by Adam Leipzig

a producer, executive and distributor who has overseen more than 25 movies and produced more than 300 stage plays and live events. He was one of the founders of the Los Angeles Theatre Center.

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.

Vocabulary:

reunion:  a time when people come together again
drift:  move slowly
catch up:  find out what someone has been doing  (idiom)
decade:  ten years
astounding:  surprising
privileged:  given the opportunity
campus:  the grounds of a university
financially:  of or about money
well off:  having more than enough
Renaissance:  the period in Europe from the 1300s to the 1600s
rhetoric:  non-poetic language
geeks:  students who love to study
expansively:  with more and more experiences
ups and downs:  easiness and difficulties
unexamined:  not studied
come up:  are remembered  (idiom)
qualified:  able to do because of knowledge or skill
transform:  become something new
figure out:  think of how to do  (idiom)
outward facing:  thinking of other people
challenging:  difficult
vulnerable:  not safe or secure
apparel:  clothing
decisive:  strong

by Robert Waldinger

a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and Zen priest.  He is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and directs the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies of adult life ever done.  Dr. Waldinger is the author of numerous scientific papers as well as two books.  He teaches medical students and psychiatry residents at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and he is a Senior Dharma Teacher in Boundless Way Zen.

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.

Vocabulary:

survey:  a list of questions
millennials:  the generation born in the 1980s and 1990s
lean into:  work hard at  (idiom)
hindsight:  memories of the past
20/20:  perfect
turn out:  result  (idiom)
exceedingly:  very, very
fall apart:  end  (idiom)
drop out:  don’t continue  (idiom)
dries up:  ends  (idiom)
distracted:  doing something else
moves the ball down the field:  continues to make progress  (sports idiom)
persistence:  continuing and not quitting
participating:  being part of the activity
tenements:  poor, overcrowded apartment houses
alcoholism:  a dependency on alcohol
schizophrenia:  a serious mental disorder
founders:  people who started the study
generated:  made
toxic:  poisonous
isolated:  apart from other people
quality:  the amount of excellence
conflict:  fighting, arguing
octogenarian:  someone in their 80s
bicker:  argue
mood:  the way someone feels generally
magnified:  made worse
count on:  depend on  (idiom)
wisdom:  deep knowledge
reaching out:  making a connection  (idiom)
family feuds:  bad feelings between family members
toll:  cost
grudges:  hatred for past wrongdoings

ankle (n):  the joint between the foot and the leg
anus (n):  the opening where food exits the body
appendix (n):  a narrow tube at the top of the large intestine that has no function
artery (n):  a tube that delivers blood to the body
bladder (n):  the sack that holds urine
blood (n):  the red liquid that feeds every cell of the body
bone (n):  the hard interior structure of the body
bowels (n):  the small and large intestines
     colon (n):  the bottom part of the large intestine
     intestine (n):  the tube that carries food waste from the body
     bowel movement (BM) (n):  the solid waste from the body
buttocks (n):  the muscles at the back of the body that you sit on
breast (n):  the source of milk
brain (n):  the grey matter in the head responsible for thinking
cartilage (n):  the whitish connective tissue between bones
cell (n):  the smallest unit of a body
chest (n):  the upper front of the torso
colon (n):  the upper part of the large intestine
digestion (n):  the body’s process of making use of food
digit (n): one of five extensions of the hand or foot.
elbow (n):  the joint between the upper and lower arms
eye (n):  the part of the head that sees
     cornea (n):  the clear part of the eye that covers the iris and pupil
     lens (n):  the part behind the iris that focuses the image
     retina (n):  the back of the eye that receives images
     iris (n):  the colored part of the eye
     pupil (n):  the opening at the center of the iris
     optic (adj):  of or related to the eye
finger (n):  one of five digits on the hand
fingernail (n):  the hard material at the end of the finger
gland (n):  an organ that produces a substance that the body needs
gums (n):  the tissue at the base of the teeth
heal (n):  the back part of the foot
heart (n):  the organ that pumps blood to the body
     aorta (n):  the large blood vessel where blood exits the heart
     cardiac (adj):  of or related to the heart
hip (n):  the bone on the lower side of the torso below the waist
hormone (n):  a production of a gland that helps the body function
intestine (n):  the tube that connects the stomach and the anus
joint (n):  the connection between bones that allows movement
kidney (n):  the organ that produces urine
     renal (adj):  of or related to the kidneys
knuckle (n):  one of three joints in the finger
liver (n):  the organ that cleans the blood
     hepatic (adj):  of or related to the liver
lungs (n):  the organs that take in air
     pulmonary (adj):  of or related to the lungs
     respiration (n):  the process of breathing
metabolism (n): the process in a cell that produces energy
     metabolic (adj):  of or related to metabolism
muscle (n):  the soft tissue that allows movement in the body
nerve (n):  a long tissue that relays information from the body to the brain.
nose (n):  the part of the face that breathes and smells
     nasal (adj):  of or related to the nose
     nostril (n):  one of two openings in the nose
     olfactory (adj):  of or related to the sense of smell
organ (n):  a structure of the body that performs a specialized function
pelvis (n):  the hip bone structure
penis (n):  the male sexual organ
rectum (n):  the bottom straight part of the large intestine
ribs (n):  the bones that enclose the chest
shoulder (n):  the joint between the torso and the arm
skeleton (n):  all of the bones of the body together
skin (n):  the organ on the outside of the body
skull (n):  the bone around the head
spinal column / backbone:  the bones of the back
spinal cord (n):  the nerve that runs down the backbone
stomach (n):  the organ that receives food
tendon (n):  the tissue that connects a muscle to a bone
throat (n):  the tube that connects the mouth with the stomach
toe (n):  one of five digits on the foot
toenail (n):  the hard end of a toe
tongue (n):  the muscle in the floor of the mouth
tonsils (n):  the tissue on each side of the throat that is often removed
tooth (n):  the hard tissue in the mouth that allows chewing
     incisor (n):  one of the four top or four bottom front teeth
     molar (n):  one of the flat teeth in the back of the mouth
torso (n):  the central part of the body apart from the arms and legs
urine (n):  liquid waste from the body
uterus / womb (n):  the place where babies grow
vagina (n): the female sexual organ
vein (n):  a tube that returns blood to the heart
waist (n):  the soft part of the body above the hips
wrist (n):  the joint between the hand and the arm

by Judson Brewer

an associate Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine, where he is Director of Research at the Center for Mindfulness.  He is a leader in the “science of self mastery,” having nearly 20 years of experience with the scientific study of mindfulness.

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.

Vocabulary:

retreats:  short courses held away from the city
exhausting:  very tiring
pay attention: focus on something
urge:  need
calories:  food energy
survival:  continuing to live
trigger:  something that makes you take action
reward:  a good thing you get as a result of an action
nerd:  a person who likes to study and learn
obesity:  being too fat
morbidity and mortality:  unhealthiness and death
tap into:  start using
curious:  wanting to know something
cognitively:  in your brain
disenchanted:  not liking
intellectual:  of the brain
on a visceral level:  with deep understanding
letting go:  releasing, giving up, stopping
paradox:  opposite thing that’s also true
cravings:  things that you strongly want
sensations:  feelings in the body
clobbered:  dominated, beat up
perpetuate:  keep doing

access:  to be able to reach or connect to

I’m having trouble accessing my bank account.
Students can easily access their marks online.

bargain:  to make an agreement so both sides are satisfied
The union bargained a new three-year contract.
They bargained for half an hour before agreeing on a price for the car.

clarify:  to make clear and understandable
The candidate was asked to clarify his position on immigration.
The company posted regulations to clarify how men should treat women in the workplace.

correspond: to communicate regularly
They corresponded for years with emails before meeting face to face.
She corresponds regularly with other scientists around the world.

devote:  to give lots of time and attention (to something or someone)
He devoted his time every summer to taking care of his aging parents.
She has devoted her life to her children.

fidget:  to move around nervously or impatiently
She fidgets with her hair when she’s lying.
He fidgeted with his keys as he waited for his interview.

impress:  to cause admiration or approval
He impressed her with his ability to play the piano.
Her family was impressed with her fiance’s future plans.

linger:  to stay longer than usual
They lingered after the party so they could help clean up.
The students all lingered after the basketball game was over.

observe:  to watch for a while
The park is a good place to observe birds.
The student-teachers wanted to observe a class in action.

propose:  to suggest (something) to be considered
The committee proposed that future meetings should be recorded.
She proposed that the family go on vacation together.

refrain:  to not do (something)
Please refrain from smoking in the car when children are present.
He couldn’t refrain from laughing when he saw the look on her face.

shriek:  to make a loud, high sound
Many were shrieking in pain after the bus crash.
She shrieked when she saw the snake on the floor.

squander:  to use wastefully and have no more
It only took him two weeks to squander the money his parents gave him.
He squandered his time watching cartoons on TV.

undergo:  to go through an unpleasant experience
For a year he had to undergo radiation treatment for his bone cancer.
The baby underwent three surgeries in the first year of his life.

withdraw:  to move back or take back
Every Friday she withdraws $200 dollars from her bank account.
The police were ordered to withdraw from the building.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the vocabulary above on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

In English there are two kinds of nouns – countable and uncountable.  Countable nouns are names of individual things and can be made plural by adding an ‘s’ usually.  However, uncountable nouns, which are names of general things or collections of things, can never have an ‘s’ on the end and are always singular.

When a countable noun is singular, you can use the article ‘a’ (which means ‘one’,) but with an uncountable noun, you can never use the article ‘a’ because there is never just one.

Examples:
A chair is cheap.
Furniture isn’t cheap.  (NOT: A furniture …)

Both singular countable nouns and uncountable nouns take a singular verb.

Examples:
A chair is next to the front door.
The furniture is in the living room.

Of course, plural countable nouns take a plural verb.

Example:
Chairs are around the table.

The words some, any, a lot of and no can be used before both plural countable and uncountable nouns.

Examples:
Some chairs need to be repaired.
Some furniture needs to be repaired.

I haven’t bought any chairs yet.
I haven’t bought any furniture yet.

A lot of chairs are broken.
A lot of furniture is broken.

No chairs are needed for the meeting.
No furniture is needed for the meeting.

However, the words many, a few, and few can only be used before countable nouns.  Much, a little and little can only be used before uncountable nouns.

Examples:
We have many chairs.
We have much furniture.

We have a few chairs. (a few = some)
We have a little furniture. (a little = some)

We have few chairs. (few = not many)
We have little furniture.  (little = not much)

Basically, countable nouns are names of individual things, and uncountable nouns are names of general things or collections of things.  For example, individual animals such as steers, pigs, chickens, lambs and fish are all countable.  The meat of these animals, such as beef, pork, chicken, lamb and fish, is uncountable.

Examples:
Pigs are smart animals.
Pork is a tasty meat.

Chickens are noisy.
Chicken is my favorite meat.

Read this list of countable and uncountable nouns and you’ll see the difference:

Countables                                                            Uncountables

FOOD:

bananas / oranges / apples (etc.)                 fruit
carrots, celery, lettuce                                      food
steaks, pork chops, hamburgers                 meat
potatoes                                                                    rice
candies                                                                       candy (general)
ice cream

ACTIONS:

push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks                 exercise
conversations                                                        talking  (+ any gerunds)
robberies                                                                  crime
*****                                                                             help
naps                                                                             sleep, rest

INGREDIENTS:

*****                                                                             salt
*****                                                                             pepper
cups of sugar                                                          sugar
bags of flour                                                           flour
*****                                                                            cheese
slices of bread                                                      bread
*****                                                                            oil
*****                                                                            ice
jars of honey                                                         honey

LIQUIDS:

drinks                                                                       alcohol
cups of coffee                                                      coffee
cups of tea                                                             tea
bottles of wine                                                    wine
glasses of juice                                                    juice
cartons of milk                                                   milk
bowls of soup                                                      soup
glasses of water                                                water

EMOTIONS:

*****                                                                         anger
*****                                                                         fear
*****                                                                         joy
*****                                                                         sadness
*****                                                                         love
*****                                                                         happiness

WEATHER:

blizzards                                                              snow
storms                                                                   rain
*****                                                                        pollution, smog
clouds                                                                    fog
*****                                                                        sunshine
*****                                                                        smoke
*****                                                                        weather

MISCELLANEOUS:

dollars                                                                   money
minutes, hours, days (etc.)                         time
questions                                                             information
messages, tweets, emails                           communication
miles, kilometers                                             distance
songs                                                                      music
cars                                                                          traffic, transportation
chairs, sofas, tables, bookcases               furniture
letters                                                                     mail
words of advice                                                advice
exercises                                                               homework, grammar
jobs, careers                                                       work
problems                                                              trouble
TV shows, programs                                      TV
companies                                                           industry
stores, businesses                                           business
*****                                                                         garbage, trash
*****                                                                         litter
sheets of paper                                                 paper
*****                                                                         sand
*****                                                                         noise
*****                                                                         experience
*****                                                                         patience
*****                                                                         knowledge
*****                                                                         beauty
*****                                                                         safety
*****                                                                         evidence
*****                                                                         research
suitcases                                                               baggage, luggage
*****                                                                         news
*****                                                                         progress
hairs                                                                        hair
views                                                                      scenery

appoint:  to choose (someone) to do a job
The President decided to appoint her as Secretary of State.
The jury appointed the high school teacher as foreperson.

capture:  to catch, take control of
The police captured the terrorist in his hotel room.
That TV show captured my attention.

consider:  to think about
Would you consider starting over again and doing it right this time?
I considered your offer and decided to accept it.

dismiss:  to say (to someone) to leave, to reject
They teachers are going to dismiss the students early on Friday.
The committee dismissed the idea of a fund raising party.

express:  to put into words, state
I want to express my sincere apologies.
He has always had trouble expressing his gratitude.

ignite:  to set on fire, begin to burn
He used matches to ignite the fire.
The lightening ignited the dry trees and a forest fire broke out.

limp:  to walk unevenly because of a bad leg
He tried his best not to limp when he met the president.
After the car accident he always limped.

notify:  to let (someone) know (something), inform
You need to notify the credit card company of your change of address.
After the accident, he knew he had to notify the police.

plead:  to beg, ask for desperately
He pleaded for his life, but they killed him anyway.
The mother went on TV to plead for the return of her child.

recede:  to go or move away, withdraw
At the age of fifty, his hairline started to recede.
It will be another five hours until the tide recedes.

scorch:  to burn slightly
The collar of his white shirt was scorched yellow.
The sun was so hot, it scorched the grass.

slam:  to close with force, hit hard
Although you’re angry, please don’t slam the door when you leave.
The truck slammed into the side of the bus.

thrust:  to push with force
The soldier thrust his knife into the enemy’s chest.
They thrusted their way through the crowd to leave.

violate:  to  (a rule (a rule, the lawbreak (a rule, the law)
They violated the law when they left the scene of the accident.
The family had three cats in their condo, which violated the one pet rule.

withstand: to be strong and survive (against something)
The building was built to withstand a 6.0 earthquake.
Their house withstood the hurricane with little damage.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the vocabulary above on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

by Phil Collins

an English singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, record producer and actor. He is known as the drummer and lead singer in the rock band Genesis and as a solo artist.  This song was from his best-selling album …But Seriously released in 1989.

She calls out to the man on the street
“Sir, can you help me?
It’s cold and I’ve nowhere to sleep,
Is there somewhere you can tell me?”

He walks on, doesn’t look back
He pretends he can’t hear her
Starts to whistle as he crosses the street
Seems embarrassed to be there

Oh think twice
‘Cause it’s another day for you and me in paradise
Oh think twice
‘Cause it’s another day for you, you and me in paradise

Think about it

She calls out to the man on the street
He can see she’s been crying
She’s got blisters on the soles of her feet
She can’t walk but she’s trying

Just think about it

Oh Lord, is there nothing more anybody can do?
Oh Lord, there must be something you can say

You can tell from the lines on her face
You can see that she’s been there
Probably been moved on from every place
‘Cause she didn’t fit in there

Oh think twice
‘Cause it’s another day for you and me in paradise
Oh think twice
It’s just another day for you, you and me in paradise.

Just think about it
Um hum, think about it
It’s just another day for you and me in paradise
It’s just another day for you and me in paradise
Paradise.  Oo, just think about
Paradise.  Just think about

Vocabulary:

pretends:  to act in a way that is not real
whistle:  make music with your lips and no voice
embarrassed:  feeling uncomfortable and shameful
’cause:  because
paradise:  a beautiful and peaceful place
blisters:  watery bubbles under the skin caused by rubbing
soles:  bottoms of the feet
Lord:  God
been there:  had bad experiences
moved on:  forced to move (idiom)
fit in:  belong (idiom)

attempt:  to try, make an effort
The man will attempt to walk on a wire between the two buildings.
Every year climbers attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

balance:  to make two sides equal
She needs to balance her checkbook.
He never seems to be able to balance his work life and his home life.

confide:  to tell a secret, discuss private matters
The only person he confides in is his wife.
She was too embarrassed to confide in her parents.

defy:  to not follow orders
After a strong warning, the gang defied the police and called a meeting.
Teenagers often defy their parents and do what they want.

dwindle:  to become smaller and smaller.
As the number of jobs dwindled, more and more people were out of work.
The fish off the east coast have dwindled to a very low number.

function:  to work, operate, do the job
The computer won’t function properly.  We need to call tech support.
I can’t function in the morning without two cups of coffee first.

invade:  to enter forcefully
He felt that the government had invaded his privacy.
Napoleon invaded Spain in 1808.

migrate:  to move in groups to another place far away
In the late fall the birds migrate south to warmer places.
The very first people in north America migrated from Asia.

perish:  to die, be completely destroyed
All his paintings perished in the fire.
Millions of people perished from the Spanish flu of 1918.

recline:  to lie down
He reclined on the couch after dinner and turned on the TV.
They reclined on the grass and looked up at the stars.

shiver:  to shake from the cold, fear or excitement
The children were shivering from the lack of heat in the classroom.
He shivered at the thought that he could have been killed in the accident.

specify:  to say or state clearly
The recipe doesn’t specify what kind of oil to use.
The directions specify that the product not be used indoors.

tend:  to do naturally
She tends to be lazy when she’s alone.
Unlike dogs, cats tend to be independent.

vomit:  to throw up, empty your stomach through your mouth
After drinking more than six beers, he usually vomits.
When the police officer discovered the headless body, she wanted to vomit.

wrinkle:  to make lines or folds in (clothing, skin) so it’s no longer smooth
He wrinkled his clothes by sleeping in them all night.
This new shirt doesn’t wrinkle as much as cotton does.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the vocabulary above on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

by Danielle Feinberg, Pixar’s director of photography, who creates stories with soul and wonder using math, science and code.

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.

Vocabulary:

coding:  writing code to make computer programs
junior year:  3^rd year
transfixed:  unable to look away
execute:  make from start to finish
characters:  people, animals, etc. in a story
fascinated:  really interested
comes to life:  looks real
stand out:  be able to be seen from other things (idiom)
incredible:  unbelievable
untethered:  with no limits
chaos:  disorder
jarring:  seen as very unreal
combat:  fight
backbone:  major part
footage:  short film
critical element:  a part that is absolutely necessary
mimics:  copies
current:  movement of water
particulate:  pieces of floating things
ribbons:  long shapes
not beholding to it:  don’t have to keep using it
immerse themselves in:  enter and feel that it’s real
binoculars:  eyes (on WALL-E)
dialogue:  speaking
eureka moment:  the time when you find the solution
floundering:  working but not getting a good result
tether:  connection
strangling:  killing, making it seem unreal
dug in:  worked really hard without stopping (idiom)
doomed:  ready to die
interweaving:  combining