INSERT

پادکست انگلیسی BBC – زیر نظر داشتن

متن پادکست انگلیسی BBC – زیر نظر داشتن

Neil
Welcome to 6 Minute English, the programme where we explore an interesting topic and bring you six items of useful vocabulary. I’m Neil.

Dan
And I’m Dan.

Neil
Now, Dan, have you ever wanted to become invisible?

Dan
Invisible – impossible to see. Of course! Who hasn’t?

Neil
Well how about this: most of us think we are in fact invisible, at least some of the time… We’ll be looking at the ‘invisibility cloak illusion‘ in this programme.

Dan
Fascinating. And in that phrase we heard our first three words. Invisibility – the state of being invisible. A cloak is a long piece of material worn like a coat around the shoulders.

Neil
And the third word in that phrase – an illusion – is something that seems real but isn’t.

Dan
OK, question time. Which of these stories features an invisibility cloak? Is it…

a) The Hobbit

b) Harry Potter

Or c) The Invisible Man

Neil
I know they are all connected to invisibility, but I’m gonna say…a) The Hobbit.

Dan
Ok – we’ll reveal the answer later on. Now, let’s hear more about this invisibility cloak illusion. What’s the theory, Neil?

Neil
Right – imagine you’re sitting in a crowded train. People are busy looking at phones and books, but they’re also looking at each other.

Dan
They’re ‘people-watching’, as we call it. Yes. Yes, I do that. I do it a lot, if I’m honest!

Neil
So – where does the invisibility part come in?

Dan
A team of scientists from Yale University did some experiments on this. Commenting on the research here is neuroscientist Dr Catherine Loveday from Westminster University. What did the Yale team find?

INSERT
Dr Catherine Loveday, Neuroscientist, Westminster University

So this study, they asked people that, first they did a survey and they asked people sat in a canteen how much they were watching somebody, and how much they thought those people were observing them. And there was always a mismatch. People always thought they were more observational than the people who were watching them.

Dan
So, people think they observe others more than others watch them. Everyone thinks they aren’t observed very much – it’s almost as if they’re invisible to others – or wearing an invisibility cloak!

Neil
And the difference between how much they are actually being watched and think they’re being watched is what she called a mismatch. It’s the difference between two things – they’re two things which don’t ‘match’.

Dan
In other words – it’s not true that people aren’t watching us – which is why the idea of having an invisibility cloak is just an illusion. This next bit is interesting. Two people were asked to wait in a room. Then they were each asked to make two lists: one, what they noticed about the other person; and two, what they thought the other person noticed about them.

Neil
So list one was always longer than list two. Not only that – but there was also an important difference in the content of the lists.

Dan
Let’s hear again from neuroscientist Dr Catherine Loveday. What was the difference?

INSERT
Dr Catherine Loveday, Neuroscientist, Westminster University
When people are observing you they’re doing it in a non-judgemental, fairly empathic way – and not actually noticing the things that you’re self-conscious about. So if for example you feel self-conscious about a spot on your nose, or something that you’re wearing, that won’t be what they’re noticing. It’s a much less judgemental form of observation.

Neil
Right, so even if we’re feeling self-conscious about something – that means feeling extra aware of an aspect of ourselves – maybe our appearance or our clothes – we needn’t be.

Dan
Yes, you don’t need to feel self-conscious. People aren’t being judgemental.

Neil
And being judgemental means being critical.

Dan
That’s good news. So even though all I’m thinking about is how badly I need a haircut, the other person is probably noticing something completely different. Back to the question about the invisibility cloak. Which story is it in?

Neil
I said The Hobbit.

Dan
And it was in fact – Harry Potter. Not only does the garment make you impossible to see, it also protects you against magic spells.

Neil
Wow – I need one of those!

Dan
In The Hobbit, it’s a ring that makes you invisible, and in The Invisible Man, the main character uses chemicals to achieve the same effect.

Neil
Now, before we become invisible ourselves, how about we go through today’s words?

Dan
Marvellous. First we had invisible – which meansimpossible to see. You could say that stars are invisible during the day.

Neil
They’re only visible at night.

Dan
We also had cloak – who would wear a cloak? Maybe a king or a monk? Or maybe you, Neil?

Neil
I’m sure I could look good in a cloak – that’s a long piece of material worn over the shoulders. What about illusion?

Dan
Illusions appear to be true, but they’re not. It can describe an idea: you could say a politician has the illusion that everything he says is true. Then we had mismatch – which can refer to the difference between two things which perhaps should be similar: there’s a mismatch between what Michael says and what he does.

Neil
Who’s Michael?

Dan
Just an example! You could also say that Michael and Simone are an unlikely couple – they seem very different – they’re a bit of a mismatch.

Neil
What is it with you and Michael?! One, he doesn’t exist, and two, I think you’re being judgemental.

Dan
Well, I’m criticising him so, yeah, you’re right – I’m being judgemental. Perhaps I should stop. It’s just that… it’s just that I’m in love with Simone myself, and I get all nervous and self-conscious when I see her.

Neil
You mean you become embarrassed about what she might think of you – you become self-conscious?

Dan
I do.

Neil
Even though she doesn’t exist either?

Dan
Well, only in my examples. Sometimes I wish I really did have an invisibility cloak.

Neil
Hey, hang on, Dan – where have you gone?

Dan
Haha – very funny, I’m still perfectly visible. Time to go – but do visit our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube pages, and of course our website!

Neil
Goodbye for now.

Both
Bye!

امیدوارم از پادکست انگلیسی BBC – زیر نظر داشتن لذت برده باشید.

متن پادکست انگلیسی BBC – راه یابی حیوانات

Neil
Welcome to 6 Minute English, the programme where we bring you an interesting topic and six useful words or phrases. I’m Neil.

Dan
And I’m Dan. Today we’re talking about one of the last mysteries of science. No, not if the universe will keep expanding forever, but this: how do cats and dogs find their way home over long distances?

Neil
We hear incredible stories of lost pets travelling tens and even hundreds of miles home – but scientists struggle to explain how they do it.

Dan
We’ll hear the view of one scientist today. But before that – I have to ask an important question: Neil, are you a cat person or a dog person?

Neil
Oh, that’s easy – I’m a cat person, for sure. Dogs are just a… well, they are hard work, aren’t they?

Dan
If you say you are ‘a cat person‘ it means you prefer cats. ‘A coffee person‘ prefers coffee. A ‘something’ person likes or prefers that thing, often over another thing.

Neil
Back to the topic, I’m a cat person. But can you answer this, Dan? Recently, a cat called Omar made headlines for being, possibly, the world’s longest cat. How long is Omar? Is it…

a) 120 cm

b) 80 cm

Or c) 180 cm

Dan
I’m gonna say c) 180 cm.

Neil
Now, from long cats to long-distance cats. Scientists were scratching their heads a couple of years ago when a lost cat called Holly travelled 200 miles to get home. How did it do it?

Dan
We say you ‘scratch your head‘ when you are confused about something. There are a few theories about how cats and dogs navigate – but we don’t yet have the full answer.

Neil
Well, both cats and dogs have an extremely powerful sense of smell, of course. Smells are like signposts – they let you know where you are. Visual landmarks also play a role, just as they do with humans. A landmark is something very easily recognised – a big building or mountain for example.

Dan
And what about this one: magnets are pieces of metal which attract certain other kinds of metal – for example, iron or steel. The Earth itself has a magnetic force.

Neil
Birds use it to help them navigate over thousands of miles – it tells them where north is. It’s thought they have some iron in their beaks.

Dan
But some scientists think mammals also have this capability.

Neil
So we have a few ideas – smell, landmarks, magnetic forces – but can we explain how one kitty travelled over 200 miles by itself back to its home?

Dan
Let’s hear from cat and dog expert Dr John Bradshaw. How do cats build up the maps in their heads?

INSERT
Dr John Bradshaw, School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol
What they do when they are in a new territory is explore it in a very systematic way. So they will go out in ever-increasing circles, they’ll literally construct a mental map in their heads. And so a cat that’s lost its territory probably does the same thing. They’ll rely on the idea that if they go out in ever-increasing circles or rectangles then eventually they’ll either come across the territory or they’ll come across a smell carried on the wind of the territory that they used to live in and then be able to go home.

Dan
Cats have a systematic approach – which means they use a system. Which is: first they walk around their area in a small circle, then a bigger one and then a bigger one – until they have a strong mental map of the place.

Neil
Yes – a mental map is a map in your head – stored in your memory. And the area cats explore – their home area – is called their territory. Cats are territorial – which means their territory is very important to them.

Dan
Having a map is great, but what happens when a cat gets lost? Dr Bradshaw says that again, it moves around in bigger and bigger circles, until it finds a clue – which is a landmark or a smell – that tells it where it is. Well, that’s the theory. Though Dr Bradshaw says we really still don’t have enough data – that’s enough information about this.

Neil
When there is a scientific breakthrough – we’ll bring it to you in 6 Minute English, I hope. For now, let’s content ourselves with Omar, possibly, the world’s longest cat. How long, Dan?

Dan
I said 180 cm.

Neil
Omar measures 120 cm – that’s over two thirds of my height – and weighs a heavy 14 kg.

Dan
Well, one thing, Neil, if Omar ever got lost, he’d be found in no time.

Neil
He’s a landmark in himself! Which reminds me – let’s run through today’s words again. If you’re a cat person, you prefer cats. If you’re an evening person – you prefer evenings.

Dan
I’ve always thought you were a kind person, Neil.

Neil
Nice of you to say, but we only use the phrase with nouns, not adjectives!

Dan
Indeed. We don’t want the listeners to be scratching their heads.

Neil
No, we can’t confuse them! So let’s explain the next one clearly – a landmark is something easily recognisable that lets you know where you are. The bridges in London are landmarks.

Dan
And can we say the parks are magnets in summer? A magnet is a piece of metal that attracts iron and steel – but we can also use the word more widely to describe things that attract other things. Two more words: territory is a noun – the area of land that an animal considers to be its own.

Neil
Animals who feel this strongly are described as territorial. Humans can be too – about land or subjects they feel they own or control.

Dan
And finally systematic: the adjective from system. We can talk about a systematic approach, a systematic solution, a systematic study…

Neil
And we have systematically worked our way through all of today’s words!

Dan
Very good! Which means – it’s time mention our own online territory – our website and social media pages.

Neil
Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, and of course bbclearningenglish.com!

Dan
Bye bye for now.

Neil
Goodbye!

امیدوارم از پادکست انگلیسی BBC – راه یابی حیوانات لذت برده باشید.

متن پادکست انگلیسی BBC – تلفن همراه

Neil
Welcome to 6 Minute English, where we bring you an interesting topic and six items of vocabulary.

Catherine
And all in just six minutes, of course. I’m Catherine.

Neil
And I’m Neil. Today – is technology built to fail? And are we throwing away too much technology and harming the planet? Catherine, tell me – how old is your TV?

Catherine
My TV has just had its fifth birthday.

Neil
And your mobile phone?

Catherine
It’s about two and a half.

Neil
So you do like to have gizmos, but not necessarily the latest.

Catherine
Exactly.

Neil
Gizmo – nice word. A gizmo is a small piece of technology – otherwise called a gadget.

Catherine
And of course I’m not alone in buying gadgets from time to time. They actually keep on getting more advanced – so people keep buying new ones.

Neil
Technology also gets cheaper and cheaper. In fact, many gadgets are more expensive to fix than replace.

Catherine
And this means that we throw a lot of gadgets away – but how many?

Neil
See if you can guess: how much electronic waste is thrown away every year globally? Is it…
a) 420 tonnes,
b) 4.2 million tonnes or
c) 42 million tonnes?

Catherine
And I do actually know the answer to this once, so I’m gonna keep quiet, just for once!

Neil
Ah, first time for everything! So, to bring us back to our main point. Is technology no longer built to last? Let’s hear first from Professor Tim Cooper who is an expert in sustainable consumption and production at Nottingham Trent University in the UK.

Catherine
Sustainable, by the way, means ‘able to continue over a long period of time’. We often use it to mean ‘able to continue without causing harm’ – like environmental damage. What’s the problem with mobile phones?

INSERT
Tim Cooper, Professor of Sustainable Consumption and Production at Nottingham Trent University
The classic example of this is the mobile phone, where, for example, screens are glued into the product. Now they know that if there was a screw there, the consumer could easily, when that screen cracks, which is obviously a very common problem with mobile phones, unscrew it and put a new screen on. They don’t. They know perfectly well that that would be a way in which mobile phones would last longer. They don’t want that, they want you to replace your mobile phone every year or two.

Neil
Professor Cooper says that mobile phones’ screens crack often – and generally when that happens people buy a new one.

Catherine
That’s partly because mobile phones’ screens are glued on rather than screwed on. Now a screw is a piece of metal like a nail but with a raised twisted part – and we use screws to join two things together.

Neil
The verb form is the same – to screw – and the opposite is to unscrew. If you could unscrew a cracked screen and then replace it, there’d be no need to buy a whole new phone, he says.

Catherine
He thinks that generally, people have lowered their expectations when it comes to how long things should last.

Neil
Expectations is a good word – an expectation is a strong belief something will happen. Expectations can be raised or lowered.

Catherine
Or managed – to ‘manage your expectations‘ means to not let your expectations get so high that you then become disappointed when something fails.

Neil
Yes, by way of an example, Professor Cooper says that his parents’ washing machine lasted for 37 years. These days, they last between five and ten.

Catherine
Yeah. And we don’t see electrical products as an investment in the same way that people used to. We now worry that what we buy today will become obsolete tomorrow.

Neil
Obsolete – no longer valid or useful. And also – he says we’ve become so used to cheap products that we don’t want to spend more on good quality.

Catherine
So what’s to be done?

Neil
Cooper suggests that if we can afford it, we really should try to buy higher quality products. And manufacturers should put labels on their products saying how long they are designed to last.

Catherine
An interesting idea. Cooper says that over 2m pounds worth of electrical goods are thrown away each year in the UK. He calls it a “throwaway culture”.

Neil
A culture in which we throw things out much more easily. Not good for the planet either. So – will you try to keep your mobile for a bit longer, or are you already tempted by the latest model, Catherine?

Catherine
I’m happy with the one I’ve got, but I’m gonna protect the screen very carefully.

Neil
Yes, a good idea. Maybe this will help you make up your mind, though. I asked how many tonnes of electrical waste are thrown away globally.

Catherine
And I said I know the answer – it’s actually 42m tonnes, according to a UN report back in 2015. The figure could be a lot higher now. And as you know – my mobile isn’t very heavy – so 42m tonnes is an awful lot of phones! While we try to picture that, let’s quickly run through today’s vocabulary. So first up was gizmo – a small piece of technology – a gadget.

Neil
Smartphones, smart watches, fitness trackers, sat navs – all gizmos!

Catherine
We had sustainable – able to last or continue. We talk about sustainable energy, sustainable economic development…

Neil
The opposite would be unsustainable development… And another pair of words – to screw and to unscrew.

Catherine
A screw is that little metal thing like a nail that we use to join things together. You can screw shelves into the wall, you can screw furniture together…

Neil
And when you move house you unscrew it. Three more: to lower your expectations. What have you lowered your expectations about?

Catherine
Err, so many things… Becoming a millionaire – I don’t think that’s going to happen. Or I could say a company has lowered its expectations about performance over the next five years.

Neil
Yes – another one looking ahead into the future – I’m pretty sure my computer will be obsolete in ten years. It will no longer be used – it will be out of date.

Catherine
I just urge you, Neil, when you do get a new one – please recycle this one responsibly. We already live in a throwaway culture.

Neil
Yes – it’s pretty unsustainable. Now, before your laptop or phone becomes obsolete – I suggest you check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube pages! Bye for now.

Catherine
Bye!

امیدوارم از پادکست انگلیسی

متن پادکست انگلیسی BBC – پری دریایی

Dan
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English– the show that brings you an interesting topic, authentic listening practice and vocabulary to help you improve your language skills. I’m Dan…

Catherine
And I’m Catherine. In this programme we’ll be discussing mermaids, as well as teaching you 6 new items of vocabulary, of course…

Dan
How would you like to be a mermaid?

Catherine
A half-human and half-fish? Well, Dan, I think it’s all a myth.

Dan
Well, then you’ll find this week’s question a bit of a difficult one to answer.

Catherine
I suppose I will. Go on then.

Dan
When did the most recent alleged mermaid sighting take place? Was it a) the 1400s b) 1800s or c) 2000s?

Catherine
Ok, and by alleged, you mean ‘said or believed to be true but not proven’. I don’t believe in mermaids, but I think there’s a lot of people who do, so I will say c) the 2000s.

Dan
Well, we’ll find out if you’re right a bit later on. So, what do you know about mermaids, Catherine?

Catherine
Well, a mermaid is a creature that’s similar in appearance to a woman but instead of legs, a mermaid has the tail of a fish. The males are called mermen, and they live in the ocean. I thought they were a myth.

Dan
They certainly appear to be mythical. They feature in legends and stories from all over the world. The earliest known one in a story dates from ancient Assyria, around 1000 BC. Can you think of a more modern example?

Catherine
Many people will be familiar with the Disney story, ‘The Little Mermaid’.

Dan
Yes. Before it was an animated movie, it was a renowned fairy-tale written by Hans Christian Andersen, first published in 1837. Interestingly, a small bronze statue of the little mermaid has been sitting in Copenhagen in Denmark since 1913.

Catherine
There you go! There’s no real evidence.

Dan
What if I told you that over 200 mermaids have recently gathered in Greensboro, North Carolina in the USA?

Catherine
You’re telling me fish tales, Dan

Dan
Ok. I’ll confess. They aren’t real mermaids. Each person is a normal human wearing a waist-high latex tail. They meet to share an interest in aquatic mythology, take underwater photos, and swim. For many of them, it’s a source of income too! Listen to Daniel Craig, five year merman, explain.

INSERT
Daniel Craig, merman
A lot of the mermaids we have attending here are professional mermaids. They will entertain at birthday parties, social events, company events. I stumbled across the mermaiding community merely by accident.

Catherine
So it’s a job too! A professional merman. And Daniel said that he stumbled across it, or ‘found it by accident’. So, it doesn’t really count then though, does it Dan?

Dan
A real, real mermaid? That’s a different kettle of fish, which is an idiomatic phrase that means ‘a completely different matter or issue’. Well, while we have no hard evidence, such as a photo of a real mermaid, there have been several sightings. One of the more recent ones was in 2009 in Haifa Bay.

Catherine
Hang on now, that rings a bell! That’s in Israel, isn’t it? And it allegedly appeared at sunset. Apparently the mermaid was doing tricks.

Dan
There you go then!

Catherine
But there is no reason, Dan, to believe that it was anything other than a hoax, which means ‘a deception or lie – often done for humour or sometimes cruelty’. Well, real or not, it could be fun to be a mermaid. I wonder what it would be like?

Dan
Well, that I can help with. Let Daniel Craig explain why he likes it so much.

INSERT
Daniel Craig, merman
It’s just serene. It’s the perfect place for a temporary getaway.

Catherine
So he likes it because it’s serene, which means ‘calm and peaceful’.

Dan
Yes and he says it’s the perfect getaway, which is ‘a place you go in order to escape from normal life’.

Catherine
Well, I still don’t believe in mermaids, but I do believe, Dan, that you asked me a question.

Dan
I definitely did. I asked, when did the most recent alleged mermaid sighting take place? Was it a) the 1400s b) 1800s or c) 2000s?

Catherine
And I said I think it was the 2000s

Dan
And you have hit the nail on the head. Well done.

Catherine
Thank you

Dan
You’re right. It was the 2000s. It was in 2012 in Zimbabwe and it was reported by the water resource minister. Let’s take a look at the vocabulary from this programme. Our first word was alleged. If something is alleged it is ‘said or believed be true but not proven to be true’. Can you think of a recent example, Catherine?

Catherine
US President Donald Trump has alleged that newspapers have been printing fake news, but apparently there’s no proof. And our next one was stumbled across. So, if you stumble across something you ‘encounter or find it by accident’. It’s a phrasal verb and you could also say come across. So, Dan, have you ever stumbled across anything unusual?

Dan
Well, there was a time when I was going to a party in Holborn and I got completely lost. And there on the floor in front of me I stumbled across a map of London. It got me straight to the party.

Catherine
Spooky.

Dan
The next one after that was a different kettle of fish. A different kettle of fish is an idiomatic phrase which means ‘a completely different matter or issue’. You could also use the phrase ‘a horse of a different colour’.

Catherine
Next up, we had hoax. And a hoax is ‘a deception or lie – which is often done for humour or cruelty’. What was the last hoax you did, Dan?

Dan
One Christmas I wrapped a broken lightbulb in a box and gave it to mother as a present. I pretended to drop it and the broken lightbulb made a glass shattering noise and she thought that I had broken her present. After that we heard serene. Serene means ‘calm and peaceful’. The noun is serenity. What’s your idea of serene, Catherine?

Catherine
Two weeks, lying on the beach, drinking lemonade, listening to the sound of the sea. Fabulous. And finally we had a getaway. A getaway is an informal word meaning ‘a place you go in order to escape from normal life’, such as a holiday. So, where’s your favourite getaway, Dan?

Dan
My favourite getaway is my yoga class. I find it really, really refreshing. Well, that’s the end of today’s 6 Minute English. Please join us again soon!

Catherine
And we are on social media too, so make sure to visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Both
Bye!

امیدوارم از پادکست انگلیسی BBC – پری دریایی لذت برده باشید.

متن پادکست انگلیسی BBC – تغذیه و اخلاق

Dan
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English– the show that brings you an interesting topic, authentic listening practice and six items of incredibly useful vocabulary. I’m Dan…
Neil
And I’m Neil. Now, a favourite topic today: food, and how food can influence your mood. Dan, tell me, what food makes you happy?

Dan
Oh, you know, ice cream, chocolate… chocolate always puts a smile on my face.

Neil
And a few inches round your waistline! Sadly, the research we’ll be looking at today doesn’t suggest you eat more chocolate… but it does talk about bacteria!

Dan
Bacteria – those simple, small organisms – they make me happy?

Neil
Absolutely, the so-called ‘good’ bacteria do! We’ll get to that, but first we’ll look at today’s question. How many bacteria are there in the human body?

a) 39 million

b) 39 billion

c) 39 trillion

Dan
They are pretty small. I’m going to go for c) 39 trillion.

Neil
Well, we’ll find out if you’re right… by counting them one by one.

Dan
That’s going to take longer than six minutes!

Neil
Yes it is, so let’s get moving! Scientists believe your mental state is connected to the bacteria in your gut.

Dan
My gut – my stomach and the other organs my food passes through…

Neil
Yes. Researchers at McMaster University in Canada and University College Cork in Ireland have found that certain bacteria help reduce anxiety in mice…

Dan
Anxiety – the state of being worried or anxious. I don’t like the sound of an anxious mouse.

Neil
Well I’m afraid there’s another mouse experiment coming up. Researchers at Kyushu University found germ-free mice showed more stress…

Dan
Germs – a general word for bacteria and microorganisms, usually the ones which cause disease… So germs help reduce stress and anxiety in mice. Any research on humans?

Neil
The BBC TV programme Trust me, I’m a Doctor has just explored this. They looked at foods which are high in ‘good’ bacteria – a claim which more and more food products are making these days.

Dan
Yes, it’s a phrase that appears a lot in marketing.

Neil
But many traditional foods are high in good bacteria as well. They found that homemade fermented food was best.

Dan
So things like miso soup, kimchi, yoghurt, sauerkraut – all these are fermented. Have you tried all of those?

Neil
I love miso soup and kimchi. And fermentation is the process where sugars in food are turned into acids and alcohol.

Dan
Fermented foods are full of lots of good bacteria for your gut… Anything else from the BBC programme?

Neil
Well, this is the man behind the BBC study, Dr Michael Mosley. In this clip, a radio presenter asks him about the best kind of food to make us happy.

INSERT
Dr Michael Mosley interviewed on BBC Radio 4

Presenter
What’s the good mood food? What shall we eat now to cheer ourselves up?

Dr Michael Mosley
Mediterranean diet. Olive oil; oily fish, full of omega 3, which is really good for the brain; whole grains; lots of fruits and vegetables. Sugar: terrible for you.

Presenter
Not chocolate eclairs then?

Dr Michael Mosley
Sadly not. That will make you feel good for about 30 seconds until you finish it and then you feel terribly guilty.

Presenter
Right, ok. Mediterranean it is.

Dan
He said the best kind of food is the Mediterranean diet. Now, a diet can mean ‘an eating plan designed to help you lose weight’.

Neil
But that’s not what it means here. Here it refers to the food and drink eaten by a group of people – in this case, the people living around the Mediterranean Sea.

Dan
Lots of oily fish, olive oil, grains, fruits and vegetables. And of course, add in plenty of fermented food too.

Neil
And don’t eat too many fatty, sugary, chocolaty things like chocolate eclairs – those are buns filled with cream and covered in chocolate. It’s really not rocket science, is it?

Dan
Eating healthily is pretty straightforward, even if the science behind it is complex. When you say something is not rocket science, you mean ‘it’s not difficult to understand’.

Neil
Now, are you ready for some counting?

Dan
Ah yes, you wanted me to count all the bacteria in my body! I said 39 trillion.

Neil
And you were right. The number goes up and down, but on average we’re thought to have around 39 trillion bacterial cells in the body, according to the Weizmann Institute in Israel. The interesting thing is they think that there are only 30 trillion human cells in the body.

Dan
So there’s more bacteria than human in me?

Neil
Well, maybe just you, Dan! Now, before the bacteria take over completely, let’s look over today’s words one more time.

Dan
Gut was first. It means ‘the stomach and other organs which digest our food’. But here’s an extra tip – the word can also mean ‘bravery’ when used in the plural. You’ve got guts, Neil, wearing that crazy shirt in this office!

Neil
Why thank you. Maybe I don’t feel any anxiety about how I look! Anxiety was our second word, and it means ‘fear or worry’. The adjective is anxious.

Dan
You know what makes me anxious? Germs. I wash my hands fifty times a day. I can’t stand the idea of getting ill from all the germs around here.

Neil
Yes, germs are tiny organisms, and usually refers to those which carry disease. But as we heard, certain germs are good for you!

Dan
Especially those which are in fermented food. That’s food which has gone through a process where sugars turn into acids and alcohol. They often taste sour or bitter.

Neil
We also talk about fermenting alcoholic drinks. Beer and wine are fermented.

Dan
Does that mean I should make them a part of my diet? A diet not only means ‘a healthy eating plan’, but can also mean ‘the foods and drinks consumed by an individual or group’. Which country has the best diet, Neil?

Neil
Well, in my opinion the Japanese diet. It’s my favourite anyway – very varied and plenty of fermented food!

Dan
And finally we had – it’s not rocket science – it’s simple to understand. An example?

Neil
Brewing beer isn’t rocket science – you just need hops, yeast and patience.

Dan
And there we are – a rocket speed review of today’s words! And that’s the end of today’s 6 Minute English. Please join us again soon.

Neil
And we are on social media too. Make sure to visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Both
Bye!

امیدوارم از پادکست انگلیسی BBC – تغذیه و اخلاق لذت برده باشید.

متن پادکست انگلیسی BBC – اعتماد به حافظه

Catherine
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Catherine…

Neil
And I’m Neil.

Catherine
So, Neil, do you notice anything different about me today?

Neil
Have you done your hair differently?

Catherine
No.

Neil
Is that a new outfit?

Catherine
Honestly, Neil!

Neil
I give up. I don’t know what’s different about you.

Catherine
OK. Well, maybe by the end of the show you’ll have figured it out. Anyway, today we’re discussing memory and whether we can remember things accurately. So are you ready to answer today’s quiz question, Neil?

Neil
I am.

Catherine
OK. So in which part of the brain is there an area dedicated to remembering faces? Is it…
a) the temporal lobe?
b) the hypothalamus?
or c) the cerebellum?

Neil
Well, I have no idea. But I’ll say a) the temporal lobe.

Catherine
OK and we’ll find out whether you chose the correct answer later on in the show. But let’s talk more about how our memories can play tricks on us. We tend to think of memory as being like a video recorder that we can replay and recall again and again as it originally occurred. But memory doesn’t work like that. It’s a reconstructive process.

Neil
A reconstructive process?

Catherine
Yes. We reconstruct – or rebuild – memories, and during this process, they may be distorted – or changed – for different reasons. Let’s listen to Tim Valentine, retired professor of psychology at Goldsmith’s College at the University of London, talking about this.

INSERT
Tim Valentine, retired professor of psychology at Goldsmith’s College, University of London
From all those TV dramas you’ve watched you’ll be familiar with the forensic scenes of crimes officers wearing their paper suits and covering their shoes and their hair to make sure they don’t introduce their DNA or physical traces onto the crime scene. So that in the same way anybody who has any interaction with a witness needs to make sure that they don’t distort their memory.

Neil
So crime officers wear protective clothing at crime scenes so they don’t contaminate it with their DNA.

Catherine
That’s right. A crime scene is a place where a crime was committed. And contaminated means ‘made impure through contact with an outside source’. So for example, if an officer touches something without gloves on, they introduce new information. And once this has happened, you can’t get back to the original information.

Neil
Now, Tim Valentine says that when police officers talk to the witness of a crime, they might also introduce new information. And this could change the witness’s memory of what happened.

Catherine
And it isn’t only police questioning that can distort memory. Other factors such as stress can affect your ability to recall events accurately. For example, if you’re being held at knifepoint you are likely to be concentrating on the weapon rather than on your attacker’s face. And at knifepoint means ‘under threat of being stabbed’.

Neil
So why do we place so much importance on eyewitness accounts?

Catherine
Eyewitness accounts can sound very convincing in court – but in fact according to research, they are often unreliable. Karen Newirth, senior attorney at the Innocence Project in New York, explains this further.

INSERT
Karen Newirth, senior attorney at the Innocence Project, New York
First, I think it’s sort of natural for people to want to believe that memory can be accurate. It’s very disconcerting to think that we’re going through life relying on our memories and then to learn how mistaken they can be – and how frequently. Second is that the testimony of eyewitnesses has become a very expected piece of criminal trial so jurors sort of anticipate it, look for it, and tend to believe it.

Neil
So we like to trust in our ability to remember things accurately. And it’s disconcerting to learn that memory is frequently inaccurate. And disconcerting means…

Catherine
…it means ‘confusing and a bit upsetting’.

Neil
Karen Newirth also says that people expect eyewitness testimony – or spoken statements – in court. Do you think that’s true, Catherine?

Catherine
Yes – and it’s the most commonly used evidence brought against criminal defendants in court, even though they are often inaccurate.

Neil
Are there any ways to improve accuracy?

Catherine
Yes, there are. For example, in a police line-up you can prevent eyewitnesses receiving information from the officer giving instructions, which might influence their response.

Neil
Yes, I see. Well, you didn’t give anything away when you asked what was different about your appearance at the beginning of the show.

Catherine
Yes, that’s true, Neil. But I can now reveal to you that… I’m wearing glasses, Neil. I’ve lost my contact lenses!

Neil
I don’t know how I missed that. Because actually you do look, well, completely different with glasses.

Catherine
Just a bit, yes. So, now we’re running out of time, so let’s move onto the answer to today’s quiz question. Remember I asked: in which part of the brain is there an area dedicated to recognizing faces? Is it…
a) the temporal lobe?
b) the hypothalamus?
or c) the cerebellum?

Neil
I said a) the temporal lobe. Was I right?

Catherine
You were indeed, Neil! Very well done, it was the correct answer!

Neil
Yes!

Catherine
The main part of the brain dedicated to recognising faces – called the Fusiform Face Area – is positioned in the temporal lobe, which can be found roughly in the area just behind your ears.

Neil
Fascinating! Now, here are the words we learned today…
reconstruct
distorted
crime scene
contaminated
at knifepoint
disconcerting
testimony

Catherine
And that bring us to the end of today’s 6 Minute English. Don’t forget to join us again soon!

Both
Bye!

امیدوارم از پادکست انگلیسی BBC – اعتماد به حافظه لذت برده باشید.

پادکست انگلیسی BBC – تاثیر شهر بر رفتار

واژگان کلیدی پادکست انگلیسی BBC – تاثیر شهر بر رفتار

متن پادکست انگلیسی BBC – تاثیر شهر بر رفتار

Catherine
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Catherine…

Neil
And I’m Neil. Do you know, Catherine, someone actually talked to me on the underground this morning!

Catherine
No, really? 

Neil
Yeah.

Catherine
Wow! I should perhaps point out that talking to someone you don’t know on the Tube is quite unusual behaviour in London! So, Neil, what did they say?

Neil
Well, they said what a lovely day it was, great to see the sun shining in London – something along those lines. But it was actually nice to chat instead of sitting there with a frown on my face, fiddling with my phone

Catherine
Which is what you probably always do to pass the time on public transport, Neil.

Neil
Yes, it is – me and thousands of others. But it got me thinking… if it makes me feel better to talk to people on the way to work, why don’t I – and other commuters in the city – do it more often?

Catherine
Well, that’s a good question, Neil, and maybe we’ll find some answers in the show, because today we’re talking about why cities make us so rude.  And I have a question for you: when we have a positive interaction with somebody, our body releases a chemical. But what’s the name of this chemical? Is it…
a) melatonin?
b) oxytocin?
Or c) thyroxin?

Neil
I don’t know, but I’m going to say a) melatonin.

Catherine
Well, we’ll see if you were right or not later on in the show. But did you know, Neil, that an organisation called ‘Talk to me London’ has created these ‘Tubechat’ badges that you can wear to show that you’re happy to talk to a stranger. Maybe you should get one! 

Neil
Yeah, maybe I should. But the thing is, people in big cities are often scared to start a conversation with a stranger because, well, you don’t know what might happen. 

Catherine
That’s true. Now, let’s listen to Dr Elle Boag, a social psychologist at Birmingham City University here in the UK. She agrees that people can view cities as threatening places. 

INSERT
Dr Elle Boag, social psychologist, Birmingham City University in the UK
When we step off the metro or onto a crowded city street our brain becomes hyper vigilant to the perception of threats around us – we’re just one small person in a very large set of other people, in a large body of people. This then leads to behaviours that are insular and defensive. We’re persistently looking for potential threats around us, and this then makes us not give eye contact, this will reduce the likelihood that anybody will say hello. It’s a protective mechanism by which we can survive our journey to whence we’re going, which makes us all sound really really rude to one other.

Catherine
Dr Elle Boag there. And hyper vigilance means being extremely watchful of what’s going on around you. People can behave unpredictably, and like Dr Boag says, you’re just one person in a crowd of others and you just don’t know who might be dangerous.

Neil
Yeah, I see what you mean. And the fact we are constantly on the lookout for potential threats, well, it affects our behaviour.

Catherine
That’s right. And as a protective mechanism we avoid speaking to or making eye contact with other people. So we become insular – which means inward looking. 

Neil
It sounds awful! But actually, I know people who moved to London in order to be anonymous – to blend in with the crowd – and not have to talk to people!

Catherine
Well, if you grow up in a small town, it can feel claustrophobic – which means not having enough space to feel comfortable. You know, you can’t do anything without the whole community knowing about it. You may have nosey neighbours.

Neil
And a nosey person shows too much interest in other people’s business. 

Catherine
Now, it’s good to point out that people living in cities have stuff to do. And it’s not necessarily rudeness that stops people from chatting – it’s about efficiency – getting to work on time, getting things done. Let’s hear from Thomas Farley, writer and broadcaster, and expert on manners, for more on this. 

INSERT
Thomas Farley, writer and broadcaster
The cost of living in cities is higher, the success quotient is higher, it’s a place where you hustle to survive, and if you are not hustling, and I mean that literally and figuratively, you are not able to survive and thrive. So we often don’t have much time for chitchat. I think we just all need to be mindful that it’s not a deliberate disregard or somebody trying to be rude on purpose – it’s simply that people have a destination to be.

Neil
So what does Thomas Farley mean by success quotient, Catherine?

Catherine
Success quotient means your ability to be successful in work, relative to the average person, and Thomas Farley is saying that in cities people have higher success quotients.

Neil
Cities are also competitive places so people have to hustle to survive. Do we hustle, Catherine?

Catherine
I don’t think we hustle, Neil. Hustle means to work aggressively to make money. 

Neil
We do have plenty of time for chitchat, though. And chitchat, by the way, means unimportant conversation. That’s what we do!

Catherine
What we do isn’t chitchat, Neil! It’s highly informative and instructional! Now, I think it must be time to hear the answer to today’s quiz. Do you remember, I asked: when we have a positive interaction with someone, our body releases a chemical. What’s the name of this chemical? Is it…

a) melatonin?
b) oxytocin?
Or c) thyroxin?

Neil
And it’s a) melatonin – I’m absolutely sure.

Catherine
Sorry! The correct answer is b) oxytocin – a hormone commonly known as the ‘love drug’. It reduces fear, increases trust between people, and evokes feelings of contentment.

Neil
Now, here are the words we learned today:
hyper vigilance
insular
claustrophobic
nosey
quotient
hustle
chitchat

Catherine
That’s the end of today’s 6 Minute English. Don’t forget to join us again soon!

Both
Bye!

امیدوارم از پادکست انگلیسی BBC – تاثیر شهر بر رفتار لذت برده باشید.

تا حالا از خودت پرسیدی چرا دیدن یه نفر که داره خمیازه میکشه باعث میشه تو هم خمیازه بکشی؟ چی توی خمیازه هست که بقیه رو هم به خمیازه میندازه؟ یه جور ویروسه؟ به گفته ی محققان، اینکه خودت رو مثل فردی که خمیازه رو شروع کرده در نظر بگیری یه فرق هایی ایجاد میکنه. در پادکست انگلیسی BBC – ویروس خمیازه می شنویم که جوجینا Georgina و راب Rob درباره ی خمیازه کشیدن حرف می زنن و در طول مسیر هم کلمات جالب کاربردی جدیدی آموزش میدن.

سوال پادکست انگلیسی BBC – ویروس خمیازه:

What biological function does yawning have?

a: To take in more oxygen

b: To get rid of carbon dioxide from our body

c: No one really knows

به پادکست خوب گوش کن تا جواب رو پیدا کنی.

واژگان کلیدی پادکست انگلیسی BBC – ویروس خمیازه

Georgina
Hello. This is 6 Minute English, I’m Georgina.

Rob
And I’m Rob.

Georgina
What do you do when you’re tired, Rob?

Rob
Mm, I go to bed.

Georgina
Before that?

Rob
Erm, I clean my teeth?

Georgina
But what does your body do to tell you you’re tired?

Rob
Right, well these days I just kind of fall asleep in front of the TV.

Georgina
Yes, but, OK – what am I doing now?

Rob
Oh yes, hang on – yes, you’ve set me off – yawning, yes yawning is a sign that we are tired! Or bored!

Georgina
Are you tired or bored now?

Rob
No, not particularly.

Georgina
So, why did you just yawn?

Rob
Well, because you did! That’s the thing about yawns. They are contagious – they can spread from one person to another.

Georgina
And that’s what we’re looking at in this programme. But first, today’s question. What biological function does yawning have? Essentially, why do we yawn? Is it:

A: To take in more oxygen
B: To get rid of carbon dioxide from our body
C: No one really knows

What do you think, Rob?

Rob
Ah – I know this. We yawn to take in more oxygen. I’m pretty sure that’s it.

Georgina
OK. We’ll see if you’re correct at the end of the programme. John Drury is a researcher from Sussex University. On the BBC Radio 4 series All in The Mind he spoke about yawning and why it is contagious. Which animal does he mention will also catch a yawn from its owner?

John Drury
Yawning is actually a difficult case when it comes to these contagious behaviours. It is the most contagious behaviour – it’s meant to be automatic, it’s something that you can’t stop. Dogs yawn when their owners yawn, animals yawn to each other. It happens whether you want to or not. These kind of effects have been found for other kinds of behaviour, so really, we were trying to push it as far as we could and see if there is a cognitive element to this influence behaviour.

Georgina
Which animal might yawn when its owner does?

Rob
Dogs! Dogs can catch a yawn from their owners.

Georgina
Yes, yawning is a very contagious behaviour. The use of the word behaviour here is interesting. Normally it is an uncountable noun to describe the way we act – either in a good or a bad way. We talk about, for example, dogs’ or children’s behaviour being good or bad.

Rob
But it’s also used as an uncountable noun when we are talking about a particular action that, for example, an animal makes in particular situations. These behaviours are often not conscious, but are an automatic response to a situation.

Georgina
And the researchers were looking to see if there was a cognitive side to the behaviour. Which means they are looking at the mental process – what is happening in the mind to make us yawn, particularly when someone else yawns. Let’s listen again

John Drury
Yawning is actually a difficult case when it comes to these contagious behaviours. It is the most contagious behaviour – it’s meant to be auto matic, it’s something that you can’t stop. Dogs yawn when their owners yawn, animals yawn to each other. It happens whether you want to or not. These kinds of effects have been found for other kinds of behaviour, so really, we were trying to push it as far as we could and see if there is a cognitive element to this influence behaviour.

Georgina
The research discovered that contagious yawning is connected with our social group and how close we feel to the people in it. Here’s John Drury again.

John Drury
So, the more that you identify with the in-group target, the more likely you are to copy their behaviour. What we do when we see a behaviour is that at some level, we are making a judgement about whether the person exhibiting that behaviour, whether it’s an emotion, or a scratching behaviour, or anything, is relevant. Does their behaviour indicate to us how we should behave?

Georgina
So, essentially, yawning is more contagious if we identify with the person who yawns first. If we feel close to, and belong in, the same group as the person who exhibits the behaviour – the person who does the yawning – we are likely to yawn too.

Rob
So, you are less likely to yawn if a stranger yawns than if someone in your close family or circle of friends yawns.

Georgina
Let’s listen again.

John Drury
So, the more that you identify with the in-group target, the more likely you are to copy their behaviour. What we do when we see a behaviour is that at some level, we are making a judgement about whether the person exhibiting that behaviour, whether it’s an emotion, or a scratching behaviour, or anything, is relevant. Does their behaviour indicate to us how we should behave?

Georgina
Right, before we review the vocabulary, let’s have the answer to our quiz. Why do we yawn? Is it:

A: To take in more oxygen
B: To get rid of carbon dioxide from our body
C: No one really knows

Rob, what did you say?

Rob
Well, I was pretty sure it’s A – to take in more oxygen.

Georgina
There is, in fact, no clear biological reason for yawning that is agreed upon. So no one really knows.

Rob
We’ve been talking about yawning. The action of opening our mouths wide open and stretching our eardrums when tired or bored.

Georgina
Yawning can also be contagious. This means it can pass from one person to another.

Rob
And a yawn can be described as a behaviour – a particular kind of automatic action in response to a particular situation.

Georgina
The word cognitive is related to our mental processes – the way our minds work.

Rob
If you identify with a particular group – you feel close to that group and feel that you belong in that group.

Georgina
And finally, to exhibit a behaviour is to actually do that particular behaviour. And before we all start yawning, it’s time for us to go. Do join us again soon and you can always find us online, on social media and on the BBC Learning English app. Bye for now.

Rob
Bye!

امیدوارم از پادکست انگلیسی BBC – ویروس خمیازه لذت برده باشید.

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200102_6min_english_yawning_2

کلاهبرداری که در انگلیسی بهش میگن “Fraud” مشکل بزرگیه. کلاهبرداری های پیچیده و زیرکانه خیلی راحت می تونن آدم ها رو گول بزنن و کلی ازشون پول به جیب بزنن. نظر شما در مورد این معضل چیه؟ آیا تا به حال سرتون کلاه رفته؟

در پادکست انگلیسی BBC – کلاهبرداری اینترنتی میشنویم که سم Sam و راب Rob درباره ی روش هایی که مجرمان برای کلاهبرداری استفاده می کنن صحبت می کنند و در طول مسیر کلمه های جدید و مرتبط هم آموزش میدن.

سوال پادکست انگلیسی BBC – کلاهبرداری اینترنتی :

According to UK Finance – an organisation that represents the British banking industry – how much money did criminals steal through fraud and scams last year? Was it…

a) £۱٫۲m

b) £۱۲۰m

c) £۱٫۲bn

به پادکست خوب گوش کن تا جواب رو پیدا کنی.

واژگان کلیدی پادکست انگلیسی BBC – کلاهبرداری آنلاین

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Sam
Hello, I’m Sam and welcome to 6 Minute English. This is the programme where in just six minutes we discuss an interesting topic and teach some related English vocabulary. Joining me to do this is Rob.

Rob
Hello.  And today we’re talking about fraud.

Sam
Fraud is the criminal activity of getting money by deceiving people – or tricking people by doing something dishonest.

Rob
There are many ways to do this – and much of it is happening online these days.

Sam
We’ll talk more about this in a moment. But first, a very honest quiz question for you to answer, Rob. According to UK Finance – an organisation that represents the British banking industry – how much money did criminals steal through fraud and scams last year? Was it…Mindfulness

a)    £۱٫۲m

b)    £۱۲۰m, or

c)     £۱٫۲bn?

Rob
Well, I imagine it’s quite a lot – so I’ll say £۱۲۰m.

SamWe’ll find out if you’re right later in the programme. Now, I just mentioned the word scam, which is an illegal way of making money by tricking someone. We may think that we’ll never be scammed, but already millions of people have fallen for fake emails, phone calls or letters that look genuine and ask us to give or update our financial details.

Rob
To fall for means to believe something that is a trick or a lie, to be true. This year, for example, thousands of people in the UK fell for a fraudulent – or fake – email, requesting that people update their direct debit details for paying their TV licence. That’s a payment we have to make in the UK to fund the BBC.

Sam
This is something the BBC Radio 4 programme, You and Yours, has been discussing. Its BBC Fraud investigator reporter, Shari Vahl, explained why it was easy to be deceived…

Shari Vahl, BBC Fraud investigator reporter
It’s a sleight of hand fraud. The criminals get you to look over there whilst they rifle your pockets and I have the email here and it looks completely convincing. All the right logos, all the right fonts. It just says that my direct debit on my TV licence has failed and I need to pay it. It’s very polite.

Sam
So some great language there. She said that this scam was a sleight of hand fraud. Sleight of hand means the use of clever skill to gain something dishonestly – in this case, money.

Rob
As Shari said, the criminals get you to, metaphorically, look over there whilst they rifle your pockets. Rifle means search something in order to steal from it – so to steal from your pocket – very dishonest!

Sam
Now, like in this case, fraudsters – the people who commit fraud – gained financial information by phishing. That’s not fishing using a rod, line and hook, but by sending an email that looked like it came from your bank, asking for confidential information.

Rob
But banks do warn us not to give away our financial details online and to change our passwords regularly.

Sam
But sometimes criminals are very clever in what they do and it’s easy to be fooled. The You and Yours programme also heard about this from social engineer, Jenny Radcliffe. What does she call this type of fraud?

Jenny Radcliffe, social engineer
The more sophisticated frauds are ones that have been thought through very carefully. And this has been thought through. It’s a fraud that can be layered so you know we’re getting some information from you. What you really look for is a window into someone – a key that unlocks just a small part of their identity or their personal data and from that a good fraud will build and build and build on it until the consequences to some people can be completely devastating.

Rob
So Jenny Radcliffe is talking about sophisticated fraud. That means it’s clever and often complicated – so it can confuse us.

Sam
Yes, criminals need just a small piece of information about us – a key – that can eventually open up our identity and expose our personal data.

Rob
And as Jenny says, for victims of fraud the consequences – the outcome – can be very bad. Especially if somebody loses all their hard-earned savings – it can devastating.

Sam
Of course banks and security companies are working hard to beat the criminals but it still remains a problem and earlier I asked you, Rob. According to UK Finance, how much money did criminal steal through fraud and scams last year?

Rob
And I said b) £۱۲۰m. That’s a lot of money.

Sam
It is but it’s even more. In 2018, criminals successfully stole £۱٫۲ billion through fraud and scams – and that’s just in the UK – globally it’s even more.

Rob
Well, it certainly is a serious issue but hopefully we haven’t deceived you with the vocabulary we’ve discussed today.

Sam
Hopefully not! We’ve been talking about fraud – that’s the criminal activity of getting money by deceiving people – or tricking people by doing something dishonest.

Rob
Next we had scam – which is an illegal or dishonest way of making money by tricking someone. The people who do it are scammers.

Sam
We talked about the phrasal verb fall for. When you fall for something you believe something that is a trick or a lie, to be true.

Rob
Then we heard about sleight of hand which means use of clever skill to gain something dishonestly. And rifle, which means search something in order to steal from it.

Sam
Phishing, spelt with a ph, means tricking someone by email or online to get their personal data by pretending to be from your bank. Finally, we discussed sophisticated fraud. When something is sophisticated, it’s clever and often complicated.

Rob
Unlike our programme, Sam!

Sam
Let’s hope so but now, we’ve reached the end of the programme.

Rob
See you again soon. Bye! 

Sam
Bye. 

امیدوارم از پادکست انگلیسی BBC – کلاهبرداری آنلاین لذت برده باشید.

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200528_6min_english_recycling

تعداد زنبورهای عسل با سرعت نگران کننده ای در حال کاهش است و در بعضی از نقاط به طور کلی ناپدید شده اند که عواقب جدی برای انسان دارد. امروزه، یک سوم غذایی که می خوریم به گرده افشانی حشرات بستگی دارد. در پادکست امروز نیل و سام در مورد یافتن راه حلی برای این مشکل گفتگو می کنند و در این مسیر واژگان جدیدی را به شما می آموزند.

در زیر کلمات کلیدی که باید با آن‌ها آشنا شوید برایتان توضیح داده شده‌اند:

pollination: گرده افشانی
process in which pollen is taken from one plant or part of a plant to another so that  new plant seeds can be produced 

fertilisation: لقاح
plant reproduction in which pollen from one plant travels to the ovary of another and fertilises a female ovule to make new seeds and fruit 

staple crops: محصولات اصلی
food, like rice or wheat, which is eaten in large amounts as part of a community’s daily diet and provides a large fraction of their energy and nutrient needs 

orchard: باغ میوه
area of land on which fruit trees are grown 

hive: کندو
structure where bees live, either built by people or made by the bees themselves 

food security: امنیت غذایی
everyone having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food that meets their dietary needs

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript 

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil. 

Sam
And I’m Sam. How are you, Neil? 

Neil
I’ve been as busy as a bee this week, Sam. 

Sam
Oh, don’t you sound like the bee’s knees! 

Neil
All right, Sam, there’s no need to get a bee in your bonnet! 

Sam
As you can hear, English is full of idioms involving bees. 

Neil
But the sad truth is that bee numbers are declining at an alarming rate and in some places disappearing altogether. 

Sam
And this has serious consequences for humans.

Neil
Today, one third of the food we eat depends on insects to pollinate crops, fruit and vegetables. 

Sam
But bees are in trouble. In some European countries up to half of all bee species are facing extinction, placing our food supply chain at risk. 

Neil
Bees are vital in pollinating hundreds of crops, from apples and blackberries to cucumbers. In fact, almost all plants need insects to reproduce – which is my quiz question – of the world’s top 50 crops, how many rely on insect pollination? Is it:
a) 35 out of 50?,
b) 40 out of 50? or
c) 45 out of 50? 

Sam
I reckon those busy bees pollinate b) 40 out of 50 of the most common crops. 

Neil
OK, Sam, we’ll find out the answer later. Now, if you think back to your school biology lessons, you may remember that plants and flowers contain both male and female reproductive parts inside. 

Sam
But what exactly is going on when bees pollinate a plant? Here’s Claire Bates from BBC World Service programme People Fixing the World to remind us: 

Claire Bates
What is pollination? All flowering plants need it to reproduce. Pollen is moved from the male part of a flower to the female part of a flower, then fertilisation can happen causing fruit to grow. Some staple crops such as wheat, rice and corn are pollinated by the wind however many plants don’t release their pollen easily and this is where insects, and especially bees, come in. As they collect nectar to eat, pollen sticks to them and they carry it from flower to flower. 

Neil
Pollination is the process in which pollen is taken from one plant to another so that it can reproduce. This is the important work done by bees and insects. 

Sam
Only after pollination can the next process occur – fertilisation – when the pollen carried from another plant fertilises a female ovule to make new seeds. 

Neil
Fertilisation occurs in all flowering plants, some of which like wheat, potatoes and rice are staple crops – food that is eaten in large amounts as part of a community’s daily diet and provides a large fraction of their energy and nutrient needs. 

Sam
Fewer bees reduces pollination levels, meaning fewer new seeds are created and fewer crops grown. 

Neil
But it isn’t just the decline in bee numbers causing a problem. Like us, bees need to rest and this has led some to come up with creative new ways of supplementing bee pollination.

Sam
One such innovator is Keren Mimran, co-founder of agro-tech company, Edete. Here she is, explaining how dropping pollen from drones can pollinate crops, giving a helping hand to hard-working bees. 

Keren Mimran
How come our food security is so much dependent on an insect that we cannot really control? We can bring the bees to the orchard or to a field but we cannot control their behaviour. They do not come out of the hive when it’s raining or when there’s heavy wind, they work only during daytime. There must be a possibility of developing a mechanical solution to the pollination challenge. 

Neil
Keren Mimran speaking on the BBC World Service programme People Fixing The World. Bees’ behaviour can’t be controlled – when it rains they won’t leave their hive – the structure where bees live, either built by people or made by the bees themselves. 

Sam
So Keren’s company has developed drones to drop pollen on her orchard – an area of land on which fruit trees are grown. 

Neil
The need for these high-tech solutions reflects the seriousness of the pollination problem for food security -everyone getting enough affordable and nutritious food to meet their daily dietary needs. 

Sam
I had no idea bees were so important, Neil. Maybe I underestimated how hard they work. 

Neil
Ah, you mean today’s quiz question. I asked you how many of the top 50 world crops rely on insect pollination. 

Sam
And I said b) 40 out of 50 of the top crops. 

Neil
And you are right! They certainly are the bee’s knees when it comes to pollinating plants! 

Sam
So in today’s programme we’ve been hearing about the important role bees play in pollination – transferring pollen from plant to plant, necessary for the next stage of fertilisation – producing new seeds and fruit inside a plant. 

Neil
Bees and insects play a vital role in growing the world’s staple crops – food which, eaten in large amounts, makes up the majority of a community’s daily diet and meets their nutrient needs. 

Sam
So bee numbers are directly linked to the issue of food security – everyone getting enough affordable, nutritious food to meet their dietary needs. 

Neil
Which explains why, when bees won’t leave their home – or hive – some people have started using drones to pollinate their orchards – land growing fruit trees. 

Sam
And that’s it for this edition of 6 Minute English. Bye for now! 

Neil
Goodbye!

امیدوارم از پادکست a future without bees لذت برده باشید. 

بعضی افراد ترجیح میدن به جای خرید لباس جدید برای سال نو از همون لباس های قدیمی شون استفاده کنن. با این حال، سایت هایی که لباس های مد روز می فروشن فروش خیلی خوبی دارن. آیا می تونی امسال از خرید لباس جدید صرف نظر کنی و همون لباس های قدیمیت رو بپوشی؟ آیا این کار رو به خاطر دغدغه های محیط زیستی انجام می دی؟ (یا دغدغه های مالی؟)  در پادکست انگلیسی BBC – تب مد روز و یا مد زودگذر میشنویم که جورجینا و نیل درمورد مد روز و محیط زیست صحبت می کنن و در طول مسیر کلمات مرتبط آموزش میدن.

سوال پادکست انگلیسی BBC – تب مد روز:

Do you know how many items of clothing were sent to landfill in the UK in 2017? Was it… 

a) 23 million items

b) 234 million items

c) 2.3 billion items

به پادکست خوب گوش کن تا جواب رو پیدا کنی.

واژگان کلیدی پادکست انگلیسی BBC – تب مد روز

شانس دوام اوردن نسل بشر در قرن ۲۱ چقدره؟ خطرات زیادی بشر رو تهدید میکنه: تغییرات اقلیمی، جنگ اتمی و البته همه گیری که یک نمونه اش رو با کرونا تجربه کردیم. حتی ممکنه که یه شهاب سنگ یا خرده سیاره به زمین برخورد کنه و همه چی ناگهانی از بین بره. شما در مورد انقراض نسل بشر چی فکر میکنین؟ به نظرتون کدومیک از این تهدیدات ممکنه پایان دنیا باشه؟  

در پادکست انگلیسی BBC – انقراض بشر می شنویم که سم و نیل درباره ی آینده و اینکه آیا لازمه از الان دچار واهمه بشیم یا نه صحبت می کنن و در طول مسیر کلمات جدیدی هم آموزش میدن.

سوال پادکست انگلیسی BBC – انقراض بشر :

Which island the dodo was from? Was it:

a) The Galapagos

b) Mauritius

c) Fiji

به پادکست خوب گوش کن تا جواب رو پیدا کنی.

واژگان کلیدی پادکست انگلیسی BBC – انقراض بشر

مدیتیشن میتونه ذهن رو عوض کنه، البته از نظر برخی کارشناس ها.

نظر شما درباره ی تاثیرات مدیتیشن چیه؟ تا حالا انجامش دادین؟ بله؟ ، فایده ای هم داشته؟  در پادکست انگلیسی BBC – مدیتیشن می شنویم که سم و نیل درباره ی تاثیرات مدیتیشن روی مغر صحبت می کنند و در طول مسیر کلمات جدیدی هم آموزش میدن.

سوال پادکست انگلیسی BBC – مدیتیشن :

Question: What is the meaning of the Tibetan word for ‘meditation’? Is it…

a) to relax

b) to feel blissful

c) to become familiar

[The answer is at the end of the programme.]

به پادکست خوب گوش کن تا جواب رو پیدا کنی.

واژگان کلیدی پادکست انگلیسی BBC – مدیتیشن

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.

Sam
And I’m Sam.

Neil
How do you relax, Sam?

Sam
Well, I love watching movies and I go swimming.

Neil
One thing that millions of people around the world do is meditate to relax and that’s the subject of our programme. We’ll be looking at experiments by scientists in the US into the Buddhist practice of meditation. We’ll find out how Tibetan monks use meditation techniques to focus better and manage their emotions.

Sam
But what exactly is meditation? People just sitting cross-legged on the floor, thinking of nothing?!

Neil
There’s a lot more to it than that. After all, Buddhist meditation is an ancient practice – even science, according to some. Tibetan Buddhism, as embodied by the Dalai Lama, is what many people think of when you mention meditation. Which brings me to my quiz question.

Sam
Which is..?

Neil
What is the meaning of the Tibetan word for ‘meditation’? Is it…

a) to relax

b) to feel blissful

c) to become familiar

Sam
I think it must be either a) to relax, or b) to feel blissful because they sound like positive states of mind. But I’m not sure about calling meditation a ‘science’, Neil. Isn’t it more like a philosophy or a lifestyle?

Neil
Not according to Professor Richard Davidson of the Center for Healthy Minds. He spoke to Alejandra Martins of BBC World Service programme Witness History about his remarkable scientific experiment which proved for the first time that meditation can actually change the brain.

Richard Davidson
When I first met His Holiness the Dalai Lama it was 1972. He challenged me, he said, ‘I understand that you’ve been using tools of modern neuroscience to study anxiety and depression. Why can’t you use those same tools to study kindness and to study compassion?’

Neil
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the workings of the human brain and nervous system. Professor Davidson measured negative mental states like depression, in contrast to positive attitudes such as compassion – that’s the wish for everyone to be free from suffering.

Sam
Right. In his test, Buddhist monks sent out loving thoughts to everyone equally – to friends, enemies and strangers as well as to themselves.

Neil
Compassionate thoughts such as ‘May you be happy and peaceful’, ‘May you not suffer’. And the results were astonishing!

Sam
What did they show, Neil?

Neil
Very high levels of gamma oscillations – now that’s brain waves showing increased connections between different parts of the brain. This is what you or I might experience as a flash of insight – a moment of sudden understanding and clarity. For us, it might last less than a second. But for these experienced Buddhist monks, the gamma waves lasted minutes! Furthermore, as Richard Davidson explains, brain changes as a result of meditation can be long lasting.

Richard Davidson
There is no question at this point in time based upon the current science that has been conducted over the last 10 years, that meditation can change the brain in enduring ways; and the circuits that are involved are multiple, but they include circuits that are important for regulating attention and regulating emotion.

Neil
So, this was proof of neuroplasticity – our brain’s ability to change in response to conscious effort. In other words, the meditating monks were intentionally remoulding their minds in more positive ways!

Sam
And this was possible because the brain circuits – different parts of the brain responsible for different functions – start talking to each other in new ways that created enduring – meaning long-lasting – changes.

Neil
The meditators gained insight into how their minds work. They were more focused and emotionally balanced and less likely to get upset. How cool is that?

Sam
Pretty cool! But these Tibetan monks sound like Buddhas! They spend thousands of hours sitting in meditation. I’ve got to go to work, Neil! What good is meditation to me?

Neil
Well, Sam, in fact the experiment showed that 30 minutes of meditation a day significantly increased feelings of loving kindness in new meditators too!

Sam
OK, maybe I’ll give meditation a go after all. But not before I find out the answer to today’s quiz.

Neil
Yes, I asked you what the Tibetan word for ‘meditation’ meant.

Sam
And I said either a) to relax, or b) to feel blissful. And I’m feeling pretty confident of getting it right this time, Neil.

Neil
Well, Sam, if the answer came to you in a flash of insight then I’m afraid you need more practice because the correct answer is  c) to become familiar, in this case with more positive thoughts and emotions.

Sam
You mean emotions like kindness and compassion – the thought wishing everyone to be free from their problems. What other vocabulary did we learn today, Neil?

Neil
Well, it turns out meditation is actually a science. Neuroscience in fact, which is the study of the human brain and nervous system. Meditation experiments proved neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to restructure.

Sam
By generating and sending out the compassionate wish, ‘May all beings be happy’, Buddhist meditators change their brain circuits – different parts of the brain responsible for different functions. And this is an enduring change, meaning it lasts and increases over a long period of time.

Neil
I must say, Sam, you took it pretty well when you guessed the wrong answer just then.

Sam
Thanks, Neil. I don’t like getting upset, so I’m trying out some breathing meditation! Breathing in the positive, breathing out the negative…

Neil
Join us again soon for another interesting discussion on 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. Bye for now!

امیدوارم از پادکست انگلیسی BBC – مدیتیشن لذت برده باشید.

در این قسمت درباره قدرت و اثرات گریه صحبت میشه. آیا واقعا گریه احساس را بهتر می‌کند؟ آیا زنان بیشتر از مردان گریه می‌کنند؟ آیا امروزه گریه کردن در جمع و بین مردم قابل قبول و پذیرفته شده است؟ آیا گریه کردن برای مردها یک نقطه ضعف است؟

در زیر کلمات کلیدی که باید با آن‌ها آشنا شوید برایتان توضیح داده شده‌اند:

be taken seriously: be treated as being deserving of attention or respect

be taken seriously: جدی گرفته شدن

get a label: be thought of as having a particular character or nature, often unfairly 

get a label: برچسب زدن به یک آدم، انگ زدن

final straw: further problem or difficulty, usually minor in itself, which comes after a series of other problems and makes you want to give up 

final straw: شانس آخر، موقعیت آخر

resentments: feelings of anger because you think you have been treated unfairly or because you have been forced to accept something that you don’t like 

resentments: احساس خشم

weeping: crying tears 

weeping: گریه

backlog: accumulation of uncompleted matters that you should have dealt with before and must now do

backlog: تلمبار شدن

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.

Sam
And I’m Sam.

Neil
Do you cry easily, Sam? I mean, when was the last time you cried?

Sam
Let me think… Last week watching a movie, probably. I was watching a really dramatic film and in one scene, the heroine gets separated from her children. I just burst out crying. How about you Neil – when was the last time you cried?

Neil
Men don’t cry, Sam.

Sam
Come on, Neil! That’s a bit stereotypical, isn’t it? – the idea that men don’t show their emotions and women cry all the time.

Neil
Well, that’s an interesting point, Sam, because in today’s programme we’re discussing crying. We’ll be investigating the reasons why we cry and looking at some of the differences between men and women and between crying in public and in private. And of course, we’ll be learning some related vocabulary along the way.

Sam
I guess it’s kind of true that women do cry more than men. People often think crying is only about painful feelings but we also cry to show joy and when we are moved by something beautiful like music or a painting.

Neil
So, maybe women are just more in touch with their feelings and that’s why they cry more. Well actually, Sam, that brings me to our quiz question. According to a study from 2017 conducted in the UK, on average, how many times a year do women cry? Is it:
a) 52
b) 72, or
c) 102

Sam
Hmm, it’s a tricky question, Neil. I mean, there are so many different reasons why people cry. And what makes me cry might make someone else laugh. I think some of my female friends probably cry around once a week, so I‘ll guess the answer is a) 52.

Neil
OK, Sam. We’ll find out later if you were right. Now, while it may be true that men cry less often, it also seems that they feel less embarrassed about crying in public.

Sam
This may be because of differences in how men and women think others will view their public displays of emotion. Here’s BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour speaking to therapist Joanna Cross about the issue of crying at work.

Joanna Cross
Let’s take the workplace. If you’ve got somebody who seems to cry regularly, I think that’s not helpful for the individual because then if they cry over something that really is important to them, they might not be taken so seriously – or they get a label. But I do think crying is often a build-up of frustration and undealt-with situations and it’s a bit of a final straw moment.

Neil
So people who regularly cry at work risk not being taken seriously – not being treated as deserving attention or respect.

Sam
And they might even get a label – become thought of as having a particular character whether that’s true or not. Here’s Joanna Cross again:

Joanna Cross
You build up your resentments, your lack of boundaries, not being able to say ‘no’ and then somebody says, ‘Can you go and make a cup of tea?’ and you suddenly find yourself weeping. And everybody says, ‘What’s wrong with her?’ but actually that’s often a backlog of situations.

Neil
So, a common reason for crying at work seems to be a build-up of resentments – feelings of anger when you think you have been treated unfairly or have been forced to accept something you don’t like.

Sam
When left undealt with, these feelings can create a backlog – an accumulation of issues that you should have dealt with before but didn’t.

Neil
Right. And then, like Joanna says, someone asks you to do something very simple and easy, like make a cup of tea, and you start weeping – another word for crying.

Sam
That’s a good example of a final straw moment, a term which comes from the expression, ‘The straw that broke the camel’s back’. The final straw means a further problem which itself might be insignificant but which finally makes you want to give up.

Neil
I hope this programme won’t be the final straw for us, Sam.

Sam
I doubt it, Neil. The only time I cry at work is when you used to bring in your onion sandwiches for lunch. In fact, I can feel a tear rolling down my cheek right now…

Neil
Ah, so that counts as one of your cries, Sam. Remember, I asked you on average how many times a year women in the UK cry – and you said?

Sam
I said a) 52.

Neil
Well, don’t cry when I tell you that you were wrong. The actual answer was c) 72 times a year.

Sam
Which on average is more than men, but less than parents of new-born babies, both mothers and fathers. They cry almost as much as their babies!

Neil
Today, we’ve been talking about crying – or weeping, as it’s sometimes called.

Sam
People who often cry at work risk not being taken seriously – not treated as deserving of attention or respect.

Neil
This means they might get a label – becoming known as someone with a particular kind of personality, even though that may not be true.

Sam
But crying is also a healthy way of expressing emotions. It can help deal with resentments – feelings of anger that you have been treated unfairly.

Neil
If we don’t deal with these feelings in some way, they can grow into a backlog – an accumulation of unresolved issues that you now need to deal with.

Sam
And if you don’t deal with them, you might become a ticking bomb waiting to explode. Then anything someone says to you can become the final straw – the last small problem which makes you want to give up and maybe start crying.

Neil
[Crying]

Sam
What’s the matter, Neil? Was it something I said?

Neil
No, Sam – I’m crying because it’s the end of the programme!

Sam
Ahh, don’t worry because we’ll be back soon for another edition of 6 Minute English. But bye for now.

Neil
Bye.

با اوضاع سخت چطور کنار میای؟ چرا بعضی افراد نسبت به بقیه بهتر از پس شرایط استرس زا برمیان؟ آیا ما با سرسختی و استقامت(resilience) به دنیا اومدیم یا این یه چیزیه که یادش می گیریم؟  در پادکست انگلیسی BBC – سرسختی می شنویم که راب و جورجینا درمورد سرسختی صحبت می کنند و در طول مسیر کلمات مرتبط هم آموزش میدن.

سوال پادکست انگلیسی BBC – سرسختی :

‘Resilience’ is also a word used in science to describe the characteristic of a substance or object. But what does it mean?

a) It is very tough or hard

b) It can return to its original shape after being bent

c) It can turn from a solid into a liquid quickly

به پادکست خوب گوش کن تا جواب رو پیدا کنی.

واژگان کلیدی پادکست انگلیسی BBC – سرسختی

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Rob
Hello, and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Rob…

Georgina
And I’m Georgina. 

Rob
Now, Georgina, how resilient are you?

Georgina
Resilient? You mean able to cope with difficult situations. I have a pile of work to do today, but I’m remaining calm and not getting stressed. 

Rob
That’s good, you are showing resilience. And today we’re discussing whether we’re born with resilience or we have to learn it. 

Georgina
OK, Rob. But first I expect you’re going to ask me a question – bring it on!  

Rob
OK. Resilience is also a word used in science to describe the characteristic of a substance or object. But what does it mean?
a) That it’s is very tough or hard.
b) That it can return to its original shape after being bent.
c) It can turn from a solid into a liquid quickly. 

Georgina
I have a feeling it means b) an object that returns to its original shape after being bent.  

Rob
OK, I’ll let you know if you were correct at the end of the programme. But let’s talk more about human resilience. There are many self-help books and motivational speakers all promising us we can learn to be resilient.

Georgina
Well, it is a useful trait to have, and it’s something that can help you deal with many difficult situations from coping with the pressures of work to handling the death of a loved one. 

Rob
And it’s more than just telling someone to ‘toughen up’ or ‘get a grip’, as Dr David Westley knows. He is Head of Psychology at Middlesex University and talked about levels of resilience on the BBC World Service programme, The Why Factor. 

Dr David Westley, Head of Psychology at Middlesex University
First of all, there’s our social supports, our communities, our families, the people who are important to us, the organisations we work for, so one way we can look at resilience is to measure that – the amount of social support available to us. Another way to think about resilience is to think about how we think about the situations we are in. So, for example, one way to look at that would be just to look at how optimistic people are as a guide to how resilient they might be when times get tough. And then a third level that we can look at for resilience is a biological level – how well we can soothe ourselves, calm ourselves down, how well we can actually regulate our own nervous systems at times of distress.

Georgina
Right, so Dr Westley describes social supports – the people around us who we can talk to and support us and generally make us feel better. I think he’s saying, with more support we feel more resilient. 

Rob
It’s interesting to note that a resilient person isn’t necessarily someone quiet, who doesn’t make a fuss and gets on with things. Some experts think it’s people who ask for help and use this social support network who are acting in a more resilient way.

Georgina
It’s a good point. And another level of resilience is how optimistic someone is. Being optimistic means having positive thoughts about the future and believing things will turn out well. A positive mind means you can deal with situations that, at first, look tough. Another level Dr Westley mentioned was our biological level – how our bodies cope in times of distress. Distress is the feeling you get when you are worried or upset by something.

Rob
So, when we’re distressed, a resilient person is able to soothe his or her body and regulate his or her nervous system, which helps them stay calm. 

Georgina
But, Rob, the big question is, are we born with resilience or can we learn it? Experts speaking on The Why Factor programme tended to think it could be learned. 

Rob
Yes, one of them is Ann Masten, a professor at the University of Minnesota. From her studies, she found it was something that we learn when we need to. 

Georgina
Ann Masten talks about how some of the children she studied manifest resilience from the start. When something manifests, it shows clearly and is easy to notice. They remain resilient despite adversity – a difficult time in their life they’ve had to face. 

Rob
Other children, what she calls the late bloomers, started off less resilient, struggled with adversity, but turned their lives around by becoming more resilient. Maybe we can learn resilience from a having a bad experience? 

Georgina
Well, one thing Ann went on to say was that families and friends can be a great support and help with resilience. Those that were ‘late bloomers’ only connected with adults and mentors later in life.   

Rob
Yes, she says that teachers or parents are role models in how to handle adversity. And children are watching; they’re learning from the adults around them by seeing how they react when they get challenged by something. Time now to find out how resilient you are when you discover the correct answer to the question I asked earlier. I said that ‘resilience’ is also a word used in science to describe the characteristic of a substance or object. But what does it mean? Is it…
a) It is very tough or hard.
b) It can return to its original shape after being bent.
c) It can turn from a solid into a liquid quickly.
And what did you say, Georgina?

Georgina
I said it was b) It can return to its original shape after being bent. 

Rob
And you are right – well done! Bamboo is a good example of a resilient material – you can bend it, it doesn’t break and returns to its original shape. 

Georgina
Thanks for the science lesson, Rob. Now we need to recap the vocabulary we’ve mentioned today… 

Rob
Yes, we’ve talked about being resilient, an adjective that describes someone’s ability to cope with difficult situations. When you do this you show resilience. 

Georgina
Someone who is optimistic has positive thoughts about the future and believes things will turn out well. 

Rob
Distress is the feeling you get when you are worried or upset by something. 

Georgina
When something manifests itself, it shows clearly and is easy to notice. And adversity is a difficult time in somebody’s life that they have had to face. 

Rob
And that brings us to the end of this discussion about resilience. Please join us again next time. Bye bye. 

Georgina
Bye.

امیدوارم از پادکست انگلیسی BBC – سرسختی لذت برده باشید.

یه ژورنالیست بازنشسته که یه کارزار راه انداخته بود تا مردم رو به استفاده صحیح از آپاستروف (apostrophe) تشویق کنه دیگه داره از مبارزه در این راه دست میکشه. و اون هم به این خاطر که میگه “جهالت بازی رو برده.” تو چقدر موقع استفاده از آپاستروف، قوانین گرامری رو رعایت می کنی؟ اصلا به نظرت آپاستروف بخش مهمی از گرامر انگلیسیه؟ یا اینکه تو هم از اون آدمهایی هستی که از نظرت “we’re” و “were” هیچ فرقی ندارن؟

در پادکست انگلیسی BBC – افول آپاستروف می شنوی که علت افول استفاده از این علامت نگارشی چی بوده و چند کلمه جالب و کاربردی جدید هم یاد می گیری.

سوال پادکست انگلیسی BBC – افول آپاستروف:

The word ‘apostrophe’ itself – which language does it come from? Is it:

a)Latin

b) Greek

c) Arabic

به پادکست خوب گوش کن تا جواب رو پیدا کنی.

واژگان کلیدی پادکست انگلیسی BBC – افول آپاستروف

Georgina
Hello. This is 6 Minute English, I’m Georgina

Rob
And I’m Rob

Georgina
Are you a punctuation pedant? Do you get upset, annoyed or angry if you see punctuation being used incorrectly – particularly apostrophes

Rob
Well, it depends. Usually I’m pretty chilled out about it, but sometimes, just sometimes it really winds me up. For example, if I see a sign for taxis at a train station and it says taxi – apostrophe – s – aargh! Why – why? The apostrophe is not used to show there is more than one, it’s used to show there is a missing letter or that the word is a possessive – it’s just wrong! So that does kind of make my blood boil

Georgina
So, when you say you’re pretty chilled about it you mean

Rob
OK, I’m not chilled at all. But maybe I wish I were

Georgina
Well, we’re going to be taking a look at reactions to the use and abuse of apostrophes in this programme. But first, a question. The word ‘apostrophe’ itself – which language does it come from? Is it

A: Latin

B: Greek

C: Arabic

What do you think, Rob?

Rob
I don’t think it’s Arabic, so it’s a toss-up between Latin and Greek. I’m going to say Greek

Georgina
OK. We’ll see if you’re correct at the end of the programme. The apostrophe, it is true to say, is often misused. It’s put where it shouldn’t be and not used where it should be. Is it important, though? Does it matter? After all, in spoken English there is no difference between ‘it’s’ with an apostrophe and ‘its’ without. ‘Your’ and ‘you’re’ – short for ‘you are’ sound the same. So what’s the problem in written English

Rob
In many cases there isn’t a problem at all. There would be very little confusion. But I don’t think that means we should just ignore the correct way to use them. Sometimes it can be very important to make clear if it’s a singular or plural or possessive. Another important thing to remember is that in CVs and job applications a good standard of spelling and punctuation is expected. Get it wrong and you could miss out on a good opportunity

Georgina
There is one group that has tried for nearly 20 years to keep others to these high standards – The Apostrophe Protection Society. They have publicly pointed out incorrect use in public signs and communications – a tactic that has not always been welcome or successful. But like the apostrophe itself, the group is in danger. Here’s a BBC news report on the subject

Duncan Kennedy, BBC reporter

They linger above our letters, they wander around the endings of our words, but apostrophes, it seems, are an endangered species. The Apostrophe Protection Society – yes there really is one – says their future is, well, up in the air

Georgina: How does he describe apostrophes?

Rob
Using metaphorical, poetic language, he says they linger above our letters. To linger is a verb usually used to describe someone or something staying somewhere before finally leaving

Georgina
So, we have apostrophes lingering above our letters and also he said they wander around the ending of words

Rob
Yes, also a metaphorical use. To wander means to walk slowly around without any real purpose or urgency

Georgina
And he went on to say that the future of the apostrophe is up in the air. When something is up in the air, it means its future is not certain, it’s not guaranteed. So if, for example, your holiday plans are up in the air, it means that there is some kind of problem and you might not be going on holiday after all. The person who founded The Apostrophe Protection Society is John Edwards. Now 96 years old he has decided to give it up. Partly because of his age, but also because he thinks that due to the impact of texting and social media he has lost the battle against bad punctuation. So why has it come to this? Here he is explaining why he thinks people aren’t bothered about using correct punctuation

John Edwards

I think it’s a mixture of ignorance and laziness. They’re too ignorant to know where it goes, they’re too lazy to learn so they just don’t bother. The barbarians have won

Georgina
So what’s his reason?

Rob
He blames ignorance and laziness. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge or understanding of something. So people don’t know the rules and are too lazy to learn them, according to Edwards

Georgina
Quite strong views there

Rob
Yes, and you thought I was a pedant! He actually goes further to say that the barbarians have won. Barbarian is a historical word for people who weren’t part of so-called civilized society. They were seen as violent and aggressive, primitive and uncivilized

Georgina
So it’s not a compliment then

Rob
Oh no!

Georgina
Right, before we review today’s vocabulary, let’s have the answer to today’s quiz. Which language does the word apostrophe come from? What did you say

Rob
I went for Greek.

Georgina
Congratulations to you and anyone else who got that right. Greek is the right answer. Now let’s remind ourselves of today’s vocabulary. First, what’s a pedant, Rob

Rob
A pedant is someone who corrects other people’s small mistakes – particularly in grammar and punctuation – but it’s not the same as an English teacher! A pedant will correct native speakers’ mistakes too, and not in the classroom

Georgina
 To linger means to stay somewhere for longer

Rob
 To wander is to walk around without a real purpose or intention to get somewhere quickly

Georgina
If your plans are up in the air, it means they are at risk and might not happen

Rob
Ignorance is the state of not knowing something that should be known

Georgina
And finally, a barbarian is a word for a primitive and uncivilized person. Right, we can’t linger in this studio as our six minutes are up. You can find more from us about punctuation and many other aspects of English online, on social media and on the BBC Learning English app. Bye for now

امیدوارم از پادکست انگلیسی BBC – افول آپاستروف لذت برده باشید.

تا به حال به این فکر کردید که چطور میشه برای جمعیت رو به رشد زمین غذا تهیه کرد وقتی هرچی میگذره از میزان زمینی که میشه روش کشت و کار کرد، کم و کمتر میشه؟ به نظرتون تو این شرایط، رژیم جلبکی میتونه راه حل باشه؟ اگه مجبور شید حاضرید جلبک بخورید؟  در پادکست انگلیسی BBC – رژیم جلبکی میشنویم که نیل و سم درباره ی این مدل رژیم صحبت می کنند و در طول مسیر کلمات جدید و کاربردی آموزش میدن.

سوال پادکست انگلیسی BBC – رژیم جلبکی :

What do the following three things have in common: oceans, snow and Neil’s garden patio?

a) They are all good places to relax

b) They are all very cold

c) They are all places where microalgae grow

به پادکست خوب گوش کن تا جواب رو پیدا کنی.

واژگان کلیدی پادکست انگلیسی BBC – رژیم جلبکی

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.

Sam
And I’m Sam.

Neil
In this programme, we’ll be looking at an unusual food called microalgae and asking whether eating algae might be better for our health and the health of the planet. And of course, we’ll be looking at some of the related vocabulary along the way.

Sam
Yuck! I’m not sure about eating algae, Neil! I mean, what’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?

Neil
Well, I once tried fried stick insect in Thailand… and I’ve had ants, as well, that were from Colombia.

Sam
Ah, OK, yeah – both fairly strange for us here in the UK. But what about pond scum, Neil?

Neil
Pond scum? Pond scum is the slang name for microalgae – green plant organisms, such as spirulina, which grow in water-like ponds and look a bit slimy or scummy before being dried. Here, we’re talking about edible algae, meaning it’s OK to eat.

Sam
More than OK, in fact – these types of food algae are actually good for your body! Microalgae like spirulina and chlorella are packed full of proteins, vitamins and antioxidants. Because they are so healthy, they’re having a moment right now, meaning they are becoming more well-known and popular.

Neil
Yes, microalgae is trending just now and for good reasons, which we’ll find out about later. But first, let me ask you our quiz question. What do the following three things have in common: oceans, snow and my garden patio? Is it…
a) They are all good places to relax
b) They are all very cold
c) They are all places where microalgae grow

Sam
Well, I know that oceans and snow are made up of water… but your garden patio? Did your barbeque get rained off again, Neil?

Neil
No, not quite, Sam! Well, hopefully you’ll know by the end of the programme. Now, I mentioned before that microalgae is sometimes called a superfood – a type of food which is essentially full of healthy vitamins, minerals and nutrients. But microalgae is not the first superfood to become popular.

Sam
That’s right. In the early 2010s, many juice bars started popping up in places around the world selling green smoothies – energy drinks made by blending healthy ingredients like kale, chard and spinach. The recent trend for microalgae and spirulina has been promoted in part by big drinks companies wanting to sell the latest brightly coloured smoothies.

Neil
And more and more, spirulina is also being used as a cooking ingredient – in hot dogs and meatballs – and as a protein-rich substitute for eggs in pasta and mayonnaise.

Sam
But as well as all these health benefits, there’s another advantage to microalgae superfoods – one that could potentially benefit the whole planet. BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme asked Professor Alison Smith, Head of Plant Sciences at Cambridge University, to explain:

Alison Smith
As the population of the world increases and the land that’s available for agriculture is becoming stretched, there’s an interest in trying to increase productivity by other means…so sustainable intensification of agriculture is one way…

Neil
So food security is an issue – making sure enough nutritionally-rich food is produced to feed the growing world population. Alison Smith says the amount of agricultural land available for growing food is becoming stretched, meaning there are not enough resources, in this case farm land, to meet everyone’s needs.

Sam
Yes, and she mentions that one possible solution is sustainable intensification of agriculture – which means increasing food production in ways which don’t damage the environment or use new land.

Neil
Well, we know that microalgae are superfoods, nutritionally rich in vitamins and protein, but how do they help reduce the need for agricultural land? Alison Smith explains:

Alison Smith
…they can be grown in all sorts of locations – in water, in oceans, in ponds, lakes and so on, even on your patio and on snow… so one of the possibilities is to produce these organisms in cities and towns because they don’t need the open landscape to be grown.

Sam
I think I’ve spotted the answer to your quiz question, Neil.

Neil
Oh yes? I asked what oceans, snow and my patio have in common.
a) They are all good places to relax
b) They are all very cold
c) They are all places where microalgae grows

Sam
The answer is c ) – places where microalgae can grow! What an amazing plant! I think I’m going to stop calling it pond scum and use the correct scientific name Prof Smith mentioned, organisms.

Neil
Today’s programme was all about microalgae like spirulina, a green, edible food algae which some people call pond scum, although scientifically speaking it’s an organism, meaning an animal or plant life form.

Sam
Yes, and this plant life form is also called a superfood, because it’s especially rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients which promote good health.

Neil
Superfoods are having a moment right now, meaning they’re becoming more popular or trending because they’re so healthy.

Sam
And another benefit of microalgae is that it grows almost anywhere. So it doesn’t use much agricultural land, which is becoming stretched, meaning there’s not enough of it to meet the world’s food needs. Sustainable intensification is another possible solution to this problem, because it is a way of increasing food production without harming the environment or using new land. Don’t forget you can find lots more learning materials and topical vocabulary on our website at bbclearningenglish.com. And please join us again soon. Bye for now!

Neil
Bye!

امیدوارم از پادکست انگلیسی BBC – رژیم جلبکی لذت برده باشید.

پادکست انگلیسی BBC – آموزش هوش مصنوعی

در این قسمت درباره پرورش مغز و مزایای آن صحبت میشه. آیا پرورش مغز واقعا میتونه ما رو باهوش‌تر کنه؟ یکی از راه‌های متداول و مهم پرورش مغز توانایی صحبت کردن به دو یا چند زبان دنیاست. یادگیری زبان‌های مختلف باعث استفاده بیشتر و کاراتر از ظرفیت‌های بالقوه موجود در مغز انسان میشه.

در زیر کلمات کلیدی که باید با آن‌ها آشنا شوید برایتان توضیح داده شده‌اند:

bilingualism: speaking two languages equally well

bilingualism: دو زبانه

brain training: learning ways to increase your memory or intelligence

brain training: یادگیری راه های افزایش حافظه یا هوش شما، پرورش مغز

neurons: nerve cells

neurons: سلولهای عصبی

a stroke: a serious illness that occurs when blood flow to an area in the brain is cut off

a stroke: سکته مغزی

executive functions: behavior that is the same as the way most other people behave

executive functions: کارکردهای اجرایی

switches: changes

switches: تغییر کردن

resist: try to stop or prevent

resist: مقاومت

enhance: improve

enhance: بهبود

cognitive reserve: the idea of building up extra abilities to help protect the brain against declining memory or thinking. 

cognitive reserve: ایده ایجاد توانایی های اضافی برای کمک به محافظت از مغز در برابر کاهش حافظه

stimulate: make something become more active

stimulate: فعالسازی کاری

put someone’s mind at rest: stop someone from worrying

put someone’s mind at rest: از نگرانی کسی جلوگیری کردن

Sophie
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Sophie…

Neil
Watashi-wa Ni-ru.

Sophie
What did you say?

Neil
Watashi-wa Ni-ru. ‘I’m Neil.’ It’s Japanese, Sophie.

Sophie
Very good, Neil! So your Japanese language lessons are going well, then?

Neil
They are indeed. And did you know, Sophie, that scientists believe learning a second language can boost brainpower? Bilingualism – or speaking two languages equally well – is a form of brain training.

Sophie
Brain training is where you’re learning ways to increase your memory or intelligence. That’s great Neil – but you’re not exactly… bilingual… are you?

Neil
Not yet. No.

Sophie
Well, brain training is the subject of today’s show. And ways to train your brain might be doing a crossword puzzle, playing chess, or studying a new language! Now I have a question for you, Neil.

Neil
I hope my brain is up to the challenge.

Sophie
I’m sure it is. Can you tell me: How many neurons – or nerve cells – are there in the typical human brain? Is it …
a) 8.6 billion
b) 86 billion
Or c) 860 billion

Neil
Hmm. I’m going to say a) 8.6 billion.

Sophie
Well, we’ll find out later on in the show whether you got the answer right or not. But now let’s listen to neuropsychologist Dr Catherine Loveday talking about why being bilingual may protect your brain from damage if you have a stroke.

INSERT
Dr Catherine Loveday, neuropsychologist
I think the theory behind why bilingualism might be a protective factor is that [it] involves a lot of switchings – a lot of attentional changes – lots of switching. And that seems to exercise the sort of executive parts of our brain. Those parts of the brain are kind of stronger and fitter when it comes to resisting some kind of damage from the stroke.

Neil
A stroke is a serious illness that occurs when blood flow to an area of the brain is cut off. And executive functions are the mental skills involved in doing things like problem solving and planning.

Sophie
So when a bilingual speaker switches – or changes – from one language to another – this exercises the executive parts of their brain, making it stronger and fitter. And because the brain is stronger, it’s able to resist – or prevent – damage caused by a stroke.

Neil
But many of us aren’t bilingual are we? So our brains aren’t going to be protected against strokes.

Sophie
Don’t worry, Neil. There are other things you can do to exercise your brain. If you’re right handed, doing tasks like brushing your teeth with your left hand will stimulate your brain – or getting dressed in the dark with your eyes shut. Or simply memorizing a list of words, for example your shopping list.

Neil
Doing things with the wrong hand sounds hard. But the shopping list thing sounds easier… OK. Let’s see… pizza, doughnuts, crisps, bottle of coke, chocolate cake…

Sophie
That’s not a very healthy list, Neil! A good diet is also important in keeping your brain fit and healthy.

Neil
Maybe I should cut down on the chocolate cake then?

Sophie
Actually, that’s one thing you could leave on the list. According to research, chocolate may enhance – or improve – cognitive performance, and that is your ability to acquire and utilize knowledge. Now let’s listen to Dr Loveday talking about building up our cognitive reserve – this is the idea of building up extra abilities to help protect the brain against declining memory or thinking.

INSERT
Dr Catherine Loveday, neuropsychologist
Continually just stimulating the brain – things like learning a language, learning music, just educating yourself, seems to continue to build up that cognitive reserve. So even if people take up languages or take up other things later in life it will give them a degree of protection.

Neil
Stimulate means to make something become more active. Hmm. Not sure I’m continually stimulating my brain. What do you think, Sophie?

Sophie
With all our stimulating discussions, Neil, I’m sure we’re both building up our cognitive reserve. And there are your Japanese lessons too.

Neil
Well, so I am doing well as far as my cognitive reserve goes. Sophie you’ve put my mind at rest.

Sophie
And if you put someone’s mind at rest you stop them worrying. Well, don’t get too relaxed Neil – your brain needs constant stimulation, remember?

Neil
Hmm. I think I might just lie down after the show with a box of chocolates and today’s crossword… or maybe I’ll memorize another shopping list… this time in Japanese.

Sophie
OK. I think it’s time to hear the answer to today’s quiz question. I asked: How many neurons are there in the typical human brain? Is it … a) 8.6 billion b) 86 billion or c) 860 billion?

Neil
And I said a) 8.6 billion.

Sophie
I thought you were feeling clever today, Neil. I’m afraid that’s the wrong answer. It’s b) 86 billion. But do you know how scientists calculated that number?

Neil
Did they have a guess, Sophie?

Sophie
No, not exactly. Apparently, the easiest way is to count how many neurons there are in one part of the brain and then multiply that for the rest of the brain’s volume.

Neil
Well, that’s a lot of brain cells. OK, can we hear the words we learned today?

Sophie
They are:
bilingualism
brain training
neurons
stroke
executive functions
switches
resist
enhance
cognitive reserve
stimulate
put someone’s mind at rest

Neil
Well, that’s the end of today’s 6 Minute English. Don’t forget to join us again soon!

Both
Bye.

واژگان کلیدی پادکست انگلیسی BBC -آداب معاشرت برای پسرها

در یک مدرسه انگلیسی یک درس جدیدی حسابی بین دانش آموزهای پسر محبوبیت پیدا کرده: چطور در یک جمعی از افراد باکلاس و متشخص رفتار کنیم؟ تا حالا براتون پیش اومده که تو چنین جمع هایی حاضر بشین و ندونین چه رفتاری مناسبه؟ مثلا سر میز شام باید اول کدوم قاشق و چنگال رو برداری؟ آیا اصلا چنین درس هایی اهمیت داره؟ در پادکست انگلیسی BBC – آداب معاشرت برای پسرها می شنویم که کالم Callum و جنیفر Jennifer درباره ی این مدل رفتارهای باکلاس اطلاعاتی بدست میارن و در این مسیر کلمات جالب و کاربردی جدید هم بهتون آموزش میدن.

سوال پادکست انگلیسی BBC – آداب معاشرت برای پسرها :

According to the rules of etiquette, at a formal meal where there are three sets of cutlery which should you use first?

a) The knife and fork furthest from your plate
b) the set closest to your plate
c) the set in the middle

به پادکست خوب گوش کن تا جواب رو پیدا کنی.

واژگان کلیدی پادکست انگلیسی BBC – آداب معاشرت برای پسرها

BBC 6 minute English – Etiquette lessons for boys

پادکست انگلیسی BBC – خوبی و بدی تتو

بحث تتو بحث پیچیده ایه. بعضی ها میگن خوبه و بعضی ها میگن بده. بعضی از طرح ها هنری و پیچیده است و بعضی طرح ها هم ساده و کلیشه. بعضی ها هم هستند که بعد از مدتی از این طرح خسته میشن و از اینکه این طرح رو تتو کردن پشیمون میشن. نظر شما در رابطه با این موضوع چیه؟ در پادکست انگلیسی BBC – خوبی و بدی تتو میشنویم که سم Sam و راب Rob درباره ی طرح های هنری روی بدن صحبت می کنند و در طول مسیر کلمات جدیدی رو آموزش میدن.

سوال پادکست انگلیسی BBC – خوبی و بدی تتو :

According to the Guinness World Records, the record for the most tattooed person in the world goes to Lucky Diamond Rich from New Zealand. Do you know how much of his body is covered by tattoos? Is it…

a) 80%?

b) 90%? Or 

c)  100%?

به پادکست خوب گوش کن تا جواب رو پیدا کنی.

واژگان کلیدی پادکست انگلیسی BBC – خوبی و بدی تتو

BBC 6 minute English –  Is it a good idea to have a tattoo

پادکست انگلیسی BBC – شرمساری

چرا امروزه مردم بیشتر دچار حس خجالت و شرمندگی میشن؟ آیا این حس ربطی به محبوبیت رسانه های اجتماعی مثل اینستاگرام داره؟ همه مون می دونیم که حس شرمساری آدم رو ناراحت و ناامید می کنه اما آیا جنبه ی مثبتی هم داره این حس؟ تا حالا شما از چیزی احساس خجالت یا شرمساری کردین؟ در پادکست انگلیسی BBC – شرمساری میشنویم که نیل Neil و سم Sam درباره ی حس شمرساری صحبت می کنند و در طول مسیر کلمات جدیدی هم آموزش میدن.

سوال پادکست انگلیسی BBC – شرمساری :

The chemical which was used to make cooking pans non-stick was discovered by accident, when was this?

a) 1930s

b) 1960s

c) 1980s

به پادکست خوب گوش کن تا جواب رو پیدا کنی.

واژگان کلیدی پادکست انگلیسی BBC – شرمساری

BBC 6 minute English – Is shame always bad

Neil
Hello, and welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Neil.

Sam
And I’m Sam. 

Neil
In this programme we’ll be talking about the emotion of shame. What can you tell us about this word, Sam?

Sam
Well, it can be a verb or a noun. As a noun it’s an emotion for the uncomfortable feeling we have when we feel embarrassed or guilty about something that we’ve done. It’s a very strong feeling. 

Neil
We’ll explore this topic in more detail shortly, but first a question. Now it might seem like a random question, but all will become clear later, I promise. The chemical which was used to make cooking pans non-stick was discovered by accident, when was this? Was it…
a) 1930s
b) 1960s or
c) 1980s
What do you think, Sam? 

Sam
Ah – well, first, I’ve no idea what non-stick cookware has to do with our topic of shame but as to the question itself, I think it has something to do with Nasa and the space programme, so I’m going to say 1960s. 

Neil
Well, we will find out later in the programme if you are right. The idea of shame is not new, by any means, but social media has made it a very modern concept, hasn’t it? 

Sam
Yes, when it’s used as a verb, to shame someone, it means to say or write things in public designed to make other people feel bad about their behaviour and this is something we see a lot In social media. 

Neil
This topic was discussed on a recent edition of the BBC radio programme Woman’s Hour. One of the guests was Hetta Howes from City University, London. Does she think that shame is always a bad thing? 

Hetta Howes
If you have too much shame it’s crippling, it’s sort of debilitating and that’s bad, but the right amount of shame can be really positive because it effects change and I wonder if we’re starting to see that a bit in modern culture as well from sort of social media platforms because if someone’s done something that we consider to be a little bit wrong, we can sort of publicly shame them and maybe effect some positive change. 

Neil
So is shame always bad? 

Sam
Well, she does say that too much shame can be crippling and debilitating. Both these words mean that shame is so strong that we really can’t manage the emotion, we can’t deal with it, we can’t do anything to put it right. But she does say that a bit of shame can be positive because it effects change. This means that it causes change. If someone is shamed on social media, it’s very public and can mean that they change their behaviour. 

Neil
I suppose though there is one group  I think have to accept public shaming, and perhaps deserve it more than others. 

Sam
I think I can guess. Would it be politicians, perhaps? These days we are very cynical about politicians, aren’t we? Social media is one area where the public can directly contact and comment on what their representatives are or aren’t doing. 

Neil
But politicians are a particular kind of person, aren’t they? Cultural historian Tiffany Watt-Smith made this comment on the same Woman’s Hour programme. 

Tiffany Watt-Smith
Shame is … can be very very useful and the idea of someone who doesn’t experience that at all, like a sort of Teflon-coated politician, I mean, that’s… that’s a kind of frightening image. 

Neil
What’s she saying here, Sam? 

Sam
She’s talking about how some politicians to do not seem to be bothered by shaming. They just ignore it and move on. She describes them as Teflon coated. This is – aha – a reference to non-stick cookware! Teflon is the brand name of the chemical which was used to make pots and pans non-stick. The pans were coated or covered in this material. The reference to politicians is that there are some to whom criticism and shame just don’t stick. They manage to avoid any negative consequences of their actions and this, she says, is scary.

Neil
Here’s Tiffany Watt-Smith again.

Tiffany Watt-Smith
Shame is … can be very very useful and the idea of someone who doesn’t experience that at all, like a sort of Teflon-coated politician, I mean, that’s… that’s a kind of frightening image. 

NeilI
t’s nearly time now to review our vocabulary, but first, let’s have the answer to the quiz question, which was about non-stick coating on cookware, or Teflon, as we heard. When was it invented? 
a) 1930s
b) 1960s or
c) 1980s
What did you think, Sam? 

Sam
I guessed the 1960s as I think it was invented as part of the US space programme. 

Neil
Well, a lot of people think that and, like you, a lot of people are wrong. It was actually discovered, by accident, in 1938. So well done if you got that right but no shame if you didn’t! Now on with today’s words. 

Sam
OK. Yes, we were talking about shame, an uncomfortable feeling of guilt and embarrassment at something we’ve done.

Neil
Shame can be crippling and debilitating. Both these adjectives mean making someone unable to deal with the situation. They can feel so badly about what they have done that they find it difficult to move forward emotionally.

Sam
We then had to effect change. This means to make change happen. Note this is ‘effect’ with an ‘e’ and not ‘affect’ with an ‘a’. 

Neil
Teflon is a non-stick covering for cookware.

Sam
And something that is coated with something is covered with something. So Teflon coated means covered in Teflon. 

Neil
Well, that’s all for this programme. We’ll be with you again soon, but if you can’t wait, you can find us in all the usual places on social media, online and on our app. Just search for bbclearninglish. Goodbye! 

Sam
Bye!

امیدوارم از پادکست انگلیسی BBC – شرمساری لذت برده باشید.

پادکست انگلیسی BBC- چالش کرونا و مراقبت از بچه‌ها

در این قسمت درباره چالش کرونا و مراقبت از بچه‌ها صحبت میشه. چطور می‌تونیم فضایی شاد و مفرح برای بچه‌ها در خانه ایجاد کنیم تا نیازی نباشه در این شرایط خطرناک بچه‌ها رو برای تفریح به بیرون از خانه ببریم؟ مراقبت از بچه‌ها و تربیتشون در دوران کرونا چه تغییراتی داشته؟

در زیر کلمات کلیدی که باید با آن‌ها آشنا شوید برایتان توضیح داده شده‌اند:

unprecedented : never having happened or existed before   

unprecedented : بی سابقه

coping skills : skills and methods a person uses to cope or deal with stressful situations 

coping skills : مهارت ها و روش هایی که شخص برای مقابله با اوضاع تنش زا استفاده می کند

brainstorm : discuss with others to suggest ideas or solutions to a problem 

brainstorm : ایده پردازی

chunk : a piece of something, often a large part  

chunk : تکه

downtime : time when you relax and do not do very much  

downtime : زمانی که استراحت می کنید و خیلی کار نمی کنید

let off stream : do something to get rid of strong feelings like anger or excitement by expressing them without harming anyone

let off stream : تخلیه انرژی

Transcript of the podcast

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.  

Georgina 
And I’m Georgina.   

Neil
Do you remember the school holidays when you were a kid, Georgina?  

Georgina 
Ah, yes, I remember. Six whole weeks without school! I used to go to the seaside on holiday with my family – sometimes to the coast in England and sometimes abroad to France or Spain.  

Neil 
Yes. I remember my dad driving us down to the seaside, looking out the car window and playing I-spy with my sister.   

Georgina 
But with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic many children are having to take an extended and unplanned break from school.  

Neil 
And with schools now shut for the foreseeable future, this is creating challenges – both for children who can no longer meet their friends to play outdoors…  

Georgina 
…and for parents who want to keep their children occupied and focused without spending hours watching TV or playing on mobile phones.  

Neil 
In this programme, we’ll be discussing some advice for parents trying to keep their children educated and entertained at home in these unusual times. But first, today’s quiz question: Under normal circumstances, which country has the longest school summer holidays? Is it: 
A) Australia
B) Argentina, or
C) Italy? 

Georgina 
Hmmm, they have really hot summers in Australia, right? I think maybe they also have long holidays, so I’ll say a) Australia. 

Neil 
OK, Georgina. We’ll find out later whether you were right. Of course, what’s happening right now is very different from normal school holidays. Parents and children may be living together under lockdown for weeks on end and this can be stressful as BBC Radio 4’s You and Yoursdiscovered when they spoke to parenting expert, Elizabeth O’Shea.  

Elizabeth O’Shea
The most important thing is see this as an opportunity. It’s unprecedented what’s going on but you may have a chance to have two or more weeks with your children and if you can change your attitude towards that you can actually enjoy this time and teach your children amazing coping skills for dealing with difficulties in the future.  

Georgina 
Elizabeth thinks that having a positive attitude by seeing the lockdown as an opportunity will help in this unprecedented situation –  a situation which has never happened before.   

Neil 
Adults are full of life experience and parents can teach their children things they wouldn’t get to learn at school. Being able to spend time at home with your children can be a great opportunity to teach them coping skills – skills they can use to cope, or deal with, stressful situations.  

Georgina 
One of Elizabeth’s main ideas is that parents shouldn’t try to re-create a school classroom at home. Instead, it might be better to work with your children as a team and decide together what you’d like to do.  

Neil 
Here she is talking about keeping kids entertained at home. 

Elizabeth O’Shea
I would brainstorm ideas and then draw up timetables of what you’re going to do each day. Include a nice chunk of time, normally after lunch, for a bit of downtime – quiet reading or quiet play but then, the rest of the time, build in activities. So playing with your children is wonderful – ball games, board games, card games, word games, anything – doing a family disco – anything that is fun and entertaining for them.  

Neil 
If you lack ideas for what to do during the day, Elizabeth recommends brainstorming – talking to your children to produce ideas and suggestions for things to do.   

Georgina 
Of course, games and activities are fun ways of keeping children entertained and she suggests spending a chunk – or large part of time – on those.  

Neil 
But it’s difficult to find the energy to keep playing games all day long. It’s also important to timetable in downtime – time when you relax and do not do much, for example quiet reading.   

Georgina 
And if it all starts going wrong, here’s Elizabeth again with a final tip.  

Elizabeth O’Shea
Pillow fights are also a great way to let off stream.  

Neil 
If the situation becomes stressful then it’s good to let off steam – do something to get rid of strong feelings by expressing them without harming anyone. You could let off steam in many ways – anything from going for a run to having a pillow fight!  

Georgina 
I think I’m going to need a holiday to get over this lockdown. 

Neil
Which reminds me… it’s time to reveal the correct answer to this week’s quiz question. I asked you which country’s schools usually have the longest summer holidays.  

Georgina 
I said a) Australia. 

Neil 
Good try, Georgina, but the correct answer was c) Italy. They have up to 13 weeks’ holidays in the summer! Imagine how much fun you could have!  

Georgina 
Or how much English vocabulary you could learn!  

Neil 
Today we’ve been giving some tips to parents for surviving the coronavirus lockdown, an unprecedented situation – meaning a situation which has never happened before.  

Georgina 
One parenting expert recommends keeping a positive attitude by focusing on the useful things parents can teach their children at home, like coping skills – skills to cope with stressful situations, like being locked down.  

Neil 
A good way to generate ideas for things to do is brainstorming – talking with your children to come up with ideas and suggestions for fun learning activities. A large chunk – or part – of the day could be spent in fun ways like playing games or finding things out together on the internet.  

Georgina 
But don’t forget to schedule in some downtime – quiet time to relax and do nothing.  

Neil 
And when it all gets too much, find healthy ways to let off steam – get rid of strong emotions by doing something energetic, like going for a run….  

Georgina 
…Or having a pillow fight! Come on, Neil, I always have a pillow handy, just in case!  

Neil 
Well, unfortunately, we’ve run out of time. Search BBC Learning English for more language learning programmes as well as English activities for your children during the lockdown. Bye for now!

پادکست انگلیسی BBC- چت با افراد جدید

در پادکست انگلیسی BBC – چت با افراد جدید ، میشنویم که نیل Neil و جورجینا Georgina درباره ی نتیجه تحقیقاتی حرف می زنن که میگه مکالمه های به ظاهر ساده با افراد جدید میتونه تاثیر مثبتی روی حالت روحی و سلامت آدم ها داشته باشه. در این مسیر کلمات جالب و کاربردی جدید هم یاد می گیری.

سوال پادکست انگلیسی BBC – چت با افراد جدید:

According to the Oxford English dictionary, approximately how many words are in use in the English language? 

a)    171,146

b)    271,146 

c)    371,146

به پادکست خوب گوش کن تا جواب رو پیدا کنی.

واژگان کلیدی پادکست انگلیسی BBC – چت با افراد جدید