ESL Pod Official - Speak English Fluently by Listening (with Text)

• ESLPodcast 022 - Seeing Old Friends

  This is turning out to be a month for seeing old friends. I got an email a couple of weeks ago from an old friend from graduate school. She and her family are visiting L.A. for a week. They plan to see family and to visit old friends. Since she moved out of the country, I hadn't seen her in ages. I'm looking forward to meeting her new kids and seeing her again. Another old friend called this week. She and I were buddies in our undergraduate days. She plans to swing by L.A. on her way to San Francisco. We've made plans to have lunch. She works in Washington D.C. as a political advisor and is usually very busy. I'm glad she could make time for us to get together.When we say good-bye to our friends, we always hope to keep in touch. But, what with this and that, it's sometimes hard to do. With friends that I've fallen out of touch with, it's sometimes hard to meet up again and pick up where we left off. We've both moved on to a different phase in our lives. Some of my old friends have become very successful, are living lives in the fast lane. Other friends are struggling along and are just making ends meet. But, no matter how they're doing, it's always nice to touch base again. I'm really looking forward to seeing these old pals of mine and catching up after all this time.Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

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• ESLPodcast 21 - Tell Me About Yourself

  Well, I was born and raised in Minnesota, in St. Paul, Minnesota, to be exact. I won't say how long ago that was, but let's just say I'm no spring chicken. I grew up there with my rather large family of 8 brothers and 2 sisters. (I was the baby of the family, but I swear I wasn't spoiled!) We were 13 in all, probably the biggest family in the neighborhood, maybe in the state. I had a mostly happy childhood. My father and mother didn't have a lot of money, but we were never worried about keeping up with the Joneses. I wasn't much into sports like my brothers were, but I enjoyed reading and listening to music growing up. I went to grade school near my house, and then to a high school about 2 miles from where I lived. After graduating from high school, I went on to the University of Minnesota to get my bachelor's degree. It took me a while to learn the ropes at the university, but I finally graduated nearly 6 years later. Better late than never, as my father used to say. I then went to Mexico for a couple of years to teach English and to study Spanish. When I returned, I decided to become a teacher, so I went back to school to get my Master's degree. After teaching for a few years, I was offered a job in California, so I moved to Los Angeles in 1991. After working here a few years, I went back to school (again!) to get my Ph.D. I was starting to become a professional student. Well, I finished up my degree in four years, and then taught at the university for several years. Now, I work at a small research organization here in L.A. I am happily married, and I still enjoy reading and listening to music, and, of course, hosting ESL Podcast.Script by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

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• ESLPodcast 020 - Buying a New Computer

  My computer has been acting up on me. It's a pretty old model, and I need to replace it. So I decided to call up my friend Kevin to ask for his two cents. Kevin is a computer whiz. He knows PC really well since he worked on them for years, but in his heart of hearts, he is a big Mac fan. So, I thought he would be good person to ask. I have always used a PC. I do mostly word processing so I don't need anything fancy. But, I see people I know doing cool things with photos and video, so I’d like to take a crack at some new programs in the future. Well, I called up Kevin to tell him what I needed. He immediately started throwing out specs: "You need at least a 2 Gigahertz processor and 1 Gig of memory, and make sure it has a writable DVD drive." "Whoa," I said. "All of that is way over my head. Let's back up for a a minute." Then he laughed and said he had gotten carried away . "Okay," he said. "Let's start at the beginning. Now, the processor determines how easily and how fast you can use the programs on your computer. Got that?" I said that I did. Then he continued, "How much RAM memory you have is very important, too. Your computer will go faster the more you have. So, I recommend getting at least 1 Gigabyte of RAM memory." "I think I'm following you so far, " I said. "Great," he said. Another thing you want is a drive that handles both CDs and DVDs. Some drives can just read DVDs and some can record onto blank ones. If you want to burn your own videos, you'll want a writable DVD drive. Remember though, that's just the computer itself. Don't forget that you'll need a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, and speakers." "OK," I said. "I think I've got all that. Now, here's the burning question: Mac or PC? He said: "Now that's a whole different thing. Do you have a couple of hours?‚" Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

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• ESLPod019 - Going Shopping

  ESLPodcast 19 - Going Shopping Tags: ShoppingAudio Index: 15:33Believe it or not, I don't own an iPod. I know, I know. I'm really behind the times, but I have an excuse. I've been so busy at my work lately, I haven't had time to take a break. So finally yesterday I went shopping for an iPod down at the mall in Santa Monica. I walked into the Mac store there and was immediately greeted by a salesperson. He asked, "Can I help you find something?" "No," I said, "just looking." I don't like the feeling of high-pressure salespeople. Anyway, I looked around the store some more, and finally made my way to the iPod section. Then I decided to ask the salesman a question. "Excuse me, can I ask you something?" "Sure," he said. "Go right ahead." "I'm thinking of picking up an iPod, but I'm not sure which one is right for me. What do you recommend?" He replied, "Are you going to be using it for running, jogging, working out, in your car?" "Yes," I said, "all of those, except the running, jogging, and working out." He laughed at my somewhat lame joke. "Okay, well, I recommend you get the iPod Mini to start." "How much is that?" I asked. "Well, it just went on sale, so I think we can offer you a good price on it." "I'll take one," I said, and we made our way to the cash register. "Will that be credit or debit?" he asked me. "Credit card," I said, as I swiped the card through the reader. I waited, and nothing happened. "Could you swipe that card again? It didn't go through." "Sure," I said, and swiped it again. Finally, the card processed and he handed me the charge slip to sign. "I'm sure you'll be very happy with your purchase." "Oh," I said. "It's not really for me. It's for my wife! ‚" Script by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

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• ESLPod018 - Getting Around (Fast)

  ESLPodcast 18 - Getting Around (Fast) Tags: Daily Life , TransportationAudio Index: 15:34Getting around in the United States is sometimes not very easy. Most people own their own cars, but not everyone can foot the bill for the car, plus the insurance, gas, and maintenance. Most big cities have buses, but they are much slower than a car. Several cities in the U.S. have subway systems, but many do not. There are even fewer trains that transport daily commuters. In cities such as Los Angeles, public transportation is much more limited than in other countries.If you take some form of public transportation, you need to pay a certain fare. In most big cities the fare is anywhere from 1 to 2 dollars. But don't expect the bus driver to change a bill for you. You usually need exact change if you're going to ride a bus, train, or subway. Whatever you take, you always have to pay for it!My friends here in Los Angeles all have different ways of getting to work. One friend, who lives out in the boonies, rides the train everyday. He takes the train because it's easier for him than driving or taking a bus. Another friend I know who works close to where he lives rides a bike everyday. Still another friend drives his car. I don't know anyone who rides the bus, but I've taken it once or twice when my car was in the shop. Worse comes to worst, you can always hop in a taxi. Taking a taxi is expensive here, though, so be prepared for a big fare‚not including the tip!Script by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

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