podcast from china232.com is about going on holidays. Find out some useful vocabulary and get ready to pack your bags while learning english!

Dialog:

I just booked my trip to Thailand on an online travel website and printed out my e-ticket. I had made a decision to go there on a spur of the moment decision because my schedule had recently opened up. I had gotten in a little bit of a rut so decided a little spontaneity in my life couldn’t hurt. Also, I was growing very weary of the cold weather and thought it would be nice to hit the beach. I was really excited to be in the water and feel the waves again. Hopefully my accommodations will be good. I booked them online as well and have only seen the pictures. The pictures look good on the website but I’ll be pretty angry if it is some sort of a scam. Oh well I guess I’ll see when I get there. Sometimes, if you want to be spontaneous you have to role the dice.

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This ESL podcast is about something unbelievable!

Dialog:

I went to a movie with my friends the other day. We got there early so we could get good seats and make sure we all sat together. Just as the movie was about to start, some tall woman with huge hair sat right in front of me. I could barely see a thing. She was absolutely hideous and reeked of cheap perfume. I would have changed seats but by that time the theatre was full. I needed to come up with a plan. There was no way I was going to sit for two hours staring at that hair. Luckily a friend of mine had a pair of scissors in her purse. I knew it was risky but the perfume and the whole situation was making me lose control. I felt I did what anyone in my situation would do. I started cutting. Naturally, she noticed immediately, and screamed, “What the hell are you doing?” I was caught red-handed. I wasn’t in much of a position to deny anything considering the fact that I had the scissors in my hand. I said, “I know this is going to sound hard to believe but it wasn’t me”. She was so angry and confused she just got up and left. I was able to watch the rest of the movie in peace. It was great! It’s too bad she missed it.

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A fun and interesting ESL podcast for intermediate to advanced students who want to learn useful vocabulary and culture. Two Canadian brothers discuss all kinds of topics and explain clearly any new vocabulary and phrases. Perfect for classroom discussion as well.

Dialog:

Yesterday afternoon I went for that job interview.

It was the worst experience in my life.

For some reason I put on my resume that I could speak Japanese, which is a total lie.

The job had nothing to do with Japanese so I guess I thought I would just put it down to make myself look more well-rounded.

I never thought that they would actually test me on it.

It turns out that the guy interviewing me had lived in Tokyo for 8 years.

His Japanese was great.

The first thing he said to me was something in Japanese, which I obviously didn’t understand.

I felt so nauseous.

I had absolutely no idea what to do so I just replied in English, “hey, your Japanese is pretty good”.

He said “thanks, but what about you? It says here on your resume that you speak it.”

I said, “what can I say” he shook his head and said “get the hell out of here!”

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Another great episode from china232.com Here in our story Tony is challenged at a bar. Let's find out if Tony accepts the dare.

Dialog:

I was out at a bar last week with my friend Tony.

He’s a decent looking guy but he’s really shy around girls for some reason.

He was standing there for about 15 minutes holding his beer with a nervous look on his face.

Finally I realized why.

He was gazing at a couple of hot girls eating chicken wings.

I asked him, “Tony, what are you waiting for? Go over there and say something”.

He said, “I have no idea what to say. I suck in these situations”.

I said, “Oh don’t be such a wimp, I dare you to go over there, take a chicken wing off one of their plates, eat it, smile, and say. You girls are so beautiful, I just wanted to make sure they were safe enough for you to eat”.

If you do it I’ll buy your drinks for the rest of the night.

Hopefully they will think you are cute or funny and want to talk to you.

If it backfires you can just tell them it was my fault.

What’s the worst that could happen?

It’s a win-win situation.

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Welcome back to another episode from china232.com This english learning episode is about someone being very lazy and what procrastination is and why we do it.

Dialog:

Today I woke up at 9:20 but lay in bed until about 11:30.

I wasn’t sleeping, nor was I relaxing.

I wasn’t really thinking of anything in particular either.

I was in a daze.

I finally got out of bed and started walking aimlessly around the house.

Instead of doing anything reasonable, I decided to feel a bit guilty about getting up so late and wasting the morning in bed.

I was just about ready to go to the gym when for some reason I decided to log on to msn messenger and start up a few useless conversations.

An hour flew by and it was now almost 1:00.

I’d had it.

I was sick of all the procrastinating.

I got off msn, grabbed a protein shake and headed off to the gym.

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The first podcast from China232.com Just what makes us laugh? Find out how to describe and talk about funny things and people on this podcast

Dialog:

Andrew

Hey, have you seen that new sitcom called Entourage?

Addison

Ya, it’s awesome. Who’s your favorite character?

Andrew

Johnny Chase. He’s absolutely hilarious! I love the one where he’s insecure about his calves.

Addison

That was hilarious. I personally think that Arie might be the best actor.

Andrew

Who do you think is the worst?

Addison

Turtle.

Andrew

I agree. He sucks.

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