attend: to be part of a gathering (a class, a concert, a meeting) She doesn’t attend this class any more. I have to attend a meeting, so I can’t stay very long.
chase: to run and try to catch The police chased the man for three blocks before they caught him. He chased after the bus, but it left before he got there.
climb: to go up (a tree, a mountain, stairs) Because the elevator was broken, they had to climb the stairs to their apartment. The boy climbed every tree in the neighborhood.
connect: to put things together, join We have to connect this chord to the back of the TV. They’re building a bridge to connect the island with the mainland.
drip: to fall in drops, to leak The kitchen tap drips continuously. After the shower the rain dripped off the trees.
load: to put on or into (something) It takes them about 24 hours to load the ship with grain. The students loaded their backpacks with food.
place: to put (somewhere) She placed the flowers in the center of the table. You can feel the baby if you place your hand on her stomach.
punish: to give a penalty for doing something wrong Your son must be punished for lying to you. She punished her daughter by taking away her cell phone for a week.
rub: to touch a surface with a strong continuous motion I don’t like these shoes because they rub my heels. She rubbed her hands together to make them warm.
share: to use equally The sisters share a bedroom. No, I won’t share my dessert with you.
spend: to give money to buy (something) We have to stop spending so much money. How much did you spend on this coat?
stick: to make stay in one position She stuck the photo on the wall with tape. We will stick these paper stars to the ceiling with glue.
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.
Use these flashcards to help you study.
When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.
Resumes are a requirement when you’re applying for most jobs. Although there are many ways to write one, they usually have five sections: your personal contact information, your skills, your work experience, your education and training, and your interests. A well-written resume can get you an interview and make the difference between whether you get the job or not. Let’s look at how to write each section.
At the top of your resume and centered on the page, put your first and last name. Many people put their names in a larger size and in bold print. Under that on two separate lines, put your complete address, including your postal code. On the line under that put your phone number and finally your email address under that.
The next part contains your skills, abilities and areas of expertise. Write your skills in point form, one under the other, lined up on the left side of the page. You can also put your skills under different categories, such as General skills (for example, hard-working, reliable, organized, quick learner,) Computer skills (for example, proficient in using Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel,) and Leadership skills (for example, president of your high school graduating class.)
The third part contains your work experience, starting with the latest one. Again, line these up on the left side of the page. Put the dates of these jobs (include both paid and volunteer jobs) either on the left or on the right side. Put the name of the company that you worked for, the city it’s located in and your job title. You can also include short descriptions of the kind of work you did in each job.
The fourth part contains your education and training. Again, start with the latest, and include your university or college and any degrees or certificates you got from them. If you’ve had post-secondary education, it’s not necessary to include your high school. Also put any other training that you got, for example, a seminar on management. Put the dates either on the left or on the right side.
The last part, which can be left out if your resume is getting too long, is your interests and hobbies. Include things that show that you’re a well-rounded person. If the reader of your resume shares one of your interests, you are more likely to get an interview.
Resumes should be one page if possible, and be on white paper. Use an easy-to-read font like Times New Roman or Arial at size 12. Do not include your physical features (height, weight, or a photo), your health (including pregnancy,) the country you come from, languages you speak (unless this is important for the job you want), your marital status, your sexual orientation, your religion, your Facebook or Linkedin accounts, or your age.
There are many online sites that can help you write your resume, so find one of them and get started. Good luck in your job search.
Click on the audio recording below to hear the above lesson.
Vocabulary
requirement: something that is necessary applying: asking to get sections: parts personal contact: how to communicate with you skills: things you are good at doing interview: face to face talk whether: if centered: in the middle bold: dark and heavy separate: different contains: has expertise: things you are excellent at doing point form: not complete sentences, short categories: titles reliable: dependable, doing what you say you’ll do proficient in: good at latest: last, most recent degrees: Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or Doctorate degree (PhD) certificates: a statement of completion post-secondary: after high school seminar: short course left out: not included well-rounded: doing or good at lots of different things are more likely: have a better chance font: lettering pregnancy: having a baby inside marital status: married, single, divorced, living with someone sexual orientation: straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transexual
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the vocabulary above on the audio file below.
beat: to defeat, to win She beat her sister three games to two in the tennis match. I won’t let this problem beat me.
believe: to think something is true We believe you are telling us the truth. Why don’t you believe me when I say I didn’t know?
decide: to make a choice from all the possibilities They decided not to go to the dance together. I can’t decide which dress to wear.
empty: to remove the contents (of something) It’s your turn to empty the garbage. We need to empty the bookcase before we move it to the other wall.
greet: to welcome by saying something It’s your job to greet the new members to the club. They were greeted at the door by a salesperson.
owe: to be required to pay (someone) back Here’s the twenty dollars I owe you. She owes the government for unpaid taxes.
punch: to hit with your closed hand Stop punching your sister right now! He got so angry, he punched a hold in the wall.
sink: to go down, to go under water The small boat sank in the storm. They got home just as the sun sank in the west.
sneeze: to force air from your lungs to clean out your nose Her perfume was so strong that he sneezed. If you sneeze into your sleeve, you won’t spread any germs.
stare: to look at (something/someone) for a long time
It’s a bad idea to stare at the sun. He couldn’t stop staring at her beautiful face.
trip: to fall after catching your foot on something He tripped on the stairs and fell. Someone could trip on that toy if you don’t put it away.
waste: to not use in the best way Don’t waste my time with your crazy ideas. He wastes too much money on lottery tickets.
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.
Use these flashcards to help you study.
When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.
a British-born essayist and novelist of Indian origin. He is best known for his travel writing. He is also an essayist who has been writing for Time magazine since 1986. He also publishes regularly in Harper’s, The New York Review of Books and The New York Times.
First, preview the vocabulary below. Then click the exercise below, read a question and then listening for the answer. When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question. Then read the next question and do the same thing.
raised: grew up classic: traditional alien: foreigner straightforward: simple, not complicated associated with: connected to stained-glass: lots of pieces it came home to me: I realized wildfire: a fire out of control ash: what’s left after a fire literally: actually sense of: idea about fashion: make, create beyond: outside of tribe: group of people consists of: is composed of exhilarating: exciting typical: common kin: family evolving: changing unprecedented: happening for the first time blend: mix rooted in: identified with bearings: understanding accumulated: gathered, gotten perspective: understanding skeptical: not believing intrigued: really interested hemmed and hawed: didn’t know what to say hymnals: religious songs assured: promised restless: not able to sit still pulsing: full of energy eminently: very profoundly: strongly consult: ask monks: religious people critical: most important blindfold: covering over the eyes hankers: really wants ultimately: in the end
Before there was money, people bartered for things. In other words, they traded one thing for another thing, such as chickens for a pig. Then in 1200 BCE people in China and India started using cowrie shells, which were small, shiny and colorful. These beautiful shells came from the shallow waters around the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Meanwhile, in the Americas wampum, a string of beads made from small white shells, was used as money.
A couple centuries later the first metal money, made of bronze or copper, was made in China and looked like the cowrie shells that people were already using as money. The Qin Dynasty brought the round coins with square holes in the middle to all of China, and these coins continued to be used for the next 2000 years. In Europe in around 600 BCE, coins were made from silver and gold. This kind of money was first made in Lydia, present-day western Turkey, and from there it quickly spread to the Greeks, Persians, Macedonians, and then the Romans.
The first paper money in the world was made in China during the Song Dynasty. It didn’t replace the older money but was used with it. Europeans were only using coins up to the year 1600, made from the gold and silver they got from the Americas. The first banknotes were issued in Sweden by Stockholms Banco in 1661, and many other European banks started using them too. However, the system was imperfect because the value of all the different banknotes was not standard. Then in 1816 England made gold the standard of value, and English paper banknotes could be exchanged for this precious metal. The first paper money in North America, which was really IOUs, was issued by colonial governments to make trade between America and Europe easier since it was such a long journey, and people had to wait for their money for months. By the start of the 20th century almost all countries had a gold standardbacking their legal tender notes. Because the United States won World War II, her currency, the dollar, was adopted by many other countries as the standard for their currencies. Each currency was worth a fixed amount in US dollars. For example, the French franc was worth 20 cents US. This continued until 1971 when the US government stopped backing the US dollar with gold. After this many countries stopped making the US dollar their standard. Most of the world’s currencies became unbacked by anything except their ability to buy things. For this reason, and the laws of government, money still had value. The next time you reach for any money, you may look at it a little differently now that you know it’s history.
Click on the audio recording below to hear the lesson.
Vocabulary:
BCE: Before Common Era (before the year 1) shell: the hard exterior of an animal century: hundred years bronze: a combination of copper and tin coins: small round metal money banknotes: paper from a bank that promises payment imperfect: not perfect standard: equal for everybody precious: expensive IOU: I owe you, a promise on paper to pay someone later issued: given to the people colonial: controlled by a European country trade: the buying and selling of goods between countries journey: trip backing: supporting legal tender notes: paper money supported by government currency: paper and coin money adopted: accepted and used fixed: exact and unchanging
Click on the audio recording below to hear the vocabulary pronunciation.
by Daniel Levitin
an American cognitive psychologist, neuroscientist, best-selling author, musician and record producer, who is professor of psychology at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
First preview the vocabulary below. Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer. When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question. Then read the next question and do the same thing. If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.
fumbling: searching locksmith: a person who replaces locks desperate: needing to do something now shards: sharp pieces contractor: a person who builds things neuroscientist: a person who studies the brain cortisol: a brain chemical recline: lean back prevent: stop minimize: make small likelihood: chance catastrophe: when everything goes wrong crystalize: become well thought out post mortem: figuring out what was done wrong and what could be improved obvious: easily seen designate: choose scrupulous: doing what you know is right confronted with: face to face with proxy: substitute benefit: get something good from rational assessment: good thinking pharmaceutical: about prescription drugs prescribe: give a drug estimates: guesses side effect: a bad result of a drug. debilitating: weakening ethics: what is right and what is wrong typical: common predator: an animal who will eat you flawed: not perfect
attach: to connect She attached a picture of herself to the email she sent to her parents. So her son wouldn’t lose his gloves, she attached them to his sleeves.
bite: to cut with teeth The dog bit the boy on the leg. It’s not a good idea to bite your fingernails.
check: to look at carefully When I get gas for my car, I also check the oil. Check your email address to make sure it’s correct.
control: to make someone / something do what you want He has trouble controlling his anger. The teacher has to control thirty students.
fear: to be afraid of She is a leader who fears nothing. He ran away because he fears snakes.
hunt: to look for so you can get or kill I’ve been hunting for a nice painting to put over the fireplace. He and his son like to hunt for rabbits.
mean: to intend, to plan, to say She didn’t understand what he meant. We didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.
relax: to rest and not be active He likes to relax in front of the TV on Friday nights. After setting up the campsite, everyone relaxed around the fire.
shout: to yell, to be loud with your voice It’s not necessary to shout; I can hear you. She shouted at him across the parking lot, but he couldn’t hear her.
stir: to move (a liquid) around in a circular motion Would you please stir the soup while it’s heating. He slowly stirred his coffee with a spoon.
tickle: to touch with the fingers to make someone laugh He tickled the bottom of her feet. The children like to tickle each other.
trust: to believe that someone will do the right thing They trust their children to take care of the family dog. I don’t trust you because you have lied to me before.
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.
Use these flashcards to help you study.
When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.
So many people misuse credit cards and find themselves in debt only able to make the minimum payment that is required. A minimum payment mostly pays the interest, so your balance doesn’t go down very fast, and you have to keep paying for a long time. Learning to use credit responsibly is a very smart thing to do so that you always have money to spend, money to share, and money to grow.
If you feel that you are ready to handle credit responsibly, then apply for a credit card. The best kind of credit card is one that gives points. I live in Vancouver and shop at a grocery store that has a Mastercard that gives points, so that’s the card I use for most purchases. Every time I buy a product or service from anywhere, I use my credit card and receive points. For every thousand points, I get a dollar off when I purchase groceries.
I’m Ambien’s wife, and I developed a credit card system that guarantees we never spend more money than we have. For this system to work, you must make a budget and know how much money you have each month to spend. You also need to have three bank accounts – one savings account and two checking accounts. The first checking account is where your paycheck is deposited, and the second checking account is the one that pays your credit card bill. As you go through the month, you use an envelope to record and store all of your credit card receipts. On the front of the envelope you record the date, the name of the store where you made the purchase, and the amount that you spent, and inside the envelope you put all the receipts. You do this all month long. Every few days you add up the total that you have spent so far and transfer that money from your first checking account to your second. When your first account is getting low, you know that you have to be careful with your spending because you can only spend what’s left in the account. If you follow this system, you will never spend money that you don’t have. When your credit card statement arrives at the end of the month, check each item on the statement against the receipts in the envelope to make sure that they match. Then pay your entire credit card bill either online or at the bank. When you pay your entire bill each month, you never pay any interest. You get to use credit for free, and you get benefits. Since we started using this system, we have found that it takes us about three months to earn around $250 worth of points that we can spend on groceries.
Using a credit card in this way will enable you to become a conscious shopper. When you track your spending like this, you will know how much you spend every month, and you will also know what you are spending your money on.
Click on the audio recording below to hear the above lesson.
Vocabulary:
in debt: owing money interest: money you pay for using credit balance: the total amount you have to pay responsibly: the best way apply: fill out a form grocery: food purchases: things that you buy guarantees: makes certain system: way of doing things budget: a plan on how to spend your money deposited: put into record: write down store: keep receipt: the paper you get when you buy something transfer: move statement: a record from the bank of all your credit card charges match: are the same entire: whole, 100% benefits: good things enable: let you be able conscious: thinking well track: know by using a system
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the vocabulary above on the audio file below.
a Canadian singer and songwriter. This song was the official song of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games.
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Yeah
We are one
We are beautiful
It’s undeniable
We are all the same
Who’s to say
What is right or wrong Cause we all belong United we stand
We’re strong when we walk together
Together we can sing much louder
Louder than any voice alone
With the strength of a thousand soldiers
We can climb any mountain higher
Higher, higher
Stand up
Together put your hands up
You’re not alone
Together we are one
Sing with me
To the rhythm of your heart beat
You’re not alone
Together we are one
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Together we are one
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Together we are one
It’s true
There is no obstacle
We are unstoppable
No power can divide
One foot in front of the other
One hand in another
The miracle of one
We’re strong when we walk together
Together we can sing much louder
Louder than any voice alone
With the strength of a thousand soldiers
We can climb any mountain higher
Higher, higher, higher
Stand up
Together put your hands up
You’re not alone
Together we are one
Sing with me
To the rhythm of your heart beat
You’re not alone
Together we are one
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Together we are one
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Together we are one
We are one
We are beautiful
We are strong
We are one
We are one
We are beautiful
We are strong
We are one
Stand up
Together put your hands up
You’re not alone
Together we are one
Sing with me
To the rhythm of your heart beat
You’re not alone
Together we are one
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Together we are one
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Together we are one
Vocabulary:
undeniable: the truth cause: because united: together strength: power rhythm: beat obstacle: something that stops you miracle: an event you can’t explain
