🎧 6 Hours of Slow English Listening for Beginners (A1-A2) 📚 | 30 Lessons 🎯

Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is introducing myself. You will listen to short story about woman. She will introduce herself and will give us personal information about her family and her life. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. Hello, my name is Emily. I'm 40 years old and live in small town in the United States. want to tell you little bit about myself. was born in New York City, but now live in town called Greenfield. It's very quiet here and love it. The weather is nice and there are many parks and trees. live in small house with my husband Tom and our two children, Lily and Ben. Tom is 42 years old and he works in big office in the city. He is very busy, but he loves his job. Lily is 9 years old and Ben is six. Lily loves to draw and Ben loves to play with his toys. work as nurse. help people when they are sick or hurt. work in hospital in the city. My job is very important to me because like to help people feel better. Sometimes it's hard job, but enjoyed it lot. In my free time, like to read books. My favorite books are about history and travel. also enjoy cooking. like cooking Italian food, especially pasta. On weekends, my family and go for walks in the park. We also visit my parents who live not far from us. have two sisters and we like to spend time together. think it's important to take care of our health. try to stay active by walking and eating healthy food. feel very lucky because have nice family and lot of friends. That's little bit about me. Thank you for listening. Now let's check your understanding. Answer these questions. What is the speaker's name? The speaker's name is Emily. How old is she? She is 40 years old. Where does she live now? She lives in small town called Greenfield in the United States. How many children does Emily have? Emily has two children, Lily and Ben. What is Emily's job? Emily works as nurse in hospital. What does Emily like to do in her free time? Emily enjoys reading books and spending time with her family. If you answered correctly to all these questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. In this video, will talk about the topic my family. Listen carefully because later will ask you some questions to see if you understood everything. Are you ready? Let's start. Hello everyone. My name is Anna. I'm very happy to share my family story with you today. come from small and loving family and want to tell you all about them. live with four people. my father, my mother, my older sister, and my younger brother. My father's name is Mark. He is doctor. Every day he works in busy hospital and helps many people feel better. admire him because he is very kind and always takes care of others. My father loves his job and he often tells me stories about how he helps his patients. My mother's name is Linda. She is teacher. She works in local school where she teaches young children. My mother is very patient and friendly. She enjoys reading and writing and she always helps me with my homework when study in the evening. feel very lucky to have such caring and smart mother. also have an older sister. Her name is Emily. Emily is high school student. She studies hard and loves art. In her free time, she likes to draw and paint. Sometimes she shows me her beautiful pictures and feel very proud of her. Emily is very supportive and she always encourages me to try new things. My younger brother is Tom. He is 8 years old and full of energy. Tom loves playing with his toys and riding his bicycle in the park. He is always laughing and making everyone smile. Even though he is younger, he is very curious and loves to ask questions about everything he sees. Every morning, our family eats breakfast together. We sit at the table and talk about our plans for the day. After breakfast, my father leaves for the hospital. My mother goes to school and my sister and get ready for our studies. In the afternoon, we sometimes meet at home and share our experiences. In the evening, we have dinner together and enjoy simple happy moments. On weekends, we like to spend time together outdoor. We go for walks in the park and visit local markets or sometimes watch movie together at home. These moments make me feel very happy and connected with my family. Thank you for listening to my story about my family. hope you enjoyed learning about each member and their daily lives. love my family and am grateful for every day we spend together. Now let's check your understanding. Who is Anna's father and what is his job? Her father is Mark and he is doctor. What does Anna's mother do? Her mother, Linda, is teacher. What does Emily Anna's sister like to do in her free time? Emily likes to draw and paint. How old is Anna's younger brother, Tom? Tom is 8 years old. What does Anna's family like to do on weekends? They like to go for walks and watch movies together. hope you enjoyed this video. See you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my daily routine. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. My name is Emma. I'm 40 years old. And today I'm going to tell you about typical day in my life. have simple routine, but like it. wake up at 7 in the morning. don't like waking up early, but have to because have busy day. The first thing do is turn off my alarm and get out of bed. go to the bathroom. wash my face and brush my teeth. After that, get dressed. usually wear comfortable clothes because work from home. work on my computer all day. At 7:30, go downstairs to have breakfast. like to eat something light and healthy. usually have cereal with milk and cup of coffee. Sometimes eat toast with jam and sometimes have an apple. Breakfast is very important to me. It gives me energy for the entire day. At 8, start working. check my emails and answer some messages from my colleagues. work as freelance writer, so write articles for different companies. It's nice job and enjoy it. At 12, have break and have lunch. don't eat big lunch, just something small like salad or sandwich. After lunch, like to take short walk outside to get some fresh air. It helps me feel relaxed and ready for the afternoon. In the afternoon, work until 4. After spend time with my family. At 6, start preparing dinner. like to cook and try to make tasty meals for my family. Tonight, I'm making pasta with tomato sauce. After dinner, clean the kitchen and then try to relax. usually read book or watch TV. At 9, help my children get ready for bed. read story to them and then they go to sleep. After spend some time with my husband, we talk about our day or watch movie together. go to bed at 10:30. need good night's sleep because have another busy day tomorrow. Now, let's check on your understanding. Try your best to answer these questions. What time does Emma wake up in the morning? Emma wakes up at 7 in the morning. What does Emma usually eat for breakfast? Emma usually eats cereal with milk and cup of coffee. Where does Emma work and what is her job? Emma works from home as freelance writer. What does Emma do after lunch? After lunch, Emma likes to take short walk outside. What time does Emma go to bed? Emma goes to bed at 10:30. If you answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working. See you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is food in Italy. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Listen carefully and just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. Hello, my name is Maria and I'm 40 years old. I'm from Italy, country known all over the world for its food. Today want to talk to you about the amazing food culture in my country. In Italy, food is very important. We don't just eat to stay alive. We eat to enjoy life. We take our time to prepare and eat our meals and food brings people together. The most important meal of the day is lunch. It's usually around 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Many Italians like me like to eat with their families or friends. It's moment to relax and talk about the day. For breakfast, we usually drink coffee. Most people love espresso or capuccino. and we eat something sweet like cornetto similar to croissant. In the north of Italy, people sometimes eat light breakfast with bread and jam. But in the south, it's more common to have pastries like spoila or salty food like pizza, small pizza made with tomato and mozzarella. For lunch, Italians love pasta. There are many types of pasta, spaghetti, pen, fucili, ravioli, etc. We often eat pasta with tomato sauce or creamy sauce. My favorite pasta is pasta al pomodoro, which is pasta with tomato sauce, basil, and little bit of olive oil and some grated pabo cheese. It's simple but delicious. In Italy, we also have tradition of eating antipastim, which are small dishes before the main meal. This can be olives, cheese, salami with fresh bread. After lunch, we usually eat dessert like tiramisu or canoli and drink coffee. Of course, dinner in Italy is usually lighter. We usually have fish, meat, or chicken with salad. love making simple salad, but the most popular dish for dinner, especially when we eat with our friends, is pizza. love parijana pizza. It's pizza made with tomato, mozzarella, and fried eggplants, and also grated parmyo cheese. It's delicious. In my country, every region has its own special dishes. In the north you can find lot of rice like risoto and in the south they use more tomatoes, olives and seafood. For example, in Sicily you can eat pasta con leard which is pasta with sardines. And in the region of Emilia Romana, you can try lasagna or tortillini. Italian food is so diverse and each region is proud of its recipes. Food is not just about eating. It's very important for us because it's part of our tradition and culture. We always cook with love and we love sharing our meals with our family and friends. If you visit Italy, recommend you to try food in every region. Thank you for listening. hope you feel inspired to try some Italian food. Now, let's check on your understanding. Try your best to answer these questions. What is the most important meal in Italy? The most important meal in Italy is lunch. What do Italians usually eat for breakfast? Espresso or capuccino. What is Maria's favorite pasta dish? Pasta with tomato sauce. What is Maria's favorite pizza? Maria's favorite pizza is parmyana pizza. Why is food so important for Italians? because it's part of their tradition and culture. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my house. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. Hello, my name is Linda. I'm 45 years old and live in small house in the city. It's not very big, but love it because it feels like home. have lived in this house for 10 years, and I'm very happy here. My house has four rooms, and each one is special to me. First, I'll tell you about the kitchen. The kitchen is very important in my house. spend lot of time cooking and eating with my family. It is not very big, but it's comfortable. have stove, fridge, and dishwasher. The kitchen is white, and the walls are painted light blue. There is small window above the sink, and love looking outside when I'm doing the dishes. also have big table in the middle of the kitchen where my family eats together. cook dinner almost every night. like making pasta, soups, and salads. My children like to help me with simple things like setting the table or stirring the soup. We always have fun in the kitchen. Next, let me tell you about the living room. The living room is very cozy. It's the place where my family relaxes after long day. We have big sofa, two armchairs, and coffee table. There is television on the wall, and we watch movies together on weekends. also have some plants in the living room and they make the space feel fresh and green. The walls are painted yellow which makes the room look warm and sunny. In the winter, like to sit on the sofa with blanket, drink tea, and read book. My children like to play board games in the living room. We spend lot of time together there. Now, I'll tell you about my bedroom. It's small room, but it's very peaceful. sleep here, of course, but also like spending time reading and relaxing. have big bed with soft pillows and warm blanket. There is small desk where can work on my computer or write. don't have many things in my bedroom because like it to be simple and calm. The walls are light green and there's small window next to the bed. like to look outside at the trees and the birds when wake up in the morning. My bedroom is the place where rest and feel calm. It's my favorite room in the house. Finally, want to talk to you about the bathroom. The bathroom is small but very functional. It has shower, toilet, and sink. have mirror above the sink where brush my teeth every morning. The walls are white, and there is small shelf for towels and soap. There is window in the bathroom, too. And always open it when take shower because it makes the room feel fresh. like to spend little time in the bathroom in the morning to get ready for the day. It's quiet and private place. So, that's my house. feel happy here. It's not big, but it's perfect for me and my family. Each room is important to me. and love spending time in every room. hope you enjoyed hearing about my home. Now, let's check on your understanding. How many rooms are there in Linda's house? There are four rooms in Linda's house. What color are the walls in Linda's kitchen? The walls in Linda's kitchen are light blue. How many armchairs are there in the living room? There are two armchairs. What does Linda like to do in her bedroom? In her bedroom, Linda likes to read and relax. Where is the mirror in Linda's bathroom? The mirror is above the sink. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my favorite hobby. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. Hello, my name is Anna. am 40 years old and live in small town with my family. have husband and two children. We live in cozy house with beautiful garden. Today want to talk to you about my favorite hobby. love gardening. Every day spend time in my garden. It is my special place. It is not very big but it is full of life. have many flowers, trees and plants. like roses, tulips and sunflowers. They have bright colors and they smell very nice. also have lavender, daisies, and jasmine. In the morning, when walk in the garden, can smell the fresh flowers. It makes me feel happy and calm. In my garden, also grow vegetables. have tomatoes, carrots, and lettuce. also grow cucumbers, peppers, and zucchini. In the summer, pick fresh vegetables and cook healthy meals for my family. It is wonderful to eat food from my own garden. It tastes better than the vegetables from the supermarket. Gardening is my favorite hobby because it makes me feel good. It helps me relax and forget about stress. When touch the soil, plant seeds and water the flowers. feel peaceful. like to see my plants grow. It is slow process, but it is very beautiful. Every day the plants change little. Some days see new leaves. Other days see small flowers. It is like magic. Every morning wake up early and go to my garden. water the plants and remove dry leaves and check the flowers. On the weekend, do more work. clean the garden. plant new flowers and sometimes move the plants to better place. My children like to help me. They enjoy playing with the soil and learning about plants. Gardening is great activities for families. In the spring and summer, my garden is full of colors and life. The birds sing and the butterflies fly around. The bees visit the flowers and can hear the sound of nature. like to sit outside and drink cup of tea. It is very relaxing. In the autumn, the leaves change color. The garden looks different but still beautiful in the winter. The garden is quiet. Gardening is good for my body and helps my mind. It helps me stay active because move lot when work in the garden. bend, stretch, and carry things. It is like exercise. It also helps me feel happy and calm. When have busy day, go to my garden and take deep breath. It helps me feel better. think everyone should try gardening. You don't need big garden. You can start with small spot and one plant. Taking care of plant is wonderful experience. It teaches patience and love. Do you like gardening? What is your favorite hobby? Now, let's check on your understanding. What is Anna's favorite hobby? Anna's favorite hobby is gardening. What kind of flowers does Anna have in her garden? She has roses, tulips, sunflowers, lavender, daisies, and jasmine. Why does Anna like gardening? She likes gardening because it makes her feel happy and relaxed. It also helps her stay active. What vegetables does Anna grow in her garden? She grows tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, and zucchini. What does Anna do in her garden in the morning? In the morning, Anna waters the plants, removes dry leaves, and checks the flowers. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my favorite pet. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. Hello, my name is Sarah. am 40 years old. live in small house with my family. have husband and two children. Today want to talk to you about my pet. have cat. His name is Milo. He is three years old. Milo is small white cat with beautiful blue eyes. He is very soft and fluffy. When touch his fur, it feels like soft blanket. love him very much. Milo is very special cat. He likes to play and sleep. In the morning, he sits near the window and watches the birds. He moves his tail and makes small sounds. Sometimes he jumps and tries to catch them, but of course he cannot. It is very fun to watch him. In the afternoon, Milo sleeps lot. He has favorite place in the house, the big sofa in the living room. He likes to sleep there for hours. Sometimes he sleeps in the sun near the window. He loves warm places. Milo is also very playful. In the evening, he has lot of energy. He runs around the house and plays with his toys. He has small toy mouse, ball, and long string. He likes to catch the string when move it. It is our favorite game. He jumps, runs, and has so much fun. My children also like to play with him. Milo loves food. He eats cat food and drinks fresh water every day. Sometimes give him special treats like little fish or some chicken. When he smells fish, he comes running to the kitchen. He is always so excited to eat his favorite food. Milo is not only playful but also very sweet. He likes to be close to me. In the evening when we sit on the sofa and read book, he comes and sits next to me. He purs softly. This makes me feel happy and relaxed. At night, Milo sleeps in my bed. He finds warm spot near my feet and sleeps there all night. Sometimes he wakes up and moves, but he always comes back to sleep near me. He makes me feel safe and comfortable. Milo is part of my family. He is not just pet. He is my friend. When feel sad or tired, he stays close to me, he looks at me with his big blue eyes and feel better. love my pet because he makes me feel happy. He is always there for me. He is funny, sweet, and full of love. Now, let's check on your understanding. What is the name of Sarah's cat? The cat's name is Milo. What color is Milo's fur? Milo has white fur. What does Milo like to do in the morning? In the morning, Milo likes to sit near the window and watch the birds. Where does Milo sleep in the afternoon? Milo sleeps on the sofa or near the window. What is Milo's favorite food? Milo loves fish. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome back to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is the weather and the seasons. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. There are four seasons in the year. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Each season has different weather. In spring, the weather is warm, the sun shines, and sometimes it rains. Flowers grow and trees turn green. Birds sing and people like to go outside. Many people enjoy walking in the park or having picnics. Some days are cloudy, but it is usually nice season. In summer, it is hot and sunny. People go to the beach and swim in the sea. They wear shorts and t-shirts, sunglasses. Sometimes there are storms with rain and thunder. In some countries, summer is very dry and the sun is very strong. People drink cold drinks and eat ice cream to stay cool. Some families go on vacation during summer. In autumn, the weather gets cooler. The leaves on the trees turn yellow, orange, and red. It is often windy and rainy. People wear jackets and scarves. In some places, autumn is time for harvesting fruits and vegetables. The days become shorter and the nights are longer. Some people enjoy drinking hot tea or coffee to stay warm. In winter it is very cold. Sometimes it snows. People wear warm clothes like coats, hats, and gloves. Some people make snowman or go skiing. In many places, winter is the coldest season. The days are short and the nights are long. Some animals sleep during the winter like bears. People like to stay inside and drink hot chocolate. My favorite season is summer. Summer is my favorite season because it's full of energy and fun activities. The long sunny days make it perfect for spending time outside. Many people enjoy going to the beach, playing sports, or having barbecues with family and friends. The bright blue sky and the warm breeze create relaxing atmosphere. Summer is also time for delicious food like fresh fruits, ice cream, and cold drinks. The nights are warm and people can go out for evening walks or watch the stars. Many festivals and outdoor events take place in the summer, making it an exciting season. Even though the heat can sometimes be strong, swimming in the sea or drinking cool lemonade makes everything better. Some people check the weather on their phone or watch the weather forecast on TV. This helps them decide what to wear or if they need an umbrella. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. How many seasons are there in year? There are four seasons. What is the weather like in the summer? It is hot and sunny. What do people wear in winter? They wear warm clothes like coats, hats, and gloves. What happens to the leaves in autumn? The leaves turn yellow, orange, and red. How can people check the weather forecast? They can check it on their phone or watch TV. If you answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is trip would like to take. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. Hello. want to talk about trip would like to take. want to visit France. France is beautiful country in Europe. It has big cities, small villages and beaches and mountains. Many people visit France every year because it has many interesting places. have never been to France, but really want to go. The first place want to visit is Paris. Paris is the capital of France and very famous city. There are many things to see and do in Paris. First, want to visit the AFL Tower. It is very tall and many people take pictures there. want to go on the top and look at the city from above. At night, the AFL Tower has lights and looks beautiful. Next, want to visit the Louvre Museum. This museum is very big and it has many paintings and sculptures. The most famous painting there is the Mona Lisa. have seen pictures of the Mona Lisa, but want to see it in real life. also want to walk along the Shamsale. This is famous street with many shops and cafes. would like to sit in cafe and drink coffee and watch people walking by. Another place want to see is Notredam Cathedral. It is very old and beautiful church. Many people visit this place every day. think it will be an interesting place to see. Food is very important in France. love French food. want to eat many delicious things. For breakfast, want to eat croissant with jam. Croissants are soft and buttery. also want to try baguette. It is long and crispy bread. For lunch, would like to eat onion soup. It has onions, cheese, and bread. It looks very tasty. For dinner, want to try oan. This is chicken cooked with wine, mushrooms, and vegetables. It is traditional French dish. And for dessert, want to eat crepes with chocolate. Crepes are thin pancakes and you can eat them with fruit, chocolate or sugar. They are very popular in France. After Paris, want to visit the south of France. The weather is warm and sunny there. want to see the French Riviera. It has beautiful beaches with blue water. love the sea, so want to swim and relax on the beach. There are also small villages in the south of France. Some villages have colorful houses and small streets. think they look very pretty. would like to walk around and take pictures. France has many old castles. Some castles are very big with big gardens and beautiful rooms. want to visit the castles and learn about the history of France. think it will be very interesting to see how people lived long time ago. think France is an amazing country. It has big cities, small villages, and beautiful nature and delicious food. There are many things to see and do. One day hope to visit France and have great trip. Now let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. What is the capital of France? Paris. What is the name of the famous museum in Paris? The Lou Museum. What do want to eat for breakfast in France? croissant with jam. Where do want to swim? In the French Riviera. What is the name of the famous painting in the Lou Museum? The Mona Lisa. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my city. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. Hello. live in Palmo, city in Sicily in the south of Italy. It's beautiful place with lot of history and amazing food. want to tell you about my city and the things love most about it. Palmo is the capital of Sicily. It is very old with more than 2,000 years of history. Different people lived here like the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spaniards. Each of them left something behind. So the city has many different styles of buildings and art. When you walk in Polarmo, you can feel the mix of cultures. One of the most famous landmarks in Palmo is the Palmo Cathedral. It is very big and old. It was built many years ago and it has so many different styles of architecture. The cathedral is very special because it has both Arab and Norman influences. It's beautiful to see, especially when the sun sets. Another place really like is Theatro Masimo, one of the largest opera houses in Italy. It's impressive and sometimes there are concerts and performances. If you love music or theater, you should definitely visit it. Another famous and very important place in Palmo is Quatroanti or the four corners. Quatroanti is beautiful square in the center of the city. It has four large buildings, one on each corner. The buildings are decorated with statues of kings, queens, and saints. The square is very lively with many people walking through every day. It's place where you can stop and relax and admire the architecture. Quatroanti is also the meeting point for many locals and it's great place to get sense of the city's atmosphere. Polarmo is not only known for its history but also for its beautiful beaches. One of the most famous beaches is Mondello Beach. Mondello is small village near Polarmo and its beach is very popular in the summer. The sand is soft and the water is clear and blue. It's perfect place to relax and enjoy the warm weather. Many people from Polarmo go to Mandalo in the summer to swim, to sunbath, and to enjoy seafood at the restaurants along the beach. It's beautiful spot, and spend lot of my free time with my friends and family. Palmo is famous for its delicious dishes. One of the best thing to eat here is aranchchina. Aranchina are fried rice balls filled with different things like tomato sauce and meat or butter, cheese and ham. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. You can find aranchina in many different places in Palmo. Another famous dessert is canoli. Canoli are crispy tubes filled in with ricotta cheese. They are often decorated with chocolate chips or candied fruit. They are delicious and are must try when you visit Polarmo. The people of Polarmo are very friendly and like to spend time together. In the evening, you can see many people walking in the streets, talking to friends, or enjoying coffee at cafe. It's tradition to go for walk after dinner, especially in the city center. People enjoy the cool air and chat with each other. In Polmo, we also love to eat together. It's very common to share meals with family and friends. One interesting thing about Polarmo is the dialect. People here speak Sicilian, language that is different from standard Italian. Sicilian is very old and it comes from the many cultures that have lived in Sicily over the centuries, including the Arabs, the Normans, and the Spaniards. You can hear it spoken everywhere in Polarmo, especially when people talk to each other in the markets or on the streets. While most people speak Italian too, Sicilian is still very important in our daily lives. Sometimes we mix both languages, speaking little Italian and little Sicilian in the same sentence. It's very special part of the culture here. And if you visit, you may hear some words and phrases that are unique in Polarmo. The weather in Palmo is very nice, especially in the summer. It's warm and sunny most of the year, and we have beautiful beaches. In the summer, many people go to the beach to swim in the sea and relax. Palmo is also city full of life with rich history and vibrant culture. There is always something to do here and love living in such dam dynamic city. Palmo is wonderful city with lot of history, culture, and amazing food. love living here because there's always something to see and do. hope you can visit one day and experience everything for yourself. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. What isanti and why is it important in Palmo? Quatroanti is square in the center of Palmo important for its historic buildings and lively atmosphere. Where is Mondello Beach and why is it popular? Mondello Beach is near Polarmo and it's popular for its beautiful sand and clear water. What is the name of the dessert that is famous in Palmo? And what is it made of? The famous dessert is canoli made of crispy tubes filled with sweet ricotta cheese. What is Sicilian and how is it different from Italian? Sicilian is local language different from Italian with influences from other cultures. What is the traditional activity in Polmo after dinner? After dinner, people in Polarmo go for walk in the center of the city to relax and chat. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my special friend. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. Hello. Today want to talk about someone very special to me, my best friend Sarah. We have been friends for many years and she is an important part of my life. Sarah and met when we were in high school. was 15 and she was 14. We both liked the same things, books, movies, and music. At first, we were not very close. But one day we started talking about book we both loved and that was the start of great friendship. Sarah is now 40 years old like me. She has short blond hair and her eyes are blue. She is taller than me and has very bright smile. think her smile is one of the best things about her. She is always smiling and when she smiles, she makes everyone around her happy. What makes Sarah special is that she's kind and caring. She always helps people. If someone is sad or has problem, Sarah is there to listen. remember when was going through tough time at work, she called me every day to make sure was okay. She told me that everything would be all right, and she helped me feel better. She always knows the right things to say. Sarah is also very funny. She has great sense of humor and she loves to make jokes. We laugh together lot. Even when we are feeling tired or little sad, she can always make me laugh. think laughter is very important in life and Sarah knows how to bring joy to everyone. We have many things in common but we also have different interests. For example, love cooking but Sarah doesn't like to cook very much. She prefers to go to restaurants or cafes. Sometimes she takes me to new places to eat. And always enjoy trying new food with her. It's one of the things we do when we spend time together. We also love to go hiking. Every summer we plan trip to the mountains. We walk for hours talking about everything. Our families, our dreams, and our favorite memories. Hiking with Sarah is so special because we can talk freely and always feel comfortable around her. We enjoy nature and it's perfect way to relax and enjoy each other's company. Sarah is not just friend to me. She is like sister. We share everything from our happy moments to our sad ones. When I'm happy, she celebrates with me. When I'm sad, she's there to support me. can trust Sarah with everything. know she will never judge me and that is very important in friendship. also admire Sarah because she is very hard worker. She works as nurse and she helps people every day. Her job is not easy, but she loves it. She has big heart and she is always trying to make the world better place. We can talk about her work. can see how passionate she is. She cares about her patients and she works hard to make sure they are happy and healthy. We don't see each other every day because we both have busy lives, but we always make time for each other. We call, we text, or meet at least once week. Sometimes we just sit together and talk about everything. It's nice to have someone like Sarah in my life. And am grateful for our friendship. One of the best things about having friend like Sarah is that she understands me. She knows what like and don't like. She knows when need an advice and she knows when just need to talk. We can be ourselves around each other and that makes our friendship strong. In life, we all need good friend. Friends make us happy, support us, and help us grow. Sarah is the best friend could ever have. am so lucky to have her in my life. She makes me feel very special every day. hope our friendship would last forever. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. How long have Sarah and been friends? We have been friends for many years. What did Sarah and have in common? We both liked the same things. Books, movies, and music. What is one thing Sarah loves to do together? Sarah loves to go hiking with me. What is Sarah's job? Sarah works as nurse. Why do feel lucky to have Sarah as friend? Because Sarah is kind, caring, and always there for me. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is very special day. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. want to tell you about the most important special day in my life. It was the day graduated from high school. will never forget that day. It was big day full of emotions and celebrations. Let me start by telling you how felt that morning. woke up but was little nervous. It was my graduation day. had been waiting for this day for long time. But at the same time, was also feeling anxious. didn't know exactly what to expect. It was the end of high school and knew was going to leave my school and my friends behind. felt happy but also sad. It was strange feeling. On the morning of my graduation, had lot of things to do. needed to get ready. took shower. Then spent lot of time doing my hair. had long hair and wanted it to look nice for the ceremony. It took longer than thought. also put on makeup because wanted to look good in pictures. was running late, but didn't want to be in hurry. wanted everything to be perfect. Then my family was ready to go. My mother, my father, and my younger brother Peter. They were all coming with me to the ceremony. We got in the car, but there was lot of traffic. The road was very busy, and began to feel stressed. thought, no, what if I'm late for my graduation?" didn't want to miss the ceremony. My heart was beating fast because was worried. We finally arrived at school and quickly got off the car. It was almost time for my ceremony to start. When arrived, saw my friends. Some of them were also nervous but excited. We wore special clothes for the ceremony. had black cap and gown. My friends and took many pictures together before the ceremony. It was lot of fun and started to feel more relaxed. The ceremony began and felt proud. walked into the room with all the graduates. The school principal gave special speech and many teachers said nice things about us. It felt great to hear all the compliments and was proud of everything had done during high school. After the speech, it was time to get my diploma. My name was called and walked up to the stage to get my certificate. smiled so big. could see my family cheering for me in the audience. felt happy. It was special moment for me. When the ceremony finished, felt big sense of relief. All the stress and all the hard work was over. had done it. had graduated from high school. And it felt like big weight was lifted from my shoulders. looked around and saw all my friends smiling and laughing. We hugged each other because we knew we would soon be going in different directions. We were all excited about the future, but we also felt sad to say goodbye. After the ceremony, we all went outside and my family was waiting for me. My mom, my dad, and Peter, they were all so happy for me. We took more pictures and then we went out to eat at restaurant. It was great celebration. We had big meal. and felt lucky to have such loving family. We talked about the future and the exciting things would do next. felt ready for the next step in my life. That day was the best day of my life. felt like had worked so hard to reach that moment and was proud of everything had accomplished. High school had been hard, but had learned lot. It had made me stronger and more confident. After graduation, knew was ready for new challenges. was excited to start university and begin new chapter of my life. That day will always be special to me. It was not just about the ceremony but about all the feelings, the hard work, the friends and the family who supported me. will always remember how felt when walked across the stage to receive my diploma. It was moment of joy, pride, and happiness. will never forget my graduation day. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. How did feel when woke up for my graduation day? felt nervous and excited. What did spend lot of time doing in the morning before the ceremony? spent lot of time doing my hair and makeup. Why did feel stressed on the way to the ceremony? There was lot of traffic and was worried about being late. What did wear for the ceremony? wore black cap and gown. What did do with my family after the ceremony? We went to restaurant to celebrate. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my favorite subjects. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. Today, want to tell you about my favorite subjects. When was student, liked some subjects more than others. Some subjects were very interesting and some were little hard for me. Let me tell you which ones liked the most and why. One of my favorite subject was English. always enjoyed learning new words and reading books in English. loved reading stories and poems. My teacher was very nice and she helped me lot. liked writing short stories and practicing speaking English with my classmates. We also listened to songs in English and tried to understand the lyrics. This was very fun for me. enjoyed speaking in English and learning about new cultures through language. always looked forward to English class because it was exciting and different every day. Another subject really liked was history. loved learning about the past. My favorite part of history was learning about famous people and important events that happened long ago. enjoyed reading about kings, queens, and big wars. My history teacher told many interesting stories about different countries. It was exciting to learn how the world changed over time and how history affects our lives today. History made me think lot and always wanted to learn more. It was also fun to learn about ancient civilization like Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. They had amazing cultures and interesting stories. also enjoyed art. In art class, could be creative and use my imagination. liked drawing pictures with pencils and coloring them with paints. Sometimes we made things with clay or other materials. enjoyed painting beautiful landscapes and creating colorful images. Art class was time when could relax and express myself. wasn't the best artist, but always had fun creating new things. loved the feeling of finishing artwork and showing it to my friends and teachers. Art made me happy because it was creative and peaceful subject. Finally, liked physical education. PE PE was class where could be active and had fun. enjoyed playing sports with my friends. We played football, basketball, and sometimes ran races. PE was also good way to stay healthy. liked being outside and moving around and it was fun to compete with my classmates. Sometimes we also did exercise to make our bodies stronger. PE was great way to relax after sitting in class for long time. It made me feel good and gave me energy. So, these were some of my favorite subjects when was at school. English, history, art, and PE were the classes liked the most. Each of these subjects taught me something new and gave me joy. think every student has subjects they enjoy and was lucky to have some that made me happy and excited. Learning was always fun for me and will always remember these subjects with smile. Now let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. What were my favorite subjects at school? My favorite subjects at school were English, history, art, and PE. Why did like English class? liked English class because liked learning new words, reading books, writing stories, and listening to songs in English. What did enjoy about history class? liked learning about the past, famous people, and important events. What did do in art class? liked drawing, painting, and sometimes making things with clay. What sports did play in PE class? played football, basketball, and sometimes running races. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is on my weekend. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. My weekends are very important to me because have time to relax, enjoy my hobbies, and spend time with my family. On Saturday morning, wake up at 7:30. don't like to wake up too late because want to make the most out of the day. usually have breakfast with my husband. We have toast with butter and jam and drink coffee or tea. After breakfast, like to go for walk with my dog Max. We walk around the park near our house. Max loves to run and enjoy the fresh air and the quiet morning. Sometimes after my walk, go to the supermarket. buy food for the weekend. usually make list of things we need so we don't forget anything. After shopping, like to relax. love reading books, so spend time reading good novel. On Saturdays, also watch my favorite TV show in the afternoon. like comedies and sometimes documentaries. In the evening, my husband and usually cook together. We take turns cooking so we both enjoy it. Sometimes we make pasta with sauce and other times we cook big salad with chicken. After dinner, we like to watch movie or listen to music. We also spend time talking maybe about our week or plans for the next day. On Sunday, wake up little later around 9. Sundays are my favorite days because have more time to relax. start the day with long breakfast and we sometimes make pancakes or eggs with bacon. After breakfast, we do some house cleaning. don't like cleaning, but it's necessary. vacuum the floor. clean the kitchen. And organize the living room. In the afternoon, like to do something creative. love painting. So, often paint on Sundays. set up my painting materials and spend few hours painting pictures of nature like trees or flowers. It's very relaxing for me and it helps me feel calm. After painting, usually go for walk in the afternoon, especially if the weather is nice. Sometimes meet my friends at park or at cafe. We chat and enjoy cup of coffee together. like spending time with my friends because it makes me feel happy. In the evening, we have simple dinner. Sometimes we eat leftovers from the weekend or we cook something easy like soup or sandwich. After dinner, enjoy watching TV or reading book before going to bed. So, that's what usually do on the weekend. It's mix of relaxing, hobbies, and spending time with my family and friends. think weekends are important because they give me the energy to start the week with positive attitude. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. What time do wake up on Saturday morning? wake up at 7:30 on Saturday morning. What do usually do after breakfast on Saturday? go for walk with my dog Max. What is my favorite thing to do on Sunday afternoon? love painting on Sunday afternoons. What do do on Sundays? In the morning, have long breakfast and do some house cleaning. How do spend my Sunday evening? spend my Sunday evening watching TV or reading book before going to bed. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is shopping time. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. don't go shopping very often, but when do, enjoy it lot. Shopping is great way to relax. Last Saturday, went to the mall to buy some new clothes and accessories. went to the clothing store. needed new dress for special occasion. looked at many red, blue, black, and even green dresses. Finally, chose beautiful yellow dress. It was soft and comfortable. Then looked at some skirts and blouses. found white blouse with small buttons and blue skirt. They were perfect for work, so decided to buy them. Next, looked for pants and jackets. found pair of jeans that fit me. They were dark blue and very comfortable. also tried on black jacket. It was stylish and warm, perfect for the cold weather. liked it lot, so bought it. After that, went to the shoe store. needed new shoes for my dress. There were so many choices. high heels, sneakers, sandals, and boots. tried pair of red high heels, but they were too tall for me. Then found pair of black shoes with small heel. They were elegant and comfortable, so bought them. also bought pair of white sneakers for everyday use. Then visited the accessory shop. love accessories. looked at necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. bought silver necklace and pair of small earrings. They were simple but beautiful. also needed new handbag. found lovely brown leather bag with small pockets inside. It was just the right size for my things. Finally, went to the cashier to pay. The cashier smiled and asked, "Did you find everything you needed?" said, "Yes, thank you." paid with credit card and took my shopping bag. was very happy with my purchase. Before going home, stopped at cafe. ordered cup of coffee and piece of chocolate cake. It was perfect way to end my shopping day. sat by the window and watched people walk with their shopping bags. Everyone looked happy. Shopping is fun, but it is also important to buy only what you need. had great time at the mall, and now have beautiful new clothes and accessories. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. What did buy for the special occasion? bought yellow dress. What kind of jacket did buy? bought black stylish and warm jacket. What type of shoes did buy for everyday use? bought white sneakers. What accessories did buy? bought silver necklace, small earrings, and brown leather handbag. What did do before going home? stopped at cafe and had coffee with chocolate cake. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my dream job. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. live in small city in Italy. work as an English teacher in primary school. really like my job. enjoy helping children learn new words, sing songs, and speak English. Every day teach children between 6 and 10 years old. They are fun, curious, and full of energy. They ask lot of questions and they love to play games in class. try to make my lessons fun and interesting. use songs, pictures, flashcards, and simple books. speak slowly, and use easy words. The children learn quickly. They smile, laugh, and feel happy. That makes me feel happy, too. But have big dream for my future. want to open bilingual school. This means school where children can learn two languages, Italian and English. think this is very important. In the future, children will need to speak more than one language. English is world language. It helps people find good jobs, travel, study, and meet new people. If children learn English from young age, they can speak better and feel more confident. In my dream school, the children will learn many subjects in English and Italian. For example, we can do math in Italian and art in English. We can read books in both languages. We can sing songs and play games. want the children to hear English every day, not just one hour week. In this way, they will learn English in natural way. The school will have small classes. Each class will have only 10 or 12 students. This way the teacher can help every child. The teachers will be kind, patient and friendly. They will speak English clearly and slowly. They will smile lot and make children feel safe and happy. The classrooms will be colorful. There will be books, games, posters, and pictures on the walls. There will be soft pillows, quiet corners, and big tables to work together. want the school to feel like home. place where children can learn, laugh, and grow. In my school, also want to work with families. Parents are important. They help children learn at home. want to speak with parents and show them how to support their children. We can organize English days where families come to the school and do activities together. We can have games, food, music, and stories in English. It will be fun for everyone. Right now, my dream is only plan. don't have school yet, but am working on it. am saving money every month. am talking to other teachers and asking for advice. read books and watch videos about bilingual education. also look for buildings in my city. need good place for the school. It must be safe, quiet, and not too expensive. know it will take time. Maybe one year, maybe two, three years, but don't want to stop. believe in my dream. believe that one day my school will open. believe that children will come learn and be happy. believe that families will trust us. believe that it will work. Why do have this dream? Because want to do something good. want to help children learn more. want to give them better future. want them to feel strong and confident when they speak English. want to make difference, even small one. know it's not easy. There will be problems. There will be stress and hard work. But am ready. am 40 years old. still have time. still have energy. And still have passion. This is the most important thing. So this is my big dream to open bilingual school. place where children can learn, grow, and smile. place full of love, words, and hope. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. What is my job now? am an English teacher. What is my dream for the future? want to open bilingual school. Which two languages will the children learn in my school? They will learn Italian and English. Why do think learning English is important? because it helps children travel, study, and find good jobs. What do want the school to feel like? want the school to feel like home. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my favorite sport. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. have been playing volleyball since was teenager and it has always been big part of my life. first started playing volleyball at school. was about 14 years old when joined the school team. remember my first game. was nervous, but loved the energy of the match, the excitement of the ball flying through the air and the sound of the players jumping and shouting. It felt amazing. After that, played in every match could and soon joined the local volleyball club in my town. At first, didn't know much about the rules. just wanted to hit the ball and have fun. But as practiced more, learned about the strategies of the game. Volleyball is not just about hitting the ball. It's about teamwork, communication, and quick thinking. You have to know where your teammates are, when to pass the ball and how to move quickly on the court. When was in my 20ies, played in local volleyball league. It was very competitive, but enjoyed every moment of it. We practiced three or four times week and every Sunday we played match. played as setter. My job was to pass the ball to the players who would then try to score point by hitting the ball over the net. It was lot of pressure, but loved the challenge. loved the feeling of helping my teammates and making good passes that led to point. Sometimes we won, sometimes we lost, but every match was lesson. In my 30s, didn't have much time to play because was working fulltime as nurse, but didn't want to stop playing volleyball. So, started playing with my friends. Every Thursday evening, we met at the local gym to play. It's not as competitive as before, but it's still fun. We play for about an hour, sometimes longer, and after the game, we often go for dinner together. It's great way to stay active and relax with friends. Volleyball has taught me many important things. First, it has taught me about teamwork. In volleyball, you cannot win alone. You need your teammates to help you. Each player has role and the team must work together. This is something try to remember every day in my life. Whether am at work or at home, teamwork is important in every situation. Another thing volleyball has taught me is how to deal with challenges. Sometimes we lose matches and it's difficult, but I've learned that losing is part of the game. You don't always win, but you can always learn from your mistakes. When we lose, we talk about what went wrong and what we can do better next time. It's good lesson in life. Never give up and always try to improve. also love watching volleyball on TV. When Italy plays in international competitions, always watch the game. cheer for the team and feel proud when they win. The Italian national team is very strong and love to see how they play together as team. Their teamwork is incredible and it reminds me of the same feeling get when play with my friends. In the future, would like to help young people learn how to play volleyball. would love to coach team. think it would be amazing to teach children the basics of the sport and help them develop their skills. Volleyball has given me so much, exercise, fun, and friendship, and want to give something back by helping the next generation enjoy the sport, too. also hope that volleyball will continue to be part of my life. don't think will ever stop playing. Maybe when I'm older, will play in slower, more relaxed way, but will always love this game. It's not just sport for me. It's way of life. Volleyball keeps me fit, keeps me connected to my friends, and brings me joy. It's more than just hitting ball over net. It's about people, the fun, and the energy. In my town, there are lot of people who love volleyball and every year we organize small volleyball tournament. It's great way to bring the community together and show how much we love the sport. always participate in this tournament and it's one of the highlights of my year. Even if my team doesn't win, still have wonderful time. So, this is why volleyball is my favorite sport. It has been part of my life for many years and it will continue to be part of my future. believe everyone should try playing volleyball. It's fantastic sport and it can teach you many valuable lessons about life, teamwork and perseverance. Now let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. How long have been playing volleyball? have been playing volleyball since was teenager. What position did play when was in volleyball league? played as setter. What is the most important lesson that volleyball has taught me? Volleyball has taught me teamwork. What do do after playing volleyball with my friends? After playing, my friends and often go out for dinner together. What do hope to do in the future regarding volleyball? hope to coach volleyball team and teach young people. What do like about watching volleyball on TV? like watching the Italian national volleyball team and feel proud when they win. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my favorite holiday. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Listen carefully and try to catch the main ideas. Let's get started. There are many holidays during the year like Easter, Halloween, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, etc., etc. But my favorite holiday is Christmas. It is very special time for me. wait for it every year. When Christmas comes, feel happy and excited. It is the best time of the year for me. Before Christmas, always prepare many things. There is so much to do. make list. write down all the things need. Decorations, food, and drinks. go to the shops with my family or my friends. We buy what we need. like to walk in the shops and look at all the lights and colors. Everything looks beautiful for me. People smile. Children laugh. There is music in the air. At home, we decorate the house. My family helps me. We take out big box with all the decorations inside. First, we put up Christmas tree. The tree is green and tall. We put it up in the living room. Then we add lights. love the lights. There are red, yellow, green, and blue lights. They shine and blink. After the lights, we put on balls, ribbons, and stars. At the end, we add big star on the top of the tree. always do this part. It's my favorite. But we don't stop with the tree. We also decorate the windows and the doors. We hang little bells, snowflakes, and red bows. My family and make some decorations at home. We cut out stars and glue glitter on them. We hang them on the walls. enjoy this. It's fun and creative. also write Christmas cards. write cards for my friends, my cousins, and my grandparents, and some work colleagues. write Merry Christmas and maybe small note inside. put the cards in the envelopes and send them. Some people send me cards, too. put them on the shelf or on the fridge. love to look at them. few days before Christmas, we start baking. My family and bake cookies and cakes. We use flour, sugar, eggs, and butter. Sometimes we make cookies in fun shapes like stars, trees, and hearts. We also make chocolate balls and gingerbread men. The kitchen smells so good. We also plan food for Christmas day. It is big meal. We make list again. We go to the supermarket and buy everything. We need meat, vegetables, rice, potatoes, bread, cheese, drinks. Sometimes we buy juice and other soft drinks. Sometimes we make things at home. On the evening before Christmas, my family and stay home. We turn on the Christmas lights. We drink hot chocolate or tea. We listen to music. We play soft Christmas songs. Sometimes we sing together. My favorite song is soft and peaceful. know all the words. Sometimes sing alone. Sometimes with my family. We also put the presents under the tree. Everyone has small boxes with names on them. like to guess. Is this for me? Is this book? Is it sweater? It's exciting. give gifts, too. like choosing gifts for my family. think about what they like. My mom likes candles. My dad likes coffee. My brothers like socks. don't spend too much money. buy small things or make some things. One time made small photo frame for my grandma. She smiled and said it was beautiful. On Christmas morning, we wake up early. Sometimes wake up first. go to the living room and look at the tree. The lights are still on. It looks magical. wait for my family. When everyone is ready, we sit around the tree. One person gives out the gifts. We open them one by one. We take our time. We smile and say, "Thank you." and hug each other. After the presents, we eat breakfast. We eat eggs, toast, fruit, and yogurt. Then we relax little. Later, we start cooking the big Christmas meal. cut the vegetables and wash the salad. set the table with plates, glasses, and napkins. Everyone helps. At lunchtime, we sit all together and eat. We eat chicken or turkey with potatoes, vegetables, and some pasta or rice. We also have bread and cheese. For dessert, we eat cake, cookies, or something sweet. Sometimes there is ice cream, too. Everything is good. We laugh and talk. It's nice to be together. In the afternoon, we play games. We play cards or board games. We watch movie. love Christmas movies. Some are funny, some are sweet. sit on the sofa with blanket and cup of tea. feel warm and happy. In the evening, we visit our family or they visit us. We talk, drink tea or coffee, and eat something small. My grandma always makes cake. She tells stories from when she was young. like to listen. Her stories are long but nice. Sometimes we go out for walk. It's cold, but we wear warm clothes. We look at the other houses. Many houses have lights and decorations. It looks like fairy tale. Everything shines. For me, Christmas is more than food and gifts. It is about being together, sharing, and smiling. feel calm. feel thankful. feel love in the air. It's just not one day. It's feeling that stays with me. This is why Christmas is my favorite holiday. love every part of it. love the music, the lights, the food, the games, and the quiet moments, too. will always remember these days. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. What do do to decorate the house for Christmas? put up tree, hang lights, and make decorations. What do do in the kitchen at Christmas? wash vegetables, cut food, and help prepare the meal. What do like to do on Christmas Eve? drink hot chocolate, listen to music, and relax with my family. What kind of gifts do give to my family? give small gifts or homemade presents. Why is Christmas my favorite holiday? Because feel happy, relaxed, and close to my family. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is typical day at the park. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Listen carefully and try to catch the main ideas. Let's get started. really love going to the park. It's one of my favorite places to relax and enjoy nature. In this story, will tell you everything usually do when visit the park. So, let's start. usually go to the park in the morning because it is very nice time to be outside. The air is fresh. And it's not too hot or too cold. like to wake up early and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. When get to the park, the first thing notice is the beautiful trees. There are many trees in the park. Some are very tall, others are small and round. They all have green leaves. And some trees have flowers, too. In the spring, see lot of flowers. The flowers are yellow, white, and pink. really like colors. When arrive at the park, see many people already walking. Some people are walking with their dogs. The dogs are very happy. They run and play in the grass. think dogs really love the park. also see people jogging. They are running fast and they have headphones in their ears. They listen to music while they run. am not runner, but like to walk slowly around the park. After walking for while, usually go sit on the bench. sit and rest for few minutes. It's very relaxing. From the bench, can see the entire park. can see the children playing, the ducks swimming in the lake, and the people walking their dogs. It's very nice view. Sometimes bring book with me. read for little while. love reading in the park because it's so quiet and peaceful. can focus on my book and enjoy the fresh air at the same time. There is also lake in the park. The lake is small, but it's beautiful. like to sit near the lake and watch the ducks. The ducks swim in the water. They look so calm. Some people feed the ducks. They bring bread or seeds and they throw them into the water. The ducks come quickly to eat. It's fun to watch them. Sometimes even feed the ducks too, but only small pieces of bread. After while, get up and walk around the lake. There is path that goes around the lake and like to walk there. The path is peaceful. Sometimes see people walking together. They talk and laugh while they walk. also see people with children. The children play with the balls or run around. It's fun to watch them. Sometimes even join them and play with the ball, but am not very good at sports, so just enjoy watching them. In the park, there is also playground for children. don't play on the playground anymore because I'm an adult, but like to watch them. They climb on the swings, slide down the slides, and jump on the seesaws. They all seem happy. The playground is very colorful with bright yellow and red toys. It's happy place for children to have fun. Around lunchtime, usually find nice place to sit and eat. bring sandwich and fruit. Sometimes bring small bottle of water or juice. sit on the bench or on the grass and enjoy my lunch. It's nice to eat outside in the fresh air. look around and watch the people in the park. Some people are sitting on the grass just like me. And some people are reading books or talking to each other. After lunch, like to take walk again. Sometimes walk to the other side of the park. There is small hill. From the hill can see the whole park. It's very beautiful. like to take pictures of the park. There are many nice things to see. take pictures of the flowers, the lake, and the trees. also take pictures of the birds flying above. In the afternoon, see more people in the park. Some are playing sports like football, basketball, or tennis. like to watch the football players. They play very fast. Sometimes join them, but I'm not very good. enjoy watching the game. also see people riding their bikes. They ride around the park enjoying the nice weather. Some people even ride rollerblades. It looks fun. As the day goes on, the park starts to get little quieter. Some people go home and some people sit on benches reading or talking. like to sit on the bench at the end of the day and relax before go home. The sun is usually lower in the sky and the park looks very nice in the soft light. It's perfect time to take more pictures. When it's time to go home, leave the park. feel happy because had great time. The park is peaceful place and always feel better after spending time at the park. think the park is one of the best places to relax, exercise, and enjoy nature. can't wait to come back again next week. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. What do usually do when first arrive at the park? walk around the park and look at the trees and flowers. What is my favorite activity to do in the park? love sitting on the bench and reading book. What do do when see ducks in the lake? watch them swim and sometimes feed them small pieces of bread. Do play on the playground in the park? No, don't play on the playground. How do feel after spending time in the park? feel happy and relaxed because the park is peaceful. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is what's in my backpack. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. carry my backpack every single day. It's not very big bag, but it's strong and practical. use it for work, for shopping, and for many other things. You know, it's like small world that carry with me everywhere. Let's start with the most important item. My laptop. always carry my laptop in my backpack. It's small, so it fits perfectly. use it for work and personal things. When I'm at work, need to check emails, write documents, and attend online meetings. also use it for watching movies when need break. It's very useful tool and don't like leaving home without it. Sometimes if have free moment during lunch, watch few episodes of my favorite TV shows. Next, always carry notebook. love writing by hand. Even though spend lot of time on my computer, still prefer to take notes on paper. have lot of notebooks at home, but carry one with me every day. In my notebook, write my thoughts, my ideas, and lists. Sometimes draw or make plans for the week. It's special place where can organize my life and clear my mind. like to sit quietly at the park or in cafe and write down my ideas. Now, if I'm going to write, need pen, right? always carry pen with me. like to keep it in little pocket inside my bag so can easily find it. actually have two pens in my backpack just in case lose one. find it very frustrating when need to write and don't have pen. also have small highlighter that use for making important things in my notebook or documents. It's always good to have the right tools. Another item never leave home without is my water bottle. try to drink plenty of water during the day, so carry my water bottle in my backpack all the time. think it's important to stay hydrated, especially if I'm busy. don't like buying plastic bottles, so use reusable ones. fill it up in the morning before leave home and it's always there when need to drink. try to carry it everywhere go, even when I'm not working. Staying hydrated helps me feel better and more focused throughout the day. also keep my wallet in my backpack. My wallet has my ID card, credit cards, and little bit of cash. don't use cash very much, but like to have it just in case. My ID card is important because sometimes need it for identification. also carry bus pass in my wallet because often take the bus to go to work. It's easy and fast. If I'm traveling for work or visiting family, my wallet is always with me. always carry snacks in my bag. like to have something healthy to eat if get hungry during the day. Sometimes bring banana or an apple because they are easy to carry. Other times bring small pack of almonds or dried apricots. like to eat something light but healthy, especially when I'm working or walking around. These snacks give me energy without making me feel tired. also like to carry little chocolate bar or some biscuits. think it's nice to enjoy something sweet during the day. In my backpack, also keep small umbrella. don't use it every day, but like to carry it just in case it rains. The weather is unpredictable and sometimes it starts raining without warning. hate getting wet, so my umbrella is my little safety net. It's small, so it fits easily in my bag and it's not heavy. also carry pair of sunglasses because when the sun is strong, need them to protect my eyes. keep them in small case so they don't get scratched. Let's move on to something little personal. Hand sanitizers. carry small bottle of hand sanitizer in my bag every day. use it many times, especially after touching things like door handles, phones, or public transportation seats. It's very important to stay clean, especially when you're outside all day. feel safer and more comfortable when have it with me. Sometimes carry book in my backpack. love reading. always bring book with me when know have some free time, like during lunch or when I'm waiting for someone. Reading is one of my favorite activities, so try to make time for it every day. usually read novels, but sometimes read magazines or articles about topics enjoy. It helps me relax and always feel happy when discover good book. Lastly, keep some tissues in my bag. like to be prepared for any situation and tissues are very useful whether it's for runny nose, cleaning hands, or wiping something off my desk. Tissues are always helpful. make sure to carry enough for the day so never run out. So, as you can see, my backpack is full of important things. It's little heavy, but carry everything need. believe in being prepared for the day, and my backpack helps me stay organized and ready for anything. It's not just bag. It's place where keep everything that makes my day easier. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. What is the most important item carry in my backpack? My laptop. Why do carry notebook in my backpack? carry it so can write down ideas, notes, or plans by hand. What kind of snacks do carry? carry fruits, nuts, and sometimes chocolate or biscuits. Why do use hand sanitizer for use hand sanitizer to keep my hands clean after touching public things. Why do carry an umbrella? carry it just in case it rains. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my roots. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. was born in Chicago. Chicago is big city in America. It is in the state of Illinois. Chicago has many tall buildings and beautiful lake called Lake Michigan. My parents are from Sicily, beautiful island in Italy. It is in the south of the country. When was child, my home was special. My mother cooked Sicilian food. We ate pasta, aranchchini, and canoli. Aranchini are rice balls with cheese inside. Canoli are sweet pastries with cream. My father spoke Italian at home. He wanted me to remember the language. We had photos of Sicily on our walls. saw pictures of the blue sea, of the green mountains, and of the old buildings. My mother woke up early every morning. She made coffee in small pot called mocha. The smell of coffee filled our house. My father read Italian newspapers. He listened to Italian radio. They wanted to keep our culture alive in America. On weekends, we visited my grandparents. They lived in small apartment in an area of Chicago called Little Italy. Many Italian families lived there. My grandmother told me stories about Sicily. She talked about her childhood in the small village. She showed me how to make traditional food. learned to make pasta by hand. My grandfather played old Sicilian songs on his guitar. He sang with deep, warm voice. Sometimes other Italian families came to visit. They brought food and wine. They talked in Italian and laughed lot. At school, had American friends. spoke English with them. ate hamburgers and pizza. American pizza is different from Italian pizza. watched American shows. celebrated American holidays like Thanksgiving and Halloween. felt American when was at school. But at home, felt Sicilian. learned Italian words. learned about Sicilian history. Sicily has long history with many different cultures. My parents said, "Never forget where you come from." This was very important to them. In the summer, my family went to the beach in Chicago. My parents always said, "The beaches in Sicily are more beautiful." They showed me pictures of the clear blue water and white sand. dreamed of seeing these beaches one day. When was 10 years old, we visited Sicily for the first time. We stayed for one month. We visited my aunts, my uncles, and my cousins. They were so happy to see us. They gave us many gifts. We ate big family dinners that lasted for hours. The food was amazing. Fresh vegetables, seafood, and delicious desserts. In Sicily, saw the places from my parents' stories. saw the village where my mother was born. saw the school where my father studied. saw the church where they got married. Everything felt familiar. Even though it was my first visit. After that summer, we visit Sicily every few years. Each time felt more connected to the island. loved the warm weather, the friendly people, and the relaxed lifestyle. When was in high school, some friends asked me about my family. They were interested in my Sicilian roots. felt proud to be different. brought Sicilian cookies to school parties. taught my friends Italian words. They thought that it was cool that had two cultures. went to university in Chicago. studied business. During those years, became more American. was very busy with my studies and work. visited my parents less often. spoke Italian less frequently, but still loved Sicilian food and traditions. When was 30, my parents decided to go back to Sicily. They missed their homeland. They missed the warm weather, the food, and their old friends. They bought small house in their hometown. stayed in Chicago. had good job there. visited them every summer. loved the beaches, the food, and the people. Sicily felt like second home to me. started to think about my own identity. Was American? Was Sicilian? felt connected to both places. Five years ago, made big decision. moved to Sicily, too. It was not easy. had to find new job. had to improve my Italian. had to make new friends. But felt that that was the right choice for me. Now live in small town near Polarmo. Polarmo is the capital of Sicily. work as an English teacher. Many people in Sicily want to learn English. speak Italian every day. Now, sometimes make mistakes, but people are patient with me. eat fresh local food. Fruits and vegetables from local farms. Fish from the Mediterranean Sea. My apartment is small, but it has beautiful view of the sea. In the morning, drink my coffee on my balcony. watch the fishermen bring in their boats. In the evening, walk along the beach. meet friends at local cafes. Life is slower here than in Chicago, but enjoy it. have made many friends in Sicily. Some are locals who have lived here all their lives. Others are people like me who moved here from different countries. We share our experiences and help each other. Sometimes miss Chicago. miss the tall buildings. miss the snow in the winter. miss the busy streets and the energy of the city. miss my old friends and my favorite restaurants. When feel homesick, call my friends in America or make American food at home. But Sicily feels like home now. The local people call me the American, but they accept me as part of their community. understand my roots better now. see why my parents and grandparents loved this island so much. appreciate the history, the traditions, and the values. am both American and Sicilian. My two cultures make me who am. speak two languages. know two different ways of life. can see the world from two perspectives. This is special gift. In the future, want to create small business that connects America and Sicily. Maybe shop that sells Sicilian products in America or service that helps America discover Sicily. want to be bridge between my two homes. Every morning wake up grateful for my journey. am grateful for my parents who kept their traditions alive. am grateful for my two homes and my two cultures. am grateful for the chance to understand my roots and grow new ones. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. Where was born? was born in Chicago in America. Where is Sicily? Sicily is beautiful island in the south of Italy. What's my job now? work as an English teacher. Why did my parents move back to Sicily? They missed their homeland, the warm weather, the food, and their old friends. How do feel about having two cultures? feel it is special gift to have two cultures. can speak two languages and see the world from two perspectives. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my favorite film, Dirty Dancing. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. My favorite film is Dirty Dancing. It is an American film from 1987. first watched it when was teenager. Now am 40 years old and still love this film. Dirty Dancing is love story. It takes place in the summer of 1963. The story happens at holiday resort called Colorsman's. resort is place where people go for vacation. Kersman's is in the mountains in place called the Catskills in New York. The main character is young woman named Francis Houseman. Everyone calls her baby. She is 17 years old. Baby goes on vacation with her family. Her father, her mother, and her older sister, Leisa. Her father is doctor. He is good man who wants to help people. Her mother is kind woman who loves her family. Her sister Liza likes fashion and boys. Baby is different from her sister. She is interested in serious things. She wants to study economics and help poor countries. She is intelligent and kind. At the resort, baby meets dance teacher called Johnny Castle. Johnny is 25 years old. He has dark hair and is very handsome. Johnny teaches dance to the guest during the day. The guests are rich people who come to the resort for vacation. One night, Baby follows Billy, who works at the resort, to secret party. This party is for the staff. The people who work at the resort, they are not rich like the guests. At this party, baby sees different kind of dancing. The staff dance very close to each other. Their bodies move with the music in sensual way. Johnny calls it dirty dancing. This dancing is very different from the formal dances that the guests do. Baby is fascinated by this dancing. She watches Johnny dance with his partner Benny Johnson. Penny is beautiful woman with blond hair. She and Johnny dance wonderfully together. few days later, baby learns that Penny has problem. Penny is pregnant. The father of the baby is waiter named Robbie. Robbie does not want to help Penny. Penny needs money for the doctor. She also needs to miss dancing show at another resort. This show is important because it pays lot of money. Baby wants to help Penny. First, she asks her father for money without telling him why. Then she offers to learn to dance and replace Penny in the show. Donnie thinks this is bad idea because baby does not know how to dance like them, but they don't have another option. Donnie begins to teach baby how to dance. They practice in his cabin, in the studio, and even in lake. The training is hard. Baby must learn many difficult steps. At first, she is not good at dancing. She steps on Johnny's feet and forgets the steps. But Johnny is patient with her. He is good teacher. As they practice together every day, something beautiful happens. Baby and Johnny start to fall in love. Baby likes Johnny's passion for dance and his kind heart. Johnny likes that baby is different from other rich girls. She cares about people and wants to help. The day of the show arrives. Baby and Johnny travel to another resort to perform. Baby is very nervous, but Johnny helps her feel confident. Their dance is not perfect, but they complete it. When they return to Kellerman's, they learn that the doctor Baby's father recommended for Penny did not do good job. Penny is in pain. Baby runs to get her father to help Penny. Dr. Houseman helps Penny, but he is angry with Baby. He thinks Johnny is responsible for Penny's pregnancy. He tells Baby to stay away from Johnny and the staff. Baby obeys her father during the day, but at night she secretly goes to Johnny. Their love grows stronger. They spend more time together. Johnny teaches Baby more about dance and about his life. Baby helps Johnny believe in himself and his dreams. One night, Johnny's friend is in trouble. The police come to the resort to arrest him. Johnny has an alibi. He was with baby all night. Baby confirms this to her father and everyone. But now Dr. Houseman knows that baby disobeyed him. He is very disappointed in her. Johnny loses his job at the resort because the manager, Mr. Calerman, does not want him to have relationships with guests. Donnie decides to leave the resort. Baby is very sad. She thinks she will never see Johnny again. The summer is ending. Kellerman's has big final show on the last night. All the guests and the staff attend. Baby sits with her family feeling sad because Johnny is gone. But then something amazing happens. Johnny comes back to the resort. He walks into the hall during the final show. He goes to Baby's table and says the famous line, "Nobody puts baby in corner." This means that nobody should make baby sit quietly in the background. She deserves to be seen and heard. Johnny takes baby to the stage. He tells everyone that she helped him believe in himself. He wants to do the last dance of the season with her. They begin to dance to song called The Time of My Life. Their dance is beautiful and passionate. They do all the steps perfectly, including the difficult lift where Johnny holds baby above his head. Everyone watches in amazement, including baby's family. Her father finally sees how special Johnny is and how happy he makes baby. After the dance, Dr. Houseman apologizes to Johnny. He understands that he was wrong about him. The film ends with everyone dancing together, the guests and the staff, rich and poor, all dancing as one group. love dirty dancing for many reasons. First, it tells beautiful love story between two people from different worlds. Johnny and Baby learn from each other and grow together. Second, the film has amazing music songs like Time of My Life, Hungry Eyes, She's Like the Wind. The dancing is also incredible. Patrick Sees, who plays Johnny, was real dancer, and he moves with such grace and power. The film also talks about important social issues like class differences, women's rights, and personal freedom. But it does this in way that is entertaining and moving. Every time watch Dirty Dancing, feel happy. It reminds me of my teenage years when first fell in love. It makes me want to dance. have watched this film more than 20 times and still enjoy it every time. even took dancing lessons because of this film. wanted to learn to dance like baby. The dancing was hard but fun. never managed to do the famous lift though. It is too difficult. Dirty dancing is more than just film for me. It is part of my life. It shows that with love, courage, and hard work, you can overcome obstacles and find happiness. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. Who are the two main characters in Dirty Dancing? The two main characters in Dirty Dancing are Baby Francis Houseman and John Castle. Where does the story take place? The story takes place at Calerman's Resort in the Catskills Mountains in New York. Why does baby need to learn to dance with Johnny? Baby needs to learn to dance with Johnny because Penny is pregnant and cannot perform in an important show. Baby offers to replace her. What does Johnny say when he comes back at the end of the film? Johnny says, "Nobody puts baby in corner." Why do love this film? love this film because it tells beautiful love story between people from different worlds. It has amazing music and dancing and it discusses important social issues in an entertaining way. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my favorite dish, Sicilian baked pasta. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. love this dish very much. It brings back so many wonderful memories from my childhood. And now make it for my own family. first learned about this amazing dish when was girl. My grandmother was from Sicily, beautiful island in the south of Italy. She moved to our city when she was young, but she always kept her Sicilian traditions, especially in the cooking. Every Sunday, our whole family would go to her small house for lunch, and almost always she made her special baked pasta. remember waking up on Sunday mornings and feeling so excited. knew we would visit grandma that day. My parents, my brother, and would get dressed in our nice clothes. Then we would drive to grandma's house. Even before we open the door, we could smell the wonderful aroma of her cooking. Grandma's kitchen was not very big, but it was always warm and full of delicious smell. She had an old wooden table in the middle of the room. When we arrived, she was usually busy at the stove. She wore simple blue apron with small flowers on it. Her face was always happy when she saw us. "Come in," she would say with her special accent. Then she would give us all big hugs and kisses on both cheeks. My brother and would run to look at the oven. We wanted to see if the baked pasta was ready. Now, let me tell you about this wonderful dish. Sicilian baked pasta or pasta al forno sichana in Italian. This is very special and traditional dish. It is not just simple pasta with sauce. No, it is more complex and rich. The dish is actually quite simple to prepare, but very delicious. First, you need pasta. Usually an type of pasta is perfect because they hold the sauce well. Then you need good tomato sauce with beet. like to use beef in my sauce just like my grandmother did. But some people also use pork or mixture of different meats. The sauce is very important. My grandmother taught me to start with olive oil, garlic, and onions. You cook them until they're soft and golden. Then you add the meat and cook it well. After that you add tomatoes, little bit of sugar to reduce acidity, salt, pepper, and herbs like basil. The sauce needs to cook slowly for at least 1 hour. This way all the flavors mix together perfectly. But the most important part of Sicilian baked pasta is the cheese. You need two types of cheese, mozzarella and parmesan. The mozzarella becomes melted and streaky. The parmesan gives strong salty flavor. Some people also add third cheese called kalo cavalo which is traditional Sicilian cheese, but it can be hard to find in other countries. Another special ingredient in my grandmother's recipe was eggplant. She would cut eggplants into small cubes, fry them until they were golden, and then add them to the pasta. The eggplants give sweet, unique flavor that makes the dish truly Sicilian. Some versions of this dish also include peas, hardboiled eggs, and even ham or salami. My grandmother sometimes added these ingredients, especially for special occasions like Easter or Christmas. But her everyday version was simpler. To make this dish, first cook the pasta in large pot of salted water. It's important not to cook it for too long because it will continue to cook in the oven. We call this alena in Italian, which means the pasta is cooked but still bit firm. After draining the pasta, mix about half of the tomato sauce and some of the cheese in the large bowl. Then prepare big baking pan. put little of the sauce on the bottom of the pan so the pasta doesn't stick. Then add half of the pasta mixture. On the top of that, put layer of sliced mozzarella, small spoonfuls of grated parmesan. If I'm using eggplants or other ingredients, add them in this layer, too. After that, add the rest of the pasta and cover everything with the remaining sauce. On top, put more mozzarella and parmesan cheese. On the top layer, cheese will become golden and slightly crispy in the oven, which gives wonderful contrast to the soft pasta underneath. Then put in the oven at about 307° or 190° Celsius for approximately 30 minutes. know it's ready when the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling. When the pasta comes out of the oven, it's important to let it rest for about 10 minutes. This makes it easier to serve and it won't be too hot to eat. The smell that fills the house is absolutely amazing. mix of tomatoes, cheese, and herbs that makes everyone hungry. The moment of cutting into the baked pasta is special. You can see all the layers, the melted cheese that stretches as you lift each piece and the rich sauce. The top is little bit crispy and the inside is soft and warm. Each bite has so many flavors. The tangy tomato sauce, the rich cheese, the pasta that has absorbed all the wonderful tastes. Just like my grandmother, usually make this dish on Sundays. It has become tradition in my family, too. My children love it as much as did when was their age. They often help me prepare it. My daughter likes to grate the cheese and my son helps me mix the pasta with the sauce. It's nice way to spend time together and teach them about cooking. When we sit down to eat, we always have big green salad after the pasta. The fresh crisp salad is perfect. We also have fresh bread to clean our plates after we finish. We don't want to waste any of that delicious sauce. My husband says make the baked pasta almost as well as my grandmother did. take this as big compliment because my grandmother was an amazing cook. still remember her hands, quick and sure as she prepared the ingredients. She never used recipes or measuring cups. She knew exactly how much each ingredient to use just by looking and feeling. have tried to teach my children the same way. Cooking is not just about following recipe. It's also about understanding the ingredients, knowing how they work together, and adjusting as needed. It's about cooking with love and patience. My grandmother passed away 10 years ago, but her recipes and traditions live on in our family. Every time make her baked pasta, feel like she's with us. Food has the special power to connect us with our past and with the people we love. In Sicily, food is more than just nutrition. It's way to show love, to bring people together, and to celebrate life. Meals are not rushed. People take time to enjoy food and company. This is something try to maintain in my family. Even though our lives are often busy and hectic, when friends visit our home, often make Sicilian baked pasta for them. It's always success. People ask for the recipe and happily share it. But always tell them that the most important ingredient is love. You need to take your time and enjoy the process of cooking. have tried many versions of baked pasta in restaurants, but none of them taste as good as homemade. Maybe it's because they don't have memories and love that go into the dish when make it at home. Another thing love about this dish is that it's perfect for big gatherings. You can prepare it in advance and just put it in the oven when your guests arrive. It's also great as leftovers. Sometimes think it tastes even better the next day. In summer, sometimes make lighter version with fresh tomato instead of sauce and add zucchini and bell peppers. In winter, make richer version with more meat and cheese. It's versatile dish that can be adapted to different seasons and occasions. Cooking traditional recipes like Sicilian baked pasta is way to keep our cultural heritage alive. It connects me to my roots, to my grandmother's homeland. Even though have only visited Sicily few times, through food, feel connection to generations of women in my family who cooked these dishes before me. hope that when my children grow up, they will continue this tradition. Maybe they will add their own touches to the recipe and that's okay. Recipes evolve over time just like families do. But the essence of the dish and the love that goes into making it should remain the same. So that's the story of my favorite dish, Sicilian baked pasta. It's more than food to me. It's memory of my grandmother, tradition in my family, and way to show love to the people care about. Every time eat it, feel happy and at home. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. Where did my grandmother come from? My grandmother came from Sicily, an island in the south of Italy. What are the two main types of cheese used in Sicilian baked pasta? The two main types of cheese used are mozzarella and parmesan. Why do cook the pasta for shorter time than usual? Because the pasta will continue to cook in the oven. On which day of the week do usually make this dish? on Sundays just like my grandmother did. What is the most important ingredient for me in this recipe? The most important ingredient is love. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is from my window. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. live in small town near Polmo in Sicily. My house is old, but love it. It belonged to my grandmother and have lived there for 15 years now. From my window can see many things. First can see small garden. In my garden there are three lemon trees. The lemons are big and yellow. use them to make lemonchalo, special Italian drink. also grow tomatoes, basil, and rosemary. In spring, plant beautiful red flowers. Their name in Italian is Gerani. Geraniums in English. Next to my garden, there's little square. In Italy, they call it patza. In the morning, many people come to the square. Old men sit on benches and talk about politics, football, and the weather. They drink espresso from small cups. Children play with balls and ride bicycles. Sometimes there is man who sells fruit and vegetables from his truck. His name is Joseeppe and he comes every Tuesday and Friday. He has the best oranges in town. can also see church. It is old, maybe 300 years old. The church has big clock tower. Every hour the bell rings. can hear it clearly from my window. On Sunday mornings, many people go to church. They wear nice clothes and carry prayer books. After church, they often stop at small cafe for coffee or ice cream. Behind the church, can see the mountains. They are beautiful, especially at sunset when they look red and orange. In the winter, sometimes there is snow on the top of the mountains. In summer, they look dry and brown. Many people from town go hiking on these mountains on weekends. In the distance, can see some houses. They are all different colors, white, yellow, pink, and blue. Many houses have flowers on their balconies. Some have small vegetable gardens on their roof. This is typical in Sicily. Most houses have satellite dishes for television. At night, can see the lights in the windows. When it's summer, can see the sea. It's far, but on clear days, can see the blue water shining in the sun. Sometimes can even see small boats. In July and August, many tourists come to our beaches. They swim, sunbathe, and eat ice cream. The water is warm and clean. love sitting by my window in the morning with cup of coffee. watch people go to work or school. see my neighbors walking their dogs. Sometimes my neighbor Maria waves from her window across the street. She is an old lady, maybe 80 years old, and she makes the best canoli in town. Maria has cat named Luna. Luna is black and white. She likes to sit on Maria's window sill and watch the birds. Sometimes see other animals, too. Dogs, birds, and occasionally fox that comes from the mountains at night. The weather in my town is usually warm. In summer, it's hot. Sometimes 40° keep my windows open at night to catch the cool breeze from the sea. In winter, it rains lot, but it rarely snows. When it does snow, all the children play in the square and build snowmen. Across the square, there's small shop that sells bread. The baker Antonio starts work very early at 4:00 in the morning. can smell the fresh bread when open my window. Next to the baker, there is pharmacy and small supermarket. On Saturdays, there is market in the square. People sell clothes, shoes, bags, and local products like cheese, olive oil, and honey. It's very busy and noisy. like to buy fresh cheese and olives from the market. Sometimes buy flowers for my house, too. Near my house there is primary school. can hear the children playing in the schoolyard during their break time. They laugh and shout and play games. The school bell rings at 8:30 in the morning and again at 1:30 in the afternoon when school finishes. In the evening, young people meet in the square. They talk, they laugh, and they eat ice cream. In summer, there are often small concerts or festivals in the square. People play traditional Sicilian music and dance. From my window, can also see the bus stop. The bus comes four times day. In the morning, at noon, in the afternoon, and in the evening, it goes to Polarmo, the big city. Many people take this bus to go to work or to go shopping. At night, the town is quiet. can see the stars and sometimes the moon from my window. The street lights make the square look magical. Sometimes hear music from small restaurant near the church. People eat dinner there, drink wine, and enjoy the evening. In autumn, see the leaves changing colors and falling from the trees. The mountains look beautiful with red, orange, and yellow colors. People in my town collect mushrooms and chestnuts from the forest on the mountains. In my town, everybody knows everybody. When people pass by my window, they often say bonjouro good morning or boner good evening to me. like this friendly atmosphere. It makes me feel at home. My window is connection to the world. see seasons change, people come and go, festivals and celebration. can see life happening in my small town. And even though it's small place, there is always something interesting to see from my window. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. Where do live? live in small town near Palmo in Sicily. What do grow in my garden? have lemon trees, tomatoes, basil, rosemary, and geraniums. How often does They come to sell fruit and vegetables. He comes twice week, every Tuesday and Friday. What can see in the distance on clear days? can see the sea and sometimes small boats. What happens in the square on Saturdays? There is market where people sell clothes, shoes, bags, and local products. Okay, if you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my favorite TV series, This Is Us. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. This is US is an American family drama. The series tells the story of the Pearson family. There are three main characters, Kevin, Kate, and Randall. They are siblings. The series also shows their parents, Jack and Rebecca. The series started in 2016. It has six seasons in total. Each season has about 18 episodes. Each episode is about 45 minutes long. The final episode was in 2022. was very sad when the series ended. It was like saying goodbye to my friends. Let me tell you more about the characters. Jack Pearson is the father. He is very kind and loving. He always tries to be the best father and husband. He works in construction but dreams of starting his own company. Jack has difficult relationship with his own father who was not kind to him when he was young. This makes Jack want to be better father to his children. Rebecca is the mother. She is strong and supportive. She loves music and wanted to be singer when she was young. Rebecca comes from wealthy family, but she chooses love over money when she marries Jack. Their love story is beautiful but not perfect. They face many challenges in their marriage. Kevin is one of the triplets. He is handsome and becomes famous actor in the series. He stars in popular TV series called The Manny. Later he acts in movies and plays. He has many problems with relationships and alcohol. Kevin struggles to find meaning in his life beyond his good looks and fame. He often feels like he's not special as his siblings. Kate is Kevin's sister. She struggles with her weight and self-confidence, but she is very kind and has beautiful singing voice like her mother. Kate works different jobs throughout the series. She eventually becomes music teacher for children. She meets her husband Toby at supportive group for people with weight issues. Their relationship has many ups and downs. Randall is their brother. He is very smart and works hard. He was adopted on the day the triplets were born. because one of the triplets died during birth. Randall is black while the rest of the Pearson family is white. This creates some identity issues for him growing up. He becomes successful businessman but suffers from anxiety attacks. Later in the series, he becomes interested in politics. The story moves between different time periods. We see the family in the 80s when the children are young. We see them as teenagers in the 90s. And we see them as adults in the present day. This is very interesting because we can see how past events affect their adult lives. The series also sometimes goes back to Jack and Rebecca's early relationship in the 70s. It even shows scenes from the grandparents's lives. started watching This Is Us when my friend recommended it to me. remember the first episode very well. It had surprising twist at the end. We discover that the stories we are watching are from three different time periods. After that, was hooked. couldn't wait to watch more episodes. My husband was not interested in the series at first. He thought it was just another family drama. But one day he watched an episode with me and he also became fan. Now we have watched all six seasons together. Sometimes we talk about the characters like there are real people. We often discuss what we would do in their situations. My favorite character is Rebecca. She is the mother. She is strong and loving. She has many problems, but she always puts her family first. think she is like me. also try to be good mother with my children. In the later seasons, Rebecca gets sick. She has Alzheimer's disease. This part of the story is very sad, but also very real. Many families deal with this illness. The series portraits her decline in sensitive and realistic way. Jack is also an amazing character. In the early episodes, we learn that Jack is no longer alive in the present day, but we don't know how he died. This mystery is revealed slowly over several seasons. Jack's death is traumatic event that affects each family member differently. Even years later, they still feel his absence strongly. My favorite episode is when the family celebrates Thanksgiving. They have many traditions. One tradition is that everyone says what they are thankful for. Another tradition involves special game. This reminds me of my own family. We also share what we are grateful for during special occasions and have our own holiday traditions. Another memorable episode is called Super Bowl Sunday. This episode finally reveals how Jack died. Many fans cried while watching it. know did. The episode shows how small accident can change family forever. The series also deals with serious topics. It talks about adoption, race, obesity, anxiety, and death. But it also shows happy moments like weddings, births, and family holidays. think this balance is why so many people love the series. It feels like real life with both sad and happy moments. Randall's storyline addresses racial identity in America. As black child adopted by white family, he faces unique challenges. In one episode, Randall and his biological father, William, discuss what it means to be black in America. These conversations are educational and moving. Kate's storyline focuses on her struggle with weight and selfesteem. She tries different diets and exercise programs. She even goes to weight loss camp. But the series makes it clear that her weight is just one part of who she is. She is also loving sister, talented singer, and eventually good mother. Kevin's storyline explores addiction and recovery. He becomes dependent on pain medication after an injury. This leads to alcohol abuse as well. We see him hit rock bottom and then slowly rebuild his life. His journey shows that recovery is not straight line but process with setbacks and progress. The music in This Is Us is also beautiful. The soundtrack makes the emotional scenes more powerful. often listen to the songs from the series when drive to work. My favorite song from the series is called We Can Always Come Back to This. It is song that Jack and Rebecca dance to in one episode. The music is created by composer Sedarta Kosla who does an amazing job capturing the emotions of each scene. The actors in This is Us are very talented. Milo Ventimelia plays Jack. Mandy Moore plays Rebecca. Sterling Brown plays Randall, Justin Hartley plays Kevin, and Chrissy Mets plays Kate. They all do an amazing job making their characters feel real. The child actors who play the younger version of the character are also very good. It's impressive how they capture the same mannerisms as the adult characters. This series has won many awards. Sterling Brown won an Emmy award for his role as Randall. The series was also nominated for best drama series several times. Mandy Moore received praise for her portrayal of Rebecca at different ages from her 20s to her 80s. The makeup and the costume teams did an incredible job making her look authentic at each age. One thing love about this is us is that it shows normal family. The persons are not perfect. They make mistakes. They argue but also love each other very much. They support each other through good times and bad times. This feels very true to life. They don't always solve their problems quickly or easily, which is realistic. The series also explores different parenting styles. Jack is more fun and spontaneous with the children. Rebecca is more practical and organized. Neither approach is shown as perfect. Both have strengths and weaknesses. As parent myself, appreciate this honest picture of parenting challenges. The series also shows how childhood experiences shape adult behavior. For example, Randall's fear of abandonment comes from being left at fire station as baby. Kate's issues with food begins when she is young and uses eating for comfort after Jack's death. Kevin's need for attention stems from feeling overlooked as child. This is us is also picture of marriage. Jack and Rebecca love each other deeply, but they face serious problems. They argue about money, parenting decisions, and career choices. In one season they even separate temporarily but they work through their issues and remain committed to each other. Other marriages in the series also have ups and downs. The series also teaches important lesson. It shows how small decisions can change our lives forever. It teaches us to appreciate our family. It reminds us that life is short and we should make the most every day. One recurring theme is the importance of being present in the moment and not taking time with loved ones for granted. Another lesson from the series is the power of forgiveness. Many characters must learn to forgive others and themselves. Randall forgives his biological father for abandoning him. Kevin forgives himself for his past mistakes. Rebecca forgives her own mother for being so critical. These stories of forgiveness are very touching. often cry when watch This Is Us. Some episodes are very emotional. But also laugh lot. The writers are good at mixing humor with serious moments. This makes the series feel balanced. The final scene of the series is particularly meaningful. It shows Randall with his daughter who is expecting baby. This mirrors the first episode where Jack and Rebecca were expecting their triplets. The circle of life continues and family stories go on across generations. Since This Is Us ended, have been looking for another series to watch, but it's hard to find something as good. One thing that made This Is Us special was its structure. The way it moved between time periods was original and kept the viewers engaged. If you haven't watched This Is Us yet, highly recommend it. It is not difficult series to understand. The language is clear and the stories are about universal feelings that everyone can relate to. You might need tissues because it will make you cry. Don't be surprised if you find yourself emotionally invested in these characters very quickly. think watching this TV series, This Is Us, is also good way to learn English. You can hear how Americans speak in everyday situations. You can learn new words and expressions. And because the stories are interesting, you will want to keep watching and learning. The characters speak at normal pace and they use common vocabulary that is not too difficult to understand. Another benefit of watching This Is Us for English learners is that it shows American culture and traditions. You can see how American families celebrate holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. You can learn about American schools, workplaces, and homes. This cultural knowledge is valuable when learning new language. Finally, This Is Us is more than just TV series. To me, it's story that has touched my heart and made me think about my own family relationships. It has made me laugh and cry. If you decide to watch it, would love to hear what you think about it. Now let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. What Jenner is This Is Us? Is it comedy, drama, or an action series? It is drama. Describe the three main siblings in this family and one challenge each of them faces. The three siblings are Kevin, Kate, and Randall. Kevin is handsome and becomes famous actor, but struggles with relationship and alcohol addiction. Kate struggles with her weight and self-confident issues. Randall is very smart, but deals with anxiety and identity issues as black child adopted by white family. How does the series This is us present its timeline. The series moves between different time periods sir seeing the family in the 80s when the children are young as teenagers in the 90s and as adults in the present day. What health problem does Rebecca develop in the later seasons? Rebecca develops Alzheimer's disease. What makes This Is Us good series for learning English? This is good series for learning English because viewers can hear how Americans speak every day in everyday situations. They learn new words and expressions and the stories are interesting. This motivates viewers to continue watching the series. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my favorite book, 100 years of solitude. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. Are you ready? Let's begin. My real passion has always been reading. Today want to share with you my thoughts about my all-time favorite book 100 years of solitude by Gabrielle Garcia Marquets. first discovered this amazing book when was 17 years old. It was special gift from my mother for my birthday. remember opening the package and seeing the beautiful cover with its vibrant colors. My mother told me it was book that changed her life when she was young and she wanted to share this magical experience with me. At that time didn't know this book would become so important to me. 100 Years of Solitude was published in 1967. Gabrielle Garcia Marquez was Colombian writer who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1982. He is famous for his style called magical realism which mixes everyday life with magical elements. This makes the stories very special and different from other books. The book tells the story of the Bundia family over seven generations. They live in small town isolated called Mondo, which Garcia Market created for this story. The town of Mondo starts as simple place but grows and changes over the years just like the family does. The story begins with Jose Ario Bundia and his wife Ursula. They are the founders of the town and the first generation of the family. Jose Aradio is curious and imaginative man who is always interested in new inventions and ideas. Ursula is strong practical woman who keeps the family together through many difficulties. One of the things that makes this book challenging but also fascinating is that many characters have similar names. For example, there are several men named Jose Aralio and several named Araano throughout the generations. This can be confusing, but it also shows how traits and characteristics are passed down through families, which is one of the main themes of the book. The Bundia family experiences many events throughout the story. There are moments of great joy and terrible sadness. They fall in love. They fight wars. They build businesses and they face their own personal struggles. Through it all, there is sense of destiny or fate that allows the family as if their lives were already written in an ancient manuscript. What love most about this book is the magical elements that appear throughout the story. These are not like fairy tales or fantasy stories. Instead, they are presented as normal parts of everyday life. For example, character named Romanos, the beauty is so pure and beautiful that one day she simply floats into the sky while folding sheets in the garden. In another part of the book, it rains yellow flowers for days after an important character dies. These magical moments make the story feel dreamlike and special. The book also shows the history of Colombia and Latin America in symbolic way. There are civil wars, economic changes and arrival of foreign companies that exploit the local resources. One famous scene describe the massacre of workers that was hidden from public knowledge which refers to real historical events. Marids uses the story of one family to tell the larger story of the country and the continent. When first read this book, found it challenging. There were many characters to keep track of and the story doesn't always follow straight timeline. Sometimes it jumps forward or backward in time, but couldn't stop reading because the world of Makondo felt so real and magical at the same time. stayed up late for several nights, completely absorbed in the story. think what makes this book so powerful is how it explores universal themes like love, family, power, and solitude. The title itself, 100 years of solitude, points to one of the main ideas in the book that we all experience loneliness in our lives even when we are surrounded by family. Many characters in the story feel isolated or misunderstood, unable to connect deeply with others. There are many love stories in the book, some beautiful and some tragic. Some characters find true love while others are consumed by obsession and passion. The author shows all the different ways that love can shape our lives both positively and negatively. The language in the book is beautiful and poetic. Even though read it in English translation, it was originally written in Spanish. could feel the power and the beauty of the writing. The author describes things in such vivid detail that you can almost see, smell, touch the world he creates. His descriptions of tropical environment of Mondo makes the satin come alive. One of my favorite passages describes the plague of insomnia that affects the entire town. People cannot sleep and gradually begin to lose their memories. They start to label things with its names so they won't forget what things are called. This part of the book shows how important memory is to our identity and our sense of reality. Another memorable character is Melades, mysterious gypsy who brings inventions and knowledge to Mondo. He leaves behind manuscripts written in secret code that nobody can understand. Only at the end of the book do we learn that these manuscripts actually contain the entire history of the Buendia family written before it happened. This creates an interesting circle in the story where the beginning and the end are connected. have read this book five times now. first read it at 17 years old, then again at 30, 33, 36, and just last year at 41. Each time read it, discover something new that hadn't noticed before. This book has influenced some aspects of my life. It has made me more curious of my own family history and stories of my ancestors. It has also given me love for Latin American literature and culture. After reading it last year, became interested in learning Spanish and I've been taking Spanish classes. My dream is to one day read this book in its original Spanish version to experience the author's words exactly as he wrote them. The book has also taught me to look for magic in everyday life. Not supernatural magic, but the small moments of wonder and beauty that we often overlook. I've learned to pay more attention to the stories people tell and the ways the past events shape our present lives. often recommend this book to my friends, but with warning. It's not easy to read at first. You need to be patient and give yourself time to enter in the world of Mondo and get to know the Bundia family. But if you do, you will be rewarded with one of the most extraordinary reading experiences of your life. I'm curious to know if any of you have ever read this book or any books written by this author. If you haven't, highly recommend giving it try. It might change the way you see literature and storytelling just as it did for me. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. What is the name of the book's author? The author's name is Gabrielle Garcia Marquez. In what time does the story take place? The story takes place in Mondo. How old was when first read the book? was 17 years old. What literary style is Garcia Marquets famous for? Magical realism. What is my dream related to this book? To read the book in its original Spanish language. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my favorite song. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. suggest you listen to this video carefully at least three times to improve your understanding skills. Are you ready? Let's begin. My favorite song is Perfect by Ad Sharon. Ad Sharon is singer from England. He is very famous. first heard this song when it came out. was in my car driving to school. The song played on the radio. liked it immediately. The melody is so beautiful. When got home, looked for the song on my computer. listened to it many times. Perfect is from Sharon's album called Divide. This album came out in 2017. The song is about love and Sharon wrote this song for his girlfriend Cherry Seaborn. They were childhood friends. They went to school together. Later they fell in love and got married. Isn't it romantic at Sharon said he wrote the song at party in James Blond's house. James Blonde is another English singer. Ed was in the garden very early in the morning. He was playing the guitar. The song came to him quickly. He said he knew this song was very special. Did you know that Perfect was actually one of the first songs Ed wrote for his Divide album. He said this in an interview. He knew it would be an important song on the album and he was right. It became one of his biggest hits ever. At Sharon and Cherry Seaborn have known each other since they were 11 years old. They went to the same school in England, but they didn't start dating until many years later in 2015. Ed invited Jerry to party at Taylor Zwiff's house. That's where their love story really began. He proposed to Cherry in December 2017. He asked her to marry him at their home. Then they got married in small ceremony in December 2018. Only 40 close friends and family were there. It was very private and simple. Now they have daughter named Lyra born in and another daughter named Jupiter born in 2022. In the song, Ed Sharon sings about dancing with his perfect love under the stars. He says she looks beautiful in her dress. He says he found woman stronger than anyone he knows. These words are so romantic. The music video for Perfect is set in the snow at ski resort in Austria. They dance in the snow. They go skiing. The video is very beautiful, just like the song they filmed in 2017. love how they dance under the stars. Just like in the song. When Perfect was released, it was very successful. It reached number one in many countries including the United Kingdom and the United States. Then something interesting happened. Ed made new versions of the song with other famous singers. He sang perfect duet with Beyonce. He sang perfect symphony with Andrea Belli, an Italian opera singer. The version with Andrea Bjeli has parts in Italian. The perfect duet with Beyonce was released in December 2017. Beyonce's beautiful voice adds something special to the song. In this version, they change some of the words to make conversation between man and woman. Beyonce sings the second verse and then they sing together. Many people love this romantic duet version. The Perfect Symphony with Andrea Boschali came out just before Christmas in 2017. In this beautiful version, Andre Bushi sings in Italian. The Italian part translates the English words of the song. They recorded this version with full orchestra. It sounds very classical and elegant. Ed Sharon said that perfect was inspired by romantic trip he took with Cherry to Ibida, beautiful island in Spain. They were there at night and the sky was full of stars. They danced under the stars with no music. Ed remembers this moment as perfect. That's why he wrote this beautiful song. The lyrics of perfect are simple but romantic. Let me tell you about some of the words in the song. In the first verse, Ed sings, found love for me." This means he found the perfect person to love. Then he says, "Darling, just dive right in and follow my lead. This means he wants his love to trust him and go on journey with him. In the chorus, Ed sings baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms, barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song. This creates beautiful picture in our minds. Can you imagine dancing outside at night with someone you love? It sounds romantic. Then he says, have faith in what see now. know have met an angel in person and she looks perfect." These words show how much he thinks his love is special and beautiful just like an angel. In the second verse, Ed says, don't deserve this. You look perfect tonight." This shows he feels lucky to have found such perfect love. It's very humble and sweet thing to say. Did you know that perfect has become popular song for weddings? Many couples choose this song for their first dance as husband and wife. think it's wonderful choice because it's about finding your perfect match in life. Before Ad Sharon wrote perfect, he wrote another famous song called Thinking Out Loud. This song is also very popular at weddings. Ed said that he wanted perfect to be even better than thinking out loud. He wanted to write the best love song of his career. Many people think he has succeeded. Ed Sharon plays many instruments in his songs. imperfect. He plays the guitar, the piano, and the percussion. He is very talented. The song also has violins and other string instruments that make it sound very beautiful and emotional. The Divide album, which includes perfect, was huge success. It won the Grammy Award for best pop vocal album in 2018. The album sold millions of copies around the world. Perfect was one of the biggest hits from this album. When Ed Sharon performs Perfect Live, he usually plays it on his acoustic guitar. Sometimes he uses loop pedal to add more layers to the song. loop pedal is special machine that records what you play and then plays it back in loop. This lets ad sound like many musicians playing at once even though he is alone on stage. Some interesting facts about Ed Sheeran. He was born on February 17, 1991 in Halifax, England. He started playing the guitar when he was very young. When he was teenager, he moved to London to pursue his music career. Before he became famous, he played in small venues and on the streets. He released his first album, Plus, in 2011. Since then, he has become one of the most successful musicians in the world. In 2017, Ed appeared in the TV show Game of Thrones. This is very popular fantasy series and had small role as soldier. In the scene, he sings song. Many fans of the series were surprised to see Ed Sharon acting. Ed is known for his friendly and humble personality. Despite being very famous, he still seems like normal nice person. He often wears simple clothes like t-shirts and jeans. He doesn't try to look like typical pop star. Many people like him because he seems real and authentic. The success of Perfect helped add Sharon's album Divide to break many records in the UK. All 16 songs from the album entered the top 20 of the single charts in the same week. This had never happened before. The album also broke the record for most stream in single week on Spotify. Perfect was certified diamond in the United States. This means it sold over 10 million copies. Very few songs achieved this level of success. The song was also certified multi-platinum in many other countries including UK, Australia, Canada and Italy. In 2018, Had Sharon was named the highest earning solo musician in the world. He earned about 110 million that year. Much of this success was due to his divide and popularity of the songs like perfect. The lyrics in perfect are very poetic. Ed says he found the inspiration from classic love song. He wanted to write song that would still be popular many years in the future. It seems like he succeeded because Perfect is still loved by many people today. Some music critics have analyzed why perfect is so popular. They say it has simple but beautiful melody that is easy to remember. The lyrics are romantic without being too complicated. All the elements together create song that many people connect with. Ed Sharon says that perfect is one of his favorite songs that he has written. He feels proud that it has touched so many people's hearts. In interviews, he often mentions how special this song is to him because it's about his real love story with Cherry. Another interesting fact about Perfect is that it was the Christmas number one song in the UK charts in 2017. The Christmas number one is big tradition in the UK. Every year there is competition to see which song will be at the top of the charts on Christmas Day. The perfect symphony version with Andrea Boschali helped Ed win this special honor. Ed Sharon has performed perfect on many TV shows and special events. One memorable performance was at the 2017 Capitol FM Jingle Bell Ball in London. He performed in front of thousands of fans who sang along with every word. He also performed the song at the BBC's Glastenbury Festival. One of the biggest music festivals in the world, the sheet music for perfect has become one of the best selling pieces of sheet music in recent years. Many piano students and guitar students want to learn how to play this beautiful song. There are also many tutorial video online that teach people how to play perfect on different instruments. The popularity of perfect helped increase tourism to the location where the music video was filmed. The ski resort in Austria became more popular after fans saw the beautiful snowy scenes in the video. Some couples even travel there to recreate romantic moments from the video. In Japan, perfect was used in popular TV drama called Crisis Public Security Special Investigation Unit. This helped make the song very popular in Japan. It reached number one on Japanese download charts and stayed there for many weeks. Ed Sharon has said that writing love songs like perfect is easier when you are truly in love. Before he met Cherry, he found it harder to write romantic songs. Now that he has found his perfect love, the words come more naturally to him. This shows how personal experiences can inspire beautiful art. Some fans have created their own versions of perfect. There are many cover versions on YouTube, some with millions of views. People sing it in different languages, play it on different instruments, and add their own style to the song. This shows how the song connects with people all over the world. Music teachers often use perfect as an example of good songwriting. The song has clear structure with verses, chorus, and bridge. It builds emotionally throughout with the final chorus being the most powerful. These are classic songwriting techniques that Ed Sharon uses very effectively. The song continues to be popular years after it's released. While many pop songs are forgotten quickly, Perfect has shown staying power. It is still played on the radio stations, used in weddings, and streamed millions of times every month. This suggests that it may become one of those timeless love songs that people will enjoy for generations. Music is wonderful way to express feelings, isn't it? Sometimes when words are difficult, music can say everything. That's why people love songs like perfect. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. Who did Ed Sharon write the song Perfect for? He wrote the song for his girlfriend. now wife Cherry Seaborn. Where was the music video perfect filmed? It was filmed in ski resort in Hintertox, Austria, which two famous singers recorded special versions of Perfect with Ed Sharon. at Sharon recorded perfect duat with Beyonce and perfect symphony with Andrea Bochali. What inspired Ed Sharon to write perfect? Ed was inspired by romantic trip to Ibita with Cherry where they danced under the stars. How many copies of Perfect were sold in the United States? Perfect sold over 10 million copies in the United States and was certified diamond. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my favorite animated movie. After the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Just focus on the key information. suggest you listen to this video carefully at least three times to improve your understanding skills. Are you ready? Let's begin. My favorite animated movie is Coco. Coco is movie from Disney and Pixer. It came out in 2017. The story happens in Mexico during special holiday. This holiday is called Day of the Dead or Dia Muertos in Spanish. This holiday is in November. People remember family members who died. They put up photos and special food. Let me tell you about the story. The main character is boy. His name is Miguel. Miguel is 12 years old. He has black hair and brown eyes. He wears red hoodie. Miguel lives with his big family in small town in Mexico. His family makes shoes. They have shoe shop. Miguel loves music very much. He wants to be musician. He likes to play the guitar. He watches old videos of famous musician. This musician is Ernesto Bella Cruz. Miguel practices guitar in secret, but his family does not like music. They don't want Miguel to play music. Music is not allowed in his house. Why does Miguel's family hate music? Because of an old story. Miguel's great great grandmother was married to musician. This musician left his family to play music. He never came back. So Miguel's family hates music. They think music is bad. Miguel's grandmother, Abuita, is strict. She breaks Miguel's guitar one day. Miguel is very sad. He needs guitar for music contest. The contest is on the day of the dead. One day, Miguel finds an old photo. In this photo, he sees his great great grandmother. She is with little girl. This little girl is Koko, Miguel's great grandmother. Koko is now very old. She cannot remember things in the photo. Part of the picture is missing. The face of the man is torn off. Miguel thinks this man is Ernesto de la Cruz. He thinks Ernesto is his great greatgrandfather. On the day of the dead, Miguel's family makes an altar. This is special table with photos of dead family members. Miguel sees that the photo of his great great grandmother has guitar. It is the same guitar that Ernesto de la Cruz plays in his movies. Miguel decides to borrow this guitar. It is in Ernesto's tongue. When he takes the guitar and plays it, something magical happens. Miguel becomes invisible to living people. But he can see dead people. These are spirits who come back on the day of the dead. Miguel goes to the land of the dead. This place is colorful where dead people live. The land of the dead is amazing. It has tall buildings with bright colors. There are flying animals. They are spirit guides. There is also big bridge made of orange flower petals. This bridge connects the land of the dead to the world of the living. In the land of the dead, Miguel meets his dead family members. He meets his great great grandmother, Emalda. She is not happy that Miguel is there. She says Miguel must go back to the living world before sunrise. If not, he will stay dead forever. to go back. Miguel needs blessing from his family, but Emalda says he must promise never to play music again. Miguel does not want to promise this. Miguel also meets funny man named Hector. Hector looks poor. His clothes are old. He wants to visit the living world, but he cannot. No one put his photo on an altar. Hector helps Miguel find Ernesto de la Cruz. Hector says he knows Ernesto. Miguel and Hector have many adventures. They enter music contest. They win. Then they go to Ernesto's big party. Ernesto lives in big mansion. He is very famous in the land of the dead, too. When Miguel meets Ernesto, he is very happy. He thinks Ernesto is his great great grandfather. Ernesto is nice to Miguel at first, but then Miguel learns the truth. Ernesto is not his great greatgrandfather. Hector is his great greatgrandfather and Hector did not leave his family. He wanted to come back to them but Erneso did something very bad. He poisoned Hector and stole his songs. Miguel also learns that Hector wrote the song Remember Me. This is Ernesto's most famous song, but Hector wrote it for his daughter, Koko. It was lullaby, song to help her sleep. Miguel must tell everyone the truth about Ernesto. He must also help Hector see his daughter Koko one more time. Koko is the only living person who remembers Hector. If Koko forgets Hector, he will disappear forever. This is called the final death. Miguel gets back to the living world. He plays Remember Me for Coco. Koko remembers her father, Hector. She shows everyone the missing part of the photo. It is Hector. She also has letters from Hector. These letters prove that Hector wrote the songs that Ernesto stole. In the end, Miguel's family accepts music again. They learn that Hector loved his family. Music brings the family together. Miguel becomes musician, but he also values his family. The movie has beautiful colors. The animation is amazing. The music is very nice, too. There are happy songs and sad songs. One famous song is remember me. Another good song is loco. like Koko because it talks about family and following your dreams. It shows Mexican culture. The movie makes me happy and sad. Sometimes cry when watch it. The story teaches us that we should remember our family. It also teaches us to follow our dreams. If you have not seen Coco, recommend it. It is good for children and for adults. You can learn some English words too and also learn about Mexican traditions. The movie won many awards. It won two Oscars, one for best animated features and one for best original song. Now want to tell you more about the Day of the Dead. This is very important holiday in Mexico. The Day of the Dead is not like Halloween. It is not scary. It is happy celebration. People believe that on this day the spirits of dead family members come back to visit. Families prepare for this holiday special decorations. They make altars in their homes. These altars have many things. They have photos of dead family members. They also have candles, flowers, and food. The flowers are called merry golds. They are bright orange. People believe these flowers guide the spirit's home. The food on the altar is special, too. There is bread called pan de muerto or bread of the dead. This is sweet bread with sugar on top. There are also sugar skulls. These are colorful and decorated. People put the favorite foods and drinks in their dead family members on altar too. In the movie Koko, we see many Day of the Dead traditions. We see the altars. We see orange flower petals. We also see sugar skulls. The movie shows how important this holiday is for Mexican families. The artists who made cocoa visited Mexico many times. They wanted to show Mexican culture correctly. They talked to many Mexican families. They learned about the Day of the Dead. They also learned about Mexican music and art. The movie took six years to make. The movie Koko teaches us many things. It teaches us that family is very important. It teaches us that we should remember our ancestors. It also teaches us that following our dreams is good, but we should not forget our family. In conclusion, Coco is my favorite animated movie because it has beautiful story. Great music and amazing animation. Now, let's check on your understanding. Answer these questions. Who is the main character in Koko and how old is he? The main character is Miguel. He is 12 years old. Why does Miguel's family not like music? Because Miguel's great great grandmother was married to musician who left his family. What does Miguel's family make for work? Miguel's family makes shoes. What is one famous song from the movie? famous song from the movie is Remember Me or Loco. What is the name of Miguel's great grandmother? Miguel's greatg grandmother is named Coco. If you have answered correctly to all the questions, you have done very good job. Keep working and see you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to English with Maria and this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is my favorite painter Vincent Van Go. This story will help you learn about art and painting words. like artist, painter, nature, words, like stars, sky, places and buildings, like town, houses. During the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. There will be three check points through the listening. Before we start, don't forget to subscribe to my channel and turn on the notifications so you never miss lesson. Are you ready? Let's start. My favorite artist is Vincent Van Go. He was from Holland, country in Europe. Van Go lived long time ago. He was born in 1853 and died in 1890. That means he lived only years. This is very sad because his life was short. But he created many beautiful paintings. Bango was not famous when he was alive. In fact, he was very poor. He only sold one painting during his life. Now he is one of the most famous artists in the world. Sometimes good things take time to be recognized. Vincent had difficult life. He was often sick and sad. He had problems with his mind and his emotions. But when he painted, he felt better. Art was his way to express his feelings and to show the world how he saw things. Van Go painted many beautiful pictures during his short life. He created more than 2,000 paintings and drawings. He painted very fast because he had so many ideas in his head. He used bright colors like yellow, blue, green, red and orange. His paintings are very special because you can see the brush strokes. This means you can see exactly where he put the paint on the canvas. Vincent painted many different subjects. He painted flowers, especially sunflowers. He painted people including many selfportraits. selfportrait is when an artist paints picture of himself. He also painted landscapes which are pictures of nature like fields, trees and skies. He painted scenes from everyday life like people working in the fields or sitting in cafe. Checkpoint one. Answer these questions. Where was Vincent Van Go from? France or Holland? Holland. How many paintings did Van Go sell during his lifetime? None, zero, or one? One. How many paintings and drawings did Van Go create? More than 2,000. More than 3,000. More than 2,000. Let's continue. Now let me tell you about my favorite painting by Van Go. It is called the starry night. He painted this masterpiece in 1889. This painting shows small town at night. There are houses with lights in the windows. There is also church with tall tower pointing up to the sky. Above the town there is the most beautiful sky you have ever seen. It is full of stars that look like they are moving in circles. The stars are bright yellow and white. They look alive like they are dancing in the sky. There are also moving clouds that circle across the dark blue sky. In front of the painting there is big dark tree. This tree is very tall and reaches to the top of the painting. The tree looks like it's moving in the wind. Some people think it looks like flame reaching up to the sky. love this painting for many reasons. First, the colors are absolutely amazing. The deep blue night sky mixed with the bright yellow stars creates beautiful contrast. The painting makes me think about the mystery of the night and the beauty of nature. When look at the starry night, feel many emotions. Sometimes feel peaceful, like I'm looking at the night sky from my window. Sometimes feel excited because the stars seem to be moving and dancing. The painting makes me think about dreams and imagination. Van Go painted the starry night when he was staying in hospital in France. He was there because he was sick. He looked out of the window at night and saw the stars and the town below. But he didn't just paint exactly what he saw. He also painted what he felt in his heart and mind. This is what makes the painting so special. It shows both reality and emotion. The painting is not very big. It measures about 73 by 92 cm. But even though it is small, it has big impact on people who see it. The painting is now in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. This museum is called MoMA. Millions of people visit this museum every year just to see this famous painting. Check point two. Answer these questions. What is the name of my favorite painting by Vincent Van Go? Sunflowers. The starry night. The starry night. Where is the starry night painting now? In France or in New York City? In New York City. When did Van Go paint the starry night? In 1889 or in 1890? In 1889. Let's continue. The Starry Night has become one of the most famous paintings in the world. You can find copies on postcards, posters, t-shirts, and many other things. Many artists have been inspired by this painting and have created their own version of it. But Van Gogh created many other beautiful paintings too. Another famous painting is called sunflowers. He actually painted several pictures of sunflowers because he loved these bright, happy flowers. These paintings show big yellow sunflowers in phases. The flowers look so real that you can almost think you can smell them. Van Go also painted bedroom which shows his simple room in France. In this painting, you can see his bed, chair, some pictures on the wall, and his clothes. The colors are soft and calm. This painting shows us how Van Go lived very simply without many possessions. Another interesting painting is cafe terrace at night. This painting shows people sitting outside in cafe in the evening. The cafe has bright yellow lights and you can see people enjoying their dinner and drinks. Above them is beautiful night sky full of stars. This painting shows that Van Go loved to paint scenes from everyday life. Van Go's brother was named Theo. Theo was very important in Vincent's life. Theo worked in an art gallery and sold paintings by other artists. He always supported Vincent and sent him money to buy paint and canvases. Without Theo's help, Vincent could not have painted so many pictures. Vincent wrote many letters to Theo and these letters helped us understand how Vincent felt about his art and his life. Art is very important in the world. It helps us see things in new ways. It shows us the beauty around us that we sometimes don't notice. Bango's paintings teach us to look carefully at nature, at the stars, the flowers, the trees, and the people around us. Van Go's story teaches us never to give up on our dreams. Even though he was not successful during his life, he continued to paint because he loved it. He believed in his art. And now millions of people love his paintings. This shows us that sometimes we have to be patient and keep working on what we love. In conclusion, Vincent Van Go is my favorite artist because his paintings are full of emotion and beauty. The Starry Night is my favorite painting because it combines reality with dreams and imagination. When look at it, feel connected to something bigger than myself, to the beauty of the universe and to the power of human creativity. Check point three. Answer these questions. What was the name of Bango's brother? Paul Theo Theo. What did Van Go's brother do for work? He worked in an art gallery or he was teacher. He worked in an art gallery. What does Van Go's story teach us? To never give up on our dreams or to be famous quickly, to never give up on our dreams. Let's do recap of what we have learned today. Art and painting words. Artist. Painter. Painting. Canvas. Brush. Paint. Nature words. Stars. Sky. Tree. Flowers. Sunflowers. Clouds. Landscape. Places and buildings. Town. Houses. Church. Tower. hospital and cafe. If you have enjoyed this video, don't forget to subscribe to my channel, English with Maria, and turn on the notifications so you never miss lesson. See you next time. Bye-bye. Hello and welcome to English with Maria and this slow English listening for beginners. Today's topic is at the doctor. This story will help you learn about body parts like head, throat, medical terms like doctor or nurse. Symptoms like headache, sore throat, and some useful phrases like need to make an appointment or don't feel well. During the story, will ask you some questions to check on your understanding. There will be three checkpoints through the listening. Before we start, don't forget to subscribe to my channel and turn on the notifications so you never miss lesson. Are you ready? Let's begin. Last week, felt very sick. had headache and sore throat. My husband said, "Maria, you need to see doctor. called the doctor's office. The receptionist answered the phone. She was very kind. said, "Hello, need to make an appointment with Dr. Smith." The receptionist asked me, "What's your name?" said, "My name is Maria." She asked me, "What's the problem?" said, have headache and sore throat." The receptionist looked at the calendar. She said, "Dr. Smith is free tomorrow at 10:00 in the morning. Is that good for you?" said, "Yes, that's perfect. Thank you very much." She said, "Please bring your health card and arrive 15 minutes early." wrote the time on my calendar. Tuesday, 10 a.m. The next morning, woke up early. still felt sick. My head hurt and my throat was very sore. couldn't eat breakfast because it was difficult to swallow. My husband drove me to the doctor's office. The office was clean and white. There were many chairs in the waiting room. went to the reception desk. gave my health card to the receptionist. She smiled and said, "Please sit down and wait. Dr. Smith will see you soon." sat in comfortable chair and looked at magazines. There were other patients in the waiting room. Some looked sick. Some looked tired. Checkpoint one. Answer these questions. Why did need to see doctor? had headache and sore throat or had fever. had headache and sore throat. When was the appointment? Monday at 9 or Tuesday at 10? It was Tuesday at 10. What did the receptionist ask me to bring? My passport or my health card? my health card. Very good. Let's continue. After 20 minutes, nurse called my name. Maria, she said, stood up and followed her. The nurse was wearing white uniform. She was friendly and smiled at me. We walked down the long hallway with many doors. The nurse took me to small room. She said, "Please sit on this bed." The bed had white paper on it. The room was very clean. There was desk, chair, and computer. On the walls, there were pictures of human body. The nurse asked me some questions. How old are you, Maria? said, I'm 42 years old. Then she asked, "How much do you weigh?" said, weigh 55 kilograms." She wrote everything on piece of paper. Then she said, "Dr. Smith will be here in few minutes." Dr. Smith came into the room. He was very tall man with gray hair and glasses. He smiled and said, "Hello, Maria. I'm Dr. Smith. How are you feeling today?" said, "Not very good, doctor. feel sick." Dr. Smith sat on his chair and looked at his computer. He read my information. Then he asked me, "When did you start feeling sick?" said, "3 days ago." He asked, "Do you have fever? said, don't know. feel hot sometimes." He asked me, "Does your head hurt?" said, "Yes, it hurts lot." He asked, "Can you swallow easily?" said, "No, it is very difficult." and painful. Dr. Smith listened carefully to all my answers. He wrote notes on his computer. Then he said, "Now need to examine you. Don't worry, it won't hurt." felt little nervous, but Dr. Smith was very kind and gentle. Checkpoint two. Answer these questions. What color was the nurse's uniform? Green or white? It was white. How old am or 32? am 42 years old. How long have been feeling sick? 3 days or four days? Three days. Let's continue. Dr. Smith stood up and washed his hands. He put on plastic gloves. He said, "First, will check your temperature." He put small thermometer in my ear. After few seconds, it made beeping sound. to you have fever. He said your temperature is 38.5°. Then Dr. Smith said, "Open your mouth, please." open my mouth wide. He used small flashlight to look inside. He also used wooden stick to look at my throat. "Your throat is very red," he said. "It looks infected." Next, he listened to my heart and lungs. He used stethoscope. Take deep breath, he said. breathe it in and out slowly. He moved the stethoscope to different places on my chest and back. "Your heart and lungs sound good," he said. Dr. Smith touched my neck gently. He was checking my lymph nods. These are little swollen, he said. This is normal when you have throat infection. Then he looked in my ears with special light. "Your ears look fine," he said. After the examination, Dr. Smith sat down and typed on his computer. He said, "Maria, you have throat infection. This is very common. will give you some medicine to help you feel better." He printed prescription on white paper. Take these antibiotics three times day for seven days. He said, "Take them with food. Also, drink lots of water and get plenty of rest." He gave me the paper. You should feel better in two or three days. said, "Thank you, Dr. Smith." He smiled and said, "You're welcome. Take care of yourself." The nurse walked me back to the waiting room. My husband was waiting for me. We went to the pharmacy to buy the medicine. Two days later, felt much better. My throat didn't hurt anymore and my headache was gone. was happy that went to see Dr. Smith. He helped me get better quickly. Checkpoint three. Answer these questions. What was my temperature? 38.5° or 39.5°? It was 38.5. How many times day should take my medicine? Two times or three times? Three times day. How long did it take me to feel better? Two days or three days? Just two days. Let's do recap of what we learned today. body parts. Head, throat, ear, chest, neck. Now, let's see some medical terms. Doctor, nurse, appointment, prescription. medicine or antibiotics, temperature, fever, infection. Let's look at some symptoms. headache, sore throat, hurt, pain, sick, tired. At last, let's take look at some useful phrases. need to make an appointment. don't feel well. It hurts. Take deep breath. Take care of yourself. If you have enjoyed this video, don't forget to subscribe to my channel and turn on the notifications so you never miss lesson. See you next time. Bye-bye.