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

Fall is once again upon us, and that means that homecoming celebrations are just around the corner. Homecoming is an American tradition each September and October for high schools and colleges where they celebrate their school spirit with a football game and other celebrations. I remember the homecoming events when I was in school. First, there was the election of a homecoming king and queen. Each class had its own representative, one boy and one girl, usually the most popular jock and the cutest cheerleader . Needless to say, I was neither, so I never stood a chance of being elected! The king and queen, though, were always from the senior class. All the events led up to the big game, played on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon, always a home game for the school celebrating their homecoming. In my school, we had a pep rally the day before the game, where the cheerleaders and dance team would do their thing on the stage. We also had a small parade before the game, where all the homecoming royalty and the marching band would go around the track of the stadium where the game was held, cheered on by alumni, parents, and students. Then we would watch the football game, which at my school, we usually lost. Script by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

It's hard to watch TV these days without seeing reality shows. Some nights, it's hard to find a scripted drama to watch. There are so many different kinds of reality shows, too. The most popular one in the U.S. has been the "American Idol" show. This is a singing competition where amateurs try to impress the judges and the audience calls in to vote off a contestant each week. The last person left standing gets a recording contract. I think many countries now have a reality show like this. This show starts its fourth season this year and I think it'll be more popular then ever. Another popular reality show is "Big Brother." In this show, a group of people live together in the same house for about 15 weeks. They're not allowed to leave and they can't have visitors. The people chosen to live in the house are usually very different. This way, there is sure to be a lot of conflict. Some people form alliances and other people try to go it alone. The contestants compete in games and each week, the other contestants vote off one person from the show. Why would anyone want to be on "Big Brother?" The answer is easy: money. The last person remaining gets a huge prize-in the U.S. show, a half a million dollars. Even I'd live in a house full of strangers for that kind of cash . Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

I moved into the new apartment last month and decided to invite a few friends over for a house-warming party. I didn't want to spend the day cooking, so I decided to have a barbeque. The food would be easy to prepare and I could cook it when my friends got here. But first, I had to go get a few things at the supermarket. I got to the store and got a cart. I started out in the meat department. It wouldn't be a barbeque without hamburgers so I bought some ground beef. I also picked up some chicken breasts and hot dogs. I skipped the seafood counter since I didn't want to bother with fish. Then, I was off to the produce department. I got some corn on the cob and a lot of vegetables for grilling for my friends who are vegetarians. Then, I was off to the bakery section. I needed buns for the hamburgers and hot dogs, and I also bought some cookies for dessert. Then, I was almost done. I went down each aisle looking for the condiments-- the ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise. And, just before wrapping things up, I went to the liquor department and got some beer, wine, and soda. Nearly everyone I invited asked if they could bring something for the party and but I told them no. I would have plenty of food and drink. That was it. I stood in line at the check-out stand, staring at the magazine rack full of tabloids, until the cashier rang me up. The shopping went off without a hitch. Now, all I have to do is clean my messy apartment. That's the hard part. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

My niece is turning 8 next week and I decided to buy her a new pet. She had been asking her parents for a pet for a long time. But, they were worried about taking care of a pet. I told them I would go to the pet store to see if I could find a pet that wouldn't be too much of a bother. I walked into a big pet store and looked around. I saw cages with dogs and cats. There were also bird cages with birds of every color. I even saw some snakes! I saw a sales clerk and asked him for help. I told him that I was looking for a pet that was easy to take care of. He suggested a cat or a kitten. But, I told him that my niece was allergic to cats. Then, he suggested a puppy. I walked over to the rows of dog kennels and asked the clerk how often they needed to be walked. He said that usually, they needed to be taken out three to five times a day. That was much too much work, I told him. He then showed me some birds, including a parrot. Then, I asked him how often the cages had to be cleaned, and when he told me, I nixed that idea. Finally, he took me to the back of the store. I have the perfect pet for you, he said. I looked around and saw acquariums full of fish. There were about 20 different kinds. The clerk said that they were very easy to take care of. With the right equipment, you don't have to clean the tank regulary and all you have to do is feed the fish. That was it! The perfect solution. The next time I visited my niece, she told me she loved her fish. She had named them all. She even named one after me. It was called "Jeffish." Get it? Now, she's happy and so are her parents. Just before I left, my niece asked me: When can we go to Disneyland ? Ah, the work of an uncle is never done. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

I needed a new dress for a wedding I was attending next week so I went to the mall during my lunch hour. The mall had a big variety of stores, including two department stores so I was sure to find something that was just right. I found a space in the parking structure and entered the mall through the main entrance. This was right next to the food court. Okay, where to start? I headed to one of the two department stores. On the way there, though, I saw a nice dress in a window display of a women's clothing store. I decided to go in. As I walked in, I saw a sales clerk hanging some shirts on a rack. She said, "Hi, can I help you find something?‚" "Oh, I'm just browsing," I said. "Okay. Let me know if you need any help." I told her "thanks" and started looking around the store. There were some nice sweaters folded on the shelves and some dress pants on the racks. I made my way toward the back of the store and found the same dress I saw in the window display. And, it was on sale! It was 50% off. I started looking for my size. There were plenty of smalls and larges, but no mediums. The sales clerk was walking by just then so I asked her, "Do you have any other sizes in the back?" But, I was out of luck. This was all they had. "But," she said, "I have this dress in a medium and it's been marked down, too. Would you like to try it on?" I said I did and followed her to the dressing room. She said, "My name is Cheryl. Let me know if you need anything else." I tried the dress on and it fit perfectly. I liked the color, too. I took the dress to the register. The sales clerk asked, "Are you ready?" I told her I was and she started ringing me up. The clerk told me the total and asked me, "How would you like to pay for this?‚" "With my MasterCard," I said and handed her my credit card. She processed the card and asked me sign the credit card receipt. She handed me a copy and a bag with my new dress in it. She said, "There you go. I hope you like the dress. Thanks for coming in.‚" I thanked her and left. I couldn't believe I got my shopping done so quickly. There's a first time for everything. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

I was so glad it was Friday afternoon. I've been thinking--TGIF--all day. I was on my way out of the office when I saw Nick sitting at his desk. Even though the office was nearly empty, he didn't look like he was ready to leave. In fact, he looked like he was still swamped with work. Linda: Hi, Nick. You're here late. Nick: Yeah, it looks like this may be an all-nighter. I just got a project dumped in my lap. Linda: You're kidding! On Friday afternoon? What happened? Nick: Well, the person who was put in charge of this project went on maternity leave this week and the person who was supposed to take it over just resigned. Linda: I can't believe that. When is the deadline? I hope you're getting some extra help. Nick: The project is due first thing Monday morning. And, with the lay-offs recently, I think I'm on my own on this one. Linda: Why don't you bring me up to speed? Maybe I can help. Nick: No, it's Friday. You look like you're about to head home. I can't ask you to do that. Linda: I don't have any big plans for tonight. So, I'll tell you what. I'm having some trouble finishing the budget on my proposal and I know you're a whiz at numbers. Why don't I stay and help you with your project for the next few hours and you can give me a hand with my budget next week. Nick: That's really nice of you. It would be a big relief. I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed and I know you've done a project like this before. Okay, you've got a deal! Linda: Good! Now, let's see what we've got. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

One of my favorite hang-outs is a cafe near where I live called Bolivar in Santa Monica. It's only five minutes away, and its never too busy to find a table. Sometimes it can be bustling, but that's usually just in the morning during rush hour or at lunchtime. The owners are from Venezuela, and always have some cool music playing in the background. Yesterday, I decided to take my New York Times and my laptop and kill a few hours there. I ordered the usual. I'm a regular , the folks there know I want a Vanilla Latte with a double shot of espresso, hold the whipped cream. Sometimes I'll order a coffee cake if I'm feeling a little hungry. The cafe also has soup and sandwich menu you can order off of. Cafes are great for people watching. Sometimes I just sit and watch the people come and go. You get all types at this cafe. Yesterday, for example, a mother comes in with her three daughters, and one of the little girls ordered a latte! This being Los Angeles, you have your typical mix of screenwriters, out-of-work actors, and various Hollywood wannabes. They make for a colorful mix most of the time. Me, I just sit and read my paper. I'm no actor, but someday I would like to direct. Script by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Would you want to have a special talent in something? Maybe as a musician or an athlete? I'm of two minds about this. Sometimes I watch TV or read about someone who has a special talent. This was true during the Olympics. Some of those athletes I saw were very talented. Whether it was playing soccer, running track, ice skating, or doing gymnastic routines, you could see how gifted they were and how well- trained and focused they were. I get the same feeling when I see musicians who can sing well or play an instrument easily. Watching or listening to them can take your breath away . I sometimes wish I had an special gift like theirs. On the other hand, I also read about stories of children who are singled out as having talent early in life. Some of these kids begin training or practicing at the exclusion of other things kids do, like hanging out with friends or learning things in other subjects. Some of these kids don't go to school but are taught at home with tutors instead. They may be sent away to teachers or trainers in other cities, sometimes even without their parents. And, sometimes they spend so much time developing their talent, they don't have much time to develop other parts of their lives. These kids often live under a lot of pressure to perform. I envy these kids, talent, but I don't envy their lives. I guess maybe it's not so bad being mediocre after all. At least that's what I'll keep telling myself when I practice this week. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

For me, things never go very smoothly at my local post office. I've learned that if you want to mail a letter, you'll have no problems. But if things get more complicated than that, well, watch out! Yesterday I went there to mail a small package and to pick up a book of stamps. I waited my turn in line, and when I get up to the window, the clerk asks me, "What can I do for you?" "Well," I said, "I need a book‚no, make that a roll of stamps. And I need to send this package priority to San Francisco." "You want insurance with that?" he asked me. "Uh, I don't know, what do you recommend?" "Well," he said, "you can send it priority with tracking if you want to see when it gets there, you can send it insured if the contents are valuable, or you can do both." "Okay, I'll take the insurance." "Then step aside to fill out the insurance form," he said, "and bring it back up to me when you're finished." With that, I was waved aside to fill out my form. "Next in line!" the clerk called. When I finished filling out the form, I waited patiently until the gentleman being waited on in front of me was finished, and then stepped back up to the window. "Sorry," the clerk said, "I'm on break now. She can help you at the next window." Maybe it would be quicker just to drive my package to San Francisco. Script by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

I fell into the habit of reading the newspaper every morning when I was a kid. Back then, there used to be two daily newspapers--morning edition and an afternoon edition. Nowadays, of course, many cities in the U.S. have just a morning paper. I'm not too picky about which newspaper I read, although when it comes to national newspapers, I prefer reading the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal over the USA Today. Don't get me wrong: I'm not a news junkie. I just like browsing the different sections, reading the headlines, and checking out the classifieds. I usually skip the sports section and the funnies, and only flip through the food and health sections, but I always read the front page and the editorial page. On the weekends, I'll skim the entertainment section for the movie listings and reviews. I'm sort of old-fashioned in that I still like reading a real, paper newspaper. Sure, I also read some of my news online, but nothing beats lounging around on Sunday morning reading the big, thick paper. Don't worry, though: I always recycle my stack of newspapers. Script by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

I stopped by the drugstore last night on my way back home from work. I had a few toiletries to pick up, as well as my prescription. Fortunately, the chain pharmacy where I go has a little bit of everything: food, greeting cards, magazines--it's almost as big as a regular supermarket. To begin with, I needed to get some medications for my allergies. I've got hay fever, so I'm sneezing up a storm every morning when I wake up. While I was at it, I also got some antacids and some Band-Aids. Now it was time to pick up my refill. I stood in line for a few minutes before being waited on. Since it was not a new prescription, the pharmacist didn't have to do a consultation with me. I just gave the clerk my insurance card and she rang up the sale. Fortunately, I have a low co-pay, so my HMO foots most of the bill. Script by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Yesterday, I was talking to an ex-colleague of mine who, quite frankly, has something of a big mouth. I bumped into him at the beach, where he was walking his dog. Anyway, as I was saying, he's the kind of guy that's always bad mouthing his co-workers. So he comes up to me and says, "Hey, Jeff. Long time, no see. What've you been up to?" "Ah, not much, " I said. "Well, guess who I saw yesterday? John Robeson, the guy from accounting at Firth Industries. You remember him, the guy with big ears and and an ego to match." It takes one to know one, I thought, but I kept it so myself. "Oh, really. How interesting," I replied. "Yeah, well, I hate to talk behind someone's back, but ever since he and I had that falling out last year, I've never really cared for the guy." "How come?" I asked. "Well, he's a bit of a backstabber, always trying to outdo the other guy." "I know what you mean," I said. I knew at this point it was time to make my exit, otherwise, this guy would go on about John Robeson for the next 10 minutes. "What time do you have? " I asked him. "It's quarter after five." "Geez, already? Man, I've got to hit the road. I'm supposed to meet my brother at the pier in a few minutes. But, hey, it was sure good to see you again. You take care!" With that, I made my exit. I've got better things to do than to listen to him gripe all day. Script by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

I admit that I'm not very good at small talk . When I'm with friends, I can just shoot the breeze all day long. But when I talk to a stranger or someone I don't know very well, I'm always casting about, searching for something to talk about. Politics and religion are definitely taboo subjects, at least here in the United States. But you have to chat about something, otherwise there are these uncomfortable silences. So we end up talking about‚ what else?‚ the weather. This usually begins with something like, "So, nice weather we've been having!" or "It sure is a warm one out there today." Of course, we have to comment on the temperature. My favorite is, "It's not the heat that's so bad, it's the humidity!" Actually, I think that's true‚I hate it most when it's muggy outside. Back in my home state of Minnesota, everyone is obsessed with the weather report! Every TV station has it's own meteorologist with a high- tech radar giving you the 5 day forecast. They tell you when the temperature is rising or falling , what kind of clouds are moving in, and how cold the wind chill is. My favorite quote about the weather comes from Mark Twain, who once said, that everybody talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it! Script by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

I came across some good advice while reading this week. If you're like me, you spend most of your time thinking about all of the things that are on your "to-do‚" list and you try to figure out how you're going to do them all. Or, sometimes, I think about things that have already happened. Maybe I messed up my presentation at work or had a fight with my boyfriend. People dwell on these kinds of things all of the time. The book I was reading made a very good point. If you're constantly thinking about the past or the future, how can you enjoy the present? In other words, you're making yourself unhappy by stressing out about things that you can't control. At the same time, you're missing what's happening right now. I know I do this all the time. For instance, I was at the movies this past weekend. I was with my good friend and we were seeing a movie we've had our eye on for weeks. I was looking forward to it and my friend and I were both in a great mood. Then, I saw someone across the theater who looked like my co- worker. It wasn't her but it got me thinking. I thought about the report I had to do on Monday and how much I hated working on it. Then, I thought about my co-worker who wasn't pulling her weight. The more I thought about it, the more angry I got. By the time the movie started, my mood had changed completely. I was stressed out. Where did all of that thinking and worrying get me? Nowhere. My new resolution is to try to stop obsessing about the past and the future so much, and to just enjoy the here and now. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

I've had a really busy day today. I rolled out of bed at around 7:00 AM, like every morning, and jumped in the shower. After brushing my teeth and shaving, I picked up my morning paper from the front sidewalk and started reading it. I like to eat breakfast when I read the paper, so I poured myself a bowl of cereal. At around 7:30, I went into my office and sat down to go over my to-do list. First, it was off to the post office to check my P.O. box. Then I went to the public library down the street to check out some books I've been meaning to read. Next stop: the supermarket. My wife had given me a grocery list as long as your arm of things to pick up. I grabbed a shopping cart and got down to business. After I checked off everything on my list, I headed to the check out stand to pay for my items.But I wasn't done yet. I zipped over to the bank, where I had to make a deposit and withdraw some money from the ATM. Fortunately, the line wasn't too long and I was able to get in and out quickly. My next stop was the pharmacy, where I needed to pick up my prescriptions. Finally, I headed home again. Now, I have to go to my real job!Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Lucy: Hey Jeff, can I pick your brain for a minute?Jeff: Sure, what's up? Lucy: Well, I have a sticky situation at work and I wanted to get your input. You're always so tactful .Jeff: Thanks. I'm not sure I can help but I'll give you my two cents.Lucy: Well, it's like this. There's this guy I work with who is always making jokes about the boss. Don't get me wrong. I like a good joke now and then, especially about the boss. But, sometimes he goes too far. Jeff. What do you mean? Lucy: Well, just the other day, he got a picture off the Internet and cut and pasted the boss’s head onto it. Let's just say it was a very unflattering picture of him. Jeff: Hmm. That's really unprofessional, but it sounds harmless enough, if he kept it to himself or just showed it to a few friends.Lucy: That's just it. He didn't keep it to himself. He attached the picture to an email and sent it to the entire company, including the top brass. Jeff: You're joking, right?Lucy: No, I'm not. This is what I mean when I said he goes too far. He just doesn't know when to quit.Jeff: Is he a friend of yours?Lucy: No, not really. But, I don't want the guy to get fired. He's actually a good person. He's just clueless, that's all.Jeff: Well, that's a tough one. Let me think about it. Maybe there's a way to get him to cut it out before he gets fired. Lucy: Thanks. I appreciate it. Jeff: Oh, it's no big deal. Let's go get a bite to eat. Lucy: Sure. Sounds good to me. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Driving in a big city like L.A. can be so stressful. It sometimes feels like I'm doing battle just to get to the grocery store, much less across town. What is it about getting behind the wheel that brings out people's aggressive side? The most mild-mannered mother of three turns into a race car driver when she gets on the road. In L.A., people rely on the freeway to commute to their jobs or just to get around town. I think driving on the freeway has it's good and bad. On the one hand, there are no stoplights and the speed limit is over 55 miles per hour so you can get somewhere in a flash. But, on the other hand, there are drawbacks, too. People like to gun their engines and cut off other cars to get ahead. The other day, I saw a guy in a Porsche get into the passing lane, race ahead of the Honda that was in front of him, and cut that person off. Then, the guy in the Honda tries to catch up to the Porsche. They're both zipping in and out of traffic, almost causing an accident. They were speeding and changing lanes without looking or signalling. I was sure they were going to cause a big pile up. As an alternate to the freeway, I sometimes take surface streets. Of course, surface streets have their drawbacks, too. If you have a long commute to work or school, it can take you ages to get there. There are stop signs, stop lights, and crosswalks to deal with. And, people sometimes tailgate if they think you're not going fast enough. Now that I think about it, there's sometimes even more congestion on surface streets than on the freeways! There's no getting around it living in L.A. We need better public transportation and more people to walk, bike, or rollerblade to work. But as the famous song goes, "Nobody Walks in L.A." [by the Missing Persons]Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Spring cleaning is supposed to take place before summer, not after it. But, as usual, I procrastinated and now I have to finally get rid of all the junk I've accumulated over the year. But now there are no if's, and's, or but's about it--the cleaning must be done!I start in my bedroom. I have a king bed, with a sheet on the mattress and a top sheet, with pillow cases on the pillows. At top all that I have a down comforter. Well, they all need to be washed, so into the machine they go. Next I start in on the closet. What a mess! I've got boxes and bins full of stuff that need sorting . Finally, I have to vacuum the carpet and dust. Whew! Quite a job! Good thing I don't have any drapes, just shades on the windows.But I'm not done yet. It's time to move on to the kitchen. I have a combination stove and oven, both of which I need to clean. I start with the fridge, though, which needs the most work. I take out the shelves and rinse them all off. Then I dump anything that has passed its expiration date. Then it’s back to the stove, which I need to scrub clean of the grease and stains , and the same for the oven. Finally, I wash all the dirty dishes and put them in a dish rack next to the sink. Spring cleaning is always a mixed bag for me. It's a lot of work, but I also find things I've been missing for the past year! Maybe next time I'll manage to do my spring cleaning in the spring.Script by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

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

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